timeloop2

Time Loop by: Paul Brusky

Time Loop

Part Two:"Key to the Future"

Author's Notes: Well, here I am again! I hope everyone enjoyed reading Part

One as much as I enjoyed writing it! Any flames, rave

reviews, hate-mail, suggestions can be sent to PDBrusky@msn.com. This story is

mine, mine, mine! But everything

else (character names etc...) belong to rich guys in suits so please don't sue

me!

Usagi slept soundly in the huge white bed. Meanwhile, a heated debate

about her was raging in the outside hallway.

"I hate to say this, Mars, but I think she lost it when he died. What

is that supposed to mean anyway? 'The key to the future' or some some psycho

babble like that."

"I agree with Jupiter. It's way wierd."

"Oh, I see. So me being psychic isn't wierd. Or Usagi knowing he was

dead even before I could tell for sure isn't wierd. We can't just give up on

her!"

"Actually, the odds are..."

"Oh you and your odds, Mercury! I still say she should be our leader in

spite of what happened. Guys, I know she's OK. I mean could you say you'd

act any different if you were her?"

It was silent for a moment before Jupiter sighed and ran her fingers

through her hair tiredly. "All right. I'm just worried about her is all."

"I know. We all are."

Saffiru stood non-chalantly through the halls of the Black Moon Palace

on Nemesis with a bottle of pora wine and a small, lumpy-looking

sack in his hand. But he had an entirley different agenda that

just delivering bribes. He was going to kill his brother, who

had become too infatuated with this "Sailor Moon" for the

mission to succeed. Oh sure, Saffiru, pretend that

you're doing this for the good of the mission. You know better.

This is really for a certain green-haired someone...His hand

went unconciously to the pocket where he had hidden the

ceremonial dagger of one of the faction leaders. It had been all

to easy to take it really. Esmeraude...A snake like Dimando doesn't deserve

the love of a woman like her...

"Sir!"

He had arrived at Dimando's chambers and the salute of the guard jolted

him out of his thoughts. "I'm just here with the usual... tithes. Is the

Prince busy?"

The guard smiled slightly as a large coin was pressed into his hand."No,

Sir."

"Very good. See that we remain undisturbed." It was highly unorthodox to

see the Prince this way, but that guard had enough sense not to get himself

of the Heir in trouble.

Saffiru knocked softly before entering and closing the door behind him.

"Some more bribes came in this morning."

"Good," Dimando said, leaning back in his chair and stretching. "I could

use a break from all these reports." He raised his eyebrows in appreciation

as the sack landed on the desk, between two very large stack of papers, with

a loud and satisfying clink. He was even more surprised when the

bottle of wine joined the sack on the desk.

"From the leader of the Blue faction."

"I must remember to encourage him in the future. Now this is pora wine!

Care to join me for a glass?"

"No thank you, sire. I don't much care for pora wine."

"Ah, that's too bad. But it leaves more wine for me."

The poison in the wine should be taking effect soon.

Time for me to make my "exit". "If you'll excuse me, my

liege. I have other appointments soon."

"Ah yes, of course. Dismissed."

"Thank you, my lord." But Saffiru only walked as far as

the entry-way where he stopped and shielded his presence to make it appear to

Dimando as if he had left. While I'm here, I might as well as attend to

the other half of the task. He reached for the guard's mind. By

tampering with his memory, he could make it appear as if it was the Blue's

faction leader and nobody else would know...

When he came out of the trance, Dimando had already passed out at his

desk. Almost as an afterthought he stuck the dagger with the Blues' seal on it

into his brother's back.

Esmeraude walked cheerfully through the hallways, report in hand. Prince

Dimando will be very pleased... Tuxedo Kamen was dead ,and

now they had the rabbit too. Too bad we don't have the Silver

Crystal as well. She waved the official report at the guard

who let her in with a flourish.

As she entered his dimly lit office she found him slumped

over his desk amid large piles of paper. He always did work

too hard.

She shook him gently, but her hand touched something hard and she saw what

she had not noticed before because of the bad lighting, the hilt of a knife

protruding from between his shoulders and the dark stain on the desk.

Saffiru looked up as there came the magical equivalent of a knock. An

image of a worried looking young amn in a medic's uniform appeared in the

middle of the room.

"Sir, I'm afraid we have some rather bad news."

"Yes?"

"Your brother, he's dead." Saffiru let a look of shock pass over his

face.

I should have been an actor. "And the Lady Esmeraude has gone quite

mad."

"What?" he yelped. He no longer had to feign grief or surprise as he felt

the color drain from his face.

"Actually, we didn't know about the Prince until someone found her

wandering the halls babbling about him. Shortly after she was brought here she

went catatonic."

"I see," his voice quavered slightly, revealing weakness, but Saffiru no

longer cared. "Thank you for informing me." Esmeraude, Dimando...my brother...

what have I done?

Sailor Moon faced off against Sailor Mars, who was limping slightly in

spite of herself. Mars threw a kick aimed for her head and she

dodged a little too late, hissing in pain as the heel of Mars'

shoe caught her in the shoulder. I'll get her for that! While

Sailor Mars was still off balance she fainted, then rushed in

and puched her hard in the stomach. Yeah!

