The Four Loves: Air On a Cosmic String
                        NINX
 XIII. All HELL Breaks Loose

 No matter where you go
 I will find you
 In a place with no frontiers
 No matter where you go
 I will find you
 If it takes a thousand years
    --"I Will Find You"

 I've never been in love before
 Now all at once
 It's you
 It's you forever more
    --"I've Never Been In Love Before"

 I've never known a love like this
 And it fills me with a new tenderness
 And I know, I know, I know
 You're in my heart, you're in my soul
 You're all I can't resist
    --"Love Of My Life"

 The two of them stared at each other, the crystal's blue light
illuminating the sheer astonishment that rested there.
 "It works," he whispered.  He moved it closer to her and the
shield, and the color brightened.  "It works!" He smiled brightly,
the glow finding a sweet sparkle in his eyes.
 "What...what is it?" Amy asked shyly, carefully regarding the
small glowing thing.
 "It's a locator crystal," he breathed.  A wave of meekness touched
him as he added, "I was going to use it to find you."
 "Zach?"
 He smiled sheepishly, softly, and looked down.  "All right, I need
to locate you.  You had...well, Amy.." he stopped, finger gliding
over the crystal, changing the glow to a pulse.  The shield did not
react.
 "Zach..."
 "It's not reacting," he said, looking up to her.  She nodded,
touching her earring, visor appearing as she flipped out a dingy
computer in her hand.  As her head was bent over the data, he
added, "You got to me, Amy.  Still do."
 "The shield is single side reactive," she replied, tapping a few
buttons.
 "Like a piece of Scotch tape?"
 She nodded, looking up as he looked down.  "Bring it closer."
 He hesitantly complied, waiting for a zap of pain to strike him,
choke him.  He realized that, most likely, only she could make this
request without him arguing.  Yet the strike never came, though he
felt a slight tingle.  Amy's face reflected confusion when he
looked up, and she asked, "What kind of locator is this?"
 "Passive," he replied.  "It reacts to your nearness, but it
doesn't actively search you out.  Bit more stealthy that way."  He
didn't mention that it would also find traces of her on others.
 She cocked her head, a rather cute and bird-like motion.  "Why
didn't it react before?" she wondered aloud.
 "I suppose it was still cooling down.  It wasn't quite finished
when I pocketed it," he mused.  "And the shields may have stunted
it as well."
 "Probably," she said, still looking at him.  His gaze dropped, and
a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.  Quietly, she
said, "You affected me too, Zach."
 He looked up at her, and eyebrow raising in a questioning glance.
"I'm honored."
 "You should be," she replied with a small grin, fingers tapping
the keys.  Her eyes skimmed over the readings she got, and she
tapped a few more keys.  "It's single side reactive to active
probes...actually, anything trying to get through the shield.
According to this, it will seize on it and attempt to drain away
all its energy..." She broke off, but the final meaning sobered
them both.
 "I've got to get you out of there," she said, furiously working
her computer.
 "I'm not the only one, Amy," he replied.  "Mars and Nephrite are
above, and Jade and Jupiter are on the other side."
 "Mars isn't," she reminded gently.  "She's experiencing
my...former condition."
 "Amy...what..."
 "Extreme paranoia, the feeling of being brutalized, lost, a little
insanity," she briskly rattled off, her face still a picture of
concentration.
 "Amy-chan," he said, voice soft and creeping with worry.
 She looked up, and gave him a brief, sad smile.  "It's...I've put
it away for now, Zoi.  When it's all over..."
 He nodded quickly, saying, "Comprendo.  We do what we must."  A
grim picture of his crystal slicing away Venus' hair came to mind,
the soft blond strands falling in a gentle rain.  He hoped that
Kevin would forgive him for the damage caused.
 She returned to punching keys and examining her visor readouts,
and he scoured his own mind for ideas.  It was several minutes
before he suggested, "Crystals."
 "What?"
 "Crystals."  His voice grew excited.  "In our last battle, Serena
and I both used crystal to pierce and shatter the shields of the
enemy.  Could it work here?"
 Her eyes grew wide, and she speedily typed something into her
computer. "I wouldn't do it.  These shields are a bit different.
They've been erected to be activated almost on thought commands."
 "They're that sensitive?"
 "Yes, but only in certain spots," she said, eyebrows furrowing;
she moved across the length of it, hand nearly touching it.  Her
face calmed slightly as she pointed to the very edge. "Here," she
whispered, "and here."
 "What?"
 She looked up at him, and gave him a soft, gentle, bright smile.
 "Weak points."

*       *       *       *
 The wind was a soft breeze at the street level.  It was a nice
thing there, a softness that cooled people as they passed, brushing
back annoying hairs.  It was one of the little blessings of life.
 Down there.
 Somehow, as the winds ascended the argent skyscraper, they
changed.  Their moods, perhaps soured by the increasing pollutants,
turned hotter and angrier.  There was no care, no caution, as they
whipped between buildings, up the buildings, to blast the dead
surfaces of such.
 Or, in one case, slam full force into Mina.
 "Whoa!" she called out, slipping backwards.  Her hair was unfurled
behind her like a great sail, and the conservative work clothing
she wore--blouse and skirt--whipped in the wind, clinging to her
frame.
 "Hang on!" Kevin called.
 "I'm not sure if I can!" she yelled back, the inches going beneath
her feet.  "Hurry!"
 Just as swiftly as it had climbed the building, the wind died.  As
her hair and clothing fell almost back into place, she turned
about.  Her face was flushed, and her eyes sparkled wildly, as if
the joy of life had suddenly infused it.  Kevin was mildly taken
aback by the fresh, glittering sight, and struggled for any words,
anything at all.
 "You know," she broke in, his train of thought now derailed, "when
you said you'd take me out for lunch, this was not what I
expected."
 The offer had come just a couple of minutes ago.  They'd been
sitting inside the office--her, Kev, and Setsuna, who had greeted
them at Darien's--trying to work through those last minutes until
their break.  It wasn't easy, trying to do the work of six while
also trying to write up applications, yet they were making a good
go of it.  Mina, in fact, had managed to make it through most of
the paperwork given her, and was staring out the window.   she thought quietly.    She let out a little sigh, and tried to focus
on the task at hand, but the world just kept calling to her.  The
bright beams of sunshine lanced into the room, illuminated by the
ever-present dust motes, warming it as it warmed the bright
blueness of the day out there.  She could almost feel it upon her
neck, and...she managed to snap out of it for a moment, and to look
down at the paper before her.  However, it blurred before her eyes,
and she was nearly in the throes of a daydream, one in which she
got out of this office and into the sun, felt the crisp breeze...
 "It is a nice day, Mina," Setsuna replied.
