Author's Notes: Not much to say, except that Patchie and I are in 
desperate need of feedback! Pretty please?

Personal Disclaimer: Who me? Yeah... I'm nuts. So is the girl sitting 
over there in the corner. The one with Evil Endy, yeah, that's her. 
She answers to Patch or Kana, which ever. But uh, don't tell those 
white clad men you saw either of us, ne? No, that's not MY picture 
on the wanted poster... ^^;

(Gomen ne, minna... 5 am does STRANGE things to one's mind.)

--------------------------------------------------
No Rest for the Wicked 1/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory and Patch
Rating: PG-13
Emails: mallorys-girl@cinci.rr.com and
kittiekat90@yahoo.com
--------------------------------------------------

 In sleep, with her fine features relaxed, lips
smoothed out into a natural pout, and her ebony
eyelashes spread like fans against her soft skin,
she looked almost innocent. Rather like a
priceless Dresden china doll, dwarfed by the large
black bed, with it's heavy curtains. Such golden
beauty seemed out of place in the dismal,
oppressive room...
 Almost.

 There was something about her, perhaps it was the
way her face looked, even in sleep, cold and hard;
as though etched from stone. Or perhaps, it was
the negativity she radiated, from some small,
empty hole within her. Whatever it was, it
spoiled the aura of complete innocence she might
have otherwise possessed. Never the less, there
was a small spark of light that still shone
through, so that even the shadows lurking along
the wall seemed to gather near her in wonder. It
wasn't the darkness in her room that the young
woman needed to worry about, but the darkness
within.

 In her dreams, she was torn from something she
loved very dearly, floating in a void so large
there seemed no end to it. There, she waited, for
what seemed like an eternity, until a rush of
light enveloped her, and carried her elsewhere.
Finally, some ancient part of her thought with
excitement, freedom from the void. Moreover, there
was something pulsing in her soul, a renewed
awareness of *him*. He was somewhere in this new
world, existing, waiting for her. The new world
was a wonderful place, there was warmth and
security, and a woman who sang with the voice of
an angel. But then, with the abruptness of a freak
thunderstorm, all those lovely things were gone,
including her awareness of *him*. Only the pulsing
darkness existed, the tides and eddies of Great
Queen Metalia washing over the young girl's soul,
taking pieces of it with them. *He* was there as
well, his golden light pushing away the shadows,
but just before he reached her, just before she
could see his face, something always jerked her
from the bottomless pit of her dreams, returning
her to the nightmare that was reality.

 It was no different this time, some part of her
considered, removed from the main part of the
dream, merely an observer. She could see him
approaching the other her, radiating warmth, and
tenderness, and all the lovely things that other
world had promised. But he wasn't even half way to
her, when her soul was tugged upon violently.
Something dark that had wound itself around her
soul in an almost choking hold. As though she was
on a leash, her consciousness fell forward.

 Usagi jerked up in bed, with only one thought on
her mind: Mother was calling.

----------

 The cold air of the Great Hall rushed in on Usagi
as she appeared before the throne in a whirl of
dust and black rose petals. With a slight rustle,
her black silk skirts settled around her, and
Usagi wasted no time in bowing before Queen Beryl.
 "You called, Okaa-sama?" she said quietly, in a
reverent voice appropriate to her mother's high
position. Queen Beryl was the High Ruler of the
Dark Kingdom, second only to Metalia, and Usagi
was the Crown Princess. All the respect in the
world should have been accorded to the Queen's
sole heir. So *why* where three of her mother's
General's snickering behind her back!? Inwardly,
Usagi frowned, but was careful to keep her facial
expression perfectly neutral. One glance at her
mother told Usagi that older woman either hadn't
seen, or didn't care. Whichever way you cut it,
the young woman knew it would be unwise to show
her irritation. Instead, she contented herself
with thinking of painful ways to end the pitiful,
annoying lives of her so-called 'Uncles'.  That's
what she had called them, until Kunzite had
decided that she was too old for it and beat it
out of her.
 "Usagi," her mother said, her voice holding that
ever present note of disapproval Unconsciously,
Usagi straightened her back and tried desperately
to block out the Generals.
 "Hai?"
 "You are aware, I'm sure, of Lord Jadeite's
campaign on Earth?"
 "Hai, Okaa-sama," Usagi cringed inwardly. Jadeite
must have screwed up again... was she going to be
blamed for it? Her back burned at the thought of
another beating. Beryl reached up a long, spindly
finger to her blood red hair, twirling a single
lock around the random digit.
 "Lately, Jadeite has proved himself to be...
considerably less competent than first believed,"
here, Beryl paused to allow herself a sadistic
smile, "he has pleaded for one more chance,
however...." Usagi felt as though she were nothing
more than a speck of dust under her mother's
cynical gaze, but refrained from shivering, "I
suspect that he may be commiserating with the
enemy, at the very least aiding them indirectly. I
want you to go to the surface world, Usagi, and
make sure Lord Jadeite is staying true to our
Great Leader. If not... you have my permission to
terminate him."

