Chapter Summary: After defeating Beryl/Metallia, the Senshi (except
for one or should I say two?) continue their lives for almost two
years (including the reset one) without trouble. Ail and Ann never
show up but right under their noses a new menace is steadily growing.
Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon/Sailor V belongs to Naoko
Takeuchi, Toei and Kodansha
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
Senshi Diary Codename: Crescent, access only by registered and
acknowledged members of the Royal Court.
Scan activated
Scan positive
Recognition: Senshi Moon, Moon Princess Serenity, Neo Queen Serenity
Login: Senshi Journals
Receivers: Sailor Senshi of 20th Century
Hi!
I hope you are all well but I guess you are, since we are still
alive... Alright, that was pointless. What you have in front of you
are recordings of what happened in the first timeline, before that
little brat of a daughter decided to play Timecop. Why we are still
remembering it? I have no idea, I'm not Pluto after all. But the
memories are dual. We have yours up to some point and we have our
old, maybe the two timelines are drifting apart and there will be two
different futures with only slight differences or they'll just blend
or... But, as I said, I'm not Pluto and she claims not to know
anything either.
This is sort of a present from us for you, for your efforts
to train Usa-chan. My daughter has evolved into a fine princess and a
splen... splend... splendid warrior. Yeah, that's what I wanted to
say. Don't look at me like this, Mars! Anyway, Usa is coming to visit
you soon for a final time and will bring you these journals. As much
as this is a gift for you, it is also important for us. We thought it
would be a shame that all the memories of the old days would at one
point or another just disappear and so we sat down to recollect and
retell what happened in the original Past that we remember.
The files are a collection of documents, diary entries from
this time and memory crystal recording. I'm sure Ami can figure most
of that out. Don't be confused, a lot is different than you remember
it being. After Beryl and Metallia were defeated our Senshi
personalities slept on for two whole years, including the repeated
one. There were no Ail and Ann to combat, so we had a peaceful life
for a long time.
That's enough for an introduction. I hope you enjoy reading
our tales as much as we enjoy rewriting them. Believe us the pleasure
is with us.
Ja ne, yours
Usagi, the Queen :)
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
The night air was cool and the full moon hung in the sky,
illuminating the area in an, eerie display of dimness and shadows. An
old owl was making noises and other nocturnal active animals chimed
in. The building in front of me was dark and all the lights were out,
its inhabitants already gone after the day's work was done. Nobody
suspected what lay beneath the insignificant "Crown Game Center",
nobody except a pair of cats and I.
Who am I? Well, I'm the famous Sailor V, the last remaining
Sailor Senshi awake in this world due to circumstances as much
traumatic as revealing that I would rather not like to talk or think
about them. I had returned here at a very worried call from my
guardian, which I suspected would come sooner or later. Although the
latter would have been better, after two months of observing and
investigating the activities of the dormant darkness brewing, it
became clear that the inevitable would occur soon. The stars were in
perfect alignment, and while I certainly was not Nephrite, I could
tell that all signs pointed out the obvious, the obvious for someone
involved that is. Astronomers had predicted cloudy nights for the
last few days and yet during the Full Moon period, there was not even
one cloud in the sky.
Silently I slipped through the door - that certainly was not
left open by the workers at the game center - and continued towards a
particular game that was very popular these days - a game starring
myself. Pushing a hidden button, the machine suddenly gave way to
stairs with a loud sound that would have attracted a lot of noise, if
the area here wasn't usually less populated at night. A few moments
later, I reached a large room, packed full with computers, screens
and strange Hi-Tech equipment. Seated on one of the chairs in front
of a screen were two small cats, a black one and a white one, both
bore a golden crescent moon mark on the forehead.
"You are late," announced the black one with a stern
expression upon seeing me enter the hidden communication center. I
smiled apologetically. "Gomen, Luna. I had to drop off Hotaru at home
first." The cat's eyes narrowed for a moment, then she nodded
reluctantly after an exasperated look from the white cat. Artemis, my
partner, knew the whole story behind my reawakening and understood,
much better than his female counterpart, the strange relationship
that bound me to the raven-haired girl. After two months, Luna still
hadn't gotten used to it, yet I could not really say I blamed her.
Everyone not present at the events would have suspicions, especially
with our lasting silence.
Dismissing the issue, Luna turned around towards a screen
showing an area of the town. "The mystical energy we detected is
gathering around this area. It is beyond doubt time. Tomorrow will be
the time of the reawakening." I nodded sadly. It was bound to happen
sooner or later, I knew that as well as the two cats. That didn't
mean, though, that I had to like it. Bad enough that I was involved
in this fight yet again. But I could deal with that. I had earlier,
during my first period as Sailor V and the events a few months ago
showed that I was more than capable of taking care of things myself.
That was when I identified the exact area the monitor outlined, and I
frowned visibly. "That IS the track course, you know?" Artemis sighed
and shook his head, "It's not that there is much that isn't in some
way covered tomorrow, you know."
"Exactly. That is why we cannot afford for you to
participate. Fake an injury or something. The possibility of a wide-
spread attack is too high to have you exhausted." Facing the concept
of having my two months of training nullified, my mind worked
incredibly fast. What Luna said was true. If all the signs were
right, then the chances were by ninety-nine percent that something
like that would happen, however, all the training would have been
wasted and more time spent with Hotaru instead. I would not let the
enemy interrupt my day of success.
"This is not necessary. Raven can recharge me in the blink of
an eye, if necessary. And I know her too well to talk her out of
joining me at the festival anyway." Not after the time I sacrificed
for this year's Taiiku no hi. Last year's had been the thirtieths
celebration of the Olympics being held in 1964 and I had missed it...
twice. First for being a Senshi and the second time because of the
same suggestion Luna just made. Only that the injury wasn't faked.
There was a short contest of wills, as my resolve battled
with the black cat's - Artemis wisely chose to remain silent -,
finally the feline sighed in defeat and turned around to face the
computer station again. "As you wish. I just hope nothing happens
during your race." That really would be unpleasant... For whoever
dared to disturb my chance of impressing some more meaningful people.
Before either of us could make any more comments, a beeping
noise attracted all of our attention. I pressed a button at one of
the communication consoles that was linked with the more interstellar
sensors. There was only one out in space who could be contacting us
right now. Static sound blurted out of the speakers for a moment and
much the same held true for the screen. Then the gray, white, and
black cleared, giving way for the slightly distorted picture of a
definitely attractive... kin.
Light red hair, framed a gentle, yet battle-hardened face
with deep black eyes of confidence and experience. Two streaks of
metallic color gave the hair an exotic look - one silver, another
gold -, despite the totally different meaning. Behind her, the
experienced eye could see the buzzing of mint green/marine blue
butterfly wings on the background of the black void of space.
"You won't believe what I stumbled upon, sis," the Efadio
began without waiting for any indication that the transmission was
stable. "What is it, Pria?" I urged, knowing that in the face of
seriousness Priapos was hardly that excited. My old, elven friend put
something between a smile and frown on her face and said without
bravado: "I found Adonis lair... or better what used to be his." This
alone wasn't THAT much of a surprise - though it was one, since we
had more or less given up hope already. However, what my kin sister,
as well as combat mentor, added was enough to cause a variety of
reactions within the three of us. "On the Moon. In the middle of the
ruins..."
"BLASPHEMY!" erupted Luna and I could definitely agree with
her. Artemis gave a deep snarl and then turned back to Priapos'
image. "Any sign of activity?" The elf nodded. "To be honest, a lot
over the last hours. I couldn't get really near without being
detected. But from what I see, preparations are made for something
major."
I nodded at that. "We thought as much. Tomorrow will be The
Day, and it just bears general principal that a reawakening won't go
without a generous trigger event. Can you make it back in time?" The
elf looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "Most likely. I
cannot guarantee anything though."
"Better than nothing. Be fast, I have the feeling we might
need you. Venus, out." With that the screen went black and I turned
around to face the pair of cats, a few more worries just added to the
already existing ones. "So it begins anew, huh?" Neither Luna nor
Artemis needed to answer the question.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(First gong)
Scenes fades up on the surface of a hilly land, covered with vivid
green grass and a field of flowers. We see Usagi standing in the
center in her princess gown but without the Crescent Moon sigil,
Mamoru is standing off to the side in a black suit, watching her with
a quiet smile.
(Second gong)
The camera swings around, capturing Minako and Hotaru sitting and
leaning against each other in the flower field. Minako has an arm
around Hotaru's shoulders and Hotaru's head is on her right shoulder,
their fingers interlocked and eyes half-closed.
(Third gong)
The camera swings yet again towards Ami, Rei and Makoto a short
distance away from the couples, enjoying the weather. Ami against a
tree, reading, Rei dozing off in the sun and Makoto, chasing Artemis
for some reason, while Luna sits nearby shaking her head.
(First notes up to lyrics)
The scene fades black shortly and then shows Usagi/Serenity rising
into the sky, transforming into Sailormoon in the process, Tuxedo
Kamen right beside her. The familiar shape of the Moon comes into
view and the surface draws closer as the pair descend, showing the
ruins of the fallen Moon Kingdom. Mercury, Mars and Jupiter join them
shortly, as does Venus without Hotaru, Luna and Artemis to their
respective partner's feet. The season logo is slowly drawn over the
assembled senshi.
(Gomen ne sunao janakute)
(Yume no naka nara ieru)
(Shikou kairo wa shooto sunzen)
(Ima sugu aitai yo)
We see Ami with a book in her hand walking down a street, before she
looks and turns around to face the screen. The sign of Mercury
flashes on her forehead and her form is momentarily overlaid by a
translucent image of Sailormercury.
Rei can be seen with her back to the screen, working on something at
the Jinja. Phobos and Deimos fly into the scene and perch upon Rei's
shoulders. The miko turns around and the sign of Mars flashes on her
forehead and her form is momentarily overlaid by a translucent image
of Sailormars.
Makoto can be seen working out, her motions flowing flawlessly into
each other. She suddenly halts in mid-motion and turns her head to
face the camera. The sign of Jupiter flashes on her forehead and her
form is momentarily overlaid by a translucent image of Sailorjupiter.
(Nakitaku naru you na moonlight)
Denwa mo dekinai midnight)
(Datte junjou doushiyou)
(Haato wa mangekyou)
Minako can be seen with jogging clothes, running down a street, sweat
pouring from her forehead. She comes closer and the scene is suddenly
frozen with a close-up on Minako, the sign of Venus on her forehead
and the translucent layer of her senshi identity. The screen splits,
leaving Minako frozen in place and showing now Hotaru in her room,
lit by various candles and lamps, kneeling in a circle of the former.
Her hair is hanging down and half-covers the concentration on her
face. Suddenly darkness engulfs the room as well as Minako in the
other scene. Hotaru desperately reaches out towards the other. For a
moment her eyes turn blank and emotionless, the sign of Saturn
flashes briefly on her forehead and her form is overlaid by the
translucent image of Sailorsaturn, before everything turns black.
(Tsuki no hikari ni michibikare)
(Nando mo meguriau)
A group of four shadows becomes more detailed on the background of
darkness. A brown-blond haired man, a redheaded pig-tailed one, a
dark haired, very tall and heavy man and a light blue-haired one that
looked remarkably female. A "shadow" can be seen looming over the
four like a cloak covering a head.
Two points of light suddenly disrupt the darkness. On the left (,)
the Silver Crystal can be seen and on the right, another teardrop-
shaped crystal. A thin line of violet slashes through the middle of
the screen and shows Serenity and Endymion on the left side, Saturn
and Venus on the right. Serenity holds the Silver Crystal high into
the air, while Endymion supports her with one arm, the other on the
sword hilt. Venus has the tear-shaped crystal in both hands and
Saturn swings the Silence Glaive a few times for emphasis.
A brief flash shows Sailorpluto at the Time Gate looking worriedly
upon the scene.
(Seiza no matataki kazoe uranau koi no yukue)
(Onaji kuni ni umareta no)
(Mirakuru romansu)
Scene shifts to the Moon once again. Among the ruins, a large, black
structure can be seen, vaguely resembling a military base. The scene
shows the Senshi again, running side by side on the surface of the
Moon, being assaulted by various Youma and other things... The
Princess's guard jumps into the air, Mercury sending a stream of
water and Jupiter a barrage of lightning combined into the enemy
rows, Mars ignites a few more and Venus slashes through several
opponents with a four-bladed, cross-like weapon out of pure
crystalline light.
The scene shifts to an image of the Moon again, hanging loosely in
black space. A blue, red and green star appears to the left, an
orange and violet one to the right. In the middle, a bright silver
and golden star joins the others. The stars are transformed into the
Inner Senshi, Moon, Tuxedo Kamen and Hotaru, standing beside Venus on
the right, a translucent image of Saturn hovering over her. The image
of the intact Moon Palace is added to the background. Pluto appears
above the group with the Time Staff raised; the Garnet Orb flashes a
bright crimson and the scene freezes.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(1st Generation) Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon R - by Matthias
Episode One: United Once Again We Stand!
Based on the works of Naoko Takeuchi
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Usagi)
Light pink blouse...? No, too childish. The blue shirt...? No, much
too revealing. The sundress...? Not really appropriate for the event.
