Windwalker Chronicles: Book 1 - Arrival

     Alan Thomas was running for his life.

     The smell of smoke had woken him from a sound sleep half an hour before. His first 
Thought was he'd accidentally left the small campfire burning, but the fire pit was 
cold and wet. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flickering light coming from some-
where in the valley. He looked down the trail he'd come up earlier in the evening, and 
his heart jumped up into his throat.

     Below, he could see the small valley he'd traveled through during the day. He'd 
thought it to be a nice, peaceful place at the time. Right now, it was anything but. 
A large section of the valley was burning. From the light breeze on his face, he could 
tell it was moving towards him, consuming everything in its path. And it was between 
him and the small ranger station in the valley. Even now, the closest parts of the 
inferno were only a couple of hundred meters away.

     "Oh, Damn," he hissed, "there goes the neighborhood." Fighting a sense of panic, 
he hurriedly gathered his camping gear and started up the trail at a brisk walk, his 
flashlight pointing the way. With a little luck, he could reach the lake on the other 
side of the ridge in forty-five minutes. As he moved, he thought the fire picked up 
speed and began to move in his direction, but dismissed it as an optical trick in the
darkness.

     Now, he was beginning to think that reaching the lake in anything less then two 
hours was going to be difficult, at best. Despite his best efforts, the fire was gaining 
on him. Embers from the fire drifted over him, beginning new fires in the dry vegetation 
in front of him. Several times, he had to change direction to avoid an area that was 
burning fiercely. Twice, he managed to avoid falling trees that came close to hitting 
him, the burning limbs sending embers in every direction and starting more fires.

     The trail was becoming thick with dirty gray-white smoke that threatened to choke 
him and made his eyes water. He was covered in sweat, the hot air adding to his discomfort. 
He thought of removing his flannel shirt, to allow his skin to breath, but a glance at 
the burns that ran up and down his sleeves changed his mind. Behind him, he could hear 
the crackling of the main mass of fire as it continued to chase him up the steep hill 
like a hungry animal chasing food. The light from the fires threw weird shadows all 
around him, made the entire scene surreal.

     He glanced up to see how far he was from the summit. Not far now, he thought. 
At least it'll be downhill. He was tired, the result of little sleep, a full day 
of hiking, and setting a fast pace to stay ahead of the fire. All he wanted to do was 
to lie down and take a nap, but the fire kept him moving, trying to stay out of its 
reach.

     The Fire. He glanced back, and saw it had gained on him slightly. Like the 
stupid thing wants me. Better push on before it gets a chance. Forcing his legs 
to press on, he continued to climb the trail.

     The air was getting worse, becoming choked with smoke and bits of burning timber. 
He felt his panic begin to build inside him, and tried to choke it down as best he 
could, but it wouldn't stay there. He increased his pace even more, his fear lending 
him new strength.

     He kept glancing back to check on the fire's progress. What he saw only increased 
his pace. The fire seemed to increase in speed, sounding like a freight train as it 
got closer and closer. It was only fifty meters behind him now, leaving nothing but 
destruction in its wake.

     Suddenly, he broke free of the smoke and staggered to the top of the ridge. He 
inhaled deeply, greatful for the almost smoke free air. After several breaths, he looked 
at the trail before him, looking for the quickest way down.

     The sight of what laid ahead broke the last of his resolve.

     The entire ridge slope, from the lake shore to a spot less then a hundred meters 
below the ridge top, was aflame. A solid sheet of fire was slowly advancing towards 
him, cutting off any hope of reaching the lake. He looked to his left, then to his 
right, but neither way offered any hope of escape.

     He felt the panic well up again, and he let it go. "Imdeadimdeadimdeadimedead-
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

     Something cold flared on his chest, cold enough to be painful on his hot skin. 
He stopped wailing and felt dizzy for several seconds. Slowly, he reached inside his 
shirt for the source of this sudden cold. As soon as his fingers touched the icy surface 
of the medallion, he remembered he was wearing it. He pulled it out and stared at it.

     The medallion was one of the few things his parents had left him when they'd 
died. 'An old family heirloom,' was how his father had described one time. He worn 
it in remembrance of his parents, and he'd grown use to its presence around his neck 
to the point that he'd forgotten it. It was disc shaped, about five centimeters in 
diameter, and made out of a granite-like substance. On its face, a symbol had been 
engraved. One time, out of curiosity, Alan had looked up the symbol, and found it 
to be the planetary symbol for Pluto.

     How ironic, he thought grimly, Pluto, Roman Lord of the Dead. And I'm 
about to become his newest subject. It was then he realized that his panic was 
gone. What a time to become cool, calm, and collective.

     Just then, words sprang into his mind, words that made no sense to him, but somehow
seemed natural. He gripped that medallion in both hands and shouted, "Winds of Time, I 
invoke thee! Winds of Time, I call thee! Move this mortal form to the safety of the 
future in the place where it stands!"

     For a second, there was nothing. Alan looked at the fire as it burned closer and 
closer. I've gone off the deep end at last. I - Then, a gust of wind struck 
him, and he disappeared. A minute later, the two fires merged into one at the spot 
when Alan had been standing.






     Emeraude materialized in the Nemesian's base in Crystal Tokyo looking a little 
worse for wear. She stalked down the stairs leading from the dais, removing a bracelet 
as she did so, and glared at the Nemesian technician on duty behind a console.

     "Something wrong, Lady Emeraude?" asked the technician carefully, fearful of the 
answer.

     Still glaring, she slammed down the bracelet down on the console. "Get this fixed," 
she hissed.

     "What's wrong with the temporal anchor, Lady Emeraude?"

    "How do I know what's wrong with it?" she snapped. "I want it fixed!"

     The technician looked at the bracelet. "Why do you think there's something wrong 
with it?"

     "Are you questioning my word?" she hissed.

     "No, Lady Emeraude. But it might be something else beyond the scope of the anchor."

     Emeraude sighed. Temporal physics was beyond her understanding, or interest. "This 
last trip back was...different."

     "In what way, Lady Emeraude?"

     "Like I was carrying another person along with me!" she snapped, her anger flaring 
at the insistent questioning. "Just fixed that thing, and have it done before I go back!" 
With that, she turned and stalked out of the chamber, leaving a puzzled-looking technician 
alone with her anchor.






     Pluto watched Emeraude move back up the timeline to her own era. Excellent. The 
timeline is still intact. Only a couple of more of Emeraude's trips to watch before 
the Senshi's younger selves make their own way to the Time Gate.

     As she completed the thought, she felt the first stirring of a breeze gently touch 
her face. Alarmed, she looked up. The Time Winds!

     The mists surrounding the Time Gate shifted, leaving a space around the ornate 
doors. The wind got stronger quickly, becoming a gale. Pluto, used to the infrequent 
occurrences, braced herself and prepared to ride out the winds. She was immune to the 
winds, but there was a small possibility that the winds could disrupt the timestream 
she had watched so carefully. And this could not happen at a worst time! Not when 
the timestream is so fragile!

     Through the winds, she saw something tumbling in its grasp. No, it was someone, 
a man with dark hair and plain features. From the way he was dressed, she guessed he 
was from the last half of the twentieth century, a camper or woodsman. But how could 
he have been caught in the Time Winds?

     Then she saw the medallion hanging around his neck.

     Could it be.... Before she could finish the thought, the man was past her. 
The doors to the Time Gate opened and the man tumbled through. As soon as he passed 
through, the Gate closed, and wind suddenly stopped.

     Pluto straightened, her expression worried. First, I will have to check to 
insure the timestream is intact. Then, I must track down that man and find out how 
he got the Medallion of the Time Winds. This could be either a boom or curse for the 
future. I'm just not sure which one yet.




Part 1 - "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas 	Anymore...."






Alan Thomas' Journal

Entry #1

     If anyone asks, I blame Dr. Ami Mizuo for this.

     I had been in Crystal Tokyo's hospital for two days before she walked into my hospital
room, and strolled over to where I was lying in the hospital bed. As I looked up at her, she 
dumped an empty book and three pencils into my lap, and said, "This might help."

     I looked at the book and pencils, looked at her, then at the book again. "What's this 
for?" I asked.

     "To write in," she said with a smile. Today, she's wearing the lab coat over a conservative 
blue suit that makes her look like a science teacher. I'm not sure, but I think she likes me. 
Well, at least she hasn't tried to kill me yet (Unlike a couple of her friends I could mention).

     "Couldn't I use a computer?"

     She shook her head. "Rei hasn't clear you for computer access yet."

     I rolled up my eyes. "Why am I not surprised? That woman hates me."

     "Suspicion is part of her job."

     "What am I suppose to write about? I could love letters to Rei, but I'm not sure my 
insurance covers being flamed basted by Senshi Mars."

     The look Ami gave me would have frozen boiling water.

     "Look, Doc," I replied before she could speak, and she flinched at the nickname. "If you're 
going to start acting like Mars, I'm going to tie all my bed sheets together and escape out the 
window. One paranoid Senshi is one too many in my book, especially when she has the power to 
turn me into charcoal."

     "It is her job as head of internal security to take an interest in people who appear out of 
nowhere."

     "Interest? Try obsession. That girl needs to get out more."

     She turned and strode to the door. When she turned to look at me again, I saw a gleam of 
humor in her eyes. "So, why don't you write about what's happened to you from your point of 
view?"

     I look at her, and shrugged. "It'll give me something to do besides trying to drive Mars 
crazy."

     She pulled her glasses down and peered over them at me. "Why must you be so contemptuous 
of Rei? She is only doing her job."

     "Look, I don't begrudge her job, but I'm the only thing that girl has for a threat to the 
city these days. I'm tired of being the first one she tries to pin the blame on when the Queen 
stubs her toe. Word is she hasn't been happy since some guy named Magnesite left the city."

     She managed to look startled. "How did you -"

     "Know about Magnesite?" I didn't bother to shrug. "I'm surprised you didn't run into a 
traffic jam at my door. Half of Crystal Tokyo University's faculty has managed to drop by in the 
last week."

     "Oh." She managed to look embarrassed. "I didn't expect that response when I allowed 
visitors."

     "Don't worry. It's giving me a chance to get caught up on a thousand years of history. We 
just trade information about our centuries. I learned a lot, and they've been filling up those 
little data crystals of theirs with all types of useless information."

     "Like?"

     "Anything and everything, though why any same person wants to learn everything I know about 
a singing purple dinosaur is beyond me."

     This brought an amused chuckled from the doctor. I looked at her expectantly, but she just 
smiled at me, and left without saying a word.

     So, here I am, writing this entry into this journal Ami dropped onto my lap. I should start 
at the beginning, so every one knows what's going on. So, let's start at the beginning.

     I'll make this simple. My coming to Crystal Tokyo was unplanned - by both myself and the 
people running the place....







     Nala Sather was a pleasant, plain faced woman who truly enjoyed her job as a 
security guard inside the Crystal Palace. For the last two years, she had patrolled 
the top three floors of the central core of the palace, from nine to five. Her beat 
included several guest suites, storerooms, several display rooms, and libraries. In 
all that time, nothing serious or strange happened during her patrols.

     That would change today.

     It started changing when she entered the main hallway on the thirty-fifth floor,
connecting the eastern and western wings of the central core. She had taken two steps 
down the hall when she saw someone lying in the middle of the corridor, not more then 
five meters away from her.

     She stopped, puzzled. The body was lying on his stomach (she could see it was a 
male), dressed in a red-and-black flannel shirt, blue jeans, and ankle high hiking 
boots. He had dark hair, plain features, and looked pale. An ugly green backpack was 
sitting high on his back. Even at this distance, she could smell the smoke, and see 
the dark patches on the man's clothes. She looked around for any signs of fire, but 
there were none. He seemed to be breathing normally, as if he'd decided to suddenly 
fall asleep in the middle of the hall. 

     Best not to take any chances. She tapped a button on a broad band encircling 
her left wrist. "Sather to Central. I have a situation on the thirty-fifth floor, 
Eastern Wing of the central core. I need a security team and medical team, ASAP."

     "Understood, Sather," replied the cool, calm voice of Central. "Teams are on 
their way. What is the situation?"

     "I've found an unknown person in the Main hallway, apparently unconscious. He 
looks like he's been in some sort of fire."

     "Any signs of fire?"

     "Negative, Central. There's nothing but him."

     "Understood. Stand By." There was silence for a minute, then Central came back. 
"Senshi Mars has been monitoring the situation and is on her way to take charge. Senshi
Jupiter and Venus are also on their way. Don't touch the body unless you have to. No 
telling what's going on."

     "Understood, Central. You won't get an argument here." She looked up as the man 
groaned, and began to move slowly. "You'd better hurry - it looks like he's beginning 
to come around...."






     The first real memory Alan had in this time and place was waking up slowly on a 
cold floor. He was lying on his stomach, his head pounding with the intensity of a 
jackhammer. His mouth felt dry and bloated, like someone had stuffed a sock into his 
mouth.

     Groaning loudly, he rolled onto his back. He heard the backpack protest the sudden 
shift in weight, but he ignored it. As his vision cleared, he found himself staring up 
at a glass like ceiling. "If I was a drinking man," he said slowly and deliberately, 
his voice sounding like a whispering frog's, "I would say I had a hangover. Except, I 
don't drink."

     He lifted his head slowly, fully aware of the effort it was taking, and looked 
around. He was lying in a corridor, brightly lit, and looking like no place he'd seen 
before. Each end of the corridor opened out into another hall running perpendicular to 
it. The walls looked to be made of some type of crystal, as was the floor.

     "All right, I'll bite," he said slowly, his voice a bit louder and firmer then 
before. "Where the hell am I?"

     He laid there and waited for an answer, but none came. "Wonderful," he muttered, 
as his mind tried to pull together the last few things he could remember. His head 
still hurt, but he was almost sure it wasn't going to fall off anytime soon.

     "Camping trip," he said aloud. "I was on a camping trip." He looked down, and 
noticed he was wearing a tee shirt under a red-and-black flannel shirt, blue jeans, 
and ankle high hiking boots. "Either that, or I'm a Lumberjack." He put his head down, 
and began singing, "I'm a lumberjack, and I'm OK. I work...." His singing trailed off. 
"Damm," he muttered. "I forgot the rest."

     He sat up slowly. Several muscles protested, but he managed to complete the simple 
task. "I hurt," he said. He looked at his shirt and cautiously sniffed a sleeve. "I 
smell too."

     "Hold it right there!" someone shouted from behind him. Alan turned his head slowly, 
not trusting his neck to do the job quickly. He caught sight of the person standing 
maybe five meters away, out of his field of vision until now.

     "Hello," he said quietly, giving her a half wave. "I'm Alan Thomas. Can you please 
tell me where I am?"

     The person, a thin woman wearing a uniform of some sort, had a surprised look on 
her face. Instead of answering his question, she responded by speaking into something 
attached to her wrist. "Sather to Central. He's awake and sitting up. He's also speaking 
to me. Orders?" She listened for several seconds, then replied "Understood."

     "Look," Alan said slowly, climbing to his unsteady feet. He pulled off the backpack 
and leaned it against the wall. "Just point me in the right direction, and I'm out of 
here."

     The woman, he guessed her name was Sather, looked at him, and he could see some 
fear in her eyes. "I suggest you stay where you are until the security and medical 
teams arrive."

     He took two steps towards her, and she stepped back an equal number. "Stay where 
you are!" she shouted.

     Alan stared at her in disbelief. "What did I do?" he asked.

     "Just stay there!"

     Alan sighed. "All right, all right," he muttered. "Can I get something out of my 
backpack?"

     "NO!"

     He put his hands behind his back and started to pace, slowly at first, using the 
width of the hallway. "Great, just great," he said loudly. "I must of stumbled into 
some sort of government installation." He looked at Sather. "Right?"

     Sather didn't say anything. Alan sighed, and continued to pace. He stopped a 
moment, looked confused, then looked at Sather again. "Something screwy here. What 
language were we just speaking?"

     It was Sather's turn to looked puzzled. "Japanese."

     "Japanese?"

     "Yes. Is something wrong?"

     "Ah." Alan began to pace again. "We're speaking Japanese," he continued, his 
voice louder then before. "A language that the last time I looked, I had ABSOLUTELY 
no bloody idea how to speak, let alone carry on a conversation." He looked at the 
guard again. "You can understand what I'm saying with no problem?"

     "Your accent is strange, but I can understand you."

     "Ah. Wonderful. Another question that needs an answer...." He rubbed his forehead. 
"Let me guess. I'm in Japan, right?"

     "Yes."

     "Makes sense. Where else would they speak Japanese? Don't answer that, I'm just 
being...confused."

     Just then, Alan heard the sounds of people approaching. He stopped pacing and 
watched the newcomers arrive. The first of the newcomers came into view, he stopped 
in mid-pace, and his jaw dropped.

     His first thought was the newcomer was a cheerleader. Only this one wasn't 
carrying pompons, and she was looking at him like he was some sort of lowlife. She 
stopped next to Sather, hand on hips, glaring at him.

     He judged she was in her early twenties, half a head shorter then him, with 
long black hair that flowed down her back. Her face would have been called pretty 
if it wasn't glaring at him.

     He took a closer look at what she was wearing. She was wearing a white bodysuit 
with a red bow just below her neck, a short red skirt, and red high heel shoes. In 
short, the outfit was about as practical as a clown suit at a nunnery.

     "OK," he said slowly. "Let me guess.... You're not a cheerleader, right?"

     She glared at him. "Who are you, and how did you get here?" she demanded.

     "Well," he said slowly. "I'm Alan Cornwell Thomas, and I have no idea how I got 
here, because I have absolutely no idea where I am."

     "I don't believe you."

     "Well, I'm sorry, Lady."

     "That's Senshi Mars to you."

     Alan sighed. "Look, Senshi Mars, I'm tired. I have a headache you wouldn't believe. 
I need a bath and clean clothes. Will you knock off the interrogation?"