 "Wha...? Oh, yea," she replied, sheepishly.  She hadn't even known
she'd said anything.
 Kevin glanced over at her from his computer--both he and Sets were
doing some kind of something involving servers today, though she
couldn't follow it--slipping off his glasses momentarily.  She'd
been shocked when she'd seen him in them, not just because he'd
never worn them, but just because he looked good.  REALLY good.   she thought.

 It was at that moment that he asked, "Mina, care to go to lunch
with me?"
 Which is how they had ended up here, on top of the building.  He'd
feigned innocence when he shortly after they bought their meal,
he'd taken her arm; though he let go after the teleport when he had
to put up the shields, she could still feel him close to her.  It
was a comforting thing.
 Now, though, he put a blanket down, and the two of sat down.  She
was having a fish sandwich only; she needed to watch her figure.
He, on the other hand, was having a cheeseburger and fries.  Both
were drinking local soda.
 "Don't spill--this is probably his best blanket," Mina joked as
they attacked their lunch.
 "Knowing Darien, you're probably right," he replied, grinning
slightly.
 "Well, considering that half of Tokyo once employed him, I don't
know," she replied.
 His eyebrows rose slightly.  "He worked that much?"
 She nodded.  "It was back after Serena...left.  He threw himself
into his work, trying to get through his grief...it was horrible to
watch."  A blazingly harsh picture of him popped up in her mind:
thin, almost haggard looking, with that same, damned pain in his
eyes.  She shook it off.  "It took him a year or so to see that he
was trying to kill himself, and he eased off.  Which was good,
because he was on the verge of hospitalization."
 "What's he doing now?"
 "College, I think," she said, eyes misty.  She struggled to bring
up what he was doing, but they'd never really talked about him.
Oh, there was an occasional complaint about someone, but they
usually refrained from talking about work of any sort.  "I think he
said he was thinking of attending some school in America, but I
don't remember the name.  Something about Ivy, though."
 Kevin nearly choked.  "Ivy League?" he whispered.  "Whoa..."
 She smiled brightly.  "He said it was good.  However, I don't know
if he's going to make it, considering..."
 He reached over, and touched her hand.  When she looked up at him,
he quietly said, "Don't.  It's not necessary."
 She looked stunned for a moment, and then nodded.  They resumed
eating, she chewing slowly, eyeing his fries.   she thought.    She jerked her
thoughts away from it, admiring the sky, Kevin, the building
surface, Kevin...but her eyes just kept slipping back to it.
 For his part, Kevin did notice what she was looking at.  "Want
one?" he asked.
 "Couldn't."
 "Mina," he said, wagging one teasingly at her.
 "I can't!" she protested.  "I have to...stay away from that stuff.
It's a model thing."
 "Mina," he kept up, still wagging the fry at him.
 "Stop that!"
 He smiled, one of his rarely seen large smile.  "You know you want
it..."
 "It's not what I want, but what I should do," she replied primly.
 "I think you should stop worrying so much about your figure," he
said, using the fry to point at her.  "You're a Senshi, an ACTIVE
one at that, and I'll bet you've got Serena's metabolism to boot."
 "Huh?  I missed that class."
 "Serena's metabolism.  It's how fast you use up the food you take
in.  Judging from her and likenesses between you, I'd bet you could
eat a German Chocolate Cake and not gain a gram or the tiniest
blemish," he replied, voice slightly playful, still pointing the
fry at her.
 "Ewwwh.   I don't like German Chocolate Cake!"
 He sighed, somewhat exasperated.  "You know what I mean."
 "Yea, I do," she said, voice sullen.  She looked away for a
moment, and then looked back at him.  
she reflected.  
 "One won't hurt," she finally said, sounding almost resentful.
She scooped up one of them, and idly began to suck the salt off of
it.  She usually did that when she ate fries--not that she ate them
all that often, but when she did, she did that.  She liked the
taste.  She noticed Kevin was slightly flush, but she assumed it
was just because of the wind.
 "Uh, Mina?"
 "Yes?" she said, choosing that moment to take a large bite out of
the fry.  She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she was
sure he winced.
 "I need to ask you something, and I need you to take it
seriously."
 She nodded, continuing to leisurely mangle her fry.
 He swallowed, and for a moment, had to reassure himself.
"Um...would you like to...um...well, I really don't know how to say
this."
 "Forget the words?"
 "No, not that," he replied, almost grinning.  "I'm just not sure
how you're going to take this."
 DING! A little bell went off in Mina's head.  "Take what?"
 "Well, that's what I'm trying to get out.  You see, I'd like
you..." he faltered again, looking down, hands tangling in the
blanket.
  her mind chorused, but she calmly said, "You
have time, you know."
 "No, we don't.  At least, not as much I'd like for what we're
going to do."
  her mind shouted.  
 "Spit it out!" she cried out lightly.  Seeing the look on his
face, she added in a low purr, "We're adults.  I'm sure you're not
going to offend me in any way."
 "Oh...I don't think you'll be offended," he said ruefully.  "I
just wonder what you'll think of my asking."
 "You'll never get your answer if you never ask," she pointed out.
 "Too true," he replied.  "Well, then, Mina," and now he came
closer to her, "would you go out looking with me?"
 She stared at him for a few moments, and then softly said, "huh?"
 "I mean, will you go with me to patrol the area...to look for any
signs of our friends.  I have an idea where they could be, but I'd
like you along with me, all right?  It's dangerous out there..."
 "Hey, I understand.  And I'd be delighted to."
 For once, his face bloomed into a gorgeous smile, one that touched
his eyes.  She smiled back, and stood up.  Quickly, she
transformed, as did he, and for a moment they just looked at each
other.  A flash of the women's blue eyes, questioning her, overlaid
across his serious gray ones.
 And she knew.
 The shields dropped, and the winds hit her.  However, Sailor Venus
was prepared, and easily adjusted herself to combat it.  Together,
they took off.

"Setsuna, you need to come to lunch with us," Mina said as she
walked back in, absentmindedly fixing up a strand of her hair.
 "It'd do good for you to get the fresh air," Kevin added as he sat
as his desk.
 Setsuna looked up from her work to catch the two of them looking
at each other, Kevin having just slipped on his glasses.  Both of
their faces were slightly flushed, their eyes alive, and the smell
of the room was permeated by a sudden...freshness.  It was
refreshing, and yet the melancholy within her would not let her
feel it.
 "It looks like you two had a perfectly good time by yourselves,"
she said.
 "Uhm?  Yes, we did," Kevin said, breaking off his gaze.  "Though I
never knew Sailor Senshi were so AGILE."
 "Are you kidding?  You Generals must be part cat!" Mina exclaimed.
"Setsuna, it was incredible.  We were standing..."
