Chapter Six: Star light, Star Bright Adam gawked vacantly at the two road signs in front of him. Serena was stretched out peacefully in the middle of the road, munching on one of the apples she and Chibi had found three days before. Chibi lay beside her; her bright curls a dramatic contrast against the now filthy white of Serena's gown. "I don't see you helping," he protested in frustration. His only answer was a low laugh. It had taken twelve hours after Darien's departure for Serena to smile again, and another full day for her laughter. Adam was glad of its return, he had missed it. "Well?" he prodded. "This puzzle isn't going to solve itself, you know." "Fate," replied Chibi sleepily. Serena laughed again. "I agree with Chibi. If I had a coin, I would flip it. Why don't we let fate decide?" "Because," Adam exclaimed, "there has to be some kind of formula to this. The road to the left takes us to Elysion, the Kingdom of Dreams. The road to the right takes us to the Time Portal, and Pluto's territory. Now we've seen Pluto already, and Helios zero number of times. Do you think that means something? I mean there has to be a logical way of figuring this out!" "Why are you so enamored of deducing this right now?" "Because I want to get home?" "You don't sound so certain. Mother only said that you would remain with the chosen guardian. Do you think they'll let you remain there?" Adam paused at Serena's honest question. "I don't know. All I know is that my voyage is almost over, and as much as I'd like to accompany you on the rest of yours, it's not allowed. Where I'm heading, that place is home now. I can feel it in my bones. There might be a stop or two more along the way, and this guardian might be one of them, but the main thing is, I'm almost home!" Serena sighed enviously. "It must be wonderful to be that certain. Oh well." She grunted softly and rose to her feet. Chibi awoke from her doze and scurried to follow her. "Let's get a move on Sir Knight." She pulled from her pack a small rose and kissed it. "I'm sorry Darien, but this is important. Please forgive me. Winds of Change!" she commanded. "Show me the direction that we are supposed to go!" So saying, she ripped off a handful of petals from the rose and threw them high in to the air. At first it looked like the winds were actually going to answer her desperate plea, they circled and tossed the petals around for a few seconds, before ceasing altogether. The petals drifted to the ground, silently gathering upon one another. Adam couldn't sustain the laughter as Serena grew red at the sight and began stomping on the rose petals in a childish manner. "STUPID PETALS!" But suddenly, one lone petal whipped past his face and he watched as it drifted on the current of wind and went down the left path. "Um, Serena?" She paused in her botany beating to glare at him. "What?" she snapped. He refrained from smiling too widely and pointed to the last petal. "I think the 'winds' changed their mind. Ladies first." * * * * * * * * * * * "I'm telling you Darien, it was just a dream," insisted Greg as Darien stared long and hard at Serena's grave. "There is no way she's alive in some alternate dimension. It is not possible. Ask Pluto, I'm sure she can explain all the intrinsic nuances of the multiple timeline theories to you if you so desire..." "It was her, Greg," Darien stated firmly. "Somewhere, out there, she's alive. Some piece of her is alive and some piece of Adam is out there with her, protecting her. I need to find him." "Who, Adam?" "No, the man Pluto said that began it all. I'll make his head spin with words, I'll rip him to shreds with my wit, then I'll follow up with the taste of cold steel." Greg shivered at the intensity of Darien's words. "Look, Darien..." "Shh," Darien interrupted. "The important thing I came to ask you is this...who is the best bait?" * * * * * * * * * * * "Here we are," Adam forced out cheerfully. "The Gates of Elysion." "So how do we get in?" "You don't, at least, not without permission of Helios, Priest of Elysion," called a voice from high above the trio. Serena stepped back and glanced up at the pair of leather-clad women poised high on the huge barrier. The smaller one began to speak again, before stumbling to a stop at the sight of Serena's face. "...SERENA?" she gasped in shock. She nodded and glanced fearfully at Adam. "Frankly, I'm getting worried that everyone seems so surprised to see me. Especially Sailor Star Maker; to my knowledge, they didn't even know I was dead." There was a quick conference on top of the thin ledge, then the two figures nimbly jumped down. Sailor Star Healer looked Serena and Adam over dispassionately, as Sailor Star Maker tugged on the end of her long white ponytail nervously. There was a pause, then Healer spoke. "Well, Serena, I must say you were the last person we expected to come to the gate." She nodded. "And I must say you two were the last I expected to greet me, Healer." She turned to Maker and indicated Adam. "Maker, Healer, this is my traveling companion, Venus Knight. I know Fighter will be pleased to meet him, providing she's not still grumpy over the long period of not speaking." Both Maker and Healer's eyes widened in shock. "Serena," Healer gasped, "Fighter swore to us that she told you nothing about us. How do you know our names, or her name for that matter?" Serena stared at Healer confusion written across her face. "What in the name of the Moon are you talking about? Of course I know you Taiki, Yaten. Why wouldn't I know Seiya, he pursued me long enough, despite my protests." "Despite your...protests?" Healer detransformed in to Taiki, the confusion growing on his face. "You were very much in love with Seiya or he wouldn't have remained on this planet." "Remained?" Adam turned to