UsAgI iS dEaD uSaGi Is DeAd HiP hIp HiP hOoRaY
by DARK DAY FOR ANIME

Diclaimer - Sailormoon is owned by Takeuchi Naoko and Bandai, so
these characters really belong to them, except ones I made up.  You
know who they are!  They're the ones that run around doing bad 
things to the original cast.  ^_^  Well, most of them, anyway.


Part Seventeen
The Dark and Variable Indecisions


	The Youma's face went dark.  She gritted her teeth and shook
angrily.  "JADEITE!  YOU REFUSE ME!?!?!"  Jadeite shivered.  It was
no longer the voice of Usagi speaking.  "I AM YOUR QUEEN, JADEITE.
YOU SHALL OBEY ME!  YOU SHALL OBEY ME!"

	Jadeite felt himself being drawn forward.  The Youma energies
being fired at him from her affecting his mind.  There was no more
resistance from him as she gripped him by the hair, pulling his head
back.

	"I AM YOUR QUEEN, JADEITE!  YOU SHALL PLEASURE ME UPON MY 
DEMAND1  DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
	"Be...  Beryl..."  Jadeite croaked.  The Youma laughed.
	"WHO ELSE DID YOU EXPECT ME TO BE, LITTLE MAN!  YOU HAVE GIVEN
ME A NEW BODY.  NOW, YOU SHALL GIVE ME YOURS!"

	"St...stop this!  Please."

	She laughed and threw him on the ground, pinning his arms with 
her knees.  She grabbed his shirt and tore it off viciously with one 
hand, punching him in his already-wounded face with the other.  
Blood flew from a reopened wound, splattering on her fingers.  She 
stared at the blood and licked it off lasciviously.  She then leaned 
down and kissed him fully on the mouth.


	"Enough!"  Naru croaked.  "I don't want to see any more of
this!"  She shuddered.
	"Very well.  We shall move to other events."  Galaxia nodded.


	An old yellow bus was plowing through groups of hideously
wounded people, who were clawing at its sides like zombies.

	"What...  What the hell is this?"  Naru blinked in surprise.
	"This is what is happening right at this very moment.  Your
friend, Sailorvenus, lies in that bus, grievously wounded."
	"Mi...  Mina-chan?"
	"She is alright for the moment, but for how much longer, I
wonder...."
	"Who are those people, attacking the bus?"
	"They are no longer alive.  They are part of a collective
creature that is generally known across the universe as a Resonator.
Horrible creatures...  They are a kind of mind parasite, capable
of taking over not only the nervous system of others, but 
incorporating the bodies of their dead victims to increase their
own physical presence."
	"These don't look like they've been incorporated."
	"Indeed not.  The Resonator, stupid creature that it is, has
used up most of its energy reserves in showing off, laying waste
to a goodly portion of the city."	A goodly portion?  Naru's head 
spun...  What about my parents?
What about my Guri-chan?

	"What the hell is going on?"  Maisagi said as she gritted her
teeth.  Lina and Meimi were holding onto the driver's seat as 
Maisagi swerved the bus through a corner, towards a section of the
city that was lined with skyscrapers.

	"What are they, anyway?  Why the hell are they attacking us?"
Sae said before lurching back from the window as one of the 
Resonator's victims smashed against it, shattering its head and 
chest.  Both VesVes and Minako could see the face of what used 
to be an old man, his mouth wide open, clawing at the glass.  His
hand was reaching for a hold on the window, trying to slide it.  But
before he managed to move the window, the bus ran along a 
streetlight, and he was scraped off, leaving a massive trail of 
blood along the side.

	"What do they want from us?  We haven't done anything wrong."
Usagika held Minako's hand tightly, clearly frightened as more 
bodies pounded against the front window.  Minako looked at her 
blearily, praying that her final moments of life didn't end in this
melee'.  She turned to VesVes, whose face had gone stern, and pale.

	"There is only one thing they want."  She said sadly.  "Its
the Resonator...."  Minako frowned.
	"The what?"  She croaked.
	"It said it would hunt us down, no matter where we went."  
VesVes bit her lower lip and looked at Minako.  "It doesn't want
you yet.  Just me."
	"W.. Wait!  What are you..."

	VesVes stood as the windscreen began to crack.  Maisagi, who
had managed to contain herself thus far, let out a small gasp.  
"Lina, prepare one of your fire spells."
	"B...  But this space is too confined."
	"Throw it OUT the front when these bastards finally smash
through it."
	"There won't be any need for that."  VesVes said simply, and
looked up at the hole in the roof.  Lina and Meimi looked back at 
her, and Maisagi glanced in the mirror.
	"What are you going to do?"
	"End this for sure."

	And with that, VesVes leapt through the roof of the bus.  She
landed heavily on a wall nearby.  "Hey!  HEY!  Over here, you 
freaks!"  Almost automatically, the animated cadavers turned to face
her, surging towards her and away from the bus.

	"VESTA ASTEROID POWER, MAKE UP!"  In seconds, VesVes's 
appearance changed.  Her lycra running gear turning into a red and
white sailorfuku, strangely similar but stylistically different to
Rei's.  Her long hair was now tied up in a long, expansive tail that
rose close to three feet.  Even as she finished transforming, the
cadavers were pushing each other up the wall.  Now, as Sailorvesta,
she leapt from the wall and onto the roof of a nearby building, 
smiling at her pursuers.

	Minako was up against the window, being held by Usagika.  
Somehow managing to find the energy.  Even as she felt that energy
beginning to subside, requiring Sae's assistance in holding her up,
she stared at Vesta, who smiled back and waved.  Minako closed her
eyes and shivered, and saw the body of a young, red-haired girl,
lying in the halls of the Palace of the Moon Kingdom.  A girl who
died for nothing.


	"Why did she do that?"  Naru frowned.
	"Because the Resonator would have had those bodies tear into
the bus and kill everyone inside, just to get to her."
	"Who is she, anyway?  I can't seem to remember a Sailorvesta
being mentioned anywhere...."
	"That's because the core group of the Senshi have never been
involved with the Asteroid Senshi.  There are three distinct groups
of senshi that surround the Queen.  The Inner Senshi, or the 
Personal Guard, the Outer Senshi, or the War Lords, and the Asteroid
Senshi, or the Shadow Boxers.  It wasn't often that the three groups
would intermingle in the past....  It was part of the Doctrine of 
the Separation of Powers....  As with the Miko, who represented the
spiritual aspect of the kingdom within their three groups of four."
	Naru's head spun with this information.  "Why three groups of
four?  What purpose did this serve?"
	"Hmm...  Don't know.  It was written within the ancient texts
of my world that this was the pattern to be used."


	Vesta raised high above the city, trying on her flight powers
for the first time in a long time, hoping to put as much air between
her and the writhing mass of bodies that were following her every
move.  She looked down and was surprised to see the bodies hadn't
fused together, like she expected...  Like they had before when the
Resonator had rampaged violently across the city.  That meant 
something had gone wrong, with the Resonator.  Either its powers
were low, or it was foxing her.

	Before she had time to think, a beam of energy flew from a
large distance and struck her square in the back.  Vesta let out a
short cry as blood flew from her mouth....


	IASFU OA FWSS IASFU OA FWSS GOO JUA GOO JIPEST
	and again
	IASFU OA FWSS IASFU OA FWSS GOO JUA GOO JIPEST
	...speak words above evolving pain...


	Both Juno and Pallas stopped for a moment and stared at each
other, a look of shock crossing their faces.  Mamoru and Chibiusa
stopped and looked back at them as Pallas clenched her fist AND her
teeth.
	"What is it?  What happened?"  Mamoru inquired.

	"DAMMIT!  DAMMIT TO HELL!"  Pallas looked around her, as if
she were about to throw a tantrum and wanted a nice safe place to do
it.  Juno took her by the shoulders.
	"Settle down!  Everything's alright.  I can still feel her
signature."
	"SHE'S DYING!"  Pallas spat, shaking her head roughly.

	Behind the Asteroids, Neptune and Uranus gripped their shorter 
cousins roughly.

	"Are you two FINISHED?  We'll lose Usashin and Jupiter if we
just stand here..."  Neptune-Uranus said, angrily.  Pallas lashed
out at her, but Neptune-Uranus stopped her easily.  At first, Pallas
thought about punching the aqua-haired senshi, but realised the mind
running the body wasn't likely to take the hint.  Uranus did tend to
hold things against people that way.

	Instead, it was Juno who walloped them both, much to Pallas's
surprise.  "Get your FUCKING hands off us.  One of our friends is
mortally wounded, and we're feeling her death."

	"Wh.. who?"  Chibiusa looked at her as the two Outer Senshi
rubbed sore chins.  She spun on them.

	"VesVes...  She's dying...  You'll never understand...  You're
just a pathetic...  I mean..."  Juno was shivering.  Now it was 
Pallas's turn to try to calm her.

	Juno just saw the body of her dead friend, lying alone in the
halls of the Palace of the dying Moon Kingdom.  She only had minutes
to live, herself.  One of Jadeite's Youmas attacked her.  She 
successfully defeated it, but found herself mortally wounded in the
process.

