[ meijinhada ]

Evangelion

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:34:06 GMT

Is it me, or it is slightly hilarious seeing the dynamic between Shinji and Misato in respect to their seiyuu?

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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:51:30 GMT

So, I've gone back to school. Not that it means I'm not writing -- I had to write about four major papers, plus many little book reports -- but that's partially why I'm quiet.

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flowers for negaduck.

Sun, 16 May 2010 04:25:58 GMT

Spring had finally arrived, and he hated every single second of it.

The other four had run off after hearing his insane cackling and the sound of chainsaws, and the last he’d seen of them was an electrical arc sparking over downtown. Momentarily, he lost electricity; however, a few minutes later they came right back up again, almost exactly to the second he expected. “Idiots can’t do anything right,” he groused as he sharpened his insanely large knife. It was his new toy, though somewhat useless unless he got up close and personal; he had carved a giant slug into the handle, crossed out with an X. Admittedly, it was a pretty bad drawing, but it was the spirit of the idea that mattered.

Late afternoon, the four pitiful morons he called a crew came shambling back, looking as if they’d been in the oven too long. Except for Liquidator; he looked the same, just a little more annoyed. Maybe a little thinner. When they saw him peering out through the crack of the door, glaring at them for disturbing his peace, they all but ran into the other room. He took the opportunity to barricade it shut, cackling some more for good measure. “I’ll let you out when I feel like it!” he shouted at them as they banged on the wood, dusting his hands off.

Outside was ridiculously bright and green. He glared out the window as if everything had personally offended him, and picked an axe to grind. After a while, he couldn’t hear the other four continuing to pound on the door, which meant they’d either gotten smarter – after all, Liquidator could just slide under the blasted thing – or they were commiserating about how horrible he was. What a joke; of course he was horrible. He wouldn’t be Negaduck if he weren’t a bad sort.

That didn’t mean he was without a strange sort of honour. After all, he could, if he wanted, walk right out of his hideout, up to Avian Way—he even knew a shortcut—and knock on the door. He could kill his namby pamby counterpart and his stupid sidekick before they even blinked, and it never seemed to occur to the idiot that he knew. Of course he knew. Darkwing Dumb-Dumb had been to the Negaverse and had seen the exact parallel; they even lived in the same house and used the bridge as a base of operations. They had the same neighbor. Negaduck even had similar pictures of himself and Gosalyn on the walls, though he wouldn’t admit it under threat of death.

Gosalyn loved spring. His Gosalyn, at least; he had seen the half-mad tomboy that ran wild under Darkwing’s care, getting herself into trouble left and right. He couldn’t imagine the girl who dressed up as a superhero herself stopping to pick wildflowers like his daughter loved to do. She would bring home bouquets of them to “brighten up the house,” stinking up the place with the scent of green living things. The Muddlefoots laughed at her whenever she came outside to toss them in the garbage after they died, sometimes tossing her in with them. He’d come home to find her climbing out of the can, brushing herself off, and acting as if nothing had happened, still smiling despite bits of dead leaf in her pigtails. Granted, he toyed with her as well, but she knew he would never honestly hurt her. Her trust in him despite his fury was absolute.

His axe was ground to a nub. Grunting, he tossed it aside.

“I’m leaving you little worthless babies in there until you figure out how to get yourselves out! Maybe by the time I get back you’ll have eaten each other.” All he heard was some weak pounding in response, and he began to whistle as he sauntered out into the hazy day, clanking as he walked. It was amazing how much ammo and weaponry one can hide under a cape on a warm day.

Spring had finally arrived, and he loved every second of it.

The Four Little Lost Bunnies had come to town for a commercial, and he had merrily rampaged across the set, setting fire to the backgrounds and destroying everything his chainsaw could chew through. His only regret was that he wouldn’t be eating rabbit stew, the little menaces getting away, but one can’t have everything.

Dr. Slug’s Sluggees tried to corner him in an alley, realizing too late how stupid that idea was when he hit them with a HyperSoaker full of salt water. “Number 2, huh?! Ahahahahaha! Eat salty death!”

No mail box went unbroken as he sped down the street on a stolen bicycle—some times, the simplest plans were the best—swinging his spiked bat like a demented ball player. When someone ran out to chase him with a bat of their own, he pulled out his rocket launcher. The sudden reverse and outright world record set as the poor soul tried to outrun the rocket was classic, and he even managed to take out a cluster of cars. “Ah, my baby; where would I be without you?” he crooned, hugging his toy.

It really had shaped up to be a perfect day.

Until a net fell on his head, dragging his hat down over his head, and tripping him flat.

“Having fun causing chaos, Negaslime? Don’t bother getting up; Quiverwing Quack has her arrow on you!”

“That…is a terrible threat.” He managed to untangle his arms enough to push his hat up, glaring at the diminutive chick. Who did, in fact, have an arrow aimed at him. A rather sharp one. Clearly, Darkwing had managed to drill the notion of playing with sharp objects into her brain easier than he had with his Gosalyn.

Luckily, he always carried sharp objects, and Quiverwing yelped as he withdrew one of his knives, cutting himself free in one swift motion. “Stay where you are!” she shouted, re-adjusting her aim.

“Ah, don’t worry, kid; you’re not worth it. Now, if you can drag that worthless crimefighter Darkwing out here, maybe I’ll consider getting my hands dirty.” He buffed the knife clean on his sleeve and tucked it back into his cape as she continued to aim at him, though her arm was beginning to shake. Rolling his eyes, he touched the tip of the arrow, pushing it down. “Beat it, kid.”

“Excuse me!?” A snarl of pure rage accompanied her renewed aim. “I’m a superhero just as much as da—I mean, Darkwing Duck! I have my own legion of fans, you know! I can fight crime better than him!”

Negaduck snorted, folding his arms. “Well, get on with it then. Shoot me. I don’t have all day.”

Her bow drooped again, though she continued to glare at him. “I can’t just shoot you, you have to fight back at least!”

“Why? I’m Negaduck. I’m eeeeevil, right?”

“Well, yeah, duh.”

They stared at one another for a silent minute; somewhere, he could hear crickets chirping, a sound foreign in his universe. A world of chaos and destruction was simply too loud to hear such a simple noise. How strange that it didn’t bother him.

He could see a dandelion beneath Quiverwing’s boot, crushed in her advance towards him. His Gosalyn would have been devastated; this Gosalyn hadn’t even noticed. For some reason, he felt obligated to point it out, and he did so: “You stepped on a dandelion.”

“What?” Her bow dropped completely, and she stupidly looked down at her foot. When she saw the flower, she blinked up at him. “So? It’s just a stupid dandelion.”

“Yeah. Stupid. My Gosalyn loves them more than puppies. She’d be crying her eyes out if she were here, trying to fluff it back up.” He could hear her sudden sharp intake of breath, and he smirked at her. “Oh come on. I know my goody two-shoes counterpart is dumb, but is he really that dense?”

Quiverwing’s hands were twisting around the handle of her bow, wood beginning to creak. “N-No. He said he had closed off the way to your world, but…I guess I never thought about it. Not really. I don’t think Dad has either.” She looked down, staring at the mangled flower. “You can’t go home, can you?”

When he had managed to find an exit out of the dimensional vortex, he had been dismayed to realize he was back in Darkwing’s world. He had adjusted quickly, but everything was still off-kilter to him, and the pleasure he gained in wrecking havoc was tempered by the realization he might never get back home. Gosalyn’s question almost hurt as it reminded him of the truth again.

“Though about asking Morgana if she could whip up a spell. It might be a little difficult, since she hates my guts.” He thought of the Morgana in the Negaverse, a sweet, pathetically innocent white witch; she worked in vain as a librarian at the St. Canard public library despite constant vandalism. Against his better nature he had flirted with her more than once, and when he saw Darkwing with her criminal sorceress counterpart all but draped over his arm, he had almost laughed. It seemed everything had a parallel; where he had no love life, Darkwing was a Casanova.

“You…am I all alone, then? Again?”

Quiverwing sounded almost pathetically close to tears as she asked, sheathing her arrow and slinging her bow onto her back. He could hear the hollow echo in her voice that she had the night he rescued her, cheerfully smiling despite her loneliness. Negaduck snorted, waving flippantly at her as if it were nothing important.

“Nah, the Friendly Four morons are taking care of her, from what Darkwing told me. Or the Darkwing’s Ducks, or whatever stupid name he gave them. Whatever. She’s in good hands. Probably better fathers than I was.” That hurt. Telling Quiverwing that was akin to suicide; he wasn’t supposed to feel anything but rage and lunacy. He couldn’t have her know he was soft.

He almost fell over when she hugged him.

He nearly died when she kissed him on the cheek.

“You were a great dad, dad.” She took his hand, setting the crumpled dandelion in his palm. “I’m sorry I crushed it.”

“I…what? Huh?” he babbled, not knowing what else to say. Rage and lunacy was no good for situations like this. Well. Lunacy was arguably a fall back, but not with Gosalyn.

He held the flower and continued to stare at it as she ran off, more than likely heading home to her father. Would she tell him the truth, yelling at him for being so dense? Oddly, he had the feeling she wouldn’t say anything; if he knew himself—and he did—it would do nothing but throw his counterpart into the reverse, anger instead of shame. He’d be banging down his door, trying to pick a fight with the evil bastard who lied to his little girl.

It stung to admit that he and Darkwing were not always as opposite as they wanted to believe, though he was still convinced he was the smarter one: good was always dumb. After all, Darkwing had not disposed of his old name as easily as he had; there was not two Drake Mallards in the phone book. He had made sure “Negaduck” took up half the page, and had threatened the clerk to make sure. “Darkwing,” by contrast, only took up two rather pitiful lines.

The dandelion left a smear of yellow on his finger as he puffed it up. Maybe he’d put it in some water when he got back to the hideout. Maybe he wouldn’t.

Days later as he revved up his chainsaw and headed after the retreating flash of purple, he had it tucked into his hat; if nothing else, it served as a distraction to throw Darkwing off his game. And that was always fun, no matter what the season.

fin.

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Act 36 redux

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:53:56 GMT

Well, now I'm halfway through the act. This was accomplished by doing something entirely different, which means I'll have an ass of a time doing 37. So far, however, it's been fun doing something different for this arc, even if it's not real.

In other news, I've posted my fics up at AO3, though I know (Fandom Wank is such a fun repository of news, in its own way) there's been some debate over the place. Me, I'm just glad to have another place to post, even if getting A Different Story up is going to be fun. (Each chapter is just a bit too big for the text editor to handle, and I hate, absolutely hate, cutting up chapters/acts to fit in multiple files. I may have to, though. Grrrrr.) So, if my website goes down (and it likely will, as I still haven't had luck in finding a job) around the 18th of February, you can find me here as well.

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Act 36

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:37:29 GMT

     I've barely started SuperS, and I've been writing PS at a varied pace since 1999.   I'm....kind of disgusted, actually.   This should not be such a pain in the ass.
     The Dark Kingdom arc is fine, if a little boring, because all it does is introduce the setting, the characters, and how they came to be. I had fun fucking with them, but too much deviation would have been bad.   The Black Moon arc was fun, because I could deviate a lot more; the Death Busters arc is bar none my favourite, and I think it shows.   Plus, my writing had gotten better.   Though I'm 90% writing for myself and my growing skills, it doesn't mean I don't try to take pride in it.
     But the Dead Moon Circus arc....kill me now. Hate it. Hate hate hate.   And though it has potential storyline fun, getting myself interested has been a slow-ass process. I've started and re-started Act 36 about four times now.
    Yeah, that's all I have to say.

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on a cold day, she can see the future.

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:59:05 GMT

The nights had grown colder, and she was loathe to let herself think about it.

She simply put on more clothes, bundled up in her well-worn coat, and walked to work with the rest of Tokyo’s throbbing humanity. Everyone was abuzz with theories; she simply pulled her hat further over her ears. In the office, she simply smiled and changed the topic, still possessing such a bubbly, trustworthy demeanor that no one questioned her staunch refusal to talk about it.
Of course she knew why. You could not entirely change the future. Oh, the movies would tell you it was possible, that nothing was destined. She knew, all too bitterly, about how destiny could bite you on the ass, and take away your dreams.

As the snow began to fall in July, , she wondered if it would hurt to sleep for a thousand years.

Soon, the entire world was caught up in the hysteria as the climate continued to get colder. All she could do was smile bitterly as the familiar rainbow of colours that had danced at the edges of her vision were conspicuously absent. No one stepped forward with any true solutions, too busy themselves screaming at each other and hurling accusations. Schools and businesses began to close, especially in the warmer climates, as inadequately prepared countries began to panic. Nothing was normal anymore.

The faces she expected to see did not appear as the ice began to thicken. Instead, the voices on the television became increasingly shrill as solutions failed, and people began to die. Her parents all but ordered her to move back in, and she did so with a sense of foreboding, leaving most of her adult life behind. Everything she knew she would need fit into a suitcase; it took her almost triple the time to struggle through the snow to her new, old, home.

Her footprints in the snow were solitary and tiny, and at one point she stopped to look behind her, marveling at the change in her city. Everything looked fresh and clean under such a thick blanket of white, but she had never seen it so empty of people; always there was hustle and bustle, life bursting at the seams. Now it was a frozen ghost town.

Two blocks away, she finally ran into someone else, and as they struggled to greet each other through layers of cloth and ice, it was with a rather rueful smile that she recognized her: Naru. Rather plumper than when they had last met, years ago in the street, she looked to be carrying enough supplies on her back and in her arms for a small army. Distantly, she recalled Naru telling her politely about her newly-born son.

“Konban wa, Umino-san. Where is your husband and son? “

“They’re with my mother. We had to move back in….it’s so terrible, this cold. It won’t go away, will it?” Naru bowed her head, shoulders slumping under her burden. “And no one has stepped forward to stop it, have they?” she whispered, so quiet it was nearly lost on the wind.

“No one knows what happened to cause this. Maybe it truly will never go away.” Naru lifted her head and stared at her with bright, feverish eyes, barely visible from above her scarf. Likely, the woman was sick; so many people were being stricken with the chill.

With a sigh, she dropped her bundles into the snow, watching them sink; it was up to their knees now, still falling gently as they stood there. Naru tilted her face up to the perpetually grey sky and sighed, long and hard. Still staring into the clouds, she said, “She isn’t coming to save the world, is she? Usagi-chan has forgotten us. Or maybe this was meant to be.”

“What? Umino-san, I haven’t spoken to Usagi-chan in years—“

“You know.” Naru suddenly grabbed her by the arms, though her thick mittens couldn’t get a proper grip. “You know. You were one of them! Tell me, is this what was supposed to happen? Isn’t Usagi-chan supposed to save us again?”

“Umino-san, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” She twisted away, falling down in the snow. Cold, so cold; she wanted to cry with the sudden terror that gripped her heart. Naru had known all along, and they were all going to die, weren’t they?

Naru was trembling as she picked up her bundles, staggering again under their weight. “You don’t care anymore. Wouldn’t you do anything, if you could save this world? You’ve seen her power! Why isn’t she here for us now?”

The snow continued to fall as she sat there, unwilling to stand up. Naru stomped away, her teeth audibly chattering, slowly disappearing as the rest of the city had, silence in her wake.

There was no power in the city. Most of the world was failing, power grids falling under the thick coats of ice and winter storms. Her parents were taking longer to wake up, and she wondered if it weren’t a mercy. She wished she could simply sleep and not awaken again.

One day, she came down the stairs to find them in her living room.

She couldn’t move. They were staring at her with wary faces, battle-worn and older. Uranus and Neptune were casually holding hands as they stood on either side of their princess. Mars had a short bob of hair, defiantly showing the scar across her neck, much the same way Jupiter’s short cut showed off her eyebrow. Mercury had grown hers long and braided it back. Pluto and Saturn were nowhere to be seen, possibly dead, but she doubted it. Eternal Sailor Moon was tired, circles under her eyes, and holding onto Tuxedo Kamen like a lifeline. Neither of the cats was with them, which oddly hurt, though she couldn’t imagine what Artemis would say to her. She had betrayed him, after all.

Her eyes drifted over the gathering, searching for a familiar flash of golden orange, creasing when she didn’t see it. She stared at Eternal Sailor Moon, questioning. The odango-haired blonde smiled at her, releasing her prince to step forward and enfold her in a hug. “Mina-P,” she sighed, squeezing her tight. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“Usagi-chan,” she mumbled, hugging her back. “What are you doing here? The world is freezing! Aren’t you supposed to save everyone?”

Eternal Sailor Moon released her, taking her hand. “I’ve been trying, Mina-P. But we’re missing something. All of us, together…we’re all needed.” She held something in her other hand, a familiar flash of gold.

“No….NO! I refuse! I left that behind me!” She yanked her hand away, cradling it protectively against her chest as Eternal Sailor Moon stared calmly. “I don’t want to be that person. Why isn’t my replacement with you? Did she refuse as well?” She laughed desperately. “It’s too much power and beauty. Perhaps she did.”

Mercury’s voice was clipped and cold, a far cry from the shy genius of years ago. “Selfish Minako. She did not give up the power; the power left her. It would not hold. We’ve tried to put the world into sleep, as we were meant to, but the power of Venus would not co-operate.”

“It’s you, Minako-chan. You were always meant to be Venus. Until the day you die, that was your fate. As it is with us.” Mars, in a strange contrast, sounded much sweeter and understanding than the often snappish and haughty Rei that she remembered. Even her eyes were kind.

She shook her head, withdrawing further. “But I gave it up! I gave you my pen. I cut that part of myself off and left it to wither. Why can’t it pass on?”

Uranus and Jupiter were giving her identical looks of annoyance, so much so that she almost started laughing despite her anguish. Obviously the blonde had been giving the brunette some lessons in being a proper soldier: all attitude, no finesse. Her impending giggling must have been obvious as Uranus snapped at her, saying, “You’ve gotten weak and soft, Minako. The soldier of Venus was never at such a loss! You were the leader of the sailor soldiers, and now look at you: pathetic. You’ve become a disgrace. Have you done nothing but grow lazy and fat since you turned your back on the mission?”

“Happily. I worked with children and watch them smile. I would come home and eat on the couch. I had no fear for my life, no concern that one day I would never come home alive, no worry that the next menace would mean impending doom! I was normal, ignorant, and happy!” she screamed, looking ridiculous in her overcoat, floppy hat, and loose scarf as she stomped around the foyer, glaring daggers at the scantily-clad soldiers. Likely they thought her insane. She wasn’t sure if they were wrong.

“Those same children may be dead now,” Jupiter said flatly, her voice an oddly musical rasp. “You said you wanted to be normal, like everyone else. But is it truly worth it, when you know you can make a difference?”

Naru’s words. She looked out the window at the never ending vista of snow and ice, wondering how many of her patients still lived, looking out at the same world as she did. Not enough by far, she knew; so many of the earliest victims were children.

She could feel the tug of the power behind her, the vicious cycle of joy and heartache she had willingly walked away from. Could she take it again? Oh yes, in a heartbeat; it was a drug she had craved for years and refused to acknowledge. But it would be her life. She would no longer be Aino Minako, chubby pediatrician, but Sailor Venus, one of the sailor soldiers fated to protect the beautiful queen. And this time, there would be no turning back.

Everything was destined, if several years late.

Silently she removed her mitten and held out her hand, almost crying at the feel of the pen as it was placed into her palm. She held it up, though she still did not look directly at it, allowing her fingers to trace the sigil slowly, knowing the curve and angle against her skin. Eternal Sailor Moon was smiling at her as she whispered, “Venus Crystal Power. Make Up!”

It was time flowing in reverse. The years of sedentary melted away, hardening into muscle; skin beaten by the wind and sun softened and glowed. She felt her hair untangle and thicken, taking on a golden sheen she hadn’t seen in years, a frisson of magic dancing through the strands to tie into the red bow she had forsaken along with her pen. It was so beautiful she wanted to cry, and she felt a tear roll down her cheek as she stood straight and tall in her heels, balancing perfectly.

This was her, for the rest of her life. Until she fell in battle she would be the soldier of Venus, the golden goddess who would lead the team to war. She arched her arms, stretched like a cat, and bowed to her princess. “Serenity. Please pardon the abandonment of my post. I await your command.”

There was no time to mourn the bland life she was leaving behind. There was too much to do, and the world was beautiful and bright to her eyes again; her imagination had not failed her at all.

Fin.

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A Different Story Chapter 02 : ...In Search of the Stones – Sailorvenus

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:13:12 GMT

A longtime partnership meant words were not necessary as the long-haired blonde and her two companions trod across the rocky ground. It didn’t mean, however, that she’d keep quiet. “I’m still angry, Artemis.”

“I know you are. But that doesn’t change our mission.”

“I can’t believe you’re holding a grudge still, personally. Not that I can’t hold a damned good grudge when the mood strikes me, myself, but this is something you’re still pissy about from a lifetime ago. Besides, give the guy some credit; death seemed to give him a good perspective on his fuck-up.” The tall red-head made no real noise as she walked alongside them, entirely invisible to both their eyes. Venus glanced her way, and snorted haughtily.

“It doesn’t change what’s happened! As if acting in such a manner now fixes the problems of the past; he willingly betrayed his prince, which is unforgivable. That Mamoru-san would accept the apology without hesitation….! Iie, I hope not.” Focusing twilight forward, she didn’t notice Artemis rolling his eyes in disbelief, and of course, couldn’t see whatever expression Alex wore in similar feeling. Which she mostly likely had; the long-haired blonde knew she was mostly lying, but damned if she’d admit it. Old wounds lingered painfully, and this one most of all. Even now, the very thought caused her heart to twinge.

The Kage stone had deposited them within what looked to be a rocky, sparse canyon, traversable in only one direction. With the sun not quite directly overhead, Artemis had speculated that they were walking mostly west, as the canyon made several lazy corners and one or two sharp turns. The scenery was plain to say the least. Turkey seemed to be a rather boring place already, and if the rest of the region was the same, Venus could well understand how Kunzite could have been from the area.

Finally, they reached one last sharp turn, and stopped dead.

The canyon had opened up into one larger, with no exit. A pair of time worn pillars were positioned across from them, flanking an altar of similar age, holding a round blue stone the size of Venus’s fist. It glowed in time with the Kage stone in her hand, and as she held it up, she laughed. “Kunzite’s Hi stone! Already we’ve found it!”

Moving quickly, they came up to the altar to take the stone. As Venus lifted it up, the ground shook; all three of them, used to the mild tremors of Tokyo, braced themselves instinctively. “An earthquake, at such a time? Venus, Alex, I don’t like this,” Artemis remarked, glancing around uneasily.

“It may just be a normal occurrence around here. But why wait around and find out?” Alex replied.

Venus scoffed, touching the stones together; they flashed brilliantly before molding into one blue stone, square cut and twinkling beautifully. She tucked it into her bodice, hesitating only for a second at the strangely assuring warmth it gave her. “Hai, let’s go quickly. Baka Artemis, it’s probably just a mild little tremor. It’s nothing at all, compared to this past spring.”

Indeed, the tremor was already finished. Smiling, the long-haired blonde led them back to the smaller canyon path, relieved that the mission wasn’t going to take very long at all, that they could be back in no time.

As they nearly reached the path, Venus cocked her head as she caught sight of what looked like a wooden box half-hidden by several fallen rocks. “Ne, ne, Artemis, sensei! Look over there. I wonder what’s in that box?” She pointed for their benefit, even as wandered towards it. “Maybe something valuable and pretty I can keep as a souvenir? After all, V-chan always has a souvenir for her travels!”

“And what happened to those? Your little Greek Parthenon model was never taken out of the box, and the market jewelry you’ve worn once. And all of your Chinese fans and dresses you wasted your allowance on are sitting in the back of your closet!” The white feline snorted as she completely ignored him and picked up the box, rolling his eyes skyward. “I live with this, you realize.”

“At least she isn’t threatening to replace you anymore.”

“Replacement? Sounds more like ‘retirement’ to my ears.” He shook his head as he watched his charge fiddle with the small box, trying to pry open the lock. An ear twitched nervously as she began to bang it on a nearby boulder instead, muttering under her breath. “Would I be placed in a secure environment?”

The sound of the box breaking was surprisingly muted, though Venus’s cry of exclamation was, of course, not. Gloved fingers were gentle as they lifted a golden band from the wreckage, a brilliant topaz inset catching the light beautifully. Several smaller lapis stones accented the wrist, surrounded by stylized etching. “It’s beautiful,” she sighed, rolling off her glove to try it on.

It had no clasp, but it still fit perfectly. She rolled her wrist, cooing at the piece of jewelry as it sparkled in the sun, as Artemis and Alex sighed in unison. “You know, we’d like to get home at some point,” Alex suggested as the long-haired blonde struck another pose.

Artemis nodded vigorously. “Hai, hai, home, and out of this dry, nasty heat. Fur and double degree temperatures don’t mix.”

“Fine, fine! Worryhogs.”

“Warts, Venus. Worry ‘warts.’”

She just waved it off with a foppish gesture, pulling her glove back on over her new accoutrement. Smoothing the fabric over her wrist, she frowned slightly as she felt a frisson of power roll through her fingers, and she paused in her walk. What in the world had she put on? A bit apprehensive now, she hurried forward to meet the other two, saying, “Artemis, I think this bracelet has some kind of power—“

The second tremor knocked them off their feet. As they fell, the ground opened up beneath them, a yawning rip into darkness they couldn’t even estimate; screaming, shouting, and howling, they dropped down, and down, and down.

….Chapter 2 : In Search of the Stones – Sailor Venus

“Ittaaii….”

“Auugh….I feel like I was run over by an onslaught….in Technicolour…”

“Ooo….where are…where are we…?”

The ground beneath them felt rather unusual, but was unarguably hard enough to have killed them if the tall red-head hadn’t managed to slow them in time. Opening an eye slowly, Venus rolled onto her side to get a good look at it, only to blink open both in surprise. Brick? Man-made paving? “Artemis, sensei….we’ve landed on a street or something! Or maybe a house!”

“Don’t be silly, Venus, we fell underneath a canyon, we couldn’t possibly have landed on….perfectly set paving stones?” The white feline, rolling over as well, tapped his claw against the stone. Some of it was covered over with faint green growth, as nature was wont to do over time, but there was no disputing the fact that they had landed somewhere that had been man-made. “Alex, are you seeing this?”

A moan was the only response. Then: “The psionic in question is currently nursing a killer headache due to saving three mammals from freefall. Leave a message at the curse word.” She then cursed eloquently, and, from the sound, rolled over.

Venus stood up, a bit wobbly on her feet, and stared out at what had to be a mirage: a town of clay and brick houses, in obvious use, lit by a source she couldn’t identify; it seemed to be a constant low-level illumination coming from the ceiling and upper walls. It was also quite warm for an underground cavern. “Sugoi,” she whispered, rubbing her hip. On her wrist, the bracelet felt almost painfully hot; Kunzite’s stone was burning her breast. “It’s an underground world. Kunzite’s home…?”

Out of the thicket of houses ran a young man, concern clear on his face. Artemis braced himself for a scene as Venus tensed, twilight narrowing; if the town was what she thought it may be, she had no easy trust for anyone living in it, not when the traitor himself may have once grown up in one of the houses. Even if the man looked genuinely innocent. “By the gods, are you all right? You fell from such a height! No one would survive that.”

She continued to stare at him as he trailed off, staring hard at her face. His eyes moved up to her hair, then down again, over her body in such a direct, honest manner that even she couldn’t find a reason to be offended. In turn, she studied him, though there wasn’t much; young, dark-haired and eyed, his skin a medium tan like another’s colouring (and she was not going there, she was going to turn back from that precipice, by the kami), his clothes hand-made and simple in design. She twitched an eyebrow at the realization that she understood his language; she’d forgotten that aspect of their powers.

But her woolgathering came to an abrupt end as he exclaimed, “You’re so beautiful! A young, lovely, beautiful girl has fallen into my path – please, please accept me as a partner for your affections! Surely you must be a goddess to be so perfectly beautiful!”

“N-nani?! I’ve only just gotten here! And what are you saying!” She took a step back, unsure of what to do as he advanced. “You’ve got me confused with someone else, obviously, I’m completely ordinary!”

“Not at all!” another cried out, and she whipped her head around to see another man coming towards her, this one slightly older. “Don’t listen to him, he’s too young! Be my lover instead!”

“Not him! Chose me! I’ll shower you with gifts, I’ll make you the happiest woman!”

“Forget his empty promises! I can do better!”

“C-chotto! I didn’t fall down that hole for this! I don’t even know who you are!” she protested, turning around to see a third man coming at her, with the same adoring smile on his face. “Artemis! Sensei! Tasukete!”

A ghostly hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward, around the first man. “Smooth one, Alice. Next time we go anywhere, I’m taking the lead!” Alex snapped as they ran, Artemis hot at their heels. Behind them was a miniature mob, almost as fast; several more men had joined in the chase. “I know blondes get more attention, but this is ridiculous!”

“Keep running!” Artemis panted as they skidded around a house.

“What do you think we’re doing!?” Venus cried, risking a look back; every single one was giving her the kind of stare she’d only seen in romance movies, of which she’d hoped for from a guy she was actually interested in. This was far creepier, even worse than the perverts on the subway. “Why are they even chasing me like this? I’m not even that pretty!”

“I told you you’re the incarnation of the fabled goddess of beauty, but do you ever listen? Of course not, that would mean you were paying attention!”

“Then why can’t I find a nice normal sexy idol boyfriend? Tell me that, since you’re so smart!”

“Will you both shut up and run like hell!”

“But why are we even running?! Can’t you do a mind trick on them, like in the movies!” the long-haired blonde gasped as she was hauled along, her pace ragged as her heels conspired to catch in every single crack and dip along the way.

“Oh yes, let’s have the token psionic save the day as usual! Especially after said psionic has just carried the weight of several hundred kilos with her mind and is still, I repeat, still nursing a headache that’s threatening to reach migraine status if I have to do something that stupid again!” It definitely sounded as though she was still in pain; every other word seemed to be bitten off. “My incorporeal state doesn’t prevent my brain from hurting, and right now, the 1812 Overture is playing, complete with the cannons, thank you very much!”

They stopped short around the third house at the sight of the men in front of them, having run around the other way. Venus was now the one to curse; in one swift gesture she removed her heels, cradling them under her arm as they darted between houses, hearing the uneven thunder of several men behind them. The stone pavement hurt her feet, so used to carpet and wood when bare, but it was better than being caught by a group of lechers. “Hasn’t anyone noticed what’s going on? Why aren’t we being helped?”

Rather comically sliding, they turned around corner and ran for dear life past a communal well in the middle of the village, stopping to look behind them. “I think we lost them around the last house,” Artemis panted, sneaking a few hasty laps of water.

“I wouldn’t bet on it. And as I’m making conclusions, have you two noticed anyone else in this village that doesn’t have testicles?”

“We haven’t seen anyone else but those men….but, still…a village of only men?” Venus frowned, touching a finger to her lip. Why did that seem less than absurd to her? She could reasonably deduce that this had once been Kunzite’s home, in their previous lives, though now, she wondered if she didn’t have a memory of it herself; with two lives in her head, she tended to simply forget much of the first. There was no real reason to dredge up that past anymore unless she was directly asked, considering that her mission to find everyone and imitate the princess as a decoy was long over.

Had she once visited this place?

Her mulling was interrupted by a tug on her wrist, pulling her into the shadow of another house. “They’re still following us,” Alex grumbled beside her as they pressed themselves flat against the wall, listening to the pounding as the men passed by. The group had also grown bigger; several older men had joined the procession, nearly hobbling on weakened knees and holding canes, but determined nonetheless. One in particular was chanting something loudly – and, from the thickness of his voice, drunkenly – that sounded like mere noise instead of actual language, waving around a small golden statue.

A small golden statue that looked like a slim, slender figure with long hair.

Creeping forward, the trio practically dove into the open door of a nearby house as the crowd threatened to see them, collapsing in a heap on the dirt floor. The door itself consisted of merely a flap of blanket, which settled into place neatly just as the men stamped past, the old man’s chanting now infecting them all. “What a very weird place.” Artemis twitched an ear as he peeked out around the blanket. “And what was that chanting? Venus, could you understand it?”

“Iie. It just sounds like noise, like nothing at all,” she replied faintly, clutching the bracelet around her wrist again as it throbbed against her skin. Something about all of this was becoming familiar to her, as if the past incarnation of Venus was remembering the stories of her life, hiding them from the present with a teasing laugh. “But this very place….why does it now seem familiar to me? Sensei, have I been here before?” she directly queried her mentor.

Apparently, she was facing the wrong way, as Alex answered behind her, “I don’t know. Venus did whatever she liked, whenever she wasn’t under obligation to me. Maybe, if this really is Kunzite’s old village – and we have reason to believe it – you chased Serenity here. After all, she kept going down to Earth to seek out Endymion.”

“I don’t think so. I think I came here on my….on my own.” It came out as a whisper as she clasped her wrist, protectively holding it to her breast. Artemis gave her a look of pity.

After she had woken up as Venus, standing alone in the ruins of the set with Adonis’s words hanging over her head, she had effectively closed back up. She was Venus, but she refused to talk about it further, instead continuing on as the happy-go-lucky Minako with a secret identity: Codename wa Sailor V. Artemis had tried to coax her open again over several months, but though they had become – dare he say it? – friends since he had found her, she remembered their relationship from their previous lives; that is, to say, barely one at all. He and Luna had been ambassadors, the Queen’s advisors, and her close friends. Of the sailor soldiers they knew little except that they were the guardians of the princess and the kingdom, that they were Venus and Mercury and Mars and Jupiter, and that they were answerable to only two people in the entire kingdom. Artemis and Venus had not been friends; they had been business associates.

Finally one day, as the Dark Kingdom seemed to be preparing for a step-up in plans – Jadeite would begin his campaign in a month, prompting Luna to finally find and awaken Sailor Moon – she broke down. As Sailor V she had been caught in the crossfire between the police and some idiot Americans trying to smuggle drugs out of the harbor, and she had spent an hour protecting a girl trapped with her. The girl had been in love with one of the smugglers, a second generation Japanese-American, who had not wanted to help them at first; he had come to Tokyo precisely to stop them. But they had quickly talked him into it, luring him with promises of money and power, and he had turned his back on her to go to the harbor. That night, as the girl had sobbed in her arms, he and the rest committed suicide finally, detonating a grenade.

When she had returned home, a scratched-up, frightful mess, she had staggered into her bedroom and collapsed. And cried. And talked. She talked about Venus, about her fears and insecurities, about her life as the dedicated leader, and about a love affair that never fully materialized before the end. About Kunzite, and his eyes, and his smile, and their meaningful gazes from afar.

About his betrayal.

Afterwards, she slowly began to forget that life, holding onto the memories as long as she needed them, until their princess awoke. Then, even Artemis could recognize the signs of forgetfulness, though he never begrudged her the opportunity to live her present life fully without that shadow of her past. Neither had their guardian, though Artemis wasn’t sure how much she knew of their private lives from that lifetime. She seemed to understand, just as he did, how important it was to simply live.

Now, Venus was remembering that particular time. She had nursed that old wound – of Kunzite’s betrayal – since the beginning, kept it slightly festering in the back of her mind. That wound would never heal, not when her present life, with all of her sighs and agonizing over love not found, continued to remind her. But there was more to those memories than simple loving gazes and coyly exchanged words. More to add to her pain.

A sound outside had his ears standing straight at attention; footsteps, heading purposefully their way. “Someone’s coming,” he hissed, at which Venus lost her ruminating look and swiveled to stare at the blanket. “Alex, can you hide us?”

“I can try, but it’ll hurt. Retreat into that second room; maybe they won’t be entering this particular house.”

Venus scooped up the white feline and darted into the second room, flinching at the blast of heat from the cooking fire set against the wall. She paused to look around, eyebrows rising as she saw the alcoves cut into the walls holding candles for light, a bookshelf full of neatly-bound books, and a grill much like a hibachi in the middle of the room. Even a lumpy bed sat against the wall, with roughly-woven blankets. “Venus, this isn’t exactly a time for sight-seeing!” Alex reminded her, and she scurried around the wall to drop Artemis somewhat ungratefully on his feet. He gave her a glare, which she ignored. “Whoever it is, it’s a single man; and he’s coming in.”

“Nani? Another man!? Mou, this isn’t my day!” Without bothering to consider the alternatives, Venus whipped the blankets off the bed, grabbed her cat by the scruff and threw him under, and rolled in herself. She arranged the blankets messily around her as she curled around Artemis, holding her breath and clapping a hand over his mouth as he looked ready to snap at her. “Shhhh, Artemis!”

That is single-handedly the stupidest thing I’ve seen you do yet. Apparently, disgust traveled, even if the ‘voice’ sounded a bit weak.

Nyah. You’re just jealous. Venus smiled brilliantly as she returned the thought.

There were footsteps as the man entered his room, humming cheerfully. Holding herself firm, the long-haired blonde forced herself to breathe evenly through her nose, still clamping her hand over her cat’s mouth as he glared back at her. His tail twitched in irritation against her bare leg. “How strange everyone was acting today,” she heard the man mutter under his breath as he walked around. “Telling me, ‘Darcy, don’t mind us, just go home.’ And walking in circles! Everyone’s gone mad, except me.”

A pot clanked as he lifted it. “The way things are going….ah, well. I’m just glad to be home.”

Venus was beginning to lose the battle with her lungs; she needed air. Even more so when, right as Alex shouted in her mind, the man sat right down on her stomach. “KYAAA!”

“Iyaaaahhhgg!” the man howled in return, and as Venus sprang up, he fell backwards, nearly landing on the grill. A queer little backpedal had him catching himself in time, dumping him instead in front of the other fire. Disheveled, blond hair fallen in his face, he lay there as Venus began a rapid fire apology.

“Gomen nasai, gomen nasai, I didn’t mean to scare you, gome-e-en!” she babbled, bowing up and down as he slowly sat up, brushing the hair out of his face. “It’s just that these crazy men were chasing us, and I had to hide, so I ran in here!”

Bowing her head in submission, she chanced a peek up.

The man was staring at her in much the same awed manner as the rest, though, at her glance, he lowered his eyes hastily. “Those men….well, that’s understandable. You’re so lovely a girl. But how many of you can there be? I see only you.”

“A-ano….did I say ‘us’? I meant ‘me.’ Just me. Just me, and my loyal cat, Artemis.” She pulled the unfortunate feline out from the bedcovers, holding him out for the man to see. “I’m Venus. Sailor Venus.”

“Venus….? Just like the goddess. It suits you perfectly. You’re just as lovely.” Sitting up, the man gestured to himself. “My name is Darcy, and this is my home. I’m honored to have such beauty within.”

Even though he was being respectable about it, his constant stare was beginning to unnerve her. Setting Artemis down, she said, “I’m flattered that everyone thinks I’m beautiful, but enough is enough, ne? It’s a little strange to be so stared at. Everyone acts as if they haven’t seen a regular girl before!”

“You’re hardly regular, Venus…but, my apologies. You’re right, we’re not used to such beauty. This is the village of Rias, within which only men reside. That is why you were chased so desperately.” Darcy stood up, brushing the dust off of his clothes, which were well-worn and dirty enough already that it seemed a useless gesture. “Though I think there was another reason…that you’ve visited us before. It’s strange, but I’m positive that I’ve seen your beautiful figure before.”

Rias.

Her eyelids sank to half-mast as she considered the name, and the strangest feeling of comfort associated with it. This had to be Kunzite’s home. Only a village of men could contain the strength and pride of the silver-haired boy before he was elevated to a status benefiting his power. “The village of Rias….deep below the surface of the earth, in a cave. The village of men. Maybe I did visit this place, long ago.”

If you did, why would he remember you? Alex asked within her mind, still sounding faint and weak. He doesn’t look any older than his twenties. And the people of Earth didn’t have long life spans like the Silver Millennium.

I don’t know, sensei.

Darcy shrugged, holding his hands wide. “It could be possible. But, enough of that. I have a job to do; we’re having a party tonight, and I have to help prepare. With you here, would you come? It won’t last very long; we always have a party to celebrate when one of our boys become men. It will be at the village temple.”

“A party? Well, I suppose so…after all, I’m a bit hungry,” Venus agreed, though she had to hold her smile a bit falsely when Artemis gave her a covert glare that quite succinctly told her what he thought on the subject. “We’ll be there!”

A few hours later, after they had talked to surely everyone in the village, they had gained nothing but several marriage proposals to Venus, a few dance promises, and two declarations of binding fate. Venus refused to do anything else but rest until the party, so they had taken up a perch on the farthest corner of the front steps of the temple. She had dropped her heels by the pool, so now that she had picked them back up, she spent some time cleaning the dirt off of them. “This is pointless anyway,” the white feline protested as she ignored him, scrubbing at her shoe, “we already have Kunzite’s stone. Why can’t we just go home? I, for one, need to eat; I refuse to touch anything these men may have cooked. They live underground! Who knows what kind of mosses and mildew they might eat?”

“You also need a bath; you smell rather ripe,” Alex riposted, earning a dirty glare in her general direction. “Though mon chat is right; why aren’t we going home? I’d like to at least be visible again. This ghostly shit was tiring the first time around.”

Deciding her shoes were finally clean, she stuffed her feet into them rather carelessly. She spared a bright smile for an admirer as he walked past and into the temple, giving her a lovesick stare as he passed by. “Because, sensei, Artemis, I want to go to the party. I want to know why I remember this place; was I really here? Did I visit that treacherous general? My memory won’t tell me. I don’t think I want myself to know the truth.”

“Maybe you’re trying to spare yourself some anguish. Nothing wrong with that.” The dust swirled into a tan-coloured tornado in front of Venus, shaping itself into a familiar figure; the older, stronger Silver Millennium Venus, holding the holy sword that had been destroyed in the Arctic. She turned, her eyes staring lifelessly into that of her younger self, lifting the sword to salute. “Is that still you? You’re Sailor Venus, but she was not Aino Minako. Venus went through those troubled times, not you. Is it really worth it to dredge up the past?”

A sharp wave of her gloved hand dispersed her mentor’s figure back to dust. “Iie. But I want to. Venus is still Venus. And he hurt us. That life is long gone, but the memories – the pain – all of it remains in one form or another. You know that, sensei.”

“Touché. But my life is still my life. Even as Chouno Moriyakumi or Sakakku Kotaiko, it was still me. The Sailor Venus of then and the Sailor Venus/Aino Minako of now are not the same, no matter what you want to think.”

Venus shrugged, looking away towards the line of men and boys coming towards the temple, dressed in what was assumedly their finest clothing and robes. “But I still want to know,” she murmured, before standing up to join them. Putting on a bright smile and a laugh, she took a proffered arm from a particularly cute boy around her age and allowed herself to be led inside as Artemis and Alex hustled to follow.

Inside was a magnificent stone floor and tapestries, platforms holding dancers and jugglers performing marvelous feats, and tables full of steaming bowls of food. Venus was lost almost immediately as they crowded around her, begging for dances and attention. “Well, at least she can’t say she isn’t the center of attention,” Alex sighed, as Artemis sniffed suspiciously at one of the pots.

“Give her an hour, she’ll grow tired of it. What do you think this is?”

“Looks like raw tripe, honestly. Try that other one, at least it looks cooked.”

So as they found a seat and Artemis stuffed his face, they watched the long-haired blonde laugh and smile her way through dance after dance; even Darcy managed to catch her for awhile. They put on a show of acrobats for her, presented her with gifts of jewelry – earrings and bracelets and pendants that she would have a hard time explaining to her mother – and left her flushed and laughing. More than an hour passed, and she still had not, as Artemis had predicted, grown tired of it.

Finally, after almost two hours, Venus danced her way over to them, collapsing next to Artemis with a giggle. “Ara, I’m having so much fun! Everyone is so nice to me; and look, Artemis, look at these pretty things!” She spilled the jewelry onto the seat, what she hadn’t had the time or space to put on; she had already put on a pair of heavy gold and lapis dangling earrings, two gold rope necklaces, a gold and topaz choker, and a gold and lapis slave bracelet over her glove. The rest of it was basically the same mess of gold and topaz and lapis.

“Hai, hai, and I’m sure your mother will completely approve of this. If you’re lucky, she may not either take it all for herself, or pawn it next week.” He stamped a paw as she ignored him, admiring the gleam of her bracelet. “Venus! Kami-sama, we would like to go home to Japan! Have you finished having fun and extending our mission needlessly yet? The others could already be back, waiting for us to save Mamoru-san!”

“Fine, fine! And who says mama will know? But I want to explore that last room, first.” Pausing as she scooped up her acquisitions into a velvet bag, she pointed back towards the stairway at the end of the room. The stone changed as the stairwell went up into shadow, to a strange grey colour that could not have been locally quarried.

Muttering under his breath as the tall red-head sighed, they snuck off with Venus up the stairs, passing through complete darkness before they arrived on the second floor; no tapers had been lit, presumably because no one was meant to go up. When Artemis noted this, he was unsurprisingly ignored.

The second floor was even more marvelous than the first: there was a long platform set into the floor at the end, upon which stood a statue – in full uniform – of the shitennou Kunzite, hewn from grey marble. The platform was offset by large squares in the floor which were set with what looked to be emeralds, sparkling magnificently in the glow that came from the ceiling and upper walls. A perfect place to worship a man who had not been a god, but a merely elevated mortal.

It also came with a puzzled-looking girl wearing the uniform of the Oppositio Soldiers, surrounded by what could only be replicated youma of the kind from Juuban. Standing in front of the taller Kunzite statue, she was looking around in an obvious tizzy, completely oblivious to the trio watching her from the shadows. “The Kunzite stone is somewhere in this village of men. It has to be! You have to find it. Ishtar needs that stone before Venus arrives. Go and search for it; it doesn’t matter if someone gets in your way, kill them. The stone is more important!”

“Nani!?” Venus hissed, balling her fists. Tying her bag of jewels around her waist, she strode out angrily, pointing at Ishtar. “Don’t you dare! Killing people is no way to get what you want. The Communist countries may allow it, but Sailor Venus does not!” Rapidly assessing her situation – four youma and Ishtar – she settled back into a fighting stance. “I’ll always be here to stop the evil from harming the innocent. I’ll do it now!”

“You….how dare you!? Oooo!” Ishtar stomped her foot like a child who had been denied. “You annoy me! Ishtar hates that! Youma! Do something about her, please!” she cried, gesturing madly at the long-haired blonde.

“Four of them; that can’t be too difficult,” Alex remarked at her right.

“That’s what you always say,” Artemis lamented.

The first youma came swooping in, swinging its scythe in a wide arc which they easily avoided, though it separated them. Artemis leapt at the second, catching its robe with his claws; he scrambled his way up, yanking its hood down over what passed for its face. A nearby urn flew at the third, knocking it into the wall.

“Crescent Beam!” The magic smashed into the first youma as the fourth attempted to dive at Venus, necessitating a hasty dive. Trying to keep an eye on Ishtar while fighting two youma was not easy; as she exchanged blows with them, ducking and dodging their wicked blades, she was also caught more than once by a sharp slice as her attention failed to catch up. She didn’t want to expend her powers if the Oppositio Soldier chose to fight her after she finished her minions, so she was using the lowest levels of her power possible; power which had not beaten the Dark Kingdom easily to begin with. Though honestly, the girl seemed completely oblivious; she was too busy throwing a childish fit over watching her youma being beaten.

“Look o-o-o-out!” the white feline howled; Venus looked up to see him clinging desperately to the hood of an out-of-control youma, heading her way. Muscles tensing, she leapt out of the way of a scythe, grabbed Artemis, and arced gracefully over the creature as it slammed into the other two, hitting the wall. As she landed, she spun around to release her power; all three of them turned to dust, too weak to last under the onslaught.

The last youma was struggling weakly under the urn, which had been turned upside down and dropped onto its head. It was easily destroyed, though the urn itself fared no better; it fell to the ground and shattered immediately.

“Oh come on! That isn’t fair! Not fair, not fair!” Ishtar ranted, stomping her foot again. “You’re not supposed to be so strong!”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Venus replied coolly.

“Mo-ou! Well, it doesn’t matter. Ishtar will still get the stone, no matter who has it!” She took a step back, presumably to attack – Venus called power to her hand, poised to return – when she knocked the statue from its spot. It slid back several centimetres as she mumbled, “Ooops?” and the room became pitch dark. Ishtar activated what looked to be a personal shield.

There was silence for a long minute.

Then, as the darkness lifted, Ishtar looked around curiously. Venus wasn’t saying anything; she had been turned to stone. Only Ishtar’s shield had prevented her from sharing the same fate, though she failed to notice the twitch of a white tail behind her enemy’s legs. “Well, that’s interesting. Ishtar’s shield protected me from becoming stone as well as her, annoying person. She got what was coming to her.” Sighing, she threw up her hands. “I wonder if everyone else is stone? Mou! Now Ishtar will really have a hard time finding Kunzite’s stone! Ishtar has never been good at looking for what she’s looking for.”

Artemis twitched an ear; she seemed to be even more of an absentminded girl than Minako on a bad day.

“Oh, well. Ishtar will find it….eventually.” And with that, she vanished. Artemis sighed in relief, coming out after he made a quick check around – with his eyes and his nose; Ishtar had a peculiar scent that was already dissipating – to make sure she was really gone.

“Alex, did you hear that?”

“Unfortunately. And here I thought Minako was the worst case of ditz, when she puts her mind to it, I’d ever seen. I stand corrected. I also seem to be standing next to a stone statue. How the hell do we turn her back?”

The white feline shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t understand why I wasn’t changed, either. Did Ishtar set off a security trap? If so, why didn’t I become stone? Or you?”

“Probably because they wouldn’t assume cats or ghosts can steal statues.” A piece of the urn was picked up and tapped against Venus’s arm. “Solid. You know, I don’t think that Ishtar chick even realized who Venus is. Otherwise, she might have figured out that she’s got the stone already. Not very bright, that one.”

“Well, Ishtar and Venus are corresponding deities.” Artemis snorted, tapping a claw against Venus’s leg. “This is not good. Maybe we can ask one of the villagers how to undo this.”

A subtle glow at her wrist took care of the problem; with a cracking noise and a flash of light, the stone fell from Venus’s body, nearly flattening Artemis. She shuddered, taking a step back as if dizzy, touching a hand to her forehead. “Artemis? Sensei? What just happened to me? I felt….I felt cold….”

Invisible hands steadied her, holding her upright. “Just take a moment to catch your breath, chere. You were turned to stone. We were just trying to figure out how to change you back when you did it on your own.”

Venus shook her head, lifting her wrist. Beneath her glove, the faintest glow was still visible. “Iie. Not me….the bracelet. And I could swear…” She swallowed, lowering her hand as she felt the burn of tears. “I could swear that I heard Kunzite.”

Apparently, they wouldn’t be asking the villagers much of anything.

“Everyone’s gotten stoned,” Alex said in what sounded like a bit of personal humour. “All I can sense is a loud babble of voices at the same time; they don’t know what’s happened to them. Odd security system that statue has.”

“What do we do? How can we turn them back?” Venus queried anxiously, looking sidelong at a nearby fellow who had danced with her merely an hour ago. He had left the party afterwards, claiming he was going to find her some pretty flowers – though where he’d find those, she’d be hard pressed to guess – and was now currently frozen on the steps to the temple in mid-stride. Knowing how suddenly awful it was to be turned to stone, she felt nothing but a rising terror for the welfare of the village the longer they stood around.

They had tried the bracelet on the first man they had seen, back inside the temple; it had done nothing. Not even a flash of light.

If this was how Kunzite treated his village over matters of statuary, she was going to have a long discussion with the bastard once they returned to Japan.

“We can try looking for help. I think there’s another village west of here I’m hearing as well. Maybe they’ve got some magical voodoo stick to shake to turn them back to normal.” Artemis flicked his tail as he circled her invisible legs.

“Not to be cruel, Venus, but why are we deciding this when we need to return to Japan as quickly as possible? Mamoru-san’s life hangs in the balance, as I’ve reminded you. The others may have already returned. Perhaps these villagers will return to normal after a time. It really isn’t our concern,” he stated carefully, though his heart didn’t seem to be in it. He knew that particular expression Venus was now wearing, and it meant he’d better watch his furry ass, because she was about to kick it.

She didn’t kick it, but she hauled him up by his scruff all the same, glaring at him. “I can’t believe you. A soldier of love and justice abandoning a village in trouble? Mamoru-san’s life will be saved, of course. But these men need help too, and it’s partially my fault that they’ve been turned to stone!” Tucking him under her arm as though he were a piece of luggage she began walking briskly towards the west (and turning dutifully when a ghostly hand directed her in the opposite direction), continuing to harangue him. “How can you say such cruel things? Sailor Venus never abandons anyone in need. Besides, I’m sure we’ll resolve this quickly and go back home as fast as possible; that Ishtar looks easy to deal with and silly as well, ne?”

“Certainly lives up to her counterpart,” he muttered under his breath, howling when she dropped him unceremoniously into the dirt.

They exited the village by way of a slender, twisting path that looked to be hardly used; visible footprints showed the exit – and not entrance – of the last pedestrian. They led up a second path that curved out of sight, but a second set of prints came from the winding path in front of them. Since neither seemed to have returned, they chose to go straight, turning almost immediately south as they followed the narrow path.

Small globules set into the wall high above their heads left off enough ambient light to clearly see. Venus suggested taking one home as a souvenir, which was rapidly vetoed.

A few more metres, a turn, and a pace later, they came face to face with the youma.

It stood directly in their path; a slim, slender, obviously female creature with green skin and sharply almond eyes. And a horn big enough for the cornucopia centerpiece in the middle of her forehead that gave off an eerie iridescence. “Sailor soldier. I recognize your dreaming offal; even awake, it smells of your goodness.”

“Hey! I don’t smell, I just bathed last night!” Venus snapped, though she didn’t know exactly what offal was, and that dreams had any. It sounded like a dire insult nonetheless. Pointing a finger, she added, “And you’re in my way. The soldier of justice won’t allow this. Either move, or I’ll destroy you without a blink.”

“Actually, she’ll destroy you anyway, seeing as it’s her job,” Artemis stressed pointedly.

“Ano…well, hai, hai, but I figured I’d at least be nice about it and give her a chance! Stop ruining my moment, cat!” she replied, eyeing the youma’s smirk. “All right, fine then. Crescent Beam!”

The worlds were barely out of her mouth when the creature sprang, vaulting easily over the golden beam to land where the trio had been standing a second earlier. Venus tumbled and rolled quickly to her feet, power called back to her hand; Artemis landed, leapt again, and took refuge atop a small shelf in the wall; and Alex, wherever she had gone, was silent. Staring down the soldier, the youma dipped her head. “Brute force cannot defeat me, golden one. Now, sleep.”

Transfixed, Venus stumbled to her knees as the horn began to glow. Even her companions’ sudden shouts of alarm did nothing to tear her eyes away; eyes whose lids were growing heavier by the second. She dropped, limp as a doll, asleep before her head hit the dirt.

She opened her eyes to see a grassy plain stretching out in front of her, smelling sweetly of the sun. Earth was certainly beautiful in the sunshine with so much green, even if the flowers couldn’t compare with the intense fauna of the Moon’s gardens. It was a pity that the people were so carelessly selfish and unaware of their goods.

Turning her head, she saw what she had been looking for; a flash of gold and white, a ripple of laughter on the wind. Setting her face into a placid stare – their mentor had always employed such a mild face when she was most upset; it worked to scare them into compliance more often than not – she headed towards her princess, trying to think of a suitable chastisement. None came to mind, as Serenity, their gentle, innocent princess, simply couldn’t keep her promise not to return to Earth again. She had her pick of the Silver Millennium’s princes and youthful kings, and even two queens, and yet she continued to swoon over a simple Earth royal.

Closing her eyes momentarily, she contacted the others through their mental bond; a far more efficient means than their communicators, and one discovered only in their generation by their guardian and teacher. It was not telepathy, she said, only a resonance of similar minds. They could contact each other through thoughts and mental words, but no one else. This time, her communication came back with Mercury’s impatience, Jupiter’s annoyance and slight disgust, and Mars’ preoccupation as she studied a bird. For a daughter of the warlike Martians, the soldier of Mars was honestly a sweet girl. She smiled despite herself, because no matter how much they both appreciated lovely things, they, Jupiter, and Mercury, were still the fiercest of fighters, and downright dirty when they needed to be.

“Looking for someone, Sailor Venus?”

A shadow fell across her face, and she lashed out without thinking with a hand, chopping for the neck; it was caught by a larger hand that engulfed her own, and she opened her eyes to see the lightly tanned face of Kunzite. Even though she was sworn to her princess’s side, her fealty solely to the kingdom of the Moon and its hegemony, she couldn’t help but imagine briefly what a life on Earth and in the general’s arms would be like. It had to be his eyes, damn him; they were the colour of steel, of a silvery hue darker than their queen’s, and full of…she wasn’t sure what. What she did know was the way they seemed to darken whenever they looked at her full on.

And she knew how strangely warm they made her feel.

“General Kunzite.” She stated his name simply as she pulled her hand free, letting it drop at her side. “Of course I’m looking for someone. My princess. I believe she’s here again.”

“Of course she is. My prince is quite taken with her, though I’m not sure that’s wise.” He looked away from her, and it was as if the clouds had hidden the sun; she felt bereft. Then she felt angry at herself for it. Then she didn’t know quite what to feel. “Our two worlds, Earth and Moon, are not supposed to interact so closely. Perhaps, we’re the simpletons the Moon believes us to be in a way. Our laws – our magic – are different.”

Venus frowned at the back of his head, speaking before she considered her words. “So, that means that their love must be tempered by the wishes of others? That true love can’t survive through adversity? I can’t believe that. Even my world of love freely exchanged has tales of such devotion.”

She could hear his smirk before he turned to her, tapping his chin. “I would never thought to hear you denouncing the edicts of your queen. Nor supporting their illicit affair. Of course, I, as a loyal soldier to my kingdom and prince, would not stop them if it was not Endymion’s wish. Is it your Serenity’s wish that you intervene, or your queen’s?”

“The wishes of my queen are sacrosanct,” she said coldly.

“Nonetheless, is it her wish?”

Her mouth compressed to a thin, displeased line. What could she say? That her queen seemed to be curiously disregarding what amounted to a breach of century-old protocol? That their guardian saw nothing wrong with it, being Earth-born herself? That it was more the understanding of the four soldiers together that sent them constantly to the blue planet to take her back home, knowing what laws their princess broke? Obviously, their queen never stopped them, nor their guardian. But neither had they shown any inclination to put their foot down and prevent Serenity from going in the first place.

Venus knew that the sacred laws were just that; sacred. Unbreakable. It was what sent her and the other three constantly back to Earth, again and again, to take her away from his arms. Even with every trip bringing her in contact with the man in front of her, staring at her with those eyes. Making her feel as though she were the villain for doing her job.

“It is the wish of the kingdom that the sacred laws are not broken,” she finally said, just as frostily as before. Folding her arms across her chest, she stared at him stubbornly, refusing to back down from his contemplative gaze. “And it is the desire of your kingdom as well, isn’t it? If only out of spite and malice, and a desire to remain as backwards and violent as you are.”

Now, she was simply being spiteful, and she knew it. But instead of irritating him, he simply widened his eyes in a curious show of innocence, saying, “And does that make me backwards and violent as well? A curiousity to the people of the Silver Millennium?”

“No, it simply makes you irritating and exasperating,” she retorted before catching herself and shutting her mouth tight.

Kunzite looked away towards the far-off figures of their prince and princess, blue and gold and virginal white mixed into one body as they held one another, a perfect fit. Venus followed his gaze with a casual eye, though her heart suddenly ached with the realization that such a love was not hers to ever known; as a sailor soldier she was to remain unattached, devoting her heart and soul completely to her princess. As the princess of Venus, she would have been similarly unattainable, because his rank disallowed such a union, and the marriages of her royal house were fixed by the queen and king on basis of fertility and looks. Even if she had loved someone else, she could have never had them. It was enough for her to dally through the beds of the kingdom’s bachelors, breaking hearts and mending others, but none would ever be hers to call home.

For the soldier of love, it was a cruel irony indeed.

In profile, Kunzite had a clean face of sharp angles and a fading tan, framed by the platinum of his hair. Not a mark on him, at least not from her side; few laugh lines; not much of anything at all, though his looks were nice enough. She didn’t understand what made her feel so warm inside when he looked at her, because he was, to be crude, not even up to her usual standards. Her men were always the prime of their kingdoms, if not always as good in bed as they were looking; next to them, the general was almost plain.

But he had a brain. He had an understanding of her role, much as she did for his, as they were almost exactly the same. If they had ever truly conversed, she doubted she would ever be bored, though the rumours painted him as a reasonable sedate and chaste man, barely ever leaving his prince’s side. If they ever sparred, which she secretly longed to do – her only partners were her fellow soldiers and their guardian, as the knights and soldiers simply didn’t have the stamina or recuperation time – she could only imagine they would be equals, or nearly so. None of her liaisons had done that; spoiled royal brats, one and all.

So lost in her woolgathering, she hadn’t even noticed his shift, the sudden lean he had towards her ear. It was only when he spoke directly into the canal, sending shivers down her spine, that she realized he’d moved. “If I am irritating and exasperating, I assure you, that means I’m only doing my job, and doing it all too well. As a man, I am…perhaps…not as annoying.”

“It doesn’t matter to me who you are outside of your uniform,” she replied, internally cringing at the sound of her voice – she sounded as if she had no control over herself in his presence! She, the princess and soldier of Venus, who had conquered so many men without batting an eye! It was all too obvious that he was coming on to her, and she was ruining her reputation. “As it does not matter to you who I am. We are both bound to our roles.”

“There’s always a moment to be stolen,” he murmured before straightening up. As she mulled over his statement, he turned and walked entirely away, to his prince’s side, Serenity passing him by in the company of her guardian soldiers as they led her. The sounds of their chastisement reached Venus’ ears, but she didn’t take the time to recognize them; she was still considering his offer. Wondering.

Pain rocked her face, and the sunny day ripped apart around her. Dimly, she realized someone was calling her name, and she sat up gingerly. “Hai? Aino Minako de-su,” she warbled painfully.

“She’s awake! Thank the kami, she’s conscious.” A furred white face nudged into her cheek, a wet nose sniffing at her ear. “Daijoubu, Mina?”

“Until you smacked me.” With gloved fingers she explored her cheek, tenderly feeling the bone; yes, indeed, she’d be bruising soon, and probably quite colourfully. Artemis had really walloped her good. “What happened? I was fighting the youma, and then, there was a light…”

“She put you into a dream state,” he said in disapproval, chastising her, as usual, through the tone of his voice rather effectively. She scowled at that, showing quite plainly through her expression that she hadn’t expected the creature to do such a thing. The subtle roll of his eyes showed just how much he thought of that, and how blithely ignorant she had been of the danger and possibilities. A short sniff of derision said flatly how little she thought of his point of view, and how well he would have done, given the circumstances.

Thus was the extent of their long partnership; a minute’s worth of voice inflection and expression said everything without the need for words. Sometimes, Venus rather ruefully wished the others had the same subtle manner; even Mars was reduced to loudly snapping when she disagreed. With Artemis, there could be an entire interplay of subtext without words in the time it took for her to transform.

Glancing away, she looked around the youma; perplexingly, she saw nothing of the sort. That was certainly odd, considering they were trapped within solid rock, and the creature hardly blended into the scenery. “Artemis, where did it go? Did it disappear?”

He was looking at her oddly now, in a way that made her uneasy. “You don’t remember? You fell as if you’d lost control over your body; the youma said she put you into a dream state. Then you suddenly leapt up and told the creature you wouldn’t take such casual evil, and destroyed it with your beam. After that, you just started screaming, so I leapt onto you and knocked you down, and slapped your face. And you just woke up.”

“I did….what?” Turning her head, she scanned the path before recognizing the misplaced heap of dust that lay behind them; the last remains of an evil creature. She paled, mentally scrabbling for a memory or a trigger – kami-sama, what had her dream been about but a peaceful conversation? Why would she have done such a thing in her sleep? “Artemis, how could I do such a thing? My dream was peaceful….”

“Then tell us why you were speaking the Lunar language while you attacked.”

For the first time in a very long time, Aino Minako no Sailor Venus had no words.

Ishtar was alone, in a room full of knobs and buttons and levers, and she pouted. Why didn’t Sin ever trust her? She knew they thought she was an idiot, even if she pretended to misunderstand and completely ignore their belittling words. Even sending her on this mission had been, to them, a gamble, because Ishtar was careless.

So she sat alone, in a room full of technology she didn’t understand, and she waited. Sin had told her Venus would come. She only hoped the soldier wasn’t too difficult to deal with, or Sin might be even angrier with her. But she was also growing very bored…

They entered the village a short time later, a trio of sedate, quiet travelers. After being told of her mysterious sleepwalking, Venus had shut up tighter than a dead clam and refused to divulge even the details of her dream; she had walked ahead, staring dully into the rock walls. Both Artemis and Alex watched her in concern, though neither mentioned it.

Within a minute of entering the village properly, they could tell it had to be some kind of counterpart to Rias; every single person who crossed their path was female. Even if one or two were so heavyset and hairy it was almost hard to tell. “This must be the village of women,” Venus finally observed out loud, as they passed a particular couple holding hands.

“Whatever would give you that impression?” Alex queried sweetly from the back.

Just like Medias, the village had its own temple, though it look reasonably better kept. Soft but clean illumination kept the entire place at a reasonable level of light, though it still seemed a tad too dark for the long-haired blonde’s empowered sight. Without bothering to ask her companions, Venus headed straight for the white pillars, gaining more than a few curious looks along the way. All of them, however, gave her what looked like a gesture of respect, touching their fingers to their lips, their heart, and then bowing their heads.

“Why do I have the feeling this village knows you as well, Venus?” the white feline muttered, prancing at her heels like a proper idiot cat.

“Maybe they do,” was her reply.

“Respected Venus!”

Startled, they turned at the steps of the temple to see a young woman rushing up, clutching her patchwork skirts. She did the same exact gesture – lips, heart, head – and gave Venus an imploring look. “Lady Verna is awaiting you. Please, come with me.”

“Lady Verna? Who’s that?” Narrowing her eyes, Venus added, “And how do you know me?”

“Lady Verna told us of you. Of the golden-haired soldier of love who visited our village long, long ago.”

Without any additional explanation, she turned on a heel and strode off, still holding her skirts off the dirt. Exchanging a look with her comrades – though she wasn’t sure if her mentor was giving them the same – she skipped into a quick trot behind the girl. They were led across the village to a rather large house in respect to all of the rest, where they were abandoned.

Venus frowned, watching the girl walk away. Apparently she was meant to walk in alone, unannounced. That was a sure reason for paranoia.

Screw it.

Squaring her shoulders, she marched right in through the door, head high, twilight blue quick to scan the room, Artemis at her heels. It was a large room but not large enough for the outside, which meant there was a second room. The first seemed to be a sitting room and eating area, complete with a fireplace and comfortable cushions on the floor, rugs outlining the walking path. Most of them seemed pristine, as if lightly used. She took the one leading into the second room with nary a pause in stride, straight through the open doorway and into the second room – where she abruptly stopped.

It was practically empty. The carpet led to the wall and stopped, bisecting the room. One fireplace in the nearby wall was lit, throwing a good heat into the room; across lay the bed, neatly made and just big enough for one. And in the very middle of everything, standing there as if she had been waiting calmly for hours, was, obviously, Lady Verna. “Hello, Sailor Venus. My name is Verna.” Her eyes were very plainly red, but devoid of any evil glimmer.

“Hajimemashite, Verna-san. How do you know my name?” She cocked her head, folding her arms across her breast. “After all, I’ve only just arrived here. Haven’t I?”

“I can show you how I know, Venus. If you will follow me, I can show you.” She smiled, gesturing with her hand back towards the door. Venus rolled her eyes impatiently behind her back, earning her a glare from Artemis. But for the love of the kami, she just wasted time walking just to walk again somewhere else?

They went out the door and were walking again, this time right back to the temple. It was a slow trip this time around, as Verna seemed to have no desire for haste, and it gave all three an opportunity to study her at length.

She wore a far more colourful outfit than the women they had passed in the village, all red and gold and almost perfectly made, with a skirt just long enough to touch the tops of her sandaled feet, but short enough to keep the hem clean. A shawl draped across her shoulders matched, all of it marvelously showing off her long black hair under her red hat. Whoever she was, she certainly had what passed for class underground. Either she was important, or, for the village, very rich.

Up close and very personal, the temple was far smaller than its counterpart at Rias. It looked like a proper receptacle for a god instead of a large gathering place, because it was doubtful the entire village could even fit inside. Verna led them straight in, though she dipped her head before entering; most likely touching her lips and heart as well, though none of them could see it. Inside, Venus took three steps before coming to an abrupt halt to stare at herself.

Verna’s knowing smile was ignored as she gaped like a fish, staring keenly at the golden statue that stood in the middle of a giant seashell, floating in the middle of a pool. It was herself – no, Venus – who was frozen in sculpture, holding the moon sword that was long gone and destroyed aloft. The girl was almost a woman; she had fuller hips, a taller frame, and a far more knowing look on her face. She had seen and done more than Aino Minako no Sailor Venus ever had in her few pitiful years as a soldier.

“I’ve been here. Venus had been here,” she finally whispered. She felt slightly dizzy – was it hot in the temple? Surely that was incense she smelled – touching a gloved hand to her forehead. The stone at her breast burned exquisitely.

“Yes. In a previous life, Venus was a frequent visitor. She was a beautiful goddess to us, and this statue was made in her honour.” Verna was so casual in her reference to Venus and the girl standing in front of her as separate people that the long-haired blonde looked at her sharply. She merely smiled. “Yes. I can see that you are not the same as Venus. You have the power and the face, but the girl you are now is not the young woman she was then. When the Silver Millennium was destroyed, she was cast into darkness.”

“Iie….I have her memories…I can remember that life…!”

“Memories of an existence. Panes of glass are not mirrors. They reflect echoes.”

Venus shook her head, remembering the dream. It was true, she knew, deep down, that she was indeed a different person; that the reincarnation had not been complete. Her power had been awakened far too late in life as an interloper to Minako, and was only a partial rebirth, though still more complete than the others. She had memories. She had images. But they were not of her.

Unbidden, she saw the last battle on the Moon; a memory she visited only once, in such a quick flash, as the memories of Venus had come back to her that day on the movie set. It had been colours and sounds and rapid-fire imagery that she didn’t want to see, didn’t want to hold up for inspection and realize what she had done – what the Earth’s ragtag soldiers had done.

It was happening all over again as she stood there, staring at the replica of her sword. She could smell dust and blood; she could hear screaming. As someone shouted her name, she whirled around, the pommel slippery in her hand with someone else’s fluids. This was not a battle she had ever expected to be involved with; this was a dirty war, not a clean strike.

“Venus! Where are the others? I can’t find them, and I can’t find either Serenity yet.” Their guardian stopped in front of her, uniform torn from a sword blade, and blood dripping slowly down her hip. Her own weapon was tight in her hand, nearly black with spatters. She had the most unusual look in her eyes; normally calm as the darkening sky, they were now cold and vacant, mirroring the same Venus was positive she herself now had.

“I don’t know, Guardian-sama. When you ordered us out here, we split up. I haven’t seen the princess yet, nor our queen. That was your task, to find them.”

“Merde! I can’t find them, and I’ve been everywhere.” Both of them looked out over the battlefield as a flash of lightning passed them by; Jupiter ran past on swift feet, leaping to intercept and bring down a lieutenant in the Earthen army. His neck was cleanly broken, though half of his body was covered in electrical burns. Despite the horrific wounds, neither of them flinched; so much had already happened that it seemed unreasonable to cringe at everything. For her part, Jupiter merely acknowledged them with a burning glare, face streaked with blood and dirt, and ran on.

They looked towards the horizon, where the Earth hung heavy in the sky, perfectly tranquil. Did the king and his court know what was going on? Were they sitting down to a savory meal, laughing as their army stormed a peaceful palace? Of course, Venus knew the Moon was peaceful only by the fact that it refused to take part in disputes, preferring instead the high moral ground whenever its planetary kingdoms chose to start a war. Privately, Serenity had sent her sailor soldiers and their guardian on many missions of espionage and what was rather accurately called assassination, claiming it wasn’t the Moon actively being involved; rather, they were an extension of the Silver Millennium’s task force.

But even so, most of the citizens of the Moon did chose peace, and applauded every decision their queen made to sit on the sidelines. Now, many of them were dead, slaughtered when the Earthen army made no distinction between the Moon soldiers in their white uniforms and the average citizen fleeing in terror. Venus had saved several families only to see them cut down while her back was turned; it was an almost unholy fervor that gripped the heathen Earthlings. She herself had finally fled from one in particular, with eyes as black as night and a plethora of magical spells that had countered everything she had thrown at him.

“What would make them do this, Guardian-sama? Surely you must know, being of their blood. This unnatural fighting….even the Earthlings can’t be so naturally bloodthirsty,” Venus finally queried, dropping to her knees to clean off her blade on a patch of clean grass. She caught her mentor’s flashing eyes before turning away.

“Of course, it’s always the fact they’re just Earthlings. Never mind that you’re all…fucking hell, forget it. I don’t know, Venus. Their minds are empty, their emotions are completely wired. I wouldn’t bet money on the king knowing about this. Someone else is leading them.” Her mentor’s gaze caught on someone past the blonde’s shoulder, narrowing to slits. “But somehow, I don’t think it’s you, general.”

Startled, Venus whirled around, blade held at the ready, only to face the unsmiling face of Kunzite. He held his own weapon at his side, but he seemed hesitant to use it. At the look on her face, he shook his head. “Sailor Venus. I wish it hadn’t come to this.”

“Come to what? Kunzite, what are you doing?” she whispered faintly. “Surely you can’t be involved in this….this massacre!” Years of training held her arm straight, the keen edge of her sword perfectly balanced to strike his throat, even though she felt like dropping in despair. “Then, your prince…Endymion….!”

“Endymion has been in hiding on the Moon for several hours now. Protecting his precious princess. Flaunting the sacred laws and throwing our pride in our faces.” His face altered subtly; an unholy light filled his eyes. “The Moon has been our uncompromising master for far too long, Venus. Not only has she ground us to dirt under her heel, she has subjugated you all, even your own planet. Now, we strike back.”

He raised his own sword, his eyes trained solely on her. Every word he spoke slapped her in the face harder, until it was a brutal verbal assault; if not for her training, she would have begun to cry. How could she have trusted this man? He was a different man than she had expected, a dangerous enemy. But her arm never wavered. “If you say that, General Kunzite,” she said steadily, feeling the ice suffusing her veins, “then you are my enemy. You wish my queen harm. You wish my princess harm. I will not allow you to go further.”

“So be it.”

Before he met her lunge, a third blade intercepted him and parried, shoving him back. Venus reeled as her mentor stood in front of her, exchanging blows with the silver-haired general as fiercely as he gave them, snapping, “Venus, find Serenity!”

“But, Guardian-sama, this is my fight—“

“I gave you an order, Venus!” With a sweep of her leg, she knocked Kunzite to the ground and turned to face the younger girl. “Never fight in anger, or heartbreak. If you live through this, you can scream at me later, but go. Go now!” she shouted, turning to catch Kunzite’s blow. Venus nodded, turning to run towards the gates and the palace, meeting no resistance along the way. But the ominous black cloud that hovered over the tall spire was not a good sign.

As she reached the gates, she turned to take one last look.

Kunzite had been reckoned to be the greatest swordsman of his age. When he and Venus had sparred, they had finally called a draw; her increased strength and speed had just proven enough of a match for him that he couldn’t defeat, nor she him. It had been an exhilarating battle, one that gave her bruises for weeks and a satisfied feeling for nearly a month to know her equal.

The man she watched was not that man. This one seemed to be frenzied, as if something else used his body; as he fought, his skill seemed to wane, turning into completely random, frantic motions to parry and block her mentor’s blade. If she squinted, she could almost see a black, filthy aura around his head, one that grew larger as he lost fine motor control as if feeding off of his anger and fanaticism. He hacked and slashed at the Guardian like a fanatic, grinning wider every time his blade nicked flesh.

Venus ran away from them both, into the palace gardens. It was a fatal error: as she ran down the walkway, barely noting the irony of the fountains still pouring their sparkling water, a young woman cut down Endymion on the palace steps. The dark, vicious cloud surrounding her grew, laughter echoing across the grass, as her princess screamed, “Iyaaaa! Endymion! Endymion! ENDYMION!”

The young woman turned as Venus ascended the steps at a nearly impossible speed, her sword swinging. “Woman” was barely the term for the fresh-faced, dark-haired female in the skirts of a witch or a seer who stared at her in confusion, sword at her side. She looked old enough to perhaps claim her first husband, not to be fighting in an army, nor murdering her prince. But the darkness surrounded her, shaping into two nebulous eyes and a jagged, laughing mouth, and Venus never thought to hesitate as her blade cut neatly through the woman’s stomach.

Her mouth opened wide in shock; blood dribbled past her lips, welling up from a mortal blow. As Venus dragged in a breath, feeling the drag of hours’ of fighting, the woman fell to her knees. She had been dressed in ridiculous clothing for a battle, and her sandaled feet looked pitifully small beneath her skirts, which were rapidly staining red. “If you were their leader vowing a victory as prophecy, you’ve lost,” Venus sighed, finally feeling a bit of pity for the girl as she slumped back onto the steps.

It didn’t last long. With a shuddering roar, the dark cloud that had fed on the woman’s kill rose up above the weary soldier, and she had a terrifying view of what it looked like inside; utter, lamentable darkness, a nightmare come true. It shook her to the core, pinioning her in place as a wave of power slammed into the stone at her feet, ripping up chunks of the steps to whip at her face, beating her within a cyclone of stone. She screamed as she tried vainly to protect herself, feeling wetness drip down her cheeks as her eyes were bludgeoned, her naked flesh torn.

Someone was crying as she fell to her knees, no longer able to stand. Serenity. In her zeal to cut down the woman responsible, she had forgotten about her princess, crying over the body of her prince. Now she turned sightless eyes towards the sound, only to hear another distinct, fatal noise: of a sword sliding into flesh, and of a choked scream of pain. “Serenity….? Serenity, what’s happened!”

“…..Endymion,” was all she heard. It was also the last.

The Silver Millennium fell that day, sending her spirit, and those of her allies, to the very planet that had betrayed them. A new world, cleansed by the power of their queen and a destroyed dynasty, she was to be reborn several times throughout the centuries, virtually unaware of her past. Always afterward, in transit, did she realize that all of them were reborn close together, called to flesh by the birth of the witch woman and the possibility of her power.

But when she truly awakened, when she knew without a doubt that she was alive, she found herself in a body that didn’t obey her, that didn’t even acknowledge her; within which, she was a locked and guarded prisoner. She could see through the eyes of the girl “Aino Minako,” she could feel her accessing her memories and skills unaware, but she could do nothing to move the body, to take control and finally be alive – Sailor Venus no Princess Venus – once more.

She was nothing more than a ghost who refused – who could not – let go.

With a start, Venus opened her eyes.

Verna and Artemis were staring at her, one placid and unconcerned, one twitching his whiskers in an impatient, concerned manner. The touch of ghostly fingers on her arm let her know that Alex was still there, unable to speak in front of the seer. She moistened her lips, surprised to feel tears drying on her cheeks. “Venus….I’m her. But she’s not me. She’s inside of me, like a…like a visitor who’s given me her clothing to wear, even though she has the exact same outfit. It fits, but it wasn’t an outfit meant for me…” she whispered, unaware of the excellent metaphor she’d put together; usually, her metaphors came to her much in the same way her puns did, ill-fitting and improper.

Sniffling, she wiped her cheeks with a gloved hand, staring up at the statue of the young woman she had once been, in another life. “Is this why you brought me here, Verna-san? To show me the truth?”

“Not exactly. I thought you were the original Venus reborn, only, you’d forgotten about us. I wanted to show you who we were. Instead, my soul showed me that you were someone else.” Verna waved her hand, gesturing to the lazily curling ribbons of smoke around their faces. “The incense of the temple is to cleanse the mind and reveal all secrets. For you, it showed you the truth of your power. I am sorry if it was painful, but it was not meant to be.”

Venus sighed. “But it was, anyway. I knew that there was a separation between us, but I didn’t know….” Catching the white feline’s eye, she smiled wistfully. “Yare, yare. What’s done is only time.”

“You mean, ‘what’s done is done’?” Alex murmured into her ear. “That’s a relief. I was afraid you were getting maudlin on us. Now I know you’re fine.”

She laughed, despite herself, and smiled. “Daijoubu, sensei,” she said under her breath. Out loud, she said to Verna, “But that wasn’t the reason for me coming here this time. I didn’t want to find out my past. I came because everyone in Rias has become stone!”

“Turned to stone…..? How unusual. How did it happen?”

“The statue of Kunzite in their temple was moved, and a strange light came out of it. I was protected, but everyone in the village became stone.”

Verna looked at her rather craftily, though she didn’t ask the obvious. Instead, she touched a finger to her lip, considering. Finally, after a long minute of thought, she nodded her head. “A woman named Radina. She may have the power to reverse the spell. It sounds like a spell of protection, and I am merely a seer, not a witch, to reverse such magic.”

“Where is this woman Radina?” Artemis queried, earning a quirked brow from Venus. “Is she in this village?”

“No. North of our village, you can find the ancient castle Zagsen. Radina is sure to be there.” Verna smiled sadly, her eyes drifting away towards the golden statue that continued to watch over them, unaware of their conversation. “To my knowledge, she has never left it.”

“Well, that should make our mission easier,” Venus said brightly, this time earning a dirty look from Artemis. Whatever he muttered under his breath was probably not constructive, so she was glad she couldn’t hear it. “Arigatou, Verna-san. I’ll save Rias village, even if they were the ones to once harbor a traitor.”

There was that look again; a twinkle in the woman’s eye spoke of knowledge she hadn’t given them.

“You know, with all of this walking and partying we’ve done, we could have been long home by now, and I could be having a lovely catnap,” Artemis groused as they turned the corner, the village disappearing behind them like a slow dream. Many of the women had appeared to watch them go, unconcernedly staring at their backs as they left, some of them with arms full of laundry or hands holding pots and plates. It was both flattering and eerie.

“You may as well give it up, Artemis,” Alex sighed from behind them. “I think we pummeled the ‘Soldier of Justice’ into her head a bit too well.”

“Why are you talking about me as if I’m not even here?” Venus snapped.

They walked in silence for a few metres, their feet – and paws – stirring up the dust of the less traveled path they followed northward. After a while, Artemis was sneezing, throwing a dirty and put-upon look back up at his partner, most assuredly upset that his normally clean coat was now approaching a shade of grey. His paws especially looked as though he’d pulled on a pair of thick wool socks. As usual, Venus ignored him.

After a few more minutes of calm, Alex broke the peace with a rather sudden question: “What did you see?”

“Nani?” Stopping in her tracks, the soldier turned towards the sound of her mentor’s voice, twilight blue narrowing. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. In the temple, your pulse was racing; your emotions were so strong it gave me a headache. You saw something before you made up your eloquent metaphor about clothing. And I’m asking you what you saw.”

Venus set her mouth in a thin, displeased line, looking away. It was foolish to hide anything from someone who could read minds, and though she knew it wasn’t a question asked lightly, she felt anger and displeasure that Alex would even do so. What right did she have? She had been there. She was still the same woman that had fought Kunzite on the moon so many lifetimes ago, who had sent an older, stronger Venus away to her death. What was she supposed to describe, the pain of dying? Of feeling betrayal in a new body that wasn’t hers? And they weren’t even her emotions, her memories; they were someone else’s, thrust into her brain without her permission. It had been almost a year since she’d finally gotten over the upset of realizing she had been reborn; now, she had to deal with the realization that she was not entirely reborn as partially awake.

“Venus….?” Soft fur touched her calf as Artemis pressed himself to her leg in a comforting, entirely feline twist of body and tail. Green eyes that had given her only the barest of glances in a previous lifetime, all of respect and distance, were now filled with concern. Artemis was her friend. He had not been Venus’s.

The thought made her smile.

Looking up, she touched her fingertips together, marveling at the feeling of the fabric – a strangely soft, yet incredibly tough weave that her common clothes simply did not have – and sighed. “I saw the last battle. When I awoke as Venus on the movie set, I saw it, but I didn’t want to…I didn’t want to know. Everything came so fast. In the temple, just now, I saw it again. I saw what I did. Iie….I saw what Venus had done.”

Dropping her hands, she toyed with the hem of her skirt instead as she said, “You had sent us to fight while you looked for the queen. But you couldn’t find them; you asked me if I had seen them, even though I had been fighting. Then, Kunzite appeared….”

“And he was going to fight you, because Beryl had sufficiently twisted his mind into thinking the Moon had to be destroyed,” Alex said softly. “You were heartbroken. I told you to run away and find Serenity. I wouldn’t let you fight him.”

“You wouldn’t,” Venus agreed, feeling a tear fall down her face. “I didn’t….I didn’t want to! I thought he had cared about me….but he was ready to fight me to the death, and I thought that, maybe, I had been wrong all along about him.” She wiped her cheek, swallowing a lump in her throat that was threatening to grow. “I ran away. You told me to run, and I did, because I didn’t want to see what happened next – if he killed you, or you—“

“Killed him.”

Venus sagged, catching the wall next to her with a trembling hand. “I didn’t want to know! For the love of the kami, how could you kill him so simply and yet tell me this now? How can you argue for the side of a traitor that you yourself killed!”

“Because you want to know, no matter what you say. And because he died bravely, even if his mind was twisted because of that sick bitch, which is what he would have wanted. It could have been worse. Had I not intervened, it could have been you on the end of his sword; he wouldn’t have stopped, wouldn’t have given you mercy. Would that have been better?” the tall red-head queried darkly, touching her hair. “Maybe he was dissatisfied with the Moon kingdom. Almost everyone from Earth was. But I don’t think he was a traitor. I think Beryl gave him the proverbial push off that cliff.”

“But he could have fought. He had his own power, I know he did! Not all of Earth was unable to wield magic, and he could. He could have done something to stop her!”

“Why? To make you feel better? Life isn’t fair, Venus. Bad shit happens. Kunzite was caught up in something that was probably bigger than he understood, and he couldn’t get out. Neither he nor the other three left that battlefield alive before Serenity destroyed everything. They might have betrayed their prince, but even Mamoru understands forgiveness. After all,” Alex added, “he was there. And Usagi hasn’t held it against him.”

“Usagi forgives everyone. She’s so innocent and trusting. But I can’t. I won’t. I fled from that traitor and into darkness. I killed Beryl before she could cause anymore harm, and Metallia killed me for striking her down.” Jabbing a finger towards her mentor’s voice, she snapped, “And what do you know of such things? You survived, you always survive! No matter how we all died, you lived to tell me this now, and you—“

“What do I know? Because I survived one war, that’s grounds for accusing me of not understanding your pain? Have you forgotten that I’ve lived several lives as well? That I was fighting for my life years before I even trained you? That I died more than once?” Alex’s voice rose in volume, even as Venus tried to out-shout her. Artemis was staring back and forth in bleak desperation; a ranting, destructive Minako was easy to handle. A ranting, self-destructive, accusatory Venus was something else entirely, especially with someone else thrown into the mix who had a history of not backing down. He had a feeling that if she and Mars ever went at it, this was what it would look like. “How would you like to be the one who survived? I had to find you all lying there dead, when I had assumed you would have lived. I had to be the one to comfort Serenity when she found her daughter with a sword sticking out of her guts, her fingers still wrapped around the fucking handle. Don’t you tell me I don’t know.

“I saw Clarice die in front of me, ripped apart by her own powers. I had her hand when Sean couldn’t quite reach her, and I felt her dissolve between my fingers like smoke. She had been scared of using her powers because she had killed someone with them, and she used them to save the rest of us, she sacrificed herself so we would live.

“I’ve seen the world end in a blaze of crystal; I was nearly killed by a madman who had been my trusted professor. I’ve had a teammate ripped apart by a psychopath with claws, just so he could escape his cage. I’ve held my father’s body in my arms so limp, I thought he was dead. You want to hold up your losses to mine, like this was some kind of game? It won’t work.”

Venus was silently crying, tears coursing down her face. She had crumpled within the span of seconds it took for Alex to snap back, and she was on her knees, dismissive of the dust, feeling the ebb and flow of emotions attached to a memory that wasn’t completely hers. “But you still come out on top. I didn’t. I didn’t….”

Ghostly arms circled her, hugging her tight, as Artemis leaned up to nudge her face. “I know, chere. But you can’t dwell on the failure of a lifetime. All you can do is look ahead. Don’t ruin yourself over someone else’s memories.”

“Sou yo. You’re our Venus now. You’re Codename wa Sailor V. Even Venus needed her friends at your age, when you were solo. Don’t hold yourself up to an old standard.” Licking her cheek, Artemis tickled her with his whiskers to make her laugh. “And I like you this way. Venus was always off doing something I would have probably disapproved of.”

“Baka Artemis, you disapprove of me now.” But the swat she gave him was affectionate.

“It’s what dysfunctional families do. Well. On American TV they do,” Alex amended, before giving her one last squeeze.

It wasn’t long after that, during which Artemis and Venus gave up their truce and began bickering at each other about Minako’s study habits, that they walked into the immense cavern that held the castle. The sight was enough to shut them both up; it towered over their heads for several stories, made out of sleek, obviously imported grey stone, its windows decorated with red banners that looked brand-new, and its sconces burning merrily as if Radina was prepared for their arrival. “Sugo-o-o-i-i,” Venus breathed, craning her head. “I want one.”

“Maybe tsukimidango will lend you hers.”

They entered quietly, though no amount of stealth could stop a pair of heels from clicking on stone. A long hallway in front of them ended with two directions and a wall; suspicious, Venus stopped. “Sensei, can you sense anything? It’s been too quiet….only one youma so far.”

“Nothing.” She sounded annoyed, and a bit puzzled. “If there’s anything evil, they’re definitely shielding themselves well.”

“That’s not comforting,” Artemis grumbled.

The faintest of tickles ran up their spines; all three, in unison, shivered. It was followed by a stronger tremor, which had them literally shaking, though it quickly died in the adrenaline rush triggered by the sight of the twin youma now standing in front of them. “Speak of the devil,” Alex murmured.

They were women – obviously; very rarely had they seen males – and exact duplicates of each other, with hideously clashing orange skin and pink clothes. It looked as if they had raided a store simply to cover themselves up, knowing humans disliked casual nudity, but they hadn’t the brains to recognize that their skin would set them apart anyway. Their skirts didn’t fit, their tops barely covered them decently, and they wore sneakers with the laces untied. If they hadn’t been evil denizens of a destroyed kingdom, Venus might have started to laugh.

Instead, she struck a pose. “Codename wa Sailor Venus! Don’t think that because you’ve surprised me, you’ll walk away from this. The soldier of love eats things like you for a snack!”

“Hnnnfff.” The one on her right cracked a whip, snapping her ankle. Before she could sever it with a beam, she was flung up into the air and snapped down painfully into the stones. Ripped back up again, she twisted in mid-air to see the second youma laughing strangely; a wheezing, strangled sound that most likely indicated a lack of a true voice. No trading witty quips for them.

She hit the ground again, managing to cushion her landing with her arms, and was flung back up as she called power to her hands. Artemis, seeing her do so, launched himself into the face of the one wielding the whip, ripping at her with his claws, as Venus let a Crescent Beam fly to sever the whip. This time, she crash-landed rather spectacularly. “Ittaiiii!”

Rolling to her feet, she saw the second youma being flung around by invisible blows, and the first throwing Artemis across the room, its face ripped and bleeding, an eyeball hanging from its socket by a vein. Without preamble, the youma pushed it back in, with a squishy, wet sound that made Venus’s toes curl; when she saw that it had also burst, she felt close to vomiting. “For the love of the kami, that’s completely disgusting! Just for making me ill, I should destroy you.” She summoned her chain, snapping it out to bind the creature, but the golden links sailed past harmlessly as it leap high into the air. “Shimatta.”

They collided, rolling across the ground in true anime fashion, beating on one another with their fists, Venus loathe to use her powers lest the youma blow up in her face. As they came to a stop, she punched the creature across the nose in a hit that ripped skin and crunched bone, most likely shoving splinters up into what should have been its brain. It was a good, solid hit, with most of her muscle behind it; imagine her surprise when the youma simply grinned and punched her in the chest, knocking her off and stealing the wind from her.

Across the hall, she could see the second youma still stumbling as it was buffeted by blows, half of its face destroyed. Venus frowned. Both of them should have been, at the very least, taken down long enough to be easy targets. She had handled tougher youma with less effort and a quicker time frame; she was beginning to suspect they had to be given a fatal blow at the same time. “How great, for someone on her own,” she grumbled.

Well. She wasn’t technically on her own, but she was the only one with the powers of a soldier at her disposal. It was still a damn sneaky trick, and she suspected she wasn’t meant to figure out as quickly as she had.

Sensing danger, she rolled to the side as the youma raked claws through the space where she’d been, spinning on her back to kick it full in the head. Flipping to her feet to kick it again, this time in the ribs, she dropped onto its chest to pin its arms with her knees, touching her finger to its forehead. “Sensei! You need to hit the youma fully at the same time as me! Synchronize!”

“At the same time? Figures.” The second youma swung out blindly, only to be clocked in the jaw. “Ready when you are.”

Calling power to her hand, Venus smiled grimly at the golden glow suffusing their faces. Her muscles tensed to spring, balancing on her toes, she whispered, “Crescent Beam.”

She leapt away, partially aided by the force of the detonation. It was quite the explosion; youma chunks flew everywhere, turning to dust in mid-air. She landed gracefully on her ass, blinking away the afterimage, to see that both had indeed been destroyed. “Yo-o-shi! I knew it would work. Ne, Artemis? Ne?” she queried, looking around. When no reply was forthcoming, she stumbled to her feet. “Artemis!”

They found him at the foot of the wall, completely out cold from the blow. Gently, Alex lifted him, carrying him in her arms as they left the hallway and walked down the second, though Venus said he was stupid enough to be left behind for attacking a youma like that. Obviously, she didn’t mean it.

When they found the stairs, they ascended without hesitation, though Venus kept her fist at her side glowing with power. Artemis stirred only once, feebly batting his paws, and rolled back into sleep; Venus gave him a quick, affectionate smile before turning back to the stairs. “If Radina is here, I think the enemy may have gotten to her.”

“I wouldn’t put it past them. If they can go through time, they can definitely get here before us,” Alex agreed with a snort.

At the top, the hall led them to the right. Venus lifted her hand as she felt the first touch of dark energy; it suffused the entire floor, though it was almost weak enough to be dismissed. A faint heaviness to the air that lingered in the back of the throat. She was beginning to wish that Ishtar – crazy girl that she seemed to be – would at least have the decency to fight her face to face, instead of using innocent people. Because she was now certain Radina was probably possessed; they’d find her under the influence of an evil magic, trying to kill them, she’d have to hurt the woman to free her, apologies would be exchanged, and she’d feel slightly guilty.

Radina stood motionless atop a dais in the corner of the room they finally entered, her eyes closed in sleep. She looked drained of colour, a black and white photo image; it was from her that the energy radiated, stronger as they came closer. Artemis began to stir again as they approached, opening one eye to reveal bloodshot green. “Nani…? Evil….”

“We know, Artemis. Just go back to sleep,” Venus soothed him, touching his head. “Sensei, watch him. I can handle this alone.”

Without waiting for a confirmation, she strode towards the motionless woman. At two steps, Radina’s eyes opened. At five, her head was rotating like a stop-motion doll to match Venus’s look. It was blank and pitiless. “Who are you to disturb me? I sense light…love, and happiness. I will not tolerate such near me!”

“Get used to it, wicked creature. I am the pretty-suited soldier Sailor Venus! Whatever evil you might be up to, I’m here to stop it. Kunzite the traitor may have condoned it, but I will not!” She came to a halt, flashing the victory sign in a gesture that ended with her low, prepared stance. Power glowed within her hand, primed to strike.

Radina hissed like a….

….twilight blue rolled up to follow her sudden transformation…

….a gleaming, scaly tail sprang out from beneath her robes, slapping the soldier aside…

….like a snake.

Venus landed hard, gasping for breath as she felt her bruised ribs, looking in shock over her shoulder at the grinning woman atop the dais. She had torn off her robes to reveal what had become of her body: she had become a grotesque half-snake with purple and green scales climbing up her torso and breast, her legs now a solid, winding mass of twitching tail. Her fingers had lengthened with claws, matching the steak knives she had in her smile. “Kami-sama,” Venus moaned, rolling onto her knees.

“Do you like my form? The wicked nature of the snake suits me.” Radina’s words rolled off a forked tongue with the hissing ‘S’ typical of movies and TV creatures of the same nature. Though she meandered down the steps with an easy and slow grace, she turned into a speed demon once she hit the ground, slithering forward to lunge at the blonde. Regretting the sudden movement, but having no choice, Venus sprung forward to catapult off Radina’s head like a gym horse, arcing cleanly over her tail.

Landing, she snapped her wrist as she called her golden chain to her hand, throwing the magical links like a lasso over the woman’s head. Radina countered the action by grabbing a length of chain and yanking hard, only to have a heel snapped into her face once Venus was close. Fuming, she swatted her with her tail again, and though Venus was fast enough to dodge, she was still thrown aside by a clip to her shoulder that nearly dislocated her arm. Already, she was beginning to regret her decision to treat Radina lightly; whatever possessed her was definitely stronger than some drone.

Standing, she mentally catalogued her injuries as she summoned more power. Bruised ribs, possibly one cracked, as well as a muscle near her shoulder that felt pulled. Her ankle was a bit sore from kicking Radina in the head; her scales were harder than they looked. All rather minor pains compared to what she had experienced in other battles, but she was also solo this time out; if she kept up her current pace, “minor pains” could multiple into a detriment. She was stubborn enough to fight through the pain until unconsciousness took her down, but this wasn’t the place to do it; the skills of an old lifetime knew better than that.

Dodging a swipe cleanly this time, she considered blasting the ceiling, then discarded the idea; she had no clue how old the castle was, and how fast it might all collapse. A fast blow to the head could do it – she leapt over another swing – but then again, her scales seemed too strong and made for protection against that kind of foolish attack. Biting back a curse under her breath that would have made her mother blush, she swung her arm around as she called out, “Venus Power! Love Crescent Shower!” holding open her old compact. The golden energy burst from the crescent compact in what looked like an explosion of rain, showering Radina with cleansing power. It usually worked to free someone from a spell.

Radina simply grinned at her and slapped her so hard she saw stars. The wall broke her flight, and another rib. As she slid down, the compact falling from her hand, the snake opened her mouth wide in a hearty laugh, thrashing her tail. “You’re very spirited, Sailor Venus! Not many would try to cleanse my spirit. What a shame for you that it didn’t work.” Lifting herself up onto her tail as one would their feet, she licked her lips. “Whatever you came here for, this will be your grave.”

