Time Loop by: Paul Brusky

The old human's maxim ran through Esmeraude's mind as she threw the

bomb. Divide and conquer...

Tuxedo Kamen woke to a throbbing headache and cautiously opened his

eyes. He was all alone. Oh man, I haven't had a headache this bad since

the hangover I had after my college graduation party. Wearily he got

to his feet. He couldn't see very far because of the blackened ruins and

the growing fog.

"Nooooo," the scream ripped through the calm peacefulness of the

ruins.

All weariness and pain forgotten, he began to run toward the source

of the sound, and away from Crystal Tokyo. Even after his training as a

runner, he had to take a break after he had been running for half an hour.

He didn't even wonder how he had heard the scream from a couple miles

away, he just knew he had to help Chibi Usa. There came a whimper from

the other side of the "rock" he was leaning on.

He walked around to find Sailor Moon holding a badly burned- and not

breathing!- Chibi Usa in her arms. "Mamoru-san," she whispered. The

phrase leapt out at him. Mamoru-san? What happened to Mamo-chan?

Something isn't right here...

And then he didn't have to wonder, "Sailor Moon" leapt at him, her

face twisted into a fierce snarl. It's a trap, and I played right into

their hands! He whipped out a rose and threw it as hard as he could.

It hit the the ruby in the droid's tiara and she crumbled into a heap of

sand.

Endymion was explaining his past, or their future rather, but Tuxedo

Kamen couldn't concentrate on what he was telling them. Gods,

this is creepy. I'm in the same room with myself. How wierd

is that? He dragged his attention back to the briefing.

"Chibi Usa is your daughter," Endymion said to Sailor Moon."

What!? He felt as if he'd been hit over the head with a

two-by-four. Chibi Usa is my daughter. I have a daughter. The thought kept

repeating itself in his head as he tried to absorb

that fact. This is just getting too wierd!

He and Sailor Moon looked at eachother. "We have a daughter?!" she

whispered at him. Suddenly, the implications of that statement sunk in

and they both looked away, blushing furiously.

Meanwhile, in the corner, Sailor Mars was just as surprised. She was

about to open her mouth to say something when she had wierd feeling.

Sailor Moon crying... Tuxedo Kamen dead... Sailor Moon screaming. 'Mamo-

chan! Don't leave me!'... She just pressed her lips tightly together

and fumed in silence.

The Lady Esmerade walked stiffly down the hall towards Dimando's

quarters, and she was beyond pissed. How could he have known, how?

An evil smile graced her features briefly. But at least we have the

rabbit.

The guard at the door, seeing the mood she was in, immediatly

lifted his halberd to let her in. A murmer of voices from Dimando's study.

Saffiru? It sounds like him.

"Sir," she said, with the ritual salute as she entered. "I have

the report on my team's progress as you requested."

"Thank you." Behind him, Saffiru shifted restlessly.

"If you'll excuse me." Esmeraude walked out of the room. But

something made her turn back, an odd feeling. Dimando slumped over

on the desk, a knife in his back... She stood in the doorway,

unnoticed, watched Saffiru toss a small sack on to the desk. She saw

his hand stray to his pocket and draw out a small knife. No, Dimando!

"Noooo!" She screamed with the agony it caused her to Call the

power, drained as she was by the creation of the scattering-bomb she'd

used on the Senshi. She hurled a bolt of pure power, watched as

Saffiru was consumed by magical flames, leaving only the small dagger.

She was so tired... "Looks like your brother had a little present for

you." The floor rushed up at her. She lay there for a moment before

shuddering and closing her eyes.

This time all of the Senshi were practicing in the training room in an

impromptu showdown. They had formed teams and it was Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor

Mars and Sailor Mercury versus Sailors Moon, Jupiter, and Venus. As the

fighting broke out nobody noticed the slowly widening warp-hole appearing in

the wall, until suddenly no one could move.

From where Sailor Venus stood, she could see a man step through the hole,

dressed in clothing similar to that Rubeus had worn except white. "Allow me to

introduce myself," he said wryly. "I am Prince Dimando." He turned to

Sailor Moon. "Come along dear, it's time for us to be leaving." He motioned

to her and then instead of trying to move, she was trying not to.

"No," she gasped. But her feet were dragging here closer and closer to

the hole. And then she had passed through the hole.

"Good day to you all." And he disappeared, his laughter lingering like

the phantom smile of the Cheshire Cat.

"What I'd like to know," Tuxedo Kamen said through clenched teeth when

they could all move again. "Is how he got through the shield in the first

place. He shouldn't have been able to, should he?"

Sailor Mars sighed and sat down. "All right, guys. Lemme see what I can

do."

Usagi came to lying on the ground in the clothes she had been wearing

before this whole mess had started. That was only a couple days ago. So

much has happened! There was a man standing over her.

"So. You're awake." His voice is so cold...

"Yes. What do you want with me?"

"You... You shall be my Queen." The inverted crecent moon on his

forehead began to change and became a third eye. She could feel his desire

for her as he touched her mind. The raw hate for Crystal Tokyo. His thoughts

crowded in on her, traping her.

"You will be my Queen," he repeated.

