Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Brooch ❯ Chapter 18

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

The Brooch
By Jason C. Ulloa


Chapter 18


Near Lower/Outer Grounds Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 8, 1992. 10:51 P.M.


Titus came to a slow stop near what she could only assume was the border between the Lower Grounds and
what the humans called the Outer Grounds. Behind her, the grounds had been cleared of all rubble. She
could only assume that that was the reason the humans' buildings looked like they were thrown
together; they were reusing pieces of their old structures to make their new buildings.

Jadeite was always saying how the humans were as resourceful as they were dangerous; despite what
certain other Generals said. It was satisfying seeing that her master was correct; even if she had
harbored some doubts about the true extent of the humans' threat. Still, even though the humans were
as resourceful as Jadeite had said, she still couldn't see how they could possibly be as threatening
as he thought they were. Surely, if he concentrated all his troops and power on one full-scale
assault, the humans would fall. Especially now, while the barrier was down. Sure, they'd lose a lot
of Youma, but they were simply low-level peons; nowhere near her level as an Elite Youma. All he had
to do was give her the word and she'd lead the Youma herself.

She sighed regretfully. A perfect opportunity and he wouldn't take advantage of it because of the
Sailor Senshi. Even if Sailor Moon was powerful, she was only one human. She couldn't possibly stand
up against Jadeite's entire army, even if she did have other lesser Senshi to help her.

Besides, the Sailor Senshi couldn't possibly be as strong as Jadeite was making them out to be. Sure,
he was cautious and liked to think things through, but sometimes he could be too cautious.

Titus took a moment to refocus on the magical energy signatures. They were stronger now and she could
make out the nature of the energies. There were three magical signatures, and none of them were Lunar.
However, she could recognize one of them from the first Great War.

'Two unidentified Senshi signatures, and one Venusian,' she catalogued mentally as she silently ran
toward the source. 'Those two unidentified ones must be Sailor Saturn and Sailor Pluto.'

She slowed down again as she neared Section 331, and started taking cover as she approached the
Senshi's training grounds. From the sounds of clashing metal and explosions, they were obviously still
in the middle of exercises. It was a good opportunity for judging their fighting capability.

Titus looked around for a good place to observe from. To her right, the buildings were mainly crumbled
and skeletal. Most of the floors were too unstable to be walked on. On her left, the buildings were
too short for her liking and and less cover than she would normally consider acceptable, but at least
they seemed to be in stable condition. The last thing she needed was to draw attention when stealth
was paramount.

Carefully leaping up into the second floor of what used to be a three-story building before losing
most of its top half, Titus slowly walked over to the other side of the building and pressed herself
against the wall. She carefully slid down to the floor and poked her head just far enough past the
huge break in the foundation underneath a broken window so that she could see without exposing herself
any more than necessary.

From her position, she could see the Senshi's activities easily. However, she still couldn't see much
in terms of facial details. Interestingly enough, there were two Shishu Blades out there with them,
helping them train. If she could find out who those two were, it would help in figuring out the
identities of the Sailor Senshi.

For now, she settled in to watch. Moving from this spot would be a bad idea, especially since the two
Blades were glancing in her direction occasionally. She was certain they couldn't see her, but she
inched back a little bit anyway and resumed her watch.

It was only a matter of time before she would eventually learn something. Jadeite would be so pleased.


_________________________________________________________________


Infirmary - Makoto's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 12:21 A.M.


Makoto stared quietly up at the ceiling as she laid in her bed. Beside her, Ami and Rei sat
wordlessly, having finished catching Makoto up on current events. A heavy silence lingered in the
room, making Ami and Rei feel highly uncomfortable.

"Say something, Mako-chan," Rei said worriedly.

Makoto sighed without looking away from the ceiling. "Like what?"

Ami and Rei exchanged glances. "Is there anything we can do for you? Anything else you want to know
about? Anything you need? Talk to us, Mako-chan," Rei implored.

She shook her head, then turned to her friends and smiled faintly. "I appreciate all you're doing for
me. Really, I am. But, I think I just want to be alone for a little bit, at least until Ryo-chan
comes back." Her smile faded a little bit. "You don't mind, do you?"

Rei opened her mouth to say something, but stopped as Ami placed a hand on her leg and gave her a
quieting look.

'We understand,' she wrote quickly, holding the pad down so that everyone could read along as she
wrote. 'There's something that Rei-chan and I have to take care of, but we'll make sure that Ryoku-san
comes to see you as soon as possible.'

"Thanks, Ami-chan," Makoto nodded appreciatively.

'If you need anything, there's a call button located near the dresser,' she added, pausing only long
enough to point out the button. 'I'm going to leave word with the Duty Nurse to activate your call
button. Since you're awake now, there's going to be a need for it.'

"Got it."

"Get some rest, Mako-chan," Rei said as she and Ami moved the chairs back to their original places.
"You'll need the energy if you're going to regain your strength."

"Right," the brunette agreed. "I'll see you later."

"Later," Rei agreed with Ami nodding beside her. "Good night, Mako-chan." With that, the two left,
closing the door behind them.

Once the door closed, Makoto rolled over again, staring back up at the ceiling once more. "Two weeks,"
she muttered to herself, her eyes narrowing and her expression set in a grim scowl. "I'll be out of
this bed and ready to fight in two weeks."

She didn't care if it was an impossible goal. She could barely sit up, let alone stand up unassisted.
Her muscles had atrophied to a large degree. It would take months to bring herself back up to the
strength of a normal person, let alone build her strength back to where it was before she went into a
coma. She had been very strong for a girl and training with her brother had only further strengthened
what natural strength she already had. To return to that level would probably take a couple of years.

"Two weeks," she repeated to herself again, as if to confirm her decision.

So what if it was impossible? It was impossible for a girl to join Shishu, too, wasn't it?

She was Kino Makoto, sister to Kino Ryoku, daughter to Kino Ken, and granddaughter to Kino Tenmei. The
blood of great warriors ran through her veins. Compared to all that, impossible meant absolutely
nothing.

Besides, Jadeite and the rest of the Dark Kingdom had to pay for the lost blood of her decimated
family. The only acceptable method of payment was for her to take their lives with her own hands. She
would not accept anything less.

Makoto reached over to the dresser and pressed the call button.

Minutes later, Fumika opened the door to her room and peeked in. "Did you need something, Kino-sama?"
she inquired with a pleasant smile.

"Do me a favor, would you?" she asked calmly as she gazed at the nurse with a steely resolute gaze.
"Could you have someone bring me a bokuto?"

Fumika started to nod, but paused as the request fully sunk in. "A... what?"


_________________________________________________________________


Near Section 331 - Near Lower/Outer Grounds Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 12:47 A.M.


Rei ran as fast as she could toward the area Minako had described to her earlier. Just behind her,
Ami kept up with her pace. Ami's hand occasionally reached down to the pocket that held her
transformation wand as if to make sure that it was still there.

The closer she got to the practice site, the easier it was to find; all she had to do was follow the
sounds of mock battle. Once she was close enough she reached into the pocket of her hakama for her
transformation wand.

The moment she gripped her wand, a freezing chill stabbed her in the spine, almost causing her to
stumble as she came to an abrupt halt. Ami almost ran into her as she stumbled to a halt as well, but
they managed to avoid a collision.

