The characters of Sailor Moon belong to whoever they do. I just hope
they don't come hunting any fingers for my unauthorized use of them.
I apologize now for any misspelled words or any gross errors of grammar
or diction. I'm still waiting for a word processor who knows what I
meant to say, not what I actually typed.
 
Some of this is familiar, some is not. If you can hang with it until
Chapter 3, then down the rabbit hole we go!

------------------------------------------------------------------

Magic and Mayhem
a division of
Entropy Inc.
(also known as Maintenance)
The Bermuda Triangle Branch
presents


Old Souls

Our love is an old love, baby
It's older than all our years
I see in strange young eyes familiar tears
We're old souls in a new life, baby
They gave us a new life to live and learn
Some time to touch old friends and still return

Our paths have crossed and parted
This love affair was started long long ago
This love survives the ages in its story lives are pages
Fill them up, may ours turn slow

Our love is a strong love, baby
We give it all and still receive
And so with empty arms we must still believe
All souls last forever
So we need never fear good-bye
A kiss when I must go...no tears...in time...we kiss hello

                                                                            

             -Paul Williams



	The room was large and bare. Dust, moved by some secret current of air,
danced in and out of the shafts of colored light streaming from the
magnificent stained glass windows set high in the walls to create
deceptively solid ribbons of color. If any human had been there to see
it, they would have stood entranced, wondering if they had stumbled into
some hidden realm of fairy.

	The being that stood in the center of the room didn't see the beauty
around him. There had been a time when he had gone out of his way to see
such sights, a time when he had been human. But that had been stripped
from him, along with his memory. Now he was of the Darkness, a leader of
Shadow Warriors, current favorite of Queen Beryl. He was Nephlyte and he
was angry. It seemed that he had been thwarted at every turn by those
damned Sailor Senshi. And even though he held his Queen's favor now, his
recent failures were putting that favor in jeopardy and he had no plans
of joining Jadite in the Crystals of Eternal Suffering.

	Zoicite had just left him, full of dire warnings and fury at Nephlyte's
assumption of his assignment. Nephylyte knew Queen Beryl was displeased
with him and his failure to eliminate the Sailor Senshi, so he would be
the one to find the Silver Imperium Crystal. That would solidify his
favor with his Queen forever. He pushed the things that troubled his
mind away. It was time. He had checked the stars and the alignments of
the planets. The heavens smiled on him, ready to grant him the thing he
wished to accomplish.

	He reached out and joined his own energy with that of the heavens above
him. A thrill ran through him as, for a short time, he became one with
the song of the stars. It invigorated as it enervated. This was Power!
The energies gathered around him as he began his spell, creating the
thing he wanted.

	"Give me a guide to lead me to what I most desire!" He formed the image
of the Silver Imperium Crystal in his mind.

	What he summoned took form from the power of his will, substance from
the power of his soul. The darkness swirled in on itself, then
coalesced. A black crystal fell to the floor with a soft tinkle. It was
with regret that he pulled himself back into the shell of his body.

	*This will lead me to the Imperium Crystal!* he smiled as he reached
down to claim it.

	As soon as his fingers came in contact with the cold slick surface, the
new born Star Crystal flared into life. He squinted into the cold blue
light. In the crystal's heart an image formed. It was a human female,
her boyishly short black hair feathered around her face, which by human
standards would be considered beautiful. The image raised its head and
her verdant green eyes locked with his own, then vanished.

	"Who is that?" He demanded.

	"Aurora," the crystal answered in a wind chime whisper.

	The light retreated back into the crystals heart, then winked out to
leave a cold piece of solid space on his palm. He closed his fingers
around it, forming a fist.

	"Aurora."

	He said it out loud, the word echoing softly in the vault of the room.


					***************


	Spring had taken a firm hold on Tokyo, bringing blossoms to the tree
under which Molly and Serena had settled to eat their lunch.

	"Oh, yeah. I can't go with you to the arcade after school today,
Serena."

	Serena got that 'how come' look on her face since she couldn't say
anything around the huge bite she had just stuffed in her mouth.

	"My Mom signed me up for ballet lessons. They start this afternoon."

	Serena managed to swallow. "Ballet lessons?"

