Here's chapter two of the fic. Once again, this was originally the second half of chapter one. They're probably best read together, though that's not necessary. Special thanks goes out to Davner, Bremmi, Makoto-, Strikestwice, Veggitto, Ssedrey, DarkSong, WillZ, Angie and any others I forgot for their help in pre-reading this fic. Sailor Moon is the property Naoko Takeuchi, Koudansha, TV Asahi, Toei Douga, Mixx, Pioneer Entertainment and DiC, and ADV. All original characters and concepts are my own and belong to me. Sub vs Dub guide There's nothing to add for this chapter. Check chapter one for previous notes if you have difficulty. Please send all comments and criticisms to cav@wpi.edu . (Looks around.) What's going on? I'm not doing this preview with... her! (Points towards Minako.) -_- Feeling's mutual! -_- (Shakes head.) I swear I've seen this before... Well, you can deal with them, Ami. I'm off to find Usagi! My poor Usako... Yeah! How long am I going to sit this out anyways? You know, the name of the series is "Sailor Moon." Not "The Inner Senshi!" Keep that up and I'll leave you there. -_- Who's this new enemy? What are their goals? And who's this blonde guy? You think they could've taken Usagi? (Sarcasm) Whatever could make you think that? (Rolls eyes.) (Sighs.) I hope this little squabble is over soon. Not until Shinto bitch over there apologizes! Bite me, blondie! (Sighs.) I wonder if the Outer Senshi are looking for a Moon Cat... Sailor Moon - Rifts Chapter 2: Surprise Attack! Kuroki Strikes! Makoto exited the game center with a disappointed look on her face. Mamoru sat on his bike, waiting for her. "Any luck?" he asked. She shook her head. "Nobody saw anyone following her lately, and nobody's seen her around." Makoto sighed. "I get the feeling this is hopeless. "Why don't you contact Ami and see if she's found anything?" Mamoru said as he got off his bike. Makoto nodded. "I hope she's not mad at me." Ami shook her head as she looked at Makoto's image on her wristwatch. "I haven't been able to tell much from these readings so far. The energy signal I'm getting here is vaguely familiar, but nothing exact." Makoto nodded. "No trace of her and no ransom. This is so weird." The blue-haired girl looked at her with a concerned look. "Makoto... you really should talk to..." "Not until they get their heads straight," Makoto interrupted. "We need to be looking for Usagi right now, not fighting amongst ourselves. And if we're the only two who are going to do it, then so be it." With that the communicator went dead. Ami sighed as she looked up from her wrist. "Well, at least they're all right," Luna said as she sat on the sidewalk next to her. "I don't know what to do, Luna," the girl said with a melancholy tone. "I feel like I'm getting lost in all of this." Luna looked up at her with a stern gaze. "Right now, you girls need to work as a team more then ever. You can't let yourselves get split apart like this." "I know that" she said as she kicked a nearby stone. Throwing her arms up in the air, she turned around and kneeled down to look directly at Luna's face. "Why do they have to fight?" The cat sighed. "Minako and Rei are good people. They... may act strange at times, but they're neither selfish nor mean at heart. They must have their own reasons." Letting out a frustrated sigh, Ami gazed up at the sky. "I know, but it's not that simple. They have such strong personalities. It's like watching two strongly charged particles trying to bond with a singular particle via the same electron." Luna blinked. "Okay... Well, I'm sure that if you gave it a chance they'd listen to you. It has to be worth at least a try. Ami bolted up with a triumphant pose. "That's right! As long as I try my hardest I can succeed! Even if it means telling Rei and Minako they are wrong!" Luna then had a thought on what Ami had just said... *Telling Rei and Minako they're wrong...* The image of Ami being roasted by two fire breathing monster- versions of the two girls came to mind... "Thanks Luna, I'm going to go do that right now!" the girl proclaimed as she took off. As she watched Ami running down the road, Luna sweatdropped. "I think I've just sent her to her death." Kuroki stood on the roof of a building nearby, looking down upon his targets. His arms were folded and his black cape flapped in the wind. With his halberd he pointed towards Makoto and Mamoru. "That is your target. Carry out your orders as you were told." The energy ball quickly sped from the rooftop towards the street below. The blonde looked on from the roof and breathed in a breath of fresh air. "So beautiful," he said as he looked out upon the city. "I wonder how they will fare?" Makoto exited the ice cream parlor to find Mamoru asleep on his bike. She sighed. "Ahem," she said, looking at the man with an annoyed look. "Just give me five more minutes, Usako," he said from his dreamy state. The tall girl lowered her head, went over to the bike, and picked Mamoru up by the back of his shirt, then turned him around, staring into his face. "Listen!" she yelled as he was brought back to consciousness. "If you're going to sleep then just go home!" Mamoru looked into her eyes, sweatdropping. "Sorry! I'm just a little..." As he was finishing his statement, the two heard a scream come from around the street corner. "What the...?" Makoto asked, when she saw something turn the corner. The creature stood about ten feet tall with similar width, walking on hands and legs. It had a singular red eye and was grayish in color. Skin appeared more like metal, and a giant black shell was on its back. As it crawled down the street, its eye lit up and a burst of energy came out, destroying a nearby car. "Damn!" Mamoru screamed as he looked at the scene. "That thing is huge!" Makoto stared at the thing. "I have to transform." "Right," Mamoru said as he got off his bike and ran across the street, Makoto took the opportunity to duck into an alley next to the ice cream shop. When she reached there and was sure nobody was looking, she took out her transformation pen. "Jupiter crystal power, make up!" Makoto felt her clothes disappear, replaced by her fuku as she spun around naked. When the transformation was complete, she ran out from the alley to see the monster about fifty feet in front of her. People were running down the street and