"Blood Moon- Part 7"





Blood Moon- Part 7
by becca-oneechan
3/3/97

I meant to try to keep this fanfic under 6 or 7 parts, but there's just no way! 
It now looks like it'll be at least 10 or possibly more. Whatever.
I gotta say, in this Part, I am really flying blind with this Queen Metallia 
thing. I'm just making it up as I go (not that I haven't been all along, but now 
I'm really flying blind). So don't judge me to harshly. Please?
"Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko. 



--Blood Moon--

"Pt 7- Puzzling Pieces"
*becca-oneechan*



"*This is insane!*" Usagi declared mentally to Kunzite, gazing hopelessly down 
upon the sea of youma warriors camped before Queen Metallia. She and her two 
companions were crouched at the edge of a cliff set high up in the wall of the 
huge cavern, surveying the situation without the risk of being seen. "*There are 
so many of them!*" she continued. "*We'll never be able to get through!*"
"*Well, you're the one who wanted to bring down the entire Dark Kingdom,*" 
Kunzite answered irritably, scowling at her. "*All I wanted was Beryl's death, 
and we did that already.*"
"*You were also planning to off yourself in the process,*" Usagi snapped. "*Or 
were you still thinking that was a good idea? 'Cause I'm sure Venus and I could 
use you as a grand decoy!*"
"*You're a nasty little bitch, aren't you?*" Kunzite asked, giving her an 
unfriendly look.
Minako, who was by necessity not privy to their squabbling, nonetheless could 
feel it like an annoying buzzing in the back of her head, and there could be no 
missing the angry glares the two were exchanging. She'd had enough, and smacking 
first Usagi then Kunzite on the arms, she turned and stalked away.
They glanced at each other, then followed, both looking slightly shamefaced. The 
rag-tag group ducked back inside the secret passage they had taken to bring them 
to this cliff. Kunzite levered the door closed, then turned as Minako lit into 
them.
"*What* are you two thinking?! Are you trying to get us caught? Can't you get 
along for a few seconds? I thought you had this tight bond! I mean, you can 
speak mind to mind for God's sake! What's wrong with you?"
Kunzite eyed her suspiciously. "How do you know about the bond?" he asked before 
Usagi could start spouting apologies or babbling explanations. "We never had a 
chance to tell you about that."
Minako folded her arms and rolled her eyes -- or, rather, rolled the eye not 
swollen closed. She made an interesting sight, taking on a cloak of dignity when 
she was covered in dried blood and clad only in the shreds of a fuku, her many 
bruises, and Usagi's uniform top, but it was also clear she was quite angry.
"I know because I *know*," she replied tightly, glaring at Kunzite more fiercely 
than Usagi had been doing. "I know because she's my princess, and there's a bond 
between *us* that's deeper and more natural than your bonding! I know because 
she's in my heart, and because I'm not blinded like the rest of the senshi, and 
because I'm just plain *not stupid*!!"
She was nearly yelling the last, and Kunzite tried frantically to hush her, 
though he didn't dare to touch her in her present state of mind. So it was Usagi 
who had to clap a hand over her friend's mouth.
"Minako, please!"
Minako quieted, though she didn't relax. Apparently she was well over her 
previous trauma. Before, she had turned to Kunzite as the only other person who 
remembered the past that she couldn't escape. Now she stared at him as though 
she could barely stand the sight of him, and he was looking at her much the same 
way. Their brief understanding was ended, and they now each saw the other as a 
rival.
"Please, you two! Minako-chan, at least when Kunzite and I fight, we don't 
yell!"
Kunzite smirked at Minako, who stuck her tongue out with such a nasty expression 
on her face that this looked less childish and more like a real insult than it 
might have otherwise. He snarled, but held his peace.
"And Kunzite," Usagi turned to her erstwhile ally. "Minako's right. We shouldn't 
be arguing. This is way too important for that."
