AoA 1
AN: I told you I'd be back with this in Spring ;) You get the first 16 chapters now, in Arc 1, and you'll get arc 2 and 3 later this year and next (I'm dividing my time between this and a harry potter/sailor moon crossover.
I also need to say this upfront. I ship a rare pair – or at least, I think it's rare. I've scoured the internet enough times to know there's next to no fanart for it.
I ship Haruka/Michiru/Setsuna as an exclusive, romantic and sexual partnership. I ship them like they're soul mates. And they're gonna fall in love in this fic. So please no hate. They became my headcanon quite suddenly last year and it is all Michiru's fault (if requested, I may give you a breaking the 4th wall AN detailing exactly how they became headcanon).
Disclaimer: If this were mine, I'd be less broke than I am. And I'd have no student debt. XD
AGE OF AQUARIUS (ARC 1)
Night Falls On Pisces
Kunzite: The guys want to wish you good luck at dinner tonight. Also want to check: the cat videos on the Youtube are not Youma?
Mamoru rolled his eyes as he read the text. Trust Kunzite to text him at dinner. Even two years back among the living had not helped his knights regain all of their social etiquette. And the internet...he made a mental note to change his computer's password.
HRH Endymion: They're cat videos. Pure human invention. Thnx. Have to go. can't text at the
"What have I said about phones at my table" Ikuko's voice made Mamoru jump as his phone clattered from his hand. He turned to the Tsukino matriarch, apology ready. But she has her eyes fixed on Chibiusa across the table, clutching her cell phone close even as Kenji reached to take it.
"By Ikuko-mama!" Chibiusa begged from across the table, her pink sequined phone held close. "It's Hotaru."
"And I'm sure Hotaru has dinner to get back to as well," Ikuko retorted. "No texting at family dinner."
"But Mamoru-papa can-" His future daughter yelped and glared at Usako who was beside him...and had likely kicked Chibiusa in the shins.
"Mamo-chan doesn't text at the table Chibius,a" Usako admonished. She clasped his hand in hers as he glanced under the table to check that his phone was not anywhere Ikuko could see it.
"Of course he doesn't" Ikuko scoffed. "Mamoru is gentleman."
"You're ah, too kind." He chuckled as he carefully covered his phone with his shoe. "It would be nice if you put your phone away Chibiusa... Why don't you text Hotaru that you have to leave it."
Chibiusa pouted. "Yes Papa," she muttered
Chibiusa: They're making me put my phone away. I hope it goes ok 3
Hotaru: Thnx… but it's going exactly how we thought it'd go. :/
She carefully slipped her phone back into her pocket and returned to picking at her food. Papa and Mama-Suna hadn't even noticed her take it out.
"All I'm suggesting," Mama-Suna was saying, "is that Hotaru has built a life in the Juuban school class. She has Chibiusa with her there. They have many friends in their grade. I'm not suggesting she spend less time with you."
"It sounds like you are," Souichi Tomoe observed. "Hotaru also attended Mugen from when she was 7 years old onwards. It's been re-built exactly as it was. It'll be familiar to her. The curriculum is far better than Juuban's."
"I like Juuban" Hotaru butted in. Her father'd developed a habit of talking to Setsuna about her as though she wasn't there. "I'm getting good marks there. I have friends – I never had friends at Mugen."
"I-I know, Hotaru. Alright? But I don't live near Juuban's schools. In fact we'll be moving into an apartment above the new Mugen building. I can of course take you to school in Juuban if you like but,"
"But I could also bring her to and from school," Setsuna interrupted. "Mr. Tomoe, I work as the school nurse at Juuban – I would be more than happy to."
"That's far out of your way," Souichi scoffed. "Like as not, she'd end up late to class with the time it takes to travel between that district and mine."
Hotaru traded a look with Mama-Suna. Please remind him you can time-travel, she thought.
But Mama-Suna just bit her lip. Unwilling as usual, to remind Hotaru's father about the Sailor Scout thing. He's still trying to get his life back to normal, Hotaru, Setsuna'd reminded her just a month ago. It's hard for him to remember that normal is not anything he's used to now.
"Even so, we would work it out," Mama-Suna continued. "I fully support your right to send your daughter to whatever school-"
"Exactly," Souichi whispered, readjusting his glasses. "She's my daughter. I've been wanting her to move back home for over a year now, but I left it because the school year had to finish out." He sighed and looked at Hotaru. "I want you to go to whatever school you're happiest at, Hotaru. But I worry. I'm sorry, but I do. What if you remain at Juuban: close to your friends, close to Ms. Meioh's apartment... and suddenly you're staying over there on school nights because it is closer, or you'll let your friends at Juuban distract you from your studies?
"I have the best teachers in Japan on Mugen's payroll now. The new building is amazing. I promise you will make new friends there, and I certainly won't keep you from Chibiusa or your other friends." He said with a glance at Setsuna. "But this scout business... you need more than that in your life Hotaru."
