Û¥-
By Ursula Owen/Hoshino Ureshii /Sailor Ursa (flames (which I await with word 
processor ready, thesaurus on standby and eyes glowing with anticipation,) & al. go to 
Urs @ apops@ix.netcom.com)

Koi kuni no Seera Senshi-tachi? Doo arareru ka? (Is this right? I don't know- my 
'comprehensive' book on Japanese doesn't consider aru an irregular verb)



Okay, AUTHOR’S NOTE!

All characters, items, settings, et al. are copyright Naoko Takeuchi et al. All Plot devices, 
however, belong to me (that is, if I haven’t already infringed on another author’s 
copyright…) and I would appreciate people asking permission if (as if) they ever decide to 
use them.  This story, as you may have noticed, tends to get darker as it goes, and I 
promise that the trend will continue.  Just wait until Part 5…

Anyway, this episode is rated about PG13, ‘cuz of the usual frying of people and 
innuendos, and I hope you enjoy it thoroughly.  SO, without further ado, here’s part 3 of 
Dark Facets.



***



While speaking words of love, he sounds so despairing...

"Serenity, I love you- I want to be with you always, to live out my days with you..."

"Oh Endymion, you know it can't be! You're human- you won't live nearly as long as me! 
I don't want to see you die before my eyes!" It's for his own good, I think, and laugh at 
the absurdity of my feelings for him.  When had it ever seemed that we had time to live and love, time to be together?  Now there is only regret, pain, and fear that there is more to come.  I have to keep him away- my Endymion...  
He takes my hand, pleadingly.

"The maboroshi no ginzuishou will keep me alive- as it does for the people of the moon!"

"But- to live here all your life- to be separated from your people- could you bear it? For 
me?" I want to hear yes, but I know it would be so unfair of me to expect it.

"I-" he pauses, clearly torn. "I want to be with you!" I wonder whether he is saying it to 
me or to himself.

"Endymion," I say gently, disengaging his hand from mine, "you must do as you believe.  
Surely- surely the people of earth will need you more- you are their leader, and you- you 
will be needed-" He stops me with a kiss.

"Forget it- that's tomorrow.  Let's not worry about it." I'm about to say something, but he 
lifts a finger to my lips, silencing me again. "Please?"

"I promise," I whisper, and we spend our remaining minutes in blissful silence.



***



"Oooh, Tuxedo Kamen- Endymion- Mamo-chan..." I whispered. Something warm and soft 
moved slowly against my face.

"AAAUUUGHH!" I sat up and sent Luna flying across the room. "Warui kitty!" Luna 
gave a small whimper and collapsed on the floor. "Luna," I said at last, after washing the 
claw-scratches clean, "why were you sleeping on my face?!"

"Because," Luna replied, "it was the only place on the bed that wasn't moving."

"So sleep on the windowsill!"

"Why're you so grumpy?"

"I woke up from a dream of love to a reality of fur, that's why!" I stuck my head beneath 
my pillow and whispered, "Okay, Mamo-chan- could we please start over?" Luna 
harrumphed and lay back down, this time on the windowsill.



"Rei-chan- don't do this!" Ami cried, as Rei lifted a finger and a single red spark appeared 
about an inch above it.

"Rei-chan will do whatever she damn well pleases," Rei said, and, lifting one hand into 
the sky, cried, 
"Lava..."

The air around her hand began to turn dark red and shimmer, as if it was boiling with 
heat.

"Dome..." 

The red glow enveloped her entire body, and she began to spin again, at last slowing to a 
stop. Then, she pointed a single finger at Ami.

"BURST!"

The wave of superheated air surrounded Sailor Mercury, and she collapsed on the 
pavement, scorched.

"If only I could summon my shabon..." she whispered, but knew that she had neither the 
strength nor the will. Mars walked up to her and laughed. Then, with a careless gesture, 
she tossed the communicator on top of Ami's prone body and disappeared, along with the 
youma and Kunzite.
_
I know what she wants me to do,_ Ami thought. _I- I think I understand. But if I don't call 
them- I'll-_ She stopped and shuddered.  Death had been a threat, before, but never had it 
loomed so close. _What will they do? Without me?_ 
At last, she decided.

