I know this one took long enough to finish, but there wasn't much I could do about it. The last few months have been extremely hectic for me, and even after I was able to write again it took me awhile to get back into the swing of things. I hope you enjoy this chapter, however. Be warned, it is rather dark, but it is for a reason, as you'll see in good time. I'd like to take a moment to dedicate this chapter to my friend Thomas "Davner" Doscher. Davner has been my close personal friend online for over two years now, and has pre-read my fics ever since. Without his help, Rifts wouldn't be anywhere near as good as it hopefully is. Davner is currently temporarily leaving the Internet community for boot camp, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank him for his support over the years. Dav... I'm sorry I dedicated the most dreadfully dark chapter of anything I've ever written to you, but I hope you appreciate it nonetheless ^_^. Special thanks goes out to Davner, Bremmi, Makoto-, Strikestwice, Veggitto, Ssedrey, Darksong, Willz, Angie, Zervon, Hounder, K`thardin, Scott, blue, Sethra 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. Send all feedback to cav@wpi.edu. Sub vs. Dub Guide Earlier translations can be found in chapters one, three, four, five, and six. Kuroki-niichan = -niichan is the honori-fic commonly used to refer to someone who is a small girl's older brother or in a position similar to an older brother. Though not related by blood, Kizuko refers to him as if he were an older brother. Kizuko-chan = -chan as used here refers to Kizuko as being the "little sister" to Kuroki. Similar here to the –niichan relationship. Good going you two! Thanks to you, Hotaru is going to have to fight seven people! It wasn't our fault she followed us! Yeah, it was your fault for not listening to me about fighting that guy! What?! Thank your papa, Hotaru. Thanks dad! The author would like me to warn you, the reader, that the following contains scenes of a mature nature Mature? (Blushes!) Not that way! Violence! The scenes are so bad that the following people have condemned this chapter: us, the pre-readers, the Surgeon General, the PTA, the PTC, the U.N., Rosie O'Donnell, Pat Buchanan, Hil... All right! All right! We get the picture! Can we move on now? Sailor Moon - Rifts Chapter 7: Wolves and Sheep! The Cruelties of War Kuroki stared at the two defeated Senshi for a moment, quite content that this was over with. Lingering thoughts about the battle played through his head. *How could I let myself get distracted so easily?* he chastised himself. Still, it was over with, and for that he was glad. There was little satisfaction to be gained from fighting the Senshi as they were, and ambushes were just not something he took pleasure in. Yet, he felt there was great potential in the fallen warriors, particularly the sandy blonde who had nearly bested him. Kneeling over, he picked up a piece of the Space Sword's hilt. Running his fingers over it, he concentrated, trying to sense if power remained within. "Was it a success?" the older man asked, standing behind him. Opening his eyes again, he replied, "It was." "Then our mission is nearly complete, isn't it?" Furuki commented. Standing up, he looked over at the two unconscious Senshi. "Not until the Great Destroyer arrives." Staring uneasily at the forest in front of him for a moment, the blonde finally spoke, "Perhaps she won't be coming after all." "She will," the bearded man stated, looking at his surroundings absorbedly. "Furuki." "Yes?" Looking into his eyes, the younger man asked, "Why are you so sure that she will appear?" Furuki showed no change in his demeanor, which did not surprise Kuroki. His sensei was widely known for being impossible to read when he chose to. "His Majesty theorized that she would accompany her friends. What we do know of her suggests that she is close to them." "But," the man started his retort. "The report stated that she would be here, and you seemed quite sure of this as well. I thought that we still did not know what she looked like or had information that could lead to such a confident belief?" "What are you suggesting?" the older man asked, eyes narrowing. "Well..." "You!" a female voice shouted from behind. Turning, Kuroki's eyes came upon a young black-haired girl in the uniform of a Sailor Senshi. He had to blink, surprised at the appearance of the girl. "What have you done to them?" "Who are you?" the blonde demanded of the newcomer. Though he knew she was a Senshi, he was unaware of her identity, and the very appearance of such a young girl as one of them was puzzling. "I am Sailor Saturn, the Senshi of Silence, and you will pay for what you've done to my friends!" The tall man smiled as he watched the new development on the screen. "So, she has finally arrived," Takayama said with a grin. "Now, Kuroki, we shall see if you are truly capable of doing what must be done." "My lord," a voice got his attention from behind him. Turning, the noble found the pony-tailed scientist standing behind him. "I can now confirm that the seals are starting to weaken." "Excellent," the man replied. "Then our current methods have proven successful." "It would appear so," the man in the lab coat replied. "Will you be ready for another session soon?" Pondering the thought for a moment, Takayama turned back to the view-screen. "Tomorrow. It is growing late, and there is no need to rush things. Everything has transpired according to my design." "As you wish, Your Excellency." *It can't be!* his mind denied what he saw, not believing the sight in front of him. *She's...* "I asked you a question!" the girl prodded him, taking his thought process off of what he was mulling over. "Are you sure storming over here was wise after your friends have already fallen?" he mocked her. The girl's violet eyes were fixed on him. "What are you doing here?" "Quit fooling with her!" a voice cried from the forest. Kuroki recognized the sound of the tallest of the guard members, Asarin. Of all the guards, Asarin was by far the most intimidating. He stood almost six and half feet tall and had a thick, muscular frame. His black hair fell just below his shoulders, and he had a black goatee. His skin was darker than the others. He wore black pants and a black, thick leather vest, with a sturdy belt holding it to his waist. A white goat symbol was on the left breast of the garment. "Just say the word and I'll teach this little runt about staying up past her bedtime." Saturn's eyes were shifting about the field, assessing the situation, but doing it so that the blonde was always within her sights. She tried as best as she could to display no sign of fear. "You won't move until I say so!" Kuroki reprimanded him. There was no need to even look to the other members of the unit to know there were others who felt the same as Asarin. He could practically feel the hatred from the others as the girl stood poised to strike. "Oh, look! It's a little chibi-Senshi! How cute!" Hyoko commented from her position to the side of the two unconscious Senshi. Bending over, she picked up the sandy-blonde by the hair. "Looks like we hurt her friends. Is the little girlie upset?" she mocked, tossing Uranus back into the shadows of the forest. "Answer me!" the Senshi ordered again, the teasing only seeming to antagonize her further. "I don't believe you are in the position to demand anything." At the moment, thoughts were racing through Kuroki's mind as to how he could keep this situation from exploding. His orders were to destroy the Talismans, but if the others had their way... "Then I'll take those answers from you!" the girl shouted as she raced forward from where she was standing. As she charged the blonde in the middle of the clearing, Kuroki prepared himself for the attack, picking his halberd up off the ground. *She's just a kid. Keep calm,* he told himself. Reaching a spot about ten feet from her target, Saturn leapt into the air, bringing her glaive up in preparation to strike. The blonde warrior clasped the weapon tightly, readying to parry the blow. She had reached the height of her jump, beginning to descend on him, when suddenly the girl's body seemed to go limp in the air. While she plummeted towards the Earth, the glaive loosened in her hands, falling to the ground below her. Dropping his halberd quickly, Kuroki caught the girl in his arms as she fell limply into them. Looking down, he saw something sticking out of her back: a dagger. Blood dripped from the wound, staining the fuku red. A painful moan escaped the girl's lips as her breathing quickened. "You'll... You'll..." she tried to threaten him, but couldn't find the strength. Bringing his eyes up from the wound, the man looked forward to see the small girl who had been in that area of the forest, eyes glaring evilly in the direction of the fuku-clad girl. She was short, just over four feet tall, wearing a green leather vest over a black shirt, brown leather armbands, and black pants. The vest was tied to the pants by a black belt. She had red hair that fell down to her shoulders and green eyes that glowed even brighter than the others. On the part of the vest covering her left breast was a picture of a fish. A stone cold look was on her face, displaying pure, unadulterated hatred. Narrowing her eyes, the girl seemed to concentrate for a moment. The dagger in the young Senshi's back started to move, causing the girl to yelp out in pain. With a back motion of her head, she commanded the weapon to come free of the flesh it was entrenched in. The dagger flew backwards through the air, quickly zipping back towards its owner, landing in her extended hand. Fresh blood dripped off the blade, trickling onto the ground. Gazing down at the dagger, the girl smiled. "Kuroki-niichan, let us hurt her," she said with an almost childish glee, her green eyes growing incredibly brightly. Kuroki stared hauntingly at the little girl, body quivering in shock. "Kizuko- chan..." he whispered. The Shinto Priestess sighed as she walked into her bedroom. It had been yet another eventful day, and she was already feeling run down. Walking over to her bed, she turned around and collapsed onto the mattress, landing on her back. After resting for a minute, she managed to bring herself back to a sitting position. *"Once we know what the 'rift in the moon' is, the rest might start falling into place."