* * *
	They followed the corridor until they came near the device Nephlite had
mentioned, making sure they stayed far enough away for it not to affect
them. "Well," she said, "this is it." She produced her Moon Scepter. "Ready
for a combined attack?"
	"As I'll ever be." He took out the Earth Blade. But just as they were
starting to charge their weapons up. . .
	"So! What do we have here!" Hematite stepped out of the shadows. "That
turncoat Nephlite turned out to be good for something, after all. He
thought he was helping you. . .but instead, he was sending you right into
my clutches!"
	"Back off, Negatrash!" She brandished her weapon. "I've dealt with worse
than you before!"
	"Ah, ah, ah. . .I wouldn't do that if I were you. You see, I control that
Black Orb over there. . .right now, it's just neutralizing your friends'
powers. But if you make one false move, I'll thow it into high gear and
kill them. Instantly."
	"You turn that thing off right now," said Darien, pointing the Earth Blade
at Hematite, "or I'll. . ." The general made a motion with his hands. The
Orb glowed with an evil black light, and Serena could hear the girls below
screaming.
	We're trapped, she thought. It's hopeless. There's no way out. . .
	. . .or is there?
	We can't use our *magical* powers right now, but what if. . .what if. . .
	Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and began to visualize the
ocean. She focused, and felt her mind opening. . .
	"Hematite," she said in a steady voice, "will you agree to let them go if
Tuxedo Mask and I lay down our weapons?"
	She saw the look of alarm on Darien's face. Now, Serena, she thought. Now
or never. . .
	She held the visualization of the sea in her mind again, but instead of
pushing her mind *out,* like she did to have visions, she pushed her mind
*toward* Darien. She could feel them connect, and she sent him a thought. .
.
	-Don't worry. I have a plan. . .but I'll need your help. We'll have to
work together. . .-
	-Yes, darling. Together. . . nothing can defeat us.-
	"You two drive a hard bargain," the general said. "Okay. Lay down your
arms, and they go. . .but you two are *mine.*"
	Serena and Darien didn't even have to look at each other. Their minds were
communicating, telling each other what they were going to do. . .
	Together, they walked up to Hematite and lay the Moon Scepter and Earth
Blade at his feet. They backed up several steps, shoulders slouched and
heads bowed in a posture of surrender. . .
	Hematite sniggered. "Fools! Do you think I'd bargain with you? Now I have
you ALL!" He signaled the youma that had been hiding in the background.
"Take them to the torture dungeon!"
	-NOW!- both Serena and Darien thought. Together, they pushed their
combined mental force *out*, until it connected with one of the objects on
the floor, then pulled it *back*. . .Serena stuck out her hand, and the
Moon Scepter flew into it. She spun it as quickly as she could. . .
"MOON SCEPTER. . .ELIMINATION!" Before Hematite could recover from the
shock, she'd blown away the Dark Orb, and as it exploded, Darien leapt to
the ground, rolled over to his Earth Blade and scooped it up. Pointing it
at the floor, he shouted, "EARTH BLADE. . .EXECUTION!" and blew a hole it
it. They leaped through into the chamber below.
	Hematite stood, aghast. Again! Again, they'd done it! How, HOW had they
escaped from that trap?
	But I'm NOT giving up, he thought. I'll fight them until the end. . .
"WELL, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" he shouted to his youma.
"GET DOWN THERE!"
	Serena and Darien landed on the floor, and quickly ran around the room,
freeing their friends one by one. "Are you all right?" she said.
	"We got a little rattled. . ." said Mina.
	"And a little drained. . .but we'll live," said Lita.
	Darien pulled Raye away from the wall. "What did they do to you?" he said.
	"One second I was in the temple. . .next second I was here. But I'm ready
to take them on. They're gonna pay for this. . ." She produced her wand
from her robe pocket. "MARS POWER!"
