Subject: [FFML] [fanfic] Ronin Summer : Shell Games 6
From: "Morgan Hudson" <dataraven_659@excite.com>
Date: 11/25/1999, 5:49 PM
To: ffml@fanfic.com
CC: dataraven_659@excite.com

Hi, all!

Well, here we go again, right? I'll just assume we all know by now how much
I crave C&C, so I'll spare you my usual begs and whining. Just drop me a
line, eh? ^_^

And here we go!




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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --

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 3 : SHELL GAME
            
         A Sailor Moon / Yoroiden Samurai Troopers cross-over

             by Morgan Hudson (dataraven_659@excite.com)


"If only I had known then... that a shell of iron... is hollow."
                                                        -Anthony Stark

Part 6 : Making Up Is Hard To Do

	The Dynasty, Usagi Tsukino thought to herself, was really 
ugly, even at sunset. Absently flipping one long blond ponytail back 
over her shoulder to hang next to its partner, she leaned back and 
held herself up with her hands. Yep, she thought, ugly. Ugly, ugly, 
ugly. The sky was fading from blood red to bruised purple, and the 
landscape slowly changed from "desolate" to "spooky", as the shadows 
claimed their dominion. 

	The scraggly bushes behind her rustled, and a young man with 
shoulder length brown hair came crawling out to speak to her. His 
name was Shin Mouri, and he was carrying a plate of something that 
MIGHT be food, once it stopped twitching. "Komban wa, Usagi Tsukino."

	"Good evening, Shin Mouri." Usagi patted the arid ground next 
to her. "Pull up some dirt."

	The Yoroiden of Suiko did so, groaning as he sat down and 
stretched out his stiff legs. "Well, this certainly has been a busy 
day, hasn't it, Usagi?"

	"A busy day? We just barely escaped from a whole army of really
big, mean, and UGLY monsters who wanted to take Kayura's castle and 
kill us all. The only people in this whole world who might be willing 
to help us are the other Senshi, and we don't know where they are. How 
can you be in such a good mood?"

	"Simple." Shin shrugged. "We're not fighting each other any
more, we finally know who our enemies are, where they can be found, and
what they're doing, and they can't say the same about us. Best of all, 
we're still breathing, and if I know the Masho, that is something our 
enemies will NOT live to regret." 

**********

	Hotaru Tomoe smiled and looked over at Ryo Sanada as they stood
outside of the large black tent. "Well, Ryo? Are you ready to do this?"

	The Yoroiden of Rekka grinned and nodded. He had decided 
against wearing his crimson samurai armour, choosing a pair of jeans 
and a white sweater with the words "Milk Ball" scrawled across the 
chest. It looked to Hotaru that he was regretting his decision. "Sure! 
All I have to do is walk in there and convince the Sailor Senshi that 
I'm on their side. I'll convince them that I'm actually an honest, 
reliable, trustworthy individual."

	Hotaru leaned on her Silence Glaive and tilted her head as she 
looked at him. "And what exactly are you going to say to do THAT?"

	Ryo shrugged. "I'll just make something up. I'm good at lying."
With a flourish, he threw open the tent flap and ducked in. "Hi! You 
won't believe th - AAAAAAAAH!" Stumbling backwards in a tidal wave of 
Senshi, Ryo curled into a ball and tried to cover his head with his 
hands while five women in sailor fuku all tried to use him as a 
football. 

	"OW! HEY! OOF! IT'S NOT MY FAULT! OW! WATCH THE HEELS!" Ryo 
shrieked, rolling around and scrambling to avoid the persistent attacks
of the Sailor Senshi. "I SWEAR! OW! THERE WAS A TRAFFIC JAM! OW! A... 
A HURRICANE! OOF! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! OW! IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" 

	Hotaru crossed her arms and tried not to burst out laughing as 
Ryo continued writhing on the ground and trying to avoid the feet of 
Rei Hino, Haruka Ten'ou, Michiru Kaioh, Setsuna Meioh, and Makoto Kino.
"OW! HEY! OW! WHERE THE HELL IS SEIJI? OW! WHY IS NOBODY HELPING ME?"

	"Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama!" Hotaru finally yelled, deciding 
to step in before her friend lost a vital organ or six. "Leave poor 
Ryo alone!"

	"Poor Ryo?" Rei wondered, as Haruka and Michiru immediately ran
over and swept their daughter into a large hug, crying and laughing.

