Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Brooch ❯ Chapter 15

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Brooch
By Jason C. Ulloa


Chapter 15


Silver Mist - Michiru's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 7, 1992. 2:02 P.M.


Haruka watched Michiru with concern as Ryoku crossed the room and sat down next to the brooding woman.
"So, what's wrong with her?" she asked, crossing the room and sitting down on the bed on the opposite
side of Michiru from him.

"If you don't mind, I want to ask her a few questions, just to make sure her problem is what I believe
it is," he said, glancing over at Haruka over Michiru's bowed head.

She looked down at Michiru again, reached out and took Michiru's hand in her own, squeezing
reassuringly. When she felt a light return squeeze, she nodded her agreement.

"All right," he said as he took a deep breath. "Some of these questions may sound a bit too personal,
so let me know if you don't want to answer them, all right?"

Michiru nodded slightly.

"This has to do with the job you performed as a slave, right?" he asked.

She nodded again.

"Were you one of Jadeite's personal slaves?"

Another nod.

"The duties you performed for Jadeite-"

"I don't think we should continue down this line of questioning," Haruka interrupted curtly.

Ryoku's eyes narrowed. "So, she was a sex slave," he said, his voice turning cold. "She's not the
first one we've rescued," he added, noticing Haruka's indignant expression. "Someone I care for
greatly was abused in the exact same way and I don't think any different of her. I assure you that we
here at Hikawa Jinja do not look down on those who've been abused in this manner, if that's what
you're worried about." He paused again. "If it's all right, may I continue?" Haruka frowned slightly,
but nodded anyway.

"Anyway, from Haruka-san's reaction, I'm positive you were an unwilling participant. Correct?" Michiru
nodded. "Do you remember much of what went on during those times?"

"That's none of your damn business!" Haruka shouted, leaping to her feet and rounding on him. "Who do
you think you are, asking something like that?

Ryoku sighed patiently. "If you would just shut up for a minute, you would find out why!" he shot back
tersely. "I understand your need to be protective toward your friend, but it's not like I'm going to
rape her or make her do things against her will. I helped you escape from that, remember?"

Haruka's expression relaxed as she calmed down. "Sorry," she apologized as she sat back down. "You're
just trying to help, right?"

He nodded reassuringly. "It's just like I said; Michiru-san doesn't have to answer any question she
doesn't feel comfortable answering." He then turned back to Michiru. "So, do you remember anything?"

She shook her head.

"Compulsion," he deduced.

"Compulsion?" Haruka inquired.

"It's what Jadeite uses to control his personal slaves," he explained. "One of the slaves we've
rescued heard Jadeite refer to it as such. Anyway, from the various descriptions we've been given from
the many slaves we've rescued over the years - from those who've been exposed to it, like Michiru-san,
and those who know people that have been exposed to it and who've witnessed them under its control,
like yourself - here's what we know about it:

"Compulsion acts as a form of mind control. Usually, those who are under its control are in a
trance-like state and do not react normally to the world around them. While under Compulsion, the
victim will do anything Jadeite orders, regardless of their own safety, including killing themselves.
However, the difference between this and normal mind control that other Dark Kingdom Generals have
been reported to use in different regions of the world is that while mind control has to be sustained
by the General in order for it to be effective, Jadeite's Compulsion is near-permanent. Once
Compulsion has been implanted, even after rescue, there will be moments where the victim will fall
into a state of Compulsion depending on any previous orders Jadeite may have given. For example, if
Jadeite had ordered a slave to come to his chambers every night at nine, disrobe and dance erotically
in front of him, every night at nine, the slave will perform this task, even after rescue. In this
case, we'd have to find a way to trick the slave into thinking that he or she is dancing in front of
Jadeite; otherwise, he or she would leave the jinja and head for the palace, seeking out Jadeite in
order to perform this nightly duty. And through all of this, the slave usually does not remember
performing the task."

Ryoku paused for a moment. "Do you understand so far?" he asked both women.

"I... guess so," Haruka said with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "It's a bit complicated, but the
point is that we've got to find out if Jadeite has implanted any orders in Michiru that would make her
try to seek him out."

"For now, that's about right," he agreed. "However, knowing this leads to something even worse." He
turned to Michiru again. "Michiru-san, when you were examined, did the doctor mention the term
'hollow?'"

At this, Michiru brought her head up and gazed at him with a devastated look in her eyes. "She...,"
Michiru gasped, her eyes starting to water. "She told me... that I'll never...."

Ryoku couldn't help but feel sorry for her as he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know. I'm
sorry."

She suddenly broke into tears at his sympathetic words and fell into his shoulder, crying. He looked
toward Haruka and nodded for her to take her crying friend, knowing that Michiru would feel better
crying on her friend's shoulder.

Well..., that and Haruka was starting to give him a dirty look.

"'Hollow...,'" Haruka repeated broodingly as Michiru cried into her shoulder. "Does that mean what I
think it means?"

He sighed sadly and nodded. "It means that she'll never have the ability to bear children again," he
explained. "It's a rare occurrence that only afflicts those Jadeite uses frequently as sex slaves."

"Like your friend?" Haruka asked.

"She was fortunate," he said, looking away. "When Jadeite used her, it was just a passing fancy, so he
didn't bother to use a lasting form of Compulsion; just a one-shot deal and that was it. However, with
those he uses once or twice, there's a great danger involved; if the girl gets pregnant, she is
immediately killed. She was fortunate because she didn't get pregnant.

