Usagi walked up the shrine steps quickly, she was so eager to see her friend once again! As she neared the top of the stairs, she heard an older male and younger female voices talking amongst themselves quietly. "I have to admit, your new friends seem to be a good influence on you," the male voice said. As she climbed, Usagi recognized the other voice as Rei's "Oh, Grandpa!" and then the sound of her quiet laughter. "Yeah, I like them a lot. It's nice knowing someone who isn't bothered by my being a shrine maiden." Usagi came up to the top of the stairs and met the smiling gaze of Rei Hino. "Hey, Usagi," Rei said to her softly. She took a few steps over to Usagi, smiling to her shyly. Usagi smiled back, also feeling suddenly shy. The little older man looked back and forth between them, a wide smile on his wrinkled face. "Weren't you with that tour we had earlier?" he asked cheerfully. "Yes, sir. I'm Usagi Tsukino, it's very nice to meet you!" she said shyly. She bowed suddenly, blushing a bit. "She's certainly a looker," Grandpa commented about her cheerfully to Rei. Usagi blushed even harder at that, and Rei seemed ready to jump to her defense when he gave a cheerful wave and sauntered off. Rei blushed as well as she grasped Usagi's hand and took her into the shrine itself. "I'm sorry about that, Usagi," she said, "he doesn't mean anything by that." "It's OK, Rei," Usagi said. She smiled impishly, "It's nice to see someone in the Hino family pay me compliments!" Rei blushed harder. "You know you're beautiful," Rei said softly, "you don't need me to tell you." and looked away shyly. She still wasn't sure if Usagi wanted her or her other self, Tuxedo Kamen. They hadn't talked about it, but Rei knew they would have to soon. Usagi took her hand, and reached up to turn Rei's face towards hers. "Only when you tell me," Usagi told her quietly. Rei was such an enigma to her, at once a noble, handsome figure and yet so beautifully feminine. But did Rei want her as the reborn princess, Sailor Moon, or Usagi? She wished she knew. They both found themselves looking searchingly into each others eyes as they leaned closer and closer together, their faces growing nearer in preparation for a kiss... "We found the place at last!" Minako exclaimed cheerfully, standing outside. Usagi and Rei jerked apart, and Rei walked over and quickly opened the door before Natsuna had a chance to knock. "Hello everybody," Minako said to them. Natsuna and Minako were bundled up warmly, with long coats and scarves on. Minako looked around the temple eagerly, while Natsuna followed at a more reasonable pace. "Thank you for letting us meet here," Natsuna said softly to Rei, as they stood watching Usagi and Minako catching up on gossip. "I'm glad to," Rei said back to her quietly. She laughed suddenly, adding, "Your apartment is pretty spacious but with all six of us there plus the two cats, it was getting pretty crowded." Rei smiled sadly, "And I think Grandpa likes my being able to ask friends over. I never have before." Ami and Makoto arrived soon afterwards, joined at the hip as always. Makoto towered over the much smaller Ami, and Rei unexpectedly found her thoughts roaming to what they must look like together in bed. She noticed Usagi's amused but knowing gaze and blushed brightly as she realized Usagi knew what she was thinking about. "Please don't say anything to them, Usagi," Rei whispered softly to her. The blond girl laughed softly and shook her head. "It's alright," Usagi whispered back to her. "I've done that too, occasionally," she admitted softly, smiling a little. "Hello, everyone," Ami said to them cheerfully. She was carrying a few schoolbooks as well, and after a few pointed glances, she added hesitantly "I thought we could do a study session after the meeting." Everybody sweatdropped at that, except for Makoto who just smiled down at her fondly. "I brought snacks for everybody," Makoto said cheerfully, holding up a large covered basket. She put it on the table and unwrapped several plates full of food. "Isn't that a bit excessive?" a sweatdropping Rei asked, looking at the many piles of food building up on the table. "You obviously haven't seen Usagi eat," Makoto answered cheerfully. Usagi looked wounded, and they all shared a good laugh. "Where's Luna and Artemis?" a still chuckling Rei asked Minako and Natsuna, looking around for the guardian cats. "Luna doesn't want to leave the kittens alone, not even for a little while," Minako explained to them