Laurel8704@aol.com
Hey all!!  
Want to thank EVERYONE who has been kind enough to write me. 
It means a lot to me.  It's going to be a busy next two weeks for me,
so, don't expect chapter 13 out for at least that long.  Maybe sooner,
but I doubt it'll be done before Easter.  If I have time, I'll work on it,
if not I'm not going to push it.  Just keep checking...
My special thank you goes to my sister.  Barbara, if it wasn't for you,
I think 'I' would be in a looney bin right now...  LOL.  Only five
weeks of Algebra left, Big Sister, keep hanging on... (by your toes, if
nothing else...  LOL)  I love you and thank you. (And all that mushy
stuff.)   And remember... hehehe... The summer is coming...  (OH
NO!! So many kids, I think we lost one!!  LOL or was it on
purpose... hmm...)
And always a big thank you to LeAna, my forever friend.  To Sue
and Liz for always listening.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate
you, both of you.  And to Artemis and Luna for posting this whenever
I manage to get a chapter out.
**As promised last week...  Character guide:
Guardians of the Crown (Official group title) or 'Guardians' 
4 of them---Personal Guard:  Powers from the Universe as a whole.
Bryce, Brandon, Ruark and Ryan... These four are brothers and
Ruark and Ryan are twins.
4 of them---Palace Guard:   Powers from the Earth's core.
Nathaniel and Cameron... brothers
Jeff and Ashton... brothers
All eight are Copeland's by birth.**
Disclaimers: Everybody knows I don't own any of the characters on
Sailor Moon.  They belong to Naoko Takeuchi, DIC, Toei
Animation and whoever else has rights to them.  The other characters
are mine!!!  The story line is also mine.  If you choose to use my
characters or story, just let me know.  Send any C&C's to
Laurel8704@aol.com, I'd love to hear from you!!
Enjoy!!