* Makoto's words echoed through her head, prompting her to think about the subject again. "Maybe I should meditate. If I can conjure up that vision again, I...." Her words were interrupted when a sudden jolt of pain coursed through her body. The raven-haired girl screamed, clutching her head with her hands and falling off the bed. An image entered her mind. "Ho... ta... ru..." she painfully stammered, gasping for breath between syllables. Moments later, the ache disappeared, leaving her breathing heavily on the floor. Catching her breath and sweating profusely, Rei could still see the vision clearly. "Someone's trying to kill Hotaru!" Walking over to the table, she picked up her Senshi communicator. Moments later, the image of a blue-haired girl appeared. Ami heard her communicator go off, and felt like swearing. This in itself was an event about as rare as they came. She was sitting in her computer chair, wearing a bathrobe and nothing further. Staring disappointedly at the screen, she sighed and picked up the object. "What?" she nearly shouted into the device in frustration. The raven-haired girl on the other end looked at her oddly, blinking in surprise. "Um... Did I get you at a bad time?" Blushing a bit, Ami looked nervously into the device, shaking her head rapidly. "No! What would make you think that?!" Rei continued to stare at her strangely through the device. "Well... I just had this odd vision. Someone's trying to kill Hotar..." she was in the process of saying, when suddenly the raven-haired girl cried out in pain, dropping the communicator and falling to the ground. Eyes going wide, Ami held the device with both hands and yelled into it frantically, "Rei! Rei!" Through the screen on her communicator, she could only see the girl's legs. "What's going on in the... Rei!" Ami could hear a female voice on the other end. "Speak to me!" "Luna!" Ami yelled into her watch, recognizing the source. "What's happened?!" The cat's face soon appeared on Rei's communicator. "Ami! Rei's passed out! Get over here quick!" "I'll be there as soon as I can!" the blue-haired girl assured her, closing the device. She looked over at the computer screen, where a chat program was running. Moving her hands back over the keyboard, she reluctantly typed, "I have to go. I'm sorry. Something's come up." Not wanting to see the other person's response, she pushed herself away from the computer and bolted out of the chair. As she quickly changed clothing, then ran out the door, she did not see the reply from the man on the screen, using the nickname "TelepathBoy." "Mizuno-san! What's happened?!" The question went unanswered. Gradually starting to stir, Michiru uneasily opened her eyes. Every part of her body still ached from the attack upon her. Through great effort, her muscles slowly started to respond again. She was so weak that it was hard to even open her eyes. Her chest hurt with every breath she took. Part of her wanted to let herself fall back into the unconscious state she was in moments earlier; to not have to feel the throbbing that had overcome her senses. The rest of her refused to let that happen, knowing the situation her love was in when she had passed out. Vision slowly clearing, the aqua-haired woman could begin to make out the image before her. A girl was kneeling on the ground, blood coating her back from being stabbed. Something seemed familiar about her. A new sense of urgency pushed the Senshi to try even harder to fully open her eyes. She wanted to scream at the horrible sight before her. If the energy were within her, she would be doing that exact thing. "Ho... Hotaru," she weakly whispered. Every fiber of her being wanted her to stand up and run to the girl's aid. At the moment, however, it was taking everything she had left just to keep conscious. The proud mother could do nothing to help her child. "That's the spirit! Let's see what the Destroyer's made of!" a husky voice spoke. "Asarin! Wait!" another tried to stop him. This one Michiru recognized as the blonde man who had led the attack. A tremendous war cry was let out as she could practically hear the bull of a man charging towards the poor defenseless girl. Hotaru tried to bring herself around so she could protect herself. As she twisted her body, another jolt of pain up her spine seemingly froze her in place. Within moments, the man was upon her, flying forward and landing a kick to her face. A scream escaped the small girl's lips as she was sent hurtling towards the ground, landing on her side. The man didn't pause, bending over and grabbing the Senshi by the neck with his right arm. Hotaru let out a cry as she was picked up like a rag doll and held above the man's head. "Where's your will to fight now, Destroyer?!" the dark-haired man taunted her, tightening his grip on her neck, choking her. Bringing his arm back, he landed a punch in the girl's gut, knocking the wind out of her. He held her steadfast, not letting her move as he landed another blow to her abdomen, followed by a third. Breathing came hard with the vice-like grip on her throat, causing the girl to cough harshly. "Please! Stop!" the girl tried to plead, words coming out muffled due to his hold on her. The tough Senshi was gone, tears streaming down her cheeks, fear overcoming every part of her body. "That's what every last one of them said to you as you cut them down!" the man responded spitefully, only encouraged by her pleas. Suddenly, sparks of electricity ran up his arm and flowed into the girl's tiny frame. Screams pierced the air, as the girl knew nothing but pain. "Pitiful," the man taunted her. Tears started to flow down Michiru's cheeks as she watched the scene, helpless in her current state. Her mind told her to close her eyes, to shut herself out from a world that would allow such a horrible sight. *Please! Someone stop this!* she pleaded. *They'll kill her!* *"I'll be a strong Senshi like you someday, Michiru-mama."* she could hear the girl's soft, sweet voice echoing in her head. *Why? Why can't I protect her! A mother's supposed to protect her children!* *"You're so beautiful, Michiru-mama! I hope I can be as pretty as you some day!"* *Stop it!* her mind pleaded. It was torture as she remembered pleasant memories from her time caring for the girl. She cursed herself for her helplessness as she watched the girl inhumanly tortured by these people. Hotaru was hurt, and hurt bad. Blood streamed out of her mouth as she started to cough. Her face was completely terrified. She wasn't a warrior or a soldier; she was just a frightened child. *"I love you, Michiru-mama!"* The aged head guard watched the events unfolding in front of him. Furuki knew he could not act now. As much as he may have wanted to, his orders stood, and he had never violated them before. What was happening was not something that was totally unknown to him, though he had never seen such barbarous acts performed on someone so young. *Two have fallen,* he bitterly thought. *Will the others give in?* Glancing over to a section of the forest, he saw one of his men standing almost impatient, as if waiting for his turn to come. He sighed. Turning again, he looked towards the last guard. The man was an even six feet tall, with short brown hair and a beard. He was the perfect depiction of an aristocrat. Built with a medium frame, he wore dark blue leather armor with black boots and a black cape. His shoulder guards were silver, and the image of a longhaired woman was drawn in red on the left chest area of his armor. The man's expression was totally passive, seemingly uninterested in the events unfurling before him. Furuki smiled at the sight. *I knew you wouldn't let me down, Zendel.* He turned back to the battle at hand. *There is hope for them yet.* Kuroki watched on in horror as he saw the battered child held within the man's crushing grip. "This isn't necessary!" he told the guard, as a sense of urgency rose in him. "This is not what we were ordered to do!" The man's look only seemed to intensify. "This one doesn't deserve pity. Stay out of this!" Grinning evilly, the man turned towards one of the other guards. "Your turn, Renvad!" The shortest of the men walked out from the shadows he had been hidden in. He had wavy blonde hair that dropped down just below the shoulders of his thin frame. His appearance was extremely foppish, a silly grin across his face. Eyes were a paler green than the others, and he wore a white body suit, covered by a purple and gold vest. A symbol of a bull was displayed on the left chest area. "Aren't you going to do something?" a voice whispered into Kuroki's ear. He couldn't even manage to turn his head to look at his friend. "Why? Why must they do this?! What should I do, Hyoko?" "She brought this on herself," a sweet voice spoke from behind. The blonde turned to find Kizuko staring at him. "This is what must be done. It is only just." *Justice... This is our justice?!* his mind contemplated the thought. His body froze, shocked to inaction from the girl's words. *This is what they demand. Yes, this is the only punishment that can be given,* a part of his mind tried to convince him. *There is no justification for this! Even after what she's done!* another part of his mind told him. *This hatred is misplaced! You have to stop this!* Slowly, he recovered from the surprise, knowing now what he must do. As he turned to finally act, he found himself too late. With inhuman strength, Asarin threw the tiny girl through the air, sending her flying towards the man. She barely dropped an inch in her flight, the force behind it so powerful. Renvad put his hand to his side and unsheathed his sword. The rapier glistened in the moonlight as it was placed at his side. The blonde woman closed her eyes and cringed. She knew what was to come, and didn't want to see it. "This is what hate has done to them." Smugly grinning, Renvad waited until Saturn was about ten feet from him. He could see the fear in the girl as she was so easily tossed in this direction. With a quick movement, he brought his sword up, holding it tightly with both hands and extending it. Saturn felt completely helpless as she flew towards the extended blade. She knew what was coming. These men were going to kill her. She felt foolish. Attempting to stand up to the men who had defeated her friends, what more naïve and stupid an action could she have done? And now, she would pay for it. As her body approached the blade, she felt fresh tears flow down her cheeks. *I'm sorry, Michiru-mama, Haruka-papa. I wanted to save you. Please don't be sad.* Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the inevitable. Her tiny frame struck the blade, causing her to cry out. She felt with the clarity that only comes in times like this, the blade ripping through the flesh of her back, cracking the bones that impeded it's progress, and bursting out the front of her lower right chest. Just when she thought it was over, she came to a sudden halt as her back struck the hilt of the sword, wrenching another shriek from her throat and leaving her impaled on the blade. Her tiny hands reached down to the sharp object, grasping it tightly. She tried to push herself forward, to get herself off of the weapon. Her own blood dripped onto her white-gloved hands, staining them dark red. She felt herself becoming weaker as her life's energy flowed out of the wound. Knowing her pain would soon end, she almost welcomed the darkness that was overtaking her, even knowing what it was that she was embracing. Almost. As another wave of excruciating pain went through her body, it left her thoughts clear. She didn't want to die. There was so much that she had gained, so much more to do yet, so much that made her want to hang onto every last breath of life she had remaining - but the cold realization pierced her mind, like the blade she was suspended on pierced her body, that there was nothing she could do to stop this. The image of her white-haired father entered her mind. *Papa, I'm sorry. Don't hate them for what I did. I love you, papa.* Passing out from the pain, the Senshi of Silence followed her namesake, ceasing all movement. Makoto sighed as she walked into the bathroom. Retrieving the watering can from the cabinet, she placed it under the faucet, turned on the water, and started to fill it. Thus began her daily routine of taking care of her plants, usually taking place earlier in the evening, but being deferred until now due to the dinner. First came the bathroom, followed by the bedroom, living room, and kitchen. Reentering the living room, she walked over to the entry for the balcony and slid open the glass door. A cool breeze pressed against her nightgown and bare skin as she stepped onto the terrace. Water glistened against the railing from the earlier downpour. She gave the flowers a quick glancing over. There was no need to water the plants; the heavens had already taken care of that. She moved on to the herb garden. Once finished, she started to turn around to head to bed. Halfway through her turn, she came upon the sight of the brown leather jacket that she had hung outside to dry. Smiling, she walked over to it and ran her fingers along the garment. For the first time in what had seemed like forever, she found herself truly happy. Despite the evening being cut short by Mother Nature, it had still gone almost perfectly. Something had really clicked with the blonde-haired man. It was something she couldn't put her finger on, yet she felt as if he was... different from the normal crop of males she pursued or dated. After a long streak of romances that ended far too quickly in the last few years, it was probably best for that to be the case, she decided. *I need to see him again,* she thought. As she started back to the bedroom, her mind was occupied with the previous notion. *I can't rush this one,* she warned herself. *He could be something special. I can't afford to scare this one off.* After putting the watering can back in the cabinet, she returned to the bedroom and sat down in front of her mirror. Removing the green beads, she let her long brown hair flow down her back freely. Picking up the brush and gently stroking the long strands, she started to consider her options. *What can I do? I need to come up with a way of seeing him again without making it obvious...* A thought suddenly sprang in her head. *I could invite him to dinner. If I claim it's just as a way of saying thanks for tonight, it won't make it too obvious.* A wry smile formed on her face. *Great thinking,* she applauded herself. A noise started to come from behind her Recognizing it as her communicator, she put down the brush and rushed towards the bed stand. Picking up the object from the small table next to her bed, she turned it on and was greeted by Minako's face. "What's going on?" she asked. The blonde appeared completely distraught. "Mako-chan, get to Rei's quick! She's collapsed!" "What?!" the brunette exclaimed, clutching the watch tighter. "How?!" "I don't know. She contacted Ami and said she had a vision. Then she collapsed." Makoto's face turned horror-struck. *Was it that vision again?!* "Did she say what the vision was of?" Minako's face darkened. "She didn't finish what she was saying, but it sounded like... Hotaru... someone's attacking Hotaru." Previous thoughts cast aside, Makoto fell onto the bed, face completely aghast. "Did you..." "She's not responding," the blonde answered the question before she finished. "Neither are Haruka and Michiru." Makoto swore under her breath. "So they were up to something earlier. Damn it! And we don't even know where they are!" Nodding sadly, the Senshi's blue eyes showed great concern. "Please come, Mako-chan. We'll figure out what to do once you get there." Slowly nodding, the taller girl closed down her communicator and placed it on the bed. Unable to move for a few moments, she appeared lost in thought. "Kami-sama, please let them be okay," she finally spoke, getting up from the bed and starting to change back into her clothes. The pain that filled Michiru's heart at this moment made the ordeal she went through when her Talisman was destroyed seem like nothing. She lay there on the ground, frozen - her mind rejecting the horrid scene that was before her. The small child she had considered nothing less than her daughter was... *No!* her mind screamed in defiance, as a fresh wash of tears obscured her vision. *She... she can't be... Not like this!* Forcing open her eyes, she wished she hadn't. The blonde man lowered his blade, causing her to slide down it again under her own weight until she fell to the ground. Her body lay still, lifeless, except for the blood flowing out of the wound and pooling beneath her. The sight was too much for Michiru to take in. The first feeling that ripped through her heart was the utter despair of a mother completely failing in being able to protect the child that she loved. That seemed to last an eternity, until a white hate then rose to consume her. She wanted to hurt these people. As her gaze traveled over their figures, her only thought was the wish that she herself could rip apart every last one of the bastards who had done this to such a sweet little girl. Then her gaze came to rest on the unmoving form of her adopted daughter. Everything else was swept aside as only one thought, one desire, filled her entire being. *Please be alive!* she begged, hoping beyond hope that there was some life still in the tiny frame of Hotaru Tomoe. That wasn't necessary!" Kuroki shouted at the guards who had performed the act, a look of fury and disgust twisting his features. "Oh relax, Kuroki - she'll live," Renvad stated, crouching and using the skirt of the unmoving figure at his feet to clean the blood off of his sword. "And if she doesn't, why care?" He stood up and turned to meet the gaze of the blonde man." There can be no forgiveness for a moonie like her," he spoke bitterly, spitting on the body on the ground. "Bah, don't tell me you're getting soft, boss," Asarin said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You know full well who she is. Our given orders were to hurt them, and that one in particular needed hurting – a task I was more than happy to comply with." The tall man cracked his knuckles in emphasis. "She's only a child!" the blonde shouted, in total disbelief of what he was hearing. "She's the Destroyer!" Asarin bellowed. "And if you can't understand what that means..." "I understand *perfectly* what that means!" Kuroki fired back in an ice-cold voice. "But... this..." "If she dies, Asarin..." Hyoko started to threaten him. The dark-haired man interrupted her speech, scoffing. "We'd only be so lucky." "I would not maintain that tone of voice if I were you," the blonde woman growled back at him. "Weren't you listening? You were on the verge of treason!" The tall man glared and started towards her. Anger and hate filled his features, leaving nothing else there. Stopping in front of the woman, he looked down at her, no more than a few inches away. "I'll stop when I'm ordered to. Not before. But if you two felt so strongly about this, then why didn't you do something about it?" Looking at him with disdain, Hyoko scrunched her face and turned away. "I thought so." He said, with a smug look on his face *He doesn't even care about what he did!* Kuroki realized. *How can he have become so lost?!* A tug on his cape brought the small girl behind him to the blonde's attention. He turned and looked at her. "The mission is not yet complete," Kizuko commented, pointing towards the discarded glaive that was lying on the ground a few feet from where they stood. Kuroki shut his eyes in disgust, and shook his head, almost as if to somehow trying to remove the memory of the events that had just transpired. "She'll be killed if I do that, if she's not dead yet. She's too injured." "Then may I?" the girl asked, her eyes glowing with an almost feral intensity as a look of delight filled her features. The blonde man looked at her in shock. *What... what has become of her?!* his mind cried out. "Kizuko-chan, why? What has happened to you?" Intently staring at the weapon, a grave look replaced her previous expression. "I want to hurt her. For... what she did to... him," the girl slowly spoke, shutting her eyes in pain as she finished her statement. Kuroki felt a great sadness at seeing the girl who was practically a little sister to him acting like this. "This hatred will not bring him back. You don't have to do this." Trying to remain unwavering, but shaking a bit still, the girl took a deep breath, and looking the blonde man in the eyes, she said "I am part of the Guard now, of my own choice. I will serve unquestioningly, no matter what is asked of me." Shutting his eyes in pain, the young man felt rage building up in him. *How could you do this to her?! Why? Was it necessary to involve her in this madness?!