Heart of Fire
by Mark Latus
Draft Version

2015 AD -  Above Finland, nearing the Norwegian Sea

     The last of the ice is vanishing below us, white giving way to verdant
green or ocean blue.  We've seen plenty of both since we left Tokyo about
fifteen minutes ago ... I guess we're going to have to get used to calling it 
Crystal Tokyo.  So far we haven't overflown many of the newly awakening cities 
and we're moving too fast to cause the awe we were experiencing back home ...
that's a lie.  Usa ... Serenity was the focus of their awe, they were acting
like she was a goddess descended to Earth.  My first instinct is to laugh at
anyone who mistakes my clumsy friend for a divinity.  Until I look at her.
Then I really have to wonder if they were wrong.  It troubles me so I keep
looking away and watching the world blur below us.  How fast are we going 
anyway?  I could ask Ami but the figure wouldn't really mean anything to me.
All I really want to know is how long it'll take until we get there.  
     As if reading my mind Serenity announces we'll be there in another 
fifteen minutes.  It would be quicker but we need to make a diversion to  
Greenland to pick up some passengers.  We can all guess who that means.  So 
now we know the reason they vanished.  They tried their own assault on the 
Acolytes and got deep frozen for it.  Those two never learn.  Always 
preferring to fight on their own over teamwork ... Hah, as if I've any right 
to criticise.  As soon as we land the pole I intend to break in and kill the
bastard who leads them.  Even if I have to storm their headquarters alone.
     I am Mars.
     I am Fire.
     I am Rage.
     I am coming for you, Prime!
     Minako calls over, sounding worried.  I wonder if I've been talking out 
loud but she's just saying I look scary.  I tell her to mind her own damn 
business.  Makoto doesn't like that and even Ami looks like she'll comment 
when Serenity speaks.  She tells me we've all lost people we cared about but 
I can't let anger rule me again.  As she says this a shadow crosses her face, 
the first sign of unhappiness I've seen in our newly minted goddess/queen.  
Mamoru, no, Endymion squeezes her hand and she looks to him for ... what?  
Comfort?  reassurance?  Determination?  Whatever it is she seems to find it in 
his gaze and the shadow vanishes.  So she hasn't ascended beyond the cares of 
this world.  I find that oddly reassuring.  We'll be there soon, I must 
prepare.
     It's been a long time since we were last at the pole.  Over twenty
years hard as it is to believe.  Back then we thought we were ready for 
anything.  We were wrong, the five of us were overconfident and inexperienced.  
Five youma made mincemeat of us and if not for Sailor Moon our stories would 
have ended then.  Today we go there to face enemies far stronger than the ones 
who killed us.   The Acolytes are a hundred times deadlier than the foes we
faced back then.  But that's okay.  So are we. 
     I look over to Serenity and don't see a trace of anxiety.  That worries
me.  Not that I think she's overconfident, her power level is almost beyond
belief.  No, what worries me is who is she?  Usagi had matured but not that
much.  She should be on edge, everyone else is and with good reason.  The 
last battle royal with the Acolyte Elite concluded with everyone getting iced.
That was in Tokyo, our home ground.  We're about to face them on theirs and
it's a sure bet they've got some nasty surprises waiting.  But she doesn't 
seem the slightest bit concerned.  Usagi would be ... so what has she 
become?
     I thought Serenity would be just another power up of Sailor Moon.  That's
how it always looked.  When she changed permanently I expected it to be just 
the next upgrade of Sailor Moon.  Except that this time she got a new name
instead of a new adjective.  
     I was wrong.  I don't know who she is anymore.
     "I am still Usagi, Rei.  I've just grown up a bit more."  I nearly jump
out of my skin at her voice.  She can read my mind?  She's looking at me sadly
then turns away again.  That's when I realize no one else is reacting to 
what she said.  Oh, they're looking curious but they're looking at me.
Wondering why I'm glancing about wildly instead of asking Serenity what she   
meant.  Did she only speak inside my mind?  I see Makoto suddenly jump and
start to say something to her then look puzzled.  Not just mine it seems.  Is 
she doing this deliberately or can she simply not avoid overhearing her 
thoughts at this proximity?  She's been Serenity under an hour, just how much 
control does she have of her abilities?
