Okay,

Before I begin this MSTing of God Boy's fic, I have something for all 
you Ranma and Usagi 2-gether 4-ever groupies (don't worry, I'm one 
too but I feel I have to bring this up) to chew on.

What about poor old Mamoru?

True, he did dump her over a dream in SMR but he's been faithful ever 
since.  (Don't worry I have a solution in mind but I still want to 
see what you think.)

On to the MSTing....

(The lights come up on the theater to highlight Sakura and Trident.  
Trident looks like his normal bored self and Sakura is fast asleep.  
Flashman walks in and sits down in his regular seat.)

Flashman: What happened to her?
Trident: The casts of Street Fighter Ex+alpha got together with the 
cast of MK4 and they threw a big party to celebrate the releases of 
their new games.
Flashman:(Looks at Sakura) She's not drunk is she?
Trident: No, but the party did start at 10 AM, lasting until 5 AM the 
next day and she spent most of her time Slam Dancing with Raiden.

(Sakura opens her eyes slowly and yawns.  She glares at the others.)

Sakura: Keep it down... I'm tryin ta sleep.
Flashman: Sorry, but we got a fic to review.
Sakura:(Yawns) Whyyyyy?
Trident: Christopher has been kind enough to do Flashmans things, so 
politness dictates that we must return the favor.
Sakura:(Rubs her eyes) Fine.  Let's get this... yawwwwwwn... over 
with.
___________________________
9 - War Council

***

Blood sat in a deserted apartment and meditated.  It wasn't 
meditation to find inner peace, no, the aim of this trance was to 
find his inner darkness.  In that sense, maybe it was an attempt to 
find peace.  A mission to calm the war that raged inside his mind 
between the darkness that was Blood and the light that was Crimson.  
Or Ares.  Or Kaneda.  Such idiocy, this reincarnation.  Why was one 
name, one life not sufficient for these fools?

[Tridnet:(Scowls) I speak from experience, do NOT insult 
reincarnation.]

Images flashed through Blood's mind as he considered his enemies. He 
fantasized of how he would slay them and steal their power, 
especially the King and Queen.  One would provide him with an entire 
planet to corrupt and feed upon, and the other would give him a power 
that surpassed that of gods.

[Sakura:(Rubbing eyes) Forgive me if I'm still a little fuzzy but... 
Which is which?
Trident: Too many "and"s in that last sentance.
Flashman:(Serious mode) Maybe it would flow better if you worded it 
as, "Endymion would provide him with an entire planet to corrupt and 
feed upon, while Serenity would give him a power that surpassed that 
of gods."]

After the combat, Blood had ransacked Crimson's memories on the pair, 
and realized his mistake.  He should have tried to kill Uranus first. 
 She was the headstrong one, the one who would become unpredictable 
and uncontrollable when her partner was destroyed.  Neptune, on the 
other hand, was a much more even-tempered and fragile enemy.  If she 
didn't collapse from grief at Uranus' death, she too would go into a 
killing rage.  Blood preferred those odds.


The other Outer Senshi?  Pluto would be trouble.  That one was 
probably even more powerful than Saturn, in her own way.  He would 
have to go for her as one of his final targets.  Saturn was an enigma,
 and a dangerous one at that.  If he could bring forward the darkness 
within her, and control it, she would be an excellent consort for his 
rulership of this planet.  If he could not summon that darkness, or 
he could not control her, she would be as great a threat as Pluto.

[Flashman: Seems as though Blood isn't as powerful as advertised, if 
he's worried about Saturn.
Trident: Flashman... she can blow up a planet.
Flashman: Yeah but it always goes like... (Imitating Saturn) GLACTIC 
SILE <cough, cough, hack, wheeze>, I've... got... the flu... again.]

Blood laughed as his mind drifted to the Inner Senshi.  Even if they 
were more powerful than they were five centuries ago, they would be 
no trouble. 

[Sakura:(Roll eyes) That's what they all say.
Trident: Plus, they all end up regreting it.]

