It was as if all of a sudden everything became dark

CHAPTER 8: Results of a night

Asahi opened the door of his apartment and sighed. It was dark, but he didn't turn on the lights. He put the key of day on the table. At least that door was already closed. Something else he didn't have to worry about.

He lied on his bed. So much pain in his arm he felt. Warm blood ran through his arm and painted the white sheets with a crimson mark. Asahi closed his eyes. He wanted to rest now.

Suddenly someone knocked the door. It probably was Hoshi. His little sister was always so worried about him. But he didn't want to open the door and tell her every detail. Later on, probably next morning, he might do it, not now.

"Asahi, I know you're home" A female voice said.

Asahi blinked, he couldn't believe it. It was HER. He stood up and opened the door as fast as he could.

"Chiisai-sama" He said, breathless.

"No please, don't call me that way anymore. Call me by my real name" She said.

"Alright Getsuei-hime"

"No, just…" Her words were interrupted by Asahi's lament. He was holding his arm as a new wave of pain ran through it. He tried to show her he could resist. He wasn't weak, but that terrible hotness within his wound was something he couldn't control.

"You really need help." Getsuei said as she went seeking some bandages to blindfold his arm. After a few minutes, she could find them. Asahi was sat, awaiting her.

"I finish" Getsuei said when she finally terminate her halation.

"Why did you come?" Asahi asked.

"Hoshi asked me to…she knew you wouldn't let her enter so she ask me to come and see if you were fine…" Getsuei paused as Asahi's gaze looked her with crescent interest. "I don't know why should it be different if Hoshi or I come. Maybe because of our rank but I guess that's not enough…"

"You know that's not the real reason" Asahi interrupted, holding her hand inside his.

"Don't melt things" She said, freeing her hand. "You know my feelings about…"

"The hell with it!" Asahi said angrily. Getsuei looked at him sadly and left the apartment.

"Shimatta" Asahi muttered. Her pain was even worse for him than his own. If he could do something to make her happy, he would do something, anything…but he couldn't. Why didn't she realize that he loved her more than his own life? That he would kill the entire world for just one of her smiles?

* * *

The last thing Jedite remembered before the great emptiness was pleading with Queen Beryl for his life. He had just finished unsuccessfully battling Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Mercury when he was called back to the Dark Kingdom. Jedite was about to reveal the secret identities of the Sailor Senshi when an angry Beryl had imprisoned him in the horrid Eternal Sleep Crystal.

Over the thousand years that followed the Dark Kingdom's defeat at Queen Serenity's hands, Queen Beryl had killed time and boredom by imprisoning people who:

A: Failed her.

B: Pissed her off.

C: Were becoming too powerful for her to successfully control.

Needless to say, the Crystal room was filling up quite nicely. However, Jedite was the last person put in the chamber because the Sailor Senshi destroyed Beryl and Queen Metallia (aka the Negaforce).

This, for reasons that will soon become aparent, was not the end of the story. Over the years that followed, the power that Metallia and Beryl had used to maintain the Eternal Sleep Chamber had started to wane...

The silence was deafening. The Eternal Sleep Chamber was rocked by an energy surge. The crystals started hopping in place as the surge seemed to get stronger and stronger. At the center of the surge, a lone crystal, apart from the others, started to glow with energy.

Finally, the silence was broken by an ear splitting explosion. The crystal shattered into a million pieces and a cloud of dust rose from the ground. As it settled, the sound of someone coughing resonated through the chamber. A figure stood where the crystal used to be.

"Ohhh.......my aching head. What.....? Where....?" The dust cloud settled and a man wearing the singed uniform of the Dark Kingdom surveyed his surroundings. Jedite coughed some more and dusted his clothes off.

"I'm free.....heh heh heh! I'm free! HA HA HA!!" Jedite laughed deliriously for a few moments before stopping to catch his breath. "Now...where am I?"

There was a soft sound as Jedite warped his way into the royal throne room of the Dark Kingdom. The first thing that struck him was the lack of....well, ANYTHING. The place was completely empty. There was no Beryl, no youma horde, or anything else. But what could have happened?

Jedite walked up to the chair that Queen Berly once adorned as she addressed her court. All that was left was her crystal ball, still hovering in the same place it always had.

"I wonder how this thing works." Jedite said as he knocked on it a few times. Suddenly, the crystal ball hummed to life and Jedite looked into it. He seemed confused.

"It's...it's some guy taking a shower." He looked up." No WONDER she was always looking at this thing, even when she was yelling at me! That dirty old witch..."

Jedite hit the crystal ball a few more times and it suddenly shifted scenes. The whole first season of Sailor Moon just played in front of Jedite's wide eyes. After it was done, he stepped back and shook his head in disbelief.

"I don't believe it." Jedite walks up to the throne that Beryl once sat and dropped down on it. He started thinking about the Dark Kingdom and suddenly realized that all his ambitious dreams had suddenly come true. He smiled.

Jedite returned to the Eternal Sleep Chamber and looked out over the sea of crystals. Beryl was a fool to imprison so many powerful youma for the slightest failure. She was a fool to imprison him.

"If I am to be the new ruler of the Dark Kingdom, I need an army to accomplish my goals. And an armada of grateful youma will do nicely."

Jedite raised his hands and fired burst after burst of dark energy. The crystals shattered with relative ease, leaving the youma inside relatively intact. They woke up and slowly turned to face Jedite.

They waited patiently for him to say something.

Jedite had his army. Now it was the time to make his presence known to his enemies.

At Mamoru Chiba's apartment, Mamoru and Michael sat on the couch, feeling sorry for themselves. Both of them, in their own opinions, had a really horrible time. Neither of them had moved since they got

home the night before.

"That was by far, the most pathetic night I have ever had." Michael groaned. Mamoru turned to look at him.

"Then you're lucky. I've had nights like that my entire life. You got off easy; believe me." Now it was Michael's turn to look incredulous. He reached into his pocket and pulled out fifty american dollars.

"Okay, you're on! I bet you $50 that I've had the more pathetic night." Mamoru quickly reached for his pocket with a silly grin.

"Easy money, my friend. Easy money." Mamoru got out the japanese equivalent of $50 in yen. The two of them slapped the money on the table.

"I'll go first," Mamoru said. "I came to the party believing it was a trap. I warned Usagi it was a trap. Did anyone believe me? No. Then I get separated from her, battled my elven doppleganger, returned just in time to watch another elven doppleganger kiss Usagi and put her under some evil spell. Not to mention that before I could try and break it, that damn warrior shows up out of nowhere and interrupts me. Not to mention the fact that I'm so low on the Senshi power chain, that I'm a walking joke."

Mamoru finished and looked at Michael to start. Michael nodded and told his story.

"Impressive, Mamoru. But, nowhere as pathetic as my night. First thing that happens is that my spooky blind date vanishes within 15 minutes of arriving. Then her equally spooky friend drinks the drugged punch and I have to chase her most of the night. Then I run into this blue-haired Robin Hood who starts yelling at me and let's Hotaru loose again. Then I end up battling some wacko called Sailor Star Healer and have to drag a bloody elf all across the ballroom. Now, I'm devoted to helping you deal with your elf problem and I have no magical powers to lean on."

Mamoru and Michael exchanged glances. Mamoru shrugged his shoulders and handed Michael the money.

Michael was about to pocket it, when Jedite appeared in a flash of dark energy. Mamrou and Michael jumped off the couch and turned to face him. Jedite glared at Mamrou with intense hatred.

"Tuxedo Kamen! I have come to tell you to warn Sailor Moon that the Dark Kingdom has returned. I shall avenge my defeat at your hands!"

"Wait..." Michael said slowly, cutting off Mamoru's response. "Tuxedo Kamen ... beat you?" Jedite and Mamoru turned to face Michael as he chuckled to himself. He handed Jedite the money.

"That just blows me out of the water." Jedite looked down at the wad of cash for a second, shrugged, and pocketed the money.

"Now, as I was..." Jedite froze for a moment. "Damn! All my dramatic tension is gone! Just tell Sailor Moon, I'm coming." Jedite was about to leave, but a thought crossed his mind. "Better yet, tell Usagi Tsukino!" Mamoru and Michael gasped. Satisfied that the dramatic tension was back, Jedite disappeared again.

"You know Mamoru," Michael started, " you really should be more discriminating about who your friends are."

"Oh, shut up, Michael."

* * *

Tranquility snarled as she flopped herself onto the silk covers of her bed. She had wasted the entire night trying to look for that Scott brat, after that strange girl took him off dancing. Tranquility felt incredibly embarrassed and angry for her incompetence; most of the time, when she wanted something, she usually got it, one way or another. Right now, she wanted to open the 2nd Dark Gate.

‘Damn that girl,’ Tranquility thought viciously, grabbing a pillow and tossing it at the door to her bedroom, nearly hitting the droid who was coming in, cloaked in purple, Stashia’s signature colour. Tranquility raised an eyebrow, but offered no apology to Stashia’s servant.

"I see I may have come at the wrong time," the servant said in a raspy voice.

"You’ve got that right," Tranquility shot back, falling back onto her bed. "What is it you want from me?"

"I have a message from Mistress Stashia. She says that no one is to disturb her until further notice. She isn’t feeling well, and would like to have some peace of mind. That is all."

Tranquility felt outraged. How could a lower being like Stashia order her around?? Tranquility sat up straight, one hand leaning towards her bow and arrow. Her dark eyes narrowed into slits.

"Well, you tell Stashia that this is no time to be lying around. Our Queen Catina is getting impatient. So, when I want to call on her, she will listen to me, understand?"

"Do you have the authority to address my mistress in this manner, Tranquility?"

Tranquility whipped out her bow and arrow. Her lips curved in a cool smile. "I can do whatever I want, servant. I’ll make you an example of that. Stashia may have brought me back to life, but I am the one who has the supreme power over her, and therefore, she must do whatever I say her to do."

The servant began to back away, afraid. "No, please, I didn’t mean…have mercy…"

"Sorry, no can do. You’ve angered me, now you’ll pay the ultimate price." Tranquility aimed quickly, and fired one of her deadly silver arrows at the servant before he could make a run for it. It pierced him right in the heart, and, with a howl, his body dissolved into nothing but dust. What remained was a glowing white crystal, which floated right to Tranquility’s hands. Tranquility smiled evilly, fingering the crystal dissmisively.

"Goodness, why do they always try to defy me? If Stashia dares to do the same, she will meet the same fate." Tranquility turned to a small jewelry box and, opening it, tossed the crystal inside with countless others, the mark of many other unfortunate souls who have been faced with Tranquility’s wrath.

* * *

The phone rang insistently in Airashii’s sleep-filled ears. Groaning, the Asian girl raised her head slowly and rubbed her eyes. She was lying on the couch, still dressed in her dark-blue party gown and silver dancing shoes. The dull throbbing in her right ankle showed that she suffered a slight injury that night. Airashii checked her watch, and her eyes widened. 10:30 already?? Airashii was planning on going out for lunch and continuing her search for the Rainbow Moon Stones today. It seemed that today, she was lower on energy than she’d previously thought, which was a dangerous sign.

The phone continued to ring. Airashii clumsily reached for it, cursing as she nearly tipped over the glass vase full of deep purple orchids. Raising the receiver to her ear, she mumbled, "Hello?"

"Hi, Amy? You’re awake? Good. I just wanted to thank you for that great time we had last night. It was the first dance in my entire lifetime that I’ve been able to have so much fun! I owe it all to you, Amy. Thanks."

Airashii raised her eyebrows. She could recognize Scott Morrow’s bubbly voice anywhere. She was also relieved that Scott was all right; Tranquility obviously didn’t go after him in the absence of her presence.

"So, as a token of my appreciation, I was hoping you’d like to go out to lunch with me today, and maybe to an outdoor concert afterwards. Jade Rose is playing today. I hope we could make a day out of it…if you’d like." Scott sounded very nervous.

Airashii had to sigh. She couldn’t go out with Scott, and she knew it. Airashii was on Earth to help someone with a mission, not to go on like everyone else, living a normal life that she had always yearned for. At least, not yet. If she could complete this important mission with the Rainbow Moon Stones, maybe she would have the chance of a normal life. However, Airashii wasn’t planning on putting too many high hopes on her dreams. Besides, Scott wasn’t exactly the guy Airashii had planned on dating, anyway. She might as well let him down easily.

"Uh, Scott, I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to go out today."

"Oh." Airashii could hear major disappointment in Scott’s voice, like a deflating balloon. "Well, maybe next week?" Scott offered, his voice soaring with hope once again.

