/^\                    
                 __________________/   \__________________
                /                                         \
               /                                           \
              /     ____         _  __        ____          \
             /     /___         / \/ /       /__             \
            /     ____/ ailor  /    / oon   /____  ternity    \          
            \                                                 /
             \             A series by Lucas Bates           /
              \            Edited by Dawn Wintour           /
               \    Based on the show by Naoko Takeuchi    /
                \__________________     __________________/    
                                   \   /
                                    \ /

                       /--------------------------\ 
                      /         EPISODE 5:         \
                     <       A Rash Decision        >
                      \       and an Ambush        /
                       \--------------------------/


"I can't believe it!" Aino Minako shrieked.  "I've been practicing almost
every day for the past few months!  I STILL CAN'T BEAT YOU!"

Ten'ou Haruka chuckled.  "Don't get in a panic, Minako-chan.  You weren't
all that far behind me this time."

"Only about fifteen seconds!  It's impossible to catch up much more!"

This frantic discussion had been caused by yet another defeat for Miss
Aino in the racing game at the game center.  Haruka still had the knack and
constantly beat Minako.  Minako finally lost her cool.

"Whoa, down Minako!" Haruka said.  "I've been doing this for a while, so
I've had a lot of practice at it.  Keep working and you'll get better too."

"Beat you again, didn't she, Minako-chan?" Came an inquisitive voice
belonging to a fairly tall brunette.

"Go away Mako-chan."

Kino Makoto walked over to Haruka's seat at the game.  "May I have a go?"

"Of course," Haruka said and vacated the seat for her.

"What are you doing, Makoto?" Minako asked.

"What do you think?  I'm starting a game.  Are you going to play or not?"

The race started, with Makoto quickly pulling into the lead.  Minako frowned
in concentration, and floored it, speeding up at a substantial rate.  She
could finally see Makoto's car in front of her, and she was slowly gaining.

Makoto looked at the rear view to see if there was any competition and she
saw Minako's racer coming up behind her.  There was a tight turn coming up
on the track and both of them made it around.  Not long after that there
were two sharp turns in sequence; Makoto made the first one but wiped out
on the second, and Minako made it through both with ease.

Makoto regained control of her car and pushed the pedal all the way down,
but it didn't do much good because Minako was too far ahead by the time she
got going again.  Minako won the race, and her previously bad mood vanished.

"Feel better?" Mako asked.

"Much," she replied.

-**-

Queen Serenity looked at Sailor Saturn disapprovingly.  The dark-haired
Saturn had reported in on the events that had transpired between the two
different teams of Sailor Senshi.

"Not only did you fail to capture any of the Senshi," she said, "now one
of the Senshi is in possession of an Eternity Stone!"

Sailor Saturn was being shamed over a communication line to her home
dimension, which was remarkably easier than reporting in person.  "I shall
give you no excuses, my Queen.  But I do not believe that we can fend off
any more attacks from any of these Eternity Stones.  The power of one of
them is too great to withstand; the power of nine would be impossible to
resist.  If we pursue this plan any further, it may well mean our complete
destruction," Saturn pointed out.

"Unacceptable," Serenity spat.  "Work on trapping Sailor Mars, since she
appears to be the only one in possession of a Stone."  Her eyes narrowed.
"And don't fail me again, Saturn.  You are in charge there- fail me again
and I will have you punished."

Queen Serenity's face disappeared.

"Sailor Mars!" She yelled.

"Yes?"  The raven-haired Sailor Mars approached.

"Go to your counterpart's temple, and spy on her.  Take a Wraith, and, if
possible, kidnap her and bring her back here."

-**-

Finally, Hino Rei had some solitude.  The past few days had been so busy,
what with the threat from the Moon Empire.  She at last had a chance to
think about things.

Rei was sweeping the little courtyard around the temple, occasionally
glancing up at the sky for guidance.  Of course, it never replied, but it
never hurt to try.

A couple of hours earlier, Usagi and Ami had dropped by wondering if Rei
wanted to go with them to a mall.  But because a) Rei wanted some time alone
and b) Rei had no money at the moment, she politely refused.