Memories of Past and Present
By, Laurel Anne

Chapter 12
Magic and Technology...  A Deadly Combination

Thursday Evening...
When Serena had first came home, she'd told only one person about
Bryce and his friends.  Reenie had been scared because she
remembered all that happened.  She also knew what >could< happen
when the others found out, but Serena had assured her that she
would keep the peace and the little girl made herself as scarce as she
could by planting herself in a corner with Luna Ball and the two cats. 
Out of the way, but where she could still see and hear everything
going on.  Reenie cringed when the Sailor Scouts transformed, fully
expecting a fight.  But then, when she saw Serena stomp to the
center of the room, Reenie smiled as she watched her Mommy 'in
action'.  It never ceased to amaze her how Serena, at times, could be
so much like she was in the next century.  Loving and caring, but
unyielding when necessity demanded it.  After the furor died down,
the monotonous conversation, much of which went over her head,
had lulled Reenie to sleep.
Darien and the girls were still trying to make sense of everything that
had happened.   Their memories of the Silver Millennium were now
intact, Serena, having used the Crystal quite effectively, saw to that. 
But the girls had to find a way to overcome the bitterness they felt,
so they spent the better part of the next two hours asking Bryce and
the others questions about their lives, comparing notes on the latest
battles, and, all in all, 'trying' to set aside their recent differences.  If
for no other reason than because Serena would require it of all of
them, especially Darien.  
For his part, Darien watched Bryce with wary eyes.  Remembering
the friend he knew long ago and what he had recently done, from
Serena's abductions to the fact that he had saved Sailor Moon's life,
made Darien unsure of how he was supposed to feel.  Of what he
was supposed to do next.  With mixed emotions, he listened to the
conversations around him when he heard Reenie calling his name
softly.   No one paid him any heed when he walked to the corner.  He
saw tears streaming down her face, though she was still asleep.  At
the same time he kneeled in front of her, Hotaru joined him, her face
contorted in pain and fear.  Darien's eyes widened, but Hotaru shook
her head and pointed at Reenie.   He gently shook the little girl
awake and she clung to him a minute, crying softly.  Then she took a
deep breath and asked, "Where's Mommy?"  
"In the bedroom, asleep."  Darien glanced at Hotaru, she was
looking away from him but he saw a small shudder run through her. 
"What's wrong, Reenie?"  An unexplainable fear began to build in his
chest.  "Did you have a bad dream?"  She shook her head, climbed
out of his arms, and ran to the bedroom door.  The group fell silent
as Reenie raced around them, knocking over an end table in her
haste.  In confusion, they watched her hands tremble as she reached
for the door handle.  Then she stopped and looked back at everyone. 
In her mind, it was time for the adults to take over.  When Darien
neared her, Reenie met his eyes with tears gathering in her own, her
words carrying easily in the quiet room,  "Mommy's gone again."  
Darien gazed at her in shock while behind him, the girls came to their
feet with a gasp and the others, stunned, took two steps toward him. 
The group followed Darien as he took the last step to the door and
opened it.
"Oh my God!"  Mina cried out from somewhere behind him.  Darien
hardly even heard her.  He approached the empty bed as if walking to
his own hanging.  Feeling blood rush to his head, Darien sat down
quickly,  "Reenie..."  He whispered.  The little girl ran to her father
and he hugged her tightly.  The group gathered in the room behind
her and now, no one spoke.  No one moved.  Darien closed his eyes,
attempting to still his pounding heart, and concentrated  a moment. 
"I can't feel her any more."  His voice broke when he softly spoke
words that echoed loudly through everyone's senses, and soft crying
could now be heard from some of the girls.  "Just a dull emptiness
where she, her feelings, should be."  Darien shook his head trying to
clear it, "Reenie, how did you know?"  
She leaned back in his arms and replied easily, "Mommy told me..." 
When his eyes widened a little, she clarified, "In a dream.  My Future
Mommy told me.  She said, 'Small Lady, your Mommy is in grave
danger.  You must inform the others quickly.  Tell them to be very
careful'."  Reenie moved her hand up to her face, tears she valiantly
tried to hold back, shined in her bright eyes, "Then she touched my
cheek and said 'Remember'.  Then she smiled at me and
disappeared."
"Where, Reenie?  Where is Serena?"  Darien asked with more than a
little difficulty, 'grave danger' running through his head with enough
force to render him unconscious if he let it.  
"I don't know.  Mommy didn't tell me."  
Hotaru, having sensed the darkness surrounding Serena almost as
soon as it began though not soon enough to prevent it, stepped to the
center of the overcrowded room, "Serena is not here.  Not on
Earth."
"What do you mean, 'not on Earth'?  Where the hell is she?"  Raye
demanded, not liking the direction this conversation was going at all.  
Before she could answer, Darien nodded, "She's right.  I would
know it if she were here."
Shaking her head softly, Hotaru's eyes filled with tears.  She glanced
at Darien, still holding his daughter close as he fought to overcome
his devastating loss.  She knew that she was not as tightly linked to
Serena as he.  But she also knew that he was, obviously, unaware of
Serena's situation.  To Raye, Hotaru answered,  "I have no idea
where she is.  All I can say is what very little I can still feel of her... 
Serena is surrounded by evil.  Great evil."  Amid startled looks and
sharp intakes of breath, she finished in a cracked voice, "And it is
consuming her very soul."  
Darien set Reenie on the bed and stood up.  Walking to Hotaru, he
gave her a penetrating look, seeking answers.  Finding none, he
began to pace in the small area left in the room.  "I have to find her,"
he muttered over and over, shaking his head.  Then everyone started
talking at once.  It just seemed too impossible to be true.  Over the
pandemonium that was growing louder by the minute, Ruark brought
Darien out of  his withdrawn state.  "Where would we start to look
for her?   Not to mention, how?  It's a foregone conclusion that we
don't have the same modes of transportation we did in the Past."
"Huh...  We do!" Lita interjected, speaking for all the Sailor Scouts. 
Darien stopped pacing and looked at the people in the room.  He
knew it was his responsibility to find Serena.  Theirs, as well.  And,
in order to accomplish that, he needed to lead this group of
argumentative, distrustful individuals.  Half of them, the Sailor
Scouts, loved Serena enough to walk to their deaths in her stead and
the other half...?  Darien shook his head.  He knew they cared about
Serena, some of them cared for her deeply.   In addition to that, there
was one other thing, and he smiled slightly.  If memory served him
right, he wouldn't be able to go into the next room without one of
them close at hand.  It was obvious to him that he was the one that
would have to bring order to the madness and there was only way to
do it.  "Bryce?"  When Darien spoke, the room quieted.  The man
turned to look at him, "Your Lab..."
Bryce nodded,  "I know what you're thinking.  We can only try. 
There are no guarantees..."
"What?"  Mina asked thoroughly frustrated that they seemed to be
the only ones who knew what was going on.  
Looking at each other, then her, simultaneously the two answered,
"Rubeus."
"If she's surrounded by evil," Darien explained, "Who else could it
be?"  
Mina frowned in confusion, "But how will finding Rubeus help us
find Serena?"
"Remember, Mina, these last several fights...,  They were after Sailor
Moon."  Sighing softly, Darien felt as if he should have seen this
coming.  He blamed himself for her disappearance.  "Maybe we were
followed here and Rubeus, or one of his associates, somehow,
though who knows 'how', got in."
"And if he >doesn't< have her, then, I'm willing to bet, he can tell us
where she is."  Jeff put in.  
"Precisely."  
"That's another thing, too.  We can't leave this world unprotected
and at the 'tender mercies' of Rubeus."  Brandon quietly added to
Jeff's remarks.  "If we can eliminate him, there should be little danger
left here to worry about."
Darien nodded.  "Agreed.  We can't leave until we're sure we'll have
a world to come back to."  
"But what can we do to find him?"  Amy asked Bryce.  "I've tried to
locate him on my computer several times but the readings I receive
on his whereabouts are never accurate."
Bryce raised an eyebrow at her in amazement, then grinned.  It was
obvious to him that no one had ever taught this girl to talk on a
normal level.  It had taken him over a year to break Nathaniel of that
same, highly annoying, habit.  His grinned widened into a smile, and,
he indicated Nat with his hand, "Talk to the resident expert."  
"I have an idea,"  Nat told them, "But we need to get back to the
Lab quickly."  Then he walked to Amy.  Smiling, he said,  "Care to
escort me home?"  Startled by the request, Amy blushed profusely,
then nodded.  The two walked out of the room leaving behind a,
decidedly envious, sighing group of girls.  "I'll send the van when I
get there."   Nat called over his shoulder.
When they were gone, Bryce motioned to the group to leave.  He
wanted to talk to Darien alone, before there wasn't any time to do
so.  Michiru went to the bed to get Reenie and the girls, worriedly
glancing back at Darien, preceded the men out.   
As they left, Darien had moved to the window and, now, stood, arms
crossed over his chest, staring pensively out at the city bathed in
twilight.  
After a few minutes, Bryce broke the disquiet, "Darien, I..."  He
shook his head and tried again, "I want to apologize... For
everything."
Darien didn't reply.  His eyes, shadowed with pain and loss, met
Bryce's.  Then, slowly, "Setting aside our history, you've done many
things that I should hate you for."  Sighing, he turned back to the
window.  "But I can't.  You saved Serena's life and could've lost
yours in the process."  
Bryce knew Darien well enough to know that the reply he received
was about as close to an acceptance as he'd ever get.  He joined
Darien as he stared out the window and when Bryce seemed about to
speak again, the younger man held his hand up.  "No words..." 
Darien said forcefully.  More than anything, he didn't want Bryce to
do what he did so often in their distant Past.  Put words to Darien's
feelings.  So Bryce remained with him, a silent companion, until
Darien turned to leave the room.  When the two came out, Raye
walked up to Bryce and looked him over, head to toe.  When he
raised an eyebrow at her curiously, eyes alight with mischief, Raye
quipped,   "No bruises.  No limp.  Not dead."  Turning to Darien, she
smiled, "Hmm... I guess a hanging is out of the question??" 
Everyone, except Darien, busted into hysterics.  
"Raye, leave it to you...  I swear, >leave< >it< >to< >you<!!" 
Darien commented, shaking his head in something akin to disgust,
but a small smile graced his somber visage.
Shortly thereafter, Bryce checked his watch.  Knowing that the van
should be there anytime now, he motioned to the concealed door,
"Ladies, shall we?"  Brandon took Reenie from Michiru and he led
the way out.  As she picked up Luna, Setsuna turned to ask Darien a
question.  
He shook his head and stated, "I'll be along in a minute."  Not even
waiting for a reply, Darien turned on his heel, and, studiously
ignoring the troubled eyes turning his way, slowly walked back
toward the bedroom.
Hotaru knew how Serena's disappearance was affecting Darien, she
could feel it.  While the others were leaving, she lagged behind a
little, debating.  Coming to a decision, Hotaru moved to where Jeff
leaned against the wall seemingly deep in thought.  She gently rested
her hand on his arm and waited until he met her eyes.  
Jeff was a man of few words.  His job had always been one that
secrecy was of the essence.  Confidentiality was absolutely vital in
order to protect not only his life, but, more importantly, the lives of
the people in his care, whether it be Bryce or someone they'd
detained on a mission.   He'd never really been afraid of anything in
his life.  Very few times at any rate.  Now, though, Jeff admitted to
himself, he was, indeed, afraid.  Not for himself, but for a slip of a
girl he, not so very long ago, carried out of a temple.  He knew her
fear that same night, when she looked up at him, terrified, just before
dinner.  He shook his head slightly.  What amazed him the most was
the fact that, although they had twice taken Serena against her will,
she accepted them easily, readily, when she realized who they were.  
Serena, he recalled from long ago, was one of the most open and
loving girls he'd ever had the pleasure of talking with.   He'd never
met her personally during her and Darien's engagement, for reasons
known only to Darien and Bryce, (though Jeff now suspected what
that reason was) but the Guardians had spoken with her frequently. 
Serena had tried, time and again, to convince them to come with
Darien.  They'd always refused.   Eventually, they were supposed to
meet her.  Yes, they were.  But Beryl's attack on Earth had drawn a
halt to that.  A halt to life as they knew it.  Jeff remembered well that
fateful day of the attack.  He, being with Darien and Bryce, watched
as his brother and cousins died at the hands of Beryl's minions.  It
was the hardest thing he'd ever been through.  Because of that and to
protect Darien, Jeff and Bryce had argued with him for hours to get
him to leave.  Darien refused.  He wouldn't abandon his home, his
family, and his friends without a fight.  It finally took Jeff, catching
him off guard with a solid right hook to the jaw, to get him to what
little safety the Moon could offer.  Jeff and Bryce returned to Earth
and to utter devastation.  The two had been taken down just as they
reached the Palace.  First Jeff, then Bryce.  Jeff had taken a blast
meant for him, and lay dying as he watched Bryce be cut down by his
own sword.  Jeff recalled closing his eyes after that, feeling the cold
of death overcome him.  Now, according to what they'd learned
from Sunstarr, by Queen Serenity's power, he and his family were
alive.  Alive-- and now living a nightmare.  Though he'd only seen
her twice, Jeff had come to admire and, perhaps, even love the young
Princess.  He most certainly respected her as he, having long been
fascinated by their strength and tenacity, had memorized almost
every account of the Sailor Scouts' fights.  Jeff found it rather ironic
that he was currently, very literally, surrounded by them.  The girl
that looked up at him now had always been his favorite to talk with. 
He knew she was powerful, temperamental, and unpredictable.  With
him, though, she'd been soft spoken and sweet natured, and it never
failed that, after their lengthy conversations, he'd been left with a
deep-rooted sense of peace.  He'd wondered, since he first saw her,
if she'd remembered him as well.
"Jeff, we should stay with him."  With her eyes, she indicated Darien
where he'd just gone back into the bedroom.  "He shouldn't be left
alone right now."  He nodded his agreement and met Bryce's eye. 
He, too, nodded, silent communication still unbroken after many
years.  Hotaru smiled softly as the three of them walked to the
bedroom door.  Oh yes, she remembered Jeff.  They'd spent too
many hours sharing each others lives, across the miles separating
Moon and Earth, not to.  But there was so much more to it than that,
and she knew it.  Pushing those thoughts out of her mind, she waited
with the two men while Darien roamed the bedroom.