Ok, that one might do. After all, I wanted to at least make some
impression; otherwise, the whole thing would just really be wasted
time. The house was rather silent. Otousan was already gone, snapping
photos of the various events of Japan's famous Day of Sport for his
work. And that was one thing I was really glad about. The teasing
last evening over the implications of what I'd do today was...
embarrassing to say the least. At least Okaasan had sided with me and
Shingo was not suicidal enough to object. Funny actually, we were
getting along much better lately.
I still couldn't believe Naru and Motoki had double-talked us
into this, insisting that we would make such a "cuuuute" couple. Bah,
as if this self-centered, egoistical, trash-talking, annoying,
bashing me always, handsome, cool, intelligent, high classed... Ok,
ok, maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. And I had to admit that I
did feel somewhat drawn to the baka... sometimes. Only sometimes.
Still, the thought of going out with Chiba Mamoru was a bit
rivaling against my better judgment and made me feel a mixture of
nervousness and... giddiness? Now, that was totally normal, I told
myself. After all, it was a date! A real date! And Mamoru was far
from every girl's nightmare of a boyfriend... quite the opposite
actually.
Again, I looked myself over in the mirror with the
combination of the white tank-top and the dark blue shorts. Fine; it
was simple, but suited the occasion somewhat and it still looked nice
enough to impress a boy, leaving just enough to the imagination as
necessary. Yes, I thought, that ought to do it.
I twirled around, thereby noticing Luna on the windowsill.
That got my attention, since the cat was usually out by now. More so
in the last two months than usual. But today she seemed to be tailing
me from the moment I woke up - at a rather early hour for me,
considering it was a holiday. Could she be worried about the date and
me? Of course, that was a silly thought. Yet, Luna seemed to be
awfully smart for a feline and I often realized that I treated her
more like a friend or a houseguest than an animal. I posed
dramatically with one hand on my hip and the other brushing the loose
hair back. "So, what do you think?" I did expect a lot of things
actually, but the disapproving glance and the almost
exasperated "meow" caught me completely off-guard. Before I could
react though, Luna had crossed the distance between us in a flash and
had hoped up to my level holding something in her mouth.
I blinked rapidly at the object, then my eyes traveling to
the mirror and back to Luna, who was still holding the forgotten
lipstick and now looking thoroughly annoyed. "Oops..." I really must
have been nervous to forget AND overlook it. However, the next person
I met that said cats were just mindless animals with not much more on
their minds than eating and sleeping, I would surely give a piece of
my mind.
Taking the offered item from the cat, I patted her on the
head. "Arigato, Luna. What would I do without you?" The cat gave me a
look that could tell more than a thousand words and I found myself
actually gulping. Luna was one hell of a weird cat. And the weirdest
thing was that I still didn't remember how I got stuck with her. She
was just... there.
Finishing with dressing and finally getting an approved
reaction out of the weirdo of a pet, I quickly rushed downstairs, got
embarrassed by mom again over the whole thing, thankfully didn't run
into Shingo and made it out of the door more or less still intact...
Which was an accomplishment, really. Since I woke up this morning, I
kept having the nagging feeling that something would go wrong on a
major scale this day. That the date would turn into a natural
disaster. I was nervous about the whole thing but it was slightly
different. There was a dull sense of... anticipation that I couldn't
make much sense of. Oh well, at least I didn't have strange dreams
like that one two months ago. I had felt the after-effects days later.
Throwing thoughts of possible disaster out of the window, I smiled
when I saw a red sport car pulling up in front of our house. Let's
see of what material you are really made of, Chiba Mamoru.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Ami)
"205... 206... 207..." (the dreaded word processor strikes again,
huh?)
It had to be on this floor, Makoto had said as much. That and
I didn't think I could carry this bag any longer. Damn, I should have
taken mother's offer to drive me here. Walking over was truly a bad
idea. I had only packed a few things to get settled in, nothing
major. But walking once directly through the whole district and then
six floors up because the elevator was damaged... Ack! "Maybe I
should really have gotten myself a dorm room," I muttered.
It was not that there wasn't enough money, but the idea
simply didn't strike me as appealing. I wasn't exactly what could be
called a wallflower but my social contacts were limited and apart
from Makoto and the cheery but often annoying Usagi, nobody really
bothered to talk with me. And taking my Sophomore Year in the new
High School, sharing a room with somebody I didn't even know... No,
not really appealing. And it was just too far from home to the
school. So, Makoto's generous offer came just at just the right time.
True, it was still a good seven months before the new school
year started but that could give me time to get to know Makoto a bit
more. And she had voiced that she wouldn't be complaining about some
help for the entrance exams. School was something I was good at, and
from the frequent sessions with Usagi, I considered my ability to
teach quite good, even more so my patience...
"215... 216... 2... 217." With a relieved sigh I sat the bag
down and opted to catch my breath for a moment. "Hey, Ami-chan, the
track races start in only a few hours, you know?" I looked up to see
the door open and a tall brunette with a ponytail leaning causally
against the frame.
She was wearing a red shirt and light yellow jeans. Still
trying to get my breathing under control, I managed only a weary
smile. "The elevator didn't work, so I had to..." I gestured in the
direction of the staircase and Makoto just nodded, mildly
annoyed. "Yeah, they have the worst timing with repairs in this
house. I warn you now, before you learn it the hard way." She looked
down at my bag and frowned. "What did you put in there to be so
worked up, bricks?"
Not wanting to appear weak in front of the obviously stronger
girl, I reached down to take the indicated object again. "Not really,
just a few... books..." Apparently, I had overestimated my recovery
ability - which wasn't good to begin with - because I almost doubled
over. Two strong arms caught me before that could happen though, and
I looked up thankful, even if a little embarrassed, at the other girl.
"Hey, you don't have to show false pride here. We all should
know where our strengths lie." Bending down she took the bag easily
in one hand, her face changing into a grimace though. "Only a few
books, huh?" I smiled, blushing, and she grinned before waving me in.
The room that greeted me was neither sparse nor overly
decorated. There was a small couch, a few small seats, a board with a
few books - from what I know I assumed cooking books -, most of the
window-stills were covered with various flowers and plants which gave
of a nice, comforting scent. Sunlight bathed the room in a warm and,
just for a moment, illuminated it in an eerie, unearthly glow. One
door led to the bedroom and another to a small bathroom.
"To your liking?" I snapped out of my reverie, hearing the door close
behind me. Makoto strolled past me and placed the bag down. "It's
nice. Not as big as ours but that's okay." Makoto chuckled. "I don't
have a doctor as a mother and I'm barely able to support myself.
That's actually why I'm letting you stay for rent." I didn't know the
other girl quite so well, so that might excuse my next question,
although it was incredibly stupid and tactless. "What are your
parents doing anyway, leaving you alone in..." I trailed off seeing
the hurt look and the flinch, as if physically slapped. Looking down
at the ground, I felt ashamed at myself for being so rude to my host.
Even if my social contact was limited, that was no way to behave to
the girl who offered to share her apartment with me for the upcoming
time of High School.
"Gomen nasei, I shouldn't have..." A hand touched my shoulder
and I looked up again to see Makoto shaking her head. "It's alright.
I tell you something. Why don't you go take a shower, change into
something more comfortable and then we go see some of the events."
Contemplating this for a moment, my first impulse was to decline.
That wasn't my thing normally, and sport events made me often a bit
uncomfortable because of my own inability at physical exercise -
except swimming. Still, we had started the day a bit on the wrong
side and I felt inclined to make it up to my host. Also... It was a
holiday after all and everyone was out, so...
"Okay." I smiled, grabbed some things out of my bag and
headed to the shower.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Rei)
The morning was a beautiful one. There were no clouds and the weather
seemed to be stable for the middle of October, a better thing at
least than last year at the festivals. A lot of events had to be
canceled at the jubilee, which was why this year was meant to make up
for it. From above here, you could see a lot of people already moving
through the streets and the latter quite full with preparations. The
air was pleasant, neither hot nor cold. A nice, autumn morning that
was simply perfect for some outdoor activity.
I sighed, looking around the temple ground. No visitors until
now. Sure, it was still early in the morning but I had the distinct
idea that there wouldn't be much activity today. All the people were
out, running the big marathon or participating in other events.
Usually holidays were good for Hikawa Jinja, because of the land's
strong bonds to culture, but the Taiiku no hi was always the
exception.
"Rei!" Surprised at being called, I turned around towards the
stairs and saw a girl my age with short, light brown hair, clad in a
track uniform, waving at me with me a smile. "I'm going over to the
race now and wanted to ask, if you are coming." Once more, I looked
around at the still vacant temple grounds and shook my head sadly. My
earlier conclusion would hold true anyway, so there wasn't much to
object against the offer. After all, I hadn't slept very well last
night... I hadn't slept very well since that night two months ago,
then the Sacred Fire had suddenly went out, just like that.
Maybe I was really getting paranoid but I could not shake of
the uneasy feeling I had about today. Something was up, something big.
"Actually, that's a good idea, Hitome. Just let me get
something more comfortable. Be right back." With that, I went back
into the shrine and to my room. If I was honest, I had planned to
accompany Hitome to the marathon anyway. She had been such a great
asset over the last half a year since she was here. Her spiritual
abilities were nothing short of amazing. Especially her skill to find
things or people, not to forget her almost always accurate tarot card
readings... I had to admit, I was somewhat jealous at times, how she
handled things without ever being trained as a miko. Nevertheless,
Hitome was a great friend since coming to TA, one of the first real
ones in years who weren't scared in the least about my abilities. A
pleasant change.
Emerging back from the house in a black combination of
clothes, I headed over to Hitome and just stood there for a moment
looking out over the city from the top of the high stairs. "Something
is going to happen," the other girl murmured quietly. I nodded, not
answering, there wasn't a reply expected anyway. "My readings
indicated a great change would come upon us today and... a rebirth."
"Rebirth?" I arched an eyebrow at her but Hitome just shook
her head. "I don't know what that means, believe me." And Hitome not
knowing what her readings meant was something that happened in five
percent of all cases. "I guess we just have to figure it out then.
You ready to win?" The other girl nodded, a look of concentration and
determination briefly lightening her eyes. "Definitely."
Together we headed down the stairs, wondering what today
would bring us.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Artemis)
The streets were full of people as we walked along the Minato
district towards the start of the marathon. Left and right, you could
see various events involving physical competition. Ball games, track
races, even some dancing somewhere off to the side. Last year had
really been a flop. Everything had been set on the thirty-year
celebration, everything was ready and the weather had been good for
weeks. Nobody suspected it could as much as trickle... Yet, right at
the morning a rainstorm hit that held far into the late afternoon. By
then the holiday was royally ruined. Funny actually. If I remembered
correctly, it hadn't rained in the first loop... Minako had been a
bit grumpy about her injury but, seeing that the events were falling
through anyway, that did lighten her mood considerably. This year,
she was all set and would probably get interrupted by coincidental
events that seemed to haunt the life of a Senshi. "And I'm telling
you: No Youma will stop me from running today. And winning of
course." Of course, that didn't mean that my partner thought about it
quite like that.
"Of course you will, Aino-chan," a soft voice replied. The
soft, somewhat dark voice belonged to the younger girl; her head
currently slightly leaned against Minako's shoulder. My partner had
an arm around the girl's waist, pointedly ignoring any looks the
couple might get from passer-byes. Minako quirked an eyebrow at the
raven-haired girl, "Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there, Raven?" The
girl shook her head. "No, I'm just admiring your determination." At
this, I snorted. "Hotaru... you sure, you didn't want to say thick-
headedness?" As expected, I promptly got swatted for the comment and
wisely shut up for the moment.
We probably presented a very unique sight. With Minako
walking in "the middle", Hotaru on her right, drawn tightly against
the blonde, and me riding on Minako's left shoulder. Under other
circumstances, I would probably have opted to walk but with this many
people out, I didn't feel quite safe on the ground. And unlike Luna,
I had the benefit of talking to my partner again. Even in the
presence of Tomoe Hotaru. Or should I say, because of Tomoe Hotaru?
Probably.
The white-skinned girl with the ebony black hair in contrast
had been a part of everything that happened before, in and since
England. Without her as an initiator, Venus would still be sleeping
and the dumb idiot of a would-be suitor still running around. It had
been quite a shock for me at first, but if you just watched those two
for a while, you could see how happy they were. Especially in light
of Venus' near cursed status considering personal love. I was not
happy at first but quickly realized that both were quite obviously
happy; besides, what kind of guardian would I be to not allow my
charge the happiness she deserved? Not that things hadn't gotten
slightly out of control after the chancy meeting months ago and the
somewhat fated one back in England.
Minako leaned down to whisper something in Hotaru's ear and
the younger girl giggled. I had the dark suspicion it was about me. I
had to smile despite the possible nature of Hotaru's humor. I had to
admit, the girl was growing on me. In the two months after the first
change, after she revealed what I had expected nearly from the start,
she had been more vivid as ever. As I had hoped, the physical and
mental healing had a massive impact on her emotions. She was still
withdrawn and shy at times - especially then someone brought the
family issue up -, but Minako's company and the new chance at life
she had gotten, left her in amazingly high spirits.
