Chapter 7, Ami's Return, The Torch is Passed

    Ami slowly walked down the street. She carried the small purse that Mina had given her, she wore a short blue skirt, and a white shirt. She also had a piece of white cloth tied around her forehead. She had no idea what to do. She had been gone nearly three weeks, and she had not told her mother where she was going.
    "How could I?"  Ami asked herself. "What would I say?  Sorry Mother but I have to go fight a monster so I can get a crystal that opens the gate to a magic world? I don't feel like myself at all."
    Ami was struggling with herself, she had not studied since she had left and what surprised her was that it did not bother her as much as she thought it would. "Well first things first, I have to ask Kioku what I'm supposed to do with this crystal."
    Ami turned the corner and saw a worry-worn woman leaving a store; she carried a small sack. "Mother!" Ami almost couldn't believe how bad she looked. She turned to walk down the street when she saw her.
    "Ami!" her mother ran straight for her, and gave her the biggest hug. Ami had never seen her mother show such emotion. "Where were you? I thought something awful had happened to you."
    "I'm alright Mom." Both broke out into tears.
    "Look at your leg its swollen around the knee, and what is that tied around your forehead." Ami's mother reached to take it off but. Ami moved out of the way so she couldn't remove it, she had never seen her mother look so hurt.
    "I'm sorry but, how can I explain this. I've changed and well, I'm sorry." Ami began to cry again she couldn't remember the last time she had shown emotion like this. "But there is something I have to do, I hope one day you will understand." With that Ami ran down the street leaving her mother behind.

    "Kuroi!" the dark lord bellowed.
    "Yes my master?"
    "It has been almost a month since Komotte's demise and still you have accomplished nothing."
    "Master Komotte failed because he made himself too visible. I plan to go slowly and..."
    "I have waited long enough! Do you think yourself indispensable, Kuroi? Komotte accomplished ten fold what you have in half the time."
    "But Komotte is no longer…"
    "If you do not get me the energy I need soon you will suffer a fate worse than Komotte's," with that the Thantos left.
    "Ha ha ha!" a voice came from behind him. "Your caution is your weakness Kuroi."
    "And you overconfidence is yours Bigieu."
    The woman with fiery red hair just laughed and vanished. Kuroi stood there clenching his fists.

    The girls and Kioku are at Rei's, Mamoru is absent because he only leaves Usagi's side to train. Rei is kneeling before the fire. "Oh great fire tell us what Ami is doing."
    "She is standing right behind you."
    The girls turn to see Ami with the biggest smile on her face. She is obviously trying hard not to laugh. The girls are so shocked they couldn't move. Here was shy studious Ami standing before them trying so hard not to laugh, with an air of such confidence, and not to mention the way she was dressed. She was wearing blue shorts and, a white T-shirt that fit a little snug. On top of the she had a headband tied around her forehead like the one they had occasionally seen Mako wear.
    Ami opened the purse dug out all of the cosmetics, then removed the false bottom and pulled out the crystal. There was a flash and Undine appeared. "The crystal must be given to the one who can open the gate."
    "Who is that? Ami asked"
    "It is one from the tribe of Light, of the royal family who are descended from the Priests of Light who for centuries guarded the last gate to the Holy Land."
    "That would be me." Kioku stepped forward. Ami handed him the crystal which slowly sank into his body.
    "When you have all five." Undine spoke to Kioku. "You will know what to do, but for now I must leave." There was a flash and Undine was gone.
    "Well" Rei said "It seems now we wait."
    "I wonder who will be next?" Mina questioned.
    "I do not know." Ami answered "But I should probably warn you, when you receive the new skills you will need to finish your task…" With this Ami removed the headband.
    "You mean..." Rei started.
    Ami nodded "There is no changing back." Ami saw the purse laying on the ground, she reached into it and took out the spear. "There is something I have to do, I'm afraid Mizuno Ami is no more." With that Ami left.
    The girls just stared after her; they didn't even notice the fire growing. There was a sudden explosion and, the girls turned to see. Floating about three feet off the ground was a small red dragon. It looked as if it was on fire, or made of fire. It had sharp, inquisitive, flaming red eyes and held a wand in its right forepaw. "I am Salamando the spirit of fire." the dragon hissed.
    "Then it is my turn." Rei said.
    "Yesssss" The dragon responded. "In a group of islands now called Hawaii under one of the volcanoes, there lives the last of the Evil dragons, of the kind that tormented people back when Arthur wielded the Sword of Light. And you must go."
    "No fair" Mina moaned "Rei gets to go to Hawaii."
    "Yea some fun I have to go and try to kill a dragon." Rei commented.
    "No!" Salamando hissed. "Try not, do or do not, there is no try."
    "All right." Rei said. "I’ll do it!"

    Ami was walking towards her home; she had changed into her senshi outfit, and was carrying the small purse and her duffel bag. "Well, if it isn't Sailor Mercury." Ami turned to see a man dressed in black, with long black hair standing behind her. "How nice it is to see you all by your self. Now hand over the crystal!"
    "What crystal?" Ami replied.
    "Don't toy with me I can see into the minds of others. I know that Sailor Moon lives, and that you quest for the Sword of Light."
    "I no longer have it." Kuroi frowned at this.
    "So you have already given it to Sakata Kintoki. Most unfortunate for you." Kuroi twitched his finger and Ami began to feel a vice like grip tighten around her throat. Her hand went to he throat as she tried to pry loose the invisible hand. "You are no match for the dark powers." Kuroi goaded. "Your feeble skills can not help you."
    Ami fell to her knees unable to breath. She hardly knew what she was doing as she slowly drew a circle in the air with her finger. A small disk of water appeared where she had drawn it with her finger. Ami passed her hand over it as it began to spin.
    "What is that?!" Kuroi screamed as Ami let it fly towards him. It moved in an irregular pattern as it flew past Kuroi. Ami was freed as Kuroi lost concentration. He just stared at where his right hand used to be. Ami struggled to her feet and took the spear out of the purse; it grew to its full length.
    "You will pay for this." Kuroi bellowed. "I will have my revenge." He slowly faded and disappeared.

    In the Mizuno home, Ami's mother sits staring at the wall. "Mom?"
    She turns around to see Ami. She is dressed in her senshi outfit but she has the same white cloth she wore when her mother first saw her tied around her forehead. "Ami!" He mother ran across the room and gave her a hug.
    "There is something I have to show you." With that Ami removed the headband, and took out the Tiara and spear. Her mother just gasped, and Ami began to tell her everything, beginning with those first few days that seemed so long ago when she had first became friends with Usagi.

Chapter 8