Darien sat down on the empty bed.  He gently lifted Serena's pillow,
her light perfume filling the air as he rubbed his hand over the
indentation where her head had been.  For a moment, he felt rather
lost without that other part of him he could always reach out and
feel, touch.  The instincts that guided him for almost a year.  Yes, it
was her.  Serena.  The woman that would sacrifice everything, did
sacrifice everything, for the world, her friends, and her family.  He
recalled that her birthday was about a week away.  He'd recently
asked her what she wanted, and she had shrugged, telling him she
just wanted him to take her to the park.  Serena wanted to lay on a
blanket, hold his hand, and watch the clouds go by, as if they had no
cares in the world.  Just the two of them.  She'd made him promise.  
Such a simple request, but Darien didn't know if he'd now be able to
fulfill that promise.  He set the pillow back on the bed and put his
head in his hands, surrendering to the despair he felt.  It washed over
him, through his mind and soul, like a tidal wave.  He was left
foundering in its wake.  How special she'd become to him...  Their
time on the Moon, though amazing, paled somewhat in comparison
to now.  The days and nights...  When he held her when she was
sick...  When she was the Princess...  Just Serena...  Or Mommy to a
lost little girl.  He loved her.  Deeply.  She brought light to the
darkness that had been his life.  She made him whole.  Took the
broken pieces of his soul and bound them firmly, not with anything
physical, but with something stronger.  Her gentle hand, her loving
embrace.  "The ties that bind..."  Darien whispered.   Anger began to
fill the void as he wandered the room that had become so much hers
as it was his.  He knew he'd go insane if he stayed there any longer
because everywhere he looked he saw her.  In his bed, his shirts that
she'd worn, her suitcases, her clothes strewn about haphazardly
when she'd gotten dressed in a hurry, her brushes on the dresser.  His
fury built to an unbelievable level, and, with one sweep of his arm, he
sent everything on the dresser flying.  Darien reached out and tightly
gripped the edges of the dresser until his knuckles were white and he
could no longer feel his fingers.  The rage in his soul was threatening
to destroy him, and he was helpless to control it any longer.  It was
then he felt a warm hand on his arm.  Startled, thinking he'd been
alone, he looked down at the girl beside him.  In her eyes, he saw
compassion and understanding...  Hotaru.  Darien's eyes, darkened
to midnight blue by the full force of his wrath, raised to meet those of
the two men who knew him, his emotions, and his soul, perhaps as
well as he himself did...  Bryce.  Jeff.  At least, they knew him in their
Past lives...  But what about now?  Gazing at each, Darien knew they
did.  And if they didn't, it wouldn't matter anyway, they had a
mission to complete.  And Darien had a promise to fulfill.  Jaw
clenched taut, he pulled Hotaru's hand through his arm.  Nodding to
the others once, he led her out of the apartment and to the elevator,
Jeff and Bryce moving to either side of them protectively.

In Nathaniel's lab, Amy had just completed downloading a major
portion of the files from her computer to the main terminal.  "What's
your plan?"
"Watch."  He pointed at the computer's wide screen monitor.  A city
map appeared.  While she waited for Nat to finish inputting the data
he'd been working on, Amy thought back to her initial reaction on
seeing the inside of the Cosmos Lab and then Nathaniel's personal
work area...

Nat had given her a short tour of the lower labs and she was simply
amazed,  "I've never seen anything like that...  Or this."  She
whispered in awe, walking into, what Nat referred to as, his private 
'hole in the wall'.  "When I told the others 'top of the line'
equipment, I had no idea the devices I found were created by your
employees."
"Thank you.  Those that you found, though, weren't built in the
standard labs downstairs, but here.  They were my creations.  Only
Sailor Mercury could have located something that was as 'almost
undetectable' as those taps were."  He smiled, remembering his own
frustration at what took days to build, she had effectively wiped out
in a matter of minutes.  Amy's jaw dropped and she shook her head
at the amount of incredible talent this man had.  Nat laughed at the
look on her face, "From you, I take that as a compliment."
Amy's laughter joined his and she replied sweetly, "It is.  I assure
you."
"I rarely get company in here.  I'm left to my own devices, so I
tinker."  He shrugged nonchalantly.  "Sometimes it's good results,
other times, disastrous."  He frowned, thinking of his last blunder
that nearly cost him his lab.  
"Does no one help you?"  Amy inquired curiously. 
"In here?  No.  I prefer it that way.  I like to work alone.  The other
labs, on the lower floors, are for the conventional employees."

