Hands Fall Together by Kihin Ranno

Part Four: On Target

"I'm dead."

Though Nephrite found it difficult, he managed to hold back the sigh that threatened to fall from his lips. He watched as Jadeite downed another shot of absinthe, holding out his glass for a refill. Nephrite obliged, saying, "Jadeite, you're still talking to me. Therefore, I think it is rather premature to speak in anything other than the future tense." Nephrite watched as Jadeite tore his hand through his hair; he was clearly growing more frustrated by the second. "Besides, you don't know that she's going to kill you."

Jadeite snorted ruefully, shaking his head. "You always were fickle. You were just saying the other day that I was... How did you put it? Setting myself up for my own doom or some such?" He took another gulp of the alcohol, finding comfort in the fact that he could still feel it burn his throat. "Face it. I'm as good as dead for my failure. Just promise you won't cremate me."

Nephrite frowned, glaring down at his own untouched glass of brandy. It was true. Beryl had flown into a rage when she heard of Jadeite's latest failure. She had been ready to strike the man dead without so much as a second thought. It was only thanks to Kunzite's insistence that they speak in private that saved him.

Or at least delayed his fate.

He had full confidence in Kunzite, of course. But just earlier that week they had discussed that Kunzite only had so much sway when it came to Beryl. There would eventually come a day when she would no longer hear him and kill Jadeite for his mistakes.

They could only wait and pray that the day had not come.

"You don't know that," Nephrite said finally.

Jadeite laughed miserably, sounding somewhat hysterical. "Don't patronize me, Nephrite. You were there. You saw her. She wants me dead. And her majesty always gets what she wants."

Jadeite's words were teetering on the razor's edge of treason in the Dark Kingdom. Nephrite slammed his drink down on the table he sat at, disrupting Jadeite's pacing about his chambers. He glared at the terrified Shitennou and hissed, "Jadeite, if you don't want to cement your fate as Beryl's throw rug, I suggest you watch what you say. Beryl has eyes and ears everywhere. You know that."

His companion paled even more, running a hand down his face. It was slick to the touch, covered by a thin sheen of sweat. He would have unbuttoned his jacket a little to allow some ventilation had he not been so cold. After a minute, Jadeite nodded and resumed pacing in silence, taking another shaking sip from his drink. Seeing it empty, Nephrite got to his feet and refilled it without a second thought.

"Thank you," Jadeite muttered out of habit.

Nephrite didn't respond with anything more than a nod. After all, manners weren't exactly expected or appreciated in the Dark Kingdom.

"Oh, how cute," an annoying high pitched voice sang out. "The little Dark King looks as if he's about to soil himself." The speaker laughed at his own joke, the noise sounding hideous as it echoed off the cavernous walls. He appeared in a torrent of cherry blossoms, legs crossed demurely. "Why, Jadeite. You look absolutely petrified! What ever is the matter?"

Nephrite glared at his inferior, wishing for what must have been the eight hundredth time that Kunzite hadn't developed such a fondness for the little ponce. "You know what's wrong, Zoisite."

Zoisite acted as if he was trying to remember what Nephrite was referring to, snapping his fingers as the false revelation came upon him. "Oh, right! Yes, now I remember! Jadeite's upset because his head's on the chopping block! How could I have forgotten?" He snickered, a clear indication that he was about to break out into the cackle once again. "The look on your face when she... Oh! Oh! I can hardly stand it!" Zoisite clutched his sides as he fell into yet another laughing fit, finding jadeite's impending doom the funniest thing he'd ever seen.

Jadeite slammed his glass of absinthe onto his end table and turned on the Dark King. He glared up at Zoisite, teeth bared and snarled, "Listen to me, you little--"

"Hup bup bup," Zoisite cautioned, holding out a hand to stop Jadeite's advances. "I wouldn't advise that. Because I'm not sure if you two realized it, but I just happen to be--"

"Giving our esteemed leader mind numbing orgasms every night?" Nephrite offered snidely. "We were aware. But thanks for the bulletin."

Zoisite turned a very light shade of pink. "Don't make it sound dirty!"

Nephrite regarded him incredulously. "You don't actually expect us to believe that this is something other than a ploy for possible advancement and ensuring that Jadeite and I can't do this kingdom a great service in killing you, do you?"

Zoisite merely gaped at him, beyond outraged.

"Dear God, he does," Nephrite drawled, walking back to where he had set his glass and taking another sip of brandy.

Jadeite continued glaring at Zoisite for a moment before shaking his head. "Kunzite deserves so much better."

Zoisite then proceeded to choke and gesture about wildly. His comrades decided that this would surely keep him occupied for some time and returned to their conversation.

"Where is he?" Jadeite raged. "He should have been back by now!"

"No news is good news," Nephrite quoted.

Jadeite didn't look particularly impressed. In fact, he threw his hands up into the air and said, "I'm doomed!"

"One can only hope," Zoisite hissed.

Jadeite whirled on him again, looking as if absolutely nothing would stop him from leaping up and ringing Zoisite's neck. Least of all Nephrite, who was already trying to come up with a good excuse to tell Kunzite. Just when he had decided to blame it on some obligatory youma or another, the leader of the Shitennou appeared.

Zoisite immediately flew to his side, clinging to him with wide eyes. "Kunzite! You're back! So, is Jadeite spared or should I ready the crematorium?"

Jadeite winced.

Kunzite regarded his lover strangely for a moment before turning back to Jadeite. He looked at him gravely for a moment before the left corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly. With that slight expression, Jadeite's shoulders sagged in relief.

"Oh, thank God," Jadeite wheezed, reaching over and downing the rest of his drink.

Zoisite blinked, clearly having missed the communiqué. "What? You mean he lives?"

Kunzite nodded levelly. "It took a lot of maneuvering and half a bottle of merlot, but I managed it."

"Damn it," Zoisite muttered to himself, his face darkening in rage.

"What was that?" Nephrite snapped.

"I said I'm glad!" Zoisite insisted, a painfully wide smile stretching across his delicate features. "Really, Jadeite. I am... so happy that she's given you another chance."

Kunzite frowned slightly. "There's just one stipulation."

Jadeite halted in getting another celebratory refill. He flinched at the news, but then nodded slightly. "I suppose I should have expected that. What should I do? Cut off my right hand?"

"That's all too simple," Kunzite said gravely. "On your next energy collecting mission... She's ordered that you kill this Tuxedo Kamen. And Sailor Mercury."

Even Zoisite seemed pained by the news. While none of them had been able to take Tuxedo Kamen all that seriously, they had to admit that killing him alone would surely be a chore. But with the appearance of Sailor Mercury, Jadeite's problems had increased tenfold.

A Senshi, however novice, was notoriously difficult to defeat. Kunzite, who remembered the most out of the four of their past life, had once told them that the four Guardian Senshi had defended the palace virtually on their own, dragging out the final battle for days. Their power was legendary. Their magic lethal. Their resolve unshakeable.

It had already taken them a year just to get rid of the rogue warrior, Sailor V. To that hour, her former existence was still an oddity that they could not reconcile themselves with. There was still some concern about her. After all, they never did find a body.

"Kill a Senshi?" Jadeite asked in a dull voice. "And I only get one shot?"

Kunzite nodded gravely.

Nephrite laid a strong hand on Jadeite's shoulder. It was a rather odd thing to do as neither of them were particularly demonstrative, but Nephrite was willing to forgo their usual inhibitions for the moment. Jadeite didn't appear to mind until Nephrite's grip tightened like a vice thanks to Zoisite's rather euphoric state after hearing Kunzite's news.

Jadeite sighed and said, "All right then. If that's what I must do to survive, then that's what I'll do." His anxious face quickly twisted into one of rage, his grasp on his glass tightening so that it threatened to break. "And it isn't like I'll hate doing it."

"Do you have a plan?" Nephrite asked. "Because if you don't, may I once again suggest that--"

"Yes, yes. That I attack one person at a time. I heard you the first time," he snapped. Still, Jadeite mulled over the actual query for a minute before suddenly letting out a harsh bark of laughter.

He turned to the other three, his eyes alight with what some might call madness. His lips twisted into a sneer. "Oh, I have a plan all right. What is that they say, gentlemen? If you can't do something right, you've got to do it yourself."

-----

Mamoru was sitting at his computer, fingers flying across the keyboard in an all but desperate attempt to catch up on his studies when he heard a knock at the door. He turned to the sound, feeling intense vexation for the interruption but recognizing the necessity for it. The fate of humanity was only slightly more important than his education after all. And so, it was with a woebegone sigh that Mamoru saved his document under the title "I Hate My Night Job.doc" and rose to answer the door.

Luna was sitting in front of it, glaring up at the knob with great contempt and loathing that it was too high for her to reach. Her whiskers twitched as she sensed his approach. "Took you long enough."

Mamoru had recently decided that it was better to ignore Luna when she was in one of her moods. Therefore, he bent down and patted her head, saying, "You'd better move or she might step on you. Every time I see her, she's got a book in her hand."

Luna wanted to make some sort of remark to that, but she thought better of it. Instead, she obliged, trotting away from the door as Mamoru undid the locks. Just days earlier, he'd rarely ever bothered with anything other than the actual lock and key. Now he not only undid that but the deadbolt and chain as well.

He swung open the door and was unsurprised to find Mizuno Ami standing there, reading yet again. Only this time, her nose was buried in the newspaper he had not taken into his apartment that day. She was frowning, though she was not so much annoyed as she was consumed with ruminating. Mamoru glanced at the picture of the front page and took the paper out of her hands, startling her.

"I do look rather dashing, don't you think?" he remarked glibly. He didn't wait for her response, rather doubting he'd get one. "Come on in."

She did as he bade, though with some reluctance that he remained entirely oblivious to. Luna took notice of it and realized that she should have foreseen it, but did not entertain the notion of moving to another location. After all, this was really the safest place they could meet, Ami's reservations aside. Luna also noticed that she'd changed out of her uniform and wondered if perhaps she was embarrassed about her youth.

Luna decided that there was probably very little Ami wasn't embarrassed about at one time or another and banished those thoughts from her brain.

Mamoru shut the door behind Ami, chewing on the inside of his mouth. He was still studying the photograph on the front page with mock intensity. The corner of his chapped lips twitched as he fought back a smirk, his gaze briefly flitting to the cat who was hopping up onto the couch in the living area. "You know, they say the camera adds ten pounds... I think I might have to switch you to the low calorie food, Luna."

Luna squawked. The sound was quite funny given that it was usually her prey that made such noise.

Ami unsuccessfully suppressed a giggle, instantly feeling more at ease.

"I will have you know," Luna bristled, her tail fluffing out comically, "that I am in perfect physical condition. I was merely in a rather unfortunate position. Nothing more."

Mamoru shrugged. "Even so, the kitty with the crescent moon bald spot should be more aware of her presentation."

Luna turned to him with a look of furious betrayal, unsheathing her claws. "Do not be aggravating! Just because that Tsukino girl has absolutely no manners does not mean that you--"

"Oh, but I don't think that's why he's saying that," Ami said, her boldness surprising the cat. "That's what they call you in the article."

If it would have been possible, Luna's fur would have turned crimson with rage.

Mamoru set the paper aside. Their recent publicity was the least of their worries. "Let's get started before Luna gives herself an aneurysm. Would you like anything?"

Ami smiled softly and declined, her posture relaxing considerably from what it had been when she first walked in. She sat down on the couch next to Luna, reaching over to scratch her ears sympathetically. Luna forgave her for any offense, purring away happily. Mamoru sat down in a chair across from Ami. Luna spared him a withering glance before getting down to business.

"There is much to discuss, as I'm sure both of you realize," Luna began, her voice already grave. "I think the first thing we need to discuss is that I should hope it is obvious to both of you that we cannot allow the skirmishes to continue on as such."

"Skirmishes?" Mamoru remarked, eyebrow arched. "Is that really an appropriate term for fighting for one's life?"

"What I've seen hardly qualifies as fighting," Luna chastised, holding him responsible for the near fatal results of the battles. "You are one very lucky soul, Mamoru. You should have died at least nine times by now."

"Good thing I'm not a cat," Mamoru observed, his tone good natured.

Luna made no remark about the superstition. "I'm serious, Mamoru. I honestly have no idea how you've managed to survive these fights. No offense intended, but you have very little by way of magical ability. You find gravity to be optional, you can throw roses, and now it seems that you have a cane, Serenity be praised."

Mamoru nodded in agreement. Without that, he would have surely been cold at that very moment. "And don't forget, I seem to sense these attacks when they happen. Although, I didn't have a migraine last time, which I find odd."

Ami pursed her lips, considering that. Eventually, she voiced what she thought might have been a plausible answer. "Because I was there? Perhaps it wasn't perceived as urgent with my presence."

"That's a possibility," Mamoru said after a moment's consideration. "A good one. Maybe with you around I'll no longer be subjected to debilitating pain and just a bit of nausea."

"We're off subject," Luna chided. "I believe we need to formulate a better strategy. Both of your abilities are limited, and it is necessary that we come up with a plan of attack. Or at the very least make both of you stronger until we find the next Senshi or the princess."

"What do you propose?" Ami asked, her voice quiet.

"We need to begin training: honing your skills, testing the limits of your power, etcetera," Luna answered plainly.

Mamoru had expected as much, but Ami seemed slightly taken aback. She regarded Luna incredulously. "But we don't have any place to go. Tokyo isn't exactly filled with wide open spaces closed to the general public."

Luna nodded, conceding the point. "That's why I was quite pleased when I found this."

She hopped off the couch and landed on the coffee table. She pawed at a slip of paper that Mamoru hadn't noticed before. He reached down and felt a thin layer of sand, most likely from Luna's litter box. He blew on it discreetly and then studied the ad. He blinked and turned to look at his guardian of sorts with some amount of disbelief. "Kyudo? Archery lessons?"

"They only offer them once a month at the culture center. It's tomorrow." Luna craned her neck to glance at Ami, who was mildly taken aback by Luna's suggestion. "You don't have school tomorrow, do you?"

Ami shook her head. "I was planning on memorizing a few English vocabulary words and looking ahead in my math and science courses, but if it doesn't go too late--"

"Good," Luna all but chirped, smiling. "I already called and signed both of you up for tomorrow."

Mamoru narrowed his eyes, looking over at his telephone. "That explains the cat hair."

Luna didn't comment. "I can see that you both are reluctant about this, and I can understand why. This doesn't directly fall in line with either of your abilities. However, I assure you this definitely has its place in your training. It will improve your aim, discipline, and concentration. All of these things are vital on a battle field."

Mamoru smiled somewhat smugly. "My aim is perfectly fine, thank you."

Luna smirked, clearly reveling in her response. "Actually, you drift to the left."

Mamoru looked offended, though he didn't feel it for long when he heard Ami once again try not to laugh. It was a great relief that she was no longer feeling so ill at ease, though she still wasn't completely comfortable with any of this. He would probably be terrified of her if she ever did grow complacent.

"You'll both be at the address at ten tomorrow morning," Luna instructed, leaving no room for argument. "I will accompany you to remain apprised of your progress,
of course.

"Now, on to other matters." Luna turned to face Ami, tilting her head to the side as if she was considering something about her. Ami tensed under the scrutiny and wrung her hands slightly, glancing over to Mamoru, who she trusted more than a stern feline. He shrugged in a way that most unhelpful, deciding that he would have to impart onto Ami just how exasperating Luna was at a later date. He suspected that Luna had a similar inclination.