 The young blond's mind reeled as she tried to
wrap her thoughts around what her mother said. The
surface world? She was going to Earth!? Usagi's
heart beat erratically within her breast and her
insides danced with joy. Never in all her sixteen
years of existence had she been so privileged as
to stand on the world above. Oh, she'd heard about
it, her Uncles delighted in torturing her with
stories of it's exquisite beauty. Now, finally,
Usagi would get to see it with her own two eyes.
Behind her, the young woman could feel the three
remaining Generals (yes, only three now, she
though with satisfaction. Why shouldn't Jadeite
already be considered dead?) staring at her. But
this time, she knew it wasn't in disapproval or
morbid amusement. No, this time it was fear. 'You
have my permission to terminate him', mother had
said. For the first time in her life, Usagi truly
owned some power, not the flimsy amount provided
by her title as Crown Princess, but real, tangible
power... the power to kill.
 "Hai, Okaa-sama," Usagi curtsied deeply, "I will
serve both you and our Great Leader well." With
that, she spun on her heel and faced the Generals
with a smug look on her face. Tilting her nose in
the air, she closed her eyes and teleported to
Earth.

-------

 Sitting in what was turning out to be the longest
lecture of his life, Chiba Mamoru never expected
to feel anything but pure boredom. He tapped his
pencil lightly against the table, attempting for
the fifth time to force himself to focus through
the last half an hour. He might have succeeded,
had destiny not intervened. But there it was, a
sudden flash, like a star exploding, a super nova
spreading outward to envelope his entire body.
 He knew.
 She was here, on this Earth, and her sudden
presence flooded him with an almost unbearable
amount of joy. He closed his eyes to savor the
feeling, and knew what it was like to be slowly
filled. Mamoru had known what it was in an
instant, the re-awakening of a long dead
connection. Ami had discovered it in one of her
very first scans, though by her best calculations,
his link to the princess was either dead or lay
buried deep within him, probably damaged beyond
repair. He hadn't known what she was talking about
at the time. *HE* had a link to the Princess?
Perhaps that explained the dreams; the ones filled
with the feel of her soft lips and the sight of
the moon reflecting in her eyes, and the ones
filled with darkness, in which he struggled
desperately to save her. It was only now, with
this exquisite feeling of near completion, that
Mamoru remembered a time when he *could* feel her.

 Sitting on the floor of the orphanage playroom,
watching the raindrops dash themselves against the
window pane. How old had he been then? Mamoru
wondered.
 Five or six, it was hard to remember.
 Yet, he knew he had been there, pretending to
watch the other children play, while he tried to
reach out to the star. Never in all his six years
of living, had the young boy ever told anyone
about his precious secret... he had a star he
could touch. It had been by his side ever since
the accident, maybe even before that, but his
memory of the time before was sketchy at best,
absolutely blank at worst. The light was his sole
purpose for continuing his painful existence, and
he knew, even at the age of five, that the star
was a she. Sometimes, he didn't think she could
hear him, though he talked to her often, even
asked her questions, but she never replied, or let
on that she knew he existed. None of that worried
him as much as the events of the past few weeks
did; she was fading, day by day. Was she sick?
Mamoru didn't know, all he knew was that he
couldn't bear it if her light went out. So, he
nursed it gently, like one would a little flame,
cupping it between his 'hands' as he lent her his
warmth and affection. But not even he could stop
the inevitable.