“Iie. The soldier of love doesn’t give up. Especially when an innocent is forced to suffer.” Even though her voice cracked on the last word, Venus glared at her menacingly. She felt as if a truck had been dropped on her. Whatever had taken over Radina was now going to get its ass kicked for this, she’d just apologize later. Once she figured out how to defeat her, that was…

Glancing down to pick up her compact, she froze at the image reflected: Radina the snake caught in the act of lunging, made out of smooth granite, with the woman Radina standing in front, perfectly human. Radina had topaz eyes that shone like jewels when she smiled at Venus, gesturing for her to turn the mirror on the snake. It was a simple maneuver; reveal the creature’s true visage in the mirror to destroy it. She could have done it earlier, had she not channeled her power through the compact and rendered the mirror useless.

“You seem to be quite lazily giving up right now,” Radina hissed as Venus looked up, fingering the crescent. It was so laughably simple that she took her time in standing, tossing the compact from hand to hand.

“Never say never: that’s my motto. Stay the course!” With a flick of her wrist, she opened the compact, showing the snake its reflective interior. “And of course, it’s always good to carry a mirror, to always look your best. Too bad for you, you always look your worst,” she said cheekily, giving Radina a wink.

As the snake saw her reflection, small as it was and in duplicate form, she reared back with an unearthly howl. She threw her arm up to shield her face, screaming, “NO! I am flesh and blood! Don’t show me that cold stone shape! I don’t want to see it!”

“You can’t run from your true form. And yours is cold stone.” She lifted the compact higher, catching a flash of topaz.

White light from the compact bathed Radina as she screamed, writhing as if she were being tortured. Slowly the limbs stiffened, turning the polished grey of granite; her mouth, opened impossibly wide, became a dainty circle of surprise before becoming stone. When it was over, a twisted statue of a half-woman, half-snake stood in her place, and Radina the human stood in front of it, naked and shivering. “Oh…oh! S-s-so cold….”

“Here.” Her discarded robes, mended back into one piece, were draped over her shoulders by invisible hands. “This should help.”

“Oh! Thank you. Sailor Venus, thank you for saving me. I had hoped to be within your presence again.” She tugged the robe around her nakedness roughly, not bothering to pull it on properly, before bowing low in respect. “Honorable Venus. It is a joy to be able to see you again! That form was so cold and lonely.”

“You’ve known me too? Is everyone someone from my past?” Venus asked, exasperated. Radina looked up at her curiously.

“Of course I know you, Honorable Venus. You were the one to offer me sanctuary in Sariel village.” At the perplexed look on the soldier’s face, she elaborated, “Because of the terrible mistake on Mars. I had to flee, or I would be sacrificed to the Elder Woman. You brought me to the village of women to hide me, because the Martians would not follow me to Earth. Don’t you remember, Honorable Venus?”

A muscle twitched in her cheek. No, she did not remember her, much like she didn’t remember Verna, or the village of men in Rias. Just because she had those memories in her head didn’t mean she could call them up at will; she had subconsciously trained herself not to do so, and had long ago succeeded. Now, she couldn’t do it if she tried. Pieces would come to her at odd times, remain with her like an old shirt she couldn’t throw away, but not a single memory she retained had either woman in them. And she couldn’t remember anything about an incident on Mars, either.

Radina was giving her a rather sad look. “You’re not the Sailor Venus I knew. Are you? Perhaps, in body and spirit, but not completely. Has it truly been so long since I last spoke to my princess?”

“Perhaps it has been,” Venus agreed dully. “The Silver Millennium has been destroyed for lifetimes. The Sailor Venus of then died, and was reborn within me, but I’m not…..I’m not her. Not in the way you want.” She watched Radina as she jerked back, eyes wide with the revelation. “How have you lived so long in this place that you would have known Venus?”

“When I arrived in Sariel village, I told no one of my past except Verna. But soon, the general Kunzite arrived to call for me; he told me of a strange monster living in the abandoned castle north of the village, and asked me to destroy it. It was bound within the walls, he said, but children from both villages continued to go there despite the tales, and were being killed.” Shivering, Radina looked up at the statue behind her. “I came here to vanquish it, and instead, it consumed me; it used me as a host. And so I was living, but not living, as it used me for physical things.”

Venus mentally calculated the years passing, holding back a shiver of her own. So many long, cold years spent trapped within a monster, keeping her alive far past her time. “It used you to lure children, didn’t it?” she murmured quietly, seeing Radina’s breath catch in her throat. “Did it succeed?”

“No,” Radina sighed, “it did not. When the tales of my disappearance spread, only one child was foolish enough to see me; the story she took back frightened everyone away, finally. So in the end, perhaps I succeeded.” She smiled weakly, adjusting her robes. “It took no more children. But it existed merely to kill, not to feed; it lived throughout the long, long years without sustenance. It was a foul creature of darkness. When you revealed its true form – a charmed statue – you returned it to that form.”

“Ara, that’s good. I was afraid I’d have to really get nasty with it.” With a gesture, she called power to her hand and pointed towards the coiled stone snake. A few quick shots of her beam reduced it to a smoking pile of rubble and dust, one menacing grey eye staring at her from the top of the pile. The noise woke Artemis, finally; she could see his furry head jerk upright in Alex’s arms. “There. That’s finished. You’re free to return to Sariel village, Radina.”

The woman had tears in her eyes that she didn’t bother to wipe away as she stared at the pile of rock. Slowly, she bent to pick up the solitary eye, saying, “Once, I stared through this eye as if it were my own. A prison not of my making. But, given the choice to save the children….I would do it again.” She held it tightly within her hand, showing Venus a bright, blossoming smile. “Thank you, Sailor Venus. How can I repay my princess for this?”

Any urge to correct the woman died on Venus’s lips; after all, a part of her was heir to that long-lost throne. She simply returned the smile instead, giving her a rakish wink. “Ara ara, sailor soldiers don’t require payment for doing a job well done! But, since you did ask, I do have a problem. Rias village has been turned to stone. When I asked Verna-san for help, she told me to find you.” She also didn’t mention the nagging suspicion she now had that Verna had been more interested in her doing the dirty work of rescuing Radina than finding help.

Radina tapped her lower lip with a dusty finger, pondering. “I don’t see why. I am a witch warrior, not a true sorceress with the strongest power. Perhaps I can repel the trickery, but if it is a solid spell of intent, I can do nothing for you.” She shuffled away towards the dais, disappearing behind it as she dropped to her knees. Artemis glared at her groggily, then over at his partner, who gave him a pleasant smile.

Finally, Radina came back out, holding up her hand a dirty, tarnished silver chain, on the end of which dangled a teardrop topaz the size of her fist. Venus gawked; the sucker was huge. She could bludgeon someone with it. “However, I’m not sure why the village would be cursed. Kunzite placed a spell of protection around it long ago, as it was the home of his birth.”

“I don’t know, Radina-san. A statue of…him…was moved, and a sudden bright light turned everyone to stone, except me.” So she was fibbing; she doubted Radina would notice. A sudden flash of heat at her wrist had her unconsciously gripping the bracelet through her glove however, as if it recognized her lie.

“Perhaps it was released upon his death. Curious.” Taking the chain with both hands, she swung it over Venus’s head and set the topaz against her breast. “I have named it Rias, as I have charmed it to repel the trickery of the village. If it works or not, simply leaving it around general Kunzite’s statue, and I shall retrieve it later; it is a very valuable gem. All you need to do is focus your golden light through the gem on the statue.”

Lifting it up to the torchlight to watch the colours sparkle through its facets, Venus said, “Hai? That sounds easy. Why is it so valuable, Radina-san? Besides being pretty, of course!”

Radina smiled wistfully. “Once, we discussed the aspects of my witchcraft, when I was first brought to Sariel. I gave you the names of all of my gems, as well as their secret names. I whispered in your ear every property of every gem and bauble. Topaz in particular was your favourite, because it repels enchantments and can give you strength and invisibility. It was also rumoured to prevent death. You said you always wore your mother’s brooch pinned to your hair ribbon in case such an event happened.” The smile on her face faded. “Perhaps it isn’t as lucky as the ancients say.”

The trip back to Rias was mostly uneventful, save for a pair of youma that Venus seemed to take unnecessary pleasure in destroying. Ever since Radina had described the stone’s properties, it seemed as if it had taken the initiative to give her the strength she needed to run circles around the creatures, her power ripping through the air faster than before. Maybe the bracelet had been enspelled, and her words had triggered it; whatever the case, it was a hot brand on her wrist, burning each time she used an attack. But there was no sound of his voice this time, and for that, she was glad.

Artemis was still being carried around like a kitten, something he had complained about vociferously for a few metres before being told to give it a rest by both of them; then, he merely sulked. Alex didn’t speak at all, save for telling him to shut up, apparently content to follow Venus as she gave them both her own silent treatment. She didn’t want to talk about it, didn’t care to dredge up her feelings, and most of all, didn’t want to acknowledge the bottomless pit feeling that had taken residence in her stomach ever since Radina had mentioned her old superstitions. Venus’s. Hers. Both of theirs. She didn’t even know.

She had already died once this lifetime, going out with what she had thought was one last bang, striking back at Metallia because their princess couldn’t do it. The memory – the uncomfortable reminder that she had experienced death and lived to tell the tale – was bad enough without realizing it was not her first time. It had been totally unexpected, because the sailor soldiers were supposed to be the good guys who won their battles, instead of finding themselves cut down by a ballistic human army and their pet demon. The Sailor Venus of then had been prepared for battle, but not for dying. She had not expected to die until years – maybe centuries – down the road. And she had indeed been wearing the brooch in her bow, a lovely octagonal topaz surrounded by sapphires, that had remained on her head until the moment she died.

Idly, she wondered where it was now. Maybe still in the dust on a long-dried corpse.

For some reason, that seemed hilarious to her. Gallows’ humour, perhaps.

As they ascended the steps into Rias temple, passing several stone statues, Alex finally spoke. “What do you plan to do if this doesn’t work?”

“I think it will. Somehow, I have a feeling,” she replied, nose wrinkling at the smell of congealing food in the heat. It was only a few degrees cooler underground than above; any food left out unattended would soon be spoiled, even after an hour or two.

In the upstairs room, Kunzite’s statue was exactly as they had left it. Including a fuming Ishtar standing behind it, staring across the room at Venus with a look of fury. “You! You are Ishtar’s enemy! I recognized you after I left. Ishtar doesn’t care what Sin thinks. She said you would find me; Ishtar has found you instead!”

“It took you so long? The soldier of love isn’t as popular as she once was.” Venus sighed, affecting a shrug. “Yare yare.”

“So! You’ve come back here. Is it to do something sneaky? Is Kunzite’s stone here, maybe? Inside this statue perhaps!” Ishtar jabbed a finger towards the statue, her eyes shining. “Lucky! Ishtar can have the stone and defeat Venus at the same time!”

Venus twitched an eyebrow. “Are you really my enemy?”

Ishtar glared at her, opening her mouth to yell; then stopped, eyes focusing on the topaz around her neck. “Ne, ne, the stone! You have the stone! Creature! Hey, you!” she shouted, waving her arms frantically to summon a youma just like the robed, floating creatures at Juuban. It floated between them, brandishing its scythe, as she laughed. “Take care of her! Ishtar needs the Kunzite stone!”

“You can’t even fight me alone? Mou! What kind of enemy are you for me? Now I’m upset, and that never makes me happy! Crescent Beam!” she snapped, hitting the youma with a force so hard it threw it across the room. She blinked; Ishtar craned her head to watch the creature go flying. It hit the wall and vaporized. “Ano…I meant to do that! You see how powerful I am, as the strongest sailor soldier. Now get out of here, before I defeat you!”

“How cruel of you! Ishtar won’t fight on these terms. You’re too sneaky for me; just you wait, I’ll prove Sin wrong! You’ll have to deal with me soon enough!” With an impatient flip of her hair, Sin vanished. Artemis snorted.

“I think this proves evil is a product of inbreeding. There’s no other explanation.” Venus giggled, though it was a bit forced.

“Sensei, evil is just evil. How can you be evil by breathing?”

“Breeding, not breathing. I know my accent isn’t that bad in this language.”

Venus giggled again, her laughter trailing off as she eyed the statue. It was still out of place, swung around to stare at an opposite wall. She quickly yanked and shoved it back into place, trying not to handle it any longer than necessary. Just because she had a village to save didn’t mean she had to take her time doing it.

She stepped back several metres, lifting the Medias topaz. “How can I do this? At point blank, it would destroy the gem.”

Artemis tilted his head, wincing at the effect. “I don’t think so. I think it’s made to focus energy. If you put your finger against it, calling your power, it should go straight through.”

“Like sunlight through prisms. You did pay attention in science class, didn’t you?”

“Of course not! Why would a future idol require science? And who needs to know the Theory of Relatives anyway?” she replied blithely.

“….you know, sometimes I really wonder why I even bother correcting you,” Alex groaned. “It’s the Theory of Relativity. And can you please get on with this so we can get back to that cramped little island we call home?”

“Hai, hai, obaa-chan.” Lifting the topaz just a bit higher, she placed the tip of her finger against the very center. Holding it out at arms’ length, she aimed for Kunzite’s crotch; somewhat petty and vindictive, but she doubted a statue would notice. “Crescent Beam!”

The golden beam fractured as it passed through the topaz, splitting into dozens of miniature beams of the same colour, bathing the statue in light. Then, like a larger refractor, the statue itself exploded with light, blinding all three of them again, passing through their bodies and the walls. When it was over, there was silence; Venus cracked open an eye to see the statue still in the same place, the topaz a mere gem. Without bothering to ask, she stepped forward to swing the chain over the statue’s neck and left it there.

Outside, standing on the temple steps, they watched as the stone slowly melted from bodies, living tan flesh emerging. Inside the temple room they could hear the excited babble of voices as they were freed. “I’m so glad,” Venus remarked.

“Lovely Venus!” One of the men approached her, practically falling to his knees at her feet. “Thank you so very much for freeing us! Take this as a token of my thanks, and for your beauty.” Reaching into his tunic, he withdrew a plain brown sack. Opening it, he took out a small metal pot, which he handed to her. “Rouge, for your lovely lips.”

“A-ano….I don’t really….that is, I’m always glad to help, but…!”

“Venus! Venus, thank you!” another one cried as he ran up, taking her hand and kissing it fervently. “It was so cold within that stone. But, you’ve freed us! Please, allow me to gift you with a better token.” He pulled a similar sack from his tunic, though the glass bottle he withdrew looked like an older version of nail polish. She took it with an embarrassed smile and bow.

“Arigatou. But, really, I don’t need such gifts—“

“Beautiful Venus, how can I thank you for freeing us?” A third man approached her from the open door of the temple, clapping his hands together as he bowed in forgiveness. “Please, accept a gift from me as well, for your extraordinary body.” Again, the sack, though his was slightly better in quality; his bottle was also nicer, with gold leaf trim, and a clear liquid inside. From the smell, it was lily and snowdrop perfume. “The sweetest of perfume from our flowers.”

Now she was juggling the gifts a bit awkwardly, trying to hold three containers with two hands. “This is really very nice of you, but as a sailor soldier, I’m dedicated to helping those in needs…these gifts aren’t necessary!” She stumbled away as they closed in on her, speaking at once to catch her attention, begging her opinion on their gifts. “N-ne, ne, I really don’t need this much attention!”

Hands grabbed her arms, swung her around, and pulled her off the steps in a frantic run. “This is the last time we take you anywhere,” Alex groaned, carrying Artemis; he bobbed up and down like a puppet on invisible strings.

“This isn’t my fault!”

“Neither was the vase in your mother’s bedroom,” Artemis retorted.

“That….it just fell on its own! I didn’t touch it!”

They ran around the pool, dodging several more admirers, and ducked behind a house. When that failed, they ran back around the other way, past two houses, and behind a third. When that one failed as well, as the three had grown into a quintuplet, Venus leapt up onto the roof. “This is insane! Why can’t they just thank me and leave me alone!?”

A barely audible thump next to her signaled her mentor’s landing. “Maybe because you’re the only female they’ve seen in this village for a long time?” she theorized blandly, bouncing an already-green Artemis more comfortably into her arms. “The only one who hasn’t gone completely batshit is Darcy.”

“Darcy-san! Let’s hide there again. He won’t tell anyone.” Without waiting to see if she were following, Venus slid down the other side, leaping across to the next roof. Below them was a group of puzzled men, apparently never giving a thought to looking up above their heads. Even when her heels made a loud click on the tile, they simply swiveled around and headed for the opposite side of the house.

They darted into the relative quiet of Darcy’s house, hastily whipping the door shut behind them. As Venus let out a relieved sigh, a familiar head peered into the front room. “Sailor Venus? Is that you?”

“Hai, hai! Gomen ne, but I’ve intruded on you again in haste. I needed to hide.” She smiled brightly, bowing in forgiveness. Behind her, she heard Artemis grunt as he was dropped onto the floor, thankfully hidden by her body. “I seem to be just as popular as before.”

“Of course you are! You saved us from the stone. We’re so deeply in your gratitude, Sailor Venus. Thank you so very much,” he said in return, walking briskly forward to take her gloved hand and giving it a kiss. “I don’t know how to repay you, save for a gift.”

Venus thought about the velvet bag holding all of her gifts, already bulging at the seams, and quickly shook her head in denial. “Iie, I have so many already! Your thanks is enough!”

But he was already off and digging in a large wooden trunk near the wall, carefully setting objects wrapped in cloth on the floor as he took them out. Venus fidgeted, playing with the bracelet through her glove, until he finally stood back up, a silken bundle in his hands. It was a dark blue, tasseled in gold, and carefully folded.

Standing in front of her once again, he unfolded it corner by corner, to reveal another piece of topaz jewelry; a golden choker, ribboned to look like fine lace, from which dangled a topaz cut in the shape of a heart. He lifted it up carefully for her to see how finely crafted it was, how delicate the weaving. Dimly it registered in the back of her mind that it would fit perfectly over her uniform’s standard, embellishing the plain orange beautifully. “It’s beautiful, Darcy-san, but I couldn’t possibly accept such a gift!”

With a smile, he shook his head at her. “Sailor Venus, whose name represents beauty. This is a gift I desire you to wear. It is called the Rias Topaz.” Smoothly he unwound it – it hooked in the back like a corset, instead of clasping – and without asking, reached around to carefully fasten it around her neck. Then he led her to the shining mirror on the wall for her to look.

Oh, it fit perfectly. She could see the plain orange fabric of her uniform through the gold weave, making it look sumptuous. The heart nestled into the hollow of her collar bones, perfectly shaped to fit without overlapping them. “How interesting for it to be another topaz,” she muttered, reaching up to trace the curve of the heart. “But, still,” she said in a louder voice, “I can’t accept this. It’s a treasure for your village!”

“But it was made for you, Venus. It is formally known as the Rias Topaz, but legend names it more commonly as ‘Venus’s Treasure,’ made for her love by our general, Kunzite.” She spun around at that, staring at him with a second’s madness, but he seemed completely unfazed. “You visited our village often to see him, in a quiet world beneath the stones. Here, he was our family; here, he was free of the burdens of his role, and he could be acceptable to you. When he died, we were preserved perfectly to wait for him; however, he returned with darkness in his soul. So now, our village simply counts the minutes until we are taken to that world to be with him. It will be a clean, simple death at last.”

Adjusting the choker with nimble fingers, he added, “He would have wanted you to have this, finally. You never saw it. He was called away before he could deliver it to you, and then…he was no more. Everything I remembered as I was stone, as if Kunzite himself spoke to me.”

“I don’t want it. I don’t want the jewels of a traitor.” She reached up to unfasten it, or even to rip it off if need be, but something paused her hands; the heavy weight of the bracelet on her wrist. Slowly, she lowered her hands, staring at Darcy in defeat. “If I don’t take it, you’ll never forgive me, will you? To take his jewels….”

“Sailor Venus, please consider mercy. Kunzite was a man of the coldest winter, not our warm summers, but even he was moved to compassion by the touch of a goddess. He would not have been a traitor. Take his gift, to remember his humanity.”

She sighed. Adjusting the choker again for her own comfort, she considered her options. Now that the village was freed, she could go home. However, she was pretty sure she had to return to the spot Kunzite’s Kage stone originally left them for the whole stone to take them back home. As she was currently the kami only knew how far below ground, she was stumped on how to get back up. “Darcy-san….do any of you return to the surface?”

“Do you wish to leave? Ahh….it’s too bad.” He pulled off a convincing pout that looked far too cute on his handsome face; Venus laughed in appreciation, though her eyes lingered long enough that Artemis whacked her shin. “It’s very easy. North of the path leaving our village is a secret path that leads to a cave. Inside is something of yours that will take you wherever you wish to go.”

“Something of mine?”

“Your ship. The flying ship you would come down to Earth in.” He made a shaping motion with his hands, shrugging in careless confusion. “I was told that it was a beautiful ship, made to fly amongst the stars.”

“I don’t need to fly amongst stars, I just need to get back to Tokyo! Mou, that won’t help at all!” she groaned, palming her face. “I can’t fly a ship back home. Everyone would see it and stare!”

Darcy laughed at her. “Venus, have you forgotten? You said it could teleport you anywhere you wished to go. It was a magical vessel. Perfect, for a goddess.”

“Then, sayonara…Darcy-san.” She raised a hand to halt his words before they even passed his lips. “Sayonara.”

The path was a little more difficult to find than Darcy had indicated; it was overgrown with weeds, and cleverly cut into the stone at an angle that almost seamlessly matched the rest of the wall. At several angles, you couldn’t even tell there was even an opening. It was only the recently stamped down path of weeds that gave Venus the clue that it did in fact exist.

Clearing aside the broken stems, Venus sighed. “I hope I can still work this flying ship, or whatever it is. After all, I’m not Venus. Not the one who once flew it.”

Sitting down in the grass with a sigh, she touched the choker still hanging around her throat. Artemis fixed her with a curious stare, finally asking her, “What’s wrong, Venus? We’re going home. You don’t have to be so concerned anymore. Mamoru-san will be healed, and you won’t have to deal anymore with him.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong. This whole trip….I remember Kunzite as a traitor. But was he something else? Something more, that I can’t….I don’t want to…”

“That you don’t wish to remember, knowing the end as you do?” she heard, whispered softly into her ear.

“Kunzite?!”

She stood up, whirling around to nearly smack into Kunzite’s broad chest. He was dressed the same as she had always known him; grey uniform perfect, boots spotless, his gloves snow white and clean. But he wasn’t standing in a dirty tunnel beneath the dirt; he was in a field of lilies, stretching as far as the eye could see, to end in blue faceted walls. So was she, for that matter.

But as she moved to speak, she realized that her mouth had begun to move without her; someone else was using her voice. “I know how it ends, just as you do,” she snapped sharply, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. “Your betrayal does not lessen over the years. Our guardian was wise to kill you, before I did.”

Venus – Minako – felt herself drifting, watching the scene from a distance. Her body was not the same; taller, more assured and confident, fitting perfectly into the uniform. It was the Venus of the Silver Millennium talking now, accusing Kunzite of betraying his prince, speaking in rapid Lunarian punctuated with jabs of her finger. The stone, the pieces of his soul that she had merged, had pulled them in, she realized abruptly. Was her actual body still awake? Or was Artemis and Alex fretting over her unconscious form? She couldn’t tell. She wasn’t even in control of the body she had in this place.

“It was witchcraft, Venus, not betrayal. Of course I despised the Moon Kingdom! Would you not feel disgust towards those who treated you like inferior beings? To allow one of us to be the family’s protector, while still treating us as filth, is hypocrisy. And my prince allowed it to continue with his dalliances!”

“How interesting, for I seem to remember you having no trouble with him sullying my princess’s virgin skin. Because it was his ‘wish’ to do so, you would never move to stop him.” Venus’s voice was dropping further into subterranean with her disgust and anger. “Yet I stood up for her pride, and that of her kingdom! I was the protector I swore to be! And you, the man chosen to not only be one of the shitennou, but their respected leader, the foulest of traitors, did nothing.”

“Is this where your anger springs from? My duty to my prince? Perhaps we interpreted our roles differently; I was always taught to obey, not disobey. And even then, I did, for the touch of your hardly-pure skin. Those stolen moments. Did you love me, princess? Or was the beating of your heart a lie?”

The sound of her hand slapping his face was surprisingly muted in their blue world. His cheek, so pale and perfect, blossomed with a vicious red mark. “You bastard! I am the princess of Venus! Not some whore for you to play with, but of a bloodline purer than that of your thoughtless prince! Don’t you dare throw those feelings in my face!” She had tears in her eyes that she blinked back furiously as she began to scream louder. “I was betrayed by you, I was defeated by you, and even now, even in a new world and a new face, I still wish for that touch of your hand, you bastard, you filthy traitor! For your touch alone! Even though you sought to kill me, and I wish you damned to the depths of your purgatory, I still wish. The girl I am now doesn’t understand – she can’t understand this love. And I won’t allow her to. I’ll make her follow you to the ends of this planet if you ever return. I swear it!”

Kunzite didn’t even blink during the onslaught, didn’t even move to so much as touch his burning cheek. When it was over, and Venus was on her knees sobbing like a child, he slowly nodded his head. “If that is your wish, my beautiful Venus. If I did return, I would face her gladly. Because with the memories come the pain. Beryl destroyed within me the capacity for love and forgiveness; now, free of that bondage, I know. I remember. It was folly to even say these things to you.”

“You betrayed me, just as you betrayed him,” Venus sobbed, beating her fists on the ground. “Folly! I thought I loved you! You alone. Be gone, you shade of jigoku, go back into that darkness that you were banished to. Within my new body, I am at least at peace. It’s her battle now. And it will be yours if you dare to speak to us again,” she choked, staring up at him with red-rimmed eyes. The proud warrior reduced to a snot-streaked face and trembling lips.

He didn’t say a word to her as the world went dark, expelling them from the stone. Venus shuddered awake, blinking as she looked around. “Nani….Artemis? Sensei?”

“How was the nap?” Alex asked her from somewhere nearby. “You crashed so hard, we figured we’d let you sleep. Artemis was out like a light a few minutes after you.”

Asleep….she touched the topaz at her breast, Kunzite’s stone. She wanted to cry for what she had seen, but what would be the point? Sailor Venus, the soldier of love, seemed destined to be eternally alone. Adonis had cursed her, but it seemed she didn’t even need such magic to so thoroughly destroy her future. The image of Kunzite’s impassive face, his eyes burning like two points of light, was burned into her brain.

She didn’t want to see these damned visions anymore. What did it matter to her, Aino Minako, that Kunzite had erred so seriously? Well, it did matter, but not to her personally, so terribly, as it did Venus. She would fight Kunzite for betraying his kingdom and his prince; she realized it now, wiping her eyes, that even the centuries-old tale of heartbreak didn’t stir her passion as badly as his broken oath. It was a sad story, but ultimately not hers. And she had to understand that, or fall victim to the same despair and hatred that the shade of Venus had become inside her head.

Perhaps Venus was right; she didn’t understand their love.

But she understood betrayal easily enough.

&n

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A Different Story Chapter 02 : ...In Search of the Stones – Sailorjupiter

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:06:47 GMT

….Chapter 2 : In Search of the Stones – Sailor Jupiter

“Ara ara, it’s so beautiful here!” Jupiter beamed into the sky, briskly rubbing her arms. And it was indeed beautiful; the frigid beauty of the northern climate, where the sky was blue and perfect, and the air was crisp and clear. Still, it was a bit cold, even with her protective magic. “So, where are we, Alex-chan?”

“It’s too clean for America. I’d hazard a guess, and say Canada, land of the undomesticated hockey fans, and rabid Francophiles. Visited Quebec once, actually,” she added musingly. “It was quite fun to listen to them call me names they didn’t think I understood.”

The tall brunette laughed, turning ‘round in the soft grass. Nephrite’s Kage stone had brought them to a small open area within a midst of tall pine trees, most of them soaring almost twenty metres over her head. The smell of greenery was redolent, and she inhaled greedily, glad for the clean scent after the polluted air of Tokyo. Then she spotted the sign, brows wrinkling in consternation as she tried mouthing the unfamiliar words. She knew she should have paid closer attention in English class… “Alex-chan?”

“Oui, p’tite? You find something?” the tall red-head queried, off to her left. Jupiter looked around beseechingly, but being unable to see her roommate and mentor was putting her off. They needed to mark her with a hatimaki or something. “Stop staring at my breasts, you lech.”

“Gome—“ she began to apologize, blushing wildly; then stopped, as she heard the snickering. “Alex-chan, you’re cruel! You know I can’t see you! Mou!” Folding her arms, the tall brunette scowled. “I think you enjoy this too much.”

Now she heard a snort, and an audible rustle of grass, probably for her benefit, as Alex moved closer. “Oh, yes, I absolutely love walking around as invisible as a ghost. I can do this well enough on my own without the magic.” More rustling; Jupiter ran her eyes over the ground, spotting the tell-tale folding of the grass to mark where her mentor was walking. “Ah, this sign. Says we’re standing in the Marine National Park of Canada, part of the National Parks listing, Parks Canada Agency. In English and en Français. Also some telephone numbers and park hours. Oh, and that we’re also currently standing on the shores of Marine Lake.”

“Are we here at the proper hour?”

“I don’t think so. My watch is set for Tokyo time, still. Plus, I can’t see it.”

Jupiter looked up into the sky, oak green marking the streaks of colour in the sky; oranges, pinks, soft shades of red and yellow. The sun was beginning to set. They had the option of wandering through the woods at night, in the dark, which she felt would be a rather futile gesture; or they could set up a quick camp, and wait until sunrise. She stamped a foot experimentally on the ground, a bit disheartened by the hardness, but considered it flat enough for one night’s sleep. “I think it’s too late to try searching for the Hi stone. And, I’m hungry! I’ve had a tough day of fighting the enemy. Let’s make a camp and search tomorrow, ne?”

“Sounds fine to me. I don’t think I’ll be sleeping anyway.”

So they spent the next hour of remaining daylight making a rough camp. Cutting down some pine branches with the Kage stone – which, Alex argued, wasn’t going to stop working just because they used it as a knife, and it was indeed sharp enough – they made a small, springy bed for Jupiter and started a fire. The old-fashioned way, unfortunately, as they found out that Alex couldn’t summon her pyrokinetic abilities to make one.

Then they spent half an hour fishing, which was more fun than they expected, mostly because they kept pushing each other into the ice-cold water, and generally acting like idiots. Scared away most of the fish in the process, which meant Jupiter was ecstatic when she managed to catch a medium-sized trout with her hands – seeing as they had no fishing line, all she had planned to do was use her soldier’s speed to grab one. She was actually quite surprised that it had worked.

The Kage stone was put to use again to cut out the gills and inner bits, scales scraped off, and it went over the fire to cook. “It’s just too bad we have no seasonings,” the tall brunette lamented for the second time as she turned the spit. She had snuggled comfortably into her pine branches, and though they pricked at her, she was actually quite cozy.

She watched as the rough stone was turned around in the air, as Alex examined it in the firelight. “Be thankful we even got the fire started. I’m still not pleased about that.”

“Alex-chan, don’t give up hope! I’m sure, once you’ve returned to normal, you’ll be fine!” Jupiter chastised her, drawing her knees close to her chest as the chill tickled her bones. Even though her soldier’s magic threw off the worst of the cold, she could feel it trying to push in further. “Besides, the soldier of lightning is here. I could call down my power as well.”

“Just because nature starts fires with lightning strikes doesn’t mean you should try. One Ben Franklin every five hundred years is enough.” The stone drifted through the air as if it were feather light instead of solid weight, to finally land in the tall brunette’s lap. “You’re cold,” Alex added rather obviously.

Setting her mouth, Jupiter shook her head. “Iie, not with such a powerful magic to warm me! I’m just restless. To be so far away from home, looking for a stone….”

She stared out across the lake, which had been turned into a rather lovely vista of silver in the moonlight. Tomorrow – or was it yesterday now? Two days ago? She had no idea on this side of the world – she was supposed to go on a date with Sommers-san. A real date, complete with a romantic dinner and maybe a moonlit stroll, all ostensibly to celebrate her victory over one of his top students. Up until now it had been mere training and glances out of the corner of eyes, quick meals shared afterwards to spend a little more time in each other’s company. She had come home from such times with her head in the clouds and a smile on her face, and, she was sure, giving her roommate quite the emotional backwash in passing.

But of course, the mission had to step in.

Now she was scowling in the flickering firelight.

And she continued to do so, up until she went flying forward onto her knees with a short scream, the pine branches whisked so violently out from beneath her. She landed awkwardly on her hands and knees, mere centimetres away from being burnt. “Alex-cha-a-an! What was that for!”
“Tsk, tsk. The soldier of lightning was completely oblivious my sneak attack? What good are your senses if you’re not using them?” The pine branches dropped as Jupiter craned her head around; she could hear the softest crunch of a boot heel smashing them down. “Sommers must be making you sloppy.”

Instead of answering, the tall brunette hopped back onto her feet, clenching her fists, ears straining for the slightest, telltale sound. When she heard it – a faint snap of a twig – she swung out, feeling something brush past her skin as she missed, and swore as a hand closed around her wrist. She went flying, but this time managed to land on her feet. “Yare yare,” she lamented, though she was beginning to smile; a spar was the perfect way to keep her from brooding. “It’s not fair to fight, when your opponent is invisible!”

A whistling sound preceded the next attack, and she lifted an arm, blocking what felt like a kick. Pushing out, she heard Alex stumble back, and she rushed forward immediately to follow up with a shoulder. Of course, she missed, and went reeling onto her face. “And what happens when the enemy doesn’t fight fair, and takes the blinding windows of opportunity you’re giving them to skewer you like a cocktail weenie?” the tall red-head mused, from somewhere off to her left. “Use the Force, young sailor soldier. Trust your feelings.”

Ooo. Rolling back and onto her feet, Jupiter made a show of gathering magic to her hand, though it did serve a purpose in strengthening her soldier’s power and her senses. She knew, from various practices over the months, that their guardian could use her own powers to block most of their low level attacks. So she used it now as she spun abruptly on her heel, releasing bolts of lightning in a wide circle around her, short-range as to not start the entire forest on fire.

A burst of light marked where Alex had blocked two of them, and she released another one, only to see it glance off. Sprinting towards the direction she’d run off, she leapt to tackle, and was rewarded by a body falling with a foreign curse beneath her. “Ya ta!” she crowed.

“Clumsy.”

“N-nani – ?”

Alex twisted beneath her and threw her off with ease. As she sprang to her feet, she blocked a punch automatically, before it even registered that one had been thrown. Another came in as she prepared herself, and she was too slow to slap it away, grunting as it connected with her ribs just hard enough to sting. “Itaaaii! I can’t see what I’m blocking!” she cried as she tried vainly to block a kick, and mostly succeeded, only to receive a stinging slap to the face.

“It doesn’t matter! Just do it, Jupiter. Don’t try, just do!” Another punch, this one to her bicep.

Jupiter just yelped again, swinging a punch of her own that was easily knocked aside.

This continued for several minutes, the silence broken by occasional yelps of pain and cries for pity. But as they traded blows, the tall brunette became gradually aware of a strange tingling sensation that she at first attributed to the mass of bruises she was gaining. And it did seem to shiver her spine whenever a bruise throbbed.

But when one of Alex’s hands actually missed her, swinging close enough to tickle Jupiter’s bare skin, she felt the tingling grow stronger. Alerting her to the danger, and the near-miss. She was so taken aback that the next hit knocked her back on her heels for lack of preparation. “An electrical field…?” she murmured, looking up as that very tingle warned her that another kick was coming. She blocked it with ease.

Again, it alerted her as Alex retaliated with a second kick, and she blocked that one, too.

The next punch.

The grapple.

A third kick.

Soon, she was barely aware of anything except a fluid sense of movement as she blocked, spun, traded blows without a wasted breath. She was no longer a girl in a uniform, but a part of something larger, something infinitely more powerful. There was no sense of time; no sense of wasted motion. It was a dance.

It stopped as the blows stopped, and she lowered her arms.

But the field was still there. Her eyes opened comically round as she saw a shimmering outline in front of her, a tall figure with long hair and a lazy pose. “M-masaka…. Alex-chan, I can see you! A strange figure outlined in lightning.”

“Really?” The figure lifted an arm as if to inspect herself, though of course she couldn’t see it. “You can see the electrical field of my body?”

“I think so. Sugoi! Does everyone look like that?” Elated, the tall brunette lifted her own arm, wiggling her fingers to see the current dance. Hers was infinitely brighter, more vibrant, more beautifully detailed.

Even though she could also see it slowly fading. She frowned, concentrating hard to bring it back, though she had no clue how; knowledge of the power made it flare briefly back into existence before a pinprick at the back of her eyes had her wincing. When she opened her eyes, the colours were gone.

“Yes, and no. Jupiter used to tell me that everyone had a different flavour. Quite the useful power it was, seeing everyone’s electrical field. She could disrupt it when she was concentrating hard enough, and—“

A branch snapped somewhere close by.

Without hesitation, the tall brunette called power to her hand, turning to face the sound. “Who’s there? Show yourself, immediately!”

Alex muttered, “It’s not a park ranger, that much I can sense. But whoever they are, they’re adept at shielding their thoughts.”

“Is that possible?” Jupiter murmured back, not relaxing her guard for a minute.

“If someone trains you, of course it is. And there are many people I’ve come across who do it naturally.”

The branches parted behind their campsite, and a young man stepped out. He certainly didn’t look like any park ranger, with his clean but plain shirt and pants. And the long green hair that fell past his shoulders, a match to his eyes, also ruined the effect. Jupiter stared for a long minute, before remarking, sotto voce, “Suteki!”

It was followed in quick order by a mental reprimand for even noticing; after all, she had Sommers-san, didn’t she?

“I apologize!” he said quickly, hands held up in apology. “I was returning home when I smelled something extremely good. Are you camping here? If so, I’ll leave you alone,” he babbled as well, though somewhat haltingly. Most likely it was fear, considering he couldn’t possibly see Jupiter in the light of the fire very well.

He seemed harmless enough, so the tall brunette relaxed. He was also quite cute, which she knew wasn’t exactly good criterion for moral judgment, but she’d let it slide in this case. Then she felt an elbow jabbing her in the ribs, which she assumed was for letting her guard down in the first place – so she ignored it like a seasoned pro. “Daijoubu! After all, there’s plenty to share, if you’re hungry.”

When he smiled at her, she was certain her stomach was going to be too busy somersaulting all night for her to eat anyway. “Thank you. Fish is always a tasty meal,” he said, managing his words better.

Another elbow jab, and she was stepping away carefully, throwing a dirty look in Alex’s direction before donning a smile for the stranger. Who was now staring at her with wide eyes as she cheerily said, “I’m sure the food will be finished in a few minutes. You can have a seat on these pine branches – oh, gomen, gomen, this one is snapped and pointy – instead, how about this log? It looks comfortable enough for a seat.” She hauled the fallen stump over, not even considering the seeming impossible task of a girl her size dragging a piece of wood that had to weight several dozen kilos.

Of course, she should have been far more on her guard to begin with, but before she was Makoto the Suspicious, she was Makoto the Kind. Her instinct – for what it was worth – told her the man was harmless, so she was going to do her best to be hospitable. There was hardly anymore to it than that. She set the stump in place, dusted it off, and set about turning the spit as he sat down slowly, still regarded her like some kind of mysterious apparition.

“So, this is Canada. I never expected it to be so pretty, so full of trees. We never learned much about your country in school, so I always thought it was all snow and hockey. Do you live around here?” She was making conversation, so she thought, as she sniffed the fish. “Even though this is a national park, ne?”

“I do live nearby. And this land is all I’ve known, so I’ve always thought it pretty.” He sounded thoughtful; as she turned around, holding the fish, he pulled a knife from his boot and held it out to her, handle first, to cut it. “Are you here at the lake for a camping trip?”

Across the way, the tall brunette could see her roommate pacing the shoreline; the imprint of boots, re-imposing themselves over and over, was barely visible. Frowning, she wondered what was bothering her. The guy couldn’t be all that bad. “Ah, ano, a camping trip? Iie, I’m here on a mission. For a sick friend, I have to find a stone called “Nephrite.” He may die if I don’t find it soon.” She cut the fish in half, then cut her piece into halves. Alex hadn’t mentioned being hungry, but she’d probably eat her share anyway. Giving the man his half, she added, “I don’t know where to begin looking. I was led to this spot, but the stone could be nearby anywhere.”

“Is that why a sailor soldier is looking for the general’s stone?”

The crackling of the fire sounded impossibly loud in her ears; surely, she had imagined his words. She stared at him, this green-haired man, who was almost absurdly calm now as he ate his fish, licking his fingers clean like a well-mannered barbarian. A faint memory came to mind; of herself, laughing, at the recollection of an Earthen banquet, where they ate with their fingers and disdained silverware as barbaric shoveling tools. But they had eaten with a delicacy of hand that she had admired, that she was seeing now.

“Alex-chan,” she whispered faintly, still holding their fish.

One half was lifted from her hand, floating ridiculous in the air. “Oui, Jupiter; I’ve just realized it myself. Maybe he started out talking in rather bad English, but he’s speaking an older language now….aren’t you?” The fish was disappearing in small bites as it was waved in the air, used as she gestured. “Once, this land was part of the main kingdom of the Golden Kingdom, and they spoke the same language as we did.”

“N-nani? The Golden Kingdom….?!”

“Hai. I’ve heard of it in legend. As well, a group of lovely girls who protected the kingdom of the moon from harm; the sailor soldiers.” Finishing his fish, the man licked his fingers clean for the last time, and stared up at her as she gawked, still grappling with the notion. “I know of this stone you’re talking about. I can take you there.”

Slowly, the tall brunette sat down next to him on the log. “How did you know who I was?”

With a surprisingly shy smile, he ran his eyes along her bodice, then up to her tiara. “Your clothing. Your speech; it’s similar to mine, only different in some words. And only a soldier would ask for the stone of Nephrite when the world has lost its memory.”

Blinking, she absorbed what he was saying. He was right; when she paid attention, she could catch some of the strange words in his tongue that sounded archaic, close but not quite to her modern Japanese. That was why he had seemed so clumsy when he first spoke; he had figured her for a tourist and had used what little English he had known. But even that she had understood, which was impossible, as her English teacher would agree. She was horrible in that class.

Discarding the problem for later, she nodded instead. “I see. Well, I am the soldier of Jupiter, Sailor Jupiter. Can you truly take me to Nephrite’s stone?” As an afterthought, she began to hastily eat her own meal, far less graceful at it than he. The gloves didn’t help.

“Well…it is a secret I am not supposed to tell anyone. But I live here, in Medias Village, just a walk that way.” He pointed for their benefit, but all they could see was trees. “A village surrounded by trees, it’s very hard to get to without guidance. Many who make it are given tokens for their example.”

Standing up, he dug into the pocket of his pants, finally withdrawing a rather plain silver disc strung on a leather cord. It had some ideogram carved into it that Jupiter couldn’t read; it honestly looked like a pine tree with legs and arms holding a sword. But that seemed past ridiculous. “This pendant is my gift to you for such tasty food.” He held it out for her to take, so she exchanged it for his knife – after hastily wiping it clean on the grass. “Now, I’ll take you and your magical guardian to the village.”

“How did you know she’s a guardian?”

“In legend, only the most powerful could summon invisible beings. And they were usually guardians who could crush any enemies without being caught.” Shrugging, he added, “It seemed only natural. What else could she be?”

“What else, indeed,” Alex sighed, speaking both their minds.

As they finally came to the clearing, Jupiter thought she’d weep with relief. Her feet were killing her. Apparently, “close by” meant something like “several stone throws away and three kilometres.” The moon was already beginning to lower in the sky, marking it well past midnight, though it was still bright and high enough to show the village as they came to a stop.

It had been the tiniest tickle of magic as they had walked through the trees that had Jupiter wondering if they didn’t hide entirely from the 21^st century; from the looks of it, they had succeeded admirably. The houses were sturdy but obviously hand-raised, all of them save for the farthest only a single story high. The smell of wood smoke tickled her nose, visible from every chimney. A sparkling clean stream cut the village in a rough half, traversed by rough-cut planks lain across the water. Nature, in a way Tokyo never truly saw. “I could live here,” she sighed.

“And we would welcome you, Sailor Jupiter,” their guide said with a smile.

They stood for a long moment as oak green eyes greedily drank in everything. Oh yes, she could very easily live here, free from the hustle and bustle of the city, her door always open and a pot always on the stove. (Or over the fireplace, in this case.) A lovely place indeed. But she shook her head finally, remembering the mission, and reluctantly turned away to face their new friend. “Now, can you show me the stone?”

He glanced up at the moon, then shook his head. “Apology. But it’s getting late, and I must go home. You can safely look around before following; I live in that large house there.” Pointing, he indicated the far-off two storied building that practically loomed over the rest. “Perhaps tomorrow I can then show you the stone.”

“C-chotto matte! You said—“

“Enjoy my village! If anyone asks, you are the friend of George.” With that, he took off at a brisk jog, leaving them behind without another backward glance.

Alex cleared her throat. “Interesting fellow.”

The tall brunette scowled, folding her arms. “He didn’t say he had a curfew! Now what will we do until morning?”

With nothing to do, they decided to walk. The village, for all of its rough quality, was actually quite large, not the small cluster of homes that Jupiter had envisioned, like something out of a museum exhibit. Juuban Junior High’s football field would have just fit all of the buildings, with a little room to spare. It would have been an interesting bit of socialism and history if the sun was up, and everyone was available to talk to.

Unfortunately, everyone was smartly sleeping, which both of them should have wisely been doing. Jupiter felt the tug of jet lag with every step, which was rather curious considering it had been a near-instantaneous transport; every few minutes she caught herself in the act of yawning. If they had been home, she would’ve been asleep and in bed hours ago.

And for the love of the kami, she was going to miss school again.

Suddenly worried, she glanced sidelong to where she knew Alex was walking. With no enemies in sight for months, school absences had not been an issue. And she knew, being in effect now a foster child under the care of a legal guardian, that she could miss very few days of school before problems arose. It was a subject they had touched on after the tall brunette had learned of her new legal status, but had hardly clarified.

“Alex-chan, how will we explain this absence to the school?” she queried as they walked, crossing the rickety slats that passed as the bridge. “I don’t think these Oppositio Soldiers will put their mission on hold for us to get back to class.”

The bitterness in her voice was audible, but she felt as if she deserved it. This was the second enemy attacking them for the sins of their future, events that had not even transpired and were, thusly, not even their fault. The Sailor Jupiter of the 21^st century had not been responsible for the events of the 30^th century. Not yet. Not for years, decades, centuries to come. And it was beginning to rather piss her off. What were they supposed to do, say, “I’m very sorry, whoever you are, for what I haven’t done yet. I’ll make sure to somehow change time so I’m not such an asshole in the future”? She supposed it wouldn’t work with the Oppositio Soldiers clan any easier than it would the Black Moon clan.

“I’ll think of something. Maybe wild dogs, or something. Bleeding sores. The plague? I hear that’s coming back into vogue.” The tall red-head was playing with a pinecone – and the kami only knew when she’d grabbed it – which marked her as off to Jupiter’s right and slightly ahead. “Because, you know, gods forbid you get back to class and thus receive a quality education before becoming the bane of their existence.”

“Not like it matters,” Jupiter muttered under her breath. Slightly louder, she said, “Ara, George-san must be the rich son, to live in such a large house.” She pointed ahead towards the two-story building across the grass, several flickering lights in its top windows revealing someone still awake. It also sat alone, with a wide expanse of grass surrounding it and giving it a buffer from their neighbors, as well as sitting on the edge of the tree line.

Alex was silent as they stopped walking, Jupiter’s attention caught by the massive tree rising above them, its branches thick, and obviously very old. What was interesting about it was also that it was the lone tree on a small peninsula in the middle of the stream, as well as the fact it was most likely as old as the village itself. On a whim, she walked up to it, removing her glove with a quick jerk and touching the rough bark with her bare hand. In several places she could see where the bark had been carved away in the shape of glyphs she couldn’t read, making up a pattern around the entire trunk. “So ancient….”

Her fingers tingled. The sudden flow of sensory input was incredible; she couldn’t even find time to scream as the tree sensed her kindred spirit, giving her a rush of memories. It was an oak tree, older than the village; it had been a sapling when the soft humans had decided to build their homes around her roots. The soft humans had decided she was a protective spirit when a fatal disease struck their neighbors, but not a one of them. So they had, over the years, worshipped her, burying their leaders at her roots to nurture her growth.

Dimly, the tall brunette realized Alex was talking to her, trying to get her attention, but she couldn’t speak. The oak was telling her about a young boy in the village from long ago, a boy who cast off his name and became Nephrite. He was a kind, if sometimes sarcastic, man, who grew up strong and powerful in divination; he could read the stars and tell you your fortune, swirl the tea leaves and give you an omen. After he had become one of Prince Endymion’s generals, the oak had never seen him again, but had felt his power return. His heart had come home.

“Jupiter!”

Her hand fell away, and she sagged back into her friend’s arms. This was remarkable; she knew she had an affinity with electricity, with the lightning she could call down, but trees? More specifically, with the oak? She never would have expected this. “Alex-chan,” she murmured, staring up into the sky.

“The next time you decide to talk to the trees, you tell me! Mon Dieu, you were just staring into space and ignoring me like I wasn’t yelling in your ear.” Jupiter felt the grass behind her head as Alex set her down on her back. The weakness and shock that had come from the link was fading away, though slowly, so she didn’t move to stand up right away; she figured she had earned the rest. “Are you all right?”

“Hai,” the tall brunette sighed. “Gomen ne, Alex-chan. I didn’t realize I could…”

“What, connect with the oak trees? Don’t be so daft, p’tite. The oak leaves are a symbol of Jupiter. You – Jupiter – used to talk to them all the time when you were chasing Serenity around on Earth.”

With a somewhat pained grunt, Jupiter sat up. Thoughtful, she looked up into the immense branches of the tree, marveling at the span of time it had been alive. Could she attain that lifespan? It was entirely possible, if the solar system remained reasonably sedate for the next millennia. It was also a bit scary to consider. “The tree told me about Nephrite.”

She took the silence as an indicator to continue, and added, “He came from here. His heart returned here, somewhere. That must mean his Hi stone.”

“Brilliant deduction, Holmes,” Alex sighed, the grass crumpling underfoot as she paced beside her. “But the tree doesn’t know where, does it?”

“Iie. The tree merely said it felt it return.”

“Ah, marvelous. That makes the job so much easier.”

The wind lifted the leaves, rustling them like music. Smiling, Jupiter managed to get back onto her feet, though she still felt a bit like crumpled tin foil. Brushing the bits of grass off her legs and hair, she picked up her glove from where she’d dropped it, pulling it back on. “I feel so strange, now that the tree has spoken to me. As if the others in the forest are whispering to me as well; perhaps they are, trying to tell me their secrets.”

As she tilted her head, she realized they were not only whispering sweetly in her ears, but welcoming her as though she were a sapling breaking free of the soil. They knew her power, and they were praising her for recognizing it within herself.

Hands touched her shoulders, squeezing briefly before retracting. The tall brunette recognized the display of pride; her roommate rarely touched any of them without a purpose. Casual brushes of the hand simply never happened in close company. Jupiter had at first thought it merely some kind of personal space issue – though every American she’d ever seen on TV seemed to love invading everyone else’s space – until she realized the tall red-head had an almost rigid avoidance of physical touch. Unless they needed help, or they were engaged in a training exercise, she remained aloof and untouchable. “I’m surprised to see you grasping these intricacies of your powers so suddenly,” Alex said in the silence that followed.

“I don’t know how I’ve done so, however,” Jupiter murmured, wishing fiercely that she could see her mentor’s face. “Why now, of all times? Certainly, that time Kunzite created an electrical surge, I felt the disturbance; but since then, I haven’t sensed the currents, nor spoken to the trees.”

“You nurture your plants. I’ve heard you talking to them; maybe on an unconscious level, you can connect with them as you can the oaks. But your electrical affinity…I wasn’t sure if I wanted to push you to remember it. Certainly, it’s useful to sense people, because we all give off an electrical field.” The sound of rustling grass was the only indicator once again to where Alex was, as she walked around Jupiter to touch the tree. “Unfortunately, the 21^st century is also dependant on electricity, whereas the Silver Millennium got by on solar and crystal energy. You, Jupiter, didn’t have to sort out the people from amongst the hum of power plants and light bulbs. I thought – and I still do – that pushing you to re-open that part of your senses would constantly overwhelm you.”

Unbidden, an image flashed into the tall brunette’s head; a satellite image of the world, taken on the night side, that showed the continents as masses of golden twinkling lights. All of the porch lights and street lights and every other kind of illumination turned on for the moonlit hours, consuming energy to stay bright. Electricity captured by the hands of men.

It would be overload.

Grimacing, Jupiter queried, “But what about the others? Mercury? Can’t she sense the water flowing through the sewers, the pipes? Wouldn’t that be too much?”
“I don’t know. I know she called her element that night in the gallery, but I haven’t seen her really try again on that scale since. Though water is more abundant now in where it flows, I wouldn’t assume it to be so trying on her; after all, water doesn’t power the majority of the world’s energy sources. It doesn’t flow through the walls of every single building and street just to keep the lights burning.”

“But why now? Why can I do this now, when not before?”

“I don’t know. Honest to fucking Christ, I don’t. There isn’t a Cliff Note’s version on how to train you girls this time around. The last time around I had too many people offering help on how to train the guardians of their beloved royal family, and most of it was just ritual and workout. All of you had your powers; you just had to figure out how to tap them.” Now Alex sounded angry, though the tall brunette had a feeling it wasn’t directed at her; still, it stung. “Now I have a gaggle of girls who aren’t quite the same sailor soldiers they were the first time around, who aren’t in full possession of their powers, who aren’t even the beings they need to be to have all of those damned powers, and I’m the one who has to figure out what to do. Luna doesn’t want to admit that she doesn’t know either, and Artemis knows to stay out of the way.”

Jupiter couldn’t quite keep the note of distress out of her voice as she asked, “Is it really so awful, Alex-chan? Are we really such trouble?”

She heard a faint sigh.

“No. No, you’re not. It’s just such a damned stupid situation. Serenity didn’t think this very well through, and it shows. You’re not the same people. You’ve lived entirely different lives, taken different things for granted. I never knew of a “Sailor Moon” to exist; it was Serenity’s idea to give her that identity to hide her from the enemy – she knew the evil of Metallia could come back in some form and try again – and give her the chance to destroy them. And then I see Chibi-Usa become a sailor soldier herself, and I’m left out wondering how in the holy hell she could even be a soldier when it doesn’t pass through the bloodline, and “Sailor Moon” never existed until this century to begin with.

“I don’t know what makes you tick anymore. All I’m doing is guessing and hoping the shit works. I can’t even base it on my own experience, because I was born with my power. It would’ve come out during puberty no matter if I was a drooling quadriplegic, and I’d have to cope with it, or cause some serious chaos around me. I still did for gods’ sakes. You, and the others didn’t have that; it took a pen with a magical trigger to force the power back into you and wake up that part of your soul that was a reborn Sailor Jupiter.”

The tall brunette stared into the spaces between them, unable to see Alex’s face. Around the village, she could hear the trees again, their tones soothing the edges of her anguish. She couldn’t blame the tall red-head for feeling despair or anger; she had been handed the equivalent of a box of parts without instructions, and only a memory of how it should look. Though she had proven time and time again that she cared about them and their welfare, it had to be difficult to be taking on the task virtually alone. And though the two felines had woken up with the purpose of finding them and giving them directions, they were never meant to truly train them; that would have been silly.

“Maybe we should find George-san and ask him for a bed, ne? Then we can rest until tomorrow. After all, we won’t find anything in the dark,” Jupiter said finally, with a bit of forced gaiety. She didn’t want either of them to sulk out there, depressed and sinking fast. A soft bed and time to relax sounded far better.

Alex chuckled quietly. “You could just tell me to shut up, you know.”

“Ne, ne, it’s true! After all, what else can we do?”

“You could make some more new friends. That bunch of trees over there are leering at you; maybe they’ll tell us where the Hi stone is, if you promise to give them a pruning.”

“Alex-cha-an!”

The oaks laughed in her ear as the tall red-head strode away, grass rustling in her wake. Cheeks reddening in embarrassment – the trees were laughing at her, for the love of the kami! – Jupiter followed quickly after.

“Welcome to – oh.” The girl held open the door for a moment longer, staring rather rudely at Jupiter’s uniform. Without another word, she stepped aside so the tall brunette could walk in. But she released the door before Alex stepped in; Jupiter could hear the smack of a ghostly hand stopping its closure before she allowed it to slam properly. Lips tight, the girl didn’t even flinch before she walked away and disappeared into the kitchen.

“That was odd.”

“Hai…George-san would have told someone we were coming, I thought. Why did she act so angry at me?” The tall brunette peered into the kitchen, smiling at the sight of the hot fire instead of a conventional oven, rough hewn shelves filled with pots, a large dinner table with every setting clean for the next day. Loaves were rising on the counter; a pile of shells lay next to a bowl filled with nuts; a small butter churn was working on its own. All the girl was left to do on her own was kneading some more dough, which she seemed to be doing with a bit more enthusiasm than was necessary.

She was so engrossed in the act – which did, with repetition, serve to calm one’s nerves adequately – that she never noticed Jupiter walking up behind her, peering easily over her shoulder at the powdery lump she was working. It looked far too sticky to her critical eye, so she said, “You should flour the dough some more, or you’ll end up with a terrible loaf.”

The girl squeaked, her head whipping around to catch the tall brunette’s easy smile. But she still didn’t speak; in fact, if anything, she seemed to pull back further into herself as she turned away just as quickly, even though she did take her advice and dunked her hand into a nearby pot. Dough floured vigorously, she continued to knead as if Jupiter hadn’t even offered her a single word.

Alex muttered, sotto voce, “Maybe she’s not paid to talk?”

“It doesn’t matter! That’s still rude!” Unaware that she looked to be talking to herself, the tall brunette slammed a hand down onto the counter, startling the girl once more. “Moshi moshi! Why are you ignoring me like that! I was only trying to be nice.” Huffing, she gestured towards the well-floured dough hanging limp from the girl’s hands. “The least you could do is thank me.”

The dough sagged even further.

Biting her lip, the girl dropped her eyes to the counter. “A-ano…I can’t say such forward things. After all, you’re master’s bride-to-be.”

“I’m what?”

At the exclamation, the girl swung her head up, staring at Jupiter incredulously. “But you are! If he isn’t marrying that other person anymore, why else would he talk to another girl?” Dropping the dough onto the counter, she began gesturing somewhat uselessly with her white hands, dusting Jupiter’s skirt. “After all, master is going to marry a pretty girl of influence no matter what, because he’s master.”

“I suppose so….but I’m not marrying George-san! That’s silly. After all, I have someone else I like best.” The tall brunette smiled reassuringly as she shook the flour off her skirt. “Who is that other person, however? I’m curious to know.”

“A pretty girl named Mary, coming from the other village. Also, she’s the master’s daughter of that village as well.” Now that she knew Jupiter wasn’t marrying George, the girl had a complete reversal of mood; her face brightened as she leaned in to talk, acting as though they were the best of friends. Maybe it hadn’t been jealously after all; just a mistaken anger. “They resemble loveliness together. However, now, there’s been trouble. Both masters do not approve.”

Jupiter frowned, tilting her head. “Why wouldn’t they approve?”

“Because master has been angry at master for long before I was born. So they disapprove of marriage. A long-standing anger between our villages, it was. Perhaps, they won’t ever be married.”

“That’s terrible! If it’s love, nothing should stand in the way. Surely a feud isn’t worth it to separate them.”

Behind her, the tall red-head snorted. “That’s what Romeo and Juliet thought too,” she muttered. She then bit back a yelp as Jupiter stamped on her foot in protest.

Then, the tall brunette sighed. “That’s horrible. Love, happiness, and dreams should be protected. I guess it’ll be up to me to get them back together, ne? Sailor Jupiter, full throttle ahead as the soldier of love’s true defense!” Pumping her fist, she grinned at her fellow conspirator. “I’ll bring them back together. You just wait.”

When the girl smiled in return, it was a beautiful sight; in a few more years, she’d be breaking some hearts of her own. She then threw herself into Jupiter’s arms, hugging her a bit too tightly for comfort. The kid had quite a grip. “Thank you! Master needs that happiness!” When she released the tall brunette, she said, “The village is east of here, if you like to go. Now, everyone is sleeping. Perhaps Mary will not be.”

With those words, she bowed, and turned back to her work. Jupiter shrugged, backing out of the kitchen, trying to surreptitiously dust herself off; she knew the girl had to have left most of the flour on her bodice. No doubt she was leaving an interesting little trail out of the door. “Jupiter, please don’t tell me you’re going to be playing matchmaker now,” Alex hissed into her ear as she opened the front door.

A determined smile on her face, Jupiter merely replied, “Mochiron. After all, if a sailor soldier can’t have that happiness, she can try her best to make sure someone else can.” Flashing the victory sign back at the tall red-head – or at least in her general direction – she added, “And what’s the harm?”

“Not much; just the fact we’re here, in the backwoods of Canada for gods’ sakes, looking for a particular piece of rock. I could be going out on a limb in pointing out that doesn’t include playing matchmaker for the chief’s son, but, you know, I’m wacky like that.” A few twigs cracked underfoot as they continued walking, leaving the soft glow of the house lights behind. “Besides, since when have you decided you won’t have a boyfriend of your own to play with? I thought Sommers was filling that role admirably.”

The insinuation went right over the tall brunette’s head, as she seemed to be honestly considering the statement. As they went further along the tree line, the darkness grew thicker; absently, Jupiter lifted a hand, calling a bit of power to her hand to create a small ball of lightning that sparked and crackled. It was hardly sufficient for a source of light, but enough for them to see a few metres in front of them. “Sommers-san… It would be a lovely dream to have that happiness with him. But as a sailor soldier, what can I do? What would happen if I were to…if the future comes….”

Alex was silent for a moment herself, an invisible hand slapping back the branches of the trees as they walked by. Finally, she queried, “Are you still afraid of losing yourself in the future? Or is it something else? It can’t be just a fling; every time you leave to see him, I’m practically choking on your happiness. You feel safe with him, even if something’s holding you back.” There was a faintly bitter edge to the tall red-head’s voice, though Jupiter didn’t call her on it; instead, she looked away.

In her hand, the lightning wavered, growing dimmer.

“….I don’t know what I’m afraid of.” It was practically a whisper; she was unaware that her mentor had stopped until a hand halted her progress as well, grabbing her upper arm. Turning, she could see nothing, of course, but a sense of eyes on her had her skin prickling with awareness; obviously, she was being scrutinized.

Then, there was the prickle of something else.

In tandem, they dropped to the ground, feeling the searing heat blast over their heads. Lightning; Jupiter’s soul recognized it without having to see. They rolled away from each other and to their feet as a cluster of evergreens exploded behind them, tragic victims who just happened to be in the way. “How dare you attack us in such a place of nature’s beauty? Come out so I can punish you properly!” the tall brunette snapped, calling power to her hand.

The only response was another volley of lightning, though when it missed, it took out a massive patch of grass instead. Angry, Jupiter broke into a sprint, because the bright flash of the attack gave her what she needed; a target. She felt its power gather as she came closer, and she leapt into the air as the creature – humanoid – snarled something indescribable and threw off another attack.

“Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!”

“Ittaaaiii!” it howled as the magic hit, though in the flash of impact, the tall brunette realized she had merely hit its arm. Spinning around quicker than before, it leapt up to collide with her in midair, pummeling her with its fists. “Bad, bad, bad! You hurt meeee….!”

“I’ll hurt you worse still!” Jupiter grunted in return, hitting the ground in a less than graceful landing; they fell apart, rolling across the grass.

They lay in the darkness for several minutes, panting. Not only could they still not see one another – well, that was basically the entire problem. Jupiter marveled at the irony, considering the tall red-head had been pushing her to spar only a few hours ago under the very same circumstances. “Kuso,” she muttered, her eyes sweeping the darkness for a spot of light. The night was clear, but the trees were so thick and dense that the moon simply couldn’t shine through their branches

She could hear the creature – who, close up, had resembled a white-haired crone holding what looked to be lightning rods in its hands – shuffling around, trying to find her as well. It was somewhat comforting to know the enemy was just as inept as she was in the dark, though the creatures the enemy tended to employ seemed to be dumb as rocks no matter what the flavour. And this one in particular she couldn’t recall ever fighting before. She was pretty sure she’d remember one that threw around her element with the aim of a blind man.

Relying on gut instinct, she called power back to her hand. Her ears guessed a distance of several metres off to her left, as the creature was not taking care to be quiet. It then screamed shrilly in unison with the sound of a hollow thunk; it sounded as if Alex had found a nice sized tree branch to crack it with. “Jupiter, three metres to your left, one metre high! Now!”

Releasing her attack, she saw, in the flash of light, the creature rolling back and forth on its knees, holding its head. The tree branch simply floated behind it, though it was dropped and presumably fled from as the magic hit. This time, her aim was dead on.

Something unpleasant splattered her face, and she sighed. Now she was glad for the darkness, because she had a feeling she would be even more upset if she could see what it looked like. It felt lumpy and gross, even through her gloves, as she scooped it off. “Why does the enemy explode so unpleasantly? Can’t they just turn into smoke, or maybe sparkles, like on TV?”

“Because real life is usually about as messy as good sex,” Alex replied out of the darkness, sounding amused. A pair of invisible hands helped to pick off the other unidentifiable bits Jupiter hadn’t noticed off her bodice and arms – she shivered when her imagination gave her far too crystal clear a picture of what a particularly squishy, jelly blob could look like – and they worked in silence for several minutes. Then: “Speaking of good sex…”

“N-nani!?”

“You know, maybe this Nephrite guy wasn’t such an asshole after all. Not if he lived in a place like this.” Marduk sighed in appreciation as she lay back in the dirt to look up at the ruined building. It had obviously been forgotten and abandoned centuries ago, if the dust layer was telling the truth, though from the looks of the footprints, kids from the villages were finding their way there often enough. She’d found the remnants of a fire pit as well.

One thing she hadn’t found was the general’s stone. She had been so sure it would come back to the ruins, and she had arrived with her usual smug demeanor intact, convinced she’d find it. It had taken only fifteen minutes of searching to realize she was wrong. She’d been furious, and had destroyed a good section of the cavern with her screaming fit, glad she was alone to vent her frustrations. Generally, she was the one who brushed off her problems like water off a duck’s back; even in the face of death, she’d accepted it with rather cool aplomb. Dying was hardly something you could escape from, though once she’d been proven wrong and brought back, she’d been a little annoyed that it had happened in the first place.

She was also the first to suggest a stronger tactic, or a faster means to an end than this pissing around Sin had sent them to do. So she thought with her fists better than her head. Big deal. It got her through the day, barring that one time she’d had it out with Nergal; she simply saw no reason to fret the details, when a good punch or simply ignoring the problem worked just as well.

Now she had to think, damn the man.

Chewing on a thumb nail – a childish habit she just couldn’t break – she continued to stare up at the building and the jagged ceiling of the cavern, shielding her eyes from the drifting dust. She wasn’t honestly sure if Nephrite had even lived in the place, if the villages above were any indication; though maybe the building had been the home of the equivalent of the feudal lord, and the villages his tenants. That meant she had to search the damn villages to find the blasted stone, which would be far more difficult with people wandering around.

And of course, she had to find it before the soldier of Jupiter did. Though from what she had heard of the girl’s 21^st century heart, she was probably helping a kitten cross the road or some such nonsense, which gave her plenty of time. “Kindness is overrated,” she announced to the ceiling, sitting upright with a roll of her ass. “If everyone just tended their own, everything would be fine.”

“Perhaps, ne, Marduk? And the Neo Queen would not have driven the Black Moon people from our planet, after they rejected her offer and kindness, and they would not have returned seeking vengeance on all of us fools who had accepted, and we would not be here now, discussing this.” The ponytailed blonde’s footsteps were muted in the dirt, though her arrival had been as silent as the grave. Marduk turned to glance at her dismissively.

“If, maybe, so. No matter what, this plan is stupid. I’d really rather just find the bitch and squash her like a bug. One of those very nasty ones from legend.” She waved her fingers in a careless gesture, unconcerned. “Is that why you came to bother me, Sin? To make sure I haven’t swatted her?”

“A very real concern, when no one’s watching you.”

Marduk waved off the comment, glancing aside. “So every problem has become a nail, when one is carrying a hammer. Is that a wrong way to view the situation? The legendary sailor soldiers may not be as strong in this time as they are in ours, but they’ve still harnessed plenty of power to their hands. They can still have us trouble, the longer we play with them.”

Toying with a handful of hair, Sin stepped carefully across the dirt, grimacing at the tumbledown look of the buildings. Having grown up, as they all had, in the shadows of a ruined Tokyo, made her instinctively loathe anything so worn and neglected. Seeing the cleanliness and straight vistas of the 21^st century that the sailor soldiers had lived and breathed and carelessly forgotten made her ever anxious to finish the game, just as it did the others; but she had patience. She needed to grasp the trump card first, that holy stone that would give them the power to fix a tragic mistake.

“Hai. There’s always the possibility of trouble. At the school, they proved that. And though our trickery has put a stumbling block in the path of legendary guardian, she’s not stopped.”

“Exactly. I have no problem engaging them in battle; the fight is hardly a concern. But that they could still foil our plans! Sin, let me simply kill Jupiter. Forget this stupid game of cat and mouse. I’ll kill the soldier of Jupiter, and take the stone and crush it between my hands.” Gesturing grandly, the deadwood-haired brunette mimed the very act of crushing, twisting and wringing her hands before flicking away the imaginary dust. “Game Over.”

“Even though he’s my sensei, I want to be close to him.” Nothing but the sound of footsteps in the grass and the hooting of owls. A wilderness vibrant at night in a way Tokyo never could be, with its concrete and glass. It was beautiful and amazing. Jupiter looked up towards the snatches of starry sky she could see through the branches, wondering which one of them was her planet; she dimly recalled that you could tell planets apart from stars because they didn’t twinkle. All of the dots above her twinkled merrily. “But he’s so gentle with me, and I think…I think he feels the same way. But he’s waiting for me to say.”

Touching her breast, and the stone tucked within her bodice, she recalled Conrad’s smile as she’d left his dojo last; in memory, she could see the affection in his eyes, the way they lingered on her face. “I don’t know why I continue to keep my silence. Perhaps it’s because of our future, and I know I’ll have to set him aside. The fear that, again, an enemy will be the death of me, and he’ll be alone.”

“So instead of giving it a chance, you’d rather beg off, so you’re both miserable?” Something in Alex’s voice had her pupil looking around curiously, even though neither of them could see one another. Not necessarily anger, but….something not happy that Jupiter couldn’t put her finger on. “Are you sure it isn’t commitment phobia? Because that’s a rather piss poor excuse. ‘Oh, if I just remain apart from him, he’ll be less hurt then if we were together and I met a grisly death.’ Haven’t you watched those movies? They always end up worse.”

“Commitment phobia? How could that be? I want that happiness! I want those dreams! Why in the name of the kami would I run from them without such a reason?” Jupiter queried, her voice rising in disbelief and anger. Never mind the dream that the youma had given her, repeating the theme of so many others; it was easier to argue, to deny, than face the truth she didn’t even recognize for herself.

A hand stopped her dead, which was really beginning to annoy her. It wasn’t the tall red-head’s fault, she knew, but the inability to see her mentor was growing old already. Of course, if her ire wasn’t up, it probably wouldn’t even bother her quite as much. “Hai?” she asked tersely.

“Because your parents left you before you had a chance to grow up, and grow independent of them. Because you’ve been tossed around schools and friends like a bouncing ball, unable to stay in one place for any length of time. Because you’ve died once, and could die again. Because it’s easier to continue the trend than face up to the fact someone may actually stay, and you won’t know what to do.” That invisible hand reached up, brushing her face, and tucked back her loose strands of hair. “I know because I was the same way for a long time. It cost me two affairs, and by the time I was ready to make that commitment, they died. Now, I don’t know if I can do it again.”

“But they died. They died, just like I could die.” Leaning into that touch, the tall brunette wasn’t surprised to feel a sudden lump in her throat. “And I don’t want to cause that pain.”

Alex sighed, resting her hand on Jupiter’s shoulder. “But the point is, we still spent the time we had together, instead of worrying over those details. We both knew something could happen to either one of us, but we went for it. We had our happiness. And yes, it makes me lonely now, missing them, but at least, for a little while, I was happy. I wasn’t alone.”

“Who was it?” Jupiter swallowed the lump, trying to steady her voice. She was a sailor soldier on a mission, damn it, not some teary school girl. And it wasn’t so hurtful, really, to be confronted with the issue of her phobias; it was the fact that, even if she found happiness, the pain still loomed. “Was it….was it during the Silver Millennium?” she asked, as they continued on their walk. Already she could see the faint glow of light ahead that meant an open plain, and the second village.

“Yes.” Curt, simple, and to the point.

But, she’d never been known to take the hint, not when it could lead to some juicy detail. She was smiling already in anticipation, brushing past the pain. “Who was it? Did I know him?”

The tall red-head laughed rather ironically. Did she know him, indeed. “Yes, I suppose you did, at that. And that’s all I’ll say, so don’t ask again.”

“Alex-chan, don’t hold out on me! After all, you pried into my affairs so easily. I’m allowed to ask questions!”

“So you say.”

“Alex-cha-a-an,” Jupiter wheedled. She heard a gusty sigh.

“No. I’m not telling you about it. It’s painful enough to bring it up. And the others….well, that I can chalk up to youth and stupidity. The first one wasn’t even a real relationship, for gods’ sakes; it was a hope, and it was crushed rather hard.”

“How? I can’t imagine you ever being a silly girl, really. You’re so smart and mature.” The tall brunette expected at the very least a laugh; instead, all she heard was a faint snort.

The moonlight was almost painful to her eyes as they approached the clearing, and she winced, shading her face. Why, when people would most certainly travel between the two villages, was there no method of false light on the path? It had only occurred to her now. She’d been lighting their way with her ball of lightning, which gave off a small amount of glow, but if she could harness her magic in such a way, surely they could do something to ease travel.

So lost in her thoughts, she was almost startled when Alex spoke again. “Of course I was once a silly girl. It may’ve been a long time ago, but everyone goes through that phase. And I wasn’t necessarily a silly girl when it happened, just naïvely hopeful. After all, I’d gotten to him first, and I thought he felt somewhat similar; I think he did, but I was just too young. And then, I’d stupidly suggested he be nicer to my friend, whom he had to work with, and who was a few years older than me, and he became more than friendly. It was a bit of a blow, but considering that I don’t think she was ever aware of it – I don’t think anyone else was, except my father – I weathered it pretty well.

“They were rather good for each other, I have to admit. I don’t know if I could have done the same for him, honestly.” They stopped at the edge of the clearing, looking into the quiet, sleeping village that bore a remarkable resemblance to the one they’d just left. Only, the houses were bigger overall, and no huge oak centered the village. “After that, I just went out and slept with whoever I met in the clubs who wanted a good fuck.”

Jupiter’s reply stuck in her throat. Honestly, she wasn’t even sure what she could say to such a statement. She might’ve eavesdropped on some of the dirtier conversations in the girl’s locker rooms at school, knowing her fellow students were playing around with their boyfriends as if they had no concern whatsoever for propriety, but this was different. Never had she had someone flat-out tell her that they’d slept around with no regard for monogamy or even love, not someone she considered a friend. She couldn’t even comprehend the morals it took – or lacked, perhaps, was a better way of putting it – to do such a thing. Noticing her silence, Alex said flatly, “You asked. If you didn’t want to know—“

“Iie, that’s not…well…how could you do such a thing? That’s terrible! Not to be at least together and committed before having sex?” she stammered in return.

“I didn’t have that option. You don’t know, and you couldn’t understand. I didn’t need the sex, but in those situations, simple closeness wasn’t an option. People you meet in bars don’t want to just cuddle. They want more, and I gave them that, just to feel someone else with me that wasn’t judgmental, that wore their emotions out in the open that I could wrap around me like a blanket so I wasn’t alone. If I didn’t do it, I’d go crazy; literally crazy.”

Without another word, the tall brunette turned away and walked into the village proper, passing a sign that undoubtedly announced the name, but she couldn’t be bothered to look. She felt cold; she felt completely overwhelmed. She didn’t want to say anything, because she didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t sound like disapproval, because she had no right to do such a thing. And she couldn’t help but feel that it was wrong for her to feel that way, because she had no understanding of what her mentor went through to be driven to such depths. If Conrad wasn’t in her life, beckoning to her with a smile and by simply being there, she wasn’t sure if she might not have found herself in the same situation, simply out of loneliness.

Silence seemed better than hypocrisy.

To her credit, Alex seemed to recognize it. They simply walked, their footsteps uneven through the grass and on the hard packed dirt path, all alone in the night as everyone slept. Jupiter was now sorely wishing she was doing the same, instead of going off on this insane mission of love’s labor.

“I think that house is where Mary lives.” The tall brunette finally broke the silence with this revelation, pointing through the houses towards the one she meant in particular.

“What makes you say that? The size, the pillars, or the angry looking old man standing at the front door?” Alex replied in amusement. Either she wasn’t angry that Jupiter was disturbed with her dallies, or had let it drop, because she certainly didn’t sound upset in the least.

And it was definitely some kind of house. Even the two-storied mansion George lived in wasn’t quite as grand. This one was built out of stone, like a real castle, complete with the aforementioned pillars, and an elderly, surly looking man standing in front of the door. He had to be Mary’s father. “Do you think he’ll recognize me as George-san did?” the tall brunette murmured, pausing next to a kidney-shaped pond that sparkled next to the house itself.

“No way to know until we try it.”

“Hai.” Squaring her shoulders, Jupiter walked with confidence up to him. It wasn’t a good sign when he turned to look at her with suspicion.

It was an even worse sign when he shoved her back, not even giving her a chance to speak. He was barely taller than her, maybe a centimetre at most, but his width gave him quite a bit to work with, and she nearly stumbled as she fell back. “You must be from Medias village, being a face I’ve never seen before. We don’t talk to people from that village.” As she steadied on her feet, he dealt her another blow, this time hard enough to drop her onto the path, nearly hitting her head as she rocked back. “Leave Mishii village at once! Or I won’t be as kind next time you approach me!”

“N-nani!? You didn’t even give me a chance!” Jupiter protested, only to wilt as he glared at her. She scrambled up, rubbing her tailbone, backpedaling hastily. “On second thought, maybe I was a bit rude not to announce myself first.” All but running, she beat a hasty retreat. Stopping with a quick pant of exertion, she turned to glance over her shoulder.

He grunted his approval and turned away, scanning the village.

“Well, he didn’t recognize you. That could be a plus.” Hands brushed off the bits of grass and dirt as the tall brunette pondered the situation, wondering how to get around him. She had retreated to the opposite side of the pond, safely out of his old eyesight, and all she could see was a single row of windows on this side of the house, all of them on the second floor. Neither of them were lighted, which wasn’t surprising; the old man may’ve been standing guard, but it was barely the end of night. The sky hadn’t even coloured with the sun’s first rays yet. He must have been quite paranoid that George would try something if he was up and about like some sentinel soldier already.

“Hai, hai, but for him to be up so early just to guard the door? It must be some kind of disagreement,” Jupiter sighed, dropping her eyes.

Something shiny glowed with fading moonlight next to her boot.

She knelt to pick it up immediately, though common sense should have told her it couldn’t be the Hi stone; its twin, Kage, didn’t even respond. But she held it up higher to see its detail, only to recognize it as the token medallion George had given her, strung on an actual chain and shined to a polish. Someone had taken care of it lovingly. “Alex-chan, look at this!”

“Ano, ne…”

Startled, the tall brunette spun around and onto her feet, holding the token tightly in her hand. “Who’s there?”

“Up here! In the window high.”

Looking up, she saw a light on in the window just above her head, when it had been dark only a few moments previous. Framed beautifully by the aged wood was a blonde girl with short bobbed hair and dark eyes, her fingers busy buttoning up her blue dress. She looked as if she’d only just woken up. “May you bring that up here?”

“This token? Is this yours?” Jupiter held it up for confirmation, and, as the girl nodded, she queried as well, “and are you Mary-san?” Another nod, though this one was accompanied by a bright smile. “Then I’ll be happy to give it back to you.”

“And here we go, through the window like the prince climbing Rapunzel’s hair, only there’s no hair, and you’re not quite the dashing hero in the storybook,” Alex mocked, lifting her roommate up.

Inside was a sturdy, comfortable room of wood and shelves full of books and knickknacks, and a bed smoothly made. Mary herself seemed full of energy and cheer, reminding them both uncannily of Usagi and Minako; she held out both hands for the token, clasping it to her breast like a favoured, cherished toy. “Thanks to you for bringing this to me,” she said graciously, dropping a curtsey. “I apologize for my father’s rudeness.”

“Don’t even consider it! His rudeness is his own business, not mine. I came on a mission, after all, and I won’t be stopped.”

“But are you from Medias village?” Mary fingered her token anxiously, dark eyes beseeching. “Is it true, my father’s words?”

Jupiter gestured, waving the insults aside. “Not truly. I’ve come from there, on my mission. In exchanging for helping you, I’m hoping you can help me.”

Mary’s face lit up like the dawn outside. “George! You come from George!”

“Shhh, not so loud, Mary-san! Your father is upset, ne? We don’t want anyone to hear you!” The tall brunette touched a finger to her lips, signaling for quiet, and the blonde bit her lip. Definitely just like Usagi and Minako. “Yes, I’ve come from George-san. Do you want to see him? I’ll take you with me.”

“Nothing would make me happier. To be with George makes my world sweet.” Mary sighed, winding the token’s chain around her fingers. “But since our villages have anger, the way is dangerous at night. To keep anyone from talking, the woods have been dark. And now, lately there have been fierce bakemono since my father’s anger.”

“The youma picked a good time to come back,” Alex muttered into Jupiter’s ear.

For her part, the tall brunette seemed calm at the prospect. After all, dawn was finally breaking, and there would be light; any creature they might encounter she could easily dispatch in such conditions. And she had Alex around to help protect Mary as she fought. “Daijoubu! How do you think I came here? I can fight those monsters easily. I have that power.”

Mary’s sweet smile coincided with the sudden pounding on the door. Just as quickly, her face drained of all humour as they heard her father bellow, “Mary! I can hear talking; who is there with you? Not that dirty girl from Medias! Mary!”

“Dirty girl? Nani!? How rude!” Jupiter snapped, looking around quickly. A quick glance out of the window confirmed someone down below, obviously waiting to see if she’d take the same way out as in; kami-sama, but the man was paranoid. The only other way out was the door that Mary’s father was currently doing his best to beat down. “Shimatta…trapped.”

“What can we do? George is my happiness. I want to see him!” Mary cried in a plainly heartbroken tone, gripping the token so tightly her knuckles had gone white.

“I’m thinking! I’m thinking!”

“Jupiter, come over here and look at this.” A book had lifted up into the air, tapping on a section of wall opposite the bed. It sounded hollow; as the tall brunette took a second look, she realized it was an old door, plastered over. Only by looking closely could you see the outlines of it through the wall. “Mary, where does this door lead?” the tall red-head queried, apparently unconcerned with the notion that she couldn’t be seen.

The blonde’s entirely frightened look didn’t stop her from stammering, “I don’t know,” in reply.

“Well then, let’s find out, ne?” Taking a step back – she could barely hear her heels striking the wood anymore, so loud was the pounding – she kicked a hole through the door. Another good blow opened it up further, just wide enough for them to wriggle through. She grabbed Mary’s hand and squeezed in, pulling her with.

The dust in the air had them all coughing. It wasn’t a room, but a hallway, long forgotten by the layer of dust; several crates sat nearby, which Jupiter appropriated for a simple blockade of the door. “That should do it,” she coughed, waving her hands frantically to clear the air. “They won’t follow us, these boxes weigh at least 80 kilos each! Now, to figure out where we are; a secret passageway?”

Mary took a long look around, frowning pensively. “I don’t know. This house, it has age; it was built long before I can say. It was the house of every village master.” Thoughtfully putting the token around her neck, she smiled at its dull luster in the darkness. Seeing that, Jupiter looked around herself, finding a small candelabra with old but serviceable candles on a nearby crate. Lighting them with a small spark, the hallway flared into detail around them: wooden paneling on the walls, crates and jugs stacked neatly, sconces on the walls, and a thick layer of dust over everything. “Maybe so, it leads to the old ruins. To the god’s house.”

“The god’s house?”

Tentatively they began to walk, their footsteps making them the first visitors in untold years. It was rather creepy. Jupiter never would have expected to be roaming an old, maybe haunted, hallway in her search for Nephrite’s stone. “Who was the god?” she asked quietly, remembering the oak tree.

“The god was Nephrite.”

Coming to the first turn, Jupiter stopped completely. “Nephrite? The god was Nephrite?” Touching her breast automatically, she looked over her shoulder at Mary’s sweet face. “In the old ruins? But the tree told me it never saw him return until his death.”

Mary cocked her head, looking puzzled. “The oak tree of Medias village told this? Surely, it is the god of Medias village. But the god of the ruins was the god of us all. He would be a prince, maybe. And that was his home.”

“So the tree wouldn’t have seen him. He would have been going to the ruins instead of the village. And the ruins are probably the remains of the old fortress the Golden Kingdom would have made them build for their generals,” Alex deduced, taking the candelabra easily from the tall brunette’s hand. “The stone could have easily returned there.”

“Thank the kami if it did,” Jupiter sighed. Then, seeing Mary’s blank stare, she gasped. “Kami-sama, I’ve been so rude myself…! Mary-san, domo; my name is Sailor Jupiter. The voice you hear is my sensei, the—“

“Alex. I’m not usually invisible like this; it’s hard to remember no one can see me at the moment.” The candles dipped in an approximation of a wave, to which Mary curtseyed.

“I’m pleased to meet you. Jupiter-san, I was unsure if you were truly a soldier. I wanted to spare any embarrassment. But who is Alex? Is she a soldier too?”

“Something like that. Now that we’re all introduced, can we keep walking? I can hear Mary’s father trying to push the crates out of the way.”

In unison, the tall brunette and the shorter blonde turned their heads, as if they’d see his head pop through the hole like a demented jack any minute. “That’s an excellent idea,” Jupiter mumbled, turning to see the candles already gone around the corner. “Alex-chan! Matte!”

The corner led to a set of stairs – of which the banister was sagging from the plaster walls; no one dared use it – and another hallway full of the very same crates and jars. It was considerably shorter, as it led to yet another set of stairs, the walls thin enough for them to hear conversation within the house. And the conversation was undeniably angry; it sounded like Mary’s father, angry that his daughter had escaped, and that he couldn’t follow them. Jupiter hoped and prayed that there were no other identifiable doors into the forgotten passage.

Down at the bottom of the stairs, besides the usual crates and jars, was a door and another corner. A quick peek inside revealed nothing but almost choking dust, the same damned crates, and the same damned jars. Out of curiousity, Jupiter finally cracked one of the crates open. “Uniforms?”

“Well I’ll be damned. That’s the sigil of the Gold Army. All of the village men must have had their own uniform to march off to battle in, before everything fell. They would be useless now anyway, except for museum pieces.” A soft prod at the fabric produced a slimy muck, at which Jupiter and Mary both gagged in disgust. “Or not,” Alex amended, laughing at their faces. “I guess no one thought to put a protection spell on them.”

“No one would have guessed that the Silver Millennium’s destruction would be their downfall as well,” Jupiter said softly.

Down the hall further they found a table with a row of moldering books that looked to be, at best guess, chronicles of the general and the Golden Kingdom. They were so far gone as to be unreadable however, the pages so soft they left fingerprint indentations, the words slurred together. Empty barrels that most likely held water also filled the hallway, their insides moldy and reeking horribly of rot. All three were holding their noses by the time they reached the door at the very end, a heavy affair with a crossbar lock that had to weigh several hundred kilos. Jupiter nearly killed herself lifting it up.

Braced for yet another hallway and the ubiquitous crates and jars, they were pleasantly surprised to find themselves looking into a stone cavern instead. “Ara, we’re underground,” Jupiter remarked, taking a deep breath of chill, clean air. A drop of water splashed on her head, and she added, “and it’s wet.”

“Most underground caverns are, Jupiter.”

“Oh, but fascination! The ruins are hard to find. Only foolhardy and silly types find ways in. They’re hidden by time passed.” Mary picked up her skirt, which was trailing in the damp, and carefully dipped a hand into the rippling pool next to the path. It seemed ridiculous to scold her, so they let her be; the water was probably cleaner than the sanitized, boiled H20 that came out of their pipes at home.

Fetching a smaller crate down the hallway, they tucked it into the doorway to keep the door from closing completely – who knew if they’d have to retreat back into the house – and continued walking. The path had long ago been paved with brick, though time and growth had rendered it slippery as an ice rink. “Railings would have been a smart idea,” the tall brunette grumbled after she fell for the fourth time, knocking her knee into the stone wall. (Which had come after the creative cursing she’d let loose with after the third time she’d gone down.) “I’ll be bruised and sore tonight for this.”

“But it’s an adventure!” Mary said with a clap of her hands, completely oblivious to Alex’s snort. “All will be well.”

Such a statement never boded well.

“You know, it’s amazing how utterly and beautifully green the 21^st century is. The queen could have brought this back to us. Her power and that damnable stone could have done it. And yet, our families toiled in the cold for the will of a dominating bitch.”

Marduk swung her legs lazily as she sat high within the oak tree, holding up to the sun a piece of what looked like green glass cut octagonal. Within its depths, a swirl of power was visible, though you had to be of a keen eye to see it. “And for the want of this chunk of gem, a soldier would fight me. Even without the ability to travel in time to see the result, they’re utterly, boringly, predictable.”

She had been finally amused to find the stone high up within this particular tree, after exiting the ruins in the middle of Sin’s lecture on the mission and responsibility: “Marduk, you need to have faith in this. Simply killing her does not accomplish our goals—“

Blah, blah. The girl needed to simply stop talking for a while. Marduk was growing weary of arguing with her. She’d left without another word, leaving Sin to most likely stew over the fact she’d had the audacity to do it, and found herself wandering into Medias. Taking absolutely no notice of the fact that it was still dark out, she cast out a net of her power, searching for an inkling of the stone. Much to her surprise, she found it fairly easily. All it had taken was a quick wander in through the front of the tree, as the inside was carefully hollowed out – and yet, the tree was alive! – and up the carved sets of stairs to this particular wide branch.

There it had sat, as if someone had carelessly thrown it up.

So now she had the stone, and she had to merely wait for Jupiter.

She’d taken to watching the sun rise, and it was indeed beautiful in a way the sunrises at home couldn’t compare. In the coldness of the surviving world, the sun always rose with a gleam across the ice and snow, turning everything bright and sparkly. Not much stood in the way of its rise; not buildings, not large trees, not much at all.

Here, the trees did block it, but it gave it a subtle mystery; the appearance of the sun came after a good hour of lead-in, the sky colouring beautifully beforehand, signaling its approach. And perhaps being this far north gave it a different look as well. It also signaled the awakening of the village beneath her feet, but she took about as much notice of them as an ant hill.

Abruptly, she felt the song of one of her charmed rocks, alerting her to Jupiter’s arrival at the ruins. Curious; she hadn’t expected the tall brunette to deduce their existence quite so fast. It meant a quicker end to this ridiculous mission, but it was still a bit startling. Standing, she stretched her arms and back, reaching for the sky with her fingers. “Ara ara, Jupiter, you’ve done better than expected,” she sighed. Tucking the stone within her pocket, she called on her gifted magic and teleported back to the ruins.

Already she heard voices as she re-appeared, standing inside the largest building; she had searched it thoroughly, concluding that it must have been the main house, for all the time she’d spent staring at it. Her footprints still marked the floor. She hadn’t been able to read the markings over the doorway either, which had caused her no end of anger. “This is the home of Nephrite, ne, Mary-san?”

The sweet blonde nodded her head, holding up her skirts with both hands – a fruitless gesture, Marduk noted, as the hem was dark with wet and mud. Both girls looked as if they’d gone for a tumble on the slick stones; perhaps a youma had shown up. The deadwood-haired brunette had no idea where the monsters would show up, as she merely opened up time for them to come through. “Yes, Jupiter. This would be the god’s home.”

“Quite a place, too,” a third voice remarked, and Marduk cursed silently. The Guardian, damn her. Whatever time had done to her had not stopped her from meddling. “They even put his face above the door.”

Coming closer, she could see Jupiter leaning up on tiptoe to look at the very image: a carved and painted likeness of the general in profile, in the white royal uniform of Earth. “What does it say, Alex-chan?” she queried.

“’Here is the house of our lord and master. Nephrite. The general of some name I can’t pronounce, one of the four holy kings of our sovereign.’”

“’Some name you can’t pronounce’?”

“Hey, Earthen dialects could have named the province, you know. Just because I may have known a few of them doesn’t mean I can read them, or pronounce the colloquial.”

Marduk ground her teeth in frustration. So close; the idiot girl had no idea she was even there! Complete carelessness in the 21^st century! Sin and her simpleton’s plan was folly, and yet, she had to follow it. Clenching her fists to keep from lashing out, she stepped forward and into view, a truly mocking smile lighting her face. “Yare, yare, Sailor Jupiter. I didn’t expect you to find this place so very quickly.”

Jupiter leapt back quicker than she expected, placing herself in front of Mary. Dropping into a defensive stance, she snapped, “I’m hardly stupid. You must be one of them. Tell me who you are and what you’re doing here!”

“Tell you who I am? Not this time. And the Guardian had better not touch me, or I’ll never reveal to you the location of your precious stone.” Marduk smirked as she felt the subtle touch of air across her skin, signaling someone close by. “Hai, I know she’s here.”

“Then impress us. Or I’ll simply take the information out of your head,” the voice said coolly next to her ear; despite herself, she actually shivered. Jupiter she understood well as a soldier following orders, generally soft otherwise; but the Guardian sounded as if she truly meant it. Again she cursed Sin and her plan.

Shaking it off, she focused on Jupiter again. “The stone isn’t here. I’ve already looked. And a fitting tomb for a man steeped in deceit and treachery, I’m destroying this cavern shortly. So I suggest you all leave, before this game is unfortunately cut short by a bad case of death.” Laughing at her own joke, she lifted her hand, firing a bolt of energy up through the roof, and into the cavern ceiling itself. The entire place shook with the impact, and as they reeled, she teleported away before they could stop her.

Mary screamed, covering her head as rocks tumbled down. Jupiter assessed the situation quickly before her mentor even said a word, grabbed the blonde and threw her over her shoulder, and ran like hell. Marduk’s old footsteps led them away from the ruins, and they followed them almost desperately as the cavern fell to pieces behind them, destroying possibly every trace of Nephrite’s history. “That was a ridiculous gesture,” Alex gasped as they continued to run, trying to outrace the plume of dust and dirt that followed them.

“I don’t like her,” was all Jupiter said in return, not quite as winded as the tall red-head, but finding it hard to run with a wriggling girl draped over her shoulder.

The tunnel finally began to slope upward, the bright sunshine visible through an open exit hole. A set of steps led up to it, and Jupiter set Mary down so they could ascend properly and give her arm a rest. Alex made some sort of noise and collapsed promptly into the grass once they were out. “Guhhuuuuhhhh.”

Jupiter leaned back against a huge boulder, catching her own breath; from the looks of the dirt, the boulder had once covered up the exit, but had recently been shoved aside. Marduk’s doing, most likely. She was indeed tired and sore, not only from their marathon and her tumbles, but a youma had attacked them halfway to the ruins, and she was also sporting a nice slash across the back of her calf from it. Being a matchmaker was tougher than she thought.

A shadow darkened her face. Whipping her head up, she was beat to the punch as Mary cried, “George!” and flung herself at the startled young man, nearly knocking him back into the lake. The lake? Puzzled, Jupiter craned her head, spotting across the way the very fire pit and shelter she’d made, confirming that they had made it all the way back to Marine Lake. Kami-sama, they’d walked all the way back to the damned lake….

“Jupiter, thanks to you for bringing Mary to me.” Blinking, she realized George was talking to her, though the kick to her shin should have alerted her. “We’re both now very happy!”

“You don’t need to thank me. It was all I could do to help. But, it doesn’t solve the problem of your marriage at all. Is it possible to make everyone forget the argument between your villages?” And was it possible for her to finally get on with her own mission? Even if she was dedicated to the idea of their happiness through her intervention, she was also beginning to itch at the bit over the Hi stone. And that Oppositio Soldier needed some discipline taught to her.

Mary and George looked at each other in a moment of bewilderment.

Alex sighed, from wherever she lay. “What pissed off the villages in the first place?”

“We don’t know,” they echoed.

Jupiter huffed a bit of hair out of her face. “That doesn’t help. Maybe we could try an exchange of gifts for peace?”

“Just as long as it isn’t fruitcake,” Alex noted dryly.

They remained in silence for several minutes, thinking it over. Having no clue of the marriage rituals in the village, the two had no clue what to suggest, and the happy couple just seemed content enough to gaze into each other’s eyes. After a few more minutes, they were practically eating one another with their looks, and Jupiter coughed loudly to interrupt them; she felt a tad bit jealous, that was for sure. “Is there anything we could give Mary’s father to soothe him?” she queried after getting their attention.

“Perhaps, there is the stone of the general,” George finally offered. “The god of protection could tell us.” Jupiter’s brow twitched.

“But I need to take the stone back to Japan with me! Though I suppose, if we offer it at least, I can still retrieve it, ne? It’s only a symbol.” The tall brunette smiled; finally, they were getting somewhere. She’d get the happy couple together, and find the stone at the same time. “Is the god of protection the large oak tree?” she then queried, remembering the incident from earlier.

“It is. Though we’ll need to crafty. Everyone is forbidden from going up to the sunlit branches, as my father says.” Jupiter frowned.

“Why?”

“It is as he says.” George shrugged, obviously having never considered the reasons why.

“Fine, fine.” Jupiter waved it off, looking to the blonde attached to his arm. “Mary, will you wait here for us while we find the stone?” Her brow crinkled as Mary shook her head. “Why not? You can’t come with us, surely; George-san’s father could see you and get angry.”

Mary only smiled, leaning up to kiss George on the cheek. “I’ll return to the house. Why, father may be very angry now! I’ll be taking my wait there. Surely you will all arrive soon with the stone. And we finally will marry!” Kissing him again, she reluctantly released his arm, then flung herself back to kiss him one last time before picking up her skirts and disappearing into the woods.

They watched her go, though the tall brunette was rather annoyed that she’d gone through all the trouble to get Mary out of the house, and there she was, going right back. Comparisons no longer stood in the face of the girl’s complete naïveté; even Usagi wouldn’t be so thoroughly dense. And now she had another long trek through the woods to return to Medias, and the oak, to look forward to, when all she really wanted to do now was fall back onto the grass and sleep.

In fact, she was already lying down on the soft green, snuggled up on her side. Maybe just a nap, they wouldn’t mind. The sweetest warmth enveloped her from head to toe, and she sighed.