"Look," Airashii said heavily, trying to mask her annoyance. Why was Scott making this hard for her?? "I’m really going to sound like a jerk, but I can’t go out with you, ever. What happened last night was just me looking out for you…as a favor from a friend. I couldn’t turn her down."

There was a heavy silence on the phone, one that made Airashii incredibly uneasy. Then, the hard, steel-like voice.

"I’m such a fool," Scott laughed ironically. "I was such a fool, thinking that I’ve snagged the perfect woman. Well, Amy, let me tell you, my dreams of that are now shot."

"Scott…"

"I was thinking that we had something special last night. Now you tell me that it was favor? A favor?!"

"Just stop acting like a child, Scott!" Airashii yelled back, frustrated and confused. "For all I know, we could’ve been drunk when we got together. Either way, it’s not real. You’re living an illusion, Scott! Don’t expect so much from me! It’s not my fault that you have problems getting a date!"

From the moment the angry words left her mouth, Airashii felt incredibly horrible. She heard a soft sobbing coming from Scott’s side of the connection, and she knew, with a numbing heart, that they’ve made heavy contact.

With a heavy sigh, Airashii hung up the phone. Tears were beginning to fill her eyelids, making them heavier. She remembered how she and Hikari had that fight before that fateful battle back in the Golden Millenium. Airashii winced as she recalled the harsh verbal abuse she’d heaped upon her best friend and Princess. That was why she felt inclined to give herself up when Misty insulted Sailor Silver Crescent; Airashii needed to show her friend that she was sorry, and that she was still her most loyal protector, no matter what the circumstances were. It was her death which has tied Airashii to all of this, the Rainbow Moon Stones, and her temporary reincarnation back on Earth. It was Airashii’s anger which has left her with all this burden in the first place.

The phone rang again, and Airashii quickly answered it. "Hello?"

"Airashii, hi! Oh, it’s so good to hear your voice again! Do you remember me? Kurayami?"

‘Ah, yes, the leader of the Imperial Guard, Sailor Silver Light.’ "Yes, I remember you, Kurayami," Airashii said cautiously. "How did you find me?"

"Oh, I have my sources. To be honest, I saw you at the masquerade last night, talking with Shinrai. You know, the Sailor of the Decrescent Light?"

"Yes."

"Look, I’m just glad that you’ve been restored, like the rest of us. We’d like you back on the team with us, as soon as possible."

"I don’t think that would be possible, Kurayami-san. I don’t want Hikari-chan to know that I’m alive."

"Why not?"

Five minutes later, Kurayami knew the reason why.

"Oh, I see. Hey, we, the Imperial Guard, can help you out in finding these Rainbow Moon Stones, my friend. Then, would you join us?"

"If you keep my secret."

"You have my word. Look, we’re going to have a meeting on something important. It’s the Malignant Gates. Meet us at the Starlight Café at 1:00 p.m. We’ll see you there." Kurayami hung up.

Airashii quickly jumped to her feet and ran upstairs, to find an outfit to wear for her afternoon meeting with Kurayami and the gang.

* * *

June Williams sighed with frustration as she regarded the piles of ancient texts before her. They were a legacy from her grandmother, who was one of many witches descending from a line that started in Salem. The texts were bestowed to her, for she was the heir to her grandmother’s gift: the power to purge evil, and therefore, was the witch for their family line. However, in order to use her power properly, June needed the aid of a special spell, one more powerful than her soul restoration one.

How was she going to find it before the New Moon, where, in her recent nightmares, Amy Elisabeth would revert to Stashia forever? There were so many spell books before her. June sighed and brushed her short black hair out of her eyes.

She’ll just have to start looking into each and every book until she could find it. Her triplet sister meant too much to June and her sisters. June felt responsible for not helping Amy Elisabeth when she was being plagued by Stashia's spirit. She didn’t want to fail now, when Sailor Typhoon needed her most.

* * *

Asahi woke up. It was late in the morning. He felt ten times better now, his arm didn't hurt at all and his body wasn't in pain anymore. He took a fast warm bath and decided to walk a little around the city.

He had been there some days ago, but he felt like a stranger. However, that really doesn't matter. The times of the Silver Millenium and the attack of Queen Beryl&Metallia were fresh remembrances now.

He recalled her mother's words back in the Sun Empire before he joined the Cosmic Trio.

'You must protect the Sun Talisman and the Moon Family. That's your mission'

"Maybe I did my role pretty well" he muttered to himself.

Suddenly, he bumped into someone. She was Usagi Tsukino.

"Gomen nasai" She said "I wasn't looking"

"No problem" Asahi smiled.

Then Usagi noticed something. A blindfolded arm, hair with the color of the sun, that sad and strong gaze...

"What is it? What is it Sailor Moon?" Asahi said.

"How do you...Sailor Solar?" Usagi asked.

"Yes, Serenity. It's me" he calmy answered.

Usagi blinked. He didn't only recognize it as Sailor Moon but as Princess Serenity. Why could he? Was that why she was so impressed with his gaze? Was it because she saw it before?

Finally some images came to her mind. Images of past lives.

"Asahi!" She happily said as she remembered her old best friend from the Silver Millenium.

"You remember...There's so much we need to talk about, Serenity."

"I know, Asahi. But right now I have something to do" She said.

"Sure, go ahead. But we must meet again, ne?" Asahi smiled. He knew something was disturbing his friend but didn't want to pressure her right now. "Ja ne!" he said as he left.

Usagi giggled. She was happy to find her friend from long ago. But at that moment something was disturbing her, something that happened last night. She ran to Mamoru's apartment.

Mamoru and Michael paced the room at high speed. Mamoru was desperately trying to figure out what to do about this disastrous development and Michael was just taking his word for it.

Just then, the doorbell rang. The two of them looked up and collided with each other. Mamoru sprung to his feet almost immediately and raced for the door. He slowly opened it and nearly got whiplash from the shock.

"U-usako? Wha...wha....what?" Mamoru opened the door all the way.

"Mamo-chan...I was wondering....last night after...that last kiss..." Usagi blushed as she said that last words. "You were so strange...so silent...was it something I did? Are you mad with me?" Usagi looked at him, awaiting his answer.

Mamoru sighed deeply. He knew he had to tell her about this sooner or later, but considering his recent "visitor", he had been praying for later, rather than sooner. Still, he let Usagi in and was tried to tell her what happened that night. Michael didn't need a hint to excuse himself and leave them alone.

"Usako....I....I...." Mamoru took a deep breath.

Summoning all his courage, the whole thing poured from his lips. He told her everything that happened from when he left to track down the mysterious power to coming back to seeing that doppleganger kiss her.

Her reaction was only natural.

It was like if suddenly everything inside her has darkened. Each dream, each wish...all of it. At that first moment, there was no desperation, just a great and deep sadness. It was betrayal. She didn't realize before...she knew because he told her, but if not...

And the worst thing, the one which hurt her the most, was that she had enjoyed each moment with that stranger. Didn't she love Mamoru enough to note the change?

She couldn't cry at that moment. No, the pain within her soul was too much. She had neither the courage for looking into his eyes, or for saying any words. No longer was she worthy of his love. She simply closed the door behind her and ran as fast a she could. Now she was crying and she didn't want to look back...

Mamoru stood there silently, alone in his apartment. Tears streamed down his cheeks as his heart was torn in two. He silently cursed himself and those damn elves for causing all this pain and suffering.

"Usako, wait!" Mamoru shouted as he dashed from his apartment. He ran down the hallway, but was too late to catch the elevator as she left in it. Too hyper to wait for the next one, Mamoru ran to the stairwell and raced to the bottom as fast as he could to the lobby.

It was too late. She was no where to be found. Mamoru ran out onto the sidewalk and looked around frantically for some sign of Usagi.

"Usako! Where are you?!"

Usagi heard him. But she didn't say a word. She didn't deserve that marvelous man that was Mamoru because she was a traitor. As the pain inside her grew up, she decided to go home. His voice calling her name was something that hurt her, that destroyed her heart...a terrible sadness she'd never felt before. And it all was her fault.

Usagi went into a bus that would take her home. All she wanted to do now was to stay alone, because the real thing she desired wasn't possible. She couldn't forget...forget what she's done to Mamoru and found calm in his arms...she couldn't forget she had betrayed him. The tears ran from her eyes with her thoughts. She looked at the window, she would finally get home in a few minutes.

* * *

Sailor Star Healer stood in a field of dense fog. She looked around warily, as if someone or something would attack her in the forested area. A figure walked through the mist like a ghost, a scowling man twice Yaten's age.

"F... father...?", Sailor StarHealer whispered softly, her voice quivering. The scowl on Mihat's face darkened as he watched his daughter grow weak with emotion.

An ornate sword adorned with jewels and gold appeared in front of Yaten's father, and he reached out to grab it. Yaten's eyes grew in acknowledgement as she recognized it. Her father's sword: The one she had almost killed herself with ten years ago. Mihat vanished, leaving the sword behind for Yaten. The sword gave off a soft green glow as it hovered in its place. Almost as if Mihat had never left. A voice penetrated the eerie silence.

"Yaten?", the voice sounded urgent, as if staving Sailor Star Healer away from the sword.

"Huh?", Star Healer looked around, trying to find the voice's source.

"Yaten! Wake up!!", She felt the ground shake as the voice continued.

"Knock it off, whoever you are!!", The confused StarLight shouted at nobody in particular. A splash of water hit her face, and everything went dark.

Yaten woke up to find Seiya and Taiki watching him. Taiki held a bucket in his hands and chuckled as Seiya shook his head. Yaten glared at Taiki.

"There ARE more subtle ways to wake me up, ya know... like planting explosives under my pillow!!" Yaten snapped.

"Really? Could you give me a few ideas? I'd love to hear them!", Taiki joked. Yaten didn't laugh. He had somehow lost his sense of humor during the ball.

Probably when he had been dumped by Ami. He vaguely remembered being dragged away by Seiya and Taiki after being put down like that.

Taiki sighed and exited. He tried everything he could to snap Yaten out of it. Seiya studied Yaten for awhile, making Yaten nervous.

"Hey! Hey! What am I?! An ameba?! Did you see an invisible microscope here?!" Yaten shouted, shoving Seiya away. Seiya held his hands up defensively and left with Taiki.

Yaten had been getting more edgy than usual, but Yaten knew that he was protecting his heart from being hurt farther.

Seiya poked his head through.

"We're going out for awhile!"

"SHUT UP!!!", Yaten answered, tossing a pillow in Seiya's direction.

He grumbled something about wishing to become absolutely female, as he searched through his closet, only to run into a blade: his father's blade. The one that he had almost killed himself with years ago. He felt his hands unconsciously move towards the blade in slow motion. He had no control over them as they grabbed the hilt of the sword. He saw someone coming and hid the sword underneath the bed. Since it was his father's sword, it might be tainted by the dark forces.

He found his usual street clothes: A pair of navy blue pants, same color blazer, and a pink shirt underneath. But he was in no mood to be going out. He was too heart broken, or too afraid.

Yaten plopped down on the sofa, playing with the hilt of the sword as the blade turned into energy and vanished into the sword's base.

"What in the name of Healer was that?!" Yaten screamed as he jumped over the seat, watching the hilt glow. He continued to watch it, studying it from a safe distance.

Maybe that miko, Sailor Mars could see what it was...

"I'm leaving for a while...", Yaten called out, stuffed the hilt inside his jacket and left without a response. He walked down the street with his hands in his pockets, and amber tinted sunglasses perched on the nose.

What to call the sword? It was Healer tradition to name swords. Mythril blade? Naaaaah...Mythril's been done to death. Yaten felt that the sword's name should reflect it's previous owner. Mihat. The Mihat Edge. It was perfect!!

* * *

Mayhem walked away from the Court meeting in nothing near a good mood.

Carnage had been her usual bitchy self and so far, little was turning out as he had hoped. He left the Elven realm to wander around Tokyo for awhile. It would take the other Elven awhile longer to track him down out here, if they needed anything. And he felt like being alone. But then, when was he ever really not?

He shook off these depressing thoughts and realized he had come to a stop outside a temple. It seemed harmless enough and looked like a good place to contemplate strategy as any. He walked into the main courtyard and was struck by residual Magik hanging in the air that felt like...Hysteria? Ah, of course! This was the Temple that she was awakened at, Mayhem recognized it now, and that meant that Sailor Mars would be around here somewhere....

