This story is the sole property of me, ‘cuz I WROTE IT! Whoever has
a problem with that- sorry.  All characters, HOWEVER, are the sole 
property of Naoko Takeuchi, who made the whole neat thing up in the first 
place.  I will not list the various companies who have some sort of lease 
on Sailor Moon- there are too many too mention.  Suffice it to say that I 
apologize to them if they don’t like this, and they better ask my permission 
before using it (like even!).
Warning to NA SMoon watchers- I am learning Japanese right now.  That does
 not mean that if you are from Japan, you can write me a letter in Japanese
 and I will understand you.  Nor does that mean that if you are from North 
America, you can write me a letter saying ‘O hi o go zyemoss!’ and I will 
forgive you. What that means is that I tend to use Japanese names, words and 
honorifics more often than normal, as well as a few of the Japanese attacks. 
Following is a short glossary (if you’re a seasoned SMooner, you can probably 
skip this part.)

ara : mild exclamation, like ‘Goodness!’ or ‘Oh, my!’
baka : stupid, absurd, etc. Insult!
-chan : honorific- doesn’t really mean anything, it’s just polite to add it to
someone’s name if you’re speaking to them.
daifuku : Japanese desert made with sweet bean curd
Endymion : Mamoru’s name as a Prince of Earth and Champion of the Dark 
Kingdom
Hai : yes
Honto : true
Juuban : number 10 (what’d you expect, George Washington?)
Mamo-chan : Usagi’s nickname for Mamoru
odango-atama : dumpling-head (referring to Usagi’s lovely hairstyle)
oshi okiyo : from Sailor Moon's speech, 'tsukini kawatte, oshi okiyo.' Translates
 as 'In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!
'Rei-bakana-no : I think this means "Oh, Rei the stupid one," but I'm not sure,
so call me on it if I'm wrong.
-sama : Honored Mr., Ms. or Mrs.
-san : Mr., Ms. or Mrs.
senshi : warriors or soldiers
youma : icky *nasty* _evil_ ~thingies~ (demon/monsters who work for the Dark 
Kingdom)
Yuuichiiro : Chad. You remember, the guy who thought avalanche surfing was the 
latest thing?

This story takes place between ‘Last Resort’ and ‘Tuxedo Unmasked’ in series 
one of Sailor Moon and asks the (to me) interesting question- "Whatever happened
to those crazy seven shadow thingies?"



Dark Facets Part 1
by Ursula Owen/Tsukino Ureshii no Uma/Sailor Ursa (@ apops.ix.netcom.com)
Ginzuishou ni kage? Seera Maazu wa uragimasu.