	Ryo slowly lowered his hands and looked up. "That's right," he 
hissed, "POOR Ryo. And SOMEBODY was using her HIGH HEELS on me!"

	"Oh..." Rei had the decency to blush slightly. "Uhm... gomen 
nasai?"

	"No... you're NOT sorry." His eyes glowing, Ryo slowly and 
stiffly rose to his feet. "But you will be if I have anything to say 
about... hi, Ami!" Suddenly snapping out of his rage, he waved 
cheerfully at the blue haired girl standing in the tent opening and 
staring at him. 

	"Ryo?" Ami Mizuno slowly stepped out into the open. "What's 
going on here?" 

	"Uhm..." This, Ryo decided, could only be handled one way. It 
was the mature, manly way to do it, too. He dropped to his knees and 
began bowing repeatedly. "Gomen nasai, gomen nasai, gomen nasai..."

	Ami narrowed her eyes. "No... you're NOT sorry." Reaching down,
she grabbed the dark haired boy by the neck of his sweater. "But you 
will be if I have anything to say about it... come with me."

	Ryo could think of only one thing to say.

	"Eeep."

**********

	Yamanouchi Naotoki, also known as Naaza, sighed as he sat on a 
convienient rock. "Well, we got away. Now what?"

	The blue-haired teen sitting on the ground across from 
Yamanouchi glared at him. "I don't know. Why do you assume that I would
know?" 

	"Because, Touma Hashiba, I was of the misguided opinion you had
a brain." The golden eyes of the Masho of Poison glinted in the 
fading light as he curled his lip, showing off a pair of sharp canines.

	From his perch in a nearby tree, Jirougorou Kuroda chuckled. 
"Naaza, Touma, this is no time to go picking fights."

	The Chinese boy sitting under the tree made a sour face. "No, 
Rajura, this is the PERFECT time to pick fights!" Picking up his thick 
iron staff, he wound up like a batter and swung, making the entire tree
quiver as a man in purple armour tumbled from its branches. "Because 
of you Masho, Touma and I wound up fighting our friends! And now you're
saying it was for NO GOOD REASON!" Shuu Rei Fuan, Yoroiden of Kongo, 
hopped to his feet and scowled. "So I say it's time we got back to 
basics. Let's kick some Masho ass!"

	"You want to call off our truce?" Naaza rose, drawing a pair 
of his katana blades and glaring at Touma. "Fine by me!" 

	Rajura also regained his footing, drawing the six connected 
scythes that served as his main weapon. "The Masho of Deception is 
ever ready to teach you Yoroiden the error of your ways!" 

	Shuu snarled as his steel face mask slid shut. "Oh, shut up! 
Let's just get this over with!" 

	"SNAKE BITE STRIKE!" Naaza's glowing swords seemed to mold 
themselves into a whip, and lashed at Touma Hashiba, who leapt 
into the air and drew his golden bow, the Sho Ha Kyu.

	"Not even CLOSE, Naaza! ARROW SHOCK WAVE!" The sky warped as 
a massive blast of energy flew from Touma's bow and exploded against 
Naaza's chestplate. The Masho of Poison was thrown back, but merely 
snarled as he proceeded to draw his other four swords, hands moving 
so quickly that he appeared to have grown extra arms as he lunged at 
the Yoroiden of Tenku with all six blades. 

	"SUFFER!" Naaza shrieked, lethal venom pouring from his body 
and withering the very grass beneath him as he flew towards his 
target. Touma simply shrugged and soared out of the way, letting Naaza 
collide with a nearby tree. 

	"We're in the AIR, Naaza! You should know better than to 
challenge me in my own element!" Touma drew another three arrows from 
the quiver on his back and launched them at his opponent. 

	Meanwhile, Rajura taunted Shuu Rei Fuan as the Yoroiden of 
Kongo struck and parried with opponents only he could see. "Pathetic 
fool! You cannot defeat ME! You don't even know which me to hit!" 

	"I don't have to, Spider-brains!" Shuu growled and lifted 
his staff above his head. "IRON ROCK CRUSH-"

	"QUAKE WITH FEAR!" With a loud explosion, the clearing the 
four samurai had been dueling in suddenly erupted in chains, blasting 
up from the ground and embedding themselves in the nearest 
object, forming an intricate mesh of links that had all four hanging 
in mid-air like puppets tangled in their own strings. Shuu had actually
been flipped when a pair of chains burst from under his feet, and now 
he hung upside down, dangling by his ankles. Naaza and Touma were 
both stuck hanging sideways and wrapped in cocoons of metal. Rajura, 
like the spider he was, had somehow avoided every chain and now perched
comfortably in the web. 