Serena. "I thought you told me that after Darien returned and Sailor Galexia was returned to normal, that the Star Lights returned to their home planet. All of them." Maker resumed his Yaten mode and stepped up to Adam. "Our home planet? What do you know of it?" Adam drew back and was about to give the white haired man a piece of his mind when the gates to the city began creaking open. The four turned to fine Helios standing there, looking slightly amused. "I'm sorry it took me so long to arrive, but when Healer and Maker took too long on their rounds, I decided to investigate, should there be trouble. Hello, Princess Serenity and Lord Venus. It's a pleasure to meet with you again." "Princess Serenity?" queried Taiki, staring hard at Serena. "She is the Princess we've been awaiting this long week? This man is her guardian?" "For the time being," Adam quipped. "My guardian role is about to be transferred to three grumpy gals in black leather." Serena choked on a laugh. Neither Taiki nor Yaten looked pleased at the remark. "Shall we return to the palace, Princess? I know I can think of one young soldier who would be more than pleased to see you again." Serena blushed and looked at her gown. "I'm not certain I'm prepared to see Seiya like this, Helios. The last time I saw Fighter was when the StarLights and Fireball were returning to their home." "Serena," Taiki interrupted, "you mean to say that you saw all of us leave to return home? In this form?" "No, you were in the StarLight form of course. I missed you the instant you left, no matter how nasty you were to me during your time on Earth." Yaten looked at Taiki. The tall brown haired man was gazing thoughtfully at the Princess. The continued walking, Serena and Helios conversing nicely about a young girl named Rini. Yaten grew curious and interrupted, "Excuse me, but who is the girl you speak of?" Serena smiled gently at Helios and laughed. "My daughter, the Small Lady of Crystal Tokyo, and Helios' love. Though I do say he's a bit too embarrassed to admit to it." "Your...daughter?" Yaten turned in confusion to Taiki who raised one hand in a gesture for pause. "Wait a bit," he cautioned. "Things will be explained all too soon, I see. Let us reach the palace and note Seiya's reaction to our long awaited guests." They reached the palace all too soon for Serena, she bit her lip as anxious surpressed feelings rose to the surface. Though she loved Darien with all her heart, Seiya had always been the wild card in the mix. He was demanding and arrogant, cool and certain of his charms. Waiting for Darien, he had been nothing more than an attractive flirt, but a flirt with the power to make her heart beat almost as quickly as Darien's gaze did. She gulped down a last bit of resolve as Helios grandly swept open the doors to the palace. There was silence, then: "I'm glad you're back. I was beginning to wonder if I should go after you. After all, I..." Sailor Star Fighter entered the foyer and stopped dead in her tracks. She had been expecting Helios and her two sisters, nor the two guests they had with them. Especially not a particularly familiar golden blond figure decked out in a shimmering gown of silken ivory. "...I..." Fighter stepped towards them all, a look of utter shock emblazoned across her face. Instinct took of over and she raced across the remaining bit of floor to thrown her arms around Serena much in the way Darien had four or so days earlier. Her face pressed in to Serena's soft stomach, she let loose with all the pent up tears and agony Seiya had been carrying around for months. They all stood speechless as the normally stoic Fighter wept in to Serena's comforting embrace. Then something dawned on her, and she yanked herself away, staggering a bit and as if suddenly remembering who she was supposed to be. "I...I am so sorry." Serena blinked and looked curiously at Fighter. "Hello, Fighter. It's been awhile, but I didn't think it had been that long." Dumbfounded by the words, Fighter's mouth dropped open in shock. "Serena?" "Princess Serenity," Taiki smoothly interjected. "The Princess we've been waiting for. The one we've been sent to find and guide." Fighter transformed back in to Seiya and he merely stared at the girl. She gazed mildly back and turned to Adam. "Okay, this is officially much too weird for me. First I pass out and am transplanted on a mysterious beach with a dead member of my team. Then I'm told I died. Then my dead mother comes out of nowhere and tells me I must go on a journey to save Darien from a nightmare world, and to do so I have to cross three deadly rivers. So I do this, then continue following the dumb golden path, despite the fact that I've lost my memory once, fallen in to three rivers and a lake, and am now being looked at like I'm a ghost by the three people in my life who weren't supposed to know I'm dead!" Adam scrutinized Seiya carefully. "How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?" Seiya gazed at the man in surprise and shook his head. "I'm thirty-four, why?" At that Serena's head popped up. "Thirty-four?! We haven't been gone that long! Darien only looked...well, he looked exactly the same age!" At her words, Seiya bristled. "Darien, your doctor, Darien? What about Ami?" Serena shook her head in confusion. "What in the world are you talking about, Fighter? Ami's not through with medical school yet. She can't become a doctor for several more years at the least!" Seiya opened his mouth to reply but Adam's unexpected laughter broke up the fight. "I can't believe it," he gasped, tears rolling down his face. "Seiya," he choked, "how old does Serena look to you?" Seiya studied his bride and noticed with surprise, some of the mature smile lines that had gathered on her otherwise ageless face had disappeared. He