Tales of the Dreamworld, 9th Night: The Tale of the Pandora Box
Rated R


	Game:(n) 1.a: an amusement or pastime; diversion, play.  
	  b: a practical joke.  2.a: a scheme or strategy 
	  employed in the pursuit of an object or purpose; 
	  course; plan; tactic.

				Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary	


	Just as every life possesses an instance that can be brought to 
life in words, the event becomes a chapter in a book, a story for others 
to gaze upon and be swallowed whole within the realm.
	A realm beyond the waking hours, forged from the magik of a 
thousand dreamers and their dreams. And with it, a sanctuary not so far 
from us where the last earth magiks reside. Within every soul lies a 
story to tell, each event a tale to give unto others.
	These tales, both surreal and sensual, are but a few of many 
chapters in a world given breath by a creator. Her name is Naoko 
Takeuchi. The people and their lives are of her heart and soul. They 
belong in her embrace. But the Elven lord of Chaos, and his fated box, 
belong to another, and they are of my skin and soul. I embrace his games 
and his magik as my own children.
	I ask that none may steal any of them away from their creators. 
The world of the Moon Princess and her royal court belong to Naoko 
Takeuchi. Their hearts and souls belong to her; they are a part of her 
stories. But the realm of the last magiks of earth are a part of my own 
story. Milady Naoko's princesses belong in their castles beyond the 
moon, and my Elven lord belongs within the box that has entrapped him 
for centuries. 
	One of honour does not become a petty thief; I ask for your 
requests if you wish for my characters to wander other worlds and other 
stories.

		-His lordship Chaos  (hislordshipchaos@hotmail.com)
			http://neoharuka.interspeed.net/tales-dw.html



	"Lo! thy dread empire, Chaos, is restored;
	 Light dies before thy uncreating word:
	 Thy hand, great Anarch, lets the curtain fall;
	 And universal darkness buries all."

				-Pope, "Dunciad" (Bk.iv. 1. 649)


	"There is no right and wrong. There is only fun 
	 and boring."

				-Fischer Stevens as The Plague, "Hackers"



	In every human heart there lies a soul.
	Therein lies our magik, and those of magik who captivate and 
possess our hearts. For the time of watching a sunrise or catching a 
glimpse of someone's gentle smile, these are the true memories that give 
us hope.
	I speak of honour and courage. 
	I speak of dedication. 
	And I speak of love.
	They are all what bind us together with destiny's cords, where we 
meet and then give our farewells. Sometimes for but a moment, and 
sometimes forever. But regardless this magik inspires us to do what 
could never before be conceived.
	It helps us fight. It helps us persevere. And it could make the 
very face of stone weep if we willed it to. For within every human heart 
there lies a soul of possessed magik. If unleashed, you can never know 
what will happen.
	Sometimes all hell can break loose.
	Let me tell you a story....


	THE TALE OF THE PANDORA BOX


	Cool winds were blowing across the city, and as a thousand stars 
shone overhead, so too was there an eerie reflection brought to life by 
the lights of the city. Here amidst these lights did he stand, silver 
eyes blindly watching the world below. Far below his perch upon the 
lofty form of this tower, he could hear the faint sounds of cars and 
people.
	"Tokyo," he said quietly, its name but a dedicated sound upon his 
lips. The magiks of old were rising up again, the auras beginning to 
crackle in the air. Soon it would finally begin.
	He had been there to see so many things of the past, and would 
remain to see so many more things of future. Yet for all that had once 
been and would one day become, he remained hidden from it all. A mystery 
to even those who knew what the old enigmas meant.
	He was the Raithe.
	He rubbed his fingers together over a rose in his grasp, as if 
sprinkling something unseen over the blossoming flower. The petals 
abruptly rustled and expanded even further, the crimson shade becoming a 
deep blue before turning a brilliant black. The Raithe cupped the rose 
in between his palms, closing them together before opening up his hands 
once more. And instead of the rose, a raven spread its wings and took 
flight.
	The oldest of magics were always the most powerful, the most 
alluring. Those who knew about the true Faery tales knew that within 
those tales the only true magic to wield is that called "magik", the 
purest form of power known to mankind. Such magik was almost lost 
forever, so long ago.
	It existed now only as folklore and legends. While the world 
flourished in science, magik fell into a dark and dreamless sleep, 
perhaps never again to awaken. It was dulled into magic, a child's 
fantasy. Today there was a new world with new wonders called technology. 
Castles were now steel skyscrapers. The magik remained but a playful 
story to lull children to sleep with. And those of honour and romantic 
chivalry who were once the knights were all but gone.
	Save a few.
	"Sailor...Senshi," he said quietly.
	The Raithe glanced out to the sprawling expanse of the city, the 
winds suddenly taking hold and blowing at his hair, his cloak. "Come out 
from the shadows," he stated, still looking out at the midnight lights. 
"It's rude to lurk uninvited in such places, Thanatos."
	The shadows behind him came to life, breathing and dancing and 
utter darkness becoming a thousand tiny shimmering starlights. A cloak 
cut from the midnight heavens fluttered along the ground, concealing the 
soul beneath its folds. Two haunting white eyes stared out from the 
darkness beneath the hood draped over the figure's head.
	A hand reached out from the folds of the cloak, pulling back at 
the rim of the hood. Out from the depths of the shadows emerged a 
grinning, lifeless skull. Hollow sockets stared out at the Raithe, who 
had yet to face his guest. A second hand sifted through the robes, 
fingers grasping at the grey bone.
	The mask was removed.
	"You seem as pensive as ever," the young man behind the mask 
remarked. Thanatos' eternally enigmatic smile never faded. The skull 
mask was tucked away as hands disappeared back into the folds of a cloak 
of night. The ScytheMaster was handsome despite the jagged blue scar 
running down the right eye. Long moss green hair was released of the 
mask's hold, tumbling far down Thanatos' back before being swept up in 
the winds.
	The Raithe stood and turned around, the ends of his black cloak 
pushed away from his body to let dance in the winds. "There is much to 
be silent about," he stated quietly. "Much that shall happen all too 
quickly. Here is where everything gathers together."
	Tokyo.
	Some might have argued that its tower was the central point to the 
city, the key to unlocking everything. Not unlike yet so different from 
a tower of metal and steel in Paris, this Tokyo Tower rose above many of 
the surrounding buildings to proclaim itself.
	A landmark to some. A gateway to others.
	The Raithe looked out to the city. "This is where it shall begin 
and end."
	Thanatos walked across the roof of the tower's observation deck. 
On the edge of the rooftop they stood, the ScytheMaster kneeling down 
and watching the traffic far below. So many sounds and sights unlike any 
other.
	"I had almost forgotten what it was like to feel the midnight 
winds upon my face," Thanatos sighed, eyes closing for but one brief 
moment. 
	The Raithe nodded. "As much as I do miss the sprawling valleys and 
forests once of this world, I have to admit that seeing this incredible 
city of towers stirs something inside of me."
	Somewhere out there the magik was unfolding.
	He could sense the powers of the ancient world slowly overtaking 
the emptiness left in the hearts of these enormous steel towers of 
glass. And in the midst of it all laid the fragile heart of a young 
princess borne of a world not so far away from this, and the ghosts of 
the past that still haunted a solitary wanderer.
	The final events were at last being set into motion. 
	Tonight would be the beginning of it all....


	He slept.
	It had been this way for almost one hundred years, and before that 
almost for three thousand years. Time moved slowly here, and could be 
either relative or arbitrary given the circumstance. Yet it continued 
regardless, relentless.
	Liquid bubbles of deep blue surged.
	He was floating through a dream, wrapped in a strange cool myst 
that kept his mind at ease. Frozen in magik he slept with only vague 
recollections as bedside companions. So many strange images gone yet not 
forgotten.
	Of an ancient world far above the skies, and its royal courts 
alongside peaceful waters. Of the Earth down below, and its rolling 
hills and sprawling castles. Of creatures beautiful and horrific, 
greater and lesser. And above all this, there was the remnant of magik 
within his memories. 
	Once it had flowed through his blood, unleashed with incredible 
fury upon his command. But that had been so long ago, and so long ago 
meant it was but a vague image in his mind. There was nothing to 
remember as he slept, and because he remained unaware he was not 
bothered by this fact.
	Everything came to him as a distant dream.
	"Chibiusa?"
	Slowly his eyes opened, his mind roused.
	"Chibiusa?"
	What were these whispers? They echoed of a world outside this 
place, of a world he had once walked through, breathing its air. That 
seemed suddenly clear inside again. For a moment he opened his mouth to 
sound out his name.
	The liquid bubbles surged once more. But the voices whispering in 
his mind faded, lost. His eyes closed, and once more sleep fell upon 
him.


	She was like a child once more, almost weeping at the beauty of a 
Sanctuary so much like home in the far distant future. Long locks of 
hair shining pink in the moonlight dangled past around her knees as her 
rouge eyes gazed at the newfound realm. Not quite of Earth yet not fully 
of the Dreamworld, it lived on the borders of sleep and awake. The 
gatekeepers were ancient stone griffins who waited and watched for magik 
to appear.
	"Sugoi!" she exclaimed excitedly, looking from one artefact to the 
next.
	A parade of faery starlights twirled around her as she tried to 
dance with their gliding movements. Her joyous laughter was lifted up to 
the eternal midnight high above the glass skylights, and the moon itself 
seemed to glow in response to her laughter.
	Keeping his distance to allow her the chance to experience the 
last refuge of Earthen magiks, he smiled in keeping pace with the 
Wanderer. Now bestowed with the title of DreamSeer by Morpheus' sphere 
of illusion, the Wanderer was spending the forever nights here in the 
Sanctuary rather than across the sprawling kingdoms of the Dreamworld.
	Behind them were the odango-haired blonde and the dark-haired 
prince, arm in arm as they admired the beauty of a forgotten realm.
	"Incredible," the dark-haired prince said. "This looks so much 
like the ancient Silver Moon palace."
	The Wanderer nodded. "Hai. I think this was Morpheus' chance at 
finding some comfort over the centuries. Here was a place that reminded 
him of home."
	The odango-haired blonde looked ahead. "Ah, Chibiusa! Don't run 
ahead of us!"
	"Daijobu, Usa-ko," the dark-haired prince said. "She's not quite a 
child any more."
	"I know," the odango-haired blonde pouted. "I just can't help it 
with all we've been through."
	She had already raced out in front of them into one of the 
atriums, ducking past the pillars. She came to an abrupt stop, mouth 
agape as an enormous white tyger adorned with jagged black stripes gave 
her a curious stare.
	"Don't worry," called the Wanderer. "She's friendly."	
	The tyger yawned, uninterested in her as its tail twitched and the 
tyger sauntered away on all fours. It had nothing to fear nor did it 
have any reason to; if she was in the company of the Wanderer and the 
DreamMaster, then all was well.
	She glanced down as she heard a mewing at her feet. The cub, its 
black body adorned with jagged white stripes, stared up into her tinted 
rouge eyes with its own big, smoky grey eyes. The little tyger was no 
larger than a housecat and proved to weigh just as much as she lifted it 
up in her arms.
	"Ah! Kawaii!" she exclaimed, giggling as the tyger cub playfully 
licked her cheek. "He's a lot bigger in the future!"
The cub squirmed about in her arms, mewing in the hopes of finding a new 
playmate rather than another coddle. She sighed, setting down the tyger.
	The DreamMaster smiled, kneeling down next to her. "I think you've 
found a new friend, Chibiusa," he said. "I trust Diana won't be 
jealous?"
	She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. There was nothing 
said save for her pleasant laughter, and that was really all that needed 
to be said. For between them was a love blossoming between worlds of 
magik and beyond realms of time. In another form he had once been a 
legendary Pegasus, a prince ruler of the Dreamworld. And she was a 
princess from the distant future.
	Yet they had found one another through destiny and magik. And it 
were these same bonds that would keep them together as long as they 
continued to fight for what they believed in. Earth was still far from 
seeing Crystal Tokyo. The Dreamworld was forever under the threat of the 
Shadowqueen.
	He glanced over his shoulder upon feeling a nudge; the mother 
tyger hoisted up his one arm with its nose, siding next to him. He 
sighed, scratching the tyger's head. "Ara ara," he said. "You always did 
know how to get what you wanted." 
	After a few minutes of pampering, the very contented tyger 
sauntered off to escort the cub across the atrium. Somewhere out beyond 
this gallery was another that could provide them with a forest to hunt 
in.
	"It's good to see them again," he sighed, thoughts at the past 
memories. "I haven't been to the Sanctuary in almost two hundred years."
	"What do you expect?" the Wanderer replied. "You've been busy 
lately. If not with the Dream Stealers, then with the Shadowqueen."
	He nodded. "Hai."
	Concern for his realm was growing as the Shadowdemon Empress was 
making more aggressive conquests of the Dreamworld kingdoms. And with 
his thoughts turning more and more to her, his maiden, it was getting 
very difficult to think about the affairs of his realm. Therein laid his 
greatest fear.
	Something heavy weighed down upon his shoulder, and he heard a 
very familiar, playful hooting. "Komban wa, Fuu-chan!" he said, smiling 
as the wyvern alighted his shoulder to nuzzle his cheek.
	"Had enough fun frolicking in the water nymph's fountain for the 
moment?" the Wanderer remarked in a half-scolding tone. "You know how 
much they hate you splashing water in every direction, Fuu-chan."
	Feigning hurt, the wyvern spread its wings and soared over to the 
odango-haired blonde. The dark-haired prince held out an arm for the 
wyvern to perch upon as it leaned forward to lick her nose.
	"That tickles!" the odango-haired blonde giggled loudly, recoiling 
and nearly sending both the wyvern and the prince tumbling backwards. 
And the odango-haired blonde continued to giggle incredibly even after 
the wyvern had stopped, echoes of the laughter rolling across the 
Sanctuary's multitude of galleries.
	"Where were you thinking of going next, Karasu-kun?" he asked the 
Wanderer.
	Karasu shrugged. "I'm not really sure. The Jester of Fire and Ice 
is nearby. He can put on quite a pyrotechnics display." And with an 
additional sigh, added, "Rei-chan would love him."
	He nodded. "Sounds like fun. I trust you will be avoiding the 
Pandora chamber."
	"Hai. If Morpheus' memories are as correct as I suspect they are, 
I'll be steering us clear of that gallery."
	The two looked back as more laughter echoed across the Sanctuary. 
Now it had become a rather childish game with the odango-haired blonde 
trying to run away from the wyvern, who wanted to get more laughter from 
its tickling tongue.
	The odango-haired blonde was tittering loudly, racing around the 
dark-haired prince. "Mamo-chan! Tasukete!"
	"Usa-ko!" the dark-haired prince protested.
	The Wanderer gave him an exasperated glance. "The future queen of 
Crystal Tokyo, ne?"
	He laughed wearily, the laugh trailing into a sigh. "H-Hai...." 
Glancing back, his eyes searched for her beautiful form. Yet she was 
nowhere to be found.
	She was gone from sight.
	He turned around, looking from one corridor to the next. Yet she 
was already around a corner or inside another room. "Shimatta," he 
muttered.
	For all its beauty, the Sanctuary also held devastating creations 
of the darker magiks sealed away for humanity's safety. To let someone 
unaware of the danger roam freely through the galleries was just 
inviting disaster should something be unleashed.
	There was one force in particular.
	And they were close to its resident gallery....


	They came.
	The whispers came.
	"Chaos...."
	Slowly his eyes opened, deep green staring out at the distant 
mysts that were his bed and pillow. Sometimes in this state of 
hibernation he was roused only to feel heavy with groggy memories, and 
then return to a more peaceful slumber.
	But the chorus of voices were persistent.
	"Chaos...."
	"Who's there?" he asked, staring out. Strangely enough, his mind 
was beginning to clear. The faded memories of what might be called a 
past were growing. 
	The whispers returned: "Elvenchild, you shall be released. Be 
ready...."
	He scowled, rolling onto his side in the hovering mysts. "If this 
is you, Carnage, I'm not impressed. I can't be released unless the box 
is opened. And I hate being teased about it. At least I didn't get 
caught as fast as you did."
	Suddenly the mysts rippled, possessed of movement once again. Yet 
this could only occur when the box was about to be opened. Shifting 
magiks in changing times.
	He rolled onto his back once more. "Na ni?"
	"Be ready. The world will be once again yours to retake...."
	They left.
	The whispers left.
	"Chaos...."


