Title: The Chosen - Resurrection
Author: Kenneth Krekeler

DISCLAIMERS: Sailor Moon and all symbols associated with Sailor Moon 
are not mine and are owned by DiC, Bandai, and many other corporations who 
I do not want to get in legal trouble with. 

The Chosen and all symbols associated with Nakiad, Kaneth, the Dark Lord 
and the rest belong to David Kogan, author of the original 'Chosen' series. I 
would not advise anyone reading this to continue until you have read the first 
'Chosen' saga.

David Kogan has written a sequel to the Chosen, entitled 'Perchance to 
Dream.' You can find both stories under the banner 'Shades of Light and 
Darkness' on the ASMR site. -My- fan-fic, however, takes place after the third 
part of Chosen, 'Choice', and changes just about everything from there.


_	_	_



The Chosen - Resurrection
Part 3: Reunion




Calimite was sat upon his throne, thinking as usual. Rogue was off in his 
quarters somewhere, where the General had sent him. Calimite's eyes were 
closed, his dark hair falling around his forehead in strings. His soul was filled 
with anger, filled with regret and sorrow. Self-pity.

He hated it.

And to top it all off, he had told his long, sad story to Vaprious Rogue, his 
faithful Shadow Warrior and good friend. Rogue was probably laughing even 
now at how foolish the General had looked, kneeling and crying on the 
ground. "King of the Negaverse?" he was probably saying. "No king have I 
met weeps like a child! Ha ha ha!"

Calimite's fists tightened. 

Hate. All he could think about was hate. That was all he knew. He hated so 
many things. The Universe. The scouts. Good. Losing. But of all these 
things, he knew one to be the center of it all. One thing which stood before 
everything he ever knew.

His brother. Malachite.

Oh, how he hated Malachite. The bastard was hopefully rotting somewhere, 
but Calimite knew this not to be true. Malachite was most likely at peace 
with his love, Zoicite. For a brief period, Malachite had thought that Calimite 
would attempt to steal Zoicite away from him, and that the two brothers 
would have to do battle outside the Tournament. But Calimite had set his 
standards much higher than that pitiful blond with a ponytail. There was only 
one love for him.

Only one love. And she would rule as she once had.

But to be with her again, he would have to initiate his Project.

General Calimite's eyes snapped open. Slowly, he rose from his chair and 
crossed to the Pool, where the Black Waters churned.

That boy had called himself the Chosen. Whether or not this was true was 
irrelevant. The fact was, the energy from this particular being had been 
enough to fill half the Pool's capacity. If he could just obtain some more, the 
Pool would be full.

And he could see her once again.


*	*	*


Instinctively, Nakiad struck a battle stance, ready for a fight. He knew who 
the figure was in front of  him, and the last time they had met they had left on 
good terms. But the figure -was- from the Negaverse, and since Nakiad was 
not, honor required that the two forces be at least wary of each other.

And honor was Kaneth's specialty.

To anyone who had not seen him before, he would have looked especially 
intimidating at that moment. The four-armed creature was looming over 
Nakiad, who looked pitifully small compared to the rippling muscles all over 
the negaveral's body.

Nakiad instantly recognized the faimiliar face, a rigid mask of evil that 
suggested death from every angle.

But Nakiad knew that Kaneth would not try to fight him. He knew it for two 
reasons. One was that Kaneth did not look as if ready to attack. He stood in 
a way that made him look relaxed, yet troubled somehow. As if he needed to 
talk to someone.

The second reason was that Nakaid had battled Kaneth once before with 
injuries, and the Chosen had still kicked his ass.

There was still some smoke in the room left from the portal Kaneth had come 
through, and it swirled about him, fading slowly. Nakaid gradually eased his 
position into a slightly more casual one, but not totally letting down his 
guard.

As the smoke began to fade, and after about a full minute of silence, Nakiad 
spoke the first words. "Hello, Kaneth."

Kaneth did not flinch in the least, but replied calmly and quietly, his eyes on 
Nakaid's. "Hello, Chosen."

The tone of Kaneth's voice seemed to calm Nakiad down a bit, and he 
relaxed even more. "I am no longer the Chosen. I am simply Nakaid." Nakiad 
realized he had told the monster Mummrak otherwise, but that seemed 
unimportant now.

"How so?" the warrior asked, confused. "I was under the impression you had 
defeated the Dark Lord when last we met. Do you not still carry the Chosen 
title?"

"Are you aware of my third encounter with the Lord?" Nakiad asked slowly.

If Kaneth's eyes could widen, they would have. He took a step back. "Then 
there -was- a third battle between you and the Shadow... Impossible as it 
seems..."

Nakiad almost smiled.

"How?"

"I can tell you the story some other time," Nakiad said. "Is there something 
you need, other than my conversation?"

"Yes," said Kaneth, a bit sadly, lowering his head. "Your help."

Nakiad gasped ever so slightly, never letting Kaneth suspect that he had done 
so. Kaneth was actually asking for Nakiad's help. It was certainly uncommon 
for a being from the Negaverse to even -socialize- with a human, but to 
request a human's -help-? It was unthinkable. But here was Kaneth, asking 
for the assistance of Nakiad.

"With what?" asked Nakiad after a long pause.

Kaneth sighed. "It is a long story."

"Did you attack us?"

"What?"

"In the city. A Negaverse monster calling herself Mummrak attacked a series 
of humans, and then myself and the scouts. She wasn't much of a challenge, 
due to the fact that she seemed to have absolutely no offensive abilities 
whatsoever. Her only purpose apparently was-"

"Energy drainage?" Kaneth cut him off. 

Nakiad looked at him strangely. "Yes... How did you know?"

Kaneth looked down again. He seemed to frown. "I have come to you, 
Chosen, because I am in great need of assistance. The Universe is in trouble, 
as am I and my followers."

"What do you mean? Your followers? I thought you ruled the Negaverse 
now."

"Yes. One would think." Kaneth looked at him. "Is there some place we 
could speak?"

Nakiad gestured around the room. "We appear to be doing so now."

Kaneth shook his head. "No. Somewhere more private. I know that the 
Prince is in the next room. I fear he would want a battle, something I wish to 
avoid."