didn't answer, so Taiki answered for him. "Offhand," he commented, "I myself would say about twenty at most." Snorting lightly, Serena chuckled. "I wish," she replied. "If I were twenty then my father would allow me to move out. I still have a year or so to go." There was a gasp from Seiya and Yaten across the room. They both stared at her as if she were an interesting new specimen of plant. "You're only...nineteen?" Yaten choked out. "Well, I was when I died," Serena admitted. "I have no idea how the age thing works in the afterlife." "You're not in the afterlife," Helios supplied. "If only you were. You are in Elysion, the Kingdom of Dreams. It serves as a limbo, a ground where the truly good can comfort their loved ones from the 'Great Beyond'." He laughed softly. "Here, all worlds collide. Including those not meant to be," he sternly commented glancing at Seiya. The look was lost on Seiya, still watchful of Serena, but not on Taiki or Adam. Yaten merely looked bored. "You're saying...that there was a mistake on the timeline?" Taiki deduced. Helios nodded. "Serena wasn't supposed to die, and she wasn't supposed to marry Seiya. In one reality, she died due to evil intervention of a relaxed dream state. This is partially my fault. I'm so used to Serena watching out for herself, I didn't notice the slip up until it was far too late to compensate. An evil creature escaped and used Serena's dream to manipulate her real body. When she 'died' in the dream, her heart stopped in real life. She died in a hospital room with friends all sitting in the waiting room." They all were silent, taking in Helios' words with more than a tad bit of worry. "This event that occurred in the dream caused two things to happen. When Serena was confronted by the evil in her dream, it dressed its malevolent form as a friend. It told Serena everything would have been better had she not accepted Luna's gift of Sailor Moon. It convinced her that her friends would be happier, that the world would be a safer place, that no danger would come to the people of Earth without her or the other Sailor Scouts to protect it. It showed her a lifetime of living happily with you, Seiya. There were no battles, no dying, and no pain. She agreed to this life with you in return for her friend's happiness." Seiya stared at Serena in shock. "I was the honorable mention?" he choked out. "I was the booby prize, the second choice?" Denying the accusation with a yearning glance, Serena sighed. "No, Seiya...I..." "Hush, Princess," interceded Helios, "let me continue. Maybe by that point, Seiya will have matured enough to hear the rest." Stung, Seiya sat on the floor and Helios continued. "This Serena is from the other dimension. When she agreed to the pact, she was killed in that dimension, though not purposely. She was desired by a greater evil, and she slipped through its fingers, thank the Gods. Thus, her life in your dimension picked up on the day she did not meet her guardian cat from the Silver Millennium, Luna. It ran on from there. She had three children with you Seiya, and they were gifts from the gods as well. But when Serena died in this dimension, she died in the other as well. Granted, there was a time difference, in your dimension she was thirty or so, but in this world, she hadn't yet reached twenty." Helios paused and took a deep breath. "Now, When they killed you, Serena, the evil one took your spot in both worlds. She has no use in the Scout free world, so she neglected it, leaving it still the sane world it was when the Star Lights left. But in your world, she is reeking havoc. The Scouts all lay in comas similar to your own before you died. They are her energy source. She is draining them through your connection as Scouts. Darien was caught in a similar trap when you freed him." "Why do you keep talking about your doctor?" Seiya interrupted, earning harsh glares from everyone in the room. "Because," Helios explained tightly, "in this dimension they are more than doctor and client, they are soul mates. Serena, before her death, was destined to marry Darien and become Neo Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo in the 30th century after the great freeze which shall lay the Earth in hibernation for a thousand years. They will eventually bear my true love, their daughter, Neo Princess Serenity, better known as Rini. Does that answer your question?" Seiya sat back, a stunned expression plastered across his face. "And the Scouts?" Taiki supplied. "What of them?" Helios smiled. "Fate is a curious thing. Even in the world where they were never supposed to meet, the Scouts find a way to become aquatinted. Of course, none of them know anything other than the simple fact that they are good friends. Seiya, the doctor Ami you were referring to, is actually Sailor Mercury. Her husband Greg, is Mercury Knight." "And Lita," Serena broke in, remembering images from the mirrors, "my friend Lita is Sailor Jupiter. She used to watch over Yaten and Minako and Hotaru occasionally." "You remember our children, yet you aren't my wife?" Seiya stared at Serena until she blushed. "I'm sorry," she stammered, "we had nothing else to do other than watch the daily trials of your lives for months." So saying, she explained the enigma of the two walls and two destinies. Once done, Helios nodded and turned to Adam. "Well, Sir Knight," he began, "it comes to my attention that you are excellent with a sword. It's been a great deal of time since I had any sparring practice. I was wondering if you'd draw your sword and duel for a bit before we retire. The morning brings nothing for us two save waiting, but it sends Serena and the Sailor Star Lights off on their mission to Eclipse." "Eclipse?" Taiki wondered aloud. Adam laughed. "I had nearly forgotten. You