"Let this be a lesson to you, Praxite! You may not question my authority again, if you value your life!" Queen Beryl cried furiously as she dug her claws into the handsome face of the dark-haired warrior before her. As her talons ripped down his cheeks, an echoing scream was heard by all present. Gasps were elicited from the observers, but no one spoke against the Queen's punishment. The warrior, Praxite, fell to his knees, hands rising to cover his torn face as he screamed again...
    Praxite awoke from the too-familiar nightmare, drenched in cold sweat. His heart thudded violently in his chest, as if trying to beat its' way out of his rib cage. His breath rasped in and out of his mouth, feeling icy as it filled his lungs. A drop of sweat burned him as it slipped into his eye, and he knuckled it away with a whispered curse. Rising from his bed, he went to refresh himself, and to dress for his duties. Soon, he knew, he'd have his next mission, and his chance to redeem himself in Queen Beryl's eyes.

    Amy stepped lightly up the stairs leading to the Cherry Hill Temple, where she saw Raye's grandfather sweeping the last of the autumn leaves off the stone path.
    "Good morning! Amy said cheerfully. "Is Raye here?"
    "Ah, Amy! Good morning!" he replied. "She's in the main temple, praying...she's pretty tired though, because she says she's having strange dreams. So, she's seeking guidance right now."
    "Okay, I'll wait for her to finish! Thank you!" Amy called over her shoulder, as she walked away from him, along the path.
    "If you need an extra blessing before you go, I'll be right here!" he called after her. In reply, she simply looked back over her shoulder at him and waved.
    "Hmph! She likes me, she really does!" he mused to himself with a pleased grin.

    Raye stepped out of the temple, feeling sluggish and tired. Her eyes landed on Amy, who was leaning under one of the cherry trees, reading a book, as always.
    "Hi, Amy, how are you?" Raye asked. Amy lifted her eyes from her book, her reply forming on her lips, when she saw Raye's dark, almost hooded eyes and pale complexion.
    "Raye! You look awful! Are you sick?" Amy asked in a rush, concern underscoring her words.
    "No, I just haven't slept very well for the last few nights." came Raye's slurred reply.
    "Your grandpa said that you told him about some strange dreams...do you want to talk about it?" Amy asked with a sympathetic smile.
    "Well, I have a few chores left to do this morning...let's talk about it over lunch, okay?" Raye suggested with a weak smile.
    "Sure! I'll meet you at the arcade at noon, and we can go from there!" Amy answered brightly, patting Raye's shoulder supportively. Raye smiled, but as she waved and walked off to do her chores, Amy took note of the drag of Raye's feet as she walked, and the resigned, almost defeated slump of her shoulders. As she descended the stairs, the autumn wind blew a flurry of leaves into a brief, swirling dance a few yards in front of her. In the chill wind, Amy shivered.

    Unseen by the residents of Tokyo, a dimensional rift, which looked like a jagged tear in the very air, exposing flickering stars and swirling gas clouds of various colors, opened above the top of Tokyo Tower. Out of this rift floated a tall, lean man with thick, center-parted black hair and sharp red eyes. He was dressed in the uniform of a Negaverse warrior, save for one personal touch. He wore a red scarf tied around the lower half of his face, hiding his cheeks, mouth, and chin. At his right hip, a silvery metal tube hung from his belt, and he held a long, single-pointed crystal in one hand. The ends of his scarf trailed in the wind, but he took no notice of the cold.
    He held up his hand, and balanced the crystal on the tip of his first finger. Concentrating his own magic into the crystal, he felt it respond, turning to point out the path to his enemies...the Sailor Scouts. As he found his bearings, he narrowed his eyes, smiling cruelly under his scarf.
    "Now I will prove myself to Queen Beryl. At last I will earn back my pride, by killing these pests once and for all!" he mused to himself, feeling the warmth of anticipation as he clenched the crystal in his fist again. His eyes glowed faintly as he glided down from Tokyo Tower, and down to the town, like a hawk circling, looking for a kill.

    "So, tell me about these dreams, Raye. I've been reading a lot about dream study lately, maybe I can help." Amy suggested, sipping from her root beer float. Raye looked up at her and sighed heavily.
    "I haven't even told Grandpa what the dreams are about. You're the first person, so I'll appreciate it if you don't take me lightly. You know I'm usually very psychic about these things." Raye began. Amy nodded agreement, and Raye took a deep breath, preparatory to her tale.
    "Well, my first dream was really vague. I had a feeling that something was watching me from the shadows, and no matter where I turned, it always ended up behind me. I never saw what it was, but it was scary enough without seeing...well, whatever it was.
    The second dream was about me dancing at some fancy costume ball, and you, Serena, and the others, and even Tuxedo Mask were all there. But there was a man wearing a red mask, and he kept trying to make me dance with him, taking my hand and pulling me across the floor. I was scared, because none of you seemed to see me, or to hear me when I asked for help. And when he finally gave up, and turned to leave, he seemed to gather shadows all around himself, and then he just vanished! Poof!
    But that one was nothing compared to last night. I hope that dream wasn't a prophetic dream, because it's a future i wouldn't want to see happen, ever." Raye paused, shivering with cold as a young couple walked in the door of the cafe.
    "Well, you've told me this much, we may as well get through the worst of it. You may feel a lot better afterwards, you know." Amy coaxed soothingly. Raye nodded, and cleared her throat.
    "Last night I dreamed that we had just finished fighting some evil being, some dark man in the same red mask as from the dance. The fight was over, and you, Lita, and the others were all...dead. I was the only one of us still alive, and I felt weak, and hurt badly. It was so real, it was lucid, and he raised a glowing sword above his head. His eyes glowed red at me, and as he swung the sword, the light from it filled my eyes with bright purple...and then I woke up, crying." she finished softly. Amy's mouth hung open slightly from the shock of this story. She knew it must have been bad, to shake Raye up like that, but she had no idea that the dreams were that bad.
