Title: Soul Lights

Subtitle: Foreshadowed Dusk (2/3)

Status: Alpha

Author: Matthias aka MysticMew

Email: Minaru@gmx.de

(Plot) Beta-reader: Ayrki

Rating: R

Category: Angst, Romance, Crossover/Fusion (somewhat)

Fandoms: Sailormoon (manga), bits of Tenchi Muyo (OVA), Card Captor Sakura (manga)/Slayers, Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha, Vision of Escaflowne, Magic Knight Rayearth, Skies of Arcadia Legends

Main Pairing: Minako/Hotaru/Makoto, with a side focus on Sakura/Tomoyo/? and Lina/Amelia/Sylphiel (which in a way is the same)

Timeline: Five years after the end of the manga. This is the first Main Story Arc of the Soul Lights Continuum

Summary: Crystal Tokyo is just a few months away when the peaceful lives of the Senshi are thrown into utter chaos again. Can Minako survive the various hardships suddenly thrust into her path and can the Senshi survive their final battle to realize the future they worked so hard for?

Distribution: Soul Lights Continuum (http://sl.catstrio.de), Starsinlove-group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/starsinlove), ff.net (www.fanfiction.net), Mediaminer (www.mediamer.org), ASMR (www.moonromance.net), Shoujo Ai.com (www.shoujoai.com). Anyone else, you can have it but please ask first, 'kay?

Disclaimer: See individual disclaimers below intro

Story Disclaimer: Copyright©2004 by Matthias Engel

Note: () indicates change of POV to the listed character, if empty then the following will be done in third person, a question mark indicates a character who is either unknown yet to the reader or should stay that way for now. <> Indicated time/place if necessary

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<200005 BC ()>

Queen Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune stepped out at the balcony of the bedchamber she had spent the last night in - not her own at that. The sun hadn't risen yet and dawn was coloring the horizon in its colorful spectacle. It was weird, she rarely had had time in the last months to come out in the morning and watch the sunrise. Not that she was THAT romantic but the sight definitely had some appeal, a calming effect with which to begin a new stressful day. Now though, after one of the most bizarre and at the same time revealing encounters in her life - including the sudden duties of a ruler passed onto her after the successful assassination on her father Philionel. It was a small wonder that she felt so calm right now, not all disturbed with the hundred-eighty degree spin her - until now mostly non-existent - romantic life had taken.

Amelia did not turn when the other woman stepped up next to her. Sylphiel Nels Lahda, trained shrine maiden - well, priestess in all but actually acknowledged status - joined her friend - and after the recent events most likely so much more - in watching the peaceful scene of the capital city that during the last months had been all but peaceful with the conflicts between Shinzoku, Mazoku and the renegade mixed tribe that had settled at Dragon's Peak affecting the human society and invoking fears and more than a bit wariness.

"How are you feeling?" Sylphiel asked after awhile of silence, glancing at her friend out of the corner of her eye.

Amelia found the question horribly cliché but answered anyway with a wry smile. "Weird. Definitely weird. But strangely enough not repulsed or anything… I… Somehow I always wondered if there was something. What surprised me more was Lina's open admission…" She glanced sideways at the purple-haired woman who had gently laid one hand atop Amelia's.

"We are a lot more mature now. It's been… a long time since we all got to know each other."

"And since when did you know about her problems?" Amelia asked, the question having nagged at her mind ever since finding her two friends from so long in a rather compromising position.

The shrine maiden looked away briefly and Amelia thought she caught her grimace slightly. "Since the beginning." The young queen raised her eyebrows at the flat, somewhat bitter tone. "Lina… confided in me after the thing with Fibrizo was over. At first it was okay but then it got out of hand. She became more aggressive and well… I ended up leaving the group then. Not a smart move, yes. It was pitiful overreaction. I knew even back then that Lina's condition wasn't something she could control, she depended on me and well… As I said, we are all a lot older now and I think differently about this."

Amelia stared at her friend and recent lover intently for a moment. The other woman finally turned to meet her gaze, blue meeting green, and a sensation of kinship and affection passed between them. "But you love her, don't you? Not just an infatuation thing like Gourry?"

Sylphiel laughed merrily, having long since gotten over the notion of being embarrassed about her crush on the blonde swordsman. "I think I already loved her back then. I had a lot of time to think after Copy Rezo and before I met up with you again. Neither of us was ready to admit anything back then though. We were young, insecure and the situation was rather bizarre… even by our standards."

"Tell me about it," Amelia muttered. "I worked so hard politically lately though, I wonder if anything can really shock me anymore. It's just, I don't know how to handle an emotional situation like this…" She trailed of feeling the other woman's arm slip around her waist. The young queen did not quite know why but she felt the irresistible urge to lean her head against the taller woman and seeing as there was no reason to wear the mask of control here in the privacy of someone she had just shared the wildest night in her life with, Amelia complied with her instinct. A soft sigh escaped her lips when Sylphiel's arms fully slipped around her and she lifted her head to once again gaze into the gentle eyes of her friend, advisor and… lover. Strange, the term didn't really bother her at all.

"Will you be alright with this?" Sylphiel asked softly.

Amelia only hesitated for a moment. She and Sylphiel had become closer ever since the shrine maiden had come to stay with her a few months back. Without her friend's support she wondered if she had given up halfway through that stressful time filled with heavy diplomacy that she in no way felt really qualified to deal with but somehow ended up doing. And it was evident that Lina would need them both now, regardless of their feelings.

Amelia could think of worse compromises. So, instead of answering, she moved forward and captured Sylphiel's lips with her own.

******************************

The year 2001. The world has entered the new Millennium and the birth of a new age is proclaimed. Yet, the true birth is still to come, now in tangible distance. The Senshi prepare for the promised rebirth of their kingdom, enjoying the last months of normal life.

But while events unforeseen begin to shatter the tranquility and happiness of their everyday life, in the shadows something old and absolute dark is stirring. Soon it will show its face and then, then the true battle will begin…

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M&M DreamWorks Presents

Soul Lights

Foreshadowed Dusk

Phase Two: Dealing

A Mega-Crossover/Fusion Epic

Based on the works of Takeuchi Naoko and all other assorted authors

Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon(c)Takeuchi Naoko

Card Captor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth(c)CLAMP

Slayers(c)Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi

Tenchi Muyo(c)Pioneer

Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2(c)Takahashi Rumiko

The Vision of Escaflowne(c)Kawamori Shoji, Yatate Hajime

Skies of Arcadia Legends(c)Nintendo, Sega, Overworks

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<February 16, 2001 (Tomoyo)>

With a startled gasp I returned to conscious awareness as the vision ended rather abruptly, leaving me with a particular taste as if almost having experienced personally what Memory had been relaying me. That was hardly a first, the nature of flashbacks being a rather realistic one. They often left me a lot to muse about.

"Woah…" I murmured at the intense feelings left by that last particular experience. Not that it had been the first scene of such nature I had experienced in my still barely adequate "memory training", far from it. But most of the time that which I did remember tended to center or at least prioritizes in dealing with Sakura and my past life. I think that was the first one about me and Sylphiel alone.

"Are you alright, Mistress?" I glanced to the side seeing Memory hover there with a hesitant, somewhat worried expression.

I was quick to alleviate her concerns though. "It's alright. That particular memory was just… rather powerful. I know you can't really influence an exact memory, so don't feel bad about it. Besides, I want to learn after all." I smiled at the card sprite who relaxed in genuine relief. She was for all the perfection she had been crafted with by my darling Sakura a child at heart, barely more than a newborn in the sense of magical creatures and that tended to show sometimes. With a nod I signaled her that that would be enough for today and that she could return to the book.

Standing up, I left the study as well, not really watching my way as I navigated through the large Daidouji mansion with the ease of someone who had grown up in the maze-like corridors. Even with all the additions and remodeling done to provide Sakura and lately me with a suitable environment for our respective magical profession I didn't really need to look to find my way, nor did I actually need to wonder about where to find Sakura - which was not always in the same place as one might expect. The short walk - relatively seen - gave me some time to muse about the recent memory. Remembering Sylphiel had become a lot easier lately, surely a sign that a meeting in this life was inevitable close. We had forged such deep bonds back then that they ought to reflect in this incarnation. Now, if we could just find her…

I actually found Sakura in our personal "living room". More or less the entire upper floor had been altered for us. While in our younger years we had often switched between here and Sakura's family residence, the room issue and other obligations had convinced the Card Mistress that it would be more convenient to stay here. I could very well understand that my girlfriend didn't want to leave her father alone at home now that her brother and Yukito had also moved out a year ago but it wasn't like we were on the other side of Earth after all.

An affectionate smile crossed my lips as I studied Sakura in the position I found her in for awhile, aware that she knew very well I was standing there. Spread out on her chest, she lay with her arms propped up and her chin resting over her folded hands, her reddish hair falling over shoulders and partially obscuring that lovely face. With soft steps I moved forward and slid next to her on the spacious couch. Tentatively I let one hand trail through the fiery, wild mane of hair and proceeded to bring it back into some state of order. "Enjoying yourself, Lina-chan?"

Sakura glanced over her shoulder at me with a knowing smile. "Hmm, I remember someone always telling me I should relax more." She paused for a moment before adding in a curious tone, "Lina-chan?"

"Ah…" I started not having noticed that reflecting on my past life experiences had once again rooted me to a different mindset. Not that either of us cared about the difference. There wasn't that much of a difference, at least not essentially. There where it counted, there was love, the only thing that truly mattered.

"Must have been intense if you're calling me that. I really should tell Memory-chan not to stir THAT kind of flashbacks too much," Sakura teased with a somewhat sultry grin that made me color just a little.

"Actually, it wasn't about you at all. It was… about Syl-chan and me." Sakura cocked an eyebrow at that. "I think after our… um, first time together."

"Oh," Sakura elaborated and was silent for awhile, obviously thinking back at that time which had been a defining experience for all three of us and definitely the start of something wonderful - if much too short in the end - despite the initial awkwardness. "Um…" Sakura started again, clearly uncomfortable now, "do you want to talk about it?"

I didn't need to ask what "it" was. After all "it" had began to affect our coupling recently as well. I understood from what Sakura told me about her condition that her excessive use of Chaos Magic and actually playing Avatar for the Lord of Nightmares - who back then was believed to be the creator of everything, Chaos personified - had a disturbing effect on her mana balance and triggered certain… needs in the young Lina Inverse who were as well sexual as they could get… aggressive when not satisfied. Lina had practically been drawn to those who presented a counterbalance to her Black Magic-orientated mana, thus people like me and Sylphiel who had both been trained as shrine maidens in White Magic, the natural opposite lore. Of course, that hadn't been all that had attracted Lina to us… and me to her. We had been young though and it took many years and experience to actually act on it. The way Amelia had found out about Lina's condition had been rather… disturbing but it helped that we all had been so much older then. All in all, everything had worked out fine and Lina ended up effectively stabilized physically, emotionally and mentally between the two of us.

Mind you, Sakura was by far not that unbalanced as her past life had been. She had a side to her mana that was a pure force of creation, opposed to the destructiveness of Black Magic. But some of her prior condition was showing in recent… ahem, more kinky traits. Not that I minded all that much, rather enjoying some of her creative ideas, for Sakura it was obviously a troubling issue though.

"It's not like you can control it. And since you cast the Ragna Blade to prevent Pandora from breaking through the seal, you didn't have to cast any such magic," I assured my lover at last, having repositioned myself at the far end of the couch, providing a pillow for Sakura's head who had turned around to lay on her backside.

"But that's just it," the redhead argued with a dully pained expression. "I am going to do a lot of that stuff shortly the way it's going. I talked to Time and she says by now Pandora might be able to actually sneak a scout through and that puts us on a very tight schedule to find Syl-chan before her. As much as we try, it appears to be inevitable that there will be another battle and I won't be able to hold back then." I sighed contently when Sakura reached up to cup my cheek with one hand. "I don't want to end up hurting you, Lia-chan… I mean…"

I put a finger over her lips, silencing her with the gesture. "And you won't. You know I have faith in you. We'll find Sylphiel before her and then I'm sure we can recreate what we had before. You are not just Lina Inverse anymore, you are also Kinomoto Sakura, someone who mastered the Clow Cards and has the magic to create her own. Don't you think you can handle this now?"

Sakura smiled weakly. "One day I'm going to die - happily at that - from all that unconditional faith. It's just that I fear that I pushed open a door and this body - despite all my mental maturity - is not quite ready to deal with the full impact should I really do more than one casting… We both know what this one time nearly cost me."

I didn't need to be reminded and hastily leaned down to kiss the other girl, extinguishing all the dark emotions threatening to materialize in a strangling cluster around my heart. Sakura responded in kind to the passionate kiss, clearly just as eager to find more pleasing things than to remember near death experiences.

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(Makoto)

It was a bright and sunny morning in Minato-ku, a premature spring day you might say. The weather was rather erratic those first weeks of the new year, going from snow to heavy rains, to cloudy indifference and now to a warm sunbath that seemed to be much to the joy to the many people going after their regular activities on the market on a Saturday morning. If all, those erratic weather swings only served to heighten the sense of disquiet I had lately. The feelings that nature fed me only got stronger and it was about time that a serious meeting was called on this. The only problem being that there was no real… cause, no particular problem to point at. It was rather much like the quiet before the storm. Nature tended to sense when something major was about to happen and reacted accordingly. The experience of this unknown danger was slowly driving me crazy.

Not that my life wasn't crazy enough already. Thinking about that faceless-possible threat was only reminding further on my own personal problems. Things had definitely not gotten better between Minako, Hotaru and myself. Ever since learning of the child that we had unconsciously conceived, a sort of quasi routine had been established between the three of us. Neither of us spoke about the incident following our leader's revelation anymore. It was clear that Minako herself was vastly uncomfortable with her reaction.

Hotaru and I had made a point of visiting Minako regularly and supporting her as best as possible. But that had mostly been all there was to it. Minako did not reject the help when offered, obviously getting the point by now that we both felt equally responsible but neither did she especially ask for help. That did not only leave us at loss at how to react often but tended to get Minako in the one or other kind of trouble sometimes by overtaxing herself.

I could understand that she was feeling irritated scooped up at home, doing nothing. That girl had always been someone who couldn't sit still for a moment and the demands her body put onto her were proving to unnerve her to no end. By now she was showing heavy signs of the impending baby, much more so than should be the case in roughly the fourth month. As far as we were able to tell, pregnancy for a Senshi obviously went a little different, not to mention much faster.

The others had taken the revelations quite well - okay, aside from Michiru having to restrain Haruka from skinning Minako alive! - and I was seriously glad about it that neither of them tried to intrude too much on the already fragile relationship between us. It was hard enough to deal with Minako at times but coupled with the mood swings caused by her pregnancy the task was one a kami would think about twice before taking! Minako's continued closure about the emotional issue was driving both Hotaru and me nuts. The little Firefly was often lost in thought and while our own relationship had not weakened, it hadn't progressed either. All in all, the whole situation was seriously nuts and I began to slowly doubt my sanity.

I moved along in the line of one of the food stands when a peculiar shout disrupted the normal bustle of activity on the market.

"Stop, thief! You are under arrest!"

I glanced up but didn't turn around, dismissing the incident right away. Stuff like that always happened. Senshi or not, if I'd jump in for any crazy burglar the police wouldn't have any work to do and I had by far much more important things to worry about when to give the distinctive familiar voice a hand in catching the thief. In fact, if it wasn't so silly, I could have sworn the voice sounded just like Minako's…

I whirled around sharply, causing those nearest to me in the line to back off in the face of the ferocity of the maneuver. My eyes scanned the area swiftly and encountered a cloaked figure moving away through the crow with speed and agility that went far beyond that of a normal human. Hot on the figure's tail was a blonde woman who, even over the distance, I had no trouble identifying.

"Minako," I growled and the few choice words that described my thoughts at the moment about my pregnant friend once again pulling a stunt like that made some of the other woman waiting in the line flinch in either sympathy or askance. I had left my place and was moving before most of the onlookers even registered what was going on. Vaulting over people's heads and slipping in-between the crowds I cut a direct course of interception for the cloaked figure. Quite frankly I could care less about the thief. I was mad as hell and I really wanted to give Minako an earful. But my pride wouldn't allow me to get away with letting a criminal escape on my account. So, figuring the fastest way to get Minako to stop and give her that piece of my mind would be to stop the thief, I crossed the last bit of distance, and threw myself into a flying kick that should have come close to taking the figure's head off. Of course I had intended to pull the strike at the last moment but I was too surprised when the thief actually DODGED the attack that came with a speed that should be impossible for anyone but a superhuman or seasoned Martial Artist to even sense! I sailed past my initial target and just managed to catch myself on the sunroof of one stand before crashing foot-first into it.

By the time I got both feet back on the ground, Minako had caught up, studying the cloaked figure - who made no attempt to resume the escape but neither of surrendering - with more caution, obviously having caught the evasive maneuver. The unexpected miss had rattled me enough to bite back my angry comment for now as I joined Minako but I could not help making a snippy comment. "Fancy meeting you here of all people," I said, giving Minako's outfit a side glance. "Dressed like a regular street cop no less."

The blonde had the decency to at least look chagrinned upon being caught. "Alright," she addressed the figure now. "I have you now, you'd better give up." Contrary to her threat she didn't move forward though and the figure seemed to sense that. Instead of answering there came a different kind of reaction, one wholly unexpected even though one could probably say, "Story of our life." Before our astonished eyes the figures seemed to waver, then distort into a shapeless cloud before reforming into… a shapeless mass. Actually it looked almost like a… blob? "Hah?" Minako stated intelligible, echoing my thoughts exactly. After a slight pause Minako finally rolled her eyes and quibbled, "Now really, five years of nothing and now… this?"

While I could not agree any less with that, I moved slightly in front of my friend. Casting a glance around it was evident that there were too much onlookers to safely transform. "Careful, we don't know what…" All at once the blob shape seemed to contradict before expanding again with sudden force, spraying grayish slime in all directions. I had only a split second to react upon seeing Minako tense and wince in the middle of taking evasive action. With the speed granted by my training and the dormant yet still formidable traits granted from Jupiter I managed to get us both clear of the slime. Suffice to say all hell broke loose on the market with people running hither and wither, trying to get away from the obvious acidic slime.

"You okay?" I asked Minako concerned. The blonde had her face crunched in a mask of barely controlled pain and the way she was gripping her stomach it was not hard to figure out the cause of her distress. "Baka, what were you thinking doing something so stressing like that."

Minako grimaced. "It wasn't supposed to entail super fast thieves that turn into ugly… well, whatever that thing is." I gave her a look that all but said there would be an accounting for this incident later. For now though I had something else to take care of.

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(Hotaru)

You have to give it to the whims of fate. They always happened with the oddest timing as I had learned countless times before, not to mention very recently again. Right now one of those whims hit when I was halfway through the process of another test of my now fully-acquired - or reacquired - ability to create dimensional portals. I was so far gone that I might as well not have noticed the sensation if the prickling feeling of immanent danger was not so disturbingly familiar. As it was I paused almost a full minute, redirecting my focus on the Astral Plane in order to listen to that curious and… old feeling. Old as in ancient, ancient as in a pattern I had not felt in roughly two hundred millennia, before the Silver Millennium, upon THAT time. And that which was Saturn in me, or better that which was Phoebe, reacted with a start that set all my senses on full red alert.

The transformation flowed over my body even as I was already racing the rooftops, following the distinctive pattern that I had picked up and praying to my ancestors - or better to other's ancestors since I was much to old myself in a relative sense to refer to anyone by that term - that I was mistaken.

Of course, I wasn't. What did you expect? Sure enough as I arrived in one of the markets I knew Makoto frequented - ESPECIALLY today -, sure enough there I found a mob of panicking people running around uncoordinated in an attempt that hardly was suited to term proper fleeing. And in the midst of that chaos were Makoto and… Minako - that made me stumble for a moment, before I willed myself to ignore the implications for the moments - confronting a form that if you really wanted to term one for such a thing would remind one of a jelly or maybe to put it simpler… a classic… blob.

Said blob was right now giving Makoto a lesson why exactly it was a thoroughly unwise idea to confront this creature without her Senshi powers… not that I said it was wise to confront it at all, especially not alone. My lover was learning that lesson at the moment, being unable to keep up, in spite of her quite formidable speed, with something that seemed so… harmless.

Of course that view was probably radically altered by my present and past life lovers as the blob - after sending Makoto to the ground - began to shape-shift into something more befitting its danger potential. The same grayish substance reformed into a only remotely humanoid figure, with a built much similar to that of a troll and hideous skull with one single eye and a mouth baring a row of fangs that would have impressed a werewolf. No doubt the giant claws on the massive hands and feet were just as perilous to anyone who was foolish enough to make contact. And the fact that the creature did not hesitate right now to focus its attention on the two, at the moment rather helpless girls, I had no intention of renewing memories almost forgotten.

"SILENCE WALL!"

I thrust out the Silence Glaive and erected a force field just in time to absorb the energy beam that had come from the creature's eye without warning. With a leap I crossed the remaining distance and positioned myself between the other two and the hideous beast. "A seeker," I mumbled just loud enough for Makoto and Minako to hear, "And here I thought they were extinct by now."

Before I was able to answer my current lover's shout or explain anything, I had to spin my weapon in a whirling motion to block the second energy blast that curved around my frontal shield like a boomerang. Kuso, forgot how resourceful those things are. Turning the block into a thrust I managed to drive the creature back a little who was obviously wary of the Silence Glaive. That hint of knowledge and the way in which the Seeker had reacted to my mere presence was creating a sense of foreboding I was not quite ready to give any serious thought to in the current life or death situation.

"Stand back!" I shouted when I sensed Makoto advance behind me and at once sprung into action, falling into a pattern of carefully planned attacks that were as much to drive the creature away from my friends as it was to give me more space to move, not restricted to pose as a human shield. As it was I would have no chance standing up to the creature. They were as ruthless as they can get, even more so, and would not hesitate to use the slightest disadvantage against a foe.

The Seeker growled in a way that was purely unearthly, somewhat reminding me of the sounds an undead creature like a zombie would make but with a distinctive quality to it that made everyone whoever encountered their kind recognize this creature right away.

I let myself slip into my Saturn aspect completely, especially the oldest part of me that was Phoebe, the first Senshi of Saturn, knowing that only she had any idea about properly dealing with this threat. I was eternally gratefully for the intense training regiment Minako had insisted should be upheld because without the extra speed and agility I might as well have made close contact with those claws already and the possibilities of such a contact could be disastrous beyond comprehension should my nagging suspicion prove to be the truth.

As it was I was simply hard pressed to achieve a stalemate. The Seeker fought with a wildness that was truly bestial but still including intelligence in form of complex, tactical awareness that would prompt one to acknowledge a higher state of mind. Essentially that was what made them so hard to fight and suited their qualities as both scouts and assassins. Despite the initial appearance, they were highly intelligent and independent-minded when the assigned task called for it.

A flash of green caught in the corner of my eye and I suppressed a curse, sensing Jupiter charge up for an attack. Obviously the area had been sufficiently enough vacated for a transformation or my lover just didn't care - which would well suit her protective character. I would have rather liked them to stay back and evacuate with the rest of the people. Having no time to relate my reasoning on that matter though, I had to make due with the hand dealt to me and dodged down into a crouch, letting the lightning projectile soar over my head before springing into a back flip that landed me right next to Jupiter with my glaive poised for a follow-up strike. "SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE!" The orb of purple-black energy slammed into the Seeker just a moment after Jupiter's own attack had temporary distracted it.

"Think we got it?" my partner asked guardedly, obviously picking up on my reluctance to relax in spite of the explosion momentarily swallowing our assailant.

"Hardly," I answered, turning a hard look in Minako's direction who had been standing a bit to the side, henshin crystal in hand but clearly reluctant to act for several factors. I gave a shake of my head and a hard, reproving stare that broke no argument and the blonde almost automatically backed away. "They are not the kind to be terminated that easily," I elaborated further in reply to Jupiter's question.

"What exactly are we talking about here?" Jupiter inquired, shifting her stance as the smoke cleared and the Seeker emerged looking none the worse.

"Believe me," I said grimly. "If I had a choice about it, I would rather run now than fighting one of them under these circumstances. Unfortunately we have too much vast space for an effective escape. They are really…" Before I could finish that sentence the Seeker was in our face. I had been prepared for this but no preparation could really help when the enemy was so fast you could barely blink before it moved. Narrowly I managed to avoid a strike that could have resulted in possible lethal wound and just took the brunt end of a strike that would put shame to any boxer, lifting my body of the ground for a good distance before coming to a none to gentle stop. At any other time I would have felt touched at Minako's desperate exclamation but the fact that my nerves were assaulted with a temporary paralyzing numbness and that in fact Minako was the only one still standing with Jupiter on the ground to her other side, I silently resolved that we were in very big trouble.

Again, following the sometimes quite predictable whims of fate, something prevented us all from an early and most likely torturous death. And I could only blink in astonishment as I heard and saw what I hadn't in a very LONG time.

"FIREBALL!"

For those who lived in her time that word alone, heck, make that very element alone was almost instinctively associated with one owner should you have the delight - or in most cases the displeasure - of meeting its mistress. And Phoebe had known her on a quite personal level. And so while I could not make out any clear features when I first spotted the figure shadowed against the sun, I could see her aura, that while somewhat different in the course of reincarnation was bearing traits that anyone who had encountered the sorceress known as Lina Inverse and understood just a trifle about magic would recognize.