	And she died.  Alone.  As alone as VesVes was now.


	Misagi stood at the rear of the group with Akunatsuka, 
sighing, and sat on the wall that lined the street.  She opened one 
of the beers from the sixpack she was carrying and began to scoff it 
down, looking up into the sky.

	It looked like the end of the world up there.  Well, there was
another world up there, but that was beside the point.  If it was 
the end of the world, the end of everything, she was going to go 
out, enjoying it.

	She heard Akunatsuka clearing his throat, his hand held out.
She sighed and handed him one of the cans.


	Jupiter looked back and noticed that their companions had been
left behind.  She came to a screeching stop, grabbing Usashin's arm
roughly.  This caused the pair to sprawl across the ground.  Both 
Luna and Artemis had to scatter to avoid being crushed.
	"What did you do that for?"  Usashin looked across at her, her
face a calm but enquiring mask.
	"Cos the others are gone.  We might lose them if we go any 
further."  Jupiter stood, helping up Usashin.  Just as they did so,
crackles of lightning-like energy spread across the sky, towards the
tendrils of the Eternal City.  They stared at it with wonder.

	"What's happening?"
	"It would appear the tear itself is now collapsing.  The 
physical laws of both dimensions are trying to meld."
	"That's bad, right?"
	Usashin sweatdropped.  "Uh, yeah, pretty much."

	Artemis sniffed after preening himself.  "I think we should go
back and see what has happened to them."
	"You mean WE should go.  We might have gotten a little ahead
of them, and they've lost their way."  Luna said haughtily.  She 
turned to Jupiter and Usashin.  "You two wait here.  We'll guide 
them to you."

	They nodded, and both cats took off in the direction from 
whence they came.


	"Is what she said true?  About the breach?"  Naru stared at 
Galaxia.
	"I'm afraid so."  Galaxia nodded grimly.  "And I'm afraid the
two dimensions shall not be able to meld."
	"What will happen, then?"
	"Total annhialation.  Everything will cease to exist in a 
matter of moments."
	"What?  This entire universe?"
	"Indeed."
	"How?  What kind of power does that other universe possess?"
	"The power of the Cauldron itself.  It was created through the
rubbish elements that were thrown off during the Harnessing of the
Sol System.  During the Harnessings, the power of the Cauldron is
utilised to bring the elements to heel.  Unfortunately, Sol didn't
want to be controlled, and still doesn't, so it took an 
extraordinary amount of power to do so."
	

	The Youma Usagi stood from Jadeite's bleeding and naked form
as the ex-Youma General groaned.  She looked down at him, pityingly.
"Well, you were as well built as the rumours said."  She chuckled.
"Unfortunately, you just don't have the stomach for my tastes.  Oh
well."  She snapped her fingers, and Mars was released from her 
bonds, then picked up her dress and put it back on.

	"I give to you, Jadeite, the prize to which you seek.  Use it
well in what little time we may all have to live."  She stared down
at the man as he tried to sit up, staring at her.

	"I thought you'd do something like this."  The Youma turned
to see Sailorceres standing on the edge of the blast circle.  She
smiled, bowing.
	"Well, I don't want to disappoint an appreciative audience.
How long were you standing there?"
	"For most of it.  You're right, he is well built.  But I
prefer my men to be a bit more consensual in their lovemaking."

	The Youma chuckled.  "If only you've seen some of the things
some men have done to girls I've met during my travels....  So what
if I like to do it back to them?"

	"That's not how you treated Professor Tomoe."  Ceres put her
hands on her hips as the Youma gawked at her.
	"How do you know about the Professor and I?  That is..."
	"In the future, yes.  Time is nothing to me.  I already knew
what was going to happen here.  That's why I knew where to look."

	"So, you contain an element of time powers, do you?"
	"Hardly.  I'm merely precognitive.  And anyway, I only came
to collect these two.  Now if you will excuse me..."  Ceres began
forward.
	"Whoa...  Just what do you think you are doing?"
	"My job.  If I'm not able to pool the powerbase these two
contain, with the others, then we shall cease to exist in 
approximately twenty minutes.  And anyway, you don't have a beef 
with me.  So, if you would please...?"  She gestured to the Youma.

	Flashes of lightning distracted the both of them for a few
moments, then the Youma giggled.

	"You can't frighten me like that.  I've seen the future."
	"Did you see the right future?"  Ceres looked at her 
unemotionally.  "The one where everything is eradicated?  And I mean
everything."

	The Youma sneered.  "So?  Why should I care?  I have greater
powers than the all of you put together."
	"Your powers will not be able to stop this, even combined with
the powers of every living being across the universe, once it 
starts."

	The Youma shivered.  "NO!  I came back for a reason.  To kill
these bastards.  If I am to die in the process, then so be it!"  The
Youma snapped her fingers and disappeared.  Ceres blinked a couple
of times, crossing her hands in front of her.  She slowly padded
down into the bowl of the blast, and knelt beside Jadeite as she 
watched Mars crawling towards her.

	"She is an impetuous one, Jadeite.  I can't even begin to 
understand what drove you to bring her back."  She huffed as he
looked up at her.  For a moment, he seemed like he was...  "Now
don't you start crying, you stupid fool.  You can't tell me that
stood to attention for no particular reason."  She pointed to his
lower regions.

	"And besides..."  She leaned down to him, sneering.  "I 
remember who it was who killed me in the Kingdom.  Do you, Jadeite?
Would you like a taste of some of the pain you inflicted upon me?"
He stared up at her, frightened by the sudden change in both her 
expression and tone.  So all the stories he had heard about her were
true.  She DID have a dual personality.

	"Usa....  Uasgi... chan..."  Mars croaked.

	Ceres shook her head, her expression suddenly softening, 
putting out a hand for the now-blind senshi to grab.  As she dragged 
Mars towards her, she turned and looked up at the sky.

	"Casual indifference won't get you anywhere, bitch."


	Luna and Artemis stopped at the corner and looked around, to
see....  Nobody.  Artemis sighed and hung his head.
	"We're lost."
	"We're not lost, we've just... taken a wrong turn, somewhere."
Luna sweatdropped as Artemis stared at her through dubious eyes.

	They heard an approaching truck, and were surprised to see a
vehicle, driven by Professor Tomoe, and full of all kinds of Usagi
variants, approaching them.

	From within the truck cabin, Ushayla had recounted everything
that had lead to the opening of the breach to the Professor, and was
about to go into a full, blow by blow description of what his 
daughter had done to cause the breach, when he hit the brakes.  
Ushayla's head was almost piled into the dashboard.

	"Hoi, what was that for?"  She looked at the Professor, who
was now leaning out of the window.  She followed his gaze, and saw
Luna and Artemis running towards them.  "Hey, its those cats."  She
sniffed.

	"I can see that."  Said the Professor as the two cats arrived
at the base of the truck.  "What are you two doing here?"

	"Umm..."  Luna stuttered.
	"We're lost, cos Ms Perfect here thought she knew the way back
to the others...."  Luna stared daggers at Artemis, who sniffed with
affected disinterest.
	"The others?"
	"Yes.  Chiba Mamoru....  Tuxedo Kamen, Chibiusa, Sailoruranus,
Sailorneptune and...  Umm...  Others."
	"What?  You've made contact with the Asteroid Senshi?"
	"How do you know about the Asteroid Senshi?"  Both Luna and
Artemis stared at him as he opened the door.
	"No time to explain.  Get in, if you both value your lives."
	"What do you mean, value our lives?"

	The Professor sighed.  "Because everything is about to go 
bang.  That's how I know the Asteroid Senshi...  They've been in
communication with me for a while, and they've told me this is to 
be the case."

	Luna and Artemis stared at each other.  Everything was about 
to go bang?  Surely not....  Unless...  What was it that Mamoru and 
Hotaru had said?  The two dimensions were incompatible.  When 
something solid, like the Eternal City touched down, a massive
cancellation would occur....  But the City couldn't make its way
down by itself...  It needed an avatar.

	Usako....


	The darkened corridors of the tunnels beneath her 
establishment were lit only by the fewest lights.  Yes, depite
their name, they were well-designed.  Carpeted, painted and even
decorated with paintings and sculptures, they were a testament
to their owner's ego.

	Madame Scorpia watched as Crow and Nyanko marvelled at the
arrogance of the opulence with which she had surrounded herself.
Even here, in these passages, never meant to be used by anyone
but herself and a few of her staff, she'd imposed herself.

	Mouse, having been through here already, didn't bat an
eyelid.  Scorpia noticed that a few of the artworks were missing
from their appointed stands.

	"We have itchy fingers, do we?"  She asked Mouse arrogantly.
The small senshi looked aside at her.
	"I have absolutely NO idea what you're talking about, dearie."

	Nyanko snorted.

	"Its this way."  Said Mouse, pointing to a corridor which lead
off the one they were in, turning left.
	"What is?"  Scorpia huffed.  "Might it not be time for you to
tell me where you are taking me?  I find this extremely rude."  She
looked back at Nyanko, who prodded the weapon into her back a couple
of times.