"For those who Jadeite uses frequently, he prevents pregnancy by removing almost the entire woman's
reproductive system. Once this happens, the woman affected is considered 'hollow,' and she will never
again have the ability to conceive and bear children."

The room was silent for a while, save for the soft, quiet sounds of Michiru's crying. After a while,
Michiru brought herself under control and sat up again, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Thank you, Haruka," she said, her voice just slightly above a whisper. "I feel better now." She
turned to regard Ryoku with a sad expression. "Are all members of Shishu this knowledgeable on
conditions like this?" she inquired.

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "The only reason why I know this much is because of the person
I've already told you about. I had heard about female slaves that were found hollow, but it wasn't
until I had rescued her and after I learned that Jadeite had used her as well, that I felt the need
to know what it meant. Fortunately, some of the doctors in Medical are quite knowledgeable about the
subjects of being hollow and Compulsion. If you ask around, I'm sure you can find someone who can help
you."

"Thank you, Kino-san," Michiru said gratefully.

"Call me Ryoku, Michiru-san," he said as he stood up. "The same goes for you, too," he added, glancing
at Haruka.

The blonde woman snorted. "Fine. Whatever." Ryoku smiled faintly at the brusque reply.

"Ryoku-san," Michiru said before he could start to leave. "That mute girl we met earlier.... Is she
the one you were talking about? The one that Jadeite used... like me?"

He shook his head. "No. It was someone else."

"Who?" she asked, her eyes filled with sad concern.

Ryoku regarded her for a moment before speaking. "It is not my place to reveal such a thing. You
wouldn't want me to be telling others about how Jadeite used you, right?" He looked toward the door
momentarily, his expression pensive. "I'll do this instead; I'll speak with her later and ask her if
she wouldn't mind speaking with you. Will that do?"

Michiru nodded. "I would appreciate that."

"I'll speak with her, then," he said as he started to leave. "You two would probably like to talk by
yourselves for a while. I've got some other business to attend to, but I've asked someone who lives
here to help you with everything else you need to know to get settled in."

"That short-haired blonde girl with the bow?" Haruka asked.

"Yes, her," he confirmed. "She'll be able to help you with whatever you might need."

Michiru nodded again. "Thank you, Ryoku-san."

Ryoku nodded in return and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

_________________________________________________________________


Silver Mist - Common Area, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 7, 1992. 2:21 P.M.


Minako stared down at the floor as she waited for Ryoku to finish speaking with the two new arrivals.
She had tried to start up a conversation with Ami as she waited, but considering the current situation
between them, she felt completely awkward speaking with her. She couldn't help but wonder if this
feeling of unease wouldn't have occurred if she hadn't told him how she felt.

She sighed. No, there was no use in wondering what if. Besides, she didn't regret telling him that she
loved him, even if he ended up with someone else.

She glanced over at Ami, who was staring down at the floor just as she was. Undoubtedly, Ami felt the
same as she did, but what she didn't know was how Ami would take it if he ended up with someone else.
She knew that if Ryoku ended up with either Ami or Rei, she would wish them well and support them, but
how would Ami react? Or Rei, for that matter? Ami seemed to sense Minako's gaze on her as she raised
her head and gave her a questioning look.

"Sorry, Ami-chan," she said apologetically. "I was just thinking."

Ami tilted her head curiously.

Minako paused for a moment as she tried to figure out what Ami wanted to say. It was at times like
this that she wished she had either Rei's or Ryoku's knowledge of her mannerisms. It seemed like they
could speak with her using just her facial expressions and body gestures alone. She could understand
some of Ami's more obvious expressions and gestures, but that was about it.

"About what?" she ventured. Ami nodded. "Oh. Um.... Well...." She trailed off as Ami pointed up toward
the ceiling. She glanced up in that direction, seeing nothing but the ceiling. "Is there something
there?" she asked. Ami shook her head and jabbed her finger in the same direction. She tried to think
of what could be in that direction and blinked when she realized that that depressed-looking girl's
room was in that direction.

"Oh. Do you mean that girl or Ryoku?"

Ami nodded at the mention of the girl, but looked slightly uneasy at the mention of Ryoku.

So. She was probably thinking along the same lines she was. "I'm sure that the girl will be all
right," she told her reassuringly. "After all, she's here at the jinja now. She'll feel better after
being here for a while and readjusting." Ami nodded again and allowed her gaze to droop down to the
floor.

The blonde-haired girl sighed wearily as she hung her head as well. "Look at us, Ami-chan. We can
hardly speak to each other anymore. We're supposed to be friends, even if we love the same person.
And yet, here we sit, unable to talk to each other."

The blue-haired girl raised an eyebrow as she gave Minako a dry look.

"You know what I mean!" she retorted, embarrassed at the obvious slip. She shook her head and gave the
mute girl a sincere look. "Ami-chan, I really think we have to talk about this. You, me and Rei-chan."

Ami looked up at her blonde-haired friend and nodded in agreement.

"I know Rei-chan's having a hard time with what's happening and everything, but this can't wait for
much longer."

"I agree."

Both Minako and Ami jumped, startled at Ryoku's voice behind them. "R-Ryoku-sama!" Minako stammered,
caught completely off-guard. "W-when did you get here? How much did you hear?"