***

The room is totally filled with people, and I walk with dignity among them. 
Eyes follow me across the room, both male and female, and all of them are filled with awe.  After all, 
I am the Moon Princess Serenity, and while my mother is even more important than me, 
she isn’t going to steal my spotlight.  Tonight is my night.
“Princess!” Four familiar voices call out. “Over here!”  I glance over and see my four 
best friends, the Sailor Senshi, hanging out by the far wall.  All of them have dressed up, 
knowing how big this night was for me, and they would have drawn stares if I hadn’t 
been here.  Mercury’s leaning against the balcony railing, wearing this long flowing blue 
dress with puffy sleeves that set off her eyes and hair just right.  Jupiter has on a green 
off-the-shoulder sheath with a lace up bodice and stole that really look good on her, and 
Venus looks totally classic in an orange-and-white evening gown with gloves.  And Mars- 
well, I suppose Mars looks pretty too, I guess.  She has a red strapless with a huge long 
scarf, and a gold headband.  I won’t tell you just yet what I’m wearing- why ruin the 
surprise?
 “So what’s up?” Jupiter asks, smiling.  “When’s it gonna start?”
“Just a few minutes,” I answer, almost too excited to keep from breaking out laughing. 
“Just a few more minutes...”  I flash them a nervous smile, and everyone grins back.“You’ll do fine, Serenity,” Venus assures me.
 “Yeah, you’ll do just great,” Mars says, and I stare at her, surprised. 
“Oh... Thanks!” All of a sudden, everything comes crashing down. “You guys are so such 
great friends!” I realize I’m crying a little, but it doesn’t seem to matter. “I mean- Mars, 
you’re all practically princesses in your own right- you don’t have to be nice to me, but- 
you all are!” 
“It’s our duty,” Mercury says, a little startled.
“No, it’s your duty to protect me, not to be nice to me.  I mean, really.”
“Hey, no problem,” Mars shrugs. “I mean, it’s not like I have to feel threatened by you 
or anything.  So why should I be mean?”  I know she’s teasing me with truth, and that 
makes the comment all the more bittersweet.
“Thanks _anyway_, Mars.” She laughs.  We all do.  Then, as my mother, Queen Serenity, 
stands from her throne, the room silences, and we wait.
My mother raises her voice and speaks with crystal clarion across the crowded ballroom.  
“As you all know, 140 years ago today my daughter Serenity was born.  Ever since that 
day, she has been a constant joy- and trial- to us all.”  She pauses to smile tenderly at 
me, and I smile back. 
“However, at last it is time for her to put aside childish things and become an adult, and 
heir to the Silver Millenium and the Kingdom of the Moon.”  Again she pauses, this time 
to pick up her scepter from the pedestal on her right. Suddenly the warm voice is hard 
and serious.
“Serenity, Daughter of Serenity and Endymion, come forth!”  I separate myself from the 
senshi and walk slowly up to the dias.  How many times I’ve practiced this moment!
At last I reach the steps and kneel before her. “Serenity, daughter of Serenity, Queen of 
the Moon Kingdom, accept you this kingdom and legacy for your own, to guard, protect, 
and serve in any event?” My throat is dry, but I manage to say “Yes” loud enough that 
the room can hear me.
“Rise then, Serenity, princess and Heir of the Silver Millenium.  Keep always with you 
this locket, that it may remind you of your duty when all else is gone.”  She hands me a 
star-shaped locket, and as I open the cover, tinkling music pours out into the room.
 “Yes, my queen- Mother.”  I take the locket, and slip it over my head.
The room full of people cheers.
As I hurry down the steps, through the mob and into the antechamber, I keep glimpsing a 
shadow out of the corner of my eye.  It’s strange- in the crowd of brightly dressed 
courtiers, there is one man, dressed in black, who keeps appearing.  I wonder for a 
moment who he is, but of course, as he steps out of the shadows, I already 
know.“Endymion! You came!”  I rush to embrace him, feeling my eyes swell with tears 
for the second time in the same night.  “You really came!”  I look up into his blue eyes, 
and think, _this is what has been missing_.  It seems that he is always not there, and I 
wonder why his absence is so much more important than anyone else’s presence.  “Oh, 
Endymion,” and I start to sob, “why is it always this way?  When will we ever really be 
together?”
He kisses me tenderly on the forehead. “That’s why I’m here, Princess.” I look up at him 
in wonder.
“What do you mean?” I stare, confused, as he kneels before me. Then, I catch on, and am 
left breathless as he pulls some small, bright object from a pocket.
“Princess Serenity,” he says, his eyes solemn, yet joyful, “will you accept this ring from 
me as a token of our love?”
 “Why,” and I knit my eyebrows, “yes, Endymion, but- what does this mean?  Are you-”
 “Yes, Princess,” he continues. “I ask you- will you marry me?”
“Of course!” I cry out, and embrace him again. “Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times over!” I 
can hear someone calling out to me in the background, but I don’t care- right now I want 
to hold onto Endymion forever, and never let go of this moment or my beloved.  But the 
voice becomes more persistent. “Usagi!”
“Who?” I wonder, but at the same time I know- and I cry out no, please, don’t let it end- 
but it does.