Mayhem decided that this probably wasn't the place to be hanging about, and turned to leave, when suddenly a felt a teleportation nearby. And not from any Elven.

"This could be interesting.."

Mayhem summoned his cloud of silver mist and stepped into it, disappearing.....

Yaten looked at the sky, wondering if somehow negative energy pasted down from one generation to the next.

Naaaaaaah...Then those other senshi would have sensed it.

Or maybe it was too late to notice...

Yaten broke into a run as he reached the Hirawa Temple where some guy in a dark gray uniform lined with red was holding Ami, who was struggling under his grip. He looked at his fists that were balled up.

Why should he help her anyway?! but he might as well try since it could mean a second chance with her.

He wanted to say he was sorry for screwing up the whole evening. He wanted to say he was sorry for screwing his lines up, but most of all he wanted to apologize of leaving her..

Of course, he wouldn't mind seeing those picture he and Seiya took of Sailor StarMaker and Lord Chaos...

Enough of that! He wanted to help her.

"HEALER STAR POWER, MAKE UP!!!", He shouted as he lifted his winged henshin in the air. Seconds later, the man found himself at the receiving end of Sailor StarHealer's Star Sensitive Inferno. He let go of Ami just as Healer lept in front of her. She saw Sailor Mars from the corner of her eye and turned back to Ami.

"Ami! Get outta here! I'll handle DiCaprio here!!" She took out the hilt as energy shot out, creating the once missing blade. The man created a sword out of crystal as the two attacked and parried. The man was stronger, but StarHealer had speed on her side. The blades were locked together, one trying to overpower the other.

But being 5' 0" with strength as her weakness, Sailor StarHealer found herself looking crosseyed at the edge of the other man's sword.

Mayhem reappeared above all the commotion, floating about 20 feet up by the tree tops. He looked down from his perch at the overpowered StarHealer. He certainly felt no compulsion to help her, but this odd blond man had threatened his player. That had to be dealt with. But he decided to see how Healer fared for a while longer.

Jedite grunted as he struggled with the strange girl. He usually didn't battle directly or with people he just met, but this was an unusual circumstance. That, and this girl was a Sailor Senshi. But...that was impossible! The only ones he knew of were Moon, Mars, and Mercury. Who the hell WAS this?

"You fight well for someone wearing next to nothing." Jedite taunted. Jedite vanished into thin air and Star Healer fell over, putting all her weight against thin air. Jedite reappeard on top the temple.

"Beat it! I'm busy!" Jedite let loose with a burst of negative energy that rocked the ground around Star Healer.

Mayhem had had enough. The blonde man was close to beating the crap out of Healer. After that he would just go after Mercury again. It was time for him to do something. He leapt from his place in the air, curving perfectly so that he landed behind Jedite on the roof.

"Over here." He said as he released a weak Leviathan to fully capture the man's attention. But Jedite turned faster than he thought possible and teleported off the roof, the watery monster passing thru the space he had occupied a second before.

"Shimatta." Mayhem quickly followed.

"Who the hell are you!" Now Jedite was really pissed. What had happened in the time he had been penned up in that stupid crystal!? New Senshi and freaks with powers he didn't completely understand kept showing up. And this one.......Silver eyes??

"What are you? Certainly not human. Or one of those pathetic Senshi."

"I'm Lord Mayhem. One of the Elven Court. And soon you'll be a bloody smear on the pavement."

Jedite merly snorted and shot negative energy at Mayhem, trying to make him the eat those words. But Mayhem was also to quick to be taken so easily, and spun out of the way. As he twisted he saw Ami lying sprawled on the ground some distance away. Mars was crouched over her. Mayhem stopped suddenly and leapt upward, trying to get at Jedite from above, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Who was this blonde upstart? He was not formally playing a game against this man, but he thought he would make an exception in this case.

Mayhem pulled his Tarot cards from under his robes. "SHIN'NE!" He snarled. The whole deck flew from his hands, racing towards Jedite.

Each card became harder than steel, their edges as sharp as swords. Jedite was able to destroy or deflect most of them, but at least a handful got through, cutting Jedite in as many places.

"What! No!" Jedite cried out in pain. This was not going at all as he had planned. Time to retreat. For now. Clutching an injured shoulder, he disappeared in a flash of white light.

Mayhem watched him go and straitened up. "Baka"

"Ami-chan! Ami-chan, are you alright?" Sailor Mars picked up her friend, giving her shoulders a shake.

Ami shook her head herself, but in a sudden mood burst pushed Mars away, and stood. "What's the matter with you, Mars?! If you knew Jedite was going to show up then why didn't you WARN me when you felt strange vibes. I could have at least been prepared! That jerk had me, after all these years, he STILL trapped me easily!"

Mars backed up a step, surprised and hurt. "Ami, I-I didn't know JEDITE was going to come, I thought-"

Ami thought harshly, ~Y'know what, who gives a darn about what you think. If she can't...Ooooh, forget it! Forget my dreams! I'll go back home and look the darn things up in a book!~

She gave what sounded between a snarl of anger and a sigh of exasperation, as she turned on her heels. Mars reached for her, but thought better, and let her walk by.

She nearly tripped over a black leather boot, and saw Healer, another sword in hand. "Oh...you....Thank you, for fighting Jedite for me."

Healer smiled, pleased that Ami has recognized what she had done.

~Hey! Maybe-~ "Hey, it, uh, wasn't anything big. I could handle-"

Ami frowned. "I must have used the wrong term. Thank you for fighting against Jedite to get to me. If I had been warned, I could have fended for myself."

She wanted to say more, but thought about the events of last night, and tears started to well in her eyes.

~Dammit, kiss me, or slap me, do something! Suck me into a hole while you take Mako-chan upstairs. Stab me through the heart with your sword! Just don't stand there!!~

Instead, a tear found its way out of the well, and brought forth the rest of its relations, as Ami let out a sob, and ran down the steps, the leaves blowing around. She retreated to her big, empty house, and saw the card and envelope on the table. Grabbing a hankerchief, she picked both objects up and made her way to the public library, shoving her emotions down, down past her heart, her spirit, her soul. Now, she

had to be ever the studious one, ever-filled with info, and now she had a card. Runes, they were. Well, maybe the library might have a book or two on runes, though she hadn't a clue on how far back these might be.

After staying a few moments, Ami took off her coat, and laid it across the back of a chair. For the next hour, she read everything she could about ancient civilizations and the like, but no runes yet.

Rei glanced from side to side as she quickly covered the marks of the fight, ignoring looks from Healer, who sauntered away with her own thoughts. She ran inside and changed into a more comfortable outift.

"Let's see... This is going to take some serious work! First of all I'll need..." Rei grabbed things from around the room as she slipped her clothes off and put on a red tanktop and a tight pair of jeans. "All done!"

She grabbed her purse and ran outside and down the steps of the temple.

"I saw Ami-chan walking towards the Library... I'll bet she's there!"

Rei dashed down the sidewalk. As she looked at her watch she noticed the time was exactly 2:35pm. "I guess Grandpa left around 11:00am this morning. That's not too harsh. I can still take care of the Temple."

Sailor StarHealer stood there in confusion, in pain as a lone tear fell along her pale cheek. She sniffed as she wiped the tear with the back of her hand.

There is no hurt like the kind that is caused when someone tries to love for the first time in so long...and is for some reason rejected.

She transformed back into Yaten Kou as he watched Rei run to Ami.

Should he go along?

Yaten stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned away, heading back to the apartment.

"Forget it, Healer..She's too good for you...", Yaten muttered to himself, trying to convince himself that he was better off not even starting off a relationship in the first place.

The walk back seemed to be an endless trudge, as if it seemed that he was walking along Death Row to end his life.

He walked into the apartment and plopped down on the sofa and sighed as if sighing would make his pain and questions go away.

What was with this sword and who the hell was that guy that attacked Ami anyway?!

He took out the hilt of the Mihat Edge and studied it.

A lone tear fell upon the relic as Yaten watched his own reflection.

Hopefully Seiya and Taiki wouldn't be back in time to see Yaten Like this...

* * *

Rei saw the library and slowed to a stop, then smoothed herself over making sure she looked alright. Then, she walked inside pleasantly she peeked around the bookshelves. Rei whispered

"Ami-chan!!? Ami-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!? Where are you?"

"Na ni?" Ami turned to see Rei's back, as she tried to find her. She huffed, and pulled the book closer to her face, hoping that Rei would get a hint.

She peeked over to the side of one shelf, and there to her surprise was Ami-chan reading through a pile of books. Rei walked over and abruptly sat in front of Ami and let tears run from her face.

"Ami-chan! I'm so sorry! I never meant to hurt you! You could have wiped out Jedite right away! It's the shock that threw you off! I'm sure I would have done the same!" Rei held Ami's hands and let more tears fall to the wooden table. "Pleeeeaaaasssseeee forgive me!" Rei gave her a small puppy dog face and looked at her longingly.

Ami sighed, actually annoyed that she was forced to recognize Rei now. But, she saw the hurt on Rei's face, and almost felt guilty. Instead, when Rei's wail of "Please!" brought annoyed looks from other library patrons, she pushed her hands away, and brought a finger to her lips. "SH! This IS a library, Hino Rei!" she whispered fiercely.

"Quiet!"

Rei blushed. "Gomen nasai, Ami-chan..."

Ami turned back to her book, as Rei said, "Well...?"

Ami gave her a half-hearted smile... "It's...alright. There's some truth in what you said, ne?"

"Hai, I- Hey, what's this?" asked Rei, suddenly picking up Ami's card.

"It's mine!" she cried, swiping it back. "Don't touch!"

An old woman from one side of the room whispered "Shut up!" then moved on to the next, filled with videos.

Rei blinked a few times. "Okay, I just asked, that was all."

Ami said softly, "It's a gift I received from an e...elegant gentleman."

"Really?! YOU, Ami? Hey, could it be Ryo-kun, or maybe Taiki?"

Ami rolled her eyes. "Rei, honestly. Ryo's been gone for years, and Taiki...well, I'm not comfortable with Taiki..."

"What about Yaten?"

"I'd rather not talk about my affairs, Rei," replied Ami curtly, turning back to her book.

"Yeah, well then...I'll see you later?"

Ami nodded, not tearing her gaze from the book.

Rei stood, gave a half-wave. "Ja-ne, Ami-chan!"

No reply... Rei sighed, thinking that maybe there was something unspoken here...nah. She walked out of the library, raven hair swinging in the breeze.

A few hours later, Ami had taken a break, and was massaging her temples, when another voice startled her.

"Oh, ancient civilizations, ne? I am partial to the Greeks, myself."

Ami turned around to find a boy with short auburn hair and golden eyes looking at her. He was wearing reading glasses similar to her own and appeared to be about her age, if not a little older. He straightened up from the shelf he was leaning on and walked over.

He held out his hand. "Hello. My name is Takino Chishiki. What's yours?"

Ami looked at his hand for a second before she shook it. "Mizuno Ami." ~ Great. Another guy. This is _just_ what I need. Takino Chishiki? Waterfall of intelligence. Another Taiki to rub in how smart he is~ she thought sarcastically to herself.

"May I?" Chishiki asked, gesturing to the empty chair across from Ami. She nodded and he sat down. "Are you researching a paper?"

Ami shook her head. "No. I just needed to find something specific, but it doesn't seem to be in any of these books." She tapped the cover of the nearest one to show her frustration.

Chishiki picked it up and read the cover, his eyebrows arching in surprise. "This is _very_ advanced reading...." He said it as almost a challenge. But right now Ami was in no mood for that.

She lifted her chin a little in defiance. "Yes. It is, but I didn't have any trouble at all reading it. Would you?"

He didn't answer right away, but a small smile played about his lips. He set the book down. "No. I wouldn't. But it's rare that I meet someone who can say the same." His smile broadened.

Now Ami smiled too. This guy wasn't so bad. He must have been attracted to her looks if he decided to come over to talk and now he expressed interest in her mind as well.

~Maybe.....~

They talked of nothing much for a few more minutes. Science and Literature mostly. They seemed to have a lot in common, and Ami was beginning to warm to the current subject of ancient civilizations.

Chishiki seemed to know a lot about them too, so she decided to ask him if he knew a book on ancient runes.

Chishiki arched his eyebrow again. "Runes? Whatever for?" he asked abruptly.

Ami suddenly felt rigid, and hugged herself. "Nothing."