must go to the city of Eclipse and speak with the guardians. The three of them will help you and send Serena home, if I'm not mistaken." Sighing, Serena shook her head. "I had forgotten. This is getting awfully complicated." Helios placed a gentle kiss on Serena's forehead. "Things this important are never simple, Princess. Rest now, for the days ahead will be trying." * * * * * * * * * * * "I hate this idea," came Auriel's muffled voice. "I mean loath and despise this. I have better things to do right now than this. Did I mention that this was a horrible idea?" "Shh, love," replied Solan nearby. "Bait isn't supposed to speak unless it's told to." There was another muffled growl and what he could have sworn was a hiss. He glanced back at his fellow Knights with a look of, she's really a great person once you get to know her, but only rolled his eyes as Chad silently chuckled. "Neanderthals," he muttered, turning back to Auriel. Darien squatted beside him. "I didn't suggest the bag," he apologized. "I think that touch really makes it look like a set up." Solan chuckled. "I just think Ken was sick of her grumbling and complaining. I understand that the ground is hard and everything, but she really was hamming it up." Nodding, Darien looked at the 'bait'. Auriel lay tied up in the middle of the graveyard, a bag over her face, mumbling something about 'infernal men'. "Perhaps she was right. They've already struck on the cemetery grounds, surely there are better places to put her." "Okay," announced Auriel as she staggered to her feet, "that's it! Get this damned bag off of me! I have stuff to do, which I am positive Aurora and Apollo can not handle, no matter how qualified they are! Get me out of here!" Ken swung down from above her and removed the bag and loosened the knots, scrambling back up the tree before she could take a swing at him. "Oh! Just you wait! I'm going to..." "Going to what?" interjected a smooth voice. Darien tensed, as did the rest of the Knights interspersed around the small grove. Sailors Uranus and Neptune nodded to one another, silently splitting up to back up Auriel should she need the support. "Um," Auriel turned pale white in the dim light of the waxing moon. "Who's there?" she called nervously. Or what could pass for nervous due to Auriel's horrendous acting skill. "Um, hello?" "Here," whispered the voice as he entered the clearing. Auriel's eyes widened in shock and real surprise. "Mel...Melvin?" "No." "But..." "This...body...used to belong to someone named Melvin. I, on the other hand, am not he. I can tell you know that already, or you would not have called me out on my own playing grounds near midnight. Nor would you have surrounded yourself with...protectors." He spat out the last word in disgust. "You can show yourselves. I promise I don't bite...hard." Greg stepped in to the clearing and Ken dropped from the tree above Auriel. Darien and Solan removed themselves from the bushes as Chad stepped out from behind a nearby tree. Darien was fiercely proud that Uranus and Neptune stood their ground in hiding. Surely he had sensed the Knights, but would he note the faint signature of the Outer Scouts as well? "Melvin" stood his ground as well and tipped his head nonchalantly to one side as he stared deeply in to the bushes. "Come out, come out, where ever you are," he chanted. "I know you're there; Corrine, Nerissa. I can taste you in the air, just like Serena." There was a pause, and then the reluctant shuffling as the remaining Outers made their way to Auriel's side. "Oh goody, now that we're all assembled, let's make a deal." Melvin rubbed his hands together in perverted glee. "Normally Serena is the one who enjoys playing, and I hold back, but now is my time to fly. I propose a duel," he made a motion with one hand and a sword appeared from nowhere and imbedded itself in the dirt at Darien's feet. "...with you." "Looks like you're really the one who set the trap, doesn't it," Darien evenly replied. Melvin nodded. "Yes. It was a good one too. One of us had to make a move eventually. It just proves that I'm the more patient one." Darien scornfully glanced at the blade. "I want to be able to use my own weapons," he insisted softly, dangerously. The 'Melvin' chuckled dryly. "Oh, why not? It's been a long time since I've actually had to fight. It might even up the score a bit more on your side. Your weapons for you it is then." The sword faded back in to the night. "And as for me, you shall see my true weapons when the time is right." He glanced at the company, "However. You, my dear boy, have a lot riding on this little wager. Granted, I'm forcing you into this fight, but only because you woke up early. Had you just remained in the induced coma, I would have your body by now, not this," he indicated Melvin's form, "poor excuse for the perfection a human can achieve. Don't get me wrong, it's not half bad, but it's not you either." A feeling of nausea settled in Darien's stomach at the false praise. "Cut the crap. What will the wager be?" Melvin paused, considering. "You win, I give you everyone here." "If I win, I'll have them anyway. That's not much of a bargaining chip." There was an oozing chuckle. "You are correct. I shall give you Rini back then." "I want all of them." Surprise. "No." Insistence. "Yes, or I won't play your little game." Melvin pouted for a moment, then brightened. "And in return? What do I get? All of them is a high bid, you see. The only one's I can't return are the ones already gone, like Serena." "All of us," replied Nerissa's cool voice. "But we want Melvin's body as well." Melvin paused. "If I do that," he whispered dangerously, "then I won't have a body to inhabit. I don't have the energy to sustain my non-corporeal form for more than a few minutes." She