***

“Usagi! Get up! And let go of that pillow! Usagi, get out of bed NOW!”  My mother was starting 
to growl, so I stuck my face out from beneath the covers and asked, in an extremely irritated 
voice, “Nani?!”  
Anyone else’s mother might have noticed what a bad mood I was in, but no, not mine.
“Get UP!  You’re late for school again!”  I groaned and dragged myself out of bed.  Luna was 
sitting on the windowsill, looking innocent, and I blew her a raspberry before pulling on my 
uniform and racing downstairs.
“Watch out, watch out, coming through, hand me a piece of toast and get OUT of my way!” I 
shouted as the kitchen door slammed shut behind me.  Dad tried to kiss me on the forehead, but I 
was moving so fast that he fell back, his glasses knocked onto the floor.
"Um, sorry Papa, but youknow, gotta run, don't want to make Haruna-san suspend me, sorry 
about the food," (the last bit as his bowl of rice spilt onto the floor,) "and I'll see you all later, 
'kay?" The front door was only a temporary barrier between me and my destination- Juuban 
Public Middle School.
"Usagi!" Luna cried after me, her eyes wide as I took the corner at record speed. "Wait up!"

While I’m making like a Concord for first period, allow me to introduce myself.  I am Tsukino 
Usagi.  See, I'm a normal, underachieving, airhead, crybaby 14-year-old girl, or at least I would 
be if, one day, a black cat hadn't started talking to me. That's Luna.  She explained to me that I 
was really a pretty sailor-suited superheroine.  That's Sailor Moon.  I then met up with four other 
similarly-minded young girls (that's the Sailor Senshi) and we fought a lot of evil trashy people 
(that's the Dark Kingdom.) Then, one day, I met up with this jerk that I really hate (that's Chiba 
Mamoru) and discovered that he was this guy that I really go for (that's Tuxedo Kamen.)  On the 
same day, I recieved the Empyrean Silver Crystal, and all my memories from the past, in which I 
was princess of the Moon Kingdom, and Mamo-chan was my beloved, Prince Endymion of the 
Earth.  All of this is not the wierd part.  The wierd part is that, after that illustrious event, Chiba 
Mamoru was turned by the Dark Kingdom and began fighting against us! I, of course, handled it 
with admirable grace, ("Wahhhh!  Mamo-chan doesn't love me anymore!") while the other 
senshi offered encouragement and moral support ("Shut up, Baka-brain!").  And that brings me 
to now, when I've just gotten back from my family vacation at the hot springs, and this very 
moment, when I am running as fast as possible to get to school before my teacher, Yomemi 
Haruna, gives me detention again.

"Umino-chan?"
"Hai!"
"Naru-chan?"
"Hai!"
"And- here's hoping- Usagi-chan?"
"Haaaaiiii-  aaaaaah!"  I tripped over Tenki-chan's desk and collapsed on the floor, scrabbling for 
a handhold. "Oh, waaaaaaaaaah!" 
Naru leant over and whispered "Usagi-chan, ssssssh! Haruna-sensei is not in a very good mood 
today!"
"Usagi!"  Haruna-san shouted at me before she could finish.  "Do you know how late you are?!"  
I extracated myself from Tenki-chan's desk and stood up, my hands folded behind my back.
"Ummm- no?"  I could almost see her eyes turn blood red as she slowly approached me, her ruler 
tapping menacingly against one hand.
"Wrong answer," she growled, and whisked me out into the hall.

Far beneath the surface of the Earth, two figures stood in a dark cavern.  They waited in silence 
until, at last, a sinuous voice sounded out from the huge, serpentine throne.
"Kunzite," Queen Beryl announced, "I want you to hurt the Sailor Senshi."  One of the crowds of 
youma in the background snickered.
"My Queen," he answered, after he had had enough time to properly compose himself, "How is 
this different from what you have always wanted me to do?"
"Do not be smart with me, Kunzite!" she exclaimed.
"There's no threat of that," Endymion muttered to himself."Silence, little prince," Kunzite muttered back.
"I want you to wound them," the Queen continued. "You see," and she paused for dramatic 
emphasis, "I have discovered something unusual about the Empyrean Silver Crystal."
"What is it, my Queen?" Kunzite replied eagerly.
"None of your business, Kunzite! Suffice it to say that you must hurt the Sailor Senshi, 
extensively.  Otherwise, my plan will not work."
"As you command, my Queen." 
“BUT!” she added, as the general turned to leave. “You must not incapacitate Sailor Moon.”  He 
waited expectantly. “That is all.”
Kunzite flourished his hand and disappeared in a flash of dark magic.
"Hmmm..." Endymion pondered as his rival disappeared.  Then, as Queen Beryl turned back to 
her crystal ball, he pulled his cloak around him and exited the audience room, thinking Hurt the 
Sailor Senshi?  This could be fun, even if I can’t get a few knocks in on that ditz Sailor Moon, 
and there's no way I'm going to let Kunzite steal the spotlight.