"No, no. If you have something to say, say it...Well, what's this here?" Chishiki leaned over to catch sight of the weirdly inscripted envelope. He looked at her as if to ask for permission, so she handed them over to see if he recognized them. It wasn't like he could use it against her. She hoped.

He took the paper from her and looked at the runes she had traced from the letter. With a raised eyebrow he looked at her. "This is a language? Not one I know. Gomen." He handed it back.

She sighed and tucked the paper away. "That's alright, thanks all the same."

He did a little half bow over the table and smiled. "Happy to be of service, m'lady."

She stiffened. The way he had said that last thing... it seemed…familiar... She looked closer at him.

"Tell me," she said, pushing up her glasses. "What do you think of love, Chishiki-san?"

He looked momentarily startled by the extreme subject change but hid it quickly. He lapsed into thoughtfulness. "I'm not sure, I don't think I've ever really considered it."

She leaned closer to him, crossing her arms on the table. "I believe that a person is destined to fall in love, true love, with only one other person."

~Like Usagi and Mamoru~ she thought with a trace of sadness, self-pity.

Chishiki tapped the arm of his chair impatiently, "I can't really say. What does it matter who you're with, as long as both are happy?" He seemed to want to dismiss the subject, as if it made him uncomfortable. But Ami wouldn't let it die.

"Even if they aren't the one you are destined for? Even, if in the long run, you'd be desprately unhappy with them?"

"Na ni? Of course not. It doesn't really matter! Someone with as fine a mind as yours shouldn't be stupid enough to worry over such petty matters, like love!"

That stopped Ami cold. Her eyes widened for a second, then they actually narrowed, giving a gray flash she was not aware of. She stood abruptly. "Excuse me, but I must be leaving now."

Now it was Chishiki's turn to be startled, or at least in Ami's mind it was, why she was leaving...but no, he just looked away...so she did as well. She started gathering up her books. She was so preoccupied that she didn't see Chishiki slip what looked like a smaller book into her bag, behind her. Before he could think of anything else to say, she bolted from the room.

Chishiki watched Ami leave. He didn't know whether or not to be angry over how this little encounter turned out. He decided it didn't matter. She had the book and that was what was important.

He waved his hand and was enveloped in a cloud of silver mist. He was gone as it dissipated....

Mayhem reappeared on the roof of the library, just in time to see Ami come running down the front steps and off down the street.

Ami slowed down at the bottom of the steps, and had another first. She growled. "Fool!" she whispered to the library. "For all your 'intelligence', you don't know a darn thing!" Then, brushing aside a lock of hair, she walked to the bus depot. Yaten had had her car towed to a mechanic, but at this point, she could care less about the garbage on wheels...She just wanted to get home, in a nice bubble bath.

His eyes narrowed. He had followed her from the temple and assumed a human guise to try to learn more about her. But after he saw Ruckus's name on that paper, he had decided to give her the book that would let her decipher the Elven language. She was now the only mortal who possessed that knowledge, but he couldn't think of anyone better suited to have it.

He produced his Tarot cards and drew one at random. The River, the card of swiftly moving change. He gazed calmly at the card, watching as the rapidly swirling waters tore up everthing in their path. He would have to act fast if he wanted to secure his advantages. But first...time to ask Ruckus what exactly was in that letter.

Again the silver cloud rose to teleport Mayhem away from the mortal realms....

* * *

Usagi finally got home. The pain was torturing her entire soul, her heart. She went upstairs and locked the door. No one was at home that Sunday, even Luna had disappeared. She was alone with her thoughts, alone with her fault. Tears never left her eyes since she had ran from Mamoru's apartment, and her eyes hurt because of that. She closed them for a moment and fell asleep almost immediately.

It was dark; she couldn't see a thing…and she was walking blindly within that heavy darkness. Suddenly, a path of light was in front her and she entered, now she was in a nice prairie. Cherry blossoms danced around her and a lovely melody could be heard.

Suddenly, two obscure silhouettes emerged from the air. One at the left, one at the right At first, they were so black that she couldn't know who they were, but as the time passed, she saw they both…they were…Tuxedo Kamen!

A voice in the sky said:

"Tsukino Usagi. One of these men is your beloved Chiba Mamoru, but the other one is not…can you guess who is who…"

"Who's talking…why are you doing this?" Usagi desperately asked.

"You have just one opportunity" The voice lowered, repeating "one opportunity…one opportunity…"

Usagi looked at the two figures, they were identical, what she would do? Who would she chose?"

"Usako…I am your Mamo-chan." The one at the left said with a sweet voice.

"Don't hear him, Usako…" The other one warned. "I am Mamo-chan"

Both of them sounded like Mamoru, both of them looked like Mamoru…but who was the real one?

"Usako, give me your hand, so we can leave together this place" The one at the left continued.

"No, Usako, it's me the one you must chose. Usako, don't you recognize your everlasting love?" the other said.

Usagi was more and more confused. Both voices were so tender, so alluring…she closed her eyes and listened carefully, trying to find differences between the two, but it was useless. She sighed and decided to walk way to the Tuxedo Kamen at the left. As she walked, she could hear the two voices:

"Yes, Usako, just a little closer"

"No Usako! Don't listen to him!"

Usagi walked and finally ended in the warm arms of the Tuxedo Kamen she had chosen. But then, everything became dark again, she turned to look at the other Tuxedo Kamen, his mask vanished to reveal Mamoru…"USAKO!!!" he yelled as he disappeared.

Usagi tried to run with him, but she couldn't move. She looked at the one she'd chosen and discovered he was…another man, someone with wintry blue eyes.

"You couldn't chose the real Tuxedo Kamen, you betrayed him again…"He had a low voice and was grinning.

"NO!" Usagi cried.

She awakened, she was sweating, her heart was beating fast. Usagi looked to the window, it was open, a cold wind was all around her room. Some tears running through her face, again.

"I betrayed him…" she surrounded.

* * *

Jedite reappeared in the throne room of the Dark Kingdom, holding his arm. He cursed himself many times for going out there unprepared. He was now absolutely sure that it was a mistake to reveal himself;

first to Tuxedo Kamen, then to Mercury and Mars.

"What the hell was all that?!" Jedite sat down in the large chair Beryl used to sit in and thought back to the fight with the strange girl in the leather outfit and then that other person. He wasn't human, that much was for sure.

"Uhhh........I'm out of practice." Things were especially bad today. Not only did appear that those damn Senshi were multiplying rapidly, but there were funny looking people with pointed ears running around as well.

Jedite looked into the Crystal Ball, skipped past all the fixed locations that Beryl liked to look at and started calling up all the information there was about the strange "elf" and the mysterious Sailor Senshi.

* * *

Knock* Knock* *Knock*

"Usagi? Hello? Its me Minako! came a yell from outside Usagi's front door. Minako began to beat the door again "Usagi? I made some cookies I need someone to try them! I think for once they actually turned out good!" Minako yelled as she took one of the cookies off the plate and began to stick a part in her mouth. Minako's eyes became big as she slowly began to finish chewing the small bit of cookie she had already been chewing on. 'Are maybe not!' Minako though to herself. "Usagi??? I know your home! Hello?"

Usagi heard the voice of Minako calling her name. 'Maybe if I talk with her I can forget' she thought.

Usagi went downstairs and open the door. She tried to smile as she could and said:

"Minako-chan...what a surprise!"

But although Usagi was trying to seem as happy as always, her face's expression and her eyes all red said the contrary. It was obvious she had been crying for a long time and even the silliest person could realize it perfectly.

Minako placed down the rest of the cookie on the plate and looked up

"Usagi I brought you some...Usagi, whats wrong? Well whatever it is you can tell me while you taste my cookies!" Minako walked through the front door towards the kitchen. Minako pulled out a chair and sat down. "So what up? I know something's wrong. I can tell these kinds of things."

"I...I.." Usagi couldn't continue, tears started to run through her face, she couldn't control herself and cried "I...am...a traitor. I betray the...most sacred and marvelous thing of my life...I...I.." Usagi looked to her friend with a lot of sadness, truly heart broken. "Minako-chan...I betray Mamoru's love!"

Minako looked to her friend sadly. "I'm sure you can fix things up! Why don't you talk things over with him? You can bring him these cookies as a sorry gift!? I hear the best way to a man's stomach is through his heart! Oh, wait no thats heart to stomach or something like that I think. Anyways..." Minako smiled towards her friend and pushed the plate of cookies over next to her.

"I just can't, Minako-chan. I don't have the courage to look at his eyes…if I could explain what…how painful I felt within…" Usagi looked at her friend "I appreciate that you bring me these cookies, I'm not hungry yet…but I guess can taste them later."

Usagi smiled between tears. "I don't know why I'm telling you about my troubles…we…we have enough with the elves and those dragon-beasts…and the Dark…Warriors…I don't want to disturb you." With those words, Usagi cried even more, silently. She felt so terrible and couldn't do something to heal the wound of her soul. "Gomen ne, Minako-chan….but I want to be alone now…"

"I understand..." Minako stood up looked at her friend. "You're probably gonna think this is corny or something but...be strong." Minako shrugged and walked out the house.

* * *

Seiya entered the room. "Hey, Yaten! What's up?" Seiya turned to look at the starlight, who was sitting on his bed looking depressed. He glanced at him, and noticed something in Yaten's hands. "What's that?" Seiya said, obviously surprising the already shaken Healer.

"N...nothing." Yaten stammered, hiding the metal, glinting object behind his back.

"Come on, Yaten, hand it over!" Seiya commanded, giving Yaten a no-nonsense look.

Yaten reluctantly handed the relic to Seiya, who went wide-eyed as soon as he recognized it.

"This…this is…"

"My father's sword. Yes, I know." Yaten said quietly.

"But…where did it come from? And what happened to you? You look like hell!" Seiya demanded. He was finally going to get some answers. Seiya had been worried about his friend. Yaten had been overly secretive, and had kept more to himself than usual. He had also been depressed, hardly eating anything, and his music hadn't exactly been up to par.

Yaten gave Seiya a sarcastic look. He really didn't like people butting into his problems. Seiya stared at him with piecing blue eyes, letting Yaten know that he would not give up on a fellow StarLight. Yaten frowned even more.

"Go away, Seiya...", He muttered, his mind elsewhere. He started to get up when Seiya grapped Yaten's arm.

"We have to talk...", Seiya said firmly. He wouldn't give up until he got what he was after. Yaten sniffed and sat down, as Seiya took the seat next to him.

"It's Ami, isn't it?", Seiya asked. The look Yaten gave him told Seiya to stay away from that subject.

"Ok. Ok. Next question: How did that sword get here? I thought Queen Kakyuu took it from you." Yaten shrugged.

"I was looking for my clothes, and I came across this. Weird thing was, I had a dream where my father presented it to me..."

"I guess he wants you to go to the Dagoba system next..." Seiya shrugged, trying to make a joke. Yaten shot Seiya a disgusted look.

"Only trying to help..."

"You're not helping." He snapped back. Seiya watched as Yaten fiddled around with the hilt. His mind flashbacked to when he was only 5, when Healer was being attacked for the second time.

"Papa!", Yaten screamed. Mihat grapped his daughter's arm hard.

"Yaten, your grandmother is..."

"Queen Metallina..." Yaten muttered in a half trance.

Seiya watched, absolutely confused. "Who?!"

Yaten turned to Seiya slowly. "I was attacked today at the Hikawa Temple..."

"By?"

"Some guy. He...I dunno...ambushed Ami got attacked by some elven and teleported away. Rei and Ami seemed to know him. The both of them left before I could get any questions..."

"Why were you at temple in the first place?" Yaten gestured to the hilt, which gave off an erie green glow as if on cue.

"Weird...So what're you worried about? You know we got this guy outnumbered.", Seiya pointed out.

"Always the optimist, ne? Seiya?" Yaten remarked. Seiya sighed and looked out the window as Yaten got up in a huff.

"Well, I'm off to do whatever...We got school and that concert tomorrow. Call me when the two of you are heading to Jyuban High..."

Seiya turned around to see Yaten leave for his room and slam the door behind him.

Seiya stared at the closed door, unable to move. He always tried to be the optimist, but now he was starting to wonder about many things. For one, who was that man that attacked Ami-chan? And how would Ami and Rei know who he was? And then there was that whole sword episode...

He shook his head. This was all too confusing for this late at night. Seiya figured that a good night's sleep would clear his head, and possibly cool off Yaten's. With that, he changed and got into bed, hoping to fall asleep.

Plagued with the thoughts of swords and mysterious men, Seiya eventually drifted off into a restless slumber.

