Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Consequences: Book One- A Changing Destiny ❯ Chapter Eleven ( Chapter 11 )

Title: Consequences: Book One- A Changing Destiny

Rating: 13-R

Genre: Alternative Universe

Author: Sean Wright

Editor: Amethyst Serenity

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon; I'm just a fan.

Chapter Eleven

All was well in the Universe. Yet for those who occupied the Mugen Delta, it was the day of reckoning. Earthquakes tore streets apart and brought buildings crumbling down. Dust clouds rose up in waves with people running out of them as if the Fires of Hell were licking at their heels. On the coast, entire sections of the developed land crumbled on their foundations and sank into the furiously raging sea that had longed to destroy this desecration of this world.

Andrew watched in mute horror as more buildings went up in balls of flames. No one had died through the intervention of the four young Guardians. They were left to handle humans, leaving Endy free to challenge the ones who guarded the evil that had seeped itself into the land and contaminated it.

Endy had taken out the supporting structures that were fused with the dark magic, one by one. Office buildings, shops, stores, and homes were burned in flames of Endy's golden power. The Golden Crystal hung suspended before the Prince of Terra, it's vibrant power washing over all, healing and cleansing the land and freeing the people who had cursed by coming into this place.

Andrew felt a prickling along the back of his neck, two familiar presences were near. He looked around, but his attention was drawn to the three crumbling condos that flanked them. At first he doubted his eyes, but he blinked and looked again. On each stood someone. He did not have far seeing sight like the Guardians and for the first time he wished he did. By the time he had raised his binoculars to his eyes, they were gone, whoever they were.

The final structure was ironically standing within the center of the delta. It was the most heavily defended one magically and the one with the most negative energy. There were a hundred levels to this place, eighty-five above ground and fifteen subterranean levels. The ones on top were tough to break through, but the magic wasn't as strong it could have been. A single blast of focused energy brought the eighty-five levels down. Metal buckled, concrete reinforcements crumbled, and the entire building collapsed, folding almost in on itself. But Endy was not finished, far from it.

In the bowels of the place, Endy met a significant resistance. Five powers tried to stay his advance by trying to use his own planet against him. A cruel smirk appeared on his lips, Endy's dark eyes were obsidian bits of ice as he unleashed his fury on those who dared to challenge his will.

Endy went down on one knee, touching his right hand to the street. Gold energy swirled about it and then his hand disappeared into the asphalt. Below the Infinity College, gas mains ruptured beneath the building and with a spark of his power, Endy let loose a blazing fireball that incinerated the levels. Endy helped it along, charging the blast with enough of his own power to make sure nothing was left, not even the incubated world destroyer he could sense deep within some lab. Endy felt another power, this one stronger than the other five, it was trying to stop him, calling upon some obscene magic that had been banned from this world long before his mother in his first life had existed. What had the Outer Senshi allowed into his planet? Were all the Senshi so hapless that each had forgotten her sworn duty to the Solar System and their Queen by allowing a world destroyer into this system and onto his planet and then tried to cover it up by erected distortion fields to keep his people from finding it?

A white-hot rage rushed through Endy then. Someone was going to pay for this outrage and the happy recipient was going to be that witch spouting those accursed spells at him. Gold fire leapt from his spirit and destroyed her, thus wiping away the last of the place's defenses and leaving the place open to Endy's final assault.

The bracers collapsed, allowing the earth to close in on the cavity. Steel beams buckled as they were squeezed inward. The flames wiped out all the life in the place. From the streets, people heard a rumbling, like something from a beast or worst. Someone screamed and people ran away, trying to get clear before the inevitable explosion. The rumbling and the tremors reached outward, going as far as Azabu. No one was left standing on his or her legs in the delta other than the future King of the planet. Those who knew watched in awe as Endymion released his control on the magically enhanced fire. It was over. The remains of Infinity College exploded in one fantastic great ball of golden fire that covered the entire area, once the pride of the Mugen Delta. The College was no more and Endy could have not been more pleased with his handiwork.

Now, he had to contend with latest threat to have arrived on the scene. The smoke cleared and before him, standing in full Senshi regalia, was no other than Aphrodite's heir, Sailor Venus.

Endy flashed her his most charming smile. "To what do I owe this honor, Princess Eros?"

