Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Brooch ❯ Chapter 21

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

The Brooch
By Jason C. Ulloa


Chapter 21


Shishu Headquarters - Commanding Officer's Office, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 3:54 P.M.


Mamoru leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, thinking. His concern lay mostly with the
restoration of the barrier, which was just hours away. There was still the possibility that something
could go wrong. They were still vulnerable and they would remain so, even after the barrier was restored.

He closed his eyes as he continued to lean back. It had been one thing after another for quite some time.
He felt really tired. Not just sleepy, but bone weary. He hadn't had a chance to decently relax for a
long time. With all the emergencies that kept popping up, it was beginning to take its toll on him. No
doubt the other Blades were feeling weary as well.

With one swift move, he leaned forward, pushed his chair back, and stood up. He needed to get his mind
off of things for a while. He'd be needed again soon enough, but for right now, he needed some time to
himself.

Stepping out of his office, he started for the stairs. From there, he would make his way out of the
building, and then... well, he'd figure it out from there. Maybe he'd go back to Rose Garden and see how
everyone was doing there.

As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs and turned down the first hallway, he saw Usagi and
Michiru turning down the hallway at the same time, talking amongst themselves. Usagi seemed her usual
cheerful self as she pushed the cleaning cart in front of her, while Michiru followed alongside, seeming
somewhat better than when he last saw her. He paused for a moment, watching them. Neither girl seemed to
have noticed him yet. As he observed them, it occurred to him that there was about an hour left before
they were done for the day.

"Hello, Usagi-san, Kaiou-san," he greeted as he walked over to them.

"Ah, Mamoru-san!" Usagi said, grinning as the head of Shishu approached.

"Good afternoon, Chiba-sama," Michiru greeted in return, bowing her head slightly. Usagi noticed this,
blinked in realization, then gave him a hurried bow, one much deeper than Michiru's.

Mamoru grimaced. "You don't have to do that," he said, waving the bows off. "I don't really care that
much for unnecessary formality. Just be yourselves, all right?"

"Sure!" Usagi agreed with an eager nod. Michiru simply nodded her agreement.

"Almost time to finish up and go home, is it?" he asked as he glanced toward the janitorial supply room
he passed a few moments ago.

"Just about," Michiru nodded.

"Are you getting the hang of things here?"

She nodded again. "It's not that hard, really. Usagi-san's been a big help with my finding my way around
this building."

"It does take some getting used to, since it's so big," Mamoru agreed. "Anyway, I was thinking that since
it's your first day and all, you could take an hour off and go home early. Sound all right?"

"It's not really necessary..." Michiru began, but trailed off as he shook his head.

"Listen, it takes some getting used to when you transition from slave life to life here at the jinja," he
told her with a kind smile. "You may feel like you need to keep yourself busy, but relaxing is important,
too."

"Even for Blades?" she asked with the hint of a wry smile.

"Especially for Blades," he replied with a nod.

Michiru gave a soft sigh as she closed her eyes. "All right, you win," she acquiesced as her wry smile
changed into a patient one. "If you're so insistent about it, then I have no choice. I will see you
tomorrow morning, Usagi-san," she said as she opened her eyes and nodded to her co-worker.

"Sure," Usagi replied back, waving. "See you tomorrow."

"Usagi-san, do you mind if I accompany you for a while?" Mamoru inquired with a pleasant smile.

"Eh?" she blinked as she jerked her gaze back to him. "What about your work?"

"I'm taking a break, too," he reassured her. "It's been really hectic and I need to get my mind off of
things, so I came down here to talk with you for a little while." He paused as the corners of his mouth
turned down a little in a disappointed frown. "You're not too busy, are you? I wouldn't want to interrupt
if I'm just getting in your way."

"Oh, no!" the young blonde replied, shaking her head. She hoped she wasn't blushing. "It's no trouble! No
trouble at all!"

"That's good," he said as he smiled and reached out for the cleaning cart.

"Um... I can get that...," Usagi began but trailed off as Mamoru shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," he replied as he got behind the cart and started pushing. "You just lead the way."

"A-All right," she acquiesced as she started walking forward. "I was going to take care of the conference
room, since you all finished using it a little while ago...."

"That's good," he remarked as he continued to push the cart along. "We use that room a lot for strategy
meetings and such. We try to clean up after ourselves, but...." He paused as he grimaced in chagrin.
"...well, you've already seen how bad we get about maintaining cleanliness around here."

"It's not your fault, Mamoru-san," Usagi said, her voice consoling. "It's not the other Blade's fault,
either. You're all so busy protecting us, you barely have any time to spare for yourselves, let alone
cleaning this place." She gave him a confident grin. "You just leave that to me and Michiru-san. We'll
take care of it so you don't have to. It's our way of saying thanks for all your hard work."

Mamoru laughed quietly as they reached the conference room. "Is that right? We'll leave it to you, then."
He pushed the cart inside and went to go sit down in one of the chairs by the table in order to
stay out of her way while she worked. "Just let me know if I get in your way."

"All right," she told him as she brought out a duster and started dusting all the overhanging fixtures
and furniture.

"How has Kaiou-san been working out so far?" he inquired as she dusted the room.

"Very well," she answered without turning her attention from the wall lamp she was working on. "She
learns very quickly and is an excellent worker. She might even be better at this job than I am."

"So, you think I should put her in charge instead?" he teased.

Usagi's duster froze as she whirled around and stared at him with her mouth wide open. "Mamoru-san!"

"Just kidding."

She blinked for a moment before his comment registered. "Hmph!" she huffed as she whirled back around and
returned to her cleaning task. "That wasn't funny."

"Sorry," Mamoru apologized with an amused grin.

After the dusting was finished, Usagi returned the duster to the cart and picked out a wide broom. "What
about you, Mamoru-san?" she inquired in turn as she turned her gaze toward the Shishu commander. "How're
you holding out?"

Mamoru's grin faded a little. "I'm managing. It's tough, but I'm doing my best."

Usagi stared at him for a few moments, studying him. "I can't imagine how hard it must be for you with
this crisis going on," she began as she started sweeping the floor. "I really respect you for being able
to manage under all that pressure."

His grin faded completely as he stared down at floor. "It's not as incredible as you might think,
Usagi-san," he said, his voice soft and even. "I only managed because I didn't want to die."

The broom paused in its sweeping. "You didn't want to die... huh?" she murmured to herself as she stared
down at the floor in front of her, her gaze introspective. Words she had spoken only a couple of days ago
seemed to echo in her mind.