"I heard enough," he replied, his expression quietly somber as be bowed his head apologetically. "I'm
sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" she said, her flustered expression easily matching Ami's. "You haven't
done anything wrong."

"You might think so, but that's not how it looks to me," he replied, his lips curving in a small,
remorseful smile. "Anyway, there's a favor I need to ask of you, Minako."

Minako quickly composed herself. "What is it?"

"Those two girls - the tall blonde one's Ten'ou Haruka and the quiet, aquamarine-haired girl is Kaiou
Michiru - are going to need some help getting adjusted here," he explained. "I told them that you
would be the best person to speak with around here. Have you done the sponsor thing before, Minako?"

"A few times," she told him confidently. "I'm sure I can help them out."

"That's good to hear," he said, momentarily relieved. His expression dropped back into its somber
state. "There's one more thing, Minako. Michiru-san is hollow. Please keep that in mind when you speak
with her."

Minako flinched at the revelation. "Y-yes...," she replied faintly.

"Ami," he continued as he turned toward the mute girl, "could you please ask Asahina-sensei if she
wouldn't mind speaking with Michiru-san. She's still coming to grips with her condition and will
undoubtedly have more questions that Asahina-sensei can answer better than I can." Ami nodded
understandingly.

"Thank you," he said, giving both girls a grateful look. "Anyway, Mamoru wanted to speak with me
concerning the current situation with the Sailor Senshi, so I'm going to go try to find him. I need
both of you to do me a favor and let Rei know that I'll be too busy today to speak to her concerning
what happened between us last night, but I'll be more than willing to speak with her tomorrow. Could
you two do that for me please?"

"Um, sure, Ryoku-sama," Minako agreed, her tone and facial expression slightly perplexed. "But, why
do you need both of us to tell her?"

He gave her a wry smile as he shook his head. "I'm sure you'll figure it out later," he said as he
left.

_________________________________________________________________


Orphan's Quarters - Hotaru's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 7, 1992. 3:09 P.M.


Hotaru stayed in her room, thinking quietly to herself. Some of her friends had come to see her
earlier, asking if she wanted to play with them, but she had refused, saying that she was too tired.
Knowing that she had a frail constitution, the children accepted the excuse without giving it a second
thought.

Upon waking, Minako had told her that Setsuna knew that she was Sailor Saturn. That had surprised her,
but not as much as learning that Setsuna was a Sailor Senshi herself: Sailor Pluto. Minako said that
Setsuna was upset that nobody was going to tell her about her being Sailor Saturn, which made her feel
slightly anxious. How would Setsuna feel about her own 'daughter' not telling her about being a Sailor
Senshi?

Of course, this was not the only thing on her mind. Despite the fact that the battle she had been in
earlier that day had been over for hours, she would still tremble occasionally from the residual fear
she had experienced.

She had almost died that morning. Her Silence Wall hadn't lasted as long as she thought it would and
that miscalculation had almost cost her and Minako their lives. If it wasn't for Minako's quick
thinking, they would have been dead.

Hotaru laid on her bed, staring at her hands as she held them up in front of her. Despite the great
power she commanded as Sailor Saturn and the significant boost to her own physical strength it lent
her, she still felt incredibly weak. Even more so than before Ryoku started helping her build her
strength by running with her and teaching her basic sword forms.

The sword training was their little secret; he was sure that Setsuna wouldn't approve of her
'daughter' learning how to fight. Whenever she asked him why he wanted to teach her how to use a
sword, he would tell her that it reminded him of when he used to train his own younger sister in
swordplay. Upon learning that, she found herself wanting to learn more. Ryoku told her that he
wouldn't teach her more than the basics, but she didn't care. It was more than enough for her. Looking
back, it was a good thing that he did teach her swordplay; a lot of her current skill wielding her
Silence Glaive came from translating her sword skills to holding a polearm. It wasn't that hard once
she got the hang of it.

However, despite all of her skill, all of her power, all of her strength, she was still too weak. Not
even strong enough to hold up a small Silence Wall for a long period of time. If she faltered this
time, she might do it again. What really scared her was the possibility that the next time she
faltered, there wouldn't be anyone around to save her.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Yes?" she called out, dropping her hands and
sitting up on her bed.

"It's me," Setsuna's voice called out from behind her door. "May I come in?"

"Yes," she replied, a slight hesitant catch to her voice.

There was a short pause, as if Setsuna sensed the hesitancy in her voice. "I'm coming in," she said
finally, slowly opening the door and letting herself in. "How are you feeling, Hotaru-chan?" she
asked, quietly closing the door behind her.

"I'm still a little tired," she said, letting her head hang as she stared at the floor.

"I see...," Setsuna said, crossing the room to sit down next to her on the bed.

"So... you know..., Setsuna-mama?" she asked timidly.

"Yes," the nurse replied, her voice gentle.

"Are... are you mad at me?"

She gave Hotaru a kind smile. "Why would I be mad at you, Hotaru-chan?"

"Because I didn't tell you about becoming a Sailor Senshi," she said, refusing to look up at the older
woman. "Because I was going to keep it a secret from you like Minako-chan and Ryo-niichan."

Setsuna gently shook her head. "No, I'm not mad at you," she said as she placed a calming hand on
Hotaru's lap. "It's not your fault. You had to keep your identity a secret for your protection. I
understand."

