Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Sailormoon Dark ❯ Episode 23: The Heart's Deepest Pit. The Decision of Thanatos. ( Chapter 23 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Sailormoon Dark: Episode Twenty-Three
"The Heart's Deepest Pit. The Decision of Thanatos."

written by Laurel Wilson ( Sailorhathor@aol.com )
Inspired by the Japanese animated show Pretty Soldier Sailormoon.
The ideas for this fanfic were conceived in 1995, but this actual episode was written in May 2002.


"Each soul is allowed one coin for passage into the Underworld. I will not let you pass."
"Then we'll forge our own path to the deepest pit!"
"You will regret the attempt."
"Do your worst!"
"LOOK OUT!"
"I didn't mean that literally."
Pretty Soldier Sailormoon Dark Episode 23: The Heart's Deepest Pit. The Decision of Thanatos. The moonlight carries the message of love.

        "Your mother?!" Sailorhelium cried, flabbergasted. That spooky-looking chick was the mom of such a lovely, soft girl as Charon?
        Sailorcharon nodded sheepishly.
        Ignoring the smoldering car, Hel regarded the group on the motorcycles. "What is your business here, my daughter?"
        "Can we come inside and talk to you about it?"
        "I will allow it," Sailorhel replied. She simply turned and opened the doors to the city of Hell, to wait for them to enter.
        "You guys wait here," E told his gang, before taking Hikaru's hand and helping her off the 'cycle.
        Although she was flattered he would look for excuses to touch her, Hikaru still scolded him good-naturedly. "I can do it myself."
        E wiggled his eyebrows at her again. "Yes ma'am."
        Hikaru liked this little flirtatious thing they had going; E was attractive and exciting, and like the rest of this place, intriguing. But a part of her knew she had to focus on the situation, because they were going into a very dangerous place.
        Inside, the fence that surrounded the city was lined with rows of cages, stacked upon one another. The cages held many of the spectres who had been damned here for whatever length of time was necessary for them. Some of the spectres resided within a section of the city called Perpetual Fear, while others spent their time in Loneliness. Sailorhelium watched one of them as he rocked himself in his cage.
        "They left me. They went off and left me here alone, and I don't think they're coming back," he lamented to the empty air.
        "What's happening to him?" she asked Hel.
        "An inquisitive one," Sailorhel remarked to her daughter, who again nodded sheepishly. "She's with you?"
        Standing up straighter, Charon replied, "Yes. She's with me."
        Hel gave a simple nod of understanding before responding to Sailorhelium's question. "He is in that cage because he committed acts during his lifetime that put him there. The spectre is experiencing hallucinations that seem very real to him, visions that are designed to torment and teach him lessons he obviously hasn't learned. When we are satisfied that he understands those lessons, he will be sent back to the surface for reincarnation."
        "Oh... so no one stays here forever?"
        "Rarely. But we won't know until forever comes, will we?"
        "I guess, uh, not." Charon's mother was a cryptic one, but she didn't seem that bad. "Once someone learns these lessons, do they take that knowledge with them into the next life?"
        "Always, in their subconscious. But they still possess free will, and can make the choices they see fit. Many make the same mistakes life after life. Sometimes I wonder if they'll ever get it right," Sailorhel laughed.
        Helium laughed too, awkwardly. She understood the concepts Hell worked under, but this was still a warped place to live.
        The man in the cage suddenly yelled, "Where did everyone go?! The entire city seems to be deserted! Hello! Someone answer me!"
        The girl in the cage above him pounded on the bottom of her cage and hopped around wildly. "Can you hear me? I hear you! I hear you!"
        The first spectre did not respond, just clutched at the bars of his cage.
        Sailorhel smiled. "It's not a perfect system, but I think it works well."
        Did she enjoy seeing the spectres suffer? The thought made Helium shudder. Her brow furrowed at the sight of another section of the city. "Um, Retail?"
        Hel's smile widened. "The crimes of some people against others are so hard to categorize that special tortures must be devised for them."