	She swiftly moved down the corridor, oblivious to the voices of 
her friends and family calling out her name. They seemed distant when 
compared to the whispers in her mind.
	"Follow our voices...."
	There was a rounded curve to her left, and beyond that another 
small corridor. The whispers prodded her that way. Before her was a 
single chamber, a gallery split apart from the others and tucked away. 
Yet it was still as serene and beautiful as all the others.
	"Sugoi," she whispered in awe. Why would such a place be so hidden 
from the rest of the Sanctuary? 
	The entire gallery was circular, sculpted from jade green marble. 
Six red banners hung from six specific points around the gallery, each 
one bearing golden runes from an ancient civilization. They appeared to 
be almost resembling kanji, but despite that they were very foreign to 
her.
	Her eyes followed the descending banners and saw the artefacts 
this gallery housed: they were seven of the most beautiful chests she 
had ever seen. Six of these elaborately decorated chests were seated in 
carved-out exhibits in the stone wall, each one shining with a unique 
display of jewels and foreign runes.
	Yet it was the central piece, the seventh and final chest atop the 
black pedestal, that had caught her eye. Here there was no banner 
bearing a golden rune. Instead there was a scarlet rune scrawled onto 
the marble tile right in front of the pedestal.
	She approached, quiet; her footsteps barely even made an echo. 
There was something strangely unique about this box. It appeared no 
larger than a jewellery box, decorated with linings of gold and precious 
gemstones. A sapphire caught her reflection, the face of a future 
princess sparkling in over a dozen facets of the small gemstone.
	The whispers returned.
	"Open it...." 
	Fingers wrapped around the curved lid, grip tightening.
	"What a beautiful box...."
	Her mind in that moment didn't quite seem to be her own. She 
pushed. The lock pushed back for a moment.
	"Hai. Open it...."
	Her palm touched the sapphire, and something responded. There was 
a brief flicker of some foreign rune upon the back of her hand, which 
then vanished. The lock gave way, the sapphire beneath her palm emitting 
a flash of blue light. 
	And finally the lid shifted. 
	"Hai...."
	"Chibiusa, no!"
	She glanced back at the shout from the Wanderer. "Hm?"
	But her fingers had already removed the lock, fated to lift the 
lid of the box just enough for a rush of grey myst to escape in a cool 
blast of air. Her long tails of hair fluttered around her as the grey 
mysts cascaded off the pedestal onto the floor, swirling around her feet 
and pouring across the marble tiling of the gallery. Like watching 
liquid clouds.
	Everyone but her seemed to recoil as the surge of myst flooded 
past their feet. The dark-haired prince protectively held onto the 
odango-haired blonde. 
	The Wanderer turned to him. "Is this as bad as I think it is?"
	He shook his head. "Iie. It's worse."
	A series of explosive bursts of light erupted from the open chest, 
escorted by a storm of electrical arcs that seemed to channel energy 
from the surrounding gallery. Green smoke with a hundred shades of 
electric neon billowed out from the open chest, unleashing with them a 
low, rumbling growl.
	The Wanderer's Arashi emerged. "Here it comes."
	And then nothing.
	Smoke dissipated, myst faded, the crackling energy sparked for one 
last time before growing silent. The gallery grew unnaturally silent, 
with but a stray draft causing their clothes to flutter.
	The wyvern gave a bemused hoot.
	"Was that it?" the odango-haired blonde finally asked.
	"Hardly."
	The response was not one of their own, coming from a new voice and 
an unfamiliar mouth. 
	For a moment she stood before the box, still shivering over what 
she had done. A chill had swept through her body with that blast of 
myst, and now she feared to turn around. But it was something she had to 
face. 
	A new figure stood in the entrance to the gallery.
	There stood a young man, tall and wiry in form, adorned with a 
long-sleeved, Chinese-style outfit beneath a black vest. Two golden 
rings dangled from the right ear, almost concealed beneath straight and 
flowing hair that shone silver in the enchanted lanternlight.
	"Chaos," he whispered, summoning his own magik of the Dreamworld. 
If this was a lull, then the storm was not far from following it.
	The ears of this newcomer were sloped, if not Elven in form. The 
young man's eyes slowly opened, deep green focusing directly on him. 
"Kon'nichi wa, Helios. I trust you remember me?"
	"Masaka," he said.
	"Who are you?" the dark-haired prince demanded.
	The young man smiled, giving a slight bow. "Permit me to introduce 
myself: his lordship Chaos, at your service."
	"Na ni?" the odango-haired blonde exclaimed.
	Past and present were colliding in paradox before their eyes. 
Chaos had once been a legendary force of pure evil that had nearly torn 
their world apart almost one year earlier. That entity of Chaos had been 
scattered in the wake of Galaxia's onslaught. Yet this figure before 
them held claim to the same title.
	Chaos glanced over to the Wanderer. "You may be the DreamSeer, but 
you are not Morpheus. Though I can see a slight resemblance between you 
both."
	"He died a month ago," the Wanderer answered. "He was killed by 
Metalia in order to free Milady Selena."
	"Milady Selena's gone?" the Elven lord exclaimed in disbelief. 
"Damn, and here I was hoping to be the one to wake her up with a kiss."
	"Watch the way you talk about my mother," the Wanderer snapped, 
storm magik starting to manifest itself. 
	Chaos defensively waved in protest. "Ara ara! I apologize." And 
then a dark smile crossed Chaos' face. "I was unaware I was in the 
presence of royalty. But if I perceive your aura correctly, you're a 
bastard son of the Silver Moon. Ne?"
	From behind the shades, the Wanderer glared with such force that 
the pillar holding the chest was thrown into the wall. "What was that?"
	Chaos didn't even flinch, but rather kept that smug if not amused 
grin. "Oh please, don't get self-righteous on me," the Elven lord said, 
waving the growl aside. "I know perfectly well that any son born to the 
line of the Eternal Moon is, for lack of a better word, unintended."
	The Wanderer fumed, but kept the anger in check. Having gone 
through this once, it would be better not to let the odango-haired 
blonde experience that rage.
	Chaos chuckled, ducking around a pillar.
	Suddenly the Elven Lord was right behind her, leaning on a 
restored pillar and its beautiful box. She let out a startled cry, 
recoiling. But Chaos snagged her wrist, keeping her there.
	"Ah, and you must be the pretty lady who released me," he said. 
"Tell me your name, fair maiden, that I might carve it across this 
Sanctuary as a token of my thanks."
	"Chibiusa!" the odango-haired blonde cried out.
	"Shimatta!" the Wanderer snarled, launching a crystal illusion.
	The Elven lord sighed, waving a hand to dispel the orb. But when 
the wave of magik struck, the crystal erupted into dozen more, each one 
zigzagging across the gallery. Chaos grunted as each one pounded into a 
part of the Elven lord's body. Magik combined, the crystals grew into a 
sphere that enveloped Chaos.
	She gaped at the Elven lord hovering before them, trapped within 
the illusion. Chaos was pounding against the curved wall. "No fair! What 
kind of petty sorcery is this? Fight like an Elven!"
	"I was going to put you back in the box," the Wanderer said icily. 
"But my patience with you ended a while ago. Shin'ne...Chaos-sama."
	He winced as, with a snap of the fingers, the illusion holding 
Chaos imploded, crashing into itself like shards of glass. The face of 
the Elven lord contorted, crumbling and then dashed to fragments of 
glass.
	"Tasukete!" Chaos cried feebly. "Tasuke--"
	With a final ring of shattering glass, the pieces of the illusion 
fell to the marble floor. The shocked expression of Chaos faded from the 
shards, which burned into ashes and small clouds of black smoke.
	The odango-haired blonde clung to the dark-haired prince. "How 
awful!"
	"He deserved it," the Wanderer said coldly.
	"That may be," the dark-haired prince replied. "But was that 
absolutely necessary, Karasu?"
	And then came the applause. Slow, deliberate clapping, each 
applaud resonating with gleeful sarcasm. They all turned around, and the 
Wanderer lowered the shades in stunned amazement.
	"Na ni?" she whispered.
	There sat Chaos, leisurely applauding them from one of the 
buttresses atop the gallery ceiling. A dark smile crossed the Elven 
lord's face. "Bravo!" Chaos exclaimed. "Bravo! Though I think the death 
scene was a little overdramatic, it was spectacular none the less!"
	"How in the hell?" the Wanderer hissed. 
	"Karasu," the odango-haired blonde quietly asked. "Has anyone ever 
escaped your illusions before?"
	"Oh, why fuss over such trivial details as that?" Chaos cut in, 
tumbling backwards. "Not when a greater event is at hand!"
	She gawked as the Elven lord made a graceful and effortless 
descent onto the floor. And then upon landing, Chaos gave a playful wink 
at her. It took a few seconds for her to realize she was blushing.
	"Good attack, DreamSeer--or can I call you Karasu?"
	The Wanderer's crystal blue eyes narrowed. "My associates call me 
by the Wanderer. My close friends call me Karasu. And you're neither."
	Chaos sighed, glancing back at her. "Is he always this unpleasant 
to be around?"
	She simply found herself blushing a little more, surprised.
	A genuine smile seemed to cross Chaos' face, and the Elven lord 
gave a slight bow to her before abruptly meeting with Karasu's storm 
fury attack.
	"Will you cut that out?" Chaos snapped, visibly annoyed. With a 
wave of the hand, the Arashi's magik was dispersed. "That's it, Karasu. 
I tried to be civil about this."
	Suddenly a shockwave swept through the gallery, rocking its very 
foundations. Gales smashed into them all, winds with such force and 
substance that they were pale grey amidst the air. The odango-haired 
blonde screamed in the dark-haired prince's arms as both were hurled 
backwards across the floor. Caught in the tempests, the wyvern screeched 
before striking a pillar with enough force to knock the creature out 
cold.
	Even he, a DreamMaster, was pitched back, neatly flipping over and 
landing low to the ground before his feet managed to get a grip on the 
floor.
	The pillars buckled and the marble stone cracked apart, debris 
soaring into the corridor. The crimson banners were shredded as the last 
surge of the wave crashed into the Wanderer. With a shout, Karasu was 
tossed head over heels and flung into the wall.
	She remained untouched by the entire attack, standing there and 
unable to say or think of anything. Slowly her rouge eyes turned to the 
Elven lord.
	Chaos cracked a set of knuckles by moving about some fingers. 
"Damn, I think I've gotten a little rusty over the centuries."
	"Daijobu, Usa-ko?" the dark-haired prince asked, helping the 
odango-haired blonde up. A thin trail of blood was running down the face 
of the prince.
	"Mamo-chan, you're hurt," the odango-haired blonde whispered, 
trembling with concern upon touching the trickle of blood.
	"I'm fine," the prince reassured the young lady. But then the 
prince stumbled, too weak to stand. It was then that the odango-haired 
blonde felt the blood flowing from the prince's back, cut up from 
shielding the future queen.
	"Mamo-chan," the odango-haired blonde whispered, starting to cry. 
	Such pain the princess of the Eternal Moon was feeling. He had 
seen this pain before, and at the time was powerless to do anything to 
help. But not again. Now he had the magik to protect mother and child 
together.
	"What is it you want with us?" he demanded, his own powers now 
reaching a peak. The golden horn atop his head appeared, glowing with 
the magik of the Dreamworld.
	Chaos chuckled. "Oh, I'm just here to play a game with you. You 
cannot refuse; I guarantee it." And to emphasize the point, Chaos opened 
up a palm to display the crackling magik of the Elven lord's aura. 
"There is but one rule we are all held to."
	"Let me guess," the Wanderer said icily. "There are no rules."
	"On the contrary," Chaos countered. "I will hold us all to one 
rule: the game is made up as we go along. Anything goes. Nothing is 
forbidden. Really, DreamSeer, you are much too hostile for my tastes."
	The Wanderer growled but kept back, trying to anticipate the next 
attack. Chaos' powers had made Karasu very cautious. "What are we 
playing for?"
	A dark smile appeared once more. "Oh, a trophy, commercial 
endorsements, the fate of your world: the usual." And then those 
wandering green eyes fixed upon her. "But as for something a little more 
tangible, I'll just take the girl who released me. A consolation prize, 
if you will."
	She let out a startled cry as she was swept up into the Elven 
lord's arms, desperately reaching out to someone, anyone, for help. But 
all that seemed to haunt her mind was the laughter of Chaos. Not cruel 
or harsh laughter. 
	It was the laughter of someone enjoying a sport.
	"Usagi!" she screamed.
	The odango-haired blonde broke into a run, stretching out a hand 
to touch hers and bring her back. "Chibiusa!"
	For a moment their fingers brushed, and it appeared as if she 
might take her future mother's hand and grasp it tightly to be pulled 
back into safe arms. Yet it was for only a moment, and a moment rarely 
lasts forever.
	Abruptly Chaos pulled back, leaving the odango-haired blonde to 
stumble and fall onto the cracked marble floor, still frantically crying 
out her name. "Chibiusa! CHIBIUSA!!"
	He leaped past the odango-haired blonde, his Dreamworld magik 
crackling in the air for an attack. Alongside him soared the Wanderer, 
Arashi in hands once more. Once before he had nearly lost her, his 
beloved, his maiden.  Within her dreams he had hidden himself, and it 
was her magik that had so possessed his heart. And damned if he was just 
going to let the Elven sorcerer take it all away.
	Suddenly they both struck a barrier field, hurled aside to crash 
back onto the floor. The Wanderer groaned, now limping in rising up to 
watch Chaos hover over them.
	His own eyes were fixated on her as she looked down. Their eyes 
met. She was pleading with him to help; she was frightened and alone. 
"Helios," she cried, reaching down to him.
	"I don't think so," Chaos countered, hoisting her back. The entire 
sphere around the two began to flicker out of existence. Chaos was 
leaving the boundaries of the Sanctuary.
	"Dammit, you don't need her!" he shouted after the Elven lord.
	Chaos laughed, flickering out of existence. "True, DreamMaster. 
Very true. Let's just call this a matter of raising the stakes."
	"Usagi!" she cried out for the last time. "Mamo-chan!"
	"Chibiusa!"
	The sphere suddenly vanished, dissipating like wisps of cloud and 
smoke. All that remained was the laughter of the Elven Lord: "Let the 
games begin...."
	The odango-haired blonde seemed oblivious to the disappearance, 
fighting to reach where she had last been before being stolen away by 
Chaos.
	"Iie! Chibiusa! CHIBIUSA!!"
	"Usa-ko," the dark-haired prince said, trying to calm the girl 
down. "Usa-ko, there's nothing we can do for her now. Chaos has her."
	The prince tried to hold the odango-haired blonde back, but the 
princess' frantic struggles forced them to tumble backwards. The dark-
haired prince winced at the savage pain, and seemed weaker now more than 
ever before.
	The odango-haired blonde gasped at the prince's pain, hands 
clasped over her mouth. "Gomen ne, Mamo-chan," the odango-haired blonde 
said through the tears. "I...I didn't mean to hurt you."
	"Chikusho!" the Wanderer swore angrily, taking a swing at a piece 
of rubble with the Arashi. The sword's glowing blade neatly cleaved the 
rock in two. "When I get that bastard, he is going to pay."
	"Daijobu," he said, staring grimly at the shadows where his maiden 
had once stood. "It will do you no good to lash out like this after the 
fact."
	He turned to the odango-haired blonde. "Chaos won't harm her. 
She's not the one he's after." 
	The odango-haired blonde reluctantly nodded, putting on a smile 
regardless of the emotional turmoil within.
	"Who was this guy anyways?" the Wanderer asked, kicking at a piece 
of broken marble tiling. "He sure had the power to tear this place 
apart."
	He quietly walked over to the fallen wyvern, cradling the creature 
in his arms. He could feel the wyvern's dreams; there was no sign of 
injury. "That is his speciality," he said. "His name is Chaos."
	"The entity of darkness?" the dark-haired prince asked.
	He shook his head. "Iie. The only thing those two forces shared 
was a common name," he explained. "He's an ancient Elven lord of magik. 
Lord Chaos existed almost two thousand years before your mother's time 
in the Silver Millennium."
	With a quick illusion the dark-haired prince was healed. The same 
form of illusion revived the wyvern, who angrily shook itself to check 
the bodily damage. One last illusion drew up winds of change that 
rapidly accelerated the Sanctuary's restoration rate. The Pandora 
gallery became whole again, save for the single opened chest in the 
centre of the chamber.