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(Sakura)

"It appears they're in over their head," I commented, thinking just again how very funny - in a purely ironic manner - it was that we always ran into them when in fact we just wanted to find our missing companion. Really, how hard could it be to search one city - even as big as Tokyo - for one girl? You'd be amazed, really. And I was pretty sure even that she had to be near us but all our research had resulted in nothing and for some reason it was impossible for me to track her magically. It was almost as if someone was deliberately cloaking Sylphiel's reincarnation's presence from us. And that was plain annoying. Especially in light of the very thing I saw transpiring just below our vantage point from a low rooftop overlooking one of Minato-ku's markets.

"I just don't believe it. Of all the things she brought through, it had to be a Seeker," I grumbled, watching anxiously as one of the girls - probably a Senshi too - got thoroughly clobbered by the creature who wasn't even putting up much of an effort. It had to be just our luck that we'd run into them again right now. I had recognized Venus in the crowd by mere coincidence and that hadn't been long before she got involved with the would-be thief, eventually climaxing in the situation at hand.

"What's that thing?" Kero-chan asked. I was somewhat glad to have him with me once more. He had mostly offered to scout for Sylphiel's reincarnation lately and I had missed his company. Kero was feeling a bit neglected and well… useless as of late because my magical ability AND knowledge had far surpassed anything he could ever hope to teach me. He was still so very loyal and wanted to help out some way.

"Seekers are a mysterious race. No one knows for sure where they originate from and who or what exactly they are affiliated with for the matter. The name is probably not even what they call themselves but the one civilization gave them. They possess a lot of nasty abilities that go far beyond that of mere beast-man or other such meta-human creatures that lived on Earth in the old times. One thing is for sure, their primary tasks are scouting and assassination. They are like… well, super ninjas if you like. Just much, much more powerful. And they work as mercenaries for beings with power who'd have a use for their abilities, mostly who are unable to deal with a task themselves for some reason."

"You mean like…" Tomoyo trailed off. I looked at her grimly and there was not really a necessity to finish this sentence. I knew for a fact that there had been a lot of these creatures working for Pandora in the great war. And a Seeker was a natural hunter. If someone wanted a specific target eliminated or just simply found, then a Seeker would be the best choice. "Shouldn't we… um, help?" Tomoyo asked tentatively, shooting a worried glance towards the duo in the midst of the out of control mob.

"Right," I said. "A bit premature to make an entrance but we really can't let her get that lucky. Besides, I don't want that one after Syl…" I was interrupted as the Seeker below fired an energy beam at the two girls which was repelled by a barrier at the last moment. I watched with growing interest and a little surprise as a figure interposed herself between the Seeker and the other woman. "Phoebe?" I whispered, not having expected that turn of events but at the same time wondering why I was even surprised. I've seen her eight years ago, relatively speaking, after all.

I watched for a while as the new arrival engaged her adversary into combat and while I was too far away to make out anything in particular the fighting style was distinctive enough and the aura was so perfectly matched… She wasn't like Venus who was unaware of how much she resembled Peitho… scratch that, she WAS her rebirth down to the last detail, that much I had confirmed from Love. No, this one really was Phoebe and the aura was so active there was no doubt about it that she was quite aware of it. "Hmm," I mused, unconsciously chanting a familiar spell under my breath while Saturn and her companion got thrown around hard. "Stay here, Tomoyo." I could sense the argument and added in a voice that broke no argument, "This one's too heavy for you on your current level. Amelia in full possession of her power could have dealt with it but you are by far not at her level." With that I let the Fireball spell fly with sure and clear aim, following its path downward before either Tomoyo or Kero had a chance to respond. I cast a quick glance around, noticing that the area was pretty much vacant by now. All the other visitors of the market had evacuated which meant I could actually cut loose.

"Lina-san?"

I looked in the direction of the voice and upon seeing the recognition in the purple eyes gave a nod. "Phoebe. It is… nice to see you again." I turned my attention towards the Seeker who had by now managed to extinguish the flames of the Fireball. "Even if I had preferred the situation less troublesome."

Saturn gave a snort, struggling to get to her feet. "No kidding."

I gestured for her to stand back, seeing as the Seeker was ready to resume the battle and the two Senshi were in no condition to put up a good fight. Also, I knew that prolonging the fight would in most cases only resolve in serving to those creatures' advantage. They had a really high stamina and could take a lot of damage which left only a few spells at my disposal to effectively deal with them… None of them would be really kind on the surrounding area. "You'd better get clear. I don't intend to play with this one."

Saturn hesitated slightly while the taller Senshi was already keen on getting her revenge. "Like hell, this thing is gonna pay for…" She was cut off when Saturn dragged her and the still untransformed Venus away. I smirked at that, glad that Phoebe got the message right away. Then I stared for a moment because there was something very curious about those three. There wasn't just a strong connection between Phoebe and her designated mate but the other Senshi was also somehow in the mix. I was by far no expert on reading soul bonds, that was more Peitho's thing but as much as I could tell…

"SHIELD!"

Just in time I sensed the attack and activated my trusted defensive card, sending a glare into the Seeker's direction. "Hey, do you mind? I was getting to you in a moment anyway." There was a brief war between two minds, two sets of ethics. On the one hand there was Sakura who basically did not like to resolve to violence on principle to solve a situation. On the other hand there was Lina Inverse who, by definition, had been the very opposite of that principle in her youth. And while she had grown up a lot, she was never one to have qualms about unleashing her magic on those that bore her ill will. In the end Sakura won… sort of. since my own experience in my old timeline had shown me that being good and avoiding a fight, if possible, did not always solve matters.

And I really could not let this creature get away. Surely enough, it had run into the Senshi by mere chance and its actual target was another. If my guess was right - and it really took no great genius to figure out the actual target - then there was no way I could let this Seeker run loose.

That's bound to get some really interesting headlines tomorrow, I mused before beginning the incantation of a spell that was once as much respected as it was feared.

******************************

(Minako)

I had seen some things that would push a normal human being's mind on the verge of sanity. I had fought creatures and dark entities that slaughtered and instilled fear in whole civilizations. And yet I was unable to mentally and intellectually process the next few seconds. I was still trying to come to terms with the situation, a situation that, denial or not, I had a great part in causing myself. On some level I knew that I would get quite an earful about this later and I deserved it. But that creature had been insanely strong, to a point where Saturn and Jupiter together had both been almost beaten and all three of us almost met our demise if not for the interruption of the other girl. Said new arrival was currently facing the beast that my comrades had fought without much success, yet she radiated calmness and a confidence for victory that should really not be present.

I was in no position to comment though as I could only watch transfix while the redheaded figure began a strange chant that sounded Japanese to my ears but had an ancient quality and was laced with a force to be reckoned with. Even as the stranger began the chant, Saturn had already pulled us back with a urgency that I let myself be dragged obediently without even a thought of complaint. Far enough away, she erected a barrier of such strength that I was dreading to see what would prompt her to take such desperate measures. I would not have to wait long…

"Tasogare yori mo kuraki mono, chi no nagare yori akaki mono
Toki no nagare ni umoreshi idainaru nannji no na ni oite
Ware koko ni yami ni chikawan
Wareraga mae ni tatifusagarishi subete no orokanaru mono ni
Ware to nanji ga chikara mote hitoshiku horobi o ataen koto o"

The other girl had her hands cupped around a glowing orb of red power, radiating an unholy light of such potent destructive energy it made me shudder even from the considerable distance between us. And then, with two final words, the spell was completed and the authorities of Minato-ku would be at a loss to explain the source of the infernal explosion enveloping the market area just a moment later.

"DRAGON SLAVE!"

I had to shield my eyes from the intense burst of crimson light washing over the globe of Saturn's barrier with the force of a raging tsunami. I felt something tug at the edges of my awareness, a recognition that was similar to what I got from my past life sometimes. But that wasn't about my life as Princess Venus. I should presume that I would be aware of knowing someone who could pull of something like that. No, it was older, a figment of memory that I had been having quite a lot as of later, ever since the night of revealing my condition to Makoto and Hotaru. And not knowing what all that meant drove me to serious distraction!

Right now I was much more amazed and taken in by the scene of carnal destruction all around us when the smoke cleared and Saturn dropped her barrier with a groan of clear exhaustion. While my tactical mind dully took note of the level of control applied to the magical equivalent to a nuclear bomb - having effected ONLY the market area and leaving the surrounding buildings with only superficial damages - I could not help but being stupefied at the sheer power to the disposal of one human being and so young at that. "Oh shit," I accurately stated my initial thoughts.

"Holy…" Jupiter breathed, blinking furiously as if trying to determine whether or not her senses were playing a trick on her and I was sourly tempted to follow that example, not quite WANTING to believe the undeniable truth in front of our eyes. Saturn's words though managed to momentarily divide our attention.

"Hmm, that was a rather small one. Seems like her reincarnation isn't all that destructive." I blinked in stunned disbelief at that comment and I doubt it was necessary for either Jupiter or me to even ask what the outcome had been if the girl hadn't been - as Saturn put it - "all that destructive." I visibly shuddered at the implications.

"You keep interesting company, Hotaru-chan," Jupiter commented. The smoke had cleared by now and there was no trace of the creature, leaving just the cloaked girl standing in the center, slowly lowering her arms.

"You used to know her?" I asked dubiously, still remembering the spark of memory and for a brief moment curiosity got the better of me instead of the usual routine of denying those strange flashbacks. I really didn't need yet ANOTHER life impacting on me but anyone who could blow up an entire area was quite intriguing…not to mention a force to be reckoned with should she turn out to be less than friendly.

Of course it was too much to ask for just a few more months more peace, wasn't it?

"Hai, we used to, Peitho," Saturn answered, meeting the gaze of the golden-eyed girl directly as she turned around to face us. I was momentarily distracted by that strange and magnificent color but then Saturn's words began to filter through.

"Eh? What do you mean "we" and… matte, what did you call me just now?" There had been a powerful spark that I wasn't able to deny. A trigger of some sorts, similar to remembering Serenity's name in my battle with Adonis had ignited the memories of my past life on the Moon. This name was… it felt… right. A familiar sensation coursed through me, momentarily pushing away my awareness as Aino Minako before…

I violently pushed it back. Just like the dreams, the flashes, the madness of the last month and a half that was straining my sanity. I did not need this. I knew who I was and what I wanted of life. I had had enough weirdness to deal with already to add yet another one. I could control my fate! Usagi had shown us that we were not totally subjected to it and I wasn't going to be deterred from my path…

My mind snapped back to the present when I caught something on the edge of my perception and before any of us could react grayish… matter flowed together into a similar blob shape as the creature had been at the begin of the battle and the next instant it vaulted away at incredible speed, vanishing faster than any of us could even take a breath.

"It's still alive?" Jupiter commented in disbelief even as the cloaked figure launched into action and was gone after it - or so I suspected - the next moment. Saturn tried to call out to her but to no avail.

"Well…" I said after a few moments of silence. "That was interesting." I regretted drawing attention right away as I found myself on the receiving end of twin glares that didn't bode well for me at all. The two Senshi's transformations fading away, Makoto looked really furious while Hotaru was… indifferent, but in a way that was truly scary, a cold fury just lurking underneath the surface.

"You call that interesting? What the hell were you doing here?"

I shuddered slightly at the cold voice even while trained eyes took in the slight tremors of her body that surely were no good sign. Still, I felt compelled to even try defend my point. Those two were treating me like I was made of porcelain these last weeks just because of that baby. Their fussing was really getting to me. "Oh, for the love of it! Would you just let me do what I want to do? I can't just stay scooped up all day at home and do nothing! I need something to do or I'll go crazy!"

"So you go and get yourself a job with the police chasing thieves who turn into monsters," Makoto cut in dryly.

I actually flushed at that. It was true that I had called in a favor from Chief Sakurada but I thought it would be an easy thing. Only normal criminals after all. Nothing I couldn't handle with a minimum of physical exertion. "Hey! How was I supposed to know…?" My outburst was cut short rather violently and I actually staggered and fell on my rump, not so much from the force but from the sheer surprise of the slap.

Any question died on my lips the moment I looked up to see Hotaru's face just inches away from mine. My throat felt dry but not so much from the closeness and the curious myriad of feelings this sparked in me. No, the expression on her face was horribly mesmerizing and I felt my heart clench at the desperation and fear mingled with a few tears, all directed at me. "Baka…" Hotaru pressed out, her voice shaking with more emotion than I had ever seen in the dark-haired girl. "Who are you trying to impress with this recklessness? Can't you for once acknowledge that there are people who love YOU and who don't want to see YOU hurt. How do you think I felt when I saw you there, almost getting killed? What do you think I would have done, had I just been a moment too late… I… I…" And with an abruptness that shattered the thrall the storm of emotions in her eyes had held over me, Hotaru looked away, getting shakily on her feet. "I… I'll go find Lina…" With a glance in Makoto's direction who had followed all this silently with a surprisingly impassive expression, she added, "Take her home."

And with that Hotaru was gone and I was left sitting where I was, not really comprehending what had just happened. But one thing I knew for sure. I felt immense guilt after being on the receiving end of such an emotional outburst from the normally levelheaded Hotaru.

"Can't say I don't agree with her, Mina-chan. Really, I thought you said you know that she loves you - and that's actually putting it nicely. And there you go and do something stupid like that."

"I didn't mean to…" I started before trailing off and looking in the vague direction where Hotaru had vanished, feeling rather numb at the moment.

******************************

(Lisa)

Grumbling dark things about the unfairness of life I sat in my room, hunched over application papers from several renown colleges and universities. When I had sent all those out a couple of months ago after coming to Japan, it had been more a precautious move. I had honestly not expected to get explicit invitations from ALL of them. I really didn't pay much mind to my studies, a lot of things came naturally to me. I knew that other kids at my old schools regarded me as overly intelligent and the word "nerd" fell more than one time. I didn't care at all. School wasn't my true calling, neither was anything that my parents would have wanted me to become. I had other gifts that were worth exploring.

Therefore the choice in the end was already made the moment I opened the first reply letter. The all-grades school had caught my eye right away when I was looking for some place to take up my studies again which had been rather neglected in the last years. While I didn't like school all that much, I didn't want to fall behind either, I had enough good sense after all to realize that my future chances would most likely shrink considerably without some good grades. And Neo Infinity was just perfect. Frankly the public opinion was rather diverse about the "occult" school of "necromancers" or some of the milder critics had been worded. However, I was never one to listen to the opinion of others. Sometimes humans were only satisfied when they had something that they could take apart to their heart's content, the result not very much resembling the term "constructive criticism". I had made my own investigations and was pretty much certain that this one was just what I wanted.

Of course, Neo Infinity - as much as its predecessor from what I had gathered - demanded a high standard, accepting only those that were gifted AND who could uphold a stellar grade average, or so was my impression. Which meant I had to actually STUDY.

Not that my grade average wasn't enough. The problem was that I had missed a lot of school while traveling abroad, only staying in one location once in awhile that allowed me to apply to a school. I usually had a good grasp on things and could pick up new stuff quickly, yet the absence had left a couple of black holes in my general education that could prove a problem.

In short, I was frustrated with being scooped up in here for the last several months. Granted, I hadn't felt like indulging in my usual passion for adventure after arriving here. Events back home had left a scar on my soul that had taken time to even begin healing. And now I had to stick my nose in boring books whenever I found time between my usual chores and helping Babasan.

"My life sucks," I stated dryly, returning the stack of papers to their folder. I didn't even know why I had looked at them. Maybe it was a temporary spark of interest brought about by the fact that most of the other colleges and universities would not require that much preparation. Well, nothing comes without a price.

"That is a rather melodramatic opinion, Mistress." I glanced up, actually glad for the distraction as the opal ring on my right ring finger flashed and a wisp-like substance formed over it before materializing in a miniature version of the one… creature who I could call a permanent friend and companion in the last years. The figure was semi-translucent and resembled a winged woman with long light blue hair and a set of inhuman white eyes, blazing with both quiet power and wisdom.

"Easy for you to say, Soyo-chan," I replied. "You don't have to deal with all that stuff." I chuckled in spite of the pout I was intending, my mood considerably lightened already by the calming presence of the wind elemental. "I…" Suddenly there was a rumbling sound in the distant, sounded an awfully lot like an explosion. Moments later all that wasn't rooted to the ground shook slightly as an aftershock rippled over the Astral Plane and was effecting the physical world in the process. My trained senses took note of a vast power eruption just seconds before my vision blurred…

The images were familiar ones by now, as were most of the people shown. Especially the redheaded woman and the regal-looking dark-haired one with curious child-like features. This time though it was just images of the redhead, intruding on my mind despite my best efforts.

The scenes were hard to make sense of in the rapid fashion they blurred from one into another with not much direct connection. More like photos from someone else's vacation where you could only guess what was going on without having that someone describe the details. First where was the redhead and myself - or at least I suspected it was me - facing off with a dark-haired… child who for some reason sent shivers down my spine as if the boy was the very devil in disguise. The redhead shot a powerful, destructive beam of crimson energy at the child and a few moments later I did the same.

The scene changed and I saw the same girl basked in a golden aura standing atop a piece of rubble and then ascending towards the heavens.

The next one seemed to be in a setting resembling the room of an inn and I watched in fascination as the girl and my other self seemed to discuss something heatedly - I really wished I could actually hear them talk! - and after some time I advanced on the nervous redhead who seemed to be torn between the instinct of flight and submitting to whatever was to come. Eventually the latter happened and the string of… well, whatever it was ended with the conclusion of seeing myself and the other girl locked in what was soon to become hesitant foreplay…

I came back to reality with a start and was sure I could actually feel the heat from my cheeks. Some of those last images had been rather graphic already and… "Gah!" I exclaimed. "I really need to figure this out." I turned around to see Soyokaze floating next to the window, her head turned towards me with a concerned look. "Are you alright, Mistress?"

"No," I stated bluntly, shaking my head to clear the sensation of dizziness usually following those experiences.

"I take it then, you had another flashback?" the wind elemental asked with a note of sympathy in her voice.

I could only nod in response. This was getting beyond frustrating. I had by now figured out that the flashes and dreams most likely were hidden memories of a past life, my training in several spiritual aspects told me as much. I had them for awhile now, on and off over the last four years, actually ever since that few months I had spent here at the shrine during my travels. Something happened then, I had FELT it. Something had changed and that change had unlocked a hidden part of my being. Ever since then I had tried to figure it out, even gone so far as meditating on those memories and consciously drawing them forth. However, that had been denied to me for reasons even Soyokaze couldn't figure out. It was almost as if something was dampening those memories and that was why they only came in incoherent, incomplete flashes.

Getting up I walked over to the window and glanced out. I squinted my eyes at the fine smoke that came from the direction of one of the market areas of Minato-ku. Then I opened myself to the Astral Plane and focused upon this area. While not nearly as good at that as many others I had met, even those with a limited understanding of magic could pick out the remaining traces of something rather dark and purely destructive in nature. I whistled slightly at the potency of the magic unleashed just seconds ago.

"Yes, quite impressive. I wonder who could command such forces in this age?" the Sylph mused.

"That I would like to know myself," I responded, silently resolving to myself that I would get to the bottom of this. It was time I took a more active role with those memories since sitting around and meditating on them was not likely to get me anywhere closer to enlightenment.

******************************

(Minako)

The trip back home was spent mostly in silence for which I was eternally grateful. My belly was demanding attention from the unexpected exertion - alright already, overexertion - and Hotaru's actions were still hauntingly present in my mind, invoking strange feelings that as much as I tried to ignore them were leaking guilt and shame to my mind. I had never seen Hotaru that angry and the scary part was that it felt more like Saturn resorting to such an emotional outburst. The cold, collected, always dutiful and focused Saturn… I was fairly sure that would have even given Pluto pause if directed her way.

I was sincerely relieved when I could finally sit down and relax my body that was more tired than I had calculated from the activity. Okay, granted that hadn't been the smartest idea I ever had but I had not expected something like this happening. My first days after getting the job from my old friend had been rather eventless, regular and mostly minor crime not proving to be not much of a problem for someone who usually tended to focus her attention and abilities on supernatural creatures. It was of course just my luck that I had to met one of those in my line of duty at exactly the time when I was spotted by Makoto…

"What do you think that was all about?" I broke the silence after a long time, accepting the cup of herbal tea from Makoto without resistance, knowing by now that such a notion would be futile. I took a sip and let the warm, carefully balanced liquid fill my being and relieve some of the strain.

"I'm not sure. Something has been in the air for some time now," Makoto said quietly, more to herself than actually addressing me. I was not dumb enough to debate the point anyway. Despite everything that happened I took my duties seriously and while I had not Makoto's bond with nature or Rei's spiritual abilities, my senses were honed and sharp. And the brunette definitely had a point in saying that something was clearly amiss. I think everyone of us had picked up on this in their own special way.

"However," Makoto said sharply, sitting down opposite from me and fixing me with a look that as much said that the temporary peace was over and there was going to be trouble for me. I shifted uncomfortable under the emerald-eyed stare that I felt unable to completely ward off with resolve alone. "Do not try to change the topic here. I'm sure Hotaru-chan will get to the bottom of that business. You though, young lady, you have some explaining to do." Makoto crossed her arms and waited expectedly.

I gave a long sigh of resignation. "Alright. What do you want to hear? That I'm sorry? That I know how stupid that was? Believe me, I can feel the idiocy of my actions right now." I winced slightly at a particular sting and took a few more sips before continuing.

"But is it enough to prevent this from happening in the future?" Makoto asked sternly with an expression that as much as dared me to respond in the negative. It was that tone of voice that… that… aloofness, the way both her and Hotaru were trying to direct my life as THEY thought was the best way that managed to rally my own temper, greatly enhanced through my pregnant state.

And so I once again fell into the familiar pattern that usually only ended in unintended hurt feelings to sort out later. "Would you stop patronizing me all the time? It's my life to do with as I see fit. I just can't do nothing all day long, that's not my style and you of all people should know that, Makoto!" My voice rose with each sentence and while on a detached level I was aware that I was digging my own grave deeper and deeper with every moment, I couldn't stop. "For the past month you have been constantly fussing ober me. I can barely do a single thing by myself before one of you is there and takes it away, at once assuming the task is too straining for me. I am not made of paper tissue, you know? I can very well care for myself…"

"And we know that," Makoto interjected calmly, which only served to further infuriate me since the part that was fed up with how things progressed lately was actually seeking a verbal confrontation to vent all those pent up feelings. "We are not trying to dictate your life but pregnancy is a serious thing and unless you want to give the kid up - which we have agreed on is not an issue - then you have to take more care of yourself. Hotaru and I love you very much and in spite of what you are…"

I didn't let her finish as an indefinable urge rose up inside of me that contained all the frustration, helplessness and absurdity of the last months that had turned my life upside down and left me wondering what exactly was what in my existence. My values and outlook on life had been seriously rattled and I had no idea how to properly deal with all this. Combined this complex web of emotions served to let the one thing slip from my lips that I knew was as much a gross denial as it was the most heartless thing to say in this situation. "Love?" I snorted. "Right, do you even hear what you are saying? For Kami's sake, you both declare that you love me and at the same time you manage to maintain your own relationship. Do you realize how stupid that sounds? And I don't know why I should feel bound to you because of that. I happen to know what love is and this whole farce is the furthest away from it that I…"

My rant was brought to a stumbling closure when Makoto stood up so suddenly that the two cups on the table shook, coming dangerously close to spilling their content - which I am not sure I would have even taken note of. My brunette friend emitted a low growl from her throat and I could detect the faint spark of her battle aura barely kept in check. "Don't. Ever. Again. Belittle. Our. Feelings." There was the sound of thunder rolling in the distance but I was too transfixed by the sight of almost seeing tears slip from Makoto's eyes that I paid much mind if my senses were just playing tricks on me. "If you want to stay in your delusion and rather cling to the notion that you have to force love to come to you rather than accept it when offered, please go ahead, I am not stopping you. But if you one more time as much as speak ill of what I feel and especially of what Hotaru feels about you, you WILL regret it." I was unable to reply in the face of such fury, different from the emotional reaction of Hotaru earlier, more forceful and direct. "You think you don't need us?" Makoto turned around sharply and strode towards the exit. "Fine! Let's see how long it takes you to come crawling and begging for us to help you!"

And with a finality that made me jump Makoto slammed the door to the living room behind her. Several moments passed and then the distant sound of the front door fairing not better than the previous one finally managed to kick start some brain activity and with that, the fire in me pretty much extinguished by now, the realization of what just happened began to fully register.

"Baka!" I cursed, the term not directed at Makoto but at myself. I punched into the soft material of the couch which yielded easily, much to my further frustration. I clenched my eyes shut and tried to push back the tide of emotions threatening to overwhelm my mind. Burying my head into various cushions I fully intended to sulk in my self-made misery for awhile.

******************************

<ca. 200002 BC, close to the rise of the Silver Millennium ()>

Saillune, capital of White Magic. The entire city was build on a node - a nexus of realities - and shaped like a magic circle, thus intensifying holy energy. Mazoku or other such creatures who fed upon negative emotions found their powers considerably diminished. Not so much as to totally ward against the more powerful but enough to create a certain unease. During and before the Resurrection War - or as commonly termed the "War of the Monsters' Fall" - Saillune was renowned for the concentration of shrine maidens that could pull of a holy spell as good as any Golden Dragon. This tradition had continued but the Holy lore was lost since the war of the war. The god-sealing field and the millennia that elapsed since then had reduced the famous shrine maidens and other White Magic practitioners to a mere shadow of their old selves.