She walked over to the steps she and the others had sat on so many times
and inspected the Fire Bracelet.  She couldn't tell what it was made out of,
but it looked like pewter or something like that.  The Fire Stone blazed in
its own inferno of red, embedded in the bracelet.  She could feel the power
that was constantly flowing through it; if one Stone was this powerful,
then the original Eternity Crystal had to have been close to, if not, the
ultimate power.

Rei sat down and continued to look at it, entranced by the Stone's odd glow.  
Whatever the cost, she could not let it fall into the hands of the Empire
for if it did, nothing would stop them from taking over this dimension.

-**-

Haruka, Minako and Makoto left the game center after using up most of their
money playing the games.  They walked down the street, saying very little
until they passed an alley and Haruka piped up.

"It's time I went now," Haruka said.

"Where?" Minako demanded.

"To find my Stone."

Minako and Makoto stared at her as if she said she was taking a trip to
Hell and was wondering if they cared to join her.

"You can't!" Mako said.  "We have to decide as a group!"

Haruka smiled.  "I was never one to be part of a group.  See you."  She
dashed down the alley far enough not to be seen by anyone.

The other two followed.  Makoto was screaming "Wait!  Haruka-san!"

They just came into the alley to see Haruka hold her hand in the air and
yell "Eternity Quest!" before she vanished in a shower of silver sparkles.

"Damn it!" Minako swore.

-**-

In the very same alley that Haruka had just transported out of, a column
of silvery sparkling lights brought her back into the material plane of
existence.

Haruka glanced around.  It was if she hadn't even gone anywhere.  She
frowned and glanced down at the Earth Ring.  "I thought you were supposed
to take me somewhere instead of leaving me right here!"  Now, being an
inanimate object, the ring didn't reply.

Haruka looked around again, just to make sure that she hadn't gone somewhere
else.  She was right the first time.

Her frown deepened, and she strolled out toward the street.  Just as she
walked out of the alley, she finally noticed something: there were no
people around.

There were cars on the street, but no one was driving them.  Haruka jogged
down the sidewalk to the game center that she had been in not ten minutes
before.  Still, no people.  She entered, and wandered over to the game she
had been playing with Minako.  It was on, as were all of the others.

Haruka folded her arms across her chest, wondering what to do.  The silence
was deafening.

She stood there for a while, arms folded across her chest, leaning against
the seat of the racing game.  Finally her impatience got the better of her
and she ran out of the arcade and hopped into one of the many unoccupied
cars.  The keys were still in the ignition.

The car started, and she sped off towards Rei's temple.  There was almost
always someone there, and it would also give her a decent look at the city.

-**-

Haruka shifted into park, and turned the car off.  She got out, and slowly
walked up the steps to the temple.  While she was climbing, however, Haruka
heard a very faint scream.  She continued walking at the same rate, but when
she reached the top the source of the scream was nowhere to be seen.  She
took a few careful steps around in case there was something waiting for her.

Then Haruka heard the scream again.  It was louder this time, even though
she hadn't really moved any farther than from the last time she heard it.
She listened closely to it.  It sounded a lot like a call for help.

"Hello?" Haruka called.  "Rei-chan?"  She took another few slow steps.

The scream came again, even louder than before but still seeming very
distant.  That's it, Haruka thought.  She started running to where she
thought the scream was coming from.

Haruka ran for a while before she realized that the screams had vanished.

"What the hell is going on here?" yelled Haruka.

-**-

Meanwhile, Usagi, Chibi-Usa, Ami, Michiru, and Setsuna had gathered at the
same docks they had gone to earlier.  Makoto, Minako and Haruka were
supposed to have met them long ago.  Luna and Artemis started to worry.

"They should have been here by now," Luna mumbled.

"Do you think they're all right?" Chibi-Usa asked.

Michiru pursed her lips.  "I have an odd feeling I know where Haruka is..."

"Where?" asked Usagi.

"On...  her Quest."

Ami frowned.  "Why do you say that?"

