Makoto sat on a bench beneath a tree with a serene smile. She unwrapped her carefully prepared lunch and was about to eat the first of the fried shrimp when she suddenly had the unpleasant and overpowering sensation of being watched. With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach she turned slowly, jumping as she saw not one, but two sets of blue eyes staring at her. Minako and Usagi smiled at her pleadingly. "Mako-chan..." Usagi started, but Minako rushed in to interrupt her. "Please, Makoto-san...I'm so hungry..." "I'm hungrier!" Usagi declared strongly, stepping in front of Minako and bending down to drool at Makoto's lunch. Minako pushed her out of the way. "Don't listen to her Mako-chan." She said, dropping to her knees and begging. Makoto recoiled a little bit on the bench, a helpless expression on her face. "She ate her lunch during first period...I saw her! I had no lunch at all, and barely any breakfast. I'm dying of hunger...please, kind Mako-chan...have mercy!" Usagi had traveled to the other side of the bench and now seized Makoto's arm. Minako immediately grabbed the other. "You know I appreciate your cooking more than anyone, Mako-chan!" Usagi pleaded. "When have I ever asked you for anything Mako-chan?" "Mako-chan!" "Mako-chan!" Makoto looked around, trying to free herself, and then saw Ami walking up, an amused expression on her face. Makoto stared at her entreatingly. "Mina-chan!" Ami said with a small laugh, placing a hand on the blonde Senshi's shoulder. Makoto was a bit surprised to see the usually manic girl release her arm immediately. "I'll share my lunch with you, okay?" "Alright!" Minako smiled and nodded. -I guess Ami's a good influence on her.- Makoto chuckled to herself, then froze as a low voice spoke up on her other side. "Mako-chan..." Usagi was staring at her lunch again with barely- restrained need. The lunches were split. Usagi sat next to Makoto on the bench while Ami and Minako sat on the low concrete divider around the tree next to the other two. Makoto managed to get away with giving only a third of her meal to Usagi, and as the pigtailed girl ate she smiled over at where Ami was sharing her lunch with her girlfriend. They were just *too* cute. Then she saw something else and tilted her head to get a better look. "Ami-chan...there's something on your neck." The blue-haired girl immediately clapped a hand to her neck, her cheeks turning crimson. "Oh...that's really nothing...it's just...um..." Ami looked over at Minako, who was looking back at her, a small blush on her cheeks as well. With a flash of perception, a sly grin appeared on Usagi's features. "What was that, Ami-chan? I don't think I really caught that..." Now Makoto was looking over curiously as well. Minako quickly reached over and wrapped an arm protectively around Ami's neck, pulling her close with a grin. "Don't be silly Usagi-chan, it's really nothing." Usagi opened her mouth to say something, but Minako cut her off with a wide, innocent smile. "Now, about what you asked me in first period...of course, if anyone asks, you were at my house Saturday night." Usagi shut her mouth with an audible snap and a bright red flush climbed up her face as she looked at Ami and Makoto, who had turned to stare at her instead. "Touche Minako-chan." Makoto said softly, then turned away, staring into the distance. That got all three of the other girls turning to look at her. She seemed oblivious, simply staring blankly with a faintly worried expression, her hands folded in front of her mouth. "Mako-chan?" Ami asked gently. Makoto started and turned back with a small smile. "Oh, sorry...I guess I'm just a little worried about Rei." She sighed. "I was going to tell you guys later...I guess she didn't go to school again today. And her grandfather says she's barely left her room." The statement seemed to bring everyone down. "This is so unlike Rei." Ami said softly. "But she's been acting a little funny for awhile now, you know?" Minako pointed out. "No..." Makoto said thoughtfully. "I think this is different." "Poor Rei." Usagi sighed sadly. "I wish there was something we could do for her." Ami sighed as well. "If only Setsuna and I could think of some way..." Minako's mouth quirked a little at that, immediately translating it as 'It's my fault for not thinking of something.' "Ami-chan, it's not your fault." She said firmly, reaching over to place her hand over Ami's. "It's Tachyon's." She looked around at all three girls. "Right? And we'll do the one thing we can for Rei...the next time Tachyon shows herself, we'll get Rei's power back. One way or the other." "Right!" Makoto agreed with a brash smile. "Yeah!" Usagi chimed in. Ami smiled and nodded as well a moment later. "After all," Minako said with a confident smile. "She's just one crazy little girl. How hard can she be to