Hotaru nodded and looked up at her 'mother.' "Setsuna-mama, I heard from Minako-chan that you're a
Sailor Senshi, too."

Setsuna smiled as she brought out her transformation wand and showed it to her. "Yes, I'm a Sailor
Senshi, too, apparently. Sailor Pluto."

The young girl smiled back. "I'm glad you'll be helping us, Setsuna-mama. Fighting Youma is hard work
and we'll need all the help we can get."

"I heard from Usagi-chan that you did well for your first battle," she said proudly.

Hotaru's head drooped again. "It was scary, Setsuna-mama...," she said faintly as she embraced the
older woman, wrapping her arms around her as she buried her face into her chest. "Sometimes I thought
I was going to die...."

Setsuna held the young girl and rocked her gently while making soft, calming sounds. "It'll be all
right, Hotaru-chan. I'm here. I'm with you. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I know they need me, Setsuna-mama," she said, fighting back frightened tears, "but I'm scared. I
want to help them! I really do! But I don't wanna die...."

"I know," the dark green-haired woman reassured her as she stroked the young girl's head soothingly.
"I know it's terribly frightening, but remember that I'll be there with you next time. Me, Minako-san,
Ryoku-san, we'll all be there, watching out for you. You won't be alone out there. I promise you."

"I know, Setsuna-mama," Hotaru said, her voice slowly going ragged as she was unable to hold back her
tears anymore. "I know, Setsuna-mama.... I know, Setsuna-mama...."

Setsuna quietly held Hotaru, stroking the trembling child's head as she repeated her frightened,
tearful litany over and over again. Her sorrowful countenance stared out into nowhere as she wished
she could take this young child's fear and grief into herself to spare her the hurt she would
inevitably experience in the near future.

'I'm so sorry, Hotaru-chan,' she apologized mentally as she hugged the small girl tightly. A small
tear ran down her cheek and disappeared as it dropped onto the top of Hotaru's head. 'I'm so sorry....'

_________________________________________________________________


Shishu Headquarters - Commanding Officer's Office, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 7, 1992. 5:01 P.M.


Mamoru leaned back in his chair and sighed tiredly as he stretched and rotated his neck. There were a
few barely audible pops and cracks as he tried to banish the weariness from his body. As he leaned
forward again, he reached over to pick up another folder and opened it up, skimming through the
contents.

There was a soft knock at his door. "Looking through the armory report, Mamoru?" Ryoku asked as he
stepped into the office.

"Yeah," he confirmed as he closed the folder and set it aside. "Close the door, Kino. I need to speak
with you for a moment."

Ryoku tensed for a split second before nodding. "Right," he nodded as he closed the door, his relaxed
demeanor completely gone. "What is it you wish to speak to me about?" he inquired, standing at
attention.

"I take it from your behavior you already have an idea what this is about," he said seriously.

"Is this about my leaving the jinja?"

"Correct," he said, his expression disapproving. "I thought we had this conversation before, Kino.
Why did you leave the jinja by yourself?"

"It wasn't to go fight Youma, if that's what you're thinking," he replied. "I had a lot of heavy
problems to think about and I didn't want anyone to bother me."

"So, you had to leave the jinja to get solitude?" Mamoru asked, unconvinced. "There are plenty of
places within the Inner Grounds you could've gotten your solitude."

"Not necessarily," he countered. "I've tried it before. There's always some emergency, some
interruption, something that keeps popping up that I need to personally see to. I couldn't take any
chances," he said, his expression brooding. "Not with this."

Mamoru gave him a concerned look. "Look, Kino, you're a great Blade - one of the best we've had in a
while - but lately, you've been slipping. You've been making some irresponsible decisions as of late.
The incident with Usagi-san four days ago was one thing, but today's little incident involved more
than just you. Granted, we didn't lose anybody and we rescued eleven slaves, but we could've lost a
number of people when we didn't need to. You do realize this, do you not?"

"I know, Chiba," he replied penitently. "And I apologize for my reckless actions. This will not happen
again."

"It had better not," he said sternly. "You should know that the only reason why your previous
punishment of going through Recruit Training again along with Restriction was canceled is because of
the current emergency. Otherwise, I would hand your ass over to Sanzou personally."

"I understand," Ryoku replied, bowing his head contritely.

He sighed as he spun his chair around and stared out his window. "It's been said that there are three
things that will always keep a Blade from functioning normally; physical illness, death of family or
friends, or a woman. I know you're perfectly healthy, and the only family you've got is in a coma, so
that leaves the last problem. Is there anything going on there that I should know about?"

Ryoku remained silent.

Mamoru turned around and stood up. "There is, isn't there?" he said, giving him a concerned look
again. "What's going on, Ryoku?"

"All three of them have told me that they love me, all within the same 24-hour period," he said,
looking away.

The elder Blade stared at him for a moment, saying nothing. "So, what did you tell them?"

"I haven't replied yet," he admitted reluctantly. "I've spent so much time worrying over my Shishu
duties that I haven't devoted any time to thinking about how I feel about them. I need to give them an
answer - I owe that much to them - but...."

"You don't want to hurt any of them," Mamoru finished understandingly.

"The worst thing about this is that I've got to make this decision soon or else this will start to
take over my thoughts, preventing me from fully performing my duties," he said shaking his head,
deeply worried. "I can't afford to be distracted by anything. Especially now, when the jinja is in the
amount of danger it's in."

