WHOA! This is a LONGIE! Only read if you have ample time to. Anyways, I LIKE this part(not that it's good, but I like it still). Senshi finally show up here, for those who've asked, as do a few other people and some uninvited parts. And some other cool stuff. There's a couple Sailor Moon midis that should play in this story: an Outer Senshi one, "Carry On", and "The Ambition of the Death Busters" will probably work, too. Enough of my chatter--DISCLAIMERS: 1) No own. 2) Don't have a clue about apartments in Japan, or building as well. 3) I am the creater of the villians in this story, as well as one more character...*g* 4) I LOVE flowers. Adore them. Tried to spell them right. Yep, probable bad grammer, spelling here. 5) Some gore here, and lust. *g* 6) Read the end for a musing. This part is dedicated to JADE, for being a most EXCELLENT fan. Well, I have to go eat pizza with my exchange student! (she's here!) and watch the R and S movies, which Nick let me borrow today. (THANKS!) Please, enjoy. Feedback to tell me you hate it/love it is nice, too. The Four Lovers: Air On a Cosmic String IV. Firsts Here I wait in the Twilight 'neath The Flowering Apple Tree... Now that daylight is Faded and gone Now will she come to me? --"The Flowering Apple Tree" A beautiful song I hope to someday put on my page I'd stand in the rain... Deep in my shame Just to have you back --Country song with ?lyrics? not belonging to me. The flowers in her hand felt exceptionally heavy this time around. Not that they always felt light--that was silly-- but this was the five year anniversary of that day and....and it was hard. They finally had to accept what had happened, with five years between them and it. Hard wasn't the word for it. Hard didn't come near to describing it. In fact, the day seemed to clash and contribute with their sadness. It was one of those delicate days, with sunshine and clouds and blue sky and just a hint of a breeze all swirled together in one, fragile construct. Spring was in full evidence around them--trees leaving and flowering, sap rising thickly in their trunks; the days not too cold and not too hot; flowers bursting from nowhere all around them; and the smell of love and lust hot upon the air. Maybe that's what bothered her most. Five years she had to spiral away from life and slowly reel herself back in, and not a one of those years was she ever lost in a dreamy haze of love. Others were, like Amy (though she lost her man to a dream) and Raye (who lost hers out of that mixture of scorn she fed him) and Molly and Melvin and Andrew...it was infuriating. The mirror told her she was beautiful everyday, her friends told her she was beautiful, but no special guy ever said those words. She craved those words and "I love you" on about the same level now. The park was wide open, and still fresh even this late in the day. Unable to pick the blossoms of her favorite tree-- most likely because she didn't even know if it flowered--she had settled upon the flowers of a cherry tree. They were the soft, pink clusters she had loved, and loved more when... No. There was no point. Five years. She had to remember the five years.... Roses already lay on the spot they'd chosen, all together. That was before Raye and Amy had drifted away, their rage at Darien breaking them away from their group. she thought to herself, a whisper of a smile on her face. she cut that thought to lay down her blossoms. Amy and Raye had already put down their flowers of choice-- chrysanthemums and orchids, respectively--and now Mina laid down her lilies, white with just a hint of a gold sheen. Five stems, one for each year. Now she had to fight back tears. She always did at this moment. Raye and Mina didn't seem to care, though; they never did, letting the silver streams run blindly down their face. Amy was normally on the verge, but this year one or two slipped past her guards and spilled out. her mind whispered. One by one, she let the tears fall, fat drops plopping to the ground by the flowers. One would think they'd have let go with such a distance in time between them...but it was never easy to let go of a friend. Especially a girl like...like the one she'd knew. she cried to herself, and the tears ran a little faster. |Good-bye, Serena,| Raye suddenly whispered. |Good-bye, Serena,| Amy repeated numbly. |Good-bye, Serena,| she whispered, hating herself for letting the words pass her lips. Mina looked down at the flowers, but she didn't say a thing. Instead she just turned and quietly walked away. The three of them caught up with her outside the gate. She had taken out a small black pouch with a gold clasp, and was fumbling around in it. While the others looked at it curiously, Lita shook her head--but at the same time, she understood. Finally, she shook out one of small, thin American cigarettes, and her lighter. She expertly lit it before any of the others could snatch it away, and started down the street. "Still smoking, I see," Raye snapped. Mina didn't say a thing, and Lita quickly caught up beside her. "Uh-huh," she finally replied, exhaling a cloud of blue smoke. Lita felt her nose stiffen in repugnance. "You know, that's really bad for you," Amy perked up. Although her voice had lost its high edge over the years, she still could maneuver it into that range... Lita quickly calmed herself down. she thought softly. "It can cause heart disease, and cancer, and lung diseases like bronchitis and..." "I know, Amy," Mina replied, taking another drag. "The packs have warnings." "But you don't know..." "She knows." Her voice came out a little rougher than she hoped, and she could feel Amy cringe...but still, they