Chapter 13 Planning "Okay," Kyoko started, looking at everyone sitting at the large table, "let's get going." She looked back at Ruri, who was once again in the strange chair she used to control MCC. "Pull up all the information we have, we'll start with the henchmen," Kyoko said. "On it," Ruri said, typing a command. A partly transparent screen appeared from the middle of the table and strechted it's full length, providing a view for everyone. It blinked before posting the information Kyoko was talking about. "These are the henchmen working for Nemisess," Kyoko said as eight pictures appeared on the screen, "Zues--" the screen focused on her picture, "-- she controls black lightening. Aries--" her picture appeared, "--hers is black fire. Hermes--" her picture showed on the screen, "--she controls black water. Aphroditie--" the blonde's picture appeared, "--her power is black energy. These are the few that you've met. The others are Chonus, Titain, Poisidon, and Uranus." The pictures that appeared resembled Setsuna, Hotaru, Michiru, and Haruka. "We don't know what their powers are as of yet," Kyoko continued, "but we do know of all their origins." She looked over at Ruri again and nodded. Ruri typed in another command. The visor over her eyes diappeared back into the head of the chair and the globes did the same. Ruri stood up and walked over to the table. "I'm sure all of you remember the incedent serveral years ago involing Terry and the crystal holding Nemisess and all of you were there, save for Adonis and Zukamori. Well Nemisess didn't just leave after his release. He took something with him. He was able to take the DNA of the Senshi." ---------- The dark shadowed man moved silently, almost invisible through the young girl's dream. he wondered. Below him, he saw the girl with long pink hair done in odango style. The Small Lady. Serenity's second child. A cruel smiled appeared on his face as he wacthed the girl begin to wittness the message of this dream. The dark message he hoped would help insure his vistory. Suddenly a pink-purple arua surronded the girl and the area below the man, blinding him temptorarily. "What?!!!" he shouted half in rage and half in surprise. When his eyes began to function properly, he saw that the dream he had been in was destroied, the dreamer gone. "It is foolish to attempt to warp the Maiden's mind, Xanatos," a voice sounded. "You!" Xanatos snarled, knowing full well who the speaker was. "How did you find out about this?!" "I think you already know the answer to that." ---------- Helios opened his eyes as he returned from the place, leaving the foul being to curse him. "You know the answer...." Helios repeated, looking at the unconcious Chibi-usa from his place in the chair beside her bed. He had not left her side since coming down to the underground with the others. His worry for her was displayed on his face constantly. "The battle," Chibi-usa whispered in her sleep, causing Helios to perk up, "it's coming, looming closer than ever before. Though precautions are being taken, some things might be overseen." Then, she repeated a phrase she had said before, "Who will be the one to take a stand? Which one will be the first to break the eternal circle?" Helios sat there, studying her peaceful face for a few seconds before saying softly, "The battle is coming, Maiden. And not all of us might survive." ---------- "They're clones?" Rei repeated Ruri's words. "Yes," Ruri answered. "Nemisess wanted people who had the same abilities and power as the Senshi working for him. He couldn't capture you all or force you to join him, so he simply made clones of each of you. Their names are the counterparts to your original names from the Silver Millenium." "What do you mean counterparts?" Serenity spoke up. "In mythology," Kyoko started to explain, "there were different names for gods depending on which groups used them. The Romans had Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto for their main gods. Different names were given to the same gods by the Greek except for Uranus. Hermes, Aphordite, Aires, Zues, Titian, Poiseiden, and Chronus were the names. And that is where Nemisess got the names." "So they're just copies of us, right?" Minako said. "Right," Ruri said, "but that doesn't mean that they're not helpless. Nemesiss is strong and his leader is even stronger. They give their power to these eight to help them when they fight or use their powers. Only a fraction of the power has been displayed. The reason they were easy to beat the first two times was because they were all cocky and got reckless. I'm sure that now they being worked over time preparing for the battle." "As we will be," Kyoko said. "For the next two months we will train to highten our Senshi powers as well our physical powers." "Training against one another might be difficult at times," Ruri said, "but it's the best way. There's a training room and everything we will need here." They then started to talk about how they would spend the next two months training and so on. Zukamori looked down at the floor as the other two Lost Senshi spoke. She was standing by the door, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed over her chest. Zukamori was only half listening to them. Her thoughts were on something else. A memory played in her mind. It was back when she was still a captive in Nemisess's place... *FLASH* "Any trouble with her this time?" "Not much." Zukamori, pretending to be asleep, strained to hear the voices coming from the other