Author's Notes
------------------------------

Well, here it is, Chapter 3! This is a loooong chapter, and it took a 
lot of writing, so I hope you enjoy it! ^.^ First, I'd like to thank 
all the wonderful people who've critiqued SME so far!

- On Aria's Ink - 

Temptress_Kitten17, Austin, Angelblood: Thank you for your kind 
comments! I'm so glad you like the story! ^.^

- On ASMR - 

SilverMoonPrncss: I'm happy to see that I'm succeeding at making my 
original Senshi unique. That was a huge worry for me while I was 
rewriting SME. I hope I can keep it up! ^.^

Red_Elephant: So I managed to confuse you? ^.~ I hope things were clear 
enough after a few chapters. Don't worry, Mamoru will be making an 
appearance later in the story, and this chapter will bring some more 
information about the enemy. I hope you enjoy it! ^.^

Sei No Bushi: I'm glad you like the story so far, and that my original 
Senshi makes sense and has a personality that sets her apart. During 
this chapter and the next one I will be exploring her character a bit 
further, as well as the characters of the other Senshi. I'm happy to 
see that my reasons behind some of the things I've written are coming 
through clearly. The thing to remember is that, in my opinion at least, 
the battle with Galaxia caused some changes in the characters of the 
canon Senshi. From time to time the girls will act a bit differently 
than readers might expect. I hope I will be able to show my reasons for 
those changes clearly enough to make sense. Thanks for your helpful 
comments! ^.^

- To Everyone -

Please remember to submit a review or send me an email with any 
comments you might have on SME, whether positive or negative! This 
fanfiction is going to be quite long and I want to make it as good as 
possible. Also, if you have ideas, feel free to send me those too! I 
have the main plot of the entire epic outlined, but there's plenty of 
room for me to work in subplots and details galore! So send in your 
ideas, who knows, I might like them and use them! ^.~

Finally, I'd like to announce that I am looking for a second beta-
reader! Not to replace The Perpetual Lurker, not by any means (if 
you're reading this, Gela, I love you! ^.^), but I like to get several 
different opinions on everything I write. If you've been liking SME so 
far, you might want to consider beta-reading for me! If you're 
interested, send me a little email at dejanatalis@aol.com. I'd like to 
hear from someone who is very familar with the manga storyline of BSSM, 
and if you've beta-read any other fics, please let me know about that 
too. I hope to hear from some of you! ^.^

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy my work.
-Dejana
11/25/2003


------------------------------
Sailormoon Eternity
Book 1 - The Poison of Amaranth
Chapter 3: Remission
------------------------------
"She's a Sailor Senshi. She belongs with us."
------------------------------


	Setsuna strolled smoothly up to the front door of the house, her 
latest designs cradled in her slender arms. With sharp, dark eyes she 
scanned the top image. The agency had seemed particularly pleased with 
that one.
	~Perhaps something similar, but a bit more form-fitting, in earth 
tones,~ the green-haired woman mused as she opened the door with a 
tanned hand. As the door swung open, the enticing scents of cooking 
greeted her.
	"Hello, Setsuna-chan!" Dejana called from the kitchen.
	Rounding the corner, Setsuna discovered the young Lunarian busily 
slicing carrots, an apron tied over the clothes she had borrowed from 
Makoto. The older woman allowed herself a slight smile when she noticed 
the rolled-up sleeves and pant legs of the tall brunette's outfit, 
which was too large for Dejana's slightly shorter frame. Cookbooks and 
utensils were scattered around the kitchen, and a large pot simmered on 
the stovetop.
	"How did you know it was me?" Setsuna wondered aloud, her crimson 
eyes narrowing.
	The usual headband was missing from Dejana's indigo hair, which 
she had tied back with a simple ribbon. She shrugged without looking 
up, her hands busy over the cutting board. "It felt like you," she 
replied matter-of-factly.
	Another question formed on Setsuna's lips but she was interrupted 
by Hotaru, who swept by with another cookbook in her arms. Her open 
textbooks and notes lay forgotten on the table.
	"What did the agency say, Setsuna-mama?" she inquired brightly, 
her dark hair hanging in a curtain around her pale face as she studied 
the recipe.
	Setsuna smiled proudly, remembering the designs she was still 
holding against her chest. "It looks very promising," she replied 
warmly. She took the top drawing from the pile and approached the two
girls, holding it out for them to see. "Here, what do you think?"
	"Sugoi!" Hotaru breathed, her round eyes drinking in the elegant 
curves of the style. "Setsuna-mama, you're getting better all the 
time."
	"It is beautiful," Dejana agreed. A strange smile curved her 
lips. "So much color..."
	"There are more colors for clothing than white, Dejana-chan," 
Setsuna teased gently.
	"Hai, hai, I know..." Dejana bit her lip as she gazed at the 
colorful design. ~On the Moon, all our clothes were designed and made 
by the palace tailors. Was all this creativity hidden within her, just 
waiting for a chance to escape?~
	The young woman's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp sizzling. 
The bubbling pot on the stove was boiling over. Hurriedly Dejana 
snatched up a spoon and began stirring the mixture as she turned down 
the heat.
	"This Earth food..." she muttered. "It's been millennia since I 
worked in the Palace kitchens, and I was never a culinary genius like 
Mako-chan." Beside her, Hotaru leafed through another cookbook.
	"Hotaru," Setsuna admonished, "Michiru will expect to find your 
essay finished when she comes home."
	The faintest hint of a blush tinted Hotaru's pale cheeks. It's 
nearly finished, Setsuna-mama," she protested. "I only stopped for a 
moment to help Dejana-chan read the recipes."
	Dejana hung her head over the pot, still stirring it mechanically 
as she felt Setsuna's gaze burning into her.
	"You were born during the Silver Millennium," Setsuna prompted, 
her dark eyes narrowed with concern. "You can understand any language, 
ne?"
	"Hai," Dejana replied softly. "It still works, but it seems a 
little harder to switch from the language of the Moon to Japanese after 
all this time."
	"You seem to speak Japanese just fine," Setsuna observed, laying 
her clothing designs on the countertop.
	"Speak, yes, but I have trouble with kanji," Dejana admitted.
	"Well, you and Serenity should get along well, then," the green-
haired woman replied with a barely-restrained smile. The trio shared a 
moment of light laughter.
	"I think I have things under control now, Hotaru-chan," Dejana 
said then. "Arigato."
	"Let me know if you need any more help." Pulling off her apron, 
Hotaru headed toward her waiting homework.
	"You two seem to be getting along well," Setsuna commented to 
Dejana. Reaching over the countertop, the tall woman plucked a piece of 
carrot from the cutting board and put it in her mouth.
	"Hai, Hotaru-chan's been very helpful these past few days," 
Dejana replied, stirring the remaining carrots into the bubbling 
concoction. "If it weren't for her, Ten'ou-san and Kaiou-san..." She 
stopped, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. Feeling 
tears beginning to prick at the corners of her eyes, Dejana forced 
herself to stop thinking about the cold attitudes of the two women who
had once been her friends.
	"She's such a warm, friendly girl," Dejana said instead. "It's a 
pity she was too young to be with us on the Moon."
	"It wasn't only her age," the Senshi of Time reminded her with a 
sigh, leaning casually against the counter's edge. "If she had been 
with us during training, she would have wanted to awaken her own 
powers."
	Laying down her spoon, Dejana gazed through the doorway at the 
thin, dark-haired girl bent over her books at the table in the next 
room. "Sailor Saturn," she murmured softly. "Who knew that such a 
destructive force could actually awaken and still be held in check by 
someone so young?"
	"Nobody knew, back then," Setsuna concurred. "Still, Hotaru-chan 
is different from the rest of us, somehow. I feel she has power that 
has yet to awaken."
	For a moment, the Guardian of Time and the Guardian of the Sailor 
Senshi watched the young Apocalypse catalyst through sad and wondering 
eyes.

	"We're home!" The door closed behind the last two residents of 
the house as they entered. Elegant Michiru was first, her waves of 
aquamarine hair rolling to her shoulders as she pulled off her autumn 
coat. Behind her, Haruka kicked off her shoes, her arms loaded down 
with bags and purchases from her partner's shopping spree.
	"Michiru, really," she muttered over the pile, "are your arms 
that sore from practicing?" From behind the stack of boxes she was 
balancing, Haruka could not see Michiru's smirk. After a moment, the 
graceful violinist's eyes narrowed. Hotaru had not come to greet them 
as usual.
	"Hotaru-chan? Where are you?" Slipping off her shoes, Michiru 
stepped out of the foyer and rounded the corner to find the dark-haired 
girl busily finishing her essay.
	"Anno...a little help here?" Haruka called, staggering under the 
burden of Michiru's purchases.
	In the kitchen, Dejana's fingers tightened on the handle of her 
spoon. Setsuna looked up from setting the table and gave the indigo-
haired girl a soft smile. "Don't worry."
	Dejana took a deep, steadying breath, and tried to smile back, 
but failed. Choking on the butterflies in her stomach, she released the 
spoon and approached Michiru, who was leaning over Hotaru's work.
	"Hotaru-chan, you shouldn't procrastinate on your assignments," 
Michiru scolded her pupil. Dejana fought a losing battle against the 
blush of guilt that assaulted her face. When she drew near to the 
aqua-haired woman, Dejana dropped to her knees and bowed low to 
the floor.
	"Neptune-hime, I have prepared an evening meal for the 
household," she announced formally. "It is ready for you at your 
leisure."
	Behind the Lunarian's crouching form, Haruka staggered toward the 
bedroom she shared with Michiru. "I'm not hungry," she muttered, 
steadying the bags that were swinging from her arms.
	The clink of a cup on a saucer issued sharply from the other room 
where Setsuna was setting the table.
	Through the curtain of hair that had fallen about her face, 
Dejana could still see Michiru's slender, socked feet as the woman 
turned to look down at her. Dejana quivered under her gaze. Her old 
friend was so close, so blessedly alive, and yet so cold.
	~I won't cry. I won't,~ Dejana thought furiously, biting her lip 
and staring intently at the ground.
	"Perhaps," Michiru replied simply, stepping around her ancient 
acquaintance and heading for the kitchen. Dejana climbed to her feet, 
gazing after her hopefully. Beside her, Hotaru flashed Dejana a victory 
sign. The indigo-haired girl held her breath as she heard Michiru lift 
the lid of the simmering pot.
	"Did you use all the vegetables?" came the woman's sharp call 
from the kitchen. The lid clanged a discord against the pot again. "I 
was saving those for a special meal for Haruka."
	A thick block of ice materialized within Dejana's stomach. Her 
eyes lost focus, her mouth hung open, and she stared blankly at the 
kitchen door. Her face burned with the shame of yet another mistake. 
She barely noticed as Hotaru rose to her feet and softly touched 
Dejana's arm.
	Michiru strode back into the room, her elegant face set in a 
chilling expression of distain. She and Dejana were nearly the same 
height, but to Dejana's ancient eyes she seemed a tall, formidable 
goddess, radiating strength and superiority. Her arms were folded 
across her chest, and her tight-lipped gaze pierced Dejana straight 
through the heart. Michiru paused for a moment in the doorway, her icy 
eyes sending a quiver of weakness through Dejana's body. Dejana felt 
shaky and ill, her knees turning to water beneath her.
	"I'll...I'll replace them," Dejana stammered.
	"See that you do."
	"Michiru-mama," Hotaru piped up, "it was my idea to use those 
vegetables. I knew how much Haruka-papa loves them."
	The aquamarine-haired woman's glare did not soften. "She should 
know not to tamper with the possessions of others." Michiru swept past 
the girls and into her bedroom.
	A sharp clank of dishes rang out in the other room. Setsuna's 
tall form strolled out of the kitchen, her face set in determination, 
deep green hair streaming behind her. The dark-skinned woman didn't 
even glance at Hotaru or Dejana as she strode past them and barged into 
Haruka and Michiru's room without knocking. The door slammed...and 
bounced. The few inches of space were all that was needed for Dejana 
and Hotaru to hear the conversation within.