	The Gallery was vacant now, with Milady Selena finally freed to 
spend eternity with her beloved Morpheus. There was nothing left to mark 
that event save the memories; not even a glass coffin was left behind. 
Everything had been destroyed in the battle. Perhaps it was just as 
well.
	Now the Gallery was just a large and majestic atrium, released 
from its haunting ghosts. The ambience was not as weary and oppressed as 
it once had been. Where marble floor surrounding a glass coffin once 
stood, there was now a large and beautiful fountain. The waters covered 
every last portion of the sunken floor, even swallowing up the last 
descending steps.
	A few spouts of water were gushing forth from the mouths of 
dolphins or else water dragyns, and the waters themselves were full of 
small, colourful fish.
	He stared down into these waters, finding himself absently 
watching the DreamMaster who looked back up at him. Did his eyes really 
appear that saddened? A hand drifted across the crystal clear surface, 
sending forth ripples that caused the fish to scatter.
	Arashi sheathed, the Wanderer leaned up against one of the 
archways, saying nothing though the expression held enough words. The 
odango-haired blonde and the dark-haired prince were seated at the edge 
of the fountain pool, tresses of the girl's long blonde hair drifting in 
the small currents. 
	"It will be alright, Usa-ko," the dark-haired prince said quietly, 
reassuringly. "We'll find Chibiusa for certain."
	Despite a tear-stained face, the odango-haired blonde nodded.
	He finally looked up. "There were seven Elven Lords who made up 
what became known as the Court of Chaos. They once had original names, 
but then took upon themselves what was called titles of Mass 
Destruction: Carnage, Rampage, Mayhem, Hysteria, Havoc, and Riot and 
Ruckus, a set of elven twins who occupied a single seat. Their leader-
emperor was Chaos."
	"No anarchy?" the Wanderer inquired.
	"Anarchy implies total and absolute destruction of order as we 
know it," he countered. "The Elven lords are malevolent, even childishly 
reckless at times, but they are not pure evil. There would be nothing 
for them to do if Earth was destroyed."
	"Twisted logic," the dark-haired prince murmured.
	"But it makes twisted sense," the Wanderer grudgingly agreed.
	The last fateful images of her abduction by Chaos were still being 
played through in his mind. He had been unable to help her when she 
needed it, unable to fight against the Elven lord's magik. Was his 
Dreamworld magik this impotent even here in the Sanctuary?
	"Helios."
	He looked up, feeling the gentle touch of the odango-haired blonde 
on his hand. The girl was smiling, finding the courage inside to press 
on regardless of what had already happened.
	"Arigato, Usagi," he said. And so he continued his tale:
	"Those in the Court were trapped inside Pandora boxes, enchanted 
seals placed upon them. The only way to unlock such a box was by 
combining three crystal seals called Imagika."
	"Imagika?" the dark-haired prince asked, glancing over to the 
Wanderer.
	The Wanderer shrugged. "First time I've heard of this."
	He drew his one hand out from the water, letting the cool droplets 
run down his skin. Somehow, perhaps if he stared just right into one of 
the drops, he might catch her reflection from wherever Chaos had taken 
her.
	"An Imagika exists inside the souls of those who possess magik," 
he explained. "It is the essence, the physical embodiment of their 
powers. You and your royal court, Usagi, each have one. Having once been 
of the Earthworld, I do as well--though the raven angels and 
Shadowdemons do not. Even you, Karasu, despite being a lost soul, also 
possess an Imagika."
	"Morpheus held a memory of Chaos in his sphere of illusion," the 
Wanderer said. "He found that particular Pandora Box at the turn of this 
century, and accidentally broke the seal. Chaos managed to get released 
from his box and go on a small joyride."
	He nodded. "Hai. Your father searched out Illusion to ask for my 
help. In that instance, Chaos was so thrilled to be out, he simply 
decided to see the new world. He never even bothered to go after the two 
other crystals. Now that he has seen it, he wants his old powers back. 
One Imagika crystal is the lock itself to the Pandora box. It is 
designed to use the summoner's magik against them to seal them inside. 
Chaos regained his powers and that crystal when the box was opened 
again."
	"So why does he need two other crystals?" the odango-haired blonde 
asked. "Why did he have to take Chibiusa?"
	"He's not at his maximum power," Helios explained. "The Pandora 
box split apart his magik, the core essence being the first crystal: the 
lock on the box. Without it he and the Pandora box would cease to exist, 
creating paradox."
	"So Chaos has only his essential magik left to use," the Wanderer 
said. "Where does he have to get the other two Imagikas?"
	He looked up to the domed ceiling, watching the quiet moonlight 
pour down overhead. Shades of blue danced all over the glass and stone 
as the waters reflected the moonlight. "The second crystal he needs to 
collect is found within the keeper of that particular box. Centuries ago 
these boxes were handed down by loyal monks and Druid priests who 
guarded them from outside forces. But over time the boxes were lost."
	"And found their way to the Sanctuary," the dark-haired prince 
finished. "Karasu, if Morpheus made you the heir to the DreamSeer title, 
that means Chaos will be coming for you next."
	The Wanderer smiled darkly. "Let him try. I've got a few scores of 
my own to settle with him."
	"There is no real need to worry," he said. "What Morpheus gave you 
was his entire sphere of illusion, containing his Imagika. There was no 
merging or bonding between you. If Chaos manages to steal the Imagika, 
it will be Morpheus' he takes."
	"Either way," the Wanderer stated. "That crystal is all I have 
left of my father. I'm not about to let Chaos simply walk in and take 
something that valuable to me."
	"What about the last Imagika?" the odango-haired blonde asked.
	He grimaced, already foreseeing the new conflict. "Chaos must seek 
out the one who forged the Pandora boxes, and steal his crystal. This 
was the ultimate safeguard to ensuring that if any force ever escaped, 
their true powers would never be found."
	"Then we had better find whoever created these boxes and warn 
them," the dark-haired prince said. "That summoner's in a lot of 
danger."
	He stood up at the edge of the pool, eyes still gazing into the 
peaceful waters. How long would those waters remain this way? "There's 
no need," he countered.
	"Why?" the odango-haired blonde asked.
	Slowly he lifted his head to stare at them all. "I was the one who 
created the Pandora boxes."


	She awoke to discover that she had been sleeping.
	Never recalling if she had laid down to sleep, she now found 
herself slowly roused from a fetal position upon the soft cushions of a 
couch. Black leather shifted beneath her form as she looked up.
	"Where...am I?" she asked herself.
	The room was silent in response. Sitting up, she pushed out some 
of the wrinkles on her skirt. Her surroundings appeared to be no more 
than that of an apartment. The living room was sunken from the rest of 
the apartment, gifted with a large television, couches and a coffee 
table. Halogen lamps were placed around the room. To her left she could 
see the kitchen and dining room, partitioned by only a slick, black 
counter. Beyond that was a hallway and other chambers.
	It seemed so peaceful, so normal.
	Had everything about that Elven sorcerer been just a dream, a 
fantasy conjured up from too many Faery tales read late at night?
	Her eyes stopped upon seeing the front door to the apartment. The 
rune was not painted on or hung from the door, thus making it seem 
unnatural. It was quite the opposite: indeed, the door seemed to have 
naturally grown from the scarlet rune she knew very well by this time.
	That rune had marked the central box in the gallery.
	It was that belonging to Chaos.
	And beneath the rune was a small, fancifully carved Torii. This 
door was in essence a gateway, and wherever it was she found herself in 
meant that this was Chaos' domain. Yet it seemed strange that an Elven 
sorcerer would find such a contemporary setting to call home. She would 
have more expected to find herself in an underground palace or else in a 
large, hollowed out tree. Or perhaps even a vast cave.
	But not something so...modern.
	Shuffling from beyond the hallway meant that she was no longer 
alone. And there was only one other person she could be sure of being 
here in this domain. Panic set in as the footsteps moved into the 
hallway.
	She had to escape while she had the chance!
	"The door," she whispered, racing over to the portal.
	She opened up the door, hoping that it would lead out. That it 
would lead somewhere, anywhere, just so long as it was away from here. 
It deceivingly led somewhere else: right back into itself.
	She gasped, a stifled squeak escaping her mouth as through the 
open door she stared out at the apartment once more. A quick glance back 
confirmed that she was still in the same apartment, yet beyond the 
threshold of this doorway was its mirror. Either way she travelled, she 
ended up in the exact same place.
	"You can't get out that way, I'm afraid," came a voice.
	She spun around, jumping back into the wall.
	There in the middle of the living room, having crept in with more 
silence than a dying wind, he stood. His long silver hair was tied back 
in a long tail, and he was dressed in modern yet elegant garments. Yet 
there was no denying the aura behind him, or the Elven resemblance he 
bore.
	He was the lord of Chaos.
	"N-Na ni?" she asked, trembling. Her back went straight against 
the wall.
	"The doorway to my little realm," he stated, sauntering across the 
room, each step becoming a step closer to her. "It's designed to ensure 
you don't slip out while I'm away."
	Her entire body tensed, fists clenched in balls tight enough to 
whiten her knuckles.
	He paused, regarding her near-paralyzed state with amusement. "I 
don't bite," he said. "Not, of course, unless you wish me to do so." 
With playfully wide eyes he snapped his jaws together.
	She relaxed slightly upon his retreat.
	"Hajimimashute," he said with a bow. "Forgive my rudeness, but 
perhaps now you can know my name. Call me Chaos. His lordship Chaos. 
Emperor and leader of the Elven Court of Chaos, founded by yours truly. 
Any and all other names I perhaps had have been forgotten over the 
centuries of relentless time."
	Closing his palms together, he made a very dramatic motion of 
separating his hands to reveal a delicate white rose, the edges of its 
petals stained pink. Surprised as she was by the feat, it surprised her 
even more when she realized she was blushing as he tossed the flower to 
her and she caught it.
	"Daijobu," he said, chuckling over her very apparent fear. "I 
doubt you would be here right now if I had some nefarious plan to put 
into action."
	He gave her a playful wink.
	She glanced down at the floor, shuffling her feet. "Oh."
	"I hope you're not as disappointed as you appear to be," he 
remarked. "I try to be dramatic whenever possible, but I would rather 
destroy an entire skyscraper than a beauty such as yourself."
	And as if to emphasize his point, he made a quick flick with his 
wrist to produce a second rose in his hand. This one was blood red, its 
petals stained white around the edges.
	"A-arigato," she stammered.
	The fact was that she had been so preoccupied before with his 
fight against the Wanderer, she had never really noticed how handsome 
this Elven lord really was.
	"Besides," he added, more as an afterthought. "it's the Imagika 
I'm after." With that, he collapsed onto the couch.
	She approached hesitantly, clutching both roses in her hands. The 
stems were free of thorns, smooth against her skin. Great care had been 
taken in creating those flowers. Still uncertain of how to view her 
suddenly friendly captor, she took a seat on the opposite end of the 
couch.
	He didn't argue against that.
	"Chaos?"
	"Hai."
	"What is an Imagika?"
	"There are crystals called Imagika," he answered. "They are the 
essence of the magik mortals like you and I possess. In a sense, the 
Imagika is our eternal soul."
	She froze, eyes widening. In the distant future, not so long ago 
in her memories, the Queen of Crystal Tokyo had told her of a tale about 
a champion Senshi and the vengeful taking of their Starseeds. Once gone, 
the holder of the seed vanished forever. Was Imagika just another name 
for the Starseeds?
	"B-but what happens to the person you steal it from?" she asked 
apprehensively.
	His response was immediate, already given thought and decision. 
"Without it, their body simply fades away. No longer a mortal, no longer 
a ghost, they are but a dying dream. And only a miracle could ever bring 
them back once the separation has taken place."
	She scrunched the folds of her skirt into her fists in silent 
cries. "You...you would kill them," she whispered.
	He shrugged indifferently. "It's nothing personal," he admitted, 
summoning a box of small chocolate candies with a mere gesture. "It's 
just...well, business. Care for some chocolate?"
	She declined by staying right where she was, sullen and staring 
down at the floor.
	He sighed, popping a chocolate into his mouth. "A shame, really, 
letting these go to waste and all. They are very good."
	"How can you eat at a time like this?" she finally demanded 
angrily. This was the one who intended to kill her Dreamworld soulmate 
by tearing out an Imagika. How could he act so nonchalant about it?
	"If I'm hungry, I eat," he simply replied. "If I'm tired, I sleep. 
I may be of Elven blood, but I'm mortal much like you are. And I hold a 
high will to survive. The best way for me to do that is to take all my 
powers back."
	She looked away, evading his attempts to draw her eyes back to 
facing him. For a moment he seemed unnerved by her hostility, awkwardly 
staring down into his candies. 
	"Even at the cost of other people's lives?" she asked.
	He paused in sucking on his chocolate. "I never really stopped to 
think about it," he answered. "This is the first time I would be 
committing myself to such a game. In the past I never had to worry about 
losing my powers until Helios showed up with his damned Pandora Boxes."
	That caught enough of her curiosity for her to finally look at him 
again. "Pandora Box?"
	He nodded. "I'll tell you about them...if you agree to try a 
chocolate."
	For a moment she silently wrestled with his proposal. It would 
seen indecent, if not betraying Helios, if she accepted. A low rumble 
shook her stomach, and she blushed in embarrassment.
	He laughed, smiling at her. "I think the decision's already been 
made."
	It was a genuine laugh. The tension in her body seemed to fall 
away with that laugh. It almost made her forget of what he planned to 
eventually do. She took a chocolate and tried one.
	"Delicious!" she exclaimed, surprised. The candies were sweet and 
filling, a delight to her tongue and stirring up her stomach in 
excitement.
	He gave her a curious expression.  "You were expecting them to be 
laced with poisons or some enchantment? Really, that's so childish. I 
stopped doing that about five hundred years ago--Pandora Box duration 
notwithstanding."
	"What is a Pandora Box?" she asked, reaching for another 
chocolate. 
	He set the chocolates down between them. "You opened one, 
Chibiusa--may I call you that?"
	She looked up from the chocolates. "What?"
	"Your name," he replied. "I heard them speak it back in the 
Sanctuary. May I call you that, or is there another title you would 
prefer?"
	She considered that; the only other title that had ever been given 
to her was Small Lady. Any extra names were previous taunts traded 
between her and the odango-haired blonde, her future mother.
	"Chibiusa's fine."
	He nodded. "Chibiusa, then. About three thousand years ago, the 
Elven lived alongside humans and other creatures of magik upon the 
earth. It would be a lie to say that it was a peaceful coexistence. We 
Elven do love to make life a little more...shall we say, interesting. 
There were seven of us who rose to become the greatest of the Elven 
mages. I organized us into a council: the Court of Chaos. Have you ever 
heard of us?"
	She shook her head, wolfing down another chocolate.
	He sighed. "No, I suppose not. There's not much left of we Elven 
that even proves we once existed. But my Court enjoyed playing some very 
amusing games with many a creature, humans and otherwise. Well, all fun 
and games must come to an end one day. Ours came when Helios was 
summoned from the Dreamworld, and asked to put a stop to our games. He 
did just that, creating what came to be known as the Pandora Box. The 
boxes use our very magiks to seal us inside, and three Imagikas became 
the locks that bound our powers."
	His fingers groped around the box, searching for a chocolate. 
Finally his eyes titled downwards when he met with only fine crumbs. "Na 
ni?! You ate them all?!"
	She burped. "Gomen nasai."
	For a moment the lord of Chaos was at a loss for words, the 
expression on his face one of complete, stunned disbelief. And then he 
laughed again, shaking his head.
	"Yare yare. At least you got your appetite back," he remarked, 
standing up and walking over to the sliding door window. Just beyond a 
thin pane of glass was the cityscape, alive in the noises and lights of 
the night. The skies of an early March morning were out there in 
darkened masses, dancing in behind the armada of Tokyo's city lights. In 
a few short hours, that life would fade away with the coming of the 
dawn.
	Absently he placed a hand on the glass, letting his forehead touch 
the window. She watched his face as he stood there. For a moment he 
seemed to contemplate his memories, only to be saddened by what he 
found.
	"It's like sleeping," he said finally. "Though you're half awake 
throughout your stay in the box. If anything I would describe it as 
walking amidst oblivion. And there's not much to look at in there. 
You're lucky if you can even remember who you are." 
	He spoke more to his reflection in the glass than to her, abruptly 
cold. Perhaps even vengeful. It surprised him when he felt her warm 
hands touch his, and as he turned to face her he saw those two, gentle 
rouge eyes accepting him for who and what he was.
	"I'm sorry you had to go through that," she said quietly.
	He smiled, taking a second look out at the city expanse. "Arigato, 
Chibiusa-chan. But in truth I probably deserved some of it. Definitely 
after that whole 'sinking of Atlantis' incident."
	"You sunk Atlantis?" she exclaimed.
	He pulled back, waving his arms in protest. "I swear I was just 
there on vacation! That was just an unfortunate coincidence and a matter 
of bad timing with both Carnage and Havoc showing up on the same beach 
that I was on."
	They both stared at each other for a moment in pleasant silence. 
And then they laughed together. They laughed for a long time. In that 
time, the eyes of the Elven lord seemed to soften in watching her.
	"Chibiusa...."
	Yet she did not hear him whisper her name. 
	Nor was she meant to hear it from his lips.
	It was just better this way.