Michiru folded her arms across her chest.  "Haruka's been very impatient
lately.  She wants to speed things up...  I imagine her impatience got the
better of her."

"That still leaves Mako-chan and Minako-chan," Setsuna said quietly.

"I think they were at the game parlor with Haruka.  I don't know why they
haven't contacted us by now if Haruka's gone off," Artemis supposed.

"We don't have time," Luna told them all.  "Whether or not Haruka is gone,
and even if Makoto and Minako haven't shown up yet, our top priority is
getting another stone."

"But what if Haruka has started her Quest, Luna?" Usagi asked.  "Shouldn't
we wait and find out?"

"We have no hard evidence that she has at this point.  We can survive with
two of them gone, if necessary, since Rei has her stone."

"I volunteer," Ami said.  "Better to get it over with."

"Good, Ami-chan," Artemis said.  "Are there any objections?"

Everyone was silent.

"Go then, Ami.  Be careful." Luna said.

Ami nodded.  She took off the necklace with the Ice Pendant on it, held it
up high in the air, and shouted "Eternity Quest!"

Ami's form was taken away by the shower of silver sparkles.

-**-

Haruka tapped her foot on the ground impatiently.  She had gotten nowhere.
She walked back to the temple courtyard slowly, thinking about what had
happened just then.  The thought crossed her mind that she had run in the
wrong direction, away from the source of the screams. However, she
dismissed the thought because she knew she had heard them coming from this
direction.

She trudged into the courtyard and looked around for any sign of life.
There still wasn't any.  She sat down on the steps of the temple.

And then, surprisingly, another scream came, even louder this time.  Haruka
could hear what this person was yelling.  "Help me...  Someone!  HELP!"
She could tell it was a girl's voice.

Haruka jumped to her feet, her head whirling around looking for the
screamer.

Still, she couldn't find the source.  Haruka clenched her fists in utter
frustration, found a rock sitting on the ground, and kicked it across the
courtyard.

"Help me!  Please, someone, HELP!!  HELP MEEEE!!"

As soon as Haruka heard the first syllable, she was off like a shot.
Luckily for her, the girl kept screaming, but as Haruka ran, the voice got
distant.  She turned around and ran back in the other direction, but still
the voice diminished.

Haruka skidded to a halt.  She had come to the realization that this was
her Quest.  This was a test of her character.

"Where are you?" Haruka called.  "Who are you?"

She walked around slowly, straining to hear a reply.  When the girl screamed
again, it was the same thing: "Help me!  Please, someone help!"

Haruka sighed and walked around a little more.  The call for help came
again, louder, and yet again, even louder than the last, but Haruka didn't
make any rash movements.

She stopped, and thought about it: when she ran, the voice retreated.  When
she walked at a normal pace, it got louder.  This had nothing to do with
distance at all!

And Haruka also realized that it must be a test of her patience.  She had
always been impulsive, sometimes to the point where it got her in trouble,
and it was her biggest fault.

The test of character.

Haruka walked down the steps of the temple, and slowly walked down the
street.

Someplace up ahead in the city, Haruka saw a brilliant flash of light.  That
had to be where the girl was.  She started to run, but remembered that it
wouldn't get her anywhere.  She scowled and continued her slow trod toward
the light.

-**-

At the very same time, a shower of bright silver sparkles materialized in
a column of light and released its hold on Mizuno Ami.

Ami got her first good look at her surroundings.

And gaped in horror.

She was inside what looked to be a large colosseum, straight out of Ancient
Greece or Rome.  The biggest differences were that this one was littered
with bodies of fighters and also had one large monster in it.

The monster was a rather large minotaur.  It suddenly noticed that there was
someone behind him and turned, drawing up to his full height.  Ami's best
guess was that he was about 10 metres tall, at least.  She started backing
towards a wall, intimidated by the large beast slowly approaching her.

Ami hit the wall, and started edging along the wall away from the minotaur.
The minotaur picked up the pace, walking faster, and coming much closer to
Ami than Ami would prefer to be.  If it was Ami's perfect world, she would
be half the world away from this thing or better yet, an entire world away.
However, this was not Ami's perfect world, and as such, she needed to do
something.

