Hey, minna-chan! We meant to this out sooner, but my trip to Europe intervened in these plans. Nonetheless, here it is...and Chapter III will be out next week, I swear on my life it will. Hopefully we'll finish the first part before summer ends...and school starts and I get to go face two honors classes and an AP course. Kill me now. Or, better yet, kill me when we're done with this story (which will probably not be any time soon, as this thing gets a hell of a lot bigger). Rated R for profanity, graphic violence, and adult situations. No hentai (though there may be a point where we get damn close...but I'm revealing too much, aren't I?) Oh! Tiny (or maybe not so tiny) error to be corrected. Last week, I thanked Korian for being "her lovely self". I meant HIS lovely self (can a guy be lovely? Hell if I should know...). Lucky for me he has a sense of humor. Unlucky for him, I have a very bad temper and may become violent if I have to hear any more cracks about it (J/K). We'll get a dictionary out next week, since there are some words in here that are not commonly used in the average Japanese-laced fanfic. In the meantime, deal with it. Disclaimer: Sailormoon belongs to a lot of large corporations that have lots of money and don't dub very well. But any other characters belong to us (and believe me, copying will result in hell to pay). Other than my semi-morbid threats, enjoy! * * * * * * * "A halo around the moon is always a sign of disruption, either a change in the weather, a fever to come, or a streak of bad fortune that won't go away. But when it's a double ring, all tangled and snarled, like an agitated rainbow or a love affair gone wrong, anything can happen. At times such as this, it's wise not to answer the telephone. People who know enough to be careful always shut their windows; they lock their door, and they never dare to kiss their sweethearts over a garden gate or reach out to pat a stray dog. Trouble is just like love, after all; it comes in unannounced and takes over before you've had a chance to reconsider, or even to think." - Alice Hoffman, "Practical Magic" * * * * * * * CHAPTER II Tenshi was staring at the Earth hologram again, deep in thought. What was the best way to punish a planet? She wanted to be rational in going about this, it made no sense to do anything rash that she'd later regret - she really hated being second-guessed. "What about an invasion?" Sailortisiphone, one of her attendants, was tossing ideas out. "With what army?" Sailormegara shot back. "True...well, do you have any ideas?" "No, I don't. This is really difficult. We've never punished an entire planet before." "Maybe you should let them decide their own fate," a voice interrupted. In the doorway of the great hall stood a woman who was identical to Sailormars, except she was an inch taller. But physically, the rest was there: the long, swinging raven hair, the delicate features, the violet eyes. Actually, the eyes were very different from those of Sailormars. While Mars always maintained a calm demeanor, even when angry, the senshi's eyes were tumulus, hot-blooded. Her scarlet fuku only promoted the sense of instability and unpredictability the woman possessed. "Sailoreris?" "Hai. I heard about your little problem. You aren't exactly popular right now, by the way." "As to be expected. The Earth, for some strange reason, has managed to win a place in the hearts of trillions. Don't ask me why." "Well, I brought a little something for you from the planet Eris." "Why?" "I have my ties to the Silver Millennium too, you know. Just because I got screwed over and became the guardian of the Eimin while my lovely twin got to be part of Princess Selenity's guard doesn't mean I'm bitter." "That's exactly what it means. Seriously, why did you come?" "Boredom, and a very excellent idea. Look at this." Eris revealed a tiny black sphere floating in the palm of her hand. Darkness streamed from it. Was it their imagination, or was the tiny globe growing? "This is a Black Star, fresh from my planet. And I think it will solve your problem." "Why is that?" Tisiphone asked suspiciously. "Black Stars feed off hatred and suffering. When planted inside a star of such nature, they grow rapidly, eventually destroying their host. But if the star contains little hatred and fear, the Star will die. If you plant this inside the Earth, and it grows, then the humans deserve what they get. But if they are truly a righteous race, as the Guardian Senshi swear, then the Star will soon die. Basically, they decide their own fate." They were quiet. "Brilliant," Tenshi murmured. "Should we really trust something from Eris?" Alecto asked suspiciously. "I mean, the Eimin..." "Eris has been my friend for a thousand years," Tenshi said sharply. "I trust her completely. And this is an excellent idea. Just think...perhaps we could build a new Earth...where hate and suffering are no more..." "It really is a good idea," Megara commented. "How did you think of it?" "Divine inspiration." Eris smiled thinly. "Alecto, take the Black Star and plant it within the Earth," Tenshi ordered. "After that...well, we can figure out the rest as we go along. Pick a very sensitive spot, where it will be difficult for the star to be sensed by, say, Mercury's computer? Careful. We don't want to alarm them." * * * * * * "I can't believe she gave me a 65!" The blonde cried, furious over the grade she'd gotten on her English Oral. Her face was red and her blood boiling with anger. To top it off, she'd forgotten her lunch that morning, and her stomach was grumbling at the most inopportune times. "At least you didn't flunk," Makoto offered helpfully. She'd managed a 78, and wasn't inclined to complain. "Well what did you expect, Usagi-chan?" Minako demanded, a smile playing onto her lips. "When somebody says," 'How is the weather?' you don't say, 'thank you'." "Well..." they were interrupted by Usagi's stomach growling loudly. Everyone giggled. "Looks like your stomach is coming to the rescue, Usagi-chan," Mako teased, which only set the