Greg Taylor In an attempt to at least temporarily re-establish myself as more than just a part-time lurker, I've decided to throw up this fanfic onto the newsgroup before putting it on my page... it's actually my fourth completed one, and the first one that I'd rate at least PG-13. And I'm told by the people who've seen it that it rates at least a couple asprin :) I'll post a part every couple of days or so, at least if there's interest... aside from the Prelude, Finale, and two Interludes, each part is written from the point of view of a different character. Enjoy ^^ And again, not suitable for younger viewers. WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 1: PRELUDE "Going somewhere, Jupiter?" Jupiter slowed her charge through the alley slightly to glance about, wondering as to the source of the voice. It seemed to be coming from above her. Jupiter paused long enough to frown up at the person standing on the fire escape. Who...? Then it clicked. "Mercury." Jupiter realized. "They warned me about you." "Is that so?" Mercury commented, jumping down from her position to land a few feet in front of Jupiter. "Should I be flattered?" "No... but you should stand aside," Jupiter advised. She really didn't have time for this now... Mercury just smiled sweetly. "Oh, I don't think so. I think we should give Zoisite all the time he needs to get the next crystal, hmmm?" "You're asking for it," Jupiter answered, narrowing her eyes. "Then why don't you give it to me," Mercury retorted, the corners of her mouth turning up into a rather unpleasant smile. She tapped an earring and a blue visor slid over her eyes, quickly gathering data for her on her opponent... the latest Senshi to be discovered. Mercury snapped her hands out in front of her as she went into an offensive stance. Jupiter paused for a minute, glaring, then abruptly charged forward, with the intent of shoving Mercury aside and hurrying past. But her hand only hit air. At the last second, Mercury had slipped back to the side and stuck out a booted leg, and before she knew it, Jupiter was falling. To her credit, she rolled as she landed and was quickly up on one knee. Mercury jumped over her to land in front once more and shook her head. "Brains over brawn, my dear. Shame, I *had* hoped a new Senshi would provide more of a challenge..." "You haven't seen anything yet," Jupiter growled. Obviously only the direct approach would work. She quickly stood, gathering her forces about her. "Now get out of the way or I'll be forced to use drastic measures." Mercury raised an eyebrow. "Do I look scared?" Jupiter shook her head. "Then you leave me no choice... Supreme... THUNDER!" she attacked. "Shabon... SPRAY!" A fog rolled over the entire area as Mercury jumped straight up to avoid Jupiter's attack. Jupiter blinked - had she caught Mercury's leg? She wasn't sure... she couldn't see anything now. Jupiter stopped moving. She waited, quietly, listening hard for any sound around her. A noise sounded behind her. "Supreme THUNDER!" Jupiter quickly shouted, spinning around. At which point she heard the other noise in the same direction she'd just been facing; but it was too late. Jupiter felt a cold steel blade slice into her side. "Oldest trick in the book," Mercury's voice hissed in Jupiter's ear. Mercury listened in satisfaction to Jupiter's cry of pain and anger, then quickly dodged back out of range as Jupiter spun back towards her. Jupiter's fist only connected with air, putting her off balance. The brunette clutched her wounded side as she worked to regain her equilibrium. The fog began to clear. Mercury had really hoped for better entertainment. "Well, I guess that concludes our lesson for today," came the voice of Mercury's hazy silhouette. "I could kill you I suppose, but where's the fun in that? Now if I were you I'd have that wound looked at..." "DAMN you!" Jupiter shouted, gritting her teeth. "SUPREME....!" But the silhouette was gone. And when the fog cleared completely, Mercury was nowhere to be seen. ***** "I thought we warned you not to get into a battle with her!" Rei reproached. "Not without backup!" "Yeah, well, I hadn't planned it turning out like that," Makoto muttered, adjusting the bandage on her side. The wound hadn't been as serious as it had first looked, but there had still been a fair bit of blood loss. "Besides, she doesn't look that threatening," Makoto continued. "Heck, she seemed smaller and weaker than that youma I was hefting the other day... and I wasn't even transformed then!" "She may be small but she's got an IQ bigger than that of Albert Einstein," Minako observed, shaking her head. "THAT is what makes her dangerous." "That and all her little gadgets," Luna added soberly. "Well, I guess my body is in no position to argue," Makoto sighed, leaning back against the wall. "I'm just sorry I never got to the cemetery in time..." "Well, the important thing is that you weren't too seriously hurt," Usagi pointed out. "Besides, at least the Dark Kingdom didn't get the second crystal, it was Tuxedo Kamen who spirited it away." "Not that we're positive which side he's on," Artemis reminded her. "It hasn't been proven he's against us though!" Usagi noted. There was a brief pause, during which Makoto glanced around Rei's room idly. "There's something that I don't quite get though," she finally said, frowning in thought. "You said that there's someone named Mercury who's with the Dark Kingdom, like Zoisite... but when I saw her, she was dressed in a similar sailor fuku to the ones we wear. And if she's named after a planet like us... well, why isn't she fighting on our side?" She glanced back at her new friends to see them all looking at each other uneasily. "She's just trying to mock us," Rei finally said. "Distract us, to keep us off guard." Makoto looked around at the faces of the others. Slowly she shook her head. "You're hiding something," she concluded. Makoto paused. "Am I not enough of a Senshi yet to be trusted?" she pressed uncertainly. Usagi winced visibly and the others looked uncomfortable. "I suppose telling the story was inevitable," Minako said to no one in particular. Luna sighed as she padded over. "I should have anticipated this. And I guess it's only fair." Luna paused, then turned to Makoto. "Very well." "The story of Mercury started a few months ago, when it was just Sailor Moon against the Dark Kingdom. Fortunately, they weren't very strong then, and one warrior was enough. But one day... one day I sensed strange energy coming from a particular girl." Luna paused then looked away. "She was the school genius and I... I thought she could be from the Dark Kingdom, so I... I... decided we should confront..." Luna stopped as she choked on her words. "It WAS a natural assumption, especially after we found an incriminating disk," Usagi noted. "I was seeing evil everywhere and I jumped to conclusions!" Luna retorted, spinning her head back to look at Usagi. "If I'd only realized she was Mercury in the first place...!" "Hey, hey, you're not psychic," Artemis comforted, moving to join her. "Everyone makes mistakes..." "We could not afford one this costly! Not only might it result in us losing the war, the alternative may mean taking the life of one of our own!" There was an eerie pause. No one was sure what to say. Finally, Luna shook her head and glanced back at Makoto. "Anyway, me and Sailor Moon confronted the girl in class... and it turned out that it was the *teacher* who was the youma. At first she just took the poor girl hostage, but then... then..." Luna squeezed her eyes shut with a pained look. "The sign of Mercury appeared on her forehead," Usagi offered. "Similar to how it happened for you, Mako-chan. Luna tried to react in time and get Mercury her pen to transform... but then Jadeite appeared. Apparently he was keeping a closer watch on things than we'd thought." There was another pause. "Jadeite?" Makoto inquired tentatively, not sure she wanted to interrupt the story but wanting to be sure she understood it all. "A general before Zoisite," Rei offered. Makoto nodded. "Anyway, while I was cornered by possessed students, Jadeite zapped Luna with an energy pulse," Usagi continued, sadly. "Then he grabbed the pen Mercury needed to change, grabbed her before she could react, and teleported out again." Makoto started to feel a little sick to her stomach. "So... the Dark Kingdom turned her into that person who confronted me in the alley?" "Essentially," Minako affirmed quietly. "At the very least there was probably some brainwashing involved." Makoto stared, hands unconsciously clenching into fists. "Those bastards!" she abruptly exclaimed. "Why, if they thought I was mad at them before... to do that to an innocent young girl...!" "She's not just some sweet naive girl any more," Rei quickly interjected. "Don't think you can let your guard down around Mercury now that you know about her origins - it's why we didn't tell you in the first place. She's just as dangerous as the rest of the Dark Kingdom. The only difference is that she happens to have the powers of a Senshi." Makoto blinked then shook her head. "But if she's a Senshi, if she's one of us, then surely..." Minako sighed. "Makoto, to be blunt, you can't trust her. We've all had our own experiences wherein she's turned on us in some way." Usagi rested her chin in her hands. "When Mercury first appeared to me, transformed, she actually had me convinced that she wasn't really working for them," she said quietly. "She said that she'd managed to survive what they'd put her though... that she was now faking loyalty to destroy them from the inside. I... I wanted to believe her... I wanted to believe things were okay. But then... she tried to kill me." "Fortunately I showed up in time," Minako chimed in. "I cut my stay in England short as soon as Luna reported to Artemis (via Central Control) that we'd lost a Senshi. I turned up in some clock store as Mercury was standing over Sailor Moon with a knife and... well, at first I tried to reason with her, but she didn't listen. I think it was only by attacking that I kept her from dealing a fatal blow." She paused to glance at Usagi uncertainly, Makoto's eyes following her gaze. Usagi smiled weakly and took in a deep breath. "Anyway, Mercury disappeared and the two of us then stopped some youma who was speeding up time... so it turned out okay that time." Minako looked back at Makoto. "The bottom line here is that Mercury is one of them now... it's important that you realize that." Makoto stared. "You mean you've just given up on her then." "You don't know what we've been through, damn it!" Rei, who had been relatively quiet up until now, suddenly shouted. She stood and pulled up part of her skirt to expose a two inch long scar on her upper thigh. "You think I got this shaving or something?!" "Rei..." Usagi said, quietly. "No, I got it when the blue-haired psycho slashed me on a cruise ship!" "Rei, that's enough," Minako said firmly. Rei stared at the others for a minute. "I think I need a little air," she finally said, dropping her skirt back down before calmly walking out of the room. "You'll have to excuse her," Usagi said, turning to Makoto. "She was once where you are now... where we all were, actually. She couldn't believe someone who was supposed to be inherently good could be turned evil just like that. Rei even did several fire readings on the matter. It LOOKED like Mercury still had a chance..." "But...?" Makoto said, throat getting dry. "But, well... there was a big battle on a pleasure cruise a while after Rei joined us. When it actually came down to it, Mars hit Mercury with a Fire Soul. Mercury was on the ground, obviously in pain and apparently weeping. Rei was concerned. She... got a little too close..." Usagi's voice trailed off. Makoto waited, not sure she wanted to hear the end of this. She glanced at Minako, then over at Luna who was being quietly comforted by Artemis. "Basically, Mercury lashed out and cut her pretty bad," Minako finally finished. "Then she knocked Mars down, kicked her and laughed in her face, saying she'd be pardoned for the mission's failure since she was able to take one of us down for a while. Mars was out for a couple days... emotionally as well as physically." "My God," Makoto murmured. "I think that was sort of the breaking point for all of us actually," Usagi commented, staring hard at the floor. "All of us had some degree of hope up until then... after that, we just had to face facts." There was another pause. "So that's why you can't think of Mercury as anyone other than another member of the Dark Kingdom," Minako concluded. "Actually, it's almost surprising she didn't give you a major cut when she could," Usagi noted. "You're pretty lucky." Makoto glanced back at her bandage. There was an even longer silence. "What... what was she called?" Makoto asked abruptly. "Before she was taken, I mean... before she was Mercury." Usagi and Minako exchanged a glance. "Ami," Usagi replied. "She used to be Mizuno Ami." ***** Makoto lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. So it was her destiny to be a Senshi and protect the planet, was it? She supposed someone had to do it. That business about Ami though... that was pretty eerie. Could someone really be changed over like that? What if had been her? Makoto frowned as she thought about it. For some reason, she still felt like she was missing a piece of the puzzle... but she didn't know what it was... Makoto woke up to the clatter of many objects falling to the ground - she hadn't even realized she'd dozed off. Makoto quickly sat up and flipped on the lamp by her bed... and saw Mercury sitting on the desk across the room, now swept clear of all objects. Makoto gasped. "Well, your new friends have told you all about me now?" Mercury said, crossing her legs impassively. "What are you talking about? Who are you?" Makoto said, feigning ignorance while she glanced about her room for some weapon. How had Mercury discovered her identity?? Mercury chuckled. "Spare me the dramatics, Jupiter. You can lift the pretence. Glad to see you're healing well by the way." Makoto realized there wasn't anything useful within reach to lash out with. She was reeling a bit anyway owing to the fact she'd just got up, and from Mercury's very presence at... 3am? But after all, if her identity wasn't a secret... how safe was she?? "What do you want from me?" Makoto said guardedly. Mercury placed her chin on her hand. "What do you think I want?" Makoto didn't take her eyes off of Mercury but she didn't stop scanning for some way to defend herself either. "To expose me?" Makoto ventured. Mercury shook her head. "Why expose what is so obviously true? Try again." "To kill me?" Makoto continued. Should she transform? Or was THAT what Mercury wanted? Mercury smiled. "I could have killed you while you were sleeping." Damn, she's right, Makoto realized with growing horror. "To only try to kill me then?" Makoto continued. "To harm me like you did the others?" She inched towards the side of her bed. She didn't feel comfortable in her sitting position... Mercury seemed quite comfortable though, as she seemed to consider Makoto's idea. "Perhaps... why, do you feel up to a little one on one again?" she inquired. "I'm not planning on tossing Supreme Thunders around my room," Makoto said sarcastically. "Not even to save your life?" Makoto narrowed her eyes. Enough beating around the bush. "Look, if you have something to say, say it, otherwise either kill me or get the hell out." Mercury shook her head and laughed. "Oh please. What is this fixation you have with killing and hurting?" Makoto blinked. "You're the one who harmed the others, and me..." "But you're still breathing now." "Look, stop stalling and tell me what you WANT," Makoto said with a glare, wondering if there was any point in continuing to talk. Her adversary shrugged. "Oh, I just figured since you know `all about' me now, that I might as well learn a bit about you. Living alone, are you? That doesn't seem safe." "There are other tenants in the apartment building." "Oh, let's not drag them into this," Mercury answered with a wave of her hand. "After all, they're 'innocents', right?" There was a tone of sarcasm in her voice. "Innocents... like you?" Makoto ventured. There was a pause before Mercury smiled. "I am NOT innocent," she responded. "Did the other Senshi tell you that too? I give them too much credit..." "Actually, they said the opposite," Makoto responded. "Why do you try so hard to make people hate you?" she continued, deciding to take a bit of an offense in this conversation. Mercury shrugged. "You do what you have to." "You never have to hurt people the way you have," Makoto pointed out. "Strong words from someone who was trying to electrocute me twelve hours ago," observed Mercury impassively. Makoto flushed. "That was different. You were preventing me from getting to my friends..." "And what if I were to tell you that if I hadn't delayed you, you would have been hit by a truck at the next intersection?" Makoto blinked then frowned. "And how could you have known that?" "I couldn't. But let's face it, you attacked me because I'm evil," Mercury said, hopping down off the desk. "Well then, tell me *Jupiter*, if I'm so evil, why isn't Zoisite here RIGHT now, wringing your neck?" Makoto felt a shiver run up and down her spine. "Because you have no proof of my identity?" "The fact that you're talking to me is more than enough," Mercury assured her coldly. "You're the fifth Senshi, you know that? The last one to be discovered." "What are you *getting* at?" "You're the last person in the world who might still harbour any hope for me." Makoto stopped at that - it had been the last thing she'd expected Mercury to say. And oddly, Mercury seemed a little surprised at having said that too. Makoto opened her mouth to speak, but Mercury interjected first. "And there's also the matter of THAT," the blue haired girl noted, pointing across the room. Makoto glanced over quickly but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She turned back to Mercury. "What do you-- " But Mercury was gone. All that remained where she'd been standing was a piece of paper, fluttering gently to the ground. Makoto glanced around to be sure it wasn't a trick, then slipped off the bed and went over to retrieve the paper. On it were written three simple words: You're So Gullible. Greg Taylor Here you are... ^^ I hope you like it... each part in seperate message, note that parts 8 and 15 are twice as long as a normal part. WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 2: MAKOTO "She was WHERE?" Usagi gasped. "In my room last night," Makoto repeated patiently. "Then she knows your true identity," Rei observed. Makoto nodded. "That's bad," Minako muttered. "She's never confronted any of us out of uniform before. But if she knows you... well, I can't think that there would be that great of a leap to discover the rest of us. Assuming she hasn't already." "But what did she WANT?" Usagi asked anxiously, eyes wide. "Apparently, to talk," Makoto replied. She paused, wanting to be sure she phrased things right. "She said... that I was the only one who still had any hope for her." Makoto stopped, deciding the 'gullible' bit wouldn't be too constructive at this point. "Do you know what that might mean?" The other three girls exchanged a glance. "She's toying with you," Rei piped up. "I hate to admit it, but this IS probably just a way to get you off guard," Minako agreed. Makoto frowned and leaned back against a temple column, folding her arms across her chest. "But why bother?" she mused. "I mean, she knows who I am - so why *didn't* she kill me in my sleep?" There was a pause. "Maybe you're more valuable to her alive," Minako offered. Makoto felt another chill. "Plus it's probably more fun for her this way," Rei muttered, barely audible. Makoto considered this for a minute, then sighed and shook her head. "I guess it's possible, but... she hasn't dealt any fatal physical wounds when given the chance either. At least not that I can tell, or that you've explicitly said..." "We've usually stopped her," Minako countered. "She hasn't exactly killed any attacking youmas either you know." Makoto nodded, having to concede that point too. But something still didn't feel right. "I suppose I just have this gut feeling that she's not really WITH the Dark Kingdom." "But who else's side would she be on?" Usagi said, perplexed. Rei raised a sceptical eyebrow. "A neutral side?" the dark-haired girl hypothesized. Makoto paused, then shrugged. "I'm not sure what I'm suggesting, to be honest," she admitted, staring out across the landscape. "It's just a feeling... I can't write her off so quickly." "Then you may die for your faith," Rei said bluntly. Makoto grimaced. "I'm not saying she's not dangerous," she admitted, rubbing her still sore side. "But... well, all right, while Mercury may be evil, I think... maybe there's some part of *Ami* still in her - keeping her from going over the edge." Makoto paused briefly. "Because what do we actually know about Ami? The person she was before this all happened?" Makoto turned to face her friends, who glanced at each other. Minako shrugged. "That... would be Usagi's department, I suppose." Usagi flinched slightly. "Well, I don't know that much... it might be better to ask Luna, she always tended to be more observant." "Luna's not here at the moment, Usagi," Makoto pointed out. Usagi bit her lower lip. "Well, this wasn't quite a scheduled meeting... I'm sure if we get together again tomorrow..." Makoto sighed. "I know it's probably not easy, me dragging up these memories of her... but... I feel like I need to know. Partly because she knows me - my identity - so I want to be sure I don't get surprised again. But at the same time it might provide insight into her motives," Makoto justified. Usagi took in a deep breath. "I... suppose," she conceded. She paused then turned away. "I really don't know all that much. Ami was the smartest girl in the school... heck, maybe even the country. She kept to herself though. I remember she hadn't even been to the Arcade before I took her." Usagi smiled in recollection. "She's a fast learner, racked up a high score in no time. Of course, she acted a little shy, but she could be very determined... she kept her wits about her when that youma...." Usagi's voice trailed off and her eyes fell back to the ground. "When..." Minako slipped her hand into one of Usagi's and squeezed reassuringly, then glanced back at Makoto. "I think generally she was a brave, young and intelligent girl who just ended up in the right place at the wrong time. I can't think we'd be able to elaborate... there wasn't really any opportunity to know her. We tried to get through to her as Mercury, but..." She gestured vaguely. "I doubt even her parents could get through," Rei completed with a sigh. Makoto jumped. "Parents? Ami's parents?" The human side of the equation hadn't even occurred to her - she'd thought maybe Ami was parentless, like herself. "What... what happened to them?" Rei rubbed her forehead. "Well, Ami lived with just her mother... and all she knew was that her daughter disappeared. She blamed herself, for not being there." Rei shrugged. "Ami's current official listing is as a missing person." "Ironically, the tragedy did help reconcile her with her husband," Usagi put in. "They'd been separated for a couple of years. Now they're living together just outside of the district." Makoto nodded soberly. "I... see." She frowned and scratched her head. "Maybe there's a chance with the other method anyway..." The others exchanged a glance. "You said that you tried to get through to her as Mercury," Makoto elaborated. "Because that's who we've seen, we know more about Mercury than we do about Ami. But maybe what she REALLY needs is someone to treat her as Ami. As that innocent girl she once was. For all we know, these earlier memories were twisted in her mind... some tampering to get her onto their side. If she remembers what things were really like before, it could help override the evil within her." "But only her family really has a strong sense of who she is," Minako interrupted. "And our interaction with them was fairly limited... we couldn't tell them the truth and we can't involve civilians in our battle!" "Not to mention grieving ones," Usagi murmured. "I saw her parents about a week after the incident, to pay my respects, offer some hope... then a month after that they moved out of the old apartment - I don't think I ever saw them smile during that time..." Makoto shook her head. "Bringing them in would only be dangerous, unless we can be sure there are no Dark Kingdom forces at work. Not good to give the other side any edge; it may be a possible last resort, but I was thinking of something else. Surely records exist of Ami's scholastic achievements or of her abduction, that sort of thing." The others nodded. "You could probably find them in the library," Minako affirmed. "I did try to get her to remember some of our brief time together," Usagi commented. "There didn't seem to be any effect..." Makoto paused only briefly. "Well, I still think it's worth a shot, trying to help Ami discover herself," Makoto declared. Rei, who had once again paused to observe the other three, now sighed and laid a hand on Makoto's shoulder. "Mako-chan..." "Rei, I have to do it!" Makoto asserted. "If that were me, stuck with people like Zoisite, forced to commit horrible acts, I know I'd want someone to rescue me! Wouldn't you?" Rei inclined her head slightly. "I just wanted to say... do what you have to, but please be careful." Makoto flushed slightly. "Oh." Rei glanced out over the temple grounds. "I hope you're not setting yourself up for a fall though. Not every scenario is winnable." Makoto nodded solemnly and joined Rei's gaze off into the distance. "Well, I'll just have to hope this one is then." ***** The next day there was no school, and despite the fact that Makoto didn't sleep too comfortably - wondering if Mercury was going to suddenly pop up - she still woke up fairly early. She arrived at the library within an hour of it opening. She didn't come here all that often... and for some reason, it seemed even bigger on this particular day. She started by looking through microfiche. Ami's disappearance turned out to be hard to miss... it had made the front page of the paper she was looking at, even though it wasn't the top story. "Well, either it was a slow news day, or Ami was a pretty impressive girl," Makoto muttered to herself. She scanned the article to find that Ami had a rumoured IQ of 300; though it couldn't be confirmed, since she demurred from taking actual placement tests. 'I don't want to be seen as anyone special... I just study hard,' she was quoted as saying in a previous conversation. Shaking her head slightly, Makoto looked back in earlier editions. She spent the better part of a day scanning papers and journals and grabbing copies of articles when she could. While Mizuno Ami certainly wasn't a household name, she did tend pop up in the news from time to time, especially if you were looking for her. Unfortunately, the articles tended to be small and didn't give many details about her personal life. Still, they certainly couldn't hinder Makoto's objective. She left the library with a small file folder and high hopes. She'd try to flag Mercury's attention tonight and show her some of the articles. She was sure that if she could bring the Ami side of Mercury out, it would be a start on the right path. And the best way to do that was remind her of her past. Right? She had to be right. Not just for herself either. Makoto hurried home with the words 'You're the last person in the world who might still harbour any hope for me', ringing in her ears. ***** "Mercury?" Makoto called out again. She felt a little foolish, sitting on the edge of her bed and talking to a pencil. But she knew she didn't own a blue one like this - and the end looked like it could be a microphone. It had turned up in her Physics textbook, which had been on the desk Mercury had swept clean the other night. Who could have put it there if it wasn't Mercury? Fortunate that she'd stumbled upon it, tidying things back up to pass the time. Hopefully solved the question of how to contact Mercury too. Maybe this had even been an invitation to further discussion? "Mercury?" Makoto repeated. Of course, it was a long shot. What if this was just a pencil she'd picked up accidentally sometime? Or what if it wasn't, but Mercury wasn't listening? Or didn't come? She had no reason to do so... then again, maybe she was watching and waiting for Makoto to fall asleep. Makoto had decided not to transform, because that might be taken as an offer to confrontation. Nevertheless... she glanced down at the lead pipe by her bed. Better safe than -- "Anything interesting down there?" Makoto jumped and snapped her head back up and over to the opposing side of her bed, where Mercury was standing and craning her neck, apparently trying to peer over Makoto's shoulder. "I have a door you know," Makoto said, somewhat exasperated. Mercury made a vague gesture. "That's so mundane. Besides, the science of teleportation is actually quite interesting once you get to know it." Makoto sighed. "Whatever. I take it this IS some sort of monitoring device then?" she continued, offering the pencil. Mercury smiled slightly. "I was wondering where I left that. Thanks," she said, snatching it out of Makoto's hand. "Was that all?" Makoto shook her head. "I have something else here to show you..." She reached back under her pillow and pulled out some of the library articles she'd retrieved. She held up one showing Ami receiving some award. Mercury's eyes widened momentarily but she regained her composure so quickly that Makoto wasn't sure if she had only imagined the reaction. Mercury folded her arms across her chest. "Oh, lovely. A history lesson. You know, I DO have better things to do with my time than this." "But you came anyway," Makoto pointed out. "Just like you dropped by that other night..." Mercury sighed. "All right, you want to know the real reason I paid you that visit? I was BORED." Mercury threw her hands up in the air. "Do you know how DULL it is in the Dark Kingdom? Well, when you're not fending off an assassination attempt that is." Mercury twisted her mouth up into a half-smile. Makoto refused to be diverted. "You know what this is a picture of?" Mercury took a couple steps back and leaned against the wall. "Look, Jupiter, I see where you're going with this. You want to make me realize that, golly gee, my old life wasn't all that bad and that I should leave the Dark Kingdom and fight on your side, love and justice, blah blah blah." She laughed, cutting off any reply Makoto might have made, then plunged on. "First of all, I haven't been brainwashed, my dear... I know all about the life I led before. Second of all, it is NOT all that simple." She paused, looking Makoto up and down. Makoto put down the news clipping. "It isn't?" she murmured, tilting her head to the side invitingly. Mercury frowned, glaring at Makoto. "Oh, you don't have a clue... Now let's get one thing straight, I am NOT the same person who is in that picture. Okay? Or do I have to teach you another lesson to get that concept across?" Makoto refused to budge. "Why? Why are you so different now? Because you believe yourself to be evil?" Mercury was by Makoto's side in almost the blink of an eye, staring at her intensely. For a minute Makoto was scared Mercury was about to produce a knife and run her through. She forced down the instinct to react in kind and simply stared placidly, throat going dry. Mercury finally scowled, speaking quietly and deliberately. "I'll have you know that if the old Ami were still around, she'd have been tortured or raped many times over. Assuming she wasn't murdered in the first place. I'm not just evil, my dear Jupiter... I'm powerful. Ami is DEAD." "You may be remembering the events of your life in the wrong way," Makoto ventured, trying to clear her throat. "The Dark Kingdom..." "Is not directly involved in this!" Mercury finished, with a glare. "They know nothing about me. YOU know nothing about me. Those REPORTERS knew nothing about me. Go ahead and tell me that people DIDN'T call me names behind my back. Tell me it's EASY for someone with a 300 IQ to interact with people. You can't, because it's not true. Hell, Ami was not only an outcast, she was a wimp!" "Ami and Mercury aren't mutually exclusive!" Makoto shot back, louder than she intended. "And I might point out that you're not the only one to have had a rough childhood. It sounds to me like you're just trying to take an easy way out!" "What I'm trying to do is keep my head on my shoulders," Mercury hissed back, coldly. "You seem to forget that the Dark Kingdom knows how I looked in my alter identity. You think I could just waltz out?" Makoto winced, realizing that point was hardly refutable. This conversation wasn't really working anymore... Makoto tried a different tack. "If you join us though, the Dark Kingdom may not last long enough to do any damage." Mercury stepped back and smacked a palm against her forehead. "This war cannot be won or lost until the ginzuishou is discovered. For goodness sakes, surely you've realized that by now??" Makoto sighed. "Well, don't just give up because of that! You could help us from the inside. Like tell us how we can get ahold of it first!" Mercury laughed scornfully. "So I can end up like Nephrite? How poetic." She shook her head. "You know what they would do to me if they knew I was even TALKING to you? I'm withholding information at the very LEAST." "But we'd rescue you! We'd --" "And what's with all this 'we' stuff? The other Senshi? They despise me! Even if you do manage to pull something off successfully, which I estimate to have a 10.6% probability at this point in time, I'd still be an outcast. I always have been! You're looking for dreams, Jupiter, look at the FACTS!!" She keeps calling me Jupiter, Makoto suddenly realized. Is it that she doesn't know my name or... "Ami," Makoto started. "You --" But she got no further. "Don't CALL me that! I'm only Mercury now, and *don't you forget it*!" Mercury practically screamed. There was suddenly a small scalpel in her hands and Makoto threw herself to the side as it whistled by her ear and embedded itself in the wall. When Makoto looked back up, Mercury had disappeared once again. Makoto waited until her heart was beating normally again, before getting up and verifying that Mercury had left. She pulled the scalpel from the wall and turned it around in her hands. Then she reached over and picked up her phone, dialling a number. "Hello? It's Makoto... I just talked with her. No luck, but... I may have given her something to think about." "I see," came the murmur of a male voice on the other end of the line. "Well, I suppose that's something. Just... keep me updated." "No problem," Makoto responded. "I'll talk to you later." The connection terminated with a faint click. Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 3: URAWA Ami smiled as she walked out of the school, swinging her bookbag. "Ami!" Urawa called out to her. Ami turned. "Urawa!" she replied. "Nice to see you again!" She advanced towards him, still smiling. "So, did you get the answer to question 4? That was a pretty interesting --" Suddenly a figure jumped out of the tree above her. Ami screamed as she was knocked to the ground. The form stood over her, menacingly. "NO!" Urawa shouted, running forwards. But he wouldn't make it in time... it was like he was running through a liquid. The figure before him started pummelling the dazed Ami with it's hands and feet. "Stop! Stop it!" Urawa shouted. Desperate now, he tried to run faster, help Ami, stop what was happening... but his legs didn't cooperate. As he approached, the figure picked the unconscious Ami up off the ground and slung her over it's shoulder. But now Urawa was almost there... he reached out to grab the figure's shoulder, which was when it finally turned. And the figure was also Ami. Urawa woke up in a cold sweat. ***** Urawa glanced idly around the classroom. He was having difficulty concentrating... it's a good thing he was such a good student and could afford the occasional lapse. But if those crazy dreams kept plaguing him he knew it was only a matter of time before he nodded off when he wasn't supposed to. The most annoying thing about them was that they weren't visions of the future... but they had the same flavour to them. He simply didn't know what they were supposed to represent. And he'd started to have a lot more of them since moving into the area. Shaking his head, Urawa glanced down at his notebook - where he realized he'd just doodled a picture of HER face. He quickly flipped the sheet over. It was all rather infuriating in a way. This mystery girl, invading not only his unconscious but also his conscious thought. And the strange thing was the resemblance she bore to that girl with the high IQ who had disappeared months ago, probably dead for all he knew. Actually, hadn't she disappeared from around this area? Ami... that had been her name. Sometimes Urawa could swear that this dream girl was being referred to as Ami as well - though maybe that was just a fancy of his imagination. After all, Ami had intrigued him when she'd been alive; high intelligence, good looks and all... could account for why he'd relate her to the mystery girl. Still, Urawa couldn't deny the feeling he had that whoever it was that he was seeing... she was in trouble. Running a hand through his hair, Urawa returned his attention to the classroom and what the teacher was saying. "Now, who can name the famous female nurse at this time?" the teacher inquired. 'Florence Nightingale,' Urawa thought to himself, absently tapping his pencil onto his paper. He didn't respond though, better to test the other students who might not know. The teacher scanned the room and centred in on a girl who looked to be half asleep. "Makoto?" Makoto jumped at the sound of her name. "Ami?" she replied dazedly. Urawa banged his knee on the side of his desk. He clutched it in pain as the teacher admonished Makoto for not paying attention. Urawa wasn't listening, he was staring at the tall girl with the brown ponytail. 'Ami'?? Could that really just be... coincidence?? Did she have answers? For that matter, did she even have the right questions? Urawa winced as he held his knee discretely. He certainly wasn't dreaming again because the pain was real enough. Trying to keep from grimacing, Urawa continued to look at Makoto, trying to get her attention - but she didn't notice. Before Urawa realized it, the class was over. He grabbed his stuff and jumped up, but her desk was closer to the door and his knee still hurt. He only just managed to spot her in the crowded hallway, with some girl who had odango-like hair, before they moved off. Urawa sighed; that had been the last class of the day and there was no school tomorrow. "You giveth then you taketh away," Urawa muttered to no one in particular. He frowned. No... he couldn't let it drop so quickly... That night, the computer in Urawa's apartment was busy. Several hours of work finally paid off though, and Urawa tore the paper with Kino Makoto's address on it out of the printer. "I have to know..." he muttered, staring at it. "For some reason, I just have to..." Pulling his eyes from the page, Urawa flipped off his modem, stretched and yawned. "Anyway, it's not like I hacked in to change my marks or anything," he justified to himself as he prepared for bed. ***** Urawa sighed as he pressed the buzzer to Makoto's apartment for the fifth time. He wished he hadn't overslept... he'd apparently missed her. It had been another one of those weird dreams though. He'd walked into the library to find two Ami's sitting on either side of a table, arguing with each other. One shyly stating her points, the other wildly gesturing in a louder tone. As Urawa had hurried towards them, a hole suddenly opened in the floor and the former Ami had fallen in with a scream... leaving the other one gazing after her in surprise... Urawa observed someone else approaching the apartment complex and pretended to fumble for a key. This allowed him to follow the other person inside and get as far as Makoto's apartment door. Urawa tried knocking a few times, but it became obvious that she really wasn't in. With a sigh, Urawa flipped open his bookbag and pulled out a book. He'd just have to wait, then. Fortunately, only a couple of people went through the hallway in the time that he was there - even though Makoto still hadn't appeared after a large part of the day had passed. Urawa just read stubbornly. "What are you doing outside my apartment?" Urawa blinked and looked up at the girl standing at the end of the hall. Cursing himself for letting his attention lapse, he quickly scrambled to his feet. "Uhhh, hi, Kino Makoto, isn't it? We're in the same history class." Makoto arced an eyebrow. "Yes... unless I'm mistaken, you're Urawa, who gets the top marks. It still doesn't explain what you're doing here," she pointed out. Keeping a watchful eye on him, she advanced, pulling out her key. "Er, yes," Urawa admitted. "Er, it's just that... the other day in class you mentioned Ami." Makoto jumped slightly, then frowned in thought. Her face finally cleared. "Oh, right... I just wasn't thinking, that's all. I hadn't slept too much the night before." She gestured vaguely, then used that hand to lean against her apartment door as she reached it. She started down at Urawa. "That STILL doesn't explain what you're doing here," she repeated, patiently... perhaps verging on impatience, Urawa realized. Urawa winced slightly. He suddenly realized that not only was his reason for being here pretty lame, if push came to shove Makoto had a distinct advantage. "Uhhh, yes, well..." What was he supposed to tell her? That he was having dreams about a cute girl he'd seen in the papers a few times several months ago? THAT would go over well... "Was it that you knew an Ami?" Makoto finally offered. Urawa sighed. "That's just IT!" he declared. "I... I didn't - at least never in person - but for some reason I keep seeing that girl who disappeared - Mizuno Ami - in my dreams. It's starting to drive me crazy and I don't know why it's happening! I don't even know if the person is really Ami!" He paused and stared back up at Makoto, flushing slightly. "I guess I was just wondering... uh, have you been having any similar experiences?" Makoto looked at Urawa for a few seconds, apparently sizing him up. And was it just him, or did she seem a little less hostile? Makoto unlocked her door. "Might as well come in," she offered. "Before we start bothering the other tenants." 