The king sighed, but nodded briefly. "All right, all right. I'll try not to 
argue. But you started it."
"I--" Usagi broke off and gave this some thought as Minako glared at Kunzite as 
though she might be able to turn him to stone where he stood. "Oh. I guess 
you're right," Usagi said sheepishly. Minako looked at her in surprise, then her 
good eye narrowed as she recognized something.
"It's no big deal." Now it was Kunzite's turn to sound apologetic. "It's just 
that you were always the one goading me on, telling me not to give up, and then 
you started whining about it being impossible...."
"I know, I know. And I'm sorry. But I wasn't serious. Or, well, not totally. 
Though I still don't see what we can do about *that*," she waved a hand toward 
the door behind Kunzite. "Just the three of us? Even if we found the senshi and 
convinced them to work with us, I still don't see what we could do!"
"That's because you're thinking of it as a matter of force," Minako spoke up 
suddenly. Her arms were still folded, but she seemed to be mostly over her 
earlier bad humor, and she was giving the matter some serious thought. Kunzite 
looked at her and opened his mouth, then prudently shut it again and just nodded 
in agreement.
"What do you mean?" Usagi asked, perplexed.
"Think back." Now it was Kunzite's turn to answer. "How did you kill Queen 
Beryl? You didn't carve your way through the youma, like you wanted."
"No, that was me," Minako put in, with a crooked grin. Then she gasped and 
stared at Usagi. "You didn't!"
Usagi flushed. "Well, no, not really. But I wasn't thinking too clearly, and I 
didn't want to have to use that awful knife."
"But it worked in the end," Kunzite said, folding his own arms. 
Usagi bit her lip, but she couldn't disagree.
"Is there a back door to Queen Metallia?" Minako asked curiously. Usagi looked 
at Kunzite hopefully, but he shook his head.
"No. Nothing like that. I'm just trying to say that we don't necessarily have to 
fight our way through all the youma to take her out."
"But you don't have any ideas as to *how* we can manage it?" Minako sounded 
disappointed, not belligerent, and she sighed as Kunzite shook his head soberly. 
"Damn."
"Maybe we should go find the other senshi," Usagi suggested. "Maybe Mercury will 
listen to us. We could sure use her brains here. And Artemis should listen to 
you. And maybe Luna won't really kill me." Her face twisted and she bit her lip 
anxiously. "Jeeze, I've sure made a mess of things, haven't I?" she asked 
unhappily. 
"Not as badly as me," Minako replied, chewing on her own lip, her brows 
contracting. Kunzite stifled a foolish grin as he noticed how similar the two 
girls looked. There could be no mistaking their kinship. When he had known them 
in the Silver Millennium they had both been several years older, and hadn't 
looked so much alike, but now they were young, their features still soft and 
uncertain, and there was little to chose between the two of them. Though Usagi's 
face was sweeter, and Minako's more sharp.
"Well, I think Ma-- I mean, Sailor Jupiter would join us," Minako said, glancing 
quickly at Kunzite as she stumbled over her fellow senshi's name. "But I also 
think the less people we have to worry about, the better off we are. Besides, I 
*really* don't want to face Mars any time soon."
Usagi frowned in thought. She'd been hurting too much and too worried over 
Kunzite to take much notice of what had happened after Mars blasted Kunzite and, 
indirectly, herself, but she thought.... "Did you hit her?"
Minako flushed painfully. "Well, sorta...."
Kunzite laughed. "Sorta?"
Minako bit her lip and glanced at him from under her lashes. "Well...."
"You should've seen it," Kunzite told Usagi, grinning widely, clearly relishing 
the memory. "She took that moon stick of yours and just whacked Sailor Mars 
upside the jaw! It was great!"
Minako was bright red. "I shouldn't have done that," she said glumly. "She's not 
gonna forgive me. Ever."
Usagi was starting to remember a little. "Well, she can't be mad forever... can 
she?"
She looked at Kunzite doubtfully. He shrugged. 