'I'm scared, all right? I'm afraid that if I fight, I'll die! I've seen so many people die tortured and
painful deaths! I don't wanna die! I DON'T WANNA DIE!'

"That's the way it is in a war," Mamoru told her somberly. "You fight... or you die. In war, you can die
at any time. But no matter what, someone has to lead. Without direction, people die. No one chose me; I
just happened to be the next one in line."

"Were you scared?"

"Of course," he replied, nodding. "Who wouldn't be? Anybody who says that they aren't scared fighting
Youma is either lying or insane. But it's that fear that keeps us alive to fight again. Excessively brave
Blades never last very long. Experienced Blades learn to use their fear to keep themselves alert and,
more importantly, alive. A dead Blade is no use to anyone."

Usagi's gaze remained on the floor as the broom continued moving again. "You make it sound really easy,
Mamoru-san," she said with a soft, morose voice. "Just use your fear. I wish I knew how to do that."

"Usagi-san...," he said as he watched her sweep, her shoulders slumped and her head drooped as the broom
made a soft wisping sound against the floor. She seemed so forlorn and helpless at that moment, he
couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

'I should've realized it. Every time I've met with Sailor Moon, it was Serenity behind those eyes; never
Usagi-san. She must feel terrible about not being able to bring herself to fight as Sailor Moon, even if
she wants to.'

Mamoru was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't realize that he had stood up and walked by behind
Usagi until he had wrapped his arms around her from behind in a gentle embrace.

"M-Mamoru-san!" Usagi gasped as she jerked her head up and tried to stare at him, almost dropping the
broom in surprise. "W-What...?"

"I'm sorry."

Whatever it was she was about to say died on her tongue as she heard his gentle voice just above and
behind her right ear. Her cheeks were quickly turning crimson as he held her from behind; not too
tightly, but loose enough so that she could break free if she wanted.

"I didn't mean to remind you of something that upsets you so much," he continued, his voice contrite.
"But this is who I am, Usagi-san. I am a Blade of Shishu; war and death are a part of me. I truly wish it
were otherwise, but this world won't allow it."

"I know," she replied as she tried to keep her despair out of her voice. "I know that, Mamoru-san. I just
wish that I had the strength to help you."

"But... aren't you-"

"I can't make myself transform," she admitted as she hung her head again. "The last time I held this
brooch and tried to transform, I became so scared I could barely think of anything other than how scared
I was. I couldn't do ANYTHING! My friends are risking their lives to fight as Sailor Senshi and I can't
bring myself to do the same. I have to force myself to become someone else in order to fight. I just feel
so... useless."

"Don't say that," he told her as he held her tighter. "You aren't useless."

She shook her head. "But, I can't-"

"You're not useless!" he insisted, squeezing her tighter for emphasis for a brief moment. "You're far
from it! You have a great power inside you, Usagi-san. The power to protect those who cannot fight. I can
understand your fear, but you shouldn't blame yourself for it."

"But we need Sailor Moon," she murmured with a bitter sigh. "With the barrier down, we can't afford to
have her shivering in fear, right?"

"It takes a long time for some people to overcome their fear. It doesn't happen overnight." He broke the
embrace, allowing Usagi to turn around and look at him. "Besides, even if you're scared, there will
always be someone there to protect you. As long as you fight to protect someone, you'll never fight
alone."

"Mamoru-san...."

Mamoru glanced over at the clock hanging at the far wall. "Usagi-san, I have to get going. There are some
things I must see to before the ritual to reestablish the barrier begins."

"Oh...," she replied, her expression dropping a bit in disappointment. "Well, I hope everything turns out
all right."

"I hope so, too," he agreed as he turned to leave. "I'll see you later, Usagi-san."

"Bye," Usagi waved as he left, then turned her gaze back to her broom. "He doesn't think I'm useless."
Her cheeks pinked a little as she remembered the feel of him when he embraced her from behind only a few
moments ago. "I wonder if he likes me?" she whispered to herself as she smiled and turned back to her
task.


_________________________________________________________________


Silver Mist - Outside Michiru's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 4:16 P.M.


Michiru wandered down the hallway toward her room, her mind lost in thought. Now that she had shifted her
priorities onto working, she found herself in a quandary once she was no longer required to do anything.
In the palace, she always had something to do, whether it was mending clothes, preparing food or
medicines, cleaning the slave quarters... or servicing Jadeite's sexual demands. Now that most of her
usual chores were handled by others, she found herself at a loss for what to do with herself.

As she reached her room, she heard a slight, yet muffled rustling coming from across the hallway in the
direction of Haruka's room. Glancing toward the direction of the noise, she saw that the door was open by
a slight margin. Curious, she opened the door and peered inside.

"Who's there?" Haruka demanded as she whirled toward the now open door.

Michiru stood there staring at the outfit that Haruka was wearing, or rather, mostly wearing. She stared
without expression at Haruka's sturdy dark gray shirt and trousers with light gray spatters in a
camouflage style. The legs of her trousers were tucked into the openings of her black boots, which she
figured must be of the steel-toed variety. Her shirt, which was still unbuttoned and open due to Michiru's
interruption, hung down past the waist to about mid-hip length and had four large square pockets, two on
the left and right side chest areas, and two immediately below the first two. Underneath her open shirt,
she could see her thin black undershirt easily. The long sleeves of her shirt ended just a little bit past
the wrist - so that she could bend her arms without the sleeves restricting, Michiru figured - but were
unbuttoned. She could see a couple of boxes sitting over to the side near Haruka's bed, one already
opened. On her bed was another uniform, identical to the one she was wearing now. She figured that Haruka
must be checking the fit of her new uniforms.

"Ah, uh, Michiru...," Haruka said, taken aback at seeing her enter the room.

"So," she said as she closed the door behind her without a sound. "You're a Blade now, I see." The lips
of her mouth tightened a bit as she leaned against the door and let her gaze droop to the side. "I had a
feeling you would do something like this, Haruka."

"Why are you so upset?" Haruka asked as she buttoned her shirt. "I did this so that I can protect you."

"You didn't have to join Shishu, Haruka," Michiru retorted. "We're not at the Palace anymore. The Blades
can protect us now."

"Like they did at the Midoriyama Jinja?" the tall blonde shot back. "They couldn't protect us! They were
all wiped out and we were taken as slaves!"