A strained silence came between the two Blades for a long moment. "Have you made a decision?" Mamoru
finally asked.

"I have," Ryoku said quietly.

He gave him a sympathetic look. "It sounds like you're not happy with it."

"No, I'm not," he agreed. "But this is the way it has to be."

Mamoru nodded understandingly. "Fine, then. But if you ever need to talk, you know I'm always ready to
lend an ear."

Ryoku nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Mamoru."

"Always," he replied as he sat back down. "Anyway, there's something else I need to speak with you
about."

"Did I do something else?"

"No, nothing bad," he said as he reached for another folder and tossed it to the other side of the
desk. "Take a look at that and tell me what you think."

The young Blade sat down at the other end of the desk and picked up the folder. "What's this?" he
asked, opening the folder and reading the contents.

"It's your official appointment to act as a liaison between Shishu and the Sailor Senshi," he
explained. "It outlines what your duties will be and what I will expect of you while performing those
duties. Just look it over and tell me if you think there's anything else that I might need to add."

Ryoku took a moment to review the document. "Looks fine to me," he said, closing the folder and
handing it back. "All that's left is for you to finalize it and sign it."

"Thanks," he nodded, taking the folder back. "It'll be ready by tomorrow, so be sure to put it in your
records afterward."

"Right."

"By the way, was there something you wanted to see me about?" he asked as he set the folder aside.
"I'm guessing that there was a reason why you came here without me calling for you."

"Oh, right," he said, nodding. "I wanted to give you an updated status report on the Sailor Senshi."

"Oh?" Mamoru said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, let's hear it."

"Right," he said, nodding again. "The main change is the addition of a new Sailor Senshi to our
ranks," he began, counting off on one finger. "Sailor Pluto."

"That's good to hear," the dark-haired Blade said, pleased. "The more allies we have, the better."

"So far out of the nine Sailor Senshi, we have information on the following," he reported. "Sailor
Mercury is currently physically unable to transform, but we hope to correct that soon. Sailor Venus is
currently active. Sailor Moon is currently active. Sailor Mars is currently recovering and will join
the Sailor Senshi upon full recovery. Sailor Jupiter's identity is currently unknown. Sailor Saturn is
currently active. Sailor Uranus' identity is currently unknown. Sailor Neptune's identity is currently
unknown. Sailor Pluto is currently active."

"So, four out of nine Senshi are currently active," Mamoru summarized. "And we have identified two
others."

"Correct," Ryoku confirmed. "We are still searching for the final three Sailor Senshi. Sailor Moon is
certain they are all here at the Hikawa Jinja, or will be if they aren't already."

"When are you scheduling your next training session?" he inquired.

"Possibly tomorrow night. We're hoping that Sailor Mars will be ready to join us by then. At that
time, we will bring her and Sailor Pluto up to speed on how to use their power sets."

"Good," he nodded. "Let me know once you have a definite time. I'll want to observe how our allies
train."

"I'll be sure to let you know," he agreed.

"Is there anything else, Ryoku?" he inquired.

"That's all I have, unless you have any more questions for me."

"I have just one," Mamoru said, raising a finger. "Who is Sailor Pluto's civilian identity?"

Ryoku smirked as he wagged a finger. "Ah, ah, Mamoru. Didn't you read the constraints of my
appointment? 'I will not divulge - intentionally or unintentionally - knowledge of group members'
identities as this knowledge has been classified as Top Secret.'

"Very cute, smartass," he replied with a wry smirk.

"In all seriousness, Mamoru, I'd rather not refer to them by anything other than codename as long as
the window is open," he pointed out, nodding toward the open window. "At any rate, I'd rather save the
surprise for when you come to observe the Senshi in action."

Mamoru grimaced at remembering the open window. "Point taken. All right, Ryoku, I'll wait till then."

"Thanks, Mamoru," he said as he stood up. "I'll be heading back to the Orphan's Quarters unless you
have something else for me."

"No, that's it," Mamoru said, shaking his head. "I'll see you later."

"Later, Mamoru," Ryoku replied and left, leaving the door open behind him.

_________________________________________________________________


Outside Shishu Headquarters, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 7, 1992. 5:27 P.M.


Titus slunk away from Shishu Headquarters, pleased with herself. Only a few hours into her espionage
mission and she had already learned quite a bit of valuable information. There were only four active
Sailor Senshi and one recovering, out of nine total. It was good to know that there weren't that many
Sailor Senshi in existence, but nine was still nothing to sneeze at. Still, considering the number of
Youma Jadeite had at his disposal, there should be no problems destroying them. Jadeite would most
certainly be pleased with her once she reported this to him.

That left discovering the Sailor Senshi's identities. She was very close to learning Sailor Pluto's
identity, but that little runt of a Blade managed to keep it from her. No matter. There was still
plenty of time to find out the Sailor Senshi's identities. All she had to do was wait for the right
moment.

As she strolled through the Lower Grounds, she smirked to herself, smug in knowing that the clueless
humans had no idea that walking amongst them was a Youma that could destroy them all in an instant.
Indeed, she was starting to feel the urge to just pick one or two of them off right now. However, such
actions would be unbecoming of Jadeite's top lieutenant. After all, she was supposed to be working
under deep cover. If she blew that to sate her destructive urges, Jadeite would be immensely
displeased with her.