"Mako- Minako- Usagi- come in, please.  This is Sailor Mercury- and I really need your 
help..."



"Ami-chan! Speak to me!" Makoto raced out of her house, transforming as she went.  
There was no time to say hi to Motoki, who stared as she ran past the arcade.  "Ami-chan! 
Damnit, give me a sign! How are you? Are you safe?" There was no answer.



"Ami-chan! What happened?" Minako jetted for the park, her shoe rubber evaporating as 
she turned a corner.  Artemis ran after her, amazed as she turned into a streak of blonde 
hair. 

"Mina-chan!" He winced as she sped even more, and then began her transformation. 
"Will you please wait up!" _I've been chasing her ever since London,_ he grumbled 
internally and tried to keep up.



"Ami-cchhaaaaaann, what's wrong?" I whined as Luna practically dragged me out of the 
house. "Can't it wait?"

"No, Usagi-" there was a loud groan, but Ami's voice was still fond as she continued. "It 
can't wait." 

"Of course it can't wait, Usagi!" Luna shouted, and I started running in the direction of 
Juuban Park.

"Don't worry, Ami-chan," I gasped into the communicator after transforming, "I'm 
coming."



"What happened?" Sailor Venus cried as she rushed to Ami's side. The second Senshi 
was covered with dark red patches where her singed skin had cracked, and blisters 
dotted her face. "You're all burnt! Who did this? Kunzite? One of Queen Beryl's youma?"

"No," Ami groaned weakly, "Rei-chan."

"REI?!" We gave a kind of collective gasp.

"She's been- corrupted, by the Dark Kingdom.  She- transformed into some sort of 
alternate sailor senshi- Shadow Sailor Mars, she called herself." 
We all took a moment to 
digest this. 
At last Minako asked "Did she say anything? At all?"

"Yes!" Ami exclaimed. "She said- she said-" She furrowed her brow, as if she was trying 
to get something out, but couldn't.

"Come on, Ami, you can tell us!" Mako said encouragingly.  Ami gave her a blank look.

"No I can't," she stated at last. "The censors won't let me."

Minako groaned. "Could you at least give us the gist?"

"Could you at least stabilize me first?" Mercury whispered weakly, her breath coming in 
short gasps.

"Oh, yeah!" I winced as the other senshi turned disapproving eyes on me.

"Moon Healing Escalation!"



Ami felt the change come over her, and knew it for what it was, but by the time she could 
speak again, it was too late.  Something had settled inside her, and its essence was pure 
destructive evil.



"Did it work?" I asked at last, through the choking silence. Mercury lay before me, her skin smooth and pale, her eyes closed.  I could hardly even tell if she was breathing.

"Only one way to find out," Luna muttered.  She straightened up and barked, "Sailor 
Mercury! Wake up! Right now!" 
Ami sat straight up and her eyes snapped wide open. 
"Yes Luna? What is it?" Then she 
looked around, as if grounding herself. "I- see," she said to no one in particular, and got 
up.  Without another word, she walked away.

"Oh no- not again," I whimpered as the other senshi stared after her in silence. 
Mercury transformed back and disappeared.



In Queen Beryl's throne room, there was a hush.  The many youma watched Rei strut in 
her new costume as Kunzite sulked, his face almost identical to that of Endymion- who 
sulked next to him.

"Alright, Mars," Beryl said at last, beginning to feel a little chagrinned herself. "You may 
go now.  Invite your friend Mercury to join us." Mars bowed and turned to leave. "Do not 
fail me, Mars!" Queen Beryl cried, her voice suddenly filling the huge, echoing hall. 
"You have not yet proved yourself!"

"Of course, Queen Beryl." Mars bowed again and disappeared in a flash of red and purple 
light. 
Endymion stepped forward. 
"Do you still wish me to follow her, my Queen?" he asked.

