Transformation Sequence
A "Sailor Moon" fanfic, written by Alan / I.N.T.O. (I'm 
Not The Otaking)

Chapter 5: On Whom We Can Depend

INTRO NOTES: Thanks to everyone who waited for this 
chapter! I know this 'fic doesn't have a wide audience, 
but I hope that it manages to influence at least one 
person. If you have something to say 
about it, then *please* e-mail me at 
<ChrOtaku@xoommail.com>.

Content-wise, with chapter 4 and now this one, someone 
might be tempted to come up with a catch-phrase like "What 
Would Sailor Moon Do?" (Or if you will, WWSMD.) Yeah, the 
religious themes that first came to the surface in chapter 
4 - though they were there earlier - aren't about to just 
disappear. Also, there are a couple of sick jokes in this 
one.

--
As Serena gazed absently at the white ceiling of her room, 
she said to Luna, "I'm getting tired. Molly's been dead 
for several weeks now, and still a moment doesn't go by in 
which I don't think about her." For a moment, the young 
woman paused to catch her breath. She stared upwards, 
trying to count the cracks in the tiles. Then, with her 
world silent, she closed her eyes, struggling to fight 
back a tear.

"I don't know what to say, much less what to do," Luna 
replied softly, pacing back and forth on the carpeted 
floor. The cat's mind was occupied with other matters. 
<Whatever am I going to do, Artemis?> she asked herself, 
<If the bearer of Sailor V is... one of *them*, how shall 
the Sailors work together? Do you expect them to accept 
her with unconditional love?>

Tossing about uncomfortably atop the covers, Serena 
tightened her facial muscles, then let them fall back to 
normal again. "Luna," she said, almost whispering, "I've 
been thinking... and though there's no one I can really 
blame, I think the problem is mostly mine." With that 
said, she opened her eyes and looked at the cat, wondering 
what her reaction would be.

A moment later, Luna stopped pacing. "Go on, Serena," she 
calmly said.

"I've had an attitude of despair over the past few years," 
Serena continued, her eyes wide open, "Maybe you could 
call it anger at everything - or maybe nothing. Anyway, 
until recently, I haven't had anything which I could 
honestly say that I hate. But now that she's gone, I've 
been raging at my own emptiness, and now I feel like the 
dead one. What I'm trying to say is that I'm getting tired 
of this despair, and I want something different," she 
said, knocking her two fists against the mattress.

Feeling as if an evil spirit had been sent out of the 
room, Luna exhaled deeply. As her heart skipped a beat, 
the selenic cat said, "Serena, I'm proud of you. But I 
must warn you this - the others will not expect anything 
different from you. As hard as it may sound, you would be 
wise to tell them that you are working your problems out. 
Don't go it alone, even if you absolutely must." With that 
word blurted out, Luna quickly turned her head away. <Dear 
God, what did I just say? She is not the same as Sailor 
Moon! Serena's destiny is only to support her friends,> 
she reminded herself.

Now sitting up, the young woman was gazing down towards 
the cat's face. "You may be right," Serena quietly 
replied, "I must be even more honest than before if I want 
to pull this off." Her arms rested by her sides, calm in 
the still, warm indoor air.

***
Raye Hino, would-be priestess of Cherry Hill Temple, took 
one nervous step towards the gambling stand. Twisting her 
mouth into a frown, she asked herself, <What in the world 
am I doing here? I have no need to enter such a foolish 
contest - and scarcely even a desire to take a cruise on a 
luxury liner.> Putting her two hands together in front of 
her, the young woman silently said, <God, give me your 
strength. I don't know why I'm here, but I ask now that 
your will may be done in all this. I'm alone and afraid... 
can I fulfill the expectations you have for me?>

Walking faster than her mind could think, Raye approached 
the man behind the betting wheel. "Excuse me, sir," she 
said politely, and placed a paper bill in his outstretched 
hand. Her own hands shook as she pulled on the crank that 
controlled the wheel. For a minute, the wheel turned, and 
an age seemingly passed. Then, as Raye and the man watched 
eagerly, the machine coughed up a gold-colored ball.