     No telepathic voice answers me but I don't know if that means she's 
containing her telepathy or simply respecting my privacy.  Or maybe she 
doesn't like what she sees in here.  I doubt my mind is a comforting place
these days.  Good.
     We're over ocean now and Minako suddenly shouts that she can see ice 
below us but Serenity assures us that it's supposed to be there.  Ami concurs, 
she has her visor in place and is scanning the Earth as it passes below us.  
Is there the faintest hint of relief in Serenity's eyes.  Or am I just 
imagining things?  Hoping to see some evidence of fallibility.  Some sort of 
proof that it's still Usagi behind that face?
     I wondered why Serenity didn't just teleport us to the Acolyte's 
Stronghold but I suspect (I hope) that she's checking her handiwork.  She
couldn't just take it for granted she's fixed the whole world.  Could she?
We kept trying to destroy the Acolytes Ice Seeds but there were thousands of
them over the world buried under tons of ice.  We couldn't destroy them 
faster than they could replace them.  Especially the ones in the populated 
areas.  That and they always hit Tokyo every time we left Nippon.  We couldn't
stop their advance, only slow it and we couldn't free the areas they had
frozen.  Not then.  But when Serenity woke up she not only reshaped Tokyo
into Crystal Tokyo she thawed the entire world!  Merciful gods, what has she 
become? 
     I must not let this worry me.  We need her power or it'll be a repeat of
last time.  Ami calculates Prime has power on Galaxia's level at a minimum. 
We don't want another disaster like that.  We couldn't even scratch her and 
if Usagi hadn't reawakened her heart it would have all be over.  We don't 
have that going for us this time.  No Chibi-Chibi to tip the balance, all
Prime has for a heart is a block of ice.  It has to be decided by power alone
and he's not their leader without cause.
     I remember he visited me while I was in the ice.  Astral projection.
Claimed he wasn't there to gloat merely to assess my progress toward the 
Silence.  I told what he could do with his faith and that while I had fallen
the others would beat him.  We'd faced tougher opponents and survived.  My
blasphemies didn't disturb him.  He told me I was in error, while we had faced
powerful opponents our victories resulted from carelessness by our opponents.
He did not act in haste and we did not have the power to harm him.  He claimed
the only reason he rarely take the field against us was he was too powerful.
The collateral damage of our battles could cost thousands, perhaps millions of
converts.  He didn't want that, he was here to save mankind, not destroy it.
Where the acolytes passed there was perfect order, perfect sterility.  No 
distractions from learning the path of Silence.  He advised me to quench my
fire and come to Harmony.  I cursed him and told him why I hated them.  Why
I would free myself and come for him.  It didn't faze him.  He simply told me
in time I would come to accept my lot and join the Silence.  In time everyone 
did no matter how much they raged.  With that he was gone and I was alone.
Alone with nothing but my memories.
      That was enough.  They gave me the determination and rage to stay sane.
I relived that day a thousand times and every time I swore I would avenge him.
I'll let Serenity soften you up Prime but I'm going to be the one to finish
you.  I killed the killers but that wasn't enough.  You sent them, you brought
them to Earth, you are responsible.  When I destroy you it will be in his 
name.  You killed my husband Prime and I will have vengeance.  As I think this 
I start to relive it yet again.  I let the memories unfold, it will sharpen
my fury for the battle ahead.
     The Shrine grounds were very crowded that day.  Business had been booming
as things got worse, Grandpa would have loved it.  If we had still had the
trees every one would have been flying prayers from their branches.  But the
trees were all gone and the papers were tied to the metal & wire frames
Yuuchiro had built.  I had to bless them regularly to convince people they 
were as good as the trees.  Which they weren't, the prayers should have flown 
from something living but our hill had been stripped same as every other
green space in Tokyo.  The trees were felled first by black marketeers then by  
government decree.  All for firewood.  I hated how barren it looked but I 
could understand their desperation as it stayed cold and fuel sources ran 
down.  The nuclear reactors were overtaxed and power rationing was getting   
more and more severe.  Car pollution wasn't a problem anymore.  The pumps 
were dry and what was left was conserved for official use only.  There was no 
more replenishing them from abroad, there was nothing coming from overseas.  
