Notes: 

< > These used to indicate someone using communicators or telepathy or 
other language, normally Chinese. 

* * Used to express thoughts or feelings. 


Reminders: 

	There are times in this fanfic that certain gender-bender problems 
had to be allowed. Reimi and Pluto call the woman Radler has become as 
Radler. I still use the feminine pronoun equivalent for Tia, but Reimi 
and Pluto tend not to. I know it's confusing, but it helps with the 
story...
	And... oh!! before I forget, Hinako-sensei gets some action here 
too... ^_^ 
	HAVE FUN...	


Hmmm... Oh, yeah... forgot something. All things here are copyrighted by 
their respected creators. Everything else that is unfamiliar or original 
belongs to me. 



"In difficult ground, press on;
In encircled ground, devise stratagems;
In death ground, FIGHT." 

- Sun Tzu in The Art of War (circa 400BC)


*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
Angel's Chronicles Book One: Angel's Folly
       Chapter 19: Final Sacrifices
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
Part 2 of 4


	Kiyone blasted another monster back. It reeled back, blood of some 
sort flowing from the wound in its chest. Kiyone was hesitant to use 
anything more dangerous than the laser rifle she had called up from the 
Yagami. These things she was fighting were human - once. She could not 
force herself to do anything other than try to restrain them, while she 
waited for help to arrive, and possibly a way on how to reverse what had 
happened to those who had been unfortunate enough to get caught in that 
energy web that trapped everyone in the park. 
	Kiyone wiped her brows, wondering just how much longer she was 
going to last. She was worried over the rest of the people who were still 
trapped within and were still human. She had seen some of the monsters 
dragging their captives into the energy web. 
	She wondered how long before she herself would become one. 
	Kiyone jumped back as another one tried to lunge at her. She 
thumbed the trigger, letting loose another stream of yellow energy. It 
struck its target dead center, causing it to stagger back, its chest 
still smoking from the effects of the strike. It was hurt but it wasn't 
out of the fight, either. 
	*My frigging laser rifle for Mihoshi,* Kiyone thought angrily. 
	Mihoshi was ever so good at overwhelming odds. No matter how many 
times Mihoshi had been outnumbered, she had always come out on top, for 
some reason. She hardly believed it, but somehow - perhaps - there was a 
kernel of truth to Mihoshi's files - not much, but enough to put some 
doubt in Kiyone. 
	Right now, she _really_ needed that blonde ditz!! If anyone could 
get out of this mess in one piece, it would be Mihoshi. 
	*Argh!!! Why the hell did she have to pick _now_ to go back??* 
	Kiyone jumped the nearest one, her spin kick catching the creature 
squarely on the jaw. The creature cried out, an inhuman cry of pain, as 
the force of Kiyone's kick broke the bone. She then rabbit-punched the 
next closest one before uncoiling a vicious roundhouse that took the wind 
out of the creature - it collapsed on the ground. 
	*Damn it! I can't kill any of them. But they're shrugging off the 
effects of the stunner faster than expected! And this thing is running 
short on power,* she thought angrily as she thumbed the trigger again to 
ward off her foes. *Gods! Too many for them. If I'd known these bastards 
were harder to put down, I'd have called up my battle armor rather than 
this peashooter!!!*
	Kiyone reminded herself that the GP-505 Assault Laser Rifle was 
_not_ a mere peashooter. Designed to take out an A-1 Class Juggernaut 
Tank, it was _the_ most powerful hand-held personal rifle. Of course, the 
designers hadn't really put up much thought about it being used to take 
out monsters that soaked up the rifle's discharges like a sponge!!
	Considering her current dilemma, she had little choice but to opt 
for flight. While victories were never won by retreats, right now, Kiyone 
did _not_ care a whit!! She would not be running away if she could use 
deadly force, but since she knew that these creatures were once human.. 
well... her Galaxy Police training, not to mention her conscience, 
forbade her from using deadly force. 
	Kiyone skidded to a halt, as her way was blocked by no less than 
ten more of the mutated human monstrosities. Once again, she wondered why 
she ever wanted to be a cop in the first place; being a doctor seemed so 
much fun, compared to this.
	Kiyone sighed, cursing the heavens. She was in trouble - and help 
was nowhere in sight. 
	Things couldn't be much worse than this...
	*I hate my life.*


* * * * * *


	Nuku Nuku happily launched another of the strange creatures into 
the air before she dodged to avoid another one, who was trying to hit her 
from behind with its sharp claws. 
	"Where are these strange animals coming from?" she asked no one in 
particular. Nuku Nuku looked thoughtful for a moment before she bounded 
away, not really in the mood to be playing right now. 
	She was worried about Papa-san and Ryuunosuke. Her sensors had 
failed to pick them up earlier when she got separated from them as the 
tumult in the park began. Nuku Nuku ducked low before snagging her 
assailant by the legs, sending whatever it was out of her way and into 
the skies. 
	*Where are they?*
	Nuku Nuku ran, as fast as she could, trying to avoid anymore 
confrontations.
	But this was not to be, as there were plenty of the creatures 
running amok within the park. And, with that strange shield around the 
place, they were all trapped. 
	The pink-haired cat-girl gasped as it dawned upon her - Papa-san 
and Ryuunosuke must be in trouble with these things as well. 
	She had to find them fast.
	Nuku Nuku skidded to a halt as a particularly large group blocked 
her path. Wing-like projections emerged from her hair as she readied 
herself once more for combat.
	She hated fighting. It always led to something bad happening to 
everyone. It also made Ryuunosuke mad at times. She was never one to 
fight, unless provoked into it. 
	"Nuku Nuku do not want to fight! Please stop it!" she pleaded.
	A couple of them charged the cat-girl, intent upon taking the agile 
human down. 
	"Please?! Nuku Nuku do not feel right hurting others!!" she cried 
out, one hand in front of her to ward off them all off.
	Nuku Nuku backed away, feeling less and less sure of being able to 
convince them not to fight her. The battle computer built into her began 
to prepare its options for combat, making use of Nuku Nuku's own natural 
predatory abilities, ingrained within all felines.
	Suddenly, they came towards her, growling and snapping like rabid 
beasts at the poor cat-girl. Nuku Nuku unconsciously activated the 
concussion fist, sending a powerful wave of force that knocked her 
opponents away from her.
	She blinked, staring at her hands. Then she remembered. 
	Papa-san had installed the force stunner on her arms after having 
field-tested it successfully. Nuku Nuku had voiced out her worry about 
having to have it installed, but Papa-san had insisted, saying that 
events during the past few months in Nerima had been quite disturbing. 
And, besides that, they were merely intended to knock opponents out cold. 
	Of course, there was another setting to it. Used on maximum output, 
it could paralyze or even kill people, as well.
	She had reluctantly agreed, since Papa-san was right about those 
weird events. Nuku Nuku was still apprehensive about using it, but it 
seemed that her attackers were giving her little choice.
	Nuku Nuku faced her opponents, her face a grim mask as she advanced 
upon them...