After a few moments of a silence filled only with unease, Luna spoke again. "I am not entirely sure how I know this," Luna explained, "so don't ask me. It just suddenly dawned on me earlier today. Not quite like a memory, but..." Luna shook her head and trailed off. There was no way to explain it to them properly. The most apt analogy she could come up with was that her memory was an endless row of locked doors, all leading to complete memories from her past life. Every once in a while, she would suddenly find herself peering into a keyhole, seeing an incomplete fragment of a recollection. It was rarely ever helpful in any way other than to make her wish she were human so that she could throw something out the window.

This was a welcome, if not rare, exception.

Repeating the gestures Luna had invoked to summon the henshin pen of Mercury, Luna leapt into the air, turning end over end. Ami seemed to stiffen all the more, fearing what might appear. Mamoru, who had never seen this before, stared at the cat in bewilderment as she left a trail of moon dust in her wake. Confusion easily gave way to awe when a tiny blue object roughly the size of a checkbook clattered loudly on to the coffee table. It was branded with the sign of Mercury.

Ami leaned forward, instantly drawn to it as if it were a diamond - or in her case, a sapphire. Her eyes were just a little bit brighter as she breathed, "What it is it?" She seemed both eager and wary to touch it.

"It's a mini-computer," Luna said, sitting down heavily on the wooden table. It must have taken more out of her than she had let on earlier. "It should be quite useful in battle for ascertaining an enemy's weak point among other things. And I would be willing to venture a guess that it dates back to the Silver Millennium itself. It might help shed some light on our enemy, though I don't think there's anything on there concerning the fall. It all came as quite a surprise back then. I somehow very much doubt we were even allowed the luxury of sleep."

Both Mamoru and Ami were very tempted to insist that sleep was not a luxury but a biological necessity. However, they had both heard as much as Luna knew about the collapse of the Silver Millennium. And so they said nothing.

Ami finally took it, inspecting it with something more than academic curiosity. Her fingers traced the symbol of Mercury on the lid. However, there was some doubt in her eyes. "A computer from a thousand years ago? And one this small with those capabilities? I'm not sure there's a device now that could do all of that."

Luna mulled over this for a moment before responding. "From what I recall, the planets of the Silver Alliance were incredibly advanced. I can't tell you anything specific, but I just get that overall indication. Obviously, Earth was kept out of the loop. All of it was lost when the End came and had to be rediscovered by the only surviving race. Some of it still remains unmade, but all in due time I expect."

Mamoru got up and came around to peer over Ami's shoulder. She was finally opening it. It came to life, and Ami instantly began experimenting, zipping through screen after screen. He soon found he had to look away before overtaken by vertigo. He glanced down at the keyboard and saw four other buttons of varying colors - red, orange, green, and pink. He was hardly an artist, but the lack of balance between the hues was still bothersome.

He glanced over at Luna, who really did look quite tired. "How does that flip thing work?"

Luna shrugged to the best of her ability. "I like to think there's a storage facility somewhere on the moon that has all of our weapons hidden away until we need them. But I honestly have no idea. I do know that I can only access things when they are needed. I couldn't get any of the other henshin rods out when I tried."

"This is amazing," Ami breathed, shutting the lid out of politeness. "I've never seen anything like this."

Mamoru grinned. He bet he knew how she was going to spend her Friday night.

Luna nodded. "Yes, and I expect it will be most helpful against our enemies. After all, we are at a bit of a disadvantage given Mamoru's lack of ability and your defensive--"

"Luna," Mamoru interrupted harshly, seeing Ami's pained change of expression. He knew the girl actually felt guilty for not being able to offer up anything on the offense front. It was laughable from a logical standpoint, but perfectly understandable from the emotional viewpoint of an already insecure teenager.

Ami looked away from both of them, studying a fading coffee stain on the carpet. Judging by how immaculate everything else was, she doubted Mamoru had caused it. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help. I know that I was probably the last thing you were hoping for."

Mamoru winced and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, face unflushed. He smiled. "Don't worry about it. We'll find the others. It's not like you won't come in handy."

Ami nodded. She knew he was right about that much. "But I was hardly what you needed two days ago. You were nearly killed."

Mamoru scoffed casually. "Please. That's old hat for me by now. Besides, I have a feeling that only the famed Odango Atama will ever do me in." He brightened, grinning slightly. "I wonder if that has a Tsukino tracking feature on it. It can send off the alarm whenever she's within five miles of us. Then you can run away if she tries to save you from me again."

Unable to help herself, Ami broke out into a wide grin. Given how much Mamoru had helped her in the last battle, Usagi's noble intentions were laughable at best.

"About that," Luna broke in, once again darkening the mood in the room. It wasn't that she enjoyed being the constant buzz kill among them. It was just a necessary evil. She took a deep breath, feeling their wary gazes upon her even though her eyes were closed. "I think perhaps it is best if both of you do everything you possibly can to maintain your distance from Miss Tsukino."

Mamoru saw Ami's eyes widen. "Luna, not that I don't yearn for a reason to stay away from Odango Atama, but I thought we decided that she wasn't a threat."

"She isn't," Luna said, somewhat surprised at his conclusion.

"Then why the need for avoidance? I mean, Ami goes to school with her. They're going to be in close quarters no matter what for at least five days out of the week. And it's not as if I ever go looking for her. She just always finds me, and I usually end up with little more than a bruised ego because of it." Old wounds that had not left so much as a scar throbbed at the memories.

Luna sighed. "I'm aware. However, since she has already all but proven herself to be a... a trouble magnet for lack of a better term, I think it is best that you don't give her any more bad luck. Both of you are bound to attract attention from the enemy in civilian form as well. It's safer all around if you keep away."

Mamoru wasn't sure he followed her logic. Ami appeared to be equally perplexed and spoke up about it first, her voice a little shaky. "But... But wouldn't it be better if we were watching her? I mean, if the enemy really does... follow her,
shouldn't we be around to rescue her if necessary?"

"The enemy doesn't have it out for her, Ami," Luna explained. "It's just a turn of fate that she happens to fall into these situations. Perhaps it's her naïveté that leads her into these traps. I don't know. The point is, I don't think that we should lead her into more danger than necessary. Destiny will more often than not bring the battles to you. If she's around you, she's liable to get hurt."

Ami went pale and Mamoru felt a lump form in his throat. He swallowed it before he said anything. "I'm not entirely sure I agree. But then I'm not sure I disagree either. Then again, it isn't as if I'd consider it a great loss." He glanced over at Ami, who looked a little ill.

Ami's grip on the mini computer had tightened considerably. "I... I can't stay away from her all that easily," Ami admitted. "But... if you're sure that it will prevent Usagi from being hurt, I suppose I don't have any choice."

With that, Ami rose to leave, bidding them goodbye only as an afterthought. Mamoru led her out, filing away that stoop of her shoulders for future reference. He had a suspicion about her sudden bought of depression, but he wasn't about to bring it to Luna's attention or bring it up at all for that matter. He spared Ami a smile as she left. She struggled to return one and failed valiantly.

-----

She had just gone in for her usual meditation. No one was wondering about the fate of their impending marriage, which she could have told them was doomed for failure without the help of clairvoyance. No one had asked her if the intentions of a business associate were pure though they were charlatans all. No one had asked her to find their missing wallet, which they claimed was only important to them because of the priceless photographs of their children, not the five hundred dollars they always carried around in case they longed for an impulse buy. Instead, she had gone before the sacred flame not as a favor to her father's associates, but as a human being seeking enlightenment and, on a more attainable level, a little peace.

Therefore, it was most surprising when after only a few moments of stilled silence, the fire offered up its own series of images.

First, she saw a man. She immediately recognized him as the supposed masked hero that had been on the front page of the paper that morning. The one her classmates had been ogling with typically unchristian intentions. This immediately left her longing to be dubious, but she knew better than to question the fire's intentions.

He was standing on the edge of a building. The moon was full, providing an impressive backdrop as his cape billowed forward. He was a mere shadow, a silhouette in the calm evening. But while the city rested, he remained ever vigilant, wary of things she could not see even from her vantage point. He was weary, not tired. Something about that surprised and even alarmed her, though she was unsure why.

Next, a girl. That much was apparent judging from her incredibly risqué attire. It was something like their school uniforms, but not nearly so modest. She was all blue, from her boots to her hair. It was snowing; the landscape lent itself to her appearance nicely. There was snow and ice as far as her far-seeing eye could see. She didn't think it was Tokyo. The only remarkable thing about the scene aside from the girl itself was the fact that she didn't seem to be affected by the cold.

Then, a third person. Again, this was nothing more than a silhouette, although she didn't recognize this one. Short skirt and long hair, standing amidst a sea of flame. Or maybe she was just a shadow in the fire? The seer could not be sure. Her stance was confident; her jaw was set. There was something all too familiar and strange about the image. It was unsettling.

Finally, a series of images so blurred and rapid fire she could barely make them out. Red high heels pounding against uneven cement. Blood running down marble stairs. Ruins of Ancient Greece. A woman with fairy wings. A girl with golden hair. A red mask. A red rose. A fiery symbol she knew but could not name.

"REI!"

She was violently yanked out of her trance and shrieked a little because of it. She was left panting, even trembling for reasons she couldn't properly explain. Never one to be caught looking vulnerable, she shook her head, raven hair flying about violently. Then she trained her vengeful gaze onto the unwelcome interruption.

"Grandpa," Rei groused, gritting her teeth slightly. "What is wrong with you? You of all people should know better than to do that!" She quickly got to her feet, dusting off her red and white robes with great dignity.

He chuckled rudely, feeling no reason to be subjected to Japan's strict moral traditions at his age. He waddled forward, looking every bit a bald penguin, and said, "Is that any way to talk to your ailing grandfather?"

Rei somehow resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "You are not ailing, Grandpa. You haven't had so much as a cough in two months."

"I'm old!" he snapped with the sole intention of grating her nerves. It was the only entertainment he had, after all. "I'm always ailing."

She scoffed and walked past him, traveling across the courtyard to their residence. She highly doubted she'd be able to enter a meditative state now.

He followed after her, glancing back at the fire before he exited. He caught up with his granddaughter and scolded, "You shouldn't leave an old man alone like that. You'll never know when I'll up and drop dead. And then won't you be sorry for how you've treated me?"

Rei shut her eyes and took a very deep breath. His macabre humor had never amused her. She'd mentioned as such on several occasions and often at the top of her voice. He never seemed to get the message. "I knew you were going to follow me,
Grandpa. You always do."

He would have conceded that because it was true, but he never conceded anything. He enjoyed the argument too much. Even so, he opted to change the subject to why he'd interrupted her in the first place. "Mr. Watanabe called."

He referred to his friend formally solely for her benefit. Watanabe Jiro and Rei's grandfather were old friends and fellow Shinto priests. As a matter of face, she was quite surprised he was even mentioning it to her. "That's why you interrupted me?" she asked in a voice that was both incredulous and irritated.

Rei entered their humble abode, ever mindful of her grandfather trailing just slightly behind her as she walked into the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water. It was nearly ritualistic after her meditations. The smoke always left her rather parched.

Her grandfather nodded seriously and continued, "It seems he's come down with a nasty bout of food poisoning. Bad piece of fish I expect. Anyway, it appears that he won't be able to teach the Beginner's course in Kyudo tomorrow. He was wondering if you would be able to handle it on your own."

Rei choked slightly on her water. "Me?"

He nodded again. "Yes. You were going to assist him anyway."

"Well, yes," Rei said, finding no suitable argument to counter that fact. "But there's a difference between helping Watanabe and teaching the class by myself. I couldn't possibly--"

"He says that you're quite a talent," he observed, puffing his chest out with something like fatherly pride. "You've only just started studying the way of the bow, and you've already surpassed those who have been studying it for years.
Watanabe tells me that he's never seen anything like it."

Rei had to smile a little at that. It was true. The minute she'd first picked up the three foot long yumi, or bow, she'd felt as if she'd been born with one in her hands. She had a natural sense for how to hold it, how far she could test the string, how to aim the arrow so that she would hit the target dead center. She had gotten so good that she'd been permitted to use a traditional bamboo yumi as opposed to the fiberglass ones that most beginners used. Watanabe had commented on it in private, but Rei had never been one to brag.

Still, there was something about actually teaching the class by herself that unsettled Rei. She was wont to write it off as nervousness or low confidence, but she wasn't exactly the type to think low of herself. No, her discomfort was of an altogether different matter.

Rei was something of a clairvoyant. She could hardly predict a certain future or look into a person's mind. But she had a very strong intuition. She would get a certain feeling about a person, a place, or an upcoming event. She could remember exactly one instance in which her feeling had been wrong, and that was because she'd placed too much faith in a man. Clouded by emotion, she'd drawn the wrong conclusion and paid for it.

There was no reason for such a thing to happen here. Her unease was surely indicative of something. But of what, she was not sure.

"I don't think I can do it, Grandpa," Rei said simply, hoping he wouldn't question her too much.

In fact, he didn't question her at all. He merely grinned and turned away, talking over his shoulder as he left the room. "Too bad. I already said you'd do it. Good night, Rei!"

With that he fled, perhaps fearing for life and limb. She glared after him, clutching her glass of water in a grip that threatened to break it. When it did not shatter, she turned her gaze onto it, finding fault with its strength. After awhile, she set it down harshly and folded her arms across her chest, looking every bit the petulant child.

After another moment, Rei's scowl softened into a look of worry. She looked out the window and saw the waxing moon. She shivered slightly and turned away.

-----

It was either very late or very early, depending on one's perspective. To Hoshino Ayame, it was the latter. She had spent the last few hours on a date with her boyfriend. It had begun like any other outing with dinner and then back to his place for a movie and the inevitable. He'd been rather terse at dinner, but Ayame had assumed it was because of stress at work. Then he'd been tense when she'd tried to cuddle up next to him, and she'd begun to get a little suspicious. As the credits rolled, she'd finally worked up the nerve to confront him about his behavior.

And he had dumped her.

Ayame had then spent the last few hours a sobbing, screaming mess, demanding to know what had gone wrong and why he'd led her on. He had been evasive, as men tended to be in this situation. She had finally given up on ever getting a suitable answer, thrown something that looked like it might be expensive, and stormed out of his apartment.

She was still something of a sobbing mess, though she somehow managed to keep from screaming at any vaguely masculine thing she passed. Thankfully, she was beginning to reach a point in her despondent rage that she projected blame inward as opposed to outward. And if past experiences told her anything, this would continue for about two weeks where she would mope about her apartment, eat lots of ice cream, and then frantically go on a crash diet when one of her friends set her up with another friend of hers.

She was just beginning to calm down, wiping some stray tears and ruined mascara off her face, when she bumped into someone. Her contacts were blurred from crying, and it wasn't like she'd been paying that much attention to begin with. Ayame sniffed to try and make her voice somewhat understandable. She would have bowed, but the man was holding her arms to keep her from toppling over. "I'm sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going."

"That's all right," he said softly, his voice as smooth as the scotch she was in desperate need of. He let go of one of her arms with a fluid motion and produced a handkerchief. "Take this. Please."

