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 : FLASHBACK
            
         A Sailor Moon / Yoroiden Samurai Troopers cross-over

             by Morgan Hudson (dataraven_659@excite.com)

Chapter Six : A Battle of Biographies

	Sage gulped as he stared up at the demon hovering over them. 
Slightly to his left, the beautiful young woman who had come with him 
was gazing up at it as well. Her blue eyes widened, her breath causing 
her chest to rise and fall rapidly as she touched her perfect lips with
her tongue... Sage blinked. She was certainly quite beautiful, all 
right, but he had the nagging feeling there was something he was 
forgetting. What?

	A blast of fire arced past him, and the young scribe slapped 
himself on the forehead as he dove behind a pile of fallen books. Oh, 
yeah, the demon! He chuckled despite the situation. He must really 
have it bad for that girl, he decided. Usually, anything trying that 
hard to kill him would have his full attention. 

	For its part, the demon was starting to enjoy itself. With a 
sinister chuckle, it spread its bat wings even further out, nearly 
touching either side of the giant library stacks as it floated to 
the ground. A fireball formed in one hand. 

	"Come out, come out, wherever you are..." It hissed, and hurled
the fireball at the books Sage was behind. In a swirl of white robes, 
the blond boy lunged to safety behind one of the stacks as the tomes 
were blased to oblivion, gone before there was even time to burn. 

	The demon growled, and the claws on its fingers extended into 
blades. The girl, it noticed, was nowhere to be seen. A shame, it 
decided, as it might have enjoyed skinning and eating her. She had 
looked so sweet...

	With a slash of its arm, the creature sent an entire shelf of 
scrolls and books crashing to the floor in ribbons. "I KNOW YOU'RE IN 
HERE!" It roared, and hurled yet another flaming ball of energy as it 
caught a blur of motion in the corner of its eye. It missed, and Sage 
somehow managed to scale a ladder and vault over the top of the stack 
before it could fire again. 

	With a mighty shove, the creature knocked over a shelf nearly 
twenty times thicker than itself and, like a giant's dominoes, every 
other row of books in the library crashed to the ground in a giant 
cloud of dust and clattering ladders. The pile stirred slightly, and 
an arm rose weakly from the pile. The demon grinned, and lifted young 
Sage by his wrist, its flaming eyes mere inches from his own as it 
all but pressed their noses together. 

	"Can Sage come out and play?" It asked, and the unholy light 
in its eyes flared brighter. 

**********

	The Earth shone coldly in the sky as the two girls walked 
leisurely through the gardens of Serenity's castle. Fountains made of 
pure, translucent crystal burbled softly to themselves as the pair 
meandered their way deeper into the most favoured area of the entire 
castle : the hedge maze. A veritable labrynth of bushes and fragrant 
flowers, it was a place where even the most suspicious of courtiers 
could feel safe in the knowledge that they could not possibly be 
watched or heard. 

	"Come on," the taller of the two girls whispered as they slunk 
through the brush. "I know something's bothering you, Mercury. You've 
been here for weeks, and all you do is sit in your room and play chess 
all day!"

	"I am trying to improve my skills," the shorter girl replied, 
and her companion snorted. 

	"At this rate," the brunette pointed out, "you'll be the 
greatest chess player to never have a single match. Why the hell are 
all my friends getting so depressed lately? Even Mars is just sitting 
around sniffling, and Venus is into her 'secret police' mode again..."

	"Mars is here?" The blue haired Princess of Mercury looked 
slightly surprised. 

	"Yeah." Her friend shrugged, and leaned against one of the 
hedges, her deep green dress nearly making her invisible against the 
leaves in the dim light of evening. "Why don't you go talk to her, 
Mercury?"

	"Ah..." The other girl sat on the grass, her back to her 
friend, as she carefully arranged the folds of her black gown. Black, 
the only color she ever seemed to wear these days. "Mars and I... we 
had a little... incident the last time we met." She sighed, and looked 
down at her hands. "Some words were said..." 