out of the various shops, evacuating the area. "Damn, I guess I have to make the speech." Taking a deep breath, she coughed and assumed a fighting stance. "Stop, evil doer, in the name of light and goodness and... all that stuff!" As she spoke, she started to pose, trying to imitate Usagi, but instead it looked like the random movements of a drunken man. "In the name of Jupiter, I will punish you!" She smiled with satisfaction as she finished posing. "That'll do," she whispered. The monster looked at her, blinking its one eye, totally confused. It then shrugged off the feeling, and aimed its next energy beam directly at Jupiter. Sailor Jupiter quickly dived to the side when she saw the huge beam of energy coming her way. As she got back to her feet, she looked to the side to see a large crack in the street from the monster's beam. "Oh hell," she said as her eyes went wide. "Alright, let's see if this overgrown turtle can take what it can dish out." Jupiter brought her hands together and channeled electricity through her. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" she yelled as she brought back her arm and threw the energy ball at the monster like a baseball. The energy ball impacted, causing the monster let loose a scream as the electricity poured through its body. The scream stopped a moment later as the energy dissipated. Makoto looked at the thing with a grimace. "Great, let's try one level up." Jupiter began to spin around. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" she screamed as leaves swirled around her, and then fired out at the monster. The leaves impacted on the monster, causing a small explosion. It let out another scream and fell back to its hind legs, standing up on them. However, that was about the full effect. When it had recovered from the blast, it dropped itself to all four feet, causing the earth to shake. Makoto was tripped up from the shock, falling onto her back. She started to get up, when she saw the monster's hand rise up, revealing a red jewel in the palm that looked like the eye. It started to glow. Jupiter grit her teeth and prepared to dodge, when she saw a rose impact the center of the jewel. She sighed in relief and looked up at a lamppost to see Tuxedo Kamen standing there. "About time you got here!" she yelled. Kamen looked at her with a scowl. "You're interrupting my speech!" "Oh, I forgot you needed a damsel in distress to work!" Makoto then put a hand on her forehead and in her best Usagi-like voice, which sounded incredibly squeaky, "Tuxedo Kamen! Save me!" He started to sweat from his position on the lamppost. He then looked towards the monster. "Nature and humanity are meant to co-exist in peace. I will not allow you to hurt a defenseless soul." "I'll give you defenseless soul!" Makoto screamed at him from where she was lying on the ground. She then noticed a glow that was moving rapidly towards Mamoru. "Tuxedo Kamen! Look out!" Mamoru jumped off the post just in time to avoid the energy blast, which reduced his former perch to molten slag. As he landed, he rolled to the side and threw a rose towards the direction of the energy blast. A black object fell towards the ground, landing about fifty feet away from where Tuxedo Kamen was kneeling. He looked forward to see a blonde-haired man standing there, getting up from kneeling, wearing black, full plate armor. The man had neon-green eyes and held a halberd in his hand. "I guess this isn't a social call," he said to the figure. "Correct," the blonde-haired man answered him. Throwing his cape open, he extended his arm, presenting to Mamoru the rose he had just thrown at him. "You should've brought lilies." Kamen looked shocked at how easily this man had caught his rose. "Who are you?" he asked. "Kuroki. And I challenge you to a duel, Prince Endymion." Mamoru's eyes went wide. Makoto, who could hear the two talking, looked absolutely shocked. *How the hell did he know that?!* Tuxedo Kamen glared at him. "Who are you?" Kuroki smiled. "Then you'll accept?" Mamoru took his cane out. "I accept." The blonde-haired man smiled and quickly dashed forward with his halberd. Kamen brought his cane up to block, ducking so he deflected the blow from directly below the axe-handle. Kuroki wasted no time and pushed Mamoru upward, then aimed the bottom half of the pole at Mamoru's knee. Kamen jumped back to avoid the swipe and extended his cane. Attempting to hit him in the chest, Kuroki easily blocked the shot and threw Kamen off balance. He quickly jumped to the side to recover, but Kuroki was already there, slashing with his halberd. Tuxedo Kamen was beginning to worry. He could barely even keep up with this guy. On the retreat again, he quickly jumped forward and tried landing a hit towards the man's throat. The blonde brought his weapon up and easily blocked the shot, then pushed Kamen back. Mamoru planted his feet in the ground and grit his teeth. "Show me your might, Endymion! You cannot win fighting like that!" the man taunted him. Mamoru faked that he was going to extend his cane, then with him his free hand he tossed a spinning top towards the man's hand. Kuroki easily deflected the weapon with his blade. "I want to fight the Prince of Earth! The man whose sword is a legend! Not some magician who uses children's toys! Show me your blade." Kuroki swiped at Mamoru's legs, causing him to do a back flip and land on his feet. Mamoru grit his teeth. *This was stupid!* he scolded himself. *I can't release my Endymion power without Usagi here.* A thought then struck him. He glared daggers at the man. *Could he...