Rated PG-13

Disclaimers: Sailor Moon and everything affiliated with her are the property 
of Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Animation, Kodansha, and DiC.  They are not mine, I 
am only borrowing them for a little while.  Any other characters are mine.  
If anyone wishes to use them, please notify me first.


Just a bit of clarification:  
	the * * signify a person's thoughts
	the ***** before a section signify either a memory or a shift into 
the mindscape or dreamscape (don't worry, this will make sense eventually, I 
hope).	


Please email me with your questions, comments, and/or criticisms at 
engjng@worldnet.att.net.  Heck, flame me if you want to.  I'd like any 
feedback I can get.  Enjoy the story!


Daughters of Destiny
Part 5
by: Johnny Ng


	As soon as Trent spoke the words the entire church dimmed and an 
astroglobe appeared around him.  Planets and moons raced by in their orbits 
as a myriad of stars twinkled in the background.  The mage ignored all that 
was happening around him and concentrated on asking the questions he wanted 
answered.
	"Who has been attacking us?"
	The stars flickered and became subdued, almost as if they were 
contemplating whether or not to answer the question.  After a moment or two 
they seemed to have reached a decision as an image began to form in the air 
above them.
	As the image came into focus, Luna was able to make out certain 
details.  "It's the Moon."
	"The far side of the Moon, actually," Artemis commented, "but there's 
nothing there."
	Trent concentrated and the image flickered.  A dull black, diamond 
shaped object appeared next to the Moon.
	"That, I believe, is the mothership that our scoutship came from," 
Trent said.  He was about to ask for a closer look of the ship when the image 
and the astroglobe both winked out.
	"Very good, mage," a deep voice said.  "I must say, your divinations 
were more subtle and fruitful than those of your priestess friend who tried 
earlier.  I had not anticipated an astroglobe."
	Trent looked around furtively for the source of the voice.  "Who are 
you?  Show yourself!"
	"As you wish."  A tall humanoid figure covered in black robes 
materialized in front of the mage.  "I am Bane, and that is my ship...and I 
know all about you, Trent Powers."
	Trent eyed Bane warily.  Even if he wasn't a mage, he could sense the 
power that was emanating from this cowled figure...and he didn't like that 
last comment at all.  "Alright, if that is your ship, why did you send that 
person to attack us?"
	"Ah yes, the scout.  That was an accident.  He was only supposed to 
be gathering information.  However, he was careless.  He deserved what he 
got."
	That made Trent pause, but then he tried another question.  "What do 
you want?"
	Bane turned his eye on the mage.  "You."
	Trent took a step back.  "What?  Me?"
	"Yes, you.  In all the years of my existence, I have seldom met one 
such as you who is so skilled in the magical arts."
	"What happened to the ones you did meet?"
	"They either became my subjects...or my slaves."
	The mage grinned.  "Well, I choose neither."
	"I didn't say you had a choice."  Bane drew himself up and flung out 
his arms.  Black tendrils emerged from his robes and whipped towards Trent.
	Trent immediately teleported behind the sorcerer and fired off a 
fireball...that passed right through him!
	Bane chuckled.  "Nice try, but you didn't think that I would actually 
teleport myself here did you?"
	"You're a hologram!"
	"Not exactly, while you can't hurt me..."  Bane directed one of his 
tendrils behind the mage and it grew a set of claws.  "...I can hurt you."  
With a thought, the tendril struck.
	Trent saw the danger at the last second and threw himself sideways, 
but he wasn't fast enough and felt a searing pain as the claws ripped into 
his side.
	Bane withdrew the claw and formed a lethal looking sword.  "Shall we 
try this again?"  He was about to drive the sword into Trent's chest when the 
Moon cats attacked.  The sorcerer, though, grew another tendril and lassoed 
both cats and flung them away.  He looked back at Trent.  "No, not like this.  
I could easily kill you, but that would not serve my purposes.  I will let 
you live, Trent Powers.  You will come to me, and you will be mine."  The 
sorcerer's form wavered and was gone.
	Trent was breathing heavily and holding his lacerated side.  He tried 
to get up but the pain was too much.  He heard the sound of pattering feet 
and saw Luna and Artemis making their way slowly over to him.  "Are you guys 
ok?" he asked.
	"We should be asking you that question," Artemis said.  "Who was 
that?"
	Trent murmured a healing spell and winced as his skin began to knit.  
"He said his name was Bane, and he's extremely strong.  I think I just made 
myself a powerful enemy."  He felt his spell end and looked down at his side.  
The slashes were still red and visible, but at least they were closed up.  
His shirt, though, was a total loss, being both shredded and blood soaked.  
He sighed.  "I think we should leave now.  Bane disrupted the divination 
circle so there's nothing else we could learn."  He got up gingerly and took 
off his shirt.  "Besides, I need some new clothes."