* His head shot upwards, staring coldly at the sky. *Damn you for this!* The tall man looked at the screen sadly. "You just do not understand yet, do you Kuroki?" Closing his eyes, he pondered what he had witnessed. *He's not ready yet. Duty wars with compassion inside his heart, and it's all too evident to the others. They will never follow someone so indecisive.* Looking at the screen again, he continued the view the scene from afar. *If you cannot do what is needed, then we may already be lost.* He gazed closely at the blonde, his face growing stern. "My son, do not fail me." Lowering his gaze from the object he knew was somewhere in the sky, the blonde warrior hid his anger behind a stolid face. He looked at the small girl sternly, "If you want to do it so badly, do so," he reluctantly agreed. Kizuko smiled at him. "Thank you." The girl proceeded to walk over to the weapon lying on the ground. Bending over and grasping the large glaive with both hands, she found it difficult to hold with its enormous length. She felt the strain in her back as she balanced the giant staff in her hands. A proud look appeared on her face as she prepared to destroy the weapon. She licked her lips in anticipation, a look of satisfaction overcoming the prior disbelief that she would finally be able to take her revenge. Although he wanted to turn away, Kuroki forced himself to watch the scene before him. *Will this please you, father? Do you take pleasure in turning such an innocent girl into a cold, vengeful servant of yours?* He felt a great sadness in his heart as the green energy started to emanate from Kizuko's tiny hands. It would soon be over, though every second felt like it lasted an eternity. Busy watching the event unfold, the gruff, black-haired man went unnoticed behind him. Asarin's eyes were transfixed on new prey for him. His expression was almost animalistic as he studied the figure lying on the ground. *The boss said I couldn't kill 'em, but that doesn't mean I can't hurt them a little." An evil intent in his mind, he started to walk towards his target, which had just begun to stir back to life. The sandy-blonde had picked the worst of moments to regain consciousness. Haruka felt like she had just been run over by a train. Now she knew why Michiru had screamed so loudly. If she hadn't passed out from the pain, even her resolve wouldn't have been able to contain her cries. Debilitating waves of nausea coursed through her body when she made the smallest attempt to move. Weak muscles refused to respond, making her unable to do anything. She hated feeling like this; feeling this sense of helplessness. Right now, the only thought in her mind was to make sure Michiru was okay, but, even if she weren't, there would be nothing she could do to help her. Slowly opening her eyes, Haruka tried to seek out Sailor Neptune. She had landed on her back, and her current physical state prevented her from moving too quickly, or else she'd most likely pass out again. Her eyes were the only really responsive part of her body, slowly looking around through half-opened eyelids to take in her surroundings. "Up from our nap, are we?" a voice greeted her. Her eyes shot open as she gazed in shock at the dark-haired man who loomed over her. Summoning what strength she had, she tried to lift her arms up defensively. "My, we're a spirited one," he smirked, grabbing her wrists with his hands and pinning them to the ground at her sides. "We'll have none of that." "What are you doing?!" she tried to shout, though it came out soft and weak. A feeling of urgency overcame her as a sinister thought of his intentions came to her mind. A menacing smile formed on the man's face. "I'm going to teach you a lesson," he sneered. She tried to summon what strength she could to resist, to try to push him away, but the battered woman was incapable of stopping him as he pulled her arms up over her head, pinning them there with a single hand now. Hopelessness entered Haruka as she realized how powerless she was to fight this man off. As much as she pushed, the strength just wasn't there. The horrible man was licking his lips, enjoying every moment of her agony. *Damn it!* she cursed in frustration. "Aren't we a pretty lil' thing," the tall man leered, running a hand along her side. Michiru's rage continued to build as she watched the small girl holding Saturn's Silence Glaive. *After all this, they need to still do that?! What kind of monsters are they?!* She just couldn't believe that there were people who could so casually do this to a defenseless child. Her eyes remained set on the small red-haired girl, holding the weapon in her outstretched hands. *At least Hotaru won't have to know that pain,* she tried to think optimistically, remembering the earth-shattering hurt she had felt minutes ago. Slowly, she started to turn her head to look at the dark-haired girl on the ground. Saturn still remained motionless, showing no signs of life. Much of her fuku was now stained with large blotches of red. It was painful to even look at, but Neptune forced herself to fix her gaze there, praying that by some miracle the girl would move even just a little, to show she was still alive. Through the corner of her eye she saw the red-haired girl looking over the glaive. Her look displayed puzzlement. "I can't find it," she said desperately. "Are you sure this is her Talisman?" she asked the blonde haired man behind her. *Talisman?!* Michiru's eyes shot open at the question. *That's impossible! Pluto, Uranus, and I are the only ones with Talismans.* She turned her head to look closer at the redheaded girl. The girl's eyes were glowing green, seemingly in great concentration, as she examined the glaive carefully. *It couldn't be...* Kuroki appeared to be in some discomfort to the Senshi. His face, though firm, was showing signs of unease. *He doesn't act anything like the others,* Michiru considered. *I wonder if they're not all together in this.* The blonde man moved forward to look at the weapon closer. Leaning over the small girl, he placed a hand on the staff and slowly ran his hand along its length. Carefully examining its features, he too seemed to be baffled. "Furuki-sensei," he finally spoke. "Take a look at this." Answering his summon, the aged man left the position he had been glued to since the start of the battle and moved to where the other two were gathered. Walking around the girl, he stopped in front of her and reached out with his hands. "Let me see," he said in a firm, commanding voice. Nodding, the girl looked disappointed as she handed the weapon to the guard. Running his hands along the staff, the man's eyes glowed as he examined the weapon carefully. "There is little power left in this at all," he said as his hands reached the top of the pole and started along the blade. The glow in his eyes diminished as he looked up from the weapon. "However, it is definitely the Talisman of Saturn. The power is within the blade only, M'Lord." Shaking her head in disbelief, Michiru looked completely astonished. *If that's a Talisman though, then...* she started to ponder the idea. *What does that mean?* An unpleasant thought formed in her head. *Could Pluto have lied to us?* Michiru gulped as she feared where this line of thought was headed. *She wouldn't. Not even Setsuna could... Could she?* Handing the weapon back to the girl, Furuki stepped away. "Are you certain you can do this?" "I am ready, sir," the girl responded firmly. Satisfied, the man stepped away from her and started back to his previous position. It was too much for the aqua-haired woman. As much as she wanted to continue to observe the dark-haired Senshi's status, she could not bring herself to look at the scene any longer. She felt her strength returning, and used that to turn her head away and clench her eyes shut. Hoping it would soon be over, she felt despair rise in her gut. She would've been grateful for anything that could take her thoughts off of what was happening. It was then that she heard a faint cry from behind her. A tinge of fear entered her as she thought she recognized the source of the sound. Uneasily, she pushed herself on all fours and started to turn herself around with what little strength she had recovered. It came extremely labored, and she could only move a small amount at a time. When she had turned about half way, she looked to the side to see a sight she wished she hadn't. "Uranus!" she exclaimed, though her voice was still rather soft. The behemoth of a man who had been Hotaru's primary assailant earlier was on top of her, holding the sandy-blonde still. Her eyes were filled with hate, face in agony as the man's hand caressed her side. It was nothing but torture, the likes of which Haruka would do anything to stop at the moment. Hearing the weak cry of the aqua-haired girl, the black-haired man turned to look sadistically at her. "Enjoying the show?" he directed towards the Senshi of the Ocean. "You'll get a real nice view from there." "No!" Neptune cried out in terror, pushing herself with new vigor towards the two. She had never felt such incredible terror before. Her sense of reason was blinded by the horror of the situation before her, and the urgency that she had to stop it with whatever means she had left. "Stop it! Don't!" The man seemed only encouraged by her cries as he turned back to his victim. His hand reached the girl's thighs, creeping up along her long legs. Haruka shook herself violently, trying to move away from the appendage. "You won't be needing this," he said, hand jolting upwards and grabbing the blue skirt. With a quick motion he tore at the fabric, tearing the front half of it away from the body suit. Water flowed down her cheeks as Michiru pushed with all her might to get up. *I've got to stop this! Please! Don't let this happen!