"Of course."

"As you wish," he said, and, pressing her hand to his lips, dispersed into the Dark 
Kingdom's shadows.

"And as for me, Queen Beryl?" Kunzite insisted, practically pouting.

"You are no longer needed, Kunzite." Queen Beryl smiled pleasantly. "I'm sure Mars and 
Endymion can handle this one.  Go- mope or something." Kunzite growled, but obeyed.



“So it’s more than just a phase,” Luna stated with finality. “There really is something 
going on here, something beneath the surface.  I think that the Dark Kingdom is stealing 
the senshi away from us.”

“But how?” Artemis protested. “What could they possibly do to subvert the 4 greatest 
warriors that you or I have ever met?” Luna looked up at him from where she sat on the 
floor.

The two cats were sitting in Usagi’s room, conferring over whether the recent happenings.  
So far, the facts had been repeated a thousand times, but nothing new or helpful had come 
up.

“Four warriors?” Luna asked. “What about Sailor Moon?” Artemis laughed.

“What about Sailor Moon?” he answered.

“She’s a warrior too, Artemis, even if you won’t admit it.  She’s been working hard, trying 
to live up to your standards, as well as those of the other senshi. Worst of all, she’s been 
working up to the ones she’s placed on herself.” Artemis laughed again; it was an ugly, 
sarcastic laugh filled with the essence of too many years alone and too many fights 
unalleviated by the thought of friendship.

“Usagi’s standards? She wants to be the fastest eater in the world, the lowest 
underachiever, the loudest crybaby.  What good will those do her in the real world, or in 
our fight against the Dark Kingdom?”

Luna hissed at him, then stopped, surprised at her own maternal feelings towards Usagi. 
“You have to understand, Artemis,” she said at last. “Usagi’s never had to do anything 
this hard before- she’s living under strain, every second.  She’s more than one person right 
now.”

“So she has a mental disorder.  What else is new?”

“Stop being so damned perverse and listen to me, you sad excuse for a furball! Usagi 
wants to be a normal girl- she wants to be a teenager, like anyone else.  That’s Usagi.  
Then there’s her past- she wants to be with Endymion and follow in her mother’s 
footsteps, to make her and us proud. That’s Serenity. She also wants to protect her friends 
and family, and to protect everyone she can from the powers of the Dark Kingdom.  
That’s Sailor Moon.  That’s a lot of different wants for one teenager to handle.” 

“So how come she’s unable to deal with it when the other Sailors seem to be doing just 
fine?”

“Omae wa bakana neko da!” Luna shouted, her temper beginning to get the better of her. 
“Why don’t you ever listen? Usagi’s emotional strength is atrophied, just like muscles can 
get sometimes.  She’s faced with forces she can’t comprehend, and she’s understandably 
afraid! If you don’t see why, then you’re blinder than I ever suspected!”

“Maybe you’re the blind one, Luna! You protect Usagi so much that you don’t even 
realize it, you think that she doesn’t need it, you give her strength and hope that she 
doesn’t have!  Usagi is an invertebrate, and you just can’t tell because you’re her spine!”  
Luna lost it- she lashed out with one paw, and left four long scores on Artemis’s 
face.  As the blood began to soak through, Artemis stared at her in amazement.

“Luna- Artemis?” The two cats stopped in their tracks and stared at where I stood, 
trembling, in the doorway. “You guys, please don’t fight. There’s- so much going on- 
we’ve lost Rei, and maybe-“ I couldn’t bring myself to say Ami’s name, to brand her like 
that when I wasn’t _quite_ sure… “-we all have to be on the same side- to present a 
united front, or else we’ll all get it.”

“Yeah, guys,” Mina and Makoto said as they appeared behind me. “We’ve got to be 
together on this.”

“Alright,” said Luna at last.  She walked over to where Artemis stood and licked his face 
off gently before following me and the girls downstairs.