all. "And Artemis won't leave her, either," Natsuna finished with a fond smile. She looked around at the Senshi and said tentatively, "I hope you don't mind my sitting in on your meetings. Minako said it would be alright, but..." "You've been a great help to us, Natsuna," Usagi said to her firmly, "and I'm sure you will continue to be. I think you're welcome to stay, right everybody?" She looked around and saw only nods of agreement. "Thank you," Natsuna said with a warm smile as they all entered the living room and sat around the long, low table there. They began to talk, a bit slowly at first then more eagerly, sharing their experiences and adventures in a relaxed circle of newfound but close friends. Serious and funny stories flew, snacks were consumed, and they worked to began to create the bonds that might make them lifelong friends... "I hope you don't mind me asking, but how long are we going to have to sit out here?" Sailor Uranus asked sourly perched up in a high tree branch. A brisk, cold fall wind was blowing, making things even more uncomfortable for her and her companions. Sailor Pluto, sitting uncomfortably on a branch just below her, smiled wryly as she answered, "I'm not entirely sure." Uranus groaned softly, and Pluto continued to them somewhat apologetically "All I know is that probability shows that the Inners will be the first to encounter the new enemy, and we need to be there when it happens." "You recognized Minako as soon as you saw her," Sailor Neptune observed quietly. She shifted about trying to find a comfortable seat on her own tree branch as she asked, "Have you met her before, then?" "Well, yes," Pluto admitted. At the enquiring looks from Uranus and Neptune she said, "It's a small part of a much longer story." "I think we've got the time," Uranus pointed out to her, shivering as a very strong breeze ruffled the skirt of her fuku. Pluto took mercy on the two of them and said, "It was nearly ten years ago.... It was in London, England where I first encountered the young senshi. I made sure I stayed concealed in shadow; so all Sailor V would be able to see of me is a tall, dark hared woman who carried an large, odd looking staff. At least, that was what I hoped. "Sailor V, there are dark forces at work," I said to her, my expression suitably grave. "I and my allies will shield you and the other Inners when and where we can. But three potential allies of yours have already been harmed." I then vowed to Sailor V in a firm voice, "They will not take the other." I turned and walked away, but over my shoulder I said to her "We will meet again." "Who are you? Who are the Inners? What's going on?" Sailor V had shouted at me, even as I took my leave. I then returned to the time stream, and the gates of time, only to re-emerge in Tokyo, Japan! Only a few minutes earlier, I had already fought three desperate battles at the homes of Rei Hino, Makoto Kino and Ami Mizuno, but each time I arrived there too late! I was able to save their lives and defeat Zoisite, Malachite and Neflite, but their powers were stripped from them by the negative forces! "Wait a minute," Uranus said, interrupting her with a frown, "are you saying that the Negaverse was so powerful it could actually steal a Senshi's powers?" "No, the Senshi were only vulnerable because their powers hadn't fully awakened in them yet," Pluto explained. "I certainly didn't have any trouble with the Generals when I encountered them. One 'Dead Scream' each and they were down for the count." "That's why Sailor V was safe," Neptune said her thoughts out loud, "because her powers had already awakened too!" "Yes," Pluto agreed. "Anyway... I made my way to Usagi's home as quickly as I possibly could, only to discover a pitched battle going on! A mysterious, white robed figure I didn't recognize battled against Jedite, who took the cowards way out and retreated as soon as I arrived! "Who are you?" I asked the white-cloaked figure after Jedite had left. "I am the Moonlight Knight, a champion of the light," he said quietly, "much like yourself." He gestured to the window, where I saw the figure of a sleeping, golden haired child. "We must protect her," he began, only to suddenly crumple! I tried to catch him, but his body passed right through my hands. "A bodiless spirit," I murmured thoughtfully. I could somehow feel his drive and courage as he passed through my body, but without a body of his own the spirit would slowly fade away forever. Suddenly, the memory of another