The Four Lovers: Air On a Cosmic String
IX. Makings and Takings

 And tell me, that we belong together
 Truss it out, with the trappings of love
 I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
 Stand in the gallows of heartache that hang from above
 And I'll be, your crying shoulder
 I'll be love's suicide
 I'll be better when I'm older
 I'll be, the greatest fan of your life
 Well I've dropped out
 I've burned up
 I'VE FOUGHT MY WAY BACK FROM THE DEAD
 I've tuned in, I turned on
 Remember the things that you...said!
   --"I'll Be", McCain

 Always, your fatal shadow
 An evil shadow
 Follows me every where with malice
 And waiting to forget you
 I bury myself, drinking
 And I'm forever lost
   --"You, and Only You" Selena

 He walked into his room, a semi-opulent affair
decorated with his personal choice, and stripped off his
shirt.  The mirror told him what he had already deduced;
in a way, it angered him, but then again, it confirmed
his thoughts as well.  She was powerful but susceptible.
As he spoke the spell, his thoughts began to wander to
Pluto, and her combination of beauty and power.  He'd
never known the Garnet...
 "Master, you are wounded!"
 The Master looked over to watch Selene enter the room,
eyes concerned.  "It's a scratch, my dear," he
explained.  "Nothing more."
 She moved closer, watching him inside the mirror as he
examined his "scratch."  A large, purplish colored
blotch was imprinted on his chest, purple tendrils
licking up his to touch his collarbone and both
shoulders, which were reddened.  It didn't look like
JUST a scratch, but if the Master said so, it was truth.
That was what the Master was, Law and Truth.
 "Does your shoulder hurt?" she asked.  "I know you were
clipped..."
 "Did you watch me and the Princess?" The question was
said in his usual lilting, gentle tone, reminiscent of a
kind king talking with a friend.  Yet beneath it lurked
a sly, dangerous tone that instinctively put people on
guard; that didn't apply to the Trio, though.
Especially Selene.
 "I...I felt a disturbance and tuned in," she admitted
softly.  "I was concerned for you."
 For a moment his dark eyes flashed, and a wave of
strong emotion rippled through the room.  Selene
cringed, immediately going down to her knees, a flurry
of psionic apologies bubbling up in her brain.  She
started to spit one out, hoping to assuage him in time
to spare her scalp or her throat.
 "Selene," came the voice, but it was not rough or
angry, but as gentle as before.  "Selene, I appreciate
your concern," he said, and his hand slowly stroked her
hair again, a pacifying, petting gesture.  "But don't
interfere between me and Serenity.  People who do tend
to get hurt."  His eyes colored painfully for a moment
as his hand tightened on her hair, but he brushed it
away with a few wisps of light hair.  "Stand up, my
lovely," he said, releasing the strands he held from his
grip.
 She obeyed, and he smiled at her lovely yet complacent
eyes.  He had picked a magnificent crop to serve him,
all lovely, powerful and...needy.
 "Come Selene," he said, slipping on his shirt to hide
the nearly faded purple blotch.  It was a little painful
to heal himself, but it was quicker than natural means.
"I must talk to your and your siblings about the
Senshi."
 "About what Katarina has been working on?"
 "Yes.  I need to know if she has finished processing
the data Hielo got from the Senshi girl."
 "Yes, she has.  Your plan is ready to be put into
motion," she replied matter-of-factly.  A dark smile
came over her lips. "She refreshed Hielo very much."
 "Is she suffering from the usual?  We've never tried
this before on a Sailor."
 "Katarina says its a little worse, but Hielo insists he
was gentle as possible."  The smile turned sly.  "He
seems to fancy her."
 He laughed.  "Hielo fancies anything that wears that
short a skirt."  He looked at her with a fresh eye, an
eye she'd seen before.  "After this, you and I shall
dine together.  We must talk more," he proclaimed, eyes
promising more than dinner.
 "Yes, Master," she replied with a knowing smile.

 The man had returned to his view, staring into the
empty space while his thoughts drifted.  His cameras
were recording, and he could review them later over
food; right now, he just wanted to sit and think.
Perhaps doze; he hadn't done that in awhile.
 It was then, though, that he received some visitors.
 The pair appeared in hazes of red and blue, but beyond
that they seemed entirely ordinary.  "Questor," called
out the female of the pair.
 He was out of his chair in a blur, hand raised, staff
filling it even as his eyes caught sight of them.  The
pendant flashed, but that was all; truly, the only
people who would ever call him that name were friendly.
A smile came over his lips as he looked to them, and
exclaimed, "Mys! Bird! Salutations!"  He paused, then
added, "What the hell are you doing here?"
 "You know how much I hate that nickname," Bird replied,
his deep, dark eyes quirking at the sound.
 "What else would he call you?" Mys replied gently.  She
turned back to him, and replied, "Would you believe
we're here on a mission?  One involving your chronal
chick and a couple of her close friends?"
 "Observation or interference?" he questioned.  "I
already have an obs post setup if you need it, but I was
here first."  He sighed.  "Though interference will be
necessary soon, since he's gotten smarter."
 "Most likely while we're here, eh?" Bird replied.
 "Just you two?  Where's J?" he asked.  Nicknames were
the lingo the group, due to their positions; they even
rotated them sometimes in order to keep low profile.  "I
thought..."
 "We're working this together, for once," Bird said,
casting a glance at Mys.  She smiled to herself.
 "Interesting, but why?" he asked, shifting his grip on
the ebony rod.
 They didn't reply, but looked to each other and reached
over to hold hands.  He smiled brightly, and chuckled.
"This dimension does get to you," he admitted.
"Sets..."
 "Wait, wait--we do have a purpose here," Mys smiled,
and they broke the brief grip so she could reach over to
grab his staff.
 A crackle of energy sped down the staff to zap her
fingers, and she shot him a glance.  "You think wards on
this are a bad thing?" he asked, trying not to grin.
 "Invisible ones, yes," she said sourly.  "Can I touch
it now."
 "A moment," and then, "Go ahead."
 "Good," she said.  "Come on, BIRD, we have to make this
boy stronger than he already is."  He joined her, trying
to shake off his half grin, and again they gripped
hands.  She gave him a reprimanding look, and then
closed her eyes and took a breath.  He copied her, and
they expelled it together.  With that, a wispy aura of
fire and air surrounded the two; when their eyes opened,
they were polished rubies and sapphires, no iris, just
the bright color that radiated power as they spooked
him.  He'd seen this before, yet it was always so scary.
 "The staff," Bird said, voice uncommonly deep and laced
with a thicker emotion.  He let it drop, and for a
moment it tilted, but then it whipped back up to stand
before them.  As the man watched, a piece of that aura
opened and admitted the staff; the onyx cleared as the
wire channeled in the energy.  Then, with a brief wipe
of red and blue across the surface, it was done, leaving
only small glints of red and blue as the only clue
something had happened.
 "There," said Bird, pushing the staff back to him.  He
took it in his hand, and stared at it curiously.
 "What is it?" he asked in a hushed voice.
 "Added strength in a few areas, a spurt of fire, a
touch of wind," Mys ticked off with a smile.
 "So where to now?" he asked as the stave melted away,
 "Kicking us out already?  I'm surprised at you, Quest,"
Bird grinned.
 "Well, I figured you were going to pop in and then pop
back out like you always do," he replied.
 "Actually, we were hoping you would invite us to
dinner, and then show us your files or what's been
happening," Mys said.
 "Not much of a briefing, eh?"
 "No, and they forgot the butter cookies, too," Bird
gruffed.  "How else am I going to stay awake?"
 Mys and the man laughed, and he gestured them towards
the kitchen.  "Come on, I've got some great pizza
leftovers and pop, like old times."
 "They serve pizza here?"
 "As long as you don't mind the corn on it."
 They laughed again before settling down.

