A Sailor Moon story by Tim Nolan
e-mail: nomad@cyberverse.com
Please see comments following the story.
Awakening
part 2
She slipped the shift lever forward into the power setting
and felt the car accelerate out of it's cruise velocity. The
speedometer slid up to 240 as she lined up on the straightaway
and flew down the track. She had to hand it to the Americans,
she thought. They were as crazy about speed as she was.
These Indy cars were very similar to the Formula 1 cars
she was used to but there was a big difference. The Americans
raced these on oval tracks. These cars were built for speed
that the others could not handle. It would handle like a dog
on a twisting Formula 1 course, but it reigned supreme here
in it's element and she reveled in the feel.
She was scheduled to do a charity race as the team's
representative in a few weeks before a big race in America. One
of the sponsors of her team, had cars competing in the race
and decided to garner some extra publicity by entering her in
the charity race against some celebrities and retired drivers. She
didn't really want to, but she knew better than to rock the boat
on this. Sixteen year old girls weren't allowed to compete in
this environment and she was lucky to be here.
The car flashed by the stands near the finish line. Only
eyes that were used to it could really catch a message chalked
on a board at this velocity, but she saw what she had been
dreading. They wanted their car back. The regular driver must
want to get some time in, she thought. This one was a far cry
above the powered down version she would race in the celebrity
event and she would hate to go back to the other car.
She shifted her weight to compensate for the turn as she
kept her velocity up and just missed the outer wall at the end
of the turn. The telemetry in the car told her that she was
doing better than the regular driver had been doing. The English
speed measurements never bothered her, even though she grew up
with the metric system.
As she passed the finish line again and ended with a run
that would probably put her on the pole if she was competing,
she glanced up at the stands. A few diehard fans and some bored
media people were there. That, and one other. She just caught
the long, dark green hair on a woman standing apart from the
others. A green so dark, it was almost black. A flash of red
also caught her eye but she was past the stands too quickly to
see more. After pulling into the pit on her next lap, she looked
up at the stands after exiting the car. There was no one in the
stands who matched what she had seen.
She frowned and went back into the recesses of the pit and
to the camera that was taping the pit crew performance. The
camera had been running all along and would have the stands in
the background. She stopped it and rewound the tape to her last
lap. She looked at the small viewing screen. Nothing. The woman
wasn't on the tape. She had seen her. The girl was positive about
that.
***************************************************************
The sunlight fell through the windows that ran from the
floor to the ceiling of the room she was in and created an
array of shadows over her as it emerged from behind a cloud. Her
mind had again wandered to something else as she had worked. She
stretched briefly and got up from her sketch to walk around the
room and admire the garden outside. This room was a special one
to her. She called it the conservatory.
The windows ran the full length of three sides of the
room and, combined with the two story ceiling, gave this room
a very open feel and wonderful acoustics. The bushes and trees
on the sides screened it off from the main part of the house
and gave her privacy, but did not block the beautiful view out
the windows and over the city below.
Her father's devotions were to his family first, but his
love of architecture was a close second. It showed in the layout
of the house on a small hill overlooking a portion of Tokyo. At
night, there was a sea of lights below the house that both parts
of the "L" shaped house could enjoy. During the day, the gardens
delighted the eye and soul with the natural beauty and clever
arrangements. It was no wonder he had become a successful
architect and the owner of a respected designing firm in so
little time.
She sat down on a bench at her father's third love. She
tapped the keys of the grand piano and tried to work out the
melody of the Chopin piece that had just finished playing. After
a few moments, she gave up and turned the player back on and went
to get her violin. She just didn't have her father's skill with
the ivories.
The hallway was lined with some of the works of both her
and her mother. Both her parents were artistically gifted, but
her mother's skill at painting was the only one she had directly
inherited. In her room, she picked up her violin and returned
to the conservatory. She spent about an hour working on adapting
the piece to the violin and got the basics down to her
satisfaction. The polish could wait now that she had the
foundation.
After getting a cup of tea, she returned to her original
seat and looked at the sketch. She had been waiting for a date
at a cafe a week ago and her friend had called to cancel. She
had to go away due to work but would now be able to make the
recital in a week that she was going to miss before the change
in plans. She returned to her seat and had looked around the
small cafe, noticing the challenges of drawing the scene due
to the mirrors on the back wall. She didn't really want to leave
yet and decided to wait out the brief rainstorm that had come
up. Her sketch pad was in her bag and she took it out and began
to make a study for a later work.
The view from inside the cafe looking at the mirrored wall
in the back with the reflection of the street outside would be
her study. She quickly drew in the basic shapes and forms on
her first page, and decided to do a close up of one section in
her next. A young couple stood outside and she put that into
the drawing as she watched them in a detached way while her
hands worked on the page. The girl was tall for her age and
wore an old school uniform that laced up the front. The young
man she spoke with was facing away from the cafe and was hidden
from her view, but her heart went out to the girl. The look of
anguish on her face was clearly visible even from this
distance. It must have been a lover's quarrel, as the young
man left after a few moments and the girl stood there, not
even noticing the rain.
She was just about to get up and go to the girl and
comfort her when another young man came up to the girl and put
an umbrella up over the two of them. After a few moments, they
had left together. She had decided to do a painting based on
this sad scene, and her sketches earlier in the day were a
quick experiment with color and shading to allow her to feel
out her goal for the painting.
The colors and lines did a good job of expressing the
emotions she had wanted to convey. The cafe was in the
foreground. The lovers were in the background in the mirrors,
their sorrow and pain a contrast to the happier scene in the
foreground. She did feel a bit guilty about using their pain
in her piece, but she had learned long since that artists
routinely used the emotions of others to come up with the
ideas for their work.
She had continued to study it and was composing the
painting in her mind when she noticed an inconsistency. She
looked at her original studies and her sketch again to make
certain of what she saw. There was a woman in the sketch who
was not in the studies. Worse, she had drawn her showing up
in the mirror, but not in the crowd where she obviously would
have to be in order to have such a reflection.
The woman was distinctive enough that she should have
remembered her from that cafe. Her long green hair was almost
black and she held a tall staff. She would have remembered
seeing someone like that. Somehow, the woman looked... familiar.
***********************************************************
The display on the wall in front of her read " 2.01 ." This
was the fastest she had ever gone, but she had thought that twice
the speed of sound would somehow be more interesting. The small
windows of the jet did not allow her to see much outside to
compare their speed with.
The travel agent for the team had managed to get the
bookings changed and get her on the Concorde for the run
from New York to London. From there, she would transfer to
a normal airliner for the long run to Tokyo. If the planes
were not delayed, she'd just make it to Tokyo in time for
Michiru's recital at their high school.
Things were going well for her, she thought as she
settled down into the seat to rest. She was able to chase
her dream and had found a close friend. The time she had
spent in America these last weeks had made her realize how
much she had missed the latter while pursuing the former.
It hadn't always been like this for her. When she was
young, she didn't fit in real well. Her father had been in
the military for a short time when he was young, and this
had enabled him to get an apartment in one of the large
housing complexes for his family. He was a baker, and had
turned a lot of hard work into a small chain of four bakeries
with a small catering business on the side. He hadn't been
around much when she was growing up, but that still didn't
stop her from turning into what one of the American drivers
called her. She was a tomboy.
She may have been more accepted in America, but it
was hard for the boys in the complex to accept her. That
is, until she showed them that she was as good as any of
them at the sports they played and helped them to beat the
team of boys from one of the other buildings in the complex
in a game of baseball. The fact that she was going to pitch
was a great source of amusement for the other team. The
laughter and derision stopped when she started striking
them out. After that, she was like one of the boys. The only
way to tell her apart from them was her sandy blond colored
hair that was pulled back in a braid to keep it out if the way,
for she was as tall as most of them.
Her parents had been slightly worried after a few years
of this. They had thought she should be playing with the other
young girls instead. They couldn't understand how much she
despised their dolls and the talk of who they wanted to marry
when they grew up. There had to be something more to life for
her.
The child psychologist they sent her to when she was eight
had finally been able to make her parents understand that there
was nothing wrong with her. She just had different feelings and
goals than other girls her age. Her grades at school weren't
suffering, so her parents had relented. They never had really
understood her, but at least they tried to support her. If
nothing else, she would always love them for that.
It was when she was ten that she realized what she wanted
to do. She had been on a ride on the bullet train and the sight
of the landscape flashing by the window had enthralled her. After
that, there was no turning back. She wanted to go fast, and the
best thing she could think of doing was racing. She had seen the
stories from America how a woman driver had started racing on
their circuit. That was her inspiration. If someone else could
do it, so could she.
The next four years were spent learning about cars and
racing. She'd watch all the races on television and could
name statistics on many of the drivers. She even tried to
get into the driving academies that taught high speed driving,
but they turned her down due to her age and that she was a girl.
The rejection didn't stop her. She had started hanging
around a racing track that was only a short train ride away
when she was thirteen and pestering the drivers and
mechanics. She'd help them when she could by fetching tools
or running errands. Her current team had practically adopted
her as a mascot after a few months.
It finally paid off when an older mechanic named
Yamagata took pity on her and showed her how to drive. They
had an old car that had two seats in it for training purposes.
The ex-driver had taken her out for a few rides to show her
what it was like and then shown her the ropes. She took to it
like a fish to water, surprising all the team members with her
skill.
After that, she'd been the guinea pig for the mechanics.
She would do a lot of driving for tests that the regular drivers
found boring. Most of her weekends were spent at the track when
the team wasn't away for a race. The drivers took a liking to
her and one, the American, had shown her how to drive the
motorcycles that the main sponsor, Honda, had a team racing
in events at the track. Few days passed where she was not
speeding around the track, her long hair flying out behind
her in it's customary braid.
Her big break came just after she turned fifteen. There
was a big race planned at the track near her house. The team
had several racers entered into the main event later in the
day. The morning was when there was a celebrity event scheduled.
The team had an idol singer who played the piano set to race
for them in the first event. His management company and the
insurance company who had a several hundred million yen policy
on his hands found out about it and pulled him from the event
the morning of the race. There was only about 5 minutes left
before the point where the drivers would have to be in the
cars. The sponsor was getting frantic, as they had contractual
obligations to have a driver on the course for this.
" Yamagata!" she called out. The older mechanic turned to
her, glad for a distraction from the representative from the
sponsor. Yamagata was the head of the pit crew and part owner
of the team. He was also the one who was feeling the heat right
now.
She caught his eyes and pointed at herself, her eyes
imploring him for the chance. He frowned for a moment, then
grinned and nodded. She ran over while pulling on her driving
clothes with all the sponsor's logos.
" Here's your driver." He said to the annoyance in front
of him. The representative gasped and shook his head back and
forth.
" No way. She's a girl. She's not even one of your
team. What about the other drivers? Why can't they do it?"
" They all have to race later on today. They can't do
this and the other race," the older man replied. " This one's
as good as any of the other rookies we have. I say she can do
it."
" Even if she is as good as the others, we can't have a
girl out there. Women haven't raced here before in Japan. This
isn't the States. They won't go for it."
This made her mad. This was her chance and she wasn't
going to let this little VP of public relations who was just
out of school ruin it for her. She lifted up her braid in one
hand and a knife from a tool tray in the other.
" Who's a girl?" she growled at him while cutting through
her braid in one savage stroke. " I'm Haruka Ten'ou, the newest
member of the team. There's no way they can tell
I'm not a man in this suit and my now short hair isn't a
giveaway. I'm tall enough to pass as a guy and my voice is
deep enough. If we don't say anything, they'll simply think
I'm a rookie who the team just hired. I'm racing here. Now,
get out of my way."
She tossed the braid to the now laughing Yamagata as
she stepped around the shocked sponsor representative who
threw his arms up in surrender and walked away.
" Hold that for me. I've got a race to win."
******************************************************
Michiru finished her practicing at her house. The
setting sun could just be seen through west facing windows
of the conservatory. She'd have to leave in a few minutes.
There had still been no word from Haruka. A call to the
airport had told her that the flight had been delayed in
taking off in London and was running late. The new arrival
time was just as the recital would be starting.
She smiled at the thought that came to her mind. Haruka
would only find that a challenge. She'd use it as an
opportunity to test her skills in a mad race to make it in
time. She had made some discreet inquiries of some friends
of her parents and found that a certain motorcycle officer
had catching Haruka as his top priority. The officer in question
apparently had a mechanically inclined girlfriend who was souping
up his motorcycle so he could catch the white and gold menace
that had plagued him for the last year.
It was only fitting that her parents would be there as
well. They had always encouraged her as a child and been more
than willing to help her out. Her father had a pool put in when
she showed a serious interest in swimming. She was still the
record holder at her high school in several events due to her
diligent practice. He had also been the one to get her into
music, for she had loved to listen to him on the piano when
she was young.
Her mother was the biggest influence on her, however. Her
mother had taken the time to show her the basics in painting
and drawing as she was growing up, and had encouraged her to do
whatever she wanted. At first, she had copied much of her
mother's style, but had began to develop her own in the last
several years. A family friend who owned an art gallery had
seen some of her works at her home and was so impressed by
them that she talked her into a showing at the gallery along
with a display of her mother's that had been planned. The
majority of them had sold for some handsome prices and she
had ended up earning a good amount of money just in time for
her fifteenth birthday.
While things were good at home, this was not true at
her school. For the most part, most of the girls had been
jealous of her skill and success, or the money she had, or
her looks. It was never flaunted, but where most of the girls
might have had a ring or necklace with a blue topaz, she had
an aquamarine. Her clothes were usually tailored for her. While
she wasn't studying all the time, she found her classes to be
easy and was able to maintain a very high average with little
effort.
All these had conspired to make her less than popular
with most of the other girls at school. It was only at the start
of school this year that it seemed to change. She had a gym class
with a new student. That first day was one she would never forget.
There was a commotion going on at the entrance to the locker
room. A small crowd of girls had gathered and were heatedly arguing
among themselves. As she walked up, she could see the reason. A boy
had just walked out of the girls locker room and was walking
towards the track for the gym class. The boy had also been
wearing the shirt and shorts that the girls wore.
Michiru had smiled at the confusion around her. The girls
hadn't spent the time she had in studying the human body. That
may have looked like a boy initially, but that 'boy' was a
girl. She went in and quickly changed and ran to the track. The
newcomer was jogging around the track while getting ready for
the class. She stretched briefly and ran over and caught up to
her.
" Did you enjoy that?" she teased the other with a
smile. " They're having a fit back there because they think
you're a boy."
" I never said I was." The voice startled Michiru. No
wonder they were so upset. Her voice was deep enough to pass
as a man. The other girl continued as they jogged around a
turn. " How could you tell so easily if they were fooled by it?"
Michiru smiled again. " I'm an artist. I've studied
people. At first, you look like a boy with your height, short
hair and deeper voice. When you're wearing that, I can tell
that you are a girl due to the shape of your body. If you
had been wearing normal clothes, I don't think I could know
the difference."
