Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Different Story ❯ Chapter 01...Her Destiny ( Chapter 1 )

       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 21st 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 21st 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."
      "Hai, Luna. Ne, Luna," Sailor Moon hastily added, before severing communications, "is Chibi-Usa there too?"
      "You've forgotten…Chibi-Usa said yesterday she was planning to visit Momo-chan for a school project," the black cat sighed, before turning off.
      Sailor Moon smiled in relief, turning her communicator off as well. "Thank the kami! Chibi-Usa will be fine. She won't have to fight."
      They left in considerably better spirits, though still wary. Travelling to the shrine would most likely put them into collision with another enemy, which was already growing tiresome. It also meant powering down into their normal bodies again, which they did at the front door, since Shingo's room faced the back and he wouldn't see them leaving.
      Before closing the door, Usagi noted the blinking light on the answering machine. She debated going back in to listen to it - what if it was from her prince? - but she doubted the other three would wait for her. Besides, Mamoru very rarely called unless she was home, because of her father, so it probably wasn't even for her anyway.
      Later on, Shingo would check it. It was from Chibi-Usa, saying she planned to stay overnight at Momo-chan's house, and walk to school with her. Had Usagi checked it, Momo-chan would have left the message, asking why Chibi-Usa was late in coming over, and had she changed her mind? Either way, the situation was taken care of. The difference was all in time.

      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 Opposite 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 30th. 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 save 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 Opposite 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 'Opposite 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 Opposite 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 Opposite 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 Opposite 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 Opposite 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 Opposite 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 Opposite 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."