Just then Setsuna's phone buzzed and she saw Mama glance at it and smile slightly before the serious look returned to her face. "The school issue will be Hotaru's choice... But scout training will still do her good. I think it'd be best if she stayed at least every other weekend at the penthouse."
"Every weekend," Hotaru added, catching a glimpse at Setsuna's text messages.
Ruka: Dont let him boss you around Suna Hotaru wants to stay with you too
Michi: There's tea when you get home. Or whiskey. Or both. ;)
Michiru swipes her thumb across the screen of her phone, dismissing the new text from one of the flutists in the Tokyo Orchestra and tapping her nail repeatedly on the screen. But no return text came from Suna.
She looked up as Ruka's foot tapped against hers. Ruka was staring at her over the pages of her book, smiling. "That won't make her respond faster," Ruka said. But even so, the blond stretched out to grab her own phone off the coffee table. No new texts. She tossed it onto the couch between them. "She's probably not checking them during dinner," Ruka reasoned.
"I know," Michiru sighed and leaned back into the couch. "I'm just nervous - you know how she gets."
"You mean, caving to whatever Tomoe wants because she has no legal claim to Hotaru." Ruka said, flicking another page in her book roughly. "Forget that we've raised her for... is it three years yet?"
"Two and a half," Michiru supplied. "And it's not as though he wouldn't let her spend time here."
"Not enough time," Ruka countered. "Why does she have to live with her father again?"
"It'll be good for both of them," Michiru said. "Even if it's not so good for Setsuna."
"She's her mom," Haruka insisted. "I just don't understand why we can't share her more evenly… You'd think Tomoe would be more sympathetic."
"Are you worried about her?" Michiru whispered, watching the moonlight from the window glance of Ruka's messy hair. The blond shook her head.
"Not worried exactly – but you've seen how lonely she can be... even while staying with us. I can't help feeling like Hotaru moving out will make her even more isolate."
"I mean it must be hard: living with a couple," Michiru said, "If we don't want her to feel lonely perhaps we should ask if she would rather move in with someone else…"
"No!" Ruka sputtered. "Won't that defeat the whole purpose?"
"It could work well," Michiru insisted. "Setsuna wouldn't feel like the odd one out... If she's not hanging out with us so much she might meet someone. She could start her own family. I could make out with you wherever I want and you wouldn't worry that we were anywhere she might catch us."
Haruka blushed, "I do want her to be happy – I do. But... I like having her here. Is that selfish?"
Before Michiru could respond though, Haruka's phone did it for her. The blond lauched forwards to grab it off the coffee table and swiped her thumb across the screen, pulling up the messages. "Just Mina," she muttered, squinting as she typed a response.
Aino: R we still on for 2morrow 7?
"Haruka Kanata" - AKG: Yeah if you can keep up
"Haruka Kanata" - AKG: Why cant get up early enough
Aino: No. Not that. I'll b there. Count on it.
Minako shut the door to her room (having left dinner early) and flopped down on the bed, rolling away from Artemis, who's gone ahead and hogged the whole pillow. Running with Ruka tomorrow couldn't come soon enough. Anything to get her mind off the acting career that – with the excuse of high school gone – her mother was quite anxious to restart.
Can I not just spend time with Rei like a normal stud – young adult. Mina frowned; this being out of school business kept tripping her up at the oddest times.
Idly her fingers wandered through her recent texts and opened up a new window for the contact name very close to the top.
Minako 3: Hey. 3 3 3
"Route Venus": Hey yourself.
Minako 3: How r you...
"Route Venus": Just finishing tea. Wanna come over later ;)
Minako 3:...Any time Bae. 3
Rei smiled at her phone and was picking it up to text back when Makoto leaned over her shoulder and plucked it away.
"Is that the guy?"
"Uh…" Rei stammered as Makoto dangled the phone out to her.
"Hey, no worries. I haven't told your grandpa that you're sneaking someone in every night." Makoto shook her head. "But I am across the hall… you could tone it down. I gotta say he's very high pitched for a dude." Makoto chuckled as Rei's face turns a progressively deeper shade of red. Just then the phone buzzed in her hand and Makoto glanced down at it. She froze.
"Rei... this is from Mina…" Rei ducked her head as Makoto's eyes widened and she stared at Rei. "You... and...Oh my god! How long...Why didn't the two of you tell us!" Makoto exclaimed as she looked around for her own phone. "I... I need to tell Ami."
Kino, Makoto: OMG U ARE NOT GOING 2 BELIEVE THIS!
Kino, Makoto: Ami? Oh COME ON, why do u have 2 b studying NOW!
Ami: What am I not going to believe?
Ami turned the phone on silent and directed her attention back to her computer screen, blinking away fatigue as she tried to sort through the organic chemistry notes she'd typed up in class.