"Hey, Usagi-chan!" Makoto called from across the park.  "Over here!"  I picked my way through 
the crowds of students eating lunch in the park and trudged over to where my friends were 
sitting.
"Hi, guys," I mumbled, and leaned loosely against the chainlink fence.
"Hey, what's up?" Minako asked, her face concerned.
"Oh, she's just being herself.  That's probably depressing enough," Rei said nonchalantly.
"Rei!" Minako muttered between clenched teeth. "Zip your lip!"
"It's okay, Minako-chan," I said, depressed.  "It's not like I expect Rei to act any other way than 
she always does."
"So what's your problem?"
"Oh, I dunnow," I replied distractedly. "I mean, same dreams as always, same problems as 
always- same Endymion as always..."
"Get it together, odango-atama!" Rei shouted suddenly. "Get over him already!  He's not coming 
back, so why not just give up on the jerk and get on with your life?"
I stared at her- even Rei was usually more tactful than that. "Oh, Rei," I whispered at last, my 
eyes starting to water, "why are you always so mean to me?  I mean, you loved Mamo-chan 
too..."
"No I didn't!" she yelled.  "And neither did you!  So give it a rest already!"  I started to cry.  
Minako and Makoto ran to hug me, while Ami continued typing numbers into her 
supercomputer.
"Rei!" Mako reproached her, all the while setting me carefully down on the ground. 
"Yes, Rei, how could you?!" Minako asked as Rei humphed and turned away.  "You know that 
she's had it hard, that all this with Endymion has really stressed her out!"
"She doesn't know anything about stress!" said Rei, turning back with a spark in her eyes.  "She's 
had us all coddling her and protecting her from anything that moves for the last few weeks- I say 
she needs a little stress!  Let her learn about heartache- let her find out about pressure and fear 
and doubt and pain!  Let the precious princess earn her crown!"  Rei stormed off, and no one 
followed her.
"She's just tired and stressed," Minako assured me, and Makoto nodded wordlessly.
"Guys," Ami interrupted, "I think I've found something."  We all looked up, surprised.
"I didn't even know we were looking for anything," Makoto said, and, together with her and 
Minako, I hunched over Ami's shoulder.
"So what did you find?" Minako questioned.
"I think it's some sort of- energy hole," Ami replied.  "It's a funnel of negative magic, leading 
directly into-" She paused, and then looked up at us, surprised.  
"Leading where, Ami?" I asked, rubbing the last vestiges of tears from my eyes. 
"Leading- directly into the Dark Kingdom.  And- it's in the middle of Rei's temple."  
We glanced at eachother and some subtle signal passed between us.  "Time to go," Minako stated firmly.

Kunzite smiled at his minions. "Now, there is one rule that will govern this particular scheme 
very rigidly."
"What's that, boss?" one of the youma asked, her voice sibilant in the echoing stone halls of the 
temple.
"There are no rules," he replied. "You can hurt humans, drain their energy, or whatever it takes 
to get the Sailor Senshi to come.  When they get here- do whatever you want to them, just hurt 
them.  Hurt them a lot!  That is what Queen Beryl has ordered."
"Yes, master," the youma replied with one voice.
"But-" he said, his voice suddenly stern, "there is one thing you must not do! Queen Beryl has 
ordered that you must not hurt Sailor Moon!"

