Konnichiwa, minna-chan! Here's the long awaited
(cough cough...yeah right!) chapter eight of TCD.
I've revised this chapter countless times, and the
plot keeps changing. But I think I've finally
gotten everything straightened out just the way I
want it. ^^ I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what
you think, k? sailor_moon89@hotmail.com

Rating: PG-13...there's a little violence in this
chapter...sorry bout that  ^^;;;

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	"The fear of God is the beginning of
knowledge." ~ Proverbs 1:7

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The Coldest December
By Aimee

Chapter 8, Part A

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	"A tale of wonder told,
	Written with lines of gold,
	The secret of life unfolds,
	On the canvas of my heart."
	~Whiteheart

	I rushed through towering trees and dense
bushes toward the outcries that resounded through
the woods. I left Mamoru behind as I hurried to
deliver my friend from harm, but he was far from
forgotten. He had watched as I silently turned and
ran away from him.
	The look on his face...how could I describe
it? It was one of guilt and near shame. His eyes
were shaky and light...like the eyes of a little
boy who'd gotten caught with his hand in the cookie
jar.
	And I ran away from him...like a coward
afraid of the truth...afraid to find out how he
knew I was Sailor Moon.
	There was a delicate balance between us.
Once enemies, now a couple growing closer with
every minute, we were still on fragile ground. The
relationship had not had time to mature, and we
had yet to develop true and lasting love for one
another. That kind of love and trust took years to
evolve, and I quickly grew worried. I felt as though
anything could disrupt our new relationship. And
God knows I didn't want to lose him...
	A weak cry echoed off to my right, and I
dismissed all other thoughts from my mind but the
owner of that scream...Naru. I would deal with
Mamoru later.
	There was a sudden boom in the distance,
and I recognized with relief that it was the sound
of Jupiter's supreme thunder attack. Reinforcements
had arrived. My communicator sounded, and I snatched
it up, breathless from running.
	"Sailor Moon...youma attack...at the park..."
Mars' voice was labored, seemingly from running, as
well.
	"I know. I'm almost there."
	"Hurry...Jupiter and Venus need you. Mercury
and I are still about five minutes away."
	"Right."
	Coming out of the thicket, I spotted the
battle scene. Jupiter carried an unconscious Naru
to the sidelines as Venus prepared an attack against
a beautiful creature.
	It was tall and slim with smooth white skin
that seemed to glimmer and shine, even in the fading
light of dusk. Wavy black hair flowed down to the
ground like water. Its lips were full and the color
of blood. In its right hand, it held a mirror which
was small but beautifully ornamented.
	"Sailor Moon, you made it! Oh, thank
goodness!" said a familiar voice. I recognized the
small forms of Luna and Artemis hiding in a bush
nearby.
	"What are you two doing here?" I gasped.
"You could get hurt!"
	"I've been waiting for you," Luna responded.
"Listen to me...this youma is different. It's a--"
	"I don't have time to talk! You and Artemis
get to safety!" I called over my shoulder, running
towards the battle. She shouted something, but I
couldn't make out the words. I shrugged it off,
deeming it unimportant.
	Venus was attacking the youma head-on.
"Crescent Beam!"
	The youma didn't move to dodge the assault,
and I my brow furrowed as I gaped in confusion. Man,
these youma were getting stupider and stupider...it
didn't even look concerned!
	At the last moment, before the beam hit,
the youma held up its mirror. My eyes widened as
it reflected the attack and sent it hurdling back
toward the blond senshi. "Venus! Look out!"
	Thankfully, she was prepared, as though
she knew what was about to happen, and her crescent
beam flew to her left harmlessly. Venus gritted her
teeth, angered by the fruitlessness of her attack.
	The youma rose her mirror and pointed it
at Jupiter, who had safely moved Naru and was
preparing to power up. The glass of the youma's
mirror began to glow an eerie shade of blue.
	"Supreme Thun..."
	The mirror flashed brightly in Jupiter's
direction. The tall senshi screamed, covering her
eyes as she dropped to her knees.
	"Jupiter!!!" Venus and I cried together,
rushing towards her.
	"I can't...I can't see..." Jupiter gasped,
waving her hands in front of her face frantically.
"I can't see!!!"
	"Nani?!"
	"What happened?" cried Mars as she ran up
to us. Mercury was not far behind her, and she
immediately began running a scan on Jupiter.
	"That thing..." I managed to say in a shaky
tone, pointing a finger at the youma. "It...it
flashed its mirror at her..."
	"The blindness is not permanent..." Mercury
said, typing away. "It should wear off."
	"But we just lost a senshi for this battle,
and we may need her..." Venus growled. "The youma
can deflect any attack you send its way with that
mirror and shoot it right back at you. Be careful,
senshi."
	"Oh man..." Mars breathed, wide eyed.
	"What are we going to do?" I whimpered.
	"Let's think of a diversion," Mercury
suggested, calling upon her superior strategical
abilities. "I'll go on the other side of it and
attack. Its attention will be drawn to me. Sailor
Moon...you hit it with your tiara from behind. Aim
for the mirror. Destroying it will render the youma
helpless. Mars, Venus, you back her up."
	"Right!"
	We moved into position. Mercury pointed
and shouted at the youma, drawing its attention
away from the rest of us. The youma's mirror began
to glow, and my hands shook as I removed my tiara.