"We have a winner!" the contest-runner shouted. Smacking a 
brass bell with his bare right fist, he said to Raye, 
"Here you are... two tickets for a one-day cruise on the 
Chaimin."

Limply, Raye took her tickets and walked away, kicking the 
dirt below her with every step. <What is this, Lord?> she 
thought, <I vowed to you that I'd be one who was unafraid 
to lose, so that others might win. Is this your will, to 
reward me with victory? Or are you trying to say that I am 
wrong?> Walking towards the awning of a nearby building, 
where she now stood in the shade, Raye asked herself, <But 
really, what will I do with these tickets? Perhaps those 
young people I met a few days back might appreciate them. 
It's taking a risk, true, but supposing that I can find 
them again...> She took a deep breath, and headed out back 
into the city.

***
"Generals Nephlite and Jadeite - I command you - appear 
before me!" Queen Beryl said, shouting into the 
nothingness that, except for the Negaforce crystal, was 
her chamber. She, the ruler of the Negaverse, was the most 
alone of all the creatures of that dimension. As she 
waited for the generals to enter her court, she gazed down 
at her cold, blue hands. <This is all your fault, 
Serenity,> she thought, gnashing her teeth, <I wanted to 
love you more than the others, and what do I get? 
Permanent exclusion from the Moon Kingdom - hardly a 
reward. Well, you're going to be the one who must weep. 
The Silver Imperium Crystal is slowly falling into my 
hands, and I shall rebuild it without the help of your 
princess!>

Beryl still had a smug, proud look on her face when the 
two generals teleported in. Immediately dropping to his 
right knee, Jadeite said, "Nephlite and I have come, as 
you requested." A moment later, the black-haired general 
followed suit and knelt down.

The queen paused. What should she have them do, what would 
further her kingdom? Thinking back to her earlier plans, 
she said, "Your goal is to retrieve a piece of the 
Imperium Silver Crystal. From my scrying and research, I 
believe that you may find one in a young animation fan. 
All hints indicate that this individual will soon be found 
on a luxury liner among their peers." Curling her lip, she \
studied the faces of the two men. Both were stoic and 
serious in appearance.

Nephlite felt his stomach turn over. He was one who 
studied the stars, and had uncovered this data for her. <I 
could have told you the person's gender and name in a few 
hours, Beryl,> he thought.

"How shall we go about this?" Jadeite asked, barely 
raising his voice at the end. He was still bowed down, for 
he knew that he was more deserving of rebuke than ever. 
The general's eyes were burning in nervousness.

Breathing harshly and deliberately, Beryl told them, 
"Infiltrate the ship, drain the energy from any 
bystanders, and do the deed quickly. I am not in a 
tolerant mood, Jadeite - no mistakes this time. And I 
shall be watching you, Nephlite."

For a second, the two generals gave each other fearful 
glances - their eyes were bulging wide open. Then, both 
teleported away, knowing full well their destiny.

***
Raye, with both of her hands stuck in the pockets of her 
jeans, walked up to Serena. "Excuse me," she said, 
cautiously stepping from one granite stone to another as 
she crossed the park path, "Serena, may I talk with you 
for a little while?" Raye stood between two maple trees, 
both of them in full green bloom.

Serena was alone in the wooded, flowering park. From her 
seat on the blue-painted bench, the young Tsukino replied, 
"Yes. Come closer, but give me a moment to tell you 
something. Raye Hino, you will be the second person to 
know that I'm coming clean of my angst and anger. I don't 
want to shun people like I used to. Maybe then you'll 
understand that the next few days will be hell for me, 
'cause I've got to change my old habits. With that said... 
what's new for you?" she asked, looking up to Raye's face.

Her mouth and eyes now stuck in a neutral, placid 
position, Raye shrugged. "Not much... I guess," she said 
dumbly, stumbling over her own words. Just then she 
remembered why she had come. Raye pulled out the tickets 
and continued, "Oh... I just got two tickets for a cruise, 
and I don't know what to do with them. Might you be 
interested?"