     Her eyes widen, but before she could respond, a half dozen hard faced men in stark 
white military type uniforms appeared and clustered behind Senshi Mars. They appeared 
to be armed with nothing more then short batons attached to their belts, but to Alan, 
they looked like they were use to handling people like him. Mars pointed at him. "Seize 
him for questioning," she said with an air of command.

     The soldiers moved around Mars and the first guard and advanced slowly toward 
Alan. He backed away from them, giving them a weak smile. "Can we talk this out?"

     They waited until they were within couple of meters before they rushed him. Alan 
held up his hands in a pleading gesture."Wait a minute!" he bleated.

     Then things started to get REALLY weird.

     No sooner then the words `wait a minute' left his mouth, then the air suddenly 
swirled around him. In a span of seconds, the wind became stronger, picking up speed 
and strength every second. The soldiers stopped at the sight and started backing away 
while trying to keep their balance in the sudden windstorm. Even Mars looked startled 
at what was happening. "Out of the way!" she shouted at the soldiers.

     Alan looked down at his hands, and saw they were beginning to glow. As he watched, 
the radiance began to spread down his arms, until his entire body was aglow. His eyes 
widen in fear.

     "Stop right now!" yelled Mars, her voice almost lost in the howling wind. "Or I 
will use force!"

     "I don't know how to stop this!" screamed back Alan, putting his hands out to 
show her.

     A wave of air shot from his hands, and plowed into the soldiers. The entire group, 
with the exception of Mars, went flying out of the hallway and crashed into the wall 
of the intersecting corridor. Mars was leaning into the now gale strength wind, somehow
managing to looked shocked and angry at the same time.

     Then, just as suddenly the wind was gone. It didn't fade, or die away, it just 
simply stopped. Alan watched the glow fade from his body, and looked up at the scene 
of chaos before him. Mars glared at him. "What are you?" she gasped.

     Alan looked at his hands, looked at her, then back at his hands. "Did I do that?" 
he asked weakly.

     Her eyes narrowed and she said, "Let's see how you like THIS!" She pressed her 
hands together, extended her index fingers, closed her eyes, and shouted "FIRE SOUL!"

     "Waitaminute!" Alan's jaw dropped again as fire burst from her fingertips and 
shot across the distance between them. He just had enough time to put up his hands 
and close his eyes, before the fire hit him.

     After several seconds of not feeling any pain, Alan opened his eyes again, 
surprised that he felt no searing heat. He blinked twice at the sight before him, 
and chills went up and down his spine.

     The fire was still there, raging just beyond his outstretched hands. A faint 
blue glow had formed between his hands and the fire, shielding him from the angry 
red and yellow flames. Despite its closeness, Alan felt only a small amount of heat 
from the fire, like warm sunlight. After several more seconds, the fire faded away. 
Beyond the fire, Mars stood there, her glare replaced by surprise and amazement.

     "What in the hell is going on here?" Alan yelled at her. He kept my hands up, 
not wanting to do anything that might rob him of whatever was protecting him. "And 
who the hell are you?"

     The glare came back again, and she snarled, "I am Senshi Mars, one of the defenders 
of Crystal Tokyo, and your worst nightmare!"

     "Sorry, Babe," he snapped back. Meanwhile, his mind was chewing on the `Crystal 
Tokyo' bit of her statement. Where the heck is Crystal Tokyo? "But I don't 
remember any pyromaniac women in my dreams, especially one that look like you!"

     Her eyes narrowed and she said, "All right. You had your chance to surrender. Now, 
pay the price!"

     "Hold on!" Alan shouted, pushing his hands out to accent his words. As he did so, 
the glow returned to his hands. As his arms extended, a sphere of distorted air shot 
from his hands.

     Mars reacted quickly, throwing herself forward to avoid the attack. The ball shot 
through the space where she'd been standing. She rolled to her feet and shouted, "FLAME- 
ugh!"

     Instead of crashing into the wall behind her, the sphere had simply bounced off, 
like a large rubber ball. It gained speed as it bounced off the floor and slammed into 
the back of Mars' head. The blow dazed her, and she staggered, her attack forgotten. 
The sphere, redirected by her head, gained even more speed as it bounced off the ceiling, 
then flew directly at Alan.

     Alan gave out a bleat of surprise at the sudden redirection of the sphere. He 
thought he could the sphere whistle through the air as it closed on him. In blind 
panic, he cringed, raising his arms to protect his face. As he did so, his body began 
to glow again, forming itself around him like an aura.

     The sphere slammed into Alan at better then three hundred kilometers an hour. 
In theory, the sphere should have shattered both his arms and removed his head from 
his shoulders. But it didn't.

     The aura absorbed most of the sphere's momentum, but not all of it. With a yelp 
of surprise, Alan was knocked off his feet and sent flying. He hit the floor hard, 
cracking his head off the unyielding surface. Stars floated across his vision and he 
felt sick.

     He didn't see the sphere bounce away and hit the still groggy Mars in the stomach. 
With an "Oomph!," she folded over and fell. Her head struck the floor, and she was out. 
The sphere, its energy expended, faded away in midair.

     For several seconds there was silence. Alan sat up and held his head. "Oh, great," 
he muttered to himself. "This has to be a Monday. I could never get a handle on Mondays."

     Alan looked around, trying to figure out what happened. He stood up slowly and 
cautiously approached the large number of bodies.

     All the soldiers were out cold, but they didn't seem to be seriously injured. 
He walked over to Mars, knelt beside her, and checked for a pulse. Like the guards, 
she was unconscious, but alive. The anger was gone from her face, and she looked 
peaceful in unconsciousness.

     Sounds of running footsteps made Alan look up. Two more girls ran out of a side 
corridor, and came to a step ten meters away. He stood up slowly, and gave them a weak 
smile. "I can explain everything," He said weakly, backing up slowly and feeling like 
things had just gotten worse. "At least, I think I can...."

     They quickly sized up the scene, decided he was trouble, then charged him. They 
were both dressed like Mars, only one had a green skirt and trim, while the other 
wore a yellow skirt and trim.

     The one trimmed in green shouted, "Mars!" She was half a head taller then Alan, 
long brown hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, and better then average looking. She 
also looked more then able to pound him into a small package, and she was sizing him 
up to do just that.

     The other girl was blonde, attractive, and she looked mad enough to finish what 
the other girl left. "Let's show this intruder not to tangle with the Senshi!" she 
shouted.

     "Right!" shouted the taller one. "Let's see how you like this!"

     "Er...right." Alan didn't stand there to see what they were going to throw at 
him next, but took off running in the direction Mars and the guards had appeared from. 
As he ran, he heard one of the newcomers shout "SUPREME THUNDER!," followed by something 
that cracked past his left ear. He smelted burnt ozone and the flash of light told him 
all he needed to know.

     "OhDammwhatdidIeverdotodeservethis?" Alan reached the end of the corridor, made a 
hard right at the intersection, and crashed into someone running in the other direction. 
He caught a glimpse of black hair with blue highlights, and a pair of very surprised 
looking blue eyes.

     She was knocked over by the collision, and Alan came close to joining her on the 
floor. He managed to stay on his feet, shouted "Sorry!" at her, then continued running 
in the direction she'd come from.

     He heard footsteps behind me, the blonde shouting "Ami! Are you all right?," 
followed by "CRESCENT BEAM!"

     Something bright and hot passed by his right ear, shot down the corridor, and 
seared a small section of the wall. Alan didn't bother to say anything, but put his 
head down and continued to run as fast as he could. This is not good....

     He shot around another corner, narrowly avoiding a large group of people who 
had been standing in the middle of the corridor. Part of Alan's mind noted that most 
of the people had cameras, and looked like a bunch of tourists. Several flashes popped 
as cameras went off, either by accident or on purpose. Alan dodged around a couple of
suprised-looking uniformed types, then broke clear of the group and dashed down the 
corridor.

     I must be in a Japanese amusement park! He thought. Where's the exit
out of here?

     Just then, he heard the tall brunette shout, "Halt intrud - *oomph*!" There was 
the sounds of bodies falling along with grunts, yells, cries, and a few curses.

     Alan risked a glance over his shoulder. Both the blonde and the brunette has 
crashed full tilt into the surprised tour group, sending a large number of the luckless
tourists sprawling. Both girls had also fallen in the tangle of limbs and bodies, and 
were trying to get up. Bedlam broke out as everyone talked at once. Some of the tourists 
were helping their less fortunate breathen back to their feet, while other had to be 
calm down. A few of the others started snapping pictures of the two angry-looking girls, 
the camera flashes not helping any.

     Just what I needed - Something to make them even madder. They'll probably 
blame me for the tour group showing up like that. Alan spotted a flight of stairs 
off to his left, leading down. Without hesitating, he started down the stairs, three 
at a time.






     Sailor Pluto strode down the hall towards the throne room, her staff striking 
the floor every stride making the only audible sound. She looked worried, an unusual 
look for the Senshi known for being the least emotional.

     The doors to the throne room opened as she approached them, and she walked into 
the heart of Crystal Palace.

     There were several people already in the room. Three of the Guardians, Calcite, 
Azurite, and Chrysolite, were clustered in a small group near the throne. The three 
were dressed in their Guardian uniforms, talking quietly amongst themselves. All three 
of them glanced at Pluto as she entered, then went back to their discussion.

     Titanite was talking to King Endymion off to one side. Ti, looking like a high 
fashion model in a stylish business suit, gave Pluto a warm smile that faded somewhat 
as she saw the expression on the older Senshi's face. Endymion, his expression more 
guarded, watched Pluto's entrance and moved towards the throne.

     Queen Serenity was sitting on the throne, her eyes flickering between the two
conversations. Luna was curled up on her lap, the cat's eyes also watching the 
discussions. They both looked up as Pluto entered and Serenity's normally serene 
smile became a frown as she saw the look on Pluto's face.

     Pluto knelt in front of Serenity. "My Queen," She said in a quiet voice. "Are 
you aware of the intruder alert on the thirty-fifth floor?"

     All other conversation stopped. Pluto became aware that everyone was looking at 
her, but she continued to look at Serenity.

     "We are aware of the alert," replied the Queen carefully. "I would have thought 
a simple intruder was beneath your notice."

     "Not this intruder."

     "Is it an enemy?" asked Chrysolite.

     "No. If anything, he is an ally. At worse, an innocent."

     Calcite didn't look convinced. "Your 'Innocent' has managed to overcome half a 
dozen guards and Rei. He's currently being pursued by Minako, Minkoto, Rei, Ami, and 
a dozen Palace guards. According to Pyrite, he's managing to confound the palace's 
security system, so we can't track him on a consistent basis. For an innocent person, 
his actions are highly suspicious."

     Pluto looked at Calcite. "Has anyone been injured?"

     "Not seriously. But the intruder has shown unusual powers, and unless he is 
captured, there's no telling what will happen next."

     Pluto gave him a small smile, then turned back to Serenity. "With your permission, 
I would like to try and speak to this intruder before someone is killed or serious 
injured."

     "Permission granted."

     Calcite stepped forward. "Your Highness, may I accompany Pluto on this matter?"

     Serenity looked from Calcite to Pluto, then back to Calcite. "If she has no 
objections?"

     "I have none. In fact, if Lord Calcite will use his teleporting powers, we will 
save precious time."

     Calcite moved to stand next to Pluto. "I have no objections. The last report we 
had was the intruder was on the thirty-first floor. If we teleport to the twenty-ninth, 
we can work our way up. Fair enough?"

     Pluto nodded. Calcite turned to the other two Guardians. "I want you two to stay 
with the King and Queen. Azure, call Pyrite and tell him to forget the security system 
for now, and have him meet Pluto and me on the twenty-ninth floor." He looked at his 
sister. "Ti, stay here, and be ready for anything."

     She nodded and reached for her transforming pen. By the time she shouted "Sailor 
Polaris Make Up!," Both Calcite and Pluto had teleported away.






     The chase was moving quicker then the people in the throne room thought.

     The twenty-ninth floor was busier then the thirty-fifth, as several departments 
had offices located on this floor. So, there were plenty of people to see something 
that had never happened before - a real out-and-out chase though the halls of the 
Crystal Palace.

     "OUT OF THE WAY! SORRY! COMING THROUGH! SORRY! CLEAR THE DECKS!"

     The people, startled by the shouts, turn in the direction of the person shouting 
to see what was so important. The person shouting was a man in his mid twenties, dressed 
in a red-and-black flannel shirt, blue jeans, and ankle high hiking boots. He had dark 
hair, plain features, and looked scared. As he passed the spectators, they caught a 
whiff of wood smoke.

     Running full out, he managed to weave his way through the stream of people with 
the ease that comes from sheer focused panic. Those who were either too slow, or tried 
to slow him down were knocked off their feet with a loud "SORRY!"  Several times, palace 
guards came flying out of the crowd to cut off their quarry, only to sither miss the 
elusive target completely, or receive a textbook example of a straight arm.

     "HALT INTRUDER!"

     Another shout made the spectators turn back in the direction the man had come 
from. When the workers saw the Senshi racing after the young man, they prudently stepped 
out of the way. Sailors Jupiter and Venus were running as fast as they could. The run-in 
with the tour group hadn't help the pair's anger any, and they were determined to catch 
this guy. But, despite their best efforts, they couldn't gain any ground on their quarry. 
What was even more frustrating was the presence of people made any of their attacks 
impossible.

     Several meters behind the two Senshis, Mars followed, her face a mask of rage. 
She still felt some effects of the intruder's attack, and she was not going to let 
him get away if she could help it. Right on her heels, a dozen palace guards with 
the same thoughts as their chief kept pace.

     Ami trailed the others. Unlike the other three Senshi involved in the chase, she 
hadn't transformed into Senshi Mercury, as she had responded as a medical doctor, not 
a Senshi. She stopped at everyone who'd been knocked down during the chase to make sure 
they weren't seriously hurt. She almost managed to keep the others in sight, despite 
the large medical case slung over her shoulder.

     She looked up from her latest patient in time to see the intruder stop and speak 
to an older man for a second. He received a reply from the man, then raced away before 
Jupiter and Venus gain much ground on him. The intruder ran into the middle of an 
intersection, stopped, took his bearings, then dashed down a side corridor and out of 
sight.

     More intent on their quarry, the Senshi and the guards continued the chase, 
ignoring the man the intruder had spoken to. Puzzled by the intruder's actions, Ami 
worked her way through the crowd, and ran up to the man. She recognized the man as 
one of the Palace's senior accountants, and he knew her. He gave her a short bow. 
"Lady Mercury," he said with a small smile. "A pleasure to see you again, though I 
wish it was under better circumstances."

     "Mr. Jaques," Ami said politely. "What did that man say to you?"

     "Would you believe he politely asked me where the nearest stairwell was?"

     Ami's eyes widen in surprise. "And what did you tell him?"

     "The truth." He pointed in the direction that the chase has gone. "There's an 
auxiliary staircase two corridors over."

     "Did he said anything else?"

     Jaques nodded. "He said 'thank you,' then ran off. I was so surprised, I didn't 
even think of grabbing him."

     Ami nodded. "Thank you, sir." She glanced back at a couple of guards who had been 
knocked down by the intruder. They were getting to their feet, shaken but unhurt. "Under 
the circumstances, not grabbing him was probably the wisest course of action."

     The accountant sighed. "I hope the young man is not in too much trouble. He seemed 
like a nice man."

     "I don't know. We have to catch him first." She readjusted the medical case. "I'd
 better go after them. Thank you again."

     "My pleasure."

     Ami dashed off, her thoughts focused on the polite intruder.






     Pluto and Calcite teleported to a small alcove specially built for the purpose. 
They stepped out into the corridor. Calcite looked at the Senshi. "Which direction?"

     Pluto considered for a moment, then pointed with her staff. "That way. There's an
auxiliary staircase we can use."

     They started jogging in that direction, the few people in the corridor moving out 
of the way quickly. As they ran, Calcite asked, "How do you know this intruder isn't 
some assassin, or worse?"

     Pluto was silent for several seconds. "Because I know him, or I should say, I know 
what he will become."

     "What he will become? What do you -"

     Just then, a figure wearing a red-and-black flannel shirt, blue jeans, and ankle 
high hiking boots came flying out of a side corridor. He stopped at the sight of the 
pair jogging towards him, yelled something that sounded like, "Ohdammmoreofthem! What-
didIdotodeservethis?", then dashed off in the opposite direction. He raced around the 
corner and was gone.

     Calcite looked at Pluto. "I take it that's our intruder?"

     Pluto nodded. "We need to talk to him."

     "We have to catch him first."

     They reached the intersection at the same time as Jupiter and Venus. They slowed 
at the sight of Pluto and Calcite. Pluto stepped forward, blocking the progress of the 
other two Senshi.

     "What are you doing?" cried Jupiter. "We still have an intruder to capture!"

     Pluto's face was impassive. "I must ask you to stay here until I talk to him."

     "Out of the way!" yelled Mars, running up with a large number of the palace guards 
behind her. "That intruder is dangerous!"

     "That intruder is more of a danger to himself -"

     From the direction that the intruder had taken there was a shout of "LOOK OUT!" 
That was followed by a large crash, then the hollow sound of metal containers bouncing 
off a hard object. The sound died away slowly, echoing through the corridor. For several
seconds, there was silence.

     "- Then to anyone else," finished Pluto, looking slightly irritated.

     Ami ran up, looking concerned. "What was that?"

     "I think out intruder ran into something he couldn't handle," replied Mars, with
satisfaction in her voice.

     "I suggest we find out," said Calcite.

     As a group, they ran towards the sound. They rounded the corner and stopped at the 
sight before them.

     Venus summed it up far all of them. "What a mess," she muttered.

     The intruder had run headlong into a cleaning cart, knocking the heavy cart onto 
its side, Buckets, mops, and other items were scattered along the corridor. The member 
of the Palace cleaning crew who had been pushing the cart stared at the mess in shock.

     Amongst the remains of the cleaning supplies, the intruder lay sprawled on his 
back, eyes closed, his breathing shallow. Ami made her way through the assembled crowd 
and knelt next to the intruder. Mars turned to the guards and started issuing orders 
to secure the area. Venus and Jupiter stood and watched Ami check the intruder.

