Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Brooch ❯ Chapter 16

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

The Brooch
By Jason C. Ulloa


Chapter 16


Orphan's Quarters - Usagi's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 8, 1992. 6:32 A.M.


Usagi yawned groggily as she rolled out of bed, flinching reflexively as her bare feet touched the
cold wooden floor. Today, it seemed colder than usual, even though it was no colder today than it was
yesterday. She blinked several times as she sat on her bed, trying to get her eyes to focus correctly
as her brain slowly shook itself out of hibernation mode. A minute later, her mind finally working to
a point where she could spot her slippers and slip her feet into them, she stood up and headed to the
bathroom. She was so grateful to Naru for the new slippers; the floor was always so cold in the early
morning.

She had another dream about Endymion last night, only this time it was more vivid than last time. The
scenery was the same as before - some balcony surrounded by fog somewhere - but unlike last time,
there was a sense of being outside of her own body. Unlike last time, she could see herself as well as
the mysterious Endymion, whose face she still could not see.

When she saw herself, she couldn't help but stare. She had seen herself in a mirror several times, so
she knew what she looked like very well. The person she had beheld looked something like her, except
there were many differences that made her doubt it was really herself she had seen. Her hair was paler,
more of a ghostly silver-gold than her usual flaxen blonde color. Her skin was lighter and had the
look of someone who hadn't seen the sun in a while. As for her figure, she was a thin wisp of a girl,
like her entire frame could snap at the slightest pressure.... Yet, the face was undoubtedly hers, as
was her voice.

"Was that her?" she muttered to herself as she stared in her bathroom mirror. "So, you're not content
to just take over my body? You've got to invade my dreams, too?"

She turned on the water and splashed her face. The cold water helped to snap her back into
wakefulness. She grabbed the small towel hanging on the wall next to her and dried herself off.
Putting aside all thoughts of Serenity, she grabbed her clothes and started to change. After changing
into her work clothes, she hesitated as her hand started to reach out for her brooch. As usual, she
was reluctant to touch the bejeweled bauble that was the source of most, if not all of her problems,
but at the same time, it was slowly becoming a part of her usual state of dress. She was finding
herself wanting to wear it all the time, as if it was a part of who she was.

"No!" she sneered at the brooch, tearing her hand away before she could touch it. "It's enough that
I'm letting you use me! Stop trying to make me wear that damn thing! I don't want it!" She whirled
away and stomped off, furiously slamming the door behind her.

Usagi stomped down the stairs and stormed into the common area, looking around for someone.
"Minami-san?"

"You're down earlier than usual, Usagi-chan," Minami observed as she poked her head out of the kitchen
area. "I'm surprised. Anyway, breakfast will be ready soon. If you don't mind waiting a few moments,
I'll bring you some in a second."

"Thank you, Minami-san," she said gratefully, feeling some of her earlier anger slip away at Minami's
pleasant, motherly smile.

"So, sit down already," she said as she gestured for her to do so. "I know you've got your job at the
Shishu headquarters to take care of, so we've got to get you fed quickly before you're late to work.
Heaven knows we don't want you to lose your job just because you're late. Especially when Chiba-sama's
taken a personal interest in you."

Usagi felt herself blush at the memory. "You really think he's interested?" she asked as Minami went
back into the kitchen.

"Who knows?" she replied somewhere out of Usagi's field of view. "He came to see you yesterday, didn't
he?"

"I suppose so," Usagi said as she sat down, smiling to herself. "Well, if he is interested, then I'd
better work extra hard from now on. After all, I wouldn't want to let him down."

"A noble idea, that is," Minami remarked, nodding approvingly as she set down a bowl of cereal and a
plate with eggs and toast in front of her. "If you want more, just let me know."

"This's fine," Usagi said gratefully as she reached for some utensils from the tray in the middle of
the table. "I don't really have much time anyway."

Minami nodded. "Then, I'll leave you to it. Just be sure to leave your dishes in the scullery when
you're done." With that, she headed back toward the kitchen, leaving Usagi to her breakfast.

_________________________________________________________________


Shishu Headquarters - Commanding Officer's Office, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 8, 1992. 7:02 A.M.


Mamoru was busy reviewing several reports from yesterday when a knock at the door caught his
attention. "Enter," he said without taking his eyes away from his work.

"Morning, Mamoru," Ryoku said as he opened the door and poked his head in. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, come in please," he said as he set down the report he was going over and picked up a different
folder. "Your orders have been drafted and signed," he said as Ryoku closed the door behind him. "I
want you to review them again and make a copy for your records."

"All right," the younger Blade acknowledged. "Do you mind if I go over them here?" he asked.

"That's fine," Mamoru replied as he went back to his reports.

Ryoku nodded and looked over his new assignment. There weren't any changes from the draft copy he went
over yesterday, so he merely skimmed over the contents, checking for any alterations, just to be sure.
As he read through his orders, Mamoru set down the report he was studying and yawned slightly, rubbing
the bridge of his nose with one hand.

"You all right, Mamoru?" he inquired, setting down his orders. "You look tired."

"I'll be fine," he said, shaking his head as he reached for his report. His hand stopped halfway there
as a thought crossed his mind, his expression slowly turned curious as he glanced over at his friend.
"Mind if I ask you a question, Ryoku?"

"You already did."

"I'll break your nose if you ever crack that joke again," Mamoru remarked as he sat forward in his
chair and gave him a serious look. "Anyway, you remember things from your previous life in the Moon
Kingdom, right?"

Ryoku gave him a curious look of his own. "Some things. Not a lot, but some things. Why?"

"Do you remember someone named... Endymion?"

"Endymion?" he repeated, looking up at the ceiling as he tried to remember the name. "Why do you ask?"

"I've been having dreams where a girl is constantly calling me Endymion and asking me to find
something called the Ginzuishou," he explained. The moment he said the word 'Ginzuishou,' Ryoku's head
jerked back toward him with a startled look. "What is it?" Mamoru demanded quickly. "What do you
remember?"

"The great Silver Crystal, the Ginzuishou...," he said, staring him straight in the eyes. "That
crystal belonged to the royal family of the Moon Kingdom and was a great source of power. Only the
royal family could wield it."

"Serenity?" Mamoru asked pointedly.

"Yes," Ryoku agreed. "She's the only person who can currently use the Ginzuishou." He paused for a
moment. "Do you think it's her you're dreaming about?"

"Possibly. But why would she call me Endymion? Who's Endymion?"

Ryoku shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think-"

"What?" Mamoru asked when the younger Blade suddenly cut off.

"I remember hearing something about an Endymion," he said, finally. "I believe he was the Prince of
the Earth during the Silver Millennium, when the Moon Kingdom was still alive and prosperous."

"Prince of the Earth?" he repeated doubtfully. "Are you sure about that?"

"Well, this was several millennia ago, Mamoru," Ryoku replied dryly. "I doubt any record of his
existence exists to this day. As for why Serenity would call you Endymion, well... it was just a
dream, right? I mean, Serenity knows your name. Why would she call you anything but your name?"

"Maybe I look like her Endymion?" Mamoru said with a shrug. "But you're right. It's just a dream. No
sense getting worked up over it." He leaned back in his chair again. "It's just that it felt so real.
I couldn't help but wonder if it had any real meaning to it."

"I've had dreams like that, too," Ryoku agreed as he picked up his orders and stood up. "They're
mostly dreams of my past life, though. Heh, maybe you were Endymion in a past life, eh, Mamoru?"

