Chapter 13
**********
Plans Made
**********

Melvin sat in his living room. an open math book in front of him. A gleam
of interest flashed in his bespectacled eyes. Triangle theroms, oh how he
loved triangle theoroms! A voice called from the kitchen, female, a bit
too high, and a bit too nasal, "Melvin sweetie hunny..have you been
ripping up Mother's tulip bed again? What have we said about that?"

Melvin pushed his glasses up on his nose, and replied, his tone
surprisingly like his mother's, "But Mother...it was for my insect club.
I'm running for president, and I need a rare Japanese flora consuming
beetle! Ben Li has American cotton eating moth! I can't beat that, not
just with my earth worm collection!"

A weary sigh exited the kitchen, and Melvin sensed a lecture coming on
about the importance of his mother's flowers to the well being of their
yard. He had gotten the same lecture two days before when he was chasing
butterflies through the gardinias. Luckily, for Melvin and his bugs, the
doorbell rang just then. He sprang from his prone postion on the floor,
and rushed for the door, eager to escape the nagging to come, yelling, "I
GOT IT!! I GOT IT!"

Outside, Raye sighed impatiently. She rang the bell again, saying, "What
is taking them so darn long? What, they can't hear me ringing here?" She
tossed her dark hair and frowned, as if trying to will the door open.

Lita and Ami looked at each other, and Lita said dryly, "Yeah, I know what
you're talking about. That thirty seconds it takes for someone to get to
the door just last forever..."

Raye turned to Lita, and nodded, "I'm glad someone sees my point of view!"
Lita and Ami covered their mouths from the giggle fit threatening to
attack.

After getting herself under control,  Ami smoothed her skirt, and
glanced over to Serena, saying, "Are you ready...Serena! Get your hands
OUT of that cookie box!" The blue haired scout put her hands on her hips,
and glared at her leader.

Serena looked up guiltly from a box of chocolate covered marshmellow
poofs, and whined, "But all this running around and figuring stuff out is
making me hungry! And I haven't eaten since DINNER, and that was..two
hours ago!" She pulled on a blond plait, her face miserable with hunger
pangs.

Raye growled, and snagged the box away from Serena. She shoved it into her
bag, then looked at the blond girl, saying in a low, dangerous tone, "We
are supposed to be selling cookies, Serena. Not empty boxes!"

Serena huffed, "It was only one box...." Ami and Lita quietly groaned,
while Raye opened her mouth for a long litany of scathing remarks. And as
she raised her hand to the sky for holy divation...the door flew open, and
Melvin stood staring at them.

Correction. He was standing there, slackjawed, a silly, sort of disturbing
look on his face. And he wasn't staring at them; he was staring, rather,
at their legs. Lita growled, not liking the way he was oogling, and raised
one fist into  the air. Serena and Raye looked at each other, and made
'Ew' faces. Ami stepped forward, holding Lita's fist back. She smiled
sweetily at Melvin, her voice fairly normal, "Hi, we're here raising money
for the Campfire Girls. We were wondering if we interest you in buying
some cookies to support our cause?"

Melvin shook his head out of his reverie, and blinked at Ami. He blushed
slightly, "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I was admiring your...shoes.
Yes. Your shoes."

Raye muttered, "Yeah, I bet you were..." while Ami explained, yet again,
why they were there. Melvin stratched his head for a moment.

"Well...I'm not supposed to let strangers into the house..." He shot what
he thought was a charming grin at Lita, "Even gorgeous ones..."

Lita bit her tongue; she knew Melvin, and on Monday it was going to EVER
so tempting to knock his block off. In the meantime, she flashed a
strained smile at him, and tossed her brown ponytail back
in a way that she hoped was flirty.  Her eyes, however, became fine slits.

Serena noted her friend's narrowed green eyes, and winced. If she didn't
do something, Lita would ruin the whole operation with one well deserved,
if not inopportune punch. With that thought in mind, she quickly slide in
front of her fellow Scout, and with that Serena-sweet charm she always
exhibited, whenever she wanted something, she cooed, "But we're not
strangers...we're Girl Scouts..I mean, Campfire Girls. Probably the most
honest girls in the whole world. Come on cutie...won't you let us in?" She
tickled Melvin's nose with one pigtail, winking.