The other was quiet for a few moments until a whistle
sounded. " That's the coach starting the class. I'll race you
back," she said to Michiru with look of challenge in her eyes.
Michiru stared back and said, " You're on. GO!"
They dashed down the track towards the rest of the
class. The distance would be about a hundred meter race
and Michiru felt herself to be in good form today. The
other girls in the class weren't much of a challenge to her,
especially after a summer off from their regular exercise at
school. She should be able to take the victory.
The short haired girl wasn't following the script,
however. Her longer legs pushed her out to a small lead by
the halfway point and she finished about two steps ahead of
Michiru at the end. As they slowed to a walk and headed
towards the coach, the girl held out her hand.
" Haruka Ten'ou. You're pretty good. I haven't had
a challenge like that for a while."
" Michiru Kaioh. You're pretty good yourself. I haven't
been beaten for a long time. You're going to keep me working
harder to catch you." She took the offered handshake as they
joined the rest of the class. They were put through the paces
by their coach, who seemed very happy about something.
If I can get those two on the track team, he thought to
himself, I'll be able to beat that duo from Furinkan High.
Those two girls may have been fighting like cats and dogs
last year, but the new redhead and the girl with the short
black hair on the Furinkan team had killed everyone last year
in track, including his team. He'd have his revenge on the
school's nearby rival.
*******************************************************
She was wrong about her prediction, but it was only
by a fraction of a second. A cagey veteran driver who had
more years of experience driving than she had alive had
managed to hold her off from the victory, and she took a
close second. Their duel over the last ten laps was far
more exciting than the professional race later in the day
and earned her a spot on the team as a real rookie driver.
Yamagata had been thrilled at her success, and Takashi,
the representative from the sponsor, had apologized to her for
his thinking she couldn't do the job because she was a girl. The
three of them had gotten together later that day and worked out
their strategy in regards to her. The racing groups didn't
require the racers to disclose what sex they were, as they
assumed that no women would think of competing. The three
would simply continue the charade Haruka had come up with.
If they kept her in the normal outfits the drivers wore
while racing, nobody would be the wiser. The paperwork and
insurance matters were quickly rushed through and the team
had a new member.
Her parents were less than thrilled at what had
happened, but held true to their earlier decision to
support her. As long as she finished school, she could
continue racing.
The trophy from that day still sat in a case in her parent's
house, the braid of her hair neatly coiled within the cup. That
had been her mother's greatest concern, she remembered with a
smile. The fact that she was risking life and limb didn't seem
to bother her mother as much as her new hairstyle.
She took the next several events by storm. Two finishes
in first and several finishes in the top five places had put
her into the lead for the top rookie of the season. She had
started too late to catch the leaders among the other drivers
for this season, but was confident she'd take them next year.
The sponsor had even allowed her to do some motorcycle racing
for the additional publicity value of having a successful driver
in two different types of events.
Like most of the drivers, with the exception of the
stars on the circuit, she was not paid a great amount by the
team. The real money was in the incentive clauses for good
finishes. Her endorsement work, combined with her success on
the track, earned her a considerable amount of money by the
end of the season. She chose these, with Takashi helping her,
on the basis of keeping her secret. The shots would be of her
in her driving clothes and this minimized the chance of
discovery. She was generous with her shares of the prize
money that went to the pit crew. This, combined with the
success of the team, kept them from talking about her.
When school ended last year, she had a long talk with
her parents about her future. She purchased a house in an
area of the country that they liked and convinced them to
move there to watch it for her. She bought half of her father's
business and became his partner. This enabled her to bring in
a few more people and expand the catering angle so her father
only had to come into the town a few times a week to check on
the day to day operations.
A few weeks of searching had turned up an apartment near
the Juban area of Tokyo that she liked and moved into. It fit
the important criteria of having a garage big enough for the
motorcycle and the sportscar she drove while in town. The
mechanics on the team kept the two vehicles in top condition. The
car was the top of the line model from the sponsor and painted
yellow. The motorcycle looked like the commercial version, but
boasted a racing engine under the white and gold exterior.
The hardest part was going to a new school. She transferred
into Mugen Gakuen from her old school and prepared for the usual
routine of putting up with a new bunch of boring teachers. She
found she was wrong about that. This place had some good teachers
and promised to be an interesting academic challenge for her.
The most pleasant surprise was Michiru. She hadn't expected
to like any of the girls at the school. She had so little in
common with them it was hard to relate to them. In Michiru, she
found what had eluded her for so long. A person she could call
a friend.
They had enough in common to draw them together. Their
contests on the track were usually won by Haruka, but not without
her top efforts. Michiru was the winner in the water, but she was
gaining ground quickly with Michiru showing her how to
improve. This camaraderie led them to get closer and learn
more about the other.
She took Michiru driving on the track and showed her
the thrill of pushing the limits of man and machine. The
beauty of the art and music that she saw because of her
friend tugged at her soul. She even had Michiru start showing
her how to paint as she realized how much she had ignored in
her youth.
This close relationship was not missed by the other
students. It only took a few months for the ugly rumors to
start. The fact that Haruka refused to wear the girls uniform
due to years of wearing boys clothing didn't help the
matter. They were quickly shunned by many of the other
students.
The fact was that they didn't mind. They had each other.
***************************************************************
Haruka smiled at the memories as she wove her way through
the traffic near the airport. She'd picked her motorcycle up
at a parking facility near the airport and was racing home. It
was going to be a close call, but she needed to get home to
change and pick up her car for the evening.
She didn't know when it happened, but she knew when she
became aware of it. A boy at the school, obsessed with Michiru,
had tried to convince her that what she was doing was wrong
and that she just needed a real man to help her change her
ways. Naturally, he was volunteering for the part.
She had overheard the conversation as she walked up
behind him after she heard him raising his voice to Michiru
and getting cruder in his choice of words to describe what
existed between the two girls. The look on Michiru's face
told her that this was bothering her.
" ' That little twerp doesn't have the right to mess
with someone I love...' " had been the words that ran through
her mind. She was so startled by it she didn't even see the
boy realize she was there and turn white as a sheet and move
away. She stood there for several seconds before realizing
that Michiru had been talking to her.
Later that evening, at Michiru's, she refrained from
discussing it with the other girl. It was still too new for
her to be able to deal with it, let alone talk about it. She
had merely enjoyed the evening they had together while
listening to Michiru improvising on the violin.
Her thoughts abruptly returned to the present. Traffic
was slowing up ahead and she quickly cut to the offramp and
onto the surface streets. There was a street that wasn't too
crowded this time of the night that led to her house. She'd
be fine as long as that cop wasn't there, lurking in ambush.
She'd really have to remember to get that international
driving license the next time she was in America. This guy
was getting to be a real hassle.
A few quick turns led her through a section of
residential streets and onto her shortcut. She accelerated
and sped down the street, keeping an eye out for the police
officer. A pedestrian stepped out into a break in the traffic
ahead of her and she put the motorcycle into a sharp swerve
around him and then hit the brakes to avoid a car that ran
through a red light a the intersection ahead of her. She fought
the bike into a controlled skid that brought her to a stop just
before the light.
Right next to her was the cop. He'd been chasing the car
that ran the light and managed to stop in time to avoid a
child who had darted across the street as soon as the light
changed. Haruka sighed. Fate was conspiring against her
tonight. First, the plane was delayed in London and now this.
She winked at him and bent down low over the handlebars
as she goosed the engine and shot down the street. He was on
her tail, and the big brute of motorcycle he had would have
the advantage on the streets with all the traffic. She was
on a machine designed for speed. Handling on a city street
was not it's strong point. The onramp for an expressway
loomed before her and she just made the swerve onto it.
There wasn't much traffic in this direction and she
took advantage of it. She had it over 200 kmh by the time
she was actually on the expressway and really opened it up.
The standard cop bikes were about as aerodynamic as a brick
and there was no way he was catching her today.
The motorcycle officer pulled over to the side as his
quarry sped off down the expressway. This thing couldn't
catch that bike in this situation. The other bike had
tremendous acceleration that a stock machine could never
match, even after Miyuki put all that time in blueprinting
the engine. He'd have to get the chief to authorize a new
motorcycle; one that could handle the speeds his adversary
used. He hadn't had a challenge like this before, and was
determined to bring the other in on his own. I'll get you,
he said to himself. Just watch. I'll get you.
******************************************************
I'll have to change the paint scheme again, she said
to herself as she changed into a suit that she had bought
just for tonight. She had raced down the expressway for a
few minutes and had doubled back on the surface streets, as
she wondered why he didn't radio in for back-up. As good as
she was, she'd have problems with a helicopter tailing her
and directing the pursuit. It's like he thinks this is
something personal.
She dismissed it from her mind as she got in her car
and took off for the school. There would be just enough
time, thanks to her high speed run on the expressway. She
used the cellular phone in the car to call a flower shop
that was on the way and instructed the girl there in exactly
what she wanted and how it was to be arranged while driving
through the traffic at a more sedate pace.
Her calls a few days ago had paid off. The restaurant
had left a message confirming her reservation and that they
had the tickets for the show delivered to them by a courier.
The violinist was here on a short trip from his native France
and had only one performance scheduled. Michiru had tried to
get tickets and failed when the show was announced.
She pulled some strings with Takashi and turned in a few
favors that the sponsor had owed her and had gotten the box
the company had at the theater. Michiru would be thrilled.
She pulled into the parking lot at the auditorium after
picking up the flower. There was only one, a single
yellow rose in a simple arrangement she had learned
from her friend. Her time away from her in America had
convinced her to do it. She was going to tell her how she felt.
*********************************************************
" You play very well, Michiru. My name is Setsuna
Meiou. I'd like to talk with you for a few moments."
The woman was not supposed to be here, she thought
to herself. After a moment, she realized who this was. The
woman in the composition sketch of that cafe. The one who
wasn't there but she had drawn in anyway. She was taller than
herself and almost as tall as Haruka. Her hair was the exact
dark, dark green she had imagined, almost black in the dim light.
Michiru walked to her chair and sat down facing the other
woman. She put the rose from Haruka down on the make-up table.
" I assume this isn't just a social call, Miss Meiou. Has
the time come?"
" How do you know about that?" Setsuna asked, surprised
at the calm manner of the girl in front of her. She should
have been surprised by this. Michiru just smiled a small,
tired smile in response to her puzzlement.
" I've always known that this life was not the one I
was meant for. When I was young, and just starting to learn
what my mother did, I told her of some ideas I had for some
paintings she could do. I couldn't paint or draw back then,
so my mother indulged me and did three paintings based on
what I had told her.
" I still have them in storage in my room. A castle
right out of a fairy tale, surrounded by beautiful gardens
and no moon in the sky, just the gigantic blue orb of the
Earth. I cried for a week after I first saw them. That was
my home, wasn't it?"
Setsuna quickly wiped back a tear at the pain in
the girl's voice. The poor girl hurt from the memories she
had but could not fully understand.
" Long ago, there was a glorious kingdom on the moon.
You were one of it's defenders, Michiru. It was destroyed,
but not before your spirit was sent forward with the other
Sailor Senshi. You're needed here, Michiru. Our duty calls."
Two lines of tears began to make their way down Michiru's
face. All of the pressure on her seemed to lift from her
shoulders. She looked up at Setsuna, still with the sad
smile.
" Will I remember any of this? Was this all just a
lie? I just found happiness here with Haruka. I wouldn't
want to forget it. I know I have to help you, but I couldn't
bear the thought of losing what we've had."
" Yes," Setsuna replied. " You'll remember everything-"
" You were great tonight, love... " Haruka's voice
dwindled off as she came through the door and saw Michiru's
tears. All three were quiet for a moment. The door swung shut
on it's hinges. Haruka stepped towards the stranger with an
angry look on her face.
" If you hurt her, I'm going to-"
" Haruka, it's all right. She didn't do anything." Michiru
said in an attempt to calm her friend down. " Her name is Setsuna
Meiou. Setsuna, this is my friend, Haruka Ten'ou. Haruka is one
of the others you are looking for."
Both Haruka and Setsuna turned to look at Michiru at that,
giving up their scrutiny of each other. Almost as one, they said
the same thing.
" What?"
Michiru laughed at the looks of surprise on their faces.
" Haruka, she needs our help. In some ways, we're kind of
related to each other. Please listen to her, Haruka. She's
telling the truth, no matter how strange a thing she says.
" Setsuna, would you please tell her about us. All
three of us," she quickly added at the flash of pain in
Haruka's eyes.
" There was a kingdom on the moon," Setsuna began. " It
was a time of peace and prosperity for the inhabitants."
" The moon?" Haruka said softly. Michiru put her in hand
on Haruka's to quiet her and asked Setsuna to continue.
" There were those on Earth who coveted the power of the
Moon Kingdom. They banded together and attacked by surprise. The
Moon Kingdom was destroyed, but not before it's Queen sacrificed
herself to save the children there. They were sent to a time
where they could again know peace.
" The two of you were part of the protectors of the Moon
Kingdom. You've been reincarnated here because there is need of
you. The old enemies of the Moon Kingdom are beginning to return
and your duty is to protect the Moon Princess and the children of
the moon."
" I suppose you're the moon princess," Haruka interjected in
a dry, sarcastic tone as Setsuna stopped for a moment. " What kind
of a story is this? Do you think I'm going to give up everything
I've worked for, everything I care for just because you come in
with some stupid story about how the Moon got blown up a thousand
years ago? You're crazy, sister. I'm out of here. I don't have
to stay and listen to this garbage." She got up and walked
towards the door.
" Haruka!" Michiru cried, stopping her in her
tracks. " She's telling the truth. I know she is. Please,
trust me on this. Please?"
Haruka turned around, almost against her will. She
knew that once she saw her eyes, she wouldn't be able to
leave Michiru here. She looked anyway, and leaned back
against the door with a sigh. Michiru still had a hold on
her heart.
" Michiru seems to know this is true, Haruka." Setsuna
said. " I think that you know it also. I never said how long
ago this happened. You said it was a thousand years ago. The
moon kingdom will have been gone exactly a thousand years
later this year.
" Also, you called me sister. You may have meant it as
figure of speech, but it's far closer to the truth than you
would think. I believe that deep down, you understand what I'm
saying. Can I show you one thing that may change your mind?"
Haruka looked at Michiru for a moment. Michiru believed
what this lady was saying. She'd hurt her by saying no. Haruka
nodded, and Setsuna got to her feet while reaching into her
purse. She took out a short scepter. It had heart on top of
the handle, and this was topped by a sphere that reminded
Haruka of a planet.
" You were part of the Sailor Senshi, the last line of
defense for the Moon Kingdom. Michiru, you were Sailor Neptune.
Haruka, you were Sailor Uranus. The others represented the other
planets of the solar system, with the exception of the Earth."
" What's you're part in all this?" Haruka said. " You
mentioned something about us being like sisters."
Setsuna smiled gently at Haruka. She drew the scepter
around her in a circle as her voice rang out.
" Pluto Planet Power, Make-up!"
