Princess Mercury: Her Past and Her Promise.

Chapter One
A New Enemy

Click.

The control panel lit up as a gloved finger pushed the glowing red button.

The computer monitor which had sat dark and square up until now on the flat of the desk now illuminated the gloomy room with a dull grey light. A small box appeared on the screen as the heavily upgraded piece of software took mere seconds to boot up.

Two headings.

Login name.

User password.

The fingers danced around the keyboard and a word appeared in the name heading.

S.Universe.

Five more buttons clicked and five asterisks appeared in the password heading.

The enter key came next.

The terminal buzzed for a few more seconds and was then ready for use.

The DVD drive slid open and the hand slipped in a CD ROM.

After more processing a data file appeared on the screen.

At the top there was the image of a teenager with blue hair.

She was perhaps sixteen and wore a school uniform. She had the most beautiful face the person who had logged onto the terminal had ever seen.

Below in red letters was her personal information.

Name: Amy
Sex: Female
Age: 17 yrs
D.O.B: Sept/10/1978
Identity: Sailor Mercury

The female eyes narrowed.

She finally knew who Sailor Mercury really was. Now she had everything she needed to take action. She could come out of her complacency and into her agenda...

"Are you guys ready?"

"We're ready!"

"We're ready!"

"We're ready!"

"We're ready!"

"Are you set?"

"We're set!"

"We're set!"

"We're set!"

"We're set!"

"Go!"

"Venus Love-Chain!" the blonde Sailor Scout raised a hand.

"Jupiter Thunder!" the brunette Scout struck the side-walk with her clenched fist.

"Mars Fire-Balls!" the dark haired Scout flipped out a piece of paper with the kanji printed on it.

"Mercury Ice Storm Blast!" the blue haired Scout spread out her hands as blue lightning crackled between her spread fingers.

The night-time sky was lit up as the combined might of metal, lightning, fire and ice were unleashed as one.

The foul demon which had arrived through a space-time anomaly from the Negaverse shielded its tortured eyes as the energies of the elements screamed toward it.

It howled in torment as its armoured flesh was concussed, shocked, charred and frozen all at the same time.

Another blonde Scout drew out a small sceptre about a few metres tall and aimed it at the beast.

"Crescent Moon Power!" she cried out as she was surrounded by an aura of white. Wings seemed to materialise about her and then were gone again.

The sceptre issued a beam of holy power which burrowed into the monster reducing it to crystal dust.

Sailor Moon, breathing heavily lowered the sceptre and leaned on it.

Sailors Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Mercury eyed her teasingly.

"This really takes it out of ya." Sailor Moon moaned.

"I thought you guys would never wear it down enough for me to hit it with the sceptre."

"That’s rich Serena! This would all have been over an hour ago if you hadn’t let it knock the sceptre into the river." Mars retorted.

"She's right y'know." Jupiter had resented being elected to go after the sceptre.

Mercury just smiled softly as her fellow scouts became embroiled in a debate about the finer points of tactical thinking in the field.

After transforming back from her Sailor Scout alter-ego Mercury, Amy came out from behind the back of the shed and walked up to her back door.

Moving aside the loose brick near the door Amy retrieved the hidden key which she went on to unlock the door with. After putting the key back she turned the handle.

The door held firm.

Amy furrowed her brow in puzzlement.

She'd locked the door just now?

It had been unlocked before she had arrived?

Slightly annoyed, Amy took out the key, unlocked the door and hid the key all over again.

She must have forgotten to lock it this morning.

Amy couldn’t believe she'd been so careless.

That was the last time she walked to school with Serena on the day she’d been together with the rest of the Scouts the night before.

It really had to be.

In the kitchen at last Amy slipped out of her shoes and went on to the hallway and up the stairs.

The door was slightly ajar as she got there and she shoved it open and walked in.

As she was about to get changed Amy noticed that the red light on her phone indicated that she had a message.

Pressing the button she shut the door with her other hand.

And the trap was sprung. The intruder moved quickly dropping down from the door frame upon which they had stood since hearing Amy close the back door.

Amy's mind lurched as someone landed on her back and bore her to the floor.

Hands grabbed hers and held her down before she was able to do anything.

Amy thought frantically.

A demon?

A being from the Negaverse?

She opened her mouth.

Before she could call out the incantation that would transform her into Sailor Mercury one of the hands released hers.

That hand clamped over her face.

In it her unknown assailant held a damp cloth. The powerful aroma of chloroform stunned her and her eyes watered.

Amy swore in her mind.

That was new for her.

Amy NEVER cursed mentally OR verbally.

She should have transformed as soon as she was attacked.

Now her assailant had the upper-hand and it was too late.

The intruder released her as her awareness began to fade.

The last thing Amy heard before darkness took her was a voice from the answering machine.

"Hey Amy this is Serena. The girls and I were just wondering if you have time to drop by the...."

Amy woke with a start.

She opened her eyes...and then regretted it.

The piercing white light flooding into the room was something her stinging eyes weren’t ready for right now.

"Well that was a mistake." she moaned shutting her eyes again.

"I quite agree." a pleasant female voice said. Amy's eyes shot open again before she could catch herself and her eyes watered again.

"Ooh. Subjecting your eyes to bright light after waking up from being drugged." her host laughed quietly. "I wouldn’t recommend it."

"Who are you?" Amy muttered holding her eyes shut. "Where am I?"

"I don’t think I'll tell you know either of those things. But never mind. After all you don’t need to know."

"Then what do you want?"

"For now all I want is your company Amy. Or should I call you Sailor Mercury?"

Amy doubted the reality of her situation then.

"Wha...how do you..." she couldn’t find the words in her confusion. "Are you from the Negaverse?" she settled for in the end.

"Negaverse?" her hostess said the word like it was something new. "I can’t say the name means anything to me so I'm afraid not. Look Amy I'm at a bit of a loose end here. There's nothing to be said until an associate of mine gets here. That'll be enough for now. We'll talk again soon."

Amy heard a door open and shut and then the turn of a key in a lock.

Her hostess was gone.

Amy finally opened her tender eyes.

Her head ached sending spasms through her body so she remained seated.

She was in an upstairs (she could see the sky through a window) bedroom which was luxuriously arranged.

As she lay back weakly in the chair Amy thought about everything.

She knew that her captor was female and from her voice round-about her own age.

But what reason did she have to do this if she wasn’t from the Negaverse?

She realised she was going to have to bide her time before making any attempt to get out of here.

She hadn’t yet recovered from the effects of the chloroform so she'd never make the jump to Sailor Mercury without blacking out.

But when she was recovered...

"Can you believe it?" the chisel-jawed rough featured client of the night-club Tokyo Dead-Zone commented.

He drew no great response from the rest of the clientele sitting at the smoky bar drowning their sorrows.

So instead he directed his raucous bellow over the heavy metal blaring on and on to the person in the seat next to him.

The other client didn’t react any more than the other boozers had but the drinker who had spoken was not to be deterred.

"The crap they throw in these rags at the last minute. Have you seen this?"

"No."

The one sitting next to him spoke for the first time since he'd walked into the club.

"What is it?" he asked in tones which made it crystal clear he couldn’t have cared less.

"This crap." chisel-jaw waved a battered news-paper in his face.

Now that he had turned around he saw who he had begun this unprovoked conversation with.

He was a male who looked around fifteen.

He wore a grey sleeveless shirt and faded blue jeans. He had red hair and the most striking grey eyes.

The client wondered just how someone this young had been able to get past the bouncer.

Not that it was his business.

Rather than asking questions he handed the youth the gossip rag for his perusal.

The kid looked at the front page.

"Escaflowne not to be re-newed for new series?" he asked.

"No below that buddy."

The youth looked at the article beneath.

NORTHERN DISTRICT RAVAGED BY MYSTERY BEAST

The brief report stated that several witnesses claimed to have seen a monster appear in a town square and begin a rampage of destruction.

None had been around long enough to see what had become of the beast but the first person who had found the courage to return had said something about five teenage girls.

For the first time in a while a grin pricked up on his face.

So the Sailor Scouts were still around. Good.

"Interesting." he stated passing the rag back to the client and rising to leave. "Thank you for the loan of your paper my good man."

As he got up from the bar the boy noticed a strikingly good looking woman sitting at a table on her own. In the blink of an eye he had crossed over to her.

"So what's a good lookin lady like you doing alone in a place like this?" he asked with a dashing grin. "What about you and me going out for a snack tonight?"

"What about you sliding across the floor?" growled a large hulking cue-ball of a man who had come up behind him and heard what he had said. The youth turned and looked him up and down carefully.

From the build he'd say that the man was five times his size. From the attitude he'd say that he was the woman's boyfriend.

"I...dont think I'd like that very much." he said after careful thought.

"Then buzz off kid! You're irritating the lady!" The youth took the hint and turned for the door. At the last second the man who had shown him the newspaper called after him.

"Just a sec sonny. What’s your name anyway?"

The youth called over his shoulder as he strode out of Tokyo Dead-Zone.

"Fargo."

"Still no sign of Amy?"

"Nope." Rei shook her head. "Serena told me that she never came to school today."

Luna frowned.

This was unusual.

Not the frown itself although this would have been understandable coming from the face of a cat but the fact that this particular cat was the one doing the frowning.

"This isn’t like Amy at all." Luna said at last. "First she wasn’t at home when Serena called to walk her to school and now you tell me she never even showed up there."

"You bet your life it isn’t like her!" Rei put in. "She crammed for today’s algebra test for a month just to miss it."

Luna grunted. "Well Serena went to her house to fetch her. Amy can explain herself when she's here."

As if on cue the café door opened and Serena sauntered in.

Rei and Luna's eyes were on her. Amy wasn’t with her.

"She couldn’t come?" Luna asked Serena as she took a seat opposite them.

"I didn’t even get to see her." Serena surreptitiously grabbed Rei's untouched jam doughnut.

"There was no answer when I rang the doorbell." she stuffed it into her mouth before Rei could reclaim it.

"Oh this is just getting ridiculous!" Luna's temper was at an all-time shortage. "Where can she have been the whole day?"

Serena shrugged. "Dunno. I haven’t seen her. Come to that none of us have seen Amy since we all went off after fighting that monster last night."

"You think she could have been affected by the monster somehow?" Rei was concerned.

"She'd have told us if she had been." Luna snapped. "Amy has some reason for not showing herself all day believe-you-me. Well I won’t be too gentle with her when she concedes to turn up."

A slight beep caught their attention. Serena retrieved her mobile phone and pushed the call button.

She listened for a minute to the voice on the other end and turned back to Luna and Rei.

"That was Lita you guys. She says Artemis has found another space-time rift. He wants us there in case something slips through. We'll just have to cope without Sailor Mercury's help."

Amy walked through the door she had opened. She had no choice.

When she had awoken from her unrefreshing sleep she had found the door to her room unlocked.

However she had found little solace in this since all the other doors in wherever she was were locked.

All but this one.

The room beyond loomed up before her.

A book-lined study greeted her eyes.

Her hostess looked up from where she had been reading as she had come in.

"Ah Amy." she greeted her as she rose to her feet. "I was only just thinking of you."

For the first time since this had all began Amy was able to take a look at her captor.

She was a girl with purple hair cascading over her shoulders to her waist.

She was dressed in a modest way not unlike how Amy herself was wont to dress.

There was a strange sparkle in her brown eyes as she regarded her 'guest'.

"Were you now?" Amy's attempt to sound defiant collapsed.

There was something unnerving about those eyes. "Stop staring at me like that!"

Her hostess shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry. It is impolite and I do apologise. But you should realise Amy that you are the most beautiful girl I've ever had the privilege to meet. Not that I mean anything by it but I could lose the time looking into your face."

Amy was completely thrown.

The strangeness of her day was complete.

"Feast your eyes." she retorted. "Since you'll need to make do with your memories for quite a while."

Her voice was flat for her words were empty and she knew it.

Her hostess smiled enigmatically.

"Well that’s a maybe. Oh but here I am going on when we haven’t even been introduced.

My name is Merula. But tell me Amy...do you believe in destiny?"

Amy did not reply, wishing to have no part in this bizarre conversation.

"I'll take that as a no. Well...it certainly believes in you."

Chapter Two
The Temple of Dark Moon

"Lucky spell, lucky spell I ask of you Sailor Mercury - what do you see?"

The kanji on the paper in Rei's hand flared red as she chanted.

Artemis and Luna watched as Rei began her divination. The remaining three Sailor Scouts were scouring the city for Amy at that very moment.

Rei however had opted to find her through arcane means.

The two intellectual cats waited to see the outcome of Rei's divination.

The kanji flared as bright as flame as the spell reached its peak.

Then it happened. The parchment burst into fire. Rei cried out and dropped the burning mass into a dish of water in front of her.

The incense burners flickered violently as the cats realised that Rei was breathing heavily.

"What happened?" Luna asked after a while.

"I took too long and the parchment expended itself." Rei panted.

"Well? What did you find out about Amy?"

"Sadly" said Rei. "Nothing. Something got in my way. Either Amy is very far away from here or...someone doesn’t want us to find her."

Artemis shook his head slowly in disbelief. Oh man...

"I'm leaving now." Amy's voice was flat. "You're not going to get away with this."

Merula did not answer her. "Never come after me again." Amy went on as if only to defy the passive silence. "I have friends and you'll regret this."

"Amy" Merula’s voice contained something strange which struck Amy. "Don’t try to rally against your destiny. It can’t be done."

Amy's eyes narrowed.

She had no idea what her hostess meant but she did not care.

Amy spread her arms.

Her voice with its accent was as clear as polished ice.

"Mercury Power!"

Amy had uttered these words many a time in the past.

After the destruction of the Moon Kingdom she had been sent to this planet along with her fellow Scouts and the Moon Princess.

For a while her true memories had been mystically suppressed and she had lived as a mere mortal.

It had only been while she had been caught in between a battle between Sailor Moon and a warrior from the Negaverse that had placed her jeopardy that Amy had once again become Sailor Mercury.

But now...

Something was wrong.

The power of Mercury which had begun to rise within her was retreating.

She was losing power.

Amy had failed to become Sailor Mercury.

She dropped her arms as Merula spoke.

"Come along Amy. Do you really think I'd be sitting here casually chatting to you about the weather if you were free to power up?"

From her sleeve she drew a blue crystal rose. As she held it up the light caught it causing Amy to wince in shock.

"Recognise this?"

Amy felt strangely woozy as she looked into the sea-blue depths of the rose.

Yes...

There was a strange familiarity about the rose in Merula's hand.

Looking at it Amy was positive that it should mean something to her.

She just couldn’t think what. Then she felt IT.

The power.

Something was coming. The like of which she had never felt before.

A small ball of light danced in through the wall as if it were an illusion. Amy watched as the light stopped in mid-air.

It began to increase in size.

Soon it stood as tall as a pillar a feet taller than Amy and began to fade into colour and take shape.

A humanoid form was materialising in the room.

He cried out sharply.

Fargo had been draped lounging against a wall his head down minding his own business in the shade with his eyes narrowed.

Then he had felt a incredible presence.

A power he had never thought he would experience again.

All the hairs on his head...no all the hairs on his very body had stood on end as the sensation spread through his body.