	All four managed to look both foolish and guilty as a young 
girl entered the clearing. She could not have been more than twelve, 
with long black hair and strange red eyeshadow painting her face. She 
wore black samurai armour, under a green and yellow overcoat, and held 
a wicked scythe blade whose chained end led into the ground. She was 
Kayura, Empress of the Dynasty, and she didn't look very happy with 
any of them. 

	"I cannot believe you!" Kayura hissed as she strode forward. 
"My Dynasty is in mortal danger from the machinations of Saranbo, and 
you're fighting like a bunch of... of... LITTLE BOYS!" 

	"Naaza started it," Touma mumbled under his breath.

	"Did not!" Naaza objected.

	"Did too!" Touma and Naaza began struggling to reach each 
other, swinging back and forth as they tried to keep fighting. Shuu 
Rei Fuan tried to grab at Rajura, who simply scuttled out of reach. 

	"ENOUGH!" Kayura crossed her arms and scowled. "If you three 
insist on ACTING like children, I shall PUNISH you like children. 
Come, Rajura. We shall go and have a CIVIL, MATURE conversation with 
Shin Mouri and Usagi Tsukino. These... BOYS can hang here until they 
learn to get along."

	The man in purple snickered and followed his Empress into the 
bushes. There was a long silence as the trio of Yoroiden pondered their
actions. 

	"Well, I hope you're happy, Naaza." Touma grumbled. "Now we're 
stuck here, and it's all your fault."

	"It is NOT!" The Snake Masho snarled, and lashed at Touma with 
his free arm. 

	"Is too!" Shuu bellowed, and tried to wrap his fingers around 
the Masho's neck. Unfortunately, he was at least four feet short in 
his reach, and after a few minutes of straining, he sighed and gave up.

	"Well this sucks," Naaza muttered, "we can't even reach each 
other to fight. Anyone got any better ideas?"

	"My head hurts," moaned Shuu.

	"That's because you're upside down, idiot. All the blood is 
rushing to your brain... for once." Touma tried to cross his arms, then
snorted when he remembered he couldn't move them. 

	"Stop making fun of me!" Shuu discovered to his delight that 
he could, in fact, reach Touma, and began to throttle him. Touma's eyes
bulged, and his flailing hand came across Shuu's tetsubo. Pulling it 
free from the chains wrapped around it, Touma began awkwardly beating 
Shuu over the head with the iron staff. Naaza cackled as he watched.

**********

	Kayura sighed as she walked away from the largest display of 
juvenile behaviour she had seen in three hundred years. "Those 
Yoroiden..." she groaned. "They may be great warriors, but sometimes 
they don't even act HALF their age!"

	Rajura shrugged. "They know their duty, Empress. If this is 
how they choose to release their stress and anxiety, let them. It 
won't hurt anybody..."

	WHAM! 

	POW!

	CRASH!

	BOTTLE!

	"Much..." Rajura finished, and shrugged again. Where had they 
gotten the bottle, he wondered idly as he and his Empress wandered 
away to converse with the only other members of their party who 
weren't beating each other senseless.

	"Greetings, Kayura, Rajura!" Shin waved as the two pushed 
their way through the bushes. "Where's everybody else?"

	"Oh, they're... hanging out," Rajura suggested, hiding a 
chuckle behind his gauntlet. "They... might be a while. Maybe we should
start without them."

**********

	"Ami, I swear, I can explain, if we just sit down and discuss 
this like reasonable people..." Ryo was talking a mile a minute, and 
he had the uneasy feeling it wasn't helping him at all. 

	Ami Mizuno dragged him through the forest by the wrist and, 
with a judicious tug, slammed him against a nearby tree. "Don't talk, 
Ryo," she panted, "just listen."

	"Yes, ma'am." Ryo shut up. Maybe, he hoped, if he played along,
he would survive this encounter. And, if wishes were fishes, he'd eat 
sushi for every meal. Ami was breathing pretty heavily, and he wasn't 
too sure he liked the look in her eyes...

	"Do you have any idea how I felt when you were trying to kill 
poor Hotaru?" Ami stomped her foot. 

	"Uhm... is there an answer that WON'T get me killed?" Ryo 
flinched and waited for the hammer to fall. After a few seconds, he 
dared to open one eye enough for a peek. Aw, no... she WOULDN'T... she
COULDN'T... SHE WAS! OH CRAP! She was CRYING! 