* His face filled with rage, Tuxedo Kamen dashed forward to strike him. He was again blocked, but this time instead of backing off he tried twisting himself and landing a blow on the warrior's side. Before he could, Kuroki struck him in the back, causing him to fall to the side. Kamen quickly tried to turn around to defend himself. He brought his cane up to defend himself, but was in poor position to do so. Kuroki jumped forward in response and brought the halberd down on the middle of the cane, slicing it in half. With his cane broken, he had to put some distance between him and the blonde- headed man. He quickly started running back as Kuroki lunged forward, the blade barely missing Mamoru's throat. Kamen didn't noticed his surroundings and hit a lamp post, then quickly ducked and ran around it as Kuroki's halberd cut it apart, causing the pole to fall to the ground. Makoto watched the fight, knowing this guy completely outclassed Kamen. He must've been incredibly strong to use a hefty weapon like a halberd. She had to help him. Jupiter jumped to her feet, and started to dash towards where the two were fighting when she heard a sound from her side. She turned just in time to see the monster's energy beam hitting her dead on. She screamed in pain as the force of the beam sent her flying backwards, hitting the front of a nearby shop. "Jupiter!" Mamoru screamed. Ami found Minako right where she figured she'd be: taking her frustrations out at the game center. "Move aside!" she yelled at the computer car as she was racing along the video game track at a rather impressive three hundred and eighty kilometers per hour. Artemis sat on the open seat next to Minako. Nobody had dared try to take her on in this state of mind. Motoki looked on from the counter nervously. He saw Ami walking in and motioned for her to come over to the counter. As Ami reached the counter, he bent over to whisper in her ear. "I think she's upset..." "You could say that," Ami said, sighing at the obvious statement. "Please calm her down! She's scaring off the customers!" "Thursday driver!" Minako screamed as she drove one of the computer cars off of the road. "That's Sunday," Artemis meekly said, almost whimpering from where he sat. "I'll give it a try," Ami said as she walked over to the racing game machine. She bent over the side to look at Minako. "Um... Minako..." "What do you want?!" she screamed at Ami as she picked up some more speed. Ami gulped and let out a nervous laugh. "Minako, we um... need to talk." "Why don't you go tell Rei to get her head out of her ass for once!" Another car meanwhile was driven off the bridge, crashing into the ground far below. Ami had to wonder if this game had a kill count... "You know that she ..." "Is stealing the spotlight again!" Ami was getting frustrated. "You know Rei's not like that!" Minako drove past the finish line and looked at Ami. "Know that?! Then why the hell is she trying to show me up!" "I don't know," she replied meekly. "Well then there's nothing to talk about. Now please, leave me alone!" she yelled as she started up the next race. Ami turned away. "I'll leave, Minako. Right now when your friends need you I guess you'd rather just play video games. Some leader you are!" With that, Ami ran out of the center. Minako watched her leave, a shocked expression on her face. "Ami..." she whispered. "I've never seen her like that before," Artemis whispered from the seat next to her. Minako looked at the video game screen for a moment, and then lowered her head. "Artemis... Do you think I can be a leader?" Artemis looked up at her. "If Usagi could, so can you." "Then... then why do I feel like I've failed already?" The white cat walked onto Minako's lap and rubbed against her. Sailor Jupiter felt like she just had been hit by a semi. She slowly began to move from where the energy blast had thrown her. As her eyes gradually opened, they focused on the monster powering up for another blast. With all the energy she could muster, she was able to roll out of the way as the energy beam hit the exact spot she had been, and instead smashed into the front of the store. Makoto turned around and noticed the sign on the shop and gasped. "How dare you destroy a bargain outlet!" she screamed as she jumped to her feet. The antenna on her tiara popped up and she began concentrating all of her energy. *If this doesn't do it...* "Supreme Thunder Dragon!" she screamed. The giant electric dragon formed and flew out towards the monster. Its jaws opened wide as it rammed the monster, Lightning flew out of its mouth as it electrocuted the turtle-like creature, causing it to scream out in extreme pain. There was a bright flash of light, temporarily blinding Makoto. She looked towards the source of the flash, hoping to see that the monster had been finished. She could only see the energy blast from the monster when it was a few feet away from her. Jupiter screamed out in terror as the blast struck her. Mamoru looked over in fear as he dodged another one of Kuroki's attacks. Sailor Jupiter lay on the ground, completely motionless. He wanted to run over and help her, but he was barely surviving in his current predicament. Reaching into his cape, he grabbed a rose and flung it at Kuroki. The blonde easily dodged the side, taking another swipe with his halberd. Kamen jumped to the right. "How pathetic," Kuroki gloated he continued to swipe at Mamoru with his weapon. "Perhaps if you hadn't cut my weapon I'd try a different strategy," Mamoru said as he jumped to the right. "A real warrior does not make excuses." Kuroki took another swipe. "And I have grown tired of playing with you!" he said. This time when Mamoru dodged his attack, he leapt forward and kicked Kamen in the face, knocking him to the ground. As Tuxedo Kamen tried to stand, he stopped, motionless, when he realized the blade of the halberd was place directly at his neck. "I was expecting more from a warrior who gave his life to protect his love." Mamoru looked at him with disgust. "I'm sorry to disappoint." Kuroki scoffed at him as he quickly reversed his halberd and hit Kamen in the temple with the butt end, knocking him cold. The blonde warrior sighed. "I want to know the strength that allows you to overcome the impossible. You haven't shown me this. Do not accept my challenge if you will not fight with that strength." He straightened his halberd in his hand. "Perhaps she will show me what you couldn't," he said, turning toward Jupiter. The tall brown-haired girl lay on the street in pain. Jupiter hurt like hell, practically every nerve in her system screaming out in pain. Opening her eyes slowly, she could see Mamoru lying on the ground, the mysterious warrior standing nearby him. He was looking towards her. She could barely make his features out, still too far away and her head too groggy. *Is that all you've got?* her mind screamed at her. This monster had taken her best attacks and hadn't been more then stunned so far. *I have to keep going, or I'll never find Usagi.