The best thing that came to her mind at that moment was to scream.  She did,
screaming so loud it could have been heard by everyone in Tokyo.

The minotaur halted its advance, pondered Ami's existence (and her screams),
then decided that neither were fit to be here.  He continued on his way.

Ami stopped screaming, suddenly remembering the fact that she had her
transformation wand.  She might be able to stop this thing right now.  Ami
yanked it out, screaming "Mercury Eternity Power, Make UP!"

A miniature blizzard erupted from the Ice Wand and encircled Ami, drawing
closer and closer to her body until she was in her Sailor uniform.

"Now that's more like it!" She yelled.  Ami touched her earring activating
her visor.  She wanted to know how much of this was an illusion.

Sailor Mercury frowned.  Completely real, all of it.  Including the
minotaur, who had stopped for a moment and wondered what exactly his next
meal was doing.

Ami held her arms out at her sides as a blue aura enveloped her.  "Mercury
Frosty WHIRLWIND!"  A cyclone of snow began its own advance towards the
minotaur.  It ran full force into the minotaur, and merely dissipated.

"Uh-oh..." Ami said quietly.  Then she bolted.

-**-

Haruka's long walk finally came to a close.  She was at the source of the
light, the same corner where they had first met an Imperial youma.  She
looked around, hoping to find the screaming girl or the thing she was
screaming about, but found nothing.

Haruka frowned again.  She took one small step forward; then she whipped an
arm up to cover her eyes from a bright light.  Haruka lowered her arm a
little and saw everything she had been looking for: a screaming girl, a
monster tormenting the girl, and a fairly bright source of light.

"Uranus Eternity Power, Make Up!"

The monster, a lizard the size of a limousine, turned around to see who was
doing all the shouting behind it.

But nothing was there.  The lizard looked puzzled for a moment.  It had
definitely heard something behind it, but nothing was there.  Oh well.  It
turned back to the girl, but she wasn't there either.  It started to howl
in anger.

While it had turned around to look for Haruka, she had ran around it on
its other side, picked up the girl, and ran down a nearby alleyway.

As the lizard continued its godawful wail, Sailor Uranus tried to talk to
the girl.

"Are you all right?" Haruka asked.

The girl was maybe around Usagi's age, maybe a little younger.  Her lower
lip was trembling and she shivered all over every minute.  "I- I...  T-think
so..."

"Do you know what that thing is?"

"N-no...  But it was trying to hurt me..."  She hugged her knees and rocked
back and forth.

"It will be all right, I promise.  Stay right here.  I'll be back soon."

Haruka gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and went off.

-**-

Rei continued on with her chores, working at a slow pace and mostly just
thinking to herself.  She had decided to take a break and feed her two
birds.

She brought out a little bit of seed to the waiting birds and knelt down
beside them.  Rei sprinkled a little bit on the ground, watching them peck
at the small seeds.  She lost herself in her thoughts once again.

-**-

The mirror Sailor Mars was lurking in the bushes, waiting for just the right
moment to capture her counterpart.

What a glorious victory it would be!  She would have the Fire Stone, and
wield its power against their opponents.  Sailor Mars smiled an evil grin.

She noticed the weight in her hand, and glanced down at the Wraith Cube.
Such useful things...  They could possess objects, or fight as ghostly
apparitions.  Always came in handy.

Mars kept her silent watch on Rei.  She would not fail her mission.

-**-

Rei looked up at the sky again.  She started to realize that maybe she was
just getting too pensive, because she had wasted the better part of the day
just thinking about things.  Too philosophical.

There was an abrupt feeling, a feeling that she was being watched.  She
had another feeling, a psychic impulse that danger was near.  Making sure
she didn't change her external facade, she calmly got up, and went inside.

She returned a few minutes later, her transformation wand hidden in the
folds of her robe.  While inside, she had also tried to contact the others;
for some reason, she wasn't able to get any answer from any of them.  She
was ready.