sleeping figure leapt to mind, and I had an inspiration! "There is another," I said to him urgently, "who was also destined to protect her! She has lost the powers she needed, and you have lost your body! Together, though, you might be able to fulfill both your duties!" He fought to firm up his form and climbed to his feet with a kind of gentle nobility. "Only if she wills it," the white clad spirit said to me calmly. We traveled across the city together, until we both reached the home of Rei Hino. The dark hared girl looked so cute as she slept there, her long, dark hair spread across the pillow. "Reach out to her," I advised the spirit softly, even though I wasn't totally sure myself about what to do. He placed one finger on the girl's brow, and I could suddenly feel a deep connection form between them! He smiled slightly, and softly said "You are right, she is the one!" He seemed to shrink then, his spirit changing to become a much younger seeming boy, and flowed into her own form until he was gone! "That was quite the gamble," Neptune said to Pluto thoughtfully. "How did you know he wasn't deceiving you?" "I felt his spirit," Pluto repeated patiently, "and I knew, somehow, that I had met him before. It was only later that I realized he was the Prince of Earth, reborn." She smiled suddenly, adding "Of course I also knew Rei Hino's will power. If he was an enemy, jumping into her body would be nothing but trouble for him." Uranus and Neptune both shared a laugh at that. Observing the scouts the past few weeks, they had certainly seen Rei's will first hand! Uranus looked over at her thoughtfully and asked, "Didn't you have a crush on the Prince back then?" Pluto blushed a bit, and both Uranus and Neptune eagerly awaited her answer. "I'm not sure that's relevant," Pluto said, her cheeks red. She continued her story under her friends' impish smiles... I felt his spirit settle into it's new home, and then departed for my next mission. I may have saved the Senshi now, but that didn't mean they were safe tomorrow or the next day. I needed to do something more long term to help them. I stepped back into the time stream to study the situation, then I determined a plan of attack. I broke into Beryl's base in the Negaverse and confronted her in her own throne room. After battling her forces and giving them some serious losses, I gave her a choice: I would go to war against her and her forces, or she could pledge to leave the Senshi alone for ten years. In return, I would in turn leave her forces alone for the next ten years. Beryl tried to bargain with me, of course, but I think she knew that if she tried to take me on in battle, even if she won she would suffer terrible losses. As well, they had already done us serious damage, so she could afford to be generous. We sealed our covenant in the old Silver Millennium manner and I took my leave. Both Neptune and Uranus looked at her with pure disbelief on their faces. "You... bargained with Queen Beryl?" Neptune asked her slowly. "I'm impressed," Uranus admitted, looking at her oddly. "It wasn't such a big thing," Pluto said modestly. "Beryl and I each knew the others' reputation, so we were both fairly cautious around each other," she explained. She added, "The oath we swore bound us both, in a covenant unbreakable by any force, so I knew she would keep her end of the bargain." "But you gave them ten years without your interference," Neptune said softly, "weren't you worried about what she might do?" "I couldn't interfere," Pluto said to them with a grin, "but that didn't stop Sailor V or more mundane forces from acting against her and her forces. You'd be surprised how much damage you can do with only a few anonymous phone calls." They all looked at each other and then began to laugh quietly, drawing closer to share precious warmth. Neptune produced a thermos of hot tea and they each shared a cup as they looked down at the temple and the party developing inside. The door slid open and Rei walked outside, leaning on the balcony to look out into the forest. Usagi followed her out and they stood together, until Rei hesitantly put her arm across Usagi's shoulder. Usagi smiled happily and leaned into Rei's warmth. "It looks like something's developing between the two of them," Neptune observed quietly, only to freeze at the look of pure jealousy on Pluto's face. 'This doesn't bode well,' Neptune thought to herself worriedly, 'no, not well at all.'
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