	"Well, lets see..."  Crow took a breath.  "You have your 
fingers into all kinds of pies, do you not?  Smuggling, dealing, 
graft and corruption, money laundering and prostitution."
	"So?"  Scorpia chuckled.  "Its a living.  And if I didn't do
it, someone with less scruples than I may just take up the reins."
	"Someone with less scruples than you IS taking up the reins."
Crow sniffed as they turned the corner.  They came upon a solidly
built iron door.  Mouse punched in a combination on its serial lock.
There was a clanging noise, and she wrenched the handle, opening it 
fully.  The passageway beyond was eerily silent, and Scorpia raised
an eyebrow.

	"The old safehouses?  We don't use them, anymore."  She 
sniffed, then noticed the stench coming from there.  She backed 
away, waving a hand in front of her face.  "What the hell is THAT?"
	"You'll see."  Crow pushed her forward.

	All of them stepped through and Mouse shut the door behind
them.


	Their reprieve had been all too brief.  Now, straggling 
numbers of the cadavers were beginning to attack the bus again as
they passed through a canyon of high towers.  And then the petrol
ran out.  Maisagi stared at the fuel gauge in disbelief.

	"Aww, shit!  You could have put money on it..."  She gritted
her teeth and brought the bus to a rolling stop when they were able
to clear their pursuers.  She opened the doors as Sae and Usagika
lifted Minako to her feet.  "I hope you have enough left in you to
run, Sailor V, cos we're going to have to."

	"Yes, Artemis, whatever you say..."  Minako mumbled.  Maisagi
scratched her head as something banged against the back of the bus.
That was enough of a signal for the six of them to get motoring.

	Maisagi leapt from the bus and flicked out a pair of razor-
edged fans, opening them dramatically with a twitch of her hands.
She stared back at the thirty-strong group of cadavers as they
shuffled along the street.  Lina was out next, gritting her teeth.

	"Lina, use your fireballs to take that lot out.  I'll deal
with those who get through."
	"Okay!"  Lina raised her hands and held them forward.  
"FIREBALL!"  she shouted, as several of the cadavers stepped out
from behind the bus.  They exploded in an incindiary blast that
felled everything up to 100 feet behind them.  As she was doing
this, Meimi peered from the doorway, then gestured to the other
three.

	"The coast is clear for us, lets get."  She jumped from the
bus and helped Minako down the steps, followed by Sae and Usagika.
Meimi and Sae then dragged Minako in the opposite direction to the
approaching cadavers, only to come face to face with another group,
as if out of nowhere.  Sae panicked and almost dropped Minako.  It
was only Usagika that stopped this from happening.

	"Where?  Where do we go?"  Sae looked from left to right.  
Usagika pointed to the open doors of the nearest building.
	"That way.  We'll lose them in there."
	"Or get trapped."  Meimi looked dubious, but wasn't given any
choice as Sae dragged Minako towards the doors.  Usagika looked
back and watched as Maisagi slashed into the cadavers with her fans,
then stood still, placing her hands in a praying position, closing
he eyes.  Fire-like shadows of herself exploded outwards and 
consumed all those cadavers that strayed too close.

	"Maisagi, Lina, hurry!  They're coming from the other 
direction!"  Usagika began to back towards the doors as Maisagi 
heard her.  She turned to see the milling cadavers approaching from
the other direction with boggled eyes.

	"Jeez, this never ends!"  She turned to Lina, who was 
levelling a new group with another fireball.  "Hurry, or we'll be
swamped from both sides."  Maisagi made for the door as Usagika
disappeared inside.  Lina turned, seeing the opposing onslaught,
and made to follow them, when she was grabbed from behind.  Almost
as a reflex, a fireball flew out of her hands as she tried to free
herself from the two cadavers that had grabbed her.

	The fireball went straight up, then fell down again.  Lina
had just enough time to realise what was happening when she was
engulfed in the flame.  With a short scream, her body exploded,
releasing its immense fire powers.

	Maisagi had heard her scream and turned, just in time to be
blown through the windows that lined the door to the building,
landing on top of Usagika.  Sae, Meimi and Minako, who had made it
to the lift doors, were pressed against them by the hot wind.

	Maisagi looked back, to see half the street obliterated, and
the cadavers with them.  Slowly, she managed to lift herself from
Usagika, helping her up.

	"What happened?  Where's Lina?"  Usagika looked back.
	"They got her."  Maisagi said, grimly.  She took a few steps
forward and peered out of the shattered windows.  Much to her 
despair, those cadavers that had been obliterated in the blast were
being replaced by a whole new group.  She turned to her companions.

	"Hurry, we've got more company."

	"The lift isn't working!"  Sae said panickingly, hitting the
lift button repeatedly.
	"There isn't any power."  Meimi turned to the stairwell that 
ran just off to one side.  "The stairs!  Take the stairs!"  She
dragged Minako and Sae across to the stairwell as Usagika and 
Maisagi backed towards them.

	All thoughts of fighting the cadavers off, however, ended when
they saw the sheer numbers approaching the front of the building.  
Like the trio before them, they scattered for the stairwell.


	The sound of the explosion must have travelled far, because
it distracted Uranus and Neptune as they loomed over Juno 
threateningly.
	"What the hell was that?"  Uranus-Neptune muttered, looking
around.
	"Another bang.  What's so wrong with that?  There have been a
lot of them lately."  Juno sneered.
	"Hoi oi oi...  Settle down."  Pallas gripped her partner by
the shoulder and shook her.  "We have other things to think about,
okay?"  Juno shrugged her off.
	"I'm sick of hearing this pair crap on....  If they want to
fight and waste the last few precious minutes of our lives, then so
be it!"
	"Tch..."  Misagi spat contemptuously, and opened another beer.
	"Last minutes of life?"  Akunatsuka looked at Misagi, who
stared back, shrugging.  He downed the last of his can.  "Well, if
that's the case....  I'm outta here."  He ran, tossing the can
behind him.  Misagi watched him go cynically as Juno and Uranus-
Neptune stared each other out.

	Mamoru was about to intervene when Ceres appeared in a flash,
kneeling low to the ground with one hand resting on the bloodied and
near-naked form of Jadeite, and the other on the dazed-looking Mars.

	"CERES!"  Pallas jumped hopefully as her second partner stood.
"Did you feel it?  Vesta is in trouble!  We've got to help her...."

	Ceres looked at her for a few moments, then shook her head.
"Her destiny is different from ours.  We have a job to do."

	Chibiusa, who had been holding Mamoru's arm, felt him pull 
away from her.  Slowly, he began to pace towards Jadeite.  When
Chibiusa realised what was happening, it was too late.

	"Mamo-chan...  Stop!"

	"Jadeite, you BASTARD!"  Mamoru ran towards the man, who 
turned to him in dazed surprise.  Both Ceres and Pallas were 
caught off guard as he ran past them, virtually jumping on the
ex-General, gripping his hair.  Mars scuttled away in fear, hitting
a wall and collapsing, dazed.

	"WHAT DID YOU DO TO USAGI?!?"  Mamoru screamed splenetically.
Jadeite stared at him in fear.
	"I..  I did nothing... except save her life..."
	"LIAR!  YOU HURT HER, DIDN'T YOU, BASTARD?"

	"Mamo-chan!  Stop it!  Please!"  Chibiusa ran forward.  Then, 
she began to feel a numbness run through her, as if the body no 
longer wanted to obey her commands.  She stared at herself for a few 
moments as Ceres and Pallas remonstrated with Mamoru.

	"Mamo...chan..."  Chibiusa felt fear rip through her as 
quickly as the sensation.  It slowly became hard for her to 
breathe...

	Then Uranus's body glowed, followed by Juno's.  Their clothes
changed colour dramatically as Juno's turned into a double aqua blue 
minidress and Uranus's a green and white.  Uranus pointed at Juno,
laughing.

	"BWAHAHAHA!  Caught you off guard there!"

	"Michiru?"  Neptune-Uranus looked at her companion a moment.
Haruka's head turned, but it wasn't Michiru who was running the
show, now.  "JUNO?!?!"

	Uranus-Juno giggled.  "Who else, you LOSER?  Gonna hit me NOW,
eh?  Come on, just a punch, right here."  She pointed to her chin.
For a few moments, Neptune-Uranus looked like she was considering 
it.  Then she remembered it was her body, and likely to hurt if she
ever got back into it.

	Then Chibiusa let out a cry, her body surrounded by crackles
of energy.  This was enough to distract Mamoru in his attempts to
beat the living crappers out of Jadeite.

	"Chibiusa!"  He shouted as he let the General go, finally 
finding himself being pulled away by Ceres and Pallas.  He virtually
ran Pallas down in his efforts to get to Chibiusa, who had fallen to
her knees, head dropped.  The energy dissipated as Mamoru grabbed
her by the shoulders.  "Chibiusa?  Are you alright?  Chibiusa..."  
He shook her shoulders, trying to rouse her.  Slowly, she raised her
head and looked up at him.