"Mercury Power, Make Up!"
"Venus Power, Make Up!"
"Jupiter Power, Make Up!"
"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"
We ran along the rooftops, as always, heading for the temple.
"Mars!" I shouted over the wind, traffic noises and theme music.
"Yes?"
"How much farther are we going to have to-" huff, puff, "-run?"
"Only a mile or two!"
"Only a-" huff, puff, "-mile or-" gasp, wheeze, "-two?! WAAAAHH!" I kept running, but as I 
leapt over the next alleyway, my fashionable high-heel caught on the roof tiles and I tumbled 
into Jupiter.  She tripped into Mercury, who lashed out with her arm and brought Venus down as 
well.  We ended up rolling in a tight ball down the other side of the roof and into the next 
alleyway.  "HEELLLP!" I screamed as I fell over the rim and started to drop-
And I was caught- by Mercury as she grabbed onto the clothesline hanging over us.  Jupiter did 
the same for Venus, and slowly we pulled eachother, hand over hand, back onto the roof top.
Ami groaned. "You're heavy, Usagi-chan!"
"Oh, Sailor Moon!" Luna exclaimed wearily as she finally caught up with us.
"Get off my case, Luna!" I shouted as we started running again.  "I mean, it's not like I chose this 
outfit!  I suggest you talk to central control about it if you want me to change!"
"As if Central Control has anything to say about it!" she shouted back.  "'Central Control' is too 
busy trying to get his paws where any decent cat wouldn't dare!"
"What?" I cried out as we cleared the last wall and ran toward the temple.  "You mean Artemis is 
Central Control?  Then- but- aaw, kitty love!"  
Luna hissed at me as we came to the gate."Shut your mouth, Usagi!" she yelled.  "If there're two things I'm not interested in, they're Artemis and playing 'Guard the Moon Kingdom' with him!"
"Lighten up, Luna!" Venus whispered as we began to sneak into the courtyard. "Artemis really 
cares about you, okay?"
"Well, okay," Luna replied doubtfully, "but I still don't see why he can't just talk to me about it-"
"Heeeeellllllpppp!"
We all looked up, and Mercury asked, "Is that- Rei?"
"Heellp! There's a monster!"
"I didn't think Rei screamed that much," I commented.
"Pleeeaaaase!  Someone help me!!!"  We heard footsteps and turned just in time to see 
Yuuichiiro running out into the courtyard, looking scared out of his mind.
"Yuuichiiro- where is Rei-chan?" 
He stopped and stared at us for a moment before stuttering out "Rei- is- uuuuum- in her- uh-"  
He started to blush.
"Where is she, you perv?" Makoto asked in a sudden fit of impatience.
"She's- in the- in the- bathroom," he spit out at last, and we took off for the house.

“Alright, youma, what are you doing in my temple?” Rei called out as the thing that looked 
almost, but not entirely, unlike a large electric razor burst into the room with an evil grin.
“I’m here to give you a haircut, glamour girl!” it replied.  Rei jumped out of the tub and wrapped 
herself quickly in a thick towel.
“No one snips my locks, you infomercial reject,” she shouted, and flung a bar of “Venus Love 
Me” soap at the evil beastie. It screamed out in pain.  
“What have you done to me?” It rubbed its eyes, and collapsed on the floor, shedding thick 
clouds of red dust and crackling slightly. “What- what’s happening to me?” it sobbed.
“I confess,” Rei said with a wicked grin as she slipped out of the room.  “It’s moisturizing soap. 
It shouldn’t be any problem for you, though- I guess you’re just getting a little rusty.” With that, 
she exited as the youma began to spark with visible electricity.
“Hey, you!” she yelled as Sailor Venus raced down the hall. “What’s going on?”
“There’re youma in your temple!” Venus shouted back.
“Tell me something I don’t already know!” Rei called out after the fleeing scout.
“Mars Power, Make Up!”Rings of fire etched the air around her as she transformed into Sailor Mars. 
“Venus!” she gasped. 
“Wait up!”

