OBLIGATORY LEGAL DISCLAIMER : None of these guys are mine. The Sailor 
Senshi belong to DIC and Kodansha, while the Yoroiden are owned by 
Sunrise and Graz Entertainment. Okay? So don't bother suing me. I'm a 
student. 

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

             by Morgan Hudson (dataraven_659@excite.com)


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

Part 8 : Trouble

	Alone in his new chambers, Jadeite of the Dark Kingdom smiled 
and gestured. The air rippled as his arm passed through it, and a 
large glowing orb appeared, which landed in his hand. Gazing deeply 
into the inky darkness of the orb, its cold blue glow flowing over his 
gray uniform and impassive features, the young man walked out onto the 
balcony and into the foul, sweltering air of the Dynasty. In the depths
of the orb, small flecks of color began to swirl, like shards of light
reflecting in a massive globe of dirty oil. 

	"Yes..." the man whispered softly. "Show me. Show me the one 
I seek..." As if by his command, the colors began to swirl together, 
showing an image of a young girl with large blue eyes and blond hair, 
hanging down her back in twin pigtails. 

	Jadeite smirked. "Hello, Sailor Moon. Do you even remember me? 
We caused each other SO much trouble, back then, didn't we? But, of 
course, you've faced many other threats since. Even Beryl was destroyed
by your power... not that it could have happened to a more deserving 
person." 

	The image didn't respond, and Jadeite clutched the globe a 
little tighter. "You're going to die here, Sailor Moon," he hissed, 
"far away from your vaunted protector, Tuxedo Kamen. I knew you'd never
think of bringing him along. A shame really , but I suppose I can kill 
him later. I can't wait to see his face when I show up in Tokyo with 
your pretty little head on the end of a spear..."
 
	The doors opened and an armored creature that looked like an 
unpleasant cross between an troll and a vulture poked its head into 
the room. "Lord Jadeite, our Emperor wishes to know if the room is to 
your liking..."

	Jadeite hurled his globe at the creature, who howled as the 
oily fluid splattered everywhere and burst into flame. In seconds, 
there was nothing left of the intruder but a pile of smoldering ash. 

	The handsome man flipped back his blond bangs. "Youja," he 
sniffed, "how... vile." He rolled the word in his mouth like a fine 
wine. He decided he liked the taste of it. "Such a boorish lot, 
truly..." Straightening his jacket with a tug, he walked over to the 
pile of ash. 

	"I suppose," he said calmly to it, "you thought that was a bit 
rash of me. After all, you were only doing your duty. Do you think 
it was a bit much? I've always had a little problem with my temper, 
truth be told." Jadeite paused, as if listening to the small clump of 
ash. "What's that? You think I used a little too much violence?" 

	He considered that, then stomped on the ashes, grinding them 
into the stone floor. "Well I think I used exactly the RIGHT amount 
of violence. I don't like your attitude, creature : I'm glad you're 
dead."

**********

	Touma Hashiba slowly opened his eyes and groaned. He had been 
unconscious several times before, but usually it was because he had 
received a blow to the head, or been caught in an explosion. This was 
the first time he could remember actually... fainting. 
	
	Or, he thought he remembered it. Sitting up, he looked around 
the clearing and rubbed his head. It looked familiar, but Makoto Kino 
was nowhere to be found, and he was pretty sure she had been there 
last night. Already doubting himself, he crawled over to a nearby creek
and examined his reflection. He didn't look any different from the 
last hundred times he had checked his reflection over the years : same 
short blue hair, same headband, same features. He didn't look like 
somebody who had gotten kissed out of his mind by the girl he loved, 
that was for sure. 

	A pair of gloved hands closed over his bare shoulders. "Looking
for anybody in particular, handsome?" 

	Touma nearly jumped out of his hakama as he spun and looked up 
at a grinning Makoto Kino. She had done her long brown hair back into 
a loose ponytail, he noticed, and her big green eyes were sparkling. 
"Uhm... just trying to figure out what's been going on, Mako-chan."

	Sailor Jupiter smiled and nodded. "Sounds good, Touma. We 
definitely need to have some kind of plan..." She began absently 
picking at the binding of her ponytail. "Do you like my hair better up,
or down?" 