	"Mamo-chan?"
	"Chibiusa, what happened just then?  Are you alright?"
	"Y.. Yes, I think so."  She looked up at him.  I... Don't know
what happened.  I was just...  I..."  She burst out in tears, and
Mamoru held her.

	"Its alright, Chibiusa.  I'm here.  I won't let anything 
happen to you."  She looked up at him.  His eyes were closed as he
hugged her tightly, and strange thoughts were going on inside her 
head.

	Oh father, she thought to herself...  If only you knew the
truth about mother....


	Their pace along the corridors had slowed down to a crawl.
They passed door after door, through which small windows revealed
emptiness, although it was obvious that it hadn't been that long
since they were last used.

	"What is this?"  Scorpia looked through the windows.  "I
haven't sanctioned any of these rooms to be used in the last couple 
of years."
	"And yet, they have."  Crow nodded.  "And that's not all."

	They reached another T junction, and they could hear sobbing.
Not just the voice of one, but the voice of many.  Scorpia frowned.
Her voice low.
	"Who... who is that?"
	"What?  You don't know?"  Nyanko sneered over her shoulder.
	"As I said, I haven't sanctioned any of these rooms to be
used.  There shouldn't be anything or anyone down here."
	"What was it you said, Scorpia?  At your dinner table?  It
isn't unknown for young women to disappear....  Travellers taking
moonlight flits so as to not pay their bills?"  Nyanko's feline
movements, running her hand over Scorpia's shoulder, made every
nerve in Scorpia's body jangle.

	"Yes, I said something like that...  But..."
	"But nothing."  Crow took Scorpia by the collar.  "Would you
like to meet some of those who help you earn your lifestyle, 
Scorpia?"
	"Get your hands off me."  Scorpia hissed.
	"WOULD YOU!?!"  Crow gritted her teeth angrily.  Scorpia was
surprised by Crow's sudden ferocity.  The senshi dragged the woman
along the corridor, followed by a sullen Nyanko and Mouse.  Scorpia
felt herself gag, surprised at Crow's strength.  They reached 
another door with a window, and Crow gripped Scorpia by her hair and
slammed her face against it.

	"Now LOOK Scorpia.  Look at them."

	Scorpia stared through the window.  She stared in disbelief.
Inside the room were a half-dozen young women.  Undernourished and
bedraggled, lying in their urine and faeces.  Crow let go of Scorpia
and stood back as the woman just stared in at them, unable to
comprehend why they were there.

	She looked back at Crow, seeing another door behind the 
senshi.  She pushed Crow and looked in.  It was the same thing.  She
moved on to the next door, and the next and the next.  She shook her
head in disbelief.

	"This isn't what I set this place up for."  She looked at 
Crow.  "It was my duty..."
	"As a Miko of the Kigdom to care for the people, to represent
the spirituality of the people..."  Crow huffed.
	"To stop this kind of oppression."  Scorpia shook her head.
"This has nothing to do with me.  I'm not going to take 
responsibility."

	"Then WHO IS?"  Crow grabbed her by the collar with both 
hands.  "You set up this place.  You've been running it for YEARS.
Who else is there to take responsibility, eh?"

	"There is me."  The simple, low voice caught them all off-
guard.  Behind Nyanko and Mouse stood Mistral, with a dozen of the
Hotel's security guards.  Nyanko and Mouse backed away, towards
Crow and Scorpia.

	"MISTRAL!"  Scorpia gritted her teeth.  "What is the meaning
of all this?"  Scorpia tried to stride forward, but was gripped by
Crow, holding her back.

	"What is the meaning?  Hmm...  Well, since you put it that 
way, lets just say that you always did expect a bit much from your
employees, did you not?  We had to do something to...  Supplement
your expensive tastes."

	"Through SLAVE TRADING?"  Scorpia's face went red.  "I SAVED
you from that fate, don't you remember?"
	"Hmm..  I do seem to have some vague recollection of those
days.  But then, I was always in awe of those men who sent me from
house to house, making a profit at my expense."

	"I can't believe this."  Scorpia shook her head.

	Mistral smiled.  "Yes, well...  I guess we can add you four to
the collection, can't we?  I'm quite sure girls of this quality will
fetch a fair price."  He gestured to the senshi.  "And as for you,
Scorpia...  Or should I say Arachne-sama?  As for you, we can make
more money than from the rest of this collection put together."

	Scorpia shook her head, disbelievingly, as Mistral snapped his
fingers and stepped away.

	"MISTRAL!  MISTRAL, YOU BASTARD!  I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!"  It 
was made even worse when she heard him laugh.

	The security guards converged on the four girls, who backed 
away.  Nyanko looked aside.  "Umm, guys, I'd cover your eyes."

	"Why?"  Crow let out a stressed squeak.

	Nyanko didn't answer her...  She just held out her 
knuckleduster weapon.  Scorpia was the first to react, jamming her
eyes shut and throwing a hand over Mouse's.  Crow ducked behind the
both of them as Nyanko pressed the weapon's trigger.

	In a fraction of a second, the entire passageway was filled
with light.  When they were able to open their eyes again, the 
security guards were scorch marks on the floor and walls.

	"Did you get Mistral?"  Scorpia let go of Mouse and grabbed
Nyanko, who was making a strange little dazed exclamation, her
tongue sticking out and her eyes spiralling.  Scorpia sweatdropped.

	They could hear footsteps.  Running footsteps.  Scorpia 
gritted her teeth and reached into Nyanko's jacket, pulling out an
impressively large looking rifle that ended in a cat's paw.  One
that shouldn't really have been able to fit into Nyanko's jacket,
but Scorpia wasn't complaining.  She took off after Mistral as
Nyanko slid to the floor, still dazed.

	"I think I put a bit too much energy into that weapon."  
Nyanko muttered.  Crow sighed, shaking her head.

	"Mousie, you know another way out of here?"
	"Uh, yeah."
	"Then I suggest we open up all these doors and start causing
a little bit of a fuss."

	Mouse put her fingers over her nose.  "Must we?"

	Crow gave Mouse a stern look.

	"It was only a question...."


	Jupiter sat on the wall, staring at her feet.  She looked 
back, along the road, wondering just what the hell had happened to
those who were supposed to be following both herself and Usashin.
The samurai Usagi was leaning against the wall, her eyes closed,
obviously not anywhere near as concerned.  It frustrated her that
the Usagi couldn't take situations more seriously.

	"I'm going back, to see what has happened to them."  Jupiter
jumped from the wall as Usashin looked up at her.
	"Oro?"  Usashin scratched her head.  "Why bother, they'll be
be here in their own good time."
	"I don't think we have time to wait for them."  She looked
up at the sky, which had now gone from a light pinkish-red to a deep
blood red.  Even with the sun up, she found things were getting 
darker.  Usashin gave the sky a cursory glance.
	"Its best not to let such things distract you.  The world 
shall not be destroyed if we prevent the City from making contact
with the ground."
	"And how are we going to achieve that?"
	"Through the one person who can, apparently, communicate with 
the City."  She looked away.  Jupiter cursed and began to pace.
	"And she has run off to Kami knows where...."

	There was a flash behind them, on the other side of the wall,
and they heard some coughing as dust was thrown up.  Usashin stood
and watched as the Youma Usagi emerged, trying to wave the dust from
her face.

	"Bugger...  Still haven't got that down pat."  She looked up
at the sky.  "Whoo, now that's pretty, I must say."  She snorted and
looked down at her two acquaintances.  "Ah, Sailorjupiter, and yet
another version of me...."  She facefaulted.  "Oh come on, I wasn't
into Rurouni Kenshin that much.  Why couldn't you have based 
yourself on someone like Matsuura Yuu from Marmalade Boy or some 
other good-looking guy."
	"Because Matsuura Yuusagi would have been insulted."
	"What, you mean there WAS one?"  The Youma facefaulted again.
"Aww jeez, I was only joking."
	"So was I."  Usashin smiled sweetly.  "And you are the 
infamous Youma version of Tsukino Usagi, I take it?"
	"What makes you think that?"  She smiled.
	"Because you have a sign hanging around your neck that says 
so."  Usashin pointed to her chest and she looked down.  Lo and 
behold, there was a sign there.  And it said 'I am the Youma Usagi', 
no less!
	"That bloody Sailorceres!  She tricked me!  How the hell did
she get that there, anyway?"  She chuckled.  "Anyways, I guess you
already get the idea.  I'm death.  The grim reaper.  All that crap.
And I'm here to kill you.  So, if you wouldn't be so kind..."

	Jupiter had heard enough of this.  "Yeah, and I heard you 
killed all those people at that police station....  That must have
felt real good."
	The Youma looked at her.  "Do I know you?  Ah yes, 
Sailorjupiter!  The one who got BLIND DRUNK the night I was killed.
Yes, I remember now.  You were one of those who lead me to my 
death."
	"So?"  Jupiter laughed.  It annoyed the hell out of the Youma.
	"What do you mean, so?"
	"I mean, you aren't even the REAL Usagi, are you?  Just some
pathetic amalgam of her spirit, Serenity's spirit, a Youma body and
perhaps a little bit of Metallia mixed in."
	"Yeah, and proud of it."
	"Don't be.  We made a business out of thugging on Youmas.  
You're no different."
	"Oro..."  Usashin watched as Jupiter, who had a ball of energy
building up in her hand which she held behind her back, throw the
ball at the Youma.