odango-haired girl off even more. "Are we teasing Usagi-chan?" Rei smiled wickedly as she joined her friends. "Please allow me to join in." The raven-haired beauty and a pink-haired child had been walking together, and then found a place within the tenuously loud group. "I HATE ALL OF YOU!" Usagi shrieked as the waterworks started. People stopped and stared, wondering if the blond was being abused. Luckily, the senshi were used to the 'eventful' outbursts of their fair Princess. So they simply sat there and snickered while she let off a *lot* of excess steam. When it finally occurred to Usagi that she was in public and that she was embarrassing herself, she immediately settled down and turned bright red, hiding behind Makoto's tall frame. "I have to stop doing that," she moaned. "Ladies and gentlemen, the future Queen of the Earth," Rei said sarcastically. Usagi blushed furiously and retorted bitterly, "What is this? 'Torment Usagi Day'?" "Nah..." Makoto grinned. "Every day is 'Torment Usagi-chan Day'!" Even Ami giggled as Usagi started to rage again. "I think she needs some food," Minako decided. "What she needs is a gag," Chibiusa muttered, sweatdropping. Minna nodded in agreement, excluding Rei. She thought of the dreadful vision that she had seen in the morning. Rei turned away, waiting for the laughter and jokes to subside so she could move onto something more serious, like a potential new threat. "Rei-chan?" Perceptive Ami was the first to notice the change in her demeanor. "Daijoubu?" "Oh..." by now the subject changed for the four as they looked over to their friend in concern as Usagi tried to cool off the temper that was still blazing hotly. "I had a very violent vision this morning," Rei said quietly, her eyes gazing at the blonde, "There may be a new enemy." They all went mute and Usagi the looked up, her eyes looking about worriedly. Minako was the first to break the silence. "But we defeated the Shadow Galactica," her voice was small and calm, "and even Setsuna-san had said that the Sailor Wars were over... I thought there was going to be peace..." "It certainly won't if what happens is half as bad as what I saw," Rei had said in a serious manner. Usagi then averted her attention away, remembering the terrifying dream that she had received the night before and had occupied her mind for the entire morning. Her heart constricted with terror as she then remembered her dirty little secret - she didn't have the ginzuishou anymore. After the battle she had fought against Shadow Galactica, theginzuishou had disappeared from the henshin brooch. Thebrooch was still intact, yet the stone was... gone. So far, shewas unable to muster up the courage to tell the others about her rather serious predicament, but she could imagine what they would be doing already. To say they'd be angry would be the understatement of the year. Usagi could practically hear Luna lecturing her about how could she do such an idiotic thing, to lose something that powerful, and then not tell anyone about it! But she was only hoping that no one would notice - that if there was peace, she would not be in need of the ginzuishou. But it had been three months since the extermination of the Shadow Galactica, and no new threat had surfaced. She hoped there would be no threat - that the peace would last. After Chibiusa was sent to the past because of the dangers of the future that was changing, she had brought along *her* crystal. But maybe it was because of assumption that she wished to return to the life of a normal girl that the crystal had bid goodbye to her and moved on. At times, she was sorely tempted to try and contact her mother on the Moon, but something always refrained her from doing so. Ah, well. Things always worked out. Rei then glance at Usagi, who had a distracted look on her face and had once again thought of the previous vision that she had. Usagi's crying filtered in her ears until she was mentally pleading for it to go away and leave her alone. And then the shattered crystal lying besides her other self... Did Usagi know something...? Usagi could feel Rei's eyes try to met hers, but she clearly avoided them, making Rei somewhat frustrated as Makoto, sensing the strain, decided to do something about it. "Isn't that the new girl?" she questioned, pointed to the girl opposing them an odd fifteen yards or so away. Ami, Minako, and Usagi looked in interest while Mako quickly explained who Shizuka was to Rei and Chibiusa. Their blatant gawking was not lost on the wide-eyed girl, and she stared back, making direct eye contact with Ami and Minako. Usagi felt Minako's hand tremble, as she looked over to see the blond with the same look on her face that she had given Usagi when Shizuka had caught her eyes. Awe, wonderment, respect, and perhaps a little fear, anxiety, stupefaction - flashed through Minako's face all at once as she felt a lively spark running through her that told her that she was studying her. Ami had formed the same reaction, and soon she moved on, smiling civilly and approving, but different from the heart warmth smile she had given Usagi earlier, but approving none of the less. She moved on, her eyes then staring into Chibiusa's who watched Shizuka with the same awe and wonder as the others. Her conclusion was a little different as she looked at Usagi and then to Chibiusa, and then Usagi again. An odd look filled her eyes as she stared at the two, her indigo orbs filled with surprise and confusion was evident on her face. Seeing this display, Rei and Makoto exchanged glances. Could she possibly...? They couldn't help but wonder as the shook their head. No, it was impossible. But when she caught Rei's eyes, Rei could hear the sound of running water again, resuscitating her many reservations about the vision that morning. But the girl had a gentle aura, no signs of being an enemy. She was cautious in her scrutiny of Rei, seeming to know that she could easily receive a dose of her own medicine. "Weird," Minako had said, as she fell out of the trance-like state that took over