Rei leaned over the table, as if she was conveying a deep secret, "I saw Luna coming home earlier today, and when I called out to her, she completely ignored me." She added thoughtfully, "Luna looked really happy." Ami frowned slightly in thought, "I wonder what's going on with her lately. I noticed she hasn't been around Minako's house much lately either." Mokoto looked over at Rei thoughtfully, "Coming home happy. I wonder if she's in love?" "Love?" Usagi repeated happily, a goofy smile on her pretty face. Artemis jerked up on hearing that, then he slumped down again. Minako looked at him in concern as she said, "It may not be love, you know." She thought quickly, "I mean, there's lots of other things that make girls happy!" "Oh, come on," Mokoto scoffed. "It's not like Luna can have chocolate or something. No, I think its love! But I wonder who it is?" Artemis slinked slowly out of the room, his tail dragging behind him. "Be a little more sensitive," Natsuna chided them softly. "You know how Artemis feels about Luna," she said quietly. "What? What?" Usagi said, sounding honestly perplexed as she looked back and forth between her friends. Minako looked at her in disbelief. "You mean you didn't notice that Artemis is in love with Luna?" she asked Usagi. Usagi sweatdropped. "But I just thought they were friends," she said with a cute little frown on her face. "Baka," Minako sighed, even as Usagi facefaulted. Outside, Luna slipped out of the building, but came to a sudden stop. Artemis smiled at her hesitantly, his tail twitching with his nervousness. "It's been a long time, Luna," her said to her softly, trying to get her to meet his eyes. "Hello, Artemis," Luna said hesitantly, looking away from him slightly. "The kittens miss you," he said to her softly, even as Luna began to walk away. Luna's body stiffened at that, and she hesitated. "I'm sorry, Artemis," she finally said, her voice so low it was almost unhearable, "but I have to go." Luna took off at a dead run, leaving Artemis standing there behind her. Michiru frowned at Haruka, complaining "I don't understand what's wrong with you today." She paced across the floor, even as Haruka looked out the window thoughtfully, almost seeming to be waiting for something. "There's nothing's wrong," Haruka said to her softly in reply, adding under her breath "at least nothing you've been here to notice." "What's that supposed to mean?" Michiru asked her indignantly. Before Haruka could say anything, there was a soft scratching at the window. With a much more friendly smile than the one she had been giving Michiru, she quickly pushed the window open and let Luna inside. "Meow," Luna said happily, even as Haruka scratched her gently behind the ears. Michiru watched this going on with an odd expression on her face. "And what's with the black hair all over the bed?" she complained. "That cat spends way too much time here lately." "At least some girl is spending time with me," Haruka shot back. "You've been so busy with your practices that I never see you!" "What? With your races you're gone as often," Michiru said weakly. She wasn't used to fighting with Haruka, and it shook her greatly. Haruka looked away from her, stroking the cat gently behind the ears. Michiru took a few steps forward, reaching out as if to grab at Luna, even as Haruka shielded her. "What do you think you're doing?" Haruka demanded. Before anything else could be said the connecting door opened and Setsuna strode in. "We've got a problem," she announced calmly. "Yes, we do," Michiru said, glaring at Luna. "Bigger than that," Setsuna said dryly. "The winter is becoming permanent, and we need to move quickly to stop it!" A tower rose in the far north, a tower of hard, dense ice. The snow dancers swirled around it, as the ice spread across the water, covering the sea in a shell of ice. It grew colder and colder, as the snow began to fall faster. "Go forth," the Snow Queen ordered her servants, "It is time at last! The world has grown cold enough that you can complete your task, and seal this world away in ice!" They sang out their reply, and then swept out to the four corners of the globe! Artemis shook his head, his eyes widening as he jumped to his feet. "I remember!" Artemis exclaimed, bringing the meeting to a roaring halt. "Remember what?" Rei asked, pushing her short hair out of her face. "This happened once before! A Queen of snow and ice came to Earth, seeking to freeze it to add this world to her collection." He frowned, trying to remember, "She was driven away by Silver Crystal power of hope and love!" "Silver Crystal power," Ami echoed. She frowned slightly, "She's trying to freeze the Earth, correct," she quizzed Artemis. At his nod of agreement she pulled out a laptop, emblazoned with her Mercury symbol. "Wow," Usagi said admiringly, "does it have any games?" Rei sweatdropped at that, and Makoto chuckled softly. "Sorry Usagi," Ami laughed, "I set it up for official Sailor business." She worked intently for a moment, her expression growing grim, "The North pole. She's up there, changing the weather patterns and expanding the ice caps." "So we go up there and stop her?" Natsuna asked softly. There were nods of agreement all around the group. "Look at the news!" Rei cried, pointing at the TV screen. Something was happening out in Tokyo Bay... Even as they talked, the snow dancers spread the cold across the world. Every major city, from New York to Paris to Tokyo was visited by the keening figures, leaving only cold silence in their wake. Out in the bay, a tower of ice rises, and the queen stands atop it triumphant. "This world is mine at last," she sighed happily. A snow dancer keened in alarm, "World Shaking!" the voice cried, and it exploded in a burst of energy! The dancers began to gather to face the threat, and another voice cried, "Deep Submerge!" A tidal wave seemed to swallow the dancers up, leaving nothing behind. The snow queen whirled, meeting Pluto's calm gaze. "Dead Scream," she said quietly, and a purple bolt of death hurled towards the queen herself, only to be stopped by the sacrifice of one of her snow dancers. "So," the snow queen said quietly, "the little sailors are here to stop me. Do you not yet understand the futility of your quest?" She gestures to the tower, and the dancers flow out of it, ten, twenty, and more, marshaling in the air above them. "Now, destroy them!" she commanded. "Fire Blossom!" Tuxedo Kamen cried out, casting burning roses to drive the first rank of snow dancers back. They flinched, afraid of the open flame. "Venus Love Me Chain!" Sailor V cried, casting the shining chain across the enemy's lines. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Sailor Jupiter growled, and threw a massive ball lightning to tear through several of the dancers. "Shine Aqua Illusion!" Sailor Mercury cried, following up against a confused cluster of snow dancers, destroying them in one move. But more and more dancers appeared, and before they could perform any more attacks they were struck down, singly or in pairs. Neptune saw Uranus go down and felt a stab of regret, a distraction she regretted a moment later. Mercury fell with a cry, spurring Jupiter to try and fight to her side, a effort doomed to failure. Finally they were all down, the battlefield silent. "Now, at last, it will be done," the snow queen sighed. "We're not finished yet!" a voice cried out. Sailor Moon stood ready for battle, Natsuna and Luna at her side. "Go help the others," she instructed her friends, before turning to the snow queen. Luna ran across the battlefield, only to skid to a sudden stop. She looked at Sailor Uranus in shocked recognition, blurting out "That's Haruka!" "Another senshi?" the queen barked angrily. "I have had enough of this!" She formed a ball of glowing cold power and cast it as Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon raised her scepter, the words coming easily to her lips, "Heart Ache!" Her power warred with the queen's, but in the end it wasn't enough. The explosion blew her off her feet, ice shards stinging her cheeks as she leapt away. She staggered a moment, then took her locket in hand. It opened, revealing a shining crystal than slid free, floating between her hands. "No, Usagi," Luna found herself crying, "you can't use the Silver Crystal! You'll die!" Sailor Uranus felt herself returning to wakefulness, and found herself looking at the cat in deep surprise. 'It talked,' she thought dazedly, 'the cat talked!' "Alone maybe," she said, the soft light of the Crystal washing over her, "but I'm not alone!" She called out to the others, "Help me! Together, we can beat her!" Tuxedo Kamen rose to join her side first, and they shared a warm smile. Love seemed to leap between them, a power greater than the cold that was sweeping down over them. Pluto saw it, and felt her heart clench with jealousy. Sailor V looked at Sailor Moon in pride. "Usagi's really getting good at this," she smiled. She felt a gentle push at her back, and Natsuna gave her a confident smile. She hefted her gun. "Get this done," Natsuna said, grinning slightly, "I'll cover you!" Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter hesitated, then joined the circle. Finally, Uranus and Neptune stepped up, the circle closing. They all held hands, as shafts of light from the Crystal illuminated them all, linking them into something greater, somehow. The snow queen attacked, and they countered with a shaft of pure white light! "No," the queen gasped, "it's the same light! The light that exiled me before!" The snow dancers charged, trying to overwhelm the sailors and destroy them! Natsuna fired her charmed bullets rapid fire, but suddenly one swept towards Sailor Uranus. Luna saw it coming, and something within her cried out! And was answered. A single bolt of crystal light struck her, and Luna was transformed. The black-hared woman gestured, and it was like giant claws tore the snow beast apart! She and Natsuna demolished snow dancers, even as the battle came to a head! The snow queen screamed as the beam tore through her, shattering her into powder! The tower of ice fell, and the beam continued onward into space to meet the comet itself. In moments, it was nothing but dust. Sailor Moon cried out as the crystal flared in her hands, a wave of power washing over them all. As it passed, they realized they had all been transformed back to their civilian identities! The young women gazed at each other in shock, their secrets revealed. The human Luna swayed on her feet, feeling the transformation begin to fade. She ran, pressing her body to Haruka's and stealing from the surprised woman one lingering kiss. Haruka took the dark hared woman's shoulders in her hands, but in a final flash of light found herself holding the cat in her hands. Luna frantically wiggled free, running away to jump into Usagi's arms. It was a bit warmer now, as they all gathered by the water to look out over the bay. The unnatural cold is gone, only a more reasonable winter chill lingering in the air. Everyone is spaced out somewhat uncomfortably, the inners in one bunch, the outers in another. Haruka and Michiru stand a little apart, talking quietly. "Do you think they'll be all right?" Usagi found herself asking Rei. "I think so," Rei said softly, "they seem really happy together." She looked around with a frown, "Where's Luna, anyway?" "Back at the house," Usagi sighed. "She's left Minako's place and taken the kittens with her," she added quietly. "Poor Artemis," Ami sighed quietly. She was snuggled into the protective warmth of Makoto's arm. Setsuna sighed, watching Usagi and Rei together. She went over to Haruka and Michiru's side, where she simply said, "Brace yourselves." "Brace ourselves?" Haruka echoed. "For what?" Michiru asked. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" the voice cried, growing both louder and closer. Thump! Usagi and Rei found themselves sprawled out under a young woman who had fallen out of the sky! She scrambled off of them, then started to help them up. "Usagi-mama?" the pink haired teen said, gazing at Usagi happily. She pulled the shocked girl into a hug. She peered over Usagi's shoulder, and her grin grow wider, "Rei-papa!" Before anyone could find anything to say, it happened again! Haruka and Michiru were flattened by an older girl, who leapt off to offer them assistance quickly. Both woman instantly recognized her. "Hotaru?" Michiru gasped out. She looked back and forth between them. "Haruka-papa? Michiru-mama? What are you doing here?" she asked, sounding a bit surprised. The only one not surprised to see the two young ladies was Setsuna. "Small Lady, Hotaru, you're just in time," she said with a little smile.
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