The group of young women stumbled out of the hidden underground
passage, emerging out into the surprisingly deserted videogame arcade.
Covered head to toe with dust, coughing and winded, they took a moment
to recover their wits.
"Did everyone make it out?" Usagi demanded, her blue eyes
flashing as her blonde hair fell limply down her back as she scanned the
group.
"Sailor V's gone again," there was a flash of irritation in
Rei's voice, the black haired miko carefully putting her bow away as she
added, "but that doesn't mean anything."
Makoto nodded, "I'm fine, and I think Ami is too." A bit self-
consciously the brown haired amazon put Ami down, having carried her up
the steps after a fall.
"Thanks," Ami gave Makoto a smile, feeling a bit startled at the
blush that appeared on the taller girl's cheeks. She looked towards
Usagi, "So what do we do now?"
"If it's all right with Rei we'll go back to the shrine," Usagi
said grimly. She looked towards Luna, and the cat visibly squirmed under
her gaze as she continued, "I think we have some things to talk about."
Reluctantly the black cat said, "It does seem time to tell you
certain things." Luna flinched as Usagi glared at her, "I'll tell you
all that I can."
"Let's go," Rei said, and they were off to the bus stop again.
The five of them stood there, dusty and tired, waiting patiently.
"Yes, we definitely need to find a better way of getting around
town," Makoto muttered to herself softly, trying to get the dust off
her.
From around the corner a car came, the sleek sports car slowing
to a stop in front of them. The driver's side door popped open and a
blonde haired woman got out to stand by her vehicle, looking at them
with a smile. She looked oddly familiar with her sunglasses covering up
her eyes as she asked, "Can I give you a lift?"
"Who ...?" Ami looked at her curiously before realizing her
three younger companions were gazing at the woman in shock.
"Minako Aino, the famous idol?" Usagi blinked. Her eyes narrowed
as she realized where she had seen her before, "You're Sailor V?!"
Minako took the distinctive mask out of her pocket before
putting it away once again. "Very sharp," she smiled, "it's because I'm
an idol that I wear that." With a slight smile she continued, "Now, did
you want that lift?"
"Please," Rei sighed softly.
After taking a moment to clean themselves off they got into the
sleek car. The trip over to the shrine was a mostly silent one, the
seven of them occupied by their own thoughts. Rei looked up at Usagi
worriedly, 'She's calm, maybe too calm. I can't imagine how I might
react, discovering that I wasn't fully human.'
"They disappeared on us again," Makoto said grimly. She shook
her head slightly as she murmured, "How do we find them now?"
"We'll find a way, Mako-chan," Ami reassured the taller girl
softly, her eyes narrowed in thought as she slipped her glasses on.
Makoto blinked in surprise at that, then a slight smile appeared
on her face. "Mako-chan?" she asked with a smile.
"Sorry," Ami blushed.
"Actually, I kind of like the sound of that," Makoto admitted.
"We're here," Minako said calmly, pulling up in front of the
shrine steps. She let the others get out before she quietly asked, "You
mind if I join you?"
"As long as you bring Artemis with you," Usagi said with a grim
little smile, "I suspect we'll need his help to sort all of this out."
"Will do," Minako said. She picked up the white cat from his
spot on the car seat while Usagi collected Luna. Together they all
walked up the steps, Rei quietly leading them into the living room
within the shrine buildings.
Luna and Artemis sat on the table itself, the women gathering
around the table. Luna puffed out a soft breath, "I'm not quite sure
what to say."
Ami pushed her glasses up, looking very like a professor as she
fixed Luna with a dangerous look. "Start at the beginning, or as close
to it as you can," she said.
"The beginning," the little black cat echoed. Luna sighed,
"We... my people, have long aided in the battle to protect humans from
the Oni and their Youma servants. While not strong enough to fight them
on our own, we have assisted champions through the years."
Artemis spoke up, keeping a nervous eye on Luna, "We have long
known of a prophecy telling of the coming of a band of champions, nine
in number..."
"Nine?" Usagi blinked in surprise.
"We five," Ami said softly, "and four others we haven't met."
"The Gathering of the five," Luna sounded like she was quoting
from something, "the three that came before, and the child of twilight."
Softly she continued, "Nearly fifteen years ago the Patron of our people
came to us."
"She left that sword," Artemis nodded towards the katana that
Usagi carried, "in our hands, and told us of a child, left with a human
family to raise as their own. She said that the child was the Princess
out of Shadow from the prophecy, and that we would need to bring the
sword to her when she turned fourteen."
"I don't know what happened to her after that, though I suspect
she made at least one other visit," Luna said before nodding towards
Rei.
The miko looked a bit surprised at that, then her eyes narrowed
as it occurred to her. "The bow," Rei murmured quietly.
"Indeed," Artemis murmured.
"Did you know?" Usagi asked softly, looking at Luna with a
dangerous glitter in her eyes. "Did you know what I am?"
Luna hesitated, "No, not for certain."
Artemis made a soft coughing noise as he cleared his throat.
"But it would be fair to say we suspected," he murmured. "It was in part
because of that I took the chain to Minako, helped make her Sailor V,"
he explained, "just in case."
"In case?" Makoto repeated.
Minako met Usagi's gaze openly. "In case you fell under your
mother's influence," she said honestly, "I was to be ready to slay you."
There was a beat of dead silence in the room, Ami and Rei both
gazing at Minako in shock. It was an expression also carried by Luna as
she looked at Artemis, mixed with fury and horror. But at the center
Usagi and Minako gazed at each other calmly, an odd spark passing
between them.
"And now?" Usagi asked, breaking the silence.
"I've seen your will, your personal strength," Minako said
simply. "Now I would follow you, if you'll let me, in the battle against
the Oni," she said.
"No more secrets," Usagi said softly.
"Fair enough," Minako agreed.
"This Patron you mentioned," Ami shook off the shock enough to
ask, "who was she? What was she, for that matter?"
"Her name.. I don't think you could pronounce what we call her
in our language," Luna said, "but the closest to your tongue might be..
Setsuna."
Artemis nodded, "Our people have passed stories about her down
through the years, and she has never seemed to age or change."
"So what is she?" Rei asked.
"Spirits or other beings sometimes take on a mortal form," Luna
said, "adopting a human shell. But their nature remain different than
ours, possessed of power and ability beyond our own."
Usagi's knuckles were white, she was clenching them so hard. "So
why don't these spirits fight this war," she burst out, "why use us to
do it?!"
There was a soft sound of a door sliding aside, and Grandpa Hino
came in carrying a tray with cups of tea. He sat the tray down, passing
the glasses out even as he softly said, "It's simple, child. For these
beings to fight the battle would be meaningless."
"We have to save ourselves," Makoto said, "instead or relying on
someone to do it for us."
Grandfather nodded slightly, "Exactly." With that he collected
the tray and was gone as quietly as he had entered.
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