She was quickly brought out of her thoughts by his words, "See what
I'm doing is this..."  Nat typed a minute, then paused.  Pinpoint
locations that he'd already put in the computer of all the battles
against Rubeus appeared in red on various places on the map.
"Yes," Amy was slightly confused.  "I've got one similar to that on
my computer."
"Uh huh..."  Nat started typing again, "Now, I'll add your positions
to the map."  His and her positions were almost on top of each other. 
Taking the center location for two conflicting sights for the same
battle added some semblance of accuracy and coherence on the map.
"It seems to form some sort of pattern..."  Amy tilted her head,
concentrating.
"Yeah, it does..."  Pushing the keyboard over to her, "Let's see
where this pattern leads us..."  
Excitement bubbled through her as she reached for the keyboard. 
When Amy noticed him watching her intently, she blushed lightly. 
"Uh... Maybe you should do this."  
Nat gestured for her to continue when she tried to give him control
once again,  "No... By all means."
She turned, with slightly shaky hands, to the task.  "You've
obviously been tracking the Sailor Scouts movements.  Why?"
"It was Bryce's suspicious nature.  After Serena mysteriously
disappeared the first..."  Nat looked at Amy, the regret weighing
heavily in his heart, shined through his eyes.  He could see a light
sheen of tears in hers.  "I am so sorry about this entire mess."
Amy choked back her tears, knowing that it wouldn't do the least bit
of good to break down now.  "It's not your fault."  She smiled a
little.  "At least, not this time."  
"I don't know," He wondered, rubbing his chin, "Somehow I, we,
feel partly responsible."
"Why?"  Amy queried as she reconfigured the rest of the positions on
the map.  "One minute we were talking, the next..."  She let the
thought go unfinished, not wanting to relive it again.  
Nat shook his head and started to reply when he glanced at the map. 
"Well, well, well.  What do we have here?"  He leaned back in his
chair, thoughtfully glancing at the wide screen.
"A pentagon?"  Amy looked at the map closely.  She had joined the
points with lines, but, to her, something still wasn't right.
"No, see..."  He pointed at the screen, "Two of them.  A small one
inside the larger one."  Then he frowned, stood up and began to pace
behind her.  "That doesn't make sense, though.  It gives no centrality
to the fights.  And we know, by the looks of the map, that the sights
were chosen, not random."  Muttering, he picked up a second
keyboard nearby.  Sitting back down, "I'm going to try something,
tell me what you think."  Amy watched as he added more lines,
changed some of them around, and then changed the map on the
screen to three dimensional.  She gasped loudly.  Nat looked up
quickly, "Holy shit, would you look at that..."
They looked at each other and grinned, "A star..."
"Did you find something?"  Darien asked, striding into the room with
Bryce.
Smiling, Nat glanced back at them.  "Yeah, but there's one more
thing I want to do first.  Call a meeting upstairs.  I'll send all this up
when we're done."  Darien nodded and he and Bryce turned to leave. 
Nat stopped them as they reached the door.  "Oh, and Bryce... My
dear cousin... It's been quite sometime since our last meal..."  Nat
smiled, letting the rest go unsaid as he turned back to the computer. 
Darien chuckled lightly while Bryce, swearing quite profusely,
doubted the sanity of certain members of his family.

Darien made the rounds of the small groups that had picked up in
conversation.  Reenie walked with him, holding his hand tightly,
chattering incessantly.
Brandon and Ruark were engaged in quite an animated debate with
Raye and Haruka, loudly punctuated every now and then by rather
bold threats and downright dares.  Darien just shook his head at their
way of relieving tension.
Cameron and Ashton were talking with Setsuna, Michiru, and Lita. 
Each was comparing his and her notes on the last battle.  They were
trying to figure out if something was said or done during the fight to
let whomever took Serena know who she was.  They came up with
no answers, only more questions.  
Ryan and Mina were flirting shamelessly, with Raye occasionally
leaving her argument and walking over to bash Mina in the head (to
everyone's amusement) to get her back on track.  Darien couldn't
blame the two.  He would just as soon be able to the same.  He knew
Mina well enough by now to know that if she wasn't flirting, she'd
probably be crying.  He much preferred a little laughter out of all of
them than to have an outer silence to match the desolate stillness in
his soul.
Hotaru, Jeff, and Bryce were never far out of his reach.  They
whispered among themselves but stayed near enough that all Darien
had to do was turn around if he needed them.  It had been over an
hour and Amy and Nat hadn't called from the lab yet.  He was
getting more and more anxious by the moment.  Mirroring his
thoughts, the phone on the table rang, having the effect of gun going
off.  Everyone immediately fell silent as Bryce answered the call,
putting it on speaker so the rest of the group could hear.  
"We did it.  Meet us in the boardroom and open the doors to the
wide screen."  Nathaniel said hurriedly.
"We're on our way."  Bryce replied, turning the speaker off, "Let's
go."
"'Bout time."  Lita commented dryly.
Bryce gave her a lopsided grin, "Like my brother recently reminded
me, 'we're good, but we're not gods'."