Mina glared at the Prince of Terra, her stance defiant in the presence of his power. But she did not come here to cower nor would he intimidate her. Mina had seen him earlier that evening from her balcony. All the Senshi had gone home to think of all that happened and to sort through what they knew to be true and the lies that Luna had been feeding them for the last four months. Mina had been doing just that when she heard screams. She looked over the railing and almost dropped her bottle of water. Walking through the streets of Tokyo was a giant black Great Northern wolf. Thinking she was seeing things, Mina blinked a few times but no, the wolf was really there. What was even stranger was its leash. Mina rubbed her eyes and looked down at the odd (that's putting it mildly) sight. The big wolf was on a leash, which was being held by a guy with black hair. Somewhat behind him walked three guys: one with dirty blond hair, the other whitish blond, and then a redhead. She felt a strange energy from each of them; she felt the planet in them. It was the same signature for nearly everyone on the street, identifying them as terrans. Yet from the white blond and red-haired youths, the signature rated differently, making them more than regular terrans and with the black haired youth, Mina got a complete view of a crystal wielder or an untapped Senshi. Then, it hit her with the force of a Mack truck. She was looking at the former Prince of Terra, Endymion de Danaan, son of Gaia de Danaan.

"Great Goddess," she whispered, "He's alive."

Without a further thought other than her Princess' happiness, Mina transformed and leapt from her balcony in pursuit of the man Serenity was to have married. She followed them into the Delta. By this time, she confirmed that he was with two of his former Generals and surprisingly Andrew.

Mina was going to make her presence known when she came to a complete stop. Before when she had come into this area, she felt a slight unease race through her system, but never had she felt or seen what was really here. Now, Mina wished she could not see it. It was a living nightmare of promised death. Evil contaminants ran rampant in the walls of buildings like rats up and over the walls, spilling repeatedly in the street like waste. The darkness was running rampant in the streets like polluted rivers with horrors leering at the people, some reaching up and entering the bodies of people as they passed. Shadows hung over everything and they even blocked the sun, as if the sky had been draped by a dark veil that seemed to suck the life out of everyone or anything that the Delta claimed.

Mina remembered Ami once telling her that she had attended and boarded at Infinity College when she was nine, but she had not stayed there long. Ami said that she felt something there, a presence that tried to take her over and invade her soul. When she had told her mother, Dr. Mizuno did not believe her and when Ami continued to insist that the place was evil, her mother had not reacted well at all. Mina had wanted to explore this place further, but Luna had dismissed Ami's fears as a fantasy of an overworked mind and encouraged them all to focus on finding the Moon Princess. Now Mina knew that Ami was telling the truth. The innocent eyes of a child had shown the Senshi within Ami the horrors that lived in this accursed land. How long would they have taken to see this abomination before it became too powerful to combat them?

A sudden explosion brought Mina out of her thoughts. She turned around and saw to her horror Endymion's destruction of the area. People ran screaming through the streets as buildings collapsed and earthquakes rocked the ground beneath their feet. Mina started to rush him, but stopped when she felt eyes upon her. Mina looked up sharply at three condos; above her were three of the Outer Senshi: Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. She knew that they had seen and recognized her. Mina signaled them to come to her, but they ignored her in complete disregard of her command.

Mina frowned. If those three were here, then where the hell was Saturn? The three Senshi looked past her, probably at Endymion. Then the three fled, not once acknowledging her. And the destruction continued. Almost an hour had passed before Endymion stopped inflicting terror on the Mugen Delta. Mina climbed slowly to her feet and walked over to the man, ready to give him a piece of her mind, when he turned on her with a devastating smile and greeted her with her ancient name.

"Endymion?" she said dubiously.

Endy nodded, "In this lifetime as well as the past, Eros. Tell me, how is Serenity?"

"You remember?" She almost choked.

"I remember everything, Eros," he said quietly. Endy glanced back over his shoulder at the people who were beginning to regain their legs. Within the next few minutes, the place was going to be crawling with emergency personnel. He whistled sharply and Erebus came to him with his leash in his mouth. "But now is not the time or the place to reminisce about the past. Good day, Eros." He turned to leave; Mina stepped forward quickly and grabbed his arm. Endy looked down at her hand, then her before he shrugged her off. "I don't think Kunzite would appreciate his woman hitting on his little brother."

Mina blanched, and then she glared at him menacingly. "You haven't changed." She growled.

Endy winked at her, "But you have, Mighty Venus, and it's not for the better." He leaned down until they were almost nose-to-nose, "Have you been whooped by any funky mutant critters lately. Particular the Furby ki-" He jumped back when she started to swing a fist at his perfectly structured visage. "I saw that so-called fight, Eros and I must say that I was not impressed. What happened to you and your warriors? I mean Mars was prancing round like a demented ballerina and Jupiter running about trying to fight and keep Mars from being killed by the Furby or you…"

"That doesn't matter," she hissed, "What you have done here today…"

"Is none of your concern, Senshi," he told her.