 "Just what exactly did you do on your lunch break?" she asked,
smiling a small, dispirited smile.  "Play on a jungle gym?"
 "Actually, we went patrolling.  Kevin wanted to see if we could
pick up any traces of the Sailor Senshi or the others," Mina
supplied.
 "Did you?"
 "Unfortunately, no," he said.  "Which proves my theory."
 She raised an eyebrow.
 "Within a few days of their abduction, I went to a gas station to
pick up some run-of-the-mill items for the apartment.  I was waited
on by the slowest, most infuriatingly picky women, and yet I sensed
in her a great...difference.  As if she wasn't the person she
seemed to be.  There was power all over the place, too, extremely
subtle, yet there," he explained, eyes firming to seriousness,
levity draining out.
 "So what do you want to do?"
 "Check it out, actually.  Sometime this evening a good time for
you?" he asked.
 "I'm not sure."
 Both of them looked at her.
 "You see, I have to go back to the Gate."  Immediately, she held
up a hand to signal silence.  "There are some things I must check
out.  It is a personal emergency."
 "Are you leaving us for good?" Mina asked.  "It's been such a
short time..."
 "It's only a brief check, Mina."
 Kevin slid his glasses off, staring at her with eyes uncovered and
smooth, attempting to probe her slow.  Her head faltered a little
under his gaze, yet she managed to keep a straight face.  "Is
everything all right, Setsuna?  Any disturbances?"
  came the first brief cry, yet logic soon
intercepted that one rogue wave, and she kept everything in check.
"I've just received some new information, and I need to see how it
will affect us," she said.
 "Are you sure?" His tone was slightly less brisk, with a touch of
pleading in it.  It touched her, mildly, and she looked down at her
papers for a few moments.
 "I hope to be back in time to accompany you to the gas station,"
she finally said.  "If not, then good luck.  I will be there as
soon as possible."
 And then she returned to her work.

 The woman who currently called herself Mys pulled the cup of tea
out of the microwave and sniffed at it reverently.
 "Chamomile," she whispered softly, and walked into the next room,
still inhaling the fruity apple scent.
 Her eyes fell on the clock, and she sighed.  It was late, later
than she'd expected it to be.  Her male counterpart was still out
on the couch after staying up for a long period at Obs post,
letting Quest sleep.
  she thought ruefully, looking at
the man.  His hair gleamed black and new from his shower--he still
wore his black robe--but the extreme pallor of his face disturbed
her.  He hadn't been the same since he'd come back from Set's
apartment, slightly wounded and depressed.  Her gentle telepathic
inquiries had been blocked, and any attempts at discussion
rebuffed.  She, naturally, was worried about him; surprisingly, so
was Bird, who usually was unconcerned.
 "Tea, Quest?" she asked, coming up beside him softly.  Her eyes
caught the screens, and watched as he monitored Kevin, Mina, and
Sets, with tracers out for the others.  He'd already pinpointed
several sights where the radiation was high--a tall building
downtown, a gas station, an apartment complex, a flat of houses,
and a warehouse--and was currently picking through the energies
given off for any of the subtle, dark kind.
 "No...no..." he replied, voice low and fuzzy.
 "Chamomile, you know.  Guaranteed to relax you."
 "Tense is alert."
 "No, tense is stressed."
 "What do you want, Mys?" He turned away from the console, and
glared at her with furious eyes.  His robe hung open slightly,
allowing her to see the fading scorch mark on his chest.
 "We're worried about you, Wes," she replied softly.  "You haven't
been quite the same since you saw Setsuna, and since we have to
leave soon..."
 He looked away, and gave a strained sigh.  "Setsuna," he said
softly.  He pushed his chair away from the desk, and looked down.
 "You don't think these things will last," he finally said.  "When
Sets and I were together...it was lovely.  I was learning from a
beautiful lady, and...we fell in love.  But then..."
 "Beryl," she said softly.
 "When I learned of the Darkness to come, I knew that I was going
to have to leave.  So I...messed with the Time Stream."
 "Wes!?" A horrified look crept over her face.  "That's..."
 "Dangerous? Mys, life is dangerous, unless you stop moving.  Being
that that's unlikely to happen..." he trailed off.  "Anyways, that
doesn't matter now.  I'll never get near her again."
 "Why?"
 His eyes clouded darkly.  "She never wants to see me again, Mys."
 Her eyes widened.  "But you...she loves you!"  He shook his head,
and she quickly added, "God, Wes, what DID you do?"
 "It's really complicated, Mys.  Let's just say that I was able
to...obscure my presence in the Millennium.  And since my..." he
shook off the word, "since Setsuna and her family are so connected
to the Stream, I also obscured any memories she has of me."  He let
out a small sigh.
 "That doesn't so too bad."
 "It didn't to me, either, but I took an extra precaution."
 Immediately, she sensed some trouble in those words.  "What
exactly did you do to her, Wesley?"
 "I...uh, administered a fast acting anathestic."
 "YOU KNOCKED HER OUT!?"
 "Better than knocking her up."
 "Wesley! That's downright...well, it's just..."
 "Keep going, Mys.  You can't top what I've called myself," he
said, eyes downcast, manner resigned.  "I just wish I
could...explain...something to her."
 "Why can't you?"
 "Didn't you hear me?  She told me she doesn't want to see me
again.  Ever."  His eyes flickered shut briefly, as if he pushed
the pain away.  "And for Setsuna, that is...literally forever."
 "But you love each other.  A fool could see that; hell, even
without my abilities I could, and you know how dense I am," she
said soothingly, but he brushed her off.
 "You said you're leaving soon."
 She nodded.  "Wish that we could stay, but we have duties to
fulfill as well."
 "Well, so do I," he said, thumbing his finger at the setup.  "Ops.
Maybe a bit of fighting in the end."
 "And then what?  Are you going to go back to your 'studies'?
Where is that going to get you, Wesley?"  Her eyes softened
slightly.  "You belong with her."
 His eyes blazed, and the emotional flare up seared across her
mind.  "Haven't you heard ONE word I've SAID?!  She doesn't want to
see me again.  She'll blow me away, Mys! Turn me in to 'chrono
dust.'  That's in her own words! Her OWN words.  She'll kill me."
He took a pained breath, and a tiny tear gleamed from the corner of
his eye.  "And I deserve it.  I promised her I'd never leave her.
I swore up and down.  And then I did it, without explanations,
without anything! That's not the kind of man she deserves.  Face
it, Mys, I'm CAN'T go back to her.  I will not break my promise to
her--I WILL HONOR her wishes!"  He turned back to his computer,
face hardening, the shielding over his mind slipping firmly back
into place.  "She deserves at least that much."

