A Demon's Heart

The last part went into place, and Skuld sat back with a maniacal grin. It was her greatest invention yet: Skuld's Own Hyperdimensional Bug Vacuum.

"I've done it! My genius amazes even myself!" Skuld shouted triumphantly, reaching for her ice cream. "Empty?"

Skuld's room was littered with empty pint containers, electronic components, and older devices. As Skuld left in search of more ice cream, her computer's monitor lit up with a flashing message: Warning. Dimensional Instability.

Skuld stuck her head in the freezer, moved the contents around, and shrieked in surprise.

"Oneesama! Where's the ice cream? Oneesama?" Skuld wandered out of the kitchen and started looking through the house when Belldandy didn't respond. "Oneesama? Where are you?"

"You just missed her. She went shopping," Urd announced from her perch in front of the TV. "Now get out of my way. I want to see this."

Skuld turned to see what Urd was so interested in on the TV. Her hammer was in her hand before she was consciously aware, and only the forcefield around the TV prevented her from smashing it to bits. The perverted things the couple on the screen was doing may have been to Urd's liking, but she didn't have to put up with it.

"Now you've done it, you little brat! Do you know how hard it was to get those two together like that?"

"I should have known this was your fault! Why do I have to have such a pervert for a sister?"

"Maybe you should try it yourself! It could only improve your personality!"

"Aaaah!" Skuld swung her mallet at Urd, who immediately shrank to her Mini-Urd form and teleported away. "Come back here and fight like a Goddess, you coward! Banpei! Find her!"

As Skuld stalked out of the living room, she crushed the television with a parting shot from her mallet. On the way past her bedroom, she noticed a flashing light. That doesn't make any sense. That looks like the warning I programmed for a Bug Exhaust Port. Oh no! She dashed into the room and stared at the monitor, then began frantically typing, an expression of horror growing on her face. Suddenly, Skuld's latest invention began to glow, the light filling the room in seconds, then spreading....

"Thank you for bringing me home, Keiichi-chan. I enjoy riding with you so much." Belldandy exclaimed happily as she lifted her shopping bags from the motorcycle's sidecar.

"I'm always glad to give you a lift, Bel-chan." Keiichi said, smiling happily as he as he took off his helmet and took one bag from her arms - all that she'd allow him to carry for her. "Can I help you with dinner?"

"You can help eat it," Belldandy laughed, reaching for the front door as the light from Skuld's room exploded to engulf the temple grounds.

The alien had taken refuge on the grounds of an abandoned temple near a college a good ways across Tokyo. The Senshi were even happier than I was that the location made it possible to minimize the risk to civilians while fighting it. We cornered it in one of the bedrooms of the priest's house, and Sailor Moon blasted it to nothingness.

As we were taking our first relieved breaths, Sailor Mercury suddenly yelled in surprise, seconds before the entire world went white. When the light faded, Sailor Mercury and I were the only ones initially able to see, thanks to my Gargoyles and her visor. Where the alien had been was something that looked like a vacuum cleaner after it had been through my laboratory, and a couple feet away was kneeling a girl who looked about the same age as Hotaru and Chibi-Usa, with black hair as long as Setsuna's and wearing a sort of white tunic with red cuffs and collar. Across her back was a long hammer, like a croquet mallet with a spike on the end of the handle. Her hands were positioned as if she was at a keyboard, despite there being no furnishings of any kind in the room. She turned her head and looked up at us with a horrified expression in her brown eyes.

"Holy shit," I murmured in surprise as I saw the blue markings on her forehead and cheeks. "But...she's fictional."

"No, she's real," Sailor Mercury said. "But she's not from this universe."

"Oh, no," Skuld cried. "I didn't manage to stop it in time!"

"URD! What did you do this time?" a male voice called from the front of the house.

"Now, Keiichi-chan, you don't know it was her. Something about this feels more like Marller's doing." The voice sounded like Ami's sounded when we were alone and sharing our love for each other. That meant it could only be one person.

**I'll check it out, Angel. Make sure the others recover from the light, ok?**

**Be careful, my love. If that really is Belldandy, then Marller may be real, too.**

**If she is, she'll find I'm not as easygoing as they are. I love you.**

**I love you, too.**

Sailor Mercury moved toward Sailor Moon as I left the room and made my way toward the front of the house. Just stepping up onto the floor inside the front door were one of the shortest men I've ever seen, and a woman with hair a lighter shade of brown than mine, beautiful violet-blue eyes, and marks on her cheeks and forehead. I offered henu to the couple and gestured toward the room the others were in.

"Morisato Keiichi, Belldandy, if you'd come this way, we can start to figure out what happened. And if your sister is here as well, she should come, too."

"Who are you, and what happened to our home?" Keiichi asked, stepping in front of Belldandy.

"They call me Demon Hunter. And if Sailor Mercury's initial reading of Skuld is accurate, this isn't your home. It's the equivalent of it in our universe."

"And it's not my fault," declared a woman with platinum blonde hair, green eyes, a tan Zonker Harris would kill for, marks on her cheeks and forehead, and enough raw sex appeal to make me very glad I'd given my heart to Ami. "All I was doing was watching TV."

Keiichi looked at Urd with one of those unmistakable "I'm not so sure I believe you" expressions we've all gotten at one time or another - usually after one of Minako's "great ideas" blows up in our faces. The look on Urd's face confirmed her claim, as far as I was concerned. Keiichi's disbelief hurt her, and she was trying to hide it.

"OK, so you're not the one who did it. And Belldandy thinks Marller might be involved. If she is, she might as well show herself now and save all of us some trouble." I looked around as I spoke, trying to get a feel for the place.

**Rei? Can you feel any demonic presences here?**

**Demonic? Not quite...there's something here...but compared to what we think of as demonic, it's a joke.**

**That's probably her, then. Where is it?**

**Above us. Maybe 100 meters.**

**Thanks.**

"Urd, would you fetch her? She's about 100 meters straight up. We'll be in that bedroom over there." I pointed at the room the Senshi were in. "Skuld was saying something about not being able to stop it when I came out here."

Urd growled and vanished in a puff of smoke. I looked to the others and gestured toward the bedroom. It was pretty obvious Keiichi had been in school far too long. He had just processed what I'd said, and was looking to Belldandy for reassurance.

" Your universe? Sailor Mercury? But Sailor Mercury's a character in a TV show!" Keiichi sounded remarkably like he'd just had an even bigger surprise than meeting Belldandy.

"He's right, Keiichi-chan. This isn't our world. I have a feeling his friends will be able to help us get home." She smiled lovingly at him, then turned her gaze on me with a smile as warm and open as any that Usagi could offer. "Would you introduce us to your friends, Demon Hunter-san?"

"Just call me Bill, ok?" I smiled and tipped my hat to her, then led them to the bedroom door. Inside, Skuld was wailing miserably. I didn't clearly understand anything she was saying, but the overall impression was that she believed she was here all alone and just wanted to be with her sisters.

Belldandy swept past us all and gathered Skuld into her arms, soon quieting her sister's cries. Keiichi moved to join them after Skuld had settled down, and she stuck her tongue out at him, a lot like Chibi-Usa often did to Usagi.

"I'm reading some residual extradimensional energy on that device," Sailor Mercury announced. "Two different kinds of energy, and they look like they're incompatible."

"Two different kinds?" Skuld, finally calmed enough to hear us clearly, looked shocked, then angry. "URD!"

"It wasn't Urd," Belldandy said gently. "Can't you feel it?"

Skuld whipped out a set of goggles that reminded me of stereotypical Ether Goggles, and studied the vacuum intently. While she was studying it, I moved to rest a hand gently on Sailor Mercury's shoulder.

**Can we duplicate the energies, Angel?**

**The hyperspatial energy will be easy. The other, I'm not so sure of. It's unlike anything any of us have ever used.**

**It's demonic, isn't it?**

**Sort of. But more chaotic and less evil.**

**So it was Marller.**

**That could be, but we should be certain before saying anything.**

"It looks like demonic energy," Skuld announced. "But that doesn't make sense, unless it was tampered with after I finished it."

"I'd say that's a good bet," Urd announced, appearing in a puff of smoke, holding a woman who looked like she could be her evil sister by the ear. "Tell us what you did, Marller, before I get angry."

**Uh-oh. Urd's voice is far too calm. Be ready for an explosion.**

The others shifted just a little, and Sailors Mars and Jupiter moved closer to Sailor Moon, ready to jump in front of her in an instant. Marller, wearing a pair of black leather jeans that looked as if they'd been painted on and a black T-shirt that was at least two sizes too small and made of spandex, with the logo "Evil means never having to say you're sorry" on it, winced as Urd twisted her ear.

"OK! OK! Just let go! All I did was drop a little time bomb into that...whatever it is!" Marller pointed at the vacuum. "It shouldn't have done...whatever it did."

"What it did, demon, was blow all of you out of your universe and into ours." I stalked toward her and glared into her eyes from close enough to feel her breathing. "Be thankful you're not a demon from my universe, or you'd already be dead. As it is...if you want to live - much less get home - you're going to have to work with us, not against us. Is that understood?"

"You did WHAT?" Skuld shrieked, whipping out a device about the size of a softball. "I'm gonna blast you to smithereens!"

"Bring it on, brat!" Marller brought up her hands and a ball of light began forming between them. When I laid the blade of my sword across her throat, she was sufficiently surprised for her energy ball to backfire, stunning her.

"Skuld! Don't!" Belldandy cried, moving to knock the device out of Skuld's hand. "If she was responsible for what happened, we need her to get home."

"And she needs us," Urd added, grinning maliciously at Marller. "This is too rich! If you want to get home, you're going to have to help us, Marller!"

As Urd broke into maniacal laughter, Marller glared at me. I shrugged and sheathed my sword, then offered her a hand.

"I don't need your help, mortal! You'll pay for your effrontery!" She raised her hands to attack, apparently not realizing how vulnerable she was, still half-sprawled on the floor. I dropped to one knee - ok, I dropped to one fist, and that fist was buried in her belly. Just because I wasn't going to kill her didn't mean I had to put up with any of her shit. The look of shock on her face was definitely worth the effort of leaving her alive.

"I don't think she'll be any more trouble, at least until she gets her breath back. Is she always this...hot-headed?" I moved to join Sailor Mercury and Skuld in examining the vacuum.

"No, sometimes she's worse," Urd laughed. "You should take some lessons from him, Keiichi! On second thought, don't." She looked a little worried as Keiichi's thoughtful gaze moved, from where Marller was trying to catch her breath, to her.

"I can't believe you're really here!" Sailor Moon gushed as she took Belldandy's hands. "I've got all your manga!"

"Are you sure that's not my manga?" Sailor Mars growled softly.

"Oh! Well, maybe they are! That doesn't matter, though. Are you really a Goddess?" Hurricane Usagi was definitely winding up for some major fan-flaking. Not that I could blame her. With the only person in existence who could out-cute Chibi-Usa, someone who could make Michiru and Haruka argue just by taking a deep breath, and the person I'd once compared Ami to for sheer sweetness and perfection, all here in our world, I'd be flaking too if I were as outgoing as she is.

"Yes, I really am a Goddess. My name is Belldandy, and this is my husband, Morisato Keiichi. I'm very pleased to meet you, although I wish it were under different circumstances."

"That's ok, with your sister, Sailor Mercury, and Bill working on it, we should have your...whatever that is...working in no time! I hope." Sailor Moon glanced over toward where the three of us were busily discussing what we'd need to properly diagnose the damage to Skuld's "Hyperdimensional Bug Vacuum".

"You're really Sailor Moon?" Keiichi asked. "And you're Tuxedo Mask...and...only the Inner Senshi?"

"Oh, yeah. The others are...Wait a minute...how do you know about us when you're not from this world?"

"My little sister...," he started, then blushed as Belldandy looked at him with the same kind of gaze Serenity used when she suspected someone of being less than truthful with her. "OK... I have all 200 episodes of your anime on tape, as well as all three movies, plus the Ami-chan Special." He blushed as if he'd just admitted to reading shojo manga.

"Did you hear that, gang? We're anime stars! That's just too cool!" Sailor Moon shrieked excitedly while the others rolled their eyes. Tuxedo Kamen stood over Marller, watching in case she decided to make trouble.

"And we appear in manga in your world?" Belldandy asked thoughtfully. "I wonder how that can be."

"Bill has a theory about that," Sailor Mars said. "It has to do with creative people being able to perceive other realities. You'll have to ask him to explain."

"Whatever it is, we can talk about it better over some cake! Let's all go to Bill and Ami's place!" Usagi's excitement steamrolled right over any possibility of rational thought.

That got my attention. The only way that demon was going into our house was either dead or bound. I stalked over to Marller and looked down at her.

"OK, demon. Here's the scoop. You can either let Belldandy bind you so you can't use your powers, or I can break both your arms and your legs, and cut your tongue out. We can always heal you up when it's time for you to go home." I guess even demons can get scared. She sure did. I'm not sure if it was my threat, or the matter-of-fact way I presented it. Whichever, it worked. Unfortunately, it also shocked the hell out of the Goddesses.

"Would you really do that?" Urd gasped, staring at me like I was some kind of poisonous snake.