smiled just as dangerously, baring even white teeth. "Then you'd better win." He glanced at Darien. "If I win, you must leave the body willingly. It's the same as dying. I will not possess an unwilling body, that's disgusting, it's like mental rape. That's my one-up in this game of chance. And I want assurance that should I desire to use any of the other Knights for my purposes, that they will do the same." Darien gazed at the other Knights. "I can not speak for them." Melvin looked around, and received a nod of agreement from each of the surrounding men. "Well, then. Would you like anything else?" "The clue to destroying Serena," Nerissa broke in. Darien turned to her in shock and surprise. "What the..?" Melvin laughed. "I might as well. She won't survive long here without me supporting her anyway. She needs the mirrors to move, she can't live outside the dreamworld save for the nights of the full moon due to the fact that Serena was tricked out of her body and died. You want the secret to destroying the Evil Serena? Simple, bring the good one back to life, only she can fully seal her back in our polluted world, as only this duel between Darien and I can send me back as well." He laughed maliciously and a sharp scimitar was suddenly in his hand. He raised it in a fencer's position, and slashed the air two inches from Darien's chest. "En guarde. This is one fight I'm not going to lose." * * * * * * * * * * * "Eclipse," read Taiki. "We're finally here." "I thought we'd never arrive," complained Yaten. "Enough," commanded Seiya. "This is your mission, Princess. What next?" Serena stared up at the high gates and shivered. The journey had been long and hard, but not dangerous in the least. They had made excellent time, excepting the sad good bye Serena and Adam had shared. He held her tightly against him, clinging to the last bit of 'living' connection to Mina he could. "Take good care of Chibi," he choked. "She's so small, and she hides so well, no one notices her unless she wants it." "I'll watch over Mina as well, should I get home. I promise, Adam, she'll want for nothing." Adam had responded by hugging her tighter and allowing a few random tears to slip free. "I am going to miss you, Princess. You were the only thing that kept me from going utterly insane, you know that?" She wept a bit too. "I will never forget you, Sir Knight. You truly belong in the Hall of Honor." Then they had parted, Adam remained with Helios, and she accompanied by the StarLights, began her journey home. "Eclipse," she muttered. "We are here to find the guardian. There are three of them, but the main one is the one we seek." "So how do we get in?" Yaten queried. "I don't think blasting a hole in the door is a good idea." There was a pause for thought. Then Serena reached forward and rang the bell. * * * * * * * * * * * Melvin stepped forward and slashed again, but this time Darien's cane caught the brunt of the sword and forced it upwards. Suddenly his own saber whipped out of its hidden place by his side and with it, a barrage of crimson roses found themselves a target. The fight began in earnest. The spectators held their breath except for Greg who good naturally took the opportunity to chide Ken on his teasing of Darien months before. "Hmm, Ken. I don't see a cheesy speech or corny attack on Melvin's morals in sight. True, the botany is in the battle, but there's no..." he paused as Darien enacted a particularly graceful spin out of his opponent's reach, "...posing here. Darien really is an excellent fighter." "I know that," Ken replied, biting his lip from the effort it cost him not to jump in and assist. This was Darien's battle alone and all there knew it. There were no more sounds in the grim enclave save for the muttered grunts and raspy gasps for breath that broke through the feeble night air. It went on for what seemed like hours, sword against sword, flashing spire of bright silver glistening in the light and the dim occasional clunk of Darien's cane used as a defensive block. Solan found himself holding Auriel in his arms; feathery hair tickling his ear, hot breath warming his skin as she buried her face in his neck, too frightened to watch as the exchange of blows became too rapid to see clearly. The figures became a blur in the dim light, and Greg moaned once in distress. "Ugh!" Auriel peeped through her lashes as Darien fell to the ground clutching his shoulder. "No!" She shook the stunned Solan. "Solan we have to do something!" "We can't," he whispered through clenched teeth and wet eyes. "He must do this on his own or that menace won't be banished. We believe in you Darien!" he broke out, "Kick his ass!" Darien struggled to his feet and lifted his weapon grimly. "Come on," he urged. "Come and get me you bastard! You know you always wanted to!" With that final parting shot, he dove at Melvin, raising his scimitar in a high hard arc much like he had the day that he and Serena had practiced in front of Raye's temple. Serena had been alive then; Adam and Greg, prepared the night before for their new future, hadn't even woken to face the day yet. His words echoed in his ears, almost a year ago only shy of a week or so, perhaps less. "That's not the point Mars Knight," Tuxedo Mask called from where he and Serena were dueling. "You must keep training. Improve your fighting skills to the point that no one can beat you, whether they are a Sailor Scout," he parried a kick Serena shot at his head, grunting, "a Sailor Knight, or a Starlight." The words taunted him. Ever since Serena's death he had done nothing, preferring his misery to training and working through his pain. Melvin locked arms with him, his leg bleeding heavily from a vicious gash, but... Mask flipped Serena over his head, and turned to Chad, removing his top