gave her the same lecture everytime they saw a lighter flicker around her. True, it was a bad habit, but Mina KNEW that; if they kept bugging her like this, she'd smoke on her death bed. Tension seemed to sour after that, with Mina lighting another cigarette off her first and the rest of them in silence. Well, in sorta silence. Raye seemed to be having some sort of conversation with Amy, something about nasty people... A flurry of black hair caught her eye, and she smiled. "Good afternoon, Darien," she said politely, stopping her in her tracks. He rewarded her with a rare smile, which brightened when he saw the rest of them. her mind added, but she let the thought pass by. "Hey, Darien," Mina said, starting to take another drag. Calmly, he reached out and plucked the cigarette from her fingers, and ground it into a pulp. "Mina," he said, and she shifted her feet. Lita almost giggled; she knew Darien hated to see her smoke. "Darien," Amy said stiffly; Raye said nothing, but her eyes blazed. "Hello Amy, Raye," he said, his voice cordial but a little stiff. "I don't see you around much." "I have NOTHING to say to you," Raye replied harshly, then looked expectantly at Amy. "Um...I have a lot to do," Amy replied softly. "The hospital and all." "Perhaps..." "No," she said, glancing at Raye, "I can't. You know why." She took a step away, then added, "Good-bye." The two of then briskly walked off, Raye talking to Amy in a way as fast as her feet. "Those two," he sighed. "Some things never change." He shook his head, and added, "Happy fifth, ladies." "Nothing happy about it," she said bluntly. "That's the truth," Mina said darkly, eyes briefly filled with harsher emotions. "But we shouldn't talk about that here..." "Where is dinner tonight? I keep losing track," Lita broke in. "My place," Darien said with a grin; swiftly, it turned to a grimace, and a small sweat drop formed. "What?" Mina asked. "I forgot the groceries," he said. "Again." Mina smiled reassuringly, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's a day to forget," she said. He flinched. "I never will," he nearly growled. "Neither will I," she replied, flicking a glance to Lita. In reply, Lita shrugged. She knew what it was like to be stuck in the past; she'd probably still be chasing the memory of her old boyfriend around, if she felt she could. Still, she had a feeling there was more to what they said than she could ever know. "Let's go get the groceries, Darien," she said gently. "I know this wonderful place that sells these..." He smiled, handed his keys to Mina (with the admonition not to smoke anywhere but the far side of the balcony) and started to walk, but then a prickle shot up his neck. Startled, he turned around, rubbing it, unsure of what it was or what it meant. he thought. "Are you okay?" Lita asked. "Yea...just felt weird for a moment," he thought, his eyes drifting towards the sky. he thought with a sigh. Perhaps if his eyes had drifted down a notch or two, he would've seen the small figure that looked down on them from above. Blond hair hung about her face in long waves, teased slightly by the wind, and her eyes matched the color of the sky that day, set in a face that was paler than usual. Paler because she had seen...felt...the man she loved. She turned away, back to the world, touching her heart and nearly sliding to a curled up position. she wondered. Suddenly the door opened, and Zach's face appeared. "Tea's ready," he called cheerfully. She grinned--she had to--and went inside. The apartment was Setsuna's; no one could doubt that. It was tastefully done in the darker shades of red, green, and black; right then, they sat in overstuffed chairs around a low table that looked frightfully expensive. Small, narrow cups of tea sat in cute little saucers, and there were finger cookies available as well. Serena grabbed a close cup and a few of the buttery little snacks and grabbed one of the free chairs. Setsuna herself was already seated and daintily nibbling; Zach took a seat by Jade, and Nate bustled into the room with another cup of tea. Kev was nowhere to be seen, though the light under the bathroom door was a clue. Soon, the six of them were sitting around, enjoying the green tea (which Serena found good for tea) and nibbling the cookies. Finally, Setsuna put down her tiny cup and asked them, "What do you know of me?" The five of them quickly finished what they did, prompting a smile out of her. It had been quite a long time since she'd been able to leave the Time Gate; however, these events in Tokyo were serious, with many paths that could be chosen, some leading straight into destiny, and others to death of one or more of the ten people. she thought with a sigh, Still, she really didn't have to worry about the Gate at all; she'd set enough wards around it that anyone without a special key (seriously special--not a Reenie time key, but a only-for-Setsuna's hand time key) would be chrono dust within instants. "You were the Princess of Pluto," Kevin finally said. "Training to work with...time, I believe," Nate said. "I know it was something like that." "No one saw much of you," Zach said, his voice almost sad. She knew why--the General and herself had been good friends way back when, even in her seclusion. "But you knew a lot about everything--science, social matters, nobility rules, forbidden things--and you helped to counsel the Queen." Jade smiled, a smile so smug she was afraid that what he would say would make her blush. She held her cool, though she did take another bite out of a cookie. "You were an attractive lady, and a noble, and I remember several famous Pluto pursuits. Prince Endymion