But who was that man? Would he show up again? And how is Seiya supposed to help Yaten with not only the Ami situation, but the whole situation with his father? Only time will tell...

* * *

Silence.

More than anything else, that was what he felt. The air around him was still as he stood there, leaning against the inside of a black arch. Out beyond was ripple upon ripple of silver water, the waves brought to both life and light by the eerie glow of the moon.

The grand ballroom was deserted, all its guests and crashers having long since vacated. Somewhere on the other edge of the world the sun was rising in the city of Tokyo, but here in his realm, within his game, the night was eternal. Whispers of the wind moved past the curving stone dragons and leaping dolphins, starlight shimmering off the expansive marble floor.

His back was against the smooth rounded interior of the archway, arms crossed over his chest. The magnificent suit he had worn was gone; all that remained was the tattered and singed pieces of his white dress shirt. In one hand a mask of living oceans stirred itself back to life as fingers tightened around it.

Emerald eyes narrowed.

The ballroom still bore the signs of an incredible gala. Champagne glasses, food, streamers, facades and items of costumes littered the floor. That in itself would have seemed normal--yet there scattered amongst such seemingly innocent things were vicious tears across the floor, jagged stone ripped apart and even places where pillars and walls had been marked with craters. A piece of the balcony's banister was missing.

Abruptly the mask in his hands began to change. The leisurely stillness of the living ocean inside rippled. Clouds started to overtake the serenity. Silver waves turned black. The ocean stirred and then erupted into tidal waves and thunder and lightening. His mask flickered from the storm, a strange and soothing beacon here in the silence.

He never noticed the two shadows appearing quietly in the back of the ballroom. If he had, he probably would not have cared to take any further notice of them.

"I've never seen him so pensive before," one shadow remarked. A midnight black suit rustled as he shifted his stance beneath the archway. He reached up and lifted the eyeless, ghostly mask from his face.

The shadow's familiar blinked but did not much else. "He's not pensive, Ruckus." Mayhem adjusted the blue sash on his left shoulder, flipping aside his long ponytail to let it hand down his back.

Ruckus made a small gesture to his violet rose, the petals turning crystal white. "What would make you say that?"

"He's agitated tonight, and this is his way of dealing with it," Mayhem replied, absently flipping an Elven tarot card in between his fingers.

"Had he merely been thinking you would have heard his flute echo across the ballroom. But here in this silence you have good reason to leave him well alone."

Mayhem pivoted and faded behind the corner of the archway. Ruckus nodded, more to himself than to his fellow Elven, slipping into his own shadows and disappearing to leave the last of the Elven Playkings alone in his brooding.

Chaos looked down at his mask of living oceans, and then out to the oceans beyond the horizon. Illusions. They were all illusions. Illusions only he should have been able to break.

With a sudden, enraged shout he tilted back his arm and hurled themask out into the ocean. It sank quickly, the storm within the facade lost in the depths of the moonlit waters.

"This will not go unforgotten," he growled.

It was late Sunday night, yet in their realm of illusion none of them really had a care as to the day or time of day it truly was. They lived by different rules--provided they didn' make up the rules as they went along. All eight members of the Elven Court of Chaos had gathered there inthe

expansive gallery, at the table carved in the form of a silver,tapering and rampant dragon. The dragon's head lifted, jaws once more stretching hideously long, its mouth opening wide and wider still as its head made a half-revolution to turn back and face everyone else seated.

Chaos sat there on the crimson tongue that had become the throne, with almost a scowl upon his face. Yet he wasn't scowling directly at anyone or anything; he was simply scowling from his own thoughts.

The others waited for him to speak.

"Well," he said, pushing off from the fangs cum armrests. "As you all know last night held with it some rather unexpected and unpleasant surprises. I called this gathering to discuss what occurred with each of us, so we can plan our next round of games."

The dragon's head titled down, eyes flashing and eerie sapphire as all the enchanted lanterns dimmed. "I'll go first," Chaos said. "First and foremost, as you well know, last night I was nearly killed by that mysterious party-crasher who decided to try and stick his hand through my chest. My apologies if in using your energy to keep myself alive I abruptly ended a few of your games."

Chaos glanced over at a silently fuming Carnage.

"Whatever that warrior was, or whomever sent him, he saw through my illusions like they were two-way mirrors. This puts me at least in a rather disadvantageous state of arrairs. And currently I'm on the mend which means no more of me hosting games for a short while."

"Will you be joining us at Jyuban tomorrow?" Riot spoke up.

Chaos nodded. "Hai hai. I'm not that invalid, and besides, I've got to watch my lady-friends with you two prowling around."

Havoc rolled his eyes. "I don't believe this. Nearly killed off and he's still flirting."

"However," Mayhem stated. "I think it's safe to agree that this warrior won't be the last of them to appear. We should be on our guards in our upcoming games."

Chaos nodded. "Agreed. In the meantime, I'll be taking this vacation time of mine to see what I can dig up on these...malignant gates, whatever that means." With a sigh, Chaos stretched back in his chair.

"Ah, but let us not dwell on that; I wish to hear more from your games in my masquerade. So, who wants to go first?"

The twins nodded in understanding as Chaos recapped on the night's events. Ruckus leaned forward in his chair a bit, the rest of the court turning their attention to the twins. "Well, despite the difficulties of party crashers, we had something of a productive night."

Riot nodded in agreement, "Hai. To start the evening off we danced with some pretty senshi...."

Ruckus snapped his fingers and a picture of Minako appeared on the table, "With surprising ease I was able to patch things up with this girl. Her name is Minako, she is also Sailor Venus."

Riot snapped his fingers and the picture shifted to Rei, "This girl here is Hino Rei, also Sailor Mars whom Hysteria met before." At this Hysteria's face crinkled a bit from the memory but said nothing. Mayhem held a wry grin on his face at the memory of a frantic Hysteria trying to outrun Mars' fireballs.

"Be forewarned, I invited Hino Rei into our realm. She has the right of safe passage to our domain, so please, try to avoid any hostilities..." Riot eyed Havoc and Carnage, the two devastators were still and did not flinch under his persecuting gaze.

Chaos kept an even expression. Havoc would more than likely just shrug his shoulders and leave Mars alone; Saturn on the other hand was another matter. As for Carnage....

Ruckus broke the silence by clearing his throat and moving on. "Nothing much happened otherwise with the two scouts, just making ourselves known for future encounters."

Ruckus grinned like a happy school-boy, "Our next game however, had more satisfying results." Ruckus waved his hand over the table and it shifted again to show Usagi and Mamoru. "Her name is Usagi, she reminds me of the moon princess of olden day. I was disturbed to learn that she has a very strong natural defense against my brother and I's seduction powers." Havoc scoffed at the twins, "Finally met your match, eh?"

Ruckus' grin only widened. "Not quite my over zealous friend, you see, she has no defense at all from her Mamo-chan." Ruckus patiently waited for the Havoc to grasp what he was implying. "You see, my dear brother here distracted Mamoru nicely while I disguised myself as Mamoru's doppleganger and deceived the princess."

Chaos grinned. "Slick as ever, though having to disguise yourself as this Mamoru person isn't exactly what I'd call a fair challenge. Usagi-chan won't be too impressed when she finds out."

Ruckus nodded. "You seem to know her."

"She goes to Jyuban, Ruckus. In fact this Minako girl is in the same class as Usagi...as am I. I might warn you that if she recognizes you, you're on your own. You play with her boyfriend, you deal with it."

That got a laugh from Ruckus. "Hai hai, but it was the only way to take root in her subconscience."

Riot waved the notion aside, "While that fool was busy working his magiks, I had a good work out with that Mamoru character. He put up a good fight, as long as I didn't use magik. I'd gather that he isn't quite as strong as a sailor senshi, but he has potential."

Mayhem showed little interest as usual, instead he pushed the conversation on, "So what benefits did you reap from this Usagi girl?"

Ruckus smiled mischievously. "I planted myself into her subconscience with a soul kiss. It holds great potential for a most interesting game, though it will be long drawn out and subtle in approach."

"Wah! It sounds just soooo kawaii, ne? Ne? Ne?" Hysteria exclaimed, clapping her hands.

Chaos glanced over to Mayhem as a resounding Thud! came from Mayhem's head striking the table. "Daijobu?"

Havoc snorted in disgust. "Hmph! You should grab the woman you want, kiss her full on the lips and make her aware of your intentions."

"This coming from the guy who would sooner fight the girl he likes rather than date her," Ruckus said.

"As blunt as a club, like always. Though I didn't see you sporting any female companions last night," Riot remarked. Havoc became silent, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"The night pretty much ended soon after, I found inspiration for a game to take place at a later date, Mayhem and Ami being the main contestants."

At this the entire court raised an eyebrow, only to be disappointed that they would not find out sooner. Riot yawned, "I walked into the main ballroom floor and watched that whole escapade commence, then I had Hysteria dragging me along by the arm, looking for Chaos."

Chaos shrugged. "Yare yare. She didn't have to squeeze me *that* hard when she found me."

Riot laced his fingers behind his head, "...and that was the extent of our night. Not too bad considering the unexpected situations we had to deal with."

Chaos smiled. "Well at least someone had a good night, anyone else have a productive evening?"

Riot turned to Havoc, grinning, "Yes, anyone else?"

Havoc growled at first, but then laid back in his chair. "Nothing much happened for me. I was blown off by the senshi of Death, found a corpse with no blood in it--and no eyeballs--saved a girl in distress from a well illusion, had my energy drained, and came to a draw in a battle with a human. Next," he said, shifting his gaze to Carnage.

Carnage was about to open her mouth when Ruckus began chuckling, then Riot. Havoc gripped the arm rest, disgusted. "And just what the hell is so funny?" "Oh, nothing...Just wish I could have heard you sounded like Hysteria." said Ruckus.

"Now, tell us, is that thet only way for male elves to attain such an octave? Because it sounds rather... painful..."

Chaos groaned. "I do not need another bisected table again."

Havoc leapt up from his seat, hand on his Blade, his eyes darting murderously around the table. "Let me show you, Riot, how PAINFUL it was. Come here."

Mayhem shook his head, sorting through his tarot cards again. "Baka."

Chaos cleared his throat. "As excited as you are to try, Havoc, now's not exactly the time nor the place."

Havoc wanted nothing more than to bash some heads, but the tone in Chaos's voice told him that even Chaos was in a pissy mood, there was no need to add to it.

"Hai." said Havoc, sitting down again, glowering at Mayhem.

"Ne, ne, what body?" Hysteria asked.

"Havoc stumbled into a corpse of one of our masqueraders," Mayhem stated, drawing up a card and setting it down on the table for the others to see. A green dragon on the card face was closing its scaled coils around the blade of a golden sword.

"A conspiracy of magiks," Mayhem said. "I arrived moments after Havoc found it. A middle-aged man, or was at one point in time. His eyes were flawlessly removed and he was pretty much eviscerated, drained of its fluids. Primarily his blood."

Hysteria gave a loud whine, flinging herself at Riot. "Wah! It sounds so scary, ne? Ne? Ne?"

"Hey! Get offa me!" Riot protested, trying to fend her off.

Mayhem rolled his eyes.

"Why weren't we told about this last night?" Ruckus asked. "At the very least we should have sensed something.

"There were no residuals," Havoc answered. "Whatever had been there seemed to possess a power to wipe clean any traces of its existence. It came, killed, and slipped out. I don't even know what kind of magik it was."

"Some host," Carnage growled. "You can't even ensure the safety of your guests, Chaos."

Chaos' eyes narrowed. "You weren't exactly helping me either, Carnage. Either way, by all accounts the magik this party-crasher used is definitely unique; when you sense it, you'll know."

"If we sense it," Mayhem cut in. He motioned to the card. "I only drew Conspiracy of Magiks once before, and that was before the Senshi began sealing us away one by one. But something's not right here. This time the rules of the game are changing."

He fanned out his deck of cards acros the table and snapped his fingers. One card abruptly stood up, pivoted to reveal its face and then dropped to the table again. There stood a figure hung in a tangled skein of chains, the runes of "Sacrifice" etched in a scroll that was slowly wrapping itself through the chains.

"We're not the only players here in Tokyo," Mayhem said solemnly. "If we don't watch it, returning to the Pandora Boxes will be the least of our concerns."

"You sound as if your evening wasn't enjoyable," Riot remarked.

Mayhem shook his head. "That's beside the point. Last night was only a prelude--and I for one am not about to make the same mistake that got me locked away for a few thousand years."