We had reached the area where the participants of this year's
marathon gathered, the amount of people ready to run their feet sore
for fun was remarkable. It wasn't, as if I didn't enjoy a good hunt
now and then and I was quite the athlete in the old Silver Millennium
days but... I could not, for the life of me, really grasp how people
could enjoy this. This, of course, was because Minako absolutely had
to participate.
Minako disengaged from her girlfriend a short distance away
from the general crowd, which prompted Hotaru to pout and Minako to
grin sweetly at her. She bent down and placed a quick kiss on the
shorter girl's lips. "Remember, I want that to be a surprise later.
No touching beyond friendly." I wondered what they understood as
friendly. Still, it was just like Minako to wait with the news until
today's events, when they had regained total control of their
memories, and then drop the bucket of cold water over their heads...
Or something like that. I still remembered Luna's reaction very well,
and it was simply due to the events in England I think that Minako's
resolve didn't crumble under the black cat's rant - that went on near
to an hour, I think.
"I'll make it up to you later," Minako promised Hotaru in a
low, definitely husky voice, which made her companion blush and me
cringe. These two sometimes really worried me. Especially since
Hotaru was still that young and Minako just turning sixteen in two
weeks. Someone that didn't know the circumstances involved with these
two, would surely call my partner something short of abusive... Oh
well, those didn't know and they shouldn't know either. If they just
wouldn't give me the creeps every time...
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Luna)
Balancing on the fence was a task a cat could perform as good as
walking. What martial artists might see as a balance training, was
second nature for us... or probably first. So, since I didn't need to
concentrate, it didn't help to ease my thoughts in the slightest. I
had had much to think about in the last two months since Minako and
Artemis came back from their trip in England with some very
disturbing information - namely Hotaru - and even more unsettling
secrets.
While I was still pensive about the Hotaru-issue, there
wasn't much I could do about that. I had been aware of the fact that
Minako had apparently awakened before they returned. The material
Artemis' had sent back to me said as much. But until now, I still was
unsuccessful at getting more than the most general information out of
the two and Artemis. All I knew was probably leaving more holes in
the overall picture than giving useful information.
I knew Artemis quite well. We had practically been together
since our childhood. A good hunter he had once been and probably
still was. Very reliable to gather information or scout enemy terrain
and a very loyal companion to the Moon Family and even more so to
Hebe, Venus' Alter Ego. Usually it only took a little persistence
from my side until he spilled all his secrets to me but then he was
like that... It simply was best to lay the matter to rest until the
three of them opened up from their own. Artemis could be really
stubborn and if it involved his Venus... well, let's just say it
would take a nova to penetrate his defenses. No point getting my
claws broken there.
Still. I swear to you, Tomoe Hotaru was creepy. Really
creepy. And I don't mean about her latent gift of powerful healing as
much as her and Minako's strange reactions to affection. Merely
kissing still sent a shiver down my spine. I had some distant ideas
about what Senshi mating was expected to be like. However, Hotaru was
a normal, if even extraordinary, human being. There was no hidden
personality in her, nothing that indicated another Sailor... Somehow,
I had a hard time believing myself though.
Focusing my attention back at the couple I was following, I
caught Usagi and Mamoru trading conversational jabs... again. Naru,
who had joined the couple, shook her head with a faint smile,
probably wondering, if her idea was so good after all. In any case,
it insured that everyone would be together in the same place today.
Rei, Ami and Makoto would surely be drawn too. If not, I would
promptly bite my tail off. That was the other thing that made me
nervous though. Today would be The Day. The day we had expected, yet
dreaded.
I respected Usagi's wish highly and even if the Silver
Millennium would never rise again in the future, for all their sakes,
I would let their Senshi lives sleep. Forever if that was necessary.
But Venus' reawakening and the arrival of an unknown force, obviously
linked with the Dark Kingdom we had thought was completely
annihilated, was enough of a sign that the brief period of peace was
over. I would go chasing a bull terrier before I deliberately
reactivated their memories, yet it seemed the chances for that became
more and more fact.
"Mako-chan, Ami-chan, over here!" I looked up to see Mercury
and Jupiter approaching. I was glad that despite the memory reversal
my prediction had been at least partially true. Usagi, Ami and Makoto
at least had formed a loose companionship that, while it was not
quite the friendship it used to be, but definitely was going there.
Rei had been somewhat more reclusive and Minako had opted to stay
away because she was afraid she might trigger something unexpectedly.
"Now, you got yourself quite a catch there, Usagi," Makoto
commented teasingly. My charge had the grace to blush before
protesting. However, even to her, I think, it sounded lame. "You know
that wasn't my idea. I'll just..." Ami simply smiled inwardly as Naru
elbowed her oldest friend. "Exactly, that is why you have actually
put an effort in looking good, right?" Usagi huffed adequately and
turned away with a cross expression. "Sure. Gang up on me, will you?"
Turning to Mamoru she added: "So? What do you wait for? Don't you
have anything to say?" The older boy in question flashed a smile at
his official date. "So far, I have enjoyed myself."
That effectively silenced the small group since it was
absolutely impossible to say, if he was teasing like Makoto and Naru,
or being genuine.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Makoto)
A pair of martial artists showed a few complex katas for the crowd to
the right. I snorted at the display. That would be sooooo helpful in
a real fight... I was training constantly now with my new sensei and
felt that I really was improving. That display though... Pure show,
nothing else. They would probably not last in a real fight for five
seconds, at least if that wasn't a simple, public demonstration. Not
that I cared for it.
The general volume of our conversation had turned down
considerably. Usagi was stealing almost shy glances at Chiba-san ever
since his ominous comment, which I personally think the blonde
interpreted too much. Naru was hanging back a bit, giving the couple
some space. And Ami was walking quietly, showing some mild interest
in the side attractions. At first, I thought my offer to be a bad
idea, but now I thought that we both might profit from the
arrangement. The girl definitely needed some more social contact and
as average as I was, my grades were surely not stellar. Although, I
did consider it a good sign that Ami had voiced practically no
protest when I invited her to tag along. The Ami I met about a year
back would have never even considered the thought. I swear, I
wouldn't be Kino Makoto, if I didn't get her to open up some more
soon.
Ami had stopped in front of a booth, the type you could find
on every fair. There was a collection of prizes on one wall and one
had to throw little darts at the targets. I had to suppress a smile;
Ami had apparently fallen in love with a small stuffed animal, a blue
and white dolphin to be exact. If it wasn't so extraordinary to see
Ami's eyes lingering longingly on the object, I would not have given
it any further thought. But... that was Ami we were talking about.
With a gesture, I told the others that they should go on
ahead and we would catch up later. I stepped beside Ami at the booth
and waved a hand in front of her face. The smaller girl blinked and
then blushed, embarrassed. How cute. I regarded the owner of the
booth with a confident look. "One shot, please." Taking a coin, I
handed it to him and received five darts. Oh well. Leaves something
for me, right? The man pressed a hidden button and the targets began
moving rapidly. The smaller, lesser ones covering the more valuable
items. "Mako-chan," Ami whispered, finally catching up on what I was
doing, "you don't have to..." I waved, dismissing the objection.
Sparing Ami a smile, I briefly concentrated and without even looking,
threw all five darts at once, hitting all the high prices dead on,
including the dolphin. My smile turned into a smug grin as the man
grimaced and Ami stared with wide eyes. I guess, you were right about
the concentration thing, Sensei.
Accepting my prizes from the grumbling booth owner, I handed
the dolphin to a still stunned Ami. "Here you go." With trembling
hands, the shorthaired girl took the offered item and managed a weak
smile. "A-Arigato..." Leaving an unhappy man behind, we began to
catch up with the others.
That proved to be a little hard since they had already
mingled with the crowd gathering around the start of the marathon.
Briefly, I wondered, if I shouldn't have taken my sensei's advice
that this would have been a good opportunity to see how well my speed
and endurance training was coming along. However, I never was one for
miles-long races. A good fight in close quarters didn't really need
someone to run THAT much. It was not that I didn't see the
possibilities here; a marathon just wasn't my thing.
We found the others finally after searching around for five
minutes. Ami was still babbling about how I didn't have to do what I
had done - damn, she really needed to go out some more - and how what
I have done, was actually impossible. I was just about to point for
the nth-time that I just did what she thought impossible, then I
spotted the others as well as another familiar face. The local miko
Hino Rei and her assistant... What was her name? Hitome, I think.
Apparently, the latter was participating.
"Hey, minna!" I called, gaining everyone's attention and then
waving in Rei's direction. I wasn't really into religion and stuff
but the girl seemed nice from the one time we were up there. Not
really much of a socialist either, yet that probably was true for
almost everyone of us. Usagi's eyes lit up and I recognized the look
immediately. If it was one thing that was unique about Usagi, then it
was her ability to make friends easily. A rare innocence that might
be a bit naïve but was certainly refreshing. I had the feeling we
would not leave today without Rei becoming a part of our little,
merry group. Oh well...
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Mamoru)
As expected by probably everyone, we made our way over to the miko
and her friend. I had briefly met Rei before but didn't know that
much about the raven-haired girl as I should have... Should have?
What the heck? That sounded almost, as if I knew her from somewhere.
I had to admit she was definitely good-looking and surely acceptable
as a girlfriend, if one would go for the younger types but... Oh,
whom was I kidding? After all, I was on a date with someone nearly
four years four years my junior - even if that circumstance was
against my better judgment. My only hope was that Motoki wouldn't
exaggerate and let something slip, or I would probably be topic
number one tomorrow. My university might be a high quality one, but
one thing that would always be the same with all schools was that
rumors tended to spread very, very fast. And with the mass of people
on the streets and all around us, there was no telling who knew
already. Oh well, I would deal with my own stupidity later. I really
should make the best of the day.
"Ah, if it isn't Miss Clumsy!" Rei greeted Usagi directly,
ignoring the rest of us. She smirked at my blonde date. "I must say,
I haven't laughed so much in ages since the last time you were at the
shrine..." I know she was teasing, badly, but Usagi didn't seem to
take it like that, since I saw her practically fuming. But before she
could return the favor, Rei let her gaze wander over the rest of us,
lingering for a moment on me. The intense gaze made me a little
uncomfortable. "Oh, lovely company. Are you here with one of them?"
With a hand motion, she included everyone but Usagi. I could see the
counter attack from my mutual date coming from miles away, really.
Hands on her hips and a triumphant smirk on her face, Usagi
thumped one hand proudly over her chest. "Hah! For your information.
He is with me and not interested in anyone else!" I groaned and
muttered: "And who is asking me?" Naru shot me a sympathetic look,
obviously familiar with the blonde's antics. As if on cue, Rei and
Usagi were literally at each others throats, each of them proclaiming
that they were much better looking than the other...
"I thought they just met once," stated Makoto, shaking her
head in disbelief. If that was the reaction at the second meeting,
then Usagi should better reconsider at making friends with her. The
basis was a little... shaky. "I think they like each other." I
averted my gaze from the fighting girls and noticed that the other
girl who had been with Rei was mildly smiling. "How did you figure
that?" The girl shrugged. "Rei has a good heart, really. She just has
this temper problem and isn't that used to having many friends.
Usagi... Well, let's say her friendliness irritated her the first
time."
I saw Ami and Makoto exchanging a look that wasn't of
the "don't we know it" category. There was a deep sympathy that
apparently came from own experiences on this field. "I think, I can
understand that," Ami finally said. "Usagi does have a unique gift to
make others trust her. Those sorts of people aren't actually
conventional. I was a little spooked at first too. Usagi was the
first one, trying hard to be my friend not just for the purpose of
getting better grades." Makoto quietly nodded.
Apparently, the little Odango Atama did earn her loyalty
well. I felt a little stupid, standing there and saying nothing after
I had so heavily protested to this date at first. It really wasn't
like I couldn't see what they saw but... Oh really, kami help me,
there wasn't a "but". Usagi was a unique creature, and if our
fighting stood in any competition to that of Usagi and Rei's, and the
girl was right that they liked each other... Damn, as it seemed,
there was no way around it. I would soon have a girlfriend quite some
years younger.
Before I could further brood over the subject any longer
though, I felt a strange tugging on my mind and on impulse turned
around. There was a blonde girl with a striking resemblance to Usagi
making her way through the crowd, with a white cat riding on her
shoulders. A moment later, she spotted us, smiled in a mixture of joy
and sadness and started to head forward. She hadn't made two steps
before all hell broke loose...
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Hotaru)
The world just wasn't fair. I wanted to be as close as possible when
Minako started and not somewhere in the far back. Okay, the distant
possibility that the start wouldn't be as soon as expected was there
but still... Alright, maybe not so distant. I didn't mean that I did
not trust her, because I definitely did, so when she said it would be
safer for me to stay away, I would do so. Even if I think that, half
the reason was to hold me out of sight for now. I didn't think she
was afraid of her friend's reactions afterwards or something like
that. No, Minako, the Minako that I had slowly brought out of her
shell of loneliness was rather playful and mischievous. She did that
solely for the purpose of getting the best reaction out of her
friends as possible. Still... I thought that to be a bit of bad
timing in this situation.