Several hours later, they were back in Medias. Jupiter was solidly convinced that she had to have lost at least several kilos over the last day from walking and running. It was just too bad she wasn’t on a diet regimen so she could at least feel victorious about it. She would’ve gladly kept the weight on as a trade for a day of sedentary. Her short nap was definitely not going to cut it.

Walking through the village during the daytime was a startling contrast to the quiet, somber night; though it had to be a ridiculously small population, it looked as though everyone was outside. Children ran in circles chasing one another, laughing as they played tag; women in long skirts stood in doorways talking with one another, or carrying baskets of laundry. Men clustered together in conversation. And every single one of them stopped what they were doing to watch Jupiter and George walk past, heading for the oak. “So much for stealth,” Alex muttered.

“Just what I was thinking,” the tall brunette sighed.

As they approached the tree, several people actually appeared to be heading to cut them off. “Not good,” George remarked, not in the least bit subtle with his own staring. “Father must have announced his rules lately. They would try to halt us.”

“They can’t stop if they don’t see us. Keep walking.” George gave the tall brunette an odd look as her mentor said that, but complied at her nod.

Glancing over her shoulder, Jupiter watched as the people who had been following them began to blink in confusion, slowing their pace. Apparently, Alex was still more than adept at using her mental powers, even in her ghostly form. Considering the size of the crowd, it was quite an accomplishment. “Alex-chan, sugoi,” she whispered, earning a nudge in the ribs. “Can you do that to everyone?”

The tall red-head snorted. “Why do you think no one else is chasing us? Now hurry up, I can’t keep doing this forever. Their minds run a little bit like yours; quite a bit of static. I can’t keep holding on much longer.” She gave Jupiter another nudge, pushing her along.

George led them to the opening in the trunk which, in the darkness of night, they had taken no notice of; a perfectly round arch long worn smooth by the touch of thousands of hands. Past it and inside was somewhat humid, the living wood of the tree having soaked up the sun’s heat and the wet nutrients from the ground. The dirt was hard packed from the footsteps of the same people, almost shiny.

Jupiter ran her eyes along the walls with an almost glowing awe, amazed at the union of mad-made and nature; the oak, the very one she had spoken to, was still alive despite the hollowing of her core. She could feel it. And, as she removed her glove slowly and touched the soft wall, she felt it return her acknowledgement lovingly. Yes, it was still alive. “Amazing,” she sighed, removing her hand and sliding her glove back on.

“Isn’t it, though? It constantly amazes me, the longer I remain in this century.”

Marduk smiled slyly as she leaned against the wall, watching George’s face as it turned several shades of confused and suspicious. After all, she was no one he had ever seen before, and yet, she was in their sacred tree. She smiled even wider as he took a threatening step closer, hands balling into fists. “Ara ara, Jupiter, it looks as if your friend is threatening me.”

“He isn’t the only one, after all.” Marduk’s eyes opened wide in sudden fear as she was flung bodily up tight against the wall, limbs pinned roughly in an X shape. “Just the only one who can’t fling around a bit of power.”

“How cruel of you, Guardian-sama; may I call you that? Surely I’m allowed.”

“Nope.”

She shook her head in despair, sighing. “How cruel.”

Jupiter frowned, taking a step forward. The growing sensation of the Kage stone at her breast responding to the Hi stone was not quite painful; quite strangely soothing, really. But it told her what she needed to know. “You have something I’ve been looking for. If you hand it over nicely, we won’t need to fight.”

“Aren’t you so sure of yourself? But I forget; you’re the same as me, at times. Always so straightforward. The strong soldier, who thinks with her fists.” Her smile gone, Marduk was pensive as she hung in her restraints. “Possibly, like many others who never gave it a thought.”

She shut her eyes as she recalled that particular day, walking aimlessly through the streets of their lonely city. After all of the fighting and the suffering, everyone seemed to classically forget what had happened; that the Black Moon had disturbed them at all. It was so very Tokyo to cast aside any suspicions or fears.

After a while, she had come upon a pair talking in the shadow of a recently restored shop, arms full of its wares – shoes, if she remembered correctly – completely oblivious to her presence. “Our queen has been good to us in all these years after the ice,” one, a young woman, had said quite innocently. She looked as if she’d never really had to work hard, like so many others; most likely she’d been smart enough to focus in the restoration of business than labor. Marduk might have ignored them as she always had, but the words stopped her in her tracks. Their queen? Good to them?

“Hai, hai! After all, the power of the holy stone is so marvelous to keep us in peaceful times. Where would we be, if our silver queen had no Ginzuishou?”

“Where would we be? Where, you say? Possibly, still in a lovely green world, where enemies and demons were not attacking us for that very power!” She’d strode right in between them, forcing them apart to stare at her in appalled fascination. “What has that power done, except for lure the very evil that caused the ice? The fabled demons of the Dark Kingdom…the Black Moon, who so recently destroyed us…the legendary aliens of the Death Busters! And at the end, the enemy Death Phantom! What madness infects you all that remembers its power as a blessing, instead of the curse it truly is?”

Both of them had done nothing but gape; as she expected. Disgusted, she’d turned away, leaving them to stare in their stupidity, and returned the way she had come. “How do they live with themselves? How can they not see so plainly?”

“They cannot see, when they’ve been blinded by the radiance of a holy stone.”

“Nani…? Who is that? Reveal yourself!” The voice had simply laughed.

“I understand you now, young lady. Your disgust for those around you as they cavort in ignorance.” Marduk had looked away, searching for a body to match the voice; the only ones she encountered were the two idiots down the road, still staring at her. Most likely they now thought she was insane for talking to herself. As if it mattered to her what they thought.

She turned back around, facing an empty row of buildings and, rising above all, the tall spires of the palace. “Ignorance, yes. If only they looked back into history….! The books are there, saved from the ice. Mercury gave us all the key to their treachery, and no one looks for the truth. Everything repeats.”

“Ara ara, you truly have my notice. It’s true what you say; that the Ginzuishou and its power are the cause of suffering. I, Shaman Apsu, am gathering people like yourself for a special purpose. We must reclaim history. We must prevent the battles for the holy stone. Will you help us?”

“Sou yo. I’ll gladly do this. If you have such magic to prevent those tragedies, I’ll gladly fight, Shaman Apsu.”

“Then come, to my hands…..”

“….to your hands, Apsu-sama,” Marduk whispered, as she opened her eyes. “Hai. Never forget the treachery. Sailor Jupiter!” she said in a louder voice, lifting her head. “You may have come this far, much to my surprise, but you won’t go any further.” Tensing her muscles, she called upon the power Apsu had given her, wrenching her body free. She heard a stifled curse and smiled, knowing she had hurt the Guardian. “The stone is mine, Jupiter!”

She fled upwards on the carved staircase as Jupiter shouted for her to stop, smiling wider as she felt the presence of youma; it would keep them busy. “Come back!” Jupiter shouted again, watching her vanish from sight. “Shimatta!”

“Jupiter, we have company! Stop yelling after the damned bitch, we’ll catch her later!” Alex snapped, and the tall brunette turned around to see a pair of slender figures appear in the middle of the tree.

“Youma….!? Inside of the protection god?”

Both figures smiled. Tall and slender, they mirrored one another perfectly; a male and female with bald, smooth heads, their skin blue and gleaming. With a gesture, they raised a sudden and startling fog so thick and hot it left them gasping for air. “Sailor soldier,” the female sighed into the mist.

“The element of lightning is thwarted by the element of water. This will be your proper end.” The male’s voice echoed across the hollow as a hand loomed from the fog, snatching at George’s face. It was slapped away by an invisible blow, and he scowled fiercely. “Another.”

“Flower Hurricane!” The storm of petals cut through the fog easily, though they were dodged by the female with ease. Hitting the opposite wall, Jupiter cringed as the oak’s pain ripped through her awareness as loudly as if she’d been bodily touching the tree itself. She felt a moment’s confusion as she realized that she had to be more careful, completely unaware that the male was right behind her.

The fierce blow he dealt her head had her seeing stars. She crumpled onto her knees, gasping in pain. “Kami-sama, ittaaiii,” she moaned, bracing herself to roll to the side, avoiding another hit. But she could still barely see in front of her due to the haze, and once she rolled twice, she was out of sight. “Alex-chan!”

“Conveniently, they have nothing for me to sense, so don’t look to me for help!” the tall red-head shouted across the room. “You’re on your own.”

Oh, hell. She rolled again as she heard a whistle of air, though she was admittedly straining to hear it; her ears were still ringing. Raising a hand, she scattered her deadly petals again, smiling in triumph as she heard the female yowl in pain. “You’re not as helpful as I expected, sensei!” she retorted as she leapt to her feet, fingers searching for a body. She caught a slender wrist, which she then yanked close. Calling power to her free hand, she pressed it against a soft breast as the youma hissed.

“We’ve come again to defeat you, sailor soldier. Death does not stop the loyal.”

Jupiter only tightened her grip as she struggled and murmured, “Flower Hurricane.”

Surprisingly, there was no big explosion or gooey mess; merely a puff of ash that scattered immediately. Frowning at the ease with which she’d defeated one – though if they were Beryl’s reborn creatures, she was admittedly more powerful than she’d been facing them the first time – she opened her hand to let the rest float away. “Youma! I’ve already destroyed one of you. I won’t hesitate to destroy the one who remains who dared desecrate this sacred tree.”

Calling power to her hand, ready to face the lone creature, she was quite puzzled to see the fog lift. Soon she could see George’s face as he cleaved to the wall, looking around in curiousity; he caught her eye and shrugged. “Is it over, Sailor Jupiter?”

She looked down at the scattered ashes. Then, a second mess of ash that lay near the door. How amazing. She fought back a relieved laugh, trying not to shake her head at the absurdity. “I guess so, George-san. That’s the first set of twin creatures I’ve ever seen do that. Usually, we have to kill them both.”

“Be grateful for small favours, n’eh?” Alex’s voice laughed from the stairs. “Though I don’t think I’ve seen it before either. I like it.”

“Hai, hai. Now, let’s go! We have to get the Hi stone!”

The deadwood-haired brunette watched as they came out of the darkness of the tree, walking across the wide branch, looking none the worse for wear. “Surprise, surprise.”

“So you say. Now, the Hi stone.” Jupiter held out her hand, not really expecting to receive the stone, but she wouldn’t be adverse to having it so easily.

“How silly! Do you honestly expect me to just hand it over? Sailor Jupiter, you’ve gone from surprising me to disappointing me.” Marduk’s disappointed headshake was hardly unexpected. She took a step back, removing from her pocket a glinting green object which she held up to the light. Through the soft leaves, the sunlight turned it into fire. Teasingly, she tipped it to catch a particular ray, looking away as it became too bright to even look at. “You’ll have to fight me for it if you want….it….n-n-nani!?” she stammered.

The sudden tremble of the oak knocked them all off their feet. Marduk cursed as their branch nearly bent in half, throwing them in opposite directions; she went down. The sky flashed before her eyes as she fell, watching their horrified faces grow smaller, tumbling to land in a painful heap in the shallow water. Free of her hand, the Hi stone landed in the grass, a shining speck she could hardly see. She couldn’t yet move; her body was screaming at her for being so damned stupid and refused to budge for pain.

Jupiter landed a minute later, holding an embarrassed George in her arms. Marduk wasn’t surprised to see him snatch up the stone. “Thank the kami we’ve gotten it,” the tall brunette cheered, smiling at him. “Now, your fathers won’t argue over this.”

A white rage blurred Marduk’s vision, and she forced herself up onto her hands and knees, spitting out water. “Iie! You’re not getting away that easily! I may have stumbled and lost the stone, but I challenge you! You won’t walk away from this.” Crawling onto the bank, she nearly slipped and fell on her face as the mud under her boots squished smooth. She was dirty, in pain, and growing more pissed by the minute, and she would have blood. “Fight me, Sailor Jupiter! I am the Oppositio Soldier Marduk; I am your adversary!”

The tall brunette stared at her curiously for a moment, head cocked. When Marduk’s glare grew vicious, she turned her glance away. “Alex-chan, go with George-san. You need to take the stone to Mary-san and her father. I’ll join you later, ne?”

“Are you sure, Jupiter?” The tall red-head was at Jupiter’s right, Marduk deduced. “You don’t have to fight her. We’ve got the stone.”

Jupiter shook her head. “Iie. I’ll do it. Just go, and take George-san with you, to safety.”

“As if I’d hurt your precious male,” Marduk finally sneered, watching as he passed her by, eyeing her with similar contempt. Once they’d gone and were safely out of earshot, she turned back to the sailor soldier who was still giving her that annoyingly curious look. “Now come on, Jupiter! I didn’t come here to have you stare at me like some idiot child.”

“Why are you so angry? I haven’t done anything to you. Not yet. The Sailor Jupiter of the 30^th century is not me.” The tall brunette looked away again, noting out of the corner of her eye that they were the center of attention. Oh well; at least she could tell them that one of the legendary sailor soldiers was ridding their village of a dangerous enemy. It was certainly an excuse she longed to be able to use in Tokyo sometimes. “The oak can feel your anger. Even nature rejects such hatred.”

Marduk choked on her sudden laugh, eyes growing wide. “Are you trying to tell me that the tree deliberately threw me off? Yare yare; you must think me as stupid as the rest of the sheep. It won’t save you from my intentions! Dark Thunder!”

The attack threw Jupiter back across the stream even as she raised her arms to block the blow, landing painfully on the hard packed dirt. Biting back her cry of pain, she simply shook her head. “That kind of fierce attack won’t work on me, Marduk. Supreme Thunder!” she shouted, flinging her power back at the deadwood-haired brunette, using the recoil to roll backwards and onto her feet.

Most of the village had to be gathered now, watching as they eyed one another warily, separated by the soft trickle of water. Tossing her head back, Marduk smiled grimly. “I suppose you’re faster in this time than I expected. But I was given the power to match you; iie, to defeat you! Apsu-sama promised me that!” She sprung forward, leaping the stream as Jupiter backpedaled, slamming into her like a wrestler; they both went down, punching and kicking each other. “But I can’t argue with my regular method!”

“Too bad it’s a flawed skill!” the tall brunette countered, catching her fist. She planted her boot in Marduk’s gut, rolling back again to fling her up and off. As they landed, they exchanged blows again once they got to their feet; though Jupiter knew she had plenty of training to one-up the girl, Marduk had the element of surprise on her side. An untrained fighter was unpredictable and almost worse than one trained. “Why do you have to fight me? No matter what, I’ll have to defeat you. My duty is to discard people like you who would destroy our planet.”

“Destroy! I’d call it more an act of protection, ridding this planet of the holy stone. Hearing you say that only means you can’t see the truth, just like everyone else.” Marduk grunted as she caught a punch across the chin, returning the blow to Jupiter’s shoulder. “You’re as brainwashed as the rest of them! Dark Thunder!”

“Flower Hurricane!”

The two attacks collided as they leapt out of the way, ripping apart the grass. People were screaming; several branches caught on fire, and Jupiter flinched at the oak’s wail of distress. “Gomen nasai,” she whispered faintly, dodging another blast of lightning as she backtracked over the stream. “Marduk! Stop this! With these people standing around…”

“So what? If our mission is a success, they’ll never remember this. Don’t try to talk your way out of this fight.” Another volley of lightning was sent Jupiter’s way, blocked by a hastily thrown Coconut Cyclone.

The tall brunette retreated further, trying to think. What could she do to bring an end to the battle without hurting the oak or anyone else? With the villagers so close, she didn’t dare throw her lightning anymore, and her other attacks simply couldn’t continue blocking Marduk’s vicious power. And that was all she seemed to have in her repertoire; lightning, as benefiting a god of thunderstorms.

Her eyes drifted down towards her boots. The girl was standing in a particularly soggy patch of ground as she glared at Jupiter, hands clenched into fists. Lightning sparked, but of course, didn’t effect her in the same manner as it would a human; there was magic, and there was nature. Her own lightning wouldn’t harm her.

So Jupiter called down the sky.

Raising her hands, she reached for the clouds that hung in the blue sky, praying that her god would hear. “Jupiter-sama, send me your power. Lightning, that which I call my own, strike! The soldier of Jupiter is asking for your help!” she cried, spreading her fingers, reaching deep inside her soul to that place where her magic resided, reaching for the knowledge of storms and their explosive power. Somehow, she knew she could do this; Jupiter had known; Jupiter had called down the lightning from the skies.

Marduk had the oddest look on her face; a look which quite plainly said she was terrified. It was entirely out of place on her, though it was quickly replaced by one of pain as the skies split, and the lightning found its mark.

It missed her by two metres.

But the shock, traveling through soggy ground and wet feet and up and up, threw her quite far.

Jupiter lowered her arms. “If it weren’t for our particular powers, you could have been killed,” she murmured to the wind. “If I weren’t so kind, instead of the cruel person you think of me, you would have been killed.”

Far off, she could see Marduk struggling up onto her feet, surrounded by a loose crowd of people. She pounded her fists into the ground, letting loose a frustrated scream; then she shouted, “This isn’t the end, Sailor Jupiter! Maybe my power doesn’t match yours, but I’ll still defeat you!” With that proclamation, she vanished.

“Of course,” the tall brunette sighed. Scraping the mud off her boots, she turned to the oak and removed her glove to touch the bark. When the oak’s relief at her safety flooded through her, she had to smile and laugh. “Arigatou! I’m glad you’re safe as well. I was quite worried for a while.”

It wished her well before she removed her hand, and she bowed to it properly in respect.

“Shut up, you boring old man!”

“Are you telling me to shut up! You shut up! You caused all of this!”

“Kami-sama, they’re both cranky old men,” Jupiter groaned, palming her face as they continued to hurl insults at one another. She wasn’t sure if it was a positive sign to realize she understood everything they said, instead of mentally puzzling out their archaic words. It mostly meant she couldn’t block them out.

She had gone back to George’s house to see if he was waiting for her, only to find him and his father together. When they had told the old man where they had found the Hi stone, he had, to put it kindly, gone into conniptions ranting and raving about “that guy.” Frankly, she wasn’t convinced she was hearing it right, and he was in fact cursing. “I’ll bet it’s his fault! All his fault!” he fumed, pounding his fist on the table. “We’ll go there right now!”

So they ended up walking to Mishii village in silence, punctuated by the old man’s completely random comments. It was, despite that, a lovely walk; the sunlight gave the trees a particularly lively glow, and it was certainly less creepy than it had been several hours earlier. George had said absolutely nothing except for, “I hope Mary is happy.” Alex had been so silent that the tall brunette had almost completely forgotten she was there.

They walked right up to Mary’s front door where the old man then proceeded to barge right in before she or George could protest, walked right up to Mary’s father, and shouted, “In the tree!? You jerk!” And it had just snowballed from there.

Half an hour passed before they finally began to simmer down and started speaking in tones reserved for decent conversation. “This guy wanted to marry my sister, can you imagine that? My loving sister! I couldn’t stand for that!” Mary’s father said, gesturing rather rudely at George’s father.

“Of course you could have! You were just jealous!”

“I was not! She was my sister!”

The tall brunette twitched an eyebrow as Alex groaned next to her. “Mon Dieu, not again. Am I cursed to eternally point out the obvious? First cousins, for gods’ sakes! Why didn’t either of you old bats ever bother to tell your children that?” she queried.

Both men seemed obvious to the fact she was invisible, or maybe they were as accepting as George had been; neither batted an eye. “Well, I didn’t want George to marry her anyway!” his father argued.

“And I didn’t want Mary to marry him either!” her father retorted.

“So, all these years and arguments came from you two being mad at each other? That’s it?” Jupiter asked quickly, hoping to stave off another round of name calling. The happy couple, for their part, seemed somewhat dazed; they stared across the room at each other as if seeing the other for the first time.

Mary’s father glared at her, as if she’d said something entirely rude herself. “Of course not! That’s stupid! I just wanted nothing to do with them, if they were going to take my sister away! But it didn’t matter, even after I hid the Nephrite stone. He still married her.”

“I knew it! All of my words came true after all! It was you who stole it from the ruins! You threw it up into the branches of our protection god!” George’s father howled, pointing his finger in accusation.

“QUIET!” Jupiter shouted over both of them. They cowed instantly, backing away from her. She glared at each of them in turn. “This is ridiculous. If I understand, the village chief from Medias wanted to marry the sister of the village chief of Mishii, ne? The chief of Mishii didn’t want that, so he stole the Nephrite stone to stop the marriage, but no one knew it was him. So the chief from Medias married her anyway, but made up bad stories about the chief of Mishii because he thought he was guilty. And because of this, the two villages have been rivals since the marriage?”

When they simply nodded, she shook her head in despair. “What a kind of grudge! Mary-san, George-san, you’ll have to tell everyone the truth. Tell everyone in the villages what happened between the chiefs so this rivalry will end. And I want you two to apologize!”

“You want me to apologize to him?” George’s father said incredulously.

“I won’t apologize to him until he apologizes to me!” Mary’s father retorted, folding his arms.

“Me? You apologize first!”

“What? You apologize first!”

“You started this! You apologize first!”

“No, you started this! You apologize first!”

“No, you first!”

“No, you!”

They froze in mid-shout as Jupiter grabbed them both by the shoulders and hauled them in close, yelling, “Will you just apologize already!?” She let go as they reluctantly shook hands, continuing to glare all the while. “There; was that so terrible?”

“It doesn’t make me any happier,” Mary’s father muttered. Jupiter rolled her eyes; she could hear Alex snickering.

“Nothing would, at this point. Now, will you stop this rivalry? The villages have suffered for your stupidity.”

“Yes, yes,” George’s father grumbled. “But I’m not happy about it.”

Jupiter sighed, glancing at George. He was still staring at his bride to be, though the tall brunette wasn’t sure if everything had turned out as wonderfully as she’d hoped. She may have put an end to the rivalry, but the happy couple had turned out to be the happy first cousins instead. That had to put a real damper on their relationship. “George-san, is this all right? Mary-san, are you happy?”

Mary looked at her with a sad, sad smile. “I’m not sure.”

“I don’t know either. Why couldn’t our fathers tell us? They knew of our love. Now this.” George reached into his pocket, removing the Hi stone. He hefted it, staring into its green depths for a long moment before he held it out to her. “Perhaps this was meant to be. After all, you came for this stone. It’s no longer ours to hold sacred.”

“George-san….I’m sorry. I really meant for you to be happy.” She accepted the stone, deftly touching it to its partner. They merged into one marvelous gem in a show of light, a perfectly oval green. Tucking it back into her bodice, she kissed him on the cheek. “Arigatou, George-san. Please find happiness.”

“You’re a very peculiar girl, Sailor Jupiter. I wish you could stay.” He smiled at her, and, as he turned his eyes to Mary, she could see the look in his eye; cousins or not, they loved each other, and were unlikely to stop. “But even if you don’t, we’ll find our way.”

“Hai, hai. I have faith in you.”

They crowded the door to watch her leave, waving, looking like any normal happy family. She only looked back once to wave back, laughing to herself suddenly. “What’s so funny, chere?” Alex asked, as she continued to giggle.

“Happiness. You can find it everywhere, can’t you? Even in such a strange situation.” She laughed again, now quite happy herself, as they headed home.

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A Different Story Chapter 02 : ...In Search of the Stones – Sailormars

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:51:19 GMT

Standing on a mildly grassy plain, Mars surveyed the land with a critical eye. Jadeite’s Kage stone had brought them to the center of what seemed to be a series of hilly enclosures, open to the sun and elements, but closed off to the rest of the world. She had a feeling that most of the region’s inhabitants didn’t even know the valley existed; a perfect place to hide a powerful stone.

And she was also in the land of Buddha’s birth, which calmed her mind and spirit. Shinto she may have been, but she appreciated Buddhism for its ideology; that to attain enlightenment was the method of salvation, and escaping the cycle of rebirth. Perhaps if she could reach that height, her burden as Sailor Mars would be finished as well.

“Thinking a bit too deeply, Mars? Your signal is fading…” The tall red-head made a hissing noise like static next to her ear, and she twitched, the only sign of her surprise.

“Perceiving the spiritual, perhaps. I know you, spiritually devoid as you are, couldn’t conceive of such simplicity,” Mars replied coolly, turning her head to watch the wind blow through the grass. “This is the land of Buddha. I feel at ease to be near the birthplace of the enlightened.”

Alex snorted, picking up a small rock to juggle from hand to hand. “Yes, spiritually devoid, that’s me. I can’t help it if I’m not a spiritual agoraphobic like you. I hear enough voices in my head already without adding those of the gods.” The rock was an easy way for Mars to concentrate on the American’s position, so she watched it fly back and forth.

“I suppose you do.” The dark-haired shrine girl was still uncomfortable with the notion of a telepath, even if said telepath was her ally and supposedly unable to hear much besides static in their minds. Who knew what trickery she could inflict on her senses? Far too much, she suspected. “Jadeite’s Kage stone brought us here. Do you think the Hi stone could be very close by?”

“Possibly, but the Kage stone would probably do something to alert us if it was; bark, or something. It isn’t doing anything now, ergo, it probably isn’t close.” The rock paused in what seemed to be mid-air, hovering, as the tall red-head mused. “Let’s see if we can find any signs of habitation. I remember them mentioning their ‘lands of origin,’ which may mean Jadeite once lived here.”

Mars nodded thoughtfully, though she had to wonder just how many signs of habitation could have survived the centuries. “Perhaps.” She smoothed back her hair, brushing it out of her eyes as the wind whipped it around her face. Then she frowned, purple eyes narrowing in concentration. “I sense something, Alex-san. A thing of darkness. To the west.”

She pointed towards the sloped, hilly walls that surrounded them, seeing for the first time the path that lead through. Without hesitation, she began to walk that way, letting her senses guide her; she knew that Alex followed.

Following the trail, the ground beneath her heels began to turn rocky, less grassy and soft; she stumbled more than once, cursing her inappropriate footwear. Whoever thought of giving the soldier of Mars such high heels should have been glad they were dead, else she’d kill them herself. “Why was I cursed to wear such treacherous shoes?” she snapped after she nearly twisted her ankle.

“The Martian women considered it a sign of pride to walk into battle, able to fight with the signs of pampered women gracing their feet.” Alex sounded amused as she answered the question, catching Mars as she tripped.

“How illogical and stupid. Vanity will kill us all,” Mars sneered, nodding her head for the help. “I always try to avoid wearing such silly adornments for such a reason.”

“I didn’t say it was a good idea, did I? Though those Martians could kick some serious ass, even with them on; have you ever seen a man being kicked in the nuts with a spike toe? Even I cringed, and I don’t even have the hardware.”

Despite herself, Mars had to smile, if a bit coldly; the thought of her father bending over in pain, face red as he howled, was a pleasant one. Too bad she was well-bred and respectful of her elders, or the dream would be a reality. The man drove her to passionate fury, that much was true. “I can still sense the darkness, an evil concentrated. Perhaps the enemy has already found the Hi stone?”

Pushing aside a tall sheaf of grass that had miraculously survived the rocky soil, she heard Alex reply, “If they already found it, they’d probably be out here flaunting the matter. We don’t even know if they’re aware of what we’re doing to begin with, so it’s also rather illogical.”

“Of course, as logic dictates the heart precisely,” the dark-haired shrine girl muttered beneath her breath, pausing to dislodge her heel from the rocky terrain.

Coming off the trail, they found themselves within a circular valley within the mountains, cluttered with buildings made of stone and brick. A few people were wandering the paths between the buildings, one or two carrying large woven baskets; all of them were dark-skinned and obviously Nepalese, wearing the rough clothes in drab colours. They regarded the red-suited soldier curiously as she entered their village, though none of them seemed unduly alarmed.

“I can feel it, but where is it coming from?” Stepping with a bit more ease on the packed dirt that made up the valley floor, her head swiveled sharply as she scanned the village. A passing male was given a particularly hard stare before she dismissed him just as abruptly, striding away. “Iie, not a person’s energy…”

Peering into a building, she found it occupied by a single old woman, fat with age, who stared back at her as she shook her head. “Iie, not here either.”

“So you’re just going to barge into each and every building and bathroom trying to find this evil? And here I always considered you the diplomat of the team,” Alex snorted off to her right. The old woman blinked.

Retreating from the house, Mars tossed back her hair impatiently. “The sensation is growing stronger, but I can’t pinpoint it. What else would you have me do—“

She trailed off, purple eyes settling on the farthest building.

Towering over the village, its front door accented by pillars and carvings, it had to be their temple, if not the temple for the surrounding area, if one judged by size. As she stared at it, her heart began to beat faster, drumming within her chest; she touched her brooch, feeling its warmth grow in response to her excitement. “I can’t tell for sure, but that temple….we have to investigate it. Evil has always sought to corrupt the holy purity of such shrines.”

The tall red-head was most likely shrugging to this sentiment as she said, “A better idea than just walking into people’s homes, at least. I’d hate to find out how the people of this village spend their free time. Probably put me off my lunch.”

“Alex-san, don’t be so crue—oh.” Mars pinked slightly as she considered the possibilities, and shook her head briskly to quickly erase the images. “Perhaps it is wiser to knock first.”

She jogged up the steps, no easy feat in the damned heels, and entered the temple.

….Chapter 2 : In Search of the Stones – Sailormars

Inside, those same heels clicked on smooth, polished stone, echoing against tall walls and the high overhead ceiling. Pillars decorated the walls just as they did outside, huge frames for the elaborate – and, at a glance, old – tapestries hanging between them. She didn’t recognize them, but could recognize that they lacked one major design; the Buddha himself.

“Isn’t this a Buddhist temple?” Alex queried beside her, having noticed the omission as well. “Where’s Jolly Old St. Siddhartha?”

Mars closed her eyes momentarily, quelling the urge to snap at her for being so flippant, knowing there wasn’t anything she could do about it. Then she said, “I don’t know. In this place, it should likely be a Buddhist temple, but without pictures of the Buddha himself….it’s very unusual. I see nothing that even identifies it as Buddhist. Nothing representing the Eightfold Path.”

“Maybe this is the tourist entrance. I wouldn’t put the valuable stuff up front either, not with Americans and their dirty little fingers always touching everything.” Alex sounded disgusted, which the dark-haired shrine girl could easily empathize with. “Let’s go further in.”

Ahead, the temple hall curved into a sharp turn, into a hallway decorated in the exact same manner, though recognizable faces were visible; pale-skinned, light-haired men, rays of light shining around their heads. Some were fighting what looked to be demons, others were simply offering their hands with benevolent smiles. “Definitely weird,” Alex muttered.

“I don’t understand; why would they have such people in their temples? How could they know, so long ago, of these paler-skinned people?” The dark-haired shrine girl paused to stare at a particular picture, of a blond, blue-eyed man weeping rain upon the drought-ridden populace. “And why would they be so revered?”

“Well, the Aztecs thought their returning god was a light-skinned man, and look what happened with that. Probably, being dark-skinned, they figured the greater beings of the universe would be light-skinned, in contrast. Who knows? Coincidence is a scary mistress with bitch heels.” She then added, after a moment, “It might also explain how Jadeite could have come from this region, if this was his home. Maybe the light-skinned were their sovereign kings.”

“A frightening thought.” Unsure as to why the picture was disturbing her, she turned away, continuing to walk down the hall. She could see the next turn already, right; at its corner, she spied the main hall of the temple itself, firelight dancing on the walls. Unconsciously, she touched her brooch again, feeling the renewed pulse of evil beating at her heart. “I can feel it; stronger, now. Perhaps it senses us.”

“You do tend to put off the spooky Shinto vibes,” Alex agreed, sounding entirely serious.

They emerged into a great hall, the temperature rising to press warmly against the dark-haired shrine girl’s skin. Torches lit everything, giving the pillars and stone walls a dull, shadowed look; she didn’t like it. It felt too depressing, too secretive, especially with the blank-faced, strangely menacing carved statues flanking the carpet runner. And that one all by itself, not entirely menacing in face, but still oddly gruesome.

Turning away, her eyes followed the runner away into a large alcove, where it went up a few steps to a golden platform. The brilliant ruby that sat atop was the largest she had ever seen off a television set – which she watched precious little of to begin with – that glowed with its own internal lights. But it was set in a place of worship, which confused her; she didn’t remember any Buddhist ideology that included rocks.

Stepping closer, she held up her hand, palm out, to feel the ruby’s energy; it didn’t feel entirely evil, as simply wrong. “How unusual,” she murmured, withdrawing her fingers. “Such an object in a holy place of worship. But this can’t be what led me to this place.”

“You! Trespasser!”

“Nani?” Turning around, she found herself confronted by four very pissed looking monks. Their heads shaven, their expressions identical, they were the very picture of menace as they advanced closer to her. “I didn’t mean to trespass—“ she began to explain as clearly as possible, holding up her hands in a gesture of peace. It didn’t cross her mind to wonder how she had understood them, when she knew precious little English, and no Nepalese dialects.

One whipped his finger out at her, nearly missing her outspread hands. “What are you doing here? This room is off-limits to the unclean!”

“A woman! A scantily-clad, brazen woman!” the one next to him added, obviously outraged as he stamped his foot.

Mars opened her mouth to retort angrily, then paused, seeing the look in their eyes. What in the name of the kami and all their shades would make them so angry? Carefully she stepped aside, attempting to leave with as much grace as possible, as she said, “I didn’t mean to trespass. I’m very sorry. I’ll leave now.”

They simply moved into her path like a short lapping wave, blocking her exit. She stared at them, annoyance growing into apprehension; this was definitely not good. Even as a sailor soldier she detested unwarranted violence, and having to fight her way out of a temple – a sacred site, for the love of the kami! – was not one of her favourite options. It didn’t even make the top one hundred, especially given that these were also holy men accosting her. “You’re not from the village,” one of the others said as she mused, giving her a disgusted sneer. “You’re an outsider. You must be here to cause mischief!”

“Yes, yes…sneaking into our holy site, to steal our Gemetus Ruby, no doubt, to sell as trinkets on the streets!” the last one snapped, gesturing with his arms in what she assumed was a caricuture of her stealing the ruby and throwing it away.

“Anytime you want to make with the sparks and get out of here, Mars,” Alex murmured into her ear, “I think we’ve worn out our welcome.”

Mars shook her head, taking a step back. “I won’t attack holy men,” she replied stiffly. “There has to be a way to reason with them.”

The furthest on her right took the opportunity to grab her arm as she was preoccupied, and she screamed, unprepared; though he backed off, glaring at her as if she were a snake, she could still feel his touch lingering. “Youma! Masaka!”

At her words, all four stretched macabre, toothy smiles, and began to change. Their fingers lengthened, grew claws; those toothy smiles became grinning menaces of razor-sharp teeth, wet with saliva.

Gathering power to her hands, she scrambled backwards and into the alcove, shouting, “Mars Snake Fire!” before they finished changing. The winding ribbon of fire spun out, slamming into the two closest youma, throwing them backwards into their brethren. “You won’t profane this holy site, youma; the soldier of Mars will punish you for this!”

Taking the opportunity she ran around behind the ruby, which continued to glow with its queer brilliance, and fled down the steps. She couldn’t fight the four of them huddled into such a confined space, a fact confirmed when one nearly took her head off as she ran by, swinging a wooden staff. Ducking, she slid roughly onto her knees to avoid another swing, falling back onto her hands to sweep the youma’s legs out from underneath it. “Mars, behind you!” she heard Alex shout, and she quickly rolled aside as a fist smashed into the floor where her head had been.

“The girl has a demon familiar!” the fallen youma howled, pointing in accusation at Mars as she rolled to her feet, returning the gesture; her flames left only a charred mark in passing.

Off to her right, she could see another being lifted up by invisible hands, its clawed fingers and steak-knife teeth unable to rip or tear at its assailant. Without hesitation, she called out “Fire Soul!” watching her attack and the youma meet halfway as it was thrown directly into the fireball, and turned away to block a third’s swinging arm. “I don’t understand how these youma could infiltrate this sacred spot!” she shouted over the creature’s incoherent snarls, blocking another blow.

“Maybe this place isn’t as sacred as we presume.” The fourth youma was slammed into the wall, where it left a sizeable dent in the bricks. “Or maybe these aren’t youma at all; maybe they’re just really nasty Nepalese Dobermans protecting something nasty.”

“But why?” Mars ducked, spinning around to kick the creature squarely in its sternum – or thereabouts – and took a moment to collect herself as it fell back into its ass. The tall red-head did have a point; if they were truly youma, they would have turned into something far more terrible than monks with teeth. She couldn’t recall any Dark Kingdom minions who hadn’t looked like some absurdity of nature, with grotesque faces and limbs. Next to them, the monks were fluffy little kittens. “Well, possibly,” she admitted, raising a leg to kick the youma again.

It spun around, then swung up into the air as if on strings, flying into the wall next to its remaining companion. Mars destroyed them both with a gesture. “Youma,” she said quietly, “or something else. What could be so important to create these creatures, if they’re not our enemies?”

“Uh, Mars?” Alex sounded surprised.

“Hai? What is it now?”

“Trespasser! Infidel!” Four more monks – shaven heads and all, exact replicas of the other four down to their toenails – stamped up towards her, looking just as pissed. Mars did a double take, and a step back.

“I didn’t mean to trespass at all!” Clenching her fist, she began as calmly as possible towards the exit, head held high; her coolest expression on her face. It usually served to scare her father’s idiot groupies out of her way, and ordinary society into general obeisance, and she hoped it would work here. “Now please, if I am trespassing, allow me to leave.”

“But you wouldn’t come here without a reason! The signs clearly tell all unbelievers to stay out!” the head monk snapped, shuffling quickly to stand in her way, not at all unnerved by her glare. “We saw you attack our fellow worshippers; how dare you lie!”

“Nani!? I attacked them? They attacked me without warning!” she snapped back, though her eyes flickered to see the other three monks circle around her like wolves, effectively trapping her. “I merely entered because I felt a disturbance. A source of evil! Is that what you worship in this shrine, a malicious force?”

Deciding to prepare this time, Mars began to draw power to her hand. She’d strike the monk – the youma – in front of her first, opening a path for her to run. If they were indeed some sort of guardians, she doubted they’d follow her outside of the shrine; all she had to do was run faster than them.

They were staring at her with undisguised glee as she began to call her attack, and found she couldn’t move. Her limbs were frozen as if in lead; her power dried up like a streambed beneath the hot sun. Instant paralysis; it terrified her. Internally, she screamed, unable to move her lips to do it vocally, catching the flicker of a brighter light against the walls – the ruby.

”Mars? Mars, what are you doing? I can hear you screaming,” she heard Alex whisper into her ear, as she tried to at least roll her eyes, flutter her eyelashes, do something.

I can’t move I can’t move I can’t I can’t….

The monks were slapping her down, throwing her onto the floor, though she still couldn’t move her own arms or legs to defend herself. One punched her in the stomach, and as she fell, she almost couldn’t breathe. “Mars!”
She heard the monks shouting as they were thrown around like leaves in a strong wind, hitting the walls and the floor. “A demon! The girl holds a demon to her bidding!”

“Destroy the demon!”

“Send it back to the hells it was called from!”

More shouting; two flew across her line of sight, smashing into a wall and taking a tapestry down with them. Obviously, Alex couldn’t do anything else, or she would have turned into them piles of ash, as Mars had done. She also suspected the tall red-head was probably using them as a form of stress relief, which she honestly couldn’t blame her for. “A demon? I’ve been considered worse!” the tall red-head laughed, sending another monk airborne.

Then the chanting started, and Mars heard a sudden scream of pain. Alex. Inwardly, Mars cursed, trying with all her might to move her fingers, her fear turning into rage; if they could hurt a spirit, there was no telling what they could do to her. The chanting continued as she managed to twitch, and she heard her mentor beginning to moan.

“Stop it! Leave her alone!” Someone landed in front of her, taking up a defensive stance. “I’ve watched you bully them for long enough!”

Whoever it was, they leapt forward, swinging a long staff. The monks fell like domino under the wide swing, hitting the floor with unpleasant knocks of their heads. She doubted they’d be getting up again. She also realized she could move, and struggled to sit up, taking a good look at her rescuer as he came to her aid; a boy, barely older than she was. He was dressed in a white tunic and loose pants, his hair and skin a light brown; but his eyes were blue. And they were focused on her in a way that made her feel oddly comfortable. “Are you all right?”

“I…I am now,” she stammered, then immediately inwardly cursed at herself. What was she doing? He was just a boy, for the love of the kami. She had no time for men, especially men who would be just like all the rest; cold, uncaring, and eventually gone. Setting herself coldly, she attempted to sit up straighter. “I was attacked by those monks, merely for entering this shrine. I don’t understa—“ Her arms gave out, and she flopped ungraciously onto her hip. “I don’t understand,” she continued almost viciously, “why they would do such a thing.”

“Because they are the monks of the Takra Kuhp temple,” he replied levelly. “You need to leave this place. You’ve been hurt.”

“Of course I need to leave. But I’m just…just…” Why was the world turning foggy? “Just…” She thought the boy reminded her of someone, which was laughable. She didn’t know any men she’d want to remember in such a fashion, yet he definitely reminded her of one. A touch of a cold hand, almost tender, against her cheek. “…fine,” she whispered at last, as her eyes shut.

She woke up in a stiflingly hot room, which was, to her, comforting; she was used to such heat. But the bed was too soft and uncomfortable, the blankets thick and heavy. Rolling over as she kicked the blankets back with bare feet, she saw the cluttered room she was in; wall scones for light, a fireplace, a grill pit in the middle, rugs and bookcases and decorative wall hangings. It was so crammed to capacity that she wondered if she wasn’t simply within a one-room home, with all of their belongings.

“Ah! How are you feeling? Are you fully awake now?” The boy came walking in, carrying a jug of water. Beside him was Alex, and at the sight of her, Mars’s mouth dropped open in unconcealed surprise.

It was as if she was seeing the tall red-head through a dirty piece of glass; she was sketchy, dully-coloured, and fairly translucent. But she could see her, which, from what Alex had described earlier, wasn’t possible so long as she was split apart into four. “I…I think I’m feeling better,” she said slowly, touching her temple.

“That’s excellent! Your familiar seemed very worried about you,” he replied, motioning back at the tall red-head, who was standing with her hands in her trenchcoat pockets. She had dressed herself in the coat, a red button-down shirt, black slacks, and her boots, which made her look like the devil’s advocate indeed. Mars suspected it was on purpose. “Though her words are foreign to me, I suspected concern.”

“Foreign? But she speaks the same language as me….” Mars said, then trailed off, brow furrowing in puzzlement. Alex was, of course, not a native Japanese speaker, but around the girls she used it exclusively, knowing they were terrible English speakers. And her Japanese was excellent; it should have been perfectly understandable, if the boy could understand her.

Of course, he shouldn’t have been able to understand either of them, come to think of it, unless his village happened to offer a course in Japanese. Or the monks. And if he understood English, which was slightly possible, Alex could have communicated with him easily.

After a moment’s thought, she just gave up. It probably had to do with the magic of her transformation, because the kami knew Hino Rei knew no Nepalese or even Indian language. She couldn’t even ask for the bathroom in Nepali if her life depended on it. And it hadn’t even struck her as unusual earlier, during her confrontation with the monks. That annoyed her. “Ah, well, yes. Foreign. Well, she does speak a, ah, demonic tongue. But I’ve bound her thoroughly to me, don’t worry. She won’t hurt you.” She gestured carelessly, noting Alex’s smirk, and, to her surprise, a solemn bow, fist to her heart.

The boy saw this and nodded sagely, setting down his water. “I wasn’t worried. Only a bound and loyal servant would show such concern. Oh! But I’m being rude.” He gestured to himself, then gave his own bow. “My name is Faregg. I’m pleased to meet you.”

“My name is Mars. Sailor Mars. Hajimemashite,” she replied, sliding out of bed to bow properly in return, low enough to show her full respect for his help.

“An unusual name, Mars. And what is your servant’s name? Or is that forbidden for any lesser individuals to learn?” Faregg inquired earnestly, turning to look at the tall red-head, who was now standing at attention, hands clasped behind her.

She answered instead of Mars, saying, “LeBeau,” and nothing else.

Faregg nodded, then turned back to the dark-haired shrine girl. “I would be pleased if you continued to rest in my home. I have to visit the elder’s house; I will be back soon. I’ve brought you fresh water to drink, but I have nothing to eat right now.” So saying, he turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Mars merely frowned, then slid on her heels. No man was going to tell her what to do, politely worded or not. Even if he did continue to remind her of someone that made her heart beat faster; maybe even especially for that reason would she ignore him. “What happened to you, Alex-san?” she asked as she walked away from the bed.

“They tried to exorcise me.” The tall red-head didn’t look very pleased. “Idiots. Though I should have realized they’d try it. It hurt like hell, and I was lucky they didn’t get to finish it. On the up side, though, the kid thinks I’m just a lowly servant, and didn’t try to destroy me either.”

“One could only wonder why,” Mars replied coolly, though in truth she was glad to see her well. “Faregg is his name?”

“Oui. I guess he has his own special sense; he knew you were in danger, though from what I can conjecture, that temple isn’t very nice to begin with. He decided to be the hero and rescue you from what he felt was certain death.” Alex said it all in a rather bored tone of voice, folding her arms. She could see Mars and her warring expression out of the corner of her eye, however; it matched the turbulent emotions she could feel radiating from her. That in itself was worrisome, considering the dark-haired shrine girl was a vociferous denouncer of all creatures with testicles, on the hour, every hour. She probably cursed them in her sleep, for all Alex knew.

And yet, she now seemed to be dealing with a crush, or at least a passing dalliance with one. Interesting.

“That was very brave of him,” Mars said flatly, appearing to regain her usual aloofness. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll allow him to tell me what to do. I won’t stay here. We have to find the Hi stone, and quickly.”

“Of course. It’s not as if you’re that badly hurt,” Alex agreed mildly, amused to see Mars stiffen in outrage at the implication.

“Iie! I’m not an invalid at all! How dare he imply that I am!” The dark-haired shrine girl stalked towards the door, steam all but visible off her head. “I won’t be treated like a victim!” She didn’t see Alex’s smirk as she left the house, not even noting the fact that it was indeed a one-room residence as she had suspected. She just wanted out. Without bothering to ask, she veered left, and began to question the first villager she saw.

By the end of the hour, she felt oddly drained. Everyone she came up to had, instead of an answer she wanted, a philosophical one; usually to the effect that she had to recognize her heart, strong as it was. Strength did not equate warmth. Most of them had entirely ignored her questions about the stone in the temple – which, she had realized in a pique of fury, wasn’t even in this village – and had simply told her about her heart. They also had acted oddly to Alex; instead of being afraid, or even wary, they simply bowed, made a warding gesture, and continued on their way. “I think they’re used to spirits wandering around,” the tall red-head had commented after the third time it happened.

“If they are, it proves they’re more spiritually attuned than most of my associates,” Mars had replied flatly. “Which is not a difficult task.”

The last man they finally walked up to had an oddly faraway look in his eyes as he sat on his front step. He didn’t even look up at them as they stopped, though he did say – more or less towards the ground – “Your heart is strong, but it is imprisoned behind a wall of your own making. You must overcome this hatred to be free.”

For the love of the kami….if she wasn’t so sternly disciplined, she’d be stamping her foot in a childish trantrum. Why did they persist in repeating the same thing to her? Had they planned this, before she woke up? “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in that,” she said stiffly. “I would like to ask you about a stone –“

“The stone is where it has always been, as Jadeite-sama had prepared long ago. He disliked prisons. Always was he kind and compassionate, a strong heart free of bondage. That is what you should aspire to be. Like Jadeite-sama.” And without another word, he got up, stared at them both with those vacant eyes – dark chocolate brown, just like everyone else – and went inside his house and shut the door in their faces.

After a minute, Alex said, “Well, at least we did find out one thing.”

“And what would that be? That my heart is apparently a prison, with walls as high as China’s wall?” Mars questioned angrily.

“I knew that already, and so did you. I meant that at least we know where we are; the woman across the village said we were in Yaga.”

Mars settled her hands on her hips, fixing her mentor with a cold glare that was tempered by her tired sigh. “How does that help us? Aside from knowing that we’re in Yaga village, and now, that Jadeite existed here, no one will tell us anything.”

Alex shrugged, glancing around the village and its few wandering inhabitants, all of whom had told them the same thing. “Maybe we should find that Faregg kid again.”

“Perhaps,” Mars replied with a frown. She walked briskly towards the last woman they had questioned, who was now drawing water from the communal well in the center of the village. “Sumimasen ga, I have another question.”

This time, the woman looked up at her and said, “Yes?” as if she had not just spoken with Mars barely fifteen minutes ago. She set her jug carefully down, full to the brim, and regarded the dark-haired shrine girl with polite curiousity.

Smiling politely, Mars queried, “Do you know a boy named Faregg?”

“Faregg? Yes. He is the village elder’s grandson.” She pointed towards a larger house near the back of the village, decorated with more subtle colours and craftsmanship than the rest of the buildings. “He is the last of their venerable line. In place of the star, his family leads us.”

“In place of the star?” The dark-haired shrine girl blinked.

“Yes. The star who once led us. When he left us, we were cast into darkness. Soon, we hope to be released into the cycle once again. To be with him.” With an easy swing, she put the jug onto her shoulder, walking away, and leaving Mars to stare after her.

“The star….what could she mean?”

Alex shrugged. “Maybe they called their leaders ‘stars.’ Does it matter?”

“Iie…I suppose not.” The dark-haired shrine girl shook her head, as if to clear it of her disturbing thoughts, and cast her gaze towards the house. “We need to talk to Faregg. If he is indeed still with the elder, then perhaps I can finally receive some answers to these obviously difficult questions.”

Walking over, they found that, close up, the house also looked older than its companions; its weather-worn exterior made no attempts to hide, despite the ornamentation, as if to stand venerable and proud of its age. In such a climate, it probably was a mark of honour. But if it was truly the house of the elder, it had no other telltale signs, and it was with a bit of impatience that Mars knocked on the door.

It swung open to reveal a middle-aged man, dressed in a furry tunic and with the worst teeth Mars had ever seen shown in a pleasant smile he probably gave to everyone as a courtesy. “The elder is busy right now, please return later,” he said along with it.

“Gomen nasai, but I wished to speak to him and Faregg at once. Is this possible?” Mars queried in return, bowing politely, but not low enough to accord him her full respect. Consequently, she caught the puzzled look he gave her as she straightened back up; he was either surprised she understood him and could speak his language, or surprised to see her dressed in such skimpy clothing, or maybe, he was just slow to catch on.

He finally shook his head, saying again, “The elder is busy right now. He requested privacy for this discussion.”

Mars smiled, though inwardly she was seething. Though she had grown up with her grandfather in a simple shrine, she had been taught in a rigorously enforced environment, and was therefore quickly driven to irritation by those in such menial positions. Anyone with common sense should have at least given her an invitation inside to wait, or respectfully turned her away. Though she did have to concede that she was currently standing in a village thousands of miles away from home, where they probably herded livestock for a living instead of dealing with politicians or popular culture. He wouldn’t know proper protocol if it bit him.

She was rapidly feeling her calm from being in the land of Buddha draining away.

With a sigh, she bowed again. “Thank you for telling me. I will wait; but may I wait inside? The cold is beginning to chill my bones.” She rubbed her arms for effect, though it was a partial truth; even through the magic of her transformation she could feel the cold creeping into her skin. The walk through the village had hardly been comfortable, and she had begun to feel chilly some time ago. “I will not disturb the elder at his conversation.”

He ran his eyes over her blatantly, though he seemed to be almost innocent in his attention; now she was positive her clothing was some source of amusement. “You must feel very cold indeed in such garments. Do all foreign women dress in such skimpy fabrics?” he asked as he stepped aside, motioning her in; Alex he simply avoided, pressing as far back against the door as possible.

“Not if they can help it,” Mars replied flatly, looking around the large room, obviously a gathering place; a second doorway led to what was most likely the sleeping area, where the elder was speaking to Faregg. She could faintly hear their voices. “So, Faregg is the elder’s grandson, ne?”

“Ah, yes. He is a bright boy, as bright as the stars. He has the magic in his blood.”

“Those stars again!” the dark-haired shrine girl muttered beneath her breath, watching Alex wander in a casual dally towards the brazier set in the middle of the room. Its heat was just as stifling and comfortable as the blazing flames of her shrine, and she unconsciously held out her hand, palm up, towards its warmth.

The man’s curious stare was boring into the space between her shoulder blades, however; it was such an obvious look that she felt a serious urge to turn and curse his eyes. But being a curiousity was simply part and parcel of being a sailor soldier, she was beginning to realize, and so she ignored it with some effort, continuing to hold out her hand. She imagined she could see the flames respond, though of course they wouldn’t, not in the manner she was accustomed; this was not the sanctuary of her kami.

“How long have you been in our country?” she heard him question next, and she grimaced. May the kami save her from such idle chatter, and soon.

“Only a few hours.” Her tone was clipped and dismissive; but apparently, he didn’t get the hint, as he expected her to expound upon the topic, she could tell. The uneasy silence was a good indicator, and what precious little time had been spent in her father’s company had taught her volumes about polite discourse. Those type of silences usually meant an almost childish need for the speaker to keep going, despite their reticence, and she had no intention of starting now.

Alex was staring past her with a mild hint of amusement, most likely watching the man squirm. Then, in a familiar sweep, she gestured with her left hand. “You don’t need to ask her any more questions,” she murmured.

“I don’t need to ask her anymore questions,” the man mumbled behind her.

Again, the gesture. “She’s no one interesting.”

“She’s no one interesting.”

“She can go about her…business.” If Mars didn’t know any better, she’d swear the tall red-head was trying not to start laughing.

She turned her head curiously to find the man shaking his once, as if waking up from a disorienting dream; then, he nodded to her, back in control of his faculties. “You can go about your business. Good day.” And with that, he turned and walked right back out the door, closing it behind him.

“Alex-san!” Mars snapped, rounding on her mentor in annoyance. “What did you do to him?”

Alex was definitely laughing now, though she collected herself enough to say, “Just gave him some suggestions, that’s all. Besides,” she added, straightening her coat, “you looked like you wanted to kill him. I figured this method would save me the trouble of bribery and having to hide the body.”

Mars exhaled in exasperation, eyeing the second door.

It wasn’t a closed doorway; it had nothing blocking it off from the main room except for a hide draped across for she supposed modesty. A simple matter to walk through. And by the growing silence coming from the room itself, she could assume they were most likely finished with their conversation.

So she walked over and brushed the hide aside, grimacing a bit at the sensation – being Shinto, she was also very much the practicing vegetarian – and stepped inside to find a surprisingly cooler room. The brazier was barely lit, little more than a glow of dying coals, and the old man standing next to the bed looked to be snug in his woolen shirt and pants. Next to him, Faregg had donned a second shirt; obviously, the cooler air was not to his liking. “Mars,” he greeted her, though without much enthusiasm. Clearly, the conversation had not gone well.

“So, this is the young girl you rescued? She should have been strong on her own…and a spirit, as well!” The elder stepped forward, and now they could see the walking stick that he held firmly in his hand, keeping his frail body upright. “Well, Sailor Mars, are you feeling better?”

Mars stepped further into the room, feeling the unearthly sensation of Alex close to her back; she fought back a shiver, knowing it wasn’t her fault. If it had been her own body and soul rent apart, she would have been furious, knowing she was merely two parts of what should have been a whole. And yet, the tall red-head was able to make herself useful.

She bowed formally to the elder, showing her gratitude. “Hai, much better. I’m grateful to you both for your kindness. Am I correct in thinking I am addressing the elder of Yaga Village?”

“You are.” He smiled gruffly at her, and she smiled without thinking in return, warmed by the cheerful resemblance to her grandfather. The man even looked like her ojii-san, bald head and all, if a taller, skinnier model. Then his eyes left her, and focused past her shoulder. “And what am I to call your spirit? Is she servant or slave?”

“You can call her anything she likes, so long as it doesn’t involve liturgical Latin,” Alex muttered under her breath. Mars refrained from glaring at her, knowing by both men’s placid expressions that they still couldn’t understand her – which she was beginning to find odd, as Alex obviously could understand them.

“She answers to ‘LeBeau,’” she said lightly. “And she is no slave to anyone. Perhaps, no magic exists.” Behind her, she heard Alex sniff, presumably in derision. “I certainly have not yet found it, which is a pity, as it could certainly be useful.” The sniff turned into a choked snort.

Faregg nodded, staring at Alex as well. “Well, you certainly have your protection. But why would a lone girl invade the solitude of the temple and all its dangers?”

Apparently, the monks terrorized more than just girls in short skirts. That was not a comforting thought.

She considered for a moment, wondering if she could tell them the truth, or at least a version of it; that she was searching for Jadeite’s Hi stone, that she had sensed darkness within the temple, that she could banish that darkness with a power that had her on the edge of disgust at home. After another moment, she dismissed the notion. “It’s…not an easy secret to reveal,” she hedged, allowing her eyes to drift away and catch the elder’s. “I don’t believe I can tell you right now.”

“Then why are you here, young one? For it’s obvious you come from a different land. And even though we understand your words, they’ve been shaped by foreign lips.” The elder resettled himself against his cane, staring at her curiously.

That was at least an easier one to fudge. “A friend is ill, and I came here searching for a stone to ease his sickness. It’s…ah….” Maybe not so easy. She didn’t want to mention Jadeite’s name, not yet.

“It’s a green jade,” Alex murmured.

“A type of green jade, yes. I’ve come to find it.”

Both men exchanged curious looks, and she was certain they’d call her bluff. Instead, Faregg remarked, “You won’t find very much jade here, I’m afraid. Perhaps we could ask the elder of the Takra Kuhp temple if they know of your stone.”

The Takra Kuhp…wasn’t that the temple he had rescued her from, had just told her of its dangers? And he’d willingly take her back into that lion’s den? “But I thought….you said it was dangerous!” she exclaimed against her better sense.

“It is, for the lone girl, or those who would do the temple harm. Women are not generally allowed. But I’ll go with you, of course.” Faregg said this with the utmost simplicity, and Mars had to swallow her general sense of disbelief that he hadn’t taken the opportunity to mock her helplessness. To offer to be her ‘protection,’ when she was fully capable of protecting herself. She had been braced for it, and she probably would have left without another word if he had indeed said it.

And there was still the disturbing sense of ease she had around him. Of being so comfortable around a boy she’d just met…and his eyes, kami-sama….what was wrong with her? She was Hino Rei, not some flighty little girl off the street. She was stronger than this.

“Fine,” she snapped at last, more angry at herself and her body’s betrayal than for his kind help. And she was going to flatly ignore the contemplative way her mentor was staring at her as they left, because there was no question that she was perfectly. Fine.

As soon as they left the sanctuary of the village and its stone walls, Faregg turned towards her. “There is another reason I wanted to come,” he said quietly.

“Feel the need to protect my innocence? Don’t bother, then. Return to your village and your bed.” Mars folded her arms, glaring sharply enough to cut. “I am a sailor soldier and a miko of my shrine. I can defend myself against all the shades in jigoku, if necessary.”

He merely shook his head, then pointed out towards the sparse grasses.

She felt it, before she saw; a sudden frisson of danger, the cold flash of insight. The presence of a familiar dark magic, making itself known. It was not one youma, but two, and they uncurled curious long limbs and bat-like wings, flashing their claws. “Shimatta,” she whispered, watching it happen.

“They followed us all the way to Nepal,” Alex said flatly beside her. “Persistent bastards.”

“They are why I wished to follow you. You seem strong and able, but these unusual creatures have always arrived in pairs, or sometimes even more. A lone girl and her spirit would find it tiring to defeat such odds.” Faregg un-looped what looked like a set of bolos and expertly began twirling them as the youma turned their way.

Mars turned away from the sight of his hand working smoothly to twirl his weapon, facing the two grotesque creatures as they trod forward. Calming herself, she called power to her hands, throwing them up in a gesture of attack as she shouted, “Burning Mandela!”

The spinning rings of fire smashed into the youma and threw them backwards, though their wings snapped to catch the air and send them airborne before they could land. Out of the corner of her eye, Mars watched her mentor lift her eyes to watch them fly, several rocks lifted and flung with the strange power of her mind. They pelted the youma harshly, and they swung higher to avoid being hit, only to find that Alex’s ability could follow them.

When they decided to maneuver lower, Faregg let his bolos fly. They entangled around the hindmost creature’s wing and arm, dropping it like a stone; crippled, it howled in outrage as it crashed. The wind began to pick up as it voiced its disapproval, spinning dust and dead grasses into their faces. “I don’t dare send my flames in such a wind!” Mars shouted, shielding her face with her crossed arms.

“I like the idea of bashing its head in. After all, they can’t exactly hurt me while I’m walking around like some damned Marley’s ghost.” The tall red-head was simply glaring at the youma, standing straight as various bits flew through her body.

The second youma chose that moment to dive.

Unfortunately, it seemed to be one of the more lack witted varities of creature. Alex merely glanced around in surprise as it fell right through her and hit the ground hard enough to not only leave an impression in the dirt, but to bury its head several centimetres down. Mars and Faregg, having dove for cover, stared at her and the creature partially buried at her feet in a silent moment of shock.

For her part, Alex just groaned. With a gesture, she pulled the youma out of its sinkhole, and flung it towards its companion in a tangle of limbs and broken wings. They collided and went rolling for several metres, which, at least, did stop the wind. “I think I’ve just been insulted somehow,” she said flatly, dropping her hand. “Knock ‘em dead, Mars.”

“Mars Snake Fire!” the dark-haired shrine girl replied, watching with satisfaction as both creatures vanished into ash and off on the breeze. Faregg brushed past her as he trotted to grab his bolos, which, surprisingly, hadn’t been turned into charcoal by her flames. “I wonder why they were so easy to defeat.”

“Besides the fact they were dumb as doornails? I have no idea. I’ll have to contemplate this matter further as we make our way to the temple,” Alex replied drolly.

Mars glared at her. “Well, then, perhaps I will contemplate myself the matter of how you can understand these people, and yet not understood. Since you have not told me yourself, I presume something insidious.”

Faregg was scattering what ashes remained in the grass, his bolos in hand. Alex glanced off at him, then rolled her eyes. “I can understand them because I can catch the emotional subtext of their words. They don’t understand me because I’m not a sailor soldier with the magic to understand every spoken word. And despite what you may think, I do attempt to refrain from mucking around in other people’s heads without a reason.”

“Without a reason? And what reasons are those? Moral, philosophical?” Mars queried acidly, uncomfortably reminded again of what her mentor could do. Though if she was honest with herself, it was not far and away from her own psychic powers, and what she could theoretically do with them, if she tried. The lives she could influence and ruin…

The tall red-head merely narrowed her eyes, setting her mouth in an almost mocking smile. “My own. Had enough of the moral and philosophical reasons. If it saves my ass, I’ll do it; I might be around for an unearthly long time, but that doesn’t mean I want to die all the faster.” She quirked a brow. “Does that satisfy you?”

Mars was saved from having to reply as Faregg returned, saying without preamble, “I’ve scattered their remains properly. They shouldn’t return.”

“But they will, all the same. We need to continue.” The dark-haired shrine girl turned away from Alex and looked towards the boy for directions. “Please, let’s go.”

Faregg complied by starting to walk, apparently unaware of the discomfort radiating from his flesh companion. And it was definitely discomfort, Mars had to admit, as she trudged and oftentimes tripped alongside him. She could see the tall red-head just behind her, hands in her coat pockets, walking with her head bowed as if she were either deep in thought or merely content to watch the ground beneath her boots. Mars couldn’t fathom the depths of her mind, and she didn’t want to.

And she didn’t like it. She appreciated the American for her wit and her intelligence, and her almost absurdly easy lifestyle, but there were things hiding beneath her surface that made her uncomfortable. So many unanswered questions; an entire life unspoken. And none of it was of a nature she could even find her own conclusions to.

She had managed one very trying day to work with her father’s influence at the American embassy to find any kind of record of the woman behind her. Her father was respected – a fact that still turned her stomach – and they had accepted her questions with minimal effort, because what could she possibly do with the information? There hadn’t even been much; only that an Alexandria M. T. LeBeau had in fact resided in New York State at an exclusive private school for several years, and was listed as a graduate from over two years ago. In fact, the record had abruptly stopped at age fourteen, where it mentioned an adoption and the legal change of her name to LeBeau, her father’s name. Nothing else existed before that, and she was suspicious enough to suspect something was being covered up.

Alex was also, apparently, recently turned twenty-three – the papers had given her a birth date as well, though she had kept that to herself. She remembered with some irony what had happened on that date thousands of years ago, and wondered if a volcanic eruption wasn’t somehow prophetic. All of it simply conspired to make her more curious.

It didn’t mean she had no trust, however. She did trust her, when it counted, and usually when it meant she was in danger. No matter what, the tall red-head was excellent at protecting them, or at least trying, and what fighting they had practiced had been far and beyond even her ojii-san’s skill. As if she had more than two lifetimes crammed into her head. And she was a skilled conversationalist who appreciated Rei’s intelligence when almost no one else did. She seemed to understand many things the dark-haired shrine girl couldn’t share with anyone else, even if she layered it in subtext and jest.

But her powers, her admitted casual disregard of morals for her own safety; and so much else that lay behind those lapis blue eyes. Mars trusted her with the experience of two lifetimes of companionship, but she disliked mystery. She hated secrets.

A shiver running down her spine told her of another youma, and she turned as Faregg let out a gasp. They were appearing off towards their left flank, a triplicate of ugly creatures with elongated faces and long, spindly arms, their bodies covered in spines. “I don’t believe we’ll be so lucky this time, Sailor Mars,” Faregg commented as he began to swing his bolos.

“We never are, when facing such creatures. Burning Mandela!”

All three scattered, dropping on all fours to run around the flames and straight at them like hounds. Faregg grabbed Mars by the elbow and pulled her down with him as two youma dove right at them, and over, landing with an audible thump on the dirt. The third went right through Alex as she stood there, only to be swung back by an invisible string and thrown across the grass. It flew for some distance; they didn’t even hear it land. Both of its companions wasted barely a second as they attempted to rip the tall red-head’s skull off her shoulders, narrowly missing one another as they of course missed her.

Faregg’s bolos spun through the air, wrapping securely around their left and right hands, still upraised; the sudden motion yanked them together, knocking their heads soundly. “Huuu-mans,” one of them hissed, baring its teeth.

“For our queen, we would have your energy. For ourselves, we will have your death!” the second snarled, pulling its companion as it swiped its claws at Faregg.

Mars’s flames scorched its hand as she released her attack, but these youma were not entirely stupid; the second thrust its body around, pulling its companion away from the fire as it swept in to catch the dark-haired shrine girl unaware, claws leaving a perfect line of triplicate rips across her bodice. She screamed, more in surprise than in pain, and thrust her hands into its face. “Fire Soul!”

And then the third youma brought her down.

As she twisted against the dirt, pinned by the weight of the creature on her back, she heard Faregg’s pained howl. Angry and helpless, she clenched her fists, gathering her strength. She despised being the victim; she would not tolerate it. Already Faregg had rescued her once this day, and she wouldn’t allow him to be the hero again, not when she was perfectly capable of getting herself free.

She summoned her magic as she heard the youma speaking, threatening her and Faregg if Alex attempted to hurt them; she wondered if the boy could understand them, though the intended threat transcended language. The youma pressed down painfully on her head, claws cutting into her flesh, and she opened her hands, unfolding her fingers to release the fire writhing within her palms. Snakes of flame, they slithered up through the air on her command, striking with lethal precision the youma’s eyes.

The howl was unearthly.

Something wet and sticky dripped onto her head as the weight let up; she rolled onto her back to see the creature holding its face, screaming its agony as its eyes melted. Falling back onto her shoulders, she kicked up, throwing the youma away from her. “Your queen is long vanquished, youma,” she announced as she stood up, lifting her hands to call power. The two surrounding Faregg visibly flinched as she said this, and she continued on: “Queen Beryl is dead. Queen Metallia has been destroyed. The Dark Kingdom of your birth is rubble.”

Raising her palms, she said, “I am Sailor Mars. Look upon my face, and know I was victor, not victim. Mars Snake Fire!”

All three vanished into ash as her power burst from her fingertips, startling even her; the heat was shocking, though so controlled that not a single hair on Faregg’s head singed. He stumbled back and away as his captor disappeared, howling their agony into the wind. This time, his bolos didn’t survive.

Alex watched the ash wind away on the breeze before fixing Mars with a curious look. “They must have really pissed you off.”

“Hai,” Mars agreed curtly, touching her wounds. They stung now, as her adrenaline faded, and she longed to clean the dirt out of them. “I’m tired of finding myself the victim. Perhaps I was also growing complacent, after so many months of peace.”

“You were never a victim, Sailor Mars. Not with your inner strength.” Faregg stared at her frankly, then touched a fist to his chest. “It’s merely your heart that flinches at the sight of adversity.”

“The state of my heart,” the dark-haired shrine girl snapped, “is none of your concern. Nobody’s concern at all. Now, are we coming close to the village? I would like the answers to my questions before the sun sets.”

Faregg didn’t seem offended by her tone, but did wisely shut up. Instead, he just pointed towards the rocky walls that rose about half a kilometre away, and said simply, “Yes.”

“Good.”

Taking it as initiative, the boy began to walk again, and Mars fell into pace behind him, stewing. She was aware she was behaving almost rudely when Faregg didn’t deserve it, but her trip so far had conspired to do nothing but anger her. Her heart was no one’s affair; it was safe, behind the walls she had erected long ago in protection. There was no key, not even a door. She never planned to allow it to open, and she wasn’t going to start now.

She was Hino Rei, and she needed no one to share her secrets.

Sin tapped a foot, staring in irritation at her rust-haired associate as she continued to imitate a statue. “Nergal,” she said for the fifth time, just a tad louder than the last. Though this was pissing her off to no end, this waiting to be acknowledged as if she were the peon and not the other way around, she wouldn’t dare push it. Not when she valued her life more than that.

Nergal was, out of all of them, the least changed. Her moments of levity were many, and usually accompanied by a cold stare that chilled them all. She wasn’t necessarily psychotic, but she kept herself so rigidly controlled, so perfectly contained, that she may as well have been. The one fight she’d had with Marduk, of all people, had ended up with the deadwood-haired brunette up against the wall, Nergal’s hand at her throat, squeezing until Marduk was apple cheeked and hardly rosy. Apsu had been the only one to call her off; she ignored everyone else, even backhanded Sin away.

It was scary to think of Nergal without her powers, merely rage.

But of course, it was that rage that had caught Apsu’s eye, as the girl Nergal had been went running mad through the revived city, taking out her aggression on whomever was close. Perhaps the Ginzuishou had done it, remaking her in a broken fashion; or perhaps she had always been so angry. She never told them. She merely ran amok in those new days, denouncing the shining queen and her policies as she mourned her mother, another of the unsaved.

Once she calmed down, however, she was almost Zen-like. It was sickening, and rather frightening. It also didn’t take very much to set her off again, which meant Sin and the others were often left to tiptoe around her.

“Hai, Sin?”

The ponytailed blonde nearly jumped at the soft sound of Nergal’s voice. The rust-haired girl had opened her eyes to stare at her, unfolding her limbs as she climbed out of the alcove she had settled herself into; and in such a magnificent temple, there were many. She was part of the damned scenery, for the love of the kami. “Nergal, if I had sent you here to imitate Buddha, I would have mentioned it,” Sin replied flatly, folding her arms. She may have been scared shitless at the prospect of violence from Nergal, but damned if she’d show fear.

“In the land of Buddha, I feel peace. Besides, I have a long time to wait for my opponent, ne? Sailor Mars will not approach me so quickly.” The rust-haired girl reached back to draw her ponytail over her shoulder, idly braiding sections of it.

“But that doesn’t mean complacency. They made fools of us at Juuban; we can’t afford to allow it to happen again! You must keep an eye on our awakened creatures, place them appropriately in her path.” Shaking her head, the ponytailed blonde frowned. “There’s something odd about these villages…a quiet secret.”

Nergal smiled, thumbing her lip. “Of course there is. The blonde king was wise in his methods. Sailor Mars does not work alone. But it matters not; she’ll arrive at my feet, and I will destroy her, my opponent.” Thoughtfully, she added, “Though I do admit to regret that we can never talk of our passions. She was always the strongest in spirit, and in faith.”

Sin scowled, tapping her foot; on the stone tile floors, she could hear her boot heel ring like a bell far, far away. “She was also the coldest, cruelest, and harshest! Sailor Mars, the great Shinto maiden, pure and perfect; this is our mission, to prove that she’s only human, and not someone special,” she retorted, clenching her fist. “None of them are!”

“Sou yo; cold, cruel, and harsh, in a similar world. But her faith was always pure.” Nergal lifted her hand, gesturing around them. “Look at this shrine, created in such devotion. One does not need to be Shinto, nor Buddhist, to respect what humanity can create in love. This is what Neo Queen Serenity took from us; a choice to keep our passions. In this way, the Black Moon was correct. The Ginzuishou has power, but in her hands, she merely keeps us from attaining our dreams.”

She spun around like a dancer, arms spread wide to encompass the world. “Perfection, Sin! What is passion without flaws? What is devotion without need? What is our world like, after being molded by her power? A lovely glass bauble, begging to be broken.” Sliding to a stop, she smiled wider. “The ability of a Shinto maiden to reconcile her love of nature with the love of a woman who blatantly molded the world into her image is interesting to me. Is she the two-faced Janus? Or does she truly not understand her faith?”

“Nergal, you’re talking nonsense. The woman – the girl – is like everyone else; a liar, and a manipulator. Understand that, and do this task.” The ponytailed blonde gestured, disappearing to leave Nergal alone in the echoing, empty shrine.

The smile fled from her lips, leaving her face as cold as the winter snow. “Sailor Mars,” she whispered, content to listen to her words echo, until they were whispers in the darkness.

The village looked different as they approached, the sinking sun casting shadows across the cliff walls that speckled the stone with hidden colour. Even through the crooked path, Mars could see more people walking the dirt streets, many of them monks in their ubiquitous orange robes, carrying baskets and various goods. “The village of Lasa,” Faregg announced quietly as they stopped just outside the walls. “It is much more holy than my village of Yaga, as the site of the Takra Kuhp Temple.”

“Which is the reason we’ve come here, of course,” Mars replied, watching the monks as they walked by, their robes loose and free, far less restrained than her own miko robe with its layers. “Can we just walk in, as I did last time?”
Faregg didn’t quite surprise her as he shook his head in the negative. “They won’t allow such a brazen woman to enter this time. You need to put on the coverings of a proper woman, cover your legs. We’ll have to find you some leggings, a robe.”

Now she was surprised. Completely taken unaware, she simply gaped at him, before collecting enough of her senses to shut her mouth tight. “How? This is my sailor suit; I have no other clothing. And if I were to de-transform, my school uniform is no better! And how am I to buy these leggings, or a robe? I have no money.”

Alex wandered into her line of sight, critically looking her over. “I could maybe change your suit into a shirt and pants, but it would be risky; you’re just not wearing enough to compensate. Maybe if Faregg could get you that robe, we could just drape it over the rough spots.”

The dark-haired shrine girl eyed her uncomfortably, glancing down at her suit despite herself. “And just how could you ‘change’ this into different clothing?”

“Rearrange the molecules. How do you think I ‘transform’?”

Faregg, hearing only one side of the conversation, looked at Mars curiously. Then he stared at Alex, whose shrug and gesturing was all he understood. Then he queried, “Doesn’t your spirit have magic? How else would she do such a thing?”

Mars set her hands on her hips, shaking her head. “I wouldn’t call it ‘magic,’ Faregg-san. A unique talent, perhaps.” She received an annoyed glare from the tall red-head in return.

They finally decided, after a half hour of arguing, a quarter of which consisted of translating between Alex and Faregg, they decided that the boy should go and buy a suitably plain robe for Mars to wear. The other two would wait for him, as he claimed it wouldn’t be long, and he trotted off into Lasa proper.

As they waited, Mars sitting down on a reasonably clean rock, she asked, “Why does my magic allow me to understand, and be understood in turn? It seems superfluous to the transformation.”

“I don’t know. I do know that the magic has been there for as long as anyone remembers. And it’s useful enough; you don’t realize how many different languages existed in the Silver Millennium, even on the Moon itself. Even if everyone at least had a grasp of the common language, the different dialects and regional accents and regional speech was hell. I had to personally retrieve the knowledge of about twenty different planetary languages just so I could discuss politics and idiot small talk with every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the kingdom.” Alex shook her head, folding her arms. “It was hell. I can be charming when it calls for it, but those parties always drove me crazy. I knew when the ambassador to Jupiter wanted nothing more than to show me what a ‘real man’ was like, and I had to be polite instead of putting my foot up his ass.”

“That had to be difficult,” Mars conceded mildly.

“You have no idea. You don’t have everyone’s thoughts in the back of your head constantly, every minute of every day. You don’t know what people are feeling the moment you come close to them, even when they tell you something different.” She cocked her head, pinning the dark-haired shrine girl with her eyes almost lazily. “You know when someone is angry at you, and you don’t know why. But you can guess. You could change it, if you were so devious.”

Mars returned the gaze angrily, determined not to flinch. Emotions were easy to hide on her face; she’d practiced over the years as she watched her father turn away, her classmates turn up their noses at girls who failed to meet their expectations. She had to learn, or be lost in the shuffle for dominance. But calming the beat of her heart, the rise of her pulse; that, she could not do. And she could recognize it now as a failure. “But aren’t you devious, when you need to be?” she asked calmly, setting her hands on her thighs. Sitting up straight.

Alex regarded her for a minute longer, as if determined to see her squirm. When Mars finally did twitch slightly, growing impatient, she said, in a calm voice that was almost too frighteningly serene, “One day, maybe, I’ll tell you. All of you. Everything I’ve done; everything I’ve gone through. And maybe you’ll understand a little better as to how I make sure I survive.” She unfolded her arms, transferring her hands to the pockets of her coat. “I may be devious. I might even be an evil bastard. But a lifetime ago, Mars trusted me to keep her safe; I failed. I failed all of them. All of you.

“I failed because I wasn’t ready, because I wasn’t Serenity’s perfect knight in shining armor, because I’m only one person. Because I was too fucking nice to everyone I knew was going to hurt us and Serenity in any way they could. Because I listened to those idiots she had giving her advice, telling her I should stay away from Earth to prove my loyalty to her, instead of going down there and finding out the truth.”

The dark-haired shrine girl widened her eyes as Alex’s face grew colder, relaxing into a perfectly empty expression; the kind of look one might receive on the end of a killer’s gun. “I failed precisely because I wasn’t devious enough, I wasn’t enough of a right bastard to stop what was going on.”

“You’re cruel, and that’s supposed to comfort me? You, in charge of protecting my life?” Mars whispered.

“I’m not cruel. Realistic, maybe, but not cruel. You haven’t known cruelty if you can tell me that,” Alex snapped suddenly. “Your father is a thoughtless bastard, but he isn’t cruel. Your classmates are simpering morons, but not cruel. When you watch a single individual attempt to destroy civilization because he doesn’t like it, when you watch countless others do the same in some misguided attempt to make things ‘right’ by advocating the same kind of mindless violence being done to them, when you watch all of them decide that certain people are subspecies or less than perfect and should be restrained like pets by laws and machines – that, my dear, is cruelty.”

She leaned closer, and Mars immediately drew back, even though the tall red-head was far too ghostly to touch. “I want people to respect my rights as I respect theirs. I want my loved ones to be safe. If someone else decides I can’t have those simple choices, if they want to take those choices from me, they will be hurt. I’ve lost enough people in my life to sit back like the good little girl, the respectful student bowing to the professor’s wishes. If you don’t like it, Mars, that’s tough, because I’m no going anywhere. Not while you live. Not while any of you live.”

Standing up, she withdrew to a comfortable distance as the dark-haired shrine girl touched her breast, feeling her heart beat. Purple eyes stared at the ground as she absorbed everything said, just as well everything not said – which, she could understand easily, was quite a lot. It was a strange feeling to know someone was stepping into her father’s shoes so fiercely, taking up the mantle of protector and teacher where he should have been. And at the same time, she felt anger at having no choice, at being coddled like a babe who couldn’t defend herself.

Of course, that wasn’t true either. Alex had not really done anything of the sort; she fought their battles, watching them as any soldier would do to another, and drove them to better themselves, to learn to stand on their own. It was her fear of the unknown – of those strange powers that came from no magic transformation, much like her psychic abilities – that kept her at an arm’s length, scrutinizing for danger. For betrayal.

Shaken, she felt someone touch her arm.

Her hand moved in a chop for the assaulter’s neck before she realized it was Faregg, heard him cry out, “Mars!” She stopped; withdrawing her hand, she felt ashamed. He didn’t seem to be entirely fazed by her attack, however, as he merely held out a bundle of black robes and what looked like a pair of white pants.

“Gomen nasai, Faregg-san. I was….I wasn’t thinking,” she explained, as he handed the clothes to her. Critically, she eyed them; the fabric felt scratchy but warm, obviously hand woven, and the robe looked too long. The waist of the pants was also huge.

After a minute’s awkward shuffling, she managed to pull the pants on, tying the belt as tightly as it could go – thank the kami it was a strip of cloth and not leather. The legs bagged on her comically, making her look nearly triple her normal size. But they did cover her efficiently, of that there was no doubt.

The robe was easier to put on, and she draped it around her with a practiced ease. The hood came over her head, shielding her foreign face; she felt safely anonymous in its folds, even if it did trail in the dust. “Am I acceptable now, Faregg-san?”

He smiled at her, reaching out to gingerly adjust a crease. “Yes, Mars. They won’t recognize you.”

Faregg had already begun the walk back into the village by the time she processed his comment, and, frowning, she ran rather ungracefully to catch up. Twice she nearly tripped over the hem of the robes, and it was only a combination of sheer tenacity and grace that kept her upright. She had no desire to completely embarrass herself.

She had gathered herself by the time she reached his side, and they entered the village proper. Tilting her head, she caught Alex keeping a respectful distance at her back, hands clasped behind her, rather serenely taking in the scenery.

They crossed the dirt silently, though Mars caught a glimpse of the market Faregg had described, at the opposite end of the village from the temple; a colourful sight she had not even been aware of on her first visit. Honestly, she hadn’t even cared to look, past her intense search for the evil she had felt earlier….an evil she could feel now, creeping into her awareness again with every step.

Frowning beneath the hood, she considered it; the power had been so strong earlier that she had felt it past the cliff walls. Now, she was barely beginning to sense it. Had it become aware of them? Or had she managed to vanquish most of its energy by destroying its creatures? Or was it simply a darker magic that belonged in such a place? She couldn’t fathom it.

Everyone was staring at them again, though this time, at the sight of the translucent red-head, they immediately averted their eyes. A few made warding gestures similar to those in Yaga, mostly monks who seemed nonplussed at the fact that Alex did not, in fact, disappear, or even cringe. She favoured them with lazy smiles that had them shuffling in the opposite direction as fast as their feet could take them.

They entered the temple without a problem. It was still as empty and quiet as when Mars and her mentor had first walked in, though the presence of another solid, breathing body made the tension between the dark-haired shrine girl’s shoulders relax. She wouldn’t admit it to another soul, but the temple was now frighteningly creepy to her eyes. To her, such holy sites were sanctuary, safety from the dangers that had attacked her earlier, the evil that permeated the air like a thick, rancid perfume now. Having that sanctuary violated hurt her deeply, her miko’s soul shivering at the very prospect.

“Thank the kami I can remove these clothes,” Mars sighed, lowering the hood of her robe. She began to unwind it, only to be stopped by Faregg’s hand over hers.

“No, Mars. The elder will not see you unless you are modestly clothed. It is not only to enter the temple unharmed, but to appease our holy men.”

She stared at his hand, warm and calloused even through her glove. Then she raised her eyes, to look him in the face; he merely stared at her, innocent as a child in his intentions, trusting in her. But she had the strangest vision of a face staring at her in a hungrier way, Faregg’s face, only not; pale skin instead of dusky, hair as golden blond as that of her loving princess. The same eyes, as blue as the glaciers of Mars, lit with something else completely understandable, even without the need of language.

The world changed, and she was laughing as she watched Venus argue with Serenity, their princess radiant and flushed with love. Earth had such marvelously blue skies, a richer colour than those of her home and its slightly thinner atmosphere, and she secretly loved coming to the third planet. Even if it was populated by the evolving humans with their short life spans, even if their princess was breaking the law of the gods by going there herself. To be with the prince Endymion, who was standing a short distance away with his generals, looking just as flushed and harassed.

They were known as the Shitennou, and Mars often saw them from afar on such occasions, following her fellow soldiers to the blue planet to drag Serenity back home by her pigtails. On Earth, men were the dominant sex; they were constantly wary and downright cruel to the women of the Silver Millennium, who were afforded a luxury and freedom only men could attain in their glittering kingdom. Not that the men of the Silver Millennium were any less cruel, considering the personal and private attacks on their beloved mentor, whom they seemed to hate simply because she had been born on Earth.

So they stood alone, separate and defiant, as Venus argued with their princess to come home right NOW, staring across the gulf at one another. Mercury, bored as always, calculating something extreme on her goggles to keep herself busy; Jupiter restlessly tapping her heels as she paced in a circle; and herself, singing a song to herself in her head, making up a new chorus as she came to the end. She caught one of the Shitennou’s eyes, and was startled at the depth of emotion in them as they stared back.

What was his name, the one who stared at her in such a fashion?

She let her hands drop.

Without another word, she walked away. She didn’t care if they stared at her. She didn’t care if they worried. She had to get away from him, and his touch, and those memories that were not –

She was not Sailor Mars who lived in the Silver Millennium, with her flights of fancy and birdsong.

And she had a mission to accomplish.

Thankfully, the temple was easy enough to navigate, and she could hear Faregg’s quick steps behind her as she walked, though her heels were still damnably loud. She pulled the robe in tighter around her as she entered the main hall again, the ruby still bright and winking from its altar in the alcove. “Now where?” she muttered, closing her eyes. Searching for a sense of a kindred spirit, a holy man with devotion.

Faregg moved past her, his footsteps growing quiet as he entered a second room. She opened her eyes with a scowl to find Alex staring at her, looking perplexed, and she snapped, “Am I that interesting, Alex-san? We have a mission to accomplish.”

“What the hell is wrong with you? You’re hurting my head with your damned bad mood. All the boy did is touch your hand.”

“Faregg,” she bit off, “is not what upsets me. What upsets me is our slowness in this mission, our creeping methods. We have to find the elder, so we can find the Hi stone. That is all. Anything else you decide is your choice.” Mars turned away stubbornly, catching sight of the boy in question as he came back, a similarly perplexed look on his face.

“Mars. I can’t find the elder. He never leaves the temple after the beginning of the sunset, but he’s not here.” He gestured helplessly. “I don’t know what to do.”

Then his eyes widened.

Both females turned to see what caught his attention: a rather unassuming statue tucked into a corner, of a mild-faced old man in simple robes. Not in the least bit unordinary, save for the fact that the statue was entirely out of place in a temple full of replica monks in prayer; the old man looked as if he’d been caught standing at ease. “Stars protect us,” Faregg moaned. “The elder.”

“As a statue?” Mars stepped forward, stretching out her hand to touch the old man’s face; stone, as unyielding as the mountains ringing the village. “But how? And who would do such a thing?”

“I don’t think…I don’t know.” Faregg looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Perhaps someone is trying to stop you from finding your stone.”

Alex snorted, pivoting on a heel to watch the entrance. “No shit, Darkwing.”

Mars shot a glare at her back, then turned back to the statue, scrutinizing it closer. The old man didn’t look surprised, or even pained; his expression was open and warm, perhaps thoughtful. Whoever had trapped him had done it quickly, catching him off his guard. If her anger with Sin and her Oppositio Soldiers had been hot before, it was reaching melting point now. “So, perhaps, he’s trapped within this shell of stone. Perhaps we can talk to him, and find out what happened.”

“How can we do that?”
The tall red-head turned, as if sensing Mars’s eyes on her, and sighed. “Let me guess. You want me to use my vaunted powers for good, instead of evil?”

Mars smiled almost pleasantly. “Onegai.”

“Typical Catholic. Always trying to convert the pagans.” Alex focused past the dark-haired shrine girl, a thoughtful frown on her face. Faregg was staring at her in undisguised fascination, no doubt convinced he was watching a demon working its magic. “It’s….dark. Dark and cold…he couldn’t stop the magic. The ruby…”

“The ruby?” Mars queried, looking automatically towards the alcove.

“Gemetus.” Alex blinked slowly, turning her head.

“The source of the evil….it did this to him? The ruby turned him to stone?”

When Alex nodded, Mars moved into action. She pulled off the robes, letting them fall into a puddle on the floor. The pants were gracefully removed, dropped as well. Free of her cumbersome disguise, she strode towards the ruby, fists unconsciously clenching to call power. Most evil was simple to destroy, after all.

But as she came closer, the ruby gave off a blinding flash. She cried out, shielding her eyes automatically, hearing Faregg and Alex make similar sounds of distress.

As the light dimmed, she lowered her arm to see the ruby – Gemetus – float off its altar like a bobbing balloon. Lazily it dipped through the air, passing her by as if unimportant, heading right for the elder frozen in stone. Halting, it hovered in front of his face, twinkling like a merry star. Mars swooned at the sudden sensation of malice that came from it, before the second flash blinded her completely.

She fell onto her knees without thinking, her eyes burning. When she looked up, the statue was gone; in its place was a monster. A monster with more than two normal limbs, and a grotesque, spinning head. It looked like the creatures she’d always envisioned guarding the gates of yomi no kuni, horrifying sights to send you on your way to the eventual cleansing of the soul. Dripping saliva, no less, like a hungry dog.

Automatically she flipped back and onto her feet, just as several claws swiped at her head. Spinning out of the way of several more, she called power to her hand, and shouted “Burning Mandela!” releasing the magic in the creature’s face.

It screamed piteously and reared back, shaking the temple’s foundations with its pain. Then it opened its maw wider and spat foul wind into her face, throwing her off her feet and across the room like a leaf, tumbling and spinning. She hit the floor on her side and slid, feeling her skin scrape open as she ground her teeth against the pain.

Sensing others, the creature then turned on Faregg and Alex.

Alex shoved Faregg aside with a gesture, then picked up a statue with another. She flung it at the former elder’s head, only to find out that they weren’t stone after all; shards of clay fell harmlessly at its feet, as it merely shook itself and snorted. Then it lifted a clawed hand and cut through the air with several swipes, stabbing straight through her.

Mars watched, stunned, as her mentor screamed again as she had before, solidifying further around the creature’s claw. Caught, she writhed, until she was released, dropped like a stone onto the floor in an even stranger state than before; her image visibly shook, like a bad TV reception, leeched of colour. She didn’t get up.

“Alex-san…! ALEX-SAN!” The dark-haired shrine girl stood up, staring in disbelief at the wavering outline of the tall red-head’s huddled body. Faregg was backing away from the monster as it passed her by, intent on him; and Mars screamed, “Iie! Stop! The evil will be vanquished; punishment will be given for this ritual!”

She had an ofuda in her hand before she even recognized it as one of her own, personally written with the shrine’s oldest inkstone and brush, rare and powerful. It burned between her fingertips before she sent it flying with a whispered prayer and a louder shout of “Akuryou tai-san!”

The rice paper slapped the monster in the forehead with enough force to drop it back onto its ass. Then it burst into flame.

With a shriek, the creature burst into flame as well.

She watched it burn, feeling warmer at the sight of victory. Of defeating the monster herself, with her considerable power. She watched it crumble into ash, like a mold breaking into pieces, to reveal the smaller body inside; the statue of the elder.

Then she recognized the sound of a woman’s laughter, and she spun around.

“Ara ara, Sailor Mars. Didn’t you like my assassin? If you hadn’t been so hasty, you would have truly seen it in action; I pieced it together from the four elements, especially for you.” Nergal lounged insolently across the altar where the Gemetus ruby had sat, fingers locked around her knee. She smiled at the sight of her rival’s anger. “Your temper is legendary, Mars. Will you turn it on me?”

“You….one of the Oppositio Soldiers. Which one are you?” Mars assumed a stern pose, arms crossing at her chest, as she stared Nergal down, Alex and Faregg entirely forgotten.

Nergal swung her legs around, dangling them over the altar’s edge like a little girl, smiling icily. “I am the Oppositio Soldier Nergal. You, unfortunately, are Sailor Mars, whom I’ll no doubt be forced to kill. But not after I get what I want.” She gestured lazily towards the elder, entirely unconcerned with his current state. “This was merely a test, after all.”

The dark-haired shrine girl stilled, purple eyes slitting. “You used the elder so maliciously? A holy man? How dare you. How dare you!”

“How dare I? It’s easy, when one considers it. What keeps you from running free? Your values as a Shinto? Your respect for nature and life? But what exactly does that entail?” Stepping from the altar, Nergal cocked her head. “In the future, you worship a silver goddess who destroyed nature’s way. Doesn’t that concern you?”

Mars tilted her chin, staring down her nose at the rust-haired girl as she would any insolent classmate. Reminding her of who she was. “In the future, I do not worship anyone above the kami, nor do I in the present. Neo Queen Serenity is pure in heart and spirit; perhaps she changed nature to save a world, but that world continues to grow and survive, because of her passion. Would you have preferred the ice?”

Nergal sighed, brushing it off. “A typical response from the brainwashed. I’m ashamed of you, Mars. I expected better.”

She disappeared.

Faregg cried out as the dark-haired shrine girl looked around anxiously, and she turned again, tensing to attack; but Nergal simply lifted the boy higher by his throat, dead in her sights. “You wouldn’t dare. You’re too crippled by your morals.” Almost casually, she punched him in the gut, and he folded around her fist like a piece of paper.

Power called to her hand, Mars lifted her palm. “Crippled by morals I may be, but my aim has never wavered,” she said coldly. She could see Alex stir off to the side, struggling to get up, thankfully safe for the moment. “Release him, Nergal.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. After all, every villain needs an honest victim to lure the heroine into their trap, ne?” She jerked Faregg up higher, so Mars could see his face turn redder from lack of oxygen. “He looks suitable; after all, your strong guardian seems to be lacking at the moment.”

“….fuck you,” Alex coughed, though it was so weak they almost didn’t hear her. Nergal laughed.

“Perhaps not so lacking.”

Shifting her grip, she relaxed her hold on the boy’s neck so he could breathe. “If you want him,” she said conversationally, “come to Kritayuga. I’m sure the elder can give you directions, once my trickery wears off. Then we’ll settle this petty little dispute like proper soldiers.”

The rush of power signaling Nergal’s retreat washed over Mars like coldest of tides, and she finally flinched. “Faregg…”

“Mars, wait up! Mars, dammit!”

She didn’t hear. She didn’t care. She simply kept running, stumbling as her heels caught on the stones, her heart wild inside her chest. Off on the horizon, she could see a youma appear, uncurling its body; she summoned power automatically, willing her body to go through the motions of battle. She wasn’t conscious of anything but the need to see Yaga for herself, to prove the elder wrong – he had to be wrong. He. Had. To. Be.

“Kritayuga is north of the ruins of Yaga. It was once a holy place for a man known as Jadeite, long, long ago.”

“….north of the ruins of Yaga? But there’s no ruins in Yaga, I was just there. You have to be mistaken.”

“Yaga has been ruins since before my lifetime, young one.”

Ruins.

It wasn’t possible. It simply wasn’t possible.

The youma screamed and disappeared, and she continued to run. Alex followed her like a ghost on the breeze, still in obvious pain and shifting solidity, giving up on trying to stop her. It didn’t matter anyway, she wouldn’t have stopped; she needed to see the proof with her own eyes. The elder’s token to get into the abandoned holy site was still tight in her other hand, cutting into her palm, the pain barely registering. But it gave her that illicit thrill, that edge she needed, to push her further.

She didn’t understand why his words troubled her.

“Yaga has been ruins since before my lifetime, young one.”

What did it matter to her? The village elder had been kind to her, and Faregg had protected her from the monks. But in the state of things, of her mission and in her life, a tumble-down village was not important at all. Inconsequential. She shouldn’t have bothered to run to seek the answers.

But she was.

The sun had nearly set, ominous shadows everywhere. Darkness approaching; a fitting metaphor. It also made it difficult for her to see, and she finally went down onto her hands and knees as her heel tripped her up. She slid in the dirt, feeling her gloves tear and her knees bruise, and she simply lay there for a moment, panting. “Ruins,” she moaned quietly, digging her fingers into the cold ground. The token lay beneath her palm, a fragile piece of clay and script, and she closed her hand around it as she stood back up. “Ruins.”

Alex was a fairy light in the shadows, almost like an afterimage of a bright flash; she said nothing as Mars ran on, her emotions a tumultuous, confusing cloud. There was no point, because she wouldn’t have listened, had not listened up to this moment in time, and likely would not until her obsession had run its course. The possibility of trickery was a sobering thought – that Yaga had existed only to lead them astray – but it seemed doubtful in light of Faregg’s actions and kidnapping. His emotions had told the tale; Nergal had terrified him.

But the boy had existed; had form, and substance, and flesh and blood. If he was a thing of magic, everyone in that village was some kind of similcrum as well. And if he was a thing of magic, then what did Mars find so interesting about him?

They entered the village, and Mars let out the tiniest cry.

Ruins, as the elder had said.

Tumbled down homes, most so worn by time, elements, and fauna that they were hardly recognizable; the well, dried up and empty. Everything they had seen only hours ago had crumbled into the trap of passing time. No one could have lived in the village for decades, if not possibly centuries.

“Ruins,” Alex agreed softly. “Everyone’s gone.”

“Iie, that’s not possible,” Mars argued weakly, though she sounded disheartened. “Not possible at all.”

The wind tore at her hair, stronger without the blockade of houses to break it; she shivered, suddenly cold. Suddenly desperate, she ran towards the elder’s house, though she knew, deep in her heart that no one was there, and had not been there for a long, long time. She couldn’t sense so much as a goat.

And indeed, the inside of the house was destroyed, barren and smelling strongly of dust and weeds. Even though the roof was miraculously intact – with one large hole over the left corner – everything inside had turned into unrecognizable lumps by age. The fire pit was growing weeds. “Of course,” she sighed, brushing a hand across her forehead. “Of course, there would be no one here.”

“I hope you didn’t expect anyone. This place has been empty for longer than a few years. Long before China took over, I’d expect.” Alex stirred the dust with a hand, lightly tickling the molding tapestries on the walls.

One particularly ruined mess fell completely off the wall, revealing a spongy discolouration and a hidden niche. Inside was a rough box, which had been stained by the mold. At the same time, the elder appeared in front of them. “Elder! You’re here!” Mars exclaimed, though as soon as she spoke, she realized the error of her words. She could sense the spiritual planes around him. “Iie…truly, you’re not.”

“No, Sailor Mars, I am not. None of us are here anymore; we exist as memories, or perhaps not. It was a particular power we were given, to re-create our loving home for you.”

“For me?”

“For you. We believed you would be uncomfortable, seeing us as we are. So we created for you our village, as we once lived.” The elder smiled at her, leaning on a roughly cut stick. “We’ve waited for someone to arrive. You came.”