As they were walking, Mina commented, "Man, this place is like a
maze."
"This is just the penthouse level.  Wait'll you see the rest."  Bryce
sighed and shrugged, "It's mostly for our protection that it's built the
way it is.  In our line of work, we make a lot of enemies."
"I'll bet you do."  Michiru added with a touch of sarcasm.
"What do your investors think of all this?"  Darien asked.
"You're looking at him...  Or I should say, them."  Before anyone
could do more than gape at him, Bryce continued, "When Sunstarr
said he amassed a fortune over the years, he wasn't lying.  This
building, without the equipment, and because of the design basis,
cost over 100 million dollars to finish.  Nearly 50 million more for all
the equipment, furnishings and such.  Everything here is state of the
art, and then some."  There was no boasting in his even tone, he was
just stating facts as if reading a newspaper.
Haruka whistled softly.  "Bet that cleaned you out pretty damned
quick."
"Especially with no one to pay the bill but you."  Setsuna added.
Bryce stopped and looked back at them,  "You think so?"  He smiled
slightly.  Shaking his head, he started walking again, "Sure, it was
expensive to build, but as for 'cleaning me out', it didn't.  There's
better than twice that left in the bank."  Bryce was amused by the
collective astonishment on the girls' faces.  "When I said wealth,
that's precisely what I meant.  What Sunstarr accumulated was
mostly in gold, making the value much higher on the market.  But if
you think you're shocked, you should have seen >me< when we
found the money."  Bryce laughed as the memory of him almost
passing out in the bank flashed through his mind.  
Jeff, too, laughed, recalling how he himself fell into a chair in total
amazement.  "Yeah.  We were unbelievably floored and that's an
understatement.  Even though we were both wealthy in our right,
those zeros nearly stopped my heart."  Hotaru smiled and rested her
hand on Jeff's arm, seeing in her own mind something that would
take, the normally quiet, Jeff and rattle him.  
Opening the doors to the boardroom, Bryce made his final comment
in a fierce whisper, "Now we'll use all that we have to find Serena."  
Darien walked into the room first.  He'd been quiet through most of
the conversation, but the way Bryce mentioned Serena gave him
cause to glance at the other sharply.  Darien remembered back to his
and Bryce's first and only fight.  He had no more time to think about
it because Nat and Amy followed the group through the door. 
Everyone moved to find a seat as Brandon opened the wide screen
viewer.  Bryce, having led Reenie to Setsuna, directed Darien to the
seat at the head of the table and he and Jeff took the seats to Darien's
immediate right and left, respectively.
Amy and Nathaniel walked to the end of the table, in front of the
screen.  Nat smiled at her then went to sit down by the keyboard. 
The room quieted when Amy began to speak, "We had a lot of
comparisons to make and we came up with several very interesting
things."  Behind her, on the screen, the surface map of Tokyo
appeared with red and blue flashing lights.  "These are the locations
of our battles since Reenie came.  As you can see, they form a
definite pattern."  Nat sat back from the computer and nodded to her. 
The group watched as, one by one, the red lights were joined by
lines.
"A star?"  Darien asked.
"Yes, but not an ordinary star."  Amy replied.  "These points are the
strongest points of Positive Energy in Tokyo.  Previously, we've
fought Dark Energy and Dark Power."
Nat walked over to Amy and picked up the story.  "Positive Energy
is the opposite of that.  Light Energy, if you will."
"True, and if Rubeus took one of those points it would weaken the
other ones considerably, making them that much easier to take,
right?"  Bryce commented thoughtfully.
"And, ultimately, bringing darkness to the world as we know it..." 
Darien clarified Bryce's statement.
"Okay.  So that's the reason for the star shape.  We protected those
points, right?"  Lita inquired.
"Yes and quite effectively, but the blue points are another issue
altogether."  Nat answered.  
"These," Amy said, "are the fights since the day Serena got sick."
Again, Nat put in,  "There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to
them.  They're totally out of character."
"Hell, yes, there was a reason for them."  Raye asserted.
Darien looked at Bryce and nodded, substantiating Raye's claim, 
"Sailor Moon...  They wanted Sailor Moon."
"Consider this, then," Nathaniel drew the groups attention to the
points on the star.  "The red points were for the purpose of defeat of
the world.  These blue points were for the purpose of another kind of
defeat altogether."
"Of course... It all fits." Setsuna remarked as understanding dawned,
"If it was somehow found out that Serena, Sailor Moon, and the
Queen of Crystal Tokyo were one and the same, what better way to
change the outcome of what the Future would be then to..."  She
stopped and her eyes widened, realizing what she was about to say.
Jeff had no qualms about finishing the eerie statement,  "Then to
remove the problem in advance."
Immediate chaos erupted at the table.
"The other thing we found," Amy had to raise her voice to be heard,  
"Is where Rubeus may be located."
Her words commanded instant attention and all heads turned her
way. "You found him?"  Darien queried softly, hoping he'd heard
right. 
Amy went to the keyboard and sat down as Nathaniel tentatively
nodded, "We think so, yes."  The map behind him changed to a three
dimensional.  The star remained, and vertical lines were added to the
horizontal ones already joining the points.  The vertical lines came
together at a point directly in the center, the very heart, of the star
pattern.   But well above it.
"Huh?"  Lita asked.  "I don't get it." 
"A spaceship."  Reenie piped in.  "That was how they attacked
Crystal Tokyo...  That's how they hurt my Mommy."  Tears gathered
in her eyes, but, trying to be strong, she blinked them back.  "I
remember there were so many of them."
"Very good, Small lady," Amy smiled at her then looked at the
others, "That was a confirmation to what Nat and I surmised from
the positioning of the points."  
"Why not in the center of the star, but here on Earth?"  Michiru
asked.
"We'd know he was here."  Amy said simply.
"This way," Nat elaborated, "He probably felt that the Sailor Scouts,
and now us, couldn't get a lock on his position."
"So," Raye questioned, getting straight to the point, "When do we
leave?"
"That's the problem," Nat replied slowly, glancing at Amy.  They
both knew that the Scouts weren't going to like this answer, "We
don't."
"WHAT!?!"  Echoed loudly through the room.
"We have to bring him to us."  Amy explained patiently.  
"Why?"  Darien demanded, he was in no mood to play games, not
when Serena's life was on the line.
"Mainly because it'll take too much power from the Scouts to
Teleport everyone there."  The voice of reason answered from the
end of the table.  
"That's true."  Michiru agreed, "We don't have Sailor Moon's power
for it.  If she were here, it wouldn't be a problem to Teleport as an
entire group."
"Then we'll go alone, damn it!"  Haruka announced fiercely.  "We
don't need them," pointing at the men, "to help us this time.  We're
more then capable of taking on Rubeus alone."
"You can't."  Cameron put in softly.  All eyes turned to him. 
"Without Sailor Moon's power, what chance do you have of
defeating them alone?  And I do mean THEM because Rubeus will
>not< be alone."
"Besides, if we get him here, on our turf, we have a better chance of
taking him down then on his."  Ashton added.
"I told you this would happen."  Amy muttered to Nathaniel.  "The
Scouts are stubborn to a fault."
"Yeah, well, we have to calm them down long enough to explain our
plan."
"Let them fight it out.  Geez, they're acting like a bunch of children
arguing over a piece of candy."
Nat smiled at the bitterness in her tone.  He was thinking the same as
she was.  There were 17 of them.  Eight very independent, yet,
interdependent Sailor Scouts, looking to Darien as their leader. 
There were also eight very interdependent men now looking to
Darien to lead them.  That was the key.  He was their center point. 
He would decide.   What happened next rested on his shoulders. 
Looking at Darien, Nat saw in him the leader he remembered.  But
what he also saw amused him.  All hell was about to break loose and
he knew it.
Darien leaned back in his chair and, with a half smile, watched as the
arguments around him grew louder.  Jeff, Bryce, and Hotaru said
nothing, but watched him closely, as if assessing his reaction.  Then
his hand came down on the table with enough force the glasses on it tipped
over, having the same effect as a judge using his gavel.  Immediately all
conversation ceased and, slowly, everyone turned to look at him.  "I
will NOT have this."  Darien whispered, his voice rising as he spoke. 
"We haven't the time to fight among ourselves."  He glanced at the
girls briefly, "Yes, we could go alone.  But what proof is there that
we'll be able to win?  There isn't any.  Sailor Moon is the only
guarantee we'd have, but she isn't here. Therefore, we need all the
help we can get."  Darien leaned forward, pointing to punctuate each
word, "We fight together or I go alone!"  He waited, looking at each
person, for their response.  When they nodded in acquiescence,
Darien, satisfied, sat back in his chair.  Bryce hid a smile behind his
hand and motioned to Amy and Nat to continue.
"Come the dawn...," Nat stated, smiling at Amy.
"We bring Rubeus to us..."  She finished.