* Wearily, she started to push herself back up. As she stood, she started to cough. She looked down at the ground to see red drops of blood on the ground. She laughed, and then wiped her chin with her hand. Makoto got to her feet, limping a bit, and smiled. "Is that it?" she screamed towards the monster. It looked at her, confused almost. "I won't let some ugly creature like you finish me off that easily." She took in a breath and steadied herself. There was only one thing she could still try... The monster began to charge up again. Jupiter's body tensed. This would be difficult, but she had to try it. As soon as the monster fired its beam, she jumped to the side. Instead of just standing there and launching another attack like her previous attempts, she dashed forward towards the monster. The monster followed her movements, powering up another blast. Makoto increased her speed, watching the monsters eye. It fired again, missing as she dodged to the left and kept running forward. She was now a hundred feet away from the creature. It lifted itself up onto its hind legs, raising both hands to extend its other gems. Makoto grit her teeth as all three gems powered up. Fifty feet was left between them. All three gems started to glow, releasing their stored energy. Makoto bent her knees, and with all her might jumped at the exact second it fired. Her combined natural strength and her Senshi powers propelled her high into the air, higher than the monster's head. The monster looked up at her as she extended her legs and directed her foot towards its head. It started to power up for another blast, but wasn't fast enough. Makoto landed a flying kick directly to the gem on its forehead, shattering it. Jupiter fell backwards and landed on the ground, taking in a breath, then ran forward at the confused monster. Pulling her arm back, she jumped and landed an uppercut directly to the monster's chest, sending it flying backwards. Kuroki watched the battle with awe as he watched Sailor Jupiter fighting this monster with her bare hands. His eyes could not leave the sight of this woman taking on a creature so much larger then her without even flinching. She was hurt and exhausted, yet she showed no sign of weariness. "She has a warrior's spirit," he said as he admired her determination. "Yes, this is what you feared, isn't it? But I don't fear this, for she is worthy of being my opponent." He felt so strange as he watched the scene play out. Kuroki started to laugh, and then he smiled. "You are wondrous, Makoto Kino. I must know more about you." Jupiter breathed heavily as she delivered another punch to the creature, causing it to lose its balance and fall onto its back. She fell to one knee, her exhaustion catching up with her. "Not yet! I won't give up yet!" She got to her feet and watched as the creature lay on its back. A smile grew on her face. "Is that all you've got?!" she screamed at the monster. A surge of energy arose from her body. She wanted the power to kill this thing. She needed it. *I won't let you down Usagi. I won't let this end here!* *Mako-chan!* she heard a scream from within her mind. Makoto froze. She looked up at the monster. *U...Usagi?* There was no reply. She stared forward for a few moments longer, and then shook off the feeling. The monster would eventually find a way to get back up if she couldn't destroy it. *I can beat on it forever, but that won't kill it. And none of my powers are working.* She growled. "It doesn't matter. I won't give up!" She put her hands together. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" she screamed, launching the projectile at the monster. Again, it screamed in pain, but it didn't do anything more then mildly harm it. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Jupiter shouted, letting loose another bombardment of leaves, having as little impact as before. Her heart began to race faster. Makoto felt incredible energy surging within her, as if something strange was happening. Some strange force compelled her to go forward. With a loud battle cry, she leapt into the air, pulled back her fist, and landed directly at the chest of the creature, delivering a powerful punch directly to it. She cried out loudly, putting all the force she could into it. The creature screamed out. Its whole body began to glow. Jupiter's eyes went wide as the energy from the monster sprung into her body. She screamed as energy was channeled into her. Her screams stopped though when she felt no pain. The white light that was permeating her body was not painful, but instead warm and comforting. She closed her eyes as her body bathed in the warmth. *Mako-chan,* she heard something say. Jupiter opened her eyes in shock. *Usagi! Where are you?!* There was no reply. She looked down at her hands. Something was materializing. The object bore resemblance to one of Usagi's rods, except that it had a green base, with a gold knob on one end and a gold circular shape at the end. It then altered its shape, changing from a rod to having a thicker base. The end grew wider and became encrusted with green emeralds lining the circumference of the orb at the top. When it finished, it formed a green and gold scepter. Makoto reached out with her hand and grasped it. "What... what is this?" she thought to herself. The white light receded, leaving her on top of the monster. She was breathing heavily, blinking her eyes quickly trying to regain her vision. She didn't know what had happened. Jupiter jumped backwards, landing in front of the monster. Some invisible force was guiding her body. She didn't know what was happening, but she felt the power that had surged in her body gathering in her hands. Words formed in the back of her head. She had no idea how they had gotten there, but she somehow felt the need to follow them. Clasping the scepter with both hands, she brought it high above her head. Her antenna went up into the air. Electricity began to surge from her body into the scepter. "Thunder," she shouted as her eyes began to glow, her whole body becoming like a giant conductor. "God," she continued the chant, pointing the scepter towards the monster. "Fury!" All of the electricity that had built up fired in a giant projectile towards the monster, striking it dead on. The creature screamed as its entire body shook from the sheer power running through it. It began to glow, then was torn apart from the power the scepter had