Ayame did and blew into it rather loudly, suspecting after the fact that he probably wouldn't be wanting it back. She dabbed at her eyes, wincing at the amount of black that came off on the once pristine linen. This was hardly what she would call waterproof. "Thank you."

"Is everything all right?" he asked, still holding on to her other arm.

There was something about his voice that was booth soothing and chilling at the same time. She didn't appear to notice as her throat tightened with the threat of more tears. Of course, she wasn't about to tell a perfect stranger about her personal life, but she had to answer him somehow. What started off as a poorly convincing yes turned into nothing more than an unbecoming whimper and a strangled sob, soon followed by the second trumpet of her nose.

"Shh..." he soothed, placing two fingers gently on her fading red lips. "Hush now. I think you need some rest."

All at once, Ayame felt her body tighten. She dropped the handkerchief at once and started convulsing slightly. She looked up into his cold eyes, irises colored like ice. He was smiling at her as if this was a perfectly normal thing to happen. After a few seconds, Ayame's eyes rolled into the back of her head. She keeled forward, jeweled hands hanging loosely at her sides.

He caught her again without so much as a grunt of effort. He hefted her over to the other side of the sidewalk, propping her up against the brick wall. He would have been grateful for the fact that there was no one else around, but he really didn't care if he was seen. He'd be able to handle that soon enough.

Once he was sure that Ayame was positioned out for the first observant, sober passerby to see, he turned on his heel and left her. After all, the night was still young. She'd hardly been his first victim, but she certainly wouldn't be his last.

Jadeite put his hands in his pockets and congratulated himself on a job well done.

-----

The next morning, Rei arose bright and early as she did every morning in order to attend to her shrine duties. She made sure not to dawdle, showering quickly and walking at a fairly brisk pace. She attempted to make certain that she only grumbled and complained when her grandfather was out of earshot. Unfortunately, old as he was, his hearing was impeccable. Thus, she was forced to bear a total of five short lectures on a how a proper shrine maiden would take up her responsibilities without complaint.

As Rei finished setting up the charm stand, she silently noted that on a normal Saturday, she wouldn't have minded the work. However, she was nervous about teaching a class she'd been forced into, and Rei had a tendency to express most of her emotions through yelling. Particularly in the morning. She still couldn't understand why Watanabe Jiro had appointed her substitute when he could have asked any number of Kyudo experts in the city.

Then again, the Kyudo instructor was very much like her grandfather in that he enjoyed torturing her mercilessly. She wouldn't have been to surprised if he was perfectly healthy and holing himself up in some secret corner to watch her fall on her face and then laugh about it publicly.

"I don't see what's so amusing about my temperament," Rei muttered irritably.

Rei stepped out from behind the booth and went back inside. She could smell the sweet aroma of tea before she finished sliding the door shut. She took a deep breath, already feeling her nerves begin to settle. She could hardly wait to actually drink it.

"Here you are, Rei," her grandfather said pleasantly as she sat down. "Obnoxiously strong. Just as you like it."

Rei couldn't help but smile at the comment. "Thank you."

She had barely finished pressing her lips to the porcelain when her grandfather took note of Rei's tense jaw. He chuckled to himself, folding his hands across his stomach. "Surely you're not this worked over just teaching a class?"

Rei sighed, setting down the cup on the table again. "Maybe I wouldn't be if someone had bothered to ask me about it before--"

"All right, all right. You've made your point about that," he snapped gently. "Regardless, I know my granddaughter. You're too confident to be worked up about this. You're upset about something else that you'd rather not think on it, so you're blaming a helpless old man for your problems."

Rei laughed, scoffing at the notion of him being helpless. However, when she took a long sip of her tea, she took a minute to ponder what he was saying. Her grandfather was right. Something else was tying her stomach up in knots. She swallowed, cradling the hot cup in her cold hands.

"I've been having... strange visions lately."

Her grandfather quirked his lips slightly, looking smug but concerned. "Strange how?"

Rei frowned, looking away as she tried to recall. She wasn't quite sure how to properly explain it. The visions themselves weren't odd, but the feelings she had while she was getting them were. "It's nothing disturbing. Well, not really. They're just images that don't seem to have very much to do with one another. Symbols, roses, masks, high heels--"

Her grandfather's eyes twinkled lecherously. "Can I be in your next vision?"

Finding there was nothing on hand to throw at him, Rei instead took a very long sip of her tea. It was hot enough to burn her throat and mouth, but she'd never seemed to mind that.

"I feel like something is coming. Something's on the horizon and it's... terrible and wonderful at the same time. It's something big. I can feel it."

The old man puzzled over this for some time, finishing one cup of tea and pouring another. After several long minutes, he said, "You know, your grandmother was a very special woman, Rei. Gentle... kind... except in the morning. The woman was never a morning person. And she had your gift."

Rei smiled softly, once again wishing that the woman had lived long enough to meet her. "So you've told me."

"Never hurts to hear it again," he said with a casual shrug, clearing his throat. "But she was a remarkable woman. I wish that you two could have met. You would have gotten on famously and had a wonderful time torturing me I expect." He laughed, his gaze slipping to the window as it always did whenever he talked about his wife. "Most importantly, she could have taught you how to hone your sight and help you understand some of these visions. But, even though I don't have your gift, I can accurately say that you'll be able to handle whatever it is you see coming. One of my greatest joys was learning that you were not cursed with the poor health your grandmother and your mother suffered. I've yet to have a happier day than when the doctor said you had not inherited the thing that destroyed what was most precious to me. So, I will not worry for I never have. You have strength others can merely dream of, and you will face this... wonderful and terrible whatever it is."

Rei must have been beaming at her grandfather, basking in this rare and welcome praise. He was not the type of man who liked to be serious. Still, there were times when she remembered why she didn't whack him over the head with her broom every chance she got.

Before she could thank him for his guidance, her grandfather became distracted by a pair of giggles coming from outside. His posture improved considerably as he zipped away from the little table, sticking his head out the window and waving like some giddy schoolboy. "I'll be out in just a minute, ladies!"

Rei began to nurse the migraine she was sure would appear shortly. "I hate it when you sell charms," she groused. "All you do is flirt with the customers. Our profits are going to be down on one of our busiest days."

He pulled down one eyelid and stuck his tongue out at her. "Oh, stop whining! You spoil all my fun. And anyway, you're exaggerating. I'm sure profits will sky rocket today. Who could resist this physique?" He proceeded to demonstrate his point with a few bodybuilding poses, screwing up his face unnaturally.

"You look constipated," Rei told him plainly, finishing off the last of her cold tea. "And I should get going."

"You are a very mean girl, Rei," he informed her plainly. "But it doesn't matter. I only have eyes for those tw-- three lovely young ladies outside." He paused to shine up his bald head so much that it would probably be a hazard come noon time. "Careful your face doesn't free--"

He suddenly broke off to indulge in a raging coughing fit. Rei immediately dropped the things she had been collecting and ran over to his side, rubbing his back as he hacked away.

"It's all right. Calm down. Let me just... Where are your pills?" She fumbled around on the kitchen counter to try and find the right bottle before laying hands on the correct one.

"No--" He wheezed painfully. "Pills!"

Rei sighed as she struggled with the childproof cap. "Don't be stubborn! The doctor says you should take them, and that's what you'll do whether you like it or not."

"I am perfectly heal--" The rest of his sentence was lost to another round of painful coughing.

"No. You're. Not," Rei snapped, finally getting the bottle open. After pouring two horse pills from the bottle into her palm, she reached over to grab the remainder of her grandfather's tea. "You're old. And since you refuse to take care of yourself, you're still not over the pneumonia you from last February. Now take your pills."

When he opened his mouth to protest, Rei popped them in, holding out the cold cup of tea to wash them down. Seeing no point in fighting anymore, her grandfather took the cup and swallowed the pills, holding his chest once they were down. After a few more minutes, his fit seemed to have subsided.

"Are you all right?" Rei aked, still hovering over him.

He swatted her away, stomping outside to tend to the customers. "Yes, obaa-san. I hope you don't fret over your students like you do me. You'd send them to Tokyo General if they pricked their fingers on the tip of the arrow."

Rei glared at his now retreating back, clenching her fist tightly. Of course, he was stubborn and ornery and... him. He laughed off her concern, putting his health in danger and worrying her sick.

"Idiot," she grumbled before gathering up her things. She sniffed as she slung the strap over her shoulder, rubbing at her nose vigorously. She double checked to make sure she had everything she might need for the outing and then headed outside.

She stopped just before she left the shrine, pondering something for a moment. Rei suddenly turned on her heel and went to where the evil wards were kept. Technically her grandfather had forbidden her to take them off temple ground after trying to banish a classmate of hers many years earlier. Though Rei continued to insist that the girl really was an evil spirit, her attempt at banishment had resulted in the girl winding up unconscious and Rei's near expulsion. Her father had been the one thing to save her from being kicked out, and it was written off as child's play gone out of hand.

Rei still didn't understand why she'd had to thank her father for that, but that was beside the point. All she really cared about was the future and the consequences of being ill prepared. Rei always went with her gut instinct in these matters, even if it seemed odd at the time. It had served her well in the past, and hopefully this would do the same.

Slipping four ofunda up her sleeve, Rei once again turned to go, walking as quickly as she could without actually jogging. She knew she should have left quite awhile ago, and this was not how she wanted her day to begin.

She emerged just in time to see the two gigglers actually running away from the shrine without a smile between them. Rei could tell that they hadn't purchased anything. She somehow resisted the temptation just to stay home and take over the position. Much as she would like to, she was obligated to teach that class, and she was just going to have to make the best of it.

Rei looked back over to see an exceptionally tall girl with chestnut hair walking up to the counter, blushing slightly. Nevertheless, Rei thought she looked capable of handling the old man. Rei found herself impressed. There weren't many who could.

"Hello, young lady!" her grandfather chorused merrily, his voice still slightly raspy from earlier. He was standing on tiptoe and still couldn't look the brunette in the eye. Then again, that might have been his intention. "Surely a pretty thing like you doesn't need a love charm. Although, if you've just ended a bad relationship and would like a little comfort--"

Rei counted to ten slowly... very slowly, and descended the stairs.

"Actually, I was wondering if you had any good luck charms," Rei heard the girl say as she walked off. "You see, I'll be moving soon and I need to find a good apartment near Juuban Municipal."

-----

After a restless night, Ami woke up earlier than usual that Saturday morning, even for the ten a.m. Kyudo class. While most teenagers would have preferred to remain languid in bed until it was absolutely necessary for them to begin moving, Ami had never been that sort of person. So, she went through her normal morning routine and prepared to head out the door.

As an afterthought, she grabbed her mini-computer out of her briefcase before leaving the penthouse.

Ami wandered for a while, always heading in the direction of the culture center to assure that she wouldn't be tardy. She didn't want to think about what Luna would say to that. So, she walked about Tokyo, taking in the scenery and the sunshine in a way that she wasn't used to doing on a normal, day to day basis. She tried to content herself with idle thoughts such as these along the way, but that was very hard to do with a new magical gadget burning a hole in her pocket.

Eventually, she gave up the pretense and pulled it out, gazing at the sleek blue metal. Her symbol was inlaid gold, in stark contrast with the cool appearance of the rest of the computer. To anyone else, it looked like it might be a fancy calculator or even a checkbook to the quickest of glances. No one would ever guess what it actually was and what sort of secrets it held.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Ami flipped open the case and started it up again. It had been her intention to test it out the night before, but she'd been very surprised to find her mother at home the night before. Considering how long it had been since the two had been able to spend any quality time together, Ami had all but forgotten about the little computer.

But now, with another hour or so to kill before she had to be at the culture center, Ami saw absolutely no reason why she should begin exploring this new... or rather, ancient technology.

Ami shook her head slightly in disbelief. All of this was still quite difficult to wrap her brain around.

She browsed for awhile, getting a feeling of how to navigate the contraption. It was simple enough. Just a matter of punching the right keys in the right order. Of course, it was too bad that there hadn't been USB ports in the Silver Millennium. It would have been nice to hook up a mouse to it.

Ami wondered if perhaps it was possible to upgrade this once she got the hang of it.

First, there was the task of testing out the scanning feature. Luna had told her that it would be useful in assessing the weaknesses of an enemy. Fortunately, there weren't any youma running around just then, so Ami decided to try it out on the people that passed her by.

She engaged the scanning mode, and the computer whirred loudly for a moment. Thankfully, no one appeared to notice. Ami heard some other curious noises and craned her head so that she could see the front of her computer. She blinked a little when she saw a very tiny hole open up in the middle of the symbol - like a camera lens of some kind. She wasn't entirely surprised. After all, it had to seek out its targets somehow. Even so, she was a little disappointed. She hadn't expected the mini-computer to be this noisy.

Still, she supposed it was a small price to pay. And really she was the only one who had noticed anything as of yet. But then it made sense that she'd be hypersensitive. There was some fear of getting caught after all.

Ami put that out of mind and resumed looking at her computer screen. It was small and a little hard to read given how quickly everything was zooming by. She didn't see how this would be anything but detrimental in a battle situation. She was having to throw every bit of concentration into trying to read everything quickly enough. Surely there must have been a better way to do this.

Nevertheless, the scanning feature did prove to be mildly entertaining. The computer managed to tell her things in a few seconds that would have taken her mother hours to conclude with the latest technology. She was able to instantly assess a person's blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, white blood cell count, and just about everything else she could ever ask about a person.
She'd even had to stop herself from telling a man who was obviously diabetic that his blood sugar was low. But perhaps what would be most useful in a battle situation was that the computer was able to reveal old and current injuries. And while a badly heeled ankle might not have been important to some, Ami suspected that such information would be vital in combat.

Ami smiled.

Once reassured that she understood at least the basics of that program, Ami shut it off and decided to check on Luna's theory. She searched the hard drive and discovered that this was indeed a veritable cornucopia of information from the Silver Millennium. Her heart soared. Perhaps this could unlock all of the secrets that were being kept from them. Maybe now they would be able to find the princess,
find the other Senshi, find out who Mamoru was or had been and what his significance was.

However, upon closer inspection, Ami realized that this was going to be more difficult than she'd anticipated. She supposed she should have foreseen that. While there were stores of information, many of the folders were marked with what looked to be a child's nonsensical scrawl when they pretended they knew how to write. Yet, there was something elegant about the scribbles, and several of the symbols repeated.

"A dead language?" Ami muttered, narrowing her eyes slightly. It didn't look like anything she'd ever seen before. Upon reflection, Ami supposed that it made perfect sense for the Moon Kingdom to have their own language entirely separate from that of Earth. As a matter of fact, from the way Luna talked, the Moon and the other planets had done just about everything possible to separate themselves from the ancient Terrans.

Stranger still was the fact that there were several of the folders that Ami could read. But these were marked not in Japanese, but in English of all things. She was hardly fluent in the language, but she knew enough to understand what she was being presented with.

Nevertheless, she thought it was quite odd that only some of the files were marked in English. After all, if the enemy was basing operations in Japan and two of the warriors meant to defeat them lived in Japan, should they be marked in Japanese for their convenience?

Unless there was some worry that the enemy would ever get their hands on this device. Ami had to admit, it was surprising that there were next to no security features for her to bypass. It had worked just as easily, although a great deal faster, than her personal computer at home. Then again, perhaps it knew her somehow. It was marked with her crest. Maybe it would only work for her.