“Luna,” I asked with a confused look, “Where are we going?”  She had been leading me through 
the twisting halls of Rei’s temple for what seemed like hours, and nothing had happened.
“Be quiet, Usagi,” she replied distractedly. “We must be very quiet.”
“But- unnngh, Luna, why?” I hate missing out on a good secret, and I really hate being quiet.
“Because,” she said, her eyes narrowed in concentration, “there’s a youma right around this 
corner.”
“A youma? Here? You’re kidding, Luna. There’s no youma there.” I laughed and turned the 
corner in devil-may-care fashion, just in time to avoid being hit by-
“Youma Rubix, at your service!” the nasty thingy covered with colored squares shouted at me.
“Oh, icky!” I yelled. “I hate those things! I can never figure them out!” I started to back up, 
hoping that Luna would have the sense to get out of my way before I tripped over her.“What’s the matter, Sailor Moon?” it asked, grinning evilly. “Can’t take the brain strain? No 
wonder- a ditz like you probably can’t even untie her own shoelaces.”“I am not a ditz!” I was absolutely outraged. “Luna, tell him- her- it that I’m not a ditz!”“Usagi is not a ditz!” The fact that I, at that moment, dropped my moon stick and had Luna catch 
it probably didn’t support my case very well. 
“Was that convincing in the least?” Luna asked as I backed up some more.  The youma 
advanced.
“How are you going to get out of this one, Sailor Moon?” it sneered.“Easy!” I grabbed the stick from Luna and raised it high. “The way I always deal with youma 
_and_ rubix cubes!” My cat guardian looked at me quizzically.“And how’s that?”
“Moon…..” turning, gathering the force of my magic behind me,…“Healing….” taking aim, preparing for the blow,…“Escalation!” I bonked the infernal puzzle on the head with my moon stick and ran. “Good one, Usagi!” Luna cried as the youma fell apart and disappeared.

“We’re almost there,” Ami announced as we approached the central room. “It’s only a few 
meters away now…”
“Enough of this already!” Makoto shouted. “I’m so sick of sneaking around these creeps!” She 
broke out at a dead run for the center of the shrine.
“Jupiter, wait!” Ami pleaded, but went unheard.
“She’s right!” I said. “Let’s trash this trash!” I ran after her.
“Sailor Moon!” Luna implored me. “Wait for the other scouts!”
“No, Luna!” I yelled back. “I may never have had very much bravery, but impatience is the next 
best thing!” I heard the clicking of heels behind me and knew that the other Senshi were 
following.  At last, I pushed the screen door of the inner sanctum open- and came face to face 
with
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh! Help! It’s Kunzite!” He grinned and pointed a finger at 
me, no doubt preparing to ‘Kun!’ me out of existence, but at that moment Sailor Jupiter crashed 
into him from behind and we collapsed in a heap on the floor.“You know,” said Jupiter as Malachite began to turn green and disentangled himself from us 
very quickly, “he kind of reminds me of-“ “Oh, Jupiter, no!” I shouted, sickened by the prospect. “Don’t say it, don’t even think it!”“Hey,” she replied irately, “if you can be gone on a cute evil guy, why can’t I?”
“Because Zoisite was a MAN!” I muttered as I pulled myself off the floor. So?” she pouted. “I bet I could get him back on the- a-hah- straight and narrow again!”
“Like even!”
“Sailor brats!” Kunzite shouted, and we turned, as one, to face him. “Don’t think that you’re 
going to get away this time!  Queen Beryl no longer wants your puny crystal, and therefore has 
no further use for you!” He emitted another evil laugh that spread like a bad odor through the 
room, making everyone feel just a little sick.
“Hey Kunzite!” Rei challenged. “Why don’t you shove this where the fire don’t burn!”
“Fire…..” Rei tensed, gathering the power of Mars around her…“SOUL!” A huge ball of flame hurtled towards Kunzite, who dodged and ran right into one of his nasty 
henchmen.  Rei’s fire flew harmlessly into the back wall (well, alright, it harmed the back wall, 
but who’s counting?) while Kunzite collapsed on the ground, cradling his head and moaning, 
“Get them!” The youma started eagerly towards us, and he continued, “get them for Zoisite!”All of the youma stopped and stared at him.  One of them, a giant parking meter, said, “Sorry, 
but you’re not paying me enough energy for that.” Kunzite turned bright red.“You- you- how dare you?  Queen Beryl will not be pleased with this!” The youma flinched.“Well, if you want me to get them for Queen Beryl, that’s an entirely different matter.” The other 
youma nodded in agreement, and then they began to come after us.“There’s so many of them!” I heard Ami mutter to Minako. “How can we possibly fight them 
all?”
“We have to!” Makoto shouted.  “We may not know what they’re up to, but whatever it is, we 
have to stop them!”
“Yeah,” I added, “or we’ll be toast!”
With that, the battle began.