	In his quarters, Bane emerged from his trance and chuckled.  With a 
thought, he sent for one of the _Wrath's_ scientists.  His door chime rang 
shortly and he opened his door.
	"Uh...you sent for m-me, Master Bane?" the terrified scientist asked.
	"Yes, I did."  Bane stepped towards the now cowering science officer 
and reformed his claw.  Scraps of cloth and bits of flesh and blood were 
still stuck to its ends.  He detached the claw and handed it to the scientist 
who took it slowly.  "I want you to analyze this specimen and report to me 
anything unusual.  Do it now."
	"Y-yes, sir," the officer stammered and nearly ran out the door.
	The door closed silently and once again, the room was plunged into 
darkness.  Bane made his way over to the window and looked at the earth 
slowly rotating.  *There is something strange about you, Trent Powers.  Soon, 
I will know who you truly are.*

	Trent went to pick up Mina from volleyball practice later that day.  
He tried to hide his injury from his girlfriend, but when she ran up and gave 
him a hug, his secret was out.  After briefly recounting what had happened to 
him at the church and many reassurances that he was all right, Trent grimaced 
as he was subjected to a stern lecture from Mina about responsibility and 
trust.  
	The lecture continued as he drove them both to Hikawa shrine for a 
Scout meeting.  When they started ascending the steps, Trent had had enough.  
When Mina paused to take a breath, he acted.  Grabbing the blond by her 
shoulders, her spun her around and kissed her firmly on the lips.
	Mina was at first startled, but she eventually decided to lay back 
and enjoy it.  After what seemed like an eternity, both of them came up for 
air.
	Trent gave his girlfriend a wide-eyed, innocent look.  "Can you ever 
forgive me, my love?"
	Mina smiled, her eyes still slightly glazed over.  "Well...maybe just 
this once."
	"Hey you guys," Lita shouted from the top of the steps, "the 
meeting's starting."
	The two lovebirds gave each other sheepish looks and ran up the 
stairs and into the shrine.  They went into the Great Fire Room where 
everyone else had gathered.  
	Lita smiled as she saw them enter.  "Good, you're finally here.  I 
thought I was going to have to hose you down."  She had the satisfaction of 
seeing the couple blush.
	Luna cleared her throat and got everyone's attention.  "Well, now 
that we're all here, I believe that Trent has some important information to 
tell us."
	Trent looked around at the expectant face around him and took a deep 
breath.  "I think I have just made myself a dangerous adversary.  He calls 
himself Bane...and he is an alien sorcerer."
	Raye threw her hands up.  "What?  Another one?  First it was your 
brother, now it's this guy.  Where do you meet all these people, Trent?"
	"Must be my personality.  Oh yeah, it was Bane that stopped your 
earlier fire readings.  He said so himself."  He went on to give a 
description of Bane and an account of the events that occurred earlier in the 
day.
	"So that was where Neflyte had his base," Amy commented when Trent 
spoke of the church.  "Do you think you could take me there tomorrow so I 
could take some readings of it?"
	"I don't think so, Amy," the mage said shaking his head.  "Bane knows 
where that church is and he undoubtedly has it monitored, so I don't want any 
of you going near it for now."  He suddenly clutched his side.  Mina 
immediately tried to lean over and help, but she was gently but firmly pushed 
aside by Amy.  
	Mina was about to object, but Lita whispered, "We don't want Trent to 
get any worse do we?  Let Amy have a look at him."  The blond flashed her 
tall friend an annoyed look but was able to restrain herself.
	Amy had examined Trent's wound with her computer and it displayed the 
result.  The blue-haired girl frowned.  "You said that you received this 
wound when Bane slashed you?"  Trent nodded.  "Well, it seems like Bane's 
claw was poisoned--"
	"Poisoned?!" Mina gasped.
	"But it's not fatal," Amy told them.  "In fact, as far as I can tell, 
the poison was designed more to inconvenience him than to hurt him."  She 
turned to Trent.  "You'll feel weak for a time, but I don't know how long."
	"Makes sense," Raye remarked to the mage.  "Bane said that he wanted 
you to serve him, so you wouldn't be much use to him dead."
	Trent grunted.  "Yeah, but now that I've been taken out of the 
picture, Bane and his forces are free to do whatever they want."
	"Ahem, aren't you forgetting about us?" Lita asked.  "We'll protect 
the city, even the world if we have to."
	Trent struggled to sit up.  "No!  You are not to confront Bane or any 
of his minions by yourselves."  He drew a shuddering breath.  "They're too 
powerful and in my weakened condition, I can't help you..."  His breathing 
became more labored and his eyes started to glaze over.
	"Amy!  What's wrong?" Mina cried.
	"It's the poison.  It's working faster than I thought.  Trent needs 
to rest."  Amy gestured to Darien.  "Darien, you had better drive him home.  
Tell his mother that he has the flu.  The symptoms are similar enough."
	Darien nodded and went over to the mage.  He dug out his car keys and 
then slung him over his shoulder.
	"Wait!  I'm coming too," Mina said running after them.
	The meeting ended soon after that.  Luna had told them that she 
agreed that with Trent in that they shouldn't fight with Bane and his people 
unless they had no choice.
	Rhea, though, was having other thoughts.  *It's up to me now.  I have 
to help the Scouts and my uncle!*