hat in one fluid motion. "If Jupiter Knight can best you, imagine what the Nega-verse will be able to do to Raye while you're incapacitated." The words brought images of Serena wandering mindlessly on the beach. Using his legs, he flipped Melvin over his head and threw off his top hat much like Serena's tiara. Her tiara was barely deflected by Tuxedo Mask's cane, but caused enough of a distraction for her to roll under the next barrage of roses sent her way, and lock her right leg around his left ankle. Melvin was on his feet again, but the hat served as enough of a distraction for Darien to fumble for his sword a few feet away. He pulled it near and wrapped his legs around Melvin's...She rocked backwards, setting him off balance, sending him sprawling. Rocking backwards, Darien sent Melvin to the ground once more and rolled past him to grab for the sword. He caught his balance by rolling as he hit the ground and pivoting on his right foot to a standing position. Sailor Moon...Melvin...groaned as he brought out his sword. Darien spoke as if in two different times. "Come on Serena...Melvin...ready for the big leagues now? You've done well so far, but in a solitary fight you won't stand a chance!" "I'll show you big leagues!" snarled Melvin, and a mutating well of gloom collected above his head. Melvin's frame toppled to the soil, a mere puppet with its strings severed. The darkness molded the guise of a dirty man, which leapt at Darien, hands groping for his trachea... * * * * * * * * * * * "Can't you read the sign?" inquired a pair of bright red eyes from the peephole in the great door. Taiki examined the front. "I see no sign." There was a sigh of disgust and the door opened. An exotic woman with long pale pink hair braided and slung over her shoulders peeped out and examined the door herself. Cursing under her breath, she turned to the five. "There is supposed to be a sign that says 'Bell Out Of Order, Please Knock' but since it's not there, you might as well come in." "Thank you," Serena smiled graciously and picked up Chibi. "We're looking for..." The woman snorted and interrupted. "The guardians of Eclipse. Well you've met one." Taiki smiled and bowed generously. "May I introduce my companions?" "The woman smiled and chuckled. "There's no point, the three of us know all about you as it is. We know everything...we're worse than the fates." "Are you the Fates?" Yaten queried. Serena surpressed a chuckled of her own, but the woman had no compunctions about laughing aloud. "Nope. Beyond popular belief, there are actually four Fates: Birth (Maiden), Life (Mother), Death (Crone), and Beyond (Crossroads). We aren't them. We just know everything." "So," Seiya cleared his throat, "what may we call you?" Chuckling, the woman shook her head. "No, Seiya, you won't find that out just yet. You must meet my brother before that decision is made. But I do need you do me a favor and transform before you meet he or my other sister. They are kind of shy." * * * * * * * * * * The darkness lashed out and Darien felt icy cold wrap itself around his wrists. His sword dropped from his suddenly numb fingers and it drew him closer. Meeting its eyes, Darien felt the first touch of insanity work its vile way up his spine. Thought whirring, Darien remembered Serena on the fateful day Adam died. "I love you, Serena." Serena looked up from pulling her boot back on. Darien was blocking the afternoon light, looking almost like a faceless Jesus against the mellow glow of the humid sun. "I love you too, Darien," she smiled. "Is something wrong muffin? You look tired." He winced and forced the memories of them trundling her dead body and laying it down in the grave to surface. The sweet touch of her kiss and gentle warmth of her arms... Oh, wow!" Serena squealed with delight. "Oh Darien! How in the world did you get your hands on this?" She held up a slender golden pendent in the pale moonlight shimmering in from the patio window. "I love the winter season. I love giving gifts and really love receiving them." She glanced down, and bit her lip. Her low voice drifted up, filled with tender meaning. "But even if I had all the gifts in the world, they could never replace you." Darien reached forward, tears blinding his sight, and wrapped his hands tightly around something inside the dark mass. Serena's voice echoed in his mind, despair raising its adolescent pitch to a shrill scream. "Darien! I don't care if I die...I only want to be with you!" The thing in his hand pulsed and Darien bore down, the cold buffeting him, caressing him in icy numbness. Serena's hand slipped in his...he pressed down in to the heart... own during those last minutes on the beach. "I may never see you again,...he dug his nails in... but Darien, I love you so much I will try to defy death itself to save you if you die." He kissed her sweetly; his eyes open,...something seemed to give a little, so he tightened his hand until his bones ached... drinking in her long lashes and smooth features. The world faded, ...one final hot pulse, then...the last sight of his princess of one tear dripping down... "SERENA!" The words broke from his lips and the ebony evil above him screamed in harmonizing anguish. The thing in his hand burst in a gush of black goo that coated Tuxedo Mask from neck to knees. An ear-splitting howl of agony pierced the night and small children in their beds miles away sat up screeching about the bogeyman. Darien merely lay on the ground panting, his numb hands pattering with the feel of returning circulation, and the black gore working its vile poisonous way in to the ground by his body. In the silence, a communicator beeped. Auriel fumbled in her pocket and pulled free her gold compact. Flipping it open she stared at her sister's flushed face against