*****************************************************
A cascade of purple light rose up around Setsuna. When
it faded, she was no longer wearing the stylish jacket and
skirt she had on before. Her new attire was the short skirt
and white blouse of her costume. She looked at the two
girls to judge their reactions, and was surprised when Haruka
bolted past her and out the door.
" Haruka!" Michiru cried, but there was no stopping
her this time. They could hear her crying as she raced down
the hallway. Michiru started to follow her, but stopped
after a few steps.
" I'm sorry, Pluto. I know she's the one. I knew it
as soon as I set eyes on her. She just needs some time to
get used to it. I'd be surprised too, except for the fact
I knew something like this would happen."
" She can't deny her past, Michiru." Sailor Pluto
responded. " She knows she can't. She'll come around soon. We
don't have much time left."
" Isn't time your specialty?"
" I guard it. I don't dare play around with it. The
damage would be too severe. Here, this is for you." She
held out a scepter similar to her own to Michiru. " You
know what to do. Just think about it, and the information
will come back to you. I can't stay here long. I have many
other things to attend to."
Michiru held the scepter out and drew it around her
in a circle as a cylinder of water rose up around her.
" Neptune Planet Power, Make-up!"
After a moment looking at herself in the mirror, Sailor
Neptune turned to Pluto.
" I know we have tough times ahead of us. I remember
the joke, Setsuna. When you show up, all Hell breaks loose."
*******************************************************
She somehow made it out to the car and drove it
home, even though she could barely see through her
tears. Why did this have to happen now? This is the
first time she had felt this happy in all her life. She
was on her way to achieving her dream of racing and she
had someone to love. Why now?
Everything the woman had said was true. She knew it.
She knew what was going to happen as soon as she saw Sailor
Pluto. Even the name had sprung into her mind. She
remembered her friends on the moon. The Sailor Senshi,
her sisters-in-arms.
She was a part of that past life. It was not as
clear as the one she now lived, but the emotions that
her other life had were far stronger than the one she
had now, except for Michiru. She sunk down on to a couch,
pulled her knees up and put her arms around them as she
sat in the dark.
She'd have to apologize to Michiru for running out
like that. She'd have to accept her past as Michiru had. It
was then that she realized it wasn't dark in the room
anymore. A scepter like the one Pluto had used hung in the
air before her, glowing a soft golden light that gently
illuminated the room. It was just like the light of a clear
morning, beautiful enough to take her breath away, and full
of all the promises and hopes of a new day.
Her hand had almost grabbed it when the fears came
rushing back in, just as they had when Setsuna had transformed
earlier in the evening.
" No," she whispered and snatched her hand back. The
scepter stayed there for a few more tempting moments and faded
away from sight. She could still feel the longing for it and
what it promised in her heart. Why was she afraid? Why should
she fear her past?
The answer came to her. She was afraid of what her past
would do to her future. If she took the scepter and the guise
of Sailor Uranus, what would happen to her present life? She
had just found how good this life could be. If this had happened
a year ago, before she had met Michiru, she would have done it.
She could give up the racing. She could follow what she knew
was her destiny.
The scepter would be back. She would have to make the
decision. She could give up everything, unless the price was
giving up her friend.
*******************************************************
That night, she dreamed. Vivid, clear images of her
home. Not the one she was at, nor her parent's home, but
the one she had in her past. She remembered the people,
the buildings, and the sights and sounds of the city around
the palace on the moon. She even remembered the wine vendor
at her favorite tavern who never would accept payment for
a glass of her homeworld's finest. This generosity always
surprised her, even though she knew what profits the man
lost. The cost to transport goods between the planets was
nearly ruinous to merchants. A bottle would command a fortune
down on Earth. She never refused him, but she never would
drink more than a glass a night when she was at that tavern.
She loved that place. The tavern, the palace on the
moon, everything. It hurt as much to see it in her dreams
as to watch it be destroyed. The attack caught them all by
surprise. The Guard was buying them time as they conferred
on their plan. She remembered the night far too clearly for
her liking.
The ball came to an abrupt end for them when Pluto
appeared and summoned them away. They had all changed out
of the gowns that the Martian king had given them for the
occasion. It had been only five years since his daughter
had been called to service, but it was still a source of
pride for him. Now, they wore their traditional garb and
were ready for battle. She had gathered the others in a circle
around her. She took her sword and sketched out a square in
the earth of the garden.
" Here's the plan. Mercury and Neptune will take the front
of their line. I'll be on the right, near Neptune. Mars will be
on my right toward their rear. Venus and Jupiter will take the
left side.
" Mercury. Neptune. Start off by slowing their front
down. That'll give us the chance to crowd their rear into
the middle. I want a lake out there if you can manage it,
but I'll settle for a swamp. After you two have done that,
we'll advance. Mercury, stay back a bit but don't let them
move forward. Just hold them there. You're our last line to
block the palace. Keep up a fog as long as you can. Their
spell casters can't hit what they can't see."
Mercury nodded her assent. She was standing facing half
away from the others and was watching the battle through her
visor. Uranus didn't mind the girl seeming like she was not
paying attention. Mercury was the quickest thinker of the group
and would have been able to repeat every word she said, and
she hoped the girl would come up with an insight into their
enemies from her observations.
" Neptune and I will go towards the center and take out
that monster in the middle. That thing killed too many of the
guard for my liking. The rest of you, stay on the regulars
and give special attention to the spell casters. Those you
hit hard with everything you've got. Stay with the low
powered stuff for the troops and make sure to conserve
your energy. This fight isn't going to be over even after
we take down the army. Saturn?"
" Yes?" the one with the glaive replied in her
eerily calm voice.
" I know you want a part of this, but you're with
the Queen. You've got the ultimate responsibility. We're
all expendable here, but she isn't. Also, no offensive
powers, except at her command, Saturn. If she wants to
play spoilsport, that's fine, but I won't order it."
" Just like the Guard is expendable, Uranus? They're
getting slaughtered out there. Why are we letting this
happen?" Jupiter said, tears in her eyes. She had several
friends among the guards and had spent much time helping
them in training. Their losses were especially hard on her.
Uranus put her hand on Jupiter's shoulder and gave it a gentle
squeeze.
" I'm sorry, Jupiter. I know it hurts. This isn't
my plan, but it's the best one. The commander of the Guard
came up with it. He knew what would happen. They all knew
what would happen. We have to make sure this works so
their sacrifice will not be in vain. Atlantis has already
fallen to her. We don't have our ally to help us.
" O.K. Move out and take positions. Watch for the
waves up front. That's the signal. Pluto is holding up her
end. We have to do our part. Everybody except Mars, move out!"
The girls ran to their positions. Uranus turned to
the firechild. She was the newest one of the Senshi. She'd
done well in training, but this would be her first real
test. They couldn't afford her freezing up.
" Mars, I know this is tough for you. You hid it
better than Jupiter, but the losses are hurting you
already. Just relax. It'll work out. I've been training
you for this. You won't hesitate. I have faith in you."
Mars gave her a smile and a quick, impulsive hug.
" Thank you, Uranus. Thank you for believing in
me. I won't let you down." She turned and ran off to
her position on their right flank. Uranus went to her
position on the right, pausing only to give Neptune what
could be a last embrace on her way.
Mercury led off with a fog bank from her bubbles
and shrouded the front ranks in mist. Then, she and Neptune
combined the 'Shining Aqua Illusion' with 'Deep Submerge'
to create a freezing field of mud out of the gardens the
invaders had been moving through. A bird of flame rose up
from her right and joined with a dragon made of lightning
to cavort around each other for a moment through a shimmering
field of falling stars before all three fell upon the enemy
to lay waste among the ranks. She smiled grimly. Venus, Mars
and Jupiter were showing off, but the hesitation in the
advance of their enemy was worth it. She concentrated for a
moment, and let loose a 'World Shaking' into the troops ahead
of her. She broke into a run while drawing her sword as they
fell to the ground.
It was over in minutes. The men really didn't have a
chance, and Beryl had kept her power in reserve. They had
been slaughtered. The few remaining had clustered around
the center where Beryl stood by her banner. There was only
about five hundred or so left out of her army.
The Senshi were relatively unhurt. She had sustained a
gash in her thigh as she drove her sword through the heart
of the shadow creature that was her main concern during the
battle. The firechild had already gently cauterized it to
keep it from bleeding until a healer could attend to it. Mars
then took her place in the loose circle that surrounded the
knot of confused men.
As she stepped forth to demand their enemies surrender,
the ranks parted. Beryl walked out, followed by the four
warlords of Atlantis. The evil queen didn't act vanquished.
She walked forward a few steps in front of her troops and smiled.
That was when she woke from the nightmare.
******************************************************
Setsuna drove away from where she had parked outside
of Haruka's apartment. She really didn't like what she had
to do here tonight, or to Artemis earlier. The problem was
that there was so little time, unless she broke the rules.
That was something she dared not do, even in this situation.
It wasn't so bad yet as to make her consider changing the
past. Causing these visions was close enough to make her
nervous.
She didn't have the luxury of waiting for
Haruka to accept herself as Uranus. She'd known the
one who was reincarnated here from her past life on
the moon. She also knew most of her predecessors. All
were so stubborn it made you want to hit them.
Why couldn't she be more like Neptune? Michiru
had known what was happening as soon as she saw Setsuna.
It certainly would have been easier on her. She wouldn't
have to resort to bending the rules by sending these
visions under the guise of dreams.
After a few more moments, she chided herself for
being too uptight about this. These girls were still her
friends from a long time ago. This reincarnation wasn't
anything like what had happened on the moon. She had a much
easier time of it when she started down her long path. Her
frustration at them was not appropriate.
The Moon Kingdom had only been around for about two
hundred years when she was born. She had grown up in a well
off family. Her father was a scholar and taught at one of
the libraries there. Her mother was a scribe at the palace.
She'd grown up among the stacks of scrolls made of parchment
and papyrus. Her dream was being a historian, for she had
always loved the old stories.
The tales told to the children had always entertained
her, but it was the events they told of that captured her
heart. She had read most of the histories in several
different libraries by the time she was ten, and was allowed
to attend classes with the older children of the nobility by
the time she was twelve due to her excellent progress. She
knew how it had all started.
Many years ago, there were men who had learned, tricked
or stole from the gods the knowledge of magic. Like any group
of people, some of these were good and some were evil. A group
of the evil ones banded together to try and control the world
of that time. They called themselves magii and set loose
horrors onto the world to weaken their foes.
A few men and women, braver than most, went forth and
fought these monsters. Some, like the sons of Zeus, became
known as heroes. Some of the others did not seek fame from
their labor.
Orion had spent many years hunting these monsters in
the less populated regions to the north. This led to the
name that people knew him by. They called him 'the' hunter.
He didn't do it for glory or riches. He just wanted to leave
a safer world for his children.
For a long time, he did this on his own. After several
years, he became close friends with a young girl who aided
him in his battle. She taught him much about the forest and
using the bow. They were very successful together and had
caught most of the monsters in the area.
Orion eventually settled down and gave up his career
as a hunter when middle age began to slow him down. He said
good bye to his friend and settled down in a village near
his old home. It wasn't long before he was the leader of
these people. He had married and had two children when an
old priestess of Aphrodite came to him as he worked in the
fields.
The goddess had a message for him. It concerned love,
and that fell under her jurisdiction. He had loved someone
before he met his wife, she said. The girl he had hunted with
was in danger. She had been trapped by the very magii who
had created the monsters they had hunted.
Orion returned to his home and took up his sword and
bow. The hunter ventured far to the east to the stronghold
of the magii. He crept in under cover of the night to free
his old friend. They had laid cunning snares and traps for
the unwary, but he knew of these from his hunts and turned
them back on their creators. For three nights, he stalked
and hunted the magii and their servants until he found his
friend.
She was held in a cell at the heart of the fortress. Her
captors had not been kind to her. The vibrant young girl he
remembered was now nothing more than an empty shell and fading
quickly. He held her for a few moments while she told him who
she was and what they did to her before dying in his arms.
She had been Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and the
moon. The magii had stolen her essence to further their plans
for enslaving mankind. She was gone, but her spirit remained,
trapped in a crystal by the magii.
Orion had killed many of the magii and was able to steal
the crystal in the confusion. He returned to his home, but an
attack by one of the magii nearly killed his family on his
return. He knew he would not be safe there, so he fled west
with his family to Atlantis.
The Atlantean king owed much to Orion, for his lands
were rid of monsters by the hunter. He also wise in the ways
of magic, and they conferred for a great length. The plan they
came up with was a risky one, but it offered Orion haven and
the chance to keep the crystal from the magii.
The scholars, the king and his mages were able, with
the help of Orion and the crystal, to found a city on the
moon. They built a gate that could be used to travel there
almost as easily as walking through a doorway. Many of the
families from Orion's village and a small number of Atlanteans
chose to try and make new homes with him on the moon.
The magii continued their search, but were not able to
track him. The settlement grew into a fair city and the power
of the crystal was used again to form villages on each of the
planets. These new communities were small, and life was hard,
but they slowly prospered.
It was not long after the other planets were settled that
the first of the Sailor Senshi appeared. A child was born on
one of the moons of Jupiter who had the sigil of that planet
glowing on her forehead. In the next few years, a child was
born with the sigil for each planet, save the Earth and cold,
distant Pluto.
These children, all girls, grew up with wondrous powers
and wisdom far beyond their years. They became the protectors
of their planets and the Moon Kingdom. It was found they aged
little once they finished growing up, and lived a longer life
than most people. The only exception to this was Orion, for the
king had discovered that the passage of years was slower for
him due to the power of the crystal.
They were fortunate they had the wily old hunter. The
magii found them soon after the celebration of the sixtieth
year on the moon. The King had learned much of magic over
the years and was able to block the attacks and carry the
fight to their foes on Earth.
The victory had been achieved, but at a terrible price.
Orion had fallen, as had the seven Sailor Senshi. The
King's son took up the crystal and became the new ruler,
as the crystal would only seem to work for those of Orion's
blood. Over the next year, seven more girls had the sigils
appear on their foreheads. Most of these were infants, but
three of them had been in their teens.
The Moon Kingdom continued to prosper under the new
King and their new protectors. A few of the Senshi were lost
due to age or combat, for there were still wars on Earth and
they aided their allies in Atlantis. When one of these was
lost, a new Senshi was usually called to service within a year
and the mark of the planet would appear on her forehead as a
sign.
Setsuna finally got her wish when she was sixteen. She
was chosen to be one of the teachers and caretakers of the
young princess who had been born several years earlier. The
rulers of the Moon Kingdom considered education to be of the
utmost importance in the proper instruction of a new ruler.
The next four years were happy times for her. She had
won the respect and trust of her pupil and of the sages at
the palace and had helped negotiate several agreements with
ambassadors from the nations on Earth for the exchange of
knowledge. The king was planning to build the most comprehensive
library the world had seen and many agents on Earth were acquiring
scrolls in all the lands for that purpose.
