Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Ascension Trilogy, Book 1: The Coming Ice Age ❯ Faint Hearts And Fiery Maids ( Chapter 7 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

THE COMING ICE AGE,
Chapter 7: "Faint Hearts and Fiery Maids"

By Bill K.

Usagi propped herself up on her drawing board. Panel four wasn't
finished, but she just couldn't summon the strength to finish it. And
it was already nearly six p.m. Mamoru would be home any minute and she
hadn't done anything about dinner.

"Oh, well," she smiled to herself. "I guess that gives us an
excuse to go to The Butterfly Palace again." But the humor quickly
faded, along with the smile.

"Usako, I'm home," she heard Mamoru call out. In a sudden burst
of energy, she began to work on the figure in panel four, but the burst
spent itself in moments. She let out an exhausted sigh.

"Hi, Mamo-chan," she smiled wanly. "How was your day? I'm afraid
I didn't get around to cooking anything, but I don't think Makoto will
mind a little bit more of our business." She noticed Mamoru was staring
at her. "What is it, Mamo-chan?"

"Are you feeling all right, Usako?" he asked.

"I feel fine," she alibied. "I might be a little tired. I've
been working like a demon to finish this story before deadline." Seeing
that didn't satisfy him, Usagi's eyes sought her lap. "And maybe I'm a
little upset, too. Michiru was here earlier."

"Did you two get into a fight?" Mamoru asked, knowing Michiru's
history of disagreeing with Usagi's ways and her lack of reticence about
expressing those disagreements - - or worse.

"She thinks Janus is wrong for Setsuna," Usagi confessed. "She
thinks he may be responsible for the temperature drop around the world."

"Does she have any proof?"

"No! That's the whole thing! She's just suspicious of him! Just
like she's suspicious of everybody!" Usagi's hand flew to her mouth.
"Oh, I shouldn't have said that. That was mean. Oh, Mamo-chan, why
can't she just be happy for Setsuna? You should see her. I've never
seen Setsuna this happy before, ever!"

Mamoru came over, gently pulled Usagi out of her chair and folded
his arms around her. She burrowed into her familiar comfort zone, his
strong chest, and laid her head against it.

"I don't know," he told her. "Maybe it's because of her mission
on this world. Maybe it's just the way she's wired. I don't think
she's being intentionally malicious."

"I don't either. But it's still not right. She should be happy
for Setsuna."

"Well, if she's wrong, it won't be the first time," Mamoru said,
stroking his wife's hair. "And if somehow she turns out to be right,
then we'll all be thanking her."

"OK," Usagi said and enjoyed the feel of his arms around her for a
few moments longer. "Now about dinner?"

"Let me guess," Mamoru smirked. "The Butterfly Palace?"

"It's good food and reasonable rates," Usagi chirped, perking up a
little.

"How many times a month do we eat there? Do you think I'm made of
money?"

"Yes," Usagi grinned. "And if you're not, I've still got a big
chunk of that residual check left, too."

"One of these days I'm going to learn how to say 'no' to you,"
Mamoru scowled playfully. He knew his surrender was imminent. Usagi
knew it, too. "OK, let me get changed."

Mamoru walked to the bedroom. There wasn't really any point in
fighting it. He knew he'd do anything for that smile.
* * * *
"Hayami!" Ami called out. "I'm home!"

"Good," Hayami said, coming out of the den. He took his wife in
his arms like she was fragile china and kissed her respectfully. "I've
missed you. Plus you've got visitors."

At his wife's curious look, the squat, chunky man moved aside.
Framed in the doorway were Luna and Artemis.

"Has something happened?" Ami asked, tensing.

"Yes," Artemis said. "We've discovered a breech in reality. It's
a hole in the fabric of dimensional space that's leaking heat energy
into a different dimension."

"Causing the global cooling!" gasped Ami. Hayami listened
intently, too. "Where is it? Did you take readings?"

"It's over the boat dock on the pond in Juuban Park," Luna told
her. "We believe it may be the same spot that Chibi-Usa used as an
entry point in her travels from the thirtieth century."

"Chibi-Usa? Who's she?" Hayami asked.