 What happened next? Mamoru struggled to remember,
but it was as if a huge stone blocked his path.
She had been with him one minute, pleasantly
pulsing with her silvery light, and the next...
 He'd started screaming, he could hear his own
voice in his ears, so loud it hurt. He didn't care
though, his mind was focused on one thing and one
thing only; she was gone.  It was as if someone
was ripping the fiber out of his soul and tossing
the remains down a long, dark tunnel. The
administrators has rushed in, trying to still the
child who had been calm one minute, and to the
point of hysteria the next. It was no use, though,
they couldn't help him. They couldn't bring her
back.

 Mamoru squeezed his eyes shut, trying to quell
the chaotic emotions whirling around inside of
him. He must have blocked out the memory, as much
pain as he'd experienced, it was only natural.
Still, some guilty part of him reasoned, he should
never have forgotten about *her*, about being able
to reach out and touch her very essence.

 In ecstasic rush of knowing she was still alive,
Chiba Mamoru failed to notice one thing. There was
something hiding inside her beautiful, silvery
light. The reconnection had been so sudden he
hadn't noticed that it was really pleasure laced
with pain. That dark, secretive something wrapped
like a vine around their connection, and though it
couldn't break the cord it dampened it
considerably. The only thought in his mind was
that she had returned to him, that finally he
could be with her as he had always dreamed.That
at last he- and the senshi- might gain some
ground what had seemed- moments ago- like an
endless war.  Glancing at the clock, the young man
willed it to move faster; he needed to get to the
temple and tell Rei. Finally! Good news...

--------

 It was so incredibly bright. Usagi lifted a hand
to shield her eyes from that brilliant, glowing
sun. How could the Earthlings stand it? Her eyes,
previously accustomed only to dim twilight of the
Dark Kingdom, protested painfully to the glory all
around her. Still... it was warm. Warmth she had
never known could exist. At first Usagi thought it
was only a combination of the light and warmth
that was making her dizzy, but it only took a few
moments for her to dismiss that idea. There was
something growing within her, a type of giddy
excitement that had nothing to do with the foreign
environment she now found herself in. No, it was a
rush, like an embrace or that half consciousness
experienced just before sleep. A level above
sensation. Frowning, Usagi fell backwards, landing
on the soft green mat that covered the Earth.
Grass, she realized dimly, mind focused on other
things. She'd never felt anything like this
before, it was as if someone was calling her from
far away, so far that only the sound of their
voice reached her, not the words spoken.

 Within Usagi's mind, Metalia shifted in alarm.
She felt the light now radiating from within a
soul she had been sure was permanently filled with
darkness. Not caring what it was, the dark goddess
was primarily concerned with deleting Usagi's
memory of it. The memories of Princess Serenity,
as well as the personality Usagi had been born
with, were all buried underneath layers of
darkness that had taken Metalia *years* to
construct. It was hard to contaminate a soul as
pure as the one belonging to Serenity's
incarnation, and the evil being knew at once that
this 'light' could destroy all that she had worked
for. An obedient Usagi was positively key in her
plans to take over Earth; aside from the rabbit,
no one in the Dark Kingdom was able to use the
Silver Imperium  Crystal. With this in mind,
Metalia began to rip the memory from the young
girl's mind, heedless of the pain she was causing.
Screaming in absolute agony, Usagi's eyes rolled
back and her mind sank into the thankfully numbing
darkness. Metalia smirked, it made it all the
easier to complete her task.

------

 The sun had sunk a little bit lower in the
horizon when Usagi finally came to. Her head
pounded obscenely with pain, and the young woman
quickly concluded it had to be the sun. Her face
flamed with embarrassment What would Mother have
said, had she been there to see Usagi's frightful
display of weakness? The rabbit groaned, that
would not have been pleasant, that was for sure.
Climbing quickly to her feet, she meandered down
the stone path ways, taking in the scenery.
Strange how there was a part of her that wanted
nothing more than to run and frolic beneath the
shade of the cherry trees, to run about smelling
the roses and daffodils that littered the area.
Her eyes narrowed in distaste as she stomped on
the urge, it would be unseemly for a Princess such
as herself to do anything of the sort.