Another possibility was that there had been or was some activity connected with them in an English speaking country. Although what that had to do with her computer was beyond her, it was something to consider. She would have to discuss it with Luna later on.

After mulling over all of this information for several minutes, Ami decided to go ahead and try to get a look at some of the information stored on this thing. She glanced over the few files that she could read and selected what she thought might be most pertinent to their cause.

GUARDIAN SOLDIER FILES

Ami double clicked smartly, glancing around for any suspicious pedestrians as it whirred to life again. The file opened in seconds again, pinging to let her know that she had succeeded. There were four more files within, each marked with the name of another Sailor Senshi. Her name was there, or rather Mercury, along with Venus, Mars, and Jupiter.

"Well, I suppose that's who we'll be looking for next then," Ami murmured softly.

She looked at the four files intently, weighing one option against the next. She decided that it ultimately would be wise if she avoided looked at her own file, at least for a little while. She wasn't sure what sort of things would be listed, but she suspected there was a reason why they didn't remember everything from their past lives.

She feared finding too much too soon would do nothing more than terrify her into inaction, leaving Mamoru on his own once again. Therefore, although it was tempting, Ami avoided clicking on her name. Instead, she decided to start at the top and work her way down.

SAILOR VENUS

Surely it was listed first for a reason. Quietly determined to find out just what that reason was, Ami double clicked the name with practiced skill. She listened to the now familiar noises and awaited the expected ping.

Much to her surprise, a lower tone emitted from the computer. She blinked and leaned in close to her computer screen as a smaller window popped up. She felt the usual surge of annoyance. Small windows were never, ever a good sign.

ERROR 42105: INSUFFICIENT SECURITY CLEARANCE - ACCESS DENIED

Ami pursed her lips, feeling a migraine coming on. Computers were volatile things, prone to malfunctioning at the most frustrating times. More often than not, it was done on a whim, making Ami wonder if perhaps the soulless machines were punishing the human race for their constant mistreatment and overuse. Of course, that was actually the sort of thing she'd hear her mother screaming from her office at three in the morning, forcing Ami to get up and attempt to fix the problem. When all of her attempts failed, she often found herself prescribing to the sentiment against her better judgment.

However, this wasn't just a paper or a school assignment she was working on. She was trying to locate the other Sailor Senshi in hopes of strengthening their forces against their faceless enemy. This was important. This was vital. The fate of the world depended on her accessing this information, and she didn't have the proper security clearance?

Ami rubbed the skin where her eyebrows furrowed together. She could practically taste the impending migraine.

Seeing no reason to try and access that file again, Ami turned her attention to the one underneath it. Of course, it was illogical that she had the proper clearance for one Senshi and not another, but then again, it was illogical that she didn't have the proper security for files stored on her computer either. She may as well give it a shot.

SAILOR MARS

Ami double clicked again, bracing herself for the worst but hoping for the best. She could barely contain her excitement when the high pitched chime sounded and a new page opened, revealing Mars's file.

SOLDIER: SAILOR MARS
CIVILIAN IDENTITY: UNKNOWN
RANKING: SECOND IN COMMAND
PRIMARY FUNCTION: GUARDIAN TO THE PRINCESS
LOCATION: UNKNOWN - SUSPECTED TO BE IN TOKYO, JUUBAN AREA
AGE: UNKNOWN - PROJECTED TO BE FROM 10-35
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: UNKNOWN - POSSIBLY A FIRE SIGN
HEIGHT: UNKNOWN
WEIGHT: UNKNOWN
BLOOD TYPE: UNKNOWN
ELEMENT: FIRE
UNIFORM: RED, PURPLE
STRENGTHS: UNKNOWN
WEAKNESSES: UNKNOWN
POWERS: RESTRICTED

Ami sighed quietly, unable to help herself. Granted, it was more information than they had possessed previously, but it was still hardly helpful. It couldn't even given her a definitive age bracket or location to work with. Projections and suspicions were somewhat helpful, but it only confirmed what she, Mamoru, and Luna had already assumed. The only remotely helpful information was the knowledge that this soldier would wield fire. She could naturally deduce that such a capability would be used primarily for offensive maneuvers, which was a good thing considering neither she nor Mamoru had such abilities.

Still and all, Ami had been hoping that she would be able to find more useful information than this. She supposed she could fill in the statistics once Sailor Mars was located, but that would hardly be beneficial after the fact.

Ami shook her head slightly and exited the file. Perhaps Sailor Jupiter's would be more lucrative.

"Ami!"

She quickly snapped the computer shut, looking up in mute horror as a bouncing, blonde rabbit came hopping her way from across the street. It was none other than Tsukino Usagi, looking impossibly cheerful and glad to see her. She looked as if she had woken up that morning hoping the two of them would cross paths.

Ami contemplated running as fast as she possibly could in the opposite direction.

It was torturous to stand there as Usagi bounded towards her. Ami knew it was absurd, but Luna had spoken as if a monster would surely pop up to kill them if Ami went anywhere near Usagi ever again. Of course, that didn't happen, but Ami had no choice but to trust Luna's basic philosophy.

Usagi was in danger every time Ami was near her. Therefore, Ami had to go out of her way to avoid Usagi...

Her only friend.

Ami swallowed a lump in her throat and forced a smile as Usagi threw her arms around her as if they'd known each other for decades. She looked over the blonde's shoulder to see Naru, Eriko, and Arisu were accompanying her on this outing. None of them looked particularly thrilled to see her.

Ami quickly looked away. "Usagi. I... didn't expect to run into you today."

"Me either!" Usagi chirped excitedly. "I thought you'd be studying or reading or something like that! What are you doing today?" Relieved to find a way to get away from Usagi, Ami opened her mouth to respond. She was promptly cut off by Usagi's hyperactive gasp, her freshly manicured hands falling on Ami's shoulders. "Oh! You know what you should do? You should come shopping with us! It will be so much fun! We can buy clothes and cake and maybe some jewelry and we could get ice cream and maybe later we could go to the arcade and have one of Motoki's amazing sundaes!"

Although she couldn't attend, Ami couldn't help but look to Usagi's trio of friends. Naru seemed to be the only one even willing to put forth a civil effort, even though Ami could tell that she wasn't particularly thrilled about it. Eriko looked openly hostile, glaring at Ami as if all of the world's problems were a result of her feeble existence. Arisu did her best to mimic Eriko's stare, but it was less effective given how her cheeks puffed out with the Pocky she was eating.

"So, how about it, Ami?" Usagi asked, jumping up and down a little. "Can you come? Please?"

"I..." Ami began, her voice very quiet. It was her full intention to simply tell Usagi the truth. She had a previous engagement she had to fulfill. She couldn't go shopping with them. And for the sake of politeness, she would say that they could try another time. In reality, she wouldn't do it and not just because of the way Eriko was looking at her.

But when Ami looked at those crystal blue eyes, she was suddenly filled with fear. Not of Usagi or any specific force, but of the unknown future and what dangers they could hold for this girl. If she was indeed some kind of magnet for unfortunate occurrences, Ami's being there really was endangering her. All of her reservations about Luna's theory flew out the window. Rational thought gave way to irrational emotion, and Ami was suddenly filled with an intense, desperate need to get away from Usagi.

Ami had to protect her, even if it meant sacrificing her friendship.

She pulled away from Usagi, perhaps too quickly judging by the blonde's surprised expression. Ami apologized and blurted, "I--I'm sorry, Usagi. I have something else I have to do, and I... Sorry."

With that, Ami fled with Hermes' wings on her feet, thinking perhaps they'd assume she was running late. Unfortunately, judging by their conversation, that was hardly the case.

"Ami..." Usagi whispered sadly, staring after her.

Eriko snorted. "I told you that girl wasn't worth your time, Usagi."

"Yeah, talk about rude," Arisu agreed.

"Come on, Usagi. The shopping district awaits," Naru remarked neutrally.

Ami stopped running when she was around the corner, hearing the vague buzz of their continued conversation as they wandered off in the other direction. She squeezed her eyes shut, her grip tightening on her new computer.

It wasn't fair. It was a childish thought, one that Ami normally wouldn't entertain. But in this case, there was simply no other way in which Ami could describe the incredible injustice that was taking place.

It was her duty to protect the people of Tokyo, and Usagi obviously fell under that wide umbrella. But in order to do so, Ami had to keep her distance. Even though Usagi was the first person to pay her any attention willingly in years, she had to avoid her for the greater good. Ami may have needed a friend, but some things were more important than shopping trips, midnight phone calls, and idle chat over some ice cream.

But it just wasn't fair.

"Ami?"

For the second time, she looked up in surprise at someone calling her name. She was greeted with Mamoru's concerned face bending over hers. It was necessary for him to make eye contact considering the incredible disparity between their heights,
but it still unnerved her slightly.

He raised an eyebrow, somehow making the expression gentle. "Are you all right?"

Having no other options, Ami nodded slightly and glanced down at her mini-computer. "I'm fine," she insisted, not sounding particularly convincing. "I was just... I was just experimenting with the new computer, and it proved to be a little more difficult than I anticipated."

Ami looked up, hoping he would leave it at that. It wasn't a lie, but it was hardly an accurate representation of the truth either.

Mamoru didn't seem assuaged by her explanation, but mercifully, he didn't pursue it. He shrugged casually. "If you say so."

Luna, who was once again perched on his shoulder, hopped down on Ami's. She looked down at the blue device in Ami's hand and said, "I didn't expect you to be able to be able to navigate it easily, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it after awhile."

Ami nodded, wondering how Luna managed to make words of encouragement sound so critical.

Sensing her discomfort, Mamoru gestured in the way he had been walking before he ran into Ami. "I was just on my way to the culture center. Why don't you tell us about what you managed to find on the way?"

Seeing no reason to decline, Ami nodded and fell in step beside him, her face parallel with the ground the entire time.

-----

"Benji! Where did the ball go?"

The little boy flinched dramatically at the sound of his most hated and vile nickname. His mother, who had a tendency to find most names possessing too many syllables for her to waste time pronouncing, had given him the nickname on a whim. Sadly, all of his brothers and friends had been within earshot at the time. As a result, he was forever saddled with the atrocious pseudonym.

"Benjiro!" he corrected, stamping his feet three times each just to drive the point home.

His brother rolled his eyes with great effort. "Yeah. Whatever. Where'd you throw the ball?"

After several moment, Benjiro pointed to an alleyway behind him rather sheepishly. His brother and three friends groaned, throwing their hands up and pacing as they had seen their parents do time and time again.

"You're the one who threw it, idiot."

"You better go get it, Benji!"

"Yeah, Dad'll kill you if you lose another ball."

"Go on! Get it!"

"Unless," his older brother stated with a cruel smile, "you're chicken."

Benjiro glanced back at the alley, which surely contained numerous witches and vampires just waiting to jump out and eat his brains. Of course, this fate was better than his associates referring to him as a chicken for the rest of the day. He was a young boy after all, and he had his pride. Being labeled a chicken was a fate far worse than death, and one that he would avoid at any cost. Even his brain.

"All right," he said, affecting as brave a posture as any seven year old could make. "I'll... I'll be right back. And if uh... If you hear any screaming, that's not me. That's someone else."

His playmates all looked quite dubious.

"Uh huh."

"Sure."

"Whatever you say, Benji."

"Just get the ball!"

"I'm going. I'm going," he insisted, walking into the alley. Seconds later, he stuck his head out again and added, "And it's Benjiro."

Benjiro ignored the chorus of insults that he could hear from his friends and turned back to face the dark alley. None of the witches and vampires were standing where he could see them of course. They would melt if they did anything like that. But he was sure they were waiting for him in the shadows. Therefore, he did everything humanly possible to remain in the patches of light that pierced the darkness.

He looked around, trying not to tremble. He was doing a fine job of it if he did say so himself. He only cried a little bit when a rat brushed up against his bare leg. But while he was sure he saw at least 76 zombies, 24 ghosts, and 1 werewolf, he didn't see any ball.

"Looking for this?"

Benjiro screamed, jumping several feet into the air. He went positively white and covered his face to avoid any suckers or claws from reaching out and grabbing him. When nothing happened, he peeked out from between his fingers, whimpering.

He was rather surprised to see a relatively normal looking man leaning casually against the brick wall. He was smiling at Benjiro, obviously amused. He didn't look like a vampire or anything else unpleasant, but then Benjiro had never seen one before, so that didn't actually mean much. Still, when he smiled he didn't see any fangs, which ruled out several ghouls. He was a boy, so he couldn't be a witch. He couldn't see through him, and he didn't see any limbs falling off. Benjiro thought it was safe to assume that this man was human and therefore trustworthy.

It was then that Benjiro saw what the man was holding. He brightened instantly and ran over to the man, taking the ball from him without ceremony. "My ball! You found it!" He hugged it to his chest and then remembered his manners. Or rather, he remembered what his mother would do to him if she found out that he hadn't remembered his manners. He bowed quickly just in case she was watching. "Thanks for finding my ball, mister!"

The man smiled down at him again, adjusting his sunglasses slightly. "Don't mention it. It was no problem whatsoever." He walked forward and knelt down so that he could look at Benjiro at his eye level. "But, since I gave you something, I was wondering if you might give me something in return."

Benjiro was confused by this logic, but since the man was now standing in the light which proved that this man was not anything to fear, he saw no problem with it. He shrugged in a manner that he knew from his grandmother's reaction was absolutely adorable and said, "Sure thing, mister."

The left corner of the man's mouth twisted upwards as he laid a hand on Benjiro's shoulder.

-----

Jadeite sauntered out of the alley, wiping his hand on his pants absently. It was a shame that he had to make physical contact with these humans to drain them one at a time. He didn't know when the last time they'd washed was. As he walked away from his latest victim, he passed by a group of boys all around the other one's age.

"Hey, your brother's been in there a really long time."

"Yeah... Say, you don't think he's... you know. Do you?"

"He's probably just playing a trick on us."

"He's not that smart!"

"Look, I think we should go check on him."

"Yeah. Your mom will totally kill you if he comes home with a skinned knee or something."

"All right. Benji! What's taking so long?"

With that, the four boys ran to where they had last seen their friend, pausing outside the eerie entryway, each too scared to go in first. Jadeite had to hold back the urge to laugh, watching them. Humans. So concerned with appearance that they would degrade their so-called friends and yet be too terrified themselves. In the Dark Kingdom they were bastards to each other because they were just genuinely unpleasant people. It made things much easier to deal with.

Jadeite had been wandering the streets of Tokyo for hours, happening upon random victims and draining them of their energy. There was some rumbling of a mysterious flu virus being whispered in the buses and on street corners, but not enough to garner any real attention. After all, there weren't that many of them yet.

He frowned. What Nephrite would consider his saving grace, Jadeite found most irritating. Under normal circumstances, Jadeite would have been more than willing to walk around for several more days and collect energy from one host or another. However, he could sense Beryl's growing impatience all the way from the Dark Kingdom. He didn't have much more time to waste on this folly. Besides, he couldn't very well expect Tuxedo Kamen or Sailor Mercury to appear because of a flu bug. No, he had to hit something big. He had to attract enough attention to bring them running, and then he would do what he'd been ordered to do -- save his hide by skinning theirs.

At that moment, Jadeite happened to round a corner where he saw a number of people walking into a building in groups of two or three at a time. He glanced up and saw that it was the local culture center. And if the marquee was true, they were holding a Beginner's archery class that day.