Noting how Serena's 'guiling' ways were slowly bending Melvin's 'iron'
will, Raye decided to up the ante. She moved to stand next to Melvin, one
arm wrapping through his, her voice dropping an octave or two  "Please?
We've made so few cookie sales...and you look like such a generous...man."
Her breath tickled his now bright red ear.

"Well, you look fairly trustworthy. And we love cookies.." he gushed, as
he moved back from the door, letting them pass. Serena and Raye smiled
sweetly at him as they passed. Ami gave an even glare to Lita, and
followed. Lita sighed, looking at Melvin. He tried smiling sexily; it came
off as a leer. She looked up at the sky for a moment as she entered the
door, muttering, "The things I do..."
*******************************************************************************

"...to ensure the world's safety..." Mask growled, as he perched next to
Artemis and Luna. They all sat precariously in the oak tree beside
Melvin's house. Venus, her mind concentrating on opening the lock to the
window, her many 'professional' tools beside her, ignored his complaining.
She brushed her long blond strands from her face, gloved hands moving two
picks slowly around in the lock. A drop of sweat fell from her forehead,
unto her orange skirt.

Artemis sighed softly, and looked over Venus' shoulder, trying to block
out the Prince's grumbling. He flicked his white tail, watching his
pupil with pride. All that hard work on her, and she was one of the
best. Not to say the other girls didn't have talent; he was just
especially proud of his Sailor Venus. If only Queen Serenity were alive
to see the Scouts now...

He smugly thought that it was a fairly smart decision of his to keep
Sailor V's old picklocking case around; it being enormously useful busting
into Negaverse offices, and warehouses. Plus, it made it much easier for
him and Mina to sneak into her home, way after she was supposed to be
sleeping...

Luna closed her brown eyes once, and set her jaw. After taking a
deep breath, she turned and smiled furrily at the Prince. She said
soothingly, "Tuxedo Mask, would you like to do something that is less
'boring' and 'annoying'?"

Mask glanced over at the cat, a glint of happiness flashing in his
midnight blue eyes, saying quickly, "What? I'll do anything!" He moved a
little closer to the black cat.

Luna purred softly, "Anything, Darien?" She climbed the branch above him,
so that she was slightly above face level.

Mask nodded his head, and said, "Anything!" He looked at the Moon cat
expectantly.

Luna smiled again, then her expression turned into a scowl. She hissed
sharply, "Silence your childish whining, and just sit there, SILENTLY.
Before I use your costume as a scratching post, with YOU still in it." She
leaned her face into his, continuing, "Am I making myself perfectly clear,
_Darien_?"

Mask opened his mouth to protest, and stopped to think. Then shut it
promptly. He simply nodded, and tilted his top hat in respect to the
furry Advisor. Luna nodded her head in approval, while Artemis covered
his mouth with his paw, laughing. Venus turned slightly, and gave them
each a glare, and a harsh 'Shhhhhhh!" They all fell silent for a few
moments more.

Then there was a sharp click, and the window slowly opened. Venus grinned,
giving them the V-for-Victory sign, and leaped lightly through it. Artemis
followed, Luna on his heels. Mask, looking cautiously around to make sure
they hadn't been spotted, was last. The four stood in the upstairs
hallway, quietly making their way down the hall. The hall opened down
to the staircase, giving an open view of part of the hallway. Venus
cautiously stuck her head around the corner, then jerked it back,
whispering, "They're in...and MAN does Lita look mad...I wonder if it's
because Melvin's eyes have yet to drift face-level..."

Luna frowned, "Well, we can worry about HIM later...right now we have to
find that bandage! Come on, let's locate Melvin's room. We'll start on
this end of the hallway."

Venus and Mask opened doors softly, as Artemis and Luna acted as scouts,
looking ahead in each of the rooms. At the fourth door, Artemis whispered
back into the hallway, "Jackpot!"