* She tried to push herself up, but quickly plummeted back to the ground as her muscles refused to allow her the means. Nearly blinded by tears, she looked pleadingly at the man. The feeling of helplessness she was experiencing at the moment was the worst torture she had ever known. "I beg you. Please stop. I'll do anything you want." Shutting her eyes tightly, she painfully spoke, "Take me. Just please, leave her alone!" Even thinking of what he would do revolted every fiber of her being, but if it would put a stop to this, she'd gladly do it. The man scoffed. "You don't get it, do you," he taunted Michiru. "I'm going to enjoy hurting her, and you're going to watch every second of it, helpless and pitiful. Then you can spend the rest of your life remembering how you couldn't stop me from doing this!" Fresh tears streaked down her cheeks as Michiru realized the futility in her pleas. When Haruka saw this, the look on her lover's face woke the tough woman from her shock. Uranus was enraged with the fury of hell itself. "Let me go, you bastard!" she shouted in resistance, pushing against his hold with what energy she had left - a strength that for no realistic explanation should've been there. She was driven by hate and adrenaline alone, determined to stop this man at any cost. Asarin's face went wide with alarm as he actually was strained to hold his captive down. Growling, he pulled back his free arm and struck her along the face, leaving her cheek red from the blow. "You had to make this difficult, didn't you?!" he cried out in fury. Makoto stormed into Rei's bedroom, not even bothering to knock, as she arrived at the Hikawa Shrine. To her surprise, she found the room to be empty. "Rei?!" she shouted out, hoping to find the Shinto Priestess. "Luna?!" Anyone there?!" As if on cue, the hallway door slid open, revealing a tall man, looking rather distressed. "Good, you're here," Mamoru said. His features relaxed, as he was seemingly relieved she had finally arrived. "What's going on? Where's Rei?" Makoto asked, quite worried. "She's all right. Right now, she's in the Fire Reading Room," he informed her. Sighing in relief, the brunette smiled. "So I guess the others are waiting for me. Sorry to be late." A groan escaped the man's lips. "Actually, guess who's still not here?" Blinking, Makoto hung her head in realization. "Is she ever on time for anything?" "Men," Mamoru answered in an annoyed tone. The tall girl laughed a little. "Well, why don't I go check in on the others?" Making their way into the large prayer room, the two figures were greeted by the sight of the raven-haired girl, who apparently hadn't even had the chance to change into her shrine robes, sitting before the giant flame. Already having arrived, Ami and Luna were standing behind her. Makoto and Mamoru silently made their way over to the figures. The blue-haired girl and the cat turned to greet them as they were approaching. They remained silent, knowing the Shinto needed it to remain silent for meditation. Stepping beside Ami, the brunette whispered to her, "What's going on?" "She's trying to get the vision to appear again," the blue-haired girl whispered back. "Any luck?" "None," she whispered back disappointedly. Bringing her hands together, Rei began to chant in prayer, "Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen!" As the last part of the incantation was chanted, her face tightened, concentrating greatly. The others in the room waited in anticipation, hoping for some sign of success. Unfortunately, the disenchanted look of the girl as she turned around let them know it had been a failure. Frowning, Rei shook her head, "Sorry, no luck." "So what do we do now?" Mamoru asked, crossing his arms. "Maybe we should wait for Minako to arrive before we decide," Ami suggested. Luna snorted at the remark. "By the time she shows up it'll be..." The sound of a door slamming followed by footsteps running on the wooden floor caused everyone in the room to turn towards the door to the room. As they all suspected, a blonde blur stopped in front of the entrance, panting heavily and trying to catch her breath as she bent over to rest. Sweatdropping, the occupants of the room stared at her. "Sorry!" she announced to everyone as she stood up, rubbing the back of her head fretfully, laughing a bit. "Had to take care of some things..." Receiving rather cold stares from the others, the blonde looked worriedly at them. Shaking off the effect, she decided to get right to the point. "Anyways, I talked to Professor Tomoe on the phone. He looked all over, but said Hotaru isn't there." "I knew it," Rei bitterly said. "He doesn't know where she is?" Makoto asked. Minako shook her head. "Not a clue. He said she must've slipped out of the house at some point." "This is very bad," the raven-haired girl said. "This does not bode well." "No offense, but I hope your premonitions are wrong for once," Mamoru said. Rei nodded her head in agreement. "So what do we do?" Ami asked. The group looked towards the blonde for answer. "Well, I already talked with the professor, and I told him we'd head over there to look for clues," she explained. Blinking, Luna looked rather surprised. "She came up with this by herself?" "Did you say something, Luna?" the teen genius asked, looking down at her. "Nothing!" Luna quickly shot defensively. Deciding to change the subject, the cat asked, "Where's Artemis?" "Oh," the blonde said, looking behind her to see that the white feline was not with her. "He must still be in the car." The occupants of the room all started to look at each other, trying to think of the meaning of what the girl had just said. "The car?" they simultaneously questioned. Staring at them nervously, Minako tried to put on her best smile. "Yeah, well I was kind of in a rush, and already behind, so..." Five sets of eyes suddenly widened in the horrible realization of what she was about to say. "You... didn't..." simultaneously said in horror. The blonde warrior tried not to show his disappointment in the revelation that the glaive was in fact a Talisman. He now regretted that he rejected the chance to destroy the weapon himself. Now, the task had fallen upon the small girl. His cowardice, his hesitation would stain her hands. That failure was not sitting with him well at all. Kuroki felt incredible pity for her. She now seemed to be lost to the same hatred that had claimed Asarin and Renvad. It felt to him like he was attempting to control an enraged storm with but words alone, and it was not succeeding at all. He only hoped, for her sake, that it was not too late. *She does not deserve to be trapped in this.* He continued to watch on as Furuki walked away from Kizuko. As the man passed him by, the teacher whispered to his student, "Do not forget, you are the one in control here." The words of encouragement eased the worry inside of Kuroki. *It is important you retain control at all times. Never let them know otherwise.* The lesson his sensei had taught him echoed through his mind. Gathering his strength, he moved into position in front of Kizuko. "Are you ready?" Nodding, the girl stood firmly, "Yes, M'Lord." "Proceed," he commanded. He was determined now to show strength to the others in an attempt to regain control here. Thoughts of the dying Senshi and the enraged child before him reminded him that his loss of command had been what put him in this situation, and he could not afford to make the mistake again. As green energy swirled out of the girl's hands, collecting on the blade at the top of the staff, he kept his eyes steady on the weapon. He hoped that his fears were unjustified, and that the small black-haired girl would survive this ordeal. Though even he felt little pity for the Destroyer, he was not expecting a mere child to be there, and he was now interested to find answers to the questions he now had "Let me go, you bastard!" a voice cried from the distance. Bolting around, the blonde's eyes went wide in shock as he saw the mammoth man holding down the Senshi. Witnessing the man strike the sandy-blonde, Kuroki felt rage build up inside him. "Asarin!" he yelled in a commanding tone. The black-haired man did not even acknowledge him by turning. "What is it?" he said in an irritated voice. By now, the other members of the Guard had all turned to witness what was occurring in the direction of their commander's gaze. The aqua-haired Senshi was making an effort to crawl to her compatriot's side, but still appeared too weak to succeed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" the furious blonde shouted. Laughing brashly, the man seemed to not care much for his superior's interference. "I'm doing exactly what we came here to do, boss. "We're here to hurt them, aren't we?" he shouted back towards them. "Don't you all want to make them pay for what they did? Now's the chance!" he shouted, pressing his hand hard against Uranus's shoulder and grabbing the fabric there where it met the neck. With a hard motion, he tore the side away, ripping off the shoulder guard and the white fabric. Her scarf was torn as well, split in two and hanging messily on her neck, nothing there to secure it. The full length of her arm was now uncovered, and her upper left chest was exposed. The Senshi looked up furiously as she realized how much she was showing now. Her body started to shudder and tense up. The man's hand started to push the fabric away. If his hand went much further... "Asarin, I don't seem to remember your orders including that!" Hyoko shouted, seemingly more furious than even her friend. "Come on, Lieutenant, you're not sticking up for these moonies, are ya? If you're looking to join in, why don't you take that one over there?" he said, pointing towards Sailor Neptune. "She's more your type anyways," he snubbed her. Storming up to Kuroki, the female ninja moved directly into his line of sight. He could practically feel the intense hate coming from the woman as she stood at attention. "Permission to kick this bastard's ass, sir!" Glaring intensely at the man, Kuroki offered a single word in response. "Granted." It was not natural for a human being to be the shade of white Rei Hino was at the moment. The term "the fear of God" would be best applied to her, though nobody could blame her for being in this manner of distress. Being cooped up in the Aino family Volkswagen with one crazy blonde behind the wheel was enough to cause even the strongest willed cower in terror. Rei recalled the incident that had occurred not more than five minutes earlier that had led to her current dilemma. It had been the seemingly innocent question from Mamoru, "Who wants to...?" and the quick, "I do!" responses from her two comrades before he could even finish speaking that had landed her in this death trap. *I swear to God, when I get out of this I'll find some way to make those two suffer!