"I have no idea. She's not *my* friend, and I really don't know why she was ever 
yours!" 
Usagi blinked, suddenly realizing Kunzite was picking up knowledge of her past 
fights with Rei through their bond, and that he did not find them acceptable. 
She also realized that, for a wonder, she really didn't mind this sharing, and 
further, that Kunzite's disapproval of Rei's harsh treatment of her made her 
feel warm and safe inside. She smiled at him tentatively, and he cleared his 
throat uncomfortably. 
"But if I may be so brash as to change the subject," he said, cocking one brow, 
"I have two questions for you."
"Oh?"
"Yes. The first is this: just what made you start using Sailor Venus' Earth name 
in front of me?"
"Oops!" Usagi gulped.
Minako looked up, shaken out of her dark thoughts. "I don't mind," she assured 
her friend, though she suddenly looked a little anxious. She hadn't even noticed 
when Usagi had started calling her Minako, nor had she really taken in the fact 
that Kunzite called Usagi by her real name. She recalled her own near-slip with 
Mako-chan's name, and wondered just why it was so easy to give away the 
identities they usually guarded so fiercely to this man.
"I... I don't know...." Usagi squirmed where she stood. "This... uh," she looked 
at Kunzite miserably. "This is different from when you called me by *my* name, 
isn't it?"
Kunzite ran a hand through his hair, seeming almost to regret having raised the 
subject. "Yeah, a little. Don't worry, I'm not planning on using it against 
either of you. But I just wondered why you'd gotten so careless. You can't 
really trust me that much--"
"Well, maybe I do!" Usagi glared at him, her little chin coming up in defiance. 
Kunzite looked at her in surprise, while Minako became speculative.
"Still, it wasn't your secret to give away. I know her name from the Moon, but 
that's not the same thing, or the same name for that matter. A name grants power 
over its bearer, if someone knows how to use it right."
Usagi blushed, and struggled to form words. "I-- I...."
"I know," Minako said quietly, suddenly struck with the answer.
"Huh?"
"What?"
The ragged, bloodied girl quirked a brow at them and grinned, finding a bit of 
amusement in her disturbing realization, or, rather, in the fact that she of the 
three had been the only one to make it. "Don't be so silly, the two of you. It's 
so clear."
"Please, enlighten us, o brilliant one," Kunzite said, his voice sardonic, but 
his dark face curious.
Minako grinned more sharply, but she also looked a little pained. "Usagi used my 
real name because it's how she was thinking of me. Face it, I don't have much 
left to me of my Sailor Venus persona. Just the tiara and a bunch of rags that 
used to be a fuku. And the reason she didn't mind calling me by my real name in 
front of you is because her instincts didn't place any distinction between you 
and herself." Of course, that didn't explain her own slip, but she was coming to 
conclusions about that, as well, and these were ideas she wasn't going to pursue 
too deeply. She tried to ignore them as Kunzite sputtered.
"What? Tha-that's ridicu...." Then he thought about it. "Oh. Maybe you're right. 
Shit."
"Don't swear," Usagi said primly. Her mind wasn't really on the conversation 
between Minako and Kunzite. She was ready to take her friend's explanation at 
face value, and didn't dwell on the implied ramifications for even a moment. She 
dismissed the entire matter with a flippant wave of her hand. "So what's the 
other question?"
Kunzite still looked shaken, but he gathered himself and returned his thoughts 
to the situation at hand. "The second question is the important one."
"So spit it out already!"
"I was wondering... just what in the *hell* are we accomplishing, standing here, 
shooting the breeze?"
The two girls stared at him, wide-eyed, then they both blushed, almost in 
unison. 
"Well, we can't just run out and start attacking youma," Minako said seriously. 
"I did that before, but I didn't have to worry about my princess, and even 
though I had the ginzuishou with me, that part was a mistake."