'She DOES know something,' Urawa realized, and his heart leapt. He followed Makoto into her living room. "Okay," Makoto said, tossing a file folder onto the table. "Let me get this straight. You say you've been having dreams about Ami? The one who disappeared?" Urawa nodded. "I think so. Sounds silly, I know... but they're so, I don't know, unnerving. Vivid. And they usually involve two or even three separate Ami's appearing at once." Makoto frowned. "Any of them in a blue and white fuku?" she inquired tentatively. Urawa paused. "Now that you mention it, once or twice..." his eyes glanced about the room as he thought, and they suddenly stopped on a newspaper article that had half fallen out of the folder Makoto had been carrying. Urawa jumped for it and pulled it out - yes, it was a picture of Ami winning an award. "You know her!" he realized. Makoto stopped, trying to decide how much to say. "I... know of her," Makoto admitted. "I was just doing some research in the library today, to find out a few things." Urawa looked Makoto up and down. There was something more... "Do you know where she is now?" The girl winced and sucked in a breath. "Makoto, please... I have to know. Somehow... I just have to." Makoto passed a hand over her forehead and turned away. "Urawa... uhhh... well, how much do you know about the attacks that go on in the city...?" "You mean the floating people in the area who are currently looking for multicoloured crystals?" Makoto whirled back, staring. "How in the world do you know that??" she asked suspiciously. Urawa met her gaze, realizing he might have said a bit too much. Reports in the paper had said nothing about crystals. Then again, might as well be on the level... then maybe she'd level with him. "I'm... able to see some events in the future," he indicated. "Not necessarily related to such attacks - or even to me - but enough that warranted a little checking when I first moved here. Looks like there's a battle going on between these dark forces and three - or possibly four - "Senshi"." Makoto shook her head incredulously. "I see..." she paused. "Do you know about a Senshi named Mercury then?" Urawa shook his head. "A fair bit of my research was only preliminary... and there aren't tons of records. Though... I don't believe she's one of the current ones, is she?" Makoto sighed, apparently turning things over in her mind. She finally reached a decision. "Actually... she almost was... but she's been corrupted by the Dark Kingdom." Urawa paused to process that. His eyes feel back to the article in his hand. "Mercury is Ami," he suddenly realized. Makoto nodded hesitantly. A frown slowly crept across Urawa's face. "No... this is WRONG..." "I'm afraid it's true," Makoto assured. "But with any luck, it might be possible to win her back. I happened to meet her the other..." "No, I mean that's totally wrong," interrupted Urawa, getting a funny look on his face. "Ami in this `Dark Kingdom'...? It's not right. I was... supposed to meet her?" Makoto shot Urawa a puzzled look. "Pardon?" Urawa shook his head. "I... I don't know. But somehow, knowing that Ami IS alive... this whole situation suddenly feels wrong. The dreams aren't visions, but I KNOW they're something important." He looked back up at Makoto. "It's like..." Urawa grimaced, not sure how to describe the confusion he was feeling. Which was when he was hit by a mental image. Now THAT was a vision. "You're going to talk to her again," Urawa stated. Makoto paused at the abrupt change of subject, then nodded, no longer sure exactly what was happening here. "I was hoping to attract her attention somehow, yes," she stated. Urawa raised an eyebrow invitingly. "She... wants my help," Makoto elaborated slowly. "At least, I think she does. She came to see me once... I'm hoping I can get her to remember what life was like before the Dark Kingdom." Urawa started to drum his fingers on the table. Images were slowly beginning to coalesce in his mind, but he wasn't sure what they all meant. He returned his gaze to Makoto. "If I leave a phone number, will you call me and let me know what happens? I think this might all be bigger than it seems..." Makoto nodded again, uncertainly. "What's going on?" she asked. "Is this more of your... foresight?" Urawa shook his head in frustration. "No - it's just a feeling... and maybe an idea... lurking..." He threw up his hands. "I'm afraid I can't vocalize what I'm feeling! I'm sorry... I have to go..." He quickly scribbled down his number. Makoto continued to stare, somewhat befuddled. "How about I call you as long as you call me when you know what's happening," Makoto bargained. Urawa nodded a couple of times. "Sure, I can manage that. Uh, thanks for the hospitality." "Anytime..." Makoto replied automatically as Urawa quickly showed himself out. She stared after him for a couple of minutes then shook her head, deciding to go into her bedroom and finally clean up the texts Mercury had knocked off of her desk two nights ago. ***** Urawa literally ran back home. His father was out (doing his "secret government stuff" as the two of them jokingly called it), so Urawa had free reign of the house. He grabbed some chart paper and his encyclopedias and "borrowed" his dad's high tech calculator and 3D graphics program from the study. He hurried upstairs and started to jot down some thoughts, which turned into rough equations. Hours later, he leaned back in his chair. "Are the dreams a sign of parallel worlds?" he muttered to himself. "Or is it just my imagination again?" The phone rang and Urawa blinked. He picked up the receiver. "Hello?" came the voice on the other end. "It's Makoto... I just talked with her. No luck, but... I may have given her something to think about." "I see," Urawa murmured distractedly, rubbing his eyes as he blinked over at the clock. When had it gotten so late? "Well, I suppose that's something. Just... keep me updated," he concluded lamely. Not much else to say until he had something concrete. "No problem," Makoto responded. "I'll talk to you later." The connection terminated with a faint click. Urawa sighed. He'd better get at least a little sleep - he'd resume looking at this stuff the next day. About three hours later, while Urawa slept, a shadowy figure entered the room. After a brief pause, the person began to poke through Urawa's discarded papers. An eyebrow went up as the silent browsing continued through the other scrawlings and pictures. "Interesting..." muttered the figure. "Very interesting..." ***** Urawa stared at the computer screen. That was IT! Wasn't it? It *looked* like that's what it all boiled down to... Urawa ran a hand through his hair. Of course, it sounded... well, literally out of this world, and onto the next. But where was he going to get any hard proof? Maybe he was going crazy after all. There seemed to be a ringing in his ears. No, wait, that was just the phone again. "H'lo?" Urawa inquired, picking up the receiver. "Urawa?" inquired the person on the other end. "It's just Makoto again... are you okay? You weren't in school today." Urawa jumped. Whoops! It was Monday, wasn't it. Fortunately he was about a week ahead of the stuff they were covering. Not that any of that mattered in comparison with this... "Makoto! I'm fine - I think I have the answer too! Bear with me here... the problem is not in ourselves but in the actual planet itself!" "What?" "It's a phase shift between universes... look hang on... eruhhh, I can be at your place in fifteen minutes. Easier to explain in person." "Er, okay..." Makoto responded. Urawa hung up the phone and grabbed a light jacket as he ran out the door. It was already growing dark outside and it suddenly occurred to Urawa that he hadn't eaten since breakfast. He wondered if Makoto would have something at her place... unfortunately, he was intercepted before he could find out. "Stop right there!" came a harsh, grating voice. Urawa froze in his tracks and spun around involuntarily. No. No, not now, not time for this vision yet! It was too soon, he had to have more time! The man floating in front of Urawa laughed. "How compliant. Now, just stand right there... you have something I need..." The man with the blond ponytail in his hair flung out his arm in front of him, and a black crystal in his palm began rotating, emitting energy waves. "No!" Urawa shouted. He spun away, preparing to run, but plowed right into someone standing behind him. Urawa tumbled to the ground, looking up to see who had blocked his path. It was the blue-haired girl of his dreams. Urawa's jaw went slack. "Sorry," Mercury murmured quietly as Zoisite's kurozuishou began pulling the Rainbow Crystal out of Urawa's body. "But don't worry... you were on the wrong track anyway..." Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 4: ZOISITE Zoisite walked along the passage to his rendez-vous, cursing lightly under his breath. DAMN that caped fool! Grabbing the second crystal like that... at least there were five more to go, so appeasing Beryl hadn't taken TOO much convincing. But still... "You messed up," came a voice from behind him. Zoisite spun and frowned when he saw the individual addressing him. "Don't get cocky just because Beryl has taken a liking to you," Zoisite said threateningly. "Remember, *I'm* still the one who controls the kurozuishou's powers." Mercury smiled. "And you're just smart enough to use them too," she said flatly. Zoisite narrowed his eyes, not sure if that was an insult, sarcasm, or what. Not a compliment, for sure. Short-skirted little turncoat was always flaunting her intelligence - didn't even do it overtly, which made it all the more annoying. "I'll get the third crystal. Just you wait," Zoisite declared. Mercury shrugged. "Whatever," she commented. Walking past Zoisite she continued on to her destination. Zoisite clenched his fists as he looked at her retreating form. One little crystal in the back... that would fix the problem. Except, damn her, she always seemed to sense them coming! Or at least managed to avoid attempts on her life. Not to mention it was becoming evident that Mercury was wrapping Beryl around her little finger. Of course, Beryl couldn't see it. Mercury was getting VERY good at diverting blame and doing enough other things to justify her position. Then she'd spout stuff like "the paradigm of the actions I took were perfectly sound and merely hampered by the unpredictable effect of Nephrite's timing..." Her smarts made her as much of an annoyance as an asset. So to avoid any wrath by Beryl, Zoisite couldn't make Mercury disappear without a good reason... or at least a plausible accident. Zoisite relaxed mildly as Mercury passed out of sight. He really hated the Senshi! All of them, no matter what side they were supposedly on! A faint wind blew through his hair, his fists unclenched... and he suddenly realized that he was now late for his get together. Chalking up another mental black mark next to Mercury's name, Zoisite hurried on his way. ***** "You can't let her get you riled like that." Zoisite snarled. "She's after my job now, we both know that. Then she'll take you on and before we know it *poof*, there's a cursed Senshi running the Dark Kingdom!" "But when she upsets you she's also controlling you in a way. She knows how to manipulate your anger and how you can make errors when you get upset. You helped her quite a bit by offing Nephrite too..." "Know-it-alls get on my nerves," Zoisite snorted. "And Nephrite was no better than a Senshi anyway. Now come on, shouldn't you be backing me up here?" Kunzite smiled. "Don't worry, I still have our best interests at heart, and I have been giving it some thought. The problem with Mercury is that you can't attack her directly. She's smart enough to see it coming and quick enough to avoid it - then she's on her guard." Zoisite moved over to sit down next to his companion. "So... what, you have an angle on an indirect attack?" he inquired. Kunzite nodded. "Do you remember what she was like when she first came here?" "Hard to forget!" Zoisite replied, snickering. "Her cries could be heard, what, a kilometer away? And that was before Jadeite really got into it!" He shook his head. "Shame that when we found out she had no pertinent knowledge after all, Jadeite had to go and suggest converting her. She should've just been killed right then! Or sold to the underground... I dare say she'd have made a pretty cute little concubine." Zoisite smiled evilly at the thought. "Some guys can really get into the forlorn waif type, you know," he finished with a chuckle. Mercury wasn't there to hear, but Zoisite still felt somewhat better, as if he'd gotten back at her from before. Kunzite simply rolled his eyes. "My point being that before she actually got the pen to transform her, she was no better than any other mortal." "Yeah, but that doesn't do us any good," Zoisite said, shrugging. "She never lets her guard slip for a minute now. She hasn't reverted back - at least in public - since the day we changed her. I'll be damned if I know how she keeps her fuku clean. Probably uses her soap bubbles." "True," Kunzite agreed. "But I've been observing her over the past few months. And I believe that scrap of a girl that we first captured still exists inside her. So we need to manipulate that side of her - if we can get it to come forth, we should be able to crush her easily - or at least use it to prove that she's distrustful to Beryl." Zoisite paused. "How do you conclude that? What makes you say she hasn't completely changed over to our side?" "A few things that even she may not be consciously aware of. Firstly, there is the matter of her continued high intelligence, despite a lack of anyone teaching her anything. Though admittedly that may be merely a carry over," Kunzite acknowledged. "Secondly, and more disturbing, is the matter of her seclusion." "Elaborate, please?" Zoisite inquired. "She spends a large amount of time in her residence instead of participating in the usual the Kingdom's activities. She's created a barrier there to prevent people popping in unexpectedly. For all we know, she could be turning herself into a mortal every night or teleporting around the galaxy. Have you ever seen in her place?" "Not since she took it over," Zoisite realized. "Do you think we should break in?" "I doubt that would accomplish anything productive," Kunzite said with a wave of his hand. "I've sent some people before and they saw nothing. But the root of this point is that she seems to be deliberately ostracizing herself from the rest of us." Zoisite nodded. "Thirdly," Kunzite continued, "she's never killed anyone." Zoisite raised his eyebrows and paused to think. "She was a major factor in Jadeite's downfall..." "She knew his penalty would only be eternal sleep. In all her time here, she hasn't killed a Senshi or any of the assassins around here. She isn't even all that strict at discipline unless push comes to shove. Mercury hides this well behind other motives, but I believe it to be the case." Zoisite realized he had to concede that point too. "And finally, perhaps most interestingly, is her lack of willingness to take on the other Senshi." Zoisite jumped. "Now wait a minute! She goes out whenever we do, running interference..." "And keeping to the background!" Kunzite finished. "Even with her supposed enhanced intellect, she doesn't even bother to set traps or anything. Occasionally she'll fight one, without doing serious damage, but otherwise she seems to ignore the situation. She hasn't taken too much initiative since the beginning, when she wanted to get revenge on Sailor Moon for her capture. Either she's become scared, or she doesn't want to hurt them." "She took out Mars for a few days that one time," Zoisite reminded him. "True," admitted Kunzite. "But I dare say that was an attempt to disassociate herself from Jadeite, who was starting to go down in flames. I still believe some part of her is resisting our power. That part can only be related to the weakling we first captured. That is what we must manipulate." "I think I see a flaw here," Zoisite commented. "What if looking for that side of her drives her over to the Senshi's side? Not only is that counter productive but Beryl would be MOST displeased with it." Kunzite shook his head. "The Senshi fight against her. There's no reason why Mercury would - or COULD - take their side. But we can manipulate this situation as well. We know she has high ambition and is trying to gain control here - we make this fact known to the Senshi. No need for lies when the truth will do. She becomes a threat on all sides and has nowhere to go. If we don't kill her she may kill herself; that solves everything." "I see," Zoisite said, interest piqued. "Do I take it you also have a method in mind?" "Test her loyalty first," Kunzite said slowly. "Take her out alongside you when you get the next nijizuishou." "Her? WITH me?!" "It could force her hand," Kunzite pointed out. "And now that she's 'targeting' you, so to speak, it's time to start taking firmer action." Zoisite sighed. "True," he admitted. "Perhaps I can work that to my advantage - if she had an accident there..." Kunzite nodded appreciably. "She'd probably expect that - don't disappoint, it help diverts from our true objective and costs nothing. But don't worry, we're not limited to just that. You should also start spreading rumours about her here, being sure they can't be traced back to their source. Make implications about what she does in her spare time. At best, others might do our work for us, at worst her attention will be further diverted." "Right." Zoisite paused. "So what will you be doing during all of this?" "I'll be helping her." "WHAAAAT?!?" Zoisite was starting to get annoyed at these surprises. Kunzite laughed. "Don't get so upset! She doesn't know much about me beyond my associations with you. I'll pretend to be on her side - while I simultaneously destroy her. I've been considering offering 'training' assistance which will weaken her before she realizes it's happened." Zoisite paused again. "That's good," he admitted with a smile, somewhat upset at himself for not catching on sooner. "I like your thinking... as always. You've obviously given this a lot of thought." Kunzite smiled. "You know I always look out for the both of us. For you especially," he concluded. The two generals smiled at each other. They slowly drifted closer together and brushed lips. Discussion of Mercury was suspended for a while. ***** "I believe it's best that I keep other the Senshi from arriving rather than get directly involved - it's the principle of divide and conquer, you've seen it work in the past," Mercury rationalized. Zoisite shook his head. "My Queen," Zoisite reiterated. "I believe that with Mercury's help it will be easier to get in and out - and then the Senshi won't be a significant factor. Patrolling the perimeter will not be of use with this particular strategy." "Enough!" Beryl shouted. She glared back and forth between the two of them. "There are merits to both sides of this argument," she observed. There was a pause. "However, given that the mission last time was a failure... in the hopes that some of Mercury's intelligence can offset Zoisite's incompetence..." "My Queen!" Mercury protested. Zoisite frowned at the slur against him, but kept his ire down - as long as this got the job done. "I want to see if the two of you can pull this off," Beryl continued, overriding any protest by Mercury before it could begin. "But," she added, with a small nod to Mercury as if acknowledging the Senshi's reluctance, "I will not forget that this WAS Zoisite's idea. Now do not fail. EITHER of you." She sat back. Mercury and Zoisite glanced at each other. It would be no use either of them saying anything now... the Queen had spoken. ***** Zoisite glanced down the street. Yes, there was the latest victim. "Stop right there!" he shouted. The guy stopped and turned around. Mortals. So predictable. "How compliant," Zoisite commented. "Now, just stand right there... you have something I need..." He flung out the arm that was holding the kurozuishou and started the extraction process. The guy tried to turn and run but hit Mercury and fell down. Which was pretty much expected too, and was the reason Mercury had chosen to appear there. Obviously Mercury had been willing to help with the plan after the Queen's decision; there hadn't been much else she could do. Neither of them were enjoying it much, but Zoisite hoped he would enjoy it more soon. With a smile, he temporarily ignored Mercury, who seemed to be murmuring something to herself, working more on the extraction process.... The crystal flew out of Urawa into Zoisite's waiting palm. Now the fun could begin! A simple command to the youma to go attack Senshi and he could be on his way. (Of course, Mercury was the closest Senshi and youmas were rather dumb - but if she were injured it could hardly be Zoisite's fault.) Zoisite held up his crystal prize and laughed. As such he didn't pay too much attention to the youma's final transformation - so it was quite a surprise when it slammed into him and knocked him into a hedge. The youma growled, saying something that almost sounded like "what have you done to her", then started another leap. Zoisite found he'd lost his grip on the yellow nijizuishou - but fortunately not the kurozuishou! With a snarl, Zoisite renewed it's power and knocked the youma back. Concentrating harder now, Zoisite rejuvenated the youma's transformation, then glared over at Mercury. "What did you say to it??" he shouted, eyes thinning into slits. Looked like Mercury was plotting too. "Nothing," Mercury answered - almost looking confused. Yeah, right. Zoisite had KNOWN that bringing her along was a bad idea. At least she'd managed to catch the errant nijizuishou, by the looks of it. Zoisite moved to grab it from her, after which he could... "Hold it right there!" Oh, of all the... Zoisite turned to see the green skirted Senshi running up. But only one. "Attack her!" he shouted at the youma, pointing in Jupiter's direction. Plan B, time to see how Mercury reacted in battle. With Jupiter momentarily preoccupied - working at knocking the youma temporarily out of action - Zoisite turned back to Mercury. "On my word, we hit her hard," he hissed. The youma, who managed saw a lamppost in half, got blasted back by a Supreme Thunder, and fell to the ground. "NOW!" Zoisite shouted, blasting Jupiter with a swarm of Sakura blossoms while she was still slightly off balance. Jupiter cried out, momentarily blinded. And Mercury hesitated. As if suddenly aware that she was holding up (or that Zoisite was watching), Mercury charged forward, scalpel in hand. Her aim was for Jupiter's side - the one opposite to the one she'd injured last time. At the last second, Jupiter saw it coming and managed to deflect the blow slightly. The two Senshi ended up face to face as Zoisite watched, smiling. Now... if Mercury was defeated, she'd be humiliated - or dead. But the same would happen if she did NOT defeat Jupiter. Force her hand indeed... the only thing that could destroy this moment would be... "All right, that's as far as you go! I won't allow you to destroy the peace of this city with your evil acts! In the name of the Moon... I'll punish you!" Zoisite turned with a glare. The other three Senshi. That Jupiter one must have called them! Damn it! Damn them all!! Zoisite quickly took stock of the situation... it looked like the youma had almost regained it's senses. All right, probably time for a strategic withdrawal - but it should be done in the best way possible. "Mercury!" Zoisite shouted at her. "You're in charge now! You and the youma... kill everyone!" He then teleported away. But he didn't teleport far. He maintained a vigil by reappearing at the nearest street corner, keeping just out of sight and hoping that something good could come of this. In other words, something bad for Mercury. After all, she still had the crystal, so the onus was on her to get away. Away from four Senshi... who's attentions had shifted to her. "I think the youma could be Urawa!" Jupiter called out, still staring at Mercury, who was holding her weapon out in front of her as she glanced around, trying to take in the sudden changes in the situation. She seemed momentarily frozen. Then two things happened at once. Venus attacked the youma, knocking it back as Moon prepared her healing attack - while Mars fired off an attack at Mercury. "No!" Jupiter shouted. She slammed her body into the blue-haired Senshi and the two of them fell to the ground, narrowly avoiding the flames. "N-no, don't protect me!!" came Mercury's anguished cry as the two girls tumbled across the pavement. Zoisite stared - that was odd. One of them had saved her? This would bear more investigation. Zoisite craned his neck a bit. He didn't have a good view now, but it DID look like the two girls were starting to tussle as they rolled... at least, Mercury was trying to hit Jupiter when she was on top. It suddenly occurred to him that if anyone were able to realize he was still around, it would be Mercury. "Moon Healing Escalation!" Venus and Mars both shifted attention fully to Mercury and Jupiter while the youma slowly succumbed to Sailor Moon's power. Mercury was agile, but Jupiter was strong, and she finally managed to shove Mercury off to the side without any assistance. She started to stand. Instinctively, and without getting up, Mercury shifted her own position and swept her booted leg out and up at Jupiter. It caught Jupiter in the back of her leg, and as she was off balance, it was enough to make her fall again. But Jupiter hadn't been ready for the fall and didn't have enough time to react before she hit the ground. Her head hit the pavement with a disquieting 'crack'. Then all was silence. Mercury scrambled to her knees, eyes widening and face going ashen. She moved to bend over the still form of the person she'd labelled as her last hope. "Fire... SOUL!!!" The attack threw Mercury back a couple of feet, igniting part of her skirt. It also caused the nijizuishou to pop out of her grip and clatter across the ground. "Keep the HELL away from her!" Mars shouted, the fire from her hands also in her eyes. Choking, soot on her face, Mercury looked up at the other Senshi, who all clustered in front of Jupiter and stared back. Mercury said nothing... she simply used whatever strength that remained to teleport herself away. In his hiding place, Zoisite clenched a fist. Mercury had managed to come out on top by taking down a Senshi! Well, admittedly, she HAD lost the crystal - Moon was retrieving it even now. But still, Mercury had found a way to avoid most of Beryl's wrath. Zoisite had hoped for faster results with Kunzite's plans. With a final grumble, he departed before anyone happened to come along. Better think about the best way to present things to the Queen now. Perhaps the line, "But I thought she was right behind me! Odd how she stayed behind, chatting with the Senshi and giving them the latest crystal..." Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 5: REI "How are you feeling?" Rei inquired. Makoto smiled weakly and touched the bandage around her head. "The doctors say it's not as serious as it first appeared. I'll be fine, but they want to keep me here a few more days." Rei nodded and smiled. "That's good news! Sorry I couldn't come by earlier today. Temple duties." "Oh, that's okay," Makoto said, gesturing vaguely. "The others came by... and you're actually a nice change from Minako. She means well, but remind me not to get sick around her." Rei raised an eyebrow. "Er, okay. Well, at least there wasn't any permanent damage. We got lucky." Makoto paused, then nodded. Rei sat down next to the bed and the two of them talked for a short while about what things had been going on outside of the hospital for the few days Makoto had been unconscious. There was eventually a brief silence, during which Makoto shifted her gaze to look out the window. "By the way... the others told me you attacked Mercury?" Makoto said tentatively. Rei blinked. "Yes, I did. I stopped her before she could do any real damage," she justified. She smiled again. "I only wish you'd let my first attack get through, then we could have avoided this. But at least it all turned out okay." Makoto didn't reply. She didn't even acknowledge that she'd heard. Rei suddenly felt uneasy. Makoto didn't seem to be reacting correctly here - Rei had thought that this would be it, the event she'd anticipated since Makoto first started on her little quest. The fall in the no-win situation, the moment of treachery and pain. The time when Makoto would realize that the cause, no matter how well intentioned, was futile. But... "I don't think she meant to do it to me though..." Makoto said quietly, turning back to Rei. Rei stared, momentarily struck dumb. "Makoto..." She shook her head to clear it. What was her friend thinking?? "Makoto!" she stated, more firmly. "Mercury fought against you then gave you a head injury - when Zoisite left her in charge for goodness sakes! She's no different from any of the other generals! Didn't you see that?" Makoto slowly shook her head. "But it doesn't add up, Rei. During the fight, her face... she seemed more upset than angry - not to mention worried. And why do this to me just when I was sympathizing? Plus how could she have known I'd fall that way?" "She has an IQ of who knows what! How can you be so sure she didn't plan everything? She was upset because Zoisite left her and she was worried because she was losing! Makoto... she's playing on your emotions. Don't let her take advantage of you... don't keep falling for it!!" The two girls looked into each others' eyes. Makoto shook her head again. "Why are you so sure this will come to grief? What has she really done that would make you believe it's a lost cause?" "She attacked me! She attacked you!" "We didn't give her much of a choice! I think she's stuck between a rock and a hard place... and we're not making things any easier for her, Rei." Rei opened and closed her mouth. Makoto was making rationalizations for the enemy now? "Why... why are you still sympathizing with her??" Rei finally asked incredulously. Makoto remained silent for so long Rei thought maybe she hadn't heard the question. She was about to repeat it when Makoto finally sighed. "Well, aside from the fact that it seems contrary to the things I've heard about her... there's this note..." She tentatively produced a piece of paper. Rei blinked and quickly retrieved it. It was a simple sheet upon which was written "Very Sorry" with the symbol of Mercury. Rei paused momentarily. "She gave this to you?" "I found it when I regained consciousness." Makoto explained. "Under my pillow. I don't know why anyone else would put it there..." Rei looked back at the paper. Could Makoto be right? But if it was an accident - had it been that Makoto was injured or merely that she was injured TOO SOON? "She's trying to recoup her loses," Rei realized. "What?" Makoto inquired. "Makoto, do you really believe that Mercury sent this because she cares? She wasn't able to complete her plans so now she's trying to stay in your good graces to have another shot!" Rei looked back up, tossing the paper back on the bed. "Makoto, don't you see it??" It was so obvious! Makoto pursed her lips uncertainly. "Rei, don't you think that's pushing it a bit? You seem to be pronouncing her guilty no matter what." "And you're pronouncing her innocent. But she's at least partially guilty," Rei reminded her friend. "I don't see her in this hospital!" Makoto paused again. "I don't know..." "Damn it Makoto, I'm trying to help you here!" Rei blurted out angrily. "We tried it your way, but it didn't work and it nearly got you killed! Mako-chan, please - you have to let her go or she'll destroy you! What is keeping you from seeing that?" Rei suddenly stopped, wondering if she'd misspoken. But Makoto's situation was so similar to the one that she'd been in - if Makoto didn't see through Mercury now, maybe being in the hospital would seem mild by comparison... It was because Mercury had been more cunning this time, Rei realized. Not a direct attack, but an indirect one. Knocking her out with the first blow. Or maybe it was because Makoto never heard Mercury laughing in her face after the blow was dealt. A laugh that could echo in her dreams, mocking her for being so trusting, so loyal, so NAIVE... Rei turned away from the bed, her stomach starting to feel queasy. "Well, it's just that... there's two sides to every story," Makoto piped up doubtfully. Rei blinked. Yes... yes, that WAS doubt in her voice! She looked back, opening her mouth to press the advantage but she was interrupted by a tap at the door. A nurse poked her head in. "I'm afraid visiting hours are over," she advised. Rei closed her mouth and after looking at Makoto for another minute, nodded reluctantly in the direction of the nurse. "You take care... and think about what I said," Rei finished in a hushed tone as she rose. Makoto smiled. "I will - you be careful out there too." Rei nodded and left the room with the orderly. Makoto watched them go then turned back to look outside. Was it possible? Could Rei be right? ***** Rei walked home silently. Her mind was unsettled; this incident was starting to dredge back up parts of her memory that she really would have preferred remain dormant. Mercury HAD gone a little easier on Makoto, now that she thought about it. She wasn't sure how that made her feel. It almost made her wish Makoto had received the same treatment... it had taken two days of intense meditation for her to get Mercury out of her system. The smirk, the laugh, the gesture of friendship that had resulted in the spilling of Rei's own blood. And Makoto had only been hit from behind after which she went out for the count. Rei grimaced - no, she shouldn't be thinking such things; she didn't mean that! It was GOOD that Makoto's experience hadn't really been traumatic. If only she'd face facts... maybe she'd been hit on the head a little too hard. Rei climbed up the temple steps and glanced towards the room where her meditations took place. She wondered if a fire reading could have prevented what had happened? Or could foretell what was to come? She hadn't tried doing one recently because half the time they ended up being contrary. Like the time she'd seen Mercury fall off the back of Nephrite's car, and it had ended up being Venus. Or the time Usagi had failed a test Rei was sure she'd seen marked with a passing grade. Or the worst one... the day before she'd been attacked, when she'd had a vision of her and Ami, dining together on the cruise ship. Mercury's later actions on the ship had turned out to be an attack against not only her person, but her very beliefs. That was the cruellest cut of all, and had been when Rei had realized that the readings were wrong - there was no hope for Mercury. But not all her fire readings were so off the mark. And now that they were looking for crystals... Rei decided it couldn't hurt. With Makoto in the hospital they needed every edge they could get, right? Some meditation right now probably wouldn't hurt either. Rei walked into the building and reached for the matches. ***** "An artist?" Luna mused. Rei nodded slightly. "I'm pretty sure it's something to do with painting at least." "Me and Naru were thinking about going to an art gallery today," Usagi commented. "There's a new exhibit. We could have a look around there for anything suspicious." Rei nodded. "Do that - be sure you don't forget." Minako snapped her fingers. "That reminds me, will either of you be going to see Makoto today? I have another commitment and I keep forgetting to give her the letter Urawa left behind." "I was planning on stopping by," Rei volunteered. "Okay," Minako agreed, popping open her bookbag and looking for the envelope. "Shame about him having to leave because of his father's job... but at least he was able to stay with Makoto for some of the time she was unconscious," she noted. "From what I can gather, I think part of that was guilt," Artemis piped up. "Over not being able to remember or understand what all his equations and calculations meant after he was healed." "Oh, I don't know," Minako commented with a wink as she handed over the letter to Rei. "There might have been something else between those two..." "I thought they'd only been talking with each other for a couple of days?" Usagi wondered. Minako shrugged. "Still, you never know." Rei rolled her eyes. "He was helping her do research at the library," she reminded Minako. "Though I must admit I'm still not clear on how magnetic fields of the Earth relate to Mercury, or why Urawa was so upset over forgetting. We should get Makoto to elaborate when she's better, if she knows anything." The others nodded. "Anyway," Usagi concluded, "I'm going to go take a little walk in the park now, if that's all." "Just because there's no more new business to discuss doesn't mean you should slack off," Rei pointed out. "Oh lighten up, Rei. Besides, it's where I'm hoping to meet up with Naru," Usagi retorted. "Er, look, before you two get started me and Artemis have to head off too," Minako interrupted. Rei made a face. "All right - I have some chores to do myself," she acceded. They really had to get Usagi to start taking things a lot more seriously though! Rei pulled out her broom as the other two girls left with their cats. At last Rei felt more at peace now. And hopefully it would be a quiet day. ***** When Rei arrived at the hospital, she was out of breath, and it was dark. But she had to see Makoto - Zoisite had the fourth crystal! A quiet day... when would she learn there wasn't such a thing! First her grandfather had kept her busy at the temple. Then she'd needed to go shopping and had never made it to the hospital in the afternoon. And when she'd finally been free, Usagi had contacted her to say that the artist Yumeno Yumemi had turned into a youma. Fortunately they'd been able to prevail - with some help from Tuxedo Kamen - though it had been a near thing. They hadn't called for Jupiter, having decided that it wasn't enough of an emergency situation to disturb Makoto's recovery. But after it was all over, when Rei realized Mercury hadn't appeared at all, she'd decided to call Makoto just to give her an update. Call it intuition, call it paranoia perhaps... and Makoto hadn't answered. Rei tried again outside the building, but there was still no response. The hospital receptionist was busy so Rei was able to slip past unseen; it was past visiting hours. She hurried up to Makoto's floor and quickly but quietly approached the room. The door was partially ajar, and she could hear voices... her fist clenched and her heart started beating faster. Mercury was in there with Makoto all right. "...so then Beryl told Zoisite he'd better shape up or he might get replaced," Mercury said absently. "You mean by you?" Makoto wondered. "Oh, I don't know about that. There's one more General yet, I think they have seniority. He seems to have a link to Zoisite - but even so, he's offered to help me cause Zoisite trouble. Treachery in the Dark Kingdom is quite common. Or have I already said that?" Rei frowned. She'd been prepared to transform and rush in, but it didn't sound like Makoto needed saving. They just seemed to be... talking? How was this more important than answering her communicator? Rei decided to keep listening. "So were you looking get put in charge or not?" Makoto was asking. "Oh, Jupiter, Jupiter... who doesn't look to get ahead in life? It's for that reason that Zoisite would never WANT to leave me in charge. I thought we covered all this," Mercury said with a sigh. "Oh, I believe you," Makoto assured. "But as I say, the others... turning them around will be even more difficult after this. Especially Mars..." "If you want to keep them from hurting me, don't start with her," Mercury scoffed. "Moon or Venus would be much easier. If you think you can pull that sort of thing off." Rei narrowed her eyes. "It shouldn't be too bad, depending on the conditions at the time. We just miss in our attacks - assuming the pact that you do the same or all bets are off. And some signal when Zoisite's watching would help too, you know. I would have put up a better fight." There was a conversational lapse, during which Rei's frown deepened. She couldn't believe what she was hearing! Were Makoto and Mercury working together? Was this some form of conspiracy?? Apparently her talk with Makoto yesterday hadn't done enough. If only she'd come by earlier today! Rei moved slightly to see if she could see through the crack in the door. Mercury was leaning on the end of the bed, presumably looking at Makoto, who was out of view. Even as Rei watched, Mercury turned away. "I'm surprised, actually," Mercury commented, changing the subject. "Over half an hour and you haven't said anything about my past or reforming me. Just expressed your feelings about the incident, talked about avoiding this stuff in the future and other trivialities..." "I figured you'd bring Ami up yourself if you wanted to talk about her," Makoto responded. Rei saw Mercury grimace. "It was just conspicuous given it's absence," the blue-haired girl indicated. There was brief pause. "And while I may have overreacted a bit last time, I meant what I said - Ami is dead!" Mercury looked back to the bed and folded her arms. Makoto remained silent. "Look," Mercury finally continued. "After... our incident, I'm willing to try your temporary 'truce'. But it's as much to keep the balance of power equal as anything else. Don't think that I'll be coming over to your side anytime soon. I'm not so suicidal." "Will you at least call me Makoto when I'm out of uniform?" The side of Mercury's mouth twitched. "Getting a little personal, aren't we?" "We might be more alike than you think, you know," Makoto said reassuringly. 'And what does THAT mean?' Rei wondered with growing horror. This sounded like more than simple discussion. She shifted her position somewhat, trying to catch a glimpse of Makoto's face - and the floor creaked under her step. Rei stopped and held her breath. Mercury had opened her mouth to say something, but now she paused. "I'll think about it," the traitorous Senshi finally said. "But I think it's time I took my leave." Mercury bent in a mock curtsy and vanished. Rei blinked. 'Damn!' she realized. 'I missed my chance!' She waited a few seconds to make sure Mercury was really gone, then she pushed open the door. Makoto looked up in surprise. "Rei! I wasn't expecting anyone this time of night..." "I bet you weren't," Rei said slowly. "Makes it a perfect time for a meeting, huh?" Makoto looked confused for a minute, then her face cleared as she realized what Rei meant. "Oh God... how much did you hear?" she asked. "Enough," Rei answered. "So, you're writing truces with the Dark Kingdom without consulting us?" "Just with Mercury," Makoto corrected. "I was going to bring it up to the rest of you when you next came by! You should have seen her when she first arrived, Rei. She was trying to hide her emotions, but I could tell how horrified she was about what had happened..." "You fell for a fake tears routine?" Rei said incredulously. "And what about that stuff about you being like her?" "I'm just trying to be a friend, Rei... she needs one. All she's known her whole life is loneliness." "Well, what about the rest of your friends? I called you more than once on the communicator! Zoisite has another crystal!" Rei retorted, feeling hurt. Almost betrayed. Makoto's jaw dropped. "What? I... I didn't hear anything!" "No? Well, then your 'friend' was probably jamming the transmission or something!" Makoto pursed her lips. "I didn't know. But if she did she probably had a good reason..." Rei shook her head. "She's Dark Kingdom, that's reason enough! My God Makoto, what has she done, brainwashed you?" Rei stopped. Could that thought be far from the truth? "Oh, Rei," Makoto sighed. "If you'll just open up to Mercury for a minute you'll realize..." "I'll realize that she's decimating our ranks," Rei said indignantly. Makoto stared back sadly. "Rei, it's not like that. Please don't do this." Rei bit down on her lower lip. Their situations had been similar, but Mercury had been too coy this time. She saw it now - Makoto had been taken in by the lies. And Rei didn't know how to reverse what Mercury had done. Damn Mercury! Rei should never have let this happen in the first place! "It's your funeral," Rei finally choked out. "Just don't expect Minako and Usagi to go along with it." Rei turned and left the hospital without looking back... tears stinging her eyes. Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 6: USAGI Usagi blinked. "Sorry, what was that, Luna?" "I said you're not doing your homework again! Usagi, your grades have been constantly slipping - you have to pull them up or you might not pass this year! Just what is it you're doing lying on your bed?" Usagi sighed. "I don't want to decide, Luna. I *can't* decide." "Decide? Decide what?" "Between Rei and Makoto." Luna stopped her pacing at the foot of the bed. "What?" she repeated. Usagi rolled over to look down at her guardian cat, glumly resting her chin in her hands. "I just can't do it, Luna. I can't lead the Senshi like this... I don't know what to do!" "Oh, Usagi..." Luna said sorrowfully as she realized what the problem was. Rei had confronted the rest of them about Makoto's unauthorized pact the other day, after which they'd gone to hear what Makoto had to say. It hadn't gone all that smoothly. "I mean, like Makoto said, a truce is a good thing, right?" Usagi continued, trying to explain things to herself. "No one getting seriously hurt - like she did? At least, not by Mercury. But Rei thinks Makoto's being brainwashed by the very person she's dealing with! But... but shouldn't we try to get Mercury back if it seems to be working? It's so confusing! Luna, I... I can't deal with it. Maybe I should hand over the leadership and the moon stick to Minako. Both you and Rei are always saying I'm no good at this..." Luna shook her head. "Usagi, our point has only been that you can do better. Right now you ARE the leader, and no matter what happens, only Sailor Moon can use the stick to heal people." She paused. "You know, the very fact that you're thinking about the problem could be a sign of leadership..." "But I don't WANT to be thinking," Usagi murmured dejectedly. "It's just that I can't get it out of my mind. I mean, when I decided to go along with the truce idea for now, Rei was so upset! I hate seeing Rei upset. And what if she's right?" "This is... a little more personal for Rei than it is for the rest of us," Luna said slowly. "She may be exaggerating a bit. If Makoto thinks there is a chance that this could lead to getting Mercury back, I think we should make the effort..." Luna stopped. She sighed. "Then again, I'm biased too, since it was my actions that caused her to be taken in the first place. I wish I could reverse what happened." "So what's the right thing to DO?" Usagi inquired, holding her head. "I don't know that there is a right thing," Luna admitted. "But I'm not sure that there's a wrong thing either. It's all a judgement call." "Then what's the right judgement?" Usagi persisted. "How can I make everyone happy?" Luna sighed. "That might not be possible right now either - we have no proof to convince anyone either way, including ourselves. Take Mercury jamming Makoto's communicator, for example - was she isolating Makoto to take advantage of her, as Rei says, or because she knew that Jupiter wasn't fit for battle yet, as Makoto proposed... we don't know." Usagi slumped, hands dangling over the edge of the bed. "Will it end, Luna? Will we ever be able to share ice cream sundaes like normal teenagers again?" she implored. "I don't know...," Luna responded. "I hope so." There was a short pause. "Maybe doing some homework will help take your mind off this?" Usagi made a face. "That's not funny, Luna." Of course, what else was there to do? "But I might as well." At least this was probably the right decision. ***** Sailor Moon triumphed a couple of days later. `But more a win for justice than for love,' Usagi lamented to herself. `After all, saving Motoki's girlfriend Reika does little for my boyfriend hopes. And then there's what happened to Tuxedo Kamen... just as the two of us were getting close.' "It wasn't a serious injury," Makoto protested. "Face it, Makoto, you specified Senshi in our 'truce', so she found a loophole," Rei retaliated. "Tuxedo Kamen couldn't be part of our deal though," Makoto pointed out. "We don't know him. And since he had the blue crystal, Zoisite would have been suspicious of Mercury's intentions if she hadn't helped him to get it back! He was only bruised and shaken." "There's also the matter of how the youma was able to take your attack in it's bottle and use it against us so easily," Rei added tentatively. "Whoa! Hey, enough of that you two," Minako interjected. "Don't forget that Jupiter was also hit by her own attack, Rei. And as to Tuxedo Kamen - well, his side IS still sort of ambiguous, isn't it?" `No, he's on our side!' Usagi thought anxiously to herself. 'He has to be - he's saved us before! I have his locket... just because he wants the crystals too doesn't mean he's against us. I hope he's okay, wherever he is. I hope he doesn't blame me for how his tuxedo got messed up. And I hope he doesn't have a girlfriend like Motoki does...' "Usagi!" said Rei, exasperated. "Will you PLEASE pay attention?" Usagi jumped. "S-sorry, what?" What had happened to the relaxed meetings they used to have? When was the last time all of them had agreed on something *together*, for that matter? "We're trying to decide what to do now," Minako said soothingly. "Do you think the truce is still on? Should Makoto say anything to Mercury?" "I, er..." Usagi tried to think of a peaceable solution. "Maybe if we just tell her not to go after Tuxedo Kamen either?" "But we can't affirm that he'll do the same," Makoto protested. "He still helps us. You think we should just let Mercury run rampant?" Rei argued. "We don't want Zoisite to catch on either!" Makoto retaliated. Usagi held her head in her hands. "Guys, you're making everything so complex!" she complained. "Maybe we should just go back to how things were before - but concentrate our fire on Zoisite rather than Mercury?" "He is the more immediate threat - isn't he?" Minako said, swiftly backing her up. There was a pause. "As long as we don't harm Mercury if the Dark Kingdom *isn't* around though. Even if they just left," Makoto affirmed. Usagi nodded. Rei frowned. "But if Mercury deliberately provokes us, all bets are off," she asserted. Usagi glanced back at Makoto, who pursed her lips. "I'll try to get her to tone down," Makoto relented. "But there has to be a good reason for any personal attack on her - and nothing vicious!" Rei's frown deepened, but she didn't say anything. "Great!" Usagi concluded quickly, expelling a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Now how about we all look at some of Rei's manga?" The others turned and stared. "Well it could... cheer us up?" Usagi offered meekly. The idea didn't pan out; the Senshi left the temple separately. ***** Sailor Moon triumphed again a few days after that. `Truly a win for love and justice,' Usagi thought happily. Even Rei seemed less angry now! It may have been due to the discovery that her grandfather hadn't been nuts but only the former owner of a nijizuishou... it may have been the fact that Mercury hadn't bothered them in four days... or the fact that Rei now had Yuuichiro to vent her anger on. Whatever it was, Usagi was glad Rei had actually smiled for once. And had enjoyed her daifuku. The phone rang, and Usagi picked it up absently. "Hello?" "Usagi?" the voice on the other end said tentatively. "It's Makoto." "Mako-chan!" Usagi said happily. She glanced at her clock. Seemed a little late for a casual call. "What's up?" "Er, nothing really," Makoto admitted. "I guess I just wanted to talk to someone. I'm feeling kinda... lonely I guess." "Oh! I didn't realize... should I come over?" "No, no," Makoto said quickly. "It's just... well, Mercury has tended to drop by once every couple of evenings since I got out of the hospital - but I haven't seen or heard from her in three days now. She wasn't even at that battle with Rei's grandfather. I suppose I was getting used to seeing her. We're developing a kind of... rapport." Usagi blinked. It occurred to her that she'd never really thought much about how close Makoto had been getting to Mercury on a personal level. "Oh. I see. You miss her then?" "I'm a little worried actually," Makoto admitted. "I mean, I can't just call to check on her. It could be that she's just trying to avoid provoking Rei or that she's working on some plans of her own... but the Dark Kingdom isn't exactly a safe place to live." "Well, she's certainly held her own against us," Usagi pointed out. "And she's survived there this long." "Yeah, that's true," Makoto conceded. She paused. "I'm drawing out a different side of her though - and while it's probably the only way to reach her, I wonder now if it's wise... she's always saying how horrible it is in the Dark Kingdom. Can the Ami side of her... survive there?" Usagi wasn't sure what to say to that, so there was another pause. "Usagi...," Makoto finally continued, "what do you think about my plan for recovering Mercury? Rei's against it, Minako is reserving judgement... I don't think you've ever voiced your opinion. Your personal opinion." Usagi scratched her head. "Well... I don't know, to be honest. But getting her back would be a good thing - and you seem pretty sure there's a chance." "Mmmmm. Well, I just know how I'd feel if I were her. I'd want out and I think she does too. I've found that we're a lot alike actually - that's why I keep trying." "Alike how?" Usagi wondered, a bit surprised. "Ami matured mentally very quickly," Makoto elaborated. "Standard IQ tests were inadequate in calculating her actual mental abilities - she was once jokingly told that she had a 300 IQ and that label stuck. She also preferred a good book to going and watching a movie. But all of this unnerved other people, and they shunned her, so she retreated into herself. No one ever saw what she was really like." Makoto paused briefly before continuing. "I matured physically very quickly. I've been the tallest girl in my class for as long as I can remember... and you've no doubt observed other developments of mine that were faster too. Heck, there weren't even any uniforms for Juuban Jr. High that fit me! Instead of books, one of the things that intrigued me was things like martial arts. Again, people were unnerved - so I lashed out at them, and it led to more hostility. Until you came along I never had any close friends... but like Ami, I didn't really have much control over it. And I think Ami deserves the same chance I had!" Usagi lay back on her bed. She couldn't recall the last time she'd heard Makoto speak with that much... feeling. Usagi abruptly realized they'd never asked Makoto why she was always so insistent about Mercury - maybe this was the key. Actually, she wondered now if maybe she'd given up too soon on Mercury herself. "Well, it sounds to me like you have a good reason to continue then," Usagi said slowly. "And I'm sure Mercury - or Ami - can take care of herself. Since I bet you could." Usagi sensed that Makoto smiled on her end of the line. "You're probably right," Makoto agreed. A pause. "I guess I just needed to hear someone say it. Thanks, Usagi. And thanks for listening." "No problem, call anytime!" Usagi said encouragingly. After saying their goodbyes, Usagi hung up the phone. She mused briefly over what Makoto had said. It had sounded like it came from the heart, not something Makoto been coerced into believing. She wondered what Rei would say about it. Usagi shook her head slowly. No, the Senshi were at peace now; best not to bring up anything that might disrupt that. Still - for the first time, Usagi found herself really hoping that Makoto would be successful. ***** Sailor Moon triumphed once more - and as a bonus it had been Tuxedo Kamen, not Zoisite who got the last crystal. Usagi liked to think love had predominated this time, especially with how Luna's feelings had apparently appeased the youma long enough to be healed. Artemis hadn't been as thrilled for some reason. But the young girl and her cat-become-youma weren't going to be in the area for much longer anyway; it was sort of interesting how the carriers of crystals had a tendency to get out of the region for a while soon after their incidents. As Usagi finished preparing for bed, she wondered fleetingly about the dream she'd had the previous night. In it, Mercury had helped them track down a house where the last crystal had been, and they'd ended up in an alleyway confronting Zoisite. It had all been quite strange... Mercury on their side? Maybe Makoto's talk was getting to her somehow. Of course, it could be a good sign - even if it had been way off. The reality was that they were lucky Rei had been in the right place at the right time. Usagi yawned, wondering what kind of dream she'd have tonight... ***** "Sailor Moon didn't triumph this time," Usagi said dejectedly. "You saved the people," Luna reminded her. "But Mercury got our crystal," Usagi responded. There was a short silence. "I suppose we can stop coddling her now?" Rei commented, turning away from the window to face her friends. "She's shown herself to be just as bad as Zoisite." "I hate to say it," Minako admitted. "But I don't think your efforts have had any effect Makoto. Can you think of any reason for her to attack Moon like that?" Makoto didn't reply. "Makoto?" Minako prompted again. "There was something wrong about it," Makoto murmured, screwing up her face in thought. "She wouldn't do that." "Oh for..." Rei threw up her hands. "I rest my case!" she stated before returning to stare out the window. "What do you mean?" Usagi inquired tentatively. She rubbed the small bandage on her leg. It had been a bit of a shock for Mercury to show up a few minutes after Zoisite's retreat. They thought that everything was under control, with neither Naru nor Umino being badly injured. And then out of nowhere, Mercury had knocked Luna aside and taken the yellow nijizuishou. It had been even more of a surprise when she'd taken some quick additional shots before departing. But Usagi hated to think that Makoto was wrong, because Makoto believed so strongly in what she was doing. "I arrived right after Mercury left..." Makoto said, trying to get things straight in her mind. "But as I approached, she was still there, fairly close to you," she continued, with a small gesture at Usagi. "Mercury had the crystal, threw the razors... wait a minute." Makoto stood, hit by a sudden realization. "Usagi, stand next to me a minute." Perplexed, Usagi complied. "I thought so!" Makoto said, smiling and snapping her fingers. "Mercury was too tall! She was several inches taller than you Usagi - I could have looked her in the eye! That's what's been bothering me. The two of you have always have been shorter than me! That wasn't Mercury!" Usagi glanced back at the others. The cats were unreadable, Rei didn't even turn and Minako looked dubious. "Uhm, don't you think you're stretching things a bit Makoto?" Minako inquired. "Maybe she was floating off the ground a bit or you're remembering wrong. I mean, who would it be other than Mercury?" "I don't know, but it must be a Dark Kingdom plot," Makoto said with conviction. "Mercury's always had trouble with levitation and the only time I've seen her this week she seemed to be having some problems. She looked a little run down." "Maybe you were seeing what you wanted to see?" Artemis piped up quietly. "I see what my eyes show me," Makoto refuted. "Not what your heart shows you?" Minako returned softly. "No!" Makoto said, maybe a little too quickly. Usagi watched her try to reign in her emotions. "Guys come on... Mercury's not so stupid as to attack us like this. It wasn't well thought out. She's smarter than Albert Einstein, remember?" Makoto stopped, realizing she almost sounded pleading. She seemed to be getting more upset with herself now than with the rest of them. "But maybe her attack was an attempt to split us up," Luna spoke up to fill the silence. "In which case it seems to be succeeding." That made everyone think for a minute. "Usagi, you're the leader. Make a decision," Rei finally said, trying to keep her tone from being sarcastic as she turned around again. Usagi winced. She hated this, it was turning out too much like things had in the hospital last time. Rei had the edge this time though... and it looked like Minako, Luna and Artemis were backing her. Or at least they weren't near as hopeful. Usagi glanced at Makoto again. She wanted Makoto to be right. She believed in her. But she also trusted Rei, and the evidence was overwhelming - she had the bandage to prove it. Wasn't it possible that the Dark Kingdom had done something to renew Mercury's wrath against them? Makoto herself admitted to not seeing her as much. "Can you think of any definite reason why we shouldn't return to treating Mercury like just another general?" Usagi asked, semi-hopefully. Makoto opened her mouth, but didn't say anything. Usagi could tell that she was thinking, trying to come up with a convincing reason, but there really wasn't anything concrete... "All truces are off," Usagi said sorrowfully. She fancied she heard Rei add, almost inaudibly, 'shoot to kill'. ***** Sailor Moon triumphed again before the week was out. But that didn't improve the state of the Senshi at all. Because it wasn't Usagi who had transformed. Somehow, there was another warrior. But all five of them were accounted for! Was the newcomer really fighting for love and justice? Did Mercury have a hand in the event? Was it like the previous attack, could there really be some duplication of Senshi? Usagi stared glumly at the newspaper report, which provided no answers. Once again Usagi had no idea what to do. She sighed. With such indecision how could she possibly remain the Senshi's leader? Could the Senshi even stay together under this crisis? And now that all seven nijizuishou were out there, how much longer did they have before things came to a climax? Worse, with all the Senshi already discovered, who would be able to come to their rescue? Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 7: KUNZITE "I can't believe I dressed up like her," Zoisite said in disgust. "Oh, I don't know," Kunzite responded with a smile. "I think seeing you as Mercury adds a little extra appeal." Zoisite threw down the costume with a frown and put his hands on his hips. "That's NOT very funny." "Okay, okay," Kunzite relented, holding up his hands. Now wasn't the time for teasing anyway. "So, could you fool them?" "Well only Moon was there, the other Senshi were late or something," Zoisite answered, frowning. "Figures they don't show up when you want them to, especially when I made a point of changing quickly and everything! But Moon looked shocked and clueless at least." "Hm. Hard to say if there was an effect on her then," Kunzite mused. "But I think we'll count that as a success. Cutting down Jupiter would have been more prosperous of course." Zoisite shrugged. "I can't hit 'em if they're not there," he retorted. "And I didn't want to hang around long enough for anyone to catch on. The main mission was to get their crystal." Kunzite nodded. It was perplexing what kind of relation Mercury had to Jupiter, but there was certainly something. After Zoisite had first remarked on the actions of those two during the incident with the third crystal, Kunzite had worked to have Mercury assigned to taking care of Jupiter if she was around at the following battle. Despite the unlikelihood of Jupiter turning up at all, given her probable condition, Mercury had accepted the assignment with minimal protestation. Mercury said Jupiter hadn't shown, but they hadn't been able to trace where Mercury had gone either. It was just little things like that. All the evidence was still rather circumstantial, but Kunzite hated such coincidences. Zoisite had also remarked on how Jupiter had seemed to be observing Mercury in battle since her return. And Mercury wasn't bothering to attack the Senshi as much, if at all. Not that Mercury had been able to play a part in the last two missions. Hopefully, she would soon cease to be a problem altogether... "Well, at least we're down to Cape Boy and his crystals now," Zoisite noted. Kunzite nodded. "I've been thinking about him. Your Mercury outfit was not just a way to discredit her, it was a test to see how well we could fool others. If it was indeed effective enough to make Sailor Moon pause, others might not be able to tell the difference with a Moon costume." Zoisite blinked. "Are you serious?" "It's a thought," Kunzite replied. "Beryl will soon start ranting for more results and it's the best plan I've come up with so far. Tuxedo Kamen does always seem to save Sailor Moon before doing anything else. Besides, if you survived a few seconds as Mercury you should have no problem as Moon." "Well... I was hoping for a little reward to make up for that expedition," Zoisite said coyly, sliding into a spot next to Kunzite. Kunzite smiled again, slightly. "Mmm, indeed... I'm afraid it will have to wait a bit though, I should go and see what our resident Senshi is up to. Don't want her going out now and spoiling your illusion." Zoisite scowled. "But you spend too much time with her as it is. People are even starting to talk about how you're helping her!" "I have to act like that so she'll trust me," Kunzite retorted. "Besides, you try draining someone's energy surreptitiously and see how long it takes you. Anyway, the more I pop in unexpectedly, the more she has to stay around or risk discovery of... whatever she's up to. If she's talking with the other Senshi we want to expose that. You know you'll have your turn with her when she's powerless." "Humph. And maybe you want me to put the blue wig back on for when you come home?" Zoisite answered sarcastically, failing to conceal his resentment. Kunzite shook his head. Zoisite's natural suspicion was so often an asset; the irrational jealousy was a bit more of a hinderance. Zoisite also had trouble with seeing the big picture - but Kunzite had to admit he wasn't as good at thinking on the fly as Zoey. They complimented each other well. And they hadn't had all that much time together recently, had they... "How about I stay for a few more minutes now, on condition that you've disposed of that blue rag by the time I get back?" Kunzite offered, smiling. Zoisite smiled back in response and nudged closer. "Done," he agreed. ***** Kunzite took Mercury's hands and held them, palms down. "Now, close your eyes and clear your mind," he advised. "Let the power come to you... don't force it." Mercury nodded and did as asked; though her eyes never completely closed. Kunzite smiled to himself. Neither of them trusted the other, but at least he'd gotten this far - only three weeks ago Mercury had wanted little to do with him and would certainly never have allowed him to stand before her like this, even for even a second. But now... now she did most of what he required. Of course, Kunzite wasn't stupid enough to mistake her actions for trust, he knew Mercury took the situation to be only a 'necessary evil'. One false move (on either side) and things might come to a rather explosive conclusion. She would never have agreed to anything if Kunzite hadn't offered her something of his own: the ability to channel dark energy and blast it from the hands. He'd rightly guessed that Mercury's ambitions would be a useful tool he could exploit. "Feel the energy around you... in my hands... in your hands," Kunzite continued. He carefully allowed the power to build. The tricky bit was that he really had to teach her - Mercury was too smart to be bluffed. But in this process Kunzite could also tap into a part of Mercury's energy without her realizing it. A part that Kunzite could suck dry, leaving Mercury feeling listless and tired. Her condition could then be explained away by her exertion, and a few choice colleagues who also claimed to be experiencing something similar. The flu was not unheard of in the Dark Kingdom. "Try now," Kunzite offered, releasing Mercury and stepping back. Mercury's eyelids flickered open and she slowly brought her arms around in a circle, until they were above her head. Then with an exclamation of 'Ay-ya!', Mercury dropped her arms in front of her, palms out, and a lance of black electric energy jumped out of them, halfway across the room. A smile flickered across her face. Then she stumbled and raised a hand to her forehead. "Damn," Mercury muttered, half to herself. "How long does it take until that stops giving me a dizzy spell?" she asked wearily. "It shouldn't be too long," Kunzite assured, hiding his smile. "You're coming along well." Actually, a little better than he'd predicted. He would need to succeed in his goals soon, before she knew too much. But one thing at a time. "You should be able to take on Zoisite soon," Kunzite concluded. Mercury used the hand on her forehead to flip her hair back. "So you say." She placed her hands on her hips. "But as I said, I have no intention of removing your competition for you." "Hmmmm. Maybe it's just that you don't really WANT to kill him?" Kunzite mused. "What do you mean by that?" Mercury wondered suspiciously. "Well, have you killed anyone recently?" Kunzite answered. "I don't know, why should that matter to you?" "It just makes me wonder about a voice of conscience within you." Mercury paused, eyes narrowing. "Are you actually getting at something here?" "What if I am?" "Then maybe you should get to the point?" "Maybe I should let you tell me what it is?" "You think I'm a mind reader?" "You're being evasive." "My answers are as straight as yours." "Indeed..." Kunzite concluded. It was almost fun, this mental dancing around with Mercury. But in the ultimate battle of wits, she could probably win. So time to stop now that he'd probably made her subconscious focus turn to her mortal side. "Anyway, let's try doing a blast like that again and I'll show you a bit about how the energy is collected..." They resumed their prior position. This time Kunzite mentally sought out the side of Mercury hiding in the back of her mind. He was slowly gaining more knowledge about what made her tick; a gruelling and bothersome process but the only one Kunzite had deemed would result in a certain success. The one thing he was most interested in recently was how Mercury sustained her transformation. He had all but confirmed that Mercury had been in her Senshi form ever since the initial event, which meant for several months straight since the position was thrust upon her. And there was a certain amount of strain involved in that since she hadn't been able to prepare for it. There was a weakness there, Kunzite just couldn't pinpoint it yet, not without arousing suspicion. But he would get there... and he would keep Mercury weak until he had. The only question was how many more secrets he dared show her to pull it off. The two of them separated. "Now, let's try this once more..." ***** A few days later Kunzite arrived at Zoisite's home. He was concerned, and knew Zoisite could sense it. "She knows," Kunzite revealed. Zoisite blinked. "What? You mean Mercury? About us?" "Not us per se, but somehow she's acquired an idea about what I've been doing. The exploration of her subconscious, maybe even the draining. She didn't say anything of course, but I know she knows now. But she also knows I know she knows." He sighed. "Anyway, there will be no more sessions." Kunzite noticed Zoisite was somewhat pleased by the news, even as he quickly concealed it. "So what do we do?" Zoisite asked in a concerned tone. "Get her now before she can do anything?" Kunzite nodded, to Zoisite's obvious surprise. "Not an all out attack though," he clarified. "She's in a situation like us, with no proof that she can use. But I think I've managed to accumulate enough information that we can first try that subtle approach." Zoisite smiled and shook his head in admiration. "Count on you to have an angle." "It's a little bit riskier than I'd like actually," Kunzite admitted. "But it involves how she sustains her transformation. I've been constantly draining her, and to replenish herself it appears that she's been subconsciously tapping into her inherent 'Senshi' energy. But being Mercury for so long, with her low level of experience, under the conditions of the past few months - she can't keep it up. With one conditioned blast, I'll be able to get her to revert. She will then no longer be a Senshi, and be helpless before us." Zoisite leaned back against the wall. "Well, that sounds great, if it will work. But you sound quite uncertain." Kunzite frowned. Zoisite was right, unfortunately. But oddly, the dubious factor wasn't the loss of Mercury's transformation. Kunzite was almost certain he could accomplish that with a little work. The worrisome part was his discovery of just how much Mercury was connected to her 'Ami' side. Would she truly be helpless? There was a way in which Ami was influencing Mercury... and could it work both ways? And how permanent would the reversion be anyway? No way to tell. "I think the problem is that we will need to dispose of Mercury right after the attack, while she's disoriented," Kunzite concluded. "No torturing, no questioning as to what she knows." "But I thought I could eventually have my revenge!" Zoisite protested. "Besides, we have no proof for Beryl that way!" "I know. But we have to get Mercury in one shot to ensure success. That's why we either have to figure out a way to denounce her BEFORE we dispose of her, or do it quietly, with no chance of Beryl discovering it was us who killed her little pet." "Hmph," Zoisite replied, folding his arms. "I hate to remind you but we haven't been successful in demonstrating Mercury's treasonous intentions this far - and if she's on her guard now..." Kunzite shrugged uncertainly; he hated to admit it, but he'd been caught rather flatfooted by how suddenly things had developed. "Well," Zoisite continued slowly, "couldn't we do something tonight when we go after that annoying Tuxedoed guy?" Kunzite rubbed his chin. "What do you mean?" "We've been working towards this night by staging rescues, making the caped fool think twice about who Sailor Moon is. And we're betting on him turning up at the docks, with me as Sailor Moon, where we can get him. But the Senshi are probably going to turn up too." "But we've anticipated that. I can keep them contained until you get back the missing nijizuishou and dispose of him; then we could even dispose of the others." "But think about how Mercury might react if she knew that! Us harming the other Senshi! And you'll be containing the Senshi in an energy absorbing dome, yes?" Zoisite prompted. Kunzite nodded, starting to see where Zoisite was going. "Well, to make Mercury revert, don't you have to drain her energy too?" Zoisite concluded. Kunzite stopped. Of course. "Mercury comes to try and save the Senshi... I have a misfire in her direction?" he verified. Trust Zoisite to come up treachery like that. Kunzite allowed himself a smile. Zoisite smirked. "Exactly - Beryl can't really blame you for that, especially if it comes about because of something Mercury does herself. Or if Mercury takes no action, just kill the Senshi, deal with her after. A win-win situation." Kunzite nodded slowly. "Yes... I think you're right, we can pull this off. But there's just one problem. We don't know for certain that the Senshi will show up tonight." "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. They ALWAYS show up," Zoisite remarked sourly. ***** Kunzite waited patiently at the docks. The trap was set. He was ready for the Senshi, while Zoisite (as Sailor Moon) was tied and primed for rescue. The message he had sent to Mercury outlining their plan was no doubt being delivered now - and there was no way Mercury could have known about it beforehand to warn anyone. Best of all, Queen Beryl was paying a certain amount of attention, so Kunzite knew Mercury would be hard pressed to spring anything. Kunzite did a mental doubletake. He'd never thought that he'd be pleased by Beryl's habit of looking over their shoulder. Shaking his head, Kunzite turned to watch the lights of the city. "What a waste of light," he mused. "I want to see the darkness..." "I won't let you!" the real Sailor Moon suddenly said, interrupting his thoughts. "That's a bad hobby to tie up girls like that," she added, in reference to how Zoisite had been strung up a short distance away. Kunzite turned, and smiled. Yes, Zoisite had been right, all the Senshi had come for the party. Well, then... he shouldn't disappoint. The Senshi were enclosed by the dome before they realized it. Mars tried her fire soul, but the energy was sucked up by the barrier. Kunzite was pleased to note that her energy actually helped to reinforce the dome. He hadn't been certain it would work that well. Starting to quite enjoy himself now, he attacked the Senshi back. Jupiter provided a little extra power to his 'cage'... this was really less of a contest than he'd even imagined! Zoisite had trouble with these feeble girls? Kunzite started to close the dome. Eventually, he practically set the thing on autopilot, looking around to see if Mercury was going to pop up at all. He wondered how Zoisite's side of things was going. "Oh, give up," he commented as Jupiter tried blasting again. "I've been very careful, it's not possible to break the barrier. I made it according to Mercury's instructions," he added on a whim. He observed their reaction: a lot of glancing at Jupiter. Oh yes, there was something going on with them. It looked like he'd caused a little division in the group though - why not bring them closer together again. Kunzite closed the dome faster. They were now almost back to back. Kunzite decided he might have to join Zoisite in any future missions, this was such a stress reliever! Well, not that there would be any more if they could pull this off. "He got away!" Zoisite said, appearing next to Kunzite. Kunzite whirled. "What? You mean Tuxedo Kamen? How could you let him do that??" There was a clatter on the ground. Zoisite had dropped the scalpel that he'd been holding - in the hand he wasn't nursing. Kunzite narrowed his eyes. "Was it...? Did Beryl see...?" "*I* didn't see!" Zoisite interrupted angrily. "But who the hell else uses these things? Either way, Cape Boy still has the crystals!" Kunzite frowned, glancing back at the enclosed Senshi who were watching them with a small measure of surprise. "All right," Kunzite declared. "Then let's let Tuxedo Kamen know that his Senshi friends will be out of air in, oh, about a minute unless we see those gems." He held out his hand and closed his fist, then watched with satisfaction as the Senshi fell to their knees. Zoisite shouted out the threat - and as Kunzite suspected, that brought the tuxedoed one out. Amazing how easy it was to play on the enemy's emotions. He exchanged a smile with Zoisite, who stepped forward. "There's no hope," Zoisite remarked. "So you should give up now." He held out a palm. "No matter how hard it is... you shouldn't give up..." The two Dark Kingdom generals snapped their heads towards the source of the quiet voice. "Ay-yaaa!" Mercury screamed, and dark energy blasted out of her palms. Kunzite felt the blast flash across his own hands. Distracted and slightly wounded, he lost control of his energy barrier. It broke. Kunzite was infuriated. The IMPUDENCE of the girl - using his own methods against him! She would regret that... now there would be NO escape!! "Traitor!" Kunzite shouted at Mercury. Mercury, anticipating an attack, was in mid-jump. He quickly judged where she would land, set himself and blasted her with similar energy to that which he'd used in the barrier. It was as Kunzite had calculated. With a look of surprise on her face, Mercury was held up momentarily by the energy coursing around her, before she fell backwards... and a young girl in the remains of a dirty, tattered school uniform now sat on the ground. Dazed, the girl glanced over in the direction of the Senshi, who were simply watching the events unfold, struck dumb by what was occurring. Ami smiled weakly. "Balance must be maintained," she murmured to no one in particular. "That's nice," commented Zoisite from where he floated over her. "But I'll relieve you of your duties now," he finished maliciously. The crystal flew down at Ami. Kunzite watched as it appeared to strike her chest... and Ami was no more. She simply vanished, and all that remained in her place was the remains of her clothing and a pile of dust. Strange, he hadn't quite expected that, but at least the job was now done. "I've been waiting for ages to use that special crystal on her," Zoisite muttered. It had been about ten seconds since Mercury's first appearance. "No..." came a soft whisper. It floated on the breeze momentarily, then was quickly overpowered by the same voice screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" in an exclamation of anguish and horror. "SUPREME *THUNDER*!" Zoisite was thrown back against a pile of crates. He snarled and prepared to rise to the new challenge, but before anything else could happen, Beryl interrupted. Her outline appeared and she ordered her generals to return. Kunzite knew immediately that it wasn't just about Mercury. Beryl knew something, and it was important enough that she didn't care about broadcasting her voice in front of the Senshi. Kunzite quickly moved down to get Zoisite, who probably wouldn't be too willing to come along otherwise. Jupiter tried attacking again (the girl was crying... shame he'd never know what Mercury did with her) but Kunzite simply teleported them away. Mercury was gone now, and there were bigger fish to fry than these Sailor fools. Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 8: INTERLUDE Ami wished she were dead. Anything to stop the pain, stop the torture by these crazy psychotics who thought she was part of some conspiracy to overthrow their plans. There seemed to be no way to convince them otherwise, even after a week - or had it only been a couple of days? - and Ami's attempt at escape had met with harsh consequences. Ami was almost beyond caring now. She simply endured the shouting, the beating, the probing, hoping that they might eventually dispose of her. Finally put her out of her misery. After all, what reason was there to live? Because she was "the solitary brainiac"? Her brains were doing her a lot of good now. "Pick it up," came Jadeite's voice, accompanied by the clatter of an object. Ami winced inside - her head captor was back. Ami uncurled from her ball and looked up from her position in the corner of the cell. She stared uncomprehending for a minute until she realized Jadeite was referring to the small blue object on the ground. A new sort of torture device? Jadeite pointed to it (as if she hadn't noticed it by now) and repeated his order. Well, what did it matter. Ami reached for it tentatively and did as requested. It looked and felt like some kind of pen. She waited, but nothing happened. "Now, would you like to help us get back at the real enemy? The person who led us to believe you had the information we wanted?" Jadeite continued. Ami simply stared. What? Was this some new trick? He hadn't started doing anything to her yet. What was this? They couldn't be letting her off, could they? Ami quickly choked back any emotion and tried to quell any hope rising in her heart. Standard tactic. Give the prisoner some hope, then snatch it away, break her down. Still, she should play along. "Maybe," she responded quietly, deadpan. Jadeite's turn to stare. "Well then. Say the words..." He paused to think - what had that cat yelled? "'Mercury Power Makeup'. But one false move and it will be your last." Ami briefly entertained the thought of jumping at him, just to see if he would carry out that threat. But no, more likely that he'd keep her alive, keep up the torment. Maybe he was doing it even now. Ami shrugged. "Mercury Power, Makeup," she repeated, emotionlessly. Then something extraordinary happened. Ami felt energy coming from the pen in her hand. She felt herself moving, spinning instinctively... felt strength and power filling her! And then she was standing, knees bent, arms out to her sides. Fully clothed. What had they done to her?? But Jadeite looked surprised, eyes wide. Had he even expected this? "You are still the same...?" Jadeite paused momentarily. He shook his head. "Of course you are, nevermind. Now, as I said, help us take down this person who betrayed you - or you'll get more of this." And with that he sent a bolt of energy at Mercury, knocking her back against the wall. Ami felt her body crumple - but she didn't pass out. She felt as surprised by that as Jadeite continued to look. She was positive that she'd never been able to sustain a blast like that before! But what was even more important was how Jadeite had looked at her just moments ago. He hadn't recognized her! Ami was sure of that! Whatever it was that had just happened... it had literally transformed her! Jadeite blasted her again and Ami allowed herself to succumb to the blackness. But a thought flashed through her mind as she lost consciousness. Maybe she'd gotten her wish after all... maybe Ami was dead. She could now start life anew. ***** "This is mine?" Mercury said, cautiously turning the mini computer around in her hands. Sailor Moon nodded. "Me and Luna were trying to use it to analyze the strange clocks from this store. But you'll probably be able to put it to better use." Mercury frowned. It had her symbol on it. It didn't look like it was going to blow up and kill her or anything. It seemed authentic and very powerful. What was the motive behind this act? Moon had to have a reason for giving this computer to her. Was she trying to placate her? Mercury looked back at Moon's smiling face and her eyes narrowed. Was Moon just doing this to delay what she had coming to her? It wasn't going to work. "M-Mercury?" She'd knocked Sailor Moon onto the ground. When had that happened? It didn't matter. The time had come. "You think this computer makes it all better? How could you do that to Ami?" Mercury demanded. "How could you let them do that to her?" Sailor Moon stared. "What?" "Do you even have any idea what they did??" Mercury wondered. She stood over her adversary feeling even more betrayed. She sensed tears welling up in her eyes, but she refused to cry - that was a sign of weakness. "Y-you mean Jadeite? You said you didn't want to talk about it..." Sailor Moon stammered. "When I arrived outside the building you said you were okay... that you were faking loyalty to them. Isn't that right? Mercury, i-is this part of your plan?" Mercury glared. Sailor Moon had really bought into that, hadn't she! How gullible! Well, nevermind what she'd said her plans had been - it was time for revenge now. Sailor Moon deserved to see what it had been like for Ami. Face the horrors Moon had allowed Jadeite to inflict. The knife was in Mercury's hand. 