It was the morning following a marathon session with an
Athenian scholar that her life was turned upside down. As she
looked in the polished brass disc while she brushed her hair,
she saw the difference in her reflection. The brush fell from
her hands to fall clattering on the tile floor. She sat in
shock for several hours before going to the king and
interrupting his meeting with his councilors. He was angry
with her until she pushed the hair away from her forehead,
revealing the glowing sigil of Pluto on her brow.
*****************************************************
That's twice tonight, he thought to himself. Once
could be a coincidence, but two times is a certainty. The
effects of her use of time was impossible to hide from him,
now that he had the green orb he held in his hands attuned
to her. He would know whenever she moved through or near
the barrier.
He stood up and placed the orb in the stand on the
ivory table against the far wall of the scrying chamber
in his tower. The possibilities ran through his mind as
he went to his library to think. The servant outside the
door was sent to fetch a pot of tea as he sat down on a
chair and put his feet up on the mahogany table.
If she was here, the crystal would show up soon. His
crystal, now that the others of his order were long dead.
There was no other possibility that made sense. She couldn't
affect the past where she needed to in order to restore it.
His scrying and his spells had confirmed this theory some
nine hundred years ago. The only thing she could do was to wait,
just like he had to, for a sign of what happened that day when
a queen gave her life so that her subjects might live.
A few faint ripples that happened sixteen years ago had
led him to take the time to make the green orb into a warning
device. Now, he could track this adversary. She was the one who
scared him, if he would admit to such an emotion. Her power gave
him plenty of reasons to be cautious, unlike the others he had
observed in the same area she was now in. With luck, they would
run into one another and be all the weaker when he made his move.
He drank some of the tea after a spell determined there
was no poison in it or on the cup. The slave was of no concern,
but some of his own apprentices might try something like that to
defeat him. It never hurt to be careful. He would sit back, like
a spider that had spun his web, and see what came. He had learned
to be very patient over the last two and a half millennia. A few
more years of waiting could easily be endured.
****************************************************
The morning sun made her squint as she slid the
screen open to see what the wind that night had done to
the courtyard of the shrine. She loved the trees and their
shade, but cleaning up the leaves was a downside to them. Sure
eof leaves to dance around and mock her.
She slid the screen shut and went to change before
starting her day. The long T-shirt was tossed into a hamper
and she got out the white blouse and red skirt she would wear
today. Once again, she'd fallen asleep before putting up her
hair and it took a few minutes to untangle and straighten out.
It was her worrying about a vision she had a few days
ago and the dream that same night that had kept her up so
late the night before. Whatever the cause, the feeling of
premonition had chilled her to the bone. She couldn't get over
this feeling that something was about to happen.
Her sandals were just inside the main door, which she
opened while slipping into them. She stepped out and stretched,
her black hair streaming out behind her as she walked to the
small tool shed in the back to get her weapon for her daily
duel with the leaves. Her grandfather should really get one of
those leaf blowers for this task, as much as it would gall him
to change years of tradition.
The breeze continued to mock her as she worked, blowing
a few leaves clear of the pile and whipping her hair around. She
was just pushing it back behind her ears again when the voice
spoke from above her.
" I have a ribbon you can use for that."
She leapt forward in a low dive and rolled to her feet
while spinning around into a crouch, the broom held before
her. There hadn't been anyone there a few moments before. She
was sure of that; she would've felt their presence.
Her heart was still racing as she looked up into the
tree she had been under. A young woman sat on one of the
branches. She wore a yellow sun dress and a wide-brimmed hat,
like she was planning to be outside for a while. In her hand
was a length of red ribbon.
Rei nodded at her, forcing herself to relax and hoping
the blush had faded from her cheeks from her embarrassment at
her reaction. How had she have missed her? The other slipped
forward off of the branch and dropped to the ground, landing
as lightly as if it had been two feet instead of twelve.
She could see her eyes and hair as she walked around behind
her. The blue eyes were not so unusual, but the turquoise hair
was. She was only a few years older than herself, she decided
after seeing her up close. She had a very mature manner to her
that had made Rei think that she was older than that at first.
" I'm sorry to have startled you," the girl said as she
gathered Rei's hair and tied the ribbon around it. " It's
fortunate I had a red one. It matches your clothes and is a
good color on you." She walked over to the steps and sat down
while reaching into her purse.
" I know it's not much of an offering, but would you
like some hot tea? I'd normally make something to bring in,
but I only decided to come in while I was walking this morning.
I was just waiting for the shrine to open." She took out a can
and held it towards Rei with a small, friendly smile.
She went over, sat down next to her on the steps and took
the can, which steamed slightly in the fading morning chill. It
was one of the sweetened teas with milk that she would sometimes
drink. One of her friends at school compared drinking these
to drinking a candy bar.
" I have the extra because I'm so used to buying two of
everything out of habit."
She seemed to want to talk about something. At least
that much was clear to Rei, although she couldn't understand
the 'feel' she was getting from her. It was totally unlike
what she usually felt from people. There was an opening for
her in the other's last words, however, so she took a chance.
" A boyfriend?" she said, watching her out of the
corner of her eye as she carefully used a fingernail to
open the can and take a sip of the still hot liquid. Her
question must have hit close to home, for the other girl
blushed slightly.
" No, it's not a boyfriend," she said after a moment. " I
met someone several months ago and we became very close. We
just found out something that we would have to do. We both
know we don't have a choice in the matter, but she still
hasn't come around to accepting it."
Rei nearly dropped the can as her cheeks began to get
hot again. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. This
girl couldn't possibly be-
" It's not what you think," the other said quickly,
as if reading her mind. She must have been bothered by this
also, for the color had risen in her cheeks as well. " We
have a very important job to do. We're the only ones who
can do it. She knows it as well as I do, but she's afraid
of the changes that will happen to us because of it."
They were quiet for a few minutes. The girl was
clearly thinking about something that was bothering her
and Rei knew better than to intrude. Sometimes, her grandfather
had explained to her, the best thing you could do for someone
with a problem was to just listen to them. They had both
finished their tea when the girl finally spoke.
" My friend knows what she has to do. I know she'll do
the right thing. I just wanted to come here to say a prayer
for her and to ask if the spirits will ease her pain while
she's thinking about it."
Rei gave the girl her best sincere smile. The story
had touched her heart for a moment. She walked over to the
small booth that held the charms and prayers she would be
selling later in the day. She took out a good luck charm
and the basket of prayers and held them out to the girl.
" Go ahead and take a prayer. I'll say one for you
and your friend also."
The girl took one at random from the ones she had
drawn the night before from the bottom of the basket. Those
hadn't been folded yet. She read it, smiled, and folded it
up in the same style that Rei had used on the others. To her
surprise, she also did it in half the time it took Rei to do
her own distinct style. The girl smiled and bowed to her, and
then turned and walked to the nearest tree.
She tied the prayer onto the branches with all the
others. She clasped her hands in front of her for a moment,
bowed to the tree and walked back over to Rei. She picked up
the cans and her purse. Rei held the charm out to her and smiled
when the girl made an effort to refuse it.
" Please, take it. You're far more sincere about this
than most people are about their own problems. The only
thing you wanted was entirely for someone else. That's very
thoughtful of you."
She had finally realized what it was that was different
about the other girl. She was so used to people who wanted
something for themselves from the spirits, even if they would
never admit it. They wanted love, or money, or long life. The
list went on and on. This girl truly didn't want anything for
herself. She was here only because of her concern for another.
Rei turned around to put the basket back under the
counter of the booth, leaning over the counter to slide it
into the usual spot. She heard the girl softly thank her, but
when she turned around, the girl was gone.
*****************************************************
He woke up in the dark, fumbling for the light
switch. He thought he could smell the sea, even though
the nearest ocean was several miles away, and it was
almost twice that to the first beaches that were not
fouled by the shipping in the harbor. He finally found
the switch, and turned it on to illuminate the room. He
stared in shock at what he saw.
The bed was drenched, like it had been caught in a
storm. There were several strands of seaweed draped around
him. A small, frightened fish flopped around. The fish was
probably as confused as he was. He could tell it was salt
water from the way his skin was starting to slightly itch
as it dried.
First, he scooped up the fish and put it into the
small aquarium he had in his front room. Luckily for the
new resident, he had converted over to salt water several
months ago. The fish seemed to be doing well after a few
minutes. While he watched it, he ran through the day's events
and the dream he just had.
He had a photo shoot early in the morning. That meant
being there about two hours before sunrise. The shoot was a
short one, as the clear light of the morning did not last
long. He had gotten home a few hours ago and took a nap to
try to catch up on lost sleep. The dream was a confusing
one to him. He was wandering around a dark, deserted
castle in the tuxedo he had bought a few days ago. He was
looking for someone there when the pain came.
It doubled him over, and he nearly choked on the
sea water around him. The armor he was wearing was dragging
him down from the weight of the black metal and the sword at
his side. His arms were wrapped around someone who was
coughing and fighting for breath. A girl, from her long
hair and slender figure.
Before his strength gave out, he had managed to move
them in towards the shore enough that her feet could touch
the bottom. After that, he woke up. The tuxedo was still in
his closet, the protective wrapper still on it from the
store. He hadn't worn it yet, except to make sure the
alterations were done correctly. He certainly didn't have
any armor here, or a sword. He hadn't even worn one on a
shoot or in a play, although that might change because the
drama group was planning some Shakespeare soon.
Still, these events troubled him. This was almost
like that time two years ago, when he blacked out while
in the dressing room at a studio he was at for a shoot. He
had come to with a few leaves in his hair and two strands
of long blonde hair on his clothes while the production
assistant was pounding on the door and calling for him to
take his place out on the set.
If only his memories weren't so unclear about his
past. They might hold a clue to what was happening to
him. He'd been on his own after the accident that his
parents were lost in. He got out of the orphanage at an
early age, and put himself through school with a small
scholarship due to his good grades and a little bit of
modeling work.
These two things must somehow be related to his
past. He didn't know how they were related, but he had
discovered a clue. The girl in the water. She had long
blonde hair, just like the two strands he had found after
the blackout and that he had kept all this time.
******************************************************
Her parents were chewing her out as she sat on
the beach and recovered her breath. It had been a close
one. She was a fair swimmer, and had swam out to just
past the area where the waves stared to break on the
beach. The water there must have been deeper than she
though, for a riptide had caught her in it's undertow
and pulled her down.
Somehow, she had gotten in to where she could
touch the bottom and had made it to shore, where she
lay when her parents came running up. Her brother, Shingo,
had seen what was happening and ran to get their father.
They berated Usagi for a long time about her
carelessness, and decided they were not bringing her
back to the beach for a while. Shingo had made a comment
about her even being clumsy in the water, although her
mom had boxed his ears for that. She was concerned about
her daughter and frightened by what had happened.
Usagi sat through it, looking out at the water,
hoping for a sign of someone out there. It was just as
she finally let out her last breath and started taking
in water that she thought she felt someone's arms around
her. She had felt the metal he was wearing and wondered
how he could carry both of them with all that weight. She
was still coughing and choking from the water she had almost
inhaled and was not able to see him clearly.
By the time she could stand, he had disappeared.
She hoped he was not hurt, for he had saved her. She
couldn't have made it without his aid. She spent a long
time there hoping for a sign of his survival, until her
brother dragged her away as her parents made their way to
the car at the end of the day.
********************************************************
" Kaolinite," the shadowed figure in the corner asked
as she walked into the dark laboratory. " How did it go?"
She quickly composed herself. He had startled her,
sitting in the dark like that. The light from the room
behind her only made his glasses shimmer with reflected
light when he spoke. It was the only sign that there was
anybody in the corner.
" I'm sorry, Professor Tomoe. It had worked as you
planned until someone interfered with the daemon."
" Interfered?" he said mildly.
" Two women. Or, I should say, one woman and one
girl. The woman was in her early twenties, the girl probably
about fifteen. Similar outfits; a short skirt with a white
top and a ribbon, with different colors for both. The woman
carried a staff, which is what she used to destroy the statue
that the egg had animated."
She stood, waiting for his response. She was glad she
had put the white lab coat on over her dress, for it was
chilly in here. A lock of her red hair had fallen over one
of her eyes, which she brushed back when he finally spoke.
" This is interesting. Continue your search for likely
candidates. I'll have another daemon egg available in a few
days and we can see how it works then. The first batch is
coming along quite nicely, so I want you to find a number of
possible targets. We need to find the talismans as soon as
possible."
She nodded and vanished from the room. Her coat slowly
settled to the floor where she had stood as he considered the
implications of this potential setback for several minutes.
It was only when he had risen and checked on the vial of pink
fluid that rested in the flame of a burner on the work table
that he began to laugh.
********************************************************
The last two weeks had been agony for Michiru. Haruka
had been avoiding her at school on the few days she had been
there. Her messages were not returned. She'd even gone by
Haruka's apartment, but she wasn't there.
She knew better than to push Haruka on this. The girl
could be as stubborn as an ox when she wanted to be, and as
difficult to move. She would come around on this.
Michiru walked into her house after Setsuna had
dropped her off. They had fought a monster today that
was terrorizing some people at a mall. A statue had come
to life and had knocked out the shoppers with a cloud of
darkness that left them unconscious. When they arrived,
it was going from body to body as if looking for something,
using a beam of black light like one might use a flashlight
to look for something in the dark. It had been a tough fight,
for the thing had used a hostage as a shield until she had
distracted it and Pluto got it from behind. They still didn't
know what it was after. Setsuna had promised to try and get
more information on what was happening and get back to her.
She had taken a shower and changed into a dress before
hitting the kitchen for a late dinner. Her side of the house
had a small kitchen that she usually used instead of the
larger one in the common area in the middle. She was surprised
to see an open bottle of cabernet there, with a glass next to
it and about a glassful missing from the bottle. Next to it was
a tray with a salad on it and a yellow rose in a slender vase.
She picked them all up and made her way to the conservatory.
She opened the door and found the lights were turned off.
A few candles were lit and spaced around the room, their light
just softening the darkness. The moon was just overhead and
would soon illuminate the western side of the room in it's
silvery light. There was a wine glass on one table in the
corner near a couch, but the candles had been placed to
leave that corner in shadow. A key lay on the table next
to it.
" Haruka?" she said softly into the darkness.
" Over here." came the soft, almost whispered reply. She
moved through the room, confident in her memory of where
everything was. She sat on the couch and put the tray down. She
looked at the empty wine glass as she poured one for herself
and tilted the bottle to see if her companion wanted a
refill. Haruka declined her offer with a slight movement
of her hand.
They sat in silence for several minutes. She knew
that Haruka was here for a reason and she didn't want to
force her.
" I'm sorry about the night of the recital, Michiru. I
shouldn't have reacted that way. You asked me to listen to
her, and I ran out. I'm sorry."
" It's all right, Haruka. Have you gotten over
it? Something she said or did really upset you. I've
never heard you cry before."
" I think so." She paused for a moment, then
reached out and refilled her glass and took a sip. " I
knew who she was as soon as I walked in the door. That
whole thing I did was a sham, Michiru. When I saw her,
I knew things were going to change for us.