	Barely had she finished her transformation when monsters started pouring
into the room from above and from all sides. Amy wasted no time. "MERCURY
BUBBLES. . .BLAST!" There had been times when she wondered why she had such
a seemingly weak power, when the other girls got to throw fire and lighting
and laser beams. . .but at times like this, she thanked the gods for the
ability to create the concealing fog.
	With the monsters confused and disoriented, the Sailor Team went to work.
One after another, they were zapped, fried, blasted, frozen and moondusted
into oblivion. When one girl got in trouble, another came to her aid. And
Darien was right in the thick of things, the Earth Blade taking out its
fair share of creatures.
	When he freed Raye from a beast that was trying to choke her, she quipped,
"Beats the hell out of throwing one rose, giving a speech and getting your
butt kicked, doesn't it?"
	"You said it!"
	Meanwhile, Hematite watched and fumed. That does it, he thought. I'm
taking them on myself. . .
	He stretched out his arms. "Dark Energy, fill me! Make me one with all the
darkness in the universe!"
	And then, the general felt himself start to grow, and change. . .
	The thing crashed into the chamber just as the last youma fell. The Scouts
knew instantly who it was, and how he got that way, even though it was now
a towering eight-foot thing that looked like a rotting corpse.
	Serena faced it without fear. "Give it up, Hematite! You tried over and
over to beat us, and you NEVER, NEVER will! You think you're the heir to
the legacy of the Dark Kingdom. . .I've got news for you. . .there IS no
legacy! The Dark Kingdom is always doomed to fail, because you live on hate
and negative energy. . .you have no idea where our REAL power comes from,
do you?"
	The Hematite-monster gave a roar and raised its arms. A huge, contnuous
bolt of nega-energy shot at the Sailor Team, knocking them all to the
ground. . .
	Serena focused on the sea-image again, felt her mind opening up, and
pushed it *out.* She knew she'd made solid contact with Darien and Raye,
and at least partial contact with the others. . .
	-We can beat him. . .together. Everyone. . .combine our power! Combine our
strength! Only working as one unit can we overcome him. . .-
	Amy was the first to struggle to her feet and launch her most powerful
attack. "MERCURY SEA SERPENT!" The beast of water hovered within Hematite's
energy. . .
	Mina was next. "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM. . .SHOWER!" The meteorites combined
with the Sea Serpent, becoming a glowing ball of energy which started to
push back Hematite's own. . .
	"JUPITER THUNDER DRAGON!" Now the energy ball was pushing Hematite's
energy away. . .
	"MARS FIREBIRD. . .STRIKE!" Hematite's energy was almost gone completely,
and their energy ball was hovering in mid-air. . .
	And then, came the killing blow.
	"MOON. . ."
	"EARTH. . ."
	"SCEPTER. . ."
	"BLADE. . ."
	"ELIMINATION!"
	"EXECUTION!"
	Serena and Darien's combined attack slammed into the energy ball and drove
it into Hematite. And just before he was dusted, the last Negaverse general
finally realized what had eluded him all along. . .
	"THEIR SECRET POWER," he screamed, "IS. . .LOVE!!!!"
	The monster exploded. The Reign of the Dark Kingdom was officially over.
	The caverns around them were crumbling, starting to collapse. . .
	"TELEPORT!" shouted Serena. "NOW!"
	The last assult had totally exhausted them. With their last bit of
stregth, they joined hands and willed themselves back into their own
universe. And then, they all fainted.
* * *
	Raye felt herself drifting through a fog. Where am I, she thought. What's
happening. . .
	And then she saw the familiar figure materialize in front of her. She
embraced him. They were no longer lovers, but he was still her guardian and
her friend. . .
	"You all did well," he said. "You have made me, and the other gods, very,
very proud. The Dark Kingdom is no more."
	"I am so glad it's over. . ."
	"Alas, my dear, I wish I could say that you'll never have to fight
anymore. But there will be other battles ahead. . .other enemies. . ."
	"No," she said. "I want to live in peace. . ."
	"There will be peace. . .for awhile. I can't say how long. But when the
new enemies come, you'll be ready." He handed her a new wand, with a star
on top.