befriended you, even then, but then someone else came along..." the smugness faded. "I'm not sure who, though." "I remember you as a friend," Serena finally spoke up. "A wonderfully wise and fun person." Her voice was a trace wistful. She nodded to it all. Yes, that was her...had been her. How could she explain? she decided. "You," she said to Serena, red eyes focusing intently on her, "have quite a man." Twin blushes applied themselves to Serena's cheeks, and Sets felt her own start to warm up a bit. "When you left Tokyo five years ago to this day," she started, "the course of destiny changed. After all, you were never supposed to meet the Generals. They would've gone through their lives only knowing that they had a sense of past that somehow eluded them, a piece that never was quite fulfilled. You and Darien would've been together again, and you would know much more than you do now about your future and life together. However, when you left, it set about a reaction that eased the Generals out and you into their lives. And Darien and I--quite secretly--went on a mission to make sure the future would be as safe as the past." She'd meant to keep her tone quite warm, but the look in Serena's eyes told her she'd come off just a little too frozen. From the vein that was lurking about on Jade's forehead, he'd heard it to. "Setsuna, I'm sorry..." Serena said, sniffling. "I was just a kid and..." "I know, Serena, I know," she said, and found her tone was warmer. she decided. "Don't worry about it. The mission succeeded, though with a few more bruises than before. I was the only casualty." That seemed to knock them for a bit, and they all stared. Finally, Zach managed to sputter out, "Did you die?" "Yes," she whispered. "I stopped time, and died." "But how..." "That in itself is a long story," she said. "Perhaps I will tell you later. But right now, you need to know that I am here to help all of you." "Why?" Nate blurted out, Kevin quickly adding, "I just remembered something else. You said once, to me, that you'd only leave your post if there was an extreme danger. Does that mean..." "Yes," she said simply. "But to who, or from what, I cannot say. It would be too...harsh, I believe you would say." The news dulled their spirits a bit, and she gave them time to let it sink in. Finally, a lackluster Jade said, "Setsuna, where are we staying? We've just come off a long flight, and I'm sure we all could use some rest." "Actually, you'll be staying right here," she replied, not able to help the impish quality that snuck into her voice. She would've sworn their eyes bulged out of their heads the way they looked so surprised. "Sets, that's very nice," Serena began, "and I'm used to living with two guys, but I don't think..." "Only you'll be staying with me, Serena," she said. "The company has provided me keys to your apartments, gentleman, though you'll have to double up." All heaved sighs of relief, but Kevin suddenly interjected, "The company? Do you work with us?" "As a matter of fact, I do," she replied. "I'm a systems person, doing a little bit of designing, a little bit of fiddling, a little bit of spying..." "Setsuna!" Jade mocked. "...and quite a bit of work," she finished with a smile. "But you should probably go to your rooms now. I'll just...oh no." "What? WHAT?" Nate asked. "Is something wrong?" "Is the Gate all right?" "Are you feeling all right?" "Tea not like you?" "No...no, I love the tea, and it loves me, and the Gate and everything's basically okay...I just forgot the keys," she admitted with a sigh. A moment, and then everyone burst out laughing. "Sorry," Nate admitted as he fell off his chair. "It's just that you've been so serious, and...well, you don't seem like to person to forget your keys!" "That's it, General Nephrite," she said, and immediately he was on his feet. The others quieted down a little, though Jade still snickered a bit. "What, Lady Setsuna?" he automatically replied. "You are accompanying me to get the keys," she said with a prim smile and a wink. "The pleasure, m'lady, is all mine," he replied, brown eyes sparkling. He took her arm, and as they strolled out, more laughter erupted behind them. "Well, they won't be back for awhile," Kevin said once the door shut. "Anyone want to come with me onto the balcony?" The other guys seemed to ignore him, drinking their tea and pushing themselves further into the couch. Jade looked absolutely exhausted, he noticed, and the pallor of Zach seemed a coat too thin as well. Yet in Serena's pasty face her eyes gleamed, and cordially she said, "I will. We should talk." He cocked an eyebrow at her, but gladly stepped out into the moist air with her. The sun was sinking now, bathing the balcony in a red-gold light. A breeze of excitement twisted around them, palpable in the air; he wondered if the taste in his mouth was from the current or his unbrushed teeth. Serena, as usual, glittered, even in her tired state; the more and more heart shaped broach glittered a deeper salmon color, a soft pink almost. Yet he couldn't see himself, else he would've wondered at how the sunset shone through his whitish hair to make it glow as well, lighting his soft steel eyes in the process. "You're beautiful," Serena said shyly. "Though I still think you should let your hair grow out longer." "Maybe I will," he said, fingering the not-quite-collar- length hair. "But..it depends..." Serena shook her head, and moved to the balcony edge, gazing out. He moved beside her, letting his eyes skim over the city and everything that lay below him. A stream of sunlight took Serena's eyes along the lines of the city, caressing the skyline with a