Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Pretty Soldiers ❯ Act 07 - chiba mamoru - Tuxedo Mask ( Chapter 7 )

       For an hour, Chiba Mamoru had paced.
       When not pacing, he'd stared with impatience at the school case he'd so haphazardly thrown onto his couch.
       In the bedroom he could hear his unconscious ally toss and turn above the sheets, speaking so softly it was like listening to a brook. He had to fight not to turn the handle of his door and slip inside to wake her up himself, to ask her questions…the temptation to open her school case was a lesser evil, but barely. And he was more a gentleman than this, surely.
       It took him half that time to realize he hadn't bothered to drop his disguise. Though his hat hadn't reformed as always - dimly he recalled it falling off in the Dome - he removed his mask, cape, and jacket, tossing them on a nearby armchair. He had a feeling that he'd need at least part of it for the oncoming discussion.
       His forehead throbbed, reminding him of the jagged slice light across his skin. Though being Tuxedo Kamen gave him an added boost in his physical attributes and healing, the cut had been deep enough the first night to still remain. He was surprised he hadn't felt it before.
       Of course, it would be while he was making a pot of strong coffee that he sensed her waking up. Awake, and still Sailor Moon; he didn't feel the sensation of released magic that followed the reverse transformation. He turned the coffee maker on, letting it work on its own, and went for the door of his bedroom, opening it just as he felt that magic, and saw the blinding light.
       "You're awake?"

       Kami-sama, this can't be true… But it was. There was no doubt in Usagi's mind as she stared at Mamoru, and he watched her back, thoughtfully. She backpedaled slowly, sinking onto the side of the bed. "Why am I in this strange room? Where am I?"
       "You're in my bedroom. You collapsed so suddenly after healing the city; I suppose, because you expended so much energy," he answered, glancing around in a trivial, careless way. Covertly he noticed what she'd moved, and touched; the watch was pointing in a different direction, as he distinctly, anally, remembered facing it to the north.
       Against her red bow sparkled her brooch, still faintly arcing with tendrils of energy. Huddled in her seat as she was, she looked lost, kittenish; he made a motion towards her with his hand in what he assumed was a comforting gesture. Both of them were shocked when the energy spun around his fingers and hand, but it didn't hurt. "Nani?"
       Staring at his eyes, the colour of the deep ocean, she could feel the energy meet with his own, melding; accepting. They fit within one another like a glove, and it was his sudden fear at the bond that snapped it back to her, racing to hide again within her brooch. "My magic…knows you? But why didn't I realize it before?"
       Now the fear was mirrored on his face, as she splayed her hand at him. But she didn't touch him; instead, she traced an invisible mask over his face, imagining those eyes staring through the holes at her in the hospital ward. Deep ocean water…. "Your eyes drew me in, but I kept pulling away. Now it's you keeping away from me."
       "I'm surprised you haven't asked yet," the dark-haired man stated, bluntly ignoring the unasked question of the reason for his fear.
       "Asked what?"
       "Why I've done this. Why I'm Tuxedo Kamen, of course, odango atama." The nickname was done in obvious humour, but he was startled to see tears in her eyes.
       He no longer blocked the doorway, and she took the opportunity to spring from the bed and free herself from his room, running into the living room. There she paused, staring around at the understated wealth of his furniture and sparse decoration. Of course he had to be rich, how else could he have been a student at Moto Azabu? Still, it was a vision at odds with the sarcastic teenager she kept verbally dueling with.
       The coffee smell was obvious. Mamoru slowly extracted himself from the bedroom, moving around the odango-haired blonde to pour two cups of the steaming brew. Then, thinking of the sweet tooth she most likely had, he pulled out a bag of sweet bean paste rolls. Arranged on a tray, he carried it all into the living room and deposited it on the table. "Coffee?"
       "Mm."
       "Snacks?"
       "Mm."
       Clearly, this was getting him nowhere. Frowning, he collapsed onto the couch, seeming to ignore her totally as he took a deep swallow of the scalding liquid, opening the bag of treats. Behind him, he could hear her stomach rumble.
       "Um….Chiba-san? Those look kind of…yummy…"
       "Delicious, actually." He ate one for emphasis, taking a sip of coffee. It was a bit of a messy slurp, but it got her attention; the next he knew she was all but jumping over the couch, peering at him with those crystal blue eyes in pleading. If he had died at that moment, staring back into them, he would've been a happy man.
        But he knew what she desired most in that moment, and it was in his lap.
       With a faked sigh, he handed the bag of sweets over. She squealed with delight and immediately shoved two into her mouth, chewing with obvious relish. It was a childish glee he would've expected in a five-year-old, not fourteen, so he watched her like one would an endangered species; carefully, and with one eyebrow arched high in disbelief. "Arigatou, Chiba-san!"
       "Technically, I'm still Tuxedo Kamen," he muttered, brushing a few scattered crumbs off the cushion onto the floor for easier vacuuming. So engrossed he was in getting them off, that he didn't notice her pause.
       "Hai…you haven't…changed yet, have you?" She was still having a hard time with this; she could barely even mention his transformation. But he nodded as if nothing was wrong, idly plucking a sweet out of the bag.
       "Not yet. I thought removing the mask would make it easier on you…to be Chiba Mamoru, but also Tuxedo Kamen." Like two men in the same body, he thought sourly, glancing sidelong at the armchair that held the other pieces of his costume.
       The odango-haired blonde noticed his look, following it to the source. Her stomach felt swimmy when she saw the domino mask; even though proof had been nearly constant since he'd walked through the door, the mask clinched it. "Chiba Mamoru no Tuxedo Kamen," she whispered.
       "Tsukino Usagi no Sailor Moon," he replied without hesitation, turning to face her again. "With those silly odango and clumsy ways…"
       "Demo…why are you Tuxedo Kamen? And that cut on your forehead…I remember seeing it on TV, you hit your head escaping with Sailor V!" Her fingers touched the cut before he could tell her not to, and he flinched back hard enough to rattle the couch. But she followed him, kneeling on the cushion to bend over him, fingers probing the wound. "I saw you with Sailor V, but why? Is she your ally? Does that make you both our enemies!"
       He hissed as the oil from her fingers intruded into the wound, burning. "I'll tell you why, but first, stop poking me!"
       She pulled away, and he was even more hurt to see suspicion on her face. Though her identity as Tsukino Usagi made her seem vulnerable, he had the feeling she would hurt him somehow if she could, if she had reason. "Do you know what Luna doesn't? Why the Ginzuishou? You could have endangered us-"
       "I lost my parents on my sixth birthday." The flat monotone stopped her dead, and she stared at him. "A car accident. Do you know what a traumatic event like that can do to you? And I'll bet you have two healthy parents…."
       The guilt on her face was immense. "Hai."
       "Then don't you dare judge me!" He was angrier, harsher than he meant to be, but it was a long-buried wound re-opened. "I lost everything; my parents, my home, my memories. When the car fell down the cliff, however short it was, I was thrown free and to safety, even though I hit my head. They were crushed within the frame.
       "When I woke up in the hospital, it was a cold, unfeeling nurse who told me they died. She didn't care; she did this a hundred times before. No one held me as I cried for them, realizing I didn't even remember their names, or even mine!"
       Anger had him standing up without thinking, and he began to pace back and forth in front of the table, hands clasped tightly behind him. "The doctor told me my name was 'Chiba Mamoru,' that I had been in a coma for over six months. It took several more for them to realize I had no family to claim me, or no one who wanted me; I spent all of that time in a sterile hospital bed, in a ward full of coma patients.