The power of this presence could only belong to HIM. Fargo's tense eyes were now almost serene.

He began to prepare himself to set of in the direction of the power source.

He knew that it was time.

The newcomer gave a sinister smile.

Amy was the target of his smile and she shuddered. The stranger was a boy a few years older than her, rich blonde hair fell to his shoulders. His eyes were golden and seemed to glow in the dullness of the room.

A sense of foreboding crept over Amy.

Those eyes.

Those terrible eyes.

He stepped forward to her.

Instinctively she stepped back.

A hand was placed on her back and pushed her back.

Merula had gotten up and walked up behind Amy without her noticing.

"Thank you for bringing Sailor Mercury to me Merula."

the newcomer’s voice was light but had a strange compelling quality which could not be denied.

"Have I done well?" Merula pushed Amy closer. Her breasts were touching the stranger’s broad chest now.

"Yes."

He turned his gold eyes back to Amy's blue.

"Beauty that could break a thousand hearts." he said more to himself than her. "What yonder dove greets my eye?"

"Stay way from me!" Amy knew it was useless though. He ignored that. He raised a black gloved hand. As Amy watched a pink dust appeared and began to turn over and over in his palm.

Then the powder sprayed into her face causing her to breathe sharply and inhale it.

A dizziness struck Amy and as she collapsed into his arms she realised what was so strange about his eyes.

They had no pupils.

People were gathering in the streets below to see what was causing the commotion.

An arc of blue light soared in a straight line through the sky. It left a trail of blue energy behind it.

Fargo was in flight surrounded by the aura of flight as he blazed his way towards his destination.

The total lack of solidity around him. The feeling of the wind in his hair. He hadn’t flown in a long time and it felt good to be in the air again rather than crawling around on the ground.

Fargo had not felt so free in a long time. Then his eyes narrowed.

He increased his speed.

He realised that he must not forget the urgency of what was happening.

He had made a vow long long ago and he took it very seriously.

The temple of Dark Moon had lain in silence and gloom since being abandoned countless eons ago.

Until now.

Now the incense burners had been rekindled and once more blazed to light the darkness of the altar chamber.

The flames illuminated the great stained glass window on the ceiling.

Pure white beamed down to the vast hall below for the image it depicted was of a full moon. One side of the moon was milk-white and the other a foul black.

On the altar of cold hard stone there lay a slender form.

Amy now wearing an elegant yet flimsy silk night-gown. Her delicate hands were lain across her chest as if in prayer.

Her eye-lids closed as the fact that she was still alive was shown only by her shallow breathing.

Amy was still under the power of the sleeping spell. Merula stood before the altar of Dark Moon now in ceremonial dress.

The blonde-haired teenager who had bewitched Amy stood over her sleeping form.

The torch-light did not so much illuminate his face but to fore-shadow it. Outline its hard features.

His eyes glowed deeply.

"Ages ago the Moon Kingdom was brought to an end by the power of the Dark Queen." he spoke at last. "In the eleventh hour Queen Serenity asked me for my help in saving the lives of the chosen ones. I agreed with her request to send the Sailor Scouts and Prince Darien to Earth at a price. Serenity was unwilling to agree to what I asked of her but the significant one made the decision. So it was that the Sailor Scouts and Prince Darien were sent to Earth moments before the Moon Kingdom was wiped out by the Dark Queen and Serenity lost her own life defending her kingdom to the end. Much has come to pass since that fateful day. The Dark Queen made an attempt to take over the Earth but she and her generals were crushed by the Scouts and Darien. Now that all has been completed I have decided to claim my payment for saving the lives of Darien and the Sailor Scouts."

Merula had been growing bored of this.

All she wanted was her agreed reward for bringing Amy to him. "Now to settle what remains."

Mu took the crystal rose Merula had used to block Amy's power the day before.

It flashed and became clear in the fire-light.

A spiral of blue-light flowed from the rose and down to Amy.

The spiral entered her womb and dark-blue light began to flow up through the spiral and into the rose. A few droplets of blue dripped from the rose and into a vial in Mu's hand.

Then it ended.

The light faded away and Amy was left lying on the altar...somewhat changed.

Mu put away the rose and passed the vial to Merula who took it eagerly.

Then the world exploded.

Well not literally.

The altar-chamber filled with a red-blaze of light as a large section of the wall was blasted in.

The temperature shot up.

The smoke cleared away to reveal a red-haired figure standing in the massive whole that had once been the wall.

Fargo stared in at the scene within.

He had been able to tell from the various power out-puts what had just happened.

Looking across he saw that Amy seemed perfectly safe and unharmed.

But he knew that he had already failed in a way. Well it can’t be helped, he thought, I can’t quit because things aren’t how I want them to be. I have no choice but to go forth.

Lowering his hand and allowing his energy to go down, Fargo addressed Mu.

"I'm taking her out of here. Stand aside Mu....NOW." His initial surprise passed and Mu sneered.

"So you're still shuffling around this mortal coil. A problem I think I'll rectify right now."

As Mu reached into his pocket Fargo closed his eyes and began to power up.

Obviously Mu did not intend to tackle him personally. That was heartening since from what Fargo had sensed so far Mu's power was even greater than ever so he had not been relishing the thought of taking him head-on.

Mu chuckled as he drew out four black pearls. "Serenity always enjoyed using children to do her work." he threw the pearls into the air where they spread out.

All four of them landed on all of Fargo' sides and exploded on contact with the ground.

A thick cloud of smoke filled the chamber stinging his eyes.

Not that it worried him.

Four figures had materialised in the chamber.

Skeletons carrying bronze shields and scimitars now stood surrounding him.

"Get a load of MY kids!" Mu laughed mockingly as the skeletal warriors surrounded Fargo, who licked his lips.

Rei cried out in fear.

Something terrible had stole over her as she has sat, her eyes closed, in a trance.

She was trembling and had broken into a cold sweat. "Death...." she whispered, her voice wavering.

"Y'know from another point of view a skeleton wielding a sword may be considered funny."

"Aha! The ox bellows!" Mu taunted him.

A screech of metal striking metal echoed throughout the chamber.

Sparks burst as the scimitars clashed missing their mark as Fargo launched himself straight up into the air.

Fargo turned in mid-air with uncanny agility and landed on the top of one of the skeletons shields where he balanced.

He back-flipped over the scimitar which went for his back and instead it went straight through the head of the warrior who's shield he had 'borrowed' shattering it completely.

Fargo landed on the back of the attacking skeleton and held on.

A third warrior thrusted it’s shield straight at his back with a speed that would have broken it.

"Care for a quick spin?" Fargo asked the skeleton he was holding and at the last minute he swung the skeleton around to take his place and let go of it.

There was a crash and the second skeleton's frame fell to the ground battered beyond repair.

"Whoops. Guess that guy was afraid of flying. Two down." Fargo addressed the last two of undead.

"Pretty inconvenient seeing as I really need to scratch the back of my foot right now."

Mu watched growing increasingly concerned. Meanwhile Merula had slipped out of the temple carrying the vial of blue.

The blue which contained the essence of Mercury.

With two skeletal warriors on both sides Fargo realised that it was time to come out of the closet.

As his inner-power rose the aura of flight surrounded him as he rose into the air.

His eyes became pure white and lightning crackled between his fingers.

"LIGHT OF DEATH!" Fargo screamed, his voice waking the echoes of the temple.

The light gathering on his finger-tip burst as the energy was released.

A spiralling beam of energy shot down to the floor. The skeleton on the right was the first to go. It’s bones were blackened and reduced to a pile of dust on the floor.

Turning his cupped hands a little to the left Fargo changed the direction of the beam.

The sole-surviving skeleton was unable to avoid the path of the beam of destructive energy and was disintegrated on the spot.

Breathing heavily Fargo dropped back down to the floor, the threat averted.

The Light of Death had really cost him more energy than he could afford but he had had to end the fight quickly in case Mu made off with Amy. A glance at the altar satisfied him that Amy still later there in magically induced slumber.

With narrow eyes he fixed gazes with Mu.

The blonde villain stood with his arms folded and seemed quite unconcerned by the young warriors show of power.

"Fargo you haven’t changed a bit. Serenity made a wise decision in choosing you when she could have chosen one more worthy of her trust."

"What are you going to do?" Fargo asked ignoring the taunt which made his hackles rise.

"Well right now? I'm leaving." Mu twinkled his fingers at him as a farewell gesture. "We both know I could crush you with a flick of my finger.

However it would hardly do to endanger the lady." Mu's eyes glowed deeply. "I take my leave of you now. I'll leave Amy in your hands but I will return for her one day very soon. Remember Fargo. Emperor Mu always takes what is owed to him."

Mu's body began to glow and became a pillar of light which shrank down into a sphere of ethereal energy. Fargo watched glaring coldly as the ball floated across the hall and disappeared through a wall. Then he turned attention to Amy who lay in slumber as if nothing had happened. His breath quickened. She was as beautiful as always.

He had not seen her for several centuries after the fall of the Moon Kingdom but the one and only time he had met her before now he had been struck by her pure and innocent loveliness. Perhaps that had been why he had been so willing to accept Queen Serenity's offer.

But there was no time for this now.

Fargo picked up Amy's sleeping form in his arms and began to carry her out of the temple.

Something was wrong.

Fargo was half-way across the moonlit field when he realised that Amy was not sleeping naturally.

He laid her gently down in the grass and inspected her.

Amy's breathing was shallow but there didn’t seem to be anything physically wrong with her.

Fargo still found it hard to believe that she had stayed asleep throughout all that had happened in the Temple of Dark Moon.

Then he remembered that the people from Mu's time had possessed incredible gifts including sorcery.

Amy must be under the influence of a spell of some kind.

He thought the problem over in his mind.

A portion of his energy might be enough to awaken her. But how to transfer it into her...

Then he had it.

A tingle spread through his body and not only because he had begun to raise his energy.

Placing his right hand beneath Amy's head Fargo knelt down beside her and lowered his head over her own.

He closed his eyes as he found her lips to be tingly and pleasant.

His body started to glow a violet light as the energy travelled through his body and into Amy's. Amy's eye-lids fluttered as she sighed deeply. Fargo's hands were trembling as he released her and Amy got up and looked around as if in a dream rather than having just come out of one. Fargo's heart kicked the side of his ribs. In the moonlight Amy's blue eyes and hair shone making her seem like a goddess.

Amy had noticed how cold the breeze was and was staring at her flimsy night-gown.

The last thing she was able to remember was a stranger with rich gold hair and eyes.

She'd noticed Fargo by now and looked to him for an explanation.

"Amy." Fargo decided to save the explanation for later. “We are in great danger here. Come with me and I'll explain everything you want to know." he offered her his hand. "But for now just please...trust me?" Amy blinked.

Here I am standing in the middle of a field at midnight, semi-naked and a weird boy asks me to trust him? she thought.

But something told her that the strange boy’s intentions were good and true.

She couldn’t understand where this strange assurance came from but it felt as if she should go with her feelings.

She extended her hand.

"I trust you." Amy answered. "Yes I trust you."

Chapter Three
Sailor Mercury vs. The Shadow Hunter

"Who are you?" Amy asked plainly.

Fargo looked over his shoulder at her from where he was mixing two mugs of tea.

Amy was sitting on the couch, her legs crossed femininely watching him.

Fargo had brought her back to his apartment deciding that it was too late to set off for Amy's neighbourhood.

"One of your fans." he replied. "My name is Fargo."

"What do you mean 'one of your fans'?" Amy wondered aloud.

He gave her a meaningful look.

Amy felt her stomach backflip as she understood.

"You know." she stated not meaning it as a question. The expression he had given her said more than words could.

Fargo nodded. "You’re one of the Sailor Scouts. Your true name is Sailor Mercury."

It didn’t surprise her in the least. Her life was hardly normal at the best of times but the past few days had put her days as a Sailor Scout to shame. Merula had told her that she had known who she really was as if it had been common knowledge.

One more person who knew that she was Sailor Mercury could hardly do her any harm.

Certainly Fargo hadn’t threatened her in any way. Amy didn’t even bother to ask him how he possibly knew. Fargo brought over the mugs of tea and handed one to Amy and she focused her attention on that instead.

Fargo sat in a rickety chair as Amy took a sip from her mug.

The tea was strong but not all that bad.

Fargo grunted at her expression. "Ain’t poison ya know."

A little embarrassed Amy swallowed the warm drink. "So where are your parents?" she asked trying to break the uneasy silence.

"Dead. Both of them." Fargo made the reply that had become easier and easier over the many years.

"Oh. I'm...I'm sorry." Amy's face softened.

"Don’t be." he shrugged. "They were killed in a car accident years ago when I was too small to remember. I hardly knew my mother and father so I’m not gonna waste energy thinking about them."

Amy shook her head hardly understanding his easy acceptance of the fact that his mom and dad were dead and not believing the flat emotionless voice he used to speak about them.

Amy often thought about her own mother who had been a doctor.

She had looked up to her greatly and wanted to become a doctor herself simply because her mother was one.

Not her real mother who had been the Queen of Mercury many ages ago but the woman whom Amy had been 'born’ to upon arriving on Earth. But still there existed a bond between them for which a word had not been invented. The fact that she was not her mother by birth had nothing to do with it.

"Have you always lived like this then? Lived alone?" she asked trying to steer the conversation in another direction.

Fargo glanced around the shabby apartment and shrugged again.

This little trick of his annoyed those closest to him. Or it would have done if anyone had been close to him.

"I spent most of my time before I was eight years old in an orphanage. I ended up running off."

"You ran away? But how did you survive in the world unfriended and without resources?"

he guessed it showed Amy's sophistication that she didn’t just say 'who gave you food and where did you sleep?'.

"I got by." Fargo replied in a tone that implied that he didn’t want to talk about it.

Amy decided to give him his space.

"So how did you get involved in this?" she asked finally getting to the point. "And why are you going out of your way for me?"

"Hey it’s my nature to help damsels in distress against evil little witches. I've been after Mu after an incident a couple of years back. I've been on his trail ever since. It’s become something of a personal vendetta."

Something in his voice told her that he had not told her the full answer to her question.

"Mu?" Amy thought about the golden eyed stranger who had sent her to sleep. "That’s his name? But I don’t understand. What can you do against him?"

Fargo shook his head incredulously.

"I can hardly believe you just said that! A seventeen year old girl (not that I have anything against the female gender) who gallivants around the city in a short skirt with her four friends fighting demonic warriors from another dimension is asking me what is in my power?"

Amy accepted the rebuke with an abashed smile which only made her even more good looking.

"Going to be a cold night." Fargo tossed some more paper into the steel barrel in which a fire blazed. "We'll get some sleep now and in the morning I'll take you back to the other Scouts.

I'll lend you some of my things too unless you want to walk in like that, that is."

Amy nodded and pulled at the night-gown.

"Not for the war-room huh?" she agreed.

"But what if someone comes along?" the girl insisted rising to her feet.

"They won’t!" he grasped her by her shoulders and pulled her back down on the park bench with him. "It’s one in the morning. Who's gonna come along at this hour? And anyway I really love you ya'know."

His words dampened her anxiety.

A little.