	It took a day for Rhea to put her plan into effect.  She had to study 
the spell she was planning on using very carefully.  The spell she chose was 
an intermediate level spell and her spellbook was reluctant to reveal it to 
her since she was technically still an apprentice.  However, after a bit a 
fast talking and some convoluted logic thrown in to confuse the palmtop, she 
was allowed to see the spell.
	It was well into the evening when Rhea finally decided she was ready.  
She closed her eyes and spoke the words of the spell.  At first she felt 
nothing, but gradually Rhea felt a strange sense of detachment.  The spell 
was working but Rhea clamped down her giddiness, if anything disturbed her 
concentration now, she would lose the spell.  She finished chanting the spell 
and after a few minutes slowly opened her eyes.  She immediately noticed that 
her vision had changed.  Everything seemed a bit muted and dull.  She looked 
down and smiled.  There was her body sitting on the bed and attached to it 
and her was a silver cord.
	*It worked...I did it!*  Rhea did an impromptu celebratory dance 
before getting down to business.  She passed through the wall and headed west 
out of the city...towards the church.
	Rhea had a rough idea where it was when Trent described it and after 
a short while of searching, she found it.  A brief bout of indecision 
assailed her then as she remembered her uncle's warning about the church.  
*But technically I'm still in my room.  And I won't be there long...,* she 
thought.  And that pretty much was the end of that.  
	She drifted into the church through a stained-glass window and looked 
around.  The inside was as Trent had described it, dirty and littered.  About 
the only place that was reasonably clean was the center of the room where the 
divination circle was and Rhea headed for it.
	She had just stepped over the edges of the circle when she suddenly 
sensed something, but it was too late.  A shimmering wall rose up from the 
ground surrounding the circle and formed a dome around her.  Rhea immediately 
looked at her cord and sighed.  It was still there.  If it had been 
severed...  She shivered and examined the barrier and was about to touch it 
when a voice stopped her.
	"I wouldn't do that."
	"Who's there?"
	"Come now, I'm sure Trent told you about me."
	"Bane," Rhea growled out.  "Let me out!"
	"Now why would I do that?  No, I think I'll keep you where you are, 
so make yourself comfortable.  You're going to be here a while."  Bane 
chuckled.  "Or at least until Trent comes to rescue you.  Then he and I can 
have a little chat."
	"But you poisoned him.  He can't even get out of bed much less come 
here."
	"Oh, he'll come.  If he values your life, he'll come."

