SAILOR MOON SUPERS: WAR OF DREAMS PART TWO A Sailor Moon Sekkushiaru Roman by Sailor Mac "She's late. She's *always* late." Serena stood in the parking lot of her school, looking at her watch. It was a good half-hour after school had gotten out, and there was no sign of Reenie. "She said she'd be here right after school," Serena mumbled, looking around the lot. Nothing there but row after row of teachers' cars, not a human in sight. "And Reenie has the nerve to tell *me* I'm always late?" She walked to the edge of the street, looked left, looked right, then returned to her original spot. "Just wait until I start driving," she murmured. "If she thinks I'm going to chauffeur her around the entire planet, she's got another thing coming! I'll come and go as I please." "Who are you talking to, Serena?" said a voice behind her. Serena turned, and saw a thirtysomething, petite woman holding an art portfolio in her hand. "Um, nobody, Mrs. Cabot," she said. "My cousin was supposed to meet up with me and she's late, so. . ." The teacher gave a knowing smile, the twinkle in her sea-green eyes seeming to convey that this was far from the first student she'd seen mumbling to themselves outside the school. "Think you'll be okay on your own out here?" Serena felt her hand reaching up for the brooch on the bow of her school uniform. Oh, I'll be all right, she thought. You wouldn't believe the situations I've been in and survived. "Sure, I will." "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then." The teacher began to leave, then turned back. "Oh, by the way, Serena. . .I was quite impressed with that last series of drawings you turned in. Your style is developing quite nicely." Serena blushed. She genuinely enjoyed Mrs. Cabot's art class she'd originally taken it just to fill a course requirement, but quickly found out she liked to draw, and was good at it, too. "Thanks!" "I'm interested to see what you do in the future. You have the potential to be a real manga artist." She looked at her watch. "I have to get going." "Okay! Seeya later!" Serena said. She watched the teacher go, giggling to herself. Mrs. Cabot thought she had the potential to draw manga for a living! Serena had actually begun to think of that as a career path for herself. In the past, whenever someone had asked her what he wanted to do after school, she'd always replied, "Oh, I just want to marry Darien and have kids" partly because no career had particularly sparked her interest yet, partly because she already knew her future as queen of Crystal Tokyo. Why should I bother chasing some dream, she'd thought, when I don't know if I'll have any time to fulfill it? She had no idea how much of a "normal" adult life she'd be allowed to have before the cataclysm which would transform the world she grew up in into the one over which she would reign as queen. It could be three years, it could be 10. . .or it could even be tomorrow. But this. . .the idea of drawing manga. . .it wouldn't matter if she had years and years to properly develop her career. Because she'd be doing something she loved to do, and getting money for it even if it was just a little money at first. And if I happen to end up famous, she thought, so much the better! She began to fantasize about sitting at a table at the front of Books Kinokuniya, autographing her latest manga artbook for a long, long line of adoring fans. . .Just like a queen, she thought to herself with a smile. But I'll have earned it. "Hey!" said a familiar voice next to her. "Quit daydreaming!" Serena looked down. There was her future daughter, arms crossed over her chest, a scowl on her face. The very edges of her pink ponytails seemed to bristle with indignation. "Where the heck were you? I've been waiting here forever!" "I had to stay after a few minutes to get help with my math. Maybe if *you'd* do something like that, you'd have better grades." "Humph! For your information, my art teacher just told me that I have the potential to be a real manga artist!" Reenie had seen Serena's drawings, and she certainly agreed with the teacher's assessment but right now, she wasn't going to let Serena get the upper hand in the argument. "I'll believe it when I see it." "You'll believe it, all right, when I'm rich and famous, and my manga are number-one best sellers, and they're being made into anime, and people are cosplaying as my characters at cons, and. . ." Meanwhile, Joanne Cabot was making her way to her car, glad to be heading home. As much as she loved her students, loved working with them and helping to bring out their full artistic potential, she loved doing her own art more. For her, the best time of the day was when she could put on some jazz and soul music and pull the covering off the canvas she was currently working on, her paints and brushes at the ready. She was putting her briefcase and portfolio in her trunk when a young man approached her and said, "Excuse me, would you happen to know where there's a phone I could use? I seem to have run into some car trouble." The teacher took one look at him blue jeans, T-shirt with the logo of a popular exercise shoe company, spiky pink hair and thought, this must be some college student who broke down on the way to or from classes. There was no way she was going to deny a harmless-looking young person help. "You can use my cell phone," she said, opening her purse and beginning to search around for it. "Oh, a portfolio?" the man said. "Are you an artist?" She smiled. "Yes, I am. Right now, though, I'm paying the bills by teaching." "How nice. Do you enjoy it?" "Oh, I do, but. . ." "You enjoy doing your own stuff more." This guy must be an artist himself, she thought. He understands. "Yes," she said. "Exactly." "Ah," he said, in a strange tone of voice. "A beautiful dream." There was something in that tone of voice that set off "danger" alarms in the young teacher's mind. She quickly closed the trunk and reached for her keys, but never completed the motion. A voice shouted, "ONE!" and there was a sensation of giant hands pushing her, and her back slammed into a wall. What wall? Where did it come from? "TWO!" the voice said, and she tried to pull away, struggling, twisting her body this way and that, and found she couldn't budge an inch. Then, she noticed the metal cuffs binding her wrists and ankles. She looked up, and there was the young man from before, but he looked different, wearing some kind of bizarre pink and black outfit that looked like it belonged in a circus, a look in his eye like a bird of prey about to swoop down on a mouse. "Now, my dear," he said, "let's see this beautiful dream." He advanced on her, slowly, shouting "THREE!", and Joanne let out a bloodcurdling scream. * * * The sound made Serena and Reenie abruptly stop their argument. "What was that?" Reenie said. "It came from over there. . ." Both girls ran for the parking lot, following the sound of the voice as best they could until they saw something that stopped them dead in their tracks. Mrs. Cabot was handcuffed to something that looked like a giant mirror, with a smaller mirror hovering in front of her chest. In front of her was an odd-looking man. . . "Where the heck did he come from?" Serena whispered. She watched as the man grasped the small mirror and slammed his head into it actually *inside* the mirror! Mrs. Cabot screamed again, louder than before, her body twisting and writhing as if in agony. Serena grabbed Reenie's arm and yanked her away from the scene, toward a clump of bushes. No words needed to be said about what they had to do as soon as they were out of sight of passerby, they shouted with one voice, "MOON CRISIS POWER!" Super Sailor Moon and Neo-Sailor Moon raced to the parking lot, to see the man take his head out of the mirror. "What a beautiful dream," he said. "The queen will be pleased. Of course, we have no more use for you." The wall behind her disappeared, and Mrs. Cabot collapsed to the ground. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" Serena shouted. "Who do you think you are, to attack an innocent teacher like that?" The man turned toward them, seemingly unruffled. "Who are *you* to ask me such a question?" "I'm Sailor Moon!" "And I'm Neo-Sailor Moon!" "We are the agents of love and justice! In the name of the moon. . ." "WE'LL PUNISH YOU!" they yelled in unison. The enemy smirked. "What are you going to do, strangle me with those pigtails? You wish!" He snapped his fingers, and what looked like a tiny whirlwind appeared on the ground. "Lemures! Finish off this woman. . .and these pests as well!" The whirlwind grew, and solidified. . .until it looked like a huge Jack-In-The-Box. Serena and Reenie looked at each other, baffled. This was a monster? It looked completely harmless. . . "Have fun with my toy," the man said. He stretched out his arms, and what appeared to be a whirlwind of brown feathers swirled up out of the ground and over his body. They quickly vanished, and he was gone with them. And then, the lid of the box flew open, and something popped out. It was a clown on a spring, all right a hideous one. One eye was a slit, the other bulged so far it looked like it was going to pop out. Huge warts covered the crooked nose, the jutting chin, and the sneering mouth was filled with snaggle teeth. Reenie screamed, throwing herself to the ground, her hands covering her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at the thing. No, she told herself, I have to get up. I'm a Sailor Soldier, I can't let something like this get to me. The bell, I have to have the bell, I have to call Pegasus. . .She willed it to appear, holding her hand above her head, looking up hopefully, but nothing was there. She tried the words "Clarion Call!" and still, nothing. She looked up, and the thing was bouncing up and down, cackling maniacally. It's not going to appear, she thought. I think it can only appear in my dreams. Pegasus only exists in my dreams. . .Tears rose in her eyes, but she quickly shook them off. Crying would do nobody any good, especially her. She got up, making the hand gesture that would cause her little wand to appear. The thing began to scream, in the voice of a lunatic, "Jack. . .Jack. . .Jack. . .Jack!" It held up its hands, and razor-sharp knives appeared in them. It flung one at Serena and one at Reenie. Both girls barely managed to dive out of the way, hitting the ground hard and rolling over and over. "Gods!" Serena said. "What the heck *is* that thing?" She reached her hand in the air, to call forth the Kaleid Moon Scope. . .when another knife came at her. This time, it chopped off the end of a ponytail as it landed on the ground. "Sailor Moon!" Reenie cried. She raised her wand again and felt a hand grab her about the neck. The creature yanked her against its hideous face, and a smell of rotting flesh filled Reenie's nostrils. She gagged and struggled as it cackled, the sound more of a death rattle than a laugh, and began to squeeze her through, slowly, bit by bit. . . "Don't you want to play with me, little girl?" it croaked. "NEO-SAILOR MOON!" Serena screamed. She leapt to her feet, holding out her right hand and rotating the wrist in a quick flip, willing the Kaleid Moon Scope to pop out of subspace and into her hand. As soon as she felt it in her grasp, she waved it around her head once, twice, three times, charging it up. The movement distracted the creature from its torment of Reenie. "Someone else wants to play!" it cackled, raising its other hand. It's going to throw another knife, she thought. I'll get it before it gets me. "MOON GORGEOUS. . ." Serena said. . .but instead of a knife, the creature flung a ball of black energy instead, which slammed into her stomach, feeling like she'd been hit by a cannonball. Serena fell, feeling her flesh scrape and tear as she skidded over the pavement, her rod flying away from her. She grabbed for it, but it was out of her reach. She could hear Reenie's screams getting fainter and fainter as the thing choked the life out of her. And then, a red rose flew out of seemingly nowhere, its stem sticking into the pavement, shooting energy waves into the creature. It stood stock-still except the hand holding Reenie, which opened and dropped her. She scrambled to her feet and ran until she had reached Serena. The thing recovered enough to croak, "Who?" "Tuxedo Mask," Serena said under her breath. He'll never fail us, she thought. There was a flash of gold from above, and a masculine voice shouted, "EARTH BLADE EXECUTION!" A beam of golden light shot down toward the creature. . .but all it did was singe its flesh. The thing let out an ungodly howl, and its body began to glow with the same dark energy it had thrown at Serena. Oh, no, she thought. You're not going to get a chance this time. She charged her weapon quickly, pointed it at the thing and shouted, "MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!" A blast of silver energy came from the end of the rod, and flew to the creature. . .where it shattered into crystal shards upon impact. The thing disintegrated with a howl. Darien leapt down from the lamppost he had been perched on in a billow of black. He grabbed Serena and Reenie into his embrace, and the three clung to each other for a long moment. "Are you all right?" he asked. "I'm fine," Serena said. "Reenie?" She felt shaky, but physically, was all in one piece. "I'm okay." "Gods, what kind of monster was that?" Serena said. "More importantly, who sent it?" Darien said. "The weird guy did," Reenie replied. "Weird guy?" "The man who was attacking Mrs. Cabot. He was wearing some kind of pink and black outfit, like a mime or a circus performer or something." Darien glanced around them, to see if anyone had witnessed the incident. There were a couple of passerby on the street, but they seemed to be moving along nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened. Do these enemies put up some kind of psychic cloak or shield when they do their business? he thought. They may be more powerful than we originally thought. The teacher stirred and moaned. Darien moved over to her, kneeling beside her. The woman's breathing was shallow, her pulse faint. "We'd better get this woman to a doctor," he said. "We'll talk about this when we get home." As he and Serena helped the woman to her feet, he thought again about his attack, about how the Earth Blade had failed to destroy the creature. That isn't normal, he thought. Is it just because the enemies are extra-tough, unlike anything we've ever seen before? Or is it me? Are my powers weakening? And then, he remembered the coughing fit he'd had the day after the eclipse, how he'd collapsed on the floor, expelled black matter from his lungs. . .He began to wonder if the two incidents were related. A cold chill passed down his spine. * * * Hawk Eye was quite pleased with himself as he entered the bar at the Dead Moon Circus, where Tiger Eye and Fish Eye were at a table. "Well, don't we look cocky!" Tiger Eye said. "It went like a charm, friends," Hawk Eye said, sitting down with them. "The woman was so easy to catch. All I had to do was sweet talk her a little, and she gave her dreams up with no struggle at all!" Tiger Eye's face held a look of disbelief. "What. . .none?" "Well, almost none. The only problem came from the two pests who interfered, but I took care of them, too!" "Pests?" said Fish Eye. "Two girls in miniskirts that threatened to punish me and moon me or something." He chuckled. "*Punish* me? That's the funniest thing I've heard in ages! They didn't even look like they could spank me! But I took care of them. I brought out a lemure that was so nasty, there's no way they could have gotten away!" "Are you sure?" said Fish Eye. "Come on," Tiger Eye said, "what could two girls do against a lemure?" Just then, the loudspeaker in the bar crackled to life, and Zirconia's voice croaked, "Tiger Eye, Hawk Eye and Fish Eye, come to the main tent *now*!" "Aw, what does that old hag want now?" Fish Eye groaned, sliding slowly off his barstool. "She doesn't sound happy," Tiger Eye said. "Oh, she'll be happy once she finds out what I did," Hawk Eye said as they headed for the meeting place. But as soon as they walked in, they saw the old crone scowling at the three of them and at Hawk Eye in particular. "Fool!" she shouted. "Idiot! How could you let them destroy the lemure? You know we don't have an endless supply of them!" "Destroy?" Hawk Eye said. "What are you talking about? They were just two young girls! There's absolutely no way they could. . ." "Look at this!" Zirconia said, raising her staff. "Tiger Eye and Fish Eye, see how foolhardy your brother is!" The winged eyeball on top turned toward the wall, and a beam of light came out of it. A picture appeared on the canvas, fuzzy at first, then slowly becoming more distinct. It was images from Hawk Eye's mission. They watched as things seemed to go well at first - he captured the target, pulled out her Mirror of Dreams, looked into it and collected information. . .and then, the interlopers arrived. Hawk Eye watched, jaw dropping, as he saw himself disappear. . .the battle that followed. . .and finally, Sailor Moon destroying the lemure. "But. . .but. . .no way. . .how the hell. . ." "Do you KNOW who that girl is?" Zirconia croaked. "That is SAILOR MOON! The princess of the Moon Kingdom! An enemy of your queen! And you not only let her live, you let her DESTROY the creature!" "You never told us about any Sailor Moon!" Hawk Eye said. "That's because I didn't think there was any way she'd still be around! She was supposed to have been destroyed with the Moon Kingdom! But somehow, she returned. All of you. . .I want you to take this girl *very* seriously. If she tries to interfere again, see to it that she's destroyed!! She could ruin the entire mission!" "Why do we have to use lemures anyway?" said Fish Eye. "Won't it be quicker and easier if we do it ourselves?" "I told you, I forbid you to kill! That's what the lemures are for!" I can barely control them as it is, she thought. If they kill. . .if they get their predatory blood lust up. . .I'll lose power over them altogether. I feel like I can barely control them now. "But. . .but. . ." Hawk Eye stammered. "NO BUTS! See that Sailor Moon is out of our way forever!" The three bowed in unison, and left the tent, the bitterness and anger rising within them almost palpable. "Old bitch," Hawk Eye