	Setsuna stood just inside the door, cool and collected as ever, 
but her hands were clenched at her sides. Sharp points glittered within 
her crimson eyes as she glared at the other two women.
	"She's doing her best," Setsuna said with an icy undertone to her 
quiet, calm voice. "Is it too much to ask you to give her a chance?"
	"You know we don't want her here," Michiru muttered. Arms folded, 
she turned away from the green-haired woman and wandered over to the 
window. "She's a freeloader."
	"Her share of expenses comes out of my account," Setsuna reminded 
her housemate. "She is costing you nothing."
	Stretched out on the bed, her arms behind her head, Haruka sighed 
lazily. "I don't see why that matters so much," she grumbled, her 
emerald eyes fixed on the ceiling. "She doesn't belong here."
	"She could belong, if you would allow it," the ancient Time 
Guardian replied. "She is a Sailor Senshi, as we all are."
	At this, the blonde woman rolled upright abruptly, resting her 
arms on her knees. Her eyes were as cold as the gems that shared their 
color. "As we all are?" she repeated, raising her voice slightly. "Our 
duty is to protect the Solar System from intruders. The younger girls 
protect the Princess. What is her duty? To show up unexpectedly and 
demand a friendship that no longer exists?"
	Setsuna's eyes took on a strange, distant look, although she did 
not look away from Haruka's stare. "It exists," she insisted softly. 
"You have merely forgotten."
	At the window, Michiru turned her head toward the conversation, a 
thoughtful smirk curving her delicate lips. "She told us her duty. Ne, 
Haruka?"
	"Guardian of the Senshi," the wind-ruler scoffed, tossing her 
head. The short blonde strands settled back into their usual sweep 
across her brow. "Ridiculous. All of the Guardians were reborn with the 
Princess. Where has she been all these years?"
	"I, too, rejoined you after a long absence," Setsuna reminded her 
quietly. The old, deep sorrow flooded back into the burgundy eyes of 
the ancient woman. Now Haruka looked away, focusing casually on her 
hands.
	"You came to us when the Earth was in danger," Michiru argued, 
her face toward the window again, hidden behind ripples of sea-green. 
"We have faced so much already. Why did she not even try to contact 
us?"
	Setsuna lowered her eyes, forest-green hair drifting around her 
face. After a moment, she raised one dark hand to her lips 
thoughtfully. "Perhaps she was not strong enough to escape?" she mused 
aloud.
	With a snort of distain, Haruka flopped back against the bed, 
closing her eyes. "If she is so weak, she sounds like more of a 
liability than an asset. How can we depend on her to protect us? Is 
such a willing prisoner prepared to sacrifice her life for us? For the 
Princess?"
	"I...I don't know." It had been a long time since the Silver 
Millennium. Setsuna did not know what to say.

	In the living room, Hotaru bit her lip and slowly raised her head 
to look at Dejana's face. Tears were slipping down the Lunarian's pale 
cheeks. Her lower lip was trembling, and her cerulean-violet eyes 
stared forward blankly, unseeing. Only her ears lived, and the hurtful 
words echoed endlessly in her mind.
	"Dejana-chan..." Hotaru whispered hoarsely, her lavender eyes 
wide. She reached for Dejana's hand, but the older girl's white fingers 
were cold and slack within Hotaru's grasp.
	Dejana drew a deep, shuddering breath and tried to speak, but she 
couldn't make a sound. Without a word, she pulled away from Hotaru, 
ripped off her apron, and tossed it into a corner before disappearing 
into her own room. The door closed behind her, and Hotaru was left 
alone.

	For what seemed like forever the three Senshi of the Outer 
Planets remained silent, engrossed in their own thoughts, none of them 
meeting each other's gaze. Finally Michiru disturbed their meditation.
	"You know, Setsuna, I'm beginning to worry about you." She turned 
to face the dark-haired woman, her face solemn and serious. "Since this 
new girl arrived, you've been different, somehow."
	Haruka sat up again, adding her curious concern to her partner's. 
"You've always been reliable, Setsuna. No matter what, you've always 
been able to focus on the importance of the mission." Her green eyes 
swirled as she chose her words carefully. "Lately, it seems that you've 
been allowing...well, emotions, to cloud your judgement."
	Setsuna's eyes flamed. "Is it so wrong that I should be able to 
feel something?" she challenged.
	Haruka looked taken aback. "Iie," she protested. "It's 
just...different."
	"Did you never wonder why I've always been so restrained?" 
Setsuna demanded. "I wasn't always this way, you know." She stared at
the couple for a moment, but neither woman spoke.
	"Dejana was my best friend," the green-haired woman admitted, 
rubbing her left arm with her right hand absentmindedly as her gaze 
slipped to the floor. "When the time came for me to begin taking shifts 
guarding the Time Gate, she kept me company. Even when I was by myself, 
I was never truly alone while she was my friend. Sometimes I felt 
bitter, even angry, about what I had to do, but I knew that Dejana was 
always there for me."
	She paused for a moment. Haruka opened her mouth to speak, but 
Michiru shot her a warning glare. Their friend had never opened up this 
much before, and Michiru wanted the whole story.
	"When she was gone, that was when my duty became difficult," 
Setsuna continued. "The Moon was destroyed, all of you were thousands 
of years away, and Dejana... I had no reason to hope that she might be 
reincarnated. For the first time I was truly alone, and although I knew 
I would see all of you again, my closest friend was lost forever. That 
was why I pushed all my emotions away, why I sealed them in a box never 
to be opened again."
	Haruka and Michiru looked at each other as Setsuna explained the 
effects of the breaking of a strong bond between two people. Wind and 
sea engulfed themselves in each other's gaze. THey could understand the 
power of a bond like that; they could understand it very well.
	"Dejana is back now, against all odds, she is alive and here with 
us," Setsuna was saying, "and she is a Senshi now, so I will never have 
to fear her death again. Is there any reason why I shouldn't...well, 
let my hair down a bit?" She looked at the others with sad, distant 
eyes. "If you could remember how close we all were, back then, you 
would understand."
	Michiru looked up at the dark-skinned Time Guardian. "All right, 
Setsuna, we will try to get along with her," she sighed.
	"Just don't push her away so forcefully. Give her a chance. 
That's all I ask." After taking a moment to compose herself, Setsuna 
turned and left the room.
	Wind and sea were left alone in the darkened bedroom, left to 
rage their own storm.
	"So, we find ourselves alone against the world again, Haruka," 
Michiru said softly.
	"Seems that way." Haruka rolled backwards on the bed again with a 
sigh, stretching out on her back. "The Princess and the other girls 
will never see things our way, Hotaru is already becoming friends with 
her, and we clearly can't voice our concerns to Setsuna."
	Michiru sat down on the bed and stretched out on her side next to 
her partner, reaching out to entwine her fingers with those of the 
blonde-haired woman. "It's all right," she said softly. "If that is our 
destiny, so be it. As long as we're together, I don't need anyone 
else."
	The pair slipped into silence. Michiru's eyes slid closed, and 
Haruka stared fixedly at the ceiling. They did not speak, but both of 
their minds worked unceasingly, pondering the question that had plagued 
them both since the new Senshi's arrival.
	~What if Dejana is an enemy?~

	Setsuna closed the door behind herself and leaned against it, 
eyes closed. When she opened them, she found herself face to face with 
Hotaru. Through her maroon eyes, Setsuna gazed down at the young
firefly, who had seen far too much pain in her short life.
	Hotaru's eyes were filled with tears. She looked up at her 
Setsuna-mama, so calm and composed, yet hiding so much sorrow. Without 
a word, Hotaru leaned forward and hugged Setsuna around the waist.
	Startled, the older woman stiffened at the dark-haired girl's 
touch. She looked down at the top of Hotaru's head, and a wave of long-
rusted emotion filled her heart. Slowly, Setsuna's arms rose, and she 
tentatively wrapped them around the young girl, returning her embrace.
	Hotaru had always known in her mind that Setsuna loved her; she 
had often seen it in the older woman's behavior and tenderness as she 
grew. Now, for the first time, Hotaru truly felt it. Closing her eyes, 
the pale child laid her head on her mother-figure's chest. Setsuna's 
ancient heart pounded in the younger girl's ears, a beat that matched 
the eternal flow of time, a rhythm older than the ebb and flow of the 
tides themselves.
	~A heart so much older than mine, and yet, we are not so 
different after all.~
	The phone began to ring. The spell was broken. Setsuna released 
Hotaru abruptly, her face reassuming its serene mask. As the tanned 
woman's envelope of warmth faded from Hotaru's body, she looked up at 
her Setsuna-mama and saw that their emotional moment had ended. With a 
barely-suppressed sigh, Hotaru stepped aside, and Setsuna strolled into 
the kitchen to answer the insistent phone.

	The telephone was ringing, but in her shadowed bedroom Dejana 
took no notice. All the shades were drawn, making the darkness in the 
room nearly complete. Sitting on the bed in the corner, Dejana stared 
ahead at the wall, tears rolling down her face. She felt sick to her 
stomach and utterly alone.
	There was a soft knock on the bedroom door. Hurriedly Dejana 
swiped the tears from her cheeks.
	"Come in," she nearly croaked.
	The door opened and a beam of light fell on the indigo-haired 
young woman. Squinting in the sudden brightness, Dejana peered up at 
Setsuna, who was holding one palm over the mouthpiece of the telephone.
	"It's the Princess," Setsuna said softly. "She and the other 
girls are inviting you to spend the evening with them."
	Dejana looked away, twisting the bottom edge of her borrowed 
shirt in her hands. "I'm not in the mood to go out tonight."
	The crimson-eyed Setsuna opened her mouth to say something, but 
changed her mind and solemnly relayed the message to Usagi. An instant 
later she was holding the phone at arm's length, wincing as they both 
clearly heard Usagi's exclaimed reply.
	"You can't keep her sealed up in there forever! If she doesn't 
come out to meet us, we're coming over there to get her! So she'd 
better be ready!"
	"I don't think she's taking no for an answer," Setsuna muttered, 
thrusting the phone toward Dejana's huddled form.
	The faintest hint of a fond smile graced Dejana's lips. "All 
right," the pale Lunarian sighed, pressing one hand to her head. "Where 
do they want to meet?"