Mars felt as though she were sinking, and she clutched her brooch. “Faregg was…is he dead? Was he ever alive?”

The elder clicked his tongue, looking up at the ceiling and its ratty hole. “Faregg was never dead, nor truly alive. He was always different. But he came, because of you. All of us. We had to give you the strength to defeat your enemy and return Jadeite’s heart.”

“But I have power; I am a sailor soldier.”

“But you have a hard heart. You are not truthful with yourself; you flee, to keep yourself safe. This is what Jadeite would tell you. A dishonest heart weakens the soul.” With his stick, he motioned back at the moldy box. “Jadeite admired you for your smile and your eyes. He saw your soul through them, and pronounced them beautiful. He intended these jewels for you, to protect you as he would with his own hands. Take them; go north, to Kritayuga. Fight your enemy.”

With the same amount of fanfare, he vanished. But Mars didn’t notice; she simply stared, sightlessly, at the box.

Finally, she stepped forward to open it.

Contemplative, Nergal stared at the still form of Faregg. She had put him under a spell the moment they arrived in the temple, and left him standing at the altar for Mars to find. But something seemed strange about him, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

With a tilt of her head, she dismissed it. It wasn’t important to her; the boy was merely bait for the trap. She left him and walked into the main hall, her heels clicking in pattern across the floor. In her younger years, she had dreamed that the Crystal Palace would look like this; smooth tile floors, and decorated, sumptuous rooms. Now she wished for nothing but plain ornament and moderate colours, the human pattern.

She knew Mars had to be near the entrance to the winding tunnels that led to Kritayuga, which, if she had estimated correctly – and she never failed to – left her with exactly an hour, seven minutes, and twenty-two seconds to wander the halls in a meditative silence.

“I don’t understand why you’re so bothered by this.”

“Of course not. Because there’s nothing bothering me. I have to rescue Faregg because he was kind to me, and Nergal would do him harm. Otherwise, I have no time for men.”

“I’m not saying you do. I’m saying you’re bloody pissed because of something that starts with an “F” and ends with a “G” and no longer plays for the Recently Departed shuffleboard team.”

Mars ignored her as she stepped into the cool shadows of the tunnels, determined to leave Nepal as quickly as possible. Buddha’s serenity had failed her utterly, leaving her with a sense of flailing for air; she hated feeling so disturbed, so entirely out of sorts and unable to fix the problem.

And what was it that she hated the most? That a different lifetime – not even her – was causing this problem; this torrid, impossible, star-crossed love affair. A silly, vapid excuse for fancy that she never would have indulged in as Hino Rei was now plaguing her as Sailor Mars reborn, dogging her steps every way. Because she had finally recognized Faregg; finally and completely mapped out his face, held it up to the light to find the imperfections, and saw none. He was perfect.

He was Jadeite.

Oh, not exactly Jadeite, obviously; the skin colour was wrong, the hair was wrong, the height. But it was his face, his eyes, his voice coming from those lips, pervading her mind like an insidious magic. This was infatuation, and it maddened her, because it was not her choice. Men gave her nothing but grief, and she had sworn herself to solitude in her anger.

Perhaps he was an echo of the blond man, returning to finally do what his truthful body had not; to touch her and talk to her and fight at her side. She didn’t know. She didn’t want to understand. She wore his baubles – a gold and ruby bracelet, and a tiara hidden behind the sweep of her bangs – and nothing more.

“It’s like a maze in here,” she noted aloud as she walked, summoning a flickering flame in her palm to light the way. “And I sense so much evil; I could never pinpoint it.”

“Ah, marvelous. And I forgot the GPS at home.” Alex’s voice echoed off the stone as she floated ahead, looking from side to side at two different trails. “I can’t even hope to sense Nergal either, not in this mess; she’s as bad as the rest of you. All static and no cling.”

Mars shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. She rolled her shoulders, trying to shake off the tension, then placed her hands together to center herself. Even if she couldn’t find Nergal, perhaps she could find the site itself, the residue of Jadeite. Or even a wandering soul willing to help them, she wasn’t picky.

She felt the evil laughing at her, mocking her for trying.

“I will not be so easily defeated,” she shouted into their realm. “I am Sailor Mars! I am stronger than your black magic and wicked means; show me the way to Kritayuga, or I will summon the power to vanquish you.”

The sound of feathers, of flapping wings, thundered through the realm. She felt them brush her face, and she opened her eyes to see a pair of beady eyes – no, two pairs. “Phobos….Deimos? Masaka! How did you come here?”

From afar, she could see the tall red-head turning to see them, as she stroked Phobos’s beak, Deimos’s back. “You came at my call,” she answered herself, almost laughing. “You came! But can you show me the way to the holy site?”

In response, they spun up into the air, brushing the ceiling with their feathers. Cawing in a musical unison that sounded to Mars like the very essence of nature itself, they flew down the tunnels, separating to fly around Alex as though she were solid enough to deter them. She, in turn, twisted around to watch them, somewhat incredulous. “How the hell did they make it all the way to Nepal?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps they have powers given to them by the kami; perhaps my will was strong enough to bring them across the sea.” The dark-haired shrine girl came up to stand next to her mentor, smiling as her two friends – they were not her pets, as far as she was concerned; they were too intelligent and considerate of her to be called such – stared back at them impatiently, hovering awkwardly by the right turn. “Perhaps they are visitors from my past life, here to help in this one.”

They followed the two ravens in such a fashion for what seemed to be a kilometre; left, right, right again. Neither said a word, other than the occasional repetition of directions at each turn, as if it wasn’t completely obvious to both of them which way to go. The flame in Mars’s hand cast enough illumination for them to see the sheen of the ravens’ feathers, miniature rainbows in the light that made the tunnels seem less depressive and claustrophobic.

After a long time, Phobos and Deimos finally stopped – at a dead end.

“This is Kritayuga? But that’s not possible; Phobos, Deimos, is this where your spirits led us?” Mars held out her free hand, upon which Deimos landed, claws gripping her wrist gently, but tightly. She could feel them digging into her skin, through her glove, though she knew the raven didn’t mean it. “Surely there’s a mistake.”

Deimos cawed softly at her, and she felt a flush of shame, mixed almost certainly with impatience. “This is a dead end, Deimos. There’s nothing here.”

“Maybe it’s a cave-in,” Alex suggested thoughtfully, though she was staring dubiously at the wall. It looked completely natural, the creation of millennia instead of a tumbled down pile of rocks and boulders. Mars gave it a similar look, shaking her head.

Then she paused.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent Deimos back into the air to land next to Phobos on an outcropping of rock. Then she reached into her bodice to remove the token that the elder of Takra Kuhp had given her, holding it up. “Perhaps,” she murmured, staring at the symbols scratched into the clay. “He gave this to me, to aid me on my journey; is this what he meant? To open the true way to Kritayuga?”

The symbols began to glow, tracing themselves in light as if being re-written by an invisible hand; with each finished glyph, Mars felt a ripple of power dance across her skin. At the very last, the power was so intense she could barely breathe, yet warm and comforting. Phobos and Deimos cawed loudly. “Does this token make us worthy of admittance? Kami-sama, let us in!”

“Is that the elder’s token?”

“Hai; it appears to be working!”

With an earsplitting noise, the wall in front of them fell into rubble, rocks bouncing everywhere. Mars started, dropping the token from nerveless fingers; it broke instantly, the pieces disappearing into the mess. She then howled most ungraciously as a large boulder slammed her in the shin, dropping right onto her toes. “Itaaiii! Itaaaiii!”

Alex moved around her, snickering as she went, to peer through the opening; she coughed out of reflex at the rising dust, waving her hand to waft it away. “I see paving; it looks like a deliberate path. Kritayuga must have been hidden all this time behind this wall.”

The two ravens flew in after her, cawing merrily. Mars crawled over the rubble awkwardly, clenching her teeth at the throbbing pain in her leg, and mentally cursing again at the idiot who decided on high heels for her suit. When she heard one of the heels snap off, she shouted in a wordless rage and sat right down on the paving to remove the other one. “Kuso-o, these shoes are completely useless!”

“But you look so cute in them,” Alex laughed.

“I look like a brazen woman in them! Now, at least, I can fight properly,” Mars snapped back, throwing the heel aside.

Further in, the tunnel opened up into an immense cave. Inside was a large, time-worn temple that looked to have been long abandoned instead of properly rebuilt over the years, surrounded by a fifteen metre high wall. It too was falling down from disuse, large chunks missing and lying where they had fallen. But the footsteps in the dirt were clear; treads from shoes unavailable to the ancients led the way into the temple proper, appearing from nowhere in the middle of the path. “This must be it.”

Alex nodded in agreement, though her mouth quirked into a smile. “So. Shall we knock, or just go right in, Sailor Mars?”

Mars stared up at the temple and its formidable exterior; there was no windows to be seen, though there were plenty of doors leading out to a short fall on each of its three floors. Closer inside the wall, she could see more smaller buildings, all of them tumbled down and in worse condition than the temple itself; and in the middle of the path, she saw a statue.

He stared out at them with a ghostly smile, though it too was faded and worn by age. He was wearing a tunic and pants similar to those in the two villages, though it was clearly better quality, even in stone. And he looked much more serene than the Jadeite Mars remembered facing in the forest; more at ease with himself. Happy. The man she had seen staring at her in her – Mars’s – memory.

And the boy with his face was waiting inside.

Touching her breast, she felt the warmth of Jadeite’s Kage stone next to her heart.

She nodded firmly. “We go right in, Guardian-sama.”

“So. Sailor Mars. You made it here, to Kritayuga.” Nergal smiled lazily as she watched the dark-haired shrine girl come to a halt, a crow on either shoulder, and Alex close at her side. Purple eyes regarded her in turn, cold as freshly polished gems; but her poise was solid and proper, unforgiving. “But it won’t matter, after all.”

“Why? Because you’ve chosen to fight me? I didn’t chose to be your enemy, and yet, here I am, because of your anger. All I want is Faregg.” Mars tilted her chin, staring at the rust-haired girl imperiously. “I have no need to fight you.”

Nergal slowly walked down the steps, her face growing colder with each step. With a flick of her wrist, she withdrew a piece of a crystal from empty air, a sharp-edged, glittering chunk that threw rainbows onto the walls. “You have a particular need, Sailor Mars. For the reason you came to Nepal was to find this stone, ne? So you’ll fight me for it, knowing your prince’s life is at stake.”

The dark-haired shrine girl lowered her eyes. Nergal was right, of course. She had felt the Kage stone react; she knew without asking that the rust-haired girl had it. Faregg’s life was not the only one on the line, yet she had selfishly forgotten it, in the rush to save him. And what did it matter to her anymore if a ghost survived?

“Sou yo. Of course I will.”

Phobos and Deimos took off, veering back to land, surprisingly, at Alex’s feet, cawing in distress. Mars whispered a mental prayer to the kami as she strode forward to face Nergal, glad again for the loss of her heels. She’d kick off her shoes altogether if she didn’t worry about tearing up the pads of her feet on the rough stones; she always fought better barefoot.

Standing at opposite ends of the room, Mars queried, “Is Faregg still ok? Of course, it means nothing to me; merely a promise of protection for a ghost.”

“Then why ask such a question? And what do you mean? The boy is as healthy as I. Perhaps, if you had been late, I would have killed him, but you arrived on time.” Nergal shrugged as if it were of no consequence, and lifted her hand to flick her fingers. The flames from several of the torches on the wall leapt off their sconces and flew straight at Mars.

“Fire Soul!” She aimed the attack in a circle around her, spinning adeptly on her toes. The fire hit her makeshift protection and she took the moment to leap out and over, landing on her hands and springing to her feet. “Nergal, is that all you can do?” she called out as she ran at the rust-haired girl, swinging her leg in a high kick.

Nergal blocked it, chopping her hand at her throat, which, when she twisted, hit her shoulder instead. “Of course not! Just give me a moment to prove my power. It won’t take very long at all!” she laughed as she caught Mars by the kerchief, yanking her back and throwing her across the room.

Flipping, Mars landed on her feet again, calling power to her hands.

Both of them threw flame, which collided in a spectacular display of hot wind and explosives. Shielding her face, the dark-haired shrine girl could see Alex and the two crows safe behind what looked to be a telekinetic shield, watching the fight curiously. Alex met her eye and nodded, looking towards Nergal with a frown. Or where Nergal had been; the rust-haired girl was gone, high in the air over their heads. “Mars, you fight so curiously! This couldn’t possibly be your ultimate power. I’m disappointed in you. Dark Fire!”

Mars screamed as the heat grew unbearable, even for her tolerance; the flames spun around her, licking at her skirt and bodice, singeing her hair. “I am….I am not so weak! Nergal!” She panted, closing her eyes against the assault, seeing the fire – its core of magic – trying to speak to her. An evil magic, dark magic, but one she could understand and touch; just like the fire of her kami at home. Her soul recognized the flames, and they came to an understanding.

“Stop!”

The fire banked, weakened, and moved at her call. Nergal watched in shock as they spun up in retaliation, then came straight back for her. She flinched, feeling them graze the side of her face, burning her skin; the force of the heat threw her back onto the floor. Jadeite’s Hi stone bounced from her hands like a rubber ball and came to a stop in the middle of the floor.

They both stared at it.

Mars reacted first. “Akuryou tai-i-san!”

“Dark Fire!”

The ofuda flew through the flames as if they didn’t exist, slapping firmly over Nergal’s eyes. She shrieked in pain and began to claw at her face as the paper burned, unable to cleanse her of anything but bad intentions; whatever gave her power was stronger than a simple charm. Mars smiled grimly as she stood up, walking with plenty of time to spare to pick up the Hi stone.

She brought out the Kage stone, watching curiously as they came together to form a perfect, pear cut stone. “A lovely stone of Jadeite,” she remarked as she saw Nergal finally collect herself and glare furiously at her, red and bloody marks down her face.

“Bitch,” Nergal hissed, not even bothering to pretend she wasn’t furious, wasn’t prepared to kill Mars by snapping her neck with her own hands. “You don’t understand! None of you ever did!

“All of your power…”

Had she merely been walking that fateful day? She was sure of it; it had been a calm day, but her heart had been in turmoil as always. Always embroiled with hatred since her revival, alone. Hatred for the silver queen who had not saved her parents and had allowed so much destruction. And what had she wished for? Power. The power to stop Serenity from making another mistake, costing more lives; the power to be stronger than all of them.

“Ara ara, young lady. Your heart has so much anger.”

“Anata wa?” Stopping in the street, she stared around, seeing no one but the usual passers by, hurrying to their homes. Not a one looked at her; not a one was the source of the voice in her head. “Who’s speaking to me?”

“I am called Shaman Apsu. I could see your heart; filled with hatred, it is also filled with a dream. A dream of power and desire.” The voice was soft, caressing. It matched the power that lifted the girl who would be known as Nergal off her feet, holding her high in the air. The power made her gasp; it was amazing, better than she had ever dreamed of. “A dream of more power than the sailor soldiers.”

“Hai; I want that power! The power to make them cringe!”

She heard the laughter in her head, and she smiled. “I can give you that power, young lady. I have a strength that rivals theirs, and I can find it within you to draw it out. Will you come with me and accept your new power?”

“I will…I want that power. I’ll come with you. I’ll do whatever I need to. The sailor soldiers need a rival, and I’ll fight them without hesitation!” The power grew light around her, lifting her higher and higher. She closed her eyes as she felt herself become like a ghost, disappearing from sight; no doubt anyone who saw her was momentarily terrified. It had put a smile on her face.

Nergal opened her eyes. “All of your power, and you’ll never understand. Apsu-sama told me the truth of your selfishness, though I saw it for myself.” With a dismissive turn of her head, she said, “Take your victory today. Tomorrow, it will be mine. Sailor Mars.” She waved away her defeat, walking away. In mid-step, she disappeared.

Mars relaxed, looking down at Jadeite’s stone. This fight, she had a feeling, was going to be one of the easy ones. She didn’t relish the thought of facing Nergal again; or her leader, Apsu. “Now, I have to find Faregg,” she mused aloud, tucking the stone into her bodice. “Alex-san, are you coming?”

“Why? I can tell you where he is,” the tall red-head replied, flicking her fingers towards the room beyond them, where Nergal had been first standing on its steps. “He’s in there. Or at least, someone is, if he’s actually a ghost.”

“He can’t be,” Mars said firmly. “Nergal…wouldn’t she have noticed as well? It doesn’t make sense.”

But he was there. He was asleep on his feet, standing on a raised platform near the end of the room. He resembled the statue outside of the temple proper, though the expressions did not match. “Faregg!” the dark-haired shrine girl cried before she could help herself. She clenched a fist, willing herself to be still; what good did it do her to be concerned over a ghost? A male ghost, at that? Her concern should have been for herself and their prince, whose health resided against the beat of her heart.

Far more sedately, she stepped up onto the platform, a hand hovering above his shoulder. Now she could feel the tickling energy she had always associated with ghosts, having seen plenty roaming the cemetery where her mother was buried, restless; a steady hum that had an edge of coldness. Why had she not noticed it before, had not sensed the very same feeling when he touched her hand? Weak; she had become weak in his presence; and she angrily dropped her hand, feeling a flash of rage.

Looking up, she found him staring at her. “Mars? You look so angry. Did the dark woman get away?” he queried.

“Dark woman….ah, hai. The Oppositio Soldier Nergal ran away. But it doesn’t matter, because I retrieved the stone I was looking for.”

“Ah, Jadeite’s stone! Thank goodness.” He smiled at her as she fought to keep her expression still, unconsciously touching her breast. “That was your mission, Sailor Mars. That the stone of our star, Jadeite, be found and returned safely.”

Alex coughed from the doorway, and they both turned to stare. She shrugged, hands wide. “Sorry to interrupt this Hallmark moment, but I’ve got to ask; if the kid knew all along what we were here for, and that village was a mirage, what the hell is going on?”

Mars frowned, turning back to Faregg to repeat the question, only to see that he was smiling wider. “Guardian-sama. You were always the bold one, Jadeite-sama would tell us. He had only met you once, but considered you a most fitting child of our blue planet.”

“M-masaka! Faregg! How did you….but, before…you understood her?” the dark-haired shrine girl finally managed to ask.

Taking the few steps down from the platform, Faregg looked almost abashed. “The language of the living is simple for those who are dead. I’m sorry, Mars, but we could not tell you of our true natures. Not if we desired to help you.”
She sat down somewhat heavily on the stone, though she managed to pull it off gracefully at the last minute. “Why did no one trust me? I am Shinto! I am a miko of my shrine! I have consorted with the spiritual; I would have understood!” The gentle dig of claws and the touch of feathers signaled Phobos and Deimos as they landed on her shoulders; she reached up to stroke her hand across Phobos’s back, comforted by their nearness.

“Because we were not sure. And we have kept our secrets for centuries. Once, the village of Yaga had been famed as the village that Jadeite had so lovingly ruled; the Takra Kuhp temple had been built in his honor, Kritayuga his palace. So many came to worship him as a star amongst the heavenly beings; so many sang his praises here.” Faregg touched his face, molding its contours with his hands as if he had no idea of what he looked like, a blind man exploring his own skin.

He looked up at her, blue eyes at a loss. “So many gave breath and form to a spirit. I was born in the manner of a prayer; because of the people, I had their skin, their locks; because of Jadeite-sama, I had his face, his very eyes.”

“That’s why you look like him,” Mars murmured. “His blue eyes…”

“So you were created from their worship? And when Jadeite sent his stone here, you remained to protect it, didn’t you?” Alex glanced up at the high ceilings, the tapestries. “Not a bad place to spend eternity, I might add.”

“No, it is most comforting. And it’s true; when Jadeite-sama was cursed, the stone split into two halves of light and dark, I remained here to protect it. The village had prepared themselves as well for danger, and cast a spell for the moment of his death to be cast into the darkness with him. They – I – were loyal to him, no matter the treachery.

“And when Jadeite-sama came to us again, telling us of your arrival and search for his precious stone, we stepped into the world again. We created our illusions to carry you through safely. And you succeeded.” He held out his hand, smiling at Mars in a strangely intimate way. “For the sake of my star, I hope you have listened to us.”

Faregg was disappearing; they could see the stones through his body. He sighed, lowering his arm. “Open your heart, Sailor Mars. You’ve become like the very stones of this temple, but it is a very lonely life. If you would open the door….”

“Faregg!”

“….but that’s not your way. Brave Sailor Mars. Thank you.”

He was gone.

Mars was startled to feel a splash of water on her thigh, which could be attributed to a leaking roof no doubt. It was a shame when such temples fell into disrepair. But there was nothing more she could do about it. Just wipe her face – which was also wet by some strange coincidence – and go home.

“Mars, have you done it?”

“Hai, Usagi. I found Jadeite’s stone. We’ll be coming home soon. Is Mercury, Jupiter, or Venus back yet?”

“Iyaa, you’ll be the very first! I’m so glad; Mamo-chan is still asleep, but he likes it when I read to him.” The small face looked up at her in concern. “Rei-chan? Were you hurt?”

“Of course not. Don’t be silly. Nergal was a simple matter to take care of!”

“But your face is all red….”

“I’m telling you, it was nothing. Forget about it, Usagi. I’ll be home soon.” Click.

She felt the touch of a ghostly hand on her arm, and for a moment, wished it were Faregg’s. Then she discarded the notion, and continued to walk away, knowing it was of no importance for her to bother looking back.

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A Different Story Chapter 02 : ...In Search of the Stones – Sailormercury

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:39:19 GMT

Hours later, Mercury stood, shivering, in ankle-deep snow, the harsh winds whipping her hair and skirt. “What a beautiful view!” she said, impressed despite herself. After all, when one lived within driving distance of Fuji-san, other mountains simply didn’t add up. But, she supposed, the mountains were famous for a reason; a breathtaking view was a part of it.

She had chosen Zoisite’s stone, carefully lifting it with her own hands out of its snug niche inside of the case. It had done nothing except sit in her palm and sparkle until she transformed; then, it had become a sensation of colour and motion, transporting her to this tall peak. Alex had identified it as the blue-haired genius had fallen on her knees, puking her guts up from motion sickness.

Then they’d proceeded to wander around, being trapped at what looked to be the very peak of the mountain, for any sign of Zoisite’s stone – what they had decided to call “Hi” stones, to differentiate from the “Kage” stones they all carried. After several hours, all Mercury had done was worn a visible path into the snow, which, even this high up, had a slightly greyish cast. So she finally just threw up her hands and stopped, and took her first really good look from the peak.

“I hope this isn’t Zoisite’s idea of a joke,” the tall red-head said behind her. Mercury assumed, from listening carefully, that Alex was still moving around as if she had her normal legs, instead of floating around like a free-form ghost. But she couldn’t verify it, as splitting her conscious up into four more pieces had also taken away her ability to remain semi-visible. It was annoying; like talking to herself instead of someone else.

“I don’t believe so. Perhaps we’ve missed something important.”
“Let’s hope not. After all, bleach boy said we could only get within a couple kilometres of the stones; the damned thing could be all the way down at the foot of the mountain.” Alex sounded annoyed, which Mercury could definitely agree with.

“But it really is a beautiful view.”

….Chapter 2 : In Search of the Stones – Sailormercury

As they stood – or at least, Mercury stood, and Alex sort of hovered – they both heard the oddest sound off in the distance. “Nani…?” Mercury muttered, looking around. “That peculiar noise….”

It sounded like a herd of buffalo trampling the snow, coming closer. But it was a herd of buffalo that spoke in tongues, because the ground shaking beneath her boots couldn’t be making that unusual noise. “I don’t know of any elephant stampedes at this altitude,” Alex said slowly, “which means this could be trouble.”

“But what? How could anything follow us….here?” Mercury trailed off, staring in growing horror at the teeming mass of youma headed their way, the same brand of creature in trailing robes and inhuman faces. “Masaka! Youma, here? In Switzerland!?” She slid back, her body tensed instinctively as she thought frantically. “I can’t possibly fight so many!”

“You have to, Mercury! How else can you get away from them?”

“It isn’t possible for me! Not by myself!” Mercury took another step back, her mind continuing to race. The tall red-head had told her during their search that she had none of her physical powers available to her in her current form; only her psionics. She could possibly throw something large at the youma, but there was nothing up on the peak but sugary snow. And Mercury doubted that freezing them or creating fog would work.

The youma were close now, almost close enough for her to feel the heat of their unnatural bodies. She stepped back again, trying to put as much space between her and them as possible, and choked back a gasp as her boot slipped off the edge. Terror seized her heart; she’d gone back too far, and she was falling. “Kyaaa! Tasukete!”

“Quoi—Mercury!” The youma grew smaller as Mercury fell faster down the side of the mountain, tumbling head over heels as she accelerated. She fought to twist herself upright as she dropped through a chasm she hadn’t even noticed earlier, panic seizing her; she could be trapped forever. Her body jerked as she felt Alex trying to slow her down, too late; it was only luck that landed her in a mound of fallen snow instead of flat across the ice. Still, the impact was enough to daze her, and she was already weary enough from the cold and Sin’s illusions that she just blacked out.

Alex cursed fluently in what sounded like an alien language before she rolled Mercury out of the snow and onto the ice. Neither spot did her any good, but at least the ice wouldn’t suffocate her before she woke back up. And it didn’t look like she’d be sitting up anytime soon; she was pale from the cold, even with her uniform and magic working to keep her warm, and her body had to be putting in overtime already after the school debacle. “And this is why one looks before she decides to retreat,” she sighed, debating what to do.

The sound of footsteps on the ice had her whirling around, body tensing to attack, when she realized that the intruder couldn’t see her anyway. But she was surprised to see that the person who appeared around the corner looked more startled to see Mercury than angry. “A girl…!? How could she have fallen so clumsily down here?” He ran to her side with ease, despite the ice, and managed, after poking her neck, to find her pulse.

As he fretted over the blue-haired genius, Alex looked up to check where they’d fallen; down into a cleverly concealed crevasse that split one of the glaciers. The gods knew what the man would be doing down here, as he didn’t appear to be packing for an expedition. Nor did he look to be capable of doing any serious climbing. “I’ll have to get her back to the village, for some medical attention,” he was muttering out loud to himself. Wiping his hands across his pant legs, he seemed to hover around Mercury like an anxious butterfly, unsure of what to do.

Alex was just about to suggest he pick her up and carry her when he managed, barely, to swing her up into his arms. He nearly toppled backwards with the effort – the soldiers seemed to gain muscle mass and ergo weight once they transformed – and started to stagger, bowlegged, back the way he came. “What an auspicious start to the mission,” she sighed, looking around one last time before following behind. “Zoisite’s damned stone better be close to wherever St. Bernard is taking us.”

“Mou…my head is throbbing so painfully,” Mercury groaned, squeezing her eyes tight and rolling over. “My head….” Groping for the pillow, she cuddled it close to her face, breathing in the familiar smells of….aftershave and peach?

She sat up too quickly for her pounding skull, regretting it; the world squeezed tightly around her, and she slumped back down again. But she opened her eyes again once she was settled, slowly roaming over the rough wooden beams of the ceiling, the similar planks of the walls. She remembered falling from the cliff, into a crevasse that split the glacier beneath them; how did she get from there to a house?

“Mercury, you’re finally awake,” she heard Alex say close by, sounding relieved. “How are you feeling?”

“Terrible. How did I arrive here? This house is…”

“In a village, beneath the mountains and glacier. A young man found you and brought you here, so the doctor could take a look at you.” The tall red-head sounded faintly amused, but an undercurrent of concern tickled her voice.

So Mercury made a second attempt to sit up and allay her concern, moving slowly this time. When the pain didn’t knock her over, she smiled hesitantly into space, head tilted towards her friend’s voice. “Daijoubu, Alex-chan. I’m the soldier of ice; I believe I’m only bruised from the fall.”

“Bruised, possibly suffering from mild hypothermia, strain, stress, and exhaustion. Did I miss anything?” Now she sounded aggrieved; the blue-haired genius could picture her pacing back and forth, which, by the movement of her voice, was probably happening. “We went on this mission far too quickly. You all should have rested before even deciding to do this.”

“Mamoru-san’s life hangs in the balance,” Mercury said quietly.

“Damn it, Mercury, I know that!” she heard Alex snap from somewhere at the end of the bed. “But how useful to him can you be if you collapse in the snow?”

All she could do was bow her head in agreement, clutching the blankets beneath her fingers. She was tired; so tired. Lying back and sleeping away the day sounded excellent, but it wasn’t a luxury she could afford. Not when they had to find Zoisite’s Hi stone, wherever it could be. She smiled ruefully at the realization that she was driving herself harder than even their guardian and teacher found acceptable.

“Are you awake?”

She lifted her head, startled, to see a blond man standing next to the bed. He was maybe a decade older than her, with wide, alert blue eyes, in the prime of health despite living beneath a glacier. “Are you feeling better?” he asked, staring at her with obvious concern.

All she could do was gape at him.

“Are you ill? I’ve summoned the doctor, but he won’t arrive for another minute. May I fetch you some water?”

“N-na-a-ni?” was all she managed. Her mind was obstinately refusing to believe what was happening; it knew she had only moderate English skills, and absolutely no German at all, which was, if she remembered correctly, what a majority of Swiss spoke. The probability of the man knowing Japanese fluently was impossible.

And yet she understood him perfectly.

He was still giving her that doe-eyed look of worry, so she said, hesitantly, “I’m feeling much better; arigatou gozaimasu.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! Many people who fall below hurt themselves badly. I’m glad you weren’t so badly injured.” He seemed entirely oblivious to the fact she had just spoken in Japanese, understanding her as perfectly as she had him. As if something was translating for them.

Unconsciously, she touched her brooch as she realized that the magic of her transformation had to be doing it. And it made sense; in their previous lives, they would have to travel light years to fight battles, or offer diplomacy. It was ludicrous to assume that everyone spoke the same language. There had to be some built-in translator that came with the uniform that worked both ways simultaneously.

Too bad Sailor Mercury couldn’t sit in on her English exam.

She stifled a faintly hysterical laugh before she realized he was staring at her again. “My name is Hans,” he said, offering her his hand. “What’s your name?”
Never comfortable with shaking hands, she nonetheless took it awkwardly, letting him pump their arms up and down. “My name is Mizu—Mercury. Sailor Mercury.” She released his hand, adding, “And where am I? Beneath the glacier?”

“Yes, in my village. Kainess Village. We’ve lived here for untold years.” He smiled cheerfully at her, unaware of her shock. “It’s a comfortable life.”

“Ano…beneath the glacier? How can you exist? How do you grow food, or even eat?”

“We have plenty of caverns where we grow our food, and tether our livestock.” He seemed puzzled as she mulled this over, clearly confused. “How else would we eat? My mother said you grow crops and eat meat above ground just like us.” He scratched his head, frowning. “Well, we don’t have many visitors anyway, so maybe my village seems so odd.”

“Very….unusual, perhaps,” she admitted, still wondering. “Still…I’ve taken up too much of your hospitality. I really must go.”

“Are you sure? The doctor really is coming shortly, and you did take a big fall. And where would you go?”

“To look around your village, if that’s alright. If no one minds a visitor.” She had a suspicious feeling that Hans’s village had to have clues concerning Zoisite’s stone. And she could hardly search with him following her around.

He shrugged carelessly, hands spread in acceptance. “If that’s your wish, Mercury. I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself, though our village is hardly exciting.” And as if she had dismissed him, he left the room without even a farewell; rather rude, in her opinion, but she had no idea of what the Swiss considered polite. So she pushed back the covers and slid from the bed, pleased that the world no longer spun or dipped.

“Alex-san, can you…sense anything?” she queried the air, reaching up to activate her goggles.

She could hear the tall American sigh behind her as she scanned the room at a low-level spectrum band. “Besides everyone’s ridiculously banal thoughts? Nothing really out of the ordinary.”

Low-level spectrum gave her nothing but the usual heat signatures and base body recognition – everyone was human and reasonably healthy for twenty feet surrounding them – so she switched it to mid-range. The colours swam against her vision, graphs spinning up to show her an analysis of their current environment, the sight of which had her frowning; not only did magic exist below the ice, but it was a level constant in the background. “Do you think this village is here for a reason?” she asked quietly. “Such a concentration of magic…”

“It must be. The kid implied that they’re pretty much isolated; I’ll bet any ‘visitor’ that shows up probably falls in by accident, just like you did.” Mercury’s embarrassed blush went unnoticed, or at least, uncommented. “And growing food, raising animals? It can’t be possible in this kind of environment, not without help.”

“Perhaps, this village has been here longer than we can imagine.” Removing her goggles, the blue-haired genius looking towards the sound of her mentor’s voice instinctively as she added, “Perhaps, this was Zoisite’s home.”

“It’s possible,” Alex agreed mildly. “That could explain why his stone would come back. Kunzite did mention them returning to their origin; so did Nephrite. Not that it gets us any closer, unless these people know anything about Zoisite in particular.”

On that note, the blue-haired genius exited through the doorway, noting again the roughness of the construction, and found herself in what looked to be the main room. Like a shotgun house, every room opened into one another; there were no hallways. “What a lovely rug,” she murmured, seeing the large patchwork square on the floor. “It must be handmade.”

“My mother made it, actually,” Hans said, and she squeaked, taken by surprise. He was standing off to her left, next to a bed that looked completely out of place in the room; it was shoved up against a shelf of assorted mugs and books, wood stained honey amber instead of dark brown. She could hear, now that she was aware of it, a soft, strained breathing coming from beneath the blankets piled almost ridiculously high. Someone sick with a bronchial infection, perhaps; his aforementioned mother?

Coming just a bit closer, Mercury tilted her head to see the face atop the pillow. Yes, a woman, fairly young still; the resemblance to Hans was obvious despite her sickly pallor and sunken, closed eyes. “Is this your mother, Hans-san?”

He nodded, smoothing out a wrinkle in the blanket with a sweep of his hand that spoke of his nervousness. “Yes, my mother. She fell ill several weeks ago. The doctor is still unsure how to heal her.” Tucking the blankets beneath her chin, he added quietly, “He says people from above very easily fall sick beneath the glacier. Many die.”

“Your mother is from…above? Switzerland?” the blue-haired genius queried, looking down at the women quizzically. To be trapped below the ice for so long…though she was the soldier of water, even her soul shuddered at the thought of being surrounded by so much of the frozen element. “Why did she never go back?”

Hans turned to stare at her, quite plainly surprised at her question. “No one has ever gone back, Mercury. No one can find the way. Quickly they become happy with their new lives, and the villages rejoice with each new person. Our families grow.”

She couldn’t find a suitable response for that; only a growing horror at what seemed to be his complacency at her new role in his world. Trapped forever beneath the ice simply because no one had found the way out again? No; she would not be so easy to keep. She would find a way out, for the love of the kami, and she would make it home with the stones in her hands. She was a sailor soldier with a mission.

Focusing instead of something easier – a sick patient in need of care – she came closer to the bed, removing her right glove. But before she could set her hand on the woman’s forehead, Hans said quickly, “No, Mercury! Being from above ground, you could fall sick as well!” and caught her wrist. “Please, don’t be so hasty. Go and explore as you said. The doctor will arrive soon.”

The blue-haired genius extracted her hand, pulling her glove back on without saying a word. She shouldn’t have felt hurt, but it still lingered in her heart; knowing she could most likely help and being unable to do so was a terrible fear. The boy lying in the street as he convulsed, unable to survive separated from the daimon – she still woke up screaming sometimes during the night, seeing his eyes roll up into his head. Magic mixing with medicine was not a combination she was entirely comfortable with, even after nearly a year as a sailor soldier; too many variables entered into the equation, as it had with the boy. So much knowledge, and it wasn’t enough.

When would it become too hard? What would she do?

Sighing, she put on a happy face instead. “I will. I’m sure your village is fascinating. I’ll make sure to return shortly.” Seeing the door across the room, she bowed politely before making her way to it, and outside – into a world of ice.

Sitting on the front step, Mercury stared out through her goggles at a bright, shiny world. She had to; the ambient light that seemed to come out of the very walls of the cavern reflected far too brightly for her eyes to readily adjust to. All that surrounded them was ice: walls, ceiling, even the ground. It rose high above their heads, icicles forming where the radiant heat from someone’s chimney had melted the ceiling. Both it and the walls looked naturally made, but it could just as easily have been rudely chopped out of the ice by hand – or magic. The ground had long rubbed smooth by thousands of tramping feet over the generations, but not slippery thanks to a layer of dirt and small pebbles. “I wonder where the dirt comes from?” she mused out loud, turning her head to survey the far cluster of houses.

“They have to farm somewhere. My guess is they’ve got some kind of arable land hidden in a secondary cave filled with the stuff.” Alex sounded as if she were floating next to her left ear, so she tilted her head in recognition.

“Perhaps. After all, this village exists without any true contact with the outside world, unless some poor person falls down here. They could hardly be trading for food.” Behind them, she could hear a strained coughing fit; it sounded like phlegm was taking up residence in the woman’s lungs. “Poor Hans-san. She truly sounds sick.”

“I would be too, if I were stuck down here forever. Coming from a world of sunshine and summer must make it hard to adjust.” The tall red-head sounded vaguely disgusted, which she clarified as she added, “Cold and ice….blegh. My world’ll end in fire if I have a say about it, thank you very much. Me and ice have a mutual long-standing disagreement.”

Mercury smiled, removing her goggles to test out her eyes. “I’ve always enjoyed the water, and the prettiness of ice on the glass during winter. But I don’t think I’d enjoy it down here either.”

She could hear Hans’s mother cough again, this time wetly; beneath it was a quiet babble, most likely the man himself trying to soothe her. “It sounds like a very serious condition,” she sighed as she pulled out Zoisite’s Kage stone. “I wonder how we’ll know that we’re getting close to Zoisite’s Hi stone? Will this one flash?”

The stone merely rested in the cup of her palm, a pretty chunk of mineral, but otherwise lifeless. Holding it up to look, she could see the ghostly shadows inside of it reflecting from the ice and deposits, but nothing else. Not a single flicker or clue. “Start walking, Mercury; maybe as we go around the village, something will happen.”

“Hai, hai.” Casting one last look towards Hans’s door, the blue-haired genius stepped away from the house, holding the rock tightly in her fist.

It was not a large village by any means; counting houses, they estimated it to be a close-knit community of perhaps five families. One building looked to be a doctor’s office, but, peeking in through the windows, it appeared to be either abandoned or closed. They met only a few others during their walk, mostly women carrying bundles, who stared frankly at Mercury and her unusual clothes. One even stopped to whisper fiercely, “What are you doing, dressed in such a manner!? You’ll be frozen for sure!”

Mercury just shook her head, acting as if she couldn’t understand, and backed away.

In the farthest corner they found a cleverly hidden tunnel hewn through the ice, leading to a second cavern. Just as Alex had predicted, it was a green paradise beneath the glacier, with rows of vegetables and fruit trees, and several cows and sheep tethered in a corral. “It’s saturated with magic,” Mercury whispered, after turning on her goggles. Dropping to her knees, she plucked a strand of grass from the edge of the corral, holding it up for inspection. “A perfectly natural environment, sustained by magical means!”

“That would explain how they can live without any means to reach the surface for food,” the tall red-head agreed. “There’s no telling how long they’ve been down here; this spell could be entirely self-sufficient for ages. And look; these vegetables are native European. I’ll bet those damned carrots are purple, they’ve been so long isolated.”

“But why would they remain this way? What is the purpose of maintaining a culture beneath the ice?” Mercury walked along the rows of vegetable plants, stopping to pull up a carrot to check the theory; it was indeed purple. She nibbled at it, and it still tasted like a regular carrot, but she ended up giving it to a nearby grazing sheep.

“Maybe this isn’t the only village. Maybe there was a community under the ice; a self-sufficient kingdom. And why would those communities cease to exist, simply because the Earth evolved without them? The Amazon still hides hundreds of tribes of natives who have no idea that electricity and airplanes exist. Why not a glacier in Switzerland?” A peach tree rustled as Alex plucked a fruit from the branches, holding it out for Mercury to take. “I’ll bet anything this is where Zoisite lived. Peaches aren’t native European fruits, but it would be very easy to believe he may have gotten a tree from Jadeite. And this lemon tree, too.”

“And these olives, perhaps, from Kunzite? And the asparagus and garlic?”

“Oui. Which means Nephrite gave them the green beans.”

Mercury bit into the peach, licking the juice from her lips thoughtfully. Tasted just like a ripe peach from the store, if a bit juicier and far cheaper. “But we can’t assume anyone here knows about Zoisite. Maybe we should ask Hans-san if he knows of any caves nearby or any legends of a stone.” She finished off the fruit rather hungrily; she couldn’t recall when she had last eaten. She had been in such a hurry to leave on her errand for her mother that she had barely eaten breakfast; just a slice of toast and some coffee.

Taking another peach for the walk back, they left the cavern, wandering back towards Hans’s house. This time, they were alone; the village was entirely quiet, save for the fading sounds of the sheep as they bleated in the corral. “I wonder how they keep track of time down here, with no sun or moon,” Alex muttered somewhere off to Mercury’s left. “Every hour must look the same.”

“Hai. It must be very peaceful and quiet, living here. Also very boring; what could they possibly have to read?” Mercury mused as she ate her fruit, trying to be as careful as possible not to drip on her gloves. She held the pit between thumb and forefinger when she was finished, unable to toss it away, and stepped up to knock on the door.

After a minute, Hans opened the door with a desperate smile, saying, “Doctor Schwartz! I’m so glad—oh, Mercury.” He stepped back, holding the door open for her. “I didn’t know it was you; I thought the doctor had arrived.”

“Gomen nasai.” She flushed, bowing quickly in appeasement. “I simply came back to ask—well, it doesn’t matter. May I take a look at your mother? I’ve had basic medical training; my dream is to one day be a doctor.” With the door open, the woman’s coughing was that much louder; great hacking coughs that had to be shaking her from head to toe.

He didn’t stop her as she crossed the front room, setting the peach pit on a nearby table and removing both gloves. She could hear him closing the door as she touched her hand to his mother’s forehead, grimacing at the radiant heat. “What a fever she has…she’s burning up! She must be dehydrated; her eyes are sunken deeply, and her lips are dry. Hans-san, she needs some water.”

“But I was told—“

“Hans-san, your mother is mildly dehydrated. Her eyes are sunken into her head; her lips are cracking.” Lightly pinching her arm, she nodded briskly. “Her skin is less resilient. She needs liquids.”

“What she needs is the doctor,” he replied mutely, though when she looked around to chastise him, he was pouring a glass of water from a nearby jug. “Doctor Schwartz is the only one who can treat her, and he hasn’t come. Something could be wrong. He’s never been this late before.”

He held out the glass, and she frowned at seeing his pale face, looking far more worn than he had allowed her to see when she’d first woken up. The stress of his mother’s sickness was taking its toil on him as well. “Is that his office in the village that’s all closed up?” she queried as she turned away, lifting his mother’s head to coax some water past her lips.

“Yes, that’s his office when he visits. Normally, he lives in Andeng Village, several kilometers away. But I’ve been hearing suspicious rumours…”

“Rumours? Of what?”

Hans came closer to take his mother’s hand, and Mercury became uncomfortably aware of how near he was standing; focus, she had to focus. Why did he remind her of Kane-san, anyway? They didn’t look similar at all…. “Rumours of what, Hans-san?” she repeated.

“Of monsters.”

Monsters. The only kind of monsters she knew were the ones who had chased her to her eventual fall. The ones who continued to torment her city and planet, no matter how many times she and her allies defeated them. She set the cup down on the floor empty, looking up at his earnest face. “And Doctor Schwartz is the only one who can cure your mother?”

Without looking at her, he nodded; his eyes were intent on his mother’s slack face. “He’s our only doctor. And only he can prepare the special medicine.”

“Then tell me where Andeng Village is, please. How do I get there?”

“It’s east …you take the left path and follow it, until you come to a right path.” He responded numbly, not even considering her question until she stepped back. Then he lifted his head, suddenly intent on her face. “You’re not going to—!”

“Hai. My life is in your debt, Hans-san. I’ll make the trip to Andeng Village to find the doctor, to save your mother.” She smiled brightly, bowing. “Daijoubu. No monsters will find me easy to defeat.”

“Let’s hope not,” she could hear Alex mutter next to her ear, making her twitch. She’d almost forgotten the tall red-head was there.

Hans was staring at her still, his expression obviously torn between concern and dismay. Mercury could only imagine how life under the glacier would have treated her; no doubt women were expected to be the mothers and the cooks and cleaners, not soldiers. It would explain the reaction she’d seen during their walk through the village, with her short skirt. He was probably trying to cope with the very idea of a girl being able to fight, and coming up short.

But to his credit, he finally nodded. “Then be careful, please, Mercury. For my mother’s sake, hurry back. Be safe.”

“I will. I promise, Hans-san.”

Not as far away as one would expect, there wasn’t a soul to witness Nabu’s fit. Mostly, it was from sheer boredom; she had been dumped into this endless world of ice to wait for the blue-haired genius to finally make her way into her hands, and that was some time off. She knew the little bitch wouldn’t be able to just get up and walk away, oh no, she had to throw in a good deed or seven first. And being a flagrant abuser of time, she knew already how long she’d need to wait for the chit to get her head out of her high-and-mighty ass.

She couldn’t even pinpoint what it was exactly that annoyed her so grievously about the soldier of ice. Maybe it was the intelligence, what she had always seen as a “holier-than-thou” attitude as she administered to the health of the people in the future. So damned smart, and she wasted her time protecting a blonde goddess who allowed her people to die. And in that way, she was as stupid as a rock.

Nabu blasted off a chunk of ice from the wall of the cavern, shaping it into a sharply angular figure of a girl poised to strike. “Mercury, my opponent,” she muttered, staring at it as her fists tightened. “When you finally arrive, I’ll take pleasure in defeating you. You’ll be as broken as this figure of ice!” she howled, shattering the sculpture with several blows of her power. The sound of ice hitting the ground was like tinkling glass, and she had to admit that it made her feel just a tiny bit better.

When Sin had told them to head off the soldiers, she hadn’t bothered to mention how long they’d need to wait. After all, they had to arrive first, to call up the creatures to bedevil the soldiers during their quest, otherwise they’d be free to roam and to find the stones. Then it was a waiting game, a mind-numbingly boring waste of time, as the soldiers made their way towards them. Sin wouldn’t allow them to simply attack and kill them, or even subvert them, which seemed completely unreasonable in Nabu’s opinion.

So she blasted a few more chunks of ice, and thought again about her dreams.

“Mercury Aqua Mirage!” she shouted, sending her power towards the two youma. They howled in pain, disappearing into dust, and she slumped in relief. “Kami-sama, why are there so many? They seem limitless!”

“Sin must know we’re here,” Alex said grimly, helping the blue-haired genius up. “We have to hurry and get to Andeng before they wear you out. You’re already too tired for this.”

“Hai, Alex-san.” Taking a moment to stretch her arms and back – she was growing tense from standing in attack position too many times – she began jogging again, concentrating on breathing steadily as she went. Walking was too slow, and far too cold; even with her uniform and magic, she was beginning to feel chilled. Jogging was keeping her temperature up. Thinking clinically was also keeping her from losing her mind; so much ice and cold was beginning to remind her of the Arctic. Of that last day, facing Metallia’s shadow.

She quickened her pace, hearing the familiar thrum of a youma appearing behind her. At the last minute she dropped, hearing it swipe at empty air above her head, and spun around to release her fog. A telltale rumble told her that Alex had managed to loosen a chunk of ice; the subsequent wet thud and howl was the youma’s painful death. “I think we’re close; I can finally sense people.”

“I hope so; my legs are beginning to hurt. I’m not used to this kind of exercise,” Mercury laughed, trying to keep her spirits up. She crawled onto her feet and kept on going.

When they finally walked into the village, both of them were surprised to see a thriving community in contrast to the sober, quiet village that Kainess had been. More houses dotted the cavern, their children running across the rough ice shouting. Many stopped to stare at the odd girl standing in the entrance, but many more also waved. “How…happy it seems here. I wonder why Kainess is so sad in comparison.”

“Maybe because Andeng is bigger?” Alex suggested. “Everyone was at least content in Kainess, but this place is more Disney than Euro.” They watched a pair of girls run by, kicking what looked to be a home-stitched approximation of a soccer ball. Just as curious as the rest, they both slid to a stop on the dirty ice, cocking their heads like quizzical puppies. At Mercury’s hesitant partial bow of acknowledgement, they smiled.

“Are you from above?” they asked in uneven unison.

“Hai, we are—ano, I mean, I am, from above,” Mercury hastily answered, mentally chiding herself for forgetting Alex’s current state. She bowed quickly. “My name is Sailor Mercury. Do you live here, in Andeng Village?”

Both girls began to giggle, though it was obvious that they were too innocent to be intentionally cruel. The blonde, her hair tied back in a tight braid, said, “Of course we do! How odd a question. But mama always said people from above ask very odd questions.”

The other, a brunette with hair cut as short as Mercury’s own, said, “And you’re from above, of course. So you can ask odd questions. Are you coming to us from Kainess?”

How could they know? Mercury frowned, considering the possibilities, then mentally chastised herself again. How else would she know the name of their village, unless she’d been in Kainess to hear about it? Simple logic won again. “I am. It’s very important I find Dr. Schwartz. Can you tell me where he lives?”

Both of them pointed towards a nondescript house, almost identical to the one in Kainess, and looking just as abandoned. “That’s where Dr. Schwartz lives,” the brunette sing-songed, exchanging a sly glance with her friend.

“But he isn’t there right now because of his unusual character,” the blonde sang back.

“His unusual character? What do you mean?” the blue-haired genius queried curiously, watching the two girls continue their exchange. It reminded her of a guilty secret being kept that wasn’t really a secret; that all-important staple of life: gossip.

“Gretel! Miriam! Why are you bothering that sweet lady?” Both girls winced at the bellow, and Mercury saw a portly straw-haired woman emerge from the closest house, holding a broom. “You two are silly little chatter cows! Come back inside, then, and do your chores if you’ve so much time to talk.”

Mercury’s mouth twitched at the expression – chatter cows? – but she felt bad as both girls visibly drooped. Turning on her best smile, she said to the woman, “It’s all my fault, surely. I asked them my own questions. About Dr. Schwartz, in particular.”

The woman jerked her broom in an obvious sign of irritation across the ice, nodding her head. “Oh, so you’re from Kainess! Your unusual clothes—well, anyway, Dr. Schwartz isn’t here. He’s gone north into the caverns. Honestly, we hardly see him at all.”

“North into the caverns?”

“Oh, yes, there are many lengths of caverns beneath the glacier. Once, perhaps, they led to above, but they’ve long frozen shut at their ends. So now we’ve many empty spaces to explore.” She swished her broom again, perhaps too well-bred to openly show her annoyance. It obviously wasn’t to clean the ice, which was past all hope after how many countless years of trampling feet. “Dr. Schwartz prefers his cave to our company. But he’s a brilliant doctor, and so perhaps that’s what he needs.”

The blue-haired genius closed her eyes for a moment, feeling weariness creep up her limbs. She’d barely made it to Andeng without collapsing, and now she was being told that he wasn’t even in residence, that she’d need to travel further – fight more youma – just to seek him out. And that didn’t even account for the trip back to Kainess. It seemed as if her stubborn need to save the sick was indeed going to kill her.

She just sighed, straightening her back. What else could she do? She was a sailor soldier, and an aspiring doctor. If she had to travel north into the caverns, she’d damn well travel north. “Arigatou. I suppose I’ll be going, then.” She bowed properly, feeling her knees wobble, and took a minute longer than was necessary to stand up again.

Only to find all three of them staring at her. “Going? North?” the woman practically squeaked. “With so many monsters? That you’ve made it here….! You can’t go!”

“They appeared so suddenly, recently. Now it isn’t safe for us to travel out of the village. We could die.” The brunette sounded rather matter-of-fact about the problem, but perhaps she never had any aspirations to leave her home anyway. She shrugged her shoulders. “They’re vicious creatures. Dr. Schwartz may never return.”

Mercury felt an urge to start laughing at the sheer craziness of how she had to look to them, in her short skirt and bodice, proclaiming her intention to venture north into danger. She was most likely wearing less right now than they ever did out of doors in their entire lives; they probably expected her to drop dead of hypothermia once she left. All she could finally manage was a weak, “Well, I’ll have to change that, ne?”

“No, no! You can’t! Not with so many monsters!” The woman was adamant. She stomped her foot twice, grabbing Mercury’s arm in a gentle but firm grip. “Not without some food in that skinny belly. You people from above aren’t fed properly! Eat, and then reconsider this. The doctor can return on his own.” So saying, she spun the blue-suited soldier around, marching her into the house despite her weak protests.

Alex snickered, following a much more leisurely pace. After all, it wasn’t her skinny belly the woman was intent on stuffing.

A long hour later, Mercury burped. “Ara, gomen nasai! My stomach is very full.”

“I’d think so, considering how much dead cow she tried forcing down your throat. I’m surprised you had the strength to stop at the fourth helping.” The blue-haired genius laughed, remembering the portly woman’s surprise when she had refused yet another plate full of what could pleasantly be described as ‘bland’ stewed meat. Apparently no one had left them with the proper herbs to add flavour to their food, or they preferred it so tasteless it could be mistaken for shoe leather. Even with her hunger, she had been forced to choke it down.

It had helped, however. She felt considerably more energized, her head cleared of the haze she’d felt creeping in with fatigue. A short nap on the blonde girl’s bed while dinner was being finished had also done wonders. Now, her biggest concern was the possibility of a side cramp.

She began kneading her ribs unconsciously as she turned the corner into a slightly larger tunnel of endless ice, a pair of large, dirty prints showing her where the doctor had gone. For someone who was so unusual, he certainly did walk in an almost obsessively straight line. He also had quite large feet. “I wonder if he’ll be happy to see someone?” she mused out loud as she walked, unaware of the youma until she almost slammed into it.

It was the clear crystal of the ice surrounding it, its eyes two dark splashes that stood out like holes. That was her tip-off; they were too approximately spaced, too perfectly matched, to be natural. She tensed, fists clenching, as she stopped, calling power to her hands. “Youma!”

The creature moved, visible still only by its eyes. She felt a trickle of apprehension at this; an enemy was difficult enough without it being nearly invisible as well. So cleanly camouflaged, she didn’t even see it raise its hands and release a barrage of icicles until they were shooting towards her, tips sharp as darts. She leapt aside, summoning her fog to even up the odds; if the damn youma could be invisible, so could she. “Alex-san, can you sense it?”

“Blank slate.” It was shorthand for what the tall red-head described as “A perfectly empty mind, no one’s home, lights aren’t even on.” So she turned on her goggles, scanning the immediate area, to find…

….nothing.

The blow from behind threw her nearly ten metres across the air, tumbling through a hazy fog that hadn’t even begun to dissipate, in a wall she couldn’t see. She cried out as her shoulder lit up with a jagged stab of pain, and slid down the ice onto the cold ground. “Alex-san, I can’t sense it at all!” she gasped as she rolled onto her other side, using her good arm to lever herself up.

She could hear Alex swearing, then a rush of air; then the youma was grabbing her, claws digging into her breast as it lifted her by her brooch and bow, legs kicking uselessly. Screaming once, she looked down to see its eyes; fathomless black, and entirely empty. Her goggles didn’t even see them, anymore than they saw the paint on a brick wall.

It lifted her higher, and she let go of its hand to press her palms out towards those eyes, gasping, “Mercury Aqua Mirage!”

The reaction had her thrown up into the ceiling, imbedding her a few centimetres deep as the youma exploded rather spectacularly. As the shockwaves passed, she felt her body heat melt her free, and she dropped like a rag doll the few metres to the floor, managing to land on her feet at the last minute. She took off her goggles and sighed, wincing as her shoulder flared again with pain. “And I was feeling better.”

“You know, this ghostly sidekick gig isn’t working out as well as I hoped. I never expected to be this useless,” Alex groused, her voice growing louder as she floated closer. Two small balls of snow and ice were hovering at around the tall red-head’s eye level, presumably so Mercury could see her. They even had two tiny depressions for pupils; she giggled.

“You haven’t been useless, Alex-san! Besides, this is good training for a lone soldier. I have to be stronger. I can’t always depend on Usagi-tachi to be there with me.” Working her shoulder, the blue-haired genius giggled harder as the two ice balls rolled upward.

“Now you sound like me. I did the stubborn lone ranger routine, too, and got my ass kicked many a time.” The ice balls looked off to the left slyly, then back to Mercury. “I saw this on an old episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Pretty nifty, isn’t it? Though I had to improvise.”

All Mercury could do was laugh as Alex trotted off ahead, ice balls bouncing minutely up and down to mimic her footsteps. “Alex-san, you’re very weird,” she said as she followed, satisfied her shoulder wasn’t dislocated.

Turning yet another corner, they found themselves looking at a small entrance in the opposite wall, while the path continued on past it and around one more curve. The footsteps went into the entrance without hesitation, so they did the same. More of the same ambient light continued to light their way, bright enough to see, but not to blind; whomever had enspelled the glacier had done a proper job of it. Of course, the blue-haired genius was sure she’d still have a difficult time adjusting to the sunlight once they left the accursed underground world.

“This place is a maze. You have to wonder if maybe those two villages covered more ground down here. There’s no other reason for all these empty caves and trails.” The two ice balls rolled back to look at Mercury in sympathetic agreement, which had the blue-suited soldier giggling. “What?”

“You could be right, Alex-san. This is certainly extensive. But why would anyone live beneath a glacier in the first place?” Mercury mused, rubbing her arms briskly. “Certainly this country can be just as cold above ground, but why below? Why did they choose such an existence?”

They came to a slow stop as the tunnel arced into a ninety-degree turn, out of sight. The curve itself had been hollowed out, set up with a few wooden tables and equipment that looked like modern scientific laboratory tools: beakers, racks, weights and measures. Most of it also looked disused, as if it were a storage space, which also explained the jumble of boxes and chests shoved into the furthest corner. “How strange!”

Mercury reached into the mess, plucking a beaker from the table and holding it up to eye level. It was clean of even fingerprints, not a hint of what it had once held. “How could they have such instruments? Surely they can’t leave the glacier to buy these tools.”

“The time of the Silver Millennium was hardly medieval, Mercury. Most of what’s been ‘invented’ now by scientists was long discovered and used back then. Stop thinking like a 21^st Century know-it-all.” The ice balls bounced past her as she blinked, cheeks warming as she realized her error. “I never could figure out why you geniuses always assumed that everyone was dumb as a rock before the discovery of electricity.”

“Well, electricity was a major discovery,” Mercury said curtly, setting the beaker down. “And we’ve discovered far more purpose in science than our ancestors. We’ve cured so many diseases that once ravaged nations –“

“And created more by being so bold as to change the course of nature,” Alex cut in. “Mercury, science isn’t the end all be all of everything. And you’re talking to a scientist’s daughter, so I can say with righteous indignation that’s almost more trouble than it’s worth, sometimes.” The ice balls lowered as she examined the piles of chests in the corner. “Science does not mean civilization. Once upon a time, all they needed was magic.” Both of them now rolled back up to stare at Mercury. “Once upon a time, Mercury understood that.”

The blue-haired genius folded her arms, frowning. “Are you saying I’m too ignorant to understand that world? I was born in this world, Alex-san, not that world of magic and mystery. I’m trying to understand, but it’s difficult; the rational mind is simply not tolerant of such…” She waved her hand flippantly, feeling her temper rise. “…tricks.”

She heard Alex snort. “I’m wounded. Now I’m apparently no longer considered a rational being. And then, she said, to change the subject, come look at these bulging chests.”

“’Bulging’ chests….?” Mercury grunted as a chest came flying into her arms, which she caught, barely. The wood was so ancient it was soft as fabric; she could feel it disintegrating in her hands. She flipped the latch – which wasn’t locked – and opened the lid.

Inside lay a sparkle of sapphires, as beautiful and perfect as the day they’d been made. The silk they had rested on had long rotted away, however; it fell apart as she lifted the pendant, feeling its weight in her palm. “Alex-san, these are…!”

“Amazing, innit? All of these chests have jewels and weapons in them. If we’re right about Zoisite, this might have been his personal stuff. Is the stone making any noise?”

Mercury fondled the pendant lovingly, hypnotized by its sparkle. It was a flat oval piece of the gem, backed by silver, into which had been carved a flowing symbol which she assumed was Zoisite’s sigil. The chain was a solid piece of silver that curiously curled around the neck to hold it securely; she tried it on, delighted to find it fitted. The ring was merely a silver band, studded with the gems, so she slipped it on her opposite finger, removing her glove.

A mirror floated up for her to see herself, and she stared at what she saw; a pale Mercury, cheeks red from the cold, the sapphire resting just in the curve of her breasts, her finger sparkling with miniature rainbows. She also saw a faint greenish halo surrounding her, so pale it was like a mirage at the edges of her vision. “A-Alex-san!”

“You see it?” The mirror lowered onto the table as Mercury shivered, reaching abruptly to take the jewelry off. She was stopped by an invisible set of hands. “Don’t. I don’t think it’s meant to hurt you; it looks like magic. A shield of protection. Maybe Zoisite intended this for someone he loved.”

If it was possible, Mercury looked even more embarrassed. “His lover!? Iie! I can’t wear this! It would be cruel! I mean, I can’t wear something like that!”

“Mercury, I don’t think he’ll be upset. After all, the man’s technically dead now.” Alex sounded casually amused as she watched the blue-haired genius wring her hands. The poor girl had enough problems with love letters; dealing with a dead man’s magical jewels intended for his possible lover could tip her over into apoplexia. “Think of it this way; the youma may recognize his power, and leave you alone, or at least give your less trouble. Keep them on.”

The ice balls were picked up off the table, staring at Mercury impassively. Recognizing that she’d lost, she sighed, dropping her hands. “Hai, hai.”

Further down the tunnel, they found him.

They hadn’t walked any further than a kilometre from the storage cavern when a youma tried to attack. Though the jewels didn’t scare it off – they both hypothesized afterwards that ‘good’ Zoisite’s power might have differed from ‘bad’ Zoisite – they did offer her an extra layer of protection she sorely needed. Many of the creature’s attacks were deflected away without even hitting her, giving her the opportunity to launch her own magic to destroy it.

After that, she felt just fine wearing them.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that she also loved sapphires. If she ever married, she wanted her husband to give her a sapphire ring, which, if she was allowed to keep these jewels, would then match. It was a nice fantasy, and it kept her smiling until they walked into the cavern at the end of the tunnel, and nearly into the portly old doctor they’d been searching for. Then she wished desperately she was anywhere but in that particular spot.

He didn’t see them at first; he was too busy wandering around a cluster of tables and one clumsily made chair, shaking a beaker of this, examining a tube of that. Mercury could see now what Alex had meant by magic and science, as she watched the Bunsen burners heat up their plates with what looked to be a roiling, miniature ball of purple flame. He said, “Off!” to one of them, and it vanished, allowing him to pick up the beaker with bare hands.

“Ano…” Mercury flinched at the sight; from long experience, she knew the glass had to be hot. And yet, he didn’t even blink.

“Behold, the power of the Schwartz,” Alex muttered; it sounded like she was snickering.

Setting it down, he crossed to another table, muttering to himself – it sounded like equations, but none she’d ever learned in school – and picked up a well-worn book, flipping roughly through it. In the process, he turned off two more burners, transferred their contents into one large flask, flipped through a few more pages, and stirred the liquid mix. “Sumimasen ga,” Mercury said, a little louder. “Dr. Schwartz?”

He set the book down, carrying the flask to a different table, where he then proceeded to dole out equal measures into a sea of empty tubes. Now he was humming, or at least it sounded melodious enough to be a random hum, bouncing his head back and forth. Mercury palmed her face, inwardly groaning; he’d walked right past her almost three times already, and while she had no illusions about being anything other than plain, she knew she stood out in this world with her clothes and face. And in this cold oblivion, the man had to be completely alone; any kind of visitor would stand out.

She cleared her throat, saying a little louder still – and still as politely as possible – “Sumimasen ga, Dr. Schwartz!”

Humming.

Now quite frustrated, and completely ignoring the irony (after all, she was just as oblivious when her nose was buried in a book), she shouted, “Dr. Schwartz!”

“Oh!” The portly old man turned around, almost dropping the empty flask. He coughed, straightening his coat. “I am Dr. Schwartz, and who are you?” Adjusting his large glasses, he stared at the blue-suited soldier, who stared back, rather abashed. Then, with a speed belying his old age, he skipped over to her side to stare even closer at her. “Oh, oh. A pretty young girl has come to visit me!”

That was definitely not what she had expected. “N-nani?”

He sidled up closer, and she took a hasty step back. “A pretty young girl! Tell me, how old are you?”

“I’m fifteen years old,” she answered politely, though she was eyeing him with something akin to terror as he took a step closer, and she one back.

“Fifteen? Why, that’s marvelous; still young, but reaching a prime stage of youth!” He tugged at his coat again, preening for her benefit, ignoring the obvious food stains and chemical burns that marred the cloth. “And when is your birthday? I’ll be sixty this next cycle myself!”

“September 10^th—“ She made a desperate chirping noise as her back hit the ice wall. “But I don’t understand why—“

“Oh, you’re from above! Let me think—you’re a Virgo, are you not? The sign of the virgin!” He positively beamed, unaware that his coat collar was being pulled from behind, stopping him from getting any closer to her. “Do you have a boyfriend? Not anymore, I’d say, but one can’t be too sure in these matters of love!”

His shoes were actually sliding backwards across the ice by this point as she stammered, “I-Iie, but I can’t have one right now! I have so many important things to accomplish! My heart can wait until after exams, and then, perhaps…”

Then she frowned, relaxing as his proximity lessened. “Wait a minute, why am I telling you this? I came here on a mission of importance!”

“Importance? Ah, I see; you’ve fought so many monsters to come to me, because someone is sick. Oh well; a pretty girl like you must have many boys.” He motioned to her hand, and she started; she had forgotten to put her glove back on, and the ring sparkled merrily for everyone to see.

“That’s not it at all! I mean, it was intended for someone else, but I—never mind.” She flushed, resolving to pick up her glove on the way back. It had to be lying in the ice back at the cavern, where she’d dropped it. “You have to come with me to Kainess Village, Dr. Schwartz. Hans’s mother is very sick.”

The portly man adjusted his glasses and sighed. “Ah, his mother. Yes, I should have known. I have several bottles of medicine here that will make her well.” He turned to pick up a black bag, holding it up for emphasis. Then, looking apprehensive, he put it back down. “But the monsters…how could you have defeated them? They’re dangerous! However, they won’t come in this cavern, so we’ll be safe.”

“How interesting that they avoid all other people but me,” Mercury muttered, glancing back the way she came. Either Sin and her friends had prepared in such a manner, or Zoisite’s protection was still strong enough to repel the creatures from such places. She had a feeling they wouldn’t hesitate to endanger innocent people, if only to capture her again.

She gestured as if to brush away the thought, and said briskly, “Let’s go, Schwartz-san. I can take care of the monsters. His mother is far too sick for us to wait any longer!”

The man practically giggled. He picked up his bag, coming up beside her with a wide smile. “Of course, young lady! I wouldn’t miss a date with such a pretty girl.”

“It isn’t a date!” she exclaimed, exasperated, and started back into the tunnel.

“Nabu, are you restless?” Sin’s voice echoed throughout the icy prison she had willingly trapped herself within, as the ponytailed blonde stood at its entrance. The question appeared to be genuine, but she wouldn’t be fooled; allies they might have been, but not necessarily friends. Weakness was no option for the victors.

“Restless? Hardly. Merely planning the quickest way to defeat the soldier of ice in her element. If anything, she’s the one to worry, walking these long, lonely corridors.” Nabu sneered, continuing to pace as she envisioned Mercury’s hollow eyes staring at her, body thrown to the floor and bleeding her life into the ice. She also imagined that same girl accepting her new fate, kissing her hand in gratefulness; and who wouldn’t be so deliriously happy to have that burden taken off her shoulders? Either way, the soldier of ice would fall. It was up to her if it would be merciful or violent.

Sin was smiling at her now, obviously aware of her lie. No doubt she had visited the others in much the same fashion, testing their strength, their loyalty to the mission – she could only imagine how devoted Ishtar was to anything – and finding her own flaws. Being as close to Apsu-sama as she was, she could be a conniving bitch and get away with it. “So everything is going as we’ve planned, ne, Nabu-chan?” she purred, breaking an icicle from a nearby shelf and idly sucking at it. It would’ve been a blatant introduction to oral if Nabu were male.

Instead, she snorted, turning away to glare viciously at the wall. “Why would you doubt me, Sin? I have, we all have, followed you faithfully since Apsu-sama brought us together. Instead, why not ask that little otouto-chan of yours if he still has the courage to fight?” she taunted back, smiling wickedly as she heard the crack of ice.

The ponytailed blonde opened her fist, dropping the shards to the ground. Without another word she teleported away, and Nabu finally turned to glare daggers of her own to where the girl had once stood. “Bitch. Hurry, Mercury, and come to me; I’m growing impatient! Sin has no right to do this to me; not to Nabu!”

“Mercury! Dr. Schwartz!” Hans looked openly relieved to see them both as he opened the door at her gentle – if a tad insistent – knock. He ushered them inside, giving the blue-haired genius a wide smile as he said, “Thank you very much, Mercury. My mother will be fine now, because of your kindness.” To the doctor, he said, “She’s this way, Dr. Schwartz,” and led the portly man away from Mercury, who was left to stand awkwardly in the doorway.

Though she was certainly relieved herself to be rid of the old lecher. She sighed; the man was a kind individual, selflessly dedicated to taking care of everyone who lived within the villages, and once he’d discovered her passion for medicine, they’d had an excellent discussion. But he was also a dirty old man, the kind which resided by the hundreds, if not possible thousands, in Tokyo’s urban jungle, and while he didn’t touch her as inappropriately as those on the train would, he certainly gave her the vibes of wanting to. He was also keenly interested in her as a sailor soldier – she’d had to fight four youma on the way back to Kainess – and told her that he had heard about her a long time ago; from Zoisite’s trunks. The long-haired blond general had apparently kept more in them than just weapons.

She didn’t know how to deal with the idea of a dead man apparently pining for her from afar. Though she supposed it wasn’t really ‘pining’; Zoisite had pronounced her previous self as being too “cold” during their one-time meeting, and though they had discoursed pleasantly on the topics of a planetary treaty, he seemed to have been more in love with her face and mind than personality. Had she really been such a distant person in that life?

Now, she could finally ask, without the good doctor nipping at her heels. Though it had also been an embarrassing comfort not to ask such questions; she wanted to know, but she wasn’t sure if she truly wanted to know. The details of that life were vague enough, and she could now finally cope with the idea of being reincarnated, but to be shown again, in such a blatant manner…did she really want those pictures?

“Alex-san,” she said softly, taking a seat at the nearby table she assumed was for dining. “Alex-san, are you still here?”

“I’m contemplating denying everything.” The tall red-head sounded somber, from somewhere off to Mercury’s right. “Pleading the Fifth.”

“You can’t.” Mercury stared away, interested in the framed pictures on the wall; apparently, their technology allowed for some sort of camera. “I want to know, Alex-san. What have you really told us of our past lives, after all?”

“Why do you want to re-live them? Mizuno Ami is not Sailor Mercury of the Silver Millennium. You’re two different people, who lived two different lives. What she did then, and what you do now, doesn’t matter.”

The blue-haired genius touched the wooden frame, tracing its rough edge. “Trapped inside a framework, just like Mercury,” she murmured, tapping the glass. “Just a picture…all I have are pictures. Nothing else, to say who I was. Just a museum painting.”

Alex made an aggrieved sound. “What? You want to hear that Sailor Mercury was a heartless woman? That all she cared about was science and discovery, and barely of her mission as a soldier? Sure, she loved the princess, but in the way one loves a simple-minded puppy. So many nights we spent arguing over stupid things. She thought she knew everything as logic dictated, she knew nothing of her heart.”

Mercury tilted her head. She remembered their own quibble, back in the cave; that she was as thoughtless as her century in believing that they were the only truly scientifically efficient generation. “Does science and discovery bother you so much, Alex-san? Is that why you two argued?”

“Of course it doesn’t. I’m a merry Darwinian, I appreciate science instead of theology. But I also know that scientists have a tendency to be egotistical, heartless idiots. Mercury was one of them; if it wasn’t set in mathematical equation, she couldn’t care. My mother had been standing on the precipice. You might never be, because you’re not entirely science, but medicine. And medicine, for you, takes heart. It takes kindness.” A lock of blue hair was tucked behind her ear by invisible fingers. “You’re Mizuno Ami, and you’re a kind soul.”

She smiled, touching her ear. It senseless bothered her to know who she had been – though that same logic told her she hadn’t truly been that girl – but it made her feel better to know that the same woman who dealt with both knew her to be the better person. No half-baked memories could tell her that. She was not the distant artist like her father, or the scattered doctor like her mother; she was the product of both, and so she was neither. Nothing like Mercury, whom Zoisite had viewed from afar.

“I should check on Hans-san,” she said carelessly, standing up, only to feel her knees twinge, her hips flash with pain. She was used to walking, but this had been a marathon day; she truly needed more rest. She rubbed her hip as she crossed the room, frowning at the sight of the doctor rummaging deep into his bag; as if he didn’t have what he needed. “Dr. Schwartz? Hans-san?”

Both men turned to look at her, both looking troubled. “I am afraid I am not as prepared as I expected,” the doctor explained apologetically, closing his bag. “I know what she is sick of, but her illness is far more advanced than I had expected! Only medicine prepared from Halyomoss will stop this sickness now.”

“Halyomoss?” Mercury queried, twisting her mouth clumsily around the word. She had never heard of such a thing. It may have been an ancient word for a common plant, or something entirely alien that only produced down below the ice. “Why is she so terribly ill? Is it uncommon?”

Dr. Schwartz looked at her curiously, for once completely clean of his lecher’s twinkle. “Unusual, yes. But contact with another recently from above…it has strengthened the sickness.”

She felt her stomach plummet like a stone, and she took a step back. “I….you mean…I made her worse?” she whispered faintly.

“You could not have known, Mercury,” the doctor replied gravely. “You know little of our world, below the ice. Your world was always far away, out of our reach.”

“But I’m responsible!” she cried, touching her mouth with a shaking hand.

“It’s not so bad as that. Of course, it is very serious, but with the medicine in time, she will be just fine. All I need is some Halyomoss, and I can prepare it at her bedside.”

Hans nodded, looking relieved. “Of course, doctor. I’ll run to your office now; you have some, surely, in your stock?” His face fell when the portly old man shook his head in the negative.

“I’m afraid not, young man. The plant is very fragile. It must be picked immediately prior to its use, or it will wither! Usually, I simply take it from the cave behind my laboratory.”

Mercury felt her shoulders sag. She could, of course, say to hell with it and abandon them both, continuing on with her own mission to save the past, present, and future. They weren’t even that important in the scheme of things; if his mother died, she could still win the war. But Hans had been kind to her; and this was her fault. Of course she had to fix it.

She straightened up, determinedly fixing her eyes on both men. “I’ll be back shortly, Hans-san, Dr. Schwartz. The Halyomoss is in a cave behind your own, doctor, ne?” When he didn’t answer, instead staring at her in confusion, she repeated the question, and he finally muttered an affirmative. “Well, I’m sure I can find it. I don’t know of many plants that thrive in cold environments.”

“I’m sorry, Mercury, but I’ve already planned to go.” Hans sounded determined as he stared back at her stunned face, shaking his head. “It’s too dangerous out there, and for a girl such as yourself…! No, I won’t let you put yourself into danger again. That you did so once already…”

“Hans-san, it’s far too dangerous for you! The monsters are nothing I haven’t faced before, as a sailor soldier.” At his stubborn expression, she frowned, recognizing the bullheadedness of many a male she had encountered at home. The type of male who thought women were too weak to take care of themselves. “Hans-san, this is my duty. Let me go.”

“You’ll be hurt.”

“And you won’t? Hans-san, those monsters are just as dangerous as everyone fears! I can fight them. I was given that strength.” So saying she lifted her hand, calling power to it. In front of their eyes, she created a miniature water spout above her palm, a delicate arch of aqueous magic that spun and twisted into thin air. Lightly she breathed on it, and it turned to ice, shattering like glass. “This is my power. I am Sailor Mercury.”

He was gaping at her, slack-jawed. Dr. Schwartz, having seen her power under duress already, merely looked impressed. She was pretty sure Alex had muttered “Show off” into her ear, but it was so quiet she could have been mistaken.

“Fine,” he finally managed, shaking his head. “Fine. We’ll both go. She’s my mother. I won’t let her down. Even if there may be monsters.” Without bothering to confirm her assent, he nodded towards the doctor. “We’ll be back with the Halyomoss soon, of course.”

“I’ll be watching your mother carefully, Hans.”

“Of course, doctor. Are you ready, Mercury?” he asked, turning to face her.

She was tongue-tied, staring at him in confusion; and she didn’t truly understand why. The show of bravery was perhaps expected, simply because he seemed to be a kind man outside of his masculine bigotry, but her treacherous mind didn’t see him at all; she saw Kane-san as she had years ago, smiling at her. She remembered his mother dying at the time, sick of cancer, and all he could do was hold her hand and be with her; she was too far gone for any therapy or surgery.

It was silly, comparing the two men; why, they didn’t even look alike!

But she couldn’t help it. Maybe it was because of Kane-san’s re-entrance into her life; maybe it was the knowledge of Mercury, seen through Zoisite’s eyes; him rescuing her from a cold, lonely death; it could have been anything. She looked at Hans, and saw Kane-san, sitting at the side of his mother’s bed, determined to be with her until the very end.

Swallowing, she nodded. “Hai, Hans-san. Together.”

Again: “Mercury Aqua Mirage!” Gasping, as the attack slapped the youma aside, but didn’t stop it, only wounded it. The same attack that had destroyed a similar creature with one blow only an hour ago. Kami-sama, she was tired.

She leapt away as the youma darted towards her, moving just as quickly despite the attack, much quicker than she was. Its clawed fingers scraped past her bodice, tearing threads, and she took the opportunity to grab its wrist and arm, using their momentum to swing the creature around and away from her awkwardly. She landed on her side on the ice, sliding.

“Mercury!” she heard Hans shout, and she rolled in time to miss impalement. Rocking back onto her shoulders, she kicked up into the youma’s chest with all her strength. One foot connected; the other hit it in the chin, snapping its head back.

A large icicle appeared through its ribcage, or in the area of where it should have been. It didn’t bleed proper red, but a viscous purple; all of which turned to dust within seconds of death, staining the ice grey. “Arigatou,” Mercury coughed, resting back on her elbows. “Alex-san.”

Hans, too far away to hear her, probably thought she was thanking him, which explained his nod. Alex, however, answered, though she couldn’t pinpoint the tall red-head after she had dropped the icicle. “De rien, p’tite. Next time, however, try a different attack, n’eh? You’re draining yourself far too much using the Mirage. Don’t need a hammer to kill a flea.”

Mercury just wrinkled her nose at the imagery and crawled to her feet, wobbling like a broken-stemmed flower before regaining her balance. This was the fifth youma since they had left Kainess, which had them considering the possibility that Zoisite’s Hi stone was close to the location of the Halyomoss; there was no other reason for them to be attacking with such alarming frequency. The first cave was only a few metres ahead, and she was shuddering to think what would happen if a sixth creature appeared to block her way; she would be on her hands and knees, crawling the last steps.

Then, Hans was there, looping her arm over his shoulders without comment, holding her upright. “Mercury, you shouldn’t have come,” he remarked mournfully, seeing her pale face.

“And how would you have fought those youma on your own?” she replied, though she had a feeling they would have left him entirely alone had she gone her own way. Guilt was a wonderful motivator; she started walking before he could reply back.

They collapsed in uneven unison against a table at the first opportunity, both of them catching their breath. Hans released her and stepped away, staring around with undisguised awe at the jumble of seemingly junk contained within the alcove. “Surely this isn’t Dr. Schwartz’s laboratory! These things seem forgotten.”

“Not entirely, Hans-san. Dr. Schwartz says these two caves were used as storage by someone else, a long time ago,” Mercury sighed, propping herself up against the table. The doctor had told her his theory during the trip back, which had led to their discussion about Zoisite; and her previous life. He also mentioned that there had been a lot of interesting ‘stuff’ contained within the boxes and trunks, which, despite her innate curiousity, she was in no mood to examine further.

Hans didn’t seem as stoic as her towards them; he was readily opening a trunk, looking inside. At her stare of displeasure, he only shrugged. “In this world, any discovery can be useful. There’s plenty of hidden treasures in caverns I’ve never explored, left behind by those who founded our villages.”

She supposed it did make sense. The entire world she had seen thus far beneath the glacier seemed to exist solely on the good graces of magic. If it had been connected to above during the Silver Millennium, the flow of goods and information would have ceased after the battle on the Moon, at least from the spotty details she knew. Finding these hidden troves could be the same to them as Tut’s tomb was to Carter.

So she continued to relax as best she could, knowing she’d be thrown out to the wolves again shortly, and watched him root around like a piglet after the elusive truffles. He opened trunks, pulled out more than a few weapons she was loathe to name, books of all sizes, what looked to be an assortment of hair adornments and cosmetics – the man had been truly vain. Mercury had to laugh, despite herself, at the brief memory of Zoisite at the auction, trying to reconcile that monster with a haughty blond man applying kohl to his eyes. She simply couldn’t do it.

“This looks like food! But after so long? What do you think, Mercury?” Hans set a bag open down on the table in front of her, motioning to the contents.

Inside was a jumble of what did look like edibles; like the rock candy her mother had brought home one time, from a medical conference in America. Or, perhaps more accurately, like slivers of ice still frozen, clear through, but all of them of a uniform size and shape. She removed one gently, sniffing at it to discern spoilage, but smelt a fresh scent that reminded her of mint. “It smells fresh, like mint. I wonder what they are?” she murmured, not catching his mutter of confusion over the word ‘mint.’ “What purpose could they serve?”

Hans pulled one out as well, staring at it in bewilderment. “Like ice, but…not! It doesn’t even feel cold!” Without hesitation, he put it in his mouth before Mercury could warn him not to – it was ancient, and also possibly germ infested – where it instantly dissolved. She gaped at him, stupefied that he would even do such a thing. “It tastes like nothing I’ve ever had before….”

“H-Hans-san, how could you….it’s an ancient substance! How could you know its effects? Spit it out immediately, before you take ill!” she snapped at last, in what her friends had long ago learned to regard as her “Listen or Die” voice.

“Why? Mercury, I feel wonderful! It’s amazing!” he exclaimed in return, entirely oblivious to her tone, and pumped his arms vigorously. If she hadn’t been warring between shock and anger, she would’ve laughed at how comical he looked. “You have to try it!”

“Hans-san, I am not putting a foreign object into my system! I have no idea what it could do to me, and it was highly dangerous of you to even ingest such a substance.”

He laughed, patting his chest. “But I feel better than ever! As if I was never tired at all. This must be a miracle cure of some type; perhaps, it could save my mother, instead of the Halyomoss.”

Without hesitation, she turned on her goggles to scan him, worried at his flippant tone. What she saw shocked her; he was indeed healthy, which wasn’t a surprise, but he was showings the signs of an average man long relaxed and at ease, not an average young man who had been predictably stressed and tired from their trip. On more than one occasion he had thrown ice to distract the youma as she had gradually tired, and she could tell that he was plainly not used to walking such a long distance. His body should have been tickled with stress and fatigue toxins, at the very least, a higher heart rate: something to show for it.

But there was nothing. He could have just rolled out of bed for all of his neural and biological activity. Of course now, his heart was beginning to elevate due to his ridiculous flapping, but as for the rest…

She looked down at the pouch, mystified to see the glow of magic and a complete chemical break-down; her goggles, presumably working off their centuries of accumulated information, told her they were colloquially referred to as ice shards, used by the people of the Silver Millennium to refresh their bodies. They had no period of expiration, and were as potent as the day they had been made.

“Alex-san,” she murmured beneath her breath, “do you know these ‘ice shards’?”

I do now, though I never used them myself. They were given to soldiers for the most part, to keep them going during long campaigns. Kind of like caffeine pills, except they actually do your body good. Mercury nearly jumped at the sound of her voice inside of her head, though it was scratched and muted, as if from a distance. Of course, she couldn’t talk with Hans so close. Take them with you. Hell, have one; you could use some freshening up.

Are they…are they safe? The blue-haired genius wasn’t sure if she was responding correctly; she remembered Alex telling them that she could hear their thoughts, if they did them loudly enough.

Safe as air. They’re made from magic and nature; not man-made chemicals like pills nowadays. Another one of those ancient benefits of science.

Hesitant, she lifted the shard, staring at it with a worried expression. She still had her doubts, even if the tall red-head claimed they were perfectly safe. It was obviously silly; she had most likely taken them by the handful in her past life. Grimacing, she put it in her mouth, where it dissolved and left behind a pleasantly minty taste.

The effect was immediate and amazing. Her head cleared, the tension at her temples gone; her muscles no longer ached with fatigue. Astonished, she stretched slowly, feeling her muscles pleasantly bunch and coil, loose but not overworked. “Uso-o,” she whispered, rubbing her bicep. “What a miracle!”

Hans was smiling at her, clearly pleased with her reaction. “I told you. Do you think we could take this back to heal my mother?”

She rested back on her toes, slowly shaking her head. “Iie, Hans-san. This is magic for the soldier in the field, not the sick. Perhaps, it would make her feel better – for a little while. But it wouldn’t cure her illness. We have to continue on.”

They collected everything they wanted – she the ice shards, and he some lovely but lethal daggers and the box of hair adornments – and continued on their way. Now, Mercury was almost hoping for a youma to show up, just so she could use her newfound energy to destroy it; maybe even show off a little, for Hans. She smiled ruefully; how silly of her to want that.

Of course, owing to luck, none did show up, and they entered the doctor’s cave with no incident. “Wow, Dr. Schwartz really works miracles up here!” Hans exclaimed, eyeing the tables set with their instruments with a gleam in his eye. Mercury smiled.

“Do you enjoy science, Hans-san?” she queried as she looked for the second entrance. He nodded behind her back, toying with an empty beaker.

“Yes, Dr. Schwartz has always fascinated me. He does so many wonderful things…what he can create is amazing. Out of our villages, he’s the only one who can.”

“You mean, only one person is allowed to work with science?” The blue-haired genius frowned as she shoved aside a pile of boxes, uncovering what she was looking for; a rough hole in the ice that looked natural, just big enough to allow them both without scraping their heads. It looked fairly underused as well, judging by the layer of ice on the boxes. The illness must have been rare indeed for him not to need Halyomoss very often.

Hans came up behind her, his shoes solidly crunching atop the ice, and she turned to see him. “With science, do you mean the medicines? Yes, he is, until he accepts the offer of a student. But he hasn’t done so, and he’s waited very long – the villages are afraid it may be too late, soon.”

“Then perhaps you should offer to be his student, Hans-san. Medicine is a fascinating subject; the healing of the sick and the injured is always something to smile about.” Mercury smiled wistfully in turn, clasping her hands at her breast. “It’s my dream as well, to be a doctor. Just like my okaa-san, I want to be a healer of the sick and of the injured. I want to see the smiles of children when they’ve been cured. It’s perhaps selfish of me to want such devotion, especially when….” She trailed off as she thought of a smiling face close to her heart; crystal blue eyes wide and innocent. The odango-haired blonde was entirely unselfish when it came to matters of the heart and soul; could she say the same of herself? Could she refuse her destiny to satisfy herself?

She gave herself a little shake, realizing Hans was staring at her. “Gomen nasai. I just thought I should give you that advice. Between friends, ne?”

“Between friends…of course.”

It had to be her imagination that his smile seemed sad.

“Well! We’ve found the second entrance. I’ll go first, in case the youma attack again. Stay behind me, no matter what!” she said briskly, shaking off her own melancholy as she stepped through the rough-hewn door and into a world of dangerous ice.

Everything was natural in this tunnel; tips of razor-sharp icicles brushed their hair as they walked, unconsciously hunching down. The walls were so clean and clear that they seemed nearly invisible, though they reflected both of them back in shady chalk strokes. Their footsteps crunched, but didn’t echo, nearly uniform in step. Mercury had to wonder if the Dark Kingdom had looked like this, and she shivered in memory.

The tunnel ended in a large cavern that could have fit the good doctor’s laboratory twice over, its ceiling flying high above them. Even before they fully entered it, they could see, nearly above their reach, the rough tufts of green moss that had to be what they were searching for, so slow growing that their harvests had not yet been recovered. The tendrils of roots snaked down along the ice walls, tiny buds pricking their lengths, within easy reach; but Mercury waved Hans away from them, saying, “Mature plants are what we need, Hans-san.”

“Then I’ll get some! For my mother’s sake, I’ll have to reach far.”

Hans circled the cavern slowly, frowning in concentration. It seemed silly to watch him, but Mercury just stood back and did so; it was, after all, his mother who was sick. If he wanted to pick the absolutely best looking moss, he could damn well pick it. He was also taller than her, and more able to reach the desired plants, which also gave him the right to choose.

Finally, he did make his decision, and she watched in partial horror and amusement as he began to awkwardly climb the wall across from her. He was no good hand at it; he kept grabbing for obviously weak grips and nearly fell on his back twice. But he kept doggedly at it, scraping his knee as he hauled himself up, obviously intent on grabbing what was, to her eyes, an excellent leafy Halyomoss specimen. “Almost there,” she heard him mutter, “nearly, I’ll have it!”

Just as he reached to grab it, the ledge he’d chosen to lean on began to crumble.

She screamed as an entire section fell away, dropping him and the moss onto the ground, though he managed to land on his hands and knees instead of his head. “Hans-san! Daijoubu? Let me see if you’re hurt!” she cried, running to his side.

As she knelt beside him, she felt something warm against her breast. Crying out, she pressed her fingers to the flash of warmth, realizing it was Zoisite’s Kage stone. It was reacting; the Hi stone had to be close by. “Mercury? Mercury, I’m alright, only….where’s the Halyomoss?”

“It fell safely on the ice, Hans-san. Are you sure you’re alright?” As the stone flashed again, she calmed down, seeing that he was relatively uninjured. Maybe shaken from the fall, but not bleeding; most likely he’d be bruising in a few minutes.

“As long as I got it, I’ll be just fine.” He smiled reassuringly, crawling to grab the moss.

She nodded, but she wasn’t focused on that particular mission anymore; touching the Kage stone, she stood up, turning to face the crumbled wall. In its place was a cleanly cut arched door, once cleverly concealed by the ice. Hans and his impatience had dislodged it, and she knew that the Hi stone had to be inside. Without bothering to ask, she walked through.

The warmth grew in strength as she faced the golden altar that sat a few metres inside, carved with scrollwork and sigils she couldn’t recognize. Atop was a pillow of what looked to be silk, still amazingly whole and clean after so many centuries, holding a glittering piece of crystal. Its glow filled the cavern with sweetness; the scent of cleanliness and green fields tickled her nose with tantalizing memories of summer. “Zoisite’s Hi stone,” she whispered.

She stepped closer.

Instantly, the cavern began to shake.

“N-Nani?! What’s happening? Why is it doing this?!” Mercury staggered back, then fell onto her knees as the entire place rocked beneath her feet as if besieged by earthquake. Before she could regain her balance, the altar upended, dropping the Hi stone onto the floor; and then, through a fissure that opened like magic beneath it. “Iie!” she cried, desperation colouring her voice. “Not when I’ve come so close!”

Everything slowed down, came to a halt. Shaken – literally and figuratively – she raised her head, staring with a sense of defeat at the fissure yawning wide. Could she fit down there? Quite possibly, considering her slim size. She could crawl down, find the stone, then come back up—

No, she couldn’t. She couldn’t abandon Hans.

She turned her head to see him staring at her, his face white, drained of colour. He looked fearful; not just for himself, but for her. Perhaps it was because he expected her to stay below, possibly marry him, but for now, his regard for her safety was sweet. She couldn’t abandon him so cruelly just to find the stone. Not when she had promised. “Hans-san, let’s go. It’s getting late,” she said instead, crawling to her feet.

“Are you sure, Mercury?” he asked, looking at her, then towards the fissure.

All she did was brush off her knees, making sure neither bled. Then she smiled at him. “Of course, Hans-san. The stone isn’t as important as my friends. Or my promises. Let’s go!”

He kissed her cheek, so gently she thought it had been imagined. “Thank you, Mercury.”

Nabu held out her hands, smiling feral as the Hi stone fell into her palms. Now the bitch was near; now, the game would finally be coming to an abrupt end. “Such a little rock, to cause so much trouble.”

Mercury was elated when they came to the entrance of Kainess, considerably better off then when she left. The ice shards had done wonders for her health, and the two youma they had encountered had been simple to discard. She had also spent the trip discussing the merits of serious study under the portly doctor with Hans, though she felt guilty at effectively cutting Alex out of the entire conversation. True, the tall red-head couldn’t talk with Hans around – he would probably think himself barking mad – but she still didn’t deserve to be entirely ignored. Though the moment she felt a serious pang of guilt, she also felt a light slap to her arm, which she figured must have been Alex effectively telling her to forget it.

Hans all but ran to his front door, hastening their entrance inside. He then shouted, “Dr. Schwartz! We’ve come back!” next to her ear, taking her hand – her hand! – to lead her over to the portly doctor’s side. “We have the Halyomoss!”

“Do you? That’s excellent news, young man! I was concerned.” Adjusting his glasses, Dr. Schwartz looked keenly at Mercury, before nodding his head. “If you had been any later, it may have been too late; the illness has progressed rapidly.” He gestured somewhat expansively towards the woman in the bed for their awareness. “Everything is set up for me to make the medicine.”

“Then here you go, doctor.” Hans held out the moss, a tad crumpled from the trip, but still whole. The portly doctor took it and strode off, muttering those equations under his breath again before disappearing around a corner.

The blue-haired genius felt a weight lift from her shoulders; his mother would be fine. Her mission to help them was finished. As Hans turned back to the bed, she stepped back, silent on the carpet. When his attention was entirely away from her, she headed for the door.

She passed Dr. Schwartz on the way, and though he cocked an eyebrow at her – a steaming mug in his hand – he didn’t attempt to stop her, nor even say anything. He knew; he had to understand. He had read Zoisite’s books, knew so many details about the soldier Mercury, that he had to realize that she couldn’t stay. Instead, he nodded in what seemed to be approval, casting one last lecher’s eye over her body, and continued towards Hans.

But she waited, out of sight, curiously tense, to hear the doctor say, “Here it is! Now, drink it down, all of it.” His mother made a choking noise, presumably troubled by her sickness too much to swallow properly; she could still hear the rasping in her throat. “There now. In a minute, we’ll see.”

“You want to make sure she’ll make it, don’t you?” Alex murmured into her ear.

“Hai. After all, this was my fault. She deserves to be well, to be with her son.” Straining to hear, Mercury clasped her hands at her waist, trying not to fidget. She did need to know if she would be well; her conscience wouldn’t allow her to run away quite yet. Once she was sure, however, she intended to run like the wind before Hans realized she was gone.

“Dr. Schwartz, her face….! She’s looking better!” she heard Hans exclaim. “Mercury, my mother will be fine! Mercury?”

“Of course your mother will be fine! Don’t worry so much; see, now she’s sleeping peacefully. You made it just in time.” The doctor slapped a hand against the other’s back, judging by the thumping noise. “Now, you should rest as well, worrying so much as you have.”

She relaxed. “She’ll be fine,” she whispered, smiling happily. “My heart feels happy; Hans…will be fine, too.”

“Mercury!” The blue-haired genius froze, caught like a deer in headlights as Hans appeared in front of her, staring at her in concern. “Mercury? Why are you here? My mother will be fine.”

“Because I….I have to leave, Hans-san. I have another mission to complete. And then, I have to return home.” She gestured with a hand upwards, indicating where she meant. “For me, the battle never ends. I am a sailor soldier, always fighting; always protecting the people of this planet.”

Hans had a look of complete confusion on his face. “What do you mean? You can’t return to the above world. No one knows the way. No one returns. And I thought…”

Dr. Schwartz spoke from the bedside, startling them both, as he said clearly, “She’s the Sailor Soldier Mercury, Hans. That’s what she is. A guardian soldier. In those caves exist books describing her – the past life – and the people who made this world beneath the ice. She can escape this world, because she has a duty to defend us all. She has to go home.”

“I don’t understand at all.” Hans shook his head, lifting his hands in defeat. “But I can’t stop you. I just wish you could stay a little longer.”

“I would stay, because of your mother…if she relapsed, of course,” she said, a little too hastily; she was sure her cheeks had flared red. “But I can’t! I have a mission to complete. I have to leave; another person is depending on me.”

“Could you come back, after your mission is done? Just to visit m—us?” He looked at her with hope in his eyes, and she felt her cheeks burn hotter. Kami-sama, he had a crush on her; and she couldn’t truthfully say it wasn’t returned, though her logical mind had been defending it as Florence Nightingale syndrome instead of…

…why did he remind her of Kane-san so very much?

She retreated a step, shaking her head desperately. “Gomen nasai, Hans-san, but I…I can’t! I have to walk a different path than you. This life won’t allow me that kind of sweetness. I have to go!” Her vision was going slightly off-kilter and blurry, which was obviously some kind of dust allergy, and she fled out the door as she hastily wiped at her eyes. “I can’t do what my dreams wish,” she murmured, as she escaped the village and everything possibility it held within its icy walls.

“You honestly need a no-strings attached fling, Mizuno,” Alex was chiding her an hour later as they crossed up the second path past the doctor’s tunnel entrance. “Not even sexual, though you’re mature enough for that. Get a boyfriend for gods’ sakes.”

“I do not need to do anything of the sort! I have exams! For the love of the kami, I’m still in junior high!”

“So what? Junior high means no giggling kisses behind the bushes? Emotional fulfillment, at least for a couple of months? You girls are like bloody nuns! At least Makoto is getting some nooky from her sensei; I’m going to have to buy a convent for the rest of you soon, at the rate you’re going. You act like a date is a sin!”

“As a sailor soldier—“

“—he’ll think your uniform is sexy, and probably ask you to model it for him.”

“Alex-SAN! This is a childish discussion! I am not prepared in the least for a boyfriend, not with so many demands on my time. You and the others may not take exams seriously, but they dictate the course of my life!” The blue-haired genius stopped in her tracks as she realized what she was saying, and her face shifted into the twisted scowl very few had seen her wear. It was partially mocking, but mostly derisive; she practically spat, “But I suppose they don’t dictate my life anymore, ne, Guardian-sama? Merely what I chose to make of it before an elaborate kingdom is built on the ashes of our world.”

The tall red-head swung her eye – she had made a larger ball of ice this time, instead of two smaller – towards her, spinning it in a roll. “And I suppose if any normal person saw their future, and realized that the dream they’d been harboring about becoming an architect only lasted a few years before they were killed in a fire, they’d be screaming and howling about not having a choice as well.” Focusing the eye back on Mercury, she sighed. “I’ve heard about, and now seen, so many possible futures that it makes me ill. I’ve been accusing of aiding crimes that hadn’t even occurred at the time of the accusation – no one even knew when it was supposed to happen. I’ve met people from different futures who remember different pasts that never happened. Worrying over so many tangled strings is fruitless and paranoid.”