 Nathan wondered if he'd ever been so miserable in his
life.
 He'd left Lita's in contemplation, not at peace but
calm, not upset but slightly miffed.  He understood that
he really shouldn't have been there, but she wouldn't
let him speak, either.  Had he known of her morning,
perhaps his understanding would've been better.
 Yet once he left, he realized he had a world of
possibilities suddenly open to him.  There was what he
could do--go home and read/write home, help Zach, check
on Serena or maybe drop in on the others--and what he
hadn't done--sight see or leave the city or even really
explore (that being Kevin's job).  He decided that he
should probably explore the city, maybe check out a
movie to test his Japanese, or just soak up some
culture.
 He did this for awhile, enjoying what he could of the
city.  Yet he soon realized that even though the scope
of possibilities was nearly endless, the nagging
emptiness and sorrow that washed about him kept any
enjoyment at bay.  He found himself a couple of times
nearing her home, and he deliberately turned away.
 Finally, he bought a small pastry and drink and took
over a park bench on the river front.  As he ate and
stared at the river, he deliberated on whether or not he
should go back to Lita's.
 
 A sip, then a reply, 
   It was a cheery reply, almost
Jadish in tone.
  was his thought.  
 
  he snapped back.  Now his eyes focused from
nothing to the river, coursing its easy way along.
There was a smoothness to it, a slickness that was both
pleasing and unnatural, making him wonder (sorta
absentmindedly) what the pollution levels were around
here.  Still, one could lose themselves in the flow of
the water.  Lose themselves and their troubles, maybe;
lose one's life in the...
  he sighed, slumping.  Melancholy ached in
his body like he'd lifted weights too long, as if he'd
tried to move a car without the adrenaline rush.  He
felt completely limp and without life, it all having
drained way somewhere...sometime...his fogging brain
gave him no reply.  He felt like he could sleep for days
and still not be rested.
  he sighed to
himself.  He nearly cracked up then, for if this was
truly love, if he was TRULY in love with her--and
wouldn't it be a wonder if he was?--then they'd just had
their first fight.   he sighed, and
slumped again, eyes closed.
 "Nate?"
 He calmly opened his eyes and looked up to see...well,
miracles did happen.  Lita had addressed him, and was
now looking at him, green eyes crinkled and...worried?
 "Lita," he replied as evenly as possibly, though it
really came out sounding a tad hoarse.
 "May I..."
 "Be my guest," he replied, sliding over to allow her to
sit down.  His tone was a neutral as it would go, but
she still cast a sorta scared glance at him, as if he'd
just proven her right.  He didn't notice it, for his
eyes were on the river, but he could feel it.  She faced
that way for awhile too, then nervously said, "Nate?"
 "Have you been looking for me?" came the calm voice
rotted through with those emotions he tried to hide.
 "What?  Uh...no," she replied.  "I came out here to
think."
 "Coincidence, eh?  Gotta love 'em," he replied, sagging
a hair.
 "Nate, are you all right?" she asked bluntly then;
fencing ripostes had never been her style.
 He turned to look at her, feeling so cold and yet so
hard under that green eyed stare.  Again he noticed the
rich color they were, so emerald, so perfect in tone,
and so visible between her pale skin and soft brown
hair.  The fact that she wore green helped to emphasize
them until they drew you in.  He felt like he could
throw his life into those eyes, swim in them, drown in
them--and it would be all right.  All of it would be all
right.
 "No," he said softly, frankly.  "I'm miserable."
 "Nate," she said softly, and suddenly he was being
hugged hard, arms pulling him to her in comfort.
Without meaning to, he took a deep breath and let out
the most sad-happy of sighs.
 "I'm sorry, Lita," he said.
 "It's okay," she cooed to him.  "You were worried.  I
should've understood--but I didn't.  I was so tense..."
she cut herself off, unsure.  "I was wrong."
 He pulled away, and smiled.  "Still, I was in your
apartment without you knowing and I got in without a
key--don't ask.  Let's just say I have my..."
 "Shhh..." she placed a finger against his lips, and
reached into her pocket.  "I was hoping I would see
you," she quietly said, dangling a key in front of him.
It was attached (of course) to a deep green key chain,
but the fact was it was a key to her apartment...
 "A key? For ME?" he asked, hushed.  When she nodded,
all he could crow was "Lita!", and she grinned wildly.
She had to pick up his hand and place it in it, not
unmindful of the current of warmth that ran between
them.
 "I trust you don't give these to everyone," he said,
voice low.
 "Jealous?" she teased.
 "Intensely," he admitted.
 "Nathan Marble!" she gasped, and he colored a little.
 "I'm sorry, but you're so wonderful...you have so much
to offer...and Lita, let's face it, you're gorgeous.  I
really like you, and...Lita, this is so cheesy, but you
are so beautiful to me," he said quietly in reply, tone
nervous, unsure, but so smooth somehow.  "I'm sorry, I'm
not making sense," he swiftly added, turning away, eyes
catching the river again as confusion flooded him.
 Lita, though, glowed rosily, and it wasn't due to a
blush.  "Do you mean that, Nate?" she said, inching
forward.
 He looked over at her, and was surprised to find her so
close.  Their faces were inches apart, and now each came
that much closer to the eyes they adored.  His that soft
color of polished wood, multi-hued and glowing, four
kinds of chocolate melted together by the heat of his
heart and swirled with casually blatant emotion, a
caring that seemed just for her beaming from eyes as
endless as the universe.
 "do you mean that, nate?" she asked lowly, voice
running toward hoarse as the light in her eyes softened
suddenly.
 "I wouldn't say it unless I did," he replied softly.
 "Good," she said, then leaned over, crossing that
distance to touch her lips to his.  When she pulled back
to study him, his eyes were still closed.  Finally, they
popped open, so brown, and so much stronger than before
that she was mesmerized.
 "Lita," he whispered softly.
 "I really like...Nate, I..."
 Now it was his turn to shush her.  "You don't have to
now, Lita," he said.  "We have all the time in the
world."
 She nodded, smiling, then whispered, "Good.  Now I can
take you out and we can...talk."
 He laughed, happiness filling him, and he rose and
offered his hand to her.  She accepted, and quietly
holding hands, they headed off to who knows where?  They
were together; that was the important thing.

 Zachary typed the last word and hit "enter", then
yawned as he checked over the database.  It was
complete; a quick entering of the "Save" command ensured
that.  He pushed away his chair and stood, stretching
briefly, before teleporting immediately to the top of
the building.  His steps were directed immediately to
the edge, and soon he was lifting a piece of tan cloth
away from a hidden crevice, the pulsing blue-green
(touched with gray) crystal revealing itself.  He
brushed his hand above it, noting that it was still hot
but had cooled slightly since he'd checked it this
morning.  It was finally done, and even tuned; however,
as he'd found out, tuning was a highly exothermic (heat
producing) process that, in this case, took awhile.  He
summoned a bit of crystalline energy, and the pulse of
the crystal began to become regular, set up in an
alternating one-two-one pattern.  From this, he deduced
it wouldn't be much more than twelve hours until he
could use it, provided he found time to.
 "Beautiful," he murmured, and then dropped the tan
cloth over it again.  A small spell laid over it re-
rendered it invisible to anyone but his eyes, and then
he teleported back to the office to sign out.  Walking
out, he debated on what to do tonight.  Most likely,
he'd check up on Serena, then go home, change, and...do
something.  Actually, he'd had the beginning of a
headache for awhile, and there were only a few more
chapters of the Dickens novel he was reading, so it he'd
probably finish that.
  he thought softly.