Nakiad thought for a second. He did not like this. He felt a bit uneasy around 
Kaneth, despite the warrior's past. It could be an ambush, a voice deep inside 
told him, a voice created by a millenium of combat training. But that would 
betray everything Kaneth stood for, said another. Instead of listening to 
either, Nakiad decided to see for himself.

Without closing his eyes or looking like he was under strain, the Chosen 
focused. He directed that focus towards the being standing in front of him. 
He projected a force into Kaneth's mind, plunging deeper and deeper into his 
brain, until he could read the very thoughts that were written there.

Finally, he spoke. "Come to the park at midnight tomorrow night." Surely 
the city would have cleaned up the damage left from the scouts' fight with 
the knight, he thought. They could talk there.

Kaneth nodded and vanished.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"What do you mean, 'you talked to Kaneth?" asked Artemis, concerned.

"He teleported into my room last night, and I talked to him," Nakiad replied, 
sighing a bit.

The Chosen and his companion were sitting on the room of Darian's 
apartment building, observing the city of Tokyo at noon. The sun's light 
bounced of the cars that sped by below, making them appear very bright 
from a distance. The beautiful architecture of the buildings was a fairly nice 
sight to look at, too. A cool, relaxing breeze blew every so often, in the 
distance a couple of pigeons could be seen.

None of this was taken in by the white cat, who seemed to be restraining 
anger. "Well, what did he have to say? I wouldn't think he would stop by for 
a chat."

"No," Nakiad answered. "He came to ask for my help."

Artemis was not sure if he heard correctly. "Um. Your help?"

"Yes," Nakiad nodded. "My help."

Artemis had a strange look on his face. "With what?"

"I don't know yet. I told him to meet me in the park at midnight."

"You did? Do you think he's planning an attack?"

Nakiad shook his head. "No. He seemed.... nervous. And it was important to 
him that we talked somewhere besides my room, a place more private."

"But do you think it's safe? To go, I mean. His honor made him an ally for a 
time, but that does not necessarily mean he is an ally for life. He -is- from the 
Negaverse."

"Artemis, I read his -mind-. He is not hostile. Not towards -me-, anyway. He 
requested that I meet him, and that I come alone. I owe him that."

Artemis looked up at the Chosen. "You owe him? For what?"

Nakiad stared at the horizon as he answered. "He spared Mina's life."

"When?"

Nakiad met the white cat's eyes. "I told you about it, remember? He led the 
shadow to believe she was not one of the scouts, and it dropped her. Kaneth 
saved her, however indirectly."

"But Nakiad," said Artemis, "When the two of you dueled, you spared his 
life. Even Kaneth himself had expected you to slay him. And you didn't."

"Not only that," Nakiad did not appear to be listening, "But he assisted me in 
my clash with the Lord. And saved the Scouts from Malachite and Zoicite. 
He has done much for us, Art. Much indeed." The Chosen leapt off the ledge 
he had been crouched upon onto the roof itself. "I do owe him," he said, 
turning to Artemis. "The Scouts' lives are too important to be made up for 
by something as simple as sparing the life of their savior." And he exited 
through the door that would lead him to the interior of Darian's apartment.

Artemis sat for a long while up there, thinking about honor and other 
emotions as he watched the landscape of the city.

"Art-emis-," he muttered, drifting off.

He slept.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Rogue entered the General's chambers, somewhat nervous. Calimite was 
upon his throne, as usual, feasting on thought. Vaprious did not know how 
his superior would react to his presence, what with Calimite revealing his 
secret to him. Of course, it had been the General who had sent for Rogue in 
the first place, so there should be some purpose behind it.

General Calimite, noticing Rogue's entrance, rose to his feet. He approached 
a bit slowly at first, then picked up the speed to a steady walk. "Rogue," he 
said, acknowledging the shadow.

"General," Rogue replied, cautiously.

There was a pause; then the General tool on business look. "I have devised a 
plan to complete the Project," he said proudly.

"Excellent," Rogue realized the General was purposefully avoiding the 
subjects and situations of their previous encounter. "How will you do it?"

"The question is not how -I- will do it, but how -we- will do it." Calimite 
watched Rogue's expression carefully. He walked to where the Pool was, its 
darkness lapping at the sides of it's hull. He held out his hand, and with a 
snap of his fingers, an image appeared above the Pool, rippling and 
transparent. Humans would call it a hologram. It displayed a man in black 
engaged in combat with a minion Rouge recognized as Mummrak. There 
were two other people in the image too, girls he knew to be the Sailor 
Scouts. Jupiter and Mercury, if he was not mistaken.

Calimite began. "Two days ago, while collecting energy from human 
universals, two of the Sailor Scouts made an attempt to stop my servant 
Mummrak, who you see in the picture. However, the attempt was cut short 
by a young man wearing what I believe on Earth is known as a gi. At first I 
thought he was nothing but a mortal boy, trying to look heroic. But he 
declared himself to be the Chosen." At this Rogue gasped noticeably, but the 
General continued. "I was surprised at first, but did not really believe him 
until he demonstrated this." He gestured to the hologram.

The image depicted this supposed Chosen wielding two swords that, as far as 
the shadow could tell, were made out of a white light. There was a brief 
battle, and it looked like the man in black won it.

"The swords bear a remarkable resemblance to the blades the most recent 
Chosen was said to have," said Calimite, looking at the transport picture of 
the Chosen. "And after some consideration, I have come to the conclusion 
that the boy is telling the truth, that he is indeed the warrior of the Chosen."

"M'Lord," said Rogue, forgetting that Calimite had specifically asked him 
not to call him that, "Are you sure? The Chosen has not been seen or heard 
from in almost two years."

"I'm sure," said the General darkly.

Rogue turned away from the screen toward his friend. "All right. But even if 
that is so, what does this have to do with Project?"

Calimite sneered to himself. "As you observed, there was a struggle between 
Mummrak and the Chosen. In that struggle, the boy was caught for instant 
by Mummrak's tentacles, draining only a small fraction of his energy. But as 
you can see-" he looked down at the Pool, "-Even that slight amount was 
enough to fill the Pool to the halfway point."

Rogue thought about this for a moment. Then a light bulb went off in his 
head and he smiled. Or he would have, had he a mouth. "What is your plan?"