grumbled. "Did she send that eye thing to follow me?" "Looks like she did," Tiger Eye said. That damn old hag probably has that thing spy on us when we're relieving ourselves, he thought. "How come those two brats had to pick *my* mission to show up for?" Hawk Eye grumbled. "You two got to do yours without a hitch!" "Just your dumb luck," Tiger Eye said. "Hey, he's kinda got a point," Fish Eye said. "How do we know she's not going to show up for any of our missions? How are we going to know her when we see her?" said Fish Eye. "Oh, she told me who she was. Both of the pests were calling themselves Sailor Moon, actually." "And what do we do with her?" "We do what we do best," said Tiger Eye. "Watch her a bit. . .see what she does, how she moves. . .then, go for the kill!" "We don't have *time* to do that!" said Fish Eye. "She's got that zap stick thing! She could blow us away!" "We'll just have to keep throwing lemures at her," Hawk Eye said. "Yeah, like that worked for you!" said Tiger Eye. "I just picked the wrong one, that's all. It was weak. But the others. . .one of them has *got* to work!" "Yeah, yeah," said Fish Eye. "So *you* say." "Hey, have either of you got any better ideas?" The other two looked at each other, then slowly shook their heads. Back in the main tent, Zirconia sat on her throne, looking at images the eye on her staff was projecting onto the wall. This thing is the most intelligent and trustworthy ally I have, she thought. It knows *just* what we're looking for in the way of dreams for the queen. Its first pick was successful, even if the bumbling fool who performed the mission almost caused a catastrophe. Now, it was showing her the targets it had found on its last scouting mission, and they looked very promising indeed. Now, she thought, if only the other three could get their act together. Maybe we could get somewhere. No sooner had the three settled back into the bar, when Zirconia's voice came back over the loudspeaker. "My pet has brought back images of more potential targets. I hope for your sakes you do a better job next time." Zirconia's winged eyeball flew into the bar tent, clutching a sheaf of photos in a talon that had sprouted from its bottom. The pictures were dropped on the table. One of them flew up into the air and flipped over a couple of times before settling atop the pile. It was a picture of a teenage girl with green eyes and brown hair held in a ponytail. . . * * * Alone in his apartment, Darien sat at his computer, clicking through a Web site, trying to gather information for an upcoming project. But it was hard to concentrate on what was on the screen. His mind kept returning to that one crucial moment, where he had aimed the Earth Blade and released his attack, like he'd done so many times before. But this time, the creature wasn't destroyed. Just injured. Maybe it's not me, he thought. Maybe these creatures are just more powerful than anything we've ever faced, and the Earth Blade just isn't strong enough. . . Then, he realized that was nonsense. The power doesn't come from the Blade, he thought. The Blade is just a conductor, it just concentrates and focuses the energy. The power comes from within me. Again, the memory of his mysterious coughing spell passed through his mind. Am I under some kind of psychic attack? he thought. Is someone trying to drain my power? But if that were happening, wouldn't I feel something? As he got up and went to the kitchen for a soda, the scene in the school parking lot played itself out in his mind again. He thought about how his own attack had failed, while Serena's had succeeded. Of course, he thought, it could be as simple as the fact that Serena and Reenie have had power upgrades, and I have not. Perhaps these enemies can only be destroyed by a Super-level Sailor Soldier. He found himself wondering whether he, himself, would ever attain Super form or any significant power upgrade at all. All I can do, he thought, is work at it, and work, and work some more. Artemis keeps saying that he has faith in me, that I'm already making progress. And *maybe* I'll be able to increase my power. . . . . .if someone isn't trying to take that power away from me. As he sat down at his desk again, he felt a tightening in his chest, his throat, as if he were going to cough. His body froze in panic, expecting a repeat of the previous incident. . .but the sensation faded away. Dust, he thought. That's all. I inhaled a bit of dust. But somewhere in the back of his mind was a voice that was saying he was lying to himself, that it was more, much more. * * * Reenie was back home, in the royal playroom, sitting at a table happily drawing away. All around her were the toys she'd had since babyhood on the windowsill a teddy bear, its fur worn down in the places where it was grabbed and hugged; in the corner, a dollhouse with a few pieces of furniture showing seams where they'd been broken and glued together, on the floor next to her, a stack of lock-together blocks, arranged in a seemingly random pattern but which looked like skyscrapers and airplanes to their young owner. And on the table next to her. . .a Jack-in-the-Box. As she drew, it started to play its little tune, all by itself. Reenie wasn't startled by that at first. . .until the lid popped open. Then, she jumped. Something flew toward her face. . .she relaxed when she saw it was the same smiling clown she'd seen all her life. Then, its features began to mutate, turning into a grotesque leer. "Jack," it growled. "Jack, Jack, Jack. . ." As it chanted, it began to grow, and grow, its voice getting louder, shriller, more hysterical. Reenie screamed and started to run away, but it caught her by the throat. She tried to scream for her father, but it began to tighten its grip, cutting off her wind, making her feel like she was going to die any second. A flash of light appeared over her head, and there was the bell. . .the Crystal Clarion. . .hovering above her. With her last ounce of strength, she grabbed it and swung it. The sound of its ringing started the creature enough to make it drop her for a couple of seconds. . .just long enough for her to take a breath and shout, "CLARION CALL!" At the Dead Moon Circus, Helios was suspended between reality and dreams, as he seemed to spend his entire life. Where one began and the other ended, he wasn't sure. He also didn't know if he cared. It was just thought flowing upon thought, feeling flowing upon feeling, an endless blur seemingly without form, without order. His body was fettered, leaving him completely unable to move, unable to experience physical sensation other than the constant tightness of being in mummy-like wrappings. . .but his mind still constantly struggled for freedom. And then, something pierced the fog the clear, pure sound of a bell, a child's shout. . . She's in trouble, he thought. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. He knew he had to help her, this child who had come to mean so much to him in so short a time. "Maiden," he said. "I'm coming." He willed himself to leave his body, heading toward the sound like a ship heading toward a lighthouse. Her barged into her dream like a bull thundering into a palace, and quickly looked around. There was the hideous parody of a childhood toy that was menacing her. Give me power, he thought, please, whoever's out there and can hear me. He aimed his horn at the thing and willed himself to fling all the power in his soul at it. A blast of golden light suddenly shot from the horn, which hit the creature, burning it away to ashes within seconds. Reenie fell to the floor. . .no, ground, the playroom was gone and they were now in the same forest where she had first met him. She got up and threw her arms around the horse's neck. "You saved me," she said. "Thank you." Poor thing, he thought. It's been a long time since I've seen something that horrible turn up in a dream. Did she experience something traumatic today - or did *they* get to her ? "I'll always come for you when you need me," he replied. "You don't have anything to worry about. You have my protection, and the protection of the other Sailor Soldiers." "I was so scared. . .when that thing first came after me, and just now. . ." "It's over now. And you were very brave, both times. I'm proud of you." She sighed. "I wish I could have done something rather than stand there and watch other people destroy it." "Does that bother you?" She sighed. "Yeah. Sometimes, I don't really *feel* like a Sailor Soldier, even though I'm supposed to be one. Well, a Sailor Soldier in training, anyway." He remembered all too well what that was like, back in the days of the Earth Kingdom - the frustration of being the apprentice to magicians, being so close to the power you could almost taste it, but still unable to fully wield it. "It's an uncomfortable feeling, isn't it? Being surrounded by people with heavy magical powers, and you only have a little wand. . .you must feel like you really don't belong there." "Hey, yeah! You understand how I feel." She sat down on the ground next to him. "Nobody else understands me. Not really." "Your other friends don't?" "Well. . .I don't have a *real* friend right now. I mean, I