        A woman in one of the Retail cages frantically scrambled around her prison. "No I'm sorry, I can't ring up that purchase. That's against our policy. I can't do that. Where is the manager? I need his help! He's never around when I need him. Wait, wait! I am only one person! One at a time! One at! A! Time!"
        Sailorhelium shuddered harder. "You're a twisted little woman."
        Still grinning wickedly, Hel said, "Charon, introduce me to your delightful little friend."
        While Sailorcharon made the introductions, Hikaru focused on more of the city's sections. In one called Agony, there were many spectres strapped down or otherwise bound. Demons harassed a pale male spectre. Hikaru realized to her horror that one of them was plucking the hairs off the man's chest one by one.
        She shrank against E. "I hope he really deserves that, 'cause it looks hella painful."
        E stroked her bright pink hair. "I trust that he does."
        Hikaru next spotted the only section of Hell that was vieled off on all sides, so no one could see in. Two sexy, scantily-clad female demons stood at each side of a curtain, which they opened every once in awhile to allow passage into the realm. The realm was called Violation. She shuddered, clutching at E's shirt when she heard the sort of sounds that came from behind that curtain. "What do you have to do to be sent in there?"
        E lightly hugged her to him. "The souls that never learn the important lessons, that make the same mistakes over and over and spread nothing but pain throughout humanity... that's where we send them when we give up."
        Her eyes wide, Hikaru slipped her arms around E's waist. She was trembling. "How can you live here?"
        "We'll talk about it later. Right now, we need to focus on why we came here."
        Sailorcharon currently discussed this with Hel. "We were told we could find newly-minted coins in the lowest pit. Can we go there now?"
        Becoming cross, Hel sighed, shaking her head. "Each day, I pick the flowers of Hell, and I place them on the gravestone of my daughter, Princess Charon. That's because most of her is dead! She's been replaced with this ungrateful human child who would hold other parents dearer to her heart than her real mother."
        Helium's mouth popped open. "Now wait a minute lady-"
        Sailorhel let out a frightening shriek, her golden eyes blazing. "I will not allow you passage to the Smelting Room. You will not labor so hard for secondary parents when you refuse to spend any time at my side. Get out of my city--I'm too furious to look at you right now!"
        Obviously near tears, Charon begged, "Please don't fight us; I don't want anyone to get hurt like Sailoranubis."
        "Your 'parents' coins have been spent. It's over! Go lie back in your grave, my dead daughter," spat Hel.
        Charon sobbed, "That's right, I died. And I came back as a human girl, with human parents. They were all I knew until I came here. Do you expect me not to love them? To just forget them? I can't turn my feelings on and off.
        "I'm sorry I never come to see you, but this place is scary and disgusting to me. It's not that I don't want to see you..."
        Hel frowned, actually looking hurt. "A good daughter would want to see her mother no matter where she lived. I've grown jealous of Isis and Osiris because you spend so much time with them; now I find out it's all about location!
        "No, I will not let you pass. I am your mother too, you know!"
        "Gee, a guilt trip. You've gotta be somebody's mother." Sailorhelium stood before the intimidating senshi. "Look lady, back off, okay? Alright, she should visit more, but you have no idea how important this is to Ruki. She feels bad enough about how things turned out, and wants to set things right. Don't you want her to be happy?"
        Scoffing, Hel replied, "She doesn't care how I feel."
        Sailorhelium sighed. "Fine. E, do you know where the Smelting Room is?"
        "Yeah."
         "Good. Then let's go."
        An angry look on her face, Hel shoved her staff at them. The pieces of brimstone inside the funnel flamed up again. Fwoosh!
        Hikaru was already thoroughly spooked by Sailorhel, but this show of aggression caused her to grab tight fistfulls of E's shirt and jacket.
        "I won't let her hurt you," he whispered in her ear.
        Helium, determined not to show any fear, adopted a cocky stance. "Hit me with your best shot you Satanic bitch."
        A wicked smile crossed Hel's face; it was almost a shame that she had to hurt this one, because she liked those with sass. She aimed the staff and shrieked, "Brimstone Psy-Burst!"