	Therein lay Ryo Sanada's deepest, darkest secret. Despite the 
armour, the powers, the virtue, and the weapons, he was, at heart, an 
ordinary guy. And NO guy, regardless of age, could EVER handle a crying
girl. It was like Kyptonite. He was as good as dead.

	"How could you hurt me like that, Ryo Sanada?" Ami sniffled and
turned away from him. Ryo blinked in confusion. Hurt her? He'd never 
even laid a hand on her... oh. He immediately began studying his feet, 
as though they were the most interesting things he had seen in his 
life. Nuts. Couldn't she just pound on him, like her friends?

	"Ami..." Reaching out, he placed his hands on her shoulders. 
"Ami..." This was going to be the hardest thing he ever said. "Ami, 
I... was wrong. I wasn't thinking, I didn't get all the information, 
and I screwed up." Slowly, he began to massage her neck. "I am 
really, truly, sorry. I would NEVER have hurt you on purpose..."

	"Hmmm?" Ami's eyes were half closed as her head rocked back and
forth. What was he talking about? Something about being sorry, she 
guessed. Well, that was good, then. Now she wouldn't have to be so 
angry about... about... whatever that was. If he would just stop 
rubbing her shoulders, she was sure she would remember. Or, she 
corrected herself, he could move down a little lower, and that would be
fine too. "Ryo?"

	"Yes, Ami?" True to her thoughts, the boy began to rub her 
lower back. She was pretty stiff, he noticed in passing, probably from
all the stress of the past few days. 

	Oh, THAT was her name. She made a note of it, for later. 
"Ryo... I..." As usual, the Mizuno shyness chose the perfect moment to 
rear its ugly head, and clamped down hard on her next two words. "I..."

	"Have a plan for finding Usagi and the other Yoriden?" Ryo 
guessed, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her from behind. Ami 
was pretty sure that wasn't what she was going to say, but frankly, she
felt a little dizzy, so she just nodded. "Brilliant! Let's go tell the 
rest of the Senshi!"

	Ami nodded and headed off into the bushes. Ryo chuckled and 
silently counted to ten. Hotaru had been right : backrubs really threw 
that girl for a loop. Any minute now, she'd realise camp was in the 
OTHER direction... 

	Sure enough, Sailor Mercury stormed back through the clearing, 
back to her usual calm and professional self. "Not a word," she 
snapped in passing, "and I'm still mad at you."

	Ryo shrugged. Ah, well. It had been worth a try...

**********
	
	Seiji Date looked up and waved as Ryo and Ami walked back into
the camp. He and Minako had arrived soon after their friends had left, 
and everybody had more or less settled down, although Hotaru was still
getting squeezed so tightly by her 'parents' that she was starting to 
turn blue. 

	"Hey, Ryo! Still breathing?"

	Ryo snorted. "Last time I checked... and what's so funny?"

	Seiji didn't even bother hiding his grin as he replied. "The 
fact that you got in trouble and I didn't." Minako quickly reached out 
and smacked him in the back of the head. 

	"Just because I'm willing to admit you're on our side doesn't 
mean you aren't in trouble, Seiji." Minako smiled. "The vengeance of 
heaven is slow but sure..."

	"Wow." Seiji was stunned into silence. "Did you all hear that? 
She got one RIGHT! Minako got a quote RIGHT!" She smacked him again, 
and the blond Yoroiden burst into laughter from his new seat on the 
ground. 

	"Anyway," Ryo said, before the violence could escalate, "Ami 
has a brilliant and ingenious plan for finding Sailor Moon and the 
rest of the Yoroiden." He placed his hands on his hips and turned to 
the shorter blue haired girl. "Well, Ami? What's the plan?"

	Seiji blinked and turned to the white cat sitting on his chest.
"Woah. These girls actually have PLANS? We usually just start hitting 
things until they go away. Can I switch to your team?"

	Artemis shook his head. "Nah... you'd never be able to pull off
the skirt with THOSE legs." 

	Ami had meanwhile pulled out her portable computer. With a 
touch at her temple, an ice-blue visor slid over her eyes. "As you 
all know," she explained as she typed, "I can usually use my computer 
to scan our world for dark energy, like the kind given off by youma."

	"Yeah?" Rei Hino asked, brushing back her waist-length black 
hair. "What's your point? Everything here's a youma... how will that 
help us?"