	"What's this?"
	"Your new transformation stick. I'm giving you more powers, Raye. The
words you will need to activate your new transformation are 'Mars Star
Power,' and the name of your new attack is 'Burning Mandala.'"
	"Burning Mandala? Hey. . .that's kind of cool. . ."
	"When the time comes to use it, you'll know just what to do. And so will
the others. . ."
	"The others?"
	"Right now, Amy, Mina and Lita are receiving new powers from their
guardian deities, as well."
	"And what about Serena?"
	The god smiled. "She doesn't need to be given her new power. She found it
all by herself."
	Of course, thought Raye. Serena's finally done it. . .she's gained control
of her psychic powers! That's how she was able to send the telepathic
message to us. . .
	Then, the fog was fading away, and the god with it. "Wait!" she said. "The
new enemies. . .who are they? If not the Negaverse. . .who?"
	"I must go. Remember, Raye, when the time comes. . .you'll be ready. . ."
	She felt her eyes opening. She was lying on the ground, in the park near
Serena's school. She had detransformed. She looked around, and saw all the
others lying around her. . .Amy, Mina, Lita, Serena, Darien. . .
	And in her hand was the transformation stick she'd been given in her vision.
	She raised it up to eye level and looked at the symbol engraved on it.
	"Yes, Mars," she whispered, "when the time comes. . .I'll be ready. But
for now, we're all going to enjoy a bit of peace. . ."
* * *
	Serena opened her eyes. She and Darien were curled up atop his bed, still
wearing their clothes. They had been so exhausted when they returned from
the battle that they just flopped down and fell asleep.
	She twirled a lock of her still-sleeping lover's black hair around her
finger. I can't believe it's over, she thought. I can't believe that we
*finally* annihilated the Dark Kingdom. And we were able to do it because I
got control of my psychic ability.
	"Dear Darien," she whispered, "if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been
able to do it."
	He stirred and started to come awake. "Hmmm? Did you say something,
Meatball Head?" he mumbled.
	She kissed his forehead. "Only how lucky I am to have you."
	He drew her into his arms. "Feels good not to have to worry about the Dark
Kingdom, doesn't it?"
	"Oh, yeah. I feel like a chapter in my life is ending. . .and another one
is begining."
	"You were absolutely magnificent yesterday. I'm so proud of you. . .you
exceeded my expectations. You're a full-blown psychic now."
	"I couldn't have done it without you."
	She brought her lips to his, and they shared a long, sweet, deep kiss. She
began running her hands up and down his shirt front, undoing the first two
buttons.
	"Ah, my love. . ." he sighed between kisses.
	"Darien. . .I want to make love to you. . ."
	"I want you too, my darling."
	She continued to work on his buttons as their mouths caressed each other.
When she pushed the fabric aside, she let her lips trail down his neck, to
his chest. She heard him moan as she reached a nipple and flicked her
tongue back and forth over it, then drew it in her mouth and sucked.
	Pulling away from him, she yanked off her own blouse, then leaned over so
her lips could claim his again. He reached behind her and unsnapped her
bra, rolling them over so that he was on top. Pulling off the garment and
flinging it away, he feasted his eyes on the beauty beneath. He ran the
palms of his hands up her stomach until they reached her breasts, which he
took in his hands and caressed. She moaned, her hands coming up to the back
of his head so she could draw his mouth down to where she wanted it.
	As he started to suckle, she writhed beneath him, feeling her desire
dampening the garments she still wore on her lower half. "Oooohhh. . .yes,
Darien, that feels so good. . ."
	He took her other breast in his hand, flicking his thumb back and forth
over the nipple. "Oh, baby," she sighed. Then, he was kissing his way down,
down, down over herstomach, unsnapping and unzipping her pants when he
came to them, then stripping off all her remaining clothing.
	She sat up so she could undo his own pants, and when she had him naked,
she took his manhood in her hand, stroking up and down its length, then
bending over to caress it with her tongue. "Aaahhh, honey. . ." he moaned.