have lots of people I talk to at school, but nobody who's been a *friend* friend. Not since Heather. . ." She felt tears come to her eyes when she thought of her best friend, who had suddenly and mysteriously vanished after the defeat of the Deathbusters. "I don't know if I'll ever see her again," she said, barely above a whisper. Helios heard the mysterious voice in his head again, the one that had instructed him to give the little Sailor Soldier her power-up. It was telling him something else now, something about Reenie's friend, Heather Tomoe. . .Sailor Saturn. "You'll be seeing your friend again," Helios told her. "Not yet, it isn't time yet." "I will?" She leapt to her feet. "When?" Helios reached out with his mind, questioning the voice further. . .but it was silent. He shook his head. "I can't tell you right now. There's this. . .this voice that speaks to be sometimes, tells me things about you. . ." "A voice? What kind of a voice?" "It's hard to say. Sometimes, it's like the voice of a god, or an angel. Other times, it's like it's coming from inside me, like it's some hidden, wiser part of myself. But whatever it is. . .it's not telling me anything else about Heather. All I can say is it will be in the near future." "Yes!" Reenie twirled around with joy. "Oh, Helios, I can't wait! I miss her so much. . .when we were friends, it was the happiest time of my life." Helios was touched by this display. She must have loved that girl like a sister, he thought. Poor girl, I'll bet she's been alone and lonely most of her life. "Reenie. . .did you have friends before her?" She shook her head. "I was never allowed away from the palace without my parents. My mother's friends all had daughters, but they were younger than me. And here. . .I'm always with people older than me." "So you can train with them." She shook her head yes. "Ever wish you were normal?" "Sometimes. But I wish to be a great lady like my mother more." "You *are* a great young lady already. And you'll grow up to be an even greater one." She smiled. "You talk like you've seen my future." He thought of the stately princess who came to him in his dreams, the one who he was sure was the older version of this girl. "Maybe I have," he said. "Oooh, then tell me what's going to happen! Am I going to be beautiful? Who am I going to marry?" "Now, that wouldn't be very fair, would it?" "I think it's fair! Come on, tell me!" "You'll find out soon enough." And then, he felt something swelling within him, a precognition of danger, a warning that it was time to go. He fought against it. . .he wanted to stay with her just a little while longer. . .But there was no fighting time. "I have to go. It's morning." "No. Stay, please. . ." If I would, I could, he thought sadly. But I can only stay in the dream world, where I know I'm safe - where we're both safe - for now. "I'm always with you, Reenie. In your heart. Now, you have to wake up and go to school. Goodbye. . ." She reached for him, but he faded from sight. . .and then, there was a loud, repetitive buzzing sound. Reenie opened her eyes, and found herself in her bed at the Tsukino household. She reached over and shut off the alarm clock, blinking as the light hurt her eyes. Just a dream, she thought. If only I could meet with Pegasus in the *real* world. * * * Amy was in the medical section of Bookstore Asahiya. This was nothing unusual - the store was one of her favorite places to stop on her way home from school, the medical rack one of her favorite sections. But she had never gotten heavily into the books on human sexual biology and response before. Of course, this was before she'd gotten experimental. Having been in the middle of the pornography controversy at Darien's college, seeing the X-rated stories that had been written about her, made her think about sexuality in a way she never had before. There was much more to it than she'd ever dreamed, and she wanted to research it all, learn everything there was to learn - both from books and through experience with her boyfriend, Adam. Perhaps there's some zone, some technique we haven't tried yet, she thought. Didn't that one Web site say there were ways to stimulate a man's prostate that can bring him pleasure? And I'm sure I haven't unlocked the full potential of the arrangements of nerve endings in the scrotum. . . She reached up to brush a lock of hair out of her eyes, and noticed, with annoyance, that it was still a bit sticky. The honey experiment had *not* had good results. She hadn't been able to get the stuff out of her hair for days. *Any* hair. It was bad enough on her head, but when she found her underwear adhering to her, it was embarrassing (even if she was the only one who had witnessed it). Well, all right, that one hadn't worked out. But there was still endless other possibilities for them. She just had to find out what they were, and then tap their potential. She put the book back on the shelf. Maybe, she thought, I should look in some of the medical journals. After all, they'll have the most timely and accurate information. . .much more so than these books. They're probably all at least two or three years old. She headed for the magazine rack, scanning for where the professional publications were kept. . .and then, something caught her eye. It was a screaming headline from one of the cheesy women's magazines, the kind with a half-dressed woman pouting on the cover - the kind she normally wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole. But this. . .grabbed her interest. "ORGASMS UNLIMITED!" it said. "Sixty-Nine Ways To Find All Of His Moan Zones - And Help Him Find Yours!" Ridiculous, she thought. The idea anyone would read and believe something like that. . . But as she looked at the rack next to it, her eyes kept getting drawn to the cheesy women's magazine. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to look at it, just as a curiosity, she thought. . .then, What the heck am I thinking! That's for women with all hormones and no brains. I certainly couldn't have any use for that! She picked up a "Psychology Today" and started flipping through it. . .but her mind was still returning to what was below her. Well, these people *have* built their reputation on that kind of thing, she thought. They wouldn't have stayed in business very long if it was *all* inaccurate, would they?. . .Nonsense. It's probably written on a third-grade reading level. She looked at her watch. It was time for her to leave. . .she wanted to get in some study time before dinner. She put the magazine back on the rack and started to leave. . . She got about five steps in the direction of the door, then abruptly turned around, snatched up the cheesy women's magazine, then quickly grabbed the "Psychology Today" and slapped it on top. She rushed for the cash register, thanking the gods there was nobody in front of her, avoiding the cashier's eyes. * * * Elsewhere in town, another of the Sailor Soldiers was out shopping. But Lita's mind was far from books. I've got three hours before Ken shows up, she thought. I've got plenty of time. She'd already hit the grocery store and the video store, and was now on her way to her favorite streetside produce dealer. She passed a lingerie store, and paused. She remembered this store well. When she and Ken had been having relationship problems, they had come to solve them, in part, through learning to share and enjoy the erotic stories that were on the site at Darien's college, the ones that had caused such controversy. But their passion had also been sparked anew by something she'd bought in that very store. Who would have thought before then, she thought, that I'd end up wearing a tigerskin thong? That would have been so. . .not me. But I loved doing it. I loved how it made me feel, and how he reacted. Hmm, she thought. Something like that might be the perfect finishing touch to the evening. Maybe not a thong again, but something like a lace bodysuit. Her hand went into her skirt pocket and pulled out the folded bills she'd brought with her. She sighed. Forget it, she thought. That stuff's not cheap, and I think I have just enough for the vegetables. Oh, well. Next time I come to town. The produce stand on the corner was run by a grandmotherly lady who hadn't changed a day since Lita was a child. "Hello, dear," she said. "How's school been?" "Hi, Mrs. Kobe. Doing okay. Mostly in home ec and gym." "That doesn't surprise me. You must be one of the best cooks in the school." "Oh, so this young lady's a master chef?" said an unfamiliar voice beside Lita. She turned and saw a tall, good-looking young man in a tan business suit, his long, blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. Stock market hotshot type, she thought. I'll bet he has women falling all over him. She had to admit that she found him attractive herself - the kind of guy I would have fallen for at one time, she thought. "Lita here is my best customer," Mrs. Kobe said. "She knows more about food than the chefs in the restaurant over there." "I love to cook," Lita told the newcomer. "It's my favorite thing in the world." "Perhaps you can give me some advice, then. I have to cook dinner for a certain young lady tonight" - got