"Simple. I will send a monster --equipped with weapons this time, of course-- 
to find this Chosen and drain his energy. That energy will be immediately be 
transported to the Pool where it will be put to good use." He chuckled a bit, 
then continued. "There is no doubt that whatever soldier I send will be 
destroyed if he battles the Chosen directly." He looked Rogue right in his red 
eyes. "I want you there," he said darkly, "to observe this... warrior. Watch 
his skill. Look at his technique. Fight him if you must, but retreat if he begins 
to overpower you." Which he no doubt will, the General did not say. "Do 
you understand your mission?"

Rogue nodded heavily.

Calimite smiled. "Good. Then the only problem left is which warrior I will 
send."

He snapped his fingers again, and the hologram changed changed into a 
single figure. Before Rogue could get a good look at it, it morphed into 
another figure. And another. The outline of the body would keep changing, 
going through a list of possible choices for the minion that would accompany 
Rogue on his mission.

Vaprious looked over to his leader.

Calimite was staring at the images, his eyes fixed on that spot. It took a few 
minutes before he finally said, "There."

The shadow looked back at the picture, examining the soldier that was 
displayed there. His eyes widened, then narrowed into satisfied slits of evil. 
"Excellent choice, my Lord," he said, turning to Calimite. "Excellent choice."

The General bowed his head in appreciation of the compliment. "Thank you, 
my friend."

The two turned back to the hologram.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Two cats, two men, and the five Sailor Scouts were gathered around a picnic 
table, eating various forms of ice cream. They was trying to have a group 
get-together to avoid the subject of the Dark Lord being set free. Amy had 
brought her homework on science to work on, but her mind was a bit 
preoccupied with Greg's strange phone call. Lita, Raye and Serena were 
engaged in a heated debate over which mall was better to shop at. Mina sat 
next to Nakiad, of course, her eyes closed, much like Serena was around 
Darian, only not as childish. Darian himself sat on the other side of Nakaid, 
opposite Serena. For once. The princess had been so involved in the mall 
conversation that she hadn't even noticed the seating arrangements.

"Like, no way, Raye! -Kogan's- is -the- supreme mall. It just doesn't get any 
better!" The blond folded her arms after taking another lick of her Mondo-
Super-Duper-Double-Wammy-Mega-Chocolate-and-Sprinkles ice cream 
sugar cone.

Raye had gone with cherry. "Serena, any ditz can see that the best mall is the 
Worlds mall on the other side of the block!"

"Actually, I agree with Serena," said Lita, licking the Superman ice cream 
cone she had ordered. Then, after feeling a kick under the table from Raye, 
she added, "'Course, Worlds is good too..."

"Traitor," Serena muttered. "Ami, what do you think?"

The blue Scout looked up from her books, putting her spoon back in the 
bowl full of plain vanilla. "Oh, I refuse to get into another one of your 
debates, you guys. If you two spent half as much energy into your 
schoolwork as you do in fighting, you'd be getting straight A's."

The two girls should have expected such an answer from Ami. Ignoring her 
comment, they continued the debate.

Darian sighed at the bickering, picking at the bowl of rasberry. Those two 
would never stop arguing, no matter how hard Luna tried.

Mina had gotten chocolate chip, and was fairly content with it. Looking up at 
Nakiad, she saw that he was looking strangely at the cone.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

He took a moment to look at her, as if he hadn't heard her until a second 
later. "Um... Nothing." He had gotten straight chocolate, and had not 
touched it. "It's just that I don't think I've ever had ice cream before."

For some reason, Mina found herself laughing. "You're kidding!" she almost 
shouted. "You've been alive thousands of years, and you haven't had ice 
cream?" She laughed a bit more, getting it out of her system. But every time 
she was almost done, she started up again, just as loud. "I'm sorry..." she 
managed to say.

"Yes, well. If you're quite done..." Nakiad allowed a smile to pass his lips. 
The smile widened, and the lips parted. Gradually, he began to laugh.

Artemis was watching from the middle of the picnic table. Not obviously, of 
course; the rest of the group thought he was asleep. But he saw Nakiad 
actually laugh.

As far back as Artemis could remember, the guardian cat had never seen 
Nakiad laugh. Ever. There had been so much duty, so much fear. There had 
been the knowledge that no matter what he ever did, Nakiad would die. He 
would eventually have to leave Mina for the Lord.

But here he was, -laughing-. And not over a spectacular joke by a genius 
comic, or a slap-stick comedy on a sit-com. He was laughing at the fact that 
he had never had ice cream. He was laughing at something that hadn't even 
been a joke. But most importantly, he was laughing with -Mina-.

But if he set the Dark Lord free, Artemis thought sadly, the champion of the 
Universe would never laugh again.

Raye suddenly stopped eating, her eyes distant. "Uh-oh, guys," she said. "I 
think I feel something. Something evil."

Serena moaned. "AGAIN?"

The group's attention was suddenly jerked to the sound of a car crash not 
two blocks away.

Darian's head shot up, right after Nakiad's. "Crap."

As the Scouts got up from the table, leaving the dessert behind, Nakiad 
frowned. Not grimly. Sadly. The moments with Mina were always so 
fleeting.

"Ohhhhhhh," Serena whined. "I don't want to fight those Negaverse guys 
again..." 

"C'mon meatball-head," said Darian, pushing his love gently.

Luna, suddenly alert, gave them their command. "I think you better 
transform, Scouts. I feel something too, and it's bad. Real bad."

Nakiad was silent as the five Scouts grabbed their power sticks.

"MERCURY POWER!"

"MARS POWER!"

"JUPITER POWER!"

"VENUS POWER!"

As the Scouts got ready for action, they noticed that the leader of their team 
was just standing there, staring at the locket with the crystal inside. The small 
object that gave her the power of the moon.

"Sailor Moon, what are you doing?!" cried Luna. "Transform!"

Unnoticed by the group Nakiad smiled to himself.

Serena, suddenly determined, put the locket away and concentrated.

"Serena!" Luna was yelling.

But the girl could not hear. She looked deep within herself, beneath her 
crybaby exterior, into the core of her soul, and found the power there. She 
focused, using the same technique she had used when battling the knight. She 
took that power, directing it outward. She could feel sweat beading on her 
brow, every muscle in her body tensing in concentration.

Her body began to glow, slowly at first, then brighter, until-

She collapsed to the ground, unchanged.