From speaking with some of the humans, she had learned that there were varying stories about the very
nature of their saviors, especially Sailor Moon. Some believed that she was a goddess or angel sent
from Heaven to save them. Some believed that she was an Earth spirit, fighting on behalf of the planet
that the Dark Kingdom had ruined. Others believed that she was a magical girl from another planet,
fighting evil for the sake of justice.

Titus snorted. As far as she was concerned, Sailor Moon was a weak human that deserved death or
enslavement. In her case, death was certainly preferred. Any human with power was a threat to the Dark
Kingdom and should be dealt with accordingly.

The disguised Youma moved through the jinja to her living quarters and made her way to her room
without speaking to anyone. Once in her room, she closed the door and locked it. She had a report to
make to Jadeite and she didn't want anyone to disturb her in the middle of it.

Titus sat down on her bed, still disguised, and closed her eyes. 'Jadeite-sama, I have a report for
you.'

'Report, Titus,' Jadeite's voice echoed in her mind.

'I have learned that there are currently four active Sailor Senshi here at the Hikawa Jinja,' she
reported. 'Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, Sailor Saturn and Sailor Pluto. One Sailor Senshi, Sailor Mars,
is expected to join them soon, and one Sailor Senshi, Sailor Mercury, seems to be unable to transform
for some reason. The remaining three Sailor Senshi are currently missing.'

'So, there are nine Sailor Senshi in total?'

'Yes, Jadeite-sama,' she confirmed. 'Unfortunately, I have yet to learn the identities of the Sailor
Senshi.'

'You have done well so far, Titus,' Jadeite said, his tone pleased. 'Keep me informed.'

'Yes, Jadeite-sama!' she said, grinning ecstatically as the contact broke between them. Jadeite was
pleased with her!

Things were going very well so far. Perhaps, in a few days, she would be fortunate enough to not only
have the identities of the Sailor Senshi for Jadeite, but be allowed the honor of destroying them for
him and the greater glory of the Dark Kingdom as well.

Titus smiled. It certainly was a nice thought.

_________________________________________________________________


Infirmary - Makoto's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 7, 1992. 6:42 P.M.


Rei sat quietly in Makoto's room, watching the sleeping girl. More and more color was returning to
her complexion, indicating Makoto's eventual recovery.

Asahina-sensei had come to see Rei earlier to evaluate her patient's health. The surgeon gave her a
clean bill of health and said that she could leave the infirmary first thing tomorrow following a full
night's rest. After she had left, Rei decided to go check on Makoto to see how she was doing. After
all, any excuse to get out of that room she had been stuck in was good enough for her.

A soft knock at the door caught Rei's attention and she glanced over her shoulder to see who had
entered. "Oh, it's you, Ami-chan," she said as she turned around to properly face the mute girl.

Ami glanced away toward the door for a moment, then looked back to Rei with a confused look on her
face.

"Asahina-sensei told me that I'm healthy enough to leave tomorrow morning," she explained. "I figured
that means that I'm well enough to get out of bed and visit an old friend."

The short-haired nurse-in-training stepped inside and glanced down at Makoto, then gave her a small
smile.

"Yeah, I noticed it, too," Rei agreed. "She's going to wake up very soon."

Ami opened the drawer to the end table next to Makoto's bed and took out the pad and paper from
inside. 'She's recovering very rapidly,' she wrote quickly. 'I'd estimate that if she keeps recovering
this quickly, she'll wake up in a few days. Possibly as soon as the day after tomorrow, if my guess is
correct.'

"Are you sure?" Rei asked, excitement showing in her voice. Ami nodded. "That's wonderful, Ami-chan!
Ryo-kun is going to be so happy to hear this!" Her cheery expression faded as she noticed Ami's smile
suddenly fading. "Is something wrong, Ami-chan?"

'Rei-chan, I need to speak with you for a moment,' she wrote slowly. 'Would you mind if we went back
to your room?'

Rei grimaced. "Do I have to go back to that room so soon?" she sighed. "Oh, all right. Fine. We'll
go," she relented as Ami gave her a flat look. She got out of her chair and followed her out of the
room. "I'll be back later, Mako-chan," she told her sleeping friend as she closed the door behind her.

Ami lead Rei down the hall back to her room. Rei was silent the entire way, sensing the seriousness
in the mute girl's demeanor. Once they reached Rei's room, Ami glanced over her shoulder at her.

"What's wrong, Ami-chan?" she asked, puzzled by her hesitancy. "I thought you wanted to talk to me
about something." The short-haired girl nodded and seemed to steel herself as she turned around,
opened the door and went inside. Rei, still puzzled by the mute girl's behavior, followed her inside
and stopped as she noticed Minako sitting on her bed. The blonde girl was staring down at the floor,
but she lifted her head to look at her when she came into the room.

"Hey, Rei-chan," she greeted her with a faint smile. "Feeling better?"

Rei glanced from Minako to Ami. "Is this about what I think it is?" she asked, her tone and expression
completely neutral.

"We need to talk, Rei-chan," Minako said as Ami's head drooped slightly.

"I know," Rei said as she closed the door behind her. "Ami-chan, sit down on the bed. I'll take the
chair. I've been stuck in that thing for too long for me to want to sit on it any longer than I have
to."