	"Words?" The other girl seemed to be more interested in the 
flower she held than the girl she was listening to, but nothing could 
be farther from the truth. "About what? What makes your days so long, 
Sailor Mercury?"

	Mercury groaned softly. "The lack of that, which having, makes 
them short. I am in love. With a man."

	"I could have guessed that much when you said you were in 
love!" Still, Jupiter felt a small tingle of relief. Uranus and 
Neptune's affair was still causing ripples, and she hoped her friend 
would be spared such a scandal. "What is his name, girl?"

	Mercury shrugged. "A common name, and it does him little 
justice." She sighed, and clasped her hands together. "His name should 
be Kami, to match his perfection..."

	Jupiter groaned. "And Cupid hits the bull's-eye again! I swear,
if I had even half that blind boy's skill, I would be twice the archer 
I am now. Trust me, Mercury : if Cupid gets that close to you, knock 
him down and take his wings. Fly away, and never look back." She 
smirked. 

	Mercury shook her head sadly. "Oh, Jupiter, you don't 
understand. I never wanted it to happen, but it just... did. And I'm 
afraid Mars doesn't approve in the slightest. She can't have many 
words for me that I want to hear right now."

	"Well, I see there is no hope. Your love is beyond my medicine,
my friend." Jupiter grinned. "Enjoy the night, at least, if daylight 
hurts your soul so much. I'm off to wherever I go." 

	Mercury smiled sadly. "Farewell, Jupiter. Thank you for caring.
And be careful of archers, yourself!" 

	Jupiter laughed as she wandered deeper into the maze. "Who, me?
I'm too fast for Cupid to hit. If any man wanted MY heart, he would 
need to be a better archer than the gods themselves!"

**********

	The demon chuckled as it pinned the blond man against one of 
the bookshelves that was still standing. "You," it growled, "are barely
even worth killing. I can't believe my talents are being wasted on a 
you." 

	Sage's left eye opened, the other still squeezed shut. "I... 
am full... of surprises!" There was a loud squelching sound, and the 
creature stumbled back, dropping its prey and looking down. A dagger 
protruded from its stomach, and glowing orange slime oozed from the 
wound. 

	It smiled, drool dripping from its tusks. "A brave stand. 
Worthy of your family name. A shame they will never get the chance to 
bury you..." As Sage slid to the floor, rubbing his injured arm, it 
laughed. "But then, your family buried you a LONG time ago, didn't 
they, little lost one?" 

	"You... know my family?" Sage asked, wincing as he tried to 
regain his footing. 

	The demon shrugged as energy began to swirl around his hands. 
"But of course, little lost one! My lord Danburite knows much about 
you. But it doesn't matter. You are already forgotten by your parents, 
and your own sister doesn't even know that you ever existed..." 

	"CRESCENT BEAM!" A blast of glittering light shot across the 
ruined library, and crashed into the creature even as it prepared for 
its final blow. With a howl, the demon slammed into the fallen 
bookshelves and tumbled across the floor, smoke rising from its back. 

	"Sailor Venus?" Sage watched in surprise as a gorgeous blond 
girl in a rather revealing sailor fuku leapt in front of him, raising 
her hands and casting a quick glance over her shoulder. 

	"Are you okay, S... scribe?" Venus nearly winced. She had been 
THAT close to having to explain how she knew Sage's name. He still 
didn't realise that the girl who had been helping him in his little 
quest to protect the Moon Princess was actually the leader of the 
Sailor Senshi, and she hoped to keep it that way for just a little 
while longer. 

	"I guess so... but how did you-?" Stopping himself, Sage tried 
again. "I mean, where did you-?" 

	Sailor Venus quickly turned away. "Senshi business," she 
explained brusquely. "I... heard the racket and thought I should make 
sure nobody was in trouble." 

	"Oh... I guess that makes sense." Sage scratched his head for 
a second. "You didn't by any chance see a girl in a robe like mine, 
did you? She had long blonde hair, and gorgeous blue eyes..."