        Smirking, Sailorhelium began to say, "Helium doesn't burn," but was cut off when the chunk of brimstone struck her in the gut. She flew back against the cages with a loud grunt of pain.
        "Sailorhelium!" Charon ran to her side.
        She held her stomach, grimacing. "Good one, Heri. Helium doesn't burn, but it can't take a heavy rock propelled into its gut either."
        "Oh dear, we didn't think of that!"
        E grabbed Hikaru and pulled her down behind a boulder. "When I tell you, run in the direction I do."
        "But I won't leave my friends!"
        "We're going to draw her fire, so your friends will have a chance to attack."
        Sailorcharon started to help Helium up, but the girl shoved her away. A rock of flaming brimstone whizzed right by Charon's head, barely missing her, and hit Sailorhelium in the chest instead.
        Letting out a howl of pain, Helium clutched her chest, but still tried to get up so she could defend herself. She was panting hard now. "Now I know how Anubis got so bruised. Charon, watch-"
        Sailorcharon looked at Helium with rage she had not seen in her before. Her mouth popped open when she realized Charon's eyes no longer had pupils; there were only her green irises now, and two twisted white horns that had sprung from either side of the top of her head. Just like her mother.
        "She struck you while you were down," Charon hissed.
        That explains why she has horns in the carving. Despite her pain, Sailorhelium grinned. "Get 'er."
        Sailorcharon turned on her mother. "Tornado of Suicides!" The whirlwind of souls spun toward Hel, moaning like a strong wind gust. The sound grew into a mournful howl as it approached, but Sailorhel did not listen, instead cutting through the tornado with more bursts of brimstone. The ghosts scattered and reassembled themselves in a chaotic dance of wind.
        The others ducked from the flying rocks and tried to run toward the room E indicated. Once Sailorhel noticed their advance, she flipped out of the path of the tornado and quickly shot off several rounds of Psy-Bursts at the group. Hikaru fell back against E in an attempt to avoid one of the burning projectiles as it flew only inches in front of her face, her arms flailing wildly. E shielded her face with his arms as the rock exploded against some of the cages. The spectres inside screamed.
        "Passage Denied!" Sailorcharon cried. Her wall of protection blocked anymore of the Psy-Bursts from getting through for the time being, but Charon still felt the waves of their impact when they hit the barrier. She gritted her teeth, her green eyes flaring.
        "Does this barrier move with us?"
        "No, it stays at the point it is created."
        "Then how do we make it to the Smelting Room?"
        "We bob and weave. Run between objects. Go now; the barrier is about to come down."
        Everyone ran for the nearest boulder.
        "Brimstone Psy-Burst!"
        They weren't going to make it behind the boulder before the attack hit them, so Helium gazed at several of the flying projectiles and then pointed at the sky. "Helium Levitate!"
        Several of them veered off into the sky, but the rest still sped toward them. Luckily, the Bursts that had been most likely to hit them were gone, and the others struck the boulder bare seconds after they made it behind it.
        "We can't stay here."
        "On my signal, run for those cages."
        Looking to one side, E cried, "Your transformation wand!" and ran for it. Hikaru's wand was indeed floating within a ball of neon pink light nearby, but out of the safety of the boulder's shielding.
        "LOOK OUT!"
        E was just reaching for the wand when a Burst struck him on his back and side. He went down with a growl of pain and slid into some of the cages.
        "Your wing is on fire!" Hikaru cried as she darted from behind the boulder to help him.
        In an effort to confuse Hel and protect Hikaru and E, Sailorcharon stepped out from behind the boulder and yelled, "Obolus Rain!" She slammed the Key of Styx into the ground. There was a rumble and suddenly gold coins rained out of the sky down on Sailorhel. She shielded her head with her arms as the raining coins stung when they hit her.
        Hikaru took off her jacket to use to smother the fire; it occured to her how silly it had been to wear something warm to Hell. But at that moment, she was glad she had it. "Are you okay?"
        "Yeah, just crispy. Get your henshin wand!"