The white cat slipped into the room, and Venus followed, Luna and Mask
right behind them. Then they all just stopped dead in their tracks, and
stared. The wall they were facing was nothing but glass cases, jars, and
books. About bugs, filled with bugs. Spiders, moths, ants, beetles, you
named the creepy crawly, it was there.

Mask muttered softly, "You know...I saw this in a movie once. But in the
movie, the bugs were all crawling over the wall, and the guy with the
fedora hat had to crawl past them..."

Venus giggled, then glanced over to the wall to her right, and gasped,
"It's..it's...ME!" And indeed it was. Pictures of  Sailor V plastered the
wall, leaving no sign of the wall, making it a somewhat bizarre mural.

Artemis raised one furry brow, and commented, "Obbess much, Melvin?"

Luna added wryly, "I wonder if he knows the meaning of the word,
fettish?"

Mask stepped closer to the wall, examining it. He let out a low whistle,
then said, "Well, he knows the meaning of hentai...I never knew you posed
nude, Venus..."

Venus gasped, "WHAT? I never posed..." Shoving Mask out of the way,  she
found the picture, and tore it off of the wall. Her blue eyes flashed
dangerously. The Scout of Love growled, "This isn't even ME! They
superimposed some naked girl's body on my own! How sick! How rude! Can I
sue?"

Mask chuckled, "For what? Misrepresentation? Come on, Venus...it's just a
stupid little picture..." He turned to look around the room, and gaped,
"By the..."

The other three turned to the opposite wall, where Melvin's bed and
computer where postioned. And there...was Serena. Pictures, drawings,
POSTERS of Serena. Luna sat down on her haunches, amazed, "It's like...a
shrine..."

Artemis quietly added, "This must be the work of months..."

"Years..." Venus added with an awed look in her blue eyes.

"Of a DEAD MAN..." Mask growled, his white gloved hands clutched into
tight fists. Artemis and Luna exchanged glances, while Venus held back a
laugh, and gave Mask a wicked grin.

"Why Mask...it's just a stupid bunch of pictures. Besides, she's
clothed.." Venus said, her tone sweet. Mask's smouldering eyes
fell on her, and she gulped, taking a step backwards.

Artemis coughed, loudly, "Ladies, and rather enraged gentlemen...have we
forgotten we have a job to do here? Let's stop staring at the walls, and
get to work!"

Luna nodded, "Artemis is right....for once. Let's stop gazin at
Melvin's..collections and find that bandage. Venus, look over in that
chest of drawers. Artemis, start looking through his desk. I'm going to go
through his closet. Mask...would you stop gritting your teeth like that?
You are giving me a headache, and I need you to look under his bed."

Venus began looking through the bureau, pulling out clothing, checking
behind the drawers. Artemis pawed, literally, through papers, opening
drawers with his tail. Mask's mutterings of steel pipes and Melvin's body
were muffled by the bed, as he threw out dirty socks and books from
underneath.

Luna nodded her head in approval at the groub, as she padded her way to
the closet. She began to rustle through the darkness. The small crescent
moon on  her forehead glowed, illuminating the inclosed space. Everything,
she noted, was hung up neatly. Shoes were _actually_ on a shoe tree.
Plastic boxes were neatly stacked on the floor, labeled alphabetically.
Her curiousity piqued, she began to look through the labeled boxes.

'If only Serena kept her closet this neat...perhaps she wouldn't always be
losing things...' Luna pondered with a chuckle. She frowned slightly; she
hoped things were going as planned downstairs...

*****************************************************************************

Melvin escorted the 'Campfire' scouts into the living room, smiling as
brightly as he could, saying with obvious awe, "Can I get you girls
anything? Something to drink, some food??"

Ami looked at Lita. Lita looked at Raye. Raye clamped one hand over
Serena's opening mouth, replying sweetly, "NO, thank you..."

"Who's there Melvin? You didn't let more of those magazine people in? You
know your father had a fit when we starting subscribing to that Bible
Digest. I tried to explain to him how convincing those nice men with the
shaved heads were..." a voice escaped from the kitchen. Ami winced
slightly, the pitch of the woman's tone was so nasal. And she thought
Serena's wailing was the most horrible sound she had ever heard...

