It was wednesday afternoon and the schools were beginning to empty when the hammer came down. As she often did Ami hurried straight from dismissal to cram school. It was this sort of thing which made her friends appreciate not being geniuses. Who wants to spend more time in school?

Ami was half walking, half running along a strangely deserted stretch of sidewalk when the figure appeared in front of her. She'd seen it only briefly before, as a hologram image that towered over Zoisite and Kunzite, but she recognised it instantly. "Queen Beryl!"

The figure smiled exposing a mouth full of very sharp teeth. "Hello Sailor Mercury. Would you like to surrender and make this easier for both of us?"

Ami's mind had already raced ahead. The Beryl lookalike had to be the same creature that had impersonating the generals. Which Gray and Sailors Arcturus and Polaris were convinced was really Jadeite. It already knew who she was and there were no witnesses therefore ... Even before Beryl had finished her question Ami had shouted "MERCURY POWER MAKEUP!" The costume formed instantly but more importantly she had access to her powers. Delay it and bring in heavy backup! "SHABON SPRAY!" The street filled with a cold peasoup fog. Ami was reaching for her communicator when the hand closed on her shoulder.

Her reactions were good but not quite good enough. As she started to aim at the figure behind her and use the "Shabon Spray Freezing" attack she felt the electricity hit her. Paralysed and hurting she heard Beryl through the haze of the pain. "Nice try. If you'd moved as soon as you cast the fog I couldn't have caught you so easily." Beryl snorted contemptuously, "Amateurs!" then Ami lost consciousness.

The fog began breaking up. Beryl scooped up her unconscious foe and the dropped communicator. To herself she remarked, "One down!" then disappeared along with her burden.

Makoto was heading home alone. Usagi had been kept behind again and Ami had run off to cram school. It always gave Makoto a creepy feeling how eager Ami was to attend extra classes. There but for the grace of God go I to quote an expression she'd heard. Her latest romance hadn't worked out. Actually it hadn't even begun as it turned out he already had a girlfriend. Maybe she should check a bit closer before making her moves. Nahhh, best to stay spontaneous.

She had just decided to go by the arcade and flirt with Motoki (just for practice unless his girlfriend had dumped him in which case ... ) when the youma appeared in her path. "Afternoon Sailor Jupiter. Like to surrender or do I have to hurt you?"

It looked familiar, she'd seen those spiky shoulders before somewhere. Anyway it knew she was Sailor Jupiter and there was no one around so why hesitate? "JUPITER POWER MAKEUP!" No messing around, not after the way she'd been blindsided lately. "SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!" The pavement in front of her erupted in electrical fire. Makoto was still half blinded from the flash when something seized her left arm, clamped onto her back and tossed her into the wall.

She managed to roll with the impact and fire a "Supreme Thunder" blast behind herself. Suddenly she realized she'd just used her powers without checking for bystanders. Thankfully the street remained empty. Totally empty! Where was her opponent? Could she have just vaporized her?

No. Youma dust hung in the air longer. Besides she couldn't count on getting that lucky. So where was it? Almost as if it had heard her thoughts the voice echoed around her. "I can see you, can you see me?" She couldn't locate the source.

"Show yourself!"

"Sorry, you're far too violent. I think I'll just stay hidden. You'll never find me alone, you're the dumbest of the senshi."

"Oh yeah!" This thing was claiming Usagi was smarter than her. She'd make it pay for that. She took a step then stopped and frowned. She felt weak, she must have hit that wall harder than she'd thought. Except she didn't feel any pain, just a growing weariness. Standing up was now a chore. Makoto leaned against the wall and felt the strange lethagy spread.

She slumped to her knees. What the hell was wrong with her? As she slipped from kneeling to sprawling on the pavement she heard the voice again. "I figured electrical attack wouldn't work on you so I tried something a little different. My throw was intended to distract you from the draining matrix I planted on your back." As Makoto began pawing at her back she thought she saw someone appear before her. Her vision was dimming so it was hard to tell. The voice continued, "It's immaterial, you can't touch it!" She couldn't feel anything and didn't have the strength to continue.

Her arms felt like lead, it was difficult to move. Makoto managed to fumble her communicator out of her uniform. She had to warn the others before it overwhelmed her.

The kick knocked it out of her hand. The youma smiled down at her and said, "It's a little soon to spoil the surprise."

With the last of her strength Makoto clamped her other hand around the ankle in front of her and whispered "supreme thunder." There was a faint crackle but nothing more. The last thing Jupiter heard before she blacked out was Beryl saying, "Pathetic!"

Rei had just arrived home at the temple when she felt the presence. A youma here? Such desecration couldn't be permitted. "MARS POWER MAKE UP!" The costume had just finished forming when she heard the sarcastic applause.

"Bravo. Such dramatic flare. Have you considered the stage?"

"Well as a matter of fact ... Hey! Don't try to distract me. I am the guardian of this sacred place! You trespass upon holy ground, demon! In the name of spiritual purity Sailor Mars will fry you!"

"Bless you too. Show me what you've got brat!"

"My pleasure, FIRE SOUL BIRD!" Rei's flame construct tore towards the youma. It made no move to defend itself and in an instant the place it stood was wreathed in flame. Rei shielded her eyes against the glare. When the light she could see through her closed eyelids had faded she looked again. The sight shocked her.

The female youma stood unhurt amid the dying flames. Though the ground looked whitehot (fading to red) it showed no sign of discomfort. Even her dress looked unburned. Beryl's grin revealed a lot of sharp teeth. "Sorry but fire doesn't work anymore. I am beyond the weaknesses of the flesh. By the way it's my turn." The youma sounded so casual Rei missed the cue for a crucial moment. She was still diving from her spot when the shockblast slammed her across the courtyard.

Dazed Rei saw the two youmas stalking towards her. No wait, both were identical she was seeing double. She couldn't see to aim straight. Not that it would do much good if the creature was fireproof. What was she supposed to do ... use the spirit wards dummy! The knock on the head must have scrambled her wits temporarily. Now if she could just find the cards before it reached her.

"Hey what the heck are you ARRRGH!" Beryl's pause to zap Yuichiro gave Rei the delay she needed. She'd paralyse the Youma, call in the others to zap it and hope the wards held it until they came. Soon as she called them she'd do what she could to help Yuichiro. She felt a little guilty at not considering this earlier. Here goes nothing!

Beryl reached down, grabbed Rei by the collar and hauled her upright. Rei hung limp playing unconscious. The way she felt after the sudden jerk it wasn't far from the truth. Now! Her hand shot forward and stuck the card to Beryl's forehead chanting the blessing as she did so.

The youma showed no sign of discomfort. Her free hand reached up and peeled the card loose. Rei felt her blood turn to ice, youma could not disregard spirit wards so easily! It violated everything she'd be taught! Beryl glanced at the card and said, "Sorry but I'm more science fiction than fantasy orientated these days." The card burst into flames and was ash in a few moments.

The youma was distracted. This was probably her last chance. Maybe her powers would be effective at point blank range. "FIRE AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Beryl nodded at the unconscious enemy hanging in her grasp. "Three down, Three to go." There was a swirl of lights then both figures were gone.

At the school Titania Hobbes watched the other students leaving through the window. She wasn't in detention, Ms. Saito wasn't one of her teachers. But she'd been very insistent that Ti stay to talk to her. Big brother still hadn't seen her, Ms. Saito must have been avoiding her apartment.

"Thank you for waiting."

"My pleasure sensei." It struck Titanite that the teacher wasn't that many years older than her. OK eight years older but right now she looked younger and very insecure.

After glancing around to make sure no one else was in earshot Mai said, "I wanted to talk to you about a few things not directly concerned with school." She paused then said, "Look I'll walk you to the gates. It'll give time to talk."

"Yes sensei."

Outside in the yard Minako was loitering. Since there wasn't going to be any action until tomorrow she intended to follow Titania. Hopefully she could confirm that the English girl was Sailor Polaris. In which case there were a few questions she wanted answered. The big one being that if Jadeite was responsible for the current attacks where did Lord Calcite fit in.

Speaking of Calcite that's who Mai and Titanite were discussing. Mai wasn't sure how to say this without sounding crazy. "Your brother is ... different."

"That could mean a lot of things sensei. Would you like to be a little more specific?" And as Cal was planning to tell her about his Gray identity Ti added, "Different runs in our family." Mai froze momentarily then continued walking.

"Different as in ... in paranormal abilities." There she'd said it. Mai watched the girl and saw her nod. She was momentarily at a loss for words but went on, "When we were in the park ..."

"He shielded you from the attacking youma.", Ti cut in. "He told me about that. He also told me he's been unable to find you since then and you must be avoiding him."

Mai showed no irritation at the interuption, "Yes I haven't been back to my apartment except for a few brief stops to pick up changes of clothes. I've been staying with an old friend."

"May I ask why?"

"Because your brother scared me! When he said he believed in the supernatural he forgot to mention he was supernatural! When I got out of the park I realized I was as scared of him as I ws of that thing. That's why I didn't go home, because I didn't want him to be able to find me. When I think that we were ..." She broke off remembering she was talking to a minor, "... were dating and all the time he was ... whatever he is and I never realized ... I don't know what's going on anymore. But I've decided I can't stay hidden my whole life. But I don't know what to do next. Since he's your brother I thought you might have a few answers."

Some humans evidently can't handle the idea of the paranormal existing, Ti thought. She'd better be careful handling this or she could screw things up for her brother. Offhand she couldn't think of a good parallel from her comics so she'd have to use her own judgement. "Cal would never do anything to hurt you. In fact he wouldn't even be using his powers if it weren't for the current situation."