"Since I can't be sure you could get home if I kill her, yes. I'm a demon hunter. I kill demons. And bound or crippled is the only way I'm going to let a live one in my home." I shrugged and looked down at Marller. "So which will it be?"

"Belldandy? Keep that maniac away from me!" Marller screamed and scrambled backward across the bedroom floor, trying to put as much room as she could between us. Belldandy moved to her and knelt at her side, trying to calm her, as I'd hoped she would.

**That was cruel, Bill.**

**Yes, Usagi, it was. And it worked exactly as I wanted it to.**

**What do you mean?**

**Look at them. Now she's willing to ask Belldandy for help, and Belldandy's willing to give it. I've got this feeling they're going to have to work pretty closely if they want to get home.**

**You're acting like your daughter again.**

**Well, she's not here. Somebody has to.**

I grinned at Usagi, and she stuck her tongue out at me. We laughed together and moved to join the other Senshi in preparing to teleport home.

Keiichi stared in shock at the man who'd just threatened Marller. The way he'd made the threat was so totally cold-blooded, it made her pranks seem almost harmless by comparison. And now he and Sailor Moon were laughing? This was nothing like the anime he remembered. And he was certain if anyone like that man had been in the anime, he'd have remembered him.

He moved to stand behind Belldandy, to offer her his love to counter the evil this man who called himself a demon hunter presented. He'd felt her horror when he'd made his threat, and how it had increased when he'd answered Urd so calmly. For the first time since meeting her, he felt sorry for Marller.

"Bel-chan?" he started, then shut up when he noticed her marks glowing as she chanted and held her hands over Marller.

"There. She is bound," Belldandy murmured, leaning tiredly against Keiichi. "I hope you're satisfied."

Keiichi caught Belldandy as her eyes closed in sleep, and looked toward the Senshi and the demon hunter. They formed a circle, with Tuxedo Kamen, the demon hunter, Keiichi, Belldandy, and Marller in the middle.

"Urd? Skuld? Would you stand with them, too?" Sailor Moon asked gently. "And don't forget your gadget, Skuld."

Urd and Skuld moved to flank Keiichi and Belldandy, watching the demon hunter suspiciously. Skuld had one of her balls in her hand, obviously ready to use it if he so much as twitched in their direction.

"Mercury!"

"Venus!"

"Mars!"

"Jupiter!"

"Moon!"

"SAILOR TELEPORT!"

Odd. That's not how they do it in the anime. Keiichi looked around in surprise as Skuld's bedroom was replaced by a living room with a shelving unit covering one wall, an entertainment center on another wall, and the remaining walls decorated with ink-painted scrolls and posters.

"If you'll follow me, the nearest spare room is next to my lab. I think we have a bed in it." The demon hunter tossed his fedora at a hat tree by the front door and moved toward a hallway as the Senshi separated.

"You missed, Bill!" Sailor Mercury laughed, as the hat missed and bounced off the wall above the shoe shelves. "Your record is still perfect."

"Oh, well," the demon hunter That's right, he said his name is Bill. shrugged with a warm smile. "It's not a weapon. What can you expect, Angel?"

"Oh, you!" Sailor Mercury hugged him and returned to her mundane appearance. "David! Make sure the power is on in the spare rooms, ok?"

"No problem, Ami," a gentle voice replied from an intercom panel. An intercom, in a house? Weird. "You're wrong, though, Dad. There's no bed in that room. Just a futon."

"Oh. Well, we'll let the demon have it, then. Belldandy deserves a proper bed."

"Upstairs, then. And what are you doing letting a live demon in the house? Ami, are you sure that's Dad?"

"Positive, David. Just ask Edgar."

"I don't like it. But if Skuld is willing to come talk with me, I think I could put up with it for a while."

"You'll have to ask her," Bill laughed. "They're our guests, until we figure out how to get them home. That reminds me...how much ice cream do we have in the kitchen?"

"Not enough. I'm sending out an order right now. What flavors do you like best, Skuld?"

"Huh? I...I like all of them." Skuld looked around the room, gasping in surprise as she saw one of the posters; an anime-style picture of her, Belldandy, and Urd, with angelic wings and covered only by strategically-placed locks of hair, a wing, or their hands. Surprisingly, though, it wasn't in the least hentai: it gave the impression of being almost inspired, like some Christian paintings.

"Isn't it neat?" Usagi asked, bouncing excitedly beside Skuld and looking toward the poster. "That's from the artist who did the manga and anime about you. See? It's even a limited edition print."

"Yeah, and Bill doesn't even follow your family," Ami chuckled with a teasing glance at the demon hunter. "Although one of his characters is someone named Geirahod."

"Geirahod?" Both Urd and Skuld exclaimed in stereo, looking toward Ami with surprised expressions.

"She's crazy!" Skuld exclaimed. "She thinks that going up against a swarm of demons single-handedly is fun !"

"She's a Valkyrie," Urd grumbled. "Crazy is part of the job description."

"That sounds like Bill's Geirahod," Ami laughed. "She's also a berserker."

"Well, that's a given. All Valkyries are berserkers," Urd said. "And she's a character?"

"I'm a writer," Bill said with a shrug as he walked over to pick up his hat and hang it on the coat tree, followed by his trenchcoat. "Geirahod's one of the heroes in my books."

"Geirahod?" Usagi asked, looking at Bill in confusion. "Who's that?"

"Elsie," Bill said, grinning. "Remember her?"

" Oh! The mad scientist berserker Valkyrie. Right!" Usagi laughed as her eyes lit up with understanding. "But we're being rude, talking about your books when poor Keiichi's holding Belldandy patiently. How long do you think she'll need to sleep, Keiichi-san?"

"If it was as hard to bind Marller as the last time she did it, she won't wake up until tomorrow," Keiichi murmured, moving to keep Urd and Skuld nearby and watching Bill suspiciously.

"It shouldn't have been as hard," Marller murmured, keeping the others between her and that maniac who'd threatened to cripple her. "I didn't fight her."

"Good," Bill said. "In that case, would you like some tea? If I know Makoto, she already has the water boiling."

"Actually, I already have a pot ready," Makoto said, coming into the living room from the hallway. "Setsuna made it before we got home."

"Thanks, Pumpkin," Bill murmured, almost too softly to hear, but clearly enough to surprise Keiichi. He obviously wasn't talking to Makoto when he said that, but who? Setsuna?

"I don't understand you," Marller growled at Bill, unsuccessfully trying to hide her confusion. "First you threaten to cripple me, now you're offering me tea?"

"That's right. I threatened to cripple you because you're not from this universe. While I can kill demons from this universe without worrying about the consequences, the fact that your bomb interacted with Skuld's vacuum to throw all of you here means that not only is there the worry of how my killing you here would throw your universe out of whack, there's also the problem that we may need you to throw another bomb into the works to generate the portal back to your universe." Bill shrugged. "And since you let Belldandy bind you, you're no more a menace to my family than a tailless kitsune is. Therefore, as long as you're here, I'll treat you as a guest. Do you think you can handle that?"

"This is just too weird. I need a drink. And not tea. Something stronger. A lot stronger." Marller shook her head slowly, as if trying to come to grips with what was going on. Keiichi really couldn't blame her.

"Well, if you can hang on until we get Belldandy in bed, I may be able to help you with that. Sorry, Urd. We don't keep much sake around here. You'll have to settle for mead, beer, or Lochanorra." Bill looked at Keiichi. "Can you manage her on your own, or would you like some help getting up the stairs?"

"I can manage," Keiichi said stubbornly, shifting Belldandy in his arms so her head was resting on his shoulder. Bill shrugged and headed for the stairs. Keiichi followed, up the stairs and into an open space, as large as the living room, on the second floor.

"David, which spare room has the queen size bed in it?"

"First one on the left. Fluorite got the last of his stuff out of it yesterday."

Keiichi noticed intercom panels by every door off this space. He followed Bill to a doorway near the front of the house, which Bill opened then stood beside so he could carry Belldandy in . I don't know what to think of him. I wish you were awake, Bel-chan. I really need your wisdom right now.

"Bathroom's the door straight ahead at the top of the stairs. If you need anything, just ask David."

"Who's David? And why is he talking over the intercom?"

"He's my son. He's talking over the intercom because he's a computer. He may not be as big as Yggdrasil, but he's alive. See you downstairs, eh?" Bill headed for the stairs, leaving Keiichi to tuck Belldandy in and wonder what kind of mess they were in now.

When I got back downstairs, everyone else was relaxing over some of Makoto's cake. Skuld and Usagi were happily comparing favorite ice cream treats, and Urd was snickering as she read a particularly perverted AMS dojinshi. Marller saw me and froze, like a rabbit under the shadow of a hawk.

**This isn't good, beloved. Scared people do stupid things.**

**I know, Angel. If I hadn't had to scare her to get her to turn to Belldandy for help, it would have made things a lot easier.**

**You're going to have to do something about it.**

**I know, I know...I scared her, so I have to un-scare her, somehow. It'd be a whole lot easier if I could just kill her and be done with it.**

**But she's not one of our demons.**

**I know. That's why she's still alive.**

**You'll figure it out.**

Ami wrapped her arms around my left arm and looked up at me with so much faith in her gaze I couldn't help blushing. With her believing in me so strongly, I had to at least try to calm the demon. I shared a kiss with her, and moved toward Marller. Marller, naturally, tried to scuttle away from me as I approached, only to back right into Mamoru, who gripped her arms and held her in place. When I got close enough to touch her, she turned her head away with a soft whimper.

"Marller, just listen to me, ok?" I reached out and turned her head to look at me. The terror in her eyes was actually kind of depressing. I don't like to see that in anything's eyes, even if it's something I'm killing. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Marller squeaked, and struggled to escape Mamoru's grasp. Luckily, it was pretty apparent she'd spent so many years relying on her supernatural powers to bail her out of stuff that her physical capabilities were pretty sad. When she realized she couldn't escape, she broke: she let out her terror in deep, wrenching sobs.

"Oh, shit," I muttered, then glanced over toward the others. I noticed with relief that Urd was already on her feet. "Urd, would you please help her? I know you're the closest to her, and she's too scared of me to even hear me offer her a promise."

Urd nodded and swept in to take her out of Mamoru's grasp. As she held the demon in her arms, her sobs slowly subsided. Marller grasped her as if she were a life preserver, while Urd crooned softly to her and stroked her hair. Eventually, Urd nodded to me.

"Marller, will you listen to me now? You know Urd can protect you, so you're safe. If you understand, just nod, ok?" It was hard to think of her as a demon when she was so frightened - especially given that her aura of evil really was as pathetic as Rei had described. In our world, she was barely as evil as a dark faerie. Even the most minor demon would chew her up and spit her out.

Marller nodded, glanced my way, and squeaked in fear before trying to hide herself in Urd's arms. I gave a heavy sigh; my expression must have surprised Urd, given the look she gave me before murmuring softly to Marller.

"Marller, I promise that I will do nothing to harm - or even hurt - you, as long as you promise you won't try any of your demonic tricks. Now that I can see you more clearly, I realize you're not like one of our demons. I'm going to have to protect you from them, just like I would a human. If you'll let me, I'd like to try and make you feel welcome for as long as you're here. Will you let me do that?"

Marller looked at me with more surprise than Urd had a moment before, and then - questioningly - back up at Urd.

"He's telling the truth, Mara. If you want me to witness the promise, I will."

"But...what he threatened...even one of my superiors wouldn't do those things! That's just so...."

"If your superiors are as evil as you are, I'm not surprised. In this world, you're barely as evil as one of the dark fae. A demon from this world is so much more evil than you, you'd look like a saint by comparison."

"Dark fae?" Marller asked - for both of them. From their expressions, it appeared the concept was outside of their universe.

"Yeah. Dark fae. Like banshees, tommyknockers, svartalf, trolls, things like that."

"Those are all annoying, but I wouldn't call them dark," Urd said. "More like a pain in the butt."

"That's in your world, apparently. In this world, they're as evil as Marller - and real demons compare to her the way she compares to Belldandy."

"Oh." Urd's voice was small as she considered the implications. Marller's eyes grew as big as Skuld's, and she whimpered softly.

"So...Marller, I'd like to apologize for scaring you the way I did. My only excuse is that I was treating you the way I'd treat one of our demons if I was forced to let it live." I offered her a hand and an encouraging smile. "I'd like to invite you to share in our hospitality; to be a guest, not a prisoner. Who knows? You might decide you like it."

" We'd like to invite you," Ami said as she slipped her arms around me. "What Bill said applies to me, too. If you're willing to be our guest, we'd like to make you welcome."

Belldandy opened her eyes and looked around to get her bearings. The last thing she remembered was binding Marller, and being surprised when she didn't resist. Even without resistance, a binding that powerful took a lot out of her. Now she felt Keiichi's hands holding hers, and smiled contentedly. As long as she was with him, everything would be all right.

"Bel-chan? How do you feel?" He sounded worried and confused, so she sat up and gave him a gentle kiss.

"I'm alright, Keiichi-chan. What's wrong?" She smiled at him, feeling her love rise within her as he relaxed to her presence.

"It's that man. Bill. He's...." He gave up, obviously unable to describe how he felt.