	The next morning, Serena was rudely awakened by her alarm clock.  She 
looked at the offensive timepiece and slapped her forehead.  She had forgot 
to turn off the alarm and had woken up early on Saturday for nothing.  
Muttering darkly, she threw off her covers and sent Luna sprawling to the 
floor.  
	While the Moon cat was busy trying to struggle out of the sheets, 
Serena yawned and walked out of her room to the bathroom.  On the way she 
passed Rhea's room and saw that the door was slightly open.  She frowned and 
knocked on the door.  
	"Rhea?  Are you awake?"
	There was no answer and Serena's frown deepened.  She gently pushed 
the door open and stepped inside.  She saw Rhea sitting on the edge of her 
bed.  "Rhea?  Rhea, are you ok?"  Serena tried to grab the girl's shoulder, 
but as soon as she touched her she fell over onto the bed.
	Serena gasped and pulled her hand back.  When Rhea remained 
unresponsive, she nudged the girl softly.  Nothing.  She began to grow 
nervous and ran to her room to get Luna.
	Needless to say, Luna was a bit perturbed when Serena came running 
into her room.  "You could warned me before you decided to throw me off the 
bed, you know."
	Serena ignored her guardian's sarcastic remark.  "Luna!  I think 
there's something's wrong with Rhea.  She's not waking up!"  She grabbed the 
cat and ran back to the younger girl's room.  Serena placed Luna onto Rhea's 
bed and she gently prodded the comatose girl.  The black cat slowly opened 
one of Rhea's eyes and saw that it had rolled back into her head so that only 
the white was showing.
	"I think I'll try a mind meld to see what's wrong," Luna said.  "I'll 
tell you one thing, though.  This is definitely not natural."
	"Are you sure it's safe?" Serena asked worriedly.
	"I won't go that deep into her mind, and I'll be careful."  Luna 
hopped onto Rhea's chest and her crescent moon sigil flashed as a golden beam 
shot out and struck the girl's forehead.  However, not even a minute later 
Luna dissolved the mind meld.  "You had better call the others.  This is very 
serious."
	"What's wrong with Rhea?  Is it something with her mind?"
	"That's just it.  As far as I can tell, Rhea's not here.  Her body is 
here and it's still alive, but her consciousness is gone."
	The color drained from Serena's face and she dashed back to her room 
and grabbed her communicator.  She pressed the all-call button and watched 
the screen split up into four parts as her friends responded.  She ignored 
that all of them were still in various states of slumber and blurted out, 
"you've gotta get over here.  There's something wrong with Rhea!"
	That woke everyone up.
	"What is it, Serena?" Amy asked.
	"I don't know...and neither does Luna.  She's just lying in her bed, 
not moving.  It's like she's in a coma."
	"Do you think we should call Trent, too?" Lita asked.
	Mina shook her head.  "I just visited him yesterday and he's still 
weak.  He can barely walk as it is."
	Luna stuck her face in front of the communicator.  "I think we should 
tell him anyway.  Whatever's affecting Rhea might be magical in nature and he 
might know something about it."
	"Well, ok.  I'll call and tell him," Mina reluctantly agreed.
	"Good," Serena said, "and please get here as soon as you can."