her a minute ago as she slowly recovered from the look over. With a firm voice, she continued, "When she looked at me, I felt so strange...could she be an enemy?" "I doubt it," Rei said, as she broke away the gaze. She still felt a little unsettled, as she took a deep intake of breath, "She's definitely different...I don't know what to say...perhaps we should go back to the shrine and I can explain. And we could call the Outers and -" She was unable to finish before a dark cloud began to form over them, as a figure materialized behind a tree. Negative energy pierced from the darkness as Rei could feel the strength of them. Minako groaned, "This can't be good." "No shit," Mako snapped at her blonde friend, "Let's go find a telephone booth or something and transform." Usagi, Minako, and Chibiusa giggled at the thought, imagining themselves fitting all in a telephone booth and flying into the air like superman. But they were silenced by the garnered stares from the people on the street, who wondered what could be so funny when it was obvious that there was threat to the peace - again. All six promptly found a nice, dark alley to transform in. "Mercury crystal power, make up!" "Mars crystal power, make up!" "Jupiter crystal power, make up!" "Venus crystal power, make up!" "Pink moon crystal power, make up!" Usagi closed her eyes and prayed that this would work, and she took a deep breath and called out her incantation, "Silver moon crystal power, make up!" Miraculously, she was surrounded by feathers and light and was transformed into her senshi form with the others. "Ready?" Venus stated more than ask as the rest nodded, "Let's go find out what's wrong, then...!" * * * * * * There was a mass output of energy in the Juuban district, Sisyphus reflected. It was a rather pretty place, despite the number of people who were rude enough to stand on the sidewalk and openly stare at him. Sisyphus was never fond of attracting attention, but the large amounts of water-based energy in the area were just too tempting. So, he sucked it up. But soon he couldn't help but feel as if something was wrong... Juuban... the name... it was so familiar... as if he was told something about this place... The six Sailor Senshi who stood proudly and ready to deal with the impending threat exclaimed a fierce "Stop!" Sisyphus wanted nothing more than to pound his head on the tree for a good long while. *That's* why the name sounded so familiar. He was told that the senshi lived in Juuban, but being the self-involved jackass he was, he didn't think that listening was so important... "Oops," he murmured under his breath. Eternal Sailormoon, preparing to do her trademark speech, stopped and exchanged glanceswith her friends. "Oops?!" She was baffled at this, and they just shrugged, clearly as confused as she. Recovering from his shock, Sisyphus stared down at the small object that he held in his grasp. An energy tracker, a gift from Hakujou, in the hopes he would find the girl he had become so intent on finding. He frowned, as it seemed to be going quite insane that moment, as he looked up to see what it was indicating. Sailormercury. Sailormercury was standing semi-fiercely with her fellow senshi. "There's my bitch," he said, the smile returning to his face. Before anyone could react, Sisyphus made a quick calculation, turned a few degrees to the left and then launched a green bolt of energy at Sailormercury as she was thrown back into a tree, causing her head to snap back, and knocking her unconscious. "Mercury-chan!" Sailormoon screamed in horror as she rushed to her friend's aid. The other senshi's eyes widened as blood began to stain the blue-haired girl's hair and fuku. "Jupiter oak evolution!" Jupiter screeched, angry at the actions of the 'oops' man, or so Jupiter had dubbed him, and retaliating with her attack. She was furious at what he had been done to Mercury. Jupiter nearly into total shock when he absorbed her attack easily, and giddily! He seemed to smile. Unbeknownst to her, plant-based energy was his specialty. This attack had left him untouched and helped him with a very powerful energy boost. He would have enjoyed seeing them fall in a much more agonizing defeat from his doings, but he was really in no mood to fight. Not when he made the mistake of coming to Juuban out of all places. 'Next time I'll harass people somewhere else,' he thought with a determined look. Looking around, he saw a large oak tree (and) his eyes lit up. 'Great diversion,' he told himself, as he began to tune the energy he had just absorbed, and his own, towards the tree. It began to move, shrinking down slightly into a into a massive humanoid creature. Branches became its arms, leaves become razor-sharp, and it began to pull its roots out of the ground, roaring fiercely, parading its recent animation. "Holy fuck," Jupiter muttered as she watched the plant come to life, "We'd better kill that thing fast." "Akuryo taisan!" Unfortunately, the demon plant seemed largely unaffected by Mars's anti-exorcism spell. "Venus love and beauty shock!" This did little better. While trying to kill the living organism now turned evil, Sisyphus slowly reappeared in front of Mercury who was cradled within Sailormoon's nursing grasp. Deciding on a direct approach, he grabbed Sailormoon's streaming hair and hurled her into the middle of the street in one swift motion and eliciting a shriek from the remaining senshi. Grinning at his doings, he then looked over at the near-comatose senshi; he noticed the blood that streamed from the nasty scrape on the back of her head. 