"Yes," she said. No! Her tiara disappeared and the Black Moon symbol

began shifting back and forth between the Crecent Moon and the Black Moon as

she still tried to fight the spell.

"Keep your hands off her, she's mine!" A familiar voice screamed

somewhere nearby. She shook off the mind-controll spell but

was still immobilized and so was helpless to help Tuxedo

Kamen. "I Challenge you, nege-sleaze." Tuxedo Kamen pulled

a sword out of his cane. I never knew he could

do that!

In answer, the Prince held out his hand and, with a

shimmer, a sword appeared in his hands. They were now bound to a fight to

the death. They circled, swords flashing as they attacked eachother. She

couldn't tell who was beating who. Then it seemed as if time slowed, she saw

Dimando strike, Tuxedo Kamen managed to deflect it but only partially, and

it still sliced into his shoulder. He staggered, clutching his wound in pain.

The Prince raised his weapon over his head for the killing blow. But it had

been a ruse, and with Dimando's chest unprotected, Tuxedo Kamen ran him

through with his sword. Then they both collapsed, Dimando dead and Tuxedo

Kamen getting there.

With Dimando's death, Sailor Moon was free again and she ran to embrace

her dying love. "Mamoru!"

"Usagi," he whispered hoarsly, raising his hand and placing it over her

heart. "I'll always be... right... here." Then he closed his eyes and went

limp.

Usagi clutched his hand to her.

"No." Herself, lost in a maelstrom of despair. Tuxedo Kamen dead.

Mamo-chan explaining what she had to do... "Thank you, Mamo-chan. I know what

I have to do. I won't let you down." A small tear ran down her cheek, but she

tried not to cry. Something told her if she started, she wouldn't be able to

stop.

"Oh gods, I'm so late!" Usagi wailed from the hallway. She ran into Ami's

room at about eighty miles an hour and promtly managed to trip over Rei, who

was leaning against the wall near the door. "Sorry I'm late, guys."

Rei just shook her head. "Some things never change."

Ami looked up from her mini-computer to see Usagi still sprawled on the

floor and went back to typing.

"So what's Ami doing on her computer?"

"Among other things, I'm trying to find Chibi Usa."

"Wow. She's still missing?"

Ami bit back a sarcastic retort. Besides, it looked like Rei was going to

beat her to it anyway. Just then, about half a dozen alarms went off on her

computer. Hey, what's going on? It looks like... "Guys, we gotta transform

now! There's another warp-hole forming!" She pulled out her tranformation

wand.

"Mercury Star... Power!"

"Venus Star... Power!"

"Jupiter Star... Power!"

"Mars Star... Power!"

"Moon Star... Power!"

But to their surprise, instead of some Black Moon warrior seeking

vengence, Sailor Pluto stepped through. She held up her hand to forestall

any questions. "Something has happened to Chibi Usa." The

hole widened. "You must go back."

The five Senshi crossed the threshhold of the hole and

rematerialized on a roof in downtown Tokyo. Sailor Mercury

pulled out her computer and began to scan for Chibi Usa.

"Um, Mercury?" Sailor Venus tapped her shoulder. "Don't

bother." A - grown up! - Chibi Usa had appeared, floating, over

their heads.

"Chibi Usa!"

She looked confused for a moment before frowning. "You

must be mistaken. I am Black Lady. And now, you die!"

Something bothered Sailor Venus as Black Lady said this,

something at the edge of her memory. Black Lady releasing a

bolt of Dark Power, Luna and Artemis flying...

"No!" Mercury saw Sailor Venus run to block Black

Lady's attack and thrown off the roof into the street below.

"Stop! Please, we want to help you!"

"Oh yeah, I have have some ocean-front property to sell you... [another

Americain cliche, about salemen trying to trick you by saying they have some

ocean front property in Florida to sell you.]"

Another nege-bomb caught her, and Sailors Mars and Jupiter unaware, and

they too were thrown off the roof. She impacted with the hard pavement and her

world exploded into redness. When she could see again, she was on the roof

again, staring at her body. So I'm dead. Somehow, it wasn't as bad this time.

Sailor Moon's Senshi uniform melted into the regal dress of the Moon

Princess. "We have to try the Luna Mind Meld!" She saw beams issue form Luna

and Artemis. For a few moments, the Black Moon symbol shifted back and forth

between the Black Moon and the Crecent Moon.

"No! It won't work!" Black Lady erected a shield. Ami saw the Black Gate

open and then Black Lady collapsed, turning back into Chibi Usa.

"Dang." Mamoru closed the window to the material world that they had all

been watching. "I though our memories would be enough."

"I never knew you could mind meld, Artemis," Usagi said.

"Why should I expend my energy when there's always Luna? Ow!" Luna bit

him in retribution. "She's better at it anyway."

"Thank you."

"You're not welcome."

"Oh come on, you two. Don't start!" Minako said with a sigh of

exasperation.

"So, got any any more bright ideas, Wonder Boy?"

Mamoru was silent for a moment before answering. "Yeah, I still got a few

tricks up my sleeve. Problem is, we'll only get one shot at this, and if it

doesn't

work, we're screwed."

* * *

What is Mamo-chan's plan? Will it work out? And why will they only have one

chance? Find out in Part Four, "Deja Vu All Over Again".

Home | Prologue | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5