"MOTHER..." Melvin interrupted quickly, "These aren't magazine
people. They're..*gulp* Campfire Girls.."

"Campfire Girls? Do you mean the cute little girls with the nifty little
berets?" said Melvin's mother, coming out of the kitchen. The four scouts
turned thier heads slightly, and stared. Before them stood a female
replica of Melvin. Of course there were the obvious differences, and
Melvin's mother was older. She also had longer, buffonted hair. She was
also wearing a dress, but the similarities were amazing. Astounding.
Slightly disturbing.

Serena felt her mouth drop open, then shut it with a snap. Ami muttered
quietly under breath, "Genetics do work..."

Raye shook herself out of her state of complete baffled wonder, and piped
up cheerily, "Hello Ma'am, we're Campfire girls..and we're wondering if
you'd like to purchase some cookies..."

And the act had begun..

*****************************************************************************

Mask pulled his head out of the bed for a moment, one eyebrow raised
skeptically, a pink dog bowl in hand. "Okay...this guy is a sicko. You
want to know what he named his poor dog?" he commented dryly, as he read
the purple cursive writing on the side.

Venus looked up from Melvin's underwear drawer, a pair of boxers in hand.
She looked at the item in her hand, and dropped it with a squeal of
digust. Wiping her already gloved hands on Melvin's bedspread, she asked,
"What?"

Mask chuckled, and turned the bowl around for Venus to see, saying in a
high squeaky voice, "Fu-Fu...."

Artemis snorted, while Venus giggled. There was the sound of boxes
falling in the closet, and a disgrutled yeowl from Luna. Venus giggled
again, while Artemis chuckled. Mask just smiled, and went back to
searching under the bed. The sound of rustling continued, and suddenly
stopped. Then Luna's voice called out, "I found it! Wouldn't you know it,
it; he put it under M, for Molly."

Venus and Mask looked up, while Artemis answered, "Great! Bring it out
here!"

Luna stuck her head out of the closet, a trimphant look on her face, the
bandage in her mouth. She slipped out of the closet, and leaped lightly
unto the bed. Artemis, Venus, and Mask surrounded her, as she dropped the
bandage unto the bedcover. Venus looked at it a bit disgustedly,
commenting, "This tattered old piece of orange cloth is going to bring
back the last General??"

Luna sat down on her haunches, regarding the cloth for a moment. She
sighed and nodded. Mask raised an eyebrow, asking dryly, "I don't suppose
we have any other options?"

Luna looked at the Prince darkly, growling, "Listen up, fancypants. You
have been less then helpful in this mission. You've whined, flipped out,
and have been a general nuisance ever since we've got here. _We_ have
not come up with any other fesible plans. If you have something valuable
to add to this, please do so now."

There was a slight thump behind Luna, as the door slowly opened behind
Sailor Venus and the two cats. Mask opened his mouth to answer, as his
eyes flickered to the door. Then he murmered a five letter word, not
exactly complementary to Luna's personality. Venus's and Artemis's eyes
widened, and they glanced at each other in shock. Luna's fur rose off her
neck, as she  spluttered, "How _dare_ you call me a bit-"

Mask stood slowly, and cut the cat off with a hurried whisper, "I was
using the term literally, Luna. Look behind you."

The two cats, and Venus slowly turned. A Rotwelier stood in the doorway,
her lined with sharp white teeth, rage glowing in her brown eyes. The
chain around her neck was one inch thick, and bulging. The nameplate
attached  to it read in bold cursive lettering, 'Fu-Fu'. The three then
swiftly turned back, scared expressions meeting an equally scared one of
Mask's. Artemis muttered quietly, "I think it's a terrible
misinterpretation to name one of Hell's Hounds Fu-Fu. It gives a cat a
false sense of security..."

Venus turned to Luna, whispering half hysterically, "What are we going to
do?"

Luna gulped, then whispered back, "Very simple. We do what any superhero
group would do at this moment. We run like hell."