     Calcite drew Pluto aside and asked her bluntly, "What's going on here? Who is this 
guy?"

     Pluto's expression was neutral. "I need to speak to him first," she said quietly, 
but firmly. "There are things I need to know from him before I can fully explain why 
he is here." She looked at Ami. "How is he?"

     "He has a concussion," replied Ami. "He's also has a broken right arm, and he's in 
shock. I need him moved to the hospital wing immediately."

     Mars turned away from the guards. "I want him in a secured room," she snapped.

     "Agreed," said Calcite. He turned to look at Pluto. "This isn't over."

     "No, it isn't. It's a beginning." She turned and walked away.

     "What do you mean? the Beginning of what?"

     She stopped, and turned to look at him. "That depends on our guest." She walked 
away, leaving Calcite standing there with more questions then he had answers for.




Part 2 - "He followed us home. Can we keep him?"
	






Alan Thomas' Journal

Entry #2


     While I was taking an unnatural nap, my surprised hosts were trying to figure out what to 
with me....








     Several hours after the intruder had been captured, the senior leadership of 
Crystal Tokyo met in the conference room next to the throne room. Serenity sat at 
the head of the table, Endymion standing behind her, and both Artemis and Luna sitting 
on the table near the Queen. Most of the others were scattered around the table, talking 
among themselves. The only person not in the room was Senshi Pluto, who had disappeared 
after the intruder's capture.

     Serenity tapped her hand on the tabletop to bring the meeting to order. She 
waited until the conversation died away."Thank you," she said quietly. "Now, what 
do we have on our guest?"

     Rei made a face at the Queen's use of 'guest' rather then 'intruder' to describe 
the man lying in a secured hospital room, but said nothing. "I think Ami should start."

     Ami adjusted her glasses and looked down at the paper in front of her. "The 
intru-"

     "Guest," said Serenity calmly. "He's a guest until such a time he proves other-
wise."

    "Guest, then. He's a human male, one hundred seventy centimeters tall, weight 
eighty kilograms. He has black hair, brown eyes, and has no other identifying marks. 
Outside of his injuries, he's in excellent physical shape. His injuries range from 
concussion and a broken right arm, to several first degree burns on his hands and 
face, and a mild case of smoke inhalation. He's under sedation right now, and he 
should recover with no problems."

     "Smoke inhalation?" asked Ti. "Where did he get that from?"

     "I would guest the same place he got the burns from." Minako looked at Rei.

     "Don't look at me," Rei said defensively. "He blocked my only attack with some 
sort of magical shield. He slugged me with a bouncing energy sphere before I could 
attack him again."

     "The burns are not from Rei's attack," said Ami slowly. "He was in some type 
of fire before Rei saw him."

     "Thank you, Ami," replied Serenity. "Guardian Pyrite, did you manage to solve 
the magic our guest seem to have used?"

     Pyrite looked up quickly from the book he'd been leafing through, and blinked 
twice. While he was distracted, Azurite reached over and slid the book away from her 
husband.

     "I'm sorry," he stammered. "I got a bit distracted."

     "I can see why," replied Serenity, with a smile. "Its a Star Trek Novel, isn't 
it?"

     Pyrite nodded. "It was among our guest's possessions, and it's one I haven't 
read before...." He managed to look embarrassed at all the stares he was receiving. 
"You wanted to know about his magic, right?"

     Serenity's smile grew warmer. "Rei said he shown signs of strong magic, but out-
side of the altercation with security, he didn't use any."

     "I examined his aura, and he has a strong magical aura, one of the strongest I've 
seen in a human in a while. But, there are a couple of unusual things about it."

     "Which are?"

     "The first is the aura, while strong, has no signs of being extensively used. To 
put it simply, his aura doesn't have the signs of a trained magic user. There are a 
few echoes of magic, most likely from the encounter with Rei, but nothing like any 
one of my senior students. The next unusual thing is the type of magic our guest can 
use."

     "What type of Magic?" asked Luna.

     "I would guess that, with very few exceptions, our guest can only use wind, or 
air based magic."

     Azurite raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt.

     "Air magic," murmured the cat. "Why does that sound familiar?"

     "How unusual is to have such a disposition to one form of magic?" asked Titanite.

     "Among humans? Very rare. Most magic using humans may differ in skill and ability, 
but all can choose from a wide field of magic. Our guest, while being somewhat limited 
in what magic he can use, could be fairly powerful in time."

     Serenity nodded in understanding. She then looked at Calcite. "What about his 
belongings?"

     "Pyrite and I examined the backpack he left behind. There's nothing but what you 
would expect to find in a backpack of a camper - change of clothes, camping equipment, 
freeze dried food, and a few personal belongings."

     The queen caught the hesitation in his voice. "But?" she prompted.

     "But the signs all point to our...guest being from the twentieth century."

     As if on cue, Pluto entered the room. All conversation stopped at the Senshi's 
sudden appearance. Her expression was grim and she said nothing. She bowed her head 
to Serenity and nodded to everyone else before she sat down at the other end of the 
table from Serenity.

     "What make you think he's from the twentieth century?" asked Endymion quickly.

     "His clothes and other equipment are consistent for that era, as was his personal 
belongings. The food he had in the pack is from that era, and is still eatable." Cal-
cite picked up a wallet that had been lying in front of him. "The contents of this 
leave little doubt." He pulled out a small card. "A driver's license for the State of 
California," he said slowly, "made out to an Alan Cornwell Thomas. It expired in 1995." 

     He placed the license on the table and pulled out several credit cards. "These 
are also made out to Alan Cornwell Thomas. None of these cards were any good after 
1996." He opened the billfold and pulled out a small pile of American dollars. "Forty-
three dollars in genuine American currency. Not one of these 
bills is more recent then 1993."

     He passed the items around the table. While the others examined the items, Calcite 
held up the wallet. "There are other things in here, all dated about the same time as 
the driver's license, credit cards, and money."

     "Lastly," Calcite added with a look at the silent Senshi, "Sailor Pluto picks 
today to make one of her infrequent visits."

     With a hint of sardonic amusement Pluto commented, "I was unaware I was regarded 
as a harbinger of doom."

     Calcite paused to consider his words. "It's nothing personal but everything seems 
to point to time travel being involved and to say that complicates things is a definite
understatement. Whenever that happens, the fabric of reality winds up hanging by a 
thread. Based on prior experience you're about to tell us everything hinges on our 
visitor from the past."

     Pluto shook her head slightly. "I can see that you would find that troubling but 
you need not worry. We are not approaching a temporal paradox. Our guest's destiny does 
not impact what was and has been, only what could be and might happen. Which is as true 
for you as for all who live in this time."

     She had everyone's attention but said no more. After a while they realized she 
had said all she would for the present and got the meeting back on track. There was 
something the intruder...their guest(!) had been carrying that Pluto needed to explain.

     "But," said Rei slowly, "there's no signs of age on any of these items. My people 
checked everything the intruder -"

     "Guest," reminded Serenity.

     "Guest," amended Rei through clenched teeth, "had on him. Everything he had on 
him fit in with him being from the late twentieth century. Everything but this." She 
held up a medallion hanging on a fine silver chain.

     Everyone stopped and looked at the medallion. It was disc shaped, five centimeters 
in diameter, and the color of granite. On its face, a symbol had been engraved. A 
familiar symbol.

     "It's the one thing we found on him that doesn't make sense," Pyrite said, his 
expression quizzical. "It has the symbol for Pluto engraved on it. It's very old and 
is made of an unfamiliar type of stone."

     Ami looked at Pluto. "Do you know what this is? It has your symbol on it."

     Everyone looked at the silent Pluto. She shifted slightly in her chair. "May I 
see it?' she asked quietly.

     Rei got out of the chair and walked down to Pluto. She gave the medallion to the 
outer Senshi. Pluto carefully took the item, and looked at it. She looked up at Serenity. 
"May I test it?' she asked.

     "Test it?" asked the Queen in puzzlement.

     Pluto nodded. "If it is what I believe it to be, it will react to this test. It's 
not dangerous."

     "Very well. You can test it."

     Pluto stood slowly. She held the amulet cupped in both hands. "Winds of Time, 
I invoke thee," she whispered. "Winds of Time, I call thee. Show me your true nature."

     The medallion began to glow with a soft blue light. It remained glowing for several
seconds, then the light increased. Slowly, the medallion's stonelike surface cracked, 
then fell away in small pieces. When the last bit of stone fell away, a softly glowing 
medallion laid in Pluto's hands. Slowly, the glow died, revealing a bluish metal disk 
with a intricate pattern weaved into it.

     Everyone else looked at the medallion in surprise. Pyrite was the first one to 
speak. "Fascinating," he said slowly. "I didn't detect any strong magical energy when 
I examine that Medallion."

     "There's very little energy left in it. It's been used several times over the 
centuries, and there's been no way to recharge its mana until now."

     "What is it?" asked Minako, her eyes wide.

     "Its the Medallion of the Time Winds," replied Pluto, placing the item on the 
table in front of her. "A relic from the Silver Millennium."

     "And what's its function?" asked Serenity.

     "It allows the user to ride the Time Winds without being destroyed."

     "What are the Time Winds?" asked Calcite, his eyes never leaving the medallion.

     "They are part of the timestream, a natural phenomena consisting of small pockets 
of chaos. They travel in a random manner, but to be caught in a pocket without something 
like this medallion is a horrible way to die."

     There was silence in the room, everyone looking at the medallion on the table. 
After several seconds, Pyrite broke the silence. "Very strange," he muttered. "I 
thought Nemesis was the planet associated with wind, not Pluto."

     "Not this type of wind."

     Rei asked, "And how did it end up in the hands of our...guest?"

     "I'm not certain, but it is because of this relic we have a guest from the 
twentieth century."

     "Your certain he's from the twentieth century? That he's not some sort of spy 
planted on us?"

     "He is what he appears to be - a person who has been catapulted a thousand years 
into his future."

     Serenity's eyes narrowed. "What are you hiding, Pluto? You told Calcite that you 
knew him, or you know what he will become."

     The outer Senshi exhaled deeply. "I must speak to him before I can tell you any-
thing. I have suspicions, but not much more."

     "Very well," said Serenity, standing slowly. "I think we should adjourn until 
Pluto can speak to our guest. Fair enough?"

     With Serenity leading the way, the meeting broke up. Rei stayed when she'd been 
standing, and watched everyone else but Pluto leaves the room. When they had all left, 
she looked at Pluto, who was still sitting. "Can you tell me if this man's a threat 
to the city?"

     Pluto shook her head. "He isn't an enemy." She looked up at Mars. "What is wrong?" 
she asked softly. "You're more on edge then you usually are. You don't usually answer 
intruder alerts personally, nor do you make it a habit of allowing anger to over rule 
your reason, despite what some people think."

     "Nothing," replied Rei, her eyes shifting to the medallion.

     "You've never been good at lying, Rei," said Pluto in the same soft voice. "And 
I've been around long enough to know the difference."

     Rei glared at the outer Senshi, but before she could deny the charge, Pluto continued. 
"You can tell me. Something is bothering you."

     "Yes," replied Rei through clenched teeth.

     "And if it was something solid, or identifiable, you would have already taken it 
to the Queen."

     Rei just nodded.

     "What is it?"

     Rei was silent for several seconds. "I'm having visions again," she said in a 
low voice, "but they're vague and I can't make sense out them."

     "What are these visions like?"

     "They're just fragments - Flashes of images for a split second, then they're gone."

     "Such as?"

     "A dark shadow looming over the Palace, a man with two faces, and a man calmly 
floating inside a tornado."

     Pluto said nothing, but motioned Rei to continue. "I also saw Fire, Water, Earth, 
and Air twisting around in a vortex, each element trying to destroy the others. There 
was a...stench of corruption there in most of the images." She shook her head. "It's 
really hard to describe. I haven't have visions like this since before the Black Moon 
War."

     "Don't try to. I suspect that the closer the event, the clearer the visions will 
become."

     Rei nodded and picked up the medallion. "I'll take this to a secure box."

     "Leave it."

     "But -"

     "Leave it. I can put in a safer place then you can possibly imagine. With the 
spell shell gone, it is too dangerous an item to leave lying around."

     Rei replaced the medallion on the table. "What about our guest? You said you were 
going to talk to him. About what?"

     Pluto looked up at her, and Rei could see the coldness in her eyes. "I would like 
your help in testing a theory of mine concerning our guest."

     "What do you need?"

     "Some of your people, and several of your mages...."






     Alan woke up in the same position he'd found himself in when he awoke the last 
time; on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He still felt the same way with the 
headache and dry mouth, and he muttered, "That's it. I'm NEVER getting drunk."

     After several seconds of laying there, he realized there were some differences 
from the last time. First, from the feel of softness, he was lying in a bed. Second, 
he was wearing an outfit that felt like silk, and became aware of the blanket someone 
had pulled up to his chin. And third, the ceiling was off-white in color, and seemingly 
normal.

     Alan slowly turned his head and took in the rest of the room. It was a hospital 
room, a light and airy chamber that seemed determined to be cheerful despite what the 
patient was suffering from. He was its only occupant, and there were no clue to where 
he was.

     There were two doors, one on the left side of his bed, the other to the right. 
Before him, a series of large windows comprised almost the entire wall, showing a bright 
sunny day with a blue sky with wisps of clouds here and there. He couldn't see any other
buildings from his vantage point.

     He tried to sit up, only to find his right arm strapped across his chest. It began 
to throb, adding another layer to his misery. After several seconds of looking like a 
beached fish, he managed to sit up and decided to take a good look around.

     Before he could, the door off to his left opened, and a woman in a lab coat entered 
the room. The sight of black hair with blue highlights and blue eyes triggered a vague 
memory in him. "Uh-oh," he muttered, as he started to scramble out of bed.

     "Stay right in that bed," she said in a low cold voice that would have frozen 
boiling water. "Or I will have you strapped into it, clear?"

     Alan scrambled back into bed twice as fast as he'd tried to get out. A thin haze 
cut across his vision, and he blinked hard to clear it. "Er...Hi?" 
he asked carefully.

     "Good afternoon," she replied. "Get comfortable in that bed, you're going to be 
it for several days." She walked over to the bed and looked up at something on the 
wall above Alan's bed. Alan glanced up and noticed a monitor of some type attached 
to the wall above the headboard. Just like Star Trek, he thought.

     "I recommend you don't try to leave this room," the woman said, still looking 
at the display. "There's a large number of guards stationed out in the hallway, with 
orders to use lethal force if needed."

     "Lethal force...."

     She glanced up just Alan looked towards the window. "I also recommend not trying 
to leave by the window. For one thing, we're about thirty stories above the ground. 
For another, there's another large group of guards below with the same orders as the 
ones outside the door."

     Alan converted stories to feet in his head, and winced at the large figure he 
came up with. "I think I'll stay in bed."

     "Wise decision."

     "You don't mind if I asked some questions, do you?"

     "As long as they don't violate security," she replied with a small smile. She 
looked at him, and Alan noticed that she had nice eyes.

     "Let's start with something simple. I have no idea where I am, so I'll start there. 
Where am I?"

     "You are in the city of Crystal Tokyo."

     He looked at her blankly. "Come again?"

     She on the edge of the bed and looked at him closely. "The city of Crystal Tokyo 
is built on the old site of the city of Tokyo, in the country known as Japan."

     Alan's mind wasn't making sense of what she was saying. "Old site of Tokyo? What 
year is this?"

     "The nine hundred and eighty seventh year of Neo-queen Serenity."

     "Never heard of her, so that's no help."

     She looked closer at him, as if trying to gauge his reaction. "What's the last 
year that you remember?"

     "1994, why do you ask?"

     She closed her eyes and sighed. "In your time frame, this is the first third of 
the thirty-first century. 3002, to be exact."

     "Ah...er...OK," he managed to stammer. He blinked several times, and ran a gambit 
of expressions in rapid succession.

     "Are you all right?"

     "No," Alan replied, waving his free arm to accent his words."Either I've slid 
over the edge of madness, and I'm in a padded cell somewhere, in a straitjacket, while 
men in white coats poke and prod me. Or, This is all real, and everything I know is 
gone, friends, my career, music, Television, AOL.... Well, maybe not AOL..."

     "You're babbling."

     "I do that whenever I think I'm going mad....By the way, what is your name?"

     "Dr.... Ami Mizuo."

     "Alan Cornwell Thomas. Alan to my friends, if I have any. Did I run into you 
before?"

     "You did."

     "You were the..."

     "I was."

     "Oh. Sorry about that. Did I hurt you?"

     She shrugged. "Just my pride. It's been a long time since I've been surprised by 
something, or someone."

     "Think how I feel. Surprise don't quite cover what I'm feeling."

     "Well, you seem to be reacting well so far."

     "Give me ten minutes to let it all sink in, and I'll go to pieces faster then 
an used Yugo, complete with teeth gnashing, head banging and more screaming and crying 
then you've seen in a very long time...."

     Just then, the door open, and the woman who tried to burn Alan in the hall stormed 
into the room. Alan saw her at once, gave a cry of panic, and tried to leap from the 
bed. However, he got tangled up in the sheet, and manage to land, face first, on the 
tile floor. His vision went fuzzy again, then cleared to the point where he could see 
a pair of red spiked heeled shoes standing several inches away from his face. He groaned, 
"What did I do to deserve this?" and put his head down.

     "On your feet!" Mars snarled.

     "I prefer to stay down here," he replied, not looking up. "It safer, plus I don't 
have so far to fall when you belt me."

     "Enough, Rei!" shouted Ami. "He's my patient!"

     "I need him to answer some questions!" Rei shouted back.

     While there were yelling at each other, Alan crawled under the bed. It took them 
several seconds to realize that the object of their argument had vanished. From the 
safety of his shelter, Alan watched the two sets of legs as they looked around for 
another second or two. Then, Ami laid down on the floor and looked at him. "Comfortable?" 
she asked.