"Besides, you're hardly dressed for battle," Kunzite added dryly. Minako blushed 
as he gave her long, lean legs a close look. Usagi scowled and hurried to 
distract him.
"What about Prince Endymion?"
"He's down there," Kunzite answered, his face twisting distastefully. "He's in 
the center, camped directly in front of Queen Metallia. Unless we come up with 
something brilliant, we're going to have to go through him to get to her."
"But--" Usagi frowned. "But the main reason to do this is to free him!"
Neither Kunzite nor Minako looked very pleased to hear this declaration.
"I thought the main reason was to protect your world?" 
"I-- uh...."
"Besides, I only said we have to get through him, not that we have to kill him. 
And if we can come up with some way to get *around* him, that's even better."
"I could take him," Minako sneered confidently, folding her battered arms.
Kunzite cocked a brow, but didn't argue.
"Minako-chan...." Usagi wasn't quite sure what to say.
Minako flushed. "But I guess we should still try to come up with something 
brilliant," she added quickly, then sighed. "Go for it, Kunzite."
He gave her an exasperated look, but said nothing.
"Well, whatever we decide, we better do it quickly," Usagi said anxiously. 
"Every minute we waste, Queen Metallia comes closer to waking, and Prince 
Endymion assembles more forces against us!" She looked at Kunzite. "Uh, right?" 
she asked uncertainly. He and Minako were staring at her in shock.
"Well, yeah." Fortunately Kunzite left it at that, so Usagi merely beamed and 
didn't become offended or hurt. Minako swallowed quickly and tried to smile.
"So, what do *you* think we should do?" she asked Usagi.
Usagi's pale brow furrowed in thought. "I have no idea," she finally declared.
The other two let out their breath. Well, it had been too much to hope....
"I have an idea," Minako said suddenly. "But you're not going to like it."
"Why not?" asked Usagi innocently.
Kunzite gave Minako a sharp look, suddenly suspicious of her grim expression. 
"Oh no you don't," he said, almost angrily.
She glared at him. "If it's the only way--"
"We don't know that yet! We still have a little longer to try to think of 
something else!"
"You guys are doing it again!" Usagi said loudly, more put-out than simply 
whining. "I thought Kunzite and I were supposed to be the ones who understood 
without explanations! Now, what are you talking about? Tell me! Now!"
"In a minute." 
She scowled blackly at Kunzite, but he was lost in thought. Minako just stared 
down at the stony floor, turning red and white by turns, and refusing to meet 
Usagi's eyes. Usagi snorted furiously, but then she decided certain things 
outweighed her own frustration, and she also began thinking as hard and fast as 
she could.
* * *
Sailor Jupiter slumped dejectedly against the tunnel wall, her arms hanging, her 
head heavy. She was feeling rather useless and particularly hopeless. "This 
stinks!" she sighed.
Artemis, sitting at her feet, looked up. Then he blushed as he realized he was 
staring up her skirt. Even if it was only a fuku, that was still too much. He 
gave a mighty leap and landed on the girl's shoulder.
"Cheer up, Jupiter," he said, trying to sound full of comfort, not prickly with 
anxiety like he really felt. "Things could be worse."
"How?" she asked bleakly.
"Well.... No one's dead yet."
She cast him a dark look. "Gee, thanks," she said dryly. But she seemed to shake 
off her deep funk a little, and glanced over to where Sailor Mercury and Luna 
were huddled together over Mercury's computer.
"Whatcha looking for?" she asked.
Sailor Mercury looked up fiercely, ready to defend herself against sarcasm or 
accusations, but Sailor Jupiter only looked curious, and rather weary. Even a 
little sad perhaps. Mercury's face softened, and she smiled sweetly, trying to 
be as reassuring as she could. Under the circumstances, it was more the thought 
that counted, but Jupiter's stiff shoulders relaxed a little.
"It would be more correct to ask *who* we were looking for," Sailor Mercury 
said, lifting Luna onto her shoulder and standing.
"Yeah? So, who ya looking for?"
