Natas watched Sailor Mercury sleep. She had moved her head once, and he had thought she was coming to. He had thought wrong.
"Damn it! Wake up!" Natas was growing furious. "I need a new body!" he shouted. At this time, Jalobe appeared.
"Master, I have some good news."
"What?" Natas asked without taking his gaze off of Sailor Mercury.
"The Sailor Scouts are at their weakest when in human form."
"Jalobe, how stupid do you think I am?"
"What do you mean, master?" Jalobe was starting to grow anxious.
"Why did you just tell me something I already knew?"
"I-I'm sorry, my lord."
"I'm sorry, too." Saying that, Natas's eyes became bright red, and a whirlwind surrounded him. Seconds later, Jalobe combusted. The flames stopped with the whirlwind, and Natas's eyes went back to their original color, which was black.
"I've got to learn to control my temper," he whispered. He had no idea how right he was on that.
* * * * * * * * *
The rain was coming down hard as Serena stared out her bedroom window. She thought the weather was very fitting for the mood she was in. She felt this way for a number of reasons. She was worried about Amy, and she was thinking of how Natas had known her beloved Darien.
"Serena," Luna said. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Luna," Serena said, trying to hide her depression.
"Serena, I know that look. What's on your mind?"
"Oh, lots of things. Amy. Darien. Our new enemy."
"You mean Natas?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"I was with you at the fight. Remember? Anyway, I think I know why he's here, and I think I know why he chose now to appear."
"Well, spill it!"
"OK. A long time ago, Natas was born the son of Satan. He was afraid his son would overpower him, so he sent Natas to Earth. Natas was exposed somehow, and sent to the Negaverse, and accepted by Queen Beryl. After time, she sent him to another dimension. This was called the Dark Universe. He has been waiting there to attack, and destroy the Earth. He believes that by attacking the Sailor Scouts, he is getting revenge. But his REAL purpose is to jump-start Armageddon."
"Armageddon?" "That's why he's here? He chose Tokyo to jump-start Armageddon?"
"Yes, but to do so he needs a vessel. One born in the shadows, and raised in the light of day."
"Is that why he has Amy?" "What do you mean?"
"Think about it, Serena. Natas needs someone born in the shadows, or, taken literally, at night-time. Amy was born just after sun-up."
"How do you know?"
"I've been checking birth certificates," Luna replied calmly. "There is only one person that we know who was born at night-time."
"Who?" Serena asked impatiently.
"Let's just say, he loves you more than you'll ever know." Serena's jaw dropped, and her eyes became tear-filled.
* * * * * * * * *
"Damn!" Natas shouted. "This girl is not the one!" Natas had been thoroughly examining Amy for quite some time. "Warrior Cashia, present yourself!" A monster of about seven feet, six inches, with long appendages, a tail three feet long, and a spiky, scaly body appeared from a black cloud of smoke.
"Yesss, Massster?"
"Cashia, I want you to take this human back to Earth, and bring back this man." Natas made an image of Darien appear, then Tuxedo Mask, then Prince Darien. "They are all the same man. And this man, I need. He is to be unharmed. Do you understand?"
"Yesss, massster." Cashia disappeared, and took Amy with him.
"Soon, the world will belong to the Dark Universe, and I will get revenge for the death of Queen Beryl!" Natas turned around. An image of Tokyo appeared. "I've picked the perfect spot," Natas muttered.
* * * * * * * * *
Amy awoke with a jerk. She was in her own bed, and was no longer in her Sailor Scout uniform. She was in her school uniform. She looked out her window. It was raining hard, and she could see lightning in the sky. She heard a loud crack of thunder. Amy pulled the covers over her head.
"This is not good," she said to herself. "Definitely not good at all." Amy had a premonition that something bad was about to happen to somebody she knew very well. She couldn't shake the feeling. It haunted her all night long.