Kami, what if something did happen and she got hurt, needed
me... What if she needed her powers refreshed or maybe some of the
others needed healing... Sure, I knew better than to run into the
middle of a battle and distract Minako with my presence and I really
didn't want to end as a Youma snack but... My rambling thoughts were
rudely interrupted when the screaming around me started. "Huh?"
Frantically I looked around for the source of it. I didn't need to
look long since there wasn't anywhere to direct your eyes to where
you wouldn't see a creature the majority of the human race deemed
myth right out of a horror story. "Kami-sama!" I breathed.
There were at least a dozen Youma and all of them radiated a
high level of power. I had learned to trust my high-tuned spiritual
senses on that and I did know that I was right in the middle of what
could easily turn out as the biggest massacre in history. I wanted to
back away but registered that the Youma had formed a wide circle
around the people at the starting point for the marathon. There was
no way to back out. Nowhere to run. Damn... I hated it when Minako
was right about this. But surely, she didn't expect something THAT
big, right?
People were running around in a blind panic, some of them
headfirst into Youma, who immediately pummeled them senseless. I
wondered what the purpose of this assault was besides the gathering
of mass energy. Normally I wouldn't care but the Youma didn't seem to
make any attempts of collecting ki. They were just wracking havoc.
"Hotaru! Watch out!" At the sound of a familiar voice, I
whirled around, just in time to see an energy blast heading my way. I
closed my eyes, bracing for the worst but the next thing I knew was
being held in gentle yet strong arms and flying through the air. I
shook my head trying to clear the dizziness. I didn't have any
blackouts since... well, since the day of my rescue from Adonis in
England. I hadn't been close to a fight since then too, so that might
have to do something with it. I think all those involved knew what it
meant but wouldn't tell me. Since the demon was gone it couldn't
really been a bad thing and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know.
Also, every time I tried to analyze it further, my mind would refuse
to obey and simply forget about... Like right now. I looked up and
smiled at the redheaded elf carrying me out of the circle of
Youma. "Good to see you." Priapos grinned. "No problem. Minako would
kill me, if I'd let anything happen to you." And she did have a
testament to this statement already. Something I would rather not
like to think about since it was the beginning of one of my worst
times. My girlfriend's kin sister flew some distance away from the
battle, to a space already cleared of hectically fleeing people. As
soon as we touched ground, Priapos sat me down but I think my knees
almost gave way under me. That had been a close call, too close.
"Hey, you alright?" The elf had gently touched my arm,
looking at me concerned. I shook my head to clear the numb feeling
and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Go help Minako." For a moment, I thought
she would protest but in the end, simply decided to give me a stern
look. "You stay here." Snorting, I brushed some strands of hair
back. "Sure. One close encounter with death was enough for today." I
couldn't identify what exactly it was that my friend muttered but she
turned around, spread her wings again and headed back to the
battlefield. I watched her leave in silence, worry clearly marking my
features. Be okay, Minako. Please.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Mamoru/Endymion)
When I woke up this morning my only worries had been going out on a
date with a girl four years younger and totally contradicting to my
own personality. These were great worries, mind you, since I had not
at all been comfortable with being pushed into this. But I was not
the type of guy to chicken out and simply stand her up. And it had
turned out as a rather pleasant day until now. The company of the
younger girls had been refreshing and Usagi didn't seem that much in
the mood to ruin her date either. So, actually everything was fine.
Of course, it would be too much to ask, that everything stayed that
way.
Looking out from the high balcony of the magnificent white
palace in the middle of a wide ocean - both in a place there they
shouldn't be by normal human belief -, I gazed at the clear
crystalline pearl of Earth hanging in the sky or better the area in
space that could be identified as a sky. Everything was peaceful,
beautiful, much like I remembered. However, everything was also a
simple illusion. A dream world only for us, those who remembered the
old times.
"Your Highness," I regarded the form of the woman resembling
my beloved so much with a nod. Queen Serenity, late ruler of the
fallen Moon Kingdom, stepped next to me and looked silently out at
the beautiful landscape that was once the miracle of the
Ginsiushou. "It truly is beautiful, isn't it?" she asked with a soft,
wistful voice after some time. Oh yes, it was beautiful. Everything
here had been more or less magical - as was probably everything else
in the solar system except Earth - but still radiated such a natural
beauty that you wouldn't believe all this was created, even in this
dreamscape. It was a shame that nobody would ever know about such a
beauty again.
"Oh, they will. Sooner or later they will. And it will be
yours and Serenity's to create." The directness caught me off guard
and I turned a questioning look at the queen. Serenity merely
smiled. "She is the heir, the line must survive. And you, Prince, I
expect to take up my daughter as she surely wishes you to." The
intense stare Serenity sent my way made me squirm but I managed to
hold the challenging eye-contact until Serenity nodded satisfied.
She turned around and gestured for me to follow her. "Don't
get me wrong, Endymion. It is not my place to make the decisions in
your life for you. But as a mother, I must ensure my daughter's
happiness. Do you love my daughter, Prince of Earth?" I didn't need
to think. As freaked as I was this morning about a simple date, it
was all so clear now. I had put Serenity as well as Usagi through a
lot the last time and I would make sure that this time there would be
a happy end. How could someone not love her? Even without our
memories we had been drawn together again. No, the question didn't
really need an answer.
Serenity nodded in confirmation to my thoughts, obviously
guessing what went through my mind. "Where are the others anyway?" I
asked in return, admiring the inside of the Moon Palace. The long,
wide hallways, the crystalline decorations, not too fancy but still
clearly showing wealth and status. "We are on our way to join them. I
suppose they will be a bit disorientated." I raised an eyebrow
confused. Serenity chuckled lightly. "Oh, the memory block my
daughter placed upon them can only be removed directly. The palace
will seem familiar to them but... They won't remember anything and I
somehow doubt Luna or Artemis would have done anything so soon. You,
Endymion, do have the benefits of your own power equally as strong as
my daughters. That is why you remember."
"You're wrong, I don't have such powers..." Serenity chided
me with a look. "Do you question my wisdom?" I shook my head
lamely. "Good." Stopping in front of the doors to a smaller chamber,
she turned around to face me. "We are here. I would ask you to wait
here until I remove the block. I think it would only further confuse
them, if they saw you like... this." She pointed at my uniform and I
nodded in understanding.
With that she entered the chamber and left me to my own
jumbled thoughts. My mind was mainly trying to wrap around one
concept. I was supposed to have powers like Usagi? That was
ridiculous. After all Usagi was the Moon Princess, the heroine
Sailormoon, the wielder of the Silver Crystal. I didn't have anything
except some fancy speeches, an endless supply of roses and a cane...
Not really any competition to any of the Senshi actually. But... Why
should the Queen lie about this? Was there really something inside of
me that rivaled the Ginsuishou's power? I didn't have any time to
further dwell on the disturbing subject before Serenity called me in.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Usagi)
The feeling of knowing a place that you beyond doubt haven't set foot
into was one of the undiscovered mysteries of human nature. There was
this striking that you belonged at the specific place, if as someone
had called you to come... no, return here. A familiarity that had
nothing to do with the actual term. However, all this stood in
absolutely NO comparison to the feeling I experienced now. The room
was small, it bore the looks of a small foyer-like chamber. Small
that is, compared to the size of the palace we were currently in.
When looking out of the window you could not really estimate the size
of the structure but from what the natural beauty of the chamber and
the richness of decoration spoke of, left no doubt about surely grand
dimensions.
"Okay, I say, we waited long enough. Let's go out and find
someone... or something," Makoto said annoyed at being stuck here in
the strange surroundings. Apparently we weren't on Earth anymore, the
fact that said planet hung high in the "sky" did help to clarify
that, and so far we had yet to encounter who or whatever force had
brought us here, mere moments after a huge assembly of horror movie
monsters had invaded the event grounds. I was still trying to
convince myself that this had been some sort of comedy play to
entertain the masses, yet somehow I really, REALLY doubted that.
I looked over the group consisting of Ami, Makoto, Rei and
the blonde girl as well as - and that really spooked me - the white
cat that was with Minako and Luna. No one else. Neither Naru nor
Hitome and certainly no Mamoru. It had all happened so fast and
before we know it a strange light had engulfed us and we found
ourselves here. Unharmed but very much freaked... Except Minako that
is who simply seemed to anxiously await something.
Rei looked up suddenly which alerted the rest of our merry,
little group. Nobody was able to say anything before the door opened
and the vision of an angel appeared in its frame. Really, there was
no better way to describe the woman. Her face seemed old... No, wise,
I corrected myself. Yet her body was as healthy as someone who had
just grown out of her teens. A full-blown adult body no doubt but
young at the same time. An eternal beauty that time couldn't touch.
"I am truly sorry to have you waiting. I had another guest to
welcome first." The sound of her voice was gentle and soothing...
Familiar? Why did I feel so... happy when I looked at this woman?
Like a baby who had seen his mother for the first time and still
knew, somehow, that this unfamiliar creature was indeed its
mother. "Who are you?" Makoto asked a little defensive, eyeing the
woman carefully. Ami stood unsure what to do, while Rei seemed almost
awed and the other girl, Minako... was kneeling?
I blinked in confusion at her. "My Queen." The woman smiled
and walked forward to place a hand on Minako's shoulder. "You have
done well so far, Venus, but now it is time for the guard to be
completed again. It is..." She paused for a moment, looking at me...
apologetic? "... necessary." Minako nodded and rose. "Arigato,
Serenity-sama." The name triggered something in my subconscious that
made my ears perk up and my eyes even more fixed on the strange
woman... Serenity.
Rei cleared her throat, obviously having to force her ability
to speak up. "I don't want to be rude, Your Majesty. But why are we
here and where exactly is... here?" Serenity smiled... well, serene
at the miko. Her gaze wandered slowly over everyone for a long period
of time. She looked almost sad now. "I must apologize again that I
have to do this but the world needs you."
Raising a hand I noticed the golden crescent moon sigil on
her forehead glowing and without the warning the memories began to
flow. Memories from a time long forgotten, from a year that was and
at the same time was not. Memories of a battle that was antagonizing
and unbelievable painful to the heart. Memories of friends found and
lost, of companions that always came through with you and yet at the
end had to die albeit all the effort. I closed my eyes tightly shut,
trying to cut the flow of pictures but I couldn't. Unyielding the
revelation of what had once been came back and forced me to remember
what I had been, what I still am and that I could not escape my fate
as I hoped too.
My eyes snapped open as the blinding light created by our
joined powers hid Beryl/Metallia and I saw out at the world again.
However, the eyes that were seeing now were different. Wiser,
older... sadder. Tears, they were there too, and without hesitating I
rushed forward to embrace the astral form of my mother. Queen
Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, the previous ruler of the greatest,
peaceful empire the galaxy had ever known.
"Serenity," mother murmured and pushed me back slightly to
brush a few tears from my eyes. I understood now how much it pained
her to do this to us. After all the efforts. However, thinking back
at the army of Youma waiting back in our world I could understand. We
were the only ones capable of facing the threat. It was our fate, our
destiny. As sad as it was. I stepped back and turned my head to look
at my friends... comrades, teammates... in a way my sisters. They had
watched on in silence but the look on her face was one of
understanding. They remembered and now were together again. Just
where we ended... Just where we started.
Minako, Venus, seemed to be unfazed by all this though as if
expecting... She knew! And she must have been awake for quite some
time now. Why I could not really understand but a lot of things began
to make more sense now. My friend caught my look and smiled softly,
it was a little strained but she appeared to be... happy? Strange.
I turned back to mother expectantly. "Mother, why are we here
and what do those Youma at the track course mean?" Queen Serenity
smile fell and was replaced by a serious mask. Somehow I didn't like
that. That wasn't the look of someone to bear bad news... that was
more the look of someone to bring worse news. "Before we get to
that..." Mother stopped and turned her head slightly towards the
door. "Will you come in please."
She moved aside as another figure came into the room. There
was this slight pull and without even looking I would have known
instinctively that it was Mamoru/Endymion. He was wearing the same
uniform that he always did. Briefly the sight called up a well of
terrific memories but I quickly replaced them with those Serenity had
of Endymion that I still remembered. Seeing him there, made me
unimaginably happy. I had feared that only we would get our memories
back and quite frankly I didn't know, if I could have stood for it.
The date so far had gone well but I didn't know, if I had the
patience with the memories of all the time that had been lost over
the course of our previous encounters. I would have mixed things up
and maybe scared him away. But this fear evaporated instantly when I
saw him smile at me fondly.
Hesitantly moving forward, I suppressed the urge to just rush
forward and jump into his arms. I really wanted to but that wouldn't
be really proper. Proper? Geez, it must have been the palace and the
princess gown, I even felt more like Serenity here. No, there was
something else too. I didn't want to ruin the mood with my usual
childish behavior. I was fifteen by now after all, maybe it was time
to grow up a little. (A/N: Don't stare at me! I mean it!)