"The Blades here rescued us," Michiru replied, her tone unyielding. "It's safer here than it was at a
smaller jinja like Midoriyama."

"Safer?" Haruka scoffed as she finished buttoning her sleeves together. "The barrier here is gone! There
are only a handful of Blades remaining here! If anything, it was safer back at the Midoriyama Jinja
before we were taken away!"

"So, if the Blades are as ineffectual as you think they are, why did you even bother to enlist?" she spat
back, her voice tinged with frustration. "Do you want revenge against the Dark Kingdom so badly that
you'd throw your life away for it?"

Haruka's features hardened as she strode over to Michiru and roughly embraced her. Michiru stiffened for
a brief moment, then relaxed as she put her arms around Haruka in return. "Didn't you listen to what I
told you, Michiru? I said that I did this to protect you. If the Blades aren't good enough, if the
barrier around the jinja isn't good enough, if nothing else on this Earth is good enough, then with these
two hands of mine, I'll protect you."

Michiru gave her a faint smile as she rested her head on her shoulder. "But, what if you're not good
enough?"

"Hmph. I AM good enough," she replied with a confident smirk.


_________________________________________________________________


Outer Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 5:31 P.M.


Mashima Kouta shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he stood, waiting for his shift to end.
It had been an uneventful five and a half hours and, with luck, the remaining two and a half would prove
to be so as well.

He had heard that the barrier was coming back up soon, but it wasn't soon enough for him. Every moment
without the barrier's protection was filled with apprehension. He kept expecting to see a horde of Youma
looming over the horizon, set to overrun what was left of the Hikawa Jinja.

Of course, he wasn't the only jumpy person out here. Hiro had shot his relief in the leg. Akira did the
same, only he mistook his flare gun for his rifle. Fortunately, Sasuke only received minor burns from the
accident. Gouta almost cut his relief's arm off, but thankfully missed.

His own mistake wasn't too bad, but emptying a clip on a building because some of its foundation had
crumbled made him feel like a complete idiot. In his defense, the noise had startled him! How was he
supposed to know if it was or wasn't caused by a Youma?

The index finger of Kouta's right hand slowly stroked the trigger well of his rifle. After the last few
incidents, everyone was required to have the safety on at all times unless there was another Youma
invasion. He didn't like not being ready to fire at all times. With his nerves the way they were,
switching off the safety could take longer than normal; precious seconds that could be spent gunning down
rapidly advancing Youma before they could kill him.

He was just about to start another round of pacing when something compelled him to gaze out into the far
horizon to the west. He didn't know why; it was just a feeling. It was hard to see anything past most of
the broken husks of ruined buildings and the bare, warped skeletons of toppled skyscrapers. The setting
sun cast long shadows behind him stretching along the cracked and pitted streets and sidewalks, looking
very much like gnarled and twisted monsters, not unlike the various Youma he had had to face not that
long ago.

Just as Kouta was about to give up and return to his worried pacing, he noticed a small amount of
movement in the lower horizon. It was very hard to see; he was surprised he had even spotted it amongst
the oranges and yellows of the fading sunlight. It almost looked like some type of small cloud, but its
color was different when compared with the other clouds in the sky. This one was dark and sparse, while
the others were lighter and had some more density to them.

Frowning, he reached for the binoculars and peered through them. It took a few moments to find the area
in question and to get the focus right, but once he did, he nearly dropped the binoculars in utter horror.

Youma. Flying Youma. With their shape and size, there was no other explanation.

"Dear Kami...," he whispered as he lowered the binoculars. He was no expert, but judging from the size of
the Youma and how fast they were moving, they would be on them in less than an hour. "Dear Kami...."
With a quick, muttered prayer under his breath, he turned and sprinted for Shishu Headquarters,
completely forgetting about the flare gun at his side.

The Youma were coming and they were a new breed that had never been fought before.


_________________________________________________________________


Hikawa Jinja Proper - Outside Grandpa's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 5:32 P.M.


The past half-hour had been spent speaking with various priests, miko, and Medical personnel, assessing
their collective ability to undertake the ritual to reestablish the barrier. Mamoru had already spoken
with people from the outlying churches, temples, and other holy structures getting their own
self-evaluations. It wasn't often that he visited the other religious centers, being Shinto himself, but
as the head of his branch of Shishu, he owed it to them to pay at least cursory visits to ensure that
they are doing well and have the support of the Blades of Shishu, and vice versa. The visit to the Hikawa
Jinja Proper, the functional administrative center for all the religions at the Hikawa Jinja, would be
his last stop before assisting in the preparation for the barrier ritual in his function as the Shishu
Branch Commander.

He had just finished speaking with Saitou Yayoi, who was the miko in charge of the Hikawa Jinja in
Grandpa's absence. She was a graceful beauty in her mid-forties with very long, pale, blonde hair, almost
to the point of being white, gathered in a loose, unbraided ponytail at the base of her head. She had a
slow, tranquil manner of speaking that tended to calm those who listened to her. According to her, enough
religious personnel had returned to active duty to allow for the barrier ritual to go through as planned.
It was fortunate news, however; he would have preferred it would be Grandpa giving him that news.

After the meeting with Yayoi, he made his way to Grandpa's room in order to check on his condition. From
what he had heard from Medical and from Yayoi herself, it wasn't good. Now that he was in front of the
room, he was hesitant to open the door. He had always remembered the elderly priest as being especially
hale and vivacious for a man of his age. He had a very friendly working relationship with him, especially
so ever since he started pressuring him to marry Rei. He didn't remember much about his own grandparents
as they had all died either before he was born or shortly after, but if one of his grandfathers had lived,
he'd want him to be like Grandpa Hino.

Mamoru sighed. This was ridiculous. There was no use in delaying anything. Grandpa's condition wasn't
going to change anytime soon, so he might as well brace himself and just go in. Steeling himself, he
gently rapped his knuckles against the sliding door and waited.

"Come in," he heard a voice answer from inside. Probably the nurse currently watching over Grandpa.
Opening the door, he found one of the older nurses sitting beside Grandpa with Rei by her side, both
watching the elder priest. The nurse - Moriyama Naoko, if he remembered correctly - was watching Grandpa
every bit as intently as Rei was, which was something he found strange, considering the fact that the
elderly priest was expected to remain unconscious for a long time. Yet, they were both watching him as if
he could wake up at any time. Glancing down at Grandpa, he noticed that he did look rather well for
someone who had suffered a massive concussion and brain damage not that long ago.