 It was when she passed a group of girls around
her age (and received strange stares from them
all) that Usagi decided she would need to exchange
her black gown for something that would blend in
more. As soon as no one was in sight, Usagi
concentrated her powers, allowing her clothing to
shift into that which mimicked the dress of the
other girls. With a satisfied smile, Usagi stalked
off towards the commercial area of the city. After
all, as soon as she disposed of Jadeite, she would
need a place to begin collecting her own horde of
energy from. Why not start looking now?

-------

 "Mamoru-kun!" Hino Rei greeted the young man as
he finished the climb up the steps, "On time as
usual," she added rather grumpily, "We're still
waiting for that good-for-nothing Minako!"
 "And a good afternoon to you too, Rei," Mamoru
mumbled under his breath, knowing from experience
that it was better to leave the priestess alone
when she was in one of her moods. He sighed, no
one could blame any one of them for being short on
cheer. It had been a long two years of fighting
against the Dark Kingdom... two years of hard won
victories and tiresome battles. Nowadays it seemed
like there was no end in sight.
 "Kon'wa, Ami," Mamoru said as he took his seat on
the temple floor, "How are you this afternoon?"
Ami did nothing more than grunt , not even
bothering to raise her head from her calculus
homework. "That good, huh?"

 Just because he fought along side them, didn't
mean Mamoru got along famously with any of the
Sailor Senshi. Sure he was found of them, but not
a one of them was really a people person, except
maybe Minako, if she  learned to tone it down.
He'd been the first Luna had come across, merely
by accident. He'd been unfortunate enough to be on
a bus when Jadeite attacked, and even more
unfortunate to be cursed with the powers that
turned him into Tuxedo Kamen. Some power, Mamoru
thought with a snort, remembering those first few
battles, in which he had faced the Dark Kingdom
youma alone. It was sheer luck and his own keen
mind that had allowed him to tick the youma into
their most vulnerable states, otherwise he
wouldn't have had the power to destroy them.
Thankfully, just as the youma were beginning to
increase their power, he'd run across Hino Rei.
He'd seen the girl a few times in his karate
class, but it wasn't until Jadeite targeted the
temple that he'd discovered the true extend of the
miko's power. Things had eased up a little,
especially since Rei was able to sense the attacks
before they took place, but it wasn't long before
the Dark Kingdom started gaining the upper hand.
Almost half a year later, when he and Rei had been
at their absolute lowest, worn down by almost
daily attacks, they'd met Mizuno Ami. With
the attack on the cram school successfully
thwarted, things had settled back down.

 "Mamoru-kun," Minako mumbled in acknowledgement
as she walked in, carefully supporting Makoto.
Mamoru nodded to them, gazing on the Jovian senshi
with sad eyes. They hadn't even known about her,
until rumors of a mysterious senshi with a tough
touch operating on the other side of town had
managed to reach Juuban. Ami had considered the
whole thing to be a hoax, until they met Sailor
Jupiter face to face. In all actuality, Mamoru
admired her, she'd charged right into battle
completely heedless of the danger. It seemed she
had done it before, but unfortunately, that time
seemed to be one too many. The youma's claws had
sliced down her right leg, tearing a few tendons
on it's way. With Mercury's expertise, they'd been
able to fix her up enough that it didn't really
hinder her in daily life, though the stairs to the
temple did prove to be a bit too much for her.
 "Finally decided to show up, eh?" Rei asked
sharply as she closed the temple door behind her.
The question, though directed at Minako, was loud
enough to draw Mamoru's attention. Frowning,
Mamoru tossed a disgusted look in the miko's
direction.
 "Oh, come on Rei," he said, "Cut the girl a
break. Just because she's new doesn't mean you
have an excuse to pick on her.
 "New and worthless!" Rei tossed back, "Kami-sama,
she's never here on time, she's so loud it's no
wonder the youma don't hear her coming a mile
away...."
 "Rei!" Mamoru cut in with a shake of his head,
"We ran into each other over the space of a
year... we thought we were the only ones, after we
found Makoto. The Dark Kingdom has beefed up it's
ammunition, you should be *glad* Minako came
along..."
 "Thanks, Mamoru," Minako said as she climbed to
her feet, "But if Rei has a problem, she can take
it up with me!"
 <Kami-sama, not another shouting match,> Mamoru
inwardly groaned. Sure enough, that was exactly
what this was turning out to be, and he mentally
began to tune both girls out. One glance in the
direction of Ami and Makoto told him they were
doing the same thing.