"Everyone. That is, I have a trace on Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Sailor Venus, 
and Prince Endymion. I haven't got the information to search for Kunzite, but I 
think it's fairly obvious by now that wherever Sailor Moon is, he will be 
nearby."
"Venus should be with her too, right?" Sailor Jupiter asked anxiously.
"Oh, I rather think so," Mercury said, distracted by a small flashing light on 
her computer screen.
"You can count on it," Artemis put in. "Now that she's found her princess, 
nothing but death will part her from Selene's side."
"Who? Oh, you mean Usagi." Jupiter straightened as she caught the frown on 
Mercury's soft face. "What is it? Did you find someone?"
"I-- Yes. That is, it's found Sailor Mars. And I think it's picking up Prince 
Endymion, but the signal is flaring, as though a stronger force is interfering 
with the reading."
"Well, duh!" Sailor Jupiter said, not unkindly. "If he's been taken over by the 
Dark Kingdom--"
Sailor Mercury was shaking her head. "No, no. You see, I compensated for that. I 
got some new readings on him earlier, and I should be picking him up as clearly 
as I am Sailor Mars. Except that there's that interference I spoke of."
"It must be Queen Metallia!" Luna suddenly realized.
"Oh, of course!" Sailor Mercury smiled, relieved to have the puzzle explained. 
Then her face darkened as she looked more closely at her readings. "Oh no!"
"What is it?"
"According to this, Sailor Mars is rapidly moving closer to the position held by 
Prince Endymion."
Sailor Jupiter grimaced. "That's not good. We better hurry and catch her up, 
huh?"
Artemis was frowning. "What about Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus?" he asked.
Sailor Mercury tapped a couple of buttons, then shook her head. "According to 
this readout, my computer is drawing a complete blank on Sailor Moon. It's 
almost as though she didn't even exist any longer. As for Sailor Venus, her 
signal is even more patchy than Prince Endymion's. It would take me days to 
pinpoint it." She looked up, her dark eyes confused. "What is going on?"
"I'm afraid I have no idea," Artemis said. It didn't sound as though he was 
speaking the entire truth, but no one was inclined to try calling him on it.
"Well, then, it sounds to me like Mars is our best bet," Sailor Jupiter said, 
cracking her knuckles. "Come on, Mercury. Lead the way, and let's go see if we 
can't keep her from killing herself off in whatever fool plan she's got in her 
head."
"I fear I must concur," Sailor Mercury said, craning her neck to peer at Luna 
anxiously. The small black cat didn't look any too happy, but she didn't argue.
"All right then, girls," Artemis said. "Let's get this show on the road. Cheer 
up, Luna. If Mars is headed for Endymion, we may run across Usagi and Minako 
yet!"
She nodded thoughtfully, and the last remnant of the once solid team of Sailor 
Senshi moved off.
* * *
Prince Endymion knelt and bowed deeply before the pulsing red mass that was now 
his sole ruler. He hung his dark head in shame.
"I allowed my queen to be killed," he told Queen Metallia, his voice low. He was 
more upset over his failure than he was over Queen Beryl's death, but then, he 
had never actually loved the woman. "And I was beaten by a mere slip of a girl." 
That was a wound that weltered far deeper and far more painfully than Beryl's 
demise.
"Cry me a river," Queen Metallia replied derisively. Prince Endymion's head shot 
up and he stared at the trapped being in shock. 
"Wh-what?"
"If Beryl was stupid enough to allow her own death, then her passing is of no 
concern to me. You did not fail her. She failed me, and is better off gone. And 
as for that 'mere slip', she is one of the greatest fighters you will ever face, 
for she has the whole force of her spirit, and the whole hatred of her heart 
behind her. You fought well, and it is lucky for us both that you escaped with 
your life."
Strangely, this didn't seem to make Endymion feel any better about his 
near-defeat by Sailor Venus. But he wasn't foolish enough to argue with Queen 
Metallia. "As you say, great Queen."