It would be a shame to kill them outright, especially Jupiter.  That 
boy, Apollo, had some attachment to her.  Maybe she could be used to 
corrupt him, to allow the darkness in Blood to instill in Apollo with 
the same power his mother had with those three boys from the Moon 
Kingdom.  The faces of the other Inner Senshi floated through his 
mind.  Mercury, far too wise, and far too weak for her own good.  
That computer of hers would be a great asset.  Venus would die as she 
lived - fast and furiously.  But Mars, she would be special.

*Not Rei damnit leave her alone you bastard you hear me not Rei never 
Rei*

[Flashman: Awww... spoilsport.
Trident: Need a comma after damnit and start a new sentance after 
bastard.
Sakura: You know, this is the most intense C&C we've ever done.]

Mars, that was the problem. Crimson was attached to her stronger than 
he should be.  It was something deeper, far more powerful than 
anything Blood had ever seen before.  That twisted weakness called 
love he could comprehend and work with.  Jadeite had loved Pluto, but 
it was not like this.   Blood could not understand this absolute 
devotion that Crimson had to the woman.

[Flashman: I like the explination that was given in the "Guardians of 
the Star" series.  It's called a Soul Bond.
Sakura: You read "Guardians"?
Flashman:(Sniffs) Damn right!  It's GOOD.]

***

"Where's Rei?" Haruka asked as he sat in the council room.  "Doesn't 
she have anything to say about this?"  Serenity and Ami exchanged a 
look, and finally Ami spoke.

"I have her under sedation," she admitted, then shook her head in 
dismay.  "I don't know how it happened, but somehow, Ares' link to 
her has become two-way.   She's feeling everything he is, and it's 
destroying her."  She stopped speaking, took a deep breath, and 
continued.  "She's got too much to live for now."

[Trident: I don't like the sound of that.]

"Damn straight she does!" Makoto growled.  "That's her man out 
there!"

[Sakura: That's Mako for ya... men, men, men.
(A 30 ton safe falls on top of Sakura.)
Voice: Watch it!  I happen to like Makoto.]

Serenity cleared her throat, and and the discussion in the room 
subsided.  "Rei will not be involved in our efforts to rescue Ares.  
First, because of what he said to Haruka and Michiru on that roof.  
Like I was with Tuxedo Mask, she is the key to Ares recovery.  If she 
dies, we will have lost him forever."  She paused to allow that to 
sink in, and then continued.  "Second, she isn't just risking her 
life alone, she's risking two lives now."  Makoto eeped, and Apollo 
grinned, but with the exception of Ami, the others looked blank.  
"Rei is pregnant."  

[Sakura:(Now fully awake) Oh... my... GOD!!!
Flashman: SHE'S *MULTIPLYING*!  
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Trident: I don't understand.  What is wrong with the birth of a child?

Flashman: Nothing, it's just that... Rei for a mother... (Shivers)
Trident: I'll never understand what is it you have against her.
Flashman: End of the second episode of SMR, original Japanese, you'll 
understand.]

Serenity looked grim.  "When the Shieldsmen were created, Queen 
Serenity did something very irresponsible.  I don't know why she let 
the magic run wild like she did, but living bombs are not what I'd 
call ideal protectors." She paused.  "The result wasn't all bad.  The 
Shieldsmen balanced the Senshi out, to some extent.  Where the Senshi 
had magical prowess, the Shieldsman had physical."

[Sakura: In laymens terms, the Senshi would weaken an enemy from a 
distance and the Shieldsmen would take 'em out when they got close.
Trident: A good stratagy.]

"What does this have to do with Crimson?" Haruka asked impatiently.

"Magic if a form of energy, Haruka.  It can't be simply destroyed, it 
must go somewhere.  The amount of power released in a Shieldsman's 
final attack was incredible, easily rivaling my attacks when I was at 
my most powerful as Sailor Moon."  Serenity smirked slightly as the 
others exchanged shocked glances.  "Don't be that surprised, each of 
you contain far more power than that.  What made the Annihilation 
Suicide so powerful was all that energy being released at once, in a 
single blast."

[Flashman:(Whisltes) Ouch.
(Sakura has fallen asleep again.)
Trident: When she wakes up again, YOU get to repeat all of Serenity-
samas explination.
Flashman:(Slaps forehead) D'OH!]

