Chapter 2

Be prepared senshi, lord chaos is free!

Night had already fallen upon the city, and thousands of stars in the midnight skies encircled the glowing crescent moon. Far below the moon and the stars, the city lights burned brightly through the waning hours of the day.

The crowd had already gathered atop the enormous private gallery of prominent art collector Toru Furuya. Rumours abounded that he had acquired something truly incredible to go into his collection, and that he had called a gala event to christen the artifact's arrival.

The elevator finally jolted to a stop on the second highest floor of the skyscraper, the doors opening to reveal an elaborate reception full of the city's ritzy clientelle.

She seemed to step through the doorway with incredible grace and elegance, her wavy, aquamarine hair dancing around her face. Then again, that was simply the way she was.

A number of men around her in the front lobby blushed, gawking. "Oh! Kaio Michiru-san!" they exclaimed, not watching where they were going and practically falling over each other.

Michiru glanced back at the elevator. "Are you coming, Haruka?" she inquired. "The doors are going to close soon."

With a resigned sigh, Haruka stepped out into the front lobby. As usual she was dressed to fit her more masculine personality. In other words, Haruka had on a tuxedo. Haruka seemed uncomfortable here; this was not her usual crowd or her preferred settings. Granted Haruka was rough around the edges, but that's what Michiru liked about her.

"Good evening," a set of attendants said at the doors of the gallery. They handed the two of them a set of small red wards with kanji scrawled down the one side.

"Good luck charms?" Haruka said, cocking an eyebrow. "What the hell are we supposed to do with these?"

Michiru smiled. "It's all a part of the event, Haruka. All a part of his newest acquisition, I bet. You know how Toru-san loves to pander to the public eye."

Haruka still seemed unimpressed. "I'd rather be behind the wheel of our convertible."

She couldn't help but smile at Haruka's attitude. She knew that the only reason Haruka was here was because of her own passion for the art world.

Haruka shrugged, sticking her hands back into the jacket pockets of her tuxedo. "On the other hand, at least this time no one's busy flocking to you for autographs."

"Or to you, Haruka," she chuckled. "They might find it a little strange if the top 'male' race car driver appeared at a private gallery exhibition."

Haruka paused, eyebrow twitching.

"Gotcha," Michiru said, laughing as she walked past. She paused as she saw a familiar face push through the crowd to approach her.

He was a man in his mid-forties. Slicked-back, black hair glistened from the ceiling lights. "Michiru," their host said, adjusting his glasses. "I'm pleased you were able to come here."

"It was an honour to be invited, Toru-san," Michiru replied, showing the perfect amount of respect to him.

"It's indeed wonderful to see you again!" Toru said, bowing to her. "I still have your two paintings here in my private gallery. Oh, and is this your date?"

"Tenou Haruka," Haruka stated, almost too hostile for Michiru's tastes.

"You don't have to be that overprotective of me," she scolded Haruka when Toru left to mingle. "I can take care of myself better than you in this crowd."

"Ara," Haruka conceded. "Gomen, Michiru. I'll try to be more pleasant for the rest of the evening."

Abruptly the tour of the gallery began, with Toru himself acting as the guide. Every last item was stopped at for a brief historical background, the entire tour on the first floor taking a good part of the hour.

"Thank god his newest toy's on this floor and not the one above," Haruka sighed. "We'd still have another two hours of this to endure."

"Now now," Michiru said. "Let him parade around for the moment. This is his party, after all."

She looked ahead through the crowd to see the latest artifact of Toru's hidden beneath a special cloth draped over its pedestal. The crowd pressed as close as they could to the roped-off area without going over.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Toru exclaimed in a loud voice. "Here sits the latest item to my private gallery, and the reason you're all here tonight. And now I present to you: the Pandora Box!"

A number of flashbulbs exploded across the gallery, and Michiru winced at their brightness. Her eyes widened at the beauty of the artifact.

The chest seemed to be made from a material almost resembling a diamond, no larger than a girl's jewellry box. The frame was lined with gold, and even from her distance she could read strange, black runes inscribed upon the curved lid of the box. What seemed to act as a lock for the chest was a large, smooth sapphire.

Toru began his speech: "Rumour has it that there were seven of these when first discovered at the turn of the century. The others have disappeared since that time. Yet there is one box which gained an illustrious history as it was handed down. Legend holds that this mysterious box holds with it a curse that befalls all its owners!"

The audience laughed as he ambitiously catered to their superstitions. A number applauded the performance.

"Yare yare," Haruka sighed. "He really is hamming it up."

"You would think he does this every day for a guided tour," Michiru remarked, amused by his antics yet unimpressed none the less.

Toru Furuya carried on regardless of their critiques. "It was there when Tutankhamen's curse claimed over 23 victims. It was there when the Titanic sunk, and somehow managed to float to the ocean's surface. It was there when the Hindenburg crashed in a ball of fire--and yet it survived, untouched by the flames. It has survived explosions, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and hurricanes."

The entire crowd Ooohhed and Awwwwed his performance, getting as enthused as Toru was in his own dialogue.

"So that's his Pandora's Box," Michiru said. "Cute title, but I hardly think an evil curse is to blame. People find it so convenient to blame fate rather than themselves."

"You know how it is," Haruka replied, stretching her arms out behind her head. "It's all hype these days. I doubt if that rusted old bucket's been around for a hundred years let alone centuries more."

"And now," he concluded. "The chest's final destination is here in Tokyo, Japan, to be a permanent part of my private gallery. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoy this gala event...and I trust you'll be using your good luck charms to ward off the evil spirits inside."

And with that, his grand presentation ended. The voice levels in the gallery picked up as the crowd dispersed, many to admire the Pandora Box. Already a number of guests were placing their good luck charms on the special displays around the artifact.

Her curiosity piqued about the box, Michiru managed to snag Toru before anyone else could. Although she seemed less than enthused about meeting Toru again, Haruka at least seemed interested about the box as well.

"That's an impressive find," Michiru said. "Where did you manage to find it?"

Toru grinned. "Oh, I have my little secrets. Just as I'm sure you're not about to tell me how you managed to get that antique Stradavarius violin."

"Do you know what's inside the box?" Haruka asked.

Toru shrugged, a little embarrassed. "To be honest we don't know. No one's been able to crack the lip open, and I don't want to damage that sapphire on the front. Maybe if I can find one of the other six I'll see what my lab techs can do."

Suddenly the entire room began to tremble and shake. Chandeliers rattled as the guests tried to keep themselves from falling over.

"Earthquake?" Haruka said, trying to keep her own balance.

"What bad luck," Toru muttered, teetering. "That had better not be the box."

"Coincidence seems to be the real villain," Michiru answered, seemingly unaffected by the shaking floor. "It's only a tremor; we can easily wait it out."

Haruka's gaze focused on the Pandora Box, which was rocking back and forth on its pedestal. And then it toppled over, falling to the hard marble floor.

"Look out!" Haruka exclaimed, pushing the crowd aside. She made a frantic dive over the ropes. The Pandora Box was caught in her steady hands moments before it would have crashed. Haruka coughed as she landed belly-first onto the floor.

A round of cheers and applause went up for her efforts.

Haruka winced as she sat up; that fall really banged up her shoulder. "Shimatta," she muttered. Now it would be sore for the rest of the night.

She looked up as Michiru's shadow fell over her.

"I thought you didn't like this kind of art," Michiru teased.