	"Shabon Spray!" The youma raised the mirror
toward Mercury, ready to reflect her attack.
	I saw my chance. "Moon Tiara Action!"
	As the tiara flew from my hands, the youma
spun around, and its glittering black eyes glared
at me venomously. Mercury's attack hit it from
behind, but it still stood firmly. The mirror raised
and flashed in my direction. I screamed in agony
as my eyes began to burn with a fury. Everything
in my visual scope faded to blinding white.
	"No! Sailor Moon! Duck!"
	"Nani? I can't...I can't see anything..."
	I was grabbed and forced to the ground as
something red hot tore through the side of my arm.
I screamed like I've never screamed before. Even
as I cried and screamed at the pain, I recognized
the feeling of Tuxedo Kamen's arms around me.
	"What hit me?!" I cried, writhing in pain,
searching around with unseeing eyes.
	"Your tiara," he muttered breathlessly.
"The youma sent it back at you."
	I gasped incredulously. My God...had he
not pushed me out of the way, I could have easily
been killed...
	I heard the sound of ripping fabric. "Hold
still," he ordered. I cried out in pain once more
as something tight was tied around my arm, just
above the wound. My arm was slick and wet with my
own blood.
	"What are you doing to her?!" Luna cried,
somewhere nearby.
	"I'm stopping the bleeding. Move away."
	"Now you listen here..."
	"MOVE AWAY!!!"
	I could almost see Luna's wide eyes, shocked
with the force of Tuxedo Kaman's words. More voices
sounded around me, and I began to whimper. "I can't
see...oh, God...it hurts..."
	Mercury screamed somewhere in the distance.
	"Mercury?!" I cried, grabbing what I thought
to be Tuxedo Kamen's cape. "What's happening?!"
	"Is she all right?" Mars asked, moving to
my side. I felt her hand on my forehead, pushing
some hair away from my blind eyes.
	"The cut on her arm isn't not too deep.
The bleeding should stop soon. We've got to get
her up...she's the only one who can fight this
thing," Tuxedo Kamen answered, his tone much
different from the one he used with Luna.
	"But she's blinded...how can she fight with
her tiara?"
	"Hai...and she might get hit with it again
if it's deflected..."
	Luna spoke up with an insistent, aggravated
voice. "I tried to tell Sailor Moon earlier, but she
wouldn't listen. She can't use the tiara against this
youma. It's a human."
	I gaped. "Nani?! A human? But..."
	"I'll explain later, Sailor Moon. You'll
have to use this." Something long and heavy was
placed in my palm.
	"What is it?" I managed. I was dizzy and
disoriented, but my sight was slowly returning. I
could see shadows, but little else. Venus cried
out an attack in the distance.
	"The Crescent Moon Wand," Luna answered.
"Its meant for the leader, and I've become convinced
that's you, Sailor Moon."
	"Me? Leader?" I breathed, teetering to one
side in my dizziness. Tuxedo Kamen's arms balanced
me and lifted me to my feet.
	"There's no time for this," he said hastily.
"I'll distract the youma and do whatever it takes to
keeps its attention away from her. Mars, when I give
the signal, tell Sailor Moon to attack. Understood?"
	"Hai...good luck." I felt his hands leave me,
and Mars quickly took over the job of keeping me on
my feet.
	"Listen to me, Sailor Moon," Luna spoke
firmly. "Are you paying attention?"
	"I'm trying..." I managed through my gritted
teeth. "It just hurts...so bad...I can barely focus..."
	"Just repeat after me...all right?"
	"All right..."
	"There's the signal from Tuxedo Kamen!"
Mars called, pointing my body a certain way, and
helping me to raise my arm. "Just point straight
ahead, Sailor Moon. I'll help you."
	"Say 'Moon Healing Activation'" Luna ordered.
"Now!"
	I gritted my teeth and shouted the words,
but I wasn't prepared for what happened.
	It started at my feet, moved up my legs,
my torso, and spread down to my fingers. It was
warm and pulsating...a feeling of complete subjugation,
and it overtook me quickly.
	I felt...strong.
	My vision flickered into focus, and I saw
the youma before me, venomously attacking Sailor
Venus and Tuxedo Kamen, driving them back with
their own attacks. Pulling my arm away from Mars'
grasp, I swung the wand around my body, tracing a
large circle in the air. A blinding light flashed
above me, and the sky glittered with a multitude
of powerful energy. The youma turned around in shock,
and Venus knocked the mirror from her hands with a
strong kick.
	The light overtook the youma, and an unearthly
scream sounded through the trees. The scream became
human, and the beautiful form of the youma disappeared,
leaving a normal teenage girl in its place. She
collapsed to the ground in an exhausted state of
unconsciousness. By her side was a sparkling blue
crystal. Tuxedo Kamen picked it up and placed it
in his pocket, his storm-filled eyes meeting mine.
I frowned deeply in his direction.
	
	The senshi, including the recovered Mercury
and Jupiter, looked at me in awe. I was practically
glowing with energy as I lowered the wand.
	"Sailor Moon..."
	"You did it..."
	But soon the light faded and reality hit.
The wand slipped from my fingers as the pain from
the injury on my arm returned with a fury. I stumbled
and let out a cry.
	"Hey...are you okay?" Mars asked, arms flying
to steady me.
	I couldn't hear her...all I knew was pain.
Overcome with dizziness, my ears plugged up, and
the world began spinning wildly on its axis. I
sank to the ground and felt two arms grab me.
	The last thing I saw was Tuxedo Kamen's
alarmed eyes searching my own.

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http://www.geocities.com/moonlit_eclipse/

Ja ne!
Aimee-chan >^..^<
sailor_moon89@hotmail.com

    Source: geocities.com/im_a_good_girl_uk_2000