     "Not really." He pulled in the rest of the sheets, and wrapped them around him-
self. "But I think it's safer then allowing Red there to browbeat me into admitting 
that I'm responsible for global warming, New Coke, Geraldo Rivera, or anything else 
that's gone wrong in the last thousand years."

     Ami gave him a small smile, then stood up. "As you can see, he still suffering 
from his sudden shift in time. He's irrational, and I doubt you'll get anything useful
out of him right now."

     "Or ever," Alan called out from under the bed.

     He heard Rei expel a deep breath, then she said, "Call me when he's stable - if 
ever." He could feel her glaring at him, despite the face she couldn't see him. He 
glanced around the underside of the bed, looking for any signs of smoke. "Until then," 
she continued. "He's not to leave this room for any reason. My men will continue to 
guard the door, and their orders still stand."

     "What orders?" he yelled out. "The same ones you follow - Shoot first, and think 
about asking questions later?"

     The only thing that saved Alan from the wrath of Mars immediately was Ami. Some-
how, she managed to push Rei out of the room, and close the door behind her. She then 
came over and laid on the floor again. "She's gone. It's safe to come out."

     "Can't I stay here?"

     She shook her head. "And before you decide to stay there, I must tell you that 
if you do not come out, I will send for Senshi Jupiter, and she's not as pleasant as 
Mars was."

     He stuck out his head and looked at her. "Er...Jupiter wouldn't happen to be 
taller then me, brown hair, looks strong enough to twist steel bars into pretzels, 
and gives the impression she's looking for someone to pound on, would she?"

     "You remember," said Ami dryly. "You saw her in the corridor, just before you 
ran me over."

     Alan was back in bed before she finished speaking. "No need to bother the Lady 
Jupiter now," he said quickly, smoothing out the sheets. "Just keep that pyro Mars 
away from me, OK?"

     She looked at me coolly. "Her name is Rei. She really isn't that bad a person. 
But, she has a difficult job."

     "Doing what?"

     "She's head of internal security for Crystal Tokyo."

     "Really?" Alan said with mock cheerfulness. "With that bubbling personalty, she's 
not the welcome wagon hostess?"

     The cool look Ami gave him went into deep freeze stare. He tried to outstare her, 
but after several seconds of that cold glare, he sighed and put his hands up. "Alright, 
Doc, I'm sorry. I know Rei is trying to her job, but she's so...." He groped for the 
right word to describe her.

     "Focused?"

     He thought about it, then nodded. "It fits her. What's with the outfit she was 
wearing anyway? I would think that power armor and thirty megawatt lasers would be 
more her style. Or are the criminals in Crystal Tokyo that easily distracted by a 
great figure?"

     "She's a Sailor Senshi, one of Neo-queen Serenity's guardians."

     "Uh-oh." Alan managed not to look confused. "And the these 'Senshi' are named 
after planets, right?"

     "Yes. You've met Sailor Mars, and managed to outrun Sailors Jupiter and Venus."

     "That's three. Which one are you?"

     Ami raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Sailor Mercury. How did you know I was a 
Senshi?"

     Alan shrugged his free shoulder. "Wild guess. I can't see Rei backing down from 
a simple Doctor."

     "Then why are you so hostile to her?"

     "Because I am scared of her. I am also scared of myself. I can't answer the 
questions she wants to ask me."

     Ami relaxed and walked over to stand near him. She picked up his left arm and 
started taking his pulse. "What questions?"

     "How did I get here? Who sent me? How did I manage to stop the security people 
and her without any weapons? How did I shield myself against her fire attack? Why did 
Star Trek: The Next Generation last as long as it did?"

     She looked up sharply at the last question, but he just grinned back at her. She 
sighed dramatically, muttered something like, "Just what Crystal Tokyo needs, another 
superpowered Trekkie" and pulled out a famillar device from her coat pocket. "Hold 
still, please."

     Alan looked at the device in her hand. "Isn't it that a Tricor-"

    "No it isn't," she replied sharply. "It's a medical scanner, nothing more." She 
muttered something under her breath about 'lawsuits and copyrights', but Alan didn't 
catch everything she muttered.

     For the next ten minutes, Alan was given a through exam by a very competent Doctor,
despite the fact she looked too young to be even in Med School. He started to ask her 
how old she REALLY was, but before he could say anything, she held the device close to 
his head and told him to stay quiet.

     Just then, the door opened, and another woman walked into the room. She was dressed 
similarly to the Mars and the others Alan had seen, only her skirt and bow were purple. 
She looked be older then Ami, but not by much, but there was something about her that 
Alan couldn't place. She was tall, willowery, with dark hair with green highlights and 
eyes. In her left hand, she was holding a staff with an orb at one end.

     Then Alan made a mistake - he looked into her eyes. There was more in those eyes 
than he thought possible, great age and wisdom. He felt a chill go through him as he 
recognized her from the hallway, just before he'd plowed into a cleaning cart and 
knocked himself out.

     "Hello, Pluto," said Ami cheerfully, thought Alan thought he heard a slight 
coolness in the greeting. She put the medical scanner back into her pocket and faced 
the newcommer.

     "Mercury," replied Pluto formally. "I wish to speak to your patient."

     Alan groaned. "Sailor Pluto, right?" he muttered.

     Pluto looked at him, and he felt like he was on a dissection table. "Is there a 
problem?" she asked.

     Ami nodded. "Rei was just in here, trying to ask him some questions. I just manage 
to coax him out from under the bed."

     "Ah. That is not my reason for being here. Security of the city is her mission, 
mine's the security of Time."

     "You're A Time Lord?" Alan blurted, only to be gazed at again.

     "No, I am not," she said. "Though I have spoken to them on occasion."

     "You wouldn't happen to know a guy with a long scarf, goes around the universe 
in a...blue...box...." Alan found himself without words as Pluto kicked the gaze into 
overdrive. There was no malice in her expression, but there wasn't much warmth there 
either.

     "Can you please get out of bed?" she asked quietly.

     "NO!" shouted Ami, her face taking on a shocked look."Pluto, what are you doing?"

     "Testing him."

     "For what?"

     Alan got out of bed slowly and stood for several seconds, allowing his body to 
get use to standing again. "OK," he said. "Now what?"

     "Come over to the window, please. I want to show you something."

     "I can not allow this!" Ami snapped, and she stepped in front of the taller 
woman. "He is my patient, and still under my care."

     Pluto stepped around the shorter woman and went over to the window. Alan walked 
over to the window and looked out. Ami hadn't been kidding when she said they were 
thirty stories up. Looked like it was a nice area of town too.

     "Now what?" he asked, more intent on the view from his window then on the people 
with him.

     Pluto opened a latch on the window and pushed it open. She leaned her staff 
against the window pane. A slight breeze ruffled her hair. "Look at that down there," 
she directed, pointing at something on the ground near the base of the building.

     Alan leaned out carefully and looked at what the woman was pointing out. "See 
what? I don't -"

     Without warning, Pluto used both hands to grab Alan by the back of his shirt 
and threw him out the window. Alan managed to give out a squawk of surprise and fear 
before he disappeared.

     Ami screamed and dashed towards the window. Pluto intercepted her. "I suggest 
you bring along a strong sedative. I don't think Alan's going to be in a good mood."

     Ami looked pale. "You just threw him out a thirty story window!" she screamed. 
"He'll be killed!"

     Pluto shrugged. "If I'm wrong, Rei and her people will catch him. If I'm right, 
He won't need any help. Either way, he's not going to be in a good mood. We had better 
get down there before someone gets hurt."






     Some people say they see their lives flash clearly before their eyes when they see 
death coming at them. In Alan's case, he couldn't say that. In fact, the only thought 
he could remember during that entire fall was Now I know how Wile E. Coyote feels. He 
was also screaming at the top of his lungs at the time. Somewhere in that brief instant 
of time, something happened.

     *Alan!* said a voice inside his head. *Open your mind to me!*

     {What the hell....}

     *No time for that! Open your mind to me, if you want to live!*

     {But how?}

     *Imagine a door in your mind opening. Hurry!*

     He closed his eyes and imagined a door in his mind opening. Something moved 
into his mind, making him a spectator in his own body.

     When Alan's eyes opened again, there was no fear in them. He watched the onrushing 
ground with detached interest. As he watched, he released the injured arm from the harness. 
With quick, precise motions of his hands, he started casting a spell.

     The light breeze that had been blowing around the building suddenly increased 
in strength. As if a giant vacuum had been turned on, the wind converged on the area 
below the plunging body. Once there, it quickly began to swirl, becoming a funnel 
cloud, rapidly reaching up towards Alan.

     When Alan and the funnel met, thirty meters above the ground, Alan's plummet 
began to slow. He continued to slow down as he entered the funnel. At a spot five 
meters from the ground, he stopped completely. He was now surrounded by the tornado, 
safe from almost all danger.

     He looked down through the maelstrom around him. Off to his left, he could see 
several guards and a familiar Senshi looking up at him. Most of the soldiers had a 
shocked look on their faces. There was some type of courtyard off to his right, with 
a fountain and benches clustered around it. With a flick of his wrist, Alan sent the 
funnel cloud, along with himself, towards the courtyard. He noted, with amusement, 
the Senshi and the guards chase him with some trepi-dation. Still, he kept the tornado 
under firm control, leaving no trace of the 
whirlwind's passing.

     Once he reached the courtyard, he released the wind from the tornado slowly. As 
the wind decreased, he dropped to the ground. As the last of the wind left the area 
around him, he stepped onto the ground. A guard patrolling the courtyard was surprised 
at the entire event that had just unfolded before him. He stood there, a stunned expres-
sion on his face as Alan looked at him.

     "Where am I?" asked Alan slowly. There was something wrong with his voice, an echo 
that made the voice more commanding. The guard said nothing, too shocked to speak.

     "UNCLE ALISIN! STOP THIS AT ONCE!"

     Alan turned towards the person shouting. Pluto, followed by a scared looking Ami, 
entered the courtyard. Alan glared at them, then cocked his head slightly as he looked 
at Pluto. "Moment?" he asked in the same hollow voice, though it was gentler.

     Pluto exhaled slowly. "Uncle Alisin. It is you."

     Alan smiled. "Sort of. Where am I?"

     "In the City of Crystal Tokyo, a thousand years in the future of the person you 
are with."

     Alisin looked down at the body he was in. "My descendant," he replied slowly. 
"My many-times-great grandson." He looked he looked around. "Who rules the city?"

     "Neo-queen Serenity, with the able assistance of King Endymion and the Senshi."

     Alisin closed his eyes and smiled even more. "It has come to pass, like you said 
it would!" he whispered excitedly. He opened them again and looked at Pluto. "I had 
almost lost any hope of ever seeing the day come when I could serve the Queen again. 
Does she rule well?"

     "As well as she can. She has her mother's strength and gentleness, and her advisers 
give her good advice."

     "If her advisers are good and sound, there will be no reason for me to interfere 
with them. My hands will be filled with just instructing my grandson here on the ways 
of a Windwalker."

     "He's already shown some ability already."

     "Has he?" Alisin paused, as if he was thinking of something. He glanced over at 
Rei and smiled. "Forgive the actions of my grandson, Lady Mars," he said politely. 
"He unconsciously tapped into the powers of his birthright. I trust you are all right?"

     "Er...yes," replied Rei, uncertain if she should pull out a ward or not.

     Pluto must have spotted something of that thought in Rei's eyes. "Alisin, take 
care with Mars. She has more then a little skill in the powers of ghost and demon 
banishment."

     "I see." Alisin bowed to Mars. "I am not a demon, or evil spirit, Lady Mars. I 
am a man who has finally found his home again."

     "I should warn you," said Pluto quietly, "things have change since the Silver 
Millennium. Some of the old ways have been replaced, and other magic has risen to 
replace what you knew."

     Alisin shrugged. "Magic is magic. It can not have change that much, can it?"

     "I think you would be surprised."

     "Speaking of surprise, was it really necessary to throw my grandson out a window?"

     "I had to be sure he was the one," Pluto said quietly, a look of slight discomfort 
on her face. "And, I had to sure you were with him."

     "If I had not taken control?"

     "Mars and her people were standing by to use magic to slow your decent."

     He turned to look at Rei and the small knot of guards on the other side of the 
courtyard, then looked at Pluto again. "You took a great risk, Moment," he said softly. 
"I was only melded to him so he could use the Medallion of the Time Winds to escape a 
raging forest fire that had trapped him. Something, or someone latched onto us, and 
threw us forward in time, to this place. The boy is frightened and unsure of himself."

     Pluto nodded. "Can I speak to him?"

     He nodded. "I will release control, and discuss this matter with him later." He 
smiled. "It is good to see you again, Moment."

     She smiled back at him. "It is good to...see you again, Uncle."

     "I hope you're ready to speak to my grandson. He's very angry right now."

     "I'll live."

     "Very well. Until later, Moment."

     At once, Alan sagged slightly. "What the hell happened?" he said slowly after 
several seconds. "I feel like someone stuck me into a blender and put it on puree."

     Ami was at Alan's side, holding onto his arm. "Are you all right?"

     He looked at her, and nodded. He then glared at Pluto. "All right green hair," 
he snarled. "What's the idea of trying to turn me into road pizza?" He turned to glare 
at Rei, who was walking slowly towards him. "And you stay away from me!"

     Rei arched an eyebrow, but didn't slow her pace.

     Realizing that Rei wasn't going to be put off, Alan turned his anger back at 
the person who'd tried to kill him. He took a step towards Pluto, his fists balled 
up into fists. "Start talking Lady, or I going to hit you so hard, you won't wake 
up until the next millennia!"

     "Don't get so worked up," replied Pluto. "I had to test my theory."

     "THEORY?" screamed Alan, his face reddening in anger. "WHAT THEORY WAS THAT? 
TO SEE IF I'D BOUNCED? YOU THREW ME OUT A WINDOW THIRTY STORIES UP AND REI WAS THE 
ONE YOU WERE COUNTING ON TO CATCH ME IF I COULDN'T SAVE MYSELF!"

     "She was eager to volunteer for the job."

     "I'll bet," said Alan in a strained voice, eyes wide. "Wouldn't it have been 
easier just to shoot me?"

     "I had to find out if Alisin was with you."

     "Lucky this Alisin came through then, or I'd be a stain on the pavement." He 
looked at Rei. "A LARGE stain."

     Rei's voice was cold and hard. "Are you insinuating I wouldn't do my duty?"

     Alan felt a large sweatdrop form on the back of his forehead. Before he could snarl 
back an answer, Ami stepped in front of him and began looking into his eyes with the 
detachment of a professional doctor. After several seconds, she looked at Pluto. "He's 
in shock."

     Pluto nodded. "Then it's time he returned to his bed. I will report the events to 
the Queen."

     "Wait a minute!" Alan stepped around Ami and stood in front of Pluto. "I want some
answers, and I WANT THEM NOW!"

     Pluto took a step back, either from fear or prudence. No one watching thought it 
was fear. "You have a special gift," she said slowly. "One that very few people have."

     "DO THESE GIFTS USUALLY TALK BACK?" Alan yelled.

     Ami tightened her grip on his free arm. "Alan, Stop this yelling. Think of your 
blood pressure."

     "BLOOD PRESSURE?" he bellowed. He motioned with his head towards Pluto. "If this 
happily homicidal harpy had been wrong and little miss firebug there had screwed up, I 
wouldn't even have a blood pressure to worry about!" He looked at Pluto again. "Do you 
always like gambling with people's lives, or just mine?"

     Alan missed the feel of a patch being slapped on his neck, and only became aware 
that Ami had done something to him after she stepped back. He turned to looked at her, 
his rage replaced by a puzzled look. She managed to look sorrowful before the sedative 
hit him. He felt woozy, and knew he was going to fall into the darkness once more. "Oh 
hell, not again...."

     The last thing he heard before the darkness grabbed him was Pluto whispering, 
"Welcome home, Windwalker."






     Serenity managed to look irritated as she addressed Pluto. "Was throwing Alan out 
the window necessary?"

     The council had returned to the conference room, and had just heard Ami describe 
the events that had taken place less then an hour ago. Now, they all looked at Pluto.

     Unlike the others, Pluto was standing, her staff held in her left hand. She looked 
calm as she replied, "I admit it was a bit extreme, but it was necessary to shock Alisin 
out of his trance."

     "And who in the Abyss is Alisin?" said Azurite sharply.

     "I seem to recall a man by the name of Alisin," said Luna, who was sitting near 
the Queen. "He was an adviser to Queen Serenity and King Halcyon. I seem to recall a 
tall thin man with sharp features...I've got it! Alisin Windwalker. One of the Moon 
Kingdom's advisers!"

     Pluto nodded. "Alisin was the last of the great Air Wizards from the Silver 
Millennium."

     "What's an Air Wizard?" asked Chrysolite.

     "Air Wizards were one of the four Orders of Elemental Magic," replied Pluto. "Each 
Order used magic based on what they saw as one of the four basic elements - Air, Fire, 
Water, and Earth."

     "So Alan is the reborn Alisin?" asked Serenity.

     "No. Alan is a descendant of Alisin. Alisin is melded with Alan, but both are 
independent personalities."

     "So, what you're saying is both of them are sharing Alan's body?"

     "Yes."

     Minako blinked. "Well, I'm confused. Anyone else?"

     There was a murmur of agreement to her statement. Serenity looked at Pluto. "I 
suggest you start at the beginning and tell us everything."

     The outer Senshi nodded. "Very well. The story starts days after the fall of the 
Moon Kingdom...."



     Pluto found Alisin standing on a bluff overlooking a raging sea.

     The air was still charged with the sudden violence that had shattered the lands and king-
doms of Earth. Strong winds whipped around the tall, lean man standing there, but the man didn't
seem to notice.

     "Uncle Alisin," Pluto shouted.

     The Wizard turned and looked at her. He was middle aged, with short brown hair and beard 
shot through with gray. His sharp features, which always reminded Pluto of a bird of prey, were 
streaked with tears. "You haven't called me Uncle since you became a Senshi, Moment."