" That's why I ran. I just got to where I could
really enjoy this life. I had everything I wanted, Michiru.
I was racing and I found you. For one brief moment, I was
happy. I haven't been like that before. I don't want to lose
it now."
" You won't lose anything, Haruka. I still remember
everything. Now, I know more about who I really am. Why do
you think you'll lose something?"
" For the past two weeks, I've had the same nightmare.
The last battle on the moon. I wake up from it two, three
times a night. Beryl smiles, and I wake up ready to scream.
If I do this, we'll be fighting. Eventually, we'll get hurt.
I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, Michiru. I came to
realize it just before I left to go to America." She paused
and took a deep breath.
" Michiru, I'm more concerned with what happens to you
than to myself. When I haven't been sleeping after the
nightmares, I'm sick from worrying about what you're going
through. I can't stand the thought of you being hurt anymore."
She reached out and gently put her hand over Haruka's
on the couch between them. " I know, Haruka. I'm concerned
about you also. You've felt that way for a while now, haven't
you? I was so tempted to find you these past two weeks and
make you understand. I also knew that I'd hurt you if I did.
I didn't want to do that for anything.
" Haruka, I want you to help us, but only if you
want to. If you aren't certain, don't do it. I don't want
you hurt, either. I'll understand if you don't want to do
it."
They sat there for several more minutes, just holding
hands and thinking about what they discussed. She could
tell Haruka was finally beginning to relax from the strain
of her burden.
" Michiru, why are you taking this so calmly? I'd be
going nuts if I was in your shoes," she said and smiled at
her friend.
" I've always known that my life would be different
than what it was, Haruka. I could always feel-"
" Oh, not the more-sensitive-than-thou artist thing
again, Michiru. I still don't believe it." Haruka interrupted,
teasing her about the route her explanation was going. She
always did have problems with that line of hers and never
failed to tease her when Michiru tried to explain how she
felt the things she did. The tone of voice Haruka had used
reassured her, also. She sounded better than she had a few
minutes ago. She's getting over it, she said to herself as
her concerns for her friend dropped away.
" It's true, Haruka, at least in my case. I always
knew that my life was going to go off in some strange
direction someday. It's just like I knew we'd be friends
as soon as I saw you or when I knew that our pasts are
connected. I can feel it, somehow. I knew how I felt
about you several months ago."
They were quiet for a few more moments, and than
Haruka took her hand and kissed her palm. " I'm glad you
feel the same way. Would you do me a favor?"
" Certainly"
" Go get your violin. I want to listen to you play
tonight."
Michiru left the room and came back a few minutes later
with her violin. She's spent a few moments tuning it in her
room. As she approached the door to the conservatory, she heard
Beethoven in the background. 'Fur Elise' was the name of the
piece. Haruka must have gotten the CD player going, she thought
as she walked in.
She was shocked to see her friend at the piano. The sound
system was off. She had some trouble a few times, but recovered
well and then moved to the 'Moonlight' Sonata after motioning
for her to be quiet.
" I didn't know you played," Michiru said to her after
she finished. Haruka motioned for her to come over and sit
beside her on the bench.
" I've been out of practice for a long time. My parents
wanted me to learn it so I could be more ladylike when I was
younger. I started practicing again a couple of months ago so
I could surprise you."
" Consider me surprised. Those are not easy pieces." She
moved around and sat on the right side of the bench so she
would not be in Haruka's way at the keyboard with her
violin. " What do you want begin with?"
" Improvisation."
The results were very surprising to her. Haruka
was a lot better than she let on, and as they wandered
around from classical to jazz and blues and back, she
realized that the normally extremely competitive girl
was showing a different side of herself. She wasn't trying
to push into the lead with her play. She stayed back and
gave Michiru the foundation and support that made her
violin soar to a new level.
They stayed that way late into the night, making
music together.
*******************************************************
The new Senshi was cause for great excitement
among all the planets of the Moon Kingdom. She was
the guest of honor at a lavish ball and then was bundled
up and sent through a gate to the city on a moon of
Uranus before she even realized what was going on. The
court mages on the moon had sent enough of the crystals
that held magical energy for the mage on Uranus to cast
the transport spell that would take her to Pluto.
It was the one planet that had never really been
settled. There was a small group of mystics living there
in seclusion. There was not even enough of a population
base for a permanent gate to have been established. The
explorers from the moon had built a temple on the planet,
but the extreme cold and darkness was too much for most to
bear and no settlers went there.
The Senshi of Uranus was still relatively young
looking, but Setsuna knew she was over a hundred years
old. She had spent some time with Uranus and was shown
around the city while the spells were prepared. The view
was certainly different than the one from her place of
birth. While the Earth was large compared to it's moon,
Uranus was gigantic compared to the moon the city was on.
The planet looked like it would fall and crush the city
every time she looked at it.
In time, she made the journey to Pluto itself. The
cold was almost unbearable there, even with the enchanted
clothing she had been given for the trip. The other Senshi
had assured her she wouldn't need it once she got there. She
stumbled her way through the gloom to the small temple that
would be her new home for a while.
She went into the temple and peered about at the sparse
furnishings of the interior. There was a small altar, engraved
with the same sigil that was on her forehead. A few small
benches were pushed up against the back wall, away from the
altar. The only other thing was an old bed frame in one corner
near the altar.
After putting away her few things, she took a blanket
and folded it a few times to make a pad for her to sit on.
The extreme cold would almost freeze her if she sat on the
stone floor. She sat and put herself in a meditative trance,
just like the other Senshi had told her to.
She must have gotten up a few times, but she did not
recall it. She ate of the food that was left inside of the
door. The mystics must have left it for her. She would sleep
for a few hours and then return to her meditations. After
what seemed to be a couple of weeks, she realized she had
finished what she needed to do here.
She slept for several long hours after that and
then went out to look around her temple. She was quite
shocked to see Neptune, Uranus and Saturn standing
there. Their images swam before her eyes for several
minutes, like there were several of each standing before
her, each slightly superimposed upon the other. Each
image was slightly different from the next. It took all
her concentration to make her eyes finally focus on the
ones who were really in front of her.
" Are you all right, Pluto?" Uranus questioned her.
" I'm fine." she replied. " How did you all get
here so quickly? The mage said he wouldn't be able to
cast anything for a few months, at best."
" It's been almost a year, Pluto." Saturn said
to her in her even voice.
" We were getting worried about you." Neptune
finished for the three of them.
" A year!" she said to them. " How long were
you in meditation?"
" A couple of weeks," Neptune replied. The
others had the same answer, give or take a few days.
" All I remember is getting up every several
hours. I'd eat a little bit of the food the mystics
left for me and then sleep for a few hours and go back
into a trance. How could a year have passed? It only
feels like a few days, maybe a few weeks, at the most."
A brief flash of pain crossed Uranus' face. " I'm
sorry, Pluto. They're all dead. It probably happened well
before you got here, from the shape of the bodies."
" Pluto, we need to talk," Saturn said after a few
moments. " The three of us have been having premonitions of
a danger. The others haven't had them, or don't regard these
as a danger. Will you help us?"
And so began their little 'conspiracy', as they
called it. They started a careful watch on the outlying
reaches of the solar system for anything attempting to
attack them from outside. It meant that she didn't get
to spend as much time with her new sisters, but she was
still there to help them and grew to love them. She helped
the others raise and instruct the younger ones as the
sisters she knew passed away.
The losses in battle diminished over the years, but
time still held sway over the Senshi. They lived longer
than the other people and rarely aged much beyond the
initial bloom of their womanhood, but time came at them
with a vengeance when their days came near the end.
She was the exception to this. The minute details
that indicated the slow aging never occurred to her like
it did to her friends. She outlived them all and showed
no signs that it would change. She was sad about this for
about a century, but she slowly outgrew the feeling of
despair that hit her when one of her sisters left. She
was starting to understand why it was happening.
When she was not with her sisters or on her
turns on watch, she haunted the vaunted libraries on
the Moon. The Great Library in Alexandria was but a
poor cousin to the repository of knowledge on the moon.
The kings and queens never let this foundation of their
power weaken over the years and had agents constantly
working to expand and preserve it.
Orion's son had taken all the scrolls and writings
he could from the magii and had burned the rest to keep
it from falling back into the hands of any surviving
enemies. It was in these old grimoires she found what
led her to her true duty. One of the magii had been
studying time. The implications staggered the historian
in her.
This was a tool of great destruction and one that
could destroy everything her kingdom had stood for and
everything her sisters had died for. A fool's blunder or
the hand of a devious enemy would wreak the same horrible
effects. Everything would be lost.
She spent long hours meditating on this and
discovered that she had a degree of control over time.
She had already used it unconsciously to extend her life. She
spent three score years alone in her temple on the frigid
planet learning to master her talent. Her control grew and
she discovered how to use the staff she found in the temple
on her return. Her sisters from the outer worlds took up her
patrols while she dedicated herself to looking for the
disturbances that were the first sign of a change in
the natural flow of events.
It was just before Beryl's attack that she realized
what was happening. The multitude of gates opening in
Atlantis caused a slight ripple in the time stream and
she quickly went to the moon to warn her sisters and the
queen.
She felt out of place at the formal ball as she strode
in wearing her uniform. Her sisters and the queen understood
the significance and met her in the council chambers to
discuss the plans. They all looked so young to her. Serenity
looked the oldest, but the youthful looking queen didn't
initially seem to inspire much confidence. It was only her
calm demeanor and the iron resolve in her stance that made
her think that the woman was really a queen. She would be
the equal of any king when it came to the safety of her realm.
The Senshi were younger looking than their queen.
The whole group was relatively young right now and could
be mistaken for children dressing in the clothes of the
Senshi she remembered over the years. Venus was the oldest
and the leader of the group. Uranus was only slightly younger
than her with Mercury a close third. The others were hardly
older than they looked, with Mars only having served for five
short years. It was only their eyes that gave her confidence.
These 'children' would be the equal of any of her sisters in
the past.
The military situation was quickly examined and a
course of action agreed upon. Venus deferred the command
during the actual fight to Uranus due to the tactical
skills of the latter. It broke her heart to abandon them,
but Pluto had the hardest job. She would return to her
distant planet and wait it out. She had balked at Uranus'
decision, but Venus and the Queen both agreed and she left
for her distant post only after a royal order.
The minutes seemed like hours as she stepped through
the gate and into the unnoticed chill of her world. The
gate closed and then died out behind her. They had decided
to make sure the enemy could not follow her. It would be
some time before she could even return to the moon unless
she transported herself there. She could, but the transfer
was exhausting and would leave her depleted for some time.
She had barely settled herself before the altar when
a wave of stark terror swept through her. She involuntarily
cried out as it hit her. A moment later, before she had
really recovered and realized it was from her sisters, the
second assault on her senses began. A part of her soul
seemed to be twisted and torn from her and she began to
cry inconsolably.
They were gone. A part of her life had just vanished. She
didn't remember getting up, but she found herself running out
the door and blindly down the path that led to the shells of
the remaining buildings the old order of mystics had used. The
wave of pain hit her just before she slammed into the remains
of a wall.
The agony was so bad she didn't feel the impact. Behind
her, her staff burst into a nova of red light that penetrated
the stone walls of the temple. The whole area glowed red, a
dark red that made her think of blood. The implications sent
chills down her back and deep into her heart.
That last wave of pain wasn't something she felt from
another. The alteration of the fabric of time was the source
of the pain. Her heart pounded even faster as her fear drove
her into a sprint to get her staff.
The gate wasn't a pretty one, or a good one, for she
came out several feet above her aiming point in the wing of
the palace the queen resided in. She realized the error in
this as she looked around her. The palace was gone. So was the
city. Her gate was correctly placed, but there was several feet
of floor and foundation missing.
She sat near the center of a shallow crater that stretched
out beyond the ends of the city. Only an occasional pillar jutted
up to break the monotony, along with the remains of a wall to her
left. No bodies were in view. There was little to even suggest
that a city was here only a few minutes ago.
The tears began to flow and didn't stop for a long time. She
mourned in silence, with only an occasional sob breaking the
ominous quiet. It was only when her resolve strengthened that
she wiped away the last tear.
She was the guardian of time. She had learned to
manipulate it. She should be able to put it back to the
way it was, whatever the consequences. She wanted her
life back. The act required information, so she sat on a small
boulder and closed her eyes, concentrating on what had
just happened.
Her plans died the moment she saw what occurred. The
Senshi had routed the army of Beryl. Beryl had cut them
down and destroyed the Moon Kingdom in one fell blast. Then,
Queen Serenity held up the crystal with tears filling her
eyes and a look of terrible suffering on her face. Everything
went white for a split second all throughout the universe as
the queen ripped apart space and time, her very life powering
the spell she cast.
Whatever Pluto did now would be of no effect. She couldn't
even get near to that moment in time or space to do anything.
Serenity had seen to that. Her sisters were gone, ripped out
of this time and flung into another. The ambient temporal
energy was so overwhelmed by Serenity's sacrifice that she
could not even tell if they were sent to the future or the
past. She was utterly, absolutely alone.
The years slipped past with agonizing slowness. She
had little interest in mankind right then and spent more time
at first visiting the remains of the settlements on the
different worlds. It was the same story wherever she went.
The crystal had kept these colonies alive. They were doomed
without it. The cities on Venus were almost gone already,
thanks to the corrosive atmosphere. The Floating Palace
that orbited Jupiter like one of it's moons had already
been torn apart by the gravity of the huge planet. The others
would be gone in a short while. She would be the only one
to remember the glory that had been.
She cursed her apparent immortality, but kept to
her watch over the worlds. It was the only thing keeping
her going. She visited the Earth occasionally to keep up
on events there and found that the Moon Kingdom had gone
the way of Atlantis and become nothing more than a legend. As
the years passed, she made herself spend more time there and
learn of the new achievements that were made so she could
keep abreast of the new technologies the people of Earth
devised.
She would never forget the exact hour her hope was
restored. She knew the time down to the smallest measurement
she could make. The tear that Serenity made at the last battle
was so noticeable that it would echo down the centuries. The next
disturbance of the time stream was so slight she barely noticed
it. She was trying to pinpoint the exact location and nature of
what she thought she felt when two objects appeared like
shooting stars to her perception of the time flow. She
rejoiced at what she saw as the burden of a thousand years
was tossed aside and replaced by happiness and hope.
Two small metal cylinders had appeared on the
Earth. They quickly dissolved, but the occupants caused
a strain in the fabric just by being there due to their
suspension between seconds for nearly a millennia. She
had designed and built theses capsules and she knew how
to track the two cats who had been transported forward
by their queen.
******************************************************
An old man worked diligently under an engine of a
half assembled car as she looked on from the doorway of
the garage. Maybe a conscientious worker would have a
pure heart, she thought to herself. She reached into the
small red purse that matched the low cut mini-dress she
wore. A small, oval shaped object was taken out and
released to float towards the car as she walked away,
her long red hair waving in the soft morning breeze.