They both settled down on the bench and were soon tangled in each others arms. His red-hot lips and she closed her eyes as her heart thumped against her rib-cage.

They were in a secluded thicket and if there were any stars in the midnight sky then they were blocked out by the overhanging branches.

It must have been the mild trance the couple had drifted off into that caused them not to hear the cracking of bracken being broken underfoot.

Half-way through mid-grope the girl froze as she heard someone breathing heavily above her.

Whoever it was coughed and hacked as if ridden with asthma.

She broke her lips from those of her lover and looked up.

Red eyes glared down on her burning with a malevolence that surely must come from hell.

She screeched in terror and leapt to her feet.

Then everything went red and she knew nothing more.

Serena awoke to the beeping of her cell-phone.

Grunting as she screwed up her tired eyes she reached down brought her phone up to her ear and pressed the call button.

"Serena? Is that you?" It was Lita.

"Hey there Lita." Serena mumbled her eyes closed.

"What’s the matter? Seen any aliens?"

"Not unless you count a creature from the Negaverse.

Artemis just detected one somewhere in the park."

"Another one?" Serena opened her eyes as she felt a familiar tired ache spread through her.

"That's the third one this week."

"Anyway Luna wants you over there with the rest of us right now. Guess I'll see ya soon ‘kay?" Lita signed off.

Grumbling to herself Serena brushed off the covers to prepare herself for a long night.

"Huh?"

Amy jolted up from the bed she'd been drifting off into sleep on and sat bolt-upright listening intently.

She was almost certain that she had heard a woman screaming.

But then again she had been about to drop off so she might have been...

Another scream made her jump to her feet.

That scream had belonged to a boy.

Whoever he was he had sounded as if he had been filled with terror and mortification.

Without thinking twice about it Amy slipped out of the flimsy night-gown and padded over to the clothing Fargo had prepared for her.

She slid into the tight white top and then on went the blue denim jeans and lastly the battered trainers.

Dressed and ready Amy left the room and went to the front door.

As she quietly turned the handle she hesitated. It soon passed and she looked back at the room in which Fargo slept.

"I'm sorry Fargo." Amy whispered as she slowly opened the door and slipped out into the cold night. "Forgive me."

It was fantastic night as Amy neared the park. Had she the time she would have probably taken the chance to admire the stars adorning the heavens and giving light to a darkened world.

However she had no time to spare.

Amy stopped just outside the gateway leading into the pitch-black park and listened.

She couldn’t see a thing beyond the gate but straining really hard she was able to make out a distant cracking noise.

It was as if someone was doing an awful lot in the middle of a bush or something... Amy thought quickly.

She had no way of calling the other Sailor Scouts here and they had no idea where she was....

Making her mind up Amy held her arms wide and spread out her fingers.

"Mercury Power, make up!"

A magnificent blue light surrounded Amy's body in a heavenly aura.

Her eyes glowed as her clothing faded away from her body and blue lighting crackled between her fingers. A white sailor's shirt appeared on her body followed by a short blue skirt flickering in the breeze. A gold tiara set with a sapphire stone appeared at her forehead and blue dust floated down to her spraying her finger-nails and painting them dark blue.

A pair of knee-length blue boots completed Amy's transformation into Sailor Mercury.

As Sailor Mercury set off running into the shadow-bound park a plexi-glass visor slid across her eyes and information whirred across it.

Mercury could see perfectly in the dark with its help and a black dot flashing on and off indicated that her quarry was close.

Sailor Mercury prepared herself for the worst as she headed right for the evil...

"Mercury Bubbles!"

The black leathery skinned beast was taken completely by surprise.

It had been in the process of kneeling by the body of the girl whom it had slain minutes before with its long tail extended. The barbed stigma had been inching closer and closer towards the female’s neck ready to puncture her delicate skin...

That was when Sailor Mercury arrived.

The monster's black skin was bombarded by several sparkling bubbles of freezing ice making it scream in anguish.

Taken from behind it stood at its full height and glared around with its red eyes burning to see who had ambushed it.

Sailor Mercury stood at the end of the thicket, a vision of loveliness in the moonlight her hands cupped in front of her as if she had just pushed something forward.

"You have been weighed by the scales of justice and have been found wanting! You intrude within this world and take the lives of the innocent but no longer. I am Sailor Mercury and as the princess of Mercury I will stop you!" Sailor Mercury announced.

The sinister entity from the Negaverse curled up its barbed tail and snarled.

It had been long before when the shadow creature had last had the chance to quench its thirst for human souls and its appetite was tingling. The beast resolved to kill Sailor Mercury and take her soul first.

Seeing the cruel intent in the monsters eyes Mercury got down to business.

"Mercury Bubbles!" she cried.

This time however the creature swatted away the barrage of ice bubbles with its thick tail.

Spurred on by the cold and the frost on its skin though the being dropped onto all fours and sprang forward like a cat.

Gracefully Sailor Mercury flung herself up out of the path of the monster and onto the top bough of a high tree.

From her perch she flicked a switch on her plexi-glass visor as she focused down on the monster.

A red circle homed in on the beast and the screen filled with data.

Name: Lower-Planar Negaverse Beast
Element: Shadow Based
Weak against: Light Based Attacks
Notes: Stalks its prey through dark isolated locations. Saps the soul of its prey via the stigma located at the end of the tail and devours it.

Sailor Mercury's brow clouded.

She would have given a lot to have seen Sailor Moon at the moment. Her crescent moon sceptre would have ended this in a heart-beat. Dammit! She'd been spotted!

Mercury jumped down from the branch as it was splintered by the monster’s barbed tail.

She landed nimbly on the ground and cushioned the impact with her hands.

The monster had turned back and fixed her with a baleful glare of hate.

Then she had it.

Sailor Moon wasn’t here but she would make do with the next best thing.

Holding her hands straight up at the over-hanging branches she called.

"Mercury Ice Blast!" a hail of pure coldness shot from her palms and covered every inch of the branches transforming them into pure ice.

Then...CRACK!

The ice cracked brittily and fell into chunks which showered Sailor Mercury and the beast.

The moonlight beamed down through the gaping gap in the branches.

The beast shrieked and closed its tortured eyes against the blazing white light.

It could not move out of the shaft of light and was evaporated by the light.

Sailor Mercury shivered as she transformed back into Amy.

She gave one last long look around the thicket and sighed.

It was too late for the boy and girl.

If only she could have done more tonight...

Someone coughed politely behind her.

Amy turned to see the Sailor Scouts standing there.

"What the hell happened here?" breathed Sailor Jupiter in wonder.

Chapter Four
Battle of the Sailor Scouts

"Aha! There you are!" Luna was angry.

Perhaps like the prophet of old she considered that she did well to be angry.

The intellectual cat had served along side her counter-part Artemis as an advisor to Queen Serenity for light years in the days before the fall of the Moon Kingdom.

After the Twilight of the Moon Kingdom when Luna and Artemis had been transported to Earth along with the five princesses of the Universe to escape the clutches of the Dark Queen.

Artemis had located Venus and she had been the first to recover her true identity. Venus had gone on to become the mysterious heroine Sailor V.

Since she had had no way of contacting Artemis it had been left to Luna to find the other four princesses.

It had taken a while but in the end they had all come together re-united as the Sailor Scouts.

Luna had done her best to teach the girls the virtue of discipline and responsibility.

But in the past week one of her charges whom she had considered to be her greatest student seemed to have taken leave of the group and to throw her responsibility to the winds without so much as a word.

Sailor Mercury had disappeared without a word to the others and Luna wanted to know why.

Now seeing Amy walk in with Serena and the other girls had brought all of the anger that had gathered over the week right out.

Luna jumped onto the living-room table as she saw Amy.

"Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?" she demanded.

Amy gave a start as she perceived the anger in Luna's voice.

For a few minutes she was at a loss for words. When she received no answer to her accusation Luna continued. "You know exactly what I mean. The last time any of us saw you was on Thursday night last week. Since then you haven’t been to school nor contacted us."

Amy found her voice somehow.

"I can’t believe you're saying this to me Luna!" she protested.

"Well why should I speak any other way?" Luna brushed aside Amy's plea. "Why shouldn’t I treat you with just the respect that you've treated the rest of us?"

The words struck Amy like a blow to the stomach.

She could feel the eyes of the other girls on her. The rest of the Scouts were not condemning her as readily as Luna but obviously they were all wondering just what she had been up to while she had been away.

Amy felt hurt.

Her only friends in the world doubted her. Their doubt gnawed at her heart like a hostile cancer invading her body. "Nothing to say?" Luna asked sarcastically. Amy could hardly believe that Luna was speaking to her like this. Along with Serena the talking cat had been one of the first real friends she had ever found and now...

But then the pain was gone and it was replaced by pure anger. It must have shown on her face because Luna's tirade dried up as she saw her expression.

"You think you're so clever!" Amy snapped. "You really think I just abandoned you all for no reason?"

"I don’t think, I know." Luna recovered from her shock and rallied again. "If not then where were you when that monster attacked a few days ago?" "Well I was only kidnapped, stripped and humiliated. The usual." she didn’t even bring Fargo into it. This was a difficult situation as it was.

"Well you certainly found replacement clothing." Luna eyed Amy's white top disdainfully.

Amy blushed. "So where were you? Did you go and get drunk and couldn't face us in the morning or something? Is that it?" Amy gasped.

"Draw the line Luna." Lita muttered balking at the suspicion in the cat’s mind. But it was too late.

"That's what you think is it?" Amy's voice was deceptively calm but her blue eyes flashed with passion and excitement.

"What would your mother say?" was all Luna could think of. That was it. Everyone watched stunned as Amy pulled back her hand and smacked Luna around the head.

"Go to hell!" she half screamed at her. "Never suggest that I have shamed my mother! I had so much respect for you! I admired you...but no longer!" With that Amy turned on her heel and walked straight out. The girls were speechless. "Wow." said Lita after a while. "Someone had to say that one day. I just can’t believe it was her!" Serena had slipped out after Amy who was breathing hard as she reached the door.

"Amy! Hey babes are you ok?" Serena asked her friend. Amy was leaning on the door her face pale from the stress and strain of the past few days and that moment. Her anger at Luna had drained away leaving only a weary bitterness. "No. Serena if you have any decency and respect for my feelings just let me walk out now." she muttered.

"You can’t." Serena impulsively moved to stop her friend. Amy flinched from Serena's touch.

"I can." was all she said. Serena watched in silence, a solitary tear trickling down her cheek as her friend went off alone into the night and the pounding rain.

Merula smirked as she slid the vial out of her sleeve.

She spent a few moments toying with the glass turning it over and over in her palm watching the blue liquid flow around.

She finally had all she wanted right here.

She’d waited for it for so long and now she was going to have it all. She uncorked the vial.

But it wasn’t water in the vial.

The glass contained pure Mercury and it was this that Merula allowed to trickle into her mouth.

The essence taken from Sailor Mercury that night.

Having drank the Mercury Merula stood still and waited for it to take effect.

It had taken him a good while to follow her trail.

Now he did the concrete steps three at a time as he descended into the disused train station.

Amy was naive. Perhaps that was what drew him to her so much.

Fargo smirked.

That girl simply had no idea how to make sure that no one could track her.

Fargo had been irritated beyond measure when he had sensed Amy leaving his apartment.

He had watched her head for the park from his window before gliding down to the ground and following her. However before he had been able to go into the park after her the other Sailor Scouts had arrived and he had watched from behind a tree as they had met up with Amy again.

Looking around he caught sight of his quarry. Amy was sitting on a bench with her head in her hands. She had not seen him yet so he approached her.

Amy heard his footsteps and as she looked up he could see the dried tears on her cheeks.

"Oh. It's you." Amy said flatly as she recognised him.

"Lil old me." Fargo agreed. "What's up Amy? You look bluer than usual."

"Nothing you'd understand." she rebuffed him.

"Try me." he asserted.

Amy just sighed.

Fargo's face was impassive but he realised that something about him made her feel uneasy.

"Is it me?" he asked straight out. She sighed again.

"You’re so cold Fargo. How can you be so cold?"

Fargo realised that he had never really thought about it before. The thing was that he couldn’t remember a thing about his past before the day of his great promise. That was the sole memory that Fargo could consciously recall. If there was a special reason for who he was he had no idea what.

"Amy." Fargo found that she didn’t resist as he took her shoulders in his hands and drew her to her feet. "I can’t help who I am. I'm not perfect. But you have great friends who'll stand by you through it all. I'm not sure what's happened but I feel sure that they'll remain true to you no matter what."

Amy didn’t understand.

A few hours ago he hadn’t shown any regret when flippantly talking about the deaths of his mom and dad and now here he was preaching to her about friendship? Then she felt his grip on her tense and saw his face crease.

"What?" Amy asked dreading the answer.

"I feel it...someone is coming...someone with a power that....dwarves my own...." he growled.

The temperature had dropped drastically.

Amy was the first to notice since she was hardly dressed for a rainy night. She hugged the sides of her shoulders. Fargo simply ignored the cold.

"Fargo look!" Amy cried pointing up at the ceiling.

Fargo looked up and definitely didn’t like what he saw.

The ceiling was covered in blue ice which was right at that very moment spreading from the centre covering the whole train-station with frost. The cold air was nearly unbearable!

Amy felt her skin turning white.

The clouds burst.

With a sharp crack the ceiling broke into millions of pieces as it was transformed into ice.

Amy covered her eyes against the tiny shards of frost but Fargo was focused on the figure who hung in the air above them. The figure slowly lowered through the hole in the roof. Amy and Fargo watched as the newcomer landed in front of them.

Amy breathed deeply.

A gold tiara glittered at the strangers forehead as the ice shone on it. In it there was set a sapphire. She also wore a white sailors shirt and a short blue skirt as well as white elbow length gloves and blue boots.

A Sailor Scout? But this could not be. Amy was the only Scout who wore blue and it definitely wasn’t Moon, Mars, Venus or Jupiter standing in front of her. This Scou’ts hair was bright purple as were her eyes. The gleam in her eyes seemed to mock Amy.

"Merula." Amy breathed as she remembered when she had last seen those eyes. Merula grinned in mockery.

"How nice of you to remember. You're as pretty as ever Amy." she said. "Of course you must be wondering about all of this. Well let me make it clear to you. Yes I am a Sailor Scout..."

"That's a lie!" Amy broke out. "There are only five of us on Earth! I know because..." she struggled for a way to banish the doubt she felt welling up in her.

"You'd best ask Luna about that. How is that pompous old moggy these days anyway?"

Amy's head swam. How could Merula be a Sailor Scout? But if she weren’t then how could she know about Luna as well as her personality?

"Poor Amy. You still don’t really understand do you? Well then just watch this and you'll see."

Merula held out her arms and spread out her fingers in much the same way Amy did when she was about to transform. "Universal Transformation! Make-Up!"

A sphere of darkness surrounded her body pulsing and disintegrating the benches around her as well as some of the floor. The darkness was so intense that Amy and Fargo were forced to narrow their eyes in order to make anything out. In the middle of the sphere Merula transformed. Her boots flowed like liquid and became a pair of black high-heels. Her skirt changed from blue to the darkest black. A dark dust sprayed onto her finger nails colouring them black. Merula's hair was twisted by some invisible force into one long braid which hung loosely behind her.