For the first time that day, Serena smiled. "That sounds 
tempting," she said calmly, folding her hands together, 
"but I've already made plans that day with Melvin. Sorry." 
Self-consciously, she turned her hands so that her palms 
were facing skyward.

"Very well," Raye said, touching the black hair above her 
right ear, "Where might I find Amy?" she asked, trying not 
to sound inquisitive.

Serena gestured over her left shoulder and backwards, 
pointing toward a clearing behind a hedge. Placidly, she 
looked back at Raye again, and whispered, "I've been 
getting very worried about her lately. You see, I told her 
the same things about me, and she seemed to take it well. 
But we continued talking for a while, and she started to 
ignore me, as if she were in a completely different place. 
Amy wouldn't tell me what clubs she's in, where Greg 
lives, or... Oh, that reminds me," she said, jumping to 
her feet, "What clubs are you in?"

Raye exploded in laughter, feeling the tension of the 
conversation suddenly release. After a minute of trying to 
calm herself down, she replied, "Um... I'm in the martial 
arts club. I know that probably sounds silly, too, but I 
got hooked up with them thanks to that person I mentioned 
last time, Dania Kibake. Even though I haven't been able 
to talk to her for a couple of years, she's still the 
biggest influence in my life. Anything else you care to 
know?" she asked, still trying to stand straight. The 
young Hino put the tickets back in her pockets.

Casually nodding her head, Serena said, "Well, there's a 
couple of things, but not right now. The strange thing 
with Amy is that she said she'd return in a couple 
minutes, but I think it's been at least fifteen since we 
talked. Maybe you'd be wise to check on her. I may sound 
paranoid, but would you mind doing such a favor?" she 
asked, bowing politely.

Feeling as if the second bomb had been dropped on her, 
Raye nodded in silent agreement. She then walked off, 
heading to go around the hedge that blocked the way to 
Amy. Following the path of oblong stones, her mind began 
to wander. <Who could predict how an odd person like Amy 
might react to Serena's revelation? I don't know much 
about her, but Amy is clearly quiet, reclusive, detached, 
and - though I hate to jump to such a conclusion - evil,> 
she thought. Thrusting her hands back into her pockets, 
the self-proclaimed punching bag walked up to Amy.

"Is it my fault?" whispered the genius. Her back was 
turned towards another hedge, but it was clear to Raye 
that Amy's head was down, and that her elbows were locked. 
Over the ambient chatter of distant people and birds, Raye 
heard Amy tell herself, "No, it can not be. The fool has a 
mind of her own. But my efforts will not - must not - go 
in vain, for I can adjust to any change. Yes, after all, I 
robbed my best friend of his..."

Ashamed to be standing and listening, Raye took two steps 
more toward the strange girl. "Pardon me," she said in a 
moderate, forceful tone, "Do you mind if I ask you a 
question?" As her heart pounded, Raye smiled weakly.

The run nearly halted its course in the sky as Amy slowly, 
deliberately turned around. "No," she replied, in a 
unusually low voice, "Most certainly not, Raye Hino. Ask 
away." Amy, too, smiled, showing every one of her teeth.

Keeping her hands inside her pockets, the Christian said, 
"I have two tickets... for a cruise. Would you care to go 
with me, Amy?" She knew she was sweating, in spite of the 
mild weather.

"I'm willing," Amy answered, saying each word with an 
oddly dramatic weight, "and thank you for asking." Without 
changing the vapid expression on her face, she nodded in 
affirmation.

***
That day, Darien wore a black trenchcoat over his ordinary 
streetwear. As he walked down the crowded sidewalk, his 
eyes were trained on the gray, dry sidewalk. <What in the 
world am I doing here?> he asked himself, putting his left 
hand to his forehead, <I'm following a voice in my head. 
This is foolishness - so why don't I just turn back?> 
Shaking his head, the young bishonen walked towards the 
gambling booth.