"He's as hard as Tyr. You've never met him. He's one of the Aesir, and absolutely inflexible when it comes to fighting evil. Tyr would have killed Marller the first time she troubled us, if he'd been with us. He wouldn't have seen how harmless she ultimately is - just that she's a demon and therefore must be destroyed."

"That sounds like this guy, all right. How can you trust someone like that?" Keiichi's worry bothered her; she slipped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest.

"He's basically good, Kei-chan. We just have to find a way to teach him that good and inflexible are not the same. Where is everyone else?"

"Downstairs. We're in his and Sailor Mercury's house. It's kind of weird, seeing all of them in reality - and then him and Sailor Mercury together. It's not something I'd expect of her."

"Any more than you'd expected me to say 'yes' when you asked me to marry you?" Belldandy teased him gently, hoping it would lighten his mood a little. She was rewarded by his blush and smile. His insecurity about being "just a mortal" still held him, even after four years of marriage - but at least he'd gotten far enough through it to enjoy it when she teased him about it.

"I don't know," Keiichi murmured. "You're everything I dream of...my heart, my light, my reason for living."

"As you are for me," she whispered happily. "As they are for each other. I think we should join the rest, don't you?"

"If you think so," Keiichi murmured, stroking her hair soothingly - as much to sooth himself as her, she thought.

He's just too basically nice to face things like this. I hope I can help him recover quickly.

Keiichi helped her to her feet; when she twined her fingers in his, he returned her loving smile and led her toward the door.

We were scattered around the room, relaxing after one of Makoto's wonderful dinners. Bill was cuddling Ami as they talked with Marller. Urd was loudly laughing with Minako - probably over some idol they both thought was hot; Skuld was hunched over her vacuum with some tools she'd borrowed from Bill's lab.

**Usagi? Would you like to bring Hotaru over to Bill's house?**

**Sure, Mom. What's up?**

**We have guests, and one of them is your age. I think she might like a friend.**

**Really? Cool! What's her name?**

**Skuld.**

**That's a weird name. It sounds like something from one of your manga.**

**That's because it is something from one of my manga.**

**Say what? We're on our way.**

**Don't worry, Spore. She's not going anywhere before you get here.**

**Pbbbt!**

I laughed as I cut the connection and leaned against Mamoru. It was so good to have her here, even though it had taken some adjusting to think of her as old enough to fall in love. Rei glanced our way with so much longing in her eyes I just had to reach out to invite her over. When she leaned against me so I could wrap an arm around her, the world felt complete.

"That leaves Makoto all alone, Dumpling," Mamoru murmured teasingly into my ear, leaving me giggling as his lips tickled me. "Are you sure you don't want to invite her to join us, too?"

"Pbbbt!" I twisted my head so I could give him a proper raspberry. "You just want to lure them all into your harem."

"I do? Here I thought it was your harem we were talking about." Mamoru used his most innocent tone of voice and expression as he spoke. Rei giggled and looked up so she could stick her tongue out at him. I grabbed the nearest pillow and started hitting him over the head with it.

"You are bad ! I should punish you for that!" It was hard to make myself understood, I was laughing so hard. He does that to me.

He laughed and caught my hand, plucked the pillow out of it, and tossed it away as he drew me in for a kiss that made it impossible to do anything but feel my love for him. Then a pillow hit us both in the head, Rei let out a shriek of laughter, and the war was on. I guess that's why Ami and Bill keep so many pillows in the living room. It seems as if we end up in a pillow fight every time we're here.

"Pillow fight! All right!" Chibi-Usa laughed from the front door. I guessed Setsuna had brought them here, since they were still staying in Michiru's house, as far as I knew. She had her shoes off in an instant and was diving for the nearest pillow with so much enthusiasm I had to laugh.

Hotaru followed, much more sedately - at least until the first pillow hit her. She's still the most reserved of us, even after a year of the Spore's influence - but at least she felt loved enough to open up when encouraged. Like now - when that pillow hit her, her face went from shocked to calculating in an instant, and she laughed as she snatched it up to join in the fight.

The first any of us knew Belldandy was awake was when Skuld suddenly shrieked happily and launched herself across the room to embrace her.

"Oneesama! You're awake! You've got to try Mako-chan's cake! It's almost as good as yours!" She kind of reminded me of what Chibi-Usa was like when she let herself go and just had fun. Then she looked at Keiichi and stuck her tongue out at him with an audible "Biiih!" I had to laugh at that. That was so much like the Spore, I couldn't stop myself.

"She reminds you of someone, doesn't she?" Mamoru asked, hugging me from behind. "She reminds me of her, too. The question is, will Chibi-Usa see the resemblance?"

"Hey, Sprout! Look at that! Someone else who acts like you! Will the world be able to stand it?" Bill grinned as he teased my daughter.

"Bill no baka!" she shouted back, then followed up by sticking her tongue out at him.

"Ah! I'm cut to the heart! Wounded to the core!" he declaimed melodramatically as he clutched his chest and fell backwards - into Marller's arms. She looked down at him with a surprised expression, then at Ami.

"Is your husband always like this?" Marller asked, holding Bill as if she didn't quite know what to do with him.

"No," Ami laughed, as Bill reached up to pull her down for a kiss. "Sometimes he's worse."

Marller looked toward Belldandy with a "what do I do now ?" expression on her face. Belldandy smiled and looked lovingly into Keiichi's eyes.

"I'm glad to see the two of you have settled your differences," Belldandy said as she and Keiichi walked toward Marller. "We were worried."

"Well, he's still a maniac," Marller said, smiling down at the top of Bill's head.

"And she's still a menace," he shot back with a grin. "But I think we can get along."

Marller stuck her tongue out and smacked him over the head with a pillow. Ami laughed and jumped back out of the way, leaving Bill to deal with it on his own. Belldandy laughed, a musical sound that made it easy to believe all was right with the world.

Hotaru and Chibi-Usa descended on Skuld together, with Usagi laughing warmly as she introduced her sweetheart. Skuld looked surprised, and whipped out her goggles to stare at Hotaru through them. At the look on her face, I started to go over to join them, but Mamoru held me firmly and nuzzled my ear while whispering softly to me.

"Don't you think they'll do better if they work this out for themselves, Dumpling? You know Chibi-Usa will never let anything happen to Hotaru, and she'd probably be upset if you butted in."

He was right - and his nuzzling was distracting. I leaned back against him with a sigh and let him continue distracting me. Besides, I noticed Rei and Makoto had collapsed together when the pillow fight had run down, and I was hoping something would come of it. I remembered when she'd been attracted to Haruka, and still wasn't sure whether it was romantically or just because Haruka was so much like her in some ways. It looked like Rei wasn't sure, either. Either way, I couldn't help but wish them the best.

Marller looked down at this strange human who had, just a few hours earlier, threatened to cripple her - and who now was treating her like a friend. None of this made any sense, but she hadn't felt this good since she and Urd had been young. Not for the first time, she cursed the fate that had made Urd a goddess and her a demon.

When she hit him over the head with a pillow, he just laughed and fell to the floor, sticking his tongue out at her the way Skuld did so frequently to Keiichi. The feelings she was experiencing were confusing; so confusing she didn't know how to deal with them.

"You...how am I supposed to deal with you?" she growled at the laughing human. She had to think of him as just a human, or she might actually start to develop a fondness for him.

"Oh, I don't know...you could always try dancing with me." He rolled to his feet like some crazy martial artist and bowed toward her as music began playing over the house's intercom system.

I didn't know quite what to think. Usagi, Rei, and Bill all seemed to know about the strangers, and he'd reacted to the one with the v-shaped marks on her forehead as if she were a demon. Hell, he'd even called her a demon when he'd threatened to cripple her. But now he was laughing with her like she was one of us. Then, seeing Rei leaning against Usagi like that had stirred feelings I haven't felt since reaching an understanding with Haruka. I was glad when the pillow fight started.

When Skuld launched herself across the room at Belldandy, we all stopped and stared in surprise. The shriek she'd emitted sounded an awful lot like Chibi-Usa's shriek when she was pouncing on Usagi or Mamoru. I decided I was going to have to get Belldandy to do some cooking with me, so I could see just how good she really is.

When the pillow fight stopped, Rei was next to me; I sank down onto a pillow and she followed me, flashing a warm smile.

"I think it'll all work out, Mako-chan. Look at how Belldandy and Marller are reacting."

If she knew what being close to her like this does to me...I couldn't take her from Usagi. I'd never forgive myself if I did that. I started to shift away from her, and she laid a hand on mine.

"Don't, Mako-chan. Please? If you'd rather...I went away...I will. But I don't want you to think you have to go. But I have to know."

"What about Usagi?"

"Look at her, Mako-chan. Does she look like she's unhappy with my being here? Do you remember when you were so close to Haruka? I've wondered...since then."

She's wondered since then? If only she knew...if only I knew. I still don't know exactly what I felt, about Haruka or about any other woman. I think that's why she was so careful to let me down gently. I looked into Rei's eyes and saw the same love I've always seen there - and something more. I raised my hand to her cheek, just as David started playing some music.

As the music played, Rei blushed and ducked her head. It didn't make any sense to me; the music sounded like Michiru and Haruka. When the singing began, it suddenly made lots of sense. Somehow, David had managed to get a recording of Rei singing with them - and her voice was as beautiful as ever.

"I'm gonna kill him," Rei growled softly.

"Kill him? Why? It's beautiful. As beautiful as you are." I smiled and squeezed her hand.

"That was private, that's why. I didn't know anyone was recording it. And I'll bet they didn't know, either."

"I don't think David would play it if there wasn't a good reason. At least, I hope he wouldn't." I smiled at her and touched her lips with a fingertip. "Why don't you just lean back and watch the show?"

She blushed and leaned back against me, and we watched as Bill danced across the living room with the demon. Usagi and Mamoru rose to join them, followed quickly by Chibi-Usa and Hotaru. When Belldandy and Keiichi joined in, Ami came over to settle beside us. Minako had returned to chattering with Urd, so it was just the three of us.

"So what do you two think? Should I be jealous, or should we jump him again and remind him where he belongs?" Ami laughed, watching Bill dance with the demon.

"At least she's not quivering in terror anymore," I said. "And you know how faithful he is."

"I know," Ami chuckled. "That's why I'm not worried. So what about you two, huh?" She smiled at us and leaned over to kiss both of our cheeks. "Usagi's not the only one who's happy to see the two of you together. No matter how it turns out."

"Give us some time?" Rei asked quietly. "We'd really rather not be Minako'ed."

"You know me better than that, Rei," Ami laughed softly. "Now if you two will excuse me, I have to go rescue my husband."

Rei and I laughed together as Ami left us. Bill didn't look like he needed rescuing, but we knew how much she enjoyed dancing with him. I tugged Rei to her feet and smiled down at her when she looked up. She looked so beautiful, I couldn't resist giving her a kiss as we began to dance.

The music continued, with Rei blushing anew as each song began and her voice came through the speakers. Sometime during the music, Usagi cut in and stole Rei, while Mamoru swept me away.

"Thanks, Makoto. Seeing Rei smile means a lot to me - to both of us." He's so kind, it's easy to see how someone could fall in love with him. I looked up and felt myself blushing.

"It means a lot to me, too. But won't Usagi be unhappy?" I knew how close she and Rei had become in the last year, and I didn't want to interfere with that.

"We thought you'd be worried about that," Mamoru chuckled softly. "That's why she's with Rei right now. What Usagi wants - what both of us want - is for Rei to know she's loved, and for you both to feel free to decide what your feelings for each other are without anyone interfering."

"Boy, am I glad you don't look like my old senpai," I laughed softly as I rested my head on his chest. "Otherwise, I think I'd risk making Usagi mad after a speech like that."

"Bad girl," he laughed, giving me a quick squeeze before steering us back toward Usagi and Rei. As we swapped partners, Rei suddenly stood still, staring into space above the front door. The music stopped dead, and we all waited for her to speak.

"There's something evil...out front. Something demonic."

"David! Cameras!" Bill snapped, and the television came on, showing the view in front of the house. The view was clear, except for one figure on the sidewalk outside the front gate. Whoever it was, was trying to get into the yard, but looked as if they were running into an invisible wall. I thought that was likely, given Bill's business. This place was probably as heavily warded as the shrine.

"That's it!" Rei exclaimed. "Whoever it is feels familiar."

"Venus, keep her from getting killed. Saturn, be ready to heal her. Ami...." Ami barely had time to get into position to catch him before Bill collapsed like a bag of rice. No matter how many times I see him do that, it's still disconcerting.

Minako and Hotaru transformed and ran for the front door. I caught Rei and steered her toward Usagi and Mamoru. The Goddesses gathered together, a few feet away from us, while Marller hovered indecisively between them and Ami.

On the screen, the figure screamed - a far too familiar scream - and collapsed. As it collapsed, another figure ran into view and caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Oh no, not again," Usagi whispered sadly. I'm sure we all felt the same. I know I did. Why is it that every time a new enemy shows up, she's the one to be targeted?

"There's got to be something about her that attracts them," Rei murmured sadly. "We're going to have to find out what it is if she's ever going to have a chance of peace."

"For now, we're going to have to figure out how to keep Umino from blabbing," I growled, pressing Rei into Usagi's arms and heading for the door. "I'll just have a word with him."