him pegged right, Lita thought - "and the recipe calls for zucchini, which I know absolutely nothing about. How do I pick out a good one?" "Oh, that's simple. You just have to make sure they're large, but not *too* large. When they get *too* big, they're all seeds and they're tough." She picked one up off the stack. "See, this one is a perfect size. Also, squeeze it to make sure it's not too soft." He gave her a sly smile. "Do you do a lot of squeezing to see if things are soft?" Why did I know a line like that was coming? she thought. "No," she replied, "sometimes I can tell if something is firm enough just by looking at it." "And I'm sure you can tell if one is. . .just big enough, right?" "I've had some bad experiences with ones that were too big," she said. Strange, she thought, I'm starting to enjoy this game. "Oh, I'm sure you have," he said. "And to think, I believed all those women who told me, ิthe bigger, the better.'" "They obviously don't have enough experience." I can't believe I'm flirting like this with someone I just bumped into at the produce stand! she thought. This definitely isn't like me, but. . .there's something about this guy, something that makes you feel. . .at ease. "Toche," he said. "I've always liked a woman who knows what to do with. . .squash." Okay, she thought, enough's enough. . .time to get back to the original subject before he misreads my intentions. "You have to know just what to look for with each one. That's always been one of my cooking secrets - I only use vegetables when they're *just* ripe enough." The stranger smiled. "Remind me to eat in your restaurant someday." "Oh, that's always been my ultimate dream - to have my own restaurant. I think it would be the greatest thing in the world to make my living doing what I love best." The stranger got a funny look on his face and said, "A beautiful dream, indeed." He held out three of the squash. "Add these to my bags." "Bags?" Lita said. She watched Mrs. Kobe lift three overstuffed bags of vegetables over the counter. Whoever this girlfriend of his is, Lita thought, she must be a vegetarian who eats as much as Serena. "Well, it was nice meeting you," the man said, and turned to go - dropping one of the bags. "Damn!" he said. Lita picked it up. "Here, why don't I help you carry this?" "Thank you so much. My car's through here." He pointed down an abandoned alley which led to a vacant lot. Funny place to park, Lita thought, but it's not unheard of for people to leave cars back there. "Sure," she said, following him. But when they got to the lot, no car was there. "Are you sure you left it here?" Lita said. "Oh, I'm sure I came to the right place," the man said. . .in a different tone of voice. Cold, sinister. . .Alarm bells went off in Lita's head. She dropped the bag and turned to run. There was a flash of light behind her - and then something entangled around her legs, making her fall. She hit the ground hard, momentarily stunned. . .and then, looked up. The yuppie was gone. In his place was some kind of circus performer in a tigerskin bodysuit and black tights, wielding a whip. "Who. . .what. . ." "No, I didn't come for a car, young lady. I came for your beautiful dream." She leapt to her feet and started to make the gesture that would bring her wand to her hand, but she never completed it. The man said, "ONE!" and she felt as if invisible hands were grabbing her and slamming her against a wall - which hadn't been there before. "TWO!" he said, and metal cuffs came out of the wall and bound Lita's hands and feet. She struggled and screamed, feeling the metal cut into her skin - the more she pulled against the bonds, the more they seemed to tighten. "THREE!" And then, Lita felt agony like she'd never experienced before. It was far beyond physical pain - although there was an intense burning in her chest - it was as if her very soul was being ripped away from her. She pulled at her bonds again and again, feeling the metal cut into her skin. I have to get away, she thought. "And now, my dear. . .let's see that dream." The man was approaching her, and for the first time, Lita noticed there was something hovering in front of her chest, something shaped like a wall mirror. The man grabbed it and thrust his head into it. . .and Lita felt him invading her psyche, looking into her most private thoughts and feelings, raping her in a way far more intimate and horrifying than the sexual. And there was nothing she could do about it. She let out a scream of agony and fury, trying to push him out with her thoughts, but he kept probing, and probing, filling her entire mind until Lita began to wonder whether she was still in there at all. Finally, he pulled away, and Lita could feel the bonds loosening. But she couldn't do anything to him now, because her body was weak - so weak she couldn't even lift a finger. She thought she heard the man say, "Lemure! Come forth and finish her!" and then, she crumpled to the ground, unconscious. She found herself standing on top of a mountain, looking down at the planet below her. But the vegetation was not that of earth. The trees were a much darker green, the flowers in shapes she had never seen growing in Tokyo - star shapes, curlicued petals, something that reminded her of the shape of a fluted Jello mold. . .She looked up at the sky, and it was green. She recognized it instantly - it was Io, capital moon of the Jupiter system, where she had lived during the Silver Millennium. A mist began coming down from the sky and landing in front of her, a mist that began to take a humanoid form. She knew who it was even before it solidified, before she saw the long, golden hair and beard, the sky-blue eyes that exuded both kindliness and strength, the cloth-of-gold toga which looked like it were made out of sunbeams. She got down on one knee, gracefully. "My Lord," she said to her Guardian Deity. "You can get up, Princess," Jupiter said. "You have work to do against this enemy, and I'm about to give you the power you need." Lita rose, and said, "I could have used that power before, you know." "I couldn't give it to you right in front of one of them. There is far too much at stake, and these enemies are much too dangerous. They would have struck you down before you could transform into your new form." "Too much at stake?" "I can't tell you about it now - time is short." He held out his hands, and a heart-shaped green crystal appeared between them. "This has the energy to turn you into Super Sailor Jupiter. When you awaken, this is what I need you to do. . ." Meanwhile, Tiger Eye was surveying his lemure. . .a creature that looked like it was constructed of lumps of white clay, barely humanoid in form, with slits for eyes and a mouth. Child's play, he thought. The girl's half-dead already. I think I can leave now. "Make sure you take care of her," he told the creature, before opening a flaming portal to elsewhere and jumping in. The creature looked at the girl on the ground. This was going to be too easy. It shot out a long string of clay-like material, which attached itself to her skin. The thing then used its arms to roll her over and over, starting to wrap her up like a fly in a spider's web. When the casing was complete, it would constrict and suffocate her. But then, the seemingly unconscious girl began to talk. "What do I do?" she said. "How do I do it?" The thing backed off, baffled. Who did she think she was talking to? "And then what?" she mumbled. "Ah, yes, I see. Piece of cake, leave it to me!" Leave what to me? the thing thought. What's going. . . And while the creature was caught off-guard, the girl leapt to her feet, flinging her arms out and snapping her bindings as if they were made of tissue paper. She grabbed something out of the air and yelled, "JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!" There was a flash of green light, and the girl was. . .gone. Something else was in her place, a humanoid in a green-and-white outfit. She began to spin around, pirouetting like a ballerina. An antenna sprouted up from her tiara, and sparks flew from it, charging the very air around her. "JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!" she shouted, and suddenly, the sparks became leaf-shaped balls of energy which arced away from her, crackling, sparkling, like a fireworks display in miniature. They slammed into the creature with a deadly sizzle and pop, there was a huge flash, and the lemure was reduced to ashes. Lita stood still, panting, watching for any other movement, any sign that there may be another creature. There was none. It's over, she thought. . .but no feeling of relief flooded her. Instead, she felt totally numb. She detransformed and began walking out of the alley. By the side of Mrs. Kobe's stand were her grocery and video store bags. She bent and picked them up, mechanically, and began walking toward her home, slowly, like a zombie. As she walked, the numbness disappeared, and began to be replaced by an intense fear. What had happened? Where had they come from? Could it happen again? Were they lurking around here right now, waiting for another chance? She tried to push the thoughts aside, but they kept coming. She unlocked her door