OBLIGATORY LEGAL DISCLAIMER : None of these guys are mine. The Sailor 
Senshi belong to DIC and Kodansha, while the Yoroiden are owned by 
Sunrise and Graz Entertainment. Okay? So don't bother suing me. I'm a 
student. 

                    RONIN SUMMER 4 : INNER BATTLES
            
         A Sailor Moon / Yoroiden Samurai Troopers cross-over

             by Morgan Hudson (dataraven_659@excite.com)



Part 5 : TARGET - TUXEDO KAMEN 

	Badamon, formerly chief wizard and Grand Ankoku of the Dynasty,
gently stroked the Jewel of Life as it lay pulsating in his hands. The 
eerie glow reflected his new face in its pearly depths as he leaned 
forward and smiled. 

	Or at least, he would have smiled, if he still had the 
necessary equipment for smiling. Lacking both the muscles and lips 
now, he settled for chuckling softly to himself. The old, decrepit 
wraith that had been called Badamon was such a foul creature, he 
reflected, a dour and somber wretch. Now, he was so much more... and 
his skull was ALWAYS smiling, if he chose to look at it that way. 

	"Show me," he whispered to bloated globe that had once been the
Jewel of Life. "Show me what I want to see..." 

	The creature hunched forward greedily as he watched the scene 
unfolding in his crystal ball. Sailor Pluto howled in agony as his own 
power slowly stripped the flesh from her bones. Badamon would soon have
his revenge, the creature thought, courtesy of Wiseman.

	Footsteps sounded in the marble corridor outside his personal 
chamber, and the creature now known as Wiseman froze. He knew the smell
of this one, another of Arago's former servants : Nise Suiko. Perhaps 
the only creature capable of identifying him, and certainly one of 
the few in the Dark Kingdom with the insanity to attempt his murder 
and the power to succeed. 

	He entered the room, making a face as he swatted away the foul 
smoke and vapours of burning incense. As was his wont lately, the evil 
twin of Shin Mouri was dressed in a black and red version of their 
leader Jadeite's own uniform, and had his crimson mane of hair slicked 
and gelled into submission. In his left hand, he clutched a long, 
wicked looking harpoon. 

	"Wiseman." He spoke the word as if he were tasting rotten meat.
"Jadeite has informed me you have some last minute instructions on our 
little plan." 

	"Indeed," Wiseman said quickly, his skeletal face hidden once 
more behind the shadows of his voluminous robes. "I have discovered 
that the Owl lurks dangerously near your operation..."

	"Really?" Nise Suiko scowled. "Well I'VE discovered that I 
don't like you much, Wiseman. You'd better be careful : my harpoon 
doesn't much care who it cuts. And neither," he added solemnly, 
"do I."

**********

	"Boy, I'll bet Seiji's glad to be out of danger!" Usagi Tsukino
said cheerfully as she and the rest of the Senshi wandered out of the 
Kameda Medical Centre and into the brilliant sunlight of a brand new 
day. 

	"Danger is relative," the blue haired boy standing behind her 
argued, "and judging from the noises Seiji was making during his first 
session with Dr. Tofu, I think he'd disagree with you." 

	"Oh, come ON, Touma!" Makoto Kino laughed, as she grabbed his 
wrist and began dragging him away from the group. "Let's get OUT of 
here, and back to Tokyo! I'll make some miso soup..."

	"Food?" Shuu came to point like a well-trained hunting dog. 
"You know, it occurs to me that you two really shouldn't be left alone 
without a chaperone... let's get going!" Draping his arms around the 
two teens' shoulders, he led them away, laughing heartily. "Now, you 
know what would go well with that soup? Some rice, and pickles, and..."

	"Sometimes," Jun said wryly, "I think the only reason Shuu has 
a head is so he can find his mouth faster." Out of the corner of his 
eye, he noticed Hotaru and her parents seperating from the main group. 
"Excuse me!" Hopping on his skateboard, he took off after the dark 
haired girl like a rocket. 

	"Where's Ami?" Usagi asked as she looked from side to side. 
"Maybe she'd like to go home with us, since Minako's spending the 
night..." Seeing as how this involved spending the night with the rest 
of Seiji Date's family, who were at best eccentric, nobody really 
envied the girl. 

	"Haven't seen her," Mamoru confessed, shrugging as he 
straightened the wrinkles from his olive blazer and put on his mirrored
sunglasses. "Maybe she left with Ryo..." 

	"Actually," Chibi-Usa piped up, "Ami caught a ride with that 
Nasuti girl when they left last night. She's probably already in Tokyo
by now."