	"Gorgeous? REALLY? You think so?" Venus looked over her 
shoulder at the boy with a large smile, then recovered and coughed into
her fist. "Uh, I mean... I, uhm, already got her to safety. She told me
to come back for you."

	Sage suddenly snapped his fingers. "THE BOOK! I have to find 
the book!" With a dexterity that still surprised her, he proceeded to 
vault over a pile of broken lumber that used to be a bookcase, and 
began scrambling through scrolls and novels, tossing them over his 
shoulder as he searched. 

	Venus looked back at the demon, who was also regaining his 
feet. "Well?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips and striking a 
pose. "Are you going to be a wallflower all night, or do I get a dance 
with you?"

	With a wordless roar, the youma hurtled towards her, and Venus 
dropped under its grasping claws, tumbling out of reach and lashing 
out with another Crescent Beam. The creature managed to deflect her 
attack with one of its own, and Venus yelped as she lunged out of the 
way. This might just be trickier than she had thought...

**********

	Kento sighed and stared into his mug. "And that's the whole 
story, lad. I wouldn't have said anything, but that Sage boy seems to 
think that it's important, and if I'm right about you..."

	Cye blinked blearily and brushed back the mane of brown hair 
that hung over his eyes. "Kento... how much of this ale did you drink 
BEFORE you ran into me?" Lifting his own mug, he slammed it back down 
on the table, dark and frothy liquid sloshing out onto the glossy 
veneer of the bar they sat in. 

	Kento scowled behind his beard. "Boy, are you saying that I'm 
some kind of drunkard? I tell you, it's true! At least, as far as that 
Sage lad thinks it is, and frankly he's a little..." The large man let 
the rest go unspoken, lifting one finger and twirling it next to his 
temple. 

	The minstrel snorted, and slapped his knee. "Yeah, Sage is a 
bit of a loon. It's why I like him : we're both a little nuts. I mean, 
look at me! I could be sitting on a throne back on Mercury, and here 
I am in a bar with you, getting ready to go and sleep on the ground! 
And why? Because I'm an idiot. Never should of let the old man know 
what I thought of him, that's what I did wrong!" Cye wobbled slightly, 
and Kento realised that his friend was more than a little drunk. 
"Last time I ever stand up for m'self..." The lad mumbled, and 
hiccoughed. 

	Kento looked down at his own, surprisingly empty, mug. Lifting 
the equally empty pitcher sitting in front of them, he examined it for 
some kind of hole in the bottom. "I think," he said, after a long 
moment of reflection, "we are both sloshed." 

	"Sloshed?" Cye squinted at the mountainous man in front of him.
Wow, he thought to himself, when did Kento get twins?

	Kento nodded. "Sloshed." After a moment, he decided to 
elaborate. "Plowed. By which," he added, "I mean, quite drunk and 
incredibly inebriated, that being what we are."

	"Oh." Cye tried to think about that, and gave up when his head 
started to hurt. "Okay," he admitted at last, "now what?"

	Kento groaned and pulled himself to his feet. "I think," he 
said, "we should both go tell Sage we're in on his little mission, 
before we're too sober to stop ourselves."

	"Capital idea!" Cye responded cheerily, and promptly passed 
out on the floor. With another groan, Kento slung the smaller lad over 
his shoulder like a sack of rice and carried him out of the bar. 

**********

	Venus staggered back as the youma swiped at her with its claws.
This fight was taking a lot more out of her than she had expected it 
would : whoever this mysterious Ace fellow Sage kept talking about was,
he certainly had powerful troops! 

	"Where the hell is it?" Sage muttered as he continued to 
plow through the massive stack of books, now buried nearly up to his 
nose in the various tomes, volumes, scrolls, and maps. "I know I 
dropped it somewhere near here! It's got to be around here 
somewhere..."

	The youma turned and snarled, flame leaking from its eyes as it
suddenly extended its wings and soared away from another of Venus' 
attacks, swooping towards the unsuspecting Sage like a hawk attacking 
a dove. 