"This'll be the last one!" shouted the man behind the 
stand, "Excuse me, sir, but do you care to test your 
luck?" Eagerly, he patted the wheel.

Darien nodded in agreement, all the while thinking, <What 
is this force that controls me?> Before his thoughts could 
come together, he put down his money and span the wheel. 
Wearily, the man focused his gaze on the tray where the 
metal sphere would be spit out. He looked, eyes all but 
popping out, as the wheel produced a gray ball.

After clearing his throat, the man behind the wheel called 
out, "Next!"

***
Luna and her "owner" stood in an alley, looking at the 
clean white ship. Silently, they surveyed its long row of 
round windows, its pair of slow-burning smokestacks, and 
its pack of employees milling about on deck. But draped 
over the side of the vessel, large enough for all to see, 
was a banner with a single word printed on it: "Poke-con."

"Dear God, I can't believe this," Serena muttered, turning 
her eyes towards the crowd of people a hundred meters 
away, "Just when I thought these television programs had 
begun to leave my life - something truly surreal happens. 
Luna," she asked, raising her voice slightly, "I'm just a 
bit ashamed to be here. Yeah, Melvin had a last-minute 
appointment with his school club, but it's really rather 
rude to intrude on Raye and Amy. I don't like this idea, 
Luna... couldn't I just head home?"

As she giggled quietly at the massive crowd of costumed 
people, the feline replied, "Yeah, those two definitely 
won't fit into this crowd. But in spite of all that, I 
think we might be able to help them along. Serena, how 
about we see if we can find a way to board this fine 
vessel?" she asked, grinning eagerly.

Putting her right hand to her right temple, Serena told 
the cat, "You know what I've been through this week! I... 
I can't. Think of what might happen to me - the stress, it 
would be too much." As her upper row of teeth bit into her 
lip, three tears fell from her eyes.

Poised to leap, Luna looked up at Serena's face. "Well," 
she said, "maybe this will have the opposite effect on 
you. Especially after that well-rehearsed conversation you 
had with Miss Haruna...  yeah, you should do something a 
tad more spontaneous. Even so," the cat mentioned quietly, 
"let's be quick about it."

A moment later, Serena put down her hands and let them 
rest. She closed her eyes, nodded, and said, "Perhaps. 
Luna, you have supported me through all this. There is a 
chance, for I do trust you, that you may be right." 
Letting her words drop to the floor, she walked out into 
the harsh yellow sunlight of the early afternoon.

With a sigh, Luna followed the young woman out into the 
street. She looked again at the ship, the vessel called the
Chaimin, and felt a pulse run down her spine. Hissing, she 
thought, <I knew the Negaverse had been quiet too long. 
They've got at least one general on this ship... looks 
like our pleasure cruise may turn sour. Good thing the 
three Sailors are here. Without them, Beryl would've 
gotten the upper hand on us.> Silently, the cat walked 
onward, tracing Serena's footsteps all the way to the 
loading zone, some fifty meters away.

***
Regarding the massive crowd with a scowl, Amy told Raye, 
"This isn't quite what I expected. True, this is but a 
one-day cruise, but these people are just a little deviant 
from the norm." Standing halfway up the aluminum staircase 
that lead to the boat, Amy tapped the metal ground beneath 
her. As her shoe connected with it, she heard a slight 
clang from the impact. <I must be careful,> she told 
herself, <Raye is getting suspicious, and Serena might be 
on to my ways. She hasn't given in to her evil nature 
again - I must remember to continue my assault in the days 
to come.> Grimacing, she followed Raye as they climbed 
towards the vessel.

The main deck of the Chaimin was decorated in a tangle of 
red and yellow ribbons. The same banner that had been on 
the side of the ship was here as well, but now that logo 
was emblazoned all over the environs. Also to greet 
everyone was a cacophony of loud music, supposedly based 
on the theme of the convention, but it was 
indistinguishable due to the high volume setting. "Good 
grief," Raye muttered, not bothering to address anyone in 
particular, "Some of us need at least a semblance of 
sanity in our lives."