"I'm not sure," Rei said in response to Ami's questioning gaze. "I just had a small premonition, but
all I could get out of it was that bringing out my transformation wand right now would be dangerous."

Ami gave her a considering look, then glanced around at their surroundings.

"You see something?" Rei asked as Ami suddenly headed toward one of the decrepit buildings. The mute
girl waved, gesturing for her to follow. "What?" she asked, but Ami simply turned back and ducked into
the building.

"Did you find something?" she asked as she ducked into the building.

Ami shook her head.

"Then, what?" she asked, frowning. "Why did you go into this building?"

The short-haired nurse-in-training reached into her pocket, pulled out her transformation wand, and
showed it to her with a smile.

Rei nodded. "All right, I'll give it another try." The raven-haired miko reached into her hakama
again. This time, nothing happened as she removed the transformation wand. With a grin, she raised the
wand over her head. "Mars star power, make-up!"


_________________________________________________________________


Decrepit Building Near Section 331 - Near Lower/Outer Grounds Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 12:51 A.M.


Titus unconsciously jerked her head in the direction of the flare of power she had just sensed a short
distance behind her and to the right.

'Was I spotted?' she wondered anxiously as she tried to get a fix on the new magical signature. Unlike
the other two Senshi with Venus, this one had a signature that she was familiar with.

'Martian,' she determined as she moved to see where it was coming from. Unfortunately, there was
nothing to see in the street behind her. By her senses, the Martian signature originated in the
building just across the street from her.

"Alone, hm?" she murmured to herself. "If I'm fast enough, maybe I can take her out. She did just
recover from a serious injury, after all."

As she was considering this, a blast of energy struck the window behind her, knocking her to the floor
in an explosion of glass, brick, mortar, and steel.


_________________________________________________________________


Section 331 - Near Lower/Outer Grounds Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 12:51 A.M.


Ryoku was in the middle of demonstrating a simple staff kata to Sailor Pluto, who had been learning -
or rather, relearning - staff fighting techniques at an impressive pace, when he sensed something. It
was not unlike a pins and needles tingling sensation that one gets when one's arm or leg falls asleep,
but the sensation wasn't physical in nature; more like a sensation in the back of one's mind.

The young Blade glanced over to Mamoru. He had been watching Sailor Venus and Sailor Saturn practice
using their powers in a sparring match, but he was now glancing back at him.

"You feel that?" Ryoku asked.

"Yeah," the elder Blade nodded. "It felt similar to what I sensed as I watched Sailor Saturn transform
for the first time."

"Why didn't she wait until she came here to transform?" he wondered as he glanced toward the direction
of the transformation.

"Maybe she wanted to be ready to go when she got here?" Mamoru offered as he glanced in the same
direction. "I know I'd-" He cut off suddenly as some unexpected movement caught his attention. "Kino!"
he hissed quietly.

"I saw it, too," he replied quietly as he waved urgently for the other Senshi to come to him. "Whoever
it is, I don't think they know their cover is blown."

Sailor Pluto glanced over to where the two Blades were staring. "Maybe they're more concerned with
whoever just transformed," she supposed, having overheard their conversation. Venus and Saturn joined
them as well, but Ryoku quickly gestured for them to remain silent.

"Considering where we are, the likelihood that they're friendly is almost non-existent," Ryoku
determined. "Orders, Chiba?"

"Snipe them."

"Roger," Ryoku nodded and turned to Venus. "I need a Crescent Beam aimed at that window," he said,
pointing to the broken window closest to where the building had broken apart. "We've been throwing
around a lot of power, so a full power shot shouldn't raise any attention."

"You got it," Venus said as she started drawing her attack rune. "Crescent beam!" The energy beam flew
out from Venus' fingertip and slammed into the window, causing an explosion of building shrapnel.

Moments after the explosion hit, Sailor Mars came running around the side of the building that was
just hit. "What happened?" she shouted as she glanced between the group and the window that was just
hit.

As if in response to her query, several blasts of water burst from the area that Venus had struck,
each headed toward a single Senshi or Blade.

"Scatter!" Mamoru shouted as everyone ducked out of the way. Each blast of water struck the ground,
raising small showers of dirt, rock, cement, and asphalt.

"Was that a Mage?" Venus asked as she glanced around for the culprit.

"Couldn't be," Mamoru said, shaking his head as he and Ryoku drew their swords. "That was way too
powerful for a mere Mage Youma."

"Then, what the hell caused that?" Mars shouted as she looked to the two Blades. "Last I heard, Mage
Youma were the most powerful kind of Youma out there."

"Is that what they're telling you?" a voice inquired from within the rubble of the now-crumbling
building. "I'm afraid that they're either mistaken or lying to you."

"Who's there?" Venus demanded as she drew another rune. "Crescent beam!"

A figure leapt out of the crumbling building before the beam hit, causing it to finally collapse from
the continued abuse to its decayed and rusted infrastructure. "Hmph," she snorted as she landed in
front of the collected Sailor Senshi and Shishu Blades. "You fire at me, then expect me to answer to
your demands later? That's rather conceited of you, don't you think?"

"You're a Youma," Mars spat. "That's more than you deserve."

"An Elite Youma," she corrected haughtily. "Titus, second-in-command to Jadeite, himself."

"You...," Ryoku growled as his grip tightened on his sword hard enough to make his knuckles turn
white.

"Hm?" she said, giving Ryoku a condescending look. "You have a problem with me, little boy?"

"I take it you don't remember me?" he sneered, glaring hard enough to bore a hole through steel.
"Then tell me, do you remember General Kino Tenmei and his wife, Kino Umi? Or, Colonel Kino Ken and
his wife, Kino Misaki?"

"Who cares about human names?" Titus shrugged. "But, the General's name does sound familiar." She
suddenly grinned in satisfaction. "Ah, yes. Wasn't he the leader of your pitiful Shishu group? Jadeite
was very pleased with me when I brought him his head. Thinking back, maybe I should've brought him the
heads of the others that were with him." The Elite Youma grinned cruelly. "Were they, perhaps, the
ones you were talking about?"

By this time, everyone was staring at Ryoku, who was barely holding himself back. "You Youma bitch,"
he snarled.

"Kino, hold!" Mamoru hissed warningly. "You don't stand a chance against an Elite Youma."

"Ah, now I remember you," Titus laughed. "The little boy who was dragging his unconscious sister to
the Hikawa Jinja. I had thought that pack of Youma I sent after you would've finished the job. I'm
almost impressed that you managed to survive." A ball of water appeared in her hands. "I suppose I
should've finished the job myself, after all."

"Venus love-me chain!"

The attack struck Titus' hands, dispelling the sphere and forcing the Elite Youma back a few meters.

"You've done enough to Ryoku-sama!" Venus shouted fiercely. "You'll have to deal with me now! Crescent
beam!"

"Silence glaive surprise!" Saturn added, launching an attack as well.

"Dead scream," Pluto whispered, launching her attack at the Elite Youma.

Titus dodged the first two attacks and leaped over the third, landing on top of the building beside
the one that had collapsed a short while ago. She quickly conjured up several spheres of water and
flung them at the Senshi, scattering them again.