Mina tipped her chin up, "We live here now," she said coldly, "This is where our Princess was reborn and we will not allow-"

"Don't push me, Venus," he ground out, all the humor gone. He stared down at her, his expression just this side of being accusing. "Today I found out that four Senshi who were supposedly under your command have allowed a World Destroyer-"

"A world destroyer?" She asked in surprise-What was that?

Endy went on as if he hadn't heard her interruption. "-Onto my planet and hid it from my people for ten years."

Uranus and Neptune looked no older than eighteen and nineteen. Mina shook her head slightly. This did not make any sense. She was going to have to talk to Ami and see what she could pull up on this world destroyer thing. Damn, she hated not having her full memory.

"We are getting off the subject," she snapped testily. "We are here to defend this city from all that threatens it. Which is what you have done when you destroyed the Mugen Delta!"

"Are you finished?" he asked.

Her right hand closed in a tight fist, "Are you mad or just completely evil?" she exploded.

"Neither," he said coldly. "I will not tolerate you saying that I am. As for your defending this city---All you Senshi do is provide my Soldiers with entertainment, but that came to an end as of yesterday."

Mina blinked. "What do you mean?"

He grinned arrogantly. "Beryl's little wormhole has been closed permanently. You Senshi are no longer needed." The sounds of sirens drew his attention.

"Endymion," Kris grabbed his brother's arm. "We have to leave."

Endy nodded. He grabbed Erebus' leash as Kris hurried him to a waiting Hummer that had managed to navigate the chaos. Venus was left behind in the ruins. Slowly, she reached up and lightly touched her hand to her broach, letting her transformation fade.

"What did he mean?" she asked herself. Mina looked at all the destruction around her. It seemed not to have a reason. "Why would he blame whatever was here on us?"

"I don't know what it was." Ami's soft voice trembled as she remembered her months of torment. "I just knew it was evil. It was dark and invasive, I wondered why no one else could have not seen it…"

"I'm sure it was just in your imagination." Luna said soothingly. The cat moved into the girl's thin arms and snuggled at her breast, "You were a small child, separated from your family for the first time. You were alone and most likely you wanted attention and this tale was a way for you to receive it."

"I know that. My mother's colleagues said the same thing!" she cried furiously. Her shoulders slumped and a bitter sigh escaped her lips. "But I was never like that before. I was used to being separated from family and being taken care of by strangers. I don't believe I was making that up." She raised her sad blue eyes to Bunny's, searching for comfort and understanding. "Bunny, you believe-"

With a heartbroken little cry, Bunny threw her arms around Ami's shoulders and held her tight as she could. "Of course I believe you," she told her. "And tomorrow we will go there and-"

"Tomorrow, Bunny, it's training for all of you. You especially, Bunny," Luna said coolly. "We don't have time to investigate childish fantasies. Rei will be returning from Kyoto this evening. I say we go over there and have her do a fire reading. I sense the enemy has changed it tactics…"

"But this more important than training," Bunny cried, defending herself and her friend. "Ami is Senshi and if she says that she had a strange feeling about something, I think it would be in our best interest to look into it." She looked at Ami, her expression was sincere, "If something strange is happening there, we will find it together; we are a team and most importantly, we are friends and friends support each other no matter what."

Mina had never seen Bunny so passionate about anything since she had joined them. Mina looked at the black cat to see what she was going to do next.

Luna was seething. Bunny had never talked back to her before and she never dared to challenge Luna's decisions. But usually Rei was there to brow beat the smaller blonde girl and ridicule her until Bunny gave in and submitted to Luna's will. Mina was proud of Bunny at that moment, for Bunny had taken the initiative and control and as leader that was most important. Of course, Luna would not let Bunny have her way for long. They did not make it to the Mugen Delta.