'That's going to leave a mark,' he winced on her behalf. "Wake up, Sailormoon!" Mars' desperate voice exclaimed to the girl who lay invalid on the street. "Sparkling wide pressure!" After watching the attack falter, Jupiter cursed loudly, "This isn't working, minna- chan!" she exclaimed angrily, as Venus looked at the tree in interest. "Hey, does that tree have--" she asked in an innocent tone. "Don't go there, Venus-chan..." Jupiter growled back angrily, as the blonde grinned at her friend innocently. "Get your hands off Mercury!" Sailorchibimoon cried. "Pink Moon Crystal therapy kiss!" Sailorchibimoon aimed directly for Sisyphus, but he was already done with what he had to do. It was just a blood sample anyways, and it didn't take long with all the gushing blood coming from her wound already. Before the blistering attack hit him, he had disappeared, smirking. "He's gone!" Chibimoon squeaked furiously, disappointed that she didn't dust him off. "What did he do?!" Mars questioned, as she ran to aid of Mercury, seeing if he had done anything to the water senshi. "How the hell should I know!" Jupiter barked back, as she ran to get Sailormoon. "Come on, sleepyhead!" Her arms frantically shook Sailormoon, reviving her from the bang she had received from Sisyphus. "Anything wrong with Mercury?" Venus called. "I can't tell...I want this thing dead NOW." Mars' voice began to rage with anger. "Let me!" Jupiter stood up and did a flying kick, knocking off some of the demon's branches. To her horror, they re-grew instantly. Trying to retreat, she soon was trapped within the grasp of the branches that surrounded her. "Jupiter-chan!" Mars screamed, but reacted too late. Soon, she too was entwined in the demon's branches. The plant seemed to have other ideas as it spotted the very dazed Eternal Sailormoon lift herself off the ground. The tree's branches reached out to capture the odango- headed senshi and almost succeeded. but a rose intercepted the attack. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Moon and Chibimoon squealed simultaneously with joy, as Sailormoon tried to stabilize herself. "Hurry and finish the plant off, Sailormoon!" Tuxedo Kamen exclaimed, as Sailormoon nodded. "Right!" She lifted the Eternal Tier and cried out, "Silver Moon Crystal therapy kiss!" Nothing happened. Stillness filled the battle scene as everyone was froze, and even the tree stopped. Everyone turned to stare at Sailormoon, as she smiled weakly at them, her mind in turmoil. What did she expect, anyway? She didn't even have the crystal! Sailormoon groaned when she realized the creature had begun to *laugh* at her. "Venus wink-chain sword!" She snapped the chain so quickly the branches Mars was intertwined in broke off. "Use the Flame Sniper!" Venus yelled. "What the--" Mars asked in confusion, still in daze from Sailormoon's pathetic attempt of an attack. "It's a plant, right?" Venus grinned. Mars stood up and screamed, "Mars flame sniper!" at the top of her lungs, hearing it echo through the now abandoned streets. Sure enough, the tree caught fire, and became the victim of a very slow and extremely painful death. "Good job, Mars-chan-" Sailormoon began, trying to ease away from everyone as she noticed they were all glowering at her. "Uhh..." "What happened with your attack?" Jupiter asked suspiciously, her eyes looked at her curiously. "Well..." she was backed into a corner and knew she had to come forward with the truth. Lowering her eyes, her voice was a hushed whisper. "Ilosttheginzuishouafterthe battleattheGalaxyCauldronand..." "You WHAT?!" four senshi and a masked man screamed simultaneously, as she began to feel dread fill her. "What's happening...?" a very dazed Mercury asked, slowly standing up. "Is the enemy gone...?" She nearly fell over again, but Jupiter rushed to her side and held her back up, as the others continued to glare at Sailormoon making her want to shrink. Sailorchibimoon quickly produced *her* crystal and Healed Sailormercury. She was still a little shaky on her healing power, but managed to fully repair Mercury's concussion. "Why didn't you tell anyone?!" Mars shrieked at her princess. "For reasons like this...?" Moon offered pathetically. "You should have told someone, Usako," Tuxedo Kamen growled. "How could you lose your own Sailor Crystal anyway?" Chibimoon asked as if it was impossible. She seemed to smirk slightly. "It's the essence of who you are." "Gomen nasai," she offered weakly, powering back down, "demo..." "I'm late for cram school," Ami announced intolerantly. "We should discuss this later." "The shrine around eight?" Rei asked. "We can discuss this in more depth then." "Sounds good," Minako replied. "I'll be there...how could you LOSE the ginzuishou?!" "If I knew, I'd tell you," Usagi replied dryly. The four senshi separated ways, leaving only Mamoru and Chibiusa. "I promised to go to Momo-chan's and study with her today," Chibiusa groaned. "I have a class, too, and..." Mamoru stopped suddenly. "This isn't over, Usa," he warned her sharply as she looked away from her, feeling the disappointed he held for her. "I understand that," Usagi said, looking down at her feet. She felt like her parents were yelling at her. "We'll discuss this later." She trudged away, dreading the evening. * * * * * * "Why didn't someone TELL me the Sailor Senshi lived in Juuban?!" a very angry Hakujou demanded of his minions as they shrugged. "I thought 'Juuban' sounded familiar..." Ixion, another of Hakujou's vassals, blew a dirty-blond curl out of his face. "I mean, you hear the stories..." "They're powerful adversaries, too," Sisyphus added. "Are you really certain you want to execute the plan in Juuban? If we raise any suspicions, there'll certainly be trouble... couldn't we attack one somewhere else?" he asked in a hopeful tone. "No," Hakujou said, thinking pensively. "No, actually this is excellent. We could use this to our advantage..." "I have yet to see the advantage in this," Hakujou's final vassal, Tantalus, was busily overseeing the plans for the building their operation had just moved into. Various demon workers were setting things up in the complex Hakujou had just leased, hooking up computers and situating scientific equipment. "With this sudden move from Kyoto and your collection, we have too much to do already." "It doesn't matter what you think," Hakujou hissed. "We have to find the Tennyo." "What is up with this girl, anyway? Are these four really worth this trouble? We're so close to initiating Project