side of her cell. "Really?" the speaker laughed. "I could hear it from down the hall." "Okay, okay, yes I had trouble." The person sighed tiredly. "You'd think she was the leader with that much power she's got. I'm surprised the Master doesn't do more than just place that thing on her. All that visor does is surpress her powers, leaving her to resort to physical means." Zukamori smiled to herself. As she did she felt the restistance of the visor that was over her eyes, keeping her powers under wraps. She could only use her power if she could see her target. It was the same with Kyoko. Her hands needed to be free in order for hers to work. "Heh, yeah. But, do you think what the Master said is true, Hermes?" "About what?" Hermes replied. "That we might need outside help when we deal with the Queen and the other Senshi." "Outside help? Ha! Like Nemesiss will really allow that, Aphordite!" "Nemesiss is that one who told him." There was a moment of silence before Hermes said, "If that's the case, we'd better start with....you know what." "Yeah, with that no way we can lose," Aphordite said, the volume of her voice indecated that they were moving down the hall. Zukamori wondered. a reply came in her mind. Zukamori was so starlted that she jerked, causing the chains that held her to the wall to rattle. Kyoko. Though Zukamori couldn't answer her, she knew Kyoko knew what she was thinking. Kyoko continued, Luna and Artemis did come. But so did someone else... Zukamori's head snapped up, sounds of fighting rang in her small cell. Familiar voices could be heard. Realizing who they were, Zukamori shouted, "Artemis! Luna!" She pulled against her chains, wishing she could take off the visor to see. A shape burst through the door. A woman. "Luna!" Zukamori shouted again as she rushed over. "Zukamori, are you all right?!" Luna asked. From the tone of her voice, Zukamori could tell that something was wrong. "Yes, I'm fine. Get this thing off my head then get to Kyoko!" Luna reached to the back of Zukamori's head for the release on the visor. She pulled it off. "Finally!" Zukamori said, seeing clearly for the first time in quite a while. A blast shot right pass the door. It struck something. A shout of pain sounded. "Artemis!!" Luna gasped, starting towards the door. Before she got close, another blast fired and hit her. "Luna!" Zukamori shouted once more as she fell to the floor, unconcious. Someone came through the door. Zukamori didn't recognize him at first. Then, he spoke, "Here we meet again, Zukamori." When it clicked, she gasped. "You!" A sense of fear and astonishment washed over her making her feel cold. "So you remember me afterall," the man sneered. "Why are you here?" Zukamori said, her voice showing more of her fear than she wanted. "Ha, as niave as always, are we, Little Grave Keeper?" The name he called her made her stiffen more. At first she had had doubt about the man's identity, now he can comfered it for her. That name, only one person called her 'Little Grave Keeper.' And that man was supposed to be dead. He *was* dead, she had killed him long ago. That left only one reason. "No..." she whispered. A smirk appeared on the man's face. "Figured it out?" Zukamori shook her head slowly in disbelief. "No..." she repeated. "A shock, I know," the man came closer to her. "You'll get used to it." "No," she said again. "No." The man looked from her to Luna, considering something. "I wonder," he said,as he turned his gaze back to her, "if the Queen found out about that?" A cruel smile replaced the smirk. "What would you do, if 'Sere-chan' knew about that?" At Zukamori's horrifed look, he continued ruthlessly, "Yes. I wonder. Then again, how will she find out. The only one that can tell her is still in hibernation and the two operatives that can wake her up are here. That leaves...." "You wouldn't dare!!" Zukamori shouted. "Would I? I don't think she would be able to stand to live with that information. Do you think I could end her misery, Little Grave Keeper?" Anger surpassed her fear. Suddenly she was surrounded by a white light. "What?!" the man yelled in surprise. "Never," Zukamori said, her hazel eyes turned white and the light around her grew brighter, "never threaten my FRIENDS!!!" As she shouted the last word, the light exploded around her, destroying the chains that held her. She quickly punched the man in the gut with her fist. He doubled over in pain. She kicked his head, sending him crashing into the wall. "Don't make me repeat myself," she said in a low voice. Luna began to stir. When she sat up, she gasped at the sight of Zukamori's state. "Get Artemis and get out," Zukamori said, her eyes still on the man, who was beginning to stand up himself. "I'll follow as soon as I can. Go. Now!" Luna hurridly nodded and rushed out the door. The man stood and faced Zukamori... *FLASH* "...said do you understand? Zukamori? Zukamori?!" Kyoko's voice penatrated through Zukamori's memory. Zukamori snapped her head back up. "Huh?" "Do you understand what we said?" Kyoko said. "Uh, yeah. Yeah," she said hastily. Yet her thoughts were still on the man she had met then. If he was with Nemisess, then they would need more than just stronger power to even think about being able to survive. she thought. ---------- NEXT: The training begins. But so do more questions. Zukamori starts to pratice longer and harder and the others. What does she know that she won't tell the others? Who is the man she says she killed yet is alive? Next time: Behavior. ----------