Mamoru gave a small laugh. "You think so?"

"Well, I don't remember having met the guy, so I can't be certain one way or the other," he told him.
"My memory of my past life isn't exactly crystal clear. I've only got a few bits and pieces here and
there. If I remember anything else about Endymion, I can let you know, if you want."

"No, that's all right," he said, shaking his head. "It's only a dream, after all. Thanks, anyway."

Ryoku shrugged. "All right. Well, I'll leave you to your reports, then." Mamoru nodded and waved as
the younger Blade took his leave.

_________________________________________________________________


Lower Grounds, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 8, 1992. 7:41 A.M.


Himiko jogged up to the group of girls waiting for her at the outer edge of the Farming Grounds. "Hey!"

"There you are, Himiko-chan!" Junko said with her arms on her hips. "We were about to give up on you!"

"Sorry," Himiko apologized, bowing contritely. "I'm not used to this place yet."

"Well, hurry up and get used to it," Hiromi told her. "They're not gonna like it if you're late like
this too often."

"Sorry!" the blonde girl apologized, bowing her head again.

"Take it easy on her, Hiromi," Rin remarked. "I'm sure you were no better when we first got here."

Hiromi folded her arms. "Hmph. Excuse me for trying to help."

"Hey, did you hear?" Minami said to the group as they headed toward the Farming Ground. "The barrier
around the jinja is gone!"

The other girls looked at each other in shock. "You can't be serious," Junko said, shaking her head.
"If the barrier around the jinja is gone, then what's to stop the Youma from finally invading?"

"No, it's true!" Minami insisted. "Half of the priests, miko, and the like are all in intensive care
and can't maintain the barrier. I heard this from one of the nurses-in-training that's working at the
main shrine as we speak!"

"No way!" Himiko moaned. "We just got freed from Jadeite's slavery. I don't wanna be killed in an
invasion! I'd rather go back to being a slave!"

"Calm down!" Rin shouted angrily. "Don't say that. Don't EVER say that. Have you forgotten what is was
like being a slave already?"

"Take it easy, both of you!" Junko interrupted, stepping between the two as the group came to a stop.
"Listen. I've heard about that, too, but there's also talk going around about a group of warriors
called the Sailor Senshi who are powerful enough to take on groups of Youma at once."

"You're shitting me," Rin said flatly. "Shishu's having a hard enough time handling the Youma now as
it is. How're a small group of warriors supposed to do better than trained soldiers?"

"Magic," Hiromi said quietly.

The others looked at her. "You mean, like what the Mages and Jadeite use?" Junko asked.

"What other explanation is there?" she shrugged.

"What else have you heard about the Sailor Senshi?" Himiko asked Junko. "Who are they?"

Junko shook her head. "Nobody I've spoken with knows for certain," she explained. "What they do know
is that the Sailor Senshi are all young girls."

"Young girls?" Himiko repeated incredulously. "You can't be serious."

"This's just what they say," Junko shrugged. "They also say the leader's name is Sailor Moon. She
apparently has enough power to slay hundreds of Youma, sentries and Hunters alike, in one blast."

"Now I know you're shitting me," Rin said, shaking her head. "Only generals like Jadeite are that
powerful. If there was someone that powerful, we would've heard of them by now. You know Jadeite at
least would've done something about it."

"Well, they could've just appeared out of thin air or something," Minami suggested.

"Don't say stupid things," Rin said dryly, giving the blonde girl a flat look. Minami responded by
sticking her tongue out at her.

"Anyway," Junko interrupted sternly, "there's something else I've heard that's kinda interesting. It
seems that out of all of Shishu, Chiba-sama and Kino-sama are the two Blades that are closest to the
Sailor Senshi."

"Okay, the leader of Shishu I can understand," Hiromi said, folding her arms across her chest. "But
that little kid? What's so special about him?"

"Maybe it's because he's closer to their age than the others?" Himiko suggested.

"Don't you say stupid things, either," Rin said dryly, giving the second blonde girl a flat look.

"Sorry," she said apologetically, hanging her head.

"Hey!" one of the supervisors shouted as he called out to them. "Quit chattering and get to work! The
fields won't tend themselves, you know!"

Junko sighed and waved at him. "Yes, yes! We're coming!"

"Well, we'd better get to work, then," Minami said as she jogged down to the work area of the Farming
Grounds followed quickly by the others.

Tidus mentally sighed as she listened to the morning instructions with the others. This was the worst
part about this undercover assignment; she had to work like a human alongside them. This was so far
beneath her that she wanted to just lash out in angry frustration and slay everyone in sight. The only
way she could maintain herself was to remember that she was doing this for Jadeite. For him, she could
endure this humiliation.

At least her acting was good enough to fool the four humans she was with into thinking that she was
not only a human like them, but one of their friends as well. After all, a cover identity works better
when you have others who believe you are who you say you are.

_________________________________________________________________


Shishu Headquarters, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 8, 1992. 9:03 A.M.


Usagi wiped the sweat off her forehead as she closed the door to another room and locked it. "There.
That's another one done," she said, satisfied with her work. Half of the first floor of Shishu
Headquarters was now clean, but she still had the other half and the second floor to take care of.
Grabbing the cart with her cleaning supplies, she moved down the hallway toward the next section of
Shishu Headquarters.

"Good to see you're making progress," Mamoru said as she turned the corner into a different hallway.

Usagi almost stumbled. "Don't startle me like that!" she complained, then blushed as she noticed who
she was talking to. "Oh! Mamoru-san!"

"Sorry about that," he said with a small laugh. "I didn't mean to startle you. I just came by to see
how your work was coming along."

"I've already finished the eastern half of the ground floor," she reported proudly.

Mamoru whistled. "Already?" he asked as he glanced down the hallway she had come from. "Mind if I take
a look?"

"Sure," she agreed as she moved the cart to the side of the hallway, out of the way of through
traffic. "I'll go with you."

"To show me your great work or to steer me away from... certain rooms?" he asked teasingly.

"Very funny," she said flatly.

He waved a hand placatingly. "Sorry, sorry," he said apologetically. "Please, lead the way."

Usagi nodded and led him to the closest room, which also happened to be the last room she had cleaned.
"Please be careful," she warned him. "The floor might not be completely dry yet."

"I'll just look from here," he said as he poked his head into the room and looked around. Seeing the
room dust- and dirt-free, he nodded in satisfaction and pulled the door closed. "Very good, Usagi-san.
Would you mind showing me another room?"

"All right," she said and led him to a room further down the hallway. "I finished this one this
morning," she added as she opened the door.

Mamoru stepped into the room and glanced around quickly. The room seemed very clean compared to how he
remembered seeing it months before. The windows were washed, the lamps and tables were dusted, and the
floor was swept and mopped. Out of curiosity, he stepped over to an empty shelf that hung a few feet
up - several centimeters higher than Usagi's height - and reached up, running a finger up and down the
middle of the shelf. It felt clean. He then withdrew his finger and brought it down in front of his
face for examination.

Dust-free.

"I'm surprised, Usagi-san," he said, looking at her as he left the room. "You've managed to get so
much done in such a short amount of time."

Usagi smiled. "I just felt like I needed to catch up with all the work I've missed. I wouldn't want
you to think I wasn't doing my job." She turned away for a moment, smiling to herself. "Besides, after
our little talk yesterday, I've been feeling a bit more... motivated lately. I feel like I want to do
more around here."