 Unlike Nate, whose day got worse before it got better,
Kevin and Jared had an excellent day.  Jared attended
Raye on her temple duties, got kissed a few times, and
even experimented with the sacred fire.  To their
surprise, a cruel face appeared within it, awash with
spray and wisps of light hair.  It was accompanied by a
frightening course of emotions, from deep fear for Raye
to a living hatred for Jared.  The encounter left both
of them shaken, especially when Raye said it predicted
their fates would be somehow linked to this man.  It
frightened her, and him, but along with that came his
anger.  Had he recognized the face as that of Serena's
morning "visitor," he would have been extremely pissed
off, and that predicted living hatred would've turned
real.  However, her fear came first for him, and he
spent time comforting her as best he could.
 Anyways, Jade didn't get home until much later that
evening.
 Kevin, whose day was most definitely platonic (though
filled with those movie moments of almost kisses, the
looks that make you want to scream "DO IT!"), didn't
arrive home until an hour and a half after Jared did.
He was in awesome spirits; he'd never had so much fun as
a bodyguard, the unpaid point notwithstanding.  After
trying to revive Artemis--the cat had fainted dead away,
which was the STRANGEST thing--they sat around and
talked.  Unlike Lita and Nate, who had never gotten
around to the subject of America, Mina barraged him with
questions which he answered dutifully.  He then turned
the tables on her by asking detailed questions about the
city, from food to travel--she knew quite a bit about
the latter due to her budding modeling career.  "My
shark called me about a deal today," she cited, and they
talked about business for a bit.  It was amazing how the
conversation flowed, even for Kevin, who despite his
position and personality, could get bored in a
conversation easily.  Yet with Mina...well, it just
refused to happen.  Anytime he would ever start to
drift, she'd snap him back.
 Well, both agreed that they needed to get out, so after
some time he "escorted" her out to the place where Lita
worked.  Actually, she wasn't on the rotation that day,
but they still ate there, enjoying the food and the
company, even if Mina was playing this bodyguard thing
to the hilt.  Then they headed to his choice of place,
which was the observatory.  He'd discovered it on one of
his tipsy jaunts (now stopped, thank you), and had
fallen in love with the place.  It helped that it
included one of the four things he loved in life: order,
music, the night sky, and Serena.
 That thought had made him glance at Mina, and he
wondered if he was going to add a fifth.  He had once,
but that was back in the days when the four and Serena
were still in high school.  Now, though, he realized
that he'd never felt so realized in the presence of one
person, as if he could tell her everything without
fudging, without blinking, without worry.  She, once
again, felt him pulling her in, even if it was in the
little things.  She'd stared at him as he had taken a
moment to himself, face uplifted, wind teasing his hair,
eyes closed and peace on his face, and such a strong
wave of emotion flooded her that she had to choke it
back.  She wasn't falling in love with him...was she?
It couldn't happen now, though, and not this way,
either! Not so...undramatically.  Besides, this wasn't
the time for love.  She had such a full life already.
 She could rationalize and rationalize--and then he gave
her a lily.
 "For the Lady," he said smoothly with a short bow, hand
extended.  She looked at the flower, took the flower,
stared at it, stared at him, it, him, it, him...until a
memory swept her.
 /"My Lady," said the gentleman with a shy smile./
 /"It's beautiful," she replied, taking the pure white,
gently folding flower.  A sniff brought a light, sweet,
ethereal scent to his nostrils./
 /But he shook his head.  "I have failed again."/
 /"Why?  I like it," she asked, puzzled./
 /"I keep trying to find something to match your beauty,
but even this flower pales beside you, love."/
 She gasped shortly, and he questioned, "Are you all
right?"
He was concerned; his voice and eyes portrayed it.  She
nodded quickly, and gave an off smile.
 "Sorry...I had a strange flash," she replied, not
looking at him.  She smiled briefly as she looked at
him, trying to cover, before adding, "Usually around
you, too."
 "Hmmm...never knew a flower was that shocking," he
replied dryly.  But his voice was quietly thoughtful as
he asked, "Do you need to sit down?  Or get some water?"
 "No thanks, Kunz," she said easily, and he just about
fell down.  He'd expected that name to come out
eventually, for that old relationship had been too
strong for it not to; however, it had come so EASILY.
"What's all the mothering for anyways?"
 "I'm your guard for the day, remember?" he replied.
"I'm supposed to mother you."
 "Well, how about you mother me towards the park?" she
replied.  "Or the mall--whichever you feel is the
safest."
 "The mall sounds nice," he replied, adding beneath his
breath, "And is definitely safest."
 "Hmm?"
 "Um, how about if you lead, and I can watch your back?"
he said, eyes flashing as a grin tugged at the corners
of his mouth.
 "What would you be watching?" she asked dryly.
 "Been there, done that, memorized it," he tossed back
with a grin, and she faked shock, though inside she lit
up like a light bulb.   she thought with a
secret smile.
 The mall, besides being a way cool place to hang out,
also contained Nate and Lita, and for awhile the four
went trolling.  Both noted immediately that the couple
was closer; they held hands and just generally glowed.
Mina and Kevin each though this was cute, and when they
chanced to talk with the other they said so.  The
afternoon story came out in bits and pieces, but they
came together so quickly that it was easy to deduce what
happened--and it made Mina and Kev all the more happy
for their friends.
 They split about seven; Lita needed to get home because
she had an early shift the next day.  However, they made
plans for later on that day, after they all got off
work.
 That night, after a quick salad run, he walked her
home.  At the door they exchanged good-byes, and she
expressed her gratitude by giving him a surprisingly
warm hug.
 "Be careful going home," she said as she let him go.
His hands caught hers; intentionally or not, she let
them rest there.
 "Take care, Mina," he replied, voice low.  "If you ever
need me..." he let it trail off, eyes providing the rest
of the words, before dropping her hands and turning to
go.
 "I will," she whispered at his back, then went inside.
 So Kevin arrived home in high spirits, ready to face
the day ahead.
 Perhaps had any of the four Gens seen a glimmer of
their future, they would've prepared better.  Had Kevin
remembered his earlier woes, and expressed them, wards
could've been laid, traps set, barriers erected.
 But even the stars can't always be certain of the
future.