Off to the side, Endymion watched coldly as the scouts fought for their lives.
“This could be done so much more efficiently,” he decided at last, and was about to join in the 
fray when Queen Beryl spoke to him. 
“Endymion!” she commanded. “Return to my court at once.  This is not to be your battle.”
Damn. 

I polished off another youma with my tiara and turned to look for more; it seemed like we had 
gotten almost all of them, but I could still hear growls and shouts from somewhere close by…
“AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHH!”
I heard someone scream out in pain.
“Sailor Mars!”
In one of the halls branching off from the main room, we found her, one leg scored by a huge, 
dirty gash.  The monster who had done it was gone, leaving only a trail of red dust behind.“Mars!” I cried, cradling her head in my lap. “Mars- speak to me!”
“It- had- durable circuitry,” was all she could stutter before collapsing.
“Quick, Sailor Moon!” Luna declared in a worried voice. “You must use the crystal to heal her, 
now!”
“Right!” I gathered my powers for another ‘Moon Healing Escalation’ and brought them to bear 
on Rei, focusing them through the Empyrean Silver Crystal.

Deep within the crystal, a hunger stirred.  It was being exposed to power, more power than it had 
encountered since it had been locked away inside its gemstone prison.  It reached out, longing, 
and took hold of the darkness it found in the girl’s body- its new home.

“Sailor Mars- Sailor Mars- are you alright?”
Slowly, slowly, the 3rd senshi’s eyes opened.  She sat up and looked around.  “What- 
happened?” Her eyes landed on me for a moment, and narrowed. Then she got up and dusted 
herself off.
“Mars?” I repeated, my eyes wide (well okay, so my eyes are always wide. So?). “Are you 
alright?”  She stared at me for a moment, then replied.
“I’m fine, baka-brain.” She contemplatively traced the long, thin scar on her leg, and walked 
away.
“You’re welcome,” I called after her.  Rei didn’t answer. “There’s gratitude for you!”
“That’s wierd,” Minako commented.  “Rei is usually nicer than that.”
“Yeah,” Ami agreed. “She must have really been affected by that wound.”
“I don’t know,” I said, after we had all watched Rei turn back into her normal form and leave 
without another word.  “She seems- darker.”

“Queen Beryl-sama!” Kunzite crowed as he returned to the Dark Kingdom’s throne room. “I 
have done as you asked!  Sailor Mars was wounded deeply, in the leg! But- Sailor Moon healed 
her!”
“Perfect.”  Queen Beryl smiled secretively. “Do not fear, Kunzite.  My plan is proceeding well. 
You will not be punished.”  A flush of relief mixed with shame passed over Kunzite’s face as he 
realized she had been reading him like a book.  “You will not join your Zoisite now,” she added, 
and he flushed even redder before disappearing in a wash of negative magic.“Queen Beryl!” Endymion called out before she could lose herself in the crystal ball again.  
“What is this- plan?  Why won’t you tell us of it?”
“I have no trust of you, Endymion!” the queen growled, her eyes narrowed. “You have defeated 
my schemes several times in your eagerness to protect ‘innocent people’ and get the Empyrean 
Silver Crystal.  Now that that is no longer the object of my desires, you should beware, lest your 
treachery land you in- aha- hot water.” 
Endymion scowled- no doubt she was referring to the incident with the evil spirit of the hot 
springs.
“My allegiance is only to you, my Queen,” he forced himself to reply at last. “My body, soul, 
and heart-” he heard her gasp, and saw her expression soften, “- are eternally in your debt for 
resurrecting me from the Empyrean Crystal’s spell.” But my mind, he thought as Beryl motioned 
for him to rise with a girlish flutter of her hand, will always be my own.  I’ll find out what you’re 
up to, or you’ll tell me yourself.

End of Part 1
Hey, this is my first, so please write me with any of the four C’s (comments, compliments, complaints, or criticisms) at apops@ix.netcom.com. Thanx!
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4&EIW	K	Dan KingsburyAnn Pearl Owen, PS--------------79FE2E751581
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