Mamoru gave her a considering look. "Really, now?" he said, his tone half-intrigued and half-amused.
"What a coincidence! I originally came to see you because I wanted to know if you would like to help
me choose someone to assist you in maintaining our headquarters' cleanliness." He gave a snort of
amusement. "Well, I suppose I already have my answer then."

Usagi's eyes widened a bit. "Are you serious?" she asked. "You really want my opinion on who you're
going to hire?"

"Why not?" he shrugged. "After all, you'll be working with that person, so you'd know exactly what to
look for."

She gave him a dry look. "Are you sure all this is necessary?" she asked. "After all, you just need
someone to help clean this place. It's not like you need someone who's highly skilled or anything."

'After all, you hired me after I failed at everything else,' she thought cynically to herself.

Mamoru shrugged. "I just meant this as a courtesy to you, Usagi-san," he explained. "If you'd rather
have me worry about the hiring, that's fine."

Usagi shook her head. "No, no! It's just that I didn't think someone to clean up here was such a big
deal," she told him. "Of course, I'd be more than happy to help you in any way I can."

"That's good to hear," he said, pleased. "I'll make the arrangements, then I'll let you know when
we'll start looking at people."

"All right," she nodded. "I'll be looking forward to it."

"Good. I'll let you get back to work now. All of us here appreciate all of your efforts."

"Thank you," Usagi said with a polite bow. "Please let everyone know I appreciate their thoughts and
encouragement."

"Of course," Mamoru agreed as he turned to leave. "I'll see you later, then."

"See you later, Mamoru-san," Usagi waved as the Shishu leader left. With a noticeable spring in her
step, she turned back to her cart and headed over to the next room to clean.

_________________________________________________________________


Hikawa Jinja Proper, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 8, 1992. 10:41 A.M.


Rei climbed the stone steps leading up to the jinja slowly, letting her feet drag along the ground as
she walked. In contrast to her slow moving, medical personnel were still hurrying here and there,
struggling to help bring the entire religious clergy back on their feet. This served to further
impress upon her how bad things had gone while she had been recovering in the infirmary. It wasn't
just her shrine that suffered casualties; religious personnel in every religion had died from the
intense backlash caused during the barrier's collapse.

Although she had been released from the infirmary hours before, she had been reluctant to return to the
jinja right away. While she knew her grandfather was alive, she was afraid to see the condition he was
currently in. She remembered her Grandpa as a vivacious person, always positive and energetic despite
his age. She didn't want to see him in a weak and powerless state. It would break her heart.

After Medical released her, she had spent a few hours wandering around the Lower Grounds, thinking to
herself. Or rather, that's what she wanted to believe. In her heart, she knew she was stalling. At one
point, she had found herself standing in front of the Orphan's Quarters, just staring at the building.
Part of her wanted to go inside and beg Hotaru to heal her Grandpa like she did to her, but she knew
that her healing powers were more than likely already strained from trying to save as many lives as
possible from the effects of the backlash. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't make the young girl
use her power for her own selfish reasons.

Slowly, she found herself crossing the shrine's courtyard, her feet mostly moving by themselves. As
she shuffled across the courtyard, she caught sight of someone sitting on the steps at the entrance,
waiting for her.

"I thought you'd be here hours ago," Minako said as she stood up. "What took you so long?"

"I... had things to take care of!" Rei retorted, placing her hands on her hips. "What are you doing
here, anyway? Don't you have work to do at the Garden?"

"Temporary transfer," she replied calmly as she descended the four steps leading down to the stone
path and stopped a few feet in front of Rei. "Listen, Rei-chan. Ami-chan and I have been to see
Grandpa." Her expression became plaintive and sympathetic, spurring a worried response from Rei.

"Did something happen?" Rei asked, her voice and expression betraying barely-suppressed fear.
"Minako-chan, what happened to Grandpa? Tell me!"

"Calm down, Rei-chan," she said soothingly, placing her hands on Rei's shoulders and looking her
straight in the eye. Her calm demeanor helped to placate some of Rei's anxiety, but not entirely.
"Grandpa's still alive. Nothing else has happened to him."

"Then, what's wrong?" she asked. Although she was nowhere near frantic anymore, anxiety still had a
strong hold on her heart. "Just tell me straight, Minako-chan," she pleaded. "Please. I can take it."

"All right," the blonde nurse-in-training agreed with a resigned nod. "Rei-chan, your Grandpa's vitals
are stable... but... the force of the backlash hit him pretty badly."

"How badly?" Rei asked worriedly. "What did the backlash do to him, Minako-chan?"

Minako hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "The doctors believe Grandpa's suffered a Grade 5
concussion from the force of the backlash," she told her reluctantly. "I won't go into to medical
terms, but the force of the backlash gave Grandpa some permanent brain damage."

Rei gasped at the news. "No.... Grandpa...."

"I'm so sorry, Rei-chan," she said as she moved to embrace the raven-haired miko, but she shrugged her
off.

"Take me to see Grandpa," she demanded as she fought back the tears forming at her eyes. "I need to
see him. Now."

The blonde girl nodded understandingly. "All right. Follow me." She turned around and entered the
shrine with Rei following close behind her.

As the two girls made their way through the jinja, Rei grew more and more despondent at seeing the
state of her home. Cots, futons and beds spaced very close together lined every room, most of them
holding two, or even three people. In each room, there was at least one doctor, as well as three or
four nurses, all watching the recovering patients, waiting for any signs of recovery. Every doctor and
nurse all wore the same weary, haggard expression on their face; whether the expression came from lack
of sleep or from frayed nerves worn away by alternating assaults of fear, anxiety and grief remained
unclear to her.

It was in the midst of her pensive brooding that she almost ran into Minako as the blonde girl came to
a sudden stop. Rei looked toward the door she stopped in front of and frowned at her. "Why didn't you
tell me that he was in his room?" she snapped angrily. "I already know where his room is!"

"Yes, but I needed you to accompany me so that no one would make a big deal about you coming in here,"
Minako explained.

"But, I live here!" she spat incredulously. "Why should they stop me?"

"Because this place has been temporarily placed under Medical authority until the emergency is under
control," she countered, unfazed by Rei's shouting. "Please calm down, Rei-chan. Your Grandpa is
sleeping just beyond this door, remember?"

Rei abashedly put one hand over her mouth. "Sorry," she apologized penitently. "It's just that-"

"I know," Minako said, smiling reassuredly. "I understand completely." She turned toward the door and
knocked gently. A moment later, the door quietly slid open and Ami stuck her head outside. "She's
finally here, Ami-chan," she said as she glanced toward Rei, then back at Ami again.

Ami nodded, then glanced toward Rei, giving her a sympathetic look. With another nod, she gestured for
the girls to come inside.

Rei stepped into the room and stopped dead in her tracks. The room was softly lit so as not to make
the room too bright, but even in the faint light the change in her grandfather's appearance was
starkly evident. The elderly priest's auburn complexion, darkened from long periods of working in the
sun, was reduced to a sallow comparison of its former bronze color. The wrinkles in his forehead and
cheeks, crafted from years of smiling and laughter shared with his granddaughter, for the first time,
made him look old, fragile and wizened, instead of accentuating his cheerful features. His current
pallid state was the complete polar opposite of how youthful and energetic he usually was.