outsmart?" ------------------- Later that day, Setsuna entered the home she shared with the other Outer Senshi, pulling off her long coat as she shook off the chill from outside. As she kicked her shoes off, she saw Haruka and Michiru coming downstairs. Michiru was bundled up quite tightly, Setsuna noticed. "Hi Setsuna." Haruka said with a smile. "Home so soon?" "Just for a little while." Setsuna replied. "I still have to go to the store and buy something for dinner. Where are the two of you off to?" "Rei's shrine." Michiru said. "I'm going to try to cheer her up." "Both of you?" Setsuna asked, lifting an eyebrow. Somehow she didn't think seeing Michiru with her lover was going to help Rei much. "Oh no, I'm just providing transportation." Haruka grinned. "I need to feel the wind in my hair." "The wind in your..." Setsuna turned to look out the window next to the door. "Haruka, it's negative five outside." Haruka just shrugged. Michiru rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly, a fond smile on her face. "So we'll be back in time to eat." Michiru said, wrapping a scarf tight around her neck. "Alright...good luck. Tell Rei I said hello if you'll think it will help." The two left, and Setsuna proceeded into the living room. "Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru was at the top of the stairs. "Are you going out again?" "In a little while, little one. Why do you ask?" Hotaru smiled shyly. "I was wondering if Chibi-Usa could have dinner with us tonight." Setsuna smiled gently. "I don't see any problem with that, if you two don't mind joining me at the grocery store." "Of course not...I'll call her right away! Thank you Setsuna-mama!" Hotaru dashed back to her room with a wide smile on her face, and Setsuna smiled lovingly as she settled into the couch to rest her feet. Haruka, meanwhile, had made almost unbelievable time in getting to the Hikawa Shrine. Once she had been forced to slow down by the smaller residential streets around the Shrine, she had relented and pulled up the top, a fact that Michiru was extremely grateful for as she rubbed her gloved hands together. "Well, here we are." Haruka said as they pulled to the curb in front of the steps leading up to the Shrine. "You're a braver woman than I, Michiru." "Thank you." Michiru said with a smile, leaning over and giving her love a light kiss on the lips. "Mmm, you're cold. Why do you always insist on driving with the top down in the dead of winter?" "Why else?" Haruka murmured. "Warming up with you is just so much fun." She chuckled as she Michiru back, a kiss that Michiru returned with gentle passion before breaking away. "Later Haruka." She said softly. "When I get back." Haruka nodded with a chuckle and took out the book she had brought along. Michiru left the car and headed up the steps, walking carefully to avoid any patches of ice. When she reached the top of the steps, she saw Yuuichirou sweeping powdery snow from the courtyard. "Good afternoon Kaioh-san." He said with a friendly smile, leaning against his broom. "Hello Yuuichirou-kun." Michiru nodded. "Is Rei in her room?" Yuuichirou nodded nervously. "Oh yes...Rei-san has been there all day." He paused, looking around as if he were afraid she might pounce on him at any moment. "If you're going to see her, I should probably warn you she isn't feeling well. She's been in a very bad mood today." "Thank you Yuuichirou-kun." Michiru said with a small, distant smile. "But I'll have to take my chances." Yuuichirou went back to his work and Michiru walked through the courtyard and around the shrine building until she arrived at Rei's door. For a moment, she considered what she was doing. It was a bit manipulative, she had to admit. She was relying on Rei's feelings for her to force her out into the open, and was relying on them even more to help her snap Rei out of her depression. Still, Michiru found herself comfortable with that kind of manipulation. Rei needed someone to lean on at the moment, and Michiru hoped that the miko's crush on her would allow her to be that someone. She knocked on the doorframe. "Rei-chan?" She called out. There was no response. "Rei- chan! Are you home?" She tried a bit louder. Finally there was a sound of movement inside. "Michiru-chan? Is that you?" "Yes Rei-chan...I was hoping we could talk." "Um...well, just give me a minute, please." "Of course." Michiru waited patiently, assuming that Rei had not been a state to receive company. After a few minutes, Rei opened the door. She was dressed in a long sleeved shirt and a pair of denim shorts that she favored. She had obviously put in a good deal of effort in a short time to make herself presentable, but with hair as long as hers it was difficult to hide the fact that she had been in bed all day. Michiru smiles warmly, and Rei smiled in return, a smile that did not come close to her