	"Yeah. My Mom says that every young lady should take a few years of
ballet to help with her poise and grace. You know, you should come!"

	"Ballet lessons?" Serena said again as she thought about that.

	*Maybe I should. Luna and Rei are always picking on me when I spaz
out.* She winced mentally as she remembered tripping over her own feet
in the last battle. *But it wasn't my fault! How was I supposed to know
the sidewalk was cracked right there!*

	Molly, misinterpreting the expression on her friends face, offered some
more incentive.

	"I've got an extra leotard and tights you can use. And a pair of ballet
slippers too! My Mom went way overboard and bought me two of
everything!"

	"O.K. I guess I could use a little help in the grace and poise
department," Serena conceded as she shoveled another mouthful in.

	"Why are you looking at me like that?" She muttered around her bite.

	"Just a little?" Molly tried to stifle a giggle as she gathered her
napkin into her hand and reached over to wipe the spill off of Serena's
chin.

	"O.K. A lot," Serena sighed.

	Then the two girls went off into giggles.


						***


	"Black and pink?" Serena complained as she looked between the black
leotard in one hand and the pink tights dangling in the other.

	"It's the colors you're supposed to wear. Everyone's wearing it," Molly
told her as she started wiggling into her tights.

	Serena glanced at the other girls dressing around them and, sure
enough, they where all getting into black and pink. She wondered about
the older girl dressing across the room as she turned her back on them
and made a face.

	*You think 'whoever' could have chosen something other than black and
pink, though,* she grumbled as she started dressing.

	"Don't you think that girl over there is kinda' old to be in this
class?" Serena asked in a sotto voice.

	"I don't know. Maybe she just looks older," Molly replied, distracted,
as she hunted around in her bag. "Where are they?"

	"Where are what?" Serena asked back as she tugged the shoulders of the
leotard into place.

	"I can't find the other pair of shoes! I'm sure I put them in here."

	"You forgot my shoes?" Serena almost wailed.

	"I'm sorry! Maybe you can tell the teacher that you just decided to
start and didn't have time to get some?"

	"Here."

	They both looked up at the dark haired girl that Serena had noticed
earlier. She held out a pair of new black slippers to Serena.

	"Miss Pat won't let you dance unless you have shoes."

	"Thank-you," Serena gave her a relieved smile and a little bow as she
took them, and then noticed the state of the shoes the girl was wearing.

	"Umm, are you sure you want me to wear these?" She asked, blushing a
little. "I'll wear your old ones."

	The girl looked a little confused, looked at her feet, then laughed. It
was one of those laughs that made anyone in hearing range smile in
response. She wiggled her toes, threatening the thin leather in spots,
but it held.

	"These are just getting broken in. Now, come on," she beckoned them
with one hand as she turned and headed for the door of the changing
room. "Class will be starting in a second."

	"Molly! Wait!" Serena yelled as she slid on the left slipper, then
hopped after her, one arm flailing for balance as she tried to tug on
the right one.

	One final hop got the slipper in place and carried her through the door
into the studio. She stepped in close to Molly as they stood toward the
back of the knot of milling girls, all nervous and uncertain as they
eyed the older woman with the straight walking stick across the room who
eyed them back. Two sharp raps of the stick against the wood floor
demanded their attention.

	"Please find a place at the barre," the woman told them.

	The girls fanned out, Molly and Serena hanging back so they were at the
very end of the line of girls.

	"I'm Miss Pat. Your teacher. This is Aurora," she pointed the stick at
the girl who had loaned Serena the shoes.

	"She is one of my advanced students and will be helping me. Now, I want
you to introduce yourselves, one at a time, please, starting with you,"
she pointed at the first girl in line.

	Serena tuned the names out and studied herself in the mirrored wall
instead.

	*Boy, did she look terrible in black and pink!* Molly nudged her in the
ribs.

	*Huh?* she realized everyone was looking at her.

	"Um, Serena," she mumbled and blushed.

	"Geez, Serena! Pay attention!" Molly whispered at her.

	"Sorry," Serena whispered back.

	"Left hand on the barre, we will start with first position," Miss Pat
commanded.


					***


	Serena slumped down onto the bench that ran around the changing room.
She crossed one tired leg over the other and pulled off the shoe, rested
a moment, then repeated the process with the other side. Molly was over
with some of the other girls, chatting. She pushed herself up and walked
dejectedly toward Aurora.