* How she wished for once that the dark-haired male drove something that had more seat room. Not bothering to slow down, Minako turned the corner rather quickly, causing the Shinto to tilt to her right side even while enjoying the safety of the seatbelt. She didn't bother to scream, as this seemed to be tame compared to several of the other altercations during this little drive. When her body returned to its upright position, she turned to scowl at the driver. "Can't you drive any slower?" "It's an emergency!" Minako once again protested, not removing her eyes from the road. "Emergency?! Minako, you don't even have a license!" Rei emphasized. "And you're speeding on top of that!" The blonde turned to look at the girl. "So? It's all necessary for the cause of ju..." It was at that moment that the eyes of the girl in the passenger seat nearly bugged out of her head. "KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD!" Rei screamed at the top of her lungs, waving her hands around frantically. Blinking, Minako turned her attention in front of her, where she had mistakenly started to drive into the right hand lane. The horn of a giant eighteen-wheeler sounded, letting the blonde know she was about to be smashed into by the massive truck a mere hundred feet in front of her. As if it were an instinct, she quickly turned the wheel sharply to the left, bringing the Volkswagen back into the proper lane and just narrowly missing a rather brutal accident. Minako let out a sigh of relief. "Well that was..." she started to state when she saw Rei's glare out of corner of her eye. She swore there was a red glow emanating from her. "Um... sorry?" she nervously apologized, a sweatdrop forming. Though the Volkswagen was no longer in Mamoru's sights, he could tell just where it was from the distant sound of screeching tires and a truck horn. He sighed and shook his head. "I think this was a bad idea." "Well, it's not like we could fit everyone into your car," Makoto pointed out. She was currently riding in the passenger seat, while Ami had taken the small back seat. "I guess," he responded. "Besides, Artemis and Luna are with them. I'm sure they'll be fine," the blue- haired girl added. "Yeah, I'm sure two cats can do a lot about a crazy blonde driving an out of control station wagon," Makoto slumped over and mumbled under her breath. "You say something?" the boy in the driver's seat asked. Shaking her head nervously, the brunette quickly recovered, "Nothing!" Shrugging, Mamoru returned his attention to the road. He observed the speedometer closely, and then gently pulled his foot back on the gas pedal, slowing the car a bit. Feeling the vehicle start to slow, the brunette grumbled. Noticing her obvious displeasure in something, the driver asked, "Is something wrong?" "No, nothing at all," the tall girl responded, rolling her eyes. Looking narrowly at her through the corner of his eye, Mamoru reiterated, "Are you sure?" At that moment he noticed that another car was passing him on the outside lane. "I don't know what could possibly be..." "Can't you go any faster, Mamoru?" the girl interrupted as she watched the other car now pulling in front of them. "Sorry, but this is the speed limit," he responded, seemingly not catching the hint. "But they're going to arrive there at least five minutes ahead of us at this current speed!" Ami complained. The dark-haired man frowned back at her. "I'm not going any faster. Do you know how expensive this car is?" "Might as well have a Hyundai if you're going to drive this slow..." Makoto remarked rather softly. "Did you say something?" Mamoru asked her, tilting his head back a bit to look at her. "Not a thing!" the girl quickly responded, again anxious from nearly being caught. The boy squinted his eyes at her, watching her closely for a few more seconds, then turned back to the road. "Well, at least we'll get there in one piece." "If we ever get there..." the brunette murmured. All the while the Shinto priestess was screaming in the front of the car, a certain dark-haired moon cat was going through her own terror in the back. Luna was trying her best to remain in her seat, though it had proved a rather fruitless effort as she was continuously sent flying from the hard turns and a speed that should be attracting every police car within a mile radius. She was very tempted to tightly dig her claws into the seat, but every attempt she made received a stern glance from Artemis, who had asked her not to do it, else Minako's parents would be made aware that someone had taken the car for a spin. Not to mention, he'd probably be the one who was blamed for the damage. "How can you let her do this?!" the female cat screeched at her male counterpart. Turning his head towards her, Artemis smiled brightly. "Luna, I've known Mina for a long time now, and I only have one thing to say about this." "Which is?" Curling his lips up, he brightly replied, "This is nothing!" The black cat proceeded to facefault. "How can you say this is nothing?!" Artemis shook his head. "Luna, Mina has her own way of doing things. They may not seem to make sense sometimes, but she knows what she's doing. We fought crime in England long before we came to Japan, and she was able to handle herself just fine." Luna glared at him. "Was she this reckless back then too?" The white cat smiled at her for a moment, and then responded, "More." A sweatdrop appeared on the moon cat's head. "I should've known... I wonder if it was a mistake entrusting her with such an important position." "Don't worry. Sailor Venus was the leader of the Senshi in the Silver Millennium too," he tried to reassure her. "I made sure that Minako was aware of that and prepared her for the day she'd have to resume that position." 'Then how come she hasn't shown any leadership skills to date?" Luna questioned him. Giggling, he responded, "As I said, she has her own way. Just give her a chance." "Damn, we've got traffic coming up." Minako cried from the front seat, turning to look at him. "Artemis, hit the siren!" "Of course!" he eagerly responded, and quickly walked over to the passenger-side door. Standing on his back feet and putting his front paws on the door handle for support, he stuck his head out the window. "MREOOOOWWWWW! MREOOOOWWWWW!" he started to make a very loud sound, vaguely reminiscent of a police siren. With an almost evil glee, the blonde stared ahead at the road like a woman possessed. "All right, I'll show these drivers what Minako Aino, future conqueror of the Formula 1 world, can do!" Turning almost as red as her namesake, the Shinto turned towards the blonde, boiling mad, and screamed at her, "THIS ISN'T A GAME!" Putting her hand to her mouth, Minako started to laugh, "OH HO HO HO! Don't worry, Rei! I will use my experience from driving Formula 1 cars to get us past this traffic! Right, Artemis?" "Go for it, Mina!" the white cat encouraged her before returning to his siren imitation. As if both thinking the same thing, Rei turned to look towards Luna, while the cat looked back at her. "We're doomed," they both whined simultaneously. Soldiers learn many lessons through their training. They learn even more as they go out into battle and experience combat first hand. Yet, throughout their lives, there are certain lessons that they should never forget. At the moment, Asarin seemed to have forgotten several of those very important lessons from his training. It was quite probable that he would be chastised by the head of the Guard later for it, but, that could prove redundant, as he was about to pay for forgetting those lessons. The first, drilled into him from day one by his sensei, was that you should never leave your back unwatched. The second, and more important, was never to piss off Lt. Hyoko Shishiza. Had he remembered lesson number two, he would've kept his mouth shut, done as he was told, and not even been put in the position he was now in. If he had remembered the first, he might've been able to defend himself for all of five seconds before the blonde beat lesson number two into him anyways. As such, he was unprepared for when the ninja jumped clear over him and the pinned down Senshi below, flipped in mid-air, landed right in front of him, and kicked him hard, square in the jaw. The resulting impact sent him reeling backwards, causing him to land on his backside and grab his jaw in pain. He looked up barely in time to see one very pissed off woman in front of him. "What the..." was all he had time to spurt out before the woman proceeded to swing her body around and land the back of her foot on his head. The guardsman hit the ground again, falling to his side. He started to cough, pain jolting through his body from the blows. Before he could recover, Hyoko reached down and grabbed him by the collar, picking him up with both hands. She held his form, looking up at his face with disdain. "The next time you're given an order, you will listen to me, guardsman!" She then proceeded to reach back and land her fist in his face, sending him flying backwards and landing on his back. Looking down at the injured man with contempt, Hyoko hmmphed, then turned around and walked towards the fallen Senshi. Her face changed to one of concern as she bent over and looked rather sadly at Haruka. The Senshi of the Heavens was in almost complete shock, her gaze unchanging as she looked up at Hyoko. She brought her arms up defensively and crisscrossed them over her chest. Her face showed an expression of raw determination, trying to act as if nothing had happened, but her body was visibly shaking. For a second, she forgot that the woman was her opponent. She looked down at her and started to speak, "I'm..." Then, she suddenly stopped herself, forced to remember who it was and burying her feelings of sorrow. She swallowed hard and started to turn away. The sandy-blonde seemed to be too lost to register the woman's expression. Haruka breathed in heavily, trying her best to calm herself, as she lay there, unable to even move. Her mind just wasn't responding, seemingly not able, or not wanting to process what had just occurred. Hyoko had to look away from the girl, not wanting to view the scene any longer. As she turned her head, she noticed the other aqua-haired woman out of the corner of her eye. Neptune was pushing herself forward, trying desperately to reach her comrade. *How could he do this? Even Asarin should know better! We don't commit the kind of barbarous acts they did!