	It struck the Youma, dead centre.  The sign frazzled as a hole
was blown straight through her chest..  It then bounced off the 
nearest building and levelled a row of houses.  Jupiter put a hand 
to her mouth.  "Oops."

	The Youma looked down at the space where her chest used to be,
somewhat annoyed that yet another set of clothing had bitten the 
dust.  She wanted to make a verbal comeback, but was reminded of the
fact that, to do that, one required lungs.  And she was in short 
supply of those right at this moment.

	So she opted for the direct approach.  Her eyes flashed, and
a wave of energy flowed from her, blowing both Jupiter and Usashin
back across the road.  Jupiter managed to skittle to her feet, but
Usashin was not so lucky.  She hit her head against the wall of the
opposing building and saw stars.

	Jupiter watched as the hole in the Youma's chest filled up and
became flesh once more.  the Youma laughed, shaking her head.  "I'm
sorry, Jupiter.  I'm afraid normal, physical attacks won't work on
me quite that way."
	"Normal physical attacks?"  Jupiter bit her lower lip.
	"Yes.  Venus tried it.  Now she's dead.  You just can't tell
some people."
	"Venus?  YOU KILLED MINAKO?"  Jupiter clenched her fists.
	"Yeah, well...  As I said, she just wouldn't listen to my 
directions.  That was your problem, you know.  You guys never 
bothered to listen to me.  Oh, and, of course, there was Mars.  But
I never got around to killing her.  That fool, Jadeite, wanted me to
spare her for some reason.  So I left her blinded.  Not a good 
enough fate for the little bitch."

	Jupiter closed her eyes for a moment.  Well, if the obvious
manners of dealing with you won't work, how about this?

	The Youma suddenly felt pain rip through her body, and several
points exploded into sprays of blood.  She let out a cry of pain,
surprised that she actually hurt!  Falling to her knees, she saw the
smile on Jupiter's face.
	"What... what did you do?"
	"Normal physical attacks don't hurt you, eh?"  Jupiter 
chuckled.  "So how about ones using telekinesis?"
	The Youma looked surprised.  "You can do that?  No fair!  I
didn't know!"  She clutched her side, which had been ripped open by
Jupiter's stealth TK attack.
	"Yeah, well...  I guess the others let their emotions get the
better of them.  You gave me time to think."  She smiled again, and
the Youma saw the crystal on her tiara flash.

	The pain occured again, this time worse.  Welts exploded over
the trunk of her body, and she screamed in agony....  Jupiter then
followed this up with an Oak Evolution.

	Bits and pieces of Youma scattered in every direction.  Not to
mention a large portion of the wall and garden behind it.


	Jadeite was now sitting up against the retaining wall, having
his wounds tended to by Juno-Neptune.  He stared at the green-haired
senshi dubiously, still not believing who she said she was.  
Neptune-Uranus, meanwhile, was still remonstrating with Uranus-Juno.

	Mamoru held up the weakened Chibiusa, staring at Ceres as she
told him what had happened to Jadeite.

	"The Youma... did THAT to him?"  His eyes boggled.  "But...
That's...  Kinda..."  He shuddered.  "How did this Youma happen to
come to look like Usagi, anyway?"
	"She contains a portion of Usagi's soul, her spirit, so to
speak."
	"So where is the original?"
	"I do not know.  When Pluto brought her back to life, she 
should have returned to her body.  For all intents and purposes,
it would appear that she has been... taken somewhere, by someone."

	"And now even her body is missing..."  Mamoru shook his head
and looked down at Chibiusa.  "We've got to do something.  If we 
don't, then we run the risk of another time paradox with Chibiusa
here."  he looked back at Ceres, and noticed she was looking aside,
her eyes closed, and mouthing as if counting down.

	He heard a scream.  Usagi's scream.  They all heard it, and 
the first thing they did was look at Mamoru, except for Ceres, who
stared at him tiredly only after a few moments, and Misagi, who 
was too wasted to give a stuff by now.

	"That's her!"  He looked at Chibiusa.  "That's Usagi."  
Memories of her comatose body, having vanished from the loungeroom 
of Setsuna's apartment, flashed through his mind.

	"It isn't her."  Ceres said, almost as if what was going to 
happen next was a fait accompli.

	"Yes, it is...  Somebody is hurting her!  I must save her!"

	"It isn't her, Tuxedo Kamen."  Ceres leaned against the wall,
shaking her head.  Despite her admittedly pathetic attempts to tell
him, a rose had appeared in his hand, and in seconds, he was Tuxedo
Kamen.  Everyone watched him as he leapt over the wall and 
disappeared behind a series of bushes.  Chibiusa shouted after him.

	"Mamo-chan!"  She managed to get to her feet, proper.  More
crackles of energy surrounded her, but somehow she kept to her feet.
She leapt after Mamoru, her clothes flashing into the Eternal 
Sailormoon garb in seconds.

	"Impetuous sort, aren't they?"  Pallas sniffed.

	"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!  Small Lady!"  Neptune-Uranus was about to 
go in chase, when she felt her body crackling with energy.  In 
seconds, Uranus found she was now staring at Neptune.  Neptune-Juno 
stared back.
	"Okay...  NOW go after them.  In your own body, no less."

	Uranus nodded and leapt the wall in pursuit.

	"What do you think, Pallas, Juno?"  Ceres looked from one to 
the other.  Pallas giggled.
	"Oh well, we're all dead anyway.  Might as well hammer the 
last nail in the coffin."
	Neptune-Juno smiled simply, and the body glowed, along with
that of Juno-Neptune.  In seconds, the pair were in their rightful
bodies.  "Hey you, Usagithing...  Look after this creep and his 
girlfriend, will you?"  She said to Misagi, pointing at Jadeite and 
Mars.
	"You coming with us now, Neptune?"  Pallas stared at the Outer
Senshi, smiling.
	"Yes, she will."  Ceres said simply, and leapt over the wall.
Pallas shrugged and followed her, with Juno next.  Neptune looked
down at Jadeite and Mars.
	"Time to go, I suppose.  Wish I knew where Hotaru and Setsuna
had got to."  She leapt the wall, leaving the three to sit and
stare at each other, if you ignore the fact that Rei couldn't see
anything anymore.

	Slowly Misagi got to her feet and stumbled over to Jadeite and
Rei.  "Guess we'll have to die on our own then, eh?"  She pulled out
another sixpack from a subspace pocket.  "Anyone for a beer?"


	Jupiter stared around at where the Youma had stood.  There
was, literally, tons of rubble.  An easy place to hide, if the
freak was still alive.  Not that she could see how it would survive,
considering she had, literally, been blown into a billion fragments.

	She climbed up the pile of stones and peered down into the pit
within.  Nothing there.  She expected as much.  She looked up and
around warily.  If the Youma was alive, then she might be circling 
her right now, awaiting her opportunity.

	Makoto felt the sensation of her head being pushed forward by 
something, like someone had prodded her.  There was no pain.  She 
tried to turn, but found herself becoming disoriented.  Eventually, 
she managed to look around.  The Youma stood some ten feet from her, 
naked, bloodied and smiling, her hand held outwards.  Slowly, she 
dragged her feet around, feeling nauseous.  She felt sweat running 
down her back and shoulders as she stared at her enemy.  Makoto 
wanted to charge her, but she found her legs refusing to move.  Her 
right arm had gone numb as well.

	"U...  Usa..."  She fell to her knees, not understanding why
she felt so weak and dizzy.  The Youma screwed up her nose.

	"Oops...  I did that a bit quickly.  Don't die or anything on
me just yet."  Makoto couldn't understand what she was saying.  She
put her left hand to her shoulder, to wipe off the sweat.  It felt
warm and sticky.  She lifted her hand away and stared at it.  It
wasn't sweat that was running down her back and shoulders....  The
Youma had shot out a beam of energy...  And hit her in the....

	The hand quivered as Makoto stared at it in horrified 
fascination, realising only then what it meant.  She looked up at
the Youma, who was sauntering forward slowly.  She fell onto her
front and tried to pull herself away with her one useful hand,
dragging her almost dead-weight body across the stony ground.  The
Youma shook her head.  Some people just didn't know when they were
dead!


	They had reached the roof of the building, having successfully
managed to fight off the hoarde of cadavers which tried to follow 
them up.  Maisagi and Usagika were exhausted, their powers almost
drained.

	Maisagi slammed the stairway door.  "Sae, use your powers to
seal this off!"  She shouted.  Sae nodded and handed Meimi the bulk
of Minako's weight.  Meimi dragged Minako across the ground and 
leant her up against the sidewall as Sae lifted up her wand.
	"Izadi aba mehinamu eto kafe nan!"  Sae said, closing her 
eyes.  The wand sparkled with energy, as did the door.  In seconds,
the door fused with its surrounds.  Saw puffed, as she placed her
wand back in a small sling which she used to carry her magical 
items.
	Maisagi backed away from the door.  "That should hold them off
for a while."  She sighed, collapsing to the ground, Usagika and Sae
doing the same.