	"Well," Mamoru admitted as he looked at his train schedule, 
"I don't think our train is arriving for another three hours, and it's 
not that far to the station, so..."

	"LET'S GET SOMETHING TO EAT!" The two girls said in perfect 
unison, as Mamoru sighed and stuffed the schedule back in his pocket. 
How, he wondered sarcastically, did I see that one coming?

**********

	Actually, Mamoru admitted to himself several minutes later, 
this hadn't been such a bad idea. He had wisely decided to stop by a 
hoka hoka bento, instead of a restaurant, and buy some boxed lunches 
for everybody. Frankly, he had learned the hard way that Usagi, a 
menu, and his wallet made for a disastrous combination. The girls 
had found a very lovely spot in one of the nearby parks, and now all 
three were relaxing on a grassy knoll and watching people go by on the 
bike paths. 

	Yes, he thought as he smiled and laid back, letting his eyes 
drift shut, this was without a doubt the most peaceful experience he 
had had in months. Chibi-Usa had finished her bento, and was chasing 
butterflies nearby. Pretty cute kid, he thought as he watched her 
play, but he'd better keep an eye on her. There was no telling what 
could happen to her, if he dropped his guard...

	He chuckled to himself, and Usagi looked up from her noodles. 
"What's up, Mamo-chan?"

	"Oh..." Mamoru groaned and sat up. "I was just looking at 
Chibi-Usa. Worrying that she'd trip, or run out onto the bike path. I 
guess I was almost starting to sound like..."

	"Her father?" Usagi asked softly, and Mamoru nodded. He was, 
he knew, even if he had somehow gotten tricked out of the fun of 
making her. On the other hand, he thought with another smile, at least
he skipped the part with dirty diapers while he was at it. 

	"Wow! Two smiles in one day? Who are you, and what have you 
done to my Mamo-chan?" Usagi giggled, before casting an envious glance 
at the older man's still untouched bento. 

	Mamoru shook his head. "Take it, meatball-head. Itadakimas." 

	"Well, bon appetit to you too!" Usagi said, and bowed as she 
reached for his lunch. Unable to resist, Mamoru reached over and 
nudged her with his elbow, plowing her face into the cold noodles. 

	"Mamoru!" At first, it looked as if Usagi might cry, and he 
felt a pang of guilt. Then she developed a truly evil grin, and he 
felt the urge to duck. Slowly, he inched back on his elbows as the 
blond girl reached into the bento and dug out a handful of the cold, 
slimy noodles. 

	"Oh, no... Don't you dare, Usagi! This shirt cost me-" Whatever
else Mamoru was going to say got cut off as the girl lunged forward and
splattered him liberally with the soba noodles. He made a face as he 
wiped the goo from his eyes. "Fine. Just fine." He stood, and with 
great ceremony, dumped the remainder of his boxed lunch on Usagi's 
head. 

	Needless to say, a fight ensued. Chibi-Usa turned and watched 
as her two eventual parents proceeded to roll around in the grass, 
gradually involving three bentos, a thermos of cold ocha tea, and a 
pile of oshibori towels in their battle. While at first glance the 
pair might have seemed evenly matched, the kicking, screaming, and 
giggling on Usagi's part, as opposed to the near-maniacal laughter 
on Mamoru's part, put a quick end to that illusion.

	"HA! So at last the mighty Sailor Moon has met with her 
defeat!" Mamoru crowed, pinning Usagi's wrists to the grass as he 
sat on her legs. "And now, I shall claim my prize..."

	"What?" Usagi blinked, as Mamoru looked over at the pink-haired
girl stifling her chortles behind one hand. 

	"Chibi-Usa! Grab me some scissors! WE'RE CUTTING OFF THE 
MEATBALLS!" Usagi squealed and struggled ineffectively, as Mamoru 
laughed. 

	"Nooo! TUXEDO KAMEN, HELP M- oh, yeah. Nuts!" Usagi remembered 
who her opponent was and groaned as Chibi-Usa returned. "Chibi," she 
cried out desperately, "GET HIM!" 

	"What?" Mamoru looked over as the small girl gleefully plowed 
into him like a ballastic missile. Together, the two tumbled down the 
hill as Usagi sat up and caught her breath. Somehow, Mamoru broke free
from his assailant at the bottom of hill and lay gasping for air. 