Haruka brushed aside some of bangs of sandy blonde hair, clutching the box in her other hand. "Well, it does seem kind of a waste for a decent-looking box."

Michiru leaned over, touching Haruka's forehead with her index finger. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me, Haruka."

Haruka gave her a lop-sided grin. "Next time you do the fancy stunt, Michiru." She slowly stood up, appraising the box. "Well, it doesn't weight much considering."

And then with one fateful touch, Haruka's finger brushed against the polished surface of the sapphire lock. Suddenly the entire gallery was bathed in a deep blue light that lit up the entire floor of the skyscraper. The glow was visible all across the city.

A wave of cold air swept through the entire gallery as the lid of the chest suddenly popped open just a little. A river of thick, dark grey smoke poured out from the opening, flowing almost like water around the feet of the patrons.

"What the?" Haruka exclaimed.

She dropped the box as a series of electric blue lightening arcs streaked out from the open box, striking anything nearby. It was like looking at the formation of a storm from within the storm itself.

"You must have opened it when you touched the gemstone," Michiru said.

"Does that make it my fault?" Haruka inquired with a wry grin. "I thought you and your mirror would have picked something like this up beforehand."

Michiru chuckled, rising to the challenge. "Ask me that in the aftermath, Haruka."

They both took a defensive stance, waiting for whatever had been unleashed to show itself. And then nothing. Whatever was supposed to happen didn't. The cold air faded, the grey mists disappeared, and the crackling lights abruptly vanished.

"Was that it?" Haruka said. "More of the same hype?"

She looked around the gallery. Something else was here even if they couldn't see it. This was just its way of making a grand entrance.

"Greetings!" a voice called out. It was dark and smooth, quite alluring yet hinting to something just beyond the edge of friendliness.

Everyone looked around, bewildered. No one could find the person to go with the voice.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" the voice exclaimed. "Up here, you idiots!"

Michiru and Haruka had already located the source, looking up at the ceiling. There, hovering in midair as if he was sitting in a chair, was their party-crasher.

He was dressed in a black Chinese-style vest overtop a billowing white shirt. Equally black Chinese-style pants finished the ensemble. Long silver hair shone in the light, the ends dancing just past his shoulders. His dark emerald green eyes scanned the crowds with rapt amusement.

But what caught Michiru's attention were his ears: they were sloped back if not pointed at the end. Almost like...and Elven's ears.

The stranger extended his hands as if to present himself. "And then Chaos said 'Let there be me.' And there was. And it was...very good."

"N-na ni?" Haruka exclaimed, stepping forward.

"Don't transform yet," Michiru cautioned, placing a restraining hand on Haruka's shoulder. There was still a large crowd all around them; not the place to reveal their identities as Sailor Senshi.

The stranger grinned, flipping backwards and landing perfectly on the marble floor. "Well then," he said. "I suppose someone in this room is a master of the ancient magics, or else I wouldn't be here right about now."

"Wh-who are you?" Toru said, his eyes wide and mouth agape in shock.

The young man gave a gleefully dark smile to the audience. "Allow me to introduce myself," he said, making a slight bow in the process. "Call me Chaos. Lord Chaos, last of the Elven Playkings."

"P-Pandora's Box!" one man in the crowd exclaimed. "The legends are true!"

"There really is a demon!" a woman cried out.

Chaos gave the crowd a curious glance, and then dismissed their presence altogether. "Well, at least I'm a rather handsome demon, though I must admit that remark really hurts."

His gaze stopped right at Michiru. Unhurriedly, he walked over to her and bowed. "Ah, and you must be the pretty lady who released me. Tell me your name, fair maiden, that I might carve it across this city as a token of my thanks."

He took her hand in his, leaning forward to kiss it.

Michiru's eyes widened in surprise. What kind of a demon was this?

"Hey!" Haruka snapped, slapping away his arm. "Stay away from Michiru!"

Chaos simply glanced at her, rubbing his sore hand. "Oh, my mistake. It appears you already have a boyfriend, Michiru. And one who gets easily jealous, no less."

That seemed to make Haruka fume even more. But somehow she managed to keep from launching herself at Chaos, instead clenching a tight fist in silent fury.

Chaos sighed, walking around the gallery. Abruptly he came to a column. Raising one leg he placed his foot onto the column, and then hoisted himself up into the air so that the column now became his own floor.

"Impressive ne?" he inquired, completely perpendicular to his audience.

"He's even more of a showoff than Toru," Haruka said.

"I would agree, Haruka," Michiru said, looking at Chaos. "What do you want?" she demanded evenly. His disposition wasn't like the usual hostile forces they had encountered before.

Chaos tumbled through the air, landing back onto the floor. "I can feel in you both an incredible aura," he said. "Not like these other petty humans. All I get from them is fear and unflattering remarks. But you two: you hold the ancient magics I've so longed to challenge. Tell me, do you enjoy playing games?"

"Is that an offer?" she inquired.

Chaos laughed. "Indeed," he agreed. "This is an offer you cannot refuse. Summon: Chaos Magic!"

He raised a hand over his head, fingers splayed. A crystal sphere flickered to life in his palm before exploding into a flash of bright light. Haruka and Michiru shielded their eyes from the blast.

When the light died down, they were presented with a new surprise: the entire gallery save for them and Chaos was deserted. All the artifacts were in place, all the lights left on, but the crowds had vanished without a trace.

"What is this?" Haruka exclaimed. "Where is everyone?"

"They've been placed in an alternate dimension for the time being," Chaos' voice stated.

The two Senshi spun around to find Chaos seated in the middle of the staircase leading up to the next floor of the gallery. In his palm he was twirling three small crystal orbs.

"Let me introduce you to my spheres of illusion," he said. "Consider this a practice round before the real games begin."

Haruka pulled out her Space Sword from its dimensional pocket. "I've heard enough of him. Space Sword Blaster!"

Chaos leaped into the air as a series of fireballs carved gouges into the staircases. Without missing a step he bounded off of the gallery's structure. "Close but not quite, I'm afraid. You're a little too slow for me, Haruka."

He landed next to a headless, armless sculpture. Taking one look at the statue, he winced. "Reminds me of my last date," he remarked, flicking the base of the neck with his finger.

Suddenly his vision became blinded by another volley of Haruka's fireballs. Dark green eyes widened as the pack swarmed around him and then struck. His scream echoed across the rooftop as his the inferno scoop his feet off the ground and sent him careening into the windows.

The glass shattered on impact, a hole burned through the surrounding framework as the fireball that was the Elven lord plummeted over the edge to the streets below.

"I think you did overdo things just a little," Michiru remarked after a moment of silence. "Now we'll never know what he was here for."

Haruka lowered the Space Sword. "He had it coming. His cockiness left for a lot of openings."

Michiru sighed. "We should leave before someone has a question or two for us to answer."

They were about to turn and depart when a glowing light began to overtake the floor. Haruka whirled, protectively moving between Michiru and the light. "Not again!" she hissed.

The light died out abruptly, just like a fireball that had reached its peak and then faded.

"Perhaps that boy just hit the streets below," Michiru suggested. As callous as it sounded, she had to admit to herself that she didn't feel all that much pity for him.

Slowly, hesitantly, Haruka eased up the grip on the Space Sword. Until the distinct sound of footsteps reached their ears.

As if suddenly walking out from the shadows, Chaos's body slowly emerged from behind a wall of lost vision. He showed no signs of being wounded from the attack, but his playful composure showed signs of wearing thin.