Mamoru slowly walked towards me and I met him halfway. Before
he knew what hit him though, I reached up to pull his head down and
give him a rather stunning kiss, relishing in the feeling of love and
the security of his strong arms that had went instantly around me. "I
wanted to do this for a long time. There will never be a nicer guy
than you. Aishiteru." His simple smile, I decided, melted my heart
right there. "I do love you too." For that brief moment everything
around me was forgotten and for this one moment I was truly happy. I
knew a long road lay ahead of us, a long and stony road. Yet, I was
content that we would get through, together.
Sadly the moment was soon interrupted, when Luna cleared her
throat. I blushed slightly, noticing that I must have totally zoomed
out there for some time but looking at Mamoru I guess I wasn't the
only one. Luna hid a smile and I held out my arms for her when Mamoru
and I walked over to join the other girl's in facing the Moon Queen.
My guardian gave a soft purr as she jumped up and soon took her
familiar place on my shoulder. I reached up to stroke her gently and
we simply smiled at each other. It was good to be able to talk with
Luna again.
"Alright, mother," I said, addressing more serious matters
again. "Why are we here?"
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Ami)
All my life I had been a person living clear to the principle. First
think then act. My mind was sharp and my intelligence high quality,
trained to handle any possible situation within the parameters of
logical analysis. It was rare that I didn't catch up to a concept
quickly and it was even rarer that I lost my grip on reality.
However, could you blame someone who just experienced a rush of
memories that the person wasn't aware to posses? I wished that we
would have gotten those memories back in the middle of a fight, that
would have given me time to ignore them for more direct needs. But we
weren't at the track course anymore and there weren't any Youma here
to concentrate on. So I had only the option to silently proceed the
emotions and pictures that came with the memories while watching our
Princess rejoice with her prince.
The experience was unlike anything else. Memories of the
repeated years were misty, blurred together and hard to identify as
belonging in the one timeframe or another. There was good and bad in
both. On the one side the lost ones held memories of a smiling ever-
present Usagi slowly bringing me in a social circle of friends that
were her teammates. There was trust and companionship, a close
friendship formed and steadied through many hardships. Hardships that
were heavily weighing down on everyone, especially Usagi when she
lost Mamoru to the Dark Kingdom. Then, there was the rescue attempt
and the horribly outcome. My own death... I shuddered a little at the
thought.
On the other hand, I had memories of about two years of a
slow repeat of the former without the added weight of being a Senshi.
I never felt that content around Usagi or Makoto than I had been the
previous timeframe. The friendship was more loosely and only slowly
progressing but I had had hopes that it would grow with time. That
was unnecessary now.
I could not really say what I preferred from the two but
strangely was more drawn to the first timeframe. Okay, I had died
there, I had been a Senshi, fighting evil day by day. Yet, it had
felt right and the close friendship with the girls was something I
had valued albeit all hardships. Social contact had been something
that I wasn't good at. All the studying and high grades weren't
helping there. With Usagi-tachi I felt just in the right place. I
belonged there. We were all outcasts in a way and that had helped
enormously to breach the gap of suddenly having to interact with
total strangers.
My attention was drawn back to the present when Usagi and
Mamoru separated and stood with us to face Queen Serenity. The
deceased ruler of the Moon wasn't looking very good, her face was
thick with worry and she kept sending rueful glances in our
directions. Serenity took on a regal pose. "First of all I welcome
you, reborn Sailorsenshi of the fallen Moon Kingdom and I wanted to
give you my thanks for defeating Beryl and Metallia and protecting my
daughter with your lives." Her voice became quieter saying this. "I
know it must have been awful for you and I would have more than
wished to let your personalities sleep without those memories. Sadly
this option was becoming less and less available."
Everybody was quiet, not really knowing what to say. Finally
Minako who acted as if expecting all this, bowed and looked up at the
Queen serious. "We thank you, my Queen, but we were just doing our
duty." Of course, we all knew, Minako didn't mean it like this at
all. We had all felt it to be much more than a duty to protect
Princess Serenity. Without Usagi we never had found together or
harmonized the way we did. Without her we would have been lost.
Queen Serenity smiled slightly. "Of course you did, and so
much more." She paused for a moment, then heaved a heavy sigh. Before
she could continue, Minako spoke up again taking the words from her
lips that slammed down with a heavy impact on everyone
present. "Sadly our efforts to annihilate the Dark Kingdom were not
completely sufficient." Usagi, Mamoru, Rei and Makoto looked at her
sharply while I just allowed myself to be curious. The poor girl was
under enough pressure already. It was obvious now that Venus had been
awake for awhile now. If I thought about it... There had been rumors
of a Sailor V.
Serenity coughed lightly, drawing the attention back to
her. "To my regret I can only confirm Venus' statement. I do not
really know what exactly you are facing but I can tell you that the
signature of the energy is that of the Dark Kingdom henchmen. And
since Venus already encountered one, it might be safe to assume that
there are more. I wish I could tell you more or what they are up to
but despite their close position I have no direct power over the
mortal realm. Their presence is weakening me greatly." I looked
alarmed at this as did the others but I think I caught on the
implications a little early.
"Your Highness, what do you mean you are close to their
position?" Instead of Serenity it was Luna who gave the answer this
time, with an audible disdain and outrage in her voice. "An...
associate of ours discovered the enemies base here. On the Moon." The
room literally fell silent. For a moment no one said a word, when
Makoto - not surprisingly - all but exploded and smashed her fist
cursing through a support Pillar and Rei snarled angrily. I wished I
had my Mercury Computer to confirm Luna's declaration but simply
looked out of the window instead. As before I didn't see anything out
of the ordinary.
"You cannot see anything from here," Serenity stated and I
walked back to the others disappointed. "This is merely an image in
the astral plane. Also I cannot keep you here forever. The time for
your mortal forms is frozen at the moment and all this you are
experiencing here will just appear to be a spur of the moment." Her
face turned serious again as a glow appeared above her left
hand. "You are needed in your world, the enemy is already there."
That was then I remembered the Youma back home. There had been many,
an awfully lot and I knew that this would be a hard battle we were
facing. But there many people back home, also poor Naru and Hitome
were still there.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" declared Minako
impatiently with a surprisingly worried face.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Rei)
My eyes narrowed sharply as I took note of the barely concealed
emotions coming from Minako. The blonde had always been a little
impatient. From my viewpoint I had always thought she held a lot of
her personality back and hid it behind the mask of the dutiful
Senshi. And Usagi had never really told us about that night on the
ship with her Youma-turned friend. There had been something deeply
bothering her but somehow after the ordeal she seemed unnaturally
relieved. As if a heavy burden had just been lifted from her
shoulders.
According to the cats and the dim memories I still had from
my past life Venus was meant to be our leader, the leader of the
Princess` guard. Yet that outburst wasn't a sign of leadership, it
was a sign of deep emotional worry. Minako worried about someone
specific back home, yet I couldn't remember seeing anyone with her
when she approached us at the track course. Tentatively I reached out
and probed a little at her spirit, trying to find any clue and was
almost send reeling from the discovery. First there was something
very powerful and ancient attached to her spirit, stretching out
towards something... no, someone else. The band was pulsating with
energy and I could briefly make out Venus's energy pattern before
surprisingly sensitive mental shields snapped down and pushed my
probing mind away.
I quickly composed myself. The others didn't seem to have
noticed and naturally agreed with Minako's idea. The blonde stared at
me for a moment, hard, and I suddenly felt myself shudder. Her eyes
briefly flashed with primal protectiveness that clearly told me I
should better not try this again. I had never encountered something
like this and was curious to say the least. But I valued my health
higher than my curiosity and wisely chose to not voice the question
burning on my lips. No, I better talk to Luna and Artemis about this
first, I decided.
Queen Serenity meanwhile had finished whatever magic she was
working and I watched the small white sphere, It burst silently and
gave way to a round brooch with a star design on the lid. The brooch
hovered there for a second before floating over to Usagi. There was
an intense flash of light that actually not more than a tiny sparkle.
However, the energy produced by the Ginsishou blinded my senses
briefly and I just caught it sinking gently into the brooch. "It was
the whole time there?" Usagi asked stunned. Serenity nodded. "The
crystal is a part of you. Your soul, your heart. Never lose it." She
then turned to us and I gasped as in a burst of red a tiny pen with a
five-pointed golden star on top appeared in mid-air. In a circle of
red the sign of Mars was engraved.
"Your bodies and powers have developed far enough for the new
stage of your power. I believe you will find the boost useful. But do
not overdo it, you might tire quickly from using too much power that
you are not ready for..." Her gaze just for the fraction of a moment
held Minako's who had produced her own hensin pen. "And not all of
you have the means at hand to recharge." Minako quickly tried to hide
a blush and I lifted an eyebrow but kept quiet, remembering her
previous reaction.
Before anyone could react to the statement, Serenity went
on: "Again I am sorry that I cannot help you further but I can feel
that these enemies are different from what we know of the usual Dark
Kingdom agents. Please be careful, my children." Everyone nodded as I
felt a strong force pulling on my spiritual form. It was time to
leave. The world needed us again.
Minako made a hand motion and Ami, Makoto and I joined her in
a loose circle. Usagi nodded seriously and stepped into our midst,
Mamoru beside her. Our Princess lifted the brooch and looked everyone
in the eye for a last time. "Ready, minna?" Everyone nodded and our
leader summed it up simply with a grim expression on her face. "We
are ready, Princess." Taking the lead, she lifted her henshin wand
and summoned her power.
"VENUS STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"
"MERCURY STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"
"JUPITER STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"
"MARS STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"
There was something incredibly satisfying about the
transformation into my alter ego. The fire enveloped me and made me
whole. Where once was just a tiny distance there was none. The link
that was the source of my unusual command over the flames was
completed and I became one with the fire. It wasn't hot. No, burning
away all mortal restriction and worries, my spirit was practically
dancing from the intensity. My already sharp senses were overflowing
with impressions and energy patterns. Not overwhelming but pronounced
and each one with its own note.
What was overwhelming though was the enormous evil presence
suddenly smashing down on my new enhanced senses. My eyes snapped
open to take in a good dozen of Youma all around us, people running
and screaming. A mass panic had broken loose and we were right in the
middle of it. For a moment I was not sure what we could do with this
many people so close by. Wide range attacks were out of the question
but I wondered how we should combat this many otherwise.
"Scatter and drive them away from the masses. Jupiter, Mars,
follow me, Mercury, Moon direct the people out of here." And with
that, before anyone could question Venus, she launched herself
forward. I had no choice but to follow.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Jupiter)
The power rushing through me was incredible. My late training had
given me the reassurance that I was already much, much better than
the last time I had become a Senshi. With the enhanced strength
exclusive to the Senshi of Jupiter, I could literally feel every inch
of my body. The movements were more swift, the power surely more
destructible and my speed greatly increased. Even better the ki
reserves I had built up over the last months had practically
skyrocketed. Before my training under my new sensei I had never
noticed it since I didn't believe in such things. Even as a Senshi. I
could understand magic but a mystical force of life energy right in
every life form's being? Ok, I knew that there must be some kind of
energy - after all Youma tended to collect it frequently - but that
you could learn to really tap into this potential... Now, I knew. And
the dimensions my Senshi form gave me were simply plain fantastic.
Venus was next to me, what surprised me a great deal. I had
expected her and Mars to fall back a little but my blonde friend
seemed to have no trouble keeping up. She even seemed like she was
simply jogging. "Got some serious training, I see," our leader
remarked with a grin. I could not help but return it. "You're not bad
yourself." And then we reached the Youma and jumped right into the
fray.
Keeping a tight lash on the magical and mystical energy
raging inside of me, I laid into the first Youma with a furious spin
kick. Dropping down I executed a leg sweep and while my opponent
struggled to keep his balanced, jumped up and over his back, smashing
both feet in his back. I didn't look back, not that I had time to,
then I confronted the next one. Pouring some ki into my moves, I let
my fists fly, dealing seven hundred blows per second. I guess I could
take on my sensei in this form but wouldn't really try to
deliberately play with fire. He was the best after all.
Pushing through two more Youma I quickly realized that the
initial surprise had worn off and it was getting harder to get hits
in. To make things worse these things were much tougher than I
remembered... or maybe they just were, Anyway, they took my crossfire
of punches and kicks with only being a little winded and there were
so damn many of them that I didn't have the time to concentrate on
one for some time. Then I finally got to one I had pummeled
previously, he was already up again. That was frustrating!
Soon I found myself back to back with Venus while I spotted
Mars leading a pair of Youma away from the moving crowd. Thankfully
with the monsters' attention drawn elsewhere the people's survival
instincts kicked in and they were following Moon and Mercury's
directing. That, however, made another problem. With most of the
people gone, the Youma's concentration was now solely on us. That
wasn't helping either.
"BURNING MANDALA!" I ducked then the fire rings sliced
through the air. They cut through an arm of one of the Youma that
were following Mars and continued onward through the circle
surrounding us, consuming one on spot. Looking back over my shoulder,
I caught Venus' grim look and noted that she wasn't even winded -
neither was I, I had to admit. "Time to get rough?" She only nodded
and laid into our enemies with a vicious shower of Crescent Beams,
which she called just that. For a moment I watched as she exploded
into a whirlwind of attacks, continuing to send out beams, showers
and this strange heart chain that she handled with an ease that spoke
of experience.