The group around her gasped. All except for Nakiad. He just frowned a bit, 
disturbed.

Luna spoke up. "You scouts go ahead. I'll take care of Serena."

Darian looked concerned. "Is she okay?"

"Yes, she's fine!" said Luna hastily. "Go! Now!"

Darian was about to protest something else, but another explosion convinced 
him otherwise.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The group ran, the four scouts in front, Darian behind them, Nakiad and 
Artemis in the back. On the way, Artemis gave Nakiad a look that seemed to 
say 

Nakiad just shook his head and kept running.

The monster was much bigger than the last one, this time. It stood about ten 
feet tall, its skin pale and smooth. Its muscles were frightening- rippling 
biceps, huge chest. Its clothes were made out of a deep red cloth that looked 
almost organic. It seemed to wave and flap not according the wind, but to 
the movement and will of the beast. It wore one piece around its waste, and 
another served as a cloak. Its face was dark and evil, standard of Negaverse 
monsters. It had no pupils in its eyes, just straight white, with dark circles 
under them. It had no nose, just a patch of smooth skin, and its mouth was 
twisted into a grin, with very long- and very sharp- teeth.

Mars went first. "I am Sailor Mars! And on behalf of Mars, I'll punish you!"

Jupiter went next, then Mercury and Venus, declaring their planet and what 
was in store for the Negatrash.

Nakiad hung back, staying out of sight, watching. He didn't really like to 
interfere with what Luna referred to as 'sailor business'. He had faced that 
Mummrak monster before because he had needed to test his new power. 
Now that he had, there was no reason to fight the scout's battle for them. He 
briefly thought about returning to Luna and the princess, but then decided 
that they would be okay on their own. If the scouts needed help, he would 
help. But only if they needed it.

The monster stopped destroying his surroundings. It spoke, its voice raspy 
and cold. "I am Jenoxx. I am to give you one opportunity to comply with my 
demands."

"Your -demands-?" said Raye, a bit surprised. Monsters had never actually 
made demands before, other than preposterous requests like "Join the 
Negaforce," things like that.

The monster hesitated. It appeared to be looking at something off to one 
side. Then it nodded, as if he had confirmed something. "You will lead me to 
the Chosen." It said it very simply.

The group stopped. Apparently, this creature knew about Nakiad. It was a 
bit strange, since the Chosen had not been involved with anything in the 
Negaverse for a while, since the Lord.

Jupiter came forward. "We don't know anything about a 'Chosen'," she said, 
trying to protect their friend.

Silently, Nakiad shook his head. This was not good.

The monster frowned. "You will not take me to him, then?"

"No!" yelled Mercury.

Venus was silent. Silent and scared.

Jenoxx's eyes glowed with hatred. He raised him arms, hands beginning to 
illuminate purple light. "Then you serve no purpose," he said, his voice filled 
with anger. His appendages exploded and the violet light slammed into all 
four scouts at full speed.

Nakiad almost made himself involved. Almost. When he saw the oncoming 
blast, his reflexes almost forced him to tackle the monster and kill it before it 
hit the ground.

But the scouts needed to do this on their own.

Venus and Mercury had been able to avoid most of the blast, but Jupiter and 
Mars had been standing on the inside of the semi-circle, and had not been so 
lucky. They were able to pick themselves off the pavement with quite a few 
aches and a number of bruises. 

As Jenoxx prepared for another attack, Mars held her forefingers together.

"Mars Fire...IGNITE!"

And huge flames rushed up to meet the monster, enveloping him.

But the attack had been weak, for Mars herself was worn from the blast, and 
the fire did little more than agitate the monster. He growled, and his fists 
began to glow again.

"Jupiter Thunder....CRASH!!"

A rain of electricity bolted toward Jenoxx and encircled him. The monster 
ignored the blue lightning and continued to concentrate on the blast which 
would surely destroy everything within a half-mile radius, at least according 
to Nakiad's estimation.

The other two scouts, Venus and Mercury, nodded at each other and used 
their power.

"Mercury Bubbles... BLAST!!!"

Venus...Crescent... Beam........SMASH!!!!"

That did it. The beam in collaboration with the bubbles and lightning 
destroyed the monster in a blinding light. He was reduced to mere ash, 
blowing away in the wind.

On a nearby rooftop, Nakiad smiled. He took another lick of his ice cream 
cone. He had not let it drop.


*	*	*


On another nearby rooftop, a dark shape was not nearly as happy. The one 
suspected to be the 'Chosen' had not shown up. He had failed his master and 
his friend. He was ashamed.

If only that man had shown up. If only he had-

Wait. What was that, over there? On the top of that building. A man. A man 
in black. Rogue squinted, trying to see... Yes. Yes, it was him. But should 
the shadow make his presence known? He did not know. His orders had been 
to observe the Chosen fight, to learn his skill. But that idiot Jenoxx had been 
vanquished by the scouts. Which meant circumstances had changed.

Vaprious thought. If he retreated now, he would have nothing for the 
General at all. But if he simply followed the Chosen, he might learn a secret 
or two.

And secrets were always fun to tell.


*	*	*


Nakiad stopped eating the ice cream and looked around. He felt something, 
some sort of vibe, perhaps left by that Jenoxx creature. He was sure it was 
evil, and was sure that it was close, but it was...-foreign-, somehow. Strange. 

His eyes scanned the landscape below, looking for some sort of monster or 
shadow, something that would confirm his suspicions. But he picked up 
nothing, except for the sound of police sirens in the distance.

He did not think to look at the other rooftops.


*	*	*


"And where were you?" asked Raye accusingly, pointing a finger at Nakiad.

Nakiad shrugged. "Around, I guess." His eyes seemed to smile.

Raye was angry for a few reasons. One was that her attack on Jenoxx had 
done very little indeed. The flames had hardly even surprised the huge 
monster that had attacked. Another reason was that the scouts still had no 
idea who their enemy was, and who was sending these creatures after them.

And the red scout was also angry at Nakiad, for not assisting them with the 
battle.

"'Around' doesn't cut it," she said. "I want to know why you abandoned us 
in the middle of a fight."

Darian, the two cats and the Sailor Scouts were all gathered in the home of 
Lita, whose parents were out for the evening to see a musical production. 
Nakaid had found he rather liked the green scout's house; it offered a sense 
of safety he could not really explain.