Jadeite pondered it for a moment and then shrugged. It was better than nothing.

-----

"Sorry I wasn't able to get anything more useful," Ami apologized for what must have been the fifth time that morning, scratching Luna's head idly.

Mamoru pinched the bridge of his nose discreetly. "Look, don't apologize. That's more than we knew about her before. And like you said, knowing her element is fire is very important. That means that at least one of the Senshi is bound to have offensive attacks."

"Which is what we need more than anything," Luna added, her voice garbled as she was cleaning her face in an attempt to mask the fact that she was talking. "I still can't imagine why you weren't able to get a look at the Sailor Venus file."

"Besides the fact that computers are evil," Mamoru added. "I think we should consider the possibility that the enemy actually invented them thirty odd years ago specifically to drive us to distraction today."

Ami, who had been looking rather depressed since he'd found her, cracked a slight smile at that. Mamoru grinned back at her, once again wondering in the back of his mind what was actually wrong with the girl. Of course, it really wasn't any of his affair. It wasn't as if they were close. After all, they were just trying to save the world together. That didn't make him privy to her innermost thoughts and dreams or anything.

"Oh, here we are," Ami said, somewhat surprised. Mamoru guessed that she hadn't noticed how close they were given how she'd been staring at the ground the entire way.

"Yup," Mamoru confirmed with a bit of a sigh. He looked over at Ami with a rueful expression and said, "Ready to begin training?"

Ami nodded, though she looked dubious. "Ready as I'll ever be."

The trio was about the enter the building when suddenly a very annoyed sounding voice clear her throat loudly, stopping them in their tracks. Before they could even turn around, a mezzo tone reached their ears, though obviously through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me. There are no animals allowed inside."

Luna meowed cutely in an attempt to garner sympathy.

Ami and Mamoru turned in one fluid movement and quickly realized that Luna's attempt would bear no fruit. They were met with a vengeful violet gaze and a girl around Ami's age. Her long, dark hair went almost all the way to her knees. She was already dressed in the traditional Kyudo attire, suggesting that she had attended this class before, meaning she knew what she was talking about.

The testy girl blinked when she got a good look at Mamoru and Ami. She straightened up, her hands hanging tensely at her side. Neither of them noticed anything out of the ordinary, but Luna couldn't help but think that she looked like those cowboys from those subtitled Westerns Mamoru watched late at night when nothing else was on. It was like she was ready to draw a gun and shoot them dead if they so much as twitched unnecessarily.

Mamoru held up his hands as if he was subconsciously picking up on this comparison. "Hey, it's all right. She'll behave. She's a very good cat."

Luna nodded and meowed again. Surely that would convince anyone of her innocence.

The girl stared at him for a moment, clearly surprised that he was actually trying to argue with her. Her glare became more intense, making Mamoru shift uncomfortably. "I told you! No cats!"

Ever disarming, Ami bowed deeply before a war began. "We're very sorry, Miss. We didn't know about that rule."

Ami glanced out of the corner of her eyes, looking at him expectantly. Mamoru didn't have much experience with women, but he knew that it was the universal look for, "Follow my lead or you are in SO much trouble." And while he very much doubted Ami would or could do much to make his life miserable, he reluctantly bowed alongside her to make things easier for all of them.

Ami craned her neck to look at Luna, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, Luna. But you're going to have to wait out here until we're done, okay?"

Luna meowed, obviously irritated. Though she wasn't pleased with this turn of events, she dutifully hopped off Ami's shoulder and curled up on a bench next to the door, closing her eyes as if this didn't matter to her in the slightest.

Mamoru rolled his eyes and muttered, "That cat. A nap's the answer for everything."

Ami ignored him with ease and turned to look at the other girl, smiling pleasantly. "I'm guessing by your clothing that you're here for a Kyudo class. Are you taking the Beginner's course as well? That's where we're going."

The other girl seemed momentarily taken aback that she was being addressed, but covered up her hesitation easily enough. "Oh. Actually, I'm... Yes. Yes, that's what I'm here for."

Mamoru instantly reached for the door, pulling it open smoothly. "Then lead the way, Miss...?"

"Hino," she answered tersely, her gaze flitting back open to the cat pretending to be sleeping on the bench. "My name is Hino Rei."

"Nice to meet you," Ami continued, stepping through the doorway before Rei, who seemed to be staring intently at the slumbering feline. "I'm Mizuno Ami and this my... This is Chiba Mamoru."

Normally, Rei would have continued on with the awkward exchanging of names and meaningless pleasantries, but something else was occupying her mind at the moment. While most cats would have already been in dreamland by now, this cat had played possum while her owners were preoccupied. Now it was openly staring at her, looking at her with more intensity that a cat should have been able to.

Rei felt an all too familiar tingle shoot up her spine.

"Hino?" Mamoru interrupted, holding the door open with his fingertips as the lower half of his body threatened to continue on without her. "Are you coming?"

Rei looked at him and then back at the cat, who was back to pretending to sleep. She narrowed her gaze thoughtfully, but turned back to Mamoru and Ami with a cool look. Ami was entirely too serene for Rei's liking, smiling pleasantly and cooling the tense situation. On any other day, Rei would probably be turning on the charm with Mamoru, but he made her uneasy. They all made her uneasy and very glad she had picked up the wards this morning. "Yes. I'll take you to where you can sign in and pick up your uniforms."

As the three people entered the building, Luna stood up quickly, glaring after Rei's back. Though she had her suspicions about her, she couldn't be sure until she touched or at least got a closer look.

Luna leapt off the bench and ran around to the side of the building, searching for another way inside.

-----

Yuki often enjoyed thinking of himself as a stoic sort of man, not prone to being swayed by sudden tides of emotion. In reality, Yuki was the sort of boy who had a tendency to hop up and down at the prospect of being given an extra helping of dessert at dinnertime. He was excitable, cheerful, peppy, and not exceptionally popular as a result.

And so, the way in which he made his way to the culture center that day would have surprised no one who knew him. However, several unsuspecting passers by were, to say the least, stunned to see a sixteen year old boy practically skipping down the sidewalk. One woman covered her impressionable young daughter's eyes with her withering hand, shaking her head at the merry youth, sparing him no disapproval.

But even with his tendency to be so demonstrative, those who knew Yuki would have noted that he hopped just a little bit higher. And that was because after many long years of dreaming and wishing and hoping, Yuki was finally going to fulfill his life long dream. Long had he awaited this sweet day, and he was going to savor and enjoy every moment of it, propriety be damned.

He wasn't sure when his love of Kyudo had begun. Perhaps he had seen it in some long forgotten anime, leaving him with only vague impressions of this sole act as opposed to a devoted following of the series itself. But what he did know was that he had attended any exhibition for the Japanese art of archery possible.

He had quite literally spent years convincing his excitable, overprotective mother that it was perfectly safe, and no, he wasn't going to come home with an arrow sticking out of his head. She had forbidden him from doing it for years upon years upon decades upon eons, but at long last, he had worn her down. She'd paid the fee. She'd called in his size for the traditional robes, but she needn't have done that. Yuki had owned his own pair for several years. Granted, they were a bit big on him, but that was hardly an issue for him.

And so, it was with his head in the clouds and a song in his heart that Yuki rounded the very last corner to the culture center. He discreetly wiped away a tear of nigh orgasmic joy from his eye and made his way forward to fulfill his life long dream...

When he was pulled into the bushes.

Had anyone actually been paying attention to the hedge near the door, they would have noted that it had suddenly come to life and it was making the most painful sounding voices. Branches were crushed. Leaves were strewn about. And when it was all said and done, a man suddenly emerged from behind them, a twig rather comically sticking out of his ear.

Jadeite brushed himself off, rubbing his aching jaw and muttering to himself about lucky shots before entering the building as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

-----

Hino Rei led them to the check in area and then disappeared. Neither Ami nor Mamoru had any remote idea as to where she'd gone off to, and Mamoru had to say that he wasn't altogether interested to learn. They were about to get in line when a blond man cut in front of them. Being in a prickly mood, Mamoru nearly said something, but held his tongue when Ami subtly cleared her throat. Besides, he was a superhero now. They were supposed to be generous to a fault.

But that didn't change the fact that he was irritated.

They didn't have to wait in line long to get closer to the front. Finally, the man in front of them showed his ID to the girl at the desk. After she assessed it, he took it back, glancing at it quickly before he slipped it back into his wallet. He then leaned over and checked off his name.

As he was about to walk away, Mamoru tilted his head, puzzled. He reached out and stopped the blond man and said, "You certainly don't look fifteen, Saito-san."

Mamoru saw the man pale and look back down at the sheet. He swallowed and said, "Well, I... You see..."

The woman at the desk leaned over, looking at the sign up sheet. She then looked back up at Saito and said, "May I see your ID again, sir?"

Saito laughed nervously, fiddling with his clothes. "Well, I would be happy to. But... Umm..."

"Is there a problem, Saito-san?"

"No!" he insisted quickly. "No problem. Just--"

"Maybe it's a typographical error," Ami suggested softly, peering around Mamoru with a slight color to her cheeks. "Is it possibly supposed to say twenty-five?"

Saito stared at her for a moment before breaking into a painfully wide grin and pulling out his ID card again. "Yes!" he said happily. "Yes, that's exactly it! As the lady says, I am twenty-five years of age. It even says so on this ID card. See?"

The woman at the desk looked at it, and nodded quickly, satisfied. "Sorry about the mistake, sir. Go right on in."

"Thank you," Saito said smoothly, bowing deeply. As he straightened, his eyes flickered over to Mamoru, who had yet to look away from him. Neither regarded each other with any pleasure.

Without another word, Saito sauntered away, wiping sweat from his brow.

"A rather odd reaction for just a typo, wouldn't you say, Ami?" Mamoru asked softly as he dug out his wallet.

Ami stared at him for a moment and then looked after the man. She pursed her lips slightly and whispered, "I take it you'll be keeping an eye on him?"

"I'll be keeping two eyes on him."

-----

Jadeite heaved a great sigh as he entered the training room. That had been far too close a call. He'd completely forgotten about the age difference until that dark haired man had pointed it out. He'd almost made a mess of Jadeite's entire operation.

Of course, there was something to be said for a mere mortal throwing Jadeite off track so thoroughly by merely calling his age into question. He was a great warrior from the Dark Kingdom. Deep down, he knew that he was perfectly capable of handling such a situation. It was an easily rectifiable, minor speed bump, and he shouldn't have reacted like an inexperienced Private.

He should have come up with the explanation that timid child had offered up. That would have been infinitely better than standing there gaping and stuttering as if he were developmentally challenged.

Shaking his head, Jadeite deemed it best not to dwell on it anymore and focus on the task at hand. After all, he was here to collect energy from Queen Beryl to avoid being slaughtered. He needed to have his full attention on the situation, waiting until he was sure everyone was complacent, and then spring his trap.

Jadeite scanned the room for any possible troublemakers. Of course, he had a feeling those two from the check-in might be a bit more problematic than others. They were both sharp and observant. Definitely not good for his purposes. However, it seemed that just about every other person in the room would be far too wrapped up in themselves to notice anything out of the ordinary about him until it was too late.

Sweeping his eyes over the participants again, Jadeite stopped on a young girl. A very young girl. A very stunning young girl.

"Hello there," Jadeite whispered, smirking to himself. "What have we here?"

-----

"Are you positive you're not overreacting?" Ami said softly, watching Mamoru watch Saito.

Ami's attempts to dissuade him did little more than make him all the more attentive. Saito was currently chatting up the girl they had run into outside, and she seemed about as happy to see him as Luna. This changed Mamoru's opinion of her, though not drastically.

"Something about that guy is just not... right," Mamoru asserted again.

The younger girl turned to steal a quick glance in her direction, her eyes darting back and forth so quickly that Mamoru almost missed it. "I'll concede that his behavior outside was... strange. But maybe he's just shy."

Mamoru wondered if he and Ami were talking about the same person who was currently staring at Miss Hino Rei with a look that made him want to take a shower as soon as humanly possibly. "Doesn't look so shy to me."

Ami nodded, realizing her hypothesis was rather ridiculous. "All right then. I just think it's a little paranoid to automatically assume that every person one of us feels unsettled by is going to turn into a monster. It's highly improbable that he is one, because that would have us linked up with four out of four attacks before they even begin, which is just silly to even consider."

"I know that it's statistically improbable," Mamoru stressed. "But it isn't as if I attacked him outright. I'm just watching him. Nothing more."

Ami pursed her lips and looked back over at the pair. "Fine. Then I'll watch Hino."

Mamoru blinked. "You sense something I don't?"

Ami narrowed her eyes. "Not evil. Just... familiarity."

Mamoru turned his gaze briefly on Ami's intended target. He did this for a very little while, when she caught his gaze. Though Mamoru looked away instantly, he got the distinct impression that if she had possessed the power, she would have burned him with her gaze.

"You do that."

-----

Rei looked back at the blond man, who was giving her an even more unsettling feeling than the two she'd met at the door. Whereas before she just felt as if something were twisting her stomach in knots, now she wanted to flee, fight, scream, something. She felt darkness, and while she knew that she could just be projecting and overreacting from her vision, she couldn't help but feel very sorry that the only two handsome men in the room were probably evil.

She had rotten luck.

"You know," Saito said, unabashedly leering at her, "I was actually placed in the wrong class. I'm quite good at Kyudo, if I do say so myself." Boldly, Saito reached out to cup her chin, arching his left eyebrow in what usually must have been rather alluring. "If you'd like me to show you the ropes..."

Rei took a very large step back, smirking primly. "How kind of you," she remarked coldly. "But perhaps you ought to leave that to me."

Clearly confused by her words, Saito did not immediately respond. Rei took this opportunity to bend down and gather up her bow and arrow. After ensuring she had proper footing and good posture, she lifted the bow over her head to aim, looking at the target through half closed eyes. She pulled the string taut, aiming right between the pair she had run into outside. They both turned to look at her in shock just as she released the arrow, letting it fly right between them. It nearly grazed the man's nose, but that had been her intention anyway. Everyone turned to watch as the arrow imbedded itself into the exact center of the target.

There was silence as Rei lowered her bow, quickly followed by a smattering of applause. She turned to catch a glimpse of Saito's face, expecting him to be shocked into silence. She was quite vexed to note that he seemed intrigued at best.

Scoffing, Rei decided to forget about him for the time being. Instead, she turned to address the rest of the class, forcing herself to look helpful and inviting.

"Welcome, everyone, to today's beginner's class for Kyudo, the way of the bow. My name is Hino Rei, and I'll be teaching you for today. The normal instructor, Watanabe Jiro, has fallen ill and asked me to take over. I ask that everyone please pair up so the lesson can begin. Since we have an uneven number of students this morning, would anyone be willing to pair up with me for--"

"I'll do it, Hino-sensei!" Ami chirped instantly, thrusting her hand into the air boldly. It seemed most of Ami's reserve dissipated when it came to a classroom setting. Still, when several other students turned to stare at the girl who had been so brazen, Ami bent her arm reluctantly. "If that's all right with you that is."

Rei narrowed her eyes at the blue-haired girl and her companion. They had unsettled her on sight, and the more she looked at them, the more she felt ill at ease. Perhaps it would be best if she was able to keep tabs on at least one of them.