	A short while later Dejana was headed down a street toward the 
meeting place. She felt awkward in the clothes that were too big for 
her and walked with her head bowed, her hands in her pockets, fingering 
the money Setsuna had given her to buy clothes that fit. Her hair hung 
forward over her shoulders, partially hiding her face, but she thought 
she could feel the stares of everyone she passed; the eyes of strangers 
on her alabaster skin and baggy clothes. She was beginning to grow 
accustomed to the Earth's gravity, but she still felt heavy and clumsy, 
and she grew tired easily.
	~What am I doing?~ Dejana thought bitterly. ~I thought I belonged 
here...but...this world is so strange to me...and even Setsuna doubts 
me...~

	The weather had warmed slightly, but a brisk wind was sweeping 
through the leaves in the courtyard of the temple on Sendai Hill. Rei 
looked up at the sun as it rolled across the sky, letting the breeze 
ripple through her waves of dark hair. The violet highlights of her 
tresses shone in the rays of the late afternoon sun. The days were 
getting shorter every week.
	The Shinto priestess returned to her task of sweeping the leaves 
off the temple steps, bending over her broom. The wind tugged at her 
hair and pulled her clothes tight against her body.
	"Why is Grandpa making me do this?" she grumbled bitterly. "It'll 
all be covered with leaves again in an hour!"
	Nearby, Usagi was seated on the steps, huddled up against the 
growing cold. She knew that soon she would have to wear a coat every 
day, but for now she was keeping warm by wrapping her arms around her 
knees. Ami sat beside her, studying as usual. Rei gradually swept 
closer and closer to them.
	"Move your big feet," Rei muttered, poking her broom at the 
leaves that were piling up around Usagi's shoes. "I can't get any work 
done with you always getting in my way."
	"Rei-chan, you're so mean!" the odango-headed girl whined, 
lifting her legs out of the way.
	The broom slipped from Rei's slender fingers, clattering sharply 
against the stones. Her face flushed a deep scarlet and she sank to the 
ground beside her blonde friend, seizing her arm and looking earnestly 
into Usagi's startled eyes.
	"Gomen nasai, Usagi-chan!" the violet-haired girl cried, her eyes 
deadly serious, her face filled with concern. "I was only joking, I 
didn't mean to hurt you! Please forgive me!"
	The textbook slid out of Ami's hands, striking the ground with a 
heavy thud. She stared at Usagi and Rei, wide-eyed.
	"Anno...it's all right, Rei-chan, I know you're only teasing." 
Usagi blushed slightly herself, awkwardly prying Rei's fingers from her 
arm. "Don't worry about it, please..." The blonde leaned closer to her 
worried friend, noticing a few stunned onlookers nearby. "People are 
staring. It's all right, really."
	Gathering up her broom, Rei climbed to her feet abruptly and 
returned to sweeping the steps, avoiding the stares of the visitors to 
the temple. Usagi breathed a sigh of relief. The girls had refused to 
tell her the details of what the enemy had done while imitating her 
form, but Usagi could tell it had had some serious effects on her 
friends. Ami scooped up her book and averted her eyes, and they resumed 
waiting for the others.
	"Oy! Usagi-chan! Rei-chan! Ami-chan!"
	The trio looked down the staircase. Minako was running toward 
them, waving and smiling. Makoto followed close behind. At their heels 
jogged Luna and Artemis.
	Minako's red bow bobbed crazily as she bounced up the stairs and 
plopped down beside her fellow blonde. "Konnichi-wa, minna, gomen," she 
apologized breathlessly. "Had a little trouble finding the cats."
	"We were out searching for clues about the enemy's activities," 
Luna piped up. "We didn't find anything. It looks like things are quiet 
for now." Luna's cinnamon eyes met the pure, clear blue pair that had 
been gazing down at her since she arrived. "Hello, Usagi-chan."
	"Hello, Luna." Usagi's rosy lips bent into a gentle, friendly 
smile. An awkward pause followed.
	"Anno...Usagi-chan," Luna began, "would it be all right if I came 
home tonight? I...miss you," she finished, averting her eyes and 
bracing herself for the answer.
	"Of course, Luna," Usagi replied warmly. "You know you're always 
welcome." The black cat raised her head, and deep relief shone on 
feline and human face alike.
	After a moment, Luna shook herself and resumed her serious air, 
although she continued to glow with internal happiness. "Well, I 
suppose we should get this over with."
	The girls nodded. Swiftly the group looked around the temple 
courtyard. The last few visitors had wandered away, and the area was 
clear. The two cats focused their senses on the five schoolgirls in 
front of them. Both golden crescent moon sigils began to glow on the 
cats' foreheads.
	A wave of comforting warmth rolled over the girls, banishing the 
crisp autumn wind. All five pairs of vibrant eyes slid closed. Pulses 
of energy focused on the forehead of each one, and with a burst of 
heat, the signs of five heavenly bodies appeared there. Energy from the 
planets themselves radiated from the five young Sailor Senshi, sweeping 
hair of all colors in defiance of the natural breeze.
	Luna and Artemis let their influence fade away, and the energy 
and then the sigils vanished from the five girls. They opened their 
eyes as the cats' crescent moon marks faded away to resemble pale bald 
spots in the white and black fur.
	"So, we are all who we seem to be," Artemis commented with 
satisfaction. "We can all breathe easier now."
	"I hate this," Makoto grumbled. "I hope we can take care of these 
enemies quickly so we can stop suspecting one another." Her face set in 
a scowl, the brunette began cracking her knuckles.
	"Well..." Luna awkwardly tried to turn the conversation away from 
Makoto's dark mood. "What's so important that Mako-chan and Minako-chan 
had to search the city for us? Have you discovered new information 
about the enemy?"
	"Iie, Luna," Usagi replied with a bright smile. "We're meeting 
someone here that we want you both to meet."
	"Really?" Artemis inquired. "Who is it?"
	"See for yourself." Minako pointed behind the cats, in the 
direction from which they had arrived. "Here she comes now."
	The two felines whirled around, eager with curiosity. Two pairs 
of eyes widened until they seemed to fill both cats' faces completely.
	A young woman with long indigo hair held back by a headband was 
approaching. Her eyes were fixed firmly on the ground and she was 
dressed in clothing that was far too large for her, but her appearance 
still stirred ancient memories within the pair of advisors. When they 
glimpsed the purple crystal star hanging around the girl's neck, there 
could be no mistaking her.
	"Iie..." Artemis whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the 
living shadow of the past. "It's impossible!"
	"Dejana-chan?" Luna cried aloud, throwing all caution to the 
fragrant autumn wind. At the sound of the black cat's voice, the 
indigo-haired woman's head snapped up, and her eyes grew to match the 
startled stares of the felines.
	"Luna!" she exclaimed, joy and excitement banishing the 
melancholy gloom from her expression. "Artemis!" Yanking her hands from 
her pockets, Dejana broke into a run, rushing toward the foot of the 
stairs at top speed.
	"Dejana!" Artemis echoed with barely-restrained elation. The pair 
of cats darted down the steps toward the approaching Lunarian. The trio 
met somewhere in the center of the staircase and collapsed in a tangle 
of loose clothes, multicolored hair, and long tails. Peals of joyous 
laughter lifted the hearts of the five girls at the top of the stairs 
and brought a smile to each face.
	"How...how is this possible?" Luna asked when things had calmed 
down a bit. "It seemed...it seemed there was no chance that you would 
be reborn," she continued softly.
	Dejana scooped both cats into her arms and climbed the stairs to 
the temple's courtyard. "That's a long story," she sighed.
	"If you don't believe her, do that scan or whatever it is you 
do," Usagi instructed her small furry mentor.
	Luna looked at Usagi, puzzled. "Demo-"
	"Just do it."
	With a shrug of her feline shoulders, Luna looked up at Dejana 
and focused her power on the long-lost native of the Moon. Her crescent 
moon mark began to glow. The entire group looked at Dejana curiously, 
who closed her eyes as the warmth of Luna's energy washed over her. For 
a moment there was no reaction. Then, a purple star mark with a spiral 
inside blazed into existence on Dejana's forehead with a burst of 
shadowy energy. The glow of the sigil was echoed by an answering glow 
that came from Dejana's right hand.
	Luna stopped concentrating abruptly, and the mark vanished from 
the Lunarian's forehead. "Dejana-chan? You're a Sailor Senshi?"
	Dejana opened her mouth to reply, but she was interrupted by an 
ear-splitting shriek from Minako. The blonde girl reached out and 
yanked Dejana's right arm towards herself, unceremoniously dumping both 
cats on the ground.
	"Mina!" Artemis chastized her, shaking his fur back into place. 
"What are you-"
	"Dejana-chan's engaged!" Minako shouted for the whole group to 
hear, waving the startled girl's hand in front of everyone's faces.
	"WHAT?" they all exclaimed - including Dejana herself.
	With a businesslike look, Makoto freed the girl's pale hand from 
Minako's death grip and studied the thin silver band on Dejana's ring 
finger.
	"This isn't an engagement ring," the brunette announced. "Plus, 
it's on her right hand, not her left. Stop overreacting, Minako-chan."
	"Well, what is it, then?" the energetic blonde demanded.
	As Dejana reclaimed her hand from the curious grasps of the other 
girls, Luna got a good look at the small metal circlet, and gasped. 
"That's the Ring of Infinite Serenity!" she exclaimed. "Dejana-chan, 
you still have it after all this time?" she asked incredulously.
	"It was a gift from Queen Serenity," Dejana replied. "How could I 
ever part with it?" With a gentle touch she twisted the small object 
around her finger. "I guess...she must have known, somehow, what was 
going to happen to our world," the Lunarian added softly, her sad eyes 
glued to the shining band of silver. "This ring is what gives me the 
power to transform into Sailor Infinity."
	Luna focused her large eyes on Dejana's face, organizing her 
memories. She opened her mouth to ask another question, but Rei, who 
had been studying the cats with a thoughtful expression, beat her to 
it. "Luna, Artemis, you remember Dejana?" the fire mistress inquired.
	"Of course we do. We remember everything from the Silver 
Millennium," Artemis replied, jumping lightly into Minako's arms.
	"How could we forget such a dear friend?" Luna agreed, rubbing 
against Dejana's ankles until the dark-eyed girl picked the black cat 
up.
	"Then...why didn't you ever tell us about her?" Usagi asked 
softly, focusing her curious gaze on her feline friend.
	Luna hung her head, sinking against Dejana's body. The pale girl 
stroked the cat's velvet-soft, warm fur lovingly, gazing down at one of 
the few friends who remembered her.
	"You were all close to Dejana back then," Luna said, so quietly 
that the group had to lean in closely to hear, "as close as you are to 
each other now. When my memories came back to me, I realized that none 
of us would ever see Dejana again. We all loved her. To tell you all 
that one of your best friends was gone forever...what would have been 
the point?"

	"Ah, that looks beautiful on you! You have to buy it!"
	Dejana twirled experimentally, the soft lavender dress swishing 
around her ankles. It was form-fitting on top, with long sleeves, but 
from the waist down it opened into a flowing skirt.
	"I think I will," she replied, smiling at herself in the mirror.
	"I still say she should get something with more color," Minako 
grumbled, pulling a vibrant red dress with yellow highlights out of a 
nearby rack.
	"Not everyone likes to stand out as much as you do, Minako-
chan," Makoto teased. Ami stifled a giggle behind one hand. "I like the 
lavender one," the brunette continued.
	"So do I," Rei agreed. "There, it's all settled."
	Dejana nodded her head, examining her reflection again. The 
torso-hugging dress was enough to get used to; she was not ready for 
bold colors, or even a less flowing skirt.
	Suddenly Rei gasped, looking wildly around the store, her dark 
hair swinging from side to side. "Where's Usagi?"
	"I'm right here." A pair of blue eyes and a head of golden hair 
appeared from behind an assortment of winter coats. "What's the 
problem?"
	"Oh. Um, nothing. Sorry." Everyone stared at Rei, and the 
panicked look faded from her face. "Don't disappear on me - us - like 
that!" Rei scolded hurriedly. She bent her head to study some blouses, 
but continued to monitor the blonde girl from the corner of her eye.