'Well, this plan is ruined,' she mentally sighed. 'There's no way I'll be able to learn anything else
tonight. At least I've got a good idea of where they currently stand as a threat.' She scowled at
Saturn and Pluto before leaping off the building, away from the Blades and Senshi.

"I'll let you off this time, Senshi," she shouted as she departed. "Next time, you may not be so
fortunate."

'Venus and Mars are no problem, but Pluto has enough potential to be trouble, and Saturn could cause
problems for even Jadeite if left unchecked,' she brooded as she ran back to the Lower Grounds,
donning her human disguise as she ran. 'All the more reason why we should wipe this place out now.'


_________________________________________________________________


Section 331 - Near Lower/Outer Grounds Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 1:00 A.M.


Mamoru sighed in relief as Titus departed. "Of all the places to have a Youma attack...," he muttered
to himself.

"I've never seen a Youma like that before!" Venus exclaimed, turning to Mamoru. "How come we've never
heard of these Elite-level Youma before?" she inquired.

"Yeah, that's what I want to know!" Mars added. "As far as we knew, the Mages were the highest level
of Youma. Now Jadeite has Elite Youma? Are there any other surprises you should be telling us about?"

The dark-haired Blade frowned. "Actually, this is the first I've ever heard of the Elite Youma, as
well," he said as he turned to Ryoku. "Well, Kino? Care to enlighten us as to what we just faced?"

Ryoku's frown deepened. "You make it sound like I've been keeping secrets from Shishu," he retorted.
"You forget, I was just a newly-christened Blade when I witnessed her slaughtering of my family. As
far as I knew then, a Youma was a Youma. If I hadn't had to bring Mako-chan to the Hikawa Jinja, I
would have probably been killed as well." He turned away, staring off in the direction of the jinja.
"Back then, I didn't have half the amount of control over my desire for vengeance that I do now."

"So, you didn't know that she was an Elite Youma?" he pressed.

"I've never even heard of the term until now," he replied without turning back.

Mamoru's expression turned grim. "I see. At any rate, I'll need to find out how she managed to make it
all the way here without being seen by the border watch." The Blade leader turned to leave. "I'll
leave the rest to you, Kino." With that, he strode away, his hard steps mirroring his grim expression.

"Hmm...," the young Blade muttered after Mamoru left. "Considering what just happened, we should call
a halt to our training session for tonight."

"But, we just got here!" Mars protested.

Ryoku spun around and stared at her. "'We?' Who else came with you?"

"Just Ami-chan," she replied. "She's fine, though. I told her to hide while I went to see what was
going on."

He nodded. "I'll go get her." He glanced over to Saturn and Pluto. "After I get Ami, I'll be heading
to Medical to check on Mako-chan. Will you two be all right heading back on your own?"

"We'll be fine," Pluto nodded reassuringly. "Just make sure you tell your sister that I hope she gets
well soon."

"Me, too," Saturn added. "Tell her that I said hi."

"I will," he agreed, then turned to Venus. "As long as she's here, you might as well get her
acquainted with her power set." He paused in thought for a moment. "I believe Mars has the Fire Soul
and Burning Mandala attacks, if I'm not mistaken."

Venus nodded. "Yes, that sounds about right."

"Try not to stay up too late, all right?" he added, glancing at Mars.

"Oh, shut up," Mars retorted. "Just get going already. Mako-chan's been waiting for you long enough."

Ryoku smiled faintly. "Thanks for looking after her for me," he said and left.

Pluto dropped her transformation, becoming Setsuna again. "Come on, Hotaru-chan," she said, turning
to the youngest Senshi. "Let's go. Tomorrow's going to be another long day, so I'd like to get some
sleep while I can."

Saturn dropped her transformation as well. "Are we going to be doing this again tomorrow night?" she
asked Venus.

The blonde Senshi gave it some thought. "Probably not," she told her. "Considering the fact that that
Elite Youma was able to find us so easily, we'd better hold off on training for now."

Setsuna nodded. "Yes, that worried me as well," she said broodingly. "Perhaps we should wait until the
barrier comes back up?"

"It might be for the best," Venus agreed with a sigh. "Still, I'm worried about what'll happen if that
Youma comes back."

"We'll just kill her. That's what'll happen," Mars growled heatedly.

"Rei-chan...," Setsuna said warningly as she threw a pointed glance at Hotaru without turning her
head.

"What?" she snapped back. "It's the truth, isn't it? That's what we're here to do!"

"We're here to protect our loved ones," Setsuna said firmly.

"By killing Youma!" the raven-haired Senshi insisted. "Otherwise, they'll just kill us first, if they
don't try to enslave us instead!"

"Enough!" Venus shouted, causing everyone to turn in her direction and stare. The blonde Senshi took a
deep breath to calm herself and started again. "Arguing isn't going to help matters any. It's late and
we have just experienced our first encounter with one of the strongest Youma ever seen. If we're
going to have a chance against something like that, then we can't be arguing over small things like
this. We've got to work together!"

Setsuna looked away for a moment, her expression slightly penitent. "As I had said before, tomorrow's
going to be another long day. We should be going." She reached down and took Hotaru's hand. "Let's
go." She took a few steps and paused, almost as if considering something.

"It'll probably be a long day for you two as well," she said without looking back. "I hope you two
don't stay out too late; you'll need to keep your strength up in case that Elite Youma returns."

"Are you all right, Mars?" Venus asked after Setsuna and Hotaru left.

"I'm fine," she replied tersely. "Let's just hurry up and get started. It's late and I want to at
least learn how to use my powers before going back."

Venus gave her friend a worried look for a moment before letting the matter drop. "All right. First of
all, let's start with your first attack, Fire Soul."


_________________________________________________________________


Infirmary - Outside Makoto's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 1:46 A.M.


Fumika closed the door to Makoto's room, shaking her head in confusion as Ryoku turned around the
corner. "Oh, Kino-sama," she said as soon as she noticed him.

"Something wrong?" he asked, growing worried.

"No, no!" she said, quickly shaking her head. "Your sister's fine. It's just that...."

"It's just that...?" he prompted as she trailed off.

"Well, it's just that she asked me for a strange favor earlier," she told him. "She wanted me to get
her a bokuto."

Ryoku blinked. "A bokuto?"

"Yes," Fumika nodded. "I managed to get one for her from a friend of mine that works in Stores. I
thought it was strange considering that she had just woken up from a coma and that she's too weak to
even sit up by herself."

The young Blade shook his head and smiled faintly for a moment. "I wouldn't worry about it. That's
probably Mako-chan being stubborn."

The nurse gave him a blank look. "Stubborn?"

He shrugged. "Anyway, thank you for your help," he added gratefully. "I'll be here for just a few more
hours, so please excuse me for a little while longer."

"I understand," she nodded. "Good night, Kino-sama." With that, she headed back to her station.

As Fumika left, Ryoku opened the door to Makoto's room. "Mako-chan?" he called out quietly as he
stepped inside.

"I'm awake, Ryo-chan," Makoto replied as she turned to smile at her brother. "Welcome back."

Ryoku silently regarded her sister as she sat up in her bed. Everything was the same as it was when he
had left for the training session hours ago. The only exception was the bokuto that she held in her
hands.