And as if just waiting on that comment, the ill-named Fu-Fu leaped
forward, teeth opened in a snarl.

***************************************************************************
"...and if you buy OUR cookies, we'll..we'll be able to afford new
uniforms!" Raye stumbled on, making a fairly poor sales pitch. Melvin's
mouther, however, was listening aptly. Melvin, seated by Lita, had his
hand 'accidently' slipping unto Lita' knee. He was also being repelled by
Lita's quick, and fast, elbow. Ami slapped Serena's hand again, as the
blond girl's fingers slipped around a cookie box. Serena grumbled softly,
muttering something about being around food and not being allowed to eat
it should be a crime.

Melvin's mother nodded her head vigorously to Raye's statement,
obvlivious to the other small scenes being played out around her, "Well,
it certainly looks like you girls need them. I mean, the ones you have on
right now are so short! How many times have you let down the hems?"

Lita's elbow knocked the air out of Melvin again, as she muttered, "Not
enough times...believe me..."

Melvin's mother frowned a moment at Lita, while Raye quickly stepped in,
"What she _means_, is that we still have a _little_ more wear out of
these skirts...but you're right. We're in desperate need of new ones. And
you can help us..." There was a loud bark, then a growl. Raye glanced
upwards at the stairs, then her dark eyes flickered as she watched Sailor
Venus fly down the upstairs hallway.

Then the two Moon cats.

Then Tuxedo Mask.

And right behind them was a gargantuan black Rotweiler. Raye's mouth
dropped open, as Melvin's mother turn to look at the now empty hallway.
Ami frowned at Raye, who made wild gesture to the others to look upward at
the staircase. As Melvin's mother turned back to her, Raye dropped her
arms quickly to her sides, saying hurriedly, "Uhm...ma'am? Do you have a
big black dog?"

Melvin's mother turned back to Raye, saying pleasantly, "Well yes, we
do. Our dear, sweet Fu-Fu. She's such a good puppy, and keeps all the bad
robbers away. Rotweilers do that, you know."

Serena's eyes grew a bit wider with fear, as Ami and Lita glanced at each
other nervously. Raye asked slowly, "But...it's not an attack dog, right?"

Melvin's mother laughed, "Gracious no...not our Fu-Fu..." The Scouts kept
back a collective sigh of relief. Melvin's mother continued, "She was
never trained...so when she bites the nasty robbers, it gets a bit bloody.
She has to gnaw on them a while before she finally gets a good hold on
them." A feeling of panic filled all the Scouts eyes, as they looked
at each other.

Melvin leaned over and whispered into Lita's ear, "You know what they say
about _Men_ with _big_ dogs, right?"

Lita turned towards the bespecaled Cassavona, and ground out slowly, "They
end up smelling like them?" Melvin flushed slightly, and quickly sniffed
himself to make sure he remembered to put deodarant on. Lita rolled her
eyes slowly, as Ami, Raye, and Serena all looked towards the stairs. There
was some thumping, a crash, and a yeowl that sounded strangely like
Artemis. The scouts glanced at each other, as Venus flew by again in the
hallway, her sandaled feet moving like quicksilver.

Melvins's mother turned towards the stairs, "Now what in the world is
Fu-Fu chasing now?" She half rose off of her seat.

Serena chattered nervously, "I just saw it, ma'am. It was a..a..A
squirrel! You know, small, grey, kind of furry?" Raye moaned quietly,
while Ami rubbed her forehead. Lita pushed Melvin's grabby hands
away, flickering gazes backwards.

Melvin's mother nodded her head slowly, as Artemis and Luna charged by,
screaming. Melvin's mother's head swiveled towards the stairs again, then
back at Serena, saying confusedly, "I thought you said there was just one
squirrel."

Raye slapped one hand over Serena's opening mouth, and answered sweetly,
"Did she say just one? I'm sure she meant to say _group_ of squirrels.
Right?" The dark haired scout turned to her leader, promised pain shining
in her eyes. Serena gulped, and nodded her head furiously  in agreement
with the Scout of Fire.