"Usagi's daughter," Ami replied distantly, already making
calculations and turning over theories in her head.

"Usagi has a daughter?" gaped Hayami.

"It's complicated," Ami grimaced. "This dimensional rip you
mention - - are you certain it's a rip in a spatial dimension?"

"Ami, I'm not sure of anything at the moment, except where it is
and what it's doing," Artemis replied.

"Why do you ask?" Luna inquired.

"It's entirely possible that this rip is a fourth dimensional rip,
particularly if it occupies the space Chibi-Usa always traveled
through." Ami summoned her henshin stick. A moment later, Sailor
Mercury stood before them, her senshi computer in hand and her visor on.
"I assume you took readings?"

"Hey, I'm a professional," Artemis said. He tilted his head to
the right and she saw a mini-zip in his collar. She reached down and
took it.

"I'm sorry, Hayami," Mercury said to her husband, suddenly
remembering his presence. "This is important and I really should look
at . . ."

"It's all right," he smiled gently. "Sailor Mercury has a job to
do. Actually, it's kind of exciting to watch you work."

Mercury kissed him on the cheek, then sat down and plugged the
disk into her computer. Luna perched on the back of the sofa, peering
over her left shoulder.

"He's such a dear man," Luna whispered to Mercury. "You're quite
lucky to have him. Certain types could take a lesson," and she glanced
at Artemis. He only rolled his eyes.

"These dimensions indicate that the rift is closed," Mercury said,
studying the data flashing on her visor. "But it's not sealed, as
indicated by the uninterrupted flow of heat energy. Obviously whatever
came through didn't leave enough energy to keep the rift enlarged and it
collapsed back onto itself."

"Then something did come through?" Luna asked.

"Obviously," Mercury replied. "Whether it was a probe or a burst
of energy or something sentient, something made that rift in the first
place."

"Is there any means to track it if it is sentient?"

"If it left some sort of energy trail or signature. Otherwise,
no. But you're assumption that this is what's causing the cold snap is
valid. The trail of heat energy is unmistakable."

"Any way to close it?" Artemis asked.

"That depends upon what type of rift it is. I'll need a more
detailed analysis of that to know for certain. I'm sorry, but these
readings just don't give me enough information to reach any definitive
conclusion."

"Your computer and visor always were more powerful than anything
we had," Artemis admitted.

"We'll lead you there," Luna told her. "The sooner we get this
rift sealed, the better it will be for all. This cool weather has gone
on long enough."

"It's worse than that!" Mercury said with alarm. "If that rift
widens again, Tokyo's temperature could drop twenty to fifty degrees
overnight! If it widens permanently, the entire globe could be thrown
into sub-zero conditions in a matter of days! And prolonged cold
temperatures will begin to destroy most of the plant life, setting off a
chain reaction in the ecosystem that could devastate all life!"

Hayami and the cats looked at her, stunned. Mercury allowed
herself to return to Ami.

"Let's get going, then," Artemis frowned. Luna and Ami began to
follow him out, but Hayami caught Ami's hand. She turned to him.

"Please be careful," Hayami said. He tried to maintain a brave
front, but he was clearly worried about the situation and especially
about her. Ami recalled that this was her first senshi mission since
their marriage.

"I will," she smiled. "I love you, Hayami."

As Ami closed the door behind her, she silently vowed to herself
never to go on another senshi mission without telling Hayami that.
* * * *
"Well, well, haven't seen you two here in a while," Sanjuro
smiled, greeting the Chibas as they seated themselves at a table.
"What's it been, three days? You're slipping, Usagi."

"If that's the attitude you take with a customer, I can always
take my business elsewhere," Usagi sniffed playfully.

"What are you trying to do, bankrupt the place?" Sanjuro needled.
Then he grew serious. "Are you feeling all right, Usagi?"

"Just a little tired," she smiled self-consciously. "That's sort
of why we're here. I was too tired to cook." Then she glanced
conspiratorially at Sanjuro. "Besides, she does it better than I do,
anyway."

"I'll tell her you said that, although I'm sure she already knows
you feel that way." Sanjuro winked at her, then turned to Mamoru.
"How's it going, Mamoru?"