"You needn't toady up to me any longer. You're all I have left, now that Beryl 
got herself killed and that rat, Kunzite, has turned on me."
Endymion snarled. He still had it in for the one remaining king, in addition to 
Sailor Venus. "Please, great Queen, grant that it is my hand that deals the 
final blow to that traitor!"
"No! He is mine. You shall be avenged upon the warrior of Venus, but the 
renegade worm who dared to turn and strike back at his mistress shall perish by 
the hand of none other than that same mistress!"
Endymion was pissed, and forgot to be less than utterly respectful. "But you 
have no hands! Let me do it for you! Great will be the glory of--"
"Shut up!"
Wisely, Prince Endymion shut up.
"Now, listen to me! I am ready to emerge. All I need now is the proper vessel in 
which to quicken myself, and I will do what I want with my hands! Find me such a 
vessel, and quickly, and I may forgive you your insolence!"
"Yes, great Queen," Endymion answered meekly, properly cowed. "But where shall I 
find the proper vessel? None of these lowly youma will do for your 
magnificence."
He may have been sucking up, but as it happened, Queen Metallia heartily agreed. 
"Darkness forfend! No, I shall not take one of those weak and repulse bodies! 
Bring me a strong, young, beautiful body. A female in the first blush of her 
womanhood!"
"Majesty, I mean no disrespect, but where am I to find such a person?" Prince 
Endymion asked anxiously. "I know that once you are freed we need have no fears, 
but until that time you are vulnerable, no matter how many youma there are to 
protect you. And our enemy are sly and ruthless. I fear for your safety."
"And thusly for your own." It was a statement, not a question, and Endymion 
shrugged, seeing no need to deny it. Queen Metallia approved. "Good. I know you 
shall try all the harder when you know your own life hangs in the balance. But 
fear not. Providence may serve when plans go awry. Behold, a perfect subject 
approaches even now, intent upon finding you. If you can reach her before the 
youma kill her, she shall come to you willingly. I shall have my new form, and 
we shall fight side by side!"
Immediately into Prince Endymion's mind sprang an image of Sailor Mars making 
her way cautiously toward the great room holding Queen Metallia. She had so far 
encountered no youma, but she was on the alert, ready to attack, and her eyes 
flamed with stubborn fury.
"Perfect," he hissed, grinning sharply. "Great Queen, it shall be as you 
command!"
He stood and bowed briefly to the pulsing red mass, then warped away. Sailor 
Mars was nearly to the first ambush, and if he wanted to get Queen Metallia's 
new body to her undamaged, he must reach the senshi before the youma guard did.
* * *
"NO!"
"But, Usagi-chan--"
"No! It's a stupid, stupid idea, and I won't let you do it!!"
Usagi stared at Minako fiercely, her eyes flashing, her cheeks flushed, her 
chest heaving with barely contained fury. Minako stared back stubbornly. Kunzite 
was, for the moment, keeping out of it.
"I've already been through this with *him*!" Usagi said angrily, flinging out a 
hand and nearly catching Kunzite in the eye. He dodged and took a step backward, 
but prudently held his peace.
"But--"
"NO!" Usagi nearly shrieked the word, but neither shushed her. Even if any of 
the youma heard her, there was no way to open the secret door from the outside. 
Besides, she wouldn't have listened to them. Usagi continued in fury. "Minako no 
baka! If I won't let one of my enemies kill himself off, what in the HELL makes 
you think I'll let one of my best friends -- my *sister*, for pity's sake! -- do 
the same thing?! Because that's what it amounts to in the end, and you damn well 
know it!!"
Minako's eyes suddenly filled with tears. "It would be worth it if you were 
safe! It would be worth it if you were happy!"
Usagi stared at her in shock. "But how could I be happy if you were dead?" she 
asked softly.
Minako burst into tears and threw her arms around Usagi's neck, sobbing against 
her shoulder. Usagi held her tightly. 