     "We need to talk, Uncle."

     He looked out to sea again. "It's over, isn't it?" he said slowly. "Everything is gone."

     "Step away from the edge, Uncle."

     Alisin turned and took several steps towards her. As he did so, the wind died away. "What 
should I do?" he shouted at her. "Throw myself on the mercy of Beryl?"

     "Beryl has been denied her victory. Serenity saw to that before she died."

     Understanding flickered across the Wizard's face. "She used the Ginshousu to destroy 
them, didn't she?" he said sadly.

     Pluto shook her head. "Not destroyed. She exiled them to another dimention."

     "Did she have to use the crystal?"

     "She had no choice in the matter. Nothing less then the Ginshousu's power could have 
stopped Beryl and her forces."

     "The Mana Wells. I can feel the lack of Mana in the air, and the upheaval here has not 
been natural. The Queen capped them?"

     Pluto nodded. "She had to. A few of Beryl's underlings managed to avoid their leader's 
exile. With the wells capped, they can do nothing to release Beryl, nor rule in her stead."

     "And so the last act of my queen seals an evil away for all time."

     "I wish it was that simple."

     Alisin looked at her sharply. "That creature and her hoard will be a threat sometime in 
the future."

     "Yes. But the Queen was aware of the future, and she took steps to ensure that Beryl will 
not succeed."

     "You are being evasive, Moment. That's the one thing I have always hated about you."

     "Knowledge of the future is a dangerous thing, Uncle."

     "And everything you and I knew is gone. And it will never be again."

     Pluto smiled for the first time in several days. Alisin looked at her through half-closed 
eyes. "What are you hiding, Moment?"

     "The Queen used the Ginshousu to send the souls of her daughter, the other Senshi, and 
others into the future. They will be reborn, and through them, another era that will rival the 
Silver Millennium will arise."

     She saw a gleam in Alisin eyes, a ray of hope that had not been there before. "How far 
into the future?"

     "Thousands of years."

     "I see." Alisin stood there, his brow furrowed in thought. "I must find a way to survive 
the time until then."

     Pluto sighed. "I can not council that, Uncle. There will be great changes between the two
kingdoms."

     "I know, but I must."

     "Why?"

     "BECAUSE I FAILED MY QUEEN!" shouted the wizard. "I WASN'T THERE WHEN SHE NEEDED ME!"

     There was silence for several minutes as the two of them stared at each other. "And what 
would you have done?" asked Pluto quietly. "Died like the rest?"

     "Yes." He turned and looked out at the ocean again. "At least then I wouldn't have to 
worry about these feelings of failure that gnaw at me."

     "The mission the Queen sent you on was important."

     "The mission the Queen sent me on was a dismal failure."

     "What happened? She didn't tell me exactly what your mission was."

     He turned and looked at her. "She wanted me to rally the other Elemental Orders to openly 
support her against Beryl."

     "I see." The Elemental Wizards, as a whole, had stay neutral during the first part of the 
war. Only the Air Wizards, led by Alisin, had openly declared for either side. "Why was the 
meeting here on Earth?"

     "There was strong opposition among the other Orders to siding with either Serenity or 
Beryl. To even have a meeting, they demanded that it be held on Earth, the only netural planet 
inside the astroid belt. The meeting was set up to take place at Avalon, far enough from 
Beryl's forces, or so we thought."

     "But it was discovered?"

     Alisin shook his head. "Worse. Beryl had managed to corrupt a large number of the second 
and third rank of each order. When we started the meeting, they declared themselves and attack 
the others." He was silent for a minute. "Not many survived on either side."

     He closed his eyes. "I have never seen such a horror before," he whispered, "and I hope I 
never do so again. Brother against brother, friend against friend. I saw people I'd known for 
years killing without remorse, with the cruelty I would have thought unthinkable before. I lost 
many good friends, and my son in the battle."

     "Alason dead?" Pluto reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't 
know."

     "There was no way you could of known. He fought beside me, and died in my arms." He bowed 
his head. "His wife and son managed to escape the carnage." He waved a hand towards a small 
cluster of makeshift tents near the shore. "They are there. They are all I have left."

     "Then go to them. They are your future."

     Alisin shook his head. "Without my Queen, I have no future."

     Pluto sighed. "Are you determined to wait for the new Queen, Uncle?"

     "I must."

     "I do know a way."

     The Wizard looked up at her. "What?"

     "I know a way to for you to survive until the rebirth."

     "I hear the 'but' in your voice. What must I do to earn this chance?"

     "I want you to keep an eye on your descendants. There will be a need for one of them when
the rebirth occurs."

     "You want me to watch over my descendants? And how am I to protect them?"

     "With the help of this." Pluto withdrew a medallion from subspace and handed to Alisin.

     Alisin looked at the Medallion closely. "The Medallion of the Time Winds?"

     Pluto nodded. "With its own supply of Mana, it will serve the need. But it will be up to 
you to decide when and where it is used. There's a two step process involved in using the 
Medallion. The spell shell will prevent an accidental use, unless you use the incantation. Once 
the incantation is used, a simple telepathic trigger will activate the medallion itself."

     "And the spell involved?"

     "I will show you how to pass the incantation to bypass the spell shell along when it is 
absolutely necessary."

     The Air Wizard looked at the medallion. "The only winds we of the Air Order cannot control- 
those of Time itself." He then looked at Pluto. "And now, I must become dependent on those winds 
for my future. How ironic." He put the medallion around his neck. "I will do as you say."

     "Good. I would like to see your daughter-in-law and Grandson one last time before we 
depart."

     "They will be happy to see you one last time."

     They turned and walked slowly towards the tents.



     The room was silent for a moment. Then Luna said, "I can see Alisin doing such a 
thing. His loyalty to the King and Queen was absolute."

     "Uncle Alisin?" asked Serenity. "Is he related to you?"

     Pluto shook her head. "Not by blood. The story is rather tedious."

     "Tedious or not, I think we should know."

     Pluto sighed. "Alisin came to Pluto when I was six years old. He'd had just lost 
his wife, and the only two things that kept him going then were his duty to Queen 
Serenity and his son, Alason. After his wife's death, he began to push himself harder 
in the service of his Queen until his health began to fail him.

     "The Queen knew that he needed time to adjust to his loss, to grieve his wife 
properly. But he wouldn't hear of it, insisting he was all right. So, she sent him 
to Pluto to discuss some trade agreements with my parents."

     "Why Pluto?"

     The outer Senshi shrugged. "I can't say for certain. Maybe because it was far 
away from the places that reminded him of his wife. I do know there was some concern 
with the situation developing on Nemesis at the time, so that might have had something 
to do with it.

     "He came reluctantly to Pluto, with his son." She closed her eyes, and surprised 
the others by saying quietly. "I can still remember his coming down the gangplank from 
the ship, Alason held in one arm, a simple bag in the other. I remember the look of 
sadness on his face as he paid his respects to my parents.

     "The agreements, while minor, were time consuming. While not engaged in talks, 
Alisin would spend time staring out at the landscape, or with Alason, who was about 
my age. His son and I became playmates, and Alisin would watch us at play. He began 
showing Alason and myself small tricks with air magic, and I could see the joy he felt 
when he saw our amazed faces. Over time, he  began to lose that sadness, and he became 
more relaxed around myself and my parents." She opened her eyes and smiled. "I called 
him 'Uncle Alisin' because he told me to. Somehow, it seemed more fitting than me 
calling him Windwalker."

     "How long did he stay on Pluto?" asked Serenity.

     "Two years. By the time he and Alason left, he had come to terms with his wife's 
death, and was ready to resume his role as an advisor." She leaned forward slightly. 
"I stayed in contact with him over the years, even visited him a couple of times, but
after I became Sailor Pluto, our duties kept us from seeing much of each other."

     Serenity nodded. "Thank you for telling us. The story was not tedious at all."

     "But you haven't explained how he survive," remarked Chrysolite.

     Pluto looked at the Guardian. "Much the same way you did. His spirit entered the 
Land of Dreams and stayed there. Only you had a body to came back to, while Alisin 
doesn't."

     "Your telling us," said Rei slowly, "that this Alisin has spent all this time in 
the Land of Dreams?"

     "Yes. Helios allowed him to stay, as a favor to me."

     "Then, who is Alan?"

     "Alan is his direct descendant. Alisin told me that Alan was trapped in a forest 
fire. To save his descendant, Alisin merged with Alan's mind. Through Alisin, Alan 
managed to use the Medallion of the Time Winds to escape the fire."

     "The Medallion brought him a thousand years into the future?"

     Pluto shook her head. "Not by itself. There is some predicability in the Time 
Winds. At the most, it should have moved him forward in time several days. But, at 
the exact moment Alan used the Medallion, Emeraude was making a return trip to Crystal 
Tokyo. It's clear that Alan was caught in Emeraude's temporal wake, and was dragged 
along."

     "Then why didn't he end up in the middle of Crystal Tokyo during the Black Moon 
War?" asked Calcite. "Why here and now?"

     "There was a tension in the temporal wake. When Emeraude reentered the timestream, 
it snapped Alan forward past her point in the timestream, to this point in time."

     Pyrite nodded. "Makes sense. The tension in the temporal wake being similar to 
a rubber band being stretched."

     Pluto shrugged. "An accurate description as any."

     "So, the question is," said Serenity quietly, "what do we do with our guest?"

     Rei looked at Pluto. "You're sure there's nothing he needs to do here? That 
there's nothing he has to do that's vital."

     Giving no hint of foreknowledge Pluto said, "There is much he could do but if 
you mean anything he alone could do, someone could take his place." Only Ami and Pyrite 
caught just how
ambiguous that really was. Mars just nodded and resumed talking.

     "Then surely it would be kinder to return him to his own time where he'll be out 
of my hair...reunited with his loved ones."

     Pluto gave a noncommittal shrug. "I could take him back to his point of origin 
but from his own testimony we know he was about to die in a forest fire. So it's quite 
possible he is assumed to have been killed and history went on without him. So if he 
reappears in the twentieth century he will inevitably change things by his mere presence. 
Additionally, I remind you that Alisin is awake and bonded with Alan."

     Thoughtfully Pyrite speculated, "Mana was poor back then but not nonexistent. Plus 
everyone with magical abilities was drawn by the synchronistic zone."

     Ami nodded in agreement. "Tokyo would draw him, or them, like a moth to flame. Who 
knows how Alan and Alisin would disrupt our past once they got there?"

     Pluto commented, "The only way to make sure he doesn't do that would be to take him 
BBck and ensure he dies in the fire as history assumes."  That got her some horror-filled 
looks so she added, "Which I would rather not have to  do. While it is my duty to safeguard 
time there are limits. Particularly as there is a simple solution."

     Rei leaned forward. "All right, I know when I'm beaten. Since we seem to be stuck 
with him....I suggest we allow him to move around freely - for now."

     "I agree," replied Calcite. "But we should keep a close eye on him."

     "Might I make a suggestion?" asked Luna.

     "Of course," replied Serenity.

     "I think we should assign someone to Alan to act as a guide for the first few weeks. 
Someone who will be able to observe him closely for any problems without arousing his 
suspicions."

     "A good idea. Do you have someone in mind?"

     Luna smiled. "I have just the cat in mind. Its about time we got something out of 
that lazy bag of fur anyway." Artemis looked at her sharply, but didn't say anything.

     Serenity looked at the others in turn. "Any objections?"

     There were none. Serenity nodded, then turned to Ami. "How long before our guest 
is ready to be up and about?"

     "I would say three days minimum," replied Ami. "That is, assuming there's no more 
'questioning' or 'tests' in the meantime." She glared at Rei and Pluto in turn. Neither 
Rei nor Pluto reacted to her glare.

     "I think we should allow our guest that time to rest in peace," replied Serenity. 
"I don't want anyone near him unless Ami approves. Fair enough?"

     Ami nodded. "That's acceptable."

     "Anything else?" asked Serenity. No one said anything, and Serenity smiled. "Then 
we wait for three days, then see what our guest is like."






Part 3 - "The Plot thickens...." 	




Alan Thomas' Journal

Entry #3

     It seemed the only thing I was doing consistently durning my first days in Crystal Tokyo 
was taking non-voluntary snoozes....








     Alan opened his eyes slowly. He closed them again, counted to ten silently, then 
opened his eyes again.

      The first thought he had was he was lying on grass. He turned his head slightly, 
and confirmed his impression. What the hell.... He looked around some more and 
found he was lying on a hillside, with rolling hills as far as the eye could see. It 
was a beautiful place.

     He glanced down and found he was dressed the same way as he had been during the 
fire. "OK, This must be heaven," he muttered, sitting up slowly. "I guess that business 
with Crystal Tokyo was just a dream."

     "On the contrary," said a booming voice from behind him. "Crystal Tokyo is real. 
This is a dream."

     Alan froze. There hadn't been anyone there when he'd look several seconds ago. 
"I'm not going to look," he muttered repeatedly.

     The voice sighed. "Very well, then." Alan heard the rustle of cloth and he saw 
the hem of a white robe out of the corner of his eye move until the newcomer stood in 
front of him. Forced by his curiosity, Alan looked up.

     A young man in regal-looking, white robes stood there, smiling at him. "Welcome, 
Alan Thomas," he said cheerfully. "I am Helcion, and this is my kingdom, Halcyon, the 
Kingdom of Dreams."

     Alan just looked at him. "Am I crazy, or did the world shift a couple of feet to 
the left when I wasn't looking?"

     Helios just smiled. "You are very much sane, and the world has remained where you 
left it."

     "That's what I was afraid you say."

     "Cheer up, Alan!" replied Helios with a smile as he held out a hand. "You're here 
for an important reason."

     Alan accepted the hand, and with Helios' help, got to his feet. "What reason?"

     "To meet Alisin, of course!"

     "Alisin?"

     "The person that saved you when Sailor Pluto threw you out the window!"

     "Ah." Alan closed his eyes. "Thanks for the reminder."

     "No matter. It was all in a good cause."

     "Remember that when Green Hair tosses you out a thirty story window."

     Helios chuckled. "Come, Alisin wants to speak to you. He has waited for this moment 
for a very long time."

     He led Alan up the slope to the top of the hill. The hilltop was covered with trees,
forcing Alan to follow behind Helios. They walked along the top of the hill until they 
reached a clearing.

     The clearing wasn't very large, maybe twice the size of Alan's hospital room, and 
flat. The grass was short, but lush and rich. With the birds singing and a light breeze 
blowing, the
clearing was very peaceful.

     In the center of the clearing, a man stood facing away from them. Helios called out, 
"Here is Alan, old friend!"

     The man turned slowly and bowed to Helios. "I thank you, old friend," he said in a 
strong voice. "And I thank you again for allowing me to stay here all this time."

     "Think nothing of it, friend Alisin."

     Alisin straightened. "Greetings, Alan Cornwell Thomas." Alisin was half a head 
taller then Alan, middle aged, with short brown hair and beard shot through with gray. 
His sharp features reminded Alan of a bird of prey, and his eyes were deep blue and 
clear. He was wearing a loose sky blue shirt with trousers of the same color, and a 
cloak rippled around him like it was alive.

     "Er...hi," said Alan carefully. "You're Alisin, right?"

     "I am."

     "If you two will excuse me," said Helios, "I will leave you two alone. I have other 
matters I must attend to. Good day, gentlemen." With that, Helios faded into thin air. 
Alan stared at the spot where the King had been standing, an expression of surprise etched 
on his face.

     "We must talk," said Alisin quickly.

     "Er...yes," replied Alan, his eyes lingering on the spot where Helios had simply 
disappeared from.

     "This is the Land of Dreams, and he is king here. That is why he can do that."

     "Oookay...."

     Alisin smiled slowly. "So, you are my descendent."

     Alan turned to look at him. "I am?"

     "I am your great grandfather, four hundred and thirty-seven generations removed."

     Alan made the calculations and blanched at the result he came up with. "But that 
would mean you're over ten thousand years old!"

     His grandfather shrugged. "Time has no meaning here."

     "You don't understand," said Alan, quickly, the words tumbling out of his mouth. 
"People don't live that long!" 

     "In a physical body, that would be true." Alisin held his arms out to his side. 
"But I am not a physical being. When my body died, I came here to start my vigil."

     "What vigil?" asked Alan suspiciously. He stepped back, eying the other man 
carefully. "Who are you? Why am I here in a Jung Junket? I need some answers, and 
I want them now!"

     Alisin frowned at Alan's outburst. "If you want answers, then be silent and 
listen," he said, allowing some anger to creep into his voice, "I will explain many 
things. Are you ready to listen?"

     "Er...."

     "I'll take that as a yes." He waved towards a pair of chairs that hadn't been 
there an eyeblink before. "Sit and I will explain as much as I can."

     Alan gingerly sat down in one of the chairs. Alisin sat down before he started 
speaking. "Twelve thousand years ago, there was a solar system-wide civilization in 
place." He looked at the disbelief on Alan's face. "It would take too long to explain 
how, but each planet, including Earth's moon, was inhabited. With me so far?"

     "Yes."

     "Fine. During this time, there was a very strong emphasis on what you would call 
'Magic'.

     "Real magic? Not illusions or slight of hand?"

     Alisin shook his head. "Real magic. Also, there were ancient wonders and technology 
left to us by a race far older then ourselves. It was these wonders that allowed human 
to live on all the planets in the system. But, I digress. To keep this as short as possible, 
I will defer my explanations on magic until later."

     "Fine by me." Alan thought for a second. "Wait a minute. What happened to this 
civilization, and why didn't anyone find out about this?"

     The older man looked at him. "I'll answer the second part of your question first. 
Have you ever heard of Atlantis, Arcadia, Avalon, or Mu?"

     "Yea, but they're just legends...right?"

     "They were much more then legends in my time."

     Alan blinked. "So what happened?"