gentle, loving touch. She let out a small, fluted, sweet sigh, and Kevin had to smile. He, too, was responding to the effect of the city + a gorgeous sunset, and like it or not, both were being drawn into it, hearts expanding... A gasp escaped Serena, and she touched Kevin's arm and subtly pointed. Mina felt her fingers itch, and she knew that she'd have to step out on the balcony for a moment. Even though she tried to avoid it by washing, hurricane style, the dishes, drying them with the speed of a whirlwind, and nimbly yet rapidly setting them out on the table, it still itched at her. But it always did after exchanging words with Raye. she thought to herself as the last fork went down. The smile that formed, though, didn't help the urge. Looking around for Luna--she knew the black cat was around her somewhere--she quietly eased the door open, and slipped outside. The setting sun was a magnificent sight, but she wasn't too concerned about that. She fumbled open the pouch, gold clasp painful between her fiddling fingers, and shook out a smoke. She lit it instantly, and walked to the edge, exhaling as the nicotine roared through her. Turning, she grabbed another drag, and then leaned her back against the edge. Her eyes automatically went up as the cigarette went to her mouth, and met another's. The cig lazily wagged in her fingers, then dropped. Her heart started to thump wildly in her chest, and a jittery feeling cascaded throughout her body. A strand...a full set of strands swept across her face, the same breeze tearing through his silky hair, a grayish color highlighted in gold. And the Elder Venus inside her reached for the Elder Kunzite that lay within him... She had to turn away. It was necessary for her to..she couldn't bear it anymore. She wrenched her eyes downward and went down with them, feeling around for the cig she dropped. she thought hurriedly. Yet, it was hard to see now. Extremely hard to see, in fact, because the sun was nearly down. Besides, it was mostly ash anyways. When she looked back up, he was gone. Serena looked at Kevin, who was planted firmly on the ground of the balcony. She smiled a little at him, but his eyes were on the ground, chest moving slowly in and out as he tried to grab air. "Was it..." "Mina? Uh-huh." He leaned back, head knocking hard against the concrete; yet he didn't wince. "I didn't know..." he started, then let the rest of the words go in a rush of air. "Hey...I understand. I saw the top of Darien's head today, and I wanted to..." "Yes," he said, licking his lips nervously. Suddenly his eyes met hers. "It wasn't like this before," he whispered. "It took them such a long time." "Maybe..maybe they don't want to wait that long this time," Serena said simply. "Yea," he whispered. "Maybe." Setsuna found Nephrite----charming and fun, and he, too, was delighted with the time he spent in the mystery Senshi's company. Her personality was startlingly open, and she was startlingly young--truthfully only about four and half, she'd admitted, though her appearance was that of a woman in her later 20's. He could also feel something else from her, an especially heavy burden about their coming hardships. All in all, he liked this eclectic mix of hers, and promised himself to spend more time with her. He was also surprised to learn that there'd never truly been a man in her life. It was on their way in that they had an "incident." Two entrances, opposite each other, one used by each party, led to this..."incident." Lita and Darien both carried armloads of groceries, and Setsuna and Nathan were examining the keys. Neither party was paying attention--or could see- -where they were going. Still, only Setsuna was knocked down by Lita, causing all four to stop and, in the other two's case, put down their groceries. Nathan quickly helped her up, and Darien asked, "Are you all right?" "Fine, fine," she brushed off, then straightened as she recognized the voice. Nathan automatically steadied her, remembering the earlier conversation, and Lita stared at her. Something rattled around her mind about her...about him... she automatically thought. she added, and suddenly felt herself blush. Something about those eyes...besides being a gorgeous brown... As for Darien, the whole scene was setting off warning bells he'd never heard before. The guy was tugging at one string, the woman at a completely different other. His eyes, as if on cue, narrowed with his thoughts, and he asked, "Are you sure? I'm really sorry about that." "Yes, yes...I'm fine. And no...well, it's all right," she replied, voice slightly hasty, as she brushed off her sleeve. Her eyes were down, he noticed, as if she was deliberately camouflaging them from him. In his mind he took a mental snapshot of the both of them, and stored it away for future reference. He felt, somehow, that it'd be needed again, soon. However, the pairs soon went their separate ways, Sets and Nate heading for the elevator as Lita and Darien hauled their groceries towards their side. As soon as they were away from them, Setsuna gave a soft, heavy sigh and slumped a bit. "Was that...Darien?" Nate asked softly, slipping into the Sol tongue. She seemed surprised, but quietly shushed him in response. "He has ears like a rabbit for his name," she whispered. "And yes, it was him...oh dear. This complicates things." "Why?" Nate asked as he pushed the elevator button. "He lives in this building!" she exclaimed. "This wasn't supposed to happen...too much tension in between them..." She trailed off as the elevator opened. They rode up in silence, and after stepping off, Setsuna reluctantly said, "We should probably tell the Princess." "She