The holy ground stood firm and protected the city and to a degree the surrounding country through even those dark times and now, upon the threat of something even far greater a menace to the world - and not only the human society at that - Saillune stood once again firm, like a shelter in the raging storm outside its walls. Several factors were responsible for that state. For one, the god-sealing field was gone, annihilated along with Hellmaster Phibrizo and Chaos Dragon Gaav at the hand of Lina Inverse and her friends. The other reason was also because of those courageous band of teenagers, or young adults now, mainly the triad regiment that had been established over the last few years. It had been a long road for the young Queen Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune. Almost overnight she had to don the mantle of the ruler of one of the biggest kingdoms known on their continent after the - to everyone's surprise - successful assassination on her father Philionel. However, with the support and love - as was common knowledge even though never officially stated - of her friends and comrades Lina Inverse and Sylphiel Nels Lahda, Amelia managed to establish peace between most of the various kingdoms, dukedoms and whatnot on the continent. She became a very beloved ruler by the people, as did her companions. A loyalty and faith that was now as much encouraging as it put a particular pressure on the rulers.

A rather weird arrangement, thought Lady Phoebe as she stood with her own delegation facing the royal trio in the courtyard of the definitely magnificent - but not excessive - palace. Not that I can't see the affection. The dark-haired Phoebe glanced to her left to the see the taller blonde woman on the other side of the flanking position they maintained for their younger charges. Lady Peitho sensed the gaze of her companion and soul mate and at once shot back a smile and a hooded gaze that was pretty much openly suggestive. That's what you get for getting involved with the Senshi of Love, Phoebe mused but turned her attention back towards the upcoming meeting.

If one did not know that there was a far greater amount of pure souls that were female and that those were more adept in harnessing and understanding their given powers it would probably seem odd to any casual observer. Seeing as both main groups facing each other were mostly of the fairer sex. On the two Senshi's side were the two younger woman - barely out of adolescence - in their center with their distinctive hair colors of a deep gold-blonde and light blue bound in similar odango styles. And then there was the tall blonde woman of course, in her white robes she stood a couple of centimeters higher than even Lady Peitho. At her side was a young boy, maybe a decade or a little more old, who had green, somewhat spiky hair and seemed to take in everything with a curiosity and intelligence that appeared to be more than a boy his age should possess.

On the other side there were, of course, the three ruling bodies of Saillune. The (in-)famous Lina Inverse was garbed in red and black robes that were neither overly ceremonial as they were casual, her orange-red hair was longer than Phoebe remembered the various rumors and myths tended to describe, bound in a ponytail that fell just a little over her shoulders. On the other side was Sylphiel Nels Lahda, who was supposed to be the best human healer the world or at least this continent had ever seen, with the rediscovery of the Holy lore her skill had actually increased or so Phoebe conceived from a brief analysis of her aura. She wore a formal attire in a curious contrast of white and black. In their midst was the dark-haired Amelia, probably one of the youngest Queens Saillune had ever seen but radiating a quiet confidence and firmness in her beliefs that made her the kind of popular ruler she was today. Instead of the traditional white of Saillune royality, Amelia had chosen a light bluish garb that reflected her competence in all three magic categories but especially the spiritual lore. It was hard to believe that the kind yet still regal appearing woman was said to be somewhat of a klutz preaching the kind of beliefs that a lot of Saillune's royals were (in-)famous for and had earned the one or other ridiculing comment in the past. Looking at her now, Phoebe saw a mature woman, hardened by the trials of life, that had maintained a refreshing kindness.

So it was to no great surprise - at least not to Phoebe - that Serenity, the young blonde woman in their midst, moved forward and instead of a series of formal greeting, bows and diplomatic compliments, her and Queen Amelia met in the center, waiting only a heartbeat, before Serenity extended her hand with a smile. Everyone who didn't have a good grasp on both sides involved or a good skill to perceive an individual's natures face-faulted at the young woman's manner of greeting. "Hello, I'm Serenity. It is nice to finally meet you."

Almost without missing a beat, Amelia took the offered hand and shook it. "And I am Amelia. I am glad to finally meet you as well."

Phoebe shared a private smile of affection with Peitho, while Serenity's sister, the blue-haired Tsunami, just shook her head in good-natured annoyance. Out of the corner of her eye, Phoebe could see the tall blonde woman, the (former) dragon priestess Filia also form a smile of affection and with a note of knowledge which was not so surprising given that she had known both of the young royal heirs. She noticed though that Filia's gaze seemed to linger on Lina Inverse for a moment with a touch of sadness before returning back to the situation at hand and the following greetings and introductions that were not as formal as some might have expected.

******************************

<Present Time (Hotaru)>

The moment of our first meeting had been a peaceful and relaxed one in a situation that was anything but. Frankly I wondered if any of us would have met without the world - and pretty much the whole universe - being in jeopardy from the madwoman who had come from practical nowhere, raining terror on the worlds. Peitho, the Venus of this era, and I had had some warning of her arrival but not nearly as much as we would have liked. The two of us together with our young charges, the orphan princesses of a destroyed kingdom, Serenity and Tsunami, had lived in a valley high in the Kataart Mountains where a mixed tribe had formed throughout the last years and if not for the menace that came over the unsuspecting Earth we might have never met with the three girls and their associated friends.

The memories came back to me full force. Not that they were forgotten or something, but right now they were even more present. The war that ensured for our very survival had ended in the birth of the Silver Millennium but also had caused many sacrifices… including Lina Inverse and her mates. They had been the key elements for an ancient seal that was supposed to hold the creature known only by the aptly name of Pandora. Supposed to.

As I raced the rooftops, pushing back the sudden swell of emotions I had shown in front of Minako, I could not help but reflect how much elements seemed to fall into place that supported my theory, a fearful theory at that. Usagi was so much like the first Serenity, as was Minako. Then there was Sasami who I could not help but hazard could very well be Tsunami - either reborn or in some other way. Rei's young charge was definitely shielding herself well, making it hard to confirm that theory but in effect only supporting it at the same time since there were few people who could elude my senses as long as she did. And now there was the Seeker, a favorable minion of Pandora in what we dubbed the Revolution War. If that wasn't enough though, Lina's incarnation showing up when she did made the vague fear a very close possibility.

That wasn't not much of an improvement in the line of thinking compared to my own love life troubles.

Somehow I wasn't even surprised finding myself near the center of the Infinity polder and close to the school. I could have hit myself for not realizing this earlier. I HAD seen that girl before. More in passing than anything else but still… She was the student head of magical lore as far as I knew. I was specializing in different areas and thus had not that much to do with that wing but I could swear that she pretty much always was in the company of Infinity's junior partner, Daidouji Tomoyo whose mother had helped to found the entire project. Great, talk about being oblivious. I had never paid them much mind, especially, seeing as we had a strict anonymity policy, and while I did help at times, Setsuna managed the applications.

Levitating up to the top of Neo Infinity my analysis was proven by finding not only Lina but also Daidouji up there, looking as if they were expecting me. Once again I wondered why I had never noticed before but while outwardly with some vast differences, Daidouji bore many of the spiritual traits of Queen Amelia… I suppose it's just the situation and the many factors combined, I mused as I touched down on the roof, the wind whipping up my hair at this high an altitude. It's not like you usually go around looking at people and guessing whose incarnation they might be. I chuckled lightly, managing to break the silence that had elapsed for a few moments.

"What is so funny, Tomoe-san," Daidouji asked, not at all disapproving but merely curious.

I hardly blinked as I replied, "Oh, just thinking about why I never realized who the two of you were even though we hardly see each other, Daidouji-san…" I hesitated while turning a look in Lina's direction. "I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage. By what name do you go these days?"

"Kinomoto Sakura. But just Sakura will do since we are all familiar with each other here… after a fashion." She smiled slightly and I joined into the private joke that helped to further alleviate the tension. Not that I had the feeling this was going to be a permanent condition for very long. As if in answer to my unspoken question, Lina… Sakura sighed. "The Seeker got away if you are wondering about that. We lost the trail around this area, must be the node."

"I was having doubts myself if it was such a good idea to rebuild the school in the same location. While the zone has been cleansed, it is still containing high potential that can have advantages for just about anyone," I thought aloud. "But enough of that. Would you like to tell me what is going on? I have an idea already, however, I'm not sure I want to voice it before I'm entirely certain - as I am sure you can best understand."

The two girls traded a look before Daidouji spoke. "We very well can and we are sorry to confirm your obvious suspicions. It is indeed Pandora who is trying to break through the ancient seal and she's closer to it when we would like."

Despite being prepared for that answer I could not suppress the shudder. All who had ever faced this creature would know why even the Senshi of Silence was reacting this way. Even before I could voice an objection or ask for details, Kinomoto was taking over the conversation, providing me with just that.

"I am not sure you are familiar with my work, so I make this as short as possible. A couple of centuries ago there was a great sorcerer named Clow Reed. He created a rather innovative kind of magic through the use of cards that bound various elements or even physical abilities. The Clow Cards are in fact rather similar to an elemental spirit in nature if you want a simple explanation. In doing so, Clow unknowingly tempered with forces that he could not perceive." At that Lina's incarnation held up two cards to my inspection with the particular names "Love" and "Silence" written on them. At first I did not fully comprehend but when Sakura explained further, I began to understand the unpleasant reality. "Clow bound part of the power that made up the outer layer of Pandora's seal which you and Peitho provided back then."

I gasped, grasping easily what that could mean but Kinomoto continued before I could make my displeasure known - not that that was necessary. "Clow was unable to undo the damage, so he put the cards back into the seal in a steady orbit. Yet, the flawless state of the layer was lost and Pandora was eventually able to break free of the seal roughly a few weeks ago…"

I'm pretty sure my heart had stopped for a second there before Amelia's present self interjected smoothly, "Relatively speaking that is. You have to know that Sakura here actually lived her childhood twice. She returned from her ordeal in a different timeline, one where our ancient enemy has already escaped, in order to fix things."

Returned from her…? "I think Pluto is going to have a fit if she learns about this," I commented dryly, getting over my momentary shock. I didn't even want to know what would happen if that monster had truly been released already. In the state the Senshi - especially Venus, Jupiter and I - were now she'd eat us for breakfast. Dreading what was yet to come I fixed the two girls with a look of steady resolve - though underneath that mask I was more effected already than anyone who knew me would suspect. "Go on."

******************************

(Artemis)

At this point, I decided for myself that this had continued long enough. I had observed those three for the past month, never making as much as a comment on the situation. It was not my place anyway. But the sight of my charge on the edge of emotional exhaustion was killing me on the inside, literally. Almost a decade of partnership was a long time even without adding several more in a past life to it. The emotional bonds between us were tight, probably tighter than between Venus and me in the Silver Millennium. And I should be damned if I refused to be there for Minako in a situation like this because she grew up and seemingly doesn't need me anymore. That was nonsense. Anyone needed someone to lean onto sometimes, to allow their masks to fall around them. My problem was, I didn't know exactly how to give any good advise in that matter. Frankly, I believed that the only ones who had a chance of helping Minako would be the two girls from whom one of them just left pretty angry…

Oh well, nothing gained without trying. Not wanting to startle my charge I opted not to shape-shift and instead remained in cat form while making my way up to the couch and the huddled form of misery there. Making my presence known I nudged Minako gently and when that failed to produce any reaction at all, I frowned. Not one to give up easily I nudged a little harder with one of my paws. The blonde just grumbled something inaudible and shifted slightly away, not giving any other acknowledgment.

Getting annoyed by this display of unresponsiveness I growled low and waited a moment for a reaction. After that failed to produce one, I bared my sharp teeth and bit down on one hand.

"Youch! Artemis, are you crazy?! What was the big idea, you want to render me completely useless?" I sat there and let the following rant fly right over my head. Actually the whole thing was kind of nostalgic, considering that we hadn't one really messy fight or argument in the last couple of years.

"There's nothing left to render useless anymore," I replied matter-of-factly, putting just the right amount of cynicism and subtle challenge into it to provoke exactly the reaction I wanted… at least if I could draw conclusion from the reaction of my neck hairs standing on end as if they had been electrocuted.

There was a moment of silence, then an expression I had almost wondered I would ever see again in the near future crossed Minako's features, just before she asked with a dangerous edge to her voice, "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

I feigned innocence and obliviousness while mentally preparing myself and tightening all my muscle for the inevitable physical exertion that would follow. "Oh, I dunno. Just that the way you are now, you are a completely worthless mess of a leader who couldn't even lead an army of babies… Oh wait, you are getting one yourself, so you can't even fight properly and… Eep!"

"ARTEMIS!!!" an enraged woman's shout rang throughout the manor and the chase was on. I was in motion the moment Minako first lounged for me and used the long hallways and many rooms to my advantage as I did the most sensible thing and tried to keep ahead of the furious, raging blonde woman who right now didn't even show a sign of her physical condition. All the depression and melancholy was washed away to be replaced by vivid, fiery rage, the need for revenge, punishing the offending furball… or something along that line of thought. But underneath - as I could see in a brief moment - there also was a spark of amusement, a genuine… gladness. Subconsciously Minako knew exactly what I was doing and as much as she might want to sulk, I always had had my ways to pull her chain. Even by things she wouldn't even react to said by others. It was part of our special relationship, the partnership between us that was as close as a brother and sister might be, if not more. It was that relationship that made it impossible for Minako to resume her lethargy state, at the same time giving her an excuse to let go for a moment. Something she hadn't been able to do for a long, long time.

I knew of course that despite the adrenaline rush, Minako's pregnant state wouldn't allow her to continue with that much longer and so, cutting back to our starting point, I eventually slowed down, submitting myself to the unpleasant fate of finding myself dangling upside-down from my tail in front of Minako's face who looked about ready to something really nasty to poor little me.

"Why you…" Minako started but faltered when I let her see the little, silly grin I wore, her expression contorted for a moment before bursting in one last exclamation of fury, "You made me do this!" And not shortly afterwards my charge burst into uncontrollable giggles, flopping down on the couch, unable to keep standing or remaining her hold on my tail for which I was immensely grateful. That girl had a strong grip, I tell you…

Waiting until Minako had calmed down again after a full minute or so, I watched with an expression of smug satisfaction that served to send her in another fit just upon seeing it. I smirked again, rather pleased with myself. If Luna had been there right then, she would no doubt make some sarcastic comment. Not that she'd really mean it.

"Feeling better now?" I asked, more serious but not able to completely hide the amusement from my voice. I jumped up to sit on the backrest, glancing down at the blonde who lay spread out and to spend out from chasing me around the house for several minutes and then laughing herself to distraction. "Seems you are not that much of a lost case after all."

"Meanie," Minako grumbled but didn't bother to hide the affectionate smile and the gratitude shining in her eyes. I wasn't so naïve as to believe that this would completely cure her. The idea here was to take Minako's mind off of her problems for a little while and providing her with an opportunity to let go of that self-control she was chaining herself with lately. "I'm gonna tell Luna about that."

I flinched. "You wouldn't?"

Minako smiled wickedly. "Try me."

I gulped visibly and then made my comeback. "Then I'll tell her about your little escapade on the market today."

The blonde's expression darkened visibly. "That was low." I hoped I didn't go too far with that one but seeing Minako's mood turn more solemn while refraining from slipping back into melancholy I figured she might be ready to talk now. Or if not… I had some other methods in reserve to make her! "How did you know about that anyway? We didn't actually say anything specific."

"I was in the communication center, checking some things," I replied, adjusting my own attitude to serve hers. "I don't want to lecture you here since I'm sure you got the point already that you messed up big time there." To that the young woman grimaced but didn't comment, silently agreeing. "So tell me then, what is wrong with you recently?"

I think she almost laughed at the question but eventually it came out more as a snort. I could hear several different comebacks on the tip of her tongue but neither of them made it out since Minako knew without even a conscious thought that she couldn't dish me some no-nonsense crap. "Do I really need to tell you?" was what Minako finally retorted, stating the simple fact that it really wasn't necessary for her to spell every syllable to someone who knew her better than her own family - not that this would be a grandiose accomplishment.

"Maybe not. But maybe it'll help, admitting it to yourself," I said softly.

"I doubt that." Minako paused for a moment and I half feared she would leave it at that and not budge on the point here. I fixed her with a stern gaze and didn't let up until she sighed heavily. "Alright already. Let's talk."

******************************

(Makoto)

My mood definitely hadn't improved since leaving the manor. Upon coming home I had immediately sought out the small room on our floor that had been cleared for a meditation/training room. It was sort of a favor from the owner of the apartment block. I've been here so long, we were practically on a first name basis these days and when he found out that I was taking serious Martial Arts training he had promptly cleared some space in an old storage room that was barely used these days anyway and served no conscious purpose whatsoever. Normally I wouldn't even use it myself. Most of the time I was either doing my katas in the morning on the balcony or just regulated those activities to Senshi or my usual Martial Arts training sessions.

There were, however, occasion where I needed to relieve some build-up stress or I needed some quiet space to meditate, then I would come here. The chi flows were cleansed through earlier visits and thus the small room had obtained a kind of purity that not only aided in concentration but also did it absorb negative emotions like access anger and frustration.

Motions flowing into each other it didn't even matter that I was physically exhausted from the brief battle with that abnormally strong creature. The katas weren't forceful or truly straining. Martial Arts was just what it said, an art, a dance that was teaching the body to move in perfection, brought to the height of its abilities and beyond. The motions weren't fast but they weren't slow either, perfectly coordinated, achieving an inner harmony that was supposed to calm the mind and bring things into focus.

There were a lot of things that needed to be brought into focus. The argument with Minako had left me helpless and angry, angry at her for making me worry so much and then saying the things she did, but also angry at myself for reacting the way I did. It was childish. I let my anger get the better of myself. True I never was as good resolving a situation with words as I was with fists, but I had actually prided myself with having become a lot calmer over the years, especially around this tight-knit group I was honored to call my family.

I had known Minako for so long. We had done a lot together in-between crisis. Everyday stuff, normal things teenager our age did. Shopping, watching movies, planning parties. Minako used to be such a big party girl. She still was whenever she let herself. But those instances became less and less frequent in the last years. I thought I understood part of the problem but now I wondered if I ever truly did. Still, there was no need to overreact like this. I knew what demands life was putting on her right now, both self-induced and beyond her control. It pained me to see my friend and not-so-secret-anymore love make herself miserable with struggles she herself probably knew were useless on a level. I never was the emotional expert either and so I had trouble talking about it which often produced reactions like the one just now.

Surprisingly enough, Hotaru - quiet, shy Hotaru - was far better at rationally unraveling emotional issues. It had been her who had taken the first step towards our own tentative relationship, an action I wouldn't have dared for a very long time, if ever. It had been her who had come to get Minako to accept - at least in some small way - our help. That was what really made me furious anyway. Hotaru was making so many sacrifices for Minako, enduring indifference and annoyance at the offered help she really didn't deserve. The blonde's comment had briefly overridden every control and drew out reactions I regretted now. Hotaru would have handled that one better, she definitely got Minako to think with that slap however unconventional and unconscious it had been. I could clearly see how much those two fit together, opposites that matched perfectly without antagonizing. Minako had never really gotten angry or out of hand with Hotaru while this was by far not the first argument she and I had in the last month. And Hotaru always seemed to know just how to calm our mutual love interest down and make her see reason.

I more and more felt that despite what Hotaru said - and I was not so shallow to believe that her words and promises were false - I wouldn't find a place in between them. Hotaru and I were a temporary thing and I wasn't sure if it was such a good idea to intrude on them when the Firefly finally succeed in bringing Minako around. That she would succeed, that was almost beyond doubt…

The other thing was that I was worried sick about Hotaru which had only helped in further frying my nerves. For once Hotaru was already pretty distraught after learning about Minako's latest stupidity but what even further worried me was the signs I had picked up during the battle. Hotaru… no, Saturn had been very cautious with the creature, much more so than was usual. I mean, we had faced down entities that were in fact far stronger than this - admittedly considerable tough monster - but Saturn had always been the cool one, barely ever letting an emotion slip in the face of abnormal, mighty and overwhelming evil. But what I saw was coming so close to actual fear I could almost believe that had really been the case.

And I doubted it was simply the creature. The creature - a Seeker she had called it - had worried her, that was for sure. But there was something far greater going on, something about the entire situation seemed to have fallen into place for her through the combined factors of the monster's appearance and the arrival of the redheaded mage - or whatever she was - who obviously seemed to know Saturn from somewhere. I had heard that name she used before, from Hotaru. I knew it was Saturn's birth name, the original one. The one from the era when she and the first reincarnation of Venus were…

All we know is that something ancient is coming. I couldn't help but think back on Michiru's statement from the birthday party when I had briefly spoken with her and Haruka about the shifts in the winds and nature at a whole that were bothering me. For some reason I couldn't shake off the feeling that Hotaru had somehow suspected something, some minor details coming together to form a greater picture that neither of us - save Pluto maybe - could comprehend. And it scared her. It scared Sailorsaturn, the Senshi of Silence, the one who could destroy and revolutionize entire star systems with three words and a stroke of her glaive. If that wasn't something to truly worry about when I didn't know what was.

I hadn't realized I stopped in my motions until I felt a tentative hand on my shoulder. As I turned I came face to face with a set of purple eyes that both relieved me but in the same instant created a new level of anxiety seeing that the level of subtle concern had actually increased there. Those eyes looked much older, even for the usual ancient quality I came to expect from Saturn's gaze. These eyes didn't look only old as in ancient but more like old as in lost in memories, troubling memories, and with a certain note of tiredness in them. It was plainly apparent that the talk with her friend - assuming they were - hadn't gone as expected. Well, maybe as expected but definitely not as hoped for.

"What are you doing here all alone?" Hotaru asked quietly, her eyes boring into mine, tearing apart every excuse I might have used. The concern for whatever information she had acquired was briefly covered by an intense expression that as much said as that she knew exactly something had happened between Minako and me. Hotaru knew well enough that nothing short of serious frustration would bring me here.

Surprising myself I acted instead of saying anything first. A desperate anxiety had built up in me ever since I had watched my lover leave, following the stranger, and the exercise hadn't calmed me enough to bring peace to the whirlwind of emotions inside of me. Grabbing her by the waist, I pulled the startled dark-haired girl against my body in a kiss fueled by all my worries, anxiety and frustration, deciding that I had to work all that out of my system first before I said some things that I would only further regret later.

It would be much later before I finally got to talk about the argument or haggle some information out of Hotaru myself.

******************************

(Hotaru)

It was late the following evening that I decided to take more direct action in this situation that had quickly grown over our heads. Makoto was out training. I had had to almost literally squeeze the details of her argument with Minako out of her after several hours of intense lovemaking. I had virtually no idea where my brunette lover took the energy from after the events of the day AND training for who knows how long until I found her in the spare room that had been offered to her for those purposes.

I knew immediately then that something had to really have bothered her, beyond all that what I knew must have been already on her mind. My own departure surely hadn't helped things but seeing the need for release in the emerald eyes that moment I did neither resists nor was I one to complain about what followed. Mako-chan had been much calmer afterwards but still reluctant to part with the events that followed after we parted company. She seemed more embarrassed and guilty by the whole thing than truly annoyed or angry. Yet, I could see that some of the things exchanged did hurt her. And despite being moved by Makoto's protective attitude towards my feelings which had sparked the irrational bout of fury for Minako, I realized that the situation had come to a state where something more drastic had to be done.

The conversation with and the revelations made by Sakura, Lina's reincarnation, had left their mark, unsettling me deeply to a point where I was even contemplating pushing the issue of the relationship between the three of us. Under any normal AND abnormal circumstances I would never force myself on someone, least the one person I had loved so long ago and whose absence had left a deep void in my soul that only recently had been filled by Makoto's tentative compassion. But the news of this unthinkable horror once again being released upon the unsuspecting world resulted in a quiet yet rock-firm resolve that this drama could not continue the way it had. There had to be a way to make Minako see just exactly what we felt and to push through those barriers she had put up against any kind of real, emotional love. The subtle hints were there. The blonde had made it clear so far that she didn't despise the night that had been the catalyst of the current events and a distant hope had settled in my heart that maybe over time she could come to accept this weird-seeming arrangement and come to love us as much as we did love her.

But she was hiding her feelings, denying herself from giving into them more than just through the barest hint, the slightest motion that I doubted even Makoto had picked up. Minako was so much like Peitho though that they shared a lot of things in common that made it easy for me to interpret the tiny nuances of her nature without much trouble. It had been so similar at times that I couldn't help but wonder if for some weird twist Minako really was a perfect incarnation of the Venus I had known and loved for a lifetime and long beyond that in my heart. Truly matching souls. As rare as they were.

Sakura had all but confirmed that theory through the spirit of the remodeled card that had once held Peitho's energy as a part of the ancient seal. And since I didn't believe much in coincidence, especially not so many at once, the truth was pretty much a fact. The truth that Minako really was my long lost soul mate. That realization had for a long time left me dumbstruck and unsure what to do with that knowledge. It wasn't like that changed everything. Minako was pretty much unaware of that life - perfect matching soul or not. Maybe she had had some memory flashes lately as Sakura hinted at which would explain some of her behavior in the past that I previously had been at a loss to explain. I couldn't expect her to love me just because of that. Usagi and Mamoru didn't love each other just because they had in a past life and were destined to be together. From what the others told me, they had fallen in love even before knowing about their fate and reincarnations.

Just thinking about Pandora and how helpless the situation seemed to be, judging that if the seal was already weakened there was little to be done against a possible release. It might only be a matter of time. I shuddered at the thought. Sakura said they were looking for Sylphiel's reincarnation but it seemed like her presence was hidden from them and that alone only fueled the trepidation that this unholy monster was already a step ahead of them. And should even one of the seal children fall, it was bound to turn into a downward spiral of chain reactions that would be impossible to stop anymore. THEN it would come to another confrontation. And the way we were right now, none of us was truly ready for a challenge the size that made Galaxia look like a grasshopper compared to a giant.