The door burst open before I could get to it, and Umino came in with Naru in his arms. The look in his eyes made it clear the only thing he wanted to talk about was her condition. Ami joined me as I took her from his arms and laid her on some pillows that had ended up piled together.

"Please help her?" Umino begged tearfully. I took his arm and steered him toward where Chibi-Usa had a cup of tea waiting. Once I was sure he wasn't going to drop or spill the tea, I turned to look back toward Ami and Naru.

Belldandy was kneeling beside them, holding her hands over Naru's heart. A glow was coming from between her hands - a glow that looked an awful lot like the Silver Crystal's glow. The glow sank into Naru's body and vanished; Belldandy sank back on her heels, into Keiichi's arms.

When Naru's eyes opened, I almost wish they hadn't. It wasn't that there was any pain in them, because there wasn't. Instead, they were empty - completely vacant - as if she wasn't there anymore. Even with everything I've seen as Sailor Jupiter, there's nothing more horrible than that vacant stare. I looked up at Usagi, and saw she was feeling the same horror.

"What happened?" Marller asked from behind me. "What's wrong with her?"

"She was possessed," Rei growled softly. "By a demon."

"A demon? But that's not supposed to happen! It never happened to anyone I've possessed!" Marller looked as shocked as she sounded. "What kind of monster could do that?"

"An imp," Bill groaned. He was just sitting up where Ami had lowered him to the floor. "Just a fucking imp. Didn't take any effort at all to kill it, but the damage was already done."

"An imp? But imps are harmless!" Marller exclaimed in disbelief. "How could this happen?"

"Go in and see for yourself. I tried to find her, but wherever she is, I can't go." He joined us around Naru and gently brushed her hair back. Ever since the day he promised to kill her if Fluorite managed to capture her again, he's been kind of like a big brother to her. It was obvious he was grasping for any hope - any at all.

"I can't," Marller murmured. "Not as long as I'm bound. I wish I could. This isn't right."

"It's evil. It's what demons do. At least, it's what they do in this world." He hung his head, but I could see the tears on his cheeks. "And it was just a damned imp. Not even a dangerous demon. I wish you could see what it did to her."

"Belldandy? You've got to release me. I've got to see. Maybe I can find her!" Marller grabbed Belldandy's hands and pleaded, her face an anguished mask. Belldandy looked from her to Bill. I wasn't so sure Belldandy could do it. She looked almost as drained as Usagi is after using the Crystal.

"If you're not too tired," Bill murmured. "She gave her promise, and Urd witnessed it. If she can help . . .."

Belldandy nodded and reached out to touch Marller's forehead. The marks on her face glowed, and a moment later the marks on Marller's forehead glowed.

"Be careful, Mara," she murmured. "If she wakes while you're in her, you could be trapped."

"Better that, than this," Marller growled softly. It was kind of hard to believe she was a demon, the way she was reacting to this. But Bill, Rei, and Usagi all seemed to be convinced she was, and they knew more about these people than any of the rest of us.

Marller's marks began glowing as she gazed into Naru's eyes, and she collapsed into Bill's arms. He arranged her on the floor beside Naru and covered them both with a blanket.

"All we can do now is wait. And pray," he murmured, settling back into Ami's arms.

The landscape inside Naru's head was bleak and dismal. Everywhere Marller looked, she saw memories of attacks on her body and soul, as far back as her childhood. The creatures she'd been attacked by seemed to range from a possessed friend to demons of a kind Marller had never seen before. What amazed her, even more than the vile nature of the threats, was how Naru kept coming back, with a bravery that rivaled Keiichi's - and she didn't have three Goddesses to protect her. A heart this brave did not deserve to suffer the way she had.

You don't know me, Naru, but I'm not going to let you be destroyed by this. I will find you, no matter what it costs.

Marller searched, finding only darkness and sorrow everywhere she looked. The older memories were - oddly enough - easiest to unearth; as she came closer to the present, the memories were mingled with greater and greater amounts of despair. The despair kept mounting with each remembered attack, until even approaching a memory was like wading through a pit of tar. Marller's anger rose in concert with Naru's despair, until her marks glowed with her rage. If this was what demons were like on this world, SHE would do her best to destroy them.

Her journey came to an abrupt halt when she encountered a wall that stretched in all directions, farther than she could sense. Her rage was so great by the time she reached it that she simply dove into it, intending to blast her way through. The shock of contact blasted her back, whimpering with the horror of what the wall contained.

Oh, Hel...what happened in this world? How could they have gone so wrong?

Marller slowly uncurled as she fought down the memories Naru had created the wall from. That a demon had ravaged her soul so brutally was horrifying enough, but that she had survived the experience was even more horrible. There had to be some way through the wall; she knew that if SHE had experienced what Naru had, she'd have made the wall...could that be the answer?

We were stuck. Marller was in Naru's head, and all we could do was pray she could bring her back. If we'd been at the shrine, Grandfather and Yuuichiro could have helped me reach her, but I couldn't do it on my own; I'm not nearly as adept out of my body as Bill is - and I wouldn't risk someone else's soul on my inexperience. The one thing I could do was watch them, so if - no, I had to believe in when - they came back, we'd be ready to help them.

"Will she be all right?" Umino asked unsteadily. I had to feel for him. He really did love Naru, and he had to be feeling as helpless as we did right now.

"I hope so," Bill said softly. "Marller's our best chance right now. We have to give her time to work."

"Marller? Like...the demon from Aa! Megamisama!? But...how can you trust a demon?" Umino didn't sound nearly as incredulous as I'd expected - and his question was a good one, given that he hadn't been there from the beginning like we had.

"She gave us her word. I trust her. And you know what I think of demons." I almost had to laugh at that. If Umino hadn't figured out what Bill thinks of demons by now, he definitely was not suited for journalism.

"Sailor Moon, do you trust her?"

Shit. Does everyone know who we are? And how long has he known?

"Bill trusts her," Usagi said softly. "If he trusts her, with his hatred for demons, then I trust her. All we can do is wait. And pray."

Umino nodded and moved to take Naru's hand, only to be stopped by Urd.

"Don't. If you disturb her, they could both be lost forever." Urd's voice was gentle, understanding, and a lot less sensuous than I'd expected. "Have faith in her. Have faith in them both."

"Trust her," Bill murmured. "Please, Umino. I don't want to have to keep the promise I made a year ago. But if Marller can't bring her back, it'll be the only way to free her."

I didn't want him to have to keep that promise, either. But if Marller couldn't bring her back, killing her would be the only way to free her. Even if Marller did succeed, we'd have to fight to keep her from killing herself. What Fluorite had done to her had driven her to the edge, but I was afraid this had driven her over it. No, let's be honest. I knew this had driven her over the edge. But would we be able to bring her back? I didn't want to think of the likely answer.

**David, give me a telephone connection, please.**

**Sure, Rei. Where to?**

**The shrine.**

I shivered and leaned against Makoto. She wrapped her arms around me and nuzzled my temple. Feeling her breath stir my hair helped - it distracted me from worrying about Naru, at least a little.

"Thanks, Mako-chan," I whispered, covering her hands with my own.

**Hikawa Shrine. How may I help you?**

**Yuuichiro! Is Grandfather there?**

**Rei? What's wrong? You sound upset.**

**I need your help. And Grandfather's. Please get him for me?**

**All right. I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere.**

"It'll be ok," Makoto whispered, squeezing me gently. "Won't it?"

"I hope so. I'm trying to get Grandfather right now."

**Rei? What is it? Yuuichiro said you sound upset.**

**It's Naru, Grandfather. She's been possessed. We got rid of the demon, but now she won't come back.**

**You may need someone to lead her back. Can you do that?**

**I can't, but someone who can is already trying. Isn't there anything more we can do?**

**Pray. We'll do all we can from here. Stay with her, Rei. It'll make it easier for us.**

**Thank you, Grandfather. I hate fighting an enemy I can't touch.**

**There are some battles even Sailor Mars can't fight. This sounds like one of them. Just remember that love and friendship are powerful weapons - and sometimes the only ones that will work.**

**I'll try. I'm scared, Grandfather. Even if we bring her back, she's been hurt so many times, and you know what Bill had to promise to keep her from killing herself the last time.**

**Love and friendship, Rei. Keep your focus on that, and you'll be able to help her through. In the end, she has to choose to live - but you can give her reasons to make that choice. I'd better go and feed the fire. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night.**

**Thank you, Grandfather. I'll tell the others.**

**Good girl. I have faith in you.**

"Rei?" Makoto murmured gently, nuzzling my ear and squeezing my hands. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, Mako-chan. Grandfather and Yuuichiro are going to give us all the help they can from the shrine." I let her hold me, glad that my hopes hadn't turned out false. I needed someone right now...Usagi would have been my first choice, but Makoto was so warm...so strong...so real - and willing to accept me as I am.

Minako looked wistfully at the rest of us; she was the only one here who didn't have someone to lean on. Even though she makes me almost as crazy as Usagi, I couldn't just leave her looking sad like that. I offered her a hand; a moment later, I saw Makoto's hand extended with mine. Minako looked surprised, then smiled radiantly and moved to join us.

"Are you sure I'm not intruding?" she asked as she knelt beside us. We answered by taking her hands and pulling her close.

"Now is not the time to be alone, Mina-chan. Grandfather just reminded me that love and friendship are the most powerful weapons we have - and I'm sure we're going to need them before the night is out."

"We may not be idols, but we're your friends, Mina-chan. We love you." Makoto claims she's not good at expressing her feelings. That sounded like a pretty good expression to me. It must have to Minako, too. Her smile grew until it was almost as wonderful as Usagi's, and she leaned into our arms with a happy sigh.

Belldandy was sleeping in Keiichi's arms. I guess she wasn't as recovered as we'd thought when she came downstairs. Still, as long as we didn't have any more unwelcome surprises tonight, she could recover in peace. Urd and Skuld were watching Naru and Marller intently - Urd with a worried expression, and Skuld through her goggles. I wondered what she was seeing, or if she was seeing anything at all.

Chibi-Usa was trying to comfort Hotaru; she looked as if she was remembering when Mistress 9 had possessed her. I wished I could do something to ease her mind, but had to settle for praying that Chibi-Usa could do it with her love. As I prayed, I felt echoes of the Sacred Flame around me. I knew that Grandfather and Yuuichiro were doing their best to help, and hoped it would be enough.

I hope she finds Naru soon. I've never seen anyone gone this long before.

Skuld watched intently, hoping she'd made her goggles sensitive enough to give her warning of Marller and Naru's return in time to warn everyone else. She didn't know what this promise was that nobody wanted to keep, but if they didn't return, the only way to free them would be...she looked up in shock and stared at Bill. He'd promised to kill her? What could be so horrible that she would demand a promise like that?

Bill was leaning against Ami the way Belldandy so often leaned against Keiichi. Skuld still didn't like it - her sister with a mortal, no matter how nice he was - but Belldandy so obviously loved him that she'd given up fighting it. Besides, Keiichi had done everything short of adopting her in his attempts to convince her that he liked her, too. It was kind of nice to have a big brother, even if he was just a mortal.

**What's wrong, Skuld? You looked as if someone just punched you in the gut.**

**You promised her...wait a minute! How are you doing this?**

**It's not easy. It'd be a lot easier if I were out of my body. And it's a whole lot easier with Ami - but telepathy is a kind of magic associated with Mercury.**

**You're sure full of surprises. Did you actually promise her you'd kill her?**

**You figured it out, eh? Yeah. It was the only way to keep her from killing herself the last time something like this happened.**

**The last time? Does this happen a lot?**

**She attracts monsters the way a magnet attracts iron. Ever since she was a kid, every time a monster shows up, there's at least a one in four chance she'll be one of its victims.**

**Wow. I thought the show exaggerated it. It's really that bad?**

**Yeah. That's why I'm praying for Marller to succeed. Naru's kind of like a little sister to me.**

**Why didn't you go in after her?**

**I don't know how. And even if I did, I'm not sure I could. Just because I can leave my body doesn't mean I can go into someone else's. And going into someone else's mind is right out. I might as well wish to be a god as try something like that.**

**I wonder if that's a real limitation, or a self-imposed one.**

**Either way, it doesn't help Naru. Or Marller.**

**You sound as worried for Marller as for Naru. Are you sure it's safe to worry about a demon?**

**She's not like the demons in this world. I don't know - I feel like I want to protect her from what she's certain to discover here.**

**You're weird, do you know that?**

**Yup. That's me: a whirling vortex of weirdness.**

He grinned at her; without thinking, she stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled and sank against Ami, looking a lot more tired than he had before he'd contacted her. What was it about these mortals that made them so likable? Even the really scary one - Hotaru - was likable. Definitely not what she'd expected from an avatar of the God of Ruin.

Four hours had passed since Marller had gone into Naru, and there was still no sign of them. Skuld looked over at Urd, who shook her head quietly, looking just as worried as she felt. The longer this went on, the more it bothered her - and no matter how much she tried to think of a better alternative, the more time passed, the more worried she felt.