	"Because," Ami replied, "Usagi and the Yoroiden are probably 
the only living creatures here besides us who AREN'T sources of dark 
energy. If I can configure my computer properly, then they ought to 
show up as sensor 'ghosts', places where there isn't a signal, but 
should be. If we track down the 'ghosts', then one of them MUST be one 
of the Yoroiden." 

	"I don't know," Makoto said cautiously. "Won't that take, like,
days? We need to find Touma -and Shuu, and Shin- as soon as possible."

	"There's one other option," Setsuna suggested. "We can use 
Hotaru as bait for one of the Masho. Anubis at least would be sure to 
strike," she said, smiling in a very predatory manner, "and I could 
beat their location out of him."

	"NO!" Haruka and Michiru chorused, tightening their grip on 
Hotaru, who squeaked in protest. "We're not letting you hurt our 
little Hotaru-chan!"

	"Michiru-mama! Haruka-papa! Stop treating me like a child!" 
Hotaru objected. "I'm almost thirteen years old! I took care of myself 
for DAYS without any of you to help me!"

	"Technically," Ryo interjected, "I was there to protect you. 
Although," he added as an afterthought, "you DID wind up saving MY life
more often than I saved yours..."

	"I thought we had agreed not to discuss that," Seiji said in 
a miserable tone of voice. 

	"I promised nothing!" Ryo replied indignantly. 

**********

	The next day started early for the Sailor Senshi and their 
two allies. Using Ami's plan, which had won by virtue of having the 
least people with swords opposed to it, they set out at dawn with 
the nearest 'dead zone' locations mapped out. After an early morning 
'discussion' between Seiji and Ryo nearly ended in bloodshed, it was 
deemed better for everybody's health if they all split up. 

	Makoto Kino and Rei Hino decided to go west, leaving Minako 
and Seiji to cover the north, Ryo and Hotaru the southeast, and Haruka 
and Michiru to check out the northwest. Setsuna and Ami were staying 
at camp to keep everybody in touch, in case any of the 'dead zones' 
started moving. 

	"Well Rei," Makoto gasped as the two Senshi raced across a 
rather barren plain of rock, "it looks like this zone is dead for a 
reason! Where's our next target?"

	Sailor Mars glanced at the small map showing on her 
communicator. "Ami, delete site SJ-02." One of the glowing dots on the 
grid promptly faded. "Looks like the next nearest zone is at vector 
two, thirty, negative ninety-six. Over there!" She pointed, and her 
partner was already turning. At this rate, they could cover the nearest
twenty zones in their area by dusk, Rei guessed. That was about an 
eighty kilometre search radius, and if the other teams did as well, one
of them HAD to find a Yoroiden search party! Assuming that the other 
Yoroiden were still looking for Sailor Saturn, which Seiji and Ryo had 
both assured her they would be.

**********

	Setsuna Meioh was fifteen, and she had been in the same room 
for the past five years. Five years, since Rajura had stolen her from 
her parents, using his magic to make them think they'd never had a 
child at all. Five years, since she had stopped being human. 

	The iron door creaked open, and she winced at the sudden 
intrusion of light. Framed in the portal stood Rajura, his long white 
hair tied behind him in a thick ponytail. He was wearing an eyepatch 
now, she noticed, and tried to hide her triumphant smile. That alone 
would make every one of her beatings worthwhile. 

	"You," he said calmly, as he removed his leather gloves, "have 
been a very bad girl, Setsuna. You are rebellious, tempermental, and 
a delinquent." 

	She laughed drily, even though it still hurt. "I aim to please,
master."

	"What is your first lesson, Setsuna?"

	Despite herself, she shuddered. "Pain is an illusion."

	"And who controls the illusions?"

	"You do, master." Setsuna hung her head in shame. 

	Rajura entered the cell and cupped her face in his hands. 
"You," he hissed, "have very pretty blue eyes, Setsuna." Slowly, as she
trembled with fear, he poised his thumbs above each eye. "Let's change 
that..." A strange crimson mist seeped from each thumbnail as he 
scratched the corneas of her eyes, and Setsuna screamed. 

	Unexpectedly, another form entered her cell. Clad in armour, he
grasped Rajura by the wrist. "You pathetic fool! There is no time for 
your petty revenge now! Lord Arago has summoned you." 

	Rajura glared at the intruder. "Do not presume to tell me my 
place, boy, and I will not be tempted to put you in yours." 