	There was a cackling noise to their right, and they turned to
see Vesta, floating above the roof of the building, blood running
from her mouth.

	"Me said me get body... Get superior flesh... eeeheeheehee."
They stood quickly and stared at her.
	"You...  the Asteroid Senshi..."
	"Not so much Vesta anymore, now have superior flesh, me now
have new powers.  Me kill you and eat you."  Vesta licked her lips.

	Minako watched, dazedly, realising almost instantly, to her
horror, what had happened.

	The Resonator was now in control of Vesta.

	She wanted to shout a warning, but her energy reserves were
too low.  She wanted to stand and fight, knowing it might do the
same to her, but she couldn't.  All she could do was sit, and watch,
and remember that young red-headed girl in the Silver Millenium.

	Lysithea Manos.

	She watched as Maisagi tried to launch a fire spell at her, 
but was blown back in an instant, hitting the opposing wall heavily.
With Maisagi unconcious, the other three were almost defenseless.
Sae held out her wand and tried to get off a spell, but was too
slow.  She found herself thrown against the stairhut, sprawling
over the ground in a moaning heap.  Meimi used the creature's attack
as a distraction, a large hat appearing in her hand.  From out of
the hat appeared a mist that surrounded the Resonator-Vesta.  It
let out a cry of frustration as Usagika swirled her baton around,
launching an Angel Aid Bomb Beam.

	The effects on the creature were not exactly what Usagika had
envisioned.  The beam struck the creature, paused, then exploded
outwards in a blast of green flame.  Both Usagika and Meimi were
caught in the blast.  Even before they had a chance to scream, their
bodies were dust.  The blast petered out before it reached Minako,
but had managed to clear the air.

	The creature was untouched.  It stared at Sae, then Maisagi,
and finally Minako.  Slowly, it touched down on the roof and began
to walk towards her.
	Minako tried to back away, but all her energy reserves were
gone.  She just watched in horror as the sickeningly smiling face
of what used to be Vesta came closer and closer.

	"Aha, foul miscreant.  I see you must be punished in the name
of justice!  For I am UNAGI the SERPENT!"  Minako looked aside and
saw a floating figure of... yet ANOTHER Usagi.  only this one looked
a bit more like Maisagi's half-sister.  Certainly, the bust size and
taste in clothing matched.

	The Resonator-Vesta turned to her as the woman smiled smugly.
"So, you show no fear in my presence, eh?  You have not heard the
name of Unagi?"  The Resonator-Vesta hissed and looked as if it were
about to pounce on Unagi, when the woman lifted her head back 
and....

	LAUGHED.  The most horrible, frightening, terrifying laugh 
Minako had ever heard.  She tried to block it out, but the laugh was
just TOO much.  She stared over at Sae, who also had her hands over
her ears.  Even Maisagi was being roused into horrified wakefulness
by the sound.  But that was nothing to what the Resonator was doing.

	It had its hands over its ears, and was letting out little 
gasps of pain as it staggered back towards Venus.  It pressed back
against her, trying to stop itself from falling over the side.  Its
head quivered, and it let out a wave of energy.

	The wave struck Unagi, who fell to the ground, stunned.  How
could anyone...  Anything, defeat her laugh?  She stared at it as it
reared up for a fight.

	It was now or never, Minako thought.  To save Vesta from 
becoming part of this creature for good.  Its core, now entrapped
within the hapless senshi's body, the girl's death would also mean 
its own.  With every ounce of strength she could muster, Venus 
grabbed the Resonator, and tilted herself back over the side of the
roof wall.  She looked down at the pavement below, trying to ignore
her sudden, newfound fear of heights.

	The Resonator gasped, surprised by the action.  Sae and Unagi
watched in horror as Venus pulled back further and further, fighting
the Resonator's scrabbling attempts to hang on, until they reached
the point of no return....

	And beyond.

	They both fell off the side of the building.  Sae and Unagi 
got to their feet and ran to the wall, but were surprised to see,
hanging only ten feet away in mid-air, the Resonator, with Minako
holding on.

	Bummer, Minako thought, forgot it could fly.
	"Not for long..."  Said a voice.
	"Who is that?"  Minako looked around as the Resonator thrashed
about, trying to slash at her....
	"Its me, Vesta, you moron!"  Minako blinked.
	"But you're..."
	"Yeah yeah yeah, my body is in this ugly bastard's control.  
Now listen to me...  As long as I am trapped within this body, we 
are going to fly like birds, right."
	"Yeah, so?"
	"So do as I say, okay?"

	Unagi and Sae watched as the Resonator bucked and kicked, 
trying to throw Venus off, as if it knew what was coming.  Maisagi
staggered over beside them, and the trio watched as the colour of
both girl's senshi uniforms changed, Minako's turning a red and
white, VesVes's a gold and white.  For a few moments they continued
to hang into the air.

	"Ow...  You didn't say this body hurt so much."  Vesta said,
from Venus's mouth.  Suddenly, the Resonator went still and turned
to Venus-Vesta.
	"What did you think it felt like, stupid?  So what happens 
now?"
	"We die."  Venus-Vesta smiled.  And she cut off her flight
powers.

	The two bodies hung in the air for several moments, then 
plummeted to the ground.
	"In my next life, VesVes..."  Vesta-Venus muttered.  "I'm
gonna kill you for this."
	"I'll be waiting."  Venus-Vesta chuckled.

	And they hit the ground, their bodies shattering upon impact.
Huge wads of concrete and stone rose around them as they died.  And
then all their senshi powers were released all at once, and the
earth around them exploded in a vast ball of rising flame.  Unagi,
Maisagi and Sae stared in horror at the approaching blast.

	"Lets get outta here!"  Maisagi croaked.  Unagi floated into
the air immediately, followed by Sae on her broomstick, which she
had unhitched from her sling, with Maisagi riding pillion.  They
watched as the building below them crumbled, and were only JUST
capable of riding over the blast.

	They felt the spiritual energy rushing past them.  The deaths
of two senshi....


	Shadows of the future....

	The Sherrif sweated as the young woman mumbled in the seat
beside him, and he wondered why the Governor of the local district
had opted to hire Black Saturn to rid them of the assassin and hired
sword that had plagued their land for months.

	Like all in this world, he was terrified of the psychotic
witch.  The darkness of her reputation preceded her weherever she
went.  Black Saturn, killer of thousands.  Black Saturn, dark 
goddess.  Black Saturn, mumbling, dishevelled figure that was 
sitting next to him, right now.  He found the dichotomy of the
reputation and the reality almost impossible to reconcile.

	Still, he supposed the Governor knew what was best.  After 
all, they weren't dealing with an ordinary figure here.  No, this
assassin was an Usagi.

	Hotaru had been hunting the assassin when she had picked up
Usako.  Having failed to catch the monster the last time, she had
become determined to finish the job.  Well, as determined as she
could be, considering the state of her mind at the moment.

	She had to do something.  Anything.  Anything to forget having
burnt the only bridge she had left in her life.

	The Sherrif brought the Land Rover to a stop as they entered
the southern end of the long valley.  Small scrubland ran along its
length, disappearing as the valley turned slowly.  Along the sides
were small ridgetops of ruddy earth that would have contrasted 
heavily with the blue sky had the sky been blue.  Hotaru stared out
at the darkening clouds.  Fitting for her mood.

	She turned as the Sherrif opened his door.

	"This is the place?"  Her voice was flat and unemotional.  He
looked back at her, nervously.
	"This was where she was last reported to be going."

	Hotaru nodded and opened her door, undoing her seatbelt.  She
reached into the back seat and pulled out a large backpack and her
glaive.  She dragged them both from the car and stood on the edge of
the dirt road as the Sherrif looked into the valley with his 
binoculars.

	"Can't see anything or anyone.  Good place to hide, though.  A
LOT of scrub to disappear into, and its remote."
	"She's in there, as well as her hostages."

	The Sherrif turned to her.  "Your powers tell you this?"
	"Yes."  Hotaru nodded as she put on the backpack.

	"So... uhh...  What are you going to do?"
	"I will go in there, and take as long as it takes to find her.
If I fail, then I shall tell you so.  If I succeed, I shall bring
you her remains.  Its that simple."

	He swallowed.  "And if you don't return?"
	"Then I am either dead, or I've given up cos I couldn't give a
stuff anymore.  Any more silly questions?"
	He put up his hands, placatingly.  "No.. No, she's apples."

	She nodded.  "Well, I'll see you later then."  She stepped off
the road and disappeared behind some of the scrub.  The Sherrif 
stepped back, shut the passenger door of the Land Rover and got back
in the driver's side.

	Before he started up the vehicle, he noticed there was 
something sitting on the floor below the passenger seat, like a 
small white card.  He reached down and picked it up.

	It was a photograph.  A man with white hair, wearing a 
labcoat, stood in front of a young girl with dark hair, perhaps no 
more than ten or eleven tears old.  He blinked a couple of times,
and realised who it was.