* * * * * * 

	
	Deep within the depths of Washuu's subspace lab, a young twenty-
thousand-year-old genius extraordinaire was having a _bad_ time. Her 
brows were creased, her eyes straining, as she furiously typed formulas 
and whatnot into her main computer. Yep, you heard right - the MAIN 
COMPUTER - and, yes, this wasn't just that itty-bitty holo-computer she 
usually brought along anywhere she went, but the actual thing itself. 
	She never really used it unless things really demanded it. 
	Now was one of those times. 
	It was a desperate race against time. The Soul Web was something 
that had been supposedly all but forgotten - if not lost completely, ever 
since the old days - a dangerous piece of dark magic that took the souls 
of living beings and used them for the caster's own ends. That was not 
merely what it did, though - having stolen the soul, it proceeded to 
twist the body and turn it into a zombie, fully subservient to the 
caster. 
	There was no known way to reverse the transformation, save for 
unproven theories and half-baked hypotheses - magic was never her forte, 
in any case. Still, considering no one had the ability to produce the 
necessary energy to penetrate the web back then, it had been impossible 
to destroy the crystal pylons that lay within the web and collected the 
souls - and she was quite possibly the only hope in breaking through that 
forsaken barrier.
	Washuu had thought that these dangerous magicks had been sealed 
away, lost and forgotten by all - but it seemed someone _does_ have their 
hands upon a copy of _that_ accursed Book of Magic. 
	The red-haired scientist suddenly gaped at the readings her sensors 
were picking up. She could not believe her eyes - it was impossible! - 
yet, someone had done it. 
	Someone had managed to hide something from her!!!!!
	The Eye of God - the ultimate weapon of destruction.
	Impossible!! 
	Yet, her sensors said differently. The Eye was indeed powering up. 
	But that was not all - her sensors were also picking up weird 
subspace disturbances that were not normally associated with the Eye. It 
was something else. 
	On impulse, Washuu keyed in the scans from the Soul Web and 
overlaid it with what she scanned form the Eye. She sucked her breath in, 
feeling _very_ afraid.
	

* * * * * * 


	Ryouga fired off another Shi Shi Hokoudan, clearing his path of 
droids. He was really pissed, his fangs gleaming under the sun as he 
drove his body into overdrive. He charged another group of oncoming 
droids, lashing out with a hail of bandannas followed closely by his 
umbrella, spinning like a razor-edged top set on pur�e. The bandannas and 
umbrella scythed through the amassed droids, cutting them down like rice 
stalks for harvest in the summer. 
	Feeling a need for close combat once more, Ryouga hurled himself 
bodily at the droids, trampling some into the ground, using his umbrella 
as an unstoppable battering ram, cleaving the silvery pests like a hot 
knife through butter. 
	He risked a glance at Ifurita, who seemed to be handling problems 
of her own with a bit of finesse, as she incinerated those who dared to 
come close to her. The lost boy could clearly see the strain in her eyes 
as she staved off another attack. He could not believe they still kept on 
coming - what they destroyed, others took their place. 
	Ryouga felt the blood drain from his face as he saw Ifurita 
collapse to her knees, the staff still flaring with power, making even 
dumb droids wary of the woman. 
	Ryouga let loose an angry bellow, plowing into the mob of droids, 
batting aside anything that got in his way. If he had been a bit less 
intent on reaching Ifurita's side, he would have noticed he was making 
hard-hitting home runs, using the droids for batting practice. The 
strength he was putting into his blows sent those who were unlucky enough 
to get in his way into LEO.
	"IFURITA!!!!!" Ryouga called out as he rushed to her side. 
	"Get out of here, Ryouga. Warn the others," she said, hoarsely. 
	Ryouga shook his head. "No way am I going to leave you, Ifurita. 
Makoto would kill me if I went back without you." 
	Ifurita chuckled. "He isn't here, Ryouga. He went back to El-Hazard 
to get some help." 
	Ryouga nodded. "Figures. I was wondering why he wasn't around." 
Ryouga stood up, Ifurita gathered in his arms like a small child. "Don't 
worry about a thing."
	"Why is that?" she asked, puzzled. 
	Ryouga smirked. "Just watch." 