Rei softened her gaze, smiling once again and nodded. "Of course... Mizuno-san. That will work perfectly." She clapped her hands and raised her voice, projecting authority. "All right! Everyone else pair up!"

-----

"You're not doing it right."

That same vein on Mamoru's neck popped out as soon as his partner's lilting voice hit his ear. Thanks to Ami's eagerness to keep on eye on Hino, Mamoru had wound up stuck with the strange man from earlier. He had wanted to watch him, but not quite this closely. Nor had he ever wanted to speak with him.

"I am doing what Hino-sensei instructed. Now, if you don't mind of course, could you possibly let me concentrate on what I'm doing?"

Saito held up his hands, effecting pacifism. "Fine. Fine. You won't hear another word out of me."

"Thank you," Mamoru snapped without gratitude. Turning back to the target, Mamoru placed his feet a little wider than shoulder's width apart, rocking back and forth in an attempt to find his balance. He pulled himself up to his full height, and went through the rest of the motions that Hino had taught them. Ensuring that his hands were positioned accordingly, he took aim and fired the arrow. He did better than most had on the first try, missing the center by only four inches. However, his moment of happiness was quickly squashed.

"You drift to the left. Did you know?"

Mamoru fumed. "I was aware."

"Just making sure," Saito chirped brightly, taking Mamoru's place in front of the target. Neglecting to partake in many of the necessary steps, Saito drew the string of his bow back and released his arrow. In a move clearly meant to further aggravate Mamoru, Saito's arrow split Mamoru's in two.

Mamoru glared at this partner, folding his arms across his chest. "You didn't do any of the necessary preparation for firing your arrow."

Saito shrugged. "I didn't need to."

This did not compute in Mamoru's brain. "But the process is the whole point to the Way of the Bow. It's disrespectful to simply disregard it because you can hit the target."

Saito laughed derisively, looking at Mamoru out of the corner of his eye. "And what would you do if you had to fire a bow and arrow in battle for, boy? If you took the time to go through "the necessary steps," you'd be dead before you took aim. All that matters is the end result."

"So, the ends justify the means?" Mamoru quipped. "That's a very jaded view."

"And yours is clearly that of a childish idealist," Saito said smartly. "Boy."

Mamoru glared at this man with all of the passion he could muster, praying that he was an enemy so that he could wring his neck without guilt.

-----

Meanwhile, having caught sight of an open window on an upper floor, Luna had decided to attempt to scale a tree in order to reach it. Being a cat, this should not have been very difficult. After all, she had natural climbing ability, claws, and particularly strong leg muscles. Climbing a large tree should have been a fairly simple task.

The first time Luna attempted her ascension, she miscalculated the first jump enough to go smashing head first into a particularly hefty tree branch. She was then momentarily distracted by the gaggle of birds circling her head, marveling at their vast array of colors.

Once that ceased, Luna decided there was nothing left to do but try again. Crouching down as far as her haunches would allow, Luna pushed off the ground with more vigor, landing on the branch with ease. With newfound confidence, Luna scaled the tree at a faster rate, hopping from branch to branch...

Only to find that one of them could not support her weight and went crashing down to the bottom again.

Once there, Luna scowled at the tree with as much hatred as she could encapsulate within her tiny frame. She paced back and forth, swishing her tail this way and that, thinking this through logically as was her prerogative. If there was any hope in making it to the open window, she was going to have to go slow. She was going to have to not act like a certain other feline she knew.

Putting that thought out of mind, Luna once again made her way up the tree, ensuring that she had ample footing on one branch before leaping to another secure limb. This went on for several minutes until she was level with the open window. Then, creeping along the precariously thin limb, Luna bent back to make a giant leap...

...when she heard voices down below.

"Hurry up you three!"

Luna peered down to see a family of four making their way into the cultural center. The patriarch was holding the door open for his wife, who was with child and carrying another rather heavy toddler, and his pre-adolescent son, who was hobbling along on crutches.

"I don't have all day to hold open this door, you know," he reminded them as they slowly made their way through the opening.

Seeing this golden opportunity missed, Luna could only think of one thing to say.

"Oh... hell."

-----

"Remember that when you aim you want to keep both eyes open." Rei said, glancing over at Ami who was hurriedly scribbling something down in a notebook. Thus far, Rei had not noticed anything overtly suspicious about her. She was a mousey, quiet girl, but she seemed bright and nice enough. And, she didn't feel anything sinister when she was around her. Although, Rei was certain that there was some sort of dark presence in the room. She had narrowed it down to two men: Chiba Mamoru and Saito Yuki. She was almost positive it was the latter, but she had not been paying close enough attention to him during their earlier interaction. She hoped it would not prove to be a costly mistake.

Though what the price would have been, she didn't know.

"And keep in mind that you need to keep a steady wrist, but don't lock it. You might hurt yourself."

Nodding absently, Ami continued to scribble something in her notebook, blue eyes flying across the page, barely lagging behind her pencil.

Standing on tiptoes, Rei attempted to see just what Ami could possible be writing down. The girl had been taking copious notes while Rei was explaining this the first time. Of course, in Rei's opinion, the girl could write all she wanted to. What mattered was the application of what Rei was telling her. She highly doubted that Ami would have any luck in the art of Kyudo.

"You know, I am here to help you," Rei said testily when Ami self-consciously pulled her notebook away. "Feel free to ask for help. And don't feel bad if you don't get it on the first try. I... Well, I was a natural at this actually, but not everyone has--"

Before Rei could finish that sentiment, Ami suddenly dropped the notebook, respectfully taking up the yumi. Mimicking Rei's movements with nearly perfect precision, Ami drew the string backward and let the arrow lose, hitting the target just barely off center.

Rei stood there gaping in absolute disbelief. After a moment, she managed to clear her head and said, "Good job."

Ami didn't seem nearly as pleased with herself as most people would have been, tightening the muscles in her face in thought. "I knew I shouldn't have rounded up so quickly, but I was running out of space on the paper."

"Rounded?" Rei repeated, dumbfounded. She must have heard incorrectly. There was no conceivable way that this girl had actually taken this that seriously.

Determined to know the truth, Rei bent over and snatched up the notebook, turning it over to see the page Ami had been writing on. Her eyes nearly went cross eyed as she saw the white lined paper stained nearly solid blue from Ami's tidy work. The temporary instructor found herself at a loss at what half of the symbols meant, but she knew a math problem when she saw one.

Rei twitched. "You're unbelievable, Mizuno-san."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

-----

For the next hour, Rei continued to instruct the class on the proper ways to perform Kyudo. Assured that Ami needed very little of her guidance, Rei felt no qualms in going around to each group and offering individual instruction (as well as mediation in the case of Mamoru and Yuki). Feeling hungry, Rei glanced down at her wristwatch. "It's a little past noon," she observed to herself.

Clapping her hands, she got everyone's attention towards the front of the room. "Excellent job thus far, everyone!" Rei praised happily. "This is one of the best groups I have ever had the honor of assisting with. Let's take a half an hour for lunch, and then return and finish up your lesson."

This seemed like a nice plan to the others, and several seemed grateful for the respite. Rubbing her arms slightly, Ami wandered over to Mamoru and whispered, "Any luck?"

"Aside from being reassured that Saito-san is a disrespectful jerk?" Mamoru groused irritably, paying no mind to the fact that the man in question was no less than three feet away. "No. You?"

Ami shook her head. "I couldn't keep as close an eye on her as I wanted to though. It could be that I'm just overreacting. It's entirely possible that I have met her before."

Mamoru nodded slightly. "Even so, you know as well as I do that it's better to-- Wait a minute." Mamoru looked around, missing the tow-headed man he had had the misfortune of working with. "Where did Saito-san--"

"I'm afraid," began a lilting voice from the front of the room, "that lunch is going to be canceled for the day."

A confused murmur arose from the group as Mamoru and Ami simultaneously turned to the door at the back of the practice room. There was Saito Yuki, who had somehow managed to move from Mamoru's side to the door without him noticing. Instantly suspicious, the two wordlessly began advancing to the back, taking care to hide themselves in the crowd and not draw attention to themselves.

Rei wasn't nearly as subtle.

"Just who do you think you are, Saito-san?" she demanded loudly, stalking towards him like an angry housewife. "You have been nothing but trouble since you arrived! Arrogant manners, picking fights with your partner, and completely disregarding my instruction in Kyudo. Did you come here just to make a nuisance of yourself?" She paused, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Or do you have another purpose."

Saito smirked, chuckling slightly. "It seems you're as observant as I thought you were. Perhaps I should have kept a closer eye on you." His eyes ran over her in a manner that she probably would have killed him for were there not so many witnesses. "You are a captivating woman, Hino-san. It is truly a shame that we have met in this fashion."

Just as Mamoru and Ami reached Rei's side, Saito Yuki gripped the corner of his robes and flung them off. Ami instantly covered her eyes modestly, only peaking out when she sensed only confusion, not shock and disgust.

Saito was most assuredly not Saito anymore, if he had ever been. Now clad in a slate grey uniform and black boots reminiscent of Nazi Germany, he was all at once an intimidating figure. He no longer blended into the masses or seemed at all ordinary. Of course, the most striking thing about his new appearance was his eyes, colder than the chill of Siberia in December.

Though Rei and Ami were nonplussed, Mamoru was taken aback by the sight of this man, or, more to the point, his clothing.

"I know that uniform," he whispered in dread.

Ami blinked, turning to him in alarm. "What?"

He never got a chance to respond. At that precise moment, "Saito" flung his hand into the air, shouting something that sounded like it could have possibly been a word in a very rough, very old language. At his call, a shining sphere made up of swirling, pulsing light hovered above his palm. Without waiting for so much as a second to pass, he cried out again, causing jets of icy light to shoot out of the sphere, each heading to a different person in the room.

Glancing back at Ami and Mamoru, Rei did what felt natural. She pulled out three of the four ofunda that she had taken from the shrine that morning and flung them out at the light heading in their path, shouting, "Aku Ryo... Tai Sen!"

The ofunda absorbed the attacks, stiffening as the light impacted with the paper. Once completed, the ofunda fell to the ground like leaden weights, gravity pulling them down where they could do no more harm.

Ami amd Mamoru looked on, momentarily impressed, until they looked at what was going on around them. Though some tried to flee, the beams caught up with them all, young and old alike. Their entire frame went rigid when the light hit them, causing their bodies to shudder and glow for a moment. As soon as that subsided, their muscles seemed to melt away as they collapsed, mouths slack and skin turned a sickly grey.

Rei gasped in horror, staring around at the wreckage around her. "Oh, my God. What happened to them!"

"Their energy," Ami whispered in what might have been feigned disbelief. "It's been drained away!"

Rei knew that her temper was legendary. It was known of far and wide. She saw the little school children that passed, whispering cruelly about the witch on Sendai Hill who will burn you with her eyes. And she did have a tendency to get angry. She was angry when her grandfather teased her to the edge of her patience. She was angry that her mother was dead. Sometimes she was angry that her father wasn't.

But she had never been more angry than in that precise moment.

Clenching her fist and screwing her eyes shut, Rei hissed, "How dare you..." She took a deep breath and looked directly at this new enemy, violet eyes blazing. "How dare you! Pretending to be... to be human just to come in here and wreak all this havoc. You are an insult to humanity." Rei snarled and plucked her last ofunda scroll from out of her robes. "I won't let you get away with it!"

Without any more hesitation, Rei surged forward, ignoring Mamoru and Ami's cries for her to stop. Drawing the paper back, she prepared to use the ward on him, banishing him back to where it was he had come from.

"Aku Ryo... Tai--"

"Bored now," Jadeite said cutely, holding out a flattened palm in the path of Rei's advancement. A darker light shot out of his hand this time, meant to do far more harm than anything previously. Rei shrieked as it struck her directly in the chest, sending her hurtling backwards several feet. She slammed into Mamoru, who was unable to stay upright under the sudden weight.

"Hino-sensei!" Ami cried in fear, taking note of Rei's slack arms. "Mamoru, is she--"

"Unconscious," he finished as soon as he finished taking her pulse. He looked back up at Jadeite, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "Who are you to attack a defenseless woman?"

The soldier laughed, throwing his head back and emitting a single bark. "Defenseless? That one? Mark my words, boy, you're holding human fire in your hands."

Ami straightened, turning back to stare at the fallen Kyudo instructor. Several things arranged themselves in her mind to form what might have been a clear picture of something. She remembered the sense of familiarity she had felt upon meeting Hino Rei, how well the red robes and purple physical accents suited her, and the fire she could feel burning within her even as she lay unconscious. They formed a possible explanation that was all too convenient for Ami to hope for, yet she let her heart lift, daring it to be true.

"Could it be?" Ami whispered softly. "Is she..."

"You didn't answer my question," Mamoru ground out, having missed Ami's possible epiphany as he struggled to get to his feet with Rei. "Who are you?"

The man seemed amused by Mamoru's query and obliged him for that reason alone. "My name is Jadeite, one of the elite Shitennou of the Dark Kingdom. I am the second Dark King, sent here to ensure that our world comes to power once again. I would tell you to remember me. However..."

Jadeite snapped his fingers, causing a pitch black hole to form at his right. Moments later, a tall, wiry youma stepped out. Covered in course fur of red and gold and tawdry bits of leather, it possessed an animal-like quality. With spikes rising from its shoulders and three horns topping its head, Ami now allowed herself to pray that her hunch was right.

"However, I don't think you'll be around much later to do so," Jadeite said brightly. "What better way to attract superheroes than to kill off three innocent civilians? Love to stay and watch the gore, but I have to deliver my prize to the Dark Kingdom. Have a horrible life while it lasts."

With that, Jadeite vanished into the portal he had created, closing it off behind him.

Setting Rei down as gently as he could, Mamoru spoke to Ami out of the corner of his mouth as he watched the youma stretch out its muscles. It clearly saw no problem in allowing them some time to think. "So... He came here for us?"

"Looks that way," Ami muttered back. "I suppose his superior isn't pleased with his performance. Listen, Mamoru--"

"No, I don't suppose they would be," Mamoru said with a satisfied smile, having completely missed the fact that Ami had anything more to say. "I wonder if he has a parrot that harasses him or something, because that would be hilarious."

Ami didn't find this nearly as amusing as some of his other comments. "Forget about that. Mamoru, there's something I have to--"

"What is this I hear?" the youma rumbled in an impossibly low voice for its thin frame. "You two are the duo I am meant to destroy?"

"Seems that way," Mamoru said with an ironic grin. He extended his right arm to its full length, punching his thumb and forefinger together. Mimicking a twirl of his cape, it soon formed there, wrapping him up in the world's only comfortable tuxedo. "I am Tuxedo Kamen."

There was a brief flash of blue at his side, and suddenly Ami had become Sailor Mercury, placing herself between the youma and Rei. "And I am Sailor Mercury."

The youma bowed mockingly. "The children of the darkness need no introduction. They need only death." Leaning forward, the demon crossed its arms across its chest, grasping on to the two very large spikes protruding from its shoulders. It gave a rough yank, pulling them from its flesh with noises that made Mercury's stomach turn. Moments later, it was holding two deadly sabers in its hands, dripping with its own bodily fluids as the new wounds on its shoulders mended instantaneously. It grinned. "And just so we're clear, by death, I mean yours."

Tuxedo Kamen scoffed, arching his eyebrow in challenge. "And people tell me my speeches are bad."