"Just what is the current situation?"

"There's a youma roaming Juban draining people's life energy. But it should be over with soon. Then Cal can go back to being normal."

Mai shook her head. "He may not use his powers but he won't be normal. He'll just be pretending to be normal. Underneath he'll still have be different won't he?"

"His powers are part of him, he can chose not to use them but they're as essential to him as the ability to breathe. We were born this way and nothing's going to change that."

Mai stopped dead. "WE! You mean you have powers too?"

Oops maybe she'd said to much, "Uhmm well, what I meant was ... OH SHIT!" This last part wasn't added because of Ti's inability to come up with the right words. She'd added the exclamation because she suddenly sensed then saw the youma who'd appeared in front of them. "QUEEN BERYL?!"

"I hate such familiarity from the lower classes. You should address me as 'Your majesty'. I'll have to punish you for that."

Mai suddenly felt herself shoved aside by Ti at the same time the girl made an impossible leap backwards. The concrete they'd been standing on shattered. Mai was looking backwards at Ti, who'd just broken the olympic longjump record, and saw her change.

Ti slapped the transmuter bracelet as she dived from the spot she'd landed. Ms. Saito was the only witness and this definitely qualified as an emergency where she needed to use her powers. If anyone else came on the scene they'd see Sailor Polaris fighting a youma. The situation stank, she wasn't in top shape after yesterday even with her rapid healing abilities. She'd explained the bruises as the results of falling downstairs and been told she must be as clumsy as Minako. The costume had formed by the time she hit the ground and rolled. As she did she activated her telekenetic abilities.

She had to keep moving. Her brother had given her some tactical advice last night after they got home. After they'd bandaged her and done what they could to minimize the pain she'd gone to bed to let her healing factor do the rest. Cal had sat down by the futon and told her, "Ti you know I don't want you to fight but if you have to you've got to use your powers as effectively as possible. Your force sphere, what the hell, your 'Polaris Missile' is the best weapon you've got. Actually apart from your speed, strength and agility it's all you've got. But it takes time to generate and if you just stand there posing while you do that you're an easy target. So create it while you're moving. I know it's harder but you can't give your enemy a stationary target. Whatever you do remember that."

"I remember big brother here goes nothing!" she thought as the sphere peaked. "EAT THIS!" Whoops she should have given her attack cry. Though it seemed more appropriate somehow.

Mai saw the glowing sphere slam into the youma. It shot backwards into one of the schoolyard walls and the bricks exploded. A thick cloud of powdered brick obscured the impact point. The green haired Sailor Warrior who'd been the brunette schoolgirl just a few moments before flashed the victory sign then tried to peer through the dust. It was amazing how little time had passed. She heard footsteps and turned to see another Sailor Warrior approaching.

"Sailor Venus!" I should have expected her, Ti thought. After all this is her school. She'd started to reach for her emergency signaller but hesitated. Things had happened too rapidly for her to think of using it earlier but now Sailor Venus was here did she still need the backup? Then the dust cleared enough for her to see into the hole Beryl had made in the wall. There was no sign of anyone. "Where ... ?" The hand clamped on her shoulder.

"HERE!" The electricity ripped through Titanite, she spasmed and her hand jerked away from the signaller. The pain became unbearable and Ti blacked out.

"POLARIS!" Minako muttered a few things that would have damaged her reputation if she'd been overheard. She couldn't get a clear shot at Beryl with Sailor Polaris in the way. Then Polaris went limp, Beryl smiled at her said, "Lord Calcite sends his regards", then disappeared taking Polaris with her. A swirling egg shaped energy ovoid remained where Beryl had stood. Well now she knew for sure that Titania was Sailor Polaris meaning her brother was probably Gray. She also knew that the two day Youma cycle was a crock. She had to call the others, maybe they could trace Polaris before it was too late. She had unlimbered the communicator and was trying to send a general call when Mai got over her shock and came towards her. The communicator displayed nothing but static. What the heck? That thing Beryl left, it must be blocking the signal somehow. Easily fixed, "Crescent Beam."

The beam went straight through the ovoid and clipped the top off the school flagpole. Ok maybe not so easily fixed. It must have a limited range, put enough distance between them and the communicator would work again. But why would Beryl (or Jadeite, or Calcite of whoever it was?) want to block her temporarily. Then she realized maybe temporary was all Beryl needed. She just needed a few minutes so Minako couldn't warn any of the others. After all she attacked Polaris in her civilian identity so maybe she knew who the other were. Calcite certainly knew her real name. Hah and they say Ami's the brains of the group, I'll bet she wouldn't have figured it out this quickly.

"Excuse me Sailor Venus ..." The teacher's voice snapped her out of the self congratulatory haze. Instead of being so proud of herself she should be putting some distance between herself and the jammer.

"Uhhgottagobye!" Mai saw Sailor Venus charge away at a ridiculous speed. What the hell was going on? "Mother was right. Never get involved with paranormal gaijin. Well she didn't say that but she certainly should have."

Usagi was heading home in a good mood. Ms. Sakurada had got some phonecall and said she was letting Usagi out of detention early because she couldn't stay to supervise. Things were looking up. Now maybe she could get Mamoru-san to help her with all the homework at his apartment. She was in such a cheerful frame of mind that she walked straight by the lady leaning against the lamppost without a second's thought. She was halfway down the block before she realized she'd just passed Queen Beryl.

No way. It couldn't be! She turned to look and saw Beryl smiling at her. "Hello Sailor Moon. I have returned for a rematch!"

"Oh ... uh could you wait until tomorrow? See I've got this extra homework because of detention and .."

"NO IT CAN'T WAIT! Ahem, you are ruining my stylish menace pose. How you managed to ... no matter. You can fight me as Sailor Moon or die where you stand."

"No third choice?"

"No."

"In that case, MOON PRISM POWER MAKE UP! I'm the Sailor Warrior fighting for love and AAAAAKKKK!"

Beryl looked down at the unconscious figure slumped on the street and shook her head. "Kid, there's a time to make speeches and a time to shut up and fight. How you managed to beat the real queen is a mystery to me." She heard the beep, smiled and fished out Usagi's communicator. Sailor Venus's face appeared on the screen.

"Usagi, thank goodness. None of the others are responding. I think maybe ..." Beryl flicked the transmitting switch.

"Maybe they had a run in with me?"

"BERYL!"

"I'm sorry but Sailors Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Polaris can't answer right now. Can I take a message?"

"Beryl I'm going to ..."

"You won't be able to find me. The only thing you can do is go home and wait. Lord Calcite will get in touch with you soon. Bye!" Beryl broke the connection and picked up Usagi. One to go. Both vanished.

Not far away Tuxedo Mask froze in shock. He'd sensed Usagi was in danger and was heading to help her but suddenly he felt nothing. He always knew where he'd find her but now he couldn't sense her presence anywhere. Could she be ...? No. If she'd died he knew he'd have sensed that. Fate had bound them together, their lives were intertwined. She was alive he was sure of that. But somehow she'd been taken someplace he couldn't sense her. Or could she have gone somewhere beyond his range. While he was sure he could find her anyplace on Earth what about beyond? Could she somehow have returned to Silver Millenium? All he could do was go to the last place he'd sensed her and look for clues.

Meanwhile Azurite was browsing through a videostore. Ah here it was, just as Ti had told her. She took it to the counter and asked the clerk to giftwrap it. She'd tell Ti she needn't bother repaying her. It'd be worth it to see the expresion on Cal's face. Besides they could use a few laughs while they could get them. Tomorrow was going to be deadly serious. Could they realistically take Jadeite out? He'd screwed up consistantly against the Sailor Warriors but that wasn't quite the same thing.

As she stepped outside she noticed the street was deserted. Very odd. The road should be packed with cars and the pavement with commuters. It was almost as if something was diverting both from this area. Azurite tensed and began sidling towards an alleyway. Maybe it was just an accident or some roadworks. Or maybe something bad was coming so Azure had better disappear and Sailor Arcturus take over. She felt the youma aura appear, ducked into alley, triggered the costume change and hit her emergency signal. She recognised the aura she sensed. No way, it couldn't be! Calm down, she told herself, we've found out Jadeite can replicate auras. It's not really Queen Beryl.

Beryl's voice rang out, "Sorry Calcite won't be assisting you. I'm blocking your ingenious signaller."

Sailor Arcturus showed no sign of emotion but inside Azurite felt her insides knot up. Shit! Ok calm down. He's a day early but that means he hasn't had much time to heal. Me and Cal really ripped him up last night. So maybe I can take him alone. Maybe hell, I've got to beat him. If I warp out of here he'll follow. Assuming I live long enough to complete the teleport. He can shift instantly while we need time. No choice. She activated the warpjammer, neither of them was going anywhere.

The fake Beryl didn't seem in a hurry to attack. She said, "Nice outfit, really shows the figure. Maybe I should try something like that.

Keep him talking, buy time to build as much power as possible. "Didn't know you were a transvestite Jadeite."

Beryl smiled, "So you figured it out. Well then you should know that you can't beat me. Not on your own."

"Tell that to Sailor Moon."

"SHUT UP! Ahem, she just kept getting lucky. That's all. Well enough of this witty repartee. Goodbye!"

Inside the videostore the clerk, attracted by the commotion, looked outside. She immediately flipped the sign to closed and locked the door. Then dug out a camera and filmed through the window.