    "Well, I'm not very sure what to think. It could mean that you need to stop holding in your more volatile feelings, or it could mean that you won't accept the fact that you're angry with someone close to you...there are just so many ways to interpret dreams." Amy explained, building up steam from a dead stop. Raye just shook her head sadly.
    "I don't care about the first couple of dreams, I just wish I knew if this danger I feel is real or not! It's driving me crazy, to think that I may not be able to save one of my friends because I can't even sleep any more!" Anger rose in Raye's voice now, and she lowered it as she heard the mutters of the other diners around her.
    "Maybe I don't know what to tell you about this, but I'll bet Luna can help! Come on, let's go and see Serena!" Amy offered. Raye's face lit up a bit, as though she hadn't come close to thinking of that herself. They finished eating, paid, and left, headed for Serena's house, unaware of the dark form that watched them from a nearby rooftop. Praxite balanced his crystal again, and watched it point in the direction the two girls were walking.
    "Excellent! These two will lead me right to the others! I'll crush them all in one fell swoop, and Queen Beryl will make me her new General! My rank will be second only to hers, at long last!" he thought to himself, and uttered a low, quiet chuckle of cold laughter.

    "It's definitely the Negaverse." Luna answered certainly, after hearing Raye's retelling of the story she had shared with Amy. "I've had a bad feeling about today, so you should all stay on guard! Especially you, Raye, since it seems that whatever is happening here is centering around your psychic awareness. Trust your intuition, and always err on discretion's side today!" she warned, looking solemnly at the pale, exhausted girl.
    "I'll keep alert as I can, but I wonder if this will affect my powers, if we need to fight some Nega-creep?" Raye asked. Luna simply shook her head.
    "I don't think it should interfere, but there's no telling until a battle is joined...I wish i could tell you more." Luna replied.
    "Okay, so I'll just do all my normal things today, catch up on my chores at the temple, and if anything weird happens, I'll do my best! Oh, and I'll contact all of you, too, of course..." Raye said with a meek smile.
    "You know, it is too bad you're not sleeping well, Raye. After all, Darien can't stand baggy-eyed girls!" Serena teased. Raye's eyes flashed with anger, and a sharp retort formed on her lips, but the moment passed, and she stood slowly, turning toward the bedroom door.
    "Thanks, Serena. Glad to know you're here when I'm feeling so rotten..." Raye said over her shoulder, and left, feet dragging. Amy and Luna glared angrily at Serena, who suddenly looked a lot like an ant under a magnifying glass.
    "Why did you have to say that? Raye is feeling bad enough, she can't even sleep at night! As far as I know, she hasn't even been worrying about Darien, or any other boys, for a while now, and you just have to bring him up..." Amy's raised voice startled Luna, who started at the normally soft-spoken girl's anger.
    "Amy has a point, Serena. What do you have to say for yourself?" Luna asked calmly.
    "I was just trying to make a joke, you guys...I didn't mean to hurt her feelings. I thought she might think it was funny, and maybe cheer up..." Serena trailed off, smiling weakly.
    Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden sound of a scream from outside. The three of them started, and Luna's eyes narrowed.
    "I sense the power of the Negaverse, and it's close! Girls, time to transform! I'll contact the others!" Luna said, bounding down from the bed.
    With cries of "Moon Prism Power!" and "Mercury Power!" the two girls were enveloped in magical energies, and when the glowing surges died down, they were clad in their Sailor Scout uniforms. They leaped out the window, and dashed around to the front of the house, the source of the scream.
    The two Scouts laid their eyes upon a grim sight. A warrior from the Negaverse was standing over Raye, who had curled into a fetal ball on the sidewalk. All at once, they realized the reason for her terror, for this tall, lean man wore a red scarf that hid his lower face.
    "Greetings, Sailor Scouts! I am Praxite, and I am here to destroy you! I must confess myself disappointed, though, for I didn't even have to touch your friend here to put her out of this fight!" he said with a cruel laugh. He took the metal tube from his hip, and activated the energy blade of his powersword. He saluted the two girls with it, then took a fighting stance.
    "Now, prepare to die." he said coldly.
    "I can't believe you would show yourself to Raye after haunting her dreams for this long...in the name of The Moon, I will punish you! I am Sailor Moon, and I will right wrongs and triumph over evil! And that means you, scarf-boy! Prepare to be moon dusted!" Serena answered, her temper flaring. She grasped her tiara, shouting "Moon Tiara Magic!" and threw it dead-center at him. He simply waved his hand, and flickered out of sight, the tiara missing him completely. Serena saw the purple flash of his sword from over her shoulder, and ducked under his swing just in time. She rolled away from him, the tiara reappearing on her head.
    "Mercury Bubbles Blast!" came another cry, and a torrent of bubbles and icy fog engulfed Praxite. He stumbled and swung his humming sword blindly, missing the Scouts by yards. Serena dashed over to where Raye lay, and struggled to pick her up.
    "Sailor Mercury, try to hold him off! I'll get Raye somewhere safe!" Sailor Moon called, and Mercury nodded her assent to the plan. She looked at the stumbling warrior through her VR visor, assessing his strengths and weaknesses with her pocket computer. His motions were so slow that she had adequate time to do this before he neared the edge of the fog cloud.
    As Praxite emerged, his uniform frosted over, his hand clenched the grip of his powersword tightly. His eyes glowed red with rage. Amy felt those awful eyes boring straight into her own, as though he was seeking her weakness too. She broke the stare, and brought her hands up to use her powers against him.
    "Mercury Bubbles Blast!" she called out, and the fog surged forth anew. Praxite leaped into the air, flying over the rush of frost.