*       *       *       *
 It was Nate who went to meet Lita and Mina the next
day.  Serena and Setsuna had requested that Kevin stay
for a minute; as the respective seniors of the group,
they needed to have a small meeting.  Everyone knew of
the date, and they all expressed good luck, best wishes,
etc. etc.  Jade was meeting Raye, but he wasn't sure
about their evening; Setsuna and Serena had business to
finish, and then Zach (who still had a headache)  was
going to join them at home for a small meal before Sets
started looking at the enemy.  Their evening was like a
mopped, white kitchen floor--nobody
figured anyone was going to come along and track mud
over it.  Even the man and his two friends were only
casual observers tonight, all figuring that "the Master"
was not going to show for awhile after that little
"meeting" on the balcony.
 Back to Nate.  He picked up both girls about 7:00,
7:30, while there was still a trace of light in the sky.
They were going to meet Kevin just outside Lita's
workplace (a fact they made clear to her) around 7:45,
7:50 before heading out to do...who knows.
 Selene showed up at 7:42 on the dot.
 The three were walking down a semi-crowded sidewalk
when three blasts of DF smashed around them.  Looking
up, Nate glimpsed Selene, completely missing the two
girls looking around for a place to change; he turned
and hissed, "Get OUT of here!"
 "Nate..." Lita started, surprised.
 "I'll hold her off," he replied, shocking the both of
them.  Nate was human, they were Senshi, and he was
going to hold her OFF?  Then he suddenly shielded them
as Selene's targeting got a little better, the change
rippling over his form in seconds.  Lita gaped, but all
Mina could say was, "It figures."
 "I was going to tell you, Lita," he said through
gritted teeth as he held the shield.  "NOW GO!"
 The two immediately scampered away, pens appearing as
they did so.  "Think he knows?" Mina asked as they
ducked into an alley.
 "Maybe," she replied.  Then, "I'm surprised none of us
guessed."
 "Actually, Amy or Raye probably did," Mina retorted.
"They're good at that."
 Then conversation ended as cries of "VENUS STAR POWER"
and "JUPITER STAR POWER" rang in the air, powers
crackling as the Sailors Jupiter and Venus appeared.
 Nate...Nephrite was having a not-so-easy, but not
terribly difficult time with Selene.  He had a small
personal shield that could absorb and reflect as he
flipped around A LOT, trying to fire off blasts as so
many different places that she became confused.  She
descended just a little at a time, powers blazing back,
but not at full force.   he thought as he
scampered.  
 "Nephrite, you will not succeed!" she cried out
confidently, smile on her face.  My, my, he was
gorgeous..."And then I will have you!"
 "This is getting mighty old, Selene," he shouted back,
power spiking from his hand.  "What do you want?"
 It was at that moment that Sailor Jupiter appeared, and
from her position so many feet in the air, Selene
smiled.
 "JUPITER THUNDER CRASH ZAP!" she screamed, letting fly
with the Nerf sized football charge.  It, and its twin
that soon followed, both went wide of Selene by a few
hands; in perfect villianess retaliation, she let loose
with slats of DF.  About forty of them.
 Jupiter was fast, but not THAT fast, especially when
off guard.  At the same time Venus sent her Lovely Chain
to whip Selene, a blast clipped Jupiter.
 She cried out in pain just as Selene was struck by the
chain, DF streaming out backwards to smack a building,
which sent some rubble to extend her own personal thanks
to Venus.  The cacophony of cries upped Nephrite's
anger----and taking
advantage of the
Selene-out-of-control situation, fired off a sizzling,
cramped burst of power whose force nearly pulled him off
his feet.  It only buzzed her, and still froze her in a
center of sheer static and power; later, it would
crumple the corner of a small skyscraper.
 It really pissed Selene off.
 And she had the power to strike back.
 "Nephrite, you will pay dearly for that!" she yelled.
Her hand began to radiate a sweetly black color, a
sharply defined patch of raven slickness.
 And Jupiter, who'd been tumbled and was now trying to
get to Venus, screamed.
 She appeared a moment later dangling from Selene's inky
grip.
 Nephrite's response was immediate.  He growled, and
suddenly a beam of white trimmed black shot from the sky
to encircle him.  It was almost a parody of Jupiter's
"THUNDER CRASH" attack; in fact, it'd been based on it.
However, it was about ten times as dangerous and deadly,
the massive powers of the heavens now crinkling his
fingertips.
 "STAR POWER..."
 Selene's response was immediate and unusually smart.
She vanished with Jupiter.
 Nephrite let go of the energy immediately, and dropped
to his knees as feedback erupted within him.  His fist
pounded the pavement, causing a dent.  "Lita," he
whispered into the dust.  A nameless cry rose in his
throat.
 And then he remembered Mina.
 "Venus!" he yelled.
 "Nephrite!" came a reply, but it wasn't Venus--it was
Kunzite.  "Nephrite, what happened?"
 "Kunzite! Selene...they took her...my God, they took
her," he replied heavily, voice strained.
 Kunz's stomach twisted as a ball of fear invaded, but
he calmly said, "Nephrite, which her?  You traveled with
two--WHICH one?"
 "Jupiter..." he whispered.
 "I'm sorry, my friend.  But we'll get her back to you,
all right?"  His tone was amazingly calm fro one so
worried (for both his friend and Venus).  "Now, where's
Venus?"
 "I have failed," came the reply, his head bowed.  "I
failed the ladies.
 The reply startled him, but he shook his head.  "And
you accused me of being dramatic," he murmured.  "Now,
if Venus wasn't taken by Selene, then she's got to be
close by.  We'll find her together."
 "All right," he replied softly.  "But I don't deserve
to live."
 "Oh shutup--you're a great guy," he replied.  "None of
us had a clue."
 "You did."
 "Didn't help much, did it?" he replied ruefully.  "Now
let's find..."
 "Nephrite?"
 The faint cry came from the rubble, and immediately
both were there.  Venus lay there, dusty and partly
covered by gravel; the worst part was her ankle stuck
beneath a slab, concrete edge bruising fair skin just
above the strap of her shoe.
 "Broken?" he immediately asked.
 "No," she replied.  "Thanks to my Senshi self, it just
hurts like hell."
 "Good," Kunzite replied, and the rock swiftly lifted.
She retracted the foot with a wince, and it clattered to
the ground again.  Venus limped up, and fell into
Kunzite's arms.
 "Are you.." she started, staring.
 "Uh-huh."
 "Surprise, surprise."
 "Well, I was going to blurt it out sooner or later," he
said.
 "I'm glad you're here," she whispered softly.
 "So am I..."
 "Hey, lovebirds, its dangerous here," Nephrite
interrupted.
 "One sec," Kunzite replied.  Easily, he hoisted her
into his arms, then turned back to his second.  When he
spoke, he was commander once again.
 "Go to the temple and check on Jared and Raye.  I have
a bad feeling about this...then get back to Crys and
Sets ASAP.  That's where we'll be," he said firmly.
 "But.."
 "About time, don't you think?" he said.
 Nephrite nodded shortly, and vanished.  Venus tugged on
his hair.  "What?"
 "Raye knows?"
 "She guessed," he replied with a grin, then they too
vanished.

 Raye stopped, the hand that held the tea cup frozen
between her lips.  Jade immediately noticed, as well as
feeling a sharp wave of...of tingles wash over him.  It
reminded him of the way he felt the day Serena first
revealed herself as Sailor Moon.  He started at the
particular memory--it was so long ago, but suddenly so
fresh.
 Then he knew there was trouble.
 "Evil," Raye whispered.  "Close."
 "Come on," he said, pulling her to a stand, tea cup
clattering to the floor.  He was Jadeite now, concerned
for his Lady and the Princess, and they reappeared
outside.
 Immediately, a shaft of DF fell from above.