Outside Azurite was somersaulting away from Beryl's last shockblast. Why Jadeite was still using the Beryl disguise she didn't know. Maybe it was symbolic, maybe he was just nuts. She spun and aimed at Jadeite. The air funnel created by her vortex generation powers looked like a hurricane turned sideways. It also struck like a hurricane. Beryl was flung backwards and smashed into a retaining wall. Without a forceshield she'd have been smeared, even with one she was hurt. Azurite saw her foe cough up a mouthful of blood. Good, internal injuries. The impact overloaded the shield's kinetic dampening ability. Part of the force got through. No time to gloat she had to press her advantage fast. She didn't have Cal's power reserves this had to end quickly. She slammed another hurricane into the slumped figure. Beryl screamed. Azurite pushed all feelings of mercy aside. No prison could hold Jadeite, if he survived he'd be sure to seek vengeance. She had to end this while her luck held. She had one more superhurricane left. NOW!

Beryl flickered out of existence and the air vortex ripped into unoccupied masonary. Azurite sensed the presence behind her and spun around fast. She almost made it.

Azurite hit the street hard. She was dazed from both the impact and the the combination force blast/electric shock attack she'd been hit with. But how? Beryl had teleported but the jammer ... the jammer! As though she'd read her mind Beryl said, "That's right the jammer doesn't work. It never worked!" She slammed another blast into Azurite then remarked conversationally, "You know if you were human you'd be dead by now." Another blast. "Pyrite's little invention was a masterpiece but he made one crucial error. He thought he was dealing with a youma." She blasted Azurite again then inspected her nails.

"Then ... what ... are ... you?", Azurite managed to gasp.

"Sorry it's a little too soon to tell you. Almost everything is in place. I just need to visit Pyrite and make a few phonecalls."

"Touch Pyrite ... and I'll ... I'll kill you!"

"I'm sure you would if I gave you the chance. But I'm not about to do that. Goodnight." A final blast and everything went black for Azurite. Beryl was about to grab her and depart when she saw the camera. She waved and said, "Is this the end of Sailor Arcturus? Film at eleven." Then she scooped her up and fallen foe and disappeared.

Not long afterwards Beryl was looking at the house the renegades shared. She couldn't teleport in, not with the keyed blocking field in place. Of course she could replicate one of the renegades' auras and then warp in. But it felt more satisfying to do it this way. She surged forward and flung herself at the kitchen window.

Pyrite heard the glass break then felt the aura. He charged up from the basement holding a rod humming with power. "It can't be!"

A kick knocked the rod from his hand and it spun down the hallway. He turned to look into Beryl's merciless eyes. "Yes it can!"

At his office Calcite was finishing up his memo advising the bank to stay away from that bond trader in Singapore. It would probably be ignored but at least he'd have tried. He touched the intercom and asked his personal secretary, "Miami are the phones working yet?"

"I am sorry Hobbes-san but they are still trying to trace the problem. I regret to inform you of a related problem."

"Related?"

"Security has just informed me of a breakin at the parking lot. Many cellular phones have been stolen including yours."

"So no one can phone us?"

"I am afraid so Hobbes-san. A moment please ... A runner has just informed me that we are evacuating the building in case this is an attempt to isolate us prior to an attack."

"An attack? By who?"

"Terrorist, bank robbers, whoever. It seems unlikely but security is insisting we don't take the risk."

"Allright then I'm leaving. But to avoid the certain chaos in the parking lot I'll walk home. Anyway you'd better go now." Miami thanked him and left with an undignified haste.

He picked up his jacket and headed for the elevator. The lobby was full of nervous people determined to show no outward signs of panic. Calcite was one of the few relaxed people. With his powers he was the most likely to survive this hypothetical assault.

After exiting the building he began wandering home. It was a pleasant day for a walk, especially if your lungs can filter out the airborne pollutants and exhale them. As he walked he reflected that it was odd that he was good in his position in the bank. He'd picked the profession because he'd been fascinated by the whole concept after learning about the ideas behind money. Mind control had got him into the position but he'd found he had a flare for it. It was just a matter of learning to see the hidden patterns. He still didn't understand why economists couldn't.

Patterns ... tomorrow Jadeite would reemerge. Possibly as himself, perhaps as someone else again. He'd have to be ready. This was going to be the toughest fight of his life. The question of if Jadeite actually his father was irrelevant. It wouldn't slow Jadeite down if he knew he was facing his son. So I can't let it affect me.

Still one thing he had to give Jadeite was points for style. When he'd been doing his "Lord Calcite" act he'd been unable to match that flawless arrogance. Jadeite still had that quality. He remembered that encounter last Wednesday evening (was it really only a week ago, it felt so much longer) Jadeite floating over the fallen Sailor Warriors declaiming in triumph. He remembered the speech, "Did you idiots truly think you could beat me! I am Jadeite, first of the four. I survived the Eternal Sleep! If I could do that how could anything stop me!"

Calcite frowned, something felt wrong about that. He found a public bench and sat down to think. Had he remembered incorrectly? He stretched his powers of recall casting his mind back a week. Ah yes now he had it, Jadeite didn't say he'd escaped the Eternal Sleep. He said he'd escaped the Big Sl...

Calcite felt something cold creep down his spine. Just a coincidence, Jadeite just happened to use that phrase. It was obvious what he meant. Patterns ... Another memory surfaced. Nephrite talking to that girl before he took on the Sailor Warriors. Impossible, it had to be coincidence.

Then he remembered Zoisite's opening line on Sunday. He'd been right there, why hadn't he picked up the connection. Kunzite just yesterday, his speech about Zoisite. Why the hell hadn't he caught it? He'd seen the damn things more times than he wanted to. But how was it possible? All the other evidence pointed to Jadeite. All the evidence that had been left there for them to find. Could it all be some sick game? But if that was so would the gamemaster keep following his rules? Or would he just kick the board over arbitrarily?

All bets were off. He found a secluded spot and activated his communicator. Several minutes later no one had answered. Thoroughly unnerved he found a payphone and dialed home. The line was busy. But if someone was home why didn't they answer the communicator signal?

He ducked into the first alley he spotted and teleported home. He wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted him.

The place had been wrecked. Shattered furniture was strewn across the living room. He could see blue stains here and there. Blood! He stepped into the hall and saw the phone was off the hook and beeping. Automatically he hung it up. Then he sensed the weak youma aura. Pyrite!

His cousin was a battered mess. His left arm and several fingers on the right hand were broken. His right leg was broken in two places, several ribs had been fractured. Where he wasn't bleeding he was bruised. Pyrite's eyes fluttered open, he saw his cousin leaning over him and struggled to speak.

"Don't try to talk. You'll only strain the internal damage." He couldn't sense the intruder. Ok first thing to do is stop the bleeding while learning the extent of Pyr's internal injuries.

"No ... you have to ... have to listen!" Pyrite paused to draw breath. Cal gently probed for damage as he did this. "It was Jadeite ... looking like Beryl for some ... for some reason. He said ... said he's got Azure and Ti. Wants you ... wants you to come to him. He'll call ... if you don't go where he says ... kill them both."

"I understand. I swear I'll bring them both back. Now rest."

Elsewhere Mai Saito looked at her phone and wondered if she should try phoning Calvin again. The line had been busy an awfully long time.

Cal had stopped the worst of the cuts from bleeding when he heard the phone ring. He snatched it up and managed to repress a threat. This could be another caller, "Hello?"

"Hello Calcite", Beryl's voice hissed from the receiver.

"Let them go now and I'll let you live!"

"Such confidence. Sorry none of my guests are leaving while I'm alive. But I'm going to give you a chance."

"Where?"

"You know the abandoned Star Tower reconstruction?"

"I know it."

"Come through the west entrance at six. No earlier, no later."

"I'll be there."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Don't because you won't enjoy it."

"We'll see. See you at six." There was a click and the line went dead. Calcite didn't slam the phone down. The sonofabitch thinks he's a master manipulator. Up until now he's certainly been right. So what I have to do is find a way to throw a monkeywrench into his plans.

In her lair Beryl hung up the phone. Everything was proceeding nicely, not long now. Still she sensed her guests were starting to revive. She slipped away.

When Azurite woke up she felt worse than she had in years. She seemed to have sleeping in a very awkward position. In fact she seemed to be hanging in place. She opened her eyes slightly and saw she was looking downward at her legs. They seemed to end just above the ankles. Her eyes snapped all the way open. Fighting down panic she looked again. She could feel her feet inside her boots so they weren't gone. In fact she could just make them out. It looked as though her feet were embedded in a translucent crystal. She looked up and saw her arms seemed to end just above the wrist. So her hands were immobalized as well. She heard a groan to the side and glanced to the right to see Titanite hanging beside her. Being shorter Ti was more stretched by their confinement. About three meters away were another two slabs of crystal. Hanging between them (from left to right) were Sailors Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Moon. Jupiter had the most slack, Mercury looked the most stretched. Jupiter seemed to be regaining consciousness, as did Mars. Moon sounded really out of it, she was muttering "775 bottles of beer on the wall, 775 bottles of beer, take one down, one down, pass it around, 774 bottles of beer on the wall ..." And so on. (Sorry I don't know a Japanese equivalent). Perhaps her scrambled state of mind was assisted by the new jewel fixed to her tiara. Mercury was awake but staying quiet as she studied their surroundings.

It appeared to be a cave at first glance. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, stalagmites grew from the floor. If you looked closer you could see the regularity of the roof between the stalactites or the concrete between the stalagmites. There were also power cables partially covered by the fake outcroppings. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to make this resemble a natural cavern. Perhaps for homesickness, there were no shortage of caverns in the Dark Kingdom. Most youma had lived in them. And of course Queen Beryl had held court in the great chamber.

In the meantime the question was how tough was this stuff? Azurite pulled downwards with superhuman strength. Nothing happened except the bones in her forearms creaked. Absolutely no give. Whoever built this was planning to imprison paranormally strong people. She heard a groan as Titanite woke up followed by a gasp as she realized she was trapped. "AZURE!"