"That...really...hurt," he said icily, eyes narrowing at them. "I tried to be civil about this."

"The hell you say," Haruka snapped, levelling the Space Sword with his head.

"Perhaps this will catch your attention a little better," he said with a dark smile, revealing another crystal in his palm. "Summon Chaos Magik!"

Suddenly out from the Elven lord's crystal emerged the ghostly wraith of a serpent, unleashing a bellow that rattled the entire rooftop. Narrowed eyes fell upon Haruka's form and then the beast pounced, coiling around her body.

"How do you like that little trick?" he cackled.

"Michiru, are you just waiting for the perfect moment or are you just letting he have the spotlight?" Haruka asked, keeping the serpent's jaws as far away from her head as possible with the space sword.

"If you insist," Michiru replied, removing her aqua mirror from its dimensional pocket and aiming the reflective surface at the serpent. "Deep Submerge!"

A beam of white light exploded from the mirror, striking the crystal in Chaos hand. The orb shattered into pieces, the serpent in turn dissipating and becoming a fury of pink cherry blossoms that were scattered by the winds.

"Ow!" Chaos exclaimed, feigning indignancy as he clutched his wounded hand. "That hurt, Michiru-chan!"

Michiru shook her head at him, attending to Haruka. "That was only an illusion controlled by his crystals," she said.

Haruka rubbed the base of her neck. "Well that seemed pretty damned real to me." She turned her attention back to Chaos.

"Impressive," he remarked, shaking out his hand. "I didn't think you had the power to torch me, or break one of my illusions. You are skilled after all!"

Michiru produced her transformation stick. "On your mark Haruka."

Haruka nodded, grasping her own stick. "Uranus Star Power: Make Up!"

"Neptune Star Power: Make Up!"

Both were swallowed up by their aura of magic as they transformed into Sailors Uranus and Neptune.

"Enchanted by the new age, I am Sailor Uranus, acting gorgeous." And with that, Haruka struck a pose.

"Also enchanted by the new age, I am Sailor Neptune, acting gorgeous," Michiru added, striking her own pose.

A surprised Chaos simply stood there, blinking. "Sugoi!" he said finally. "And now you've changed into something far more nautical but nice. I don't know if it's art, but I like it!"

Haruka rolled her eyes. "How about we finish him off now and put us out of his misery?" she asked. "WORLD SHAKING!"

Michiru nodded. "DEEP SUBMERGE!"

Both attacks smashed through the gallery, each one hunting down Chaos. He launched a counter illusion that managed to stop dead Haruka's World Shaking attack. But the Deep Submerge attack made it through, the ringes shpere driving Chaos up into the ceiling with tidal wave force.

The attack dispersed, small droplets of water raining down. For a moment the sounds of the falling water was all that anyone could hear. Chaos was still up in the corner of the ceiling as if hung there like an ornament.

Soaked silver hair sparkled in the light. Slowly his emerald green eyes opened, and focused on them.

"He took your attack rather well, Michiru," Haruka remarked.

And then Chaos began to laugh.

"I don't think that's stopped him any," Michiru countered.

Chaos dropped down from the ceiling, his one sleeve cut open. Trickles of blood ran down his arm. "Damn you're good!" he exclaimed. "You're both very very good! But you're still not having any fun!"

A mandala of sphere of illusions appeared around his floating form. Chaos reached up and plucked the one over his head. With one savage act he smashed the crystal into the floor. The entire gallery was lost in a flash of light, and then he was gone.

Only the two of them remained, but now Chaos had reverted them back to their formal attire. And the gallery showed no signs of ever having been in a battle.

"Chikusho," Haruka swore. "He ran out."

"He did say this was just a practice round," Michiru said. "Perhaps he was only testing the extent of our powers. But I doubt he's gone for good."

Haruka rolled her eyes. "We could only hope."

Michiru knelt down and picked up the battered remains of the Pandora Box. "Maybe Toru was right after all about a demon being held inside this so-called Pandora's Box. We need to find more about the origins of this chest first."

Haruka glanced around the deserted gallery. "I wonder when Chaos will have Toru and the others reappear?"

As if on cue the rest of the crowd attending the gala reappared, everyone suddenly trying to catch their balance. The pedestal toppled over, nearly catching Michiru.

She neatly avoided the pedestal, clutching the Pandora Box. That caught Toru's attention.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, racing towards the empty Pandora Box. "It opened! I never thought a mere tremor could do something like that!"

As everyone curiously peered into the once occupied chest, Haruka and Michiru used the opportunity to slip out of the gallery. The elevator ride back to the main floor seemed to be stretched out as they discussed the situation.

"Do you think he can control time?" Haruka asked quietly.

Michiru shook her head. "I don't think so. But if his illusions are powerful enough to create dragons and then repair that gallery, he could have easily trapped them in a dimension without time."

"And then give them false memories to forget he had ever appeared," Haruka finished. "That doesn't leave any of us with answering a lot of questions...and keeping us free to play his games."

Michiru gave an enigmatic smile. "Devious, ne?"

A few minutes later found the valet pulling up with Haruka's yellow convertible. "What now?" Haruka asked, hopping over the door into the driver's seat.

Michiru shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm willing to bet that my mirror never sensed Chaos before because he was trapped in the Pandora Box, sleeping."

"That doesn't necessarily mean he's invisible to us now," Haruka pointed out, starting up the car.

Michiru frowned. "That's not what bothering me."

"Hm?"

They pulled out from the portico and turned onto the streets of Tokyo.

Michiru looked up at the skies. "During the tour Toru was saying how there might have been seven of these Pandora Boxes. If each one contained someone or something like Chaos--"

"That leaves six boxes unaccounted for," Haruka cut in. "Shimatta. Well, at least only people who have powers like us can open the boxes. That's to our advantage."

"Chaos' Pandora Box instictively seemed to find you, Haruka," Michiru countered. "What if all the other boxes are the same way?"

The rest of their drive home was spent in grim silence. A new threat had arisen--and for once neither of them had any idea what to make of it. Was this a mere child's game played out with dangerous powers, or was Chaos bent on something far more sinister than just a mere 'game'?

* * *

Far across the city, Lord Chaos crouched low on the edge of a skyscraper's rooftop. He stared out in fascination at the new sounds and sights he was being presented with.

"Three thousand years," he muttered. "Have I been asleep for that long?"

Well, he was groggy after being trapped inside that damned box for so long. Maybe that was why those women had managed to get some good attacks in. He winced, rubbing his left shoulder. That fireball blast from Uranus had in truth hurt him a lot. To think that powerful warriors still existed here!

While he and his Court wielded the longlost Elven "magik", there were still people who could wield the Earthen magic. That meant those like the ones who had sealed him off were still around.

"So where are the rest of you?" he murmured quietly. "Where has my Court gone to?"

And then he felt the pull of other magics not unlike his own. They were here amidst all this noise and all these glass castles.

"So this is where you've been hiding, my friends," he said, staring out at the brilliant night lights. "The other Pandora Boxes are here in this City of Lights. My Court is awaiting their release after all these centuries."

These female warriors, these Sailor Senshi: they would indeed prove to be most interesting players. If they were as powerful as they seemed in that first encounter, then there was no telling what fun he might have.

He grinned. "Yes, this just might prove to be an interesting new world after all. Let the games begin again."

With a dramatic pivot he turned and walked to the edge of the rooftop. It was only a glance he gave to the buzzing traffic far below. Emerald green eyes narrowed as he watched it all fall into place. The winds blew his long, silver hair around his face.