*****************************************************
The morning sun woke them as it came through the
east windows of the room. They were both on couches in
the corner where they had spoken last night. Haruka
growled at the bright light and rolled over to face
away from the sunrise. She was never a morning person.
Michiru was already up and moving, using the window
controls to let in the gentle, fragrant breeze from the
garden. She dragged Haruka into the kitchen and sat her
down on a stool there as she started on cooking breakfast.
The coffee was the first item to get started as
Michiru fired up the espresso machine. Haruka had gotten
the taste for it in the morning thanks to her time with
the racing team. The stuff the mechanics brewed was as
strong as what they put in the gas tanks. After a half
cup was in her system, she took the copy of the morning
paper that was on the counter and skimmed over the front
page.
She was fortunate she had good reflexes, for she
caught the cup without spilling a drop just before it
hit the counter after slipping from her fingers. She put
it down and looked at the picture more carefully.
" Michiru? I think you should take a look at this."
She looked up from the cutting board and the
onions. Seeing the concerned look on Haruka's face,
she moved over to take a better look. She frowned
slightly as if trying to remember something.
' Sailor V in England ', the headline read. The
picture was of a girl in an outfit that was amazingly
close in spirit to what she wore as Sailor Neptune. She
had long, blonde hair that was tied in back with a red
ribbon and she wore a red mask.
" She looks familiar," Michiru said while skimming
the article.
" I remember someone like her in my dream," Haruka
said softly. " The other things I remember about the moon
are hazy, but the battle itself is as clear as crystal. That
looks like Venus."
" Do you think the name has something to do with it?
Sailor V? Sailor Venus? Also, look here. There's a crescent
moon. This is too much to be coincidence, Haruka."
" I know. If it is her, what does she think she's
doing? All this publicity will tell our enemies that we're
here."
Michiru mulled this over for a few moments as she
went back to her work. The onions would not chop themselves,
and her stomach was complaining already about the lack of
breakfast. She listened while Haruka read the article to her
and only spoke up after the story was finished.
" Maybe she wants the attention, Haruka. What if she's
trying to decoy them away from this area by going to England?
I don't think her appearance is an accident. It's dangerous,
but it would work"
She saw Haruka thinking about this and decided to press
the issue. " This is starting to stretch the laws of
probability, Haruka. We run into each other here in Tokyo.
This 'Sailor V' shows up here, and there's a chance she's
connected to our past. Setsuna finds us here. There's a plan
to this somewhere. These aren't coincidences anymore."
" I now, Michiru. I think I'm going to have to become
Uranus..." her voice trailed off expectantly and she sighed
after a few moments.
" What's wrong, Haruka?" Michiru said as she poured
the beaten eggs into a pan for the first omelet.
" I was half hoping that the scepter to show up when
I said that. Maybe I'm not really ready."
" You'll come around. I believe in you, even if you
don't."
Haruka put aside the paper after a few more moments
and waited patiently while Michiru cooked. The sports section had
dropped her like a rock after the announcement. It was the big
story for one day and vanished the next. She had hoped her
friend had seen it, but she had given no sign of it.
It was only after breakfast that she decided to tell
Michiru. She finished her second cup of coffee and began
picking up the dishes since Michiru had cooked this morning.
" I have to go to the team's garage in a little bit,
Michiru. I need to talk to Yamagata and explain something to
him. I'd rather do it in person. I left the team, Michiru."
" Haruka!" she gasped. " Why? It was so important to
you."
" I couldn't keep racing and be Uranus, Michiru. I
wouldn't have the time to do both. I was afraid that you'd
get hurt if I did either thing halfway. I can give up the
racing. I won't give up you."
Michiru came up from behind and put her arms around
her waist as she was putting the dishes in the sink. Haruka
stiffened for a moment, and then relaxed into the embrace.
She liked the feeling of familiarity between the two. She
felt safe in letting down the guard she kept up against the
rest of the world when she was with Michiru.
" Haruka, I want you to do this, but I want you to do
it for yourself. I'm happy that you feel strongly enough
about me to be concerned, but this has to be done for the
right reasons. You need to do it for yourself or the doubt
will eat away at you forever. I don't want that to happen
to you. I don't want you hurting like that."
*************************************************
" Matthew, I have a simple task for you," he said to
the tiny image of the apprentice that floated above a basin
of water. " There will be an incident in your area in a few
hours. Don't ask me why it's happening or how I know. All
I want you to do is to go to the shops at this address and
observe the fight that will probably occur. Take one of
those video camera things and record the events and bring
the record of it to me as soon as it is over.
" I have Marcus at the same location, so disguise
yourself appropriately. He will get involved in some way
in this fight at my orders, and I want records of that as
well as the fight. Do not get involved. Do not take part
in the fray. Do you understand?"
" Yes, Archmage. Attend, observe and do not get
involved."
He dismissed the image with a wave and tapped the
side of the gold basin with his finger, causing a ripple
in the water. That would keep anyone from trying to observe
him through the basin or the residual magic of the spell he
just used. He leaned back in his chair and smiled. This
could be interesting.
Lady Luck had smiled on him. It looked like two of
his foes in Japan were going to run into one another today.
He'd be able to see what they could do to each other. One
of his apprentices would try to ambush the timewalker to
test her. Another would watch from the sidelines.
He had not told Matthew the entire truth, of course.
His students would think he was smart to have an observer
who was independent of the participant, but in reality, he
had more than two strings to his bow in everything he did.
He just didn't let them know the full extent of his spies
that watched them.
**************************************************
Haruka had been gone an hour when Setsuna arrived
at Michiru's. She met Pluto at the garage where she parked
her Jaguar and the two walked through the gardens on their
way to a secluded bench. Setsuna looked tired and drawn to
Michiru, who refused to discuss business until she made tea
and some sandwiches for the older woman.
" You're exhausted, Setsuna." Michiru said as she
poured for them.
" Thank you, Michiru. I've been working hard the last
several days. It was difficult, but I think I have a lead
on the source of these monsters."
" That's not the only thing. The papers have been
full of stories on this 'Sailor V' running around here
and in England. Haruka thinks she might be Venus." Michiru
handed a folded paper and a plate to Setsuna, who read while
eating.
" I think I know why this happened," Setsuna replied,
tapping the newspaper after a few minutes. " I was expecting
a reaction from something I did the night I first spoke to you,
but this certainly wasn't it. I'll have to look into it. Whoever
she is, there certainly is a resemblance. How has Haruka been
handling things?"
" I think she'll come around, Setsuna. She gave up her
spot on her racing team. That was very important to her, so I
would say that her doing that would signify that she is ready."
Setsuna heard something in Michiru's voice that told her
she wasn't telling her everything about Haruka. Michiru had
blushed for a brief moment while speaking of Haruka, and had
refused to meet her eyes.
" What else were you going to say about her, Michiru?"
Michiru blushed again and waited a moment before answering
to regain her composure.
" She had said she would do it to keep me from being hurt."
Setsuna, keeping any sign of it from showing, smiled
to herself at this. She hadn't been around for over two
thousand years and helped raise several dozen 'sisters' for
nothing. Now wasn't the time to press these two on this. They
needed some time to adjust to their relationship now that they
both knew that the feelings were mutual.
" She'll be all right, Michiru. She'll come around." She
put her hand on Michiru's and gave it a reassuring squeeze. " The
real reason I came here is that I think I've found a way to
track down our opposition."
" You have! Who are they?" Michiru said, startled at the
news. The look on Setsuna's face dampened her initial excitement.
" I still haven't found out who they are. All I can come
up with is a way to spot them. You're the key to it, Neptune."
Michiru took the hint and pulled her scepter out of her
space. Water geysered up from the ground, subsided, and left
her standing there as Sailor Neptune. The fading purple light
to her left let her know that Setsuna had likewise changed
into Sailor Pluto.
" Close your eyes," Pluto said as she moved to behind
the other while removing a map, pen, and a small compass from
her purse that was still on the bench. " I want you to relax
and just float there for a few minutes." She continued to
talk to the other in the same soft voice while the orb on
her staff glowed softly.
After several minutes, she was in a basic, low level
trance. " That's very good, Michiru. Now, I want you to open
up your mind to everything around you and look at the garden,
but not with your eyes. Imagine what a garden _feels_ like to
you. You're a very good painter. You should be able to imagine
what it feels like. Do you have it, Michiru?"
The younger girl nodded after a few more moments, the
breeze tugging at a lock of turquoise hair.
" Now, Michiru, I want you to extend your imagination
to include me. Do you see how I stand out from the garden? That
same kind of difference is what you're looking for. Don't try
for anything else, just look for something that seems different
or out of place to your feelings. Just imagine the city that
is all around you. Look at what seems wrong to you about the
city."
Neptune turned slowly in a circle, twice calling out to
indicate two different directions. Pluto noted these with the
compass and made a small line in the opposite direction on
the map from the bearings on the compass. She brought the
other out of the trance after double checking by repeating
the test.
" You'll soon be able to do that without the trance,
Michiru. You should also start to get a feel of how far away
the disturbance is so you can zero in on it." She held out
the map to the other. " Just remember, the actual direction
is exactly opposite of the one you feel when you do this with
your eyes closed. It's like you're looking at everything in a
mirror when you do it like that. If something is funny to the
south, check out the north. Those marks are already switched
around. What do you think the targets are?"
Michiru studied the map for a long minute.
" This one probably indicates this mall. There are
going to be a number of people there, just like the other
incident. It's probably after concentrations of people. I'm
not sure about the other one. The line doesn't go near any
places where people will be out in numbers today."
Michiru continued to examine the map. Setsuna was about
to suggest they try another attempt from a different location
to narrow it down when Michiru gasped. She looked up to see
the color drain from the younger girl's face and the map
slip from her grasp.
" The racetrack... Haruka!" she cried out as she
broke into a dead run for the garage with Pluto a step
behind her.
****************************************************
" I'm sorry, Yamagata."
" I still don't get it, Haruka. You busted your butt
for over three years to get here and now you're just
walking away. You wouldn't do it just to go back to
school like you said. Will you tell me what's wrong so
I can help?"
She sighed to herself. This wasn't going as well
as she thought it would. She walked around the car and
helped him put away the tools he was fumbling with due
to his anger. He knew something was up, but she didn't
dare tell him the truth.
" Nothing is wrong. I'm taking a short sabbatical
to finish high school. I thought I could keep on doing it,
but now I think I'm wrong. I already talked to Takashi.
They want me back as soon as possible. He says the guy
who will be running the racing department in a year is
very open to new ideas and might like the idea of a female
driver. I'm tired of the lie, Yama. I just want to get on
with school and then go back to the circuit."
" Dammit, Haruka, tell me the truth!" he yelled at
her as he turned and walked over the car. He must have
been ticked, she thought as he drew back his foot and
kicked the tire.
Red light erupted from the car as it blurred for a
moment and turned into a strange amalgamation of the car
and a woman. The tires were now on each side of it's feet
and the radiator and fenders were lashed on by the engine
belts like odd pieces of mismatched armor. A headlight
covered one eye like a monocle.
Both were surprised by the cackling apparition before
them, but Haruka recovered first as it moved towards Yamagata.
She ran in, dropped her shoulder and slammed into it from the
side. She caromed off, reeling in pain and stumbled towards a
pile of tires in a corner. That thing is as hard as steel, she
thought as she screamed at her muscles to obey her.
They didn't respond, or the fog of pain from her shoulder
kept her from stopping. The thing lashed out with the timing
chain, using it like a whip and sent her headfirst into the
tires. The breath went out of her from the force of the blow
and it was almost too much to turn to see what it was
doing. Yamagata had grabbed a long wrench and was swinging
wildly at it. She could see there wasn't any point. He was
tiring quickly.
The chain whipped out and wrapped around his arm
and sent the wrench flying. It pinned him against the
wall and turned slightly, swinging it's left hip so it
pointed at the old man. There was a click and a circular
panel popped up to reveal a black star on it's hip.
A beam of black light slammed into Yamagata's chest,
causing a spherical glow to appear. Haruka gasped as a four
pointed crystal came out of his chest. It was a fragile
looking thing, ruby red and softly glowing as it floated
to the monster. The old man hoarsely cried out as it left
him, and slumped over, ceasing his struggles.
It grabbed the crystal and began to gloat as it
looked at the still form in front of it.
The chain unwrapped and let the body fall to the floor.
" Kaolinite will be pleased." it said in a shrill
voice that reverberated like a engine at full speed. It
was starting to turn to leave just as Haruka began to
push herself up to-
" Deep Submerge!" Michiru's clear voice rang out,
sounding like an angel to her as a ringed ball of blue
energy tore into the thing from behind. It was slammed
into the wall, leaving a depression shaped like it's outline.
The crystal was sent flying out the main door of the garage.
Haruka managed to reach her feet as her friend rushed over to
her.
" Haruka! Are you all right?"
She slumped back down onto the pile as her knees
buckled underneath her. Michiru was trying to help her up.
" I'm all right, Michi-... I'm all right, Neptune.
Don't worry about me, O.K.? It's getting back up." Neptune
turned back to face the monster as Haruka's mind worked
furiously.
There, she'd admitted it. Her friend was no longer
just Michiru Kaioh. She was Sailor Neptune. Her own duty
was clear to her now. She would accept it, just like her
friend had. She wasn't just Haruka Ten'ou. She closed her
eyes and concentrated on the thought with all of her heart
and mind, the images of her past life singing their siren
song to her soul.
I_am_Sailor_Uranus!
*********************************************************
Neptune slipped under the chain and kicked it in
the chest. It was rocked back a little bit and had to
stop for a moment to steady itself. She used the hesitation
to jump back and gather herself for another attack. The
words died on her lips as she saw the glowing scepter
appear in front of Haruka, the sigil of Uranus shining
on her forehead.
" No, Haruka! If you take that, your life will
change. Rem-"
The words were cut off as the thing slammed into
Neptune, it's spinning tires covering the ground before
she could react but for bringing up her arms to try and
block the attack. It grabbed her to keep her from being
flung away and crashed into the wall, crushing her between
the two.
Michiru's scream of pain gave her the resolve she
needed. She grabbed the scepter and forced herself to her
feet. She'd gone cold inside instead of the heat of rage
she had expected, a harsh, grim chill that drove her emotions
away from her. Her right hand reached out while clutching the
scepter and she spun around in a circle as yellow light rose
up from the ground around her.
" Uranus Planet Power, Make-up!"
Her clothes dissolved around her in the light and were
replaced by an outfit similar to what Neptune wore, a short
skirt with a white top and a ribbon in a bow on her chest. There
was a matching tiara on her forehead from the weight of the metal
she felt there. The thing must have heard or felt something,
for it turned to face her and snarled. The tires began to spin
and smoke as they sought purchase for another rush forward. Uranus
just smiled, a slight grin with no trace of humor in it.
" It's time for round two, bitch! World Shaking!"