     "Unlike the other planets, Earth wasn't a unified planet at the time, but a patch-
work of kingdoms that were nominally under the leadership of the most powerful kingdom, 
the Kingdom of Mu. The queen of Arcadia became consumed with lust for the Prince of Mu, 
and allied herself with dark powers in order to have the prince for herself."

     "Does this dark power have a name?"

     "It was called Metallia." Alisin adjusted himself in his chair. "Metallia wanted 
souls in exchange for this power, and this queen agreed."

     "Great, when do the Hobbits show up?"

     "This isn't the time to be flippant," said Alisin sharply.

     Alan sighed. "Sorry. In the last few days, my entire world has been replaced by 
a combination of Lord of the Rings and a comic book. I'm not sure what's real anymore."

     "This is real. I am real. And the Senshi are real."

     "Right. I think you'd better continue your story before something else goes thump."

     Alisin arched an eyebrow. "Very well. The Queen of Arcadia, Beryl by name, use 
her dark powers given to her by Metallia to try and entrap the Prince. But, she was 
exposed as a demon worshipper. She managed to escape, and started a war."

     "Let me guess. Beryl's buddy in the dark side of the Force supplied her with 
enough firepower to destroy the civilization, right?"

     Alisin hesitated for a second, trying to understand what Alan had said. "Partially 
right. She used her powers to corrupt and twist others to her darkness. Once she had 
sufficient forces, she conquered most of the Earth in a quick and bloody fight. Then, 
she attacked the Moon Kingdom, the strongest of the planetary kingdoms."

     "What happen to the Prince?"

     "The Prince was on the Moon to visit his real love, the Princess Serena. Beryl 
launched her attack in part to capture the Prince, but also to destroy the woman who 
had captured the Prince's heart."

     "Serena."

     Alisin nodded. "What exactly happened when Beryl attack I know only from Moment, 
who is Sailor Pluto. Nearly everyone was slain, including the Senshi, and Beryl was on 
the verge of victory. Then, Queen Serenity used the Ginshousu."

     "Bless you."

     "That wasn't a sneeze."

     Alan's face fell and he felt a sweatdrop from on the back of his head. "Oh. Sorry. 
What's a Ginshousu?"

     "The Ginshousu is the most powerful magical item ever to exist during the Silver 
Millennium. It could recreate reality, under the right circumstances."

     "And the Queen used it to fry Metallia, Beryl, and her horde?" 

     "No. Despite the death and destruction Beryl caused, Serenity wasn't going to 
sink to her foe's level. She used the Ginshousu to force Metallia, Beryl and her minions 
into another dimension, then sealed it off from this dimension. She then sent the souls 
of the Senshi, her daughter, the prince, and the others forward into time, to be reborn 
free of Beryl's taint. What has happened since then, I do not know."

     "From what I've seen, they've managed to do all right for themselves." Alan looked 
at Alisin. "What happened to the other planets?"

     Alisin leaned forward. "Metallia's presence caused massive disruptions throughout 
the solar system. The magic and wonders that the other planets depended on for life were
rendered useless, their Mana disrupted. All life cease to exist on all planets but Earth."

     "What happened here?"

     Alisin paused. "A few of Beryl's minions managed to escape the banishment. To 
keep them from using magic to unseal their mistress's prison, and to keep them from 
seizing power among the survivors, Serenity sealed off the Earth's Mana wells."

     "That doesn't sound good." Alan hesitated for a second, then asked, "What's a 
Mana well?"

     "A place where Mana is released from the earth's crust."

     "Fine. What's mana?"

     "Mana is to magic what breathing is to life. Without Mana, there can be no use 
of magic."

     "Oh." Alan thought for a second. "What were you during the...Silver Millennium?"

     "I was, and am, an elemental wizard."

     "Great. What's that?"

     "An elemental wizard is a user of magic that concentrates on one of the four 
basic elements - Fire, Water, Earth, and my element, Air."

     "I know that the theory about using elements in magic has always been around, but 
mostly in fantasy novels or third rate sword-and-sorcery movies."

     Alisin nodded. "There was several forms of magic in use in my time. One was the 
Elemental Magic, while there was a strong following of astrological magic among the 
nobles. Several other forms existed, but I do not know them well enough to comment 
on."

     "Magic, magic...." muttered Alan. He stood up and began pacing in the area between 
his chair and Alisin's. "Assuming I believe you - and I'm not sure yet - can you tell 
me if it was magic that dragged me a thousand years into my future and dropped me into 
the combination of Snow White and a Steven King Novel?"

     "If you are asking if it was Magic that threw you forward in time, the answer is 
yes."

     Alan stopped and looked at him sharply. "Are you responsible for me being here?"

     "In part, yes."

     "Which part?"

     "Do you remember the Medallion you wore at the time of the forest fire? The one 
that you inherited from your parents?"

     "The one with the symbol for Pluto on it?"

     Alisin nodded. "That medallion was the Medallion of the Time Winds, a special 
object 
that was handed down from generation to generation."

     "A magical item?"

     "Yes. It allowed several of your ancestors to escape death by calling on the Time 
Winds to carry them forward past the danger. Remember the story your Paternal Grandfather 
told you, the one in which his unit was attacked and he couldn't remember half that day?"

     Alan nodded and stopped pacing. "Yea. His company was caught in a night bombardment 
by German artillery during the Battle of the Bulge. He remembered a shell landing nearby, 
then nothing until dusk of the next day. We always figured it was shell shock."

     "No. I entered his mind and activated the Medallion of the Time Winds. Your Grand-
father was sent forward in time to avoid the attack."

     "Whoa," said Alan, looking at Alisin in disbelief. "You ENTER my Grandfather's 
mind?"

     Alisin looked at Alan. "Just as entered yours to activated the medallion before 
the fire overtook you. It should have brought you forward in time only a day or two, 
then I would have erased you mind of the experience and returned here, to continue my 
vigil."

     Alan sat down in his chair slowly. "But something went wrong. The medallion kicked 
me a thousand years into the future. And you're still in my mind."

     "Yes. The shift in time caught me unaware, and the shock stunned me. Sometime in 
that time period, we became bonded."

     "So what in the heck happened?"

     "I do not know. Moment would know, as Time is her domain."

     Alan groaned. "Sailor Pluto. You know she tossed me out of a thirty-story window."

     "I know. Moment has always had a...practical streak in her."

     "Read cold blooded," muttered Alan.

     "She knew that if I was with you, a threat to your life would draw me out of my 
shock to protect you. It was I who took over your body during you fall and created 
the vortex to prevent your death."

     "Me? Why?"

     "Because you are the last of my direct decedents, the last I can past my knowledge 
in Air Magic to."

     "Oh great."

     "You do not sound pleased."

     "Well, for some reason the phrase 'You have been recruited by the Star League to 
protect the frontier from Xor and the Ko-Dan Armada' keeps running through my mind 
right now."

     "I do not understand."

     Alan leaned forward. "I make this simple: I want to go home. Back to my time, my 
job, my friends, my life. I don't belong here. I'm as out of place in this city as a 
fish is on a unicycle. I have nothing to offer these people besides a live target to 
keep Rei's trigger finger supple."

     "You sell yourself short, Alan."

     "It wouldn't be the first time. It's been four hundred generations since you 
ended up here. How do you know I can do anything with magic?"

     Alisin smiled. "You have already shown your ability a couple of times."

     "Huh?"

     "The confrontation with Lady Mars and her security people, for one."

     "That wasn't me. That was you...right?"

     Alisin shook his head. "That was all your doing. Granted, the magic was rough 
and unfinished, but it was clearly you who created the windstorm, air shield and the 
force ball. Your unconsciously tapped into your natural powers, and you used the Mana 
in the air to defend yourself. Not many had the power to do what you did."

     "Lucky me." Alan leaned back in his chair. "Wait a minute. I thought you said 
earlier that Queen Serenity capped the Mana wells."

     "Her daughter must have unsealed them. She is the only one who would have the 
power to do so."

     "With the...er...Ginshousu, right?"

     "Yes."

     "Of course, said Alan, with some sarcasm. "How silly of me not to figure that out."

     "You use your heritage even now."

     "Come again?"

     "What language have we been speaking?"

     "English, right?"

     Alisin shook his head. "From my point of view, we've been speaking Avalonian, 
one of the languages used by Wizards. A language that has no doubt been lost over 
the mysteries of time."

     "Then what-"

     Alisin stood. "I think we have talked enough for now. There are too many things 
I need to know, too many of my own questions I need answers for. Would it be all right 
if I shared your mind?"

     Alan frowned. "Excuse me?"

     "I wish to travel along with you in you mind and see the world as it now stands, 
through your senses." Alisin held up a hand to cut off Alan's building outburst. "I 
said share, not take over. You will still have complete control of your body and mind. 
All I will do is observe and inform you of things you should know quietly. I promise 
not to influence your decisions in any way, nor will I take over your body unless you 
ask me to."

     "Nice," muttered Alan. "'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' English style."

     "Do you agree?"

     Alan though for a second. "All right," he said finally. "You can ride along, but 
no back seat driving, OK?"

     "I will watch and advise, nothing more."

     "Fine." Alan looked around. "Now, how do I get out of here?"

     Alisin smiled. "You simply wake up."

     Then, everything went white.






     Alan opened one eye slowly. Like the last several times, he was lying on his back, 
in a comfortable bed.

     But the place he was lying in had changed again. Gone was the bright and cheery 
hospital room. Instead, Alan was lying in a very large bed in a room that any medieval 
knight would have felt at home in. Only, he wasn't a Knight.

     The walls were of gray stone, solid and strong, as was the ceiling. A small window to 
his left showed him it was daylight outside. Beside the bed, there was a small table and 
an electrical lamp. A small selection of glasses, bottles, and other medical stuff was 
neatly arranged. A chest of drawers, a freestanding mirror, and two bookcases completed 
the furniture.

     Alan pushed himself up to a seating position. It took him several seconds to 
realize his right arm was unbound, and there was no pain from the limb. He tested it 
gingerly, but besides some tightness in the shoulder, the arm seemed fine.

     That was one heck of a dream, he thought to himself. It almost seemed real.

     *It was real,* replied Alisin in Alan's mind. *Just as I am real.*

     Alan's mouth dropped open. "Then-then I wasn't dreaming...."

     *You were not. I am here with you to advise and step in when necessary. The first 
thing I suggest you do is stop talking out loud in response to me, or people will think 
you're crazy.*

     Alan opened his mouth to respond, closed it slowly, then thought {After what's 
happened to me lately, I'm not sure that I haven't taken a flying leap off the cliffs 
of reason.}

     *You are as sane as I am.*

     {If you trying to comfort me, grandfather, it ain't working.}

     *Hush. Someone's coming.*

     A door in the far wall opened, and a girl wearing a Senshi uniform strolled in 
and saw Alan sitting up. She managed to looked surprised before she nodded to herself, 
then walked out again. It wasn't until after she closed the door after her, did Alan 
realize she'd been the blonde who'd chased him through the halls.

     *Sailor Venus,* said Alisin in the back of his mind.

     {The laser lassie} Alan thought back.

     *Be polite* replied Alisin. *She was a princess during the Silver Millennium.*

     {I'm going to be polite to her because she can burn a hole through me!}

     Alan heard his grandfather sigh. *You must stop this insistent chatter. She's 
not going to kill you out of hand.*

     {I hope not!}

     Just then, Ami came into the room. She was still dressed in a lab coat, and she 
looked stiff. "Good morning, Alan," she said slowly.

     "Is it?" Alan asked, stretching slowly. "How long was I out?"

     "Three days."

     Alan blinked twice. "Strong stuff," he commented. "Where am I this time? One of 
Mars' efficiency dungeon cells?"

     She shook her head. "I see your sense of humor has not been affected any."

     He shrugged. "If I took everything completely seriously, I'd be a babbling wreck. 
Come to think of it, I still may become a babbling wreck. How are the accommodations 
in Crystal Tokyo for people who'd gone off the deep end? I want a padded cell with a 
view, if you can swing it."

     "You're not going insane."

     "I'm not? I just had a long talk with my great-times-several hundred-times-
grandfather Alisin, and he's filled in the highlights. Even now, I can talk to him. 
Does that sound like I'm playing with a full deck?"

     Alan heard his grandfather sigh again. Ami looked at him carefully. "Ask Alisin 
what my name was during the Silver Millennium."

     *Cognizance* replied Alisin quickly. *Daughter of Queen Sagacity, and niece of 
the previous Sailor Mercury, Hope.*

     "Cognizance," replied Alan. He looked at Ami, who nodded slowly. "That was your 
name, wasn't it?"

     "It was. That voice in your mind isn't yours. It's really Alisin. What else did 
he tell you?" She listened as Alan told her everything the two men had discussed in 
the Land of Dreams, with Alisin occasionally reminding him of something he'd missed.

     After Alan was finished, Ami pursed her lips. "How's the arm?" she said suddenly

     "Feels great. But -"

     "Good." She walked over to the bed and checked his pulse."Because in two hours, 
you have an audience with the Queen."

     Alan hooted "Who?"

     "Neo-Queen Serenity."

     "Oh, right." He looked down at his bedclothes and said, "I hope you have something 
in my size, because I sure am not going looking like this."

     "There are clothes in the wardrobe, and they are your size." She pulled out the 
'medical scanner' and waved it over him. "How do you feel otherwise?"

     "Better then the last two times I woke up."

     "You seem more alert then before."

     Just then, Sailor Venus came bouncing back into the room. While Ami checked the 
arm, Venus stopped at the foot of Alan's bed and looked at him curiously. He returned 
the favor the best he could. After thirty seconds of this unusual staring contest, 
Alan gave up. "You win," he said to her.

     "Win what?" the blonde asked. So far, the entire contingent of Senshi he'd met 
were pretty. A bit on the young side - who was he kidding? A LOT on the young side. 
Alan kept glancing at the door, half expecting to see a father or two come storming 
in, demanding to know his intentions with their daughters.

     He heard Alisin's chuckle. *They are older then they look. Being a Senshi retards 
the aging process.*

     {Great. A teeny bopper's fountain of youth.}

     *They may look younger then you, but I don't doubt they are much older then you 
are. Don't make the mistake of underestimating them because they look so young.*

     "The right to tell me who you are," Alan replied with a smile.

     Ami looked at him as if Venus was her daughter. Alan shrugged. "Thomas Rule Number 
One," he said loftily. "Always be friendly with people who have the power to inflict 
incredible bodily harm to your person, and try to stay on their good side."

     Ami sighed deeply, then tapped the arm harder then she had to. Alan yelped in 
pain, and glared at her. She ignored him, and continued her examination.

     "Minako," replied the blonde cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"

     "Fine, as long as the Doc here finishes up sometime soon." That earned another 
sharp tap on his arm from her, and another glare from him. In the back of his mind, 
his grandfather was watching all of this with some amusement.

     "I'm sorry if we hurt you," Minako said seriously, her face showing some concern.

     Alan shook my head. "I should have been watching where I was going when I was 
running for my life. I can understand your...enthusiasm, but couldn't you have at 
least asked who I was first?"

     "When we first saw you, you were standing over Mars. We thought you were attacking 
her."

     "Oh." Ami finished her exam, and Alan leaned back. "I'm sorry for causing you and 
the others trouble." He thought for a second. "And I suppose I could apologize to Mars 
also."

     "That would be a step in the right direction," said Ami dryly. "Alisin has already 
apologized for you, but another one coming from you will not be out of line."

     "That's assuming she'd accept the apology."

     "I don't think there's any doubt she will," said Ami darkly. "At least, not after 
the queen has spoken to her."

     Alan frowned. "I hope Mars isn't in trouble with her boss over me."

     Ami arched an eyebrow. "Boss?"

     "The Queen."

     Minako giggled. Ami took on a look of loftiness. "You should have more respect 
for Queen Serenity."

     "I never met a Queen. I've met a couple of Jokers in the past, a Jack or two, 
but not - OW!"

     Ami took the opportunity to punch him in the shoulder just then. Her punch may 
have been playful, but it hurt like hell. {They may look like young girls, but they're 
stronger then an enraged Linebacker.}

     *Another facet of Senshi power. They are stronger and faster then they look. You 
were fortunate to outrun them for as long as you did.*

     Alan rubbed his shoulder and gave Ami another one of his pattered glares. She 
responded to this one like all the others - she ignored it. Minako giggled.

     "You can get up now," Ami said, walking to the door. "I suggest a bath through 
there." She pointed at a door Alan hadn't noticed before. "Then a change of clothes. 
Come along, Minako."

     "Great! I'll have an hour to drop in on Keena's birthday party before the audience. 
He's been bugging me about for the last two weeks."

     Ami shrugged. "Keena's your great-great-grandson. The least you can do is attend 
his birthday."

     They heard a strangling sound coming from the bed, and both spun quickly. Alan 
was sitting up in bed, looking ashen. "Great-great-grandson?" he asked in a gasping 
voice.

     Minako thought for a second. "No. Keena's not my great-great-grandson." She waited 
a beat to allow Alan to relax, then she smiled wickedly. "Keena's my great-great-great-
grandson."

     Alan's face went white. "You're kidding, right?"

     "No."

     "Then, how old are you?"

     Minako managed to look insulted. "Never asked a lady her age. I thought you knew 
that."

     Alan continued to make strangling sounds. Ami shook her head. "Alan," she said 
slowly. "All will be explained to you in time. For now, just accept the fact that we 
are older then we look." With that, she turned and walked out, followed by a smiling 
Minako, and closed the door behind them.

     "Thanks a lot!" Alan looked at the closed door for several seconds. {Weirder 
and weirder. With my luck, that purple dinosaur will be the next one through the 
door.}

     *What purple dinosaur?*

     {I'll explain it later.} The thought of a sickly sweet singing lizard was all 
the motive he needed to climb out of bed and walk slowly to the bathroom. He opened 
the door, looked in, closed the door and waited to a count of ten, then opened it 
again and looked in.

     No, his mind hadn't been wrong. The bathroom was about the size of his bed-room 
and straight out of a fantasy novel. The center of the room was dominated by an inground 
bathtub large enough for four people, more if they were REAL friendly. While the bath 
filled, he used some of the other bathroom's facilities.