	Touma stood and walked over to her, hoping the butterflies in 
his stomach would leave him alone for a few minutes. "Well, I kind of 
like you with it down..." he commented, standing behind her and sliding
his arms around her waist, "but when it's up, I can do this..." 
Hoping like hell he knew what he was doing, Touma gently pressed his 
lips against the side of the taller girl's neck. 

	Makoto leaned back against Touma, clutching his hands in her 
own. "Right," she sighed as he continued to kiss his way up and down 
her neck, "up it is..." Turning her head at just the right moment, she 
brushed her lips against the tip of Touma's nose, and he chuckled. 
"Touma, where's your camp?"

	The blue-haired Yoroiden shrugged and pointed behind him. "It's
about nine or ten kilometers over that way."

	"Good!" Clearing her throat, Makoto walked off in the direction
he had pointed her in. "We'd better get moving, if we want to get 
anything done. You can train on the way."

	"Train? What do you mean?" Touma asked, tagging along behind 
her. 

	Makoto giggled and grabbed his hand. "The last time I really 
kissed you, you passed out, Touma Hashiba. We are going to build up 
your resistance to that, if it kills you." 

**********

	Kujuurou Sasaki rose from the ground and stretched. Something 
in his back made a nasty popping noise, and he groaned. He was 
definitely getting too old for sleeping on the ground. Five hundred 
years was his limit. In the corner of his eye, he saw Yamanouchi 
Naotoki and Jirogorou Kuroda stretching themselves. He smiled grimly. 
The four of them -three, now that Shuten had passed away- had never 
exactly been friends, but after a few centuries, he couldn't think of 
anybody he'd rather have on his side in a fight than his fellow Masho. 

	"Anubis, you old jackal!" Yamanouchi smiled, flashing his sharp
canines at the taller man. "It seems our Yoroiden friends have gotten 
lost again! Use your nose and hunt them down!"

	Kujuurou chuckled. "Use your own nose, Naaza you snake! I take 
no orders from you, or from the spider over there!" 

	Jirogorou adjusted the black eyepatch he wore and gently 
brushed his long white hair behind his shoulders. "I'm hungry. Shall 
the fabled hunting prowess of Anubis prove itself, or should I catch 
us our breakfast?" 

	Kujuurou smirked at his fellow Masho. "If you wish to come 
along and watch a master at work, Rajura, feel free. Although I doubt 
you can keep up with my pack..."

	"Your pack?" Naaza made a foul face. "You know those filthy 
wolves of yours give me allergies, Anubis. Get them out of here, and 
take Rajura with you. I shall watch over our Empress." 

	Still curled in the fetal position on the ground, a slumbering 
girl who looked to be about twelve muttered in her sleep and shivered 
slightly. His eyes softening, Anubis looked over at his old companion. 
"Do so, Naaza, or answer to us all."

	The green haired Masho nodded. "But of course, Kujuurou." 

	Rajura snorted as he drew a glowing purple crystal from his 
tunic. "And don't forget about Usagi Tsukino, Naaza. There are TWO 
members of royalty relying on you for their safety."

	Naaza looked oddly serious, for once. "I said I would care for 
them, Rajura. BUSSO, DOKU!" There was a flare of blinding green light, 
and Yamanouchi Naotoki ceased to exist. In his place stood a fierce 
figure, sheathed in red and green armor. A wicked set of black horns 
sprouted from his helm, and spikes and blades of all kinds seemed to 
bristle from his body. The Masho of Poison drew two of his six katana 
blades and saluted as Anubis and Rajura joined him in transformation. 

	"BUSSO, YAMI!" A blast of black light, and Kujuurou Sasaki was 
enveloped in the feral brown and black armor of Yami. A massive no 
datchi sword hung on his shoulder, and his right hand ended in a set 
of gleaming razor claws. With a flourish, he tossed his red silk cape 
back and drew the six foot long blade, grinning wolfishly.