	"VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!" The metal chain whirred through the air 
like a living thing, wrapping around the youma's ankles and snapping 
him back through the air like a kite on the end of its string. 
Gritting her teeth, the blonde Senshi of Venus hauled back with all 
her strength, flipping the demon through the air and sending it 
slamming into the far wall of the practically demolished library. A 
cloud of dust rose as it smashed into the wall facefirst and slumped 
to the floor. 

	"Well!" With a weary smile, Venus dusted off her hands and 
turned to Sage. "Looks like that finally got him! Did you find the 
book?" 

	Sage stood up, holding a thick volume clutched to his chest. 
"Yes, I think so." With his free hand, he polished his glasses on his 
robe and put them on. "You know, Ace mentioned that I'd get help from 
the Queen of Hearts, but I never thought..." Staring over the girl's 
shoulder, his eyes widened slightly. "Duck!" Jumping forward, he 
knocked Venus aside, just as the youma, which had regained its footing 
unnoticed, spat a beam of vile emerald energy. 

	Sage fell backwards as the blast caught him dead center in 
the chest, his skeleton glowing through his skin as the green fire 
burned its way throughout his entire body. Venus caught him, and 
cushioned his fall as he landed on the floor shuddering. 

	"Sage?" The only response she recieved was a convulsive shudder
that gripped the boy, arching his back as his limbs trembled. Biting 
her lip, Venus lowered the twitching scribe to the ground and stood, 
glaring at the youma. "What did you do to him?" 

	The youma chortled. "Why should you care? He had served his 
purpose, and now he shall die." Wings flapping, the youma slowly rose 
towards the ceiling, angling towards an open window. "My master warned 
him that he was doomed. Danburite always keeps his promises!"

	Venus clenched her teeth and saw red as she realised what the 
creature was trying to do. "NO!" She yelled, her eyes glowing white 
with energy. "There is no escape for you, monster! CRESCENT BEAM 
SHOWER!" A flurry of glittering bolts shot out from the girl's hands, 
too numerous for even the agile youma to dodge. First one clipped its 
wing. Wounded, several other shots then caught it straight through its 
center mass as it screeched in frustration and agony.

	"What the hells is going on?" Captain Kento, of the Royal 
Guard, stumbled in even as the youma disappeared in a flash of light. 
He had a young man slung over one shoulder, and a massive piece of 
wood, probably broken off of a convenient ladder, in his free hand. 
"Damndest racket I ever did hear..."

	"Captain!" Sailor Venus was almost in tears as she called out 
from across the room. "It's Sage. One of Beryl's minions attacked us!
He needs help!" She waited all of two seconds before shreiking at the 
man. "WHAT THE HELLS ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET OVER HERE AND HELP HIM!"

	"Yes, ma'am!" The massive armoured figure charged over to where
she sat, Sage's blond head resting in her lap. A thin sheen of 
perspiration covered his face, and occasionally one of his limbs would 
seem to spasm of its own accord. His face was pale, and his eyes were 
shut. 

	"I guess the boy wasn't lying," Kento mused into his beard, as 
he knelt and scooped the fallen scribe into his arms like a baby. 
"Don't worry, Princess. I'll take him to the hospital, and we'll see 
what we can do..."

	"No." Venus was adamant. "Take Sage to my room. We'll have the 
Court Physician see to him personally." Noticing the look Kento was 
giving her, Venus crossed her arms. "You don't seem to understand," 
she explained primly. "He is NOT going to die."

**********

	Mercury paused one last time in front of the giant wooden doors
and tried to convince herself to enter. Mars was her friend, and the 
girl needed someone to help her through this rough time. Setting her 
jaw, Mercury reached for the handles of the door, and paused again. 
On the other hand, that last time they met they had hardly parted on 
the best of terms. Maybe it would be better to wait, in case Mars 
didn't want to be reminded of what had happened. 

	No, she told herself, that is a coward's excuse. They were 
friends, they had always been friends, and they would always be 
friends, no matter what. If they had any problems, they would just 
talk them out and put them aside. She was going to walk right through 
those doors, and she was going to be there for her friend, no matter 
what. 