I could feel when Bill reached out to Skuld, and when he collapsed against me, I wrapped my arms around him and held him close. He's not as good with telepathy as I am, and it takes a lot of energy for him to do it. At least he'd managed to make Skuld smile, though. I felt him reach up stroke my hair and sighed happily. He could be so loving; I covered his hand with my own and bent my head to return his kiss.

"Maybe you can help her, Angel," he murmured softly. I couldn't resist him when he called me that - even if I did tease him a lot about putting me on a pedestal. "Your visor is programmed to analyze a lot of stuff like this, right? Maybe you can see something she can't."

"You have a point, love." He did, too. As far as we could tell, they'd never had to deal with anything like this, so Skuld wasn't likely to have programmed her goggles for it.

**I'm going to use my visor, everyone.**

"Mercury Crystal Power, MAKE UP!"

As soon as I'd transformed, I activated my visor and studied Naru and Marller. It was almost like looking at Bill's body when he's out of it - except that their energy levels were so low I almost couldn't measure them. If they didn't come back soon, I was afraid they wouldn't come back at all. We had to come up with something soon, or they would both be dead.

**Edgar, David, link with my computer.**

**Understood.**

**You got it, Ami.**

I retrieved my computer and started work. With Edgar and David linked in, the analysis went a lot faster than it would have if I'd been working alone. The answer we came up with wasn't reassuring at all. At the rate their energy was fading, if they didn't come back within the next fifteen minutes, the only chance they had of ever coming back was if we killed them. I couldn't accept that solution; we started work again, looking for any alternative that would let us rescue them.

**Ami, what if we gave them an energy infusion?**

**Have you done a projection?**

**This is what it looks like.**

Edgar's data assumed far less than the amount of energy Serenity could draw from the Silver Crystal, so it was possible we could do it. With two goddesses and Usagi here, I was certain we could come up with the necessary energy. If it worked, we could extend their survival time as long as necessary.

"Urd, do you have any of your restorative incense with you? Or any other restorative that doesn't need to be swallowed?" Some of her incense would be the best choice, if she had it. They could take it in by breathing, and it would continue to support them as long as it was burning.

"Uh...let me look." Urd sounded distracted, as if my question had brought her back from a long way away. I suppose I should have expected that. Of the three, she was the closest to Marller, despite their ongoing rivalry. She searched through her outfit, accessing several hyperspatial pockets before finally retrieving a bundle of incense coils. After sorting through the bundle, she finally held up one coil. "This one."

While I sighed in relief, Setsuna appeared with a length of string and a thumbtack. While she was hanging the incense over them, I searched through the otaku cabinet for some matches I remembered Bill had dropped there a couple weeks before. By the time I found them and returned, Rei had already lit the incense. She smiled and shrugged before returning to wait with Makoto and Minako.

**Hey, I'd be a pretty sad priestess if I couldn't even light a fire, don't you think?**

**Thanks, Rei. Now we just need to pray it works.**

**What is it?**

**Hopefully, enough energy to keep them from dying before they find their way back to us.**

I studied Naru and Marller and let out a sigh of relief. The incense was already working; the energy readings after just a few moments were high enough that even if they didn't get any more, they'd be able to survive for another two hours.

"How long will it burn, Urd?" My expression of relief must have heartened her some; she smiled as she answered.

"It's supposed to burn for twelve hours. And it'll restore everyone who breathes it, not just those two."

"Everyone?" I glanced at Belldandy as I asked. If her incense could restore a Goddess, it was a lot more powerful than I thought.

"Yes, even her," Urd confirmed, with a gentle smile in Belldandy's direction. It was kind of strange, but it made sense in a way, too. She really did love her little sister, even if she picked weird ways to show it.

Bill slipped his arms around me from behind and nuzzled the top of my head. I leaned back against him with a relieved sigh. The incense had already restored his energy, and he was letting me know I had one less thing to worry about.

"Oneesan! It's working!" Skuld squealed excitedly as she watched our patients. "How did you make it so strong?"

"I'll tell you, if you promise you won't tell Kami-sama," Urd said with a proud smile. Skuld's eyes grew wide and she stared at Urd in surprise before speaking.

"You did something you'll get in trouble for again, didn't you?" She looked down at Naru and Marller for a moment before speaking again. "Well, whatever it was, it's working. All right, I promise. I won't tell Kami-sama."

"You know how the recipe calls for a mug of beer, right?" When Skuld nodded, Urd grinned triumphantly. "In this batch, I used a mug of the Dark."

Skuld's gasp was echoed by Bill's. I turned my head to look up at him, and saw the first awed expression I'd seen on his face since the day of our wedding, when the kitsune came to greet Serenity and Endymion.

"In your universe...it's real?" he asked incredulously.

"Not only is it real," Skuld murmured, looking worriedly at Urd, "it's Kami-sama's personal stock. If he ever finds out...."

"That's why I needed you to promise you wouldn't tell him," Urd said softly. "If anyone's going to tell him, it's got to be me. He expects ME to get into trouble."

**OK, what's the Dark?** Trust Usagi to ask the question we're all wondering about.

**It's beer. Very special beer. Imagine what would happen if you brewed beer on the grave of the first hero, and let it age there for a few centuries, until it had absorbed the essence of what made him a hero. That's the Dark.**

**That sounds like a magic potion.**

**It's that, too. I first read about it in a novel called "The Drawing of the Dark". It figures it would be Kami-sama's personal stock. It's too potent for humans to drink safely.**

"Oneesan," Belldandy whispered, looking up at Urd through half-opened eyes. "Do you know why Kami-sama keeps it for himself?"

"No," Urd said with a shrug. "I never asked."

"It's because it's too dangerous," Belldandy murmured. "It restores more than your energy and health. It restores the most important memories of your past lives, too - the ones that had the most profound effect on who you are in this life. You don't just remember them - you re-live them."

**Oh, shit. David, lock down the house. Everyone get together with Usagi and Mamoru. Chibi-Usa, Hotaru, that means you, too. Setsuna-chan?**

**I'm here, Father. Don't worry. I'll watch over all of you.**

Setsuna was guiding Chibi-Usa and Hotaru toward Usagi and Mamoru, while Bill was pulling me in that direction, too. Rei, Makoto, and Minako were already close enough that neither of them seemed to be worried about moving them.

Urd's eyes widened as she watched us, her worried expression coming back to her. Then she glanced down at Keiichi, holding Belldandy tight in his arms, and whimpered softly. I saw Umino looking around at all of us with a confused expression, and was just raising my hand to beckon him over, when the bottom fell out of the world.

Kami-sama, what have I done?

Urd frantically dug through her pockets. There had to be something that would counteract the incense, or at the very least something that would make them all sleep until the crisis was past. Keiichi's eyes were already glazing over, and the reporter had collapsed on the floor beside Naru, mumbling something that sounded vaguely like German.

"It's not libel if it's true," the reporter mumbled. "Governor Cosby has ignored the law. He rigged last year's elections. He's been trying to destroy the courts, so he can rule without hindrance. He's trying to use his position to make himself King of New York. Doesn't anybody care?"

Keiichi suddenly screamed in agony, his whole body stiffening in an unnatural position before he tried to wrench himself to his feet. Belldandy held him firmly, so he couldn't hurt himself.

"Can't stop now," Keiichi gasped as he tried to pull away from Belldandy. "There's still patients in there. We have to get them to the river before the firestorm hits the hospital." He collapsed suddenly, groaning weakly, "Can't...quit...now. Got to...get them out."

Keiichi stiffened with a harsh gasp, his eyes flying open and staring into infinity. Belldandy cried out in fear and held his head between her hands, calling his name as she lowered him to the floor. As soon as he was on the floor, she laid her hand over his heart and began softly pleading with him to stay with her.

Urd finally pulled out a bottle and held it up with a sigh of relief.

"I have it. Skuld, help me. This won't counter the incense, but it'll put them to sleep for a few hours. Hopefully long enough to get past the crisis."

For once, Skuld didn't argue with her, or even make a snide remark about her lack of foresight. That was almost as worrisome as what was happening to the mortals. Anything that would upset Skuld enough to not get in a dig was even more serious than she was already imagining.

The only mortal still standing was one who hadn't been there when they'd arrived. She stalked over and looked at the bottle, then into Urd's eyes. Her gaze was so much like Mimir's, Urd felt herself fall back a step.

"Who are you...and why aren't you affected by the incense?" Urd asked uncertainly. Whoever she was, she had a presence that was so unsettling, it was hard to concentrate in her gaze.

"I am called Setsuna," she said. "What unpleasant side effects do those pills have?"

"They...uh...the sleeping IS the side effect. I made them as restoratives." Somehow, she couldn't come up with a snappy comeback to THIS woman.

"The ONLY side effect?"

"As far as I know. Why aren't you reacting to the incense?" There had to be a reason - something she could use to prevent this happening again.

"The effect of your incense is no more than I already experience every day. We shouldn't waste any more time." With that, Setsuna took the bottle from Urd and returned to the others. Starting with Usagi and Mamoru, she pressed a pill into each one's hands, staying with each just long enough to murmur quietly until they swallowed the pill. After feeding a pill to the reporter, Setsuna handed the bottle back to Urd.

"There. I recommend you be more careful in the future. You won't always have a way to cover for your mistakes." The most unsettling thing about the way Setsuna spoke was that there was no anger, no hint of recrimination, no rebuke - just a recommendation from someone Urd was sure had seen it all and then some.

I could not believe Urd had done something so incredibly lacking in foresight. Surely if Kami-sama had restricted something from anyone else's use, she'd have realized there was a good reason for it. Then I thought about it and realized I should have expected something like that. Urd could legitimately be called the Goddess of Hindsight - and she'd definitely proven that tonight.

Once I'd made sure all the others had taken one of her pills, I sat where I could reach any of them in an instant if something went wrong. As they fell asleep, I relaxed a little. The memories they'd be reliving would be better relived as dreams than waking. I had a pretty good idea of what each one would be experiencing; if I was right, their first experiences had been more than enough. Well, except for Father, but compared to his memories from this lifetime, nothing that had happened to him in the past was worth worrying about.

The hours passed slowly, with Belldandy holding Keiichi and Skuld studying Naru and Marller through her goggles. Urd was surprisingly subdued, and kept looking at me as if she didn't believe what she was seeing. It was this kind of reaction that had kept me away from the Inners until it was time to arrange for Father and Mother to meet. I'll use their uncertainty when I have to, but I don't like being around it.

"Urd, give me one of those pills." I moved to kneel beside Naru and held out my hand. When I felt a pill in my hand, I closed it and nodded. "Now be ready to hold Marller. She's going to need you."

"Move, oneesan," Skuld said suddenly. "Something's happening to them."

Urd moved to kneel beside Marller and looked at me worriedly. I smiled at her. Father always teases that my smiles are entirely too secretive; I don't know that I'm so secretive. There's just a lot of things I can't tell, either because the consequences would be disastrous, or because people tend to take what I say as absolute truth despite the inherent uncertainties of time. They take it easier if I smile when I don't say anything. Like now: I knew they were about to wake up, but I couldn't tell which alternative path time would take when they woke. All I could do was smile and hope it was reassuring enough to help her face the uncertainty.

Marller began to stir, then curled up on herself with an anguished scream. Urd gathered her into her arms and rocked her gently. Good. Marller's reaction meant she'd taken the path that should let us save both of them. The only question now was whether Naru would respond to what Marller had done.

I knew if she didn't respond shortly, she wouldn't; I prayed, for Father's sake, that she would. If she didn't return to us, he'd feel obligated to keep his promise to her - and that would, while necessary, affect him as much as any of his memories.

When she moved, I almost missed it. It was my own fault; I was so busy musing over the possibility of killing her myself so Father wouldn't have to that it wasn't until she groaned that I realized she was back. I scooped her up into my arms and murmured softly to her.

"It's ok, Naru. You're safe with us. Do you understand?"

"Setsuna? Why are you here? Where's Umino?" Naru was understandably confused. She looked around the room blearily. "Wait...isn't this Ami and Bill's house?"

"That's right. What's the last thing you remember?" If Marller did what I suspected, it should be something mostly innocuous.

"Umino and I were editing a video he shot for school, and the phone rang. I don't remember anything after...." She looked up at me with a horrified expression as she whispered sadly, "Oh no...it happened again, didn't it? Why didn't Bill kill me? He promised."

"He can't, Naru," I murmured as gently as I could. "He can't do much of anything right now. He's experiencing something you're about to experience, so I need you to make a choice for me."

"He can't? Why? What do you want me to choose? I don't want this to happen anymore. Please?" As much as I sympathized with her pain, I couldn't do what she wanted. If she still wanted it after reliving her past, Father and I would give it to her, but I hoped she'd change her mind.

"You're going to begin to remember some things that I hope will explain why this keeps happening to you. I have a sleeping pill that will allow you to experience it as a dream, if you want. Or I can sit with you while you experience it consciously." I held up the hand with the pill in it so she could take it if she wanted.

"What do you mean? Something that will explain?" Despite everything that's happened to her, Naru's still basically an ordinary woman. She's only had to cope with strangeness when she's been attacked by one of our enemies. "I don't want to remember anything! I just want it all to end. Why can't I have peace? Is that too much to ask for?"