	"Come on, you're holding up the line!"
	"Umm...what flavor would you choose?" Dejana asked uncertainly, 
turning to Usagi.
	"All of them!" Usagi replied happily, juggling two triple-scoop 
ice cream cones, all for herself.
	Dejana stared blankly at the rainbow of ice cream bins, nervously 
twisting the handles of her shopping bag between her fingers. Nuts, 
caramel, marshmallows, chocolate sauce, all of them, none of them... 
Her head spun. "I'll just have...um...that one," she sighed lamely, 
pointing to a barely-touched container of white.
	"Vanilla?" Minako exclaimed, elbowing the indigo-haired woman in 
the ribs. "How boring." Dejana blushed.
	The server bent down to scoop a helping of the frosty white 
dessert on to a cone. ~Man! It's like she's never had ice cream before!~
	Dejana paid for her ice cream and the girls wandered out of the 
shop. The Lunarian focused her dark eyes on the mound of frozen milk as 
the others began to slurp away happily. Cautiously, Dejana stuck out 
her tongue and licked it. She nearly dropped the cone.
	"It's cold!" she burst out, clutching the cone with both hands 
until it cracked.
	"Um, yes, it is," Makoto said slowly. "What did you expect?"
	"Haven't you ever had ice cream before?" Minako giggled.
	"Actually, no," Dejana admitted. The entire group stared at her. 
One of the triple-scoop cones slipped from Usagi's fingers and 
splattered across the pavement.
	"We didn't have ice cream on the Moon," Dejana explained. "I've 
watched you eat it, but I'd never tasted it myself."
	"Unbelievable," Rei muttered pressing one hand to her forehead.
	"Oh, you poor dear!" Usagi exclaimed, an expression of horror 
spreading across her face. Before Dejana could protest, the moon rabbit 
snatched the vanilla cone from her fingers and replaced it with her own 
trio of different flavors. "It looks like you have a lot to learn about 
living on Earth," Usagi commented with a wink.
	The sun was nearing the horizon, and the city was filled with 
lengthening shadows. As the group walked through one particularly dark 
shadow that was cast by a multi-story building, Dejana swerved into the 
street to avoid stepping out of the light.
	"Dejana-chan?" Makoto inquired curiously. "What's the matter?"
	The pale Lunarian looked nervous, and for a moment she carefully 
sucked at her ice cream cone, avoiding the eyes of the other girls, but 
they waited patiently for her response. "The Space Portal..." Dejana 
said finally, staring at the dark shadow warily. "It hides itself in 
shadows. I'm afraid that, well, that my sensei might try to take me 
back to Starlight Palace."
	Minako's eyes widened. "You mean a trapdoor might open under you? 
Like in the movies?" she asked incredulously.
	"Well, not quite, but something like that, yes..."
	Usagi's face contracted in an expression of stone cold 
determination. Gripping the nearly-finished vanilla ice cream cone in 
her fist like a talisman, she thrust it above her head. "Listen up, 
whoever you are out there!" the odango-headed girl yelled into the 
darkening shadow on the pavement. "Dejana-chan's our friend! You can't 
take her back! Do you hear me?"
	Everyone in the area turned to stare at the girl with the strange 
hairstyle who was threatening a shadow with an ice cream cone. 
Embarrassed beyond belief, the rest of the girls seized their blonde 
friend and dragged her protesting form down the street.

	The six girls sipped away on their mugs of coffee and hot 
chocolate, all of them crowded into the same booth in the cafe. Dejana 
shifted her legs awkwardly. Beneath the table was an unbelievable pile 
of packages and purchases that it had taken the efforts of the entire 
group to fit under there. It was a strange assortment of clothing, 
jewelry, manga, trinkets, and books of every kind to fit every taste.
	Dejana wrapped her fingers around the steaming mug of liquid 
chocolate, letting the sweet aroma rise to meet her senses. For a while 
she just closed her eyes and listened to the conversation around her, a 
faint smile playing across her lips.
	"Minako-chan, you're crowding me!"
	"Oooh, look at that one! Isn't he cute?"
	"Ami-chan, you can read that later. Put it away."
	"But it's fascinating..."
	"Plenty of time to study when you get home."
	"Do you EVER study, Usagi-chan?"
	"What are you going to do with all these books, anyway?"
	"That's MY bag, Usagi-chan. All my new manga had better still be 
there when I get home."
	"Which one do you like, Mako-chan?"
	"Hmm, I'd pick that one over there in the corner. He reminds me of-"
	"Don't say it!"
	Sitting there at that table, Dejana could almost imagine that 
they were back in the halls of the palace on the Moon, talking over 
their evening meal. It was nearly a dream come true; for a long time 
Dejana had feared that she would never be surrounded by her friends 
again. It was as if the thousands of years between them and the Silver 
Millennium had been wiped away and the warmth of Serenity still 
enveloped them in eternal peace.
	Yet there were differences; the subjects of the scattered 
conversations were quite unlike the dinner table discussions that 
Dejana remembered, and several voices were missing.
	"Dejana-chan?"
	When she opened her eyes Dejana's mind reeled under the impact of 
reality, taking in her friends' colorful clothing and the environment 
of the cafe in place of the Princess dresses and pale colors of the 
Silver Millennium. Five young faces smiled gently at her from around 
the table.
	"Are you all right, Dejana-chan?"
	"H...hai," she stammered, trying to get a grip on things.
	"So tell us," Makoto spoke up, "how have things been going since 
you came to Earth?"
	"That makes her sound like some kind of alien," Rei muttered.
	"Yes, how are things with the others?" Minako asked, ignoring 
Rei's comment.
	Dejana took a sudden intense interest in her hot chocolate, 
feeling the familiar nervous wave rise in the pit of her stomach as her 
eyes focused on the swirling, creamy liquid. "Things are...all right," 
she replied awkwardly. Grasping at a distant straw, she added, 
"Hotaru's been very friendly and helpful. She wasn't with us on the 
Moon, so it's been great getting to know her."
	"That's good," Usagi commented with a smile. Dejana had rarely 
seen the odango-headed girl so calm and serious, even when she was 
Princess Serenity. She realized with a jolt that her old friend was 
truly concerned about her well-being. "And the others?" Usagi prompted.
	"Well, it's nice to be around Setsuna-chan again." Dejana 
squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, noticing the startled reactions to 
her use of such a familiar honorific. "She's so...different, though, so 
distant. I don't know if we'll ever be as close as we once were," she 
admitted.
	"Setsuna-san's always been that way," Minako mused, stirring her 
mug idly. "It's hard to imagine her being any different."
	"Try standing alone by the Time Gate for a few thousand years and 
see how YOU turn out, Minako-chan," Rei scolded her.
	"I don't think any of us could handle that duty," Ami commented 
softly. "Just think about it...alone...all that time...without anything 
to do..."
	"No friends," Makoto added.
	"Never falling in love," Minako sighed.
	"Well, she COULD have fallen in love, but she wouldn't have been 
able to DO anything about it," Rei clarified, taking a sip of her 
drink.
	"In that situation, I think I would have closed off my emotions 
too." Ami bowed her head, letting her blue hair hang around her face.
	Usagi's gaze was fixed on the newest addition to their group. 
Dejana was staring into her hot chocolate with empty eyes, her pale 
fingers locked around the smooth surface of the mug, and she was 
shaking slightly. The blue pools of Usagi's eyes shimmered with 
sympathy for Dejana's feelings of guilt.
	~It wasn't her fault. She never wanted to leave any of us.~ Usagi 
slapped one palm on the surface of the table, making all the girls and 
their cups jump.
	"Well then, it's even better that Dejana-chan is with us now!" 
she exclaimed. "Her company is just what Setsuna-san needs!"
	"Nani?" Dejana looked up at her Princess, eyes shimmering with 
barely-restrained tears.
	"You know, you're right, Usagi-chan!" Minako burst out. "An old 
friend might be able to help those women loosen up a bit!" She leaned 
heavily on Dejana's shoulder, causing the indigo-haired girl to crumple 
slightly beneath the weight of Earth's gravity.
	"You mean, all of them?" Ami questioned, tilting her head 
thoughtfully. "Somehow I can't imagine Michiru-san changing much, or 
Haruka-san either, for that matter."
	"Oh, I'm sure she can handle it. Ne, Dejana?" Minako beamed at 
the pale young woman, who was gazing into her cup again.
	"Dejana-chan? What's wrong?" Usagi asked gently.
	"I don't think Neptune-hime and Uranus-hime like me very much," 
Dejana nearly whispered, her face hidden by a curtain of indigo hair.
	"Are they still making you call them that?" Rei asked 
incredulously, staring at Dejana in disbelief. "Who do they think they 
are?"
	"I don't care how much they've accomplished in their lives, 
nobody has the right to treat another person like that," Makoto agreed, 
her jaw set in bitter irritation.
	"No, it's not like that," Dejana protested, instinctively 
defending her ancient friends. "I... I understand their point of view. 
I'm only showing them the respect they deserve."
	"They don't deserve any more respect than you do," Rei argued.
	"It does seem a little excessive," Ami agreed quietly.
	"Look, Dejana-chan, if they don't lighten up, you'll just have to 
spend more time with us!" Minako flung one arm around the Lunarian's 
shoulders.
	"They'll come around," Usagi reassured Dejana. "You'll see."
	"Let me know if you want me to knock some sense into them," 
Makoto grumbled, folding her arms across her chest.
	"Oh, come on now, Mako-chan," Rei teased with a giggle. "You know 
Haruka-san could knock you flat in seconds."
	"Hey!" the brunette challenged. "I've been working out more 
lately!"
	The girls launched headfirst into a conversation that sounded 
eerily like a rivalry. They compared Makoto's athletic scores with 
Haruka's, and Ami's swimming records with Michiru's. Dejana shuddered 
inwardly. Where she had felt a familiar peace earlier, she now felt a 
sickening uneasiness.
	~In Serenity's kingdom they were all friends, outer and inner 
planets alike. There was no division, no rivalry. I did not realize how 
greatly their experiences on Earth have affected them. Don't they 
understand that their greatest strength comes when they work together? 
Why haven't they reunited properly after everything they've been 
through?~
	"Well," Makoto broke in, turning the conversation away from the 
older Senshi, "where are we off to next? I need to pick up some 
spices."
	Dejana checked her pockets hurriedly. She had just enough money 
left for her most important purchase.