Ruckus clasped his hands together, drawing them away to reveal a silver rose hovering in between his fingers. The rose abruptly burst into flames, a beautiful dance of fire that swirled in the air. "One only has a will to survive if one has a heart to love. What would keep you here?"

Mayhem stiffened, grey eyes narrowing. Abruptly the rose of fire was consumed, snuffed out as a blanket of ice wrapped itself around the flower, turning silver into shades of blue.

"Your use of poetry is impressive," Mayhem stated, drawing out a card. "However I hold little use for it at this moment in time."

"What the hell happened to you?" Carnage asked, a dark grin on her face. "Did someone get to dance with your girlfriend?" It was almost savagely evident that she was seeing if she could push him; Mayhem was definitely not in a good mood after that remark from Ruckus.

Yet that didn't seem to do anything to Mayhem. In fact quite an opposite result happened: Mayhem smiled. He chuckled, causing most everyone else to exchange confused glances with each other.

Mayhem laughed, and then shook his head as he suddenly released the card in his hands. The second it was gone from hi grip, his eyes turned vicious. "Baka," he snarled.

The card struck the tabletop.

And out from the glowing face exploded a ball of fire that tried to smash itself into Carnage's face. Carnage never flinched. The flames came to a crashing stop a few inches from her face, the fireball scattering to the point where Mayhem could see Carnage grinning at him through the inferno. Carnage knew she didn't need to waste magik on his attack; she'd rather let another instead.

The inferno dissipated, leaving behind one of Chaos' spheres of illusion. "That's quite enough, Mayhem," Chaos said slowly. "If you don't want to discuss your night then that's your choice. However I would ask you to refrain from using your tarot cards against the rest of the Court." Mayhem nodded. "Hai."

"Oh! Isn't Mayhem-chan just so kawaii when angry!?" Hysteria piped up happily.

"Oh yes, isn't he?" commented Riot under his breath just loud enough for Mayhem to hear. Mayhem promptly glared at him as both Riot and Ruckus attempted to stifle a new giggling fit.

"Anyone else?" rang out Chaos' voice to regain control over the court.

There was a brief silence as Carnage and Hysteria exchanged looks. Hysteria's eyes went wide as she realized that she was supposed to give a brief summary of the evening.

"Well, Chaos-chan's kawaii little party was very kawaii," started Hysteria extending the "e" in "very" for emphasis. "Hysteria just loved all the kawaii decorations and kawaii masked-chans and the kawaii music! Hysteria thinks that her masked-chans need some fashion help, but Kawaii little Hysteria found some new kawaii masked-chans to talk to and be around anyways! Hysteria even got to dance with someone!!! But then the most unkawaii things happened!"

Hysteria's eyes got glossy as she recalled what happened at the masquerade. Why couldn't everyone just have a night of pure kawaii fun?

Oh well, such was the way of life...

"Hysteria was playing with her tiger-chan and went to say hello to Hysteria's blue-masked-chan, but she fell down and died! So, kawaii little Hysteria went to find help! When Hysteria went to where all the kawaii masked-chans were, there was a lot of unkawaii fighting going on!! Waah! Poor kawaiilittle

Hysteria couldn't find any help!!"

"That was very nice of you, Hysteria," Chaos cut in, growing a little impatient with her supposedly brief synopsis. Some of the court started fidgeting as her news wasn't really that important.

"Thank you Chaos-chan!!!" Hysteria squealed. She flipped back more stray hair that kept falling out from her high energy.

"So, kawaii little Hysteria snuck around trying to find someone to help, when this ugly warrior came out of nowhere! Hysteria didn't like the unkawaii warrior! Hysteria just knew some masked-chan was going to get hurt!!"

Havoc raised a questioning eyebrow at her last statement. "You knew?"

"Uh-huh!!" said Hysteria, bobbing her head up and down enthusiastically. "Ugly warrior blew a hole through Chaos-chan's chest and Hysteria wanted to help poor Chaos-chan! But, Hysteria was very afraid and hid under a kawaii table-chan. But, Hysteria DID find help for poor Chaos-chan!! Riot-chan found kawaii little Hysteria and together found poor Chaos-chan!!!"

Hysteria jumped up for emphasis and hugged Riot, who just merely patted her back and dismissed the hug. Hysteria didn't seem to notice and sat down as abruptly as she had gotten up; all with an enormous grin on her face. "Chaos-chan! We could all dress up in kawaii frilly aprons for the next kawaii little party, ne? Ne!?"

Chaos immediately looked to the rest of the court, a rather alarmed look on his face. "Um...."

Carnage glanced at Hysteria sharply, her pearl black eyes searing into her cheerful aqua green ones. "Hush!" She hissed. Hysteria's lips quivered, and she bowed her head.

"Then next kawaii time after that maybe?" She said, looking up with a hopeful grin. Everyone's head hit the table.

Riot recovered quickly with a nervous laugh, "Well Carnage, what about you? You've been rather quiet so far."

Carnage glanced over at Chaos, who was smiling at her. A burst of anger that was nearly tangible gripped her for a moment. His teasing emerald eyes seemed to harden. He wouldn't be down spoken at his own meeting. Not while he sat in the Dragon's Mouth at any rate.

She might as well begin, "There wasn't much to do, so I made the best of it."

Ruckus put a hand over his mouth to hide a smile, "Yes, your punch was quite a hit."

"Don't remind me," Chaos said,rubbing the back of his head.

Carnage's lips twitched, "Well, doesn't it always? I spotted the Senshi Jupiter, or as she is known, Kino Makoto"

She raised a hand and the visiage of the Sailor appeared in the center of the table." I led her into Anarchy's Labyrinth, where I had intended..." She glared at Chaos for emphasis, "To play a game with her. She was going to lose, and then, well, you know, Chaos was attacked and I was too weak to make it out of the maze without help." She folded her arms in front of her, "I had to let her go."

"I note you assume I would have let you killed her in the first place," Chaos countered. "We're here to play our games, not start a war, Carnage."

Riot raised an eyebrow, "But what about before that, when you danced with that guy? You looked like you were actually enjoying yourself."

Carnage's appearance didn't alter, as she suavely smiled and shrugged, inside she raged a moment for the fact that he had been watching her. "Oh, and I saw an old friend of yours."

Riot looked confused, "Who?"

"Lady Ravage."

"That's right!" Ruckus laughed. "How was the old windbag?"

"Other than dead?" Havoc added.

Carnage touched the painful area of her side where Ravage had lunged for her, "Quite well, I can assure you."

She glared into Chaos's unwavering eyes, hating him for everything that had happened. Hating him for not caring, hating him for once again interrupting her games. Before he could even dismiss the meeting, She stood up and disappeared from view.

"Ara ara," Ruckus said. "That went rather well, for Carnage at least."

Hysteria bobbed her head. "Hai! Carnage-chan didn't destroy any more kawaii little pieces of furniture this time!"

Chaos rolled his eyes. "Pleasant as always."

Abruptly a crystal illusion made itself known, the shimmering orb hovering next to Chaos' face and flashing with a deep blue light. Chaos' eyes narrowed. "So soon, my mysterious benefactor?" he mused.

Hysteria's childish grin faded for a moment in her curiousity. "Na ni?"

"If you'll excuse me, there's another matter I need to attend to," Chaos said, standing up from the dragon throne and kicking off into the air. He looked over at Ruckus. "Host the gathering for the moment, will ya? I shouldn't be gone all that long."

Moments later both Chaos and the orb disappeared.

"Wah!" Hysteria pouted. "Chaos-chan and Carnage-chan left before Hysteria could show them her kawaii little frilly aprons! Everyone's so mean to poor kawaii little Hysteria!"

Riot winced. "Yare yare, maybe we should have asked to have gone with him."

* * *

Michael stared out at the night sky, his eyes drifting back down to the crystal card in his hands. Already he had broken it to call in a favor Chaos claimed to owe him; he just hoped he wouldn't regret this. But how long would it take an Elven lord of illusions to answer something as strange as breaking a card in half?

"Normally I'd ask you to leave a message at the beep," remarked a voice. "But in this case I don't think I could have refused to put in an appearance." Michael turned around, yet saw only a dark and empty apartment rooftop. That voice...it had sounded like Chaos' but no one was here. Thinking he had just imagined it, Michael looked back at the sprawling city.

He nearly recoiled upon seeing Chaos there, the Elven playking seated leisurely on the edge of the roof, one leg danging over the side. "Are you deliberately trying to give me a heart attack?" Michael snapped.

Chaos shrugged indifferently, a devilish smile on his face as he turned his head to stare up at the moon. The pale reflection made his skin appear almost white, the winds blowing back his silver hair to reveal his sloped ears. More now than ever, with the expanse of Tokyo behind him, Chaos looked like an ancient element out of his true realm.

"I hardly doubted you broke that card just to reminisce about last night," Chaos said. "What is it you want from me, Michael?"

"Downstairs, my friend Mamoru is looking like someone just gunned down his family right in front of him. He is suffering like nothing I've ever seen before and I want to stop it."

Michael sighed and started pacing a little while Chaos watched him, uncertain of what he wanted. Michael looked down at his feet as he drew in his next breath.

"He and his girlfriend Usagi just broke up...rather painfully. And it's a direct result of the events of last night." Michael held up his hand quickly as Chaos started to say something. "I'm not saying it was you!

Frankly, I don't think you had anything to do with it. For some reason, I trust you."

Michael started rubbing his hands to keep warm. All of a sudden, he stopped and stared right at Chaos. "They'll never be able to salvage their relationship they have if there is a repeat of last night. Mamoru is one of the only friends I have and I'm going to help him anyway I can."

All of a sudden, Michael's demeanor became calm. He smiled and did the V sign with his fingers. "Justice must be served! I don't know who started this game. I don't care who's involved. But end it as soon as possible. Mamoru and Usagi are off limits. No more games for them...ever! If anyone has a problem with that, they can take it up with me. You do that, Chaos, and I'll owe you one."

Chaos blinked, looking back out at the nightscape of the city.

"Shimatta!" he sighed. "I thought you wanted me to help you move some furniture or something."

He stood and somersaulted gracefully over Michael's head, landing just a few steps away. His usual grin was gone, and now the Elven playking looked quite serious.

"You realize that you've placed me in a most inconvenient situation, Michael. One of the rules of our Elven games is that under no means should one interfere with another's game unless extreme circumstances such as death dictate. You realize this is not such a case. I could pull that off with my powers, but to blatantly break a rule such as that would be to abuse my title as Playking. And yet on the other hand if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here talking to you about this."

Chaos placed his hands behind his back and took a few steps around the rooftop, lost in his own thoughts and musings. On occasion he would glance over to Michael and the crystal card in Michael's hands. Finally Chaos straightened up and addressed his mysterious benefactor:

"Alright then. Riot and Ruckus won't play games with Usagi and Mamoru from here on in. I guarantee those two will hold a vendetta against you for this, but I can handle them in terms of your friend. However, don't expect me to step in should they come to you to settle this. If you want me to help you then, you'd better make sure I owe you another debt."

Chaos held out his hand. "Are we in agreement?"

Michael looked down at Chaos' hand and took a deep breath. He stretched out his own hand and gripped Chaos', shaking it. The deal had been made.

"Yes."

Abruptly something flickered in Chaos' eyes. A playful smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he released Michael's hand. Opening up his palm Chaos produced a crystal illusion. The orb shimmered in the pale moonlight of the city.

"Give this to Mamoru," Chaos instructed. "The crystal will be absorbed into him upon touching it, and pass onto Usagi when Mamoru touches her. Within this illusion is a magik that will counteract what has been done."

He tossed the crystal into the air. Michael let out a shout and leaped forward upon realizing that the crystal's throw was too short. Yet it was too late, Michael crashing to the roof, his splayed hands just a few feet away from the sphere as it struck.

But it didn't shatter.

In fact it bounced almost like a rubber ball, spinning back into the air and coming to land softly in his hands. Chaos chuckled, arms crossed over his chest as he started walking towards the edge of the apartment tower.

"Gomen nasai," the Elven lord said. "If it had been another day I could have simply snapped my fingers, and the illusion would have been forged. But thanks to last night's party-crasher if I wish to conserve me energy and heal, I have to forge the crystal first and then the illusion within the crystal."

"Either way," Michael stated, picking himself off the ground and wincing at his scuffed elbows. "You don't know how much this means to me, Chaos."

"Desperate people will commit to desperate acts without fully thinking it through."