	"Oh, I am hurt!" He wailed dramatically. "A plague on both 
your houses, I am sped. Is this the end of the great Tuxedo Kamen?" 
From heaven knew where, he produced a rose and clutched it to his 
chest, closing his eyes and letting his head roll to the side. Both 
girls proceeded to cheer, and he smiled ruefully. "Glad to know you're 
both so beside yourselves with grief..."

**********

	"Are we ready?" From his hiding place in the bushes, Nise Suiko
turned his attention from the three people in front of him to the 
three creatures behind him. One, who appeared to be formed entirely out
of vines and other plant material, nodded. 

	"Yes," Vepres hissed, "we are ready. The time is as ripe as an 
apple on the branch, and awaits our plucking."

	"Yeah, whatever." Nise shrugged and turned to the other two 
members of Jadeite's elite squad. "How about you two? Feel up to 
killing some Sailor Senshi?"

	One, a cowled figure known as Abadon, nodded. "In faith," it 
rumbled from the shadows of its robes, "the great clock has tolled the 
final hours of their days." 

	Nise Suiko gritted his teeth. "Why," he asked himself, "can't 
these freaks ever talk normal?" With a mumbled oath, he turned his 
attention to the last member of his group. "How about you? And if you 
use so much as one metaphor, so help me I'll kill you myself!"

	Korran blinked his amber eyes in surprise. "I would never 
dream of it. I am ready whenever you are, so long as my mother is 
avenged..."

	"Hey, now that you mention that... where's Tweedledee?" 

	Korran scowled and tightened his grip on his longsword. "My 
brother's name is Kirin, General. And his location is his own concern. 
I have not been my brother's keeper for some time."

	"Shame he's going to miss out," Nise said softly, "I mean, I 
know how badly he wanted to be there when we slaughtered Sailor Moon."

**********

	"Oh, my!" The young woman in the doorway smiled politely at 
Ryo and tilted her head to one side. "I'm afraid Ranma isn't in right 
now. My sister went to China with one of her friends, and he had to 
go bring her back in time for supper. Can I take a message?" 

	"Nah," Ryo said, "don't bother. Oh, and thanks for the cookies.
Dewa mata!" Waving, he turned and walked away from the dojo. Once out 
the front gate, he was rejoined by his new companion. 

	"Any luck?" The man asked, flicking his long grey cape behind 
one shoulder. 

	"Nah, some girl answered the door. Said he was in China, or 
something." Ryo looked down at the package in his hands. "Cookie?" 

	"Maybe later." The man called Owl crossed his arms and leaned 
against the wall as he thought, his face as unreadable as ever behind 
the crafted steel visage of his helmet. It appeared as though an owl 
had enveloped the upper half of his head, which no doubt evoked his 
nickname. Its golden beak swept down to frame the black visor and 
silver grille that covered his face. "Well, no big loss. I still have 
the full support of the Joketsuzoku tribe, and that shall be our 
greatest asset."

	"All hail Owl, true liege of the Dark Kingdom!" The shadows 
rippled, and a small youma emerged. It looked to be part rat, and part 
lizard, with a long ridge of spines down its back and a restless tail. 

	Owl returned the creature's salute, and stared down at it. 
"What news do you bring, my spy?" 

	The youma looked away apprehensively. "Jadeite has planned 
another assault, my liege. He has sent his greatest warriors to attack 
Tuxedo Kamen in a park in Kamogawa."

	"His greatest warriors?" Owl stepped forward and grasped the 
creature's shoulders. "Tell me : did you see them? Were any of the 
children among them?"

	"Yes, my liege! One of the children is among them! He bears
a sword, and a red cape!" 

	"Korran." Owl released the creature, then turned to Ryo. "We 
have no time to lose. Summon our allies : we're going to Kamogawa!"

**********

	Usagi picked the noodles out of her hair and chuckled to 
herself as she watched Mamoru and Chibi-Usa horse around at the bottom 
of the hill. He really was great with kids, and so sweet once you got 
past the first few miles of emotional barriers... she wondered briefly 
how she could ever have not loved him. 

	"Sailor Moon." The voice was soft and deep, and Usagi knew she
was in trouble the second she saw the speaker. He was tall and 
well-built, wearing delicately engraved torso armour and a red cape 
over a simple black jumpsuit. The sword in his hand gleamed coldly 
in the afternoon sun as he pointed it at her. "I have come for you, 
Sailor Moon. The time for my vengeance is almost at hand."

	"Vengeance?" Usagi bit her lip as she rose to her feet. "Have 
I even met you before?" 

	"My name is Korran. You met my mother, Princess... long enough 
to kill her." 