       "When I was released to the orphanage, Sakakku-san took me to the field where my parents were buried. The last name matched, but it invoked no memories for me; the crypt was a family one, with only 'Chiba' carved into the stone." He laughed shortly, staring anywhere but at her stricken face. "Anyone who could have helped me was buried beneath it."
       Usagi busied herself almost fastidiously with taking her shoes off, neatly setting them beside the couch. She couldn't bear to meet his eyes, though he was making it enormously easy by not even looking in her direction. "Moriya was my only friend, the only one…the only one who knew the pain I'd gone through. We held fast to one another in a tiny world hemmed in by chain-link fence and crumbling walls; the orphanage was so old, it dated back to just after the World War, to take in the children left parentless.
        "And when I found out about the inheritance left to me, I laughed. I really did. To have been ripped out of a life of obvious luxury, not even remembering it, and to be dumped into such a bleak world…I left as soon as I was old enough, and moved into this apartment, enrolled myself in school. My grades were as good as Moriya's, but only she was lucky enough to have public schooling; I was tutored."
       Nibbling on a sweet, Usagi was amazingly silent. Moriya had mentioned nothing about Mamoru, really, except that he'd been her friend at the orphanage; all of this was shocking. And, as if overcome by the emotions, Mamoru lapsed into momentary silence.
       He looked at her, really looked, for the first time since he'd begun to talk, and smiled faintly. "And then, I began to have dreams, starting a few months ago. Maybe a week or so before I heard about your first appearance, and felt it; but I didn't know the cause at first. I thought maybe stress had finally done me in, because every dream was the same….always the same shadowy girl, begging me for the Ginzuishou.
       "Somehow, I thought maybe it would help me regain my memory, to tell me who my parents were, and of my life before age six. Another life began for me; that of a masked man, clad appropriate for the ball, sneaking around the rooftops at night to search. I don't know why I chose this form, but it came to me the first night, cape and costume draped over my chair; it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I realized I could transform myself into it. And it wasn't until the night you awoke Mercury that I found you for the first time, needing my help."
       "That's so terrible…"
       With a quick gesture he had the domino mask in his hands, and he turned it over and over again. "And why do you look for the Ginzuishou, Tsukino Usagi?"
       The odango-haired blonde paused, sweet halfway to her mouth. She looked at it forlornly and set it back down, sighing. "I don't know. Luna says we have to find it, and protect it, along with our princess….but she can't remember everything, and half the time she isn't even sure of what to do." Lip caught between her teeth, she nibbled it gently in confusion. Was it wise of her to tell him their secret, when Luna had pronounced him a possible enemy?
       It would've been nice if time had stopped right then for her, fixed like the hands of his watch. She felt warm, and safe, but it warred with her mentor's instructions. So engrossed was she in wondering what to do, that she didn't realize he'd left the room.
       Then, she felt something dangle next to her head. "Take this with you, Usako; remember me with it."
       "Where am I going?" she queried, puzzled. Though her heart was surely going to burst out of her chest with his proximity, he dropped his pocket watch gently into the pool of her skirt, moving away to pick up her school case.
       "Kuroneko must be wondering where you are, ne? And I wouldn't like to give you a bad image." He held out her case, though with a gentle smile. It was such a change from the angry, petulant boy-child he had been minutes previous. She took the case carefully, turning her face away to hide the blush that threatened to give her away.
       Fingering the watch, she stuttered, "This is so nice, but I have nothing to give to you in return…." She popped the latches on her case hesitantly, looking inside; the moon stick lay within, where he'd dumped it for safekeeping. School papers were crushed beneath it, along with her handkerchief.
       "Daijoubu, odango. I have your portrait of me." He removed a folded piece of notebook paper from his jacket, opening it to reveal the cartoon sketch she'd done one day during math class.

       Her face was burning like an open flame. Hastily she closed her case, standing up so fast that the forgotten bag of sweets tumbled onto the floor. "I have to go now…!" Hopping on one foot, she pulled her shoes on as he watched, the most infuriating, amused look on his face. She didn't bother to lace them, and simply walked as fast as she could for the front door.
       Even though he walked at a casual pace behind her, he made it to the door in time to open it for her. The gentlemanly gesture was too much; the odango-haired blonde averted her face sharply, holding her school case before her like a shield. "Ano…you called me 'Usako' before, Chiba-san…"
       Now it was his turn to be embarrassed; though he hid it far easier. "I thought it would make you more at ease then calling you 'odango atama,'" he muttered, the edge of the door held tight between his fingers. "But if you dislike it…I suppose I did go too far."
       Out of the corner of her eye she could see him change, withdraw into himself; putting up the barriers between him and the world. Before his story, she never realized everything was a front to keep people away. Now, she was hurt to see him close off again. "Iie, Chiba-san, I like it! 'Usako.'" She took his other hand suddenly, her face opening like a flower, full of joy. "But perhaps, I should call you something else as well?"
       Clearly he hadn't expected her sudden gesture, because he pulled back so sharply she was jerked against his chest. The medals clinked against her eyelashes, and she breathed in quickly, deeply, to smell the night air still lingering in his shirt. "Mamo-chan…"
       "Gomen nasai, odango atama." His chest hitched inward as he took a breath, gently dislodging her, and escorting her, pointedly, for the door.
       It was too many surprises in one day for Usagi; at his obvious dismissal, she seemed to wilt, drooping like the flower ready to die. "I…gokigenyou." So long. To her, it was obvious; there was only Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen. Tsukino Usagi and Chiba Mamoru simply couldn't be.
       She broke into a frantic run for the elevator, spurned on by his silence; the watch, as silent as its owner, was clutched to her chest in a death grip.

      A gloveless, shoeless Sailor V sat in front of the monitor, drumming fingers atop the console. With legs tucked into a Buddha's fold on the chair with her, she watched through Ami's communicator as she'd run out, finding Makoto and Rei; all together, they'd found Zoisite, who had promptly escaped. But it had been hours ago; Usagi was not among them.
       She made a frustrated moue, twilight blue eyes narrowing as she replayed Zoisite's teleport away. All three soldiers had decided an hour ago that Usagi must have been safe at home, avoiding the fight (or so Rei had surmised, much to Luna's consternation), and they had gone home themselves. The long-haired blonde had no ready answer herself as to Usagi's whereabouts, but as the enemy hadn't come back crowing about how they'd captured Sailor Moon, she had a few guesses.
       Abruptly, a small alarm sounded, and the screen blacked out. "Warning: someone is approaching the game. Warning: someone is approaching the game." The game center had closed an hour ago, and she knew Motoki had gone home already; only one other could be in the darkened room above.
       The flip of a switch later, she stared though the Sailor V console's monitor, as Luna made the leap atop. With confirmation, she turned on the visual, though as usual, she was nothing more than a silhouette.
       Though the brain of the computer, so to speak, resided beneath the Crown proper, the entrance - the Sailor V game - could also be used as a limited terminal and monitor system. It worked both ways; usually, the long-haired blonde stood in the dark game center, talking to the black feline as she worked below, unaware. "Luna, report?"
       "The enemy is growing more dangerous. And the girls…they've been awakened, but they don't remember their lives as sailor soldiers, particularly Sailor Moon. Though they act on instinct, they're still only partial soldiers." Atop the console Luna paced, her tail lashing from side to side. "I need more information!"