Rei had had another premonition inside, one of her would-be assaulter flying
from a spot among the bushes.  She turned her back directly to that spot,
hoping to lure her attacker out.

-**-

Sailor Mars couldn't believe it; her best chance to take Rei by surprise!
Her counterpart had her back turned to her!  There was no better way!

And with all of her strength, she leapt out.

-**-

Rei heard the rustle behind her and dropped to the ground immediately and
rolled onto her back.  As she did, she saw a very surprised Hino Rei flying
over her.  Rei jumped to her feet as her counterpart rolled into the fall
and sprang up as well.

She pulled her transformation wand out.  "Mars Eternity Power, Make Up!"
The Fire Stone acted in tandem with the transformation wand, making the
skirt three colors, and making the red button with the Mars symbol in gold
on her bow.

The two of them stood there for a brief moment, glaring at each other.
Rei had the opportunity to look at her counterpart's uniform.  It was much
like her own regular uniform, except everything on it that was white was
black on hers.  The colors didn't seem to fit somehow.  Rei also wondered
how the mirror Outer Senshi uniforms looked.  Their colors were so dark
that they must have looked almost black.  Finally the alternate Sailor Mars
spoke.  "Give me the Fire Stone."

"You have to be joking," Rei said.

"Do I look like someone who would joke?  Hand it over or I'll be forced to
harm you."

"I'd like to see you try."

"You're way out of your league, Rei," mirror-Mars said.  "Fiery Red...
INFERNO!"  She held her hands as if she was holding an invisible globe.
A small spark of red formed, and as she yelled the last word, she opened
her hands outward and the spark flew forth, growing into a larger and
larger fireball, a long trail of flame behind it.  Rei dropped to the ground
again to avoid it.

"Mars Flaming Mist!" she said quietly, and a black haze poured out onto the
ground.  Rei stood up.

"Is that all you can do?" Rei asked her counterpart.  "Quite the pitiful
attack, if you ask me.  Come on, don't you know how to wield fire?"

Mirror-Mars scowled.  "You should talk!  What do you use your powers for?
Protecting the planet!" she spat.  "You and the others could have been
running this world long ago!"

They started circling, always staying directly across from each other.

"We have different morals, different ethics, you and I," said Rei.  "I work
for freedom, to keep this planet in control of its own destiny!  No one
should rule these people by force!"

"Force is the only way!  By staying strong, we help keep the people of Earth
united and strong!  We beat down any who try to take over our world!
Compassion, mercy, HA!  You must be strong and powerful to have respect!"

"Is that what you seek, Rei-chan?  If you are truly my perfect mirror image,
then you had little respect before you met Usagi.  I had few friends, if
any.  My Usagi changed all that.  I met her and Ami-chan, and soon after,
Mako-chan and Minako-chan as well.  I felt like I belonged!  You seek
respect, but you get it through the wrong channels!  Being strong is not the
only way to gather respect.  The people of the earth and of this city
respect us because we fight to keep them safe and free.  That's the strength
playing.  But you have to have true and close friends to gather *real*
respect!"

"Lies," mirror-Mars said.  "All lies.  You want to deceive me!  Usagi-sama
showed me that the best way to gather the respect of everyone was through
my strength and my force!  I am strong!  I shall show no more mercy to you!
Now, give me that stone or I will take the life right out of your body!"

"Then you shall have to kill me," Rei said with an edge in her voice,
"because the only way you will get the Fire Stone from me is by destroying
me."

"So be it, then."

-**-

"It is time," Sailor Saturn said, "to attack again."

The other Senshi stood behind her.  Saturn turned around.  "It seems that
not only are two of them missing- apparently on their own quests- but also
the only one in possession of a stone right now is...  Occupied."

She smiled a slow grin.  "There is no better time.  Mercury!  Prepare five
Wraiths for us!"

Mercury's chin dropped.  "But...  That will severely drain our energy
reserves!"

"Energy is no problem," Saturn replied.  "Not only can we drain the humans
here, but Queen Serenity also has a number of Rebels that she can drain for
us.  Now, go do it."