For the first time, looking into his weakened countenance as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks, Rei
came to realize how old her grandfather really was... and how close to death he was now.

"I'm so sorry, Rei-chan," Minako whispered as she gave her friend a sympathetic hug, followed by Ami.
"I just wish there was something we could do for you."

For a few moments, the three girls stood in silent embrace as Rei soundlessly cried. She never took
her eyes off her grandfather, afraid that she might never see him again if she did.

Several minutes later, Rei turned away, unable to bear the sight of her Grandpa's sickly state any
further.

"Rei-chan?" Minako said as she and Ami gave her a questioning look.

"Minako-chan, tell me," she said, her voice a cold whisper. "That transformation thing you have....
did those cats give it to you?"

The blonde girl blinked at the sudden change of subject. "Y-yes," she nodded. "They did."

Without another word, Rei wiped the tears from her eyes and stepped past the two girls, slid the door
open again and stormed down the hallway.

Minako and Ami exchanged worried looks for a moment. "Go with her, Ami-chan," Minako said quickly.
"I'll get someone to watch over Grandpa and join you later." She glanced in the direction that Rei
left. "I don't think we should leave her alone right now. She might do something hasty." Ami nodded
and hurried after Rei.

"Don't do anything stupid, Rei-chan...," she muttered to herself as she left the room, closing the
door behind her, and hurried in the opposite direction. Hopefully, she could find a nurse to take over
Grandpa's care quickly.

_________________________________________________________________


Orphan's Quarters, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 8, 1992. 11:17 A.M.


Rei burst through the entrance to the Orphan's Quarters, heading directly toward Ryoku's room with Ami
following close behind. The mute girl had tried to get her attention several times before, but Rei
merely shrugged off her hand, ignoring her. As the raven-haired miko tore through the hallway, people
made way once they saw the piercing ferocity burning in her eyes. Once Rei reached Ryoku's room, she
threw open the door without knocking, startling the three occupants with the sudden, violent motion.

"Is there something you wanted, Rei?" Ryoku asked, his calm tone a sharp contrast as he set down his
pen and turned to meet her gaze from his seat at his desk. He noticed Ami standing behind her and
nodded to her as well, but kept his attention focused on Rei.

The dark-haired girl turned and pointed at the two cats lying on Ryoku's bed; Luna at the foot of the
bed and Artemis on Ryoku's pillow. "I must speak with them concerning a certain item I need," she said,
her voice calm as well, yet laced with a cold fury.

Ryoku held up a hand toward the two cats as he stood up. "Come in and close the door behind you," he
said as he walked toward her while gesturing for her to take a seat on the couch near the door.

Rei glanced at him for a moment, then wordlessly took a seat on his couch. Ami came in as well and
moved to close the door, but stopped as someone's hand grabbed the door.

"I hope... I'm not late," Minako gasped, breathing heavily as she glanced at everyone present. A brief
shadow of a frown passed across Ryoku's features so fast that Minako doubted for a moment that she
saw it.

"You're fine," he sighed as he motioned for her to enter the room. "Now get in here and close the door
behind you, please." Minako quickly stepped inside, closed the door behind her and sat down on the
opposite end of the couch from Rei, leaving Ami in the middle.

"I'm kinda busy, so can we make this quick?" he asked quickly as he turned back toward his desk and
sat down.

"That's fine by me," Rei replied. "Right now, all I want is that transformation thing that they gave
Minako-chan. After all, you said I'm a Sailor Senshi, too, right?"

"Well, yes," Luna agreed. "You are the reincarnation of Mauri, Princess of Mars. Therefore, you should
be able to transform into Sailor Mars."

"Fine. Give me my transformation thing."

"The transformation wand?" Artemis asked.

"You know what I mean!" Rei snapped at the white cat.

"Easy, Rei-chan," Minako said placatingly. "You don't have to get to upset."

"Who's upset?" she challenged. "I'm perfectly all right!"

"Are you really?" Ryoku asked, folding his arms across his chest and raising a single eyebrow. Rei was
about to shout something in reply, but he quickly cut her off before she could speak. "Did you go see
Grandpa?"

Her words died instantly in her mouth at the reminder of her dear grandfather's condition. "He...,"
she said, letting her gaze fall to the floor. "He's...." A warm hand on her shoulder caught her
attention as she trailed off. She looked up to see Ryoku giving her a sympathetic look, momentarily
surprised that she hadn't even noticed that he had crossed the room, let alone gotten out of his chair.

"Don't say another word, Rei," he said soothingly. "I know well how you feel, but vengeance is one of
the worst reasons to fight."

"I don't want to fight Youma, Ryo-kun," she said as she stared unflinchingly into his eyes, the words
streaming from her mouth just like her tears had done a short while ago. "I want to kill them. I want
to destroy them. I want-"

Ryoku silenced her by placing a hand over her mouth. "Stop. I know how you feel, Rei. You're far from
the first person to feel this way and, sadly, you won't be the last. However, throwing yourself into
battle won't make Grandpa any better off than he is now."

Rei grabbed his hand and pulled it away as she stood up. "But-!"

"No! You listen to me!" he said forcefully as he pushed her back down onto the couch. "I will not have
you risking your life out there with your head filled with thoughts of revenge! I did not give you one
of my kidneys just so you could go on some personal crusade just because Grandpa will most likely
never be the same again! I gave you another chance at life because I don't want you to die! If you go
out there thinking that you're going to use your Sailor Senshi powers to pay the Dark Kingdom back for
what they did, then you might as well slap me and spit in my face!"

"Are you saying you don't want me to become a Sailor Senshi?" she accused as she glared at him.

"No! I'm saying I don't want you to become a Sailor Senshi for the wrong reasons," he replied, giving
her an entreating look. "I want you to become a Sailor Senshi for the right reasons. I want you to
become a Sailor Senshi because there are people you want to protect."

Rei stared up at him for a long time, her expression hard. "I can't guarantee that I'll stop feeling
the desire to avenge my Grandpa."

"I'm not asking you to," he replied, shaking his head. "I'm only asking you to put your desire for
vengeance aside while you fight. You can take satisfaction in killing Youma. I do it all the time and
I have just as much desire for vengeance as you do."

"All right," she said as she stood up, her eyes closed and her expression calm. "I understand what
you're trying to say. Don't let vengeance cloud my judgment, right?"

Ryoku smiled as he nodded and turned to the cats sitting on his bed. "So, who has Mars' transformation
item?"

"I do," Luna said as she got to her feet. She was about to leap into the air, but hesitated as a
thought came to mind. "Ryoku-san, if I may make a suggestion, I think it would be a good idea if we
give Meria her transformation wand as well, even if she can't use it."

"Meria?" Minako asked glancing around at everyone present, stopping once her gaze reached Ami. "You
mean, Ami-chan?"

Ami's surprise mirrored Minako's as she pointed at herself while giving the cats a questioning look.

"Yes, her," Artemis confirmed with a nod. "Meria was the princess of Mercury, just like Mauri was the
princess of Mars."

"And I was the princess of Venus," Minako added, pointing to herself. "Veis."

"So, depending on which planet we were the princess of, that's which Sailor Senshi we will become,"
Rei reasoned.

"That's correct," Luna agreed. "Ami-chan would become Sailor Mercury. That is, if she's willing to
accept the transformation wand."

"Is there a reason why you want to give it to her now, despite her not being able to speak?" Ryoku
asked curiously.