Mercury glared at her, clenching her fists. “You say these things, and yet, how could they happen? What did you do before you came into our lives to witness these possibilities?”

“Doing exactly what you’re doing now; working to protect the common people from events beyond their control. Only then, I thought I was a good guy, one of the white hats.” The ice ball turned away as if in shame or contemplation. “I left because I realized I was, at best, a gray. More problems could have been averted if we hadn’t—well, if the person in charge had thought his plans through more carefully in the beginning.”

“Your father?” the blue-haired genius queried quietly, feeling her anger drain away. It was hard to stay angry at someone who was telling her that she had already been there, like blaming the victim for being hurt.

“Non. Though I guess he could have benefited from thinking first as well, considering some of his problems. It doesn’t matter.” The ice ball tipped, rolling back to see her. “Life goes on, ne?”

“Hai.” Mercury smiled wanly, following as her mentor began to walk again.

The trip to find the Hi stone was taking much longer than the Halyomoss expedition; much longer. Reasoning that the shaking and the fissure back at the cavern had been a safety feature – obviously, the two stones recognized one another, but a stone of light would hardly be glad to recognize a stone of darkness; or, it had been set to trigger if anyone other than Zoisite entered – they opted not to go through the crack. It had to fall somewhere, and logically, there had to be a way to get there. Since they had not investigated the second path, they had decided to follow it.

When at the end they found a door, and the Kage stone began to glow, they knew they were on the right path. Through the door had been merely a small cave and steps carved down into the ice, still as clean and clear as the day they had been hewn. No one had been into this cave for centuries. “The door may have opened once the stone fell,” Alex speculated as they stepped down into the stairwell, the first bit of darkness since falling below the ice.

“Perhaps. After all, no one has come this way in many years. Presumably, it could have been a sacred place.”

They emerged into the same ambient light as before, an immense cavern that could have held both villages with room to spare. It looked just as natural as the Halyomoss cave, though the ceiling towered so high over their heads that a cyclops would be just scraping its head. No footsteps marked the ice floor; in fact, the floor was so clean that Mercury’s lone set of steps were the only thing marring the surface.

It was a long set of lonely steps a half hour later as Mercury turned yet another corner and found yet another long path of clear ice. “My feet are beginning to hurt horribly,” she commented with a grimace as she stopped and stared. “Where could it have fallen?”

“Mercury.” Alex’s voice was sharp next to her ear, and she spun on impulse to see what was wrong; only to see nothing. Not even the floating ice ball that had been both trailing and leading her for the past kilometre. “Someone’s waiting ahead. I can sense them; they’re waiting, and they’re angry.”

“So it’s one of them,” Mercury commented in return, feeling a rush of adrenaline at the prospect of facing one of Sin’s people alone. “She must have the stone. It’s a trap.”

“Of course it is. And we’ll be walking right into it.”

“Whatever it takes. Mamoru-san is depending on me. Usagi-chan is waiting for us to return.” The blue-haired genius breathed deeply, trying to settle her nerves. She had begun to tense up in preparation to fight; now she relaxed, knowing she couldn’t even attempt to fight whomever waited ahead by sheer strength alone. It would be her wits and her brain that would outlast them.

She stepped forward, feeling the path rise beneath her feet into a small hill; as she crested it, she saw a silvery-haired head turn around to face her, eyes of slate boring into her skull. The girl smiled when she saw her, baring her teeth. “Sailor Mercury. You’ve finally arrived. Keeping your opponent waiting is very bad form,” she chastised in a playful manner, wagging her finger.

The sudden flare of warmth against her breast was staggering, and she flinched, resisting the urge to touch it. Instead, she said, “And who are you? You’ve taken Zoisite’s Hi stone, which I’ve come searching for. Are you one of Sin’s soldiers?”

“Ara ara, you’re very naughty! It’s bad form to ask your enemy their name. Why, in the merest possibility of me losing, you could go and tell all of your friends!” She laughed, though her eyes remained as pitiless as the stone they resembled. “You’ll be dead quite soon, if you resist.”
Without warning, the girl lifted her hand, sending a blast of ice and freezing cold at the blue-suited soldier, who nimbly leaped aside, barely escaping injury. Calling power to her hand, she sprang off the ice herself, throwing her fog into the air. The space between them dulled and grew smoky as the girl cursed, throwing another attack randomly towards Mercury’s last location.

“Mercury Aqua Mirage!” she shouted, seeing, with her goggles, exactly where the girl stood; though she too had moved, her heat signature was as plain as day. The image staggered as the attack hit, and the girl screamed, more angry than hurt, “You bitch!”

The fog was beginning to clear, so Mercury stepped back, calling power to both hands in readiness; but the expected attack didn’t come. Sprawled back on the ice, the silver-haired girl merely glared at her, holding a hand to her side. “You’re stronger than I anticipated. A mark in your favour, I suppose, but Apsu-sama was supposed to make me stronger than you!”

“Apsu-sama?” Poised to strike, but waiting for the other to make her move, Mercury tilted her head. “Is Apsu-sama your leader, then?”

“That’s none of your business! The details of our mission are secret!” The girl managed to roll onto her feet, fists clenching tight at her sides, her injury forgotten. “How could you even understand? You can’t! You weren’t there!”

But she had been; before she had taken the name of Nabu, she had been there. She had seen the Black Moon arriving from the playground where she frequently watched her cousins play. She had felt the agonizing pain of being struck; of dying; of resurrection. The righteous anger of one wronged by her fellow man. Why, when the queen had such power at her hands, had she allowed them to die? “And that is why someone else should take that miraculous power! The power of the Ginzuishou should be in another’s hands!” she had been shouting that day, barely aware of her friend trailing behind her like a lost puppy. Considerably less aware because the girl wasn’t even a friend, but a pathetic hanger-on; she was essentially talking to herself.

“No one can understand it, not even the vaunted scientist. So why should she have it? Why should it be her power alone?” She’d chewed at her nail, lost in thought as she walked, oblivious to her shadow’s queries. “Such power to protect the world…how could it possibly be? That much power…”

“Is that what you desire?” a voice had purred within her head. An entirely strange voice, it stopped her in her tracks. “You troubled soul; I can see the turmoil within your mind.”

“N-nani?”

“You have questions. Questions about the holy stone that protects your city; iie, that protects the world.”

“Ano…the Ginzuishou? Of course…I have to question it. It failed to protect us.”

“Of course it did; no such miracle could last forever. Such power is not infinite. When will it finally end? No one knows.” The voice lilted as she had spun around, attempting to follow the source, when there was no source at all, merely imagination. “Would you like to find out that limit? To have such power, instead of her? You’re not the only one questioning…”

“Sou yo!” she had shouted, coming to a halt, her shadow staring agape at her back. “It’s the truth! No such power could last forever. In the wrong hands, it could be deadly. Can you truly show us what it means?”

A coruscating beam of light had appeared in front of her, reaching up into infinity. With the barest hesitation, she entered it. Her shadow had, after a minute, followed her, too stupid to run away, too stupid to even understand the consequences. Within an hour they had renounced their previous lives and their obeisance to Neo Queen Serenity and her false kingdom, and had taken new names to signify their rebirth as soldiers; opposite to the guardians who flanked her silver skirt. Nabu was the Sumerian god of knowledge. Mercury was his Roman equivalent.

“Sou yo,” Nabu snarled again, striding forward, quickly now, “my mission remains the same! I’ll take the Ginzuishou from her hands, no matter what! I am the Oppositio Soldier Nabu, and you, Mercury, are my opponent and my rival!”

The attack blew the blue-haired genius off her feet and into the wall, pieces of ice as sharp as glass slicing her bare skin. Even though she was prepared, she was still pounded as the miniature hailstorm assailed her, raising bruises as well as cuts on her flesh. She released her own attack to counter Nabu’s, and slid gratefully to the floor as the hailstorm dissipated. Then she was on her feet again as another blast flashed towards her, and she spun aside; the wall was torn apart as if soft butter instead of centuries-thick ice. She didn’t dare imagine how she would have suffered in its place.

Quickly, she shouted, “Shine Aqua Illusion!”

Nabu’s eyes widened as the attack slapped her in the chest, throwing her back onto her ass. Then the fog whipped up around them again, clouding her vision entirely; she cursed loudly, shouting, “You cowardly bitch! Fight me!”

“I will not.” Without warning, a dark shape flew through the mist, and before Nabu could scramble up, Mercury landed atop her chest, pinning her arms with her legs. In her hand was a deadly looking icicle, which she held at Nabu’s throat. “You rely on brute strength, Nabu, instead of wits. I won’t fight such a person.”

The silver-haired girl sputtered, twisting beneath Mercury. “Iie, this is impossible! I was supposed to be stronger!”

“Stronger does not mean smarter,” the blue-haired genius replied calmly, though inside, she was shaking like a leaf. She had a feeling that if she had allowed Nabu to get another shot, she would have resembled hamburger meat. The girl was stronger in offense, most assuredly; everyone seemed to be. But Mercury was no slouch when it came to defense. “I’m surprised at you, Nabu; the god of knowledge should be relying on those wits.” She was also sure that, unlike a youma, Nabu would be easier to talk into submission, or at the very least, a draw.

At that, Nabu’s eyes froze.

Slowly, she fell limp on the ice, her lips curling into a sneer. “Interesting how the god of cunning speaks of wits. I suppose then, after all, this battle goes to you. But it won’t get you very far at all.”

Mercury heard the clink of the Hi stone falling onto the ice, but she didn’t even bother to look. Instead, she remarked, “It doesn’t matter. We’ll still fight to preserve our planet. No matter what you do to subvert destiny, we’ll be there to stop you.”

“We’ll see; this battle isn’t finished. These places hinder me, but come a time and place, we’ll fight again, and see who walks away.” Baring her teeth again in that smile, Nabu vanished from between her thighs, and she dropped onto the ice with a squawk.

“Nabu! She’s gone…” Her fingers slid over the ice to find what she had been searching for; Zoisite’s Hi stone. From her breast, she pulled the Kage stone, its warmth almost a painful loss. They came together like magnets, polar opposites, and combined into a slightly larger stone, a perfect pear cut gem.

“You did pretty damn good, Mercury.” Alex sounded proud, and she smiled. “Nabu could have seriously hurt you.”

“Hai; but after all, I am the god of cunning, ne?” Mercury laughed, tucking the stone in against her breast once more. “Now we can go home.” She was all smiles, but in the corner of her mind, something sadder lurked; it had a face, and a smile.

Alex boosted her up through the crevice, and with a scrabble of boots, Mercury pulled herself out and into fresh – questionably so – air and a sunny day. “Finally!” she sighed, turning her face to the sun and squinting rather painfully. “It’s so warm in the sunlight.”

“It’ll be just a bit warmer in Japan once we get back, so consider yourself toasty. I’ll just be glad to get away from all of this depressing whiteness.” The tall red-head sounded annoyed, as if the snow had personally made it a mission to irritate her, and Mercury smiled.

“Yare yare, Alex-san. After all, soon, it will be snowing in Tokyo! Winter is approaching fast. So is Christmas, which means okaa-san will be decorating the tree at the hospital.”

She looked back towards the crevice, a frown fleetingly crossing her face. On the way back, she had almost given in to temptation and gone back into Kainess, if only to tell him goodbye once more; but at the last minute, she had quailed. There was no reason to disturb him again; she’d never see him after today. He would be happier forgetting about their friendship. And actually, he was only some man who had rescued her, not even a true friend, so this way was better. Both of them had lives to lead, in different directions.

The climb up to the glacier’s top seemed immense, the wind sweeping in bringing with it a numbing chill despite the sunlight. It matched the heaviness of her heart as she whispered, “Sayonara, Hans-san,” and turned to begin climbing towards civilization.

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A Different Story Chapter 01 : ...Her Destiny (part two)

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:52:14 GMT

It was nearly dusk by the time they began to ascend the steps. Surprisingly, the entire trip had been quiet; no enemies had appeared to bedevil them, stopping their progress. “So, Rei-san’s family runs this shrine?” Michiru queried politely as they climbed, motioning up to the giant torii as it loomed overhead.

Usagi nodded. “Hai, Rei-chan and her grandfather live here. He’s very gentle and kind. Rei-chan is a powerful miko, and wants to run the shrine once she’s finished with school.”

“Her name is Hino, ne? I’ve heard of a Hino, a powerful member of the DLP.” Haruka was carrying Hotaru in her arms as they climbed, and her question was halting and tired. Though the girl was slight, her joints and limbs were of a heavier substance than bone, and despite her stubborn insistence on walking the entire way, she had barely made it a quarter of the way up. Her old body was simply not up to the task.

As they reached the torii and crossed beneath it, the odango-haired blonde said, “Hino-san is her father. She doesn’t approve of him. Hino ojii-san seems the same way.”

“He does seem to be a rather cold individual. I can’t imagine what it would be like to grow up with such a man.” The aqua-haired beauty gestured gracefully with a hand as Haruka set their daughter on her feet. “I had the pleasure of meeting him before a recital at a party for the members of the UN. He seems very…focused.”

“Ara, Usagi-san, are these your friends as well?” Rei’s grandfather’s voice carried easily across the stones, even though he was standing near the prayer bells, broom in hand. He smiled at them as they came closer, though Haruka and Michiru seemed to be concealing their surprise at his size and cheerful demeanor. Nothing at all like his famous son.

But they bowed, as did Hotaru. “Hajimemashite, Hino-san,” Michiru said, clapping her hands together. “We’re honored to visit this holy shrine. It’s very lovely.”

He waved his hand at them, brushing away their endearments. “Ara, it’s merely my devotion that makes it so inviting. Many shrines in the city are not so lucky! You can feel the indifference to the gods, and that makes the difference; who wants to have blessings from a straw man?”

“Would you bless us against evil?” Haruka asked.

Usagi gave the tall sandy-blonde a curious look, but she, and Michiru, even Hotaru, looked entirely serious. Maybe they were more pious than she realized; or, truly, they thought it couldn’t hurt. Many in the city seemed to take their religions for granted, assuming that if Shinto didn’t cover it, Buddhism made up, and Christianity could make do in a pinch.

Rei’s grandfather swept his broom across the stones sharply. “I would always bless against the evil and the darkness,” he said at length, looking up at them. “But the god of the shrine has been insulted by a vision of evil. Until the ritual cleansing is complete, I can only offer prayers of hope and good fortune instead of a blessing for safety against all of the darkness.”

“A vision of evil?” the raven-haired girl questioned, looking to their princess.

“Rei-chan was seeking a vision of the ene—the creature that attacked the train earlier today, where we met Ami-chan,” Usagi answered, nervously aware of the old man in their presence. “Something evil came through and put out the fire.”

“Put out the sacred flame of the shrine?” All three of them looked stunned as Rei’s grandfather nodded.

“I know my granddaughter is not careless, not in the worship of our gods. Whatever vision she sought was powerful indeed, seeking to do harm. If that is the evil you wished my blessing against, I can only say that I will give my strongest prayers for you instead.” He set the broom against the wall, bowing to them. “I wish you good fortune and strength.”

They returned the bow, leaving him to sweep again – a repetitive ritual Usagi was only now understanding – as she led them inside, pausing to take off their shoes. “Let’s try Rei-chan’s room first.”

Sliding the fusama open, they found the two – no, three, as Diana had arrived – cats in the spartan room, sitting in a circle next to Rei’s futon. They looked up at the girls’ arrival, and Artemis said, “At last, you’re here. How are you feeling, Tomoe-san?”

“Better, thank you.” Hotaru bowed quickly.

Luna nodded curtly, glancing to her daughter, who seemed to be in a state of repressed delight; being involved was, for her, like visiting a catnip store. “Diana found out where the enemy has come from.”

“Hai! I went to visit Pluto-sama, after okaa-san told me that the enemy mentioned the queen. Pluto-sama told me that time had been traversed by many people just recently whom she didn’t know. They came from Crystal Tokyo, from beyond the Black Moon attack.”

“There’s that ‘Black Moon’ again,” Haruka muttered, “and just who were the ‘Black Moon’ entirely?”

“The Black Moon was a group of traitors in the future who despised the power of the Ginzuishou, and wanted to destroy the king and queen and everything they had done.” Artemis pawed the floor nervously. “They killed many people in Crystal Tokyo. The king and queen were helpless, so Chibi-Usa came to the past to ask our help.”

“Actually, the little brat came to the past to threaten me and steal my holy stone,” Usagi added loftily, folding her arms as Luna glared at her. “But we went to the future and defeated the Death Phantom to save the Earth.”

Haruka’s mouth twisted. “So Small Lady threatened you?”

“Small Lady was scared,” Diana said, coming to her princess’s defense. “She didn’t know that the legendary soldier Sailor Moon was also Neo Queen Serenity’s past form. She thought the past Ginzuishou would wake up the queen, so she could expel the traitors!”

The aqua-haired beauty tapped her lower lip. “So Small Lady didn’t know that Sailor Moon was also her mother? And she threatened her?”

“Apparently, King Endymion and Neo Queen Serenity gave up those names and those lives once they took the throne,” Luna sighed. “They told Chibi-Usa bedtime stories.”

“So these new enemies are from that future?” the tall sandy-blonde asked next.

“It appears so, if Pluto’s correct.”

“Could it be the Black Moon again?” Hotaru sank down onto the futon, careful to arrange her clothing to cover her limbs.

Diana shivered, her tiny bell musical with distress. “Iie. The Black Moon was destroyed. Nemesis was destroyed in the last battle against the Death Phantom, ne, Usagi-sama? And everything has been peaceful since then.”

She tapped a small flat disc beneath her paw, and an image of a girl appeared in the air between them, life-sized. Almost exactly Usagi’s height, she had blonde hair of the same shade tied up into ponytails with bright red ribbons, crystal blue eyes indifferent. She wore a loose red skirt and a long-sleeved white shirt, and looked like no evil enemy they had ever imagined; more like the girl next door. “This is the one who called herself Sin. After scanning the memories of everyone, and consulting the palace computers for a voice and eye match, this is the girl who registered. But her name isn’t Sin; it’s On’wa Ginshi. She lived with her father and mother and younger brother near the palace. Her parents died during the Black Moon attack with everyone else, and the queen couldn’t revive them…there were many she couldn’t bring back.”

“How could she bring back some, and not others?” Michiru was staring thoughtfully at Sin, tapping her lip again.

“Serenity-sama thinks that those people moved on; they didn’t desire to return. But Ginshi and her younger brother, Kimmizuhiki, did revive.”

“An excellent reason for revenge,” Haruka murmured. “Their parents’ death….it would be terrible for them to revive without them.”

Hotaru was staring at the image with raw pain in her eyes. Most likely, she was remembering her mother’s death, her father’s betrayal. She could well imagine the pain that Ginshi and her little brother had gone – were going – through. “Still,” she remarked softly, seeing her father’s mocking laughter, “pain and hatred could not give them the power to change my destiny so easily. Someone else has given them these tools.”

She frowned; had it been her imagination, or had the image smiled at her?

It was.

“Minna,” she said sharply, pointing towards the image. They all looked around to see it change, acting on its own independence, to become more vibrant. The top and skirt changed into a grey bodysuit with gold trim. Hands on hips, she mocked them all with her smile.

“Sin,” Usagi breathed.

“Serenity,” Sin responded archly, glancing in turn at the other three girls. “Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune as well; the mythical soldiers of the outer planets. I am the Oppositio Soldier Sin. Hajimemashite.” It was stated mockingly, and she gave them no bow.

The three shifted brazenly to stand between Sin and the odango-haired blonde, though they were not yet transformed. Their movements had the girl smirking at them, clearly amused that they were so protective. “Perhaps the stories were false, if the legendary Sailor Moon needs her soldiers to fight her battles for her.”

“She honestly needs no one but herself and her compassion,” Michiru retorted smoothly, noting the flicker of emotion in Sin’s eyes. “Our princess is the light of our hopes.”

“Is that so? Then you place your hope within a glass bauble, because I’ve changed the rules. Her destiny is under my control now; I’ll pull the strings any way I please.” She sneered, jabbing her finger at Usagi. “Your compassion only benefits you and your friends! So it’s only fitting that I show them a better way than your faulty promises; haven’t you asked yourself where they’ve gone to?”

Her image changed into a different shape; a girl with blue hair, fallen lifeless onto the ground. “Mercury!” Usagi gasped.

Then it changed again, into a darker-haired girl fallen on her side. “Mars!”

Again, to a ponytailed brunette on her back, head tilted as if she’d been hit. “Jupiter!”

Again, to a long-haired blonde, facedown. “Venus!”

The last figure was the smallest of all, pink hair tied up in twin conical odango. “Chibi-Usa-chan!” Hotaru cried, holding out her hand towards the flickering image of her friend.

Just as quickly, it became Sin again, clenching her fists. “You see what I can do with my power? Even the princess fell easily into my trap. If you want them returned, I’ll strike you a deal; simply meet me at Juuban Junior High within the hour. I’ll be waiting, sailor soldiers.”

“Iie! Chibi-Usa, Mina-P, Rei, Ami, Mako-chan!” Usagi shoved her way past the other three, reaching out; but Sin vanished, laughing as the odango-haired blonde fell through empty space and onto her knees. “Minna,” she whispered, sprawled on the floor.

“Usagi-chan, don’t blame yourself.” Luna’s soft nose nudged her cheek, whiskers tickling her ear. “If we had known….”

“It wouldn’t matter, ne? I would be captured too.” Usagi smiled weakly, sitting back on her knees. “No matter what, I’m the princes Serenity. I have to be strong, for my kingdom. And that means my friends, too.” She stood up, turning to look decisively at the other three. “That means everyone.”

The tall sandy-blonde was frowning at her. “But, koneko-chan, it’s obviously a trap. Not that my faith in our power is lacking, I believe we can conquer anything.”

“Hai; we should study the enemy further, to assemble a clearer picture,” Michiru added, quirking an eyebrow at Diana as she beat the disc with a paw to get it working again. “We don’t even know if Sin is our only enemy; surely, she has help.”

Artemis snorted, glancing aside at his daughter as well. “Study what? All we could find out is where Sin is from, and her name. She had no close friends, no remaining relatives, and it’s only now that the palace has most likely realized she’s gone. The only opportunity we’ll likely have is confrontation, as she’ll probably bring along any allies to this trap of hers.”

Folding her arms, Hotaru nodded her head. “That’s why I think too. I want to go help Chibi-Usa-chan.”

“We have to. I don’t want anyone hurt! My friends are precious to me.” Usagi folded her arms as well, staring Michiru and Haruka down with a straight gaze quite unlike her.

Realizing they’d lost the argument, they sighed. Haruka shrugged; Michiru nodded. What else could they do? She was their princess, in whom they had true faith; if she told them to jump, they’d ask how high and for how long. All they had to do was make sure she didn’t get killed in the process of rescuing everyone else.

“Alright, hime-sama,” Michiru said, “when do we leave?”

She looked up at the familiar building, frowning. “Are you sure this is where we should go?” she asked. “I don’t know about this.”

“Well, our other option is to go to the others, cause a major scene, and probably accomplish next to nothing. At least he’s known you – us – the longest; call it a test. If he doesn’t flip out, we have a solid case.”

“’Flip out,’” she repeated, snorting. “I don’t think Chiba’s ever lost his cool to qualify as ‘flipping’ anything.”

Turning around, she found herself smirking as she shared her humour. It was definitely weird to stare into her own face – the actual original – and see what she could have become, had she not taken that leap. Of course, the body was currently about as solid as a ghost, rather translucent, and sounded as if it were talking through water. And who knew she was supposed to be so tall?

Moriya sighed. When the split had occurred, it had been a rush to realize and remember who she was, and who she had been all these months; it was hardwired into her memory, as it was also Alex’s memory. She had broken down and bawled her eyes out before Sakkaku-san had ordered her into the passenger seat so she could drive. Alex had just cursed, unable to physically do a thing. They had then sat there, collectively wondering over what to do, as the tall red-head had planned to go to the shrine after hitting the apartment; obviously, no longer an option.

So now they were here, and she felt a cold hand clench her guts. What would the dark-haired prince say, when he saw her? She knew he had accepted Alex as his friend because he was, at his core, that faithful and trusting; he had seen Chouno Moriyakumi in her eyes. But now he was about to be faced with both of them – Sakkaku-san had decided to stay in the car, to ‘make it easier’ – parts of a whole that he had finally gotten used to.

“Well, we can’t just loiter all day. Let’s go, ne?” She didn’t bother looking over her shoulder to make sure Alex was following as she strode through the doors. It was indicative of the city’s nature to ignore the unusual that no one even stared at what was essentially a ghost floating through the foyer.

As they ascended in the elevator, Mamoru was just sitting down with a cup of tea and a half-written essay, preparing to finish his homework before going back to bed. It was dull, repetitious funk, as most of his expected work; it wasn’t due until next Monday, but he needed something to occupy the time before tomorrow and school and Usagi. Something to keep Kunzite’s words from echoing in his brain, taunting him; something to keep him from jumping at shadows, as he had been doing all day.

He had given his princess only one rule regarding their time spent together; Sundays were verboten, on the reasoning that they both needed the day to study. Both of them were going to be taking tests for higher education, and he was taking his dream of becoming a doctor seriously, despite what his future held. He encouraged Usagi often to study as well, admonishing her grumbling that it was useless, and finally telling her that he expected his wife to be an educated woman. Being sneaky with her made him feel terrible, but he felt that she at least got the hint.

A hint….

Glancing up as the hair on the back of his neck rose, he felt that familiar sense of panic. Just as quickly it was gone again. It was as if his princess was either watching one hell of a scary movie – which they had found out once could scare her as badly as a rampaging youma, when he had appeared at the theatre – or she was in true danger. But the warning kept coming and going, spaced so distantly that he was either cracking up, or being cleverly blocked. And even if someone could do such a thing, he had a phone, and the same communicator watch they had. (Alex had given it to him after the theatre debacle, after laughing about it for days. Thankfully, it was also larger, black, and had a nifty voice recorder he used in class.)

Taking a stiff gulp of tea, he started writing in his precise, straight hand, mentally working out his debate about the American stem cell law. He had put in long hours at the library computer reading articles – in English, of course, so he was sure he had misinterpreted something along the way – and forming his argument based on research value. His teacher had been adamant about it; most of them had found the very idea repugnant morally, but scientifically and medically was a whole different badger kettle.

He had just gotten to the closing argument when his doorbell rang. Wincing as the sound cut through his thoughts and brought the train to a halt, he set aside his papers and went to answer the door. Wondering who it was all the while, as Usagi was supposed to be anywhere but his apartment, the other girls didn’t really bother with him outside of his princess, and Alex had been away all night, he opened it a crack to look out. “Hai?”

“Chiba, open the door! You’re being rude.”

His mouth jarred slightly.

Calmly, he closed the door, pressing his temple. He was cracking up all right, and here was the proof. Either that, or a new enemy had shown up with some clever research in their hands, because Moriya was dead. He’d seen her hit in that last second of shock and pain before unconsciousness took him down, and he’d seen her grave. And Moriya had to be dead for Alex to have been at his door just yesterday, delivering a freshly translated Internet page for his World Science class. Positive he needed to finish his work and go to bed, he turned away.

Something cool tickled his cheek, and he heard Alex sigh. “Well, at least you didn’t faint.”

He turned his head slightly to see what looked like a misty smear behind him. Ghostly. His heart sinking, he turned around entirely again to find Alex staring at him with a mildly perturbed look on her face, her expression quite clear despite the rest of her being murky. Through her he could see the door open, and Moriya step inside, Moriya as he had last seen her in her ‘night’ clothes of concealing black, her hair tied back. “Moriya…you’re alive.” He winced at how flat his voice sounded, though he couldn’t help but pessimistically think of a catch.

Alex nodded at him, apparently still capable of catching his emotions; or maybe, he was just that easy to read nowadays. “It’s not permanent, obviously. We don’t know what caused it, but whatever happened pick a hell of time. Nearly crashed my car on the Shuto going home.”

“Sakkaku-san had to drive us here,” Moriya added, as he looked at them quizzically. “She stayed in the car. We’re not sure what to do with her yet.’

“What to do with her?”

Moriya rolled her eyes at him. “Chiba, if we’ve been split back into our three forms, an enemy has arrived. Obviously, Sakkaku-san isn’t a soldier, and she can’t really fight. Even she admits to being helpless, because she wasn’t supposed to do anything but guide me.”

Now he was staring at her as if she’d grown an interesting growth on her head. Though he felt that he was taking this extremely well – and what exactly did that say for his mental health? – hearing his young friend talking knowledgeably about an enemy and the sailor soldiers in general was making his head spin. She had died before even he had known the truth, and while he knew she must have received Alex’s memories, it was still disconcerting. Plus, referring to the three of them as ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ or ‘them’ was really off-putting.

“So, let me get this straight; something put you back into your three bodies, ne?” He glanced at the ghostly red-head, who nodded.

“Which is technically impossible without my help, seeing as it’s my spirit cut into triplets,” she answered, tapping her fingers against her upper arm.

“Then can’t you just…call a quarter back?”

The two red-heads exchanged the exact same glance before the younger answered, rather gently. “Chiba, we can’t. It was a specific magic. Moriya, me, I had to die first; then, Sakkaku-san, being no longer needed, would die next, releasing both halves of our spirit.”

Mamoru palmed his forehead, grimacing at the thought. He had never been told that the orphanage director had been part of Alex’s plan, never even known up to this point that she was even dead. Usagi had never told him, probably unaware that he had thought kindly of the woman as well, and Alex most likely never saw a reason to disturb him. With Moriya dead, he’d have no reason to go back, after all. And now, to hear within two breaths that not only was she dead, but once more alive and, technically, a nuisance…

And he could see why. Sakkaku-san was a formidable woman, but she’d also been considerably older. It was Alex’s verbal sparring that made her a respectable presence in the building, not her fighting prowess; no doubt, that had been given to Moriya. She would be useless in any sort of battle. Technically, their concerns made sense, especially when he considered the fact that both she and Moriya had to die again once this was over with for Alex to live. And technically, they wouldn’t be dying anyway, because they were all part of the same person, who would survive with the memories of those lives intact.

Suddenly, his essay felt a lot safer. Especially when he realized that at some point soon, Usagi would have to see them. And while he was a fairly emotional man on his off days, he knew that she was worse; he was tempered by enough logic to realize what had happened, while she was probably going to fall to pieces. She had taken Moriya’s death hard enough the first time.

He felt the twinge of warning again, pulsing behind the eyes. But instead of ignoring it this time, he said, “Is this the work of an enemy, then?”

“That was our first guess,” Alex replied dryly.

“Do you know where Usa is? Could she be out fighting one of them?” he demanded sharply of the ghost, who held up her hands to hold him off.

After a good minute, she said, “They were at the shrine earlier, but they’ve gone to Juuban Junior High. Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Chibi-Usa are erratic, possibly unconscious.” She frowned, squeezing her forehead. “And if I’m not mistaken, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn are with Sailor Moon.”

“Saturn…? But Tomoe Hotaru was—“

“Reborn? Hai, but if a sailor soldier is needed, their age process speeds up to place them at the adequate body to be of use in battle,” Moriya said, though she was frowning in exactly the same way as her elder. Both of them looked annoyed and disturbed.

Mamoru clenched his fist, fighting back the anger and despair that he hadn’t taken heed of the warnings earlier, and run to his princess’s side. “Juuban Junior High,” he muttered, pivoting on a heel to head for his bedroom – and the balcony. “Only an enemy could lure Usa to school on a Sunday.”

Sin paced the rooftop, rather alone, and liking it.

Fingering the healing scar across her cheek, newly acquired and fading fast, she glared loathsomely at the body at the far end, cotton-candy hair barely visible in the darkening twilight. The small lady had put up a fight; when Sin had arrived to snatch her, only a block away from the Tsukino house, she had been attacked by a Luna P transfigured into an umbrella. Said umbrella had wielded a sharp metal top, which had caught her in the face before she had, in a fit, simply blasted the princess into a nearby bush. Luna P had been kicked as far as she could manage, as the toy had turned back once Small Lady had fallen.

It had been the last capture. Her teammates had attacked the guardian soldiers, taking them unaware as they ran to find the source of a new disturbance; a clever trick, on Marduk’s part, calling up the shade of a daimon to lure them. Not expecting soldiers with power equal to theirs, and caught so blind they had not even seen their faces, they had been easily subdued. It was almost an insult.

Now they were scattered beneath her feet, dumped onto the floors of the school for Sailor Moon to find. Such a rigidly built institution was better suited to a mausoleum than a center of learning, in her opinion; it made sense for their school to become their grave. Though she was open to bribery to change their minds, she also had no problem with killing them all to make sure destiny changed to her liking. They had allowed her parents to die, after all; it was only fair she returned the gesture.

Four shapes appeared in the darkness around her. “Ara, is your work done so soon? Nabu, tell me the status of those four soldiers. Do they dream?”

The silvery-blue haired girl gestured foppishly with a hand. “Of course, Sin. They’re so easily tranquil when given their desires. Right now, they’re roaming those illusions, completely lost inside of their deepest wishes.”

“Excellent! The power of the four guardian soldiers must be weak indeed in this time. If only the princess was so easily duped.”

“Ne? What do you mean, Sin?” Marduk queried.

She waved her hand impatiently towards the pink-haired girl, who they could see was now whimpering in her sleep. “The power of the Ginzuishou is protecting her from my illusion,” she snapped, glaring at her. “Instead of an easy victim, she’ll make noise. But it doesn’t matter, so long as she remains under our hands. No one will rescue this rabbit. So I’ve decided to give her a dream worse than she’s ever seen before, to satisfy me.”

Chibi-Usa whimpered again, caught in a nightmare that refused to let her go peacefully.

Sailor Moon had never realized how quiet the building could be when school was out. No hundreds of bodies filling the corridors, no sense of whispering voices or rapid speech through closed doors. It was spooky to see everything so calm and clean and utterly devoid.

They had entered through the main doors, their boots sounding abnormally loud against the tile as they walked the hallway. “What can we do now? Search every single classroom?” Saturn asked.

“We don’t know what the enemy has planned yet. Surely they wouldn’t make us waste time on a needless search; perhaps they’ll give us a sign.” Neptune sounded quite sure of herself, which was easy for her to do.

Especially when she was right 99% of the time.

Soon after she said it, they nearly walked right through Sin’s body, which appeared in the middle of the hallway. It was, however, understandable, as no one had bothered to turn on the lights for them, and the translucent image was nearly invisible in the shadows. But they heard her when she snapped, “How amazing of you sailor soldiers that you ignore everything that doesn’t glare obvious at you.”

“Ignorance of the annoying isn’t the same; don’t mistake it for such,” Uranus snapped back coldly, gratified to see Sin’s snarl in response.

“Urusai! The soldier of the sky breathes more hot air than I would have expected. How dare you ignore everyone you deem inferior to you!?” Visibly distraught, the ponytailed blonde drew herself up, clenching her fists; though she was currently only a projected image, they had the feeling she would have thrown herself on Uranus if she could. “Not that I can be surprised. You proved quite clearly that you care for no one except yourselves. As you’ve come here to rescue your friends, I’ll give you more the chance than I had!”

Pointing at a door, she said, “They’re each hidden on a floor of this stone edifice you call a school, long lost within our illusions and guarded by a youma. Free them if you care, but I warn you; they may be happier with their heart’s desires than with your bloody wars.” With that effective stab, she vanished.

Sailor Moon looked pale, wounded by Sin’s words. “How do they know? Mina-P, Ami, Mako-chan, Rei…they would be happier free of this burden. But they can’t give it up; the safety of the world is our responsibility. Why do they torment us so much?”

“Because they know only treachery and deceit,” Saturn replied, “not truth.”

The tall sandy-blonde slid open the door Sin had pointed to, and snorted in surprise. “Though truth is sometimes a form of treachery itself.” She pulled the space sword out, and they could see, past her body, the figure of a cloaked, hovering youma much like the one who had chased Shingo.

And below its ragged hems was Mercury.

Once they stepped inside, the youma seemed to realize they were there, and spun around. “Don’t…don’t interfere with the sweet dreams of this child. Such sweet dreams, spun with happiness.”

“Somehow, we doubt your idea of a sweet dream is the same as hers,” Neptune said, calling power to her hand.

The youma waved its hands, obviously offended. “My duty is to create these dreams! To lull them to sleep and safety….her dream is sweet, just as she desires. A doctor, she dreams of being a doctor, with thoughts of love in her heart.”

“That is her dream! She wants to be a doctor, just like her mother.” Sailor Moon held up the heart moon rod, visibly distressed. “But it’s only an illusion.”

A ball of energy flew past her head, ruffling her hair; Neptune’s attack exploded against the youma’s robes, spinning it around and backwards. “You’ve disrupted her dream!” it howled, shaking the windows. Angry, it darted at them, a hand curved with wicked nails raking at Saturn’s face, which she fended off with her glaive.

Uranus lifted the space sword, planning on cutting it down; but it held up the other hand, a whirlwind of freezing cold throwing her into the blackboard. Her sword went flying across the room as she slid down to the floor, spiderweb cracks left behind. “Uranus!” Neptune cried.

“She’ll be fine, Neptune!” the raven-haired girl shouted, pushing with all her might to throw the creature off. But it simply pushed back, claws centimetres from her face as she struggled.

Sailor Moon swung the heart moon rod into its head, knocking it off-balance, and it spun around to howl at her. “World Shaking!” she heard Uranus wheeze behind her, and she somewhat graciously jumped aside as the ball of energy hit its mark. Dust rained down into her hair as she sneezed.

As the youma vanished, Mercury stirred in her sleep. She saw nothing of the battle around her; rather, her dreams were as sweet as the creature promised. A private pediatrician with her own office, she was always dressed in the clean white coat she desired, stethoscope in place around her neck like a shawl. Her smile was warm and inviting, enticing the children into obedience and trust; as well, their parents’ devotion. There was nothing she couldn’t identify, treat, or suggest.

Even now, she was being applauded for her work. “Ah, Mizuno-san, domo arigatou.” The mother bowed low, relief evident in her voice. “You’ve cured my son of his sickness; if you had not properly diagnosed him in time, and recommended therapy in America, he would have died.”

Obviously, the dream was a little far-fetched, but it was a dream, after all. It was allowed for her to be the miracle worker, the finder of cures. She studied so very hard for those possibilities, to be the next Thibodeaux, the next young intern to command attention for her discoveries. Even being a sailor soldier didn’t give her quite the same comfort.

Then the phone rang, which she picked up after two full rings; a mark of patience. “Moshi moshi? Doctor Mizuno desu.” Though it was her dream, she couldn’t hear the voice on the other end, but the happiness that crossed her dream face was evident. It was like seeing a child in the candy store for the first time. “Ara, anata, you’ve called just to tell me that? As always, you’re sweet. Aishiteru mo.” She listened again, glancing reflexively towards the calendar sitting on her desk, a small flip set of her father’s paintings. “Of course I’m coming home early! It’s our anniversary, of course.”

Her heart swelled with joy at the idea of her happy marriage. Seeing the sadness and pain of her parents’ divorce – or, rather, their mutual separation across the island – had driven her to a secret promise of desired happiness, that need to succeed when they had not. Surely she could find a man willing to understand her; perhaps, a doctor like her. Like Kane-san…

“—ercur—“

No!

“Mer—wake up—cury—!”

Her dream was shredding fast at the edges, her smiling face ripping into so many pieces as she stayed poised at the phone, locked in that happy world. Grey intruded; and with nowhere to go, she opened her eyes to see a familiar sight: a smiling, relieved Sailor Moon. “Mercury!”

“Sailor Moon…I feel so weak.” And it was true; as she tried to sit up, her muscles protested, slopping her back onto the floor. “I’m of no use this way. Have you rescued everyone?”

“Iie.” Neptune loomed within her vision, Caribbean eyes searching, probing to assess the damage. “Did you see anything, Mercury?”

The blue-haired genius considered for a minute, forcefully pushing the regret of her lost dream out of her mind. She’d been doing it a lot lately, though she had to admit the trade-off was nice; friends instead of a book. It didn’t mean she had lost her craving for knowledge, which included perception of her surroundings. “They came at us suddenly,” she finally said. “Cloaked in shadows. I could hear Sin’s voice, and just now, you woke me up from a dream.”

Uranus nodded, as if she’d expected it all along. “Trap.”

“Well, of course,” Mercury agreed mildly, relaxing her body. “But the others must be rescued. I wish I could go with you now.”

“Daijoubu, Mercury,” her princess said, standing up. “We’ll rescue the others and come back for you, ne?”

On the second floor, they found Mars.

Her youma was exactly the same, as if it had been duplicated; which, considering the flagrant disobedience of time going on, might not have been far off. It was just as easy to destroy as well, prompting them to re-assess the situation. They had assumed the other sailor soldiers had been brought not only as a lure, but as targets; now, it seemed as though they were merely to make them sweat before facing Sin and her allies. Expend their energy.

Mars didn’t know. She rested peacefully despite her akimbo sprawl, rhythmically sweeping the steps leading up to her shrine in the landscape of her dream. Dressed in her robes, she was the subject of many a casually respectful greeting, the passersby no longer afraid or derisive of her talents. She was the maiden who could sense evil in the possessed and drive it out; the one who could locate the lost; the one who held the greatest faith in the kami and delivered their blessings and curses. Her chastity and soul had long ago been promised to her chosen life, and despite her many male admirers, she continued to sleep alone.

For all of that, it was a slow, casual dream. What the youma had found in her soul had been the mere need for contentment, her devotion to the kami paramount. All she ever desired, after the end of education and responsibility to her father’s politics, was to be the simple miko in her ojii-san’s simple shrine. She swept the steps in the slow rhythm her ojii-san had taught her years ago to clear her mind of any lingering anger after a long day, a chore she performed near dusk unless previously occupied. After sweeping, she would re-enter the courtyard, cleanse herself at the trough – one ladle of water over the left hand, one over the right, a mouthful out of her palm to rinse her mouth and spit – and go inside to eat.

A perfect life that she was loathed to leave. However, someone was shaking her body sharply, a motion that rocked her head around and jarred her dream world, as well as gave her a headache. “….Mars!” someone shouted from what seemed to be far away.

“Roman God of war,” she mumbled, wondering why someone was calling her by such a name. The broom faltered in its sweeping glide, caught on a crack between her feet.

“Sailor Mars, on your feet!” another person snapped, this one with a rougher voice that reminded her, strangely, of velvet. The world shook again, and her eyes opened warily.

Uranus was bent over her, close enough to kiss as she withdrew from the vicinity of her ear. Seeing her awake, however, the tall sandy-blonde smiled grimly, with just a hint of a teasing gleam once she recognized Mars’s startled look. “Konban wa,” she said.

“Konban wa,” Mars said in return, though it came out weaker than she intended. Odd how she could wake up feeling worse than when she went to sleep, forcible or not. “Where am I? Where are the others? And why are you here?”

Someone else laughed, a graceful voice she recognized mostly by its unfamiliarity. “Why shouldn’t we be here, Mars? How can we be sure these enemies are not invaders from beyond our solar system, and therefore under our jurisdiction?” Neptune stepped into view, smiling more warmly than she had expected.

The person who stood beside her, however, froze the dark-haired shrine girl’s reply in her throat: Saturn. The god of ruin. Despite her weakness, she tried to throw herself back and away, summoning power to her hand to strike the raven-haired soldier down before she lowered her thrice-damned glaive—

And Uranus grabbed her in a bear hug, pinning her arms. “Mars! What in the name of the kami are you doing!?”

“What am I doing!? It’s Saturn!” she gasped, which should have answered everything. “What is she doing here? Why—“

“Mars, Hotaru-chan isn’t going to hurt us! Her destiny was changed, just like the youma, and she grew up.” The odango-haired blonde stepped between Saturn and Mars, hands on her hips. “Daijoubu! Saturn is our friend, ne?” she inquired of the younger girl, who nodded.

Mars slumped, far too weak to fight, and stared at Saturn. She saw then what her allies did; this was not the same soldier who had lowered the glaive and threatened their world. Her stance was different, her eyes far less intimidating without their apathetic glaze, glossy instead with despair. She held the weapon like a shield in front of her, leaning on it ever so slightly, instead of at her side. No, this was not the same girl at all. “Hai,” she finally admitted quietly.

The tall sandy-blonde released her, though continued holding her upright. She shook her head, irritated at her weakness, and regarded her princess through tired eyes. “This was a sudden trick. I could sense them in the darkness, unsure but confident. Also, angry, but not an anger born from hatred; iie, not strong enough for that. But grief colours that anger terribly.”

“Diana said Sin was a girl just like us, who lost her parents during the attack from the Black Moon,” Sailor Moon said softly, gripping her upper arms tightly as though cold. Mars could imagine why; no doubt, she blamed herself for circumstances she – in this time – had no control over.

“So she could very easily blame us – our future selves – for her loss. But putting innocent lives in the way? What if these youma hurt someone?”

“Perhaps their confidence in our abilities is just so,” Neptune sighed, looking down at the veneer of dust now coating several desks. “That we can defeat these enemies before they do cause a danger. Tricks to expend our energies before Sin finally stands before us.”

Mars grimaced, feeling her eyes burning with the fatigue now wracking her body. Slowly and resolutely, she shook her head. “Go. I’m of no use to you. The real enemy is waiting on the rooftop; waiting for you, Sailor Moon. I can sense it.”

She lay back down on the dirty, cold floor, not bothering to wait for them to leave before beginning to meditate. Anything to re-create the peace of her dreams instead of staring into the darkness, feeling utterly helpless and angry.

As they climbed the stairs, Saturn muttered, “I wonder if Jupiter and Venus will be so cold towards me as well,” thankfully quiet enough for the others to miss. She couldn’t help being in a foul mood after seeing how Mars had reacted to her presence, prepared to strike her down if Uranus hadn’t moved quickly. Not that she blamed her, or any of them, for showing her anything but blunt suspicion. She couldn’t even trick herself into hoping she would be wrong, and the last two guardian soldiers would welcome her with open arms; she had witnessed the destruction Saturn had wrought personally.

‘Personally.’ She repressed a grimace with effort, remembering those frantic moments as she realized that not only was she the vessel for one destructive radical, but two. Watching the world crumble around her – them – she could only imagine how terrible it had been for the sailor soldiers en masse to witness it first-hand. Able to stop it by a single act of murder but unwilling to, or prevented from, raising that hand in homicide.

Thinking about it now, she realized just how unprepared and childish she had been at the hospital.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t realize they had stopped until she nearly walked into Uranus’s back. Only her unconscious awareness of personal spaces halted her steps at the invisible barrier. “I can hear someone here,” Uranus said quietly, fingers curling into the door handle. “Faint; a steady breathing.”

Knowing what to expect, she slid the door open boldly, stepping inside. The youma never attacked them until they were within sight, so the others followed Uranus cautiously, but steadily, stopping far enough away to see the creature and its victim… “Jupiter!” the aqua-haired beauty exclaimed, seeing the green-suited soldier sprawled on the floor, half-hidden by the teacher’s desk.

Coming closer, they finally caught the youma’s attention, and it turned to see them. “Why do you interfere?” it sighed, sounded aggravated. “Her dreams are coming true. Soon, all she’ll know will be the pleasant world of her dream.”

“But then, she’ll die! No dream is worth that.” Sailor Moon stepped around Uranus, the heart moon rod loose at her side. The youma turned towards her, its hood tilted in an oddly coy manner.

“Isn’t it? I can see your dreams…you have so many sweet thoughts.” Sighing wistfully, the creature looked away, out of a nearby window, to see the marvelous vista of the baseball diamond. “Dreams of kissing that boy you like. Wearing lovely clothes and a beautiful smile, like a fashion model out of the magazines. Being lazy all day long.”

Uranus made a whirling gesture with her hands towards the odango-haired blonde to keep the youma talking; blinking, she said, “Ano…I like to dream about being with my friends too, going shopping and playing video games.”

“Ah, hai, hai, those dreams are sweet as well.” The youma seemed unaware of Saturn and Uranus quietly picking up the tall brunette behind its back, tip-toeing for the door. The two had a matching smile of understanding; if the youma wanted to shoot the shit and let them walk out without a fight, they were happy to oblige.

As they crept towards the door, Neptune eased their princess along, though she continued to talk. “And becoming famous, I once always dreamed of that! Like the idol singers with so many adoring fans, singing the words of their dreams. They were always so pretty.”

“As well, you’ve dreamed of being prettier,” the youma agreed, though it was now talking to an empty room. “I can give you those dreams—nani!?”

It stared around at the empty classroom, looking from side to side. If the youma could feel embarrassment, it surely felt it now. Frantic, it flew straight for the open door, fingers hooking automatically into its claws. “What a cruel trick! Fleeing while I was investigating…”

All it saw as it exited the room was a spinning ball of aqueous energy.

Neptune lowered her hand as the youma disappeared, turning on her heel to rejoin the others at the end of the hallway. “It’s gone,” she announced as she came closer, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Is she reviving?”

Jupiter moaned in response, her head pillowed in Saturn’s lap. Her dream was not one she particularly wanted to leave, despite its manufacturer. She rolled onto her side, snuggling up to Saturn’s knees, murmuring, “Maaah, Sommers-san, that tickles,” giggling.

It was a rather intense dream as well, as his hands went to the right spot and pushed – and she sighed in pleasure, completely unaware of the man’s true abilities in this regard, but adept at making up as she went along. Most of her payment was seeing his face caught in a knowing smirk, those liquid brown eyes long darkened to near black. “Sommers-san, I can’t believe what you’ve done to me,” she sighed, thinking back to the delicious dinner she had cooked hours ago, left unfinished on their plates. Had it truly been so long?

“I told you, Mako; call me Conrad. That’s an order.” He tickled his finger across her arm as she smiled, ducking her head.

“A-a-no….but, Sommers-san, you’re still my sensei…”

“Are you saying I’m not anything special in your heart?”

She ducked her head further, sure her face was now raging with blush. “I-ie,” she admitted, tugging at her hair. “But would you like me in return?”

Fingers curled under her chin, blunt and thick; he had no delicate hands to boast of, that was for sure, but she felt a thrill every time they touched her all the same. “I’ve done that and more for a long time, Mako. You think I give my custom expert massage to just anyone?”

Her muscles felt like jelly as she relaxed back onto the pillows of his couch, shaking her head. “Of course not, Sommers-sa—C-Conraadoh,” she said somewhat ably, drawing out the syllables as she caught herself. “But does this mean…?”

“If you promise to stop calling me ‘Sommers-san,’” he replied, leaning in closer…

She jerked up and awake with a gasp as her mind abruptly shut down, disallowing her to finish. Every night she had the same problem, when she had these dreams; if she stopped to think about it, she’d probably realize it was a fear of intimacy. Of commitment. Her parents dying, coupled with her vision of the future, had instilled some very deep fears that her conscious mind was hardly aware of. Daydreaming of such closeness was by far safer than what her subconscious could think up.

“It’s not fair!” she shouted, then abruptly closed her mouth, clapping a hand over it, as she felt both nauseous and appalled, seeing that she had company. The youma’s attack had weakened her considerably; she simply keeled right back over, into Saturn’s lap. “Sailor Moon…Neptune, Uranus…Sa—“ She blinked up, freezing in place. “S-S-Sailor Saturn…!”

“Daijoubu, Jupiter,” Neptune said soothingly as her adopted daughter visibly flinched, “Saturn was not reborn. Hotaru was simply forced to grow. Saturn is long gone.”

The raven-haired girl nodded, trying to smile calmly. She was now obviously hurt by the rejection she was receiving, and looked ready to simply get up and run away. What could she do to assuage their fears? Continue telling them “Don’t worry, I’m no longer evil”? Assure them that Saturn of the past really was gone?

(Not gone. Still here. Only quiet in the unexplored spaces of your mind.)

She shivered before she could help it.

Jupiter had relaxed in her lap, gaining the same sleepy, faraway expression Mercury and Mars had. “Of course. Everything’s fine. You’ll be able to rescue everyone, with her help.” She sighed, closing her eyes. “I’ll just rest while you find the others. Sleepy.”

She was out like a light in a matter of nanoseconds. She also, with alarming frequency, began to both snore and drool, completely unaware and unconcerned of her pillow. Looking rather amused, Neptune gently levered the tall brunette’s head off of her adopted daughter’s lap, arranging her gloved hands to support her cheek on the cold floor. “Poor Jupiter,” she murmured, touching her cheek. “It seems as if her dream was not as perfect as she desired.”

“Maybe the youma lied and gave her a horrible nightmare instead.” Their princess looked furious as she clenched her fists, imaging the terrible world her friend would have been trapped within. “Mako-chan always had the loveliest dreams! They would never make her so upset!”

Saturn rubbed at the saliva stain on her skirt as she uncurled herself from the floor, remarking, “Or perhaps she knows her dreams are unattainable and that makes her sad. I know I had so very many hopes, alone in my dark room; hai, so many wonderful fantasies I knew I would never…” She trailed off, imagining that lamp-lit, dusky world where she had cloistered herself for so many years. “It would make me sad as well, if the enemy gave me back those dreams.”

A definite pall settled over them as they continued to the next floor.

Sin jutted her chin in stubbornness as Marduk stared her down. “Do you disagree with my plans? If so, just tell me openly.”

“I do disagree, because this plan is stupid. We’re luring them into a trap to do what? Ask her to give us the holy stone? The queen of the future is not so weak. It isn’t possible! She’ll destroy or trick us before giving us our desire.” Marduk gestured foppishly, disregarding the blonde’s words. “I say we simply destroy the building and take it from her cold hands. Apsu-sama will know what to do with it then.”

“Just like you, Marduk, to consider crushing the ants with a hammer. Why not lure them into such a trap? With the princess in our hands, she’ll have no choice but to appear weak and give us our desire! We’ll use her own blood against her, and then, we’ll strike her down. Against the Black Moon we were helpless, but no longer! We’ll prove we have the power to change our destiny for the better!” Sin jabbed her finger into Marduk’s chest, pushing her back a step. “Tell me how it couldn’t work!”

“I think what Marduk’s concerned about is the potential for disaster,” the silvery-haired girl suggested, tapping a foot. “After all, the legendary sailor soldiers always managed to survive even the trickiest of traps. And we have yet to see the arrival of the two—“

“Nabu, stop worrying about them!” The ponytailed blonde sighed in exasperation, throwing up her hands and stalking away. “The king will be dealt with in time, and what matters to us if he interferes? He has great power, but he’s as hobbled as the rest to the queen’s will and wish! As for the other….”

Marduk snorted loudly, glancing towards the long-haired blonde and rust-haired girl, gesturing towards Sin as if showing her to the crowd. “What do you think, Ishtar? Nergal?”

Ishtar frowned, looking rather concerned for once; not that her concern was surprising, but it seemed more focused than normal. “Ishtar thinks that the legendary Crystal Guardian can’t be so easy to defeat. The legends say her power comes from no holy device, nor even magic, and that she can read the souls of her enemies!”

“Yare yare…and if the legends are true, she also spits fire and brimstone, and has the eyes of the akuma when the rage is upon her. Ishtar, do you believe everything you’re told?” Nergal asked with obvious scorn, rolling her eyes. Dismissing the blonde, she turned to face the other, and asked, “What have you done to take care of the problem anyway? I’m still concerned.”

Sin shrugged her shoulders, unconcerned. “Drop a stone into the still pond, and you’ll make waves, into ripples, into disturbances. Time will take care of it, ne? After all, there has to be something in the mysterious woman’s past to make her falter.”

“You better be right, Sin,” Nabu said flatly.

“Venus, wake up! Venus….”

“Ma-ma-a, it’s too early to get up….go ‘way and come back later.”

“Sailor VEnuS!”

The long-haired blonde simply rolled over and refused to respond. Rolled right into the pile of dust the youma had left behind, as a matter of fact, smearing her face and hair with grey like a drunken clown. Uranus sighed, shaking her head. “Like a rock. I’d hate to imagine her with a respectable job.”

Moon frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Only that an earthquake could hit, and she’d sleep through it,” Uranus replied dryly, only to receive a rather harsh jab from her partner.

“Didn’t a certain person sleep through the tremor last month that knocked most of my good serving china off the cabinet shelves?” Neptune asked icily, skewering her with a look of irritation. “Thankfully onto the carpet, I may add, as that same person didn’t brace the cabinet properly, as I had specifically asked weeks ago.”

The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes, leaning over to her princess. “They’re like an old married couple sometimes,” she muttered. “Even I noticed.”

Venus probably would have added her own commentary, but she was still asleep, standing in front of the Crown Game Center like a proud victor. Disheveled already, even though school had only let out an hour previous, she scanned the crowd with a determination that frankly scared several passing tourists. “Where is she? Where is she, where is she-e-e-e,” she sang under her breath, whipping her head back and forth. “Hi-ka-ru-chan!”

She made a show of checking her watch before looking up and finally spotting her target; the short silvery-blue hair stood out in a crowd, despite Hikaru’s height. “Minako!” she said, waving as she came closer, still carrying her school bag. The long-haired blonde knew she had juku in half an hour, the same class she herself had – and often skipped – but was far too polite to mention she was in a hurry. She was also too polite to decline Minako’s constant demands to meet her at the game center, despite her general dislike of video games and noise. “What is this important plan of yours? Another handsome boy?”

“Hai, hai, but this time, it’s true love!” Minako stood erect, finger uplifted to point towards the heavens as if demanding benediction. “Just today, Aino Minako, has found true love!”

This would be the time for Artemis to make one of his usual snarky comments about her love life – his remark about her two thousandth, nine hundred and eighty second love still stung whenever she remembered it – but he was conspicuously absent from her dream. Almost as if he had never existed, and she never woke up in the mornings sneezing from his shedding fur all over her covers.

So Hikaru-chan said instead, “Honto, Minako? Who is it?”

Sighing longingly, the long-haired blonde smiled as she clasped her hands to her heart. If it were a shoujo anime, you’d be hearing romantic, inspiring music in the background, complete with cherry blossoms in the wind. Thankfully, it wasn’t a shoujo anime, and so Hikaru-chan was spared. “Minami-senpai from the Soccer Club. Ara ara, isn’t he amazingly kakkoi? We’re perfect for each other…”

Understanding as always, her friend didn’t comment on their lack of mutual enjoyments; after all, Minako was a volleyball nut, and he was a soccer star. She also didn’t comment on the fact that most boys at Shibakouen were viciously competitive, and that they held the long-haired blonde in near contempt for her constant victories on the track. Minami-senpai was no likely exception, and probably would have turned his back on her the moment she bested him at anything, if he even went out with her at all.

Minako didn’t realize how badly she missed Hikaru-chan until recently. Even though they shared classes, they rarely spoke anymore, as Hikaru-chan took her studies far more seriously than Minako, especially this year. And once Minako had dropped juku, she no longer saw her friend after the bell rang; Usagi, Rei, Ami, and Makoto had filled the void so well that Hikaru-chan would never have a place to fit. She had no desire to lose any of them, but she missed her old friend’s constant understanding and attention. Usagi was her princess, but it was Hikaru-chan who she had always considered to be one in spirit.

“Sugoi, Minako! Have you given him the letter yet? It’s the one you’ve held close for a week now, ne?” She knew the long-haired blonde had written one in juku, agonizing over its details instead of working on her math problems, and had refused to let anyone read it. Even the boys who usually nagged her for being such a tomboy left her alone; after she had beaten the biggest in the class for mocking her, they tended to stay away.

“Well…not yet. But tomorrow, I promise! I’ll do it! Aino Minako goes forth!” She pumped her fist in the air, before flashing her friend the victory sign and a wink.

Hikaru-chan laughed, pointing at a cardboard cutout positioned in the window of the game center. “You look just like Sailor Moon doing that. See?”

“Ne?” Minako spun around to see the cutout: Sailor Moon in slightly off-colour uniform, giving the victory sign as she grinned, her eyes hidden by her mask. Below her feet were block katakana and hiragana several centimetres tall telling everyone about the new game coming out that week. “Sailor Moon-chan! Sugoi….I wish I could be so pretty and strong. It’d be so great to have a video game made about me!”

“You do have blonde hair and blue eyes, just like her,” Hikaru-chan teased gently, pointing at the twin odango and their ponytails. “You could be her twin!”

“Hai, a twin! And then, we’d both be princesses from another world, and I’d never have to go back to school and take another test. I’d have servants to do it for me!” Minako spun her hand, gesturing as if commanding several invisible people. “You, go take my English exam! You, take my math final! You, cook a cake for home economics!”

“That’s bake a cake, Minako. And I’ve heard that Sailor Moon is not only a soldier of justice, but an undercover detective for the police. So she couldn’t be some exotic princess,” her friend retorted, shaking her head. “She could be just like us.”

Minako frowned, looking from the ad to her friend, who was looking nonchalantly at her wristwatch. “Uso! She can’t be just like us; someone like that, a soldier of justice, an ordinary girl? Someone like that is special. And I wish I was just like her.” She turned back to the ad, gathering up a handful of hair to pull up into a rough approximation of Sailor Moon’s unusual style. “And I’d be a hero. I’d be special. Not just Aino Minako, ordinary girl….”

Everything dissolved as Hikaru-chan spoke, perhaps reassuring her that she was hardly ordinary; that was what she did. She comforted people, often in her special volunteer clubs. Minako wished she could have heard what she said, but the waking world was beckoning her, lulling her eyes open despite their heaviness. “Ano…”

“Venus! Daijoubu?” Her princess was smiling at her, the very same open, inviting smile as her cardboard counterpart. Venus quirked a smile in return before she could help it. “Venus, you’re finally awake; I’m so glad.”

“Sailor Moon,” she burbled, rolling her eyes to see the other three. At the sight of Saturn, she frowned, obvious confusion on her face. “Sailor…Saturn? But how?”

“Destiny changes,” Saturn replied frankly, caressing the handle of the glaive with her thumb. “I am no longer the god of ruin, but a sailor soldier protecting my princess. Please accept my help, Sailor Venus.”

It was a formal request; even the odango-haired blonde could understand that. And Venus was the actual leader of the combined sailor soldiers, even though Sailor Moon out-ranked her as the princess Serenity, and often took – or was given – the lead. It was no surprise to see her honestly puzzle over what to say, because she took her role seriously; if she accepted Saturn, and something went wrong, it was on her head. All she had to do was remember the debacle that had nearly destroyed the entire planet, all of which could have been avoided if she had trusted Uranus and Neptune’s word and let them kill Tomoe Hotaru.

She stared into Saturn’s eyes unflinchingly. “Who are you?” she finally queried.

Visibly, the raven-haired girl startled. “I’m Tomoe Hotaru,” she said plainly, as if it should have been obvious. At her side, Neptune touched her shoulder, squeezing tightly.

Venus nodded, satisfied with her answer. “Then I accept, Tomoe Hotaru no Sailor Saturn. Please forgive my hesitance.” She looked up at the odango-haired blonde, who was smiling at her still, and pointed up at the ceiling. “They took Chibi-Usa to the roof. They’re waiting for you. I know she is, too.”

“So we assumed,” Uranus said, frowning. “But for what, we can’t imagine. Why make us run this maze?”

“To make Usagi-chan suffer,” Venus replied simply.

Sailor Moon’s expression fell as she absorbed those words, a cold dread tickling her spine. Why did everyone have so much hatred? What could she possibly have done to inspire it? All she seemed to be doing since becoming a soldier was defending herself against grievances she had neither committed yet, or had not truly been alive for. Lives lost and not yet led seemed to be the worst kind of fate for her. “Chibi-Usa-chan…to them, she lives as their princess. Would they hurt her in my place?”

“I don’t think so. I think Venus is right; but I also think they want something from you.” Neptune sounded pitying, recognizing the hurt on her princess’s face. “Something special that only you, as our princess, carry.”

Venus nodded, lying back on the floor with a tired sigh. “Of course. Such power could aid their plans. It would change the future.” She closed her eyes, yawning widely. “Go save Chibi-Usa, ne? I’ll stay right here.”

“Venus…”

“Come on, koneko-chan. We have a little princess to save.” Uranus touched her arm, catching her eye as she looked up. “The girls need to rest. The youma took a lot of their energy.”

“Hai; to the roof. I’ll lead us, this time. I know the way.” Sailor Moon stood up, clenching her fists. “Chibi-Usa-chan, I’m coming,” she murmured under her breath, as she pushed past Uranus and out the classroom door. This was her level, but not her room; if she looked down the hallway, she’d see it. The door she walked through six days out of the week, unconcerned and careless. Now when she came back, she’d see nothing but the images of darkness in these hallways, her friends lying on the floor, helpless.

But she wouldn’t give in to despair.

Chin up, she walked towards the stairs, knowing the others followed her. Being on the last floor meant that they had to find the roof access to go any further, hidden behind a plain wooden door. It was supposed to deter students from going up there, but as it was never locked, many used the flat space for lunchtime and solitary study after classes. Usagi herself had sat up there many a day with Naru and Moriya on sunny days, gossiping and sharing lunch. Imagining their lives in the future, married to their perfect husbands and living an easy life. Having children.

Pushing open the door, she ascended, determined to save her daughter. No matter what.

Sin stood, hands on hips, in the center of the roof. “Konban wa, Sailor Moon. You’ve made it quicker than I expected. How fortunate for us.” A smirk twisted her face as she stepped aside, showing the soldiers what lay behind her, at her feet.

The odango-haired blonde determinedly kept her expression straight as she saw Chibi-Usa’s unconscious form. She wouldn’t show fear to Sin; not when she was also convinced that the girl was laboring under a misimpression of her. “Chibi-Usa is just a kid. Why do you hate me so badly to kidnap her and my friends?”

“Hate?” Sin barked her laughter, turning her head. “I despise you, and your kind. Unfeeling, uncaring, completely unconcerned with the common people and their sadness! And still, I’ll give you a good destiny, separate from that life, once this is all over. Because I’m a better person than you, Neo Queen Serenity.” Holding out a hand, she said, “And all you have to do is give me the Ginzuishou.”

“I care about everyone! The entire world deserves happiness. How can you call me unfeeling and uncaring in such a cold manner? What have I done to deserve that?” Sailor Moon touched her brooch, gripping it tightly. “Maybe I’ve been clumsy and silly, but I still care. Handing over the Ginzuishou and its responsibility….iie. I can’t do that. Not when I can protect this world with its sparkling power.”

A rush of air signaled the arrival of Marduk, who sneered at them from Sin’s right. “How typically selfish of you. If that’s how you want to play it, then let the princess continue dreaming! She’s aware of her dream now, and she’s fighting to escape. All because you hesitate. After all, she’s hardly important to us.”

Opposite her, at Sin’s left, Nergal appeared. “As long as you hesitate, we’ll keep her trapped within her dream. No one can wake her up but us.”

Next to Marduk, Ishtar giggled as she arrived. “And we won’t do it. She’ll continue to dream her life away, slowly.”

Lastly, next to Nergal, Nabu shook her head as she appeared, as if disappointed. “If she dreams long enough, she’ll die. All of her energy will be gone, and the princess will be dead. If you don’t want this to happen, hand over the Ginzuishou. Sin’s already promised you happiness! You can be free of this life of fighting.”

“How obvious. They’re just trying to scare us, Sailor Moon. We’ll be able to wake Small Lady up, once we defeat them.” Neptune sounded confident. Of course, her way and Uranus’s way usually consisted of such tactics that did usually win them battles, messily and quickly. They would have no problem taking these girls down.

Uranus nodded, folding her arms across her chest as she gave them all a snort of disgust. “Don’t bother listening to them. It’s a simple trap, as they’ve all been.” Her hand, hidden in the crook of her elbow, grasped the hilt of the space sword, as the rest of it remained within subspace, ready to withdraw.

The odango-haired blonde turned her head, regarding her companions for a moment. All three of them were willing to fight to the teeth to rescue Chibi-Usa, no matter what the damage or injury. She was the only one truly willing to protect everyone involved, enemy or not; she didn’t want to fight Sin, or her friends, furthering the enmity between them. Not when she knew they were wrong about her.

Stepping forward, she said, “I’ll do it.”

“….Sailor Moon, what are you saying!?” Saturn gasped, as her adoptive parents simply froze, disbelieving. They had faith in their princess and her words, but this was beyond their expectations. Even a bubblehead such as Usagi couldn’t be that dumb to simply hand the enemy the source of her power.

But she was doing it; she was opening her brooch, calling forth the sparkling crystal as Sin smiled, triumphant. “How excellent! I’m glad you’ve seen the error of your ways. Perhaps in this time, you still have compassion within your heart.” Gesturing lazily, they watched as Chibi-Usa lifted off the ground, still asleep, and floated across the roof. Neptune held out her arms, and she landed, dead weight, in them. “See how we keep our promises? Your princess is returned. Now give me the holy stone!”

Sailor Moon looked entirely prepared to do so, until something landed in between them, blocking her view of Sin and her group. Forced a step back, she gasped, “Tuxedo Kamen-sama!”

“Just in time as always, it seems,” he replied, though he didn’t turn around. He stared coldly at Sin, who regarded him with a visible disgust. “Always, some enemy desires power that doesn’t belong to them. You’ve gone so far as to threaten innocent people to get what you want. How can you claim to know compassion?”

Nergal laughed, shaking her head. “Ara ara, the king wants to play soldier!”
Sin didn’t laugh. She simply stared at the dark-haired prince, clenching her fists in anger at how close she’d been to capturing their prize. “It doesn’t matter what you say. Your actions speak louder than words! That’s why we desire the Ginzuishou; changing destiny is difficult work. The one that exists now is faulty and stupid.”

“You want to change destiny? The world’s destiny?” Tuxedo Kamen frowned, remembering Kunzite’s words again. “But it’s not your decision.”

“Hai; it’s the decision of everyone, what they want to happen for themselves. You can’t just change their minds for them!” Sailor Moon said, looking around his cape, protectively cupping the crystal to her breast.

“Oh. Truly?”

There was no sound, no hint, of the dream that took both prince and princess down. Usagi blinked, looking around at the clean surroundings of their house, wiping her hands nervously across her apron. She’d been cleaning the dishes and washing the kitchen, preparing everything for the night’s party. “Anata, make sure you come back on time. After all, today’s a special day for us.”

Mamoru was staring at her wistfully from the doorway, dressed in a suit and tie for the office. Appearances mattered, even if he’d be putting the white coat on over his formal wear to visit his patients. “Of course. It’s June 30^th. Our little girl is growing up; and so are you, Usa.” He smiled at her, melting her heart. “I’ll make sure to come home at the right time.”

He paused, seeing her expression, and came back to give her a chaste, loving kiss. No matter how many times he kissed her, it always felt like the first time; a warm feeling that lingered despite even the cold. “Itekimasu, Usa,” he said against her lips, drawing away. “Aishiteru.”

“Aishiteru, Mamo-chan…”

Still dreaming, they stood on the rooftop, facing each other in a parody of their fantasy. Completely senseless to the world around them, as Sin smiled wider.

The pink-haired girl stared, small fists clenched, at the surrounding disaster. She knew this wasn’t the Crystal Tokyo of her lifetime; a glittering metropolis that spanned further than her city had managed to after the ice, now laid waste. It was as if that cataclysm had never occurred, and the city of Tokyo had simply continued to evolve and flourish beneath her mother’s rule, becoming beautiful and alive. And that amazing city had faced the terrible Black Moon.

Kilometres of buildings had been destroyed, charred and burning from the intense heat of the attack. Once healthy green fields were now ash; they spread far past her eyes over the hills. And she could see the bodies, kami-sama, so many of them in this vision…

She had run from the palace after seeing her mother struck down, crystallizing herself for safety, at first unaware that she was only a dream spectre. Then she had faced the first droid, fear galvanizing into anger, and power; without thinking, she had raised her hand, shouting, “Moon Prism Power, Make Up!” and transformed into Chibi-Moon. Even her weak attack had been enough to destroy the blank-faced droid, and she continued to run, slowly recognizing the differences in her world. Realizing she was trapped within an illusion.

That hadn’t helped once she encountered Demand; instead of being safe within the palace, safe within her crystal coffin, her mother had stood at the white-haired prince’s side. Dressed in a flowing gown of black and red, her crescent sigil inverted and slowly bleeding to black, Neo Queen Serenity had held out her arms and crooned, “Come here, my little rabbit. Mama will make everything better.”

“Hai, little rabbit,” Demand had mocked, caressing Serenity’s waist with a bloody hand. “After all, papa isn’t going to safe you anymore.”

And then she’d seen the shape at their feet that had once been King Endymion, but was now simply a corpse….she’d screamed and screamed, unaware that her true body had only whimpered to show her distress, and felt the Ginzuishou respond. Both grinning spectres had been blown away like straw, leaving her alone on the hill as she sobbed and voided her stomach into the grass. It wasn’t true, but it was so real that she wanted to beg the crystal to bring her mama and papa back.

So she’d stood up, and watched the city burn, unsure of what to do.

Now she was growing cold, despite her transformation, and she curled up on the grass. The city’s fires were burning themselves out, leaving the stench of smoke in her nostrils and smearing the air with an unhealthy grey pallor. As the smoke finally obscured her view, she could see someone silhouetted against the sky, walking up the hill towards her. A slender figure, with twin pigtails; her heart leaped, even as she warily clenched her fist, holding her rod.

She was right to be concerned, as she saw the girl waft away the smoke between them, giving them both a clear look at one another; her hair was blonde, yes, but her pigtails were tied with red ribbon, and her eyes, though crystal blue, were cold. Her sundress was white, but plain and obviously mended and worn. And even though she seemed to know Chibi-Moon by the direct glare she gave her, the pink-haired girl didn’t know the other at all.

“Princess Small Lady,” she said shortly, folding her arms. “Do you enjoy my illusion? I know how difficult it must be, seeing our city burn.”

“It’s terrible. How could you enjoy even creating the image of such suffering?”

“Because I witnessed it. I saw the terror of the common people, that you, princess, never bothered to. But even still, I tried to give you a happy dream. Because of a wish. And your shining crystal denied my efforts, so I changed my tactic.”

Chibi-Moon stood up, not even bothering to hide her rod, and queried, “A wish? Who wished for me to have a happy dream?”

The other girl scowled, apparently aware of her slip. “Urusai! That’s none of your concern! Just know that I tried to honour that wish, and it was your selfishness that worked against me. I merely came to tell you this.”

“You came into my….my dream? Is that what this is?”

“Your nightmare, now. You sincerely anger me, and so I chose to torment you.” The girl stepped back, flinging open her arms. “As the Oppositio Soldier Sin, I can do that! Finally, the power to usurp your selfish destiny is in my hands. Even now, your queen is falling into my trap.”

Chibi-Moon stared at her. The ‘Oppositio Soldier’? Was she part of a new group of enemies? And what could she possibly mean by—

“Masaka…” She gaped, taken aback; it wasn’t often, if ever, that she’d heard her own mother referenced as ‘your queen.’ Even less had she ever heard of Sailor Moon, in this time, called that. “You mean, Sailor Moon? You’re tricking her!” She lifted the rod immediately, aiming for the ponytailed blonde. “I won’t let you!”

Sin laughed at her, turning as if to walk away. “It doesn’t matter, little princess. She’s already given herself up to my hands. And what will you do to stop me?”

“Pink Sugar Heart Attack!”

All of her anger and despair seemed to explode from the crown of her weapon, a powerful blow that nearly knocked her out of her boots. Sin – or, more accurately, her dream representation – barely had the chance to widen her eyes in shock before she was atomized. The beam continued to soar across the grass, finally impacting with the tip of the palace that rose high above the city; the light faceted, striking the world and ripping it apart.

And Chibi-Usa opened her eyes to see – “Sailor Neptune?”

“Small Lady…! You’ve woken up!” The aqua-haired beauty looked to be just as surprised to see her, though she immediately set her down on her feet.

“Hai, I used my power to fight my illusion! But that doesn’t matter! Sailor Moon’s in danger, and I have to stop it!” Chibi-Usa turned around as she spoke, gasping at the end of her words once she saw the inert figures of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen. And past them she could see Sin’s smiling face; their eyes met; and the ponytailed blonde lifted an eyebrow imperiously, as if to mock her with her helplessness.

Damn her.

So she simply ran towards them, not even noticing Uranus or Saturn, both of whom had drawn power and were hesitant to use it, and began to beat on Tuxedo Kamen’s chest with her fists. She didn’t even think to transform; seeing her friends – her parents – so senseless left her with only the basest plan available. “Tuxedo Kamen-sama, Tuxedo Kamen-sama! Wake up! Wake up, wake up, wake up! It’s a trick! Don’t fall for it!” She continued to pummel him as hard as possible, knowing he was more likely to snap out of it first.

The rush of air signaled the release of a World Shaking attack, tearing up the roof as it sped towards the Oppositio Soldiers, and barely missing the royal family. It ripped away half of the dark-haired prince’s cape, jerking him around; as his daughter grabbed his jacket, trying to steady him, she shouted again, “Wake up! Tuxedo Kamen-sama!”

A glow of golden light danced within his eyes. She looked up, startled, only to see him slowly turn his head, searching for the source of danger he sensed. He grabbed her suddenly and pushed her aside as Sin, howling her anger, released a cumulative attack along with her companions. “Die, you bastards! Die!” she shrieked.

He took the blow without flinching, shielding his princess and child with his body. The light blinded them all as it took him down to his knees, spasming with a seizure on the roof. Sin gasped for breath, obviously furious that he hadn’t immediately died. “Shimatta…! The power should have….for one so weak in this time, it should have destroyed him!”

Sailor Moon blinked, rocking back on her heels. So suddenly, the illusion left her, not too long after her prince had exited the house and their dream; the Oppositio Soldiers had wasted much of their strength on what was to have been their ultimate blow. It drained her spirit badly, even though she felt the Ginzuishou working to cast off the effects of what was effectively negative energy as she collected her bearings.

“Tuxedo Kamen-sama!” she gasped belatedly, recognizing the body at her feet, now still and barely breathing. She dropped to her knees immediately at his side, cupping his face. “Tuxedo Kamen-sama, daijoubu? Daijoubu!?”

“The Oppositio Soldiers tried to attack us with a strong power, but Tuxedo Kamen-sama protected us,” Chibi-Usa said, startling her; the pink-haired girl was shaking, fists clenched at her sides. But it wasn’t fear, the odango-haired blonde realized; it was anger. Anger at the people who had hurt her father. Already her hand was rising to grab her own brooch, preparing to call her magic.

“Sou yo! We did try! But this time, even we can’t miss!” Marduk’s voice cut through their panic like a knife. Pointing her finger, the deadwood-haired brunette let loose what looked to be the hellish equivalent of Jupiter’s lightning; black and sizzling with fury, it tore up the roof in much the same way as Uranus’s attack. And the main targets of her ire were trapped in its path, unwilling to leave the dark-haired prince behind.

The three outer planet soldiers were running the short distance as soon as Marduk spoke, but it was Saturn who made it first, having thrown the glaive aside as a hindrance. She knew Chibi-Usa couldn’t block such an attack on her own, and Sailor Moon looked to be drained from what had been a crafty illusion. It crossed her mind even as she skidded to a stop in front of them that she could block the power herself; but she couldn’t even fathom how. The varied attacks of Saturn had been long lost within time, as the god of ruin had no need for them.

Even still, it wasn’t nearly as strong a blow as before. “Saturn!” she heard Chibi-Usa scream, disbelief and terror colouring her voice, as the lightning tore across her body, shaking her in the same sort of seizure that she’d witnessed Tuxedo Kamen experience. Most of the pain, she rationalized, had to be because of her metal joints; even after she fell, the sensation of electrical shocks strong enough to roll her eyes back continued to dance down her limbs and spine. Somehow, that didn’t comfort her. “Hotaru-chan!”

Twin spheres of blue and gold spun overhead, aimed for the Oppositio Soldiers; but even before she heard the sound of impact, she knew they were gone. For such impatient people to wait around after being defeated was ludicrous. “Chibi-Usa-chan,” she sighed, feeling her facial muscles twitch uncontrollably.

“Saturn, hold on! We’ll take you back to the hospital!” Uranus lifted her from the rooftop, somewhat awkwardly considering her unusual weight. And the last time the tall sandy-blonde had held her in her arms lovingly had been only yesterday, when she was still the tiny baby…

But destiny had changed, and Sin had a lot to answer for.

Chibi-Usa was holding back her tears with a visible effort, which Usagi couldn’t even fault her for. Had this been any normal situation, she may’ve even teased her about it, always prepared to chivvy out the small faults and blemishes of the girl who continued to act as if she were the adult instead of the odango-haired blonde. But all she had to do was look over at the bed, and the pale, sleeping figure underneath the sheets, and she was fighting back the urge to bawl as well. “Mamo-chan,” she mumbled, picking at a frayed edge of her borrowed robes.

There was also the figure standing just within her peripheral vision – well, two, if you counted the ghostly shape next to her – that seemed to beg for tears as well. If it wasn’t bad enough to wake up and find out that a new enemy had arrived, intent on undoing all of her good work and then some, it was worse to survive the first attack and find her dead friend alive in her boyfriend’s apartment. So far, she couldn’t even bring herself to speak to the girl. She didn’t even know what to say.

“Tsukimidango, you need to let him rest.” Moriya spoke just quietly enough to barely be heard as she shifted in the doorway. She seemed to be just as uncomfortable with the situation, even though they both had technically spoken only yesterday. Only the body had essentially changed. “There’s nothing you can do right now.”

“I don’t want to leave him.” Short and blunt did not become her. Chibi-Usa looked at her in concern; she had no clue who Chouno Moriyakumi had been, nor why Alex seemed to be split into pieces. All she knew was that it was upsetting Usagi, who, surprisingly, was refusing to talk about it.

A set of knuckles tapped the door as Haruka appeared, giving Moriya and Alex a hooded glance and a wide berth. “Come on, koneko-chan, she’s right. We need our princess at the moment; let your prince sleep.”

“I don’t want to!” Usagi folded her arms, hugging herself tightly as she looked away. “Why can’t I be left alone? I can’t leave his side right now, I’m sorry.”

“Usagi, it isn’t even your fault. We need to think of a solution that doesn’t involve you pining away in his bloody room like a widow.” Though she was effectively as solid as the breeze, Alex still walked across the carpet like her normal self, fixing the odango-haired blonde with a stern gaze. “Like Haruka said; we need our princess. You can do more good out there than you can in here.”

Crystal blue wavered as she looked up. Through her, she could see Moriya staring at her, looking just as concerned as Chibi-Usa. Haruka seemed impassive, hands in her pockets, as she watched the entire room. “Alex onee-chan…”

“You know I’m right. I’m a damned spirit, and I still have to make all of the decisions around here! You guys should be paying me by the hour for this.” She shook her head, looking from Usagi to her own, younger self, and muttered something beneath her breath. “This isn’t comfortable for me either, p’tite, but we do what we must. Whatever took Mamoru down is potent; Hotaru’s recovering, slowly, but she probably received a much weaker dose.”

“Hai; whatever those Oppositio Soldiers did, it’s completely disrupted Chiba’s spirit.” Moriya took up the slack perfectly, which was entirely unnerving. “Using the Ginzuishou isn’t an option right now, not with the unknown variable of their power.”

They finally succeeded in hustling the two princesses out, though not before they almost meticulously arranged his bedclothes and kissed him several times. Outside, in the main living room, everyone else – sans Hotaru – was waiting anxiously spread out across the couch and armchair like a living organism. Sakakku-san had already left to, in Alex’s terms, “Hide out at the apartment, seeing as she may as well have a target on her forehead.” Luna hopped up immediately once she saw Usagi, and queried, “Usagi-chan, you can’t blame yourself.”

“I know, Luna, but it hurts. Again, Mamo-chan’s been hurt because of me; because of someone’s hatred. It just isn’t fair.” The odango-haired blonde collapsed into the hastily vacated chair, head bowed.

“What isn’t fair is this unruly change in our destiny.” Michiru sounded almost military crisp as she spoke, a clear indication of how Hotaru’s condition was affecting her. “These Oppositio Soldiers are thoughtless.”

“If only we hadn’t fallen into their trap. Gomen nasai, Usagi-chan…we could have prevented Mamoru-san’s pain,” Makoto sighed, hunching her shoulders. Minako, standing next to her, looked at her rather curiously.

“And how could we have known, Mako-chan? Like the Black Moon, they can predict our lives easily.”

The blue-haired genius stroked a hand down Diana’s back as she said, “And what can we do now, to stop Mamoru-san’s pain? Hotaru-san has more than just the physical pain of her attack threatening her, and until we turn destiny back, we can’t help her easily. We have to concentrate on –“

“Healing our master. Hai. That’s the first solution to this problem.”

Only Haruka, Michiru, and Diana seemed ignorant of the owner of the voice. Everyone else, in varied degrees, looked either startled or angry as they looked around for the source. When the four stones in their case began to rattle, the mystery was solved. “The stones of the generals,” Alex muttered. “Mamoru said he’d managed to talk to them, through those leftovers.”

“That’s correct, Crystal Guardian-sama. Our master did indeed manage to contact us, these spiritual anchors trapping us as surely as any cage. But we bear no more malice for him, nor the one who bound us; it’s given us hope, knowing we can simply talk to our master again.” Kunzite’s shape appeared ghostly, just as substantial as Alex, his uniform perfect. But it was now white instead of grey, his cape now hooded and more of an enveloping cloak around his body. A sword was strapped to his hip; his boots were shined to a gleam.

“Kunzite…are you swearing dedication to Endymion again?” Minako’s voice seemed slightly higher than normal, though she was staring at the silver-haired general with an unwaveringly firm glare. “If not, I’ll gladly destroy those stones and cast you all back into the darkness.”

“Don’t concern yourself, Venus-sama. After the light of the holy stone cleansed us, we could never turn back to that traitorous witch,” Nephrite said, taking Kunzite’s place. His uniform had undergone the same change, along with the cloak ad sword. Though it had been forgotten for ages, it looked as if the royal uniform of the Earthen army was back in style.

Kunzite re-appeared. “We’ve come to tell you of our master’s condition. His body has been overrun with negative energy, in an interesting spell. Not even the Ginzuishou could cleanse him properly, because it was created specifically to destroy the princess. But our master…”

“He doesn’t have such power to survive,” Rei said flatly, cutting the silver-haired general off. He appeared annoyed as he stared at her, visibly halting his next words.

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we must give him positive energy in greater amounts, to chase away the negative.” Zoisite looped a strand of hair around his gloved finger, obviously preening to be seen in his new uniform and body. “That will save him.”
Haruka stared at him with open suspicion as she said, “Well, that’s an excellent idea. And just how are we supposed to do that, if the Ginzuishou has no effect?”

“We’ll be able to cleanse him with our atonement.” Jadeite stepped forward and sideways, gesturing towards the stones in their case. “Do you see these stones? These are the cursed stones that the witch Beryl trapped our souls with, but they are not the whole pieces. These are stones full of darkness. The other halves are full of light.”

“You’ll have to find the stones full of light, and bring them together with the stones full of darkness. By our will, they’ll become one; a holy stone full of power. With that, you can cleanse the master and cure him of this spell.” Kunzite folded his arms, smiling wryly. “The stones full of light contain the essence of our powers, which fled back to their origin upon our deaths, and all of our hopes.”

Artemis glared at the apparition, not in the least trusting. “So you expect us to go find these stones on a whim? I fail to expect that such traitors would sell us the truth.”

Minako clapped her hand down onto his head, pushing him into the couch cushion to silence him. “Baka Artemis, we can take care of ourselves! And we won’t all go; there’s only four generals, ne? So only four of us will go.”

Nephrite nodded, spreading his hands in a gesture of peace. “Very insightful, Venus-sama. Unfortunately, we can only guess at where our stones of light have gone to, on this planet. Most likely, to our lands of origin, but to pinpoint exactly….”

“It’s difficult,” Zoisite cut in, sighing. “Without our true powers, it’s hopeless. I expect mine to be within Europe.”

“Mine should be within North America,” Nephrite said.

“I believe mine should reside somewhere within Asia,” Jadeite added.

Kunzite smiled coolly, saying, “Mine should be within the Middle East. When they’re brought together, we’ll heal the master.” He waved back at the case, adding, “When you take these stones, they should bring you within several kilometres of the other. Because of her spell, they won’t lead you directly to the source of our hopes.”

“We’ll do it,” Makoto said firmly. “I volunteer to go to North America.”

“And I volunteer to go to Europe,” Ami said next.

Minako smiled with the same approximate coolness as Kunzite, saying, “I’ll go to the Middle East.”

“Which leaves me with Asia, I suppose,” Rei said.

“Wait a minute, who said you four are going?” Haruka cut in, shooting a glare towards the silver-haired general. “Michiru and I—“

Surprisingly, Moriya cut her off, moving to step right in front of the tall sandy-blonde to make sure she had her attention. “—and me, we’re staying right here. Usagi-chan needs powerful protection, in case the enemy arrives. Do you agree?”

The aqua-haired beauty frowned, looking at the ghostly American. “And what about you? What will you do?”

“I’ll be travelling with the girls. They need someone to keep them company.” She said it as if she’d expected no argument, and she received none. “I can separate myself out to go with each of them. In case something goes wrong, of course.” Shrugging, she glanced at Moriya. “Even though I don’t have all of my powers at my disposal, it doesn’t mean I’m letting you go off alone.”

Kunzite laughed, though it sounded far away and receding as he withdrew back into his crystal. “I would expect nothing less from the masterful woman who proved herself the equal of men. Your soldiers are still your personal concern, as were mine. Fare you well, sailor soldiers. Our master will be waiting.”

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A Different Story Chapter 01 : ...Her Destiny (part one)

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:49:51 GMT

he comes from far away. from the depth of the darkness, he continues to wander…

soon, the void of the darkness is interrupted by something.

the darkness is shone upon by the light. the light covers the darkness, and the darkness is no more.

then, the light and the darkness are one. the light makes light and the dark makes darkness. i seek the darkness…and before long…

he and i will become one.

It was a beautiful day with a crisp tang in the air that spoke of winter’s chill, a temporary respite from the snow and cold that would soon arrive for good. A brisk day, good for huddling around cups of steaming drinks, dressed in light woolens and long clothes.

If you happened to be one of those people walking past a particular house that day, chancing to look up towards the roof to see a black cat crouched atop the shingles, you’d think nothing of it. Cats climb trees all the time; why not houses? Even if this one seemed to be poised alertly, head held high, as if it were scenting the air for something in particular.

Which Luna was, if you had asked her.

Resolutely, she nodded her head. It was indeed beautiful outside, but that niggling sense of hers told her differently; something dark lurked, just out of mind. They had been given a reprieve in these past months from the terrors of the enemy, but that didn’t mean peace. She knew, absolutely, something was about to happen again, which meant she had some serious work to do.

Leaping down from the roof, she landed easily on a particularly large branch in the tree next to the house. Pausing to regain her balance, she leapt again, so well versed in distance by now that she cleared the open windowsill perfectly. But even her sense of memory could be off, when one shared living space with a forgetful blonde; instead of hitting the carpet and her stride, she landed awkwardly on an old stuffed dinosaur. She flipped forward with a squawk, bouncing the remaining distance to the tiny table where piles of forgotten schoolbooks lay.

“Ita-ai-i,” she moaned, watching the world spin.

Unsurprised at any response on part of the room’s second occupant, she rolled onto her paws and shook her head. Typical Usagi. The girl had certainly matured since her responsibilities as Sailor Moon had been unceremoniously dumped into her lap, but on drowsy weekends, she still had a habit of napping the day away instead of making the most of it. Especially now, with her mother beginning to breathe even harder down her neck about her looming exams.

Poised again, she leapt up onto the bed. Again, unsurprisingly, the occupant didn’t even stir, unless one counted a smack of the lips as stirring. Or a mumbled, “Mmmahhh…Mamo-cha-a-an….”

“Usagi-chan,” Luna whispered.

“Num…mmm…”

An ear twitched. “Usagi-chan…”

“Mmmaahh…”

Kami-sama. Arching her back, Luna did a mad hop in place, shaking the mattress and the body atop. “Usagi-chan! Wake UP!”

An arm appeared out of the blankets and flopped over the side of the bed. In due order, the head appeared next, then the shoulders. Puffy crystal blue eyes stared at the black feline in groggy confusion. “Ne, Luna? What’s wrong? I was taking a lovely nap…”

“Sleeping through another beautiful day, as usual,” Luna responded dryly. “Now, it’s time to wake up. Something is wrong. I can feel an unusual energy in the city, and we need to investigate it.”

The odango-less blonde continued to stare at her, obviously not yet coherent. It was apparently taking her some time to put the usual two and two together, and Luna sat back on her haunches, trying to be patient. Finally, Usagi yawned widely, and burbled, “Ah, that’s nice. You go do that now.” And with the air of someone relieved, she flopped back down onto her pillow and closed her eyes.

Another ear twitch. She sometimes wished she and Artemis had switched roles, that he had been saddled with such a burden; but, on further thought, she had also realized that having Minako as a student and partner could have been potentially worse. But she did love Usagi; the girl was like a daughter to her, someone she felt she had raised for better or worse this past year. Even Diana, grown several years in the future and new to her life in the past, did not quite have that place in her heart yet.

So she padded forward and smacked Usagi in the head. “Usagi-chan, wake up now! Out of bed, you lazy girl!”

That got a response. The blonde shrieked, sitting upright with such force that Luna was thrown onto the floor. “Luna! Why did you have to wake me so rudely?!”

“I told you! It’s time to investigate! As Sailor Moon, you have that responsibility to investigate every possible danger!” The black feline leapt back up, waving her paw in a rather human gesture. “Now get up and out of bed!”

Usagi pouted, pulling the covers up to her chin. So warm, so cozy. “Are you sure, Luna? After all, we’ve been at ease. Could this really be a possible enemy?”

Luna sighed, bowing her head. “I don’t know, Usagi-chan. But we must make sure. To be caught off guard so suddenly would be dangerous.”

Silently, the blonde crawled out of bed, stretching lazily and scratching her side. She had on a pair of rumpled bunny pajamas that she rather clumsily stripped off, staggering around her room like a zombie as she searched for day clothes. Finally she just pulled on her uniform, which was neatly washed for the week and still on its hangars. Nimble fingers worked her hair up into its two odango, automatic in placement of pins and hair ties.

Finally she turned around, yawning again. “Now, Luna?”

They descended the stairs in companionable silence, the cat quicker in pace; she bounced down the steps easily, her small body now long adjusted to the activity of steps. Usagi was tottering on her feet, rocking back and forth like a child’s punching bag, and yawning every other step. Clearly, these past few month of leisure had slackened her, not that she had been on any particular schedule before. Sometimes the feline found it a miracle that she even got to school in the mornings.

Of course, if this was a new enemy, getting to school on time would be the least of their concerns.

….Chapter 1 : Her Destiny

The cold was certainly good for one thing; it shocked Usagi awake. She flinched as she opened her front door, unprepared for the brisk winter day, as she had been so cozy up in her room. But it wasn’t bad enough to bring a jacket, so she just kept on walking, pouting at the general unfairness of it all as Luna strode at her heels. Her day had been planned out so perfectly, too; sleep, eat some snacks, watch TV, sleep some more until tomorrow. Of course, Chibi-Usa would have probably gotten in the way somehow anyway, demanding her fair share of snacks, or hogging the remote.

Most of her neighborhood was quiet, which was rather normal for a Sunday. Her neighbors seemed to be mostly meditative Buddhists, which meant her house was generally the noisiest on the block, and an embarrassment to her mother. Today was no exception, so at Luna’s short, meaningful nod, they continued onward into Juuban proper and the business streets in particular.

“Can’t I at least call someone to help us?” she whined after a few minutes. “Like Ami-chan, or Alex-onee-chan, or –“

“I don’t want to disturb them until we know what’s wrong. To worry everyone…iie. We’ll investigate first, and then alert the others.”

Usagi pouted even harder, longingly eyeing the stores as they passed by. She had very little allowance left, and to be paraded through these businesses on such a day was torture. Most of them were thankfully closed, however, making it a little easier on her conscience. “Luna, I don’t truly feel anything,” she sighed after passing the candy store.

The black feline twitched her nose, staring across the street. “I no longer do either. So unusual…as if, whatever I felt, has left. But such strange energy! I can’t assume that it left nothing behind.”

“Hai, hai,” the odango-haired blonde agreed tiredly, staring into the clock shop’s smudged windows, adding her fingerprints to the mess. She watched the pendulums for several minutes, unaware she was being lulled back into sleep until Luna sank her claws into her calf. “ITTAAIII!”

“Usagi-chan, focus! Didn’t you hear that?!” the cat demanded, removing her claws as Usagi sat right down on the concrete, rubbing her leg.

She scowled, tears of pain still shining in her eyes. “Hear what? The soothing clocks? My soft bed, calling to me?”

“Iie. Someone screaming for help!”

“Nani?” Usagi limped after the cat as she ran off, trying to trace the sound to its source. Not an inspired runner on her good days, she was now less than miraculous with blood still welling from four neat little punctures on her calf. Cursing whatever evil being decided to come to Tokyo and disturb her sleep, she finally turned the last corner to find Luna pacing in a tight circle in front of their destination.

The Osa-P store. Naru’s home. She felt her blood turn cold. “Not Naru-chan,” she whispered faintly, touching her brooch.

Now she could hear the screaming, though it was thanks to Luna’s sensitive ears that they recognized the danger; even here, right in front of the door, it was a muffled wail. But she knew that voice. “Naru-chan! Luna, let’s go!”

“Quietly, Usagi-chan; let’s see who they are!”

Together they crept through the front doors, thankfully silent and automatic, seeing almost immediately that they had not been spotted; Naru and her mother were huddled against the wall, still in their pajamas and nightgown, partially hidden by the body of their attacker. And it was no human thief, judging by the strange bulk of the right arm, and their unusually angular body. “Help us! For the love of the kami, someone, please!” Naru screamed again, rather bravely trying to defend her mother. One of her sleeves had been neatly shred into pieces, and she raised that arm again as the thief stepped forward.

“Luna…!”

“I don’t know, Usagi-chan; I can’t even sense it, as if…as if it’s not truly there,” the black cat confessed, troubled. “But it looks like one of the Dark Kingdom’s creatures.”

Usagi touched her brooch again, looking fierce. “It doesn’t matter. I have to save Naru-chan! Moon Cosmic Power, Make Up!”

Her transformation was strangely comforting, like revisiting an old friend. Since the defeat of Master Pharaoh 90, she had not taken up the power of Sailor Moon; she didn’t even know if she could call back the golden cup and become Super. At the moment, however, this suit was enough. She stood up with a determined scowl on her face, walking out from behind the jewelry case they had taken refuge behind. Naru and her mother caught sight of her and gaped, both frozen in the act of screaming again.

“This is it! No longer will I tolerate you abusing these innocent people!” the odango-haired blonde snapped, coming to a halt. “Youma, daimon, whatever you are! I am Sailor Moon, and I will destroy you for harming Naru!”

The thief turned around and smiled.

Clicked two immense scissor blades that took the place of her right arm.