    "That trick won't work on me twice!" he gloated as she looked up at him. He dove down at her, sword poised for a strike, as she braced herself to leap clear of the deadly blade. Sailor Mercury narrowly dodged the lunge, and rolled to the ground, coming up into a crouch. Praxite stalked towards her, eyes still glowing, sword raised.  However, as he prepared to finish this girl, he saw the naked fear in her eyes, the realization that she couldn't move fast enough to evade his next blow, and a sudden flood of emotion hit him, sapping the strength from his arms, making him hesitate. The glow of his eyes faded, and his body relaxed.
    "Moon Tiara Magic!" came a cry from behind him, and a hot, tearing pain flooded through his side. He staggered from the blow, and turned to face Sailor Moon. Dark blood soaked his uniform shirt, and he clenched his teeth in agony. He struggled back to his full height, and took a step towards Sailor Moon.
    "Jupiter Thunder Crash!" called out a new voice, and bolts of lightning splayed themselves over his body like white-hot tendrils, ripping another scream out of him.
    "Jupiter! Venus! You're just in time to finish this jerk!" Serena shouted to her newly-arrived friends, who ran to her side. Praxite made a quick reassessment of these girls, and of their powers, and focused a ball of dark power in his free hand. He threw it to the ground between himself and the Sailor Scouts, and the explosion covered his escape through another dimensional rift.
    "I shall return!" his parting words rang and echoed in the air for a long moment.
    "Another of Queen Beryl's warriors, huh?" Sailor Venus asked.
    "Yup, some thug named Praxite. He's tricky, but he's no match for us!" Serena replied with a broad smile.
    "I wouldn't get too overconfident, Sailor Moon." Luna reprimanded.
    "Huh? What do you mean, Luna?" Serena asked, baffled.
    "I mean, he left because you were all here to fight him together. But if he found any of you separately, the outcome of a battle would be very different. And probably very grave." Luna explained, and the girls nodded solemnly.
    "What's worse," Luna continued, "is that he seems to be able to track you all because of your powers, whether you're transformed or not. I would suggest you all stick together for the next few days, until we find out what any ulterior motives of his are. He wants to kill all of us, that's obvious, but why? Is there something special he's after? There's just too much we don't know about him..." Luna concluded, hanging her head.
    "Actually, I do know a couple of things that will help, if he shows up again." Amy said. The others looked at her as one, wanting to know what she had discovered.
    "I'll tell you all about it, but we should go somewhere more private first." said Amy decisively.
    "I got it! I know how we can stick together! I'll ask my folks to let you all have a sleepover at my place!" Serena blurted excitedly.
    "That's a very good idea, Sailor Moon. We can be sure of one thing, and that is that we can't take any chances from here on in." Luna said with a nod of approval.

    Meanwhile, in the Negaverse, Praxite knelt before Queen Beryl. His uniform was still scorched and bloodied from his defeat, and his head hung low.
    "Please forgive me, My Queen, I underestimated their true powers. It won't happen again. I am ready to receive any punishment you deem necessary." Praxite said quietly. Zoicite hovered nearby, sitting in mid-air, a smug smile fixed on her face.
    "I believe the beating those Sailor Scouts gave you is punishment enough, but I saw the whole battle through my crystal ball. Why did you hesitate?" Queen Beryl demanded angrily.
    "I don't know...some foreign emotion swept over me." Praxite said slowly, as confused as his queen was enraged. "Perhaps it was an effect of one of their powers...rest assured, I will not succumb to this weakness again." Praxite's voice gained strength as he spoke, and his injured pride stoked the fires of anger in him.
    "I hope you're right, for your sake. If I thought for a moment that you would even think of betraying me, I would cast you into Eternal Sleep!" Queen Beryl proclaimed. Her attention was captured by a soft giggle from Zoicite, who had tried, but failed, to stifle her laughter at Praxite's misfortune.
    "And you, Zoicite, will accompany him to Earth to attack the Sailor Scouts after he has recovered." Queen Beryl added.
    "But Queen Beryl, I..." Zoicite began.
    "Enough! You must learn from Praxite, Zoicite, that I will not be questioned! In order to learn this, I place him as your superior for the next attack!" snapped Queen Beryl. Zoicite clenched her teeth and fists, but bowed to her Queen.
    "As you wish." Zoicite replied, and turned, walking out of the throne room with quick, hard steps, as though she was stomping her anger into the very floor with her boots.
    Soon after his audience with Queen Beryl, Praxite returned to his quarters, in order to heal his wounds and soak away the blood in a hot bath. As he lay in the crystalline tub, his mind drifted back to Sailor Moon's words.
    "I can't believe you would show yourself to Raye after haunting her dreams for so long...in the name of The Moon, I will punish you!" she had said. That didn't make any sense. He knew and cared little for dreams, given the nightmares he was all too prone to. Perhaps the girl was one of the rare humans that had a psychic power, as well as her Sailor Scout powers. He sighed, reflecting on the whole encounter, and thinking of what it could have been that made him spare Sailor Mercury's life, when he should have slain her. Whatever feeling it was, he decided he didn't like it, because it left him feeling weak and vulnerable. Those were feelings a Negaverse warrior could not afford.
    Praxite tipped his head back, eyes staring past the ceiling, as he contemplated his partnership with Zoicite on the next attack. He could tell she disliked him, and would probably stab him in the back at the first chance, but Queen Beryl hadn't given him a choice but to work with her. However, he thought, those annoying Sailor Scouts would never do something like that, they're always a unified force. But unified by what? What is their secret? Unbidden, a sudden pang of pain shot through his heart as he thought of the way the girl named Raye had screamed and collapsed at the mere sight of him. Was he truly the noble warrior he thought he was, or simply a raging monster? As doubts began to fill his mind, Praxite lay back, sighed, and healed.

    The first night of the girls' sleepover had gone well. The movies had been all watched, the tea all drunk, and, thanks to Serena, the snacks all obliterated. Mina, Serena, and Lita were all asleep in their sleeping bags, which had been laid out in the living room. Only Amy and Raye remained awake.