*       *       *       *
 The rest of the day slipped along fairly smoothly; they left the
office around six in the evening, taking a good deal of their work
with them.  As soon as they arrived back to Darien's, Setsuna
became Sailor Pluto, and vanished.
 It was then that things got a little sticky.  They told the cats
what they wanted to do, and both agreed, provided they could go
along.  Kevin and Mina conferred for an impressive five minutes
before accepting them along, most of the argument against due to
the fact that they usually got REALLY beat up.  Then, it was onto
dinner and getting cleaned up, and even that was all right.  Kevin
wanted to go in late, when not much traffic was coming through, and
civilians couldn't be used against them.  Also, it'd cause less of
a fuss.
 Now they had a plan...and then they had to wait.
 As anyone knows, waiting can be nasty.  But waiting when you know
you might be going into a dangerous situation is ten times as
horrible.  Especially if you're waiting with someone who may or may
not have strong feelings for you.  The combination of the two was
just about unbearable.
 After a half hour of doing the leftover paperwork, Mina's fingers
started to twitch.  She felt slightly light headed, and the smell
of smoke permeated her nostrils.  She closed her eyes, and tried to
will it away, but it just pressed back harder.  Finally, she got up
from the table, and walked over to sliding door.  She tossed Kevin
a look, daring him to stop her, before she walked out onto the
balcony, sliding it shut behind her.
 "Hm," Artemis said, then turned and gave the man a look.  He was
busily pouring over some document, glasses freshly pushed up on his
nose.  "A-HEM."
 "Yes?" he said, not looking up, voice distracted.
 "I think she could use some company."
 Now he looked up, eyes disbelieving.  "Mina?  Artemis, she went
outside for a cigarette; I could see her getting jumpy.  It doesn't
mean she wants me out there, too."
 "I think she does."
 He gave him a pointed, direct glare.  "I can't follow her
everywhere.  She needs her privacy."
 "Not when there's Dark Trio about."
 His eyes flashed wide for a moment, but then he shook his head.
"She's a big girl, she can defend herself."  He looked down,
putting his pen to paper.  "I was out with her today, patrolling
for anything.  She's quite capable, more than I knew."  A brief
smile flitted over his face, and then vanished as he concentrated
on what was before him.
 "You need to be out there, Kevin."
 "Listen, Artemis..."
 "No, Kevin.  This time, you're going to shut up, and listen to
me."  The cat advanced upon him, each white step restrained
slightly, a hint to the emotions boiling within him.  He moved
until they were not more than six inches apart, green eyes on a
direct level with his.
 "I love Mina," he said quietly.  "And no one can ever say anything
against that.  However..." and now he let out a small sigh, as if
he was trying to figure out how to say what he needed to.
"However, I can't go out there and cheer her, or comfort her, or be
a crutch to her, because of what I am, both as her cat and as her
guardian.  On the other hand, you can, and you are trying to
deliberately through that away."
 "I didn't like you much in the beginning, you know.  But now I can
see that you care for her quite a bit," he added, voice shifting
lower.  "And I know you'd be raging and roaring mad if anything was
to happen to her.  So why take the chance of something to happen
over some lousy paperwork?"
 "It's important..."
 "Kevin, do I have to defibrillated you?"  He raised a paw, and
batted it against his forehead.  "Maybe if I do this, it'll turn on
your heart."
 The gray in his eyes suddenly boiled darker, and Artemis retracted
his paw.  The man seemed to be on the verge of saying something
when he added, "This lousy, boring paperwork, or Mina.  Easy
choice.  Right?"
 His eyes still simmered, but a touch of acceptance had crept into
them.  He pulled off his glasses, and set them down on the table.
"Never argue with a cat," he murmured as he rose, hand quickly
ruffling the fur on his head.
 Artemis laughed.  "You're learning," he replied.  "Now go."
 "Melodramatic," he muttered in reply, but he did walk to the door.
For a moment, he paused, and there was an uncertain set to his
shoulders.  Then, his hand rested on the handle, he swept open the
door, and walked outside.  As Artemis jumped down and walked a few
steps forward, the door shut definitively in his face.
 He looked down at the floor, and began to chuckle.  As he did, a
few soft tears slipped lose.  He had debated within himself whether
he would ever accept this man that had walked into Mina's life.  He
had never been quite sure if he would be able; he and Mina had been
together for so many long years, the thought of intrusion
was...unappealing.
 Yet he had done it.  He had...in a way...let her go.
 Luna trotted up to him, tail seeking his.  "Are you all right?"
she asked in the softest of voices.
 "Yea," he replied quietly, still looking at the door.  "I think
I'm going to be."
 "Do you want to talk about it?"
 He eyed her.  "Do you?"
 She gave what could be interpreted as a shrug, and he shook his
head.  "Later, then," he said.  "Right now, though, how about some
of that cream?"
 Outside, the wind was soft and warm, a gentle blanket upon his
shoulders.  He stopped for a moment to admire the darker colors of
night that had set in, and the twinkling of city lights that
accompanied them, winking like man-made stars at him.  It was an
instant relaxer.
 Until he joined Mina at the edge.  Here, though the view was even
more magnificent, and the sensations just that much better, he
tensed.  Was a little nervous.
  he thought.  
 "Enjoying the air?"
 A cloud of blue smoke accompanied the words, and he looked over to
her.  She was also staring out into space, her posture casual
looking.  Yet he could see the slight trembling that accompanied
it, as if the whole air of nonchalance she was putting off was
false.
 "Yea," he said.  He reached over, snatched her cigarette from
loose fingers, and ground it out.  "I like it even more, now."
 To his surprise, there was no immediate reaction from her, except
for the folding of her hand down for extra support.  Tendrils of
her blond hair snaked in and out of his vision, yet she didn't look
at him.  She didn't seem to acknowledge the act at all, as if it
didn't matter.
 He turned away from her, and looked down.  Beneath him, he could
see the edge of the jutting balconies; below that, the ground, set
with small dots of light.  The wind shifted twice around him, each
time bringing in new scents and feelings.  He closed his eyes,
tried to relax, tried to think of what to say...
 "Darien used to do that."
 "What?"
 She shifted slightly, still facing outward.  "He used to do that
exact same thing when I'd smoke nearby him.  I...I protested a few
time, but there was never anything I could really do.  He'd
just...just..." She halted, her breath coming in shorter gasps,
face contorting slightly.
 "Mina," he said quietly, and she turned to look at him.  Beads of
tears had welled in her eyes, some just edging on trickling down
her face.  Her eyes were flecked wildly with silver, and her mouth
trembled slightly.  She took one shuddering breath, and he watched
her try to contain herself, grasping at control.
 "I...I've never missed him...so...so...much," she tried, body
tightening with the effort of reining in her tears.
 Quickly, he moved forward, and wrapped his arms around her gently.