His laughter echoed across the city:

"Everybody have fun."

It was rapidly approaching the midnight hour, and the moonlight was bathing the city of Tokyo in a warm glow. This glow caught the flickering shadows as Lord Chaos leaped from rooftop to rooftop, following his senses.

"Closer now," he said to himself.

He could feel the aura of another of his court very near. But what would a Pandora Box be doing here in this neighborhood of small houses? Already the tall glass towers were in the distance. Now he was into the suburbs.

Finally he came to a stop, perched on the tip of a fence. The wind tugged at long, silver hair as he looked at the house standing before him.

"So, Rampage, this is where you've been hiding," he remarked, springing into the air. He hovered around the house, searching for the right room to enter. And then he found it on the second floor.

It took but a moment for him to pass through the window, flickering in and out of existance in moments. He quietly touched down onto the floor.

"Where is it?" he muttered, scanning the room. Even though most of it was cloaked in dim shadows, his Elven eyes gave him vision like a cat.

He glanced down at the bed as a girl stirred beneath the covers. A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he saw the 'bunny rabbit & moon' pattern on the blankets.

"Cute rabbit motif," he remarked, shaking his head. He paused when he saw the girl sleeping beneath the covers. She had pushed the blanket off, and he noted first how her pajamas were in the same 'rabbit & moon' motif.

Her long blonde hair was done up in a rather strange fashion, with two large buns on either side of her head which turned into really long ponytails.

"Odango atama," he chuckled.

He moved to her desk, sifting through the mess of papers and books. There was a photograph there of the odango-haired blonde girl and a young dark-haired man who appeared to be her boyfriend. Added in the foreground was a little kid with a rabbit-style hairdo. The pink-haired child looked like the blonde girl.

Sisters, perhaps?

Chaos set down the picture and tried to locate the box again. It was definitely here in the bedroom, but he still couldn't find it. Something was interfering with his senses, as if there were two auras of magic here in the one room. And then his emerald green eyes found the Pandora Box.

"Shimatta," he sighed. "Someone's got a sick sense of humour to have sealed you up in this, Rampage."

There on the girl's dresser was the Pandora Box. Yet it wasn't the original box Rampage had been sealed in. That had been a beautiful chest; this one was a music box, complete with an etching of a dancer on the sapphire lock.

"Mamo-chan...."

Chaos glanced back at the girl and shook his head. "Humans," he remarked, walking over to the dresser and picking up the box. "Shall we?" he inquired to no one in particular.

He touched the sapphire on the lid.

Just as he had once been released, the opening of the Pandora Box brought with it a river of neon green smoke and myst that billowed out at his feet. The enchanted lanterns along the hallways flickered like candles in the wind. A low rumble moved along beneath their feet.

He ran his fingers along the place where the sapphire had once been, the mark of magik flickering on his hand. If anyone was to release Rampage, better that it was him personally. There was no telling how grouchy she would be.

Nothing seemed to happen beyond very faint rumbles and smoke. This was a minimal entrance being made. Rampage was the type not to make a grant entrance, but to make a stealthy one. It was simply the way she thought.

The blonde girl stirred, sitting up in her bed. Curiously Chaos glanced back at her; if she posed a real threat he could just erase her memory.

"Mmmmm...?" girl asked, rubbing her eyes. She was still half asleep.

"You're dreaming," Chaos said to her. "Go back to sleep."

"Hai," the girl answered, yawning and pulling at the covers. She paused as she saw the mists billowing out from the Pandora Box.

"What are you doing?"

He smiled. "Oh, I'm just here to reclaim my little pet."

Growls echoed at his back as hot, moist air blew against his hair. He never even turned around, but instead smiled. "Hello, Rampage, my baby," he said affectionately. "Did you miss me?"

Rampage growled approval, nuzzling his chest. His hand felt the smooth, curving spines that lined the middle of the demon beast's skull.

"That's your little pet?" the girl asked, surprised.

He nodded, stroking the top of Rampage's head. "Yes. Isn't she beautiful?"

He looked to the ghostly demon-beast that was Rampage. Glowing eyes in the dark stared back at him. "Daddy's going to play a new game. Would you like to tag along?"

Rampage seemed to smile, growling definite approval.

Maybe she was still waking up and thus not ready to tear a hole through something...anything. On the other hand Havoc would definitely be that energetic. It would be better if he tried to find Havoc next.

"I want you to find the rest of our Court," he said to Rampage. "Their prisons are here somewhere in this City of Lights. All you have to do is touch the gemstone lock."

Rampage nodded. She vanished moments later, though he could hear her low breaths move towards the window before growing silent.

Chaos turned to the odango-haired blonde girl and opened up his palm. There appeared a crystal orb. Lifting it to his lips he gave a delicate blow that sent the crystal floating towards her. She blinked in surprise when it touchedher nose and popped like a bubble.

"Nice to see you, odango-atama," Chaos said. "But first, what's your name?"

"U-Usagi-chan," the girl said.

"U...sa...gi?" he repeated, trying to keep in his laughter. The girl was named 'Rabbit'? Now the rabbit motif in her bedroom made perfect sense.

"Go back to sleep, and dream of your Mamo-chan." He took a set back into the shadows, merging with the darkness.

"Wait!" the girl exclaimed.

Chaos simply smiled and put his finger over his lips. "Shhhh."

And then he faded into the shadows and disappeared.

Usagi rubbed her eyes again, looking around the room. Nothing seemed to have been disturbed. Her mind was starting to clear up now.

"A dream?" she asked herself.

She stepped out of bed and walked over to the dresser. The music box still worked when she tried it. Had there really been a creature locked inside of it?

Usagi turned her head as the bedroom door opened a little, and a black cat with a crecent moon mark on her forehead walked into the room. The cat paused and stared up at Usagi.

"Usagi-chan, what is it?" the little cat asked.

Usagi held the music box in her hands, listening to the sweet melody. "I just had the strangest dream, Luna...."

* * *

Around 1:00 am. Every star seemed to shine in unison with the moon. Ami sighed, leaning on the balcony railing as she felt the cool night air flow past her. The past four hours had been devoted to studying.

She had needed to clear her head. It was just as well that she worked best at night, and with her mother away at a medical conference in Kyoto she was able to enjoy these late night study seesions. And even though it was late, the crisp night air was refreshing.

When she returned to her bedroom she'd have to get some sleep. After a few more minutes of watching the city of Tokyo and its nightlife, Ami returned to her bedroom.

There was a stack of books on her desks; loans from the library, all for her various research projects. They were her companions, and for a long time her only friends before she had met Usagi and the others.

One by one she closed the covers and set them aside in a neat stack on the top corner of her desk. She paused as she realized there was one more book to put away, one she never recalled seeing before.

"Hm? How'd you get here?" she asked, picking up the book.

It was an old leatherbound one, the cover nor spine displaying the name of the book. An enigma to say the least, and that intrigued her. She appraised the book and its sapphire seal. From the looks of it no one had even bothered trying to crack the gemstone to find out what the pages inside had to say.

She touched the leather surface. "Well, you're in good shape if you're as old as you seem," she said, placing the book back down on her desk.

And then she felt a strange urge to touch what appeared to be the lock on the book. For a moment her palm hovered over the sapphire. Finally she placed her hand atop the gemstone, unlocking the Pandora Box.