    "You know, it's not healthy to fight sleep, Raye." Amy said gently.
    "I know, Amy, but the truth is...I'm scared. I don't even like to think about my last nightmare, I don't even want to know what the next one will be like!" Raye responded in a whisper, so as not to wake the others. "You can't know what it's like. I've never been afraid to sleep, I've always known that my dreams are just that, dreams, not reality. But with this last one...how can I be sure?" Raye asked, tears brimming in her eyes. Amy didn't say a word, but reached out, placing her hands on Raye's shoulders supportively. Raye responded by almost falling into Amy's arms, hugging her friend tightly and sobbing painfully into the soft cotton of Amy's pajamas. Amy just held her, smoothing her hair until her sobs had turned into sad little hiccups, and then gently released her.
    "Feel any better?" Amy asked hopefully. "Sometimes all it takes to clear your head is a good cry."
    "A little..." Raye said, wiping at her eyes. "But I'm so tired now...maybe I will try some sleep." she yawned, and stretched out in her sleeping bag. Amy laid down too, smiling kindly at Raye, glad that she could be there to help when she had needed it.
    "Oh, Amy, thank you." Raye said sleepily. "I really needed the chance to let all that out, just don't tell the others, okay?"
    "You're welcome, Raye. That's what friends are all about. We'll just keep this our secret, too. I won't tell anyone." Amy agreed. Raye smiled, tired, but content for the moment, and drifted off to sleep. Amy followed suit soon after, and the night was peaceful.

    A few days later, the girls were puzzled. After all the time and effort they had all put into sticking together, nothing had happened. Amy had theorized that Praxite may not have recovered from his wounds, or that Queen Beryl, in her cruelty, was still punishing him for failure. Raye, however, wasn't so sure. She still felt a distant nagging in the back of her mind. Whatever had begun wasn't happening now, but it wasn't over, either.
    That night, the girls decided to split up, since they didn't want to impose on Serena's parents any more than they already had. Raye went back home, and stood outside, holding one of the crows that lived at the temple couched in one arm, stroking its' head and gazing at the moon. She thought of the deep, dreamless sleep she had finally had since Praxite had been driven off, and how much she missed the refreshed, alive feeling of waking up in the morning.
    "Excuse me, I have a problem." called a soft voice, which was accompanied by the hard clacking of bootsteps. Raye turned with a gasp, and saw a handsome, dark-haired man satnding on the stone path.
    "I'm sorry, but the temple is closed. If you want to come tomorrow, we can help you then." Raye said, gathering her authority. After all, this was going to be her temple one day, and she had to know how to deal with all the kinds of people who came seeking help.
    "It's not really temple business. I need you to explain something to me, and I feel I should be honest about my identity." the man began.
    "Your identity?" Raye asked, as the crow she held cawed loudly and flew from her grasp. A chill brushed the nape of Raye's neck, and she looked at the man warily as his form shimmered and changed.
    "Please, believe that I mean you no harm this night." Praxite stated simply. Raye gasped, and took a step back, but reined in her fear. It was time to overcome fear, and he seemed too simply spoken about this to be weaving an elaborate lie. She noticed that he didn't even have his powersword with him, and relaxed a bit.
    "Okay, I'll listen, but if you try anything, you'll get flash-fried!" she said in warning. Praxite nodded, and walked over to a low stone wall. He levitated up to the top of it, and sat down.
    "I realize this must be hard for you to understand. It is difficult for me, too. When I fought with Sailor Mercury, I found her weakness contagious in some way. Because she was helpless, I found that I couldn't strike her. I have never felt like that before, and I don't understand the source of these weakening feelings." he began.
    "It sounds like you felt what we call mercy." Raye said simply, still not completely trusting this strange warrior, who wore a scarf to hide his face.
    "Mercy..." Praxite mused. "Queen Beryl would never forgive me for feeling such a thing. But still, I can't deny this feeling. I have been observing you humans for a long time, and I have long sought to understand the tender emotions that you all share so easily. Those feelings are taboo in the Negaverse. There is only hate, jealousy, and treachery."
    "Okay, I understand you so far, but if you want me to trust you, answer me a question. Why do you hide your face like that?" Raye asked, the first threads of sympathy starting to permeate her voice. Praxite simply bowed his head, as if under the burden of a heavy, painful memory.
    "Very well, I shall tell you. I can but ask that you tell no one else of this tale, or my visit. Once, years ago, I was one of Queen Beryl's favored warriors. None of the others could match my skill with a Negablade, and few could predict my battle tactics. But one day, I dared to ask a question too far above my station. Out of frustration and anger, I presumed to form a better course of action than Queen Beryl." he took hold of his scarf, and pulled it down from his face, revealing his scars. "This was my punishment. I lost my station as an elite warrior, and I lost my pride as well." As he looked directly at Raye, unflinching, she gasped, covering her mouth with one hand.
    "That's horrible..."she whispered.
    "Yes, and it was part of the reason I have begun to question my true place in this life. In my world, there is hate. In yours, love. In mine, betrayal and pain. In yours, trust and joy. I wonder, where do I truly belong? At my Queen's side, or following my own path?" he asked, his red eyes dampening with the pain of his indecision.
    "That's not the sort of answer I can give you. You need to look deep inside yourself for that answer, and judge which is greater in you, the darkness, or the light. If it's the light, Sailor Moon can help to cleanse you of your darkness. However, if it's the darkness that's stronger, then I won't enjoy fighting you again. Not now that I know you like this." Raye said after a moment of thought.
    "But you would still fight me, if that were the case?" he asked.
    "Of course. It would be my duty, whether I liked it or not. But, if you are being honest about this, I really do hope the light is brighter in you, for your sake as well as mine." Raye replied with a nod of certainty.