	Well well well, even monsters like Black Saturn were once 
children.  Not that he didn't expect it, of course, but it was just
so different from his mental image, and the young woman he'd met,
that he really began to wonder if he'd ever truly get to know who
this Black Saturn was.

	A hand appeared in front of him, and he almost wet himself.
The hand was outstretched through the window.  He turned to see her
standing there, her face unemotional.

	"Ehehe...  Just picked it up off the floor..."  She said
nothing.  "Is that your father?"
	"Yes."  She said flatly, obviously not in the mood for light
conversation.  He sighed and handed her the photograph, which she
whipped into the jacket she wore over her senshi uniform.  She made
to walk away, when he cleared his throat.  She paused and looked
at him.
	"Er, you know, you were kinda a cute kid when you were young."
He sniffed.  She cocked her head slightly, her expression unchanged.
	"We were all young once.  Even then, the seeds of what we are
to become have long started to grow."  She blinked a couple of 
times.  "If you're trying to put the girl in the photograph together
with what you see before you, then please don't waste your 
sympathies.  If people are going to regard me as something, I may as
well live up to that reputation."

	With one last look, she returned to her job at hand.  He shook
his head and started the Land Rover.


	There was nobody to mourn the passing of the girl.  She looked
down at the body as she tossed it aside.

	After her futile efforts to escape, the Youma had grabbed 
Jupiter and dragged her into the nearby park, drowning the girl in
the fountain bath.  She really didn't know what else to do.  In a
strange kind of way, she felt like she had performed an act of 
mercy.  She hadn't intended for Jupiter to be so easily felled....
More an accident, really.  But she had been REALLY pissed off after
what the senshi had done to her.

	She didn't know it was possible for her to have survived that
kind of evisceration....  Almost total physical dissolution....  And
yet, all those fragments somehow melded and reformed.  She wasn't
concious through the event.  She wasn't ANYTHING through the event.
And all aspects of her personality were a tad concerned about that.

	She'd cleaned herself off in the fountain, since it was as 
good a place as any.  She wrapped a towel around herself and used
her powers to change it into another item of clothing.  She was
getting pretty tired of losing her clothes in this manner.  
Rearranging the pattern and fabric of a towel so it looked like
a dress seemed a terrible waste of her powers, but what could one
do?

	After making sure the new dress looked good on her by posing
in front of the still waters of the fountain bath, she then pondered
what she should do with the body of the senshi.

	She really did feel sorry for her now.  Makoto looked pathetic
lying beside the fountain, her head and shoulders wet, slicked back
with a mixture of water and blood.  Although the girl had stopped
bleeding pretty quickly.  That worried her somewhat.

	A wound to the head, like that one, should have bled freely.
And it did, at first....  But after she had grabbed Makoto, the
wound seemed to just... fade to a trickle.

	She shook her head.  She was starting to get paranoid.  Like
the way Makoto's sightless eyes were staring at her now.  Sharp,
lively, yet without the soul behind them.  They were windows to an
empty room.

	The Youma reached down and, with inhuman strength, picked up
Makoto's body, flinging her over the shoulder.  For a moment, she
thought she felt muscles in Makoto's midsection twitch.  She heaved
the body a couple of times, trying to get a balance, and she started
on her way back to where she had left Usashin.

	Much to her surprise and consternation, Usashin was nowhere to
be seen.  The Youma huffed and looked around.  Surely the samurai
Usagi couldn't have gone too far.  She may be out there now, 
watching her.

	Well, so what?  She thought.  Its not that Usashin had any powers 
that could harm her.  Usashin...  It was amazing how she knew
so much about these clones of herself.  But then, their 
personalities were nothing more than a fragment of her own.  Usashin
represented an aspect the Youma felt it had hidden within itself, a
sense of nobility and reliability.  Well, she was noble and 
reliable, just not in the way anyone else wanted her to be.  She 
giggled inanely at that thought.

	"Mako-chan!"  She spun when she heard the voice.  Two figures
appeared before her....  Tuxedo Kamen and yet another version of
herself.  She facefaulted...  Just how many of her were there now?
Tuxedo Kamen didn't seem too pleased that she was holding a dead
Makoto.  Well, he would be, wouldn't he?

	"Wha...  What have you done to Jupiter?"  He strode forward,
angrily.  In the blink of an eye, he whipped a cane from under his
coat.  The cane seemed to crackle with energy.  "Perhaps I should
have listened to CereCere...  You aren't the original Usagi, are
you?"

	The Youma sighed.  "What gave you that impression?  Of course
I'm the original Tsukino Usagi.  Its bitches like the one you're
standing next to that are the copies."
	"Don't talk to Chibiusa that way, you Youma monster."
	"That's Chibiusa?"  The Youma laughed, casually dropping
Makoto's body to the ground.  Mamoru winced as the body thudded onto
the tarmac.  "Oh, that's just rich.  No sooner have you guys offed
me than you go and stick Chibiusa in a body that looks like me.  
Talk about Oedipus Rex.  You two done it yet?"

	"You FREAK!  How could you even think that?"  Mamoru was about
to take to the Youma with his cane, when Chibiusa restrained him.
	"She's just trying to bait you."

	He looked back at her.  "And what did she mean by 'us guys 
offing her'?  I mean, what does she mean by that?"

	Chibiusa let go and looked down, lost for words.  The Youma
cackled.  "What, you don't know?  Of all people, Mamo-chan, you
should KNOW what happened to me."

	"He does not know."  The new voice came from behind the Youma,
and she spun, looking up at the roof of the nearest standing house.
Usashin stood there, large looking, sore lump on her head.  Somehow,
she was ignoring the pain and affecting her best dramatic pose, 
sword unsheathed.

	"Aha, we meet again."  The Youma smiled and bowed.

	"Indeed.  It is a shame you are as great a monster as I have
heard.  Your treatment of Jupiter was the act of a pure barbarian."

	"Oh ptew!"  The Youma waved a hand at Usashin.  "You know what
she did to me?  Killed me, that's what."
	"Was she the one who fired the killer blow?"  Usashin's eyes
narrowed.  "Did she actually do anything to harm you before you
attacked us today?  No."
	"She lead me to my death.  One of three to do so.  And the
other two, those bitches Ami and Naru."
	"Can you feel their life signals?"

	The Youma blinked, not comprehending.  Then she closed her 
eyes a moment, reaching out her sensory powers.  She opened them
again, somewhat angrily.  "They are gone.  Or, at least, not on this
world."
	"And Jupiter and Venus?  Can you feel them as well?"
	'What are you getting at?  Of course I can't feel... eehh.."
She began to feel a tingling sensation running through her, and it
was starting at her feet.  Slowly, she looked down.  Makoto's body
was still where she left it, but the sensation wouldn't go away.

	"Yes....  Did you really think it would be that easy to kill
the likes of Sailorjupiter?  You take on the senshi that represents
this system's largest planet and think you can wipe her out in a few
vicious movements."

	The Youma looked up at Usashin, then back down at Makoto, who
still wasn't moving.  The sensation was getting stronger by the 
moment.  And she remembered the way Makoto's muscles had spasmed,
the way her eyes stared at her..  She thought she was dead...  And
yet...  And yet...

	"Wait!  Tuxedo Kamen-sama!  Don't..."  Usashin threw her arm
forward, but it was too late.  Mamoru had slipped up behind the 
Youma and thrust the end of his cane into her back.  The cane 
skewered her, pushing all the way through.  She let out a cry as
energy crackled from her midsection, and something popped out, 
skittering across the ground.  Something shining...  Shining so
brightly that all had to cover their eyes.

	The Youma grabbed the end of the cane and pulled it through
her, tearing it from Mamoru's hands.  She let out a sickening cry
and threw it onto the ground.  Then she staggered forward and groped
in the brilliant glow for the object that had been pushed from her.
None of the trio tried to stop her.  Eventually she grasped the
object.  She let out a short cry of pain as it almost burnt its way
into her hand, but somehow she held onto it, closing both hands over
so the gleam would subside.

	Mamoru and Chibiusa looked at her, stunned.

	"The Ginzuishou..."  Mamoru stammered.  "That... that was 
inside you, all this time..."
	"Its MINE.  It belongs to ME!  You won't get it back!  I'm the
Princess!  You will obey ME!  You will DIE for ME!"  She sneered
contemptuously.

	"So, the Ginzuishou is the true source of your power.  Add the
powers of Metallia to the equation, and we get a hybrid beast that 
has neither the right nor the mind to rule!"  Usashin's words seemed
to cut into the Youma, for she flinched like she had been stung.

	"Stop that, you!"
	"My words will pierce your heart.... your soul.  You cannot 
escape their truth.  For the truth destroys lies, and you are a
being constructed of lies."  The Youma flinched again.  With a growl
she thrust the Ginzuishou into her chest, pushing through flesh
until the crystal's shine could be seen no more.  She then retrieved
her bloody hand, licking it with angry lasciviousness.

	"Now, you suffer."

	"I feel no fear of a being that lives merely to feed of that
emotion.  You shall not find your feast of me an appetising meal."