'Two wrongs don't make a right.' Mercury stopped as that strange sentiment echoed in her head. Sailor Moon was lying on the ground with her eyes wide. That innocence couldn't be an act... Mercury stared. Dear God, what was she doing? She'd bought into the Dark Kingdom's story... allowed herself to be influenced. She wasn't living her new life; she was living theirs. It wasn't Sailor Moon who was no better than Jadeite... it was HER. They'd made her into a pawn. Well, Mercury would be nobody's pawn! "Freeze!!" came the shout of a new voice. The two Senshi turned their heads. "Mercury, step away from Sailor Moon." Moon stared. "W-who are you? Sailor V...?" "Sailor Venus now," the newcomer corrected. "Now back off Mercury, or I'll be forced to attack." "No, don't hurt Mercury!" Moon said quickly. "She was only telling me... what she's been through." Venus put her hands on her hips. "Is that so...?" she said suspiciously. "Not really," Mercury said slowly. "Although I realize now that neither of you blondes have any idea of what you're up against - do you?" "Looks to me like I'm up against someone standing over Sailor Moon with a knife," Venus noted. "For which I don't have an explanation." Mercury laughed - she couldn't help it. "You're so naive!" she blurted. "You think I'm the threat here? Does it really take a genius IQ to figure this out?" "Why don't you put down the knife and step back, then we can talk." "You think that after all that's happened that I'm afraid of you?" Mercury said incredulously. She glanced back down at Sailor Moon. "And you, looking so innocent... I think that if I killed you I'd be doing you a favour." "Stop, both of you," Sailor Moon said shakily. "Can't we just find the youma here and kill it?" "Yes, this is utterly futile," Mercury agreed. "So why don't we just put an end to it all..." She smirked and flicked the knife in her hands, spinning it to catch it again by the hilt. She then raised it above her head. Venus took that to be an offensive gesture. "Crescent Beam!" she shouted. There was a flash of light and Mercury suddenly realized she was now the one lying on the ground. "I'd prefer to talk without you holding the knife," Venus said slowly as she retrieved it from where it had fallen. "So you still think I'm the enemy," Mercury commented. "I don't know what to think," Venus retorted. "That's why I only attacked with half power. Suppose you tell me what's going on then." "You're all being trapped." Mercury spun at the sound. "Jadeite," Sailor Moon gasped. "I think I've seen enough," Jadeite commented. Before any of the Senshi could react, he'd grabbed Mercury's arm and yanked her inside a passage which appeared in the grandfather clock next to them. After a moment, Moon and Venus charged in after them, but they didn't find themselves in the same place. They were in a strange dimension; Mercury was back in the Dark Kingdom. ***** Her body ached all over. Mercury rolled over on her bed to stare at the ceiling. The motion caused a shooting pain through her side and she squeezed her eyes shut. Damn this new body of her's that forced Jadeite to inflict extra pain! But Mercury was starting to learn how things worked now. Jadeite had taken a chance on her, and she would remain on probation - and a pawn - until she could prove herself faithful. Failing that, they would kill her. They knew who she was and probably knew how to do it. They had created her, they could destroy her. Jadeite was observing her missions - there was no room in which to breathe. She had failed last time and paid the price. Hence, Mercury needed power, to keep from being tied down to Jadeite. Knowledge was power. So the first thing she needed was a lot more technical savvy about the Dark Kingdom. Primarily teleportation, how to use it, and how to block it's use. Fortunately, they did keep records here... and over the next little while, Mercury used them to her advantage. By the time Jadeite was setting up plans in a new amusement park, Mercury could move herself to and from the Dark Kingdom at will. She also worked at her Senshi abilities, reasoning that she must have some, and the result was the ability to produce a blanket of fog over an area. She became proficient with her computer and discovered a visor she could activate by pressing her earring. But this power came at a price. Given her Senshi status, her new power made her dangerous, and Jadeite's continuing failures were not going unnoticed by people with more seniority than him. If Mercury did not prove herself worthy, fast, the knowledge she had acquired would make her a prime target. It didn't help that the other Senshi weren't really treating her as an enemy. Not since Mars had come along. If only they could realize how many problems their 'friendship' attempts were causing! And how she couldn't reciprocate or it would be self-destruction! Mercury knew she couldn't leave the Dark Kingdom anyway. This was her home, and if she joined up with the Senshi, the Dark Kingdom would end up gunning for her more than ever. They knew Mercury, knew her weaknesses, and aside from running away, Mercury didn't have too much in the way of fighting abilities; intelligence could only take her so far. Besides, the other Senshi could hardly do battle and protect her at the same time; it wasn't feasible. No, there was no place for Sailor Mercury on Earth. Then had come the cruise blues. Widely regarded as Jadeite's last, and best chance to prove his abilities. And it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Jadeite's last chance was also Mercury's last chance. Because he was really the only one still standing up for her, not wanting to admit that he'd made a mistake. It had started out well, but when Sailor Moon showed up, as always, things went downhill remarkably fast. It was obvious that Jadeite would take another heavy loss. Mercury had to do something - and it looked like it would involve betraying the other Senshi's trust. Her sense of self-preservation was stronger than any other voice in her head. So Mercury placed herself in the line of a Senshi attack. And she chose Mars specifically, as the one who had always appeared to have the most belief in her. The fire hurt rather more than expected, and Mercury's eyes began to tear - but it had the desired effect. Mars came over, apparently worried. Mercury took a deep breath; she had to do this. "Mercury?" Mars inquired. "Mercury, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Surely you realize --" "Ay-ya!" Mercury shouted, springing up and lashing out with her knife. Mars screamed. Mercury realized belatedly that Mars had been closer than she realized; that attack was liable to leave a scar. But she couldn't stop now. She had to show she was acting independently of Jadeite. She had to show that she was capable of handling herself. Mercury knocked Mars down. She kicked her in the ribs. Repeatedly. Tears were stinging both their eyes as Mars screamed. "I'll be pardoned now!" Mercury cried out. "I've succeeded on this mission! I've become my own person!" The other Senshi were staring open-mouthed, frozen in shock, and Mercury realized she was laughing... and that she couldn't stop. I'm getting hysterical, she realized. My God, what have I done... how can I be feeling good about this? Have I become desensitized to the things going on around me? Mercury quickly teleported away. It had been the end of the beginning of her new life. ***** Mercury was summoned to see the Queen for the first time after that. She'd debunked any thoughts of Jadeite ordering her to do what she'd done and had been granted leniency to assist in future missions, even if Jadeite proved himself too incompetent to lead them. To be sure she got out from under Jadeite's thumb, she then helped peripherally in Jadeite's downfall. The fog that had rolled in over the airport during his final showdown hadn't been mere coincidence. And now, even though Mercury still wasn't trusted, it wasn't much more mistrust than was already prevalent in the Dark Kingdom. She could finally take a little time to relax. But Mercury found she was truly alone now. She wasn't being monitored closely by anyone, but neither were the Senshi making any more offerings to her. And when she thought about it, she really couldn't blame them... after what she'd done, and the fact that she'd never responded too overtly to their pleas in the first place, why should they want anything to do with her? But Mercury was used to loneliness. She didn't let it bother her. For a short time, Mercury did find herself wondering what it was like for the other Senshi though. They didn't seem to be permanently in that form on Earth. Curious, Mercury sealed off her residence (she'd actually gotten something more than a room to live in once Jadeite was out of the way) and started working on some tracking devices. Not long after, she was able to determine the identities of the Senshi when they weren't being Senshi: Hino Rei, Aino Minako and Tsukino Usagi. The same Usagi that Ami had talked to those few times before her capture - the Ami who had been too weak to survive. What irony. After a little observation, Mercury decided this discovery about the Senshi was her's alone, a way to keep ahead of the game, and she didn't report it. She also found it easier to think of the Senshi *as* the Senshi, not people with a real life, so she didn't contact them. However, she did complete the cycle by learning the identity of Tuxedo Kamen, taking some amusement from the fact that she seemed to know who he was before he even did himself. Mercury returned to spending her spare time in a search of knowledge. Not just in the Dark Kingdom, but teleporting herself into libraries on Earth after they were closed. She found she had an interest in medicine (still?) and gave up using the knives Jadeite had provided her in favour of scalpels. They helped to force her to be more precise in her attacks. Because if she couldn't work with the other Senshi - she'd be the best at what she was doing now. She even grew to appreciate certain aspects of it. Surprisingly, taking over the entire Dark Kingdom started to look like an attainable goal. While Nephrite preferred to work alone, Mercury made sure she made enough appearances to - in her opinion - make herself look good and keep others from wondering what else she might be doing. Then when the other Senshi foiled a plan of Nephrite's, Mercury could easily avoid trouble by baffling Queen Beryl with her technical reports; it was almost fun! She began to wonder just how high she might be able to rise in the ranks. Mercury began to enjoy things, as much as was possible in her situation. She had to, or she fancied her lifestyle would drive her mad. She blocked off any remaining sympathies that existed within her - those had no place here. They interfered with her plans. Anyone who got in her way simply deserved what they had coming to them, whether their intrusion was accidental or not. It wasn't long before Mercury wasn't just playing a role she'd created for herself... she had become the part. Some in the Dark Kingdom resented her for her growing popularity, but she was becoming quite adept at fending off any threats, even attempts on her life. She even amused herself sometimes by teleporting to Earth and indirectly messing with things that mortals were trying to do. After all, everyone had to learn sometime that life wasn't fair, and who better to teach them than her? But then two events occurred to change the status quo. The first was Nephrite displaying sympathies for the enemy, resulting in his untimely demise. Mercury felt no remorse for him; acting the way he had, the general had been asking for it. Yet it meant that any missions to Earth were now under Zoisite's control, and he was one of Mercury's greatest antagonists. Then had come the second event: the appearance of another Senshi, on Zoisite's first solo mission. That shocked Mercury on several levels; she hadn't expected any more to exist for the planets beyond their solar system's asteroid belt. She decided that she'd better accumulate a little information on the new adversary. And what better way to start than by testing reactions in battle? She got herself assigned to help Zoisite in his search for the second crystal, in her usual post of acting on the sidelines. Zoisite was NOT pleased, but then he rarely was. (Mercury actually found his anger was a good way to manipulate him.) And it was thus that Mercury encountered "Jupiter" for the first time, in an alleyway. She discovered that the other Senshi had already warned Jupiter about Mercury's 'evil' status. For some reason, that bothered her. After a little display of her abilities, she let Jupiter go, relatively unharmed. Back in the Dark Kingdom, she then monitored the Senshi meeting which followed in Mars' bedroom (all the Senshi's residences were bugged) and felt herself getting more alarmed by how the others were twisting the truth about her. And strangely pleased at how Jupiter was defending her - even if the brunette was extraordinarily naive. After the meeting, Mercury tracked Jupiter back to her place, waited until she was asleep, then planted a new set of listening devices. But she didn't leave. Some part of her was keeping her here; part of her wanted to find out more. After a long pause, Mercury cleared Jupiter's desk and sat herself down. ***** 'You're the last person in the world who might still harbour any hope for me.' Now why had she said something silly like that? She didn't need hope. She was surviving just fine. Mercury felt rather upset with herself - such feelings were not logical for her now. If she wasn't careful she could ruin everything she'd been working for! However... something like this could still be worked to her advantage. She'd need to watch herself around Jupiter, that was all - so she didn't end up like Nephrite. Mercury spent the next couple of days baiting Zoisite while looking into the nijizuishou and ginzuishou, to try and take her mind off things. Two nights later though, Mercury was running some idle checks on her equipment when she was surprised to hear Jupiter calling her. Mercury grimaced. Maybe she'd underestimated Jupiter's persistence or intelligence? Had she found one of Mercury's listening devices? Or was she just looking for trouble? Mercury reluctantly decided that she'd better investigate. What had she gotten herself into? She soon found out. When Mercury teleported back home several minutes later, she had to take a minute to calm herself. Jupiter was taking actions reminiscent of those the other Senshi had tried before! Get her to repent, reform, etc, etc - but it was the same story, Jupiter didn't have any real idea as to what was going on! As to what had gone on! As to who she was! God, how could the Senshi be so dense?! Mercury should have seen this coming... maybe she should do something like what she did to Mars, to get Jupiter off her back. Yet - annoyingly she didn't really want that. Maybe there was some plan in the back of her mind for how manipulating Jupiter would be more profitable. "Hello? It's Makoto... I just talked with her. No luck, but... I may have given her something to think about." Mercury snapped her head back to her monitoring equipment, which she hadn't turned off before departing. Jupiter had been somewhat foolish to think that Mercury would plant only one bug (though apparently the open Physics text had, for some reason, not been the most opportune place). "No problem, I'll talk to you later," came Jupiter's voice again. She's on the phone, Mercury realized. But apparently, that had been the extent of the conversation. Jupiter did not speak again. Mercury checked her instruments - it didn't look like Jupiter had been talking with another Senshi. A chill went through her. Someone here in the Dark Kingdom then? Was she being set up? Mercury had to trace that call, and fast. Mercury pulled out her reliable mini-computer and spent the next three hours hacking into and working in the Earth phone system. It had been a call from Jupiter's phone, local (thank goodness), and to an address of some people who hadn't been in the area for too long. Mercury tapped a finger on the side of her mouth. Might as well pursue this to the fullest extent. Mercury teleported to the address. A very messy place, papers all over the area - whoever "Urawa" was, he wasn't very neat. With a small shrug, she started to quietly poke through the discarded sheets. Her eyebrow went up. Investigations into premonitions and parallel worlds? Mercury continued her unauthorized browsing, intrigued. "Interesting..." Mercury finally muttered to herself. "Very interesting..." Taking out her computer, she scanned in a few of the more crucial documents and then teleported herself away. ***** Mercury frowned at Zoisite, who merely smiled back. He had to be up to something to ask for her to come along and get the third crystal. Maybe someone was putting him up to it. Mercury decided she'd better watch her step! Just when she'd found herself a worthy puzzle for the first time in ages too... Mercury had spent most of the day poring over parts of Urawa's work. He didn't seem to be taking the right tack though; he was looking very locally, at the world they were on and it's placement in the space-time continuum. Then expanding that to encompass other possible parallel realities. Yet the visions he was apparently seeing deserved a slightly more universal interpretation... temporal echoes? Rifts passing through the solar system? Hmmmmm. Mercury had begun making notations in earnest, before getting summoned by Beryl. Now it looked like she wouldn't get back to her speculations for a while. "All right, let's get to it," Zoisite declared, glaring at Mercury. "Now you'd better back me up - you heard Beryl." "Whatever," Mercury responded airily, turning her frown into a smile. Zoisite's eyes narrowed, but he didn't reply. He teleported out to wherever the carrier was. Mercury followed and observed from behind. As Zoisite faced off with the guy, she paused. Did he look familiar? "No!" Urawa shouted. He spun away, preparing to run, but plowed right into her. Urawa tumbled to the ground, looking up to see who had blocked his path. Mercury stood dumbfounded, trying to disguise her surprise. "Sorry," she finally murmured quietly as Zoisite's kurozuishou began pulling the nijizuishou out of Urawa's body. "But don't worry... you were on the wrong track anyway..." ***** Mercury felt sick to her stomach. She swept everything off her desk, placed her elbows on it and her head in her hands. Jupiter was incapacitated. Mercury had lost everything now. She'd lost credibility in the Dark Kingdom what with Zoisite watching how both she and Jupiter had reacted, especially when Jupiter had thought they were alone. And then Mercury had lost her ties to the Senshi by hurting Jupiter herself - almost the same way as Mars. Except she hadn't meant it this time. "Oh my God," Mercury breathed. "Oh God oh God, what now..." All right, think rationally. Could the situation in the Dark Kingdom be salvageable? Zoisite was powerful, sure, but was he really a reliable source? Mercury had a couple of acquaintances herself, not that they were as high up. And because of what had happened with Jupiter, playing this right could gain her popularity, couldn't it? She'd harmed an enemy, which was more important than one of seven crystals. This was actually a good thing. Mercury was just overdramatizing... she wiped her cheeks dry. All right. Now, was there anything she could do about the situation on Earth? Jupiter would probably never forgive her - she was in the hospital after all. Mercury ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. Why was she really worrying about it anyway? Mercury belonged in the Dark Kingdom. This was her home. And it was Jupiter's fault for getting in her way. However... Mercury grabbed a piece of paper and scrawled the word 'Sorry' on it. She'd give Jupiter a word of parting. It felt right. After a pause, Mercury added the word 'Very'. Maybe two words. The front door buzzed, interrupting her thoughts. Mercury blinked and quickly tidied herself up somewhat before hurrying down. When she opened the door she had to work hard to contain her surprise - it was Kunzite, regarded to be the most powerful of the generals. What did he want with her? "Mercury," Kunzite said with a half smile. "I hear you conducted yourself well earlier today." "Did you," Mercury responded non-committally. Kunzite nodded. "Taking down a Senshi is impressive. It strikes me that you'd be much better than Zoisite at leading the crystal missions, if only Beryl could see that." "Well, that's one person's opinion," Mercury shrugged. Whatever was he getting at? "Not just one person's, I assure you. Mercury, there is a part of you that intrigues me. I would be most honoured if you were to become my protege." Mercury opened and closed her mouth, no longer able to contain her surprise. Kunzite was up to something. "Thank you, but I do prefer to work alone," she finally answered. She began to close the door, but Kunzite stuck out his hand. "Now, now, let's not be hasty here," he advised. "Perhaps I misspoke... not so much a protege as a partner. After all, I've also heard that Zoisite is amassing power against you. You would be of no use to anyone once he's gone if you are deceased as well." "I can handle him," Mercury answered bluntly, watching Kunzite closely. Kunzite laughed slightly. "You have spirit! Alas, I do not think you know Zoisite as well as I do." Mercury paused to look Kunzite up and down. "Perhaps not," she conceded. "But I have also heard that you and Zoisite meet frequently and doubt that you would suddenly prefer to ally yourself with me, and not him." The side of Kunzite's mouth twitched. "Indeed. That may have been the case a few weeks ago. But Zoisite killing Nephrite the way he did - I found that very upsetting. Nephrite was an honourable man. Additionally, I'm sure you know that working from the inside can sometimes be more destructive than working on the outside." 'That's why you're still outside,' Mercury commented to herself. "I'll think about it," she said to her visitor. "Ah, somehow I doubt that," Kunzite answered. "But I expected as much. So here is a token of my sincerity." He tossed her an object, then turned and began walking away. "Until later," he tossed over his shoulder. Mercury looked down at what he'd thrown - a data crystal. It looked legitimate. She brought it inside and scanned it. It was a normal crystal, just like the ones used to keep records. She'd used similar ones to retrieve information about teleportation, illusions and other curiosities. Completely harmless. Very curious now, Mercury tapped into it and began to scan the information it contained. Levitation! Mercury had never been able find enough about this trick to get it right; here it was! Mercury sat down and leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. Everything looked in order. If Kunzite was up to something he was hiding his intentions well. Maybe she should cautiously play along with his game... if these were the rewards, she could very well turn a profit. Her eye suddenly caught sight of her note to Jupiter. Mercury pursed her lips. Should she really send that? Well, maybe if she just left it under Jupiter's pillow or something. And she could spend her spare time going over this new information Kunzite had presented. Yes, that was a plan. She could extricate herself from her problems if she played it right. ***** Mercury sat bolt upright at her desk and pressed a hand to her forehead. She'd fallen asleep again. She kept doing that unintentionally these days - of all the times to catch the flu. Just when the rest of her life was starting to look up. This was keeping her from continuing her research into the temporal flux phenomenon Urawa had discovered, keeping her from using Kunzite's knowledge to it's fullest extent, and was preventing her from seeing both Kunzite and Makoto! Well, not that it hampered Kunzite coming by, she supposed. The guy kept the oddest hours. Still, if he had a hidden agenda, Mercury was stumped as to how teaching her tremendously useful things fit into it. The odd meeting times were keeping her on guard, but just that wasn't enough to explain the help. It wasn't part of a plot to kill Zoisite, she'd checked on that. He wasn't showing her anything illegal that he could discredit her with either. It was getting frustrating, not being able to see what the guy was up to. If it was to get her trust, that was doomed from the outset. The only person Mercury trusted minimally now was Makoto. Actually, now that she thought about it, when had she last seen Makoto? Mercury yawned and glanced at her chronometer. She must have fallen asleep in the afternoon - it was late evening now. Maybe Mako would still be awake. Mercury smiled slightly - for some reason, a part of her still felt thrilled over how Jupiter hadn't summarily rejected her after getting hurt. She had since become the first person Mercury could relax around... and it was nice to let go on occasion. Mercury even felt as if she could speak her mind openly to Makoto, though she never let herself go too far. But it seemed like accepting the mission of scouting for Jupiter and going to the hospital that one time had been one of the best things she could have done! Even if it had apparently had consequences with Mars afterwards... Well, you couldn't change what was past. Might as well see how the present looked. Mercury ran a hand through her hair, smoothed her skirt, verified her security system, then teleported herself to Makoto's place. Her eyes adjusted fairly quickly to the darkness; and she saw Makoto was curled up in bed. Mercury sighed slightly - but no use waking her. Yet as Mercury prepared to go, Makoto rolled over. "Mercury?" she breathed. "Don't let me wake you," Mercury whispered. Makoto was immediately sitting up and snapping on the light. "Mercury! Thank goodness... I- I couldn't sleep, I was hoping you'd come. I think you're being set up!" Mercury stopped. "I beg your pardon...?" Makoto stared back, examining Mercury in the light. "Geez. No offense Mercury-chan, but you look worse now than when I saw you a few days ago - are you getting enough sleep?" "Too much," Mercury countered. "I think I've caught some flu bug. But you don't exactly look like a rose yourself. Your hair's all rumpled and there's bags under your eyes." Makoto blinked at that and tried to pull her hair back into it's usual ponytail. "Anyway, you were saying something about a setup?" Mercury pressed. Makoto nodded. "Unless you attacked Moon recently or have managed to create a clone of yourself, there's definitely something funny going on." Mercury's eyebrows shot up. "Someone... who looked like me?" "And that's not all - because of this the other Senshi have called off the truce. I'm sorry, I couldn't stop them... your life is in jeopardy again." "Figures," Mercury sighed. "I thought things were going too well of late." She supposed she'd been getting a little lax in the Dark Kingdom too. Time to reassert herself. Mercury crossed her arms. "Did you see this other me?" Makoto shook her head, finally giving up on getting her hair to look presentable. "Only from afar. She was taller than you though, closer to my height." "Do you know if it was illusion or if it was actually a disguise? Illusion can sometimes create a shimmering effect." "I couldn't tell... I'm sorry." "No, no, no need to blame yourself. I'm tempted to say that was Zoisite, he's been out to get me for ages. But the guy doesn't have the wits to come up with that plan by himself," Mercury reasoned. She yawned and stretched. "Mind if I take a seat?" "Go ahead," Makoto said with a gesture. "Are you sure you're okay though? Maybe you've been working too hard." "I have been putting a lot of effort into a new trick," Mercury admitted with a shrug as she hopped onto Makoto's desk. "Oh, what's that?" Makoto wondered curiously. "It's..." Mercury paused, wondering how to explain. "This," she finally said, resigning herself to a demonstration. She brought her arms around her, snapped them out in front of her and with a shout caused a small spurt of energy to lance out. It hit the wall, blackening it slightly and knocking a picture down. "Whoa! Take it easy on my apartment please," Makoto winced, jumping up to retrieve the fallen art. She carefully replaced it then turned back to the smiling Mercury. "Sorry. Impressive though, wasn't it?" "Er, yeah," Makoto admitted, glancing ruefully back at her wall. That would take a little effort to restore. Sometimes Mercury got a little too enthusiastic. "Uh, so, that take a while to learn?" "I suppose so," Mercury shrugged. "But Kunzite's a pretty good teacher. Funny thing though, I don't feel as lightheaded as I usually do after trying that... maybe it's because I wasn't going all out." "You weren't?" Makoto said in surprise. She touched the blackened part of the wall. "Ouch. Take it easy if you have to try that on us, okay Mercury-chan? Maybe you don't know your own strength." Mercury smirked and waggled her finger. "Don't try to make me overconfident now, Mako-chan," she chastised. "I'm not that gullible." Makoto tried to hide a smile and Mercury realized belatedly that she'd tacked on a "chan" suffix, making things a little more informal than she should have. She flushed. Makoto was subtle, she had to give her that! "But seriously," Makoto quickly put in. "Maybe you should take a break from whatever you're doing until you get better. Keeping away from the other Senshi now is probably wise too." Mercury shrugged. "I'm not doing too much right now actually. I'm too exhausted half the time." "Well, maybe you should try and discover a cure," Makoto said with a smile. "Didn't you say medicine interested you?" Mercury returned the smile weakly. "I think the only sure cure would be some sort of energy boost." "Ah," Makoto responded soberly. "Ironic - energy collection is something the Dark Kingdom seems to be good at." Mercury sighed. "Another thing I might need to learn I guess," she acknowledged. "That's something I've never had cause to use, but maybe I can get Kunzite to..." Mercury's voice trailed off. Wait a minute, Makoto was right. Others in the Dark Kingdom should be able to fend off this sort of virus by draining energy. So why were there others reporting similar conditions? Her brow creased. "Mercury-chan?" "Wait a second," Mercury muttered. The others must be tricking her. But why? To keep her from realizing that she was the only case! Meaning she really didn't have some flu! She should have realized that before, this thing must be affecting her judgement a bit too. But surely Kunzite would have known... A chill went down Mercury's spine. He DID know. He was the CAUSE - it had started shortly after their sessions together! It also explained why blasting Makoto's wall hadn't been as taxing as usual! DAMN! How had she been so blind? "Mercury, are you all right?" Makoto said worriedly, coming closer. "No," Mercury answered, tight-lipped. "No, I'm not all right. Damn it Makoto, I've been very, very stupid AND gullible. Too busy looking for something big, overlooking the small. I just hope I can do something to minimize the damage and keep myself from turning up tomorrow as a corpse." Mercury slammed her hand down on the desk and teleported out as she hopped off. She had some major work ahead of her, assuming she lived that long. ***** Mercury was deathly tired but she didn't dare sleep. Good thing she'd discovered Earth coffee a while back. Not that she enjoyed caffeine in such excessive amounts, but anything to keep her from passing out; whatever Kunzite had been doing, coupled with an unknown number of continuous waking hours, it was playing havoc on her system. But even though her fears of death were probably more overdramatizations, she couldn't take the risk that he was going to pull something... especially since he now knew that she knew. She hadn't been able to disguise her extra animosity towards Kunzite this morning. At least, not inwardly, which was where it looked like the guy had been probing for who knew how long. So she hadn't been able to buy herself any extra time that way... she now had to prepare for the worst. Then once she was sure that she was secure, she would deal with Kunzite. Ooh, would she ever deal with him. Mercury was a pawn to NO ONE! She took another slurp from her cup and shoved herself back from her desk. Her new chair (the department store would never miss it) rolled her over to her dresser, where she punched a few more commands into her mini-computer. Another roll and she was back at the main terminal. Independent power source online... okay. Mercury threw the switch. The field snapped into existence. All her personal effects, Senshi listening devices, that old blue pen, and anything even remotely incriminating - it was now both sealed and concealed in a corner of the room, under her 10 digit alphanumeric code. Mercury leaned back with a sigh. Whatever Kunzite might have found out, there was now no way he could prove it. Now, what to do about him? Well, if he was still close to Zoisite, maybe she could play on that and let Zoisite do her work for her. Did Zoisite know what went on when Kunzite came over? Nothing like the old "set your enemies against each other" routine. She really had to take a nap first though... There was a buzz at the main door. Mercury frowned - but better see who that was, might be from the Queen. She cautiously rose and went down, but all she found at the door all was a letter. Mercury scanned it with her computer, but that's really all it was. She retrieved it. 'Dear Mercury,' it read. 'If you happen to be awake when this note is delivered then you'll probably have about ten minutes before your Senshi friends either suffocate or are crushed to death down at the docks. I know you take an interest in them and thought maybe we could work out a little trade - your life instead of theirs? I'm sure Jupiter would appreciate the gesture. Drop by and perhaps we can work something out. If not, I'll see you when we have the ginzuishou!' It was anonymous but could only have come from one person. The page crumpled in Mercury's hand as she made a fist. Damn him. Probably not an idle threat, but Kunzite would never allow for a fair deal either. It would be impossible for her to free Jupiter and the other Senshi without becoming a defector. Should she bother? Well, she sure as hell didn't want Kunzite getting more power to use against her. And the ginzuishou supposedly packed a lot of punch. So, some sort of subtle plan? But what? She was out of time, and practically dead on her feet. Nine minutes remained before the other Senshi (and then by default, herself) got hung out to dry. "C'mon Mercury, if there was ever a time to be a brainiac, it's now..." And a thought struck her. It was absolutely, unequivocally, mind bogglingly insane, but it had a chance of success. Especially if Jupiter and the others thought that there might be two Mercury's floating around. Still, she allowed herself three minutes to think up a backup plan. ***** After scrutinizing the predicament of the Senshi from a distance with her Visor, Mercury decided that they could survive a little while longer, and she centred her sights on Tuxedo Kamen. Zoisite getting the other two crystals was another scenario she might as well prevent while she was going nuts like this anyway. He'd just flushed the injured Tuxedo Kamen out into the open... Mercury listened with satisfaction to Zoisite's scream as her scalpel found it's mark. Right, now back to the Senshi. Mercury turned and stumbled as she moved back in that direction. She placed a hand on her forehead. Sleep later, work now! Refocussing, Mercury moved in as close as she dared, which was still a fair distance away. Zoisite had teleported in next to Kunzite, and as she watched, Kunzite made some gestures and Zoisite called out that the Senshi were running out of air. Tuxedo Kamen revealed himself. It was now or never then. Mercury jumped into position. "...so you should give up now," Zoisite remarked, holding out a palm. "No matter how hard it is... you shouldn't give up..." Mercury called out quietly, letting the wind whip her voice down to the others. A tad too poetic perhaps, but the words felt right. The two Dark Kingdom generals snapped their heads towards her: there was no turning back. "Ay-yaaa!" Mercury screamed, and dark energy blasted out of her palms. The blast flashed across Kunzite and Zoisite's hands. Distracted and slightly wounded, Kunzite lost control of his energy barrier. It broke. Mercury smiled. But now came the tricky bit. She jumped to another position as Kunzite started yelling. She now had to lead him away from the others, to give them time to recuperate, and then teleport herself out... after which time she could blame this all on an imitation Senshi. One that Kunzite had created (since he was likely behind the whole duplication idea), and one that had gotten away from him. If she played it right, she could even start leading a double life! But Mercury realized too late that Kunzite had been more prepared for her than she'd expected. And her reflexes were not as quick after the pounding she'd taken the last 24 hours. Before she could dodge, she was hit by a beam of energy, of a type that she'd never felt before. The energy coursed around her, and Mercury felt herself getting weaker... this was... oooooooh, this... was... Mercury fell to the ground. Her body struck the pavement and it HURT. Her gloves were missing. So were her boots. She turned, feeling dazed and confused, needing a couple of seconds to realize what had occurred. She was no longer in the uniform that she'd grown accustomed to for the past months - or had it only been a couple of weeks? - because she was now no longer a Senshi. She was no longer Mercury. Instinctively, Ami glanced over in the direction of the others, but they hadn't been affected. They were okay, although Jupiter should really close her mouth, that gawking wasn't very dignified. Ami smiled weakly at them. "Balance must be maintained," she murmured, not to anyone in particular; they just seemed like fitting last words. Because she obviously wasn't meant to be part of the balance: be it between good and evil... right and wrong... justice and injustice... or between human and Senshi? 'Don't act like a captured pawn - USE YOUR BACKUP PLAN!!!' the voice in Ami's head screamed. Ami blinked. Zoisite stood over her about to throw a crystal through her heart. Zoisite. Not Jadeite. She had survived Jadeite - she had triumphed against him. So she could win here too. Why? Because a part of her was still Sailor Mercury! Just as a part of Mercury had been Ami. And no matter how much you denied that link, you couldn't destroy it. Ami smiled, understanding in a flash what Makoto had known all along. And there WAS a reason to live! The crystal shot through the air and Ami's adrenaline surged as she reached into her memory and pulled out her failsafe. Spinning onto her side to avoid the crystal, she simultaneously projected an illusion and used the last reserves of her energy to teleport herself away. It didn't matter where - anywhere that was the hell away from here. It also didn't matter if the dust she'd rigged was left behind or not, didn't matter how shoddy the illusion appeared, just as long as it confused them all long enough... to escape... ***** Ami tasted rug. She hovered between a semi-conscious and unconscious state. 'I'm alive,' was her first thought. 'I'm cold,' was her second. Earth clothing apparently didn't follow the same rules of teleportation as did a Senshi outfit. Opening her eyes, Ami could see what looked like a bed in front of her, but she didn't think that she had the energy to lift her head, let alone stand up. Probably due to the fact that teleport as a human had drained her terribly, coupled with the natural coming down off an adrenaline high. Knowing that didn't solve her clothing problem though. Ami feebly stretched out a hand and clawed at a sheet. The green fabric eventually slipped off the bed and Ami pulled it on top of her body. That was better. Weak after the exertion, she closed her eyes. The darkness came again, and Ami didn't fight it. Though as she drifted off once more, she wondered idly why her surroundings, while not something that she immediately recognized, looked oddly familiar. Makoto found her a couple of hours later when she returned to her apartment. Ami had been reborn. Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 9: MAKOTO II "ZOISITE! COME BACK HERE AND FIGHT YOU *COWARD*!!!" "Jupiter! Jupiter take it easy!" Sailor Jupiter spun, the industrial piping in her hand inches away from Venus. The blonde stepped back reflexively, taken aback by the fire in Jupiter's eyes and the tears running down her cheeks. The brunette stared for a moment, then finally threw the pipe aside in frustration. "Just... leave me alone," she intoned, moving over to the place where Ami had disappeared. She sank to her knees in front of the remains. There was a short silence. "Jupiter... I--" "I SAID LEAVE ME!" Jupiter spoke overtop of Sailor Moon. Her fists clenched and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stem the flow of tears. It didn't work of course. It never did. Venus reached out to touch Moon's arm and gently shook her head. Sailor Moon met her gaze, then looked back to Jupiter. "I'll... I'll stop by your place later?" she offered. Jupiter didn't respond. When she finally reopened her eyes, the other Senshi had left. That suited her just fine. She took in a deep breath and reached out a shaky hand to touch the fabric of Ami's school uniform. She couldn't believe Ami was gone. Not like this. It was like her parents all over again... nothing she could do... Ami had been her friend, maybe even the closest thing to a sister she'd ever had. Now... nothing left but hollow memories and the pain that would never go away. Jupiter's hand tightened again on the red bow she now held. Well, maybe... maybe Ami wasn't dead? In her bedroom last night, Mercury had realized something. Maybe she'd seen this coming, maybe it was all part of some cunning plan she'd devised. Well, wasn't that plausible? Jupiter looked around her. "Mercury?" she called out tentatively. "Ami?" Silence. "AMI-CHAN?!?" Her words simply echoed hollowly in the darkness. Jupiter bit her lower lip to keep herself from reacting further. This was the first stage, she remembered. 