"There is an old saying where we come from," the black cat told him. "It says, 'It is better to have
and not need, than need and not have.'"

"Sage advice," he remarked appreciatively.

Ami touched Rei's hand and turned toward her, giving her an earnest look and a single nod. "All
right," Rei said, smiling at her, then turned to face Luna. "She's ready to accept her transformation
wand, too."

"Very well, then," Luna said, then leapt into the air. At the apex of her leap, a pair of wands
appeared and fell to the bed with a light thump.

The mute girl and the raven-haired miko stood up, went over to the bed and picked up their wands,
giving them a close scrutiny. "So, this is it?" Rei asked, glancing over at Minako. "This is what'll
allow me to become a Sailor Senshi?" Ami glanced from her blue transformation wand to Rei's red one,
then looked over to Minako as well.

"Yeah," she agreed, smiling as she brought out her own orange transformation wand. "Just raise them
over your head and call out your transformation phrase."

"All right, so what's my transformation phrase?"

"It's your planet name, followed by 'star power, make-up,'" Artemis informed her.

Ami and Rei blinked and exchanged looks. "That's... kinda...," Rei said hesitantly.

"Silly?" Ryoku offered, then shrugged. "You're not the first person to say that."

Luna glared at him. "That's not funny, Ryoku-san," she chided.

"Sorry."

"Hey! Let me show you," Minako added, ignoring them as she raised her wand over her head. "Venus star
power, make-up!" A brilliant light filled the room as Minako transformed. Once the light faded, Sailor
Venus stood in her place.

"Sailor Venus, at your service," she announced, posing dramatically.

Rei glanced down at the wand in her hand. "All right," she said quietly as her hand tightened around
her wand before she thrust it into the air. "Mars star power, make-up!" A similar brilliant light
enveloped Rei as she transformed. Once the light faded, Sailor Mars stood in her place.

"High heels?" Ryoku blinked, noticing Mars' footwear.

Mars looked down at her feet, noticed the high-heeled shoes, and frowned in confusion. "What the hell?
How am I supposed to fight in these?" she demanded glaring at the two cats.

"Sailor Mars was always able to fight very well in those shoes," Luna stated impassively. "I'm sure
you'll do just as well." The black cat gave her a pointed look. "Unless, you think you can't handle
it."

"O-of course, I can!" she retorted, tossing her head indignantly. "After all, I'm Sailor Mars!"

'Luna's a fast learner...,' Ryoku thought dryly to himself. 'She's already figured out how Rei's mind
works.'

"So?" Venus asked eagerly. "How do you feel?"

"Different...," Mars said as she looked herself over. "I feel a strange power within me. It's...
similar to what I've sensed in Sailor Moon... and in Sailor Venus," she added, glancing toward the
Senshi in question.

Ami clutched her wand in her hand as well, watching the two Sailor Senshi with a slight feeling of
envy. Unconsciously, she raised her transformation wand in the air and opened her mouth, trying to
summon the words that would allow her to transform as well. Sadly, nothing but silence emerged.

Ryoku wordlessly put a consoling hand on her shoulder. Ami gave him a sad smile as she laid her cheek
on his hand and sighed.

Mars and Venus exchanged chagrined looks. "Don't worry, Ami-chan," Venus said as she reverted back to
Minako in a swirl of light. "I'm sure you'll be able to transform soon."

"Hey Minako-chan, how do you change back?" Mars inquired.

"Just picture yourself changing back to normal in your mind," she explained. "That's the best I can
explain it."

Mars nodded, closing her eyes. A moment later, she reverted back to Rei in a similar swirl of light.
"That wasn't too hard."

"So, now we have a new Sailor Senshi added to our ranks," Artemis said. "Welcome to the team, Sailor
Mars."

"That reminds me," Ryoku added, "I need to finish writing up our training plan. Rei, Minako, Ami, we
are going to be meeting tonight in the same place we had our first training session. Minako knows
where it's located; have her show you where it's at. Setsuna-san will arrive with Hotaru-chan."

"Setsuna-sensei?" Rei repeated, surprised. "As in, Meiou Setsuna-sensei?" Ami lifted her head from
his shoulder to stare at him.

"The same," he confirmed. "She's Sailor Pluto. Now, unless you have any other questions, I really need
to finish drafting this training plan with Luna and Artemis." He turned to go back to his desk but Ami
grabbed his sleeve and tugged insistently, stopping him with a pleading look.

Minako and Rei exchanged looks and nodded. "Luna, Artemis, could you excuse us for a moment?" Minako
asked. "We need to speak privately with Ryoku-sama for a moment."

"It's important," Rei added, while Ami nodded her agreement.

Luna was about to argue against it, but Artemis cut her off. "Sure. Let's go, Luna," he added as he
got to his feet and carefully hopped off the bed.

"But... the training plan...," she began.

"It can wait for a few minutes," he said firmly. "Come on. We can play with the children for a little
while."

Luna glanced around at the girls, then at Ryoku, then sighed. "Oh, fine," she grumbled. "I just hope
little Kiriko-chan doesn't try to pull my tail again. It really hurts."

"She's only five years old, Luna," Artemis chided as they headed out the door.

"All right, let her pull on your tail, then," she retorted as Ryoku closed the door behind them, then
turned to face the three girls.

"I take it you want to know my answer, then?" he asked, heading back to his desk without looking at
them. "Fine. I knew I had to tell you all sooner or later. It might as well be now." He stopped in
front of his desk, but remained standing.

"Listen," he began, his eyes remaining fixed to the pen resting on his desk. "I spent a lot of time
thinking this through.

"Rei, I've known you for most of my life. For a long time, you were almost like another sister to me.
However, things changed between us. I started noticing how beautiful you are. Your fiery, passionate
personality, which I once thought was pushy and annoying, now draws me in. You make me want to match
your fierce intensity for life.

"Ami, I've also known you for a very long time. Even though I've never heard your voice, we can
communicate with each other easier than most normal people can. You've never let your disability
keep you from following your dream, nor have you let it dampen your sweet, caring personality. You
care more for others than you do for yourself, which makes me want to protect you and care for you.

"Minako, although I haven't known you as long I've known Ami or Rei, you have become just as important
to me. You're always giving your all in everything you do, whether it's your nurse training, working
at the Garden, being a Sailor Senshi... or devoting yourself to me. You make me want to do all I can
to become worthy of your adoration.

"Even after sorting out my feelings, I still kept thinking about it, trying to make sure that the path
I'm going to take is the correct one. Even now, I'm still not sure. However," he added as he turned
around, looking at the girls with a resolute gaze, "I have decided that I will walk down this path
I've chosen and I will not look back. To do so would demean both my choice and you three."

Ryoku paused as he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Ami, Rei and Minako all stared
intently at him, hope and anxiety clearly written on their faces.

"First of all, I feel as if I need to make things even between us," he began as he advanced toward
Ami and placed a hand on her waist. "That is, if it's all right?" he asked, gazing tenderly into her
eyes.

"Say yes!" Minako whispered loudly with an encouraging wink.

Rei shook her head in exasperation at her blonde friend. "Don't be a nuisance," she grumbled, elbowing
her sharply.

"Ow! Rei-chan!" she complained as she rubbed her side.

Ami silently giggled for a moment, then turned to Ryoku and nodded before moving forward and closing
her eyes. The two came together in a gentle, yet loving kiss. It lasted only for a few moments before
he reluctantly released her and stepped back.