	The rippling waters of the Gallery's fountain continued regardless 
of the silence among the four of them. Though they were silent, time 
still continued in its ever-relentless march that would one day reach 
out to span eternity.	
	"Why you?" the Wanderer asked. "Why were you chosen to create the 
Pandora Boxes?"
	He sighed; for so long he had hoped that the legacy of the boxes 
would remain just as forgotten lore, that never again would he have to 
face this situation. Yet everything in life seemed to come with a cycle, 
a revolution.
	And now it was his turn.
	"Chaos and those like him were of Earthen magik, the most powerful 
breeds at that," he explained. "They stirred up dissension and mischief 
wherever they went, the results sometimes very disastrous whether or not 
they intended it. Their term for those actions was 'playing a game'. Any 
magik another mage could summon was rivalled or conquered in an 
alarmingly short period of time. The Court of Chaos was undefeated by 
any and all Earthen magiks. No, a completely different breed of magik 
had to be used."
	"Dreamworld magik," the dark-haired prince said.
	He nodded. "Hai. Karasu, you are living proof that our two realms 
can easily work to seal a magik. Think of the Pandora box as a pocket 
dimension, which seals the force inside another  realm much like a lost 
soul."
	The dark-haired prince held the odango-haired blonde a little 
tighter. "And now Chaos is freed once again. If he's been trapped inside 
that box for a few millennia, then no wonder he's anxious to play a new 
game."
	"That's why he took Chibiusa," the Wanderer said. "He knows you 
love her."
	The odango-haired blonde looked down into the waters. 
"Chibiusa...."
	He stared into his reflection. So it had come to this: once again 
he was facing a fellow mage he wished he could be allies with. Yet there 
would never seem to be a chance of that happening. Chaos had to be 
sealed back inside the Pandora Box again.
	He would see to that, for her sake.
	Finally he stood up from beside the fountain. "It's all about the 
game Chaos wants us to play. And believe him when he says that nothing 
is forbidden. If we want to end the world to stop him, then he won't see 
a problem in us trying that."
	"Don't even joke about destroying our world," the Wanderer said. 
"There's a Senshi in our ranks who has the power to do it with 
disturbing ease."
	He nodded. "Gomen; I should have remembered about Hotaru-sama's 
magik."
	"What do we do now?" the odango-haired blonde spoke up. "How do we 
free Chibiusa?"
	"I'm afraid that all we can do right now is wait," he answered. 
"You will need to return to earth in a few short hours. But I don't know 
where or when Chaos will choose to strike. The next move is up to him."


	Even though it was a luxurious apartment, given to magikal tricks 
every way she turned, it was still a prison. Unable to leave through the 
front door marked by the rune of chaos, she was forced to remain there.
	No matter how charming or hospitable he tried to be, she knew that 
the Elven lord was keeping her here against her will. The faces of her 
friends seemed to appear in ghostly images alongside her: the odango-
haired blonde, the dark-haired prince, the DreamMaster.
	"Helios," she whispered.
	For so long the DreamMaster had come to her in the form of a 
Pegasus, and at the time she had never noticed Helios' love for her. Now 
she finally understood it, and wished to be together with him for as 
long as eternity kept going. But already there were hindrances: first 
his title of DreamMaster, the solution unfortunately delayed because of 
the Shadowqueen.
	And now this. 
	Arms crossed, she leaned forward on the dining room table, burying 
her head in between her arms. Quiet tears of sadness and longing fell 
from her cheeks, making but a whisper when they struck the table.
	"Helios. Why aren't you here?"
	For a time, she cried alone. Finally the tears stopped flowing and 
she was simply left with a knot in her stomach. Why did it have to be 
like this? Why did Chaos and Helios have to be such enemies? Neither one 
was inherently evil.
	She lifted her head upon hearing the delicate notes that echoed in 
with the winds. At first they seemed to be of the very winds themselves. 
Wiping away the tears from her face, she followed the music.
	The sliding door was left open, the hanging blinds drifting in the 
early morning breezes. He sat atop the balcony railing, one leg dangling 
over the side, oblivious to the world eight storeys below.
	Another day was presenting itself to the city that would one day 
become legend. Warm rays of sunlight made their way across the cityscape 
of Tokyo, giving rise to life of the people living there. Across the 
city there was the sound of wind, traffic, and people all arguing for 
attention. The din of the modern world was like a background static that 
was forever present. Yet if one was to pause and pull themselves away 
from it all, they would have heard the beautiful and saddened melody of 
a flute.
	Faint, haunting notes echoed across the clear morning skies. His 
lips pressed against the seemingly delicate glass instrument, Chaos 
played a melody of ancient homelands, now all but forgotten to the 
world.
	His fingers worked their own magik, the music echoing across the 
noises of the city. An ancient variation of a recorder was at his lips 
as he played a haunting melody that seemed to echo across the empty 
streets. Once again he found himself here, playing his gentle instrument 
at the edge overlooking a wondrous world. He pressed his lips against 
the mouthpiece as his fingers danced around the notes. Music was one of 
the quiet moments he enjoyed the most. Games came and went, but his 
music lasted within him for as long as there was breath in his lungs.
	The last note from Chaos' flute hung in the air as if not wanting 
to end and let the silence of the winds reign over the city once more. 
It was then that he took notice of his audience. "It was a song my 
mother once taught me," he said. "She wanted me to be a bard." That 
seemed to bring a distant smile to his face. "Imagine that: his lordship 
Chaos a musician."
	"It's not too hard to imagine," she said. "Your music is 
beautiful."
	He solemnly watched the dying heavens of the night. "You've been 
crying, Chibiusa. Is it because of me?"
	She opened her mouth to respond, to give some kind of answer. But 
her voice failed her and she said nothing. How could she tell him about 
her feelings for Helios without angering him to retaliate? 
	He took no offence, reading into her silence. "I know you love 
him, Chibiusa. That is something you humans have a difficult time trying 
to hide. Make no mistake in that I will finish this game. I just hate to 
see a beautiful girl cry."
	She touched her lips, her voice returning. "Chaos," she whispered.
	And then the sun's rays broke free of the horizon's shadows, 
flooding across the city hues of scarlet, yellow and orange. The night 
was banished from the earth, the day rising up once again as it always 
had in the past.
	There, together on the balcony, they watched the sunrise come to 
the sprawling city of Tokyo.