-**-

Michiru, Setsuna, and Chibi-Usa sat on a park bench.  Chibi-Usa was holding
an ice cream cone, Setsuna a soft drink, and Michiru had nothing.

"Michiru, are you sure you won't have something?" Setsuna asked.

"No thank you, I'm fine..." she replied distantly.

"Snap out of it.  I'm sure Haruka's fine."  The 7 remaining Senshi had
come to the conclusion that Haruka had, in fact, run off to her Quest.
Luna felt bad for assuming that she hadn't, because they were now short
two people.

"It's not that I'm worried about.  It's her behaviour.  From what Rei-chan
told us, I'm not sure if she can pass this quest...  And then there's the
fact that she explicitly disregarded the group's decision.  I can't believe
she'd do that!"

"You should.  Haruka has always been one to place the mission above
everything else.  She probably felt that this was the best way to help us
along."  She added, "And don't worry about Haruka failing.  You of all
people should know how strong and quick Haruka is.  She won't fail."

"Well, I only hope that I can prove her wrong about helping us."

Setsuna sipped her drink and looked down at Chibi-Usa between her and
Michiru.  "Are you enjoying the ice cream, Small Lady?"

"Of course!" she replied.

*BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG*

"What was that?" Chibi-Usa asked.

Michiru and Setsuna looked up at the sky.  "Is that the same bang we heard
the last time?" Michiru asked.

"I think so...  And if it happened five times, I think we're in big trouble.
Small Lady, come on!" Setsuna got up to run, Chibi-Usa and Michiru right
behind her.

Michiru took out her communicator.  "Usagi-chan, Mako-chan, Minako-chan,
someone!"

Usagi's face appeared, yawning.  "What is it?  I was just having the most
delightful nap..."

"We heard some Wraiths approaching!"

"What?"

"Wraiths, Usagi-chan.  We need help!  Setsuna thinks there are five of them
heading towards us.  Get Mako-chan and Minako-chan and meet us here!"

Usagi frowned.  "Will you be alright?"

"We'll be fine."

Michiru shut off the communicator.

Above them, five ghostly apparitions flew over, causing the people in the
park to flee in horror.

The three of them hid behind a tree.  "This seems familiar..." Chibi-Usa
muttered.  Setsuna hushed her.

Suddenly, the five Wraiths came down in a large circle, keeping the people
in an area of the park from escaping.  Then they started zapping the
people's energy.

Michiru, Setsuna and Small Lady ran farther to find a better place to
transform.  They found an empty store to use.

"Neptune Eternity Power, Make Up!"
"Pluto Eternity Power, Make Up!"
"Chibi-Moon Eternity Power, Make Up!"

The five Wraiths closed the circle even more, herding the people together to
make the process much more effecient.  The Wraiths started draining the
people.  It made them all pass out immediately.  Without warning, though, a
stream of water caught one of them Wraiths and flung it a few metres away.
They looked around for the source.

"Where are you?" one of them rasped.

"Over here!" cried a voice.  They all turned in unison.

Two figures were standing there, one with a staff.  The one without the
staff began speaking.

"A planet with the sea of sand is my guardian deity...  The soldier of
embrace, Sailor Neptune!"

The one with the staff spoke next.  "A planet floating in time and space
is my guardian deity...  The soldier of revolution, Sailor Pluto!"

Sailor Neptune continued.  "We two soldiers of the outer solar system
will-" they spoke in unison, "-not forgive you!"

The five Wraiths started laughing at the same time, a horrid sound that
unnerved Pluto and Neptune.

"The empire shall prevail," rasped one of them, "Resistance is useless!"
They halted what they were doing and rushed towards them.

Pluto lifted the Time Staff in the air.  Swirls of energy surrounded the
head and a purple diamond formed.  "Whispering Door!" she said quietly.
The diamond flew off the staff and opened a portal in the path of the
Wraiths' flight.  Black tentacles poured from the portal, grabbing three of
the Wraiths and pulling them in.

The other two continued uninterrupted, not caring about their troubled
comrades.