"Mamoru-san," Rei greeted as she glanced up at him, "have you come to see Grandpa?"

"Yes," he confirmed as he slid the door closed behind him. "I've meant to come sooner, but with the
barrier down and all-"

"It's not your fault," Rei cut him off, shaking her head. "It's your job. I don't blame you any more than
Grandpa does."

"Thank you," he said gratefully as he sat down across from them. "How is Hino-sama, Moriyama-san?"

Moriyama turned her gaze toward him as she tucked a few wayward strands of chestnut brown hair that had
escaped from the bun on her head back behind her ear. "He's made a surprising recovery, Chiba-sama," she
reported, her dark green eyes flicking back down to Grandpa for a moment before meeting Mamoru's again.
"All of the doctors that had examined him estimated that he would be unconscious for several months at
the least. According to Okuda-sensei, after someone named... 'Sailor Saturn-'" The nurse paused before
slowly pronouncing the unfamiliar name. "-used her miraculous healing powers on him, he's recovered at a
remarkable rate. He's merely sleeping instead of being completely unconscious and we expect him to wake
up sometime today."

'So, Hotaru-chan was here,' he mused as he glanced down at Grandpa again. 'Such a remarkable power. If
only she had the stamina to use it more often....'

He turned his gaze to Rei, who was still watching Grandpa with an unreadable expression on her face. He
had expected her to be pleased... no, ecstatic at hearing that her grandfather had made such a recovery.

"However, we do not know to what extent, if any, this miraculous healing has had on Hino-sama's brain
damage," Moriyama continued. "Once he wakes up, the doctors will examine him again and determine the
extent of his recovery."

So. He could see why Rei wasn't happy. Her grandfather's ordeal wasn't over yet. While Saturn was able to
bring Grandpa back from oblivion, he wasn't going to be the same.

"I see," he said with a solemn nod as he stood up. "Thank you for the information, Moriyama-san."

The nurse blinked as she glanced from him to Rei and back. "Uh, c-certainly, Chiba-sama," she replied,
her lips barely curving in a concerned frown.

He glanced from the nurse back to Rei. "Will you be participating in the ritual later on, Rei-san?"

Rei nodded. "I will, but Asahina-sensei says that I need to make sure I don't overdo it. If the strain
becomes too much, I have to drop out and rest." She shook her head. "I don't think it'll be that bad,
though. Unless we come under attack again during the ritual, the strain should only be similar to that of
what we normally experience while maintaining the barrier."

"It's that 'coming under attack' part that has me worried," Mamoru shared with her. "We're way too
vulnerable and I know Jadeite's just itching to take advantage of it. There's no way he hasn't noticed it
by now."

Rei's expression turned dark. "And what if he does come?"

The Blade's eyes turned hard. "Then we do what we can. As we always do." He stood up. "Rei-san, make sure
you keep yourself prepared in case you're needed." The raven-haired girl gave him a grim nod, which he
returned before he left the room.

'Just let him come,' she thought as she watched Grandpa again, her eyes narrowing as her gaze turned
harder than Mamoru's had earlier. 'If he dares show his face, I'll roast him alive! That asshole is going
to burn in the fires of Hell!'


_________________________________________________________________


Training Grounds - Outside Shishu Headquarters, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 5:53 P.M.


Sanzou observed as the Recruits sparred with each other using bokken. The training had been hard and
fast, but they were almost ready to be promoted to Sixth Class. Normally, it would take at least one
month of training before a Recruit could become a normal Blade, but these were hardly normal times.

Chiba had authorized accelerated training, cutting the time needed to train Blades by half by lengthening
training hours per day and taking them off duty rotation. But due to the scarce number of remaining
Blades and now with the barrier crisis, Chiba had instructed him to promote the Recruits as soon as he
felt that they were ready.

The Recruits had come a long way very quickly. They learned fast, which was quite invaluable right now as
they needed new Blades immediately. Besides, they had already participated in two battles and had all
managed to survive. That spoke very highly of them as Recruit Blades. He just wished he knew who had
trained these boys in swordsmanship prior to their enlisting. Whomever it was did a damn good job, if he
said so himself.

It wasn't unsurprising to get Recruit Blades who had been trained in swordsmanship prior to enlistment.
Both Chiba and Kino had been trained since a very early age. Even Kino's sister had been trained in
swordsmanship, although that wasn't common knowledge. Most of the time, those trainers were former Shishu
Blades, retired due to debilitating injuries, but there have been a few who were just those who had
learned the sword in order to teach others. Those types were rare, as most people who learned the sword
were expected to enlist and fight. Those who didn't were often looked down upon.

"Hey!" he heard a frantic voice shout in the distance. "Hey! Youma! Youma are coming! Youma are coming!"

"Cease practice!" Sanzou bellowed as he whirled toward the young man scrambling toward them in a
near-panic. "Stand by!" He ran toward the young man, anxiety tingling at the back of his neck.

"Youma are coming!" the man shouted again as he finally slowed to a stop in front of Sanzou.

"Calm down, man!" the Blade ordered. "Where are they coming from? How long until they arrive?"

The man flung an arm behind him, pointing to the west and the setting sun. "They'll be here in less than
an hour! Flying! They were flying!" His eyes widened as he grabbed onto Sanzou's arms and squeezed
urgently. "Flying Youma! They've got FLYING YOUMA!"

"Flying-?"

"Here!" he said, removing his hands and shoving his binoculars in Sanzou's hands. "See for yourself!
Look!" He jabbed a finger toward the last vestiges of the setting sun. "They're over there!"

Sanzou snapped the binoculars to his face and quickly zeroed in on the area the man indicated. He fiddled
with the focus for a couple of moments until a flock of flying Youma came into view.

"Wha-?" he gasped nearly dropping the binoculars in shock. Without wasting another moment, he quickly
drew the flare gun from the man's belt and fired it overhead.

"Oda!" he shouted, pointing at the nearest Blade as the flare exploded overhead. "The entire border guard
will be rushing here waiting for instructions. I want you and the other Recruits to get them organized.
Aida, you and Takei go to the Armory and help them get weapons ready for issue. Most of the defenders
from the last two battles still have the weapons they used, so you will more than likely just be issuing
ammunition. Once that's done, return here and assist the other Recruits. Go!"

The Recruit Blades quickly dispersed in order to take care of their assignments. He then turned to the
man who had given him the warning. "You, wait here for further instructions. As the other border guards
arrive, show them what you showed me."