	"Lie on your back," she whispered. When he did, she positioned herself so
her legs were on either side of his head, then lowered her own head to his
maleness. When he felt her draw him into her lips, he retaliated by pulling
her hips down so her sweetness was within the range of his own mouth. His
tongue eagerly lapped at her, flicking around the nether lips, teasing her
entrance. . .Meanwhile, she sucked him, moving him in and out of her mouth,
first slowly, then picking up speed. She pulled him out of her mouth,
flicking her tongue up and down its length, teasing the head, then putting
it back in. . .He went for the kill, and began concentrating his efforts on
her jewel. Taking the nub between his lips, he ran his tongue around and
around it before begining to gently suck. She felt the pleasure
intensifying more, and more, and then, suddenly, it was exploding, and she
shuddered in ecstacy as the climax shot through her. . .and as she did, her
mind opened and moved toward his. Suddenly, they were communicating without
words. . .
	-Darien, my love, I want you inside me, please. . .-
	-Yes. . .oh, darling. . .just a second. . .-
	He gently eased himself out of her mouth, went into his nighttable drawer,
and got out a condom.
	-Will you do the honors?- He held it out to her.
	She unwrapped and unrolled it, and lay several kisses on his manhood
before putting it on him. He sat with his back against the headboard, and
she knelt astride him, the head of his organ just touching her entrance.
	-I love you so much. . .- she thought.
	-I love you too. . .make me one with you, Serena. . .-
	She pushed downward, and they connected. Their joy flowed from one to the
other and back through their mental connection. They were one mind, one
flesh, one heart. . .
	Her hips began to thrust, and he moved in rhythm with her. She moaned as
pleasure radiated from her womanhood and spread across her whole body.
	-You make me feel so good. . .-
	-You've made me so happy, Serena, you're my love, my life. . .-
	His hands came up to her breasts, his fingers encircling her nipples, then
gently squeezing them. She cried out, pumping faster, driving against him
harder. . .They were beyond rational thought, and their mental link was
letting them feel each other's raw need for ultimate fulfillment.
	Her head fell over onto his shoulder and his onto hers. Their arms
encircled each other, and their hips thrusted, thursted, trying to drive
each other just a little bit further. . . .
	Then, the orgasm broke over her, and she cried his name as she trembled.
As it was fading, he grasped her buttocks and began to guide her,
encouraging her to drive harder and faster, and soon she was coming again,
and he felt the wave cresting within him. . .As they hit the peak of
pleasure together, their minds send each other a huge -I LOVE YOU-.
	They fell to the bed together, their hearts still hammering, their breath
still coming in gasps. The telepathic connection faded away, but they still
felt like they were intimately linked. He broke away from her just long
enough to dispose of the condom.
	"Darien," she said, "that was *so* incredible. . .our minds were making
love along with our bodies."
	"It was amazing," he said. "I never felt so close to you."
	They snuggled up under the covers, whispering their love to each other,
and started to drift off to sleep.
	I know this isn't the end, he thought. We defeated the Dark Kingdom, but
other enemies will, no doubt, come in the future. . .but I know we can
defeat them, whatever they are. As long as we're united in love, absolutely
nothing can beat us.
	And with that on his mind, he joined her in slumber.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Whew! This one has been a long time coming. I'd like to
thank my dear friend Mark Berger, who never gave up hope that someday the
Hematite cycle of stories would be completed. I finally did it,
otouto-chan!

Lots of thanks also to Jeffrey and Sally and Sailor Star Love, for your
friendship and encouragement.

Just because the Hematite cycle has come to an end, that doesn't mean the
end of my stories! I plan to be writing more in the coming months, both
based on familiar Sailor Moon stories and themes and original stuff. Plus,
I also hope to keep the "If a Picture Paints a Thousand Words" series
going!

Standard Sailor Moon disclaimers apply. These characters ain't mine, I'm
just borrowing them for a little while.