Except the Acolytes.  Those nationalists who had wanted Nippon to return to 
the days of isolation got their wish.  I doubt they enjoyed it.
     Our stockpile of wood would have been seized in the public good if we 
hadn't been using it to keep the sacred fire burning.  We were beset by  
supernatural creatures so maybe religion was the way to keep them at bay.
That was how the government thought and so did the rest of the populace.  Huge
crowds had taken to arriving on foot during the day, there might have been a 
riot if we hadn't been open.  So we kept our wood though we had to keep it
under lock and key.  Yuuchiro reckoned another 3 months and it would be 
exhausted.  Which would mean cold nights as we'd taken to sleeping in the 
fire shrine.  We just hid our futons during the day then sealed ourselves in
there at night.  It was surprisingly cozy.  
     During the day there was no end of people looking for blessings.
We kept running out of amulets of good fortune.  Though what people really 
wanted was amulets that could repel ice demons but I couldn't supply those.  
For the same reason every temple, church and ashram in the city was also 
always packed.  They say there are no atheists in foxholes.  That also applies 
to cities besieged by the forces of darkness.  
     It seemed a day like any other.  Normally it would have been the height
of summer but the last winter had never ended.  Thick grey clouds overhead
but no snow forecast and everyone bundled up.  Makoto and Minako showed up
as usual to help us open up.  As always Minako looked half asleep and wouldn't
be there at all without Mako to drag her out of bed.  Artemis pushed by me 
to greet her, same as always.  I've never really been a cat person and I've
always preferred ravens.  But letting Artemis move in had been a matter of  
necessity.  Pets were getting rarer while mystery meat and handmade fur gloves 
were a frequent sight at the markets.  None of us liked the thought of that
happening to our cats but with Minako not working she couldn't afford to
keep him anyway.  Living at the shrine as a mascot gave Artemis a measure of 
protection especially as word spread it would be bad luck to molest him.
Usagi and Mamoru were doing a good job of keeping Luna hidden but she was 
getting sick of being cooped up.  I suspected it wouldn't be long before we
gained a second cat nibbling at the offerings. 
     Minako had moved in with Mako just before the food rationing forced Mako 
to close the restaurant. [Restaurant name?]  Now they were both unemployed and 
working at the shrine to avoid getting drafted to one of the civic work crews.  
It was, Minako had said, a lot easier here even with a tyrannical boss.  We 
had all laughed then I'd told her to polish the hall with a toothbrush.  
After she'd gone though her entire funny face repertoire I let her use a mop
instead.  One other advantage of them working at the shrine was it made it
easier for them to slip away without being reported when the Acolytes 
attacked.
     The morning went much the same as always.  Minako selling charms, 
Makoto and Yuuchiro keeping things spotless while I handled the blessings and
divinations.  I had taken to lying during the fortune telling, people wanted
reassurance not the truth.  At least not the truth I kept seeing, a city 
locked in ice with nothing moving except when the wind blew.  Who would want  
to hear the end was nigh?  You didn't need anyone to tell you that.
     It was in the afternoon my world changed forever.  Lunch had been meagre
but, as always, Mako had done her best with it.  I was taking a break to   
wander the grounds before I started the next ceremony when I heard someone 
say they could see it starting to snow.  Which was the same time I felt a
familiar tingle.  I shouted, "Ice Demons!" and triggered a panic.  Not the
best solution but they were coming straight for us and I needed the bystanders
out of the way.  Yuuchiro began hustling everyone towards the main stairway 
and I headed in the opposite direction.  Minako had already ducked out of her 
booth and I saw Artemis race off to warn Makoto.  I still don't know if they
knew I was Sailor Mars or they were just striking every area senshi were
known to be frequent in hopes of finding us.  Right then it didn't matter.
I summoned the wand and was about to invoke the change when I ran into the
kids.  I think they'd just got separated from their parents or maybe run off
to explore the grounds.  However it had happened they were scared and looking at 
me.  I hesitated automatically and that was long enough for the first wave of
ice demons to swoop down to freeze us.   