Firming my resolve by calling back to mind all those factors I prepared to exit the apartment and make my way over to the manor when I practically ran into Minako on the doorstep. Looks of mutual surprise crossed our faces at the realization that for some reason we had had pretty much the same idea if probably for different reasons. Minako looked really uncomfortable and I could tell that the fight with Makoto was probably - no, make that most definitely - on her mind.

At the reminder of that event I finally managed to break the uncomfortable silence, schooling my features into an unreadable mask. "Come in."

Minako complied hesitantly as I stepped aside and slipped back out of the coat. The other woman did the same and then followed me back into the main living area of the tiny apartment in silence. She stood uncertainly before I motioned her to sit with which she complied as well. I could see the emotions warring in her face, the battle between either putting up a fight or just relenting. This would be harder than even I imagined… or so I thought until Minako's opening question that cut through the heavy air like a knife through butter, making me revaluate my opinion. It was going to be MUCH harder than I originally believed.

"Who is Peitho?"

I didn't answer for a long while, contemplating my answers before settling for the blunt truth. My intention for tonight remained the same and maybe it was even better in some way that Minako came here and not the other way round. "Peitho was the first Venus that was ever born to this star system. She was also Lady Phoebe's, the original Saturn's, hence my, soul mate until we were separated through the events of a long and brutal war that cost many sacrifices on all of our parts." I couldn't help but let the bitterness that rose up within in me slip past the usually emotionless mask of Saturn. That was something even Saturn couldn't hide from or fake indifference towards. It was impossible to deny the pent-up feelings of loneliness and frustration that had gathered in the course of two hundred millennia in which I had not set eyes on the one person that had ever truly completed me.

And Minako obviously picked up on those emotions if the insuring silence was any indication. "So that is why you love me then." The words were spoken softly and if not for Senshi hearing I doubt I would have heard then. A wave of new emotions flooded through me and I couldn't suppress the laugh, that was hard and lacked any kind of amusement.

"Do you really think me that shallow?"

Minako flinched, turning her head away and unwilling to meet my intense gaze. I became annoyed with the continuing avoidance of direct eye contact and stepped around the table and in front of the blonde girl to confront her.

Blue eyes hesitantly turned up to look at me and blinked in obvious shock. I had dropped any and all pretense of hiding the true depth of the feelings inside of me. Feelings both bottled up from my life as Peitho as well as Hotaru's and I think she got the distinction and the true deepness of those emotions.

And I saw something there that I had not been sure yet whether I was imagining or just grasping onto straws in the hope of a revival of what was lost to me lifetimes ago. Hidden, carefully protected more than a fortress guarding all the treasures of one world. And I slowly began to understand. I began to understand just what had to be done and in that moment my mind was finally set on that one path that might bring a change for the better in this situation.

******************************

(Minako)

Losing yourself in the depths of someone else's eyes, completely swept away in a flood of emotions, leaving you breathless and submerged in strange sensation that wrecked your body. I hadn't experienced that look since… since… Had I ever? I thought with more than a touch of remorse. Had I ever truly experienced this kind of affection, this kind of LOVE that I was seeing there in the dark-haired girl's eyes? Well, maybe I did, on that night that none of us clearly remember. But other than that, I admitted to myself in a moment of unguarded honesty, this had never happened to me before… A very sad thought indeed.

The effort was considerable but somehow I managed to tear my gaze away from the younger - yet in many ways so much older - girl's. I hadn't actually planned this the way it started. I had actually come to apologize for my behavior and talk about this rationally. The talk with Artemis had left me shaken, unprotected. I couldn't hide from him. As much as I tried, I couldn't. It was an impossibility, a paradox that could not be. And he had known it very well.

"So you deny that you love me because there's a special attraction between those like us? Because it is easier?" I had intended to throw Hotaru off for a moment, in order to rebuild my deeply fractured composure. Artemis had told me that it was not uncommon, that it was indeed EASIER for those who had bright star seeds, pure souls. They attracted each other on a basic level. That did not necessarily mean this was limited to Senshi alone. Endymion was a good example that not every person with a pure star seed was to be a Senshi. Artemis said there were many kinds of pure souls and not all of them were even Sailor Crystals.

I was surprised that Hotaru didn't seem to be affected at all by the accusation. There was a potent calmness that unsettled me somewhat. "No. Minako, love is never EASY. Attraction is easy, yes. You can get attracted to many different sorts of people and still you would never come to love any of them. To truly, unconditional love someone it needs more than basic attraction." She turned and stepped over to the window and I wasn't sure whether or not to be relieved of being not submitted to that penetrating gaze again. A part of me actually cried out in apparent loss and it was growing harder to shut this part out.

"So, you are suddenly the great big expert on love. Tell me, Hotaru-chan, what do you feel for Makoto?"

There was a pause in which I stood up and joined her next to the window. Then Hotaru spoke she once again surprised me with the resolve in her voice. "I love her… or at least I'm almost at the point where I could say that. I know what you are trying to say and yes, our relationship started out mostly from loneliness and compassion. But I've come to really love her."

"And you love me at the same time or is that just Phoebe loving Peitho?" I knew I had worded that pitifully in my outburst yesterday. I had not meant to belittle their feelings but I couldn't help but truly grasp this strange mix of feelings the two girls displayed towards me and at the same time each other.

"Both actually. Minako, I AM Phoebe." I opened my mouth to question about that, the seriousness and unshaken belief behind the statement shocking me. "And why is it so hard to accept that I could fall in love with someone else at the same time? But this isn't really what you want to know and what is the problem here."

I sighed and licked my lips in anticipation, knowing that I couldn't hold that back any longer. I hadn't even told Artemis about the dreams that had become so much more vivid lately but the events of the day and Hotaru's admission demanded an answer, and that answer was demanded now. "Okay. You ARE Phoebe," I conceded for the moment, "As much as I am Peitho?"

Hotaru turned towards me and I did likewise, trying to match her stoic resolve with my own, not backing down or relenting as I found myself doing so often in the presence of the younger girl. "Does it matter? Does it REALLY matter?" Hotaru whispered and I became very aware of the charged air around us. The tension that had built up throughout the conversation - that on the outside actually appeared to be calm and rational - had almost reached the climax and I dreaded the inevitable eruption.

"Yes, it does matter!" I shouted, becoming slightly more furious when Hotaru's expression didn't change as she stood calmly, letting me once again fall into the rhythm I was as much familiar with as I despised it. "It matters because I can't stand this anymore. I don't know what the heck is wrong with me or why I am acting like a complete idiot whenever we come to this point. I tried, Hotaru-chan, I tried so hard to accept all this. My fate, this destiny we've been placed inside, beyond our control. And you know what, I loved it, I still do. When Artemis came and revealed to me who I really was, my life suddenly had purpose. Nothing had really challenged me up to then. And then, just like that, there was suddenly a mission for me, something that I could devote my whole attention upon."

"And you deny yourself REALLY loving somebody because you think it would interfere with your duties. You think you can't be our leader and protect the Princess anymore when you let yourself fall in love." I was so shocked at the casual revelation of the silent, untold truth that was kept in my heart that I stood speechless for several seconds at Hotaru. Not able to even begin to grasp how she had figured that one out. I hadn't even meant to say so much in the first place. The words had just come spilling out in a wave of anger at the situation, the endless whims of fates and maybe at myself as well. "I think Makoto was right. You do make a pathetic leader if you continue denying your very nature."

That managed to snap me out of my stupor and I surrendered once again to the burst of heated emotions hidden inside for so long. "How can I? How can I remain in control when I let myself fall in love with someone? I would devote my attention on that person and forget about my duty, I would make the decision in their favor should there ever be one to make and I… I…"

The desperate grasp for words to explain all those tangled emotions inside of me was brought to an abrupt halt with the force of a sledgehammer. I was subconsciously impressed by the strength in the younger girl but was too busy with Hotaru's sudden action of fusing her lips on mine to think about it. I was caught off guard and unable to react at all under the shower of deep, penetrating, lingering kisses, full of hunger, desire and a loneliness that had long needed to be satisfied. The onslaught was so furious my body was left to respond on autopilot as my mind was swept away in a swirl of emotions too strong and too irrational to comprehend by normal thought processes. My arms and hands had a mind of their own as they went around the smaller form, seeking some form of hold under the unrelenting kisses. And where at any other given time I would have struggled, would have pushed Hotaru away, now I simply drew her closer, moving backwards with her advance of passionate aggression that washed away every defense I could ever have put up.

I didn't even know how we ended up in the bedroom. I only noticed that fact, briefly emerging from that otherworldly place I had been carried away to when my feet hit the edges of the bed. Hotaru pulled away a few centimeters and her voice was husky and laced with clear lust and longing that didn't need to be spelled out to convey their meaning. "Just let go," was all that she said before moving in for another kiss that contained the same force as the previous ones and managed to tumble us completely over so that we would eventually end up on the bed.

I belatedly wondered if I came here to provoke this. To provoke any excuse of letting go of that tight control I had put my life under ever since becoming a Senshi. Acting had helped to give me those moments, helped to provide me with the possibility to completely lose myself in something. That was okay. Those moments were just for the stage. They couldn't end up hurting anyone I cared about or… hurting myself.

Those were about the last coherent thoughts before my mind shut down and I let myself fall, for once not caring about consequences, about what was tomorrow, about what might happen after this night. Hotaru made it impossible to do otherwise and maybe that truly was what I had wanted all along. I couldn't do that for myself, I couldn't let go all under my own power, I couldn't seek the fulfillment the lonely girl inside of me craved like a hungry beast. For now, I could just leave myself in the moment and enjoy it for what it truly was. And that part of me that had been neglected so long sighed in tremendous relief and at the same time cried out in relief, devoured the loving passion sent her way with an equal hunger, resulting in a manner of sexual interaction that would have been hard for many to believe and hard for many to even duplicate. Not even speaking about the surviving part. It was Senshi mating in its purest kind. How I knew, I couldn't tell, I just knew, and that was enough for me at that moment, my rational mind having taken a blissful, long needed vacation.

******************************

(Makoto)

Returning home late from training I was pretty sure I had worked out even the last bit of anger and frustration from yesterday's events. Saotome-sensei hadn't complained about my unscheduled appearance. If one thing he seemed to know exactly what went through me at such times and tended to come up with just the right kind of exercise that could let me burn out that excess energy, emerging clean and with my perspective put back into proper perspective.

That state remained to be that way for all but two minutes. That is the time it took me from letting myself in and into the bedroom. There was no indicator that really prepared me for the sight that awaited me when I planned to silently check on my lover who obviously had gone to sleep early. That happened sometimes and considering that today was Sunday and tomorrow there would be school again, I wasn't all too surprise about the lack of a greeting. I might have suspected something had I paid attention to the extra coat or the not all that unusual state of disarray parts of the living room - especially those that lead up to the bedroom - were in. But I was kind of tired myself and so didn't pay that extra bit attention, thus sending me in a state of dumbstruck stupor upon seeing the two forms on the double bed - which we had kind of moved together after moving our relationship up a notch -, comfortably snuggled under the covers. The taller blonde had her head resting on my lover's chest, heaving quiet and content breaths that spoke of rather recent activity - and a pretty heavy one at that.

I felt a brief spark of jealousy, a flame of anger rising from the already extinguished and swept away ashes as conscious thought was overridden by snap judgment and the most logical thing that someone was supposed to think when they found their lover with another in bed upon returning home.

However, we were all but normal. Our relationship was anything but logical at most times. We began a tentative affair because we couldn't have the one woman that we both wanted and loved, came to love each other on a level and found in the process that we had gotten the same woman pregnant in the course of some crazy-sounding drunken night of loosened inhabitations, aided by a magical device that originally wasn't even intended for that purpose. No, normal was not the word that you could describe our relationship with.

So, I pushed away the initial emotion all but tearing it apart with firm resolve. If it had been anyone but the blonde woman, my fellow teammate and leader, they wouldn't have even survived until this point. That much was for sure. But that was Minako. And judged by the strange chain reaction of events lately the shock was quickly overridden by a barely rational sense of relief.

I felt one… no, two sets of eyes resting on me and stared back silently, intently searching blue and purple eyes for something that would speak against the opinion I had come to in the space of the few moments I stood there. Finally I crossed my arms and pretended to be more than just a little angry and hurt. "Well, you two obviously had fun without me. Maybe I should go back from where I came and stay the night there."

Hotaru didn't even bat an eyebrow, catching onto the pretense and the appreciative glimmer I let show in my eyes for whatever she had done to bring Minako into bed, more or less willing, quite sated and content with herself. "Are you going to stand there all night? We have been missing someone here and you let us waiting long enough."

Minako lifted her head and I almost stumbled under the seductive leer unlike the in-control woman she had been for so many years now. There was a playful twinkle in her eye, a sure sign that whatever walls she had put up around herself were apparently torn down and taking a long vacation for the moment. "Not that I would like to have your girlfriend all for myself for a bit longer."

I huffed, quickly covering the surprise upon seeing Minako so unguarded and not withholding her emotions. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" I reached behind me and closed the door, basking the room once more in the night's shadows that were still bright enough for a Senshi's vision. Even before the door fell into place I had begun to discard my clearly unnecessary clothes.

It was a long time later before physical exhaustion claimed its victims and I found myself silently appraising Minako's stamina considering her condition. The child in her was growing rapidly, much faster than during a normal pregnancy. Technically she was now almost four months along but it was definitely close to six actually. Interesting enough outwardly Minako appeared more like she was in the beginning of her second month. The expected bulge of the belly was absent for the most part. There was some explanation for that but I usually tended to blank out whenever Ami went into a scientific - or whatever you wanted to call it in this case - explanation. Hotaru seemed to understand and that was enough for me. And at the moment I felt too comfortable in the blissful state of afterglow. The tension and abstruse situation created between us over the last month had come to an explosive release this evening. At a point and time I had really not expected, nor had I been prepared for this possibility upon returning home.

Insignificant details, I mused from my position behind Minako, arms wrapped firmly around the blonde while one hand had come to rest on Hotaru's arm. My lover lay on the other side of the young woman who right now was visibly fighting to retrieve her bearings, not too mention her breath. Not that either of us was fairing any better.

"That was…" Hotaru started, the first coherent words spoken for a long time.

"Definitely better than not remembering any of it?" I supplied with a small grin tugging on my lips and an inquiring look into the presently closed blue eyes of Minako. Those eyes fluttered open and blinked against the deep stare for a moment before a sigh escaped her lips that was very hard to really define. It could have been happiness and contentment but it could also have been regret or doubt or… well, a lot of things. Given how much of an emotional roller coaster all of us and especially Minako had been put through of late, that was hardly surprising. "I must agree." Minako managed a grin that faded into a solemn look almost immediately. "That was… incredible, but I can't…"

Hotaru seemed to instinctively know what was coming and moved slightly to hush our pregnant lover. "Shh, you don't have to say it. No conditions here." It took my still detached mind a moment to catch up on the meaning and slowly I managed to come to acknowledge that I had obviously come to the correct conclusion during my training session. And obviously Hotaru had as well, somehow managing to act on that knowledge. Once again I felt a spark of insecurity and envy, wondering once again if I would truly have a place in their midst in the near and distant future, but I shushed it away, not wanting to disturb my mood.

Tightening my arms around Minako, I moved my head a little closer to hers and added, "We'll be here for you, waiting. As long as you need us to." Subtly tensed muscles relaxed almost immediately and another sigh, this time of clearly evident relief, echoed through the darkness.

We stayed that way for a long while each of us was feeling too good to break the silence and the cocoon of love and fulfillment that had enveloped us in a motherly embrace. For once in those hectic last months we had achieved a phase of peace and true harmony. This was far from over. Minako had let herself accept a part of what we were offering but she wasn't yet ready to share all of her feelings yet. That was okay though. Tonight had been one victory in the course of eventually winning the war. Who won that war in the end and with what exact outcome remained to be seen. For now, all those questions were hovering outside that protective sphere of momentary peace that would hopefully help us through what still lay ahead of us.

******************************

<February 20 (Tomoyo)>

Neo Infinity was a bustle of activity. Not surprisingly, considering it was the end of the semester. Mind you, this was the first year since the school's completion - or better rebuilding - and compared to the vast size of the tower that, similar to the original one, reached up to the thousandth level, the number of students was tiny. Still, Neo Infinity had despite the fate the old one suffered found a very HIGH number of willing, young people who wanted to apply. The fact that Tokyo was in fact THE magical nexus on Earth was more or less proven by the concentration of talented young minds with various most amazing gifts.

I had jumped at the chance when we heard of the rebuilding and Sakura had expressed an interest. Often enough I was left feeling so entirely meek and insignificant to my mate's role and superior knowledge. Nowadays, with the added memories, she could pull of feats even many students in this very school would find hard to believe. Sure, I was supposed to be some top-notch mage in my past incarnation as well and hey, I wasn't one to question or doubt that, not with the memories I had already unlocked. No, that's not it. I had pretty much gotten used to that change in our life. Even the little detail that I had been a QUEEN in my former life which threw me for a loop when I really let myself think about it. No, from that end I had no need to feel meek compared to Sakura. It was just that she did all the important things. I wasn't jealous or envious of that. But I always had wondered if there was some BIGGER way that I could really make a difference. The feeling wasn't consuming since Sakura made sure I did know my infinite worth. We both knew our places in our relationship by now but yet we never settled into a routine, never lost that special touch that would make us do practically everything for the other's continued happiness.

And so, when Meiou Setsuna, adoptive mother of the daughter of the former owner, had searched for benefactors and sponsors I had not hesitated to, for once, take the initiative. Okaasan wasn't even really surprised when I made the request. I had inherited my own share of Daidouji industries and no doubt she had hoped for me to at some point take over the business. However, our lives - Sakura and mine that is - had changed so drastically that Okaasan didn't even put up much of a protest when I request to use my share as a sponsor. She was quite adamant about helping out herself but I managed to talk her down. Maybe it was purely selfish, yet for once I wanted to be. This was MY contribution to OUR life together. And I could not help but feeling satisfied at seeing how very well the school in roughly one year had turned out.

Since the sponsored money had pretty much covered and supported half of the project I was now pretty much a co-partner in this. A role I never was really pushing. Meiou-san was a good principal/owner and far more experienced than I could hope to be. And the fact remained that I still was attending my last year of High School as well… in my own school! Hey, how's that for a weird setting? So, the junior partner part was kept pretty much in the dark and remained a silent agreement between the older woman and me. As far as the public knew I was the "anonymous benefactor from Daidouji Industries".

I think pretty much eighty percent of the student body knew anyway…

Spotting my query in the entry hall, I pushed my way through the crowd. It was ironic that we never really realized how close we were to each other. Granted, my memories were still fragmental, I didn't really act as the technical co-owner for the appropriate reasons and Sakura was busy with her own classes and hadn't had found that much time to take a look at the administrative staff or something like that… So, okay, maybe we had just missed each other for pretty much a year. As dumb as that sounded considering that I DID remember some things of Phoebe rather early on and we were practically as close to OWNING the school when any of the other students could say. I WAS the (semi-)anonymous junior partner and Tomoe Hotaru was the daughter of the previous owner as well as the surrogate one of the current one.

"Hey," Hotaru greeted upon spotting me. "Sorry about not showing up yesterday. I… um… kind of overslept and well…" Was she flustered? I took a closer look and had to suppress a teasing smile. She was. Obviously whatever had held her up had to be more than just oversleeping.

"I take it you have been reconciling with Peitho-chan then." Not a question, more a statement. And judged by the brief flush on the other girl's face an appropriate one. "I am glad. You said there were some… difficulties… and well, from what I remember you used to be such a sweet couple that it would be a real shame to not revive it."

Hotaru's expression turned somewhat somber and her eyes were momentarily downcast. "Let us just say we… found a temporary agreement. Minako is… difficult. She's a lot like her, yes. And even if what you told me is true, there is still a difference. The merging between me and Hotaru was far more easier than for the others. While I entered the rebirth cycle myself I never really DIED, you understand?"

For a moment I let the words settled into my mind, processing them and comparing the message to our own situation before nodding slowly. "Yes, I believe I do. I probably can only really do when I fully obtain all my memories but if it is anything remotely close to what your friends and teammates had to go through, I think I do understand. Sakura told me that she would and could never really be Lina again. She has the memories and can choose to draw and act on them but that's all there is, a sort of pseudo presence created by the knowledge and experience of a different lifetimes." A couple of years ago I would have probably only understood half of that but now, being in more or less the same situation and with far more training tied into it, I could speak of those matters with a much firmer confidence in not making a fool out of myself.

"For Minako and the others it is pretty much like that. But I - and Pluto - we are still the same person. My case is a little special since I am also Tomoe Hotaru."

"Oh," was all I could reply to that and the bell signaling the near start of classes interrupted any further comments I could have come up with. "Look," I said in order to get my original intent across before we had to part company, "There probably are a lot more questions both you and Sakura have. She wanted to meet you some time during lunch. Is that okay for you?" With a slight twinkle in my eyes, I added, "Or do you have other plans?"

Hotaru shook her head, with a calm and collected seriousness I remembered well belonging to her Senshi aspect, recalling it from my memories of Phoebe. "No, that is fine with me."

******************************

<February 28 (Sakura)>

The classrooms of Neo Infinity were not as you would expect them of such a modern-looking building. In fact there were enough examples where you wondered if you had just stepped through a time portal. Neo Infinity was taking great care by creating the right atmosphere for the various fields. The right biological environments for para-cultural studies, sterile and save rooms for science and other such studies, the right setting of medieval, traditional or modern for the various fields of magic… A lot of those were very magnificent displays of harnessing dimensional magic. Sure, most of them were just very complex illusions but it was still impressive.

I had done my fair share in the magic wing, the cards had literally jumped at the chance of being creative. I couldn't help but smile fondly at the memory. Things had changed so much over the last years, ever since the incident with the Seal Cards. I had devoted a lot of time of readjusting my body to the old arcane magic by reflecting on the old memories. Then there was Tomoyo who needed teaching which only further rooted us in that cycle. And, of course, the major reason. Sylphiel. It was frustrating. Years spent without having found a trail. Her presence was close by now, that much I could tell, but somehow I couldn't put my finger - figuratively as well as magical - on it. And knowing Pandora I dreaded to think about what could happen to the rebirth of the gentle shrine maiden that had been so close to both Amelia and myself. I believe Tomoyo is worried too, even though she tried to not show it for my sake. However, my mate had accepted that part of our shared destiny with surprising ease, no doubt courtesy of her own memories, and was indulging in the search as much as I did, sharing my concerns quietly.

All that had somehow made me neglect a lot of things lately. Kero for example who had always been a great help and advisor but whose knowledge paled to the memories of Lina Inverse. I was glad that we had that family meeting last weekend with everyone present. It was a time of recuperation, recuperation from the burden that was weighing on both Tomoyo and myself now. The burden of knowing that a battle would begin shortly that we only had an elusive grasp on, with only the faintest glimmer of hope that it could be prevented. There were times I deeply regretted having pulled Tomoyo into this but remembering just how insistent and supportive my lover was on the subject and the ties of fate between us, I knew that without her, I would have given up a long time ago. I definitely couldn't have faced all this again, not without her. Once had been enough already and now, for her sake, I would do everything to ensure that a repeat of those events would not come to transpire.

Coming out of my momentary reflection I realized that the period was almost over and I would definitely look foolish being caught dozing off while lecturing… Well, okay, the other students were reading a paper I had handed out and thus that had given me time to think a little. The semester was almost finished and most tests were done already. Compared to the normal studies, the paranormal wing was not so much grade-orientated as it was success-orientated. The goal was to teach the students to understand their individual skills or the topics they were researching better, to ensure complete knowledge of not only fact but also comprehension of what was learned. This was part of the strict selection process of Neo Infinity. Not everyone was taken who had some form of skill or dormant talent. The principle was to raise students who would eventually help to make the world a better place and not abuse what they learned here. And there were no exceptions tolerated.

This resulted in a very unique style of teaching. Actually the procedure was not so much of a single, advanced professor - or more accordingly mage etc. - to stand in the front and lecture. Classes here were often more a sharing platform, a community where skills and knowledge of various paranormal aspects were presented not only by official teachers but also by the respective students, especially those that already had a rudimentary or higher understanding of their abilities. Students of all different ages and grades at that. Those classes that made up the other half of Neo Infinity's schedule were universal, spanning all grades and only dividing in levels of maturity in the student's talents.

"I think that is enough for today. Read those papers at home and we finish this session next week," I dismissed the class. You would be surprised actually. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than in a normal school and that in turn also produced a higher level of concentration and participation. Practically all those that were here WANTED to be here, really wanted to. And that helped enormously. There was nobody who didn't want to learn and thus the study atmosphere was probably the most perfect any school had ever seen.

And so it came, that you almost ever had a good handful of students lining up at the end asking various questions. I endured it all with somewhat satisfied patience. I never had seen myself much of a teacher. Sure, I had thought about it when I was younger - the first time around -, seeing as Otousan was a professor on a university himself. There was a difference about thinking about it and actually standing in front of an entire classroom - not mention as a senior in High School yourself... Lina's memories hadn't helped there much either. Although she had helped training Amelia in some more advanced fields later on and possessed a vast mystical knowledge, there had been several reasons why she chose to become a traveling mage instead of studying and eventually teaching at the guilds.

About a couple of minutes later I was done with the questions and had just about finished packing my own things. This was my last class today and I was eager to meet up with Tomoyo, our paths not having crossed today as often as usual. I didn't even see the figure approach at first and the hesitant voice was so soft and low I almost didn't hear it at first.