Suddenly the book exploded in a flash of light, the front cover lifting up in a gust of cool winds as pages were flipped in rapid succession. The last page to be flipped burned with crimson runes that marked the name of the Elven unleashed. For a split second Ami could have sworn the runes said "Mayhem".

Ami let out a cry as she tried to shield her eyes from the blast. Everything became lost and her last sensation was that of being hurled backwards into the air, consumed by the light.

When she awoke, she was laying in the streets out in front of her apartment. Slowly she rose from the sidewalk, trying to make sense of what had happened.

"A book," she whispered. The memories were coming together in a bizarre jigsaw puzzle fashion. A name in runes. A blue sapphire. The light.

She shivered as a cold gust of wind swept past her. She sat up, looking at the deserted street. Dust from the explosion of light was still settling.

"H-how did I get here?" she coughed.

Ami turned around as he heard footsteps echo across the deserted street. At first there was only the sound of footsteps. And then he appeared, walking out from nowhere. Wisps of grey mist flowed around his emerging form. His ponytail of dark, blue-black hair fluttered in the winds.

"How long have I been sealed?" he asked, his steel grey eyes focusing on her. He was dressed in strange vest and shirt beneath a flowing, black overcoat.

When she didn't respond he asked, "What year is this?"

"N-nineteen ninety-eight, Anno Domini," she answered.

The Elven seemed surprised. "Three thousand years," he remarked. "Give or take a few centuries. And here I look not a day over two thousand."

From her place, Ami bit her lip and gripped her transformation stick. She knew e could not be human--and that was not simply by his ears. He seemed to have something to do with that book.

"Don't act so innocent," Mayhem said. "I know you're the one who released me, and only someone who weilds magic can do that."

Ami said nothing, and only gripped her stick tighter.

Mayhem shook his head at her. "Baka." Suddenly he threw up his hand. "Summon magik!"

A wall of water punched through the street, erupting right in front of her. The heat and steam was almost too hot to handle. Ami leaped back as the wall of water came crashing down. She raised her transformation stick over her head. "Mercury Star Power: Make up!"

He watched calmly as she was enveloped in a cascade of water and bubbles before transforming into Sailor Mercury. Mayhem reacted even less when she confronted him, one warrior to another.

Ami pointed at him. "I will not allow you to destroy this beautiful city. In the name of the planet Mercury, I will punish you."

Mayhem looked unimpressed. "Ah, so we have Sailor Senshi even now?" he remarked, cracking his knuckles. "A chance to make sure I haven't lost my magik touch. Let's see how the humans of this age fare against the Elven powers."

Mayhem clenched his hands together, and abruptly water began spurting between his fingers. The geysers became thicker and more furious in their venting, as if he was gathering a storm in between his hands.

Ami took a step back, suddenly regretting that she had ever stepped forward. Now she was in a fight where she didn't know what to expect of her opponent.

Mayhem opened his hands, pushing for the attack: "Tidal Rage!"

A flashflood raged out from his palms, sweeping away the debris from the road. Ami stood her ground; this was not the time to run, or else she'd get caught up in the flood. Her mind was racing through her options.

If she tried her Aqua Rhapsody attack, then that would only punch a few holes in Mayhem's own attack and she would still be in high risk of getting hit. Her only option left was to stop the entire attack from touching her.

"SHINING AQUA ILLUSION!" she shouted, unleashing her own brand of magic. Mayhem's rampant flashflood was stopped, the raging waters turning into ice. Ami panted for breath, watching as the glacier finally slowed to a stop right at the tip of her foot.

That was almost too close for comfort.

Mayhem kicked at the frozen glacier. "Brilliant! That's not what I'd intended at all, but I like it none the less."

He turned to Ami, walking towards her. She felt her body tense; there was one other attack she could use on him, but she had to wait until he did something else. Judging by his attitude, that had not been Mayhem's best attack.

"That's the first time anyone's ever frozen my attack. Tried to dodge, yes. Tried to counter-attacked, yes. But never stopped my Tidal Rage in midstream--if you'll pardon the pun."

"Mayhem!" a new voice shouted.

Ami whirled and saw another newcomer. There in the middle of the road, not caring that there might be traffic, was a young man dressed in strange ancient Chinese-style garments. His long silver hair shimmered in the pale moonlight.

It was Lord Chaos.

"What the?" Chaos sighed upon seeing her. "Not another one!"

He pushed off the ground, coasting through the air past her. Chaos landed right in front of Mayhem. They stared at each other without speaking for a few more moments, and then broke up laughing.

"Damn good to see ya, Chaos," Mayhem said, giving Chaos a friendly slap on the back.

"Likewise, Mayhem. You know, it's the strangest thing: both you and Rampage were in Pandora Boxes that had changed form. She was in a music box, and now you're in some old book in the library."

Mayhem tugged at the edges of his jacket. "Magik does change over time," he answered simply. "I'm willing to bet half the Pandora Boxes have already changed form. If given enough time, your box might have changed too."

Chaos cracked his knuckles. "I am the most powerful, and the most handsome one of us."

Mayhem stifled a laugh. "Keep dreaming. So where's Rampage now? I notice your little pet's not currently with you."

Chaos grinned. "Oh, I sent her on a little errand. We still have to find the rest of our court, you know. But you should see the powers we do have." He knelt down next to the yellow line on the road. "Check this out, Mayhem."

He simply touched the line with his finger, and suddenly the entire road erupted into small pieces of flying asphalt. Blue smoke vented out from the cracks. The attack curved and tore apart a lightpole before smashing into a parked car. The car was lifted into the air before it came crashing back down and exploded into a red fireball.

"I say damn, what a rush!" Chaos exclaimed, the crimson hues dancing off his face.

Mayhem rolled his eyes. "Showoff."

Ami shook her head, uncertain of what to think. For the time being they were both ignoring her, like old friends not having seen each other in...millennia? But regardless of who they were, she couldn't simply stand aside and let them ruin Tokyo.

For years she had helped defend not only this city but Earth from destructive forces like them. All her friends and family were here, and she was ready to fight for them even if her asset was her mind and not her fists.

And then she realized Mayhem was watching her once more. "May I?" he inquired to Chaos.

Chaos gestured to Ami. "Be my guest. I've already had to deal with a few of them already."

Mayhem started advancing towards her. "A fellow aqua-mancer," he said. "Impressive, Lady Mercury. But I fear your powers are a slight on the amateur side."

"Watch yourself, Mayhem," Chaos cautioned from the sidelines. He in fact was standing atop one of the lightpoles linging the street. "You know the rules of playing first games."

Mayhem nodded. "You doubt my memory? I'm hurt, Chaos. Really I am." His eyes narrowed upon returning to Ami. "Let's see how powerful your magic really is, Mercury."

He raised his hand, a large sphere of churning water taking form in his palm. "Summon Leviathans!"

Ami stepped back, eyes wide as his rampant geysers molded themselves into...something. Foam and waves rippled across the ground, snaking their way through the air, the ends of the watery tendrils taking shape into a vicious, snarling faces. These were the faces of his leviathans.

With a startled cry Ami threw herself aside as the leviathans pounced. The attack cascaded down in a raging torrent of leviathans, torn the shreds as they feasted on its flesh. With one final eruption the leviathans fell upon themselves and became a massive geyser that quickly petered out, leaving a gentle rainfall over the entire chamber of stairways.

Ami found herself trembling as she stared at the gaping hole in the road not two steps away from where she now laid. Slowly she got to her feet, the rainfall of Mayhem's attack glistening off her hair.