"Fine, fine," Minako said, waving dismissively. "You don't mind sitting next to me, do you, Ami-chan?"
Rei gave her a quick, sharp glare as she sat down in the chair, but said nothing.

"So," Rei finally said after an unsettling silence, "start talking, already."

"Well, aren't you making it easy on us," she grumbled, under her breath. "Rei-chan, Ami-chan, I have
a confession to make. This morning..., I told Ryoku-sama that I loved him and... I kissed him."

Ami stared at Minako wide-eyed, while Rei merely shook her head and sighed. "You, too, huh,
Minako-chan?" Rei asked, giving her an understanding look.

This time, it was Minako's turn to stare. "You mean...?" she said, pointing out of shock.

Rei nodded. "Last night." She glanced over at Ami. "You haven't told her?"

The mute girl gave her a sheepish look as she started writing. 'I meant to tell her, but with
everything going on, it slipped my mind.' She paused for a moment, seeming to be lost in thought for
a moment. 'Besides, you two aren't the only ones who told Ryoku-san that they're in love with him.'

"You, too, Ami-chan?" Minako said, surprised. "Did you kiss him?"

Ami's expression fell. 'No.'

"Well, that's not fair!" the short-haired blonde said as she put an arm around Ami's shoulder and
shook her companionably. "Since Rei-chan and I got to kiss Ryoku-sama, it's only fair you get to kiss
him, too!"

Both Ami and Rei gave Minako a stunned look. "What kind of insane logic is that?" Rei demanded. Ami
could only blush at the idea.

"Well, Ami-chan's in love with him like we are, right?" Minako explained logically. "And she's already
confessed her feelings to him like we did, right? Therefore, she should be allowed to kiss him like we
did. Right?"

'Do I get a say in this?' Ami managed to write out, but neither Rei nor Minako seemed to notice.

"Are you saying that you don't mind if someone else kisses him?" Rei asked, flabbergasted.

"No, I'm saying that I don't mind if Ami-chan kisses him," Minako replied.

The dark-haired miko stared at Minako in disbelief. "You don't mind if someone else kisses the person
you love?"

The blonde nurse-in-training shook her head. "You don't seem to understand. I do mind if someone else
kisses Ryoku-sama. I don't want anyone else to kiss him, or even get as close to him as I am." She
stood up, walked over to the door, then turned around, giving them both significant looks. "But you
two aren't 'anyone else.' You two are my dearest friends; almost like the sisters I've never had. If
Ryoku-sama doesn't choose me, then I hope he chooses one of you. And if he does, I will do my best to
support your love, because I don't just love him. I love you both, too."

Rei stared down at her hands in her lap, speechless, as she found herself lost in thought. Ami just
stared at Minako with a look of marvel on her face. 'That was beautiful, Minako-chan.'

"Wasn't it?" she grinned, highly pleased with herself. "I can't believe I actually said something
like that! But, that doesn't make it any less true. And don't worry, Ami-chan, when we talk with
Ryoku-sama, I'll be sure he gives you your fair share," she added with a wink.

Ami blushed again, hard. 'A-ah, n-no! That... that's all right. Y-you don't have to go quite that far,
Minako-chan."

Minako blinked. "I didn't know you could stammer while writing, Ami-chan," she observed. The mute girl
proceeded to shrink in on herself in embarrassment.

"That's all well and good," Rei finally said after collecting her thoughts, "but what will happen if
he does choose someone else, Minako-chan? Will you really be fine if he chooses Ami-chan? Or, if he
chooses me?"

"Yes, I will," she replied firmly. "I will because I know that you and Ami-chan love him with all your
heart. I know that you'll take care of him, no matter what happens. Those reasons are all that's
important to me."

"And what if I want to keep Ryo-kun all to myself?" she continued insistently.

Minako gave her flat look, then turned to open the door. "I know you're not that selfish, Rei-chan,"
she said before she left. "I know you better than that." With that, she left, closing the door behind
her.

Rei stared at the door for a moment longer before turning to see Ami giving her a disappointed look.
"What?" she demanded. "Did I say something wrong?"

'Did you have to say those things, Rei-chan?'

"Did you hear what she was saying?" she countered. "It was like she didn't even care who Ryo-kun's in
love with, as long as it was one of us! It's like.... It's like...."

'Like what?' she wrote as Rei trailed off.

"No. Never mind," she said as she shook her head and looked away. "You'll just think I'm weird."

Ami gave her a compassionate look. 'Rei-chan, I've known you for years. You can tell me.'

The dark-haired girl gave her a considering look for a moment before relenting. "All right, but if
you tell Minako-chan this, I'll kill you."

'My lips are sealed.'

"Now's not the time to be a smartass, Ami-chan!" Rei retorted heatedly.

'Sorry, sorry,' she wrote with a sheepish grin. 'I was just trying to help you feel better. Anyway,
I won't tell her, whether through spoken or written word.'

Rei nodded in satisfaction. "That's more like it."

'Well?' she wrote after Rei remained quiet for a few moments.

"Okay, okay," she replied irritably. "Anyway, what I was about to say was that I thought Minako-chan
wasn't really trying to get him to fall in love with her," she explained. "From what she was saying,
it felt to me that she almost didn't care if he loved her or not, just as long as he loved one of us
three. What got me irritated was that I've been trying to get Ryo-kun to stop seeing me as a friend
and start possibly seeing me as a lover, and here I find out that she's been sabotaging my attempts
for nothing. I didn't mind when you did it, because I knew you were after the same thing I was. I used
to think the same thing about her, too, but this...." She trailed off as she noticed Ami shaking her
head. "What?"