Mask flew down the hallway, his cape flowing behind him. He clutched his
top hat to his head as he dashed madly away from the snarling Fu-Fu, who
was hot on his heels. Spittal was emitting from her snapping jaws.
Melvin and his Mother both turned to the stairs, then back at the Scouts,
skeptical looks on their faces. Ami smiled as brightly as she could,
adding quickly, "Did we mention that they were rather _large_ squirrels?"

Lita nodded her head, saying excitedly, "Really _large_. Like, poodle size
ones..." Another yeowl could be heard upstairs, and the four Scouts
winced. Lita mumbled the rest, "That sound like cats...oh boy..."

Melvin's mother frowned deeply, "Squirrels my sweet patoo-tie. Something
fishy is going on up there, and I'm going to figure it out!" She rose, and
started up the stairs, Melvin and the four Scouts right behind her.

*******************************************************************************
They were trapped. Venus and Mask stood backed into an alcove of the
hallway. Artemis and Luna balanced on their heads, their fur sticking up
as if electrified. Fu-fu slowly inched upon them, her eyes gleaming with a
feral sort of satisfaction for cornering her prey. Artemis groaned
quietly, "I can't believe it's going to end like this; killed by a Cujo
wanna-be..."

Luna hissed, "We are _not_ going to die. I refuse to be a chew toy for
a dog so illed named. Venus, blast that accursed animal!"

Venus stared dumbfoundedly at the black cat clutching unto Mask's hat. She
replied sharply, "I can't shoot a DOG!"

Luna growled, "Why...NOT?!?" Aretemis and Mask skeptically looked from
indigant girl to enraged cat. Then swiveled their eyes to the snarling
dog. They gulped nervously.

"Because...because it's WRONG. I can't kill a dog because it's protecting
it's family!" The orange scout crossed her arms, now paying little
attention to Fu-Fu, "It goes againist all my principles..."

Luna snapped back, "There are a time for morals, and there are a time to
blast things to smithreens. _This_ is one of those times!"

Artemis groaned, "While you two argue about moral imperatives, has anyone
noticed the big black dog ready to rip our throats out? What I wouldn't
give for a basebat bat...or a stick.."

At Artemis's comment, something in Mask's mind clicked. He looked at the
dog, then at the open window just beyond. A slighly wicked grin passed his
face, as he easily sidestepped Venus, an arguing Luna still attached to
his hat. Facing the dog squarely, his hand flickered into his coat. The
dog paused for a moment, eyes wary. Mask pulled out a perfect red rose,
and began to wave it in front of the dog, whistling. The dog's expression
changed to one of playfullness, as she jumped, trying to get the rose.

Venus, Artemis, and Luna all stopped, staring at the dog. Mask talked
playfully to the dog, "You want the rose? You want it? Okay girl..." With
perfect aim, he tossed it out the window, then looked at the dog. He
pointed, "Go fetch, Fu-Fu."

And the dog did. With one wild leap out the window, the dog followed the
rose on it's downward descent. Outside, there was a slight yelp, and the
sound of a bush being crushed. Mask, Venus, and the cats ran to the
window, to see Fu-Fu trying to untangle herself from the bush. Letting
out a sigh of relief, Mask turned to Venus and Artemis, who stared at him
with amazement.  Luna looked at him over the brim of his hat, eyebrows
raised. He shrugged and grinned, "Well, you wanted me to do something
useful."

Artemis was about to reply, when the group heared a high pitch squeal of
indignation. Spinning around, Venus suddenly thought it might of been
better to be left with Fu-Fu. Melvin's female clone looked none to happy
about her dog flying out the window. Behind her, Melvin winced, and the
other scouts cringed a little. Melvin's mother bellowed, "What have
you costumed freaks done to my Fu-Fu?!?" She stepped forward, her
hairsprayed mass of hair teeterly precariously on her head.

Luna leaped lightly off of Mask's top hat. She had HAD it. Whining
super-heros, strange families, killer dogs. A cat could only take so much.
She stared up at Melvin's mother with narrowed eyes, and hissed, "What did
WE do to your Fu-fu?!? What about what your rabied dog did to US? Chasing
us around like common criminals! US! Saviors of the UNIVERSE! Madam, I
suggest a little place for your dog called OBIDIANCE SCHOOL!"