Saturday... Predawn hours
Darien stood on Bryce's penthouse balcony alone.  He glanced out at
the moonless sky, knowing it was nearing dawn.  Reenie was
sleeping in the master bedroom.  He had regaled her with bed time
stories of Serena's antics when she had first become a Sailor Scout
until she had drifted off.  Darien knew she was scared.  She wanted
Serena, needed her.  The girls were scattered among the different
apartments, within a push button's reach, so to speak.  Hours ago,
he'd sent them to get what rest they could before sunrise.  Sleep.  He
almost scoffed at the word.  Just the thought of lying down without
being able to hold Serena appalled him.  Maybe tomorrow he could,
but not tonight.  It was too soon.  Besides, there'd be time enough
for sleep when the battle was over.  He shook his head to clear his
thoughts and mused on the plan to bring Rubeus to Earth...  Amy
and Nat had created a device with the power to disable the ship's
oxygen sensors.  If all went like it was supposed to, the sensor would
fail.  By combining Bryce's central computer and Mercury's
computer, it was possible to change codes to allow them temporary
access to an American government satellite.  "That should really
impress them," Darien commented, irony at the situation making him
smile slightly.  "Losing control of one of their war machines to defeat
another.  Too bad they'll never know it."  Five minutes.  That's how
long they needed it.  Nat and Amy swore that the satellite disruption
would be completely untraceable, so, at least, they wouldn't have the
CIA beating on their back doors.  Reconfiguring the satellite and
using a direct energy pulse aimed at the center of the star should,
without alarm, shut down the oxygen sensor in the ship.  Then, the
rapid increase in the amount of carbon dioxide would cause Rubeus
to flee the ship within minutes.  Finally, another short blast, this time
using the satellite's laser, directly into the ship's power source would
finish it off.  They hoped.  Then they would deal with Rubeus.
Bryce quietly walked out on the balcony and leaned on the rail. 
Looking out at the city, he wondered aloud, "It's going to work,
right?"
"You don't sound very sure of yourself, or all of us, either."  Darien
replied.
"It's not the fight I'm worried about."
"Ahh...  So that's what's bothering you."
He nodded and turned around to face Darien, leaning his elbows on
the rail behind him.  "I'm afraid we'll be too late..."
Darien gripped Bryce by the shirt in anger, looking him eye to eye. 
"We won't!  Do you hear me?  We won't!"
As Darien moved away suddenly, Bryce, hating to bring up old
ghosts, said,  "I hear you.  We fought about this once.  Do you
remember?"
"I do."  This was territory Darien had no intention of stepping into
tonight.
"You were angry for a long time, Darien."
"I was, but it was a long time ago.  Now, if nothing else, we have a
common goal."
Letting the subject go, Bryce smiled, "Indeed, we do."  Looking at
each other for a moment, knowing this might be the last time if things
didn't go well today, a rather awkward silence grew between them. 
Then Bryce, making the first move, put his hand out to Darien.  He
hesitated only a second, and the two gripped arms as brothers, each
giving what little encouragement they could to the other.
"Are you ready?"  Bryce asked.
"I don't know."  Darien answered sheepishly, walking into the living
room.  When Bryce glanced at him questioningly, he continued,
brows furrowing in frustration, "Have you ever tried waking eight
teenage girls before dawn?  I have, and it's NOT a pleasant
experience."  Bryce  laughed, unable to repress it, despite the dirty
look Darien tossed him.


Fifteen minutes later, Darien laid Reenie on a cot in the monitoring
room, leaving the double doors between it and the boardroom open
so the others could follow if they chose.  He moved to the computer
to check the status of the position of the satellite they were 'borrowing', 
"Luna, be ready for the commands to come in.  It shouldn't be long." 
She nodded, sad eyes following him as he walked back to his
daughter.  She lay curled up in the sweet innocence of a child's sleep. 
A soft smile curved her lips.  He leaned over and kissed her gently on
the forehead, knowing that, if they didn't find Serena, his little girl
would cease to exist.  Standing up suddenly, fires of hell burning
brightly in his blue eyes, Darien turned to the silent group watching
him intently.  "Let's do it!"
There was a resounding simultaneous cry:

Venus Star Power! 
Mercury Star Power!
Saturn Planet Power!
Uranus Planet Power! 
Pluto Planet Power!
Mars Star Power!
Jupiter Star Power!
Neptune Planet Power!

Darien smiled at Bryce, communicating volumes in that second.  He
closed his eyes, knowing there was only one way to fight this battle. 
By the time the transformations were complete, the Prince and the
Guardians were standing in formation, dressed in full battle armor.
Sailor Venus, more than a little impress by what she saw, sighed
dramatically.   Being a descendant of the Goddess of Love, she
couldn't help but comment, "Men and uniforms... Man, there's
absolutely nothing better..."  Amid the giggles that broke out, the
men bowed solemnly, then flashed the girls a wicked grin.  
Darien, smiling at their antics, stated, "Sailor Mercury, Nathaniel,
lead the way..."  
"Be ready, Luna!"  Mercury called out over her shoulder. 
Taking a hidden exit out of the building, the 17 ran down back
streets to a carefully chosen spot near the center of the star
formation.  They wanted to see first hand if the ship would, indeed,
explode.  Mercury, computer in hand, worked silently, punctuated
every now and then by a command from Nat.  "Ok, Luna!  Punch it!" 
She cried into the communicator.  They waited, with bated breath,
the precise three minutes, then Mercury demanded,  "Now Artemis! 
Do it now!"
Watching the skies with high powered binoculars, Darien and Bryce,
both sent silent prayers to whatever god protected them.  They
pulled the binoculars away quickly as the dawning sky suddenly
turned excruciatingly bright.  The group had to shield their eyes from
the burning, mind-numbing light.  Sailor Mercury, using her visor for
protection and recording, watched in fascination as the pinpoint of
light, so high above them, shattered and spread out in concentric
circles of light.  When the others were able to see again, they looked
up and could still see sparkles of light, superheated pieces of metal
burning up in the atmosphere, falling toward Earth.
Congratulations and laughter were heard among them, and Venus,
putting one hand on her hip and pointing up with the other, could do
nothing but add, "Yes, I would have to say that ship is officially
SPACE DUSTED!"  More laughter, then Mercury's computer
whistled loudly.  
She handed it to Nathaniel.  "We have a lock on Rubeus."  He said,
sobering the group immediately.  "Two clicks due North.  Near the
docks."