'Denial - like that river in Egypt', as it had been put to her when she was younger. Well she wasn't going to go through THAT again. She would just skip to the rage part this time. After all, there were some actual VILLAINS she could take it out on now. Jupiter stood. "You'll PAY for this!" Jupiter called out, looking at the emptiness around her. "Do you hear me? YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!!!" There was no response. The only noise was the constant patter of tears on the ground. ***** Makoto slipped her key in the lock and came into her apartment. She'd searched the docks thoroughly (for the Dark Kingdom, she repeated to herself, not to see if Ami was there, Ami was gone, she wasn't coming back...), then taken a long walk. It hadn't helped. This was like some horrible rerun playing in her mind, and she couldn't turn it off. Makoto placed Ami's bow down on the table and glanced briefly at the fridge. But she didn't feel hungry. She didn't feel like much of anything. Might as well go to bed. Makoto proceeded to her bedroom and pushed the door open. She froze. There was a body on the floor, hidden underneath one of her bedsheets. Oh great, a dead burglar, just what she needed to cap off the day! Makoto advanced cautiously - and the figure stirred. Hmmmm, not dead - just very incompetent at choosing hiding places. Makoto wondered if she should call the police but decided that she'd rather take care of this herself. At least she'd be doing something productive for a change. She crept around to retrieve the lead pipe that she hadn't bothered to get rid of after her second encounter with Mercury. She then reached out and grabbed a corner of the sheet, preparing to rip it off and advise the perpetrator of his poor choice in apartments. But before she could, the fabric slipped down slightly off the figure's head. It was someone with blue hair. Makoto's breath caught in her throat. She gave the blanket a little tug, just to expose the face. Short blue hair. And it was a girl. And her face... The piping fell out of Makoto's hand as her mind went numb with shock. The pipe hit the floor and the noise caused the girl to stir. Her eyes blinked open. No. No, it couldn't be...! "A-A-Ami...?" Makoto whispered. "Mako-chan...?" They remained motionless in a quiet tableau for a few seconds. Makoto finally reached out and gingerly poked Ami through the sheet. Ami jumped slightly. She was REAL. Before Ami could protest, Makoto had swept her up into a hug, squeezing the shorter girl as close as she could. Makoto found that she was crying again. "Oh God... Oh, Ami, you're alive!" she blurted. "I thought you were dead... I thought you were DEAD... oh, thank God, thank God you're ALIVE!" After a moment Ami gingerly returned the hug and there was a minute of silence, broken only by Makoto's choked sobs. As they died down, Ami finally cleared her throat slightly. "Uhm... M-M-Makoto..." she whispered nervously. Makoto looked down at her friend and suddenly realized that all that Ami was wearing was the green bedsheet. Cheeks reddening, Makoto released the blue-haired girl from her grasp. Ami caught the sheet and used it to cover her before it could slip down. "Eruh, s-sorry," Makoto stammered. "I... I just... got caught up..." "It's okay," Ami said softly. She licked her lips nervously and glanced in the direction of Makoto's dresser. "Is there anything...?" "I have some nightclothes you can use in the bottom drawer," Makoto quickly offered. "They may be a little big though." Ami nodded. Another pause. "Uh... you know, it's not like I'm going to jump out the window if you look away..." "Oh! Privacy! S-sorry," Makoto repeated, backing out of the room and wondering how red her face was. Closing the door, she tried to quell her inner fear that if she let Ami out of her sight for even a moment that she would be gone, and Makoto would be alone again. She wasn't sure if she could stand that twice in one day. Of course, she wasn't sure if she was cracking up now either. She pinched herself to verify that this wasn't a dream. Makoto rocked on her heels, growing more nervous every second that Ami didn't come out. What if the Dark Kingdom had been able to track Ami? If only Makoto had come home immediately! What if they were in her bedroom right now, about to... no, no, that was silly. The Dark Kingdom thought Ami was dead. Makoto was probably the only one to know the truth. But what was the truth? How had Ami pulled it off anyway? Was she okay right now? What if she'd collapsed all of a sudden, unable to get back up or call out, lying helpless on the -- The door creaked open and Ami appeared, leaning against the door frame for support. She was wearing Makoto's most conservative nightgown, a dark green one that came down below Makoto's knees (which meant it reached right down to Ami's feet). Makoto let out a sigh of relief and came forward both to offer physical support and reassure herself as to Ami's presence. She found herself unable to resist pulling Ami into one more quick hug. Once at arm's length again, she asked the question plaguing her. "Ami... how?" Ami shrugged. "I... suppose it was convincing then," she said weakly. "Didn't catch sight of any shimmering effect?" Makoto blinked. "Shimmering...? Oh! You mean - your death was illusion??" Ami nodded. "You do remember that conversation then." "You did that as Ami?" Makoto wondered, unable to hide her surprise. Though she supposed it was the same principles being applied regardless of whether the person applying them was in a Senshi form. "Well, there is a little Mercury left inside me," Ami noted with a small smile. She raised a hand to her forehead. "But I must say, teleportation in this form is one heck of a drain." Makoto took a closer look at Ami for the first time. "Ami-chan... you look even worse than last night! You'd better get back into bed." "I'll manage," Ami murmured. "Just take me to the sofa." "You'll sleep in my bed," Makoto reiterated, in a tone indicating her refusal to take no for an answer. "And you can feel free to do so for as long as you like." Ami opened her mouth to argue, but decided she didn't have the strength, so just nodded. The two girls re-entered the bedroom and Ami lay back on the bed. She opened her mouth again as if to say something, but then finally closed it and dropped her head onto the pillow. Makoto pulled up the sheets; Ami was out like a light within seconds. Makoto watched for a short while before turning away. She should check her closet for some sheets she could use for the couch now. But even as she went to look, she couldn't stop smiling. Ami had survived! ***** Makoto glanced up as Ami entered the room. "Good morning!" she greeted, forcing out a smile. She hadn't actually gotten much sleep last night, still worried that Ami was going to somehow disappear by morning. But at least that meant she was awake to prepare an early breakfast. "I wasn't sure what you might like but I made you a cheese omelette," Makoto continued, finishing the last bite of her own meal. Ami blinked in surprise, and looking her up and down Makoto found herself smiling for real. "I see you discovered the clothes I left out - you can keep them all, they don't fit, I found them in the back of my closet last night," Makoto indicated. "Of course, we'll still need to get you some of the things I didn't have in your, um, proportions; but I'll go with you after school to help you shop if you want." "Err, thanks," Ami replied uncertainly. She plucked at the sleeve of the slightly oversized shirt she wore. "It's actually kind of weird. I mean, one would think that getting dressed is a natural thing to do, but I haven't had to do it myself for months. Just had to flip the mental switch to wear either my fuku or, well, nothing. I don't even know what my measurements are anymore, the suit just fit itself to my curves." "Well, we can deal with that this afternoon," Makoto noted. Ami pursed her lips as she slipped into the chair opposite Makoto. "Actually... Mako-chan... I'd prefer to just stay indoors for a while. If that's okay. You're the only person who's seen me alive and I'd like to keep it that way." "Oh," Makoto said, slightly taken aback. "Well, I can understand that. Though the Dark Kingdom DOES think you're dead. They're not out looking for you." "But they're not blind either, so I think I'd rather play it safe," Ami commented. "Besides, say I show up in school. There's several teachers who will recognize me, and then the newspapers get involved and before you know it I'm trying to explain what I've been doing the past several months." Makoto nodded, conceding the point as Ami raised her eyes up to look directly at her friend. Ami brought her hand out from under the table and placed an object upon it. "In the meantime, I have something I want to give to you." Makoto raised her eyebrows. "Your computer?" she asked, looking at the object in surprise. "I had it with me when I went after the rest of you," Ami elaborated. "Now it's all I have left of Mercury, the rest is currently trapped in the Dark Kingdom. I can't even transform," she confessed. "Wait... what?" Makoto wondered, even more surprised. "I thought our pens always remained with us until we came out of Senshi form." "They're in their own little space actually, and I found that space was more useful for carrying scalpels and such." Ami ran a hand through her hair. "But maybe it's for the best. Becoming Mercury again would not only let the Dark Kingdom know I'm alive... it also brings out a side of me that I'd rather not see," Ami finished with a sigh. She leaned back in her chair. Makoto didn't miss the sadness that flashed momentarily across Ami's face. "Ami-chan," she said slowly. "The part of you that was Mercury - IS Mercury - was just being influenced by what was around her," she pointed out. "That's not the real you..." "You don't know how it was!" Ami challenged. "My Mercury side came into her own, with her own thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I felt like my mortal half was just along for the ride! Like, I'd be doing something, knowing it was wrong, but still be unable to keep myself from acting. People got hurt... heck, I even stole a chair from the store downtown two days ago with no qualms at all!" Ami rested her chin in her hands. "I have a feeling that if I turn back into Mercury, I'll lose a measure of my reason and control. Become a selfish, uncaring person again. I don't want that to happen. I can accept that Mercury is a part of me; she saved my life. But I don't think I want that part to be let loose on everyone again." Makoto opened her mouth but wasn't quite sure what to say to that. "Ami-chan," she tried again. "I think that your actions to help us in the end showed that you were in control. Maybe being mortal for a short while will help to put a fresh spin on things too. And you know - the day may come when, like yesterday, the Senshi need Mercury's help." "She can't be trusted," Ami said bluntly. "So that's why I'm giving you this." She gestured again to her computer then opened it up. "Now, I've programmed in some macros which should help you out..." "Whoa! Ami, wait, you're talking to someone who gets sixties in this stuff. On a good day! There's no way I - or anyone else - can handle your computer better than you can." "You don't have to be a professional right away," Ami soothed. "But it's for your own safety. Zoisite won't rest until he gets his last two crystals; Tuxedo Kamen is already injured. Things are going to come to a climax very soon and I won't be there to help. With the computer you can scan for any weak points in a youma or structure, find exits, scan for lifeforms..." Makoto shook her head. "Ami, I don't think I'm cut out for that - I'm not a thinker like you are. And what would the others say about me with your computer? They might start to wonder." "Well, just tell them you got it from me before I died! Mako-chan, I'm trying to help protect you here!" Makoto sighed. "Ami-chan, much as I hate to say it - I think you're also trying to justify running away from yourself. And from your destiny." The two girls stared into each other's eyes for a minute. "At least let me show you some basic commands," Ami implored. "It could help for when the ginzuishou is found. I don't need it right now, it might as well be used." Makoto still felt dubious, and Ami must have sensed it. "If you do, I'll... I'll do some figuring on how to get my Senshi stuff back, okay?" Ami offered, squirming slightly in her seat. Makoto stifled a sigh. She really doubted that she'd be able to do anything useful with Ami's computer. But if Ami's inner battles with Mercury weren't quite over yet, and this could help her friend... plus there was also the fact that after last night, Makoto was pretty sure that the Senshi would need both Ami and Mercury in order to emerge victorious. And Ami had no one else to turn to. Makoto nodded. "All right, deal," she agreed. She moved to look at the screen. "So, what were you saying about, uh, life forms?" They spent the next fifteen minutes poring over some simple commands until Ami finally stopped and closed up the computer. "You should get to school now," she advised. Makoto blinked at the clock. She did a double take realizing how late it had become. It had almost felt like a classroom here. "I don't have to leave you know," Makoto offered. "The Senshi will understand me not being there and I can always catch up..." Ami stood, shaking her head. "Education first. It could help you understand some of the points I was going over, though I'm not sure where they would be in the curriculum. Besides," she added as Makoto opened her mouth to protest again, "I have some things that I want to work out myself. I'll be fine, really." Makoto paused, still uncertain, but seeing Ami wouldn't argue, she nodded. She quickly swept when she needed into her bag, including Ami's computer, and left her apartment with a few backwards glances. As she locked the door she realized she should get Ami a key. Makoto continued towards the school, in no great hurry to arrive... which meant it was relatively easy for the person running behind her to catch up. "Uhmm... Mako-chan?" came the tentative voice from behind. "I... tried calling... last night... er, how are you today?" "Usagi!" Makoto said in surprise, spinning around. "I... better, thanks," she said, biting her tongue. Wouldn't do to blurt anything out. Then again, Usagi had also been sticking up for Ami... but no, she should get Ami's permission before saying anything. Ami had said that she only wanted Makoto to know for now. The two girls continued on their way for a few minutes in silence, though Usagi was obviously relieved. "Uhm, by the way," she added. "We... last night... well, Luna suggested a little memorial service for, well, Mercury, and none of us were against it... we thought we should leave the time and place up to you?" "Oh," Makoto replied. She suddenly found herself on the horns of a dilemma. Should she lie to the other Senshi about Ami? (How long could she fake grief? How would they react when they found out?) Or should she reveal Ami's existence? (But how would Ami feel about that? For that matter, how would the Senshi take it, Rei especially?) "Maybe we could talk about it another time...?" Makoto advised. Stalling might work for now. Usagi nodded. "Sure. By the way, we're meeting at the temple after school to regroup, if you're up to it. The cats are paranoid again." She frowned. "Maybe with good reason." For a moment, Makoto considered not going, just so that she could go back and be with Ami. She could tell the others that she was grieving. But if the Dark Kingdom was still in action, she couldn't just abandon the rest of her friends... hopefully it wouldn't take too long. She could always leave early. "I'll be there," she agreed. ***** Makoto stumbled into her apartment late that night, out of breath from her run back from the Starlight Tower, mind still reeling from the events of the last few hours. Ami was still awake, sitting on the couch amidst a large number of discarded papers with technical formulae written on them. She dropped the ones in her hand and looked up nervously when Makoto burst in. "Ami!" Makoto called out to her breathlessly. "Ami, I'm sorry I didn't come directly home there was a Senshi meeting. But you'll never believe what happened! Usagi and Mamoru... attacked by Zoisite! Sailor Moon, she's, she's the Moon Princess! She has the ginzuishou now too! And Tuxedo Kamen, who Usagi likes - he's not only Mamoru, he was captured by the Dark Kingdom! And that Kunzite guy trapped us with no sign of Zoisite and I tried to use your computer but I botched that up and I think it might have made Minako suspicious and we only just managed to escape from wherever they sent us and... ohhhh, I think I need to sit down..." Makoto slumped into a chair, then looked back at Ami, who was not completely successful at hiding her relief over Makoto's return. "You know, Ami... the team really missed you out there," Makoto said in what she hoped was an encouraging tone. Ami smiled weakly. "You managed though. Sorry I wasn't able to show you all the computer skills in time." Her gaze flickered back to the paper on the floor. Makoto shook her head. "It's okay... at least you're doing things behind the scenes now..." Her voice trailed off as she absently picked up a sheet from the floor and turned it around a few times wondering which way was up for the equations. "What have you been doing here?" Ami leaned back to stare at the ceiling. "A little work I never got around to finishing in the Dark Kingdom. Some from memory, some copied from my computer before I handed it over... and after working all day I've arrived at the same conclusion two ways. So I think it has to be right," she murmured. Makoto tilted her head. "What conclusion is that?" "That my capture by the Dark Kingdom... was not really due to Jadeite or Sailor Moon but came about because of the actions of another person." "What? Who??" "Me," Ami said vacantly. "It happened because of a me in another time frame." She lowered her gaze back to Makoto. "I think I'm going to need to use my computer again." Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 10: MINAKO "And we actually lived on the Moon?" Venus verified. Artemis nodded. So, Venus pondered, they'd fought these villains before... that could explain some of the odd deja vu she was feeling. "I don't want to fight," Sailor Moon said. She started crying. "I don't want to be a princess. I don't care about my destiny. I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want to see everyone get hurt like Mercury and Mamoru... it's too sad." Venus winced as Sailor Mars slapped Moon in the face. She supposed they didn't want Moon getting hysterical, but Mars must be getting near the end of her rope too. After all, her attitude about Mercury had taken that unexpected turn in the end, her "boyfriend" had just been captured by the same evil forces that Mercury had seemed to be a part of - though not until after it had been revealed that Mamoru was someone with close ties to Usagi. Now to top it off, now they were trapped somewhere in the Dark Kingdom with no clue of how to get out. Mars' sobs soon joined Moon's and Venus glanced over at Jupiter to see how she was reacting to all this. To her surprise, the brunette had turned away and seemed to be fiddling with something. Venus moved up behind her. "What are you doing...?" she murmured. Jupiter jumped and Venus saw the object Jupiter was holding before it could be concealed: Mercury's computer. Venus' eyes widened. "Where did you get that?" she gasped. Jupiter's gaze flickered over to Moon and Mars but they were involved in their own troubles and weren't listening. "Ami gave it to me. Before." Jupiter admitted. "I've... been trying to use it to find us a way out." Venus gazed at her companion curiously for a few seconds. That seemed plausible at least... but was there something else? Well, this wasn't the time to ask; maybe Venus was just on edge too. "So, come up with anything?" Venus wondered. Jupiter sighed. "Yeah. I think we're all dead." Venus rolled her eyes. "Well, you could be a little more optimistic." "No, I mean according to the computer the four of us are clinically dead," Jupiter responded, knocking her hand against the side of the device. It made a small protesting whine. "I've done something wrong... I don't understand what Ami meant about scanning..." Suddenly Moon shouted and all the Senshi turned to see what had happened. It was Kunzite, back and seeming upset. Quickly putting the computer away, Jupiter tried attacking with Venus but to no avail; it eventually took Sailor Moon and the ginzuishou to help them all escape and get back to Earth safely. ***** A few days later found Minako wandering through a department store. She hoped that there was something here that she could use to cheer the team up. Makoto was off grieving over Mercury, Usagi was off grieving over Tuxedo Kamen and Rei was hardly in the best of moods after events either. Minako wasn't sure what to do but she knew she had to do something! The way things had been degenerating for a while, she seemed to be the only Senshi left at full capacity. That worried her. Minako eyed some multicoloured scarves - winter wasn't too far off - but decided those wouldn't do the trick. But there hadn't been anything all that exciting in the novelties shop either. Maybe she was going about this wrong; instead of working so hard at cheering everyone up simultaneously, maybe she should start with one person and work from there. Probably Usagi - she was the leader - then they could tackle the others. Maybe finally deal with the Mercury situation. It HAD been shocking - but they couldn't let it consume them while the enemy was still around. Minako scanned the area again, wondering what might help Usagi feel better. She did a doubletake. Was that...? Yes, tall, brown ponytail... had Makoto decided to try and get her mind off of things by shopping? Well, maybe she could help in coming up with something then. Minako hurried to catch up with the taller girl, meeting her by the cash register. "Mako-chan!" she greeted. "I didn't expect to see you - nice to see you're getting out." Makoto jumped slightly and gave a small wave. "Minako... er, yes, well, there were some things I had to pick up." Minako nodded. "So, are you feeling any better?" she ventured. Makoto paused. "I suppose things could be worse," she responded hesitantly. "But there's still... affairs I still need to deal with." Minako nodded again as she glanced over at Makoto's purchases. She was buying clothes; mostly undergarments? Blinking, Minako returned her gaze to Makoto, feeling foolish now for intruding. Makoto was just doing necessities shopping. Something nagged at the back of her mind though... she stole another glance at the clothing as it was being bagged. It looked like it was smaller what Makoto would be able to wear. Well, maybe it was a gift for someone. "Anyway," Minako continued, "I was just thinking, maybe there's something we could do about Usagi..." "I'm sorry, but I... need to get back home now," Makoto interrupted quickly. "Maybe another time? Give me a call if it's really important..." "Oh. Sure, okay," Minako acknowledged. Apparently Makoto was still dealing in her own way... yet it was like there was something else she couldn't put her finger on. "Incidently, we're still open to suggestions on that memorial," Minako reminded her friend. Makoto nodded, wincing slightly. "I know... when I'm ready..." "Right, right," Minako affirmed. "Sorry to disturb - but let me know if I can do anything though." Makoto nodded again and moved off out of the store. Minako followed her as far as the entrance then leaned back against the wall. Well, it looked like to get to Makoto and Rei, she'd have to team up with Usagi. But that meant getting Usagi to stop worrying about Mamoru first. So, how could she do that? Minako glanced around and caught sight of an advertisement for a new hair salon. Put out by Kariko Tokoyama! Hey, maybe this was the ticket! It might do Usagi good to try a different hairstyle, she'd had her hair in "odango" for as long as Minako could recall. Yes, it should work... it had to, Minako decided with a grin. She immediately hurried off to the Tsukino residence. ***** Minako threw herself back on her bed with a sigh. She hadn't thought that things could get more complicated, but somehow, they had. "Well, at least Usagi's feeling hopeful about Mamoru, knowing he's not dead," Minako reflected to herself. "With that element out of her mind, maybe I can talk to her tomorrow about the rest of our problems." She hadn't wanted to bring up anything before the hairdressing incident (Usagi's confidence had seemed low already), and after the youma chaos Minako had decided to give Usagi a little time to herself. But they'd all have to face facts soon - their situation wasn't really improving. After the battle against the hair youma, Makoto had again hurried off and Minako had noticed that Rei had seemed distant. She felt a certain tie to the darker haired girl with respect to her views, or at least had until Mercury had become a moot point. After all, both of them had been singled out, shunned by others because of their lifestyles; Rei with her spiritual calling and herself because of the Sailor V identity. Then both of them had had that aspect of themselves thrown into discord because of Mercury and her actions. Maybe that was part of the reason why Minako had tended to side a little more with Rei's suspicions than Makoto's beliefs. Not that this knowledge did anyone any good now. "What are you pondering so intently?" Artemis wondered, hopping up on the bed. "Careful you don't strain yourself." Minako tossed a pillow in the cat's direction. "If you must know, I'm trying to work out a way to keep the Senshi united in a time of crisis," she retorted. "Ahhhh," Artemis answered, more seriously. "Yes, I was talking about that with Luna earlier. Usagi acting more grown up is a good sign though." "That doesn't change the fact that the last time all of us got together just to talk was when we voted on Mercury attacking Moon. Both Makoto and Rei seem to have 'other things to do' now. Either intentionally or unintentionally, they're avoiding each other." Artemis nodded. "Luna was hoping that the Mercury memorial would help get everything out into the open; but Makoto's shying away from that too." Minako rolled over onto her front. "Maybe we're going to have to get her to confront that then, for the sake of the team." She paused. Something about Makoto was nagging at the back of her mind again, but the thought refused to fully form. "The Senshi should have some sort of get together at least," she concluded. "I'll talk with Usagi about it." "Well, I'm with you on this one," Artemis agreed. "As long as it doesn't involve you making your Meatloaf Surprise again." Minako made a face and threw her other pillow at the cat as he dodged out of the way, grinning. ***** Minako knocked on the door of apartment 44. "Just a minute...!" Makoto called out. Minako glanced idly down the hall as she waited. She'd talked with Usagi that morning. They'd both decided that getting Makoto and Rei to communicate their feelings would be a good first step; things couldn't be dealt with until they were brought out into the open. Usagi had previously made plans to go to Rei's (apparently because of some manga), so Minako had recommended talking about some of the issues at hand while she was there. There was, after all, a rapport between Usagi and Rei... even if it wasn't always an agreeable one. Maybe Usagi could get Rei to open up a bit. Minako had then volunteered to go to Makoto's, hoping to go out for a walk and talk with her. Eventually, and hopefully soon, they'd get everyone together. The door opened and Makoto peeked out. "Minako! Nice to see you again... what's up today?" "Not too much... was just out walking, wondered if you'd want to join me?" "Err, I'm still finishing lunch actually." "Ah, yes..." Minako remarked, catching the aroma of Makoto's cooking. "Well, I'm in no rush. I could come in for a while until you're done eating and we can go out later... I've hardly seen you outside of your apartment, after all. It's not good to shut yourself up for too long!" Minako smiled, working at making her tone more friendly than concerned, to keep Makoto from getting defensive. Makoto paused, sizing up Minako's enthusiasm. "Come on in," she finally acquiesced. "I'm almost done, we can be on our way in five minutes if you're so eager." Minako entered Makoto's lodgings and glanced around as Makoto quickly finished her pasta dish. Minako frowned; something about the room itself didn't feel right. But what? Makoto dropped her dish into the sink on top of the one that was already there, then moved to get her jacket. "So, anywhere in particular that you were thinking of going?" Makoto inquired. Minako shook her head, scanning the area one last time. What was wrong here? Her eyes alighted on the advanced physics textbook, sitting on the kitchen counter. Several pages had their corners turned down for easy reference. Now why would Makoto be reading that? And that's when all the thoughts coalesced in her mind and the answer settled upon Minako like a ton of bricks. "Oh my God," she whispered. She spun to face Makoto, eyes wide. "Oh my God, she's... she's ALIVE, isn't she? Isn't she???" The computer, the clothes, the book - even the hesitancy about the memorial service and Makoto's reclusiveness - how had Minako not realized it until now? "W-What do you mean?" Makoto asked uncertainly. "Damn it, Makoto, you know what I mean! Mercury's alive! And probably using your apartment as a base of operations!" Minako blurted. Makoto stared at her, eyebrow going up as if assessing her. Minako stopped abruptly, remembering those old TV shows where the person who figured out the plot too soon had to be 'silenced'. Makoto was currently between her and the door. Minako took an involuntary step back. "Look, I won't tell anyone," Minako said, sizing Makoto up. "Well, actually, that's obviously a lie, since the others have to know, but I'll give you time to get out of the area or something," she amended, eyes now flickering around the room. "That is, if you're in league with Mercury or the Dark Kingdom or whoever staged her death, which I find hard to believe unless has she done something to you? Are you harbouring her of your own free will, because if not let me call the others, we can fix this, maybe I can help you deal with --" "You should really switch to decaffeinated. I did," came the quiet voice right over her left shoulder. Minako jumped at least four feet into the air. She spun, stumbling away from the blue-haired apparition, who had come from Makoto's bedroom, right back into Makoto. Both girls fell to the floor and it took a couple of minutes before everyone was able to untangle themselves. Then another couple to reassure Minako and calm her down. Finally, Makoto poured out some juice and offered the blonde a seat. She quickly filled Minako in on the situation while Ami grabbed her physics book and bowed out, apparently deciding Makoto would be better equipped to handle explanations. She closed the bedroom door behind her. "So. Ami's living here and she can't transform now?" Minako affirmed, glancing warily at the closed door. Makoto nodded from the other side of the table. "Ami barely managed to escape," Makoto continued. "Everything except her computer is still in the Dark Kingdom. She did some calculations to try and figure out how to get herself back there, but doesn't have enough energy for teleport without detection. I volunteered, and after some argument she tried explaining the processes involved to me, but I'm still not clear how the Dark Kingdom is linked to our world. I certainly couldn't locate a landing point there and going in randomly would be suicide." Makoto paused to sip from her cup. "For the moment we're stuck," she concluded. "In the meantime Ami's become obsessed with some... some problem with the space-time continuum. She doesn't even want to leave the apartment for fear that her survival will be detected. And... I don't really want to go out either, since I'm all she has. Not to mention my fear that I'd let something slip if I was out with the rest of you." "I see," Minako said slowly. She shifted her gaze to the window. "That's... an amazing story. I find that I want to believe it," Minako conceded. "But don't forget that we have been deceived by Mercury in the past." "But she's Ami now. And her last act as Mercury was to save our lives. Kunzite seemed pretty convinced that he'd killed her. Admittedly I have a bit of a bias, but if everything from that point on has been an act... Ami deserves the highest award that I can imagine." Minako nodded slowly, turning her head back around. "The other Senshi have to know now," she pointed out. "You must have noticed that we can't really function with this... loose end. Besides, if I found out, so can they, and it's better to tell them now than to have them discover any deceit. Especially in Rei's case." Makoto shook her head. "Oddly, I've been dreading such a confrontation. I don't know if Ami's up to it..." She exhaled a deep breath. "But you have a point. How DO you think Rei would react?" she inquired. "Hard to say," Minako admitted, pursing her lips. "Usagi's talking to her now. Maybe she'll have an idea of know how to handle it. It should be soon though, before Rei really starts to doubt herself or has time to build up any conspiracy theories against us." Makoto nodded, glancing back at the bedroom door. "Give me a minute with Ami then. To talk about this. I refuse to push her into anything, but if she gives the okay... then we'll talk to Usagi. After that, well, if it's necessary... I guess the four of us will decide about Rei." ***** They got together a couple of days later. It had come down to deciding how to break it to Rei in the best way possible. The clinching moment may have been the mess at the "Princess Seminar", Minako reflected. It had demonstrated a need for the Senshi to reunite, as the Dark Kingdom was getting more subtle in their plots. Minako had also fancied that Rei was looking at her and Makoto oddly, after they'd healed the seminar leader. Possibly paranoia, but it had made Minako feel a little more uneasy. Minako glanced at her watch; Usagi was late again. It had been Usagi who had told them that Rei might be receptive to Ami's existence, if for no other reason than how it proved that Mamoru might also be recoverable. Which would be a start - and even Minako had to admit to herself that in the (admittedly brief) time she'd spent with Ami, the girl had seemed quiet, intelligent and truly willing to assist. There had been little to suggest that the same person had once made a habit of carving up people using scalpels. "Let's start without Usagi," Makoto advised, glancing at her watch again. "After all, we don't want this to take long. Now, we've decided to tell Rei tomorrow, here at my place. Do we call it get together lunch, a tribute to Mercury or what?" "Wait, Artemis suggested to me that it might be better at the temple," Minako piped up. "Rei's on more familiar ground there." Ami sighed, biting her lip. "I... I know I have to do this," she said in a hushed tone. "And I also WANT to do this, to apologize for Mercury, even if Rei doesn't accept it. But... I'd really rather not leave the apartment," she reiterated. "Minako has a point though," Makoto admitted. "Maybe neutral ground is best. Say Usagi's place. It's not that far and we could disguise you." A knock at the door interrupted their train of thought. Usagi at last. "Come in!" Makoto shouted. "You're late!" The door opened. "Hi... sorry, the door to the building was open downstairs and I just thought..." The newcomer froze in the doorway. Makoto stood so fast that the chair she was sitting on fell backwards. Ami's eyes widened. Minako felt her throat go dry. "Oh, hell," she whispered. Rei stood motionless, staring at the three of them as a mixture of emotions flickered across her face. Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 11: REI II Rei looked up at Makoto's residence and sighed. But she had to do this, it was long overdue. She'd noticed how the others were starting to act edgy around her, even Usagi. She had to let the Mercury matter drop, reconcile with Makoto - even if it was merely another admission of how Rei's abilities had failed her. She'd never seen Mercury's death coming and hadn't acknowledged any possible warning signs of changing loyalty leading up to it. After all, Rei had been so SURE about Mercury! The circumstances of her demise had rattled Rei more than she cared to admit. But more than that, now it was Tuxedo Kamen in Mercury's place. Would the Dark Kingdom have bothered catching Mamoru if Mercury hadn't been taken out of the picture? Mercury had even turned up unexpectedly in a fire reading about him. So was he destined for the same fate? She didn't want to think about it, didn't want to acknowledge that it was a possibility. Trying to forget Mercury also helped to keep her from reflecting on Makoto's actions, because if Rei wanted to heal Mamoru, would that now reverse their opinions? Was she being hypocritical? Admittedly, Makoto had been worried about someone she'd never previously met in person; Rei KNEW Mamoru. A little too well. But the situations were still similar enough to be unsettling. Rei walked up to the main door; it was ajar so she decided to walk right up to Makoto's apartment. Last night, after the attack at the Princess Seminar, she'd finally decided that she couldn't keep dodging the issue, finding odd jobs to occupy herself. The Senshi had to pull together, as Usagi had said a few days ago. Both she and Makoto had to come to terms and put Mercury to rest. Then if they pulled together as a team, maybe Mamoru could be saved. Rei stopped outside Makoto's door. She suddenly felt uneasy - she had felt that way around Makoto ever since the incident. She wasn't sure what it meant; just regret perhaps. Rei knocked. "Come in!" came Makoto's shout. "You're late!" Rei glanced at her watch; it was a little late to be coming by, she supposed, but it was starting to get down to the 'now or never' stage. Taking in a breath, Rei pushed open the door. "Hi..." Rei began, taking a step into the apartment. "Sorry, the door to the building was open downstairs and I just thought..." Rei froze in the doorway, unable to complete the thought. Makoto wasn't the only person here. There were three of them, sitting around the room. Makoto stood so fast that the chair she was sitting on fell backwards. Minako choked out something that sounded like a curse. The third person stared at her with wide eyes. Eyes on a face framed by blue hair. The side of Rei's mouth twitched. No... no, that couldn't be HER. She was DEAD, dammit! SHE WAS DEAD!!! But the eyes showed recognition. Shock. Worry. It all fell into place. "So," Rei finally said, her tone eerily quiet as she remained staring into Mercury's eyes. "I guess I underestimated you." She advanced further into the room. "But it seems like I've managed to arrive in time nonetheless." "Rei... this isn't what it looks like," Minako said. "We can explain..." "Oh, I'm sure you have a good explanation," Rei commented, a vague gesture in Minako's direction. Rei advanced another step. "Prepared for every eventuality, aren't you Mercury? Time for 'Plan X: What to say if Rei should discover my existence'? Well sorry, but it's not going to be so easy!" How dare she still be alive! Had Makoto been behaving oddly because Mercury was still manipulating the Senshi behind the scenes? Mercury opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out. Instead of speaking, she tried to press herself into the back of the chair, retreat from Rei's approach. She looked nervous, even scared. Good, that meant Rei had obtained the upper hand. Rei moved forwards again - and a figure moved in between the two of them, cutting off Rei's view. She looked up into Makoto's face. Of course... Mercury must have them in her sway by now. If only Rei had clued in sooner! "Rei, please listen - it's not Mercury," Makoto said quietly. "It's just Ami. She's not with the Dark Kingdom... she's just a regular girl now." Rei met Makoto's eyes. "Pardon me, but I think this is between me and her," Rei stated. "Not her trained puppets." Makoto bristled at that, and Rei saw her tense up. The dark haired girl narrowed her eyes. "Rei, it's true," Minako quickly cut in, now standing off to the side. "We were going to tell you, we hadn't meant for it to turn out like this..." "I'm sure you didn't," Rei commented, shifting slightly so that she could look around Makoto. Mercury had now moved to stand behind the chair she'd been in. Almost cringe behind it, actually. Rei frowned... that was a strange thing for her to do. Makoto also shifted, again blocking her. "Rei, Ami is very sorry for all the distress she caused us as Mercury," Makoto continued. "Can you just sit down for a minute and give her a chance to explain?" Rei paused, doubt creeping into her mind. She shook her head to clear it. "Oh, this IS good," Rei said slowly. "Very nicely staged." She glanced back at Minako. "They even got you in on it, huh?" she mused. "I guess it didn't take too much effort to fill that vacant head of yours with lies." Minako blinked, appearing hurt, but Rei doubted it was anything close to how she felt at this betrayal. "Rei, stop," Makoto implored. "Just let us explain." She shifted again to prevent Rei from advancing too close to Mercury. Rei met her gaze with a glare. "I think I've heard enough," Rei finally stated. "And seen enough! So now you hear this... nothing you say, nothing you do, will ever get me to join your side. You'll have to kill me first, because I will fight you, I will fight the Dark Kingdom with every ounce of strength that I have, right down until my dying breath! Hear that Mercury? You can't get all of us! I'LL DIE FIRST!" Minako took a step forwards. "Rei-chan..." "NO!" Rei shouted, flinching away from the blonde. Rei bit her lower lip, suddenly feeling an immense sadness. To think that she'd come here to make peace, when it had all just been part of the betrayal. Well, damn them all. There was nothing left for her here. She had to get away. Rei was only vaguely aware of her footsteps running down the hall, the wind blowing through her hair in the crisp night air, the steps up to the temple grounds. She finally collapsed onto her bed, muffling her sobs with a pillow until she eventually fell unto an uneasy sleep. ***** "Hey, Rei, are you awake?" Rei blinked an eye open. "Rei, there's chores to do!" came Yuuichiro's voice again. The memories of the previous night flooded back to her and Rei squeezed her eyes shut. "Rei, I have something here for you too. Aren't you up? You really should be awa--" "I heard you!" Rei snapped. She winced at the harshness in her voice. Rei rolled out of bed, smoothing down the clothes that she was still wearing from yesterday. She glanced at her clock; she should have been up over half an hour ago. With a sigh, she went over to slide open the door of her room. "What is it??" "Ah, there you are," Yuuichiro commented. "Your grandfather says you need to tend the fire and that girl with the odango-like hair dropped this by last night," he said, handing over a piece of paper. Rei blinked and looked down at it. It was an advertisement for a moon princess contest at a ski resort. "Now, she said..." Yuuichiro paused to think. "She said that she heard what had happened and was sorry about it and hoped that it might be possible to work things out by taking a little time off." Rei's shoulders slumped. They'd already gotten to Usagi then. Mercury had conned the Moon Princess. Damn! That was who they'd been waiting for last night! Usagi had been her last hope. "At least I think that's what she said," Yuuichiro concluded, scratching his head. "What did she mean? What happened?" "None of your business," Rei stated. She moved to close the door. "Wait!" Yuuichiro interrupted. "I happened to see the ad there, that place is pretty popular this time of year. If you want to go you might not be able to find a hotel, but I have a place..." "Doesn't matter, I'm not going," Rei declared flatly. She be damned before she let Mercury manipulate her, like she had the others. Probably just an attempt to get her or Usagi out of town. She started to close the door. "Whoa! Wait a minute, Rei, Usagi seemed pretty upset about whatever it was, wanted to be united or something, said Makoto and Minako would go also... Rei?" The door now closed, Rei turned away. But she paused. The others were going too? For what purpose? Perhaps... they