"Been keeping yourself busy, I see," he remarked casually, noticing the small beads of sweat that had
formed on her forehead. "I suppose asking you to rest and take it easy is out of the question?"

"I've been 'resting' for over three years, Ryo-chan," she replied flatly as she raised the bokuto over
her head and swung it straight down in front of her continuously. "I don't have time to rest anymore."

Ryoku frowned slightly. "I understand, Mako-chan," he said with a sigh, "but I don't want you to go
pushing yourself when you don't need to."

Makoto stared her brother straight in the eye. "How many Blades do we currently have ready to fight?"
she asked without pausing in her exercise.

"That's not the point," he countered firmly. "You're in no condition to fight and it'll be months
before you are."

She turned away and stared straight ahead. "That's not good enough."

The two siblings remained quiet for several moments as Makoto continued to swing the bokuto in front
of her.

"I saw our family's murderer today."

The bokuto tumbled from Makoto's hands and clattered to the floor as she went still in shock. She
turned and stared at her older brother in complete astonishment at both the news and at the calm
manner in which he had delivered it.

"Who?" was all she could ask as she stared.

"It was a type of Youma we haven't heard of until now," he explained as he bent down and picked up the
bokuto. "She referred to herself as an Elite Youma. And unlike other Youma, she has a name - Titus."

"Titus...."

"I know what you're thinking, Mako-chan," he said quietly as he sat down next to her. "I'll tell you
this: You are NOT to go after her."

"But-!"

"Listen to me!" he cut off her protest. "Titus is too strong for you! She could easily kill me if I
were to go after her. How do you think you'd fare as you are now?"

Some of the fire went out of her, but she still remained adamant. "But we can't just let her get away
with killing our family!"

Ryoku let his head droop. "I know, Mako-chan. I don't like it, either, but there's only one person
that can face a Youma that strong."

"Sailor Moon, right?" she said, taking the bokuto from his hands. "Rei-chan told me about her.

"She also told me about how you saved her life," she added as she thoughtfully regarded the wooden
blade in her hands. "I'm impressed, Ryo-chan. Then again, maybe I should've expected that you'd do
something like that."

"Mm...," he replied half-heartedly.

Makoto glanced at her brother. "Something wrong?"

"It's a long story," he sighed tiredly.

"I've got time."

"Please, Mako-chan?" he asked letting his head hang again. "Just... not today."

She set aside the bokuto, wrapped her arms around her brother, and laid her head on his shoulder.
"Today wasn't a good day, was it?"

"In a way, it was possibly the worst day I've ever had," he told her sadly. "Right there behind losing
our family."

A heavy silence fell between the two siblings. "Can you do me a favor, Ryo-chan?" Makoto asked after a
while.

"What is it?"

"Stay with me tonight," she requested. "I just don't want to be alone when I wake up tomorrow."

Ryoku smiled. "Just as long as you promise to wake up."

"It's a promise, then," she said as she smiled back.

_________________________________________________________________


Usagi's Room - Orphan's Quarters, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 6:03 A.M.


Usagi yawned as she sat up in her bed and stretched. The morning sun wasn't high enough yet to offer
enough light to see by unaided, but there was enough light to navigate around her room. Even so, Usagi
reached over to the small nightstand by her bed and turned on the lamp, blinking as her eyes adjusted
to the sudden influx of bright light. As soon as her eyes became accustomed to the light, she tossed
her legs over the side of her bed and slipped her feet into her slippers.

"It's way too early...," Usagi yawned again as she stood up. Glancing back at her bed, she was sorely
tempted to leave it as it was. She stood there for a few moments, having an internal battle with
herself over whether or not to make her bed.

"Meh," she muttered to herself irritably as she started organizing the tangled bedclothes. Once that
task was done, she ambled her way to the bathroom to get herself ready for her day.

"It's gotta be at least fifteen or twenty minutes before 6:30," she grumbled as she turned the sink
faucet on and waited for the hot water to kick in. "I've really got to get a clock." She glanced up at
the mirror and frowned as she recalled the dream she had just before waking up.

It was the same Serenity/Endymion dream she had before, but she could remember more than last time.
Serenity was asking Endymion to search for something. From what she could make out, it sounded like
some kind of crystal. Golden crystal? Silver crystal? It was something that rhymed with "-in". At
least, that's what she thought it was. For some reason, her concentration seemed to wane around that
time, as if something was pulling at the back of her mind.

There was something else as well. She managed to see Endymion's face. Or, at least some small details
of his face. The distance and the fog still kept her from getting any clear details, but she could
swear that his face reminded her of someone. However, who that was still escaped her.

Usagi washed up quickly, changed into her work clothes, and started for the door, passing by the desk
that held her brooch on her way out. Without thinking about it, her hand automatically swept up the
brooch and pinned it to her shirt as she stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her.

The hallway was quiet as she made her way to the stairwell leading to the ground floor. Of course, the
only people that were usually up at this time were the kitchen staff, busily preparing the first meal
of the day for the denizens of Orphan's Quarters.

"Oh, good morning, Usagi-chan!" a female voice said as Usagi wandered into the dining area. "You're up
earlier than usual. Is Shishu requiring you to come in early today?"

"Good morning to you, too, Nina-san," the blonde-haired girl said and shook her head. "And no, I don't
have to be in until my normal time. I'm just up for no reason."

Ito Nina, the kitchen assistant, was a young woman, much like Minami, but where the head of the
morning kitchen staff was of average height and slightly curvaceous build, Nina was a tall and lithe
beauty with long, flowing black hair and dark brown eyes. Despite being an excellent kitchen assistant
with great culinary abilities, she had a small inferiority complex and constantly suffered from low
self-esteem. She held Minami in high esteem, often times looking up to her like an elder sister, and
more often than not, comparing herself to said elder sister, continuously finding herself short.
Despite whatever shortcomings Nina imagined in herself, she was very popular with the younger
children, oftentimes referring to her as Nina-neechan.

Nina stepped out of the kitchen and gave her a concerned look. "Did you have a bad dream or
something?" she asked as she glanced over her shoulder for a moment. "Do you want me to go find
Minami-san or someone else?"

Usagi raised her hands and shook them vigorously as she shook her head. "No, no! It wasn't anything
like that!"

"Oh," she blinked, then ducked her head sheepishly. "Sorry. I misunderstood."

"That's all right," Usagi said, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it."

The kitchen assistant nodded, then smiled apologetically. "If you're here for breakfast, I'm afraid
that it'll be about an hour before it's ready."

"Oh," Usagi slumped slightly.

"I'm sorry about that," Nina said. "Anyway, I need to get back to work if breakfast is going to be on
time." With a small nod of her head, she started back for the kitchen.

"Do you need any help?" Usagi asked.

"Although I'm grateful for the offer, we really shouldn't have non-kitchen personnel in the kitchen,"
she explained. "Since you're not trained to work there, you'd more than likely end up getting in our
way more than you'd help us. I hope you understand."

"I understand," Usagi said. "Well, I'll just wait around until you're ready then." She turned to
leave as Nina nodded and headed back into the kitchen.