Rubeus was pleasantly surprised that Wise Man had given him the
amount of Dark Power he now had, literally, at his fingertips.  He
could almost feel it coursing through him.  Gazing down at Tokyo,
he sensed, more than felt, the ship rock slightly.  "Something hit me!" 
He moved to the control panel to see what had impacted the ship. 
Running some quick analysis, he started coughing.  Gasping a little,
eyes watering, Rubeus looked at the readings.  Coughing again, he
attempted to repair the damaged oxygen sensors.  The manual
override didn't work, so he pulled up a picture of the sensors to
assess the problem.  They were completely fried.  No chance of repair. 
He had to get out fast, or else he'd die.  Disappearing quickly, he
sent a mental message to Wise Man to let him know about the
problem that needed to be fixed.  Rubeus was well aware that on
Earth the Sailor Scouts could find him.  Reappearing near the harbor,
he found a place to hide.  Looking up, his breath caught as his ship
exploded in a brilliant flash at exactly the same moment he received
the simple reply from Wise Man, "Too Late."  It would only be a
matter of time now until the Sailor Scouts and their friends found
him.  Dark Power flowing through him, he sat back to wait.  "Let
them expend the energy to come to me!"  There would be no going
back now.  No hope of redemption, if he didn't succeed.  Rubeus
knew he might die, but it would please him much if he could take the
thorns in the side of the Dark Moon Family with him.  If he could kill
them all and still survive, that would be even better.  "Much better,
indeed."  

"Well?"  Bryce asked his liege.  
Darien nodded and looked at the group, "Remember your
formations."  As one, they turned to leave.  It was time. Time for the
beginning of the end of the nightmare.