The darkness of Merula's Scout outfit seemed to drain all the light out of the train-station.

Merula spoke with a voice seemed to be full of dark power. "I am Sailor Universe and I will kill you. Sailor Mercury, time to die!" And pointing her finger at Amy she spoke. "Death Ice!"

The air around became bitter with acrid coldness as ice began to form around her finger tip and black lightning crackled between her fingers. Then a blast of vile freezing coldness rocketed straight at Amy who was too stunned to avoid it. But the ice of death never touched her.

As soon as the beam had been discharged Fargo who had remained completely silent during the entire conversation sprang to one side with cat-like reflexes.

A horrifying blood-chilling scream echoed throughout the chamber as the ray hit him head on. The cold pierced his body like a sponge dropped in water and left there. His blood stream froze into a sluggish trickle.

He collapsed onto his back breathing shallowly. Amy cried out in horror. As the world around him darkened Fargo leaned to one side to look up at her.

"Up to you now...Sailor Mercury." Fargo allowed himself the pleasure of blacking out. Hearing these words brought Amy to her senses.

Spreading out her arms and fingers and holding her Transformation Pen Amy called out.

"Mercury Transformation! Make-Up!"

Warmth spread through her body as her clothing faded away and were replaced. As the blue light died down it was Sailor Mercury and not Amy who stood preparing to do battle with Sailor Universe.

"Whoah! See that? The reading’s going right off the scale!"

Artemis had gathered Luna and the rest of the Scouts at Rei's grandpa’s temple and they were all gathered around the Planet Power Detector.

At first all that the group had intended to use it for was to find out where Amy had gone after she had walked out into the rain all alone in the middle of the night.

There had been a great deal of resentment towards Luna among the girls because of the way she had treated Amy who was the best-liked of the group of five. As for Luna she had felt bad as soon as Serena had told that Amy had gone remembering how she'd spoken to her and how she'd doubted her word and suggested that her mother would have been ashamed of her.

She had sent word for Artemis to prepare the PP Detector so that they could find Amy and talk her into returning. Luna had been prepared to apologise to any extent in this case. However what they had been expecting was far from what greeted their eyes as the Detector located Amy.

Amy had transformed into Sailor Mercury for some reason which was not quite clear. After all if an enemy from the Negaverse had attacked then wouldn't Artemis have detected it before? But it wasn't that that caught their attention. It was the presence of ANOTHER Sailor Scout that astounded the group.

Well if Moon, Mars, Venus and Jupiter were here together then who could be with Mercury…?

"What do you think?" Artemis asked his black counter-part.

"The power source certainly belongs to a Sailor Scout." Luna responded but everyone noticed straight away that there was a catch in her voice.

"What's the matter?" Rei asked her uneasily after a while in which Luna did not go on.

"Well…" Luna would have bit her lip. Perhaps she did but not having seen a cat bite their lip before the girls had no way of telling. But everyone realised that for some reason the black cat was trying to avoid answering the question.

Serena couldn't understand it at all. For the time she'd know Luna the intelligent cat had been very collected and together. She had never seen her as disconcerted as this. Not even when the Scouts had been trapped inside Malachite’s energy sphere and had only been saved by the appearance of Sailor Venus.

Luna shook her dusky head.

"Shouldn’t you four be getting over there and helping Mercury?" she demanded with something of the old snap in her voice.

Before any of the girls could press the matter she turned and scuttled off into the night.

"How could you? He never did anything to you!" Sailor Mercury accused. "You had no right to make him suffer like that!"

Sailor Universe leered.

"Always the caring warm one, eh Mercury? Well you wouldn't be so quick to come to Fargo's defence if you knew what I did."

"What are you talking about?" Mercury was intrigued but wary of deceit intended to throw her off guard.

"I mean that I'm not like you or the others Mercury."

"That's for sure." Mercury cut her off bitterly.

"No. No not like that." Universe's eyes seemed to glaze over as her voice changed to a more serious tone. "I'm not like you five in the sense that I can remember my previous life before…"

"Before what?" Mercury pressed when she stopped.

Sailor Universe breathed deeply closing her eyes for a few minutes as if what she was about to say needed a lot of effort.

"I can remember what happened in my life before the fall of the Moon Kingdom back in the days when Queen Serenity still ruled. You see Sailor Mercury unlike you, your friends and Prince Darien I was not sent to Earth after the Kingdom was destroyed. Well…not at the same time as the rest of you anyway."

Something in her voice made Mercury stop to think. That Merula was a Sailor Scout was certain. There could be no doubt now that she had revealed that she knew about Luna, the other Scouts, Darien and the Moon Kingdom. So then what had happened to stop Universe from leaving the Moon Kingdom for Earth at the same time they all had? Why had Luna claimed that she, Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Venus were the only Sailor Scouts? There was no way Luna couldn't have known about Sailor Universe having been one of Queen Serenity's advisors… And how had Universe gotten to Earth and what had happened to her all those years ago to make her the way she was now? It didn't matter. Explanations were going to have to wait for a while.

"That's enough talk for now." Sailor Universe snapped pointing with her dark gloved finger at her. "Let's get on with it! Have at you Sailor Mercury!"

And from where he lay on the floor several feet away Fargo mulled over in his head what he had just heard.

Fargo had managed to drag himself out of his cold induced coma in time to hear what had just been discussed by the two Sailor Scouts. Without realising it Universe had brought to light the possibility of him finding out about his past. Finding out what had happened to lead to him making his sacred promise to Queen Serenity. But as with before this was going to have to wait. There was nothing he could do in his condition but to watch how things played out and to hope that Sailor Mercury had what it took to take out a fellow Sailor Scout.

As it happened Mercury had been wondering about that exact same thing.

The discovery that Merula was a fellow-Scout complicated the whole thing. Could she bring herself to fight another Scout? Wouldn't that be just like fighting Serena?

No! No matter what Merula had done Mercury couldn't lower herself to her level. But then what? She had no time to work this interesting problem out.

"Death Ice!" The all too familiar bitter coldness set all of Mercury's nerves on edge again.

She stood prepared to spring as the ice gathered to Universe's finger-tip and as the blast of ice made for her she uncoiled and avoided the blast with cat-like grace.

Sailor U's eyes were on her as she came down behind some dismantled benches which were piled up on top of each other.

Heh… Universe's lip curled maliciously. She was trying to get under cover then?

"Hell Fire!" All at once, searing heat blasted Sailor Mercury, reaching her even behind her hiding place and she was only able to jump out of the way in time to avoid becoming the same smoking ashes as the benches.

But her eyes were wide as she stared at the other Sailor Scout.

"You used a fire attack!" Mercury exclaimed, still hardly believing it. "But that can’t be! A Sailor Scout can only draw on the power of ONE planet! And Sailor Mars has the fire element! How…"

Universe just sneered.

It dawned on Mercury that what she was now engaged in was quite possibly the fight of her life…

"This is near the spot you three!" Sailor Venus called back to her comrades who were leaping across the rooftops towards her.

Venus was pointing the Planet Power Detector north into the city when it had suddenly gone ballistic.

Two sources of Planet Power in one place at the same time. Venus was baffled by the implications of it.

When the detector had picked up the sources Serena, Lita, Rei and herself had been together so the source couldn't have belonged to any of them. So who was with Sailor Mercury right now if it wasn't Moon, Mars, Jupiter or herself? A sixth Scout? But if there was another Sailor Scout then why had Luna or Artemis never spoken of her? It made no sense. But when they had first detected the new source of Planet Power earlier that evening Luna had began to act strangely. She had snapped rather more sternly than she usually would have done at them to go help Sailor Mercury. It was like she had been avoiding answering the question.

"Sailor V?" Venus realised that she'd stopped and had been thinking for so long that the other Scouts had had time to catch up with her. "You've been standing there doing nothing for three minutes, you know that?" Sailor Jupiter asked regarding her curiously. "What's on you're mind?"

Venus shook her hair. She had no time to be thinking right now. When they found Sailor Mercury they would see what they would see.

"I've managed to locate the sources." Venus avoided answering the question by showing them the two blips on the detector’s small screen. One blue and one black.

"So there IS another Scout!" exclaimed Mars as she looked at the unknown reading.

"I don't know. Look let’s just go and find Mercury. Something tells me that she could really use our help right now!"

Sailor Venus had no idea how right she was.

Sailor Mercury had to keep on her feet to escape being frizzled like barbecued meat as Sailor Universe continued to bombard her with her flame attack.

Universe never seemed to weaken or slow down but kept up her vicious assault as if there was nothing else in the world than Mercury. As the glow of the flames died down from her attack Universe took a moment to try and get her quarry in her sights.

She stared.

And blinked.

Sailor Mercury was nowhere to be seen.

In fact Mercury had used the cover of the fires intense glare to duck behind a large stone support pillar on the other side of the Train Station on the basis that Universe couldn't roast her alive if she couldn't see her.

Her theory was sound but flawed, for after not being able to find Mercury after two minutes Universe simply jumped up on the top of a ruined train and bombarded the entire chamber with her flames!

Behind the pillar Sailor Mercury closed her eyes feeling the intense heat of the flames. If she stayed here she was done for…

Using a break in between the bouts of pouring fire she sprang out from behind the pillar and rolling beneath the heat she stood just below the pillar Universe had situated herself atop of.

Moving quickly as Universe spotted her standing there Sailor Mercury spread out her arms.

"Mercury Ice Blast!" she cried.

The chamber was blasted with a cold aura as she focused her ice attack and let it rip.

Sailor Universe narrowed her eyes against the cold as her hair was blown back behind her head by the oncoming blast. But she focused on the blast approaching her coolly, coldly, calculatingly.

And the very moment before it arrived she dropped her fire attack and summoned a different power.

"Death Ice!"

In an instant she had formed her own ice attack which she had used earlier to drop Fargo.

The chambers walls were transformed completely into brittle ice and the air was unbearably freezing as the two ice attacks met head on.

There was a short pause as the two ice blasts grappled pushing each other back and forth slowly struggling for supremacy.

Both Sailor Mercury and Sailor Universe threw all they had into the terrific battle of wills.

Their eyes narrowed as they both felt the acute weight of their struggle with each other.

However in the end it was Sailor Universe who proved superior. With a heart-rending scream Mercury fell back onto her back as her ice beam was cancelled out by the other and she was hit head on by it. Her body was assailed by intense cold and for a moment she thought that she was finally finished.

But her enemy had no intention of killing her.

This was made clear as Sailor Universe dropped the ice beam and stepped off the edge of the pillar. Sailor Mercury watched helplessly as she landed on the floor a few feet away from her.

There was nothing she could do. She was as weak as a kitten and could hardly move.

Struggling with all her remaining strength Mercury got onto her knees as Sailor Universe came to a halt in front of her.

There was a smirk of malicious satisfaction on Universe's face as she stared down at her fallen advesary.

"You know something?" Universe broke the unbearable silence. "That was nowhere near as fulfilling as I imagined it would be."

Desperately Mercury raised her gloved hand and pulled inside for her remaining Planet Power…

"Oh please!" Sailor Universe spread her arms and fingers as dark lightning crackled between them. "And now to bring the show to a close...a bondage trick! ARROW-SNAKE!"

Sailor Mercury watched in horror as a pair of solid steel handcuffs materialised around her wrists. She pulled her hands apart but they held tight.

As they did so she felt her Planet Power fade away into nothing. Her Sailor Suit disappeared as she turned back into Amy.

"A special metal created by Emperor Mu's best sorcerers especially to contain your power." Universe explained. "You're coming with me whether you like it or not my dear, sweet Princess Mercury."

Weak and exhausted and stripped of her powers Amy could do nothing as Universe stepped forward and lifted her up, slung her over her shoulder and turning set off towards the exit.

And across the other side of the Train Station where Fargo lay in a pool of frozen blood the teenager lay back as a tide of black despair washed over his heart and silenced his mind.

He had failed in his trust.

He had not been able to keep his promise to Queen Serenity. Fargo's life was no longer worth living.

And it was in the middle of this whirlwind of despair and self-loathing that the amazed Sailor Scouts Moon, Mars, Venus and Jupiter arrived in the blasted ruin that had once been the Train Station and found him laying there.

Chapter Five
Mu’s Revelation

"These aren't clothes! These are pieces of yarn with a glandular condition!

Emperor Mu looked from the brim of his white hat and raised an eyebrow.

Mu sat beneath as shade in a deck chair in the court-yard of the hotel plaza he had hired next to a swimming pool.

As he heard that shriek he looked up.

The two double-doors swung open and two girls in their teens stood in the doorway.

Merula now in everyday clothing sighed and was speaking to Amy who stood beside her.

"It's not as if any of your friends are here!" she smiled slyly. "Of course you shouldn't worry about exposure in the present company."

Mu's eyes had gone straight for Amy.

She was the only one in his mind right now.

As soon as he had heard her voice through the door he had awaited her arrival with ecstatic anticipation.

Mu was not disappointed.

Amy stood in the doorway clad in a light blue bikini and briefs.

A vision of blue and creamy skin in the sunlight. A glance from Mu prompted Merula to shove Amy and send her staggering into the court-yard.

As Amy stopped herself from falling she looked up at Mu.

Mu smiled warmly.

Amy scowled.

She was also wearing a pair of blue sunglasses and reaching forward Mu removed these from her face.

Amy's mesmerising eyes of crystal blue were revealed.

How long he had waited for the day he would be able to remain in the gaze of those beautiful eyes for all eternity!

"Princess Mercury I am grateful to meet you again." Emperor Mu greeted her.

Mu's manner was of the very essence of polished good manners.

He needn't have bothered.

"Why have you brought me here?" Amy asked quietly.

"You still haven't realised have you?" Mu shook his head. "Don't you remember the promise you made to me long long ago? The trust you entered upon?"

"What? I've never met you before yesterday!" Amy snapped.

"Oh yes you have." Mu rose to his feet and walked slowly toward her.

Amy watched him warily.

"Do you remember? I'm talking about the days before the fall of the Moon Kingdom. We met during the rule of Queen Serenity."

Amy couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "You're lying!" she protested. "If you'd been alive back then you'd be..."

"Thousands of years old?" Mu laughed quietly at Amy's naivety. "Well yes I suppose I am. Still Princess you made a vow to me back then."

"What vow?"

Mu sighed.

"Here. Let me explain everything to you...directly." Before Amy knew what he was doing Mu touched her forehead with his gloved finger.

A feeling of being outside her body seized her.

Mu had separated her soul from her physical being and was beginning to show her visions and images.

He was showing Amy her past.

Then - Countless ages ago in the days of Queen Serenity's rule of in the Moon Kingdom the day the Negaverse declared war.

All was chaos in the royal palace.

Queen Serenity's courtiers and guests had been watching the Moon Princess dancing with the strange masked man in the blue armour and red velvet cloak a moment ago.

The next thing she knew all hell had been let loose. The queen's advisors Luna and Artemis came running across the dance floor crying that the Negaverse was staged to attack the moon.

Princess Mercury stood amid the chaos that ensued as the courtiers tried to arrange the Moon's defence. "Over here!"