    "I...I don't know what to say. Your words touch more of those strange, strong feelings in me. I guess I should say thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance, and for believing me. No one from the Negaverse would believe you, were our positions reversed." Praxite said softly, new emotions flooding through him, thoughts and beliefs beginning to form a new order.
    "You're welcome, believe me. You seem so noble, but so sad. I really hope you can find and nurture the light inside yourself. I think I'd like you a lot more as a friend than an enemy." Raye said with an unbidden smile.
    "You would think of me as a friend?" he asked her, shock widening his eyes.
    "Of course! And so would my friends, if you chose to accept the light inside yourself. You wouldn't have to fight the Sailor Scouts any more, and you wouldn't have to obey Queen Beryl either. You could master your own destiny, instead of being led to it by someone else!" Raye responded, and the hope of her words filled Praxite with a deep surge of emotion. He smiled, the scarf forgotten around his neck, and wiped an errant tear from his eye.
    "I would like that..." he said, his voice choked. Raye took one end of his scarf, and dabbed gently at his eyes for him, cleaning away his first tears of joy. He floated down from the wall, and stood before her, knees weak. She reached out, taking hold of his arm to help support him, and she felt a sudden flash of heat flood her cheeks. Before either of them knew it, they were in a tight embrace, his last tears wetting the shoulder of her kimono. He pulled his face up, to look her in the eyes, and she realized how handsome he was, in spite of his scars. Handsome, noble, and he wanted to convert to the side of the light.
    She smiled, blushing, and took his face gently in her hands. Raye stood on the tips of her toes and leaned forward, kissing him softly on his lips. Praxite  almost knew how to respond, for he pressed back against her lips.
    "Ouch, not so hard," Raye mumbled, breaking the kiss for a moment. They tried the kiss again, and both found it very nice. For a long moment, they simply stood there, bathed in moonlight, two people from two different worlds, seeing eye to eye.
    "I should go now. This has really opened my eyes, but I cannot have Queen Beryl getting suspicious about me now. She would surely see to it that I never saw you again." Praxite said stiffly, still trying to grasp all these new feelings that swirled around inside his heart.
    "I really would like to see you again, just like this." Raye said with a nod. "You go ahead, for now. Tomorrow, I'll tell Sailor Moon everything you told me, and I'm sure she will help you!"
    "Very well. I will come tomorrow night, at this same time. I hope we can talk about a great deal more then." he replied with a deep bow. As he faded from view, swallowed by a rift, Raye blew him a kiss and turned to go inside. Soon, she was blessedly, peacefully asleep again, and dreaming of happy days under the bright sun with this noble, suddenly kind, yet sweetly awkward man.

    "And then I went inside, and went to bed. That's exactly the way it all happened." Raye said, finishing her account of Praxite's visit to her temple. The other Sailor Scouts, gathered in Serena's bedroom, looked at her with wide eyes, having trouble reconciling the cold, brutal warrior they had fought with the noble, tender, vulnerable man that Raye had described. Luna was at no such loss, however. She nodded her head sagely.
    "Well, if what he said to you is true, then it is our duty to help him. However, have you thought of the possibility that this whole story is a lie? He may be drawing you away, alone with him, to first earn your trust, and then betray it." Luna inquired evenly.
    "No, Luna, he's not lying about this." Raye replied with an emphatic shake of her head that stirred her long, ebony mane. "My intuition tells me that he really is sincere. I can tell a lie when I hear it, and he was finally telling a long-hidden truth last night. I just feel it."
    "Well, how about we find out the easy way?" Serena asked. All eyes turned to her as she smiled with her sudden inspiration.
    "We could all hide ourselves around the temple, before Praxite is supposed to show up. Then we'll all hear what's on his mind, and we'll be there to help out, if he wants to fight!" Serena explained with a beaming smile.
    "That's not a bad idea." agreed Luna. "Raye, what time did he come to you last night?"
    "I went out to think at midnight, so I think it was...maybe quarter after when he showed up." Raye said.
    "Okay, so if we all get there before midnight, he'll never suspect anything!" Serena said cheerfully. There were general nods and murmurs of agreement to her plan, and Serena basked in the pride of her idea. Luna saw her bright smile, and her faith in this once weak, whiny, cowering girl was bolstered yet again. Of course, Serena did occasionally slip into her old habits, but she was indeed getting the hang of being a leader.
    "Okay, I'll draw a quick sketch of the temple grounds." Raye said, taking a notebook and pencil from Serena's desk. "Now, Amy and Mina, you two can hide here..." she continued, pointing to the sheet of paper that quickly formed a map.

    At that same moment, in the Negaverse, Zoicite paced uneasily at the door to Praxite's quarters. She had knocked several times, but he hadn't answered. There were several questions she had for him regarding his plan for their cooperative effort to destroy the Sailor Scouts. As she stomped her boot in helpless frustration, she was shocked by a sudden voice from behind her.
    "You wished to see me, Zoicite?" Praxite asked, arms folded across his chest.
    "Uh, yes, I did," Zoicite began, thrown off track by his abrupt appearance. "I wanted to know if you have made any plans for our attack against the Sailor Scouts. We will have to be clever, for as you have seen, it's a big mistake to underestimate them."
    "Very well. Let us hold this discussion inside, then." he answered, opening his door with a casual wave of his hand. The two of them stepped within his quarters, and the door closed with another gesture from Praxite. They sat down on a pair of chairs that sat at a glassy table.
    "So, where have you been for the better part of the day? If Queen Beryl knew that you were neglecting your duties, she would be most displeased..." Zoicite let the threat trail off, trying to provoke him into anger, so that her suspicions about his absence would be confirmed. She was noticeably confused when all he did was allow himself a brief chuckle.
    "My absence was in the name of duty, I assure you." Praxite responded easily, since he had anticipated that someone would have noted his trips to Earth, and would likely suspect him of becoming soft, as Nephlite had some time ago.