"We'll have to fight fire," Makoto answered for her, "with fire."  
She turned to look at Jadeite, and the other's eyes followed hers.  
Jadeite looked up at them in surprise.

[Flashman: Ah!  Another, "The Senshi have to trust Jadeite to save 
the day" situation.]

***

Jadeite sat in attendance, but wasn't paying attention to what was 
occurring.  He was totally absorbed in his own thoughts as he stared 
at the items he held, and considered their meaning.

He turned the green bracers in his hands over and over, his fingers 
tracing the outline of the green crystal in one, and the symbol for 
Pluto in the other.  He remembered when the original Queen Serenity 
gave them to him.  He was so proud, so overjoyed that he would 
finally be able to work with his lover.  He remembered his home life, 
with her, and Crimson, his youngest brother.  He remembered raising 
Crimson with Pluto, and how proud he felt when his brother became the 
greatest of the Shieldsmen.  Not the strongest, not the smartest, 
simply the best.

[Trident: Jadeite... was a SHIELDSMAN?!
Flashman: Looks like someone else was asleep for the last chapter.]

He remembered when Beryl tricked him into meeting Metallia, and how 
he was possessed, corrupted by that power, and how he became Jadeite, 
last of the generals of the Dark Kingdom.  And he remembered, with 
vivid detail, the end of the Silver Millennium.  How the other 
generals merely backed him up as he waded through the Senshi, first 
killing off Saturn, then Uranus and Neptune at once.  He remembered 
Jupiter fighting him almost to a standstill, Mercury dying quickly, 
and Venus begging for mercy.   

[Flashman: Um, note here.  The Outer Senshi didn't die in the Silver 
Millenium.  For a reason I forget, they had abandonded their post and 
when they came back, they were caught in the origional Serenity's 
power beam and reincarnated in the future.]

But nothing made him hate himself as much as what he did next.  
Crimson actually defeated Jadeite in combat, but the other generals 
teamed up on the lone man and subdued him, making him powerless to 
fight them as Jadeite slowly, carefully, crushed Sailor Mars piece by 
piece.  He remembered laughing as Crimson crawled to the lifeless 
woman's body, and how he reveled as Crimson screamed his grief to the 
heavens.

[Trident:(A pale green) By the gods of the sea....
Flashman: Man... not even Rei deserves to go like THAT.]

Jadeite had failed so many people, and now Crimson was once again 
paying the price for that failure.  He winced as he heard Serenity's 
announcement regarding Rei's pregnancy.  Not just Crimson, Mars and 
their unborn child as well were suffering due to him.

[Flashman: Geez.  This guy could give RYOGA tips on how to be 
depressing.]


The Senshi stared at Apollo.  The young man leaned against the wall 
in a corner of the room, his face shrouded in shadow.  Only his lower 
body was in the light, and the metal on his sword's scabbard glinted 
in the light.  He looked up, and they could see the grim 
determination in his eyes.  "If anyone fights Ares, it's me."

"Don't be an idiot, Apollo," Makoto scolded.  "That's not Ares out 
there.  It may have his face, and his body, but it's not him.  That 
thing has all the speed and strength that Serenity instilled in you 
brother."

Apollo said nothing in response.  He walked over to where Jadeite sat,
 and said a single word.  "Stand."  The other man stood, and faced 
him.  In a flash, Apollo brought his sword up, and whipped it past 
Jadeite's face, not once, but twice.  A handful of hair fell, and two 
faint red lines appeared on the shocked man's cheeks.

[Trident: He is fast... (small smile) almost as fast as me.]

"Apollo!" Pluto yelled angrily.  "Stop this!"  Her eyes were wide 
with a mixture of shock and fear.

[Flashman: I think, "Stop that," would work better.] 

The young man sheathed his sword, and knelt, picking up the hairs on 
the ground.  He stood and dropped them on the table.  "Ares wouldn't 
have fallen for that attack.  Even if he was caught completely by 
suprise he would have blocked or dodged that easily.  He turned to 
Makoto, and smirked slightly.  "I can do it even faster, if you like. 
 Want a haircut?"