	It very suddenly made sense. His red hair, his gold eyes, the 
deathly pale complexion and long, pointed ears... it would have tipped 
her off right away, but for the fact he was male. "You mean, Queen 
Beryl? SHE was your mother?" 

	Korran shrugged. "Perhaps not much of one, I'll grant you, but 
still... honour cares not. I must be avenged." He gestured with his 
sword. "Come on, transform! I'll not have it said I murdered a 
defenseless girl. Your brooch, isn't it? Come on!"

	Usagi trembled as she grasped the brooch in her hands, and 
felt the usual warmth begin to flood through it and into her body. As 
always, she began to feel the impulse she always felt when she touched 
the thing, the urge to open her mouth and scream...

	"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!" 

**********

	Mamoru suddenly looked up as he heard Usagi's battle cry. 
Without even trying to assess the situation, he grabbed his rose and 
enveloped himself in crackling black energy which left him in the 
resplendant tux and tails of his alter ego. Usagi had transformed. 
Sailor Moon was in danger. Analysis over. 

	Tossing back his cape, Tuxedo Kamen glanced at Chibi-Usa, 
already beginning to see her differently. "Sailor Chibimoon! Transform!
Sailor Moon may need your help!" In his mind, the various pieces were 
already beginning to gel in a way they never did for Mamoru Chiba. 
Sailor Moon needed help, and Tuxedo Kamen would provide it. Because, 
in the end, that was who Tuxedo Kamen was. 

	Mamoru Chiba might have been surprised when a thick tangle 
of vines burst from the ground, and the trees began to twist and 
writhe until they had formed an impenetrable wall around the clearing. 
Tuxedo Kamen just nodded to himself and drew his cane, spinning it 
like a propeller as he chopped his way up the hill. Sailor Moon was in 
danger. What else mattered? Plants, people, youma... these were just 
details. 

	Speaking of which... one such detail seemed to want his 
attention. Clad in ragged robes, the shadowy creature hurled itself 
forward, grabbing at him. Tuxedo Kamen quickly and repeatedly 
demonstrated why this had been a bad idea, and left it lying senseless 
on the ground behind him. He pushed on, not noticing that the 
"defeated" youma had leapt back to its feet with surprising vigour.

**********

	Sailor Moon yelped and ducked as a glowing sword blade cleaved 
the air above her head. "Can't we talk about this?" 

	Korran leapt back, his cape fluttering around him as he dodged 
an attack she hadn't made. "What's WRONG with you, girl? Fight back!"
This couldn't be the same girl who had killed his mother! It didn't 
make sense! She was barely even trying to defend herself, short of 
running and pleading, which hardly counted. Was she trying to lull him 
into a false sense of security? 

	The vines and branches tightened around them, a thick carpet 
of grass weaving between the cracks and sealing the walls tighter than 
poured cement. Soon, Korran thought to himself, there would be no room 
left for the wench to dodge. Then she would have to make a stand. 
Then he could have his vengeance in true battle. 

	"I mean really, I'm not so bad once you get to know m-EEEE!" 
Sailor Moon squeaked and stumbled back from another cut, falling and 
landing on her rump with a rather undignified "Ooof". Korran lifted 
his sword and glared down at her. Her lower lip began to tremble, and 
Usagi bit it. I will not cry, she told herself, I will NOT.

	Meanwhile, Korran was getting a bit frustrated. How in the 
hells was he supposed to defeat someone who wouldn't even fight? She 
was just sitting there and whimpering like a lost puppy, or something! 
With a disgusted grunt, he sheathed his sword and turned away. 

	"I have taken your measure, girl, and found you far too 
lacking." Korran glanced back over his shoulder as the girl rose to 
her feet. "You are not worthy of my blade. Farewell." 

	"NO!" A section of greenery suddenly shaped itself into a 
man's shape, and Vepres dropped from the canopy he had made. "Traitor!"
He hissed, his leaves rustling like the quills of a porcupine. "Your 
word you gave that Sailor Moon would die today!" The vines along his 
arms began to quiver. "If she keeps her life, let it be at the cost 
of YOURS!" 

	A trio of thorn covered greenery whipped out of Vepres' wrist 
like a group of striking vipers, lashing at the ground where Korran 
had once stood. Instead of finding his flesh, however, they struck 
only air as Korran leapt high above them and slashed down with his 
sword, severing two of the three grasping vines. Vepres shrieked and 
hopped back, cradling his arm to his chest as he glared at the elven 
warrior. 