So mesmerized by her graceful, flowing motions that would
have impressed Sensei, I nearly missed the two Youma jumping me. My
senses warned me a mere moment before contact and they just managed
to rip some of my fuku. "Hey," I shouted indignantly. "That wasn't
really nice." Drawing on the magical energy, I discovered, was much
easier now. Throughout my ki training I had learned a new level of
control that seemed not to be limited to the mystical. With a yell I
let the blast go.
"SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!" True to the name a huge dragon of
pure lightning jumped from the rod on my tiara, eating one of them
alive and burning the other badly. A moment later the Youma had
regrouped and were prepared for our changed tactics. From what I
could tell, I had the sinking feeling we were facing elite troops and
that in our first fight in years. Really not good.
"Duck!" I did not even reconsider when I followed the unknown
voice's command out of instinct. A moment later a green energy blast
smashed into a wolf-like creature and sent it tumbling. Quickly
rolling with the fall I sent it off balance with a minor ki blast. A
blur of motions streaked past me and I watched stunned as a winged...
elf flew by to drive its energy blade into the Youma. The elf turned
and grinned at me. "You okay?" I nodded dumbly. "Never felt better
but I think I'm hallucinating." The elf continued to grin while
delivering an elbow to a Youma's chin that had tried to sneak up on
her.
Venus and Mars chose that moment to join us again and Venus
simply gave the elf a quick, questioning look, no curiosity, no
wondering. Just this exchange of deep worry that I had briefly
witnessed earlier in my friend's eyes but hadn't given it much
thought then. This was different, I realized. My attuned senses
caught the elf whispering to Venus, something about "she's safe now."
I really wondered who "she" was. That wasn't the look of someone
being worried over a friend.
My dwelling fell short then Mars mumbled a barely
audible. "Uh oh." We had decreased the Youma to eight by now but then
I looked up I saw that eight new were just coming out of hiding and
immediately headed in our directions. They seemed to consider us the
highest threat, rightfully so, and I had the feeling that wouldn't
work out with just a few bruises either.
"Venus?" I asked, unsure of what to do. Our blonde leader
didn't need long for an answer. "Then I say now, we get back to the
others and regroup. They are too strong to fight ordinarily." As much
as it pained my pride I could only confirm that. Before long we would
be tired. Better to put all our forces together and work on something
else. "Mercury, we need cover! NOW!" Venus' called out over the
disturbing noises of the approaching Youma. They were almost upon us,
then the familiar mist filled the area like a thick blanket.
Concentrating I found Mercury and Moon's energy pattern easily and
sprinted towards them. I wasn't concerned about Mars and Venus with
Mars' grip on spiritual powers and Venus' new, impressive skills. And
the elf would find her way too.
Sure enough Venus and the elf were already there when I
arrived and Mars was right behind me.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Luna)
With a critical eye, I watched the battle progress. As Venus had
ordered Moon and Mercury were staying back with Tuxedo Kamen and
directing the panicking innocents out of the danger zone, Mercury was
also running a scan with her visor and Mercury Computer. The actual
fighting was progressing better than expected. Especially now that
most of the innocents were gone and Mars' had more or less broken the
silent agreement of not using any magic. I had seen Venus in action
before but this new level of skill and ease was even astonishing me.
If I didn't know Priapos had been training Venus during their stay in
England and constantly afterwards whenever the elf was around, I
would have deemed what I saw outright impossible. Hopefully the other
Senshi would soon be profiting from the Efadio's hard drill as well.
She was not known as the best among the elfin warrior class for
nothing.
"They have all acquired a lot of skill, even without the
memories," I noted in a thoughtful tone. Mars senses were sharper and
she seemed to be able to react to the slightest presence in her near
proximity. Her accuracy had also heightened, given that her new
attack hadn't been that less aimed than I had suspected it would.
Venus was always the Senshi known for accurate attacks, while Jupiter
was more leaned towards power. Mars often hovered somewhere in
between.
Speaking of Jupiter, I hardly could follow her, even with my
sharp cat eyes and the trained warrior eyes that were still there,
even after all this time stuck as an advisor in feline form. I knew
the skill necessary and how much one had to be in tune with his own
life force to achieve this level - even with the enhanced abilities
the mantle of Sailorjupiter provided -, yet the tall brunette was
flowing almost as flawless as Venus through the enemies' ranks. Kicks
and punches were delivered with sharpness and skill that was totally
against the normal nature of a Senshi of Jupiter. She moved with the
grace and confidence of a great Martial Artist and the blows she kept
dealing out reached several hundreds per second. Some kind of special
technique I assumed that benefited greatly from the Senshi form.
During my observation the battle had taken a turn for the
worse. Although Priapos had joined Venus, Jupiter and Mars, the
enemies second wave as it seemed came out of hiding and they were
forced to retreat towards us under Mercury's cover. I quickly had
made a count and was by sixteen, hopefully there weren't any more
hiding somewhere or this could really lead to disaster. I already was
wondering how our Senshi would be getting out of this. It hardly
seemed fair. The first battling they had to do was an all-out fight
with dozens of highly skilled Youma that were apparently sent out to
deal with us. This was definitely a setup. They knew this would be
the perfect day for an awakening. And even though we had Venus' kin
sister's warning I had not expected that much of an effort. I had
been wrong, we all had been.
"What do we do? There are too many of them," complained
Mars. "And they are stronger than Beryl's usually were," added
Jupiter frustrated. Mercury furiously typed away on her computer but
didn't seem to be any wiser, Moon looked a little scared. Everyone
looked at Venus and Priapos. Once again I was thankful that we had
the tactical genius with us, she and Mercury together should be able
to be a great asset in that department later. But battle tactics also
were Venus's territory, especially in the heat of the moment. To our
benefit Minako was much more in synch with her past life as Hebe and
therefore drew from even more experience.
Just to underline my words, Venus' head perked up with a grim
smile. "Okay, I got an idea." She turned to Moon, eyeing our Princess
carefully. Tuxedo Kamen was standing next to her and hadn't left her
side since the battle started - I doubted he would have been able to
match Venus and Jupiter's skill anyway. "Can you use the Ginsishou
only as a focus? Not put your own power into it?" I glared at the
Inner Senshi leader sharply. "She used the crystal to its full power
once! I don't think Moon has the necessary control yet to take
that..."
Surprisingly my charge interrupted me in a calm voice. "I
think that it is possible. Then I fought Beryl something unlocked
inside of me and I began to understand how the crystal truly works.
Serenity-okaasama was right. The Ginsishou is an essential part of me
and I guess I can manage." I didn't like it but nodded reluctantly,
yet failing to see the logic behind the question. "Even so," I
interjected again, continuing to frown. "I doubt that even all the
Senshi's powers focused and put together could deal with all of them.
You'd just had one shot."
Venus simply smiled and in a soft tone replied: "Not the
planetary powers. I agree that this would be pointless. My plan is to
use the crystal simply as an amplifier for a power matching its own.
They could connect and spread out in one great shock wave," she
explained, glancing up as the mist began to settle down and the first
Youma could be seen moving in our direction. "There is nothing as
powerful as the Ginsishou," I pointed out. Again Venus smiled softly
which unnerved me enormously. "Yes, there is."
And with that the blonde-haired Senshi gave me probably the
greatest shock of my life ever since discovering Usagi was Serenity.
She held up her hand and a gentle white glow formed over it, growing
steadily in size and brilliance. With a bright flash the glow took
shape. What finally hovered over Venus' outstretched hand was one,
single, crystalline teardrop. I recognized it immediately. "Is
that...?" I breathed totally stunned into disbelief. I had heard
stories, mostly from Artemis, I had read legends and myths, I had
even heard Queen Serenity mentioning it once. But I had not thought
it could possible be reality.
"Hai. The Venus Tear," Venus confirmed gently.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Venus)
I could feel the incredible power in my hands, the incredible power
pumping through my veins, filling me, charging me with energy the
more I let my emotions pour into the ancient crystal. The product of
a myth we had all assumed. Who would have thought it to be true and
brought to me in such a desperate time? The tear was said to be lost
ever since the time the firstborn daughter of the first Queen of
Venus had died. The crystal that had become her essence in an effort
to safe her life had never been seen again and the story blurred into
a myth over the generations. But it had been there, just like that.
One day after my first heart-breaking encounter with Priapos who had
still been controlled by Adonis at that time, it had been there. I
was sure there was a hole in my memory but until now I had not
figured it out.
A loud howl coming from the first Youma pushing through the
mist ended my brief trip down the memory line. "Alright, minna," I
called out, taking charge again. "Everyone focus your powers and
shield us. Do not, I repeat, do NOT add them to the Ginsishou. We
will have enough to handle like that." The three other Senshi didn't
ask one more question but immediately formed a triangle around Moon,
me and Tuxedo Kamen, including Priapos and the cats as well. I
glanced pleadingly at the elf. "Pria?" My kin sister gave a grin. "I
take what you don't get. Don't worry." I nodded thankfully and
prepared. Channeling my emotions and pouring them right into the
crystal tear.
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"
"MARS STAR POWER!"
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"
After a short pause I added my own. "VENUS STAR POWER!"
Keeping it tightly under control I fueled my planetary power into the
Venus Tear - something I had never done before - and began the slow
process of carefully focusing and heightening the power. Moon had
freed the Silver Crystal from her brooch and held it now high over
her head. The tiara had vanished and was replaced by a crescent moon
but I was sure the same was the case with me. Finally getting the
enormous waves of my own planetary energy under control I sent it
out. A bright orange-golden beam hit the Ginsishou and Moon visibly
shuddered under the impact and the struggle to leave the crystal as a
mere focus. From my own experience I had an idea of how daring it
might be to draw some of the artifact's own power to steady the
raging inferno that she tried to channel but all it would do, was
making it harder.
I trembled visibly under the strain of holding the steady
stream of energy to empower the other crystal. I had brought the
Venus Tear nearly to its limits, once. However, this was different.
Unlike the Ginsishou, the Tear didn't have any safeguards. I had to
control the whole power output. Most of the time I used it
transformed, as a weapon, I also had channeled my own attacks through
it, making them stronger. Sending my whole essence though I had never
dared before.
I felt myself connecting on a higher level with Usagi. I
could literally feel her spirit, her soul, her very essence. It was
similar to what Hotaru and I shared but still different. I knew she
felt me too and was trying to somehow support some more weight. The
connection was fragile and the energy bouncing wildly back and forth
between us. The sensation was so intense, I thought I'd lose control
any moment.
Reaching out, I held the Venus Tear in one hand and touched
Moon's left shoulder with the other, further sharpening the
connection. Biting down on my lower lip I struggled hard to remain in
control of the energy. If I just gave in and let it all flow I would
overload both my own reserves and the Ginsishou. I could not allow
this. But it was so damned hard, how...
I looked up in surprise as I felt new, stabilizing energy
flowing through the connection. For the briefest of moments I had
almost mistaken it for Hotaru's but quickly caught sight of Tuxedo
Kamen... No, Prince Endymion. He had gripped my wrist holding the
Venus Tear tightly and the other hand was resting on his princess'
shoulder. Immediately I sensed the prince's presence drawn into the
circle. His energy was unexpected strong and for some reason,
calming. Grounding, I concluded. Earth energy tended to have this
effect.
Welcoming the addition with open arms, I quickly pulled some
of his power in and weaved it around the steady stream of my
planetary essence transferring from one crystal to another. The
crackling and previous unsteady and fluctuating energy beam began to
settle down and became steady. Yet the strain remained, only now
divided on three people.
Agonizing five, long seconds later I decided it was enough.
The Princess, Prince and I were perfectly synchronized now and the
transference steady and almost complete. "Lower the barrier, now!" I
pressed out through gritted teeth. I had no idea what was going on or
how long the procedure had lasted but on the edge of my awareness I
had seen the Youma smashing against the barrier of blue, red and
green. I knew that there were only one single window of opportunity
to pull this off. Subconsciously I had already submitted complete
control to the more experienced Hebe, now Aino Minako simply drew
back and let her past life do the rest. The moment the shield fell
we acted. Calling out in unison, all three of us sent a last ounce of
power into the connection and then let it loose.
"MOONLIGHT WAVE!"
The stream of orange-gold ceased and the Ginishou flared
once. That was the only warning everyone got before everything
exploded in pure white as the wave of light literally swept over the
whole area, extinguishing both the cries of agony and the unworthy
life of the sixteen Youma that seconds before had been trying to rip
us to pieces. The backlash was so powerful I was sure that my grip on
Moon's shoulder must have become painful until it was too much and I
was blown backwards. Stumbling a little, I finally dropped to my
knees. My vision was blurry and my breathing irregularly. The
presence of the Venus Tear had long since vanished back into
subspace. But the Youma, there I was sure, had all been destroyed.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Moon)
I could not really describe how it felt. The best picture I could
come up with was that I was inside... no, a part of a bright, deep
ocean, together with Venus. Every outward contact with the world
didn't register with me. I was aware that I existed but the where and
how didn't matter. I simply did. The ocean was full of power. Energy,
pure overflowing and consuming light. My being that was reduced to
simply its spirit was aware of every sensation, every slight shift in
the balance, every fluctuation, in- or decreasing of the power flow.