"Got it!" he nodded, some of his panic disappearing now that someone had taken charge of the situation.

Sanzou turned around and rushed into the headquarters building, heading straight for the Comms Room.
"Damn," he growled under his breath as he ran, "their timing couldn't be worse!"


_________________________________________________________________


Outside Souther Cross, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 6:01 P.M.


The bad feeling had started not that long ago, but for some reason, it was growing stronger with each
passing moment. It wasn't a 'bad' feeling, per se; just a feeling of something being... 'off.' Not quite
right. Whatever it was, Titus didn't like it.

Now that she had left her living quarters, it was easier to hone in on it. Casting out with her senses,
she groped for a better understanding of what it was that was coming. It was partially familiar,
partially alien. Something... twisted.

There.

There was something advancing toward the jinja from the west. It was a risk, but she channeled some of
the negative energy she had stored from her connection to the reserves at the palace and focused her
vision in that direction, toward that small patch of darkness on the horizon.

Titus' eyes widened just as a flare burst in the air above Shishu headquarters.

'Youma!' she snarled as she suddenly took off running. 'Those aren't our Youma!'

As she picked up speed and departed the Lower Grounds, she dropped her human diguise, allowing her
fingers to extend into sharp claws. 'Who dares invade Jadeite-sama's domain? If you think you can get
away with this, I'll kill you myself!'


_________________________________________________________________


Lower Grounds, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 6:01 P.M.


Sanae yawned as she strolled through the Lower Grounds, making her way to her living quarters. It had
been another long workday, as usual. Still, it certainly beat slaving away at the palace. It'd be better
if they had any glassblowing facilities like they had back at home; that way she could return to her old
trade rather than work menial labor like this.

She paused as she glanced in the general direction of the palace and sighed. Every so often, like now,
she'd wonder how Kazu was doing. She wished he was one of the other ten that had escaped with her, but
unfortunately, such was not the case. Still, knowing him, he was probably making plans to escape and find
her again.

"Kazu...," she sighed to herself just as a loud burst and a bright flash of red light startled her.
"What-?" she exclaimed as she glanced skyward, toward the origin of the noise. Hanging in midair, a red
light slowly drifted earthward as it smoldered. It was a familiar light; a similar flare was fired the
day she had escaped from the Imperial Palace.

As she stared skyward, trying to understand what was going on, someone dashed past her a short distance
ahead. "Who...?" She turned her head, trying to follow the familiar mane of long black hair. "Hiromi-san?"

"Sanae-san!" Minami shouted, tugging on her arm.

Sanae tore her gaze away from the fleeing figure and turned to the blonde who had suddenly appeared out
of nowhere. "Minami-san? What are you doing here?"

"You were so busy staring up in the sky you didn't see me coming?" she asked, surprised. "Anyway, that's
not important! Did you see the flare? That's supposed to be the signal that a Youma invasion's about to
begin!"

Sanae's eyes widened as far as they could go. "What?"

"Yeah!" she added, tugging on Sanae's arm. "So, let's get going! We've got to get to our living quarters
and wait for them to tell us what to do! Although, I'm betting they're just going to make us take shelter
at the jinja."

"But, the barrier's not up!" the redhead exclaimed as she started running, prompting Minami to run, too.
"What good will hiding in the jinja do?"

"I don't know," Minami said, her tone full of worry. "I'm just hoping something will happen."

"What?"

Minami was silent for a moment as they ran. "A miracle... I guess."


_________________________________________________________________


Hikawa Jinja Proper, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 6:01 P.M.


Rei sat quietly as the two nurses discussed Grandpa's current condition during their shift turnover. In
an hour, she would be required to participate in the ritual to reestablish the barrier around the Hikawa
Jinja, so she would take her leave and get prepared as soon as the new nurse took over her shift. It
would take at least a half-hour of meditation to get her mind in a state to where she could actually do
her part in the ritual.

Just as the nurses finished and Rei was getting to her feet, they all heard a small, muffled explosion
come from outside. Rei stiffened as her mind tried to figure out what that sound was. Unbidden, the short
conversation she had with Mamoru earlier ran through her mind. What if that explosion was from a flare
bursting?

"I'm going to go see what that was," she told the nurses as she ran out of the room, not even sliding the
door closed behind her. As she ran, her right hand briefly dipped into the pocket of her hakama and
brushed against the transformation wand resting inside. She resisted the urge to bring it out right
there; instead, concentrating on finding out if what she heard was, in fact, an invasion flare.

She burst out of the shrine's entrance and jerked her head upward, frantically scanning the darkening sky
for the crimson light of the flare. As soon as she spotted it, her mouth curled downward in a scowl as
her hands clenched at her sides.

"Finally," she murmured as she turned and darted toward the steps leading down the hill. As she raced
down the hill, her hand dove into her pocket again, grabbing the wand in a tight grip. The moment she
reached the Lower Grounds, she immediately set off for the Orphan's Quarters. If they weren't ready by
the time she got there, she would have to drag them out herself.


_________________________________________________________________


Outside Silver Mist, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 6:01 P.M.


Minako lazily stretched as she approached her living quarters. She was grateful for the early relief from
her final shift at the jinja, since she wanted some time to relax before going to meet with Haruka and
Michiru.

The blonde nurse-in-training grimaced to herself as she mentally went over what she wanted to talk to
them about. A lot of the normal stuff was probably gone over already and she was very hesitant to bring
up Michiru's physiological condition. Just thinking about it was drudging up bad memories of her time as
a slave at the Imperial Palace. She had only been free for about a year and a half, but she still had
nightmares about it.

Before she reached the entrance to her living quarters, a loud explosion and a flash of red light caused
her to freeze in place. "No way...," she breathed as she turned her eyes toward the source of the blast.
"Please, anything but that. Not now."

Sure enough, a bright red light hung in the sky, slowly falling as it burned.

"Damn!" she hissed as she quickly patted her pockets, inwardly praying that she had remembered to bring
her transformation wand with her. Finding it in her skirt pocket, she gave a sigh of relief. Now that she
had everything she needed, she started to rush off to meet with the other Senshi, but hesitated when she
realized something important.

'Ah! We never figured out where we were going to meet in an emergency!' she thought as her mind raced to
figure out a plan of action. 'In that case, I'll head to the Orphan's Quarters. Over half of the other
Senshi live there anyway. We'll figure something out from there.'