She just trembled there, shuddery breath coming sporadically into
his shoulder, arms hung loose at her sides.
 "It's all right."
 "No...no...he was...I never told him how much he meant to me.  He
was such a...a friend when Serena was gone.  Oh God, I..." warm
tears fell onto his shirt, "I miss him so much."
 "I know, I know," he replied, pressing her just a little tighter
against him.  "I know.  Serena...I miss her like I'd miss my own
breath.  I miss her laugh, her eyes, the way she'd get all serious
when she was frustrated."
 "Serious?" It was a small breath, accompanied by a tear or two.
"What did you do to her?"
 He smiled, just a little, and drew back.  Automatically he cupped
her face in one hand, letting his thumb brush away any remaining
tears.  "For five years, she was my Princess.  We guarded and kept
her, protected her like our own.  She got inside us...she could
command us without hesitation.  But for five years, she was also my
little sister.  I laughed with her, conjoled her, studied with
her...and my only regret is I didn't spend more time with her." He
let his hand fall away, and he looked away.  "Of all her brothers,
I am the one she is farthest from."  He looked back at her,
certainty plain on his face.  "Yet I know she'll come back.  They
both will.  We can get them all back."
 She started to cry again.
 "I don't want to go, Kevin," she pleaded, moving away from him.
"I can't face him.  Not with what..."
 "Mina, I don't think anyone..."
 "The Master, Kevin," she said, voice breaking out of softness for
a moment.  "After what he did...I don't remember everything, but I
know it was awful."  Her voice dropped.  "Without Senshi or any
other backup, I can't do this.  I can't go against him alone,
again." She turned away, arms snug around her, looking down at the
ground. " He'll...but I know I should.  I have to! But...what kind
of warrior can I be, if I can't even..." She turned, and looked
back at him.
 His eyes had gone steely, and his frame was tight.  She stepped
back, eyes wide, and watched his fist clench and unclench.  He
looked down for a moment, and there was tenseness all over his
face.  "Kevin?" she asked.
 He took a breath, and then another, deep breaths in order to
relax.  "I'm sorry, Mina," he finally said.  "But I may have to
kill him when I see him."
 "Don't try it," she warned.  "I wouldn't want you to go through
what...I did."
 "Yes, well..." he let it trail off there, the danger once again
flaring in his eyes.
 "Kevin..."
 "Mina, shush."  He moved closer to her, hands softly clamping onto
her shoulders.  "When Serena first told me that we were coming
back, I had no idea what to expect of you.  After all, I'd seen you
in the movie, and you looked like a powder puff."  He smiled a
little, and his eyes seemed to be looking to the past, not at her.
His voice took on a reverent tone.  "Yet, when I first saw you
fight...I was amazed.  You were...incredible.  I expected it to be
a fluke, but it wasn't."  His eyes refocused on her.  "You are a
fine warrior."
 "You flatter me."
 "I speak the truth."
 "But Kevin, that was against something I wasn't afraid of."  She
stepped away, and they both drooped a little, his arms falling back
as her head looked down.  "I'm scared to death of him.  I know I
shouldn't be, that I should be a great leader and take charge and
want to go in...but I can't.  Every time I think about it, I see
his eyes...and I want to crumple and die."  She looked up, and the
tiny pinpricks of city light reflected off the tears that clustered
in her eyes.  "I can't do this alone."
 "But you're not alone."
 Her face turned incredulous.  "I have no Senshi to back me up."
 A stab of pain hit him.  "What about...?"
 "Oh Kevin...I didn't mean to exclude you," she said gently,
closing the gap between them, hand reaching up to touch his face
tenderly.  "I know you'll be there.  But we'll have to split up,
and you know that we will."  She retracted her hand.  "And
then...I'll be alone.  No Senshi.  Nobody.  And it scares.  It
shouldn't, but it does."
 "Stop saying that," he ordered, tone rough.  "Of course you're
nervous, as anyone would be."
 "I didn't say I was nervous," she replied.  "I said I was scared."
She turned away, arms hugged around herself, separating herself
from the world in order to ponder her own.  Alone.
  he thought, and moved forward, catching her by the
arm.  She spun, looking at him with questioning eyes.
 "We won't split up," he said firmly.  "We'll fight back to back if
it gets to it, but I'm not going to leave you."  He let go of her
arm.  "We fight together, and we fall together."
 "Kevin, that's not possible."
 "Yes, it is.  I'm not going to..."
 "That's wrong!  If we get cornered, what then?  I don't...I don't
want to lose anyone in this."  Softness flooded her features, and
her voice and eyes lowered. "I don't want to lose you."
 "And I don't want to lose you," he replied, lifting her chin.
"But if it comes to it..."
 "No! I'll die first."
 "You can't.  You're the leader of the Senshi."
 "No, you're the leader of the Generals.  I am just Sailor Venus
now that Serena's back."
 "Wrong."  He moved in closer, as close as he could get without
actually wrapping his arms around her.  Up this close, he could
smell the light scent of soap, and see the play of her face, the
light in her eyes.  She seemed to be flipping from hostile to
docile, tiger to chick in an instant, unsure of which course to
take.  "You are, and have always been, the leader of the Inner
Senshi."
 "What?"
 "You are.  In the Silver Millennium, do you think Princess
Serenity would charge into battle with you?  No.  You protected
her.  And you led them."
 "She's Sailor Moon now."
 "She's still the Moon Princess.  Serenity's still there, and she
still needs your protection.  And you lead those that protect her."
His eyes bored full into hers.  "Do you understand?"
 "Yes.  And no."  She offered him a tiny smile.  "Though I doubt
the Senshi will want to retain me..."
 "Stop that! You've always made a fine leader.  Remember, I've
fought with you, Mina.  I've been there.  I know."  The intensity
in his features slackened.  "Please remember."
 She looked down, and shook her head.  "Serena's back.  They don't
need me there anymore."
 "Mina..."
 "No, Kevin, please.  You may know Serena, but you don't know the
others like I do.  Serena will always be their true leader, as is
right.  And I'll just be..."
 "Mina, please..."
 "No, Kevin!  You have to listen to me.  I know..."
 "no."  He moved away.  "you don't know, mina.  you don't."
 "Kevin..."
 He turned away completely, and walked to the edge.  He slumped
against it, head down, eyes closed, trying to think of how to get
through to her.   ran his incomplete trains of thought, each leading
to a path far more confusing than he had time to think about.  He
didn't even feel her come beside him, the soft touch of her hand on
his arm, and the brush of blond against his back.
 "Kevin?"
 Her voice was soft, so soft, and slightly worried.  "Kevin, are
you okay?"
 He shook his head.  "No."
 "I'm sorry."