	"BUSSO, GEN!" The light was purple, this time, as Jirogorou 
Kuroda transformed into Rajura, the Masho of Deception. Heavy purple 
armor clamped around his body, and steam hissed from the air vents in 
his face mask as the six scythes mounted on his back rustled in 
anticipation. Glaring through his one good eye, Rajura drew the mace 
and nunchaku he bore from their rests in his gauntlets. 

	As the two Masho prepared to leave the clearing, Anubis 
unhooked his cape and tossed it over the slumbering form of his Empress
Kayura. "She seems cold," he explained in a coarse whisper, "and in 
this forest, the cape is a hindrance. Let us depart, Rajura, that we 
may return to her all the sooner."

**********

	The year was 1567.

	Kayura staggered through the streets of her home, weeping like 
the child she was. In fact, she had only just turned eight at the 
time : it was her birthday. Her birthday, and her entire family was 
dead. HE had done it ; Arago, the giant demon in his black and crimson 
armor. Leading his armies in yet another purge, until only they were 
left. 

	She looked over at the older boy holding her hand. His long 
red hair stirred in the breeze as he looked down at her and smiled 
reassuringly. 

	"Toshitada... will we be all right?" 

	"Of course," the young man replied, "just stay close to me, and
everything is going to be fine. You'll see..." 

	A figure in armor stalked forward, lifting a halberd, and 
Toshitada Koma pushed her behind him. He stood before the hulking 
youja, all of sixteen years old and about ninety pounds soaking wet, 
and set his jaw. 

	"Stay back, foul creature, or face your own destruction!" 
Spreading his feet, the teen raised his fists in a classic defense 
kata. The youja soldier, far from impressed, chortled as Kayura buried 
her face in the back of her relative's gi and cried. 

	"You?" The youja stepped forward and lifted its halberd, 
glaring down at young Toshitada Koma with its baleful green eyes. 
"What hope could one such as you have against the power of Saranbo?" 

	Kayura whimpered as the boy's icy blue eyes narrowed. "I 
suppose you'll have to try me and find out, monster." Raising his fists
again, Toshitada shifted his weight forward on the balls of his feet. 
"Stay behind me, cousin!" He whispered over his shoulder.

	Saranbo lunged, and Toshitada spun out of the way, lashing out 
with his foot and shattering the spear into several pieces. The 
youja's bone white face looked stunned as the red haired boy followed 
his kick with an uppercut to the opponent's jaw, cracking his mask. 

	"Such power! It is impossible!" Saranbo staggered back as 
Toshitada checked to make sure Kayura was still safely tucked away 
behind him. Placing his hands together, Toshitada smiled grimly. It 
was time to finally put his newfound power to use. 

	"BUSSO, ONI!" Kayura covered her eyes from the flash of light 
and crackling energy, and when she looked again, her cousin had been 
changed into a tall figure in black samurai armor with a green and 
yellow overcoat. His right hand gripped a scythe, and his left a 
clawed weight. The two were connected by a chain. 

	Saranbo was visibly startled. "A Yoroiden!" 

	Toshitada no Oni wasted no time in explanations, choosing 
instead to rush forward and hurl the weight, connecting solidly with 
Saranbo's temple. Even as the youja toppled, Toshitada was waving his 
cousin forward. Together, they raced across the town square... and 
stopped dead in its center, looking around in stunned dismay. 

	It was burning. Their town, their home, was burning to the 
ground. The youja ran rampant, tearing into houses and carrying out 
screaming men and women, brutally cracking their skulls and breaking 
their necks. The thick clouds of foul black smoke drifted through the 
town, obscuring their sight, but the sounds of roaring flames and 
dying screams were all too easy to discern. 

	A giant figure stalked through the flames, growing larger with 
each step, as if the smoke and blood were somehow feeding him. He was 
clad completely in black and silver armor, with a winged skull emblem
stretching across his chestplate. Six swords sprouted from his back 
and fanned out on either side of him as he came steadily closer. He was
huge, Kayura noticed, at least ten feet tall, and he didn't seem to 
have a face. Instead, the crimson fanged mask of his samurai helmet 
embraced only shadow, a thick mane of coarse white hair swirling around
it as the empty eyeholes seemed to consider them. 

	THE YOROIDEN OF ONI. YOU WILL SERVE ME WELL... 