The Chosen sighed. "I was on a rooftop, if you must know."

Raye briefly wondered how he had gotten on top of a building so quickly, 
then thought better of it and retorted. "A -rooftop-? What were you doing on 
a rooftop? Obviously not helping us."

Under normal circumstances, Mars would not be as angry, but the battle with 
Jenoxx had left her with a particularly nasty cut on her outer thigh she had 
not noticed until later. It would heal in time, but it gave her a slight muscle 
pain when she walked.

Nakiad sighed again. "Sailor Mars, I cannot fight your battles for you. You 
know that."

Raye folded her arms. "No, but you can fight them -with- us."

"I wanted to see how you did on your own," said the Chosen. "It's been a 
while since you've gone without my help."

Raye just shook her head, turning to Serena. "And YOU." The red scout 
stared at the princess with angry eyes. "Just what did you think you were 
doing? You didn't even transform! You just stood there!"

The blonde's eyes went moist. "I was just trying to... to..." She burst into 
tears.

Artemis interjected into the conversation. "She was trying to use her power 
without the help of the objects-" he paused, then continued, defending the 
princess. "-which is more than I can say for you, Raye."

Raye threw him a look.

"Artemis is right," Amy spoke up. "We all have to try working on our 
powers without the need of the power sticks. So far, Serena is the only one 
who has been able to successfully execute such an operation." She smiled at 
their leader warmly.

Serena was still sobbing. "I'm sorry Luna," she said to her guardian. "I 
screwed up. I'm sorry."

Nakiad rose from his chair, walked over to the weeping girl and knelt by her. 
He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, causing her to look at him. He 
smiled. "No," he said softly. "You did not screw up. The important thing is 
that you -tried-."

Serena stopped crying, looking into Nakiad's eyes. She saw warmth there, 
comfort. And she smiled, tears still making their way from her eyes to her 
cheeks. "Thank you," she said.

Darian was brooding over a different topic. "We still don't know who's 
sending these monsters after us in the first place," he said.

Serena looked up at him. "Well, isn't it Kaneth?" she asked. "I thought he 
was in charge of Nega stuff."

"No," said Nakiad, shaking his head. "Most definitely no. I do not know 
what Kaneth's rank in the Negaverse is, but I know that his honor is much 
too high for him to attack us by surprise, not allowing us to prepare for an 
equal fight. And he has no use for energy, which is was what that Mummrak 
monster wanted." He neglected to mention the fact that he had spoken with 
Kaneth just last night. That could wait.

"Plus," said Artemis, "He's too smart to send a monster like that against us. 
He would've known we could defeat it easily. If Kaneth ever staged an 
attack against us, he would probably come himself."

Lita shrugged. "But then, who's left? Beryl's dead, and the Dark Lor-" she 
stopped. They had so far avoided the topic of the Shadow successfully; no 
one really wanted to bring that up.

Nakiad sensed her thoughts and saved her, not for the first time. "Yes," he 
said, nodding. "It has become increasingly evident that we have a new enemy 
in our midst.

Luna looked up. "But who?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

General Calimite paced around the Pool, wondering where Rogue could 
possibly be. He had witnessed Jenoxx's destruction through the Pool's 
waters, but had not seen where the shadow had fled. And the General could 
not get a fix on him, for a reason he could not explain.

Rogue had not betrayed him. He knew that. He trusted that.

He thought. The Chosen had not come forward in the battle. In his place, the 
Sailor Scouts had used their cursed powers to destroy Jenoxx. Calimite 
frowned at this; Jenoxx had been one of his better warriors. Not one of his 
greatest, but one of his better. He had underestimated the scouts. Looking 
back, that was the same mistake the leaders before him had done, and failed 
because of it.

He would not fail.

_He would not fail._

Where was Rogue?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Vaprious Rogue was across the street of the house he had seen the Chosen 
walk into. He had seen him and the five scouts enter the structure two hours 
ago, and none had resurfaced since. A young girl with a long brown ponytail 
had come to get the morning paper, but she was dressed in casual attire, not 
in scout uniform.

Rogue sighed. He had little patience, and certainly not enough for a stakeout. 
But he would try. He would try for his Master.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

"I don't know who," answered Nakiad. "But it looks like it's someone with a 
lot of power, at least someone with enough to keep deploying creatures after 
us."

"Has anyone else noticed that these strategies are similar to Queen Beryl's?" 
asked Mina, suddenly interested. "I mean, she used to send monsters after us 
one by one, and we'd kill them off."

Darian shook his head. "That wasn't -Beryl's- strategy, Mina. I remember 
from when I was working for the Dark Kingdom." He paused, not enjoying 
the memory. He pressed on, a bit quieter than before. "Beryl didn't do any of 
the fighting herself. She assigned commanders to be in charge of the 
operation. That's what Jadeite, Nephlyte, Zoicite and Malachite were, the 
commanders. They were the ones who deployed the monsters, not Beryl. I 
think the four were called generals, but I'm not sure." He looked down. "My 
memories of that time are not really clear."

Suddenly, Nakiad's eyes widened, just a bit, and he got a strange look on his 
face, as if remembering something. The word 'general' struck something 
deep within his mind, a rumor so old he could barley recall it. His mouth 
opened slightly, and he looked at Artemis. The cat looked back at him 
confused, not knowing why the Chosen's expression was so.

The group did not seem to notice, too involved in their own conversation.

"Well," Lita said thoughtfully, "Then it's probably someone who knows 
about the tactics of Jadeite and the rest."

"Not necessarily," said Raye. "It could just be another Negatrash superior 
making the same moves by coincidence."

"I suppose."

"What I don't understand," Luna said, scratching her head with one paw, "is 
why... er... 'Jenoxx', is it?... yes, why Jenoxx asked for Nakiad. What 
business does the Negaverse have with the Chosen?"

All eyes turned to Nakiad, as if he would have the answer. Which, for once, 
he did not. The Chosen just shrugged, and everyone turned back.

"Maybe they want revenge for the Dark Lord's demise?" was Serena's 
theory. 

Raye slapped her head. Lita had been smart enough to avoid the topic of the 
Shadow so as not to make the situation uncomfortable, and the Princess of 
the Moon had just gone and ruined the green scout's efforts. Mars just 
sighed.