"Excuse me?" As I glanced up halfway, finishing in zipping my backpack, something pressed against the core of my awareness, something distinctively familiar about the voice though I could have sworn it didn't belong to any of the normal students. That wasn't that suspicious since some lectures were open for the public. Okay, not for the public but for those who were interested in application or to give those selected an idea about the general way of things here. Yet, there was something so hauntingly familiar about the voice that I finally gave the girl in front of the desk my full attention.

I almost fell over in complete, utter shock.

Purple hair, long and unbound. Green eyes reflecting a gentleness and quiet strength - but also something… darker, I distantly noted. The garb - as was traditional for Neo Infinity coming to class in the appropriate clothes - that of a miko. The physical attributes matched pretty much perfectly. Perfectly. It was like the analogy I had pondered at the beginning about stepping right out of a time portal.

I knew beyond a doubt, with a crushing certainty - not to mention a good dose of disbelief at the absurdity - that it was HER.

"Ano, are you okay, Sensei?" the girl asked, snapping me out of my perplexed trance. "I just wanted to say that I enjoyed class today and look forward to studying here next semester."

My lips moved more on autopilot, my mind too busy trying to wrap itself around the impossible coincidence. Almost four long years we had been searching and now, here, right before my nose she stood. There was no doubt about it. The spitting mirror image, the very incarnation of our lost mate, Sylphiel Nels Lahda.

"Ah yes. I was just, lost in thought. What was your name again?" I asked, a part of me knowing fully well that as happy and grateful as I felt right now, this girl did not know about any of it and this matter had to be dealt with carefully. And there was NO way I was going to let this chance slip out of my hands again.

"Lisa. Lisa Whiteligher desu," the girl replied then a thoughtful expression crossed her face and it was apparent she was very worried for some reason. So much like her, the thought passed through my mind and I corrected myself right away. No, exactly like her. I can't believe this. I had expected changes, just like with Tomoyo and me. But this girl, Lisa, there was practically no superficial difference in appearance. "Ano, I hope you don't take this the wrong way but… Do we know each other?"

I had a VERY hard time answering THAT one.

******************************

(Lisa)

Due to the events of the last year I had become somewhat bitter, showing this with a touch of cynicism. That was by far not my usual nature, mind you. However, circumstances of life had taught me to never take a statement or situation as it appeared to be. Maybe I was a wee bit too untrusting lately, yet I could smell that there was much more to this teacher I had spoken to than met the eye. Far more than Kinomoto Sakura had let on initially.

Why else would she request private talks even before I was officially part of the student body? I didn't believe one second that she was merely interested in me and my ability. I didn't think she even put any attention to the ring or noticed the fact that unlike many of the other students attending, I was already beyond the mere theory of elemental beings. How I could be so sure? Well, maybe because her eyes were practically glued to me, as if seeing right to my very soul.

Mind you, the striking resemblance to the girl in my eyes was a very strong indicator for far greater happenings as well. And I was pretty sure that neither was the meeting today a coincidence nor was this Sakura unaware of the… pull that must have went through both of us. She wasn't student head of the Magic department for nothing after all.

She might as well hold the key to the answers I had been seeking.

"Dinner's ready in another ten minutes, Lisa-chan," Obabasan greeted as I passed by the kitchen. I sometimes really wondered how she managed to be practically everywhere at once, and that in her while by far not crippling but definitely considerable old age.

"I'll be down in a bit," I replied in passing and headed up the stairs, lost in thought about the meeting that had occurred at Neo Infinity. I had gone there, as they say it so nicely, on a whim, figuring I might as well take advantage of the courses that were offering guests to listen in. And while I had been distracted by the nagging sense of familiarity and the resemblance of the student that had lectured pretty much the entire period, I had been quite fascinated and interested in the lecture itself. Sure, having had a contract with an elemental spirit for quite some time now, I had made my own experiences and a lot of the theory was… irrelevant. There were, however, subtle things, nuances, side comments that I guessed went right past the average listener. Having been taught by my own elemental a lot of those aspects, I could appreciate the obvious depth of experience and knowledge Kinomoto Sakura possessed on the subject. To make a long praise short… I had never in my life been paying that much rapt attention to a lecture.

And don't you dare tell that to anyone I know.

"What am I going to get for that?" the clear, bell-like voice of Soyokaze vibrated in the air about a second before its owner decided to make an appearance.

"A week not being sealed inside that ring," I replied casually, shrugging out of my clothes to change into something more relaxed.

"By cosmic law something is bound to happen in that time that you need me with. Besides, what would you do without my insight?" Soyo-chan quipped without breaking stride, snatching up the blouse with a gust of air that shouldn't have been possible in a closed room. I caught the article, noticing the very brief furrowing of tiny, ghost-like eyebrows. I was probably imagining it anyway but sometimes I couldn't help but wonder if the gentle Sylph had a crush on me. I did read that this tended to happen quite a lot in a traditional summoner-elemental relationship. Elemental spirits were by nature a lot more easygoing and bare of human social complications like inhibitions.

"Hai," I said, before standing up to move in front of the mirror, starting to fix my air. "But I don't need to call you out to use your power or talk to you."

There was a noticeable period of silence after that, the Sylph obviously trying to make a comeback. Lacking that, she resorted to the cute and clearly human reaction of pouting. "Ah," I said, "now, not that look again. That's dirty play."

"You are no fun," Soyo-chan replied with mock hurt, making a show of turning away with arms crossed. In truth I knew beyond doubt that the easy banter between us was a part of our partnership that she cherished just as much as I did.

I chuckled merrily. "I thought being snippily is a royal trademark for humans." My smile deepened at the indignant look, followed by a flush and the almost immediate reaction of trying to cover up the feinted shock. "But seriously," I decided to change topics, my mood definitely more relaxed now. "What do you make of her?" I didn't need to ask whether or not Soyo-chan had listened. While a reserved, gentle kind, many Sylph's were remarkable curious, especially one as young as she was.

"All I can say for sure is that this girl's the real deal." I raised an eyebrow at that, waiting for further explanation. "A full-fledged sorceress, I mean. There is indeed a high concentration of talent in that school but this one… She could really shape the world, literally. Especially on a nexus like Tokyo."

I mulled that one over, finding my own analysis matching that of the wind elemental. Trained in the spiritual arts I could definitely feel the tingle of vibrant, colorful power around her. "Maybe so. But she's hiding something from me," I confessed the center point of my irritancy, knowing that it wasn't likely that Soyo-chan hadn't figured it out by now.

"Do you really think she's outright lying to you?" the Sylph inquired softly and I glanced over my shoulder at her with an inquisitive gaze. "What I mean is: Did you expect her - assuming she has something to do with the mystery of your dreams - to come right out and tell you all about it. Probably some unbelievable, farfetched-sounding story of a past life you were supposed to have lived? That is what you are suspecting, isn't it? And you know I support you there."

I winced at the wording, once more reminded just why I valued the Sylph's wisdom and insight practically above anyone else's. Wind was the aspect of the mind and my friend definitely was following that role. She was a very good advisor in most situations.

"Guess you are right. She has no idea that I'm already suspecting, I am not sure what to think about it myself or how to approach her about it and besides that, maybe I'm just seeing things and she doesn't have anything to do with the girl of my dreams." Noticing Soyo-chan's look I grinned ruefully, realizing just how that last part sounded. With a more somber voice I added after awhile, "I don't even know if trying to solve that mystery is such a good idea. What if I'm unlocking something… wrong?" I trailed off, glancing over into the general direction of the dresser next to my bed.

Soyo-chan noticed the look and replied softly, "That's something you have to know for yourself. But since you started already, will you really turn back now?" See, what I meant? She knew me too well. Those dreams and flashes were driving me crazy and there was that undeniable urge in me that told me I would regret never figuring out this mystery, meeting those two woman that were the center of the images.

"Yeah," I matched the elemental's tone. "Seems like I'm going to take Kinomoto-san up on that offer. Let's see what I can get out of her."

Soyo-chan smiled lopsidedly. "Yup, that's my Lisa." With a slight flash of golden-yellow she went back into spiritual form and seemingly disappeared in the surface of the ring on my finger.

I walked over to the dresser and picked up the picture showing a middle-aged couple in front of the Bremer Dom, the date was of several years ago. Then I put it down again with a wistful sigh and headed downstairs for dinner.

******************************

<March 13 (Minako)>

It was getting notoriously difficult to move around without help, I noted sarcastically as I plopped down on the couch, having retrieved something to drink. Spring had hit Tokyo early this year… well, considering you could call well over twenty degrees spring. More like early summer and while the spacious rooms and hallways in the manor were noticeably cooler than that of a normal house, there was a definite humidness in the air that was at all not mixing with the growing signs and limitations of my condition.

My condition… There was one thing I couldn't tire but constantly think about. Ever since that evening with Makoto and Hotaru where a temporary… agreement had been established, one thing had slowly but surely crept out from the veil of unconscious denial I had placed over it. No longer having the outlet of utter frustration since my… lovers gladly took care of that, I could not prevent from taking note of the one undeniable fact anymore.

I was pregnant.

I was going to be a mother.

Okay, maybe those were two facts but hey, could you blame me? Guess not. The truth hit me hard when I finally reckoned it for what it was. The realization had been kind of breathtaking, still was. And now being almost five months along - about six or early seven by the slightly accelerated rate calculated by Ami - there was no point in denying it anymore.

"Hey, why so gloomy?" I glanced to see that Makoto had entered the room unnoticed, being too absorbed in my reflections. My brunette friend looked at me quizzically before glancing down at the glass in obvious comprehension.

"You are right, this weather isn't normal. Must be more signs for well, you know what," she stated and sat down next to me on the couch. I didn't even hesitate to lean onto the taller woman when her arm slipped around my shoulders. I WAS getting tired very easily after all. The limitations were by far not as extreme as that of a normal pregnancy for some bizarre scientific-magical reason I had not bothered to try and understand. In fact the amount of growth shown outwardly at my belly was barely half as much as it should be. I understood as much as that had something to do with the fact that the child had more or less been conceived in a union of three pure souls but beyond that I tended to leave the details to Hotaru. The inconvenience this state put on my body was still big enough for me and I hated the temporary but steadily more increasing fits of weakness and exhaustion.

"I hate being so powerless," I confessed, not implying just my physical state and helplessness should it come to a serious fight which alone gnawed on my ego and sense of responsibility enough. I was their leader after all and I was bound to a sitting or lying position most of the time. No, that wasn't all. After Hotaru's discovery meetings had been called, explanations being made but Hotaru had also said that all we could really do now was wait and see. That didn't met well with many of the others - neither did it with the three of us - but I could see the point that there really was not much we could do considering the possible threat was still locked inside its cage at the moment. A threat that - according to Hotaru - was clearly in the class of apocalyptic. I had rarely seen the expression of… fear in Saturn's eyes and that alone was enough to put everyone on guard. On guard for a shapeless and physical not present enemy.

"I know what you mean," Makoto said quietly, unconsciously her free hand was drawing lazy circles over my belly. It had been kind of a routine, an unspoken agreement since that evening. I found myself amazed again and again at the level of compassion and support that was provided by the two other girls… no, really young woman already in all but actual public acknowledgment in Hotaru's case. The display of maturity was beyond that of mere children. We were all grown up now. I still felt rather unworthy of all that attention directed at me, considering how badly I had treated them at first and how much a part of me still refused to allow a suitable response.

I had watched the lazy motions of Makoto's hands for some time when looked up at her with an unreadable expression on my face, desperately wanting to force the words out but once again feeling myself incapable of doing the deed. Makoto seemed to know exactly what was going on inside of me and put a brief but promising kiss on my lips before pulling her hand up to cup my cheek. "I know. Onegai, don't rush yourself."

"You're too good to me," I whispered, closing my eyes and enjoying the contact for what it was. Once let down in conscious awareness I had been unaware and quite unwilling to raise the barriers that had been let down through Hotaru's surprisingly forceful actions again. But there was still so much holding me back, so many more barriers that were hard to let go off. I WANTED to, believe me, I did but…

"You've always been too good to me," I reinforced, overcome by memories of our teenage days. Makoto had been like the big sister of the Inners, sometimes even a mother figure. While often outgoing and direct, she was a surprisingly good listener to other people's problems and often had listened after the one or other misfired relationship. Back then I had still told myself that they meant something…

"Hey, stop that right now," Makoto chastened with a mock-cross expression and pulling back much to my displeasure. "We are here for you no matter what and you need us or do you still deny that?"

I shook my head softly in reply. "No, not anymore." Gazing back into the emerald eyes watching me expectedly but at the same time patiently I let out the breath I hadn't even realized I was holding. "I'm scared, Makoto. I'm scared because I might really, I…" Once again I felt the barriers smash into place but they had a name now. I realized how true the statement was even though the words came out without conscious thought. I was scared because THIS strange, abnormal and all out totally weird relationship was unlike all the pseudo pretenses I had hid under for so long and only recently let myself feel the effect it had on me in the presence of those two remarkable women. Only with them and only to a degree I allowed myself that luxury and this was already much further than I had ever allowed any boy or man to see the real me under the surface. And that fact scared me, scared me beyond belief.

"Shh, I know," Makoto hushed pulling me into a full embrace that I fell into with a sigh, another testament to how far I had already let myself fall.

After several minutes of staying that way I disengaged from the hug, a sparkle of resolve building inside of me brought upon by the slow realization that there was really a baby growing inside of me now. This was something we all had neglected in the face of our personal problems and it was long time due that we made this step. "Mako-chan," I said silently, knowing in a way that beyond this point there might as well be no turning back anymore. Not that the other two would ever let me. "When Hotaru gets back… I want to go see Rei. It's time we really knew what happened that night."

There wasn't a need to spell out to which night exactly I was referring to. It had been the catalyst for all this after all and the missing clarity, the inability to remember might have played its role in the long frustration and drama between the three of us. But I was going to be a mother soon - as amazing and hard to believe that fact was - and there was no way I would give birth not knowing exactly what happened on the night of conceiving and who was technically "the father".

"Are you sure," Makoto asked tentatively. This was probably the first time we had even breached the subject.

I nodded quietly, a firm resolve taking its place in my heart. If I was letting myself getting caught in this I would do so consciously and prepared.

******************************

(Hotaru)

Kind of ironic actually that it took circumstances like the attack about a month ago that the daughter of the former director and the junior partner of Neo Infinity began to meet regularly and talk more personally. I suppose we really were just to wrapped up in our own lives at the beginning and after that the opportunities were becoming scarce to nonexistent. I really wished we'd had that meeting a year ago when the school was officially opened and I wished even more I had known back then about HER.

The others hadn't taken well to the news and even less so to sitting around, idly waiting. But there really wasn't much more we could do at this point. Any kind of trying to meddle with the seal was out of the question as I made quite clear when the suggestion was brought up. We couldn't just go and well… reinforce it. The ancient seal was two hundred millennia old, already tempered with and who knows how close to breaking. The original creation had taken a high amount of individual sacrifices and weaved a complex net of power that the slightest mistake could upset. And besides, it's not like Sakura and Tomoyo hadn't tried that route already and actually succeeded in repairing the damage. Of course by then, it was already too late to do more than winning some time.

Setsuna had surprised me the most actually. She had NOT known about Sakura and Tomoyo being the incarnations of Lina and Amelia until I told her. That worried me a lot, coupled with the fact that her time sight was considerably weakened, to a point where you could call it blocked. That had happened only once before. In the old war, shortly before the rise of the Silver Millennium. The implications were NOT all that comforting.

"So, let me get this right. You FOUND her but now Sakura-san is reluctant to tell her the full truth?" I said to the other girl, sitting next to me. It was the end of a long day of classes. Seeing that the paranormal section didn't actually operate after a normal schedule, studying here was complex and challenging work and there wasn't just a relaxing phase at the end of a semester. The school calendar didn't really apply here. I had come to spend more and more time with the other girl in between classes and found her quite pleasant company. She was a lot more reserved than Amelia had been but I could see the same kind heart in her that I had seen in the young Queen of Saillune.

Tomoyo nodded, concern clearly written in her face. "It's kind of like your situation I think. One wrong word or action…" She trailed off but the sentence didn't need to be verbally completed for me to understand its meaning.

"Yes, I can see that. If you come on too strong that might scare her away and I don't even want to think what an easy target that would make for Pandora to exploit." And there I thought I had it hard. At least She wasn't hunting Minako or something. The attack was a coincidence and I doubted Pandora would risk an agent with both Makoto and myself constantly around. Those two though… I couldn't help but admire Tomoyo for holding up so well under all the circumstances, but even more so I admired Sakura for the same reasons. Even before she had unlocked her memories as Lina, she had an encounter with the Feared One, an encounter that had to have left deep emotional scars. The memories of her past life must have been actually comforting in the long run. Most people would have crumbled under the weight of responsibility put on those two.

"Sakura thinks there already is some… connection." I looked sharply at Tomoyo. "That's part of why she wants to go slow and well… undetected."

"You mean like avoiding to provoke a reaction from whatever link there is already?" Tomoyo nodded and I scratched my chin in thought. "A tough situation. You shouldn't wait too long though. The planet's becoming more and more restless. I dread to admit this but she'll make her move soon and Sylphiel's reincarnation IS the most likely target." Life was like that. A complex web of possibilities where according to our nature - which WAS chaos - one action could provoke several different reactions. Waiting though could very well trigger the possibility that was furthest away from your original goal. That's why I acted with Minako when I thought I had to and while we were still some distance away from resolving our situations, we were getting somewhere.

Tomoyo was a rather quiet girl though. I had been able to observe some of the interaction between her and Sakura, the dynamics of their relationship, and figured out quickly enough that Tomoyo would usually be supportive of anything that her partner did, only speaking up when she really found it appropriate. It was kind of a quiet, passive position, dominating not so much through actions or words but small gestures and mere presence. If I had to draw a comparison, Tomoyo was kind of what Michiru-mama was to Haruka-papa. Tomoyo was the consciousness where Sakura was action.

I glanced at my watch, noticing that it was getting late already. "Look, I have to get home. Try to talk to Sakura about this. I really think we are running out of time and I'd rather have you three together than apart when the fireworks start," I said, standing up.

Tomoyo nodded and stood up as well. "I was planning on doing that anyway. It's good to have a second opinion though." She smiled at me and I smiled back, mutual understanding passing between us. Our situations were quite similar as were our roles. Sakura might be the more outgoing party in their relationship but Tomoyo was the silent center, the rock in the raging sea so to say. I tended to view myself similarly as of late, trying to hold the fragile peace between Minako, Makoto and myself together.

Lately though I wondered just whether or not I really was meant to be there, in their midst, or if I was just the initiator. Since settling into the semi-comfortable routine Makoto and Minako had spent a lot of time together. The brunette could afford to take a bit of time off from her work and training - it helped that she had rather understanding employers - to help our pregnant lover. Besides that, Makoto proved to be much versed when it came to everyday stuff and it became clear out of the three of us she might be best suited to take care of a child…

I shook my head, chasing away the brief bout of insecurity. We were in this together and I wasn't going to back out now. After all it was more than highly likely that I was the genetic father - I could just see some experts getting a fit at the prospect - and I had a responsibility to fulfill.

Saying goodbye to Tomoyo, I made my way back home.

******************************

<March 17 (Makoto>

"This weather is getting more and more erratic," I muttered to myself and ducked back into the store I had just emerged from. In the ten minutes I had spent in there the sky had changed from blue and cloudless to a dark gray, unloading a massive rain shower down on the earth. I had barely felt it coming and even the little bit of warning I got was not enough to return home in time. I sure as hell was not going to run all the way to the apartment through the rain.

Sighing I decided to do some more shopping. Well, at least looking at the various plants, flowers and similar gardening articles that lined the rows. This was one of my favorite places. It was neither really spacious or even commonly known, more like an insider hint, somewhat hidden in a side alley between two bigger stores.

I stopped when I came across a stack of beautiful white lilies - Casablanca, Rei's favorite flower. I'd have to remember to preorder some for her birthday next month. I knew that wasn't original and Rei always seemed to be rather wistful and reserved when she got them. I suspected it was something that happened in her past but I wasn't one to pry deeply if it wasn't of any direct concern to me. Lately though, actually ever since Sasami came to live at the Jinja, she was a lot more carefree and happy at her own birthday. That just proves again that love knows no boundaries, I mused with a smile on my lips.

The smile turned into surprise when I turned around, catching sight of a familiar figure I had previously missed. I hadn't really paid much attention, just getting a couple of items and then planning on getting home again. Now, the flash of lavender hair was hard to mistake for anything else and surely enough, when my eyes settled on the woman in red Chinese robes talking with someone else at the moment, it turned out to be the person I had least expected to meet here.

Deciding that the rain wouldn't let up for awhile, I went over to the pair and called out, "Konnichi wa, Saotome-sensei." Well, okay… Technically she was my employer but since she was almost as versed as her husband in the art, I found myself taught some things by her as well.

The woman turned away from her conversation, spotted me and smiled in greeting. "Makoto-chan, what a pleasant surprise." I bowed briefly and the woman returned the gesture. Saotome Xian Pu was definitely a striking beauty, someone who'd turn heads on every corner but she could also be very dignified and formal despite what other people had thought of her in her youth. I had heard some pretty wild stories regarding that particular time.

"It is nice to meet you too, Sensei. I am sorry I haven't been to work regularly."

Xian Pu waved the issues away with a knowing smirk. "It's alright. I understand completely. A pregnancy is a very important event in one's life after all and I'm sure your… friend appreciates your help." Seeing the knowing gleam in the other woman's eyes I wondered briefly why I had even bothered to make a semi-cover story.

Before I could dig my grave even deeper - judged by the mock predatory look I found myself at the receiving end of -, it was the other woman next to my employer that drew our mutual attention. She had simply stood to the side rather unnoticed until then

"Mako-chan?"

I turned surprised eyes to the speaker, taking in the features of a woman around Xian Pu's age, prime of her years really. A lean body that spoke of physical exertion - probably some form of Martial Art - and an outfit that made her look just the slightest bit tomboyish, in blue and black, a little like a kunoichi's. "Excuse me, do I know…" My inspection went back to the face, the brown hair and the white ribbon tied into it, and then the eyes… "… you… Senpai?"

I blinked, reassuring myself that the hectic of the last month hadn't left some form of mental delusion, but except the fact - the rather disturbingly obvious fact - that the person in front of me was beyond doubt FEMALE, the features matched almost perfectly. SHE was definitely a lot more, um… cute, beautiful actually now that it was clear that she was of the fairer gender but… "Um, you…" I felt myself stutter, to stunned for coherent speech.

"You know each other?" Xian Pu looked back and forth between us with a confused look on her face.

The woman smiled ruefully. "Oh yes, we do. Long history… well, okay actually short. We met in Junior High briefly, she kind of had a crush on me. Back then I was still pretending…"

My employer raised an eyebrow and then realization seemed to dawn upon her face, realization that I would give a lot to have right now because I was thoroughly confused. A wee bit hurt, too, because I had obviously been deceived. Not that I wasn't over that stupid crush by now, yet there was one thing that I didn't like. When I was deceived, played with. I wanted people to be honest with me as I tried to be honest with them. That attitude, I knew, didn't sit well with many people but I'd rather have it that way when lying to myself or others.

I folded my arms over my chest and gave the other woman a stern look, pushing away my confusion for the moment. "What a surprise meeting you here, after all those years, Ukyo-kun," I said in the best icy tone I managed, not really able to give into anger since it was apparent the other brown-haired woman - come to think of it, as women we shared a good deal of features, almost like sisters - was already looking very guilty right now.

"Well I…" Kuonji Ukyo sighed heavily, "Gomen nasei, Mako-chan. I didn't mean to fool you deliberately. You have to understand it hadn't been the first time I pretended to be a boy, did that a lot actually until shortly after we, um… parted company." Yeah right, parted company, what a nice way of wording it. He… SHE had told me outright that there was someone else important in her life, not worded exactly like that but that was what I had concluded. I halted my train of thoughts, wondering briefly if I had made any snap judgments then…

"Right, I'm sure Saki-chan knew all about it. How is she those days?"

Ukyo blinked, surprised. "Saki-chan? I don't know. I had to move on shortly after you transferred… Mako-chan, there… Matte, you thought Saki and I were…" I nodded and she groaned, holding a hand to her forehead. "No, no, you got it all wrong. I posed as a boy for some personal reason that's really not all important right now. Makoto, I feel really sorry for what happened but you didn't even give me a chance to explain, you were just gone so quickly…"

I flushed at the reminder, realizing that I had acted like… well, the young teenage schoolgirl with a mad crush on my senpai that I had been. The day after he… kuso, SHE told me that there was someone else… now, that I think about it she had said SOMETHING and I had just jumped to conclusion. The next day I had almost welcomed the suggestion to transfer after I had got into another fight out of frustration mostly. I had told myself it would be easier than seeing them together…

"Oh…" I grinned sheepishly. "Guess that wasn't my smartest move, huh?"

Ukyo shook her head. "It's okay. We were both young and a little foolish, I guess. I just hope there are no hard feelings because I really enjoyed your company and when you left…" I blushed slightly at the comment, not able to completely ignore old feelings. "I mean as a friend," the other woman emended quickly.

I was going to say something when Xian Pu cut into the conversation again. "You sure about that? I'd be careful Makoto, Ucchan here likes to try and steal away other people's husbands." My old Senpai grimaced under the teasing comment and shot her purple-haired friend a dirty look to which the other pretended innocence. "You see, Spatula Girl here," Ukyo winced at the obvious nickname, "was one of Airen's other suitors a few years ago…"

That piqued my curiosity and seeing my old friend squirm uncomfortably I saw a good opportunity to not only pass the time but get back to my Senpai for - unwanted or not - deceiving me. "Really? I'd like to know all about that."