	Toshitada stepped back instinctively. "Arago..." he hissed. 
Kayura whimpered, and clung to the older boy's arm. 

	Arago's helmet swiveled to face them as he glared down from his
massive height. YOROIDEN OF ONI, I HAVE SUMMONED YOU HERE FOR A 
PURPOSE. 

	"N...nobody summons Toshitada Koma!"

	The sound Arago made was less a chuckle than a bass rumble. 
THEN IT PLEASES ME, he intoned, TO BE THE FIRST. AND SO SHALL YOU BE 
THE FIRST, THE FIRST OF MY MASHO... SHUTENDOJI, THE MASHO OF CRUELTY. 
YOU SHALL BELONG TO ME, NOW.

	Kayura's cousin looked down at her and held her trembling 
form close to his own. "No... I belong to nobody!"

	Arago was impassive as he responded. IT SEEMS I HAVE MISJUDGED 
YOU. VERY WELL. YOU MAY JOIN YOUR CLAN... IN OBLIVION. The Demon Lord 
lifted one gauntlet, and Kayura shrieked as green flames leapt forth, 
enveloping her body and soul... as she welcomed the darkness, she dimly
heard her cousin screaming in horror. 

	"No! Leave her be! I accept your terms! I accept them..."

**********

	Still asleep, Kayura clutched the thin covering draped over 
her and crushed it against her face, shaking slightly. She breathed 
deep, and relaxed slightly. Naaza watched with concern from his spot 
on a nearby rock, and turned to look at the lightly dozing Usagi 
Tsukino, who rolled over and began mumbling something under her breath 
about cabbits and pikachus. The Masho of Poison shuddered. What a 
horrible and tortured life the poor girl must lead, to be plagued 
by such horrible nightmares.

	He sat and waited for several minutes, stoically remaining on 
guard. Then he got bored and started to pace around the campsite, 
whistling softly and aimlessly. Unnoticed, a patch of bushes began
rustling and spat out a girl in a red sailor fuku with long black hair.
Naaza glanced over at Sailor Mars and blinked a few times. Sailor... 
Mars? Uh-oh! Leaping to his feet, he drew his swords and rushed her. 

	Seemingly from nowhere, a trident clamped around his arm and 
flipped him like a pancake. Landing on the ground with a loud whooshing
sound, Naaza stared in glazed confusion at Shin Mouri as the boy 
placed his armored foot squarely on the Masho's neck. 

	"Cool down, snake-lips. The girl's with me." 

	Rei Hino glowered as she noticed Usagi sleeping on the ground. 
"So THAT'S where the meatball-head's been hiding!" Storming over, she 
began nudging the blond girl with the toe of one shoe. "Wake up, 
dummy! You've had everybody worried sick! Everybody but me, I mean..." 

	Usagi cracked one eye open. "Mmmm? Rei? You're even MEANER to 
me when I'm asleep..." Yawning, she sat up. "Stop kicking me! I'm up!"

	Sailor Jupiter entered the clearing, followed closely by 
Touma Hashiba. "Rei! You're all right!" Makoto rushed over and embraced
her friend, her smile growing even wider as she noticed Usagi on the 
ground. "Sailor Moon!"

	"Mako-chan!" Hopping to her feet, Usagi threw her arms around 
both girls, and the three Senshi began hopping up and down, giggling 
and laughing.

	"Hey!" Shuu Rei Fuan objected as he walked in carrying a pile 
of fresh fish. "What's going on? Don't we get hugs too?"

	"I don't know..." Shin smirked and leaned on Touma's shoulder. 
"Judging from the glazed look on the boy genius here, I'd say he 
already got some..." Touma smacked him on the back of the head. 

	Kayura sat up abruptly. "Excuse me, but I'm trying to sleep!
I am the Empress, and the next person who speaks will get beheaded! 
Good-night!" With a snort, she lay back down and rolled over.

	"Gee," whispered Usagi, "do you think she really meant-"

	"Shut up!" Naaza hissed. 

**********

	"Wow!" Hotaru whispered to Ryo Sanada. "I've never seen such a 
large army of youma!"