	First thing tomorrow. 

	Thus reassured, Mercury turned and ran away from the ominous 
doors, her footsteps quickly leading her back to her own room. It was a
large room, filled with shadows. She shivered involuntarily as she 
lit a nearby lamp and walked over towards her chessboard. The wind blew
through the guazy silk curtains, stirring them as the billowed and 
snapped like the sails of a ship... Mercury sighed. If only they were, 
she thought to herself, and I could sail far away from here. 

	She sat at the chessboard, and the chill that ran down her 
back had little to do with the breeze. Actually, it had much to do with
the breeze : she had left her windows shut when she left. Furthermore,
someone had completely rearranged her chess game : Now, a lone white 
queen and knight sat surrounded on all sides by black pieces. 

	A faint sound floated in past the curtains, the sound of 
leather scuffing on marble. With a growing feeling of unease, Mercry 
rose and and ran her gloved fingers through her short blue hair. I am 
in Serenity's castle, she reminded herself, as her heart triphammered 
in her chest, I am safe. The Dark Kingdom is nowhere near me. Thus 
reasssured, she strode over to the window and pushed aside the 
curtains, looking out onto her balcony.

	He stood motionless, and at first she could barely make him 
out from the shadows that glided over his form. Black leather shoes, 
black pants, white socks. A tight, high-necked jacket clinging to a 
lean and muscular torso, half black and half white. The jacket was 
not fully fastened, and a small triangle of red lining peeked out as 
he moved. His long and unruly black hair was as wild as ever, and his 
piercing blue eyes seemed to stare straight into the depths of her 
soul. His long black cape fluttered behind him, swelling and flapping 
like a pair of massive wings as he placed one hand on the sword at his 
waist and smiled. 

	"What's wrong, Mercury?" He asked in an icy tone, "Aren't you 
going to say hello? And after I came all this way, too..."

	Mercury sighed in relief. "Oh, it's you, Ken! You actually 
scared me for a moment!" 

	"I guess sometimes I can be a scary guy." Ken smiled again, a 
smile that somehow didn't quite reach his eyes. "Let's go in, Princess.
No point hanging around on this drafty balcony so late at night. You 
might catch your death of cold!" 

	The blue haired girl smiled and nodded, walking back into her 
room. She looked back in confusion, and saw that for some reason Ken 
was standing in the picture window, leaning against the frame and 
looking slightly ill. 

	"Ken? What's wrong?" 

	The young prince of Mars grinned boyishly. "Why, Mercury, what 
kind of man do you take me for? I could never enter a girl's bedchamber
uninvited..." 

	"Oh, where are my manners?" Mercury smiled in response. 
"Please, make yourself comfortable, Prince Ken. This room and all that 
is in it is at your disposal." 

	Ken smirked and entered, looking around. "ALL that is in it? 
Really?"

	"Well, of course."

	"So then," Ken continued, as he carefully turned down the lamp,
"you're saying that every single thing in this room is mine, to do 
with as I see fit?" 

	"Yes..." Mercury blinked. There was something strange about the
way Ken was acting, almost furtive, as if he was afraid he might be 
discovered by someone. Then again, she reminded herself, he had every 
reason to feel that way. 

	Something dark flickered behind Ken's eyes. "Including your own
self, dear Princess? How... hospitable of you."

	"Ken, you know that isn't what I meant!" Mercury smiled and 
crossed her arms. 

	"Ah, but it IS what you said!" Grinning freely, Ken gathered 
the smaller girl into his arms and kissed her deeply. "Hello, my love. 
It has been a long time, has it not?"

	"Yes," Mercury admitted, "far too long. And now far too late. 
Your sister is here, and if she were to find us again..."

	Ken shrugged. "We shall be certain to lock the door this time. 
And my sister is no longer any concern of mine. I have made some new 
friends, dear Mercury, friends more than happy to help me restate my 
plea for your hand." 