	It was long past dark when Dejana finally returned to the home of 
the Senshi of the outer planets. Awkwardly she wrestled her numerous 
packages and bags through the door, carefully pushing it closed behind 
her. She could hear voices coming from the other room as she removed 
her shoes.
	Stepping up to the doorway, Dejana came face to face with the 
graceful sea-goddess, Michiru. Dejana shifted her parcels as Michiru's 
cool blue eyes stared into hers. Withou a word, the elegant musician 
raised her talisman in her hands and tilted it until she could see the 
Lunarian's reflection in the smooth surface of the mirror. Dejana's 
vanilla skin and dark eyes were imaged flawlessly in the glass, showing 
no hints of an enemy deception. With a curt nod of satisfaction, 
Michiru turned and disappeared back into the house.
	Sighing, Dejana hoisted her purchases in her arms and staggered 
through the corridor to her room. Hurriedly the young woman piled her 
shopping bags on the bed and pulled one package out of the mess. Taking 
a deep breath, Dejana headed back into the dining room.
	"Hello, Dejana-chan!" Hotaru greeted her brightly. "Did you have 
a good time?"
	Dejana smiled shyly in response and headed past the table, toward 
the kitchen. Along with Hotaru and Setsuna, Haruka and Michiru were 
also seated at the table. They were all eating the meal Dejana had 
prepared.
	As she walked past Setsuna, Dejana felt a sudden, bitter chill. 
The tanned woman had barely touched the plate of food in front of her, 
although she had a fork cradled in her hand. Setsuna's burgundy eyes 
were fixed on the couple sitting on the other side of the table, and 
her lips were set in grim determination. Haruka and Michiru were both 
gazing emptily at their plates, and they were eating, but mechanically, 
as if it were a chore.
	"What's in the bag, Dejana-chan?" Hotaru called after the ancient 
girl as she headed for the refrigerator. Dejana caught a hint of 
nervous desperation in the young firefly's voice, and wondered how long 
the awkward dinner had been going on.
	"Just some vegetables," Dejana called back, unpacking them. "To 
replace what I used."
	"Setsuna-mama," Hotaru asked uneasily, "may I please be excused 
now?"
	"Not until you finish your dinner," the green-haired woman 
replied without taking her eyes off the other two women.
	"I did finish," Hotaru protested, tapping her fork against her 
plate.
	At this Setsuna glanced down and noticed Hotaru's empty dish. 
"Oh. So you did. All right, then."
	The frail young girl rose from her seat and collected her dishes 
from the table. "It was delicious, Dejana-chan. Arigato."
	Setsuna stared pointedly at Haruka and Michiru, who had both 
nearly finished their portions without a word of complaint. "Yes, it 
was very good," she prompted.
	Haruka pushed her chair back and ran one hand through her short 
blonde hair as a deep yawn burst from her throat. "Well, I'm done," she 
announced.
	"I need to practice before bed," Michiru said, more politely but 
without emotion. "Excuse me."
	Wind and sea left the table, abandoning their soiled dishes to 
someone else's care.

	So it went for the first few weeks of Dejana's new life on Earth. 
Haruka and Michiru were never cruel to Dejana, but they were cold, 
wary, and watchful, and they rejected all the Lunarian's attempts to 
befriend them. Setsuna was pleased by the return of her ancient friend, 
but the barriers she had built over the millennia were still nearly 
impenetrable. This was not nearly what Dejana had envisioned in her 
dreams of joining the Sailor Senshi on Earth.
	As she worked toward her goal of becoming a fashion designer, 
Setsuna began to worry about her long-lost friend. Dejana continued to 
spend time with the younger girls, but when school was in session and 
Hotaru was working on her own assignments, the child of the Moon tended 
to pass the hours sitting alone in her room.
	Setsuna could not decide how to handle these situations. At times 
she thought she heard Dejana crying in the darkness of her room. Small 
children were easy to cheer up with pretty things and gentle words, but 
older girls were much more complex. Especially girls who had been alive 
far longer than they should have been.
	After ages of pushing every gram of emotion into the abyss, 
Setsuna did not feel prepared to comfort Dejana. She was trying to 
convince Haruka and Michiru to be mmore accepting; what more could she 
do? Every day she thought about entering that shadowy room and making 
some attempt at being the supportive friend she had once been, and 
every day she decided to leave that role to Usagi and the other girls.

	From her seat in the center of the ship's bridge, Queen Amaranth 
surveyed the alien duo she had selected to capture the mysterious new 
Sailor Senshi. Her lips curled into a strange smile that a stranger 
might have easily mistaken for genuine.
	"Is there some sort of problem?" Amaranth's tone was pleasant on 
the surface, but her subjects easily detected the daggers hidden 
underneath.
	"My Queen," the ShapeShifter mumbled, sinking to one knee on the 
smooth floor. His partner hovered low to the ground nearby, as was his 
nature. "We've been monitoring the Senshi, looking for an appropriate 
point to strike, but we weren't given any information about Sailor 
Infinity. A blind attack seems...unwise."
	Amaranth's eyes narrowed, shining from deep within, and her upper 
lip twitched slightly. She leaned forward in her chair, her fingers 
tightening on the edges of its arms.
	"Are you telling me," she said dangerously quietly, "that you are 
afraid? After I gave you a precious source of power to use?"
	The ShapeShifter was trembling now, his eyes fixed on his own 
reflection in the shiny surface beneath him.
	~We are not afraid, my Queen,~ his partner broke in with a voice 
that slithered across the room in a whispered hiss. ~We are, however, 
at a disadvantage. General Jameton has provided plenty of information 
on the rest of the Sailor Senshi, but none on our target.~
	"Yes..." Slowly, Amaranth's head turned and her eyes fell on the 
stiff, uniformed figure standing beside her. "General, how are your 
investigations going?"
	Jameton shifted uncomfortably under the fierce glare of his 
monarch. In the pit of his stomach, he dreaded what he had to say. "We 
can't find any trace of a Sailor Infinity, not in any planetary records 
or surface lore," he admitted, staring straight ahead to avoid meeting 
Amaranth's eyes. "It's as if she simpy appeared out of thin air."
	"Well, you're obviously not trying hard enough," Amaranth hissed, 
her bosom heaving in fury. "Get out of here, and do your job, or I'll 
find someone else who will."
	With a sharp bow, Jameton turned and strolled out of the control 
room, barely restraining himself from breaking into a run.
	Queen Amaranth took a deep breath and tilted her head back 
against the center seat, shooting an exasperated glance at the ceiling. 
All her subjects in the room remained silent and motionless at their 
various posts, hardly daring to breathe. After a moment Amaranth seemed 
to calm herself, averting an explosion of rage.
	"Now then," she began more sedately, turning to the alien 
partners that were waiting patiently at her feet, "about your mission. 
Perhaps the best way to learn about our mysterious new enemy is to test 
her."

	"Hey, Kalmin, ya still in there?"
	Raising an enormous violet-skinned fist threaded with scarlet 
veins, Mestophan pounded heavily on the metal door, sending echoes 
reverberating throughout the corridor. Standing over three meters tall, 
the muscular alien adjusted his tattered loincloth with a hand that 
could crush a basketball. "Ya ready yet? Ya heard the summons?"
	"Yes, yes, I'm on my way out. Stop it, Mest, you'll break the 
door down." The metal plate slid aside, and a slender young male 
slipped into the corridor. He was over a full meter shorter than the 
waiting giant and stared up at him through piercing orange eyes, his 
sea-green skin a strange compliment to Mestophan's violet tones. "You 
don't have to wait for me, you know."
	"Just making sure yer not distracted by them books again," the 
large alien grumbled as he lumbered down the corridor. "Dunno what ya 
see in them things. Gimme a good workout any day."
	Kalmin rolled his thin shoulders beneath his black tunic and 
stretched as they walked, flowing along with the throng of strange 
beings gathered from every corner of the galaxy. Large and small, 
humanoid or not, with skin of every color they all navigated the maze 
of passages to the gathering hall. Chattering amongst themselves, the 
assortment of aliens filed into the spacious chamber.
	"Must be another special assignment," Kalmin mused, bouncing 
lightly on his heels. "She only summoned the alien hordes."
	"Can't risk any of her precious REAL subjects on one of these 
missions," Mestophan scoffed, his voice rumbling in his throat. "Seems 
these Sailor Senshi are particularly nasty. Sunfire didn't come back, 
ya know," he added in what for his species was probably a whisper, but 
it still reached the ears of all the creatures nearby.
	"Yes, I know," Kalmin replied quietly. "Well, on the other hand, 
Sunfire wasn't particularly strong, was he? I still wonder why she 
chose him for the first attack." Both beings pondered this for a 
moment.
	"Hey, Kalmin," the large alien asked his companion after a minute 
of waiting as the room continued to fill. "Mind if I ask...what was it, 
with ya?" Mestophan sounded uneasy, as if this were a very personal 
question. "I mean, with me it was the usual story. I was imprisoned on 
Talmar when Amaranth attacked. It was the usual contract...freedom, 
free passage on this ship, one future mission for the Queen. Ya know." 
The massive creature adjusted himself again, the red veins in his skin 
pulsing with every movement. "Was that how it was with ya, too?"
	"Me?" The ice-blue lips of the slender alien's sea-green face 
curled into a faint smile of remembrance. "No, with me it was quite 
different."
	A hush fell over the entire assembly as a door at the front of 
the room opened. Queen Amaranth herself strolled out, accompanied by a 
small group of attendants, her long dress trailing on the floor behind 
her footsteps. A rolling sea of faces, each one different in every 
possible way, tilted upwards as she climbed the steps of a tall 
platform overlooking the crowd. Gathered from planets of every kind, 
the stuff of dreams and nightmares waited quietly for Amaranth to 
speak.
	"My people," she began, sweeping the assembly with her eyes, 
"today I come to ask for yet another of you to fulfill your debt to me. 
My hope is that this will be a one-on-one assignment: one of you, one 
enemy Senshi. Of course, your are all aware that Sailor Senshi work in 
teams, so there is always the possibility that the situation may get 
out of hand. You are all familiar with the risks involved in these 
missions."
	Amaranth placed both hands on the railing at the edge of the 
platform and leaned against it. "I will not preach to you about the 
merits of helping to save an entire civilization. I know that most of 
you care little for the inhabitants of this ship. I will simply remind 
you all of your vow, the pledge you made when I rescued you from 
whatever prison your home world had kept you in. You owe me one 
completed assignment, and then you will be released from your oath of 
loyalty to me.
	"Now, who's itching for a bit of shore leave?"
	A dull roar of eager voices rose like a wind in the crowded 
chamber as dozens of varied arms, tentacles, and other appendages were 
lifted hopefully into the air. Thirsting to spill blood, become a hero, 
or simply die in a blaze of glory, Amaranth's adopted army vied for her 
attention.
	"Ah, that's what I like to see," Queen Amaranth remarked with a 
triumphant smile. "Volunteers."