She definitely was a youma; no droid had such grotesque features, no daimon looked so inhuman within its new body. But where in the name of the kami had it come from? Was it some forgotten youma that had never been destroyed or even found before Metallia’s defeat? Had it been wandering the city all this time? It had to be impossible, yet here she – it – stood, defiantly smiling.

And then it lunged at her, snapping its blades at her neck. She ducked, more out of instinct than rational thought, and scampered out of the way. It carelessly smashed into one of the glass cases as it stood back up, scattering broken glass and priceless jewelry across the floor. Again it came towards her, though this time it intercepted her dive for safety and managed to slice her across the arm as she rolled away.

“That’s it!” Mindful of her arm, and noting her leg was still aching, she managed to twist around and kick the youma straight in the face. Then she summoned the heart moon rod as it jerked away, spitting out what she assumed were some teeth. “Your evil queen should have taken you all with her into the darkness,” she said angrily, aiming her weapon. “Moon Spiral Heart Attack!”

The youma didn’t have a chance. This was a miraculous power she had now, so much stronger than her tiara and moon stick. It blasted the creature into particles of useless dust, leaving behind a smear of gray on the floor. She lowered the rod and heaved a sigh. “My day was going so well until now.”

“Sailor Moon, you saved us!” Naru was beaming at her, seemingly unaware of her troubled thoughts. “Arigatou gozaimasu!”

“Hai, arigatou gozaimasu, Sailor Moon! If you hadn’t arrived…” her mother added, coming up to set a protective hand on Naru’s head.

Sailor Moon smiled, releasing the rod. “I’ll always arrive to save you. No matter what, just call for me, and I’ll come right away.” The fact that she had just saved one of her oldest friends from danger gladdened her heart; and she made her hasty exit with a spring in her step, Luna quick at her heels.

Once outside, instead of de-transforming, she yawned again. “Ara, fighting youma is so tiring! Now, I can go back to sleep. Luna, are you coming?”

The cat frowned up at her, obviously puzzled. “Sailor Moon, you can’t possibly assume this was the only incident. You can’t just go back to sleep!”

“Or maybe, I’ll call Mamo-chan. After all, a Sunday is a day for rest and relaxation, which is best with one’s true love,” the odango-haired blonde sighed wistfully, clearly not listening.

“Sailor Moon, are you listening to me? We can’t lower our guard! This could be trouble! We need to alert the others!”

“I wonder what he’s doing now?”

“Sai-lor Moon!” Moments later, a shriek rattled the windows.

“LUNA! Stop clawing me, I’m going, I’m going!”

Several blocks away, comfortable and safe beneath fresh sheets, Chiba Mamoru dreamed he was somewhere else.

This was not unusual, because he often dreamed of this different world; stone paths perfectly lain beneath his boots, pillars rising from fragrant rose gardens, carved arches leading to domed buildings. But in those dreams, he was not Chiba Mamoru, but Endymion, crown prince of Earth, and of this magnificent kingdom, its name was always on the tip of his tongue but never memorable. He knew this world, but couldn’t tell even his princess if he tried; only the visible details lingered.

But this time, the dream was different.

This time, he was Mamoru.

He blinked, feeling out of place without that protective shell, that second identity that fit into this world where he didn’t; not the prince, but the pauper this time, it seemed. Even more embarrassing was that he wore his purple pajamas, the pair Usagi had given him as a public birthday present – her secret gift had been much more memorable – his feet still bare, his hair no doubt tousled from sleep. This was certainly odd, because dreams had nothing to do with reality, and yet, it seemed as if reality had intruded on this one.

“Why am I here?” he muttered, absently reaching up to finger-comb his hair into a presentable state. “This makes no sense at all…”

“Of course this makes sense, Master. As we no longer exist to serve you in the physical, we do so in the mental.”

The dark-haired prince turned.

Behind him on the path, as translucent as a mirage, stood a tall, slightly tanned man in a tailored grey uniform and cape. His hair was silver, nearly white, and fallen past his shoulders. And despite his grim smile, Mamoru was sure he was glad to see him. “Master.”

“Kunzite! But you’ve never visited me like this. Why now?”

He remembered that first time he had made contact with his former friends through their stones, too stunned to speak as they had appeared in his living room. So many emotions; he, Mamoru, had not known quite how to react, whilst Endymion was equally saddened and still stung by their betrayal. After that, he had not had the courage to try again and face such turmoil, because after several minutes, his own feelings had turned to rage at being hurt by their cruelty as Beryl’s servants.

But he had also recognized that this dream world he visited was their world as well, and he had always held a shred of hope that they would show themselves. Perhaps they could have talked more, forgiven each other, become friends again. They never had. And so he had walked those paths alone.

The silver-haired general bowed slowly in the presence of his master. “Because I am needed, Master. To serve my prince. You and your princess are now the true guardians of this world, defenders against the darkness. And that darkness approaches now, in the form of a comet, far into our future.”

Mamoru looked away, his mouth set grimly. “So again, an enemy is coming,” he murmured, watching the flowers sway in the breeze. Then, he said, slightly puzzled, “But this enemy is in the future? Why are you alerting me now? Surely by that future, the threat will be gone or forgotten.”

“Because though it approaches in the future, it has the power to change everything. Destiny is in danger of being diverted to another stream. A person is attempting to capture its power to do this. That is the danger. Everything that has been, that could be, that will be, is going to be remade in this person’s image.”

“But what can I do? What am I supposed to do? If this is in the future, why isn’t King Endymion moving to fix it?” It felt odd to refer to his future self as someone else, as a separate entity, but until he fully accepted himself as the prince and monarch, they were in fact so different. “Haven’t you warned him instead?”

Kunzite tilted his head, fixing him with a cool stare that indicated his respectful displeasure with Mamoru’s question. “Because the king is not the prince. Long ago, barbarians would ride behind their king into battle, following his spirit because he was a god. And if he fell in battle, their cause was lost. Only a fool in these learned times would send their monarchs out as slaughter.” He smiled wryly. “You are not yet that monarch, Master. You are still the knight, fighting these battles. And though the person is in the future, safe from your sword, even they have peasants to fight their battle wherever they please.”

Archaic as the answer was, Mamoru got the gist. The evil was sending its servants into the past, into his present, where they would have to be stopped. “And so we’ll be fighting again, after so little peace. Will this victory matter, after all? Surely more enemies will come after them, wanting everything.”

“Of course it will matter, Master. Again, you’ll be the one to decide your destiny, to chose the future.” The general was even more insubstantial now, barely smoke against the breeze. “Have faith for that shining world, Master.”

“Kunzite!”

Everything was dissolving now, shredding at the edges.

With a desperate gulp for air, Mamoru woke up. “Destiny,” he gasped, breathing hard. “Kami-sama…”

“Ahh, that feels so good!” Rei sighed, holding her hands out over the merrily burning leaf pile. Residing atop a hill often brought with it chillier winds in winter, shaking the leaves off the trees earlier than the rest down the block. It was not surprising to see her in coat and gloves descending the steps for school, only to unzip near the bottom before getting on the bus.

Today had been an excellent day for a fire, and she had called the others on sheer whim to come help her; they could roast sweet potatoes and help her rake the rest of the leaves to feed the flames. She had been unsurprised to hear that Ami was busy studying, but that she’d attempt to make it later in the day; Makoto had agreed; and Minako was…well, who knew. Maybe with Usagi, creating mischief.

So Makoto had shown up, bringing more potatoes and a thermos full of hot tea. She’d been alone for the day, apparently, the tall red-head having left last night on some random errand. Rei had to wonder what sort of errand it could be, but felt no need to pursue the matter further and simply handed the tall brunette a rake. They then attacked the leaves with gusto for two hours, pausing to greet visitors and, on a couple occasions, selling them charms, before they even lit the pile.

Now the potatoes were roasting, both of them were warming their hands, and most of the yard had been properly cleaned up. Phobos and Deimos were prancing around, catching the bugs that had been uncovered and snapping them up to fill their bellies. “They’re such interesting birds,” Makoto had remarked upon seeing them. “Did you name them?”

“Hai, the very day I arrived here. Something in my spirit told me.” Rei watched them fondly, remembering that day vividly. Her grandfather still could not recall it without laughing, the very sight of a prim and proper Rei in her white dress chasing after two crows. And then having the audacity to name them as if they were proper pets! It had been peculiar at the time, but surprising to him later on that the two birds had indeed become fond of her. They even came to her hand when she called their names.

Both birds looked up suddenly, alert. They took to the air as Rei turned towards the torii, expecting some more schoolgirls or young women seeking a love charm, only to hear, “Minna! It’s terrible news!”

Usagi came huffing and puffing up the stairs, Luna on her shoulder. “I’ve just fought another youma!” she announced as she reached the top, gesturing widely with her arms. “This could be trouble for our peaceful year.”

The two stared at her for a long minute.

“Usagi-chan, a youma? Are you sure?” Makoto finally queried, wrinkling her brow.

“I’m sure! Luna said so!”

Both girls glanced openly towards the black feline for confirmation, who managed an approximate of a human shrug. “I couldn’t be positive that it was youma, but it was definitely a dangerous enemy with a familiar sense.” Flicking an ear in worry, she leveled her gaze on Rei. “Can you sense anything, Rei? I’ve felt it in the air above the city…something amiss.”

“Hai, but it was so gentle I thought it was my imagination. And once I meditated properly this morning, it seemed to vanish completely.” Now the dark-haired shrine girl looked pensive, most likely annoyed that her long-ingrained training had not alerted her before a magical cat. “Now, however…a little something, like an errant breeze.”

Luna nodded curtly, springing down from her perch with an easy leap. “Exactly. Something tricky. We must have a meeting to decide our plans; Ami, Minako, Alex-san, they need to be contacted. We can continue here once they arrive—“

“Konnichi wa, minna!” a cheerful but mild voice called, interrupting the cat. Looking around, they saw Ami trudging up the steps, carrying her school case, and dressed somberly in her regulation winter coat and a long black skirt. She looked ready for a long trip, not just a short visit. “I’m sorry I came so late.”

“Actually, we didn’t even expect you to come, buried so deeply in your books,” Makoto teased, removing a potato from the flames. She fanned it with a hand as she added, “But of course you did, because you promised.”

“Well, I was held up, and I can’t stay long. Okaa-san has given me a mission. So I hope there was nothing important to discuss.”

Usagi’s eyes took on a particular gleam. “What kind of mission, Ami-chan?” she cajoled.

The blue-haired genius, recognizing the signs of impending gossip-hound-at-large, held up her case. “I have to go to the station and meet one of okaa-san’s former understudies. She’s unable to meet him, as she has a sudden appointment. Not very exciting at all.” The subtle pink of her cheeks belied her casual tone, however; something was very exciting indeed about this understudy, who was markedly male by pronoun. Also most likely old enough to be considered a bit too old, if he was a former understudy.

Details.

Makoto, being just as hungry as the odango-haired blonde for gossip, purred, “Ara ara, Ami-chan, is he really so boring? If so, I’ll be more than happy to take this mission for you.”

Rei coughed, pointedly. All three of them ignored her – or at least let it go unacknowledged – as Ami stammered, “Iie! You can’t! I have some important documents to give him, it’s very important I—“

“Meet a handsome man, possibly in the prime of his life,” Makoto interjected, taking a bite of potato.

“And refuse to tell us all about it! How cruel!” Usagi added.

Luna’s ear twitched again as she and Rei exchanged rather meaningful glances. Kids. About to cough again – this time subtly masking a mantra invoking calm discourse, which was a useful tool in this crowd – Rei was interrupted by the blue-haired genius as she squeaked, “Ano, don’t we need to go inside? I feel strongly that going inside is an excellent option at this point. Rei, should we go inside?” she appealed, looking like the usual deer in oncoming traffic.

“Hai, hai! Inside is a good idea!” Usagi agreed, grabbing Ami’s free hand with a zeal that bordered on fanatical. Of course, it could probably be attributed to a desperate need for something happy at this point, after facing a youma who had tried to julienne her oldest friend. But it was still a bit misplaced, considering the whole point of coming to the shrine, and Luna’s ear twitched yet a third time. Maybe she’d been wrong on the whole maturity thing.

“Inside, yes! Where it’s warm and cozy and perfect for private chat.” Makoto linked her arm through Ami’s and helped her princess all but drag the hapless girl into the building, after removing their shoes in record time. Rei sighed, palming her forehead, then methodically pulled each potato from the fire, knowing they’d need snacks for the upcoming torture session.

“I’ll call Minako and Alex-san,” she said to the black feline at her feet, fanning the potatoes as Makoto had done. “You can keep them company until I get there, ne?”

“If only telephones were cat friendly,” Luna muttered under her breath as she watched the dark-haired shrine girl walk away, obviously not expecting any confirmation.

Rei hung up the phone after ten rings, frowning. Down the hall, she could hear the faint laughter coming from her room, the easy amusement that seemed to come naturally to Usagi, and even, at times, to Makoto. She wished sometimes that she could do that, letting herself entirely open up like a flower towards the sun – or, in this case, the moon. But she was the dutiful priestess, the aloof student who couldn’t crack even an inch; and, well, it helped that she considered much of their humour to be too juvenile. Something she seemed to share in common quite often with Alex and their dark-haired prince.

She glared at the phone, as if it were at fault for the tall red-head not being at home. Not that it was so odd; obviously, she had her own life outside of her duties as their mentor, and Rei wouldn’t begrudge her. But she still felt that twinge of unease, call it anger, that she wasn’t within reach, and using their communicators always felt to her like a last resort; this was more discussion than danger, and hardly warranted their use.

At least she had reached Minako, who had apparently been home all this time, but sentenced to penal duty outside with her mother, hanging laundry. She’d been pathetically grateful for the excuse to get away, and Rei had felt another momentary flare of anger at Minako’s callous disregard for her mother. The kami knew she wished her own was still alive. But she also knew the long-haired blonde’s mother was a harpy, from all available reference, and that was hardly a warm environment. Much like her father had been – still was. So Minako was on her way, which, via the bus, would still be a while. It certainly would have been easier if Alex could have given her a ride.

Trying one more time, the phone rang even longer. Rei grimaced, listening to the extremely odd ring the tall red-head had somehow programmed into her system; every time someone called, they had the pleasure of hearing what had been explained as “the Invader Zim theme. Classic Jhonen.” Complete with an evil laugh at the end, before it went into repeat. At least it was better than the squeaky, eerily cute voice singing “doom, doom, doomie doomie, doooom,” and its variations in high falsetto that she’d had before.

Americans.

Hanging up, she mentally recited a mantra for patience as she went down the hall, hearing the laughing, teasing voices of her – friends? Well, yes, though they were hardly her ideal for such confidantes; not even Ami. Too high-spirited, too high in the clouds, too philosophically dull for conversation, though the blue-haired genius had a head full of such information; she simply had a habit of reciting it, instead of passionately caring about it. The girl was a library instead of a person; Rei suspected that if she had witnessed the ascendance of the emperor to the throne, she’d be writing down every detail for later synopsis and study.

It seemed hard to believe that despite her misgivings about the American, she had found a similarly passionate mind. She seemed more than happy to argue with Rei over their personal beliefs, why Japan was a failed attempt at democracy and why American was almost just as bad, the impact of the Euro, the drop of the atomic bomb, and even censorship. (Rei had been half-amused and appalled to learn that Americans were prudes considering even casual nudity, but seemed to accept ridiculous violence as standard television. She couldn’t even fathom why a naked breast, as seen in the mirrors of millions of women daily, was considered the fall of civilization, but shootings, stabbings, and beatings were just fine.)

Of course, she’d still die for any of them. They were teammates and allies against the darkness. She just didn’t feel that they could understand her, or even talk to her.

Sliding open the door of her room, she found the girls sitting and slouching – how her stoic upbringing cringed at the sight of such laziness! – around her low table, still engaged in foolish gossip. Luna was comfortable on one of the two pillows Rei had purchased and set out for the cats to use, though the pleading look she shot the dark-haired shrine girl was familiar. It was also too late, as Usagi swiveled her head to say, “Are Mina-P and Alex-onee-chan coming?” through a mouthful of sweet potato.

“I couldn’t reach Alex-san. She seems to be away.”

“Maybe we should use our communicators,” Makoto offered, taking her attention away from a red-faced Ami. “She left late last night, and hasn’t come home yet. She’s been doing that often lately, saying she’s driving the Tokkaido.”

Luna, surprisingly, shook her head. “Iie. Let’s leave it at that. If another enemy appears, we’ll contact her. This is only a discussion, after all.”

“An interrogation!” the tall brunette argued, leaning away to press in close to Ami again. “Ami still hasn’t revealed her secret boyfriend!”

“M-M-Mako-chan!” Ami stammered, turning even redder; if this kept up, she’d pop like some overripe tomato. “He isn’t a secret boyfriend!”

Usagi leaned across the table, nearly touching noses with the frantic genius. “But is he cute!”

“Well…I wouldn’t…I don’t…”

“Is he amazingly kakkoi?”

“A-ano…Kane-san is…pleasant to look at…”

“Where will you go on your first date?”

“Date!?” Ami nearly shrieked, scooting back. “I don’t have time for dates! Not with so much work to do! Not when I’m still young and tender and in junior high! Iie, I could never do such a thing, no matter how kakkoi he is!”

Usagi and Makoto exchanged looks of triumph over the table as Rei pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off the oncoming headache. “So he is kakkoi! Ami-chan, you lecher, you’ve been hiding him from us!” the tall brunette sang as Ami choked.

“Hai, hai, tell us about him!”

Sensing defeat, the blue-haired genius shifted uncomfortably, looking around the room like a desperate, caged animal. “A-ano…he’s twenty seven…very handsome, yes, but I could only look! He’s planning to move back to Tokyo, perhaps to work at okaa-san’s hospital, which is why he’s taken this trip today. He’s very smart.”

Rei felt an unexpected pang of sympathy for the girl. Unbidden, the memory of a man’s smiling face flashed through her mind: “You and me. Kindred spirits.” A stolen kiss. The hatred she’d felt when she realized he had – in her view – betrayed her to her father’s political cause. In reality, she doubted he would have thought it any kind of betrayal, with her youth and his inability to say no to her father, no matter what his argument had been. Already she’d heard about his marriage, and his wife’s subsequent pregnancy. What were the wishes of a pining teenager compared with marital happiness?

“Aa-raa, so you know him very well, Ami-chan?” Usagi queried, chin in hands. Ami shook her head a bit too quickly, though it was most likely nerves than slyness.

“Iie. After all, I was so young. What could we talk about?”

“Talk about what?” Minako stood in the open doorway, Artemis slung over her shoulder like a towel. Rei cursed herself for forgetting it was open; such laxity could kill her or, at the very least, make life uncomfortable. She should have known better.

Of course, the others didn’t seem to notice, nor even care; they merely, in varying degrees of good humour, greeted the long-haired blonde who flippantly waved. “Konnichi wa-a! I would have come sooner, but mama’s a slave driver of the worst kind.” She then paused, peering rudely at Ami’s face. “Ne, Ami, what’s wrong with your skin? It’s quite red, almost like a rash. Are you allergic?”

Luna snorted into her pillow.

“Ami-chan has a date with an older man,” Usagi said slyly. Minako’s mouth dropped open, in a rather undignified gape. “She’s meeting him at the trains in the romantic fashion.”

“Uso-o! Ami, you’re sly!”

“Oh for the love of the kami and all their shades…stop teasing the girl! She has no date, merely a business appointment. If you keep this up, she’ll die from mortification, and the entire shrine will need purifying in time for the New Year,” Rei finally snapped, at the end of her patience. Minako, as usual, seemed impervious to the dark-haired shrine girl’s brusqueness, and simply laughed.

“Ne, Ami, is that true? Is it merely longing?” she asked, plunking down in an albeit graceful tangle of limbs next to the blushing genius.

The blue-haired genius looked away, twisting her fingers in her lap. “Perhaps, in my youth, but such flippancy is beyond me now. I have so much to think about now. Okaa-san merely asked me to meet him due to her unforgivably busy schedule.”

Usagi pouted. “But that’s not romantic at all, Ami-chan. Can’t we even dream?”

“Don’t you mean ‘you’?” Artemis interjected dryly, unsurprised when he was ignored.

Luna rolled her eyes, cleaning a paw with meticulous swipes of the tongue. It was hardly abnormal for any of their discussions to turn away from actual seriousness to frivolity; and she supposed, as she felt none of the anxiety or danger from earlier, they could have this time. Throwing them back into danger after so many months of peace – actually the longest rest they’d had, since the Dark Kingdom had forced her to awaken a certain girl to her duties – seemed horrible enough without snapping at them now for being exactly what they were: teenagers.

“Well, you’re one to talk, Usagi-chan,” Minako shot back, waving a finger, “seeing as you have Mamoru-san to dream about, after all. I, for one, am still horribly, terribly without a boyfriend, and in the prime of my youth no less!” That finger moved to jab towards the tall brunette, who had been nodding in agreement; she froze. “And Mako-chan has Sommers-san to dream about!”

“And that’s all I can do,” Makoto agreed morosely, “is dream.”

“But having such a dream is better than none at all! Why, poor Rei-chan and Ami-chan and I are left in the cold.”

The dark-haired shrine girl sneered, defensively folding her arms. “I am not so cold as to seek the attention of any man. No man could interest me when all of them possess deceptive flaws and barren spirits.”

Even Ami looked at her askance. For all of the country’s lip-service to the foreign radicals about modernization and gender equality, most women still grew up being told – or assuming – that they were expected to marry, and marry well for not just their sakes, but for their parents’ as well. Even if they went through school and entered the work force as something higher than an elevator doll or smiling cashier, marrying more for money and obedience ranked higher than for love and devotion. Rei merely stared them all down, an eyebrow coolly raised.

Then her clock chimed, the gentle sound of gongs – it was a cliché piece of plastic that was marketed as being “Zen,” but it did have a wonderful sound – and Ami was on her feet. “The time! Gomen nasai, I have to run, or I’ll be late!” She swung up her case, and, having never removed her coat, exited in quick order with the most careless of backward waves.

“Oh, her mysterious date,” Usagi remembered with a sigh. “I wonder if he really is so kakkoi.”

“Hai, hai,” Makoto agreed, and Minako, after a good-natured shrug, did as well.

Boldly, then, Minako whispered, “Ne, we should find out. After all, she didn’t say we couldn’t come with.”

The white feline, despite his lack of proximity, narrowed his eyes. “Aino Minako, how carelessly rude. We have a duty to be here, and you want to follow Ami like some silly spy, just to get a look at a man twice your age?”

Of course, she wasn’t listening. “Besides, Ami may not be interested, but why not Minako? Why can’t I grab that dream? Surely she won’t be greedy!”

“Well…I am kind of curious,” Usagi admitted, which was like saying that the Nile was kind of a big stream. “But it’s such a long way.”

“Usagi! Minako! Artemis is right, that is rude to follow her in such a manner! Even if he is kakkoi!” The tall brunette stared at them both, faintly appalled. Not that anyone with even the slightest familiarity with her couldn’t help but notice the smallest sparkle of interest in her eyes despite her moral misgivings.

“Well, we do have to catch the next bus, and then I think the second bus is ten minutes late, usually, but we can do it! Have faith, Usagi-chan!” Minako cheered, getting up with determination. “Come on, Mako-chan, Rei-chan! This is an adventure of the heart!”

Rei stared at them grimly. On the one hand, if she went with, she could at least make sure they didn’t do anything publicly stupid. But on the other, she really didn’t want to go. She had no interest in spying on the blue-haired genius as she met her adolescent crush, and leaving would delay their meeting even longer.

Five minutes later, she stalked behind them as they chattered on down the steps, the cats slung over each shoulder. Makoto had finally been caught up in their excitement, and had agreed to go with, which had left Rei with no other option but mortal embarrassment. Once they sat down on the bus, she turned to the window, and said absolutely nothing until the transfer.

“Tokyo Station, this is it!” Minako crowed, bouncing out of her seat before the bus even stopped moving and nearly giving the driver a heart attack. She couldn’t help it if he was too boring to appreciate her amusement, a proverbial stick in the mud much like Rei. One day, she pledged to get the aloof girl to crack, even if it killed them both.

Hooking her arm through Usagi’s, they squeezed out of the bus and onto the pavement, laughing as they caught Mako-chan and took her with. Rei, of course, merely followed at her usual sedate pace, most likely wishing she didn’t exist. “I hope Ami hasn’t already met him, or we’ll miss her happy face,” the long-haired blonde sighed as they crossed the threshold into the faintly dirty, brightly-lit building. Spilt soda squeaked beneath their soles, echoing off the tiles, and Rei grimaced behind them at the noise.

Of course, now that they had arrived, they had to figure out exactly what train Ami was meeting.

Well, that couldn’t be too difficult; all they had to look for was her eye-catching blue hair.

Wandering further in towards the first platform, Usagi sighed. “This could be difficult, Mina-P. The bullet trains are just too popular! And we don’t even know which one her man could be on.”

“Patience, Usagi-chan! She couldn’t have gone far. And how hard can it be for the soldiers of love and justice to find anyone in a crowd?”

Even Makoto snorted at that particular comment as they waded through the bodies, which were actually quite sparse for the day. “Even I can’t see over everyone in this place,” she argued, swiveling her head. “Maybe we should just go back.”

“There she is!”

It was something of a minor miracle; a clearing in the middle of the chaos, apparently for a rural train, where the blue-haired genius plainly stood. She rocked easily on her heels, watching the empty tracks with a musing expression on her face, most likely content to wait all day in what was for her a moment of serene calm. No studying, no forcible cramming of information and hard data into her brain, not a textbook in sight.

She also, by the same miracle, didn’t hear Usagi’s shout.

Minako clapped a hand over her mouth, yanking her behind a plastic potted palm, the sort of faux greenery that collects dust like a magnet; immediately, Usagi returned the favour, as both began sneezing.

Rei watched this with a moment’s fascination, before she too was hauled behind a convenient pot, barely missed by Ami’s now wandering gaze. At least she didn’t have to suffer the same indignity as the others’; by virtue of years of tending the flames and their inevitable ashes, she had no problems with dust allergies. Makoto looked to be reasonably secure as well, though her nose did begin to run a bit. She sniffed rather wetly and looked around, saying, “I think the train is coming.”

“Or it could be any train, from anyplace, and not the one we’re waiting for at all,” the dark-haired shrine girl replied dryly, though she did have to admit to a spark of curiousity finally. After all this time spent chasing Ami, she better have a damn cute doctor to meet. Not that Rei was interested, not at all; she had no time for men or their trickery.

Ami’s face suddenly lit up as the train came closer, and she turned to follow it, disappearing past the wall. Maybe it hadn’t been so rural after all, just a clear space of quiet. Rei and Makoto nodded in an unintentional synchronization and walked out from their hiding place, checking their watches. “Still ten minutes late,” Rei commented.

A ball of dust bearing two familiar blondes stomped out from behind the other plants, sneezing up a storm. Two sets of blue eyes glared out at the allergy-wary, dust-less girls, then snapped shut in unison as they both rather wetly sneezed again. “Maah, this is terrible!” the long-haired blonde complained, flapping her arms like an irate duck to shake off the dust.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, Ami must be meeting her date now.” Makoto stared at them with a thin veil of annoyance, most likely disturbed by so much dust and clutter. She loved cleaning the condo from top to bottom, dusting like a maniac; to see so much of it was most likely the closest thing to her particular kryptonite. Finally, she just used her hands to smack and swat them generally clean as they squirmed.

“If only humans came equipped with the same tools as a cat, you’d all be so much cleaner,” Artemis sighed wryly, assuming a placid look of utter innocence as they glared at him.

The tall brunette gave up and admitted defeat; both girls were smudged and dirty and nothing short of a quick shower and washer-and-dryer combo was going to change the fact. They resembled children who had tumbled around the playground all day long. “You two are terrible,” Rei muttered, folding her arms.

Minako flashed her tongue. “Enjoy life while you can!”

“What’s that sound?” the odango-haired blonde queried curiously.

All of them froze, staring across space at one another, listening. They recognized it as a low, dull roar, as well as the vibration beneath their feet that went along with it. And it couldn’t be the train, as that made a particular sound that all of them knew well, living in the city. It sounded actually like a herd of elephants, or what they imagined a herd of elephants could sound like; a steadily increasing sound, heavy and quick.

Then someone screamed, and they swung about to face the seething crowd of humanity that was rushing towards them. “Shimatta,” Minako swore softly.

So they turned and ran, lest they be crushed. The station had been at what could be described as low tide in regards to its capacity, but even that many rushing bodies was dangerous. People were used to be shoved and pushed into trains like cattle to fit; trampling someone else in a frantic need to escape would hardly be surprising.

Makoto suddenly grabbed Usagi’s hand and swung her around, hoisting her bodily as she shrieked in surprise, and dropped her into the middle of a circle of cement pots. It was a solid piece of decoration; four immense pots in a circle around an empty space that most certainly held a fifth plant, but was either dead or removed. Minako crawled in after her, Rei next, and then Makoto hopped over, just in time to see the crowd arrive.

The pots were tall and thick, creating an affective breaker against the sea of bodies; no one could slide through them, and no one was willing to jump over. “For everyone to be so scared, it must be bad,” Minako whispered, though there was hardly any concern of anyone hearing them.

“I told you, an enemy has arrived,” Usagi whispered back, though the triumph in her voice was faint. “Another youma, perhaps!”

“Well, we can always ask.” With that, Makoto stood up, watching the crowd grow thin. For a great bulk of people, they were moving almost efficiently fast; no doubt the train employees were wishing their system worked so well. Finally, she reached out to stop one of the last, an office worker by the look of his clothes, and asked, “What’s happened? What’s frightened you?”

“I-I-I,” he stammered, trying to jerk his arm out of her hold. “I don’t, I can’t even….not human, it’s not human!” He tore his sleeve as he wrenched his arm away, nearly killing himself as he ran away and almost tripped over his own feet. “It’s a monster!” he screamed at the last, disappearing around the corner.

Rei gave her princess a look that was almost jesting. “I suppose you weren’t kidding at all, Usagi-chan,” she said, giving her a short bow of forgiveness.

They crawled out, running back towards the train Ami had gone to meet, this time meeting no resistance at all. It was also amazingly easy to spot the blue-haired genius; even from far away they could see her, her body taunt with tension as she backed away from the tracks. She had lifted her wrist to use her communicator, and was ready to call them when she heard the sound of their footsteps; she lowered her arm, staring at them. "Minna…! How could you have…?”

“We were in the area,” Artemis said quickly, cutting off his ward’s sentence before it had time to live. “What’s happened?”

“I don’t know,” she responded faintly, looking at the others for reassurance. She seemed disheveled, most likely caught in the initial surge of escapees, her case lying as if it had been thrown, near a bench. “I was waiting…then, I caught a sudden anger. The doors opened, and everyone came running out, screaming that a monster…that a monster had appeared.”

“A good place for them, if it is youma,” Luna said grimly. “So many people to drain energy from. Thank the kami we arrived so soon.”

“Ami-chan, did Kane-san escape?” The odango-haired blonde asked so gently that Ami didn’t appear to hear her at first. Then, after a minute, she slowly shook her head, looking plainly distraught; even if the man was a childhood crush, he had also been her responsibility. She had been tasked to meet him and take him to the hospital, and now he was cornered and trapped by whatever foul creature had appeared. “Then we’ll rescue him.”

The cats leapt down as Rei flinched, her shoulders rocked by the weight and pressure of their leaving, and bounded over to Ami’s case. Using their paws, they pulled and pushed the case onto the bench, before sitting down on either side of it. “Transform, minna, before Kane-san is hurt,” Luna commanded.

Nodding, all of them lifted their hands, palms wide as if to catch the power from the sky. “Moon Cosmic Power, Make Up!”

“Mercury Planet Power, Make Up!”

“Mars Planet Power, Make Up!”

“Jupiter Planet Power, Make Up!”

“Venus Planet Power, Make Up!”

The lights momentarily flickered and went off as the energy of their transformations rocked the platform. When they came back on, they shone dull against the vibrant bodies of the five sailor soldiers now standing there, tension visible in every muscle. “Sailor Moon, you go first,” Venus said, moving to stand at her back.

“Hai,” their princess agreed, giving Luna and Artemis a jaunty wave before stepping inside the train.

Inside was darkness. Sailor Moon hesitated a second as her eyes adjusted to the shadowed interior, recognizing the dull shapes of the seats, the blob of the carpet. Walking in further to allow the others, she puzzled further on the lack of any youma. Obviously something had happened; she nearly stepped on a hardcover book fallen in the middle of the aisle, pages squashed, as if it had been hastily dropped. “Can anyone see anything?”

“I sense it; perhaps it has no corporal form for us to be aware of,” Mars answered, biting back a sigh as she felt the weight of two puzzled stares. “Maybe it isn’t solid, like a ghost.”

“Then what do we fight?” Jupiter sounded annoyed.

They continued on, careful of the objects in the aisle; not only books had been dropped, but suitcases, toys, shoes, and, oddly, a goldfish. The bowl had fallen miraculously upright, but had cracked, leaving only a little water behind and a dying fish. Mercury paused to cup her hand over the puddle and concentrate, calling the rest of it back from where it had soaked into the carpet. Mars reached down to melt the crack shut, and they set it carefully beneath a seat.

Then they heard the thud.

“Pretty little soldiers,” a gravelly voice said, an excellent match for the thick form that unrolled from in front of the door to the second compartment. “Such lovely energy for my mistress.”

“And it’s staying right where it is,” Venus snapped back, lifting her hand as she gathered her magic, pointing to aim. “Who are you?”

Not surprising was that the youma didn’t answer. Before she could snap off her attack, the creature pulled its arms and legs in, much like a turtle, and shot towards them like a bullet. The girls flung themselves out of the way, landing on the seats. Venus threw herself across the seat in front of her and yelled, “Crescent Beam!”

The golden energy lanced off the youma’s back, going through a window. It didn’t even bother to stop once it hit the wall; it merely bounced off and back, and smashed into the first row of seats like a bowling ball hitting the nine pin. And it kept going, as Venus and Mercury realized almost immediately. They leapt across the aisle just as the youma smashed through the seats they had been standing on, showering them with plastic splinters.

“Mercury Aqua Mirage!” the blue-haired genius shouted, her aim excellent despite her tumble through the air. Ice slammed into the youma and knocked it sideways, arms and legs uncurling as if a button had been hit. Frost-rimmed, it slid to the ground, an oddly round creature that now looked like an overweight Redman character.

Stepping forward quickly, Mars gestured as she said, coolly, “Mars Snake Fire!”

From extreme cold to extreme heat; the youma literally cracked into pieces, falling apart into dust in front of them. The slightest current of air scattered it, effectively leaving no doubt that it was vanquished. “That was…well, easy, ne?” Jupiter muttered, looking slightly perplexed.

“That’s not all; can’t you feel it? There’s another, still.” The dark-haired shrine girl gestured vaguely with a gloved hand, gaining their attention. “The same malicious energy, as well as a weaker, softer edge…like a human.”

“Kane-san!” Mercury jerked around, lifting a hand to her ear immediately to activate her goggles. “Kane-san…hai, still alive, thank the kami! And another creature. Shaped much like this one was, round like a ball.” She watched the youma move across her vision, her goggles calculating mass – incredibly dense – and energy levels. It was a weak creature, which explained their ease in defeating it; the Dark Kingdom had been their trial by fire, so to speak, and they were now considerably more powerful.

That is, if it was the Dark Kingdom returned.

Which she hoped not.

She didn’t think she could handle facing those nightmares again.

“Well, let’s go; we have a handsome man, Ami-chan’s future husband, to save!” Venus cheered, catching her eye and winking, as well as flashing her the victory sign.

Jupiter did the honours by kicking down the second door, hands immediately gathering power in case of attack. When nothing happened, she stepped through the opening slowly, moving to the side to allow Mars through next, fist full of flames. “I sense it,” she whispered, looking around slowly for any physical sign of the youma.

Hands loomed out of the darkness and grabbed her collar. Even before Mars could scream a warning or fire a shot, she was thrown, head over heels, down the aisle. She could hear the others attack as she hit the floor on her feet, hard, all sense of balance off; she tumbled onto her hands and knees, relinquishing her power. A stray volt of electricity shot past her ear, singeing her hair and striking the wall behind her as she tried to gather herself, feeling rather than seeing the moment when the youma suddenly vanished.

“Mars, daijoubu? Daijoubu?” Sailor Moon was at her side, shaking her a bit too roughly for her tumbled stomach. She would have cursed the girl for being inattentive, until she noticed the faint gleam of the heart moon rod in her free hand, sparking slightly in readiness. “I was so worried when you disappeared!”

“Where’s the youma?”

“It vanished just now, into thin air.” Venus was on the other end of the compartment, yet she heard her voice fine. “Like a ghost, ne?”

Mars frowned, managing to stand upright on her own. “Exactly like a ghost. Perhaps that’s why we were unable to see it; they can change form.”

“It hasn’t truly changed. It simply expanded, like a liquid into gas, to less density. Right now, the youma is spread out like a cloud above our heads.” Mercury sounded calm as she rattled off this information, the logician doing what she did best instead of worrying. “I think, perhaps, if I used my power to cool it down, it will return to its denser mass.”

“Go for it, Mercury,” the long-haired blonde agreed.

The fog was hardly any more visible in the darkness than it would have been in the light; nonetheless, they could all feel it, cold and wet, against their skin. It also made it harder to see the youma as it solidified and fell, cursing them, onto the carpet, immediately rolling back into its ball to attack the blue-haired genius. She danced backward, out of the way, as Jupiter shouted, “Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!”

And Mars jerked up to add, “Mars Snake Fire!”

This time, the youma didn’t simply crack and ash away, it exploded rather satisfactorily. The resultant cloud had them coughing for several minutes, jerking open windows to clear the air and their lungs. “That was disgusting,” Jupiter coughed, fanning both hands in her face.

“But effective. The enemy, in close, unventilated quarters, could be quickly choked to death by such an explosive demise.” Mercury sounded faintly impressed, which gained her several sour looks. “I don’t approve, of course!” she quickly said, gesturing in embarrassment.

Their princess, still hacking unpleasantly, reached to open the third compartment door as Venus remarked, “Sometimes your genius is kind of scary, Mercury,” rolling her eyes.

“I was only commenting on the fighting tactics of the youma, not thinking of trying it myself,” Mercury muttered, her eyes flashing rather unpleasantly in the darkness; but those shadows hid that peculiar glint, and so it went unnoticed.

“Minna, I’ve found Ami-chan’s boyfriend!”

They stepped into the compartment, following Sailor Moon’s cry, to find her kneeling next to a body fallen in the aisle. The doctor was curled around a smaller body, a little girl, who had a pale, sickly look to her face; both of them looked to be bludgeoned unconscious, twin bumps risen on their skulls. “He’s rather plain, isn’t he?” she observed softly, even as she touched his face and the girl’s with a trembling hand. “I think they’ll be fine.”

Mercury dropped next to her, nudging her out of the way as she stripped off her gloves. “I need his medical bag. It should be in the car, he would never travel without it,” she said, inferring that the others should search for it; taking the girl’s limp wrist, she checked for a pulse. It was slower than normal, but still steady.

After a few minutes of searching, Jupiter held out the familiar black bag, heavy with instruments. Mercury accepted it with a curt nod, opening it to withdraw a stethoscope, a pair of sterile gloves, and a penlight. Putting on the first two, she explained, “The girl has a slow pulse, which isn’t a good sign, but not quite terrible. She may have gone into shock after being hit. Kane-san seems to be in good shape, pulse steady, and if he hasn’t been given a concussion, he should wake up on his own.”

“Should we call for an ambulance?” Mars queried, watching her fellow soldier clinically detach Kane-san’s arms from around the child so she could put the stethoscope to use.

“With everyone running off as they did? We’re lucky Natsuna onee-chan and the Self Defense Force haven’t shown up yet.” The long-haired blonde sounded cheerful enough, though her face was, by the dim light of the window, twisted in mockery. And she did have a point; with so much panic, and most likely multiple witnesses, the city would probably not hesitate to send in the serious fire power, especially after half a year of violent happenings. The people in general may have forcibly forgotten, but no official worth their office would have.

Mercury gently pried open an eye each, flashing the light into their pupils. Kane-san’s contracted normally, but the girl’s remained wide, vacant. Not a good sign at all. “She has a concussion at best, internal head injuries at the worst,” she said flatly, running her hand over the girl’s skull, coming away with dried flakes of blood. “Without serious medical attention…I can only guess what could happen. And I can’t do anything. I can’t…”

“Mercury, this isn’t your fault. This was the work of evil, not you.” The odango-haired blonde reached to hug the resistant soldier, who was stiff as a board of wood in her arms. “Ami-chan, don’t blame yourself!”

“Hai, this was nothing any of us could have prevented,” Jupiter agreed, clenching a fist. “To hurt such an innocent girl…we can’t forgive that.”

“Being a sailor soldier is tough, especially when we can’t save everyone. But we’ll stop whoever caused this, ne? That’s the duty of a sailor soldier,” Venus said firmly, but gently, touching Mercury’s shoulder.

“Say a prayer to the kami that they look upon her with favour; that’s all we can do, Mercury. You’re not a saint to perform miracles.” Mars had an unusual lilt in her voice as she said this; the priestess comforting the needy. None of them had ever heard such a thing from her, the aloof politician’s daughter, and it cleared Mercury’s face.

The blue-haired genius nodded, though it seemed to be in agreement with herself than with them, and adeptly re-packed the medical bag. Staring down at her patients, she said softly, “Sou yo. And this is the life I would choose; to be a healer of the sick and the pitiful, trying my best to save every single person. It’s just so hard to not be good enough, or smart enough, to do even better.”

Sirens in the distance; Venus pursed her lips in a moue of irritation. “Natsuna onee-chan must be coming.”

“Then let’s leave; policemen are only an annoyance,” Mars suggested, the tall brunette nodding in agreement.

Then Mercury screamed.

“Strange attraction spreads its wings, it varies but the smallest things – you never know how anything will cha-a-a-nge…” Tappity tap tap, and another turn, heading for the Delta. She shouldn’t have been in such a singing mood, but some music did that to her, no matter how hard she resisted. That damned annoying urge to sing along had gotten her into some embarrassing situations many a time.

And her mood was still quite black, no doubt about it.

The day had begun so well, too; a perfectly lazy night spent in someone else’s bed, more for company than for pleasure, an excellent catnap, and the promise of an equally lazy day at home afterward. Haruka had been planning for her trip overseas and a race in Germany, a high profile event that promised rich rewards for sponsor and racer alike. Michiru didn’t have any concert dates until after the holidays, so she would stay home; but not lonely, as she had teased. She did a lot of that lately, or so Alex had noticed, her demeanor so carefree and casual that she almost didn’t recognize the solemn, mature girl she had first met.

Of course, most of that came from their freedom; with no enemies looming in the distance, no school hanging over their heads, they had both become relaxed and lazy. And interesting lovers, if she did say so herself, more than willing to benefit from her experience. She remembered last night fondly as she turned the last corner, spying her building in the distance.

“The year grow old incessantly; she wrote to me, she’d started smoking poetry! I laughed in recognition of a favourite phrase – she pulled me in, I answered her; a Christmas card in se-pi-a. Arranging when and where, and how the two of us should meet…”

She’d gotten up early as usual, leaving them both asleep in bed to get dressed and wander into the kitchen. Setsuna was still awake, poring over her stacks of computer printouts with a red pen in hand and a cup of coffee at her other. But she didn’t seem focused in the least, muttering, when questioned, that she felt uneasy. “Uneasy how?” the tall red-head had asked, watching the pen dip to mark on the page.

“As if something has changed. Something I can’t explain.”

And that had been it, until they’d heard a high-pitched wail of agony coming from Hotaru’s room an hour later. Haruka and Michiru, their room down the hall and across, had made it first; Alex and Setsuna arrived a minute later as the tall sandy-blonde had sworn, “Kuso…!” as they stared into the nursery.

The crib had actually tipped over from the force of the raven-haired child’s convulsions, dumping her onto the carpet. Hotaru had curled into a tight ball, bawling her eyes out at what was most assuredly a painful transition. After all, she had been reborn into a pink, healthy infant, a soft little child who had not been cruelly wired and stretched by her mad scientist father; and now, it seemed to be growing back. They could actually see the wires and metal limbs under her flesh as they lengthened and tightened, wriggling like worms.

She was reverting back to Tomoe Hotaru, man-made machine.

“Holy motherfuck,” Alex had finally managed. “This can’t be possible. She was reborn! New parts! New hardware! None of that should be in her body!”

“It’s as if she’s going back in time to her old body; something is definitely wrong.” Setsuna gestured, calling the garnet rod to her hand. “I’ll call the ambulance before I go.”

Michiru stared at her. “Go where? Hotaru is hurt! How can you leave?”

Setsuna lifted the rod for emphasis. “I need to check the door. This isn’t possible, what’s happening to her body. Something must be wrong in time. I have to go immediately to stop it.”

“Let her go,” the tall sandy-blonde snapped, flinching at the stricken look she was given. “Let her go,” she repeated, a bit softer, “that is her duty. She can’t do anything else for Hotaru, none of us can, until the ambulance comes.”

Their daughter had stopped twitching, though they could see her face still twisted in agony. Her joints seemed sharp, unusual, and her entire body was out of proportion. Still, she looked as if she’d gained five years, and was the worse for it. “Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama…it hurts…”

Kneeling, the aqua-haired beauty had settled Hotaru’s head in her lap, stroking her sweaty bangs away from her forehead. “Daijoubu, Hotaru-chan, we’re here.”

“But it hurts…everything’s changing again…Michiru-mama, I don’t want to return to that life!” Jerking spasmodically, the raven-haired girl twisted off her lap and onto the carpet, her fingers clawing at the air.

So Alex had taken her hands, nearly biting her tongue as she felt the pain Hotaru was going through, and pushed hard to soothe that agony, nearly exhausting herself as she concentrated radiating calm and happiness. It finally worked as the ambulance pulled up in the driveway, and she gratefully collapsed onto the carpet as Hotaru fell asleep. She rested as they carried Hotaru away under Michiru’s teary surveillance, Haruka sitting at her side. “I need to go before you contact the girls,” she’d finally said.

The tall sandy-blonde had merely cocked an eyebrow. “What makes you think I’ll be calling them? After all, our paths have yet to meet. We don’t need to—“

“Spare me. You know damn well why. She’s about yeah high, perky blonde, crystal blue eyes, likes rabbits, and long romantic walks beneath the moonlight.” Closing her eyes, she searched for a minute before giving her the phone number for the Hikawa Jinja, ignoring Haruka’s carefully blank face. “They’re all there and anxious, which makes me think something is up. Our quiet holidays may be at an end.”

“Of course. Duty beckons us all.” Haruka had shrugged, helping the tall red-head up and steadying her as she’d wobbled. “You truly don’t wish to tell them about us?”

“Would you?” Again, the blank face, which actually told her more than it hid. “Of course not. They wouldn’t understand, and it would just invite careless questioning. Too much trouble.”

She’d left the house at twenty over the limit, put on her Cure playlist in her handy little iRiver, and thought of everything possible that could have happened to Hotaru. To now, she’d only come up with about two: something gone wrong with time, or dimensional hopping. The fact that she had no problem with either scenario said a lot about her formative years. “I’m sorry, blame infatuation, blame imagination – I was sure you’d be the one, but I was wrong; it seems reality destroys our dreams, I won’t forget you—”

The next line never made it past her lips as she felt a sudden stabbing pain behind her eyes. Only long practice kept her hand steady on her wheel, even as the rest of her jerked sideways, much as Hotaru had done; she cursed violently as it happened twice. “Putain d’merde! What d’hell?” she hissed through her teeth, squinting as her eyes teared.

In the next lane, an elderly man stared wide-eyed at the car beginning to weave back and forth; a foreign model, most likely a foreign driver who couldn’t handle driving on the proper side of the road. Putting on a burst of speed, the car shot ahead several metres, then swerved again, nearly taking out a harmless postal box. It was heading for collision with a telephone pole when it jerked back into the proper lane, signaled, and parked at the first available spot. The man sighed in relief and kept on driving, shaking his head at the sight of the driver straightening up in her seat.

Turning the radio off, she stared through the windshield. Then, “How did I get here?”

She looked over at the passenger seat, where she stared back at herself. “Hell if I know, p’tite. I don’t think this is good.”

In the back seat, a third said, “Well, isn’t this a predicament?”

Ami opened her eyes and smelled the sharp scent of burning wood and incense. A smiling face, framed by blonde hair and silly odango, loomed into her vision, and asked, “Ami-chan, daijoubu?”

What a silly question. How could she be alright, with so many images crowding her head, already full to capacity with the knowledge she’d crammed in? But it was a question asked in good faith and true caring, as always, so she answered as well as she could. “Hai, Usagi. I feel so silly…did I faint?”

“You screamed, then you did this belly flop onto the carpet.” Minako came into view, looking almost forcibly cheerful. “We carried you back to the shrine. We even brought your stuff.” She lifted up the school case and dangled it like a toy, so Ami could see. The clasps were still closed, but she doubted that either blonde would have hesitated in peeking inside to check the medical forms and employment papers she’d been delivering. They were simply so curious.

She lay her head back on the pillow, noting suddenly how uncomfortable her body was. They had put her to bed in Rei’s futon, which was to her incredibly hard and under-padded, used as she was to her raised Western bed. But at least she was awake now.

Closing her eyes, she heard the girl’s laughter again, the undercurrent of mockery. When her hand had jerked up, grabbing the blue-haired genius by her bare wrist, she had thought it a muscle spasm; until the images. The pictures. The sound. Everything flowing into her brain, an uncomfortable reminder of Viluy’s super computer, with no way for her to get rid of it. The girl had told her flatly that it was all hers now, that she was no longer the unwilling Cassandra. Take it all and be done.

“I saw you, an angel with your strong spirit, when I was two. Everything that the future wishes to tell me, I already know. And it told me that I was to be on that train, to give you the knowledge of a changing destiny.”

“A changing…destiny? How? We’ve seen our future; have we destroyed that vision already? Is there another path to follow?”

“The possibilities are endless…but this is not your fault. A comet has traveled across space. A power unimaginable. Someone desires that power, and a new destiny. They’ve already begun to change it.”

Mocking, laughing faces, they crowded her mind, moving so fast she couldn’t discern individuals, only the whole. Someone crying in a street; a clear flash of pain in her chest, their chest, the knowledge of death coming closer. She could see Crystal Tokyo again, viewed from another’s eyes, staring up at the magnificence of the Crystal Palace. “A new destiny…”
“A new destiny for everyone. The youma that wander the streets, the droids that will soon appear, the daimon writhing, horrible, from the bodies of their victims. Everything. Everyone. But this destiny will come with a price, of course. A terrible price.”

She saw Neo Queen Serenity, her beautiful princess grown up, rising above the ground on wings of her power, the Ginzuishou held aloft in rays of brilliant light. The greedy stares of many in the crowd, the disgust of others. Why couldn’t they have such gifts? Why did so many cause them anguish for wanting? Pain. Anger. Destruction.

“Our destinies will change as well…possibly, to make us happy. But we can’t allow such blatant disregard for the lives of people; we have to stop them!”

“Hai; they must be stopped. Now you know. That was my destiny, to tell you. And again, later, perhaps…depending on our future.”

The relief that followed, once she knew the girl would live. She hadn’t failed.

She realized idly that both blondes had gone quiet, staring at her with ill-disguised concern. Shifting on the futon, she sat up and stretched, gifting them with another smile. She also noticed that both had showered, their faces cleaner than the dust-smudged cheeks she’d seen. They also wore what looked to be Rei’s second and third best miko robes, tied rather sloppily. “Daijoubu, Minako-chan, Usagi-chan,” she said warmly. “It had to be done. She had to give me knowledge of our latest fight, and it was simply too much for me all at once.”

“Nani? What do you mean? How could a stranger girl give you knowledge like that?” Minako sounded suspicious, eyes faintly narrowed. Ami twitched a smile; as a leader, the long-haired blonde was gaining in leaps and bounds. She had to question everything. “She grabbed you, and you fainted.”

“She transferred memories to me. She told me things, in my head. She said destiny is changing, everyone’s. That’s why youma have re-appeared.”

“Destiny?” Makoto walked in, bearing a flat tray with a mug of tea and five cups; behind her was Rei, dressed in her best red and white robes, the picture of perfection. “What’s this about destiny?” the tall brunette continued, sitting down easily on the floor with the tray in her hands.

She poured tea for everyone as Ami said, “Destiny is changing. In the future, a comet with great power is approaching, and someone wants that power to change everything. They’ve already begun to change the destinies of our enemies, which is why youma are appearing; soon, the droids and the daimon will follow.”

Usagi accepted a cup, frowning. “That’s not right. Changing destiny so carelessly…why would they desire such change?”

“I felt…pain. Death. I think they want to change their destiny so they don’t die, and gain power. The Ginzuishou as well; I saw that. I saw Neo Queen Serenity above the crowd of citizens, holding it aloft.” She watched their princess as she spoke, noting the tiniest flinch as she said those three words, not blaming her in the least.

Rei took a careful sip of tea, staring into the bottom thoughtfully. “That would explain why vanquished enemies are appearing. But still, it tells us nothing of who is doing this; or why, from the future, our destinies from the past have begun to twist.”

“Maybe they know who we are, where we’re vulnerable. Maybe that’s why they’ve changed our past, to weaken us in the future,” Minako pointed out, swigging from her cup like a heathen. “After all, hitting us with enemies we’ve defeated? That’s a low blow! We’re not expecting that kind of enemy!”

They nodded; it made perfect sense. The very same tactic the Black Moon had attempted to employ. That was the trouble with time travel; having enemies in the future decide that killing them in the past was prudent was tiresome.

A set of whiskers tickled the edges of the door; then Luna peered in. “Rei, the fire is high. Are you ready?”

“Hai.” Taking one more careful sip, Rei set the cup down and stood up, giving herself a quick, short shake. “Knowing this will make my search easier. An idea of the enemy….”

Trooping into the adjacent room, all but Rei flinched at the temperature difference, the heat of the flames almost a physical blow to the face. Ami partially swooned, waving off offers of help. Even with the cool weather outside, the minimally vented room was just that close to sweltering. “How can you do this every morning?” Makoto groaned, wiping her forehead as the dark-haired shrine girl arranged herself into her kneeling position.

She glanced up shortly and said, “Discipline,” before turning back to the flames.

Waiting for them to all seat themselves, she stretched out her arms, bowing her head low as if to greet the flames; and maybe she was, as the flame demanded her respect. Murmuring something unintelligible, she sat upright and placed her hands palm down on her thighs, staring directly into the flickering heart. “Focus, Ami, on your vision,” she said at last, so quietly that the blue-haired genius almost missed it. “Clear your mind – I know it can be difficult – and focus only on your words.”

Ami looked offended at Rei’s insinuation. She thought better of arguing the point, realizing that, to the maiden – to whom meditation was a daily ritual – expecting anyone else to achieve such clarity was not offensive, simply fact. So she simply closed her eyes and relaxed, unable to clear her mind as such, but able to focus on what she needed, a trait honed over so many years of study and preparation. She saw the images; she heard words scrabble and crowd one another into discord; she felt death.

Gradually, they all realized Rei was chanting. She had begun so quietly they hadn’t even heard her begin, growing steadily louder until it reached their ears. The flames roared high as her voice rose, blasting them with heat; only Ami, caught in the spell of the moment, could remain still, the others flinching away. She kept her eyes closed, her own lips moving silently in the repetition of the voices, unaware she was even doing it. A link had been forged, connecting her to the flames, her vision; she was caught, until Rei found the answer.

Her eyes snapped open as everything ceased.

Rei’s chanting ended in a soul-wrenching scream, her hands moving in a blur of motion into what they could only assume was part of the ritual. The flames, contradictorily, retracted, becoming a steady burn instead of a blazing heat.

“How interesting of you.”

They all stared, unsure, as a pair of luminous eyes opened up, eerily disembodied, within the flames. The tickling edges of the fire gave the impression of hair; a coy mouth smiled beneath. “Such a shame to have such powers, and to waste them greedily,” the person – who seemed to be female, if pitch was any indication – said icily.

“Our enemy…who are you to say such things? Aren’t you the one bringing back youma to attack innocent people?” Minako shot back, jabbing a finger towards the eyes accusingly. “Such a coward you are, to enlist such means!”

Makoto looked absolutely white as she stared back and forth between the long-haired blonde and the fire. “M-Minako-chan,” she hissed faintly, “we’re not…that is, we haven’t transformed! You’re directly accusing someone as Aino Minako, not Venus!”

The mouth opened with a giggle so girlish and suddenly innocent that it stopped Minako from replying. “Baka senshi,” she sneered, her eyes slitting. “I know who you are, who you were. I have such power, that which rivals your own. Except for the princess…the glittering queen. But soon I will,” she continued lightly, after shooting such a venomous look at Usagi that she flinched, “and I will see you all removed from history. As Sin, I promise you. Iie; I warn you!”

Her eyes closed.

Rei cried out as the flames went out, as easily as if a giant set of fingers had snuffed it, or a strong wind; the resulting ash flew into her face like an angry slap, knocking her backwards. “Masaka!” she gasped, lying stunned, back on her elbows. “The sacred flames, they’ve gone out so easily…only such a strong presence could have cast off the protection of the kami.”

“Is that…bad?” Usagi ventured.

“Of course it’s bad!” Rei rounded on them, glaring fiercely. “The protection of the kami is sacred! Throwing such power aside shows contempt for the kami, and for our holy shrine. It renders everything meaningless until the kami choose to return. What are you staring at?” she snapped at Makoto, turning her ire on the tall brunette. It was rude, but she was too stunned and too angry to care.

Makoto seems to recognize her dilemma, and bit back her own snappish anger; instead, she merely gestured at the dark-haired shrine girl’s clothes, her face. “You’re dirty,” she said rather simply.

Touching her face, Rei stared at the black soot on her fingertips. “Your face has gone entirely black, Rei-chan,” Minako added, a touch sweetly. It wasn’t often they saw the girl out of her neat, assertive element, when not in uniform; and being covered in dirty soot was definitely not her usual state. Her face had indeed gone black, reducing her eyes to pale holes; her best robes were now grey and rust coloured down the front, a few embers having burned tiny holes across her chest.

They watched her bite back a vicious retort. She despised being thrown off kilter so easily; her life was guided entirely by her need to remain assertive and in control, even with something so mundane as her appearance. Becoming Sailor Mars had not even shaken her as badly as seeing her guiding flames extinguished, and her dishevelment was only adding to her unease. Finally, she snapped, “I can understand that.” She stood up, gesturing helplessly with her hands as she stared down at the front of her robes, grimly realizing that they were ruined. Nothing could patch up the holes. “I need to take a bath to cleanse myself.”

“Hai; the soot is most likely in your hair as well.” The blue-haired genius was staring at her with a vague cast to her eyes, her mind still reeling from what had happened. With the severance of the link, her memory had unceremoniously dumped everything the girl had given her; but the voice, Sin’s voice, had echoed with familiarity. Had she been the one crying?

“I didn’t mean – well, yes, bodily cleansing, but ritual cleansing. I have to offer forgiveness for what’s happened, and cast away the lingering evil.” Unspoken: that it would take a while. “I’ll tell ojii-san to bring you refreshments. I can’t hesitate on this.”

Leaving the room, she left the door open for the two cats to slither inside. They hadn’t stayed for the reading, insisting that the heat was just too intense for them; considering they had been growing their winter coats, they were probably right. “What happened? We heard a loud crash,” Luna asked immediately.

“Did Rei discover anything?” Artemis added, grimacing at the lingering heat.

“A person named Sin, with great power. She blew out the fire.” Usagi pointed at the scattered ashes, though the entire room seemed different, incomplete, without the crackling sound and dancing flames. No one who had visited the room before could not have noticed the fire being gone; it was akin to removing a wall, or the floor. “She laughed at us….and she gave me a look of such anger!”

The black feline gave her a worried stare. “Anger? So it was an enemy? And she saw you all, not as sailor soldiers…?”

Ami rather carelessly wiped her brow with the back of her hand. “She said she knew who we are, who we were, that she would wipe us from history.”

“Just like the Black Moon,” Makoto sighed, grimacing.

“Well, no one becomes a sailor soldier to win popularity contests. This is to be expected. But you’ve gotten a name, ne? It’s a start.” Artemis sat on his haunches at Minako’s feet, eyeing the few flickering embers. “No wonder Rei looked so upset, if the enemy can blow out the sacred flames.”

Just then, Rei’s grandfather walked in, his mustached face serene as always. The short man was a constant source of good intentions, cheerful without over-exuberance. All of her companions, friends or study partners, had always wondered after meeting him how Rei could end up so utterly opposite of him in temperament. And how they could live beneath the same roof for so many years without mind-control or a handy stick.

This was the first time they ever saw him go pale.

He stared at the ashes of the flames, lips moving in what was a highly simple mantra for appeasing the gods and begging forgiveness. After reciting it, he asked, “What’s happened? Have the kami forsaken us in anger?”

“Iie. Rei was seeking a vision. The vision was too powerful, and it blew out the flames in contempt for us,” Ami explained, watching him with concern. They all did; his solemn face was unnatural.

“May the kami forgive the power of a rash and misguided vision,” he murmured, palming his hands together. Louder, he said, “I have a phone call for Usagi-san. They said it’s urgent, but did not give me a name.”

“For me?” The odango-haired blonde looked puzzled. Her parents knew the number, but would hardly hesitate to identify themselves, and she doubted that Alex would be so coy when it sounded serious. She knew no one else who had the number who would need to contact her. “I suppose so…but who could it be?”

Shrugging, she followed the old man into the hallway, leaving the others behind to talk. He led her to the only phone in the entire building; a small cordless concealed within a plain wooden cabinet. Apparently, as Rei had told them, the foreign visitors to the shrine were always disappointed to see technology within what was otherwise a simple, unassuming building. So in the public rooms, they hid everything that was 21^st century in cabinets and hanging lanterns, like the phone, and smoke detectors. It also made it a bit annoying; Usagi could never remember which plain wooden cabinet the phone was in, as there was more than one, most of them holding small statues and artifacts.

Picking it up, she said, “Moshi moshi? Usagi desu.” There was a lengthy silence at the other end, though she could hear someone breathing.

“Ara, ara, koneko-chan….it’s been awhile.”

“Ten’ou-san….” She was at a loss for words.

It had been weeks since she had thought of the tall sandy-blonde as she had last seen her; Uranus, looking at her wistfully. ‘After all, we were never close to that shining light,’ she had said, storm cloud eyes intent on her face. So many nights she had woken up, remembering, finally realizing with a dull ache what Uranus had meant. She couldn’t toss away that revelation; she couldn’t forget how she had felt at the nearness of Haruka’s body.

But Haruka was not Mamoru, and he was her prince, with whom she was still happily in love. Haruka had left an indelible mark on her heart, but she was not the one who held it. So Usagi had eventually pushed it aside, and concentrated on today instead of tomorrow.

Tomorrow was on the other end of the phone.

She closed her eyes, taking in a soft breath. “Ten’ou-san, how did you receive this number? Rei-chan won’t give it out freely.” And she knew people, even many of Rei’s own classmates, didn’t know of her life at the shrine. The number was listed publicly for business purposes, but Usagi couldn’t recall any of them telling the three outer planet soldiers that it was the home of Sailor Mars. And it certainly wasn’t listed under “Hino” in the phone book.

There was a quiet laugh on the other end, a breathy sound that raised the hairs on the back of her neck; and not in a bad way either. The voice had a certain timbre to it that touched her as surely as Mamoru’s. “Let’s just say, a bird told me, ne? I needed to contact you, and you weren’t at home.”

Well, finding her number was easy enough, she had to admit; her family was the only “Tsukino” in the entire Juuban district, not to mention most of the city. The other was a “Tsukino Hikaru” living by herself way up in Ikebukuro. “Still,” she hedged, unsure why she felt the need to question so deeply, “how could you know?”

“Yare, yare…is this how you managed to defeat such enemies, before our mission? By questioning them to death? I call up with a purpose, and you mistrust me.”

“Ten’ou-san, I don’t…I mean, gomen nasai. It just seems so strange to hear your voice, after these months.” She heard more quiet breathing, and she fidgeted, toying with the end of her skirt. If this was a regular phone, like the one at home, she’d have twisted the cord into a Gordian knot of epic proportions by now.

“I can relate to that, koneko-chan.” The tall sandy-blonde sounded humoured, but wary, and she paused before continuing. “Hotaru is…well. ‘Sick’ doesn’t quite describe this, but it’ll do in a pinch.”

Usagi stared at the phone in disbelief. Sick? She knew Haruka well enough – but not too well at all – to understand that she wouldn’t have called over something as simple as a cold. But she would have also told her what the problem was. And what could it possibly be, when Hotaru was no longer the sickly mechanical doll, but the healthy newborn? What could be so bad that Haruka would take the first step, and call her?

“Hotaru-chan? What’s wrong? Hasn’t she been well, since….?” Even now, the memory of that day gave her the shivers; saying it out loud made it worse. Being trapped inside of Master Pharaoh 90 had been as close to the cold death she’d fallen headlong into, to defeat Metallia.

“Hai. Better than well, she’s been happy. The perfect child. But this is strange, koneko-chan; very strange. Can you come and see her? We requested the ambulance bring her to Juuban, but they told us it’s still closed. The international hospital is the closest we could get.”

She’d almost forgotten about that; Juuban hospital was slated for demolition, as no one wanted to go back to work, and the vacant building was costing its investors far too much. The word was that they were just going to raze it and rebuild, change everything, but that would take years. “I’ll come as quickly as I can, as soon as I tell the others.”

“Ah….I was requesting you, alone, koneko-chan. Hotaru is in too much pain right now to see everyone, and we were hoping…you could comfort her.” The stress Haruka put on the word ‘comfort’ was telling enough; they wanted her to use the Ginzuishou.

“I see. I’ll do it, then. As soon as I can catch the bus, I’ll come. Tell Hotaru-chan I’ll be there soon, ne?”

There was a muffled sound, as Haruka placed her hand over the phone, speaking to someone else; Hotaru, maybe, or Kaiou-san? Then she said, “We’ll be waiting. Don’t be late, koneko-chan.” And she hung up.

Usagi hung up as well, still puzzled. What could have happened to Hotaru that she needed the power of the holy stone? Did the enemy attack them? If so, why hadn’t Haruka told her?

She checked her watch, squeaking as she realized the bus was about to arrive that would take her back home, near the stop she needed to get to the hospital. Quickly she dug out a pad of paper and a pen from the cabinet, scribbling a hasty note – without kanji, of course, because even under calm conditions she could barely remember them – and leaving it where it would be easily seen. Then she ran for the door and her shoes, praying she wasn’t too late.

“Hello, and welcome to—ah,” the woman said in crisp British English, eyeing Usagi’s frankly blank expression, “over there.” And she pointed to the opposite reception, whose signs clearly marked them as native Japanese. Above her own head was a sign in English, telling foreigner visitors that she spoke the language for their benefit; nevermind that not every foreigner was fluent in English. She turned back to a thick paperback and proceeded to entirely ignore the odango-haired blonde, showing clear ignorance for common courtesy.

Even Usagi, who was hardly the poster girl for the Japanese stoic, was offended.

Annoyed, she walked to the other counter, and smiled as the receptionist, offering a smile of her own that was Part of The Job, greeted her with, “Irasshai mase! May I attend to your needs?”

“Ha-ai!” Usagi sang back, bowing shortly in recognition of the greeting. “I’m here to visit Tomoe Hotaru. She’s very sick. Can you tell me where she is?”

A rapid dance of fingers across the keyboard brought up Tomoe Hotaru’s information for the reception to read: room number, age, height and weight, physical characteristics, blood type, reason for visit, and address. All of her personal statistics had been transferred over from a private medical facility, of which the name was not accessible to anyone except her doctor. “It looks like she’s on the fourth floor, children’s wing, room 416.”

“Arigatou gozaimasu,” the odango-haired blonde said in thanks, bowing again. Then she headed for the elevator, punching the button for the fourth floor. On such a quiet day, she was the only one waiting, and the only one inside once it arrived, rocking on her heels idly as she waited for it to reach her destination. She wondered at who could be on the other floors, then remembered that Ami had mentioned having a friend on the sixth, waiting for her father to die. The girl had left two months ago when he had, going back to America and some place with an annoying blunt, clumsy name, but was exchanging letters with Ami through the internet. It had to be nice to have a normal, quiet life to go back to.

The fourth floor was as typically bland as ever as she stepped out, moving aside as an elderly man and his grandchild took her place. She smiled, wriggling her fingers at the young girl, who giggled at her, covering her mouth with a chubby hand. The laughter made her happy, knowing that she had preserved such an innocent life in her seemingly endless struggle against evil; she had not given up, never accepting defeat. Because of such smiling faces.

“Ara, Tsukino-san,” Michiru said casually, as she opened the door. “We’ve been waiting for you to arrive.” The aqua-haired beauty looked tired, though she held herself as perfectly as ever, her white linen shirt and black skirt impeccable. But she seemed far more relaxed, more at ease, than Usagi remembered her; her face looked far more likely to smile than to frown. The months of motherhood and freedom had done her well.

“Koneko-chan,” Haruka greeted her, shifting from where she had been leaning against the wall. She had changed as well, though Usagi wasn’t sure how. Wearing a tan suit jacket and slacks, a light yellow button-up shirt beneath it, Haruka still looked masculine. But the way she wore her clothes – her last three buttons undone to reveal a slash of firm stomach, no tie perfectly knotted at her neck – and the way she spoke, held herself, reminded Usagi of the tall red-head. There, too, she seemed to prefer male clothes and a blunt attitude, but not as encompassing as Haruka had, acknowledging in subtle ways that she was still a woman, if not necessarily feminine. How curious that the tall sandy-blonde seemed to have emulated that posture, as she had not even known Alex very long.

But then, she hadn’t come to puzzle over their lives. “Is Hotaru-chan still feeling terribly?” she queried, turning slightly away from Haruka to address them both. Though the room was private, the single bed was far enough away for her to voice her question softly and be hopefully unheard. All she could see was a dark head on the pillow, and the slow rise and fall of breath beneath the covers.

Wait a minute.

Hotaru was an infant. Why was she in a bed, instead of a crib?

“I am now, as you’ve arrived, Usagi-san.”

The dark head lifted, and Usagi’s jaw dropped as she stared at Hotaru; not Hotaru the infant, the child she had resurrected with love and care, but Hotaru the wan teenager, the girl Chibi-Usa had befriended. “Konnichi wa, Usagi-san. It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“Hotaru-chan…how can you be….are you in pain?” she babbled, coming closer to stare at the girl beneath the covers.

“Not anymore. As you came closer, my pain lessened. Now, I feel like myself again.” There was a note of bitterness in her voice, one that none of them could begrudge her; to once again be the metal mannequin had to be terrible.

Michiru touched her adopted daughter’s cheek. “And not only Hotaru; in the Delta, everyone has been saying that Mugen Gakuen has re-appeared as if by magic.” She caught Usagi’s eye, and for a moment became the old Michiru, poised as if nothing could persuade her from her path; her meaning was crystal clear: no one was taking Hotaru away. Even if Professor Tomoe was brought back.

Haruka said, “It was so strange. We heard Hotaru screaming, and we ran…we ran to help her. And we found her already changing, growing up. We couldn’t do a thing…”

“It hurt so much, Haruka-papa. As if someone had taken my life and twisted it in reverse...making me into this again, this mockery of human blood. I feel like someone’s taken away my destiny and given me no choice again, just like papa.” She stared at her toes beneath the covers, brooding. “They took away my happy life.”

“Your destiny was taken away…kami-sama…” Usagi stared at her in horror, remembering Ami’s vision, and Sin’s words. Enemies re-appearing. Mistress 9 possibly returning, if not Tomoe-san and his witches. “Hotaru-chan, will you become…her…again?”

The raven-haired girl looked up at her, amethyst eyes glittering like stars. “Is that your fear, Usagi-san? That I’ll become the enemy again? A daimon?”

“The destinies of our enemies have changed,” Usagi said soberly, “youma have already appeared. It could happen, Hotaru-chan. Perhaps you’ve been given your body back for such a purpose.”

Haruka and Michiru looked violently disturbed at such a thought. They exchanged glances, then looked down at their hands; Usagi caught a glitter of rings on their fingers. The determination on their faces when they looked up again was familiar. But she had a feeling their concern was not that Mistress 9 would awaken, but that Saturn – the trapped, isolated soldier who would have casually destroyed everyone – would arrive again. She frowned quickly, annoyed that they would even consider the idea, especially as Saturn had chosen to sacrifice herself at the end.

They were saved from an angry spate of words as the door opened, and a nurse walked in, holding her clipboard. All of them stared around at her, momentarily off-guard, as she said, “I’m just here to check the patient’s vitals. Tomoe Hotaru, is it?”

She was halted as Michiru stepped into her path, blocking her. “Excuse me, but I believe the staff has been told that the patient is not to be disturbed, under any circumstance, without our permission. Kindly leave us, or I’ll have you put on suspension of duty.” Her voice had gone perfectly cold, imperious as a queen’s, as she stood in the nurse’s way.

But instead of flinching, the nurse only smiled. “I’m afraid not. You’ll be the ones placed on suspension; permanently.” She gripped the front of her uniform and ripped both cloth and flesh away with a quick jerk, revealing a sinewy, taffy-coloured body. Shaking herself, she shed the rest of it to show off the hypodermic needles at the end of her arms, their ends sharpened to razor points. They matched her teeth.

The aqua-haired beauty heaved a rather tired sigh. Glancing at her partner, she mirrored her lackadaisical shrug – hardly the elegant gesture Usagi was used to – and raised her hand.

“Neptune Planet Power, Make Up!”

“Uranus Planet Power, Make Up!”

“Moon Cosmic Power, Make Up!”

Grinning like the cat with three potential canaries – four if you counted the bedridden Hotaru – the creature lunged at them before the magic released their bodies, stabbing with her arms. Instinct and training had them darting aside, trailing their magic like ribbons in the air, finishing their transformations spread out across the room. “Another enemy!? What are you, a youma, or a droid? A daimon!” Sailor Moon called the heart moon rod to her hand, glowering. “Disturbing the peace and sanctuary of this hospital is a terrible crime, even for you!”

Uranus slanted a pointed look towards Neptune, rolling her eyes around the room; privacy had been essential for their daughter’s well being, but it was now a definite problem with three sailor soldiers fighting in cramped quarters. Neptune danced aside again as the creature tried to spear her, swinging her leg up in a perfect high kick to knock the needle into the wall, where it shattered. “Sailor Moon, be prepared!” she said quickly as she landed on her feet.

The bed rocked dangerously as the tall sandy-blonde used the edge as a springboard, flying over Hotaru’s still body to bring the space sword down across the other needle. It shattered as well, though this time, the creature was fast enough to catch Uranus with the jagged edge, slicing open her arm. She retaliated by burying the blade of the sword in its chest, jerking it viciously to drive it down onto its knees. Then she snapped, “Don’t hesitate!” just as she drew her arm back, taking the sword with her as she leapt out of the way. Sailor Moon already had her rod out and aimed.

“Moon Spiral Heart Attack!”

The rolling energy slammed into the creature, disintegrating it into the familiar pile of dust. All of its pieces fell apart as well, which also relieved them of the necessity of explaining to the staff where so much glass had come from. “This is the second time today that an unusual creature has attacked us,” Neptune remarked casually, as if such things happened all the time. “The first one almost caused the ambulance to crash. As if they were following us.”

“And as they’re certainly no fans of mine, we’ve suspected evil has awoken,” Uranus said with a wry touch of humour as she fingered her wound. It hadn’t been as deep as she assumed, and would heal quickly. Her partner touched it as well, assessing the damage, before turning away to find something to wrap it with.

Their princess looked uneasy as she watched Neptune deftly spread antibiotic on the cut, then wrap it securely with gauze and bandages. Obviously, neither had traveled as sailor soldiers within the ambulance, giving the enemy a clear target; did it mean that no matter what guise they wore, such evil could find them? Or did Sin truly know all of their faces? And even worse, she realized with a sinking heart: could Sin follow them to their very families?

She jerked as she felt a feather light touch against her arm, turning her head up to see Uranus staring at her in concern. “Koneko-chan, what’s the matter?”

“I just wonder. Rei-chan called up a vision of our enemy, an angry person, Sin. She knew who we were; not as sailor soldiers, but as ordinary girls. She knew me.” The odango-haired blonde remembered that scathing anger, frowning. “Could she be so casual as to attack our families?”

Neptune opened her mouth to retort, then snapped it shut again just as quickly, obviously taken aback. Her family was distant from her, as was Haruka’s, both for the very reason their princess had just deduced. But Tsukino Usagi had loving parents, a brother, even now, her daughter; Minako had her mother and father; Ami had her solitary mother; and Rei had her doting grandfather. All of them easy targets for someone’s hatred, once you had a name. “Hime-sama…do you truly believe it’s possible?”

Shaking her head, Sailor Moon didn’t respond.

A soft cough from the bed had them at attention as Hotaru sat up, not quite as fluid in her movements as a healthy girl, but far improved from earlier in the day. She rather impatiently brushed the hair from her face as she said, “The enemy can do anything. If they have the power to change destiny….surely, everyone could be in danger.”

“Sou yo,” Uranus agreed, casting a worried eye over her surrogate daughter. “We’ll have to investigate, right away. The entire ward could be thick with enemies, trying to attack.”

Hotaru nodded firmly. “Then let’s go.”

“We’ll go. Hotaru-chan, you’re not well, and as Saturn, you have no reason to fight,” Neptune said calmly, flinching only slightly as the raven-haired girl turned the force of her gaze towards her. “Let us handle this.”

“As Saturn, I have every reason to fight, because first of all, I’m a sailor soldier. The god of ruin was not always my name. Let me join you properly, and prove it.” Hotaru slid out of bed before they could stop her, her skinny, slightly unusual body clad in the generic hospital gown. Even still, she glared at them fiercely, daring them to argue.

The tall sandy-blonde sighed, shaking her head. “Hotaru….are you sure about this? After all of the pain…”

Shaking only slightly, Hotaru raised her chin in defiance. “Saturn Planet Power, Make Up!” she said steadily, using the same transformation words as her surrogate parents, mildly gratified to feel it work. After all, Saturn had simply taken over her body, not given her the keys.

Mystified, the three watched the pale girl disappear in a whirlwind of magic, transforming from Tomoe Hotaru for the first time, accepting the mantle of Saturn willingly. Lifting her arm high, her fingers uncurled to grip the familiar length of her weapon, the silence glaive somehow less malicious in her hands this time around. Adeptly, she spun it around to rest, and gifted them all with a smile. “I am the messenger from the depths of death. Carrier of the protection of the planet of ruin, Saturn. The soldier of silence. Sailor Saturn.”

Then, she added, “Also, the soldier of the niftiest weapon.”

Their princess laughed at the twin looks of chagrin on her allies’ faces. “It is an interesting stick,” she agreed, waving her own weapon in contrast.

“Hey, a magnificent sword is still a nifty weapon as well!” Uranus argued, brow twitching as both girls laughed even harder. Neptune had a strangely tight lip, as if she was trying not to laugh as well. “Ne? There’s nothing wrong with a—“ Then she paused, mouth open.

“Perhaps we should go, before this gets any worse,” Neptune murmured, watching her lover turn several interesting shades of red. Saturn giggled again.

“Michiru-mama, you’re no fun.”

Across time and space, a group of girls knelt at the steps of their leader – their mistress – in careful respect. They wore what they had appropriated as uniforms, mostly consisting of dark grey bodysuits and gold trim, bands of gold circling their foreheads. One girl wore her blonde hair up in two thick ponytails tied with wide red ribbons, her crystal blue eyes wide but glacial. Another had cut her silvery blue hair short to her chin, hugging her head like a helmet, her slate coloured eyes narrowed in constant speculation.

Next to her, the second blonde kept her hair long and free, her sapphire eyes equally as wide as her blonde compatriot’s, warmer, yet slightly distant. She had a pleasing smile, unlike her neighbor, who kept most of her rust red hair in a ponytail, the rest falling spiky around her face and cool ruby eyes. The last also wore her deadwood brown hair back, though in a neater fashion, her eyes the colour of rotting green leaves and possibly just as lifeless.

They were once all normal girls.

But as the brunt of their vengeance would soon learn, they were no longer.

“Apsu-sama,” the ponytailed blonde said, singsong. “Be proud of us. We’ve completed the first of several stages of our plan.”

She stared up at the dais, seeing, in her peripheral vision, the stagnant water that surrounded them, encircling the stone steps and the dais, that had once served a purpose. Beneath their feet was a well-worn red carpet runner, leading up the steps and to the edge of the dais, where their mistress stood, shrouded in her casual shadows. “In the 21^st century, we’ve changed the destiny of an entire district in Tokyo, the predecessor of our city. The district, called Juuban, is the home of those girls. Now their home is infested with returning enemies, their destiny no longer one of death, but of resurrection.”

“Interesting. For all I’ve asked of you, you succeed. I’m proud of you.”

A slim, pale arm rose up from those masking shadows, fingers lazy in the air. They watched it in curious silence, knowing first-hand of her power. “For you five, a gift of magic. Take this with my blessing.”

The light blinded them, and they snapped their eyes shut against the glare. When it was over, they exchanged questioning looks; they didn’t feel any different, certainly. But then, when she had first extended her offer, had they felt the change at all? They could believe in her words and her mission. “Arigatou gozaimasu, Apsu-sama, for your generosity,” the ponytailed blonde said for them all, clapping her hands together as she bowed low.

“Sou yo,” Apsu replied, dropping her arm. “Now with this power, you’ll be stronger than the sailor soldiers. I promise you that, excluding their trickery and lies. Stronger…stronger than those girls, except for that one, that shining princess.” Her words grew colder, and they shivered, knowing her hatred. “For her, nothing less than complete treachery will suffice.” She withdrew even further into her shadows and darkness, stifling what sounded like a sneeze; or a wrenching cough. “You may leave me.”

“Arigatou gozaimasu, Apsu-sama,” they chanted in unison, bowing curtly at the waists.

And they left as directed, unconsciously letting go of their breath as they exited the watery room for the larger hallway that connected. No matter what, the smell followed them, but it was definitely easier to breathe. “Perhaps we should rig up the pipes to work properly again,” the silvery-blue haired one sighed, her nose wrinkled. “Apsu-sama would benefit from a working system.”

“Apsu-sama would have us fix it, if she wanted it,” the rust-haired girl countered, turning on a wicked smile. “Besides, we know what she wants, as we want. And now, we have the power she’s given us. We can beat those legendary sailor soldiers finally.”

“Ishtar thought so, as well. Defeating the legendary soldiers will be easy now,” the long-haired blonde crooned, clapping her hands. The others gave her a mildly dismissive glance, well used to her eccentricities; most of all her annoying habit of insisting on saying her name instead of a simple ‘I’ or ‘me.’ Of course, given the fact that it was the name she had chosen, just like the rest of them, for this new life, may have had something to do with it.

“Marduk, what do you think?” the ponytailed blonde asked, gazing over at the last one yet to speak up.

The deadwood-haired brunette shrugged. “I’m not satisfied with mere power. It’s what happens in battle that counts, and so far, we’ve done nothing to engage them.”

“Well, I suppose—“

“Marduk’s right, onee-chan,” a younger voice countered. “Having them alive does us nothing good.”

Walking up, the young boy was just as unassuming as his older compatriots, his chosen uniform – a blue shirt and white pants – even more casual. But his green hair was wild and windblown, and his twilight eyes were still wide with youth, though speculative. His forehead had been marked with a blue starburst, which was still mild compared to the bony growth on his head. No one knew what it meant, or how it afflicted him, and he always kept his own counsel. “The sailor soldiers still possess an unnecessary destiny. To make it into our own, they must surrender or die.”

The silvery-blue haired girl added, “as well, the Ginzuishou must be in our hands. That power is too amazing for them to keep. It’s the source of all our troubles.”

Next to her, the deadwood-haired brunette snorted. “It’s the source of everyone’s troubles, that holy stone. If not for its shine, the Black Moon wouldn’t have so recklessly attacked our homes.”

“We all know the cost of that,” the ponytailed blonde whispered tightly, clenching her fist. “That so-called miraculous light couldn’t save everyone. Why did the sailor soldiers, in their crystal palace, remain safe? Why didn’t they fight our battle to save us? They can no longer be trusted with such power, not when they misuse it!”

Marduk nodded in agreement. “Then our time is now, ne? That’s why we planned this trip. We’ve seen them split apart, helpless. Their princess has gone to the aid of those solitary soldiers still alive in that era. We can strike now.”

“Ha-ai! Ishtar likes that idea. It’s very easy.” The long-haired blonde giggled, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. “When do we leave?”

“Now. You all know what to do, ne? I’ll handle the rest.” The ponytailed blonde gestured sharply, smiling wickedly. “We’ll lure them into our trap.”

“As you say, Sin,” the silvery-blue haired girl said, disappearing, the other three girls following in rapid order. Apsu’s magic was stronger indeed, if they could now travel without her aid through time.

Sin smiled, though it wavered as she met the eyes of her young brother. “Anshar, don’t assume you could ever have happiness with her. Our worlds never would have met. This is now war; don’t be too easy against her.”

He bowed his head; and though his silence was not agreement, it was also not disagreement. It would have to do, she mused, as his one true weakness had always been the princess Small Lady.

Walking the streets of Juuban on a Sunday was generally a quiet time. The day before the workweek began anew, it was usually filled with housewives doing their shopping, families heading out for whatever pastime had caught their fancy, and the young taking advantage of their one full day off.

Today, every step filled Usagi with dread. They had exchanged identities before leaving the hospital, knowing it would be far more inconspicuous for them to travel as everyday pedestrians; but this was the first time that it made her feel naked. Unprepared. The enemy surely knew who they were, and would no doubt hasten to attack them. But as well, they could already be attacking her family, her friends… “Iie,” she whispered, “I won’t let that happen. I’ll save everyone.”

“Usagi-san, daijoubu?” Hotaru murmured at her side, amethyst leveled in concern. They had been effectively sandwiched by the efforts of Haruka and Michiru to effectively protect them both, despite the younger girl’s arguments to the contrary.

“Nothing, Hotaru-chan. It’s nothing.” Usagi smiled down at her warmly, gazing again at the outfit she had chosen for herself at the store; a lengthy violet skirt to cover her once again scarred legs, long black sleeves for her arms, and tall boots. In contrast to the brighter colours her surrogate parents had chosen for her, Usagi had noted; however they had been raising her, this was Hotaru as she had grown up.

In front of them, Haruka paused. They could see the tension in her back, the almost painfully straight stance she’d taken. “Do you feel that?” she queried sharply.

Surprisingly, Hotaru answered. “Hai; a disturbance of energy. An enemy, perhaps, its destiny changing to bring it back to life.”

“I feel that way too,” Michiru added.

The odango-haired blonde bit her lip as she watched the street. They had come to a halt almost a block away from her house, blocking the sidewalk entrance to her favourite candy store. Even the temptation of sweets didn’t catch her eye, though she had to admit to being broke anyway. “With all of these people….we can’t fight. We have to lure it away!”

Without responding, Haruka began walking again, at a quicker pace than before. The others followed, though Usagi kept looking around nervously for any sight of a youma, or whatever creature was arriving; though she could feel it close by.

Away from the shops, the tall sandy-blonde transformed within the shadow of a tree, motioning for them to stay put and do the same. She walked out as Uranus, sword held loose at her side, and said, “Come out, come out, wherever you are! Your evil energy gives you away.”

The mechanical walk of the droid was hardly surprising, though its features – an oval face with nothing but an inverted black crescent on its brow – were shocking. None of them had really seen a droid before, but Sailor Moon knew from the sigil what it was. “A droid of the Black Moon,” she said, stepping out of hiding. “It wears the symbol of their anger, the black crescent moon!”

“Whoever they are, and whatever it is, doesn’t matter.” Neptune plucked a leaf out of her hair as she came to stand slightly in front of their princess. “We’ll destroy it easily.”

With a sudden jerk of its head, the droid said, “Program: Mimic; initiated. Commands downloaded. Destroy: sailor soldiers.” And it began to change, twisting and warping as the soldiers watched, unsure as to what it was doing.

And then they were staring at a replica of Uranus.

Of course, they could see the differences right away; the glassy eyes, the jerky movements. But it was still unsettling as it moved forward towards the true soldier of Uranus, a space sword melting out of its hand for it to grip and swing. And it wasted no time in using it, as it leapt towards her. “Shimatta! This is insulting to me!” Uranus snapped, bringing her sword around to block the droid.

“Deep Submerge!” her partner called out, releasing a far weaker attack than normal. It swung around and caught the droid in the gut, lifting it off its feet, and knocking it back into the street.

But the droid leapt up immediately, swinging wide with its sword to catch Uranus across the other arm – she swore colourfully – splattering the blade with her blood. As she stepped back from the attack, the droid’s eyes turned a ghastly shade of red, flashing. It had absorbed her bodily fluids, completing the process; and with a far more agile sweep of arm, the droid knocked the space sword from Uranus’s hand.

Saturn leapt in, blocking the next slice with the handle of the glaive. “You won’t defeat the god of ruin so easily, droid,” she whispered fiercely, before heaving the droid back. It glared at her with a heat familiar, then came right back at her with a flurry of swipes, all of which she matched with a disturbing ease. Uranus had to nearly jump out of their way as they continued to trade blows, watching something that looked like her now moving like her as well.

“Even the god of ruin can be forgotten,” the droid retorted, in the exact same sarcastic tone Uranus would have used as it jabbed the sword towards her belly.

“Not when their enemy is as opaque as the still waters of a pond.” Saturn brought the glaive down, catching the sword with her own blade. Twisting, she swung the droid around in a helpless arc, bringing her knee up to smash its jaw with a satisfactory crunch. Then she snapped her leg straight, kicking it away and into the open street. “Sailor Moon, now!”

“Hai! Moon Spiral Heart Attack!”

After a moment, Uranus muttered, “You took some pleasure in destroying my face, didn’t you, koneko-chan?”

Sailor Moon frowned at her. “I wouldn’t be so mean. And it hurt you.” She gestured at the other arm, which was bleeding far worse than the first time. The droid had meant to cut deep, and it had; already, most of her glove had turned red.

The tall sandy-blonde waved it off, pressing her hand tight to the wound. “I’ll heal. My pride, on the other hand, might not be so easy. That damned thing looked like me!”

“And talked like you, and moved like you,” Neptune reminded her, looking troubled.

“But even if such enemies do that again, we know one another, ne? Surely it’s the key to defeating them, if they try such a tactic again.” Saturn cocked her head. “Sailor Moon, what are droids, anyway? You mentioned a ‘Black Moon.’”

The odango-haired blonde sighed. “It was an enemy from the future. The droids were their creatures; they seemed to assume human shapes, to mimic people for evil purposes. That’s why, just now, it looked like Uranus.”

“So we can expect those particular creatures to take on different shapes?” Neptune asked, unwrapping Uranus’s less-injured arm to transfer the bandage. The tall sandy-blonde was growing pale with blood less, even though she had a firm grip on her arm.

“I think so.”

Tying up the second injury, the aqua-haired beauty nodded absently. “Another puzzle for a later time. We need to continue.”

As they released their transformations, Usagi said, “We’re close to my house. I can ask mama for more bandages. Plus, I want to check on everyone.” She pointed over at her home, which was visible already. “Mama and papa and even Shingo and Chibi-Usa.”

Haruka and Michiru exchanged their usual glances, then shrugged. It certainly couldn’t hurt to check on her family – it wasn’t as if they had a time limit – and Haruka did need more medical care. Then they could be on their way again. “Hai, hime-sama. I’ll be pleased to meet your family; ne, Haruka?” And she nudged her partner in the ribs as Hotaru smiled.

“Oh, ah, hai, hai. Parents.” At least she wasn’t about to meet them as Usagi’s prospective lover, which was hardly possible, though enticing. She just figured Tsukino-san would probably be meeting them with a baseball bat if that were the case.

Outside, the house was an obvious sign of either luck or wealth in the Tsukino family; such spacious two-story homes were rare in the city. But, being Juuban, they weren’t entirely surprised to know their princess lived in such a place. The yard was well maintained, the path swept clean. It was also quiet as a tomb as they stepped inside, even after her shout of, “Mama, tadaima!” On such a day, they must have gone out shopping, or perhaps for a walk.

Usagi sighed, stretching out her arms. “Ara, ara! I guess mama and papa have gone out. I wonder where that annoying Shingo is?”

“Perhaps he’s gone with them?” Hotaru offered, taking her second look around.

“I doubt it, he’s always staying home and playing video game—“

“KYAAAAA! TASUKETE-E-E!”

A streak of brown hair and undistinguishable colours ran by, not even registering their presence. Screaming madly, Shingo dashed up the stairs, tripping halfway up and crawling on hands and knees the rest of the way. “Nani!? Shingo!” Usagi shouted.

The coldest breeze assaulted them next. As they flinched back, a creature glided past at a considerable pace, carrying a double-bladed axe over its shoulder. It looked like a Western Grim Reaper, only flying instead of slowly walking towards its victim, trailing cold and ice in its wake. Ignoring them as well, it went up to the second floor. “Shingo!”

“Transform again!” Michiru and Haruka said in unison, though it went generally ignored; Usagi was already running after it. “Hime-sama!”

“Kuso…koneko-chan, matte! Don’t go alone!” Haruka snapped, watching her pigtails vanish up the stairs. “Kuso-o! Uranus Planet Power, Make Up!”

“Neptune Planet Power, Make Up!”

“Saturn Planet Power, Make Up!”

They raced to follow, only to find Sailor Moon standing at her brother’s door, jerking the knob madly. “Open up! Open up, now!” She threw her shoulder into it, and the flimsy lock gave out, throwing her inside as she yelped. The others stopped in the doorway, flinching at the freezing cold.

Ice had crawled up the bedroom walls, delicate and lacy and quite lovely to see. The framed picture hanging over Shingo’s bed was slightly askew, its glass broken. And in the far corner, the boy himself was limp on the floor, pale and cold beneath what was surely a youma, as his energy was drained away. Their movements had it turning to see them, though all they saw beneath its hood was a shriveled white face; and it hissed, “Stay away…the child is mine! His warm energy is mine! Don’t interfere with me!”

“Stay away from Shingo! He isn’t yours at all!” Sailor Moon grabbed the closest object at hand, which turned out to be her brother’s baseball, and flung it at the youma with amazing accuracy. It had begun to turn back around, so her throw caught it on the side of the head, snapping it back; she whipped out the heart moon rod. “Now, get away!”

The youma howled, unearthly in pitch. Spreading its hands, the room grew even impossibly colder, the air painful to breathe; ice crystals formed immediately on their eyelashes, their lips dry. The tingling nerves in their bare limbs hurt. “C-cold,” Saturn moaned, hugging her body.

“Fight it-t! W-World S-S-Shaki—“

“Iie! You c-c-could hit S-Shingo!”

Uranus dropped her arm, scowling, though it didn’t match the violent shivering. “Then w-w-what else can we d-d-do?”

Her partner fell to her knees, grabbing a schoolbook. Apparently, his sister’s untidy habits had not been a fluke, as it was not the only one dropped on the floor. She wielded the heaviest one, and flung it; it missed the youma, but achieved her goal of pissing it off. It howled again, spinning around and lifting its axe as it flew at them. “Intruders!”

Saturn’s glaive came up, catching it around the midsection; she used its speed to swing around in a circle, before slamming the blade into the wall to pin it. Shoving harder, she cut it in half, and the two pieces fell apart into a dust pile Ikuko-mama was most likely going to faint over. The cold disappeared; the ice vanished entirely. And Shingo coughed as he sat up.

He blinked, seeing the soldiers. “Sailor Moon? Sugoi! How did you know I was in danger?”

The odango-haired blonde waved foppishly. “I can always sense danger, Shing—ano, little boy. I’ll always protect you, and so will the other sailor soldiers.” She smiled at the three standing with her. “They’re Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn.”

“Arigatou gozaimasu!” Managing to bow despite sitting down, Shingo beamed at them. “You saved my life. I don’t know what could have happened if you hadn’t arrived; mama and papa are gone, and my baka onee-chan is gone too.”

“Now, now, Shin—little boy,” Sailor Moon chided, though they could see her clenching her teeth. "Always be kind to your onee-chan. Even if you hate her, she’ll do her best to protect you when I’m not around.”

Shingo’s expression quite plainly told them he thought she was crazy, but he nodded in agreement. Most likely to get off the subject. “But it was weird,” he said, acting as if the odango-haired blonde hadn’t spoken, which put an open scowl on her face, “what that baka creature said. I don’t know what a ‘Gunzaichou’ is –“

“Gunzaichou?” Saturn interrupted, staring intently at the young boy. “Perhaps, the Ginzuishou?”

“Hai, hai, that was it! Ginzuishou. That sounds familiar. I think I heard about it on TV once.” Shingo seemed blissfully unaware of the piercing glances the three outer planet soldiers were now giving their princess, who had a rather nervous smile on her face. “It kept saying that in this time, it was here. Baka. Who would have such a stone that in this house?”

“But I wasn’t home,” Sailor Moon muttered, touching her brooch reflexively. “Surely, the creature had to be mistaken.”

Her little brother scratched his head, snorting, thankfully still oblivious. “A ‘silver crystal.’ Why would I know about such things? It should’ve chased Chibi-Usa-chan, at least she’s a girl! Girls know all about those shining stones.”

He blinked as all four of them disappeared back out of the door. “Ano…what did I say?”

Their footsteps stampeded overhead as Sailor Moon led them up to the attic room Chibi-Usa had claimed. “Chibi-Usa! Chibi-Usa-a-a!” she cried, desperation creeping into her voice.

“Chibi-Usa-chan!” Saturn added, squeezing by the odango-haired blonde to make it first into the slant-roofed room. Although she hadn’t been here, it looked reasonably undamaged even to her eyes; even the bed was neatly made. “Chibi-Usa-chan…”

Behind her, the other three paused to look around as well. “This doesn’t mean anything,” Neptune said carefully, “the creature could have been simply attacking the boy. Small Lady could have already left.”

Saturn exhaled loudly, touching the dresser with a gentle brush of her fingers. “I don’t feel anything malicious. I don’t think Chibi-Usa-chan was here, thank the kami.”

Sailor Moon’s wrist communicator started beeping. Lifting her arm, she said, “Luna? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” the black feline replied, her voice distorted as always. “Have you visited Hotaru-san?”

“Hai; we’re all here now. We were investigating Juuban.”

“Who exactly is ‘we’?”

“Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and me,” the odango-haired blonde said, moving her wrist to show the cat. Who, notably, stayed silent on the other end; they could only imagine what she thought of her precious princess in the company of three potential murderers. Or so she probably still considered them, which was reasonable in light of their actions.

Finally, Luna said, “I thought perhaps the others had met up with you. They left soon after you did.” She snorted. “Perhaps Minako has convinced the others to take a rest at the Parlor.”