       The angry, accusatory tone reminded V of last night, when Tuxedo Kamen had said, essentially, the same thing. She was glad Luna couldn't see her bitter smile, a feature she seemed to be wearing far too often lately. "I wish I could, Luna, but there is so much factoring into this-"
       "And the enemy is approaching us! I haven't the time for them to fully realize themselves!" The same song and dance as before. And frankly, the long-haired blonde was just tired of the whole thing. If she could've, she would've thrown her pen to the bottom of Tokyo Bay the first time she realized the truth and walked away.
       But of course, she wasn't allowed.
       Above, Luna seemed to be taking her silence as an end to the conversation. Their talks were so short, it wasn't a surprise; when V looked up, all she saw was a furry black butt disappearing out of the front door. No good-byes.
       Teeth clenching tightly, V turned off the monitor and turned away as well. "Where are you, Aino Minako? Kami-sama, I wish I were still you." Silly, without a care in the world. Thirteen years old and only having bad dreams now and again. Playing volleyball with her gym class. Not running around rooftops in her ridiculously short skirt, with a head full of knowledge that she couldn't share with the people involved.
       No tears had been shed for the death of Aino Minako, thirteen; instead, they'd fallen at the time for the deaths of four girls she'd known a thousand years ago. And she hadn't the time since to truly mourn the loss of any of her innocence.
       She pulled her gloves on with sharp tugs, feet slipping into her high heels expertly. They clicked angrily as she exited the command center, a solitary figure in the Crown with a lot on her mind.
       With a perfect leap, she was on the rooftop, affecting a stance far at odds with the cheery pose and salute on the posters below. She knew Artemis hadn't planned for her to be on patrol, but to hell with him. All it took was the usual point and whisper, and she was flying on the winds, golden chain tight between her hands.
       The flickering flash of her magic would be enough. She simply traveled across the city left to right, top to bottom, twilight blues intent on her surroundings. At the merest sign that he'd seen her, she paused; then, with surety, she headed for the Tower. With its observation decks closed for the night, it made a welcome meeting place.
       Despite her foul mood she took pleasure, as always, in her mode of transportation. The night was especially calm for spring, with no errant winds blasting her around like a rag doll; merely a mild, tickling breeze that insisted on lifting her skirt. And her landing was a bit of a show-off; she flipped into the sky after releasing the magic of her chain, turning over nearly four times in the air before landing in the middle of the deck.
       "Ara ara, the girl has no end to her showing off." The snap of a velvet cloak carried on the breeze, before the click of shoes signaled his landing behind her. But the jest in his voice was forced; beneath it, she could hear something close to anger, maybe even fury.
       "Mochiron! Sailor V is the best at the game," she retorted playfully, spinning around expertly on the toe of her high heel. Sensing his anger quelled her own rather fast, and she graced him with a sunny smile.
       He looked pissed off, all right. At his sides clenched and unclenched his hands, and without his hat, she could easily see the furrows in his forehead, brows drawn together and down. What in the world had angered him so much? "Well, you obviously wanted my attention, so here I am. Going to insult me for last night's ditch and run?"
       Her mouth formed an 'O,' a hand pressing to her chest above her heart. "I? The sailor suited soldier, Sailor V? Hurling insults?"
       "I don't have time for this!" The dark-haired man didn't even bother playing her game, just turned away in preparation for the jump. And he was halfway in the air before he felt something snap around his waist.
       His fall was spectacularly inept, considering the take off. All she could see was a lump of black, a glittering length of chain peeking out here and there. "Excuse me, I haven't even said what I wanted to yet! Mou! You men are all alike!"
       "Kyapi kyapi gyaru…" It was muttered so quietly she most likely didn't hear him, which was good; he was pissed enough to say it, but not to have his reputation slandered for doing so. Sometimes, he was just driven to be a dick. He just sighed, "Sailor V," and left it at that.
       He felt the golden chain disappear, his cape and coat falling loose once more. Managing to get up with some remnant of grace, he eyed the huffing blonde. Shoulders squared and arms folded, she stared right on back. "You have to help me deceive Sailor Moon."
       "Iie, wakarimasen…deceive Sailor Moon?" By the tone of his voice, she'd just asked him to all but pick up the entire main island of Japan and relocate.
       "I can't do this anymore." She held up a hand for patience, staving off his inevitable question. "You know I have the answers to so many secrets, and I still can't reveal them all, but I want to be by their sides. I want to finally place myself into the game, but to do so, I have to be a decoy."
       Now she had his attention, fully. Sweeping his cape out of the way, he took a seat on one of the many park benches set around the deck. May as well be comfortable. "A decoy for who? The enemy knows who Sailor Moon is."
       "But not the princess." She stared him down as he started, lifting himself right out of the seat he'd just settled down into. "Gomen nasai, Tuxedo Kamen, but you can't know. Not yet. It would do more harm than good, but especially, the enemy must not find her either!"
       "You know far too many secrets, Sailor V," he growled, slowly sitting back down. "And just how will you deceive them into thinking this way? They've fought you, haven't they?"
        Gloved fingers reached up, brushing against the crescent moon on her forehead. He followed the gesture with his eyes, puzzled. "Someone thought of this ahead of time; the one who triggered my awakening to be the first, to give me all of the knowledge of our past lives…by wearing the crescent moon all this time, I can proclaim myself as the moon princess easily."
       He frowned. "I don't get it. What am I to do, then? Fall into your arms in front of them, kissing you passionately?"
       "That's not a bad idea," she replied musingly, hiding her smile behind a hand.
       All he did was stare at her. She finally laughed, waving it away foppishly. "Ya no! I plan to show myself to them tomorrow night; most likely, as Zoisite is a vain creature, he'll try to attack them head on. I'll kill two birds with one stone, literally and figuratively." The long-haired blonde sounded almost bored, as if she were describing the scenery instead of killing someone. "He's far too dangerous and egotistical."
              Zoisite…the name sounded off the faintest ring in the back of his memory, far back in the bottom bowels. "Isn't 'zoisite' a stone?"
       "Hai, sou desu; it's also the name of the third of the shitennou. The blonde lady last night was no lady, but a man in disguise." She was watching him carefully, though subtly so; he had affected a vacant stare off to the right somewhere, turning the information over in his head.
       "So you'll make your appearance, killing this 'Zoisite' person."
       "And I know you'll be there, because you protect Sailor Moon," she added, continuing the thread, "and I want you to act surprised when you see me."
       There was the frown again. "Surprised."
       "I'll expect nothing less than movie quality acting! I want surprise, I want shock, I want you to act as if you've seen the person of your dreams in real life!" Her fingers formed the universal snapshot symbol, and she stared through them at him with a smile. "Because, Tuxedo Kamen, the princess is the woman of your dreams. Ne?
       "And this way, they'll think there's something even more special about me than the fact I'm Sailor V, sailor senshi extraordinary; and when I reveal myself to be the moon princess, they'll accept it, because of your performance!"
       "I'm thinking you're crazy right about now."
       "You're just jealous that I'm such a mad brain!" she purred, striking a pose of victory; it wilted when he replied, flatly, "You mean a mastermind."
       Silence. They were reduced to staring at one another again as a bird flew by, dropping its usual hello directly between them. Tuxedo Kamen's mouth quirked upwards as the white splatter spread across the concrete. "I suppose I have no choice in the matter."
       "You have all the choices in the world, Tuxedo Kamen," another voice announced.
       The dark-haired man had never seen Sailor V spring into action so fast; but it wasn't fast enough. Even as she was spinning around, her glowing fingertip pointed and the words halfway spoken, a lasso of rope dropped down over her head. It yanked tight almost immediately, pinning the long-haired blonde's arms to her sides. "Shimatta!"