* * * * * * 


	A few blocks out, Shampoo and the two adopted Tendou sisters looked 
up to see a HUGE pillar of shimmering green chi-energy spiraling upwards, 
coalescing into the full-powered depression blast Ryouga was well known 
for. 
	"Wow!! What the heck is that?!" Kurumi asked in awe. 
	She never felt a chi blast that strong and that heavily laden with 
negative emotions before. From the looks of it, someone must have been 
having a _BAD_ mood.
	"Shampoo think that strong enough to level four blocks." 
	"I think you're right, Shampoo," agreed Natsume. "Think we should 
investigate?" 
	Shampoo shook her head. "Lost boy be okay. He turn everything in 
four blocks to rubble - with chi blast that big, Shampoo sure." 
	"I sure hope no one gets hurt," Natsume said worriedly. 
	"Hmmm... I wonder what the mayor is going to do when he sees this," 
Kurumi wondered.
	"Is sure to have bad heart," Shampoo commented. "Still, with what 
happening, Shampoo sure he understand... somehow." 
	They quickly left the area, jumping from roof to roof at blinding 
speeds as they sought out the insane Kodachi... 
	Behind them, the _extremely_ large pillar of chi stopped its 
ascension and began the long journey down... down....
	Moments later, the full might of the ultimate Shi Shi Hokoudan 
technique smashed into the ground, creating a tremendous explosion that 
rivaled anything modern nuclear bombs could make.
	Suffice it to say that anyone who had been unlucky enough to get 
caught in the blast won't be waking up too soon - if ever...
	Ifurita blinked staring with wide-eyed fascination at the young man 
who cradled her in his arms.
	"A most interesting technique, Ryouga Hibiki," Ifurita observed. 
	Ryouga smiled his usual fanged smile, the one that women in Nerima 
or any other place found to look very cute on the eternally lost boy. 
	"Heh! Never used it at such a high concentration before. Left me 
kinda drained. I think... I'll take a little nap first..." 
	Ifurita 'eeped' as Ryouga lost consciousness and dropped face-first 
on the ground. Well, he would have if he wasn't carrying Ifurita. Ryouga 
let himself be pulled into blissful unconsciousness as he landed, head-
first on Ifurita's ample chest...
	Ifurita sighed as she gently laid (?) the sleeping martial artist 
on the ground, gazing in awe at the level of destruction Ryouga had 
caused. 
	"Surprising what humans can do at times..." she thought as she 
draped the unconscious Ryouga across her shoulder and flew back to the 
dojo. 


* * * * * * 


	The master of the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts was not 
pleased by what impeded his path. He had run smack dab into something, 
just as he was on one of his usual panty raids across Nerima. No sooner 
had Happousai regained his senses was he assaulted by the rampaging horde 
of pissed-off females - there were quite a lot of them, even as other 
events unfolded all around them. 
	Then again, catching Happousai was something not even the end of 
the world could stop. 
	"Someone is going to pay for this humiliation!!" exclaimed on 
highly pissed-off master pervert... errr... martial artist. 
	"Cash or VISA??" someone asked.
	"Such insolent behavior!!" Happousai fumed, turning to the speaker, 
who he wanted to give quite a lashing. 
	Now, if only his addled brain made the connection...
	Happousai froze, eyes wide with something akin to fear. "Uh-oh.." 
	The speaker sneered, cracking his knuckles for emphasis. "Oh, 
yes... old man. Definitely an uh-oh." 
	The next thing Happousai saw was the all-encompassing darkness...