* she thought, feeling anger rage throughout her towards the soldier who had perpetrated the crime. As she was looking away, that very guardsman was starting to stir, slowing pushing himself back to a sitting position. He shook his head, trying to shake himself free of any disorientation. When he finally could see straight again, he looked forward to see his attacker crouched over by the side of his victim. He growled, rage building inside him from the humiliation of being manhandled by the woman who was much smaller than him. *Whose side is she on anyways? Siding with the fucking moonies? If she cares about those murderers more than her own people, then she doesn't deserve respect!* With one motion, he bounced to his feet and started to charge towards her, planning on taking out his building frustrations on the blonde. When he was a mere few feet away from her, the girl still having not turned to look at him, he heard someone speak loudly, though in a direct and calm manner, towards him, "Asarin, you are aware of the penalty for striking a superior officer, are you not?" Stopping in mid-stride, Asarin scowled and turned his head to see his mentor staring coldly at him. He inwardly cursed, for not only his failure to get his retribution on the blonde, but getting himself in serious hot water with the head guard. "You are teetering on the edge of insubordination, Guardsman. I hope that you were not intending on attacking the Lieutenant." Turning fully, he looked at the aged man with anger and frustration. "Of course not, sir." "I am glad to hear that," the man plainly responded. "For I am sure you are already aware that your actions here will require discipline when we return." *Damn him! I can't believe he would side with that bitch!* Practically choking on the words, Asarin responded in spite, "I stand by my actions, sir. That bitch deserves whatever she gets." "Perhaps," Furuki responded, his eyes narrowing. "However, the Honor Guard of His Majesty does not commit acts of barbarism." Circling around fully, he gazed at each of the soldiers. "That goes for all of you," he said, his eyes looking directly at Renvad as he spoke. "Do I make myself clear?" "Yes, sir!" the Guardsmen all responded as one. Standing, Hyoko turned away from the pair of Senshi and started to make her way towards the mammoth man who was still looking away from her. Creeping up on him slowly, she grinned evilly. Stopping in back of him, she put her hand on the man's shoulder, which caused him to flinch. Whispering to him, "Good boy," she then proceeded to knee him as hard as she could in the crotch, causing him to scream out in pain and grab the injured area. Renvad seemed to noticeably wince at the action, though it brought a smile to the blonde man in charge of the operation. Turning her head to look directly into his face, she threatened, "Don't ever think of crossing me again, Asarin. If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll make sure you sing alto for the rest of your life, got it?" Still in great pain, he quickly nodded to her. Turning back towards the center of the field, she started to walk back towards it. "Well, I hope you all remember to follow orders in the future, so I will not have to repeat this display," she said with a wink. Kuroki was finding a great deal of pleasure in his friend's antics. Though he now wished he could've been the one to do it, the show had more than made up for it. As his friend walked towards him, she had the biggest grin on her face. Walking by him, she stopped to whisper to him, "Now that felt good." The blonde man smiled widely at her words. "My Lord," Furuki said, turning to look at the man. Kuroki instantly hid his amusement, knowing he'd get a lecture from his sensei later on about the proper conduct in battle if he didn't. "I believe it is best if we complete this mission now and return." The sudden reminder of the situation prior to Asarin's incident caused the blonde's entire demeanor to darken. He turned to look at Kizuko, whose appearance was unchanged from before. She held the glaive in her hands, looking up at him with anxious desire. Sighing, he gazed down with her. *There's nothing more I can do to stop this,* he begrudgingly admitted to himself. "Kizuko, do..." he started to speak as he turned around, not wanting to see the scene. His speech was stopped when he found himself looking directly at a certain green-haired Senshi, who did not look pleased in the least. Gazing into her eyes, Kuroki could see that they betrayed the cool demeanor of the Senshi of Time. He stared at her, not saying a word. The silence only seemed to cause the tension to grow as they both waited for the other one to make the first move, while the other occupants of the scene watched on in wait. It was Setsuna who finally took the initiative. "It has been a long time, Prince Kuroki." The blonde stared at him. "Lady Pluto, I..." He couldn't manage to speak further, the words finding no voice. She glanced backwards at the two Senshi on the ground, trying to show no emotion in her gaze. She then looked over at the crumpled heap that was Sailor Saturn. This time, there was a noticeable change to her expression. Though her face seemed as stern as before, the ice-cold fury behind it could be picked up on quite easily. "This is not like you, Kuroki." Turning his head away in shame, the blonde gulped. "I must do what is ordered of me." "Even if it betrays your heart?" she coldly shot back. Lowering his head, he responded emotionlessly, "Setsuna, even if I do not agree with the methods of my father, it does not mean I don't feel the same anger he does." "I know that all too well," she responded. "But are you willing to live with that burden again?" Kuroki's heart started to beat quickly as her words struck a long repressed memory. Images started to fill his mind. His breath quickened as he felt every sick image flash before his eyes, reminding him of memories he didn't want to relive. Shaking his head and focusing again, he turned to look at her sternly, new determination rising within. "I will do what I must." "Will you now?" she responded, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you one to talk?" he gave as a snide remark. Staring coldly at him for a moment, the Senshi offered no reply. Michiru felt her strength returning to her to a point where she could now almost move easily again. Yet her gaze was so transfixed on the sight before her that she didn't move. *Thank god she's finally here, but what can she do?* she wondered. Finally, the green-haired woman turned from the man she was conversing with and started to walk in the direction of the fallen Sailor Saturn, advancing with purpose. Renvad looked at her approach and put his hand to his sword as if expecting her to attack, but did not draw his weapon. This action caused Michiru to blink in confusion. *Why isn't he attacking her? What is she up to?* The attack that the aqua-haired female expected never came, and instead Setsuna stopped in front of the girl and bent over. Her body almost seemed as it shook a little as she slowly reached forward and pushed the girl's hair aside, finding her neck and placing a pair of fingers on an artery. After staying there for a few moments, she stood and turned towards the blonde. "What orders were given to you?" she asked, her voice in a commanding tone. *Orders? Why is she concerned with something like that?* The Time Senshi's actions were baffling Neptune to no end now. Kuroki kept his eyes locked on her's as he spoke. "We were ordered to destroy the Talismans of Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn." His response only seemed to add to Michiru's confusion. *Only Haruka, Hotaru, and I? What about Setsuna? Why wouldn't his orders include her?* Looking at him callously, the woman finally responded, "Then all you have to do is destroy the Silence Glaive and you will leave this place?" The blonde nodded to her in confirmation. The green-haired woman turned to look towards Hotaru's unconscious body again and looked intently at it. After a few moments pause, she slowly opened her mouth. *Setsuna! What are you doing?! Hotaru needs help! We have to...* The thoughts were racing through Michiru's mind when she heard the woman start to speak. "If that is the case..." Setsuna said, pausing in mid-sentence. She seemed to struggle with the final part of what she was trying to say, but finally finished. "Then do it." Neptune's eyes shot open in disbelief. The words slowly started to sink into her, as if they were jagged knives tearing apart her flesh. She started to shake her head back and forth, her mind not wanting to accept the images before her. *No... No... This... This can't be! Setsuna you... you couldn't!!!!