That statement puzzled Michael. He glanced over his shoulder, only to see Chaos perched on the edge of the tower. The Elven Playking stared down at the ground far below, a solitary car's headlights marking the end of a descent. Off in the distance another flash of light erupted.

"Oh, and Michael," Chaos added over his shoulder.

"Hm?"

"You shouldn't trust anyone fully--not even me."

Chaos pivoted around, extending his arms in a grandiose fashion before pitching backwards and falling off the side of the apartment. Michael shook his head, not even bothering to race and look over the side; knowing that character, Chaos would have already disappeared by the time he dropped out of sight.

But it was those last two remarks that Chaos had made that caused Michael to feel suddenly uneasy. Was there something he had missed? Abruptly the crystal he held caught a beam of moonlight, resonating in

his hands. Michael took one last look at Chaos' final perch, and then started down the stairs to return to Mamoru's apartment.

* * *

Havoc stood. "Well, if everyone's leaving to go do whatever, I'm splitting too. It's not like I have a game I want to play right at the moment." He hoisted his blade unto his shoulders, and looked at Mayhem, pointedly ignoring the twins. "Tell Chaos I'll go with him to that prison-"

"School," corrected Mayhem.

"*school*, and that he can come wake me up tomorrow morning when he's ready." With a neat 'lil flash, Havoc left the meeting.

Hysteria's eyes got wide with delight. She ran up to Mayhem; pulling on the ends of his shirt and wrinkling it completely.

"Ooooh! Mayhem-chan!! Can Hysteria go to the kawaii little prison too!? Can she, can she, can she, can she?! Chaos-chan asked if kawaii little Hysteria wanted to go! Hysteria wants to go too!!!! Hysteria just LOVES her kawaii little games!!!!"

With that, Hysteria danced happily around the table singing about what a kawaii time the court was going to have at the "kawaii little prison" the next day.

* * *

Carnage appeared in her room, fuming. She glared at her throne, and the sparkling stream that ran beside it. She let out a angry yowl, and clenched her fists, until the tips of her claws dug painfully into her palms. Why did he have to do these things to her? She had been so close. So close she could almost feel herself cutting the throat of that senshi. She unsheathed her claws and called forth a simple illusion of Chaos's image. She slashed it into bits. It faded away, making her angrier.

She closed her eyes, listening to sound of the burbling stream. It beckoned. She walked up to it slowly and put her hand in it's piercing cold waters. She liked it that way. The angrier she was, the colder the water would run. It never froze, but she could tell it was only a few degrees above freezing right now.

On an impulse she stripped her clothing off, and pulled the cord from her hair that kept it in it's tight braid, and slowly walked into the water. The slim stream expanded into a larger waterfall. She forced herself to calm down, and the water began to warm. She knew Chaos had designed the stream to be like that, so that if she went in, she would have to relax, or she'd freeze to death. When the water became a temperature she could handle, she sank gratefully into the water.

She closed her eyes and let her mind drift from her lingering weakness and the pain in her side. She listen to the shifts in the Magiks, as the Elvens returned to their own areas of the castles. Something came quite close to her for a moment. Probably just Chaos or one the others checking in on her. But the sensation lingered. She pushed at them with her Magik, that she didn't want to be disturbed right now.

"I trust I'm not disturbing you, Carnage."

It was Chaos's voice, echoing in her own chamber.

She leapt from the bath and covering her dignity with an arm. Her eyes narrowed and the water went cold around her legs. Chaos materialized beside the stream, and yet upon seeing her didn't even blink twice. His gaze was as even as it usually was, though not without a playful glance at her chest.

"Hentai," she snapped.

"Please," he sighed, waving it aside. "You know very well that sort of thing doesn't faze me anymore."

She walked out of the water, and raised a hand, a black kimono fell into it with the kanji for Carnage on it in red. She slid it on as Chaos began to speak.

"You shouldn't have left the meeting, Carnage."

Carnage tied the sash around her waist quickly, "And why not?" She resisted calling him half the names she had been thinking of since last night.

"Look, it you're going to be this temperamental it's not going to work. I can't have my Court acting like children and pouting in a corner when things don't go their way. That is the nature of a game: it is a highly fluid situation and sometimes we can't anticipate everything. Do you think I was planning on ending my evening by getting a hole blasted through my chest?"

Her long black hair was still wet from the stream. She looked different with her hair down, it at once both softened her face, and made her look more wild.

She crossed her arms. "What difference would it have made? I wouldn't get to play my games. I never had the chance last night."

Chaos's eyes narrowed. "I make no apologies for using your own powers to keep myself alive. I for one treasure life--namely my own. And that was a risk you knew might happen when you took the mantle of Carnage. Should it happen to you I would make the same allowances with my own magik to preserve your life, so don't act so self-righteous."

Dark laughter came from Carnage's lips. "You never did know when to give up, Chaos. But I should warn you that there's a fine line between arrogance and tenacity."

"Is that a threat?"

More laughter. "Depends on how secure you feel with your illusions. And now if you'll excuse me, Chaos, I have other matters to attend to."

She brushed past him, retreating to her own chambers. Chaos waited until her echoing footsteps were silent, and the resounding Thud! of a closing door was heard.

He rolled his eyes. "Well, that could have gone better."

And with that he disappeared to leave Carnage to her own devices.

* * *

Chaos reappeared in the place of their meeting, the chairs now empty and the room deserted. "Shimatta," he muttered. He was hoping to calm down Carnage and get her to return to the gathering, and yet now it looked like even he was too late.

"Now where did everyone go?" Chaos asked, more to himself than anyone else.

"You should know, you are the Playking after all."

Chaos recognized the voice, and out of the shadows came the twins, looking rather somber. "I'd never get a moments rest if I kept tags on everyone all of the time," he replied in a mock tone.

Ruckus stepped forward leisurely and rested on the back of his chair. "Everything was running smoothly until Hysteria insisted on holding a kawaii little tea party. Needless to say the gathering ended rather abruptly."

Riot stepped forward in a hostile manner, speaking in an accusing tone. "Something has happened. The magiks instilled in Usagi are no more, and I gather you know something about, ne?"

Chaos stood up straight and spoke in a grave tone. "I need to speak with you two about that." He took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "This game of yours with Usagi and Mamoru," he said finally. "I regret that I must inform you of its end."

He might as well have slapped both of the twins in their faces.

"N-nai ni?!" Riot exclaimed.

"That goes against one of the principle rules of our Elven games," Ruckus stated solemnly. "No outside interference whatsoever unless the circumstances are extreme. This wasn't the case...and you damn well know it, Chaos."

Chaos nodded. "All too well. However, I was placed in a damned-either-way situation. I know the rules; I honor them as a Playking rightfully should. But the human who saved my life last night called in a favor, and that favor was to destroy the magik you wove on Usagi."

"Kon chikusho...!!" Riot snarled, his hair suddenly blowing around his face. The aura of his magik was starting to manifest aggressively against Chaos.

"Wait for a moment, brother," Ruckus countered. "I can see in Chaos' eyes that he's not finished talking yet." Ruckus turned to Chaos. "Your fate depends on how you answer, Chaos. This would be the very excuse Carnage wants in order to exile you from the Court--and if she can, steal your powers."

"In the end my debt of honor destroyed your magik, and thus ending your game," Chaos stated. "And for that I do apologize because it looked like you were having so much fun. My benefactor also asked that you two not interfere with either Usagi or Mamoru again."

"And you granted this as well?" Riot sputtered.

"Now now," Chaos chided, a dark smile appearing on his face. "I told him that Riot and Ruckus would never touch Usagi and Mamoru ever again...but I never said anything about either the rest of the Court, or their friends. And with my debt wiped clean, he can't go back on our agreement."

"Do tell," Ruckus said.

Chaos' legs lifted off the ground, and he leisurely sat hovering in the air. "In his desperation he failed to see the double-edged sword within my words. Damn, I love loopholes! While you two cannot go after Usagi and Mamoru, I can. If you two require their services for one of your games, all you have to do is simply go through me."

"A third party system isn't exactly the simplest of methods," Riot sighed. "But at least it's better than nothing at all to work with."

Chaos nodded. "Ah, already I can see your minds working around this little snare. And might I add that Mamoru and Usagi both have large groups of friends--many of whom are Sailor Senshi."

Ruckus started to chuckle. It wouldn't take much to exploit these friendships, ne, brother?"

"A longer route to get to Usagi and Mamoru," Riot mulled over. "However this does pose new possibilities."

"Hai hai," Chaos sighed. "You can't directly interfere with that couple, but wouldn't it be unfortunate if your games with their friends happened to cross into their world.

"I do have one request," Riot said. "A name."

"Indeed," Ruckus agreed. "Who's the one who made the demand to end our game, Chaos?

Chaos shook his head, refusing their request. "Not yet. The game's only begun to get interesting, and he could prove a useful player in the future. You'll get your chance for revenge...we all will."

Ruckus looked to his twin. "Shall we adjourn for the moment?"

With a nod, Riot opened up his hand to reveal a handful of delicate petals in his palm. With a blow from his lips the blossoms scattered and suddenly became a fierce storm within the chambers. A fury of cherry blossoms swirled around them, causing Chaos to wince and turn his head. His eyes only left them for a moment, but it was all the two needed. By the time he turned back, they were gone.

Chaos sighed, shaking his head as he looked down at a petal-laiden floor. "Their flamboyant exits I can live with," he remarked. "But I'm the one who always gets to clean up this kind of mess."

Yet with their absence, the grin on his face slowly faded.

He leaned out the window, arms placed on the stone frames. Far below the savage gardens that were a part of his own home bloomed, a place he could never truly return to except for within the dream of an illusion. No matter how real it looked, it would never be reality.

Love was so much like this.

Emerald green eyes narrowed as a distant face from a distant memory appeared before him like a ghost from the past. His smile was all she had wanted, and yet in the end their last moments together all he could remember were those tears of sadness flowing down her cheeks.

"Bakayaro," he muttered. "You humans trust too much. I cannot even trust myself, so why should that be any different for you, Michael?"

* * *

"You did what?!" Mamoru waited until stopping a light to glance over at the non-chalant person sitting next to him. "Are you crazy? Those elves are dangerous!"

"Have a little faith in me, Mamoru. I know what I'm doing." Michael said without looking forward.

"How can you be so confident? That crystal could very well have been some kind of intensifier, making me weak against their powers." Michael didn't reply and continued to watch the road.

Mamoru turned back to watch the road and reflected on his life. There was a time when he would have been afraid to have friends, for fear of pushing them away or losing them like his parents. Aside from Motoki and possibly Fiore, he had been a loner, unwilling to let others near.

Making friends in the States had been a big step for him. Mamoru had learned to open himself up more and trust others than just himself. For the first time in his life, he felt like a normal person. It was now, with the threat of the elven court, did he know what Usagi meant so long ago when they first met; about just wanting to be a normal person.

Michael once told him that, 'People like us aren't lucky enough to be normal. We should accept what we were meant to be; trouble makers.'

And he was right in a way. Mamoru's life has been . . . interesting, to say the least. Still, he wouldn't trade what he had for the blandest existence in the world. He loved Usagi more than life itself. It was time to stop running away.

"Michael . . ." Mamoru started. Michael looked over at Mamoru. "What you did for me, with the card I mean, was the most selfless action I have ever seen. I just wanted to say thank you. Is there

anything I can do to make this up to you?" Michael grinned.

"Weeeellllll, I would appreciate being able to stay in the country instead of going back to the states. A lot of strange stuff is going on and I want to be here when it happens. You may still need my help with those pointy-eared adversaries. Plus, you heard the spooky lady last night on the way to the ball. Voochko is loose."

"No problem." Mamoru nodded. "I'll make the arrangements."

"All right!" Michael smiled.

* * *

The two of them stood underneath Usagi's windowsill for a good five minutes in silence. They looked up at the second story room as the moon seemed to shine ever more brightly through the night sky. Mamoru sighed and Michael took it as his cue to leave.

"See ya, Mamoru. It's a lovely night to walk back to the apartment." Michael took off and Mamoru barely noticed he was gone. Mamoru looked up at the window.

"Usako . . ." he wispered.

Mamoru entered silently through the window, dressed as Tuxedo Kamen. He looked around the room, careful not to disturb anything. Usagi had cried herself to sleep and wouldn't wake up unless it was a pretty loud noise. Luna had been missing for a while, so she wasn't there either. Mamoru sat on the edge of her bed.