"Calm down, we've got company over there." She nodded towards the Sailor Warriors. Jupiter and Mars were awake and trying, without success, to break loose. "Ti ... Polaris, can you use your TK?"

"I don't know. I should be able to." Titanite concentrated on forming a forcesphere between her trapped hands. She could use it to break them free then blast her feet free, hopefully without loosing any toes.

Nothing happened. She tried again. No success. "I can't! I don't understand! It's so basic."

"I think I know why." She called over to the trapped Sailors, "Any of you able to use your powers?"

Mercury shook her head, "No. I think this crystal must somehow block us. I don't know how. Perhaps it absorbs the power we generate or scrambles the part of our brains that access our powers. Either way my powers don't work, neither do Jupiter or Mars's."

Azurite nodded at Sailor Moon. "What about her? Can't she summon the Moon Sceptre and blast us all free?"

"Perhaps she could if she could connect with reality. But she doesn't seem able to focus."

"What else is new?" That was from Sailor Mars.

"That's a little harsh. Actually I think that jewel is intended to keep her in a stupor."

"Like I said what else is new? I'll snap her out of it. HEY TURTLE BRAIN! Stop counting and get us out of this! Look at me Usa...Sailor Moon. WAKE UP YOU IDIOT!" Usagi kept counting down so Rei decided to change tactics "Hey this place is full of cute guys!"

Usagi stopped counting and glanced around. As she did Rei shouted at her to summon the sceptre. Usagi didn't seem to hear. She stopping looking around and let herself hang loosely again. Then she turned to look at Rei and asked, "Was I on 703 or 704?"

"What?"

"Don't remember either. Start again. 1000 bottles of beer on the wall ..."

Rei kept yelling at Usagi despite Ami telling her to forget it as she'd clearly been brainwashed. Azurite decided to play her trump card. She couldn't sense a jammer field so she'd be able to teleport. She couldn't sense any youma auras so hopefully there captor wasn't around. Quietly she said to Ti, "I'm going to jump free then try and crack this thing with a hurricane punch." And then, she added silently, if it works and the noise doesn't alert our captor I'll break our fellow prisoners free. But if Jadeite comes storming in here I warp the two of us out of here and look for Calcite. That would mean jumping blind as she didn't know where they were now. Not recommended but her options were limited. First though she'd aim for a metre in front of them. Azurite summoned her power and initalized the jump.

Blue energy crackled over her body and Azurite screamed long and loud. Then she slumped back and fell silent.

"AZURE! DON'T BE DEAD! PLEASE BIG SISTER!" Ti felt on the verge of tears when the hated voice cut into her plea.

"As you just saw if you try to teleport out you'll suffer. You could almost say ...", Beryl struck Sailor Moon's pose, "... In the name of the Dark Kingdom, I will punish you."

"MONSTER!"

"A small joke Polaris, the process is automatic. Like the one that blocks all your powers. But how can you call me a monster Polaris. Are we not cut from the same cloth?"

"I'm nothing like you Jadeite. It's your actions that make you a monster not your nature."

Beryl simply smiled than said, "Arcturus will recover. At least from that shock. But the fate of all of you depends on our two absent guests."

"Which means Sailor Venus and Gray I suppose."

"Very good Mercury, that's exactly who we're waiting for. Tuxedo Mask is out of the loop. This place is very carefully shielded. Here we are all psychically invisible. Now why don't you ask Polaris your question." Ami looked startled. "Don't be so surprised. It's obvious you want her to tell you something."

Ami decided she might as well ask. "All right. Sailor Polaris, why were you, Arcturus and Gray so sure Jadeite's the one behind everything that's happened lately?" At Polaris's surprised look she added, "I was able to eavesdrop on you three with my vizor."

"Oh. Well you know that shattered crystal we found?" Ami nodded. "OK it was what was left of an Eternal Sleep crystal." At the questioning looks from the Sailor Warriors she continued, "Queen Beryl imprisoned people she wanted to make examples of in those crystals. After you, Mars and Moon beat him that last time the queen sealed Jadeite into one of them. Of all those imprisoned that way only Jadeite had the power to cause all this trouble. Why he's disguising himself we don't know. We also don't know how he got out of the crystal."

"Bravo a most concise explanation for a complicated series of events." Beryl applauded briefly then said, "Would you mind explaining to our friends over there just how you know so much about events that happened in the Dark Kingdom?" Polaris just glared at Beryl. The youma queen held up a hand and grinned. The fingers doubled in length so they looked like the legs of some horrible insect thing. Thin claws looking like scalpel blades extuded from the finger tips. Titanite involuntarily cowered back as far as she could.

Beryl strode past her to the unconscious Azurite. The razor tipped fingers almost carressed her cheek. "Such a pretty face. She'll look so very ugly without it." The Sailor Warriors gasped (except for Sailor Moon was past 900 and falling).

"WAIT!"

Beryl pulled her hand back slightly. "The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth if you please." One finger twitched towards Azurite's eyes.

"I'll tell them, just don't hurt her!" Beryl made no promises but moved the blade away slightly. Titanite took a deep breath and said, "The reason I know so much about the Dark Kingdom is ... is that ... (Beryl looked impatient) is that I was born there! We both were." Various explanations of amazement from the Sailor Warriors. Beryl made a motion to continue. "My real name is Titanite, Sailor Arcturus's is Azurite. Four of us got out of the Dark Kingdom just before the end."

"Wait a minute!", Rei broke in. "You can't be a youma. I can sense youmas and I never felt that from either of you."

"You don't actually sense youmas. You sense something with both paranormal powers and evil destructive intentions. Right?"

"Well yes but youma ..."

"Did you think all youma were evil?"

"Well ... yeah!"

"Why?"

"Because ... because we never met any who weren't."

Ami broke in, "I think that was an error on our part. Judging a whole people by the actions of a few is an error. Most nations have terrible things in their past that were caused by the actions of the leaders."

Titanite sighed. "Unfortunately most of the youma were evil. Those of us who weren't didn't fit in. And anyone who didn't fit in was a target." The old bitterness resurfaced. "They called youmas like us renegades, heretics and a lot of other names. When they found us they killed us. Eventually."

"But if that was true how could any of you survive?"

"Some learned to pass as typical youma. To make the compromises they had to in order to survive. It used to be simple before the Kingdom had access to Earth. You were surrounded by renegade hating youma. You had the choice of act ruthless or be killed. It wasn't easy but some like Azurite survived that way. Others, like me never could manage that. If my brother hadn't been looking out for me my whole life I'd never have survived."

"That's absolutely right", Beryl interjected. "Now tell them your brother's name."

This was gonna be tricky. "Calcite. My brother's name is Calcite."

"Calcite!" That was Jupiter, "Calcite as in the guy who used to fight Min ... Sailor Venus all the time? The guy who's been threatening her lately? That's your brother?"

"No ... I mean yes. I mean yes and no. Oh hell!"

"Take it easy and think about what you're going to say."

Jupiter looked at Ami, "Why are you siding with her?"

"Because I think she's a good person. Rei, you don't sense evil from her do you?"

"No. Not at all. And I trust my abilities Jupiter."

"Ok, I'll hear her out."

"Thank you. Ok the guy who's been phoning Sailor Venus wasn't my brother." She glanced at Beryl. "I'll bet our shapeshifting friend knows all about it. It must be easier to duplicate a voice rather than a whole person."

"You're right ahem FOOLISH MORTALS COWER BEFORE LORD CALCITE!" This last part was delivered in a deep male voice.

Jupiter looked at Beryl. "Ok that explains the phonecalls." She turned back to Titanite and asked, "But what about what happened in England?"

"That's a long story."

"Go ahead. Seems we have to hang around anyway."

"Ok well I guess it starts with this youma named Magnesite ..."

An abbreviated version of the prologue followed.

Titanite fell silent. Her throat felt really dry. Rei said, "I think she's telling the truth."

Makoto shook her head and said, "It was all a scam? Minako's gonna freak when she hears this."

A bigger worry had occurred to Ami. "The renegade Youmas ... were there any others of you in the Kingdom?"

"I don't know. We had to stay hidden to survive so there could have been others. After all everytime you took off your mask you risked death. It was years before Cal and Pyr knew Azure was a renegade."

Ami looked at Rei and said, "We'd better not tell Sailor Moon this."

Rei nodded then glanced over to see if she was still out of it. She was down to 500 and oblivious to anything else. Yes they'd have to keep this from Usagi. Finding out she might have wiped out some innocents along with the Dark Kingdom could destroy her. She hadn't known, and if she had known did she have had an option?

Azurite groaned again and opened her eyes. She muttered, "Wherethehell ... " and tried to move. She winced and looked around her. "Oh yeah, now I remember."

"Are you all right Azurite?"

"Relatively speaking ... Sailor Polaris ..."

"Jadeite blew our cover. But I've explained things to them. I think we're in the clear."

"Oh. Well fair enough we know who they are."

"What!"

"Yeah, your name's Rei something right?"

"Maybe."

"Uh, I didn't mention that to them Azure."

Ami shrugged. "I don't suppose it makes much difference. Jadeite already knows our real names. He targeted all of us in our civilian identities."

Azurite looked around, "Where is our crossdressing general?"

"He walked out during my explanation about Lord Calcite."

"Does he still look like Beryl?"

"Yes. But I don't think he's crazy. He seems rational. Cruel but rational."

"Well we're obviously bait. But why use us to draw out Cal and Sailor Venus. Why not just zap them the way he did us?"