'I don't think you really understand what Minako-chan was talking about,' Ami explained.

"Why don't you explain it to me, then?" she shot back. "The last thing I want is to go around
believing in a misunderstanding."

'Let me ask you this; how would you feel if Ryoku-san fell in love with me?' she asked.

"Honestly, I'd feel awful about it, but I'd be happy for you."

'And would you want to support my relationship with Ryoku-san?'

Rei grimaced. "Okay, I see what you're getting at here."

'I think you're just upset with Minako-chan because she hasn't known Ryoku-san as long as we have,
but she's on his mind just as often as we are,' Ami observed.

The raven-haired miko gazed thoughtfully at her for a moment. "You're probably right. But there's
still one more reason why I'm upset with Minako-chan. She's supposed to be one of my strongest rivals
for Ryo-kun's heart. What kind of rival just up and announces that she doesn't care if she beats me
or not? I don't think that's fair."

Ami sighed and rolled her eyes were Rei couldn't see. 'Now who has the insane logic?' she wondered to
herself.

"Anyway, I suppose we can talk about this tomorrow," Rei said as she stood up. "It's getting late."

'Rei-chan, Ryoku-san said that he's too busy to speak with you today concerning last night, but he's
more than willing to speak with you tomorrow.'

"Figures he'd find a way out of it," she grumbled to herself. "I know it's not his fault," she said as
Ami started to write a reply. "I'm just complaining to myself.

"Anyway, I think it's about time we put this whole thing to rest, Ami-chan," she said firmly. "No more
putting it off. Tomorrow, the four of us are going to sit down and talk, and he's not leaving until
he tells us his answer. Agreed?" Ami nodded. "Good. Make sure you tell Minako-chan that, too. And tell
her that I'm sorry about what I said. And if you tell her about that other thing I said, I will shove
that pad and pencil down your throat."

Ami giggled quietly as she nodded and hopped off the bed. 'Good night, Rei-chan,' she wrote before
leaving.

"Good night, Ami-chan," Rei replied and closed the door after she left.

_________________________________________________________________


Rose Garden - Mamoru's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 7, 1992. 11:57 P.M.


Mamoru woke up in the middle of the night, staring up into the darkness. It wasn't a nightmare that
had woken him up, although he had had his fair share of those from time to time. No, it wasn't a
nightmare that was keeping him from sleeping. But it wasn't a normal dream, either. That much was
certain.

There was fog everywhere. Visibility was terrible; he couldn't even tell where he was. His usual
Shishu uniform was gone, replaced with a dark suit of armor and black cape. His sword hung at his
side, a familiar companion in this strange environment.

Above him, standing on a balcony of some sort, a gray silhouette stood with her hands held clasped
together in a pleading manner. At least, he assumed the figure was female; the outline, with its
gentle, yet shapely curves and long, trailing hair, certainly looked feminine. With all the fog
surrounding the area, it looked as if the young woman was floating in the air, like an angel.

He called out to the figure in an attempt to find out where he was and who she was, however the
answers she gave him were very vague. Still, there were two things that stuck out in his mind that
made him believe that the dream he had was more than a dream.

The first was the repeated mention of a silver crystal, the Ginzuishou. The female figure seemed to
want him to find it somehow and placed great importance on its discovery. Apparently, if the Dark
Kingdom were to find it first, then the human race would be doomed to extinction. How he was supposed
to find this Ginzuishou, he had no idea, but the earnest pleading from this girl was something that he
felt that he couldn't ignore.

The second thing was the fact that the young woman kept on referring to him as 'Endymion' rather than
his name, 'Mamoru.' The first time he heard the name, he tried to correct her. However, the young
woman seemed to ignore his correction and continued to call him 'Endymion.' Another attempt provided
the same results. After that, he let her continue to call him 'Endymion.' The strange thing was that
after the third or fourth time being referred to as 'Endymion,' it started to feel natural, as if that
was indeed his true name. Of course, this was silly; it was a dream, after all. However, even after
waking, the feeling did not got away.

Endymion.

Mamoru wracked his brain trying to remember if he had heard the name somewhere before. However, he
came up with nothing. It was if the name had come out of nowhere. But, that had to be impossible. He
had to have heard it somewhere, or else, how would the name sound so familiar to him?

He quickly shook his head, freeing his mind from such disturbing thoughts. It was just a dream. That
was it. A dream. With a snort of self-reproval, he turned over in his bed and went back to sleep. He
had more important things to worry about than realistic dreams.


=================================================================


Author's Note: And there you have it! Chapter 15 complete! There's more going on at the Hikawa Jinja
than meets the eye. Unbeknownst to the denizens of the Hikawa Jinja, there is a Youma walking amongst
them in disguise. Just who is she disguising herself as? And what of Ryoku's decision? What has he
decided and why is he so upset? And what about Mamoru's dream? Is it merely a dream or is it an
indication of things to come? Find out the answers to these questions and more in the next chapter of
The Brooch!


Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko
Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended.

Questions? Comments? Anything?
Email: jasonulloa (at) hotmail (dot) com

Copyright© 2004, 2007 Jason C. Ulloa
All Rights Reserved.