"I doubt it," said Artemis, shaking his head. "Whoever has the throne of the 
Negaverse probably likes it that way. I don't think they would want to ruin 
their reign of power."

The whole group thought, trying to come up with a scenario which would 
make sense. When one refused to surface, Luna sighed. "Why don't we just 
take a break for now," she said. "I'm pretty hungry, and no doubt Serena is, 
too."

The blonde glared at the cat, then realized she actually could use some food. 
The group began to rise, saying standard good-byes, thanking Lita for her 
hospitality and exiting through the nearest door. When everyone was gone, 
Lita collapsed onto the sofa, and with a detached interest, realized that she 
had not noticed Nakiad leave. He was gone, she was sure of that, but she had 
not seen him go. 

Gradually, her eyes closed, and she drifted off into a deep, untroubled sleep.


*	*	*


"So, why that look on your face back at the meeting?" asked Artemis, once 
they had gotten to the roof of Darian's apartment.

Nakiad liked it up here. It was always peaceful, serene. He liked the city's 
landscape, the way the sun made it look. He liked how it cleared his head, 
swept his mind of all that he did not wish to dwell on. And he liked how 
Artemis enjoyed it too. They seemed to always have their best talks up here.

It had been an hour since the meeting, and Nakiad had asked Artemis to stay 
behind and wait for him. "I remembered something," the Chosen answered. 
"Something all the way back from the Silver Millennium." He lowered his 
head, thinking rather hard, trying to remember.

"Well, what was it?"

It took a moment for Nakiad to respond. "Do you remember there being a 
rumor?" he asked.

"A rumor? About what?"

"About... About the Generals."

The white cat thought. "No, why?"

"Something Lita said... I remember there being some kind of rumor, about 
another General. A fifth one."

Artemis almost laughed. "Nakiad, I'm surprised at you. You're not one to be 
believing in stories."

"What if it wasn't a story?" The Chosen was totally serious.

The other shook his head. "Nakiad, those were -rumors-. Old wives tales. 
There were only four Generals. -The- Four. Malachite was the highest 
ranking, I believe. That was why his uniform had the cape connected to it; it 
was similar to the medals that we give our soldiers here on Earth."

Nakiad shook his head. "Yes, yes, I know, but I remember hearing something 
about a fifth one. I do." He focused, trying to recall what it was, but it had 
been so long ago, and this was so much later... "I was only a child when I'd 
heard the story," he said. "I remember hearing it from my mother. She used 
to tell me stories of the Negaverse and of the people that lived there. And she 
told me about the fifth General. But I can't remember exactly what it was."

Artemis shrugged. "It'll come to you, in time. But I don't know what good it 
will do. There was no fifth General, Nakiad."

"But it would make sense, wouldn't it? I mean, if the General's strategies 
were always the same, then wouldn't that be the most logical explanation?"

The white cat sighed. "I suppose, if the story's true. But I seriously doubt it." 
He paused. "You're seeing Kaneth tonight, aren't you?"

Nakiad nodded. "Yes. I'm still not clear on what exactly he wants, but-"

He froze.

"What is it?" asked Artemis, seeing his face.

"I feel something." Nakiad looked around. He had felt this presence before, 
at the fight with Jenoxx. A dark presence... He leapt of the ledge onto the 
rooftop, landing in a crouch. Artemis did something along those lines, 
keeping close to the Chosen. Nakiad focused, feeling for exactly what and 
where the consciousness was, what it was after...


*	*	*


Vaprious Rouge had been watching the Chosen and the feline converse for 
approximately ten minutes, when he decided to get a closer look. The 
shadow was literally a mile away on a higher rooftop, but his vision was 
extraordinary. He was well known for it in the Negaverse armies. Rogue 
could easily make out the boy and his pet talking from his position.

But his orders had been to observe the Chosen in action, and the shadow 
could not very well do that, not when all the man was doing was talking to a 
cat.

He thrust himself onto another nearby building, not taking his eyes off the 
Chosen for a second. As he sprang across the rooftops, he saw the the man in 
black do a very strange thing. The Chosen seemed to become suddenly alert, 
sitting up and looking all around him, scanning for something. Rogue 
stopped, watching the other carefully. It was almost as if the Chosen had 
suddenly become acutely aware of his presence.

He watched as the man in black jumped of ledge backwards, landing on his 
feet and falling into a crouch.

Rogue stopped his approach.


*	*	*


"I don't see or feel anything," said Artemis.

"Ssssssh," said Nakiad softly. He definitely felt something. The only question 
was as to what it was. He wondered briefly why the cat could not feel it, but 
dismissed the thought away, saving it for later.

He could not get an exact location on the presence, but knew for sure that it 
was here.


*	*	*


Peculiar, Rogue thought. And interesting. Somehow, the Chosen had sensed 
him. Shadows knew little of the legends, especially this shadow, who had his 
own stressful life to deal with, and so he was surprised when he realized that 
the power of the Chosen rose to that extent. The cat could not sense him, he 
saw that. The feline was simply following its master, mimicking his 
movements. Somehow, Rogue knew that the cat was the Chosen's former 
guardian. He knew that much of the legend. It was not surprising to him that 
the cat could not feel him; shadows were hard to sense, especially by animals.

He was unsure of his course of action. To proceed meant to fight the Chosen 
warrior. Vaprious knew he could take this mere human, he was sure of it. 
But Calimite would be displeased that he had taken an unnecessary risk. Of 
course, it would also please his master that he had taken care of the Chosen. 

However, the boy might still be useful. He may be able to lead Rogue to the 
Sailor Scouts, and maybe even to their secret identities. Considering this new 
possibility, Rogue drew back, residing to his previous location.


*	*	*


Nakiad felt the presence abruptly leave. He rose to his feet, confused.

"Happy?" said Artemis in an unpleasant tone.

"No," said the other, looking down at the cat and frowning. "No, I'm not." 
He looked back at the landscape again, walked slowly to the door that led to 
the stairs.

"You know, you really should relax, Nakiad," Artemis called back after him 
cheerily. When he was sure Nakaid could not see him, he turned back to the 
cityscape, a worried frown plainly written on his face.


*	*	*


The warrior was almost floating as he walked, his clothes swirling about him 
in the darkness of the night. Shadows hid him fairly well, which was good. 
He did not want to be noticed. Not by human passer-by, anyway.