"Patience my dear Azurite. You'll learn the reason why soon enough." Beryl reemerged carrying an electric cornpopper. At the questioning look she explained, "It's for the show. Well time to contact the other star performer." She pulled a speaker from behind one of the stalagmites. "This will let you hear my end of the conversation. I wouldn't want you to miss anything. Now if you'll excuse me I have a call to make. Don't bother shouting the barrier will be soundproof."

Beryl walked over to a phone. A transparent glowing wall appeared between her and the hostages. She picked up the phone and dialed. Through the speaker they could here a man's chuckle. Then the onesided conversation began. "Hello again Sailor V." It was the Lord Calcite voice Beryl had demonstrated earlier. "Yes that's right, it's me again. Wondering what my servants did with your friends? ... Oh please after all the trouble of capturing them do you think I'll just let them go? ... Such language young lady ... Are you ready to listen or will you keep making threats? ... Good. You know the abandoned Star Tower reconstruction? ... Good. Come through the east entrance at six. No earlier, no later. Come alone. That includes cats. Oh one more thing, this voice is just a fake." The voice shifted becoming milder, "Normally I talk like this." From Titanite's gasp Ami guessed that was her brother's real voice. Beryl hung up and chuckled. A gesture and the wall disappeared.

Azurite looked at their captor. "That's one on the way. How are you going to get Cal?"

"Oh he's already on the way. He'll also be arriving at six. Though at a different entrance."

"Then you've just signed your own death warrant. Didn't you here what Cal did after they murdered his mother. (Damn forgot Ti's right next to me). When he's running on rage he's unstoppable!"

Beryl smirked. "Heard about it? I'm counting on it!" And then she began to laugh. When she stopped she said, "It is not enough to merely kill an enemy, you must destroy him. You must take everything he values and turn to ashes. You must take his hopes, dreams and loves and grind them into the dirt before him. And at the very end you must deny him death, condemn him to live on in the hell you have created for him!"

Ami studied the creature before her then said with feeling, "You are a very sick creature!"

"True. But I'm a winner and that's all that really counts." Beryl plugged in the popper. "Not long until six. I can hardly wait."

A few minutes later, while the room filled with the smell of popcorn, Beryl raised a hand imperiously. A hole opened in the floor and three very large crystal balls rose into view. Another gesture and the right and lefthand ones began displaying images. The central one remained empty. Each of the others showed a corridor ending in a door. Beryl snapped her fingers and both doors exploded inward. Everyone recognized the figures who appeared in the entryways.

"Calcite!"

"Minako!"

And that was when it happened.

A few moments earlier Calcite, in his Gray costume, finished studying the western entryway and glanced at his watch. Almost time. He couldn't detect any traps and suspected the gamemaster didn't want to knock him off the board just yet. Not after all the trouble he'd taken. Well time to get this show on the road. Calcite fired a shock blast and the door imploded inward. He dived through the entryway and felt energy crackle along his body. Damnit how had he missed this!?

There was no pain and no injury. All that happened was the transmuter activated. His clothing shifted into a pattern he hadn't used in months. He looked down at the black costume that covered him. No mistake, it was his Lord Calcite outfit. He tried to reactivate the transmuter but it seemed to be jammed. "The hell with it!", the prisoners heard him say. It seemed the crystals transmitted sound as well as picture. They saw him pull off the helmet, mutter, "I always hated having no peripheral vision" and toss it aside. He continued up the corridor.

Simultaneously Minako blasted her door and entered. The lights crawled over her and she tried to brush them off. There was no harmful effect but her costume changed. The skirt shifted to blue as other changes occurred in her outfit. It was obviously her Sailor V costume. "OK Calcite, I guess this is more appropriate. Here I come!" She charged up the corridor.

Azurite paled and she began pulling at the crystal than held them with renewed fury. "Ti try to break free! Maybe together we can ..."

"Sorry it'll hold you both. I guess you've figured it out then?"

"You sonofaSluzegreep!"

"Azurite what's wrong? Big brother's coming to save us. And Sailor V's gonna save the Sailor Warriors so everything's under control. What can stop them?"

"Don't you get it Ti? Don't any of you?" The Sailor Warriors shook their heads. Of course not they'd never seen the costume before. "That outfit Cal's wearing is the Lord Calcite costume. Sailor V's charging in here to take out the youma who's been threatening her and kidnapped her friends. That blank crystal ball's for when they meet isn't it?"

Beryl nodded. "That's right. We'll have ringside seats for the fight of the century. Popcorn anyone? No? Funny I find bloodshed improves my appetite.

Within the balls both figures were blasting spiked crystalline shapes that surged at them. "Just a warmup before the main event to get the adrenaline flowing." Beryl swallowed a handful of popcorn then looked at Titanite. "Your brother has a real problem. He can either kill Sailor V to get past her and save you. Or he can stand there and let her kill him. Either way he loses. I really hope he kills her. There is so much more I have planned for him. Here we go!" The central crystal hummed and showed a hallway with opposing doors. Both exploded inward.

"Sailor V?"

"CALCITE!"

"Oh shit! Wait we need to ..."

"CRESCENT BEAM!"

Calcite shut up and dodged. He responded with a forcewave that knocked her flying. She hit the ground rolling, somersaulted to her feet and fired another energybolt. It caught the edge of Calcite's forcefield and flared. Titanite heard Azurite swear. "But it'll be ok because he can stand her energybeams right? I mean his shield can block her so he just has to wait until she runs out of power then explain things."

"He can't block all the energy at that close a range. And she's got a more powerful attack now. Maybe there's too much backlash in that confined an area so she's not using it. But if she does ..." Azurite left the rest unsaid.

Makoto looked at Rei and asked, "Can't you use your psychic powers to tell Minako it's a setup?"

"I can only receive, I can't telepathically communicate!"

"Damn. Look maybe he's not a bad guy but if it's him or Minako ..."

"I know. If only we could stop this somehow! Wait a minute!" Calcite had just materialized a handful of knives and flung them. None of them hit Sailor V but they punched through her costume and pinned the clothing to the wall."

"OK", Calcite said, "Now you're going to hold still and listen."

"Wrong!" She dived forward ripping her outfit free from the blades. "Crescent Beam!" They heard Calcite scream.

The glow faded and they saw Calcite was burned but alive. "Damnit she's overloading his shield. Some of that got through! The next one might ..."

That was confirmed when Calcite snarled, "It's me or you!"

"It always was!"

Azurite wanted to look away but kept watching. "He can't risk trying to subdue her anymore. It's now a fight to the death on both sides!" In the ball Minako was slammed the length of the room by a forcewave. She rolled away from her impact point which was suddenly peppered with knives. The knives crackled with power that would have fried her if they'd hit. Minako was on her feet and studying Calcite. Both were breathing hard. Minako's clothes were torn and sweatstained, Calcite's were scorched as was his skin.

There was a moment of silence then Minako said, "It ends now!"

"So be it!"

They charged towards each other and Minako shouted, "CRESCENT BEAM SHOWER!" The crystal ball's image became one huge flare of light. Everyone looked away from it. Beryl swore, dropped her bucket of popcorn and thumped it.

"Too bright! The stupid thing's overloaded." The glare began to fade and an image formed. Azurite and Titanite gasped. The crystal showed an indistinct Calcite. His burned right arm hung limply at his side as his left hand probed the blackened shoulder. His face was twisted in pain, physical and emotional. Then the whole sphere cleared and they saw Minako.

She was looking down in disbelief at the swordhilt that emerged from her chest and the blood that poured out of the wound. She looked up as though to say something to Calcite but gagged and collapsed. As she fell faceforward everyone got to see the reddened point emerged from her back. Calcite looked down at the slumped figure. Despite his own pain he managed to say sincerely, "I'm so terribly sorry." He would have stood there longer but a new doorway opened and he stumbled toward it. "Gotta ... gotta keep going ... save them ... can't stop ..."

All the Sailor Warriors were weeping and there were tears running down Titanite's face. Azurite kept control by focusing on her anger. "The bastard's trying to destroy Cal. Forcing him to kill someone he knew wasn't a real enemy. He set everything up for that. Well you've underestimated Calcite! He'll keep going until he's brought your filthy scheme crashing down around you!" She tried to ignore how bad he looked. Something occurred to her, "Hey people!"

Jupiter snarled at her, "YOU SHUT UP. It was your lousy friend that killed Minako."

"But she can come back can't she?"

That took Jupiter by surprise. "What?"

"All three of you and Sailor Venus died at D point. I saw it happen. But somehow you came back from the dead. Can't she do it again?"

"Uhhhhhhh." Makoto had no idea how to answer this, nor did Rei.

It was Ami who said, "Those were special circumstances. Sailor Moon used the silver crystal to restore us but right now ...."

"... 279 bottles of beer on the wall ..."

"... she's in no condition to use it. Assuming it will work again." The return from death wasn't something they discussed. Or even thought about much. Except when they woke late at night and everything was dark and silent.

"At least there's a chance. If we die there's not even anything left to bury. That's why we didn't have funeral customs in the Dark Kingdom. There was nothing left to mourn over."

A door hissed open and Calcite entered. His left hand glowed with power and was held ready. He'd left the right arm hanging free and was ignoring the useless limb. He surveyed the room without expression studying the prisoners and the figure between him and them. A brief flicker of power and the crystal balls between him and the captives shattered.

"Cal!"

"Everything's under control Ti. Trust me!"

Beryl chuckled. "That's rich coming from a man with a cooked arm. I was hoping she'd slow you down a bit before you killed her."

"Is Pyrite ...?"

"He'll be fine Azure." Assuming any of us survive this, he added silently.

Calcite's gaze flicked to the warriors. "So that's why she was here."