It was Princess Mars who reached out grabbed Mercury and pulled her clear of the crowd.

Now Mercury stood with Mars out of the up coming battle against the forces of the Negaverse.

Although the power of Queen Serenity was great and had ensured the prosperity of the Moon Kingdom for eons Mercury could not help but feel the darkest foreboding.

The Princess Mercury knew in her heart that a formidable tragedy was playing out before her eyes. And she was part of it.

Two Hours Later...

"This is really bad!" The Moon Pprincess's voice was desolate.

Mercury agreed with this sentiment.

The vast enemy that was the Negaverse was going all out in its attack on the Moon Kingdom.

the battle was lasting hours and the forces of the Moon lay in ruins around them.

The Seven Shadows had devastated Queen Serenity's army.

The masked stranger who had been dancing with the Moon Princess had revealed himself to be none other than prince Darien of Earth.

Had the circumstances been different then Mercury would have giggled at the annoyance on the Queen's face.

One of the Moon Kingdom's most ancient laws was that people from Earth were not allowed on the moon. Though Mercury was sure that Serenity's annoyance had been because Darien had taken it upon himself to come to the dance in disguise.

The queen had long perceived how he and her daughter felt about one another and Mercury was sure the queen would have stretched a point for them. Not that any of this mattered here and now. As powerful as Darien was even he seemed like falling before the might of the Negaverse. All seemed lost.

"They are strong." Queen Serenity stated gravely. "We may not be able to last much longer."

Luna and Artemis were forced to agree.

Another attack and it would be all over for them. The Dark Queen was going to win.

Queen Serenity stood in the centre of the ruin of her kingdom and surveyed the situation.

"My daughter is with Prince Darien and confronting the Dark Queen. The Princesses of Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury are together." the queen's brow clouded. "But what of the other two? Where are Princess Universe and Princess Charon?"

Luna and Artemis were silent.

Their expressions were bitter and the queen was alarmed.

She noticed also that their companion Estrella the youngest of her advisors was not with them. "Well?" Serenity pressed them.

It was Artemis who fought back the pain and spoke. "Princess Universe left the others to return to the palace and rescue a child who was trapped there." Artemis's voice was wracked with grief.

He didn't speak further until Serenity prompted him. "Princess Charon and Estrella were separated from the others by the fighting." Artemis took a deep breath. "Universe was crushed by falling rubble inside the palace. Charon and Estrella were caught in an explosion.

The shock in Queen Serenity's face forced Luna to speak.

"They're dead your majesty." Luna's voice was drawn and tired. "All three of them."

Her grief was intruded upon.

"The future seems dark my dear Serenity."

The Queen looked around startled.

Luna and Artemis hissed.

Emperor Mu stood a short way off looking cheerful amid the destruction going on all around them.

Serenity regarded him grimly.

She did not like the arrogant Earthern emperor but since he was such a powerful ruler who may have been able to aid her one day she had felt obliged to invite him to the event.

The Queen cringed inwardly remembering how he had not stopped at kissing her head when greeting her but had continued up to her shoulder.

"Mu." she greeted him coldly. "I see you are still alive."

"I have a proposition for you Serenity." Mu moved closer.

"Oh?"

"The Moon Kingdom is doomed. That is clear. But a small few may still survive."

"How?"

"I can send them to Earth. Your daughter. The Princesses. Prince Darien. Your advisors." Mu leaned closer. "On one condition."

Serenity knew what was coming.

"What condition?" her eyes narrowed.

"I want Princess Mercury as my bride." Mu leaned back and smiled charmingly but Serenity wasn't smiling. Luna and Artemis gasped as if struck by thunder. They weren't surprised for long and their faces quickly filled with outrage.

Queen Serenity was not surprised in the least.

She had long watched the long looks Mu had bestowed on Mercury.

She knew how intensely he had been infatuated with her from the moment he had first seen her.

"My answer is no Mu. Princess Mercury is her own person and I will never force her to marry against her will. Even to save my kingdom. Her hand in marriage is not mine to give never was and never will be." Serenity snapped.

But the decision was taken out of her hands.

"I accept the proposal." Everyone turned to see Princess Mercury standing a short way off.

In her face was great sadness but also resolution. Mercury had come to find the queen and had heard what Mu had offered.

Queen Serenity looked upon her with concern. "Mercury! Do you know what you're saying?" she demanded.

"Yes. If this can save my friends then I have no choice in the matter." Mercury replied quietly. Mercury faced Mu who was on the verge of laughing with sheer satisfaction.

"I'll be your bride if you do what you promise." she promised to him.

"Of course you will Princess and of course I will." Mu gave Queen Serenity a sneering glance as he said this. Serenity's eyes narrowed but there was nothing she could do and so she bid Mercury, Luna and Artemis farewell.

"Well I'll be needing your assistance for this your Majesty." Mu wore a smug smile as he turned to face the queen. "You see I have the ability to generate the needed magic for the spell but you'll have to be the one who will channel it. Give me your hand." Serenity nearly choked as the emperor extended his hand.

Not only was he forcing one of her subjects to marry him against her will and taking great pleasure in mocking her but now he was even asking her to help him do his dirty work!

Princess Mercury gave the Queen a pleading look which was not lost on her.

Breathing deeply swallowing her true feelings which were too deep for words Serenity took Mu's gloved hand in her own.

Mu closed his eyes and summoned his mental power. The two connected hands crackled with golden light which became silver as it flowed into Serenity's hand and into her body.

Queen Serenity stood in an aura of white light. When Mu opened his eyes again they saw that they were pure gold and possessed no pupils.

Not liking it one bit Serenity gathered together the power she had been given all at once.

"Power of Earth! Do my will and send my daughter, Prince Darien and any Princesses and any of my advisors who are still alive to the planet Earth!"

Almost instantly Mercury, Luna and Artemis felt light-headed.

Shimmering light surrounded them and the three of them were encased in magical bubbles.

On the other side of the palace the Moon Princess and the others were also enchanted this way.

As Mercury and her friends were transported to Earth Mu bestowed Princess Mercury with a dashing grin before she vanished.

He was thinking about what he had included in the spell namely that the memories of the Princesses and Darien would be lost and replaced with false memories. It would make his job a lot easier.

"See you soon!" he promised his future bride kissing her modestly.

Now - Beside the pool of a Hotel at the far side of the city

Amy wanted to disbelieve it.

She wanted to throw back her head and scream to the skies that it was not true.

But she just couldn't.

Deep down in her heart Amy knew that she had just been shown her past and as much as she wanted to believe that it had just been a twisted illusion created by Mu's sick mind she knew that it was the truth.

Amy's memories of her past life as the Princess Mercury had been locked away but now that they had been released they came flooding back.

Amy knew for sure that Mu's claim on her as his bride was real.

Amy had made a serious promise and she was bound to keep it.

Mu had been watching Amy's changing expressions as he had shown her the visions from her past with intense satisfaction.

Shock, disbelief, horror and finally mute acceptance had crossed her face on after the other.

Mu fixed Amy with his golden eyes.

Amy felt like a rabbit that was about to be bitten by a snake. Aware of the deadly danger but helpless to do anything.

"You pledged yourself to me that day." Mu's voice was gentle but he felt deep pleasure in spelling out Amy's fate for her. "Now I'm calling you in. You're mine Princess Mercury. Mine now and forever."

The words drove home the truth to her.

Maybe this was her destiny. Her fate to be the bride of this tyrant.

She had done this to save the lives of her friends and she did not regret it but now that the time had come it seemed to overwhelm her.

Amy had thought of her future many times. She had made so many plans for herself but now all that was gone. Her life was over.

Amy's breath shook but she stood firm as she accepted what she was convinced was her fate.

He could feel the warmth.

A short while ago his body had been frozen solid. His blood reduced to a sickly trickle and his heart slowed down to an impossible rate.

Fargo had felt certain that his time had come.

So how was it that he now sat up weakly but all too alive somewhere that certainly wasn’t the train station?

Fargo found that that he was lying on a comfortably cushioned sofa in the living room of a detached house somewhere in the suburbs.

He was perfectly well and felt strong enough to take on the world.

Considering the fact that he ought to have been a frozen corpse right now this was remarkable to say the least.

Still if anatomy had decided to drop its tradition of continuity then who was he to argue?

Looking around though Fargo saw that he was not alone. Four teenage girls stood over him watching him inquisitively as he sat up.

Two were blonde. The first had a hair-style he’d never seen in his life or wildest or feverish imaginations.

Two braids beginning in a pair of pool ball-like bunches that stuck out on the top of her head like Tony the Tiger at a pedigree cat contest.

Fargo chose not to even think about it.

The other blonde was far more graceful than the other.

The third girl had dark hair, which cascaded down to her waist. She was wearing a red floor-length frock. He guessed that she had just come back from a temple or something.

The last girl was surprisingly tall for her age and had remarkably well developed muscles and chestnut brown hair.

Fargo found his voice.

“Lying on a sofa in a classy living room surrounded by beautiful women. What is this my heaven?”

This was not a very clever thing to say. Even he realised this when the girls each nailed him with a cushion.

“Okay maybe I asked for that.” He admitted clambering out of the cushions.

“You only have to ask for seconds.” The tall girl snapped.

Fargo sat up and stopped short as she loomed over him. “Sit tight red. You’re not going anywhere beyond the area of this room until you tell us what you’ve done with Amy.”

“Um can I talk to you for a sec good looking?” Fargo leaned closer conspiratorially. “Hey listen Amy’s just a friend okay? I know we’re at a delicate stage in our relationship but there is simply no need for you to react like this to me seeing other women.” He whispered loud enough for the whole room to hear.

The eyes of the others were instantly turned upon the tall girl.

“You’re seeing this guy Lita?” the girl with the unspeakable hair was goggle-eyed.

The girl called Lita looked like she’d been struck by lightning.

For a moment she couldn’t muster a defence and the others took this as a sign of guilt.

“I can’t believe you!” the dark haired girl was indignant. “The other day you swore that you weren’t seeing anyone!”

Lita finally squeaked in a strangled voice. “It’s a lie!”

She glared at Fargo desperately tried to stifle the delighted grin that had bubbled up on his face at the unexpected result of his wind-up. Lita’s eyes filled with murder and she went for his throat.

“That will do Lita!” a voice that could have belonged to a forty year old school mistress snapped.

Lita froze and the others breathed sighs of relief. Fargo searched the room for the owner of the voice. He had been sure that the girls were the only people here other than himself.

Then his eyes chanced upon the dinner table and his mind reeled.

“Ugh!” he gasped staring agog. “There’s a talking cat on the table!”

A frosty silence followed.

“Actually” Luna began with more snap than usual in her voice. “One prefers to think of herself as ‘humanly challenged’.”

“Can we slaughter him yet?” Lita snarled eager to get on with it.

“I don’t think so.” Mina stepped between Fargo and Lita. “Aren’t pigs a protected species?”

“Oh my how original!” Fargo took this opportunity to get up from the sofa. “Like no-one’s ever called me a pig before! My gosh you’re the most clever person I’ve ever met in my whole life!”

“QUIET!” Luna screeched making everyone leap. “Thank you. Now first things first. What is your name?” she asked Fargo.

“Bobbin Threadbare. Are you my mother?” Fargo responded determined to get the last word in.

Mina shoved Lita back as she made a lunge at Fargo and Rei and Serena caught her.

“No more fooling around. Gotcha. My name’s Fargo.”

“Fargo?” Luna echoed.

“Fargo.” Fargo established.

“You’ve got a bus pass in the name of ‘Fargo’?” Rei didn’t sound convinced.

“Never mind that. What happened at the train station? Did Amy do that to do you?”

“Luna!” Serena’s voice was shocked that Luna could think such a thing.

“Serena I’m sorry but we have to look into every possibility.” Luna snapped but this time there was no waspishness in it.

This exchange between Serena and Luna reminded Fargo of the seriousness of the situation.

Deciding that he’d had his fun and that it was time to take things seriously he cleared his throat for everyone’s attention.

“It’s okay.” He assured Serena. “Amy wasn’t responsible for it. Amy and I were attacked by a Sailor Scout.”

Everyone was stunned at this so he plunged onward. “She called herself Sailor Universe and she took Amy with her.”

Everyone heard Luna breath out deeply as if she were casting off doubts of some kind and turned to her for explanations.

“Then it’s as I feared. Sailor Universe is actually alive and she has sided against us with someone.” Luna intoned like a prophet of doom.

“You knew that there was a sixth Scout all along!” Lita accused the cat.

“Yes. Artemis and I believed that she was killed during the last battle between the Moon Kingdom and the Negaverse but it seems that our predictions were wrong.”

Fargo interrupted.

“That’s right. While she was making her threats Sailor Universe mentioned that she was taking orders from someone. She meant Mu.”

“What’s the deal with YOU anyway?!!” Lita’s suspicion of Fargo was revived. “How do you know Amy?”

Fargo sighed. He’d hoped and prayed that no one would ask this question but now he could see that the hope had been useless.

How could he answer a question to which he didn’t even know the answer himself?

Fargo breathed deeply.

“I don’t know how I first met her. All I know is that I remember promising to Queen Serenity that I would protect her.”

The astonished silence that followed was as solid as a wall of ice.

“You knew Queen Serenity?” Luna asked after a while.

“Yup.”

“Then…” Luna glanced around at the girls and then stared intensely at Fargo.

“Yup.” Fargo repeated. “I know that you’re the Sailor Scouts. I know that Amy is Sailor Mercury. I know everything about the Negaverse’s final battle with the Moon Kingdom eons ago that left the moon a lifeless ruin. I know all there is to know you guys.”

“How?” was all that Mina could manage. “I don’t know.” Fargo sighed again. “The truth is that I lied to Amy. I made up my story about my past. The only thing about my past that I can remember is that promise I made to Queen Serenity. I don’t even know who I am really am. I just assumed the name ‘Fargo’.”

Luna shook her head.

The situation was too bizarre for words but all this had to wait right now.

Amy was in serious trouble and they had to act at once.

“Well Fargo or whatever your name is listen to me. As you know Amy has been abducted by Sailor Universe. Since you seem to know more about this than any of us we could really use your help. Do you have any idea where this ‘Mu’ could be keeping her?” Luna asked.

“Of course.” Fargo replied. “They’re holed up at an upper-class hotel on the other side of town. I’ll take you there. How does that sound?”

Luna, Serena, Rei, Mina and even Lita agreed and thus was an uneasy alliance formed.

A short while later Fargo, Serena, Mina, Rei and Lita stood on the roof of Rei’s grandpa’s temple preparing for the long night ahead.

It was midnight and the stars were out.

As one Serena, Rei, Mina and Lita spread out their arms holding their transformation pens in their hands.

“Moon Cosmic Power! Make-Up!”

“Mars Power! Make-Up!”

“Jupiter Power! Make-Up!”

“Venus Power! Make-Up!”

In an instant the girls disappeared in a pink glow and were replaced by Sailor Moon, Sailor

Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus.

The Scouts stood in the night ready to risk their lives for the sake of their friend.

Fargo had watched the mass transformation blankly.

Now he turned his face which was almost unrecognisable because of the seriousness in it into the night.