Not having anything better to do, she started back for her room. On her way to the stairwell, she
happened to notice Luna padding out from the hallway leading to Ryoku's and Setsuna's rooms. "Good
morning, Luna," she greeted, walking toward the black cat.

"Oh!" Luna said, startled. "I was afraid you were one of the children." She quickly regained her
composure as she sat down. "Good morning... um...."

"Usagi," she supplied, giving the cat a flat look.

"Sorry, Usagi-chan," Luna said apologetically. "It's just that whenever I see you, it reminds me of
Princess Serenity. I know you're not her, but I can't help it." She sighed as she stood up. "I know it
must annoy you to be constantly reminded of your past life, so I'll just go back to Ryoku-san's room."

"Wait," Usagi said, stopping her. She felt rather guilty hearing what Luna had to say.

"Yes, Usagi-chan?"

"Look, I don't like the idea of having someone else use my body to fight Youma and everything," she
said. "But, I guess I can understand your wanting to talk with your old friend." She gave her a
considering glance and smiled lightly. "I'm not Serenity, but if you ever want to come back to my room
again and talk, you're welcome to it. I'll leave my door open for you. And Artemis, too, if he wants."

Luna smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Usagi-chan. As for Artemis, I think he's taken up permanent
residence with Ryoku-san."

Usagi grinned. "No kidding." Her smile dropped as a sudden realization struck her. "Hey Luna, I've got
a question for you."

The black cat gave her a curious look. "A question?"

"Yeah," she nodded seriously, then glanced around. "Maybe we should go back to my room. I don't want
anyone else overhearing this."

Luna glanced around as well, then nodded. "Lead the way, then."

The two quickly went up to Usagi's room. Once they were both inside, Usagi closed the door, while Luna
hopped up to the bed and sat down.

"Okay," she said as Usagi sat down as well. "What did you want to ask me? Does it have something to do
with Princess Serenity or the Moon Kingdom?"

She nodded soberly. "In a way. I've been having dreams where I'm Serenity and I'm speaking with
someone named Endymion. Do you have any idea who that is?"

"Endymion?" Luna repeated, then frowned as she stared at the floor in thought. "The name sounds very
familiar, like I should know who that is." She looked back up at Usagi. "Can you tell me about the
dream you had? That might give me some hints to help me remember."

Usagi went quiet for a while before speaking. "The dream is kind of vague, but familiar at the same
time," she explained slowly. "It usually starts with Serenity on a white balcony and Endymion
standing on the ground below. Sometimes, I'm watching both Serenity and Endymion. Sometimes, I'm
actually seeing the dream through Serenity's eyes. Either way, it's the same dream.

"The whole area is foggy for some reason and I can't see any part of the ground below Endymion," Usagi
continued. "Serenity calls out to Endymion, asking for his help. She continuously asks him to find
something called the...." She paused for a moment in thought. "I think she said 'Ginzuishou.'" She cut
off as soon as she noticed Luna's reaction. "Did you remember something about him?" she asked quickly.

"No, not about Endymion," Luna replied, shaking her head and giving her a serious look. "It's about
the Ginzuishou."

"What is it?" Usagi asked, curiosity piqued. "It sounds important."

"You have no idea how important," she told her. "It is a powerful crystal that only the royal family
can wield. To give you an idea of how powerful it is, one of its uses during the Silver Millennium was
to supply enough power to sustain life on the Moon and other planets besides the Earth. Once the
Silver Millennium ended and the Ginzuishou was lost, the Moon and the planets lost the ability to
sustain life. Without that power, their atmospheres collapsed, leaving them in the state they are
today." The black cat paused for a moment. "And that was only using a small fragment of its power."

"If it was so powerful, then how were they destroyed?" Usagi asked. "Why didn't they use that crystal
to destroy the Dark Kingdom?"

Luna shook her head. "I'm not privy to all of the details, but my basic understanding was that the
Ginzuishou wasn't to be used unless it was a dire emergency."

"The Dark Kingdom wasn't a dire emergency?" Usagi exclaimed in utter disbelief.

"Not at first," the black cat countered, her tone becoming slightly defensive. "At the beginning of
the war with the Dark Kingdom, the Moon Kingdom's army and the Sailor Senshi were able to keep them at
bay. However, the Dark Kingdom quickly grew in power and started overwhelming our forces. In the final
battle, Queen Serenity finally used the Ginzuishou, at the cost of her own life, to seal away the Dark
Kingdom. It is unfortunate that the seal was not able to hold indefinitely."

"Cost of her own life?" the blonde repeated questioningly.

"Yes," she nodded. "Using the Ginzuishou requires the user's own life energy as a power source. Small
things - like maintaining the environment around the Moon, for example - take a small amount of life
energy, which usually gets replaced when the user eats or sleeps. The more power used, the more the
user would need to recuperate afterward.

"At the end of the war with the Dark Kingdom, they had grown so powerful that it required the full
power of the Ginzuishou to seal them away. As a result, Queen Serenity used up her life's energy and
died just after using the last of her energy to allow her lost kingdom to be reborn in the future."

Luna sighed sadly. "I'm just glad Queen Serenity's not alive to see what has happened to her people.
I'm sure she'd be completely devastated."

The two went quiet for a while, mostly because Usagi didn't know what to say to someone who had gone
through what Luna had gone through. Saying that she was sorry just didn't seem sincere enough for
something as life-altering as that.

"There's something that bothers me, though," Luna said, breaking the silence. "Why would your dreams
link this Endymion person and the Ginzuishou?"

"It's probably nothing, Luna," Usagi said, shrugging. "It was just a dream, after all."

"Not necessarily," Luna disagreed. "Remember that Princess Serenity's consciousness is inside you. It
might be that she's trying to convey some message to you and that this is the only way she can do it."

"I don't need to be reminded that I've got someone else inside me," Usagi grumbled.

Luna grimaced. It still seemed like a touchy subject for Usagi, so she decided to let the matter drop.
"Anyway, maybe Artemis can remember something about Endymion, or at least help jog my own memory," she
offered.

Usagi nodded. "Besides, I've got plenty of time before work starts. Ryoku-san should already be up at
this time anyway."

"Are you sure?" Luna asked. "After all, he was up late training with the other Sailor Senshi."

"I'm sure," she said as she made her way to the door.

A short trip down to the first floor later, Usagi stopped in front of Ryoku's room and knocked lightly
on the door. "Ryoku-san? Are you in?"

No answer.

"Maybe he's asleep?" Luna said.

Usagi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "It's about 6:40 right now," she said, frowning as she gave the
door a considering stare. "It doesn't seem that likely." She gave the door another light knock.
"Ryoku-san?" A pause. "Artemis? Are you in there?"

Another pause. "The door's open, Usagi-chan."

Usagi and Luna traded glances before opening the door. Once inside, Usagi glanced around the room and
found everything set as if someone had left the night before and hadn't bothered to come back. Ryoku's
desk was still slightly messy with a few papers lying around and a pencil sitting on top of one. The
chair was still moved out slightly, as well. However, the bed was still pristine, as if it wasn't
slept in the night before.

Well... pristine except for where Artemis was lying curled up in the center of Ryoku's pillow.

"Where's Ryoku-san?" Usagi asked the white cat.