        You bet I'm going to get my wand--get it and teach that bitch a lesson! No one was going to hurt such a hottie and get away with it, especially when he had risked it all to help her. Hikaru snatched the wand out of the ball of light and held it up.
        "Neon Elemental Power, Make-up!" Fluorescent rods of color weaved their way from the wand to several spots on Hikaru's body. They flickered like a faulty neon sign, and in their fleeting glow, Sailorneon's fuku appeared piece by piece. The color rods blended into her uniform, turning stark white, and formed the stripes on her sleeves, jacket, and skirt. Except for one rod. It fell into Neon's hand, the Laser Rod, her Talisman.
        Neon pointed the bright pink Rod at Sailorhel. "Neon Laser Singe!" The multi-colored laser bullets sped toward the senshi of Hell, who tried to fend them off with her own attack; the Burst could not eliminate all of the approaching bullets, though, and many struck her. Sailorhel shrieked in pain.
        "Funny that you're so good at dealing it out, but you can't take it," Neon gloated. Behind her, Charon and Helium helped E to his feet and ran for the Smelting Room. Sailorneon swiftly followed.
        "No!" cried Hel angrily, and fired several more flaming balls of rock sulphur.
        Neon was a runner in her civilian life, and in her senshi form, could run even faster. She overtook the others and got the doors open for them, so they could run into the Smelting Room. All Hel could do was shriek like a banshee while they made it in and shut the door behind them. The last clump of Psy-Bursts slammed into the closed doors in vain. They could hear Sailorhel screaming in anger as they tried to catch their breath.
        "Boy, she sure is angry," Sailorhelium panted.
        "We bested her in her own territory. I'd be furious too," Charon replied.
        Helium noticed that the girl's pupils were slowly reappearing in her eyes. "That's a new look for you," she joked, and touched the horns on her girlfriend's head. "Are these permanent?"
        "No..." Sailorcharon replied, a bit embarassed. "They're sort of an anger reaction. Are you alright?" She lightly touched Helium's bare stomach.
        Sailorhelium winced a little. "I'll be okay. A little bruised, but okay. What about him?"
        Neon helped E sit down in a spot where he could rest. "He's going to need medical attention. I've been taught some sports medicine and basic first aid, so I can dress his burns once we get out of here."
        "No need to make such a fuss over me," E proclaimed, and moved his wing to show her it was okay. He winced quite noticeably. "Um, would you be able to get me some of those nice painkillers from the surface?"
        Chuckling, Sailorneon nodded. "That and bandages too." She leaned in close. "Thanks for keeping your word, but next time, don't get hurt."
        He winked at her. "I'll pencil it in on my weekly planner. Now, you girls go get your coins. I'll wait here for you."
        "Girls, let's do as the man says. I think I hear noises around that corner."


       ;  Around the corner, they found the source of the noises; in the middle of a circular slope lay the smelting oven. There appeared to be red hot coals underneath it keeping it heated, as it was full of melted ore. Spectres circled the oven, pushing on metal rods that operated stirring mechanisms, like slaves put to work. Several demons extracted the gold metal from the ore and poured it into molds, with the help of more spectres, where it could be cooled and then polished into bright new coins, a coin for each soul.
        Nearby, a woman with black hair whipped at the spectres with a cat-o-nine-tails. "You're slacking off; go, go!" She had to be a senshi with the outfit she had on, a patterned navy and solid turquoise bathing suit with a sailor collar, back bow, and long gloves. The front of her uniform sported an oval-shaped turquoise jewel with blue-silver metal accents; these jewels also appeared on other parts of her fuku, including as holders for her four loose ponytails.
        Another senshi accompanied her, one wearing a pink and purple dress and white stockings; her fuku sported white pearly capsules, but much too large to swallow.
        "Those must be her Talismans," Sailorneon remarked quietly, gesturing toward the capsules. "Who are they?"
        "It's alright to ask me that," the black-haired senshi replied. "I am Sailorthanatos, and this is my sister."
