Last Revised: Never

    Aurora looked in the jewellery box that held the opal stone. She had been putting off going to find the others, probably because of everything that's been happening. So now she had some time to herself, she should go out and try to find another stone. Aurora quickly transformed before heading out the window.

* * *

    The ruins loomed up ahead like something out of a horror movie. Sailor Ruby looked at her locket and wondered if it was broken. It was glowing, which usually meant that one of the stones were nearby but she had never come across one in a structure before. She wondered what obstacles she would face in there? She headed in to the ruins knowing full well that she would probably run into some weird thing.

    "Well... someone has entered the ruins of what use to be the Dream Castle. Now let's see what is your worst fear!" A voice laughed. "Ah yes, the fear of being alone forever mixed in with your laughable fear of clowns. See if you can make it to the room of the Emerald." 

    Ruby groaned, looked around and then started walking down the hall to her right. She was alert ready for something to attack her. "Well, well, well. Look who thinks she could pass for a Sailor Scout! How laughable." A voice that was all too familiar said.

    "Mark." Ruby's heart stopped as she saw him leaning against the wall. "What are you doing here?"

    "Watching a little girl pretend to be a woman. To think I was almost convinced that I loved you. Now I see the real you. Hope you're happy alone." With that he turned and walked away.

    "It will not work!!" Ruby screamed, trying not to cry. "You won't make me give up."

    "But you will." Ruby's mother said, causing her to spin around to face her. "I gave birth to you just to find out I'm not really your mom. You are constantly reborn and have these.... weird powers. You are not my daughter. You have lost the love of everyone who used to love you. Be happy dying alone." She turned and began walking away.

    "I will not give up." Ruby said mustering her strength. "I have come too far to give up now. If it means dying alone, then I will. I have wrongs to right and a world to heal. A world that once was home to people and things of beauty. I will not give up. Not now." For some reason, the speech seemed to calm the fear that was starting to build inside her. She moved forward in search of the stone.

    Turning a corner Ruby saw the most horrifying sight. He was seven feet tall and the ugliest clown she had ever seen! She took several steps backwards and just barely contained the scream that was threatening to escape her throat. "Okay, I hate clowns!!! This is no time to panic Aurora. Just do your most powerful long-range attack and run for the room. Simple. All right.... .So why am I not doing it?"

    "Want a balloon animal little girl?" The clown asked in a cheerful voice. "Have one anyway!" He threw one at her, which exploded when it came in contact with the ground next to her, sending Ruby flying in the air.

    "Ow, that hurt!" She said taking in several cuts she was bleeding from. "No wonder I hate clowns. Ruby Stones Cut!" Thousand of ruby shards went flying at him cutting him.

    "That wasn't vary nice little girl. Now I'm going to have to punish you." He said forming yet more balloons and throwing them at her.

    "Great. Now that I could use help, no one is here." She said, dodging several of them. The last one caught her in the stomach and threw her against the wall. She was in severe pain bleeding from lots of little cuts; she was scared of the thing she was fighting and completely alone. "Okay, that is it. No more Miss Nice Girl. RUBY AXE DESTROY!!" She shouted, sending her battle-axe straight for his head. There was no way he could dodge and Ruby smiled as the clown turned to dust and disappeared.

    She limped down the hall toward the room she needed. She was in pain and it would probably be two or more hours before she had the strength to heal her self. Yet she would have the Emerald Stone to show for it and maybe a couple days off to rest.

    Ruby entered the room ready to demand that the guardian give her the stone. But what she saw stopped her in her tracks. The guardian was there sitting at a table having tea with... "Mikata!" She exclaimed.

    "Oh, hello Aurora! How nice of you to join us. We were just having tea and discussing something about your latest trials." Mikata smiled at the bruised and bloody girl. 

    "Would you like to join us?" The Emerald Guardian said cheerfully, gesturing at the third setting at the table. "We have fresh cakes!"

    "I.. just fought a seven foot clown to get here and get the Emerald Stone and you're having tea?" Ruby was just trying stay sane at this point.

    "Why, yes." Mikata sipped his tea as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him to be doing. "Oh, and I'm the new guardian of the Emerald Stone." He paused and looked at her with concern, since Ruby had been staring at him for an awfully long time without saying anything. "Are you ok, Aurora? Aurora?" 

    Ruby started blinking, slowly, hoping that the vision before her eyes would reform into something that her mind would accept. "You're the new guardian of the Emerald Stone."

    "Yes." Mikata said.

   "And while I was fighting my way in here to get the stone, you were having tea?"

    "Yes." Mikata repeated.

    "With the Guardian?" 

    "Yes." Mikata answered yet again. Ruby fainted.