	"You still haven't," the black haired young man replied. "Those
are youja, not youma. They're bigger, meaner, smarter... kind of like 
youma on steroids. And with rabies."

	"Oh." Hotaru risked another glimpse over the edge of the cliff 
she and Ryo were perched on. Beneath them milled a swarm of youja, 
almost like a moving carpet of armor, spears, pikes, and banners. It 
was practically impossible for the young girl to pick out any single 
creature in the seething mass. 

	"You know," Ryo said calmly, as he looked around and hefted a 
boulder about the size of a basketball, "this reminds me of an old 
joke. It seems a soldier called down to his commander 'Sir! Sir! I've 
caught a tiger!'" With a deft spin, Ryo began twirling the boulder on 
one finger. "And the commander, well he yells 'Come down here, and I 
will reward you greatly!' But the soldier yells back 'I can't sir! The 
tiger won't let me!'" The Yoroiden of Rekka chuckled at his joke and 
tossed the heavy rock into the air, catching it in his other hand. 
"I have a tiger, did I tell you that?" 

	Hotaru's eyes widened. "Wow, you own a tiger? Where is he?"

	"Well, we kind of own each other. His name's Byakuen, and I've 
got someone tiger-sitting for me while I'm here. I don't think you'd 
know her..." Ryo took another look at the army surrounding them. "You 
know, if HE were here... I'd have done something by now." 

	Sailor Saturn blinked and stared at the older boy crouching 
next to her. "What do you mean? There's over two hundred of them, and 
only two of us, four if we wait for Ami and Setsuna to get here." 

	"Yeah, but I have a brilliant plan. Watch." Ryo hurled the 
rock, and it cracked like a watermelon on the back of one youja in 
purple armor. He stood at least a head higher than any other creature 
there, and carried a gleaming sword. The youja turned, and Ryo's second
boulder caught him square in the face. 

	Ryo howled with laughter. "I only threw the first one so you'd 
turn around, Dara! Baka aho manuke!" 

	Hotaru wondered if her friend was stupidly insane, or just 
insanely stupid. After a few seconds, she was pretty sure he was both. 
"Ryo, I think you need to sit down for a while. It's obvious you have 
sunstroke."

	"Trust me!" Ryo reassured her. "Those are the banners for The 
Holy Swords of Kayura. They're led by Dara, and if I know Dara, his 
ego will never let him ignore something like this." 

	At the bottom of the cliff, Dara was eagerly proving Ryo right.
"Sanada! You consort with the sworn enemies of the Empire! Surrender 
to us immediately, and your death may be painless!" 

	"Yeah, whatever! Why don't you come up here and MAKE me, Dara?
I mean, unless you don't think you have enough reinforcements. If you 
want to go grab another army or two, I'll be glad to wait!" Ryo 
snickered. "Right about now, Dara's as mad as a hornet," he whispered 
to Hotaru. "He's so focused on beating me, he wouldn't notice if a 
marching band walked by. So you'll have no problem sneaking out of 
here!"

	"Oh," said a stunned Hotaru. "Well, that is a pretty good plan.
What about you?" 

	Ryo grinned. "Hey, I don't see anyone else volunteering to 
be the distraction, do you? And, as Ami has assured me, I am QUITE 
distracting." With a satisfied smirk, he pulled free the paired katana 
blades and stood. "Head for the treeline," he said, "and don't stop 
until you run into Ami and Setsuna." 

	Releasing a long, wavering battlecry, the Yoroiden of Rekka 
hurled himself down the hill, half falling, half running as he 
howled and laughed and swung his blades. 

	And the youja were afraid.

**********

	Hotaru ran, her breath burning in her lungs and scraping her 
throat raw as she raced through the forest. Tree branches clawed at 
the girl, scraping her face and whipping at her arms. She could 
feel her face was wet with tears, and wished she didn't know why. 

	Closing her eyes and sobbing at the top of her lungs, the 
Senshi of Silence tripped and stumbled forward, landing roughly 
against a rough, hard object. Acting on instinct, she threw her arms 
around it, and was surprised when it responded in kind. She looked up 
and saw the concerned face of a blue-haired man with a strange cross 
shaped scar on his left cheek. He was wearing brown and black armor, 
and there was a large sword strapped to his back. 