"You missed on purpose," Chaos remarked, dropping back onto the road.

Mayhem nodded, shaking out his wet hand. "She would have been killed instantly with that attack. You've seen how my leviathans will tear anything apart."

He flicked his ponytail off his shoulder. "Besides, she's too cute to be killed. I'd never forgive myself. She was smart enough to know that my Tidal Rage could only be countered by being frozen. That's the first time anyone was intelligent enough to do that."

"Sounds like you've already selected your primary player for your games," Chaos said, hurling another crystal into the air. With a flash of light the illusion sealed the road back up.

Mayhem nodded. "Hai. She'll be fun to test."

Ami couldn't believe what she was hearing. Games? A test? What was going on? And then Ami realized she didn't know. All she did know was that Tokyo was in danger at the hands of these powerful new adversaries.

Chaos and Mayhem turned to leave.

"Wait!" she called after them. "Who are you?"

Mayhem flashed her an enigmatic smile. "Lords Chaos and Mayhem at your service, Milady. I trust we'll be seeing your impressive genius in the future."

She paused, feeling a little awkward. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Chaos and Mayhem had already disappeared from sight. Both Elven had vanished as quickly as they had appeared.

Alone on the street, she stood for a long time and watched the last place she had seen the two Elven. "Lords Chaos and Mayhem," she whispered.

She had better contact the other Senshi; something big was about to happen in Tokyo.

* * *

They stared out the expansive skies. From atop one of the tall apartment buildings they could see most of the downtown core and surrounding districts. To some the view would have been inspiring, perhaps even romantic.

But to them, this was surveying the new playing fields.

"So who of us are still left inside the boxes?" Mayhem inquired.

Chaos kept watching the City of Lights. "Riot and Ruckus, Havoc, Hysteria, and finally Carnage."

Mayhem stiffened at that last name. "Are you sure about Carnage?" he asked cautiously. "You know how much she wants your position--not to mention your hide."

Chaos waved it aside. "Think nothing of it, Mayhem. Carnage isn't that much of a problem."

Mayhem crossed his arms over his chest, still skeptical. "If I can recall correctly, the last time you two fought she had pulled Haley's Comet out from its orbit and tried to crush you and everything else along with it. And you don't find that the least bit disturbing?"

Chaos laughed. "Oh that? Come on, Mayhem! That's just sibling rivalry!"

"She's not your blood relative, Chaos."

"Yeah, but she is like the conniving, sadistic little sister I always wanted!"

Mayhem sighed, giving up. "Baka. Okay, who do we want to go unleash first?"

Chaos' eyes narrowed, locating the area. "Hysteria. She's the closest one to us."

Mayhem nodded. "Do you want to split up? It'll make assembling the Court go a lot faster."

"Knowing Hysteria," Chaos countered. "it's better we go together. Or do I have to remind you of her infamous temper tantrums?"

Mayhem shook his head. "Personally, I think those ancient Sailor Senshi did us a favor when they sealed her off. So where is she anyways?"

"A Shinto temple," he answered. "That's where Hysteria's Pandora Box now resides."

The two Elven warriors leaped off the apartment tower, falling to the ground far below. From there they could easily make their way to the next member of their court.

It was 2:00 am at the Fire River Temple. The surrounding trees were full of lush green leaves that rustled in the cool evening breeze. This, she reflected, was the perfect time to be sweeping the cobblestone pathways surrounding the Shinto grounds.

For a moment she leaned on her broom, staring contentedly at the towering torii standing at the entrance. Atop the gateway, two ravens perched and surveyed the entire temple grounds.

She sighed.

Better to let Phobos and Deimos go where they pleased. Besides the ravens only seemed to come around now when it was feeding time. If she didn't know any better, she might think they were jealous of her spending time with all her human friends.

She found it enjoyably peaceful as she made her way across the temple grounds. The only place she paused was before her temple's sacred tree. An enormous trunk with small good luck wishes and charms were wrapped around is base, the tree had seen its fair share of the world.

Rei sighed, placing a hand on the bark.

A few years ago the demon that had emerged from its hiding place within this tree marked the beginning of the Deathbusters threat. If it hadn't been for the efforts of the other Senshi, her pure heart would have been stolen.

"Better not to think of that," she said quietly.

Running a hand through her tresses of long dark hair, Rei decided to call it a night. She adjourned to her room and slid the shoji shut behind her. Taking a quick glance around the room she began to shed her robes.

With any luck grandfather would be sleeping...the old pervert. It was a wonder anyone ever came around with the antics he kept pulling.

Abruptly there was a light rapping at the door leading onto the porch. Startled, Rei quickly tried to cover up.

"H-hai!" she called out.

The screen opened, and there stood Yuichiro. "Um, Rei, could I talk to you about--"

Yuichiro froze midsentence as he realized that Rei had been in the middle of changing. Eyes widening almost to the point of bugging out, he dropped the small box that he had been holding.

"Um..."

Rei felt her cheeks growing warm and flushed. She glared at him and opened her mouth to scream.

Yuichiro awkwardly began waving to his left. "Um, I'll be over here."

As he desperately tried to slide the door shut as fast as he could, she lobbed a shoe at him. "Echi!" she exclaimed, suddenly finding the righteous anger in her voice.

She quickly got her shrine maiden robes back on and walked out onto the porch. Yuichiro was still cowering against the wall, fearful of getting any more of her wrath.

As much as she was still fuming about the unwitting intrusion she still had to giggle at how frightened he looked. Like a little, lost puppy.

"What is it?" she asked.

Still blushing, Yuichiro scratched the back of his head. "Um, someone at the shrine wanted to give this to us, but I don't really know what to do with it. I can't even open it."

"Are you that weak?' she sighed.

"It's not that!" Yuichiro protested. "This thing just won't budge."

He held out the object in question: it was a small chest the size of a jewellry box, with the appearance of a glittering diamond and a sapphire gemstone acting as a lock.

"Sugoi," she whispered.

Everything from the past few minutes was forgotten as she stared at it. This was so incredible, and to think someone had simply dropped it off.

"Did you get the name of who gave it?" she asked.

Yuichiro shook his head. "No. Just a couple who looked like they were really well off. In fact they seemed rather anxious to get rid of it."

She knelt down on the smooth wood floor, totally enamoured with this engimatic box. "Why would anyone want to get rid of such a beautiful thing?" she asked.

Yuichiro sat down next to her. "I don't know, Rei-chan. But if you want it, you can keep it. If you won't tell your grandfather then neither will I."

She smiled, surprised to find her heart beating a little faster in her chest. It had been a while since she had been with Yuichiro; all her time with her fellow Senshi had already taken a toll on her social ife.

Yet protecting the princess was an honour and a duty she would never even consider giving up for a normal life. Granted Usagi was a crybaby, and selfish at times, and she never seemed motivated for schoolwork--but Usagi had always been there for them whenever they needed her.

Maybe that was why, despite all their feuding, she knew deep down that her bond with Usagi was the strongest of all the other Sailor Senshi.

Her fingers touched something along the box's smooth surface. "Strange runes," she whispered, running her fingers down the foreign markings. They were unlike anything she had ever see before. She tried to take a closer look. They seemed almost familiar, like a distant dream she faintly recalled upon waking up.

"I think it's a warning of some kind," Yuichiro said, leaning over to appraise the box himself. "I mean, the last owners were rather anxious to hand it over for free."

A playful smile appeared on her face. "Maybe there's a ghost haunting it," she teased him. "And now its going to haunt you."