"I just want to be at peace!" Minako sobbed. "I just want to escape!"
"You mean because you remember?" Usagi asked hoarsely, seconds away from tears 
of her own. Minako nodded wordlessly, her face buried in the crook of Usagi's 
neck. She didn't seem to want to pull away, but that was all right, because 
Usagi wasn't about let go of her.
She glanced at Kunzite, her lashes damp. "Not that we're still enemies," she 
assured him huskily. "But we were when I yelled at you about killing yourself 
off."
He nodded shortly, his mouth twisted. He was obviously very uncomfortable, and 
he moved a few paces back down the tunnel, then leaned against the wall and 
turned his face away, waiting for the two girls to finish.
"Minako, I know I can't know how bad it is for you," Usagi said. "But I'm 
certain death would be a whole lot worse! I don't-- I just--"
"It's okay, Usagi-chan," Minako said, straightening and sniffing as she scrubbed 
her cheeks. "I know what you mean, even if you can't find the words."
"I want to," Usagi said helplessly, reluctantly releasing Minako. She grabbed 
one of her friend's hands in her own. "I want to tell you all that I feel inside 
me, but I just can't get the words to come together in my mind!"
Minako squeezed her hands. "It's all right, Usagi-chan, really. I can *feel* 
what you mean."
"You can?"
Minako nodded soberly. Then her face lighted up with the rush of love and well 
being Usagi sent to her, heart to heart. She almost smiled, though she couldn't 
quite manage it.
"Arigato," she said softly, and embraced Usagi briefly, but tightly. 
"Ouch!"
Usagi looked worried as Minako jerked back and clutched at her chest. "Maybe you 
better take the ginzuishou for just a little longer," she said, flicking her 
wrist, then holding the moon stick out to her friend. "After all, it's not like 
we're in battle right now, and you're not going to be able to face any youma 
with three cracked ribs!"
Kunzite glanced over in startlement.
Minako was embarrassed, but she accepted the moon stick. "I guess it's true what 
they say about adrenaline," she said.
Usagi grinned, restored to good humor. "Yes, but when it wears off, then you're 
in trouble."
"So, are we over any foolish ideas of taking on the entire youma army on our 
blessed little own?" Kunzite queried cautiously, moving back over to where the 
two girls stood.
Minako made a face at him. "I guess *we* are. If I can't even hug my friend, 
then providing a distraction is definitely out."
"I don't want to reopen wounds here," Kunzite said, frowning anxiously. "But I 
wanted to say something."
"What?" asked Minako.
"Well, I know you have several years to go yet, but you do realize that it will 
probably get a whole lot easier for you once you get beyond the age you were at 
your first death?"
Minako blinked, then blinked again. "You're right! I hadn't thought of that! 
Only four years...."
Kunzite grimaced, but the girl seemed greatly cheered. And of course, if Minako 
was now happy, Usagi was now happy.
"How come you remember so much more than anyone else?" she asked Minako, sensing 
that it was now a fairly safe subject.
Minako frowned in thought and irreverently scratched her chin with the point of 
the moon stick. The ginzuishou was really doing its work. She looked better 
already. It couldn't do anything about the blood that coated her almost head to 
toe -- about equal parts youma blood and her own -- but her bruises and deeper 
cuts were rapidly fading. She could nearly open her blackened eye, and the thick 
scab above her left eye had faded to a smooth, pink scar beneath her tattered 
bangs.
"I'm not sure..." she said finally. "I was remembering parts of it even before 
Artemis found me, but mostly it came to me as dreams. I kept dreaming about the 
final battle and my death. My parents even took me to see a psychiatrist, but it 
didn't do any good. It just taught me to keep my dreams a secret."
Kunzite looked at her sympathetically. "And I'll bet when your guardian found 
you it got worse."