"Curing the sick and making money hand over fist," he grinned.
"If it wasn't for those two things, I wouldn't put in the sixty hour
weeks."

"Yeah? Interested in investing in a restaurant?" Sanjuro asked.
"We can always use the capitol." He spotted a woman headed for the
kitchen. "Ah, there's Ritsuko. That means Makoto'll be free for a few
minutes to chat."

"I don't want to take her away from her duties," Usagi said.

"That's OK," Sanjuro said playfully. "It'll get her off Ritsuko's
back. Honestly, my girl would be horrified at the thought of losing
Ritsuko and yet the woman can never seem to cook anything right
according to her."

He winked and waved as he walked off. Minutes later, Makoto
appeared, a tray of dishes in hand.

"I saw you come in," Makoto smiled and set the dishes of food down
in front of Usagi and Mamoru. "I was already fixing up some of this and
I know you'll eat anything except carrots."

"It smells wonderful," smiled Usagi.

"Are you all right?" Makoto asked.

"Why does everybody keep asking me that?" demanded Usagi.

"Because we like you, hon', and we worry about you when you don't
look OK. And right now you look like you just came back from a hike up
Mt. Fuji."

"I'm just overworked," Usagi said, taking a piece of fish from the
bowl. "How are the kids?"

"Would you believe I got a call from the daycare center about a
fight?" gasped Makoto.

"Well, unfortunately getting into fights is a part of growing up,"
Mamoru said. "Did they say what Ichiro was fighting about?"

"It was Akiko that got into the fight!" Makoto said. "It's her
third one in two months!" Usagi giggled in mid-bite.

"Well, I guess the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree," she
laughed.

"Well I'll tell you one thing," Makoto said, dead serious. "That
girl is going to grow up to be a lady if it kills us both. I'm not
going to let her go through what I went through." Usagi reached over
and patted Makoto's hand, but she couldn't keep from laughing just the
same.
* * * *
Dressed in her black wig and dark glasses, Minako strolled the
streets of Tokyo. She seemed to be just another pretty woman walking
aimlessly. Actually she was taking everything in, observing and
sifting, searching for anything unusual.

Her stroll took her back to the park. It was the fourth time
she'd worked her way back to the park. She'd searched it twice and
pronounced it clean, but something was nagging at her sixth sense, that
same sixth sense that had served her since her days as Sailor V.

"Well, I guess a third stroll isn't going to do me any harm,"
Minako mused.

The park was nearly deserted. It actually seemed cooler here than
in the rest of the city. Minako pulled her hands up into the long
sleeves of her blouse and wrapped her arms around her body. It had to
be in the high forties in the park.

Which made the woman resting next to the tree stand out all the
more, since she was wearing nothing more than a mid-thigh white skirt.
She had long flowing black hair, as long as Rei's or her own, but wavy
and untamed. As Minako neared her, she could see the woman's complexion
was tanned like rich cappucchino. She had a comely figure, but one thin
and wiry like an athlete or someone used to physical stress.

"Hi," Minako chirped sweetly, turning on the charm.

The woman pivoted suddenly, facing Minako with her left arm thrown
up as a ward and her right hand trailing behind her, reaching for a
weapon if she already didn't have one.

"Whoa!" gasped Minako, throwing up her spread hands. "Me come in
peace! Fingers I got!" The woman, an exotic beauty with gold eyes,
stared at her in confusion. "You speak Japanese, maybe? How about
English? The only Chinese I know is Kung-Pow Chicken."

"More," the woman said, staring intently at Minako, or more
accurately her mouth.

"OK. Um, curry rice? Tokyo Lotte Orions? Buy my new CD?"

"Perhaps that will be enough," the woman said. "I have absorbed a
working knowledge of your language from your speech. It will help me
muchly to communicate."

"Oh yeah," snickered Minako. "You did a muchly great job there."
Forcing herself to become serious, Minako looked the woman over. "This
is a guess, but you're not from around here, right? You got a name?
I'm Minako."

"I am Candes," she said.

"I knew a Candice, once, in England," grinned Minako.

"I am," Candes began, looking at Minako strangely, "not from
Eng-Land. I am from a mystic land known as Knorr."