"So?" Minako asked, grinning widely. Ami merely blushed crimson in response.

"You all deserve the truth, so I'm going to be blunt," he said finally. "Please don't interrupt me
until I'm done.

"You all hold a very important place in my heart. The truth is, it's almost impossible for me to
imagine my life without any of you in it. I don't even want to. The truth is... I think I'm in love
with all three of you."

All three girls stared dumbfounded at him. "What-?" Rei began, but cut off as he raised a hand sternly.

"Let me finish," he insisted. As soon as he was sure that she would remain silent, he took a deep
breath to settle himself and continued.

"I honestly tried to choose one of you," he admitted. "It's just that every time I came up with a
reason to single one of you out, I realized that a similar, equally important trait existed in the
other two as well." He let his gaze drop as he ruefully shook his head. "Right now, it feels like my
heart is being pulled in three different directions equally, causing it to constantly remain in the
middle, unmoving, squeezing my heart like a vice. It's slowly taking over my thoughts to the point
where it's starting to affect my judgment as a Blade. I can't let this go any further.

"It is none of your fault," he continued quietly as he turned away. "The fault lies completely with
me, since I have not done a thing about it." He took another deep breath, already regretting the words
he was about to say. "You all deserve more than an indecisive coward who can make decisions in the
heat of battle, but chokes when faced with making one girl happy and two others miserable. You all
deserve better than me."

"But Ryoku-sama, I don't want anyone else!" Minako declared, shaking her head fiercely. Beside her,
Ami fiercely nodded her agreement.

"Ryo-kun, you idiot!" Rei snapped angrily. "Do you really think this will solve anything? Instead of
making two of us miserable, you're gonna make all three of us miserable? What kind of messed up logic
is that?"

"As messed up as it is, this is the best I can do," he said as he turned to face them, his expression
resolute. "I cannot allow anything to interfere with my job as a Shishu Blade. This not only affects
me, but the other Shishu Blades as well. So, if I can't choose all of you equally, then I choose none
of you equally. This is my decision. I will not change it." He turned away, letting his gaze fall once
again. "I'm sorry."

"You're truly serious about this," Rei said quietly, her eyes starting to water slightly despite the
cold glare she was giving him. He responded with silence. "Fine!" she snapped as she stomped up to
him, forcefully spun him around, and slapped him across the face as hard as she could. His head moved
back slightly, but other than that, he gave very little indication that he had been struck. "Be that
way!" she spat as she stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

"Forgive me, Rei...," he said, staring at the door.

Ami stepped toward the door, stopping long enough to give him a hurt, tearful look before departing
as well, leaving the door open slightly as she departed.

"I'm sorry, Ami," he said, then turned to regard Minako. "Well? Aren't you going to leave, too?"

"Did you want me to?" she asked calmly.

He shook his head and sighed. "To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't leave with Rei and Ami. I mostly
expected you to storm out in disgust or something, especially after what I said."

"That you're in love with all of us?" she asked, her voice surprisingly neutral.

"Yeah," he nodded. "You don't find that disturbing?"

Minako hesitated for a moment before responding. "I'd be lying if I said it didn't," she said
honestly. "However, I'm mostly happy that I finally know that you love me."

"Even if my heart isn't entirely yours?" he asked somberly.

She shook her head and gave him a sad, yet fond smile. "Didn't you hear what I said, Ryoku-sama? I
don't want anyone else. Like you, I've made my decision and I'm not going to change it. I'm sure the
others feel the same way."

Ryoku went back to his desk and sat down, letting his elbows rest on his desk and his head rest in his
hands. To Minako, his posture looked like someone who was on the verge of giving up.

"That's fine and all, Minako, but what good could come of this?" he asked tiredly as he stared down at
the desk in front of him. "Do you honestly think you, Rei and Ami would be satisfied by sharing my
attention like we've been doing up until now? And what of the future? There's no way I could marry all
of you. Legalities aside, would any of you even go for such a thing? I highly doubt it. You all deserve
much more than that."

He sighed again and let his head fall to the desk with a light thunk. "Am I wrong for even wanting
that, Minako?" he asked in a voice so faint she had to move closer and strain to hear it. "People might
think me greedy for wanting more than one woman, but I can't think of any other way. All or nothing,
that's the conclusion I came up with. It was the only way I could remain fair and true to the three
most important women in my life."

"Ryoku-sama...," Minako said as she stood beside Ryoku and gently embraced him from behind. "I just
want you to know that I don't care if I'm your wife or girlfriend or whatever. All I care about is the
fact that I love you and you love me. Everything else is just words."

Ryoku reached up and squeezed one of Minako's hands with one of his. "Thanks, Minako," he said
appreciatively as he smiled wanly up at her. "I feel a little bit better now."

"My pleasure," she replied with a smile and wink. "I'm always willing to do anything to help." Her
glance slid over to the paper Ryoku had been writing on earlier. "Hmm? Is this the training plan you
were talking about earlier?" she asked, curious.

"Yes," he nodded as Minako skimmed over the plan he had been drafting. "I was planning on going over
Mars' and Pluto's power sets, then having all of you pair off and practice using your powers in
sparring matches. In addition, I wanted to work with Saturn and Pluto individually, since both of them
use weapons in addition to their power sets."

"The Silence Glaive and Pluto's Time Staff, hm?" she asked absently as she continued reading. "I have
an idea. How about you leave training Mars and Pluto in their powers to me and you train Saturn in
using her Silence Glaive? After I'm done with helping Pluto remember how to throw a Dead Scream, I'll
leave staff training to you."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," he nodded thoughtfully, then blinked at a sudden realization.
"How did you know I was concerned with dividing my time between power set training and weapons
training? I didn't make any mention of it anywhere."

Minako shrugged. "I just remembered that you said that you didn't have much experience with some parts
of our powers, so I figured that since I've got experience in that area I could offer them better
advice than what you got from reading some old books or scrolls or whatever. And since you're a Blade,
I figured that you'd be more knowledgeable in general weapon techniques, so you'd be more comfortable
training Saturn and Pluto in that area."

Ryoku blinked at Minako in open surprise. "That's... a good idea," he said in surprise as he turned
to his desk and started writing. "I was having scheduling issues, true, but I never thought to...." He
trailed off as he continued writing.

"For a moment, it sounded like we had the old Sailor Venus again," Artemis said as he and Luna padded
into the room.

"Huh?" Minako asked, blinking in bewilderment. "What do you mean, Artemis?"

"You don't remember?" he asked as the two cats leapt up to the bed. "During the war with the Dark
Kingdom, Sailor Venus acted as the leader and field commander of the Sailor Senshi. You two often
collaborated on battle plans during almost all of the major battles before the fall of the Moon
Kingdom." He glanced over to Ryoku. "Jovan was the overall tactical commander, but generally let Venus
take over once the battle actually took place."

"Me? The leader of the Sailor Senshi?" Minako repeated.

"Well, I suppose the second-in-command now, since we have Serenity as Sailor Moon," Ryoku mentioned.

"Anyway, hearing the two of you discussing strategy together reminded me of that," he said as he
settled to his paws and stretched out across the bed.

"Had enough of playing with the kids?" Ryoku asked.

"More than enough," Luna grumbled. "I really wish they'd leave my tail alone. I swear, some of them
live to torment me."