He would have quite liked the wind to have blown his hair back over his head but the wind was fooling about with some leaves on the street below so there was nothing doing.

“Okay. Lets go rescue Amy!”

Chapter Six
Sailor V vs. Sailor Universe!

The door opened and Merula walked into the room.

Amy looked up from where she sat, Merula had brought in a tray with a plate of food on it and a smirk.

Amy was sitting in her bikini on a luxurious bed in a room in one of the upper floors of the hotel wearing the Anti-Planet Power handcuffs.

Mu hadn’t ordered for this but it had given Merula great pleasure so that had been that.

“Lunch time! And how is the bride to be?” Merula smirked placing the tray down next to Amy.

Amy ignored the food completely and focused instead on Merula narrowing her eyes.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly.

“Doing? Oh you mean all of this?” Merula replied. “Believe me Amy it’s not personal.”

“You’re lying.” Amy cut in immediately. “You’re a Sailor Scout. Why are you following the orders of someone like Mu?”

Merula shrugged. “Emperor Mu saved my life in the Moon Kingdom. I owe my life to him and am sworn to him unto death. Besides who else would I work for? Should I run around after that pompous moggy like you and the others?”

Amy couldn’t think of anything else to say after this. She was struggling with two problems at once.

One was fighting not to agree with Merula’s evaluation of Luna. It was a real effort for after all Amy had been given enough reason to agree after her last meeting with Luna.

But the second was one that she just couldn’t figure out.

In the vision Mu had shown her of her past Amy was certain that she had heard Artemis say that Princess Universe was dead along with Princess Charon and Estrella the third cat advisor of Queen Serenity.

Merula’s very presence here now was a contradiction to this.

How had Sailor Universe survived and what had happened to make her the way she was now?

Merula was now bored with the conversation and turned to leave the room.

“Wait.” Amy snapped. “You haven’t answered my question!”

“Question?” Merula turned to face Amy again. “What question was that?”

“Why do you hate me so much?” Amy asked simply.

Merula’s face twitched and wavered for a brief moment. For the shortest of seconds Amy thought that she could finally see past the mask and to the girl beneath.

But then the weakness was gone and Merula’s resolution returned.

“You’re an idealistic little know-it-all!” she snapped. “That’s reason enough for me!”

“That makes you hate me enough to betray the Scouts?” Amy was disbelieving.

Once more a weakness tugged at Merula’s smirk. Then it was gone again and the smirk reasserted itself.

“Ah I get it! I understand it now!” Merula laughed and sneered. “You want me to help you escape. That’s the reason behind all this isn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t leave here if I could. I made a promise and I have to keep it. Even to someone like Mu.” Amy said quietly.

“The Scouts aren’t coming for you babes. They don’t give a damn about you and you’ll see that when you realise that they’ve turned their backs on you.”

With that Merula spun on her heel and the left the room leaving Amy on her own to get as much sleep as she could after that.

“This is the place girls.” Fargo pointed at the hotel at the bottom of the street. “That’s the place.”

Fargo slowly cancelled his levitation spell and dropped onto the roof with the Scouts.

The Sailor Scouts stared at the large building in the near distance.

“Man that looks like a real top-class dive!” Sailor Mars said her eyes full of awe. “It’d take a decade’s

worth of temple donations to get reservations there!” “That’s Amy’s luck all over!” Sailor Jupiter agreed. “Trust her to get kidnapped by an enemy with money to burn!”

Fargo’s eyes had gleamed as he had listened to all this.

“Well if that’s what you girls like in a man…I have a few yen flying about the place ya know!” he dug some spare change out of his pocket and threw it over the roof. “See?”

Jupiter rolled her eyes but didn’t reply. “How do we get in?” Sailor Venus interjected hurriedly.

“One of us ought to go in from the back.” Fargo decided. “I’ll go first and call…”

“No way!” Jupiter snapped grabbing him by the sleeve and dragging him round to face her.

“You’re staying here where I can keep an eye on you chumly!”

Fargo glared at her so angry that he had actually been rendered speechless.

“I’ll go!” Venus cut in again before an argument could break out. “I’ll contact you with my communicator when the coast is clear.”

“Go for it Sailor V!” Sailor Moon approved.

The other two Scouts as well as Fargo nodded and with that Sailor Venus began to make her way toward the hotel.

“Merula! Come here!”

Merula stopped in the middle of the stairway as Mu appeared on the balcony and called to her.

“Yes emperor Mu?” Merula asked walking back up to the balcony.

“I just used my telepathy to learn the thoughts of those interfering cats and the Sailor Scouts. They are on their way here at this very moment!” Mu told her. Merula’s eyes widened.

“Are you sure?” she demanded.

Mu’s eyes blazed into their golden glow as his anger flared up.

“Never question me again!” he hissed.

Merula lowered her eyes frightened at having aroused her masters wrath.

“Your pardon emperor Mu.” Merula whispered. “I was only.”

“We’ll discuss this later Merula. Right now Sailor Venus is trying to enter the building through the back way. Take care of her.”

Mu turned and departed.

Merula breathed hard as she watched him go and her heart beat returned to normal.

That had been TOO close.

Then she spread out her arms and fingers.

“Universal Power! Make-Up!”

There was a crackle and the room was plunged into darkness as Merula transformed.

Her dress and shoes fade away and were replaced by a sailor shirt, black skirt, gloves and high-heels.

Her hair was twisted into a long braid behind her. Sailor Universe braced herself and made her way downstairs.

“Yep! There she is!”

Sailor Moon, Fargo and the other two remaining Scouts were gathered around the Planet

Power Detector.

One moment they had been watching Sailor Venus’s progress and the next their attention was claimed by a second bleep on the small glass screen.

“That’s Sailor Universe.” Fargo nodded. “Sailor Mercury’s reading would have been blue. That one’s black.”

“I sure hope Sailor Venus can handle her!” Sailor Mars breathed.

Fargo drew out a bottle of something fizzy and opening it he took a long tug.

Noticing the disgust on Sailor Jupiter’s face Fargo grinned.

“Care for a drink sweet thing?” He offered.

A minute later Fargo was leaning back heavily against the wall rubbing his concussed bleeding nose with one hand and clawing at his soaking head as the now empty bottle lay on the roof.

“That’s a no then?” he called after Jupiter who had went to the other side of the roof-top.

The air rustled through Sailor Venus’s hair as she stood on the wall overlooking the pool courtyard.

The place was totally devoid of people. Or so it seemed.

It looks safe enough, she thought.

Sailor Venus dropped lightly from the wall and landed lightly in the courtyard.

No-one seemed to hear her so Venus stepped toward the double-doors at the far side of the courtyard feeling pleased with her success…

“Hello Sailor Venus. It’s been too long!” Venus spun around and saw Sailor Universe sneering at her from a few yards away.

Sailor V’s mouth was agape as she stared still hardly believing that there was a sixth Scout.

“I wish I could say that its good to see you again but that’s just because I’m an incurable liar.”

Universe continued.

“You might be a Scout but if you’re determined to harm our friend then I have no choice!” Venus declared.

“Let’s rock!”

Universe grinned delighted to get the chance to fight a Scout she didn’t have to hold back against.

“Venus Love Chain!” Sailor V cried creating a chain of energy which she whirled in the air like a nunchuck.

“Galactic Star Whip!” Sailor U called creating a similar chain.

The two Sailor Scouts lunged at one another with their energy whips.

As the two energy chains connected there was a brilliant flash of light and the air crackled with energy.

Far away on the roof of the temple Luna and Artemis screwed up their eyes to avoid being blinded by the burst of light which lit up the sky. “The Scouts are really going for broke out there!” Artemis remarked.

“I hope Amy is alright.” Luna murmured.

Artemis looked over at his fellow feline wondering if he had detected just a faint trace of guilt in her voice.

“Yeah.” A serious note entered Artemis’s voice. “But you know Luna that was a very stupid bloody thing you did to her yesterday.”

“I know” Luna whispered remembering with shame the hurt she had seen caused by her in Amy’s eyes. “I only hope she can forgive me…”

Ducking a lash from Universe’s Star Whip Sailor V made a quick cut at her leg.

Sailor Universe growled in pain as the Venus Love Chain shocked her leg causing her to drop the Star Whip.

“Retribution Thunder Shot!” Universe cried striking the ground with her clenched fist.

Before Venus could do anything the ground around her was electrified and she gave a scream of pain and dropped her chain.

Both breathing heavily Sailor V and Sailor Universe stood in a face off.

“We’re even Universe!” Venus declared.

Universe just smirked. “Ah not quite Sailor V! Watch!” She held out an outstretched hand which crackled with Planet Power.

“Hell Fire!”

Sailor V jumped back as the air became scorching hot and she had to make a real effort to stay on her feet.

This was the chance Universe need.

“Arrow-Snake!” Universe cried.

Before she had time to move a pair of Anti-Planet Power handcuffs surrounded Sailor V’s wrists!

These had been created with Sailor Mercury in mind but they worked just as well with Sailor Venus.

As her Planet Power faded Sailor V felt herself transform back into Mina.

With a devilish grin Universe gathered together all her energy at once to finish off the powerless and

defenceless Mina with a Hell Fire blast…

- No Universe! -

She stopped as she heard Mu’s voice in her head.

“Emperor Mu we agreed…” she protested.

Do not slay Sailor Venus! That is my order! –

Scowling Universe dropped her energy and turned to face Mina.

“You’re not taking me anywhere!” Mina snapped.

“C’mon! Shift your butt!” Sailor Universe growled grabbing her by the wrist and beginning to drag her away.

Chapter Seven
The Truth Discovered

“Venus is gone!”

Fargo snapped out of his reverie.

One moment he had been rubbing his bloodied nose and the next he had joined the Sailor Scouts who were gathered around the Planet Power Detector.

Looking at the small screen Fargo realised that Sailor Moon was right.

For the last few seconds the Scouts had been watching as Sailor V and Sailor Universe’s PP readings had soared and now they were taken aback. Suddenly Sailor V’s power reading had faded until it was zero and her blip had vanished from the screen.

“What happened?” Sailor Moon whispered sounding frightened.

“There could be a number of reasons.” Fargo spoke up.

“Sailor V could have just transformed back into her alter-ego. Or she could just be so deep inside the building that the machine can’t reach her. Or…”

Fargo trailed off as he realised that what he had been about to say wasn’t really what they wanted to hear.

An icy chill ran up the Scouts spines.

“Let’s go!” Sailor Moon burst out suddenly as she snapped at the prospect of losing another friend. “NOW!”

In his inner-sanctum Mu grinned in satisfaction.

For the last five minutes after giving Merula her orders Mu had been using his telepathy to listen in on Fargo and the Sailor Scouts.

Now he was glad he had taken the trouble.

“They are coming. But I’ll be waiting.” Mu spoke aloud rising to his feet and opening his golden eyes.

Against three Sailor Scouts there was a chance that even Sailor Universe would not be enough to stop them.

Mu decided that he would deal with them personally.

Amy looked up startled as the door was flung open.

She jumped to her feet as Mina was shoved into the room.

Sailor Universe stood in the doorway with a grim look on her face.

“You were lucky! Don’t think that Mu will always be around to save your hash!” she snapped at Mina.

Mina jumped back to her feet and lunged for the door but Sailor Universe slammed it shut in her face.

Amy and Mina heard the key turn in the lock. “You shouldn’t have come Mina.” Amy whispered. Mina turned to stare at her friend and she was struck to see the guilt in her face.

“What are you talking about? And what are you wearing?” Mina stared blankly at Amy’s scantily clad body.

Amy closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

She didn’t deserve friendship like this.

Amy had sold herself but now because of her Mina was in it as well.

“It’s a long story.” Amy replied as they sat down on the bed.

“Well save it for later.” Mina cut in. “Listen all we have to do is wait for the Scouts…”

“The others are here?” Amy cried leaping to her feet in dismay.

“What’s wrong with you?” Mina demanded getting up. “You’re acting totally weird!”

“You don’t understand! You have to use your communicator to tell the other Scouts to go before it’s too late!”

“I can’t. That turn-coat Scout took my communicator and Transformation Pen. But that isn’t the point!” Mina snapped. “What do you mean, if you mean anything?”

Amy breathed deeply again and she started to tell her story…

The double-doors were hurled open and crashed into the wall.

Fargo walked into the hotel lobby flanked by the Sailor Scouts.

A quick glance around told Fargo that no one was around in the darkened hall.

“We’re going up!” Sailor Mars pointed to the stairs leading up to the balcony.

“Hold on! I’ll see if I can find them.” Sailor Jupiter drew the PP detector out of her shirt.

Before she could activate it though a small spark dropped from above and landed on it.

With a cry Sailor Jupiter dropped the tiny machine as it caught fire and was burnt away into nothing.

“Now that was fun!”

They all looked up to see Sailor Universe standing on the balcony, her finger pointed at the smoking remains of the detector.

“Greetings! Welcome to my humble lodgings Sailor Scouts!”

Turning his head to the right Fargo jumped as he saw Mu standing on the other side of the balcony.

“Why don’t we all have a cosy little chat?” Mu whispered as Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter whirled around to look at him. “I think that would be very nice. Don’t you?”

That’s awful!” Mina exclaimed as Amy concluded her tale of how she had agreed to be Mu’s bride.

“I know.” Amy whispered. “Mina…now do you see why I have to do this?”

“That guy has no right to do this to you!” her friend protested.

“Yes he does. I promised him and he’s holding it over me.”

“Amy you don’t have do to anything you don’t want!”

“I do! Don’t you understand? Mu made a bargain with me. I can’t break my word! If I did I’d never be able to look at myself in the mirror again!” Amy cried.

“And if you do your life will be ruined forever!” Mina retorted.

“I have no choice! And anyway it’s happening first thing in the morning.” Amy whispered closing her eyes again.

Mina shook her head slowly.

Amy had lost it and she was just going to have to get her out of here herself.

But how could she do that without the power to become Sailor Venus?

“Tell us where our friends are!” Sailor Moon demanded. The emperor just chuckled insolently.

“You think you can give me orders? The Moon Kingdom was destroyed eons ago.” He taunted her. “To me you’re just another lowly rat!”

Sailor Moon gasped unable to believe that anyone would have the nerve to speak to her like this.

“You’re supreme arrogance has always been your supreme weakness!” Fargo snapped.

Mu looked at Fargo noticing him for the first time. “Ahhh Fargo! Have you come to say a few last words to my future bride before her wedding day?” Mu sneered.

Fargo’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you talking about?” Sailor Mars demanded.

“He means Amy.” Fargo said quietly. “She agreed to marry him many years ago to save your lives on the Moon.”

“What?!!” the three Scouts were stunned.

“Fargo, although he is the biggest loser who ever existed in the history of the galaxy is quite right.”

Mu agreed. “Our big day is tomorrow. Any of you care to be her maid of honour? I’m sure it would mean a lot to her!”

“I don’t think that’s gonna be necessary!” Sailor Moon snapped in reply.

“It’s too late Mu.” Fargo dropped into his fighting stance. “You can’t screw with our heads.

Let’s go! I’ll take you and your lap-dog out here and now!”