Kisei..." Tantalus was quieted by the glare he received from his lord. Hakujou picked up the syringe containing Mercury's blood sample. "The humans are a fascinating race," he commented, examining the blood. "Few others in the Universe have strived to understand the forces that make them who they are, to endeavor in such matters as mapping one's own blueprint. It's very clever of them, really. Since as far as I can remember, such things have interested me as well - but not only on the physical basis the humans explore, but also on a spiritual aspect. Project Kisei is only part of my plan to unlock the secrets of such forces." "We know this," Ixion protested. "But what do the Tennyo have to do with your plan?" "The spiritual half of creation, based on a relatively obscure myth that explains the conception of Chaos and the dawn of Light, sprung from what is known as the Empyreal Flame. The original ashes of the fire are said to be buried deep within the Cauldron that created us all. According to this legend, Chaos's antithesis - Eurynome, the sousei no megami - created an item of power known as the Universal Egg from which all stars were born, mixed within the Cauldron. It is said that when Chaos destroyed the Universe for the first time 4.8 billion years ago, she created another, which allegedly exists today. An Egg has the power to conceive, destroy and recreate a Universe at will." "That sounds like the ginzuishou," Tantalus said suspiciously. "The ginzuishou is a dime-store trinket compared to a Universal Egg." Ixion let out a low whistle. "A weapon like that would certainly be a nice addition to Project Kisei." "You still haven't answered my question," Tantalus snapped. "Simple enough. The four Tennyo were allegedly the priestesses at the Domnionem, the secret temple of Eurynome and the current residence of the Empyreal Flame. No one knows, save perhaps Selenity-kiin, who they really were or where they came from. But they were the head of a cult dedicated to worship of Eurynome, and they had the power to summon the sousei no megami and protected the Egg, which remained from the last battle with Chaos. Do you understand now why this wild goose chase is so important to me then?" "Makes sense when you explain it that way," Sisyphus admitted. "And hence the reason I rescued you from Nemesis. I can't oversee Project Kisei and find the Tennyo simultaneously. I have already put most of my efforts into finding the pieces needed for Project Kisei, hence my sending out of the Danaids." "The Danaids?" Sisyphus was confused. "Those fiery demon women he took from Nemesis," Tantalus said in exasperation. "Not to mention there will most certainly be retaliation from the Princess of that planet. You don't piss off the audachi no senshi without getting a little burned." "Right in the midst of our relocation efforts...this could get complicated," Tantalus groaned. He was overseeing the first half of Project Kisei. "It already is," Hakujou snorted. * * * * * * "HOW IN THE NAME OF MOON DID YOU LOSE THE GINZUISHOU?!" Usagi could always rely on Luna for support. "We've been over this," Usagi protested again, ready to burst into tears. "And do we have an answer?" Rei hissed. "Why didn't you tell anyone? You certainly can't keep your mouth shut about anything else..." "Save the comments, Rei," Artemis warned. "We have bigger issues." Rei considered this for a moment. "We do, don't we? I saw the ginzuishou in my vision, shattered on the ground." "Nani?!" the other five exclaimed. She sighed. "It was odd, really. I got the distinct feeling I was being watched...but I couldn't discern any of the figures I saw. It was like Armageddon - except we lost." The girls were quiet. "We were dead?" Makoto asked anxiously. Rei nodded. "It looked like we had just laid down and never woke up. I-it scared me a lot, I guess. And then there was Usagi-chan...I could hear her crying in the distance. And when I touched the ginzuishou, she screamed." Ami was furiously typing this information in. Looking over her notes, she sighed and shook her head. "Not enough information. Rei-chan, will you do me a favor? Describe the vision in as much detail as you possibly can. The computer will record what you said and transcribe it into a file for me. It would be much more efficient than me trying to write it all down." The raven-haired girl nodded again and proceeded to describe her vision in grotesque detail. Usagi didn't hear a word of it, all she could think of was last night's dream. Her lack of attention set the senshi off again. Once again she listened quietly while they continued to chastise her for her irresponsibility, silently wishing she had the courage to tell them to go away. * * * * * * * Usagi and Chibiusa met up and walked to Mamoru's that Night after the senshi meeting. Overall, it had been a rather unpleasant experience for her. Chibiusa's two attempts to lighten the mood were promptly smashed into the ground by the very bitter odango-headed girl. Chibiusa went straight up to the apartment as Usagi stopped and lingered to get the mail for Mamoru first. Entering the apartment, Usagi found Mamoru cooking dinner, while Chibiusa was already chopping vegetables. Chibiusa had already warned him not to bring up the lost ginzuishou. They were engaged in a conversation and didn't notice her come in. "Mamo-chan, I brought your mail up," she said, wanting attention. "There's not much here, just some catalogs and a letter for you from some Center." Mamoru's ears perked up. "What Center?" "The Yuutai Center - what do they want, money?" The color drained from his face. Nervously he picked up the letter and stared at it for a moment. "I can't do it," he groaned. "You open it, Usako." "What is it?" Chibiusa demanded. "I applied to the Yuutai Center as an intern. The Center's just relocated here from Kyoto, and they're major contributors to the Human Genome Project. I've been waiting for that letter for months now." "Is that why you didn't go back to Harvard?" Chibiusa asked. He nodded. "I've always wanted to go into