	Another day had come.
	And with it the promise of new hopes and new challenges.
	Even though going with little sleep over a night spent worrying 
about the Tsukino child, the odango-haired blonde managed to make it to 
school. Not necessarily on time, but that was now to be expected of both 
the odango-haired blonde and the long-haired blonde.
	Without incident, the morning passed everyone by with the daily 
rigors of tests and lessons. The odango-haired blonde had decided to 
tell no one else about the release of the Elven lord of Chaos.
	Not until their lunch break began.
	It was almost approaching the noon hour, and that found a majority 
of them inside the gymnasium. While the males were practicing volleyball 
drills, the ladies had a chance to talk before beginning their laps.
	The long-haired blonde giggled. "Ah, it's great that Luna and 
Artemis are out so late together these past few nights. I was able to 
eat that extra piece of chocolate cake without having him suddenly walk 
in and scold me!"
	"Lucky!" the odango-haired blonde pouted. "Shingo ate our last 
piece of cake two days ago. I had nothing to eat behind Luna's back."
	The long-haired blonde gave the V-sign. "You know what they say: 
if the cat's away, then there's nothing else left for the dog to chase!"
	A round of groans went around the group. 
	"Minako-chan," the blue-haired genius said, resting a hand on the 
girl's shoulder. "I think I've finally given up on correcting your 
quotes."
	The odango-haired blonde glanced over at the tall brunette. "Mako-
chan, you don't look so well."
	The tall brunette nodded despite looking otherwise. "Daijobu. I've 
just been feeling a little sick lately. Probably just the flu going 
around."
	"Are you sure you're alright?" the long-haired blonde pressed.
	The tall brunette nodded. "I said I'm fine. Besides, Sora worries 
enough about me as it is; I don't need the rest of you all mothering 
me."
	"Incoming!" came the alerting shout of the raven knight.
	With a curious expression, the odango-haired blonde turned. 
Seconds later her face abruptly met with a volleyball. The odango-haired 
blonde toppled over, hands twitching slightly upon hitting the floor.
	From across the gymnasium, the masquerade wraith winced. "That 
really had to hurt." With a smirk, Meikyu glanced over at the raven 
knight. "Nice shot, Kishi."
	"Hush," Kishi retorted, making a gesture with his hand to command 
for silence.
	Then a rumour seemed to sweep through the crowd as two female 
students raced into the gymnasium. Everyone seemed to be stirred by the 
news, most excited being the ladies of the student body. Yet whatever 
was happening caught the attention of whoever was listening:
	"Did you hear?"
	"What's he doing back?"
	"Maybe he's transferring back to Jyuban again!"
	The two guardian angels exchanged glances of piqued curiosity as 
they helped the odango-haired blonde off the floor.
	"Somebody's popular," Meikyu remarked.
	"Hai," Kishi agreed. "But the only person who ever seemed to 
generate this much excitement was--"
	"Karasu!" the blue-haired genius exclaimed, pointing to a tall 
young man with shining blonde hair. 
	He moved gracefully, slowly with each step, unhurried and 
oblivious to the cheers and sighs of those around him. Dressed as always 
in his white dress shirt, and black tie, jacket and pants, he flashed a 
smile to ladies. Yet there was something else, something he was holding 
in his hand that gave way to further whispers.
	The tall brunette nudged Meikyu. "What's he doing with the Arashi 
in full view?"
	He gave the two guardian angels a side glance from behind his 
shades, a dark smile tugging at the corners of his lips. And then he 
looked to the odango-haired blonde.
	"Usagi," he stated coldly. "I've come for my birthright: the 
future kingdom of Crystal Tokyo. As eldest of the royal family, I alone 
can lay claim to its rule."
	The crowd around them started to murmur in confusion, for no one 
understood the bonds of magik forged between their group. Yet everyone 
who understood was taken aback.
	"What in the hell?" the raven knight muttered.
	"I think his memories came back, but not his senses," the 
masquerade wraith remarked.
	"Don't fool yourselves," Karasu snapped, flinging his arm towards 
them. A blast of light erupted from his open palm, magik unleashed to 
strike the two warriors. Kishi and Meikyu were lifted from the ground 
and hurled across the gym, colliding with the wall. The impact was 
enough to leave a hole marking where their bodies had struck as they 
limply slid to the floor.
	"Karasu, no!" the odango-haired blonde exclaimed, eyes wide in 
shock.
	"What's the meaning of this?" the long-haired blonde demanded. 
	The Wanderer laughed, enjoying their predicament. He sheathed the 
Arashi back into his hand. "What are you going to do? Transform right in 
front of all these people? Or are you just going to defeat me without 
using your magik?"
	"Shimatta," the tall brunette hissed, charging at him.
	The Wanderer's eyes narrowed.
	Then came the rippling air, the barrier that caught up the tall 
brunette and flung the girl across the gymnasium. The tall brunette let 
out a silent scream before tumbling across the floor.
	"Mako-chan!" the long-haired blonde cried out.
	Everyone seemed to be backing away from him. Once before the 
students had known him to be Kageno Karasu, a charming and handsome 
senior. But now the darker side they never knew existed was being 
revealed.
	Or was it?
	"Usagi," Karasu said. "I came here for the right as firstborn to 
possess the magik of the eternal moon. If you will not surrender it to 
me now, then I will take it by force."
	The odango-haired blonde stepped away from him, too stunned and 
too frightened to know what to do. Never before had such a situation 
ever arisen.
	"I'm afraid that's quite impossible," a voice identical to his own 
countered. Yet his lips had not moved nor had his face revealed any 
intention of objecting with his own words.
	Out from behind a wall of invisibility he emerged, leisurely 
walking towards them. Dressed in a familiar black suit, he stepped ever 
so closer to them. Upon removing the shades over his eyes, he displayed 
a crystal blue brilliance complimented by wild shining blonde hair.
	"You see," the newcomer stated. "The power of the Eternal Moon is 
bloodmagik, and only the ladies in our bloodline can possess its power. 
Your claim rather lacks somewhat."
	Everyone was agape as Kageno Karasu walked right up to Kageno 
Karasu, the two staring each other right in the face as if one was a 
mirror's reflection. Yet here there was no glass.
	"Na ni?" the blue-haired genius exclaimed.
	"T-two Karasu's?" the long-haired blonde said, stunned.
	The doppelgangers regarded each other with mutual interest if not 
amusement.
	"My, but you're handsome for being an impostor," the first said.
	"It's perfectly obvious one of us is an impostor," the newcomer 
Wanderer replied evenly. "And I must admit that you are not very good at 
your job. I'm much more handsome in person than that."
	"And I must compliment you on your own deception," the first 
Wanderer replied evenly. "You're exactly like me right down to the last 
detail. But I must admit that I'm the better looking of us."
	The newcomer Wanderer cracked his knuckles. "Is that so?"
	"Tell me this isn't happening," the long-haired blonde said, blue 
eyes wide in stunned amazement.
	"All right," the second Karasu answered. "This isn't happening-
though I doubt deluding yourself is the best way to handle the situation 
right about now."
	Both Karasu's held out their hands, twin Arashi emerging in 
perfect unison. A plate of glass couldn't have given a more exact 
reflection than their actions.
	"I would hate to hurt your pretty face," one said. "Even if it is 
the less cuter of the two."
	"You'll have to try first," the other responded. "And for the 
records, I'm cuter."
	Suddenly they lunged for each other, Arashi blades striking with a 
loud clash of metal against metal. They fought, becoming blurs of black 
and white as sparks flew from the blades of their swords. Then they 
parted, still mirroring the movements of the other.
	"Impressive," one Wanderer remarked to the other.
	"You're not to bad yourself," the other added.
	And then the melee began again. The first leaped into the air, the 
second leaping up to counter. For a good ten seconds they hovered near 
the gymnasium roof, exchanging parries and strikes before adeptly 
dropping to the floor.
	"But how do we know which one is the real Karasu?" the blue-haired 
genius asked.
	"How do we know if either one is the real Karasu?" the odango-
haired blonde asked.
	The newcomer Wanderer laughed. "Simple: the Arashi's magik can 
only be wielded by the true master of the Lightening Strike...and I'm 
the only one." He gave her the V-sign. "Usagi-chan, I'll be with you in 
a moment."
	Facing the other Wanderer, he raised the Arashi sword. Storm magik 
began to manifest in a radiant glow of fierce blue and white. Electrical 
arcs surged across the walls and floor, sucked into the epicentre that 
was the blade.
	"Storm Furies!" Karasu shouted.
	The explosive gales of his storm magik raged across the gymnasium, 
tearing apart the floor in a violent display of tempests, lightening and 
thunder.
	"Now that's playing dirty!" the other Wanderer exclaimed, trying 
to shield his eyes from the blast before becoming but a black 
silhouette. 
	Seconds later the wave struck, the black silhouette dashed to a 
thousand pieces. The aura of magik faded, revealing the aftermath of the 
battle. All that remained were some tattered remains of a cloak, and 
fragments of a mask of Kageno Karasu, eyes wide and mouth stretched open 
in genuine surprise. 
	"That's for attacking my little sister," the true Wanderer stated 
icily.
	He walked up to the cracked mask laying on the ground and promptly 
crushed it beneath his shoes. "And that's for not even coming close to 
how cute I really am," he remarked.
	The long-haired blonde sighed. "I guess even with his memories 
back, some things never change."
	"But," the blue-haired genius inquired. "how exactly do we explain 
this to the faculty?"
	Karasu shrugged indifferently. "Leave that to me, ladies." 
	With a flick of the wrist a crystal illusion was produced, 
floating up to the middle of the gymnasium before unleashing a flash of 
light. And everything was restored, the memories of the other students 
erased and then replaced. On the other hand, a new chorus of excited 
cheers erupted from the ladies.
	"Still got that magik touch," the Wanderer remarked with a sly 
grin, waving to the cheering fan club. 
	Abruptly there came an echo of slow, deliberate applause. Seated 
upon the metal rafters of the gym was Lord Chaos, hands moving together 
to clap for them. 
	"Brilliant, DreamSeer. Absolutely brilliant. So tell me what you 
intend to do about...that?" 
	The Wanderer slowly removed the shades, staring out at a legion of 
Kageno Karasu's, each one identical to the next. They all drew their 
hands up to their shades, and slid the shades down their noses. Every 
last and minute action was done in unison, in one perfect accord.
	The blue-haired genius looked from one doppelganger to the next. 
"This is really not a good situation."
	"Oh, really, Ami-chan; you think so?" the long-haired blonde 
exclaimed in exasperation. "Karasu, they're all you! Do something!"
	The Wanderer cracked his knuckles. "With pleasure, Minako."
	The Arashi was barely even emerging from his hand by the time the 
crackling magik was unleashed from his open palm. The entire legion of 
Kageno Karasu's were incinerated. None tried to run or fight. They all 
just stood there as if to mock the one, true Wanderer's magik.
	The Wanderer growled.
	"Karasu?" the odango-haired blonde asked apprehensively.
	There was a brief expression of contentment as the Wanderer turned 
to the odango-haired blonde. "Daijobu, Usagi-chan. But right now, this 
is between Chaos and me."
	"Oh, how sickeningly sentimental," the Elven lord exclaimed, 
making a face. "Gives me diabetes just watching you."
	"I've had enough of your parlour tricks, Chaos," the Wanderer said 
coldly. "Morpheus gave me his memories, so I have some rather unkind 
recollections regarding you."
	Chaos pitched backwards, flipping over in dropping from the 
rafters to the floor. Without so much as making a genuine effort, let 
alone breaking a sweat, he landed gracefully. "Hmph!" Chaos said 
indignantly. "You dare to call my magik just a bunch of 'parlour tricks' 
when you wield a whole army of illusions? For shame, Karasu."
	"Um, excuse me for a moment, but who exactly is this guy?" the 
long-haired blonde asked.
	"Lord Chaos was once formerly a sorcerer of the Elven," the 
Wanderer explained. "And contrary to most folklore, those of the Elven 
breed were not cute little pixies with faery wings. They were more like 
malevolent gremlins."
	"A harsh punishment I suffered, getting myself banished into the 
Pandora Box for just that," he remarked. 
	"That gives you no excuse for this!" the odango-haired blonde 
protested. "Or for taking Chibiusa-chan!"
	Chaos sat back, hovering in the air as if seated. "Can you imagine 
how cranky you would feel after being sealed in here for decades, and 
before that for how many thousands of years?"
	"Chaos," the Wanderer inquired evenly. "What exactly happened the 
last time you managed to escape from your box?"
	"Oh sure, blame that one on me too!" he protested. "I just wanted 
to celebrate my newfound freedom and went on a cruise. And during one of 
my frequent trips to the bar, I just happened to remark at how I needed 
to get more ice for my drink."
	"And if I recall correctly," the Wanderer replied. "Minutes later 
the Titanic ill-fatedly hit an iceberg."
	"Circumstantial evidence!" the Elven lord protested. "You can't 
blame every great disaster on me. I haven't been here for all of them."
	"But you're rather prolific in the ones that you are present for," 
came a new voice. Out from a veil of invisibility emerged the 
DreamMaster.
	"H-Helios-san," the blue-haired genius stammered.
	Indeed, almost everyone seemed surprised to find the DreamMaster 
here in their world.
	"I thought you were confined to the Dreamworld," Chaos remarked 
sourly. "It would appear I was in error...an unexpected addition to this 
part of the game."
	"I gave him an illusion that allows him access," the Wanderer 
replied with a dark smile. This was true; any other time given for 
Helios to be within the boundaries of Earth were gifts from the time 
guardress, or else the temporary graces of the Mystwolves.
	"Chaos-sama," Helios stated. "It would appear you're outnumbered. 
The advantage right now belongs to us."
	"I don't recall being at the disadvantage," Chaos scoffed, a dark 
sparkle in his eyes. "Let me show you what even a fraction of my power 
is capable of."
	The furies seemed to erupt all around him, and then, with a 
magnificent flare of light, burned throughout the entire gym. And then 
there was nothing but flame. Everyone gawked at the churning firestorm 
that was pooling around him. With a loud shout he raised his arm, every 
last bit of raging magik swarming around his outstretched hand.
	"Summon magik!" he shouted.
	An explosion of light sent tremors across the gymnasium. Everyone 
was engulfed by the flash. Yet when it died down the only thing that had 
even changed in the slightest was him, now crouched low to the floor.
	"I think being in the Box for a few thousand years has made him a 
little rusty," the tall brunette remarked, quite unimpressed while being 
helped up by the DreamMaster.
	"Don't be fooled," Helios countered, keeping a defensive 
alertness. "Chaos has a flair for the dramatic, and a very deceiving 
edge to display it with." 
	The Elven lord grinned wickedly. "Exactly."
	It only took a single touch of the finger against the floor. But 
with that touch, the entire floor around the Elven Lord exploded in a 
tremendous wave of thrashing crimson lights, radiating out as if it were 
the winds possessed.
	A loud cry arose from everyone in the gymnasium as the firestorm 
swept through the place, this time not just as a single flare but as an 
armada of rampant flames and pyres. Windows along the ceiling of the gym 
shattered, spilling glass onto the students below. Panic swept the crowd 
gathered there.
	"Shimatta!" the tall brunette exclaimed. "He could kill someone!"
	Suddenly Kishi was mobile, helping a limping Meikyu race across 
the gym floor. "We have to get everyone else out of here now before the 
roof goes!"
	Helios whirled, searching the flames. "Chaos! Where's Chaos?"
	"Leave Chaos to me!" the Wanderer shouted over the crackling 
fires. "I'll cover your backs while you get out!"
	The long-haired blonde and the blue-haired genius were already 
working to help the larger crowds find the nearest exits. Black smoke 
was pouring everywhere. Suddenly a smaller, secondary explosion caused 
the building to shudder.
	Meikyu and Kishi stumbled, falling almost headlong into the 
burning flames. The tall brunette yanked them both out by the backs of 
their collars moments before they would have been consumed by the fire.
	"Usagi-chan, hurry!" the long-haired blonde exclaimed, helping 
push the frantic students out the exit doors.
	The odango-haired blonde stayed by the Wanderer's side as the 
Wanderer desperately tried to launch illusions of crashing floods, only 
to find that it held little effect against Chaos' flames.
	"Karasu, please," she begged. "Don't stay here."
	The Wanderer made a swipe with the Arashi, the air pressure 
driving back a wall of fire. "I'm the one he came for anyways. Get the 
others out of here quickly, then transform. My illusions seem to have no 
effect on his magik."
	"Usagi," the DreamMaster said. "Daijobu. I'll stay here with 
Karasu."
	The Wanderer grinned at Helios. "Your powers will have even less 
effect than mine if you stay on Earth. That's almost inviting more 
havoc."
	"Last I checked, he was still sealed inside a Pandora Box," the 
DreamMaster replied evenly.
	Suddenly a raging firewall spewed forth alongside them, driving 
back the odango-haired blonde and the DreamMaster with a tempest of hot 
air. The flames seemed to part to allow them both a chance to tumble to 
the ground safely.
	"Usagi-chan! Helios!" the Wanderer called back.
	And then bursting out from the very heart of the flames was Chaos, 
the Elven lord leaping high into the air. "Prepare yourself!" he 
shouted, raking down his splayed fingers. From the tips of his nails, 
jagged crimson streaks of magik attacked.
	The Wanderer leaped aside, the magik expelled cleaving the dress 
shirt apart but barely even nicking the skin.
	"Sugoi," Karasu muttered. "He's fast."
	He laughed, crouched down on both legs and one arm upon landing. 
"More than you care to think, Wanderer. I forgot to mention something in 
our previous meeting: I absorb the magik that is used on me."
	The Wanderer launched a crystal, the orb growing into the form of 
a long and slender dragon. The dragon roared, throwing open its jaws as 
its yellow eyes widened upon seeing the Elven lord.
	Chaos shook his head. "Baka," he muttered with a snap of his 
fingers.
	Suddenly the dragon threw itself aside, wrapping its elongated 
form around Chaos' body with such a speed that it became wisps of blue 
wind that were sucked up into his palm. There, held tightly within his 
fingers, was the Wanderer's illusion.
	"M-masaka," Karasu hissed.
	He chuckled. "I took a hit from one of your illusions already, 
Wanderer. As I recall, you tried to kill me with it. Well, please permit 
me the chance to repay the favour and take your Imagika with it!"
	Suddenly the dragon erupted from his palm, streaking out and 
smashing its head into the Wanderer's chest. Karasu was flung aside, 
catapulted into a wall.
	"What's the matter?" Chaos exclaimed with a sadistic laugh, 
pouncing through the flames. "I thought you were better than this, 
DreamSeer, but evidently you're still not having any fun!"
	"Bastard," the Wanderer snarled, throwing a fast punch.
	Chaos blocked the punch, retaliating with an elbow jab to Karasu's 
back. The Wanderer collapsed, reeling from the blow as electrical sparks 
showered down from the attack. 
	"Storm magik," Chaos said, yanking Karasu off the floor by the 
jacket. "Did I forget to mention that I've already absorbed that too?"
	He leaned in closer. "Round two," he hissed into the Wanderer's 
ear. "I win."
	And then he effortlessly flung Karasu across the gym. Karasu's 
back struck the wall, cracking the structure. The Wanderer crumpled to 
the floor, struggling to stand up again. 
	There was not even enough time to register that the flash of 
reflection in the Wanderer's shades was an imposing threat.	For a 
split second, despite all the surrounding carnage, the entire gymnasium 
was silent.
	The odango-haired blonde and the DreamMaster looked up just to 
witness the defeat of the Wanderer. Karasu gave a stifled gasp, lurching 
into air and hoisted completely off the floor. Out from the Wanderer's 
chest viciously emerged a glowing sphere of light, punching a hole 
through the breast of the black jacket.
	"Karasu!" the odango-haired blonde screamed.
	The glowing crystal seemed to shimmer as it floated leisurely to 
its new master. It resembled a large silver pearl, smooth and flawless. 
Yet within the seemingly fragile sphere there radiated a beautiful 
rainbow of sparkling lights from a glowing diamond. As if one was 
witnessing and eternal fireworks of the cosmos.
	"Two down!" Chaos proclaimed, the Imagika resting in his palm.
	The Wanderer collapsed, convulsing on the floor. Both the odango-
haired blonde and the DreamMaster raced to Karasu's side, kneeling down 
as the Wanderer gasped for breath.
	Helios' face twisted into an expression of righteous anger. 
"Chaos!"
	He laughed, his face aglow in dancing crimson from the fire just a 
few steps away. "Everybody have fun," he chuckled, twirling the second 
Imagika atop a finger.
	And then a wave of flames encircled his body, imploding to reveal 
nothing but emptiness. With the departure of Chaos, the Elven magik was 
no longer necessary. All the flames were sucked back into the floor, 
leaving not a scorch mark nor a pillar of smoke.
	Everything was silent.


	From somewhere else within the school, the raven angel 
straightened up in writing a test. Crimson eyes carefully swept the 
room.
	There had been an explosive surge in magik here on Earth, one 
unlike any other witnessed in almost three thousand years. Only a few 
were able to wield such a strange breed of magik with that kind of 
force. Yet the last of them had been sealed away for centuries.
	Unless....
	"Masaka," the raven angel whispered. "Could he have escaped 
again?"


	In another district of the city, the dark-haired shrine girl's 
hands abruptly clenched, nearly cracking apart the pencil she was 
holding. Something that was not simply the winds or a draft had caused 
the girl to shiver uncontrollably. 
	"Wh-what is this strange aura I'm sensing?" she muttered. 
	"Rei?" came the sound of the teacher's voice.
	"Hai!" 
	The dark-haired shrine girl was forced out of those thoughts, 
returning to the academic matters at hand. Damn; that ripple of magik 
had her worried.
	Later on, a meeting would need to be called with the Senshi and 
their guardian angels. There was something dark in the air on this day. 
What scared the dark-haired shrine girl the most was that she had no 
idea what this threat was.


	The gymnasium was now deserted save for the ones of wielded magik. 
With all the lights turned off, the only source came from stray 
moonlight streaming in from the windows near the ceiling. 
	He was still at the fallen Wanderer's side, grimly looking down at 
what would be his fate with the passing time. With two Imagika crystals, 
Chaos' powers were growing.
	The raven knight glanced at the nearest clock. "Seven thirty. 
Chaos locked us in here for almost six hours by just capturing us in a 
momentary flash of light."
	The masquerade wraith nodded in agreement. "Hai. And I'm willing 
to be that everyone else was given no recollection of the battle."
	"Why do you think that?" the blue-haired genius asked. After all, 
the Elven Lord did seem to have a flair for the dramatic.
	He knelt down next to the Wanderer. "It's not the way Chaos likes 
to play the game," he answered for the guardian angels. "If he leaves 
witnesses, then there's a lot of questions we would have to try to 
explain. That takes up our time and freedom to play his game."
	"Daijobu, Karasu?" the long-haired blonde asked, kneeling 
alongside the Wanderer.
	Karasu moaned softly, alive but unconscious.
	"He'll be alright," he answered. "Luckily the Imagika that Lord 
Chaos was after belonged to Morpheus' sphere of illusion. None the less, 
I fear that because of the shock, Karasu will be unable to fight in the 
near future."
	"Karasu oni-san," the odango-haired blonde whispered, taking the 
Wanderer's hand and giving it a small but reassuring squeeze. There was 
no response.
	"I'll return him to the Sanctuary," he stated. "Karasu will need 
rest after receiving a shock like that to his body."
	"What happens if an Imagika is stolen from someone's body?" the 
blue-haired genius inquired.
	The raven knight grimaced, wishing to avoid telling them let alone 
thinking about it. "The person disappears from existence. Much like what 
happened when Galaxia stole your Starseeds."
	"This has happened in the past, the stealing of someone's 
Imagika," he added. "Very few hold the power to do this. Even fewer have 
the power to return to the Imagika back to the body."
	"Helios," Meikyu said quietly. "Is he after you now? Is it your 
Imagika that Chaos seeks?"
	He nodded. "Hai. I will take Karasu to the Sanctuary now. Later 
this evening I shall return. Sayonara."