"I'm not afraid of any ghost!" Yuichio exclaimed indignantly, puffing out his chest. "I'm fearless!"

Abruptly a dark, haunting feeling washed over her body. A shiver was sent down her spine. "Wha...what is this eerie vibe?' she asked herself.

Her hand slid down the side of the chest, her palm meeting with the sapphire. The gemstone glowed, and with a sudden explosion of billowing mists the seal was broken. Rei dropped the box, recoiling as she watched it tumble off the porch and onto the cobblestone pathway.

"Na ni?" she exclaimed. "I thought you couldn't open it, Yuichiro!"

"I said I couldn't open it!" Yuichiro protested. "It's not my fault!"

"I never said it was your fault!"

"So then how'd you open it?"

"Baka! It just opened up by itself!"

"Why did it do that for you?"

"It just did!"

As they argued, more grey mist flowed out from then lid of the Pandora Box. Neon green electrical arcs reached out and touched whatever they could, some barely missing Rei.

She leaped back as one streak neatly burned a hole through one of the paper screens in the shoji. "Shimatta," Rei muttered. She couldn't transform here in front of Yuichiro. But it was looking more and more like she didn't have a choice.

Abruptly the mist was sucked back into the box, the entire cloud now going in reverse. The electrical arcs kept getting lower until they were circling only the chest itself. The lid was blow back, now completely opened.

"Here it comes," Yuichiro whispered.

She could hear the tenseness in his voice. Her entire body was tense for that matter; what sort of new enemy could this be? Usually they made their own appearances out of the blue.

A large bubble swelled out from the open box, floating up into the air. Its surface was like a blue pearl, and as it leisurely floated in their direction she could see her reflection on the bubble.

Suddenly the bubble popped, and its place was a young girl, arms and legs splayed out as if to surprise them. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth was in a broad smile. And her ears: they were pointed at the end like a....

"An Elf?" Rei whispered.

"Tadaaaa!" the girl exclaimed, dropping onto the ground. Her long aqua-green was done up in what resembled Usagi's "odangos", and yet her hair was still long enough to have two long braids at the end.

"Na...na ni?" Yuichiro asked, expecting something far worse than someone so cute.

"Ohaiyo gozaimasu!" the Elven girl exclaimed cheerfully. She tipped forward on her tiptoes, her rather tight, black Chinese dress leaning into their faces. "Hysteria's so glad to be here!"

"Hysteria?" Rei asked.

Hysteria happily nodded, finally opening her eyes. They were big and bright, their colour easily matching Hysteria's hair colour. Hysteria looked directly at Rei.

"Oooooooh!! Hysteria is happy to have been released by such a kawaii little girl! You like to play games with Hysteria, ne?"

Rei exchanged an uneasy glance with Yuichiro. "Games?"

Excitedly Hysteria bobbed her head. "Hai! Kawaii little games to play with Hysteria!"

Suddenly Hysteria was standing next to a gong that had appeared out of nowhere, ringing it once. A ripple of wind flowed past Rei, causing her to shiver. Suddenly her shrine maiden's kimono was gone, replaced with a large frilly dress that looked like it had comes straight out of a masquerade ball.

"What the hell?!" she exclaimed.

Her hand reached back to touch her hair, which was now done up a belle epoque. Hysteria had certainly gone all out on whatever this demented game was.

Yuichiro looked down at his own attire, which now consisted of a billowing white shirt beneath a brown leather vest. His hair was all back in a small ponytail and his face was cleancut. At the waistline of his tight black pants was a sheathed sabre.

Upon seeing him like that, Rei couldn't help but gawk at how he looked. "S-sugoi!" she whispered, managing to find her tongue again as she ran her hand down his vest and shirt.

Yuichiro backed away. "Um, Rei, are you alright?"

Hysteria applauded their appearances, now hovering back in the air. "Oooooh! You all look so cute, ne! Now we can play Hysteria's kawaii little game!"

Abruptly her cute demeanour changed. Hysteria glinted at the two of them and raised her clenched fists. In between each finger was a series of butterfly knives.

"Begin!" Hysteria shouted. She launched the knives all at once, their steel blades shining in the moonlight.

Rei grabbed Yuichiro's arm, pulling him off the porch. "Look out!"

They tumbled across the ground as the knives neatly sank into the building, making a trail behind them. Rei pulled Yuichiro aside as another series of knives nearly took off his head.

"Shimatta!: he snarled, leaping to his feet and charging towards Hysteria. His hands reached for his sabre.

"Yuichiro, what are you doing?" Rei shouted after him.

"I will not let you harm Rei-chan!" he exclaimed, brandishing his sword at Hysteria. "You'll have to fight me first!"

Hysteria clasped her hands together, totally enamoured. "Oh, you want to protect this kawaii girl! Hysteria loves it! How romantic, ne?"

Yuichiro glanced back at Rei. "Is she serious?"

Hysteria suddenly disappeared in a small shaft of neon green light. The entire Shinto shrine grounds became uneasily quiet save for the blowing winds and rustling leaves.

Rei spun around. "Where is she?"

Yuichiro tried to brandish his sabre in every direction. "I don't know!"

He froze, knees shaking and eyes wide as he felt Hysteria tap his shoulder from behind. Slowly he turned around to look her in the face. Hysteria's eyes were closed again as she stuck out her tongue.

"Ohaiyo!" she exclaimed.

Yuichiro freaked, leaping back and in the process throwing away his sabre.

"Yuichiro!" Rei exclaimed. "Run!"

"Hai!" Yuichiro shouted in panic, turning around and racing hellbent for anywhere. Seconds later there was a loud thud! as Yuichiro ran right into a tree. Rei's eyebrow twitched in seeing that the fearless Yuichiro had knocked himself out.

"Aw!" Hysteria lamented. "Why did he have to do that? Now it's just you and Hysteria to play Hysteria's game! You can protect that kawaii man from Hysteria! Very romantic, ne?"

Rei growled. "Will you just shut up?" She pulled out her protective wards, holding it up to her face. "Rin pyou tou sha kai jin retsu sai zen: Akuryou taisan!"

The wards ripple, becoming rigid and charged with magic. With a vicious swipe she launched a whole volley of the wards. Hysteria let out a startled cry, frantically swimming out of the way. She teleported again, reappearing atop one of the building roofs.

There were numerous cuts across her gown, one even right along the middle of her breasts, revealing part of her cleavage. A panicked Hysteria quickly covered her exposed chest with her hands.

"Wah! Echi little girl! Now Hysteria's gown is ruined!"

"That's the least of your problems right now," Rei shot back, gripping her transformation stick. "Mars Star Power: Make up!"

Hysteria watched with bright, wide eyes as Rei disappeared inside a ring fire magic and reemrged as Sailor mars. Then Hysteria clapped at the performance.

"Oooooh! You know magic?"

Rei didn't even bother answering. "MARS FLAME SNIPER!"

Hysteria teleported out of the way of the attack, reappearing at another rooftop behind Rei. "Hysteria doesn't like being abused like this!" she whined, stamping her feet. She glared at Rei. "You've upset kawaii little Hysteria! Witness Hysteria's kawaii ultimate technique!"

Rei braced herself, ready to summon her fire magic again. The way this girl seemed to fight, anything could happen.

"Kawaii Butterfly attack!"

Rei's eyebrow twitched. "B-butterfly attack?" she exclaimed in stunned disbelief. What could be so dangerous about a butterfly?