I saw Artemis stare after her bemusedly as we left.




“So how are we going to get Rei back?” Makoto asked as she dropped another plate of 
tempura in front of us. We all sat for a moment, still and grim (except me, of course- I was 
chowing on tempura.) Luna in particular said nothing. Instead, she sought out an old 
pillow, collapsed, and, closing her eyes, let out a huge sigh.

“I don’t know, Mako-chan,” she said wearily.  “It seems that Rei has been stolen from us, 
we don’t know how, and there doesn’t seem to be much we can do right now.”  

“We are going to get her back, right? I mean, it’s not like she’s been changed forever,” 
Mako said, her eyes widening as she realized that that was exactly what all of us feared- 
and expected. Again the choking silence enveloped us, making each of us alone in the 
room which suddenly seemed cold as a mountaintop.

“Oh,” I whispered to myself, beginning to cry, “it’s not fair.  First they take Mamo-chan, 
then Rei-“ I knew that there was a logical conclusion to the sentence, but again I couldn’t 
say it.

“Nobody’s taken anyone!” We all looked up in surprise. Minna had risen from her chair, 
her eyes hard and determined.  “There’s a way to get Rei back- Mamoru too- and we just 
haven’t looked hard enough!  But if we think- really think- we can find it!  We’ll get them 
back!” I wiped the tears from my eyes and stared, blinking, at her.

“Do- do you really think so, Minako?  Do you think we can turn them to our side again?” 
I strained to believe it- to hope for the best when we were knee-deep in the worst.

“Of course!” Minna jumped up from her chair and raised her fist into the air, 
unconsciously mimicing her own ‘Venus Power’ pose. “We’ll get them back for sure! 
All we have to do is figure out- how.” She stopped, and her eyes dropped as she sat back 
down. “Of course, the figuring out is always the hardest part.” All of us sighed.



Shadow Sailor Mars condensed into existence outside the Tsukino household.  Inside, she 
could hear voices- worried ones, no doubt talking about her.  Of course, they were either 
too dumb or too blind to be worried about Mercury- but she would take care of that.  In 
the meantime, it would be best to let them stew.  After all, fear could be a very potent 
weapon...

Her eyes widened suddenly.  Why hadn’t she thought of that before?  All it would take 
would be a little flex of magic- and if focussed in particular on that airhead, Sailor Moon...

Mars concentrated and let her old experience as a priestess guide her new magic.  She 
reached out, tentatively at first, then more and more certainly as she perceived emptiness 
where she had expected barriers.  Of course!  Why would the Senshi have any experience 
in this type of magic, when all they had dealt with were their own puny powers and those 
of Kunzite and the other generals?  She smiled.  While the Senshi could drive off any 
attack with their powers, their minds were completely unguarded.

Shadow Sailor Mars went to work in the arena she was most skilled in- that of the human 
mind.



Still we sat, pondering our problem in silence, until Mako finally said “But did you guys 
see what she did to Amy? I mean, that was way more than Rei’s normal Fire Soul!”  We 
all nodded in agreement.



That’s one, Mars thought. She scoffed at what she could see of Makoto’s mind- all 
crushes and cooking.  I’m so glad that I’m no longer one of these peons, she continued, 
and went to work on the next mind.



“Yeah!” Minna said, suddenly chiming in.  “She was in way critical condition!  I mean, can 
you imagine how much that must have hurt? And she still told us as much as she could!”  

Makoto winced as she thought about it for a moment.



Thank you for your time, Mars thought as she slipped out of Minna’s mind.  There wasn’t 
much there either- concern, layered thinly over a huge amount of ambitions and memories.  
No goals, though, and no substance, as far as she was concerned.  She rubbed her hands 
together in anticipation as she turned her mental ‘eyes’ on Sailor Moon.



“But why would Rei do this?” I asked, urged by some unnameable force to ask the 
unanswerable question.