"Don't know," he replied, shaking his head. "He never came back from the Senshi training session last
night. Maybe Setsuna-san or Hotaru-chan might know."

"I hope he's all right," Usagi said worriedly.

"Well, Setsuna-san and Hotaru-chan came back fine last night, so I wouldn't worry too much," Artemis
remarked. "Maybe he was just too busy to come back to his room. I'm sure he'll be back later."

Luna nodded her agreement. "Anyway, I've got a question for you, Artemis," she said, changing the
subject. "You wouldn't happen to remember anything about someone named Endymion, would you?"

Artemis' ears popped up. "Endymion?" he repeated curiously. "Yes, I think I remember hearing that name
before. Let's see...." The white cat tapped his chin with his right front paw, thinking deeply.
Suddenly, his head jerked straight up. "Oh!"

"You remembered something?" Luna inquired quickly.

"Yes," he nodded. "It was several months before the Dark Kingdom appeared. Luna, do you remember that
one delegation from Earth? The one that was led by the Prince from the Earth's Golden Kingdom?"

"Golden Kingdom?" Usagi repeated dubiously as she took a seat on Ryoku's couch, while Luna jumped up
to the bed beside Artemis and sat down beside him. "I never heard of any Golden Kingdom existing on
Earth."

"I think I remember what you're talking about," Luna said slowly. She turned to Usagi. "Of course, you
wouldn't have heard of the Golden Kingdom, Usagi-chan. You were from the Moon Kingdom, remember?"

"My past life was, you mean," she retorted flatly.

"Even so, the war with the Dark Kingdom devastated the Earth long before destroying the Moon Kingdom,"
Luna stated. "It wouldn't be likely for any record of the existence of the Golden Kingdom to exist
beyond the Silver Millennium.

"Anyway, back to the original subject," Luna continued. "Now that Artemis has helped me remember, I
can answer your original question."

"Who Endymion is," Usagi said.

Luna nodded again. "Endymion was the Prince of the Earth during the war with the Dark Kingdom. Since
the Dark Kingdom had its main base of operations on Earth, at the time, all Earthlings were to be
considered possible enemies, whether they were subverted by the Dark Kingdom or they joined them of
their own free will."

"So, Endymion would've been considered an enemy, as well," Usagi reasoned.

"Which is why your dream of Princess Serenity asking Endymion to search for the Ginzuishou concerns me
so much," Luna explained.

"Do you think he was reborn, too?" the blonde inquired. "You know, like the Sailor Senshi."

"It's possible," Artemis said. "But I have a question of my own."

"What?" Usagi asked.

"Why would Serenity want Endymion to search for the Ginzuishou?" Artemis wondered. "Wouldn't
Usagi-chan herself be a better choice?"

"Maybe she can't converse with me directly in my dreams," Usagi shrugged. 'Not that I'd want to talk
with her right now, anyway,' she added to herself.

"Good point," he agreed and gave it some thought. "Perhaps the answer lies in Usagi-chan's dream."

"What do you mean?" Luna asked.

"There's more than likely a connection between Serenity and Endymion that we aren't aware of," he
figured. "Either that, or we've forgotten it somehow, along with all the other bits and pieces of the
Silver Millennium that we've forgotten."

Usagi stood up. "Either way, there's really nothing more that we can figure out, right?" she asked.
"At any rate, it's almost 7:15 and I need to get something to eat before I leave for work."

"All right," Artemis said, lying back down on Ryoku's pillow. "Let us know if your dreams give you any
more information about Endymion, all right?"

"I won't promise anything, but if I find out anything, I'll let one of you know," she agreed and
slipped out the door, leaving Luna and Artemis by themselves.

"Is it just me, or is she more cooperative than usual?" Artemis remarked thoughtfully.

"You noticed that, too?" Luna replied, giving him a surprised look.

"Hmph," he retorted, turning his head away. "You give me way too little credit. I'm not stupid, you
know."

"As far as I'm concerned, I often give you way too much credit," she countered with a snort. "If you
were as smart as you think you are, you wouldn't be in those bandages, would you?"

The white cat grimaced. "That's not really fair, Luna."

"Oh, don't be such a baby," she remarked as she glanced over at the door Usagi had departed through.
"Still, I wonder why Usagi-chan's more willing to speak with us regarding the Princess? Normally,
she'd just say that it has nothing to do with her, or something like that."

"Beats me," Artemis shrugged. "Whatever the reason, I'm just glad for it. The more willing she is to
accept her role, the easier it will be for everyone else. Especially the other Sailor Senshi."

"I just hope that this doesn't lead to something that we'll regret later," Luna worried.

Artemis idly nodded as he laid his head down, consumed in his own thoughts.

_________________________________________________________________


Infirmary - Makoto's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 6:58 A.M.


Makoto's eyes slowly fluttered open, taking in the early morning sunlight. Across the room, Ryoku was
sitting in a chair, watching her.

"Good morning, Mako-chan," he said, smiling fondly.

"Good morning, Ryo-chan," she replied as she sat up. It wasn't as difficult as it was when she first
woke up, but she did feel a little stiff in some places. "When did you wake up?"

"About an hour or so ago," he told her. "I usually wake up around that time, anyway." He gave her a
critical glance. "I told you you shouldn't push yourself so hard when you don't need to. It takes time
to recover. You know that."

Makoto grimaced. "I know, but I don't want to wait that long. I'm a 6th class Blade now. I need to
start doing my job protecting our home and all who live here." She gave him a firm, resolute look.
"Dad and Grandfather may be gone now, but we're still alive, Ryo-chan. We can still carry on the Kino
legacy."

"'Defending to the last; fighting for those who cannot; striving for the future of humanity,'" Ryoku
intoned reverently. "It may have been the motto for Shishu, but Grandfather made sure to drill that
philosophy into me. Especially after drafting me into Shishu."

"That reminds me," Makoto interjected. "I remember Dad and Grandpa taking you aside and telling you
something after the ceremony. I was going to ask you about it, but...."

'...Jadeite,' Ryoku thought somberly. There was no need for Makoto to finish the sentence.

"So, what was it that Dad and Grandfather wanted to talk to you about?" she asked. "Did it have
something to do with why they made you a Blade so early?"

Ryoku suddenly shot straight up in his chair, eyes wide open in shock, staring at nothing.

"R-Ryo-chan?" Makoto called out, worriedly as she started to slide herself out of her bed. "Are you
all right?" She lost her footing, having misjudged the length of her legs once again, and tumbled to
the floor with a loud thud.

The sound was enough to snap Ryoku out of his shock. "Oh! Are you all right, Mako-chan?" he asked as
he jumped out of his chair and helped her back onto her bed.

"Am I all right?" she repeated, staring at her brother in exasperation. "What about you? It looked
like you suddenly went into shock or something! You scared me for a minute!"

"Sorry about that, Mako-chan," he said apologetically. "It's just that I remembered something that
explains a lot of questions I've had about certain issues that have been going on lately."

"Oh?" she asked, intrigued. "What did you remember?"

Ryoku went quiet for a moment. "I'd like to tell you, Mako-chan, but I can't," he told her. "The
information is classified and I'm not allowed to discuss it with anyone who isn't directly involved."