	Dejana absently brushed a firey orange leaf from her shoulder as 
she leaned forward to study a rack of silver pendants. Shivering in the 
growing chill, she rubbed her hands together to warm them. It was the 
last week that the outdoor marketplace would be open before it shut 
down for the winter. The sun was setting, lending an even brighter 
autumn glow to the red and orange leaves that were strewn across the 
square. The trees were nearly bare now.
	Deep violet-sapphire eyes roamed from trinket to trinket. Dejana 
was already carrying a bag of assorted treasures. Hotaru had wandered 
away to purchase some apples; as soon as she returned they would go 
home.
	A shadow fell over Dejana, and she looked up into the rather 
impatient face of the merchant whose wares she was examining. Glancing 
around, Dejana noticed that most of the vendors were closing up shop in 
the rays of the setting sun. Feeling guilty for holding the shopkeeper 
up, she hurriedly looked for a pendant to purchase. Her eyes fell on a 
tiny silver violin. A fond smile lit up her face as she gazed at the 
miniature instrument. Dejana had been at the Space Portal for every one 
of Michiru's performances, all the way back to her first childhood 
recital. 
	"I'll take this one."
	As she waited for the merchant to wrap the pendant in tissue 
paper, Dejana's mind caught up with her heart. ~Michiru hates me. What 
am I going to do with this?~ Her heart sank, but after the next moment 
the Lunarian would cease to worry about what the Princess of Neptune 
thought of her.
	The merchant placed the packet and Dejana's change into her 
waiting hands...and the world exploded. An electric whirr buzzed to 
life somewhere in the maze of booths and tents, followed by a ground-
shaking roar. Then came the screams.
	Dreading what she would see, Dejana whipped her head around, long 
indigo hair swirling around her. Lumbering among the kiosks of the 
marketplace was an enormous creature, unlike anything Dejana had ever 
seen through the Portal. All around it, people were screaming and 
running for their lives. Dejana looked up at it, and further up. 
	The beast was at least three meters tall, with a skin tone that 
nearly matched Dejana's own cerulean-violet eyes. Bright red veins 
reflected the last few rays of the sun as it reached out with an 
enormous hand. With one casual swipe, a booth filled with assorted 
mirrors flew across the aisle and shattered against a collecton of 
stone carvings.
	For an unrealistically long moment, Dejana was paralyzed. Her 
breath caught in her throat and she stared at the youma, her eyes wide. 
Watching a demon from a remote location was nothing compared to the 
real thing. Her heart pounded in her ears as she watched the creature 
approach, one heavy footstep at a time. The very Earth seemed to shake 
beneath each step, rattling the ground clear across the square. 
	Dejana's heart roared all the louder as she realized something 
that had not hit her until this moment. The enormous creature was 
headed straight toward her, its ruby eyes fixed directly on her 
position. The violin pendant slipped within her fingers, which suddenly 
felt cold and numb, and she hastily stuffed it into her pocket. The 
Ring of Infinite Serenity burned against the skin of Dejana's right 
hand, but there were still civilians in the area who had not escaped, 
and even a brave few who were actually watching the monster with 
interest.
	Dejana did the only thing she could do in such a situation. She 
dropped her bag of purchases, whirled around, and ran.

	Hotaru's quest for apples had led her much further away from 
Dejana than she had intended to wander. When she heard the screams, she 
was nearly at the opposite end of the marketplace. Adrenaline surging 
through her veins, the youngest Sailor Senshi dashed through the 
labyrinth of vendors, her own bags of purchases banging sharply against 
her legs. After following the sounds of destruction and fighting the 
fleeing masses, Hotaru reached the kiosk where she had left her indigo-
haired friend. The only trace of Dejana was a pile of forgotten 
merchandise.
	Dropping her own collection, Hotaru desperately searched the 
possible escape routes with her eyes. In the distance, barreling down a 
street, the dark-haired girl caught a glimpse of a purple-blue 
something rising above the panicked crowd. With barely a thought, 
Hotaru swiftly pursued.
	The young firefly had run only a few blocks when the weakness set 
in. Her head swimming, Hotaru jogged to a stop and leaned heavily 
against a wall, gasping for breath.
	~Damn this pathetic body.~ Fighting the urge to double over and 
sink to the ground, Hotaru forced her eyes to focus on the horizon 
again. There was no sign of Dejana or the enemy among the visible 
structures of Tokyo. The exhausted girl pounded her head against the 
wall behind her in frustration, closing her eyes for a moment as she 
tried to catch her breath.
	Darkness was settling over the city. When she could safely move 
again, Hotaru slipped into the nearest alley.
	"Saturn Planet Power! Make UP!"
	The ecstasy of strength and power filled Hotaru's weak body as 
pure violet energy exploded from the center of her being. For a moment, 
the girl was cradled in the glory of her mother world as the essence of 
her soul lent her its strength and formed a purple and white uniform to 
protect her in the coming battle.
	The slender rod of the Silence Glaive gripped between her gloved 
fingers, Sailor Saturn dashed in the direction where she had last seen 
the enemy. The young soldier of revolution searched her soul for the 
slightest connection to her fleeing friend.
	~Come on, Dejana-chan, where are you?~

	A small assortment of drawings slipped to the floor beside the 
sofa as Setsuna bolted upright in her seat. Her pencils bounced lightly 
across the carpet.
	On the couch nearby Haruka raised her emerald eyes above the top 
of her racing magazine. "What is it?"
	The green-haired woman's fingers gripped the fabric of the sofa 
convulsively. "Dejana-chan is in trouble," she said hoarsely, her 
garnet eyes wide. Swiftly Setsuna rose to her feet.
	Michiru slowly opened her eyes and look at the Time Guardian from 
where she lay with her head in Haruka's lap. Her face was emotionless. 
"Is that important?"
	Setsuna narrowed her eyes at the motionless couple. "The enemy is 
an intruder from outside the Solar System," she informed them.
	Haruka set aside her magazine and glanced down into the aqua eyes 
of her partner. They shared a moment of silent communication, but 
neither woman moved.
	"Hotaru is with her," Setsuna quietly reminded them.
	The three Sailor Senshi of the outer planets headed off into the 
night.

	In the gathering gloom Ami hurried down the street toward the bus 
stop, her books cradled against her chest. She had spent far too much 
time at the library again; tonight would be one of those rare evenings 
when she arrived home later than her mother. If she missed this bus, it 
would be a long wait before the next one came.
	The other girls believed that Ami was merely immersing herself in 
her studies as usual, but in reality she had been spending many long 
hours searching for any information she could find on their enemy. 
Tonight, she had researched every story of shape-changing magic she 
could find in legends and lore. It was difficult for the blue-haired 
intellectual to believe that Chaos was active again after such a short 
time, and she wanted to know the source of their unusual enemy.
	The firm rectangular shapes in her arms were comforting symbols 
of order, filled with the promise of knowledge. Ami held the books 
securely, her jaw set. The other girls seemed content to face the 
enemies when they came, as they always had, but Ami was determined to 
make sure that they did not do so in ignorance. Usagi had been targeted 
specifically, and Ami feared that the enemy knew far more about the 
Sailor Senshi than any of them would like.
	The wind was whistling in Ami's ears when she stopped to wait 
beneath the streetlamp on the corner. Leaves skittered across the 
pavement, brushing against the girl's shoes. She held the books closer, 
as if they would protect her from the biting autumn chill. Somewhere in 
the wind and the rustle of leaves she thought she heard other noises, 
sounds that did not belong in a fall evening but were sadly familiar to 
a Sailor Senshi. There were running footsteps and, in the distance, 
screaming.
	Ami peered into the night, narrowing her eyes behind the lenses 
of her reading glasses. A shadow was moving, running. It approached 
rapidly, solidifying into long indigo hair, slender limbs covered by 
ghostly pale skin, and a familiar lavender dress.
	"Dejana-chan!?" 
	The Lunarian's face was filled with terror, and her labored 
breathing was audible as she dashed past Ami without looking at her, 
her shoes pounding against the pavement of the street.
	The fleeing girl had barely disappeared back into the darkness 
when Ami realized the ground was shaking. She whirled around, her short 
hair tickling her cheeks, just in time to see an enormous creature 
charge out of the evening gloom.
	Ami leaped backward automatically, falling on the grass beyond 
the sidewalk, the carpet of leaves crunching beneath her weight. The 
youma pounded through the glow of the streetlamp, its wide bare feet 
making the pavement tremble. Sharply-defined muscles pulsed beneath 
violet skin, and a mass of black hair streamed in the wind, reaching to 
its broad shoulders. It was a blur of strength, darkness, and red 
veins, and it made no vocal sounds, intent in its pursuit of Dejana. In 
an instant, it was gone.
	~It's after Dejana-chan, ignoring any other targets,~ Ami 
realized, a new chill racing up her spine. ~It knows her, it knows what 
she is.~ Dropping her books, Ami reached for her communicator.