Artemis shook his head. "You don't have to complain so much, Luna." He gave Minako and Ryoku a catty
grin. "Sometimes I think she just complains because she doesn't want to admit that she loves playing
with the children, even if one of them loves to pull on her tail."

"You shut your mouth, Artemis," Luna growled. The white cat grinned cheekily to the others before
bowing his head apologetically to her.

Ryoku gave a small snort of laughter before turning back to Minako. "Field commander, huh?" he said,
giving her an appraising look.

Minako replied with a mischievous grin. "That's right. So that means we're gonna have to work closely
together from here on out."

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't get too excited. Remember what I said earlier."

"I know, Ryoku-sama," she replied, nodding seriously. "And don't you forget what I said earlier." He
gave her a silent, brooding nod in reply.

"What are you two talking about?" Luna asked, her curiosity piqued at the peculiar conversation
between the two.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Minako said in a neutral voice as she turned back to Ryoku and
smiled. "So, shall we get back to work?"

_________________________________________________________________


Main Medical Building - Infirmary, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 8, 1992. 2:49 P.M.


Michiru had confined herself to her room since morning, only coming out to eat. Haruka was the only
person that she would allow in her room, and even then, she wasn't in much of a talkative mood. So,
Haruka mostly spoke and Michiru listened. She had tried several topics to get her to open up. However,
every topic she tried seemed to invariably lead back to her current condition. Talking about how great
it was to be free from Jadeite's control was an obvious slip, now that she thought back on it, but how
was she to know that talking about the differences between their old home at the Midoriyama Jinja and
their new home at the Hikawa Jinja would remind her of how they became slaves in the first place?

Not liking the feeling of fighting a losing battle, Haruka decided to change tactics and seek out that
blonde girl Ryoku had introduced them to. However, after questioning several of their fellow
residents, she had learned that not only was the blonde girl not there, she would quite possibly be
gone for most of the day, having been temporarily transferred to the Hikawa Jinja proper to help with
the recovery effort.

Since that option was denied to her, she then opted to seek out one of those doctors knowledgeable in
the state of being 'Hollow' and learn of any kind of possible treatments. She wasn't foolish enough to
believe there was any way to reverse the condition, but she did want to help heal Michiru's
psychological scars. It was the only thing she could think of.

Some more questions and some simple directions later, she had found herself in front of the main
Medical building by the entrance to the infirmary. Thinking that she'd as likely find a doctor here
than anywhere else in the Medical building, she opened the door and let herself inside.

Glancing around as she strolled down the hallway, she discovered that, for the most part, the
infirmary seemed deserted. Sure, there were patients in some of the rooms - probably in about 1 out of
3, she guessed - but, there weren't any doctors around, which surprised her.

Then again, after thinking on it, there was the current emergency with those religious people in the
jinja proper that needed to be tended to in order to bring the barrier back up. Okay, she could see why
the priests and such were Priority One, but shouldn't there be at least one doctor here for the people
in the infirmary?

Reaching the other end of the infirmary, she was about to give up and try another area of the Medical
building when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

It was a sign indicating the occupant of the room and when the patient was admitted. It was just like
all the other signs hanging in front of the occupied rooms, however, this one had faded lettering
indicating that it had been hanging for quite a long time. Still, the faded lettering wasn't what had
caught her attention. It was the name of the occupant.

Kino Makoto, 6th class Blade
Admitted: May 8, 1989, 7:44 P.M.

The fact that the patient had been there for exactly three years and three months wasn't as surprising
as the fact that the patient here had the same family name as the young Blade who rescued her and
Michiru.

Interesting.

Still, this didn't necessarily mean that this Kino Makoto was related to Ryoku. For all she knew,
their names could be written with different kanji; it wasn't like she bothered to ask how Ryoku wrote
his family name.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to take a quick look.

The door to the room opened quietly and very easily, indicating that Makoto apparently had a lot of
regular visitors. Since the shutters at the window were currently closed, there wasn't enough light to
make out any of Makoto's facial features. She fixed the problem by reaching down to the lamp sitting
by the bed and turning it on. As light flooded the room, Haruka froze in shock once her gaze rested on
Makoto's face.

"A... girl?" she exclaimed, although her voice unintentionally remained at a near whisper. She quickly
stepped outside to check on the sign indicating the identity of the room's occupant. Yes, she read it
correctly. "This 6th class Blade... is a girl?" She shook her head in shocked denial. "There must be a
mistake. Women aren't allowed to join Shishu."

"There's no mistake. That girl is officially the first female Blade in the history of all Shishu."

Haruka stiffened at the sudden sound of someone's voice behind her and spun around to see who it was.
She recognized the young man as one of the Recruit Blades, but she couldn't remember what his name
was. "Uh... I didn't mean to...." She trailed off as the statement the young man said clicked in her
mind. "Wait. You mean, Shishu is finally allowing females to join?"

The young Blade frowned in thought. "Well... I don't know if Shishu as a whole is doing it. From what
I know, Kino's sister was a special case."

"Sister?" she said and looked back at Makoto. Yes, she could see several similar facial features
clearly marking the two Kinos as siblings. "So, she is Ryoku-san's sister."

He nodded, then blinked in surprise as he remembered something. "Oh! I've been rude, haven't I? I'm
Andou Shinta. I apologize for not introducing myself sooner," he added with a quick, polite bow.

"Ten'ou Haruka," she replied, grimacing. "You don't have to bow, Andou-san. It's not that big of a
deal."

"Oh?" he asked, surprised. "Well, if you say so, Ten'ou-san."

"Anyway, why did you say that Makoto-san was a special case?" she inquired as she stared at the
comatose girl again.

"From what I've learned from Kino, he said that the reason why she was allowed to join was because
during the Fall of the Meiji Jinja, she fought and killed five Youma sentries before getting struck
down by Claw Hunter poison. However, the head of Shishu at the time wouldn't acknowledge her kills
just because she was a girl. It wasn't until Chiba became the head of Shishu that she finally gained
recognition for it."

"I take it she wanted to become a Blade?"

"Chiba said that she was the only girl he'd ever consider allowing join Shishu because of the fact
that she had been training herself for it for most of her life," Andou continued.

She looked shocked at that. "You're kidding. Why would they allow her to do something like that when
normally no one would allow girls to enlist as Blades?"

"Probably because of her family," he shrugged. "Before the Fall of the Meiji Jinja, her father was the
commander of the Hikawa Jinja Shishu installation, but above that, her grandfather was the founder of
Shishu. With that kind of lineage, I'm not that surprised that Kino joined as early as he did or that
his sister got to be the first female Blade in history." He gave a small laugh and a lopsided grin.
"I'm almost jealous of them."

Haruka frowned thoughtfully. "So, all it took was for her to kill five Youma and she got picked up to
be a 6th class Blade, hm?"

Andou scratched his head, considering her words. "I suppose you could put it that way," he admitted.

A slow smirk spread across her face for a moment. "Thanks. You've been a big help."

"Um... sure," he replied as he scratched his head again, not entirely sure what she meant by her
remark. "No problem," he added as she walked around him, exiting the room without another word. He
blinked several more times before shrugging to himself and turning off the lamp.

"Maybe I'm better off not knowing, right?" he asked Makoto before departing, quietly shutting the door
behind him as he left. He still had a wounded father to visit, after all.

_________________________________________________________________


Infirmary - Makoto's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 8, 1992. 8:04 P.M.