 "LADIES!" Luna's voice broke through the
argument, what seemed like hours later, as and
Artemis entered through the window.
 <At least THEY get along> Mamoru thought with
relief. Now that their guardians were here, the
Sailor Senshi, plus one Tuxedo Kamen, could get
down to business.
 "Are these the defenders of love and justice?"
the black cat went on, deliberately going into a
guilt trip, "Are these the ones who will defeat
the Dark Kingdom? Is THIS the court of Princess
Serenity? You shame me, arguing amongst yourselves
when we all have a common enemy." Flushed with
embarrassment, Rei and Minako studied the floor.
 "Gomen ne, Luna," they said softly, "We'll try
harder."
 "What will it take to get you to truly work as a
team?" Luna asked, heedless of their apology. The
room was silent as everyone contemplated the
situation. They knew they made for a horrible
team, and that one of these days, the Dark Kingdom
was going to catch them off guard and it would all
be over.
 <I know, Luna,> Mamoru thought to himself, as an
image of the princess, obscured by fog, found it's
way to the fore of his mind. He knew that if they
could only find her, then not only would she make
*his* life with living, but the Senshi's lives as
well. She, with that beautiful smile, the only
thing she left Mamoru with after he woke from
sleep, was the one who could bring them together.
She would be their unifying force, if only she
would appear.
 <Onegai, Princess...> Mamoru thought with all the
aching loneliness in his heart, <reveal yourself.
We need you.... I *need* you.>

-----

 Around four o'clock in the afternoon, the Crown
Arcade reached the height of it's business hours.
Booths were crowded with teens newly released from
school and eager to spend what allowance had
survived the weekend, if any. Some of the girls
were brave enough to try their budding flirting
skills out on Motoki, the arcade's manager. Those
self-same girl were the ones now crowded to one
end of the counter, gazing half in envy and half
in awe at the only girl who could claim any
amount of success. It was quite clear that the new
girl with the blond odangos had Motoki hook, line
and sinker.

 "Here you go, Usagi-san," the blond man said with
a wink, "another shake, on me." The young woman
looked flustered, though her thoughts were very
different
 <This is *too* easy,> she thought with a small
smile, which Motoki interpreted as welcoming his
advances. And welcome them Usagi did, for while
Motoki's mind was occupied with simpler matters
(like her, for example), it was all the more easy
for Usagi to slip inside and find the information
she needed. His thought patterns were incredibly
easy to read, compared to the Generals who had
trained her.

 "Where are you from, Usagi-san?" Motoki asked, "I
haven't seen you around here before."
 "Oh? I just moved here. Tell me, Motoki-san, do
you have a girlfriend?" the odango-ed one batted
her long lashes and raised her blue eyes
hopefully.
 "Not currently," her prey answered with a wink.
 "Really? I wonder if I'm brave enough to try and
catch you..." she touched his hand gently with her
own. She needed more information that what she was
able to glean from the young man's surface
thoughts. There was a flicker of awareness back
there, a knowledge that something was moving in on
his world. Usagi concentrated, careful to keep her
facial expression the same. It seemed Motoki had
been been in one of the stores Jadeite had
targeted, and had caught a passing glimpse of the
Sailor Senshi. Almost laughing out loud, Usagi
detached her mind from his, and bid Motoki a good
day.
 <Four GIRLS!?> Usagi thought in astonishment,
<the infamous Sailor Senshi are four GIRLS?
Kami-sama, no wonder Jadeite wouldn't give the
other Generals any information about them. If he
had, he'd have been laughed straight out of the
Dark Kingdom!>