       Down from the railing stepped the thief, clad in her usual black clothes, hood drawn tight and scarf wound carefully around her mouth. It was pointless, obviously, as Sailor V had seen her…and the thief had seen Sailor V's true face. She, not surprisingly, held the opposite end of the rope. "Yare yare, Sailor V, such language."
       "In response to such a dirty trick!" The thief smiled, though she made no move to release the soldier. She simply pulled it a bit tighter, waving a finger at the long-haired blonde as she struggled.
       Tuxedo Kamen made no move towards them to help V; he looked hesitant, wary, to even attempt it. "What do you want?"
       "A lot of things, Tuxedo Kamen. Peace of mind most of all." The girl brought a blade up to the light, an antique stiletto, and held the tip beneath the blonde's chin. "Peace, Sailor V. I owe you my life, perhaps, but you know many things I want to know as well."
       Sailor V's head arched back painfully as the blade forced it so, twilight blue eyes closing. "I can't ever say sorry enough for carrying this burden." Her sudden hiss betrayed the cutting of flesh; Tuxedo Kamen could see a small drop of blood wind its way down her neck. "To reveal everything to you would put everyone in jeopardy, doesn't anyone understand that!"
       "I don't care about that!" the thief hissed, pressing the blade just a little bit deeper. "This isn't my problem, this isn't my cause! Why do I know about a stone that has nothing to do with me…a holy stone, that no one can give me answers of!"
        The sudden impact of Tuxedo Kamen scratched the tip of the blade back nearly to her ear, but it was only a surface wound. She fell backwards as the blade went one way, and they went the opposite, rolling on the ground; she could hear them yelling at one another incoherently as she scooted along the concrete painfully, trying to snap the rope.
       Someone's head hit the railing with an echoing thud as the rope snapped, and the soldier leapt up to see the thief pressing her arm into Tuxedo Kamen's neck. "Crescent Beam!"
       It was a weak surge of magic, but the thief screamed nonetheless as it collided with the back of her ribs, bending her backwards over the pain. A gasping Tuxedo Kamen threw her off and she rolled, the back of her jacket smoking. What wasn't obvious right away was that she was crying, loud, hoarse sobs that had nothing to do with her injury.
       The long-haired blonde invoked her chain, wrapping it around the thief's arms in a mimic of her own bondage minutes earlier. She didn't fight it, and bowed her head as she knelt there, nearly choking on her tears. "I can't forgive you for that," V said quietly. "But I am sorry you feel this way."
       "…I'm not a soldier…I'm no one special…!" The thief's voice was strangled, desperate. She lifted her head, staring at them both with a tear-streaked expression of utter loss. "I'm not one of you; why am I involved in this!" she screamed, "why do I know these things!"
       Tuxedo Kamen gathered her in his arms and simply held her, rocking her back and forth. She went limp almost immediately, crying loud as a child against his chest. "We'll know the truth soon, I swear we will…soon, we'll all know the truth."
       Sailor V's expression was unreadable, as closed off as a wall. "Hai," she agreed. "I promise; I'll even tell you myself, if I have to, kami forgive me." She fingered the cut on her throat, not meeting Tuxedo Kamen's stare. "Serenity forgive me."

      Despite the late hour, Usagi was still awake, though not by choice. Curled in the window, snug in her bunny motif pajamas, she held her hands over her heart in nearly physical pain. It had woken her not even ten minutes ago, a sudden sharp, stabbing sensation deep in her heart; slowly subsiding, it left her breathless. And she had no idea of the cause.
       Coming home just before Luna had returned from the Crown, she had ignored all family stimulus, not even coming down to eat the leftovers her mother had saved for her. She had curled on her bed in the tightest ball possible, confused as to how she could feel so suddenly lost in the span of an day.
       Mamoru's brush-off was the cause, obviously, but how could a man who hadn't shared a decent conversation with her previous affect her so deeply? Not even two days ago she had yelled at him, feeling nothing but animosity towards him. Now, she felt as if she'd lost her leg or something else as vital. And Luna's suspicions of Tuxedo Kamen had only heightened the feeling, moreso when she realized she couldn't tell the black feline where she'd been.
       Finally, the pain was gone. She uncurled from her pained ball, touching her fingers to the glass to trace the image of her own face. "I wish I understood everything," she sighed, watching a lone car drive past. There was always something in the back of her mind now, since Luna had given her the moon stick; if only she could remember it….
       The black feline had told her they still had so much to remember about being sailor soldiers. But while the other three fit into their personas like a glove, memories or no, she still felt the slightest bit clumsy, as if it was a forced identity; like something inside of her rejected 'Sailor Moon.' Not Tsukino Usagi, normal girl, but something deeper; something from the very past Luna wanted her to recall.
       And Mamoru's attitude that day had touched on it.
       "Endymion." Even saying the name made her heart flutter, the syllables rolling smoothly off her Japanese tongue. It was like tasting a sweet treat, letting it melt…even though she had no body or face to go with.
       Behind her, Luna began to stir, tail lashing against the covers. The odango-haired blonde smiled affectionately, turning towards the cat; and the moment was ruined as she yawned long and loud. Soon, she was blissfully asleep again, her mind allowed to drift.
       And in her dreams, someone was singing.
       It took her a moment to realize it was Rei - or, more precisely, Mars.
       The dark-haired shrine girl was singing her heart out, arms raised to the sky as if in worship; the song was a generic, happy tune to the beautiful day, beautifully interwoven and spiraling higher and higher with each note.
       In a lazy circle around her sat five others, all of them reclining on marble steps that led up and off into colourful blobs of scenery. The odango-haired blonde could make out no real details past the girls; one of them, who bore an orange hue, was just as formless as the trees behind her head. Jupiter, sprawled across an entire step, looked joyous, her head fallen back as she hummed along with the music.
       Beneath her sat Mercury, posture perfect, her entire pose suggesting a self-confidence and assurance that Usagi had yet to truly see in Ami. Her studious eyes were slighter cooler as they watched the shapeless landscape, hands on her knees. The girl next to her melted into the steps with no true shape, the smears of orange suggesting that she was on her back, arms folded behind her head.
       Between them all sat Usagi, wearing a loose white dress with long sleeves, her hair loose. She was weaving with the song, eyes closed, nose buried in a handful of roses and tulips that she held clutched in her hands, freshly cut. The sun glittered off the gold circlet around her head, a simple band with no ornamentation. Above, the odango-haired blonde puzzled.
       Then, Mars finished her song. She bowed with a shy tilt to her body that Rei would have scoffed, folding her hands before her once she was straight again. "Well?"
       "It was beautiful, Mars!" Jupiter cheered, clapping her hands in appreciation. Mars blushed, looking towards Mercury and the still-shapeless girl, waiting.
       The blue-haired genius tilted her head mechanically, lifting her shoulders. "It was lovely, Mars, but how do your parents feel about it? After all, with your people so warlike…"
       "Mercury, stop that!" the girl beside her chided. Her voice was familiar, but Usagi couldn't place it; it was through her head like so much smoke. "Mars, it was as good as anything my court nymphs could sing, maybe better!"
       But the damage was done. Mars seemed to slightly expire, wilting down onto the step with her clasped hands dropping between her knees. "My father is displeased about me learning from the high court's musicians; he regards song as nothing more than noise."