 Setsuna had just pinpointed the first attack when
Kunzite and Venus appeared.
 Serena's day had been relatively good compared to the
all day paranoia of yesterday; long and a trifle boring,
but so much better than that crawling, possessing
feeling that'd lasted all day.  She and Sets and Zach
(who'd just left for bed) were all suitably relaxed that
evening; therefore, she didn't even notice the arrival
until Kunzite spoke.
 "Where's Pluto?" he asked immediately as he sat Venus
down in the chair.  Her transformation melted away to
her normal clothes, and he quickly affixed a patch of
royal blue to her in order to strengthen and heal her
body.
 "She's in the other room," she replied, not looking up
from the book Jade had recommended.  It was a thrilling
romance, and she was quite into it.
  she
thought as Kunz hurried to find Pluto.  A small half-
smile came to her face with it, recalling the efforts of
the four to get her to read.  Jade was always the best
about it...
 Meanwhile, Mina looked around, eyes eventually latching
onto the mass of blond hair with a book in front of it.
Instinctively she began to tremble, and her mouth went
completely dry.   she thought shakily.

 Then she shifted back a section of hair, and Mina
nearly fainted.  As it was, she uttered a sound of
shock, amazement, surprise, and wonder...all of which
drew Serena's attention from her book.
 It was a moment not unlike when Serena first saw the
boys coming towards her that early morning in the
Japanese classroom.  They had appeared unsure and
puzzled, yet somehow ready to face the challenge.  This
was the look that Serena gave Mina, the unsure but ready
glance that quickly evaporated.
 "Mina..." she whispered.
 "You're alive," Mina replied, starting to stand,
wincing.
 "No...don't move if you're hurt," Serena quickly
replied, standing.  She walked over and touched the
diminishing blue patch, saying, "I recognize
Kev's...excuse me, Kunzite's work."
 "You know them?" Mina asked, hushed.
 "I lived with them for the last...five or so years,"
she replied.
 Now she had to stand, because she needed to know.
 "Are you really Serena?" came the quite voice.  "Not a
piece, not just the spirit, but the whole thing?  All
of..." she broke off, unable to complete the statement
as those blue eyes met hers.
 A lump appeared in Serena's throat then, and she felt
her eyes water.  "Mina," she whispered, "it's me.  The
whole me."
 Immediately the two embraced, and started to cry.  For
Serena, they were tears of happiness, to be reunited
with one of her friends.  Mina's were that and more;
they were victory tears, tears of release from the
battle against reason she'd fought all of these years.
 "Where have you been?" she asked, still clutching her.
 "America."
 Now she pulled back, and eyed her.  "How?"
 Serena unlatched herself from her friend, and smiled.
"That's a long story," she said.  "But what happened our
there..."
 Mina quickly cut her off with another short gasp and a
brilliant smile.  "Darien's going to have kittens!" she
exclaimed.
 The mood shifted immediately, and Serena went to stand
near the window.  Mina followed, puzzled, her gaze
following Serena's, so she could nearly see Darien's
balcony.  For a moment, there was silence.
 "You can't tell him," she finally said, hands edging
over the window.  She turned, eyes firm, and added
softly, "You CAN'T."  She looked back.  "Not yet."
 "But Serena, he..."
 "Not yet, Mina!" Her tone was firm and soft as her eyes
flew around to met hers, and bore a resemblance to the
Crystal Knight's.  She looked back, and crumpled
slightly.  "I don't know if I can face him yet."  She
looked at her again, and said, "Promise me that."
 "But..." she whispered.
 "Promise!"
 "I do," she said.  "But he loves you, Serena."
  "So I've heard," she replied, voice dry but laced with
emotion.  Then she turned back, walking towards the
couch.
"I need to go slowly, Mina,' she said, tone unsure.  "I
need...he was one of the reasons I left..." Her voice
was hushed.  "Him, and sometimes I think..."
 The door burst open, and in came Raye and Nephrite.
"They took him, Serena," he said.
 "Who?" she replied, then glanced at Raye.  "Nate, did
they take Jade?" she demanded, fury whipping into her
voice, palatable in the air.
 "Serena..." Raye gasped.
 "Yes," he replied.
 "Bastards!" she yelled.  "They WILL pay for taking my
brother!" She touched the purple gem that glowed on her
rising necklace, and yelled, "CRYSTAL MAIDEN KNIGHT,
MAKEUP!"
 Both girls were awed by the explosion of dark ribbons
and deeply purple feathers; Nephrite stood by, feeling
drained.
When she reappeared, he said quietly, "You cannot go."
 "Excuse me, Nephrite?" she asked.  "They have my
brother, and your," she poked his chest, "best friend."
 "And Jupiter."
 "I'm sorry," she said, and opened her arms in a hug.
To the Senshi's surprise, he clung to her, letting loose
a soft cry.  "You didn't fail," she whispered sweetly,
softly.  "You DIDN'T fail."  She pulled back, and the
two watched as he literally pulled himself back
together, shard upon fragmented shard.
 "Come with me," she whispered.
 "You shouldn't go, and I cannot,' he replied.
 Her features hardened, but her eyes remained soft.
"Then take care of my Senshi," she replied.  A slim hand
touched her crystal, and she disappeared, mouthing
something.
 "If anyone will help, he will," Nephrite muttered.
 "Was that..." Raye began, mouth hanging open.
 "Serena?  Yes, Raye, it was," he replied.  He managed a
weak grin as he added, "It's amazing.  I feel like my
soul has just been evacuated, but I still notice that
you two are exceptionally pretty.  And here I thought
they'd exaggerated."
 "Old Nephrite charm," Mina replied as they both
blushed.
 "I have to use it on someone," he said, smiling, eyes
still glossed with pain.  "Besides, I need to clear my
mind if we go after the Princess..."
 Kunzite and Pluto appeared in the room, Pluto asking,
"Where is Serena?"
 "One minute," Nephrite said, disappearing and
reappearing within seconds.  "She and Zoi went after the
Trio."
 The two exchanged glances, and then caught the Senshi.
"This is your doing," Pluto said, pointing at the other
two.
 "Pluto," said Raye.  "Serena's..."
 "Alive and well, Sailor Mars," she replied.  Turning to
Kunzite, she said, "We have to find and stop her."
 "Allow me to lead," he said.
 "No--Nephrite and I will go," she replied, and Neph
stepped into her space; the orb flashed, and they
disappeared.
 "That leaves us...ladies?" The two had turned to each
other and were quietly talking.
 "What?" he interrupted again.
 "We want to help you find and take Serena back," Raye
said.  Her eyes seemed to tremble under the light as she
added, "I need to talk with her.  There's a lot to say."
 "No one would exclude you two, especially since he
seems to know where to find you," he replied softly.
"Henshin yo!"
 The phrase caught both by surprise, but their training
was so ingrained that they responded.  Kunzite watched,
as nonplused as possible considering the fact that both
were colorfully naked, and when they finished he managed
a nonchalant, "Ready?"
 "Yes," from Venus coincided with "No" from Mars.
 "What?" he asked in a patient yet impatient voice.
 "We need to get someone else," she replied.  "Someone
to help us with Serena."
 "No, Mars!" Venus said.
 "We have to, V."
 "I promised," she protested.
 Mars seemed to bit back something, and that made Venus
fume.  Kunzite stepped in then, wanting to get moving,
and turned to Mars and said, "You're right."
 Venus made a noise of protest, but he quickly turned to
her, "I know you promised Serena, and I know how
important it is for you to keep that to her.  After all,
it looks bad on you--here she is, alive and well, and
five minutes later you're breaking promises to her.  But
you aren't, my Lady.  She is in danger, grave danger to
take this sort of risk."  He stepped forward, placing
his hands on her shoulders.  "But you lead the Senshi,
not her.  You do.  And in that position you are in
charge of protecting her.  The Four Generals did that
for the last years; you must take charge now."
 Her eyes were blue now, so blue, spangles of silver
flecking the placid surface.  He held the gaze until she
said, "All right."
 He smiled, and went to take a step back, releasing his
hands...until she grabbed one.  "But I do the talking,"
she said.  He nodded, eyes meeting once more, each
delighted by the sudden fire within.
 "All right."