genetics," he explained matter-of-factly, his nervousness still apparent. Usagi looked at him suspiciously. "I thought you said you stayed in Tokyo because you'd rather stay with me." "I did want to stay with you. But the opportunity to work with some of the top geneticists in the world was a pretty big incentive, too. Then I found out that half the Pre-Med class applied, and they could only take about fifteen people...I heard a few days ago that the Center's being built right here in Juuban. Please, open it. I can't take this." "But--" It was not fun to have your illusions so utterly shattered. For a moment, she just stood there, holding his beloved letter in her hand. She desperately wanted to throw it out the window. "Just open the letter!" "All right already!" She furiously ripped the envelope open. "Dear Chiba-san," she began, "we are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as an intern at the Yuutai Center here in Tokyo -" "I made it?!" Mamoru exclaimed giddily as he wrapped his arms around Usagi and lifted her in the air. "I can't believe it! Usa, we have to celebrate..." Usagi desperately wished she could be happy for him, but then she continued reading the letter and her bad mood got worse. "Mamo-chan, it looks like you'll be working a lot of hours there," she said quietly, as he put her down and dropped his smile. "I knew that," he admitted. "But this is a really big jump start for my medical career. I could get a job at any hospital or scientific center in Tokyo with this internship on my resume. Besides," he added, a small smile forming on his lips, "I'll make enough money to buy you a big house on the outskirts of Tokyo and plenty of nice things to fill it with. You know you'd like that, Usa." "I guess," she said, looking down at her feet. A little smile crept onto her lips. He was so excited... "That's my Usa," he said when he saw her smile. "I should probably go back to making dinner before the noodles overcook," he commented. "Need any help?" she asked, cuddling up to him. He sweatdropped and shook his head no, "That's okay Usako, we can handle this." He then went back to the kitchen with Chibiusa, leaving Usagi with her mouth still open. * * * * * * Alecto carried the little sphere of darkness gingerly in her hand. This is completely insane, she told herself for the six-hundredth time that night. Still...it *would* be nice to see vengeance delivered to the people of Earth after what they had done... She landed in Ichinohashi Park and walked around a little. "Nice place," she commented, clearly impressed. "Maybe the Earth isn't such a hellhole." Her eyes were then treated to the lovely sight of a couple arguing. Moving in closer, Alecto was horrified to see him slap his girlfriend viciously. From her reaction, it definitely wasn't the first time it had happened, either. "Then again, maybe not," she sniffed, as she could feel the emotions of the scene rise in her. "Tidal wrath...ice!" The couple were rooted to the ground as she launched the ropes of ice of her attack directly at the man. The girl immediately rushed to the aid of her boyfriend, now encased in ice, and screamed a very long line of expletives at the azure-haired senshi. "Real grateful these humans are," Alecto rolled her eyes, as she just sighed, "Ah, well. Did I really expect her to thank me now? In a couple years, she'll look back and say, 'I wonder who saved me from the death grip of that horrible man.' Yeah right, Alecto. Stop dreaming." She continued to stroll along a path, choosing to refrain from incarcerating any more wife-beaters. Alecto was rather enjoying her little walk, a chance to escape from the confines of her own planet. "How does Hime-sama stand it?" she asked herself. "At least the three of us get out occasionally, whenever we have to go deliver divine justice or something." All too soon, however, the walk ended as she reached the lake, 'this is the spot' she thought. The lake was a perfect place to bury the Black Star. Releasing it from her hands, it floated directly into the middle of the lake and splashed down into the bottom. A huge wave of dark energy burst forth, and the water turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. Electricity pulsed and crackled through the air Then, as soon as it had come, it was gone again, with no evidence of what had happened remaining. "You did it?" Alecto nearly jumped into the tree at Eris's voice. "Don't scare me like that!" she shrieked at the senshi who looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry," Eris said apologetically. "But did you do it?" Her voice was filled with earnestness as the other senshi nodded. "What happens next?" "Watch this area, and if anyone gets too near, kill him or her. Oh, and there may be a couple of side effects while the Black Star grows inside the Earth..." "Why don't I like the sound of that?" "Just kill anything that comes out of the lake and you'll be fine. Or, you could let it loose somewhere in Tokyo and watch the Sailor Senshi run around for a while if you get bored." Eris said with a smile, knowing how amusing that could be. "That's not very nice," Alecto retorted, not wanting to do such a thing to her fellow senshi. "We're not exactly here for happy reasons." Eris snapped back. Alecto sighed. "True. You look upset." "Tenshi-chan's just found out something pretty interesting. It seems our old friend Hakujou has started a search for the Tennyo. One has allegedly surfaced here in Japan." "So Selenity-kiin *did* resurrect them." "Apparently so. Tenshi is excited. She has some plan cooked up, I guess. You know you can't let Hakujou get his hands on any of them. If you come across any of the four Tennyo, protect them at all costs. Surely they will do the same for you. They were always very honorable. Well, watch out for any akki. Ja!" And before Sailoralecto could protest, Eris was gone. "What the--" Alecto sighed. * * * * * * Vienna, the Outers had decided, was one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Between the festival and seeing the