Makoto frowned. "Even though I'm a Blade now?"

He shook his head. "Only Mamoru and myself have the need-to-know clearance," he explained. "I can't
even tell my fellow Blades."

"Aw, that's no fair," she complained.

"Sorry," he shrugged. "My hands are tied."

The brunette sighed. "Oh, well. I guess that's out." She then gave her brother a thoughtful look. "Do
you have to be at work by a certain time?"

"Normally, I'm at Shishu Headquarters by 0700," he explained. "That's when the workday starts and when
the duty personnel are relieved." He smiled. "However, I'm sure Mamoru won't mind my being late to
work today."

"That's good to hear," Makoto said in relief. She glanced down at her feet and legs for a moment, then
glanced back up at Ryoku expectantly. "Could you do me a favor, Ryo-chan?"

"What is it?"

"Could you help me stand up?" she requested. "I want to get used to my new height and I think it'd be
easier if I walked around for a bit."

"Sure," he replied as he stood up, then bent down slightly. Makoto stretched one arm behind her
brother's neck and stood up as he supported her weight. "How do you feel?" he asked as he straightened
himself.

"Not bad," she said after a moment. "My legs are holding out okay. I think I should be able to walk by
myself after getting used to it."

A soft knock at the door interrupted them. "Please excuse the intrusion," Atsuko said as she opened
the door and stepped inside with Ami following behind her, pad in hand.

"How are you holding out, Mizuno-san?" Ryoku asked, concerned at the exhausted look on Atsuko's face.

"I've managed to get some rest, but not much," she explained with a tired smile. "Don't worry about
me, though, Ryoku-san. I'm a professional, just like you. I can't let fatigue stop me from doing my
job."

He nodded understandingly as he helped Makoto to sit back down on the bed. "It doesn't stop those who
care from asking, though," he replied and moved out of the way.

"True," she agreed as she sat down on the bed beside Makoto. "It's good to see you awake again,
Makoto-san," she said with a pleased smile. "How do you feel right now?"

"I don't feel as tired as when I first woke up," Makoto informed her. "However, I do feel really weak.
I can sit up by myself, but standing is difficult. I think I can walk with Ryo-chan's help."

Atsuko nodded as she quickly examined her. "Can you lie down and sit back up for me?" she asked as she
stood up and took a few steps away from the bed.

"All right," she said as she complied with the doctor's request. Makoto laid down easily enough, but
she had to strain a little bit in order to sit up.

"How do you feel?" she asked as she performed a quick visual check.

"Fine."

"Try to stand by yourself," Atsuko requested. "Ami-chan, Ryoku-san, please be ready to assist her in
case she requires it."

"Yes, Mizuno-hakase," Ryoku acknowledged. Ami nodded her acknowledgement as they stood on either side
of the invalid girl.

Makoto's expression took on a determined set as she focused her mind on the task of standing up by
herself. "Here I go," she announced as she leaned forward and pushed herself off the bed. Ryoku and
Ami immediately squatted down and held their hands out in front of her, but Makoto managed to keep
herself from toppling forward.

"I can do this!" she strained as she clenched her teeth and started to straighten herself slowly.
Ryoku and Ami watched her for a few moments before standing up and taking a half-step back. Enough to
give Makoto room, but not too much in case they needed to dive in if her muscles failed her.

"Thanks," she grunted as she continued to stand up under Atsuko's careful watch. Once she
straightened completely, she gave Atsuko a triumphant look. "There!" she crowed jubilantly. "I did it!"

Atsuko nodded as Ryoku and Ami congratulated Makoto's accomplishment. "Yes, you did," she agreed. She
turned to Ryoku. "Help her sit back down, please."

The head doctor looked to Ami, who had picked up her pad and started making some notes. After reading
over what she had written, she gave her a satisfied nod. "That's about everything," she confirmed as
she turned back to Makoto.

"Makoto-san, I am honestly impressed at the level of improvement you've shown since Fumizuki-sensei's
initial post-coma examination," she told her. "Honestly, I expected your legs to give way about
halfway. How do you feel right now?"

"A little winded," Makoto said, "but I can stand up again, if you want."

Atsuko shook her head. "Your legs have gone through enough stress as it is. Please rest.

"I have good news for you," she continued as she moved to the foot of Makoto's bed and removed the
clipboard from the bin. "Based on what I've seen, I believe that we can discharge you from the
Infirmary and place you under home care today."

Makoto's expression brightened. "Are you serious?" she asked excitedly.

Atsuko nodded as she turned to an equally-excited Ryoku. "I assume that she'll be staying at the
Orphan's Quarters with you?"

Ryoku started to nod, but paused as his eagerness faded slightly. "I just remembered; the Orphan's
Quarters are all full up right now. There aren't any empty rooms left." He then shook his head,
grinning again. "No matter. She'll just have to stay in my room until one opens up. I'll just sleep on
the couch, while Makoto can have the bed."

Makoto gave her brother a concerned look. "I don't want to inconvenience you, Ryo-chan...," she began,
but trailed off as he shook his head.

"My bed isn't big enough for two," he told her. "Besides, we're a little too old to be sleeping in the
same bed like we did over a decade ago. I'll manage. Don't worry about it."

"Well, since that's settled, I'll be on my way," Atsuko said. "Do either of you have any questions for
me before I go?"

"I have one," Ryoku said as his expression turned serious. "What's the status on reestablishing the
barrier?"

Behind him, Makoto gasped. "The barrier's gone?" she asked fearfully.

Ryoku turned to Ami. "You two didn't tell her?" he asked.

'There was a lot of bad news for Mako-chan to catch up on,' Ami quickly wrote. 'We left out a few
things so that she could have time to come to terms with what we've already told her. I didn't think
she could emotionally handle everything at once.' A somber pause. 'I don't think anyone could.'

"I'll have to get with you later so you can let me know what you told her," he said before turning
back to Makoto. "Yes, Mako-chan. The barrier collapsed during a battle with the Dark Kingdom two days
ago. We've all been doing what we can to help speed up the process of getting the barrier back up,
but it's a difficult process to rush. I'll explain more later." Makoto nodded as he turned back to
Atsuko. "What's the ETR for the barrier, Mizuno-hakase?"

"We have enough priests, miko, and other religious personnel conscious and physically able to perform
the barrier establishment ritual, but they are estimating that the AOE of the barrier will only cover
Sendai Hill itself," Atsuko reported.

Ryoku grimaced. The area of effect was smaller than he was hoping for. "It's better than nothing," he
remarked.

She nodded. "As more personnel recover, the barrier can expand, but they have to be cleared through
Medical first before they can return to duty," she continued. "We are planning to perform the ritual
tonight at 7:00. This is the best estimated time of repair I can give since I do not know how long the
ritual will last."

"Have you relayed this to Mamoru?"

"I will be seeing him after this," she informed him. "Do you have any other questions?"

"No. Thank you, Mizuno-hakase."

She nodded and turned to Ami. "Here," she said, handing her Makoto-san's medical evaluation sheet.
"I'll need you to fill this out and turn it in for me. Before you turn it in, go see Fumizuki-sensei
and make sure everything's done correctly."

Ami nodded and left promptly after nodding to Ryoku and Makoto, who waved back.