 Darien stared at the ceiling.  It was plain, rough, and
an off shade of white that seemed to gather darkness
about him.  Luna lay curled on his stomach, and smooth
fingers stroked the dark, velvety fur.  She was content
soaking in his warmth, sitting with him and silently
consoling.
 He felt terrible.
 He had been to the edge of the brink, and refused to
push a little farther.  And maybe...maybe he had lost
something more than his dignity.
 >Well, you certainly haven't lost your sanity,<
chuckled a now familiar voice.
 He nearly issued a bitter laugh, biting back,  as his fingers froze for a
minute over Luna's back before beginning to stroke
again.
 He'd once asked the Senshi if they ever heard from
their other sides, their past life alter egos.  Mina had
admitted that she did occasionally, though Lita had been
less than clear about it.  However, he hadn't until
yesterday, when Endymion had nearly knocked him off the
balcony with his sudden presence in his head.  Not that
he didn't have good news--he was just chiming in with
his own thoughts, insisting Serenity was there.  That
had led to an argument over that love-this love, until
Endymion had finally driven home his argument that they
were all the same.  Then their conversation had split
off there into something different; if Endymion didn't
want to continue, why should he?
 Now the voice was in his head again, soft, deep, and
careful.  He changed the movement of his stroke, and
Luna purred contentedly, putty in his expert hands.
 his thought drifted.  
 His vision blurred then, mind's eye kicking in
suddenly.  But that hadn't kicked in for years...
 /Buildings, sweeping buildings.../
 /A blond, serious man./
 /A deep hate.../
 He sat up, rolling Luna away as the vision broke with
his movements, eyes blinking rapidly to clear it from
his mind.   his mind involuntarily
called out, lips working with his thoughts.
 >Whoa.  It was never like THAT,< Endymion chimed in,
voice surprised.
  he admitted with a smile.
 "What is it?" Luna asked, and he jerked back, the
experience having wiped the cat from his mind.
 "It's..." he started.
  It was then that Venus, Kunzite, and Mars appeared,
startling him so much that he produced a rose.  However,
they weren't going to give him time to adjust.
 "Tuxedo Mask, we need you," Venus said.
 He blinked.  "Why?"  He wanted to follow his vision.
 "I cannot say," she said, shuffling her feet.  "By
order of the Princess."
 Immediately, the rose began to glow.