unleashed, and disappeared. Makoto breathed heavily as she dropped to one knee. "I did it," she said, looking down at the scepter. She let out a weak laugh, and then collapsed on the ground. Kuroki smiled in satisfaction. "Impressive. This was a most satisfying display." Kneeling down, he grabbed Tuxedo Mask by the throat and picked him up. "Time to wake up, prince," he said as he let several bolts of energy charge through the masked man's body. Kamen screamed as he came to, then looked weakly into the eyes of his enemy. "You..." "The next time I challenge you to a duel, I expect you to put up a fight worthy of the reputation of the Prince of Earth. Until then, I expect you take your training more seriously." The blonde warrior tossed him to the ground. "I suggest you help your friend out of here before the local law enforcement arrives." With that, he started to walk away. Mamoru slowly stood, trying to shake off the feeling as if he had just had a rather large brick strike him in the head. *Damn, that guy was good,* he thought as he stood. His eyes then shot open as he saw Makoto's unconscious form in the middle of the road. "Jupiter!" he screamed as he ran towards her. Her body lay limp as he turned her so that she lay on her back. "Speak to me, Makoto!" he said as he shook her head. He placed his hand on her neck and checked for a pulse. "Good, still alive," he said. As he was about to pick Makoto up, he noticed the scepter lying on the ground. After studying the scepter for a few moments, he shoved it inside of his cape. Picking Makoto up on his shoulder, he quickly ran to the sidewalk where his cane had been broken. Picking up the two halves of the cane, he groaned. "This thing is a pain to repair," he whined. He then ran as quickly as he could out of the area. He had to get her help, and fast. Hoping for better results then what had happened at the game center, Ami knocked on Rei's house's door. "Rei! Please open up!" she yelled from the outside. No response came. The young prodigy sighed as she continued to knock, which she had already been doing for the last five minutes. "Rei, I know you're not in the best of moods, but... Damnit would you just open the door!" Ami screamed, feeling the anger and frustration finally getting to her. There was still no response. She fell to her knees and looked down. "I always thought we were the best friends. I always... knew that no matter what happened, nothing could break the five of us apart. But... now we're fighting like children! Usagi's missing, Makoto's gone off without us, and you and Minako are fighting! What's happened to us?!" Although Ami couldn't see her, Rei was on the other side of the door, listening to every word her friend was saying, sitting silently and emotionless. "Rei, I don't know why you're acting like this. I don't know why Minako's acting like this. I hate it! Is it worth it to break us apart for something so trivial?" The tears began to fall from Ami's eyes as she continued. "I know I'm probably the last one of us that should be talking about these things. Who leads us isn't important. We're all important to the team, Rei! We'll fight as one, or we'll fall as one! And if this continues, it'll be the latter!" The Shinto priestess looked down sadly from where she was sitting. "I don't know what to say to fix this. I was never good at that sort of thing. But... whatever it takes, I'll do it because I love you all. And that love's worth fighting for." Rei couldn't take it anymore. She turned around and slid the door open, ready to respond to Ami. However, her words were frozen in her mouth when her eyes met the sight before her. "Makoto!" she screamed. Ami turned to see Mamoru carrying Makoto's unconscious body in his arms. They were both wearing their normal clothing now instead of their battle uniforms. Her head rested limply against one arm while he supported her legs via the other. His eyes were deadly serious. "She needs help." "Get her inside, now!" Rei screamed as she opened the door fully. "Ami, contact Minako and get her over here now! I don't care what mood she's in!" Ami nodded as she fought back the lump in her throat, then opened her wristwatch. Rei turned and followed Mamoru into the house. "Take her to my bedroom," she said. "And just what the hell happened to her?" she asked. Mamoru continued to walk, not turning his eyes to look at her. "You weren't there for her." Rei froze in terror as he spoke the words. He stopped in his walk, but refused to turn to her. "They attacked us, and you weren't there! Now do you understand! Usagi's 'leadership' was about one thing. Keeping you all together. And you and Minako managed to destroy that in a day!" The raven-haired girl was frozen, tears streaming down her cheeks. "What right do you have to lecture me?" Mamoru turned to face her, though she wouldn't bring her eyes up to meet her. "You were just as bad! When the rest of us tried to work this out last night, you made the situation far worse. When we were trying to figure out what to do, you stayed away just as you always did, acting like a loner. When we needed you as part of the team, you didn't help. Then when Makoto did the one right thing out of all of us, you just tagged along. Don't act high and mighty with me, Mamoru. I'm not Usagi, and you of all people should know that." Rei looked up at him, her tear-filled eyes hauntingly penetrating his. Mamoru looked down at Makoto's limp body. "You're right," he said. "I'm sorry, Rei," he spoke sadly. "I... I just couldn't take it that she was gone. I wanted to lash out at everyone and everything. And I foolishly blamed everyone else, when I was acting the worst of all." He looked into her eyes. She looked at him and wiped the tears off her face. "Right now, she needs our help," Rei said, nodding her head towards Makoto. "So let's postpone the assigning of blame until later." A smile returned to her face as she said this. He nodded to her. The two proceeded to walk to the bedroom. Rei, Minako, Mamoru, Luna, and Artemis waited outside of the bedroom, worried about the state of their friend. Ami had asked them to leave the room so she could take care of her wounds. The door hadn't opened since that point, about fifteen minutes ago. Minako, not able to stand the silence, put her hand on Rei's shoulder and leaned up to her ear. "She'll