	When she reached a small parking lot among a handful of office 
buildings, and looked up at the enormous, empty space devoid of any 
hiding place, Dejana collapsed on the painted pavement. She felt as if 
her heart would explode, and her lungs burned with every gasping breath 
she drew. The weight of the very Earth seemed to press down on the 
native citizen of the Moon as she lay flat on the asphalt, quaking in 
weakness and exhaustion. She simply could not run any more. She was in 
too much pain to even comfort herself with the fact that she had at 
least drawn the youma away from civilians.
	The creature bounded into the square and stood only a few meters 
from Dejana's drained form, its skin taking on a tainted pallor in the 
flourescent security lights. Its breath was a rumbling growl in its 
throat, and it heaved and moved before the girl's eyes like a 
mountaintop avalanche. When it began making noises, it took a moment 
for Dejana to realize that it was actually speaking to her.
	"I am Alien Mestophan," it uttered with a voice full of gravel, 
"and on behalf of the mighty Queen Amaranth, I challenge you."
	Dejana could barely think, let alone speak. She lay without 
moving, colored lights and shapes drifting before her eyes as she 
gasped like a fish out of water. She knew there was no chance that she 
could defeat the creature in her condition. Her career as Guardian of 
the Sailor Senshi was over when it had barely begun.
	The violet youma made a disgusted noise and brought its expansive 
hands to its chest. Dejana could feel the rush of a growing aura as the 
creature converted some of its massive strength to energy. With an ear-
splitting roar the alien thrust its arms out toward the girl on the 
ground, releasing a tremendous blast of sizzling power.
	"Silence Wall!" rang out a young female voice, still tender in 
its adolescence. A shield of violet energy erupted around the 
creature's target. Sailor Saturn stood beneath the bubble of power as 
it streamed from the Silence Glaive, her trademark item blazing from 
the base of its rod to the tip of the curved blade, her laced purple 
boots close enough for Dejana to reach out and touch. Their enemy's 
blast crashed into the shield, exploding into a crackling battle of 
strength between power sources. For a moment the night was illuminated 
by the brilliance of pure energy, and then the alien ceased its attack.
	Saturn stood between Dejana and the creature that had introduced 
itself as Mestophan, her short dark hair and purple skirt waving gently 
in the autumn wind. The young soldier lowered her Silence Glaive and 
whisked it around so that the blade pointed at her enemy, the metal 
singing as it sliced the air.
	"This isn't how it's supposed to be," Dejana muttered weakly from 
the ground.
	"Don't worry, Dejana-chan," Saturn said briskly, not taking her 
eyes off the violet-skinned alien, which seemed disturbed by the 
Senshi's appearance. "I won't let it hurt you."
	Mestophan's fanged face contorted in an expression of decisive 
anger, and his eyes focused on the young Sailor Senshi dressed in 
purple and white. Teeth bared, the creature poised itself to spring. 
Suddenly they all felt another wave of power gathering, cold this time, 
and the taste of ice was in the air.
	"Shabon Spray!" a voice cried. A rolling flood of fog spread out 
over them, filling the parking lot. The furious face of Mestophan was 
lost in the glittering mist. Dejana struggled to her feet beside 
Saturn, and an instant later Sailor Mercury emerged from the fog beside 
them.
	Dejana opened her mouth, but the blue-haired Senshi pressed a 
gloved finger to her lips. They could all hear the harsh breath of 
their enemy, who was beginning to rumble in frustration. What couldn't 
find them couldn't attack them. Mercury leaned in close to her 
friends' ears.
	"The others will be here soon," she whispered. Saturn nodded in 
satisfaction. Dejana raised her head, listening. The youma's growls 
were gradually becoming more distant.
	"There's no escape!" someone called from the other end of the 
parking lot. 
	"World!" A blast of wind tore at the girls' skirts as it rushed 
toward the shouted summons. "Shaking!"
	"Get down!" Mercury cried, flinging herself to the pavement and 
pulling the other two down with her. A blazing ball of charged wind 
ripped across the parking lot and soared over their heads, narrowly 
missing Alien Mestophan and taking the chilled fog with it. The area 
cleared, revealing the three Sailor Senshi of the outer planets 
standing gracefully at the opposite side of the lot, the huge muscular 
creature between them and the trio of younger girls.
	Sailor Pluto's garnet eyes fell on Dejana, who was crouched on 
the pavement still in civilian clothes. "What's the matter?" she 
called. "Henshin yo!"
	Blushing furiously, Dejana got to her feet and gathered her 
strength. ~Now is my chance to prove myself,~ she thought as she thrust 
her hand into the air. "Infinite Universe Power!" she called, feeling 
her own aura becoming charged with the power inherent in the night. 
"Make UP!"
	An invigorating rush of energy burst from the ring on Dejana's 
finger and swirled around her entire body, melting her clothing into 
subspace nothingness. The purple star on her necklace was enveloped in 
the power, which solidified to form a crystal globe. The globe in turn 
split into two identical spheres. One globe remained on the chain 
around her neck, and from the other a long, black rod sprouted, forming 
a thin staff.
	As more energy coated Dejana's body to create her uniform, 
Mestophan made another attempt to escape. These odds were far beyond 
what the alien could handle.
	"Deep!" The world filled with swirling energy that roared like 
the distant ocean, and it materialized as surging waves of seawater 
that gathered around Sailor Neptune's raised arms. "Submerge!" The 
soldier dressed in blue-green thrust one arm toward her target, 
releasing a comet of liquid fury. The ocean wave crashed into the 
violet alien, knocking him off his feet and dragging him across the 
pavement. Mestophan roared in pain as bright red blood began to ooze 
from several places on his body.
	A pair of knee-high black boots touched the asphalt, and Sailor 
Infinity tightened her hands around her Shadow Staff. The autumn wind 
was cold against her bare legs as it rippled through the short black 
skirt, but Infinity glanced around, noticed that none of the other 
Senshi seemed affected by the chill, and forced herself to stop 
shivering. At last, she was standing among the legendary Sailor Senshi, 
standing among her friends as an equal part of their warrior team. This 
was a moment she had always longed for. However, as she tried to hold 
herself proudly, Infinity noticed something else. Unlike the others, 
she was not a Super soldier. Her black and white Sailor suit carried 
the short bows and unaccented design of the first uniforms the Senshi 
had worn upon awakening on Earth; it was plain, like the others' 
uniforms had been on the Moon.
	~I am their guardian. It's time for me to use my training to 
protect them,~ the newest Sailor Senshi thought, trying to inspire 
confidence in herself. The bulky alien was rising to his feet again, 
his burning red eyes fixed directly on her, his face set in grim 
detemination.
	From across the parking lot the three older Senshi watched Sailor 
Infinity step in front of Mercury and Saturn. The black-suited Senshi 
raised her staff, and the air darkened around her as the shadows and 
evening gloom itself gathered around the crystal globe at its top.
	"Shadow," Infinity summoned as she collected the power, and it 
twisted into a mass that hid the top of her staff in darkness. Swiftly 
she swung the crystal tip forward and pulled the bottom of the staff 
under her arm, aiming the mass of darkness toward their enemy.
	"Shards!" The solidified ball of night shattered as it was 
launched forward, breaking into countless razor-sharp crystals that 
glittered in the security lights. The air was filled with the damp 
sound of the shards penetrating Mestophan's flesh, peppering his violet 
skin with a multitude of sharp fragments. The alien roared in pain, one 
side of his body resembling a bleeding cactus.
	Unfortunately, a series of pinpricks was not very effective 
against a large being that had obviously seen a lot of battles, and 
after only a moment Mestophan seemed to collect himself.
	"That was IT?" Uranus exclaimed incredulously. "That's the best 
she can do?" Neptune stared at the indigo-haired soldier in disbelief, 
and Pluto's eyes held a look of disappointment and dismay.
	Mercury and Saturn didn't have much time to react to Sailor 
Infinity's weak attack. Mestophan launched himself at them, flinging 
his arms forward to release a blast of dark energy. It was too fast for 
anyone to conjure a shield and too widespread for Infinity to capture 
it with her staff. The three girls braced themselves for the impact.
	It hurt more than anything Infinity had ever felt in her 
extremely long life, more than everything she had imagined while 
watching the Sailor Senshi fight. It took all of her willpower to stand 
firm and prevent herself from screaming. She was being electrocuted, 
she was burning, her very cells threatened to separate and explode 
under the pressure. It was as if a million firey needles were 
penetrating her, running hot and sharp all the way to her core. And it 
seemed to last for eternity.
	As the attack continued Infinity dropped to her knees, not even 
feeling her bare skin strike the pavement. She couldn't breathe. Her 
heart was about to burst. Her staff was still upright in front of her, 
absorbing some of the enemy's energy, and it was only by leaning 
heavily against it and clinging to the black rod with both hands that 
Infinity was able to keep herself from collapsing altogether.
	Under the onslaught of energy, Infinity did not notice the fabric 
of time being drawn to one point as wisps of mist. Mestophan's attack 
ended abruptly, and the muscular creature crashed facefirst into the 
pavement. Through blurry eyes Infinity glimpsed Sailor Pluto posed at 
the finish of her Dead Scream attack.
	Infinity's head swam and darkness blurred the edges of her 
vision. ~No, I must stay awake,~ she urged herself. ~The other girls... 
Saturn has the Silence Glaive to help shield her, but what about 
Mercury?~ With a cold chill settling in the pit of her stomach, 
Infinity dragged her head around to see what had become of her friends. 
The bottom dropped out of her world.
	Saturn and Mercury were perfectly fine. Saturn was holding her 
Glaive in front of herself to deflect energy attacks, and Mercury was 
lowering her arms from where they had been crossed in front of her 
face. Both of them were completely unscathed and showed no signs of 
fatigue. While Infinity had been driven to her knees, the other two 
soldiers had withstood the blast almost effortlessly.
	Her face filled with concern, Mercury started to move toward 
Sailor Infinity, arms outstretched.
	"Leave her!" Uranus commanded from the other side of the lot. "If 
she can't take care of herself, she shouldn't be here!"
	"There are more important matters to deal with right now,"
Neptune agreed, indicating the grumbling, heaving alien who was once 
again getting to his feet.
	The blue-haired Senshi gave Infinity an apologetic glance before 
returning to the task at hand. She extended her arms, summoning the 
element she controlled.
	"Mercury!" The flood of gathering energy materialized as streams 
of icy clear water, which solidified into a glittering, ghostly harp 
between the Senshi's arms. Sailor Mercury's gloved fingers danced 
across the strings, and they emitted swift threads of liquid sound. 
"Aqua Rhapsody!"
	The violet youma was caught half-upright by a blast of 
crystallizing water, coating every muscle and penetrating him to the 
bone. Mestophan was too powerful to be destroyed by liquid, but as the 
crisp waters of Mercury took shape around him he was frozen head to 
toe, unable to budge.
	Wind and sea streamed to the outstretched arms of the partners 
standing beside Sailor Pluto, surrounding them both with the essence of 
their strength.
	"World Shaking!"
	"Deep Submerge!"
	A pair of intense comets, one air, one water, streaked across the 
parking lot and slammed into the block of ice that contained Alien 
Mestophan. The ground shook on the impact, and the iced creature 
exploded into countless fragments as fine as dust. As the natural 
breeze swept the area clean, there was no trace remaining of the 
assassin sent by Queen Amaranth. The six Sailor Senshi were left alone 
in the eerie glow of the security lights.
	Four pairs of new feet in assorted shoes pattered up to the 
scene, attached to four girls clad in Sailor suits of primary colors.
	"Stop right there, you - oh, you've defeated it already." Eternal 
Sailormoon lowered her arms and giggled awkwardly, slighly embarrassed. 
"I'm sorry we're so late," she added, her wings drooping.
	None of the first six Senshi on the scene were listening to her. 
Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto strode across the parking lot to gaze down 
upon Sailor Infinity, who was still crouched on the ground.
	"Why are you here?" Neptune asked bluntly, her cold blue eyes 
chilling the air around her. Infinity looked up at the graceful, 
elegant woman, as beautiful and as cold as a stained-glass window. She 
had to respond; even the younger Senshi were curious for a reply. 
Infinity swallowed hard, her hands shaking.
	"To...to help you," she said lamely, the heat of a blush burning 
her cheeks despite the night chill.
	"Help us?" Uranus snapped, her arms folded over her chest. "With 
weak power and no fighting skills?"
	"She's new to this," Mercury broke in, moving to stand at 
Infinity's side. "This was only her first real battle."
	"We don't have time to help someone catch up," Uranus argued. 
"Our enemies are always becoming stronger. Last time, we all lost our 
lives before Chaos was finally stopped." Sailor Mercury shuddered 
briefly with the memory of the icy hand of death.
	"A weak Sailor Senshi is a liability that we can not afford to 
protect," Neptune added, her wavy hair casting shadows across her face. 
"Especially one who was supposedly sent to protect us."
	Infinity's heart sank clear to her black boots. ~They're going to 
expel me,~ she realized, a wave of nausea rolling through her stomach.
	"Now, wait a minute!" Eternal Sailormoon rushed toward Infinity's 
shuddering form, hair and ribbons streaming in the wind. Uranus stepped 
in front of her before she could come close to the shadow-suited 
soldier.
	"Princess, it's not safe for you to trust someone who can not 
really protect you," Uranus announced in a tone that left no room for 
discussion. Moon tried anyway, her eyes desperate.
	"Dejana-chan is a Sailor Senshi!" she protested, trying to get 
around the green-eyed sentinel. "She is one of us!"
	"She's not an enemy," Sailor Venus added, stepping forward to 
support her winged friend with an arm around her shoulders, "so there's 
no reason to send her away."
	"On the contrary, the enemy targeted her specifically," Neptune 
informed them, staring at Infinity as if trying to see into her soul. 
There was a collective gasp from Moon, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars.
	"No..."
	"In that case, it's even more important for her to stay with 
us!" Eternal Sailormoon exclaimed. "What if the enemy attacks her 
again?"
	"That is exactly why we can't have her around," Neptune declared, 
moving to stand beside her blonde partner, further barring Moon from 
reaching Infinity.
	"For your own safety, Princess, we must insist that you not spend 
any more time with her," Uranus continued.
	"No..." Moon mumbled, staring into the stone faces of the two 
adamant Senshi. "No! It's a lie! Dejana-chan can't be dangerous! She's 
not!"
	Venus reached out and put both arms around her nearly hysterical 
friend. "Perhaps the Princess' guardians should evaluate her safety," 
she suggested with a firmer tone than usual.
	"One of you already has," Uranus replied. She turned slightly, 
and her emerald eyes fell on Sailor Mercury.
	"Ami-chan?" Sailor Jupiter asked, stepping closer to the 
conversation.
	The blue-haired Senshi looked uncomfortable, and she could not 
meet the innocent, pleading eyes of her Princess. "The enemy was 
pursing Dejana-chan," she admitted. "It showed no interest in any other 
targets."
	"It doesn't matter," Venus replied firmly, feeling Moon tremble 
in her arms. "She's a Sailor Senshi. She belongs with us." Behind her, 
Jupiter and Mars shared a long, nervous look.
	"They may have a point," Mars said finally. Eternal Sailormoon 
whirled around, Venus barely managing to duck aside from the swinging 
wings. Mars forced herself to ignore the pain in Moon's pure blue eyes. 
"The new enemy is using strange methods," she announced. "We still 
don't understand them. Usagi-chan..." The normally hard-edged girl's 
eyes filled with tears. "I could not bear it if anything happened to 
you!" Rushing forward, Mars flung her arms around her startled friend's 
neck.
	A few tears were sliding down the cheeks of Jupiter, who had also 
been deeply affected by the ShapeShifter's deception. "I'm sorry, 
Usagi-chan, but it might be best if we didn't take any chances right 
now."
	Sailor Infinity heard none of this conversation. She was still 
kneeling on the pavement clutching her staff, and she was staring up 
into the endless depths of Sailor Pluto's garnet eyes. Pluto had not 
said a word. The green-haired Senshi gazed down at her long-lost 
friend, her face filled with hints of many emotions, none of them 
comforting to the anguished and ashamed soldier on the ground.
	The newest Senshi just stared up at her friend, her confidant, 
her mentor, unable to tear her eyes away, unable to speak. In Pluto's 
tanned face she found pity, surprise, concern, dismay, resignation, and 
worst of all, a piercing rain of disappointment. Enveloping it all was 
an endless flood of sadness, a deeper grief than any that Infinity had 
felt over the years. It was a painful sorrow rooted deep within the 
very fabric of Pluto's being, and no matter how far Infinity reached 
into her burgundy eyes, the pain ran still deeper.
	The pain rolled over Sailor Infinity and dove into her soul, 
suffocating her in agony. Through it all, she was dreadfully aware that 
her presence had not made things any better for her ancient friend. In 
fact, the black-suited Senshi sensed that she had actually made it 
worse. She couldn't bear it. She couldn't stay there and endure the 
bitter sorrow and endless disappointment flowing outward from someone 
she had longed to meet with for thousands of years. She was drowning, 
being buried in shame, guilt, and a pain deeper than she could fathom.
	Sailor Infinity tried to speak, but no words would come. She 
hauled herself to her feet, picked up the Shadow Staff, and ran, 
tearing herself away from the scene, away from the assembled Senshi who 
both loved and feared her, away from the defeated despair she had found 
in Sailor Pluto's eyes.
	"This is ridiculous," Sailor Venus declared, challenging Uranus' 
forbidding glare. "Sending Dejana-chan away won't solve anyth... Wait a 
minute. Where did she go?"
	Everyone turned to look at Pluto, who had been standing beside 
the Senshi in question. Without a word to anyone, the Time Guardian 
turned and headed for home.