“Before we do that grant me a boon.” Mu raised his hand for a chance to speak. “Let me use my telepathy to see your past.”

“You must think that I’m the biggest fool who ever lived!” Fargo sneered. “You’d fry my brains the moment you touched them!”

“No. I just want to find out why Queen Serenity chose a diseased rat like you to be Princess Mercury’s knight.” Mu explained.

Fargo stopped.

Mu was offering him the chance to find out all he wanted to know about himself.

Finally he could find out what had led up to him making his promise to Queen Serenity.

Of course he had no guarantee that it wasn’t just a trick…

“Go for it. Fargo said.

Mu’s eyes glowed once more as he levitated Fargo into the air with his immense mental powers.

Now that Fargo was on eye-level with him Mu reached out to touch his forehead.

The emperor glanced at the Scouts standing below. “I’ll let the three of you, your other friend, the bride to be and those flea-ridden cats see as well. No reason you ought to miss the fun.”

As he spoke Mu contacted Sailor Universe telepathically.

- Get ready! -

Sailor Universe grinned and waited for her chance.

Mu touched Fargo’s forehead taking the minds of Fargo, the Scouts, Amy and Mina and also Luna and Artemis far away at the temple and also himself back to the final day of the war between the Negaverse and the Moon Kingdom.

Then – The day of the Moon Kingdom’s destruction a few seconds before Queen Serenity used the Silver Crystal.

“Your Majesty you’re alive! I can’t believe it!” the teenager cried.

Queen Serenity wished she could feel as glad as he was.

Serenity knew that she would not be alive in another few minutes.

Adding to her close death was the knowledge that she had sent Princess Mercury to Earth to be forcibly married to an unspeakable tyrant.

In her despair as she had watched Mu follow the escapees to Earth Serenity had discovered something.

When Mu had channelled some of his power into her he hadn’t realised that he had left some of the energy inside her.

Now seeing the teenage boy standing there amid the rubble Queen Serenity remembered it and an idea flashed through her mind.

“I’m glad to see you are alive.” Serenity began. “I would like to ask a large favour of you.”

She had recognised him as soon as she had seen him. At the dance the day the war had begun she had found him engaged in a scuffle with the royal guards who had caught him trying to gatecrash the dance.

In a moment of the renowned kindness that had made her one of the most loved rulers of her time Serenity had asked the guards to stop and had allowed the teenager to come to the event.

Over the evening she had found her gaze drifting over to him with genuine amusement as he had gotten mindlessly drunk and made plays for most of the Princesses.

Princess Charon had blushed and pretended to be watching the dancing too intently to notice him.

Princess Universe had smirked and, taking him by the arm and turning him around, had sent him on his way in the opposite direction.

Then he had spied Princess Mercury who had been standing away from her friends in a secluded corner feeling overwhelmed.

As Serenity watched he had crossed the dance floor to her and asked her to dance with him in the blink of an eye.

Naturally Princess Mercury had let her shyness take control and insisted that she could not dance.

The traveller however had brushed her protests aside and reaching out and taking her hand in his own he had led the Princess into the middle of the dance floor.

Mercury had turned a gorgeous pink but had allowed him to lead her through a few minor dance numbers.

As Queen Serenity had watched in astonishment Mercury’s pace had started to pick up in grace and confidence until she and the teenage hitchhiker were dancing as if she had been practising to do so her whole life.

Serenity had NEVER seen the Mercury Princess enjoy herself like that at an event.

Oblivious to what the queen was thinking the teenager spoke.

“Of course! You only have to ask your Majesty!

” “You don’t know the acute size of the favour I am about to ask you. It would require a great sacrifice on your part.” Serenity began. “Please listen for we have very little time left.

Princess Mercury is going to be forced to marry emperor Mu!”

The traveller’s single gasp of horror woke the echoes of the ruined hall.

“But…she can’t! He’s…” he faltered recalling the tales he had heard of Mu’s tyranny. “She just can’t!”

“I know and I won’t allow it. But there is nothing that I can do about it myself for soon I must use the Silver Crystal to destroy the Dark Queen though it will cost me my life. But you can stop it from happening.”

“How can I help?” he asked incredulously.

“By preventing the marriage from being an honourable one.” Serenity placed her hands on his shoulders. “I want you to agree to marry Princess Mercury!”

His mouth was agape as he realised what she’d said. The queen bit her lip.

She knew that she was taking liberties with the futures of both Mercury and this boy but she just knew that any husband would be better for her than Mu.

“There is another thing. When one marries a Planet Princess he becomes unable to leave her planet for the rest of his life. If you agree to do this you would be trapped on planet Earth forever!” her eyes were pleading. “I know that no-one has the right to ask for this much of anyone and I know just how much you would lose in doing this but I am begging you. Not as a queen but for Princess Mercury’s future. Will you do this for her?”

For a split second he turned it all over in his mind. His freedom was the thing he cherished the most and if he lost that…

But the thought of Princess Mercury being trapped like a canary in a golden cage by that terrible emperor was far worse. No contest.

“I will my queen!” he vowed standing tall before her. “I promise to you faithfully that I will protect the Princess Mercury from emperor Mu even if it costs me my very life!”

“Thank you!” Serenity whispered her eyes shining with gratitude and relief. “From the bottom of my soul I thank you gallant one. The Princess Mercury is now your bride. Protect her well. Now go for I have much work to do.”

Spreading her arms and closing her eyes Queen Serenity summoned the last of the energy that emperor Mu had given to her.

Perfect! There was just enough left for her to send him to Earth.

“Power of Earth! Heed my wish and send this man of pure virtue to the planet Earth!”

A magical bubble formed around her.

Queen Serenity planted a warm kiss on his forehead and then sent him on his way to Earth.

Now – The lobby of a top class hotel in Japan

“So that’s what happened…” Fargo murmured his eyes closed.

“Amy’s married to you?!!” Rei screeched staring at Fargo as if her eyes would fall out of her head.

“Guess so from what we just saw.” Fargo replied.

“No!”

Mu’s eyes burned with mindless psychotic fury as he thought about what he had just seen.

The emperor had not known what he was going to see but he had never dreamt of what he had!

Mu felt as if he were going mad.

Something snapped inside.

“I could kill you here effortlessly.” he hissed at Fargo venomously. “And who would know that I had taken another man’s woman? After all who will be any the wiser?”

“You dirty rat!” Lita exclaimed.

“Who will stop me? You three little girls?”

“We may be female buster but between the three of us we have more power than you credit us with!” Serena declared.

“Oh really?” Mu laughed out loud. “Maybe you ought to take a good look at yourselves.”

Glancing down at themselves the girls realised that they had reverted back to Serena, Rei and Lita!

Around each of their wrists were Anti-Planet Power handcuffs.

Sailor Universe laughed.

It had been an easy job for her to cast Arrow-Snake on the three while they had been in the trance with Mu.

“You filthy skank!” Lita shrieked.

“A skank I may be but clever I am!” Sailor Universe grinned.

“If I ever get out of this I’ll burn every inch of your dirty hide!” Rei swore.

Mu laughed mockingly as he stood over the defeated Scouts in his hour of triumph.

“Know now that I have now defeated all of you. Come the morning you will kneel before me in chains as I take the Mercury Princess as my own.”

“No.” Fargo spoke with a voice filled with steel as he finally opened his eyes. “You will not.”

Luna and Artemis had seen everything as well.

Mu had also included in their vision the same events he had shown Amy about her promise to him.

“I understand.” Luna whispered closing her eyes as her entire body ached with guilt and remorse. “I understand at last. Amy I’m sorry. I am truly truly sorry.”

Amy and Mina had also experienced Fargo’s past and Mina was breathless with excitement.

“You see Amy? Queen Serenity tricked him!” Mina cried. “You see? You don’t have to marry Mu at all now, promise or no promise!”

“I…” Amy blushed as she thought of what had just been revealed to her. “That is…I…”

“You owe him nothing! He can’t marry you if you’re already married!” her friend repeated.

Amy shook her head slowly from side to side.

She had been resigned to the fact that she would be forcibly married at day break.

Now she knew that she did not have to marry the emperor because she was married to Fargo of all people!

She did not know what to think.

“C’mon. Lets get out of here.” Mina resumed.

“How?” Amy stammered.

Mina grinned. “I’ve been thinking about that! I’ve got a hair pin in my back pocket. See if you can get it and…”

“You dare to oppose my will?” Mu roared at Fargo.

“Insolent peasant! I could crush you like the worm you are!”

“Nothing like blowing your own trumpet.” Fargo retorted.

All the while he was thinking about his memories which had finally been restored.

The dance in the royal palace of the Moon Kingdom…meeting Princess Mercury…dancing with her…his promise to Queen Serenity…arriving on Earth…meeting Amy…

He finally understood everything.

Fargo realised that he hadn’t been able to remember his past because of the hex that Mu had added into the spell that would rob those who it was used on of their memories.

And now the emperor had been the one who had restored them to him.

Talk about irony.

Tuning his eyes heavenward he spoke more to himself than to anyone else.

“Queen Serenity I understand at last. I’m sorry that it took me so long to find out the truth but my mind was so full of confusion.”

Fargo raised his arms in a gesture of determination and purpose.

“Queen Serenity…I will now carry out your last wish! I will defend the honour of Princess Mercury with my dying breath!” Fargo roared with a voice of mighty thunder.

Chapter Eight
The Final Battle

“You did it!” Mina cried as her handcuffs gave a click.

Amy had been the twisting the hairpin in the cuffs for fifteen minutes and just as Mina was beginning to lose hope she did it.

The handcuffs popped open and fell away from her wrists.

Mina stood and rubbed her wrists. “Remind me never to wear bracelets again!” Mina declared. “Now I’ll get you out as well!”

“This is the end Mu!” Fargo cried.

“You’re right. This is the end of your miserable life!” Mu’s voice boomed as he raised his power and his eyes took on their golden glow. “Now die Fargo!”

“Wait!” a voice cried.

Everyone looked at the other side of the balcony where Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus had appeared.

After getting Amy out of her handcuffs Mina had managed the smash out the door of their room. They had then found and searched Merula’s room and found their Communicators and Transformation Pens in the drawer of a dresser. Wasting no time Amy and Mina had transformed and had come straight here.

“Mercury my dear! I see that you have made it here to watch your would-be fiancé die!” Mu sneered.

“You’re wrong Mu.” Sailor Mercury replied quietly. “I have come to say farewell to you. I am free of the bonds that once tied me to you.”

Fargo was watching her curiously. She seemed to be taking the fact that she was his bride very well. Too well in fact for it to be natural. I’ll deal with it later, he decided.

Mu’s face contorted with fury.

“Come here.” He whispered in a deceptively quiet voice.

Mercury faced him quietly, her eyes of crystal blue shining with pride and defiance.

“Never Mu.” She whispered with steel in her voice. Mu choked as his rage nearly drove him insane.

Fargo waited for the emperor’s anger to reach its maximum before he spoke.

Sailor V was grinning. Atta girl! She thought.

Fargo spoke when he saw that the time was right.

“Princess Mercury is lost to you Mu.” He said in velvet tones. “She was never destined to be yours and will never be.”

That was the stick that broke the camel’s back.

Mu’s eyes filled with murder and hatred as he realised the truth in Fargo’s words.

“You…you lowly scum…” the emperor whispered in a low choking voice. “You filthy wastrel…”

“Fargo is more than you will ever be.” Mercury spoke loud and clearly. “I would far rather be his than yours.”

Hmm would you? Fargo thought. He just couldn’t silence the doubt in the back of his mind.

“Shut your mouth wench!” Mu roared. “Or…”

“Don’t threaten her Mu.” Fargo cut in. “The power is no longer yours.”

Mu’s eyes blazed at first Sailor Mercury and then Fargo in hatred. Then he transferred all of his attention to Fargo.

“Well Fargo do we fight over the lady’s honour? I use the word ‘lady’ very loosely of course.”

Fargo’s eyes narrowed but he kept his cool. Activating his levitation spell he rose into the air.

Mu used his mental power to follow him.

Fargo and Mu stood in the air twenty feet above ground. Fargo dropped into his fighting stance as Mu began to power up…

Meanwhile on the balcony Sailor Universe had stepped directly in front of Sailor Mercury.

“At last! I can kill you at last!” Universe breathed in ecstasy. Sailor Mercury faced her coolly.

“I don’t think so.” She snapped.

“You will.” Universe sneered. “This time there’s nothing holding me back!”

“You’ll have your hands full!” Sailor V declared joining Mercury. “This time you have two of us to deal with!” Mercury’s eyes narrowed.

“I can handle her on my own Venus!” she snapped.

“You?” Universe laughed mockingly. “You can’t handle anime on your own!”

“I can handle you!” Mercury snapped suddenly restless from all of Universe’s taunting since the day they had met.

“Man! I’m sick of your little toughie act!”

Mercury’s eyes narrowed into slits. She could feel the intense anger flaring up inside her long before it spilt out.

“You’re sick of me?!! You arrogant witch!!! You abduct, strip, tie-up and humiliate me all for your own selfish reasons and you’re sick of me?!!” she yelled. “Well I’m sick of you and I’m not gonna take it anymore!”

Raising her hand and pulling it back she punched Sailor Universe full in the face.

Stunned, Universe sprawled on her back and was out cold on the floor.

Venus and the other girls jaws all hit the floor. Sailor Mercury dropped her fist again breathing heavily. “So…there!” she gasped.

Fargo moved quickly to avoid a blow from Mu’s gloved fist. Mu grinned at Fargo as he hovered in the air to face him.

“What kind of a man would fight for a wench who feels nothing for him?” he taunted.

Fargo fought back the tide of fury that these words ignited within his soul.

It was true that he had sacrificed his freedom for Amy who didn’t love him but it didn’t matter.

He had not agreed to help Queen Serenity for love. Fargo had done it because he had seen no reason why Mercury hadn’t deserved his help.

Doing all he could for her was all he could ever have dreamed of.

“You tried to force Princess Mercury to love you.”

Fargo replied. “She never loved you. She was terrified of you. Who could blame her?”

Mu scowled darkly and tried to slam Fargo with a mental blast.

Hmm can’t take what you dish out eh? Fargo chuckled inwardly. “Now what kind of a man would try to force himself upon a beautiful lady? You know Mu I don’t think that you’re a man at all!”

Mu snapped again and with a bellow of rage he assaulted Fargo with a second far more powerful mental blast. Fargo needed to be quicker to dodge this one but he managed it just in time.

Whew! I’m actually fighting someone who can smack me around with his mind! Gotta be crafty or I’m finished… Slowly Fargo began to gather his power little by little… “So what are you then Mu? Are you one of the undead warriors that serve you?” Mu choked and hurled a third and vast mental blast which was so badly aimed that Fargo side-stepped it in the air with the greatest of ease. “Skeletons don’t get angry and anyway you’re a little fleshy to be one. Okay next guess. Are you a being from the Negaverse?”

“Got it!” Venus cried as Rei’s cuffs opened.

“Thanks!” Rei whipped out her Transformation Pen. “Mars Power! Make-Up!”

Now all the Sailor Scouts were back apart from Sailor Moon.