"Naru, listen to me. Father cannot kill you right now. He's caught up in the same thing that's about to happen to you, and until it's over, he can't do anything. I gave him one of these, so he could experience it as a dream. I didn't give him a choice. You have that choice." I hoped she'd choose to take the pill - and soon. I was surprised she hadn't succumbed already.

"Why? Kami-sama, why do I have to go through this again and again? I just want to die! I just...." Her voice trailed off as her eyes focussed somewhere in the distance. It was finally happening to her; I had one last chance to get her to take the pill.

"Here, Naru," I murmured as I pressed the pill into her hand. "This will help - it'll make it all go away."

"It will?" Her voice was so hopeful, I regretted having lied to her like that. She swallowed it without hesitation, and I held her against my breast until she fell asleep.

"So...horrible...," Marller whispered sadly as I lowered Naru to the pillows. "I understand...why she has so much despair. I...couldn't take it all. Just the last time. I'm not strong enough...to take more than that."

"It was enough to bring her back," I murmured, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "That was enough. Don't short yourself. You did the only thing that would have worked."

"How can she want to die?" Skuld asked softly. When I looked to her, she was gazing at Naru, on the verge of tears. "Is her life really that horrible?"

"It's worse," Marller answered. "Bill wasn't exaggerating. Compared to the demons in this world, I'm almost as good as Belldandy. I thought only humans were capable of that much evil. I think, if I'd experienced what she has, I might have killed myself."

"You?" Skuld squeaked. "It was bad enough to make you kill yourself?" She reached out to touch Naru's forehead, crying quietly. I wished I could do something to protect her from this - she should remain innocent and pure, like the future she represents. Unfortunately, I was afraid this experience would affect that.

"Mara," Urd murmured, "how do you think you're handling it?"

"Not good," Marller answered softly. "It's all so obscene...so malicious...so vile. Demons aren't supposed to be like that. We're supposed to spread chaos and destruction - to tempt humans to follow their baser urges; to thwart Kami-sama's plans. It's humans who are supposed to be that evil. What went wrong in this world to make the demons like that?"

"Nobody knows," I murmured. "The origins of supernatural evil are older than I am; they didn't understand it when I was a child, and nobody's gained any better understanding since."

"I'm a little confused," Urd said, looking at me. "You call Bill 'Father', yet you're obviously not a mortal. I'm not sure what you are, but whatever you are, you're far older than any of us."

"I call him 'Father' because he is. And Ami is my mother. What I am is the Guardian of Time. I have been what I am for over twenty thousand years, and will continue to be for at least another thousand."

All three of them looked at me with a marked increase in their level of respect. Skuld was the first to break the silence.

"You're the Guardian? But Kami-sama said we'd never meet you...."

"'In this world'," Belldandy murmured. "Meaning our own. He never said we wouldn't meet the Guardian of another world."

"But if they're your parents . . . in another life?" Urd was still focussed on that question. I suspected she wouldn't move on to any other until I'd satisfied her curiosity.

"No, in this one. I was born a little less than a year ago, and grew up 20,000 years ago. It was necessary." I looked into her eyes, willing her to be satisfied with that answer. I didn't want to have to tell her that was all she was getting, but at the same time I wasn't going to tell any more.

"I see." She opened her mouth as if to say more, then shook her head and looked down at Marller. "How about you, Mara? Feeling any better?"

"No." Marller's response was flat and final. "I don't think I'll ever feel better. All I want to do right now is go home."

"We'll get you home. Between the three of you and our three scientists, we should be able to find a path back to your world." I hoped. They didn't belong here, and sooner or later the Norns of our world would be certain to notice them.

"Make that four scientists, Setsuna. Assuming you'll authorize me to unlock the front door, that is."

"Who is it, David?" I hadn't foreseen anyone coming here right now; of course, the timelines were so tangled, it had taken all my skill to see Naru's recovery. The presence of the Goddesses was doing terrible things to my perception.

"Sarah."

"Let her in when I say it's ok, but lock it as soon as she's inside." I wondered why she was here, then remembered I was supposed to have been home a few hours ago to meet her when she got back from her cruise. Naturally, she'd have assumed my duties as Sailor Pluto were the cause, and would have come here to learn if my parents knew anything. I broke off the burning end of the incense and ran to the lab to switch on the exhaust fan. With the door open, it should suck all the smoke out of the house quickly enough. By the time I returned to the living room, the air was already starting to clear.

"All right. And call Fluorite and Rusty, will you? We're going to need them here when everyone wakes up."

"Setsuna? What's going on?" Sarah asked as the door was closing behind her. I focussed on presenting a composed expression as I turned to her.

Belldandy cradled Keiichi to her breast, crooning softly as she soothed his pain. When she'd told Urd the Dark made mortals relive their past, she'd just been repeating what she'd been taught in training. Actually seeing the effects on her husband was a far different matter. Whatever he'd been in the past, it was obvious he'd been just as kind and loving then as he was now; that it had cost him his life was also obvious - reliving it had almost killed him.

Setsuna was a surprise. She'd never expected to meet the Guardian, but it made sense that she'd be one of the Senshi. Keiichi could probably have told her in advance, but she could ask him about it when he awakened. She was so tired...even with the restorative. She'd been forced to use her power so many times today, it would take a good night's sleep to fully recover. That had to be why she was feeling so disconnected from everything. It was as if she were floating, with Keiichi her only anchor.

"Setsuna? What's going on?" Belldandy looked toward the voice, to see an athletic woman about Keiichi's age, with brown hair held back in a braid that fell to just below her shoulder blades and brown eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses. A glance at Setsuna revealed the Guardian not only knew her, she loved her, and was putting on an appearance of composure for her benefit.

"Mother and Father have some...unusual guests," Setsuna said, in a voice that anyone who wasn't looking deeper would have mistaken for calm. "There was a slight problem with some incense, but they should be waking up soon."

Sarah swept into the room as soon as she'd shed her shoes and took Setsuna's hands. She looked into the Guardian's eyes with a gaze that confirmed the love Belldandy sensed. Only someone who loved her could possibly hold that gaze in the face of the Guardian's unsettling aura.

"Was it one of your enemies?" Apparently Sarah was as solid emotionally as she was physically.

"No. It was an alchemical mistake. The incense was intended to be a restorative, but the person who created it didn't research the side effects of the ingredients sufficiently before using them." Belldandy found Setsuna's composure amazing. She doubted she'd be able to be so calm about such an incredible mistake. The only thing keeping her calm now was the knowledge that Keiichi needed her.

I squeezed Setsuna's hands and looked into her eyes for some clue as to what she was really feeling. She has this annoying talent for trying to ease my worries, even knowing my training and experience. I suppose it's inevitable; I'm a scientist, and her world is one of magic. As much as I dream about it, I've learned that I'm just too firmly rooted in the world I can measure and analyze to ever be capable of fitting into her world the way Bill does. Then again, he's always had a skewed view of reality that fits the magical world closer than I do.

One thing I was sure of was that Setsuna was trying too hard to be strong for me. I tugged on her hands, giving her my best "I know you're full of it" glare; she gave me one of her smiles and let me pull her into my arms. Sometimes I'd like to just shake her. As much as I expect people - especially those I love - to rely on their own strength, I also expect them to be adult enough to know when they need support. She's been on her own for so long, though, that I have to push sometimes to get her to accept that she's not made of MacManusite.

Once she was in my arms, I squeezed her; she was so tense I could almost feel her muscles twang. I didn't know what the situation was, but her tension confirmed what I'd guessed - she was a lot more worried than she wanted to let on. I moved my hands across her back, massaging the tightest knots until I felt her start to relax. Even a little relaxation as better than what she'd been doing. The only person I've ever met who's more stubborn about keeping the world at arm's reach is Haruka, but she has Michiru. Setsuna is mine - the one who loves me; the one I love as much as Bill used to wish I loved him before he and Ami found each other.

"Well, beloved?" I whispered once she'd started to relax. "Which would you rather do first? Introduce your guests, or explain what crisis made you break our date?"

She looked up into my eyes and flashed another one of her smiles.

"I should, shouldn't I?" she whispered, then gave me a quick squeeze and promising kiss before stepping back a step. "Sarah, our guests are Urd, Belldandy, Skuld, and Marller."

As she indicated each, they looked up and nodded; they all looked far too worried for my peace of mind, and the way Belldandy was holding the man in her arms had me wondering if he'd been injured. Of course, it was hard to tell, with all the unconscious people in the room. I'd have to get some answers about that, and soon. For now...those names sounded awfully familiar. I tried to place where I'd heard them before, but was drawing a blank when I suddenly remembered where I'd seen them before. I looked up, and there it was: the print with their images in angelic forms, done as anime characters.

"Urd, Belldandy, and Skuld...the Goddesses?" When they nodded, I looked back to Setsuna for an explanation.

"The man in Belldandy's arms is Morisato Keiichi, her husband. And Marller is a demon." That was a surprise. A live demon in Bill's house? Something very strange was going on. Of course, live anime characters in Bill's house was pretty strange to begin with.

"I'm not like the demons from this world," Marller protested. OK, I'd agree with that. Somehow, I couldn't imagine a demon with the expression of anguish she had. Or accepting comfort from a Goddess who looked like Urd. Or any Goddess, for that matter. My gaze lingered on those two for just a moment longer than necessary; long enough that when I turned my attention back to Setsuna, it took a silent mouthing of "I love you" to remove the jealous look from her eyes.

"So you're not from this world?" That would explain their existence - sort of. But if they're not from this world, how did they get here?

"That's right," Belldandy said. I found myself looking at her with what I'm sure was an expression of total surprise. Her voice was as compassionate and gentle as Serenity's. I understood now why Bill was so fascinated by her. "We're not from your world. We came here due to an unfortunate combination of circumstances, and...," she looked around the room at all the sleeping people, "...the Senshi have promised their help in finding us a way home."

"All right," I murmured absently, thinking of the implications of this, "so you're going to need help from people who understand hyperdimensional physics. That means Bill and Ami. And from someone who has experience travelling in alternative realities. That means Setsuna."

Alternative realities. That reminded me of one of Bill's many random mental wanderings - one in which he'd decreed that Heinlein had it wrong: pan-dimensional universal solipsism was backwards. He said that writers don't create worlds by writing about them: they simply describe other realities that already exist, and their ability to see those realities could be measured by how effectively they wrote about them. I'd always considered it just another one of his skewed ideas, until a couple months ago when Setsuna had handed him her Time Key and he'd been overwhelmed by it. This situation made his theory suddenly seem more believable.

"And a mundane physicist, to make sure whatever they come up with doesn't have damaging effects on this world," Setsuna said, gazing at me with her "you know I'm right" look.

"All right," I said with a smile. I knew better than to argue when she had that look. I'd just have to make her pay for it later, when we were alone. "So how did you get here?"

"I dropped a bomb in Skuld's newest invention," Marller said. "All it was supposed to do was make it fail spectacularly when she switched it on. Instead, it sent us here."

"From what I can tell from examining the vacuum," Skuld added, "Marller's bomb's chaos field interacted with the hyperdimensional components of the vacuum to produce some sort of translation field between our universe and yours. I'm not sure another bomb would produce the same effect. In fact, the chances of it doing the same thing are so small that even I have trouble calculating it."

"You mean, we can't get home?" Marller's voice was switching from anguish to panic, and her expression more fearful than I've seen since Bill was still with his second wife. There had to be something more than just being in the wrong world that was scaring her.

"Nonsense!' Urd announced with just the right touch of maniacal glee. "There's nothing the four of us can't do if we put our minds to it!"

"You mean, like drugging the humans around us?" Skuld snapped at her, with a grateful look in her eyes. That's the first time I can remember seeing someone who looked thankful for an excuse to start an argument.

"How was I supposed to know it would do that? It's not like Kami-sama put up a warning sign or anything!" Urd shot back, matching Skuld's grateful expression.

"Oooooh! Why do I have to put up with an idiot for a big sister? You never change ingredients without checking the dangers first!"

"Listen here, brat! If you think you're such hot stuff, why don't you try making potions sometime? Why should I have to worry about checking stuff like that? Beer's beer, right?"

Beer? They're arguing over beer? This is just too weird.

"I don't believe this," Marller grumbled, her eyes flashing dangerously. "We're lost in a world that isn't even ours, and you two are arguing over something that's already been done? I ought to...."

A ball of light began glowing between Marller's hands as she glared at Urd and Skuld. Skuld pulled something out of the front of her tunic - I'm not sure where she was hiding it - that looked kind of like an aluminum softball; whatever it was, it started glowing, too. Then Urd raised her hands over her head, and a ball of light began glowing between them, too. This was getting a little unnerving. I glanced at Setsuna, and saw she didn't seem to be worried, despite the potential for mayhem those three presented. Then I noticed Belldandy didn't seem worried, either. This was definitely getting weird.

"You ought to what?" Urd growled. The hungry sensations her growl generated had me reaching for Setsuna, who smiled and let me gather her into my arms. "Bring it on!"

"I...can't," Marller whispered as her ball of light faded. "I gave my promise - and for the first time, I want to keep it. What's wrong with me?"

"When's the last time you had a friend?" Belldandy asked gently. "I don't mean someone who thinks that calling you a friend will give them some unfair advantage, the way Sayoko does - I mean someone who knows what you are and still treats you as someone they value."