"Deliquescent..." Sailor Neptune held her hands in and offering position
as a diamond of green energy formed.  She became enveloped in a green aura
while a thick stream of water formed from the diamond and shot out at the
rapidly approaching Wraiths.

One got hit full force, and dropped to the ground.  There was still one left
and was coming faster than they liked.

The Wraith picked up speed, and Neptune thrust her arms in front of her in
a futile attempt to block it.  Just as the Wraith was about to hit, a
bouquet of ribbons attached themselves to the Wraith and pulled it back.

The portal Sailor Pluto had conjured vanished, leaving three weak Wraiths
on the ground.  The two tied up looked for the source.

"You who have preyed upon the innocent, disrupted happy people's lives and
caused them suffering, I won't forgive you!"

A small pink-haired girl dressed in a sailor uniform walked up.

"An agent of love and justice, a pretty sailor-suited soldier, Sailor
Chibi-Moon!  In the name of the future moon, I will punish you!"

"You truly think so?" one of the tied Wraiths asked.  It glowed a dull red
and the ribbons broke off.  The other one did the same thing, and both
floated up.  The other three joined them in the air.  "Assimilate!" it
screamed.

Each of the five Wraiths flew off and stood near an object.  Then they
simply went into them.  There was a low moaning sound as the five Wraiths
assimilated the object they had each possessed: an ice cream cart, a popcorn
making machine, a park bench, a tree, and a play structure.

The five new creatures came to life and took on a humanoid form in a blaze
of light.  Pluto, Neptune, and Chibi-Moon suddenly became aware that they
were in great danger as the Imperial forces started slowly stalking them...

-**-

Sailor Mars and her counterpart continued their slow circle.  Mirror-Mars
had as yet failed to give any sign that she noticed the thin layer of black
mist at her feet.

"I have a surprise for you," mirror-Mars said.

"Oh?  What a coincidence, so do I!"

A puzzled look crossed her face.  Rei leapt out of the area the mist was
occupying, and at the top of her lungs, yelled "ENGULF!!"  The black haze
erupted in a blaze comparable to that of the sun's surface.

The fire died down.  Rei was very surprised to see her evil counterpart
still standing.

"That's going to cost you," she said slowly.  Mirror-Mars took out the
Wraith Cube and tossed it away from her at the ground.

*BANG*

So that's where the noise comes from, Rei thought.  The cube shattered and
an apparition rose from it.  A Wraith.

Mirror-Mars smirked.  "You may have been able to checkmate me, but now that
there are two against one, I'd think you don't have much of a chance."

Rei slowly backed away.  If possible she would try to escape.  She was
quickly running out of options.  Her counterpart was right.  It would be
very difficult if impossible to defeat both of them.

Rei made a silent wish and ran.

-**-

Sailor Mercury was gasping for breath.  She had been running for a long time
now and found no hope of stopping anytime soon.  The minotaur was still
after her.

She had been running around the halls of the colosseum and hadn't been able
to find a decent hiding place where she could work out a plan.

She saw another side corridor coming up on her right and dashed down it,
minotaur not far behind.  She nearly stopped when she rounded the corner.

It looked to be a maze.  This could be the perfect opportunity to lose it,
she thought.  Ami pulled out her computer and programmed it to make a map
as she went.  No point in getting lost in there.

Ami made a point to let the minotaur know she was going into the maze.  Then
she could lose it in there.  It caught sight of her and charged down the
short hallway.  Ami ran down one of the side paths and took a series of
lefts and rights until she was satisfied that the minotaur didn't know where
she was.

Ami sat down and looked at her computer, trying to think of a plan.

In the distance, the minotaur howled in frustration.

-**-

Sailor Uranus peeked around the corner of a building.  The lizard creature
was still there, looking around for its missing victim.

Haruka tiptoed very quietly up behind it, trying not to make a sound that
would reveal her approach.

When she reached what she thought was a good distance, she leapt up into the
air, arms ready to grasp the lizard.

The lizard's back came closer and closer, Haruka approaching at a fantastic
rate...

-**-

To be continued in Episode 6...