Plodding on through the line, Amy thought, <Would it not 
be ironic if all this were destroyed?> Averting her gaze 
from the back of Raye's neck, she folded her hands.

***
"Looks like we got in," Serena said in a hushed voice, 
while taking in the contents of the packed, sparsely 
decorated cargo room. Not looking towards the cat at her 
feet, she continued, "Luna, I'm going to look for a way to 
get around this ship. Follow me, and keep your eyes open." 
Peering around a stack of brown boxes, she sighted a small 
corridor with a thick iron door at the end of it. Just as 
she motioned towards Luna, the door swung open.

Fleeing like a cockroach, Serena sprang backwards, trying 
to hide behind the boxes, and still keeping an eye on the 
intruder. She held her breath, but her eyes refused to 
blink. Slowly, methodically, the person walked down the 
passageway, ever closer to her. Serena's teeth clanged 
together. The mysterious one turned towards her, and said, 
"Is anyone out there?"

"Yes," Serena replied abruptly, almost unaware of her own 
words, "I-- I got lost and ended up here. But now... that 
door you went through, it is the way out, and I will go 
through it to get out - you know, back on deck." She 
realized that on her face was a silly smile.

Meanwhile, Luna was trembling in a corner. <Oh, man,> she 
thought, <We have a major source of evil right in front of 
us, and they don't know who we are. Thank you, Serenity!> 
She refrained from purring.

The person, still shadowy in the dark room, calmly told 
Serena, "Don't you worry about it. Just get out of this 
room as soon as you can." With these words spoken, 
Nephlite walked back towards his cabin, staring at his 
clean hands with every step.

Looking back without anger at Luna, Serena then said, "I 
believe we're off the hook. Shall we now see what all this 
is about?" Exhaling, she once again took a step forward, 
to the open part of the ship. The young woman caught the 
handle of the metal door just before it slammed shut.

***
The sky above them was blue, but rapidly turning to 
purple. All that would obstruct their view of the evening 
stars were the twin smokestacks atop the Chaimin. Both 
towers were decorated with the logo of the convention, but 
that was also slowly fading into the darkness as time 
marched on.

Placing her hands palm-down on the tablecloth, Amy asked 
Raye, "If you'll pardon my rudeness in asking this... Why 
must you eat so much?" Her own place at the banquet table 
was completely clean.

"I guess it's my metabolism, or something," Raye casually 
replied, just as she picked up a drumstick of broiled 
chicken, "But quite frankly, it's none of your business." 
Quietly chuckling, she sampled the meat, and sat back in 
her metal-framed folding chair.

For a second, Amy crossed her brow. "I... see," she said, 
nearly whispering.

***
"Get in here, damn you!" Jadeite yelled at Nephlite, 
yanking his left hand. The blond general stood in the 
doorframe of his room, clothed in a tight white cotton 
shirt and black pants, rather than his uniform. Staring 
right at his comrade, he continued, "It's desperate. We've 
got to discuss something now." Jadeite's voice was giving 
out by this point.

<Oh, please,> the lesser general thought, grimacing, <If 
only you had a clue what you seem to be talking about, 
Jadeite... Just look behind you - people are staring!> 
With his head down, Nephlite silently entered the room, 
and did not look back to see if his counterpart would shut 
the door.

Slamming the heavy door behind him, the general with the 
poor reputation whispered, "Listen. I've located the 
bearer of the crystal. Now that we've spent so much time 
waiting on this investigation, we might as well get this 
done. Before our target slips out of our hands--"

Nephlite glowered at his comrade. Coughing sharply, he 
said, "Not yet. Do you realize how many people are on this 
ship - and how many might be watching us? Remember what 
Beryl said! We must use care and caution in our approach. 
Perhaps the best method would be to drain the energy of 
the people, and then determine exactly who is the one." 
Putting his right hand to his chin, he paused to think. 
From behind him, Nephlite heard the chatter of a few 
random voices.

For a few seconds, Jadeite also paused. Letting his head 
nod, he said, "You may well be right. We need a way to 
lure the people together... Perhaps a sale?" He laughed at 
his own suggestion.