Luna was at the Jinja before they were and when Bunny arrived to announce that it was time to leave; Rei was there to stop her. It was awful as to what happened next. Luna and Rei double-teamed the girl; the insults came fast and thick. Ami stepped in and offered a compromise, but neither Luna nor Rei would settle for anything other than Bunny's complete submission. Bunny ran from the temple and did not return for two days. Her mother had taken Bunny with her to America. And in that time, Rei tried to make herself leader, but even then Mina would not follow that black haired traitorous bitch. But then, Mina had never truly supported Bunny either. Even then when she did not know it, the Senshi inside of her soul called for her rightful place within the group. Eros was the leader of all the Senshi. The only one who had challenged her for her position had been Uranus, back in Silver Millennium and it had only happened once. Eros had been older, stronger, and wiser than Uranus and those were the factors contributing to her win over Uranus and her retaining her position as leader. But this time, she did not have the chance because Luna had stripped Mina of her title and position before they had known the truth.

Mina returned to her apartment, she told the doorman she had forgotten her purse and keys, pulling a dumb blonde routine. Mina took a long hot shower and dressed for bed. It was still early; it was not quite eight o'clock yet. But there was nothing else to do and if what Endymion had said was true, she would not be called out to battle tonight or any other night.

But Mina could not rest. She was back on the balcony well past midnight, thinking, wondering and staring up at the night sky thinking. It could not be over, not like this. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, Mina glared up at the full moon, and a cold rage froze the blood in her veins.

"It cannot end like this," she hissed. "I won't allow it. Beryl will die by the hands of a Sailor Warrior. The Silver Millennium will be avenged. I swear on my mother's blood soaked sword and my own heart that the witch will pay."

*******

"I should kick your ass, little brother." Kris dropped down on a lawn chair beside Endy. He handed him a long neck bottle of root beer.

"And why would you want to attempt a foolish thing like that, brother mine?" Endy quipped. He took a long drag off his bottle then sunk lower in his chair. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes and his perfect hair was still wet from his shower and hung over his brow.

Kris looked up at the night sky. His eyes quickly scanned the heavens and he found the star he had been searching for. Venus.

"You did not have to be so cruel to her, you know," he said quietly.

Endy knew and did not pretend not to know what his brother was talking about. He tipped his bottle back and then belched. "You know I've always hated Eros," he told him. "I thought it was something I got over when I was reborn, but then I saw her today and the animosity came back in full force. Not even death could rid me of it. I wanted to knock her teeth down her throat." He finished his bottle and then chucked it at Erebus. "Go fetch," he shouted to the wolf. The giant beast caught the bottle in his powerful jaws, but it did not break. Erebus turned and walked back through the open French doors. There was a crash, then a yell.

"Damn it, Endy," Jamie shouted, "If you want food, come get it like the rest of us."

"Erebus," Endy called, "I said 'Go fetch,' not eat."

"Lazy, good for nothing-" Jamie shouted.

"What was that?" Endy shouted.

"I'm talking to Drew," Jamie told him. "He's cheating. The Saints are worst damn team in the league, even in Madden the Saints suck-"

Endy shook his head.

Kris laughed. "I thought you burned all his sports games."

"I did," Endy frowned, "I took them all into the backyard and set a merry little bond fire. When they were nothing but a smothering pile of goo, I did the happy dance on them and then let Erebus piss on it. How could he have replaced them all so soon?"

"He's an addict." Kris shrugged.

Endy nodded. "I say we kick his arse good and proper, that'll make him give up those damned childish games."

"Oh, you are one to talk, Mr. I-live and breath-Xenogears," Kris hooted.

Endy glared at him. "It's a good game."

"You've had it for four years and you still play it."

"I'm trying to get Ramus."

"Get a Game Shark."

"That's cheating man."

"Why can't you accept it, Ramus is not a playable character-"

"Just you wait," Endy cried. "I'm going to prove you all wrong. I'm going to come across the code to get that Golden Gear, then it's good-night Deus and I am going to be laughing in your face."

"Yeah, whatever-" Kris said dismissively.

"What? You dismissed me-"

Troy looked up from his laptop and at the door. "Will someone tell Endy there is no secret code for getting Ramus without a Shark?"

Jamie shook his head. "I did back in 99."

"You're probably the reason he hasn't given it up," Mike pointed out.

Jamie grinned. "He scratched the third disk when he stole my FF7 and then he told me that lie about getting Aeris back. He deserved it." He looked back at the screen and then punched Andrew in the arm. "You punk. Your Saints are going down. Ravens forever."

Andrew rubbed his arm. "You are going to regret that, kid."

"Yeah, I would like to see you-Shit. No, no, no…Damn!"

Andrew put down his stick and stood up. "Final score, 49-35, Saints."

Jamie stared at the screen, mouth agape as he stared at the final score. Andrew turned to Mike and held out his right hand.

"Pay up."