        The dark blonde-haired senshi nodded her head at them. "Sailorhypnos."
        "We've met Charon before, and I know the rest of you by name. I know all there is to know about you, because I am the senshi of Fate," Thanatos explained.
        "And I am the senshi of sleeping and dreaming," Sailorhypnos informed them.
        "Ah... um, why were you whipping those spectres like that? Can't you just tell them to go faster?" Sailorhelium asked, a little annoyed. "Why is everyone down here so obsessed with causing pain?"
        Chuckling, Thanatos remarked, "Why is it that whenever we see people in pain, we instantly assume they don't deserve it, and must be rescued?" She motioned for the group to come closer. "Watch your step. You don't want to fall into the core under the smelting oven."
        The three girls carefully made their way down the slope and over to the spot where Thanatos and Hypnos stood, which was more level. "You guys should think about putting in a safety rail."
        Sailorthanatos chuckled again. "It's too much fun watching the demons trip and tumble into the core, their tentacles flailing all over..."
        Hypnos laughed at a mental image her sister had brought up by mentioning that. "Remember that time Schnookie fell in?"
        "Oh, yeah..." She snorted. "Anyway, we don't usually have tours through here, so we didn't really need safety rails until now." Thanatos cheerfully pointed out one of the spectres. "See him? He stole the retirement funds of seventeen couples through an embezzlement scheme. They wound up with nothing. This one stole millions of dollars from his own employees and then ran off, leaving them without wages they had already worked for. Just think of all the children who had to go hungry after those paychecks didn't arrive. And that one-"
        "I get the point," Sailorhelium broke in. "Okay, so maybe they do deserve this fate. I guess I shouldn't make assumptions."
        "You've got spectres who've committed money crimes in here, running the smelting oven... where money is made. I get it," Neon commented.
        "Yes... think of what torture it must be, to mint so much gold currency and not be able to possess any of it." Sailorthanatos grinned proudly, as if it was she who devised the punishment. "The perfect lesson for a greedy soul."
        "Speaking of gold currency..." Helium nudged Charon, whom she noticed had lost the white horns by now.
        "I already know why you're here. You want two freshly-minted coins for the souls of your last parents. I saw the fight you put up out there to get past Sailorhel; it's obvious you want this very much. All events are at my disposal to view, and I have weighed your determination. You will receive the coins you came for."
        Elated, Sailorcharon bounced on her feet. "Thank you! Everything is happening just as the book said."
        "Huh? Why do you need her permission to get the coins?" Helium asked. "There's buckets of them over there."
        "It's all a part of the ceremony, Heri. The Book of the Dead says I have to receive the coins with Fate's blessing."
        "Oh."
&n bsp;       "You were assuming again," Thanatos teased her, to which she got a raspberry in reply. "Now, before I give you these coins, you must truly realize their importance. There is only one obolus for each soul. When it is paid, that's the end of it. Therefore, you must make a sacrifice for each coin I have given out--you understand how rarely such a thing is done?"
        "I understand."
        Sailorthan atos continued, "One coin for your father." She took a new coin out of one of the buckets, a hot one that had not cooled completely. Helium and Neon gawked as the coin did not seem to cause her any pain, and cooled rapidly in her hand.
        "You know, there's a bucket of cool ones over there..."
        Ignoring her, Thanatos said, "For this coin, you must promise to risk giving up your own life to save another."
        "I promise." Sailorcharon gratefully took the coin.
        "A second coin, for your mother."
        "She's gonna do it again..." Neon mused, watching Thanatos reach into the bucket of hot coins.
        Thanatos had to smile. "For this coin, you must promise to let go of the dearest thing to your heart if it means the world will be saved."
        "I promise." Charon beamed to have both coins in her hand. Her face positively glowed.
        "Take them with my blessing." Thanatos folded Charon's fingers over the coins and squeezed her hand with both of her own. "I leave the rest to you."
        "Thank you." Sailorcharon happily hugged the others. "Let's get these home so I can continue with the ceremonial spells."
        "Um, how do we get out of here without further ass kickings?" Helium asked.