If anyone cared to stop and watch, it was a bizarre sight to behold. 
Nine men, dressed in ancient battle armor, and eight, very familiar,
Sailor Scouts ran through back streets and alleys to their destination. 
However, no one was curious enough to stop their daily routines and
the 17 members of the tight knit group never paused in their
movements.  With grim determination and unwavering purpose they
traveled.  Not slowing until they reached the waterfront district.  
Their plan was relatively simple.  At the docks, the group would
break up and come at Rubeus from all directions, forming a circle
around him.  They knew Rubeus was powerful, some of them having
fought him before.  But, by combining the most powerful forces in
the Universe, he could be defeated.  By using all their powers in a
certain, preconceived, formation, they would take him down.  At
least, theoretically.  The plan rested on the belief that Rubeus was
unable to bring any droids with him off the ship. This band was not
stupid though, there was a contingency plan for just such an
occurrence.  If any droids appeared, they'd be dealt with instantly. 
They just hoped they wouldn't have to expend the extra energy.  
Reaching the wharf, Darien gave the signal to spread out.  In groups
of twos and threes and, in Darien's case four, as Jeff, Hotaru, and
Bryce stayed with him, the large group closed the circle on the center
point of the last vestiges of Dark Power on Earth.
"Sailor Scouts!  Protectors of Earth!  Oh... And you, too, Prince of
Earth!  Come closer!  Don't hesitate to feel my Power!"  Rubeus'
voice rebounded and echoed through the early morning sea breezes. 
The first of the six groups to see him were Ashton and Sailor Jupiter. 
Unfortunately, discretion was not one of her finer points and she
immediately made her presence known, despite Ashton's pleas to the
contrary.  "I'm going damn it!  Stay here if you want, but that
bastard knows where Serena is!"  She ran out in the open.  Finding
no other option available to him, Ashton joined Jupiter to face
Rubeus.  
Floating about a dozen feet above the ground, the man smiled evilly
down at the two.  "So?  Only two?  Where's the rest of your pitiful
band?  Lurking in the shadows, perhaps?"
Savagely, she cried out, "Feel the bite of the Planet Jupiter!"
Jupiter Thunder Clap... Zap!
Ashton waited about a half second before: 
Earth's Light...
A ball of darkness appeared in his hand, pulling in all light
surrounding him.  He quickly brought his hands together, palms out:
Blaze!
It set the adjacent area around his target on fire with hundreds of
pinpoint beams of light as it joined Jupiter's attack.
Rubeus simply smiled as the attacks bounced off his shield.  Though
everything around him shattered or was incinerated by the force, he
remained unharmed.  "Is that all you have?"  He said, laughing
ruthlessly, as shock registered on their faces.  "My turn!"  Lifting his
left hand, a four feet wide beam of Dark Energy came at them with
all the force of a hurricane.  Ashton, being of sound mind and body
and preferring to keep it that way, grabbed Jupiter and attempted to
pull her to safety.  It was an ill-fated move.  He wasn't fast enough
and they were both knocked flat as the Energy hit them.  
"Oh my God!"  Jupiter breathed painfully, holding her chest.  "He
must be a 100-times stronger than when Sailor Moon fought him..." 
She slowly turned her head toward Ashton.  He moved to cover and
protect her from the next blast that would invariably kill them both.
Rubeus prepared the shot that would eliminate these two pests from
his life when Sailor Mercury and Nathaniel called to him.  Turning to
them, he released the Energy he had built.  Nat, anticipating the
move, pulled Mercury behind a shipping crate which immediately
splintered around them as Rubeus' blast impacted with it.  Pointing to 
Ash and Jupiter,  "See to them."  Nat whispered quickly, then
rebounded away to draw Rubeus' fire.  At the same time he stepped
out, Pluto and Uranus hit Rubeus with a joint attack.  
Little damaged because of his shield, but startled, Rubeus spun in the
direction of the new arrivals.  He watched as the two moved aside
and another man in battle armor stepped between them.  
The two prepared a second assault and Ruark wasted no time in
joining them:
Dead Scream!
World Shaking!
Cosmic Night Storm...
Palms up, a dense black cloud formed in his hands, raising it above
his head:
Blast!
From the cloud, and joining the Scouts attacks, came a solid blue
beam that split into four as it approached Rubeus.
The three attacks impacted the shield and Rubeus eyes widened, he
couldn't believe it.
"It cracked!"  Pluto exclaimed.
Drawing more Power from himself to the shield, Rubeus assailed the
small group with wildly random blasts.  
Ryan and Venus met up with Brandon and Mars behind an old
warehouse.  Concern for the seven already fighting Rubeus was
riding foremost in their thoughts.  "Behind him, it's the best way!" 
Brandon told them hurriedly.  "Just be careful... I've never seen
anything like this!"  Moving into the shadows, the four dodged flying
debris in their efforts to overtake Rubeus.  As they secured their
positions, the four ran out.  "Ladies?  If you will?"  Ryan said
conversationally.  Mars gave him a dirty look, and, before calling out
her attack, retorted, "Don't you think this is the wrong time for
chivalry?"  Then:
Mars Celestial Fire...
Venus Love Chain...
Surround!  Encircle!
"Ryan, now!"  Mars yelled, rolling to avoid a blast coming her way.  
"Never a wrong time, Mars!"  He returned loudly, focusing his
power:
Cosmic Light Waves...
He pulled his arms to his sides.  Light, the colors of the rainbow
gathered in a circle around him:
Break!
As he raised his arms, the seven colors broke apart and headed
toward Rubeus, followed by Brandon pulling on the forces moving
the Universe:
Cosmic Wind Comet...
A fierce circular wind surrounded his body:
Annihilate!
The wind rushed above his head, came to a point at one end, turned
on its side and nailed its target with the force of a spear cracking a
cement wall.  
The four attacks did much to weaken the shield surrounding Rubeus,
however, he was still untouched.  He dropped down to the ground
because the offensives were getting stronger and he was having to
divert Power to his shield.  But he knew his shield was giving way. 
A wall of water slammed into what little was left of it and he turned
to the newest threat.  Sailor Neptune smiled grimly as she moved
aside for Cameron:
Earth Shards...
With the flick of his wrists, a solid quartz staff with razor sharp
edges, blazing with white hot heat, formed in each hand:
Impale!
He threw both staffs with all his might.  On contact, Rubeus' shield
finally shattered, unable to bear the strain any longer.
Rubeus, completely exposed now, quickly began shooting chaotic
blasts of Dark Energy that were well deflected by those he aimed at. 
He was growing weaker by the minute.  Falling to his knees, his
Power almost gone, he watched as 13 Sailor Scouts and Guardians
formed a circle around him.  However, there was a gap left directly in
front of him.  No one moved.  The only sounds that could be heard in
the early morning was the water gently lapping the docks.  He
struggled to a standing position, ready to make a break for the
opening.  No one made to stop him, so he started walking.  Five
steps later he froze.
Out of the mists rising from the water and residual smoke from the
attacks, four people strode forward.  One Sailor Scout carrying her
deadly Silence Glaive and three men, tall in stature, dressed in the
armor of Royalty from eons passed.  With single minded purpose
they stepped to the positions left open.  The Prince stood directly in
front of Rubeus and he, trying to quickly put distance between them,
fell back to his knees.  Darien looked to his right...  Bryce, Mars,
Ruark, Neptune, Ashton, Venus, and Ryan silently stood waiting his
command.  To his left...  Jeff, Saturn, Pluto, Brandon, Uranus,
Cameron, Mercury, Nathaniel, and Jupiter, standing close enough to
Ryan that she could almost touch him.  The circle was now
complete...  Save one...  
With that thought causing his eyes to blaze with the rage he felt
burning within him, Prince Darien walked to the center of the circle. 
Rubeus, weakened and almost without Power, watched his approach
with eyes filled with hatred and revenge.  Revenge that was not
forthcoming, nor would ever be.  He felt his throat tighten as two
hands gripped him painfully.  Though seeing stars behind his eyes,
Rubeus smiled malevolently.  
"Where is she, you son of a bitch?  Where is Serena?"  He demanded
coldly.  Darien loosened his grip slightly when Rubeus seemed to try
to speak.  
He said only six words, and they dripped with sticky sweet sarcasm,
"Oh... You must mean, my Queen."  Rubeus laughed, the pure evil in
it and his in words making the girls shudder.
Darien's eyes widened, then narrowed in frustrated fury.  "What the
hell do you mean?  Tell me, damn you!"  Tightening his grip, he
sought to crush the man's windpipe, to destroy what had taken so
much from him.  Sailor Saturn touched his arm softly and Darien
shook his head, the near blinding rage that corroded his mind being
banished back to wherever it came from.  Shoving Rubeus away, he
said with disgust, "You're simply not worth the effort."  And, taking
Saturn's healing hand, turned, leading her away.
With much difficulty, Rubeus climbed back to his feet.  Pulling
together all the remnants of Dark Energy he had left in his body for
one fatal blow on one of his most hated enemies, Rubeus aimed at
Darien.  
Darien, however, felt the drawing of Power.  Before it could be
released, his back still to Rubeus, Darien, stepping outside the circle
with Saturn, brought both hands together over his head with a
ringing clap.  The fifteen simultaneous attacks came at Rubeus from
all different directions.  Darien turned around.  At the center of the
onslaught, though he had no idea how, Rubeus stood, the familiar
malevolent smile on his face.  As Darien watched, the smile faded
and Rubeus closed his eyes.  Darien's widened, "GET DOWN!!!" 
He screamed.  The group hit the ground and rolled away just as the
Dark Energy explosion that was Rubeus, rocked the marina, sending
concrete, wood, and debris flying.  Darien and Saturn struggled up as
the floor beneath them shifted to a precarious angle.  The two slowly
made their way to the rest of the group.  Sailor Mercury, still on the
ground, felt a tugging at the back of her mind, she immediately
reached for her computer.  "Oh my God!"  She shrieked. 
Neptune, too, felt the tug, but she didn't need technology.  She
closed her eyes and concentrated, they snapped opened and she
screamed, "The water!  The explosion shifted the tides!!"
"Wh... What's happening!?!"  Mina cried as Ryan steadied her. 
Gathering strength, holding onto one another for balance as the dock
continually gave way beneath their feet, the group came together. 
Saturn pointed, "LOOK!!"  Not too far off, they could see it.
"Tidal wave at three o'clock, Ladies and Gentlemen."  Brandon
commented, something akin to horrified humor in his voice.
"We've got to get out of here!"  Darien yelled over the increasing
cacophony assaulting theirs ears.  "There's nothing we can do now!" 
The huge ships, tied to their moorings, began rocking perilously as
the water was pulled out from under them by the approaching wave. 
Everyone fell to their knees as the landing shifted one last time and
gave a great heave.  
"It's sinking!"  Venus cried, fascinated.
"No time to admire the scenery changes!"  Ryan told her, jumping to
his feet.  Pulling Venus behind him, he ran for safety from the
oncoming water.  The others followed quickly on his heels.  
"Back to the Lab!"  Darien told them.  "We'll meet up there!" 
Nodding, and, once they regained a steady balance, they took off in
the direction he'd commanded.  Darien and Bryce were the last ones
to leave, making sure the others got away.  The Prince turned back
one more time to look at, what once was, the battle sight.  The water
level was low and the dock could be seen, cracked, broken, and in
pieces, scattered on the sea floor.  He shook his head sadly at the
sight. 
Coming up behind him,  Bryce rested a hand on Darien's shoulder.
"Come on.  There won't be much left of this place when that wall of
water gets here."
"Yeah.  I just hope that everyone gets out in time."  Darien gestured
to the people now running around, screaming in terror.
"They will."  Bryce assured him.  "There's still time..."
The two met up with Jeff and Hotaru who'd stayed behind to wait on
them.  The four smiled at each other.  Somewhat bitter smiles, of a
triumph hard won.  A partial triumph, that is...  All that and they still
hadn't found out where Serena is...   There had to be another way to
locate her...  And Darien wouldn't stop until he discovered it.
------------------------------------------------
Another bad guy bites the dust... hehehe  
Well I hope you liked it...  Only 2 chapters and the epilogue to go.  (I
think.)  Thank you, again, everyone.  Take care and have a great
week!!
Laurel8704@aol.com