She thrust her hand up, fingers spread out and grabbed
the ball of seething, crackling yellow energy that was suddenly
there. She slammed it into the ground as the thing started
forward to run her down. A ringed sphere of yellow tore
through the concrete towards the onrushing monster and flung
it into the far corner as it convulsed from some terrible
force and was flung apart.
The battered remnants of the car remained where it
had hit the wall. A small, egg-shaped object fell out of
the side of it to fall on the concrete with an audible
click. It rolled around for a few moments and spit in half,
releasing a monstrous looking puff of thin black smoke that
dissolved away with a quiet wail.
Uranus ran over to Neptune, who had slid to the ground
and was sitting with her back to the wall while weakly
coughing. They took each other's hands and held them for
a moment.
" Haruka, I'm so proud of you. You did it. I'm glad
you're with me."
" Are you hurt?"
" No," Neptune said as she moved forward to kneel
with Uranus' assistance. " It just knocked the wind out
of me. I don't know why, but we're a lot tougher like this."
" Good." Uranus said and enfolded Neptune in a firm
embrace, careful to not squeeze her too hard, just in
case. " I feel wonderful. I was being real silly about
this, wasn't I?"
" You were, Haruka. It's all right now, though. Thank
you."
Uranus pulled them both to their feet and looked around
at the damage when it hit her.
" Yamagata!" she cried as she ran to the still form of
the old man. He was so pale he was almost gray colored and was
barely breathing. " That thing took something from him, some
kind of crystal. Whatever it is, it must be important. I think
he's dying."
" It went out the door when I hit it, Haruka."
Uranus ran to the door and slid to a stop, reaching
an arm out to keep Neptune from following. A woman was
picking up the crystal about twenty feet in front of them. She
stood up and straightened the hem of her short red dress with
one hand as she examined the glowing object in the other.
" It's a pity, you know. He just has an ordinary heart
crystal, after all that dedicated work for all those years. I
was hoping he'd have a talisman."
" Give me that!" cried Uranus. " He's dying without it.
What do you have against him?"
" It's nothing personal, my dear. He'll die anyway at
some point. We can make better use of it than he ever will."
Uranus started forward with a snarl of rage, her earlier
calm forgotten. The woman stopped her by putting her other hand
on the crystal and slightly pushing one part. She could hear the
loud groan from inside the building.
" I wouldn't do that, if I were you. These are somewhat
fragile, and if it breaks he'll be dead."
The stand-off was broken as a blue sphere bowled the
redhead over from behind as Neptune stepped out from a driveway
behind the woman and gave her a 'Deep Submerge' at point blank
range. The force of the attack sent Neptune flying back
several feet, but she carefully rolled with it and came to
her feet. Uranus charged in, but the woman on the ground was
quicker.
She vanished and reappeared on the roof of the
garage. They could both hear the sound of the crystal
breaking as she crushed it with a cruel grin on her face
and let the shards fall down to the street.
" I told you not to do that. They're fragile, you
know." She laughed and vanished again into thin air. Neptune
looked around for signs of another attack, but Uranus was
already back in the garage, kneeling by the cooling body with
tears running down her face.
*****************************************************
The mall looked very peaceful, she concluded as
she finished walking up and down the length of it for
the second time. There was no sign of any problems, but
that could change at a moments notice. The replica of
Michaelangelo's David had looked very normal until it
got up and started attacking the crowd.
She had changed back to her regular clothes before
driving away from Michiru's to drop her off by the
racetrack. They had decided to split up to cover both
locations. This spot seemed to be a false alarm, however.
While she was purchasing a can of mocha coffee in
a gift shop, she thought she felt something unusual, but
she didn't see anything out of the ordinary when she walked
back along the row of shops. She opened the can and had
the chance to drink about a half of it while walking when
the panic began.
She stepped into a maintenance corridor as a group
of people ran past her while screaming. It was time, she
thought as she quickly finished the can in one un-ladylike
gulp and changed to Sailor Pluto. The majority of the
people had gone past her, so she stepped out and walked the
way they came.
The source of the problem today was another statue.
At least this one had clothing, she thought with a wry grin.
This one was a samurai in full armor, brandishing a naginata,
with the two sword set common from that period stuffed in his
belt. It had just finished frightening a security guard, but
she didn't see any sign that it had done anything else.
She hefted the empty can and bounced it off of the
back of it's helmet. It spun around with a cry of rage, the
naginata at the ready, eager to punish any foolish enough to
interrupt it.
" You've got a lot of nerve attacking these people,"
she said to it in an almost conversational tone of
voice. " And on my coffee break, also." She'd prefer to
blast it, but she had to see if she could get some
information from it. They were still in the dark about the
motives of their enemies.
It snarled again and rushed her, slashing with the
blade of the pole arm. It must not be the talkative type. She
reached out with her staff and deflected it slightly upwards
at the beginning of the swing, enabling her to duck under it
when it got to her. She reversed the direction of her swing
and sent the naginata off down the hall to land in a
fake potted plant with a disarming technique not seen since
the fifth century.
The samurai leaped back to avoid the attack that
followed her disarm. It howled in rage, drew the katana,
took a deep breath and split into three parts, all
duplicates of the first. It was an interesting trick,
she thought, but it took more to-
A sudden premonition made her swing her staff
around behind her and it shuddered in her grip as a
blast of black light was deflected by the orb. A shiver
ran down her spine to her toes and settled back in her
heart. That had been a blast of temporal energy.
She turned her back on the three samurai to look
around the mall for her new foe. The three reacted
predictably, running in to attack. She let them get another
step closer, and then put the butt end of the staff under
her arm so that it was pointed behind her. She looked
defenseless, at least to them.
" Dead Scream," she softly whispered as a sphere of
violet light flew out behind her, expanding to destroy the
three samurai. She didn't have time for the little stuff
right know. The use of a temporal attack scared her. She
hadn't thought that anyone could do that except her.
No further attacks came. The two duplicate samurai
were gone, destroyed by her attack. The first had gone back
to the original pose it had been in, except that it was
resting flat on the ground about fifty feet from the pedestal
it had been on. A small, egg-shaped object fell out of it
to break in two on the ground.
The blast had been a random gathering of fragments
of temporal energy. If it had hit her, she'd have been
ripped apart and scattered piece by piece over hundreds of
years and miles. This wasn't good. She should be the only
person able to do anything like this. If they could do this,
she'd have to spend all her time guarding the passageways to
keep them from traveling in time. Neptune would have to do it
alone until Uranus came around. She didn't dare let her guard
down.
She knew the location of the racetrack well enough,
and Michiru had pointed out the garage itself. The orb on
her staff glowed as she used it to trace out a circular
opening in the air in front of her. The gate brought her
in a few feet high, but she was at the garage. Uranus had
just stood up when she walked in. At her feet was the body
of an old man.
" He's dead, Pluto. A monster took this from him." She
held out her hand, the fragments of the heart crystal now dark
and dull. It didn't shine like the ones she had seen in the
past. " A woman crushed it. She called it a heart crystal. She
had said she was hoping to find a talisman. What the hell is
going on here?"
" I'm sorry, Uranus." She replied, meeting the angry
glare from the young woman. It was happening again. They
would need her help, and she couldn't be there for them. It
seemed like a story that would keep on repeating itself. " I
dof time. I'll try to figure out what is happening. I think I
know what the talismans could be, but I need to research it."
" Why are you just running away, Pluto?" Uranus growled
at her. " Are you going to hide away and let the rest of us die
again?"
" Haruka!" gasped Michiru, surprised at the angry
words from her friend. She stepped forward and put her
hand on Haruka's arm to try and calm her. " Stop it. You
don't have any right to say this. You know what her duty
is."
Uranus continued to glare at Pluto for several
moments more, and then sighed and turned away to start
pacing back and forth.
" Are you done, Uranus?" Pluto said coldly. " You
know what I have to do. Do you think I like having to watch
what happens? I helped raise all of you. I watched you all
grow up. I was there to hold your hands when you learned to walk.
" I fixed up the skinned knees, held you when your
hearts got broken, and watched you all grow old and die. Don't
you think I hated living this long? There's only one thing
keeping me going, Uranus. I'm the only one who can watch
over time so that the past is not interfered with.
" These monsters are going to keep on coming. They'll
try to continue to take heart crystals from innocent
people. If you let that happen, more of them will die.
You're going to have to stop them from getting the
crystals. You'll have to find these talismans. I have to
protect time itself. I'll let you know what I can find
out, but you have to stop them here. This is your duty,
Haruka. I go now to mine."
Pluto tapped her staff on the ground and vanished.
*******************************************************
The man screamed as a ball of black energy enveloped
his body and a horrible, agonizing feeling of something
tearing at him began.
" Please, Master-"
" Silence, Marcus. Suffer in silence. This is the
same spell you used on her, directly against my orders.
Why did you use a temporal attack against the equivalent
of a fully trained time-mage? What gave you the idea that
you were her equal? I have no use for your ego, Marcus."
He tried screaming again, but a rope appeared in
front of him and gagged him before he could make any
noise. This pain was unbearable. Just kill me, you sick
bastard, he screamed in his mind.
The older man pacing back and forth in front of
him didn't seem to notice the rope.
" This is the same spell, with one slight difference.
It will take you several days to be ripped apart, molecule
by molecule. You disobeyed me, Marcus, and you made the
target go into hiding. I won't be able to gather any more
information about her, and you know how much I value
information.
" This does set me back quite a bit. I can't move
openly until I figure out her plans and where my crystal
is. I'll have to do things with the utmost care and secrecy,
and that will slow me down. This will inconvenience me, so
I'm taking your life in return. Enjoy the next week, Marcus.
The spell will also keep you alive and awake to fully
appreciate the effect."
He laughed softly and walked out of the room, not
bothering to shut the door. His other students would see
this, and hopefully they would learn from it.
***************************************************
The last five months had made all the difference
for them, Michiru thought to herself as she reviewed the
events from earlier today. She had become a skilled fighter
from the training she went through with Haruka in several
different styles of martial arts. They could almost read
the other's mind, their last teacher said, from the level
of teamwork between the two.
The monsters kept coming. Setsuna had gotten some
additional information for them. The monsters were being
made by someone. They were called daemons, and they had
to inhabit something in order to survive. Michiru had
come to the conclusion that they used human material as
the basis for these in some way. That's why they had fought
so many strange combinations of women and objects.
They had not seen the woman in the red dress again,
but they averaged a fight against a daemon egg every couple
of days. Whoever or whatever was making them had the
resources to keep churning these things out. She'd gotten
much better at tracking the disturbance they made and could
now zero in on it with a few moments concentration. They
would go to the site and keep the daemon from making off
with the heart crystal. They still hadn't found any of the
talismans.
Setsuna had come by to visit them a few times. Fortunately,
she and Haruka had patched things up very quickly, and Pluto
turned out to be a much more co-operative and friendly now
that she saw Haruka's sincerity. The enemy was after the
talismans in order to use them to destroy the world. The
talismans would only be found attached to the heart crystal
of someone with a pure heart.
They had to keep them from doing it. The only way to
stop it, according to Setsuna, was to get the three talismans
into the hands of the messiah, who would destroy this evil
that threatened the world. Since they had no clue as to the
identity of the messiah, they had agreed to do anything
necessary to get the talismans.
The danger in this was that a person would die if their
heart crystal was removed for more than several minutes. They
would have to sacrifice three people with pure hearts in order
to get the talismans. There was no other way than to kill them.
It had been difficult for both of them to accept at first,
but the continuing problem of the daemons convinced them that
the price would be worth it. The monsters were getting smarter
and stronger each time they encountered one, and eventually
they would start doing more damage than killing three
people. It was a horrible case of the end justifying the
means, but it didn't take them long to accept it.
Haruka came in and sat next to her, drying her hair
with a towel. The short haircut her friend had was certainly
easier to take care of than her hair. At least it wasn't
as bad as the mane of hair they had seen yesterday. They
had been hiding in a clump of trees, watching a daemon start
to attack some children at a park. She had started forward
to put a stop to it, but Haruka grabbed her arm and pointed
out what she had missed. A girl had jumped down from a
street light and attacked the monster. It was Sailor V.
It certainly looked like the painting Haruka had
done from her dream of the last battle on the moon. She
had the same long blonde hair they both remembered, but
the costume was in all the wrong colors. The ensuing
fight went back and forth for several minutes. The girl
kept her distance between the two, gracefully avoiding
the blasts of water the daemon-inhabited hydrant flung
at her. Her own attack, a slender blast of white light,
continued to strike the now enraged monster in the same
spot several times in a row. It foolishly charged and
the fight was over. It was tripped up by a leg sweep
from the girl, who jammed her hand against the weakened
section and finished it off at point blank range with a
final blast.
They had been too far away to hear what she had
yelled as she attacked, due to the noise from the police
and camera crews that had arrived moments after the fight
began. Sailor V, after checking that the children were all
right, had left the scene to the disappointment of the crowd.
They had hoped to follow her and find out who she was, but
lost her trying to circle around the park.
Today, they had a close call with a daemon that nearly
got away from them. It had taken them nearly an hour chasing
the thing on Haruka's motorcycle to catch and destroy it. The
discovery that it was only an ordinary heart crystal had
depressed them after the long chase. Worse, they had been
delayed long enough that the victim had not recovered right
away when they brought the crystal back. They had spent
several hours lurking around the hospital, waiting for
the baby girl to regain consciousness and pretending to
be concerned neighbors. She had finally woken up, but the
doctor, a pediatrics specialist with long, black hair, told
them that there might be complications from the brief coma
the girl had apparently been in.
Haruka had stormed out of the hospital, furious at
the things for doing this to an innocent baby. Michiru
had ran along with her, using all her skill to keep her
friend from exploding in rage while in the hospital. Neither
had noticed the doctor who had treated the child talking to a
young girl with short, blue hair.
****************************************************
She was in the office of the principal again for
getting into another fight. Some of the boys on the
baseball team had dragged a girl off under the bleachers
after school that day. She had seen this, and had ran over
to put a stop to it. She knew that she'd probably get
into trouble for this, but she couldn't stand things
like this and refused to let it happen.
She came in from behind the group and used the
surprise to her advantage. Some of the teachers arrived
a few minutes after the screaming started. They had found
several bruises, black eyes and a broken bone among the
boys lying on the ground. The wrestling teacher had
grabbed her and pulled her off of the instigator of this
just as she got a good hold on his neck. The girl had
escaped with only a torn blouse and a few bruises.
After the dust settled and all the involved parties
had been interrogated by the principal, she had been
informed of his decision to expel her for starting a fight
with the boys. She was shocked by this biased interpretation
of the events and had told him so.
" They're getting away with this because they're on
the varsity team, right? You sick old man. Just because they're
a bunch of star players they can get away with anything. This
is disgusting! You're disgusting for letting this happen!
Fine, expel me." She had yelled at him and then slammed the
door to his office and walked away while keeping the tears
from showing.
She was getting her things from her locker when
one of her teachers found her.
It was her English teacher, Mr. Hamilton. He was an
American who had taught for several years in Japan.