	"Thanks," she held the shoes out.

	"You're welcome. Just remember to bring your own, next time," Aurora
took them with a gentle smile.

	"There won't be a next time," Serena muttered.

	"What?" Aurora looked up from packing her gear into her bag.

	"I was terrible! Everyone was laughing at me!" Serena sounded as if she
was on the verge of tears.

	"You did fine, Serena," Aurora soothed.

	"No. I didn't. I kept almost falling over and wobbling and...and...it's
hard!" Serena pouted at her pink clad toes.

	"Of course it's hard. But with practice, it gets easier. And most of
the other girls almost kept falling over, and wobbling and...and..."

	Serena glanced up at her, wondering if she was just being mean.
Aurora's expression was open and her smile was kind, not mocking as she
had expected.

	"Tell you what. Why don't you come to my house tomorrow afternoon and
practice with me?"

	"Really?" Serena almost squealed. 

	"Really."

	Aurora pulled a notebook out of her bag and wrote in it.

	"Here," she tore the page out, "this is my address and phone number.
You can bring Molly if you want."

	"Thanks! What time?" Serena tried to place the address in her head. It
wasn't too far from her school.

	"Why don't you come right after school? That'll give us a couple of
hours and still leave you plenty of time to get home for dinner. O.K.?"

	"Come on, Serena!" Molly called from the other side of the room.

	"O.K.! I'll be there! Thanks again, Aurora!" She gave Aurora a huge
grin, then bounced back over to where Molly was almost finished
changing.

	Aurora bit back a laugh. She remembered being fourteen and going from
despair to elation in a matter of seconds. She slung the strap of her
bag over her shoulder as she patted the crown of her wide brimmed hat
down on her head to make sure it would stay in place, then headed out.


					***************


	Aurora made it to Chips bakery just as Mr. Toki was getting ready to
flip the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed'. He grinned at her through the
glass and waved at her to come in.

	"Always my last customer," he shook his head in mock anger, going back
behind the glass case as she rested her heavy grocery bag on the floor
next to her.

	"But one of the best customers," she teased back.

	"So, what will it be today, Aurora?" He asked as she studied the
pastries.

	"Chocolate. Something really chocolate," she answered, frowning. "You
don't have any of the Chocolate Suicide cake left?"

	"Had a run on it today. All gone," he sighed along with her.

	"Shoot. And that's what I really wanted."

	"Well, now. Can't have a pretty girl like you with such a frown. Here,"
he reached down behind the counter and came back up with a white box.
"The very last piece of Chocolate Suicide cake 'till Friday. Just for
you, Princess."

	The smile she gave him was dazzling. "You're wonderful, Mr. Toki!"

	He beamed at her as she dug out her wallet and fished the correct
currency out. She carefully placed the box in the top of the grocery
bag, then hefted it up by it's handles.

	"You have a good night, Aurora," Mr. Toki told her as he held the door
open for her.

	"You too, Mr. Toki!" she wished as she stepped back onto the crowded
sidewalk.

	She had gone a few yards, trying to keep the grocery bag from banging
against her shins, when a gust of wind came out of nowhere and snatched
the hat off of her head.

	"Oh, shoot!" She grabbed vainly for it as it launched behind her.

	She spun to give chase and didn't notice that the bottom of her grocery
bag had suddenly developed a hole and was spilling her groceries behind
her as she ran. The hat danced just out of her reach along the ground.
She made one final, desperate lunge for it before it skitted out into
the traffic of the street. Another hand closed on it, rescuing it as she
missed.

	"Thank you," she said as she straightened.

	*Wow!* Was the only thing that came to mind as she faced her hats
rescuer.

	"I assume this is yours?" The man asked as he offered her the hat.

	"Yes. Thank you again," she blushed as she took it back.

	The man looked over her head, behind her and smiled a little. "I think
you've lost something else along the way."

	Aurora spun again, saw the trail of foodstuffs.

	"Oh no!" She groaned.

	She looked down into the bag. The only thing left was the white cake
box. She grabbed it as it started to slip through the tear.

	"Excuse me," she muttered as she jammed the hat back onto her head and
felt totally stupid in front of this really handsome man.