Melvin's mother's mouth became an 'O' of surprise. Melvin's eyes widened.
All the Scouts  slapped their foreheads, and sighed. Mask quietly groaned.
Artemis simply whispered, "Great way to blow our cover, Luna. Hey,
Hair Spray Head!" Melvin's Mother turned to looked at the white
cat, with Melvin's eyes swiveling over as well.

"Lunar..Mind...Meld..." Aretemis called out. And then everything went
blank for Melvin, and his overwrought parent.

****************************************************************************
"I still don't understand why you had to punch him, Darien...." the now
transformed Sailor Moon said shortly, as she walked beside her Prince, "I
mean, he was already brainwashed. What was the sense of knocking him
cold?"  The Scouts were making their way through the park, to the spot
where Nephlyte had been killed. Mercury was in the lead, with Artemis and
Luna following. Mask and Moon came behind them, then Venus and Jupiter,
with Mars bringing up the rear.

Mask merely shook his broad shoulders. He really didn't feel like
explaining his "over emotional" actions, as Luna put it. He half smiled at
Moon, to reassure her, and said, "Like I told you...I had my reasons."

Venus snickered slightly, "A whole wall full of them...." Mask turned his
head slightly to glower at the orange scout, who promptly found something
interesting to stare at in the treeline.

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm just glad Mask got to him before _I_
did..." Jupiter growled, as she moved a branch aside to avoid being
smacked in the the face. There was no argument from the others, because
Jupiter would hit a lot lower then Melvin's eye..

Luna sighed, "I just hope the reason I left impressed in thier minds will
cover for the black eye...and their dog being caught in a bush...and the
upstairs of their home completely wrecked."

Artemis turned his head slightly to his black companion, asking curiously,
"What reason did you leave?"

Luna smiled darkly, and answered, "I told them to blame it all on Dear
Fu-Fu..." Artemis broke out into laughter. Luna smirked for a moment
longer, then called ahead to the blue haired Scout, "Anything yet,
Mercury?"

Mercury called back, her handheld computer faintly humming, "We're almost
there...Tuxedo Mask, do you have the bandage?" Mask pulled it out of his
pocket, and nodded. Mercury turned slightly, noted the orange bit of
cloth, then went back to her computations. The Scouts fell into quiet
conversation, not wishing to disturb Mercury's thought processes. Which
was what she was hoping for.

This was the sort of thing Ami lived for in the Scouts. She didn't care
much for the fighting itself; by nature she was a peaceful person.
However, it always gave her a certain amount of satisfaction to be the
"Brain" of the Sailor Scouts; figuring out the things that the others
couldn't seem to touch. It always made her feel more useful, more needed.
A valuable commodity, instead of a warrior with a more defensive edge. 

And the problem at hand was a doozy. On paper, it sounded perfectly
simply. Reverse the effects of the Sailor Transport to call forth
something, instead of bringing the Scouts there. Now while in pratice it
was always possible for the Sailor Scouts to travel to other dimenisons
using Sailor Transport, that had rarely been tested. Also, they had never
tried BRINGING someone to them. Especially someone they had thought dead
over a year. So many possibilities. So much data. God, she loved her job..

Mercury was so involved with her computations that she nearly walked
right past the tree. Mars grabbed her arm, and chuckled, "Wake Up
Mercury...the bus stops here."

Mercury blushed slightly, then turned to Mask, asking, "The bandage
please?"

Mask handed it to her, and she placed it on the exact spot where he died.
Moon shuddered slightly; it had been that way the first time...when she,
Mars, and Mercury had stood by and watched him die right before thier
eyes. Could they really bring him back now? Or was this really just some
last ditch effort, stupid and pointless? She sighed softly, thinking,
'Guess we'll find out soon..'

Mercury interrupted Moon's train of thought by looking at the others,
and saying firmly, "Is everyone ready?" They all nodded vigorously, and
she smiled,  "Then let's get started..."