He flowed over the grass, observing his surroundings. The fact that it was 
nighttime had a great effect on the park. The animals were different, he 
noticed. They were owls and raccoons instead of birds and chipmunks, the 
animals that were more common in the day. The trees seemed to look a bit 
more eerie, reaching out in all directions for something that was not there. 
Above him hung a crescent moon, and the figure thought about that symbol, 
the meaning behind it.

Behind him, he heard two feet land lightly to the ground.

Without bothering to turn around, he spoke. "Hello, Chosen."

There was a pause before the form behind the warrior responded. "Hello, 
Kaneth."

Slowly, the Negaverse warrior turned around to face the man in black. The 
Chosen stood tall, proud, his feet slightly apart, his hands balled into loose 
fists. His gi moved in the wind, showing off the organic material. His face 
was hidden in the shadows, obscuring his features to the point where he was 
unrecognizable. 

"I would think," said Nakiad, "that the ruler of the Negaverse would not be 
one to socialize with a universal."

When Kaneth spoke, his voice was filled with sadness. "I do not rule the 
Negaverse."

Nakiad cocked his head, confused. "I don't understand."

"When I returned to my world," said Kaneth, calmer now, "I was shunned by 
my fellow warriors. When I told them of my more or less betrayal of the 
Lord, I was discredited for having committed treason. The soldiers of the 
Negaverse felt a hate toward me that was almost matched by their hate of the 
Sailor Scouts.

"But," he continued, "There were a few shadow soldiers who remained 
faithful to me, those few who I had taught the concept of honor to. It is with 
them I dwell, now, it is with them I plan." Kaneth paused, looking around. "I 
should not be talking to you, understand that."

"Why not?" asked Nakiad.

"Because," answered Kaneth, angry, "it is not wise. Although I did not 
assume power of the Negaforce, someone else did." He stopped.

"Who?"
 
Kaneth shook his head. "I have come to ask for your help, as I said before. 
My warriors have planned a strategic rebellion around the General."

Something in Nakiad's mind clicked. "The General? What general?"

The other shook his head again. "No one really knows anything about him. 
Only that he appeared suddenly and swiftly, taking the throne away from 
me. His name," Kaneth looked at Nakiad in the eyes, "is General Calimite. 
The fifth member of the General Committee."

It was all Nakiad could do to keep himself from gasping. "Then there -is- a 
Fifth General..." he said softly, more to himself then to Kaneth.

The shadow warrior nodded. "Yes. I did not believe the stories myself, not at 
first, but now... Now I suppose I have no choice." His voice suggested 
humor, but only very slightly. "To continue. There is a rebellion planned. My 
troops are ready to execute their actions at my command.

"But there is a problem.

"These troops are loyal, for they know the concept of honor, however 
vaguely, but they are not well trained. I do not think our rebellion will 
succeed without help." The warrior looked at the Chosen. "Your help."

Nakiad did not let his emotions be seen by Kaneth. Feelings he usually kept 
hidden from others, friends and enemies alike. But he still could not help but 
be surprised at what was happening. First, finding out that there was, indeed, 
a Fifth General. Numerous questions arose from that mere fact alone. But 
then, to have Kaneth actually ask for Nakiad's help in a staged rebellion? It 
was all too much. 

He looked up at the Negaversal. "You are known for honor, that has been 
made clear. So why do you not feel some loyalty towards this Calimite? You 
felt it toward the Dark Lord, so why does it not apply here?"

Kaneth would have frowned, had he a mobile mouth. "General Calimite was 
disloyal to -me-. The throne of the Negaverse is rightfully mine. Therefore, 
he has not yet -earned- loyalty."

Nakiad nodded, absorbing the circumstances. "But surely asking for help 
from me is dishonorable, on some level."

Kaneth looked into the trees, avoiding the Chosen's eyes. "Perhaps. On some 
level. But Calimite's dishonor overrules mine. I have worked for millennia to 
take on the throne. He has just stepped in and claimed it." He looked back at 
the other. "You understand, don't you?"

"Yes. I think so. You want me to help you defeat your enemy, just so that 
you can be mine."

Kaneth sighed. "Your answer is no, then. I cannot blame you. You are the 
most honorable person I know, and I did not really expect a different answer 
from you. You must do as you see fit. I merely hoped you would act 
differently." He turned away, ready to generate a portal home. He had tried. 
He had failed, but he had tried. And he had more important things to do than 
wish for another's help.

He was about to return to the Negaverse when he heard the Chosen's voice 
behind him, strong and confident. "I will help you," said that voice. "I will 
help you overthrow this new General."

Kaneth turned, slowly, as if not sure of what he was hearing. "You will help 
me?" he asked.

Nakaid nodded in the shadows. "We will meet later and discuss your course 
of action. Agreed?"

Kaneth, through his astonishment, noted his head nodding. "Yes, thank you. 
Chosen?"

The other had already turned, preparing to leave, when he stopped, his head 
turning to look at Kaneth. "Yes?"

"Why?"

Kaneth could have sworn he saw the other smile. "Because," he said quietly, 
"You spared the life of Sailor Venus. I will forever be in your debt."

"You truly love her, don't you?" asked Kaneth.

"Yes," Nakiad said quietly. "I do." And he vanished into the night.

Never in his whole life had Kaneth wished for the ability to smile more than 
right then.


*	*	*


Unknown by either warrior, the entire meeting was being watched by a single 
creature of transparent darkness.

True to his name, Vaprious Rogue had been shadowing the Chosen warrior 
all day, and it had proven to be most informative. Rogue had been incredibly 
surprised to find the Kaneth warrior associating himself with the Chosen. The 
shadow recognized Kaneth's name from the rumors and stories going on 
about him, how he was obsessed with 'honor' and such. It was pathetic, 
really. A high-ranking officer of the Negaverse, talking to a human. And not 
just -any- human, but the Chosen! Of all people! Calimite would be most 
interested in hearing -this- news. Most interested indeed.

Now the young man was racing through the park, going who-knows-where 
at top speed. A speed easily matched by Rogue, but a high speed 
nonetheless.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Though Rogue did not know it, Nakiad was most certainly -not- going at top 
speed.

Rather, this was merely a brisk jog to clear the head.