     The bath was very welcomed, and Alan must have soaked for nearly an hour. Finally, 
he decided it was time, reluctantly climbed out of the tub, and toweled himself off. 
He strode out of the bathroom wearing a big blue bathrobe and fresh underwear, and 
feeling very pleasant.

     Someone had entered his room while he'd been soaking off several days of dirt. 
A light blue, uniform-like outfit had been left on his bed. Next to it, a compact gray 
striped cat laid curled up. There was a strange mark, like a crescent moon, on its 
forehead. It watched Alan as he walked over to it. He scratched its head, and said, 
"What's your name, hmm?"

     Alan didn't expect an answer, especially an answer from the cat himself. "Raiden."

     Alan blinked. "Excuse me?"

     The cat looked up at him. "My name," it said slowly and clearly in a male voice, 
"is Raiden."

     "That's what I thought you said." Alan sat down next to him. "I'm Alan Thomas. 
Glad to meet you."

     *A Moon Cat.* said Alisin.

     {A what?}

     *A special breed of cat, blessed with long life and great intelligence. They 
mostly served as advisers to the planetary royal houses during the Silver Millennium. 
I do not recognize this one, though.*

     {It's been a long time since this Silver Millennium. I suppose the cats 
did...er what cats do.}

      Raiden looked up at Alan, and somehow looked amused. "I thought you would have 
freaked out at the sight of a taking cat."

     Alan shrugged. "I've have some strange days lately. I've been nearly killed twice, 
spent more time on my back then on my feet, and I'm timesharing my body with a entity 
who claims to be my great times several hundred grandfather, who seems to have some 
serious power." He stood and went over to the chest of drawers. "On top of that, I'm 
met people who had extraordinary powers of their own, a couple of which have tried to 
kill me by mistake, while a couple of others weren't so discriminating. I hope you don't 
take offense when I say that meeting a talking cat is not that serious an event right 
now."

     The cat still looked amused. "None taken."

     "Can I ask a stupid question?"

     Somehow, Raiden managed to shrug. "Depends on the question."

     "Why are you here in my room?"

     "I am your guide while you are here." He stood and looked at the socks Alan had 
in his hands. "I suggest you wear two pairs of those. The boots are a bit stiff."

     "Oh." Alan pulled out another pair of socks. "Thanks."

     "Were you expecting one of the Senshi?"

     Alan sat down next to him, and started putting the socks on. "Who do you think 
has been trying to kill me?"

     The cat sighed. "Like who?"

     "Mars and Pluto."

     "Rei and Setsuna tried to kill you?"

     "Who's Setsuna?"

     "Lady Pluto."

     "Oh, the maniac who tossed me out of a thirty story window."

     Raiden didn't react, except to raise an eyebrow. "I'm afraid they didn't fill me 
in on everything. What happened?"

     Alan told him what happened as he finished dressing. By the time he slid on the 
other boot, Raiden looked thoughtful. "Pluto doesn't toss people out the windows for 
the joy of it. I agree with Alisin - she did it to break him out of his trance by 
threatening your life. And it worked."

     "Not you too," said Alan with a grimace. "Why does everyone but me think it was 
a good idea to toss me out a window?"

     "It worked, didn't it?"

     "Don't remind me." Alan stood, smoothing down his new clothes. "You know about 
Alisin?" he asked, looking at himself in the mirror. Somehow, the outfit made him more 
sober and serious looking then he was use to. It took him a couple of seconds to realize 
he was dressed exactly as Alisin had been in the Land of Dreams.

     "Luna told me everything she remembered about him."

     {Who's Luna?}

     *Queen Serenity's Moon Cat. A trusted adviser, like I was.*

     Raiden pointed with a paw to the bottom drawer of the chest. "You'll find a vest 
with padded shoulders in there. Will you please put it on?"

     Alan did so, and looked in the mirror again. The vest altered the military cut of 
the tunic slightly, so while he still looked sober and serious, he didn't look quite 
like a soldier. "What do you think?" he asked Raiden.

     The cat nodded. "Please come over to the bed, and stand very still."

     Alan did as the cat asked. Suddenly, a blur of gray leapt from the bed and onto 
his shoulder before he could react. When he looked, Raiden was perched on his left 
shoulder, his claws sunk deep into the padded shoulder of the vest.

     "I think we're ready," the cat said calmly. "Time to meet the queen and decide 
what's going to happen to you."

     "I don't like the sound of that."

     "I doubt she'll have you confined to the dungeon, or anything like that."

     "At this point, I don't know what to expect."






     Raiden directed Alan out of his room and down the hall. The cat listened as Alan 
explained what happened to him over the last several days, interrupting only to direct
Alan down a hall or staircase.

     Alan was just finishing up with his story, when he felt Raiden tense. He stopped 
and looked at the Moon Cat. "What's wrong?"

     Raiden nodded towards another cat stalking down the hall towards them. "Her."

     "Girlfriend?"

     "Worse. Older sister."
                     
     The other cat stooped several meters away and looked up at Raiden. Like Raiden, 
she had a crescent mark on her forehead. "What are you doing up there?" she asked 
sharply.

     "Hello, Diana," said Raiden mildly. "Misplace Princess Usagi again?"

     Diana gave her brother a cold stare. "I did not 'misplace' the princess."

     "Then why are you wandering around here? Looking for Puck?"

     Alan could have sworn Diana's fur redden slightly. "I'm not looking for that manic, 
you lazy bundle of fur," she hissed. "Besides, that's none of your business. What are 
you doing up
there?"

     "Directing this human to the Throne Room. What does it look like I'm doing?"

     "Like you're hitching a ride."

     "I'm up here to direct him without having to yell up at him."

     Diana sighed and shook her head. "I don't know how we're related."

     "Well, Mother and Father got -"

     Diana glared at him, and Raiden glared back. For several seconds, the two cats 
tried to stare each other down. Alan glanced at one then the other, then said, "Raiden, 
Why don't you introduce me to your sister instead of just sitting there?"

     Raiden sighed and said, "Diana, this is Alan Thomas, from the Twentieth Century. 
Alan, this is my OLDER sister, Diana, adviser and nanny to Princess Usagi."

     "I'm not a nanny!"

     Raiden shrugged. "Matter of opinion. Mother definitely left her mark when she 
trained you."

     "At least I'm not a lazy, self centered, egotistical-"

     Alan closed his eyes and began rubbing his temples. He heard Alisin chuckle. {What's 
so funny?}

     *It has been so long since I have seen the world, that even an argument between 
a brother and sister is refreshingly new.*

     {Oh, joy....}

     "-who spends too much time in the library!"

     "I like to read. What's wrong with that?"

     "That's all you do! I don't know how mother puts up with you...."

     "Do you mind?" said Alan sharply. Both cats looked at him, surprised at the 
interruption. Alan looked at Diana. "Your brother has been given the job of being 
my guide while I'm here.
Right now, I'm suppose to be on the way to a audience with the Queen. With me so 
far?"

     "Yes," replied the cat, her expression pensive.

     "While my grandfather finds your argument amusing, all I'm getting out of this 
is a headache. So, let's call it a draw, OK?"

     "What Grandfather?" asked Diana, looking around for someone else.

     "The one inside my head."

     The look the moon cat gave him was calculated. Before Alan could explain, Raiden 
said, "Mother explained it to me. Alan's a descendent of an elemental wizard from the 
Silver Millennium. Through an accident, both Alan here, and the spirit of his elemental 
wizard ancestor were yanked through time to here and now. Now, the ancestor, who's 
named Alisin by the way, is inside Alan's mind. Make sense?"

     Diana raised an eyebrow. "You expect me to believe that?"

     "Go ask Mother or Father if you don't believe me."

     "Very well," sniffed Diana. She looked at her brother. "I am looking for the 
princess. Do you know where she is?"

     "I believe the Princess is out in the garden with several of the McIntyre-Muraino 
clan," replied Raiden evenly. "They showed up a couple of hours ago."

     "Thank you. If you will excuse me, I will go and see if the princess is in the 
garden."

     Diana stalked past them and disappeared around a corner. Once she was out of 
sight, Raiden relaxed. "I don't know why I put up with her," he muttered.

     "Because she's your sister."

     The cat eyed him. "How many siblings do you have?"

     "None. I was an only child."

     "You wouldn't understand. We'd better get going. It wouldn't be polite to show 
up late for the audience."






     It took them ten minutes to reach the doors of the Throne Room. Alan slowed, then 
stopped just short of the large wooden doors. He closed his eyes and took several deep 
breaths to calm himself. It wasn't working.

     "Nervous?" asked Raiden.

     "Yep."

     "Don't be. The Queen is quite a gentle soul."

     "I've never met a Queen."

     "Oh? That's right, you're an American. You don't have royalty."

     "Got in one, Rad."

     The Cat raised an eyebrow. "Rad?"

     "Something wrong?"

     "I prefer Raiden."

     "Fine." Alan stepped back from the doors.

     Raiden sighed. "You're waffling."

     "Yep."

     Before Raiden could reply, the Throne Room doors opened, and Ami stuck her head 
out. "What's wrong?" she asked in a low voice.

     "He's got a bad case of nerves," replied Raiden.

     "Can't you prod him along?"

     "I'm trying, but he's not a horse."

     "I can get Rei and Minkoto out here to escort him."

     "And scare him off? He's already skittish."

     *They're right, Alan,* said Alisin. *Do you wish me to take over?*

     {No. I'll be all right. I just need to work up to this.}

     *These people are friends*

     Ami came out of the Throne Room and took Alan by his arm. He noticed she was 
wearing a Senshi uniform, her bow and skirt a bright blue. "Come on, you chicken," 
she said in a gentle voice. "Time to meet the Queen."

     "Cluck, cluck," replied Alan.

     Ami rolled her eyes and tightened her grip on his arm. "Can't you be serious for 
once?"

     "And ruin my reputation?"

     "Come on." With that, she pulled him towards the doors. She opened the door with 
her free hand and led him inside.

     The Throne Room surprised Alan. Instead of an imposing chamber, he found himself 
standing in a large but comfortable room, ten meters wide by thirty long. The walls, 
floor, and ceiling were constructed out of a blue-white crystal that seemed to glow 
with its own inner brilliance. A silver carpet ran down the middle room, wide enough 
to allow Ami and Alan to walk side by side. A large, carefully carved, throne sat on 
a raised dais directly in front of him. Instead of feeling fearful or imposed upon, 
Alan felt security and warmth. {What's going on?} he asked silently.

     *It is part of the Queen's magic* replied Alisin. *A relaxed guest is a happy 
guest.*

     Alan didn't bother to reply.

     After gazing around the room in wonder, Alan found himself drawn towards the 
people gathered at the other end of the room. To the left of the throne stood the 
Senshi, five in number, all but one which Alan recognized.

     Alisin confirmed his identification. *Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Pluto. However, 
I do not recognize the other Senshi with green hair.*

     {Maybe they're a stand in for one of the others. How many Senshi should there 
be?}

     *Nine. One from each planet save the Earth and Moon.*

     Alan though for a minute. {How did you come up with nine? There should only be 
eight!}

     *Are you familiar with the planet Nemesis?*

     {No, should I be?}

     *Nemesis is the tenth planet in the solar system, beyond Pluto. However, at the 
time of the Great Fall, Nemesis had turned its back on the rest of the system, and 
there was no Sailor
Nemesis at the end.*

     {The who's missing out of the nine?}

     *Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Nemesis. Somewhat understandable, considering the 
circumstances.*

     {What circumstances?}

     *Later.*

     Alan blinked, realizing the entire conversation with his grandfather had taken 
only a few seconds. To the right of the throne, four others stood quietly and watched 
the pair walk slowly towards them. They each wore a gray uniform, and managed to look 
relaxed and menacing at the same time. {I'll bite. Who are they?}

     *They wear the uniforms of Endymion's Guardians, But I do not recognize any of 
them.*

     Alan glanced back at the Throne, and his mind froze. He couldn't understand how 
he'd missed the woman sitting in the throne at first glance. She sat relaxed on the 
throne, watching him approach with some interest, seemingly lighting up the room by 
her simple presence. Alan was vaguely aware of a tall handsome man standing next to 
the throne, but most of his attention was on the woman.

     *Neo-Queen Serenity,* said Alisin in a tone of respect. *As beautiful as her 
mother. The Man standing next to her is King Endymion, King of the Earth, and her 
husband.*

     {....}

     *Are you listening to me? Snap out of it, Boy!*

     {What?}

     Alisin chuckled. *Do not feel bad. Her mother had the same effect on many who 
came before her. Don't be afraid.*

     {Easy for you to say. I feel like a moth being drawn to a raging forest fire.}

     *Relax, Alan.*

     Alan felt Raiden shift slightly on his shoulder. He turned his head to look at 
the cat. Raiden looked back, his expression neutral.

     But the distraction had its effect. When Alan turned to look at the Queen, the 
aura around her had lessen. She was still regal and commanding, but there was a human 
on the throne, not a
goddess. Alan felt himself relax and the tension drain from him.

     As they got closer, Alan saw two small cats, one black, one white, sitting at the 
base of the throne. They were looking at him carefully, their bright eyes looking for 
something. {More Moon Cats?}

     *Yes. The white cat is Artemis, Venus's cat. The other one is Luna, the Moon cat 
and an old friend.*

     {Then why do I feel like I'm a mouse?}

     Alan felt Raiden stiffen. *They are not watching you, but your guide,* said 
Alisin with some amusement. *After all, I think that he is their son, and this job 
of guiding you around this city is a very responsible one.*

     {Raiden is Luna's offspring? How did you figure that out?}

     *Raiden is Diana's brother, remember? And Diana has been entrusted with the 
responsibility of advising the princess. Who else would Luna trust with the princess's 
welfare but her own offspring? Besides, Diana does remind me of a young Luna, so the 
leap of logic is not strained.*

     By this time, Alan and Ami had reached the base of the dais. The Senshi released 
her hold on Alan's arm, and moved to rejoin the other Senshi. Alan stood there alone, 
trying not to fidget and failing miserably. With everyone looking at him, he felt 
uncomfortable.

     "Welcome, Alan Thomas," said the Queen in a soft flowing voice that didn't demand 
to be heard, but encouraged the listener to do so. "Welcome to Crystal Tokyo."

     Alan stiffened, unsure if he should bow or not. If he went for a deep bow, Raiden 
might fall off his shoulder, embarrassing the cat and himself. The same would be true 
with a low, one-knee-on-the-floor. And if the proper sign of respect was a full 
prostration....

     He shuddered slight and settled on a short respectful bow that allowed Raiden 
to stay perched on his shoulder. "Your Highness,"  he said slowly.

     Queen Serenity shifted slightly in her throne and smiled at him. "You realize 
your sudden appearance caused quite a stir amongst the leadership of this city."

     "Not as much of a stir as I found myself to be in, Your Highness."

     "I suppose not. How are you feeling?"

     "Better then the first couple of days, your Highness."

     There was a pained look on the Queen's face. "Alan, could you please not be so 
formal? You don't have to end every response with 'your Highness's. It gets rather 
tedious after a while."

     "Yes, you...er..."

     "Would it help if you called me Serenity?" the queen asked with an amused tone.

     "Could I get away with calling you 'Queen Serenity'?" asked Alan. "I mean, this 
is your city, and I am only a visitor here...."

     "If that what it takes to stop using 'Your Highness' every time you say something, 
then I accept. Can you explain what happen to bring you here? I want to know what happen 
from your perspective."

     "Yes, Queen Serenity," Alan told his story slowly and carefully, starting with 
his hiking trip. He told them about the fire, using the medallion at the last minute 
to escape it, and finding himself lying in a corridor. The Queen listened intently, 
her blue eyes never leaving Alan's. For the first time, Alan noticed her long blonde 
hair was done up in an unusual style that would have looked stupid on anyone else but 
her.

     *As lovely as her mother,* was Alisin's only comment during Alan's explanation.

     "I see," replied Serenity after Alan had finished his story. She smiled, and Alan 
felt his heart soar. "An unusual tale, but one that has been confirmed by Sailor Pluto."

     Alan glanced over at the Senshi in question, who returned his look with a simple 
smile that unnerved him. He looked at the Queen again, feeling more comfortable looking 
at her then he did at Pluto. "So, now what happens?"

     "You mentioned that there is another who traveled her with you, one who was a 
member of my mother's court. Is there a way to speak to him?"

     "I'll find out." {Grandfather, how do you want to do this?}

     *The best way is to take over your conscious body. Any other way would be slow and 
crude.*

     {Somehow I know you would say that. How do we do this?}

     *Do I have your permission?*

     {Yes.}

     *Open a door in your mind like you did when you were falling. I will do the rest.*

     {Fine. Let me clear the decks and then we'll do it.} Alan gently removed Raiden 
from his shoulder and placed him on the floor. The cat slowly climbed the stairs and 
sat next to Luna. "I've talked it over with Alisin, Queen Serenity. It seems the best 
way for him to communicate is to occupy my body and speak directly to you. Will that 
satisfy you?"

     "Will this be a danger to you?"

     Alan shook his head. "This is what happened when I fell out of the window. I'll 
still be there, but Alisin will control my body, and the words will be his."

     "You may go ahead."

     "Thank you, Queen Serenity." {Here goes....}






     Serenity watched the young man close his eyes. She closed her own eyes and reached 
out towards Alan to feel the magic. There it was, faint, but growing stronger. She 
focused her senses on the magic, looking for any taint of evil or chaos, but found 
none.

     She opened her eyes a heartbeat before Alan's. Alan blinked twice, then looked 
at her. Serenity saw at once that this was a different person from Alan, more sure 
and confident of himself. He bowed his head and dropped to one knee. "My queen," he 
said, his voice carrying an echo that made it more commanding. "I have return to serve 
you, as I served your mother, if I'm allowed to."

     "Rise, Alisin Windwalker," said Serenity. "We will talk."

     Alisin rose gracefully. "That is all I ask for."