be all right," she whispered to her. Rei put her hand on top of Minako's. "Makoto's tough. She'll pull through." Luna looked up at Mamoru. "Who did this?" she asked. Mamoru didn't move his eyes from the door. "It was some giant turtle-like monster. It hit her directly twice with something that was blowing up cars. I can't believe she's still breathing," he said with a solemn tone. Artemis was in deep thought. "That must've been some powerful creature. Was there anyone else?" Taking in a deep breath, Mamoru lowered his head. "Some blonde-haired guy." He let out a pitiful laugh. "He waxed the floor with me." The group looked up with shock. "What?!" Luna gasped. "This guy wasn't a normal enemy," he continued. "I couldn't even land a hit on him. He was professional. Had to be a soldier. And he swung his halberd like it was a bamboo stick." The white cat looked towards Luna with concern. "A halberd is not a weapon anyone can just use. This guy must be strong and trained." "This isn't good," Minako said with her arms crossed. "How was Makoto even able to defeat that monster?" Mamoru shook his head. "I have no idea. The guy knocked me out and I didn't regain conscious for a few minutes." "But he didn't kill you?" Rei asked, confused. "Not only did he not kill me," Mamoru said surprise in his face too. "But he didn't even injure me seriously. And he immediately challenged me to a fight when he first appeared." A thought then hit him. "There were two things that I noticed." "What?" Luna asked with interest, the others looking at him with interest. "For one, he mentioned something about wanting me to 'show him the power to overcome the impossible.' I have no idea what that means." Artemis's mind searched for an answer. Nothing came to mind. "The other?" he asked. Mamoru turned towards Artemis and took a deep breath. "He knew I was Endymion." The others' faces became displays of shock. Minako looked downright frightened. "How... how could he know that?" she asked. "I don't know," Mamoru said in frustration. "I don't like this." As the others' minds searched for answers, the door to the bedroom slid open. Ami stood there, wiping the sweat off her forehead. The others turned to her, attentive and waiting impatiently for a response. "She'll be all right. She has some light burns on her chest, some cuts and bruises, but for the most part she seems to be okay. She was absolutely boiling hot. I don't know if it was exhaustion, strain, or a side effect of those blasts she took, but I need to keep her skin cooled for a while to make sure she doesn't overheat." The group almost collectively let loose a sigh of relief. "Can we see her," Rei asked. Ami looked a bit nervous, then turned a bit red. "Um... only the girls." Artemis and Mamoru looked at each other, then up at Ami. "Why?" they asked simultaneously. The blue-haired girl rubbed the back of her head fretfully. "She's... indecent at the moment." As the girls entered the room, Ami quickly slid the door shut behind them. Her strange actions made sense when they saw Makoto lying on the bed. It had been stripped down, the blanket and sheets thrown aside on the floor, with a layer of towels underneath it. Makoto lay on top, her clothes removed, with towels lining the entire length of her body. She was awake, breathing heavily as she tried to fight back crying out in pain. "Makoto!" Rei screamed, running over to the bedside. The others quickly followed after her, Luna jumping up to the bed and walking up to be next to her face. The girl turned her head towards them and smiled weakly as she saw them. "Hey guys," she said, reaching her hand out and patting Luna on the head. She grit her teeth, holding back any signs of how much she hurt. "Dear god, what happened to you?" Minako asked, scared somewhat from the sight. Makoto let out a weak laugh. "Nothing I couldn't handle." "'Nothing you couldn't handle?!'" Luna shrieked at her. "It's not as bad as it looks," she said, her entire face locking up as she said it. "I need to dampen the towels, Ami said, moving to the other side of the bed. Makoto nodded, and laid still as Ami removed the towel that was covering her upper chest. The skin was incredibly red, looking worse then your typical sunburn. "Can I help?" Rei asked, as she watched Ami wetting the towel in a bowl of ice water. "Sure. The towels need to be soaked in water, then lightly placed back on. Don't rush it," Ami said as she took the wet towel out of the bowl and moved it over Makoto's form. She then slowly replaced the towel. Makoto's body tensed as the cool water soaked into her pores. "I'll help too," Minako said. She and Rei nodded to each other, then walked around the bed. Rei took the cloth off of her head, Minako the one on her lower chest, and Ami the one on her stomach, and then proceeded to dip them into the water. "Thanks everyone," Makoto said as she tried to breath steadily. "Should've been quicker than that. I can't believe I let that overgrown turtle hit me." Luna walked closer to her, practically sticking her face into the brown-haired girl's. "Makoto, what happened? Mamoru told us as much as he could, but he said he was knocked unconscious during the fight." Makoto's face grew a more serious look. She proceeded to tell them the entire story, relaying the events as she fought the monster, of the blonde-haired warrior, and of the new attack that saved her near the end. "New attack?" Luna asked, puzzled. Makoto nodded. "It was incredible. I felt every drop of energy I had left being sucked in by this thing. When I fired it at the monster, it was... vaporized." Minako and Ami both walked towards her, placing the towels back onto her body. Ami looked at her. "But if your other attacks wouldn't even dent it and this one totally vaporized it..." "The power was incredible," Makoto answered her, knowing where she was heading with her statement. "I've never felt anything like it." She tilted her head back more. "After that, I just passed out." The others looked at each other for a few moments. "This... is amazing," Luna said as she commented first. Rei nodded. "I wonder what that scepter was." "I've never heard of it before," Luna responded. "Maybe Artemis knows. I'll ask him about it later." Rei and Minako both nodded towards her. Ami, meanwhile, was busy dousing another towel in the water. "There's one more