Grumbling, Mike pulled out his wallet. "Damn, James, I thought you were a sure thing. You're an American for God's sake. How the hell did you lose to a Chinese kid who grew up in Tokyo?"

Andrew smirked, "My birth parents were English, they were missionaries in Hong Kong."

"And that's just adding insult to injury." Mike crowed. "Jamie, he's-"

"Shut up, man." Jamie leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes. "As long as Endy doesn't know-"

Endy stuck his head in the room and did his best Nelson impersonation. "Ha, ha. You got punked by a Japanese kid. You ain't fit to be an American. I can't wait to tell your father. Mr. All-American sports king. Your Dad's going to crap bricks when he hears that you were beaten in a computerized football game by Japanese kid."

Jamie groaned. "Endy is the worst friend."

"Kiss my ass."

"Get bent."

"Oh, I will show you bent. I'll show you my big black boot bent up in your ass, man."

"Bring it, rich boy."

"I am rich and proud of it. You have something else to say, loser?"

"Your mama is a gold digging tramp."

"Hell, everyone knows that. I called her that three days ago. You are losing it, Jamie."

"Fuck off, Endy."

Endy smirked. "What's wrong, Jamie? You still upset because I am going to kill Bellona?"

Jamie stood up abruptly and left the room.

"Endymion," Andrew said coolly, "That was cold."

Endy shook his head. "He needs to accept it. As long as Bellona lives, Serenity is not safe. I will not have a traitor near my Princess."

******

When Ami arrived home, it was after ten o'clock. Mina had sent her and Lita to the area formerly known as the Mugen Delta, but the land was completely covered by the sea. The entire location was evacuated with the disaster relief crews and the Red Cross setting up sites to help those who were injured or homeless from the strange earthquake.

When the two Senshi arrived, it was a media frenzy. Scientists were creating theories about the causes, almost creating a panic by saying that the earthquakes could happen again at any time and all of Japan was in danger. Then the mystics were prophesizing the end of the world and the vultures were preying on the helpless and destitute. But then, a man came forward; he was dressed in a dark blue suit, white shirt and navy tie with a gold tiepin. On his right breast was a crest done in sea blue and hunter green on a gold shield. Behind him were four other men, each dressed the same. It was something about them that drew all attention like magnets. The man had engineers come out and prove that the manmade Delta had not been sound. They produced documents claiming that they had spoken with the man leading the Tokyo Land Reclamation Project, Dr. Soichi Tomoe, and warned him of such an event, etc. etc. etc.

By the time the men in the blue suits were finished, the story was reduced to nothing more than bad planning which took away its mystical flavor and spared the rest of Japan from the so called doomsday pronouncement made by the other scientists. And those scientists who were shamed by such sound reasoning escaped with their tails tucked between their legs.

With nothing to be done, the two Senshi fled the scene. They stopped at Mina's for a quick debriefing. Mina said nothing and waited until Ami had finished with her report to tell them what she had seen and who she had the pleasure of meeting.

Endymion de Danaan, Prince of Terra was alive. Ami told them that she and Bunny had met him earlier that day in the park. Mina asked why hadn't she mentioned that earlier. Ami shrugged and said that she had forgotten it. Neither she nor Bunny remembered him or his guardians. After a quick but detailed explanation, Mina dismissed them for the evening. They confirmed that they were to meet the next day with their Princess and decide on their next action. Ami took her leave of Lita in front of Mina's building. Ami caught the Metro back into Juuban and took a bus home.

Ami walked into her penthouse, tired after her evening's work and the meetings she had gone through. Mina was a hard taskmaster and a perfectionist to boot and Ami was her intelligence officer/Secretary/Chief Strategist. On her first day in her official composites since her death, Ami felt like a failure. She was no Athena Diana. She didn't have the brainpower necessary to handle the many demands of her station and it was frustrating as hell that she wasn't like her old self. What Ami most wanted was a long freezing shower to jumpstart her sluggish brain, a nice chicken picotta sandwich with that mango relish she adored, a cup of tea and her bed-

"Ayame," her mother's voice rang out from the living room. "Where have you been? You should have been home hours ago…"

Ami screamed. She turned to the open doorway and saw her mother seated in her favorite Queen Anne chair. Ami stopped gaping at the woman and stepped forward, bowing politely to her parent. "I am sorry, Mother, I did not know you would be home this evening."

Marie sighed. She looked disappointedly at her guest. Ami came further into the room and then stopped. Standing at the French windows with his back turned away from the room stood her father in her past life and in this one as well. Ami realized that she must have said something, for Eiji had turned around and now faced his daughter.