Ryoku sat quietly in a chair beside his sister's bed, thinking to himself. The door was closed and the
lights were off, which suited his current mood very well.

He couldn't quite let go of the feeling that he had mishandled things between himself and the others.
True, it had been sprung on him before he had a chance to really prepare himself to say what he had to
say, but that wasn't really much of a reason. More like an excuse.

He sighed again for what had to have been the fiftieth time since sitting down by his sister's
bedside. He had tried talking with her for a while until it was time to meet the others for their
training session, but it didn't really help. Talking with his dear little sister usually helped him
to focus on his problems and figure things out, but this time, there didn't seem to be any way out of
the hole he had dug himself into. Rei was pissed off at him. Ami was upset with him. And even though
Minako was still as devoted and supportive as before, he could still sense an underlying
disappointment toward him. Not that he didn't deserve it.

"Mako-chan, your dear older brother is a complete and utter idiot," he muttered as he leaned back in
his chair and let his head droop over the back, leaving him to stare up at the darkened ceiling.

A soft rustling turned his glance toward the window. Probably a breeze coming through the window,
blowing on the shutters.

The window was completely shut.

More rustling followed by soft moaning made him completely freeze in place. The window was shut, so
there was no breeze. He was the only person in the room besides Makoto. The rustling sound he was
hearing sounded a lot like a person tossing in their bed, now that he thought about it.

"Mako-chan?" he called out softly, unconsciously holding his breath in order to listen for the voice
he hoped with all his soul to hear.

"R-Ryo-chan...?" a dry, raspy voice answered faintly.

Ryoku leaped out of his chair and almost tripped over himself in his haste to reach her. "Mako-chan!"
he called out, his heart nearly seizing up from his excitement and joy at finally having his sister
return to him. "Mako-chan! You're awake! You're finally awake!"

"C-calm down, Ryo-chan!" Makoto said as her brother nearly crushed her in his embrace. "You're gonna
kill me!"

"Sorry, Mako-chan," he said sheepishly as he backed off a bit without releasing her. "It's just that
I'm so glad that you're finally back with us again."

"Hpmh. Did you really think those Youma could keep me down for so long?" she countered, then coughed
sharply. "Hmm.... Could you get me some water? I think my throat's really dry."

"There's a water fountain nearby," he said as he quickly stood up. "I'll get you some."

"Please," she requested as she felt her throat. "It's really affecting my voice, you know?"

"Right," he said as he rushed out of the room. The moment he opened the door to the hallway, she
quickly squeezed her eyes shut as the light from the hallway almost blinded her. Since, in his haste,
he forgot to close the door entirely, she managed to use the small amount of light that peeked into
her room to allow herself to readjust her vision. Even though there was barely enough light to see,
Makoto was able to make out vague shapes and colors, but very little detail. What surprised her was
that what she could see was very blurry, almost like if she had been crying.

"I'm back," Ryoku said as he rushed into the room, bringing her a small paper cup partly filled with
water. As he approached her, she frowned as she tried to focus her vision on her brother's face.
"Something wrong?" he asked, noticing her expression.

"Just trying to let my eyes adjust to the light," she said as she tried to sit up... or rather,
struggled to sit up.

"Here, let me help," he said as he helped her sit up in her bed, then handed her the cup of water.

"Thanks," she said gratefully before sipping from the cup. As she drank, she tried to focus her eyes
on her brother as he sat down on the bed next to her.

"Ryo-chan...," she said, taking a break between sips, "did you get shorter?"

He blinked. "Shorter?"

She held up a hand a few centimeters above her head. "Yeah, usually your head comes to here...."
Another realization hit. "Did.... Did your voice get deeper?"

Another blink. "You just noticed?"

Makoto frowned again, this time in confusion. She quickly finished the rest of the water and
experimentally cleared her throat. It wasn't dry anymore, and although her voice was still weak, it
wasn't as raspy as it was. "Ryo-chan," she said anxiously, now noticing a similar difference in her
own voice. "How long was I out for?" Her voice had deepened, too.

There was a hesitant pause before Ryoku finally reached out and took her hands in his. "You've been
gone for exactly three years and three months to this day, Makoto," he said gravely, using her full
name to impart exactly how serious he was.

"Three...," she breathed in complete disbelief. "No...." As more of her mental facilities came back
online, she realized that she felt heavier, especially in certain areas. She threw her legs over the
edge of the bed and tried to stand up, only to almost fall flat on her face. Fortunately, her brother
was quick enough to catch her before she hurt herself.

Her legs had hit the floor before she realized it. That could only mean that her legs were longer now.
She had grown considerably during her long sleep. She glanced up toward her brother and gasped. Her
vision had sharpened a bit and, due to his close proximity, she could now see his face clearly.

It was still her brother's face, but it looked older. Similar, yet different. It was still her
brother... yet, it wasn't.

"Mako-chan?"

"A mirror," she breathed, striving to keep herself calm. Everything about herself was different; was
she even the same person anymore? "Get me to a mirror."

The grim tone of her voice was unmistakable. She was on the verge of panic. "All right," he said
calmly as he draped one of her arms around his neck and pulled her to her feet. "Lean on me."

Carefully, Ryoku helped Makoto walk out into the hallway. She found the walk difficult as muscles
complained at being used so much after years of hibernation and atrophy. Upon reaching the female
restroom, Ryoku pushed open the door and started to help his sister inside. She was about to protest
his entering the restroom, but held her tongue at the last minute. Considering her condition, it
wasn't as if he was doing anything wrong.

"Mako-chan," Ryoku said as he finally stopped. "Are you sure you want to do this so soon? You did just
wake up a few minutes ago."

She took a slow, deep breath to steel her already rattled nerves. "I need to know," she said, her
voice calm and firm despite the fact that her body was lightly quivering in fear. "Ryoku, let me see
who I've become."

He winced slightly at her words. "That's a grim way of putting it, Mako-chan," he said as he advanced
toward the mirror. "Anyway, brace yourself."

Her hands tightened on her brother's arms and her eyes involuntarily squeezed shut as she approached
the mirror. Ryoku advanced toward the mirror until he felt she was close enough to be able to see the
details of her face without any trouble, then stopped. "Open your eyes, Mako-chan," he said with a
light squeeze of support on her shoulder.

She opened her eyes and stared directly into the eyes of someone she did not recognize. Sure, there
were familiar facial features here and there, but for the most part, the face she saw in the mirror
was not the face of the ten year old she remembered from over three years ago.

It was the face of a thirteen year old stranger.

Makoto screamed.


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


Author's Note: Finally! It's the moment you've all been waiting for! Makoto awakens at last! How will
she cope with losing three years of her life and all the changes that's happened since then? Also, the
love square is resolved with Ryoku finally choosing 'none of the above,' even after admitting that he
feels the exact opposite. How will things change for them? As for Mamoru, it looks like he's beginning
to suspect a connection between himself, Serenity and Endymion, even if it's only in dreams. Not only
that, but Usagi is also dreaming about Serenity and Endymion as well. What does this hold for their
future? Find out the answers to these questions and more in the next chapter of The Brooch!

Also, big thanks go out to my new beta readers, Shel*B and EbonyRabbit, and my new pre-reader, Heather
H., for helping me improve the quality of my stories! I thank you, my readers thank you, and the God
of Fanfiction thanks you. ^_~


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.