"Well, worse and better," Minako said thoughtfully. "The first time he had me 
transform into Sailor V, everything flooded back. All the memories, tangling in 
my brain, fighting with my current memories. I thought I might go crazy or 
something. But it was also sort of a relief, to know that those awful dreams I'd 
been having most of my life were actually memories, not some kind of psychosis."
"Oh, poor Minako-chan!" Usagi cried, throwing her arms around Minako's waist. 
"Oops! Did I hurt?"
Minako shook her head and smiled lovingly at her friend. "No. I guess my ribs 
are fine now. Do you want this back?"
Usagi refused the moon stick. "We still haven't decided what to do. Just keep it 
a little longer, until I know you're totally healed!"
"All right," Minako said agreeably enough. Usagi remained at her side, resting 
her head against Minako's shoulder. She yawned.
"I wish we had time to take a nap," she said plaintively.
Minako and Kunzite shared a small grin. There was the Sailor Moon they were used 
to.
"Afraid not, Usagi-chan," Kunzite said absently, losing himself in thought once 
again. Minako's brows rose, but she didn't comment. Usagi merely closed her eyes 
and pretended to herself that she was trying to think.
"Isn't there something all three of us can do, together?" Minako asked Kunzite. 
He looked at her in surprise. She flushed. "Well, I mean... you've got the bond 
to Usagi through whatever means you used."
"Allandrey's Trust," Kunzite supplied absently.
Minako gasped. "Holy-- You used the Everblade?! How dumb are you?!"
Usagi opened her eyes anxiously, but Kunzite didn't grow angry. He just shook 
his head wearily. "I know, I know. Don't start on me, okay?"
Minako bit her lip -- which had healed completely -- and shook her own head in 
turn. "All right," she said softly. "Well, anyway, you two have that bonding, 
which is complete and irreversible, by the way."
Kunzite scowled and Usagi looked worried. Minako continued. "And then there's my 
bond with Usagi-chan, which is due to the fact that she's the leader of the 
senshi, and...." She hesitated.
"And I really doubt that the fact that the two of you are half-sisters hurts," 
Kunzite added.
Minako nodded. "That too," she said without thinking.
"Ne?" Usagi queried, looking up at her.
"Hm...." Kunzite gave her a piercing glance as she turned bright red, then, 
gallantly, he came to her rescue. "I see what you're saying. There's power to be 
tapped through these connections."
Usagi pulled away from Minako and bounced on the balls of her feet. "We're gonna 
do it!" she crowed, her eyes glowing. She clapped her hands together. "We're 
really gonna do it!"
Kunzite and Minako looked at her, then at each other, sharing a matched pair of 
broad, affectionate smiles. "You bet your ass!" Minako said, rather inelegantly.
* * *
Ah! There was his quarry. Prince Endymion grinned wickedly to himself and then 
quickly wiped the expression from his face as he stepped from the shadows.
"Sailor Mars!"
Sailor Mars, who had jerked into an attacking stance faltered and almost fell. 
Prince Endymion felt a flash of disgust. She was leaving herself open to a 
weakness so deep that he could easily destroy her, if he so wished. But that 
wasn't what he was here for.
"Mamo-chan!" she cried, her dark eyes widening.
Prince Endymion restrained a grimace. There was that name again! Why did all the 
senshi insist on calling him by it? It was such a foolish, weak name. And it 
wasn't even his!
"Sailor Mars." He plastered a false expression of concern on his face. "I need 
your help!"
"My help?" At least she had the good sense to be suspicious. But not suspicious 
enough.
He held out his hand. "Please, come with me. I need you."
* * *
Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury, and the two cats arrived just a little too late. 
They weren't in time to see Prince Endymion warp away with Sailor Mars' limp 
body, but on Mercury's computer the other senshi's pattern suddenly disappeared, 
then began flickering fitfully, the same as Prince Endymion's.
"Oh no!" Sailor Mercury cried woefully.
"Shit!" Sailor Jupiter spat.
"Damn!" Artemis cursed.
"We're in trouble now," Luna summed up.
End Part 7