     They were almost upon us when the golden chain shattered them.  One of 
kids shouted "Sailor Venus" and the others started to cheer.  Minako had time 
for to flash a quick V before the icewarriors swarmed for her.  They were easy
to destroy but there were always lots of them, they swarmed anything that
destroyed their brethren and being mystical constructs they had no fear of 
death.  Minako was too busy protecting herself to worry about us as the real
threat appeared.  Three Acolytes, wearing the robes that marked them as 
Bishops had materialized above us.  One looked down at us then dismissed us 
and turned to Minako.  He raised a hand ...  
     Lighting crackled around him as Makoto made her entrance.  The Acolyte 
didn't retaliate, instead more ice warriors poured down to attack Makoto.
She was destroying them by the dozen but more flew down to take their place.
I had to choose between getting the kids to safety and helping my friends.
The choice was taken out of my hands as Yuuchiro grabbed the kids and sprinted
for the stairs.  I stopped wasting time.  Probably the Acolytes knew who I
was and were waiting for me to transform wanting the glory of defeating as
many senshi as possible.  If not they were about to find out but they wouldn't
be telling anyone.  
     I invoked the transformation and prepared a Flame Sniper.  Which I didn't 
get to use on the Acolytes as more icewarriors rained down.  They couldn't
stop us, just slow us down.  The Acolytes knew that so what were they playing 
at?  But even if they were only nuisances the ice warriors were pinning us  
down.  Which was what they had intended all along.
     I caught a glimpse of the hovering Acolytes and saw their hands glowing.
My reaction was instinctive, I stopped defending my patch of ground and melted
my way through the ice warriors to my right.  The blast struck where I had 
stood destroying a dozen icewarriors.  The others heard my shout to move and
reacted instinctively.  Again the blasts destroyed the icewarriors where they 
had been.  If the Acolytes were trying to kill us or simply knock us down long
enough to freeze us I don't know.  Obviously they were willing to sacrifice 
the life force they had used to empower the warriors if they got us.  They
didn't give up but we were on the move, only destroying targets of opportunity
as we looked for a clear shot at the Acolytes.  That was when it happened.
     I saw Yuuchiro silhouetted against the top of the stairs the children
already descending them.  I saw a wild blast of the foremost Acolyte shatter  
three warriors as he missed Makoto.  I saw icy shrapnel spray in all 
directions.  I saw Yuuchiro stumble, something glistening on his chest.  I saw
him fall in a spray of blood, a spear of ice protruding from his back.  I heard 
screaming and only later realized it was me.
     I forgot about the Acolytes, the Ice warriors, teamwork and self defence.
Instead I just ran to his side.  If Ami and Tom hadn't arrived just then I'd
have been shot in the back.  I didn't care, didn't notice them holding off 
the Acolyte who was concentrating on me.  All I saw was Yuuchiro sprawled on
ground, blood welling up where the icicle entered his chest.  I knelt down and
resisted the urge to pull the spear out.  That would just make things worse.
His mouth opened and he choked as he tried to speak, bloody spittle spraying
me.  "YUU, DON'T TRY TO TALK!"  My eyes were filling with tears as cradled his
head on my lap.  He reached up to touch my hand and ignored my advice.
     "Did ... your ... best ... Rei-chan ..."  His voice was a hoarse whisper,
the vibrant one I remembered already gone.  "... always did ... I ..."  Then
he spasmed violently before falling back against me.  His hand slipped from 
mine and I realized he wasn't breathing anymore.
     In the background the battle intensified as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask
arrived.  I didn't care, all my efforts were focused on reviving Yuuchiro.
Ami could have told me in an instant it was hopeless.  I knew it was but I 
didn't let that stop me.  Later I would realize he had called me Rei-chan 
despite my being transformed.  I had never told him I was Sailor Mars for
reasons that seemed important at the time.  Yet he'd recognised me.  Had death 
let him see through the distraction aura or had he known all along but played
along with me?  I don't know ... I never will.  Later I would realize this,
all I knew then was that he was growing cold.  Finally I realized what I could
no longer deny.  He was gone.  I screamed to the uncaring heavens in despair
and fury.  I couldn't face the pain so I embraced the rage.  The anger was
like molten lava in my veins.  They would pay for this in blood!
     The Acolytes were freezing our world, while they rarely killed directly
thousands had died from the side effects of the ice age.  Society was 
crumbling, suffering was everywhere and it was all their fault.  I had thought 
that I hated them.  I was wrong, I didn't know what hate was until that 
moment.