[Flashman:(Imitating Makoto) Okay, just a little off the sides... and 
don't even THINK of touching the pony tail!]

Jadeite felt his stinging cheeks, and looked in horror at the blood 
on his hands.  He looked at the bracers on the table, and picked them 
up.
  
"You can't!" Haruka insisted.  "You don't have the power!  One hit 
from him and you'd be dead immediately." He glared at him.  "I've 
been fighting for 500 years.  I know what I saw, and you'd be killed. 
 You haven't got a chance."

[Trident: I am still unused to having Haruka being call "he".
Flashman: Well, sh.. I mean he, is male now, thanks to the Ginzuishou.
]

"If he doesn't have a chance, then Crimson is doomed."  Jadeite 
walked over to the Queen, who had been silent for quite a while now.  
"He's right.  I haven't fought someone as a Shieldsman for almost 
eleven millennia.  Ares was a better fighter than me in the Silver 
Millennium, he'd swat me away like an insect now."  He took the 
bracers, and held them out to Serenity.  "Your Majesty, give Apollo 
my power.  Make him able to fight Blood, because he's the only one 
who can."  He let his eyes slide over to Apollo, and the barest hints 
of a smile touched his face.

[Flashman: Who saw that coming?
(Both Flashman and Trident raise their hands.)
Sakura:(Talking in her sleep) Ohhh Usagi-chan... that feels nice.
Trident:(Confused) Huh?
Flashman: O_O]

Serenity brought her hands up to Jadeite's, and closed his hands over 
the bracers he held.  Her smile as she looked into the haunted man's 
eyes seemed to lift some of the pain from his heart.  "Thank you, 
Verdant," she corrected herself as the man winced.  "Jadeite.  But 
that won't be necessary."  She released his hands, and turned to 
Apollo.  "Apollo, stand before me."

[Trident: Need a comma after "smile" and after "eyes."]

In the midst of the light, Queen Serenity smiled, and removed her 
hands from his temples and took his hands in hers.  The crystal 
flared again twice, and two brilliant spheres of light flew from it 
and settled on Apollo's wrists, and spread out to surround them.  As 
the bands closed, Apollo's eyes opened and he screamed, while the 
light from the crystal shone brighter and brighter.

With one final, blinding flash, the crystal grew quiet once more, and 
the crescent moon on Serenity's forehead faded to it's normal 
appearance.  Apollo was kneeling on the ground, holding his head in 
his hands.  He stood, and swayed slightly, catching himself on a 
nearby chair.  "What a rush."  He looked at his wrists, and turned 
them slowly, admiring the two simple bands that encircled them.  "Now 
what?"

"Just do what feels natural," two familiar voices intoned in unison.  
Looking to the source of the voices, several of the Senshi could not 
help but smile at the familiarity.  Luna and Artemis walked in and 
hopped up on the table.

[Flashman:(Imitating Serenity) And just WHERE have YOU TWO been?
Sakura:(Still sleep talking) Yes, Diana could use some brothers and 
sisters.
Trident: How did she do that?]

"Hmm..." Apollo breathed softly, staring at the bands.  He looked 
down at his belt, and unbuckled his sword, laying it on the table.  
"I have a feeling I won't need that."  Inhaling sharply, Apollo 
wrapped his left hand around his right fist, and bowed his head.  
"SILVER BRILLIANCE!!!"

Once again, the room was filled with blinding light as it exploded 
from his bracers.  First, a wave of light exploded from them, flowing 
over his body and banishing his clothes as he rose in the air, his 
hair flowing in the breeze that sprung up from the ground.  A second 
wave burst from the bracers, and Apollo's body was made into a white 
silhouette.

"Impressive," Minako breathed.

"Tacky," Ami countered.

[Flashman: Familiar.
Trident: Turnabout.]

"Mine," Makoto finished, and blushed as the other two glared at her.

Haruka chuckled at the by play, and whispered to Michiru.  "Usagi's 
getting creative in her old age."

His partner smiled.  "Fair's fair."