	There was a swirling tear in space and time, and Setsuna Meioh
stepped regally out of it, followed by a slightly sick looking Ami 
Mizuno. The Senshi of Time looked over at Hotaru and the man clutching 
her and smiled. "I was once that little girl," she muttered to herself.
Then, she spoke a bit louder. "Still caring for stray Senshi, Anubis? 
It's good to see some habits die hard." 

	Kujuurou Sasaki looked indignant. "I had nothing to do with 
this one, Setsuna! I swear!" 

	Setsuna smiled freely as she stepped down and ran her fingers 
through the soft dark hair of her adopted daughter. "Never fear, 
Uncle. This one is mine to care for." 

	"Oooh," moaned Ami, "I intensely dislike teleportation. I fear 
I might be sick." Wobbling over to a nearby stump, she sat down and 
looked up. Rajura looked down at her and nodded in greeting. He was 
hanging from an overhead branch by his feet, and Ami had to look again 
before simply shrugging and nodding back. Setsuna looked over at the 
purple armored Masho of Deception and snorted before turning back 
to Hotaru. 

	"What's wrong, Hotaru? Where's Ryo Sanada?"

**********

	Picture a tornado. Swirling, spinning, blasting through 
everyone and everything in its path, the tornado is easily the most 
raw, powerful force of destruction imaginable. Now picture this tornado
with a pair of swords. 

	Ten youja howled and died before the rest of the army could 
even react to the onslaught of Ryo no Rekka, and then he was among 
them, his twin blades carving great swaths through the paralyzed 
monsters. Recovering quickly, the youja washed over Ryo like a tidal 
wave of armor and weaponry, only to find the crimson armored samurai 
drifting almost lazily through their ranks. Blows that could shatter 
trees and rip entire tanks apart were shrugged off by the boy as 
little more than annoyances. He laughed, the gleeful chuckle of a man 
enjoying himself.

	And the youja began to panic. 

	Spears flew like rain, and Ryo leapt into the air, howling as 
he kicked aside some and was hit by several others. His form 
disappeared into the glare of the midday sun, and the youja forces 
began glancing around in search of him.

	"FLARE UP NOW!" A meteor of flame and pain flew down, blasting 
into the ground and tearing through the armored creatures like 
paper figures before a gust of wind. The monsters were scattered, 
hurled left and right like a child's broken toys, and still more kept 
charging forward. 

	Ryo ducked a halberd, parried a sword strike, and spun, his 
glistening blade separating a nearby youja from its head. Blood spouted
in a fountain of red, and splattered the already stained ground. Arms 
and legs seemed to be flying at him indiscriminately, and the Yoroiden 
of Rekka simply gritted his teeth and smiled. A spinning axe head 
lodged in his thigh, and the boy fell to his knees. The nearest of the 
youja quickly rushed in and lifted its sword to end his life, only to 
receive one of the Rekka Ken straight through its heart. 

	"Please sir," panted Ryo to the axe wielder as he lunged 
forward and caught it by the shoulder plates, "could I have another?" 
With an overhand toss, he hurled the youja into its companions, 
knocking down several and quickly making sure they would never get back
up.

	Soon, the youja began to adopt a different strategy, born less 
of any tactical knowledge than a desire to remain far away from the 
battered, panting maniac who had already reaped their ranks like rows 
of wheat. Ryo found himself in the middle of a circle of the same, 
faceless, gray armored youja, spears and lances jabbing at him every 
time he tried to approach any one of the edges. 

	Ryo snarled at the large purple youja standing in front of him.
"I said you'd need another army, Dara." He paused to spit out a thick 
gobbet of blood, and wiped his mouth with one gauntlet. "You should 
have believed me." 

	Dara drew his sword, the Sei Ryu Ken. "Look at yourself, 
Ryo no Rekka. You can barely even stand up, and we've barely even 
started to fight."