* * * * * *

	
	Tia cursed as she once more punched the stasis dome that had barred 
her path into Toukyou. She could sense Chibiusa's fear and her growing 
despair. She sensed Mizuki was with her, but was unable to come to her 
aid, as something else held her attention.
	Everything had been a trap. All these months of inactivity had been 
but to lull them all into thinking they were safe for the time being. She 
knew Ranma and the others knew of this, and had done what they could to 
stay vigilant - but they had timed it too perfectly. 
	Not only that, but from the looks of things, Ami-chan and the 
others had decided to gang up on them. How they had managed to trust one 
another, considering their unending rivalry for the Dark Queen's 
attention, was a question whose answer eluded her. 
	What reasons fueled this need for trust amongst them? 
	*Serenity?* she wondered. 
	Of anyone, it still seemed so strange that she would be the one to 
embrace the darkness - it had always nagged Tia so. Something about it 
tickled a faint memory, one that seemed to fade away every time she tried 
to grasp at it. Something about it felt important, so important that her 
mind refused to divulge the reasons for it. 
	Her dreams gave her no answer. Her past had unearthed more 
questions than answers - it remained shadowed and obscure. Her memories 
were now with her, past memories that had revealed a stunning truth. 
	Setsuna Meiou - known to the rest of the world as Sailor Pluto, the 
eternal guardian of Time and Space - was her mother. She, herself, had 
also suffered under the grasp of the self-same darkness that seemed to 
have totally claimed Serenity as its own.
	How she hated the questions her memories raised. She knew now that 
her mother was Setsuna - Sailor Pluto to everyone else, The Mistress of 
Time - her mother was as wrapped in mystery as the hidden enemy that had 
Serenity so deeply enthralled in vile corruption. 
	Tia snorted, wondering if she should also include herself, as well 
- after all, her own past was as much a mystery as the others'. She 
sighed, feeling the weight she had carried for so long press down on her. 
	Why couldn't her life be simpler??
	A part of her reminded her that she couldn't have that, even if she 
wished it to a thousand deities - she was bound by her duties, ones that 
did not allow for normal lives to be led. 
	"Penny for your thoughts, beloved?" a woman's voice asked softly.
	Tia whirled around, her long hair whipping around her as she turned 
to face the woman who she had once called her wife. Reimi smirked 
inwardly: funny how things worked out, at times. Her beloved was trapped 
for some reason in her female body - a reason she knew so very well. It 
made her job of disposing Radler so much easier.
	Well, maybe. After all, she could have killed her earlier. But she 
did not - could not, because, no matter what, she loved her husband. 
	A part of her scorned such behavior - she was far above that now. 
	Yeah, right!! 
	Reimi smiled thinly, waiting. 
	"What do _you_ want?" Tia asked coldly, eyes trying to look as cold 
and as distant as her voice. "Wasn't nearly killing me the last time 
enough for you?" 
	Reimi shook her head, her eyes meeting Tia's. "You have no idea how 
hard it was for me to ensure that everyone else thought you were dead, 
Radler," she began, in a voice laden with so much sadness. "I did what I 
had to do to make sure of that."
	"What about Chibiusa?" 
	"Your friends have handled the situation with admirable results, 
Radler. You have taught them well," she complimented. 
	"I know. They're the best I've ever seen," Radler said.
	"And a match for any of us," she said dryly. 
	"They are, they can and they will - given time."
	Reimi nodded. "Yes, Time. Have you forgotten about our bond, 
Radler?" she asked suddenly, effectively changing the subject.
	Tia blinked.
	"I see you have all but forgotten. Perhaps that is for the better." 
Reimi gazed at the city that lay trapped under the shield the Shadow Moon 
had erected. "You and I share a peculiar bond - one that had preserved a 
part of who I truly am from what I am now. I do not pretend to understand 
how this could be so, Radler. But it is and, somehow, thinking of you 
once more has brought to heel the darkness within me." 
	She paused. "I do not have much time before it regains control over 
me," Reimi told her.
	Tia's heart broke at seeing the suffering mirrored within her 
wife's eyes. Strange to make use of that feminine pronoun, considering 
she was a man. A part of her scoffed at such thinking - she had learned 
to live with this body, accepted it far more readily than Ranma could. 
Still, she knew Ranma felt it as much as Tia herself did. 
	The mind adjusted to the body - not vice versa. But that did not 
mean that it changed the person inside.
	"Let me help you, Reimi!" she offered, her voice strained with the 
pent-up emotions she had long thought to have been buried.
	Reimi shook her head. "You can't, Radler - not with what has been 
done to me." She looked up to stare into her husband's eyes, the only 
part that did not change with the rest of him. "No one can. The Senshi 
and everyone else who swore the bond with Serenity cannot be saved - not 
when Serenity had set free the darkest sides of our humanity." Reimi 
shook her head violently, her hair whipping back and forth with the 
strength of her denial. "It cannot be helped. Radler, you must 
understand, the Senshi - all of the Fallen - cannot return from this path 
we have taken." 
	Tia winced at the use of the word 'Fallen'. 
	She paused as if weighing what to say, knowing how precious her 
time was. She could feel it raging, wanting to be released. The beast set 
loose by Serenity within her soul. How she hated it - and yet...
	"Radler, I am not the woman you once knew - none of us are. I know 
for a fact that you still do treat us like we were before." She held up 
her hand to forestall any argument. "LISTEN!! I have wallowed in the 
deepest depths of depravity and I _loved_ it! I relished in causing pain 
- inflicting it in such a manner that my victims died knowing they caused 
it themselves. I am the very soul of depravity! We all are - and nothing 
can ever help us in what we ourselves so enjoy!"
	Tia seethed with anger. Not just anger, but a pure, unrelenting 
ANGER that wanted - no! - craved, for the bastard that had destroyed 
everything Crystal Tokyo stood for. 
	It was far from being perfect. Being a somewhat more civilized 
society that had its share of human problems, all of which had been so 
evident in any other society man had made throughout time itself. She had 
understood long ago, during her discussions with Hotaru-san before she 
disappeared, that the light of hope could not exist without the darkness 
that is despair.
	The Chinese had aptly named such a condition: yin and yang.
	Nothing could be expected to be perfect. If it was, mankind would 
not exist, in a sense. God may have made mankind in His image, but the 
lives of each and every person were their own to make. God indeed made 
us, but we chose our paths ourselves - not Him.
	The reason for our having a mind:
	To understand right from wrong.
	To be able to make judgements without needing others.
	A reason why this reality we call life exists.
	Tia hated it, but it was an undeniable fact of life. Mankind would 
forever struggle in his quest for understanding. Even societies people 
called a utopia had its share of struggle, but such a thing paled in 
comparison with what had occurred in the future.
	No - it was not even a struggle - it was impossible to call it a 
battle.
	It was Armageddon. 
	And it was not what every religion on the face of the planet 
thought it would be. It wasn't even Judgement Day as foretold by the 
Christians. 
	For ages past, everyone feared its coming, thinking it to be the 
end of humanity. In a way, it may be, but not in the sense everyone 
seemed to be thinking: that those who were good would be sent back into 
the Lost Paradise; that those who had been bad would be sent to the 
darkest pits of hell in all its religious forms. 
	It was pure damnation for the whole of mankind.
	Armageddon was nothing more _but_ the rise of the darkest side of 
humanity - the ultimate primal state that knew nothing but pain in all 
its forms. 
	Indeed, Reimi was right. Indeed, they were the Fallen. Strange to 
call them such. But it was the truth - painful as it was. Serenity and 
her Senshi had sunk themselves whole-heartedly into the deepest, darkest 
pit of human depravity. Tia highly doubted there was even a word to 
describe it.
	And Reimi was one of them as well - the woman she had loved and 
still cared about. The reason why she could never give up hope, however 
small and remote it may be. Tia had sworn never to give up - to finish 
what the bastard had started. Indeed, she would finish it - along with 
the person responsible for it all - for such a person had to exist. 
	If not... well... Tia would settle for the next best thing:
	Anything to end it all.
	Tia was tired of the unending fights. She had killed countless 
people, those who so willingly served Serenity. Their blood flowed 
through her hands - and how it sickened her so. 
	"Tell me what I must do then," Tia asked quietly. 
	"Kill me," answered Reimi, as if she was merely asking for a glass 
of water.
	Tia felt the blood drain from her face. 
	Kill. She'd done that so many times.
	Yet... did she have the resolve to kill the one woman that had been 
capable of making her change into a better person? Nothing could ever 
make her do something like that. 
	No one!! Not one person would force her to do this!! 
	Not to the person she loved more than anything the heavens could 
give her! 
	Or could she? 
	Reimi sensed her husband's hesitation - she had expected it. Radler 
held the soul of forgiveness within himself - Radler had always been like 
that: never to give up on anything, quick to forgive and forget. Strange 
how far Radler seemed to drag that concept. 
	Yet, that was what Radler was - and nothing could ever change that.
	"Why?" Tia asked. 
	"It must be done," Reimi answered simply.
	"But why?" Tia demanded.
	"It is the only way," Reimi told her in a firm voice. 