Hysteria flung her Kawaii Butterly attack.

Rei stood her ground watching as a horde of small gossamer butterflies flapped their way towards her. Half way to her the winged insects merged into one enormous butterly. It lifted its head to reveal bulging green eyes. Its mouth opened to display rows of deadly teeth, each one dripping with saliva.

The butterfly beast gave a howl and increased its speed, lunging for Rei. She barely had any time left to dodge the attack as the yoma smashed itself into the ground where she had last stood.

The explosion savagely threw Rei aside. She grimaced as she tumbled along the cobbleston courtyard, her bruised body trying to get itself to rise again. Her bangs clinging to her sweaty face, she glanced back at the ongoing butterfly attack.

Hysteria's attack had been the epicentre, now leaving a crater in the middle of the temple grounds. Out from the crater more magic expanded, carving deadly gouges through the cobblestone ground of the temple, reaching out even to the surrounding trees.

Rei's eyes widened in horror as she watched the sacred tree get torn apart, its entire body ripped to pieces. The good luck wards placed around the tree fell to the ground, severed and no longer of use. The upper part came crashing down, sending up a flight of panicked birds.

She felt as if her own heart had stopped beating, her stomach suddenly knotting up inside. "The sacred tree," she whispered, collapsing onto her knees.

No...

"Oops!" Hysteria giggled nervously. "Hysteria didn't mean to do that! Gomen nasai!"

Rei's eyes were covered in shadows and her bangs. Slowly she stood back up, an aura of fire exploding around her. The rage over losing the sacred tree was sending her out of control. More than anything now she wanted to see Hysteria destroyed.

"You...did this," Rei snarled. "You destroyed a beautiful tree. Yurusenai. YURUSENAI! MARS FLAME SNIPER!!"

Hysteria shrieked and dodged the streaking fire arrow. Suddenly two attending ravens dove from the skies above, letting out furious cries as they attacked Hysteria. Without much luck Hysteria tried to swat them away.

Rei's eyes narrowed. "Thank you," she whispered to her raven friends. This was the diversion she needed. The flaming bow appeared in her hand and she pulled back on an invisible string that made the barbed arrow appear.

"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"

The ravens flew away just in time.

Hysteria sighed. "Ah, Hysteria doesn't like the birds here!" She turned and saw the attack baring down upon her. "WAAAAAH!" she exclaimed, teleporting at the last second.

"Shimatta," Rei hissed.

As airheaded as this girl was, she was certainly quick.

Hysteria reappeared a few steps from Rei, holding the singed ends of her braids. "Waaaah!" Hysteria lamented. "You burned Hysteria's kawaii hair! Hysteria doesn't like this game anymore!"

And with that Hysteria floated into the air and began to leave the temple grounds.

"Hey!" Rei exclaimed, racing after Hysteria. "Come back here!"

Two more Flame Sniper attacks were sent after the fleeing Elven. Finally she gave up the chase, gasping to catch her breath as she watched a giggling Hysteria fly into Tokyo.

Rei turned back, and her heart sank as she looked at the tattered remains of the once beautiful sacred tree. How long had it been there, its beauty a part of the temple? And all that damned girl could do was destroy it.

She could feel herself seethe in fury.

"You'll pay for this," she growled, clenching her fist.

The next time they met, Hysteria would not be so lucky.

* * *

From atop the temple's torii, they watched the aftermath of the battle between Hysteria and Sailor Mars. Chaos was sitting on the edge, his one leg dangling over the side.

"Another victim of her 'kawaii killer butterfly' attack," he remarked. "Well, nice to see she hasn't changed, at least. It would appear that a Sailor Senshi already saved us the trouble of releasing her."

"Hai," Mayhem agreed, choosing to stand. "But I fear we've made a dark enemy of Sailor Mars. Hysteria shouldn't have used all her power in the attack."

Chaos nodded, his silver hair now tied back in a ponytail. "If you give me a moment, I'll go down there and repair the damage with an illusion."

"An illusion won't bring back the real tree," Mayhem pointed out.

Chaos pulled back his leg and stood. "True, but my illusion will enable to the tree to find strength and in time repair the damage on its own. You will go get Hysteria for me, won't you?"

Mayhem gave a noncommital, pouting frown.

Chaos sighed. "Yare yare. Come on, Mayhem. I can't believe she annoys you that much!"

"What do you expect?" Mayhem replied. "Hysteria's disturbingly cute, so naturally all her games are disturbingly cute too."

Chaos shrugged indifferently. "She may be young, and immature, and annoyingly cute, and likes to make our gatherings into tea parties, and has really dumb attacks, and...what point was I trying to make?"

Mayhem rolled his eyes. "Never mind. I just don't really see why you gave her a title of Mass Destruction in our Court in the first place."

Chaos grinned, giving Mayhem a playful punch in the shoulder. "Come on, Mayhem! You have to admit it's hilarious to watch her games...so long as you're not in them!"

"Baka," Mayhem retorted, disappearing to catch up with Hysteria.

Chaos grimaced as he looked back at Rei. "This will not be fun," he remarked sourly, leaping from the torii to the rooftops of the temple buildings. He could see her crouched near the debris of the sacred tree.

She looked as if she was crying.

"Excuse me," he called out.

Rei whirled, hot tears pouring down the sides of her face. "Who's there?" she shouted. "Show yourself!"

Chaos winced. "Sugoi, Hysteria. You really managed to piss her off." He dropped down onto ground. "Allow me to introduce myself: his lordship Chaos, at your service."

Rei stood, summoning another attack. "There's more of you?" she exclaimed angrily.

"Hold it!" he cut in. "I'm here to help, Sailor Mars. I saw what Hysteria did to your tree, and I'm here to clean up her mess."

Rei's anger died down. She could scarcely believe what he had said. "What?" she asked, uncertain if she had heard right.

Chaos hovered in the air, floating towards the tree. "This isn't the way we play our first games. Hysteria used too much of her power and thus destroyed your tree. You have my sincerest apologies, Sailor Mars."

Closing his eyes, he held out his hands. A shining crystal appeared hovering between his palms. Abruptly it shot towards the tree, engulfing it in a shaft of light. The light forced Rei to shield her eyes.

When it died down, Rei sucked in her breath.

"Masaka," she whispered.

The sacred tree was restored, back in its resting place as if the battle with Hysteria had never even happened. Unsure of whether she should thank Chaos or attack him, she turned to face the Elven lord.

"Is...is it healed?" she asked.

"Not quite," Chaos replied, shaking out his wrist. "My illusion has restored the tree's form, but internally the tree still has a lot of damage to heal on its own. So long as my illusion is intact, your tree can restore itself."

Rei was utterly confused by his gesture. "How long?"

Chaos shrugged. "A few months, maybe, before it's fully and healed. By that time the tree will simply discard my illusion since it's not needed anymore."

He jumped backwards, floating in the air again. "Well, I trust this hasn't put us on bad terms, Sailor Mars. But I should warn you that in our later games we are authorized to use this sort of power. Next time, be better prepared."

With a flick of his wrist Chaos produced another crystal orb and used it to make his grand exit.

Rei silently watched Chaos disappear. "Chaos," she muttered, repeating his name. So there was more than one Elven in the city of Tokyo. It appeared that there was a new threat to Earth again.

"I'll have to tell Usagi-chan and the others," she said.

There was a moan from Yuichiro; he was waking up now.

Rei walked over to him and made sure that he was alright.