	Mercury lowered her eyes and fought back a tear. "I have 
discussed that very plea with Serenity, Ken. The Queen has no wish to 
hear me, and I fear she will only refuse you again." 

	That dark flicker reappeared in her lover's eyes. "Serenity may
not be in any position to refuse me when I am done, my love. In fact,
I have a feeling she might be more than eager to satisfy my every 
request." After noticing the concerned look Mercury was giving him, 
Ken smiled disarmingly. "She'll be so grateful to me," he explained, 
"for all the good I'll have done her. Would you like to play a game?" 

	"A game?" Mercury blinked in confusion. He was changing tactics
so quickly, and she began to wonder what was on his mind. 

	"Yes, a game." Ken nodded and smiled blandly. "My new friend 
loves games. Especially games of chance. They can be quite relaxing, 
if you play them properly. Helps you make up your mind about things, 
when you cannot trust your own motivation. Flip a coin, roll some dice,
and let the Fates decide." He reached down to Mercury's chessboard and 
gently lifted one piece from its place. 

	"The White Queen," he said softly. "So pure, so noble... but 
weak. On the other hand..." Reaching down, he plucked up another piece.
"The Black Queen. Powerful, agressive... but so very dark." Staring 
at his hands, Ken seemed to contemplate them for a moment.

	"Ken?" Mercury took a step forward, reaching up as she fought 
the strange urge to tear the chess pieces from his grasp and hurl them 
across the room. Instead, she settled for clasping his hands in her 
own and looking up into his eyes. "What are you talking about, Ken?" 

	"Our game, dear, sweet Mercury." His face emotionless, Ken 
removed his hands from hers and hid the two pieces behind his back. 
"It's a rather old game, but perhaps we shall find some more 
interesting ones later. Pick a hand, my love. White, or black? Which 
side shall I play with? You decide." 

	Mercury swallowed. There was something in Ken's eyes, something
she didn't quite trust. "Ken, I don't think I should..."

	"What's wrong? You like games. Take a chance! Gamble!" Ken's 
smile seemed to become slightly harder. "One of my new friends just 
loves to gamble like this. It's... FUN."

	Mercury sighed and reached out, tapping the arm she chose. Ken 
opened his fingers and stared at the piece sitting in the palm of his 
hand. His body almost seemed to deflate, as the tension drained from 
him and he sagged against the small table her chess set was on. 

	"Thank you," he said softly, and smiled sadly at her. "You have
made my choice, Mercury." Taking her in his arms, he kissed her 
tenderly. "I have to go, my love. I have much to do."
 
**********

	Ken stalked out onto the balcony of the Princess, and eased 
himself down to the ground. With a sigh, he shook out the cape he 
wore. "Why?" He whispered sorrowfully to himself, the pretense he had 
presented to Mercury fading like mist as he stared at the piece still 
clutched in his fingers. "I almost wish she had chosen the other, but 
whatever Fates direct my sail, they seem to have the way of it."  

	The soft sound of shuffling cards drifted through the air, and 
a slim young man in a tuxedo seemed to drift in out of the darkness. 
"Good evening, sweet prince! I had not expected to see you until 
tomorrow morning, if you know what I mean." 

	Ken glared over his shoulder at the masked man. "Watch your 
tongue, Kaito Ace. You may wake up some day without it." 

	"Whatever." Kaito Ace walked past and leaned against one of the
many fountains that dotted Serenity's gardens. "Why AREN'T you still up
there? I would think you would want to take advantage of these last 
moments with her."

	"My decision has been made, Kaito Ace." Ken looked down at the 
piece he held, and slipped it into his jacket. "The Princess of Mercury
has no business associating with one of the Dark Kingdom's servants."

	"Good," Ace said with a smile. "Let us show Serenity the error 
of her foolish ways."

	"Yes," Ken added halfheartedly, as he recalled the look in his 
queen's eyes when he stormed away from her presence. She could have 
stopped him, she even SHOULD have stopped him. But she hadn't. "How 
dare she... trust... people like that? We must destroy her." 

*********

To Be Continued...