Apollo slowly returned to the ground, and the whiteness faded from 
his body, revealing armor similar to Crimson's, but it was all 
featureless, and all of the same silvery metal.  In his hands, he 
held a clear crystal blade, that seemed to shine with a light of its 
own.  He looked down at himself, and then with interest in the mirror 
Serenity had conjured.  "I like it," he began with a wry grin, "but 
couldn't it have been something a little less 'Hey look, I'm a target,
 please shoot me'?"

[Flashman: I know, it looks like something right out of... (starts 
singing)
GO GO POWER RANGERRRRS!
(Sakura bolts awake.)
Sakura: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!  SHINKU-HADOKEN!
(BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!
!)
Flashman:(Smokin') Ow......ie.
Trident:(Confused) What did she do THAT for?]

Laughter and chuckles filled the room, but it was King Endymion who 
responded.  "Apollo, you're complaining in a room full of women who 
wear skirted leotards as a combat uniform."

[Flashman: Touche.]

The armored man considered that, and then half-shrugged.  "Point 
taken."  He turned, and bowed to the assembled people.  "If you'll 
pardon me..." he slowly turned in a circle, holding his sword in 
front of him.  At one point, the sword dimmed abruptly.  "...I've got 
an appointment to keep."  With that, he ran out of the room.

[Sakura:(Imitating Apollo) Yeah, Issac is a dentist you DON'T want to 
keep waiting.
Flashman:(Thinking) Wonder if anyone'll get that joke. (Aloud) Nice 
to have you back with us Sakura.
Sakura: Nice to be back.
Trident: Although... what was it Usagi-sama was doing that felt so 
good?
Flashman:(Before a fight starts) I'll explain later.]

"Your Majesties," he panted.  "Lady Rei has disappeared!"

[Flashman: Saw that coming?
(All three raise their hands.)]

***

Only the tears streaming down Sailor Mars' face belied the cold, 
emotionless exterior she showed as she faced Blood.  The man, on the 
other hand, was grinning wildly, and he almost danced where he stood. 
 "And here I thought I'd have to go looking for you, Mars."

[Flashman: Then you don't read Anime scripts, do you?
Sakura: Anime Rule of Romance #7: When a lover is possessed, no 
matter what condition they are in, the partner will go to try to talk 
them back.]

"I won't fight you, Ares," she replied.  "Please, come back to me.  
You're stronger than that...thing holding you now.  Fight it!"  Her 
words only elicted laughter.

[Sakura: Anime Rule of Romance #8: After one lover completes #7, they 
will always get laughed at by their significant other.]

"Ares doesn't live here anymore - there is only Blood," he intoned, 
and then laughed again.  "I always wanted to say that." Black fire 
formed around Blood's left arm, swirling to form a disk-like shape.  
"One of my problems before was that I didn't use this body's natural 
reflexes.  It wants a shield, it gets one."  He spun, and the disk of 
shadow flew towards Sailor Mars, who stood motionless.

[Flashman: This guy's ripping off Captain America!  Now he MUST go 
down!]

Apollo set Sailor Mars down, and imposed himself between her and 
Blood.  "No offense, but I don't think Ares would really appreciate 
you getting killed, Lady Rei."

[F/S: We would!]

"How unfortunate," Blood said offhandedly.  "I see the little queen 
has turned you into one of those goody-two-shoes-twits as well."  He 
sighed, and shook his head.  "And I had such hopes for you."

"You're not going to win, you bastard," Apollo returned.

"Are you really willing to kill your brother?" Blood taunted.  "All 
right then."  He summoned up another disk of black flame, and threw 
it at the armored man.  "DIE!"

The disk bounced off the crystal sword Apollo held, and slammed into 
the ground, blasting away a small crater.  "If that's the best you 
can do, I've already won."

Blood laughed.  "Oh no, little brother, I've barely begun."

[Flashman: Again, that's what they all say.
Trident: Unfortunatly, they usually are telling the truth.]
____________________________________

Flashman: Well, that's it.
Trident: I prey that Aries can be saved.
Sakura: Yeah, even though we don't like her, even Rei deserves some 
happiness.
Flashman: I'll work on mine if you work on yours.  Till next time.

The Flashman

May The Spirit Preserve You!