     "Before we begin, could we see an example of your magical skills?"

     Alisin cocked his head, a small smile on his face. "Of course, my Queen."

     He stepped back and closed his eyes. He raised his hands and said several words 
in an archaic tongue. A light breeze sprang out of nowhere, ruffling the hair of every-
one in the room. The breeze became stronger, and started to swirl around the wizard. 
The winds became more concentrated and began to pick up speed as they encircled Alisin, 
yet those standing a few meters away felt nothing more then a light breeze. Slowly, 
Alisin floated into the air, encase in a cone of rapidly moving air. He hung there, 
three meters above the floor, surrounded by a spinning vortex of air.

     He moved his hand slightly, and the miniature tornado moved several meters away 
from the Queen and the other watchers. A few more gestures sent the floating Wizard to 
one side of the room, then the other, then back to where he had started. Finally, he 
released the air slowly, dropping towards the ground as he did so. As the last of the 
air swirled away, his feet touched the floor. He bowed deeply towards the Queen. "Have 
I satisfied your request, My Queen?"

     Serenity blinked twice. Hearing what happened at the hospital was one thing, but 
seeing it in person was something else. "Why don't you start with what happened after 
the fall of the Moon Kingdom?"

     Alisin's story matched Pluto's. "And I have existed in the Land of Dreams for most 
of the time, leaving only to help those of my decedents who wore the Medallion of the 
Time Winds when
they were in desperate danger."

     "I see." Serenity frowned for a few seconds, framing her next words. "How well do 
you remember the Silver Millennium?"

     "Very well, My Queen. Is there something wrong?"

     Endymion stepped forward. "What my wife is trying to say without offending you is 
our memories of the Silver Millennium are not complete. Most of us do not remember you."

     Alisin looked at Luna. "Not even you?"

     Luna shook her head sadly. "My memories are like the others. I remember your name, 
how you looked, and that you were an adviser to Queen Serenity, but not much more than 
that."

     Alisin nodded. "I see. Sometimes memories are not what they once were. Is there 
anyone here who can remember the Silver Millennium?"

     "Only Pluto can."

     Pluto stepped forward. "I told you things had changed, Uncle."

     "You did, Moment." He waved a hand in the direction of the Guardians. "I do not 
recognize them. What happened to Kunzite, Nephrite, Jadeite, Zoicite, and Ferrite?"

     "You don't know?" asked Serenity.

     "Know what?"

     "Beryl turned the first four you mentioned just before she occupied the Earth. 
They led the attack on the Moon Kingdom."

     "No," Alisin breathed. "I didn't know. Were they sealed away with Beryl?"

     "They were."

     "Does Beryl still exist?"

     Serenity shook her head. "She's been gone for over a thousand years, a couple 
of years before you and your grandson were caught in the fire. She tried to break 
out of her prison, but the Ginshousu was too much for her and Metallia."

     "The Guardians?"

     "They also are...gone."

     Alisin sighed. "I did not know them well, but I did have a couple of lively 
debates with Nephrite concerning our differing forms of magic. What happened to 
Ferrite? That witch wouldn't bother turning him - she wanted him dead."

     "He survived," replied Endymion, "and like you, found his own way to survive 
to this time."

     "Where is he?"

     "I'm afraid there's a schism between Ferrite and the Throne at the current time. 
He is not in the city."

     "I see. The disagreement must be something more then minor." He looked at Sailor 
Venus. She managed to look uncomfortable.

     "It's more then that," said Calcite, stepping forward.

     Alisin turned to look at him. An air of tension hung about the  two. Sensing 
the mood, Serenity said smoothly, "Alisin, This is Calcite. The other Guardians are 
Azurite, Pyrite and Chrysolite."

     Alisin acknowledged them with a nod of his head. He then looked at the Senshi. 
"I recognize the Princesses Juno, Aphrodite, Rei and Cognizance, but not the other 
Senshi."

     Titanite stepped forward. "I am called Sailor Polaris."

     Alisin's face took on a mask of puzzlement, but before he could say anything, Pluto 
said, "Things have changed, Alisin."

     "So I am finding out," said Alisin. "Where are the Younger Senshi?"

     "We can discuss that at a later time, Uncle. Suffice it to say that has also 
changed."

     "How much more has changed?"

     "The magic has changed."

     Alisin shrugged. "Magic is magic. It cannot change."

     "The ways of using magic has changed. Very few people practice High Magic anymore."

     "Surely, the Elemental Wizards still do."

     The silence that followed was absolute. Alisin looked from one face to another. 
"Is something wrong?"

     Pluto stepped over to Alisin and placed a hand on his shoulder. "There are no 
Elemental Wizards left in the world," she said gently. "There are a few that have some 
skill in the elemental magic, but nothing like the ones during the Silver Millennium."

     "The schools are gone?"

     Pluto nodded. "The battle Beryl caused among the Elemental wizards left too few 
survivors. And without Mana, there was no easy way to continue the teaching. I'm sorry, 
Alisin." She released his shoulder and stepped back.

     Alisin's face crumpled into sadness. "None survive," he whispered.

     "None that we know of," said Serenity.

     "My Queen, may I have your permission to withdraw?" asked Alisin suddenly. "I have 
to do some thinking to do."

     "Of course. Please don't hesitate to talk to me or any of the others."

     Alisin gave her a sad smile. "My Queen." He closed his eyes, and when they opened 
again, Alan Thomas stood there, looking somewhat stunned.

     "That," he announced in a voice full of disbelief, "is going to take some getting 
use to."

     "Are you all right?" asked Serenity.

     Alan nodded. "Just a little disorientated."

     "You heard everything?"

     "Yea. I hope you didn't pis...make him angry."

     "I suspect he will adjust, as you will."

     Alan looked shocked. "Wait a minute. Who said I'm staying?"

     Serenity sighed. She was beginning to think that deal with Alisin was going to 
be the easier of the two. "I'm afraid that things are not that simple."

     Alan jabbed a thumb in Pluto's direction. "Just have the Time Lady there whistle 
up her TARDIS, or what ever she uses to bop up and down the Timeline, and send me back."

     "The Queen is right," said Pluto calmly. "I checked the records for that time 
period, and you are considered 'lost-presumed dead' in that forest fire."

     "Well, I'm not dead, am I?" said Alan angrily.

     "To history, you are. To send you back could change the timeline in an unforeseen 
way."

     "In what way? I'm a nobody!"

     "But your actions could cause ripples in the timeline, ripples that could cause 
serious repercussions beyond your lifetime."

     "You being evasive, green hair."

     Pluto's face hardened. "I could take you back to your time, but from your own 
testimony, you were about to die in a forest fire. History went on without you. If 
you reappear in the twentieth century, you will inevitably change things simply by 
your presence."

     "You're being theoretical."

     "I remind you that Alisin is awake and bonded with you."

     "So?"

     "Mana was poor back in the twentieth century, but not nonexistent. There were a 
few areas where the Mana wells leak enough mana to draw anyone with magical abilities. 
Tokyo is one such an area."

     "I have no intention of going to Tokyo."

     "But, can you say that Alisin has the same intentions? Tokyo would draw him, through 
you, like a moth to flame."

     "But -"

     "Pluto is right," said Serenity. "Tokyo is our past. We did not meet you during 
that time. Should you be returned to the past, sooner or later, you would end up in 
Tokyo. Who knows how you would disrupt our past once you got there?"

     "Don't I have any say in this?"

      Pluto said coldly, "There are only two ways to make sure you don't disrupt history. 
The first way is you stay here and enjoy your new status as a citizen of Crystal Tokyo. 
The other way is to take you back and ensure that you die in the fire as history assumes."

     "WHAT?" Alan screamed. He took several steps back from Pluto, his face white in 
shock. "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?"

     "I prefer the simple solution."

     "WHICH IS?"

     "I am not a cold blooded killer, Alan Thomas. My responsibilities are arduous 
enough without adding your death to them. But if given a choice between a single life, 
and thousands of lives that might be threatened in this time...." She let the unspoken 
threat hang in the air.

     Alan's expression shifted several times, ranging from anger, to disbelief, though 
shock, and finally to acceptance. His shoulders slumped in defeat. "So I'm stuck here?" 
he asked woodenly.

     "I wouldn't called it being stuck," said Serenity smoothly. "This city has wonders 
that your time will never know."

     "So it's live here, or die there, right?"

     "That is correct," said Pluto.

     "Since you put it SO nicely...." Alan took a deep breath. "I suppose you now have 
a new subject, My Queen. Where do I sign the citizenship form?"

     "We will arrange it," said Serenity with a smile. "Welcome to Crystal Tokyo, Alan 
Cornwell Thomas."

     "Glad to be here, My Queen. Now what?"

     "For the foreseeable future, I suggest that you stay here at the Palace. Once you're
settled, we'll see about finding you something to do, and go from there. Raiden, of 
course, will stay to guide you around. Sound fair?"

     Alan nodded, his face showing the same sadness as Alisin had. Raiden strolled 
down the stairs and sat at Alan's feet. Alan picked the cat up and placed him back 
on his shoulder perch. "May I withdraw, My Queen?" Alan asked. "I feel tired, and 
maybe I should rest."

     Serenity stood gracefully. "This audience is at an end." Her smiled eased some 
of his gloom. "I think you will find this era more exciting than your own."

     "That's what I'm afraid of."

     He turned to leave, only to find himself surrounded by Senshi and Guardians. 
Calcite held out a hand. "Welcome to Crystal Tokyo, Alan Thomas," he said in a mild 
tone of voice that held a reserve of great power.

     Alan took Calcite's hand, and the two shook hands. He introduced the female 
Guardians, Azurite and Chrysolite. Alan exchanged pleasantries with both, noting 
Azurite was more interested of the two in speaking to him.

     Calcite slapped a hand on the fourth's shoulder. "This is Pyrite, someone you 
may want to spend a lot of time talking to."

     "Oh?" said Alan, feeling slightly less gloomy. "Professional shrink?"

     "Worse," said Raiden in his ear, but loud enough to heard by everyone. "Professional 
Trekkie."

     There was a smattering of laughter among the surrounding group. Pyrite coughed 
to hide his embarrassment. Calcite spoke quickly. "He's also one of the world's leading 
expert in magic. If there is anyone who can help you and Alisin reestablish Elemental 
Magic, it's him."

     Alan shook Pyrite's hand. "I suppose you want to know if you can hang onto that 
Star Trek Novel I had in my backpack."

     The renewed look of embarrassment on Pyrite's face started another round of 
laughter among the group. Despite his gloom, Alan was feeling somewhat better. "Let 
me talk to Alisin first, and find out what he thinks first. We can go from there."

     "I'll be waiting," replied Pyrite, a slight gleam in his eye, though no one was 
sure it was from the chance of expanding his magical knowledge or the chance to get 
hold of a new Star
Trek Novel.

     After that, the group drifted apart. By the time Sailor Jupiter and Polaris 
introduced themselves, as Minkoto and Titanite respectively, most of the others had 
left the Throne Room, including the King and Queen. Raiden shifted his weight to 
attract Alan's attention. Alan looked at the cat. "What now?"

     "Do you still feel tired?" asked the cat.

     "Not really. Depressed, yes. Confused, yes. But not tired."

     "Do you want to take a look at the city? I know a perfect place near the top of 
the castle that allows you to see the city."

     "Why not?"

     They walked out of the Throne room. As they did so, they heard a squeal of delight 
coming from their left. Alan turned to look in that direction, aware that Raiden was 
resting his front paws on top of his charge's head to see. Ami was standing there, still 
in her Senshi uniform, with her arms wrapped around a man taller then her. He was dressed 
in a severe suit, and the kiss they were engaged in was rather profound.

     Alan sighed. "Her husband, right?"

     "Yes." replied the cat quietly

     "What's his position in the government?"

     "He doesn't have one in the Crystal Tokyo government. He's Hunter Prime, the 
head of the StarHunters. Sort of a combination Ninja and Federal Marshal, with some 
magic thrown in. They work for the RN."

     "RN?"

     "Reunited Nations. He must have just gotten back into the city." The Cat shrugged. 
"Don't expect to see much of Dr. Mizuo for the next couple of days."

     Alan sighed again, and Raiden looked at him carefully. Alan noticed his stare. 
"What?"

     "Are you all right?"

     "Which way to this observation site of yours?" asked Alan brusquely.

     "This way," replied Raiden, pointing to the right. Alan strode off quickly. Raiden 
had to shift rapidly to keep his perch. "Slow down, please."

     Alan did so, looking somewhat guilty. "Sorry," he mumbled.

     "Take a left up here," said Raiden, "and follow it all the way to the end. There's 
an elevator that'll take us to the observation deck."

     "Thanks."

     Raiden waited until they were half way to the elevator before he said, "You have 
a crush on Ami, don't you?"

     "Had," replied Alan. He smiled thinly. "Story of my life, Raiden. A day late, a 
dollar short"

     "I do know that all the Senshi and Guardians are involved in relationships right 
now with two exceptions."

     "Which two, or should I even ask?"

     "Rei and Setsuna."

     "Gee, I wonder why?"






     Raiden hadn't been lying when he said he knew the perfect place to see the city 
from.

     Alan placed his arms on top of the chest high wall surrounding the observation 
deck and placed his chin on top of them. He stared at the city below him for several 
minutes in silence. Raiden sat and watched along with him.

     "What do you think, Raiden?" asked Alan. "Do I have a chance of making something 
of myself here?"

     "The world is full of possibilities, Alan," said the cat evenly.

     "But am I part of them?"

     "Yes, Alan Thomas," said a voice from behind him, "you are."

     Alan turned slowly, already knowing who the person was. Pluto stood there, her 
Staff held loosely in her left hand. She smiled at him.

     "Come up for some air?" asked Alan in a tight voice. "Or to throw me off of here?"

     "I came to talk to you."

     "Well, you have my attention."

     "I told you had a special gift in the Hospital gardens, one that is needed here."

     "The Queen doesn't have a jester?"

     "He left before the last War," replied Pluto, still smiling. "But you have some-
thing else as important - you have Magic that is little used and little known these 
days."

     "I know. So what?"

     Pluto became serious again. "There is a place for Elemental Wizards in Crystal 
Tokyo, and you will be part of that."

     "What about Alisin? What is his role?"

     "His role is as important as yours. He is one of the few today who can remember 
the Silver Millennium. Between the two of you, you can bring back that small part of 
the past to the presence. But you will have to be careful with Alisin. Is he listening?"

     Alan closed his eyes and searched for his grandfather in his mind. "No," he 
replied after a few seconds. "His presence is still there, but faint, like he's in 
another part of my mind."

     Pluto nodded. "I told him there would be changes while he waited, but he can 
be stubborn at times. Alisin is going to have a hard time adjusting to everything, 
including some things you don't know about yet. He is going to have to depend on you 
to support him while he is coming to grips with this new world. This is one area that 
you have an advantage over him, as there is less differences between now and your past 
then between Crystal Tokyo and the Moon Kingdom. Do not let him run loose with your 
body. If there is a problem with Alisin, let me know at once."

     She looked at Raiden. "Alan will need your help to help Alisin through this crisis. 
Are you up to this?" Raiden nodded.

     "Very well then," said Pluto. "That is all I need to say for now. Any questions?"

     "Why are you doing this?" asked Alan, his tone blunt.

     Pluto cocked her head to the side. "Because a Windwalker in a full rage will 
destroy a sizable section of the city before he is stopped. Alisin was one of the 
strongest his Order ever produced, and in order to stop him, we might be forced to 
kill him, and by extension, you."

     Alan ignored the threat. "What's the other reason?"

     Pluto took a deep breath. "My responsibilities don't allow me the luxury of 
friendships. Alisin is one of the few friends I have left, and I don't want him to 
do something stupid that will harm him."

     "I understand where you're coming from, Moment."

     Pluto smiled again. "Call me Setsuna. I haven't used the name Moment in several 
thousand years."

     "Very well, Setsuna."

     "I'm sorry about tossing you out that window, but it was necessary."

     Alan nodded slowly. "Alisin told me. Maybe it's time to stop stumbling around 
here like an idiot, and pull myself together."

     "See, you're beginning to fit in already."

     "I suppose so. I thank you for warning me about Alisin's mental state. I'll keep 
an eye on him."

     "That is all I ask." Pluto turned and walked away. "Until later, Windwalker."

     Alan silently watched the Senshi disappeared through the door leading inside. Once 
she had gone, Alan turned back to gaze out over the city. He didn't move for a long time.



Epilogue





     "Are you certain of this?"

     "Yes! I saw him myself! At the Hospital! He used a Gale Vortex to slow his fall!"

     "That's impossible!" hissed the first voice. "No one but a Master Air Wizard could 
generate a Gale Vortex strong enough to support himself, let alone stop himself from 
falling!"

     "He did! Did you realize what that means?"

     "That the Council is trying to bring our war into the open."

     "He has to die."

     "Make the arrangements."

     "I will do as you command."



AUTHOR'S NOTES





Queen Serenity and other canonical Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon characters are the creation 
of TAKEUCHI Naoko and are copyright jointly to her, Koudansha, Touei Animation, and either 
TV Asahi or Fuji TV, depending on which season.

Calcite, Azurite, Pyrite and Titanite are the creation of Mark Latus, whom I thank for 
putting up with my more-then-occasional questions and requests for C&C. He is the one 
that suggested that Luna and Artemis had another kitten, when I was looking to give Raiden 
some parents. Mark also wrote several small sections of dialogue, which I have incorporated
directly into my story. Mark also wrote the Windwalker side story, "The Pact", which details
Alisin's enterence into the Land of Dreams.

Chrysolite is the creation of Berk' Watkins.

The only three Characters in here that are mine are Alan, Alisin, and Raiden. If I missed 
anyone being credited for a character, let me know!

I hereby blame A friend of mine for force feeding me enough eps of Sailor Moon to overload 
my brain, and turn me into a fanfic writer. B-)

I can be reached at Trboturtle@aol.com. Dropped me a line, and let me know how you liked 
this story.






	

	
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