    "I was simply gathering a greater familiarity with the city they call Tokyo, and watching our foes, to see if they show any special weaknesses. So far, my reconnaissance has been quite...enlightening." he continued, and Zoicite could feel the smile in his voice as he spoke. She smiled as well.
    "That's good. I just wanted you to know I never doubted you for a minute. Some of the others may, but I knew a strong, brave warrior like you would never betray our Queen." she said smoothly, her hands moving to cover his, and her eyes searching his for a response to her advance. He didn't flinch away from her touch, but allowed his fingers to lightly caress her hands through their gloves.
    Zoicite smiled at this touch, and reached one hand up to his face, as she stood, drawing her face closer to his own. When her fingers neared his scarf, his hand shot up, catching her wrist. Praxite shook his head slowly, lowering his eyes.
    "You don't want to see that." he said simply, and Zoicite retreated back to her seat, a hurt look on her face. A pang of guilt for his cold response filled him, but he stood immobile, knowing he couldn't show Zoicite these soft, warm feelings that had bloomed inside his heart. That would be just as bad as confessing his betrayal aloud.
    "Zoicite, I do not dislike you, and I am not angry with you. I simply don't allow my shame to be seen. What is out of sight is out of mind, and those memories may cloud my mind. I cannot allow that to hinder me in battle, can I?" he asked her, taking her hand as he sat again. She held it tightly, seeing the acceptance in his eyes. It was pale, compared to the passion she had hoped to stir, but it was a first step, at any rate. There was always time.
    "Well, then, tell me what you have learned so far." Zoicite suggested, changing the topic to help hide the last tatters of her own pain.
    "Well, I overheard that they would all be going on a field trip for their school, and that they would be at the train station tomorrow at nine in the morning." Praxite began, leading her into his plans.

    Raye waited outside that night, dressed in a pink kimono with a red sash and a pair of wooden sandals. She touched a button on her digital watch, illuminating the display. Glancing at it briefly, she sighed with anticipation, and began to pace restlessly. As she turned in her pacing, a shimmer in the air made her draw in a breath. It was him! Finally, she would know if Praxite really meant all the things he'd said last night, and if what their kiss had hinted at was truly possible. The memory of that kiss made her heart race a bit, and she tried to fight back the blush she felt.
    "Hello again, Raye," said Praxite, emerging from the rift in full uniform, cape flapping in the night breeze. "I'm glad to see you again."
    "Hi, I'm glad you could make it...but won't anyone get suspicious about you being gone like this?" Raye asked, embarrassed to let her concern show for a man from the Negaverse. After all, they were representatives of two warring peoples, and admitting feelings for one of the same folk as Jedite, Zoicite, or the ill-fated Nephlite wasn't an everyday happening for her.
    "Noone will suspect a thing. I told everyone concerned that I was doing reconnaissance on the city, trying to find patterns in the Sailor Scouts' movements that would show me any weaknesses." Praxite replied with a casual wave of his hand. "As long as none of you have a train to catch tomorrow morning, everything will be fine."
    "A train? what do you mean?" Raye asked, blinking with confusion.
    "I told Zoicite we would stake out the train station, because you and the others were going to use the train to take a field trip for school." he explained with a smile in his voice. "An ingenious lie, since there are many things that could happen to delay such a trip, like unfavorable weather...."
    Raye couldn't help but giggle. She found herself admiring the savvy that Praxite was showing, keeping Zoicite completely off his own trail, as well as hers and her friends'.
    "Well, have you had time to think since last night?" Raye asked, deciding on the direct approach, as she usually did. Praxite nodded, and sat down on the wall he had perched on the night before. Extending a hand to Raye, who accepted it, he used his powers to levitate her up to sit at his side.
    "Raye, I have decided. I would much rather know peace among your people, than war among my own. War is all I've studied since I was a child. What don't I know about it by now?" He said, turning to face her.
    "I'm so glad...I know you'll love it here on Earth, as one of its' guardians, instead of a conqueror!" Raye replied, her smile brightening at his news. Her heart did a flip within her, and she felt her cheeks flush again. Of all the favorite colors to have, hers just had to be red, like this handsome man's softly glowing eyes.
    "I...hope so. I just wonder if Sailor Moon can really rid me of the darkness I was raised in, or if I might end up fleeing, because I cannot be turned to true good? Where could I go then? Queen Beryl would know of my treachery then, so I could never return home." Praxite said with a heavy sigh, his head falling a few degrees as doubts piled up in his mind.
    "Don't say that! Sailor Moon can help you, all you need to do is let it happen. Don't fight it, if it's really in your heart. All you'll do by fighting it is hurt yourself, and I wouldn't want to see that!" Raye admonished, and Praxite was taken aback by her sudden flare of emotion. Smiling under his scarf, he placed a hand gently on her shoulder.
    "Thank you, Raye. I don't want to see you hurt either." He replied, once again meeting her dark eyes. She put an arm around him, and they snuggled closer against the chill of the wind, which was picking up. Raye looked up to him then, and realized how close they were. If she just stretched her neck a bit, she could almost...
    "Raye, what?" Praxite began, surprised, as her hands gently reached for his scarf, and he had a sudden flash of deja vu, and when Zoicite had tried to do the very same thing. Raye, however, he found he could not oppose. Her fingers gently took hold of the soft cloth, and pulled it down until it hung from around his neck. Taking his face in her hands, she kissed each one of his scars, unflinching, unafraid. His heart leapt at the boldness of her actions, and because of what she was saying without a single word.
    "Raye..." he said, his voice sounding far away in his own ears. She just shook her head, and silenced him by planting her full, soft lips on his own. His worries faded from his mind, to be replaced with only one thought. He would guard this bold, sensitive, caring girl who was daring to feel love for him with all of his strength. Soon, the kiss broke, and they both took a deep breath, looking happily at each other.