       "Stop that; with my mother's influence, he wouldn't dare tell you to stop!" From the middlemost steps Usagi saw herself reach up, taking Mars's hand gently. The look that passed between them was of utmost affection.
       What followed next was a soft din of noise as they talked amongst themselves, acting like the closest of friends; even aloof, frigid Mercury. Usagi felt herself waking up as the orange-clad soldier laughed, saying "Even Prince Endymion wouldn't condone that, and he's of Earth!"
       Endymion!
       "Ne, let me sleep longer, I want to see the rest of it!" Her body twisted on the windowsill as she heard the alarm clock ring, dimly echoing through her dream. Jupiter said something so outrageous that the girls shrieked in unison; and then, everything exploded into black.
       Sunlight was streaming through the window, warm on her face, as she felt the shudder of her door slamming open. Her mother was furious in the doorway, wielding a spoon like the flaming sword of an angel. "Usagi, wake up, you lazy girl!"
       "Hai, hai, mama," she moaned, stretching carefully. Ikuko waited to watch her daughter slide to her feet, wobbling for her uniform, before she left the room.
       Luna did her own luxuriant stretch, a spot of nothingness on the utter pink that was Usagi's comforter. Cerulean eyes watched sharply as Usagi stripped off her pajamas, doing her usual morning routine across the room as she wriggled and danced into her uniform skirt and socks. She had her spring shirt halfway on before she remembered that the winter uniform was still in use, and spent another minute exchanging the two.
       The whole charade was more clumsy than usual, and the black cat frowned as she watched Usagi re-knot her bow nearly three times. "Usagi-chan, daijoubu desu ka?" She waited for a response as she watched her charge wander to her dresser, rifling through a top drawer. Totally ignoring Luna, of course. "Ne, Usagi?"
       A glittering gold lamè ribbon was finally selected out of a handful, which were dumped back into the drawer. Luna stared, now dumbfounded, as Usagi wrapped the strip tight around her head and over her sleep-tousled hair, like a headband. "Ano, Luna…who is the princess?"
       "If I knew that, don't you think I would tell you?" the feline replied, exasperated and confused. She dropped off the side of the bed, padding around Usagi in a slow circle.
       Usagi tilted her head, re-adjusting her bangs. Didn't she have some sort of mark on her forehead in the dream? It had been covered mostly by her hair, but she remembered seeing it now, a tiny speck of yellow… "Iie, Luna, I mean…what is she the princess of? Earth? America? Where is she from?"
       "The moon, of course. She is the heir to the Kingdom of the Moon, and by default status, ruler of our solar system."
       "And I'm the soldier of the Moon?"
       "Hai. Usagi-chan, what's with you today? Is this a result of your disappearance last night?"
       She looked just like she had in the dream, if in the hottest fashion for Tokyo's public school system. With a smile she untied the ribbon, curling it atop her dresser. "Just wondering, Luna. You never really told us." She began to tie up one odango, ignoring the questioning stare the black feline had for her in the mirror.

       For all the right reasons, Sailor V was dead on.
       Zoisite was an egotistical bastard of the highest caliber, and being forced to retreat by girls too young to even drive a car had really rankled him.
       Of course, Kunzite's biting, derisive comments had not improved his mood, but had greatly increased his want to aim properly. Shooting icicle spears at the general had done nothing but leave a gouged hole in the side of the meeting room.
       The blond slouched in his chair, a boot up against the edge of his small dining table. As one of the shitennou he had an immense amount of space, and lots of time to fill it. Most of the furniture that required legs simply had been molded from the rock walls, including the table; the chairs, the bed, and a cabinet for clothes were sturdy wood. He had no hobbies to consume his free time as the other generals had, or once did.
       For a male, Zoisite was long and lithe of limb, almost girlish. He studied himself now stoically, annoyed that his charade as a woman had born rotten fruit. If only those damn soldiers hadn't burst in on him! Teeth ground as he gripped his chin painfully, his elbow balancing expertly on his knee. A contortion only he could master, it was one he often found himself twisting into when he thought.
       Already he was tired of the game, of pretending to be human.
       But what else could he do to lure those girls to their certain deaths?
       He summoned a viewing glass, though his preference was not for balls, but for mirrors; and one seemed to grow from the rock wall at his gesture, opaque. The snap of fingers turned 'on,' so to speak, and the blond general stared out over Tokyo. "South."
       Magic traveled at the speed of thought, or in the time it took to mentally compile the spell needed. It was like flipping channels as he spoke his bored, tired directions, green eyes unseeing until… "Stop!"
       That brilliant smile…that playful pose…
       Sailor V flirted with pedestrians passing by the Crown, painted forever into the salute she threw off at abandon. Though it was only a poster, and somewhat crudely drawn by realistic standards, Zoisite homed in on it.
       No general had seen the girl fighting alongside the sailor soldiers who kept halting their progress. None of them had even so much as seen the girl, period, since Danburite had been defeated; only a solitary youma had recognized her in recent weeks, and hadn't lived long enough to alert them.
       But what if?
       "Yare yare, Sailor V," Zoisite cooed, a devilish gleam sparkling in his eyes. "To flush out a little rabbit, one needs the proper bait…"

       "USOOOOOOO!"
        The house shook to the foundations. Artemis, sleeping comfortably atop Minako's bed, was rudely bounced across the mattress and onto the floor with a perfect bellyflop. Thinking it was an earthquake and not seeing his owner, he sped for the doorway, panicked.
       The long-haired blonde, coming in to find him, stepped right onto his head.
       Thankfully, her thick socks blunted the impact.
       He flopped over with visions of mice dancing around his head as she squealed, oblivious to his pain. "Artemis, have you seen the news!?"
       "You'll have to excuse me, my life is flashing before my eyes…a Siamese has the lead role…."
       "ARTemis!" Minako picked him up by the scruff, impatiently holding a folded newspaper in front of his eyes.
       Dangling, still in a daze, the white cat's blue eyes didn't quite focus right away. Then, he shook his head fiercely, mouth gaping to reveal a hint of fangs. "The auction of the demolished set of 'The Chinese Princess'? Pieces are going to be sold to benefit another star from the Dark Agency who is sick?"
       The long-haired blonde set him down, gentle this time, and began folding the newspaper into smaller and smaller squares. "Do you think Ace…iie, Danburite…is alive?"
       "You know it isn't possible, Mina. He dissolved; he was defeated by the soldier of Venus." He stared at her, a perturbed look passing over his furred face. "But Danburite was a minion of the Dark Kingdom; and surely Zoisite had knowledge of the mission."
       She bowed her head, effectively hiding her face behind her hair. As she folded the newspaper, she thought of what she had told Tuxedo Kamen last night; that she would lure the egotistical general out for defeat. But now, it was obvious that it had gone the other way around, and that Zoisite had one-upped her.
       Dimly she recalled Danburite's curse, his mocking tone as he asked her what the problem had been; without successful love, she could be a successful soldier. Just as she had in the past, when she had never noticed him, or his love for her. "It's a trap."
       "Of course it's a trap; but why would Zoisite want to lure you? The others wouldn't recognize the significance, and hardly no one even remembers the idol Kaitou Ace!" The white feline's tail lashed the carpet in anger as he stared at the long-haired blonde, who stared out of her second-floor window. "Mina, the enemy remembers that you exist now…"
       "Baka neko," she remarked offhandedly, and far more acidic then she meant. He flinched as if she'd physically hit him, backing up a step; and she seemed to finally realize her surroundings, smiling down at him gently. "Gomen gomen, Artemis. I'm just…in shock, I guess. I never expected to hear of the movie ever again."