Marller looked toward the Senshi thoughtfully for several moments, biting her lip, before she replied.

"Not since Urd and I were young. Demons don't have friends." The sadness in her voice as she said that was heartbreaking. I just couldn't reconcile her emotions with the kind of creatures Bill hunts.

"But you have a friend now. It makes a difference, doesn't it?" Belldandy smiled and offered Marller a hand. "If I'm not wrong, you have the potential to have several friends, if you'll accept them."

Marller looked from Belldandy's eyes to her hand and back again, with tears in her eyes. As she took the offered hand, I felt tears in my own eyes, and when Belldandy drew her in for a gentle hug, I sniffled quietly and squeezed Setsuna.

"You'd be my friend? After all I've done? Even with what I am?" I couldn't blame her for being incredulous. The idea of a goddess and a demon being friends was more than a little odd.

"You're just doing your job, Mara. Even when it's most irritating, it's still what you're supposed to do." Listening to her, I had to wonder if she and Serenity were somehow related. The simple, open, uncomplicated love and acceptance in her voice was as unbelievably complete as the Princess'.

"But...all the times I've attacked you...." Marller sounded far too confused for her own good.

"Hey! Haven't you ever heard of fault-testing?" Skuld smacked Marller - gently - and stuck her tongue out at her. Not exactly what I'd think of as a suitable approach, but it seemed to make Marller feel better. "Do you know how often your tricks and attacks forced me to fix defects I wouldn't have known about otherwise? I ought to draft you to attack everything I build, just for the quality control effect!"

"You know, that's not so far from what the Devil does in Jewish belief," David said. "The only references the Jews have to the Devil that I know of cast him as an angel who specializes in quality control - tempting humans, testing the ones God's too proud of to see if they live up to his opinion of them, that kind of thing."

"Arg! How am I supposed to keep feeling guilty if you're going to do that?" Marller grumbled with a smile. She looked up at the nearest intercom panel thoughtfully, apparently considering David's commentary.

"You're not," Skuld laughed. "So is it a deal? You trash the stuff I build so I can find out what needs improving?"

"Humph!" Urd grumped, flashing a smile that Skuld couldn't see. "I guess she's not satisfied with my work anymore. Well, if that's the way she's going to be, I guess I'm just going to have to let you do it, Mara."

"I wonder if they're always like this," I murmured to Setsuna as the two Goddesses started bickering like Usagi and Rei. She smiled and drew me down into a gentle kiss that distracted me from the argument.

Skuld grumbled and glared at Urd. How dare her big sister think that she didn't appreciate her? She should have realized she was just trying to make Marller feel better. It was almost impossible not to feel for her after seeing how deeply the demons of this world affected her, even indirectly. Trust Urd to take it as a personal insult. Just wait...one of these days she'd find her bed turned into a giant joy buzzer. That would get her attention.

"Ha! I got you, Bug!" Urd laughed, throwing her arms around Skuld in a surprise hug. "You really thought I was insulted, didn't you? Just goes to show I'm still way ahead of you in sneakiness."

Skuld stared at Urd in surprise, noticing only in retrospect that Setsuna had developed a sly smile at Urd's claim of sneakiness. It took a minute for her to put it all together, but she finally figured it out: Urd had done it deliberately to try and make her feel better, both about being here and about what she'd told Marller. Her stupid big sister wasn't so stupid after all!

"Oneesan!" she shrieked happily, launching herself into Urd's arms. Marller wisely moved out of the way, so when she hit Urd, only the two of them fell over. Urd's breath came out of her in a whoosh, and the two laughed together.

When David phoned and said that Lady Pluto requested our presence, I was in my lab, trying to unravel a confusing energy configuration that had arisen during the afternoon. It seemed to have something to do with time, but it was split into three tracks, unlike the energy that surrounded Lady Pluto. I'd managed to localize it to the area around Lady and Lord Mercury's house, and was thinking of phoning to talk with them, when Rusty stepped into the lab.

"Fluorite, Setsuna wants us to join her at Bill and Ami's house. David doesn't know why for sure, but he said Naru's there." My smile at seeing him quickly faded as I thought about why Lady Pluto would want us there in the middle of the night - and why it was important for us to know Naru was there.

"We'll take the shortcut," I said, grabbing his arm. I stepped into the astral plane, bringing him with me. It only took a moment to shift from our apartment to the space outside the house. Going through the wards was always the slowest part of the trip. Every time I take the astral route, he has new wards up. Lately, it's gotten as difficult to get around them as it is to get around the wards at the Hikawa shrine.

"Eh...Fluorite, are those what I think they are?" Rusty's voice was more than a little worried as he pointed at the wildlife around the wards.

"Only if you think they're demons," I answered. Something was definitely wrong: demons normally avoided the house the way wolves avoid a city. There must be something inside they wanted enough to overcome their fear. Still, the only good demon is a dead demon, so.... "Sorry about this, Rusty."

"Sorry about-?" Rusty started; I didn't hear the rest, because he was already back in the physical world. I wasn't going to risk any harm to him while fighting.

"Yoo-hoo! Here, demon, demon, demon!" My teachers always accused me of being flippant, but I've noticed that some enemies - like demons - tend to lose their composure when they think you're not taking them seriously. I'm not proud; I'll take any advantage I can get.

Most of the demons continued trying to batter their way through the wards, but a few turned toward me. I may not enjoy fighting as much as Lady Jupiter does, but a guy does need a chance to cut loose every once in a while. I hovered and waited for them to get close. I may know a lot more about death magic than Lady Saturn, but I don't have anywhere near her power. It's a whole lot easier for me to destroy things like this when they're close enough to touch.

The first demon reached me. It was just an imp, so it wasn't really a threat. I grabbed it and absorbed its energy. Unless you're a monster magnet like Naru, imps are just an annoyance - or a ready source of energy. Now for the others. One of the nice things about demons is the way they dissolve when you destroy them - no bodies left behind to get in the way.

No doubt about it: an angry demon is a stupid demon. Not that most of them are all that smart to begin with, but every little bit helps. With the energy I'd absorbed from the imp, I released a cloud of Death Ribbons. That was a spell I hoped Lady Saturn would master some day, so she wouldn't be in fear of destroying the world every time she went into battle. Like her Death Reborn Revolution, the ribbons destroy whatever they touch - but because the spell is so much less powerful, there's no chance of the Death Ribbons destroying even a city block, much less the world. And it's not a suicide attack.

With the demons around me destroyed, the ones still pounding on the wards finally took notice of my presence. This had the potential to be more interesting. The ones still living were more intelligent - and therefore potentially more powerful. Luckily for me, more intelligent usually means more egotistical when you're talking about demons. If I could come up with a way to have them fighting each other, it would make my job easier.

I fired off another stream of Death Ribbons, and while the demons were dodging them, conjured my Ghost Sword. I may not be in Lady Uranus' class as a fencer, but I'm not incompetent, either. The Ghost Sword is especially effective against demons, since the spirits that form it are at least as offended by the existence of demons as any Demon Hunter is. I dove behind a cluster of demons and decapitated three of them before they had a chance to react.

"So, is this a private party, or can anyone join in?" I don't think I was ever as happy to hear his voice as I was right then. With at least another half-dozen demons still able to fight, I needed the Demon Hunter's intervention.

"Keep you from killing demons? I wouldn't think of it!" I grinned at him and dove for a demon.

This one actually had something that resembled a weapon. Instead of hands, talons, or any of the other usual grasping appendages, its arms were tipped with blades that looked kind of like lochaber axes. It was good with them, too. If I'd been wearing anything that interfered with my movement, I'd have been sliced open like a roasted pig. As it was, I was still fencing with it when he finished with the last of the others. The first either of us knew he was back was when it got a look of surprise on its face as his fist exploded through its chest from behind.

"Well, that was fun," Bill grumbled. At least, this time it was obvious he was being sarcastic. It isn't always. "So what brings you here this time of night?"

"Lady Pluto said we're needed." I was surprised; I'd expected that he'd know of her invitation.

"I'll have to ask her about it when I wake up. Hopefully that'll be soon."

"When you wake up? What's going on?"

"Urd screwed up a restorative incense, so everyone in the house is reliving some of the more interesting memories from their past lives. Setsuna gave us all sleeping pills so that we'd experience them as dreams, rather than consciously. We've already been asleep for a few hours. I don't know how much longer the pills will last."

"That must have been some screw-up. I'm no alchemist, but I don't think I've ever heard of any restorative that does THAT. Who's Urd, anyway?"

"This wouldn't have, except she used an ingredient that has that effect when she was making it. Urd's a Norn - Goddess of the Past. Alchemy's kind of a hobby for her." He grinned. I've seen that grin before: it's the one he gets whenever Serenity - I mean, Usagi - does something particularly undignified. Whoever this Urd was, he obviously considered her a friend.

"Goddess of the Past? Does that mean there's also a Goddess of the Present, and one of the Future?" This could explain the strange time energy I'd detected.

"Yup. Belldandy and Skuld. And a playmate of theirs came with them - a demon named Marller. I think Marller's the reason all these bad boys were out here." This was definitely getting strange. His face didn't express his usual distaste when he mentioned this Marller's name.

"OK, what's Marller, and why isn't it dead?"

"Marller's a demon from the same world Urd, Belldandy, and Skuld are from. They all came to this world together, and they need to go home together. She's also a lot more decent than some humans I've met. Demons in her world aren't like our demons. Hold on." He raised his hand and fired a beam of light over my shoulder. "I think that's why the demons are here. They're trying to either capture or destroy her."

"There's more to it than that," I said, watching him thoughtfully. "For some unknown reason, you think of her as a friend, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I think you will too, once you meet her. She almost died, trying to rescue Naru after she was possessed by an imp. That's why the incense - it was to keep her and Naru from dying." He stopped and closed his eyes for a moment; when he opened them, the sadness I saw was enough to tear at my heart. He whispered, in a tone that carried as much sadness as his eyes, "I know why Setsuna called you. It's Naru."

"Naru was possessed?" I understood his sadness. After I'd turned her into a monster, when I was still one of Queen Beryl's minions, she'd demanded that he promise to kill her if it ever happened again. And if she'd been possessed, she was certain to demand that he keep his promise. Neither of us wanted that. Without hesitation, I moved to embrace him. He needed the reassurance; the reminder that I understood. For that matter, I needed the reassurance. Naru had somehow found it in her heart to accept me as her friend, even knowing what I'd done to her as the Demonologist, and now she was closer to me than anyone other than Rusty.

"I killed the demon, but it broke her. Marller had to go into her mind to bring her back out - and she'd been in there for a long time before the rest of us went unconscious. That was...a while ago. Well before midnight, I think. If Marller didn't manage to bring her back, there's only one way to free her. If she did...you know what Naru's going to want." He sighed heavily and clenched his jaw as he rested his head on my shoulder. He was, like the rest of us, perfectly willing to face death on his terms - but was not willing to allow it to claim a friend.

"What if...," I stopped, realizing my idea was crazy; but if Lady Saturn was willing to go along with it, it might be possible to give Naru what she wanted and still save her life. "What if I caught her when you kill her? Once she's dead, I should be able to talk sense to her. And if Lady Saturn heals her body, I could put her back into it, and the problem would be solved."

"You think that'll work?" His voice told me he was grasping at my suggestion as if it were the first ray of hope in this situation. I prayed I wouldn't let him - or any of them - down. "If you'll do that, I know Hotaru will heal her...and we can save Naru!"

"I'm certainly going to do my best. Ultimately, it's up to her, but I hope I can give her enough reasons to stay with us."

"Thank you," he breathed in relief. "I guess you'd better get back to the other side. David should know enough to let you in without argument, and that's got to be easier than working your way through the wards."

"I'll see you inside, then." I smiled as best I could and slid through to the physical world. Rusty was nowhere to be seen. I assumed he'd already gone inside, and headed for the front door.

"Well, there you are. I was starting to wonder if you'd sent Rusty on without you." David's voice sounded as if he were forcing himself to fake cheerfulness. I looked at his camera and shook my head. I really didn't care to even try to fake it.

"Demons. Let me in, ok? I know why Setsuna asked you to call."

"It's not good," he murmured, letting his real feelings through. David's far too nice for the situation we were in. Unfortunately, as a computer, he couldn't do very much about it. He opened the door just far enough for me to slip through without getting caught, and closed it as soon as I was through.

Of the people in the room who were upright, I only recognized Lady Pluto and her consort, Sarah. Lady Pluto turned her gaze on me, and for a brief moment I saw sadness in her eyes to match my own. By the time I made it across the room to where Naru was sleeping, she had regained her usual air of inhuman detachment. Rusty returned from the hallway that leads to the kitchen and laboratory, smiled reassuringly at me, and found a place to sit that wouldn't interfere with anything we had to do.

"Hello, Fluorite. Allow me to introduce our guests. Urd, Belldandy, and Skuld are the Goddesses of Past, Present, and Future, respectively. Marller is a demon - and Father's friend. They're from another universe - one that we have to help them find their way back to." As Lady Pluto introduced them, the ladies bowed their heads. Except Urd, who flashed me a smile that - if she were a man - would have raised my blood pressure to the danger point. I think she was a little surprised when I didn't respond. "Ladies, this is Fluorite, and his partner Rusty. Fluorite is our resident Death Mage, and Rusty is our resident chemist."