******************************

(Sakura)

Another of those unusual things about Neo Infinity, a student with an office… Well, okay, actually it was Tomoyo's or better the office of the anonymous partner that Tomoyo represented… Not to mention that technically I WAS old enough to be a teacher and still in my final year of High School - which Tomoyo and I minimized from three to two because most of the stuff became too boring… Now, if anyone should come to me complaining about how confusing their life is, I'd… do some pretty nasty things!

My thoughts were erratic again, familiar signs in a familiar situation. It was one of THE sessions again. Across from me sat the young teenage girl who had literally dropped into my life… after spending near to four years searching for her. Once more I felt the strange mix of feelings playing havoc in my heart. There was longing but there was also caution. And surprisingly enough they both came from the same source and that source was not my present life but the memories of Lina…

The sessions had been informal at first. The first two times we talked mostly about the school and what the girl, Lisa, was supposed to expect. Then things slowly got more personal. I felt somewhat comfortable with hiding under the mask of the student head and questioning her about her life instead of revealing all the things I longed to say. We didn't have much time anymore, I could see that Pandora already had her talons at Lisa's neck, literally. The fact that she had been in the area for several months now and no attempt at tracking had ever met with fruition was a dead giveaway. And so I was careful to not probe too deep, too fast.

Funny actually, both Tomoyo and I had been rather different persons, with rather different personalities and outer appearances in this life compared to those of Lina and Amelia. The striking similarity had literally blown me off my feet. Not just the physical appearance which was apart from some minor discrepancies a mirror image of her past life. No, even the setting was almost ridiculously similar. Lisa Whitelighter from what I had gathered had a rather diverse history with many blank pages that I was still trying to fill, yet the key facts were pretty much the same. Right now she was a miko at her grandmother's shrine and ironically enough her parents were deceased already… I had been digging for more information on this because I feared a possible taint that could be exploited and the result came back rather worrying. Apparently Lisa's parents had died in a fire roughly a year ago, shortly afterwards she had settled down here…

It's not fair, I thought bitterly. Sylphiel lost her father to Copy Rezo's attack, why does this have to repeat itself? There was a somewhat cynic side to Lisa that I had gotten glimpses of, very brief and I doubt I'd picked them up a few years ago when I had just been Sakura.

"Kinomoto-san, I appreciate your concern but could we get to the real cause of my visits? I did my research on the school already, you know?" Lisa interrupted my thoughts as well as the semi-automatic explanations I had given on some of the subjects we were teaching her. Lisa had admitted to some latent control over Air magic and a healthy interest in elemental lore, especially elemental spirits. I couldn't help but wondering if her interest was more than just theoretically. If there was a Sylph or Sprite bound to her though I couldn't detect it… which wasn't so unusual given that elemental spirits - ESPECIALLY air spirits - were rather good at hiding their presence from even magical sight.

I looked at the other girl more critically and once more felt the longing rise inside of me. It wasn't always as easy as I tried to portray it to Tomoyo. The side of me that was Lina's incarnation wasn't memories only. That's not how reincarnations work most of the time. A part of the old spirit makeup remained with the soul when it went on to the next cycle of life. If a person went through many incarnations whose spirits were rather different, the soul could turn out rather… colorful.

I sighed, seeing the determined look in those green eyes. So determined, so much like her, so much like the time when… "Do you really want me to do that?" I asked quietly, for a moment dropping all pretense of the game of hide and seek that had started between us. Frankly I could tell that Lisa was a extraordinarily sharp person and seemed to have enough mystic knowledge that she'd probably believe all that I could… that I wanted to tell her. Dealing with those revelations would be another story though.

How could I tell her after all that happened to Sylphiel and me when we were roughly that age? The memories of that time were among the few that I really wished I had never remembered again in the first place. We had been so young and foolish and she had been just as determined to find out the horrible secret of my condition I had tried so hard to hide from the group. But it had been too much pressure and I had caved in under the gentle but unyielding pressure from the shrine maiden. And look where that ended…

No, I couldn't, I wouldn't repeat this mistake. Logically I knew this was a different situation and despite the parallels Lisa was a different person, just like Tomoyo and I. However, the similarities made it rather painful to listen to reason and reminded me of those dark memories again and again.

"Let me see," Lisa broke into my train of thoughts again and her eyes flashed with quiet determination that didn't help at all to concentrate on the present. "For several years now I had reoccurring dreams of people I've never met before and I have the feeling you know exactly what they could mean," Lisa all but abandoned any form of holding back. We had slowly come to this point but it seemed the other girl had become tired of waiting.

"And what do YOU think these dreams mean?" I asked, watching the other girl seemingly relaxed but inwardly torn at the prospect of the truth coming out. Despite all those weeks I had time to prepare for this moment, I was still not sure how to go about this. How do you tell a complete stranger - from their point of view - that they are the reincarnation of their past lover and life… if not soul mate, together with another girl who was also here and not to forget that she might become a target for an ancient demonic being soon that tried to revive a war that they had participated in many millennia ago… Oh right, easy enough. Tell her just that. I was sure she'd feel overwhelmed by the responsibility and would like to do everything to help… just like Sylphiel… The shrine maiden had had no real idea what she was getting into but had still offered her help out of… I still didn't know what it had been, even with the benefit of a second perspective. I doubted it had been love at this point, there was still that infatuation thing with Gourry in the way. Actually, we both had no clear idea what was going on and I had been desperate… And while in the long run the situation had turned out alright, I'd really like to spare her incarnation a similar fate.

Once again there was the pressure though. Time was running short.

"I think they are glimpses of a past life and the two people I see most in them could very well be you, Kinomoto-san, and your girlfriend, Daidouji-san," Lisa stated in a matter of matter-of-fact tone that simply floored me. The Sylphiel I knew had always kept a certain innocence - some would call it naivety - even when she was older. But Lisa seemed to have a kind of observation skill I could easily compare to Tomoyo's. Sure our relationship was unofficially public knowledge among the students but Lisa had hardly spend enough time here to sound so… certain.

I gave another long sigh and then stood up. It seemed there was no way around it. However, I wouldn't rush into this. I needed some time to really think this through and I should speak with Tomoyo too, maybe we should even do this together. As indecisive and torn inside as I was right now, I might end up saying the wrong things and there was no way that I would unintentionally bring hurt to that gentle girl… again. I don't know how close Pandora already is and therefore no one can tell how a wrong reaction might turn out, I argued with myself.

Opening a drawer, I took out a tiny business card and handed it to an expectant Lisa. "Meet us here next week, the same time. We'll talk then." This needed more careful planning. It might be a risk to wait any longer but enough people had gotten hurt in this and during the course of our past lives already, unintentionally or because of that monster. I would not willingly endanger Lisa and put her on that list myself.

For a moment the other girl stared up and I had the feeling as if she would press the issue but then she also stood up and bowed curtly, taking the card. "I will." And with that she turned around and exited the office, leaving me to my own troubled thoughts.

******************************

<Around 200012 BC ()>

It was about a month or so after the defeat of Hellmaster Phibrizo that it all started and right now Lina felt that she would have been better off not returning alive from this encounter. How the hell exactly she had survived after calling the Golden Lord, the Lord of Nightmares, the CREATOR into her body was beyond her. She had no recollection from the point onwards when Phibrizo interfered with her casting in attempt to let the chaos energy run wild. All that she knew was from her friend's sketchy explanations that she had apparently been possessed by L-sama and had been returning back to the Sea or something like that. Gourry, the baka, had probably done some incredible stupid stunt and pulled her back at the last possible moment… Lina really wished he hadn't, as harsh as this might sound. Maybe then the events that had taken place over the last weeks could have been avoided. No, they would have never taken place!

L-sama, I never felt so guilty before. Not even after that incident with Oneechan, Lina thought miserably, staring at the vacant spot next to her where minutes ago… or was it hours? She really didn't know. The point remained that up until this particular point Sylphiel had been there for the last several weeks of their travels.

At least I've got enough of a fill to sustain me for awhile… I hope, the redheaded sorceress added snidely in her silent musings, looking down at her hands. Hands that had wrought much destruction and yet never meaning real harm to anyone during those instances. That was just how she was, part of her nature. Despite what other people thought Lina took always great care with her magic. Even when casting a Dragon Slave in the center of a town… It was actually a quite impressive feat to pull one of WITHOUT harming the inhabitants lethally… Years of training and devotion to the Black Magic lore had taught her that control…

Some control… Didn't do me a whole lot of good with this. Lina couldn't help but wonder if her radical orientation towards Black and Spiritual offense magic had brought her to this point. Most likely. Why else would she be in dire need of power from the opposite lore now? It hadn't seem that bad at the beginning and the events between Gaav's defeat and the eventual demise of Phibrizo had been so hectic - not to mention depressing - that Lina had not really paid much attention to the signs. Signs that had been there, at brief instances, since casting the Giga Slave on Shabranigdu/Rezo. In hindsight that might have nudged open the door. The straining use of two Ragna Blades in short order, with the full knowledge of what exactly she was casting there had begun to push it open. Accidentally calling L-sama in her body then literally ripped the door out of its imaginary hinges.

The first night had been pure torture and the day afterwards she had made up some feeble excuse and went to look up the next capable cleric. The result wasn't very comforting. Apparently her entire mana had suffered a drastic imbalance from the excessive use of Chaos Magic and the worst part was that what she had used the magic for was just in alliance with her nature. By now Lina did understand that L-sama, Chaos personified, was more than just the ultimate Dark Lord. Chaos was neither Good nor Evil, it was a balance and at the same time a power of contradicting elements. On one side there was the longing to return to its original form but at the same time there also was the creation that steamed from the chaos. It was both balance and imbalance. A drive for preservation and destruction.

But Lina was naturally attuned to the destructive part of magic. Not because she was evil. That's another prejudicial assumption by society. If Lina was EVIL, then why had she not turned the other way as things got too heated, why hadn't she accepted the Mazoku's offer to join them instead of making the suicidal attempt of fighting them for her life? No, Lina wasn't evil, just destructive. She fought her battles after the principle of fighting fire with fire. That's just how she was. Unfortunately that had only intensified her current condition.

Before ever casting any Chaos Magic it had just been a general specialization in the Black Magic category. Nothing abnormal. In fact it was a given fact that every mage would end up specializing in one or two fields. And it was definitely not uncommon that this specialization would be determined by the mage's character and preferences. Really, until then, while it was just normal magic, everything was perfectly fine. But L-sama's spells had, in easy terms, overloaded her mana. The clerics she had consulted were rather baffled and feared that if the process would continue unhindered she might lose the ability to cast any White Magic at all. Not that she was good at it but the thought alone was frightening enough, not even to begin with the implications she was much too aware of as a trained sorceress.

Lina figured it probably had to do with the enormous amounts of magic she had channeled in such a short time. The human body was not made for this kind of strain, not even one with Lina's magical energy capacities. And the overwhelming presence of L-sama temporally inhabiting her body had brought the keg to spill over.

And the results weren't pretty in the slightest. For one thing Lina was now dependent on regular feedings of White Magic or otherwise the imbalanced mana would most likely end up either ripping her apart or driving her over the edge of sanity. Neither was really a preferable option but right now Lina would wish she could just take the former and be done with it.

Why did she have to be so damn determined anyway? Must have been her healer's oath or something, Lina thought darkly, unconsciously cutting open a fingernail from all the abuse she was doing to them without noticing, too lost in her self-misery.

That was another thing. After sneaking away for regular visits to a shrine, even going so far as planning their travel routes in a way that she wouldn't run short of opportunities, Lina quickly realized that the clean feedings were just barely enough to sustain her for the time until the next stop. In turn another side effect got stronger and stronger, the sexual urges, the silent cries of release her body tortured her with to the point where she had to resort to self-pleasure… But that was not really helping at all. Until that one night when they had been staying at an inn, short of rooms, and she had to share one with Sylphiel… and that on a night where she hadn't been able to get a feeding in awhile. Of course, with her luck, the often rather innocent and oblivious shrine maiden had noticed something was wrong, gently but firmly pressured her fellow sorceress for details and from there things had… escalated.

It's your own damn fault for giving in and you know that. Lina had been in a mindset where the attempts of protest were feeble and insignificant in the face of a compassionate friend who was willing to help. Her body was crying out for another's touch and as far as she had buried it, Lina always had had some… favoring thoughts towards the fairer sex. Quite frankly, the redhead had put up not much a fight albeit her rational mind screaming at her that this could only end in disaster.

And in disaster it ended. Don't get the wrong impression here. The secret nights between the two friends were, at first, quite… sensual if you really can use the term here. There really was some good deal of affection and the magic that Sylphiel was providing, amplified by the sexual act, left Lina feeling almost completely normal again for the first time in over a month. It was a widespread knowledge that the sexual act alone created magical energy in vast quantities and in a partnership of two mages was often the most effective way of refilling reserves. However, in Lina's case it wasn't so easy. The imbalance in her mana was also reflecting on her character in pushing her normal traits to extremes. Their sessions became more and more… violent. There was no nicer way of saying it. While the act sustained her balance, during it she was exposed to her raw needs and the influences of her impure mana, making her do things she never would have done otherwise.

Last night everything had come to a crushing climax. She had finally gone too far, just as she had feared but could not prevent. This time she really had hurt the other girl that had so selflessly offered her help upon discovering Lina's problems. She had even drained the gentle shrine maiden far too much, to the point of near spiritual death and that alone left the distraught redhead disgusted at her own actions.

Lina hadn't been surprised when she found upon waking that Sylphiel wasn't there anymore and through the tentative bond they had built up over the last weeks, she could tell that the other girl was neither in the inn or in the near vicinity. The redhead plopped back down on the bed and closed her eyes, desperately trying to force the tears away. The worst part of it all was that she had really come to care for the shrine maiden, to a point where she had almost been ready to call it love.

******************************

(Tomoyo)

I found Sakura, after spending some time searching, resting on the roof. She sat lotus-style and one would think the redheaded girl was lost in either deep thought or intense meditation… Not that there was such a thing as intense meditation since intensity was not the predestined goal of the act and defied furthermore the whole principle…

But I suppose that is besides the point and maybe I was just stalling a little. In fact Sakura WAS emitting very intense feelings right now and I could tell with one glance her mood was rather sour and introversive. In other words, my mate was quietly brooding and it took no genius to discern the subject.

"This is the second time in all the years that I've found you up here," I remarked softly but in a way that was forcing Sakura to acknowledge my presence. I sat down next to her, slipping an arm around her and leaning against her shoulder. The only other time I had ever seen her up here was a bit after the Seal Cards incident when she had assumed… more like steadfastly believed that I wouldn't be able to accept the possible addition of Sylphiel in our relationship, in whatever form it may come.

"It's called seeking solitude. You are not supposed to come after me and make me feel better," Sakura replied with a wry smile of affection, apparently finding it hard to hold onto the dark mood she had worked herself into. After seven years I still marveled at my apparent effect on the courageous, spirited girl next to me.

"Mmh, but it's part of my job description to cheer you up when you need it. Even or should I say especially when you don't want me to," I said in a casual tone but in reality I was a little nervous. Sakura had been rather tightlipped over her latest meeting with Lisa. However, the core information was easily enough extracted. On the one hand I was thrilled that Sakura was finally discarding her reluctance and was willing to make that much anticipated step but on the other hand I could still detect the wariness and the subtle stalling. The latter was a point I meant to discuss or more like openly stir my mate in the right direction.

"But you are not really here - or only here - to cheer me up, right?" Sakura inquired as if reading my thoughts which the empathic link between us came very close to. Actually, telepathy is vastly overrated. Empathy is a much higher form of reading another human being. Thoughts can be confusing, deceiving sometimes - even to the own self. Emotions were open expressions of the heart, the true, unguarded nature of the living, unrestrained by social oppression or regulations. Thoughts could speak volumes but never get the finer points across. Emotions were like a complex woven poem or tale, expressing far more detail and less superficiality.

"No, I am not," I answered slowly and then timidly added, "Can I be open?"

Sakura shook her head bemused with a smile conveying both affection and mild annoyance. "Onegai, I insist. You don't do that often enough anyway."

I blushed slightly, well aware of the fact that I rarely spoke up directly against Sakura, limiting myself to a guiding influence, a subtle consciousness. That suited me just fine and was far more within my nature as if directly arguing about a point with my girlfriend. Now though, I believed, I had to do something more active. "I don't think we should wait another week. I spoke with Tomoe-san about this recently and share her opinion. We don't have much more time left and you of all people should know that we cannot afford us the luxury of sitting back, relaxing and hoping that everything will turn out to be alright."

"I wasn't…" Sakura started a protest but I was already cutting in again, knowing that if I allowed this to turn into an actual argument before I brought my point across, my courage would surely waver and finally dissipate.

"Sakura, I am the last person who would think that you couldn't make everything alright," I smiled at the familiar words, the magic phrase but then sternly continued, "but you can't achieve that sitting back and hoping everything WILL just be alright. That's not how it works and that is not like you. I've watched this for far too long actually. My assessment of Lisa-san is that of a quiet but very perceptive young girl. That she apparently has dreams about her past life isn't very surprising to me and nor should it be to you. So tell me, why were you really hesitating and why are you still stalling even now, when it becomes clear that she is willing to know?"

The redheaded sorceress and Card Mistress sat in silence for a moment, actually seeming astonished at the speech. I suppressed a flush, knowing that this was necessary. I could already guess where most of Sakura's problem of dealing with the situation came from but it needed to be addressed. Especially for the sake of dealing with it.

"I don't want to mess something up again," Sakura spoke in a near whisper several seconds later. I waited patiently for her to further elaborate, not giving into the urge of denying her statement. She needed to bare her heart for now and why those moments often pained me I knew they were a sensitive and essential necessity. "I couldn't protect you and Syaoran the first time around and I only realized what you felt for while I held you dying in my arms…" A few tears slipped out of her eyes and with a pang in my heart I reached over to brush them away but did nothing further as Sakura resumed her monologue. "Then I was almost too late in finding the Seal Cards and the result almost cost us all our lives and if you hadn't pulled off that Resurrection spell I would have once again made you sad." I squeezed Sakura's hand at that point and pulled her closer, sending reassuring waves over our link, telling her without words that I was here and would always be at her side.

"And then there's Syl-chan. Tomoyo, you have no idea what it was like to be experiencing the symptoms of mana overload as a teenager. I was young and while not naïve still rather foolish in ever allowing something to happen between us. Oh sure, I needed it at this point more than anything else and I enjoyed our time together. But as I said… young and foolish. I couldn't control the urges and I hurt her, really hurt her. Not just physically but emotionally. Her trust… If I… Tomo-chan, I couldn't bear to make a mistake again and cause her hurt in any form and with Pandora already so close I…"

"We," I silently but with a steely edge that bore no argument cut in. Sakura's head snapped up and turned to look at me, flinching slightly under the heated gaze meeting her own. "You are doing it again, you are trying to put all the weight and responsibility upon your shoulders. I might not have your full range of memories but I believe we agreed - on this very roof - that we would both locate Sylphiel's reincarnation, protect her and accept consciously whatever impact that would have on our relationship. So what gives you the right do take all the responsibility here?"

A mixture of emotions flashed over Sakura's face and for a moment there was the brief spark that would ignite a counter argument. But that spark was extinguished practically in the same instance and what remained was a very demure and sheepish girl who many at Neo Infinity would have trouble recognizing as the intelligent and confident student head of the magic wing.

Instead of making any verbal replies, Sakura reached into her pocket and drew out her cell phone, hit a button for auto dial and waited. I raised an eyebrow but she just sent a smile in my direction and I settled for waiting. After a few moments the other party had apparently answered the phone.

"Kinomoto Sakura desu. Is that you Lisa-san?" Short pause in which my other eyebrow joined the first one. "Perfect. I was wondering if you would mind if my partner and I could step by tomorrow. I am sorry this is so sudden but someone reminded me that this business we wished to discuss really can't be afforded to be put off any longer… No, no, that won't be necessary. Tomorrow afternoon I think would be alright…"

Shifting a little to reposition myself, I settled against the other girl more comfortably, content that this argument had been so easily resolved. That was much more like my Sakura, energetic and taking action when it was necessary. Obviously all that she needed was a reminder and someone to give her the necessary courage. And Sakura always insisted that I was the best suited and furthermore only candidate for that job.

******************************

<March 17 (Minako)>

The way we were trudging up the steps to the Hikawa Jinja I couldn't help but feel a little like some member of a royal family or a goddess being flanked by her most trusted servants. On the one side the tall brunette with a casual but ever-alert manner and on the other side the more quiet dark-haired girl who often seemed as if nothing could really faze her. Right now I could very well detect though the vibes of happiness and unguarded love. Hotaru was making no secret of her affection and so wasn't Makoto… but that was more or less true to character.

"You know," I mused aloud, "if it was any other place I'd be worried what people think of us." The comment was meant more in an attempt to break the nervous tension that had settled over us ever since I had brought up the suggestion that we'd better do something about that memory leak. Especially since something was rather odd about this. I mean alcoholic blackout was a valid reason for a normal human… and even for a Senshi to a degree, at least for a short span of time. But even Hotaru after actually meditating on it for hours hadn't been able to dig up the memories from her subconsciousness.

That wasn't all that I was nervous about. A small part of me was probably hoping that I might get some clues about Peitho. Oh sure, I could ask Hotaru but there was the whole barrier thing still there and I just couldn't get myself to admit to myself that I WAS curious about that past we supposedly shared. Got yourself in a nice situation, Minako. Frankly enough, it was becoming frustrating not being able to express the confusing mix of feelings the other two woman were stirring inside of me adequately. Their feelings were starting to affect me and at some points I wanted to just… just… See, what I meant? I had restrained myself for so long that it was hard to rediscover the ease of expressing my heart freely. It's not that I resented the way I had become, a hard-working, successful woman and respected warrior with a purpose, but Makoto and Hotaru were slowly breaking down those barriers.

I felt both my hands being squeezed at the same time and was once again amazed at the harmony of both woman to either side obviously sensing my mood and thoughts turning towards those dark paths that they had been trying to steer me away from for the past weeks. Successfully so for the most part.

"Yeah sure, but considering the company, I think we would be insulting them if we DON'T show who we are interested in," Makoto stated with a snicker and a hooded glance in my direction and further along at Hotaru on my other side. I felt myself blushing slightly and then we had already reached the top of the stairs, arriving on the courtyard of Hikawa Jinja, promptly being greeted by the first pair of them.

Hikawa Jinja had never been THAT popular as it had been in these days. Oh sure, the shrine was the most visited in the area but in the greater sense, when it came to the whole of Tokyo or even just the ward… And all of that recent success had mostly been the achievement of those who were simply named the "Miko Sisters". Rei had never been that talkative about how she got all the help from several different girls from several different areas but it had come rather timely, about two years ago when her grandfather had fallen almost gravely ill - but made a good recovery by now - and Rei had been forced to take over most of his duties of running the Jinja at a point where it was hard for us to offer much help because of our education and/or jobs.

The funny thing was, all of us knew that Rei never was one to depend or even favor excessive company. She had always been a rather distant person who stroke me as rather lonely. However, that had gradually changed ever since Sasami's appearance exactly at the right moment when Rei really needed someone she could depend on. As I said, I didn't know all the details but if I could say anything with conviction then that Hikawa Jinja was a much happier place these days. You could literally feel the aura of a sanctuary around you when you stepped onto the shrine's grounds. A sanctuary especially for those misunderstood or recovering from some dark past.

"Hey! There you are, Rei-san has been waiting." The green-haired girl named Mizuki wearing a ponytail in a similar fashion as Makoto did called out when she spotted us. She was currently sweeping the ground. Not surprisingly not too far away the brown-haired Hitomi was looking through some supplies, also glancing up at her companion's exclamation. To be frank about it, those two were the most unusual of the "couples" living/working at Hikawa these days. I couldn't really pinpoint how far the state of their relationship was and the pairing seemed to be a rather odd one, having come across rather recently and not so much rooted in a long past together. Or at least that's what my radar was telling me.

Sparing a few words of greeting in return, we followed Hitomi's directions who pointed us towards the main meditation room where the Holy Fire was located. I realized with some manner of guiltiness that we hadn't been here as often in the years since Galaxia's demise as we had been before that. Especially I hadn't and so I took in some of the changes that spoke clearly of Rei's influence; she was proving to be a much better manager of business for the Jinja as the old pervert had ever been. The current style had something more… modern, while still holding onto the somewhat ancient and traditional quality a shrine was supposed to emit.

Just short of the prayer chamber we were greeted by the second pair. "Just in time," the dark-haired Kagome said, "Rei said she's finished with the cleansing." She smiled warmly at us and gestured for the door. Her companion sitting next to Kagome, equally dark haired but with her hair braded, nodded at us and Hotaru moved forward to carefully slide open the door.

Now I wasn't overly spiritual-trained but there was no way even a totally inapt person could not perceive the purity of the chamber. Just entering into the room told you immediately that the girl sitting in front of the fire was very capable of what she was doing and if you had the pleasure of knowing the raven-haired miko you could tell that her powers had vastly increased over the years since she had been a young teenager with dreams of one day taking over the Jinja and becoming the successor of her grandfather. In my opinion, Rei already had succeeded at both goals in all but formal acknowledgment. None of us, not even Michiru, could hope to match her spiritual skill these days and that made her the most logical choice at attempting the great mystery resolving the life that was currently growing inside of me.

"I'm glad you found time for us, Rei," Hotaru said in a manner of greeting but clearly expressing her gratitude.