 The four actually found the battle first.
 Unluckily for them, they faced two of the Dark Trio and
a youma.
 "ENERGY DOME...FORM!" Kunzite shouted, hands crackling
with bluish energy as a field of it sprang into
existence around the youma.  It snarled within, being
one of the animalistic type, a creature of the DF and
armored with a thin layer of asphalt, claws of curb.  He
smiled at it then as he whispered, "energy
dome...close!"
 "That looks familiar," Venus muttered.
 "Whatever works,' he replied, a sword glistening in his
hand.  "ASSEMBLE!"
 Tux knew the command, but the Senshi glanced at each
other before leaping into the fray.  With the monster
quarantined and about to die, only the two of the Trio
were left.
 And they weren't as easy to take care of.
 "Hey beautiful," Hielo crowed at Venus as she came
towards him.  "Coming my way?"
 "No, but this is!" she cried out.  "VENUS METEOR
SHOWER!"
 The burst of yellow-orange light sped towards him and
splattered against a DF shield.  Now he moved like
lightning towards her, and as he reached out to grab her
a blast of fire and sizzling energy riffled him.
 "Stay away from her," Kunzite growled, and Tux launched
a volley of roses.  He fell back, laughing as the DF
thinned around him into a ropy shield, letting all
energy smash against it.
 "You are no match," he said lowly.
 "Why do we waste our time talking, Hielo?" asked
Katarina, his companion in crime.  "Let's get this over
with."
 "The bigger they are, the harder I smash them into he
pavement!" Tux yelled, cane appearing as Kunz's sword
took on a strobing blue effect.  The two charged into
the air after Hielo as Venus and Mars swung up to
confront Katarina.  Each Trio member met them with a
shield and a blast ready to go, and the battle truly
began.  On one side were Kunzite and his sizzling
blasts, his glowing sword and easiness of movement
assisting Tux's wolf attack--spring forward, cut, spring
back, again and again--against Hielo, who held a sort of
bundle that could function as a blade or a stave or
axhead, depending on whichever was needed.  It was a
fast and furious combat, filling the air with sounds of
clatters and clangs, a blue-white-black light show of
sparks illuminating them.  On the other hand, there was
the weaponless but still fierce Senshi fighting.
Although their principle means of attacking before had
been loud and slow, they now converted to fast and
quiet, powers at their fingertips they never knew they
could summon.  Light carrying, metallic links flashed
along with streams of fire, thick or thin, to combat the
blasts, charges, and slats of DF that pounded at them.
Also, although Katarina was a flier by nature, these
attacks took place much closer to the ground.
 It seemed stalemated for awhile, the four vs. the two,
all taking their little injuries.  That is, until Selene
appeared and broke it.
 She was quiet for once, and sly; she raised two of
those asphalt oddities in order to help her.  With a
sly, cruel smile pasted on her lips, she set them forth
to cause chaos, fixated on one target.
 Sailor Mars had just come down from smacking a ball of
flame against Katarina's shield, and hearing it strain
like snapping metal.  Her feet alighted on the ground
just as the first asphalt creature hoved into view.
 "Mars!" was all the warning Tuxedo Mask could give
before he was forced back by Hielo.  She turned, ready
to face the creature, the first attack cry coming to her
lips: "MARS FIRE IGNITE!"
 The blast took out the first creature, but the second
grabbed her shoulder.  She reacted easily, without
thought, throwing the creature to the ground in a very
Jupiter-like manner, then sinking a high heel into its
chest.  A flare of flame appeared in her hand, and as
Venus wailed away above, she fried the creature below.
 A thin line, no wider than a small laser beam, lanced
the back of her neck as Selene appeared from the shadow.
She took one step away from the youma, and dropped.
 Venus saw.
 Venus lost it.
 "MARS!" she screamed, tendrils of light flaring from
her body to drive back Kat.  However, she was a warrior
pure and simple, and as Venus dove to aid her friend,
her hand reached out to snag her hair, fingers catching
a grip in the silken strands Kunzite so loved and
ripping back.  Venus screamed loudly as pain ripped
through her scalp, and she hung by the mass and her
power as Selene move out.  She looked up, and laughed as
she caught sight of Venus, vanishing.
 "You next, Senshi," Katarina whispered.
 A flash cut between the two.
 The other four had arrived.
 "VENUS!" Kunzite screamed as Venus came down hard,
managing at least to stay on her feet.  Zoi came down
next to her, crystal still flashing, wisps of blond
falling from the chunk of hair Katarina now held.
 "Move!" Venus called as the hair above was fried to a
crisp.  A part of her was full of pain and indignation
at her chopped (unevenly) hair, but that was not for
now.  However, Zoicite had to send a spray of petals and
crystalline shards around him before taking to the air
to face Katarina directly.
 A "DEAD SCREAM" flew, laced with sparks of star power
held by the two now standing at the edge of the battle;
a jagged arch of purple-black energy accompanied the
Crystal Knight as she appeared, raring to go.
 And now the tide turned again.
 But not for long, thanks to Selene.
 Her first victim now was Nephrite.  He and Pluto were
protecting each other and the Princess, trying to supply
some manner of defense for those ruggedly on the
offense.  Selene reappeared behind the two, hands
glowing.  But Nephrite's senses were keen, and turning
he dove to knock Pluto out of the way of a blast that
would've clobbered her.  It smashed into his shoulder,
and he rolled away with a cry of pain that everyone
heard--and Crystal felt.  She stumbled in her flight,
and it was only Kunzite's swift movements that managed
to keep her from cracking her head open.  Next, taking
advantage of this, Hielo shot wide and snagged Zoicite
as he snapped Katarina's shield with a crystal thrust.
Selene took them both, leaving only Kunzite and Venus,
Pluto, Crystal and Tux on the battlefield.
 "Garnet Shield" Pluto murmured as she now took the
offensive, leaping up to smash Katarina with the key
end.  Down she went, powers snapping as Pluto bore down
on her.
 But Crystal didn't notice as she recovered from the
pain of both Zoicite and Nephrite.
 And she was FED UP.
 A wide circle of purple-black surrounded her, and the
Dark Crystal reformed quickly from the crystal pistol it
had been into a blade.  "WHY WON'T YOU LEAVE MY FAMILY
ALONE!" she screamed wildly, like a mother who has lost
her sons, like a sister who has watched her brothers
killed one by one.  And it was like this that she rushed
Hielo.  As Zach's crystal had done, her blade snapped
the DF field around him.
  Hielo recoiled immediately as the DF shattered, but
Crystal was right there, swinging her knife in wide arcs
towards him.  He could feel the rage off of her even
without his psi abilities, anger palpable in the air as
the wind lifted the flap of  her upper covering, fully
revealing eyes dark with emotion.  For a few moments he
fought back, but it was obvious this woman was enraged,
completely, nearly insane, his feeble attempts to shield
no match for the dagger she held in her hand.  Finally,
he teleported across the way, needing to get away from
this woman who...terrified him.
 This in no way dissuaded the Crystal Knight; she merely
altered her course and her weapon, the knife lengthening
and thinning into a lance, a long purple shaft with a
wickedly pointed end.  She whirled and advanced upon
him, seething.  "No more," she whispered beneath her
breath.  "NO MORE!"
 "Crystal, don't!" Kunzite called, looking up from
attending to Venus.  Pluto was busy with Katarina,
shielding and attacking as the woman fought fiercely to
defend herself, and he couldn't leave Venus yet.  "TUX!"
he bellowed.
 "Got it, my friend," he replied quickly, already
running to leap into the air.  He had come down to take
care of Venus, but the combination of Kunzite watching
her/the others being taken/Crystal's rage had rendered
him momentarily useless.  His cane appeared in his left,
a rose in his right, and he took off towards Hielo.
Using the cane to ward off the first blow, he turned
himself and let the rose fly.
 Miraculously, it lodged in Hielo's shoulder.
Immediately the petals flared with energy, and Hielo
screamed out in anger.  Forgetting the warrioress who
wanted his head, forgetting his mission completely, he
darted towards Tuxedo Mask.
 "Oh great," Kunzite whispered.  "Are you ready, lady?"
Her scalp oozed blood, and he could see where Zoicite
had knicked in trying to cut her loose.  Worse, the
ankle she'd injured previously was swollen and bruised;
it looked like she had a huge plum attached at the
ankle.
 "I'll be fine," she said brusquely.  "Go help her."
Her gloved hand gently brushed his, and she added, "I'll
be along to help you soon."
 "Don't kill yourself or anything," he replied, half
joking and half serious.
 She smiled, and he turned.  Now Hielo and Tux were
locked in an air-ground battle, Hielo pressing down
against the bending Tux.  He could hear the growl in his
liege's throat, see the triumph begin to flicker in
Hielo's eyes...as well as Crystal homing in on him from
behind, energy concentrating on the front of the spear,
ready to make a death thrust.  He quickly began to weave
a shield and something to stun, trying to work against
the energy absorbing currents that were EVERYWHERE,
energy flying in arcs about his hands as he worked.
 About this time, Katarina suddenly lashed out with her
foot, knocking against Pluto's staff and pushing her
back.  She saw the scene too--and was more than a little
concerned.
 *HIELO, WARE THE KNIGHT!* shot through his head as
pressed further and further against Tux, now only able
to hold him off on his knees.  He looked up for a
moment, saw Kunzite forming his web, felt Crystal coming
close...and his eyes widened.
 Crystal was completely unprepared for what happened
next; concern had taken over now, seeing who Hielo was
messing with.   More energy drained
into the point of her crystal lance;  she thought.  
 