"You mean you're..." Urd started, looking surprised.

"As a three-dollar bill," Rusty announced with a grin. I'm not sure what the reference was, but it seemed to make sense to her. She looked me over and chuckled softly.

"It's been a long time since I tried a male form...but I think I could be tempted," she purred. She was so overdone I just rolled my eyes and smiled at Rusty.

"Lady Pluto, has Naru awakened?" I looked worriedly at the sleeping form on the floor. The demon winced as I asked, and when I studied her, I recognized an expression of soul-deep pain in her eyes. Her expression as a lot like that Naru had been wearing the night Bill had forced me to confront her. I started to understand why he was concerned for this demon.

"She has. And you know what she demanded. I called you in hope that you would be able to help. I'm also hoping that what she's experiencing now, as she sleeps, will convince her to renounce the promise she demanded from Father." I wonder if Lady Pluto realizes how easy it is for her friends to see through her detached mask. Like now: no matter how cold her expression, the love and worry in her heart shine through like a beacon.

"Bill and I talked about it before I came inside. We think we have a plan. All we need is Lady Saturn's help to implement it. And prayers from everyone involved that I somehow find Nephrite's silver tongue."

"I think you'd be amazed at how charismatic you can be, when you really want to." Lady Pluto smiled one of her 'I've seen far more than you can possibly imagine' smiles. She looked down at Naru, then up at Urd. "How long should they be sleeping?"

"Well, Keiichi always slept for about six hours." Belldandy glared at Urd as she said that; I didn't know what that was about, unless Keiichi was the man Belldandy was holding so lovingly.

"So they should be waking up shortly. Good."

Definitely good. I hoped that Naru would be the last to wake, so Bill and I would have time to discuss our plan with Lady Saturn - and the others - so there would be no interference. The potential consequences to her if anyone interfered were enough to almost make me reconsider.

Urd felt Mara wince as the Death Mage asked about Naru. Mara's obvious pain distracted her enough that she didn't notice Belldandy's glare when she answered Setsuna's question. They should all be waking soon - except Naru. By the time she woke, the sun should be up.

Usagi, Mamoru, and Bill were the first to wake. While Usagi and Mamoru sought each other's arms, Bill looked toward the gathering around Naru. Setsuna looked his way and nodded, then reached out to gently touch Mara's shoulder.

"Father would like to talk with you," she murmured softly.

Mara swallowed and looked up for reassurance; Urd smiled and gently hugged her, then nodded. She didn't feel any threat, but Mara was obviously feeling uncertain after her experience with Naru.

"It's ok, Mara," Urd whispered, flashing what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "We'll be right here."

She let Mara slip out of her arms and gave her hand a quick squeeze before Mara walked over to join Bill. As she was kneeling beside him, Ami woke with a gasp. He turned to gather her into his arms and hold her while she pulled herself together. Urd watched uncomfortably until she noticed Minako, Makoto, and Rei stirring. She started to rise to her feet, only to feel Belldandy's hand on her arm.

"Don't, oneechan," Belldandy murmured. "How would you feel if someone pushed her way in while you, Skuld, and I were comforting each other?"

"But...," Urd started to protest, then sank back to her knees, understanding what Belldandy meant - even though it wasn't what she wanted to hear. She'd started to feel comfortable with Minako; they were so much alike in so many ways, from the way nobody appreciated their matchmaking down to their preference in lovers (breathing, good-looking, preferably male, imaginative, and enthusiastic). As much as she wanted to support her, though, she had to admit that Minako needed Makoto and Rei much more than she needed her.

Usagi and Mamoru made their way over and looked down at Naru with matching expressions of worry. Usagi sank to her knees beside Fluorite and placed a hand on Naru's forehead, her tears flowing freely as she bowed her head. Mamoru placed his hand over hers and slid an arm around her shoulder to share his strength with her. The wistful look that flitted through Fluorite's eyes made it obvious Usagi wasn't the only one under Mamoru's spell.

"Did Marller rescue her?" Usagi asked, looking up with eyes as blue and loving as Belldandy's. Urd found herself reaching out with a handkerchief to wipe the tears from Usagi's cheeks.

"She did. And from what Fluorite and Setsuna said, you already know what she demanded before we put her to sleep." The stricken look in Usagi's eyes made it clear she knew. Urd took a deep breath and leaned forward to kiss Usagi's forehead. "Hey, Fluorite's got a plan. Everything will turn out all right. Trust me!"

"Are you sure you're not Minako in disguise?" Usagi asked, smiling. "I thought she was the only one who could sound that maniacal."

"Hey! I resemble that remark!" Minako yelled from across the room. "Biiiih!"

"Hey! I'm the only one allowed to do that to her!" Rei laughed, pushing Minako over. Within moments, the two of them had fallen into a tongue-war.

"How can they bounce back so quickly?" Urd asked, watching Rei and Minako drag Makoto into their battle.

"We have a lot of practice," Usagi murmured. "It's a lot easier to cope if you can shut it away and deal with it a little bit at a time."

"It's also easier when you have people you love to share your pain with," Mamoru murmured, squeezing Usagi gently. "And to share your joy with."

Urd glanced at Belldandy and Keiichi, who was just beginning to stir. She didn't understand what Mamoru meant from personal experience, but watching those two frequently made her wish she did.

Artemis and I had a wonderful day. Sailor Pluto had assured us we wouldn't be needed, so we'd taken on our human forms and traveled to Lake Kawaguchi to enjoy the clean air and peace. Since it wasn't pilgrimage season yet, it was still fairly pleasant. Artemis had arranged for a room at a hotel near the lake, where we had a beautiful view of Fujiyama.

After a few hours of blending with the humans, ending with a nice dinner, we retreated to the hotel room for a chance to return to our own forms and relax. It was the first time we'd been able to relax away from our charges in months, and we took advantage of every minute.

We decided to return home on the morning train, and got into Juuban around 7am. Minako's apartment was closest to the station, so we went there first. She wasn't home, which surprised us. Minako's no more a morning person than Usagi is, so not finding her home this early was strange. Artemis hopped up on Minako's desk and used her computer to locate her communicator while I waited.

"They must be having a meeting of some kind. Everyone except Haruka and Michiru is at Ami's house." Artemis looked surprised - even a little annoyed. I suppose I did, too. It's not like Usagi to do something like this without at least telling me.

"We should join them, then," I said. Sometimes it seems as if even Artemis needs a firm hand to keep him from dallying when it's time for action. Like now: he was still staring at the computer when it was obvious we needed to be with the others.

"Just a minute, Luna. I'm reading the records from yesterday. They fought an alien that somehow managed to get past Uranus and Neptune. And they have visitors from another universe, who David insists are friends and won't tell me anything more about them until we meet them." He looked down at me worriedly. I had to agree. Extradimensional entities that David wouldn't give us information about? I didn't like that at all.

"We should go, and be prepared for anything. Call Sailors Uranus and Neptune and tell them to meet us there. I hope it's not necessary, but if it is, they should be able to help us rescue the others."

"Right." He started tapping on the keyboard while I went to use the phone.

"Hi, Luna." David answered the phone on the first ring. "How long will it take the two - sorry, make that four - of you to get over here? Usagi could really use your presence right now."

"What's going on, David? Why wouldn't you give Artemis more data?"

"You wouldn't believe it without meeting them. But that's secondary. Naru's what's most important. Usagi's going to need everyone who loves her at her side in order to deal with what they have to do."

"Naru? Oh, no...she didn't get attacked again, did she?"

"Worse. She got possessed. And you know what that means. Dad and Fluorite think they've figured out how to make it work, but neither of them likes the risks.

"Oh, no." This was bad. This was very bad. I took a deep breath to calm myself before continuing. "What's their plan?"

"They want Umino to try and convince her to live, but if he doesn't, Fluorite's going to catch her spirit when Bill kills her, and try to talk enough sense into her to get her to agree to come back."

"I don't like it, but I can't think of anything better. We're on our way."

"Please hurry, Luna. Nobody's happy, and I don't like it. Even Minako's on the verge of hysteria because of what's happened."

"We'll get there as fast as we can, David. Why don't you try playing some soothing background music? It can't hurt."

"You're right. I'll do what I can until you get here. Now I've got to talk to Michiru and Haruka before they come here expecting a battle."

"I understand. Good luck, David."

I pressed the hang-up button, thankful that Minako had invested in a phone with a speaker function, and looked at Artemis.

"How much did you hear?" I whispered, suddenly feeling very, very tired.

"Enough. If it's bad enough to have Minako on the verge of hysteria, it's bad. And I've never heard David sound so worried before." Artemis looked as worried as he sounded. "Come on. The sooner we start, the sooner we'll get there."

"You're right." I looked out the window and felt my tail twitching as I considered the situation. "As undignified as it would be, this is one time I wish we could hitch a ride with Phobos and Deimos."

"Don't forget uncomfortable. Their claws aren't my idea of pleasant supports."

"I know," I sighed, leaping from the balcony to our tree-branch exit. "I just don't like thinking of what could happen before we get there."

"So don't. No matter how much we worry about it, we can't help them until we get there."

"I know. I'll stop worrying if you will." I knew he was trying to reassure me, but he was just as worried as I was, so it was only fair to return the attempt.

"Deal. The only question is, how?"

"I wish I knew. We'd better save our breath."

Minako's apartment is as close as you can get to Shinjuku and still be in Juuban, so we both knew we'd be ready to drop by the time we got to Ami's house. We concentrated on running, using every shortcut we knew - at least, those we could use so early in the morning when the department stores weren't open yet.

David opened the front door as we staggered up the front walk, and swung it closed almost on our tails. Usagi and Minako ran over to scoop us up almost before we'd finished collapsing on the floor.

"Luna! What happened?" Usagi asked worriedly.

"Artemis! Are you ok?" Minako gasped in near panic.

"They both ran over from your apartment, Mina-chan," David announced.

"Why?" Usagi asked, hugging me close. "One of us could have come to get you, if you'd asked."

"We...didn't...think...of it," Artemis panted.

I was frankly surprised he had the breath to say that much. I know I didn't. I barely had the energy to lick away the tears on Usagi's cheeks. When she felt my tongue on her skin, she squeezed tighter, enough to force out a weak meow that surprised her enough to ease off the pressure so I could breathe.

"Thank...you...Usagi-chan," was all I could get out for the moment. I'd say more when I had a minute to recover.

**Would this help, Luna?**

**Yes. Thank you, Ami. Is it true, about Naru?**

**Unfortunately, yes. A demon possessed her, probably in an attempt to get into the house so it could attack Marller.** Her thoughts were sad and worried. It was worse than I'd imagined.

**Marller? Who's that?**

**Do you see the woman with us? She's Marller.**

I squirmed until I could rest my head on Usagi's shoulder and look into the room. That's when I noticed the strangers, who looked remarkably like characters from one of Usagi's manga. The woman with Ami and Bill was dressed as if she was tastelessly advertising her physical attributes, and the lettering on her T-shirt said something about evil, but I couldn't see enough of it to tell any more than that.

**She doesn't look like the kind of woman either of you would associate with.**

**She isn't. She's a demon. And she's our friend.**

Poor Usagi...I'm afraid I hurt her ear when I yowled in surprise at that declaration. A live demon? In this house? And as a friend? That was as great a shock as Queen Serenity having tea with Queen Beryl. I turned my head to look at Usagi in hopes that she could explain, forgetting entirely that Ami had been using her telepathy to talk with me.

"Yes, Luna," Usagi said in that soft voice that somehow manages to fill a room. "Marller is our friend. And, yes, she is a demon. At least, in the world she comes from, she's a demon. In our world, she's no more demonic than Lady Nine-Tails. And far less powerful."

"I don't like it, Usagi. Demons are nobody's friends." OK, kitsune aren't exactly reliable friends, either, but at least they're not actively evil. How could she - how could they - consider a demon their friend?

"If Belldandy's willing to be her friend, given their history, how can we do any less? For that matter, how can we do any less when Bill considers her a friend?"

Belldandy? That is a character from one of Usagi's manga. One of the better ones, true, but still...how can fictional characters be physically present?

**In their universe, we are the fictional characters. Yes, you were thinking that loud.**

**But...that's a demon! It should be dead, not in your arms!**

**Hey, remember when you met me? You thought I was an agent of the Dark Kingdom.**

**Well...yes...but that was a mistake. We didn't know anything about you then. You know that's a demon, so there's no mistake! Demons are evil!**

**Luna, go talk to Rei. Or...let me try something. It should work, and it should answer your doubts.**

**Marller? I need your help. Would you be willing to share your mind with a friend?**

**Of course I would, Ami. If you trust them enough to let them touch my mind, how can I not?**

Marller felt the gratitude radiating from Ami and leaned against her, drawing a brief flash of jealousy from Bill. She chuckled softly as she thought of how, in her own world, she'd have played on that jealousy until the two of them had either torn their relationship apart or grown inseparable. Now, she just reached out to stroke his cheek and send him a flash of reassurance - just enough to make him realize what he was feeling and flush with embarrassment.

**He's so cute when he's jealous