* Kuroki looked towards her for a moment, then nodded to her. "Do it, Kizuko- chan." All of the pieces of the puzzle suddenly came together to paint an alarming picture to the Senshi of the Oceans. The familiarity with these people, the reluctance to explain to them what was truly going on, the apparent false information on the Talismans, the late arrival after the battle was already complete, and, now, to stand by and watch as these people committed one final act of terror tonight: these all told Michiru one seemingly indisputable fact. Holding the glaive outward, the redheaded girl closed her eyes and started to concentrate. Energy began to flow into the weapon, causing it to glow an eerie green. The energy traveled towards the top, focusing and gathering around the blade. Glowing brighter and brighter, Michiru watched on in horror as the weapon was charged with the same energy that had destroyed her own Talisman. She couldn't will herself to move, and even if she could there was nothing she could do to stop this. With a flash of light, the energy flew directly into the core of the blade, causing it to shatter into fragments, along with much of the staff itself. Quickly turning to look towards Hotaru, Michiru felt a sick thud in her chest as she watched the girl's form spasm sharply from the destruction of her weapon before it returned to its unmoving state. Fear sank into the woman as she watched the chances for the girl's survival slip away even further. Her mind told her there was no possible way she could've survived something as horrible as what they went through after the beating she had already sustained. That fear slowly started to change into something else. Her gaze slowly moving towards another target, the aqua-haired woman's rage began to build inside her. The green-haired Senshi was standing there, her staff in hand, appearing as calm and cool as ever. Her gaze could practically burn a hole through the Time Senshi from the hatred boiling inside of her as she looked at the woman with disgust. As the rage built up inside her, the one conclusion Michiru reached came to the forefront of her thought. *Setsuna, how could you betray us?!* To be continued... Yet another cliffhanger :). I promise to stop doing that at some point... Really... Okay, so not really. Hope you enjoyed chapter seven. Eight may take awhile as it is expected to be a really long one. Send all C&C to cav@wpi.edu! All feedback is appreciated! Omake! The Unaired S Season Episode Part II! At last, I have finally designed a plan that is completely fool proof! I still don't see how this has accomplished anything! Just watch... For wh... (Bursts into insane laughter) ... (Sighs) *Meanwhile, on the set of "The Weakest Link"* Well, contestants, we are down to five remaining victims. (Looks around and notices all the Inner Senshi remaining) I can't say I'm surprised with these results. *In the audience* This is so unfair. They ganged up on us! Setsuna, how come you couldn't organize this so we could have Hotaru on our side and they only had four members so it could be even? (Crushes her soda) Lousy, stinking, bitch. I'll show her. Nobody would ever noticed if the time stream were altered just right so she were removed from history... (Sweatdrops) Um... Setsuna? *Back to the game* I gotta hand it to her. Minako had a great idea to get those three voted off first. (Puts her hand to her mouth and laughs) Of course it was a great idea! We five always will triumph by working together! (Sweatdrops) You do realize we have to vote each other off now, don't you? (Blinks) We do? Oh well, you know what they say; friends always stick to leather. (Groans) That's okay. If we compete fairly and honestly, then we can vote each other off without fear of hurting each other's feelings, for it will be done with the purity and honesty of our hearts! (Stare at Usagi and start to grin evilly) ... Oh crap... Then let us start with the strongest link from the last round, which was Minako, again! ... Something very fishy is going on here. Minako! What planet is named after the Roman goddess of love? Venus, of course! Correct! And my favorite planet as well! Wait... wasn't supposed to say that out loud... -_- Excuse me, but... Ami! Name at least three Bond movies. Goldfinger, Dr. No, and From Russia with Love. ... She got one? Ha! You thought I didn't know any movie questions, but you forgot something very important! Bond originally was a book series! ... Damn. Moving on... (Looks at Ami evilly.) Usagi. (Head in her hands.) What? What famous author wrote, "The Raven?" ... Rei? ... SINCE WHEN HAVE I BEEN A FAMOUS AUTHOR?!?! Well you have lots of ravens and... and... (Buries her head in her hands and cries.) ... Odango Atama. Needless to say, she's completely wrong. Rei! (Smug look) I'll show you how it's done. Who was the original star of E.R.? ... (Grins) What's the matter, Rei? Don't know that? Shut up! I know this one... Just give me a moment... (Giggles) You're finally paying for not watching television! Even I know that it's George Cloo.... Whoops. George Clooney. Correct! (Pulls one eyelid down and sticks her tongue out at Usagi) ... I hate my life. *A few minutes later* And thus we end another round. It's time for yet another one of you to go the way of the dodo. Who was the Inner that is about to go Outer? Which one of you was a planet too many? It's time to pick, the Weakest Link! (Hyperventilating) Must... Keep... Composure... Ha! You know you're the one who will be voted off! ... (Looks at the others with pleading eyes) You... You wouldn't do that to me, would you, guys? (Shrugs) (Nods) Sorry, Usagi, but you were by far the least useful person on this team. You haven't gotten a single question right in the entire game! ... (Starts to cry.) (Smiles) You see, even they know you're an idiot. Why don't you take it like a woman and turn off the water works for once? (Prepares to lunge at Rei when she gets an idea) Everyone... You know, that in the future, I'll be the one deciding on your paychecks. ... (Looks to Minako) The size of your castles... ... (Looks to Makoto) Your position... ... (Blinks) ... You're not going to... So, now that we have an understanding... You'll vote off Rei! (Eyes go wide) What?! (Enraged) You don't expect them to fall for... I vote for Rei. Me too. Make me three. ... I hate you all -_-. *Backstage* This isn't right at all! I've been contributing my fair share to this team, while that baka has gotten all her questions wrong! She bribed them! I mean, she *bribed* them! How fair is that? She knows she's an idiot and she's cowering behind silly blackmail! She thought we sided with China in World War II! I mean, come on! She believes there are only six continents! Oh... I'm going to so get those guys when they're done with the show. Just you wait... *Back to the Show* (Sweatdrops) Maybe it wasn't a good idea siding with Usagi after all. Of course it was! You're getting another story on your castle for it! If we live to see our castles... If you are all finished... It's time to start round five! We'll begin once again with Minako. Something is definitely wrong here... Minako, what is the capital of Japan? Tokyo! Correct! Here it comes... You can do it, Ami! You've read at least twenty-six teen magazines in the last few intermissions. She's got to ask something from one of them! Ami, who was the president of the United States during the Civil War? ... Abraham Lincoln. Correct! (Seething) Are you trying to drive me insane?! Miss Mizuno, please remember that I am asking the questions. (FUMES!) Usagi. (Bangs head into the podium) What? What French military leader was defeated at the battle of Waterloo? ... Do I have to give an answer? Please do. Else I won't have as much material with which to demean you. ... Captain Kirk? WRONG! Wrong, wrong, wrong! Miss Tsukino, are there any brain cells remaining in that small object you call a mind? Aren't you supposed to wait until the end of the round to make fun of me? Yes, but it's so much more fun to do it now. (Collapses to her knees and starts crying again.) Tell me, do you enjoy demeaning people to make up for the fact that you are an ugly, shrill, old woman who obviously had no friends as a child and who men look at and turn away in fear from since you're a stereotype for butch lesbians everywhere? ... Makoto, name all the words currently listed in the Oxford Dictionary. ... You want to arm wrestle? (Flexes arm) *Yet another few minutes later...* And we have come to the end of yet another round. Four of you remain, but two more must be voted off. Will your friendship remain in face of your idiocy? Will your hearts be able to endure the pain of having to stab each other in the back? *Back at the lab* Doctor, is this what you had in mind? This plan is brilliant! It will succeed in making the Senshi fight amongst themselves, thus making it easier for us to find the Talismans! Well... Not really. The monsters I create just have this weird side effect to go into boring, sappy speeches every now and then. ... What *IS* the purpose of this then? ... (Extends the bowl of popcorn to Kaolnite) Want some? *Back at the game* Well now, who are you going to choose to leave the tribe? Who will be thrown out of boot camp? (Mumbles) Only a few more rounds and I'll never have to deal with her again. Just think, Ami: only Minako, Makoto, and Usagi are left. They've all practically flunked out of school on numerous occasions! This game is yours! I vote for Ami. I vote for Ami as well. I'm voting for Ami too. (Facefaults) WHAT?! Sorry, Ami, but you've barely gotten a single question right this entire game. But I've gotten the last several questions all right! That doesn't make up for the many rounds in which you contributed nothing to this team. (Looks at the three girls) ... You all voted me off because you know I'll beat you in the final round, didn't you? Well... Yes. Sorry, Ami. But it's a lot easier to beat these two than it is to beat you. Better luck next time? -_- *Backstage* This is a travesty of justice! Not only does that ***** ask me the worst questions ever for three ******* rounds, but then when I start to do well they vote me off because they're scared of me?! Is that ******* fair? Is that the point of the ******* game? I thought it was called "The Weakest Link!" How can this be ******* allowed? ... Why are you laughing? Stop ******* laughing you ****! (Jumps out of her chair) Oh you think this is ******* funny! Well I'll show you! (Camera image points up at the ceiling as the sounds of the cameraman screaming can be heard in the background). And as we approach the end of this game, only three contestants remain. (Looks back at the girls) The three dumbest, most idiotic of the eight that started have survived to this point due to blackmail and gang tactics... How the bloody hell did this happen?! (Shrugs) You know what they say, life's full of sunrises. ... (Turns to the director.) Do we really have to have a winner? (Director nods.) Damn... Well, tune in next time for the conclusion of... The Weakest Link! (Whines) When does the torture end? ... With these two I may have a chance yet...