        Thanatos cut in, "Sailorhel will not bother you on the way out. You've already defeated her in combat, which to her means the battle is over. You will be allowed to pass without incident. And you can trust my word on that. I am Fate. I am the Decider of Outcomes."
        "And you aren't short on bravado, either," said Helium, her parting joke.
        The group trusted her word and headed back to the doors, where they could pick up E.
        "That Thanatos and Hypnos--are they always here? They don't seem like Underworld types."
        "Nah, they don't live here. They just visit sometimes."
        Everyone sat down by E to rest and take in all that had happened.
        "Um, you think maybe it'd be a good idea to visit your mom a little more often?" Sailorhelium asked with a smirk, knowing her words were the understatement of the year.
        Looking at the coins with gratitude, Charon kissed her on the cheek. "Yes, I do," she said, and added, "Both of them."


      & nbsp; A girl sat alone on a bench near the campus of Cherry Blossom College, paying no attention to how dark it was getting outside. Her face showed how sad and downtrodden she felt inside, how full of sorrow she was at the loss of her Shiro. Her poodle Winthrop stood by her feet in his usual regal, egotistical position.
        "Aware, shouldn't we go home now? The sun is going down," he told her with a sniff.
        Aware barely acknowledged him. In all her time as Sailorhydrogen, she had never felt such sorrow and such rage at the same time. Sailorcosmos... she was the one who changed everything and turned her life upsidedown. Shiro had a chance of survival until...
        Images of Shiro danced through her mind... his gentle, smiling face... You are my greatest treasure, he had always said to her. The way he cradled her chin in his hand as he kissed her, each time he told her how special she was... Then, images of his pale, motionless face as he lay on the ground... his heart... completely arrested. Never again beating for her, as he always said it did.
        Shiro, don't leave me.
        You are my greatest treasure.
        The only thing that kept Aware from crying again was someone calling her name. "Aware-chan!"
        Maneshi and Taka, her good friends from school, approached quickly. Aware tried to smile, though she wasn't sure why it was necessary to put up a front.
        "Aware, is what we heard true? Is Shiro-kun..."
        That's all it took; Aware burst into tears. After a couple of minutes of comforting from her friends, she said, "Yes, my Shiro died of heart failure. The circumstances were very unusual..." Her eyes suddenly clouded with anger. "I want to tell you everything. Absolutely everything." Aware took a deep breath. "Even my deepest secret."


       ;  "So, did you have fun with your friends from America?" Vivian asked from behind Nathan.
        He turned to see her, eyeing her sexy stockings which she wore as usual. He couldn't help but smile wickedly. "Oh, hello Vivian-san. Yes, I had a wonderful time. They do so love to cuddle, those two."
        That obviously bothered her; Vivian ground her teeth together. "How nice... My gentleman friend Siggy and I had a wonderful time too. He took me to an insanely expensive restaurant and then back to his place for... well, a girl should be modest in talking about some things," she giggled, with a bit of an edge. "He spoils me so." Try to out-jealous me, will ya?
        "Of course. A woman like you should be spoiled. I bet, though, that you would have had a much better time if you'd gone out with me," Nathan declared.
        "With you and your friends? I think that would get a bit crowded."
        "No, just me." Nathan leaned on the wall next to her, moving his face closer to hers. "I could make you totally forget this Siggy."
        "Oh? Well I'm not sure I could make you forget Muffy and Stephanie. I may not like to cuddle as much as they do," Vivian retorted. His cologne smells so good. If she hadn't been so intent on giving him a hard time, she would have gotten closer too.
        "They're mere children compared to you." They're only three years old. "You're a woman."
        "Uh huh. But you're a mere boy."
        Okay, that one shook his cocky demeanor. He frowned, then cleared his throat and tried to recover. "Are you sure? If you'd just give me the chance, I'd show you I'm not a kid. Go out with me Vivian. You're so beautiful, like an angel, but with a devil's eyes."