Were Mercury a more cynical girl, she would have probably reiterated that they were quite bad, effectively stealing his thunder. As it was, she was primarily concerned that he was becoming arrogant. She laid a hand on his shoulder, bidding him to come down to her level. "Don't be foolish. I have no desire to fly solo."

"As far as we know, I'm the only one who can come close to flying," Tuxedo Kamen muttered, resisting the urge to chuckle at his own joke as he knew it was unbecoming. "You take the right, I'll take the left."

Ignoring his poor attempt at humor, Mercury glanced down at Rei. "But what about--"

"Keep it away from her by killing it," Tuxedo Kamen suggested, dashing off.

Sailor Mercury felt very motherly when she said, "Yes, because that's so helpful." Still, lacking in alternatives, she followed his advice.

As Tuxedo Kamen was the warrior among them who possessed anything remotely resembling a sword with his cane, Mercury rightfully assumed that he would likely be doing most of the fighting. He ran at the monster, keeping low so that he would be ready to block a blow from above. This proved to be incredibly stupid when it attacked from both sides - below and above. Tuxedo Kamen could block one, but would end up being filleted by another.

Thinking and moving quickly, Mercury lashed out at the youma's right hand with a vicious kick. Thankfully, this was the sword that had been involved in the downward swoop - the one Tuxedo Kamen had not been prepared for. The youma dropped the blade and responded to Mercury's attack quickly. It brought up a curled fist faster than Mercury could blink, catching her in the jaw and sending her reeling.

"Ami!" Tuxedo Kamen shouted without thinking, deciding it probably didn't matter at this point. He gritted his teeth and continued to block the youma's other sword. Although he knew it would place him at a precarious balance, Tuxedo Kamen stuck his foot out and kicked the other saber towards the blue soldier just before the youma laid hands on it.

It growled at him irritably, but bore down on him, gripping the sword with both hands. The demon clearly had the advantage in terms of strength. Tuxedo Kamen grunted with the effort just to keep both of his arms from being broken. Still, he spared enough energy to check on Mercury. Her lip was bleeding, but at least she was conscious.

He nearly shouted to her about the sword, but there was no need. The moment her mind cleared enough to see it, she scooped it up in her left hand. She only briefly considered her actions before leaping to her feet and rushing at the monster from behind, somehow remaining silent despite her high-heeled boots.

Tuxedo Kamen wondered where she'd gotten the practice.

It was with eerie silence that Mercury struck at the youma's back, slicing at its fur with vicious calm. It groaned loudly, instinctively dropping its other sword in pained panic. Tuxedo Kamen took the opportunity to land a few good punches,
momentarily abandoning his cane.

Not put off by the sight of inhuman blood, Mercury spun around in order to attempt to attack again. This time, the youma was able to see her coming and caught up both her wrists in one of its unbelievably large hands. It lifted Mercury up and tossed her away, plucking its sword out of her hands as she flew off. She crashed into the wall, impacting her left shoulder and slumping down to the ground.

Distracted again by the welfare of his partner, Tuxedo Kamen took a split second too long to turn his attention back to the youma. It punched kicked him in the chest with the nonchalance of an old woman at a school picnic, sending him careening into Mercury. Landing on top of her did not seem to improve her condition in the slightest.

"Are you all right?" Tuxedo Kamen wheezed, struggling to get to his feet.

Sailor Mercury very honestly said, "No. And for future reference, I suggest that next time we have a better strategy than, 'you go this way, and I'll go the other.' Just a thought."

Tuxedo Kamen laughed mirthlessly. Apparently she got moxy when she was in pain. And judging by the way she was moaning, she must have been in a lot of it.

It was at precisely this moment that Tuxedo Kamen realized that first of all, Mercury's mouth wasn't open. Secondly, the moaning was coming from an entirely different part of the room. And third, that meant nothing good.

He frantically looked over to where Rei was lying, watching as she moved her head cautiously, regaining consciousness. He swore viciously and launched himself forward to get to her, feeling an extreme sense of urgency at that point in time.

Unfortunately, the demon also seemed to have an advantage in terms of speed. It picked up its other sword, and nearly flew over to where Rei lay. Wrapping an elbow around her neck, it hauled her up to her feet, much to her displeasure. Its grip on her seemed impossibly tight, nearly cutting off her airway. it was enough to completely bring her around.

"What is going on?" she muttered, probably not meaning to say that aloud. She laid her pale hands on the youma's colorful fur, craning her neck to look at her captor. The monster leered back at her, devilish teeth glinting under the fluorescent lights. And while the two warriors didn't doubt she was normally cool under pressure, they would have thought something was extremely wrong with her if she had not shrieked in utter terror.

Tuxedo held up his hands in as placating a manner as he could muster. Forgetting her present injuries, Mercury scrambled to her feet and joined his side, face pale and eyes wide with fear. Tuxedo Kamen swallowed the lump in his throat and said, "Easy. Easy now. She's got nothing to do with this. Don't get her involved."

"Please, just let her go!" Mercury begged, either appealing to the monster's nonexistent moral sensibilities or just saying something to keep from going mad.

The youma looked between the two soldiers and its prey and chuckled. "Yes, I think this shall do nicely." It sheathed one of its swords, saying, "I have a theory. Tell me what you think of it. You two do-gooders will do anything in order to save the innocent public from being drained, maimed, or otherwise harmed from the slaves to the dark. You'd probably even die for it. Am I right?"

Neither Sailor Mercury nor Tuxedo Kamen responded. They both merely narrowed their eyes, instinctively assuming a more offensive stance in the face of this new horror.

The demon clearly took this as an affirmative. "Thought as much. So, even though you don't know this girl, you'd die for her. Unfortunately, she's my prisoner, and I do so enjoy twisting the necks of pretty little girls."

Rei looked as if she desperately wished she were still unconscious.

"So, let us say that I will let the girl go if you two will stop moving around so much." The monster's tone made it clear that it wasn't expecting them to cease dancing around in order to get a better look at their attire.

Sailor Mercury and Tuxedo Kamen exchanged a glance. His face resolute as stone and hers as broken as glass, neither one of them knew what to do. They didn't know how they could effectively deal with a hostage situation when they were in no position to negotiate. They could attack, but Rei would no doubt be dead before they could cause any real damage. And even if Mercury suddenly realized that she was fully capable of offering up a real offensive, there was absolutely no guarantee that she wouldn't hit Rei.

They were in a much worse position than between a rock and a hard place.

Now Rei, terrified though she may be, had never pictured herself as the damsel in distress. She'd always abhorred the fairy tales of old her caretakers had told her in her youth. What good was a princess if she was always getting carried off by some ogre or another? How could she rule her people if she kept getting captured and then did nothing but wait to be rescued? That, in Rei's opinion, was no princess deserving of the throne.

And while she knew that she couldn't escape this monster's deadly hold, she could certainly stop these two warriors from doing something very foolish.

"I don't know who you are," Rei snapped viciously, looking Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Mercury square in the eye. "But I have heard of you. You're the new defenders of Tokyo. You're our only line of defense against all of these famed attacks. True, you can save me by giving up your lives. But then what will you do when you're dead and this youma comes after me? Or after the children you saw playing in the street? Your own families?

"I can't tell you what to do, but I'll tell you this. If you needlessly spill one drop of blood for my safety... I will never forgive you!"

The last was a strangled scream as Rei's emotions got the best of her. She trembled with rage in the monster's arms, glaring at the two soldiers hotly. Her brows knit together so intensely, she was scarcely surprised when a sharp, burning pain erupted onto her forehead. It felt like she was being stabbed with a hot poker or something along those lines. She couldn't help but hiss, shutting her eyes instinctively.

Sailor Mercury paled but her voice brightened. "Oh, my God. I was right!"

The youma looked down at the young woman in fear, eyes widening. "No. No, it can't be. But... Lord Jadeite said. Oh, damn!" Without warning, the youma pushed Rei away from it as if it had been holding onto fire, sending her flying into Mercury, who caught her with some degree of difficulty. It was clearly alarmed and wanted nothing more than to distance itself from a new warrior.

"Sailor Mars..." it hissed, backing away. "I recognize the symbol. I remember that one. The stories... Roasting flesh and flying ash. No. No, I've heard the tales. The memories of the old ones. I won't let that one awaken." With a snarl, it hurled itself towards Mercury and the awakening soldier.

Without a second thought, Tuxedo Kamen threw himself between the monster and the two girls.

"Then you go through me first."

-----

"I was right," Mercury repeated, helping Rei to her feet. Of course, Ami was used to being right on tests and things and she had fairly good intuition, but it had seemed far too fantastic to be true. Then again, she supposed she had better get used to fantastic things soon. "You are... I never thought it... You are! You really are the next one!"

"The next what?" Rei asked irritably, clutching her still glowing forehead. "What are you all babbling about? And why does it feel like someone is driving a thousand matches into my skin?"

Mercury supposed that without Luna, she was going to have to explain. "You said that you knew who we were, right? Well... It seems that you're one of us."

Rei looked up at her dubiously. "You have got to be kidding me."

"No," Mercury said softly. "I wish I was. I mean, I wish that we didn't have to exist at all. That is..." She decided to abandon this line of explanation. "The point is, you're one of us. Mars, if I remember my astronomy correctly and that monster's babbling meant anything."

"Let me get this straight," Rei groused, looking none too pleased with this development. "I'm another short skirted warrior with a tiara on my head? I'm supposed to... help you? Defend Tokyo? Save the world?"

Mercury nodded haplessly. "Something like that."

Rei was less than receptive to this idea. "I don't believe this. And I really mean that I absolutely refuse to believe this is happening. And have I mentioned that my head is killing me?"

"That only stops when you transform," Mercury explained, feeling rather foolish. This did sound rather silly.

Rei sighed. "All right. I'll play along. How do I manage that?"

Mercury looked around, hoping that Luna had magically appeared. Of course, she hadn't. She probably didn't even realize that anything was wrong. And now she was all alone with a new Senshi and Mamoru was fighting the monster all by himself. For once, she didn't know what to do.

She heard a sickening crunch and whirled to look back on the fight going on in their midst. Tuxedo Kamen's hat had long been abandoned, but his mask miraculously stayed on. His cape was torn and there was a hole in his pants, but that was the least of his problems. He was covered in his own blood, and she could tell that his left eye was blackened severely. The crunch must have been the sound of his arm breaking, which now hung uselessly at his side.

"Oh, God," Mercury whispered, wishing suddenly that she was more faithful so that she could at least expect some sort of answer. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Why don't you help him?" Rei demanded tersely. "He can't handle that monster on his own. No one could. Forget about me. Help him!"

"What can I do?" Mercury asked miserably. "I don't have any damaging attacks. All I can do is cast fog. Your element is fire, and that should be helpful. But we can't awaken you without Luna, and I don't know where she is. I'm not strong enough to help him... I need Luna! I need Luna to get your henshin pen now! I can't--"

Sailor Mercury stopped, something dawning on her. She suddenly remembered Luna's words from earlier. About how she envisioned the weapons and instruments they used as being stored in some warehouse somewhere. A warehouse where they could also keep records that she had accessed on her computer. Records previously denied her.

Mercury whipped out her computer, quickly racing through the various menus and safeguards she was slowly becoming familiar with. She made her way back to the Senshi Files and clicked on the one labeled SAILOR MARS.

"Please work, please work, please, please work!"

Mercury nearly leapt for joy when the screen popped up.

SOLDIER: SAILOR MARS
CIVILIAN IDENTITY: HINO REI
RANKING: SECOND IN COMMAND
PRIMARY FUNCTION: GUARDIAN TO THE PRINCESS
LOCATION: TOKYO, JUUBAN AREA, SENDAI HILL, HIKAWA JINJA
AGE: 14
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: ARIES
HEIGHT: 5'3'
WEIGHT: RESTRICTED
BLOOD TYPE: A
ELEMENT: FIRE
UNIFORM: RED, PURPLE
STRENGTHS: UNKNOWN
WEAKNESSES: UNKOWN
POWERS: DISPELING SPIRITS (AKU RYO TAI SAN)
FIRE SOUL

-- SOLDIER NOT YET ACTIVATED --

CLICK HERE TO ACTIVATE

Mercury blinked. "It can't possibly be that simple. I do think that this computer must be a combination of technology and magic if it truly was in existence so long ago. So, it would stand to reason that I'd be able to access that reserve... But there is no way it could be that simple."

Her throat constricted painfully when she heard Tuxedo Kamen cry out.

"Please be that simple," Mercury whispered desperately, clicking that button with ferocity.

The symbol on the lid of the computer pulsed blue three times before flashing red, like an eruption of color. Crimson hued light poured out from the center, a solid object forming out of the light that pooled in front of her. It took shape, resembling the pen that she herself carried. She breathed a sigh of relief when a pen of red and gold clattered to the ground without ceremony.

Still holding her forehead, Rei narrowed her eyes and instantly reached out for the pen, examining it closely. "This..." she whispered. "I know this. Not from a vision, but... All the same, I know this."

"I know," Mercury said softly, her tone gentle even if her words were rushed. "I felt the same way. You are Sailor Mars, whether you like it or not. And you just have to help us. We're... We're not strong enough, the two of us. I just know that you are stronger than both of us. We need your help, Hino-san. Please, please help us."

Rei never took her eyes off of the henshin pen as she got to her feet. "I still think you're insane. Just so we're clear. But... I guess I have to try if you won't."

Mercury couldn't look her in the eye anymore even though she deserved it.

"What do I do?"

------

Things were not going at all well for Tuxedo Kamen. In fact, things were going spectacularly bad. He often frowned upon medical students who partook in self-diagnosis, but it didn't take a man with a degree to tell him that his shoulder was dislocated. Badly. And it didn't take a doctor to tell him that he'd probably bruised a few ribs and that he was bound to have some nasty cuts were he a normal human being. The blood and bone told him well enough.

Part of him was annoyed that Ami hadn't jumped in, but he realized it was madness to ask for such a thing to happen. She still lacked a great deal of self-confidence. Not to mention, if he was getting trounced, she certainly wasn't going to be much help. And if Rei was in fact Sailor Mars, who he already knew was meant to wield fire, Mercury was really better off standing back and trying to do... whatever it was she was trying to do. After all, it wasn't as if he could really spare his attention right at the moment to be sure of what was going on.

He was currently leaning against a wall, clutching his useless arm and trying to catch his breath. He had miraculously managed to avoid being filleted, but he knew that wasn't going to last much longer without aid. The youma was leering at him, preparing to strike again.

"You're all so pathetic," it hissed. "The Senshi won't even fight. The new one can't awaken. And you... you no-name that one remembers, is going to die and leave the women to fend for themselves." The demon laughed, its fur momentarily standing on end before settling back down. "And to think there are still monsters who fear the once great Sailor Senshi."

"Maybe you should start again."

Tuxedo Kamen looked up, smiling broadly when he saw Rei standing next to Sailor Mercury. Her look was murderous, her stance proud, but he was really concerned with what was in her hand. He didn't know how she'd managed it, but Mercury had gotten hold of the Martian henshin pen.

"Way to go, Ami," he muttered, taking another deep breath.

"What is that?" the youma asked, panicking. "What's in your hand?"

Rei's expression didn't change. "Let's find out, shall we? MARS POWER, MAKE-UP!"