has a right to know that the Prince is in the building," he agreed distantly. His mind reflected not back to his Prince, but to the young woman in the lobby. "But should we tell her who he was with?" Setsuna gave him a puzzled look. "Of course," she said, pulling out her keys. "Serena can't feel threatened by Lita, and..." "Lita! THAT was LITA!" he exclaimed as she fiddled with lock. Inside his head Nephrite chuckled cheerily at his stupidity...how could he not recognize her? he though. Again, Nephrite chuckled, and he had to grin himself. Well, he'd officially met Lita now...his mind selected a snapshot of her, blushing slightly, emerald eyes bright, brown hair gleaming beneath the lights. His smiled could only widen as they strolled into the apartment, announcing proudly, "We have a story to tell." Jade and Zach barely registered, but Serena and Kevin both stood, Kevin replying, "So do we." Selene, obscured by the darkening night, appeared in the park, grumbling. As the youngest of the Dark Trio, she had been given the job to go create a "disturbance" to attract some Senshi. Furtively, she gripped her cloak around her, covering her nearly skimpy outfit until it was time. She wouldn't show herself to anyone but those Senshi; besides, it was a little chilly. "Stupid Earth," she growled, powering up the Darkforce. Easily it rose to her fingers, and she began to lay down the "shape" she needed. Finally, the DF dragon looked lazily up at her. Now she HAD to smile, this one a powerful, sexy smile; she thought, "Go, Dark Bane," she said, stroking its head. "Go and destroy! Bring us some of those Senshi brats!" With a satisfied growl, the beast moved smoothly off, leaving Selene to laugh richly and loudly in the night. Darien was still puzzling over the meeting as he stirred the sauce into the large pot. They were having spaghetti with mushrooms that night, and though he normally enjoyed whipping up the quick meal, his mind was on the mysterious, green haired woman who Lita knocked into. He only paid about a quarter attention to the conversation between Lita and Mina about some guy; it didn't seem important. He had to smile, though, as she described that heart pounding, jittery feeling of seeing the light haired man. It reminded him of what he'd often felt when he first saw Serena everytime they met--those seconds of nervousness, of a purely physical and primal reaction to her. The thought of Serena slowed his stirring of the contents, and his eyes teared a bit. Tonight they'd talk about his meatball head over dinner, reminisce and try to ease this five year pain. For him, though, it never eased. He knew why she'd gone, and...and... He had to stop thinking about this. he though slowly, trying to joke...and failing. "Darien, how's dinner?" I'm starved," Mina asked, coming up beside him. "About done," he replied with forced cheer. He should've known better. "Are you all right?" No, wait, of course you're not." She touched his arm. "Perhaps we should switch to salad on these days." "You've said that since the beginning," he replied with a slight smile. "Well, I've tried to keep you from indulging in the pain, but you're too masoistic..." "Masochistic," he gently corrected. "Right...whatever...anyways, you're too mas-o-chis-tic for your own good." "You girls do the flowers every year," he pointed out. "Only in memory. We usually separate ourselves the rest of the year," she shot back. He turned back to the simmering pot. "You know I can't," he finally said. "Won't stop me from bugging you about it," she said lightly. "By the way, that looks done to me. Can we eat now?" He smiled--Mina could make him do that--and dragged the pot off the stove towards the table, Mina scurrying ahead with pot holders. Lita was ready with a spoon, and quickly they began to eat, silent as they thought of a memory to share. Not tonight, though. The girls' communicators beeped in unison, and upon checking them, Amy appeared. Quickly she detailed out a monster attack in the park, and that they needed to get there ASAP. Darien nodded that he would follow as soon as he covered the spaghetti, and in flashes of orange and green Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus appeared. With a wave and a smile and a "get there soon" they bolted onto the balcony and leapt off. Setsuna burst in from the other room, eyes bright, holding a purple transformation wand in her hand. "I just picked up a call from the Senshi," she crowed. "Fight in the park." "You bugged the Senshi?" Nate asked as they rose from the couch. The men had been sharing stories and the two that hadn't seen their ladies were gettin' psyched up. Well, at least Jade was; Zach seemed a little more reserved than usual. "Someone has to keep track," she shrugged off. "Do we have a plan?" "You and Serena will hang back," Kevin immediately said. "It gives us an ace in the hole, just in case we should need one." "Good," she said before Serena could protest. Immediately, on an unspoken cue, Kevin called, "ASSEMBLE!" Their change was no longer a mighty sheet of light, but just a faint aura that enhanced them to their General form. Setsuna quickly became Sailor Pluto in a lavender burst, Time Staff and Orb giving off a soft radiance. "Serena?" she asked. Touching the Dark Crystal set on the chain around her neck, she took a deep breath and called out, "Crystal Maiden Knight, makeup!" Immediately a spread of purple-black energy erupted from the crystal, and with it came a warmth that seared across Serena's chest, making her gasp. Dark feathers and purple- black ribbons spiraled around her, enveloping her body in a blast of dark light. The crystal