eyes. "Please, come in Michiru-chan." Rei said, moving to the side of the door. "I wasn't expecting any company today." She continued as Michiru stepped inside. "So I understand." Michiru murmured softly. There was a pause, and Rei shifted uncomfortably. "Michiru-chan...I'm sorry for the way I exploded at everyone yesterday...I was just...I..." She trailed off as she saw the aqua- haired woman looking at her strangely. Michiru had come because she felt very badly for Rei, and wanted to cheer her up if at all possible. But hearing the totally defeated tone in Rei's voice, so devoid of her customary spirit...it was quite disturbing, and actually a bit frightening. "Rei-chan...you have nothing to apologize for." She stood by the small table that sat in the center of the room. "May I sit?" Rei nodded, and Michiru took a seat, Rei sitting down on the side of her hastily made bed. "I think we all should have known better than to react like that." She continued with a smile. "Everyone promising to take care of me would have certainly irritated me. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised you're not still a bit angry." Rei gave an uncomfortable little shrug, looking out the window. "I don't know...I guess I just don't see the point now." She sighed deeply and went quiet. Michiru just waited. "Tachyon really beat me, didn't she?" She finally said, bitterly. "Some warrior I turned out to be when I'm on my own. One crazy little girl is all it took." "Rei-chan, you're being far too hard on yourself. None of us could have expected an attack like that, and any of us would have fallen for it." "Yeah, I guess..." Rei said noncommittally. "Not that it really matters, I guess. Either way, I'm the one who got stuck with it, and now I'm just useless while all the rest of you have to go out and fight." She gave a short, barking laugh that completely lacked humor. "I can't even read the fire thanks to her!" "Rei-chan..." Michiru tried very hard to sound sympathetic without being pitying. "You know none of us see you as useless. We're your friends, Rei-chan. And as your friends, we will help you. Because each of us knows, if the situation were reversed, you'd help us." It looked like Rei had a sharp retort ready for that, but after a moment she just sighed and nodded. "I know you're right Michiru-chan. I just..." "Sailor Senshi, this is Sailor Mercury, we have a big problem." As the voice came through the communicators, Michiru couldn't help but wince. - Of all the worst possible times...- She thought to herself, irritated. "What's going on?" Haruka's voice came on now. "I just picked up the energy signature of four World Anchors. They just appeared out of nowhere." "World Anchors?" Haruka sounded surprised. "Didn't Tachyon say that they weren't using those anymore?" "I don't think Tachyon is the most reliable source of intelligence." Setsuna's voice broke in. "Where are they Mercury?" "At four of the weak points I identified before." Mercury rattled off the locations. "Venus and I are heading for the first, and Sailor Moon and Jupiter are heading for the second." "I have Saturn and Chibi-Moon with me now, and we're close to the fourth." Setsuna said. "I guess that leaves the third for Neptune and I." Uranus replied. "Good...and everyone be careful. These things are putting out a tremendous amount of energy. They're different than the ones before." At that point, the communications ended, and Michiru was left looking awkwardly at Rei, who was looking back with a mournful expression. "Go." The dark-haired girl finally said, forcing a smile. "I'll be fine, just go and be careful." Michiru nodded, standing. "Alright...I'm really sorry, Rei-chan." Rei just shook her head impatiently. "Just...forget about me...go, fight!" She said earnestly. "Good luck." "Right." Michiru offered a small smile in return and hurried out of the shrine and down the steps to where Haruka was revving the engine. "How'd it go?" The blonde woman asked as Michiru got in the car. Michiru sighed. "Not well...I don't think I really helped her much." "Hm...she might still like you too much." Haruka mused as she peeled off the curb into the street. "What do you mean?" Michiru asked, blinking. "I know she still likes me, that's why I came, remember?" "Of course." Haruka said. "But she likes you so much she doesn't want to disagree with you, and she doesn't have a good reason to be angry with you this time. It's hard to help someone with their feelings when they're just worried about hurting yours, you know?" She chuckled a little. "We figured that out when you'd try to cheer me up back in the old days, remember?" "Hmm...I do." Michiru mused. "I guess I just didn't think the same principal would apply here." "Me either." Haruka agreed, weaving deftly in and out of the slower moving traffic. "Someone does have to do something, though." Michiru