Wryly, Nephlite smiled. "Clever, my friend, very clever. 
Let us now spread the word," he said, just before he fell 
into a fit of laughter. Jadeite joined in laughing a 
moment later, and before long, much of the ship heard them.

***
Raye, breathing in deeply, sat back in her chair. Placing 
her hands on the back of her head, the would-be miko said, 
"Darn... that *was* a good meal. Thanks for waiting, Amy. 
Well, it looks like the place has pretty much cleared out 
because of that sale those guys told everyone about. It's 
been a few minutes. Shall we see what it's about?" She 
slowly rose from her metal-framed chair.

As for Amy's hands, she had them folded together and 
resting on the edge of the table. "I don't care for any of 
this fan-oriented stuff. Furthermore, those two guys 
looked and acted rather odd - even for this crowd. And 
since this sale is being held in this ship's ballroom, 
there's a chance that it could be rather crowded. If you 
insist, then I might be willing," she said, harshly 
staring at Raye.

"Call me crazy, but I'm curious," the young Hino said, now 
fully standing up, "It's something different and new. Why 
not? Why stay here alone?" she asked, beginning to walk 
off.

<I can't let her go alone - it would hinder my search to 
know more about her,> Amy figured. Sighing in disgust, she 
followed Raye, all the while saying, "Just a moment - wait 
for me."

***
Searching the environs from right to left, Serena saw only 
the painted, decorated ship deck, and not a single person. 
Gasping, she exclaimed, "What a mess. And to think that 
all these people were waiting for this... Luna, what do 
you make of it?" Feeling the floor beneath her creak with 
the ship's motion, Serena took a nervous step back.

Standing next to her would-be owner, Luna looked up and 
replied, "What do you mean? This ship is definitely 
gaudy... but I really wouldn't know where all those people 
are. Maybe there's some sort of special event going on."

Though her arms still wavered, Serena said, "That's what I 
meant. It's not normal for all of them to be gone like 
this. Perhaps we should do something." Folding her arms 
across her chest, she began to tap her right foot against 
the floor.

Luna, recalling the events of the week, sighed. She told 
the young woman, "Serena, I know you have a hard time 
trusting some of my ideas, but this time, it will be 
necessary. Please close your eyes... and, well, you know 
the rest of the routine." The cat closed her own eyes, and 
silently said, <How long can I keep this up? Serena must 
not know of her Sailor identity. Serenity wanted it this 
way, didn't she? After all, what would happen if Sailor 
Moon found out... much less Serena?>

"I will," the young Tsukino replied, nearly in a whisper, 
"as long as you tell me afterwards what this is all 
about." Without a word, she set her hands down.

***
Jadeite, standing behind the makeshift sales counter, 
watched as two more people entered the ballroom. He turned 
to Nephlite and said, "It'll be less than five minutes 
now. Our plan may yet work." Knowing that hundreds of 
people were watching him, he kept his voice to a whisper.

Looking at the multitude of fans walking about, a frown 
crossed Nephlite's face. He thought, <The energy of the 
Negaforce may be in our merchandise, but how do we know 
that everyone will buy it? It would not look good if half 
the people in the room fell unconscious.> The general 
gazed at his right hand for a minute, and then he turned 
towards Jadeite. "Pardon me," Nephlite told him, "I have 
an idea. Stick by the counter - I'll be back soon."

Making his way into the thick crowd, the general sought 
out the two that had just entered the room. Nephlite had 
seen them only a minute ago, and knew what the two girls 
looked like. Another minute later, he spotted them again. 
To Raye and Amy, he asked, "Could I interest you in some 
of our goods? This stuff is selling quickly... you'll want 
to get some before it's gone." Though he stood as a cinder 
block in a windstorm, Nephlite attempted an earnest smile.

Raye blinked twice. She turned to Amy and whispered, "I 
think this guy is a pervert. Believe me, I'd know."

"Still," Amy said in a loud voice, "I'll go to your booth 
in a second. You don't have to be pushy." Coughing, she 
glared at Raye.