he background of the too familiar waiting room wall. "What?" she whispered. Aurora screamed and Darien jerked to his feet across the clearing and stumbled to the Solar Sailor's side. "What is it? What now?" he demanded of Aurora. "They're awake! They're all waking up!" * * * * * * * * * * * "Don't look behind the curtain!" announced a solemn dark haired woman fiddling on a computer in the corner of the throne room. Sailor Star Fighter opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it and snapped it shut. Chibi ignored the demand and walked directly in to the room they were hovering in front of. The high glass walls were liberally covered with runic symbols, the only decoration being a long black desk and three thrones behind it in the perfect center of the room. That and the pale green curtain whispering in the back of the room. Naturally, this was directly where Chibi marched. "No! Chibi no!" Serena scrambled to catch the child as the StarLights entered the room. The woman that arose and faced them was draped in long white gown, her black hair falling to the floor, uncaring of the small marauding child and strode to the trio. "It's been a long time," she commented quietly, before hugging Fighter tenderly. Fighter stiffened, unprepared for this action. Earlier, as the pink girl had led them through the mess of gently rotting buildings and softly decaying homes, the StarLights had decided that the entire trip was as yet, a huge mistake. She had chatted amicably enough, blathering on about the weather, and tangy rose-mint tea, but kept all useful information purposely vague. At one point she had even turned and wagged an admonishing finger at the silent Maker. "Of course this isn't a trap! You are much too suspicious sir!" Maker had merely regarded her steadily, but something in her eyes turned the StarLight's unwavering gaze away. Hours later, they reached the center of Eclipse, a large golden tower and two gates. "You must be kidding," Fighter had gasped. "That is your great palace?" The woman had smiled and gestured for their entrance. "It's what's left," she cheerfully retorted. "We don't ask for much." "Well you get it," returned Healer. Now, poised before the elegant, darker woman, the StarLights had never felt so...desolate. Not even the small sounds of Serena chasing the child Chibi could compensate. "I thought this was a place of peace," remarked Fighter. "If so, then why do we feel so..." "Lost?" supplied a great booming voice. Chibi stuttered to a halt and Serena scooped her up and to her chest. "It's quite all right, Lady Moon, the child may play where she sees fit...including behind the curtain." Said curtain shifted and a tall, blond young man stepped through, an ample grin lighting up his face. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. You were walking in here so serious and expecting some majestic god-like seer to show you the true path. I had to lighten the mood, or give you what you wanted; a god-like voice at the very least." His twinkling blue eyes brought cheer to the solemn company, as did the return of their original guide through the city. Holding a tray laden with spicy treats, the pale pink tressed beauty glided in, her long braid trailing the floor now that the bulk of it was freed of it's high confining bun atop her head. "Lunch," she announced jovially as she set the tray down. "Help yourself, there's plenty more where that came from." The man and two women settled themselves comfortably on the floor, so Serena and Chibi followed suit. At first the StarLights wavered, but Healer abruptly dropped to the shiny floor below them and remaining two sighed and seated themselves as well. The food was excellent, if a bit spicy and sweet. Serena slurped a noodle and it backfired, lightly tapping her on the end of her nose with the dripping end. The company chuckled, and the sense of doom dissipated in the genuine warmth of the blooming friendships. "So," Serena began around a mouthful of eggroll. "How did you three get named Guardians of Eclipse?" She blushed as she realized the impropriety of questioning the trio before the time for answers had come. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that." The man shook his head and wiped a few stray crumbs off his loose fitting billowy white shirt. "Oh..." he gulped down the bite of rice he had been chewing, "...no. Don't worry about it. That much we can say." He indicated his companions; "My two elder sisters and I aren't actually the original inhabitants of this spire. It seems that a chosen few of gifted birth are born every few hundred years to be the guardians of this place. Darien doesn't know it yet, but there are treasures here of his time beyond his wildest imaginings. Which is why it needs guarding so desperately." The solemn woman idly pushed back strands of her dark hair off her forehead. "Not all of the riches are monetary, you see. Somewhere in these vaults lies the schematics to the Lunar Dome. Queen Serenity gave them to Darien's father as a...peace offering? Not quite that, but close enough. It was a sort of double protection for Earth after she had healed the other planets and made peace with them. With knowledge of how the protective dome worked, they could attack with ease, but they weren't going to. It was merely a tactical advantage, just in case. You see, a young Princess and Prince had taken a shining to one another, though no one would notice it unless you looked closely. So in the library of this great city, there are the blueprints to bring life back to the other planets of this small galaxy." Serena gaped at them in silence. The young man's chuckle broke the deadly quiet, and he ruffled the dark one's hair. "Anyway, to get to the point, it was your own mother that appointed us. At some