* * * * * * 


	"Looks like it's just you and me now," Mizuki declared, brandishing 
her sword in front of the woman who held Chibiusa. "Think you're good 
enough to take me on?" She smiled. "Or are you afraid?" 
	Jupiter, Mistress Makoto as she preferred to be called, seethed 
with rage. Such insolence! The little slip of a girl wasn't even afraid 
of her!! Such gall! Makoto smiled something fierce. She would enjoy 
breaking this girl and teaching her to beg!! 
	"Impudent little girl! To think that you could be my match! Hah! 
You will soon learn the error of your ways, child!!" 
	Mizuki smirked. "Don't get too cocky! I am not exactly so ordinary 
that you could beat me easily. Besides, considering I haven't even worked 
up a sweat trashing your cute little robots, you'd at least think I'd 
have a chance, small as it may possibly seem." 
	Makoto laughed. Mizuki winced, wondering if laughing like a maniac 
was a prerequisite for being one of the bad guys. It certainly grated on 
her nerves. 
	"Do you have to do that??" Mizuki asked in annoyed tones. "Hyenas 
laugh better than you do." 
	The laughter stopped abruptly, followed by Chibi's cry of pain as 
she was unceremoniously dumped on the ground and restrained by a force 
barrier. Makoto stared hard at the impudent girl who dared to insult her 
so. 
	Mizuki tensed. She had feared something like this would happen. 
They had let their guard down, and the Shadow Moon had pounced on the 
opportunity in finding them all separated from each other, too far away 
for any one of them to arrive in time.
	She sensed her brother's growing unease. She was quite flattered 
that her brother worried for her so. She could take care of herself, but 
Ranma was such a man! So much that it really annoyed her at times. Still, 
she knew if anything were to break him from that habit, it would be his 
female side.
	Mizuki knew she could hold her own against whatever any of the Dark 
Senshi, as she preferred to call them. Yep, she had long known who she 
was. Her mother had explained it to her, and had asked her to swear never 
to make use of it lest she truly needed it - bound by her honor, she had 
never sought to use it, other than when she tried to harness it, to train 
herself in its use. 
	That was what originally led her to seek out help - one that set 
her on the path to China.
	"Come on, then?!" she snapped. "I don't exactly have much time 
here!!" 
	Chibiusa wondered if Mizuki had somehow hit her head somewhere. 
Pissing off any of the Guardian Sisters was _not_ a wise thing to do, not 
when only one was needed to turn Toukyou into rubble. 
	As if hearing her thoughts, Mizuki turned to her and gave her a 
victory sign with a very BIG smile plastered on her face.
	"Oh... boy..." Chibi muttered.


* * * * * * 


	"Tell me I'm dreaming all this!!!" Usagi nearly screamed her top 
off as they tried to make sense of the chaos that seemed to hold Toukyou 
in its grasps. 
	They had gone out to do battle, but somehow, Pluto came to them and 
warned them not to interfere, lest it destroy the time continuum. She had 
asked them - ASKED - that they remain in Rei's temple for the duration of 
the event, told them that everything would be okay afterwards. Pluto had 
explicitly warned them that the death toll would be high and that it had 
to be done - that their deaths were required and nothing could be done to 
help any of them. 
	They protested, of course, but Pluto had restrained them with an 
unfamiliar attack. It left them unconscious for quite some time and sore, 
very much so. To add insult to injury, they were trapped in the temple 
with no way out. The barrier holding them in was totally invulnerable to 
their most powerful attacks, combined or otherwise.
	"What the hell did she do?!!" raged Rei, still in her Sailor Mars 
outfit. 
	They were alone in the temple. Rei's grandfather and Yuuichiro were 
out of town, on a training trip across the whole country - they weren't 
due to be back for weeks. 
	"What I'm worried about is the number of high-energy reactions my 
computer is picking up." Ami Mizuno typed in a series of commands and 
frowned upon the results it gave her. "None of these signatures 
correspond to anything in my records. And many of these signatures are 
fairly strong - stronger than anything I've ever encountered. While none 
of them are as strong as Mistress Nine or Galaxia, they're still quite 
powerful, far more than any one of us could hope to defeat."
	"So you think that's the reason why Pluto forbade any of use from 
taking any of them on," Makoto asked from her position near the 
television. 
	Ami nodded. "Indeed - but you have to understand that these 
individual signatures are far, far stronger than any of us." 
	She did not tell them of the strange nagging feeling she had when 
Pluto had been around - even now, it remained. She did not understand it 
and, try as she might, she could not forget about it. One thing was 
certain, though - something was terribly wrong with Pluto. What it was, 
she did not know. 
	"So what?!" Rei asked, stomping her foot on the floor, denting the 
wooden floor somewhat with her high heels. "We've fought world-destroying 
enemies before!!"
	"Not like these," Ami interjected. "Each of these signatures are 
very strong. Our current power levels would restrict us to fighting each 
one together. Even with our current power-ups, we are hardly a match for 
any of them."
	"That's not good," Minako commented as she plopped down on one of 
Rei's cute floor pillows. 
	"Big deal?!! People are _dying_ out there! And we're stuck here, 
doing nothing about it!!!" Rei shouted at the top of her lungs.
	"It could be worse," Luna spoke up for the first time.
	"Yeah. Lots worse," Artemis agreed, staring out into the city under 
siege.
	How right they were...