        They had been friends, partners, for over a year now, and he could tell when she was lying through her teeth. But he wisely stayed silent on that, instead taking a different angle as she perched on the edge of her bed. "What do you think we can expect, Mina? If Zoisite wants to find you, there must be a reason."
       "Bait, of course! Don't be lax in your duties as a guardian to the princess, Venus!" Boss had been silent for a while now, apparently deciding Mina and Artemis could do the job on their own. Hearing the pen in her pocket talk again after such a long time had the long-haired blonde squawking, her butt sliding off the comforter as she spasmed in shock. She landed ungracefully on the floor in a heap, legs tangled beneath her. Artemis sprang into her lap, fumbling to pull the pen out of her sweatshirt pocket.
       "Boss!? Boss, what did you say?"
       The long-haired blonde groaned, rubbing a hand against her tailbone. "Itaai! This had better be important," she muttered.
       Artemis swatted at her to be quiet with his tail, holding the pen clumsily between his paws. Boss sounded perturbed on the other end, a voice neither of them had ever seen a face for. "Be sharper, Venus; obviously, this is an attempt to capture Sailor Moon! Perhaps, they've even deduced that she could know where the Ginzuishou is hiding-"
       "Masaka….! How could they be so bold as to think that?" Minako whispered, exchanging a worried look with the white cat huddled in her lap.
       "Maybe they've remembered more then our allies have," Boss announced solemnly.
       Minako took the pen from her friend's paws, twirling it slowly between her fingers. Huddled on the floor, she nodded slowly to what Boss had said. "Hai. Or, maybe, they're more intelligent then we were thinking." She planted a hand against the carpet, pushing herself up from her kneel. A bittersweet smile decorated her face as she wandered to her closet, selecting a more colourful and clean sweatshirt, exchanging the one she wore already. Socks came next, and she pulled them on with a wriggle of toes.
       The white cat watched all of this in silence until she untied her hair, brushing it out. Then, he stood up on all four paws. "Mina, you can't seriously be going!"
       "I have to reveal myself to them sooner or later, Artemis. It's been planned already." She tied her red bow with a flourish, smiling at him in the mirror. "Daijoubu."
       "You've done what?!" the cat yelped, doing a mad hopping dance right there on the carpet. Boss was strangely silent in Minako's hand, and Artemis had a feeling that the pen would be that way for a while to come, unneeded. "Mina, you can't do this!"
        "Gomen, Artemis, but it has to be done. I hope you'll be my friend in this." So saying, she exited the room without heading his calls, softly closing the door until only a small space was left open; just wide enough for a cat to pass. But if he followed her, she didn't hear him as she went down the stairs, pausing near the front door to slip on shoes and a light jacket.
       And as she left, she had no way of knowing that Usagi held the same paper in her hands at the same time, holding it out to the others. "Look, look! Do you remember this?"
       "'The Chinese Princess'….oh, that was the promised movie of Kaitou Ace!" Makoto was the one who answered; Rei looked disdainful, Ami oblivious. Neither girl had ever invested time in idols.
       But Usagi looked gleeful that the idol had been recognized, and she held the article out to the tall brunette. "We should see this, Mako-chan!"
       The dark-haired shrine girl huffed, lightly tossing her hair. "Trivial pursuits! Men are untrustworthy; most likely, that auction is to benefit him in his unpopular state." As they had gathered at the shrine, she held another implement of cleaning in her hands, this time a rake. She drew it across a small pile of dead leaves as she spoke, brushing briskly, angrily.
       "Mou, Rei-san…!" Usagi whimpered, hiding slightly behind Makoto. Despite knowing the girl for several weeks now, the odango-haired blonde still addressed her in a respectful manner, as if she were still wary of the haughty, private school miko. The tall brunette reached back to lightly pat Usagi comfortingly.
       Luna, who sat comfortably on the edge of the porch, tilted her head in thought. "The Dark Agency are the ones holding the auction, Usagi-chan?" When the odango-haired blonde nodded in the affirmative, Luna made a noise not unlike a purr. "Dark Tech Corp….Dark Agency…"
       All four girls lapsed into silence, watching the feline as she obviously put some seriously deep thought into it. Her face twisted into a parody of someone in immense pain, ears slanting back against her head. She went on in this fashion for a good four minutes, before she slapped a paw against the wood loudly, pronouncing "That's it!"
       Everyone jumped. Hesitantly, Ami asked, "What's it?"
       "Too many 'Dark' companies is it! Think of it, minna; what better way for our enemies to gather energy than to infiltrate under cover?" The cat danced along the edge of the porch madly, watching the realization dawn on their faces.
       "Ano…."
       Makoto was frowning, nibbling at her thumbnail. When she realized that everyone had heard her murmur, she flushed brightly and held up the article. "Did you read further into the article, Usagi-chan?"
       Obviously she had not, as she snatched the paper back and began to scan the print. When she reached the paragraph Makoto had her finger to, she began to read out loud, haltingly, unused to doing so. "Few may recall the destruction of the set, and the mysterious aura around it; more than a few of the extras who fled swore they saw the soldier of mystery, Sailor V, run into the smoke. Kaitou Ace fled into obscurity and hiding immediately, and the proposed heroine, Tokyo's Aino Minako, has never accepted an interview."
       Stunned, Usagi lowered the paper to meet Luna's eyes. The cat was nodding purposefully, and she padded down to the ground. "This has to be checked out. And Aino Minako…."
       "After we investigate, we'll find her," Rei affirmed, setting aside her rake. The grim determination in her voice was unmistakable; and only Luna nodded in agreement. The other three, who had taken to Minako's boundless joy in their own ways, stayed silent.

       The auction was surprisingly full, considering the failed movie had been demolished over a year ago, and had been the vehicle of an idol long forgotten as they all usually were. Adoring fans that demanded autographs mobbed current idols, most of them too young to even remember who Ace was. Older fans that did remember the idol had to keep correcting everyone; 'Kaitou' had been the given name of Ace's first major role on TV. His real name had been 'Saijou,' though no record of his family seemed to exist.
       In the crowd, letting them flow past her like the sea, stood Minako, twilight blue eyes unusually alert. In her jacket and skirt, she looked like any other teen idol chaser, and she used it to her advantage to chivvy conversation out of many of the idols, most of who were unused to someone asking them about someone other than themselves.
        None of them were Dark Agency holdovers, and Minako finally withdrew from her questioning tactic. "With so many idols, and not a one in the Agency….!"
       "Minako-chan!"
       The long-haired blonde froze, so completely immersed in her role as an undercover soldier that she had no time to put on a convincing, empty smile. She simply stared, stunned, as Usagi emerged from the crowd, waving her arm madly over her head to get Minako to notice her. "U-Usagi-chan! Konnichiwa!"
       Her worst fears were realized as the tall brunette, blue-haired genius, and dark-haired shrine girl appeared behind Usagi, Luna safely cradled in Ami's arms. "Minako-chan, you actually came! This must all be so serious for you!" the odango-haired blonde pressed, coming up to wrap both arms around Minako's right to pull her towards the others.
       By this point the warning bells had gone off full force in Minako's head, especially when she saw Rei's intense, penetrating stare. "Serious? Whatever do you mean, Usagi-chan?" she queried innocently, finally collecting herself enough to affect her usual childish, ignorant smile.