and put her bags on the kitchen table. When she tried to pull out a chair, she noticed her hands were shaking so badly she could hardly keep a grip on it. I've got to get hold of myself, she thought. I've dealt with enemies before, I've had them do nasty things to me. Hell, I've literally died and come back to life. And I've bounced back. This is no different than anything else that's happened, right? But she couldn't escape the memory of having her most private thoughts plundered, violated. . .the sensation that her own mind was no longer her own. I have to tell Serena, she thought. If these are the tactics our enemies use, we're going to have to be careful, they could get any of us next. Somehow, she managed to pick up the phone and dial. "Serena, it's Lita. . ." "Lita? What's wrong? You don't sound right." "On the way home. . .something happened. . ." * * * Serena hung up the phone. First Mrs. Cabot, now Lita. Are these enemies deliberately going after people close to me? she thought. Is one of my other friends going to be next? She shuddered at the thought of what Lita must have gone through. Serena had offered to go over there and make sure she was all right, but Lita had waved her off. "I'm all right," she'd said. "Ken will be here any minute, anyway." If anyone can take care of her, he can, she thought. But I'm still going to sit here and worry all night. She sat back down at her desk and turned her computer on, thinking about what Reenie had told her earlier. She'd seen that hideous monster in a dream, and Pegasus had come to save her. That Pegasus again, she thought. This can't be coincidence. Why does it keep showing up in Reenie's dreams? Maybe it's some kind of messenger from the gods? Or some kind of ghost or spirit-type thingy that's fighting against these enemies too? Or maybe. . .Another possibility formed in her head, which she tried to push away. Maybe the Pegasus is working for them. . . She shook her head. No, she thought, I won't believe it. Not until we find out more. She opened a file on her machine, innocuously labeled "Science Project 5/10" - but was really the file where she was logging everything she learned about the new enemies. She began to type in the new information. Sooner or later, she thought, all of these pieces will fit together and we'll figure out what's going on. But until then. . .please, please, gods, don't let anyone else I care for get hurt. * * * When Lita answered the door, Ken realized right away that something was not quite right. She had her usual smile on her face, but there was something about it that looked forced. "Hi," she said, "come on in. I didn't get a chance to cook yet, I was. . .delayed coming home." "That's okay. Don't worry about it, we'll just order pizza or something tonight. You deserve a night off." He fully expected her to reply, "Night off? No way! Just give me a few minutes. . ." and then rush into the kitchen and prepare something extraordinary. But instead, she just said, "Fine," and led him into the living room. Now he was getting concerned. "Lita. . .is everything all right?" "Sure, I'm okay. Just. . .a little tired, that's all." He smiled, and said, "Well, you not wanting to go into the kitchen *is* considered one of the Seven Signs of the Apocalypse." To his shock, she burst into tears, burying her face in her hands and shaking with sobs. "Hey. . .it was a joke, honey." He began rubbing her shoulders. "You know I'd never say anything that would upset. . ." She started sobbing twice as hard, leaning forward to the point where she almost pitched headfirst off the couch. This isn't just getting up on the wrong side of the bed, or a bad day at school, he thought. Something is *really* wrong. He wondered if it had something to do with Sailor Soldier business. "Lita. . .what happened? Whatever it is, you can tell me." How can I tell him? she thought. How can I tell him that this human monster somehow managed to invade my very brain, and I couldn't stop it? She shook her head. "Oh, gods, Lita. . .did someone attack you? Did they?" She wanted to deny it, but her head was moving up and down, almost by itself, telling him that he was right. And then, his arms were around her, and her face was buried in his shoulder. All she could do was cry, and cry, feeling like she'd never be emptied of the pain. He stroked her hair, rubbed her back, whispered soothing, loving words to her. It still wouldn't take away what had happened, but it was still comforting - she was surrounded with love. Finally, she eased away from him, and began talking about what had happened, quietly. "I was on my way home, and I wanted to stop at the produce stand. . ." Ken listened to her story, first in disbelief, then in rage. What the hell kind of an enemy would poke around inside a woman's dreams, inside her most private psyche? What could they possibly gain from something like that? And why target someone like Lita? Was it because she was Sailor Jupiter. . .or some other, more sinister reason? When she finished her story, she got up and paced around the room a bit, silently. Then, she looked right at him, and said, "And do you know the worst part of it all? I hate how vulnerable it's made me! I hate how it's made me feel like I'm at the mercy of the enemy! That's *not* me! It's like they've taken away who I am!" She fought back tears. No, I won't cry again, she thought. I will *not* give in to that. If I do, they've won. Ken got up and walked over to her, pulling her into his arms again. "It's just temporary. You're feeling like this now because of the shock of what happened. You'll be back to your old self in no time." "Why do I find that hard to believe?" she said. "You're the strongest person I ever met. You can bounce back from anything, Lita. You've taken on things that would have killed someone else and beaten them." "Not like this," she said. "Nothing like this." "But you *can* deal with this. I know you can." She sighed, and started to move toward the bedroom. "I have to lie down for a few minutes. I feel dizzy and weak again." "I'll come with you." She lay on her bed, and he pulled her into his arms. Gods, she thought, I feel so weary. . .like I've had my energy drained by the Negaverse. I didn't realize until now how tired I am. Just another shitty thing they did to me. When I catch up to them, they'll pay, but good. . . Sleep was closing in on her, sucking her down like a whirlpool. The everyday world was fading away. . . She was in a dark back alley, not unlike the one where she was attacked. She was in magical form. She was looking for something, but she didn't know what. A noise behind her made her turn around abruptly. "Who's there?" she called. She tried to make her eyes adjust to the dark, but she couldn't see anything. Then, something jumped out of nowhere and landed on her, knocking her over. When she tried to move, something that felt like multiple hands held her arms down. She struggled, but its grip only got tighter. "Let me go!" she said. "You son of a bitch, let me go!" "I can't let you go," it said, in a voice that sounded like a rough, coarse version of her own. "Not until you want me to go." "What do you mean by that?" "You're hiding under me, aren't you? You think if you wallow in fear and self-pity, you won't have to face what happened to you, won't have to fight. That's what you really want, isn't it? To never face another enemy again?" "That's a lie! I do want to face the enemy!" "No you don't. Your dream is to be a master chef, isn't it? You'd rather spend your life in the kitchen than use your powers to help others." "SHUT UP! What makes you think you know me?" "I know you better than anyone. I'm you - the you that you don't want anyone to see." "You're not ANY part of me!" She struggled more and more, but the thing only held her tighter. "You never wanted powers in the first place, did you?" the thing said. "Of course you didn't. What a responsibility it is to have all that power. You're too independent to want all that responsibility." "STOP SAYING THESE THINGS!" she shouted, trying to kick out at it but finding her legs immobile. How *dare* this creep say something like that about me? she thought. What makes her think I never wanted to be Sailor Jupiter? I *do*, now more than ever, after what happened to me. I want to make sure that the one who hurt me, and everyone working with him, get hurt in return. I want to make sure they never hurt anyone else again. I'll teach this thing a lesson. The fury rose and rose within her, and the angrier she got, the stronger she felt. She could feel her new powers flowing through her like the strongest electric current. Being a Sailor Soldier, which had seemed like a mere mission before, now seemed like a religious crusade. "My dream," she said, "is to protect this planet and everyone on it and make sure nobody else *ever* has to suffer what I suffered!" She willed electricity to shoot from her tiara toward the creature, saying, "TARGET ZAP!" The thing instantly yelped and pulled away long enough for her to get to her feet and launch her new attack. "JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!" she shouted as she spun around, feeling the power burst from her in blasts of energy which flew toward their target like guided missiles, smashing into it and bursting into flame, which flared up toward the heavens, then faded rapidly away, taking the creature with them. As it vanished, she felt all her muscles relax. She could breathe again. A sense of well-being stole over her. "Now," she said out loud, "I'm *really* Super Sailor Jupiter." She woke up, noticing that it was completely dark in the bedroom now. She turned on a bedside nightlight. Ken had also dozed off. She stroked his hair. I must have given him a fright, she thought. He was probably thinking, "Who is this person and what has she done with Lita?" "It's okay, honey," she said out loud. "I'm *me* again." Ken stirred, his eyes opening, and sat up. "Hmmm. . .what was that again?" "Just that I'm feeling better. A *lot* better." "What happened?" "Let's just say that the nap did me a lot of good. I have a lot more perspective on what happened now." "What do you mean?" "Just that. . .what happened is *over*." She hugged him. "Thanks for helping me out tonight." He hugged her. "It was the least I could do." "You did very well." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I feel so relaxed now. . .relaxed and calm." "And you look beautiful, as well." She looked up at him, smiling. "What's that got to do with anything?" "Oh, nothing. Just that it's one of the reasons why I love you." Lita gave him a playful swat. "Do you expect me to fall for a line like that?" "Can't fault me for trying." "You'll have to try harder," she said teasingly. He leaned over, pressing his lips hard against hers. She gasped as she felt his insistent pressure, the way his tongue pushed her lips open. . .She responded, her arms coming around him, pulling him closer, rubbing her body against his, feeling the friction, the heat. . . When he pulled his mouth away from hers and began to run his tongue up and down her neck, she shuddered deeply. "That works," she gasped. "Oh, yes. . .that *really* works." He reached down for her nightshirt, grabbing it by the hem and yanking it over her head. Her panties landed on the floor beside it seconds later. He rid himself of his own clothing, then lay beside her again, pulling her into his arms, kissing her lips fiercely while he reached down to cup her breasts. Lita luxuriated in his attentions. She pushed his head downward, letting him know without words what she wanted. He complied, pulling her nipple into his lips and suckling hungrily, making liquid heat rise between her thighs. He pulled it out and flicked his tongue over the hardened bud. . .touching her barely, just enough for her to feel it. . .before descending again, sucking with renewed intensity. She tossed her head back, long, low sounds of passion escaping from her. Electricity was cracking through every part of her, and she thought she could barely contain it. She wanted to do something for him, something special. . . She rolled them both over, so he was on his back, and eased away from his mouth. "Now," she whispered, "I'm returning your favor." She bent her head to his nipple and drew it into her mouth, letting her hand slip downward as she suckled. He gasped as her fingers slid up and down his length, swirling over the head, then going all around the shaft, then tickling, teasing the balls. "Lita," he moaned. "Oh, gods, that's incredible." She switched her mouth to the other nipple, her palm rubbing back and forth over the tip of his manhood. She was feeling bolder than she ever could remember feeling, totally uninhibited and unrestrained. She thought of how Amy had suddenly gotten into experimenting, always looking for new things to try, talking to other people about their sex lives. Who would have thought that Amy and I would have so much in common? she thought. We're both throwing our inhibitions out the window. When they were reading all the erotic stories on the college Web site, they had come across a certain fantasy scenario in a particular story that had appealed to them both. They had talked about acting it out from time to time, but never went through with it. Intimidation had always held them back. She was feeling no intimidation now. Slowly, she moved away from him. "I have something I want to share with you," she said. "Hmm," he replied, "you've already shared plenty." "This is something really special." She got out of the bed. "I'll be right back." In the bathroom, at the very back of a cabinet, was something she'd bought a couple of months ago - after one of their discussions of this fantasy - and never touched since. Ken watched her open the cabinet, rustle around in it. . .what the heck is she getting? he thought. It can't be condoms, she knows that I always have them in my wallet. And it's not any kind of special clothing, why would she keep that in the bathroom? Lita looked down at the object she had just taken out. Last chance, Lita, she told herself. You can bail out now and not go through with it. She chuckled to herself. Bail out? Hell, no! There was no doubt in her mind about doing this. She was more confident, more ready to face the unknown, than ever before. Once you had taken on your own self-doubt and beaten it, there was little that could hold you back. Lita returned to the bed, sitting next to him and giving him a kiss. "Here," she said, putting what she was holding into his hand. "This is for both of us." He looked at it aand saw a tube, similar to toothpaste. . . "KY Jelly?" He looked perplexed at first - then, it sank in. "Lita. . .you can't mean. . ." "I can, and I do." She covered the hand holding the tube with hers and squeezed it, leaning over to kiss him. "I want to make our fantasy come true." "Oh, sweetheart. . ." He drew her into his arms. "I couldn't." "Why not?" "I don't want to hurt you. Not after what you went through." "Oh, darling. . ." She held him closely. "You won't hurt me. I've read up on this (and, she thought, gotten some information from Miss Walking Medical Encyclopedia Amy), there shouldn't be any problem if the woman is relaxed - and I am. I'm ready for this. I want us to share something we never have before." "You sure? You can stop me at any time if you want, you know." "I know." She bent over and touched her lips to his, and they kissed, gently and softly, a contrast to the fierce passion of before. She eased away from him and got on her knees, then bent over so her head was resting on her folded arms, which were on a pillow. Ken looked at her upraised bottom, offered freely to him. I can't believe this is happening, he thought. We'd talked about this, but I never thought we'd actually *do* it. He was flooded with excitement, anticipation, and love. Now, he thought, where do I start? What do I do? I feel like a virgin all over again. He got up and went into the bathroom, bringing back a few towels, then sat down next to her again. He reached out a hand and smoothed it over her buttocks, stroking, caressing. When he heard her let out a little purr, he was encouraged to get bolder. He leaned over, laying soft kisses over the left cheek, following the curve, feeling how firm and well-shaped it was. His heart was pounding, excitement rising and rising as he moved to the other side and began to nip at it. She let out a small cry of "Oh!" and arched herself toward him, and he kissed and nibbled faster, harder, while he reached for the tube. Opening it, he poured some on his hand and slid his fingers toward her opening, where he smoothed the gel around. Maybe I should open her up before I try anything else, he thought. He lubricated the first two fingers of his right hand and began to gently massage the opening. Lita cried out at the entirely new sensation. Her heart was pounding in anticipation. . .what was this going to be like? Slowly, he worked the finger in, and she gasped - at first, it was unpleasant, not really painful, but uncomfortable - then, she felt herself relaxing when she realized she was not being hurt, and the feeling started to be replaced by a sensation of pleasure, especially when he began moving the finger in and out. She found herself moaning, leaning back against him again. To him, the sensation was tight, soft and warm - different than having his fingers in her womanhood, but equally exciting. Gently, he began to slip in the second finger, and again, Lita tensed, feeling an uncomfortable pressure for a moment - then, it passed, and the pleasure from before was back, only more intense. "Oooh, yes," she moaned. "You like that?" "Gods, yes. I didn't think it would feel this good." He slowly moved his fingers around inside her, trying to open her up as widely as possible, and continued to thrust. Lita let the completely new feelings wash over her. I'm ready, she thought. I'm more than ready. I want to feel him take me there. "Now," she whispered. "Please. . ." "Yes, sweetheart," he said. She felt the fingers slide out of her, and she felt empty, disappointed. There was the sound of a condom packet being torn open, and then, the "squish" sound of him squeezing more out of the tube - she guessed he was putting it on his manhood - and then, she felt him grasp his hips and position himself against her opening. He leaned over and