	She had been sleeping in her private bedroom, but it was a light 
and uneasy sleep interrupted by periods where she would open her eyes, 
groggy from a distant nightmare that left her with shivers. The sun had 
already set, darkness spreading across the sky like ink flowing through 
water. Two of the halogen lamps were on in the living room to let her 
see where she was going.
	"What time is it?" she murmured to herself. Had she slept all 
through the day?
	She turned her head as he entered the apartment. Conventional 
means seemed to be childish to him as he soared over the outside balcony 
railing, landing with a feline's perfection before the open sliding 
door.
	Something sparkled in his grasp, and her eyes widened with the 
realization that he had indeed played the game again. He was holding an 
Imagika.
	"I must admit," he said, letting the Imagika spin just above his 
palm. "Sometimes I just love my job. I had no idea taking someone's 
Imagika would be such a rush!"
	She shuddered at his words. "You act as if you enjoy it," she 
said. "As if you like taking your revenge."
	"I don't deal in such petty human emotions like vengeance, anger, 
or even love," he countered evenly. "It is the game alone that I live 
for. A conscience only disrupts me playing it."
	He made a quick gesture.
	She closed her eyes and surrendered to a cool breeze that started 
at her feet, working its way up to her head. The Elven magik gave her a 
clean body, washed and scented with fragrant perfume. Her garments 
became an extravagant and exotic Chinese dress, black with a red dragon 
sewn across the chest.
	Yet as much as she would have like to thank him for the gesture, 
she found that she could not. "How do you know this game is not about 
revenge?"
	He growled, the Imagika fading from view. 
	And then he swiftly stalked past her, retreating into his private 
chambers. She winced as the door slammed itself shut behind him, echoing 
the agitation.
	"Chaos," she said quietly. "It doesn't have to be like this."


	His private chambers, unlike the rest of the apartment, were not 
so modern. Here laid in what appeared to be a small room the recreated 
ruins of a once great city. Thousands of years ago he had always come to 
this place to celebrate the completion of a game.
	For a time he worked his way to the heart of the ruins, leaping 
over fallen pillars and through stone frameworks for collapsed 
buildings. The stone cherubs with granite wings silently watched him 
pass by. Finally he came to the central court, a glorious amphitheatre 
now reduced to rows of pillars and columns around a series of sloping 
stone benches. There was not a cloud in the heavens as the twin moons 
shone overhead.
	He grimaced, summoning a bottle of Elven wine. "Shimatta," he 
sighed, popping the cork. "Why does she have to be so damned 
inquisitive?" 
	He felt as if she was probing every last part of his Elven soul, 
and to be honest with himself it was starting to get just a bit 
uncomfortable. He had never needed to justify himself or his games 
before to anyone else. Why did she suddenly want him to start that now? 
Even more than that, why was he even bothering to think it over?
	That called for a pause in retrospection.
	"Could I be getting soft?" he asked himself.
	Feelings meant interference with the games he and his Elven court 
played. The only time such amusing emotions ever came into play was when 
they were manipulating those of the other players. Like taking her from 
the DreamMaster.
	"Damn it all," he said, taking a swig of the wine. "I've been in 
the Box way too long!"
	Where would the games be if he got mixed up in these human 
emotions? Where would the fun be, for that matter?
	And that was when he heard the music.
	Beautiful, haunting notes sung to words he could not quite 
understand. The melody was serene yet disturbingly mournful. A 
celebration of laughter and tears all at once. A soft, gentle voice 
carried through into his private universe, echoing across the empty 
skies and deserted ruins.
	It was her voice that he was listening to.
	The bottle of fine Elven wine slipped out from his fingers as he 
turned to listen, the glass shattering at his feet. Wine soaked into the 
stone and dust, glistening thick and rich, a pale orange in the light of 
the twin moons high overhead.
	For a reason that escaped him, he allowed her song to lead him 
away from the ancient ruins. As if possessed, he seemed captivated as he 
moved almost without other thoughts in his mind. All he could do, all he 
wanted to do, was to listen.
	She was sitting there on the living room couch, eyes closed, head 
bowed, arms crossed over her chest as if trying to lull herself into a 
peaceful dream.
	A shiver ran down his back as he felt the warmth of her magik flow 
past him like the sun's rays coming from an eternal moon. A golden 
crescent shone from her forehead as she sang, lost within her soothing 
music.
	"What is that tune?" he asked.
	The crescent moon faded as her eyes opened, sad and delicate rouge 
looking directly into his own green eyes. And then going beyond them, 
searching his very soul. 
	He stiffened.
	"It's a lullaby," she answered. "One my mother used to sing to me 
when I was little."
	"It's beautiful," he said finally. "Your mother must love you very 
much. She herself must be as beautiful a woman as you are now, Chibiusa-
chan."
	She caught something in his voice; something he himself couldn't 
detect.
	"What is it?" she asked. "Don't you have a family?"
	He leaned against the window, staring at the expanse of the Tokyo 
cityscape. "No, Chibiusa-chan, I don't. My kind was wiped out almost 
twenty-five hundred years ago, and the only other ones like me are all 
sealed up in Pandora Boxes."
	Sliding open the door, he stepped outside onto the balcony. With a 
friendly gesture he motioned for her to join him outside. The moon was 
rising, casting its pale white glow across the buildings. Eight floors 
below, people were returning to their homes.
	The cool evening air was refreshingly welcome.
	"Truth is, I'm not even sure what happened to the Elven," he said, 
leaning back against the railing, elbows propped up. "I guess a lot can 
happen in the three thousand years you're locked away for. My only hope 
is that they threw one hell of a going away party. A shame I couldn't 
attend."
	Her fingers gently rested upon his hand. "It must be lonely," she 
said quietly.
	He stiffened; her voice, it was full not of despair, but of pity. 
She was pitying him, a lord of Chaos' Court. He held magikal properties 
the likes of which she could only dream of, had seen and touched realms 
not even the Dreamworld could capture. All this and more.
	And yet she pitied him.
	Why?
	"Vengeance is a lonely thing too," she said quietly. "Why do you 
pursue it if it only makes you feel so alone?"
	He stared at her for a moment, surprised by perhaps something she 
said, or else the look in her eyes. In that moment he saw an Elven lord 
with long, silver hair staring back at him into those tinted rouge eyes. 
And for the first time that Elven lord looked unsure of himself.
	"It's not revenge," he said, turning around to face the cityscape. 
"I'm just reclaiming what was once mine. There's nothing personal about 
it."
	"Then why am I here?" she asked, the tears starting to appear in 
the corners of her eyes. "Why can't I be with Helios?"
	He gripped the railing a little tighter. "Because that is the way 
I play my games," he answered coldly, with enough ice in his voice that 
he seemed to be now trying to convince himself as well as her.
	Dammit, was he losing his edge?
	She lowered her head. "Then it's a cruel game."
	There was nothing else he could think of saying response. He 
doubted if there was anything he could say. It was time to concede a 
stalemate. The way each of them were butting heads like this, no one 
would come out a winner and he would be in very low spirits and unable 
to enjoy the remainder of the evening.
	He shook his head. "You know, you are just way too depressing like 
this. Tell you what: let me take you out for a night on the town."
	She stood straight, looking at him with uncertain surprise. 
"What?"
	"No tricks, no games," he answered. "Tell me where you want to go, 
and we shall be there. Tomorrow we can go about arguing and fighting 
with each other. But just this once, forget our pasts and our 
differences, and join me for a quiet evening together."
	He held out his hand as a gesture of his good faith, turning up 
his palm and opening it. Snowy white cherry blossoms were possessed by 
the winds and carried off into the skies. As the petals danced in the 
breeze, they suddenly took wings and became doves.
	She silently watched the doves fade into the distant shadows of a 
moonlit night. A smile moved across her face, and she nodded. "Hai, 
Chaos-sama. I accept."


	The Shinto shrine, when presented with such an unusual crowd of 
magik, dreamers and lovers, was usually filled with the sounds of 
laughter and friendship. Yet tonight there was a tension in the silence.
	Looking out at the shrine grounds from an open fusama, the dark-
haired shrine girl said, "So the Elven Chaos sent you seven hours into 
the future?"
	"I doubt Chaos' powers extend that far as to control time," the 
masquerade wraith countered. "Chaos probably just trapped us in a pocket 
dimension with its own regulated sense of time. It's the way he enjoys 
playing a game."
	"Does he enjoy playing with people's lives like that?" the tall 
brunette said coldly. "Karasu was almost killed back there, and Helios 
is next."
	"We can't do anything to track Chaos down," the raven knight said. 
"The Elven have always had a talent for sneaking away right when you 
turn around to look for them. If he wants to be found, then it means 
he's back with another game."
	The odango-haired blonde gently clasped the wrist of the raven 
angel. "Karasu's going to be alright, ne, Sora?"
	Sora nodded. "He should recover. But it's Helios we're all worried 
about."
	A new breeze swept into the room, all the candles flickering but 
not extinguished. With these winds came the DreamMaster. His face was 
weary, the concern for his maiden etched into his expression.
	"It is not your place to worry for me," he said. "I worry enough 
as it is for myself. But I ask you to concern yourself for Chibiusa-
chan's sake and not for mine."
	"How could Chaos simply get past Karasu's illusions without any 
problems?" the long-haired blonde asked. To them, such a feat was simply 
too incredible to believe.
	At the mention of the Wanderer, the dark-haired shrine girl's fist 
clenched. The shrine protege held onto her. "It will be all right, Rei-
chan. Everything will be all right."
	"But it isn't," the shrine girl answered. 
	"Chaos has a rather nasty way of using his magik," the raven 
knight said in response to the long-haired blonde's question. "Namely, 
whatever power you attack him with, he will absorb that magik and 
possess the ability to launch it right back in your face."
	"Was that why your magik was needed to seal off Chaos and the 
others like him?" the blue-haired genius asked. 
	He nodded. "Hai. Thankfully, only Chaos had the special ability to 
wield whatever magik he absorbed--whether by touch or by attack. But he 
held no control over the magiks of the Dreamworld. It was the only way 
to seal him for good."
	The Elven lord was certainly irate about being locked up like 
that, he had no doubt. He could see it in the way Chaos strutted around. 
But there was something else, something deeper.
	"This might be a foolish question," the odango-haired blonde spoke 
up hesitantly. "But what happened to all the other Elves? Why is only 
Chaos and his Court left?"
	His eyes widened for a moment, the connection made in his mind. He 
glanced over to the candles, the limited Dreamworld magik he could use 
here on Earth spreading out to turn harsh firelight into more a relaxed, 
blue glow.
	"About five hundred years after Chaos and his council were sealed 
away," he explained. "the entire Elven race was mercilessly 
slaughtered."
	The entire room grew silent.
	"Who could do such a thing?" the odango-haired blonde asked, 
trembling. For as malevolent as they might have been, no one deserved to 
have their race murdered like that. She had seen the near-complete 
genocide of the Mystwolves. It was not a thing she desired to ever think 
about ever again.
	Those of the Dreamworld exchanged uneasy glances.
	"We don't quite know," Sora answered. "Whatever did it was swift, 
quiet and efficient. The Elven breed had unique dreams we found hard to 
keep track of."
	The masquerade wraith nodded in agreement. "One night their dreams 
were all around us. The next night, they were gone. We would be asking 
you that question, but it occurred about twenty-five hundred years 
before any of you were born."
	Silence seemed to possess their tongues once more as the minutes 
passed them by. Each one held onto their own thoughts
	"What if Chaos isn't playing a game to restore his powers?" the 
blue-haired genius asked. "What if he was doing this in order to end his 
loneliness?"
	"Ami-chan," the tall brunette said quietly.
	If what the blue-haired genius said was true, then the Elven lord 
had come back to earth to die....


	In the blink of an eye they were upon city skyscrapers, dancing in 
elegant ballrooms and walking down cobblestone paths in serene forest 
parks. Everything seemed to pass her by like a surreal fantasy, and 
everything right down to the last detail had been planned to perfection.
	If she liked it a certain way, it was done before she could even 
think about it. Flowers, music, dresses: all she had to do was whisper 
her dream and he could make it flourish. If she desired to be alone on 
the Tokyo Tower's observation deck for a candlelit dinner for two, he 
would give it life in magik.
	Somewhere across the city a distant clock chimed the midnight 
hour, echoes carried through the air on a night that seemed to find 
itself without the words of the winds.
	The final fantasy of the night found them both atop a city 
skyscraper, high above the blinking, shining lights of Tokyo. Far below, 
the roar of the traffic was muzzled to a dull buzz. But up here the 
stars were speaking louder in their twinkling silence.
	She stared into his eyes, the single red rose clasped in her 
hands. He was giving so many memories in such a short time; everything 
was happening so fast she could barely keep up.
	"Chaos," she began.
	"Shhh," he countered, placing a finger upon her lips. His silver 
hair glimmered in the light of the crescent moon, and in that moment he 
seemed a far cry from the malevolent Elven lord of Chaos. "Is this not 
the glamorous night I promised you?" he asked quietly, his forehead 
gently pressed against hers.
	Her smile faded as the image of the DreamMaster's smile returned 
to her mind. She backed away, placing distance between them. Was he just 
trying to make her forget about Helios? Or more than that, for her to 
forget what he was going to inevitably try to do to Helios?
	"Are you just doing this to get to Helios?" she asked, standing 
before the fencing that surrounded the rooftop. "Do you want me to 
simply forget about him?"
	Some sixty stories below laid the city streets, now teeming with 
moving cars and passers by. The winds were almost silent on this night, 
yet she found herself cold.
	He stared out at the city lights. "Once, perhaps. Maybe I thought 
that way a day or two ago. Seems much further away though."
	She glanced down at the red rose, the flower opening up its 
petals. With a sigh begotten of thriving on the late night, the rose's 
colour shifted from deep crimson to blue sapphire. Her fingers relaxed 
around its stem.
	The rose suddenly broke apart, the petals picked up by a whirlwind 
she could not see nor feel. The sapphire blossoms made their way through 
the chainlike fence, drifting to the city streets far below like gentle 
snowflakes.
	"Helios," she whispered.
	Her pale rouge eyes widened in hearing the delicate notes of a 
recorder play music for her, reciting by memory the lullaby she had sung 
earlier. Slowly she turned, eyes wide in seeing him there.
	He had suddenly appeared standing atop the narrow rim of the 
fencing, more winds unseen and unfelt tugging at his garments and 
letting his hair dance around his face. Lips pursed at the tip of the 
recorder, he closed his eyes and allowed the magik to give the song a 
new and vibrant life.
	Never before had she wanted to cry at the beauty of its melody. 
But she did not want to cry again, not here in front of him.
	His breath hanging on one last, long note, he finished playing the 
lullaby. "Our time together hasn't exactly been on the best of terms," 
he admitted, glancing down at the recorder. "And I can't exactly say 
that I have been the best of hosts. But believe me when I say that you 
are one of the most beautiful ladies I have ever encountered in my 
lifetime."
	She tried to sort through her feelings, to sift through the 
rivalries and the friendships that were drawing lines with her caught in 
the middle.
	"Chaos, I...."
	Abruptly he turned his head, staring out at the grandeur of the 
city lights. His eyes narrowed, as if sensing a change in the very winds 
that were not even blowing. 
	"There is just one last place I wish to go," he said. "and then I 
will take you home. To your true home."
	He tried to evade her gaze, but she saw it clearly enough. 
"Masaka," she whispered. Please, anything but that. Yet she could read 
it in his eyes. 
	It was approaching: the endgame.