"That's right. Both here for the same purpose and you fight each other rather than me. But I'm forgetting myself, why aren't you bowing before your sovereign?"

"Knock it off Jadeite. I'm not interested in your identity crisis."

"Ah!", Beryl smiled then said, "This form has ceased to amuse me." The figure before him shifted as its' body smoothly reshaped itself. In seconds Calcite was looking into the cold eyes of Jadeite. There was a thin smile on his face as he said, "So you found all the clues and deduced my identity. As leader of that pathetic band only you were worth showing my true self too."

"Really?"

"Yes. So you figured it out. You always were a smart little youma."

"I like to think so. Which is how I know you aren't really Jadeite."

For the first time the enemy looked shaken, "What!"

"This image is as fake as Beryl. Jadeite never made it out of the Dark Kingdom."

"Ridiculous. I am Jadeite."

"No. You always admired his style but you couldn't match it. You still can't no matter how many tricks you've learned."

"I AM JADEITE!"

"Bullshit." Calcite said this quietly but firmly.

Despite the lousy situation Azurite's curiosity was aroused, "Cal he's got to be Jadeite. The evidence ..."

"Was faked. Which it why it was left lying around for us to stumble over. He builds a hidden base this elaborate, runs a perfect set of impersonations but forgets to hide the one thing that can really ID him? Not a chance. That was too big an oversight even for Jadeite. I just wish I'd realized that earlier."

"In that case smart guy!", Jadeite snarled, "Who am I."

Calcite took a step forward, Jadeite moved to block any blasts he might try to throw at the holding crystals. Calcite looked into Jadeite's eyes and said, "You were wrong earlier, I'm really not that smart. Otherwise I'd have figured it out a lot sooner. The one thing I'm still not sure of is if you were giving me clues all along or just watched those films so much it crept into your speech. It's probably the latter, you never were much of an original thinker."

"Mind explaining that Cal. We're all hanging on every word."

"I'll get you down soon as I can Azure ..."

"I know that but what the hell are you talking about?"

"Yes", Jadeite glowered, "I want an explanation!"

"The evidence was there all along I just didn't catch it. It was as Jadeite you made the first slip. You didn't say you'd returned from the Eternal Sleep. You said you'd returned from The Big Sleep." He glanced around the room, everyone looked puzzled. Except for Jadeite who looked thunderstruck.

He kept going, "Next it was that that 'hill of beans' speech you made to Naru as Nephrite. You lifted that from Rick's farewell speech in Casablanca." He saw Azurite take a deep breath. She knew!

"Zoisite's opening line was straight out of Treasure of Sierra Madre. I can't believe I didn't catch that 'fellow American' reference. Lastly as Kunzite you paraphrased that 'when your partner gets killed' line from ..."

"The Maltese Falcon!"

"You've got it Azure."

"But Cal it can't be ..."

"I'm afraid it can." Seeing the blank looks on the faces of the Sailor Warriors (and the shock on Jadeite's) he decided to explain. "I guess none of you are old Hollywood film buffs." Heads shook. "Those were all the titles of Humphrey Bogart movies. Whom I had to watch over and over again ad naseaum some time back. Once I realized that I thought 'who did I know in the Dark Kingdom who was both a Bogart fanatic and had reason to hate me?' There was only choice except he was dead. Which I should know being the one who killed him."

Jadeite waved an admonishing finger. "Confessing to murder isn't going to improve the Sailor Warriors opinion of you."

"As the guy in question was trying to murder my sister at the time I don't feel any guilt. But if he was dead how could he be responsible? Then it hit me. The Dark Kingom was on the verge of ending so I didn't stick around to make sure. He was fatally wounded and obviously dying. But I never actually saw his body disintergrate!"

Calcite's expression turned fierce. He pointed his glowing hand at Jadeite, energy held ready, and said, "I don't know how you survived or where you got all this power. But I know it's really you, Magnesite!"

Jadeite looked uncertain then shrugged. Again the face and body shifted becoming someone none of the renegades had expected to see again. "It seems I underestimated you Calcite. I was planning to crush you then reveal my identity after I had broken you. Still perhaps this is better. You can't hope to beat me, I am far more than any mere youma. I am the force made flesh! The living avatar of quantum theory. I am power beyond imagining. And in a strange way I owe it to you!"

"That seems very unlikely!" Still no way to blast the crystals and free anyone. Keep him talking.

"Oh yes. As you recall at our last meeting I was left lying in a pool of blood feeling my life slip away. Hate helped me hold on but it wasn't enough. The wound was mortal. I was minutes from dying. Under normal circumstances I'd be long gone. But those weren't normal circumstances were they? Queen Beryl and the Moon Princess were fighting, incredible forces were being unleashed. Beryl lost and the Princess's change wave swept across the pole rewriting reality.

Do you now the exact point between life and death? The instant you are neither one nor the other but somehow between them? I do. That's where I was when the changewave hit me. I wasn't erased though my body ceased to exist. My essence was flung away to the path of least resistance. The gateway you'd built to the zone. I could never match your psychoplasm generation abilities but I had a little of the power. That must be why my consciousness continued not as matter but as psychoplasm!"

"Psychoplasm?" That was from Sailor Mercury. Insatiable intellectual curiosity even in a situation this grim.

"A form of energy some youma can generate. It can be made to mimic matter and shaped by a gifted mind into a variety of forms. It's how I create my weapons. I literally wish them into existence." Calcite studied Magnesite's body. "Are you saying your body is ..."

"Pure psychoplasm. You wondered at the secret to my shapeshifting. Well now you know. I can make myself into anything I want. An exact copy of anyone or anything."

"So that's how you could survive any attack. You can make yourself immaterial at will. As for teleporting ..."

"I have no need to align mind and body. My mind and body are literally the same thing!"

"So why wait six months for your vengeance. For that matter why drag the Sailor Warriors into this?"

"If I could have begun this earlier I would have. But I forgot to mention my state of mind when I arrived in this town. I had none, I had been stripped down to a creature that operated purely on instinct. I was an immaterial parasite driven to latch onto humans. When I did I'd drain energy and they'd feel a momentary weakness. I existed like that for weeks. But I began draining more energy and as I did I grew smarter. As my mind developed my memories began returning. I remembered you Calcite and I remembered my hatred.

I learned to become material. To assume the form of objects, then animals, then humans and finally of Youma. I found I could duplicate everyone I had ever met. I began exploring this city in disguise and I began to sense unusual auras. Youma auras and Sailor Warrior auras. With those to track it was easy to find you. Once I knew who you were I began making plans. I surreptitiously drained as many humans as possible and grew stronger. With those aliens running around it was easy to accomplish. My actions got written off as just another attack by them. None of you suspected I was out here biding my time."

So the drainings weren't just to draw us in, Calcite thought. You have to feed in order to maintain your powers. Which gives me an idea.

Magnesite moved to Titanite's side, grew a set of claws and said, "Azurite, I'll bet the Warriors are wondering why Calcite's chatting to me instead of trying to free you. Care to explain it?" He raised the claws toward Titanite. Calcite tensed and took aim.

Before he could blast Azurite quickly said, "Cal's trying to buy time to find a way to crack your forceshield and take you out!"

"Absolutely right. But now he knows even if he breaks my shield he can't hurt me. Blow holes in this body and I just make them grow closed. Try to burn me and I make myself intangible. I can be anywhere in an eyeblink. You can't hurt me Calcite. Not ever again!"

"But you can hurt whoever you please."

"Right again. Now for the main event!" The top of one of the nearby stalagmites dissolved exposing a large red button. Magnesite gestured at it. "You are the one I really hate Calcite so I'm going to give your sister and Azurite a chance. This switch will free them. Just push it and they can go. Then we'll settle matters between us."

"And the catch is?"

"Pushing this switch will kill the Sailor Warriors. Kill them and those two have a chance. This is a limited time offer so make your choice."

For a moment Calcite studied Magnesite. Then he began to laugh.

Magnesite was nonplussed. He'd expected bargaining, threats, agonized moralizing but laughter? "What the hell is so funny?"

"You. My God you're so transparent!"

"What!"

"Do you really think I'm stupid enough to believe you'd ever let them go. I'm supposed to agonize over my choice then make a decision. But there is no choice, you've fixed the game. No, if I push that button one of two things will happen. Either it'll kill Ti and Azure so you can cackle over me being responsible for their deaths. Or it'll kill the Sailor Warriors then you'll kill Ti and AZure to chuckle over my sacrificing my values for nothing. It's no wonder everyone always said you wouldn't have lasted without me to clean up your messes."

"Quiet!"

"After all you never had an original thought in your life. You stole your style from the generals, then from a dead moviestar but you couldn't even mimic them accurately."

"SHUT UP!"

"Even this 'let's you and him fight' idea was a copy. It's based on the stunt I used to make Brotor and Rormal destroy each other when they began encroaching. Manipulate them into fighting one another then pick off the survivor. You actually got admired throughout the kingdom as a master manipulator for that but we both know you'd never have thought of it alone."

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

"'The living Avatar of Quantum theory' indeed. You don't even know what that means do you? You just heard it somewhere and thought it sounded cool."

"PUSH THE DAMN SWITCH!"

"I'm not playing your game anymore Magnesite."

"THEN I'LL PUSH IT!" Magnesite strode toward the switch. Calcite didn't try to intercept. He held his place then spoke as Magnesite neared him and the button.

"Regardless of your new form's power you still have one major weakness."

"Hah, nice try!", Magnesite sneered. ""Just what is this hypothetical weakness you've found?"

"Simple. You love the sound of your own voice so you talk far too much."