	She started to backtrack, gathering food as she went.

	"Here, let me give you a hand," the man offered as he passed her with
his longer stride and reached down to start to gather stuff up.

	They ended up with both of their arms full of groceries. She headed for
a bench and figured she could put some of the stuff into her gym bag and
she'd just have to figure out a way to carry the rest. She put her arm
load on the bench. The man sat down next to her pile.

	"Thanks a lot. You can just leave this here and I'll figure a way to
get it home," she told him as she shrugged the gym bag off her shoulder
and unzipped it.

	There wasn't a lot of room left inside, but she started stuffing things
into it. The man just sat and watched her as he offered things from his
arm load. She felt her face redden.

	"You're not going to get all this in there and it'll be too much to
carry. My car is just around the corner, let me give you a lift home."

	"Um..." *was he trying to pick her up?* "no, thank-you. I can manage.
But I appreciate the offer," she had stuffed as much as she could into
the gym bag.

	She looked over the remaining items. He was right, it was going to be
more than she could carry.

	"Well, then, let me carry some of this home for you."

	"No. That's really not necessary," she started trying to create a
carryable pile.

	"I insist," the man gathered some of the pile into his arms.
	
	"Really, Mr.?" She paused, waiting for him to supply his name.

	"Stanton, Maxfield Stanton," the man answered.

	"Mr. Stanton. I can manage."

	He looked a little sad and hurt. "Are you afraid of me?"

	That startled her. "No." *well, maybe a little...* she answered as her
face reddened more.

	"Then let me help you, Miss?" Now he paused.

	"Walker. Aurora Walker."

	He smiled and her heart sped up. *Man! What a smile.*

	"You'll just end up dropping them and I'll have to follow you and pick
them up."

	"O.K," she relented.

	He obviously wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer and she did need
help.

	"You can help me carry them home, if you really want to."

	"Oh, I really want to," he answered with a smile.

	She wasn't paying much attention as she worked on gathering up her arm
load of groceries so she didn't see the feral, cold expression that
passed over his face with the smile.

	He made inane chatter with her as they walked and lulled her into a
false sense of security. He didn't miss the covert glances she would
flash him when she thought he wasn't looking. Or the blushes that
accompanied those looks. It...amused...him.

	*That's right, girl, trust me...* this was going to be easy.

	He followed her as she turned off the sidewalk onto the short path that
lead to the left side of a condo. She juggled the groceries in her arms
as she struggled with the keys, then the door was open.

	"Here. Put them on the counter," she told him as she continued around
the counter which separated the kitchen from the living room.

	He did so, grabbed at a can that tried to escape as he watched her ease
her own load down on the kitchen table. He took the Star Crystal out of
his pocket and kept it below the counter and out of her sight. As soon
as it touched his skin it began to emit a faint glow.

	*It was here, somewhere close...*

	His rune flickered into the air separating them, visible to his eyes
alone. One of his energy taps had just awakened to full potential. He
growled to himself. He needed to leave.

	"Can I make you some coffee? Or tea?"

	"Thanks, but I have to go," he didn't miss the disappointment which she
quickly hid under a smile.

	"O.K. Well, thanks for helping me," she told him as she came back out
of the kitchen to escort him to the door. "I really appreciate it."

	He paused at the threshold to turn and faced her. "Oh, I'm sure we'll
meet again."

	She was too enthralled by the charm of his smile to hear the sinister
undertone to his voice.

	"Maybe," she smiled back, doubting it.

	"Good-night, Aurora."

	With that he turned and strode back down the path, his features turning
more dark and menacing with each step.


	Aurora watched his tall form walk away from her. She liked the strong,
sure way he carried himself. When he turned back onto the sidewalk she
closed the door and leaned back against it.

	*What a hunk! And that hair!* she knew girls that would kill for a mane
like that.

	Then she sighed. For a while there she had thought that maybe he was
interested in her. But now she realized he was only being gentlemanly
and helping out a woman in trouble. She pushed herself away from the
door and headed for the kitchen. Images of Maxfield Stanton filled her
thoughts as she put away her groceries. She giggled as a quick picture
of her conservative father standing next to Maxfield Stanton flashed
through her mind. As if that would ever happen! But she could hope.


				****************