 "It's my fault.  I should've told you earlier."
 He could feel her interest pique.  "What?"
 He shifted his head slightly, took her in with one eye.  She
stared at him with soft curiosity and worry staining her blue eyes,
reflected off peach skin and blond hair.  He knew the look; Serena
could mirror it easily.  He also knew that he couldn't refuse it,
this unspoken plea of theirs.
 "Mina, you may not remember what happened to you when you faced
the Master, but I do."
 "What?  But you weren't..."
 "No, I wasn't there.  However, I was there afterwards."
 Immediately, the dream woman's words flashed back in her mind:
"Kevin was there when you awoke..."
 "What did I do?"
 "Surprised me, actually," he replied wryly.  "You were...dazed.
Confused, to say the least.  You spoke of what the Master," he felt
his teeth grit at the word, "had done to you.  And of me."
 "What...?"
 "It's not important, Mina.  I had to struggle with you a bit, but
eventually I got you to bed.  And it was then that I realized how
much you really mean to me."
 He stood up slightly, eyes still turned away.  "I never knew what
you'd be like.  I never knew you.  I only knew what Kunzite saw,
his angel, 'Minako' or whatever he called her.  You were never real
to me until then..."
 Somehow--he never quite figured it out--she ended up with her arms
around him, extremely close.  It was a soaring, intoxicating
feeling, combined with the sorrow that had just welled up within
him.  He found himself half ready to cry, holding her tight,
whispering, "I hate when you say you aren't worth a thing.  I need
you, Mina.  I need you to fight with me.  I need you."
 Again, she managed to somehow pull back, holding his face in her
hands.  They gazed at each other, each a crumbling half of a
swiftly solidifying whole.  She lightly brushed at his eyes, which
were (they...whoa, they were!) tearing slightly, and he leaned into
her touch.
 "I need you, too," she said quietly.  "Ever since I accepted your
help that day, I've needed you.  Silently...but I have.  You mean
so much, and I don't want to lose you."  Her voice began to break
again.
 "Shush, Mina..."
 "Kevin, I..."
 He chose that moment to lean forward and kiss her softly.
 By the end of the kiss, the intensity had upped, but the effect
was the same.  They were sealed together.  And when they pulled
apart, they were still sealed together.  It was a kiss that bound
them in the beginning, and it held true once more.
 Kevin gazed at her for a bit, then looked at his watch.  His eyes
widened, and he looked up again, saying softly, "We have to go.
It's later than I expected."
 She nodded, eyes slightly wistful.  "I don't think Setsuna's
coming back," she said quietly.
 "I don't think so, either.  That's her job, though..." he trailed
off, and she understood.
 "Before we go, though...let me say good-bye to Artemis," she
added.  "I...it's important to me."
 He nodded, saying softly, "Thank him for me as well."
 She tossed him a puzzled look, but he had turned his back to the
door, and looked to the stars.
 When she emerged a few minutes later, she was wiping her eyes.
"He says told ya so," she reported with a sniff.
 "Crying?"
 "Yea," she replied.  "I just feel like I'm saying good-bye to him
for good."
 "Don't think that way," he said.
 "Trying not to.  Failing," she replied quietly.
 Their conversation ended then, as their eyes caught and held.  And
it was natural for her to lean up and kiss him again, hands
catching each others.
 "If we keep this up, we'll never get there," he said afterwards,
voice low and brusque.
 "It's a fun way to stall."
 "Never said it wasn't.  However, there are people there who we
need to help."
 "I know," she replied with a small grin.  "I know."  She took a
step back.  "VENUS STAR POWER!"
  he thought to himself, letting the change envelop him
as Mina's form exploded with orange and yellow light.  However,
this time the change was not normal, for as soon as he felt the
power surge that indicated it was over, a massive burst slammed
him.
 "Wha...?" he murmured, and Venus was by him in an instant.  "No,"
he said, waving her off.  "No one...wait."  His eyes widened.
"Serena."

*       *       *       *
 Serena paced about her small room, brow furrowed, hands tucked
tightly behind her back.   she thought pausing for a
moment to look at the door.
  followed the next thought, and
with a sigh she sat down on her bed.  Her fingers fidgeted against
her legs, which quivered with nervous energy.  She attempted to
stop moving, taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm
herself.
 It didn't work.  She had to know.  It was driving her crazy with
anticipation.  If this didn't work...
 Hielo appeared within the room, and Serena stood.  "Will you take
me?" she asked quickly.
 "Yes," he said softly.
 A Megawatt smile erupted on her face.  "Oh, thank you..." she
began, approaching him.
 "Princess, I'm EVIL," he reminded her, voice still soft.  "I'm not
doing this out of any kindness, any heart, because I am lacking
both.  I do this out of..." He stopped, and shook his head.  "You
are too pure to understand."
 A pack of Darkforce tendrils streaked from him, quickly wrapping
her in the pulsing tar; she shuddered within her loose bonds, but
still looked up at him strongly.  "I believe in your good, Hielo,"
she murmured softly.
 A slight tug on the DF, and she spun within it, both her bonds and
her body dissolving away.  For a moment he watched her sparkle, and
then turned away, somewhat less eager to get back to his duties
than before.
 She rematerialized close to the door, slightly shaken but all
right.  Quickly she turned away from the door, and called out,
"Darien?" One stop, and then another, and she repeated, "Darien!"
 From the shadows, a voice called back, "Love?"
 "Darien?!" she cried out, rushing across the room and barging into
the shield.  She bounced back, but quickly pressed her hands
against it, softly crying out, "Where are you?"
 From the shadows of the edge of the room, a shape began to uncoil.
It cast no shadow, for it was apart of them, shielded from this
world by their calming, cooling darkness.  Slowly, and unsteadily,
with pained movements and gritted teeth, it severed that
connection, and rejoined the light.
 "Darien..."
 His was untouched--Selene was fastidious about such things, given
her preoccupation with her own facial beauty--but all other areas
were up for grabs.  Though he'd been stripped (literally) by
Katarina, he'd put on the guise of Tux as soon as he could, bruised
soul heeding her warning.  His jacket had been vaporized, and the
shirt/vest beneath split in such a way that they hung off his
shoulder, leaving the flesh beneath exposed.  The darkness still
sheathed him in spots, and managed to cover the strips of his shirt
now long gone and the brutal clawing of his pants; if Selene was a
cat, Tux's clothes were her newest scratching post.  The play of
shadows could not, though, hide away any trace of the myriad of
bruises and lashes placed across him.  There were slight surface
cuts, and squared bruises of great depth, smaller bumps around the
joints, and scabs galore.  He looked like he'd been in a car wreck,
and for Serena, the sight was so maddeningly painful that she
slipped to her knees.
 "Serena," he whispered.  "It's you."
