Hello!

If you are seeing this you either the title caught your eye,
or you just sneezed and accidently clicked the mouse
key.

Either way, you're very welcome here!

This is story is a total revision of my earlier version.  I have taken
all the comments I have recieved on this story into consideration,
(hint, hint), and have exbounded, (big word, ne?), on them.

A few words of warning:

This entire story is PG, strong words, strong violence, and adult
situations, (of course, what isn't?).

I use the NA names for everyone, even the ones beyond the Deeeek!
dubs.  I know, I know, I'll wait a few seconds for you to groan. . . . . . .

Okay, you can stop groaning now.  No really, stop groaning.

Any comments can be sent to bastion@ix.netcom.com, where
I'll give them a warm bed to sleep in and a roof over their heads.

Let's see, what else. . .

Oh, I would like to dedicate this part to Helm and Razorclaw X.

-------------------------------------------------------

Terrible Things to Waste



Prologue: Intrusion



	Concealed within the oppressive fog, a lone figure stood guard
over a vast emptiness.  Only the radiating red orb atop the
figure's staff chased away the darkness, revealing the contours
of her figure.  The light displayed the elegance of the woman's
face, an elegance offset by a stern expression hardened by a
millenia of duty.    

	Concepts like beauty, elegance, justice, and other fickle
fashions of the linear realm mattered little here, where Time
transcended all such things.  Her attention was better directed
to things of greater importance, like insuring History and Fate
continued in their proper paths.  

	At least, these thoughts distracted her from the linear things.
 

	Her lips frowned, ever-so-slightly, as her grip tightened
around her staff.  Her staff acted as the key to this dark
corridor of Time that simultaneously connected the past, the
future, and the present.  Her duty was to protect this corridor
from intruders who would try and disturb the balance that
History had created.  The last thing she needed was emotion to
get in the way.  

	In the beginning, she had envied the people who lived linear,
uncomplicated lives; living and dying, caring and loving. 
However, after an eternity of isolation in the Time Tunnel, such
emotions became dulled and useless to her.  Eventually, she no
longer yearned to be touched or loved.  This duty bestowed upon
her by those who created the corridor gave her greater
satisfaction than any lover ever could.

	At least, that's what she kept telling herself.  

	Occasionally, Fate would deviate from its path, taking History
with it, threatening to ruin the delicate existence of the
timestream.  Such occurances gave her an opprotunity to delve
into the linear world.  Not to say she would look forward to
them, most times they were very mundane tasks.  It was only a
matter of stopping the deviation before it could start, and its
source could be easily found after meticulous study.  Nothing
too exciting.  

	Yet, she found dealing with such trivialities in the timestream
so much more interesting than guarding this lonely abyss. 
Living in the linear realm would always re-awaken her desires
and longings she tried so hard to ignore over the span of her
near eternal life in the Tunnel.  Sadly though, at the end of
every trip she would have to return to the Time Tunnel and she
would again rely upon the satisfaction of her duty to fill that
longing.  

	Fortunately, she was not destined to be completely alone in the
Tunnel, the third generation of the royal line frequently pasted
through the gates into the corridor.  This little girl was one
of the few she permitted to pass because Fate foretold it to
happen.  Who was she to argue?  The girl traveled the Gate so
frequently, they eventually developed cute nicknames for each
other.  Soon, the little girl became known as Small Lady, and
eventually she became known simply as Puu.  The girl did help
relief some of her longings, but still befriending the girl was
destined.  Just as she was destinied to always be the Time
Guardian and destined to guard alone.  

	Fate always had its way.

	Suddenly, a chill went up her spine, making the Guardian aware
of her closed eyes.  You shouldn't be so careless, she scolded
herself, you above all others should not make mistakes.  Shaking
her head, she peered into the darkness.  A presence approached,
she could feel it.  The fog shifted, indicating it sensed this
presence as well.   Her gut twisted and turned in apprehension
in motion with the swirling mists.  

	She waited as the shift continued.  Was Small Lady returning? 
She waited for a few more arduous moments.  No, Small Lady would
have made her presence known by now.  

	The shifting began to intensify, disturbing the darkness of the
Tunnel.  Only something big, unexpected, and foreign could
realign time this way.  She clutched her stomach as the
realignment further unsettled the balance of Time.  Her knees
began to buckle.  Fate must have deviated, but it had never
deviated this far before.  

	"What's doing this?"  The woman gasped.

	The Guardian doubled-over as she felt two, no three things
passed fluidly through the Tunnel.

	Relief came momentarily before a fourth one finally passed
through.  

	Still feeling uneasy, she readied her staff and got into her
attack position.  No intruder shall pass under my watch, she
resolved.  Her eyes darted around in the fog looking for the
perpetrators.  No intruders appeared.  She lower her staff,
stunned.  They had bypassed the Time Gate entirely. . . . but
how, she wondered.  

	"It can't be. . . they don't. . . unless. . ." The guardian
became acutely aware that something was going to happen.  

	Something that threatened the balance of History and Fate.

	Something she had no control over.

	In great hast, she straightened her staff and opened the Time
Gate, departing the infinite darkness to the last location of
the shift: Tokyo, Japan 1999.  

-End of Prologue-

Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi and in America by DIC.

BTW, a great big thanks goes out to Helen Szeto &
Paul Arezina for convincing me this story needed
some work.

Also I'd like to thank Adrian Forrest for his very useful comments
on this part as well as post-production comments from David Johnston
and Dark Master Jewelle.

Thanks for reading, and please come again.

Bastion
bastion@ix.netcom.com

Updated: 8/01