Venus almost raised her hand again, but stopped herself. Artemis was
right; she wasn't in school. She instead came right out and asked, "Uh,
Mercury, how exactly are we doing this? You never really explained the
how-to part of this operation."

Mercury paused for a moment in thought, then said, "I don't think I can
really explain the ligistics of it...but let me simplfy it. We are going
to think him here."

Jupiter and Venus looked at each other dubiously, while Mars asked dryly,
"So we're going to just think of him and POOF, he appears?"

Mercury sighed, "It's not that simple...you see, our powers are controlled
by two things, our planet familars, and pure thought. When we want to
change to our Scout identities, we have to intiate the transformation by
calling out to our familiars, and actually _willing_ the change. The same
applies to our powers. We control them by thought, and through that, our
planet familiars turn them into actions." 

Mask commented quietly, "So by concentrating on where Nephlyte is...our
powers will activate on our thought impulses, and bring him here?"

Mercury nodded, "There's an 87.6% probability of it working exactly the
way I said it would."

Jupiter sighed, "I won't even ask about the odds...well, let's get this
show on the road." She held out her hands, and Moon took one, while Venus
took the other. The Scouts formed a circle, while Mask and the cats looked
on quietly.

Moon whispered, "Is there anything we are going to have to say to start
this?" The others eyes had alreadly closed in thought, and their power
auras began to glow.

Mercury whispered back, "No. Just concentrate on Nephlyte." Moon nodded
her head, and concentrated. And in her mind's eye, she saw him. The
mocking dark haired general, with such cold blue eyes.

She saw the man who pushed Molly out of the way, to save her life.

Somewhere in the recesses of her sub-concious mind, she saw a young
Nephlyte hugging a small dark haired boy, a red haired girl...

And a red haired boy...

Moon quietly whispered, her own aura glowing softly, "Come home, Nephlyte.
Come home..."

*******************************************************************************

Molly was dreaming of Nephlyte. In her dream, he was caught in a cloud,
and she had to pull him free. All she had to do is reach out and touch
him; his face, his hand, and he would be free. They would be together,
just like he promised. If only she could touch him...reach him somehow.

He held out his hand to her, and she streched with all her might. To
her dismay, the cloud with Nephlyte intrapped in it began to float
away. She ran after it, as she called out softly in her sleep,
"Nephlyte...come back. Come back to me..."

As a soft green glow surrounded her form...
*******************************************************************************

Cissa moaned softly in her sleep, as the Nightmare caught her in it's
clutches again. As she tossed, the small crystal at her throat began to
glow. A pure beam of white light shone from it, and out into the night.
Into the stars themselves...

*******************************************************************************

Erkyte shifted in his bed, a frown crossing his handsome features. He
slept fitfully in the Generals quarters, an all too vivid dream flickering
through his mind. He was at the head of Beryl's great Army, moving from
the ravaged edges of Earth, to the Moon Kingdom. As he passed through the
Doorway, and unto the other side, he noted the burnt corpse of a
female lying on the side of the road. A red-haired female. He wondered
briefly how she died...before he turned back to the road itself.

And found himself facing off Queen Serenity. He didn't move, and neither
did she. She looked at him with saddened blue eyes, and he felt
something he had never experienced, shame. She merely whispered, "How
could you?"

He whispered back, "How could I what?" But she just turned and walked
away. He found himself following her, crying out, "What? What did I do?
Tell me what I have done!"

Around his neck, the dark crystal resting there sparked purple, and shot
out a pure purple light to the heavens outside his window...

******************************************************************************

At first, nothing happened. The Scouts stood in the circle, the glow of
thier combined powers almost blinding. Artemis and Luna were beginning to
give up hope, when Mask pointed to the sky above, calling out softly, "By
the gods themselves...look...."

The purest white light flowed down from the sky itself, to the center of
the Scouts circle. Mask covered his eyes, as Artemis and Luna did the
same. The Scouts eyes were closed tight, but Venus still managed to
whisper, as something began to materialize in the circle, "We have
company..."