With that plan firmly in mind, Minako ran toward the Orphan's Quarters, her earlier worries completely
forgotten.


_________________________________________________________________


Silver Mist - Haruka's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 6:01 P.M.


Haruka laid in her bed, still clothed in her new Shishu uniform, as she stared down at the slumbering
form beside her. A small, content smile brushed across her lips as she watched Michiru's chest rise and
fall in a slow, rhythmic manner and played with a few curls of her long, wavy aquamarine hair.

The past few days had been a complete emotional torrent for Michiru and she supposed that her sudden
enlistment might have been done without considering how she might take it. Still, what she did felt like
the right choice. Even if she had discussed it with Michiru, she was certain that she would've enlisted
anyway, regardless of what she might've had to say. She would've probably been upset, but she was certain
she could've explained her reasons why, just like with what happened earlier.

Her smile faded as she recalled the reason behind Michiru's emotional decline. Michiru really wanted to
have a child in the future. There were nights at the palace, when she couldn't sleep, where she would
just wonder about the kind of child she would have. She sometimes asked her opinion on the matter, but
she would always reply that she never had any interest in children. Michiru would always smile at her and
tell her that she wouldn't be saying the same thing once the baby was born.

"I just wish there was something I could do for you," she sighed as she let her head rest against her
pillow and stared up at the ceiling.

Her ruminations were broken as a loud boom sounded from outside her open window. Haruka jerked up,
staring toward the window, waking Michiru with her sudden movement.

"Hmm? Is something wrong?" Michiru asked drowsily as she sat up on the bed. "Did something happen?"

Haruka jumped off the bed and raced to the window. "Did you hear that?" she asked as she searched.

"No," she shook her head as she slipped off the bed and moved to join her at the window. "Oh! What's
that?" she asked, pointing toward a bright red light slowly floating down from the sky high overhead.

Haruka turned her head in the indicated direction. "A... flare?"

"Didn't they fire one of those when they first found us?" Michiru asked. "You think they found some other
slaves out there?"

"Could be," she supposed as she turned from the window. "Michiru, I'm going to head to Shishu
headquarters and see what they want me to do."

Michiru's eyes widened. "But Haruka, you're just a recruit! You haven't gone through any training yet!"

"I'll be fine," she replied, trying to keep her tone assuring. "We've fought Youma before, remember? I
can handle myself out there."

Without another word, she strode to wear the two boxes were sitting and opened the second box. Once open,
she drew a sheathed sword from inside, along with a belt. Michiru held her tongue and watched in silence
as Haruka slipped the belt through the loops on her trousers and then attached the sword to the belt on
her left side. She wished that Ryoku had left the rifle and ammo magazines in the box, but he said that
it was better to leave firearms in the Armory where unauthorized people couldn't get to it. She could
understand in a case like his, where there were a lot of young children living there, but she didn't know
anyone here besides Michiru and Minako. Who would try to go in her room?

"All right," Haruka said as she looked up at Michiru after adjusting the sword at her side. "Hopefully,
this won't take-" She cut off abruptly as a loud siren began to blare. "What the?"

"Haruka...," Michiru began worriedly, but trailed off as Haruka shook her head.

"I'm going, Michiru," she said firmly as she gave her a resolute look and put a hand on her shoulder.

Michiru stared into Haruka's eyes for a moment, closed her eyes, and nodded just before giving her a
quick peck on the cheek. "Take care," she told her, a single tear forming in the corner of her eye.
"Please come back safe."

Haruka nodded once before hurrying out the door.


_________________________________________________________________


Orphan's Quarters, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 6:01 P.M.


"So, that's going to be the schedule for the next couple of weeks," Ryoku said as he stood up from the
bed. "You sure you'll be able to handle all that?"

Makoto nodded, a resolute cast easily visible in her eyes. "I'll do it. Just watch me."

Her brother simply nodded. "Dinner should be ready now," he said, grabbing her crutches and tossing them
to her.

"Thanks," she said as she easily caught them and slipped down off the bed to her feet. She wobbled for a
moment before getting her weight firmly onto the crutches, but she managed to keep herself from toppling
over. Noting that her brother had not moved to help her, she gave him a small, grateful smile. "Well,
shall we go?"

Just as the siblings were leaving the room, a loud, muffled explosion came from what sounded like
outside. "What was that?" Makoto asked, seeing Ryoku jerk back and turn his head toward the direction of
the blast.

"No...," he murmured to himself, his voice growing more apprehensive with each passing moment. "It's too
soon. It's way too soon! We're not ready yet!"

"What-?" she started to ask, but stopped as Ryoku darted off, leaving her behind. "Hey!" she exclaimed,
trying her best to follow after him. "What's going on?"

"Makoto-san!" Setsuna called out as she rushed to meet her from the dining area. A small cluster of
children crowded behind the nurse, trying to see what was going on. Makoto thought she could see Hotaru
in that small crowd. "I thought I heard Ryoku-san shout something before running past here," she
continued before turning back and shooing the children back to the dining area. Most of them moved back
a few steps, but no one left. In fact, the group was slowly growing larger.

"I think he ran outside after that loud boom went off," she explained and blinked at Setsuna's blanched
expression, as well as the children's fearful murmurings behind her. "What's going on, Setsuna-sensei?
What just happened?"

Before Setsuna could reply, the door to the entrance of the Orphan's Quarters opened, allowing a
grim-faced Ryoku back inside. "It's the invasion flare," he announced gravely. "Naru!"

"Yes!" Naru's voice called out from the back of the group of children behind Setsuna.

"Go to the Comms Room as soon as you can," he ordered. "I expect the alarms to start going off soon.
We'll need comms with Shishu HQ as soon as possible."

"Yes, Kino-sama!" she replied and hurried off, pushing past a couple of children before the rest moved
aside for her.

"The rest of you, either stay in the dining or common areas, or stay in your rooms unless given the order
to evacuate to the jinja," he continued. "Everyone understand?"

"Yes, Kino-sama!" all the children shouted just moments before the alarm sirens began to wail.

"And there we go," he sighed heavily before turning to Setsuna. "Setsuna-san, please accompany me to the
Comms Room."

"Certainly," she nodded, her expression mostly composed.

"Mako-chan, you come as well," he added before heading for the Comms Room.

"Sure," Makoto nodded as she and Setsuna followed him toward the hallway leading toward the Comms Room.

"Anyone following us?" he asked after they turned the corner, out of the children's view.