The flow was like the stream of a river pouring into the
ocean, collecting and mixing the new capacities to the whole. But
compared to reality there never was anything going back. The fountain
of steady energy, the Venus Tear, continued adding more and more, yet
never received anything back. Wave after wave of light tried to
gather in the endless storage capacity of the Ginsishou. Endless as
long as the wielder could control it and knew his or hers own limits.
Yet, since I simply collected my task was minor compared to Venus who
fed the power. I understood, in this moments of joined souls, I
understood that unlike me she had not the benefit of regulations.
There wasn't a limit where her crystal automatically pushed back
unless you deliberately wanted to cross this border. She had to
control all of it. A task I didn't envy her for.
Then, suddenly, there was Mamoru. Though I had no really idea
how his energy felt like I could just tell it was him, not from the
added hand on my shoulder but from the emotions of love, belief and
support from my Prince. The flow that had threatened to literally
float over the borders steadied and calmed down and then it was
enough. The moment Venus stopped the flow I already knew it was
enough. There was a thin link now between our spirits, connecting us
to each other. Three spirits, one soul and that soul pushed forward
to bring the collective energy up and towards its destination. I
refrained from using my own energy but everything else was similar to
fighting Beryl/Metallia and I took over the freeing of the enormous
power that we had amplified, bubbling, waiting to be released.
"MOONLIGHT WAVE!"
And with that my conscious was swept away and unfamiliar
images flashed before my mind's eye. Of Mamoru, no Endymion and me as
Serenity in the Silver Millennium. Of secret meetings and the sweet
but dangerous blossom of a love that could not be. But those were at
least distinctly familiar. The next set weren't and I just knew it
had to be somewhere from deep in Venus memory. A dark setting, a
pitch black void without any trace of light, Venus locked in combat
with a menacing man. Feelings of a struggle, a commitment, emotions
of despair battling belief. Responsibility. Love. Love was the
strongest, the source that fed all the others. Love for one, for a
single person, a single soul, the one and only...
Then the shift. Still the dark void but now there was another
figure. I could not totally make it out. She almost looked like a
Senshi, the fuku, the radiance. In her hand was a long staff of some
sort, a scythe attached to the top... A glaive? Emotions from Venus
again. Disbelieve, cold, icy fear, heartbreaking loathing, loathing
at fate and destiny. Yet, still, always this unconditional,
unyielding love, aching with trepidation and dread. Contradicting
emotions. There was the love on the one hand and the fear on the
other. However, there also was belief that I thought would see love
through in the end.
All this I experienced in the span of a few seconds. And then
I finally looked up, I saw that there were no more Youma and I was on
the ground in the arms of Mamoru, my Senshi hunched around me. I
groaned and with the memories of the connection still as strong I
knew that I was much better of than Venus would be.
"Honestly, minna," I scolded. "Would you mind looking after
Venus, yes? I'm fine. I did this before, remember." Mars was about to
protest but one sharp and a tired gesture to the crumpled form of my
Senshi's leader was enough to silence her with an ashamed expression.
Venus, steadied by the redheaded elf looked up weakly and smiled in
our direction. I gave an equally weak smile back and allowed the
Silver Crystal that was still hovering above me to float back into
the brooch.
"I say that was enough excitement for one day," Jupiter
commented leaning tired against Mercury who probably looked the
healthiest of all of us. "I agree, let us head home." Just as
everyone was about to follow Mars' suggestion, Venus let loose with
another moan and weekly struggled to her feet, with the elf's
assistance. I caught Artemis looking at her strangely for a moment
and then simply shaking his head. "I am not going before I made this
run! I am not going to miss it three times in a row!" Her protest
somehow sounded lame backed by the stumbling and the fact she barely
was able to stand upright even with help.
The elf chuckled with amusement. Picking the disheveled
Senshi up, she turned back to us. "She'll be right back. She just
needs a refill. Oh by the way, the name is Priapos." Something
clicked in my mind and Serenity immediately made the connection.
Before anyone could voice their puzzlement over the strange behavior
of the two, Priapos took of and flew out of view. I glanced at Luna
and Artemis but Venus' partner was just shaking his head and Luna
sighed audibly. I had the feeling we were not going to get anything
out of them. Turning back to the recent battle side, I took in the
destruction that was dealt. Compared to the intensity it was
minor. "Ok, let's clear up here and then change back. I have the
feeling Venus will be back sooner than we expect."
Mercury, Mars and Jupiter were to tired to get into an
argument and simply proceeded to make quick work of some of the
damage dealt, proceeding to remove evidence and leftovers from the
Youma killed before the all-consuming light wave. I looked up at
Mamoru and saw him returning the look with a similar expression that
was even visible through the mask. "You felt it too, didn't you?" He
just nodded and with that we proceeded with clearing the area.
Thoughts about the strange sensation when my spirit joined
Mamoru and Minako's still spun around in my mind and I tried to make
sense of them. The memories were rapidly fleeing and it was hard to
hold onto most of them. But one was burned there like a mark. The one
with the unfamiliar girl. A Senshi probably. It was definitely a
memory, yet I could not say, if from Hebe or from Minako. However, it
was important. I knew it was important. Hopefully I could get
something out of my friend but somehow I doubted it. The feelings
accompanying the memory were painful. A tainted mark on her soul,
incurable. An experience with both. An intense love and fear. Who was
that girl?
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Hotaru)
The sun slowly began to set. The streets on my way back home were
deserted now. Either Tokyo's inhabitants were still attending the
evening festivals, went somewhere to party or had long gone back
home. The marathon was over as were most of the other activities.
Surprisingly after the Youma attack had been fought back by the
Senshi the people had quickly returned. After last year's fiasco
Minako apparently hadn't been the only one who thought it would be a
shame to let a little incident ruin this year's marathon again. The
field of competitors had thinned out a little but most of them came
back as did the spectators. Even in a traditional land as Japan
curiosity often got the better of a human being. There was not much
to see anymore though.
I had been worried sick after Priapos had flown me well out
of danger. The signs of battle could be seen from far away already
and I had felt Minako's frustration over the bond. There hadn't been
any signs of exhaustion or pain since I kept a subtle, steady flow
active from me to her and she didn't seem to have any problems with
the actual fighting, only with the desperate situation. Considering
that there had been so many Youma I could imagine why.
But the impression had suddenly changed when I felt some
intense energy channeling. The only thing I could come up with was
that Venus was using the Tear. Yet, I had never experienced something
like that. I had tried to give her some more energy but had suddenly
felt my presence blocked and there once was Venus, encountered a
massive sphere of first two, then three different auras. I had tried
for some time to push through but eventually gave up. Moments later
the wave of light could be seen in the distance and I had collapsed
right on the spot from the backlash through the bond as the bond
suddenly snapped back into place, together with all the emotions on
the other side.
The relieve only wanted to come then Priapos had come back
with a severely drained Venus. I thanked whatever Goddess had come up
with the concept. Venus energy was quickly refilled and she was
healthy again in a matter of seconds, ready to take on the world...
or at least the rest of the competitors. Reluctantly I had stood back
when Minako had joined her friends again and soon afterwards
fulfilled her promise to participate in this year's marathon. Other
than the other Senshi who had watched the start I had the benefit of
getting a good view on the whole race. Why? Well, not everyone has
the courtesy that your mate's sister - or kin sister - was an elf who
could give you a lift.
Minako won in the end. I was not sure, if the absence of some
participants because of the incident had anything to do with it, the
energy boost or simply Minako's skill. But my guess was the latter.
Not because she was my girlfriend. Instead I simply knew from
experience that her skill level as a Senshi had greatly increased
under Priapos' training. I knew how swift, agile and quick she had
become and there I had already been impressed at my first
demonstration of Senshi skill. It reflected on her normal form as
well.
The victory had been a photo finish though. For the most part
the field had been close together. Only after they had come a few
miles close to the finish Minako and another girl, my girlfriend had
later told me was a friend of one of her teammates, had deposed of
the other competitors. I wasn't sure, if Minako hadn't been holding
back a little. I knew for sure that she could move quicker, yet I
supposed it was a mixture of carefully hiding her true abilities and
some residential exhaustion. But she won in the end.
I wished we could have celebrated or something but as to
expect Minako was tired from the days events and I had to go home
sometime as well. Home. There was a topic I despised. I hoped High
School would come soon. Then I could get a dorm room with Minako or
something like that - if my father and that bitch ever let me that
is. I hated it. Where I had simply taken the coldness and loneliness
in the big mansion as a part of my miserable life before and had
shielded myself away in my room, now it was different. I felt better
than ever, my health had been increasing steadily and there hadn't
been any attacks since England. Artemis had more or less confirmed
that whatever had caused it was gone and would not come back - I
still wore the pendant I had obtained in England though. Just to be
safe. Strangely with my returning health and the socializing that
went with being in Minako's company, the distance and coldness of my
father and Kaori had also increased. Father worked more, I rarely saw
him for days sometimes and Kaori's stares were even more unsettling
and icy than before. As if they were... angry with me for overcoming
my symptoms.
I could here voices from the living room area as I quietly
slipped past. The door was slightly ajar. Hesitating for a moment I
moved closer and peeked in, keeping my breath low as I listened.
Kaori and father were speaking. The redheaded assistant was clearly
agitated and I wondered what was going on.
"I tell you, Professor. There is no use for her anymore. She
has refused the Messiah and in her current state it is impossible to
force her again. Even more. I think Hotaru could be trouble with her
association with the other girl. She is powerful and I feel the other
soul already stirred in the child." What were they talking about. How
could the bitch say something like that about me. "But, she's my
daughter..."
"Quit that. You know more than I do what our mission is. The
project must be brought to an end, let us concentrate on the other
child." Concentrate? Other child? I did not understand what... Father
sighed audibly. "You are right, you are right. But we have to keep
Hotaru close by, at least to keep an eye on her. Then we reject her
now, we will surely draw attention, that is something we do not need
right now. Proceed as planned, Kaori."
Cast me out? Reject me? They... No... FATHER didn't want me
hear anymore? What had I done to deserve this? I was frozen on the
spot for several seconds and barely had enough time to hide in a
corner then both father and Kaori filled out of the room. Familiar
feelings of rejection and loneliness bubbled to the surface again and
I could not control the sob wrenched from my throat. It was not fair.
What had I done to deserve this? I had simply gotten healthy again.
Wasn't that a course for joy? Why was father so cold? And did he have
something to do with the condition that had haunted over six years of
my life? Was it him or the bitch Kaori? Both?
Tears began to run down my cheeks as I dashed upstairs to my
room. I couldn't think clearly. Pain and feelings of betrayal were
clouding my mind and my heart was clutched in an icy fist. Almost
mechanically I threw some clothes and things into a bag and slung it
over my shoulder. I had to get away from here. I needed time to
think... I needed to see Minako. Otherwise I was sure that I wouldn't
be able to sleep one second in this house anymore.
Bolting down the stairs again, I quietly slipped out of the
backdoor and made my way over to the Aino-ke.
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Artemis)
Everyone had split up after the start of the marathon. I had stayed
with the girls knowing that Hotaru and Minako would have wanted a
little privacy. Now we were back at her parents' place. It was close
to ten already and Minako had been reluctant to let Hotaru go back
alone after dark but I could tell she was really tired herself. This
had been about one and a half hour ago now. Fortunately Minako's
parents were on a business trip this week and wouldn't be back until
four days short of her birthday.
Minako was currently trying to concentrate on the news report
over the... "strange incident" during the day in the Tokyo area.
Nothing much was shown and the press appeared to be totally in the
dark. There were rumors of Sailor V being seen but that was to be
expected. We - even Minako - had tried to keep our cover low the last
months, yet sometimes it was impossible to refrain from a public
appearance. And as usual Minako always jumped at the chance of being
in the spotlight.
Actually I was glad that her quirkiness and good mood had
returned with Hotaru. She had been mopping around after England in
the first circle and the repeat year wasn't any better with the
constant failures in the love department. Then Hotaru had come into
her life and had drastically changed both of theirs. As annoying as
my partner could sometimes be, I better liked to have her that way
and focused in battle and not brooding and distracted. No, it was
certainly much better that way.
"Go to bed, Minako. You can barely keep your eyes open." She
didn't respond but turned off the television and just began heading
upstairs when there was a knock on the door. It was soft and without
my cat ears I surely wouldn't have been able to pick it up and so I
was sure Minako didn't either. Then my partner jumped up suddenly and
rushed out of the room, I didn't really need to wonder anymore who to
expect at this late hour.
As I had already concluded for myself, Hotaru was standing on
the front porch, a light bag slung over her shoulder. Her appearance
was ruffled and miserable. Shoulders sagged, eyes slightly red
trimmed and cast to the ground. Then Minako opened the door she
slowly looked up with a half smile that wouldn't have fooled a total
idiot. "Can I...?" she started in a meek voice but my partner already
had grabbed and pulled her inside wordlessly. I caught Hotaru's eyes
briefly and could guess already what was wrong. As so often in the
last couple of months since our return from England.