itself floated off the chain, lost its setting, and formed into a near duplicate of the Silver Crystal before binding itself around her arm in a complex band. The blinding light poured back into the crystal, leaving behind a Serena decked out in black, almost ninja-like garb, the most important part being the face coverings that hooded her eyes and ran up over her nose, almost completely obscuring her face while letting her see. "Whoa! Ninja Serena!" Jade called out in a feisty Japanese accent, and they all laughed. Well, except for Serena, who, under the combined power of both crystals, was going into serious battle mode. "Save your breath," she said. "You'll need it." Then, touching the arm band, she called out, "DARK CRYSTAL, TELEPORT!" And they were all whisked away. "JUPITER THUNDER...DRAGON!" The giant electric dragon formed and lashed out at its ebony enemy, roaring and snapping as it opened its mouth to swallow the prey. However, it simply wasn't that easy, for the flowing lizard merely stroked the electric scales with its claws, absorbing the energy in a flurry of sparks and arches. "It didn't work!" Jupiter cried out. "Mercury! What's up?" Venus yelled as Mars formed another attack, assisted by the ever ready Tux. The problem was the dragon didn't stick around to face its punishment. It moved off again, lumbering along in slick and quiet movements, causing Tux to take to a tree and leap ahead of it, darting a few roses into its hide and leaping back. The dragon snarled and attempted to claw the rose free; it hated Tux's attacks. And Venus' and Mercury's as well; the others it just ignored. "I can't get a reading!" Mercury cried out, trying to ignore the pain in her side. Earlier, the dragon had lashed out at her--specifically her--and hit her with a sticky, black substance that smelled slightly like tar and felt just as gooey. "MARS CELESTIAL FIRE...SURROUND!" cried out the raven haired Senshi, aiming her rings at its tail and back. They splattered against it like soft butter, and the dragon seemed barely phased. "Come on!" Venus yelled, leaping from her feet into a tree and vaulting from that into bushes near the dragon. she thought as she fingered her chain. "VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE!" she yelled, summoning and whipping the heart shaped links around before letting them fly. It struck the beast on the nose, and the monster growled fiercely and turned her way. She darted to the side, and at the same time as Mercury launched her "MERCURY ICE STORM BLAST!" she let loose with a "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH" on a different side. The two attacks struck nearly simultaneously, and as Mars shot a flare across its nose, Mercury read the effects of the attack on the web of energy she saw. "It absorbs energy!" she called out. "We need...AHHH!" She barely managed to duck a claw, and in a rage she leapt over and fired, at near point blank range, another "BLAST." This coated most of the creature's face, and in a rage as it tried to swat it off, its tail began to move, striking all about the ground and earth, making a lot of noise. One eye free now, it could once again sense the positions of those menacing brats around it, and moved swung its tail... ...right towards Venus, whose back was turned. Selene appeared high up then, waiting to take the blond away. Suddenly, a cry of "VENUS!" rang through the night, accompanied by a gray haired man snatching her from the sharp sting. He darted away, putting her down as he did, more from his trembling hands than anything else. She moved back, unsure, but he didn't turn on her. Instead, he yelled in a deep, strong voice, "GENERALS ASSEMBLE!" "Who?" Tuxedo Mask wondered aloud. Three splashes of color came flipping into the crowd, appearing as the remaining Generals, each holding a weapon: a crystal piece for Zoi, a sword-like spear (he called it a spord) for Neph, and the ever popular tipped whip for Jade. Kunzite raised his hand, and in He-Man style a sword appeared within it. Pointing towards the monster, he yelled out, "ATTACK!" They needed no second warning, and weaving among darting Senshi, and the furious dragon, they began to strike their blows. Meanwhile, Tux, who'd heard the beginning of Mercury's cry, converged on her. "How?" he asked, not sparing any more words. "We need to draw energy away from it," she replied. "It absorbs anything else but those things that can puncture it." "Why didn't Jupiter..." "It's too close," she replied. "You and I can do it." "You?" "My ice draws off energy naturally," she said. "And Venus, of course." "We need to get past them," he pointed out, unleashing his cane. "No...just between them. Get Venus, she seems a little shaken," replied Mercury brusquely, then bounded off. he thought, leaping himself towards Venus. "Hey..." he said. "They're amazing," she whispered. "What?" he asked. "Them," she pointed, revealing the fine tactics of the four men. Each took a part in distracting the dragon, allowing the other three to work their damage on it. Right then, Jade was uncoiling his rope across its nose, tiny spark of energy on the energy like the sting of a bee...allowing Kunzite and Zoicite to converge on its tail and back of the neck at the same time. Although Kunz was thrown, Zoi manage to stick a crystal through the tail, pinning it to the ground as sparks of pink roared into the night sky. "No time to watch, Venus!" he whispered fiercely. "Who said I planned on watching?" she laughed. "Only surveying...VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE!" The chain of hearts flew from her hands again, and dashed the creature's nose and wrapped