were counting on her rejection to this proposal, hoping to get out into the wilderness alone with Usagi? Was Rei playing into their hands? Rei frowned. No, that was just paranoia. She refused to believe that the others were all against her now, not after what they'd been through the last several months. But still, one of her main duties was to protect the Moon Princess. That was Usagi. So where Usagi went, Rei should go. And just because Usagi knew something, didn't mean she'd been told everything; maybe they were deceiving her. Usagi could be rather naive at times. Rei couldn't simply dismiss a chance to get through to her. Could she talk Usagi into staying here? Unlikely, given Usagi's often contradictory nature and the likelihood of Mercury working against her. So Rei should go, but just to figure out what they were up to. And as much as she hated to admit it, the idea of skiing in the moonlight was rather nice too. Rei turned again and hurried out of her room to find Yuuichiro; staying at whatever place he had might add a little extra advantage. She'd make sure she wasn't falling into a trap. ***** Rei was having second thoughts about the whole excursion by the time they arrived though. Usagi seemed to know the same story that Makoto had given her, and had obviously been influenced similarly. But Rei decided she had to stick it out... she had to try and make the Princess aware of the obvious if nothing else. Minako tried to approach the subject of Mercury once, but it was just more of the same, each of them on separate sides since there was no real proof that it wasn't all a game Mercury was playing. Yuuichiro actually proved to be an unwitting ally too... by sticking around him, the others could hardly bring up anything too blatant. He was a good skier too, while the others were not. So while she was off with him, she could try and figure out the best way to convince Usagi that the behaviour of the others was irrational, given all that they knew about Mercury. She decided that it was necessary to get Usagi alone. That chance came when Rei and Usagi went up to the top slopes for the princess contest; Makoto and Minako's skiing ability was hardly at the level required. (Actually, Usagi's wasn't either, but she didn't want to let Rei go up and win the contest on her own.) The crowd was a little thick, but Rei figured it would be easy to have a quick chat after it was over, before rejoining the others. It didn't take long for Rei to realize that her luck was as bad as ever though. She sensed the evil force seconds before the moguls appeared. Usagi went out of control down the hill and then a giant snowball appeared behind them. Finally, they were both trapped by walls of snow in a pit they couldn't escape from. Attempts to climb out just resulted in her getting buried. Rei could hardly believe this turn of events. "Damn!" she shouted, kicking the snow. "They've caught us! No wonder they didn't want to enter the contest!" "What? You mean Minako and Makoto?" Usagi piped up in surprise from where she sat. "Well, don't you find this whole setup a little too convenient?" Rei inquired. "The last holdout and the Moon Princess stuck out here at the mercy of the elements and who knows what else? Even you have to acknowledge what a 'coincidence' this is. Was it either of them who proposed the trip in the first place?" "No, I was the one who found the ad," Usagi admitted. "But Rei, the others wouldn't do this - they're trying to unite us, not destroy us." "Hmph," Rei muttered. Though she had to admit that she was now overreacting. "Still, I don't think they're acting of their own volition; Mercury has them believing whatever she wants," Rei stated, throwing herself down onto the ground next to Usagi. She paused. It suddenly struck her that this was probably the best chance she would have to present the facts. Rei turned to her companion. "Usagi, you have to realize how devious Mercury has been... she staged her death and is now working to demolish us from the inside! We've both seen what she's capable of and know she can't be trusted. Who's to say she's not still reporting to Beryl? Nothing she says should be taken at face value!" Usagi stared at her friend for a minute. "Rei..." she began slowly. "I understand what you're saying. And I understand that you're upset; Mercury probably hurt you more than any of us. But we can't let this tear us apart. And how can you be so sure that Ami's situation isn't what she claims?" "Mercury is hardly a reliable source, Usagi!" "Mercury may not have been... but is Ami? I've only seen her a couple of times, but she really seems like a different person. And according to Makoto, Ami's reluctant to go in depth about the past few months. She doesn't sleep well then denies it the next day. She hasn't even left the safety of Makoto's apartment. She's scared, Rei. And she doesn't know where to turn." Rei stared at Usagi, at the sincerity in her expression. The image of Ami cringing behind her chair returned, and Rei sensed doubt creeping back into her mind. "Maybe she should have thought of that before she did what she did to us," Rei responded, trying to harden her tone. Usagi turned away. "You remember Jadeite? Ami told us he'd been frozen, put into eternal sleep. It was the price for failure, to be used as an example. She said there was even a rumour that the Dark Kingdom could control what you dream in that state, torturing you over and over. She attacked us to keep from ending up the same way - and now she's hiding from that sort of thing again." There was a short silence while Rei processed this. "Can she back this up with proof?" Rei wondered. Usagi paused then shook her head. "Then it's just like everything else. How can we be sure that she's not manipulating us?" Usagi bit her lower lip. "I just... have a feeling. I'm not saying that you should necessarily accept Ami, but at least give her a chance. She's blaming herself for all that's going wrong right now. And don't be too hard on Makoto and Minako, they were trying to do what was best. What I said a few days ago still applies; we have to fight together. If you're worried Ami's spying, we won't tell her about everything that we're doing. But we can't win without you, Rei-chan... please just have a little faith." Rei shifted her attention to a spot on the wall of snow in front of her. Was it possible that such an elaborate scheme could be made up? Rei had refused to give the new Mercury matter any thought - just like before the girl's "death", she'd been sure of the truth. But... Usagi was right, she shouldn't dodge away from the situation. What was the worst thing that could happen if she were to humour them for the moment? After all, by feeding misinformation, she could see that Mercury got what she had coming to her. Or if it looked like Ami was telling the truth... Ami could provide valuable information about the Dark Kingdom. Rei licked her lips. "I'll... consider listening to her. Just to see if she's telling the truth," she finally said. Usagi smiled. "Thank you, Rei-chan." Rei simply nodded. Suddenly, there were many options open. By talking, maybe she could punch holes in Ami's story to convince the others. Or she could try an up-close reading on Ami, maybe on her future to get any corroboration. Perhaps get Ami to prove her sincerity by telling them a way to rescue Mamoru. But more than all that - Rei was a Senshi for love and justice. By hating her fellow Senshi, she was practically offering the Dark Kingdom a victory! She refused to make it that easy for them. Music began to play, interrupting Rei's thoughts, and she glanced back at Usagi to see that the other girl had a pendant out in the shape of a star. Usagi explained that it had been given to her by Tuxedo Kamen and that she listened to it to try and cheer herself up. Thus ensued a brief conversation about him, of which the main point was Rei declaring that Usagi had better be happy with him; though it also helped Rei to realize that she might have been channelling some of the animosity about that situation into Mercury as well. After all, Mercury was the perfect scapegoat for his capture. Usagi finally suggested to Rei that she melt the snow, but before anything could happen Yuuichiro turned up. Then a youma, and eventually Tuxedo Kamen. Who, amazingly, saved them by breaking an ice spear. With a red rose... that turned black. But it left Rei with yet another measure of hope. If Mamoru was fighting his possession, was it possible that Ami had been too? She would let the girl speak. Hey, it couldn't hurt, could it? ***** "Now Ami can be intimidated fairly easily," Makoto noted as she unlocked her door. "So nothing too sudden... gauge her sincerity and we can work out any semantics later." They'd decided to stop by Makoto's place upon arrival into town. Rei had a feeling that it was to be sure she didn't get a chance to change her mind. "I'll let her speak," Rei reminded her friends. "What I do depends on what she says." The four girls proceeded into the main area of Makoto's apartment, which was vacant. "She's probably in the bedroom," the brown-haired girl noted. "I'll get her." She moved into the adjoining room. There was a brief silence. "Well, at least we're thinking like a team again," Minako commented brightly. Suddenly they were interrupted by a cry from Makoto. All heads snapped in her direction, followed by a charge into the bedroom. Makoto was standing, staring in horror at something on the bed. "It's a note," Usagi commented blankly. Minako reached out and grabbed it, quickly scanning over the characters. "Oh no," she whispered. "What? What is it?" Rei asked impatiently, starting to feel a little uneasy. Minako glanced at Makoto, who hadn't moved since they'd entered the room, then back at the others. "It's... from Ami," she said quietly. She glanced back down at the paper and cleared her throat. "'Mako-chan...'" she intoned. "'Don't worry, I haven't given up, I've just gone to try and work out my problems. It's better this way, now you can all get back to fighting as a team. Please don't worry about me, I think I've found somewhere I can lay low for a while. Just get the Dark Kingdom for me. We'll see each other again, I'm sure. Yours, Ami.'" There was absolute silence in the room. "I never should have left her," Makoto breathed. "Oh God, I never should have left her...." Rei followed Makoto's gaze to the empty bed. Her first reaction had been one of incredulity at how convenient this departure was. But if this was all staged, why go through the buildup before? And if they were all acting, they were doing a damn good job of it. Doubt was not only creeping into her mind again, it was starting to take root. Along with another more unexpected sensation; a twinge of guilt. Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 12: ENDYMION 'Oh hell,' was Endymion's first thought. He hadn't expected the demon in the lake to go nuts like this! Now it was probably going to harm innocent people! Just like those skating youmas Kunzite had unleashed last week! Well, he'd better stop it before anyone got hurt... or at least before Kunzite got the chance to pester him about it. It went against part of his nature, dragging mortals into their private battles with the Senshi. Bystanders weren't the ones keeping the ginzuishou from them. Endymion charged off through the trees near the resort, in the general direction of where the snakelike monster had been headed. But he hadn't gone far before he was suddenly grabbed by the arm. Caught off balance, he tumbled sideways into a clump of bushes. Then there was a stabbing pain and his arm went dead. Endymion yelled, but a hand clamped over his mouth. "Shut up! You want Kunzite to hear?" came a voice behind him. He twisted his head around to see just who the heck this person was, flirting with death. Surprisingly, a young girl - a mortal. He didn't recognize her. She spoke in the interval in which he was caught off guard. "The loss of feeling in your arm is temporary, I know the pressure point to restore it, now hear me out," she hissed. "I want to get back into the Dark Kingdom, but I don't have the energy to teleport there myself. You do, so you'll help me. Then you can get back to chasing your serpent friend." Endymion finally found his voice. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" he demanded, narrowing his eyes. He was flat on his back, unfortunately not in the best position to make a move. "Oh, have they taught you NO history?" the girl sighed. She brushed a strand of blue hair back off her forehead, taking a quick, furtive glance around. "If you must know, I'm Sailor Mercury." Endymion blinked in surprise. Now, that was someone he'd heard of - but this was obviously some trick. "You can't be," he stated. "She's dead." The girl smiled wanly. "'The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated'... Mark Twain." "Who?" "Nevermind. Just trust me, I am Mercury, and I need into the Dark Kingdom. Do that... and I can repay the debt." "Look, I don't know what game you're playing, but Kunzite said he killed Mercury," Endymion countered. "Beryl said one traitorous Senshi was dead. I even have Mercury's old residence, so there's no way that..." "Even better, just teleport me to your place then," his adversary interrupted. "And quickly! We don't have time for this!" A twinge of panic was entering her voice. "How about this deal instead. You heal my arm, I let you go on your way unharmed." The girl sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "You're not listening. You'd be surprised how much I might be able to assist you, you know! I believe we even have a common enemy in Kunzite? Who incidently is monitoring your actions even now? He's the one who set me up last time. Fortunately, his attention's been diverted by that weird demon you released. We can haggle out the details later, but right now, what harm could there be in taking me into your realm? Would you prefer I dealt with someone else, and gave them the benefits you're rejecting?" Endymion frowned. This girl seemed either crazy, or suicidal - maybe both. And beneath the attempt at a cool exterior, her eyes were flicking around anxiously, her face showing a measure of desperation. Her whole body seemed tense. Who let nuts like this near a hot springs? Probably best to ignore her. But... how did she know such private details about the Dark Kingdom? And if this was the truth, could he afford to pass up the opportunity? A shout of surprise nearby interrupted his thoughts, followed by the noise of the monster that had been released. Oh no, he'd let himself be distracted! Endymion scrambled to get up, the girl no match for him when he was on his guard. "Hey!" the blue-haired nuisance shouted. "Stop! You... you're going to have trouble protecting people when your good throwing arm is numb!" She moved to block him, and Endymion saw that she had a knife with her. She wasn't holding it very offensively though, and it didn't pose much of a threat. "Well, do something about that then, or get out of the way!" Endymion told her. "First you teleport me! Lock me in a room for all I care, just DO it," she reiterated, almost pleading. "Fine!" shouted Endymion, at the limits of his patience. And, he was forced to admit, very curious. Just what did this girl know? If it really WAS Mercury, what on earth was she doing here? In the guise of a mortal, for goodness sakes! And what did she mean by saying she could help him? He supposed that he could get the truth from her after the creature had been dealt with... Endymion grabbed the girl with his good arm and then the two of them were in the upstairs hall of his Dark Kingdom dwelling. She immediately twisted out of his grip then knocked her hand against his other arm. Whatever had been constricted before now wasn't, as normal feeling began to return. "See?" she stated, relaxing somewhat in relief. "I always keep my arrange--" Endymion shoved her back into the nearest room, then slammed the door and teleported back out. There would be time to deal with her later. He transformed into Tuxedo Kamen as he appeared back on Earth; grabbing a rose always seemed easier in this form. The pseudo-youma was quickly located - it was choking some older guy. With a flick of the wrist Endymion quickly put a stop to that. Then the Sailor Senshi showed up. After a bit of a battle, they were all able to subdue the creature and then Moon was able to heal it. Endymion breathed an inward sigh of relief. He contemplated challenging the Senshi for their Crystal now, but decided a strategic withdrawal might be the better plan for the moment. In the future, he'd have to be more wary in investigating energy readings; particularly ones he didn't fully understand. ***** Endymion threw open the door to the room upstairs as soon as he was back home. "All right, now just who are you, what do you know and... where the hell did you go?" he finished in surprise. The room seemed empty. Endymion ran in and glanced around but she wasn't even hiding under the desk. The door had been locked, no way for her to escape! Endymion immediately started to regret his earlier impulsive action. Was this another Kunzite trap? "I'm right behind you," came a soft voice. Endymion whirled. Leaning against the doorway. Senshi fuku, blue boots, blue bows... it couldn't be one of them... could it? Endymion shifted into his armour and quickly drew his sword. "Who are you and how did you get here?" he demanded. "Oh put that AWAY," Mercury responded, rolling her eyes. "I already told you, I'm Sailor Mercury." It was really her? "Yeah, and I'm General Nephrite," Endymion said sarcastically, refusing to let down his guard. Mercury sighed. "All right, let me try and explain. I survived Kunzite's attack, but as a human. For the last month or so, I've been living out a life as a dreary mortal. Fortunately, little by little, I was able to reassert myself. And a little quiet time alone allowed my Mercury nature to regain a measure of it's prior control. So I came to you, and you've returned me here." "Why come to me?" Endymion asked warily. "If you really are Mercury, then you're the same person who was able to take down two Senshi on two different occasions, single-handedly. Then, as the story goes, you traded sides and tried to do the same to two generals - for which you paid the price. Doesn't sound like you'd rely on the kindness of strangers." Mercury shrugged. "I needed this to be at full strength," she admitted, producing a blue pen, apparently from nowhere. "But fortunately this is the room in which I set up my containment field, so I could get it back while you were gone. Now that I'm back in my old suit, with my Senshi powers, I feel a LOT more like myself. Good thing my reversion wasn't permanent. As to why you, you were the only person I thought would give me the chance." She paused. "Now, for helping me, I'm going to give you a bit of a break." "A break?" Endymion echoed. "Sure, I'd hate to say that I got all of them. Or that Kunzite did - I think the two of us are really going to have to do something about him. You know how I located you?" She held up a small blue object - apparently a computer. "With this. And I found Kunzite at the same time, dogging your moves. What's he been up to the past while anyway? Attacking innocent people I hear?" Endymion relaxed his offensive posture slightly, since 'Mercury' seemed to be presenting no danger. In fact, she really seemed to the genuine item. Whatever 'killed' her had obviously been as flawed as the rest of Kunzite's plans. "Kunzite has been doing that, yes," Endymion affirmed, frowning. "I swear, the guy doesn't seem to care about anything." "Mmmmm, well, I guess it must be hard with Zoisite out of the way... what is he, on ice? Dead?" "Dead, or so I've heard. I don't ever remember meeting the guy... I'm a little spotty on my history." Mercury leaned forward slightly. "Just what DO you remember?" she asked, curiously. Endymion shook his head. "Not much. I... I was in an accident that affected my memory. I couldn't even remember my name. But Queen Beryl has restored me to health so that we can continue our fight against the Senshi." "Ah, full treatment. Bonus points to Beryl for incorporating what I believe was an accident that took place in your youth? Must have made it easier for your mind to accept it. You don't remember what you were doing this time last year then?" "No, I... I..." Endymion frowned and raised his sword again. "Look, what's with the third degree here? You seem to know a little TOO much..." Mercury held up her hands. "Sorry, didn't mean to hit a nerve. I've just read up, have my own little sources of information... anyway, that's all beside the point. Now, as I said, I'm going to help you out here. And aside from finding your memory, I think there's another thing that would be good for you to look into; which is finding out just what the Dark Kingdom is doing playing around in the flow of the time-space continuum." Endymion raised an eyebrow. "What? I know nothing about that." "Then maybe you should find out," Mercury advised. "Yeah, right," Endymion said warily. "Why me? Why not you?" "I'm strictly freelance now, not working for either side," Mercury noted. "And did I forget to mention that I don't want anyone to know I'm alive? Do keep it to yourself. Easier to surprise people that way." "I'll bet. How convenient for you," Endymion said dryly. Mercury laughed mildly. "Oh don't be so suspicious! I'm not Kunzite. Though actually, I wouldn't be surprised to discover that he had a hand in this whole continuum mess... maybe you should start with him. Anyway, for now, I'm going to lay low... thanks again!" And the blue-haired girl popped out of sight. Endymion stood for a moment, her departure catching him completely off guard. By the time he reached the door, there was no trace of the Senshi. He shook his head in bewilderment. Just WHAT had all that been about? Was he hallucinating? What was this about the time-space continuum? Just WHAT had he gotten himself into? ***** Kunzite approached him the next day, while he was out in what passed for the Dark Kingdom's palace garden. "So, can't even control a youma," the General commented idly. Endymion turned and frowned. "It was hardly a youma," he pointed out. "And it's not like you've been having a wonderful success rate yourself." "Well that's because SOMEONE keeps interfering!" Kunzite declared with a glare. "Oh, come on... you constantly tiptoe around the Senshi, then try to pin the blame on me when your minions fail? Just admit it, you haven't got the guts to face the enemy yourself. It's no wonder Beryl needed to revive me to help her get the ginzuishou." Kunzite narrowed his eyes. "Strange, I don't see you with it. Anyhow, I just thought I'd come to tell you, Beryl's not pleased with how things turned out. So if you think that you're not replaceable around here... I'd think again." Endymion met Kunzite's glare levelly. Suddenly, he recalled the conversation with Mercury of the previous day. Assuming that it hadn't all been a delusion or dream, it could be used to rattle Kunzite some more. "I may know more about what's going on than you think," Endymion stated. "For example... what's this I hear about us poking into the time continuum?" Kunzite's eyebrows went up, momentarily taken aback. He quickly regained his composure, but Endymion knew now that there was something to Mercury's claim. "Whatever you've heard, it's none of your concern," the General said, offhandedly. "Then there IS something," Endymion declared triumphantly. "Yes, there is," Kunzite relented. "It's a plan to improve the cooking time of Beryl's favorite stew, since she always wants to eat it a half hour before it's ready." "Funny. Have you ever tried taking that act on the road?" Endymion deadpanned. "Anything to get away from you," Kunzite groused. He turned away, but then paused and turned back. "Though now that you mention it, do feel free to poke around, asking questions about time, space, whatever suits your fancy - it won't lead to MY funeral." With a final smirk, the Dark Kingdom general proceeded on his way. Endymion watched him go, pondering on what had just been revealed. There did seem to be something happening behind the scenes... but was it a plot by Kunzite, or did he merely have knowledge? It could ALSO be a plot by Mercury. He didn't trust her; after all, if she wanted her old place and status back, she'd have to eliminate him. Bringing her here had been a big mistake. Well, if there was one thing the resort fiasco had told him, it was to be wary. So, for the moment, he'd do nothing. Perhaps something would develop in the next few days that would allow him to work this situation to his advantage. ***** Endymion spun the crystal absently on his fingertip. This new mission had been going far too well. Something was bound to come up, he was down to the last two nijizuishou carriers. Still, he was glad to see that the mission had fallen to him, and not Kunzite. Obviously, the general's words a couple of days ago had only been an attempt to unnerve him. However... When Endymion had received this assignment, he'd inquired in passing about the time streams to the Queen. She had neither confirmed, nor denied that anything covert was going on - but Endymion couldn't help but wonder if he'd been given this mission so that Kunzite could work on something else. Something to do with the other plot. And if he wanted in on that, he'd have to discredit Kunzite. That wasn't a problem itself - heck, he'd do it just for the fun of it - but there didn't seem to be a good way to accomplish it. Messing with his youmas wasn't enough, and any other plans Endymion thought of weren't feasible. The crystal projected the location of the next carrier, that Urawa guy. He was in the main street; Endymion shifted into his black outfit and pursued him there. But the kid was able to create a distraction and escape! Endymion growled under his breath and set his crystal to relocate. He soon caught up with the carrier again, in an alleyway - but amusingly enough, he wasn't alone. So while Urawa ran off again, by himself, Endymion faced off with Jupiter. It was no contest of course, but Endymion humoured the brown-haired Senshi. It was good exercise. Still, he tired of it after a few minutes, backed Jupiter up against a wall, psyched her out, and resumed his mission. His target was now in an amusement park. Endymion cornered him by the ferris wheel. "So, out of options I think," Endymion observed. "Doesn't mean I'm going quietly," Urawa retorted, eyes roaming around for some means of escape. Endymion sighed. "Have it your way," he commented. He flung out his hand with the crystal inside it, and the forces started to draw Urawa inside. "Stop," came a solitary voice. Endymion turned at the noise, grabbing the crystal back, letting Urawa fall to the ground. "Mercury?" Endymion inquired, lifting an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?" "Offering an alternative," the blue-haired Senshi responded. She stepped forwards. "I'll give you something else you want - on condition that you don't take him." "Right... give me more of your precious advice?" Endymion said sceptically. "You gave me very little to go on last time, nothing has changed since. What makes you think I'd deal now, especially when it would involve going against what Queen Beryl has ordered me to do?" "I gave you as much information as I could last time!" Mercury answered. "And if we deal now... well, I think I could make any failure here seem like Kunzite's fault. Isn't that something you want?" Endymion looked her up and down. "Perhaps... but maybe something you want as well. What if that makes Kunzite come after me?" Mercury paused. "If something happens, I'll... I'll give you something in writing attesting to the fact that I was the cause. Or I'll give myself up to the Dark Kingdom as long as Urawa is freed." "No...!" Urawa mumbled, trying to struggle back to his senses. Endymion tried to gauge her sincerity. Then he realized that it really didn't matter. He smiled a half smile. "Deal," he said. He extended his hand, to shake. Mercury paused, then did the same. Just before their hands touched, Endymion fired a pulse of dark energy at the Senshi, point-blank range. Mercury was propelled backwards by the force of the blast. She hit the ground hard and cried out. Endymion blasted her again before she could recover and watched with satisfaction as the girl flipped right over, coming to rest prone on the ground, disoriented and gasping for breath. "Oh, wait, here's another idea!" Endymion said brightly. "I could just give you up to Queen Beryl now! Nothing better than a Senshi that was supposed to be dead to demonstrate Kunzite's incompetence. And I'll still be able to complete this mission that way! Don't you think it's a better idea?" He paused briefly, but not long enough to allow Mercury to get her bearings. "Then again, you don't get to vote," Endymion concluded. He proceeded to blast her one final time. Mercury screamed and her eyes closed as her body went limp. From the look of things, she would be unconscious for a while; there was now the added bonus of not having to worry about what her motives were. "You bastard...!" Urawa choked out, clenching his fists as he finally recovered his footing. Endymion turned. "You don't get a vote either," he observed. And with that, he flung out his hand once more, sucking Urawa inside his crystal before the former carrier had a chance to react. Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 13: URAWA II "Urawa!" came the shout of surprise. Urawa waved to the brown-haired girl. "Er, hi... um, long time no see. You seem to have recovered well." "Oh, yes, I suppose so..." Makoto responded. "I'm terribly sorry I haven't kept in contact - some things came up and it completely slipped my mind. How are you? Do come in!" The tall girl moved aside, gesturing for Urawa to enter her apartment. "Oh, thanks..." Urawa said, hesitantly stepping into the room. "I'm not sure how long I can stay though. I just happened to be in the area and was wondering... um, you haven't heard from Ami by any chance, have you?" Makoto closed the door and paused before turning back. "Uhhhh... actually that's sort of a long story. Why, have you had a vision or something?" she asked uncertainly. Urawa shook his head. "No, it's just that I'm worried about her, she hasn't come back to my place since we made that final breakthrough a couple of days ago. And she always seemed rather fearful of going outside, so..." "Wait, she's staying with you??" Makoto asked, grasping Urawa by the shoulders. Urawa blinked. "Er, yes... she was, for over a week," he revealed. "I assumed you knew - she had the letter I'd first written to you. Where I gave you my address." Makoto stared at him, completely stunned. Urawa somehow felt that more explanation was necessary. "She said she was looking for somewhere to lay low for a while, because there were some issues between her and your friends," Urawa continued. "I couldn't turn her away, even if I'd wanted to - she was shaking like a leaf after her ride on the train. I told my dad she was an exchange student." He stopped, not sure how to continue. "I... I didn't know," Makoto finally murmured. "She must not have wanted me to know... she knew I'd go after her..." Makoto sighed in relief, leaning back against the wall. "Well, thank goodness she's... wait, Ami WAS with you?" Urawa nodded. "I haven't seen her for two days. I'm starting to worry... I think... there's a chance she may have gone back to the Dark Kingdom." "No..." Makoto whispered, eyes widening as she looked back at Urawa. "How could she do that? Why would she do that?" "Well, I'm not certain she did," Urawa reassured. "I figured your place was more likely but... it's just that there were rumours of Senshi activity in the hot springs resort near my place. And I thought that she may have been involved because of what we found out," he explained. "Because of the reason that she was originally sent into the Dark Kingdom by her other self." "I think," Makoto began slowly, "That you're going to have to start from the beginning..." Urawa hesitantly launched into an explanation, but hadn't gotten more than a couple minutes along before Makoto stopped him. "Wait, this isn't going to work; I'm not sure I'll be able to follow the technical side. And I have a feeling that this will have repercussions to some more of Ami's friends too... do you mind if I call them?" "I can't stay right now, my dad's expecting me. We're only in the area for a few days." "Could we set up a meeting tonight?" Makoto implored. "This may be of more importance than you realize." Urawa paused, then nodded. "After dinner? About 8pm?" he offered. Makoto nodded. "Thank you," she responded gratefully. ***** By the time Urawa arrived, two other girls were already present. He recognized them from the hospital, though there hadn't really been any formal introductions back then - Makoto made them now as she ushered him in. "We're just waiting for one more," she indicated. "Have a seat, I've made some cookies..." Urawa sat down, glancing at Makoto's companions. Rei seemed to have a sceptical air about her, though there was something else - hope? - in her expression as well. Minako seemed concerned, and was trying to hide it by being overly cheery. She was also constantly glancing from Makoto to him, and back; with a weird smile Urawa couldn't understand. Then the final person burst into the apartment, out of breath, and Urawa recognized Usagi from when he'd been attending school here. "Okay," Makoto began once everyone was settled. "Now, as I mentioned on the phone, it appears that Ami took up residence with Urawa after leaving here; but she disappeared two days ago. We're not sure where she is now, but it's possible that she was... (Makoto took a deep breath) ...taken back, by the Dark Kingdom. Urawa has a theory about the whole situation, and it's my hope that collectively we'll be able to understand enough about what happened to resolve the situation." The others nodded and turned to Urawa. He cleared his throat uncertainly under their anticipatory gazes. How well did Makoto know them? How well had Ami known them? "Okay, well, stop me if you don't understand something," Urawa noted. "And remember this is just what me and Ami came up with, it might not be totally correct and could sound a little... er, absurd in places... oh, everyone knows about the, um, principle of the Dark Kingdom? And Ami's identity...?" "We're almost experts on the matter," Makoto admitted. "Don't worry, just tell everyone what you started telling me earlier." Urawa nodded. "Well, as you may or may not know, I was having dreams about Ami back when she was a part of the Dark Kingdom - hence my interest. I felt that there was something wrong with the whole aspect of her being there, and, according to Ami, I tried to figure out the solution with reference to parallel dimensions. Yet not only did I forget my conclusions after becoming a youma, but Ami's further insight into the time-space continuum proved that was I was on the wrong track in the first place. "It was after being released from the Dark Kingdom and coming here that she pinpointed the discontinuity in time, a little warp so to speak. Tracking it down produced a surprising side-effect; a message written in a code known only to her. One she'd been playing around with about a year ago. It directed her towards some files on a small computer she owns... except that when she tried to access these files, they first didn't seem to exist, then she was denied access." Urawa paused to take a sip from one of the water glasses on the table. Makoto spoke up in the interval. "I believe it was at this point that Ami became fanatic about tracking down the cause of the problem," she observed. "She was always spending time by herself, working, I think glad of the diversion that would keep her from thinking about her past. But this is the point where I get lost..." Urawa smiled slightly. "It's rather easy to get lost I suppose. Anyway, when she came to me I was able to discover that she wasn't being denied access at all, but that the files were slightly out of phase with the rest of space-time. We were able to pull in some of them, although Ami seemed upset not to have a Visor to make it easier. And here's the strange part. The files were written by a Mercury of the past - in the future." There was a pause. "Okay, you've lost me," Usagi declared. "Ami's a time traveller?" "Well, no," Urawa answered. "At least, not in the normal sense." He scratched his head, wondering how to explain. "Visualize time as a piece of string," he ventured. "Let one point on the string represent time a few months ago, and a further one represent some arbitrary time in the future. Now, if you could jump from the later point in the string back to the previous one... part of your life becomes a loop. And as soon as you reach, say, the end of next week - it's last week." "So..." Minako ventured. "Ami wrote a message but then looped back in time? Ami's repeating part of her life over and over?" "Not just Ami," Urawa indicated. "We all are. Near as me and Ami could figure, the whole world is going though the same stretch of time over and over again. But we don't realize this because we have no awareness of the first time the events happened. The leap back wipes it out, turns our memory into swiss cheese." "So we could have had this conversation already several times?" Usagi said in surprise. Urawa nodded soberly. "There's no way to tell. Every time we go through the loop, we're literally overwriting whatever we did before. It's why some of my experiences had multiple Ami's, and why only one of them eventually prevailed. Her previous incarnations were being unknowingly "overwritten" by the Ami we all know now." "But if we don't know that this loop is happening, how could the last Ami have sent herself a message about it?" Makoto wondered. "I'm coming to the message," Urawa said. "See, there's a tip off about the situation, which occurs because of our subconscious. While we wouldn't normally realize that there was anything wrong, a big event which changes the way our life played out previously will make our minds 'jump a track', so to speak. If time can't correct things to how they were before, our mind then registers an imbalance. Something isn't RIGHT, although we're not sure what. Like how I felt upon learning that Ami was in the Dark Kingdom. That probably wasn't exclusive to me, but with it being the only real imbalance it leapt to the foreground." "I... I think I've sensed it," Rei realized. "Nothing has felt completely right for a long time, but I thought it was just me, my abilities." The dark-haired girl shook her head. "Yes, that makes SENSE now. The fire readings I was doing, the reason they were all inconsistent was because in trying to look into the future, I was ALSO seeing the past! The way things were our last time through this 'loop'!" She raised her gaze to stare at Urawa with growing horror. "My God... Ami was never supposed to go into the Dark Kingdom was she." "Not really, no," Urawa admitted. "And it's made a bit of a mess of our timeline. See, on the previous loop the Sailor Senshi were able to discover the same thing that we have. Including the fact that the flashpoint, the point at which time rolls back, would occur at about the same time as their projected destruction of the Dark Kingdom. The Kingdom gets toasted, and it makes time cycle back." Urawa paused for another sip of water. "Like a dead man's switch?" Makoto mused. "Pardon?" Usagi inquired. "A switch that will only go off if the person holding it is killed," Makoto elaborated. "The death releases a pressure and triggers an explosion or something... I saw it on TV once." "So the Dark Kingdom did this??" Minako asked, eyes widening. "There was no way to prove that," Urawa admitted. "And right now this is affecting their Kingdom just as much as it's affecting us. But during the last loop, Nephrite DID tell the Senshi that there was an investigation into the flow of time... it was starting up about when he escaped from the Dark Kingdom." "Nephrite escaped??" chorused Makoto, Usagi and Minako. "That's right, he survived last time, didn't he," Rei realized. "I saw that in one of my readings, saw him alive... I couldn't believe it, couldn't understand it at all." "Apparently he did live," Urawa agreed. "Although he was rendered powerless by Zoisite, his subconscious 'deja vu' feeling allowed a little anticipation of the attack. Nephrite lived on as a mortal... the records weren't specific about how." "And it was that event which made the previous Senshi realize that there was a problem!" Rei concluded. "Nephrite shouldn't have been alive, so they discovered that they were repeating themselves. Just like how we're discovering it this time because of Ami's abduction." "Except that this time the event is much bigger, affecting everything at once, making it harder to pin down the cause," Urawa added. "But... if Nephrite survived last time, why not this time?" Usagi inquired with a puzzled look. "Well, there is a certain random element involved," Urawa relented. "But it may also be possible that this time, Zoisite anticipated Nephrite's anticipation." "My head hurts," Minako mumbled. "So, wait... does this mean that Jadeite anticipated Mercury's first transformation and got there to prevent it?" Makoto questioned. Urawa sighed and nodded. "It looks that way. When the Mercury of the prior loop sealed her records, she was knowingly creating a larger imbalance in our current version of the loop. It seems like the other Senshi didn't have a choice of course, lacking time to find a solution - they couldn't put off the final battle or there's a good chance Beryl would have won. The belief was that the Mercury in this new loop would discover the imbalance in routine scans or scans due to events the imbalance altered. That would lead to her finding the message, finding the files to explain everything... it would be easy to work from there." "But it didn't turn out that way," Makoto breathed, with growing horror. "Because the very imbalance to scan for helped cause Ami's abduction..." Urawa nodded sadly. "There was no way of telling what the imbalance would do; I'm sure the other Mercury never expected this sort of thing to happen. Ami's being in the Dark Kingdom was then plausible enough that no paranormal reason was sought, plus the conditions there were... well, she never thought to question much or do unimportant scans because she was too busy fighting for her life. The prior Senshi were rushed; the execution here was poor." "So how do we reverse it?" Usagi asked. "How do we change it so that Ami never ends up there?" "You can't," Urawa finished, eyes falling. "At least, I don't know of any way that we can change what's happened to her already. And I fear that she's gone back to the Dark Kingdom now, to find out how they're messing with time and causing all this trouble. Maybe to vindicate herself too. At least, if she's not there I don't know where she is." There was another moment of silence. "But Ami couldn't get into the Dark Kingdom," Makoto realized. "We'd tested it out here, before.... she CAN'T be there...!" "Maybe. But if there was someone who could find a way, it would be Ami," Urawa remarked sadly. There was another pause. "Damn it!" Makoto shouted abruptly, pounding her fist on her chair. "Who cares about some stupid space-time loop... I just want her back! We all want her back! Did she never realize that?" Urawa sighed. "Well, maybe she went somewhere else, to compose her thoughts?" "Wherever she went... we can find her," Rei spoke up quietly, shifting her gaze to look out the window. "Whatever it is that's happened... we'll get her back." ***** But a couple of days later, they still hadn't found any trace of Ami... and unfortunately for Urawa, a vision of the future told him that he'd run out of time. Not that this vision was totally necessary, given that four of the other former crystal carriers had disappeared within the last 24 hours. And, as expected, Endymion made his move that afternoon. Fortunately, Urawa managed to give him the slip. Then he met up with Sailor Jupiter, and she squared off with Endymion the next time he appeared. But Urawa knew it would come down to him soon. And it did, shortly after he ducked into a nearby amusement park. He supposed that going somewhere populated would have been a better idea, but aside from the fact that he didn't want innocents hurt, he also felt somehow drawn here. Deja vu, all over again. Endymion cornered him by the ferris wheel. "So, out of options I think," Endymion observed. "Doesn't mean I'm going quietly," Urawa retorted, eyes roaming around for some means of escape. Endymion sighed. "Have it your way," he commented. He flung out his hand with the crystal inside it, and the forces started to draw Urawa inside. "Stop," came a solitary voice. Urawa felt the pressures on him abruptly disappear, and he collapsed on the ground. His head ached now, and it was hard to figure out what was going on. But it sounded like... Ami? Mercury? Could it be? Urawa tried to prop himself up, get his eyes to focus and stop the ringing in his ears. They were talking. Mercury was saying something... "...the fact that I was the cause. Or I'll give myself up to the Dark Kingdom as long as Urawa is freed." "No...!" Urawa mumbled. He suddenly remembered Ami saying that she'd find a way to repay him for his hospitality... but no, not like this! His eyes finally focused as Endymion fired a pulse of dark energy at Mercury, point-blank range. Mercury was propelled backwards by the force of the blast. She hit the ground hard and cried out. Urawa cried out too, but no sound came from him throat. Endymion blasted her again and started babbling about Senshi and missions and other things... Urawa struggled to his feet as Endymion dealt another blow and Mercury screamed, eyes closing and body going limp. "You bastard...!" Urawa choked out, clenching his fists. Endymion turned towards him. "You don't get a vote either," he observed. And with that, he flung out his hand once more, sucking Urawa inside his crystal. But even as Urawa found himself being imprisoned, he saw something that gave him hope. Behind Endymion, Mercury's eye cracked open again. She wasn't completely unconscious! She'd been bluffing! Urawa later learned that Mercury hadn't taken kindly to being roughed up. She'd blinded Endymion with her Shabon Spray to allow herself time to regain her bearings, then proceeded to knock him for a loop, shattering Urawa's crystal prison in the process. By the time Sailors Moon and Jupiter arrived on the scene, Mercury had made sure that Endymion wasn't going anywhere soon. Of course, Mercury wasn't looking too great by this point either. But the first thing that Urawa actually saw upon regaining most of his faculties was Moon using that healing stick of hers on his former assailant. He then saw Jupiter encouraging her, and Mercury - bruised and battered but not yet beaten - slumped down on her knees near Jupiter, breathing shakily. There also seemed to be a cat speaking? And then, with a flash, Mamoru stood before them. He collapsed on the ground, unconscious. No longer under Beryl's power. No longer working for the forces of evil. And then, just as abruptly, no longer there. A black light had appeared and whisked him away before anyone could react; Urawa wondered if he wasn't still dreaming. But what happened next was more like a nightmare. Mercury's screams cut through the air once more, and even as Urawa turned to look, he saw that the black light had appeared around her too. She began to disappear, just like Mamoru; but either this light was different or Mercury was putting up a fight. Urawa's body felt like lead; he knew that there was nothing that he could do. He could only watch helplessly at what happened next. Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 14: USAGI II There was a flash, then Mamoru stood before her. He collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. No longer under Beryl's power. Usagi, as Sailor Moon, tried to control her elation. They'd won! They had him back! But then, abruptly, a black light appeared around him and before she could move, Mamoru had been whisked away once again. Usagi stared numbly, jaw going slack. No... no, they'd just HAD him! This couldn't--- Mercury's screams cut through the air and Usagi spun to look for the source. There was a black light around Mercury too, and she seemed to be fading out just like Mamoru! No, no, not BOTH of them!! What should she do?? Jupiter, who was closer, let out a cry and made a grab for the blue-haired girl. But before her hand made contact, Mercury had disappeared and Jupiter was clutching at air. The brunette fell and pounded the pavement in frustration, biting her lower lip. Usagi just continued to stare from where she was kneeling. No, no this couldn't be happening... this couldn't be happening... Time seemed to stand still momentarily. "Maybe we should regroup back at the temple," came Luna's soft voice. Sailor Moon looked down at her guardian cat and saw that Luna appeared somewhat shaken by this incident as well. "I think I'd rather be alone right now," Jupiter responded, standing back up slowly, both fists clenched as she fought back tears. "Let me know if anything else comes up." Without another word, the taller girl turned and ran off. Moon called out to her, but Jupiter didn't turn back. Then Moon felt a hand on her shoulder. "For what it's worth... thanks," Urawa offered. Sailor Moon turned. She sighed. "Thanks, but Mercury had already freed you by the time we showed up," she said glumly. She turned to look after Jupiter, then sighed again. "Come on Luna, let's go tell the others," she finally said. It was a couple of hours later when the call came in on Usagi's communicator. She was still at the temple, though the Senshi had been about to split up and head home. Usagi opened the channel to see Makoto staring at her on the other end of the line. There was an odd haunted look in her eyes. "Usagi," Makoto breathed. "My God, Usagi... you'll never guess who I found sleeping in my bed..." Usagi blinked, bewildered. Then her heart leapt momentarily - but no, Mamoru was not likely to spark such a reaction from Makoto. Which meant it had to be... her eyes widened. Could lightning really have struck twice? ***** Usagi watched as Urawa and Ami went around in the Ferris wheel once more. She shook her head. "It's not good this way! If Ami-chan forgets about our important mission, who is going to help us defeat the Dark Kingdom and fix this loop thing?" "You helped to talk her into this," Rei reminded her friend. "We all agreed to give Ami a little time to recover before bombarding her with questions," Makoto soothed. "So let's just let them be for a little while. After all, this is one of the first times I've ever seen Ami enjoy herself. And Urawa has to leave town again tomorrow." "I still can't believe she eluded Beryl's transporting device," Rei commented, shaking her head. "Well, it sapped all her energy to break out of the beam and teleport somewhere else," Makoto reminded her. "I guess it's fortunate that it only took a day for her to regain a measure of her strength," Minako observed. The four girls returned to watching the ride. "They're going around AGAIN!" Usagi declared incredulously. She was all for matchmaking, but wasn't it possible take one event a little too far? Makoto just smiled. "I'm tempted to leave them alone. If only we could be sure that Beryl isn't gunning for Ami in her mortal form as well, now that they seem to know she's alive." Rei nodded. "It's a bit of an irony," she observed. "Eliminating the Dark Kingdom would free her from the threat, but would also trigger the very thing that caused the trouble in the first place." "Once Ami's feeling better, we'll get to the bottom of this," Minako declared. "I'm sure we will." But what happened on the next day just seemed to bring up more questions. The Senshi had regrouped at Makoto's place, where Ami had once again taken up residence (at Makoto's insistence). Usagi had noticed that Makoto hadn't been at school that day, her friend obviously electing to spend the time with Ami - Makoto didn't seem to want to let the blue-haired genius out of her sight again. "Well," Makoto began. She glanced over at Ami and the smaller girl merely nodded from where she was sitting. Makoto continued. "It seems that Ami was kidnapped by Endymion back when she was staying at Urawa's. But she escaped from him, recovered her pen and has since been doing undercover work in the Dark Kingdom, as Mercury. Beryl finally saw her when she was attacking Endymion, which was when she managed to escape and come here, where she's hiding out once again." "So Ami outwitted Endymion?" Rei said in surprise. "Not as hard as you might think," Ami muttered. "No offense intended," she added hastily. "Er, anyway," Makoto cut in, "As you know, we've gathered to get an update on the state of how warped time is and what to do about it." All eyes turned to Ami. "Actually, I was wondering if I could get any theories about the cause from the rest of you first," Ami commented. Her gaze drifted over all of them, and Usagi felt a bit of a chill as it rested a little longer on her. "Uhm, what's to theorize?" Minako wondered. "The Dark Kingdom's been making time repeat itself, so we're going to try and stop them. Right?" "But how have they been doing it?" Ami pressed. The other Senshi exchanged a glance. "We kinda thought that's what you were going to tell us?" Usagi observed. Ami turned to stare at her again and once again Usagi felt another chill run down her spine. Something about Ami felt different... "Just checking to see if you'd learned anything new," Ami finally stated matter-of-factly. "Apparently not, so as it happens, you don't have anything to worry about." She turned to look out the window. Makoto blinked in surprise. "Uhm, care to elaborate?" she asked, starting to look a little concerned. "I've made sure that the Dark Kingdom won't be able to restart time," Ami said with a wave of her hand. "And since you don't know how they were going to do it anyway, I won't bore you with the details." Another exchanging of glances. Rei frowned. "No, please. I'd be interested in knowing," she inquired. Ami turned back to look at Rei. "What, you still don't trust me?" "I didn't say that," Rei pointed out. "I'm just curious, that's all." Ami paused, then shrugged. "Some of the energy they've been collecting has been going to a central pool, held in by Metallia's own energy. If there comes a time when her energy is gone, the energy inside gets released all at once and activates a complex field of tachyons in the vicinity. This triggers a shift in time of exactly one year, back when the Earth was in approximately the same spatial position as it is now." "Er, wow," Minako remarked. "Uh, so what did you do?" "Knocked their tachyons out of alignment. All is as it should be now, just go ahead and defeat the Dark Kingdom. Preferably before they exact revenge on me." Ami returned to looking out the window, and there was another uncomfortable pause. "We were planning on looking for a way to access the Dark Kingdom from here..." Makoto noted. "Without teleportation and all that. There should be an entrance appearing soon, right?" "Probably. Go for it then," Ami replied. Usagi glanced at the others before speaking up. "Er, we were kinda hoping for some help on that too," she admitted. Surprising how much they were relying on Ami actually, now that they had her. But Ami just turned to look at Usagi again, making Usagi very uneasy about how Ami's eyes continuously flickered over her. "I'll help when the time comes," Ami finally responded. "In the meantime, I have been through a fair bit, so if no one minds I think I'll have a little rest." She rose out of her chair and walked over to the bedroom. She glanced back, and when no one said anything, she shut the door. "Well..." Minako murmured. "Er, as I said... Ami's been looking a little strained since she appeared," Makoto offered. "She probably just needs a little extra time to relax." "Maybe," Rei muttered, shaking her head. "But there's also something not quite right..." She glanced around at the others. "I'm going to do a fire reading tonight. And I think the four of us should regroup at the temple tomorrow night," she proposed. More uncertain looks were exchanged, but no one objected. ***** "So let me get this straight," Luna said. "You're saying that Ami really solved this whole time loop problem on her own?" "I think we're going to have find a way to sneak into Makoto's apartment," Artemis observed. "Everything important seems to happen there." "That's what she said. But it felt wrong though," Rei repeated. "My fire reading last night gave me conflicting results too. Admittedly, I tend to get odd results with Ami anyway... but can we really trust her? Is she the same person she was a few weeks ago?" "What are you getting at?" Makoto asked, folding her arms across her chest. Rei sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, but someone's got to play devil's advocate here. Ami shows up out of the blue and gives us all the answers that we want to hear? It's too convenient. I don't like it, and I don't think we should be relying on her word alone." "She was missing for close to a week in the Dark Kingdom," Minako observed uncertainly. "To help us, which she did!" Makoto retorted. "She's been through a lot of stress. But she still attacked Endymion, and foiled the Dark Kingdom's plans! How can you think she's still on their side?" "What we saw of the battle at the amusement park didn't look staged," Luna added. "But wasn't she also missing for a period of two hours between the battle and Makoto finding her?" Artemis chimed in. "She was asleep on my bed for those two hours!" Makoto said defensively. She moved her hands to her hips. "We have the ginzuishou now, so if you're so sure she's evil, why not use it to 'heal' her?" "No," Luna said, shaking her head. "Ami's probably considered that and set up some countermeasure... assuming she's evil. Or if she's really fine, admitting that we don't trust her - she'd be crushed." "Or what if the ginzuishou disrupts her knowledge of the time problem like it did with Urawa?" Minako added. "Everyone..." Heads turned to Usagi, who was sitting on the stairs with her shoulders slumped. Hadn't they been through this kind of conversation more times than she could remember? "Everyone, let's not start this again. It never gets us anywhere... we should be talking about defeating the Dark Kingdom. About getting Mamoru back. Not arguing." But at the same time, Usagi recalled how Ami had been looking at her. What HAD the blue-haired girl been thinking? "Usagi's right," Luna admitted. "We have to stick together, now more than ever. We can't let the Dark Kingdom get to us." "I wasn't saying that Ami was working for them," Rei reminded them. "All I said was that we shouldn't take everything she says at face value. I just have a bad feeling about it!" "You mean think the loop is still active then?" Minako wondered. "Is there any way of telling either way?" Artemis remarked in resignation. Usagi sighed. "How about we just continue with our original plan of finding a way into the Dark Kingdom? We can't really do anything until we get there." There, where Tuxedo Kamen was being kept, she couldn't help but think. And why had Ami escaped but not him? Life just wasn't fair. The others exchanged a glance and nodded. "We won't stop looking," Minako stated. "And I think we can rule out the area around the Tokyo and Starlight Towers." "And the docks," Luna added. "They seemed clear." "I'll continue with my readings," Rei acknowledged. "And I'll see if Ami can be of assistance," Makoto added dubiously. "Then it's settled," Usagi said in relief. She couldn't wait for the day when this would all finally be over. When things could return to normal. When they could all live a normal life again... she prayed it was soon. ***** Minako held her head in her hands. "I mean, it was so WEIRD," she stated again. "I'd only just started to know Katarina before I was called to come here and replace Mercury. Now to find out that she's with Alan... I don't know, part of me is horrified, part of me accepts it, but part of me was expecting it all along." She let out a breath and ran her fingers through her hair. "We have to make sure we stop this time repeating. If it hasn't been stopped already," she amended hastily. Makoto smiled weakly at her friend. "That's all right. Ami's still very tight-lipped about all of it, by the way." She lowered her eyes. "She's been shutting me out a fair bit too. And she's been working on her computer again... I-I'm starting to wonder..." "If she was part of the Dark Kingdom, surely she would have revealed some stronger sign by now," Luna reassured. "They're not known for prolonged subtlety." "None of this is really helping with our current situation though," Artemis commented. "We're no closer to winning than we were last week." "I've been thinking..." Usagi began hesitantly. "Call the newspapers," Rei quipped. Usagi made a face her direction, which was promptly returned. Usagi settled back into a glare. Why was Rei still so mean?? "What is it, Usagi?" Luna prompted, steering them back on track. "Well, maybe if the Dark Kingdom thought we were breaking up, as a team... they want the ginzuishou and they know I have it... what if I defected? Then once I'm in I could discover what's going on... what happened to Tuxedo Kamen..." The last slipped out before she could stop herself. "Too dangerous," Rei countered immediately. "Just because Mamoru hasn't shown up recently doesn't mean he's in trouble. And you know we can't let them have the ginzuishou, Usagi!" "I wasn't suggesting having it with me!" Usagi retorted. "We just need to put on an act. They should understand treachery. Ami could even give us some pointers, and once I'm in..." Her voice trailed off. She actually wasn't positive what would happen once she was in. But at least it would be something, a way to find out things... and if she was lucky, where Mamoru had gone after that night at the amusement park. He was occupying her mind more and more, the longer he was gone. "I'm still not sure if it's a good idea," Rei said doubtfully. "Well, does anyone have anything better?" Minako inquired. The Senshi exchanged glances. No one did. But as it turned out, the plan failed anyway. ***** Usagi was in the middle of another nightmare about Tuxedo Kamen when Luna arrived to wake her up. Minako and Artemis had found the entrance to the Dark Kingdom... in the Game Centre of all places. Venus and Mars were already there by the time she arrived. Jupiter arrived shortly after - with an unexpected guest. "Mercury?" Venus said in surprise. "She insisted on coming," Jupiter indicated with a shrug. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. "Well, let's get going then," Artemis finally advised. "Wait," Mercury said, holding up her hand. She bit her lip. "I... I just came because... you have to know... I found... I've been lying to you," she blurted, the words tumbling out of her mouth all at once. "We have to stop the loop! Something has to be done!" "What?" Moon asked, perplexed. Mercury turned to her. Moon recognized a similar gaze to the one Ami had used before, except now it was full of remorse. "Usagi... the Dark Kingdom never caused this anomaly. We're just as much to blame. If you encounter Beryl in there... you can't use the ginzuishou against her. It will just set everything off again." Mercury paused to take in a deep breath. "And the time streams have been buffeted about so much this time around that I'm not sure the world can survive going through another time shift." There was dead silence for a few minutes. Sailor Moon felt a sick feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. No, this wasn't possible, was it? Hadn't all of this been taken care of? "How long had you been planning on keeping this from us?" Mars asked quietly. "I didn't know!" Mercury said despairingly. "At least, not about the stress on the continuum - I thought things were going to work out! I thought everything would work out! But I've been running some scans and... well, shortly before Makoto got your call I found that the chances of everything surviving another loop are less than 25%. It must be stopped before it can occur again! But it's also got perpetual motion, and using our ginzuishou at full power is likely to set it off!" No one spoke as this information slowly sank in. "What... what do you suggest we do then?" Luna finally whispered. "We can't defeat the Dark Kingdom without the ginzuishou. And they must be defeated...!" "I-I know... I don't know what to do..." Mercury choked out. "I don't know what to do..." She fell to her knees. Sailor Moon stared at her, at a loss for what to say or do. The Senshi leader glanced around at the rest of the team, seeing her look of dismay mirrored in their faces. How could it have happened this way? Just how could it have come down to this? Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 15: INTERLUDE II Ami jolted awake. There was sunlight peeking in a window. Where was she?? Ami jumped out of the bed, crouching defensively before she remembered the events of the previous night. Kunzite had tried to kill her. But she was alive. She was at Makoto's. She was safe. The blue-haired girl let out a shaky sigh of relief. But now what? Well, Ami supposed that she should get dressed and see what her host was up to... wait, dressed into what? She didn't have her fuku anymore - she wasn't Mercury! In fact, she didn't have any possessions anymore! Except... Ami fell to her knees and peered under the bed. There it was - her computer. She thought she'd had it with her, must have dropped it after the teleport. Ami retrieved it and tried booting it up; it still worked. But what good was it? She didn't need to analyze anything any more. She couldn't even show her face outside. Why? Well... because if word got out that she was alive - the Dark Kingdom might find out! Ami snapped the computer shut. No, she wouldn't let that happen, couldn't let that happen. They thought Mercury was dead, so she'd keep it that way. She'd dispose of the computer, it was merely another memory of the things she'd done as Mercury. Horrible things... evil things. She could start anew now, and there would be nothing to link the two of them. She wouldn't let Mercury run rampant ever again. It was probably best to give her computer to Makoto, where it could be of some use... she'd have to lay low here for a while, maybe showing Makoto how to use it could be a form of payment. Not to mention a way for Makoto to protect herself from the Dark Kingdom. Then, to keep out of Makoto's way, Ami could amuse herself by spending time working on that puzzle of Urawa's. She'd never had to time to analyze it in full detail, and something about it intrigued her. Yes, there was a plan. Of course, it didn't solve the clothing problem, and this nightgown was getting uncomfortable, what with the poor fit and the way it rubbed up against her skin. Ami looked over at Makoto's dresser again - and realized that Makoto had placed some clothing on it. Ami went over to examine more closely. The articles looked like they'd be a little big on her, but also that they would be too small for Makoto. They must have been left out intentionally. Ami selected a few things and slipped them on. But it was still uncomfortable. The panties fit wrong, and it all lacked luxurious feel of her fuku, not to mention the support. Oh, of course, a bra, that might help... but she doubted Makoto had her size. For that matter, what WAS her size? Ami sighed. Oh well, nothing she could do about the comfort level. Actually, it was probably good that this felt different, because she was a different person now. And if Makoto was awake, she could hand off her computer and rid herself of Mercury for good. That thought in mind, Ami headed out the bedroom door. ***** Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as Ami had hoped. She'd been forced to take her computer back after making that startling discovery. Even after double checking her calculations several times, they still pointed to the same message - hidden in the background snarls of a space-time distortion and written with a code that she knew only she would recognize. She'd created it just in passing, maybe a year ago, for recording important information that could still be left out in the open. But while this message directed her to her computer, and said that everything about her and Dark Kingdom would be explained there, there was nothing. Why couldn't she access the files?? Every time Ami thought she had something, the screen turned up blank. Maybe something had wiped whatever had been put into the memory? Or maybe she'd just been too clever for her own good? At first it had been a challenge, now it was starting to get frustrating. The worst part being the fact that the one link to her past was still with her. There was a click at the main door. Ami's head snapped up and she immediately jumped behind the sofa. But it was just Makoto returning, as Ami should have expected. She let out a quick breath and stood up again, pretending to be retrieving something that she'd dropped as she forced out a smile. "H-hi... how was shopping?" she asked of her friend. "I got you all the necessities," Makoto indicated, dropping her package. "But I ran into Minako at the store. She asked me again about the memorial service... Ami, I don't think I can keep stalling." "Makoto, you can't tell them - PLEASE," Ami repeated urgently. "The fewer who know the better. Besides, after all that Mercury did to them, they're probably better off not knowing I'm here anyway. Couldn't you just ask them to go ahead and have a service without you?" Makoto sighed. "If I did that, they'd probably think something was up. They may think something is up even now. Ami, they won't hold anything Mercury did against you. Not once they find out the truth..." "But what if they're captured and tortured by the Dark Kingdom? Tuxedo Kamen may have been. They can't know I'm alive or information could get back!" Ami reasoned. She hated putting Makoto on the spot like this, but the risk was too great. "No one gets hurt this way," she added. "Don't you mean that this way, seeing the others won't be able to remind you of what Mercury did?" Makoto asked quietly. Ami bit her lip and turned away. No, that wasn't the point at all; Makoto didn't seem to understand. "Anyway, I haven't had much luck accessing those files I told you about," Ami said to change the subject, looking out the window. "Or in working out a way of making a portal to the Dark Kingdom that they won't find suspicious. I'm afraid I'm still stuck here." Makoto moved up behind the smaller girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. Ami flinched involuntarily before allowing the contact. "Take a break then," Makoto advised quietly. "Try on the clothes I got you. Hey, there's a leather skirt in there that will knock any guy off his feet, I guarantee!" She winked. Ami stared outside for another few seconds before turning away. "No thanks," she finally replied. "I'm feeling a little tired actually. I think I'll have a nap... maybe another time." She slipped away, moving into the bedroom as Makoto's hand fell back to her side. Ami risked a glance back as she closed the door and caught the sadness in Makoto's eyes. The ache in her gut intensified; she was causing problems for her friend. But she couldn't help the situation... and she couldn't reveal herself - she just COULDN'T. Damn it, could she do nothing right? ***** Ami hugged the pillow to her chest, tears spilling down her cheeks. She should have known. She should have KNOWN that it would happen like this! Maybe she could have prevented it if she'd been able to say something, but she'd felt paralysed after Rei's unexpected arrival. Now the Senshi were in shambles and it was all her fault. She never should have agreed with Makoto about telling Usagi. Actually, she never should have revealed herself to Minako in the first place. But no, she'd had to keep Minako from blurting her suspicions out all over town - what she shouldn't have done was leave the Physics text out there that day! Stupid, stupid, stupid! 'And you call yourself the smart one?' The bedroom door cracked open. "Ami-chan? The others are gone now... are you okay?" came the voice of Makoto. "F-f-f-f-fine," Ami choked out. Makoto came into the room. "It doesn't sound like it," she observed, moving to sit next to the shorter girl on the bed. Ami buried her face in her pillow - she couldn't face her friend. "Usagi says she found an ad for a ski weekend," Makoto continued. "That's why she was late; she must have just missed Rei's departure out the front. But a vacation might be just what we need... I'm sure we can fix things, Ami." "D-don't try to make me feel better," Ami choked out, voice slightly muffled by the pillow. "I k-know I screwed up." Makoto reached over and tilted Ami's chin up, forcing the blue-haired girl to meet her gaze. "Ami, what happened out there - it wasn't your fault." "It WAS," Ami protested, turning away. "If I'd just died in the first place you never would have had these problems!" "Ami-chan, don't talk like that!" Makoto said, horrified. "You're a very special person, with many great qualities and abilities. You can't blame yourself for circumstances beyond your control!" "Oh, come on," Ami said derisively, scrunching herself up into a ball. "Tell me one good thing that's EVER happened while I've been around!" "Our friendship," Makoto responded without hesitation. Ami blinked back at Makoto in surprise. "Makoto, because of me you've been criticized by the other Senshi, have recently been forced to lie to your friends and have had to support me these past few weeks. Don't you think it would have been better never knowing me at all?" Makoto shook her head, smiling gently. "Of course not, Ami-chan. Because of you I've found a kindred soul. Someone to share my feelings with. Someone who understands what it's like to be singled out in a crowd. Because of you, I think I'm a better person, and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. Don't lose faith in yourself, Ami. We've been through too much to give up now." Ami's lower lip started to quiver. "Oh, Mako-chan!" she finally cried out, clutching at the other girl for support. Makoto opened her arms and the two of them embraced in the silence of the night, broken only by Ami's choked sobs. ***** Ami stared out across the city. Makoto had left to go to the resort, to try to patch things up with Rei and the others. The place felt so empty without her. The blue-haired girl shifted her gaze back to the table, where she'd once again spread out all her equations and formulas. She wasn't making much headway with it, even though she knew she was close to a solution. And she couldn't concentrate on it now, not wondering about what was happening with Rei. She couldn't blame the dark-haired girl for her actions, not at all. But what could she do about it now? 'Nothing; you've just hurt her again. Almost like old times, isn't it?' Ami whirled, but there was no one else in the room. Strange. She fancied that she'd heard the same voice last night, before Makoto had come... Ami shivered. Her mind must be playing tricks on her, being alone like this. Shaking her head, Ami walked back into the bedroom. Maybe she'd tidy the place up a bit, Makoto hadn't had a chance to do a cleaning the last couple of days, what with all the excitement. Ami started picking up the books and papers on Makoto's desk. As she started stacking them, a single white envelope slipped out and hit the floor. Blinking in surprise, Ami stooped to retrieve it. Only Makoto's name was written on it, no address or anything. Fan mail? She almost set it aside, but a lack of anything better to do and a little voice of curiosity inside her caused Ami to peek inside. After all, it wasn't sealed. The letter inside was also written on plain paper, didn't look too interesting... but suddenly Ami caught sight of the name at the bottom. She quickly pulled the letter out and started scanning from the beginning. 'Dear Makoto, (it read) I'm sorry that I can't stay any longer but my Dad's leaving the area and the doctors say that you're in stable condition now. I wouldn't be of much assistance anyway... after being healed I can't seem to remember what I was doing in my calculations. I have the feeling I made a mistake too, but I don't understand enough now in order to correct it. Anyway, I hope things work out on your end, especially involving Ami. Please let me know if I can be of any further help to either of you. You'll have to write, our new place doesn't have a phone hooked up yet; I've included my address below. Feel free to drop by anytime too. Thanks for your support and I hope that we'll meet again! ...sincerely, Ryo Urawa.' Ami looked over the letter again, incredulously. Urawa! How much had he known about her anyway? Had Makoto filled him in on recent events? Ami raised her gaze up, thoughtfully. And could he help her now? After all, he had been the first person to recognize the strange rift in the time-space continuum. Just because he'd jumped into parallel world theories didn't mean that he didn't know what he was doing. And just because turning into a youma had scrambled his thoughts didn't mean he couldn't be set back on track. But she couldn't call to ask him without a number. She supposed that she could write, but that would take so long. Ami felt that the answer she sought was not only close at hand, but important. Besides, it would be so much easier to explain all the work in person. 'Then why not go see him? You know it's dangerous to stay in one place for so long...' Ami whirled and looked around her. But she finally realized that the voice was coming from within herself. She almost rejected the idea, but... Urawa's place was just a train ride away. If she made sure to disguise herself and not talk to anyone, it was certainly feasible. And with Ami out of the way, the other Senshi could get back to fighting the bad guys instead of arguing amongst themselves. She could work out the solution to the time enigma with Urawa and not cause any more trouble. Everyone would win. Except... what should she do about Makoto? Well, she could leave a letter or something, just to explain. After all, surely Makoto would realize that this was for the best. In fact, Ami was going to be taking some positive action, going outside - Makoto might be pleased. Ami folded Urawa's letter and put it into her pocket, then went into the other room to gather up her papers. She put them in a suitcase that Makoto had in her closet, along with her clothes. She paused long enough to write Makoto's letter before grabbing a jacket as well as a long scarf to wrap around her head, concealing her hair and most of her face. She paused at the door, taking in a deep breath. Maybe she was rushing this a bit. Maybe she should wait and talk it over with Makoto, or write Urawa first. But then she remembered Rei's fierce gaze from the other night. 'You'll never convince her, Ami. You know what you have to do.' "Yes, this is the only way," Ami murmured. She reached out a shaky hand for the doorknob and took a tentative step out into the hall. ***** "Ami!" Urawa called out, rushing into the room. "I think I've made a breakthrough on why you're unable to see those files." He brought out a few sheets of paper. "See, they're stuck in the same anomaly that held the message... they can't be accessed directly. It's like you're trying to read a disk drive without installing it first." Ami dispassionately scanned over the notes that Urawa had made. Yes, of course, that was it... she should have seen it before. "Then I CAN get access," she acknowledged. "But it will take a while to configure my computer the right way." Urawa nodded. "I assumed as much." He paused. "You know, maybe this is cause for celebration? Would you maybe like to... uh, do anything together?" Ami blinked in surprise. "W-w-what?" "Nothing big, just, uhh, maybe just the two of us at dinner? You're spending so much time by yourself." Ami stared at him for another few seconds then lowered her eyes. "No... no, I'd better work on the configurations. Time is of the essence." "Ah. Of course, well, maybe another time?" Urawa wondered. Ami didn't reply, she just started typing on her computer. "Right, we'll talk later then," Urawa finished, backing uncertainly out of the room. Ami waited until he'd left, then set her computer aside. She was closing herself off from Urawa. Both of them knew it. But for some reason, Ami felt that she couldn't allow herself to get close. Because... because there was more important work to do. 'Just keep telling yourself these things...' Ami bit her lip and started working on her computer. She'd started to ignore the voice in the back of her mind. It was one of the reasons that she preferred working over anything else, to focus her mind, keep it occupied. And for the first time in the last couple of days, she had a definite task to perform, a way to get at her files. The computer was configured within a few hours (Ami skipped dinner) and fortunately, the files that she finally started to pull in were both interesting, yet vague, which allowed for more hours of almost nonstop work. She wouldn't even let Urawa divert her from her investigation for long. The truth about her situation, and about the turmoil that the world seemed to be undergoing, soon came out. The down side was that this information seemed to point at something which the Senshi would have to know about. Something that only they could stop; and not only was Ami not one of them, she didn't think she could face them again either. So she diverted the responsibility off of herself by continuously sharing the information with Urawa. She'd get Urawa to to contact Makoto, while she slipped off to be by herself... At least, that had been the plan. But a chance event changed everything. Ami had been looking over a newspaper while her computer did some of the final processing. It was mostly to keep herself busy than anything else; the paper was a few days old. But as soon as Ami saw the article at the bottom of page 4, her breath caught in her throat. Just a small blurb about a couple of famous skaters, giving lessons in Juuban. But it included information about a mysterious attack... and reported that someone by the name of Kino Makoto had received minor injuries. A chill went down Ami's spine. Apparently nothing serious, and it only warranted the publicity due to the popularity of the instructors. But it was enough to make Ami's heart beat faster. Makoto injured? Should she go back to see her friend? 'It won't work... you know what could happen if you return...' Her computer beeped, signifying that it had received the last of the data. Ami quickly returned to focusing harder on the new information, and on the best way to go over it with Urawa. But the article had triggered something within her. Something she could no longer suppress. ***** Ami stood out on the ice. There were people all around her, laughing, enjoying themselves, but Ami was alone. And then she saw Makoto, a few meters away, skating a remarkable routine. Ami smiled and started moving towards her - but then she saw that the other Senshi were around her as well. She stopped. No, it would be better to leave them alone... And then without warning, he was there! Floating in the air, Kunzite laughed as he looked down upon her, and Ami screamed. The Dark Kingdom General began to blast away - but not at her, at the people around her. Ami shouted for him to stop through her tears, shouted that it was her that he wanted, that he should just kill her and be done with it. But Kunzite just kept laughing and blasting everyone else until Ami was the only one left standing. Ami's vision blurred as the tears continued to fall and she stared at all the bodies around her. "Why? WHY?" she cried out, centring in on the still form of Makoto, the only person she'd ever been able to call a friend. Wiping her eyes, she turned to look back up at the figure floating before her. But it was no longer Kunzite. It was Mercury. 'Isn't this the way you want it?' Mercury whispered. "No!" Ami screamed in horror. "Oh God, no, no, not you again...! I should have known it was you! Why, why have you come back??" 'I never left, Ami. You know that.' "Look at what you've done!" Ami cried, gesturing at all the bodies. "Just like in the newspaper... it's horrible! Doing something like this to innocent people..." Ami knelt down in front of Makoto, fumbling for a pulse. Mercury floated down to the ground, shaking her head. 'I see you're still putting the blame on me. Mercury made me do this, Mercury made me do that, Mercury slashed up Sailor Mars, Mercury attacked Makoto...' Ami felt a quiet rage building inside her. "It was you!" she snapped, standing back up to face her adversary. "I never wanted this!" 'So you were just an innocent bystander?' "I tried to stop you... I tried to keep you from doing the bad things!" Mercury tilted her head to the side. 'Did you?' She looked around. 'They've still happened.' "I... I wasn't strong enough," Ami admitted. "I couldn't do anything!" 'Couldn't you? You're just blocking off things that you don't want to remember. Have you really forgotten what it was like before the Dark Kingdom? Everyone laughing at you, whispering behind your back... remember how you'd show them, how you'd show them all you weren't someone to be trifled with? And now you're starting to have trouble controlling your temper again...' Ami felt a lump start to grow in her throat and she forced her anger down. "That was different!" Ami retorted, looking away from the scene before her. "I- I never did anything... certainly nothing like this! It... it would be--" 'Wrong? Of course. Wilfully harming others - no, your conscience would never allow that. But all you needed was a little shove at just the right time. The Dark Kingdom provided it. The feelings that you'd been suppressing could now break free. Innocent Ami died, and you became the person you'd always wanted to be.' "No..." Ami whispered, her body starting to shake. "It wasn't... it wasn't like that." 'Wasn't it? Admit it, you liked seeing people suffer. Suffer the way you'd suffered all your life! After a while, it really didn't matter whether they were innocent or not! And now that you're back, you're discovering that you can't really have a life with the people you would have previously attacked, just for the joy of it!' "No..." Ami repeated tearfully, closing her eyes. "No, I... I kept you from killing...!" 