They could hear someone else saying something; Artemis, most likely defending his partner, or agreeing with her. Then Luna rolled her eyes. “Anyway, come back to the shrine. We’ve managed to discover some information.”

comments

Shunshin

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:25:01 GMT

The air was crisp, revealing the tang of oncoming autumn and its cooler temperatures. Most people in the city had already switched over to warmer coats and clothing, the students in their longer sleeves and thicker skirts. But she didn’t feel the cold like everyone else, and wore only her habitual black leather trenchcoat, open to the breeze. The coat had seen some rough times, just like her; tears in the sleeves, rips that looked suspiciously like bullet holes through its flapping length. It was practically a relic that she rarely went without wearing, not when its hidden pockets and loops hid so many useful weapons.

Not that she needed them anymore. Her new life was so safe in that regard that she felt almost lazy.

She sat back against the windshield of her car, patting the hood reflexively; though she had accumulated the money to have any vehicle she wanted, she had a love affair with the Saturn. It had sent her father into a spasm of laughter to see her driving what was essentially a safe suburban car, but, as she’d pointed out, who would assume anyone like them would be driving such a vehicle? It may have been suburban, but it was also comfortable anonymity. Plus, it was black, and she always liked black. Now it was also exactly the opposite of what she’d bought it for, but no one in this country cared what Alex LeBeau was driving or where she lived or what she was doing.

But that was good, because it meant no one wanted to kill her. The few people that did care about her knew where she lived and what she drove, maybe not what she was always doing, and it was just fine. They saw her as a particularly exotic species of bird, some strange foreigner that offset the ie of the Japanese world by not playing entirely along. She lived where she chose, she said what she liked, and she did as she pleased. Not always a smart thing for a gaijin to do in Japan, but what could they do? Kick her out?

Stretching out her legs, she tipped her head back to look at the stars – or what was visible, so close to Tokyo’s scorching illumination. The constellations were the same as they had been over her childhood, her teenage years, her tumultuous adulthood, and now something approaching methuselah centuries. It was nice to know that they hadn’t changed; her place in the universe had, on many occasions, but the stars had stayed the same. And as in most of her years, she had no one to really share the moment with.

She thought back to the previous hours, when she’d told Makoto matter-of-factly that she was going out. The tall brunette had made some polite remark, but hadn’t been listening really; she was too busy achieving a look of subtle nonchalance for her ‘lesson’ with Sommers-san.

Ever since the vanquishing of the Death Busters, they had all found themselves with time to spare. Months had passed, and nothing remotely evil had shown its ugly head, which meant they could finally relax; Makoto had been using the time to schedule more classes with the brown-haired sensei, making up for the hectic weeks she had been busy. And it was flagrantly obvious to everyone that the educational value of the lessons was only perhaps a quarter of the reason she was visiting so often.

The fact that it bothered her was still nagging at the back of her mind. She didn’t know why; the tall brunette deserved her happiness, even if it was likely to be fleeting. They all knew that, save for some miracle of magic or birth, anyone they chose to fall in love with would die long before themselves. And though she reasonably should have gone to meet this ‘Conrad Sommers’ long ago, if only to fulfill her obligation as a concerned legal guardian, she also respected Makoto’s privacy, and was entirely willing to wait until she decided to introduce him personally.

Maybe it was the fact that she didn’t have the same chance. She hadn’t bothered to kid herself with the possibility since she had felt her queen die in her arms. Years ago she had deluded herself that no normal human would understand her, or try; only one of her own kind would accept what she was. And it was so perfectly managed, with no one really suitable to her age or personality in the small, internal family she had willing placed herself in. Even her father had fallen into the trap, trying to woo and win a woman he couldn’t even touch, coming right on back every time she’d turned away like some forlorn puppy.

And when she herself had broken away, fled for a new attempt at life, she’d had the chance for happiness, and watched it self-destruct by means of their separate ideologies and decisive influences. Again, she had left that life behind, the wandering vagabond again, though this time she was grown and in control of her powers, not a frightened young teen with just enough of a grasp of her abilities to not accidentally burn down a building. Everything she’d owned had been locked up in storage; her rightful – and stolen – wealth accumulated through interest and investment. She’d finally been given a break, and she had planned to exploit it fully; maybe do some charity work, piss off some rich dicks, but otherwise relax.

Then she’d done the damn foolish idea of trying to rescue a couple trapped inside a burning warehouse – said couple locked inside by a bunch of racist, drunken assholes who had then set the place on fire. She’d gotten them out, received a pipe to the head for her trouble when the drunks came back unexpectedly, and was tossed back into the building, out cold, and left to die. Or so she was later told. All she remembered was opening her eyes after what seemed to be a second of blackness, only to find herself staring into the face of Her Royal Highness Queen Serenity. Happiness, yes, that followed soon after, even though she was living in a world she understood but found slightly ludicrous, without the comfort of technology as she had grown up with.

Now she was back in her own century, in her own world, still the odd one out. She found comfort in knowing that her neighbors didn’t care that she could create fire with a thought, read their minds, or lift the furniture without touching it. Of course, they didn’t know she could, but they weren’t interesting in finding out. Not like a paranoid United States where half of the country wanted to either lock up, cripple, or flat-out kill people like her, and made it their personal mission in some respects to know whether the next door neighbor could talk to animals.

One of these days, she figured she was going to go completely barking mad, or continue to swallow it like a good little warrior and keep on going. Neither option seemed particularly cheerful; ‘happiness,’ was of course not on the list.

A shooting star flew by, and she didn’t bother making a wish.

“Ne, ne, have you heard? My birthday is coming soon!” Minako flashed the victory sign at them, so flamboyant she almost knocked over her drink.

“How soon, Minako-chan?”

“October 22,” she said proudly, preening, utterly ignoring the somewhat incredulous stares she was receiving. Only Alex seemed unsurprised, continuing to apply herself to the mastication of her slice of plain cheese pizza, even though it was a bit gummy. She did, however, grunt in recognition.

“There’s a sure sign of the Apocalypse; Aino Minako, one year shy of sweet sixteen. Good thing it isn’t the 31^st, or there would probably be some sort of curse thrown in.” She eyed a drip of sauce that had somehow managed to fall right onto her forearm, a rather sickly looking red colour. Why she continued to kid herself that any cheap café in Tokyo actually sold decent pizza was beyond her understanding. Sighing, she licked the drip away deftly, as Usagi appeared to be in serious thought in the booth seat next to her, counting off her fingers.

“…19….20…Monday…Minako-chan, that’s only a week away! Why didn’t you tell us earlier? We’ll never plan a party this quickly!” the odango-haired blonde finally puzzled out, holding up the offending fingers as Mamoru hid what sounded like a cough in his mug of lukewarm coffee.

Come June 30, they had all planned a big birthday party for Usagi and Chibi-Usa, as the two strangely shared the same day. (Another sign, Alex was convinced, spelled the eventual end of the universe.) Ikuko-mama had been the main instigator; they ended up renting the parlor for the entire day, inviting Momo-chan from Chibi-Usa’s class, Naru and Umino, even Iretsu. (The glass sculpture of the two 'dango heads wearing flowing gowns and similar idyllic expressions of idiocy/benevolence had been almost too much, however.) They felt Usagi deserved it, being the main reason for the planet surviving three major cataclysms, but they hadn’t reckoned on her perverse need to spread the joy around.

If there was one thing their princess loved, it was making everyone share in that joy. She had been manic ever since the defeat of the Death Busters to enjoy life, and to that end had cajoled, bribed, and tricked some of them into telling her their birthdays. Only Mamoru – by reasons of obvious insanity, caused by their relationship – Ami, and Makoto had told her. Minako had given her some weird cryptic answer about being mysterious, which meant she had planned to spring it on them in some way no matter what. Rei had flat-out ignored the question. Alex had just laughed somewhat caustically and asked her which calendar she meant.

Thankfully for all involved, Mamoru’s birthday on August 3^rd had been reasonably sedate. A surprise dinner party at his apartment, personally catered by the tall brunette and the tall red-head, that had involved all of them, and then a more exclusive reservation at the New York Grill on the 52^nd floor of the Tokyo Hyatt. It had certainly ended more than two weeks worth of stress he’d put himself through leading up to the day; he loved his princess, but he also knew how their ideas of fun and entertainment could veer in two different directions. He still didn’t know that everyone had fought for several weeks beforehand to convince the girl that a quiet dinner was better than her idea of a balloons-and-banners party like her own.

Then, there had been Ami’s on the 10^th of September. It had been Alex’s idea to bribe the workers at the Sunshine Planetarium into letting them have the whole place to themselves for a few hours, but it had been Usagi’s unique method of plea-bargaining that had them creating an entirely new galaxy for them to view: the Mizuno System. Needless to say, seeing all of the stars form the shape of the symbol for Mercury above their heads had been unique. They had also managed to talk her father into coming up for a surprise visit.

Now, it seemed to be Minako’s turn, but knowing the long-haired blonde, she was also probably frantically anticipating it. Maybe it was a sense of being younger; all five of the girls had been born the same year, but obviously not at the same time. Rei had been first, then Usagi, Ami, Minako, and then, just to be ironic, Makoto at the very last. And of course, Haruka and Michiru had been born even before Rei, to be already in high school. Watching practically everyone enjoy their birthdays first must have been annoying.

Makoto slurped loudly at her strawberry shake. “What’s wrong with the 31^st of October?”

“Ne? The 31^st?” Usagi muttered, lowering her hand.

Surprisingly, it was the dark-haired shrine girl who answered, stirring her tea with a lazy swish of her wrist. “The 31^st of October was a pagan holiday in the West. The celebration of the dead walking the earth again.” She pursed her lips as she took a sip, perfectly ladylike. “The sisters like to warn us against the danger of roaming pagan ghosts. Not unlike the O-Bon.”

“The 31^st is also Halloween, which is when people dress up in silly costumes and children knock on doors demanding candy, the little brats.” Alex stared down at her soda, momentarily brooding. “And yes, it’s a pagan holiday, but that doesn’t exactly matter in a country that mostly worships the trees, now does it?”

“Shinto is a respectful worship of the spirits of all living things—“ Rei began, sounding a bit angry, and a bit more like a door-to-door saleslady.

“Shinto is a vegetarian’s idea of paradise, and like all religions, made up to appease the limited human brain,” Alex shot back, more matter-of-factly. “Though you do look cute in those robes, I must admit.”

Artemis made a noise that might’ve been either agreement or condescension above Minako’s head. He was on his own today, with Luna and Diana unfortunately shanghaied to the nearby pet ‘spa’ to be scrubbed clean courtesy of Ikuko-mama and Chibi-Usa, and he was finding it extremely easy to nap. Of course, some voices just couldn’t be shut out, not when the tall red-head and the dark-haired shrine girl had taken it upon themselves to wage a battle of ideology. Alex seemed to enjoy needling Rei uselessly; Rei, though no one would get her to admit it, enjoyed having such a relationship. Catholic school produced very few interesting, intelligent conversations and even fewer people who could keep up with her. “Thankfully, Minako’s birthday is still on the 22^nd, not the 31^st.”

“But it sounds so interesting! It’s too bad that we don’t have such an interesting holiday in Japan…free candy, and a chance to be something silly and fun…” Said long-haired blonde sighed, resting her chin on her fists. “Just a perfectly interesting day.”

The tall brunette reached up to disentangle a strand of hair from her earring, unclipping the jewelry with an ease born of practice. “And you could be considered normal when acting unusual, ne? Even as sailor soldiers, we could pretend to be merely ordinary girls.”

Alex stirred her soda, eyeing the melting ice cubes and their slow contribution to the watering-down of her drink with resignation. Not that it mattered much; Coke in Japan just didn’t taste right, not as sweet as it should have, and Diet Coke had suffered a sort of general neutering. Instead of battery acid – which even she could admit it probably tasted like to the uninitiated – it tasted like polluted water flavoured with gasoline. Taking one last defiant sip, she pushed the quarter-full glass aside and said, “Yeah, well. Halloween for me was mostly sitting in Harry’s, watching the kids go down the street, holding mommy or daddy’s hand. They never came up to the school.”

“But it still sounds so fun, dressing up, and getting lots of candy!” Usagi sighed, nuzzling up against her prince’s side. “And all of those happy children…”

“Well, they’ve still got Shichi-go-san in November. Some of them, anyway,” the tall red-head pointed out, “they dress up in kimono and get reasonably pampered.”

“But Americans give out candy to everyone!” Minako pointed out in return.

“Not everyone, just underdeveloped ankle-biters dressed like Pokémon and various shady lifestyles.”

The blue-haired genius peered over the top of her ridiculously thick textbook – it looked like a complete history of the creation of modern math and its bastard offspring – pushing up her reading glasses with an index finger to see them clearly. She’d been so quiet, they had almost forgotten her existence, easy to do when she was in ‘the zone’ of studying. They had long ago given up on trying to make her socialize for the next year; until high school exams were over with, she was merely scenery. But they were still dragging her along to put some fresh air in her lungs, otherwise she’d stay locked up in her room, poring over her books until midnight.

Minako caught her eye, and said loudly, “Ne, ne, Ami-chan! What do you think?”

Blink. “It sounds interesting, but aren’t you a little old to be concerned with childish things? After all, this ‘Halloween’ sounds like a child’s celebration, not for students about to enter high school.” The long-haired blonde grimaced. Ami was aware enough of her surroundings to follow their conversation, even when nose deep in a book, and she managed to put enough condescension and disappointment into her tone to remind them that she was so able. Though the girls had given up on her socializing, she had not yet given up on chastising them for not taking their upcoming exams more seriously.

And those exams were looming even closer. All of their families were making it perfectly clear that they expected their daughters to make it into decent, if not excellent high schools; it was not optional, but mandatory. Rei’s Catholic school automatically elevated her into the next grade, though she too had to take some difficult tests, nothing too serious for a girl who managed a nearly perfect grade average. Minako had long ago convinced her mother to let her drop cram school, having been unable to keep up in those halcyon days of fighting crime as Sailor V, and had not suffered terribly for it; her grades had been horrible anyway.

Usagi was just barely scraping by, as usual, which was not actually a bad thing; what good would her education be once she was Queen? Her empathy and conscience were her strongest points, and they would be far more useful to her than ancient history and equations. Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell her mother not to worry about her bad grades because she’d be on the throne within ten years, and so she continued to manage. Mamoru did seem to be tutoring her a bit; being a senior himself and on the cusp of college gave him a bit more free time. Even Ami had asked him for help once or twice.

Makoto was hardly an excellent student herself, having no interest at all in the duller aspects of public education, and excelling only at her gardening club activities – which she was now banned from, being in ninth grade and preparing for those exams – and cooking class. And she had no expectations weighing her down from Alex, who had told her flatly that she could decide for herself, but that if she didn’t chose school, she needed to find a job. The terms of her guardianship specified one or the other, to prove that Makoto was responsible enough to be on her own come next December. Though she couldn’t imagine finding a job that would make allowances for constant tardiness or spontaneous days off if another enemy arrived.

“Ami’s right, though it’s not just for kids,” Alex said finally, noting how the blue-haired genius had managed to kill conversation with just the tone of her words. She didn’t – and yet she did – mean to be the general voice of discontent, but she did have a way of making sure her meaning came across no matter what she did. Woe be the unfortunate understudy she might find herself teaching after her own years in medical school. “A lot of adults dress up and go to parties too. They just get alcohol and hors d’oeuvres instead of candy corn and bubble gum.”

“So it’s not just for children? Adults get to dress up for a night too?” Makoto asked, amazed.

“If you’re into that kind of thing.”

Usagi was smiling in a wide, thoughtful manner that instantly rose the hairs on everyone’s neck. That smile meant she was thinking something devious. Something crazy that would no doubt make them beg for mercy. And, considering the topic, they could only imagine what she had in mind; even Ami had the notion to look worried. Mamoru was inching away from her as slowly and evenly as possible.

She leaned forward, resting her elbows atop the table – and cleverly soaking up a soda spill from the previous occupants with her sleeve – and pressed her fists into her chin. “Ne, ne, minna, for Mina-P’s birthday…” Not altogether oddly, the cute ‘P’ suffix she had recently tacked onto Minako’s name sounded perfectly fine coming from her, despite the fact that it was an elementary school favourite. But it also heightened their feelings of trepidation; were they to be ritually tortured by such cuteness? “…let’s make a Halloween party!”

The crash of Minako’s fist onto the table had nearly every single head in the parlor whipping around to stare, in various states of alarm, at the long-haired blonde. Even more so at her split-second pose, her mania thankfully not known to most of the country; she leapt up onto her side of the bench seat, fists in the air in triumph, her grin bright enough to power the Ginza for a full day. “Sou yo! This is the culmination of fifteen years of unbearable loneliness! How long have I waited for such a magnificent party in my honor?”

“’Unbearable loneliness’? Is Hikaru just a figment of your mad imagination?” Artemis snorted from the plants. He then yowled as an ice cube smacked him right between the eyes, knocking him backward into the thankfully empty booth behind them.

Minako sniffed, reassuming her pose, though she seemed to have lost a bit of her exuberance. “Just because I had one, one! whole friend in the world who knew my suffering…but no longer! Now, I shall have a party worthy of me, Aino Minako, Japan’s future and entirely gorgeous #1 idol, a party that will live in tyranny!”

“Should I…?” Mamoru muttered.

“No-o, I think she got it right the first time,” Alex snickered, as Rei managed to hide herself most cleverly behind her school case, red as a tomato. Ami had her book as an excuse, though she was holding it with a strange stiffness in front of her face. Makoto had invested herself entirely to the difficult job of slurping up her shake, unconvincingly oblivious to the crazed blonde standing next to her; even Usagi looked a little daunted by the display.

All Mamoru could hope for was a swift seven years and possible maturity as he drank his coffee.

In any event, the long-haired blonde apparently noticed the lack of enthusiasm – mostly by the silence; the entire parlor had gone mute, most likely afraid of egging her on – and slumped back down into her seat. “But anyway, I’m happy! Even though I had Hikaru-chan, her calm façade and organizational status kept her from celebrations. And mama never liked throwing parties, because she didn’t want to clean up after me twice in one day, she always said.” The last was followed by a swift frown; none of them had met Aino-mama yet, but even by Minako’s tendency to blow things out of proportion the lady seemed to be rather sour by nature. Even Artemis agreed to that, noting that she spent more time during the day lambasting her husband’s general lack of job recognition and her daughter’s renegade ways.

At that, they all sighed. Now they had no choice, because once someone made such an impassioned statement in Usagi’s presence, she made sure it was followed through. Even if it meant dragging the rest of them along through thick and even more thick.

The sound of a book slapping shut startled them again. Ami removed her glasses and folded them with one hand as she put her book inside of her case and snapped the latches shut. The faint distaste on her face was becoming rather normal for her these past weeks; though she allowed them to drag her along, she was irritated at the interruption in her studies. She felt far more burdened than they to excel perfectly at exams, needing an excellent high school that would meet her expectations for college.

Though Moto Azabu, Mamoru’s current school, was one that met all qualifications, she wasn’t very happy at its segregation; boys and girls studied in different buildings, an archaic concept kept in use only because many families were rigid believers in separation of the sexes in such matters of education. Almost all of the girls would gain an excellent education, but they were then expected to marry properly and use that intelligent brain within the household, having children and teaching them what they needed to enter the proper kindergarten. The school even used the gengo system for all of its calendars and tests and dates, for the love of the kami.

So she had her lists of possible schools, and there were so many that had been built within Tokyo proper in the last ten years to accommodate the population, so many outside of Tokyo proper for the same reason, that she was hardly definite in her choice. And as loathe as she was to admit it, she now had the additional burden of worrying if she could make it from school to a possible battle; as a sailor soldier, she was trapped within a certain boundary. She could hardly commute an hour away, out of the city, and expect to make it back under a certain time limit to fight as Sailor Mercury.

But at the puzzled look on Usagi’s face, she relaxed, sighing. “Gomen ne,” she said, standing up in the booth. “I have to catch the bus; juku starts in an hour, and today is a very big mock exam. Please call me later about Minako’s party.”

Rei and Makoto scooted and crawled out of the way to let the blue-haired genius leave, her parting wave genuine, her smile just so. Then she was out the door and gone, off to another night of intellectual binge and purge. “Ami-chan is so busy with her studies lately,” Usagi sighed, stirring her drink. “She seems so sad.”

“Of course she’s busy, and you should be as well. With exams coming up, you should all be studying just as hard,” the dark-haired shrine girl remarked in turn, settling back into place.

“Minna-a, let’s not talk about school! After all, we were discussing my upcoming birthday so casually before. Exams don’t come until nearly March!” Minako gulped the rest of her drink down in one Olympian sized swallow, nearly choking on her exuberance; tears sprang to her eyes as she coughed. “Besides, I have reasonable expectations for school. After all, Hana High and Juuban High are remarkably close, and their exams are fairly easy, I’ve heard.”

“Is that your only decision regarding school?” Alex queried, “how close it is?”

“Well, their volleyball clubs are also super! I intend to take them to the top!”

The dark-haired prince shook his head, glancing down at his princess and her thoughtful expression. “I hope that isn’t your only expectation, Minako. High school is when you have to make certain choices for the future. Merely getting there to play volleyball is a waste of effort.”

Makoto, surprisingly, said, “And why are we even worrying, Mamoru-san? We know what our future holds. What else can we expect to do in this little time?” She stood up as well, and, being on the outside of the booth, she was able to walk away easily. “Gomen nasai, but I don’t want to discuss this right now. Sommers-san is expecting me for class.” Hugging her case to her chest, she backed away and swiftly walked through the door.

Not much left to do after that than go their separate ways; some air of merriment had been pierced. Mamoru seemed to recognize that he had put his foot in his mouth, and seemed rather chastened as he and Usagi left. Rei always had some chore to finish at the shrine, so she left next, a few heads turning to watch her go. Artemis and Minako were last, and though the long-haired blonde was now depressed, she made a show of reminding the tall red-head about Usagi’s party idea. “Halloween. Yeah, I got it,” she snorted.

Left sitting at the table with a mess of empty glasses, she didn’t move for nearly two hours, simply staring out the window. Pulling out her wallet finally, she fished out enough yen to pay for her loitering, playing with a 1,000 bill idly – even after all this time, the currency here still seemed alien to her – before setting it down and getting up. Unsurprisingly she noted the shifting of eyes in the room, the covert stares at the gaijin who had been playing at being topiary. Just didn’t belong, here nor there nor bloody anywhere, it seemed.

A few days later, she was staring at the plain white envelope on the coffee table in front of her, neatly hand-written in Edwardian English, addressed to a Miss Alexandria LeBeau. She knew where it was from, she’d gotten several over the past year, all addressed to an American they didn’t know, living in her ridiculously expensive condo in the wrong part of the city, who just wanted to be left in peace.

She opened it, read the contents, read them again. Huh.

The door opened and closed, and she could hear, sense, Makoto arriving home. Even though their thoughts were a general buzz of static, she could still feel their emotions coming at her, a ridiculous maelstrom of happy to sad to general disregard when they were in a group. The tall brunette was usually content if not happy, as she was now, and she made the room just a little bit lighter for her presence. “Tadaima-a!” she sang, removing her shoes for her slippers, still stuck in the habit. “Alex-chan?”

“Nerf.”

Makoto set her school case on the armchair, peering at her roommate critically. “Daijoubu? You seem upset.”

“I’m never upset. I’m the poster child of joy,” Alex retorted lifting the letter for Makoto to see, then realizing she couldn’t read it, letting it fall onto the table. “Mail from UNESCO again, sending me one of their damn letters. The usual song and dance of ‘Being a foreigner in Tokyo, why not join us in a celebration of debauched excess and heady joy at not being Japanese?’”

“….it says that?”

“Well, not in that many words.” She sat back, flinging her arm back over the couch and affecting a lazy slouch. “I guess they’re throwing a Halloween party and they’re inviting me, a token foreigner in Tokyo, to come. That’s all they seem to do around here; throw parties for the gaijin.”

The tall brunette sat in the opposite armchair, snuggling up to a pillow she had personally bought herself a few weeks ago; bright pink and heart-shaped and frilly, Alex had gagged and given up the entire piece of furniture for her own use. “Will you go?”

Alex made a face, apparently deciding not to say whatever was on her mind, and rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. Finally she said, “Why in the hell would I? I don’t even know anyone else in this city but you. I don’t like to advertise my presence. And the fact I have to put on yet another bloody costume just for Minako’s party….” She sighed, palming her face. “Non. It’ll just go into the garbage, again. I wish they’d get the hint; it’d save some trees.”

“Is it really so terrible to go and have some fun?” Makoto stared at her curiously, unrolling the sleeves of her uniform. Though it was past the date of summer uniforms, the last week had been nicely mild, perfect for T-shirts and entirely stifling in thicker, long-sleeved woolens. “You’ve gone out to the clubs; you met Haruka-san and Michiru-san at one. Why would a party be different?”

“It just is,” the tall red-head muttered, looking away. How to explain her trepidation at being found? That she made a habit of watching CNN and BBC and all the other foreign news networks just for that little bit of information about them, to know that they wouldn’t suddenly arrive in her new backyard, finding her alive, wanting her to go back. At such a party, there was always a chance someone could recognize her, even if it was slim to none. She lived in a wary state of alert, knowing that not even Tokyo was safe, that even here, they had friends.

But she hated living in that mode. She’d lived on edge, one eye always on the horizon, for too many damn years, seemingly at someone – or something – else’s mercy. Even now she still had nightmares of a metallic slither against her skin, a sharp voice laughing at her as she fought desperately to escape. “Don’t you see, this was all intricately mapped, a choice menu of genetic aberration for us to sample. They led us right to you.” Screaming, not just her voice.

She closed her eyes. “Pardonnez, chere. I don’t mean to snap at you. But it’s just not easy to explain. Being in crowds is still unsettling, even after so many years of practice.”

“Well…could the rest of us go, with your invitation?”

Lapis blue rolled sideways to stare at Makoto. “Quoi?”

Exasperated, she said, “Do all Americans do that, or is it just you? I need a Japanese to French dictionary just to understand you sometimes.”

“Just me. Well. My father, too. And my momma did it, and, uhm, most of the family….actually, all of them….”

“Mou!” The tall brunette shook her head, though she was obviously fighting an attack of the giggles. “I mean, can we use your invitation to go to the party? It would be perfect! Minako would love mingling with so many people.”

“And I suppose your overwhelming lack of expertise regarding the English language would be, of course, no barrier whatsoever to your good time.” Just because there were foreigners in Tokyo didn’t mean they spoke the language; the families of the American military were an excellent case in point. And she had dealt with more than a few transplanted businessmen who had come overseas seeking opportunities in their companies who couldn’t even give directions to the taxi driver. Most of those people going to such parties were almost assuredly Japanese deficient, and half were not even of the English speaking variety.

Makoto waved it off with an assurance only teenagers could have; the utter disregard of experience in the face of determination. “Daijoubu! I’m sure we’ll be fine! After all, we’ve all had English class for three years now! How bad can it be?”

Alex just stared at her. She ‘remembered,’ as Moriya, taking those classes, and could just imagine how bad it would be. If any of them could get past “Hello! My name is,” and “How are you?” she’d eat something entirely disgusting. Finally she ventured, “I don’t think so. I have a bad feeling you’ll end up accidentally propositioning someone, or offering to draw them a monkey with your big toe on their ear for five bucks Australian.” Picking up the invitation and staring sourly at the curling, obviously computer-generated, cursive script, she sighed. “I’ll go. I’ll bloody damn go. I can’t let you go alone for gods’ sakes.”

“Well, it’s settled, then! I’ll go call Usagi and tell her the good news!” And she hopped up in another dizzying cloud of happiness, leaving the tall red-head to suspect she’d been cleanly conned. Damn kids, she thought with a faint moue of annoyance. I’m supposed to be the con artist, not them. “When is it?”

“October 31^st, at their no doubt glamorous offices.” Tossing the invite onto the coffee table again, she got up and stretched, wandering around the similarly wandering brunette wielding the cordless phone, and into the kitchen for some kind of edible. Just like the oven and range, the fridge was, in the tall red-head’s opinion, of proper size, a shiny chrome side-by-side just tall enough for her to see over the top. And being in a condo with two itchy cooks, it was almost always stuffed to its cooling vents with leftovers, which she eyed critically.

Behind her, she heard Makoto say, “…arigatou, Ikuko-mama,” and click the phone off. “Usagi’s not home,” she sighed. “Ikuko-mama says she went over to Ami’s to study.”

“Which probably means she and Chiba are over at his place snogging.” Picking up a round Tupperware container and sniffing its contents, she added, “Because the gods know she wouldn’t willingly study on a beautiful day like this.”

The tall brunette toyed with the stubby antenna on the phone, thinking guiltily of the homework still locked in her own case; she had an English grammar paper to finish, a sizeable math take-home quiz, and a second paper to write on the function of the daimyo in feudal Japan and their impact on Western society. If they decided to make all school optional, she sometimes wondered if she wouldn’t be the first in line to quit. So much work for so little return; she wanted to make people happy with home-baked cakes and lovely, hand-sewn dresses, and what good did her knowledge of the daimyo and serious algebra give her in that quarter?

She sighed, her elation rapidly fading as she realized the long hours she’d have to put in again just to finish in time for class tomorrow. It wasn’t even the amount, just the effort needed; Alex was right that her English was terrible, and she hated math, and didn’t think much of history either. And that particular red-head was eyeing her from the kitchen, that look on her face that meant she knew that her roommate was feeling depressed and sad and just a teensy bit homicidal. “Makoto?”

“Gomen, gomen…I just remembered, I have so much homework to do! I wish I didn’t; I’m just not good at math or history or English.” She waved her hand lazily in the air, affecting a see-through cheerful smile. “It’s just difficult for me to sit so still and do this work. I’d rather be do so many other things….”

Alex was still giving her that look, an arch of the brow making it almost imperious. She had slumped to lean on the island counter, a plate of Makoto’s cherry pie in her hand, eating it without even bothering to look down and make sure nothing had gone south down her shirt. “So don’t bother. You don’t have to go on to high school, p’tite. You can find a job instead.”

“Could I really?” the tall brunette murmured, nibbling now at the rubber. “And then what happens if I’m needed, if Sailor Jupiter is needed? Who would accept my absences? I wouldn’t be able to keep a job, I don’t think. Not when another enemy could arrive.”

“True. Even though it’s a possibility that it may not happen.” Her face twisted into a comical snort as she rolled her eyes; obviously, she didn’t believe it anymore than Makoto did. Though they had already passed the three-month mark weeks ago, a record of peace and quiet unknown since they had become soldiers, something was bound to happen. The Dark Kingdom had been their foes from death, the Black Moon their shadow in the future, but the Death Busters had simply been random paths colliding, enemies who had not a thing to do with them; and it could happen again. “I tell you, it actually makes me appreciate my private education; I’m not looking forward to the day one of these idiots actually does something during business hours and you’re in class.”

“And I can’t just stop school, can I? Even though it’s my choice, once I’m sixteen…”

“At sixteen, yes, but that isn’t for another year and two months. That’s where the law is a righteous pain in the ass; if you’re not in school or legally employed, they can step back in and haul you off to another foster home.” The sound of the fork being set on the empty plate was almost loud in the tense silence that followed. “And as much as I love to happily tap-dance all over the law when it’s my neck, I’m not going to go there with you. You either need to continue school, or get a job, and that’s all they wrote.”

The tall brunette clenched her fist in her lap, staring down at the carpet around her slippers. She knew Alex was right, knew she didn’t like it anymore than she did, but it felt as though that noose was simply tightening around her neck with those words. Normal teenagers could opt out, their parents alive to provide for them, but she had no choices, not even a scrap of leniency, because hers were dead.

She wanted to cry.

No, actually, she wanted to rage, wanted to hit something, wanted to rail against the unfairness of the world. Everything was just growing, the rock rolling uphill now the size of a boulder, and increasing with every step. The mere imaginary scenario of four more years of work and toil, eventually all for naught, made her wince.

Until she heard a snort. A very aggravated sound. “Why in the name of the multiple gods are you so upset over the idea of four more years of education? I know the bloody Japanese school system is sado-masochistic in its pursuit of higher learning, but why is it such a damn chore? At least you have the privilege of being a student at a normal school with normal people. I didn’t.”

Makoto flinched at the words, oaken green rolling to see the tall red-head playing with her plate. Sometimes, she wished her roommate – her friend, her teacher – would stop being so tight-lipped about her past and open up, telling them at least what her life had been before she had met Serenity. The few tantalizing hints were both vague and infuriating; her dead family, years spent fighting something undefined. Even Makoto couldn’t touch that level of despair with her own stories. “Gomen ne…Alex-chan, I don’t mean…”

She sighed, tugging at her ponytail in a ritual gesture of nervousness to tighten it. “It just feels like such a waste. I wanted to sell cake and flowers and be a bride in white, or maybe be a cook in my own restaurant. Something that could make everyone happy. School won’t teach me any of that….the happiness I want to share comes from within, my joy from creating something new and wonderful.” Another tug, as she straightened it against the back of her head, sensing by touch and habit that the tail was off-kilter. “Even so, after so much school, and maybe a few years of achieving that dream…it’ll be gone. Kino Makoto will be Sailor Jupiter, and everything that Kino Makoto dreamed will be—“

“—ashes in the wind,” Alex finished for her, barely a mutter.

There was the sound of dishware rattling as the plate and fork were set in the sink, water running to sluice off the remaining cherries and piece crust crumbles. It was more comforting a sound than the tall brunette wanted to admit; alone in her apartment, it would be her at the sink, rinsing that dish. Now, as someone else did the very same, it made her feel as if she were a child again, sitting at the table with her belly full and her head sleepy, listening to her mother and father doing the dishes. It was a particular musical sound of childhood, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Alex felt the same way, when their situations reversed.

Lulled, she didn’t even notice the water stop, or the movement of the tall red-head into the living room. It wasn’t until she felt a finger tickling her nose that she blinked, focusing; Alex was bent over her, smiling at her coyly, finger poised to ambush again. “So, Sleeping Beauty rejoins the world. Does this mean I don’t get my kiss?”

“Iyaa, no! Ecchi!” Makoto swatted at her, laughing, and Alex dropped in that peculiar lazy way of hers into a sprawled drape over the couch.

She rolled onto her stomach, legs so long her feet hooked just so over the arm, and rested her chin in her hand so she could see her conversational partner. “So you don’t like the idea that after spending all your time preparing for your dream, it’ll essentially be flushed down the toilet once the future comes.” The tall brunette nodded. “And how is that any worse than, say, Ami going to medical college, barely having the chance to finish, and then finding herself lacking when the world’s entire science and medical community takes a nose dive? Of course she can use her skills as a soldier, maybe she does, but it won’t be the same.

“And what about Mamoru? He wants to be a doctor too, and he’ll be most likely done with his training before the big one hits; maybe even hired on. But the king of Crystal Tokyo isn’t going to be able to heal the sick or wounded, not when he’s half the power on the throne. Maybe he helps out Ami in general theory by writing up proposals for new hospitals, or new methods for healing with their technology, but what else?” Alex cocked an eyebrow, tapping her nails against her cheek. “Out of all of you, I’d actually feel more sorry for them; an idol, a cook, a wife, and a priestess can all find their personal ways in that shining world, without having wasted their years. Dr. Chiba, Dr. Mizuno; they won’t exist. Their years of hard work and training will be gone.”

Reaching out, she touched her free hand to Makoto’s knee. “Don’t dwell on this, chere. It isn’t worth it, not when you still have that potential for happiness. Yes, you’ll be Sailor Jupiter, but Sailor Jupiter can still be – and is – an amazing cook. And I don’t care what Pluto might say, the future’s not set in stone. Believe me.” Alex smiled, somewhat grimly. “We’re already at deuces.”

Makoto hadn’t though of it that way at all.

Feeling slightly ashamed as she realized Alex was right, she thought maybe she could endure four more years after all; and high school was in fact much more carefree. More time with her friends…more to make, as she joined the clubs…actually, now that she thought about it that way, it didn’t seem so terrible at all. Her fear and loathing of the workload to come, the tests looming, were her obstacles, not her eventual goal.

She smiled brightly. “Alex-chan, how can you be so right all the time?” Wielding the phone still, she hit redial, hopping up. “I’m going to try to reach Usagi again, and do my homework. I’ll have to stay the course; only hard work will give me the first step of freedom towards my dream! Hana High, here we come!” she crowed, bouncing over to grab her case, then tripping up the stairs.

Alex watched her go, shaking her head. Though she finally smiled as she caught the remote in her hand, it was rather more wistful than happy.

True to form, Usagi was thrilled at the idea of a free party, with free food, and free drinks, and interesting people, and if she was thrilled, Minako was going to go ballistic with joy. Of course, they wouldn’t find that out until the very day; they had decided – well, Usagi had decided, and the others, in lieu of a better idea, agreed – to keep it a secret up until arrival. Which meant everyone would also be working hard to keep the odango-haired blonde from letting it slip, which, in the heat of excitement, she was liable to do.

Which was why they were all currently hiding in the safe obscurity of her bedroom, sans Mamoru – Kenji-papa’s eye seemed to gain a major tic whenever he saw the poor boy. It wasn’t that he didn’t approve of him, as Alex could quite flatly attest to, but that he was like every other protective father who didn’t want his little baby girl growing up and not needing him anymore. He wanted to keep her innocent as long as he could, though, yet again, Alex could’ve told him that she was long past that particular hurdle. But as that would’ve given the man a coronary, she felt it prudent to keep her lips shut.

As it was just the girls, Ikuko-mama also had a rather distracting habit of popping up every half hour with some new and freshly baked tray of goodies, fussing over them all – even the tall red-head, who took it with a wry smile. (Apparently, in the matronly woman’s eyes, she was a bit too thin and needed some fattening up.) One of the trays sat across a hastily cleared corner of Usagi’s dresser, emptied except for some crumbs, an assortment of half-full glasses set within. Rei picked up her glass, clear and clean of any fingerprints or any decided use, and took a sip, remarking, “If I see any politician affiliated with my father, I am not going.”

“Rei, if your father is so straight-laced he squeaks when he walks, I seriously doubt anyone with a similar mindset would be caught dead at a gaijin Halloween party,” Alex said in return from her seat in the window. The dark-haired shrine girl threw her a dirty look.

“He is stern and pig-headed, but he does not ‘squeak,’” Rei responded coolly. “However, my father is typically aware of his political advantages, and I wouldn’t put it past him to send one of his younger partners to a gathering of possibly influential foreigners.”

There was a moment of rather embarrassed silence. Hardly ever did Rei ever mention her father, who was an obvious shadow over her life; from what scant detail she had allowed them to learn, they couldn’t blame her. A man of the old school Nihon, he seemed like an unfeeling, typical politician, more concerned with his political aspirations than the daughter he professed to adore for his vision of a perfect family. They all rather preferred her grandfather, who was a kind and caring man, something like a loveable puppy in robes.

Ami, her pencil still poised in the air as if to viciously strike the lined notebook balanced precariously in her lap, glanced thoughtfully over at Rei. “Is he truly so politically involved? He’s already a popular name within the party; is he looking towards the future to become Prime Minister?”

Like spectators at a soccer game, heads swiveled from one to the other.

Looking as if she’d swallowed something two weeks deceased, Rei averted her eyes. The tall red-head could feel the shame and mingled – no, not mingled, completely overwhelming and strong – anger that Rei had for her father and such questions. It was a palpable cloud above her head; it was amazing that she could act so self-assured and poised when she had such an emotional chip on her shoulder. Of course, if Alex were truthful with herself, she’d admit she had such a chip, maybe even bigger; and the rest of the girls here were just as bad. Only human.

“…possibly,” she finally admitted in a quiet voice. “He could be so bold.”

“One can just imagine what would happen then,” the tall red-head muttered. “Martial law for all women; lock ‘em up, throw away the key, but leave them the checkbooks.” Of course, this was directed towards the window as she looked out; it was doubtful any of them heard. Sometimes she knew plainly that her observations of the country, being a dyed-in-the-wool foreigner, just shouldn’t be vocalized in their presence, or at least not so they could hear.

Of course, when she had been in America, she’d had the same problem, because though she was a citizen by birth, she had lived overseas until her teens. Most of her comments had either been ignored, dismissed, or argued, usually because she was thought to be rather ignorant because of her age. Now, obviously, that wasn’t a problem, but trying to explain her cynicism and mistrust to a group of mixed teenagers…not quite yet.

A loud laugh signaled a happier discussion; though Ami had gone back to her books, and Rei was smiling tightly, Usagi and Makoto were chatting merrily, trying to coax the dark-haired shrine girl into discussing possible costumes with them. Apparently, Chibi-Usa had already chosen to be a pirate, and had been pleading with Ikuko-mama to help her make the outfit. So what should they be?

Alex quelled the urge to speak her mind again, and turned back to the window. She thought the world of them, but they had been raised and taught by a system that prized repetition; if they didn’t come dressed as a princess or a bride or a priestess or a doctor, she’d frankly be shocked. Not that she had any ideas for herself, though she’d been kicking around the idea of Cher in “Walking in Memphis,” just to be interesting. A fake nose and tan, black hairpiece, blue suede shoes, what the fuck, why not.

Pressing her cheek against the cool glass, her eyes drifted over the trees and small garden in the Tsukino yard, every bit of available space green, but beginning to fade with the changing seasons. Soon, the snows would come, an unfortunate side effect of moving to these northern climates, and the entire landscape would change. White Christmases, when she was more comfortable and familiar with green, even though those years were so far left behind. She remembered sunny, hot days, climbing the tallest tree behind the house on a dare and skinning her knee on the rough bark. New York had been a cold, rude awakening, her first holiday one of utmost refusal to even leave the building for the next three months. Pneumonia wary. She had always been up front in praying for an early spring.

And Japan in December wouldn’t be much warmer. Soon she’d be seeing her breath every time she stepped outside, mostly likely from some curse at the temperature; she’d be freezing her nuts off when she decided to go shopping for gifts. Not that the holidays had always been the spreading of proverbial joy for her, something had always been happening, but she still felt it apropos to give the girls some small present.

Behind her was a glow of contentment, edged with a thin scallop of irritation, spiked here and there with amusement; she closed her eyes briefly, basking in the sea of emotion. It was comforting to feel their presence, like a soft blanket over her shoulders, and she sometimes had to simply remind herself that they were there. For years it had driven her mad, that ever-present tangle in her head sprung full blown once she had manifested that particular power, the need and hatred and despair and desire and everything else itching her skin. She had avoided crowds like the plague, run screaming within minutes if she’d found herself in the middle of one.

Now it was like not breathing to not feel the presence of another body near her. The solitude had been just fine until the loneliness had crept in while she wasn’t looking, and maybe she had been almost guiltily happy to find herself with a reason to take Makoto in, filling the apartment with her emotional spoor. She was adjusting, again, to life with an emotional leash, standing on that brink of madness and staring across. Companionship, but not the kind she could only wish for. Emotion had taken the wheel, kicking Physical and Sexual into the trunk.

She must’ve been frowning, because a small girl on the sidewalk was staring up at her. It looked as if she’d been jumping rope – and who did that anymore? – her arms down at her sides, her face perfectly like a doll as she watched the window, brown hair in mussed curls. She was even dressed in one of those silly baby doll dresses without a waist, white with bright red strawberries all over it. Casually, she waved her hand, quirking a smile. The girl smiled back, beaming madly as a pair of arms came into the picture, picking her up. Her brother, maybe; she couldn’t see much of the face beneath the wide brimmed hat, just a hint of a dark goatee. Even as she was carried off, the little girl waved up at her, not caring who she was.

“Kids,”’ the tall red-head mumbled, realizing sharply that she couldn’t recall ever being picked up like that herself as a child. Neglect hadn’t been the cause, simply business.

“Ne, Alex-onee-chan?” Usagi questioned. Startled, she looked around. All of them were looking at her, even Ami, her pencil poised exactly the same as before. She probably practiced that strike at night, keeping her form in top condition for her mock exams. “Ne, ne?”

“Ah…pardonnez. What is it?” Alex shifted to see them better, clasping her bent knee between interlocked fingers.

“Well, what have you decided on for a costume?” Makoto asked next, her eyes practically shining with deviousness. “We’re all excited to know!”

Alex thought for a moment, eyes rolled to the sky. She thought, and she thought; and, just to piss them off more, she thought a bit longer.

Finally, she decided: “Quiverwing Quack.”

Just as she figured, she was met by four blank stares, so she clarified. “Y’know, Quiverwing Quack? Gosling? Darkwing Duck? The terror that flaps in the night?” Usagi looked to be thinking hard.

“Is it an antique manga?”

“No! Good grief, don’t you watch any Yank cartoons? I thought everything was bootlegged and translated over here.” Apparently not, as they all shook their heads in the negative. “Bloody horrible. OK, so, Quiverwing Quack is Darkwing Duck’s adopted daughter, who makes up a superhero identity for herself because she, well, wants to. She shoots arrows and wears this red Robin Hood gone gay outfit.”

“She shoots arrows?” Rei now looked at least mildly interested.

“Only because she happened to have them on hand to catch a criminal. That’s the joke, that she out-hero’s her dad, who happens to be a card-carrying hero that gets major disrespect. I mean, Gizmoduck of all people gets better press than him, and he’s a schmuck!”

The odango-haired blonde symphonically tortured, “Gee-zu-mo Daa-ku? Is he bishounen?”

None of them understood why Alex practically laughed herself off the window sill. “Oh gods no, he’s a scrawny little accountant with a technical suit. Sort of like your transformations; he says “Blathering blatherskite” or something close to it, and this big metal Robocop suit flies to armor him up, complete with a unicycle wheel for mobility.” She was still snickering as she waved her hands in the air, simulating, as best as she could, a flying hunk of metal out of a briefcase. Obviously, it could’ve been done better. “He’s Duckburg’s big hero by mostly sheer luck, because he’s a massive putz, yet everyone loves him.”

“…so you’re dressing up as a metal Robocop?”

“No, no! Quiverwing Quack! Robin Hood gone gay! Puffy shoes, sharp hat, bow and arrows, come on, it’ll be classic.” A brow twitched. “Obviously, my wit is lost on you.”

“I suppose so,” the dark-haired shrine girl stated, a bit icily.

“And here I thought you were supposed to be so perceptive,” Alex sniped back, tipping her chin in an outright dare to Rei; and she would’ve most likely taken it up if Ikuko-mama had not chosen that time to swing through the door again, bearing yet more treats. She contented herself with staring instead, though both of them knew it just wasn’t the same and not quite as satisfying.

            A small object spun, caught the moonlight.   It was caught in silhouette against that curving crescent for a second, the shape of rounded ears, an equally chubby body. When it fell, it made no noise, caught before it could hit the ground.   “Are you sure about this?”
            “Of course I am, my dear boy,” she snapped; sitting in the shadows, he could not make out the obviously angry expression on her face.   But her voice softened as she added, “Oh, darling, I don’t like to yell at you.   But you know this is important!   That last battle was so very terrible, and we must find out just how strong they’ve become.”
            He tossed up the object again, unable to keep still for very long. Finally they were mingling with the common people, people like him, and he could breathe fresh air and go wherever he wanted and eat everything he desired.   This silly test was merely an annoyance he really didn’t want to deal with, but it was, for her, a big deal.   So he’d do it, maybe get drunk, and then sleep it off for the next few months until they made their real move.   Sounded like a plan.

“So I don’t need to control it at all?” he asked again, slipping it into his pocket. “All I have to do is plant it and activate it.”

Her nod was barely a rustle in the dark. “It’s been endowed with a particular energy. Once it awakens and attacks, your work, darling, is to merely observe. I doubt they’ll find it easy to defeat.”

Fingering the shape, he snorted a laugh. When she had given it to him, he had figured her for a lark; no sailor soldier worth her garter would be scared of this particular creature. Then again, maybe Monty Python had it right, when evil was involved.

He straightened his shirt, bowing gallantly to her shadow. “Anything for you, my life and cruel mistress.” There was no bitter irony in his voice as he spoke what was fact, and he caught the railing with his hand as he swung onto the fire ladder and went down to street level. He had a cab to catch.

Foot tapping impatiently, she must have made quite a sight on the sidewalk. First off, not many people celebrated Halloween in this country, and second, crimson was always an eye catcher. She had made good on her promise to dress as an arrow-toting hero, and had done a bit of work to pull it off; even put her long copper hair in twin ‘tails.

The hat was right out of Errol Flynn’s movie, sharp and triangular and thoroughly scarlet, matching the band of fabric she had cut holes out of for a mask. Long gloves, a button short-sleeve, stretch pants – because she obviously had to cover herself decently, being not a duck unconcerned for any fleshly bits – and the damned puffy shoes, all shades of red, completed the look. She felt ridiculous, but also a bit pleased; no one would recognize her in this stupid looking getup. She’d even found a quiver, bow, and arrows at the toy store.

Again she looked at her watch, muttering beneath her breath. Hell with it, they could meet her upstairs. One last look around…

“Waaa! Sensei! Sug-oi!”

“That looks so great, Alex-chan!”

Makoto and Minako came running the last block, with the latter merrily swinging a wicker basket that no doubt contained her resigned feline. It didn’t match with her faux leather pants and top, her hair streaked with red and her make-up heavily obvious. “Do you like it?” she cooed, doing a spin right there on the sidewalk; poor Artemis had to be sick.

“What the hell is it?”
“I’m Aino Minako, rock goddess! Pretty cool, ne?”

Tactfully, Alex just nodded, cocking a brow; somehow, she imagined this momentous costume probably took her most of the week to decide on. She turned to Makoto to look over hers again, though she had seen the tall brunette bring it home earlier; a slim white sleeveless dress, veil, French heels, and a still-fragrant bouquet of pink roses. Unsurprisingly, Makoto had wanted to be a bride, but Alex had to convince her to slim it down and wear the shorter, plainer dress instead of some ridiculous confection of organza and silk. After all, American brides wore such simple dresses down the aisle as well as those silly frou-frou gowns.

“Have Ami-chan and Rei-chan arrived yet?” the long-haired blonde queried, looking around even as she spoke, still absently swinging her basket.

The tall red-head shook her head, divesting Minako of the wicker to open and peel out a green-around-the-gills Artemis. “I’m going to be ill,” he warbled, hanging his head over her arm. “I shouldn’t have eaten that tuna for my last meal, but it sang so sweetly to me…”

“I’ll bet Luna will be pleased to find out that the food had stolen her tom away from her with its serenade,” Alex snorted, noting that the white feline wasn’t sick enough to still throw her a dirty look. Though Diana was proof that they had to get together at some point, both were vehemently denying anything serious – even though you could always find one in the company of the other these days.

“Ara, Ami-i-i! Rei!” Makoto suddenly hollered, waving her bouquet madly and littering them with petals

It was like the parting of the Red Sea; everyone on the sidewalk had stopped in their tracks, standing aside, to let the two girls pass. Rei was, of course, dressed in what looked to be her oldest but serviceable robes, not holy enough to be tarnished by a costume party, her head held high. Ami was next to her, looking more and more nervous by the minute.

Ami was also not Ami, but Sailor Mercury.

And now, they could hear people talking, though mostly questions of “Where did you get that amazing suit?” and exclamations of “Mama, can I be a sailor soldier too?” as the girls walked past, somewhat stiffly. Ami had the shyest smile for them, though underneath was an odd twist, as if to say, See, I can be creative.

But what was amazing was that the people on the street thought it really was a costume, because surely, the real Sailor Mercury wouldn’t just be walking around as if she were some shy bookworm down the street. “Talk about your secret identities, holy shit,” Alex remarked faintly, scanning the crowd for any sign of danger, even a hint. No one suspected a thing. Such a difference from the States. “Nice costume, Ami,” she stressed in a louder tone.

“A-arigatou,” the blue-haired genius murmured, rubbing her arm. “I wanted to do something shocking for Minako’s happiness, and so….”

“It’s shocking, alright.”

“I wish I could’ve thought of it!” Minako sighed, looking petulant. “And I was the original!” She yelped as two sets of hands hauled her off the ground and immediately through the front doors, away from the street and the crowd. Artemis sighed.

Ami shuffled her foot, looking away towards the glass doors. “Are you mad, Alex-san?”

The tall red-head sighed. “Not much of a reason to be; after all, it is just a costume. Come on, let’s go inside before they decide to sacrifice her for good luck or something.” Minako had dropped the basket, thankfully, and they stopped to let Artemis crawl back inside before following the rather odd trio through the doors and into the quiet of the building.

And it was a nice, shiny quiet, of leather lounge couches, and a night clerk who gave them all a displeased look for the noise, as Minako was grumbling. It seemed rather audacious, as said clerk had dressed for the day as well in what looked to be a vintage Sex Pistols T-shirt, ripped vest held together by dozens of safety pins, and a rather sedate hot pink head of spikes. Getting up to file some papers gave them all a view of her pink leopard print stockings and cheap Doc rip-offs already beginning to tear. Alex gave her a pleasant leer.

“Shouldn’t we wait outside for Usagi and Chibi-Usa and Mamoru-san?” Ami questioned, glancing back at the doors where many passing pedestrians were doing a double take. The tall red-head snorted.

“Are you kidding? Mamoru is one person who can actually follow directions. He knows exactly where he’s going.” She pulled out her invitation, looking for the floor and room number. “If it were just the two ‘dango heads, then I’d be worried.”

They entered the elevator and headed for the top floor. On the way up, Alex briefed them on what to expect, mainly language barriers, possible alcohol, and foreigners acting quite stupid. She suggested they treat the latter like they would animals in the wild: observe, do not disturb. “If you don’t understand what someone’s saying, just repeat it in your head. Loudly. Imagine yourself screaming the thought. I’ll answer.”

“What do you mean? In our heads or across the room?”

“Yes, Minako. I’ll scream it at the top of my lungs so everyone can hear instead of being the discreet telepath, which would be the wiser decision.”

“You can truly do that, Alex-san? You said once, you can’t hear our thoughts very well,” Ami remarked as the numbers changed.

Alex shrugged. “Never could, unless I concentrate re-eal hard. That’s why I said to do it loudly.”

The elevator came to a smooth halt, opening up into the suite instead of an outer hallway. It was quite a nice place, too; the carpet looked thick and decidedly expensive, the woodwork dark and also expensive. Far too pretty to muck up by having multitudes of feet stomp around it for several hours, possibly drunk, and it looked like a few had already left their mark with wet spots here and there. Though for the most part, everyone seemed sedate and sober, the costuming more expansive than the noise level, at which Alex released a sigh of relief she didn’t even know she’d been holding.

Minako skipped off towards the table against the far wall, where the food and drink was laid out, dragging Makoto and Ami with her. Rei watched them go, then, after a moment’s decision, followed. Apparently food equaled safety. Not in the least hungry, Alex decided to take the plunge and enter the crowd, noting the minimal buzz in her head that signaled a thoughtful group more apt to quiet thinking than loud. She could stand a few hours of this.

She passed a witch, two Village People, a skeleton, a Pop-Tarts box, a unicorn top without the bottom, and a badly painted Frankenstein who looked as if he had skin cancer at whom she looked at askance. “Pretty awful, isn’t it?” someone asked next to her.

“Hm?”

“Franky over there. Cheap paint. Poor guy looks like he lost a bet.”

Glancing back at ‘Franky,’ she mused on what she was feeling from the questioner; some attraction, a lot of curiousity. Definite male. She looked over to her left to see the guy in question, dressed in what she supposed was a Zorro outfit. “And what about you? Zorro just screams ‘queen,’” she smirked.

His eyes widened slightly – a blue as dark as her own – before he laughed. “Me? I thought it was a good choice. I get to carry a whip, after all. You look like a negative Technicolor Robin Hood yourself.”

She fingered the hat, sweeping it off her head; already she was beginning to sweat beneath it. “Hey, I look like a leprechaun in green. I figured I may as well update.” Pointing at the strap across her shoulders, she added, “At least I get a bow and arrows. Much more effect than some pissy whip.”

“Maybe so, but the whip is a lot more versatile.” The fiendish smile he gave her was a familiar one; she’d caught herself in the mirror many a time wearing that same curve of lips. Either he was seriously trying to flirt, or he was smart enough to recognize someone who would understand his sense of humour.

For the briefest of moments, she caught herself wondering what would happen if she took it as the former and turned it on in return; she could do it; she could have had him on his knees, practically begging for her to touch him. And then what? Perhaps a night of decent, good, or maybe even excellent sex with no strings attached, coffee in the morning, and a pleasant good-bye. Possibly a couple of further interludes. Not love, not even much more than affection, most likely. Just the usual physical release and a second body next to her.

She really did envy Michiru and Haruka that way, as she had recognized immediately in them that kind of mutual respect and adoration that two people could have for their entire lives together. Even if they had been thick as brick in recognizing it themselves, she had no doubt that now, free from their burden as sailor soldiers, they were making up for every lost minute. Dear gods, she wanted that, and she couldn’t even bring herself to wish for it. Wishing only brought back the pain.

So she just smirked back, played it off, and said, “Aren’t we the dominating type? Just because you’ve got it, doesn’t mean you can use it.” Leaning in, she added in an obviously fake conspiratorial whisper, “I could always teach you,” to which he laughed heartily. The close up also gave her the additional benefit of seeing the rest of him beneath the hat; good cheekbones, a nose just slightly crooked from an obvious break – probably ran into a door as her brother had done – and dark brows to match blue black hair. Very nice, rather her type, though her ‘type’ usually consisted of men who seemed to match her father; slightly rumpled, dark colouring, and not at all innocent. Probably because she was such a pale white girl herself.

“Time to call a truce, maybe?” He held up his hands in mock pleading, giving her a rather adorable puppy expression beneath his mask. “We’ll agree to being perverted in equal measure, and go on from there.”
“Fine, fine. Wuss.”

There was then a peculiar noise coming from the windows at the far right wall. It sounded vaguely familiar, and disturbing; rather high-pitched and painfully lingering. Both of them exchanged looks of puzzled amusement before looking back towards the windows, where, on further inspection, the fire escape seemed to be located. Most of the party seemed to be following their lead; someone turned the music down.

That proved to be a mistake, as into the silence, they heard a terrible portend of doom; well, maybe not doom of the Irkin variety, but close enough for their taste.

“Pi-kaa-CHU!”

A large, round, yellow…thing…rolled into view onto the landing. It waved a pair of stubby arms for balance before pitching over, landing with yet another squeaky, loud “PIKACHU!” on what was presumably its face.

“Ara, ara, it’s Pikachu!” Minako cooed from the buffet table, looking fondly out at the yellow monstrosity. Someone, no, several someones, were laughing their asses off in the back corner.

“Who in the world would be suicidal enough to dress as a Pokémon?” Zorro said rather oddly, looking as though he were trying desperately hard not to laugh.

“Pocket Monster,” Alex corrected absently.

“Whatever. The fact remains. You’d have to be legally mad to dress like that willingly.”

Pikachu flailed its stubby arms again, rocking from side to side in another attempt to get up. Seeing as the body of the costume was about the same width as the current sumo champion and runner-up standing hip to hip, whoever was inside was going to be lying there for a while. That is, until two familiar girls appeared in the window as well, crying simultaneously, “Mamo-chan!”

Everyone stared again as Usagi, dressed in the predictable flowing gown and her mother’s pearls, and Chibi-Usa, in her rather patchwork pirate outfit, trying with all of their might to hoist Mamoru and his new weight problem. Unfortunately, it also set off another spate of irritating noises, as the costume seemed to have the same hidden buttons as a talking stuffed animal; every time they happened to poke in the wrong area, all they heard was “Pikachu! Pikachu! Pi-kaa-chu!”

By this time, Alex was laughing so hard she thought she was going to choke. Not that she was the only one in the crowd, as most of them seemed to be caught between horror and amusement. Ami and Makoto went to help pull Mamoru inside, as the window was rather small, and at least a metre or two off the floor. They grabbed his stubby arms and pulled, as Usagi and Chibi-Usa pushed; the sound function went off constantly for a full five minutes as they tugged and heaved. Mamoru looked ill, not helped by Rei grabbing an arm as well and beginning to tug.

Finally he popped through, though he had a nice cushion of three squashed civilian soldiers to break his fall. “M-Mamoru-san!” Ami squeaked, gesturing madly at his head buried (un)fortunately in her cleavage.

“Kami-sama, Mamoru-san, you’re heavy!” the tall brunette managed to enunciate from somewhere beneath his belly region. Rei only stared at her trapped legs, lost beneath mounds of yellow padding.

“I can’t take them anywhere,” Alex grunted, shrugging in apology to her conversation partner before heading over to help Minako lift the dark-haired prince up. The costume really did add a lot of weight, surprisingly. “Chiba, why in the hell are you wearing this? Didn’t your tuxedo come back from the cleaners on time?”

Upright, he gave her a weary stare, which became all too clear as his two princesses cleared the window and ran to his side. “It was the only thing they had left in my size.”

“Doesn’t Mamo-chan look adorable?” Usagi questioned, beaming.

No wonder the poor man was confined to lavender in the future.

“Hai, Mamo-chan looks so cute! And he makes noise when you press him here!” Chibi-Usa demonstrated by pressing his tummy; the party, which had continued on around them, came to a halt again to stare. “Isn’t it fun?”

Mamoru had a rather eloquently pleading look on his face. The face of a dead man, really; one could see the emasculation beginning. “Why didn’t you take the elevator?” Minako asked around a mouthful of coffeecake.

“We couldn’t all fit. I got stuck in the doorway.”

Some time later, after everything had calmed down and half of the guests had left, the party seemed like more of an informal crowd. Minako and the two ‘dango heads had managed to neatly polish off the buffet, though to be fair, Makoto, and even Ami, put in their time. No one seemed to mind, as most of the food had been more cookies and treats than healthy snacks. Rei had gotten herself into a conversation with an English teacher and devout Church of England member; they seemed to be debating the logical merits of Shinto vs. Christianity, though his Japanese was spotty, and her English worse. Mamoru had snuck off to the bathroom quite some time ago, presumably to hide in shame, because Usagi had developed the habit of randomly jabbing his tummy.

Artemis, Luna, and Diana, the latter two having hid in Chibi-Usa’s ‘Pirate Sack,’ had taken up refuge beneath the buffet table and its floor-length cloth, with the entire platter of shrimp and cocktail sauce.

Comfortable on a brown leather couch, Alex and Zorro – because neither had given their names they had to identify each other by costume – had been steadily waxing poetic on all things pop culture and intolerable. It was a relief for the tall red-head to unload after so long of being the odd one out; none of the girls understood a quarter of her jokes, her referral to songs and TV shows that were quite familiar to her and utterly alien to them. Hell, the guy even recognized her costume once she had explained it, they both agreed that Splatter Phoenix had been a woefully underused character, and that ‘Twin Beaks’ was still the best episode.

She was actually glad she had come to the party.

Damn that girl.

As they talked, neither of them mentioned the possibility of meeting again after the party; no doubt he was a junior member of some business trying to find a market in Japan, and he’d be going home soon. She didn’t mind, but it did bring back the memory of what she was missing during this self-imposed exile. More than once it crossed her mind that it might just be worth it to give him some charm, make it work; he found her highly desirable, that was obvious. Her damn morals were unfortunately still in working condition, reminding her just as often that she couldn’t do such a thing. No physical satisfaction was worth the problem of his finding out the truth about her, or the girls, and the possible scenarios she could envision were endless.

She could also see Minako, at intervals, throwing her what she supposed were gestures to the point of “He’s cute, do it!” as well as Makoto adding in with head-nodding “Go for it!” bobs AND Usagi giggling in her general direction. Though the naivete was cute, it was getting annoying. Now she realized what a relief had it been, in those years past, that most of the people she had hung around were not her age. Teenage girls were ridiculous.

Well. Ordinary teenage girls who hadn’t had the wind knocked out of them before puberty were ridiculous. Ordinary girls who had their lives stolen, manipulated, and essentially used were too old for their age, who ended up at parties thinking teenagers with hormones who giggled at possible romance were ridiculous. Like her. Like she’d done for years. Christ, had she even ever been a normal bloody teenager? Had she always been so damn cynical?

A big resounding ‘Yes.’

She picked at the food she had eventually chosen, nibbling at a carrot stick as Zorro said, “This country seems so fascinating to me. Everything’s so claustrophobic and cluttered, so fast paced, and yet, everyone has the time to be perfectly respectful.”

“Even though they’re secretly calling you every terrible name they can think of, because you’re gaijin,” Alex replied dryly, rolling the carrot between her fingers. “Not all of them, of course, just the xenophobic crazies and everyday salary men who think we’re just ignorant Americans.”

“Who says we’re all Americans?”

“The xenophobic crazies and every salary men who get pissed off at us if we mistake them for Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese because obviously they all look differently and we should know that, yet think every white foreigner is American because we all look alike to them.” She smirked.

He stared at her thoughtfully, taking a sip from his plastic cup of punch. “You’re not an American, are you.”

The question had her pausing in the act of dipping her neglected carrot into a small mound of dip; generally, she hated the stuff, but she felt willing to try. She looked up, quirking a brow. “What makes you say that?”

“The fact that you seem to take all of this stuff like some kind of joke. Like it doesn’t matter to you if you fit in anywhere, because you’ve been everywhere,” he said astutely, stealing a piece of broccoli from her plate. “Americans seem to care, because they’re assholes. They need to be with the crowd. You just seem to barely be on the edge.”

She opened her mouth to reply; then closed it. What could she say to that? She had spent barely a decade with her actual family, then had it taken away from her. All she had done since then, it seemed, was move; a period of internment, a slow year spent to cross Europe, several spent in residence at a school that had her going constantly around the world, and, once, the galaxy. The Moon Kingdom, its fellow planetary alliances, she’d been always traveling to soothe some injury, or speak in Her name. Ghostly travels across the centuries in wait.

Maybe it did matter to her if she fit in, and maybe it didn’t. Maybe she just didn’t have the will to care if she fit into this particular society anymore than she fit in at the school. What did it matter anymore? There was always some damn responsibility, some fight, some war, something that demanded her attention. She would’ve been happy on a stage, singing and playing her guitar, but the fucking universe didn’t want to give her that pleasure.

“Fuck,” she muttered quietly.

And right on cue, because said universe seemed to be on a role, the buffet table exploded.

Mamoru had a serious problem.

Said problem was actually quite simple, as most serious problems are.

Problem: he needed to use the toilet, desperately.

Problem: the damn zipper on the costume was stuck.

Major Problem: HE was stuck in the stall doorway with the costume vocally protesting.

Solution: hacksaw.

Problem: he didn’t have one, and the security deposit was huge anyway.

So he had been twitching for the past hour and a half, praying to the kami and all their shades that someone would finally walk in and see his predicament and graciously help him. He had long ago past the point of realization that no sane individual would have worn this costume; it seemed to run on pure annoyance, and had not shut up since his wriggling had depressed the button. He had even tried transforming into Tuxedo Kamen, mighty bishounen hero, but the magic had merely wedged him in tighter as he gained the additional kilograms.

He also had a suspicion that the bathroom was as yet unused because everyone was drunkenly using the potted plants just outside the door.

Planting one foot against the stall wall and trying to bend the metal to slip free hadn’t worked either, as said foot had just slid off and dropped into the toilet. So he also had a damp leg to contend with as well. If this were some comedy TV show, he figured he would’ve had some disgusting bits added, so he did thank the kami that the last person flushed.

If only someone would come in….

The door banged open. “Mamo-chan!”

“Usa?” As he couldn’t turn around and see his princess, he had express his disbelief to the wall. “What are you doing in here? This is the men’s room!”

“There’s a daimon attacking the party!” she said as way of response, and he could hear her running towards him, as he had, appropriately, chosen the last stall. “Well, Ami-chan doesn’t think it’s a daimon, she said it doesn’t share the same characteristics as a daimon, but Minako-chan told me to run and transform because it would be less suspicious. Why are you standing in the doorway so oddly?”

“I’m stuck.” Truly, this couldn’t be more obvious.

So she grabbed onto his stubby arm and began to pull.

For being an evil creature risen from the centerpiece, it was rather clumsy.

“Halt!” Mercury shouted, being the only soldier in uniform, as she leaped to stand in the creature’s way. “Such wanton destruction won’t be allowed! No matter what you may be, I, Sailor Mercury, will send you back where you came from!”

It sat back on its haunches and stared at her.

Wiggled its ears a bit, as bunnies do.

The half-full room, pressed up against the opposite wall, seemed to relax. Maybe it was just a harmless four metre tall bunny rabbit after all, instead of some frothing, raving demonic animal. Or at least that was the general impression Alex could feel, which had her fighting to not roll her eyes in annoyance. “Uh, Sailor Mercury, aren’t you supposed to KICK ITS ASS instead of talking to it?”

“Of course! I just had to give it a warning first!” The blue-haired genius waggled her finger, obviously trying to stall for the others; no matter what, she was still generally the weakest of the soldiers, more defense than offense, and she could always use the help. Minako had already managed to slip off, Usagi was long gone, but Rei and Makoto had been forced into retreat with the rest of the party, dragging Chibi-Usa with.

Somewhere down the hall, there was a muted thud as Usagi and Minako pulled Mamoru free.

The bunny pounced, slamming Mercury down to the ground, and opened a mouth full of sharp, pointy teeth. She shrieked, lifting her hands to slam them against its face, desperately summoning her strongest attack to blast it away. It howled, attempting to lift its paws to swipe at its frozen face, much of its soft fur broken off into icicles and its eyes coated over with ice. Rolling to the side and onto her feet, Mercury called the magic to her hands again, intending to freeze it solid.

Instead, she had to duck as the bunny’s sharp claws swiped at her face, taking a few blue hairs off the top. “Where is Venus and Sailor Moon!?” Luna hissed beneath the table, muscles tensed to pounce.

“They should have been back by now, definitely,” Artemis agreed, poised as well.

Slashing again, the bunny lost its balance and stumbled back, landing its ample ass right in the middle of the buffet table. The trio of cats dove for cover as everything came crashing down, half-full trays and punch bowls scattering their contents across the carpet, glasses and plates breaking. Mercury was splashed with punch and vegetable dip; the cats were festooned with lettuce and smashed deviled eggs.

“Come on, little girl, do something!” someone shouted from the back.

“Mercury, hit it now!” Rei snapped.

Ice slammed into the bunny as it rocked back and forth, trying to get onto its feet. It went airborne, hitting the back wall and taking down several framed pictures and chunks of plaster with it. Enraged, it managed to roll onto its front paws, aiming its rear towards the blue soldier to fire what appeared to be its only defense.

Everyone knows those little round pellets you find during the summer that means a rabbit has been there. Neat, round little pellets of excrement that marked its toilet. Not really disgusting if you look at them casually, but not exactly something you’d enjoy putting your hand into.

Mercury got a face full of it.

They didn’t explode or splatter, but seemed to have the density of cannonballs; she was thrown over backwards, landing in the salad dish. At the same time, Luna and Artemis leapt out, using half of the broken table as a springboard, to land claws first on the bunny’s back, digging deep. It roared in fury, spinning around like some drunken ballerina, trying to shake them off as it was unable to reach them with its paws.

“Does this sort of thing happen often in Tokyo?” Zorro queried faintly, as the bunny succeeded in slamming back against the wall, squashing the unfortunate cats. They clung on tenaciously despite the pain, digging in all the deeper. So it repeated the process a second time, making an audible thunk noise as both cats smacked the wood. Neither held on much longer after that.

Alex palmed her face, muttering, running that hand back into her hair. “As often as it does in New York,” she answered flatly, pausing a moment to search again for the two blondes. All she could hear, as usual, was static; no sign that they had even transformed yet.

So she picked up the table and hit it on the head.

It staggered, going from enraged to confused as it sought out its attacker and found nothing; Mercury was still on the floor, dazed, and the table was apparently floating in the air on its own. Once more, it smacked bunny in the skull, this time hard enough to put another crack in the plastic. The other half of the table rose up, and together they performed a smashing example of “Shave and a Haircut” off the thick-skulled monstrosity, adding the “two bits” as a synched duo.

“Crescent Beam!”

The golden magic dazzled the partygoers who had yet to see such power, then slightly sickened them as it burned a nice, neat hole through bunny’s stomach. Scorched hair smell didn’t add much to the cigarette stench. It also did nothing to destroy the animal; despite several bashings to the head, being flash-frozen, and now, having a window installed in its tummy, it till managed to lumber forward and howl. “Didn’t that even hurt?” Venus grumbled from the doorway as Sailor Moon ran forward, holding her rod.

“Moon Spiral Heart Attack!” she shouted, leveling the weapon at her namesake.

Predictably, after so much damage, her power did the trick. The rabbit howled, disintegrating into a fine black mist, leaving behind a small object, which Mercury crawled forward to examine, and then, pick up. Then she promptly passed out.

“That was amazing!” some other idiot commented, which seemed to be the general consensus. The party loosened, spreading back into the room – though they did avoid the now mangled table and scattered food – as Venus and Moon knelt over Mercury, shaking her back awake. Without any further prodding, they lifted her up and, to the tune of scattering of applause, walked her into the elevator and made good their exit.

“After all of this, where’s Mamoru-san?” Makoto hissed.

“Perhaps still in the bathroom. Maybe we should go check?” the dark-haired shrine girl suggested, glancing at their mentor. After all, they couldn’t all leave immediately, it’d be too suspicious. Alex rolled her eyes back towards the bathrooms, and the girls took off, Chibi-Usa all but running.

Zorro seemed uneasy. “That was certainly weird. Very weird. Weren’t you the least bit worried?” he asked the tall red-head, who was staring critically at the destruction. “Such creatures running around…”

“No reason to be worried when the sailor soldiers are around to fix the problem.” She smiled dryly at him, though she could see he was unsettled by the event. “Maybe it’s time to call it a night, n’eh? Go back to your room and forget it happened, that’s what I’d say.”

He stared at her, eyes wide with tension. “I guess so; what else is there to do?” Then he laughed, surprising even her with its suddenness. “What an odd night. To meet you, such an interesting person, and then, this. How typical of my luck.” He smiled wanly in return, adjusting his hat brim. “I suppose I can’t ask you for a number, or even a name.”

“No reason to. You have a job, I assume, and so do I. Best to forget it.” Job, always about the job. “But it was nice talking to you.” Very nice, too nice.

“It was.” And he was walking away, leaving her behind, as she was long used to.

Damn it.

Staring at the stars again, they were still the same. The nights had grown colder; winter was finally here. Frost was already gilding the windows of her car, visualizing her breath as she lay on her back against the windshield, coat zipped tight. And down below her lay the lights of the city, the compact world she didn’t belong in.

It had been only a few weeks since the party, but she seemed to be in a perpetual funk since then. She knew it had gotten bad when she turned on her stereo one morning to find it had been playing nothing but Bauhaus and Nine Inch Nails “Broken” on random playback, and she hadn’t even recalled putting them in. That was bad, considering that her NIN collection only came out during special “I want to kill motherfuckers” suicidal moods.

So she hated her life. Big deal.

Actually, it wasn’t hate. It was discontentment.

Discontentment and a lot of gnawing despair.

And, well, sexual frustration in spades.

When she had been about sixteen, she had taken care of the problem much like her father did; she went out to clubs, found someone decent, went home with them, and shagged them rotten. Of course, she also had to find people who mutually respected the fact it was just a fling, nothing permanent, but New York had been full of such willing partners. And she hadn’t done it that often, really; she wasn’t a maniac, just healthy.

Now, she had an even bigger problem, as a foreigner was not likely to find such a deal in Tokyo. She didn’t even feel up to trying. And she really didn’t want to deal with the problem of Makoto or any of the girls finding out; she was not a prude, but she was also not about to flaunt her sexual adventures in front of them.

She draped her arm across her eyes, sighing deeply. It just wasn’t fair. Taking a lover just wasn’t possible when she had these responsibilities; no one would understand, unless they were fighting these battles with them. An ordinary human would just be a problem, just like the guy at the party.

Someone sympathetic to her duties would be just fine.

She sat up, slid off the hood, and got in. But instead of turning the engine on, she sat there, staring straight out of the windshield. It was no warmer in the car than outside, and her breath steamed up the glass as she pondered several things. One of them was that she wished spring would hurry up, winter was an overrated season anyway; with spring came warmth and green growing things and generally happier times. She’d most likely feel a lot less stressful once spring arrived, because it also meant that exams would be over with.

Another was that she might have a solution to her problem, two rather.

Finally, she turned the engine on and pulled out.

She drove rather aimlessly for another hour, knowing her destination after some mental research, but unsure of what to do next. It was a funny thing how she, after so many years, could still be apprehensive about anything. But as she made an effort to keep herself as relative to her age as possible, she supposed it was just one of those quirks you couldn’t avoid. She didn’t want to become like those ancient idiots who lost sight of everything that had once made them human, so she remained apprehensive as she finally turned down the last street.

It was a nice house, that much was obvious even at night. The driveway was nearly half a kilometre long, on the outskirts of the city, leading the driver even further into the countryside. Frost damaged flowers lined the asphalt, drooped and wilted, but even their remnants were spectacular; the entire yard would be a miracle come summer, if still slightly wild.

Only one other car was parked behind the house where the driveway ended. She parked next to it and climbed out, toying with her keys as she looked up into the sky.

Sometime during the drive, it had begun to snow, and the sky was still that unique shade of orange that lit up the world to a quasi-daybreak. She could see the massive trees that extended off into the distance, the carefully tended gardens, a swing set and sandbox. The accoutrements of a content family.

Shoving her hands into her pockets, she considered again if this was such a wise choice. After all, they had no true loyalty to her or her sympathies. She could have read so many things wrong. Though she supposed the worst that could happen is that they’d shut the door in her face.

Knocking made her realize how cold her hands had gotten; she hadn’t even bothered to turn on the heat in her car. Her knuckles had gotten red. She put her hand back in her pocket and waited, staring out into the field where the snow had dusted the dying grasses like sugar. Even if she hated winter, she did have to admit it was pretty – she’d just rather see it on TV instead of real life.

When the door opened, she turned around, sure she looked like an idiot. “Michiru.”

“LeBeau-san? How did you find us? Is there a problem?”

“Maybe there is…I was hoping you could give me a solution.” She leaned against the frame of the door, resting her head as she fixed her gaze. “Maybe your sympathy.”

The aqua-haired beauty gave her a slow once over, before meeting her eyes. Whatever their history, the smile she gave the tall red-head was not in the least threatening. Nor was her invite mistakable for anything else. “Come in then, LeBeau-san.”

“Merci, cherie…so much warmer inside, after all.”

“You don’t enjoy the cold?”

“I hate it. But that isn’t a problem right now.”

She still hated winter, hated the cold and snow and dead fields of frosted grass that barely warmed with the touch of the sun. But it seemed to move so much quicker now that she had found a way to pass the time during the even colder nights.

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Act 33 : mugen dix - Hakanai

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:21:44 GMT

In twos and threes they were coming, an interesting mix of the social structure of Japan: housewives and elevator dolls, school dropouts and greasy-haired punks, businessmen in their identical dark suits and Windsor knotted ties, politicians with the same expensive, cloned style. Little children walking hand-in-hand. Dirty construction workers leaving a trail of muddy footprints to mark their path. So many people, all of them wearing the same faintly confused, outwardly excited expressions instead of the stoic, usually grim faces that their culture seemed to demand, if not outright force.

At Chouko Iretsu’s feet lay a scattering of loose paper, fallen like feathers; views of the three towers, with Mugen dominating despite its smaller size, each one progressively better, until the last. A dismal sight, wretched in the obvious evil surrounding Mugen, its vine-choked tower seemingly straining for freedom as the three surrounding towers, Heaven, Sea, and Darkness, leaned inward to contain it.

He had dropped them upon seeing the parade of people moving into the Delta region despite its obvious danger, began watching them navigate with difficulty the ruined streets. At first he couldn’t understand – why in the world would such a diverse crowd be walking right into the middle of danger, instead of running away? – but as he stood up on his chair for a better look, he understood. How could they help themselves, after all? Their princess had given them the means to anticipate this showdown; just as she had him.

Without any particular hurry, they surrounded the coffee shop, and many began to climb onto the roof. One of these was an older woman, almost as small as himself, with black hair shot through with gray wound back into a tight bun, and thick glasses hiding beady brown eyes. Behind her was a taller young man, his hair obviously dyed a painful blond, falling into darker chocolate eyes that didn’t need glasses. Both of them had the rounder faces and smaller noses he’d come to recognize as Chinese. “Hajimemashite,” he said cordially to them all, picking up his last drawing.

“Hajimemashite, Geijutsuka-san,” the woman said, bowing with a clap of her hands.

“It’s been a long journey, obaa-san,” he returned, making polite conversation. “What brings you to this place? Surely it’s no longer the safest place to be.”

The young man shook his head, tossing the blond hair out of his eyes with an impatient gesture. “Nowhere is safe. All of us know this. Our dreams have shown us the blonde goddess who will protect us from the evil that has invaded our world.”

The woman – most likely his mother – gave him a stern, chiding glare for interrupting, then said to Iretsu, “She will protect us. Here is the safest place in the world; if we are to die, we will die in the holy light of our princess.”

That was an interesting idea for the picture; the rising, diaphanous bodies of the three protective goddesses of the triple towers, their arms spread to capture the crouching, hissing, darker shape between them, beautiful but dangerous. And above all, benevolent and lovely, Serenity would rise. Fanciful and a bit ludicrous – having known Usagi for years, even if mostly by second-hand knowledge, he knew she was hardly the divine goddess her mother had been. But it was his painting, dammit, he could extemporize all he wanted.

And then the world shook again, hard; turning, he could see the crack yawning wide in front of Mugen, zigzagging through the concrete like a knife through melted butter. From its depths rose a tarry blackness with eyes of pulsating, starry white, and with its arrival the air grew thicker, harder to breathe. “For the love of the kami and all their shades,” he heard an elegantly coifed geisha whisper to his right.

“This is the divine punishment of God for our folly; our sin; our sickness. Repent, and we will be saved, to forever dwell in the House of the Lord…”

“Believe in our princess! Merciful is she who carries the power of life, the goddess Serenity reborn…”

“Iie!”

It was a strange feeling to have so many people stop in their tracks at the sound of his voice; even after so many gallery events, dinners, and other public venues, hardly anyone gave him their full attention when he spoke. Now, he was mystified to see that even the smallest child had turned towards him, watching him like some interesting species of bug. “Iie,” he repeated again, a bit calmer. “Never a goddess. Merely a beautiful princess with a miraculous power, who wields it with kindness and belief in the goodness of everyone. We can believe in her, because she believes in us.”

There was the sound of a cork popping.

Mistress 9 rose from the crack, arms spread wide to encompass the spreading blackness of her Master. Her laughter spiraled into seeming infinity, cresting like the ocean across their faces. That was his painting; that was the evil that knelt between the triple goddess, attempting to break free. And she was indeed beautiful, with her incredibly long black hair, lithe figure, and pale, creamy skin, her eyes a haunting amethyst purple.

She lifted her hands up to the sky, palms spread, and screamed something unintelligible, sharp and dissonant on the ears. On Iretsu’s wrist, he felt a searing pain, and he lifted his hand to see that his wristwatch had gone mad, disregarding time to jump both its arms to 12 O’clock. Around him he could see similar gestures as every time piece did the same thing, leaping ahead – or back, it could be said – to the twelfth hour.

Above them the sky, already that dangerous shade of green, turned rainbow luminescent, the colour of sunlight on spilled gasoline. This was apparently a good sign, as the woman began to shriek again with triumphant laughter, shouting, “This is the beginning of our world! Master Pharaoh 90! Utilize this spoilt, selfish world, become one with its energy, become our new star!”

“Where are they? Princess! Tsukino-san!”

Now people were beginning to scream, facing what was certainly death; and not only their death, but the death of their entire world. The last time, with Metallia’s aborted plan rendering them senseless, they had not even been truly aware of their possible demise. This time, they had a front row seat for the destruction.

But as they watched the spreading darkness, terrified, slowly recollecting themselves for a dignified slaughter as any true Japanese would do, a blast leveled the Tomoe laboratories. Even Mistress 9 seemed taken aback; she turned, her face gone ugly and feral, to see a sphere of white light rise from the ruins, carrying four slim figures clad in familiar short skirts. After it followed a fifth figure, completely self-propelled, trailing long hair the colour of copper wire.

“Hotaru-chan!? Stop this!” they could hear their blonde princess cry, high above the feral woman she was apparently addressing. “You don’t have to do this!”

“Tomoe Hotaru is no longer here to answer you, Sailor Moon!” the woman laughed, rising higher and higher by a magic of her own. “No longer is that weakling going to bother me! This is the time of our triumph! Our victory! Master Pharaoh 90, bring us to that new world!”

She lowered her hand, and blasted the sphere of light away, tumbling them through the air. “Just a little longer, and we will be free of your human weakness, your cancerous lifestyle. Don’t fight us, Sailor Moon; I’ll simply steal that brilliant light and discard your useless body.”

The sky was splitting apart above their heads as below, the ground disappeared beneath a spreading ruin.

Mamoru blinked again, desperate to stay awake. Through the window he could see again the same heart-wrenching view; the section of the Delta visible to his eyes, gone entirely mad. Now the sky was rainbow slick, which was not a good sign, not that the greenish-black rot colour had been any better. This was the first time he was forced to stay away from the last desperate battle, instead of remaining at Sailor Moon’s side. Watching it from far away, unable to do a damn thing, was driving him a bit crazy, knowing that if something happened to his princess….

He knocked his head back against the wall, a bit harder than intended, but achieving the same affect. The pain sang through his nerves and shot him up with a bit of adrenaline, waking him up further. For a moment his vision and senses were razor-sharp, perfectly normal; then they dulled again, receding into the fog as his daughter siphoned him away.

Well; not him entirely. His energy, his life force, the spirit that animated him; that was an acceptable answer. And it wasn’t her fault, he was glad to do it, but it was still taking a toll. It was nothing like using his mind to force a wound to close, the blood to slow down and stop; this was sharing energy with a person currently incapable of returning it. Setsuna had expressed nothing but faith in his ability to maintain these levels, but perhaps she’d been a bit too quick to assume. Maybe in time he’d be practiced enough to give up so much energy without feeling so lethargic, but now, he was close to passing out.

But Chibi-Usa did look better, he had to admit that. Her colour had returned vastly a short while ago, and she’d felt warmer, which was excellent, but odd. He was hoping they had found her Ginzuishou and taken it away from the demonic Hotaru, but he had no doubt that, in Sailor Moon’s hands, it would have returned to its owner. And yet, it was as if it were being protected from the possible evil of Hotaru’s body, even if it had not been freed.

And in a way it was, though he didn’t know it; taking it away from Mistress 9 in the depths of their shared mind and holding it to her heart, Hotaru had surrounded it with her own energy, doing exactly as Mamoru hypothesized and protecting it from evil. She was growing weaker with time, giving up so much of herself to keep Chibi-Usa’s spirit safe, but until then…

He swallowed hard, gripping his daughter’s hand unnecessarily tight. What would be the first sign of failure? Would Chibi-Usa cease to exist beneath his touch if the Death Busters won and swallowed his shining princess? Or would everything and everyone be snuffed out all at once, like a multitude of flickering candles hit with a stiff wind? Being the odd man out was giving him far too much time to postulate. At least being out in front, at the very center of the action, gave him no time to wonder ceaselessly about how many ways they could die.

The world quaked again, and he flinched automatically despite himself. High up within the building, with no real means of escape if the entire place collapsed beneath his feet, he realized dully that if it did indeed fall apart, the possibility of his daughter waking up was defeated. It seemed that no matter what happened, he had to get out of there; complacently sitting on his bed, cradling Chibi-Usa’s small body, was tantamount to suicide. He roundly cursed at himself for not considering the problem earlier, and stood up.

Several minutes passed of sheer hell, where he realized that having to keep at least a hand on his daughter to maintain the link was cumbersomely ridiculous when one is attempting to put on and lace shoes. Not to mention changing shirts before that, when he decided it was probably best not to be caught homeless in a sweaty and dirty Oxford. At least he hadn’t had to pull his thicker blue shirt over his head, but buttoning had been a hassle; it had to be skin touching skin, and so he finally propped her against his side, forehead to his cheek.

Wallet, keys. Turn off the lights, the gas. He finally left, hoisting her into a piggyback hold, managing to flop her arms around his neck, her cheek against his, and marveled at the utter stillness of his floor. It had been quiet before, of course, with most of his neighbors smart enough to leave while they could, but now it seemed completely dead. Not even the electric hum of a television rang in his ears, and he could always at least hear one when he came or left, that faintly nagging buzz just barely audible. “Like a ghost town,” he muttered under his breath.

He eyed the elevator and discarded it as a possibility; it would be just his luck to be in it when the electricity was cut. Though the quakes were not nearly bad enough yet to cause any harsh damage past fallen junk, most modern buildings being built to rock with the earth instead of fight it, falling electric poles were a real scare. So he managed to wriggle and kick the door to the stairs open, silently thanking his physical education teachers for forcing good cardiovascular health on him, and bounded down the steps.

Somewhere around the third floor he then cursed them for not forcing a bit more.

On the first floor he sat down, hanging his head as he gulped air, wondering wildly just how much Chibi-Usa weighed. (Going down the steps was supposed to be far easier than going up, for the love of the kami!) Of course, maintaining the rapid pace he’d started out with was not easy downhill when one is trying not to tip headlong due to the dead weight on one’s back; not to mention his weak state already from relinquishing so much energy. And he did live fairly high up in the building. If they lived, he was going to talk to the manager about moving down a few floors.

Of course, now that he was down at street level, he realized, like an idiot, that he had no means of transportation. His car had been impounded the day before he had gone to his fateful destiny atop the Tokyo Tower; he had stupidly failed to slow for a yellow light, been stopped, and consequently screwed when the officer realized he had no real driver’s license. He had never bothered with the technicality, as the car had been part of his inheritance, stored for all those years, and he very rarely had used it. It had mostly been for emergencies, and now, in this emergency, he found himself lacking.

More swearing. His gentleman’s club card was taking a real beating lately.

Looking up, he could see the darkness beginning to spread out from the Delta further, pushing away what gentle gray had been left. Looking around, he saw that he was currently the only witness on his street; miraculously, the traffic had finally passed, or they’d simply parked their cars and curled up to wait somewhere else. The pedestrians had vanished; the only mark of their passing was some scattered junk on the sidewalk, dropped in haste or forgotten. No one wanted to be here, not with the impossible sign of something truly wrong over the horizon.

Brushing off another wave of dizziness, he turned towards the bay and began to walk.

“Is this the culmination of their magic? That terrible darkness?” The four soldiers stared, horrified. Next to them, Alex shook her head.

“Non. That’s the one they call Master Pharaoh 90. He’s broken through the barrier. But we have to save the others first, before he swallows their bodies!” she said, pointing.

Scattered nearby were the fallen bodies of the four guardian soldiers, brilliant smears of colour against the gray landscape. None of them moved as the blackness inched closer to their limbs, making a most uninteresting slurping noise; Sailor Moon gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth. “Minna…! What’s happened to them!?”

“Mistress 9 swallowed their souls!”

The white sphere dipped down, swooping like an elegant soap bubble closer to the fissure. A fissure that was growing, cracking the concrete as it sped backward towards the Infinity tower, as it simultaneously spread out towards the street. Reaching out, Uranus grabbed Venus by the wrist, as well as Mercury, as Alex grabbed Jupiter, Pluto pulling Mars. They were a little desperate to get back up into the air; their combined power snapped them back up above the Ten’nou complex like a rubber band released, so suddenly that the tall red-head was momentarily left behind. She turned; Mistress 9 was gesturing at her, most likely in a maddened attempt at payback.

It probably would have hurt a lot, had the formal tower of Mugen Gakuen not chosen the moment to completely rend apart behind her back.

The noise alone was excruciating as untold amounts of steel ripped apart, glass blasted in every direction. Mistress 9’s mouth opened in startled panic as the deadly shards came towards her with the force of a train. Alex’s cry of pain was rather lost as she tumbled back, protected by the shield she had thrown up, but holding back the pressure of what was practically a bomb was not so easy. She cringed in concentration, dazedly weaving her way up towards the others as the raven-haired woman dismissed the detritus with a spell of her own.

Up, and up. She landed hard on the roof of Ten’nou, where the others had set down. “Guardian-sama, are you alright?” Pluto gasped, seeing that trickle of blood again, freshly crimson, from her nose.

“Uh huh…I think once this is over…I’m taking a nice, long vacation. I haven’t used my powers like this in way too long.” She unconcernedly wiped her nose with her sleeve – the outfit was ruined anyway – and set Jupiter down onto the rooftop gently. “I feel like an out of shape fatty pulling muscles I don’t remember having.”

“But such muscles indeed,” Neptune remarked mildly, forcing her laughter, which was better than hysteria.

“Chere, you flatter me.”

Uranus cleared her throat. She had crouched by Venus, touching her cheek in what was clearly a concerned gesture. Not surprising, considering how cold she felt seeing the four guardian soldiers so diminished; though she had once thought of them as children, and still felt they had a bit too much naivete for her liking, they were brave. They had gone into the depths to face the enemy, to give their princess a chance to strike the final blow and save everyone; a lesser person would have fled. “What can we do to stop the Death Busters?”

Not asked was the obvious: What can we do to save the four guardian soldiers?

As one, they looked down over the stone barrier, down at the roiling black mass beneath them, spreading further. In a moment it would pass the boundaries of the three towers flanking Mugen, an invisible line that they instinctively knew would be the end of their world if it were crossed.

As one, they looked up at the sky, with its frightening, unnatural colours. The spell was building towards its climax, which was an event they could possibly not stop; not without coercion, or perhaps complete obliteration of the prime spell caster on Earth. Who they could hear still laughing down below, coming closer; the bitch had gained wings.

“The battle to save our wold is not our mission any longer,” Pluto said softly, though with such conviction it could have been shouted all the same. “We have failed in this. The invaders came under our noses; if we had been true soldiers of the outer system, they would have been destroyed long before arriving to touch the soil.”

“That’s not true, Pluto! How could you have stopped them when you were Meiou Setsuna, and not yet Sailor Pluto? This is the only path any of you could have taken!” their princess argued, crystal blue eyes wide with compassion. Pluto smiled thoughtfully, cupping her hand around the heart-shaped knob that held her talisman: the garnet orb.

It glowed steadily as she continued, “Perhaps, hime-sama. But the battle, the fight, is no longer ours. As the wielder of the three talismans, as in effect the living figures of these three towers, our mission is to now protect. This will be the use of our power; to contain the evil long enough for you, our shining princess, to obliterate it.”

Neptune and Uranus nodded in a queer unison, lifting their own talismans as if to prove Pluto's point. “It no longer matters what happens to us, so long as the plot of the Death Busters is defeated,” the tall sandy-blonde stated decisively.

Pluto executed a magnificent leap that, had the Olympic committee witnessed it, they would have wept and declared the long-jump retired in tribute. She landed neatly atop the Meiou condominium tower and raised the garnet rod up to the heavens, the orb now so bright it could have directed air traffic. From the very tip of the rod itself shot a brilliant beam of white light, and though it seemed powerful enough to disappear through the clouds and into space, traveling until it hit something solid – space debris, a comet, perhaps the oncoming Tau star – it simply stopped at a fixed point directly above what looked to be the middle between all three towers.

Neptune crossed to her tower, kneeling quickly to brush her fingers against the roof in what looked to be a gesture of respect – or goodbye. Then she lifted her mirror, directing its glass surface up towards the beam of light, and as it caught the reflection, it returned a similar light of its own. As they connected, it seemed that the air grew calmer, and from the Ten’nou tower they could see, like a gentle heat mirage, the shield of their power fall into place between their respective spots.

Uranus stared at Sailor Moon for a span of seconds that seemed far longer; as if memorizing her face, perhaps, or her figure. Then she said, so softly almost neither of the two could hear her, “We believe in you finally, princess Serenity. Sailor Moon.” Lifting her sword, she added, “Tsukino Usagi,” completing the triad. Its blade grew ridiculously long to span the space, connecting at the top of the triangle; and if the sensation of the first two was interesting, the completion was miraculous. The city was suddenly visible through what seemed to be the finest of white mesh nets as the shield crossed over their heads and down, anchoring strongly to the ground several metres outside of each tower.

And they must have felt it painfully as Master Pharaoh 90 collided with those walls. But none of them said a word, not even a whimper; all of them had fallen silent, blank-faced, which meant the shield must have been taking all of their concentration. The barest signal from Uranus that showed her pain was only in the tightening of her lips, white from the pressure.

“Uranus, Neptune, Pluto!” Sailor Moon gasped, feeling a hand grip her shoulder and hold her steady. “You can’t possibly hold in such an evil force! Not alone!”

“Of course they can’t! Not with such weak tactics!” a cruel voice sneered; they saw her hair first, whipping up into view like the coils of Medusa, and then the adult face of Tomoe Hotaru, twisted beyond any recognition of gentleness. The tall sandy-blonde never even flinched, though they were separated by mere metres.

And for all of her own kindness, even the odango-haired blonde recognized danger when she saw it. She leapt forward with the heart moon rod leveled directly at Mistress 9’s heart and screamed, “Moon Spiral Heart Attack!”

Mistress 9 flinched beneath the power, thrown back by sheer force, but barely hurt. Her dress seemed to make out worse; the already-plunging neckline dropped another centimetre, and the drapery of pears lost a strand, white dots falling into space. But she lifted her head with a snarl, fingers hooking into claws, snapping, “You little bitch! I’ll take pleasure in ripping out that bright light you possess and swallowing it whole! Just as I’ve done to your little friends—“

The rest was drowned out as a small metal cigarette case, glowing a dangerous magenta, hit her in the stomach and exploded. She shrieked, falling back down below the level of the building, cursing in a language none of them could understand. “She really is a talkative tyke, isn’t she?” the tall red-head grumped, looking around for some more projectiles. After all, she hadn’t entirely packed for this sort of battle. She pulled out a few small throwing knives strapped to her forearm, frowning; they were too valuable to waste, but also of no use against someone in a borrowed body who could obviously fix it back up.

She threw up her hands, looked at the odango-haired blonde – who was still holding the heart moon rod out defensively, as if she recognized the fact that she held their only useful weapon at the moment – and asked, “You have any ideas, tsukimidango? Your attack isn’t strong enough, not without some backup, and I’m not magic, I’m hardware.”

“I don’t know…if I could call on everyone else, ask for their power…but their souls have been taken.” The odango-haired blonde faltered on the last word, but kept staring straight ahead, waiting for Mistress 9 to re-appear. She couldn’t fail, not with everyone counting on her; and she had won the fight twice already, each one becoming less of a weight on her heart, and yet, a bit heavier in the shoulders. As Sailor Moon, she had accepted this burden. She had to approach this properly, and she recognized the fact that the tall red-head was expecting her to do so. “Perhaps, if we try to release their souls…I could use the Ginzuishou to cleanse Mistress 9 from Hotaru-chan’s body?”

Alex stripped off her jacket, pulling out of an inner pocket a small rectangular box; she turned it over and laughed, muttering something in English under her breath. Tossing the ruined garment onto the roof, she said, “If you cleanse the daimon, the souls of the four might go with it. But maybe not. All we can do is try.” Then, as if in afterthought, she muttered, “These are not the clothes I expected to save the world in again. If we die, I’m going to be heartily embarrassed.”