For a brief moment the insignia of Mercury appeared on her father's brow and at that moment Ami realized that he knew. The look in his eyes confirmed this, but how long had he…

Eiji came forward, his arms opened to receive her embrace. "Ami," he said warmly as he held her to him. Then under his breath, he whispered, "My darling Athena."

Ami stiffened and then drew back from him. Eiji looked down at her pale face, searchingly.

"Ami," her mother said as she rose from her chair. "What's gotten into you?"

Ami looked back at her mother, the only one she knew and then back at her father for both her lives. She grasped Eiji's left forearm, her small nails digging into his flesh but he did not show it. Ami looked at him urgently, so many questions running through her mind. But the most prevalent one was why.

"Why are you here?" She finally managed to ask. "What's going on?"

"I have so much to tell you." Eiji said. He let her go and turned back to Marie. "Your mother and I have something that's rather important to tell you…"

Dawn brought with it a new day and with it several changes.

Last night, Ami left her mother's home for the final time. Her father had returned to Tokyo and purchased a house in the same neighborhood as the Tsukinos. When Ami arrived, she found her room had been prepared. Ice blue and silver were the prevalent colors, but they were more comforting to her than her old room at her mother's house. Ami called Bunny and told her everything about the meetings; Mina's run in with Endymion de Danaan or Darien Shields or whatever his name was, the destruction of the Mugen Delta and her move.

They made plans to meet the next morning and go shopping for Ami's new room.

At seven thirty, a still sleepy but dressed Bunny was at Ami's door. Eiji stepped back, allowing the girl to drag herself inside and pointing her towards Ami's room. She made it to the living room and collapsed on the couch. Ami came down fifteen minutes later with Bunny in tow. Both called out their goodbyes to Eiji and set off for school.

Mina walked up the steps to Hikawa Jinja and stopped for a moment, letting the peace and serenity of the place soothe her troubled soul.

"Mina?"

She opened her eyes and smiled at the white and blue robed novice. "Chad, good morning."

The shaggy haired youth returned her smile. "Are you here to see Rei?"

She nodded, "Yeah, is she any better today?"

The smile died on the novice's face. "No," he said honestly, "It seems as if she's becoming worse."

Mina looked puzzled, "Worse?"

"Whatever caused her breakdown is affecting her body now." He looked at her speculatively. "You wouldn't know what could have caused that?"

Mina did not hear the ennui in his voice; she was afraid and very worried. Something was killing one of her Senshi and damn it, she was helpless to stop it. Mina looked about the courtyard then back at Chad. "Where is Mr. Hino?" she demanded, "I need to talk to him."

Her tone made Chad snap to attention, "I'm sorry, Mina, but Mr. Hino is consulting the great fire and can't be disturbed."

"Tell him I was here and that I will be back." She turned on her heel and marched down the stairs. Her attention was fixed solely upon her concerns about Rei and the other Senshi. Mina did not notice a tall, yet slender blond young man jogging up the stone stairs. He glanced back at Mina; it was more a cursory look than one of any interest. He reached the top and glanced at his watch. He prayed to every god he could think of and hoped that he wasn't too late.

"Chad," he trotted up to the shaggy attendant, "Do I have enough time?"

Chad glanced about to make sure that they were alone and he nodded. "Come this way." He led the young man behind the temple to the living quarters.

The visitor removed his sunglasses and ran a hand through his short wavy locks. "How is she?" he asked worriedly.

"Lady Bellona much worse, I'm afraid, sir." Chad stopped outside the paper door of Rei's room. "It's like she's dying."

"She won't die," Jamie said firmly as if his conviction alone could make that true.

Chad looked at the other man sadly. "I hope you are right, for your sake, sir."

"She can't die," Jamie told him. "She is my soulmate. Even if we couldn't be together in this lifetime, I would still want her to live just for her happiness." He reached out and quietly slid the door aside, glancing back at Chad. "I won't be long."

"Take your time, sir. Her grandfather will be at his meditation for rest of the morning."

Jamie nodded and then stepped inside. "Bella," he said softly.

Chad closed the door and then left them alone.

Lita was sitting in the back of the coffee shop curled up in a comfortable chair with a cinnamon hazelnut latté in one hand and the latest Ilene Tsukino's fantasy/romance/thriller in the other. She and Mina had decided to meet here and then go to Hikawa Jinja to see Rei.