"No more talking!" Magnesite reached for the button ... and froze. He looked at his arm in amazement. It was resisting all his efforts to move it. His arm began deforming, shrinking back in on itself. Magnesite's features began to blur. Calcite said nothing and didn't move, he merely stared at Magnesite with intense concentration.

"Cal?" Her brother showed no sigh of having heard her. Then she heard Azurite chuckle and say, "I"ll be damned."

"What's happening Azure?"

"I'd like to know that too."

"So would I."

"Me too."

"... bottles of beer on the wall ..."

Azurite looked elated. "Cal was right, Magnesite talked way too much. He told Cal his new body's made of psychoplasm. Cal manipulates psychoplasm. He got Magnesite rattled enough to lower his defenses and close enough for Cal to override his control. Magnesite's helpless!"

"My brother's a genius. It runs in the family."

Ami cleared her throat. "Well, while I admire his tactical sense the six of us are still fused to these crystals."

"Good point. Cal how about breaking us loose?"

Calcite began raising an arm to fire a shockblast. Instantly Calcite's blurred figure began reforming. Calcite froze in concentration. Azurite muttered, "That's something I didn't think about."

"What?"

Azurite looked worried, "Normally psychoplasm doesn't have its own mind and resist being shaped. Looks like Cal can only immobilize Magnesite by using total concentration. If he breaks off long enough to free us ..."

"... Magnesite gets loose!", Ami finished. So it's a stalemate."

"So we're all stuck here?"

"Afraid so Jupiter."

"Great. Now what?"

Azurite began heaving at the crystal again. "We break loose before Magnesite gets free!" Everyone began heaving at their trapped appendages but nothing happened. Suddenly it struck Azurite. The arm Calcite had raised had been his right one. The burned, useless arm. What the hell?

Rei kept heaving and snarled, "No good, we can't pull free. We need something to crack it.

"Ask and ye shall receive, CRESCENT BEAM!"

The slab of crystal encasing the Sailors' hands shattered. There were various cries of pain as fragments rained down on their heads. But their hands were free thanks to ...

"MINAKO?!"

"SAILOR VENUS?!"

"109 bottles of ..."

"Live and in person, CRESCENT BEAM!" The slab holding their feet shattered and they were free. In amazement they stepped away from it and looked at their not-so-late friend. "But how?" Ami pulled the jewel off Usagi's tiara and she shut up and went to sleep.

Meanwhile on the other side of the room: Minako's dramatic entrance had broken Calcite's concentration so Magnesite was free to move again. He didn't, he just stared in shock at Sailor V. Calcite grabbed Magnesite's reforming arm and tossed him across the room. Then he fired two kinetic force pulses and shattered the crystals holding Azurite and Titanite. His injuries didn't seem to be slowing him up anymore.

"Big brother, but what ... how ...?"

"Ask me later, right now ..."

"Magnesite's still loose!" Azurite finished.

The Sailor Warriors crowding around Minako heard her and turned to look at Magnesite. He had gotten to his feet, his body had resumed his former appearance. He looked at Sailor V in amazement. "It's impossible! Calcite killed you!"

The burn marks faded from Calcite as he dropped the glamour that had simulated injuries. "You shouldn't believe everything you see in crystal balls. They're as unreliable as television!"

Minako nodded and produced a swordhilt with a blade that ended after a few centimetres in a fake bloodstain. "I did a great deathscene. This shows I've really got great acting abilities."

Rei turned on her, "You idiot, we thought you were dead!"

"Sorry I didn't know you'd see it. I thought just the badguy would!"

Magnesite's jaw dropped, "You were working together?!"

Calcite nodded. "That's right. It was obvious those calls you were making were intended to set up a fight between me and Sailor Venus. So after you phoned me I called her and explained a few things. We ... made a deal, compared notes and agreed to fake her death. So she could take you by surprise. Then she just had to wait for your phonecall. So that's twice you've been wrong about Sailor V's death."

Ami looked at Minako, "But if you were alright all along why did you wait so long?"

"In case this was some really elaborate trap on Calcite's part. I waited a a few minutes for him to destroy the monitoring system then reconoitered the building looking for a trap. I couldn't find one. I guess you really were on the level." This last was said grudgingly.

"I keep my word."

"Well this has been a real surprise but you've forgotten that you're still on my turf!" Magnesite had regained his poise. "I still have all my powers and no reason to hold back. It's going to been all the sweeter defeating all of you. Which I can do with the Moon Princess out of commission!" Everyone looked at Usagi who was snoring.

"Somebody wake her up!"

"No time fools. Get ready to DIE!" Magnesite grinned, he'd teleport behind Jupiter, rip her head off then warp behind Azurite, grow claws and cut her in half after which he'd make it up as he went along. Here goes!

Nothing happened.

His grin slipped and he tried again.

Still nothing.

He began feeling panic. What the hell?

Then Calcite said, "I may not be able to paralyse you at this range and without total concentration but you already forged that body. Locking you into that form I can manage." To everyone he said, "Magnesite can't phase shift so he can't teleport or turn immaterial. He has to stay solid. It also seems to be screwing up his forcefield."

Azurite smiled and winds howled around her. Looking a bit confused Titanite followed her lead and generated a forcesphere. Ami was the first of Sailors to get it. "If he's forced to remain material he can't avoid our attacks by assuming a dimensionally displaced format."

"What?"

"It means ... EVERYBODY BLAST HIM!"

That they understood.

"SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!"

"FIRE SOUL BIRD!"

"POLARIS MISSILE!"

"SHABON SPRAY FREEZING!

"I don't wanna go to school today ma."

"CRESCENT BEAM SHOWER!

"HURRICANE PUNCH!"

The next few moments were rather unpleasant for Magnesite. He was electrocuted, incinerated, smashed, frozen, mumbled at, blasted and hammered by hurricane force winds. The wall he'd been standing in front of was gone. There wasn't much of him left either. The Sailor Warriors were beginning to relax when Azurite said, "Look!"

Magnesite's shattered body was reforming. In moments he stood before them again. He smiled and said, "Well that was pointless!"

One of Calcite's knives struck him in the chest. It exploded and fragments of Magnesite flung outwards. Then stopped dead and reversed their course. Magnesite reformed but it was a little slower this time. "Nice bluff Magnesite. You're locked to this shape so you have to reform. But you burn up energy to do that and you don't have infinite reserves. Everytime you repair yourself you get weaker. Therefore ..."

"EVERYBODY BLAST HIM AGAIN!"

A rather painful scene followed. Around them the crystals, stalagmites and stalactites began dissolving. "They're all psychoplasm! He can't spare any power to maintain the forms he created."

"Looks that way Azure, he's definitely rebuilding himself slower. Wait a minute, what's that?"

That was a very large crystal that had just been exposed. It showed no signs of dissolution. "Hey that looks like ..."

Magnesite's eyes had lit up at the sight of the crystal. With a wild howl he surged forward and scattered the Sailor Warriors and Renegades. He grabbed Calcite and charged for the crystal screaming, "It's time for the long goodbye traitor."

"I don't think so!" Calcite kicked downwards tripping Magnesite, hit the ground rolled and grabbed his former boss. "Goodnight Magnesite!" He flung his former boss into the Eternal Sleep Crystal.

Magnesite's scream cut off abruptly as he passed through the surface of the crystal. The crystal hardened and Magnesite was trapped in its center like a fly in amber.

Azurite picked herself up, walked over to the crystal and tapped on it thoughtfully. "Is this for real?"

"No, it's a psychoplasm duplicate. But an incredible duplicate, it must have taken weeks, months to get right. This thing will hold this form for centuries."

Sailor Mercury joined them. "Are you saying he's trapped?"

"For at least the next 300 years."

"So it's over?" That was from Sailor Jupiter.

"Yes. These things were designed to hold everyone regardless of their powers. Even psychoplasm can't escape."

Titanite studied the trapped Magnesite and shudered at the look on his face. Frozen forever in terror. You could almost feel sorry for him. Almost. "But why would he create one of these?"

Calcite tapped it thoughfully and said, "It must have been for me."

"For you?"

"Yeah. After he'd killed you all he probably intended to beat me to a bloody pulp then stick me in the crystal so I couldn't die."

"So you'd live on in terrible pain?"

"Yes. After which he probably planned to bring Pyrite and Mai here and kill them in front of me. I wouldn't be able to turn away or even close my eyes.

Strike the minor sympathy she'd felt. "What do we do with him now?"

"Well the crystal can't be deactivated but neither it or Magnesite have any real mass and both are psychoplasm. So it can be reshaped."

Calcite put his hands on the crystal and concentrated. It began to diminish. Everyone stood around and watched. Except for Rei who had grabbed Usagi by the collar and was trying to shake her awake.

The Eternal Sleep Crystal and the entombed Magnesite shrank. It now stood about 30 cm tall and looked like a raptor of some sort. Calcite handed it to Azurite and said, "Pyrite's had a bad beating but I think he'll recover nicely. Show him his new paperweight and I'll bet he cheers up."

"Heavy", she commented.

"But what the heck is it?", Minako asked.

Calcite smiled and all three Renegades chorused, "The stuff that dreams are made of." Then they broke up laughing.

Titanite stopped laughing and said, "That was one of the scariest days of my whole life. But I knew you'd save me."

Azurite nodded and said, "Likewise. My hero." She handed the falcon to Ti and wrapped her arms around Calcite. The kiss that followed was both intense and watched with interest.

From the duration of it youma must have better breath control. Makoto asked Titanite, "Are those two ...?"

"Just friends." Although she was beginning to wonder.

Finally they broke for air. For once Cal seemed at a loss for words. Before he could say anything embarrasing Ti whispered in his ear, "Remember Ms. Saito." Cal blinked and got back to reality. He looked at Makoto.