	He stared up at the sign of the Fire River Temple. At the base of 
its stairway they stood, awaiting in silence for the next few minutes to 
fatefully play out the very last step.
	"Chibiusa-chan," he said, closing his eyes. "Wait here for me."
	He began his ascent up the stairs.
	She stepped forward to join him, only to be bounced back, the glow 
of a barrier surrounding her. The sphere grew in size and intensity, 
until a green orb had enclosed her within. There she hovered above the 
street.
	"He's there, isn't he?" she cried out, frantically pounding on the 
barrier. "Chaos, please don't do this! I love him!"
	He slowly opened his eyes once more, raising his head to stare up 
at the Torii. "I know."
	With each step he took, her heart sank. "Chaos, I beg you," she 
pleaded. "If our friendship means anything to you, don't do this."
	He paused at the top of the stairs, just beneath the towering 
frame of the Torii. "I just want you to know that whatever happens, I'll 
treasure your smile forever. Please don't hold this against me."
	"Chaos," she whispered. "Iie, Chaos."
	His eyes seemed fearful in catching sight of her tears. "Gomen 
nasai, Chibiusa-chan. It's already done...."


	Half a crescent moon was shrouded behind a fleeting scrap of 
cloud, but the rest of the heavens were alight with an armada of 
twinkling stars. And it was this starlight that cast shadows upon the 
Elven lord and the DreamMaster. 
	"Where is she?" Helios demanded evenly.
	He simply answered, "Safe from harm."
	"So it has come to this," the DreamMaster said.
	The lord of Chaos nodded. "Indeed it has," he answered. "Poetic 
perhaps that we meet here in a place where the magik of the spirits 
still reside on Earth. This shrine is one last sanctuary of the world 
where our magiks still count for something."
	A chorus of ravens sounded off, taking to the skies in sensing the 
impending storm of raging powers. Everything within the boundaries of 
the Shinto shrine itself was on edge.
	"This is the only time we have left to play my game," he stated. 
"and because I respect you as a fellow summoned of magik and an 
honourable opponent, I will let you chose how we fight."
	"What honour is there in battle where you steal whatever pleases 
you?" the DreamMaster snapped. "I love Chibiusa, yet you have stolen her 
from me not only by force but also by magik."
	He bristled at that cutting statement. "If she loves me," he shot 
back. "Then it is by her own will and not my magik. I am being gracious 
enough to let you chose the magik we wield. Do not insult my generosity, 
Helios."
	"Very well," the DreamMaster said. "We're both skilled masters of 
our arts, and because we come from different worlds our magik rivals 
each other's. As you once said before, Chaos: anything goes."
	He grinned. "Sounds like fun."
	From the veranda of the neighbouring buildings, those of magik 
watched. Unable to venture forward, forbidden to intervene, they could 
only be spectators to the game.
	"Shimatta," the raven knight whispered. "Helios' magik is reaching 
its peak."
	"What does that mean?" the blue-haired genius asked.
	The raven angel seemed to pale. "Helios was always a gentle soul. 
But now his powers are so focused that he's dangerous for anyone to be 
close to him."
	"Not just him," the shrine protege said. "Look at Chaos' battle 
aura!"	
	"This is no longer a game," Meikyu stated. "This is a lover's 
battle, one that will only end when blood is shed and where either he or 
Chaos dies."
	"This is madness!" the odango-haired blonde exclaimed, taking a 
step forward to intercede.
	"Wait," the raven knight countered, seizing the girl's wrist. 
"Usagi, if you step into the middle of their battle, you will only 
endanger yourself. Neither one is about to back down, and they will only 
realize you're dead when their rage ends."
	Already the entire Shinto shrine was alive in pulsating magiks. 
Furious winds were throwing back the Elven Lord's hair while equally 
fierce gales were pressing the DreamMaster's clothes against his skin.
	"Then what are we supposed to do?" the tall brunette snapped 
angrily. "Stand here and do nothing?"
	"Unless you wish to die in the next few moments," Meikyu said. "we 
can only watch, and pray."


	The more she beat against the barrier, the more impenetrable it 
seemed to become. As if it was a creature feeding off the energy of her 
attempts to escape, growing stronger with each strike she made.
	She lowered her head against the curved surface, hot tears pouring 
down her face. "Chaos, Helios; please don't fight. Don't do this. I 
love...I love...."
	Her emotions were ravaging her entire soul, and no longer could 
the bloodmagik of the Eternal Moon be contained any longer. A shaft of 
burning silver light erupted from her as she screamed out his name:
	"HELIOS!!"
	The golden crescent moon shone from her forehead, bathing the 
sphere in a blinding white light. The orb cracked around its seams and 
then shattered, the broken magik littering the streets below.
	The entire street rippled as a wave of magik flooded through the 
city, radiating out from her heart and soul. Had the force been of a 
more physical nature, buildings would have been ripped apart and streets 
torn to pieces. But this was magik at work, powerful magik: everything 
rippled in distortion.
	One realm pushed against the next by sheer will of a pink-haired, 
fourteen year-old girl who was much older than she appeared to be. With 
a blast of light the magik engulfed the Shinto shrine, swallowing up the 
souls her mind had already claimed for same passage into the sister 
realm. Then she too was consumed, closing her eyes as she surrendered 
herself to what was the last chance to stop the game.


	The world was but a level playing field of chequered mirrors, a 
winding chess board with shining surfaces reflecting the images of its 
players. Overhead a dark blue heaven echoed rainbows of Aurora Borealis.
	From his place upon a glistening, black square, the Elven lord 
whirled in viewing the new arena. "A Dreamworld?" he exclaimed. "How in 
the hell did we wind up in here?"
	Across from his place stood the DreamMaster.
	"More than just the Dreamworld," Helios said. "We are within a 
place created by someone's dream. This is the playing field of someone's 
mind." 
	"Whose?" he demanded.
	And then there she was, at first like a ghost but taking in 
substance until she came to life within her dreamfield. Fingers clasped 
as if in prayer, hands against her breast, she pleaded with the two 
fighters.
	"Both of you, please," she begged. "Don't fight! Don't make me 
choose between you!"
	The folds of her royal gown shimmered a thousand shades of white, 
lace swirling with the ends of her pink-tinted hair. The crescent moon 
was still there on her forehead, though the explosive light was gone yet 
not forgotten.
	Chaos' eyes narrowed at the sight of Helios. "Regardless of 
whether or not Helios fights for your affections," he said. "I came here 
to finish playing our game. His Imagika will be mine. Daijobu, Helios," 
he said, licking his lips in anticipation, savouring the sweat and blood 
on his tongue. "I would never be so deviant to let you share my fate. 
No, that would be too cruel. Be content to know that as the loser, you 
will never feel my pain--or any pain for that matter."
	Helios' head bowed down, eyes closed in channelling the last of 
the magik the Golden crystal could summon. A golden aura appeared around 
the young man's body. 
	"Chibiusa-chan, my maiden," the DreamMaster whispered. "I love 
you. Whatever happens to me, please remember that."
	He growled.
	The first move was made by the DreamMaster.
	Throwing out a shockwave, Helios gave a loud shout as rampant blue 
tempests swarmed towards Chaos. Golden horn aglow, Helios held nothing 
back as the mirrored surface was shredded into tiny shimmering fragments 
of glass.
	With a flick of his wrist the Elven lord dissipated the wave, only 
to find a legion of shards forging together to form an eel-like head. 
Rows of icicle teeth snapped from within crushing jaws as the beast 
caught him off guard.
	He grunted as he was lifted off the ground, his chest slashed by 
the creature. Strips of vest and garment laced with Elven blood dangled 
at his sides. And the blood was green, dark and shining like an emerald.
	The eel's head came around for a second attack, pouncing upon his 
fallen form. He sprang aside at the last minute, vaulting high into the 
air as the beast's head burrowed into the mirrors. More shards were 
thrown about the air, a multitude seeking out his body and digging cuts 
across his skin.
	Chaos tumbled across the mirrors, chuckling as he watched the 
eel's head shred itself from the jagged edges of the shattered glass.
	"Now that's impressive," he cackled, wiping the trail of emerald 
blood from his mouth. "And here I thought the nightmares of the 
Leviathans were all but extinct."
	"You're technically in my world now," the DreamMaster stated. 
"Here my magik is the dominating force. You cannot win, Chaos." 
	He gave a startled shout as it rained down fire from above, the 
flames moving like liquid in rolling waves that plunged down upon the 
Elven lord. The sounds of the crackling inferno drowned out his shout.
	She felt something twist in her stomach, her throat running dry. 
For a split second she saw the smiling soul who had released a cluster 
of cherry blossoms out into the night.
	She asked, "Is...is he dead?"
	But she already had her answer before it could be spoken.
	Chaos stalked out from the crackling pyre, everything but his 
shining green eyes a silhouette amidst the flames. "I suppose you me see 
me as some malevolent sprite, a creature of magik run amok with nothing 
to call a conscious as he rampantly plays dangerous games with you 
humans."
	He chuckled. "Words mean nothing to me. Reality is so much more 
delightfully destructive. Here we are in a world we can tear apart at 
will...and you're still not having any fun!!"
	Accompanied by an entourage of electric green magik, a tremor 
rumbled across the playing field, ushering the way for a jagged tear 
that broke apart the glassy surface. Helios threw out a defensive wall, 
both magiks converging with devastating force.
	The playing field of mirrors shuddered violently as green aura 
against blue created a dazzling sight of purple hues. "You will never 
harm another person again!" the DreamMaster shouted.
	The Elven lord exploded from the epicentre of the two magiks, 
lunging for Helios. "How do you like this game?" he exclaimed angrily, 
the sadistic glee shining in his wild eyes.
	Helios gasped as a rapid blow sent the DreamMaster sprawling 
backwards. Before Helios even had time to recover the glass beneath 
shattered, giving rise to a new creature of faceted tendrils and a dozen 
small mouths that snapped and frothed diamond-like foam.
	"Helios!" she cried out.
	Seized by the tendrils, the DreamMaster let out a strangled scream 
as the glass monster dug tighter, breaking the skin. Crimson blood 
stained the edges of Helios' torn garments.
	"Now what were you saying about whose magik was more dominant?" 
Chaos inquired darkly, malevolent smile not about to disappear from his 
face.
	Helios glared at him. 
	Suddenly the beast shattered, reduced to a fine, sparkling powder 
that disappeared into the black hole from where it had once arisen. 
Panting for breath, DreamMaster and Elven lord faced off once again.
	Then she was between the two, arms stretched out in the hopes of 
preventing a new conflict. "I didn't bring you here to see you kill each 
other!" she exclaimed, the tears glowing on her face.
	"Then what did you bring us here for?" he asked coldly. "In this 
realm Helios at least stands a chance. That's why you created this 
dreamfield, ne, Chibiusa?"	
	"This is the Dreamworld," she heard Helios whisper. "But why is 
his magik just as powerful as mine?"
	"I am a master of the Elven magiks," Chaos replied evenly. "And my 
magiks are but a small step away from the magiks of you and your 
guardian angels. I have two Imagikas in my possession. No matter where 
we are, we are evenly matched." He grinned. "And this time, you can't 
cheat by sealing me away in a box."
	"Shimatta," the DreamMaster said.
	"Chibiusa, leave us," he stated, holding out an open palm to her.
	She screamed as a wave of magik carried her away, the mirrors 
curving to shield a potentially fatal fall. Instead she rolled, tumbling 
across the smooth surface. 
	"Chaos," she whispered, coughing from the pains in her chest. 
"Don't...."
	"My maiden!" Helios shouted, looking to her, looking away from 
Chaos.
	He pounced, moving like a wildcat possessed. "You leave too many 
openings in letting her remain, Helios!" he shouted, giving a kick to 
the DreamMaster's side.
	Helios took more direct blows, unable to summon a magik that would 
deflect the hits of Chaos. Finally he delivered a final uppercut that 
sent the DreamMaster's body tumbling backwards.
	An aura of Elven magik was bringing light to the dreamfield, 
surrounding him as he watched Helios' trembling body. "It ends here," he 
stated.
	Rows of glass and mirrors were shattered as the vortex sucked up 
the DreamMaster, churning everything in a hellish cyclone before 
spitting out its contents across the dreamfield. Vest nothing but 
tattered rags, hair matted and soaked against the skin with blood and 
sweat, Helios' eyes slowly opened. The golden horn flickered out of 
existence. 
	Although the distance between them was vast, he took only a few 
steps, bracing his body for one incredible incantation of magik. The 
Elven aura radiated out from his body, electric green arcs flying across 
the dreamfield. The black and white mirror plates began to shatter as 
the lightening swept across the arena.
	She leaped to her feet and began to run. Run against time and 
magik in the hopes of defending her beloved, her soulmate. How could 
someone even think of such dark ambitions? If the Imagika was torn from 
Helios, then what was the fate of the Dreamworld? 
	"HELIOS!" she cried out, tripping in her gown and falling but a 
few agonizingly long steps away from the DreamMaster.
	Chaos growled. "The final blow!" he proclaimed, raising his hand 
to deliver the last, crushing attack of magik that would reclaim his 
third Imagika, making him Lord Chaos once more.
	"Iie!" the odango-haired blonde screamed.
	Suddenly there the girl's hands were, holding back his own from 
sending forth his magik. He stared at the odango-haired blonde in 
surprise. "Who invited you?" he asked.
	"Don't do this," the odango-haired blonde pleaded. "Chaos, don't 
kill Helios."
	"Uruseii!" he snapped, pushing the girl aside.
	Slowly Chaos stalked towards the shaking Helios, who was still 
fighting to stand. "I can see now that you truly do love each other," he 
said. "And perhaps one day you could have lived happily ever after in a 
Faery tale palace. But I would never forgive myself if I simply stood by 
and allowed that to happen!"
	She held her breath. "M-masaka," she whispered.
	Could it be that he was jealous?
	Jealousy. Rage. Vengeance. All were powerful motivators for magik. 
Was this the fuel behind the Elven lord's furious attacks?
	Helios struggled to rise, pounded fiercely by the attacks of 
Chaos. Not one strike was enough to severely wound the DreamMaster, yet 
combined, the strikes were severe enough to prevent a counter-attack.
	"You sealed me inside that box for three thousand years," he 
snarled. "I barely even remembered who I once was during my time inside. 
Now I'm here in an arena that's changed more than I ever cared to 
imagine, and I'm the only real playking left to make up new games that 
no one else wants to play! How's that for a damned fine destiny, 
Helios?"	
	The attacks ceased, and the DreamMaster finally succumbed. She 
watched in terror as Helios collapsed, barely even breathing as a 
distant look swallowed up the sparkle in the DreamMaster's eyes.
	"I guess this is 'sayonara', DreamMaster," Chaos stated coldly. 
"Round three: I win." A blast of Elven magik surged forth from his open 
palms, a storm which almost seemed to possess a demonic face within in 
raging towards Helios. This would surely be the last stand.
	She crawled the final distance between them, taking Helios' hand 
in her own.  "Gomen ne...my maiden," the DreamMaster spoke in a hoarse 
whisper. "In the end...I never could win."
	She frantically shook her head, the tears spilling down her face. 
"What are you talking about, Helios? Wherever you go, I'll be there with 
you."
	She moved herself over his body, hand to hand, face to face. The 
glow of the rampant Elven magik was almost upon them, casting a pale 
light on their faces. 	
	He feebly shook his head, though it was a faint movement on the 
surface of the cracked mirrors. "Iie, Chibiusa-chan. Don't do this."
	"It's already done," she whispered, closing her eyes. Their lips 
gently met with a kiss, and she hoped that this would be the last memory 
for them both. She braced herself for the final touch of death.
	"I love you...."
	Yet she felt nothing, for the magik was searching not for her but 
for the DreamMaster. The blast of Chaos' power simply passed through her 
body, and then struck Helios. She felt the DreamMaster's body lurch, 
pushing against her own and throwing her aside.
	"Helios!" she screamed.
	But what else was there for her to do but watch? Watch as Helios 
was caught up in a churning pool of magik that hovered just above her 
head. Small beams of light pounded Helios' chest, dying out as the 
flawless Imagika emerged.
	It almost shocked Chaos to feel a small cold droplet on his skin. 
 "What is this?" he muttered, wiping the water from his cheek. "Are 
these tears?" 
	Aurora Borealis exploded into fireworks, disappearing as the 
colours fell to the dreamfield. Behind the clouds of smoke a dark storm 
sweltered, slowly descending upon them. The rains began to fall, cold 
and harsh, pelting everything that was outside and unsheltered. Each 
droplet created a harsh ring that resounded off the smooth crystal of 
the Imagika as it floated into his palm.
	Yet it never found a grasp, the Imagika falling to the mirrored 
floors. As it struck the black panel of glass, the crystal bounced away. 
Steadily it picked up speed until it bumped against its true master's 
leg.
	"What have you done?" the odango-haired blonde whispered, 
collapsing onto the glass. "You hurt them both. Just look at what you 
have done...."
	"Iie," he said, stiffening, unwilling to submit. 
	No.
	Impossible.
	Was he playing out this game for simple, petty revenge? He, an 
Elven lord of Chaos? Was this a game after all? Had it ever been a true 
Elven game? In frightening silence he saw their last few moments 
together, and dared not interfere.
	She was cradling the DreamMaster in her arms like a mother to a 
small child, trying to comfort them both despite her tears that fell 
onto his cheeks.
	"Masaka," she cried bitterly. "It didn't have to end this way, 
Helios. You can't leave me alone."
	Helios gave a weak smile, fingers reaching up to brush against her 
pale skin. "It's alright to die like this, Chibiusa-chan. You can be my 
last memory."
	Already the DreamMaster was starting to vanish, and she felt her 
grip slipping through. "Iie," she cried, trying to hold Helios even 
tighter. "I don't want you to die!"
	"Daijobu, my maiden," Helios whispered, now just a pale spirit 
fading in the glow of small, twinkling lights. "Somehow I'll find a way 
back to you. We...we have forever...."
	The DreamMaster's eyes slowly closed, almost beyond her grasp and 
touch. In those final moments she had, Helios smiled once last time.
	"I love you, Chibiusa-chan."
	"Helios!" she screamed frantically, clawing at whatever was left. 
"HELIOS! PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME!!"
	She found herself unable to contain the storm within, breaking 
down and burying her face into her arms as she sobbed where the 
DreamMaster was almost gone forever.
	The next events conspired and transpired in the course of a single 
heartbeat, both giving life and taking it within the span of that one 
beating of the human heart. Two stolen Imagikas launched themselves into 
Helios' ghostly body, and the DreamMaster lurched in her arms with a 
startled gasp. Life was sucked into Helios' form, essence returning.
	Eyes wide, Helios slowly rose, staring first at her, and then at 
a body that should have vanished without its Imagika. How was this 
possible...unless something had happened to the Elven lord.
	Everyone slowly turned to Chaos.
	There the Elven lord stood: silent, grim, as the rains poured 
down. Without so much as a word he lowered his arm, the Elven magik 
still cracking in his palm.
	"Chaos," she whispered.
	A shocked look was across his face as he stared down at the new 
magik crackling around his body. Then he dropped to his knees, still 
unable to conceal the surprise.
	"N-na...ni?" he managed to stammer. He turned as a new ripple of 
magik opened a gateway into the dreamfield. 
	A tall, elegant young woman seemed to appear from the very shadows 
that were cast around the mirrored surface. Long golden hair flowed past 
the woman's waist, a small streak of blue accenting a set of bangs. A 
dress of starless night seemed to cling to every curve and contour of 
the woman's body, majestic yet seductive.
	But the eyes: they were of black pearl, shining and dark. To be 
sucked into the gaze of those eyes and become lost forever was the 
threat to all dreamers.
	"The Shadowqueen," the odango-haired blonde whispered.
	"How strange that I should meet you here again," the Empress of 
Shadows remarked.
	She held her breath, unable to comprehend the presence of this new 
ally. She had heard tales of the Shadowqueen, and the dangers this 
Empress of the Night enjoyed to make use of. The odango-haired blonde 
and the dark-haired prince were barely able to survive, and that was at 
the cost of the Wanderer.
	"Why?" she asked.
	"If Helios lost his Imagika," the Shadowqueen stated. "then the 
Golden Crystal which holds this realm together would be destroyed. 
Everything, even the kingdoms I have seized, would cease to exist."
	The Shadowqueen glanced over at Chaos. "How ironic that once again 
I must intervene to save your lives for the practicality of continuing 
my own existence. This makes the second occasion it has occurred."
	"Chibiusa," came the whisper of her beloved.
	She looked at Helios, her own tears lost in the pouring rain. At 
first it seemed too impossible to hope for, but then they tenderly 
embraced, and the kiss of the DreamMaster proved it was real. The powers 
that Chaos had gained were now bestowed upon Helios, giving enough magik 
to restore the DreamMaster once more. Magik became the miracle.
	"What about Chaos?" asked the odango-haired blonde.
	The Elven lord was still kneeling, watching them all as he was 
slowly erased from existence.
	"Let him fade away," the Shadowqueen answered coldly. "Without 
even an Imagika working as a lock for the Pandora Box, he cannot survive 
for much longer. So many mistakes are deserving of such a fate."
	"K-Kon chikusho," he growled.
	The Shadowqueen chuckled, sauntering around him. "Your own 
recklessness brought this upon you," the Empress whispered into his ear. 
"A pity, really; you would have made a fine warrior in my ranks."
	The Shadowqueen left his side, and he stood before them all. 
Rising up as but a fading dream soon to be forgotten he looked to the 
DreamMaster.
	"I tire of this game, Helios," he said bitterly, the weariness 
evident in his voice. "I tire of this whole damned world. There's no one 
left to play games with. Just...just let me sleep."
	"Chaos," the odango-haired blonde said quietly.
	In his own way, in his own words, the lord Chaos was conceding to 
defeat. His form was already fading. Without the Imagikas, he was 
disappearing like a forgotten dream.
	"It was a good game, ne?" he asked her.
	She smiled, unexplainable tears starting to fall down her face as 
she approached the fallen Elven lord. "Hai, Chaos-sama."
	"I never did figure out who won in the end," he mused. "But at 
least, we'll always have that one night. I wish it could have come under 
better circumstances, Chibiusa-chan, but regardless, meeting you was the 
best game I've ever had the chance to play."
	He knelt down and delicately took her hand in his, raising it to 
his lips. A gentle kiss left her skin tingling. "Forgive me, Chibiusa. I 
never meant to harm you in any way."
	Suddenly his body lurched, a ripple of magik breathing new life to 
his ghostly essence. Startled, he stared at his hands, flexing his 
fingers.
	"What is this?" he asked.
	Something was restored within him.
	It could only be the Imagika.
	"He deserves better than this," Helios said, looking to her and 
not Chaos. "I know you would want it to end this way."
	She nodded, holding onto Helios' arm.
	Maybe there was hope for an Elven lord of Chaos after all.
	"Really, Helios," the Shadowqueen remarked, unimpressed. "You are 
too generous a soul."
	"This is for her peace," Helios answered. "Not mine. I hope you 
can appreciate that, Chaos."
	Now able to stand, the DreamMaster held out a hand. On the palm 
appeared the seemingly innocent chest that had started it all. A Pandora 
Box with an open lid awaited the Elven lord.
	He rolled his eyes. "Yare yare," he sighed. "You're a better 
player than me, Helios. But don't tell me we have to repeat this in a 
few centuries."
	She laughed despite the emotions within. It was good to see him 
like this, one last time before returning to the Pandora Box.
	"In another thousand years, perhaps," he remarked.
	Helios nodded. "Until the next game."
	Chaos tilted back his head, arms crossed over his chest as he 
surrendered to the magik of the box. His lower torso rippled in becoming 
like a ghost, the transformation overtaking his entire body. 
	An Imagika forged itself from the flowing winds of magik, a 
flawless crystal that descended into the Pandora Box. With a final, 
silent motion the lid of the chest closed, a sapphire growing over the 
keyhole.
	The game had finally ended.
	"Chibiusa-chan?" the odango-haired blonde asked.
	She wiped away the stains of tears from her face. "Daijobu, Usagi. 
Thank you for helping me."
	The odango-haired blonde nodded, and then future mother embraced 
future daughter. That left the powers of the Dreamworld to look at each 
other, uncertain of where they now stood.
	"Should we thank you?" the DreamMaster inquired.
	The Shadowqueen chuckled demurely. "You amuse me, Helios. Do not 
think I did this selflessly. In time we shall fight again over kingdoms 
and dreamers. But while I may regret that you survived this, I at least 
am content in having a realm left to conquer."
	Helios' eyes narrowed. "As arrogant as ever."
	With a demure laugh, the Empress sauntered over to the odango-
haired blonde. Then the woman's eyes fell to her. "So, Usagi-chan, this 
is your daughter. What a beautiful face."
	She blushed in staring into those eyes of shining, black pearl. So 
alluring, this woman was, this Empress....
	"Don't you touch her!" Helios snapped, slapping away the 
Shadowqueen's hand.
	No offense was taken. If anything the Shadowqueen loved to play 
such fanciful games as the Elven lord did. Only the Empress seemed to 
know how to exercise restraint as a player. With a seductive smile, the 
Empress looked to the odango-haired blonde. "Sayonara, child. Until our 
next fantasy together...."
	There the Empress of Shadows turned and disappeared behind a veil 
of starless nights, trails of deep golden hair slowly taken with its 
mistress. They watched the Empress leave, silent.
	Mirrors began to fade and the skies toppled over.
	They left the dreamfield.