"Usako, I wish I could express how my heart aches when I see you so sad. I want nothing more in the world than to convey that you don't have to feel guilty about what happened. Please forgive me for leaving you alone."

Mamoru leaned over and kissed Usagi on the forehead. There was a soft glow as the power of the crystal erased all traces of Riot and Ruckus's influence over her. The elves may not be able to fool her anymore, but it would be up to Mamoru and Usagi to repair their relationship. He was about to leave the way he came when a noise came from outside the room.

"Usagi? Are you asleep?" Mamoru gasped. It was Ikuko Tsukino, Usagi's mother. Mamoru leapt out the window, spun in mid-air, and hung by his hands on the windowsill.

Ikuko slowly entered Usagi's room and stood over her, watching her sleep. She had been worried that Usagi would be losing sleep ever since she came home in that distraught state and the nightmare she had earlier on. She sighed and started shivering. The window was open and a cold breeze flowed in.

She walked over and tried to close the window. It wouldn't go down all the way for some reason. She raised the window again and slammed it down hard. For a split second, Ikuko could swear she heard someone scream and crash into the bushes bellow, but dismissed it as her imagination.

Mamoru, detransformed, crawled out of the (ironically enough) rose bushes in a lot of pain. He struggled to his feet and stumbled to the car.

"I did it! Or at least, stopped the elves, if at least a little bit. Did you see that crash, Michael?" Mamoru lifted his head and looked around. "Michael? Now where'd he go?"

* * *

"Elves?! Where the hell did they come from? And who ARE all these Senshi?" Jedite sunk back into the throne room chair, trying not to get overly upset. He was finally understanding why Queen Beryl was so cranky all the time; if she had to deal with things like this on a regular basis.

"Ohhh . . . my blood pressure is going to skyrocket if this keeps up." he groaned. It was moments like this that he actually wished that some of the other Generals were still alive; if only to take a little of the burden off his shoulders.

Jedite's head snapped up as something connected in his mind. It hit him; why COULDN'T there be more generals? All he really needed was the proper crop of recruits and the Dark Kingdom would be well on it's way back to full power.

But . . . who?

Jedite started pacing as he mulled over his options. So far, he only had personal experience with five Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, and one elf. While all powerful in their own right, very few of those would be General material.

He turned to Beryl's crystal ball and started to summon information on his first choice; the sword wielding, alien Senshi in hot pants. She seemed powerful enough and something about her was very familiar.

The crystal ball started summoning forth the information on Sailor Star Healer. At first, Jedite was unimpressed. Then . . . a little bit of knowledge that trickled by caught his eye. His face drained of color and he found himself having trouble forcing the words forth.

"Queen . . . Metallia's . . . . GRANDDAUGHTER?!?" This was incredible. From all the time he knew "her", Metallia had been a blob of floating energy, but it turned out that "she" had physical form once. Will wonders never cease?

This "Sailor Star Healer" would be the perfect first recruit for the new Dark Kingdom generals. Jedite started formulating plots and plans in his head. He would first need to gather information, in order to find the perfect opportunity to capture her.

At his mental command, three Youma appeared, bowing before him. They looked like three normal human girls at the moment, but Jedite knew what their true forms were.

"You called us, your highness?" the leader said in a servile tone. Jedite surpressed a smile. He was beginning to see the appeal of being called that.

"I want you to find out where and when this Star Healer comes and goes. Report back to me when you have determined the next time she will be in the open, so we can capture her. According to the records I have accessed from Metallia's personal files, her real name is Yaten Kou."

"Yes master!" The three youma vanished. Jedite sat back down and smiled broadly. Today was looking up.

The Youma were wandering the streets of Tokyo and wishing they had worn warmer clothing. All they could think was, 'What person in his right mind would be doing out at this time of night?' They bumped into a human since they weren't looking.

"Oh, excuse us." the Youma said simultaneously. The human nodded in acknowledgement.

"No problem. My fault." Michael said and continued on his way.

As the Youma stopped briefly, a poster on the telephone pole caught their eyes. It was an advertisement for benefit concert given the next day by the Three Lights.

"Hey, look! Isn't that Yaten Kou?" the redhead asked.

"Why, so it is! We found what we came here for." the blonde said, smiling.

"That was quick! Let's get out of here. I'm freezing." The brunette said, chattering.

The Youma snatched the poster and vanished into thin air.

Michael grumbled to himself as he wandered down the Tokyo suburb street. What was he thinking? Come to Japan and try to wander the streets a few days later.

Michael's breath came out in a fog. It was so cold that he wouldn't be able to take much more of this. He decided to knock at the next house and ask for directions.

The symbols on the door said "Mi . . .zu . . . no." Michael raised his hand to knock, sure he'd heard that name before.

Ami slipped off her outfit, and ran her head under-neath the faucet. Somehow, with blood rushing to her face, and the hot-water flowing down her scalp, it made her feel relaxed. Ami wanted to grasp that moment; that's how she wanted to feel forev-

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Ami gritted her teeth.

"HELLO?! ANYONE HOME?!" CRACK CRACK! "HELLO?!"

Ami flipped her head over, and bore it up in a small towel angrily. Couldn't she enjoy life's pleasures for ONE FREEZING MOMENT?!

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

"I'm going to remove the doorknocker from its base," said Ami quickly, tying up tight a blue robe all around her. The warmth of water trickled down her neck, as she went downstairs.

CRACK! CRACK! CRA-

Ami threw the door open, and yelled as it slammed, "WHAT?!"

"Sorry to be bothering you, but I was hoping you could give me directions to . . . . . . . you?!" Michael recoiled as he recognized the girl at the door. "You're . . . Ami, right? I remember you from the ball."

Ami suddenly realized who it was too, and clutched at her chest, pulling the robe tighter. "It's night time, what are you doing?! How do you know where I live?"

"Hey, hey! Chill, I just wanted some directions...speaking of chill, it's FREEZING out here! How do you stand it?"

Ami was in no mood for small talk, let alone company...but then…she couldn't let him freeze outside, now could she?

With a sigh, she gestured inside. "Come in, or you'll get sick from being out there."

"Geez, and I thought the States were cold," said Michael, coming in at a gallop. He instantly saw the fireplace, and sat himself in front, shaking like a leaf. "Anyway, it's not like I tried to come here on purpose; I was with Mamoru."

"Mamoru-san? Why? Where is he?"

Michael hesitated, as Ami rushed in, "Where is he? Did you two have an argument of some sorts, and he's kicked you out?"

Michael threw up his hands. "No! No, nothing like that."

Ami crossed her arms on the staircase, as she ascended two steps. "Then what?"

Michael didn't say anything, he figured it was Mamoru's and Usagi's business until it became clear that they couldn't handle things themselves.

"Nothing...forget I said anything..."

Ami looked at his back for a moment, then went upstairs. She was going to put her clothes back on, but instead, took off her robe, and sank into the tub. She unraveled her hair, and relaxed. Mamoru would come pick Michael up when he was good and ready, she supposed.

That's when it caught her eye. The card. She had a book next to it, blue in nature, that had somehow fallen in with the others. But since receiving it, she hadn't been able to put it down, and was actually starting to decipher the runes. So far, she came came up with what looked like a vowel, but now she was ready.

She picked up the book, and thought hard, playing with the card in her other hand, her knees poking out of the water of the furo to balance the book.

~ Looking forward to see you again...Looking forward...Well, according to this book, these runes mean...Hey! That looks like an R...NA NI?!~

"RUCKUS?!" said Ami loudly in disbelief. Her feet slipped, and she lost balance as her legs flew up and the book, her head, and the card flew underwater.

Ruckus! Michael's head perked up as he heard that name. That was the second time today he had heard that name; the first being from. . . Chaos! That was one of the elves responsible for . . .

"What about Ruckus?!" Michael shouted, his tone taking a decidedly hostile turn. He stood and waited a while for Ami to come back downstairs, her robe wrapped tightly about her.

Ami had blushed as she came up out of the water, in time to hear Michael shout out a question. "Nothing!" she shouted back. "Just...making a list of the elves we're aware of; I had forgotten Ruckus's name!"

She quickly decided that now really wasn't a time to finish a bath, and drew on her robe. She pulled the card and the book out of the water, but what was startling was that the book wasn't even wet!

"What have I got here?" she whispered, running to her bedroom to change.

She could have sworn while dressing that Michael had called her name, so after changing to a elongated blue sweater and white leggings, she walked downstairs.

"Did you say some . . . .?" She didn't finish her sentence when she saw the rather angry and disgusted look on Michael's face. "What's this all about?" Then she remembered the earlier question put

to her. "How do you know Ruckus?"

Michael sighed as the malice drained from his face and motioned for Ami to sit down as he took a seat. Curious, she sat down and he seemed under much strain.

"It's obvious to me that you are a good friend to both Mamoru and Usagi, so I think I owe it to you to fill you in on what's going on. Can you promise me that you'll listen to what I have to say?"

Ami nodded, and fidgeted with a couch pillow's fringe.

Michael sighed and started telling her everything he knew about this situation, with a little detail of how he came to know about the Senshi, coming to Japan, watching Usagi and Mamoru break up, and finishing up with the figurative deal with the devil he made with Chaos.

Ami blinked a few times after finishing. "My...word..."

"I don't know Usagi and talking to her would be a waste of time. While I'm sure that if left alone, Mamoru and Usagi can patch up their relationship, I am trusting Chaos less and less. Can you help me? Keep an eye on things? Mamoru told me once about some kind of VR glasses you use. They might be able to pierce illusions."

"That's true, my VR has help me see through illusions before, such as a battle with Queen Beryl..." Ami looked away for a moment.

"So many years ago, I used it...and had been burned...my neck broken.."

Now Michael blinked. "That sounds...rather harsh."

"Ah, don't pity me now. I don't remember anything after the snap, so they must have crushed at the second or first cerebral disc.

Anyways, I haven't used my visor in a while, and these aren't grade B illusions we're dealing with."

Michael raised an eyebrow. Broke her neck? Shouldn't she be dead, or paralyzed, or something. Well, whatever happened, Ami seems fine now.

"I'm sorry to hear about that. Well, if we can't use the VR glasses, I'd still appreciate your help with Usagi. Um, and if it's not too much trouble, could you direct me back to Mamoru's apartment?

I'm kind of lost."

Ami smiled (a little sadly, it seemed to Michael...nah), and she gave him directions, plus some chump change to hail a taxi with in case he didn't want to really freeze.

"Thanks, Ami!" said Michael, waving as he left.

"Ja...ne!" she called half-heartedly, then shut the door. She leaned against it, thinking for a moment that Michael didn't seem all that bad for an American. He seemed rather nice, and acted a lot cooler than most people would if they found out that their closest friends were crime/evil pirits/daimon/jabberwockies fighters. Oh, well. Go and explain human nature once more, ne?

* * *

Scene opens, with RPG cam panning the living room of their 3rd story apartment - Pizza boxes, empty soda cans, and Bon-Bon wrappers litered everywhere. Oh the shame of it all, but what a sight to see...

And find an apartment they did. On the corner of Showa-dori ave.

It wasnt exactly ...urm... "Health Department Certified", but it was theirs - take that for what you will.

Anyway, it was another rainy day in Tokyo - for the 3rd day in the row. Aya had found a job as a secretary in some big corporation's office. Ker, on the other hand, had found herself glued to the television each day - Literally. The day they got into the apartment and were moving in, Ker either lied around all day and popped Bon-Bons or wasn't there. So, when she came home - finally -and sat in front of the TV, Aya tricked her into placing her face RIGHT on the screen, then POW! Aya smacked her with a newspaper coated with glue, and thats all she wrote.

Ker looked at the clock resting on the TV set. "Ugh... 5:53... Aya's home soon... better clean up-" as she jerked her head away from the TV, she remembered why the house was still clean - she was still glued to the TV. "Damn you Aya.. Urg..." Then it happened. No, the glue didn't dissipate, but her ring flashed. Not just ANY ring, this was THE ring, it signalled when the powers granted to her were nessacery. Such a predicament... Then Ker had a bright idea, and thought to herself: (!!)

"Hey, Self, why don't I try to transform..? Mabye itll get ridda this glue..."

Kerrigan tried to bring her ring up as close to her chest as she could, holding her breath and sucking it all in, she yelped out the words "Collapse Star, Envision!" With that, the ring exploded with a burst of purple-ish blue energy, as did her forehead where her "symbol" appeared and her hail flew back. She hovered in the air, her hair flying high over her head, as her costume was "panted" onto her body by bursts of energy. Hey now! That did the trick!