But suddenly, before she could get out of range again,

Mars was using her punch against her, grabbing her arm and sweeping her feet

out from under her in one swift motion. She lay on the ground, panting, for a

moment before sitting up. "OK, Rei, you win."

"You've gotten better, odango atama," Mars replied as she leaned

against the wall and tried to catch her breath.

"Yeah, well sorry 'bout your ankle."

"Oh, its all right. It wouldn't have happened if I wasn't wearing

these stupid heels."

Ruefully, Sailor Moon rubbed her sore shoulder. "Yeah, but it sure

hurts when you get hit by them!"

Rei glanced at the wall-clock in the training room and did some quick

mental calculations. "Oh no! We were supposed to meet the others a couple

minutes ago!"

"Oh, I forgot about that."

"Yeah, I forgot about that. We'll have to wash up later. C'mon!" Rei

grabbed Usagi's hand and almost took her off her feet again when she broke

into a sprint.

A couple minutes later in Ami's room, everyone looked up to see both

Usagi and Rei red-faced and panting.

"What? Rei late to a meeting? What is the world coming to?" Minako

said as she put her hand to her forehead and pretended to feel faint.

"Well, Rei wanted to spar!"

"I could have sparred with you, Rei!" Makoto said, looking somewhat

disappointed.

"Well Usagi was the only other one awake," Rei replied to the shock

of everyone else.

"Usagi got up early. Now I've heard everything."

"Oh, you're so funny..."

Everyone stopped quibbling as there was an odd sort of tearing sound

and a hole appeared in the air. Sailor Pluto? The hole widened

slightly as Sailor Pluto stepped through.

"Something has happened to Small Lady..."

Sailor Moon and the other Senshi ran toward the pulsing black

crystal. I've got to save Chibi Usa! They jumped from rooftop

to rooftop , and suddenly Black Lady appeared right over

their heads, laughing mirthlessly.

"So good to see you, Sailor Snots! You thought you could

save yourselves by 'saving' me, huh?" Almost carelessly, she

flung a bolt of Dark Power at the two cats that hurled them

onto the street below.

"Artemis!" Sailor Venus screamed. She started to run

toward the edge of the roof, but Mercury caught hold of her arm and wouldn't

let go.

"That's not true." Sailor Moon said quietly but firmly. "We love you,

Chibi Usa. We want to help you."

Black Lady's expression softened for a moment before she shook her

head and glared at the Senshi even harder. "Lies! You're trying to trick

me!" And she threw a nege-bomb that sent her friend behind her flying like

so many rag dolls. My friends! Don't worry, I'll make this all right...

She removed her brooch and concentrated on becoming the Moon Princess, her

strongest form.

"Moon Crystal Healing... Activation!" She spun bits of her life-force

into a delicate healing spell, she felt Black Lady being

drawn in, trying to escape.

And then she did. "No!" A savage scream from Black

Lady, a shield between them. The magical energies of her

healing spell were dispersed by a shattering blast of Dark

Power. A second blast saw her lying beside her

friends on the next building. I'm sorry. I failed you.

"Nighty night, odango atama!" She sent a final bolt of Dark

Power at the Princess and her world exploded into whiteness.

With a shriek of triumph, Black Lady fed the crystals with the life-

force they needed to open the Black Gate. She was fading and still she

continued, unable to stop. Then, spent, she crumpled into a heap as the

Black Gate opened. "Yesssss." Then as she too died, her form became that

of a small child once more.

Mamoru stood by the lake in the park, waiting patiently. Her heard

the sound of shoes on the path behind him and even though he knew who it

was, he did not turn to greet them. He didn't need to. "Hi there."

"Hi yourself," the slender blonde said as she came up beside him and

hugged him fiercely. They were silent for a moment then, just enjoying

eachother's company. "I couldn't do it, Mamo-chan. Not by myself."

"It's not your fault, Usako. It's not what I had in mind anyway."

"I missed you."

"And I you."

The sound of four distinct sets of footfalls echoed their way up the

path.

Usagi reached out for his hand and then paused. Hadn't she been here

before? Done this with Darien? Nonsense. I'm probably just remembering

our times together on the Moon. She took his hand and climbed out of

the rented rowboat and onto the dock. "Oh!" she cries as the boat tipped,

forcing him to catch her.

"What a klutz!" Mamoru laughed. But as he helped her to her feet, he

couldn't help but think how beautiful she was right then, with the

sunlight shining on her long golden hair. "But you're MY klutz." My

princess...

"Do you really mean that?" she asked softly.

"Of course I do, odango atama."

"I love it when you call me that," she whispered as he gatherd her

in his arms and bent over to kiss her. One thought kept repeating itself

in his mind while he held her. I love her so much...

* * *

Cool ending huh? Love triangles are just so much fun to work with! (Forgive me

for being redundant with the last scene) OK, so that part was a little

shorter. Oh well.

But I'm not finished there, folks. Stay tuned for Part Three, "Glimpses of the

Future".