        Vivian looked at him sharply with some alarm at that comment; did he know something? An angel with a devil's eyes... but how could he know? Vivian shook off her paranoia. "I'm not sure if I should be flattered by a comment like that. Are you saying my eyes are shifty?"
        "No... they just show that there are many layers to you, and some of them are dark and intriguing," Nathan replied.
        "Dark?" Vivian's eyes searched him for suspicious body language, something that would tell her what he knew. Does he know I'm working for the Dark senshi? Does he know I'm a senshi? And for that matter, does he know about senshi at all? Well, there had been the spectacle on the news the other day...
        "Yeah, like, unknown. Mysterious. Deep."
        "Ah. I guess that's flattering." Vivian decided that it was better to be a bit cold right now, not only until she knew more about what Nathan knew, but also to punish him for trying so hard to make her jealous. "Let me think about it. Maybe you'll get a little older in the meantime."
        Nathan took his turn to grit his teeth. You know you're attracted to me. Stop playing--I openly showed you how I felt. "Vivian?"
        She had started to walk away, but now turned back. "Hm?"
        Nathan held up a teardrop-shaped greenish crystal on the end of a short crystaline rod. He waved it back and forth like a pendulum. "You are feeling sleepy, Vivian, very sleepy. As you watch the Ganymede Tear, you fall more under my command. Your eyelids feel so heavy..."
        Instantly Vivian was mesmerized by the crystal, hypnotized, her eyes slowly closing. Her head lolled against her chest.
        Nathan looked around to make sure they were still alone in the hallway of the dorm. "You are under my command. Vivian, I am going to give you a post-hypnotic suggestion. Whenever you hear the word 'MING,' you will be overcome with desire for Nathan.* You will feel like you have to find me wherever I am, just to touch me. You'll want nothing more than to just be near me because you are attracted to me and you know it." Nathan stopped to regain his focus; he was hypnotizing her, not fighting with her. "The only thing that can snap you out of this overcoming fit of desire will be the mention of your name, Vivian. Do you understand all I have told you?"
        "Yes," Vivian replied quietly.
        "If I so choose to remove this post-hypnotic suggestion, I will do it by saying the phrase, 'I release you from the curse of Ming.' Then you would no longer respond to that word with the reaction I have detailed. Until that time, this suggestion will remain in your subconscious. When I snap my fingers, you will awaken with no memory of what just happened here, after I called you back. Do you understand?" Nathan asked.
        "Yes."
  ;       Nathan then snapped his fingers before her face. Vivian's head popped up and she looked around, confused. "Did you say something?"
        "I said don't you want to take my number, incase you'd like to call me?"
        "Oh... sure, yeah." Vivian took down his number, still feeling odd for some reason. "See ya kid."
        "Bye." Nathan, smiling mischievously, watched her walk off. This was going to be fun; he'd get a little petty thrill out of watching that one go to work. On his way back to the room, he started making up a song to entertain himself.
        "I'm dreaming of Vivian with the nice blue hair, such a beauty I rarely see looming over me, with a face so fair. She's got a bod that is booming and legs up to there, oh how I'm dreaming and scheming and beaming over Vivian, the girl with the nice blue hair..."

"When there is a murder, we often think of the victims and their families, and the suffering they must endure."
"I want more Talismans."
"But have you ever stopped to think that a murderer has a family too?"
"Bring me more prized Talismans for my machine!"
"They suffer as well, often under the judging eyes of every person in the world. Sometimes, the tragedy destroys them more than anyone will ever know."
"The Dream Eater must be completed!"
"Sometimes, all the world can do is run for cover."
Sailormoon Dark Episode 24: Poisonous Sister. The Final Galileon. The moonlight carries the message of love.

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* The trigger (MING) for the hypnotic suggestion that Nathan used on Vivian is the same as it was in one of my favorite shows, "Big Kids." The result of the trigger was different in the show though, but I have borrowed it because I thought it was really clever. Just incase you're curious, in the tv show, the trigger made the kids' parents act like children, and there was no word that would make them snap out of it; they just had to wait for it to wear off.


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