Comments, criticism, flames, etc. welcomed (and, in fact, requested) at Ultrace@aol.com.

"Malachite, report!"

The voice belonged to Queen Beryl. She was the unquestioned ruler of the Negaverse, and she was not happy.

"Yes, my Queen," Malachite said, coming forth from the crowd.

"Do you want to explain to me why you allowed Zoisite to be killed?"

"It was my mistake. I thought she was capable of defeating Neflyte," he said. It had only been the day before; it still hurt him to think of Zoisite, and how he had been tricked into giving the killing blow.

"Do not make such a mistake with yourself in the future," Queen Beryl scolded. "I have an important task for you. Take this black crystal. With it, you will be able to track down the seven rainbow crystals."

"Regarding Neflyte..." Malachite said, with venom. "I would like to get rid of him."

"You may go after him if you wish--once you bring me the seven rainbow crystals. They are the priority, not your revenge."

Malachite gritted his teeth, but only for a moment. "Yes, my Queen. I'll go retrieve the first crystal without delay."

"See that you do."

Malachite teleported out of the throne room. Queen Beryl sat back and peered thoughtfully into her pulsating crystal ball. Neflyte was more powerful than she had imagined, perhaps even as powerful as Malachite. She had to have the rainbow crystals before they met again.

Once she had the crystals, she wouldn't need anyone...

* * * * * * * *

Lita's day at her new school had not been that great. Not that she expected it to be, but there was always the chance that someone she met at school wouldn't have heard of her reputation as the "Karate Maniac." So far, though, all the students had.

To top it off, they didn't have any school uniforms that fit her, and it would be weeks, if ever, before they could get some, so she had to wear the one from her old school. If she didn't stand out like a sore thumb before, she sure did now.

She couldn't remember the last time she didn't feel much like eating at lunch.

Someone was behind her. She whipped her head around.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"Nothing, just walking by!" the girl said with a startled laugh.

"You're the girl I met on the way to school today, right?" she asked, sounding much more friendly--here finally was someone who didn't stay twenty feet away in fear.

"Oh, you remember that, huh?"

Lita moved over on the curb. "Here, have a seat."

The girl sat down next to her. "Is it true you were kicked out of your old school for fighting?"

Lita hesitated. At least she hadn't been called the Karate Maniac... Yet.

"Well... Sort of. You want some of my homemade muffins?" she asked, quick to change the subject.

"Yeah!" the girl said, eyes widening. "I mean... I don't usually eat sweets, but if you insist..." She grabbed a muffin and bit into it. "Chocolate chip, too!" She made a not-at-all concealed "Mmmmmmm" sound.

"Thanks, I made them myself. Usually, I'm really hungry and I eat a ton, but everyone's been so mean, I lost my appetite."

"That's 'cuz they're scared of you."

Lita looked at her in mock surprise.

"I mean, they're scared of your reputation."

"Oh?"

"There's a pro report on you already. Word gets around fast in this place," the girl said, preparing to finish off her muffin.

"Oh, well, maybe I should transfer to a foreign school..."

"Are you crazy? What for? You're the mysterious new girl."

"You mean the Karate Maniac?" Lita asked, sarcastically.

"Who called you that...?"

* * * * * * * *

The black crystal worked like a charm, showing Malachite the first of the bearers of the rainbow crystals. He was a normal-looking boy, but inside him was the crystal that would unleash one of the seven shadows.

His best chance of getting the crystal without any interference was to take his prey alone and in a secluded spot. The boy had obliged him by leaving the gaming center and entering an alleyway.

Malachite appeared in front of him.

"What do you want?" the boy asked.

"The darkness inside of you," Malachite said.

"I don't want any trouble. Just let me get by."

Malachite tossed out the spinning black crystal, which hovered in the air a few feet away.

The boy dropped his bags and began howling in pain, frozen in place by the black crystal. Malachite could see the rainbow crystal in the boy's chest, just waiting to come out.

Someone interrupted them. "What's going on here?"

"None of your concern," Malachite told the brown-haired girl. His concentration broken, the black crystal had returned to his hand and the boy fell to the ground.

"Leave him alone," she said, "if you know what's good for you!" She ran in front of the boy.

Malachite was in no mood for intrusions. "Leave now or be destroyed," he growled.

"I don't think so!" she shouted, running up and attacking him. She was swift and skillful, to be sure, but she was only human. He easily stepped out of the way of her attacks.

"You will not interfere!" he said, preparing to knock her to one side.

"Shut up!" she yelled, throwing a few more punches. Suddenly she took off her earring and threw it at him. He dodged it as effortlessly as the rest of her assault but moved right into one of her punches.

It hurt. Malachite was first stunned, then outraged. "You dare strike me?"

He raised his hand to her. Lita was thrown backwards thirty feet into one of the concrete walls of the alley and fell to the ground like a doll.

Malachite released the black crystal again. Within seconds, the rainbow crystal had left the boy's body and was in his hand. If they all were gained so easily, he wouldn't have to wait long for revenge.

"Drop that crystal!"

It was Sailor Moon coming to the rescue. She felt very strange for a few moments, sort of a cold chill running through her.

Malachite knew the voice. "Sailor Moon..." He said, looking up. "You are too late." He teleported away.

On the ground, the boy, Joe, was having difficulties. He was twitching and still moaning in pain. Before Sailor Moon could go to him, a whirlwind whipped up around, covering him. When it disappeared, Joe was gone and a monster had taken his place.

"I'm Game Machine Man, champion of the Negaverse!" he yelled. "Time to play, Sailor Girl, the game's about to start!"

From his arm sprang a huge spiked hammer. He whirled it around, attempting to smash Sailor Moon. Despite her innate lack of grace, she was able to avoid the swinging of the weapon.