	"I'm standing a lot better than most of your friends, Dara." 
Despite his words, Ryo had to admit that the Lord of Phantasm had a 
point. The yoroi of Rekka was scratched and torn open in several 
places, and not all of the blood splattered on his armor belonged to 
his enemies. The wound in his thigh throbbed with every beat of his 
pulse, and his head felt like a balloon filled with too much air. He 
tried to blink the sweat out of his eyes, and realized that it was red.
He had picked up a head wound, he noticed, and relaxed a little. That 
at least explained the headache, and the patch of wetness he could feel
under his helmet. 

	"Come on," Ryo wheezed, and lifted his swords, which seemed to 
have become twice as heavy since the last time he held them. "Let's 
finish this dance. It's time for you to die." Hotaru was gone, he 
noticed, and smiled. His friend was safe : a job well done. 

	Above them all, a large black portal opened, and a figure in 
gray appeared. Ryo looked up in confusion as the blond man smiled 
politely. 

	"Who in the hells are you?" Dara stepped forward, lowering 
his blade and gazing upwards. His Empress had said nothing about an 
ally such as this!

	Jadeite bowed graciously. "I am Jadeite, of course. Ruler of 
the Dark Kingdom, and bearer of good news. But not, I fear, for you." 
The man gestured, and Dara suddenly vanished in a flash of bright 
red energy. "Disgusting creatures, youja," the man commented, as he 
dusted off his hands.

	Ryo frowned and glanced around as the other youja quickly 
began to race for cover. "What's going on, Jadeite?"

	"I'm here to tell you that you get to live. One of my... 
associates," Jadeite made a face, as if the word had left a foul taste 
in his mouth, "has decided that he has use of you. And so, like a good,
non-treacherous ally, I have come to deliver you to him."

	"I don't think so, pal." Ryo sighed, suddenly feeling very 
tired. "In fact, I think I'll just thank you kindly for saving me the 
trouble of killing Dara, and leave. Ja ne!" 

	"You certainly are as cocky as Badamon said." Jadeite 
remained sitting in mid-air, as calmly as most men would sit on a 
chair. "Here," he gestured. "Try spending some time trapped in a block 
of ice. It does wonders for your concentration, believe me." 

	From his position in the giant pillar of glittering ice, Ryo's 
eyes narrowed dangerously. His yoroi flickered feebly, then died out. 
Jadeite smirked as he floated down and landed gently next to the 
massive ice cube. "Nothing personal against you," he said 
conversationally, "but there's this fat slug of a youja I need to kill,
and Badamon has assured me that using you as a host for this... Arago 
person, will do it." 

	"Who's THAT?" A girl in a purple sailor fuku appeared, carrying
a massive glaive. She was followed by two of the Masho Saranbo had 
been harping to Jadeite about, and two other girls in fuku the youma 
general had trouble recognizing. 

	"I don't believe it! It's... Jadeite!" The blue haired girl 
spoke up, pulling a computer from some convenient thin air and 
lowering a visor over her eyes. 

	"The lovely Sailor Mercury! It took me a moment to 
recognize you : you've aged nicely." Jadeite smiled. "Surprised to 
see me? Ah, well, just don't tell your other little Senshi friends. 
I'm dying to see the look on their faces. Or am I looking to see the 
death on their faces?" He shrugged. "Never mind, must be off. Ta!" 

	"What?" Ami looked over at Setsuna and Hotaru, then back at 
Jadeite. "But... aren't you going to fight us? I thought you wanted 
us dead..."

	Jadeite shrugged again as he began to float to the top of the 
miniature glacier he had formed. "Oh, but I do! Are you planning on 
going anywhere?"

	"No..."

	"Well, neither am I. You can die some other day, Mercury : I 
wouldn't want your friends feeling left out." Jadeite landed atop 
the frigid tower and pointed to the comatose Yoroiden within. "Now, 
if you'll excuse me, I have to deliver a package before he thaws." 

	The two began to shimmer, and Ami rushed forward stretching her
hands towards the form of Ryo Sanada. "No! Wait! You can't take him!"

	Jadeite laughed as he faded away. "As if you could STOP me..."
He and his package disappeared moments before Ami fell to her knees in
the cold patch where her love had been. Anubis and Setsuna walked over 
and knelt next to her. 

	"I never forgave him..." Ami whispered forlornly. 

TO BE CONTINUED...