     My rage exploded.  Somewhere inside my mind a lock shattered and a door 
tore open.  Fire surrounded us, mirroring the one in my soul.  I couldn't see
anything but flame but I could sense the Acolytes.  They ceased their attack 
on the others and turned to me.  They must have thought I was summoning magic
fire to melt their precious ice.  I felt their iceblasts but they were mere
pinpricks.  They had seemed so powerful but now they were just mites.  Just
mites.  Mites who had murdered my husband!
    I reached out and seized them.  I felt them incinerate, gone in instants.
I heard their death screams, sensed their minds wink out.  The murderers were
gone.  It wasn't enough to satisfy me.  I wanted to kill every Acolyte in the 
world, hell, every Acolyte in the universe.  I couldn't do the later but I
could purge the world.  I had the power and I could do it.  I reached out  
hunting for more of them, thinking about nothing but burning them out wherever
they were hiding.  I felt unstoppable, I knew I could do it.  Then suddenly
there was someone else in my mind.
     That was the first time Usagi spoke to me like that.  She had grown very 
adept at using the Ginzuishou and that was how she had opened the link.  I
was seeing through her eyes and what I saw was a pillar of fire joining the
hilltop to the clouds.  The heat was unbelievable, everyone had retreated to 
the base of the hill and without senshi endurance it would have been 
unbearable.  The column was growing, spreading down the hill devouring 
everything in its path.  I couldn't comprehend what I was seeing.  Then 
instead of looking to me for visions she gave me one. 
     I saw the senshi trying to contain the fire, refusing to turn and run
as it bore down on them unstoppably.  I saw them consumed, Ami living a
few agonizing moments longer than the others in a bubble of mist.  I saw the 
city ignite, millions choking to death on the smoke before the fire arrived.
I saw the whole nation free of the ice and turning to lava.  I saw the ocean
boil and steam fill the air.  I saw the whole planet a blackened, dead cinder 
spinning through space and the Acolytes looking down on it with annoyance.  
Then turning and flying off to find another world.
     I realized later she was exaggerating, I couldn't have maintained the
power flow long enough to destroy the world.  But I could have lasted long 
enough to destroy the city.  I didn't question it at the time.  Just screamed
and frantically tried to shove the genie back in its bottle.  I didn't know
how I'd gained the power but somehow terror gave me the strength to break
the link.  Somewhere in my mind a seal was restored and the fire winked out as 
if it had never been.  Usagi had been driven from my mind by my struggle
against myself.  Leaving just two of us alone on a bare hilltop.
     The temple that had been my home for more than twenty years was gone.
There wasn't even any ash, it had been utterly vaporised.  Nothing remained.
The hill was barren except from what had been at the heart of the firestorm.  
Me ... and Yuuchiro.  I didn't realize I'd just destroyed the shrine, didn't
feel the heat radiating from the ground.  My rage was gone and that had been 
all that was keeping me going.  I fell on his body and bawled like a baby.  I 
cursed him for leaving me and tried to shake him alive before dissolving into 
tears.  I hugged him to me and cried and cried.  Begging him to open his eyes 
and tell me he was all right.  That he forgave me for bringing the Acolytes to 
the shrine.  How long I wept I don't know.  I didn't even notice when Usagi 
eased him out of my grip and took me in her arms.  Or when Mamoru picked me up 
and carried me to their home.  
     The funeral was a hurried affair.  No one could spare much time for the
dead when things were so hard for the living.  I was a zombie through the 
whole thing, going through the motions like a sleepwalker.  After that I just
hung around Usagi's apartment being miserable and contributing nothing.  I 
was a terrible house guest but Usagi never complained.  She had a right too,
she'd had no shortage of tragedy herself but losing her family hadn't broken 
her.  But she put up with me.  I had nowhere else to go and that was good 
enough for her.  Perhaps she imagined how she'd be acting if she lost Mamoru.
It wasn't the same, they knew they loved each other utterly.  I hadn't known
just how much Yuuchiro meant to me until he was gone.  Now I knew but I'd 
never be able to tell him.  
     I was like that until the next wave of Acolytes arrived in Tokyo.  The
sight of them ignited something inside me and my rage exploded.  That pulled 
me out of the pit of despair.  And plunged me into the pit of vengeance.  