And there was a lot to clear.

Kaneth had asked his help, help Nakiad had granted. The man in black 
wondered if he had done the right thing. Kaneth was, after all, an officer for 
the Negaforce, and helping him could mean later danger. But then the 
Chosen's mind lingered back to Mina, held in a tight grip by a common 
shadow. Kaneth had tricked it into dropping Mina, sparing her life. That one 
instance made it all worth while.

Yes. He would help Kaneth.

However, throughout the reunion, Nakiad had felt a presence of evil. At first, 
he had thought it was Kaneth, logically. But Kaneth was by now back in the 
Negaverse, and he still felt it, a consciousness of hate.

He stopped, landing on the branch of a large tree. He focused his eyes, pupils 
expanding, enhancing his vision to the darkness of the night.

But he saw nothing. Only-

A sudden pain in his stomach made him lose his train of thought. There was a 
spontaneous fire that had just exploded within him, burning his insides with a 
rage of hate. The pain slowly moved to his head, where his temples throbbed 
with it, blocking off any concentration he might have had. He stumbled off 
the branch, not even bothering to land on his feet, allowing the cool, soft 
grass rush up to meet him.


*	*	*


Hm.

This was peculiar.

The Chosen seemed to be having a pain of some kind, a... spasm, or 
something. Rogue knew little of human anatomy.

It was almost comical, watching him keel over like that. He was slumping to 
the ground, coughing and 


*	*	*


gripping the grass. He relieved some of the stress that way. His blood boiled, 
hot with anger and rage, pain beyond belief. His stomach... Oh, his stomach 
was the worst of it. It was like an inferno, hotter than any firebird attack.

And then it stopped. His whole body went back to normal instantly.

Nakiad lay kneeling on the grass, his fingers still digging into the soil for 
another two minutes, considering what it what it was.

But he knew what it was.

Only one creature in either of the two dimensions Nakiad knew about had 
that kind of strength.

The Dark Lord.

The Shadow.

Gritting his teeth, the Chosen picked himself up off the ground, rising slowly. 
Rubbing his hand to his head, he realized that that the presence within him 
must be affecting his mind, too, making it seem like there was evil 
somewhere, when in reality it was within himself.

Yes, that had to be it.

Had to be.


*	*	*


Bemused, Vaprious Rogue let the Chosen go. He had enough information to 
tell his Master about, and following the man in black would probably not do 
the shadow any more good.

Rogue leapt to the ground, rising to a stance. He waved his hand, and with 
that single gesture, made a black tear in reality.

Then he stepped through it.


*	*	*


Mina could not sleep.

She was tossing and turning, trying all possible positions that might suggest 
comfort, and could not sleep. Her mind was too filled with worry for that.

Slowly, she sat up and glanced at the clock. 11:24. Pm.

Shaking her head, she stood up and turned on the lights. She blinked rapidly, 
her irises adjusting to the light, and found her way to the door. Opening it, 
she looked around, hoping that her parents weren't up. Quietly, she crept 
downstairs to the kitchen.

There was too much to think about. Nakiad had the Dark Lord inside him. 
The Chosen had united with the supreme Evil, and the other had done it 
willingly. Yet, now, Nakiad was being torn apart inside by the presence, the 
evil slowly eating away at him, until there would only be the Shadow, and no 
Chosen at all.

She opened the cupboard, taking out a small clear glass. The stress was 
getting to be too much. The love between the orange scout and the Chosen 
had been pushed to the limit, and survived. Now, there was yet another 
challenge. She held the glass under the faucet for a few seconds as she turned 
the water on. She let it fill up about halfway, then put the cup to her lips and 
drank.

If Nakiad needed to free the Shadow to protect the Universe and himself 
again, Mina would stand by him. She would stand by him for anything.

Her stomach ignited.

The glass dropped to the floor, shattering in an instant, spilling water in every 
direction.

The pain was terrible. And she knew it was not hers.

It was Nakiad's.

She was feeling it through their mental link, the one created by their deep 
love for one another.

And she was feeling his pain.

Her knees gave out.

Her hands slapped against the kitchen floor, keeping herself from falling 
completely. Shards of glass embedded themselves in her palms, drawing bits 
of blood.

That pain was nothing compared to the pain in her stomach, which was 
slowly making its way to her head.

Then it stopped.

She knelt there for a long time.

That was what Nakiad had been going through.

That was the effect of the Dark Lord's energy.

Oh, God.

Slowly, the pain in her hands presented itself to her brain, and she leaned 
back, picking herself up from the floor. She looked at her hands, shining in 
some places from the glass, patches of blood on her palms. 

If Nakiad did not free the Dark Lord soon, he would die.

He would die.

The very thought made her eyes moist, and a single tear trickled down her 
cheek.


*	*	*


"Kaneth did WHAT?" The cry tore through the Negaverse chamber, filled 
with death and hatred.

"Yes, sir. I witnessed it myself. He was conversing with the Chosen."

Calimite was speechless. His eyes were wide, focused on nothing. His hands 
were fists, the white gloves curled more tightly than they had ever been. 
There was a red glow in his eyes, a glow that was of pure rage, a rage that 
meant nothing but death.

Death for the traitor.

"This," the General screamed, "is the soldier known for -honor-?! This is the 
warrior who is praised for his loyalty?!" The hate swelled within him, 
reaching a boiling point. "What was he doing? What were they talking 
about?"

Rogue hung his head, ashamed. "I could not hear from my position, but 
Kaneth's attitude was anything but hostile."

Under normal circumstances, the bearer of that news would most likely be 
incinerated by the General. But their strong friendship made the idea 
invisible.

Calimite was hyperventilating, his breathing short and uneven. His teeth were 
bared, gritted tightly, and eyes continued to radiate the crimson glow. His 
breath became louder, his strength almost taking substance. The power was 
swelling, climaxing.

Rogue took a step back. It seemed the General was about to explode.

The rage built inside Calimite, anger not just of the current news, but of all 
the repressed hatred, the hate he kept locked within himself. And finally-

He stopped. His breathing returned to normal, and his fists unclenched. The 
strange glow in his eyes ceased, and he took a simple stance, feet together, 
arms at sides.

And, regaining composure, he uttered his command.

"Kill him," he said darkly. "Kill them all."


_	_	_


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