* * * * * *


	A little boy cried out as he lay there on the ground, covered in 
blood. He stared with horror-stricken eyes at his mother's decapitated 
body. The boy would probably have nightmares about this for the rest of 
his life - provided that he lived through this.
	Another of the monsters leaped at the little boy, its fangs 
dripping with blood. 
	The little boy closed his eyes - fear had already numbed his brain. 
If he died, it really wouldn't matter right now. The monster screamed as 
a silvery flash of light struck it down - the force of the blow threw him 
away and smack right into a brick wall, causing a three-meter crater to 
crack its serene surface.
	The little boy lowered his raised arms, wondering why he still felt 
alive. The thing should have torn him into bits by now. He opened his 
eyes cautiously. 
	A spiky-haired woman stood in front of him, lashing out with a 
powerful punch that threw the monster well out of sight. The strange 
woman shouted something before she gave chase. 
	He looked back at his mother.
	"Okaa-san...." 


* * * * * * 


	"I... I can't!!!" 
	"You must. It is the only was for me to be at peace." 
	"No way!!! I love you, Reimi!! I can't do it!! I won't!" Tia 
wailed. "There has to another way!!!"
	"There is no other way, my son," another voice spoke up. 
	Tia turned to find his mother walking out of the shadows of a 
nearby building, the Garnet Orb glittering faintly in her grasp. 
	"Mother!!" Tia ran up to her mother, never caring that the woman 
she called her mother was one of her enemies. She did not care - Pluto 
was her mother, and that was all that remained important in her mind - 
nothing else.
	Tia hugged her mother, tears streaming down her face as she cried 
her heart out. Pluto could do little more than try and soothe her child. 
	Strange how she wasn't doing anything remotely fatal to her child 
right now. But the urges to do so were there, lurking within the shadows 
of her soul, waiting for their chance. 
	"Little one, we do not have much time. I know that we have much to 
discuss, but this is not the time, nor the place, to do so. Many things 
are hidden within the shadow of the past." Setsuna paused. 
	"Our past, my child. But, such is the only way that things can be 
forgotten. I have erred in my judgements - listened far more to what 
heart felt than to what my eyes saw. Such has once more happened with 
Serenity. Know now that I knew it was happening. Serenity did as well, 
but even that knowledge did not help her from falling into his grasp." 
	She grabbed hold of her child firmly, eyes flashing with 
determination. "But I knew of it! I knew, yet could not stop it - I 
couldn't. Whatever I tried, it did not work. I saw and witnessed what was 
happening to Serenity but could not stop it, my child!! But you can stop 
him. You and your sister are the only ones who now hold the power. Find 
her. Seek her out!! It is the only way to end this now." 
	"What about Chibiusa?!!" Tia asked.
	"Serenity needs her! With Chibiusa by her side and the Ginzishou 
corrupted, then and only then, will he truly break free of the seals..." 
	"What seals?!!" 
	Setsuna shook her head. "You will know in due time. Go now, choose 
what you must do. Kill your wife, or leave her to suffer as I and the 
others have." 
	Setsuna smiled. It made Tia cold all over. 
	"Mother..." 
	Tia stared sadly at her mother and the woman who was her wife, as 
they slowly lost themselves into the darkness. The choices pained her to 
no end - whatever she chose would merely bring her grief. Maybe not now, 
but doubtless it would come, seeking her. 
	Tia had lost many friends in her struggle to keep Chibiusa safe 
until she grew of age, friends she valued a lot - all having sacrificed 
their lives to protect the both of them. 
	She was sick and tired of choices. No matter what she did, nothing 
she chose worked for long. 
	"I will do what I must. Not because of duty or honor or for 
anything, but because I know in my heart, mind, and soul that it is the 
right thing to do!!" 
	With that, Tia disappeared. 
	"I know you will, my son. I know you will," Setsuna said quietly.
	"Come on, Pluto. We have our own job to finish," Reimi said coldly. 
	Setsuna sighed, letting the curtain of darkness wrap around her 
soul once more....


* * * * * * 


	"Things are coming to a head as you have predicted, Lady Althene." 
	"Yes. It does look it, doesn't it, Gnea?" the addressed woman 
replied, swirling the contents of her glass. "Much as it pains me to have 
to do nothing, it has to be done. We cannot allow the Ancient One to 
escape." 
	"Still, must we do nothing while the Eye of God powers up?" queried 
Gnea.
	"Yes. We cannot do anything until this part is done. Sacrifices 
have to be made, if we are to ensure the survival of the universe." 
	"I sure hope so. I cannot stand letting the Shadow Moon get away 
with what they've done." 
	*Damn you, Setsuna,* she cursed. *I wish you'd tell me more than 
this!! There has to be a way!!*
	"It is never easy when one deals with the Mistress of Time," 
consoled Gnea.
	"Stop that!" Althene berated. "But you are right. Still, we are on 
our own now. Setsuna's surely one of them by now..." 
	Gnea nodded. "Yes, we are on our own. Our might against that of the 
Shadow Moon - not good odds for us." 
	"No, perhaps not. But we do have allies." 
	Gnea eyed her long time friend and commander. "Yes, we sure do. If 
they live." 
	"I have little doubt about that. Radler has a penchant for choosing 
his allies well." 