	The Youma flinched again, stepping back from the stinging
statement.  To Mamoru and Chibiusa, it brought new meaning to the
old sticks and stones line.

	The Youma lifted a hand, and the tiles on the roof where
Usashin was standing began to rattle.  Usashin smiled as tiles
around her began to fly off in every direction.  Yet, somehow
they managed to avoid her.  This annoyed the Youma.
	"Your petty party tricks won't put me off, clone!"  She
barked.  Usashin laughed loudly.

	"We shall see, you deluded fool.  And I can say the same thing
about you.  Party tricks indeed!"  In a flash, Usashin had leapt 
from the degenerating roof, whipping her sword into the air.  Beams
of energy crackled from the sword as Usashin let out a cry.  The 
Youma watched in fascination as the sword arced towards her.  She
tried to back away, but a beam of energy emanated from the sword and
literally cut her into two.

	Her two halves split and fell to the ground.  In a flash of
light, the Ginzuishou was visible again, now floating in the air
above Mamoru and Usashin.

	"Tuxedo Kamen-sama, grab the crystal!"  Usashin watched as the
two halves of the Youma began to make gurgling noises..  Flesh and
internals coagulating and slowly reforming, starting at the feet.

	Mamoru stared into the light and reached forward.  He felt the
crystal, in his hand, and pulled it back.  "Now what do I do?"  He
looked up at Usashin as he placed the crystal in his coat.

	"You run...  Really fast."  Usashin smiled as she positioned
herself with her sword, ready for the Youma to finish her healing.

	"What about you?"
	"Don't worry about me.  I have a distraction on the way."  She
smiled so sweetly, Mamoru almost fell in love with her on the spot.

	In the distance, he could hear a stomping sound, getting 
closer and closer all the time.  With this was the accompanying
ranting of what sounded like a manic Usagi.  He decided running
was a good idea at this point in time, and turned, grabbing 
Chibiusa.

	The two halves of the Youma sealed like it had been done up
with a zipper.  She slowly turned to Mamoru and Chibiusa, who had
paused in their short flight to look back with fascinated horror.

	The Youma failed to notice the approaching noise, or the fact
that Usashin was slowly putting some room between it and herself.

	"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!  ENTER THE GREAT HERO, DAIGOUJI USAGAI!  LETS
GO, GEKIGANGER THREE!"  The Youma spun just in time to see a giant
humanoid mecha frame leaping through the air at her.

	"GAAAAAHHHH!"  She screamed, just before the mecha crushed her
under its foot.  The pilot of the mecha cackled mercilessly as 
Mamoru and Chibiusa stared, boggle-eyed at the newcomer.

	"Ehehe...  Gotta love that Aestivalis."  Usashin resheathed
her sword.  The mecha swung on her.
	"It isn't an Aestivalis...  Its my GEKIGANGER.  The product
of 39 episodes of action-packed entertainment!  BWAHAHAHAHAHA!  And
now, for an encore, may I present my grand finishing attack."  The
mecha started to perform dramatic moves.  Usashin's hair stood on
end and she backed away, and both Mamoru and Chibiusa scarpered.

	"GAI SUPER NAPALM!"  The mecha began to pummel the helpless,
flattened Youma with a multitude of attacks, then leapt high into
the air.

	"GEKIGAN FLARE!"  The pilot shouted, and let off a volley of
energy beams from the mecha's guns.  If it were not for the fact 
that the pilot was such a good shot, Jupiter's still form would have
been fried.

	When the mecha landed on the ground, the Youma's body was 
buried under close to one hundred feet of soil.  From the pilot came
the cackling laugh of victory.  "See, Sailor Jupiter!  This is the
mark of a true hero.  Your death was but a meek one.  When I die, I
shall go out fighting.  BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

	"Owie...  Do you have to use your tannoys that loudly?"  Said
Jupiter as she sat up.  "Oooh, my head.  Feels like I've gone on a
drinking binge with a truckload of bourbon."

	The mecha leapt at least a hundred feet back.  "Sailorjupiter,
you are alive!"
	"Of course she is alive, stupid."  Usashin came from out of
her hiding place.  "She is Sailorjupiter.  It takes more than
massive cerebral damage to finish her."
	"Are you saying I'm decerebrate?"  Makoto stood, staggering
a little woozily, staring dubiously at Usashin.
	"No.  I'm saying, of all the Senshi, you have the strongest
constitution.  The only way you're going to die is if your entire
body is obliterated.  Either that or you get your Heart Crystal and 
Star Seed removed."

	Makoto scratched her head.  "Yeah, whatever."  She turned to
the mecha.  "Oi you!  Do you have to shout your attacks so loudly?"

	"What do you mean?  Of COURSE I have to shout them.  All true
warriors shout out the names of their attacks.  Its a proud 
tradition that goes back to the dawning of time.  Its the sign of a
warrior's spirit!"  The front of the mecha opened with a mechanical
whir, and a figure emerged from within.  An Usagi with medium-length
dark hair and slightly tanned skin, dressed in a uniform that looked
like something out of a cosplay convention.  "I should know.  I have
a complete collection of Gundam, Macross, Southern Cross, Mospeada, 
Votoms, Orguss, Tetsujin 28 and even Escaflowne and Evangelion on
LD, VCD, DVD, VHS and SVHS.  I even have a signed letter from Anno
Hideaki, stating he made up Evangelion as it went along.  Talk about
a legend."

	Makoto and Usashin facefaulted.

	"Great.  An Usagi Otaku.  That's all we need."  Makoto turned
to where Mamoru and Usagi had been standing, and noticed they 
weren't anymore.  "Was that the Ginzuishou?  I mean, for real?"

	"Oh yes.  That was the REAL Ginzuishou, alright."

	"What was it doing inside the Youma's body?"

	"Hmm...  I guess you could describe it as a technical 
accident.  When I witnessed the initial demise of Tsukino Usagi, I
saw not one but two spirits flying from her body."

	"Two spirits?"

	"Think about it, Sailorjupiter.  Where was Usagi struck by
that energy beam?"

	"In the chest."

	"And what would she wear over her chest?"

	"A locket..."

	"Containing...?"

	"The...  Ginzuishou...."  Makoto's mouth opened wide.  "But
then, the beam would have struck the Ginzuishou first..."

	"And the Ginzuishou would have absorbed the energy."

	"But the energy would have been too great...."

	"And so the Ginzuishou explodes into a billion fragments.
Dust, so to speak."

	"And the explosion blows through Usagi's chest..."

	"Particles of the Ginzuishou, filled with immense spiritual
energies, passing through the housing of a spirit."

	"It would have... taken some of that spirit with it...."

	"And that spiritual energy would have managed to recreate,
from the immense powers of the reborn spirit of Princess Serenity,
an entirely new spirit with her thoughts and memories, given body
by the particles of the Ginzuishou...."

	"And voila, you get two Usagis."  Makoto looked at Usashin.
"So where is the original Usagi now?  Wouldn't bringing her body
back to life have meant dragging back her original soul?"

	"Not if she didn't want to come back, or somehow couldn't
come back.  I get the feeling the case here is more the latter than
the former."

	Makoto rubbed her chin, then winced.  "Ooh, I really need a
good lie down.  My head is splitting."
	"Considering your head came this close to actually doing just
that, I would be careful with usage of terminology."

	"Umm, has anyone forgotten about me?"  From the ground emerged
a grimy looking Youma Usagi.  Instantly, Usagai returned to the 
safety of her mecha, whilst both Makoto and Usashin assumed fighting
stances.  The Youma, however, wasn't looking so good.

	"Was that true?  What you said?"

	"I only recount what it is I saw.  I do not lie."  Usashin 
gripped the handle of her sword as Makoto built up an energy bolt
between her hands.

	"Uhh, can I ask a question?"  The Youma looked pleadingly at
Usashin.  "Which of those two spirits was I?  The original spirit,
or the constructed one?"
	"Why would you need to know that?  Does having a constructed
soul make its existence worth any less."

	The Youma pulled herself from the ground and stood, staggering
slightly.  She attempted to feel angry, but for some reason her
emotions seemed to sap away.

	"Dammit, give me back that crystal!  I want it!"

	"Really?"  Makoto smiled.  She turned to Usashin, then Usagai.
"People, on the count of three."  She looked back at the Youma.  
"One!  Two!  Three!  SCATTER!"  And they did.  In three different
directions all at once.  The Youma didn't know which way to look
next.

	She clutched her chest.  Already a cold sensation was running
through her.  She needed the Ginzuishou back, and she needed it
quickly.  Before...  Before her Serenity side lost the battle....

	Her right hand began to quiver, crooking into claws....


	IASFU OA FWSS IASFU OA FWSS GOO JUA GOO JIPEST
	and again
	IASFU OA FWSS IASFU OA FWSS GOO JUA GOO JIPEST


END OF PART 17


Notes

Not much to say about this chapter, except to say I wrote it under
the effects of extreme sleep deprivation....  ^_^;;

Next up is chapter 18, and that means its time for "Visceral Demands"!

DDFA ayanami@merlin.net.au
20th Feb 1998