kissed her neck. "I love you so much," he whispered. "I love you, too." He began to press against her, and at first, the opening wouldn't give. Oh, gods, he thought, am I doing something wrong? But as he increased the pressure, he felt it blossom bit by bit, until finally, he was able to push the entire head into her. Lita let out a gasp - it was like when his fingers were first inserted, only more intense. But the discomfort was mixed with a little pleasure, and she knew there was greater pleasure to come, so she relaxed. Ken pushed forward, slowly, bit by bit. He was amazed at how different this felt from penetrating her womanhood - it was a tight fit, very tight, gripping him, making him feel intense shocks of pleasure with every movement. He wanted to thrust fast and hard, but he wanted to give Lita a chance to get used to the sensation. Lita was starting to feel delicious spasms of pleasure, both in her womanhood and where he was loving her, and warm pleasure radiating all over her body. She moaned, loudly. "Are you all right?" he said. "I'm more than all right. Don't stop, keep going." He pushed in more, until he was fully embedded within her. He paused for a second, leaning over to lay kisses on her back, her neck, then began to slowly thrust. The intense sensations were growing rapidly. . .he knew his orgasm would be swift. He reached around her body and between her legs, finding her soft folds, parting them, letting a finger slip between. When he thrust them into her womanhood, she shrieked. She was being filled from front and back, taken completely. "Yes!" she cried. "Oh, that's so good!" Her cry only served to make his blood run hotter, made him want to give both of them the ultimate fulfillment, more than they'd ever experienced before. He began to move his fingers in opposing rhythm to his manhood. . .when one went out, the other went in. She began to buck her hips, forward against his fingers, back against his erection, one giving her pleasure, then the other, sensations shooting from her womanhood, then her rear passage, two different kinds of delicious shocks, two temperatures of blazing heat. When his other hand found her breasts, stroking the nipples, the pleasure became almost unbearable, a delicious torture. Every pleasure center was being stimulated, every nerve ending overloaded, she couldn't believe one human body could contain so much hot ecstasy. . . He could feel the pleasure cresting within him. . .it was time. He thrust his fingers, his hips faster, thinking, come with me, come with me, darling. . . Lita felt the heat within her swell and swell - then burst into a raging bonfire, consuming her completely, making her literally scream as spasm after luscious spasm wracked her. It was unlike any climax she'd ever felt before, the sensations shooting back and forth from anus to womanhood, then all over her. She heard Ken's cry answer her own, and felt him tense, then sag down on top of her. She collapsed to the bed, trembling, spent. She felt his lips on her neck, her cheek. "Was it everything you'd wanted?" she said. "Gods, yes. Even more so." "I know. . .it was for me, too." "I love you. I don't think I've ever felt so close to you before." "Same here. . .I love you, too." She turned her head toward him and smiled. "Better get cleaned up, love." "Cleaned. . .oh." He chuckled nervously, then headed for the bathroom. She relaxed completely as she heard the condom being tossed into the garbage, followed by the sound of running water. She was as far away from dream thieves and nightmares as you could get. They'd make a dream come true, and it was beautiful. He sat on the bed beside her and she felt a warm, wet rag moving over her bottom, followed by a towel. She turned over and reached for him. He put the cloths aside, took her in his arms and they kissed. "What a day," he said. She smiled. "Yes. What a day." They curled up together and fell asleep. * * * At the Dead Moon Circus, Nehelenia paced like a caged tiger within her mirror, the information that Zirconia had brought her earlier that evening burning in her brain like a tumor. It had been bad enough when she had been informed Sailor Moon had returned. Now, there was confirmation of another active Sailor Soldier. Another Lemure, destroyed, this time by Sailor Jupiter. How many of them are there? she thought. A picture filled her mind of Cassiopeia's ballroom in the Silver Millennium, filled with a gathering of young women in the traditional short sailor uniforms. Mercury and Venus and Jupiter and Mars and Uranus and Neptune and Pluto. . . "They couldn't *all* have returned, could they?" she said aloud. It would be just like Cassiopeia and Serenity, she thought, to have found a way to make them return just as she was coming into power. They'd do anything to hold me back. . . "ZIRCONIA!" she shouted. "Come here at once!" She saw the image of her former mentor appear on the other side of the glass. "Yes, my queen?" "I want you and those three to redouble your efforts. I want twice as many dreams gathered, and I want you to take only the strongest Lemures on your missions. We don't have time to waste. I want this mission finished before more Sailor Soldiers show themselves!" "But my queen, we're doing all that we. . ." "I do NOT want to hear that! Find a way to do more, Zirconia! That's an order!" She stalked back toward the back of the mirror. I will *not* let Cassiopeia and Serenity and their soldiers stop me, she thought. If they try to get in my way, they will *all* die. Then, she remembered the curse she had sent out, the one that was currently consuming its oh-so-deserving victim, bit by agonizing bit. A cruel smile crossed her face. At least *one* of their soldiers won't be a threat much longer, she thought. * * * "So what's the difference between being *Super* Sailor Jupiter and regular Jupiter, anyway?" Raye said. They were sitting in Crown Cafe the next day, and Lita had just told them about the attack and her power-up. "I have a *real* powerful new attack." "Anything else?" said Mina. Else? thought Lita. "Um, well, I have a new wand. Much bigger, with a big green crystal ball on the top." "What about your fuku?" said Serena. "What happened to that?" Fuku? thought Lita. "I got a new brooch on my front, heart-shaped. . .um, I think I got a new choker, and a longer bow in the back. . ." Wait a minute, she thought. If I were *Super* Sailor Jupiter, why do I have the same old costume? You'd think taking such a big jump in power would make you *look* different. "So," said Raye, "same old same old, right?" Lita sighed. "Yep. Pretty much." "Almost not worth becoming Super for," said Mina. Lita shook her head. They were missing the point. Attaining Super form was definitely not about the costumes. She knew now what it was *really* about - being able to face your own fears, your own inhibitions, and conquer them. She'd done that, and she was now more calm, more relaxed than she'd ever felt in her life. She was more than ready for the enemy to try something else. One of her hands slid, almost self-consciously, down her hip and back toward her buttocks. And losing those inhibitions, she thought, sometimes has *very* pleasant side effects. Further down the table, Reenie was also thinking of matters other than fashion upgrades. She was thinking about Lita's description of her dream. Lita did the same thing I did, she thought. She had to face down something scary, too, and she beat it like I did. Well, Helios was the one who actually *attacked* it. . .but I knew what to do, I called on him and faced the thing without being scared. Having faced that thing again in her dreams, and destroying it, made Reenie feel good inside. I know I can beat something like that all by myself, she thought. I have it in me. If only I could get a better weapon and a better attack than the Pink Sugar Heart wand. . . Someday, she thought. Someday, I'll be as strong and powerful as my mother. She'd said those words to herself a thousand times - but now, since meeting Helios, she was begining to believe it. Thanks for being my friend, Helios, she thought, wishing he could hear her. Little did she know, he did. AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'd found the way the Sailor Soldiers got their power-ups in the SuperS anime rather disappointing. First, Pegasus just zapped them. . .but the actual powers didn't show up until much later, and when they did, the new powers just kind of *appeared* with little or no fanfare (with the exception of Mercury's power-up). For this series, I decided to do something a bit closer to the manga concept, where each Inner powers up one at a time, her increased power a sign of her own personal growth. Thanks tons to my editor, Steve Savage (check out his original fantasy/romance series, Xai, at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/xai. I *very* highly reccomend it) and to the members of Lemon Tree and the Lemonromance mailing list. E-mail me at sailormac@wjjz.com. My Web page is at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/sailormac. Standard Sailor Moon disclaimers apply. These characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing them for a little while.