She always enjoyed his class, and her skills had gotten
much better in her short time here. Her previous teachers
in this subject had not done a good job with her.
" Makoto, I'm glad I found you." he said in his
thick accent. His Japanese was as good as a native, but
he had an accent that was as bad as hers was in English. " I
heard about what happened. I wanted to let you know that
I'm sorry about it.
" The girl decided not to press charges, Makoto. If
she did, she would have to admit what had happened. This
way, nothing did happen to her. You kept her from being
hurt, but you're the one paying for it. I'm sorry that
it's not fair, but you did the right thing."
" I know, Mr. Hamilton. This will be another
school I've been kicked out of. My parents are going to
kill me." The lie hurt, for she liked this man. " I'll have
to find another school."
" Makoto, you moved a few months ago, right? I know
the principal over at a school in Juban. I'll write him a
letter and explain what happened. I should be able to get
you in without any real problems."
*******************************************************
Haruka finished drying Michiru's hair. The chase
today had left them covered with dust and grit from the
roads and the parks it had led them through. It had taken
her several washings to get it all out of her hair, and
Michiru's had been in worse shape. She now really appreciated
the helmet and leathers she normally wore while on her motorcycle.
" I called Dr Mizuno while you were in the shower,
Michiru. She said the child is slowly getting better. Her
signs are up from earlier. She thinks the girl will be all
right."
" That's good. I was still worrying about her."
" I know. You weren't as obvious about it, but I could
tell you were upset. Thanks for keeping me from blowing up back
there at the hospital."
Michiru nodded. They both went to sit on a bench in the
garden and look at the city lights that were just starting to
glow as the sunset approached. It wasn't until after it had set
that Haruka stood and pulled the other to her feet.
" Try a reading, Michiru. I want to see if you still get
the same results on something."
She nodded, closed her eyes for a moment, opened them
again and looked around her at the lights below. One place
had stood out, just like it had for a few days.
" The castle again, Haruka." she said with a sigh. She
kept getting a bad feeling from it, but it wasn't the same
as when she felt the daemons.
" Good. I pulled a few strings in case you were
right." Haruka reached into her jacket and pulled out a
pair of tickets. " It's a European themed banquet hall
that opened up a few months ago. They're having a charity
event tonight. It's a masquerade and the white and lavender
dress of yours will go wonderfully with a matching tux I
bought this morning, just in case. We'll mix business with
a bit of pleasure and get you to unwind a little bit."
Michiru smiled as they got up to walk back into the
house. She was already feeling better at the thought of a
night out. They'd been doing too much fighting recently.
" Every time I think I've got you figured out, Haruka,
you go ahead and surprise me. How did you ever get tickets
this late for this place? That charity is a big one. They'll
be packed and the upper crust will be fighting like cats and
dogs over the tickets."
" My dad's got a nice catering contract there. They
owe him for saving their butts when the original caterer
pulled out the morning of their first event. At least we'll
have good food tonight. Go and get dressed. I've got the
masks in my car."
*******************************************************
" Naru-chan, I'm so excited. This will be so much
fun! There will be a bunch of gorgeous guys there, and
dancing, and all the food we can eat. I'm going to be in
heaven!!" the blond girl said, piling her two long streams
of hair up on her head and securing them temporarily with
a pin. She had already finished putting on most of her
make-up and started to put on the white gown she would
wear that night.
" Calm down, Usagi. It's just a charity event, not a
real party. We'll have to listen to a bunch of boring speeches
and the only guys there will be a bunch of old businessmen. I
don't think it will be that good. It is nice to be able to
dress up and go out, though," the other replied. She was a bit
shorter then her friend, with medium length hair that was
just a shade too brown to be auburn. Her green gown would
set off her hair tonight, she thought as she tried to head
off the exuberance of her companion.
Usagi had a tendency to get clumsy when she was
excited and Naru didn't want to end up with Usagi ruining
the evening somehow. She knew she wouldn't mean to, as
Usagi didn't have any intentions of such a thing. Still,
she had a good track record for mixing clumsiness combined
with the best of intentions and ending up with chaos.
The two girls continued putting on their make-up and
gowns. Naru's mother had loaned them several pieces of
jewelry to wear for the night. They would both look
wonderful tonight.
****************************************************
" Ami! Wait!"
She turned to see a classmate running up to her
as she walked back to her house. Her mother had to
cancel their plans for the night. One of her patients
today, an infant girl, was still in serious condition
and her mother had wanted to stay and watch her for a
little while longer.
" Hi, Kimiko. How are you?"
" I'm fine, Ami. I'm going to a charity ball
tonight with some of my friends to look at some of
the celebrities who will be there and see what they're
wearing. We were going to go to a movie after that. Would
you like to come along?"
" I'm sorry, Kimiko, but I have to study for the
test tomorrow. Thank you for asking me."
" O.K., Ami. I wish you could come along. I'll see
you tomorrow." She turned and ran back the way she had
came. What was with this new girl? She always had the
best scores. Surely, she could afford to take some time
off. She must be a snob, she thought, always thinking
herself better than anyone else because of her grades. That
would be the last time she tried to be nice to the genius
girl.
Ami resumed her walk home. She had wanted to go, but
her mother would probably be transferred away again soon
and she'd have to leave another group of friends behind. It
would be easier here if she didn't make any.
****************************************************
The speeches were thankfully over and the dancing
had begun. Scores of couples were moving around the room
to the accompaniment of a small string ensemble in the
corner. Michiru had winced at hearing one of the violin
players and sought out the conductor, who was a friend of
her father's. They had conferred a few moments and Michiru
had taken over the violinist's place so she could work with
the others for a few numbers.
Haruka stood on a balcony overlooking the dance floor.
It was turning out to be a nice evening. The crowd was
surprisingly young tonight. She watched several couples
happily dancing for a few minutes.
They hadn't been able to tell that she was not a man.
Her tuxedo and height had done the trick again, along with
the help of a sports bra. Nobody had even looked at her and
Michiru with anything other than envy at the lovely couple
they made. She was smiling at the success of the trick when
she noticed the wallflower.
The girl was pretty, and wore an elaborate white gown
with a modest neckline compared to some of the women here
tonight. Her mask covered her eyes and part of her face
but did nothing to hide the beauty there. In a few years,
the guys would be lining up to chase this one. She decided
to go down and entertain herself while Michiru played. The
wallflower was still there and still alone when she reached
the dance floor.
" May I have this dance, my princess?"
She whisked the young girl onto the floor and smoothly
began to lead them in the slow waltz that was playing.
****************************************************
Usagi had been furious with Naru for abandoning
her. She had left her to go chasing a young man who had
seemed to be attracted her. She quickly forgave her friend,
however. They had come there to have fun, and she wasn't
really mad at Naru for going off with the boy. He had been
sort of cute. She might have done the same.
The couples on the floor were twirling around the
room. She had wanted to dance, but there was a scarcity
of unattached boys here tonight. The buffet was already
shut down, except for the rich, dense chocolate torte they
had served for dessert. She would have gone back for more,
but the servers had looked at her strangely when she got
her third piece.
She had just about given up and was going to get
another piece of cake when a vision appeared before
her. He was tall and handsome with sandy blond hair
and wore a dreamy white tuxedo. The mask concealed little
of his face and she could have fallen into the depths of
those blue eyes.
" May I have this dance, my princess?" he had said,
and swept her onto the floor. Even his voice was lovely,
and his dancing was divine. He carefully led them into the
waltz, his skill and strong arms keeping her from making
any mistakes or stepping on his feet. She could almost feel
her eyes turning into hearts.
Luck was smiling on her tonight, it seemed. The music
moved into an extended piece featuring a beautiful violinist
and she got to spend even more time with this incredible
hunk. They continued to glide around the room as she
wondered if she would ever be so happy again in her life.
*****************************************************
It was the same dream again. He was roaming through
the dark, abandoned castle in a tuxedo. This time, a voice
came to him. A woman's voice, clear and beautiful. She was
imploring him to find her and protect her. He turned around
to see a figure standing on a high balcony. She wore a white
gown, and he could see her long blonde hair, just like the
two strands from the first time he had this dream. The light
behind her blurred her features so he couldn't see her face
clearly.
Right on cue, the pain came. He staggered backward
from it, and bumped into a wall. The lights and sounds
washed over him. He now stood behind a pillar near the
wall of an elaborate ballroom. Couples danced around in
the center of the room and a group of musicians were
finishing a waltz that he knew the melody of.
He was dressed like most of the men here, in a black
tuxedo with a mask. The mirror near him told him the rest.
He also wore a long, red-lined cape. Thankfully, this was
one place where the clothes he wore in the dream would fit
in.
One couple stood out from the rest. The man wore
a white tuxedo that had caught his eye at first, but the
girl in his arms held them there. His heart skipped a beat.
This had to be the girl from his dreams.
She was beautiful. Her long blonde hair swept around
just above the floor as they continued to dance past the
end of the tune and through the applause for the violinist
taking a bow. The girl had on a white gown, just like the
woman in his dream. Her blue eyes and the dazzling smile
she wore as she gazed up at the young man captured his heart.
He stood transfixed, staring at the two for several
moments before he decided to take the chance. This was a
chance to find out why he was having the dream. Maybe she
could tell him who he was.
*****************************************************
Haruka had heard the single note that Michiru had
faltered slightly on. She turned to look at her quickly,
swinging the young girl around suddenly to cover the
motion, and caught Michiru's slight nod. She had sensed
something. The piece was drawing to a close. They would
have to get out of here and investigate this.
****************************************************
Usagi was still in heaven as the dance ended. She
would have sworn that her feet never touched the ground
throughout the number. He even kept moving with her after the
music stopped. They had continued the dance for about a half
a minute when reality finally intruded.
" May I cut in, my princess?" another young man came
up and tapped her gently on her bare shoulder. He was as
gorgeous as the first, his dark hair matching the black tuxedo
he wore. His eyes were hidden by a white mask and the whole
outfit was perfectly accented by a long, red-lined cape.
I've died, she thought. I've died, gone to heaven
and a pair of angels want to be with me. She sighed
happily, lost in her thoughts as the two men looked at
each other.
Time seemed to stop as the images of the two men
swam before her eyes. The light from the chandelier above
them silvered the black hair of the latecomer for a moment
and it seemed as if she was looking at the same man in two
different sets of clothes. Her heart leaped in her chest.
They seemed so familiar to her somehow. A feeling of
loneliness and longing rushed into her like an unstoppable
tide and retreated only when the music started and one of
them moved while the world started again.
" I don't mind if you do," the one in white said with
a twinkle in his eye as he grabbed the other man and started
to swing him around in the steps of the waltz.
Usagi was so startled by this she didn't know if she wanted
to laugh at the comical scene and the expression on the
black-clad angel or cry that her two suitors were gone.
She was just about to protest this when her hand was
taken and she was led into the dance herself. She gasped
in surprise when she realized her new partner was the
violinist who had played earlier. Usagi hoped she would
someday look as beautiful as the woman she danced with. Her
turquoise hair was a perfect match for the white and lavender
dress and her gentle, mischievous smile put Usagi at ease even
though she was dancing with another woman.
" Don't worry, princess," she whispered at Usagi. " You'll
be with him soon enough." They had quickly moved towards the
two men, who were now near one wall of the room and a door.
As if on cue, the two leading cut sharply towards each other
while starting a spin. When it was done, Usagi was dancing
with the surprised young man in the black tuxedo as the other
two spun again and came to a stop, the man holding the woman's
hand high in the air.
" I'm sorry, my princess and prince, but duty calls." the
man said with a grin as he bowed with an elaborate flourish and
the woman did a curtsy laden with all the dignity and charm she
would never, ever dream of having. They quickly moved through
the door and vanished from her sight.
Usagi continued dancing with the man in black she now
held. She looked into his eyes for a few moments, lost in the
moment and the feeling of belonging that overcame her. Her
eyes closed as she sighed happily and rested her cheek on his
chest. He was just the right height, she thought to herself,
as her head rested just under his chin.
They continued together like that through the rest of
the dance, moving in perfect harmony with each other. It was
only when the music ended that her emotions overcame her and
she fainted, her partner slowly and tenderly lowering her to
the floor.
******************************************************
He wanted to speak to her as they suddenly were
together and the other couple left. He had tried, but
his mind failed him upon looking into those impossibly
deep blue eyes. It was all he could do to keep dancing
with her when she sighed and rested her cheek on his chest,
closing her eyes. Somehow, he kept moving as a feeling of
peace swept over him. Talking to her and finding out what
was happening didn't seem quite as important when she was
in his arms.
The music started to come to a close, and the
sensation that he feared was beginning. Whatever had
brought him here was starting to pull him back. He fought
it as long as he could, but he barely had enough time to
lower her to the floor when she swooned before he was
dragged away back to his reality.
" Farewell, my princess," he whispered as he left.
******************************************************
" Just a few more minutes, Mom. I'll get up. I
promise."
" Usagi Tsukino, wake up!" a voice whispered into
her ear as she was shaken by someone. Her eyes flew open
to reveal Naru kneeling at her side, concern on her
face. She looked around at the ballroom and the small
knot of people gathered around them.
" I'm all right, everybody." she said while
blushing and standing up. She let Naru guide her to a
chair and sit her down while a glass of juice was pressed
into her hand.
" Drink that, Usagi. I keep on telling you that
you're going to hurt yourself eating that much cake," the
girl said as she glared at the concerned onlookers until
they left the two alone. " Now, what really happened? I
look over and there you are, dancing with the best looking
guy in the place and then another one shows up and they
practically come to blows over you."
" It was wonderful, Naru-chan. I felt like I was
floating."
" I'll say. That's the first time I've ever seen
you dance and not trip over your feet. There's hope for
you yet, Usagi."
***************************************************
" Did you have fun?" Michiru teased her as they
ran down the corridor towards the rooms in the back of
the building. " I can't leave you alone for a minute,
can I?"
" They do make a cute couple together, once he
gets over being angry at me. In here," she said as they
ducked into a storage room and closed the door. There was
a flash of light visible through the space between the
door and the frame for a moment, and then it swung open
and Sailors Neptune and Uranus ran out to find their foe.
" Mission or not, Uranus, I don't feel like letting
anyone lose their heart tonight."
" You've got it, Neptune. That thing is going down
quick. This one night, all their hearts will be safe."
The End.
*****************************************************
All characters are copyrights of their respective holders.
Please comments, etc. to the above e-mail address.
Special thanks to the following...
Naoko Takeuchi, of course.
The depth of her creation continues to amaze me.
Luna and Artemis, friendship and support.
visit their page at
http://pages.prodigy.com/vbaa85a/index.html
Jackie Chiang, sage advice.
check out her page at
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/3741/
Chris Davies, inspiration and friendly competition.
Rav Dhiraj
check out his page at
http://www..express.ca/pdhiraj/newpage.htm
Jupiter Knight
check out his page at
http://www.ualberta.ca/~jarcher/jupknght.html
(
geocities.com/tokyo/ginza) (
geocities.com/tokyo)