When Mina had called her this morning, she sounded worried. She told Lita that she tried to reach out to all the Senshi last night. She touched Lita and Ami's souls, but something blocked her from reaching Rei and the Outers. She wanted to see Rei and talk to her, hopefully sparking some memories. Bellona was in there and Mina wanted to find her and help Rei. Lita prayed that it worked. They had no idea of what was going to happen next but whatever did come about, she was sure all the Senshi would be needed to protect their Queen and Princess.

Troy and Mike sat across the room from Lita, watching her over the rims of the steaming lattes. It was just luck that they ended up in the same coffee shop as the Crown Princess of Jupiter. They thought of introducing themselves to her, but in the end they chose not to without first talking to Terran. They were watching her to make a full report to Terran and Artemis.

Around ten, the shoot was over. Mina changed and hurried off to her car. She phoned Lita and told her she was on her way and would pick her up in front of the shop.

Lita threw away her garbage and went to the counter. She ordered another latte to go and a French vanilla coffee for Mina. Paying for both and her book, she left to wait for her leader.

Mina pulled up ten minutes later in her classic red VW Beetle convertible. Mike and Troy started to follow but Terran called and ordered them to the control room under the Arcade.

"Eiji, what a surprise." Ilene put aside her cup of tea. She looked at her waiter. "May I have another vegetable omelet and blueberry scones?" She turned her attention back to Eiji and waved him into the seat across from her. "What are you still doing in Tokyo, mon ami?"

"I'll have what she's having," Eiji told the waiter, "and would you bring me a cup of coffee?"

"Yes, sir." The waiter bowed and hurried off.

Eiji looked at the busy streets with people rushing to wherever they needed to be. He wondered what it would be like to be one of them. Ah, to have nothing to worry about other than the mundane problems of life.

"Eiji," Ilene's soft voice cut through his musings. "You haven't answered my question."

He reached up to brush away a lock of his dark navy blue hair falling into his eyes. "The Terran Prince plans to war against Beryl and Metallia," he said quietly.

Ilene said nothing. She picked up her teacup and took a long sip. "Are you asking for my opinion on this matter?" she asked finally.

Eiji turned away again, "He means to do this alone. Without the Senshi…"

"I am retired."

He looked at her, "But you are still our Queen," he reminded her. "The Silver Millennium still exists even if you wish to deny it. Ares and I are here at your disposal. And the heirs of Venus and Jupiter have served with your daughter and taken on their mantles as Senshi."

"Eros and Nike, as well as your daughter and Eris, have not reached the full potential of their powers and will not as long as we remain on this planet." Ilene said coolly. "I refuse to awaken them."

"Serenity, think of what you are saying," he cried and then lowered his voice. "Your Majesty, if you allow Endymion to do battle against Beryl without the planets aiding him, think of how it would appear were he to win. Think of what he can do to you, to us. History will see us as cowards who ducked and hid when the time for the true fight began. Or are you waiting for history to repeat itself?"

Ilene stared at him hard, "That is unfair, Hermes. I will not allow my daughter's life be dictated to her. She will have a choice in the matter, not just Pluto's prediction."

He reached across the table and grabbed her hands. "Serenity, this now goes beyond your private war with the Senshi of Pluto. This now concerns the Silver Alliance. We must be represented when Endymion fights. I don't think you or your daughter can handle the consequences of us not being there."

Ilene looked away from him. "This is not our decision to make," she told him. "We would not be the ones to fight."

"Then we will talk to the girls," he suggested. "Once they understand our position and know the truth of the situation, we can decide if we should after Beryl alone or support the terran Prince."

******

Mina had left the Hikawa Jinja. Rei's grandfather had been kind enough to listen to her but she doubted if he actually believed her. She did not believe it herself but it was the only thing she had to go on. Mina strolled through the park, making her way to the center where she and the others had agreed to meet. This was something that should have been done in the privacy of either the Tsukinos' or her home, but there was the issue of trust, which had yet to be addressed with the Queen of Silver Millennium and her Senshi.

Mina found them in various spots surrounding the fountain. Bunny and Ami sat on the edge of the fountain; Ami was making tiny ice figures from the spray while Bunny looked on happily. Lita stood beneath the shade of an oak tree, her position somewhat between Bunny and Ilene who sat on a bench with a man Mina assumed to be Ami's father in this life and in her past. He had dark blue hair like his daughter and his dark blue eyes glowed with mischief, which was so unlike his daughter, but there were similarities that suddenly caused Mina to wish she had known her birthparents or Artemis in this lifetime.