	The armoured man sneered in reply. "I would welcome such a 
chance to destroy you, my cycloptic colleague." In a smooth motion, he 
released the other man's wrist and pointed to the open door. "Go. Now. 
And do not return." 

	Rajura shrugged. "We will have to continue your lessons some 
other day, my sweet." Bowing to Setsuna and her new visitor, he 
left.

	Setsuna looked up through a veil of pain and confusion to see 
a stern and gentle face gazing at her. His ice blue eyes seemed to 
radiate concern as he stroked her cheek. "Your eyes," he said softly. 
"Do they hurt?" 

	She nodded, and he poured a small vial of liquid into his hand,
gently dipping a finger into the pool and rubbing the soothing fluid 
into her burning eyes. "I'm afraid they will always be red," he told 
her, "but at least now you will be able to see." He placed the vial 
back in his belt and stood to leave. Acting almost on instinct, Setsuna
reached out and caught his arm, flinching as he turned his gaze back on
her. He would hit her, beat her, put her in her place for daring to 
touch him... 

	But he didn't. Kneeling back down, he gently brushed back some
of her long green hair. "What is it?" her savior asked. 

	"Please..." Setsuna whispered. "It's so dark, and I'm so 
afraid, here... don't leave me." She thought she might know this one, 
the Masho all the others had spoken of with equal tones of disgust and 
fear. Perhaps he would protect her. Perhaps he would... "I would be 
with you tonight... my Lord."

	The man leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. "You 
are quite beautiful," he whispered, "and you are not safe. I will stay 
here... for tonight."

**********

	Setsuna awoke to the sound of Ami Mizuno co-ordinating the 
search parties outside. The tent was dark as the grave, and for a 
moment she closed her eyes and tried to pretend he was still there. 
Her savior, her protector... he had always kept her safe, after that 
night, to the best of his abilities. She could feel the slick trail of 
tears as they poured down her face, and she buried her face in a pillow
to suppress her sobs. 

	She felt his breath long before she heard anything. Setsuna 
felt her eyes widen as a sharp steel blade slid gently against her 
throat. It WAS dark in the tent, she thought, and there was one who 
gained his strength from such darkness. 

	"Hello again, Sailor Pluto." Anubis grinned as he wrapped his 
arm around the girl's waist and pulled her tightly against him, pinning
her arms. "Now, let's not go making any sounds... we wouldn't want to 
warn anybody, would we?"

	"Just tell me what you want, mongrel." 

	Anubis snickered softly. "Mongrel? I like that. Why, I haven't 
been called that since... well, I suppose we BOTH remember the last 
person who called me that." Moving the sword away from Setsuna's 
throat, he smiled. "As for what I want... it's really very simple. I 
want to make my Empress happy. And that means I kill Sailor Saturn, and
anybody else who gets in my way." 

	Setsuna forced herself to smirk, exactly the way her lover 
used to. It was a look of such calculated arrogance, his own personal 
way of letting everybody know he was in total control of the situation,
and loving every second of it. "Poor little Kujuurou. Four hundred 
years, and you're still nothing more than a lapdog. A better man might 
have escaped such mindless servitude..." Now, she thought, toss in his 
trademark laugh. "What am I saying? A better man DID." 

	Anubis ground his teeth. "Still carrying your torch, aren't 
you? You'll never admit that anybody could be as good, as noble, as... 
as HOLY as you beloved saviour! Well here's a hint, girl! Your lover 
is DEAD! THAT'S what all his nobility and virtue did for him! We 
couldn't even find anything to bury. So excuse us if we choose not to 
emulate him." 

	Setsuna snarled. "You aren't even worthy to speak his name, 
Kujuurou Sasaki!"

	Surprisingly, Anubis grinned at that. "THERE," he said proudly,
"is the little Setsuna I remember! I knew you were still in there 
somewhere..." 
 
	Setsuna sighed. "Please, leave this be. Go to your Empress, and
tell her that Hotaru is no threat to her. Tell her, for my sake... 
Uncle Kujuurou."

	Anubis raised an eyebrow and sheathed his sword. "If you were 
any other girl," he said softly, "Sailor Saturn would already be dead. 
Why do you care for her so deeply?"

	"She is my daughter." 

	There was a sharp intake of breath. "I see." Anubis crossed his
arms and leaned back against one of the tent posts. "Well, then. I 
shall assume she is not a threat. Have you raised her well?"

	Despite herself, Setsuna smiled bitterly. "As well as you 
raised me, Uncle Kujuurou. As well as you raised me..."

TO BE CONTINUED...



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