sites, all four were certainly enjoying their vacation. The only trouble was that no one could decide where exactly they had wanted to go. Setsuna wanted to go to all of the historical sites. Haruka pointed out that she could actually go back in time and see them instead of looking at the museums. This set off a surprisingly violent argument. Michiru wanted to visit the birthplace of every composer that had ever breathed in the city. Setsuna scolded her, saying that was impossible. And Haruka was interested in enjoying the lively nightlife, which nearly got her in serious trouble with her beloved after a drunk redhead mistook her for a man and made her intentions oh so clear. Hotaru, meanwhile, was frustrated with the number of directions her three guardians were pulling her in and nearly threatened to take her glaive to all three's throats. She was more interested in the side trip to Paris the four of them took than Vienna. And all four of them were relieved that the other Sailor Senshi were not around to observe their immature battles. The Vienna Philharmonic Festival was being held at the Musikvereinssaal, the foremost hall in the city. Only selected singers and musicians were invited to perform, so it had been a great honor when both Haruka and Michiru were asked to come. It was very demanding and highly stressful to be in an environment with so many other prodigies. But nevertheless, they were having an incredible time. Michiru's abilities were held in high regard, and she was very much in demand. She played nearly every night, and was constantly being given offers to join various illustrious organizations. Haruka also found herself in the same position. However, both regretfully declined the offers. That particular night, Michiru and Haruka had agreed to accompany the only other Japanese musician at the festival - an operatic singer named Kazeno Yoake. At sixteen, she was considered to have one of the world's most beautiful voices, along with one of the most powerful. She'd already put out three CDs, and studied at both Julliard in New York and at Vienna's own Academy of Fine Arts. She was quite pretty too, with her long, spring- green hair and bright silver eyes. Elegance and sophistication seemed to surround her - that is, until she opened her mouth. The girl was more hyper than Usagi and Minako on crack, and Haruka was convinced she had a split personality - her temper was fearsome. Still, despite her not-so- little idiosyncrasies, she was a stimulating person, only a little egotistical about her fame, and she had absolutely worshipped Haruka and Michiru, so they took it in stride. After the performance, they were forced to wait a while because the taxis were already filled with exiting audience members. After waiting for an ten minutes, the four Outers decided to walk back to their hotel quickly, hoping to warm themselves up from practically freezing weather that caused them to shiver constantly. "Kazeno-san did beautifully tonight," Setsuna commented with a smile, "I nearly cried when she did the aria from 'Romeo et Juliette'." "Setsuna-mama? Cry?" Hotaru asked in surprise. "She was good...you did so well, Michiru-mama, Haruka- papa. Maybe I should take up another instrument..." "You already play the violin," Michiru pointed out, quite proud of the fact that her 'daughter' had picked up the instrument that she had slaved over her whole life. "True," Hotaru conceded. "What do you think of the flute?" "Too high," Haruka groaned. "What about a--" she was unable to finish as a scream was heard in from an alley. "We'd better investigate," Setsuna said quietly. "Come on." The four quickly followed the screaming woman. They were greeted to the sight of a red-skinned demoness with hair on fire clutching a girl by the neck. "What the--" Haruka was cut off for the second time that night when Hotaru indicated they should transform. "Uranus crystal power, make up!" "Neptune crystal power, make up!" "Pluto crystal power, make up!" "Saturn crystal power, make up!" Within moments, where the four had stood now stood the Outer Senshi. "Deep submerge!" That got the demon creature away from the girl she had been strangling, at least. Saturn and Pluto rushed to her side. "Are you all right?" Pluto asked. Not waiting for an answer, Saturn touched her hand to the girl's forehead, not exactly certain where to start with the many injuries. There had clearly been a struggle. "Why did she want you?" Pluto tried to talk to the girl again, but the shock had left her less than coherent. Finally, they settled for trying to calm her down, but the fact that she was face-to-face with two Sailor senshi was not helping much. "Uranus space sword blaster!" "Submarine violin tide!" The demon woman laughed as she dodged the attacks. "So the Sailor senshi are doing a little traveling, are they?" she laughed. "My master assured me this would be an uninterrupted mission. I thought you lived in Juuban. Well, no problem." She let off two fiery bolts directly at Uranus and Neptune, who were knocked into a brick wall. Uranus was rendered unconscious, but Neptune - who had a natural resistance to fire - was still awake. "Uranus-chan! Neptune-chan!" Pluto screamed. "Dead scream," she whispered, trying to be discreet. This time, the demoness wasn't so lucky, and the attack hit perfectly. "Damn you!" she screeched with her horrible voice, causing the senshi to cover their ears to block the sound of her horrible squawking. "Dark wing blaze!" Glossy black feathers swirled in the area as two more bolts, also made of fire, were launched at the creature. The demon's final scream was so horrible- sounding the Outers had nightmares for a month afterwards. "Nice try, bitch," the cagey girl said. "What the -?" Neptune began, cradling unconscious Uranus within her grasp. "Is she all right?" the woman asked harshly, speaking Japanese. In the partial light, Neptune saw black wings and long hair, but could tell little other than that. "I think so," Neptune replied uncertainly. "We get banged around a lot." But Uranus