The room filled with red light and heat as streams of fire poured out of the pen that Rei held in her hand. She spun around as rings of fire surrounded her. The others were uncomfortable being in the same room as the magic flames, but Rei didn't seem remotely phased by it. A flash of light, and suddenly it was Sailor Mars standing there in red high heels and a sassy expression.

"Filthy youma!" Mars shouted, glaring murderously. "How dare you invade this planet and try and kill those trying to protect it! Disrespectful. In the name of the planet Mars, I'm the Senshi of Fire, and I'll chastise you!"

Now the monster looked nervous. It snarled, tightening its grip on its blades. "Enough of this folly. I won't be another victim of the Red Senshi. Die!"

Acting purely on instinct, Tuxedo Kamen threw another rose at the monster, slicing across its knuckles. It temporarily dropped one of its weapons, giving Tuxedo Kamen enough time to push himself off the wall and launch a vicious punch at the demon with his good hand.

Mars stepped forward, looking over at Mercury. "You seem to have all the ideas around here. What should we do?"

Mercury pondered this matter quickly, happy to be useful. She wasn't sure if Mars's attack alone would be enough to kill the monster. It would be weak on her first try, and Tuxedo Kamen didn't have enough time to wait for her to fire off another shot. Then she saw the bow and arrow lying on the ground. She gathered it up as fast as she could, going through the assigned motions as quickly as she could. She took aim.

"Light it!" Mercury shouted, letting the arrow fly.

Without taking the time to ask why, Mars instinctively drove her two forefingers together. A spark lit instantly and flames filled the air, shooting directly towards the arrow with her cry. "FIRE SOUL!"

This time, Mercury's aim was impeccable. The youma turned around just in time to see the flaming arrow spinning towards it, heading right for the middle of its forehead.

It hit dead on, and the monster shrieked even as its brain was impaled. Unlike the first arrow, it seemed to have an effect on the youma. The fire spread throughout its body quickly, bits of dust and ash falling to the ground for what felt to Sailor Mars like hours. The scream went on and on until finally the head burned up and fell, scattered on the floor.

The three warriors stood there for a moment, all panting heavily even if they had not been running around. Tuxedo Kamen groaned slightly and his knees buckled. Mercury dashed forward, catching him before he hit the ground and propping him up as best as she could given their disparity in heights. Mars remained still, staring at her hands and looking for burn marks that weren't there, shaking and awestruck and terrified and utterly alive.

A few moments later, Luna dashed in, covered in more than a few twigs and leaves as well as a few scrapes. She looked around at the pile of dust in the middle of the room, the victims of the attack strewn about the room, the two warriors she knew, and the one she didn't. She frowned, her whiskers twitching.

"I think I missed something."

-----

"I am impressed, Lord Jadeite." Beryl addressed all of her subjects in the same rich, impersonal tone of voice from her dais. However, while she was more often than not displeased with something, she seemed pleased at least for the moment. And for that, Jadeite was grateful.

"The amount of energy you have collected is most impressive. It is nearly on par with the amount Kunzite gathered in London before we were found out... And you say you collected this all on your own? You had no aid from a youma?"

"No help, your highness," Jadeite intoned, struggling to keep his voice respectful and not betray his giddiness.

"Why would you, a high-ranking Dark Lord, chose to do the work of a common demon?"

Jadeite smirked. "Because I am a high-ranking Dark Lord and they are common demons."

Though a subtle ripple of displeasure began to filter through the spectators, Beryl's seldom heard chuckle effectively quashed that sentiment. A few dared to join her, and though their companions could tell it was not half-hearted, those demons would surely pay for their levity in a dark corridor within the hour.

"Well done, Lord Jadeite," Beryl reiterated. "We are all grateful for your service to the Dark Kingdom."

Jadeite's inner child was beaming at all of this praise.

"And I trust the Sailor Senshi and that Tuxedo Kamen have been taken care of as well?"

Before Jadeite could offer up any assurance that he was expecting a report back at any moment, he sensed Zoisite's all too unwelcome presence behind him. A few sakura petals floated in front of his face, as if strategically placed to annoy him. He waved his hand, casting them aside as he marveled on how utterly inappropriate the delicate flowers seemed for the treacherous general. He felt perhaps that ripe sewage would be apt.

"What is the meaning of this, Zoisite?" Queen Beryl asked, eternally irritated by his antics.

Refusing to stand on the ground like a normal person would, Zoisite remained up in the air, crossing his legs as casually as if he was sitting down to tea. "Forgive my intrusion, Queen Beryl," he began in a tone that clearly illustrated how unapologetic he was. "I just thought you and Jadeite might be interested to know that my spies have only just now reported that his youma has failed, Mercury and Tuxedo Kamen still live, and a new Senshi has joined the ranks. Sailor Mars if you want to be specific."

There was a terrible moment in which Queen Beryl didn't seem to register the information. It was very much like the eruption of a volcano. One could sense the rumbling for days or week, but there would always be a few horrible seconds in which everything would become utterly still. The smoke and ash would fill the air as liquid fire slipped down the mountain, destroying everything in its path without any semblance of mercy.

"WHAT!"

Of course, Beryl was far worse than a volcano.

"And I'm dead," Jadeite muttered miserable, quickly formulating a way to use Zoisite as a body shield.

Beryl was positively seething. "Jadeite, your incompetence has not only cost us the deaths of our two enemies, but the birth of a third! And the Soldier of Fire no less! Surely even you remember how deadly she proved to be in the final days of the Moon Kingdom!"

To be perfectly honest, he didn't. However, Kunzite had once mentioned that she'd taken out an entire infantry troupe in one blast early on in the battle. The reappearance of Sailor Mars was the sharpest nail in his specially made coffin.

Jadeite tried to swallow only to find that his mouth was dryer than stone. "Queen Beryl, I--"

"No more excuses!" Queen Beryl screeched. "I'm through with your failures! I hereby order--"

"One moment, Queen Beryl," a cool alto voice echoed, bringing the queen's tirade to a halt. A moment later, Jadeite felt a light mist cover the left side of his body, offering him a little comfort in what he thought were his last moments. He dared to steal a glance at the new arrival, only slightly surprised to see Tetis standing there.

A high level assassin in the Dark Kingdom, Tetis had achieved all of the honor a mere youma could possibly achieve in its short existence. She served directly under Queen Beryl, answering to her and her alone. Pale skin, long hair darker than the sea, and a short Chinese dress graced her human form. Tetis was one of the few youma who did not drop the glamour even at home. She saved it for the kill, and somehow, that made her that much more dangerous. And it was her status that saved her from Queen Beryl's wrath.

"Have you come to defend this pathetic worm, Tetis?" Beryl asked, sounding somewhat amused. It was no secret in the Dark Kingdom that Tetis had a certain fondness for Jadeite.

Tetis bowed reverently, smiling wryly. "Forgive me, Queen Beryl. I am afraid that the state of the current situation must fall on to my shoulders as well. Any punishment he is to receive should be dealt to me."

"Oh?" Queen Beryl questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes," she insisted coolly, glancing at Jadeite meaningfully to quash any hint that might give her away. "You see, Jadeite sent word to me some time ago that he was going to require my services in this matter. Unfortunately, the message was not delivered to me until a few moments ago. I expect that Jadeite was forced to locate a sub par replacement at the last minute."

"Is this true, Jadeite?" Beryl asked, betraying nothing.

"Yes, your majesty," Jadeite said without a suggestion to the contrary.

She considered this momentarily before turning to Tetis. "You should get better help."

Tetis smiled and for the first time Jadeite noticed that she was wiping her hands on a handkerchief stained with blood. "It's been taken care of."

The queen chuckled before waving her hand. "Very well then. Begin a new plan of attack when ready. And next time you appear before me, I expect you to be accompanied by at least one carcass."

Tetis smiled, bowing once more. "You shall have three times that, my Queen."

"We'll not fail you," Jadeite said loudly, amazed by Tetis's potentially damning boast.

"See that you don't," Beryl warned. Afraid to waste another moment in her presence, both Jadeite and Tetis vanished in their respective manners from the court.

That left Zoisite hovering in the air, absolutely fuming. He didn't seem to notice that Beryl had turned her attention to other advisors and would not hear his protests. "But... That's it? I thought he was going to fry if he screwed up again!"

"Well, he didn't," came another voice from behind him. Zoisite whirled in the air to see Nephrite advancing from the ranks of youma, stopping to lean against a wall casually while Zoisite tensed. "It seems you failed this time, Zoisite. Jadeite lives another day."

Zoisite sniffed, flipping his ponytail haughtily. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Nephrite smiled ruthlessly, walking forward with his hands buried in his pockets. "Tell me something, Zoisite... What exactly would Kunzite say if he found out that you were using the youma you're supposed to be training as spies to ensure your advancement?"

Zoisite pursed his lips, turning a rather hilarious shade of red. He need not ask Nephrite what he wanted in exchange for his silence on this particular bit of information.

"Fine," Zoisite snarled. "Jadeite's safe from me for now. But you can't protect him forever!"

"You're right," Nephrite agreed breezily. "Eventually I'll probably kill you."

Zoisite vanished with a strangled yell, sending hundreds of sakura petals into the air. Brushing a stray blossom from his shoulder, Nephrite turned, making his way back to his quarters. He was in need a celebratory brandy.

-----

Jadeite instantly reached for his supply of absinthe when he got back to his room. Of course, his hands were shaking so much that it was up to Tetis to pour him the drink lest he lose the precious alcohol.

"It was damn stupid of you not to come to me, Jadeite," she told him sweetly, handing him the glass. "What were you thinking, sending an energy collector on an killer's errand?"

"I was..." Jadeite began a thought before realizing that any excuse would have been foolish. To be honest, there was exactly one reason why he had not gone to Tetis and she knew it. He didn't want to be distracted. Now she'd forced his hand and there was little he could do about it.

Jadeite took a long swig of his alcohol, making it clear that he wasn't going to answer her question. Instead, he pulled off his jacket and fell back onto a chair, glowering. "Damn them. Damn them all."

She laughed lightly, leaning up against a table, situating herself in a manner that afforded him a very nice few of her long legs. "Of course. It's just all terribly unfair for you isn't it?"

"Yes," he agreed instantly. "If it hadn't been for Zoisite--"

"She would have found out anyway," Tetis reminded him. "Zoisite has merely proven himself to be as much of a power seeking nuisance as you feared. But I wouldn't worry about him anymore."

Jadeite snorted, lifting his glass to his lips. "Why? Are you going to kill him for me?"

Tetis smiled, crossing her legs slowly, arching a brow at him. "Would you like me to?"

"Yes," Jadeite responded without pause. "But I can't let you. Kunzite would have your head."

Tetis didn't deny it. As good as she was, every member of the Dark Kingdom knew better than to get on Kunzite's bad side. The only person more feared than he was Queen Beryl herself.

"All I meant was, I have a feeling Nephrite can keep him off our back until we finish our job," Tetis clarified.

"Yes. Our job," Jadeite snapped, downing the rest of his drink and gesturing for Tetis to hand him the rest of the bottle.

She pouted cutely, holding it out for him before he snatched it away. "Are you mad at me?"

"Of course!" he snapped, slamming his glass down on the nearest flat surface. "You forced this situation! You're making me work with you regardless of my wishes! You killed your subordinate--"

"Oh, don't act like you care about that," Tetis instructed roughly. "You Shitennou have no consideration for my kind. All you care about is securing your position and keeping Beryl happy. You don't care how many 'common youma' die to further your cause."

Jadeite laughed. "If I'm so horrible to your people, why are you here?"

Tetis shrugged, pushing herself away from the table and walking over the Jadeite, leading with her hips. She straddled him, pushing her hands underneath his faded navy shirt. He remained stoic even as her nails ran over his abs and chest, making his heart beat faster whether he wanted it or not.

"You know that I adore you, Lord Jadeite," Tetis said softly. "What does it matter why? All I know is that you've always given me the cold shoulder, but seeing as I just saved your ass from the fryer, you owe me. And I have no use for money."

Jadeite's breath hitched as he set down his tools to promote drunkenness. "You were an idiot to promise Beryl all three of them."

"Don't worry about it," Tetis whispered into his ear. "I'm here now."

With that, all conversation ceased as Tetis bared her sharp teeth, biting his neck with an animal's ferocity, drawing blood. Acquiescing to this distraction, Jadeite moaned, running his hands up and down her back until he located the zipper.

Well, if he had to be taken away from his work, at least it was this way.

-----

"And that's the whole of it," Tuxedo Kamen finished.

The four of them had retreated to the rooftop when they'd heard authorities and staff heading their way. They had to assure Sailor Mars several times that they would all be all right, but she'd come along in something of a daze. Tuxedo Kamen was leaning rather heavily on Sailor Mercury, who was hardly in a position to hold him up herself, but was performing admirably. Luna remained next to Mars, hoping the girl would say something as she'd been silent since they'd left.

"Like I said earlier," Tuxedo Kamen restated, clearing his throat slightly. "You don't have to do this, and--"

"But it is your destiny," Luna interrupted, speaking over her protégé with a glare. "We will need you in the coming days, Sailor Mars. Your fire power is clearly feared by the enemy. Your reputation alone could help to stem the tide."

"Right now, all we're doing is fighting for our lives," Mercury added softly. "But with you, maybe we could do some good. And... it would be nice to have another Senshi on the team." She blushed softly, lowering her gaze.

Mars was still staring at her hands. This was hard to adjust to... She had known something was coming, but this? Magic powers? A war over a thousand years old? Monsters and fire and fighting and blood? She had never seen this coming. The kami could have sent her a letter by priority mail, and she still would have been taken completely off guard.

She bit her lip and whispered, "So... this is... All of this is... And I'm..."

Tuxedo Kamen grinned at her, coughing once. "You're taking this a lot better than I did. I'd go into detail about it, but I probably shouldn't use that kind of language--" He started coughing, his shoulders heaving with the force of it. Without being bidden, Sailor Mercury helped him sit down, kneeling down next to him. She was clearly worried, but knew better than to ask him anything at that moment. Luna bounded over to him after a moment, resting both of her paws on his knee.

Sailor Mars stared at Tuxedo Kamen with wide eyes. Even though he was three times as tall and wearing a black tuxedo, she could see nothing but her grandfather. Her stubborn, ailing, very old grandfather. The man who meant the most to her. The only person who had ever cared about her. The person she yelled at all time but loved so desperately it hurt in her chest.

Without warning, Mars detransformed, holding her henshin pen in her hand. Just as Tuxedo Kamen was able to breathe normally again, she thrust the pen back into his hands. "Take it. I don't want it. Just take it back."

Luna stared at her in complete shock. "But... But you're Sailor Mars! You can't just--"

"He said I could," Rei snapped unkindly. "And I'm more inclined to listen to him than a cat. Find someone else."

"There is no one else!" Luna shouted. "You're the one with the power, the heritage. You're the only one who can do this."

Rei paused at that, but only for a split second before shaking her head. "I'm sorry. But I have no interest in risking my life to save the world. I have other responsibilities."

"What could be more important than the fate of the planet!" Luna exclaimed.

Rei narrowed her eyes and seemed compelled to answer, but she didn't. She shut her eyes, shaking her head. "You wouldn't understand. Just leave me alone and don't bother me again." With that, she turned on her heel and walked back to the door.

They all flinched when she slammed the door.

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