	They all nodded and signed off.  It was then that Serena's mother 
yelled for them to get up and get breakfast.
	"Oh no!  What'll we tell my mom?" Serena cried.
	"I don't know, but you better think of something?" Luna told her.
	"I know, I'll tell mom that Rhea's feeling a little tired and wants 
to sleep in today."
	Surprisingly, Serena's plan actually worked, though it may be partly 
due to the fact that her parents both had errands to run for the entire day.  
She also told her parents that her friends were coming over as well and they 
had no problem with that.  Sammy, though, immediately decided to go to his 
friend's house, saying that he didn't want to be in the same house as Serena 
and her "goofy" friends.  So it was soon after breakfast that Serena found 
herself with an empty house.
	Amy was the first to arrive and Serena showed her to Rhea's room.  
Luna was sitting on the edge of the bed and was keeping a close eye on the 
apprentice mage.  Amy took out her minicomputer and started performing scans 
of the girl.
	"Anything yet, Amy?" Luna asked.
	The genius girl shook her head.  "This is strange.  Her condition 
isn't natural.  I've detected a magical signature, though.  Maybe if we 
describe Rhea's condition to Trent, he can shed some light on this."
	A short while later, Raye and Lita arrived.
	"Where's Mina?" Serena asked.
	Lita shrugged.  "She told me that she was heading over to Trent's 
house to tell him about Rhea.  I guess she'll coming by later."
	Indeed, a little while later there was a knock on the door.  Opening 
the door, Serena was surprised to see that Mina had come with Trent.  "Trent!  
Shouldn't you be in bed?"
	"That's what I told him," Mina said, indignantly, "but he insisted on 
coming."
	Trent's face was pale and drawn, and his breath came in short gasps.  
"I'm alright, really.  Let me see Rhea."
	Serena looked hesitant, but despite the fact that Trent's voice 
wavered, there was firm conviction behind it.  She nodded and Mina helped the 
mage up the stairs.
	Rhea's room was already crowded with the other girls when Serena, 
Mina, and Trent came in.  
	Amy frowned when she saw him, but said nothing.  
	Trent made his way slowly to his niece's side and placed his hand on 
her forehead.  He closed his eyes and his hand started to glow.  Soon, the 
glow covered Rhea's entire body.  The mage frowned and started to probe a bit 
deeper.  Suddenly, he snatched his hand back.
	"What happened?" Mina asked.
	"I know what wrong with Rhea."  Trent turned to the desk next to him 
and picked up his niece's palmtop spellbook.  He accessed her current spell 
list and saw what he feared at the bottom.  "The astral projection spell, she 
actually used the astral projection spell."
	Serena was puzzled.  "Was that bad?"
	"She shouldn't have been able to cast that spell yet.  Now, her 
consciousness could be anywhere."  Trent sighed.  "But I'll find her and when 
I do...I'll have a talk with my apprentice."  He muttered an astral vision 
spell and the silver cord was visible to his eyes.  "I have her trail.  It 
leads through that wall and heads west...out of Tokyo."
	"West?" Luna asked, "but there's nothing out there except--"
	Trent's eyes narrowed.  "Except for the church."