'Because you enjoyed the suffering! Oh, you knew that it wasn't right, hurting people, physically, mentally... but you had the perfect excuse - the person doing it wasn't really Mizuno Ami; it was the evil Sailor Mercury!' "I-It WAS!" Ami protested. "Remember, I f-fought against you, tried to keep you from doing it...! I couldn't h-help my actions... remember?" No reply. "REMEMBER???" Ami finally shouted, turning and grabbing her Senshi counterpart by the fuku. 'No, Ami. It's what you keep telling yourself - because that's what Makoto believes. But you know that it was never really a struggle between the two of us; you could have stopped me, if you'd tried. But you chose not to - you were enjoying yourself too much in your new lifestyle. At least, you were enjoying yourself until Makoto came along.' "And then I suddenly saw myself through her eyes..." Ami breathed. 'You didn't like what you saw. Because you'd become just like the people you'd always hated - and worse.' Ami sniffled. "And Makoto... she never held my actions against me..." 'And even now, she still likes you. That's why you had to leave her, isn't it. Before the truth came out, before the other Senshi realized it. Before you lost your control, maybe hurting them all, including Makoto. The truth is that you can never put Mercury's deeds behind you, Ami. Because you're just as guilty of committing them as I am.' Ami's tears flowed freely as her hands slipped back to her sides. "Mako-chan woke up my conscience... made me believe in love and friendship again... but it was too late! Too late!! I couldn't change back...!" "You have to stop this, Ami," Mercury finally murmured, reaching out to touch Ami's shoulder. "You know what evil lurks inside you. You can't go on denying it." Ami collapsed onto the ground, sobbing. "I wanted so much to be the person Makoto thought I was... because I liked her... she reminded me so much of Ami, shunned by others, living all alone... I didn't want to hurt her! But I'd lost my innocence! I was enjoying the pain! Even now, to just grab someone's throat and start choking them... DAMN YOU Mako-chan, how could you have revived what little human decency I had left!!" Ami wailed, pounding her fist onto the ground. "I hurt so many people when I was Mercury... here, in the Dark Kingdom... knowing what I was doing the whole time, I revelled in the pain... Makoto, why couldn't you just have HATED me!! That would have made it so much easier. I could have continued on. But I can't LIVE like this now! I can't live knowing what I've done to you, the Senshi... everyone! I can't walk down the street because it will feel like everyone is staring at me, judging me... I can't go on living like this any longer!!" "You don't have to Ami," Mercury soothed, pulling her alter ego into an embrace. "Not anymore. You've done what you needed to do, you've found the cause of time anomaly. You've found out how the Dark Kingdom did this to you. Your work in their world is finally done. Let Urawa speak to the Senshi. We can go somewhere else and find peace, Ami. Just the two of us." "Yes..." Ami whimpered, hugging her counterpart back. "Find peace." She woke up, curled up into a ball and hugging her pillow. She wiped her eyes and looked out her window, the sun just starting to rise on the horizon. This was not her home. She had nothing here, and no one could ever love the person she'd become. Ami bowed her head. "Peace... I know what I have to do." ***** Ami stared out across the lake. It was so peaceful and serene... almost untouched by civilization. She'd run away from Urawa's that morning, couldn't bear to face him, not now that she knew what she really was. Ami looked down at the knife in her hands, saw how the sunlight glinted off of it. It was better this way. There was no place on earth for the being she'd been turned into. She might be mourned, but would soon be forgotten. After all, in a way she'd already died - twice - and the world had kept on turning. Ami knelt down and looked at her computer, where she had written the note. Everything seemed to be in order. Here was an end to pain, an end to sorrow... the final chance at atonement. Ami took in a shaky breath. "Gomen nasai... minna..." she whispered. She raised the knife. Suddenly, there was a splash, and the water our near the middle of the lake started swirling. Ami blinked. There was no reason for a whirlpool to be there... The turbulence grew, and before she knew it, Ami had started using her computer to scan for the origin. It was youma energy! Or something similar... but how could this be? She was miles from downtown Juuban! Her hands starting to shake, Ami punched in another set of commands. Her worst fears were confirmed. The Dark Kingdom was here. Had they honestly found a way to track her down? Ami tried to narrow the scanning field - it looked like Kunzite was lurking about, along with someone who bore a resemblance to Mamoru. Endymion? But why here? And if they were here... the bottom dropped out of Ami's stomach. She tapped a few more keys. Yes, there they were here too. She was picking up Senshi energy patterns. Weak, so they may not have transformed yet, but Ami had programmed her computer to recognize them long ago. And they were drawing closer! Ami's body started to shake. She couldn't let them find her here! Her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of some snakelike monster, blasting forth from the lake and moving towards Endymion's position. It was to her right, the Senshi patterns were back and to the left. She was getting cornered. She had to do something, get away somehow! Oh, if only she could teleport herself out! Wait... was there a way to make that possible? According to her computer, Kunzite was starting to follow the path of the strange youma, but Endymion was lagging behind. And he was coming her way. Desperate now for any escape, Ami moved to intercept him. She'd make him take her away, bargain with him, threaten him, torture him if she had to. She just wanted out. Out, and back into the Dark Kingdom. That thought finally settled in Ami's mind. Yes, that was the only place she had now. But more than that, it was the only place where someone like her belonged. It was that or nothing. Endymion would be her saviour or her executioner. ***** Mercury stretched out on her bed - technically Endymion's bed, but it still felt like her's - and ran her fingers through her hair. Just like old times. She reached for the knife by her bed and held it up to watch the light glinting off of it, as it had yesterday by the lake. Except now, she had no intention of staining it. With a quick flick of her wrist, the knife flew across the room and embedded itself in the wall. She'd never really wanted to use it, and had been glad of the excuse. She had it all figured out now. There had been a moment of hesitation after Endymion had finally brought her here, but after realizing that she was in the same room as her transformation pen, the pieces had fallen into place. It was too late for her, she knew that now. The only reason she'd allowed herself to live this long was because of the odd space-time problem and perplexing computer code. She'd been the only one qualified to solve it. But what she now realized was that this time loop was not only the cause of her problem, it was also her solution. Yes, it was too late for her now. But if the loop restarted... AMI WOULD GET HER LIFE BACK. Then things would play out differently. The current Sailor Mercury would cease to exist. And instead of taking out her hostilities on the other Senshi, Ami could be part of the team, fighting alongside them. Finally, there would be somewhere that she could fit in. Finally, she might know true happiness. Finally... she could have real friends. Mercury's lower lip started to quiver at the thought. She quickly shook her head to clear it. But it all hinged on things starting over. She had to be *sure* that they did, beyond a shadow of a doubt; and for that, she had to know how it had happened in the first place. That was her new goal, and she'd do anything to achieve it. After all, if she was successful, whatever she'd done in the past would no longer have happened! No one would get hurt... and it allowed for the added bonus of passing the information on to the Mercury in the next loop. Endymion was proving to be a poor source though. After trying to bait him upon his return home, Mercury had planted a listening device to see if anything would be revealed. Twenty four hours later, all she knew was that Kunzite was in on some Dark Kingdom time project. Which merely confirmed what she'd suspected. Now, several days later, Endymion had barely followed up on it. So it looked like she would have to get a little more daring. Perhaps if she bugged Beryl's throne room? She would just need to get a disguise then wait for one of the rare occasions when Beryl went off somewhere else. She knew how to avoid any alarms there from her earlier scans, back when she'd been part of the Dark Kingdom. Well, of course, technically she was still part of the Dark Kingdom.... but anyway, the point was that most of the important stuff was mentioned in that room at some point. So.... There was a footfall in the hallway outside, and Mercury quickly jumped up and teleported herself back into the attic of the house, which she'd sealed off during her ownership to keep anyone from entering that way. She looked over what she'd been able to scavenge so far... yes, it shouldn't be too hard to whip up a device that she could use. Mercury quickly set herself to work. ***** As it turned out, setting up a listening device hadn't been difficult. Unfortunately, the resolution wasn't that great, since she'd had to keep it hidden. (But at least no one would find it unless someone actually gave the throne room a thorough cleaning.) Now came the most monotonous part, actually listening. Beryl ordering this, Beryl ordering that, Beryl chewing someone out, Beryl cleaning her crystal ball... Mercury fast forwarded the tape that had been made last night, while at the same time listening to what was going on live. Nothing. And there continued to be nothing for over a day, more time than Mercury would have liked. But just as she was thinking that she'd need a new plan, it finally happened. "Kunzite .... news?" Beryl muttered. Mercury immediately cranked up the volume. "My Queen, I've been checking ... you asked," came Kunzite's voice. "But whatever time disturbances you were sensing don't seem to be occurring any more." "Are you certain? I still sense that they're ... and ever since the death of Sailor Mercury things have become too familiar ..." Mercury tried to boost the gain on her device. "Perhaps this is just another of her little schemes then," Kunzite offered. "Something that Mercury had set up to cause us problems in the event of her death. Or maybe she was causing something while she was here, and now that she's gone you're just picking up echoes." Mercury stared at her receiver. This didn't sound like people plotting to create a time loop. It sounded more like they were investigating the same things that she was! And they were blaming her, just like she'd been blaming them! "Hm. Is there any way to be certain of that? We don't want to be thwarted this close to our goal," Beryl noted. "Whatever this strange deja vu is, I don't want it to interfere!" "I honestly can't see any problems coming up in the next couple of weeks. We just have to keep the Senshi distracted, in case they are involved," Kunzite observed. There was a brief pause. "Speaking of which, I suggest checking up on Endymion. He still seems to be going soft on them..." Mercury listened for the next few minutes but it was just sniping against Tux, no more mention of time anomalies. She sat back in her chair. So the Dark Kingdom didn't seem to know what was causing the loops? But the Senshi hadn't known that it was going on either. Then was the cause some third party?? Or could it be that her presence in the Dark Kingdom had warped things so much that there would be no loop this time? Was there any way of finding out? Well, Urawa would probably have spoken with the Senshi by now; maybe something that he'd said triggered a memory among them. It could be that the Senshi were causing this loop because they kept on losing to the Dark Kingdom... There were just too many unanswered questions all of a sudden. This was getting really bizarre. Well, she would go and see Urawa to find out what the Senshi had said, that might give her a new starting point. She teleported out, and off to his place. But no one was home. "Of course, nothing can be easy," Mercury muttered, pulling out her computer. She did a wide range scan, but still no sign. Could he still be back in Juuban? After a moment's hesitation, Mercury teleported there to continue her search. ***** Mercury snapped her arms out in front of her, with a blast that sent Endymion sprawling. She'd tracked down Urawa all right. But she'd forgotten that Endymion's current mission was to collect the carriers of nijizuishou, and that Urawa was one of them. That conflicted with her need to talk with Urawa - plus, she probably owed Urawa a favour too. So she'd appeared to Endymion in the amusement park, and tried to bargain with him. She hadn't seen his double cross coming until it was too late; very short sighted of her. Endymion got up and pulled out his sword. Playing dead had gotten him to lower his guard once, it wouldn't work again. But Mercury still needed a few more seconds to recuperate... Endymion ran at her, and Mercury rolled to the side. "Shabon Spray!" she called out, covering the area in fog. That would buy her a little time; she activated her Visor to see through the interference. Endymion shifted into the form of Tuxedo Kamen and tried to fling a rose in her direction, but Mercury dodged. Now, she had to get that crystal from him... well, why not. It had worked against Jupiter... Mercury picked up a couple of small stones and flung them over Tuxedo Kamen's head. They clattered on the ground and Tux whirled to look. Mercury was immediately behind him. "Oldest trick in the book," Mercury's voice hissed in Tux's ear as she tore the black crystal from his grip. Tuxedo Kamen whirled back, but Mercury was already throwing the crystal to the ground, where it shattered and released Urawa and the five other carriers. The fog began to clear; Mercury took up an offensive stance. Tuxedo Kamen glared at her. "I do believe you'll regret that now," he scowled. Suddenly his cane was in his hand, and it extended out, swiping Mercury off her feet. Mercury was taken by surprise, but when she hit the ground she rolled, coming up into a crouching position. "Have to... do better... than that..." Mercury panted. "Then I will," Tuxedo Kamen responded, launching a rose. They sparred for another minute or so, with neither getting a distinct advantage. Mercury felt like she was back in her element now, but her energy was at a low ebb. All in all, it was fortunate that Moon and Jupiter showed up when they did. After firing off another Shabon Spray to help contain her foe, Mercury fell to the ground and let Moon take over. But her rest didn't last long. As soon as Mercury saw the dark light surround Mamoru, she knew that Beryl was watching. And she knew that she was in trouble. Beryl would not be pleased with the way that Mercury had roughed up her prize minion. And being inexplicably alive, Mercury might also have to answer to the charges of that time distortion. So when the black light appeared around her, clouding her vision, Mercury fought like hell to escape. But she was too weak... There was one chance. Mercury let her body go slack, letting Beryl think she'd won. The beam took her... Mercury had a brief vision of the Dark Kingdom throne room. But the second that the teleportation beam cut out, Mercury's adrenaline surged and she put everything she had into one more teleport... She was standing (unsteadily) back in Makoto's bedroom. She wasn't sure why she'd come here. And at the moment, it didn't matter. Mercury shifted back into her Ami form to elude any traces, then collapsed onto the bed, out like a light before she even hit the sheets. ***** Ami jolted awake. There was sunlight peeking in a window. Where was she?? Ami jumped out of the bed, crouching defensively before she remembered the events of the previous night. Beryl had tried to capture her. But she was alive. She was at Makoto's. She was safe. The blue-haired girl let out a shaky sigh of relief. But now what? Well, returning to the Dark Kingdom seemed to be out - they'd be watching for her now. But if they weren't really the cause of the time loop, then that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She could now find out from the Senshi if anything new had turned up since leaving Urawa. Not exactly the original plan, but it would suffice. Ami started to walk towards the door, but stumbled and fell to the floor before she was even halfway there. She pressed a hand to her head. Damn, looked like she was still feeling the aftereffects of the previous night... possibly still coming down off another adrenaline rush too. The door burst open. "Ami, you're awake!" Makoto shouted. Ami was swept up off the floor and into an embrace before she realized it. "Urk," was all Ami managed to choke out. Makoto finally held her out at arm's length. "Thank God you're all right - where have you been? We've all been worried sick!" "Er, h-here, there..." Ami ventured. She raised a hand back to her temples where there was still a dull ache. Makoto took immediate notice. "You should lie back down," she noted, steering Ami back towards the bed. Ami opened her mouth to protest, but the brunette would hear none of it. "Rest, relax... you can tell me about everything that's happened later," she advised. She paused. "In fact, depending on how you're feeling a little later on, I might know just the thing to help you recover..." Makoto grinned and Ami started to wonder just what was in store for her now. But as it turned out, "just the thing" was spending a little time with Urawa before he left town. Ami had no problem with that, and when the two of them were alone on the ferris wheel, Ami immediately started asking him about the reactions of the other girls to the time loop. Urawa had been sort of surprised at her attitude, but had told her about the events of a few days ago. Which turned out to be the regular awe anyone would expect; so no help there at all. So what was going on? Ami had nothing to work with! Then somehow the conversation shifted to thanks concerning Urawa's rescue, to which Ami said she'd appreciated his hospitality... it wasn't until Ami returned to Makoto's that she realized she'd just wasted most of a day on things totally unrelated to her mission. Happiness had no place in her now! Yet Ami also saw Urawa to the train station that evening. It had just felt right. The next day Ami got back on track. She decided that the best thing to do was return to analysis of the original tear, where she'd found the message. She set her computer to recognize anything that it possibly could within the anomaly. Her investigation was slightly hampered by the fact that Makoto stayed home, asking her about where she'd been, how she was, forcing Ami to come up with a few plausible stories. But when Makoto went to make snacks, Ami was finally able to consult her computer again. The result - a 90% match - was so startling that Ami ran a double check to make sure. But there it was. Her computer had been actively scanning the night she'd faced off with Endymion, since she'd been looking for Urawa. It had captured the energy readings produced by the ginzuishou. The same readings were in the space-time continuum. With a 10% margin of error because it seemed like the continuum energy had been magnified a thousand times. Of course, some ginzuishou energy was to be expected. The last Senshi had used it to help warn them in this timeline... but this much energy? Ami wondered if it was even possible for the Crystal to produce energy on this scale without external influence; she'd almost missed it because of the scope. There was something very odd about this. Ami abruptly had the feeling that not only did the answer lie here... but that she wasn't going to like the answer when she found it. The Senshi came by that night to find out what she'd discovered in the Dark Kingdom. Ami used that opportunity to verify that they didn't know they were an integral part to the problem. She paid particular attention to Usagi, since Usagi was the one who used the ginzuishou. But they'd had no idea. So Ami had declared that the problem was solved, giving them a song and dance about tachyons; after all, it was probably the only way they'd leave her in peace to continue her work. Which she did as soon as their questioning had died down... ***** Ami continued her work over the next couple of weeks. Questions and appeals by Makoto to help out the Senshi were rejected - she had more important things to do. She became aware of the fact that Makoto was growing worried and even a bit nervous around her, but that was immaterial. This would all be wiped out in the next loop anyway, assuming Ami could figure out the exact trigger. Yet what she discovered continued to unsettle her. And when she finally completed her calculations, the response seemed too good to be true. The reason that there had been so much ginzuishou energy in the continuum was because early iterations of the loop caused more and more of it to build up. And they were now at the point where simply using the Crystal at it's current maximum power (at the coming optimal time) would trigger the whole process again. So the only way the loop would not occur would be if the Crystal was not used to defeat the Dark Kingdom. But as the only way to defeat the Dark Kingdom would be to use the Crystal to it's fullest extent, Ami had nothing left to worry about. The loop would restart no matter what. Even if the Senshi lost, as long as Usagi used the ginzuishou at full power, the loop would be triggered. But it couldn't be that easy! Creasing her brow, Ami tapped another set of commands into her computer. Her throat went dry. The phenomenon was not limited to the Earth, ripples were being sent out into space every time it happened. The space-time continuum was not taking these events well. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction... and the stress here was immense, compounded by all the changes this loop had undergone. Ami calculated that the chances of completing another time shift successfully were no more than 25%. The revelation fell upon her like a ton of bricks. The loop had to be stopped then. She couldn't undo all that she had done. And if the loop stopped, it would likely be this reality that continued, in which she'd been tortured, had tortured others, and made a mess of everyone's lives. Tears welled up in Ami's eyes as she realized that she'd even made a mess of things recently, telling the Senshi that they didn't have to worry about the loop... when it could very well destroy them all! She'd been too selfish, too self-absorbed... But how could they stop the loop anyway? Using the ginzuishou at full power would trigger it! And using the Crystal was inevitable! For the first time in her life, Ami felt completely overwhelmed. How much time did she have to come up with something? How long before the Senshi took on the Dark Kingdom? She frantically set herself to work. Her time was up twenty minutes later, when Jupiter poked her head into the bedroom and announced that she was leaving because the entrance to the Dark Kingdom had been discovered. Ami's heart sank. But she also felt that she couldn't let the Senshi plunge into this without finally telling them the truth first. For the third time in her life, she produced that tiny blue pen and took a deep breath. "Mercury Power, Make-Up!" Ami shouted. She wasn't sure what she was going to say. She wasn't sure what they were going to do. She just knew something had to be done. And when the miraculous idea came to her later that night, she pounced on it, knowing that it was their last, and indeed their only hope. Greg Taylor WHAT EVIL LURKS PART 16: FINALE ==== ITERATION: ONE LOOP PREVIOUS "Well... I have a plan... but it's risky," Ami stated with a sigh. The Senshi had grouped at the temple; it was the final meeting before the big showdown, and all of them knew it. "The energy peaks at a point within the next 24 hours," Ami continued. "Which corresponds to my projections on a final battle scenario." "So the Dark Kingdom IS the cause of our 'loop' then," Minako said glumly. "It looks that way," Ami admitted sadly. "You said you had a plan though," Makoto observed. "What is it?" "Well... it relies on the Senshi in the loop following ours," Ami explained. "I can encode as much information as we have and send it to them using my computer, with some assistance from the ginzuishou to tap into the space-time continuum." "So we let them handle the problem?" Usagi mused. "Sounds sort of defeatist," Rei added. Ami shrugged. "We simply don't have enough time to track down the cause and stop it ourselves, the Dark Kingdom is growing too strong too fast. This is our best shot." "Er, where exactly does the risk part come in then?" Luna wondered, pacing back and forth in front of them. Mercury sighed. "Well, doing this is going to speed up the amount of stress in the time disruption. It will cause more dramatic events to occur in the next loop. And if the Senshi who 'overwrite' us don't succeed... then there's a good chance that all dimensions will get damaged beyond repair." "Great," muttered Minako. "You'd think that even the Dark Kingdom would stop screwing around with something that might very well obliterate themselves," Makoto mused. "They probably don't care, or think they have nothing to lose," Rei observed. "So should we go ahead with this plan?" Ami inquired. The other Senshi exchanged a glance. "Do we have a choice?" Usagi murmured. ==== ITERATION: CURRENT LOOP "Well... I have a plan... but it's risky," Ami stated with a sigh. The Senshi had grouped at the temple; it was the final meeting before the big showdown, and all of them knew it. They had decided to proceed into the Dark Kingdom the previous day, despite the new twist Mercury had revealed, since they had intended to make it primarily a scouting mission. And Mars had observed that they still had no definite proof about where the time loop was originating either way... until now. "As you can see, the energy peaks at a point within our dimension. It doesn't originate from the Dark Kingdom," Ami continued. "So whether you believe me or not - we helped cause the original loop." "I don't think there's any reason not to believe you now," Minako said glumly. Kunzite had made it known, with rather emphatic language, how he felt about Mercury during yesterday's face-off. And when he'd tried to destroy them all, inadvertently sending them into a history lesson of their lives on the Kingdom of the Moon, Queen Serenity had said she'd felt no deception within any of them. Mercury was on the level, even if she'd had her own agenda. But it was when the ginzuishou had been able to bring them back to Earth (in time to let them do away with Kunzite) that the root of an idea had been planted in Mercury's head. She had then worked on perfecting it most of the night. "I AM sorry that I never said anything until it was almost too late," Ami admitted sadly. "I should have been more careful..." "You said you had a plan though," Makoto observed. "What is it?" "Well... it relies on the Senshi in the loop preceding ours," Ami explained. "I think the best way to visualize our situation is like an executing computer program." "Uh-oh," murmured Usagi and Minako. This subject was not one where they got outstanding marks. "Picture the loop we're going through as a piece of code in one block of memory, executing over and over," Ami indicated. "Every time we reach the 'end of 1992', the code says 'goto start of 1992'. We can't break out of this loop by conventional means either, there's too many variables that would have to be reassigned now to allow for an exit. What's more, anything that was supposed to occur after our Dark Kingdom battle can't execute at all yet." "So we're in an infinite loop," Rei summarized. "We knew that already." "Right. But according to the 'code', when we reach the end of the loop we 'goto start of 1992'. Well... what if 1992 occurs in the future instead of the past?" The other Senshi exchanged a glance. "Are you sure Kunzite didn't hit you a little too hard yesterday?" Minako inquired. "No, listen," Ami continued. "In theory, all we need to do is shift around the ordering of the time continuum so when the loop THINKS it's returning to 1992, it will really only be skipping AHEAD. We change the reference, jumping to a different 1992 by changing the next block to have that name. And this new 1992 won't have the trigger condition for another loop, so we're past the problem!" "Wait, I'm afraid I don't see how shifting the space-time continuum will help," Makoto observed. "Won't we return to fighting the Dark Kingdom all over again except later on?" "Not the space-time continuum," Ami corrected. "Just the time continuum. Changing the fourth dimension without altering the other three means that occurrences will remain intact, playing out in sequence. Events in the past remain in the past, while events in the future will just be offset by one year. It may help for visualization purposes if you pretend that we're two dimensional, and..." "Ami... please... is there an easy summary in all of this?" Usagi begged. The blue-haired girl paused. "Um, we insert an extra 1992, in which our lives continue on after the Dark Kingdom was defeated, instead of returning to the first 1992 and looping with the Dark Kingdom. We know the Crystal can be used as a limited kind of travel in space-time from the other day... and since the Crystal was the original cause, it's liable to be able to fix it's own damage. While this may be a bit of a stretch, I think this is our best - and really, our only - shot. As I said, the only other way to avoid the loop would be to defeat the Dark Kingdom without using the ginzuishou at all." "I don't know," Luna observed, pacing back and forth in front of them. "I don't think Queen Serenity herself ever tried messing so directly with the time streams. I don't think it was even within her power to do it. That duty... was someone else's." Mercury sighed. "Well, yes, there is a small snag. Our ginzuishou can't generate enough power in the right form to allow us to pull this off." "Great," muttered Minako. "Uh, dare I ask why you brought the idea up then?" Makoto mused. "Well, this is where the risk comes in," Ami stated. "If we fail, we will have pretty much screwed up history for all time. But we can succeed. It will hinge on the Senshi in the previous loop. Because they essentially have a ginzuishou as well - and two crystals will output a stronger field." "But how can the Senshi in the previous loop help us?" Minako protested. "That's already long past!" "But that's just it," Ami finished. "We're executing the same year all the time, overwriting loops - so they're not in the long past at all. In fact, they've always been just short while ahead of us..." ==== ITERATION: ONE LOOP PREVIOUS TIME: A SHORT WHILE LATER It took Mercury a few minutes to realize that she was dead. It was the most bizarre feeling. She should really get some scans of this... but then she remembered that she'd used her computer to shatter the illusion-making device. And probably wouldn't be able to touch it, even if she had it - weren't ghosts supposed to pass through things? What was this state anyway? Something intermittent before true death? What remained of her Senshi energy clinging to life before finally dissipitating? What happens now? The sound of nearby screams brought her back to full alertness. The others! Mercury ran off towards them. "Don't rush... you'll just be torturing yourself. You can't physically help them now, and I don't think they can see us," came a frustrated voice behind her. Mercury turned to see a ghostly outline of Jupiter approaching. "You don't know how hard I was trying to pound my fist into the face of that youma who tied you up. Our attacks don't seem to work either!" Mercury blinked, slowing her pace slightly to let the Jupiter image catch up. "Oh," she remarked blankly. "Well, at least I was able to send out the information about our time continuum before the battle then... all it needs to the ginzuishou to seal it in and allow it to be accessed next time. I hope Sailor Moon can manage it." "I have a feeling it's all going to come down to Sailor Moon as it is," Jupiter admitted. "Since the only thing we can do now is offer moral support..." "It may be enough," Mercury assured, as the two of them came upon a dazed Venus, waving her phased out hand in front of her face. "At least we've done all we can physically." ==== ITERATION: CURRENT LOOP Mercury was still having trouble believing that she was dead. It was the most bizarre feeling. Not at all what she expected, even after all the times she'd now been presumed dead, near dead, missing, suicidal... she paused as that last thought went through her head. To be honest, she'd practically allowed the DD Girls to kill her. When Jupiter had died, it had been like part of her had died as well... not to mention the feeling Mercury had felt about her death being necessary, to maintain as much synchronicity between time frames as possible. At least she'd taken one of her opponents down with her. "I think Endymion's dead now too," the non-corporeal Mars murmured. "How do you know?" Venus asked. Mars shook her head. "I just know. It's almost time. I think we'll need to give the Moon Princess any energy we have left to help her in the final battle." "Essentially, we are only energy," Mercury observed. "At least, I think that's what spirits are. I have to say I'm more worried about time as a whole than just the Dark Kingdom though..." "What will happen if - when - our attempt at stopping the time loop works?" Jupiter asked the blue-haired form. "Honestly? I have no idea," Mercury admitted. "Our timeline might continue without us. Or with us alive again but lacking our powers. The previous timeline could continue instead of ours. Or then again, maybe another "year" is too much strain and life on Earth will cease to exist entirely... though of course, that would have probably happened anyway if the loop had restarted." "Let's try to be optimistic," Venus proposed, making a face. There was a pause. "If we don't get out of this though - or even if we do I guess - I just want to say..." Mercury took in a deep breath. "I've made some bad choices," she confessed, turning away. "I've been selfish and cruel and... I-I'm sorry. I lost control. I let them get to me. It was inexcusable..." "Hey, you were put under more strain than anyone should ever have to go through," Jupiter reminded her. "We're just glad you finally came through." Mercury turned back to look at the brunette, biting her lower lip. "Thanks for believing in me," she murmured quietly. "Especially when I wasn't even able to believe in myself." Jupiter smiled. "You would have done the same for me, I'm sure." Mercury looked at her friend briefly before giving a silent nod. The two friends continued to stare at each other, eventually moving into a sort of non-corporeal embrace. Mercury felt all her pent up emotions finally releasing and she discovered that spirits really could cry. She resolved to never allow anyone to manipulate her hateful emotions again. Mars closed her eyes. "It's time," she suddenly whispered. ***** Princess Serenity was giving it her all against the huge Beryl/Metallia figure. The ginzuishou was managing to hold her off, but they seemed to be at an impasse. Then the spirits of the other four Sailor Senshi joined Princess Serenity, each invoking the power of their respective planets. And the ginzuishou threw an energy ball at Queen Metallia, one that she had no chance of escaping from. Mercury turned to look at the Moon Princess. The Moon Princess nodded feebly and executed one final command. The crystal flashed once more, and energy was released in a different direction: 0.2 seconds into the future. ==== ITERATION: ONE LOOP PREVIOUS TIME: 0.2 SECONDS LATER The ginzuishou had just thrown an energy ball at Queen Metallia, one that she had no chance of escaping from. The Mercury image watched as the ginzuishou sealed in the message for the next loop. Suddenly, the Crystal glowed brighter: twice as bright as it's previous state. Momentarily taken aback, Mercury suddenly realized that the energy buildup was almost entirely temporal in nature. There could only be one source for this energy; another loop, which was augmenting their power to seal the time disruption somehow! Mercury's mind clicked into high gear, trying to determine exactly what this energy was trying to do - and came to the only logical conclusion. Why hadn't she thought of that? But after encoding her computer records, Mercury feared that even their combined Crystals wouldn't have enough power to generate a temporal point strong enough to attract the loop into the future instead of the past. Yet there was still a chance; after all, THEIR predecessors were mere seconds ahead of them! She spun her head to look at the Moon Princess. 'Pass it on!' she willed. 'Send all the temporal energy into the future!' Somewhat confused, but without questioning it, the Moon Princess followed Mercury's instruction, doing the same thing as her successor had... while accidentally adding Mercury's imperative. ==== ITERATION: TWO LOOPS PREVIOUS TIME: MERE SECONDS LATER The energy ball had almost reached Queen Metallia, and there was no way that she could escape it. The Moon Princess knew that this was the end now. But then suddenly, the ginzuishou burst into a brightness that was triple it's previous state, and an imperative shouted in her mind: 'Pass it on!'. She executed the directive without thinking. ==== ITERATION: THREE LOOPS PREVIOUS TIME: LESS THAN A SECOND LATER As the energy ball reached Queen Metallia, the ginzuishou burst into a brightness four times it's previous state. 'Pass it on,' rang in the ears of the Moon Princess, so that's what she did. ==== ITERATION: FOUR LOOPS PREVIOUS As Queen Metallia easily blocked the energy ball, the ginzuishou burst into a brilliant light, denying her victory as the temporal energy from five crystals linked... and was sent on. ==== ITERATION: FIVE LOOPS PREVIOUS As the energy ball started to dissolve Queen Metallia, the Moon Princess and her four still living friends watched in awe as the ginzuishou burst into light... ==== ==== ==== ==== ITERATION: MANY LOOPS PREVIOUS The energy ball of the ginzuishou had completely consumed Queen Metallia, and Sailor Moon had collapsed. She stared up at the sky and whispered her thanks... even as she wished for her old life back, free of youmas and destinies... she just wanted to be a normal girl. Time seemed to slow as her destiny flew out the proverbial window, accompanied by most of the laws of physics. The Moon Princess was allowed one final wish before death. But to grant this one, obviously all the memories of the Senshi would need to be altered. This was not technically a problem, since they were dead; but what of the others who had seen them together as mortals? What of the way they had all interacted? Some of the Senshi had even switched schools. It looked like the easiest solution would be to simply replay the last year over again, without the Dark Kingdom. This plan almost worked. But the Dark Kingdom's powers were also in flux, not immediately dispersing even though Metallia was gone. When time prepared to restart, the dark power refused to be shut out. Metallia had wanted a second chance herself. So the power latched onto the cycle, creating it's own restart sequence to keep the dimension of the Dark Kingdom from being forever sealed. The energy combination created a snarl, as with both wielders being dead, there was no way to control it. And while the ginzuishou energy was predominant, it couldn't change it's current execution. The results were almost cataclysmic. Almost. Just after the Moon Princess breathed her last, the ginzuishou burst into brilliant light. Energy from dozens of ginzuishou, stretching into the "past", were now being output here: with nowhere left to go. So the energy expanded out, merging with the current crystal energy output and moving past the battleground, out past each of the bodies of the fallen Senshi, encompassing the entire North Pole and still expanding out around the entire Earth... There was now a warp in time much greater than the one that had been forming... providing an easy alternative solution to the problem. Instead of restarting from a year previous, the continuum leapt ahead, leaving the dark power behind to howl in protest as it quickly dissipitated. While technically 1993, the belief that the year was 1992 became entrenched in Earth psyche, computers automatically resetting as events were compressed to make everyone believe they were a year younger than they really were. Then, while recollection of the Senshi and their deeds as a whole was too broad a scope to change, the Senshi's personal interactions were wiped entirely from the minds of all involved, directly or indirectly. (The only hitch being each Senshi needing 'false' memories so that they would not be missing a year of their lives.) Only Luna and Artemis were unaffected by this shift, partially because they were not within the eye of the time storm, but also as a safety backup. Slowly the ripples settled down as all the previously possible realities created by the loop collapsed down into the current one. Then, once all the timelines were straightened out and the entire continuum had readjusted... an alarm clock went off. And Usagi realized that she was going to be late for school!! She hurried out of the house, unaware that destiny still loomed before her, in the form of a slowly approaching meteorite. A meteor which had been unable to complete it's journey while the Earth had been fixed in it's time loop. Time went on, the Senshi were reawakened and they fought several battles. Yet somehow, not everything that happened in the alternate frames was truly forgotten. Rei had an increased sense of faith in her first instincts and spiritual abilities. Minako discovered an increased sense of duty and perception within her. Makoto found an added sensitivity in judging personality types, while maintaining a fierce loyalty to all her friends. And Usagi became a little better at leadership and critical thinking (though she still failed half her school tests). As to Ami, well she found she was more easily able to control her baser emotions, not always resorting to burying herself in a text. She also had less trouble taking a more offensive stance in battle. And whenever she was having real personal troubles, she would often instinctively seek out Makoto. Just as Makoto did sometimes when their situations were reversed. Neither could fully explain the bond they seemed to share; but given the horrors in the final timeline that never was... perhaps it was better that way. --Greg 'hologrami' Taylor -- _/\_ _+_ _ _ _ CHECKMATE! / / \ / / \ / | \ | || || | / ------- / \~~~~/ \ / \ `' `' / / / / /| | /| | | |_____/____________/____________/____________/_|A |_______/_| |____ | | / / | m| / | | / \ / ONCE AGAIN, MERCURY TRIUMPHS / / i\ / / \ --------- / OVER EVIL!!! / -------- / -------