       "As you were the heroine of the movie, Aino-san, isn't this a bit of flashback for you?" There was no fooling some people. Minako fought hard not to flinch beneath Rei's question and purple eyes, but she'd had to put on a poker face for far worse. She simply heaved a heavy, drawn-out sigh.
       "Hai, but I put it behind me a long time ago, Hino-san! I'm here just to see the idols, of course; this is the event to be at." Not a complete answer, but not a complete evasion, either. Rei seemed entirely unconvinced, but she could see Ami slowly nod in understanding, Makoto looking relieved. At least Minako knew who was on her side….
       Luna looked just as suspicious as the dark-haired shrine girl did, but as she had no proof that Minako truly was Sailor V, she couldn't voice them. Instead, she simply brooded within the confines of Ami's arms, blue eyes watching every move the long-haired blonde made. "Oh, Minako-chan, I'm so glad you're here; you can answer the question truthfully!"
        "…what question?"
       Usagi leaned in like a camera set to zoom, forcing Minako to lean backwards, lest they bump heads, as Makoto said, "If Sailor V was really spotted on the set or not!"
       Worse, and worse. Thankfully, before she could think up a spontaneously witty reply, the lights dimmed to nearly black, and loud music, most likely the song of one of the Agency's remaining talent, began to blare. Usagi was easily ensnared by the spectacle, and anything Minako could've said would be drowned out.
       Then, spotlights flicked on, zooming around the large curtained stage in the middle of the room. They finally came to rest in the center of the stage, as the curtains parted behind them, revealing the silhouette of the MC. And, as they walked towards the light, Minako felt Rei's presence at her left shoulder, and heard the whisper meant for her ears only: "Very suspicious, Aino-san."
       Minako tensed, narrowing her glare towards the stage and ignoring Rei entirely. Some people you just couldn't please, and she was now pissed off that she was going to prove Rei right in, most likely, less than an hour.
       The MC finally emerged into the light, and it wasn't Zoisite. It was a man with black hair tied back in a braid, and tanned skin; very, very handsome, and presumably an idol of the Agency. "Welcome to the auction, everyone!"
       He wasn't well known, but he was cute, and that was enough to set off every teen girl in the audience. They all began to scream as if on cue, and the din was immense. Whatever he said was lost in the noise, but it was apparently the start of the auction itself, as a Romanesque white pillar was hauled onto the stage, still bearing sooty streak marks.
       Beside her, Minako could feel Usagi shudder at the sight of the pillar, grabbing tighter onto her arm. It was a shocked, spontaneous thing, but nothing that came close to the reaction Minako had been overcome by when she watched the thing tumble down in flames. She was almost positive the other three were having their own spasms of recollection behind her, but she didn't dare look.
       The screaming had finally died away, and bids were being called out; nothing real substantial, as it was just a piece of foam and plywood. With Usagi's distress threatening to turn the girl's muscles into jelly, Minako hit onto an idea. "Usagi-chan, daijoubu?"
       "I…it looks like something in my dreams…"
       Bingo. She moved to take the shaking odango-hared blonde in her arms, nudging her towards the direction of the bathroom. "You need some air, Usagi-chan, you look faint!" Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the other three engrossed in searching the crowd, and being none-too-sly about it; she took the opportunity and pulled Usagi into the mass of bodies.
       And as she'd figured, the bathroom was somewhat crowded with idols powdering their noses, and remarking on their rivals; even with their rivals standing a foot away, no less! Minako grimaced mildly as one uttered a particularly nasty remark. And to think, my dream is to be an idol, she mentally winced, as she hustled Usagi into an empty stall. "I'll be outside of the door, Usagi-chan, ok?"
       "Ok, Minako-chan," came the answer weakly from the other side.
       Minako felt horrible leaving her like that, but she had no choice. "As a soldier of justice, it's my mission to defeat Zoisite!" It was a rather pathetic rationalization, but that was all she had on her at the moment. She fled from the bathroom and back into the mass of bodies, fighting her way towards the center of the stage.
       Way in the back, the other three girls were becoming panicked as they realized Usagi was gone; and was Minako. "I knew it, she's a suspect in this!" Rei hissed, glaring obstinately at Makoto and Ami, daring them to prove otherwise.
       "Even if Minako-chan is really Sailor V, why would she hurt Usagi-chan?" Makoto snapped back, not backing down an inch. The tension between the two was nearly tangible as they stared one another down, refusing to budge.
       Until, that is, Ami pressed between the two, one arm carrying Luna, the connected elbow and her free arm shoving the girls apart. "Rei-san, Makoto-san, stop this! Perhaps we're overanalyzing, but shouldn't we find them before we pass judgement?"
       "Sou yo!" Luna agreed, though her disciplinary glare was severely blunted by the fact she had slipped in Ami's arm to hang heavily on her armpits and chin. You just can't be stern when your face is being squished. "I agree that Minako is suspicious, but finding Usagi is top priority first!"
       On stage, a small velvet box was introduced, and the MC held it up high for everyone to see. "And this, the pearl that was supposed to be used as the 'Venus droplet'! The script was changed during production, to have the Chinese princess in truth be the princess of Venus, Earth's twin."
       "Nani?!" Venus…the name sent a thrill of energy through the girls, human and feline, had them turning towards the stage to finally, truly, pay attention.
       "And the soldier of Venus, perhaps she's here to claim it? Until then, let's make it a challenge!" The MC removed the pearl from the box as the crowd began to murmur, confused. He flung the small gem high into the air, laughing in anticipation. As it reached the apex of its flight, it exploded into powder, and he changed.
       The powder cloud seemed to expand further and further outward as the MC grew, torso elongating to rip apart the nice suit he wore. Fingernails sharpened into claws, shredding the rest of the cloth, his skin darkening to eggplant purple, eyes glowing yellow and green. "Now, for the glory of the Dark Kingdom! Sacrifice your energy to our queen, give yourselves over for domination!"
       Luna and the girls were the first to react as they drove beneath a nearby table where brochures for the auction had been piled, a tablecloth draping nearly to the floor providing ample protection. Around them people were screaming frantically, reacting with animal instinct to run for the doors even as they dropped to the floor, dusted with the powder. Energy was thick in the air, humming with power, as it all floated up to a disco ball hanging high up in the ceiling.
       Zoisite appeared next to the youma with no explanation, arms folding arrogantly as he watched the crowd dwindle and drop. "Yare yare…I thought the little bitch would be here by now," he mused.
       In the bathroom, Usagi was frantically trying to crawl over the wall of the stall, having been totally blocked in by the press of bodies trying to escape. "Sumimasen, sumimasen…! Moou, gomen nasai!" She flopped ungracefully from the wall onto someone's back, and was forced to literally clamber over people to get to the door.
       But before she got there, someone yanked at her ankle; she looked over her shoulder to see a fat, middle-aged woman holding on, attempting to stop her. "You can't go out there! I'll protect you in here, little girl, in here we're safe…!"
       "Stop that!" Usagi rolled onto her back, atop someone else's shoulders, and tried to pry the hysterical woman off her ankle.
       "Let her go! Maybe that crazy creature will leave us along if it attacks enough people!" someone else cried.
       It was a well-received opinion; Usagi felt herself lifted up by several arms, the woman yanked away crying, and she was passed along like a surfer towards the door, where she was promptly thrown out. At least she had practiced landing long enough to roll on impact.
        The door was slammed shut behind her, and she lay stunned next to the wall that hid the bathroom doors from the auditorium. A useful piece of architecture for a soldier of justice, she had to admit. She peered slowly out from around it, saw the youma, and immediately yanked her head back with a gasp. "Ami-chan, Rei-san, Mako-chan, where are you…?!"