	Rhea was pacing back and forth inside her magical prison.  Actually, 
floating might be a better term for it.  She had tried everything she could 
think of to escape, but every spell she cast at the barrier fizzled.  She had 
even tried to go under the wall, but she had found that it extended 
underneath her.
	Bane materialized outside the shield.  "Getting a little restless, 
are we?  Well, you'll only be here a little while longer.  Trent is coming."

	Trent was coming, but he was not alone.  Darien drove him and the 
girls to the church.  They pulled up right next to the front doors and got 
out of the car.  Trent warned them to be careful and opened the doors.
	Mina was right next to her boyfriend when he opened the doors.  It 
took a while for her eyes to get adjusted to the dark, but when she was 
finally able to see she pointed towards the center of the room.  "What's 
that?"
	Trent looked up at where Mina was pointing and saw a translucent 
forcefield, but what captured his attention was the figure inside.  With his 
astral vision, he saw Rhea floating inside the dome.  "Rhea!"  He began to 
stumble towards her but stopped when the air in front of him shimmered and 
Bane appeared.
	"I have been waiting for you, mage."
	"Let her go, Bane."
	Bane made a show of thinking it over.  "I might, mage, for a price."
	"What do you want?"
	The sorcerer's eye flashed.  "You know what I want, Trent."
	Trent grit his teeth but sighed.  "Will you let her go if I do?"
	Mina and Rhea both realized what the mage was going to do.  "Trent, 
no!" they both shouted.
	Trent smiled sadly.  "But don't you see...I must.  I made a promise 
to your father to look out for you, Rhea, and I will."  He turned to Mina.  
"I'm sorry, love."
	"No!"  Mina ran forward and pulled out her transformation wand.  
	"Mina, don't!" Trent yelled, but she ignored him.
	"Venus Crystal Power!"  After a short light show, a desperate and 
angry Sailor Venus charged at the sorcerer.
	Bane didn't even react.  He just stood his ground and waited.
	Sailor Venus powered up for an attack and unleashed it.  "Venus Love 
and Beauty Shock!"  A large golden heart blazed its way towards the 
sorcerer...and through him.
	The blond scout skidded to a halt.  "What?!"
	"Didn't Trent tell you about what happened in our battle?" Bane 
asked.  He held out his hand, but a cry from Trent stopped him.
	"Don't!  I will go with you," the mage said.  "I will join you.  Just 
let her go. Let all of them go."
	Bane moved and stood in front of the mage.  "A wise decision, Trent."
	"Trent." Sailor Venus cried.  "Please..."
	"I have to do this Mina, please understand."
	Serena and the others were still standing at the church's entrance.  
When she saw Mina transform, she almost joined her, but Trent's cry stopped 
her.  Now that she saw that Trent was going to give himself over to Bane, she 
knew she had to act.  
	"Moon Eternal Power!"  A column of multicolored light engulfed Serena 
and an instant later Eternal Sailor Moon appeared.  The rest of the Scouts 
and Darien soon followed suit.
	"Stop!" Sailor Moon commanded.  "I will not allow you to take Trent.  
I am Sailor Moon and in the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"
	"Take?" the sorcerer asked, "I am not taking him Moon child.  It was 
his decision to go with me."
	The blond heroine was about to object when Trent stopped her.
	The mage turned to Sailor Moon.  "He's right.  Please don't make this 
harder than it has to be."
	Sailor Moon found herself helpless.  She knew she could not attack 
Bane and Trent didn't want her to besides.  But she just couldn't stand there 
and do nothing.
	<<No, that is what you exactly must do,>> a familiar voice said 
inside her mind.
	The Scouts' leader jumped.  *Mother?*
	<<Yes, I am speaking to you through the Crystal, but do not reveal 
this to anyone.  You must not interfere with Bane.  You cannot hope to win 
against him now.>>
	*But what about Trent?*
	<<You must let him go.>>
	*But--*
	<<You must!>> and Serenity's voice was gone.
	Sailor Moon was wracked with indecision and Trent took advantage of 
her hesitation to speak to Bane.  "I am ready.  Free Rhea and let the others 
go, and I will go with you."
	"Very well."  Bane made a motion with his hand and the force field 
surrounding Rhea's astral body vanished.
	Trent looked at his niece's form.  "Go back to your body, Rhea.  
You've been in astral space too long."
	Rhea looked sadly at her uncle and nodded.  She drifted out the 
window, following the trail of her silver cord.
	"I have fulfilled my end of the bargain, mage; now it's your turn.  
Take hold of my robe and we will depart."
	Trent sighed and stepped closer.  He grabbed onto a piece of the dark 
and shifting cloth and tried to keep his revulsion down.
	Bane seemed amused by his new underling's discomforted and laughed.  
When he and Trent vanished, the laugh remained, broken only by the sound of 
Sailor Venus's weeping.
	Back in her room Rhea also wept, but not for long.  Exhaustion 
finally took her and she fell into a deep, troubled sleep as tears still 
rolled down her face.


End Part 5