Uncertain of what he was to do, Nephlite walked back 
towards the counter. Going right up to Jadeite, he quietly 
told his fellow general, "We may not have one hundred 
percent sales. If there's a few people left standing, I 
suggest we do away with them." Rubbing his cold hands 
together, he looked towards the one doorway in the room.

At that moment, another figure came in through the door, 
with a cat by her side. She, the one named Sailor Moon, 
shouted, "Attention! I am Sailor Moon, justice's champion. 
The vendors of merchandise are patent frauds - they are 
Nephlite and Jadeite of the Negaverse. Now that you have 
been revealed, servants of Beryl, I suggest you give it 
up." The daughter of Serenity leapt over the crowd, and 
landed perfectly on the counter.

His expression set in stone, Jadeite clenched his right 
fist. The evil energy immediately filled all those who had 
purchased their goods, and they fell to the floor. "No 
more audience, little one," he said haughtily, "Remember, 
I can destroy all them in an instant." Though his opponent 
was in his face, he sneered.

"You have failed, Jadeite," Sailor Moon said, her voice 
harsh and serious, "But though evil devours itself, I 
shall take this task upon myself. Serenity," she said to 
the skies, "you are the one who holds life and death in 
your hands. Destroy your foe, so you may be known 
throughout the land."

Her words were barely finished when Jadeite's body turned 
to ash. The scent of sulfur filled the room. Now that the 
deed was done, Sailor Moon turned towards Nephlite, and 
said, "Leave. Your time has not yet come." Her eyes stared 
right into his.

An instant later, Nephlite teleported to the Negaverse, 
not bothering with any parting words. Thus, Serenity's 
child stood alone above the mostly unconscious crowd. She 
whispered, "Serenity, draw the fragment to me. Its bearer 
will not live on without your intervention."

Silently, a piece of the Imperium Silver Crystal flew from 
the body of a young man into Sailor Moon's hands. The 
black-haired, baseball-cap-wearing boy (or was that just 
his costume?) did not bleed a single drop.

Meanwhile, Luna snuck through the crowd, making her way 
towards her charge. Seeing the scene, she thought, <Now 
Raye and Amy have seen her other side. They must not know, 
and I must take the one also named Serena into another 
room...>

"Perhaps I should have listened," Amy whispered, trying 
not to be heard by Raye.

--
Aftershocks (Words in Closing): If you don't like this 
fanfic... well, there's not much I can do about that. Or 
if you wonder where I'm going with this, you'll just have 
to stay tuned, because I've planned for some rather odd 
plot twists in the chapters to come.

In my own life, things have been getting odd. For 
starters, I actually found a fansub which I honestly 
enjoyed. Oh, to be sure, it had a few truly awful lines, 
but the majority of it was actually entertaining. (If 
you're curious, it was Silverwynd's take on "Rayearth" eps 
1-4.) I've even gone as far as to order the first few 
fansubbed episodes of the S series... something I wouldn't 
have done a few months ago, when some really *lame* 
fansubs turned me off. With my defenses weakening like 
that, my days as a dub fan may be numbered. There is a 
fear that I have... that if I change, I will become like 
my enemies. I guess some of this fear is projected in this 
fanfic. Whether you like it or not, it had to be written. 

One more thing: the character Dania Kibake has been 
mentioned in passing, because she is part of the 
background and history of this fic. I'll do my best to 
explain her purpose and role, but she probably won't 
appear for a while, and won't have a large role.

Disclaimers: "Sailor Moon," its characters, and all 
indicia thereof are copyrights of DiC Communications and 
various others. "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon," its 
characters, and all indicia thereof are copyrights of 
Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha Comics Ltd., and various others. 
This fanfic was finished on January 17, 1999 by John Alan 
Riggs, commonly known as Alan or I.N.T.O.

-Alan / I.N.T.O. (I'm Not The Otaking) 
<ChrOtaku@xoommail.com>
<http://www.geocities.com/athens/parthenon/7331/>

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