said softly. "She's absolutely miserable." "We have to get Tachyon." Haruka replied, grimly. "I think that would probably solve a few problems." There was nothing else to say after that, and the two just sped on towards their destination. ------------------- "Well girls, I guess it's just leftovers for dinner tonight." Setsuna said, turning to look in the backseat. She had just picked Chibi-Usa up at her house, and the three of them had been on the way to the grocery store. "We might still be able to make it, if we take care of this quickly." Hotaru said, a small, confident smile on her face. "Yeah!" Chibi-Usa agreed, reaching over to squeeze Hotaru's hand. Hotaru felt her cheeks warm slightly and smiled a bit wider. Chibi-Usa had changed somewhat lately. The two girls had been very close and were getting closer, but there had been a hesitance in the pink-haired girl, a nervousness about their relationship. Though Hotaru couldn't guess at the cause, that hesitance seemed to have vanished. And she certainly had no complaints. All too soon, they arrived at the location Sailor Mercury had given them. Behind a restaurant there was a narrow alleyway, and this was where the weak point was. When they had still been patrolling these areas, Artemis had always staked out this place, and on seeing that it was a seafood restaurant, Hotaru had no difficulty wondering why. They stopped two buildings away and transformed in the alley. They proceeded very carefully through the narrow canyon between the tall buildings, Saturn in front and Pluto in the rear, guarding their back. Sailor Saturn knew that her parent was watching diligently for any sign of Tachyon's presence, and it made her feel immensely better. Not so much for herself, but for Chibi-Moon, who walked along between them. And there it was, a squat black pyramid, with black lightning climbing up and down its sides. The space around it puckered, distorting the image of the alley behind it like a lens. "No daeva..." Chibi-Moon said uncertainly, looking around. "No..." Saturn agreed, bringing up her Silence Glaive defensively. "This feels like a trap." Sailor Pluto said from behind them. Both nodded. They came a few steps closer, and still there was no resistance. "Alright..." Pluto finally said. "Saturn, get ready to destroy it. Chibi-Moon and I will watch out for an ambush." Saturn nodded, but at that moment, the communicators came to life again. "Has anyone else reached the target?" It was Sailor Venus' voice. "We're here." Pluto replied. "Are there any daeva by yours?" "None. We're getting ready to destroy the Anchor now." "Hmm..." There was a short pause, and then Mercury was speaking instead. "Sailor Saturn?" "Right here." Saturn spoke into her own communicator. "I want you to try something...hit the Anchor with your weapon. Don't use an attack, just hit it." "Um...alright..." Confused, Saturn nevertheless approached the pyramid, holding her Glaive above her head. She swung the deadly blade down in a glittering arc. The moment it came into contact with the Anchor, there was a spark of blue, and the thing collapsed into a pile of black sand, it's energy vanishing completely. "What the...!" Chibi-Moon exclaimed in surprise. "I knew it." Mercury's voice sounded tense. "It just collapsed, didn't it?" "Yes...what's going on?" Pluto asked. "We destroyed ours just as easily. These aren't Anchors. They look like them, and output an identical energy, but that's it. They can't actually DO anything." Sailor Moon's voice chimed in, sounding confused. "So then why...?" "To separate us." Sailor Uranus' voice said in an angry tone. "To draw us out and separate us." "It's a trap." Pluto said softly. And, as if summoned by those words, a thick tendril of black energy came down from above and wrapped around Sailor Pluto like a tentacle, pinning her arms to her sides. Her Garnet Rod slipped from her fingers and clattered to the ground as she was lifted into the air. "Puu!" Chibi-Moon shouted, grabbing one of Pluto's feet and pulling. Blue energy suddenly raced up along the surface of the tendril, infusing Sailor Pluto. The tall Senshi gasped in pain and went rigid. Chibi-Moon was thrown away into the side of a dumpster. "No!" Saturn shouted. She ran forward, leaping into the air. Her weapon cut through the black tentacle and the end she had cut off vanished instantly, letting Sailor Pluto fall to the ground, unmoving. The remainder of the tendril of energy floated up and over the lip of the restaurant's roof. "Setsuna-mama..." Saturn whispered, kneeling next to the prone Sailor Pluto. "Are you alright?" To her immense relief, Pluto cracked her eyes open and smiled faintly. "Yes..." She said in a small voice. "Just feel...so weak...Go, help Chibi-Moon..." Saturn looked up and saw the pink-haired Senshi struggling into a sitting position against the dumpster