thing you should know," Makoto said, tilting her head forward. "What?" Minako asked. Makoto took a deep breath and steadied her eyes. "I heard Usagi." The tall man stood on the platform in the cavern that overlooked the recessed area. He looked forward at the crystal in the center of the room. "Is that all you have to report?" "Yes, M'lord," Kuroki spoke as he knelt in the shadows that were behind the man. "Then our first move is complete. Splendid," he said as he grinned. "This... Makoto Kino sounds like she has quite a bit of spirit," he said as an image of Makoto, along with sets of statistics and information on her were on the right and left sides of the image. "Tell me, Kuroki: what is your opinion of this woman?" The blonde-haired man paused for a second. "I wish to fight her." A smile came to the man. "Really now?" "I do," he answered. "And Endymion?" the man asked. Kuroki stifled a laugh. "If that man is truly Endymion, then he did not show me the strength he is famous for." "Oh really," the taller man said in surprise, turning his head to look at the blonde. "I was able to defeat him without even using my powers." The taller man smiled. "You do know enough by now not to underestimate your opponent I assume." "Of course, M'lord," Kuroki answered. "You wish to challenge his full might still?' he asked. "Although I may only know of Endymion through the stories and information we have gathered, I know that the man has described there has a warrior's spirit. It is he who I challenged. That man has yet to accept it." The tall man smiled. "You show much wisdom for your age, Kuroki." He turned around and looked back at the crystal. "It is a beautiful sight, is it not?" Kuroki did not answer him. "You are dismissed," the man said. "I will call upon you again when I need you." "Yes, M'lord." Kuroki stood, turned around, and made his way out of the room. The tall man continued to gaze at the crystal. "The game has begun." Ami blushed as she applied a special herbal medicine to Makoto's chest. Makoto looked up at her and giggled. "You don't exactly have to be embarrassed." Ami slowly turned her head towards her, eyes practically popping out of their sockets. "I mean, you are my doctor at the moment, no?" The blue-haired girl blinked, then smiled. "I'm not that good. I mean it's just basic first aid and a herbal mixture my mother taught me." Makoto smiled at her. "Thank you," she said. "Do you think you're up to standing?" Ami asked. "I think I can manage," the tough girl responded. "Okay, but first, I need to warn you. No extraneous activities for the next three days, you'll need to apply this ointment to the burned area every few hours for the next couple of days, and try to wear loose clothing. Also, keep the heat down in your apartment and try a cold shower later tonight." Makoto smiled and waved her off. "All right, I get it." Ami smiled. "Well you did say I was your doctor, didn't you?" Ami put the bowl with the cream in it down and washed her hands in the water bowl nearby. "All right, let me help you up." The others were waiting inside of the living room when Makoto and Ami walked down the hall. Makoto was wearing a simple white tank top now and shorts. The shorter girl was supporting her as they walked. "Mako-chan!" Minako said, jumping off the couch with a bright smile. Rei got off of the couch where she was sitting next to Minako. Mamoru looked towards the pair in the hall from where he was leaning against the wall. Artemis and Luna both looked up from the floor, smiling at the two. Makoto smiled back at her. "Thanks for taking care of me, everyone." The others were all smiling. "I'm so glad you're all right," Rei said brightly. "It'll take a lot more then an overgrown turtle to take me out," she said as her smile brightened. Ami helped her over to a chair and let the taller girl down. Ami felt exhausted as she walked over to the couch and sat down with the others. "So knowing what we know now, I assume we need to determine a course of action." "We need to sort out the whole leader thing before we go anywhere," Artemis said. Rei and Minako looked at each other with frowns. Minako then looked at Artemis. "We... talked it over. Our actions were childish and immature and neither of us is qualified to lead the group after what we did." "So we're withdrawing our names too," Rei jumped in. Luna and Artemis looked at each other. "This isn't going to work," Artemis said. "Now everyone's withdrawn their name!" "Well, we feel that either Ami or Mako-chan would be more suited for the position," Minako said. Ami looked at her with a bit of surprise. "They were the ones who did the right thing," Minako added. They're the ones who acted like leaders." Makoto laughed. "Before you two do anything so rash, tell me why you wanted to both lead so badly?" "Mako-chan, that's not..." Minako said, a bit nervous as she spoke. "You two fought so strongly over that position, and I know you must've had some damn good reason. I want to hear it," Makoto finished, looking directly at the two girls. The blonde sighed. "I guess I owe it to you." She breathed in deep. "My status as Sailor Venus was always supposed to be that of arms master. Artemis taught me that well." The white cat looked at her, a bit taken back at Minako. "For some reason, when we became a group that just kind of got lost and Usagi took over as leader. I never put any effort into regaining that control either." Minako looked up at the ceiling and smiled. "That's just me, never wanting to be responsible." She lowered her head back to its previous position. "When Usagi disappeared," she continued. "I felt so horrible. Not only had I failed in my duty to protect my princess, but also I realized the group was without direction. In my heart, I knew I had to face the responsibility I had passed over up until now. I didn't want to let you all down a second time." Makoto smiled at her. "And you, Rei?" The Shinto priestess gulped. "Well..." she started to say nervously. "When we had all learned Usagi was gone, I just felt this incredible sorrow in me. I thought to myself why I hadn't had a vision on it or how I wasn't there to help her. That night, when we were all fighting, I just felt the need to take charge. It may sound silly, but whenever I get into something, I always feel this need to be the one to call the