"Get out!" Minako goggled. "I met another one of you Knorrites
- - um, Knorrish? - - whatever, just the other day! He's a pretty cool
look, too, if you're into the Greek God type. Maybe you know him? His
name's Janus."

The woman's eyes bulged. "You are allied with Janus?" she hissed.

Instantly the woman turned and sprinted off. Her lanky frame
proved very quick, for she got a lead on Minako very early on, despite
the girl's best attempt to pursue. Any vestige of "Daffy Minako" was
gone, replaced by a grim business-like determination. As she ran,
Minako produced her henshin stick.

Before she could use it, though, her quarry twisted in mid-stride
and pointed with outstretched hands. A fireball launched from them and
barreled straight for Minako. She dived to the ground and the fireball
struck a seventy-year-old oak, turning the majestic tree into an
incandescent torch.

"So we're playing for keeps, is it?" Minako murmured, the light of
the challenge dancing in her eyes.

Candes kept sprinting through the park. She took a moment to
glanced back behind her to see if Minako still pursued her. She saw
nothing, but that didn't halt her. Though she felt uncomfortable
running blindly through unfamiliar terrain, a sense told her not to
underestimate this "Minako", despite her pretense of immaturity.

"Exploding Golden Kiss!" echoed through the park. It was just
enough warning to allow Candes to evade an energy burst that exploded at
her feet.

There was no time to rest though, as another burst over her head,
knocking the bark from a tree. Candes bolted forward, followed by
tracing fire as energy bursts exploded at her feet, inches from striking
her. She pivoted, changing direction when she feared her assailant was
getting her range, and avoided another volley. When she felt she was
being measured again, Candes suddenly swerved right.

But this time her evasion had been anticipated. A burst of golden
energy exploded into her about chest high. Candes was bowled off her
feet and hurled several yards away. She landed in a glade between an
oak and a picnic table, impacted hard with the ground, ground that was
hardened by the cooler temperatures in the park. Her head struck the
ground and she sagged into unconsciousness. Moments later, Sailor Venus
walked up.

"Damn, hit her too hard," Venus scowled. "One of these days I'm
going to get a handle on this attack." She stooped down and hoisted the
strange woman over her shoulder in a fireman's carry. "Well, they grow
them light in your parts, honey," Venus said as she carried the fallen
woman away.
* * * *
In another part of the very same park, Sailor Mercury was hard at
work. She would stare at the sky with her visor, then look down and key
commands into her computer. Off to one side, Luna and Artemis stared up
at her.

"What do you think?" Artemis asked.

"The rift is practically closed now," Mercury replied, studying
her readouts. "All we really need is something to seal it. I doubt
Usagi would have much of a problem sealing it with the Silver Crystal."

"That's a relief," Luna sighed.

"The question that's bothering me now is who or what opened it,"
Mercury continued.

"Find something?"

Mercury looked up. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune were walking
up to them. Uranus seemed bland about things, but Neptune had a very
intent stare.

"We sensed an intruder in the park," Neptune replied, noticing
Mercury's curious look. "Someone or something not of this world. We
were investigating when we spotted you three." Neptune paused a beat.
"So what did you find?"

"There's a dimensional rift above the pond," Mercury reported.
"It's drawing heat energy out of the atmosphere. That's causing the
temperature drop."

"A dimensional rift," Neptune said, studying the area Mercury
pointed to as if she was trying to see it. "Good work, Mercury."

"Yeah, now we know how he got here," Uranus commented.

"He?" Mercury asked. "Have you discovered who came through the
rift?"

"Neptune believes Janus is responsible for this," Luna scowled.

"Yeah, and now we've got one more piece of the puzzle," Uranus
replied, defending her love. "The portal he used to travel from his
mystical dimension of Knorr to Earth."

"No, but you're wrong!" gasped Mercury. "This rift isn't spatial!
It's temporal!"

"Temporal?" gasped Neptune, truly surprised. Artemis also looked
on in amazement.

"Yes," Mercury reiterated. "Whoever or whatever caused this isn't
from a dimension existing concurrent to ours! It's from the future!"

continued in chapter 8