       Under a table, but she didn't know that. And as they had no clue where she was, they stayed put, debating on what to do. Without a real leader to take charge, they were forced into democracy, and it wasn't doing very well. "Transform, and beat the youma, I say!" Makoto whispered, punching her fist against her palm for emphasis.
       "But that other person out there isn't a youma, and what if he's too strong for just three of us? We need Usagi-chan!" Ami pressed.
       "We can't do anything without destroying that creature first!" Rei agreed, nodding towards the tall brunette.
       "Usagi-chan is your leader, Ami-chan is right, you can't do it quite yet!" Luna hissed, lashing her tail violently.
       By now, the crowd was completely felled. Behind the wall, Usagi gripped her brooch; across the way, Minako crouched in the announcer's booth used for sport games, waiting for the telling flicker of magic, her pen in hand.
       And finally, Usagi whispered "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" letting the transformation sweep her up onto her toes. It was a silent change, but colourful; the burst of magic was felt by every conscious person in the auditorium, as they were also the only ones attuned to it. Zoisite smiled in anticipation, floating up from the stage to see the soldier's appearance.
       But it was Sailor Moon instead of Sailor V who stepped out from behind the wall, pointing a finger at the blond general. "Using the sad memories of a failed movie to lure idol chasers and idols themselves into your trap! I won't allow it to happen again!"
       There was a dull thunk as three heads hit the wood of the table.
       Sailor Moon pulled her mask away, tossing it high in the air for emphasis as she shouted, "The pretty soldier, Sailor Moon, I'll punish you for this!"
       Zoisite pouted, still floating in the air above the stage. "Ara, I was hoping for Sailor V, but as it was you that was the ultimate target, I guess I'll have to simply kill you now…" His gloved hand clenched in the air at his side, gathering energy; they formed shards of ice, which he released towards the sailor soldier.
       As she leapt away, moving on instinct away from the deadly attack, she found herself being tackled by the lithe blond general; she screamed as Zoisite grabbed her by the throat, hoisting her up in the air. Zoisite elevated up to a height of nearly fifteen feet, holding the girl in a tight grip, fingers digging into her windpipe. "…after you reveal the Ginzuishou's location to me, that is!"
       "Fire Soul!"
       "Supreme Thunder!"
       Fire and lightning spiraled, perfectly entwined, from below; Zoisite teleported, but not before his back was ripped open by the attack. The girls screamed as both disappeared, only to appear back on the stage. Sailor Moon was nearly unconscious from lack of air, and hanging limp from the general's fist. Blood pooled on the stage as an enraged Zoisite snarled at the youma, shouting at him; "Why aren't you killing them yet, you stupid waste of flesh! Make them hurt and bleed and die!"
       The youma grinned, licking its lips at the three girls, before it leapt.

       Mamoru was thrown out of bed, his nap disturbed by the violent spasm in his heart. He gasped for air, clutching at his chest in shock. "U-Usako…" She was in trouble, if not mortal danger; the pain, the urgency, had never been this bad before.
       Cursing in language a self-proclaimed gentleman as he was should never have heard, let alone know, he stumbled towards the sliding glass doors, snatching keys from his bedside table. The transformation was instant as always, but with it came another flash of pain as he sensed her terror even more clearly. It didn't bring him to his knees as it had when he was Mamoru, but he still felt it keenly as Tuxedo Kamen, and it was that realization that had him flinging himself from the railing into the air.
       He dropped to the porch two floors down, then repeated the leap, going on in such a fashion until he hit the ground. Jumping rooftops wasn't fast enough tonight; instead, he ran for his motorbike, the keys tight in his palm. Cape tucked carefully, he turned the motor on and took off without hesitation, skidding onto the road so fast he nearly had a wreck. But even at top speed and dodging cars, he wasn't fast enough.
       In the auditorium, fog was enveloping the entire lower half of the room in cold. Usually, it was enough to confuse even the smartest youma, and the girls had planned an attack accordingly. But what they hadn't anticipated was his ability to sense heat; even before Jupiter could send out the first attack, she screamed as the creature slammed into her, slashing its claws across her arm.
       But it left its back open in doing so, and it was lifted off the tall brunette by a blast of fire. It skidded across the floor, smoking and charred, and slumped near the booth where Minako hid, looking frantically at the windows for a familiar flow of cape.
       On stage, Zoisite had loosened his grip enough for Sailor Moon to breathe again, gaining consciousness. "Sailor Moon, I won't ask again; the Ginzuishou, where is it!" Shaken for emphasis, the odango-haired blonde moaned, fingers pulling weakly at the ones around her throat.
       "I don't…don't know…! We've been sear…searching…for it too…" Talking was taking too much effort. She began to sag again as the blond general snarled, shaking her roughly enough to snap her head back.
       She was thrown to the stage floor as Zoisite removed a sharp blade from his uniform, standing over her with a Cheshire cat's grin. "Shi ne, Sailor Moon."
       The fog was clearing to reveal the three girls, and the still-smoking, apparently defeated youma. Tuxedo Kamen was still nowhere in sight, and as the soldiers screamed, Zoisite brought the blade down at Sailor Moon's heart. Too weak to do anything impressive, the odango-haired blonde screamed and tried to roll out of the way.
       "There's no choice! Venus Power, Make Up!" Minako whispered, the first time she had ever used the transformation since discovering her identity. Instead of invoking the blue and red costume of Sailor V, it clothed her in the orange uniform of Sailor Venus, identical to the uniforms of the three girls who even now were racing in desperation towards Zoisite. The only difference, and one she made sure of, was the lack of a tiara; instead, a crescent moon glowed against her skin.
       From the booth she stood and aimed, sighting down her fingertip. "Crescent Beam!"
       The blade shattered in Zoisite's hands on impact, most of it exploding upwards into the general's hands. He screamed in pain as pieces stuck out jagged from his gloves, and he stumbled back and away from the stunned sailor soldier. Mars and Jupiter grabbed an arm each, hauling Sailor Moon off the stage as Zoisite whirled around, seeking the source of the attack. "You illusionary little bitch soldier, where are you!? Show yourself to me!"
       "You've failed the mission, Zoisite," Venus whispered, pulling out her compact. It elongated in her hands into a boomerang, and as the general turned away, she threw it with deadly accuracy.
       It spun over the heads of the four soldiers, slicing through Zoisite's side. The general was frozen in a position of pain when it came back again, this time cutting right through his midsection, halving him neatly like a fruit. He had no opportunity to scream as his body gave up the fight, and simply disintegrated into the air.
       With its creator dead, the youma followed him, leaving nothing but a smear of ash on the wall and floor.
       "Masaka," Jupiter breathed. She stood with Mars in protection of Mercury, who had the half-conscious Sailor Moon cradled in her lap. "Who could do such a thing?"
       Luna, emerging from the table, was the first to see the unfamiliar soldier step out from the booth. Her sudden hiss in warning had Jupiter and Mars turning around, prepared for an offensive; but only Jupiter seemed to relax at the sight.
       Mercury gasped as Venus appeared, arms wrapping around Sailor Moon to keep her from getting up, though she, too, saw the strange soldier. "Dare? It can't be…."
       Venus took a step forward, arms held out in greeting. But when the girls gasped again, she halted in confusion, glancing down at a brush of fur against her ankle; Artemis. He nodded covertly, before facing the girls. She smiled, making another move towards them, and even though they were shocked, she knew a moment of happiness.