	"You overstep your boundaries, Vepres!" Korran's sword gleamed 
once more, and the thick purple ooze coating his blade boiled away in 
a cloud of steam. "I am a warrior. I do not battle defenseless 
children."

	A rose hurtled through the dense foliage, striking the ground 
between Korran and Vepres, who winced as a web of red lightning burst 
from the flower and blasted both in opposite directions, to bounce off 
of the thick vegetation encircling them. "Perhaps," Tuxedo Kamen 
suggested as he strode into the clearing, "you would settle for me?"

	"About time you got here!" Nise Suiko, clad in his distinctive 
crimson armour and wielding his harpoon, burst from the ground, thick 
pieces of turf dripping from his shoulderplates. "I was getting ready 
to send out some Sherpas to look for you!" 

	Tuxedo Kamen jumped back, turning in mid-air and hurling a 
second rose at the red armoured figure, who promptly knocked it aside 
with the shaft of his harpoon. Landing, the man in the tuxedo began 
glancing from left to right. "Who the devil are you?" 

	"Who the devil... how very accurate." Nise Suiko grinned, and 
gestured to his troops. "Forget the girl! Jadeite wants him!" Vepres 
and Korran both responded as one, spreading out and beginning to 
circle Tuxedo Kamen, as he drew his cane with one hand and grabbed a 
rose with the other. 

	"Three against one, eh? Hardly seems like fair odds, but I 
guess I could only fight with one hand..." Tuxedo Kamen grinned and 
slowly shifted his weight, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. 
First, he thought, drop Sword Boy, then take out the walking Chia Pet, 
and it would just be him and the Red Man. No fuss, no muss. 

	"Three against one?" Nise Suiko chuckled. "Hardly. Abadon, 
show our dapper friend who's behind curtain number two!" 

	The cloaked and shadowy figure smirked as it lifted a tied up 
but still struggling Sailor Chibimoon, who was making muffled sounds 
under her gag that probably would have gotten her slapped. 

	Instantly, Mamoru's eyes narrowed. "You're already going to 
die," he snarled at Abadon, "holding onto that girl just decides how 
much fun I have first!" 

	"Enough talking!" Nise Suiko yelled. "Let's just grab him and 
be done with it!" As one, the four creatures began to move in on 
Tuxedo Kamen, and Usagi decided to act. 

	"You leave Tuxedo Kamen alone! SAILOR MOON KICK!" She hurtled 
through the air like a red and white rocket, slamming her boot into 
the face of the nearest youma, whose head snapped back. His body soon 
followed, and Sailor Moon finally noticed it was the one with the 
sword : Beryl's kid.

	With one guantlet, Korran wiped his mouth and looked at his 
fingers. Blood. "So," he drawled, "though she be but little she is 
fierce! You have shown your true colours at last, Sailor Moon : it 
seems I have misjudged you. Please, accept my apologies... AND TASTE 
MY BLADE!" Drawing the glowing sword once more, he hurled it at Usagi, 
who barely ducked out of the way. 

	"Uhm, Tuxedo Kamen? HELP ME!" 

	Mamoru grunted as Vepres grasped him from behind and Nise Suiko
prepared to run him through. "There in a minute!" He called, as he 
planted both shoes right in the Red Torrent's visor, sending the 
creature toppling to the ground. Somersaulting over Vepres' head, he 
landed behind it and began bending the plant creature backwards in a 
painful hold known as the 'Boston Crab'. "I'm a little busy at the 
moment!"  

	"Uhm, Mamo-chan?" Usagi dodged, and Korran's glowing sword 
hacked through the tree behind her as if it had been made of paper. 
"I could REEEALLY use a little help about now!"

	Tuxedo Kamen finished tying the plant youma's arms in a knot, 
and ducked another slash from Nise Suiko, stumbling backwards as Vepres
untied himself and began to stand again. "I said, I'd be there in a 
minute!" Grabbing the plant monster, he gritted his teeth. "You know 
what I hate? GUYS... who DON'T... know WHEN... to give UP!" Every other
word was punctuated by a viscious headbutt, and soon Vepres was looking
as dazed as a vegetable possibly can. 

	"THIS FARCE IS OVER!" Reality rippled, and both hero and 
villain alike gazed up as the form of Wiseman appeared in the sky, his 
crystal globe strobing light over them all. "By the power of the 
eternal Darkness, from which no mortal traveller returns, I summon 
the great portal! Return us to our land!" He threw his ball above his 
head, and it flashed with a blinding brilliance. 