"Take care, Makoto-san," she said before turning to leave. "I hope to see you up and about soon. Good
day, Ryoku-san."

"Thank you, Mizuno-hakase," Makoto said gratefully.

"You take care, too," Ryoku added.

Atsuko nodded and closed the door behind her as she left.

_________________________________________________________________


Slave Fields - St. Petersburg Slave Cell, St. Petersburg, United Soviet Socialist Republic.
August 9, 1992. 8:39 A.M. (Tokyo local time)


Jadeite grinned.

So far, his tour of his holdings had proven to be most satisfactory. His plan was to visit various
slave cells to determine the level of slave unrest in troublesome areas, as well as check on his more
prosperous holdings. His agenda was known only to himself, and was chosen at random, so as to better
impress upon those he left in charge that he could appear for a cursory inspection at any moment. He'd
only had to incinerate one of his Elite Youma for general incompetence, but that wasn't enough to ruin
his relatively good mood.

Ever since the great upheaval years ago, the humans of St. Petersburg had turned docile as if the
fight had been beaten out of them. Of course, that statement applied in the literal sense, as well as
the metaphorical. Examples had to be made, after all.

It also helped that he had completely wiped out Shishu in this area.

As he watched the humans hard at work in the fields, a tall, lithe blonde woman caught his eye. Not
for the first time did he regret not bringing one of his personal slaves with him. He was not about to
return like a fool, just because he forgot something like that, even if his favorite slave was there.

However, there was nothing stopping him from enjoying whatever this region could offer. And, if it
fancied him, he could always throw a Compulsion on her and take her with him. It was time he started
bringing in some new slaves for his personal harem. He could even pick up a new slave from each region
to add to his harem. Maybe start a collection of a sort.

It was starting to sound like something Nephrite would do.

"That blonde one is nice, but I'd personally go for that young brunette a little farther back."

He glanced in the indicated direction for a moment. "You have a point, but I think I prefer my first
choice," he replied as he turned to face his visitor. "So, what brings you here, Nephrite?" he
inquired with a raised eyebrow. "Looking for a new conquest?"

The brown-haired general shook his head. "Hardly," he laughed. "I have my hands full with my current
harem. Still, if you don't mind...."

"You have your own fields to farm for new girls," Jadeite retorted.

"Yes, but I've already experienced girls from all over my regions," he sighed. "It gets tiresome after
a while. I'm sure you can understand."

'Not really,' the blonde general thought to himself. "So, if you're not poaching my lands for women,
then what are you doing here?"

"Just a little friendly warning," Nephrite said as he dropped his affable demeanor for a more serious
one. "As you suspected, Kunzite is growing restless. I've caught several of his Youma sniffing around
my territories in Central America and in Northern Africa. I've also caught word that Zoisite is
planning to do the same to your territories, following Kunzite's lead."

Jadeite scowled. It was bound to happen. Kunzite had never been satisfied with the division of the
Earth that Beryl had lined out for them. The silver-haired general felt slighted, which he could
understand. But, Beryl's word was absolute, especially when it greatly benefited him.

"So, how did you come across this intel?" he inquired, curious.

"I've got spies in both Kunzite's and Zoisite's camps," he said smugly. "And they're in places that
they'd never think to look."

"Go on," Jadeite prompted as Nephrite trailed off.

The other general raised an eyebrow. "What? Just like that? Tell you about my great spy network?
What's in it for me?"

Jadeite sighed. He should've expected it.

He jerked a thumb back to the brown-haired girl Nephrite pointed out earlier. "You want her?"

Nephrite folded his arms. "Please don't tell me that she's all you're going to offer me," he replied,
almost offended. "I may be hedonistic and indulge greatly in the pleasures of female flesh, but I'm
not an idiot."

"Remember that new breed of Youma I told you about?" he asked. "The one I created not too long ago?"

"The Scout Youma?" Nephrite said, growing interested.

"I'll add in a pack of them," he told him. "However, you'll have to figure out how to train them on
your own."

"That should do," the brown-haired general finally said, accepting the deal.

"So?" Jadeite asked again.

"The spy network?" Nephrite said, his smug demeanor returning. "It's quite simple. Let me ask you
this: Why do you think that I have so many young girls in my personal harem?"

"I figured that you were just horny and that you liked 'em young," Jadeite remarked snidely.

"Oh, shut up," he retorted as he folded his arms again. "Just because you can't seduce a woman to save
your life...." He snorted irritably as he let the matter drop. "Anyway, the main reason why I have so
many young girls in my harem is because nobody would expect them to act as spies."

The blonde general blinked at the statement. Nephrite had a large harem. He bragged about it quite
often, in fact, claiming to have at least two hundred girls. While he personally thought that number
was bullshit, he knew that he did have an impressive number of girls in his harem. If they were all
spies, as well....

"So, you train them as spies...?" Jadeite began, but trailed off as Nephrite shook his head.

"Train?" he repeated, snorting. "Why bother? It's easier to use a little bit of Compulsion to implant
the idea that they had lived in a certain slave field all their life, and to compel them to listen for
any information that I'd find useful. Considering Zoisite's and Kunzite's disposition toward humans,
there's no way they'd think to look among them for a spy."

Jadeite nodded while keeping his expression neutral. Left unsaid was the fact that there could always
be spies in his territories as well. The fact that he was willing to talk about it meant that he
believed that either there were no spies in his territories at the moment, or that he believed that he
wouldn't be able to detect them. Either way, there was no way he could prove either of his suspicions.

It would at least explain why Nephrite knew where to find him. After all, he hadn't told anyone of
where he was or where he would be going.

"At any rate, I thank you for the information and the warning," he said congenially. "I'll send word
to one of my Mages to have the Scout Youma ready for you by tomorrow."

Nephrite nodded. "Then, I'll take my leave," he said and strode toward the young brown-haired girl.
After a few moments of talking, Nephrite offered his hand toward the girl. Much to his surprise, the
girl shyly accepted it, and the pair teleported away.

"I will never understand how he does that," he grumbled to himself as he turned and strode away from
the field. As unexpected and unwelcome as Nephrite's visit was, he had to admit that the other
general's information was very fortuitous. At least, now he could start making plans to counter
possible hostile actions from his southern borders before Zoisite could form any plans.

Executing those plans would have to wait, though. He didn't want to tip off Zoisite, or even Kunzite,
that he knew something was up. So, he had to continue with his inspection tour as if nothing had
happened.

Now that he thought about it, acquiring that blonde woman for his harem wasn't a bad idea. Considering
what had just happened, he could use the stress relief.

Jadeite grinned.


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


Author's Note: Here it is, the latest chapter of The Brooch! There's a lot of stuff going on in this
chapter, so I hope the long wait was worth it. Anyway, there are just as many answered questions as
there are new questions posed. Will Rei's desire for vengeance eventually put her at odds with the
other Senshi? What does Usagi's dreams of Serenity and Endymion mean for her? Now that Makoto will be
leaving the infirmary, how long will it be before she meets Serenity? And tension is building between
the generals of the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. Is a Dark Kingdom civil war
looming in the near future? The answer to some of 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.

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Email: jasonulloa (at) hotmail (dot) com

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