Game Machine Man wasn't finished yet. The hammer disappeared and in its place was a huge vise-trap. He fired it and snagged Sailor Moon. "No bonus round for you, loser! Round two comin' at ya!"

The grip was strong and squeezing tighter every moment. Sailor Moon was beginning to be crushed. "Someone help!" she cried.

"Mars Fire... Ignite!"

From the same overpass that Sailor Moon had dropped down from came Sailor Mars' blast of flames. Game Machine Man's trap arm shattered into pieces.

"Augh! My circuits!" he yelled, falling backwards.

"You whipped him just like that?" Serena asked as Rei ran down to meet her. Amy was close behind.

"Well, someone has to save your butt," Rei told her.

"He's not beaten yet, Sailor Scouts," Luna said. "The only possible way you can stop him is by making him human again."

"How are we supposed to do that??" Serena asked, in disbelief.

Just as Game Machine Man was getting up, Luna did a backflip in the air. Some sort of stick fell into Serena's hands.

"Wow, what's this, Luna?" Serena asked.

"It's the Crescent Moon Wand," Luna said. "Take it and say `Moon Healing Activation!'"

Serena did as she was told. Waves of sparkling dust surrounded Game Machine Man, who reverted back to Game Machine Joe, and passed out.

"Wow, cool," Serena said.

"Where's Amy?" Rei asked, looking around.

The three of them found her in the corner of the alley, with someone else who had been injured. Amy was bent over the person.

"It's Lita!" Serena said, as they got closer.

Amy stood up, shaking her head. "She's..."

Serena stopped walking and simply stood there for a few seconds.

"No. Lita... No!" She suddenly ran past them, pushing Amy to one side, and shaking Lita's body as if she could bring life back to it. She burst into tears--she didn't know why and she didn't care.

* * * * * * * *

It took them half an hour to control Serena's hysterics. Even then, she wasn't making any sense at all.

"She's gone... Jupiter... She's gone..."

They were back at the temple. Serena was sitting in a chair, with Rei next to her. Amy was standing off to the side, holding Luna.

"What's she talking about, Luna?" Amy asked.

"I'm not really sure," Luna said, "but I think Lita might have been a Sailor Scout."

Rei looked at her. "What?"

Luna hopped out of Amy's arms and into another chair. "None of you were ready to know this... But now it could be more dangerous for you not to know.

"Long ago, a kingdom existed on the Moon as well as on the Earth. The people of those kingdoms had kept peace with each other. There was always the chance of war, though, so both kingdoms had great warriors. The greatest warriors of the Moon Kingdom were the Sailor Scouts."

"The Negaverse corrupted the Earth and its people waged war against the Moon Kingdom. The Sailor Scouts fought bravely, but the Negaverse was too powerful. Before the Moon Kingdom was destroyed, the Queen of the Moon used the Silver Moon Crystal to imprison the Negaverse and send the inhabitants of the Moon to Earth, where they were reborn without any memory of what happened. The Queen made sure that I kept some of my memories, so that if the Negaverse should reawaken, I could seek out the Sailor Scouts."

Rei was confused. "What does all this have to do with Lita?"

"It looks as though Lita was a Sailor Scout long ago. I sensed a powerful force about her when we first met, but didn't realize what it was.

"Serena must have had a stronger bond to her than the rest of you did. When Lita... died, it seems to somehow have triggered those memories in her.

Luna looked at Serena, sitting there in a complete stupor. "She wasn't ready for this..." She said, sadly.

"Will she be okay?" Amy asked.

* * * * * * * *

Serena was sitting in a field that stretched as far as she could see. It was full of flowers. Dozens of kinds and colors. Everything was beautiful and peaceful and quiet.

Just Serena and the flowers. There was no Sailor Moon. No Negaverse. No one who needed saving.

Only Serena and the flowers--and someone else. A woman. A cold woman, full of anger and sadness that Serena could feel.

The woman was talking to her, spitting out her name with disgust, seething with rage.

Serena picked up one of the daisies and smelled it, a wonderful fragrance flowing through her. Its petals looked especially beautiful in the sunlight.

Time was passing very, very slowly.

The woman was screaming at her, fists clenched in hate.

Someone else was there now, standing between Serena and the woman. It was a girl, a friend. Serena felt better with her around.

The woman spoke again, this time to the girl. Serena grabbed some of the red flowers. She didn't know what they were, but they looked very nice.

She was being hugged now, squeezed tightly by the girl. She felt even safer.

Something else was happening. The woman was attacking the girl, making her cry out in pain. It must have been a dream. No one would fight here.

Everything looked so pretty.

The girl continued to cry out, each time more than the last. She finally fell down next to Serena. Her voice was filled with sorrow and regret. "Serena..."

She disappeared. Serena was alone again, with the flowers, the woman, and something the girl had dropped. She looked down at it. It was a very small rose, shining in the sun.

Time slowed to a crawl.

A rose...

The woman was talking to her once more, but Serena couldn't hear her. She couldn't feel the anger and hate any more. She wasn't afraid.

A rose...

She reached over and picked it up, feeling the warm, friendly touch. "Lita!" she cried.

Everything shattered--the flowers, the field, the woman. Everything but Serena and the rose.

* * * * * * * *

Serena stood up so suddenly she made Rei jump. "Hey, watch it!"

Serena didn't respond. She just walked out of the temple.

"Serena? Where are you going?" Amy asked.

There was no answer.

"She's probably still in shock," Luna said. "We'd better go along."

The three of them followed her to the alleyway. Serena didn't seem to notice they were there. She was looking for something. It was several minutes--and several unanswered questions from the others--before she found it.

An earring shaped like a rose. She held it in her hand, along with the one just like it she'd found in the field.

"Lita... I won't forget..."

---

(July, 1996)