There was a yawn and Sailor Moon woke up. She croaked, "My throat hurts. What happened?"

Jupiter shrugged and gave her the short version. "We beat the bad guy."

"Oh, good. I could really use some icecream."

"Hey that's our stuff!" Rei had spotted the bookbags and other things they'd been carrying when Magnesite attacked them individually. Everyone began sorting through the pile except Calcite and Minako who kept watching each other.

Azurite found her handbag, Magnesite must have scooped up everything when he grabbed them, she also found the giftwrapped package. She handed that to Ti. "Here. Yes it's the you know what."

"Great. Thanks Sailor Arcturus."

"Just call me Azurite. I've had enough of this Sailor Warrior stuff."

Rei looked at her, "So you're retiring. Pity you were a good fighter. Even if you dressed like a tramp."

"True. I should have adopted a more conservative style of dress like you." Rei colored slightly. Their costumes weren't that different.

Mercury looked around. This place was now just a bare conferencehall. Nothing more. "No reason to stick around I suppose."

Azurite nodded, "None at all. Cal ... ?"

"Azure could you take Ti home? I've got a few loose ends to take care of." She shrugged, he must know what he was doing. The two renegades headed for the door. Mercury joined them and addressed Azure. "I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?"

"About the Dark Kingdom or my dressing habits?"

"Uhh ... the Dark Kingdom of course."

"Sure."

The Sailor Warriors began filtering out. Makoto called over, "Minako let's get out of here!"

"I'll meet you guys outside."

Jupiter shrugged, "Suit yourself."

The others departed and the two studied each other.

Outside the building Titanite broke in on Azure and Ami's conversation. "Why do you suppose Cal and Venus stayed behind."

Azurite shrugged and said facetiously, "Who knows? Maybe it's time for the final showdown between Sailor V and Lord Calcite." Then she stopped dead. Just what kind of deal had Cal cut with Sailor Venus? Shit! She spun around and said, "Ti stay here ..." She was too late, Titanite was already sprinting back to the building.

Inside the abandoned construction sight Sailor V faced Calcite and said, "You didn't try to run!"

"I gave my word we'd settle our score after the others were clear."

"So I guess now's the time."

"Looks like it."

Both readied attacks. Calcite figured his best chance was dived to the side, knock her down with a shockblast then follow with the blades. Minako figured she had to keep moving and hammer his forcefield down with her crescent beams. Each stood ready waiting for the other to make the first move.

Then there was a blur of motion and Sailor Polaris landed in front of Calcite holding her arms outstretched.

"Ti get out of the way!"

"No way big brother. She's going to have to shoot through me to blast you."

"Ti I just went to a lot of trouble to save your life. I'd appreciate it if you didn't waste it."

"No way I'm not going to let you do anything this crazy. If you win the other warriors will hunt you down for killing Venus and if you lose ..."

"I gave her my word we'd settle this."

"That's a little excessive Cal." Azurite joined Titanite. Minako felt very uncertain. "Why are you so intent on going through with this?"

"Has it occurred to either of you that this whole mess was my fault?"

"What?"

"If I'd made sure Magnesite was dead ..."

Titanite shook her head. "Cal if it's anyone's fault it's mine. If I hadn't gone back to the house you wouldn't have had to kill Magnesite."

"But nobody made Magnesite attack you." Mercury had entered and was standing in front of Minako.

"Ami get out of the way!"

"Sorry but I think we have to give them a chance."

Rei joined Ami. "Right. I'd sense if these people ... these youma were evil and I don't. They aren't our enemies."

Makoto sighed and joined them, "Guess I have to agree with that."

Usagi watched this scene with confusion. "What's all this about anyway?"

Minako snarled, "This guy made a fool of me for months!" Then blushed.

"Not much of a reason to kill someone."

"Well yeah but ..."

"Besides", Ami added, "You had a good time in England didn't you?"

"Well ... yeah."

"So it wasn't a total disaster."

Minako sighed and said, "OK fine Lord Calcite or whoever. It's over. No more vendetta."

Calcite was kind of surprised by recent events. He just blinked and said, "Ok if that's the way you want it."

"Yeah, fine. Talk about an anticlimatic ending."

The tension left the room. Titanite stopped holding her breath and wiped the sweat off her forehead. Then brightened up and said, "Great. I was afraid you'd get zapped before I gave you your present."

"Present?"

Titanite handed him a giftwrapped package and said, "Open it!"

Calcite frowned and began pulling off the wrap. "A videocassette? What the ? ... 'Sailor V the animated movie'? Why did you ...?"

"Read the back."

"What? Oh all right ... 'Join the heroic and beautiful Sailor Warrior as she travels to England to face the evil of Lord Calprite ... CALPRITE?! They got my name wrong?"

"Check the picture."

"That geek's supposed to be me?!"

"You got it!"

Minako began laughing, "Wrong name and drawn like that! That's a pretty good revenge." Everyone laughed except Calcite (though he did smile slightly) and Usagi who still didn't know what was going on.

"Just who is this guy and why is his hair green? Hey he's cute. Hi I'm Sailor Moon, champion of justice. Want to take me out and I'll tell you about my adventures?"

"Sailor Moon?" Another man's voice echoed across the room.

"Tuxedo Mask!"

"Whatever was blocking me from sensing you vanished a little while ago. I got here as soon as I could. Who's that guy?"

"Before Usagi could stammer out an explanation Titanite struck a dramatic pose and declaimed, "He's Calcite, she's Azurite and I am Titanite. Together we are the DKR!" At the questioning looks from the adults she added, "DKR is the acronym for Dark Kingdom Renegades. It seemed like a good name for our group."

Calcite sighed. "Ti we don't have a group. Now Magnesite's out of action we can go back to normality."

"But big brother!"

"Ti I've had enough adventure to last me a lifetime!"

"Azurite ..."

"Sorry kid I side with your brother."

"But ..."

"No." In a different tone he said, "We should get home. Pyrite's in enough pain without worrying about us on top of it."

Ti sighed. "Ok let's get back there the fast way. Bye guys, it was fun while it lasted but Sailor Polaris just got retired."

The three joined hands and vanished.

The Sailor warriors looked to Minako. "So now what?"

Thursday afternoon Minako lead her friends to the house Calvin Hobbes had rented. Ami had hacked into the municipal databases to find it. Titania Hobbes hadn't been in school today and Ms. Saito had looked down. When Minako had asked her if she was all right she'd replied that she'd be fine. Then added that some romances really didn't work out the way you expected them too.

The house had a new "For Rent" sign on it. Minako tried the door and found it unlocked. The place was bare though there were two envelopes on the floor. One was addressed to the Sailor Warriors the other to Sailor Venus. Ami opened the first and read it aloud.

"Hi guys, Titanite here. Well Pyrite's a mess but he should be fine. What you're really wondering is where are we? Well the adults talked it over and the bottom line is they're scared of you. Nothing personal but you people have killed a lot of youma which makes us all a little edgy.

So we decided to make it a little harder to find us. I imagine you can if you want but why bother? We'll stay quiet and won't cause any trouble. So long as we do that why not leave us alone?

Almost forgot. Cal's had a talk with Ms. Saito (ask Sailor Venus) and things ended fairly amicably.

It was great working with you. If you ever need Sailor Polaris again put an ad in the paper and I'll come running.

Bye for now, signed Titanite (Ti to my friends)"

Rei looked at Minako, "I suppose it's your call. What do we do?"

Minako put down her letter and shrugged. "Leave them alone as long as they stay quiet."

"What's your letter?"

"It's from Calcite. Sort of an explanation and apology."

"So what happened with that teacher of yours?"

"He says he told her the whole truth and they broke up. Apparently she said, 'Cal your being gaijin wasn't a problem for me. But not being human is a little too much'."

"I suppose I can follow that."

"So everything's cool guys?"

"Looks that way Usagi."

"Great. I'm due to meet Mamoru-san in the park. Bye!"

The others watched her race off. "Looks like everything's back to normal."

"Maybe things will be quiet from now on!"

Considering the little girl Usagi was about to meet in a little while that was very unlikely.

Meanwhile in a hotel room across town everyone was standing around Pyrite's bed. He looked terrible but you could see signs of improvement. Right now he was asking, "Think they'll leave us alone?"

Calcite shrugged, "I believe so. It'll save us creating new identities."

"And if they come after us?"

"Then we change our appearances and disappear among the 30 million people of Tokyo. Anyway don't worry, just rest."

"That's right Pyr. You need a little TLC so I'm going to nurse you back to health." Azurite had just emerged from the bathroom.

Calcite raised an eyebrow, "Hence the outfit."

"Yep. Thought I should look the part."

Cal was pretty sure the average nurse's outfit wasn't that short or tight but said nothing. The Titanite asked, "Big brother, does this count as a happy ending?"

"Well we're alive, the warriors know we exist but aren't out for our blood, Magnesite's a paperweight and Pyrite's going to be fine. It's a reasonably happy ending."

"Except for you and Ms. Saito."

He sighed. "Well neither of us considered the other the grand passion of our lives. It hurts but we'll heal. It's probably for the best, most everything she knew about me was faked. If she loved anyone it was Calvin Hobbes not Calcite."

He picked up some signals between Azurite and Pyrite and said, "Come on Ti, let's go househunting. The sooner we find somewhere the sooner we can get your anime collection out of storage." Ti thought that was a real good idea. After a quiet word to the lovebirds not to aggravate any injuries he headed out the door with his sister.

This might not be the best of all possible worlds, he reflected, but it would do fine. After all it's not like they had a choice.