 Sobering somewhat, Usagi gazed up at the huge
sign adorning the Crown arcade. This was the
perfect place for her to begin collecting energy,
what with all the young, bubbly customers. It
would be easy to manipulate Motoki as well, and
when his usefulness ended, she would have a youma
take on his likeness. Turning away, Usagi headed
in the direction of the down-town area. She'd
learned from Motoki's mind that a new fortune
telling house had opened, and already there had
been reports of mysterious disappearances. It was
*just* like Jadeite to be so tacky.
 <Onegai, Princess...> in the middle of a crowded
street, Usagi stopped and turned around, looking
for the fool who dare call her by her true name.
Had Jadeite found her? No, he would not have said
her name with such an honorific tone.
<reveal yourself....> A youma then, unable to find
her amongst the humans? Usagi frowned, why would
her mother have sent a youma when all she needed
to do was call her telepathically? It was the last
statement that threw Usagi completely off guard.
   <We need you.... I *need* you.> In the middle
of the sun-baked side walk, though confused, Usagi
shivered in anticipation.

-----

 The call came at 4 AM, from an exhausted Mars,
who'd managed to chase Jadeite from his lair in
the fortune telling house and out onto the vacant
Tokyo streets.
This time though, the Dark Kingdom General didn't
have a youma with him, and it was with some fear
that he faced the four young senshi who had him
surrounded.
 "Give up now, Jadeite!" Mars offered, "You're
more valuable to us alive than dead!" The others
nodded, wondering in the back of their minds what
was taking Tuxedo Kamen so long.
 "Baka senshi!" the cornered General barked, "Do
you think you can defeat me so easily? I still
have one last weapon!"
 "If you think..." Jupiter began, waving her first
with an air of threat. She never got tot finish,
though, for a chill wind suddenly swept through
the alley, making all of them shiver. The sound of
feminine laughter filled the air, accompanied by a
swirl of black rose petals.
 "Who are you!?" Mercury demanded. The petals
began to fade, leaving in there place a stunningly
beautiful woman. Or, at least, she would have been
beautiful, had she not been so frightening. Her
golden hair tumbled down from twin odangos,
framing a china doll face with bright blue eyes.
The folds of her black gown swirled around her as
she crossed her legs; sitting on thin air.
 "Who me?" she blinked innocently, "Why I'm Yuumei
Usagi, Crown Princess of the Dark Kingdom!"
Before anyone could respond, she turned her
attention to the unfortunate General. "And *you*,
Jadeite, are a dead man!"
 "Get lost, brat," the blond man spat, "What
business is this of yours?"
 "It's every bit my business!" Usagi shouted, a
frown marring her lovely features, before she
smoothed them into a mask of pleasantry,
"Especially since Okaa-sama gave me permission to
kill you."
 "K-kill...."
 "Sayonara, Uncle Jadeite," the Princess said
mockingly.

 Usagi suddenly felt detached from her body,
watching in horror as this other girl raised her
energy-filled hand, preparing to send Jadeite to
the depths of oblivion. Somewhere within, she was
shuddering at the thought of ending a life, even
that of her hurtful 'Uncle'. She tried to focus on
everything he'd done to her, the beatings, the
name callings, the way he'd taunted her with
descriptions of Earth. Even so... her widened in
horror as, of it's own violation, her hand opened
and let loose the ball of dark energy. She closed
her eyes, though it didn't do any good; she could
still hear Jadeite's scream, the sound of his body
turning into dust. When at last she opened her
bright blue orbs, she could see the Senshi staring
at her in terror. Again, that 'other' Usagi took
over as she raised her hand once more, palm
already burning with the energy she was calling
forth.
 "And now, for you!" she yelled. The light of the
blast reflected in each of the Senshi's eyes as
Usagi prepared to let loose the barrage of
darkness. They were frozen in abject fear, knowing
that this time the enemy was far too powerful.
Usagi brought her hand down and...
 Drew it back in pain as something sliced into the
delicate skin of her hand. Without thinking, she
placed the wound to her mouth, gazing down to see
what had hurt her so. 

 There, lodged securely in the pavement, was a 
single red rose.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
::tilts head back::
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oh! On a side note, Yuumei means 'semi-darkness'.
I thought it was fitting for our Evil Usagi. ^_~