was beginning to open her eyes, much to Neptune's relief. "You're the Outer Senshi, aren't you? Don't you live in Japan?" The girl questioned, as they were uncertain how to answer that, "Umm..." "Well, you should really stay out of matters that don't concern you," she said sharply. "And this is most definitely NOT your jurisdiction." "Who are you to say that?" Uranus croaked, her head still in Neptune's lap. "It is our duty to protect the Earth." "Who are you, anyway?" Saturn asked, her dark eyes looking at the half-hidden figure. "Stay out of the way," she snapped. "Trust me, this is not something you want to get involved in." And with that, their mysterious savior disappeared into the night. "Who does she think she is?" Uranus snapped as she tried to get up from Neptune's grasp. "That must have been one of the Black Angels," the girl said quietly in broken English. The senshi looked at the wounded girl. "The who?" all four senshi asked at once. "They've been all over Europe and North America recently, fighting those demons. I thought it was just an urban legend, but now I believe it. No one knows who they really are or what their purpose is. I suppose they're like the equivalent of you, except they live here the West." "Black Angels? Could they be Sailor senshi?" Neptune asked. "I don't know," Pluto said thoughtfully. "How long have these 'Black Angels' been around?" "A month," the girl replied, her eyes then growing wide with awe, "I can't believe I'm talking to Sailorpluto! I must be dreaming." "A month..." Pluto was deep in thought. "We need to contact the Princess and the Inner Senshi. Maybe they know something..." "Princess?" The poor girl was very confused, and the banging in her head was not doing anything to help her. "Can I go now?" "We'll walk you home," Uranus, said, standing up. Once the victim was safe at home, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn discussed the events of the night. "We need to investigate this at once." * * * * * * Shizuka stood staring at the Moon from her balcony. It had been a long day, with cracks about cauldrons and dorks with swirly glasses all getting on her nerves. She was beginning to wonder why she was so anxious to come to Japan when her mother died, rather than staying in Berkeley with her grandparents. She sighed. Japan was a strange place. Okay to visit during the summers, but she definitely missed home. Perhaps she'd wanted to come to Juuban because she had heard the stories of the Sailor Senshi - she always read the articles in the papers about them, even the ones in the 'Enquirer', just for laughs. They seemed so mystical, so strange to her. Rumors had it that the other senshi called Sailormoon a Princess...and she had her very own knight in shining...tuxedo. It was like a storybook come to life. Yes, the Sailor senshi were quite a pull. They seemed like they were nice people...did they have alter egos? She'd have to call her best friend Angie and tell her. Angie shared her Sailor Senshi obsession. 'Course, she also believed Shizuka was psychic and begged her to go to Vegas with her when they were 21. "Shi, we'd make millions!" Angie had assured her. Shizuka wondered if she'd still be able to do that. She groaned. Had she really sold out her old life to follow this stupid fascination that would probably amount to nothing? She'd seem them fight once, just the original five and the one they called Tuxedo Kamen. Shizuka remembered the way her friend Angie had pumped her for details, mostly about Tuxedo Kamen. She giggled a little. Angie was convinced Tuxedo Kamen would fall in love with her if they just met once. She remembered the way her green eyes would sparkle whenever she had just downloaded yet another image of the elusive masked man off the Internet - at least half of them a part of some hoax. But she wasn't alone. Shizuka guessed that half of Tokyo (mainly the females) felt the same way. When she'd left, she'd promised Angie she'd find out as much about the Sailor Senshi as possible - though much more powerful people than her were trying to do the same and had come up with nothing. Still, was that really a reason to leave her home? Well, there was the strange feeling in the air...the dissonance...and her mother's vision...no. Shizuka believed in destiny, and something told her she'd find it here. "Shizuka-chan?" Her keibo, Miyuki, stepped onto the balcony with her. In this regard, Shizuka had always considered herself lucky. Her otou had made sure Shizuka was completely comfortable with Miyuki before he had married her. Miyuki was a wonderful person who Shizuka considered a very good friend. "You look disturbed tonight," she spoke up, as Shizuka continued to stare out onto the sky. "Look at the moon, Miyuki-chan." Miyuki stared up at it. "It's so pretty tonight, with those lovely rings about it." "That's the problem." She stated, her eyes fully absorbing the meaning of the rings that had formed around the moon. She shuddered inwardly, thinking of what they meant. "What's the problem?" Yuuhi Masato joined his wife and daughter on the terrace. "A double ring around the moon like that indicates pivotal change - and not for the better. On nights like this, you shouldn't even answer the phone...it's a sure sign that trouble is coming." Masato smiled, amused with his daughter's advice. "You're amused by what I say?" Shizuka asked, a little irritated at her father. But that was only because this wasn't her day. Yuuhi Masato was a very cynical man, though he was surprisingly tolerant of his daughter's spirituality. But Shizuka was aware of this, and normally did not hold it against him. "I'm just thinking about how much you remind me of your mother." Her mother...she was far more powerful than Shizuka would ever be. She smiled, remembering her mother as the intrepid, hippieish free spirit with her wild blue hair and full figure, before the breast cancer stole her hair and emaciated her figure. "All the same..." Shizuka closed her eyes. "The wind is almost mournful tonight..." email : tennyo@usa-ko.com