**********

	The light faded, and Usagi looked around. The room they were 
in looked like some kind of big creepy cave, and some kind of chair 
had been grown out of the far wall. Jadeite was sitting in this chair, 
and roughly twenty youma of various shapes and sizes were staring at 
her and clutching their weapons expectantly. 

	"Hello," Jadeite said calmly, his voice echoing through the 
cavernous throne room, which was lit only by guttering torches, "and 
welcome to my less than humble abode. I believe this is what we like 
to call the upper hand... it's really quite enjoyable. I'll have to 
make a point of having it more often..."  

	"JADEITE!" Tuxedo Kamen lunged forward like a man possessed, 
throwing a rose before Vepres and Nise Suiko grabbed his arms. Jadeite 
gestured, and the rose stopped in mid-air, dropping harmlessly to the 
ground. 

	"Get him." At Jadeite's command, all twenty youma, assisted by
Nise Suiko and Vepres, proceeded to dogpile on top of the dapper young 
man, struggling and punching indiscriminately. Occasionally, a few 
would howl and fly off of the pile, only to throw themselves back into 
the fray. Usagi tried to go help, but the feel of Korran's sword at her
throat gave her pause. 

	After several minutes, the mountain of youma gave way to reveal
the barely conscious form of Tuxedo Kamen. He was kneeling on the 
floor, Vepres having wrapped vines around each of Mamoru's arms and 
stretched him spread-eagle as his head hung low. His cape was 
tattered, his hat was gone, and his mask had been torn off. As an added
insult, they had broken his cane and deliberately crushed the rose in 
his lapel. A trickle of blood ran from Mamoru's lip as he wearily 
lifted his head and glared at Jadeite. 

	"We... haven't even started, Jadeite. Don't stop the music 
before you and I get a dance..." He coughed, and began to struggle to 
his feet. The butt of Nise's harpoon cracked the back of his knees and 
the pit of his stomach, sending him back into the supine position he 
had been in before. 

	"Get him out of here," Jadeite snarled. "Put him someplace 
dark. Someplace deep." The entire group of youma, all looking much the 
worse for wear themselves, bowed and dragged Mamoru from the throne 
room. Abadon followed with Chibi-Usa in tow. 

	"And now," Korran said softly, "I shall have my vengeance." 
He drew back his sword... and Jadeite blasted him across the room with 
a torrent of dark energy. The elven warrior had barely regained his 
feet when Jadeite pounced on him like a tiger. 

	"Not yet," Jadeite said as he calmly kicked Korran's knee the 
wrong way. "We have discussed this," he continued as he methodically 
broke each of the man's fingers until he dropped his sword, "and I 
decreed that I still have uses for her!" He looked down at the broken 
form at his feet. "Now go drag yourself to the medics : the Princess 
and I need to have a little discussion about the continued well-being 
of her friends." 

	As Korran gurgled his assent and began crawling out of the 
throne room, Usagi gulped loudly. Alone with Jadeite and Wiseman. Not 
exactly her idea of a fun date... she bit one fingernail and turned to 
face the two villains, who were watching her calmly. This wasn't very 
reassuring, she noted, as Jadeite had been quite calm while he beat his
own soldier into submission. She had a feeling he liked her even less.

	"What's going on?" Usagi asked, wishing her voice wouldn't 
tremble like that. "What are you going to do to Tuxedo Kamen and 
Sailor Chibimoon?"

	"Well, in many ways," Jadeite said softly as he glided over to 
her, "that depends on you, now." 

	"What do you mean, you creep?"

	"I'd watch my tongue, if I were you." Jadeite scowled as he 
grabbed Usagi's chin between his gloved fingers. "After all, right now 
I'm the only thing keeping you and your beloved Tuxedo Kamen in 
anything resembling working order. I'm the only friend you have here, 
Princess." Cupping her face, he roughly stroked her damp cheeks with 
his thumbs. "Come now, sweet, no more tears. You see, I have all sorts 
of delicious plans in mind for your little friends, the Senshi. And 
you're going to help me with them, Sailor Moon, oh, yes you are... or 
I'm afraid you may never see your precious little prince again..."

	"If... If I help you," Usagi stammered, "then Tuxedo Kamen 
and Sailor Chibimoon... they'll be safe?" 

	"Why, Princess!" Jadeite spread his arms wide and smiled 
benevolently. "You have my word. Now what do you say? I'm a busy guy, 
you know! Wiseman and I are on a bit of schedule, and I'm afraid we 
need an answer like... NOW. So what's it going to be?"
	
TO BE CONTINUED...