and hurried over to help. "Chibi-Moon!" Hotaru said, pulling her to her feet and hugging her tightly. "Are YOU okay?" "Yeah..." Chibi-Moon touched the top of her head and winced. "I'm gonna have a nasty bump, though." Her eyes turned upwards to where the tentacle had vanished and widened in fear. "Sailor Saturn." The utterly emotionless voice left an ice cold lump in the bottom of Saturn's stomach. She turned, already knowing what she would see. Muon was there, his blue robes and hair moving slightly in the breeze as he floated down from the building above. Floating behind him was a thing that looked like nothing so much as a giant jellyfish, larger than Muon himself, made of that black energy. Its tentacles twitched and curled as it descended, and in the center of its bell was a sphere of glowing blue. "Sailor Saturn." Muon repeated, coming to a stop with about ten feet of air below him. "Come with me. You have no other options." Saturn pulled Chibi-Moon behind her protectively and held up her Glaive, her eyes darting around. The narrow alley would make fighting difficult for her, but that was true of Muon as well. That thing behind him didn't look very maneuverable, either. "This...was all to get at me?" She said, trying to buy time. "Of course. Now come." Muon said, sounding for all the world as if he expected Saturn to obey. "No way!" Chibi-Moon shouted angrily from behind Saturn. "She's mine...ours..." She faltered for a second, a blush on her cheeks, and Saturn smiled a little despite the situation. "Anyway, you can't have her!" "Foolishness." Muon said in cold dismissal, and made a small gesture with his hand. Three of the jellyfish's tentacles extended, streaking down towards where Saturn stood. She jumped nimbly out of the way as their tips embedded themselves in the concrete. She took a swing at them as they retracted, but they moved too quickly and she couldn't get a good swing. She cast a worried look at Pluto, who was still lying on the ground, barely stirring. Muon gestured again, and his creation sank down level with the Sailor Senshi. It turned on it's side, and all it's tentacles flew out, forming an almost solid column of black energy. Saturn's eyes widened and she grabbed Chibi-Moon by the shoulders, pushing her in one direction as she fell in the other. She avoided the attack, the tentacles passing so close that she could feel the air flatten against her back. Jumping to her feet, Saturn planted the shaft of her weapon firmly on the ground. "SILENCE WALL!" The violet barrier of energy flew up, cutting off the sound on the other side. Muon's creation floated to his level once again, and as he gestured, it flung tendril after tendril against the shield, each attack turned away effortlessly. Finally he stopped, his only reaction to Saturn's defense a slightly raised eyebrow. His eyes turned down, and he pointed at Pluto's prone form. "Oh no..." Chibi-Moon whispered. "He's going to..." "No, he's not." Saturn said grimly, tensing herself. As the tentacles swept downwards, she broke the barrier, dashing forward. Her Glaive sailed out before her, severing the energy before they could reach her parent. She readied herself for a leap that would carry her up and into the black thing, but she suddenly realized that Muon had vanished. There was a cry of outrage from behind her, and she spun around. Muon was rising into the air, holding Chibi-Moon to his side in a firm grip. The small Senshi struggled and kicked, but to no avail. "I considered this one useless." Muon said in his dead voice. "But I do not think you agree. Follow me, if you wish her returned." He sailed up over the roof and out of sight, and his black creation followed. Saturn was frozen, looking desperately up to the roof, and down to where Pluto lay. After a handful hopeless seconds, Pluto stirred, rolling onto her stomach and pushing herself up on her forearm. She looked up at Saturn. "Go..." She said in a shaky whisper. "Go get Small Lady, Hotaru." Her eyes were angry, but she smiled weakly. "Be careful, be very careful...but go get her back." A tiny smile appeared on Saturn's lips, and she nodded. "I will, Setsuna-mama...I promise." She jumped, landing on the ledge above the restaurant's back door, and jumped again up onto the roof. There was Muon, a few buildings away and still moving. Saturn could see Chibi- Moon's pink hair shining in the sun, and her hands tightened around her weapon. "I'm coming!" She shouted defiantly. She gave chase, an angry, determined expression in her eyes. ------------------- AUTHOR'S NOTE: Boy, this chapter makes me nervous. I get a bit nervous every time I have to write an action scene, and I feel REALLY nervous when the focus strays off Minako and Ami for so long. But it really had to be done. I hope nobody minds too much!
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