* * * * * * 


	"Give up yet??" Mizuki called out to her foe.
	"Damn you, girl! Stay still, so I can kill you already!!" 
	"Sorry. That's not good for my health," she shot back. 
	"I know!! That's why I want to do it, you fool!!" raged Makoto, 
trying to nail the agile girl with her thunder blasts. "Aren't you even 
afraid what I'd do to you once I catch up with you?" 
	Mizuki shrugged. "Not really. You're the one who should be." Duck. 
Evade. Leap. "Nope. Can't catch me! Sorry. Ha!" 
	Makoto raged, feeling the fires burning hotter and hotter within 
her. This girl was seriously pissing her off. No one lived long enough to 
even anger her. Yet, this little girl had the audacity to try - and was 
succeeding!!
	Makoto growled, one that even the most stolid lion would bow down 
to. "Damn you, little b&%#h!!!" she seethed. "When I get my hands on you 
-" 
	"- you'll tear me to pieces, and turn me into so much slop on the 
floor," finished Mizuki as she jumped up and sat on the lamppost. "I've 
heard that before." 
	Makoto howled, her cries breaking whatever pieces of glass were 
left in the area. 
	Mizuki winced a bit, clearing her ear and wondering if she'd gone 
deaf. "Mind toning that down a bit?!!" she yelled back at the enraged 
Senshi. "I think I can still hear from my right ear!!!" 
	Makoto's somewhat tenacious hold on what was left of her sanity 
shattered into a million itty-bitty pieces. Well, she really didn't have 
much to begin with. After all, what kind of person would love to inflict 
the kind of pain and other unmentionable stuff and get some weird kick 
out of it? 
	Mizuki knew some people back in her old school who went for that 
sort of thing. But it wasn't like what the Dark Senshi wallowed in. Oh 
no!! From what Radler, Chibiusa, and Sayoko had told them - or in this 
case, she managed to 'leech' from their minds - it wasn't something worth 
thinking for too long. 
	Suffice it to say that nothing in Kami-sama's dictionary could 
truly give a satisfying word for it. Just the mere thought of it made her 
sick to the bone. 
	Mizuki smiled, having succeeded in making the woman madder than 
hell. It would make it all the more easier for her to get into her mind 
and beat the living hell out of the woman. She knew it wasn't going to be 
easy but somehow she would prevail. 
	No one goes around hurting her friends... 
	"Get ready to die, Senshi of Jupiter!!! Phoenix Soul Razor!!" 


* * * * * * *


	"Have you found them yet?" 
	Sayoko nodded. "Yes - tiring, but worth the effort." 
	"So where are they?" he asked.
	"Your sister is currently engaged in combat with Jupiter." Ranma 
blinked. "Tell you later. First off, she's perfectly capable of handling 
her fight." Ranma started to protest. "No, buts! She can take care of 
herself, Ranma. You and I need to go somewhere else and find Mercury." 
	"Why?" 
	"Because your sister just found out that Mercury plans to destroy 
Nerima and eliminate all evidence of any resistance." 
	"Resistance? What for?" Ranma asked, confused.
	Sayoko sighed. There were times when Ranma could be so very dense. 
"We are the resistance. The moment you and your friends decided to help 
Chibiusa, you became their enemies." Sayoko looked thoughtful for a 
moment before she amended her reply. "No, make that... they've considered 
you and your friends to be a threat - slight, but undoubtedly a threat, 
still." 
	Ranma sighed. "There are times when I hate myself," he complained.
	Sayoko chuckled a bit. "You and your friends have this endearing 
quality that absolutely baffles me: enemies one moment, friends within 
the blink of an eye. Nothing could beat what I have seen you and your 
friends pull off." 
	Ranma shrugged. "You get used to it around here." 
	"Indeed, it does. Indeed it does." 
	"So where are we gonna find this Mercury? Or was it Ami?" 
	"Both - Ami was her given name. She tends to use it every so often. 
When she demands the Mercury name, be afraid." 
	"Oh. Okay." Ranma paused. "How do we find her again?" 
	"We go that way," she said, pointing up.
	Ranma looked up, just in time to see a large, black sphere 
surrounding a blood red orb appear out of nowhere.
	"This is _not_ good." 


* * * * * *


	"It still strikes me as illogical. Why go to all this length of 
trouble? Isn't it that the actions of the Shadow Moon in this timeline 
endanger their very future existence?" 
	"Yes. It certainly will affect the timeline," agreed Lady Althene. 
"However, the Shadow Moon has calculated the risks involved and isolated 
the possible variables. Doing so allowed them to plan their strike 
without bothering the timeline too much."
	"The use of the Eye of God?" Gnea queried, one delicate eyebrow 
raised in disbelief.
	"That... even I am at a loss to explain." 
	"Then we have trouble," Gnea concluded.
	"Yes."
	"What do we do then?"
	"We do absolutely nothing. The timing isn't right. We are not 
needed here right now. Chibiusa's chosen guardians can handle it by 
themselves," answered Althene.
	"I just hope when the time comes for us to do something, it isn't 
too late already," Gnea thought out loud.
	