 "What did they DO to you?" she asked quietly, eyes tearing.
 "Selene."  His voice was a dried leaf as he came forward, finally
pulling himself up to sit.
 "Selene," she repeated, and harsh emotion boiled on her face.
"Selene!"  She came to her feet and pounded on the shield.  "How
dare he!?  And she separated us!"
 "No...Katarina..." he rasped.
 Her face darkened all the more, and she slammed her fist against
the shield.  It flickered slightly, but didn't budge; she really
didn't expect it to.
 "Dark Crystal...!" she stopped, and felt her neck.  "He took
it...oh where did it..."
 Darien unfolded his hand, revealing the gem.  A downcast look
appeared on her face as she wondered what to do, options scrolling
across her mind.   Restlessly, she turned away, trying to set her mind straight
and away from the pain.  She turned once, and her eyes set upon him
again--he looked so bad.
 
 She turned and delved back into the boxes, hoping, praying, that
it would be on her side and not his.  She went down to her hands
and knees, feverishly searching among the boxes, shadows, and cool
floor for the dark wrap.  As she came closer to the shield, and
closer to where her memory dictated, a seed of fear planted itself
within her.
 It was then that she hit the shield, and gasped.
 The shield had been formed to extend to the wall, and it tried;
however, there, between the wall and the screen, aglow with a soft,
silvery light, was the black wrapped broach.
 She crowed delightfully, and smiled for the first time since she'd
entered the room.  Quickly she dashed back to the shield,
unwrapping the broach as she went, the suddenly salmon color
winking at her.
 "The Silver Crystal..." Darien murmured.  "Not silver, though."
 "It's been different for awhile," she replied, sitting down across
from him, hands cupping the broach.  The crystal slowly flared from
it, the near deep salmon color turning to a faint pink.  Her eyes
closed, and her mind reached for it.
 *I need your help again, my friend,* she whispered.
 >Yes, my child,< it chimed back.
 Her eyes were closed, so she didn't see the crystal bloom
slightly, looking like a rose caught in the midst of the act.  A
bead of crystalline power formed, and then lashed out at the
shield.  For a moment, nothing seemed to happen; then, Darien's
weak and blurry sight detected a ripple.  It started out small, and
widened slowly through the field, leaving a trace lighter than
before.  As he watched, she took a breath, and the beam of
moonlight from the pale pink crystal strengthened.  Now the ripples
increased, the time between each one diminishing.  Soon, without
warning, a hole opened within the shield, a trickle of energy
flowing through it.  It widened exponentially, quickly, and soon a
flood of energy was pouring through the field.
 It struck him like a gentle slap, and he toppled backwards, head
softly striking the floor as energy cascaded into his veins.  He
felt like he was bloated with it, sharp tinges of pain occasionally
rising from this numb, silvery state.  He nearly cried out, but
that moment of fear passed so swiftly that he never opened his
mouth.  It left him soon after; his body felt so odd...so Strong.
 Serena opened her eyes, and watched the field shimmer in front of
her.  Puzzled, she came closer, and noticed Darien lying on the
ground, as if stunned.  Concern replaced confusion, and she called
out, "Darien!"
 He rose fluidly from his position, shaking his head.  "What,
love?" he asked in a soft, smooth voice.
 She gaped.  "Darien..."
 "What?" He caught her expression, and frowned.  "What is it?"
 "You're healed."
 He looked down at himself, and his eyes widened.  "The Crystal
healed me," he rasped out.
 "It should've broken the shield!" she protested.
 "There was a gap, but all it did was...heal me.  Odd."
 *Crystal!*
 >I respond to the wishes of my Mistress, and your most fervent
wish was to heal the Prince,< it responded.  >Besides, I cannot--we
cannot--break this shield as it is.  It is dark--it fight me.  It
fights us, and you are not strong enough to combat it.  Not without
losing something.<
 "I'm not strong enough to get through," she whispered.  "I can't
use the Crystal...I don't have the power."  She slumped forward.
"I'm so weak..."
 "Serena, Serena, love!"  He came forward, pushing his hands
against the shield.  "You're strong, stronger than you ever were.
You've got to try again, and I'll..."
 "No Darien.  You can't help.  This room is dampened; you probably
couldn't even form a rose."
 He stirred slightly, and a rose flickered into his hand.
"Love...here's your rose," he said quietly.
 She looked up, staring at the gorgeous red bloom that wavered in
his hand, and then up into his eyes.  "The field..." she breathed.
 "Keeps us here, not prohibits us.  Didn't you just prove that?"
 "Uh-huh..."
 "If I can use my powers, you can use yours," he said softly.
 "We should use them together."
 His eyes narrowed.  "How, Usako?"
 She stood, and cautiously touched the field.  Nothing happened.
"Can you use your powers against the shield?" she asked.
 "Sure," he replied unsuredly.  "You?"
 She replied by picking up her broach.  "Moon Crystal Power,
Makeup!"
 He gaped now as an explosion of ribbons, feathers, pink and silver
light burst from her form, undressing it and wrapping it as quickly
in her Sailor uniform, shrouding her hands in gloves and her feet
in boots.  Her hair was ripped upward into odango form; a tiara
formed about her head.  All of this in a matter of moments, and she
saluted him.
 "Shiny," was his only comment.
 "Glad you're ready for this," she replied.  Suddenly, her face
went serious, and she whispered, "I love you, Darien."
 "I love you as well, Usako.  Never forget that."
 For a moment, they let the words sink in.  Then, he pressed his
hands against the shield, golden-red power sizzling against his
palms.  Her scepter appeared, and with a flourish she began.
 "MOON CRYSTAL SCEPTER..." she screaming, swinging the scepter
around, purple sparkles forming around it's crowned end.  She
stepped forward, and the uncontrollable momentum of her arm sent
the scepter crashing against the shield.
 "ELIMINATION!" she finished, and a cascade of twisted purple
collided with the magenta colored shield.  On the other side, Tux
strained against it, powers surging.
 A crack appeared a second later, and then, swiftly, it exploded
outward, shards of energy bleeding away.  Sailor Moon crossed her
arms and her crystal glowed, energy warping around her in a
primitive shield.  Tux, though, was somewhat unprepared, and when
the powerful blast struck, he was lifted and forced back.  Shards
of energy struck at him.
 "No!" she yelled, suit vanishing as she ran to him.  "Darien!"
 "I'm all right, Usako," he replied, struggling briefly upwards.
"it's not painful now...just for that second, that's all."
 "Darien, why are you always hurt for me?  Or by me?  Or by
something..." She grabbed his hands and held them.  "And we have to
face something that may take us both."
 "Better together than ever apart," he said softly.  "And don't
worry about it, Usako...pain is of no consequence, as long as
you're all right!"