	Far below Dejana, the roaring waves beat angrily at the rocks. 
The swirling wind and frothy sea brought endless images to the 
Lunarian's mind, images of two women who were once her friends. 
Shuddering violently, Dejana sank to her knees on the grassy overlook.
	She did not know how she had ended up on this cliff that extended 
over the churning waters at the ocean's edge. For what seemed like 
forever Dejana had half run, half staggered through the streets of 
Tokyo, with tears pouring down her pale cheeks. It was late and the 
streets were nearly empty, but none of the people the sobbing girl had 
passed spoke to her or asked if she was all right.
	~That sort of thing only happens in those animated programs the 
girls watch,~ Dejana had thought bitterly. ~In a fantasy world, I would 
have met a romantic lover or a great new friend... Real life is not as 
kind.~
	Her wanderings had somehow led her to this deserted spot. 
Somewhere along the way she had let her transformation slip away, 
returning the black skirt and white bodysuit to the darkness from 
whence it had sprung. Now she knelt on the soft, cool grass, wearing 
the lavender dress the girls had liked so much, twisting her hands 
around the chilled smoothness of the Shadow Staff.
	She was alone, utterly alone in a strange world. No amount of 
watching through the Space Portal could ever have prepared her for 
this. Dejana wrapped her skirt around her legs and moaned with cold. It 
was so cold here, and so far from the pleasant comforts of the Moon's 
artificial environment. Grass and dry, dead leaves brushed against her 
white ankles. She had nowhere to go. Everywhere on this planet was 
strange to her.
	Dejana raised her head, nearly numb with despair. Her tear-filled 
eyes fell upon the brightness of the Moon, which was a mere shining 
crescent on this night. For a while the Lunarian stared at her 
birthplace, eyes and mouth open in wonder at its pure white beauty. Her 
gaze traced the dark seas and the curve of its horizon, so small from 
the perspective of Earth. The glow seemed to flow out of the sky, 
caressing Dejana with the warmth of a traveler's home at last in sight. 
Her mind filled with happy memories, the images clear as day.
	Memories of a past that was long over, of a kingdom that was long 
dead. Angry with loss, Dejana leaped to her feet and glared at the 
heavenly body that now seemed to mock her pain. Emotions bubbled up 
from deep within her, the frustrations of thousands of years.
	"Why are you doing this to me, my Queen?" Dejana cried aloud to 
the bright crescent above. "I served you, your daughter, and your 
Senshi faithfully, with all my heart! Why did you keep me alive with 
the promise of being able to protect the friends I love, only to give 
me weakness and useless powers?"
	Trembling with emotion, Dejana raised the slender rod in her 
hands and hurled the Shadow Staff over the edge of the cliff with all 
her strength. The black staff was immediately lost in the darkness, but 
Dejana listened, panting with exertion, until she heard it hit the 
waters below with a faint splash, audible despite the rolling waves.
	Adrenaline coursing through her veins, the distraught young woman 
seized the ring on her right hand and yanked it off her finger. The 
circle of metal resisted for a moment; it had been in place since the 
Silver Millennium, but Dejana's determination wrestled it free.
	The instant the ring was separated from her finger an immense 
wave of weakness rolled through Dejana's body. All at once she felt 
tiny and insignificant, and more alone than she could possibly have 
imagined. The cold of the night redoubled in intensity, and the 
Lunarian shuddered violently. She cocked her arm back to throw the 
glittering gift from Queen Serenity into the sea after the Shadow 
Staff, but she hesitated.
	She couldn't do it. Gritting her teeth, Dejana shoved the 
precious ring back on her finger. In a warm, tingling wave, the 
familiar strength of the Silver Millennium began to flow back into her 
body. She wrapped her arms around herself and sank to the ground, 
trembling.
	Something rustled in one of Dejana's pockets. She slid her hand 
inside and pulled out the small packet of tissue paper that had been 
wrapped up carefully so many hours ago, in what felt like a different 
century now. With shaking hands Dejana lifted out the small violin 
pendant she had purchased for Michiru.
	~Why are you here?~ Sailor Neptune had asked. Her eyes had been 
so cold, so cold and empty. She had never had eyes like that on the 
Moon. The hurtful words echoed in Dejana's mind.
	~Why are you here?~ 
	~Why are you here?~
	Fresh sobs rolled through the Lunarian's body, and she bent over 
the silver violin, tears soaking her hands. Since the destruction of 
the Moon Kingdom, Dejana had lived only for the hope of being with her 
friends again. Through all the lonely nights, all the endless days, all 
the hours of training, she had been comforted by the thought that she 
was earning her place among her loved ones. Nothing else in all the 
Universe mattered to her. Dejana had no other duties, no dreams or 
goals other than to finally be able to protect the Princesses of the 
Solar System with her life. The only thing that had kept her going was 
the promise that someday everything would be back to the way it once 
had been. That ultimate dream had utterly consumed her.
	Now, Dejana had to face the cold, hard truth. Nothing would ever 
be the same again. She was alone, cut off, isolated from everything and 
everyone she had ever loved. Without the Sailor Senshi, her life had no 
meaning.
	The stars were going out. The sky had taken on a slight hint of 
color, banishing the utter blackness for another day. The heavens were 
beginning to lighten as dawn approached.
	Able to see a bit better, Dejana got to her feet and stood with 
her back to the cliff's edge, gazing back at the lights of the city. A 
gentle breeze was blowing, swinging the cloth of the lavender dress 
around her legs. In the dark before dawn the world seemed strange, 
embraced by shadows and yet yearning for the light. The sky was the 
deep cerulean-violet of the young woman's eyes, and she drank it into 
the void of her soul as life-giving water.
	Dejana tilted her head back, raising her eyes toward the 
brightening sky as she hovered on the lip of the precipice. She felt 
dizzy; the emptiness within her was spreading to fill her head. Shades 
of blue and black churned across the sky. She was tired, so tired, and 
could not prevent herself from swaying. Far above, a few stray birds 
winged across the pre-dawn blue. Dejana imagined she could hear the 
fluttering of their wings.
	In that moment, she longed to be a bird, to be carried along by 
the breeze. Gazing at the small creatures sweeping overhead, her mind 
was filled with the call of the morning wind and images of billowing 
clouds and open skies. She felt she would like nothing more than to 
float endlessly, carried aimlessly by the gentle breezes and rushing 
winds, over everything and away.
	Her head felt terribly heavy on her shoulders. Her mind cloudy as 
the sky above, Dejana relinquished all control of her muscles and let 
her body gradually tilt backwards. The world spun around her. She was 
floating, drifting, falling. As she relaxed her arms they were lifted 
by the air itself. Her legs dangled freely, lavender cloth rippling 
around them. Her stomach churned briefly and then settled, and she felt 
light and airy, soaring in a cloud of her own streaming indigo hair.
	Crystalline teardrops separated themselves from the corners of 
Dejana's eyes and twirled away into the open air. Lazily she let her 
hands float as the breeze pulled at them, the silver violin pendant 
clutched loosely in one of her palms. Her eyes slowly closed, the 
darkness behind her eyelids mirroring the emptiness within her soul. 
The wind was howling in her ears, whipping her hair around her face. 
The churning of the sea, angry water crashing against stone, grew 
louder and louder until it roared. Dejana's fractured mind quietly 
slipped into complete silence.


------------------------------
End of Book One, Part Three
To Be Continued in Book One, Part Four: Relapse
------------------------------

Sailormoon: Eternity copyright 2003 by dejanatalis@aol.com
Original version copyright 1997 by dejanatalis@aol.com
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon 
belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. Sailor Infinity/Dejana Talis was
created by dejanatalis@aol.com and is her exclusive property, and may
not be used without permission.  Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! ^.^