	With a sigh, the raven knight leaned back against one of the 
building's posts. The fusama was partially open, allowing for the cool 
breeze of the early morning. Yet despite all that had gone on in the 
past few hours, a place usually filled with dreamers and lovers was 
nearly deserted.
	The raven angel certainly noticed this, looking around the room in 
surprise. "Where is everyone?"
	"Where else?" the shrine protege replied.
	The answer was unspoken but understood regardless.
	"I can't believe they would do something like that," Sora sighed.
	"Hai," the masquerade wraith agreed, holding up a crystal that 
displayed the front of the Shinto shrine with perfect clarity. 
"Especially when they could have just stayed here to watch--and not get 
caught in the process."
	Kishi and Yuichiro laughed, seating themselves down. The guardian 
angels looked into the sphere and saw a young couple together beneath 
the shadow of a Torii.
	Such a romantic moment being shared between two souls; the 
temptation was more than they could resist.


	The world was itself once more: a quiet midnight heaven 
overlooking a peaceful Shinto shrine on a March night in Tokyo. Alone 
beneath the towering frame of a crimson Torii they stood, hand in hand. 
A crescent moon in the sky shone its pale kiss down upon them, the 
shadowy form of the Torii cast upon the cobblestone pathways around 
them.
	He stared up into the sky, smiling as he felt the light a thousand 
stars upon his face. "It was once said that you can only judge the worth 
of a journey after you've reached the end of your soul's road."
	She leaned against his chest, safe and secure in his arms. "Any 
regrets?"
	He laughed. "No, Chibiusa-chan, I don't. Perhaps that is what I 
find the strangest thing of all. Despite all that he put us through, I'm 
glad it happened."
	She held her breath as his fingers touched beneath her chin, 
gently tilting up her head that their eyes might capture one another's 
hearts.
	"It made me realize how much I truly love you, my maiden," he 
whispered. "When the time is finally right, I will join you in the 
future."
	She could feel her cheeks getting flushed as she became lost in 
his kind eyes. "How much longer?"
	For a brief moment, a look of uneasiness captured his expression 
as he looked to the midnight heavens. "The waiting is almost over. The 
winds of change will soon be here."
	His gentle gaze returned to her, and he lowered his head, bringing 
their lips closer together. She closed her eyes, wishing that this 
moment would never end, that even after its passing it might be sent up 
to the stars and remain there to mark this time in eternity.
	And then from a set of brush next to the entranceway, a set of 
bushes rustled and tried very unsuccessfully to hide its giggles.
	He sighed. "Never a moment's peace."


	From their vantage point, they could see everything between the 
branches and leaves of the shrubbery. Such a romantic moment being 
shared between two souls; the temptation was more than they could 
resist.	
	"Do you think we've been spotted?" the long-haired blonde 
whispered.
	"Only if you keep talking," the tall brunette retorted.
	"Aren't we invading their privacy?" the blue-haired genius 
inquired uneasily. 
	The odango-haired blonde giggled. "Come on, Ami-chan! Think of 
this as just watching out for the two of them."
	Abruptly the dark-haired shrine girl stood up, nearly throwing the 
odango-haired blonde off balance. "Would you mind not using my head as 
an elbow rest, Usagi?!"
	"Shhhh!!" the long-haired blonde hissed. "You'll give us away, 
Rei-chan!"
	The blue-haired genius tried once more to pull away. "Iie. We 
really shouldn't be spying on them like this."
	With a coy grin the tall brunette remarked, "I notice you're still 
here, Ami-chan."
	The blue-haired genius promptly turned a bright shade of red in 
embarrassment, and then opted to lean over the long-haired blonde for a 
better view.


	From within the walls of the Shinto building, a chorus of groans 
went out.
	"I don't believe this," Kishi sighed, throwing some kernels of 
popcorn at the crystal. "If the girls keep this up, the two will just go 
away where we can't listen in!"
	Yuichiro nodded, leaning on the raven knight's shoulder and 
stealing some popcorn from the group's bowl. "Helios could just take her 
into the Citadel. We'd lose them for certain."
	Sora shook his head. "I just can't believe you guys brought 
popcorn."
	The masquerade wraith suddenly appeared inside the room again, 
grinning broadly. "Good news: I've finished putting the other viewing 
crystals in place. Now we can watch them in surround!"
	"Have you no decency?" the raven angel lamented.
	Taking a seat, Meikyu quickly muttered an incantation and five 
more spheres appeared, all aligned with their primary viewing globe. The 
scene grew wider, larger, more focused.
	"We really shouldn't be spying on them," Sora said uneasily, 
watching the romance be played out before them all.
	With a coy grin Meikyu remarked, "I notice you're still here, 
Sora."
	The raven angel promptly turned a bright shade of red in 
embarrassment, and then opted to sit down next to the shrine protege for 
a better view.


	She shook her head in exasperation, wishing that the Wanderer 
might appear to conjure up some lightening bolts and give them a chance 
to be alone. 
	"You know," he remarked quietly in her ear. "They're never going 
to let up."
	She sighed, unable to keep from smiling none the less. "I know, 
Helios. But just this once, let's forget about them. Right now nothing 
else matters to me but this."
	DreamMaster and Tsukino child drew closer together, eyes slowly 
closing as their lips met. His arms wrapped around hers, holding her 
tight to never let go.
	And from two different places in the Shinto temple grounds, two 
sets of gasps and cheers were sent up to the heavens.
	Yet they were oblivious, swept away in a moment of love and 
passion that was destined to last more than just a mere lifetime. Here 
was a love that would outlast eternity.


	He slept once more.
	It had been this way for almost one hundred years, and before that 
almost for three thousand years. Time moved slowly, as it always had and 
always would within the Pandora Box. The next chance he might have to 
see her could be in a year or a thousand years from this one. But now he 
was content to let it proceed for as long as it desired to. 	
	Liquid bubbles of deep blue surged.
	He was floating through a dream, wrapped in a strange cool myst 
that kept his mind at ease. Frozen in magik, he slept with recent 
memories as bedside companions. So many beautiful images dancing before 
him, gone yet not forgotten.
	The words almost formed on his lips, yet were held back. He 
understood who she loved, who was the better one for her to love.
	"Sayonara, Chibiusa-chan," he whispered, reaching out his hand to 
caress her ghostly cheek. Yet it was he who possessed the form of a 
ghost. But it didn't matter to him any longer.
	The liquid bubbles surged once more.
	He smiled one last time, choosing to close his eyes and allow the 
evening's darkness to fall upon him. 
	And there her quiet lullaby sang him to sleep.