 "Darien...Mamo-chan..."
 A tear fell on their joined hands.
 And began to glow.
 Suddenly, the world around them melted, shifted, changed, blazing
a brilliant white.  Between their fingers purple spread, warming
them, hands locked in an energy brace that pulled both upwards and
drove everything else back.  In a shimmer, a flash, their clothes
melted into their former identity's; the white haze became the Moon
Kingdom.
 "Oh," Serena cried out as a warmth permeated her chest, radiating
from her broach.  The Crystal seemed to sigh as it formed into a
heart shape, finally assuming a deep, deep pink color.
 The glow between their fingers finally resolved itself into a
heart topped rod, swirling with pinks and whites, small yet fill of
energy.  Their hands both gripped about it, and a charge shot
through the two.
 For a moment, bliss.
 Reality intruded slowly, and so slowly, and they found each other
smiling at one another.  One of his long fingers touched her
broach, and the heart there.  Her smiled broaded.
 "I feel so...energetic," she said softly.  "Something new...MOON
COSMIC POWER, MAKEUP!"
 Again he watched her transform, only this time it was more than
just a simple change.  She danced within the light, movements
joyful, full of the energy that possessed her.  It nearly made him
swoon.
 Then, Selene appeared.  She had taken the young Prince once, and
had found his pain delicious, so...attractive, like as delicate
confection she had to have again.  It was sweet red wine, enchanted
Turkish Delight, and she needed it.
 She saw the two standing together, Tux and...Sailor Moon? No
matter..."Two for the price of one, eh?" she cackled, strands of DF
preparing to leap from her hands.
 "Not today," Sailor Moon shouted.  "In the name of the Moon, I
will punish you!" She whipped the rod about.  "MOON SPIRAL
HEART...ATTACK!"
 A ray of white sparkles, and the passing of a heart, and Selene
fell to her knees, and then face down, utterly rampaged.
 And the door was now open.
 Better yet, two seconds later, Venus and Kunzite appeared outside
the door.
 Best of all, after a few minutes of just general rejoicing, the
door behind them blew open.  The four fighters readied themselves
to attack, but out stumbled Zoicite and Mercury.
 "Zachary," Sailor Moon murmured, and picked her way over to him.
He met her part way with a hug, and the smiles on their faces
matched.  She let him go, and then gently smiled at Mercury, who
was staring at her in complete shock.
 "Sailor Moon," she said softly, eyes wide.
 "I'm alive, Amy.  It's all right," she replied.
 The girl embraced her almost wildly, tears beading in her eyes.
"I can't believe it! It's impossible!"
 "No, no.  I'm home," she replied with a sigh.  She looked to Zach
from her embrace, and asked, "How are the others?"
 He shook his head.  "Not good.  They've all been recently used by
the Dark Trio, and...well, I've set healing crystals by them, but I
don't know if they'll be able to fight."
 She nodded slightly, and let go of Mercury.  Turning to the
others, she said roughly, "Venus, Kunzite, help them."  Looking to
Tux, she added, "We'll go take care of Priam."
 "Who?" he asked.
 "Priam.  He's the ancient..."
 "Oh, I know who he is, Serena," came back the gritted, infuriated
voice.  "And he had you?  I'm going to..."
 "Calm down, my liege," Kunzite said, putting a hand on his
shoulder.  "We all want a piece of him."  His eyes glanced at Mina,
and she shivered slightly.  Serena wondered briefly what had
happened while she'd been imprisoned, but knew this wasn't the time
to ask.
 "Mercury," Tux called out, "can you scan this?"  He pointed to
Selene.
 She nodded, swiftly hopping over to the prone woman.  "I'm getting
some odd readings," she replied quickly.  "She's not human."
 "I know," Sailor Moon said, avoiding Tux's curious eyes.
 "Here, let me see your computer for a moment," he said, and she
unsuredly handed it over.  He tapped a few keys, and then crowed,
"Got her."  He handed it to Serena, and pointed at the set of
coordinates.  "We need to go there."
 Both women looked at him quizzically, but his mask was opaque, and
there was no way of knowing his reaction.  "Do you have the Dark
Crystal?" Sailor Moon asked resignedly.
 "You two can't go alone!" Venus said.
 "It's dangerous.  You don't know how dangerous!" Kunzite added.
 Now Tux's mask was clear, and he froze them both with a glance.
"We're going alone.  You will help the others, and when all of you
are all right, your aid will be welcome."  He tossed Sailor Moon
the Dark Crystal.  "But not until then."
 "Serena..." Kunzite pleaded.
 "You heard your liege, General," she replied in a clipped voice.
 Venus looked between him and Serena, and then to Kunzite, but an
expression of resignation had already settled in.  He bowed
slightly, saying, "We shall do what you say, your Graces."
 Sailor Moon took Tux's hand, and muttered, "dark
crystal...teleport!" They vanished in a blink.
 "Blind fools," Kunzite spat, and then turned to help them.
Zoicite stopped him with his hand.
 "You aren't going to let them do this, are you?" he asked.
 "We have our orders," came the terse reply.
 "Kunzite...they'll..." Venus started, but he silenced her with a
look.
 "I know," he said.  "So let's see how fast the four of us can heal
these others, and then go to help them.  Setsuna may still show up,
you know."
 "I wouldn't bet on it," Venus murmured.
 "We have to," he replied, striding into the room.  "She may be
their only hope, now."

 The hadn't gone fifty yards down the hall they'd materialized in
when they met up with Hielo and Katarina.
 "I'm sorry, Princess," Hielo said stonily.  "But we have to stop
you."
 "We are...bound," Katarina said, eyes cold, voice soft.
 "Do you want to be?" Sailor Moon challenged.
 They looked at her in astonishment, and then at each other; Kat
shook her head.  "That is not what this is about."
 "Turn back, and you may be spared," Hielo added.
 "I don't think so," she said.  Her fingers touched the crystal,
and she shouted, "MOON CRYSTAL HEALING...ACTIVATION!"
 The eyes of the two members only had time to go wide before they
were struck with the white light.  By the time the searing radiance
had vanished, Moon and Tux were gone, and the two members were
sprawled on the floor, unconscious.
 "How did you know how to heal them?" Tux asked.
 "It felt right," she replied with a shrug, the two them racing
down the hallway.
 "Bravo, Princess."
 The voice halted the two in their tracks, each looking about.
"Where did that come from?"
 The doors next to them opened, and Priam stood their, applauding
softly.  He gave her a
charming smile that caused her to shrink back, then turned to Tux.  He
smiled a dark smile in response to the hate that lanced over the man's
face, saying quietly, "Welcome,
Endymion."

    Source: geocities.com/tokyo/shrine/1721