around its neck, drawing orange energy from it. Tux smiled at her, then struck with his cane, stabbing just under the chain and drawing energy along it. Selene, above, was shocked. In just about a minute, the plan was being ripped to pieces...and the dragon was shrinking along with it. With a yell of rage, she plummeted closer to the ground, streaks of sticky DF darting into the ground around it, moving along in random paths. Most of the Generals were struck, and Venus' chain was sheared off its neck, barely intact. The feedback caused Tux to drop his cane, holding his smoking hands. Now focused upon a new target, Mars and Jupiter both let bursts fly, a "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE" and a "MARS FIRE IGNITE" that spiraled together in the night air to dig in against Selene. Unfortunately, a DF shield had shimmered into place, but the impact was still enough to knock her off balance. "NO!" she yelled, coming down on the back of her pet. "YOU WILL BE MINE, SENSHI!" "Over my dead body, lady!" Jade cried out, his whip flying forward to snag around her. "Ooooh....I like that, blondie," she purred, and his eyes narrowed. "Like it now?" he asked as energy soared up the rope, and with a tug he snapped her to the air. She growled and unleashed her own attack, frizzling away the rope and knocking him back. "STAR POWER!" Nephrite called out, and strands of the white lined black energy snared around her, snapping her into the air like the whip she'd just broken. She broke out of it soon enough, but facing away from the purple blast of energy that rammed into her with the force of a goat going oh, about fifty. It threw her higher into the air, and towards the trees. However, they on the ground weren't watching; she wasn't the trouble anymore. "NOW CRYSTAL!" Kunzite yelled out. For a moment, there was silence...then with the sound of breaking glass she appeared in the midst of the battle field. "DARK CRYSTAL, REFORM!" she yelled, hand clenched on the armband, and in seconds she held a wicked looked, purple-black dagger in her hand. In the back of Tux's mind, a buzzing went off. "Kunzite, Zoicite," she yelled, and the three of them leaped into finish off the dragon. Kunzite spun a hook of very fine energy and used it to encircle the nose of the beast, closing its gaping jaws. This still left the claws, though, but Zoicite was doing its best to draw its fire by letting off bursts of petals around it, keeping its attention away from the dark clad figure that had circled around. "Prepare to be dusted, creep," she whispered, and then leapt from her shadows onto its back. Immediately knowing foe, the dragon began to buck, and the Crystal Knight wobbled; however, with almost ease, she regained her balance and slid down to stab it in the head. "AHHHHHH!" she screamed as the backlash slid up the knife like honey, but she still retained her grip, digging it deeper into its skull. Soon, the very tip of the blade had passed through its thin skull, dripping darkforce in thin streaks of black blood. Now the other Generals struck, as well as Mercury and Tux, all drawing energy out of the creature. In the shadows, Sailor Pluto silently pulled as much as she could into her Garnet Orb, charging it for the next battle. Even Mars and Jupiter and the slightly weak Venus attempted to draw away energy, informed by Mercury on the fighting strategy. Now, the shrinking of the dragon proceeded more rapidly, yet the Crystal Knight held on tightly, eyes squeezed shut as the hot and cold flashes rippled over her chest, energy dancing along her arms. The Generals' eyes were not unseeing--Zoicite and Jadeite even looked worried--but they could do nothing as they pulled out the energy. And the buzzing in Tux's head increased, nearly bad enough to give him a headache, and certainly enough to attract his notice. Yet all he could do was shake it off, and grunt and strain at the energy. "MOVE AWAY!" Crystal suddenly shouted. "NOW!" The Generals were obedient, as were the closer fighters, and suddenly the two groups were rubbing shoulders at close quarters. At time's like this, it was hard not to sneak looks at their women; Jade to Mars, whose face was pale and smeared; Neph to Jupiter, who breathed heavily, eyes and tiara glowing; Zoi to Mercury, almost apprehensively, and startled when she met his back; and lastly, Kunzite to Venus, looking down on the blond who had slumped to her knees, the effect that had come through the chain devastating to her. Crystal pulled her knife from the beast, and energy plumed out of the hole. The dragon gave one last cry, and as Crystal flipped away and toward her friends, it exploded massively. Waves of wind and DF blew towards them, blowing their hair and skirts and capes back in a gigantic burst. It even picked up Crystal and forcibly tossed her into the arms of Jade, who just happened to be standing next to Tux. The buzzing peaked as she slumped over, pained and exhausted, both from jet lag and from the fight. There was a collective breath on the battlefield, and then Selene appeared, looking ragged. "Next time, Senshi," she whispered, eyes sparking green in fierce bursts, "I WILL Have you." She cast her eyes at the Generals, and smiled lazily. "And you as well, pretties." "Never," growled Jade as he held her. "Over my dead body, at least," Nephrite retorted. "Though most likely over yours." She merely smiled back a them, a point of DF appearing over her heads. "Save your words for later times, handsome," she breathed, and then the DF lightning struck, and she was gone. The night winds moved in next, sweeping along in soft breezes to awaken those who'd been unaware before. Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury all stared at the newcomers as Tuxedo Mask, mosquito buzzing with defiance in his head, stared at the girl in Jade's arms. Jade, on the other hand, was mostly unaware of anyone else, except for Serena and the eyes of Mars. he wondered. However his immediate concern wasn't her, and he whispered softly, "Are you all right, Crystal?" "Yes," she whispered back, pushing away weakly. "Just let me steady myself." She took a moment, and did so, then nodded. He let her go, and she took two steps away before stumbling, this time Zoicite's arm going out to catch her. "Thanks," she said. "Anytime, Crystal," he replied thickly, helping her up as he avoided Mercury's curious eyes. The thick blue was disconcerting for him now, as pangs of love and sorrow washed over him, mixed within him, one part rejoicing as the other screamed in agony. Kunzite moved over to her, and whispered softly, "We're being watched. Stay or go?" "Stay, for the moment," she said. "I need a few minutes to regain enough strength to teleport." "Crystal, we can always link and teleport you back," he said. "It'd take too long," Zoi immediately answered for her. "We haven't practiced." "Just a few minutes, Kunz, and we'll be out of here," she assured him. "Who are you?" Tux demanded as Nephrite and Jadeite joined the small grouping. Now they stood in the circle, ringed with Senshi unsure of whether to press or not. "We are the Generals," Kunzite replied curtly, nobly, bowing slightly. "Born to serve the Prince and his Princess." A slight grin appeared on that. "I am Kunzite, leader." "I am Nephrite, second," stepped in the auburn haired General. "I am Jadeite, third," added the blond. "I am Zoicite, fourth," said the curly haired Gen, not looking up from Serena. "I am...the Crystal Knight, friend," came the feeble call from within. Suddenly, it struck Mars as to why she'd been feeling deja vu all of a sudden. "NEGAVERSE PIGS!" she yelled out. "How dare you..." "Silence, Sailor Mars! These men just saved your life!" came a indignant voice, and Sailor Pluto appeared in their midst, staff slamming into the ground as her maroon eyes burned. "You..." Tux whispered, and she turned, nodding. "I," she said. "You..." "Yes." "But..." "Forgiveness," she said. "And that's all you need to know, Tuxedo Mask." Raising her voice slightly, she added, "As well as my role to aid the Generals and the Crystal Knight." The other Senshi stared, amazed to see another of their kind in the midst, siding with men who'd been their foes. Mars felt confusion; Jupiter shared it; Mercury put hers to work scanning them all; Venus rose to her feet to look at them. "I am Sailor Venus, leader of the Senshi. We welcome your aid," she said quietly. "VENUS!" Mars yelled, and Jupiter looked just as mad. "Quiet," she snapped. "We are glad to offer our help, Sailor Venus," Kunzite said slowly. "But that does not mean you should depend on us." "The Senshi, General Kunzite," she bit back, "do not depend on anyone except who we trust. And right now, you are untrusted. However, consider this an act of faith." Her eyes hardened. "If you breach it, though, you will be destroyed like the Negaverse scum." Serena thought, standing straighter now. "We are glad to accept your aid as well, Senshi," she said. "And yours, Tuxedo Mask." "It would be a privilege to offer it," he replied starkly. "However, if you should betray us..." "There's no need for threats," Sailor Pluto said. "Trust them as you trust me, Prince, and you will worry about nothing." She looked to Serena. "Are you ready?" In response, she touched the Dark Crystal--it had returned to her armband--and called out, "DARK CRYSTAL, TELEPORT!" Wind chimes sounded, and a scattered breeze whipped up, pulling them away. Immediately Mars appeared in the middle of the field, calling out, "Senshi meeting at the temple, in the morning. You too, Tux." Her eyes met Venus's. "Bring the cats. We need to talk with them." She nodded, and then the group went their separate ways. * * * * "Good-night, Princess," Pluto softly called. "'Night, Pluto," Serena murmured, and she shut off the light. Pluto stepped out of the room, and headed straight for the balcony. As she did, she de transformed, turning in a few small steps from Sailor Pluto to Setsuna once more. She slid open the balcony door, and emerged to look out into the night air. Once arriving home, the Generals had quickly grabbed their keys and departed for their rooms, completely exhausted. She agreed with them--she was tired and tense as well. Battles had always done that to her, even though she was skilled with her powers and cool under fire. Confronting the Senshi and Tux, though...that could put anyone's nerves on edge. she thought with a grimace. Shaking her head, she wondered as lust. Somehow, the job of Time Gate Guardian (TGG for short) had always kept her away from that particular run of emotions. She recognized them, yes--surely she'd seen it tonight--but she just couldn't feel it. The soft love of the Generals, though...that she could live with. Softly she sighed. her mind said gently. Far, far below her, the contradiction to Setsuna's thoughts looked up. To the rest of the world, she was a speck, blending in with the night as well as a shadow did. To his eyes, she was a lavender glow among dullards, a shade that had painted itself on his mind with finesse. "Soon," he whispered into the wind. "Soon." ---------------------------------------- Okay, that's the end. Long part, eh? Available on my page (http://www.geocites.com/SoHo/Gallery/8281/sm.html) as well as a rewrite of a scene. Till next time!