The sudden wave of sadness that tugged at her heart made Bunny look up, her sky blue eyes searching the small-enclosed area to see Mina standing near the entrance as if she were waiting for them to invite her inside their group. Bunny stood up, a slight breeze tugged at her long hair and skirt as she went forward to greet her friend in this lifetime and her cousin from the past.

Ami had risen as well and gone forward. Lita pushed herself away from the tree and joined the others. Eiji stood and moved to Ilene's left as the Queen of the Solar System patiently awaited one of her own to return.

Mina watched nervously as Bunny approached her with two Senshi at her back. For a moment, Mina felt as if she had taken a step through time. How many times in her past life she had gone through this small ceremony? The greeting was the same. Yet in place of her lieutenants, it was her Princess who was coming forward and surrendering the command of the Senshi to the Sailor of Venus once more.

"Eros," Bunny held out her hands to her, "Mina."

Mina nodded and accepted Bunny's hands and her greeting that acknowledged the past and the present. "Serenity. Bunny."

A warm current flowed over their joined hands. Mina could feel a power surging within her and her Sailor Crystal responding to her princess' call. Bunny dropped Mina's hands. Resting in Mina's upraised palms was a crystal sword.

Ilene touched a hand to her breast. She knew what her daughter had done yet she never expected it. Eiji was looking in near horror.

"No," he whispered. The color had drained from his face and he sank down to his knees for he had lost the ability to stand. "She can't have done this. We need Cosmos. We cannot defeat Beryl without her."

Mina looked down at her sword and then at Bunny. The smaller girl was waiting for her to either say or do something; Mina hefted her sword, testing the weight. It was waking up and finding a limb you thought gone. It was her sword, the sword of the Senshi sworn to protect the Silver Millennium and its heir, her sword of Silver Imperial Crystal. It was the last thing she saw before she died, the badge of her office and a symbol of who she was.

"I give you back your history, Senshi of Venus." Bunny said formally. "I give what was unlawfully taken from you and your warriors."

"My sword of Silver Imperial Crystal." Mina raised the blade to the sky, right arm crossing her heart. "Thank you, Princess Serenity."

She did not call her Sailor Moon. Ami glanced at Lita, her blue eyes conveyed that concern. Did this mean that Bunny had given up them and was no longer a Sailor Senshi? What were they going to do without Sailor Moon?

Lita was just as concerned. How could they fight Beryl and Metallia now? The Outer Senshi were MIA, Rei was sick, and now Bunny had stepped away too? How could they defeat their greatest foe as three lone Senshi?

They would have to. Mina lowered her blade then she looked at Bunny questioningly.

"Are you sure about this, Serenity?" she asked.

Bunny reached into her pocket and retrieved her broach, the one Luna had given to her at the start of this fiasco, and she handed it to Mina. "This was not mine," she told her, "I never wanted it to be mine, not in this lifetime or the past. I am not Sailor Moon. I was never meant to be Sailor Moon."

"And you never will have to be," Ilene said from her place on the bench. "This is your future, Bunny. You make your own decisions for your life and how you shall live it." She looked at the others and smiled warmly at them. "I give you the same choices, Eros, Nike, and Athena Diana. You are not slaves to the past; you were reborn here to find the peace, which was denied to you all. I am not forcing you to take up the mantles of Senshi nor am I denying you girls your heritages. The choice is yours and yours alone to make, for I will never deny any of you the chance at life of peace."

"My Queen." Mina, Ami, and Lita went down on one knee before the small, delicate woman, their heads bowed low. "You are truly magnanimous in your gifts." Mina said, speaking for all of them. "We are unworthy of your blessings."

"So you will fight?" Bunny asked softly.

"It is our sworn duty as Sailor Senshi," Mina told her. "We cannot rest until our enemy is destroyed."

Bunny went to stand beside her mother and Ilene took her daughter's hand. "It does our heart good to witness such loyalty and devotion from our Sailor Warriors," Ilene said formally. "As we have stated, you can have your freedom to live peacefully when you choose. Although it does hurt us to see you all ready to lay down your lives for our Kingdom's honor. We could not ask for better soldiers in the solar system, for none are more fearless or brave as you three, who stand before us so young."

"Thank you, Queen Serenity."

I am very curious to know what you guys think about the new stuff. I'm not holding the rest of the chapters hostage, I just want to know if this went over well.

So I'm begging for some reviews before I put out the rest.

Remember: NO FLAMES. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS, DON'T READ IT.