"No," Setsuna replied. "I take it this is about us."

"Us?" Makoto repeated while giving her a questioning look.

"The Sailor Senshi," she expounded before turning back to the elder Blade. "We need to get in touch with
Minako-san and Rei-san and figure out where we can meet up and transform without anyone seeing us."

"Right," he nodded. "Mamoru asked me to figure out some method of quick communication between us in
Shishu and the Senshi. Now that we're in this emergency, I think we need a method of quick communication
between Senshi as well."

"Maybe we can ask those cats," Makoto suggested. "They had the transformation wands. Maybe they'll have
something else or know of something we can use."

"That's a good idea," he agreed. "Setsuna-san, can you go to Usagi's room and see if Luna's there? If she
is, ask her about what we were talking about." He paused for a moment. "Actually, I think Artemis is
there, too, so that'll save us some time."

"All right," she nodded and hurried off.

"Come on, Mako-chan," he said starting for the Comms Room again as soon as Setsuna left. "Hopefully,
someone will have the coordinates for us soon."


_________________________________________________________________


Usagi swallowed in fear as the alarm continued to wail. It was going to happen again. She was going to
have to become Sailor Moon in order to save everyone. The brooch on her blouse felt heavy, weighing her
down with the burden of her terrible duty.

"Are you all right, Usagi-oneechan?" Hotaru asked, holding her hand beside her. "You look frightened."

The blonde girl looked down at her. "I am, Hotaru-chan. Aren't you scared, too?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm really scared," she admitted, staring down at the ground as she huddled closer to her. "But as
long as I've got Setsuna-mama, Ryo-niichan, and you to protect me, I know everything will be okay in the
end."

"Hotaru-chan...," she said as she gently squeezed the young girl's hand as she waited.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to finish my dinner," one of the boys behind her said and
went back into the dining area. As if that was a signal, most of the other children also ambled back into
the dining area, many of them chattering amongst themselves in hushed, fearful voices.

Hotaru and Usagi were about to head into the dining area as well, when the entrance door swung open and
Rei stormed in, scowling as her gaze swept the room. As soon as she spotted Usagi and Hotaru, she headed
straight for them.

"Where are the others?" she demanded urgently.

"Eh?" Usagi blinked as she gave her a blank look.

"Setsuna-sensei went with Ryo-niichan to the Comms Room," Hotaru explained in a low voice, looking around
to make sure that no one could overhear her. "Mako-chan went, too. I don't know where Minako-chan is at."

Rei let out an impatient sigh. "Damn. All right, where is the Comms Room?"

"I'll show you," she said as she let go of Usagi's hand and started to leave. "Just follow me," she
added, glancing back at Rei over her shoulder.

The raven-haired miko nodded as the door swung open again and Minako rushed inside. "Oh, great!" she
said, smiling in relief as soon as she saw Rei. "I'm so glad you're here! So, where's Setsuna-sensei?"

"At the Comms Room, apparently," Rei replied tersely. "Which is where I was headed before you
interrupted."

"Oh, sorry," Minako apologized. "Go ahead; I'll wait here with Usagi-chan."

"All right," she nodded as she turned to leave. "Thanks."

"Minako-chan," Usagi said in a hushed voice so as not to be overheard, "Rei-chan's a Senshi, too?"

The short-haired blonde blinked for a moment before realization dawned on her. "Oh, that's right. You
didn't know.

"Yeah, Rei-chan's a Senshi," Minako nodded. "So is Setsuna-sensei. Rei-chan's Sailor Mars and
Setsuna-sensei's Sailor Pluto. I've been meaning to tell you, but I didn't know if you already knew or
not."

Usagi gave her a flat, stony look. "Because of Serenity?"

Minako grimaced. "I'm sorry, Usagi-chan. We've all been extremely busy because of everything that's been
going on and...."

"No, that's all right," Usagi replied, shaking her head. "It's not your fault. I didn't mean it that way.
It's just that I feel useless at times like this. I wish I had the strength you and Hotaru-chan have."

"Usagi-chan...."

"Okay, everyone! Listen up!" Ryoku's voice shouted as he rushed into the room with Makoto, Naru, Rei, and
Hotaru trailing behind him. "Shishu's given the order for everyone to evacuate to Sendai Hill! I want
everyone to start heading to the Hikawa Jinja Proper and meet up there. Everyone understand?"

"Yes, Kino-sama!"

"Good. Naru, I want you and three others to start checking all the rooms before you evacuate. Make sure
that everyone is out of here. We don't want anyone left behind."

Naru nodded. "Yes, Kino-sama."

"Good. Now, everyone get going!"

"Ryoku-sama, what did you find out about the enemy's location?" Minako asked as the children exited the
living quarters. She kept her voice low, but loud enough for the others to hear her over the din of the
evacuation.

"Right now, they're predicting that the invasion force will arrive from section 313," he explained
quickly. "They've already opened the Armory and are arming the defense force from the last two battles.
Fortunately, many of the defenders kept their weapons, so all we have to worry about is issuing out the
firearms again. All Blades are to report to HQ before heading out to section 313."

"Even Mako-chan?" Minako asked.

"No, she's to evacuate to the jinja as well, since she is still in no condition to fight."

"Sailor Jupiter, on the other hand, is more than ready to lend her support," Makoto added.

"Hey, where's Setsuna-sensei?" Usagi asked glancing around. "Wasn't she with you?"

"I asked her to go find Luna and Artemis," he explained. "We need to find out if they know of any way we
can keep in contact in case of emergencies like this. It's fortunate that Minako and Rei came here before
we left, but they could've easily been elsewhere. Either that, or some of us could've been somewhere
else. Either way, we can't afford to waste time looking for each other. Hopefully, those two will have or
know of something."

"Ryoku-san!" Setsuna called out as she hurried down the stairs with Artemis clinging to her shoulder and
Luna following close behind.

"Great timing," he nodded. "Did you learn anything?"

"We think that we might have something," Luna said as she traded glances with Artemis.

"Actually, we have two different items, but considering the fact that you're all trying to hide your
identities, the second one might be too obvious," Artemis added as Setsuna put him down.

"Right now, we'll take anything," Rei said.

"All right, then," he nodded. "Ready, Luna?"

"Whenever you are."

"Go!" He shouted as both cats flipped into the air, their paths crossing at the apex of their jumps. In
the area where they crossed, ten different colored, handheld communicators appeared and clattered on the
ground.