* * * * * * 


	Ifurita felt the familiar foreboding feeling: the sudden blast of 
cold air, whipping her hair around her; the severe quietness of the 
neighborhood that served to prove her point. Nerima was in chaos, even if 
it wasn't evident right now. Kasumi had informed her that the rest had 
gone to Nerima Park, pursuing the Kunou woman. 
	She debated on what to do. Ryouga, she had left in Kasumi's care. 
She was worried - something was up, something that worried her to no end. 
	"Penny for your thoughts, Ifurita?" 
	She turned to see Kasumi emerging from the kitchen, carrying a tray 
laden with some snacks. She nodded, taking a handful of the cookies. 
	"I'm worried. Ryouga's out of action - must have drained himself 
silly with that chi technique of his. How's Mousse doing?" 
	"Same as Ryouga. He seems to have used up his chi, as well. I'm 
surprised he's still alive, considering the wounds he received while 
fighting that creature." 
	Ifurita nodded, having examined the remains of the creature that 
lay dead not far from the dojo. Mousse had done an incredible feat, 
considering that he'd never shown an affinity with the use of chi energy 
before. Even she had little knowledge on such matters, but the basics she 
understood, considering it was what she needed to copy techniques used 
upon her. 
	Kasumi inclined her head a bit to stare at Ifurita's face. The 
lines of worry etched upon it were enough to worry even Kasumi. 
	"Something is amiss, isn't it, Ifurita?"
	She nodded. "Indeed. One that I cannot put a finger on. I wish 
Makoto was here right now." 
	"For comfort, as well as someone whom you could share your worries 
upon, Ifurita?" asked Kasumi. 
	Ifurita blinked. There were times when Kasumi surprised her with 
her insights - a woman to truly admire, at times. 
	"You really surprise me, Kasumi. I wonder if any of the others 
every truly understood the woman you hide within that housewife image of 
yours." 
	Kasumi chuckled, something she rarely ever did. "There are times 
when such an image is useful. Like my sisters, I found it a way to escape 
the troubles that plagued this house when mother died. If our mother had 
not passed away, perhaps a different future would have waited for me. 
Still, what the Fates hand us, all we can do is endure and live with what 
we are given. I've learned that early on - you should, too, Ifurita. 
Makoto came to you to grant you your wish to be free. Learn to lead the 
life you have been granted, Ifurita. Know that there are many who see you 
as a friend, not as the woman you have been forced to become in the 
past." 
	Ifurita smiled. "If that wasn't a lecture, Kasumi-chan, I don't 
know what is. Although it is kind of strange to beholding a lecture, when 
the fate of the future is being fought." 
	Kasumi smiled back. "Let me take care of them, Ifurita. I know you 
-" 
	"- NO!!! It... it can't be!!"
	Ifurita cried out as she stood up to gaze at the object that had 
suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
	Kasumi gasped. "Oh, my... Is that it?" 
	Ifurita nodded grimly. 
	"Indeed, it is. Looks like our worst fears came true: the Shadow 
Moon has the Eye of God." 
	"Oh, my..." 
	"Kasumi, stay here with Ryouga and Mousse! I'll tend to this 
myself." 
	"Be careful!" Kasumi warned.
	"I will." 
	Ifurita looked up. There, up there in the clear blue skies, a large 
black mote hovered like a baleful eye - watching - waiting. Its red eye 
glowed eerily, a sure sign that the weapon was powering up. No question 
about who took it now. 
	But it elicited a number of questions. The Eye of God was a 
powerful weapon - destructive - unforgiving - a weapon purely designed 
for absolute destruction. But, to control the Eye, one must need to gain 
the key. The _only_ key in activating the Eye. 
	Horror-stricken, Ifurita prayed both princesses were safe. 
Although, she _could_ go without the _other_ princess. 
	Ifurita chided herself for such petty thoughts, even if they were 
somewhat true. She did not personally hate Fatora, but... there was just 
something about that woman that ticked her off. 
	She sighed, shelving her thoughts away. Ifurita floated for a bit 
before she flew towards the Eye, a blue contrail marked her passage 
briefly. 
	*Makoto. Please be okay.*


* * * * * * 


	Somewhere else - in a planet defined as a place of beauty, danger, 
and limitless adventures by those who were lucky enough to travel to the 
boundless beauty of El-Hazard, a young man woke up. Pain wracked his 
every bone as he sat up from bed, sweat beading on his forehead. 
	"IFURITA!!!" he screamed. 
	He sat there, drawing deep, panicky breaths. The pain was 
momentarily forgotten as worry drowned out everything else. He glanced 
around the room, his eyes roving, looking for something or someone.
	The double doors burst open to admit a somewhat battered Mr. 
Fujisawa and Londs followed by the equally battered priestesses of Mt. 
Muldoon. Nanami and Professor Staloubough brought the rear. Each wore 
worried expressions. 
	It had been two weeks since the attack by the Shadow Moon upon the 
castle. Everything in and around the palace was in a state of ruin, and 
even the efforts by the palace architects and workers could not erase the 
destruction wrought by the attackers.
	Everyone was under the strain of losing both princesses. Many of 
their allies had so far tried to gain what advantage they could from the 
disappearance of Rune Venus and Fatora. But such hardly mattered now - 
the Eye had been stolen. The culprits were now known - problem was, the 
very same culprits had the princesses. 
	Not good. 
	The bad part of all this was no one could go back to Earth and warn 
Ifurita about this development. 
	"Fujisawa-sensei. Everyone." 
	"Glad to see you're okay, kid," his old teacher said, giving him 
the thumbs up. 
	Makoto glanced at the people around him. Each bore the marks of the 
battle that had been fought in the palace. But it was no avail. 
	Now, separated from the woman he loved, worried sick about the 
dangers his world - and more so, Ifurita - was to face, now that the 
Shadow Moon had control over the Eye, he did not need to know how the 
Shadow Moon was going to persuade both princesses - it was already 
obvious what they would do to them. 
	With no one else, Makoto knew he had to lead them in this time of 
crisis. He did not like having to do it, but it had to be done: waiting 
and doing nothing would serve them little. 
	"Anyone got any ideas?" he asked.


to be continued in part three



*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
       RADLER 
 Nikholas F. Toledo Zu 
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*

Wings of my angel,
Shelter me in your faith.
In you, I find my soul.
In me, I find your love.
We are one, forever more. 

Personal Email Addy: makoto@smarqweb.com ; radler@tri-isys.com 
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