"There is no need to thank me, Hotaru-chan. We are all family after all and that is the least I can do. Now let us see if we can't break down whatever blocks your memory of the conceiving night, ne?" The wink didn't go unnoticed and I stubbornly suppressed the flush. Rei had become a lot more open with her feelings nowadays, too. Undoubtedly another side effect of the clearly positive influence of the younger, blue-haired girl whispering something in the head miko's ear before, with a short, polite bow, slipping out of the room.

The nervousness began to return again but I refused to give into it. This was a necessity as I, myself, had pointed out, and if someone could draw out the clouded memories of THAT night, it would be Rei.

There was the subtle hope that maybe this was just exactly what I needed to make sense and voice the feelings in my heart.

******************************

(Hotaru)

"One warning before we begin," Rei drew my attention back to her. The three of us had all settled in front of the fire, our backs facing the hot, cleansing flame warming our backs and - since we were all psychic adepts to a degree - feeling it burn away any kind of negative thoughts or emotions. I didn't use to be here so often during the days of our frequent battles but the change in purity as well as potency was evident.

My gaze had lingered for a moment on the obvious cause for the change in the Senshi of Fire. Here, in the cleansed atmosphere of the main prayer chamber, barriers and emotional shields were greatly reduced and despite some superficial differences I could have sworn Sasami and Tsunami were exactly the same person. But that was another issue that could be dealt with at a later point. Glancing at Rei, sitting lotus-style in front us facing the fire, I inclined my head in a gesture for her to continue.

"From what I gathered from your description, Hotaru-chan, there are some mental blocks that can't be easily overcome, so I will have to link minds with all of you and it will be inevitable that I experience some of those memories from an outside viewpoint just as much as you will."

I had expected as much actually and didn't let myself show any reaction at all. Glancing at the side I could see Minako shift a little nervously and Makoto shrug nonchalantly. "I would believe we are family here and trust each other that whatever gets revealed here will stay between the occupants of this room," I said finally and prodded both of the other woman at my side with a gentle stare until they eventually nodded in consent.

"Then let us begin," Rei closed her eyes and I did likewise, easily letting myself fall into a meditative trance. I could feel the close proximity of the other pure souls joining mine in a small cluster on the Astral Plane, the fiery glow of Rei hovering just a distance away. Knowing that none of my two lovers had the spiritual experience and level of concentration necessary, I already had to make most of the work. Gently extending my senses, I began to connect my mind with that of the other two who were - reluctantly at first - opening their own mental shields to allow the connection to settle in between their own awareness and my own, as well as establishing the remaining link between themselves following my example and guidance.

Rei had meanwhile finished her own preparations and was extending her senses towards our linked minds, focusing imaginary, probing fingers on the memory parts hidden in our individual spirits and souls, drawing what had been blocked from our conscious awareness. A moment later a stream of blurry images began to flare before my mental eye - well, to be precise, we all shared one mental eye, so to speak, right now.

This was not unlike the normal state of the memories we were seeking. Images shrouded in mist, too fast and too unfocused to be perceived by the waking mind. Slowly though the stream seemed to settle down, gradually adjusting the raging river it resembled to a clear lake. A lake in which stones were thrown, creating ripples, ripples producing individual images. But unlike the more coincidental impacts a stone thrown into a lake would produce, these were calculated. The images that soon formed together into more coherent and comprehendible memories were those that were of real importance right now. While not giving a full account they were fix points of the events and with them present in our memories, the missing gaps would be filled on their own.

To be frank I expected something more… juicy to visualize first. What actually took form was a memory I vaguely remembered to earlier on in the evening of the party. Some of the others were dancing, precisely Usagi with Mamoru and Rei with Sasami… while Minako was acting a lot out of current character, mixing with the couples in a clearly provocative manner, usual inhibitions reduced to a sliver of normality. That wasn't so much of importance - even though I did sense some of the embarrassment from our mutual love over our mind link. No, what was more important was the conversation I had been listening in on between Makoto and myself.

I was - and there wasn't a nice way to put it - so drunk it hurt to look at, really. And if my adoptive parents ever learned about that I'd sure get an earful. And in that detached, irrational state a plan was hatched that would have massive consequences, consequences I could only see now that we have reached the near conclusion of them. It had begun innocently enough, Makoto and I complaining in a depressed state about the unfairness of neither of us having any kind of chance with Minako. Makoto had tried to cheer me up, obviously trying to ignore her own feelings and push me in Minako's direction… I even dimly remembered some of that talk and now that I actually saw the scene the memories were coming back and I could almost predict the exchange that followed. Even while I wondered how exactly it had come to this point.

"… you probably would have to get her pregnant in order to get Mina-chan to really notice you." That was Makoto's - as I realized only now - attempt of dry humor, yet the statement turned out to become a catalyst in the events to come which had eventually led us to the point of today. I remembered dimly how Phoebe had somehow gotten the idea that the casual-meant comment could actually be achieved. A totally ridiculous challenge had ensured and in our mutual drunken states was executed with astonishing precision and success.

*Hotaru was sure out of it… Wonder why that effected Saturn though,* I could hear Minako's thoughts as loud as the day. Even if I wanted to, in our current state there was no way I could block them out.

*Minako?" Makoto echoed moments before realization seemed to claim her and held back some kind of question she was about to… formulate.

*We are linked right now. Totally harmony of our minds,* I explained to ease our other lover's apparent confusion. *But I am not able to answer that question. In all likelihood all of our Senshi aspects - especially Saturn - should never have been that effected to this degree. That is what really…* Something caught my attention and I mentally willed a replay of the last moments of the scene. I had just hopped of to start pestering Minako with clear intent to set my plan into motion but there was something I had noticed on the edge of my… no, Makoto's perception. *What's that?*

*I remember feeling something… or someone… but didn't pay it much mind then,* Makoto mused and now I could feel the other two taking greater interest in the shadowy figure I had spotted. We watched in a mixture of astonishment and confusion as whoever it was apparently slipped something in Makoto's drink, neither one present even seeming to take notice of the intruder… And then I got a brief flash of the aura Makoto had picked up…

I tried, I really did, but I couldn't suppress the mental scream of outrage at the realization of the exact identity of the mysterious visitor. Both Makoto and Minako recoiled somewhat at the uncharacteristic sneer before I willed myself to calm down enough to say with an exasperated sigh, "I should have known it was him. I swear when he shows his face around here again, I'm going to have a few words with that meddling… Not that it will do any good...*

*Um, you know that guy?* Minako tentatively asked and I sensed a spark of recognition from her as well.

*We did, yes. That is the most notorious, meddling Mazoku - a kind of demon race though I wouldn't define him as Evil in the sense you are thinking of - that has ever wandered this planet. True to his nature he likes to call himself the Mysterious Priest, Xelloss."

******************************

(Makoto)

It was about an hour later when the mental trip down memory lane was finally finished. It had felt more like a few minutes actually but I had long since learned to never go by simple scientific logic, not that I was any good at the field myself. After the first big discovery, the process had actually been rather swift and the first memory had already suited as a trigger to break through the blockage and the rest of the recreation of memories was more a reliving process than actual surprise. I was still rather amazed at some of the… err, more vivid images.

One thing, however, had been made clear… No, let me rephrase that. The long expected fact was now visually confirmed. It had indeed been Hotaru who - under the semi-magical alcoholic influence - had changed Minako's mirror and it had been her - and only her - that had initiated a complete gender transformation making it unmistakable clear that the child was hers. I had merely been present.

I had taken a walk while the other two recovered from the somewhat straining mental exercise in their own manner… To be honest I felt rather tired myself but there was just so much on my mind that I needed to be alone for awhile. The truth had lurked in the corners of my mind for some time now but having it confirmed in such a vivid, detailed manner was a different thing altogether. Now, everything was brought into broad daylight and the implications were sending my mind and heart reeling, wondering where my place in all this was. As expected the child was Minako and Hotaru's.

Then there was the aspect of past lover's reincarnated and I was not oblivious to the signs, the spark of rekindling between the two while my relationship on both ends seemed to stagnate from my point of view. All major steps in our current arrangement had apparently something to do with them, never really with me. I merely was there. I tried frantically to deny it, but more and more I could see that eventually the place in our relationship that I occupied would lose its worth… if it ever had any in the first place.

I stopped and retreated back behind the corner when I spotted two figures ahead. My aimless stroll had led me outside onto the porch. Obviously someone else had had the same idea. From what I could see Rei had just recently joined Minako on the wooden planks and there was a semi-heavy silence between them. I debated joining them but was actually curious to what would be discussed. A curiosity sparked by a glimmer of hope in my depressed state. I didn't know what I hoped to gain but somehow my instincts were telling me to stand back and listen.

"I can't say that I know how it is being with child, so I probably shouldn't apply wise suggestions about the topic," Rei began and I had to smile. None of us, except our Princess, could probably speak from experience on the topic. And I had never seen Usagi do so in all the time since Minako's pregnancy was revealed - which stroke me as rather odd. But I had other things to focus on then, so I didn't pay it much mind. Besides, Usagi would probably have her reasons.

Minako laughed softly. "I'm not sure if anyone can supply any sufficient advice under these particular circumstances. It's not really like what you read in the books or what a normal physician could help you with." Which was certainly true. Being a creation from two Senshi, two powerful ones at that, there were certain differences in the actual pregnancy which I still had trouble actually comprehending. I was rather glad at least Hotaru seemed to understand them… She was the technical father after all, so that was her duty anyway. Not like me…

A heavy sigh from Minako drew my attention back to the pair and I could see the obvious tension and frustration having spent so much time around the blonde lately that I had learned to recognize body language and other signs almost unconsciously. "I hoped actually unlocking the memories would also help me with my own problems at expressing my feelings…"

The old problem again. Minako had made remarkable process and she wasn't hesitating anymore to seek and accept our provided comfort. But, except from the barely conscious signs that I thought to have picked up towards Hotaru, the lack of an emotional acknowledge apart from the physical one was still present. It pained me because both Hotaru and I could see the struggle and her obvious inability to break the chains she had restricted herself with.

"Maybe I was right after all. Maybe I am really meant to be alone so that I can perform my duty at the best of my abilities," Minako added bitterly after a moment passed and I was almost compelled to the immediate gut reaction of stepping out from concealment and crushing that foolish notion right away. But Rei was obviously just as equipped to handle the situation.

"Do you really think this is all about duty? That is a rather pity excuse you are raising in self-defense here." The blonde woman looked sharply at the dark-haired priestess from whose form the glare seemed to glide off harmlessly like from a smooth surface. "Tell me, Minako-chan. What is it you feel for those two?"

"But that's just the…" my lover started to protest.

Rei waved the argument away. "Nonsense. This has nothing to do with your duty, OUR duty." Minako flinched at the emphasis. "Don't you see that we all share the same path? You'd give your live for Usagi-chan, alright. But so would I, so would Makoto and Hotaru." I had to silently agree with Rei's words, beginning to realize where she was heading with her argument. "Take a look at Uranus and Neptune. Did you ever have the impression that their relationship would interfere with their duty?"

"No," Minako silently conceded.

"Why is that?"

There was a moment of hesitation before Minako answered. "Because whatever they do, they do it together. As part of a symbiotic relationship where one always follows the other." After another slight pause she added, "It's amazing. But also scary."

Rei nodded in wordless agreement and another period of silence elapsed. "I once thought I didn't need love." At Minako's - and my own - curious glance, Rei elaborated further, "I had made some… bad experiences. My parental role model was, let us say, leaving much to be desired for and whenever I let someone close it just ended in disappointment. You are probably reasoning that those relationships you entertained are a façade and maybe that is so. But for what purpose? To not allow the true depth that comes with a true love? Or to not getting hurt again?" You could almost hear Minako shiver and for a short moment the yard was bathed in deathly silence, even the birds had stopped chirping.

Slowly the blonde woman exhaled the breath she had been holding. "M-Maybe you are right. I really don't know what to think right now. But they both did so much for me, they both deserve so much more and I…" Abruptly Minako got up and began to walk off in the opposite direction from where I was standing. I would have probably listened to the urge to follow her since the distress in my lover was evident to the most blind fool. However, her last words had a kind of paralyzing effect on me and so I stood a bit too long to effectively catch up to her retreating form. That last statement had come closer to any emotional revelation Minako had made in our presence. And against my expectations she had not made any distinctions or separated comments. It was "both of us" she had addressed…

I shook my head. That could mean anything and it was apparent that Minako was still confused about her feelings and would have to resolve them soon. And then she did what kind of lasting impact would I have on that decision? Despite the lack of a clear declaration the last now almost two months had been among the happiest in my young life and I was fearing the consequences of the decision that was already made and just needed to be voiced. Yet, they belonged together. That had been my initial intention when I tried to take advantage of the situation at the party by pushing Minako and Hotaru closer together. Somehow I had simply gotten roped in on the action that ensured…

I would not have done what I did last night if I did not believe I could fall in love with you this way. And whatever happens, I will not just discard you when a better opportunity arises. For that I have grown too close to you over the last year.

That's what Hotaru said to me and I desperately clung to those words. I knew it would be the most sensible thing to step away now and let the love between those two blossom fully, but the truth was I didn't want to. And that wasn't just because of Minako. It was also because I hadn't been able to respond properly that day to Hotaru's heartfelt declaration. Now, now I was pretty sure that while my mind found it most logical to eject myself from the three-way arrangement, my heart could not bear the thought of cutting itself from either of the two woman.

"Your soul mates are going to face a crisis soon, a crisis that will bring about a turning point in your relationship." I battled the impulse of jumping upwards and clinging to the ceiling in shock - almost failing to do so - as the gentle, melodic voice appeared from right next to me. I had been so absorbed in my inner debate that I had not noticed the approach. My head swiveled to the sight to settle upon the form of Masaki Sasami standing there casually and relaxed and yet her pinkish-red eyes reflected a distant, concentrated expression. "Whatever happens. You must stand at your mates' side regardless of your own doubts. If you don't, then there will be no happiness… for either of you."

Before I could formulate the thought for asking about the cryptic warning, Sasami stepped around the corner and shortly joined Rei on the front porch, leaving me to process the words that were continuing to spin in my mind like blinding red warning lights. I didn't know why but somehow I knew that ignoring or not heeding the warning would be the most stupid move I had ever made.

Then something else filtered through the chill the ominous warning had produced.

Soul mates?!?

******************************

(Rei)

It was about a quarter hour later that I found myself heading back into the Jinja after seeing the other three Senshi off. Minako seemed to have composed herself, I even believed she had briefly talked with Hotaru before they decided to head home. I wouldn't have minded if they'd stayed for dinner or something, especially with Minako's condition, but I wasn't one to force the point.

I found Sasami in the small kitchen of the shrine area busying herself with cooking something that - as was standard - smelled rather delicious and a tea kettle was also in preparation. Standard signs of distraction. There were a lot of things that I still didn't know about my recent lover but I had by now discerned that Sasami's habit of cooking for the household - including the rest of our loose sisterhood - was not only just something she liked to do. She once confided in me that cooking had been her way of expressing her love to her family and friends. Yet, there had been instances that it had become painfully clear that the activity also provided a quasi retreat, masking the occasions when she was clearly worried about something. Like right now. She hadn't said anything when she joined me outside but from her body language alone I could tell that there was an inner conflict. An analogy that should be taken rather literally.

I stepped up behind the girl that just from appearance alone looked so much like Usagi… or any other member of the royal family for that matter. That is one of the things I still was not sure about Masaki Sasami. I knew a lot of things about her past though that I'm pretty sure would put some of the others on edge, especially the Outers. Not that there was any need to worry but they were known to overreact at times in matters of security. And while I did not know if there was really any relation between the Royal Family and her at all, I was pretty sure right now that whatever was bothering her at the moment had something to do with the many secrets the girl harbored.

This was not just an assumption. I hadn't become what I was today by just idly sitting around and relying on what I've learned in my youth or my Senshi abilities. Right now I was about the closest to what I ever wanted to be. A trained priestess with all my abilities - and those were quite a lot thanks to my second identity - finely tuned and sharpened almost to the edge of possibility. I believe that was a common trait among our group, probably a common trait among Senshi, or to be even more exact among beings with pure souls. We were awfully competitive. We would push ourselves to our limits to reach our utmost maximum and hoping to one day push beyond it. This was not just a manifestation of our duty, a way to get better in protecting what we held dear. The mechanism was tied to our very nature. And in this case the bond that had been created between Sasami and I over the last two years now allowed me to be nearly hundred percent sure what exactly was bothering her.

"So, what was this warning about that you gave Mako-chan? Another precognitive dream?" I gently took her into an embrace and proceeded to slowly but firmly drag her away from her current task and to the table where I proceeded to sit down with Sasami in my lap. Now, I was aware of the rumors mind you, and I believed they were by far exaggerated - which lay in the nature of rumors I suppose. Two years ago, when the younger girl literally dropped into my life I had probably been rather ashamed and/or outraged at such stories being told about Hikawa Jinja - it was bad enough considering Ojijisan's reputation. Much had changed and I didn't care all that much about it. Sasami had helped me to open up more and gradually I had found my special person in the manifold creature - again in the literal sense of the word - before I even really knew it. She was the greatest gift ever given to me next to my family - meaning the other Senshi and those attached to it, not the miserable excuse for a father - and so I wasn't going to idly sit by when she had an obvious problem with something.

"I don't have the dreams anymore. Not the way you think, anyway." I winced slightly at the fierce grip she maintained with her arms around my waist. I reached up to turn her head so that our eyes were meeting. Her eyes could hold so much emotion, both vivid, youthful and mischievous at times and secretive, mysterious to downright brooding and gloomy at others. A delicate balance brought about by the overlapping personalities. If anyone ever came close to resembling Hotaru and Saturn's relationship it was the physically younger girl currently resting in my lap, her forehead touching mine. In a whisper she answered my silent question. "We're close to assimilation."

"Oh." It took me a moment to digest this. Sasami knew I didn't like lying to my friends and fellow teammates, we were like sisters actually. However, she had raised a couple of valid points and I had finally conceded. The other girl had made it clear that she had no problem with revealing her secrets to the others but the time wasn't right. Having dealt with Pluto I knew when to concur to superior ancient wisdom - which one of Sasami's aspects definitely possessed - and kept silent. And it hadn't seemed THAT important. After all there was peace when some of the secret past's of the "Miko Sisters" had surfaced. However, now the situation was dire and Sasami seemed to possess some knowledge about it although she stated clearly that there wasn't anything she could contribute at the moment that any of the others that had been present at Pandora's original capture couldn't.

The point was, I trusted this girl. I couldn't really tell why only that she had a striking similar aura, while more mysterious in nature, as our Princess and it was a given fact that any of us would follow Usagi to the gates of hell and back.

Sasami closed her eyes as if reading my thoughts. Well, she probably did something close to it. While our bond was still rather fresh - really roughly a year and a couple of months wasn't long when compared to others around here who had benefits of relationships rooted in reincarnations - the trust had quickly developed and against my prior experiences had not been broken… yet.

"I'm not sure I deserve that trust…" Sasami started but I hushed her with a finger to her lips followed by a kiss.

When I pulled away I said, "Now, let's do that again. Maybe what I hear I won't like but I am willing to believe that you know what you are doing."

"It's not so much a matter of knowing what I am doing… or will have to do," the blue-haired girl explained. "It's more that I hate myself for knowing what will happen soon and that I cannot change it, that I HAVE TO watch and let it happen. Tsunami had to do that a lot but it's never been easy either…" I couldn't say that I could really relate. This was more up Pluto's corner I suppose since the problem sounded an awful lot what the Time Guardian might have to deal with on a regular basis - the fall of the Silver Millennium for example. I tried to work around the encrypted answers, knowing that I wouldn't get a direct answer until whatever event she was talking had passed. I had become pretty good at that during the period of time we've been living together.

"This IS about the warning, right? Something is going to happen to them and soon…" Sasami looked away in shame and I was torn between comforting my girlfriend and probing deeper for an answer.

That was when my sensed flared in alarm, warning me that the holy grounds of the Jinja had just been invaded by something awfully powerful and EVIL. I had rarely ever felt such an enormously dark presence. No, not the presence was evil. The dark aura was more like a cloak, an affiliation to a higher power that I often had felt within a mindless minion sent by a greater force. But the level of darkness was frighteningly even from within her.

I wanted to jump up and investigate but found myself unable to move, quite amazed at the physical strength in the younger girl who remained sitting in my lap. "Sasami, what…?" It became painfully obvious that she hadn't been talking about an event in the near future but rather close to the present.

"Not yet," Sasami said, the twin circular markings on her forehead evident, having replaced the usual triangle, they were flaring with a bright light right now which was entrancing to even one with the spiritual training and abilities I had. I could not move, even though I wanted to.

And from the other girl's point of view that was good because when a piercing shriek of outrage and fear disrupted the silence of the room nothing could have physically restrained me. I opened my mouth to protest, to demand why Sasami was holding me back. That was obviously Hotaru's voice and the nature of the scream was suggesting something VERY bad had just happened and there would be a truly furious Saturn on the loose very soon.

"Trust me, please. If you really want to trust me, then do it now. We'll be joining them shortly." And true to her word, I could feel power gathering around us, enveloping us in a bluish aura and a moment later we found ourselves outside in the yard. It took me a moment to reorient myself but when my eyes fell on the scene before me, a cold feeling began to grip my heart…

******************************^

(Lisa)

Anxiety was slowly eating its way inside my heart. It was at the same time a new and a familiar feeling. Something was going to happen today, I just knew it. The sensation had slowly grown stronger since yesterday, creeping up my spine and spreading throughout my whole body. I had barely been able to sleep, a numbing fear that even I could not understand awakening me every hour or so. That only helped to intensify the nervousness, I was on the edge of panic really.

All had started with the vision I got yesterday evening during a meditation setting. Well, at first it didn't seem like a vision, more like another memory… or memories. They seemed to be clearer for some reason than the flashes I had had before. They were significant memories, I was sure about that, yet I still couldn't form a bigger picture from the pieces.

There was one though that really shook me. The details were blurry but the setting for some reason was quite clear to me. Although there weren't any indications for the exact nature of the event that was transpiring I felt with a unmistakable clarity, an absolute certainty that I had just experienced the final moments of my life… former life. The question mark that was still put tentatively behind the assumption was washed away by the memory.

The little few details I remembered were not really helpful beyond this realization. I - or that other me - had been performing some kind of spell. A spell so intensively powerful that it was draining every last reservoir of life energy, every last drop of mana. I had known then that such an exertion would be lethal but still kept on going, the alternative somehow - although I couldn't remember why - invoking an even greater terror in my soul. Failure was not an option. Even if it meant leaving everything behind that was dear to me. I had caught glimpses of the other two, by now familiar women, the same determined expression in their faces. And then I had seen IT.

Enveloped in a dome of multi-colored magic so enormous and potent that you had the feeling of being crushed by just looking at it. That was nothing though compared to the distantly female face twisted in contempt, loathing and hate, the sheer WRONGNESS in an aura of such twisted potency I shuddered even now remembering it.

I think I spent an hour just calming down from the experience. Soyo-chan was profoundly worried as should be expected. Heck, worried didn't even cover what I was feeling, my heart had surely been a cold place right then and the feeling hadn't lessened much. I had been relieved when Kinomoto-san called and wished to advance our meeting. Yet, the feeling of dread, of impending doom hadn't left me and I almost had demanded to have that talk right then and there.

Maybe I should have done it. They should be here soon but somehow I couldn't shake off the horrible feeling that it would be too late, too late for what I didn't know. Just simply too late… I wished I had spoken up earlier. Kinomoto was clearly stalling, reluctant for some reason I could not fathom to part with obvious knowledge regarding my dreams, regarding my former life… our former life.

By now pretty much all doubts had been erased that the two women dominant in my dreams were identical with Kinomoto Sakura and Daidouji Tomoyo. However, I still couldn't figure out what exactly our relationship had been. I had a pretty good idea, yet there was too little information, to little facts that could assure me. And even if it was true, where was my place in all this? I needed to know my place, about the nature of the connection that the three of us apparently shared in some manner. It was a vivid urge by now, an undeniable necessity.

I shook my head to try and clear my thoughts, trying to focus of what lay ahead. I probably was just worrying over nothing. More likely than not everything would turn out alright, maybe the vision and those feelings starting to consume me were just there to warn me. Yet… The ache in my heart remained, the desperate longing for something that wasn't there anymore, wasn't there yet, wasn't… I couldn't shake off that feeling and one memory came again and again, unbidden. The one time I had experienced similar symptoms, the sense that something awful was about to happen… I had heeded the warning signals then, not wanting to believe. Shortly afterwards our home, my parents…

A few tears slid to the ground unhindered before I wiped them away with an angry and frustrated hand gesture. Times like this I really did loathe my talents, the spiritual gifts I had been bestowed with. It had gotten better, easier, with Soyo-chan helping but for as long as I remembered there was a restlessness inside of me that had driven me onwards, driven me to travel abroad even against the wishes and fears of my parents. I had found my best friend during those travels but I hadn't yet found my purpose.

The purpose that was here, in Tokyo. I had felt it briefly when I visited Babasan about four years ago. I had felt something briefly touch me, a sensation of belonging. Which was what had eventually decided to bring me back here after everything fell to pieces back home. My purpose was here, beyond a doubt. It was so close now… and yet I couldn't quench the fear that it would be taken away from me just inches from my fingertips.