shots." She turned towards Minako. "I didn't doubt your abilities, Minako, but I didn't think you took it seriously either. I wanted to find Usagi with all my heart, and it just drove me to do what I did. In my selfishness, I didn't even realize what was happening due to it." "You're not selfish," Makoto said. "That's right!" Ami said in agreement. "You both were thinking of the group and of Usagi. And that's what was important." Rei and Minako looked at each other. "But, Mako-chan," Minako started to contradict the girls. "You went out there when we were acting childish." The raven-haired girl nodded in agreement, looking over at Makoto and forcing her eyes to look at the exposed upper chest of the Senshi's body. "You were almost killed out there." "You're exaggerating," Makoto interrupted. "And, it was my decision to go out alone, not yours. Talking about who did what isn't going to get us anywhere. The important thing is that everyone's hearts were in the right place." Luna took the opportunity to join in. "She's right. We can't lament over what's happened forever. And despite what you two think, you two are qualified to lead. The only question is, which one." "Minako," Rei started to speak before the blonde could say a word, turning towards her. "I don't say it often, but, I'm sorry. I was the one wrong here. You're right, it's your position and you're the most qualified for it." Minako looked at her. "Are you sure?" she asked. Rei nodded and smiled. "I know you'll do a good job." The blonde contemplated it for a few moments, then smiled. "It's probably a good thing you did that anyways, because I wasn't taking it seriously enough." "I knew it!" Rei shouted, jumping up from the couch and looking down at her with a scornful glare. "Minako!" Minako fell back into the couch, throwing her hands up and looking at Rei with a pitiful look on her face. "Hey, I did start taking it more seriously... after Ami yelled at me at least." "Minako!" The others started to laugh. "Don't bother, she'll never change," Artemis said as he giggled. When the laughter subsided and everyone had sat down, they went back to discussing the battle. "I don't have a clue who they could be," Artemis said, throwing his paws in the air and sitting on his hind legs. "We need more information." "Well, it would be helpful to scan the area of the battle," Luna added. Ami shook her head. "No good. Filtering out a clear sample of the energy is difficult, and with the cops over there disturbing the area, it'll be hard to get a good reading. In addition, we won't even be able to take a scan of the area until they're cleared out. By then the signature will have dissipated somewhat, and will be difficult to read." Luna nodded and lowered her head. "Scratch that idea." "Then let's look at the information we have so far," Rei joined in. "We know amongst the enemy is a blonde-haired man who is apparently strong enough to spank Mamoru like a child." Mamoru frowned. "Do you have to put it that way?" "Yes," Rei said seriously, then grinning from ear to ear so to mock the man. The man sighed. "We also know that they know I'm Endymion," he said changing the subject. "Which means it is entirely possible that they know who the rest of us are too," Minako said. "Don't jump to that conclusion yet," Ami added. "Knowing Tuxedo Mask is Endymion and knowing our real identities are two separate things." Minako nodded understandingly. "More importantly," Rei continued. "We know you heard Usagi." Makoto nodded. "I don't know what it was, but I had this strange feeling that she was calling out to me for something." Mamoru looked at her attentively. "That was it?" The girl nodded. "I called out to her, but she didn't respond." Artemis pondered what it could've been. "It could've been a hallucination from fatigue." "Or she could really be out there!" Mamoru barked. "Calm down!" Rei chastised him. Mamoru backed off and turned his head to look out the window. "There is a chance that Usagi is still alive, and what Mako-chan says could make that chance even more likely. But, we can't jump to conclusions." "Though it wouldn't be a giant leap to say the appearance of these new enemies and Usagi's disappearance are related," Luna said. "But we'll need evidence before anything conclusively can be said. Right now we have two major tasks: finding Usagi's whereabouts and ascertaining the identity of this new threat." "Well then," Minako said, standing up. "I'd like to appoint Rei as person in charge of that first task." Rei blinked and looked up at the blonde. "Me? Why?" Minako smiled at her. "Well, it'd be easier for me to have someone else handling the search, while the rest of us work on finding out information on these guys." Rei smiled. "All right, I'll handle it." She turned towards Mamoru and grinned evilly. The man looked at her confused, then frightened. "You're not thinking..." Rei started to laugh sadistically. "Oh Mamoru! Guess who's your new boss!" Mamoru dropped his head into his hands and started to whimper. The others all giggled at his predicament. The blonde looked over at the two cats on the floor. "I also want you to help her out by staying here, Luna." Luna and Artemis, who had been distracted, perhaps planning out what they'd do living together, turned sharply towards her. "What?!" they both asked fiercely. "Well, " Minako started. "I need someone here to help Rei out, and I'm sure Artemis, Ami, and I can handle the research." "No we can't!" Artemis blurted out. The blonde responded by throwing a pillow at him, striking him in the head and knocking him over. "Stop thinking with your lower brain for once!" Luna sweatdropped. "But... there's lots of birds over here!" Rei giggled. "I'm sure we can find a way to accommodate you." The black cat dropped her head and sighed in defeat. To be continued... That's the end of chapter 2. Please send all comments and criticisms to cav@wpi.edu Omake! Abandoned titles: Ow! Some Guy Just Kicked My Ass and Kidnapped Me! CRACK! Christ, My Head! Yea! No more Usagi! See! Everyone Naked! Whore! Usagi's Gone! ASSHOLE! Some Creep Took Usagi! Sailor Moon! Cause We're Out of Titles! Who took Usagi? Call William Shatner! Enter! Title Here! Ami! Is a Plot Device! Scroll up! We Had a Bunch of Good Ones! Breasts! Because Other Titles Just Don't Work! All Your Title! Are Belong to Us!