“Your turn Serena!” But as Venus turned to unlock Serena’s handcuffs something whizzed down from the air and cut the chain in half! Startled the girls looked at the floor.

A red rose.

“Sorry for being a little late. I just got back and got the scoop from Luna and Artemis.”

Tuxedo Mask apologised as Serena gave a squeal of delight.

Suddenly Sailor Mercury thought of something.

Whirling around and staring at the spot where she had last seen Sailor Universe lying on the floor she saw exactly what she had expected.

Sailor Universe was gone.

“Die!” Mu hurled Fargo against the wall with a blast of psychic power.

Fargo struggled for breath. Slowly his power was nearing its maximum. Just a few more minutes and…

Mu’s eyes looked desperately around the lobby below. His gaze became fixed on Sailor Mercury who stood at the edge of the balcony looking down on the others. She had her back to him and had not noticed that he was looking at her.

Breaking off his psychic assault on Fargo Mu suddenly dropped straight down and landed on the balcony just behind Mercury.

“Look out!” Sailor Moon screamed.

Mercury whirled around and gasped as she saw him standing there.

“Won’t you reconsider my proposal?” Mu asked with an unusual mildness in his voice. “Think again and choose me over Fargo, Princess. After all you know that I’m the only one who can give you what you need.”

“Never!” Mercury cried.

“Naïve fool!” Mu snarled enraged once more. “What makes you think that Fargo will be any better than me?”

“Because he has to be.” Mercury whispered. “He just has to be.” And turning around she flung herself over the edge of the balcony.

The other Scouts screamed and closed their eyes as Mercury fell.

“The little fool…” Mu muttered, shocked despite himself. But suddenly Mercury felt something stop her in the air.

As Mu watched in amazement Fargo rose into sight from below the balcony carrying Sailor Mercury in his arms. Her arms were around his neck and Fargo stood in mid-air staring down at Mu.

“I really don’t think that that’s any way to talk about a Princess.” He snapped.

Swooping down to the ground Fargo deposited Mercury with the others who were out of their minds with relief and then returned to his confrontation with Mu.

Fargo pulled for his power. Most of it had gotten away when he had had to rescue Mercury but with a few more seconds…

“This the end for you you gutter crawling dog!” Mu snarled.

Mu began to gather together all of his power at once for one killing blow.

Fargo pulled harder. Come on! Mu laughed as he gathered the power for the blast. Come oooooon!

“And now…I win.” Mu laughed as he pointed at Fargo with enough power to kill him instantly.

“No!!!!! I win!!!!” Fargo screamed.

He had finally reached enough power for his ultimate attack.

“Light of Death!!!!” he screamed aiming his finger at Mu.

Fargo’s fingertip crackled with energy.

Before Mu’s shocked eyes Fargo’s finger discharged a spiralling combination of three energy beams of immense power.

The beam hit Mu head on punching a hole through his chest instantly. The light departed and Fargo dropped his power gasping for breath.

Mu stared blankly at the bloody hole in his chest as if he could not believe his eyes. How could such a lowly rat have such power? How? Were the powers of honour and pride really so great?

With a gasping sigh as his strength left him Mu felt himself become light. Everyone stared breathlessly as a white glow of light surrounded the emperor’s body engulfing him.

After all these centuries emperor Mu was dying.

Then there was an ear splitting crack of thunder and the light erupted into heat which scorched the air.

When the heat had died down there was no sign of Mu. Fargo dropped back down to the floor and stood a short way of from the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask.

“Topping night huh?” Fargo said as a little of the familiar happy-go-lucky flippancy returned to his face.

Epilogue
Tomorrow is Another Day

“You’re all back!” Luna screeched.

The Sailor Scouts had just staggered up the steps of the temple followed closely by Fargo and Tuxedo Mask.

It was the crack of dawn and they were all dishevelled and fatigued by the night’s action.

Luna and Artemis had waited up all night for the Scouts to return and they were relieved to see them safe and sound.

“Looks like it doesn’t it?” Sailor Mars replied cheerily despite her roughed up condition.

“I think we’re back. Not sure though!” Sailor Jupiter added.

Luna had eyes for only one of them.

Sailor Mercury noticed Luna looking at her intently and lowered her gaze uncomfortably.

Luna’s heart sank as she realised that Amy had not forgotten their row the night before. Not that she could blame her.

“It’s so good to be home.” Mars sighed. “There were a few times tonight when I thought I’d never see the temple again.”

“For sure! We came close to being beaten! Too close!” Venus nodded.

“Tell us what happened.” Artemis instructed her. Sailor Moon cut in.

“Oooh can’t it wait till morning? I’m dead on my feet!” she wailed.

“It’s morning now.” Artemis pointed out.

“I mean morning at ten o’clock when I’ve had a long crash!”

Sailor V nudged her cat with the toe of her shoe. “Let her have her way Artemis. You know she’ll be totally impossible if you don’t.” she whispered. Artemis sighed and gave in. “Do you have anything I can change into?” Mercury asked Mars, speaking for the first time since they’d gotten back. Mars understood and nodded. “Go along the corridor and into the second door on the right. I left some spare clothes in there.” She instructed.

“Thank you.” Mercury nodded gratefully. With that she turned and walked through the wooden doors that led into the temple followed by several curious gazes. As they looked at one another again though none of them noticed Luna run quickly after Sailor Mercury and through the doors just before they closed.

“Walk you home?” Tuxedo Mask offered Sailor Moon. “Wouldn’t have it any other way muffin!”

Just then Artemis remembered the vision that everyone had seen last night. Fargo was gazing after the departed Mercury wistfully.

While they had all been walking back from the hotel Fargo had come to a decision. He had decided that Amy was something fantastic. Something he could never have. Also she had been acting nervously around him since the hotel and although he knew that she liked and trusted him Fargo also knew that Amy just didn’t love him like that. The one thing he never wanted to do was to force himself upon her against her will. There had been only one thing to do.

“Fargo you lucky dog!” Artemis laughed. “You really fell on your feet when Queen Serenity chose you to be Princess Mercury’s husband! You must feel like you’ve won the lottery!”

“No. I don’t.” Fargo muttered. Everyone stared at him stunned.

“What?!!” Venus exclaimed.

“You heard what I said. I don’t expect her to stay with me when she obviously doesn’t want to. Simple as that.”

“Whoah!” Jupiter grinned. “I don’t believe it! You’re a real gentleman!”

“Who cares what you think?” Fargo snapped.

“Hey I’m just saying that maybe I was wrong about you after all.” Sailor Moon snickered loud enough for them to hear.

“What’s that mean to mean?” Fargo demanded.

“Oooh nothing. Nothing at all.” Moon replied airily as she left with Tuxedo Mask.

Sailor Mercury closed the door behind her. Believing herself to be alone Mercury transformed back into Amy and her sailor suit disappeared. Looking around the room she saw one of Rei’s floor-length red frocks that she wore while sweeping away the dust on the temple porch lying on the floor.

“Amy?” Amy jumped. Luna was sitting on the floor looking up at her.

There was something in Luna’s eyes that Amy had never seen there before in all the time she’d known her.

“Oh hi Luna!” she stammered.

“I hope that you are alright after everything that happened.” Luna said in a strangely humble voice.

“Oh I’m fine! Really I am. Don’t worry about me Luna.”

Amy reassured the cat.

“I can’t help it. But I’m glad that you are safe Amy. I really am.”

“Thanks.” They both stood for a while in awkward silence.

“That’s a new look for you isn’t it?” Luna teased her eventually. Amy blushed slightly remembering the bikini and giggled a little.

“Yes. It is really isn’t it?” she replied.

“Amy there’s something I have to say to you. Something very important.”

“What is it?” Amy asked worriedly.

“Amy…last night I said some things that I didn’t really mean. I was angry with you but that’s no excuse. I had no right to say what I did. Amy can you ever forgive me?”

It was not in her heart to bear malice, bitterness or grudges against anyone, especially a friend. And after what she’d been through over the past few days Amy was happy to be free and just couldn’t feel angry with anyone.

“Luna it’s alright.” She whispered. “Really it is.”

“Are you sure?”

“Like I said it’s in the past. Forget all about it.”

Amy stroked Luna behind the ears like she

usually did to show her that there no hard feelings between them.

Mina stepped out from behind the tree having just transformed back from Sailor V. As she began to make for her front gate she stopped and stared.

There was a moving van outside the house next to hers.

Someone was finally moving in next to her.

As Mina walked up to get a closer look a girl of about her own age climbed out of the van.

She looked around and smiled when she noticed her. She had long dark hair which cascaded over her shoulders and down to her waist quite like Rei’s. She was remarkably beautiful and had the most gorgeous blue eyes Mina had ever seen. “Hi! I’m Mina and I live next door.” She greeted her new neighbour.

“Good morning! My name’s Alexia.” The girl replied.

“Good to meet ya Mina!”

“Same here! Which school will you be going to?”

“I’m not really sure. I have to go into the house now but I’ll see you around huh?”

“Yeah uh-huh!” Mina enthused. “I hope we’ll be friends. See you around Alexia!”

“Bye for now Mina!”

Mina watched as Alexia opened the gate went to the front door and went into the house. She liked Alexia already and she just knew that they would be friends.

She didn’t notice a small orange cat sitting on the roof of the van looking down at her.

As soon as she had seen Mina the kitten had realised who she was.

Princess Venus AKA Sailor Venus.

Then the other Scouts lived around this area and if they did then Luna and Artemis who would as well!

There was no way that Alexia wouldn’t come into contact with them sooner or later.

Oh well.

The cat licked herself carefully. It would all come out in the wash. She’d reveal herself to the others and tell Alexia or rather Sailor Charon about her true destiny when the time came.

Satisfied with this Estrella, the third advisor of Queen Serenity jumped down onto the fence and began to preen herself.

“So no sign of Fargo then?” Rei asked as she swept up the porch with a scraping broom.

“No.” Amy replied. She was now wearing one of Rei’s frocks and there was a troubled look of thought on her face. Ever since she had found out that she was married to Fargo the previous night Amy had felt uncomfortable around him. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Fargo.

He was funny and deep down he was sincere and considerate. He had risked his life to protect her when he hadn’t had to. Amy supposed that he was also kind of good looking in a ruffled worse for wear kind of way. But she just didn’t love him like that. And now she wondered what she was going to do now he and she knew the truth.

“What happened to Sailor Universe?” Artemis asked.

“Gone.” Amy replied briefly. “She just vanished with no trace while we were watching the fight. We don’t know where she went.”

That was another worry. Sailor Universe was still out there somewhere. She knew that Amy was Sailor Mercury and could strike at any time. And now Mu wasn’t around to keep her in check…

No sense worrying about it now.

Amy decided that she’d just have to wait and see how it turned out.

“Great! So we have a renegade Scout on the loose.” Luna growled. “The most dangerous thing imaginable!” They all fell silent as a shadow fell across the porch.

Amy looked up to see Fargo standing there in front of her.

“Fargo.” Amy whispered so quietly he could hardly hear her.

“Amy…we need to talk.” Fargo said simply. Amy nodded mutely.

Rei, Luna and Artemis watched as they walked away.

They all knew what Fargo was going to tell Amy so they weren’t worried at all.

“Are you okay?” Fargo asked her.

“I’m fine.” Amy stammered. There were butterflies in her stomach.

“Really?” Fargo raised an eyebrow and looked at her keenly. Amy went red to the tips of her ears.

“Yes. I’m alright.” She struggled out.

“Glad to hear it. I’ve been thinking about a lot of things.”

“Oh?” Amy’s heart was beating three times its usual rate.

“Yep. A lot of things. You mostly.” There was a short pause.

“Yes?” Amy managed.

“I’ve come to release you from your ties to me.” Fargo concluded.

Amy stared at him. She felt an immense tide of relief wash over her. Whatever she had been expecting it had not been this.

“But why? We’re married…”

“Thanks. I’m not Mu!” Fargo retorted.

“I don’t mean…”

“No don’t worry about it. Listen Amy I only did it to save you from Mu. Now he’s dead and my job’s over. I’ve fulfilled my promise to Queen Serenity.”

Fargo kneeled down before Amy formally. He had never done this before so it nearly didn’t work. “Princess Mercury.” He announced as his eyes sparkled. “The marriage is over. I cannot take you any further. Consider yourself divorced.”

“Thank you.” Amy smiled and met his eyes for the first time.

Fargo’s breath left him as he saw that same smile the beautiful eyes and the rosy blush that had drawn him to her that night so very long ago on the Moon Kingdom. Then he shook himself sternly telling himself that he couldn’t afford to feel that way about her.

“There’s no need at all for you to thank me.” Fargo stood again. “I’m honoured to have been able to help you Amy.”

For the first time in his life Fargo has done something and given something up for the sake of someone else.

“Won’t you be able to leave the planet now that we’re not married?” Amy asked remembering Queen Serenity’s words.

“No. That’s the one part of all of this that’s forever. I don’t regret it. I never will. It’s more than anyone like me could ever hope for.”

“No. You’re wrong.” Amy cut in. “There’s more in you than you know Fargo. Don’t put yourself down like that.”

“Fargo…” he repeated. “You know I still feel short changed after all of this. You see I found out about my past but I never found out what my real name is. Neither Queen Serenity nor myself mentioned it in our vision.”

“Is it really important?” Amy asked. “Is your name really important if you’re already a good sweet person?” Fargo stared at her wide-eyed. “What’s wrong?”

“You know…that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!” he exclaimed.

“I think that someone had to say it. Whatever you call yourself nothing can ever change who you are. That’s all that’s really important.” Amy finished.

“Prin…Amy.” Fargo corrected himself. “Thank you. For more than you can ever realise.”

Amy just smiled and his insides felt funny. Not funny to laugh but an odd kind of funny. “I have to be going now.” Fargo said after a few moments had passed.

“Where will you go?”

“Not sure. Goodbye Amy. Be happy. And thank you again for everything.”

Amy’s face was concerned as he turned to leave. Already she was worrying about what would happen to him how he would live and where he would go.

“Well…keep in touch okay?” she said. “And if there’s ever anything I can…”

“No.” Fargo said abruptly. “You’ll never see me again.”

With that he walked down the steps and was gone.

After a long sad look in the direction he had departed in Amy turned and went back to the others.

Rei, Luna and Artemis watched as she arrived.

“Is he alright?” Rei asked concerned. Amy nodded.

“Yes.” She whispered. “He…he found what he was looking for. And so did I.”

Some time later…

Outside the Dead-Zone Vortex Fargo stopped.

A sparkling red Harley Davidson was parked just outside. A short way off a massive cue-ball like man who was obviously the owner of the bike drank like a fish.

Fargo instantly recognised him as the man who had humiliated him a few days ago.

His eyes drifted back to the bike.

The keys were in the ignition.

Didn’t the guy think anyone would dare to take it?

Then again who ever would?

A guy with a death wish that was who.

With a grin bubbling up on his face Fargo jumped onto the bike.

The man turned as he heard the sound of an engine and stared at what he saw.

With a merry laugh and a cry of “EXCELSIOR!!!!” Fargo blazed away down the road on the bike.

Not once was he tempted to look back.

The End...LIKE HELL IT IS!!!!!!

See ya!