Moon just blinked at her. Sometimes, she really didn’t know how to handle the tall red-head, even though much of her quirkiness and attitude was exactly the same as Moriya’s had been. But her worldliness, her strange way of viewing their situations, even her habits; sometimes, she wondered just what her newly-christened ‘Alex onee-chan’ had gone through to come to such a point where she viewed life-and-death as some interesting joke. “You can be very strange sometimes, Guardian-sama,” she sighed.

The tall red-head shrugged, rolling up her shirt sleeves to reveal the small knives on one arm, and a larger, single blade on the other. Just because she was relatively incognito in her new country didn’t mean she wasn’t still paranoid. “It comes with the job. Trust me, if I wasn’t so flippant about every single disaster I’ve gone through, I’d probably be locked up in some nuthouse in lower New York State by now.”

“Gomen ne,” the odango-haired blonde whispered, lowering her eyes. “I won’t ask again. That was thoughtless of me.”

“No it wasn’t. The day you stop asking is the day I’ll start worrying about your relative sanity.” Alex quirked a smile at her, winking playfully. “I’m supposed to be the crazy one, not you.”

“Guardian-sama!” she squealed back, laughing. But then she pouted thoughtfully, tilting her head. “Are you our Guardian? You haven’t transformed.”

Shrugging, Alex held out her hand for Sailor Moon to take, though her eyes had drifted slightly off towards the edge of the building. Mistress 9 had not re-appeared, which meant she was either busy gloating, licking her wounds, or waiting for them to come down to her, none of which were an appealing option. “It’s only clothing, chere. Well…just a teensy bit of magic, maybe, but mostly just clothes. I can fight the devil in a bathrobe and fuzzy slippers.”

Taking the offered hand, Sailor Moon bit back a giggle at the sudden image of the tall American next to her wearing a pink furry bathrobe and floppy-eared slippers, with thankfully normal eyes. (She looked back; yes, they were blue again.) But she managed to banish it astonishingly quickly, concentrating instead on recalling the power to lift them both up and away, knowing now how it was done; when she realized her feet had already left the rooftop.

Blinking her eyes wide, she looked around to see them both almost ten metres airborne, suspended by seemingly nothing; when she called her power, she could see it clearly as a white sphere, holding them safe. Puzzled, she turned towards Alex, who had released her hand and looked away, surveying their battleground. “How can you do this? You were hurt before…”

“You need your hands and head free to fight; I just need the hands. You can’t go zipping around, not with your lack of real control and concentration,” the tall red-head explained as they swooped down, heading for the flash of pale skin that they could see against the backdrop of Master Pharaoh 90’s blackness.

“Hai. I won’t fail!”

Dropping lower, Sailor Moon relinquished her hold on the heart moon rod, sensing rather than seeing it disappear into whatever subspace it went to. Instead her hands lifted to cup around her brooch and the crystal therein, feeling the power respond to her attention. It seemed so odd that she had begun to take the background noise of the crystal for granted; indeed, unless she concentrated, she barely even heard it. Like breathing, or having her heart beat, it had rapidly become some sort of important body part that she mostly forgot about.

But as they came closer, she didn’t use it at all. Merely stared.

And blinked.

(Was she seeing things?)

Mistress 9 had not yet noticed them, or didn’t care they had arrived; she was curled over into half, long-nailed fingers scrabbling at what seemed to be air. Her eyes bulged grotesque from their sockets, turning Hotaru’s sly, adult face into something entirely terrifying, but it wasn’t on purpose.

The hands that gripped her throat and squeezed hard were not solid, but ghostly. Just enough to exert pressure, to let one know they were there and pissed off. And Hotaru seemed very much pissed as she loomed over her own body, dressed as they had all seen her in her black long-sleeved dress and black tights, her young somber face twisted into righteous anger. She shoved down hard, and Mistress 9 gurgled, falling forward. “You won’t do this, not with body, not with my strength!” she cried, and it was an interesting Doppler sort of effect; her lips moved, but the words followed more than several seconds later.

“Get away from me! Away, you weak…human…spirit!” the elder shouted around the vise on her throat, now flailing her arms behind her rather ridiculously, as if trying to grab a wicked monkey or child on her back. “I’ll cast you away into the abyss! Nothing you do will stop the Master’s utilization of this planet! Everything will merge with his essence and become our new world! So close to this moment, I can cast off this body and you!”

“Hotaru-chan!” Sailor Moon held out her hands, as if reaching to grab the raven-haired ghost. “Hotaru-chan, fight the evil! Don’t let it consume you!”

Hotaru looked up, startled. But as she recognized Sailor Moon, Alex slightly behind her, she smiled; it was wistful, but entirely at peace. As if she knew no matter what… “Usagi-san. It’s your bright spirit that gives me strength. Yours, and Chibi-Usa-chan’s. Both of you shine so wonderfully. This is my traitorous body, so I must return what’s been stolen personally. Chibi-Usa’s Ginzuishou…”

“You’ll do nothing!” Mistress 9 raved.

“But I will! I’ll take back those lights, I’ll rip them from your hands! It doesn’t matter if the act kills me, finally, but I’ll see them all safe.” With that ultimatum, she disappeared into her body, sinking into her limbs as Mistress 9 scratched and ripped at her form.

The next they saw was the tip of what looked to be a blade slash up and out of her back, as if cutting open a door; Mistress 9 howled long and loud as Hotaru kicked free, her arms cradling what looked to be small balls of coloured light: green, blue, red, gold, and sugar pink. The last held within its depths a tiny, familiar shape; a crystal. She held them tightly as she flew away, over all of their heads, and they could see her release the four lights back to their unconscious owners atop Ten’nou tower. “Minna!” the odango-haired blonde said happily, “she’s given them back their precious spirits!”

Then Hotaru turned back to them one last time, waving good-bye, and vanished.

Mamoru slid to a sitting position on the curb, wondering at how it was so hard to catch a simple breath. It wasn’t Chibi-Usa’s fault, but a simple fact of nature; the longer you carry your burden, the heavier it will become. He so badly wanted to transform, to feel the rush of strength and energy that came along with the tuxedo, but he had no idea if he could even summon the power to do it. Nor what would happen to the connection that fed his daughter enough of his life to survive.

He looked up into the sky, its sickly colour no longer worrisome but scenery, and saw the rising black spire of the Tokyo Tower. He had made it further than he’d expected; another kilometre would put him near Shibakouen metro station. And after that….

Sighing, he re-adjusted the pink-haired child against his back, though there were truthfully no more comfortable positions left. It seemed ridiculous for him to be walking right back into the lion’s den, helpless and burdened, but if the world was going to die, he was going to die seeing his princess one last time. Holding her, if possible. It was entirely logical in his mind to walk the length of Minato-ku if it meant being at her side at the end.

And no where else was obviously safe; ocean blue roamed tightly along the street, marking the cracks growing in the pavement, running up the ides of buildings. Every quake was worse than the last, growing in intensity as the Death Busters’ plan gained in power. Wounding the planet with their magic. At this rate, even if Sailor Moon did stop them, there would be nothing but ruins to save.

That was when he felt it, a shock of pain strong enough to bow his back; and the world trembled again, shaking in rage at its violation. It was enough that he screamed, unable to stop it, and the planet seemed to echo his frustration and agony, cracking beneath his legs to show him the thick layers of concrete and dirt and rock. Everything around him was tumbling into disarray, falling down and into pieces like cheap building block toys, unable to withstand the momentum.

When it finally stopped, and there was a blessed silence in its wake, he realized he was crying, silently, but crying nonetheless. And not only at his pain, he recognized dimly, but at the pain of his planet being rent apart by some off-world hack artists unable to share. He felt his planet cry through his body, and realized that his weakness was not only attributed to his link-up with his daughter, but to the destruction of Earth. The destruction, through spirit and magic, of his own flesh. They were not only destroying the physical, but the spiritual as well, completely rendering it useless in a way that Uranus and Neptune and everyone else’s planets had not been.

If he was only feeling it now, it must have meant that their spell was nearing completion. Time was running out; now there was the added fear of his body and spirit being destroyed, not only that of the planet. And calling one’s spirit back from the land of the dead when that spirit’s link had been irrevocably severed was not as easy as a kiss and a wish. He had no holy stone, no Ginzuishou, to hold his spirit in trust for another to call forth.

Grunting, he crawled onto his knees, then slowly up to his feet. The scenery had changed; several buildings had collapsed into rubble, leaving gaps like a six-year-old’s smile that he could see through. A water pipe had burst in one of them, and he watched the spreading pool of dirty, lukewarm water spill into the street, disappearing down into a crack like a miniature waterfall. Even in the wake of destruction, there was beauty to be seen; and it was a vision he would have never even noticed, had a certain odango-haired blonde not walked into his life.

He continued walking, though now it was even slower going because of the growing crevices that forced him to circle around. Falling into some of them would have meant agony, if not death, because he would have broken several bones and been trapped for hours. Not to mention his daughter’s small body being possibly pulpified.

Speaking of which, she still felt warm against his back. He tilted his head to the side to press further against her chubby arm to verify it; beneath his cheek, he could feel soft skin and a hesitant warmth. It was even warmer than before, and he hoped it meant that they had at last saved her holy stone. But she hadn’t moved, not even a peep during his screaming – he noticed then that his cheeks felt tight with drying tears, having not wiped them away – and if he knew his little rabbit, she would have been up in a flash, demanding to know if he was all right. Warm, but not conscious; a very puzzling matter.

“Chibi-Usa-chan...”

“Ne?” he muttered, turning his head.

A girl stood in front of him, a pale ghostly apparition dressed in the most plain of black dresses and stockings, her hair a fall of the same colour, cut straight at her shoulders. Her eyes were sad amethyst, though kind; and he remembered seeing those eyes before, almost cold. Floating in the air, holding the sharpest of lethal weapons, though this girl held her cupped hands close to her chest. “….Saturn?” he finally guessed, warily taking a step back.

She shook her head, opening her hands. Across her palms lay a familiar sparkle, highlighted by the solidity of that select skin; indeed, she was so translucent, weaker than weak, because of the sheer effort it took to keep her hands solid enough to hold her prize. It glowed with power, a sugar pink halo, and she lightly tossed it up into the air.

It flew in the gentlest of arcs, soaring over Mamoru’s head; he felt the tingle as it connected with Chibi-Usa’s body, sinking back into her where it belonged. Her heart beating against his back was almost thunderous, her rising and falling breath strong and sure. She lifted her head from his shoulder, and asked, sleepily, “Mamo-chan?”

“Chibi-Usa!” The dark-haired prince all but fell onto his knees to lower her onto the ground, letting her stand on her own. She knuckled her eyes, staring around them with puzzled wonder, only to stop cold at the ghost.

“Hotaru-chan! What’s happened to you!? You’ve become…”

“Daijoubu, Chibi-Usa-chan…this was unavoidable. To save your precious spirit is what makes me the happiest of all.” Hotaru stepped close, holding out her hand, perhaps meaning to take Chibi-Usa’s; but as the pink-haired child returned the favour, they passed through one another, entirely untouchable. “How sad,” she murmured, lifting her hand up to the waning sunlight. “After all, I’m finally going to leave this painful world. I never realized this was how it felt to let go…so dreamlike.”

Mamoru said, “But if Sailor Moon casts that evil being out of your body…”

“It won’t matter at all. Long ago, I was fated to die. Now, it’s finally arrived to take me in its arms, away from the pain of this world. My father is gone, my mother…” Hotaru shook her head, and they realized that she was so dim, fading so fast, that they almost didn’t see the motion.

Chibi-Usa cried. “No, no, no…not you, Hotaru-chan! My true friend! You can’t give up like this! You can’t leave me so suddenly!”

Hotaru drifted back, a very happy smile on her face; it was like the Cheshire’s grin, visible even after everything else had faded away. “Gomen nasai, but this is now my fate. Sayonara…Chibi-Usa-chan. My true friend. Your strength, I wished it had been mine, too.”

Mamoru didn’t know what to say. All he could do was stare at the space where Hotaru had stood – or floated, if you wanted to be picky – and listen to the growing sound of his daughter’s crying, tearing open the hole in his heart. The sad little girl who had spent her life in almost constant agony had still done the most noble of deeds, sacrificing her soul to save that of Chibi-Usa’s. It would be a shame to waste time in mourning when there was work to do. “Chibi-Usa…”

The pink-haired child lifted her head to look around at him, her eyes already red, cheeks blotchy. All she wanted to do was fall down and continue to cry, wishing for Hotaru to come back and laugh in her ear, whispering, “It was only a joke, here I am!” But that would never happen. She had seen the thing that had taken over her friend’s body in the split second between consciousness and none, knew what it must have done in taking over, in forcing Hotaru to sacrifice her own spirit to save hers. And if she was dead, surely Saturn was now gone as well, which meant there was no return. No second chance.

“Mamo-chan, I don’t want her to be gone,” she whispered thickly, rubbing at her nose, thoughtless as a child at the smear of mucus that spread across her hand. “I don’t. I want her back! First Puu, now Hotaru…Hotaru-chan…”

Kami-sama, he had never thought of it that way. She had woken up after a probable eternity of self-mockery as the Black Lady to see her only described friend dying on the ground, sacrificed for her safety. Pluto had returned, of course, but it wasn’t her ‘Puu,’ nor had they expected her to ever be. Now, another friend was gone, and this one was likely for good. Her friends were just dying all over the place, and the thought briefly brought a very ill timed smile to his lips. Well, at least he could smile at the fact that he was not dead yet.

Instead, he reached out to hug her to his chest, squeezing her briefly. He could sense her sharp inhale, but not the memories that his touch brought, of her papa holding her on his lap as mama read her a story, hugging her that last time before she’d left for the past. And he couldn’t hear her mumble of “Papa,” her face pressed into his shirt, but he could feel her mouth move and filled in the blank. “Chibi-Usa, I know it hurts. It always hurts. But think of what Hotaru-chan has done for you…giving you a stronger heart.”

He took her hand, kissing it on the back as one would a princess. “But now we have to return the favour. Sailor Moon has gone to face the enemy…can you help her? Will you come with me to help her fight?”

Her eyes were ghostly as she stared back at him, uncomprehending. Maybe lost in another time, remembering home…or just too freshly shocked at the loss of one more friend. He watched the colour fill them, the knowledge; with it her face turned down into a baby pout, somehow fierce instead of innocent. “Hotaru-chan did this for me. She saved my spirit. And I’m sitting here crying…iie! I won’t do it anymore!”

She stood back, lifting her hands together. In her palms he could see a heart-shaped brooch appear, her brooch, no longer missing in the darkness. Thrusting it up to the sickly sky, she shouted, “Moon Prism Power, Make UP!”

The power filled her up, spilled out to clothe her in the familiar fuku of a sailor soldier, pink and white and sugar pink. She did a little spin, smiling, though her eyes were still brimming with tears. “This is my power, Mamo-chan! Maybe not as much as Sailor Moon, or mama, but it’s all mine. Are you coming with me?”

How intuitive; it brought a smile to his face. She knew he was tired, weak, possibly too much so to fight with her.

But how could he not? This was his daughter, and his princess, his future wife, her mother, was somewhere that way, waiting for them. Even his presence at their side was enough. He opened his hand, looking down into his palm as if he could read the lines and forecast their immediate future, but there was nothing. And he didn’t expect to see anything anyway.

He closed his eyes, touching that hand to his heart.

When they opened, he saw the world through a mask, and a smiling face. “Let’s go, Chibi-Moon. Everyone is waiting for us.”

Somewhere in the vicinity of the same amount of time, Mistress 9 writhed within her stolen body, unmindful of the two staring at her, horrified in varying amounts. She fled higher, screaming mindlessly as the sensation of growth and confinement, of finding her fleshy encasement too small, too…damn…constrictive. Tomoe Hotaru had vacated the body, but had left that tiny bit of herself behind, that lower soul that knew home; and she prayed to a deity that could not be properly named in any Earthen tongue that this would hurt the bitch, badly.

Lowering to a relatively solid chunk of the second floor of Mugen left standing, Sailor Moon and Alex watched uneasily as Hotaru’s grown body was ripped apart. Shreds of skin and offal whipped off into a growing wind, spinning above their heads and up into the sickening sky. The only truly healthy body Tomoe Hotaru had been given in years, and it was gone. Perhaps she, too, was entirely dead, as she had clearly given the impression. “Hotaru-chan,” the odango-haired blonde mourned.

What rose up from the tattered remains was not only daimon, but remarkably improved on the improved models that Tomoe Souichi and Kuromine Kaoli had carried. Like the darkness that flailed and pushed at the force field below them, the daimon of Mistress 9 seemed more fluid and malleable, less true shape than simply energy. But still she resembled a bipedal humanoid, two arms and legs, shrieking as she shucked away every last bit of restraint.

And then she dove.

“Venus Wink Chain Sword!”

“Mars Snake Fire!”

The first thing they saw was a golden chain, made up of a multitude of heart-shaped links, shining with power. It snapped out like a bullwhip, catching Mistress 9 across the back with a sound reminiscent of a cat o’ nine tails hitting a metal sheet wall. Reeling, she caught the second attack; a winding snake of fire and heat that spat, hissing, as it wound around her body and squeezed tight, exploding in a rush of power.

Then Jupiter and Mercury landed in front of them.

“Mercury Aqua Mirage!”

“Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!”

Mistress 9 was flung backwards, shrieking. But not torn apart, or even seriously injured, though they couldn’t quite tell. Venus and Mars landed next to Alex and Sailor Moon, respectively, shaking off what looked to be a bit of grogginess. That was certainly to be expected, after having their souls ripped out. So was the odango-haired blonde’s spontaneous cry of “Minna!” and a frantic attempt at a group hug that nearly cracked everyone’s heads together.

“Sailor Moon, daijoubu, daijoubu!” Jupiter managed to say as she eased the strangle hold, “everyone is fine! Now, we have a job to do!”

“Hai, we’ve got a world to save!” Venus tossed in, flipping up the victory sign. “After all, the hour isn’t paying us!”

“You mean, ‘Time is money’?” Mercury sighed.

Alex shouted, “Scatter!”

It was instinctive; the bunching of muscles, pushing them all up and away, off of the jagged platform. Venus threw out her chain, grabbing Sailor Moon’s wrist to pull her with as she swung up to the tenth floor of the Meiou complex. Jupiter twisted, elongating her body to aim for a lower level, landing on a balcony of the fifth floor. Mars and Mercury were caught up by Alex’s power, taking them to the seventh floor of the Kaiou complex. They watched as Mistress 9’s body slammed into the platform, reducing it to powder form and bigger chunks big enough to seriously injure.

The daimon howled; rising from the destruction, she enunciated its hatred for them all with a second, ear-splitting scream, hands raised with the unmistakable shape of talons. Strangely, a word had not yet passed what were now considered its lips since sloughing off Hotaru’s body. Only sounds, but they were enough to get the point across, especially when coupled with a second assault as she sped for the dangling odango-haired blonde.

“Venus!” she cried, calling forth the heart moon rod with her free hand, “hayaku!”

An ice storm assailed the daimon, knocking her off course and straight through a window, no doubt wrecking someone’s ridiculously expensive condo. Venus took the opportunity to sling them both up and onto the roof of Meiou, out of sight. “This isn’t working,” Alex snapped, wincing as the wind stun her face, vicious in its growing assault. The lighter pieces of refuse around them were flying around in the spiral, winding their way towards the sky. Soon, if it didn’t stop, it’d be taking them with it. “Everything you’ve hit her with, it doesn’t seem to be doing a damn thing. Not even Sailor Moon phased her.”

“The Ginzuishou?” Mercury queried, donning her goggles. “Surely its cleansing and powerful properties could at the very least rid us of that woman, Mistress 9.”

“We thought of that, before she tossed off Hotaru’s body like some used condom. Then, she would’ve just ejected the daimon and probably killed it by deprivation. But now, she’d be wasting too much energy just killing the daimon outright, and we can’t afford that, she’s the only one who can call forth the Chalice and fix this mess.” The tall red-head picked up a broken flowerpot at her feet, shaking the dirt and dead fern out. “Where is she, Mercury?”

The blue-haired genius surveyed the building, frowning. She could see Venus and Moon atop the roof, as well as Pluto, their distinctive aura shining like stars in her vision. But of Mistress 9, there was nothing; an absence of recognizable aura, much like the blackness beneath them. She switched over to infrared, and swallowed a gasp at the stretching blob of icy cold that grew larger as she watched; the daimon’s touch would be frigid. “There, the twentieth floor!”

Mars stepped forward, summoning her first and simplest power, raising her hand. “Fire Soul!”

But the daimon swerved tightly upward at the last second, coming into sight as she streaked towards the sky, taking the rest of the window frame with her, the fire shooting straight past and into the condo. Whoever it was had either owned an extensive liquor collection or disliked the idea of flame-retardant material; the fireball that was ignited and belched back at them was ridiculous. It was met by a similar ball of flame, which swallowed the first whole; then, at Alex’s command, it went up, playing a game of catch-up after Mistress 9.

A streak of gold soared overhead to catch on the Ten’nou tower. The two blondes leapt off the Meiou tower and dropped like stones, faster than Mistress 9 could slow her ascent and follow; indeed, they passed her. Snapping tight, the chain carried them in a sharp swing towards Kaiou tower, where Sailor Moon let go to fall somewhat awkwardly between Mercury and Mars; Venus released her magic and landed on the balcony above. “We have to stay away from Pluto and Neptune and Uranus,” she reported, watching the daimon. “Already, they look tired from maintaining this shield.”

“Then we don’t have much time!” Mars pounded her fist onto the rail, looking fierce. “What other option do we have, minna? We have to call forth the Sacred Chalice, so Super Sailor Moon can fight with a stronger power!”

Jupiter, alone at Meiou, sent a snap of lightning at Mistress 9, who shrieked.

Then, a second attack followed, a pink blast of power that was irritating as a flea to the daimon; no more, no less. “Stay back, monster! My power may be small, but I’ll use it all the more on you!”

“Chibi-Moon…!?”

They all looked up as Tuxedo Kamen dropped gracefully from the sky, his cape an elegant, fluttering shadow in his wake, holding Chibi-Moon’s hand. Both of them were encased in a familiar soft glow, the power of her holy stone replenished, a gentle pink in colour. “Sailor Moon, minna-chan…! I’ve come just in time!” the pink-haired child cried, leaping the short distance to grab up her future mother in a tight hug.

“Hotaru-san carried your spirit back to you as she did us?” Mars asked.

“Hai; Hotaru-chan gave me my life, and told me I was strong. I can’t allow her sacrifice to be in vain!” Chibi-Moon pulled back, surveying them all with a determined frown.

Sailor Moon nodded. “Then we’ll do it. To defeat the enemy, I’ll ask for your power, minna; to fill the Sacred Chalice to the brim. To become Super Sailor Moon!” She raised her hands above her head, visualizing the golden cup; summoned, it took shape between her fingers, its lid obediently falling open.

“Will I do that someday? Call forth the Sacred Chalice as a proper soldier and princess, to replenish my world? Sailor Moon, this is your amazing power, and mine, someday, too!” the pink-haired child whispered, watching with awe as the cup appeared. Tuxedo Kamen reached to squeeze her hand, and she smiled up at him.

The glow increased.

Turning back, she gasped as a second cup began to appear – no, not a second cup, but its reflection, a slightly ghostly image rising above. Everyone stared at it in awe, even as they held out their hands, giving away freely their power – with the exception of their mentor, who had no magic – to fill up not just one, but both of them. Growing solid and substantial, the second cup flew into Chibi-Moon’s uplifted hands, as both of their foreheads burned with the familiar crescent moon.

Sailor Moon tipped hers back to drink of its power and whispered, “Crisis, Make Up!”

Watching one become Super was amazing enough; watching two in sync was almost too much. The power flooded back over them all, halting even Mistress 9, only to pull back to form a pair of familiar shapes standing nearly on tiptoe, hands clasped between their companionable breasts. Both of them opened their eyes at the same moment, crystal blue staring into sugar pink, exhaling in surprise and admiration.

Super Sailor Chibi-Moon had the same colour-bled skirt as the older model, though her colours had become yellow and pink; the same as her kerchief. The diaphanous back bow, the double-tiered waistband, the wispy shoulder pads. “I’ve become…me…” she mumbled, pulling at her skirt, staring at her gloved hands. “I’ve transformed to a higher level…

“Super Sailor Chibi-Moon!”

The battle did not seem to be waging, or even in motion. Iretsu wished he had thought to bring binoculars, or a telescope. All he could do was sketch out his ideas of an epic battle between his angelic soldiers and princess, and their evil, demonic enemies.

Everyone was restless, unable to sit still. All he heard around him were the sounds of unease, of fond recollection in groups, as if at a summer camp, sporadic crying as their emotions got the better of them. Surrounding him, he had quickly found out, were former castle servants and staff, soldiers, common villagers. In degrees they remembered those last harrowing hours, some days, a few weeks, and as the tales spread, the story knit into a long, winding tapestry of tragedy. He himself remembered almost nothing of that day during the battle; he had been ensconced in the gardens, painting a portrait of a lesser Jovian royal, when Beryl’s army had arrived. Being at the front of the castle proper, he had been given time to look up and cry in alarm, splash paint across the faces of the closest soldiers, and be thusly run through like a chunk of beef.

Over his shoulder, a boy of hardly ten years had been hovering for the better part of fifteen minutes, a silent, critical presence as annoying as a tiny itch one can’t reach. His hair was a drab brown, a little too long and in need of a cut, but his eyes were an unusual triple iris of dark green, mint, and lime, tilted like a cat’s. And very penetrating. Iretsu could tell every time they moved to follow his hand and the pencil, long limbs and flowing hair taking shape, hands delicate as a bird’s lacy wing. He shaded in Mistress 9’s skirt, making small notations for later colour, darkening the shadows and folds.

“Do you believe your drawing will survive this fight?” the boy finally asked, and his voice was surprisingly husky, an older man’s vocal cords.

Iretsu glanced up. “It isn’t a concern, because I’ll survive to take it with me. My princess would never allow this planet, nor us, to come to harm.”

If his voice was husky, his laughter was even more startling; a deep, rich baritone. Somewhere in the world, a thirty-year-old man was nursing a child’s soprano. “Is that your faith? Once, I had that trust in my queen and commander, for they were strong and passionate. But against a devil, they could not protect us. So here we are.” He spread his arms wide, looking around with those tri-coloured eyes. “We’ve lost peace and gained discord.”

“Utopia never comes easily. It doesn’t matter what happens now. I believe in the coming peace, that our princess will rise above this world and take her place again on the throne. She radiates joy, and spreads happiness. Tsukino-san…” He paused in his work, looking up pensively at the triple towers. Mugen was gone, no longer a focal point. Seen through the force field, even the ruins seemed to be dusted with sugar, an idyllic scene despite its calamitous destruction.

He sighed, playing with the pencil. “Tsukino-san is such a gentle soul. For a princess, she fits the role perfectly in every lifetime. But I wonder…is this right, for her to be so strong as a sailor soldier? A queen is not a warrior, but a leader, a guide, inspiration for us all. And she is so tender…so much evil has been thrown back by her power.”

“You wonder if she will eventually change after all of this? After being a hardened warrior?” the boy deduced, resting back on his heels.

“Perhaps. But my love for her brilliant spirit is so very true. I would follow her into the depths of a spiritual hell, believing in her.” How could he not? Ever since she had given him back his eyes and he had seen her beautiful form, he would have gladly cut out his own heart as a gift to her and died smiling. Long golden hair, and those lovely crystal blue eyes…

He was shaken out of his reverie by the light.

It was a familiar warmth, tender and loving, sweeping over them like a solid wind. With it came the smell of dew, of fresh flowers, a strong impression of the golden-haired goddess and her younger, pink-haired counterpart, embraced tenderly. Peace took over his body, as it most assuredly did everyone else, and he breathed deeply.

The power drew back, out of sight, and Iretsu pressed a hand to his heart. He recognized the younger girl as the ‘cousin’ Tsukino-san had introduced to everyone, Chibi-Usa, though the power told him differently. “How clever, princess,” he murmured, “to show such a girl to us as a cousin when she is in fact your heir.” And so much power to inherit; he could see it in her eyes, the power of two kingdoms flowing through her blood and body.

After another minute, they could see the two soldiers rise high into the air, carried by their power as easily as breathing to crest the triple towers. The dark creature Mistress 9 had become shrieked, intending to attack them, and the claws she’d worn grew to nearly sword length.

Super Sailor Moon held out the heart moon rod, eyes narrowing in focus, though such was not visible to the audience. Next to her, Super Sailor Chibi-Moon held out her own rod, crossing the two at the crowns. Whatever they said to one another next was lost to the crowd, as conversational tone did not carry well in a strong wind and reasonable distance. But there was a flare of power at the end of each weapon that indicated what their words must have been for; as well, their joined shout of, “Rainbow Double Moon! Heart Ache!”

The attack was brilliant. Even the furthest away had to avert their eyes, shading their faces. It seemed to light up the Delta with its radiance, not quite like the gentle glow that they had released in transformation; this was a decisive power. And it didn’t matter where it hit, from the way that the three soldiers holding up the shield seemed to flinch, struggling to maintain it as the combined attack smashed into it.

But nothing good happened. At least not in the “Yippy Skippy we killed the monster!” sort of way, and not even in the “Possible assault and battery under the law” that they would have expected. The damn creature actually seemed to grow bigger, which should have been illegal in some book. Even more when they tried again, putting so much effort into it the blast was probably visible from not only space, but any passing alien life forms.

“How is that possible…?! The failure of the Ginzuishou to extinguish the evil?! Princess, don’t lose faith in that power!” Iretsu pleaded.

It wasn’t a loss of faith; perhaps a slight wavering, a bit of puzzlement, but not by any means a loss. Most of that came from the group down below, watching the events. “I don’t believe that her holy stone could actually give Mistress 9 more power!” Venus gasped, grabbing the railing with a white-knuckled fist.

Mercury, watching the numbers scrolling down her goggles more than the actual fight itself, followed a particularly worrisome equation off to the side and caught Alex’s eye. The tall red-head was staring back at her, vaguely; with a start, Mercury realized she was painstakingly reading the numbers backwards. “Didn’t she say something about the crystal having the same power as ‘their own’? I was still half-baked unconscious, but that sounds familiar…”

“Hai; before she swallowed the Ginzuishou,” Mars verified.

“And many other times, the Witches 5 mentioned a light similar to theirs, that Sailor Moon carried!” Venus pounded her first against the railing instead as something vaguely humanoid came flying towards them.

Jupiter landed somewhat clumsily, her leap buffeted by the rising winds and the remaining tremble of power in the air, next to Mars. The dark-haired shrine girl steadied her as Mercury continued to stare at nothing, Alex stared at her staring at nothing, and Venus began to talk to herself, arguing even, trying to come up with a new plan. Tuxedo Kamen has eyes for nothing and no one but the two girls high above their heads, similar expressions of disbelief on their faces.

None of the numbers looked good. “Venus, if it stands to reason that Mistress 9 can absorb the power of the Ginzuishou, then Master Pharaoh 90 can as well,” Alex said sharply, catching the long-haired blonde in mid-self-chastise, “which means Super Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon can’t do a damn thing with their power. The Sacred Chalice is all we have to hinge our bets on. You have a plan?”

“Ano….with such odds, there isn’t much,” Venus confessed, pulling at a hank of her hair in frustration. “Already Uranus and Neptune and Pluto have done all they can in making a shield to contain the evil. Super Sailor Moon and Super Sailor Chibi-Moon have the only power than can defeat everything…but we have the power of our planets to depend on.”

“If we strike at Master Pharaoh 90 with all of our might….” Jupiter murmured, oak green catching a strange fire.

Tuxedo Kamen finished, surprisingly, “We could weaken them, and give Usa a chance.”

Alex arched an eyebrow, folding her arms as she glanced away at the scene in front of them. Even in a torn skirt and blouse, she looked capable of commanding an army to victory; when her head swiveled back, she looked determined. “It’s possible. But we can’t do it from here, we’re too close. Amorphous entities have habits of growing limbs in the oddest places.”

Mistress 9 was shrieking. Looking up, they saw a gold streak marking the daimon’s body, binding its limbs; she strained, trying to free herself. “Her tiara….!? She’s using her Moon Frisbee attack to bind the daimon with her tiara!” Mercury gasped.

“Then we don’t have much time! Concentrate, minna; for this, we’ll use our powers to lift up high, and attack Master Pharaoh 90 from above!” The long-haired blonde crouched herself, poised to jump. A faint golden glow enveloped her body, and she sprang up off her toes, rocketing up into the sky as if pulled by wires. With the two Moon soldiers off to their left, going directly up left them plenty of room to work with, though Venus went up even higher, to the near apex of the shield.

Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars followed; Alex lifted Tuxedo Kamen with her, smiling wickedly at his startled oath as she did so.

“Venus Megaton Shower of Love!”

“Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!”

“Burning Mandala!”

“Mercury Aqua Mirage!”

“Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!”

Venus had chosen an older attack, a wide dispersal of golden beams. As it fell to earth, the spinning fury of Jupiter’s attack followed, landing right between the starry nebulae of Master Pharaoh 90’s eyes. Mars’s attack, also chosen for its spread, rained down, barely cooled by the wet tempest of Mercury’s power. Tuxedo Kamen’s attack was a ball of energy, hitting what they could suppose was the center of the amorphous mass.

The flowerpot, now glowing a bright magenta, was a direct hit, ripping a hole that flowed like liquid mercury back into place.

But that was their best shot.

Completely dumbfounded, they watched as Master Pharaoh 90 took it all like water, his laughter filling the air. [This is futile, sailor soldiers. In moments, I will be all, and you will be everything with me. Earth will become the newest Tau star as I assimilate it with my power. Your power merely hastens the inevitable! Feed me more, give it all to me!]

“Are we so weak?! The combined power of our attacks should have…!” Mars gasped, clenching her fist.

Jupiter touched her hand to her sweating brow, realizing how badly she was trembling with fatigue. She spared a sidelong glance at the others; they all looked just as worn, holding themselves straight with a supreme amount of effort. “We’ve given up so much to Super Sailor Moon and Super Sailor Chibi-Moon, we’re like flies! How can we do anything with such weakness?”

Apparently, nothing good. Horrified, they now watched as the flowing shape of Master Pharaoh 90 grew larger, infused with their planets’ power, slamming into the walls of the force field like high tide on the breakwater. They could hear Uranus, Pluto, and Neptune finally cry out, vocalizing their frustration and strain, and the walls grew almost painfully bright as they put their strongest effort into maintaining it.

[The force field still resists me? Nothing you do will stop this final act from playing out! This is the culmination of a stronger magic than you can imagine, sailor soldiers!]

“It doesn’t matter!” they could just barely hear Uranus shout in defiance, “we will continue to fight and defy you and your evil! This will be your final resting place across the stars!”

“No matter what, we’ll keep you away from the world, defending our future to the last breath!” Neptune shouted in turn, her lovely voice slightly hoarse.

Pluto had lowered the rod, bracing it against the roof as her arms could no longer hold the heavy weapon aloft. But magenta still burned in defiance, her stance proud, as she cried, “For Small Lady and the bright, shining future of all of our dreams, this land where our king and queen were born again! That world has no place for you and your insidious nature!”

Mistress 9 shrieked with victory as she snapped the tiara into two, its golden glitter falling rapidly to earth. The two odango-heads flew clumsily out of the way as she slashed at them, barely missing Super Sailor Moon’s arm by the space of centimetres.

“They can’t keep this up much longer,” the tall red-head murmured.

“But what else can we do? Master Pharaoh 90 did nothing but absorb our weak attacks, rendering us useless,” Mercury reminded them, turning off her goggles; there was so much power in the air that her vision was obscured by numbers, graphs, and charts. “Perhaps swallowing our power in much the same way as they would the Ginzuishou.”

“How? None of us carry holy stones that give such amazing life. Unless the daimon are capable of eating the lights of stars,” Tuxedo Kamen theorized quietly, ocean blue lifting upward instinctively, as if to look upon those mentioned stars. And then he gasped; it was so surprising, so not calm-and-collected Chiba Mamoru, that all of them looked around immediately to see his face paling. They felt the winds die around them, a terrifying stillness descending.

And then they looked up.

Iretsu had no words, no possible description, of what had appeared in the sky. None of them did, and it wasn’t that they hadn’t seen pictures and drawings in their schoolbooks and on TV of such phenomenon. They and all of mankind lived in the ass-end arm of such a spiral; it was something like a bacterium in the gut seeing a vision of the body it lived inside of.

Finally, someone screamed, a terrible, thin sound in the sudden silence and absence of wind. It broke the spell; like a game of domino, another screamed, and then another, adding and feeding upon the hysteria until there was a swelling of humanity frantic to escape. Or at least, frantic to have it end quickly, to no longer suffer in anticipation of their eventual deaths.

No one could escape an invading galaxy.

Of course, it wasn’t actually close, from Iretsu’s newly keen eyes; the ragged, rough hole that surrounded it looked to be the exit (or entrance) of some sort of tunnel. The galaxy itself was most likely billions of miles away, across unestimated space and time, waiting for the Earth to be drawn into a new home. Because surely, an entire galaxy could not simply up and move itself.

Then again, hadn’t that movie hidden one inside of a cat’s collar bauble?

Maybe it was possible.

A sensation that the artist recognized as fear shivered up his backbone, a suddenly terrifying prospect of his princess’s failure. Of his death, again. No, he did not want to go through that again, that lengthy darkness and confusion, the slow realization of mortality again in another’s body. But that was silly, wasn’t it? No matter what, death would come eventually. He had just not planned for it to be here and now.

“We’ll die again,” the old Chinese woman sighed next to him. “Again, as victims of a war we had nothing to do with, no part in. When the witch Beryl stormed our castle world, we were lambs for the slaughter; now, we are bystanders, Kwan-yin be merciful.”

“But we have belief in our princess – “
“Iie; you carry that belief now, as we all did once in our queen.” Her son looked away from the sky and its forbidding natures, his exquisite calm enviable. “In the mother. She who failed us, unable to stave off the darkness we all feared. And though it is her child who healed me of my crippling sickness, of treacherous lungs and a heart that faintly beat, there’s no more belief. Just a vague hope that anyone can save us now.”

Iretsu stared up at him. With a shrug, the boy turned away again to stare back up into the sky, a vaguely musing expression on his face. To him, this seemed to be some fantastical TV show, nothing to bother over, as if changing the channel would solve everything. His mother seemed to be praying to her gods, her head bowed over her hands. And they were an island of calm in a sea of chaos.

But that wasn’t good enough. The dwarf clenched his hands, digging his nails into his palms to the point of drawing blood and pain. “But it isn’t like that anymore,” he whispered, shaking his head. “Not with her. She grew up as a lovely person, a caring girl, not a faraway princess in a storied castle…no matter what, she wants everyone to live in happiness. She shines like a star in the crowd.”

Nobody was listening to him anymore, anyway.

“The Tau Galaxy….! Kami-sama, they’ve opened a door across space!” the odango-haired blonde gasped, crystal blue blurred with tears of pain and sorrow. To have her attack become useless – even powered up! – against the daimon was bad enough, but now, this was a definite sign of their impending failure. She stared up with a stomach-dropping sense of doom, her arms shaking terribly as she continued to aim the heart moon rod.

Next to her, Super Sailor Chibi-Moon was doing the same, though her arms were far shakier, her body experiencing a very definite sign of burnout. To have nearly died from the theft of her holy stone, and to be miraculously empowered and alive within the span of not even a day was trying on even the hardiest body. And she was merely a soldier-in-training, a princess born and pampered and barely adolescent; her body couldn’t take this stress, she was realizing quickly. “But I have to,” she whispered to herself, barely moving her lips, “I have to be strong, just like Super Sailor Moon! I was given this power…I was given a second chance by Hotaru-chan!”

Mistress 9 seemed to have forgotten them, or at least, decided them unimportant. The daimon raised her clawed hands to the sky, mouth opening wide in a screeching noise that wasn’t in the least bit intelligible. But whatever it was, it shook the world as power sliced out from her body in a shock wave of energy, throwing both girls backwards through the air as the other soldiers above them shouted in terror.

[Sou yo! My strongest and devoted partner, bring about this climax! For this, the result of your sacrifices, you will have a new world!] Master Pharaoh 90 crowed. [Speak in words rendered possible by the sacrifice of your tongue to the first of our magic, my loyal Mistress 9! Break these last barriers!]

“Iie! We won’t allow you to take our planet for your own use!” Super Sailor Moon shouted, “Rainbow Double—“

“Super Sailor Chibi-Moon!” her prince’s voice screamed instead.

“Nani…!?” She turned away to see the empty space beside her, a falling streak of sugar pink far below. But a larger streak of black and copper red intercepted it, catching the limp body safely before she fell into the swirling blackness and was lost. Her daughter was safe, but gone from her side and their dual power attack; alone, she had no chance, except to summon the Sacred Chalice finally.

The second blast of power slammed into her, knocking the heart moon rod from her numbed fingers, her head ringing. She saw, high above, the four guardian soldiers tremble as they were hit; she saw the white hazy world quiver and go out as Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus screamed their throats raw, falling to their knees in agony. And then, twisting around to witness the last: Mistress 9’s forehead exploding with the shape of the black star, the daimon’s body falling like a fluttering scrap of forgotten cloth into the larger shape of her Master.

Without any barriers holding him back, Master Pharaoh 90 swept past the triple towers. Iretsu looked up to see the source of everyone’s renewed terror, only to see the blackness rising like an ocean wave over their heads; beside him, Lin and her son heard him say, “Tsukino-san,” before they were all swallowed up as surely as the sand. Hundreds of voices silenced in an instant, remade into something new or simply destroyed, the odango-haired blonde didn’t know. She hadn’t even heard them congregate, had not even seen such a crowd gather to watch them fight; now she felt sick, a terrible, nauseous sensation, that she had failed them.

“This is terrible,” she moaned, looking at her hands dully, forgetting that she had dropped her weapon. “I don’t want any suffering! Not if I can spare them from such pain!”

Above her, she heard the four guardian soldiers shouting, invoking their attacks again. Trying for the impossible. Lightning, icy water, fire, and golden magic flew past her, ruffling her skirt and teasing her hair, only to disappear with no obvious ill effect into the darkness of Master Pharaoh 90. Or rather, Mistress 9; the daimon’s body still existed on the surface, like some disturbing fleshy growth, her mouth still opened wide. It was into that gaping maw that their powers went, the daimon’s eyes flashing. “Nothing…! Has everyone’s power been drained?!”

Mercury fell past her line of sight, a rag doll for all of the seeming life in her body. She fell onto the Kaiou complex roof, followed momentarily by Mars, her high heel shoes going entirely in a different direction towards the ground. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jupiter land on the Meiou complex roof, one hand still high in the air as if she were reaching for the sky. And if that were the case, she could easily deduce that Venus had ended up on the Ten’nou complex roof. Tired, worn out, pushed to their limits by a treacherous enemy.

Down below, far below, Tuxedo Kamen and Alex stood several metres away, their trajectory blown way off course by Mistress 9’s last surge to drop them in the middle of the street. Chibi-Moon was still barely conscious in her father’s arms, frighteningly pale and almost exactly at the point where she’d been an hour ago. But they had no hurry to get back to the fight; they had nothing to contribute anymore. The dark-haired prince had given up much of his power, like the girls, to the two Sacred Chalices, and the rest to his last-ditch attack. And the tall red-head, as she had told Sailor Moon earlier, was not magic, but hardware; and to add to the problem, she was also currently doubled over on the ground, painstakingly fighting off sickness. She had felt the people die, and it had not been pleasant.

“I feel so useless,” Tuxedo Kamen groaned, unconsciously rocking Chibi-Moon in his arms. “Unable to help Usa…unable to be at her side this third time! Why am I so weak!?” He felt disoriented, nauseous, as Master Pharaoh 90 tainted his planet.

“It won’t matter, not when she’s the one with the only power that can stop them.” Alex slowly shifted onto her back, staring up into the sky with a dazed look in her eyes. “That power of purification contained within the Sacred Chalice.” Closing her eyes tightly, she pressed her palms against her lids, painstakingly rebuilding her broken mental shields, even as she shuddered again at an echo of everyone’s frantic fear.

He stared at her for a long moment, concerned, unable to even think of something to say. Whatever seemed to be hurting her was beyond his ability to help. Looking away, he could see the small, slender form of his princess still high above the ruins, holding out her hands. Summoning the Sacred Chalice to revive the world.

Which was half-true; she was indeed summoning the Chalice.

In her hands, the golden cup shone with an unearthly perfection not even the purest gold, shined to a luster, could accomplish. Beneath the lid was a brimful of power, everyone’s power, given to her to complete her higher transformation. She had done it, and it had been a failure; Mistress 9 had fallen into her Master to complete the spell, and now, he was free to assimilate Earth. Her friends were too tired to fight any longer, their remaining power left not in their bodies, but the cup. But she knew they’d get up one last time, even if it meant agony, for one final attack that would most likely kill them; the old sacrifice, death on the battlefield.

And she wasn’t going to let them. Not this time. Not ever again.

She looked down at the darkness below her feet, churning like some hellish maelstrom. This was still going to be a sacrifice, but of only one; and not in the name of war, but of love. Love for her friends and world, love for their happiness and peace. They would have leapt in to continue the fight, one last chance for someone else to strike the final blow, but she would leap in to stop the fighting altogether.

With a gentle smile warming her face, she looked away, searching out her prince, her Mamo-chan, and caught the flash of black so many metres away. Too far away to stop her, which was good; she wanted him to live, desperately. But she couldn’t see the expression he wore, one of confusion at her continued presence in the sky, seemingly doing nothing. She reached out her hand, stretching it towards him as if she could touch his face; but she wouldn’t have that, this last time.

Closing her eyes, she drew her power back into her body.

The energy that held her aloft vanished, and she dropped, holding the Sacred Chalice protectively against her breast. Dimly, she was aware of the others screaming, of her Mamo-chan’s frantic howl, but the fall was so quick, she had no time to truly be sad over it, because she was there, and the darkness was touching her, tasting her, pulling her in and under and away even as she struggled to open the golden cup.

She failed.

And there was nothing.

She opened her eyes, blinked once. Twice. Sitting up in the darkness, she looked up to see a star of white light pierce her prison. A prison she had known for so long, since she had died –

“Hai. Now you see how long this can be, this severing of spirit and flesh. This is the inevitable climax, death and rebirth.”

“Ano…where am I? Where are we?”

“Still inhabiting the body of the creature that ultimately killed you. Though she tore your flesh, she swallowed your spirit as food, and so we exist within, a tiny seed. Waiting for this moment in time.”

“This moment…? Iie…iie, they had to win! Chibi-Usa, Usagi-san…!”

She stared at herself, staring at herself.

“This is fate, Tomoe Hotaru. I wish it weren’t.”

Uranus hadn’t screamed. She just wasn’t much of a screamer to begin with, as she loved to jokingly tell her partner; she was a moaner, a mover, but not a screamer. All she could manage now was a pitiful groan, her throat hurting already from the one scream that had been wrenched forcibly from her, as she contemplated throwing herself over the edge. It was stupid, the surest sign of madness and obsession, but she was pretty sure Venus had the same thought on her mind. All of them did.

She looked up finally, dragging her eyes away with an effort from the lost body of her silver princess, to see the flash of green hair across the way. Neptune – Michiru – would surely miss her if she threw herself over, but she would move on. Maybe even find a proper lover that could give her everything in life she ever wanted or needed, spare her from the long nights and muscle-aching tiredness of being a sailor soldier.

The possibility that Sailor Moon’s sacrifice had not assured them victory, and thus a second chance at life, had not even entered her mind.

“Usagi-chan, Usagi-chan,” Venus was gasping behind her, pitifully quiet. “This isn’t right, she wasn’t supposed to…to…”

“Sacrifice herself to save the rest of us?” the tall sandy-blonde rasped, storm cloud grey now something akin to dead flesh pallor. “Why is it a surprise? Her lovely heart…she wouldn’t want any of you to die, if she could help it.”

Venus blinked at her, then said, “All of us, Uranus. Including you.”

“And him.” A careless gesture motioned towards the tiny figure of Tuxedo Kamen, running hard to cross the pavement to reach them, Alex’s equally tiny figure following with a smaller bundle in her arms. Chibi-Moon, her Super transformation lost with the cup.

The tower shook as Master Pharaoh 90 smashed into its lower floors. Both soldiers shouted in surprise and shock, flung onto their hands and knees. Uranus’s sword slid sharply away, its handle scraping the tiles with an irritating noise. “What the hell’s happening!?” she swore, grabbing the ledge. “With such power inside of him, he should be nearly eaten away and dead!”

Another slam of the darkness actually had them airborne, thrown back; while Venus landed on her tailbone and elbows, Uranus hit the outer ledge on her side and flipped right over, seeing the dizzying expanse of floors below her feet. It was only instinct that had her hand catching that very ledge, dangling her like some worm on a hook so many hundreds of metres above ground. Somewhat ironically she recalled her escape from death earlier, ending up safely on the ground instead of flat as a Western pancake; but now, she had no blonde princess to catch her. Only air.

She felt someone grab her wrist – Venus – and attempt to haul her up. It was a painfully harsh grip, abrading her wrist with the fabric of her glove like the coarsest rope, and also useless, as the long-haired blonde was far too weak and tired. She jerked sharply at Uranus’s arm, trying to rely on what brute strength she had to yank her up, but the tall sandy-blonde could see her entire body shaking with the effort. Hell, if their positions were reversed, she wasn’t sure she could do it either, she’d put so much into the shield.

“Just let me drop, Venus,” she said, with a sharp laugh. “I’ll try my own way to blow that daimon to hell.”

“I’m not letting you drop, don’t even joke about that!” Venus snapped, kicking her shoe against the ledge to snap off the high heel, then bracing her foot properly to try pulling again.

Uranus laughed again, feeling so damn empty; their mission had failed. Her faith in Sailor Moon had not died, but was turning to a kind of suicidal trust. If her princess could do it, so could she. It was a chance to make her sacrifice worthwhile, and still, everyone else would survive. Michiru, especially, would continue on. “I don’t usually joke about such serious matters. Drop me, Venus, do it! What the hell does it matter if I die too? This was my mission to begin with!”

The long-haired blonde did the most astonishing thing; she actually let go with one hand to reach and slap Uranus so hard across the face that her head snapped to the side. She took hold again as the tall sandy-blonde turned to gape at her, the blood already rushing to fill in the imprint of a hand across her cheek and chin. “Of course it matters. We’re all sailor soldiers, we’re all in this fight together! Do you think Usagi-chan would have sacrificed herself if she didn’t want us all to live? Including you? Stop being so selfish! Not when Michiru-san would miss you if you died so suddenly!”

Apparently a good dose of anger was an excellent stimulant; Venus finally managed to pull her up enough to get a leg over, and crawl the rest of the way, and just in time. Instead of knocking the building down, Master Pharaoh 90 had apparently decided to just slime up the sides and assimilate it instead. They had to vacate, and fast. “Venus, arigatou gozaimasu,” Uranus murmured, touching her cheek. “It’s just my way. But my way isn’t important anymore, it’s all of us, together, ne?”

Venus didn’t beam at her as she’d expected, not in the wide, laughing smile of Aino Minako. Instead, she just nodded curtly and smiled enough to show her agreement. “Sou yo. We’re all sailor soldiers.”

And then: “Ano…your sword seems to be glowing.”

“Glowing?”

They both turned fully to see the space sword glowing like a beacon, hovering several metres off the roof in a sphere of white light. Uranus felt her skin grow cold, her stomach dropping like a stone. She had forgotten about this last possibility, regarded it as useless, even, with the girl Tomoe Hotaru dead and long gone as the daimon Mistress 9.

Walking slowly, then running frantically, she grabbed the handle of the sword.

Atop the Meiou complex, Pluto stared at the separate pieces of her rod, the handle lying forlorn at her feet, the top piece with the garnet orb aloft between her hands. It was glowing as well, a beautiful white light that was lovely to look at, but frightening, as she knew what this meant. And it wasn’t fair, not when she’d finally been given a chance to live a wonderfully free life, growing up as Meiou Setsuna.

That was what Neo Queen Serenity had told her, in that in between time after death and before rebirth; that she was no longer bound to the door as Sailor Pluto, because she had wanted her to live that normal life. Because she herself knew the value of skinned knees and sunshine and embarrassment and growing up. She had summoned Pluto’s spirit before it had found a new body, disregarding the pattern as surely as her mother had, and bound it back into the same cycle of rebirth, into the same emerald-haired, dark-skinned form. Just to give her a second chance.

So she stared at the beacon, and realized that it had been wonderful while it lasted.

Mars and Mercury didn’t know what to say as Neptune held up the mirror, her face pale as a sheet. She had discarded the notion of the god waking up as had Uranus, seeing Mistress 9 completely invade the girl’s body and then destroy it. But that had been foolish; it was the soul that mattered, the soul that had carried the power, and if Mistress 9 had taken it into herself, then it had never been vanquished. After all, their souls had survived millennia.

With a jerk, the talismans released their power.

Tuxedo Kamen stopped in his tracks in the burnt grass of what had been the Tomoe laboratory’s front lawn, staring at the shape forming above Master Pharaoh 90. Behind him, Alex came to a halt as well, a conscious Chibi-Moon stubbornly on her feet next to her.

All of them witnessed the birth of a girl they had seen die. Her body was taller, fuller, in the peak of health, her skin flawless peach. The same raven dark hair fell to her shoulders, brushing the purple kerchief of a sailor-soldier’s fuku, her skirt and knee-high boots in the same matching colour. Her shoulder pads were strangely scalloped, elbow pads as well; her bows were a darker rust red, a marvelous setting for the jagged crystal brooch at her breast. It matched the one on her choker, both of them roughly cut and obviously sharp. For a long moment, her brow shone with the sigil of Saturn, before being replaced with the tiara.

She stood upright in the air as easily as if she’d just woken up, bring with her the deadly blade they had seen in their dreams; wickedly curved and taller than she was, it gave them all a feeling of terror. And when she looked around, catching each and every one of them with her languid amethyst eyes, they couldn’t move; but even from their spread positions, they could hear every word. “I am the messenger from the depths of death. Carrier of the protection of the planet of ruin, Saturn. The soldier of silence.”

Flawlessly, she spun the blade up into a two-handed grip that would bring it down quickly and efficiently to strike. “I am Sailor Saturn.”

The dark-haired prince stumbled back as if he’d been struck, smacking back into Alex. She steadied him as Chibi-Moon whispered hoarsely, “Hotaru-chan? Sailor Saturn is…but that means…”

“Sailor Moon is…dead?” Jupiter gasped, next to Pluto.

“Everything we’ve done to prevent this from happening was useless?” Neptune asked the sky, falling back down onto her knees, the mirror limp at her side.

Saturn seemed not to notice their despair. With casual, elegant steps, she walked down through the air towards Master Pharaoh 90, who had stopped his spread at her arrival. After all, she’d been pulled from Mistress 9, who had become part of him, which had hurt him rather annoyingly. “This was all fate. You shared the dream. You’ve seen this climax. Nothing you could do would prevent it.” With no interest at all, she eyed the amorphous blob below her. She seemed less a person than a wind-up doll. “It begun so long ago, this mistaken birth. In a different time, I was never to even come here, as a person.”

In a strangely violent gesture, she stabbed the tip of the glaive into Master Pharaoh 90. Surprisingly, he shrieked as if in pain, his entire form shaking like Jell-O; a disturbing parallel to make. But the biggest factor was that he had been hurt, something none of them had accomplished. Not even Super Sailor Moon. “I had been drawn to this planet mistakenly, away from my locked box. And then, my spirit needed a new confinement; I was born into several bodies, never awakened. The walls and a roof were enough.”

“Drawn away…oh, merde,” Alex moaned, gripping Tuxedo Kamen’s arm hard enough to bruise. He never protested, however. “The Ginzuishou. Its power would have captured their souls, knowing they were….it brought them all along, when they were never meant to be reborn the same, like all of you!”

“Because Neptune and Uranus remember those past lives, they told us,” he replied wearily, unsure if he was tired because of the battle, or simply ready to sit down and die now that Usa was gone. Or both. “Hai. They were pulled here as well.”

“This was all a mistake…I should’ve paid attention, I should’ve seen them being dragged along for the ride.” He felt Alex release his arm, turning away; he turned as well, to pull her back into a tight hug as he saw her wobble on her feet, Chibi-Moon doing the same to her hip.

They just held her, radiating forgiveness that she could feel, as Saturn said, “But then I was reborn one last time, into a body that soon approached tragedy. After an accident that nearly killed us, the girl, Tomoe Hotaru, was given a new life as a cyborg. Her father was brilliant, but bloodless; he saw a chance for recognition and accolades if he made his child into a superhuman. It was a jolt that woke my spirit when soon after, he implanted a daimon egg into that same body. I was pushed aside for an invader.”

She paced around in a slow circle, thoughtfully staring around at the ruins. A momentary flash of something – recognition? Sadness? – lit her gaze, then died. “That was the beginning. From there, it has been an unraveling string of fate, leading us all to this eventual climax. Nothing has changed. And so this is the end. I’ll bring down my glaive, and bring that blessed Silence and ruin.”

“But what about our future!? We’ve seen it, it has to be fate as well!” Venus screamed from the rooftop.

Saturn merely looked up at her. “Then perhaps in seeing it, you’ve created this fate instead.”

None of them had anything to say.

Master Pharaoh 90 did. [Are you our ruin? I see the three lights within you; possibly, probably, you’ve come to stop us. But it’s too late! This world is already changing with me, to become me, to become the second Tau star!]

“I think not,” she said calmly. She lifted the glaive high, shouting, “Death Reborn Revolution!”

A spinning whirlwind of ribbons wound their way out of thin air and around the purple-clad sailor soldier, widening their radius. It was a funnel of negative power, the very opposite of what Master Pharaoh 90 could swallow, and quite appropriate for the god of ruin. It was also spinning like a proper tornado, drawing from the ground and going up into the sky, and it was pulling the amorphous creature with it, straight up through the rip and into what appeared to be space. [This is impossible! Such a negative power, sucking everything up to that space…but we haven’t finished yet, this can’t happen now!]

“But it is, you foul creature. Go! Go back to your proper place across the stars. Already you’ve rendered this planet useless; I’ll make sure even you will find it improper once I’m finished.” Saturn continued the attack, and Master Pharaoh 90 screamed his rage as he was drawn up and away, pushed backward through the dimensional rip he had labored so hard with his spells and plans to open up. Left in his wake was a pitted, scarred wasteland.

[What do you mean…you’ll truly destroy this planet? A waste!]

“It doesn’t matter. To prevent the enemy from taking this world and subverting it, I will do what I was given this silence glaive to do. I will lower it to strike the ground and bring about the ruin and death of this world.”

She sounded calm at the prospect, and continued siphoning him away.

Not everything was calm on the inside, however. Hotaru was screaming as loudly as she’d ever screamed in her life, utterly confounded in her attempts to ‘knock some sense’ into Saturn. The girl was just so damn cool, so damn placid, so utterly like some programmed robot that it was taking a lot of willpower for her not to just kick her and wrestle back control. She was saying things to her own face that she had never even dared say to anyone else, and certainly not in the order she had put them in – some biological functions were just not possible when one’s mother was dead and one’s father as well.

And Saturn just stared at her, completely unperturbed. “I’ve told you, Tomoe Hotaru; this is fate. This is the logical climax of years. Though it is not my own choice –“

“You don’t say! Well, that’s a fucking AMAZING observation!”

“—and I would prefer a happier life within you and us, it simply is no longer optional. This is the Rubicon, and we have crossed it.”

Hotaru vented her frustration again into the emptiness of their shared headspace, wondering if she had driven her father completely into the abyss of madness with her years of doing the very same placid staring act. Of course, she had been glazed over with countless drugs and unblinkable eyelids for that span of time, so she had something of an excuse. Saturn’s nonchalance and outright disregard for any kind of emotion – she seemed to think Hotaru was the crazy one for being so emotionally distraught over ‘nothing’ – apparently stemmed from something much deeper than pharmaceuticals.

She looked around to see the double-vision sight of the dark whirlwind around their body, sucking up Master Pharaoh 90 like a milkshake through a straw. Grimacing at the thought – she was 100% lactose intolerant and hated milk products in all forms to begin with; now she was going to have even more nightmares of psychic space cows and their self-aware mutant cabbage if they survived this – she snapped, “Crossing does not mean inability to double-back. Just because you’ve been told this is your duty doesn’t mean you can’t decide it’s wrong and stop!”

“And why would I do that? The Earth has become infected. Only the Sacred Chalice could heal its wounds in the absence of its true master, and it has been swallowed by the darkness. This is the only way.” Saturn turned away, walking into the shadows of their spacious mind, her posture and poise almost eerie in its perfection. Clearly, whoever she had been before she had awakened as the soldier of silence had been taught excellent etiquette. Hotaru felt like a gawky, awkward kid next to her older body; her only lessons in such propriety had been in watching the badly dubbed black and white foreign films, mimicking the dancers and gracious female leads.

But she ran to catch up anyway, pounding the solid darkness beneath her feet like a tomboy racing to beat the boys and prove herself better. She was wearing her burgundy and green plaid Mugen uniform and thick black tights and the skirt wound around her legs as she pumped harder, finding it strangely hard to match Saturn’s slow walk. “Saturn! What do you mean, the Sacred Chalice? Wasn’t Usagi-san, Super Sailor Moon, the one who can heal the world?”

“Only because she could wield the Sacred Chalice. The young princess, Super Sailor Chibi-Moon, could do it. But the cup has been lost, and so there is nothing else they can do. Only the Sacred Chalice could hold the sacrifice of power given from the three soldiers of the outer system and resurrect the life and the spirit of this chosen planet.” Saturn hadn’t even bothered to turn around and face her, the stubborn bitch.

So Hotaru put on that last burst of speed to place herself in front of the taller soldier, forcing the other to stop. “Resurrection? Like a messiah? Usagi-san could do it; I have faith in her power and love, just like Chibi-Usa-chan. Why can’t you see that it can be possible that she’ll still rise free and cast away the evil? She can’t fail, not when so many depend on her!”

Saturn stared at her.

“Usagi-san has an immense will and love for this planet. I know it! I’ve seen in her eyes! As the soldier Sailor Moon, she has the power to rise again, just like the Christian messiah after his death, the glorious rebirth. And she’ll do it! She’ll come back to this world, to stop you from making this terrible mistake!” the raven-haired girl cried, clenching her fists. She thought fleetingly of that bloody and confused religion, when the Son of God rose again after his horrific death. Her father had spent hours raving gleefully about the general patchwork; how the religion so blatantly stole from so many before it, pandering to the most basic bloodthirst in humanity by the ritual sacrifice of the messiah.

And hadn’t he supposedly done it out of love for humanity?

Yes, she could believe that Usagi could do the same. Because she was an ordinary girl with a beautiful heart and an uncommon power. She was just like that tired messiah, only she was confident in herself as nothing more than a human being, and not a goddess. This was not ritual magic, but internal strength. And she could rise again, just like before.

She realized suddenly that she was crying, her fist pressed against her mouth to muffle her sobs. “Why does this world demand such pain?” she whimpered, lifting blurred amethyst to the silent figure of Saturn. “People force the others’ suffering. Papa did it. Kaoli-kun and her merciless little girls did it. But Chibi-Usa-chan and Usagi-san, they were pure of heart and free of that suffering! And it’s because of those people, those pure souls, that this world still deserves a chance to live and breath!” Heedless of whatever social stigma she might’ve just breached, Hotaru pressed forward to grab the elder’s hands, cool within their white gloves. “Onegai, Sailor Saturn; this world is only bruised, not destroyed. Don’t do this! Don’t be the cause of this eternal cycle of suffering. In this time, you have a choice!”

“But this is my choice.”

Shocked, Hotaru reared back.

Saturn stared at her with those depthless amethyst eyes, withdrawing her hands calmly to rest back at her sides. “What you say is lovely, but ultimately the very problem. Suffering exists because of the majority. And this world is bruised, as you say, but as in fruit, that bruise can become a rot. Gomen nasai, Tomoe Hotaru. But I choose my duty, eternal and infinite, as the wielder of the silence glaive. No matter how I could feel, the path has been lain, and I have already begun to walk its steps.”

That very glaive appeared out of the air above her head, and she reached up to take it. Spinning it expertly, she brought it around with one sure swing to level its sharpest tip just below Hotaru’s chin, in fact lifting her head just slightly with the pressure. “Do not seek to subvert me any longer, Tomoe Hotaru. Already this has gone on far too long. And we will have an endless eternity after to argue.”

Uranus stared across the span of metres, seemingly kilometres, and saw a flash of sea green. It was difficult to hold onto, as the blackened funnel of Master Pharaoh 90 was drawn up through the air between them, a spinning maelstrom of palpable magic and disaster. But she could see it nonetheless, a tease of colour within her vision.

At her side, Venus was silent. She seemed drained and defeated, unable to come up with some sure answer to their situation. The Dark Kingdom had killed her, the Black Moon had taunted her, and now, one of their own, a damned sailor soldier, was going to kill them all. A momentary soldier who lived only to be released like some wild animal into the arena, slaughtering the unfortunates before being locked up tight again. What could an existence like that be for her? Alive, awake, only to lower the glaive and die, resurrected into some Möebius whirl of a planetary prison, to do it all again perhaps centuries later. The long-haired blonde felt a pitying terror for the girl, coupled rather tragically with the warring need to kill her before it was too late.

“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” the tall sandy-blonde said at last, a faint oath beneath her breath. “To have everything come to this waste.”

Venus didn’t reply. Curious, Uranus looked up at her, seeing the firm set to her mouth, the narrowing slant of her twilight eyes. “Could we kill her?”

“Nani?”

“Could we kill her?” the long-haired blonde repeated sharply, every word bitten off as if it were a personal agony to speak them. And it probably was. She had executed Demand out of necessity, knowing he was massive threat to their security, and because of his attempted murder of their princess. He had been an enemy of the state, so to speak. But this girl was only doing her duty, what she had been given as her burden to bear just as they all had.

Uranus looked away. “How amazing that you finally see our situation now that it’s too late.”

“I had to respect her life, as a citizen of Earth!” Venus’s rose like a slap across the face, close to hysteria. “That was my duty! I couldn’t let you murder an innocent girl in cold blood, not when we could have intervened to stop your horrific vision from happening!”

“But you didn’t, did you? You and your damn morals didn’t stop it! You rushed it faster to the climax!” Uranus snapped back, whipping her head around to match angered eyes. “If you hadn’t been so damned childish, we could have prevented this, most of it, all of it! Do those morals warm your heart, Venus? Will it warm your soul in the afterlife!”

And here was the end of the world, and they were fighting, really fighting. Venus slapped her across the face again, but this time Uranus was prepared, and she caught that wrist to throw her across the roof. Following quickly, she was held back by a quick roundhouse, though clumsy, and then a punch that nearly took off her nose. She swept her leg low to trip, Venus leapt over it, but she caught her in the gut with a quick elbow jab.

The long-haired blonde fell onto her ass and leaned back onto her arms, kicking both legs up into Uranus’s ribs, her lower torso lifting off the roof with the effort. Uranus went flying. Gasping and coughing, they stared at one another with self-righteous fury until Venus snapped, “I always had trust in Usagi, in our princess, that she would do the right thing even as we failed. Can you say that? Or do you trust in no one but your selfish self, Ten’ou Haruka?”

Uranus jerked as if she’d been hit again.

Trusting in someone else had been impossible since the day she could remember. It was herself against a world she didn’t trust, because it was inherently duplicitous. A world that didn’t except someone who went against the grain, who demanded to change what could and couldn’t be. Smiling liars everywhere, wanting her only as some sort of voodoo doll for the screaming hordes, not caring about the mind behind it.

A world that by and large did not accept a woman with hungers as common as a man.

She could see that life like a tunnel, a long and dark path that conspired to swallow her for all those years, the various obstacles in her way hidden until she hit them. It was a small space allotted for her, barely wide enough to swing her arms at her sides.

Until she met Kaiou Michiru.

Then there had been light. Dim at first, barely informative, but just enough to show her the obstacles still in her way; and as time went on, even brighter illumination to show her that they were quibbling problems, easily stepped over. Nothing to worry about. The tunnel had widened; life had taken on a new vibrancy she had never truly realized until now. Even the largest obstacle of all, that vicious reminder of her gender, was weak in the wake of Michiru’s gentle laughter and even gentler touch.

And there had been trust. Trust in herself, in the aqua-haired beauty. They were partners against the evil, understanding one another when Haruka had never dreamed of finding such a person. But it had been coloured with her old paranoia, her sureness that at some point, Michiru would leave her, because she was not perfect, not whole, not man. Just a confused woman. She had never seen the truth because she continued to lie to herself excellently.

Seeing Usagi’s crystal blue eyes shine with unabashed goodness and trust in the same of everyone had broken another wall down, expanded the tunnel. This was a girl in whom all things seemed possible, a goddess come down to earth to walk as simply as the common people. To find out that she was a sailor soldier, the reincarnation of their beautiful princess, was a miracle; to know that even after seeing the darkness of mankind, she could still cry passionately on their behalf….ara, it was simple marvelous. To love her as her prince would have been to love the stars in heaven, to warm one’s soul as only the purest elixir of the gods could accomplish.

Her eyes widened as she realized: “Sou yo…I do trust in her. And to see her selfless act of sacrifice was the biggest despair.”

“Because it failed,” Venus whispered faintly.

The air had grown thin, easier to breathe; automatically they stood up, running to look over the edge of the roof. Master Pharaoh 90 was very nearly gone, thrust back through the ragged hole above their heads to his galaxy. But the sky still looked sick, the sea withdrawn as if to avoid the cancer he had spread; despair.

Saturn had dropped to the last remnant of the Infinity building, oblivious to the sharp metal cutting through her boots. She stared up and around at them, and at the sky. Lifting the glaive, she stood poised for an eternity, most likely summoning her power, preparing to die at the epicenter of destruction for the kami knew what time. Or perhaps that was the simplest part of the power that caused such complete destruction; the sacrifice of her body and life to the blade’s wicked cut. Perhaps she had to die for it to work.

Mars didn’t see any of it; she was seeing an earlier memory, of dim grey vistas and bodies lain waste. Of the same slender, raven-haired girl lifting the very same weapon to rain down upon the ravaged Moon Kingdom a cleansing destruction. And none of them would survive this. Their bodies would be swept up into the power and scattered like ash to the four corners, Earth becoming just another dead rock floating in space.

Chibi-Moon was afraid. Holding her father’s hand, and Alex’s arm, she was afraid with the knee-knocking realization that they were going to die. Until now, there had been the possibility but not very much fear; not when Sailor Moon had been alive to save the day. Sailor Moon had been the anchor for her throughout the battle against the Black Moon, because she knew that somehow she’d win. She had that immense power, just as her mama and papa had told her.

But now she was dead, beyond helping them, and they were going to die.

She felt Alex shift next to her and she looked up, seeing a mixture of terror and regret on the tall red-head’s face. “Again,” she said ever so quietly. “It’s happening again.”

They didn’t hear the glaive’s impact. But they felt it.

The wind picked up, rolling over them like a tornado. Tuxedo Kamen moved to hug both into his arms, protecting them from those battering winds selflessly. On the rooftops, the girls were thrown nearly flat, hearing the shrieking wind as it tore apart the buildings beneath them with its fury, uprooting trees and the greenery that had grown so violently. Some of those vines lashed them as they flew past, drawing blood.

And in the middle of it all, Saturn stood, a benevolent, musing smile on her face.

The world was dying, and so was she.

Hotaru stared desperately at the figure of Saturn as she held her calmly at bay, oblivious or uncaring to the trembling of their headspace. Their body was going to be torn apart soon, ripped into pieces like Osiris – and wasn’t there some irony in that? – as the sacrifice for this primal magic. “Saturn!” she pleased again.

“Iie.”

Throwing up her hands, Hotaru did the only thing she could; she turned and fled, running helter-skelter through their shared mind. Everything was falling apart, crumbling like some great Roman amphitheatre after so many centuries, revealing the inner layers of its foundation. She fled through her own memories, almost all of them terribly sad, some painful. Her mother smiled at her, already faint and distorted by time, but still lovely. Always lovely.

Abruptly, she ran right into one of Saturn’s.

It wasn’t intentional; one minute, she was simply running to escape the other’s quicker footsteps, and the next had her surrounded by what she could recognize simply as palace walls. All royal buildings have that look about them of palatial comfort above the masses, no matter if stone or brick or mud. She was in a palace and she was staring at herself as a child of perhaps seven, dressed in a light violet gown with a silver band circling her forehead, holding what looked to be a fine silver mesh over her hair, studded with amethysts.

She wasn’t at home, she was visiting Jupiter as part of their customary, yearly public relations tour, which was why the walls had patterns of green instead of grey and purple. She was the crown princess, still so very young, but due to inherit the throne within the year, as Saturn recognized women at the age of nine. Her walk was slow and perfect, despite its agitation, one hand lifting her skirts with grace as to not drag the fabric across the floor. She was talking to an elderly man who was suited up as the Royal Knight of Saturn, what Hotaru would call a General of the Army, who was apparently pleading with her to stay put.

This was the eve of the war. This was the war which had destroyed Saturn before Uranus and Neptune could intervene, its own sailor soldier subverted to destroy the planet. But even the Silence, as they called it, did not prevent a planet’s soldier from being chosen, unless every single bloodline had been decimated.

But the glaive had not yet been lowered, and the princess was arguing to go back to Saturn and stand at her father’s side. She was to be queen in a year; she should have been there to fight back the enemy as well, as a strong monarch would do. Saturn was her planet; if it fell, it would be due to her failure. To hear a child say this chilled Hotaru; so strong was she in her conviction that she could very well make this man agree with her. Anyone, really. This was no child, but a damned woman in a tiny body.

The monarch of Jupiter, however, decided to overrule her, and send her even farther away, to Mars. Jupiter was too close to the fighting; it would be ironic and irresponsible to keep Saturn’s princess with them, only to have her die if the enemy invaded them as well. And so the entire entourage was placed onto a luxurious star cruiser and sent away, with plans of making it to Mars and to relative safety. No enemy, they reasoned, would hazard going through the asteroid belt, and the kingdoms had long ago fashioned a small artificial wormhole on both sides to entirely avoid the problem.

So they left, and the princess damned them all.

They had barely cleared the radiation field when the princess felt it; a warmth unlike anything she'd ever known in her few years. The elderly knight was the only witness to the sigil of Saturn etching itself upon her brow, and the power that came with it in a spontaneous rush to enfold her, strengthen her, and change her. In need of a sailor soldier, it forced her growth and maturity, and she found herself no longer a headstrong eight-year-old, but a fourteen-year-old. Now she had no choice; she knew her father was dead, because he had sworn to her that he would be at their guardian soldier's side; he had been her lover since the queen had died.

Going back to Saturn they had found the most shocking evidence of all; a destroyed ruin of a planet, its beautiful and startling rings beginning to form from the debris. Sailor Saturn had arrived just in time to win the war, but not that most important battle, and no victory could soothe her tortured heart. In an instant, a princess had been denied her kingdom. There was simply nothing left for her to even pretend to rule. And to hear it from Neptune’s lips that it had been the previous Saturn, her father’s lovely blonde lover, who had been tricked into Silencing the planet….

But she had no more tears to cry.

The decision to have herself locked into the planet had been an easy choice. Alone, saddened, desperate for the solitude, she had been the master planner, deciding that the power of Saturn was simply too dangerous for another to wield. The spell locked both body and soul together, so that whenever she was called forth to perform her duty, she would consequently die but return again as Sailor Saturn. And again. And again. Safely hidden away from the universe and its upsetting lives. It had been a simple and elegantly perfect plan.

Hotaru reared back as the span of time washed over her, the knowledge that all those years and decades and centuries had gone by as she had slept within her planet. She had been alone in the darkness, unable to wake up and walk away, knowing that she had time and damned time to spend in such a fashion. What did that do to a person? Even Pluto could have been naughty and stepped out of space-time to stretch her limbs; and still, trapped by the door, she was able to walk and move and jump and breathe and laugh.

“Kami-sama…”

So much time, and then finally, the trip of the lock, freedom to move and stand, breathing the air. Only to have it end within minutes as she brought the glaive down again, and then again, and for the last time down on the surface of the moon, watching everything disappear. But her soul had not gone to sleep as it was supposed to, the power of the Ginzuishou called her with it, as it had taken all of its children, to that possible future.

Saturn, staring at her. “Don’t feel pity for this. I chose that path of duty.”

“But it’s so terrible…I could never do it.”

“The power has to be locked away. No one else can be trusted with it; that was my most solemn promise to the past.”

Hotaru slid down, falling onto her knees limply. The terror of living that subhuman life, trapped within the darkness; no, she could never chose that. And yet a similar existence had been given to her by a perverse father and a cruel enemy, her body not entirely her own, sacrificed to science and a horrible mistake. “But I don’t want this. I want another chance at life, the life I never…happiness and sunshine and best friends and ice cream! That’s what I want instead of this darkness.”

She looked up. “That’s what you want, too.”

Saturn appeared incensed. “Don’t tell me what I want, Tomoe Hotaru! What I want is never important, not anymore. The duty of a sailor soldier is everything. I chose this unselfish life.”

“Iie, it’s not unselfish, but entirely selfish what you’ve done. You couldn’t face life alone, without your papa or friends, so you allowed this prison! You locked away your planet’s shining spirit like a pretty glass bauble so no one else could see it, all the while pretending it was so wonderful, so completely selfless! Only one mistake was made, and you’ve forced yourself to pay for it for so long, so very long….”

“How dare you say such things to me!”

Light flooded their eyes, stopping them cold. Turning to see the most amazing sight; a beam of narrow white light stabbing Master Pharaoh 90’s earthbound remains like a sword, cutting through even the raging power of the oncoming Silence. And then it sharpened, took shape, forming a familiar body with long flowing hair, her arms stretched high above her head as if reaching for the sky, her power throwing back the daimon. “Princess….Sailor Moon!?”

“Usagi-san!”

It had been so very cold inside of the daimon. It had swallowed her whole, alive, like some oyster on the half shell, rendering her impotent. The cup had vanished from her hands, as well as her Super transformation; she had been merely Sailor Moon, trapped and dying as his laughter shook the world.

She had sunk down into the emptiness, limp as a doll, unable to even open her eyes and fight the weakness assailing her limbs. [Sailor Moon, I feel your strong spirit. For giving your power to me so easily, I will make sure you are remembered in our new world, as you have now helped to build it.]

“Iie…that was not my intent…” Had she even spoken those words? She wasn’t sure that she could. So tired, so sleepy. She had come for a purpose into this darkness, and she couldn’t remember why. Vague promises flashed through her mind; smiling faces unfinished mocked her memory. Why was it so hard for her to remember these things?

So cold.

As she dropped, she mused on the process of deterioration; in a normal situation, her heart would cease beating, her lungs working to draw in air, blood no longer flowing through her veins. It would all sink to the bottom like a sponge, colouring her rear extremities purple. And then the slow rot would set in, organs slowly expanding their gases, flesh drawing tightly over the bones. Shrinking to show the teeth and gums, fingernails seeming to grow. And then after more time, the bones becoming brittle, falling to dust.

Now where had she gotten that information? She was hardly the morbid type.

“…a fascinating process, not always due to climate…”

It was rather disturbing an idea, her body becoming some tanned, leathery corpse.

“…yes, but medical science has reached that point of preservation…”

Had it been overheard in discussion?

“…ara, but you forget, ancient civilizations reached it ages ago.”

Laughter. It echoed in her mind, and she saw that memory, a sunny day at the Crown parlor, a ridiculously carefree day. Ami and Moriya arguing over the achievements of the modern day, Ami passionate in her defense of medical science, Moriya easily countering her with ancient marvels. Rei had not wanted to join them, of course, the snob. Usagi had simply sat and nursed her soda, listening to her best friend and new ally debate like old hands. Within weeks, one of them was dead.

But Ami was alive.

Rei was alive, Makoto as well, Minako…

Mamo-chan! Chibi-Usa! Haruka-san, Michiru-san, Setsuna-san…Alex onee-chan…

Their faces rose up again, and this time, she knew them all as they smiled at her, beckoning for her to come back. And further, she could see her mama and papa, even her irritating little brother, Naru-chan and Umino, Chouko-kun, Rei’s benevolently smiling grandfather, Ami’s wry, gentle mother and slightly distracted father. And two she knew were Minako’s parents, though she had never met them.

All of the people she had to save, a mere fraction of the world.

Master Pharaoh 90 sensed her struggling, and pushed down harder. [Don’t fight this, Sailor Moon! Soon, everything will be perfect. The world will be born anew.]

“Iie!” she said, this time with strength. “This world is happy the way it is! Maybe not perfect, but certainly happy! Master Pharaoh 90, stop this!”

She fought, kicking her legs, moving in what she thought was an upward direction. The darkness weighed down on her limbs, attempting to hold her steady as it sapped away her power and life, like some liquid through a straw. [No, this is the climax of years! Nothing you do will prevent this from occurring. Give me your light!]

Ohh…she felt so tired. Maybe this was the better way, just to give up and float. Her head lolled as she sighed, feeling everything slip away again as he exerted pressure, unable to fight back without her Super transformation giving her strength.

But then the world shook around her, and she gasped as Master Pharaoh 90 howled. She was tossed upside down and around, spinning helplessly as if inside a cyclone, her head jerked back and forth so hard it felt as if her neck would break. Her mind felt clear again, however, even as she tumbled around, and she fought to regain control, to gather the strength to do what she remembered; to open the Sacred Chalice inside of the daimon.

[This negative aura is defeating me so easily…truly, this creature must be that light of ruin! After all this time, it has come to defeat our master plan!]

Flailing, she dropped even further.

“The light of ruin….!? Not the god of ruin, not Sailor Saturn! Hotaru-chan! I’ll break free, I’ll stop that Silence from coming!” she swore, though there was a hint of desperation in her voice. The Sacred Chalice wouldn’t come to her hand, so thoroughly was she entombed within the darkness, and without it, she would remain. She kept concentrating fiercely, trying to summon that power, her hands held high.

A flash of gold between those palms; the shape of the cup indistinct.

She concentrated harder, struggling.

“For everyone…!”

Her prince held her body in the cold of the Arctic, his mouth warm against hers. He had brought her back to life, because he loved her...

“Onegai! Come back!”

Laughing in the immense ballroom of the Crystal Palace, Makoto had told them a dirty joke.

“Sacred Chalice, I command you!”

In front of the Dome, Haruka was close enough to kiss, his, no, her, eyes darkening to the colour of the stormy sky. He could have easily been her prince, if they had met first.

“Now, to my hand! I am Princess Serenity, I am Sailor Moon, and I command you!”

The explosion of golden power took her by surprise, forming the Sacred Chalice in its entirety. Quickly she opened its lid, and the power of her friends, her allies, rushed out to envelope her in their warmth and love, transforming her into Super Sailor Moon. It expanded past her and punched a hole through her prison, clearing a path for her to follow.

And when she opened her eyes, it was to witness the outside world.

She felt dirt beneath her boots; the hard earth. Looking around, she found herself standing in the ruins of the Mugen greenhouse, the lovely roses and flowers now shriveled and black, utterly dead. Most of the walls were gone; and she had a clear view of the whipping wind, and the oncoming devastation. Her heart sank as she saw the cause. “Hotaru-chan!?”

Saturn turned, smiling. “You’ve survived the daimon, Super Sailor Moon. A lovely miracle. But now you can witness the final step; the inevitable Silence.”

“Hotaru-chan…iie, Sailor Saturn…why are you doing this? Master Pharaoh 90 has been defeated now! Surely there’s no need to cleanse Earth!” Gathering her courage, she leapt up, trusting in her power to carry her up and over, closer to the purple-suited soldier.

“But does it matter when Earth has still been wounded? It’s better this way. And this is my duty, to bring about this climax.” Saturn floated higher, away from the odango-haired blonde, as if she feared her touch. “After so long, silence is beautiful to me, and this world will resemble that.”

Inside, Hotaru moaned. “Silence has never been beautiful.”

The power whipped at Super Sailor Moon’s body, flinging her back and away. “Iie! I refuse to accept that! Surely your concept of beauty is of sunshine and happiness, of the laughter of friends; that’s my beautiful world.”

Saturn frowned at her, gripping the glaive tighter. “I have no friends, Super Sailor Moon. How can I have such a concept of beauty?”

“We’re your friends!”

“You were Tomoe Hotaru’s friends.”

“That doesn’t matter! Friendships are easy when you have a caring heart. All of us, everyone, has that. Your world of lonely darkness doesn’t have to be forever, not when we’re here to show you that laughter and happiness.” Super Sailor Moon floated in front of Saturn, held back by that final wall of power, staring into amethyst gone dark and fearful. “I believe in that kind of world. This doesn’t have to happen.”

Saturn stared at Hotaru, who stared back at her. Slowly, she nodded her head.

Saturn bowed her head. “I wish I could have that, Super Sailor Moon. Tsukino-san…but this was my duty. And I have to perform it. But I’ll do it in my own way, now!” Saturn cried, and she shot up into the sky, towards the jagged hole that still showed the swirling Tau Galaxy.

“Sailor Saturn!?”

Higher and higher she went, so fast none of the others could even shout out a warning or a curse, until she penetrated the jagged aperture. Out into space, where only her power kept her from freezing, dying horribly; and where the odango-haired blonde could not follow. “Super Sailor Moon, your power is wonderful. With the Sacred Chalice and such hope, you can save this world from the ravages of my power and that of the enemy. That is your mission now. And this is mine, to seal off this portal of darkness!”

Hotaru took her hands, smiling. Finally, brightly, Saturn smiled back. “Arigatou,” she said.

The glaive fell again.

Super Sailor Moon lay on a scarred, pitted landscape, crying piteously as they came to her. The sky was a sickly colour still, the triple towers and their concrete jungle looked like hell, but the hole had closed; Master Pharaoh 90 and the Tau Galaxy were gone, their portal destroyed, if not they as well.

And so was Saturn.

Tuxedo Kamen, of course, reached her first with a speed unmatched. He gathered her into his arms to hold her tightly, shaking with the realization that she had almost died for a second time as he had been helpless. If nothing else, he also learned that no matter how ‘destined’ their love might have been, how unable he had been to stop it, he didn’t care. She had brought that happiness into his life, and he never wanted to lose it again. He’d just lock her in a closet until they were married, that’s all.

Chibi-Moon flung herself onto them, squeezing as tightly as her smaller arms would allow, wailing like a baby. “Mama, mama…!”

Everyone else just sort of cantered to a stop, circling them roughly as they waited. They were not sure how they felt about Saturn’s sacrifice; it seemed wrong, somehow, that in one fell swoop she gained their pity after trying to kill them. But then, she had never been an evil person, just a soldier with the unfortunate duty. It could have been any one of them instead of her, destined to die and be reborn for the same purpose. And that…was a terrible thought.

Finally, Super Sailor Moon managed to extricate herself, and smile weakly at the others. “Minna…we did it.”

“It’s actually more you than us, but we’ll take credit where we can,” Alex countered mildly, though there was an unusual tremble to her hands, the uneasy way she stood. Seeing the world nearly destroyed had shaken her up far too much for her own comfort. Again, she had been unable to do nothing as it all fell down around her, merely a witness to the tragedy. Plus, she had a killer headache still, which just sucked no matter what.

“Hai, hai! You did it, Super Sailor Moon!” Jupiter crowed, clapping her hands.

Apparently too tired to argue over it, the odango-haired blonde just nodded gracefully. Tuxedo Kamen helped her up as she said, “But it’s not over yet. I still have to use the Sacred Chalice one last time…”

At that, everyone just tiredly looked around at their surroundings; it looked as if an earthquake and a tidal wave had crash-landed into one another, put up a rousing battle of fisticuffs, and then retreated to lick their wounds, taking some souvenirs with them. The once-tall and stylish building of Mugen Gakuen was now a pile of rubble about the size of a one-room Tokyo apart, most of it strewn across the shattered courtyard. The Kaiou tower was missing a good half of its lower and middle floors, revealing tasteful furniture and quiet elegance, and in one case, a leather fetishist’s wet dream of straps and saddles. Meiou had fared rather well, missing only several windows and its main entrance canopy. Ten’nou looked as if someone had taken a straight razor and sheared off the first few metres of brick façade, where Master Pharaoh 90 had left his mark. And that was just the surrounding area.

No doubt property values would plummet.

The gleam of gold caught their attention as the Sacred Chalice rose into existence. Holding it out in front of her, the odango-haired blonde opened the lid to reveal its curved, smooth interior, empty of even dust. “I don’t know what to do now,” she sighed, looking up thoughtfully. “To become Super Sailor Moon, I drank of its power. But what has to be done to summon the revival of the world…?”

“You don’t remember, tsukimidango? The queen summons the power of the three talismans to fill it, then drinks and uses their power plus that of the Ginzuishou,” the tall red-head answered, nodding her head at the closest – Neptune’s mirror – to make her point. “That’s the magic formula.”

Super Sailor Moon nodded, frowning slightly. Then she closed her eyes, concentrating briefly; with a quick rush, her Super transformation fled, the power flooding back into its source with a rainbow of colours. It was euphoric, after such a tiring battle, to receive that strength back, and she could see her friends stand taller, throwing off their aches and pains. “I don’t need your power, minna. Not for this. This is the work of the princess, not Sailor Moon.”

“Iie; this is the work of our future queen,” Pluto corrected her softly, lifting the garnet rod high.

The power of the talismans were nothing like the power of the planets; instead of colour, there was merely light, pure white and brilliant, far brighter than the fine net they had woven with its strength. This was the concentrated essence, given up entirely from its owners into the golden cup that seemed far too small to contain all of it, flooding it with what seemed to be the very sun and stars. Magic.

When it was over, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto lowered their arms, staring at their sacred items with surprise; they had grown dim, altogether less lustrous, just as ordinary as a staff, or a rapier, or an antique mirror. They could have just bought them at the store as props for all of the power they now had; they even seemed smaller, less larger than life. “At least it’s not the size that counts,” Venus just barely heard Uranus mutter beneath her breath, staring at her sword.

Sailor Moon lifted the cup to her lips and drank.

Before, the first time, she had drunk of the pure power of all of her soldiers, the essence of their planets that they carried within them as avatars. It had pushed her to the newest level of transformation, a step closer to some undefined point that she had to one day reach, either as the queen or someone else; and the rush, the euphoric sensation of growth, had been magnificent. She had become Super.

This time, she drank of the talismans, three sacred items that were in many ways the same as her crystal; they were a focus of power that did and did not have anything to do with the planet. Anyone could wield the space sword, or the deep aqua mirror; anyone could steal the garnet rod and have the power of time at their command. Just as anyone could steal her silver crystal and subjugate a world, destroy it in an eye’s blink. They had been woven into shape for them, but they were not the masters, merely owners. And they were of perhaps an even greater power than even their planets could attest.

Tuxedo Kamen watched in awe as the sailor fuku was torn away, replaced by the flowing folds and pure white cloth of her gown, golden embroidery curving along her breast, pearls lovely in her hair, winding her torso. Her hair grew longer and softer than silk, twisted into an almost-artful twirl by the teasing winds left in the wake of Saturn’s glaive. As she smiled, lifting her hands again to summon the Ginzuishou, she rose on bare feet to tiptoe, her soft skin reddening from the harsh concrete.

Their princess was rebuilding the world.

Chouko Iretsu opened his eyes and hitched in a breath of air, deciding that he had been given an epiphany; death was not for him.

The world had a glittering sheen to it, a brand-new, out-of-the-box freshness. Even the roof beneath his feet had the same newness, sturdy as the day it had been lain, and no longer cracked and broken. His drawings lay scattered at his feet, smeared by wind and other things, but essentially complete. He gathered them up, and set about collapsing his easel for proper storage, outwardly calm; but a careful observer could see his hands shaking. Death was not as easy as the tragically morbid tried to claim. They had yet to experience it.

Around him lay the stunned and the weeping faithful, their voices now rising in an uneven melody as they praised Serenity for saving them, though many were leaving in groups, understandably shaken. The Chinese woman and her son had lowered into kowtow and had not yet risen; the young boy with the unusual eyes stood at the edge of the roof, watching the sky and its slowly gathering clouds, fluffy and white for a proper sunny day. It was going to be a lovely day too, Iretsu knew.

With everything packed up properly, the dwarf went down a set of stairs no longer threatening to break beneath his feet, walking easily down the road, heading for Juuban. If he made good time, he might even make it home to start his first painting before the sun passed its zenith; the triumph of the princess Serenity over the evil witch.

For such a minimally scarred world, it took an effort to fix; perhaps, because it was partially damaged to begin with. Their princess could feel the wounds, scabbed over and old, from Metallia’s invasion, those that she had not managed to heal but only minimally seal; she could sense the disruption of space within the Delta that still lingered, so deep within the dirt. And so many people to breathe new life into, to open their eyes where they had fallen, cut down by debris or fear.

And she was not entirely their princess! No, not yet; and just like before, when she had used the Ginzuishou bare handed, it put such a strain on her body that the first time had killed her. This time she had aid from the talismans, their power buoyant, winding around hers like a symphony chorus to add not subtract, but it was still weakening her. And she wanted to fix these mistakes now, while there was time and energy to do it!

She felt strong hands at her waist, a warm body at her back. Mamo-chan. Power given freely, a sympathetic rush that reminded her of her crystal. And then she felt the touch of the others, their power promised to her hand, and she gasped at the sensation, all of it drawn in like a sponge, squeezed out in the same manner to touch the world. She saw her soldiers taken up by that power, pushed into a second level of transformation as had she. And the world was singing in gratitude, all of its children spared from the darkness yet again by her determination.

All but one. Hotaru.

Hotaru….

The girl should never have died, not when she could have had a long and wonderful life. A life free of science and magic spells, full of the laughter of childhood and happiness. It seemed so tragically unfair that she was the sacrifice to save the world; an innocent girl who had been so kind to Chibi-Usa, who had desired no more than a friend.

Effortlessly she envisioned her one last time; not as the harpy Mistress 9, nor the taciturn Sailor Saturn, but as the pale, wan Tomoe Hotaru as she had been born in this cycle of their lives.

What happened next was perhaps a wish granted; the sudden cry of a child.

As their princess sank slowly back into her prince’s arms, almost instantly asleep within the warmth of his embrace, the gathered sailor soldiers writhed as the power that had transformed them withdrew, leaving behind their own singular, remarkable strengths. Stunned, slightly disoriented, they were not exactly tired but weary, on the verge of sinking down onto hands and knees as well. Their guardian laughed as though she were drunk, sitting down on a chunk of rubble with her hands between her knees as she basked in their emotions, staring out at the clean courtyard of the triple towers, the foundations of Mugen utterly gone.

And then she paused, seeing a small wriggling shape; again, there was a soft cry. “What is that sound…?”

“It’s a baby,” Mercury whispered, stunned; she knew that plaintive cry, had heard it over years of her mother’s term at the hospital.

“A baby? Masaka!” Neptune was on her feet quickly, catching herself as she staggered a step before running towards the small body. It wasn’t hard to miss, though it was so small; a faint violet glow surrounded the baby, fading away as she came close, except for the smallest circle of power that marked the sigil on the child’s forehead. “The mark of…Saturn?”

She knelt to lift the naked infant, cradling it comfortably within her arms. Or rather, her; a quick inspection revealed that it was indeed a girl, with soft black hair crowning her head with fuzz. And when she opened her eyes, they were a warm amethyst, wide with joy at the world into which she had been reborn. “Tomoe Hotaru!”

“She was reborn after her sacrifice,” Uranus remarked quietly, standing behind her.

“Reborn, and all alone, with her wicked father preceding her to death’s door,” Pluto added, kneeling to tickle her soft cheek.

Neptune looked up, smiling wistfully as she caught her lover’s eyes; this time, there was no aversion, not a hint of regret. They met each other halfway, and knew now that they always would. “Let’s raise this girl ourselves, ne? After all, we can only find happiness together. As a unit, we’re strong. And this girl could be one of us, after her years of pain.”

Uranus knelt down beside her, brushing back a strand of aqua hair, tucking it behind her maddeningly perfect ear. “Would it make you happy, Michiru? A happy home, with a happy family to show for it, just like the books say. I’d like to give you that.”

“And I would love to have that, as well,” Pluto sighed, sharing their smile.

They rose in unison, Hotaru snuggling and burbling into her adopted mother’s breast, unaware of anything but warmth and security as she waved her tiny fist in the air. She giggled as Neptune held her up for the others to see, as if presenting the newborn for the kingdom’s inspection. “Hotaru-chan…? She’s a baby again!” Chibi-Moon jerked forward, stopping short of touching the child; her hand shook as it hovered centimetres from her skin. “Hotaru-chan…”

“She’s been reborn, to have a second chance.” Serenity’s voice was sleepy, but strong enough to reach all of them as she reclined in her prince’s arms. “By my wishes, by all of our hopes, she was brought back to try again. She deserves that life.”

“That’s a powerful magic,” Mars whispered.

Uranus nodded. “The power of our princess and future queen, assuredly.”

The three outer system soldiers matched eyes, then looked back to the assembled soldiers. “Since the enemy has been vanquished, our mission has ended properly,” Pluto explained, spreading her hands wide. “Now our powers are no longer needed. So we’ve chosen this new mission, to raise Tomoe Hotaru, to give her that new life.”

“After all, we were never close to that shining light,” Uranus sighed wistfully, her words directed at everyone, though her eyes were lingering all too obvious on Serenity. “This was always our way, this distance. We’ll be leaving now.”

“But where will you go?” Jupiter queried.

Neptune shrugged gracefully despite the bundle in her arms, smiling that enigmatic smile that so many thousands applauded. It said nothing. “Wherever we chose. Our lives are our own, again. But we’ll always come back to you, because we’re all soldiers.”

The tall red-head said, “Is that a threat or a promise?”

Pluto laughed. “Perhaps both, Guardian-sama.”

Uranus laughed as well, though Neptune looked skyward as if pleading for mercy. But she looked down quickly at the tug of her skirt, blinking in surprise to see Chibi-Moon staring at her with wide, pleading eyes. “Do you really have to leave? I’m so sorry for what I did to you…I don’t want you to leave with anger in your heart. As well, Hotaru-chan…”

The aqua-haired beauty shifted the baby, reaching to cup Chibi-Moon’s cheek. “It doesn’t matter, Small Lady. What you did was with true intentions; and I can forgive you for that kindness, we all can. But we do have to leave, because Hotaru deserves a new happiness. And we, too, need our new lives.”

“But will you come back, truly?”

“I promise. Here…” With a flourish, she called forth her mirror, holding it out for the pink-haired child to take. “You can return it to me when we come back. But will you want to give it back to me, after having such a lovely gift?” she teased.

Chibi-Moon blushed, taking the mirror and looking into the surface. It was blank, showing only her face. “I’ll only give it back to you, Kaiou-san.”

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