    "So, when can you take me to Sailor Moon? I would like to know if her power is truly strong enough to change me." Praxite asked excitedly.
    "No need for that!" Raye replied, and whistled sharply. A screen on the temple rolled to the side, and Sailors Mercury and Venus stood in the doorway. Sailors Jupiter and Moon popped up from the other side of the wall, having hidden inside an empty crate that had been tipped on its' side.
    "Hiya, Praxie! So, this story of Raye's is true, huh?" Sailor Moon asked brightly. Praxite turned in surprise, looking at the other Sailor Scouts, and he pulled his scarf back into place with a gasp.
    "Please, there's no need to hide behind that any more." Raye said, but Praxite shook his head.
    "I didn't want anyone else to see that." he said simply, his eyes taking on an almost angry glow. His injured pride ached within him, filling him with the memories of his loss.
    "Praxite, listen. It doesn't matter what your face looks like, or what happened to you before. Now is the time to start over. Forget your losses, and remember what you can gain here tonight, please!" said Sailor Venus emphatically. Praxite's stiff shoulders relaxed, and his eyes lost most of their volatile glow.
    "I...thank you all. I never knew such feelings could exist, especially not within my own heart. I thought it impossible, and I am quite pleased that I was wrong." he said awkwardly, as the Sailor Scouts began to tentatively surround him, being sure that his anger would not resurge.
    "I am ready." he said to Sailor Moon, turning to face her. She smiled in response, reaching for her Crescent Moon Wand.
    "To die, you mean." a new voice said from above. Everyone turned to look, shocked, but Praxite's eyes just narrowed.
    "I know that voice..." said Sailor Moon, thinking through the roster of Negaverse warriors she and her friends had faced before.
    "Zoicite!" called Praxite, beating her to the right answer. "Come out and show yourself, coward!"
    "Coward? that's not such a crime...traitor." Zoicite replied, floating down from a high tree limb, her long ponytail blowing in the stiff wind.
    Praxite's eyes glowed bright red, and he rose from the wall, reaching into a fist-sized rift in the air. When he withdrew his hand, he was holding his Negablade. With a mere thought, the purple blade ignited, and he flew to the attack. Zoicite flitted out of the sword's path, giggling smugly. She focused a bolt of power in her hand. "Zoi!" she cried, throwing a pale green arrow of power at him. Praxite deflected the bolt with his Negablade, and veered around for another attack.
    "You will be silent, or I will kill you! You said you would never suspect me of treachery, how can you do this now?" he demanded, his voice a near-roar of rage.
    "I lied." Zoicite replied with a simple shrug.
    Praxite fumed with anger at himself. His first suspicions about her were right, but he had made the same mistake as he had with the Sailor Scouts at first. He had underestimated her.
    Zoicite flew down to the ground, and with a wave of her hands, several large rocks rose from the earth. She smiled, meaning to pummel him with the volley.
    "Mars Fire Ignite!"
    "Jupiter Thunder Crash!" sounded the battle cries. Fire and lightning streaked towards Zoicite, who threw herself to the ground in a desperate dodge. The fireball flew above her, but the lightning bolts arced in on her, capturing her in a searing embrace. She faded from sight, to reappear directly behind Praxite. She held a slender, needle-shaped crystal in her hand, poised at his throat. The Sailor Scouts gasped in shock, and Raye cried out his name, her heart suddenly feeling hollow with potential loss.
    "Now I have you, traitor! Queen Beryl will reward me well for your return. You realize that it will take her years to finish even beginning to punish you for this!" Zoicite said with a cruel, smug laugh. Praxite's hand clenched his Negablade tightly. If he were to try to strike her, it would have to be as thoughtlessly and as quickly as a flash of lightning, or she would surely kill him. He floated there, immobile, considering his options.
    "So, are you still going to try to be a hero, or will you submit quietly?" Zoicite asked mockingly. In response, Praxite dismissed the blade of his Negablade.
    "Oh, well...your torture at Queen Beryl's hand will be the absolutely legendary, you know. Even though I was looking forward to doing the whole job myself." Zoicite said with a shrug, relaxing the crystal from his throat just enough for him to be certain of his next move. He teleported. As Praxite vanished, something flew through the air, smashing the crystal in Zoicite's hand, and embedding itself, stem first, into a tree. A single red rose.
    "Sailor Scouts, be strong, for you only have one true enemy in this fight!" Tuxedo Mask called from the roof of the temple. As Zoicite flung a vicious glare his way, he bowed mockingly, and leaped out of sight, seeing that the fight was in capable hands now. Sailor Moon sighed, the sight of her mysterious guardian filling her heart with a warm glow as she waved goodbye absently.
    "Attack her now!" Praxite's voice cried from behind the Sailor Scouts, and Zoicite gasped, her whole gambit foiled by her own carelessness. As the Sailor Scouts began charging their attacks, battle cries filling the night air, she vanished, retreating to the Negaverse.
    "I won't forget this, traitor, and neither will our Queen!" her voice rung in the air like a note from a cracked bell. The Sailor Scouts halted their attack charges, and peace returned to the night. Praxite slumped to the ground, trembling with a violent clash of emotions. His eyes glowed bright crimson, and his hand gripped his Negablade tightly.
    "Praxite! Are you okay?" Raye asked, dashing to his side, to be pulled aside by Sailor Moon.
    "Hey, what gives?" Raye demanded angrily.
    "Look at him, Raye! This fight may have brought out the darkness in him again. I don't trust the look of him right now." Sailor Moon explained, as a cold chill crept up her neck. Raye started to protest, then her shoulders slumped. Looking at him, seeing him so torn by his hopes and his fears, she wasn't even sure that the man she had grown so fond of still existed in the heart of this ruby-eyed warrior before her.