"Why so many?" Usagi asked as she looked over them over. She felt her gaze drawn toward the pink,
rectangular object as she slowly knelt down and picked it up, looking it over as she stood up again. It
was very thin and had several buttons on the front and a small window in the upper right-hand corner. On
the back side, there was a yellow crescent moon. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the others
were doing the same.

"They're for whenever you find the last two Sailor Senshi," Artemis told her.

"Two?" Luna said, quickly glancing over the communicators. "But, aren't there supposed to be only nine
Senshi? Why are there ten communicators?"

"Does it matter?" Ryoku asked, picking up a communicator. "It could be there in case one breaks or
something. Anyway, it's just as well that there's an extra one. I need to be able to contact any one of
you in case of an emergency. Part of my job as Shishu liaison and all."

Glancing at the other communicators that the others had picked up, she could see different symbols on
their communicators. Each one was probably meant as the symbol for their respective planets. Makoto's
green communicator had a symbol that looked kind of like a four. Hotaru's violet one had a symbol that
looked like a Roman lowercase 'h.' Minako's orange one had a circle with a cross stuck to the bottom. With
Setsuna's dark green communicator, she had one that looked like a Roman uppercase 'P.' The red one that
belonged to Rei had a symbol that looked like a circle with an arrow sticking out of it from the upper-
right. As for Ryoku's silver communicator, his had a symbol that looked like a combination of her own
crescent moon with a crossed circle in the moon's hollow all in front of a pair of crossed swords. She had
no idea what that symbol stood for, though. Maybe it was a crest of some kind, or maybe the symbol of his
position as a general in Queen Serenity's army. Usagi glanced over the remaining communicators. There was
a light blue one, a dark blue one, and a sea green one remaining.

After pocketing his communicator, Ryoku bent down and picked up the other three. "I'll give Ami hers when
I see her," he said putting the three communicators in a different pocket.

"So, what's the plan?" Rei inquired, growing more impatient. "Do we just transform, march out there, and
take out every Youma we see?"

"Not quite," Ryoku replied. "Minako, I want you, Rei, Usagi, Hotaru-chan, and Setsuna-sensei to head for
section 313. Find a place where you won't be seen by hidden eyes and transform there. Mako-chan and I
will go to Medical and meet up with Ami there. We'll arrange it so that she's 'watching' Mako-chan while
I depart with Sailor Jupiter. Any questions?"

"How do you work these things?" Usagi asked.

There was a silence as that question registered.

"I'm pretty sure you've got to push one of these buttons," Minako supposed as she tried pressing a few.

"Oh! Minako-chan, I can see you on this little window!" Hotaru said, pointing to her communicator.

"Same here," Setsuna added, displaying her communicator.

"Okay, so now we know they work," Rei said, putting her communicator away and pulling out her
transformation wand. "Let's get going. We can't waste any more time here."

"Agreed," Ryoku nodded and turned to Minako. "I'll leave things in your hands. Mako-chan and I will join
up with you later. Good luck."

Minako nodded. "Thanks. You, too."

He turned to regard the others. "All of you be careful out there, all right?"

"We will," Setsuna said, nodding as everyone started to leave. "And make sure that you do the same,
Ryoku-san."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Makoto replied confidently, "so don't worry about a thing."

The nurse nodded again and departed with everyone else. The siblings followed right behind them, stopping
just as they were outside the door.

"Well, let's go, Ryo-chan," Makoto said as she picked up her crutches.

"Right," he said as he scooped her up in his arms. "Hold on." With that, he sprinted down the path toward
Sendai Hill. Time was critical and they needed every second they could save.


_________________________________________________________________


Eighty-three Kilometers West of Hikawa Jinja, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 6:11 P.M.


Titus slowed down as she drew close to the oncoming Youma horde. A quick count showed that there was
about fifteen hundred Youma consisting of two-thirds sentries and Hunter Youma, and the rest a type of
Youma she had ever seen before. Concentrating her senses on one of them individually proved that they
were certainly not Elite Youma like herself, so what were they? And whose were they? Certainly not
Nephrite's; she had spied enough in his domain to know that he didn't have any such Youma. So, that left
only Kunzite and Zoisite.

'They're probably Zoisite's,' she thought as she leapt to the top of the tallest building still standing
and waited. 'That man always had a bone to pick with Jadeite-sama. Always thought he was the superior
one. If that insidious fool is behind this, then he'll pay for it.'

As soon as the horde drew close enough to sense her, she shot a large blast of water several meters ahead
of the Youma she figured was in charge, causing it to slow to a stop. The Youma raised a closed hand,
signaling for the flying Youma to land. Most of the flying Youma in front did land; however, she noticed
that a handful of Youma in the rear remained hovering in the air.

'Fine. Let them remain in the air if they want. They're too far away to make any difference anyway.'

"Why do you attack us?" the centaur-like Youma demanded. "You are not a human. Why do you oppose us?"

"Who sent you here?" she demanded in return. "Who is your master and why are you here?"

"We belong to Zoisite-sama. Zoisite-sama sent us to conquer Tokyo."

Titus' expression darkened. It was as she thought. This would not stand. "This is the domain of
Jadeite-sama!" she declared as she started to gather power into herself. None of the Youma were anywhere
near her level, but the sheer number of them would be quite a bit of a problem. "Turn back now or face
annihilation!"

The centaur Youma seemed to consider her for a moment. "You belong to Jadeite?"

Titus sneered. "I am his right hand! My word is his word! My law is his!"

The centaur Youma gave her a cruel grin. "Zoisite-sama said to kill Jadeite's Youma." The Youma raised
the spear it was carrying and leveled the point at her. All the winged Youma took to the air at once,
causing a strong gust of wind to blow around loose dirt, stone, and pavement. "Kill her!"

"Very well, then," she smirked as she readied a blast of water, a glint of rage burning in her eyes.
"Let there be war."


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


Author's Note: Rejoice, for I hath delivered unto you a new chapter of The Brooch! Looks like I'm back in
my groove again, which is a good thing considering how long I've neglected most of my other stories. -_-;
Anyway, the Dark Kingdom Civil War has begun! Will this effect the ritual to reestablish the barrier?
Also, how will Haruka fare now that she is entering her first battle as a Shishu Blade? Will the barrier
be erected in time or will the invading force overrun it? And what will happen once the human defense
force reaches the battle between Titus and Zoisite's invading army? 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.

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

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