 It was then that Hielo pushed off Tux's cane, flipping
over him and turning, ready.  As Crystal saw her target
change, and pulled up abruptly, Hielo changed tactics
and let loose with a frizzled burst of psionic power at
Tux.
 Crystal let out a gasp of horror as the frazzled
fingers of black energy reached out to engulf him, and
she strained hard, trying to pull away what she could,
but it was going to be TOO late...
 The energy washed over Tux, tickling him, but it was
Crystal who fell.
 "CRYSTAL!" Kunzite roared, and he then bulldozed into
Hielo, shoulder landing about mid back, lifting up the
man and tossing him over his head.  Hielo landed hard as
Tuxedo scooped up the Crystal Knight, coming to his feet
and ready to jump away.
 Then, Katarina broke away from Pluto, hand melting into
an inky black radiance.
 Tuxedo, still cradling the downed Crystal, disappeared
in a flash of black.  Kunzite met Katarina's eyes, and
she smiled at him.  Her eyes flickered briefly, and
across the darkened street lanced one thought: *We have
what we came for.*
 Hielo, whose outstretched hand was pulsing black a bare
foot or so from Venus, vanished along with his partner.
 Pluto looked back, and sighed.  
she thought as she trotted over to them.  "Are you all
right?" she asked Kunzite, who was pulling himself off
the street.
 "Physically, yes.   But Pluto, I..." he trailed off,
gray eyes suddenly widening.  "Venus?  Did they...?"  He
turned, and saw the Senshi of Love crammed against a
wall, hands up in a warding gesture, short hair barely
covering her ears.
 "She is still here," Pluto said.
 "But not okay," he said.  Looking around, he said
loudly, "We need to get out of here."
 Pluto could see the girl's reaction: she looked up,
startled, rabbit-like in her jerky movements, and her
face melted from fear to relief.  She placed her hands
on either side of her body, and struggled to get up, but
then slipped down again.  Kunzite's hand suddenly thrust
down at her, and pure thanks flashed over her face.  She
took it, and with ease he pulled her up, she leaning
against him.  She walked forwards then, noticing how
Venus was favoring a leg as she walked.
 "Pluto..." the girl whispered, pausing to bite her lip,
then quickly adding, "Can we go to my place?  They don't
know..."
 "Of course not, girl," she replied as she nodded her
head.
 Momentary confusion swept over her, but then her eyes
brightened and a bit of the old sparkle appeared.  "I
shouldn't have even thought it," she replied lowly.
"Your home is safer."
 "Good point, Venus," Kunzite said as energy gathered
around his hands.  "Besides, what would Artemis think?"
 She giggled as they vanished, and was still giggling as
they appeared in her apartment.  "Clever," she
whispered.  "I would have never thought about that!"
 "Pluto is just a little older, and that much more
experienced," Kunzite replied, letting her go as he
melted back to Kevin.
 "Only a little," Pluto smiled.
 Venus smiled at them both, and then turned to sit down.
A small cry of pain escaped her, and her body fell
rigidly to the couch.  From where she stood, Pluto could
see the swelling of her ankle, and the sudden gush of
blood that partially stained her hair.  Her body
flickered slowly back to Mina, and she uttered another
little cry as the pain asserted itself again.  Kevin
walked into the kitchen, and returned with an ice pack,
which he quickly energy tied to her ankle before sitting
down.  She whimpered, and blatantly reached for his
hand.
 Artemis and Luna bolted into the room as he took it and
she let out another cry.  The black cat stopped short at
seeing Pluto, but Artemis kept going until he was on the
couch next to Mina.
 "Pluto," Luna uttered.
 "Mina! What happened to your hair?" Artemis whispered.
 "It's awful, isn't it?" Mina replied, fingering the
uneven cut that barely hung below her ears.  "Zoicite
saved my life, but..." Now she dissolved into tears, and
Kevin moved closer, pain reflected in his eyes.
 "Mina," Artemis whispered, and then crawled into her
lap, trying to comfort her.  "It's all right, Mina.
It'll grow back..."
 "Eventually!" she sobbed.  "I've lost...Artemis I've
lost my job, my..."  She fizzled into tears.
 "Here," Pluto said, moving forwards.  "Artemis, please
move."  She smiled at the cat as he did, and even Kevin
gave her a quirky look.  She pointed at their joined
hands with the key end, and he obediently let go.
 "You fought bravely, child," she whispered.  "And you
tried to help her as well.  Consider this a gift."
 Suddenly the orb glowed, and Luna gasped again as a
velvety lavender glow surrounded Mina.  In response, her
eyes closed, and her whole body seemed to relax.  Though
at first it seemed nothing was happening; then,
suddenly, all of her hair disappeared, bloody ends
sizzling away to nothing.  All gasped, but then hair
began to flow out of her scalp again, like pasta flowing
unchecked from a pasta maker.  She smiled softly, and
let the time field work until the soft blond silk sank
just past the small of her back.  Then she let it go,
and Mina's eyes burst open.
 "Now you can say you trimmed the split ends," she
whispered.
 Mina's eyes watered, and leaping up she threw her arms
around her.  "Thank you," she whispered.  "Thank you so
much."
 And Pluto sniffed, and suddenly Setsuna put her arms
around the young girl, letting her own tears flow out.
Kevin's eyes gleamed, and she bet that both cats
followed.  Finally, she let her go, and Mina fell back
to the couch, exhausted.  Kevin moved closer, and she
leaned against him comfortably; he was surprised, but
his arm came around her, and his eyes closed
contentedly.
 "Now, what happened?" Artemis demanded.  "How come Mina
came home looking butchered--and who is this..."
 "Artemis," Luna said, eyes still on the pair as her
tail teased him.  "Shhh..."
 "But Luna..."
 "Tomorrow, Artemis," Setsuna added.  "Tomorrow."
 "But...that!" His tail pointed to the two.
 Luna rubbed up against him suddenly, her own tail
wrapping around his.  "Tomorrow," she purred.
 "Tomorrow," he repeated, and the two curled around each
other.
 Setsuna smiled to herself, no one noticing the lonely
pain in her eyes, and then sat down.  She allowed her
eyes to rest on them again, and just before she
stretched out on the couch she thought softly,



 Katarina was ready, and as Crystal and Tux appeared she
stunned them both.  The charge was crippling to Tux, and
he slumped over immediately; however, it cleared away
the psionic chaos in Crystal's brain, and she woke a
little.  Immediately she could tell that her
surroundings had changed, and felt it better to play
dead than fight.  So she was completely relaxed as she
and Tux were tossed into the air, drifting freely for a
minute before Kat caught them.
 She floated them into the next room, where Selene was
stashing the last of the bodies and Hielo sat in a
chair, hand to her head. *Are you all right?* she sent
softly.
 *Fine, fine,* he replied. *Just a little feedback.*
 She nodded, and then looked up to Selene, who was
currently erecting some shields, and raised the bodies a
bit. *Any room for these two?*
 Selene let out a soft snort, and sent back viciously,
*None.  Absolutely none.  And thanks for your concern
about me, Kat.  I had to deal with that...that Mars
chick when I came back.  She nearly fried my head.  As
it was, she charred my hair.* A psi image of that
appeared.
 *My apologies Selene.  I am tired,* she replied.
 *We all are, Kat.  But honestly...*
 *Really, it would be best for you two to keep quiet,*
Hielo said. *The Master would be most unappreciative if
he caught a whiff of this.*
 Kat gulped, remembering the man's tug on her hair, the
lances of pain that melted into her bones, the feeling
of death.  Selene just smiled though, and a wave of
insolence at the statement ran through her.   Kat thought with no surprise.  He
seemed to favor her.
 *What about these?* she gestured to the bodies.
 *Put them in the cold room.  Master likes them
chilled,* Selene whispered back coldly.
 Hielo nodded, and Katarina turned back into the
hallway.  With a sharp lash of DF she opened the door,
and tossed the two of them inside, landing on the floor
heavily.  She let loose her connections to them,
cleaning them of any DF before turning to concentrate on
the room.  Her hands outstretched, her eyes closed...
 "Let me help you shield them," Hielo whispered, and she
nearly jumped out of her skin.  She nodded then, and the
two concentrated together.  Altogether they laced the
room thrice--dark force over energy over psionic--before
turning away. As he shut the door, he laid another mark
over it, one that respond to their touch only.
 *Ready, Selene?* he asked.
 *A moment,* she replied, edging into the doorway.
"You'll watch them for me, won't you girl?  Won't you?
Good girl!" she crooned into the room, and then shut off
all the lights.
 *Let's go home,* Katarina said wearily, and they
vanished.
 As soon as the door shut, Serena looked up.  She
quickly checked on Tux, and sighed when she found him
out cold but undamaged.  With a little effort she
wrapped him in his cape, noting that the cold would
eventually chill their bones.  Finally, she kissed her
fingers and pressed them to his chilled lips.  "Dream
well, love," she whispered, and then stood.  Squeezing
herself between two close together boxes, she touched
the Dark crystal, now relegated to her armband once
more.  "Heat shield, I guess," she whispered, and
immediately she was locked into a brace of energy that
warmed her immediately.  As her eyes closed, a part of
her wondered how she would function with...with him so
close to her now.  Could she avoid him forever in this
small space?
 With that, she fell asleep.

    Source: geocities.com/tokyo/shrine/1721