    Praxite got up to one knee, the glow of his eyes fading as tears streaked down his cheeks, unbidden. He hadn't tried to let his will break like this, in this embarrassing way, but he just didn't have the strength to fight it any more. Dropping his Negablade to the ground, he tore away his scarf and wept, couching his scarred face in one arm. The Sailor Scouts gathered around him, Raye reaching him first and holding him tightly.

    Zoicite stood before Queen Beryl, her report given. She waited on her Queen for some reply.
    "How dare that miserable worm betray me?" Queen Beryl seethed through clenched teeth. Every member of her Court trembled at her tone. No one had seen her this furious since she had locked Jedite away in Eternal Sleep. "I thought I had taught him a better lesson when I scarred his arrogant, self-serving face! This wretch is no true Negaverse warrior, so good riddance to him! If he ever returns, I want him brought before me, but alive. I would kill him myself!" she raged, and Zoicite felt her knees wanting to knock. Cold sweat itched at her hairline, and she wanted to wipe it away so badly, but she didn't want to show any weakness before her Queen. Not now, no matter what.
    "My Queen, I would be glad to go to Earth again to capture him for you!" she declared, her fear of Queen Beryl's wrath overcoming her fear of speaking without permission.
    "No, Zoicite. I have another mission for you to attend to." Queen Beryl replied, gathering her calm with regal grace. "I will see to Praxite in due time, but my other plans must come to fruition first."
    "I understand completely, My Queen." Zoicite replied, bowing her head. The Court let out a breath that they, as a whole, hadn't realized they had been holding, and the murmurs of normal conversation began, if with a touch of hesitation.
    "I will tell you of your next mission tomorrow, Zoicite. You will be sent for. In the meantime, it's entirely too late for the matter now. You are excused. Rest and heal, for you will need your strength." Queen Beryl decreed, and in reply, Zoicite simply bowed, and left silently.
    As Zoicite walked down the twisting halls to her quarters, a flood of feelings throbbed through her own heart. She had dared to believe in Praxite, to think he would show his loyalty and dedication in this mission, and therefore show that he was worthy of her own affection. She knew at that moment that she could have loved him, if he could have been strong enough to carry this simple task out. He had failed. Failed his Queen, his own preconceptions of who and what he was, and he had failed Zoicite's expectations.
    Zoicite waved her hand, opening her door, as a huge lump formed in her throat. She tried to swallow it, but it burned and throbbed there like a hot coal. Closing the door, she dashed to her bed and flung herself down, broken sobs wracking her body with pain that she had never known before. Tears, hot and salty, flowed down her cheeks, slipped into the corners of her mouth, and dampened the bedclothes she was twisting in her hands. Sooner or later, she stopped crying, and drifted off into an exhausted slumber.

    Meanwhile, at Cherry Hill Temple, Praxite stood tall, surrounded by the Sailor Scouts. His mind was made up as to his future. He would stand with them as long as they would have him, and fall with them in battle, if such was his fate. Sailor Moon waved the Crescent Moon Wand in spiraling, circular patterns in front of him.
    "Moon Healing Activation..." she intoned softly, and sparkling, shimmering lights, filled with glowing motes of dust, engulfed Praxite in a soft, nurturing warmth that he felt glowing its' way into his very bones. He saw the Sailor Scouts through the swirls of color, and saw Raye's eyes, dark and sparkling with hope and joy for him. As the light faded, he felt a great burden lift from his soul. He saw the world with truly new eyes that night, and wanted nothing more than to see his new friends' lives through this new, wonderful vision.
    "Praxite! You really changed!" Raye called, dashing to him and hugging him tightly. "I'm so glad!"
    "As am I, Raye. I feel...I don't know the word. Different, but I'm still myself. I feel...complete. Whole." he said in reply, his emotions coming more clearly to him now.
    "Well, you have a lot less to worry about now. For example..." Raye began, checking the pockets of her kimono, and coming up with her makeup compact. "Take a look."
    Praxite turned the small case over in his hands, confused until he found the clasp that held it shut. He looked at the mirror inside, and used it to look upon his own face. His scars had faded remarkably, he saw by the bright moonlight, and were still fading even now! His breath caught in his throat at this wonder. He had never dared to hope for something like this, but if all taint of the Negaverse was truly cleansed from him, it did stand to reason that his scars should vanish along with his fearsome powers.
    "I...don't know what to say, but thank you...all of you. For daring to have faith in me. For showing me the other side of the coin that is my life. For letting me see the same world through different eyes." He said, slowly at first, and the Sailor Scouts all caught him up in a massive group hug, enthusiastic welcomes to his new life filling his ears and heart. As the Sailor Scouts left Raye and Praxite alone, each going back home, the two of them remained outside to gaze at the moon.
    Praxite's eye fell absently down to his belt, where his Negablade still hung. He took it from his hip, and looked at it long and hard. Raye saw him contemplating his old weapon, as unsure as he was if he could still even ignite it. He simply smiled at the weapon that he had fought with so much, had studied and sought to master for so many years. Then, he dropped it to the ground, and brought the heel of his boot down on it, feeling the metallic crunch as it shattered into useless bits. he looked up at Raye, who smiled approvingly. He returned her smile, and covered his mouth to hide a yawn.
    "Come on, let's get some sleep. It's been a busy night for us all, and we'll need the rest." Raye said through a giggle. Praxite nodded, and followed her to the paper screen door.
    "Tomorrow will be nice. My first step into this new life." Praxite mused.
    "Yeah, it'll be great! And before I show you around town, I'll introduce you to my grandpa! I think you'll like him, but he's a bit...different." Raye said, nodding.
    "Different? How so?" he asked, confused.
    "Oh, I don't know where to begin..." Raye replied with a soft laugh, as she closed the door behind them. And above the soon-quiet temple, the full moon shone down, as it had for centuries, and with luck, would for centuries more.

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