Oops, wrong button! Mars thought, slightly chagrinned, and concentrated harder.  Sailor 
Moon’s mind was so much more complex than she had expected- so many personal issues 
intertwined with crippling self-doubt and a thousand different priorities crying out for 
attention. It was no wonder the girl had such trouble with school.  It was a wonder she 
could concentrate on anything, with her mind as divided and twisted as it was!  And the 
girl hadn’t been lying when she’d poured her heart out on the temple steps- there was a 
void, a corner of what Rei might have called her ‘heart’ that remained empty.  Mars felt a 
pang of sympathy before she returned to her work.



The others stared at me, obviously not expecting the question.

“Well- I don’t know,” Luna scoffed, more than a little annoyed.  “Really, Usagi, can’t you 
stay on track for once in your life?”

“And what was so important that we were talking about?  Rei’s powers don’t matter for 
now- we’ve got to figure out why she’s left us in the first place!  It’s the key, I’m sure!” 
The other senshi moaned.

“For once in her life she’s sure of something,” Artemis groaned in a slightly forced tone. 
“Usagi, please stick to the subject!”

“I am sticking to the subject!  What’s the subject if not why Rei and Ami have abandoned 
us?”

“Now wait a minute, you don’t know that Ami has-”

“Of course I do!  It’s obvious, Mako-chan!  She’s acting the exact same way as Rei did!”



Shadow Sailor Mars winced elaborately.  What was with this girl’s mind?  She had 
pressed all the right buttons, so Sailor Moon should be quivering in her boots right now!



“And soon, if we don’t look out, we’ll have Shadow Sailor Mercury on our case as well!  
And then, who knows which one of us will go next?” I paused and looked around at the 
senshi, whose mouths hung open with shock.  For some reason I felt dizzy, and in the next 
few moments I tried to ground myself and breath slowly before continuing. “Don’t you 
guys see that that’s where this thing is going?  Who’ll be the last one left?  What if I’m the 
next one- then I won’t be able to heal you anymore.  We’ve got to understand what’s 
happening with the other Sailor Senshi before we can fight it.” They stared at me for a 
moment, then, slowly, their faces lightened. 

“Of course you’re right, Usagi,” Minako said firmly. “We’ve got to understand why.”



Mars gasped.  How had the girl come to these conclusions, unless- She hesitated.  If Sailor 
Moon had been pulling the facts from _her_ mind, that would imply that the girl had some 
spiritual powers of her own...

Which was, of course, completely impossible!  The airhead had no sensitivity- she’d just 
finally put ni and ni together and gotten yon.  But still- with Sailor Moon’s illusions had 
gone her control of the other senshi, and she’d best leave before they went outside to 
discover her on the front lawn.

In the meantime, though, she had some interesting things to tell Endymion...



“Okay,” Luna said, “We’ll have to retrace all the events that led to Rei and Ami’s 
desertion, starting with that energy hole Ami detected.  It might take a while, but we’ll be 
sure to cover all the ground that way. Now, can anyone remember what she said about 
it?”



“Kunzite!” Queen Beryl called, her eyes wide as she sensed the senshi moving closer to 
her secret.



“Um- she said that it was a fan or something...” I answered blankly as everyone looked 
expectantly at me. There was a beat, then everyone did a face fault.

“You mean a funnel?” Minna asked, one eyebrow perked.

“Yeah! A funnel of- dark magic? I think that was it.”

“Negative magic, and it was leading into the Dark Kingdom- in the middle of Rei’s 
temple.” Makoto brightened.  “That’s it! But- that’s all she said.”

“Okay, so this funnel could have been a factor.  Next?”



“Yes, M’queen?” Kunzite rose out of the floor, his eyes crackling with anger.



“Well- we transformed, and we ran to the temple.  Rei was in the bath...” Minako trailed off 
as we all gave eachother significant glances. “Yuuichiiro,” she muttered, and giggled a bit.

“Yeah, then we went in.  Mina-chan, you found her, right?”