Quietly, knowing that the two girls would prefer to be alone
for their idea of "comfort", I slipped out of the door just before
Minako closed it again. It wasn't that they probably always planned
on this but with their emotional bond as mates as strong as it was,
things always tended to get physical, especially when both were tired
and/or frustrated. I had learned this lesson long ago. Again I
silently cursed Hotaru's family. The girl was doing so well. Gone was
the shy mouse that I had first gotten to know in England, gone was
the usual melancholic mood and the sudden health attacks. She was
normal again, the demon finally cast out through... this particular
events. Yet, somehow her family situation didn't seem to get any
better.
This was probably the fifth time in the last two months that
she had come over and often stayed for several days. There was never
a word said about it, the topic was avoided and every careful
attempts of conversation in this direction immediately blocked. After
the first two times we had given up on this. If not even Minako got
her to talk, I didn't think anyone else could. It hurt though to see
her that way, especially Minako but also me. I had grown to like the
raven-haired girl very much. She had given my partner her spirit back
and made her happy, that was more than I could have ever asked for.
All complications all that mattered for me was to see my charge
happy. And that she was.
The night air of late October was cool. Here and there were a
few lights from bars and similar establishment, most possible
harboring some of the participants of this day's events. Soon I had
crossed the distance to the Tsukino house and jumped up to the first
floor window of Usagi's room. The light was out but the curtains
opened. As I peeked in I could see why. Usagi wasn't there, only Luna
was curled up on the mattress.
With some rapping sounds I got her attention and after some
fumbling with the window she slipped out on the sill next to
me. "Artemis," she hissed in a tired voice. "I hope you have a good
reason for showing up this late. That day was long and I want to
sleep." I chuckled nervously. "So do I." For a moment she stared at
me, then rolled her eyes and sighed. "Hotaru is over?" I nodded. She
knew exactly that my sharp senses couldn't stand their mating. Then I
was already asleep there wasn't a problem apparently but I couldn't
get one shut eye while they were going at it.
With another shake of my head Luna motioned for me to follow
her. "Usagi has gone over to Mamoru for the night. Can't say I am
surprised." I nodded silently and made myself comfortable on Usagi's
cover. A moment of silence followed in which neither of us spoke but
I could tell she wasn't asleep, instead watching me carefully. With
an annoyed grunt I met her gaze, demanding without a word what was
the matter. "I can't believe you didn't tell me earlier about the
Tear."
"Luna, we had this already. We had no idea where it came from
and neither of us likes to talk much about what has gone on in
England. End of discussion." After a full period of thirty seconds
Luna finally dropped the intense stare. "Fine," she grumbled.
Another two minutes went by. However, this time it was me who
couldn't get any sleep. I still thought back to the wounded and
abandoned look in Hotaru's eyes. I had seen it before but that was
different. Whatever had happened, whatever she had seen or heard must
have struck deep to the core and thinking back on that fueled a cold
flame of anger inside of me. The ignorance of Minako's parents
regarding most of her life was one thing but they were at least there
for her.
"Luna?" The black cat looked up sleepily and caught my
worried glance with a frown. "Can we put Hotaru's house under
computer surveillance tomorrow? I don't think it has anything to do
with the current threat but something is going on there." Luna nodded
seriously. "I guess we can do that. But I would not advise to make
any moves before we dealt with this new enemy."
"Agreed." With that my eyes drifted shut. "Goodnight, Luna."
"Goodnight, Artemis."
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
(Minako)
Exhaustion was immediately forgotten when I saw Hotaru stand in the
door to our home. She looked so vulnerable right now, I thought she
might break every moment. Before she could voice her request, I
pulled her in, just barely registering Artemis slipping past, and
closed the door. Gathering the younger girl in my arms I wrapped her
up in a tight embrace. My mental shields went down without hesitation
and I let feelings of love and security travel down our bond. The
raven-haired girl immediately began to calm down and looked up to me
sheepishly.
"Gomen nasei to bother yo..." With a swift gesture I had bent
down and kissed her. Our lips just softly caressing. I could feel the
energy of our bond tickling and swirling but resisted. Neither of us
were in any shape for that kind of activity and even though I could
surely need the boost that would hardly be fair to my mate. "Do never
apologize for coming here. For what reason ever." Hotaru smiled
slightly and I pulled her towards the stairs. "Let's go upstairs. I
am tired myself."
Secretly I was glad that my parents were gone. They were
paying such poor attention normally that there never was much of a
difference but we always had to be careful then they were around and
Hotaru stayed overnight. For them my girlfriend was just a friend
from school or something, they never really bothered to ask. If they
ever found out what really was going on, I was sure THAT would
attract attention and cause trouble that wouldn't be healthy in the
current situation. It wasn't that I could not stand up for my
relationship but the time simply didn't seem appropriate. We were in
the dawn of a new crisis and I didn't want to deal with personal
problems.
We walked up silently to my room and I closed the door behind
us. Hotaru threw her bag in one corner and plumped down on the bed in
more than a little frustration. Her eyes were unfocused and she
stared straight ahead. I walked over to the bed and sat next to her,
taking one hand in mine. Hotaru looked down startled at our joined
hands and then back up to me with a slow smile gracing her lips. "You
can stay here as long as you want, you know that." The other girl
didn't say anything as she simply leaned her head on my shoulder and
I wrapped an arm around her. A peaceful silence settled over the room
for a few comforting moments.
Finally I suggested that we should better get to sleep and
sent Hotaru to the bathroom first while I waited. She hadn't voiced
it but I knew what went on in her head. Though the details of what
was going on with her father and his assistance were still unclear to
me and she wouldn't share them no matter what, I could tell one
thing. Hotaru wanted to get away from there. But both of us knew that
even though the care the two adults showed for my girlfriend was less
thrilling than my own situation, I knew that there was no legal way
to keep her away. It might be alright to keep her with me for a
couple of days but longer... No, that would inevitably draw
attention. I wished there was a way.
After Hotaru was finished I went to the bathroom. Briefly I
considered a quick shower to work the tension out of my systems that
the intense fight with the Youma and especially the channeling and
joining had caused. But I was too tired and simply wanted to go to
bed. It was times like these that I cursed the side effects that came
with being a Senshi. My whole body was alert and my senses tingling
with anticipation. It was like being high without drugs and usually
the only possible way to get the body to relax was through a cold
shower or achieving relief... Senshi lust, I chuckled ruefully to
myself. But I could not really bring myself to loath at it. After all
it was at such a night, after a battle in England, from which our
mating night had resulted. I was just wondering why I still was so
far into the state albeit being tired. Especially the marathon should
have helped to relieve myself from the rush of fighting. Yet, it only
became stronger.
When I entered back into my room, I fought down an urge to
streak across the space between door and bed and simply jump my
girlfriend. I didn't believe she needed that kind of comfort right
now and... Ah, heck. Who was I kidding? It always lead to this. And
Artemis knew it, that's why he fled the house so quickly. My inner
battle must have shown in my body language since I caught Hotaru
frown and getting up, discarding the nightshirt she had proceeded to
just pull over her head. It didn't help matters that she wasn't
wearing anything below right now...
A low growl emitted from my throat as Hotaru came closer and
reached out with one tentative hand against my cheek. "You are still
frisky?" Coming from her that sounded almost as if it was a bad
thing. I mean, I knew she didn't mean it like that, but hearing it
from her made me feel dirty. I whimpered against her touch. "Raven,
I'm sorry, I don't think we should..." This time it was her cutting
me off, as lips met in a much more demanding, quickly becoming
passionate kiss. Tongues began to play and for a moment I simply
enjoyed the sensation and the rising of the bond's energy around
us. "Never be sorry for wanting me," she whispered in my ear after
pulling back and beginning to nibble on it. "Let's forget our worries
for the moment, we are all alone and we didn't a chance in over a
week." Another growl and a moan mixed together then her hands slipped
under my own nightshirt, seeking out the skin underneath.
I already felt my control slipping and then her skilled hands
found my breast, my breath caught and I could feel the dam inside
breaking under the pressure of want, passion and lust. With an almost
feral hiss and a speed the smaller girl couldn't quite register I had
grabbed and thrust her around against the door, my hands beginning to
roam her everywhere and my tongues pushing her back in a display of
supernatural strength and dominance that Hotaru was well aware of and
actually craving.
A few seconds later we finally hit the bed but sleeping would
come much later than planned.
TBC in Part 2
The Sailorsenshi are back together but their enemy isn't resting. Be
sure to be there then Usagi-tachi meets Hotaru and new Youma show up
on the scene!
-----Bishoujo-----Senshi-----Sailor---Moon-----R-----
Mars: Uhm... Ami? What are we supposed to do here?
Mercury: Don't look at me. Ask Usagi, she is editing the entry.
Moon: *sweatdrop* Well, I thought this looked a bit dull without a
proper ending.
Jupiter: And what do you call a proper ending?
Moon: Easy! There must be a moral!
Jupiter: *eyebrow raised* A moral?`
Moon: Sure. Think back on all those Animes and TV Shows in the 20th
Century, a lot of them had some kind of moral.
Mars: *slapping forehead in disbelief* Baka... This isn't an Anime
and surely no kind of superhero show for babies... But then again,
you would fit nicely in this category.
Moon: Hey! Mars, you are so mean!
Mars: *sticking out her tongue* You deserve it.
Mercury: *interrupting* I don't have time for this nonsense, there is
a lot of work to do, including going over this file and correcting
the errors.
Mercury has signed off.
Jupiter: I agree with her. Do your moral, if you want to do but don't
bother us with that.
Jupiter has signed off.
Moon: Hey, where are you all going? What happened to loyalty here?
Mars: I can't say I'm surprised. Although this does look a little
suspicious here... Hm, come to think of it... Where were Mina-chan
and Hotaru-chan in the first place?
Moon: *mumbling under her breath* I can imagine.
Mars: *shaking her head* Well, I have to go to. And at least now I
knew why you wanted so desperately to write an opening scene!
Mars has signed off.
Usagi: Mars! *looking around* Now they are all gone! *Looks back at
readers* Err... Gomen, minna! Do you still want to hear the moral,
yes? I'm telling you anyway, so don't bother to answer. Okay, the
moral is... The moral is... *scratches head*... Uh... I had it all
worked out, honest! They totally distracted me!
Luna (signing in): Usagi what are you still doing here? Get back to
work, there is a delegation from Gaia waiting for you, did you forget
about that!
Usagi: *panicked* Ahh, I'm going to be late!
Moon has signed off.
Luna: *chuckling* Still the same. *turns to readers* I think the
moral Usagi was aiming for was, that you cannot escape your destiny.
The Senshi had wished nothing else than to lead a normal life,
without the battles and tragedies. But at last their destiny had
caught up to them again and they had to realize that responsibilities
had to be taken in order to secure their future. I guess that will
do, although I still don't see the point here!
Luna has signed off.
Author's Notes
That's it. The first chapter of TFG. I hope you all enjoyed the ride.
Since I have no idea, if those who read this had already read the
Prelude, I am especially curious, if I am depending too much on that
(especially in the scenes regarding Minako, Hotaru and Artemis) or if
it is just confusing at some point and not downright unintelligible.
I tried to work with what I had in the Prelude with leaving most of
the delicate details a secret. That's how I suppose their minds would
cope with it. I mean why should they downright cloak/forget the
entire time in England? This is POV style and I simply wrote it with
the entire background in mind but being careful with some things. Do
I even make sense?
Well now, what do I have to clear up about the first episode?
There are two intended cameos. I think it is easy to find the first,
the second shouldn't be that hard either. At least from the detailed
description of Makoto's fighting style and technique! This is not, I
repeat, NOT meant as a crossover. I just made this cameos for a
little fun and to give the Senshi the possibilities of fine-tuning
their skills. I see, if I can get a cameo for Ami too... Just watch
out.
Priapos is also a character introduced in the Prelude arc but will be
in future chapters, so don't worry, if you can't associate much with
her yet.
Usagi is more mature, Ami more socialized, Makoto more in control...
Please bear in mind before you say I'm being too OOC for a rewrite
here, that the story takes place about two years later (one after the
reset one). Usagi is fifteen, Minako close to sixteen and so forth.
They ARE more mature and responsible.
The reset of the year. This is the theory that was used in a lot of
popular fiction. I, myself am not so sure, if I really believe that
Usagi really resets time and not simply wiped out everyone's memories
about the events concerning Senshi activity. For me, that would be
more plausible. But using this particular theory became an essential
tool for the prelude and setting things in motion for this story. I
simply had more time to prepare the characters.
The Taiiku no hi is a Japanese holiday held on October 10 in Memory
of the Olympic Games in 1964. I have no ideas of how exactly it is
celebrated, only vague information. What I described was probably a
little overdone but consider this author's freedom. :)
That's all for now (maybe my beta finds something else I need to
mention?), I hope you liked it. If I hooked you with the pairing of
Minako and Hotaru please consider joining our group at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/starsinlove. Feedback is always
appreciate and though I do not resent to begging, I ask to comment,
review whatever. It helps.
Ja ne, yours
Matthias
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