     At first the others welcomed my revival.  They had thought I was out of 
the fight but now I was fiercer than any of them.  Until they realized how I 
was fighting.  I wasn't trying to protect the civilians, I wasn't even trying 
protect our Princess anymore.  All I cared about was vengeance.  All I dreamed 
of was killing Acolytes.  I got my wish.  
     I forgot about teamwork, about how Usagi had lost loved ones but kept
going.  I wanted blood and I was getting it.  That made me reckless.  That
made me careless.  The others did their best to shield me when I ran berserk 
but it was hard enough to defend themselves.  They couldn't keep protecting
me when I kept charging the enemy hellbent on destroying them all, caring 
nothing for my own life.  Intent solely on killing as many as I could get 
before I fell.  The day came I got too far away and surrounded.  I did my best 
but it wasn't enough.  I tried to summon the fire pillar but I didn't have 
that same all consuming rage.  Just a burning hatred and that wasn't enough.
They froze me and I joined the sleepers.
     It was a strange state, I knew I was trapped in a block of magical ice
but that didn't seem to matter.  There was an odd passivity that crept into
your bones freezing your emotions.  Everything seemed detached and 
unimportant.  Almost everything, my rage was damped but not extinguished.
That kept me focused.  Kept me from falling into the Silence.  That's how
I was able to sense the others trying to thaw me out
     The others tried but they couldn't free me.  The only things that could 
remove the ice without killing the victim were my fire and the Silver Crystal.
But I couldn't summon any power, it all felt disconnected.  Even if I could 
have it wouldn't have worked.  This wasn't their ordinary ice, it carried a
lot more enchantment.  They weren't taking any chances with us.  They were a  
lot more cautious than our previous enemies, they didn't underestimate us.
Even without the power gulf that made them a lot more dangerous that their
predecessors.  Usagi tried to thaw me out but realized that the power level
she'd have to channel would probably kill her.  Once she would have tried 
anyway but now she knew she couldn't sacrifice herself with the Acolytes at
large.  She shed tears and vowed to free me and everyone else but she didn't
do anything more.  I would have hated her if she had.  I will never again 
allow anyone I love to die for me.  I will forfeit my own life first.
     We're descending towards what Ami says is Greenland and there's two 
familiar figures waiting for us.  They must have been thawed out for a while
now, wondering what the hell happened.  Both Neptune and Uranus look puzzled 
by Sailor Moon's new look but they nod in unison when Makoto says it's time
they joined us to tear the Acolytes a new one.  With that we ascend again,
our positions shifting slightly to accommodate the new additions to the ring
of senshi around Serenity and Endymion.  With her usual good timing Minako
asks Haruka why they were dumb enough to attack on their own.  Haruka gets
very frosty in responding.  It's the usual "Outer Senshi know best" routine.
As if past experience hasn't proved the exact opposite.  They'll never learn.
     That doesn't matter, all that matters is they fight well.  No, all that
really matters is they clear the way to Prime for me.  I am coming for you 
Prime.  Killing you won't bring him back, won't make you feel a fraction of
what I feel.  But it's the best I can manage.  I will have my vengeance on you 
and hope his spirit sleeps easier once you're gone.  Maybe then I can live
with myself again.  There's not much chance of that but it's all I've got
to keep me going.
     Hate is a bitter thing to live for.
     But it's all I've got left.
     "You're wrong, Rei.  You have us and we have you.  Never forget that."
I turn to see Serenity's sad smile.  Endymion's mirror's hers.  As though I'm
some misguided child that they can't help loving anyway.  It's hard but I turn 
away.  I can't weaken now, not on the threshold of my vengeance.   
     I am coming for you Prime, nothing else matters.  Yuuchiro would want it
this way!
     Wouldn't he?

End.

Afterword : The final battle between the Senshi and the Acolytes will be 
            told in "Meltdown".  Watch for it.
            Check out Andy Comb's "Crystal Renegades" for details on the 
            mainline attack Rei inadvertently invoked.  You can find it and 
            all the other SME fanfic at:
            http://www.texas.net/~android/sme_main.html 
            
            Any comments on this story E-mail Mark.Latus@MSVU.Ca
            My non SME fanfics can be found at:
            http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Temple/1810