“Yes- she was in the bathroom... No, wait! She’d just come out, and I think that there 
was- some youma that had tried to get her in there. I don’t know much, though- it looked 
from the rear to be a- Remington?” This time I giggled.

“Rei was shaving her legs and her razor turned on her?”  



“You must go distract the Sailor Senshi!  Quickly!  There is not much time!”  Beryl’s 
voice brimmed with urgency.



“That’s obviously unimportant,” Luna interrupted hurriedly.



“They’re going to figure it out!”



“Then we all met up again,” Minna continued, her brow furrowed. “She seemed to be 
herself...”



“What do you wish me to do, My Queen?” Kunzite’s eyes practically glowed with malice.  
“Have you suddenly decided how to use me again?”



“We started to fight,” Mako added.  “She got separated from the group...”



“Kunzite, this is no time to be sullen!  You must go now!”



“Then I heard a scream.” I remembered that moment in slow-motion.  Rei screaming... 
The electric buzz in the background as whatever youma had been attacking her fled...



“WHAT do you want me to DO?” he asked, thoroughly irritated.



The wound, so huge... Which of us had ever been seriously wounded before?



“Fight them! Attack them out of the blue! Mars has told you the place- go!”



“And then I ran to her- she whispered something...”



Kunzite stood, silent and grim for a moment.  Queen Beryl was almost afraid she’d pushed 
him too far.



“Durable circuitry?” Mako interrupted.  “I wonder what that was about.”



“Yes, my Queen,” he responded at last.  Then, without another word, he disappeared.



“And then-”

“KUN!”

The ball of crackling energy caught Minako square in the chest.  She tumbled backwards, 
her eyes wide as she felt the hole directly above her gut.  The moment seemed to last 
forever.

Then, time caught up, and Luna, Mako, Artemis and I all turned to face Kunzite who 
stood, leering in the doorway. I should have transformed, as should Mako, but instead we 
stood there, staring blankly as he gave off one of his patented evil laughs and disappeared 
again.

The shock remained for a moment longer as we turned towards Minna.  She had ended up 
draped over the nearest chair, her arms dangling limply as she strained to move.

At last, I managed to speak.

“Mina-chan!” I ran to her side, and lifted her head up. “Mina-chan, speak to me, please, 
please, don’t die!”

“Usagi-chan,” she whispered, her eyes beginning to cloud over, “I can’t make any 
promises...”

Somehow, I knew that Minna was dying.  I knew that I could save her with my moon 
stick.  But I also knew, with amazing clarity, that she would turn if I healed her.  The 
dilemma tore at my insides, while Mako, Luna and Artemis stared at me, wondering why I 
hadn’t used the crystal yet.

But at last I made my decision.

“Mina-chan,” I whispered, “I won’t let you die.” Something must have passed between 
us in that moment, because I saw the flash of understanding that momentarily brightened 
her eyes.

“Usagi-” she breathed, so low that only I could hear her, “-don’t... I’d rather die than 
become evil- rather die than fight you...”

“I’m sorry, Mina-chan,” I responded, “but it’s not your choice.” I raised my wand high, 
and gathered the only magic I had behind me.  This time, however, the crystal seemed to 
flicker with sorrow as I centered it’s power on Minako.

“Moon...” Minna’s eyes went wide, and she whispered “No, Usagi, please-”

“Healing...” The crystal began to glow, and through that brilliant light I could see her eyes 
begin to shine with tears...

“ESCALATION!” The light enveloped Minako, and she gave a resigned sigh as it worked 
its way through her body.  Mako, Luna and Artemis watched and waited, but I turned 
away- I didn’t want to see the moment that I knew would come, when her eyes would 
narrow and she’d walk away from me with scorn and hatred in her eyes.

When at last I looked up, she was gone.



“Well, well, Endymion,” Mars said pleasantly as she appeared in his chambers, “it would 
appear that we have quite a bit of catching up to do.  After all, both Mercury and Venus 
are waiting to join the party, and I’ve learned some of the most interesting things about 
Sailor Moon...”



End of Part 3