I wish they would just hurry up and come! I regretted now not giving into the impulse earlier… like yesterday. It would have been soon enough yesterday, I just knew it. I had by now expected Soyokaze to come out, trying to cheer me up, talk some sense into me… Nothing of this had happened. She had been awfully quiet the whole morning, as if sharing the uneasy feeling steadily rising to a pitch. And so I just continued to sit there, on the front porch of the shrine, unsure what to do, how to react to this situation, to the overwhelming feeling of inevitable, dooming events to come. I didn't even know WHAT to prepare for!

I pushed myself into a standing position. They should be here any moment now. Maybe there still was time, maybe I should go down the stairs and meet them, maybe…

*Lisa!*

My nerves were so strained I reacted with almost inhuman speed, whirling around to meet the presence of suffocating darkness that had invaded the shrine grounds. My power bubbled to the forefront, frantically erecting a mental barrier why I began to summon my partner's power to conjure a more physical barrier… All that happened in the space of mere moments and yet all that was in vain in the end.

I was utterly unprepared for the close proximity, unprepared for the hideous form - not so much physically but from the mere astral vibes that it put out - being so close. Realizing with incomprehensible surprise that I wasn't going to be fast enough, a weak scream of fear escaped from my lips a tiny moment before the clearly inhuman assailant plunged something deep into my body, tearing not only through flesh but even more so through mental barriers, right into the very core of my being. My vision blurred and I could only hear the echo of the terrified scream of my partner elemental echoing in my mind.

Then darkness claimed me and I fell into an endless void…

******************************

(Tomoyo)

We were about a block away from the Jinseikuro Jinja when a sharp pain like an arrow right through my heart made me stagger. I half-expected to be caught and questioned by Sakura but when I was finally able to glance to the side I could see that the redhead was just as distressed, her face contorted in a mixture of mental pain warring with intense concentration. The latter won in the end, but only by a margin and there was no telling how long that state would hold.

"Iie… Kuso…" Sakura pressed out between clenched teeth and before I knew it we were flying. I didn't even pay much attention whether she was using Fly or a spell. It didn't really matter. I was more concerned with fighting against my own numbing pain that was worse than anything physical-inflicted could be like. This went right to the core, a ripple of literally soul-shattering agony raced into my soul through a connection I didn't know was even there.

There wasn't a need for anyone to explain what had just happened to me… or maybe I should better say to her. This was similar to the experience of the link between Sakura and myself. Just as strong, just as sensitive…

Sylphiel.

Touching down in the yard not even a minute later - it still felt like an eternity - agonizingly slow, too slow. My eyes settled upon the horrifying scene, all my… our worst fears materializing in that one moment. The demonic creature from about a month ago, that on first glance looked so weak enveloping the helpless and limb body of the one girl we had been searching for nearly four years now, that we had finally found, our hopes within close range of bearing fruition… The most traumatizing thing was once again that I SAW what the creature that Sakura called a Seeker was doing to Lisa. I saw and understood on a primal, instinctive level and why not as intense as four years ago when we had been caught in Pandora's gateway the sensation was similar. I could hear the scream of torment echoing over the Astral Plane and shuddered in cold fear.

"Leave her alone!" Sakura screamed, jolting me out of my petrified state. With reserves and an iron will I had barely known I was capable of, I clamped down on the urge to recoil, the instinct to flee, freeze up in terror and all the other paralyzing, numbing feelings. The other girl needed us now, there was time for all that later. Sakura and I barely came two meters before another spiritual blow staggered us, nearly driving us to our knees. It was impossible to describe but the best picture I could give was of glass shattering. That was a weak analogy compared to the real significance but it got the meaning across.

A part of the ancient seal had just been shattered.

There was a flash of light that caught our attention, even as we were trying to advance against the mental onslaught of something vital to us being quite literally ripped apart. In a flare of purple-green the sprite form of Time emerged without any conscious command from Sakura that I was aware of, performing a desperate dive for the creature… or better the near lifeless body in its grasp…

******************************

(Lisa)

The setting was quite surreal. I didn't know where I was but my body felt light, ethereal. I had practiced Astral projection before, only successful to a degree but enough to make a connection. This was yet a little different and actually only a detached part of my mind made the connection. The rest was in a state of denial, having been assaulted by too much terror in the span of a single moment. Tears ran down my face as unrestrained sobs wrecked my body. It had been too much and it still wasn't stopping. The images, the memories blurring. Dark, twisted, horrifying. Every negative emotion experienced was merging together in one big cauldron bringing unendurable torture. All the dark thoughts I had ever harbored about myself or about someone else assaulted my very soul in a relentless onslaught while I fell through the black void, a tunnel with no end, with seemingly infinite reach… and infinite agony…

I could feel the unfamiliar, cold embrace but didn't even begin to react, just staring blankly ahead into a featureless face of a woman with a smile that lacked emotion. "It is alright. Just give me what I want and you'll be free," the woman whispered, suddenly the face overlapped by a myriad of familiar and semi-familiar ones. Family members, friends, Kinomoto/the redhead from my dreams, Daidouji/the dark-haired woman from my dreams. The agony diminished, slowing down with the promise of release right in front of me. All I had to do was… was…

And then, just as suddenly, there was a flash of golden-yellow, followed by an annoyed grunt and then a shriek of pain that managed to temporally break the spell put on me by the hypnotizing presence of the woman combined with the mind-numbing sensations of my darkest memories and emotions. I blinked, glancing to the side at the form of my best friend and partner, the spiritual body nearly shattered and on the verge of distorting…

Another lance of searing pain bore through me with unbelievable force even while my resolve began to harden in the face of my rising outrage. I could feel something straining under the onslaught of unholy power. That was the funny thing. I've experienced a lot of things during my travels but this energy felt neither really dead, undead nor alive and so I was unable to form an effective mental defense before it reached its peak and apparent goal.

There was the deafening sound of something shattering, followed by a laugh so emotionless it was an impossibility in itself. I could feel something being torn away from me and smashed but even then my assailant didn't stop continuing to drain me, the overwhelming energy filling me, consuming me, attempting to…

Lina.

Amelia.

It was the barest spark at first but when the creature I now clearly recognized had smashed my connection to the seal, whatever was distorting the images of the memories before failed to do so anymore. Which produced a fresh bout of fear, however, with the memories slowly coming together, forming a clearer picture, this fear diminished and I found the strength to resist.

Pandora was so shocked at the sudden flare of holy gold engulfing me that it took her a few moments to form a response, giving me more time to focus my inner mana, tapping into nearly drained reserves in a last desperate gamble. There wasn't enough power left to attempt to repair the damage but maybe if I was fast enough…

The woman snarled in anger and launched an attack so massive and powerful it ripped through the hastily erected shield like a knife through tissue paper… just to bounce of a barrier of an entirely different element.

I only managed to catch a glimpse at flowing light-green hair and a familiar fuku, I only managed to hear an astonished "You!" from the creature that had been and obviously was once again our most terrible nightmare and then my soul was yanked away from this place…

******************************

(Pluto)

Guardian duty was a lonely thing. No surprise there. I think everyone got that point by now. This hadn't always been the case. There had been a time, when the galaxy was younger, when the Senshi had been rather new, yes, in this time guard duty wasn't lonely. Boring maybe, but never lonely. There had been someone…

I tried to shake off the memories, that had been why I came here in the first place. Yet even here, or maybe especially here, I could not escape the figments of memories, happier, joyful memories. Memories of companionship, family… love. Memories of her…

The revelations from Hotaru had caught me off guard I admit that. I wasn't used to being so… unprepared. I knew for a long time now that my sight was blocked when it concerned the rise of Crystal Tokyo. I could see beyond it, the many possibilities, the slight variations and the greater discrepancies. I also had a pretty good idea why that was. Because I would play a major role in constructing the future, not just merely assisting, playing my role. It had been like this last time and it would be that way now. Didn't make it any less frustrating though.

The discovery of the trial that awaited us had left me reeling, cursing and lamenting about the cruel fate, that we would have to be put through this again. The sacrifices last time had been enough. It had barely been worth it. The effort, the outcome, everything… In the end too many were lost and even more were left behind unhappy. I dreaded a repeat, yet as a Time Guardian I could not deny the logic behind the nature of the trial… I hated my calling at such points.

And with the remembering that time, the one time comparable as painful as watching the fall of the Silver Millennium, came the memories of my old companion, my sister, my lover, my Persephone. Apart from those few that had direct memories of this time period no one ever remembered her, she was now mostly a memory, reserved for myself, and that was okay. Still, my heart yearned for her presence now, in the face of the reawakening danger, the revival of an ancient struggle that would determine the future fate and very survival of creation. I wasn't sure if I could go through this again, without her…

Persephone had always been there as long as I could remember. We were in a sense quite biological sisters, twins even, but there had always been a much deeper bond than just that between us. The time stream was never meant to be guarded all alone, by a single Senshi. From the moment of our birth we had done it together. Until that fateful moment, until she was taken away from me as just one more sacrifice to establish peace…

"I miss you, Sister," I whispered, not expecting an answer. I was alone here in the mists between time, all alone. Only the gate and I. In a way I could almost feel the gate mourning the absence of our companion as well.

I hadn't been that sentimental in ages, I mused. After the events that had eventually lead to the birth of the Silver Millennium I had retreated back here, shutting the outside world out and burying myself into my duty. It was too painful outside. Everything reminded me of what I had lost, of what we all had lost.

Nowadays I didn't really need to be at the gate anymore. I had once again been associating myself with a specific timeline. That happened sometimes in the face of duty. I was linked with the gate anyway and if I really needed to return here I could do so in a flash. No, right now it was more a solitude, much like last time. Trying to hide from the memories. Just like last time, the success was blissfully absent.

My focus suddenly shifted as I registered a disturbance coming from the very time period I had currently established a link with. Opening myself to the endless pool of possibilities I focused until a clearer picture formed. Seeing the present in the time I was linked to wasn't much of a problem, it didn't give me much of a warning though. And thus I let out a stream of choice words that few beings even could determine the meaning of. There were two. Two disturbances, of the same nature, the same danger…

Of course there are two, I chastened myself for the capital oversight. Sure neither of the victims right now had obviously thought about it but that was still no excuse. Seekers ALWAYS traveled in pairs. How could we have been so stupid? And what was even more worrying was that now I could clearly tell that both apparently had the dreaded taint of what was labeled a "Soul Thief" in the old days.

I watched the scenes playing out in front of me, torn inside with the decision I had to make. Both could… would need the assistance but I only had one to spare. On the one hand my loyalty should clearly be with Hotaru and the others, I shouldn't even hesitate. With my very limited sight I could still guess pretty well what eventual consequences this might have for Minako's condition. However, there was already enough potential there to handle the situation eventually. Especially Sasami… Tsunami actually. Did she really think she could fool me that easily? She wasn't even trying really hard. I had watched her from afar after all, as per special request from her sister, and was more or less aware of all the troubles she had gone through. I hadn't paid it much mind when I first discovered her arriving at Hikawa in her current host, maybe I should have been able to make the connection easier. I was usually not one who believed in coincidences. Just another oversight…

And with that knowledge I was reasonably sure she could handle the situation. However, it was my adopted daughter who was currently in danger here. I really should be there. Both Hotaru and Phoebe had been through enough already. If just Persephone would be here, there wouldn't be a problem then…

Another shift of events drew my attention back to the other shrine grounds and if anyone wanted to ever see Sailorpluto stunned and at a lack for words here was the golden opportunity.

I stared transfixed at the semi-translucent form racing towards the targeted Seal Child. The hair, the features, everything, that was… I couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it. And yet it suddenly made so much sense. It was so SIMPLE that I hadn't even thought about it, secure in the fact that I had really lost…

"Persephone…" I whispered so silently as if fearing the image would dissolve into a shred of imagination. The form did vanish, into the body of the tortured girl that was, but the brief glimpse I had gotten from the aura remained. I could feel her. After so much time I could FEEL her again. That…

Events came to a sudden climax on both ends, disrupting the surge of joy and reminding me of the dire situation. I scrunched up my face realizing that I had been hesitating much too long and ended up not helping anyone in the end. I could feel part of the seal break and cringed at the tremor that shook time and space all around me.

It had begun. Once again.

With only a last glance at the images, I made a decision and vanished from the vast empty plane.

******************************

(Hotaru)

At the moment I wasn't quite sure what to first think about. Some answers had been found today but there were so many new questions. Especially concerning HIM. It made sense now that I had spotted Xelloss during the unsealing of our memories. I hadn't been ready to believe that alcohol alone could have led to temporal amnesia for us. A Senshi, especially my Saturn aspect, was more or less above those things, or much more resistant at least. And I definitely did NOT have a low tolerance level. I had been suspicious of this fact for a long time but now that suspicioion had gotten a face to associate it with.

Then there were my two lovers. I had found Minako somewhat distressed about something but she hadn't been really talkative and so I had settled for silent comfort. It was apparent that the memories had affected the blonde more than even I had expected. She kept stealing glances at both Makoto and me, but for what reason I could not discern as much as I tried. Once in awhile it almost seemed like she was going to say something but then apparently thought better of it, followed by a morose sigh that was barely visible or audible.

Makoto was equally silent. Trudging along on Minako's other side the brunette had acquired a faraway look, as if deep in thought about a complex problem. Frankly, I expected that to happen. The intensity of the night had even caught me off guard. Despite being reasonably drugged there was a harmony there that I hardly believed could be achieved just by the effect of some powerful... whatever it was HE mixed into our drinks. What I saw reminded me so much of Peitho and me that the term Star Mating sprang unbidden into my mind and refused to go away. Oh sure, there was the lack of a proper ceremony but the parallels were just too similar to ignore. The implication was at the same time shocking as it was mildly comforting. I had noticed that Makoto still acted like I would leave her to have Minako all to myself every now and then. If the child wasn't so much the result of the compact's altered magic but turned out to be an actual Star Child the argument would be rendered effectively mute. However, if this was the case, then the pregnancy should have been MUCH shorter. It was much more likely to assume something in between - if that was even possible…

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I was almost too late to react. With the senses sharpened over more than two hundred millennia I avoided the first strike that would have been lethal beyond doubt. My fuku formed around me with just a thought but I didn't even have time to react to the immediate danger as my senses suddenly flared again, overloaded by the fires of dreadful realization from the brief mental flash of something breaking. No, not something…

I was temporally paralyzed, stumbling under a wave of abnormal wrongness I hadn't felt in over two hundred thousand years. My connection with the seal wasn't in the slightest as strong as that of the three Seal Children but still potent enough to result in a scream of anguish because I knew that very moment that our fate was sealed and the confrontation was now impossible to avoid.

Distracted as I was I had completely forgotten the immediate danger and judged by the initial assault that had already come much too close to success in my opinion, this proved to be a fatal mistake. All I registered was being pushed out the way. The following moments were like a tape on slow-motion as I briefly caught a flash of golden hair wiping through the air, followed by the image of the beautiful face belonging to the hair twisted in agonizing pain.

An image that would remain frozen in my very soul for a long, long time…

I felt my heart clench, engulfed in an icy iron fist squeezing and squeezing and not stopping to squeeze until I was sure it would be crushed right there and then, a silent scream bubbling to the surface with the force of a volcano erupting after millennia of being contained under layers of stone…

"IIE!!!"

******************************

(Minako)

Everything happened so fast, I didn't have time to think. And looking back on all that followed, maybe that was for the best. Who knows what I would have done if I had had time to think. I had been engrossed in my own thoughts, reflecting on what Rei had told me. The problem with the miko's words were that they had been like an arrow hitting the bulls eye. I knew deep down in my heart that what she had said held more than just a margin of truth. The problem was trying to convince the rest of myself. I had put up so many barriers over the years that it had become next to impossible to listen to the voice of my heart. Not that I had become a heartless, cold woman. No, far from it. If it concerned others there was hardly a problem. Yet when the problem was focused on my own happiness.

I had arrived at a point - through the persuasive help from my two lovers - where I could admit that to myself but the statement in turn caused a new conflict of feelings, sending me into yet another emotional roller coaster. The main problem was that I wanted to break out of that cycle, that I wanted to let those two love me and return this amazing and overwhelming loyalty as good as possible. However, while my heart yearned for this, it was scared at the same time. Scared to mess something up, scared of the possible ramifications for my duty and the conflict that could cause, the choice I might have to make.

I didn't want to choose but Rei seemed to forget that if I let myself fall, accepting the feelings that wanted to burst free, then I would either end up sacrificing the light of our lives or doom the lives of the other two because they'd follow me not wanting to stay behind. That's how it was with Uranus and Neptune, and the depth of the feelings from Makoto and Hotaru was surely equal enough to result in something similar.

And that was the main reason why I was scared, scared of their love and scared of returning it. I would surely end up hurting them in one way or another. Or if not, then I would be the one to end up hurt, and I had gone through that too many times already. I wasn't sure if I could bear either possibility…

And thus caught in the whirlwind of emotions, the conflicting extremes wanting to pull me in different directions, I was almost glad - in a purely ironic way - to be presented with an alternative choice. Had the initial attack been targeted at me I was pretty sure I wouldn't have been fast enough to avoid it. As it was I was astonished that Hotaru had evaded the lunge before I even could react to the presence of impending danger. I reached out mentally for my crystal but hesitated for a brief moment and then totally discarded it as Hotaru, Saturn now, staggered an expression of shock and anguish on her face. I had no time to even begin to guess whatever had caused the reaction. My battle instincts now on full alert I caught the movement just in time to act.

And act I did. As I pointed out initially. If I had time to think about my actions, I would have come up with enough reasons to hesitate. However, as it was, I acted out of instinct. There was just a single thought flashing through my mind and heart alike when I moved to push Hotaru out of the way.

She has to live.

The reason was simple, year-old barriers failing in the face of what was about to follow next. My lips moved silently but no words came out. Yet, I hoped that wasn't necessary. Our gazes locked for a timeless moment that was at the same time all too brief. And then I felt the piercing sensation, spreading into a wildfire of pain that followed a direct path towards my soul. I didn't know where I took the last spark of power, yet somehow I managed to fuel everything I could to conjure a hopefully preserving barrier around the seed growing inside of me…

My only regret was that I would probably never see our daughter.

Take care of her, Mako-chan, Hotaru-chan… Aishiteru…

And then pitch black darkness yanked my soul into a terror promising abyss.

******************************

(Sakura)

I had spent a lot of time with my cards, both in this as well as in the previous time. Recently a lot of that TIME was concentrated on its namesake who had often dropped hints of having more to do with the whole situation as she wanted to confess. Seeing as I felt eternally indebted to one of the mightiest cards - maybe THE mightiest card - ever created, I was not one to question her motives. And yet I couldn't help but wonder, speculate… However, all that didn't help because in the heat of the moment I was thoroughly surprised as the card spirit acted entirely on its own. I stood mesmerized for a moment because the shape I had confronted before at its resting place, the shape that she had assumed countless times before, didn't match the brief glimpse I got of the form now. A bolt of recognition struck me, followed by a flaring of hope that maybe not all was lost.

Sylphiel's aspect of the seal was definitely broken and it pained me to no end that once again I had brought such agony to this innocent, kind woman - and that Lisa in the core was every bit like her that I could be almost sure of. However, I pushed away the panic, self-loathing and other emotions trying to overwhelm me. I slipped completely into the mindset of Lina Inverse and waited just for the right moment to act.

The moment came mere moments after Time disappeared in Lisa's soul. The Seeker shook first with tiny tremors and then a mixture of golden-white and purple-green raced through the creature's body as the soul nearly separated from the body and damned into infinite agony snapped back into place, overloading the creatures senses and abilities.

"FLARE LANCE!"

Just a moment later Tomoyo followed, a little to my surprise but nonetheless a welcomed reaction.

"ELMEKIA FLAME!"

Hot linear fire and a whitish-blue spiritual flame crashed into the disoriented Seeker, staggering it. Another flash of light signaled Time's reappearance. I was on my knees, catching the pale body that wobbled under the sudden transition back into the waking world. Tomoyo was right behind me and soon we had Lisa's form cradled in between us.

Her eyes were closed and the body alternated between shudders and an eerie calmness that had deep concentration written all over it. Concern escalated into full-fledged fear as I was dimly aware of Time - or what once was Time - engaging the Seeker into combat. For the moment I didn't care, my concentration solely upon the fragile girl protectively cradled in between us. I knew what Pandora's victims were put through, what they had to experience. The wound in her abandon wasn't lethal, not physical at least. But the terror the very soul was subjected to... I had not experienced it first hand, yet it was enough to see the consequences within so many people during the old war. In the best cases they were rendered mad, socially useless, eventually driven into suicide in one or the other manner. The worst cases you don't even want to know about.

The fears from earlier came back unbidden, given an all too real form. Again I had ended up hurting Sylphiel. But this time it was not by giving into impulse and need but by hesitating too long, until it was finally too late.

It's not fair, I screamed in my mind, tears forming in my mind as I watched the apparent struggle the girl in our arms had to endure in a seemingly vain attempt in keeping her sanity. Why does it always need to be her? My vision blurred but my gaze remained fixed on the purple-haired girl, desperately waiting, hoping, PRAYING for a miracle…

******************************

(Makoto)

As long as I could remember I had been a woman of action. Rather throwing myself headfirst into the battle than standing at the sidelines, watching helplessly while others got hurt. I didn't like that, I couldn't STAND it. Bullying, needless violence… I knew that some would call me hypocrite with that kind of philosophy and I wouldn't even deny that I got myself into a lot of trouble and some of the fights in my youth could surely have been avoided. However, almost every time I had had a good reason. Maybe not always sufficiently enough but enough for me to act.

And so the following moments were pure agony because I couldn't do, I DID NOT DO ANYTHING! Like a casual observer, like watching a movie drama unfold in front of my eyes I could only watch. The first attack had sparked my own instincts but before I even could react to that, things were already getting much more problematic.

Move! I screamed in my mind as Hotaru left herself wide open, overcome by some mental attack as it seemed. My combat and tactical awareness was fully aware of the fact that like this she would make an easy target for a second strike and the creature was moving unimaginably fast. The only vaguely human-shaped figure that had almost given us a run for our money over a month ago had turned barely two or three moments after passing its target. And yet I remained rooted to the ground, my feet for some insane reason not complying with the frantic need all of my other senses were emitting.

This was so surreal, so, so…

Move, damn it! I almost wailed mentally in frustration. Sasami's words still danced around my mind. They need you! I pushed through the panic and channeled all the chi I could master, readying my very being to meet the attack of the creature with a countercharge… But it was too late, I had waited too long. And so once again I could only watch in mind-numbing terror, disbelief and denial as it was Minako who moved in the last possible moment to intercept the projectile-like limb that the creature had extended to impale its target. There was a tearing of flesh, a splash of blood that once again froze me in place. I could hear my heart pounding and the merciless inner scream of failure mixed with the almost constant concern having found yet another kind of nourishment. It had been Minako who had jumped into the path of the attack. meant for Hotaru, while I just stood to the side watching, doing nothing. Nothing! NOTHING AT ALL!

I could only stare, paralyzed to the spot, watching with disbelief as these events unfolded too fast for most mortals to even comprehend. It was only the anguished scream from Hotaru that snapped me out of my trance, even while the full impact of what had just transpired threatened to tear my heart apart, echoing the anguish in Hotaru's scream. Instead of succumbing to shock again though, a fury unlike I had ever experienced filled my entire being, my transformation flowed over me with the distant background sound of a massive thunderclap. All my frustration, my inability to act, my guilt and my anger sharpened into a single mass of power when I rushed forward with a shout of murderous rage…

TBC in Phase Three

Author's Note

*Maia pops head in*

[Hey, what are you doing in that manhole?]

*dodges several flying objects*

[Yikes! Oh, that is why…]

*flies away at top speed*

*pops head out from manhole and looks around carefully* Is it okay now?

Heh, I know you are probably hating me now for that cliffhanger. I know because Ay was rather furious after I sent it to her for reading…

Now. This was one BIG part. I probably have to divide it on some archives! So, after you worked yourself through all this, I'll make the notes as short as possible.

First of all. You probably recognized all of the girls from the entry scene to the Jinja in the last segment save for one. If you did, points to you. :) If not, I would hardly blame you. Mitsuki is from the SNES Tenchi Muyo RPG (probably not the best game ever but oh well, I liked the character).

For all of you who have been reading the drafts. The timeline has been readjusted (hence the dates for the flashbacks). This time it is to ninety-nine percent the one I'll be using.

Since I have been asked that question on the SiL list. Yes, there IS a difference between the Tsunami from Phoebe's memories and the one you probably are thinking about and at the same time there is no difference at all. Cryptic, huh? Sorry, that's all I'm going to say at this point.

I realize I've been pretty rough on Minako. Something along the lines of you torture the character you like the most. :) No really, this is all part of the story. The Minako I'm writing in this story is not easy for me to deal with either since I for one hate to do all that stuff to her and often wonder if I'm getting my point across. I have been assured I do, so… Next phase she'll… No, I won't tell. That would spoil the cliffhanger. *goes back into hiding*

This chapter has been uncovering a lot of secrets and a lot of background while at the same opening a lot of questions. Of course I can't go now and explain it all, that would be spoiling the story.

I realize that this chapter had a lot of drama/angsty elements and not so much on the romance side, that WILL change a little in the next phase, the conclusion of the first main story. However, you may keep in mind that this is going to be a rather dark series, apocalyptical and all that, so don't expect light hearted fluff all the way through to the end. ^_^

With the release of this part I have now made a sub-domain/page for the Soul Lights Continuum where in the future all and everything concerning this series will be archived. I'm not sure whether or I'm going to put the SiL/SA drafts there too, but it IS rather likely. If you are enjoying yourself here please step by and visit: http://sl.catstrio.de

And of course feedback is always wanted, appreciated and craved. :)

Ja ne, yours

Matthias