point in our timeline, I'd say about fifteen or so years ago, she came and begged me to make a choice for her. I did the fair and just thing; the choice was made, and my reward was to wisk my sisters to this place to guard until the next guardians arrive and take our station. That won't be for several hundred years, probably not until Crystal Tokyo. Then we will be freed to live 'normal' lives." He paused halfway through a mouthful of noodles and looked at the dark sister, "Not bad. Did you make these this morning?" She gazed at him with what only could be called loving disgust and snorted. "I don't think so. Noodles aren't my...specialty. Goddess, you pack food away. If we had a food budget it would be unimaginable, we'd have to pawn off the valuables to pay it. Oh, that reminds me..." So saying, she rose to her feet and brought a small box from behind the curtain to their impromptu picnic. "I believe...you lost this." She rummaged in the box and absently directed the last comment to Serena. A moment later a slender chain and pendent were laid in Serena's cupped palm. Gazing at it in shock, Serena cried out. "My necklace! My gift...how did you?" "Like I said," interjected the pink one smugly, "we know everything. This, coincidentally enough, is your ticket home." She chuckled softly, "Of all the things you chose to barter away in the River of...well, whichever one it was, you had to chose the thing that could have taken you home anytime you wished it." Flicking more dark hair out of her face, the other sister smiled, "Yes, you don't want to know what we had to go through to get it back for you." Staring at the milky stone dangling on its chain, she felt the utter desperation of the past weeks and months grip her. "I could have gone home? Why didn't Mother...?" The dark one traced a crescent moon on Serena's forehead. "There would have been no point; the pain of the experience didn't yet purify you. Though the classes in law were a good idea, being so completely immersed in other's pain and triumphs as you fell in to each of those rivers has stripped you of any last vestiges of selfish desires or wants, thus making you an excellent leader. Maturity, and time, had already done most of the work, but those tenuous strands must be cut, and cut they were." "And besides," broke in the blond man, "there would have been no point. Your nemesis is still out playing; she wouldn't have arrived on the battlefield yet. So think of the entire thing as a training experience, one that will have prepared you for the battle to retake your place in the proper world." "What are we here for?" questioned Fighter, breaking in to their conversation. "I mean, why were we sent for?" The three glanced at each other uncomfortably. Then, nervously, the man spoke: "Two reasons, mostly. The first we three shall keep to ourselves until the moment is right. The other is that Serena will be in need of...weapon bearers and three close friends plus the child to stand by her side when she ascends once more." "When I...ascend?" Glancing at Serena, the boy nodded. "Should you win, and I have every confidence you will, you will be returned home. But to do so, you must have three others standing at the points of...well, you will need three others to send you home. The rest shall be explained if you win." "I...I..." Serena opened and closed her mouth, hugging Chibi tightly to her chest. Maker looked away for a moment and at the two women across from him. Neither was aware of the yearning expression evident in their eyes as they gazed at Serena and the child, but it was there for the world to see. Maker noted that Healer had seen the heartbreaking longing as well. "So what now?" The young man rose to his feet and helped Serena rise to her own. As the entire company stood, he stared at her with a bittersweet gaze. "Now, we prepare." * * * * * * * * * * * Two figures sat by a tall headstone as the large orange ball of the setting sun cast their shadows on the ground. The first traced the letters of Serena's stone with slender fingers, a look of pain crossing her lovely face. "How many nights do we have left?" The other chose not to look at the grave, staring hard at the setting sun instead. "Three." "And then?" "And then we gather at midnight at the Crossroads." "Won't they notice a group of people milling about the graveyard that late?" "Yes, but they shall be taken care of. There is no other way, no other time. Only a year has passed, but should we let more time slip by we won't be able to..." "I know, I know. It's...it's just that it won't be easy on her." "Do you expect it to?" "Well...I had hopes, fragile though they seem now." "That was foolish. A trip of that nature will not have left them unscathed. And the return will be impossible to explain to outsiders." "It won't be impossible, just difficult." "So...why must it be in that particular area of the graveyard again?" Sigh. "Because when the graveyard was originally constructed, four ancient roads, no longer in use, met there. Anyone in that spot would be...gifted." "Is that why you chose to bury...I mean..." "Yes. That is why I chose that particular place in the graveyard. It wasn't that difficult to convince the others, it is an exquisitely peaceful location." "So it will be easier on us." "Yes. So it will be easier on us." "So what do we do to prepare?" "Nothing." Confusion. "But why? I mean..." Patience. "Trust me. This is not our battle." "But..." "Trust. It is not our fight. We have done everything we can." "I know...but..." Exasperation. "Do I have to roll you down that hill? Trust me, we can do nothing from here on out other than gather the others to make sure they are here and prepared to fight should some nastiness arrive to stop us." "I feel helpless." "I know. Believe me, I know."