Something chimed. She glanced around, but it wasn't her phone. A chat icon was flashing in the corner of her screen. Curious (she'd only set this account up for University in the past few days, she opened it up).
Otaku&proud007: Hey. It's Daiki from Programming Class. Think I could run this by you?
Athena-MA95: Of course. Send it over.
Otaku&proud007: File 1
Thanks... hey you wouldn't want to go for coffee some time as well?
Ami blinked at the computer. unsure how to respond. To say maybe? What to do?
Did she like him?
Does it matter? I'm tired of always being the single one.
Athena-MA95:Sure. This weekend good for you?
Suddenly the computer froze. Ami lifted her hands as the backlit keyboard dimmed and the lights around her room flickered.
A brown out? she thought waiting until the lights and the computer returned to normal. As she went to type another message to Daiki, a tingling feeling jumped from the fingers she'd set on the keys. It spread through her palms and left goosebumps along her arms. She pulled her hands away again, rubbing them together until the feeling dissipated.
Could that be some dark force? she wondered as she picked up her communicator to check in with Luna and Artemis.
Better do a scan from the command center to be safe, she thought. Though I'm probably just paranoid.
~AgeofAquarius~
Out in the Kuiper asteroid belt, where Sol's light barely touched, bits of ice and rock were suddenly sucked out of space in a vortex shape, disappearing from the belt. As they winked out of existence, some debris warped away from the vortex, pushed aside by a shadow breaching the tear. It shrieked as the weak rays of Sol's light blistered across its skin and bolted for the nearest asteroid, coiling up on the dark side of the rock.
~AgeofAquarius~
"Usagi!" Makoto shouted from across the store. But even she couldn't get down from the ladder in time to catch the clumsy Moon Princess. Around the shop, she and the others watched as the two blond ponytails flew up in the air, their owner slipping on the just-moped floor and shouting as she tripped backwards, thudding against the tiles while a cloud of flour engulfed the sales counter.
"Usako!" Mamoru rushed out of the kitchen and skidded to a halt in front of the fallen princess. Chibiusa left the window cleaner on the floor as she dashed to the counter, Makoto and the four Shittenou warriors following her. They all peered over to see.
"Oh don't say it," the powder covered Moon Princess sighed, picking herself up out of the mess of flour. "I'll go get the mop," she grumbled, dusting flour off her arms.
"I could do it," Nephrite offered.
"No!" Usagi glared at him. "Don't you dare. I'm going to help, and I'm going to mop the floor."
"Uh…okay."
Makoto nodded at Nephrite, seeing that Mamoru was doing the same. "Okay, I-I mean yes, Princess."
"Don't call her that," Chibiusa, Makoto, and Mamoru all chorused before Usagi could say it herself. The blond smiled as she dusted more flour from her hair.
"I'm still confused," Jadeite said as he flicked a bit of flour that'd landed on the countertop. "Princess is how we express our respect... you don't like being called Princess?"
"No!" Usagi shook her head, more flour flying around the room as she glanced at Mamoru. "Do they call you Prince?"
"Uh," Mamoru scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, but I've told them it's just Mamoru."
"And yet you let us continue to call you that." Kunzite said, smirking and dodging as Zoicite elbowed him. "I think he likes the title."
"He does," Chibiusa nodded. "Papa used to tell me that in the past, it reminded him he was actually going to be King, and it made him feel important."
"Oooh," Usagi whirled around to look at The Shitenou's grinning faces and then Mamoru blushing from neck to ears. "Really? Mamo-chan needs to boost his ego."
"They don't call me Prince all the time," he grumbled. "And I am a prince...I'm not full of myself, Usako."
"Whatever you say 'Your Highness,'" Usagi said, winking at him.
"Ewww," Chibiusa pushed away from the counter and backed up towards the shop windows. "This is the point where I leave." and Makoto couldn't help joining in the laughter as Usagi and Mamoru realized what her teasing must sound like to Chibiusa.
"Laugh all you want," Usagi huffed. "But no, I don't like being called Princess. I'm just Usagi. I'm graduated from high school, finally. And I'm not hiding secret identities from my parents. And the world doesn't need me to be Queen yet," she cheered. "And I'm going to be a shop girl just like any other girl, and I get to do it while helping Makoto make her dreams come true, right Mako-chan?"
Makoto laughed and reached into her pocket for her handkerchief, handing it over for Usagi to wipe the last bit of flour from her nose. "Of course you are, I can't think of anyone better to help me run this bakery." She glared at Nephrite when he raised an eyebrow at her. "But – just so we're still clear – I do all the cooking."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Usagi waved a hand at her. "We know how this works: you get to work in the kitchen, and Mina and I stay out here and run the counter, and we get to eat whatever's left over at the end of the day."
"Hopefully that won't be much," Makoto said. "And thank you guys for coming out to help me set up."
"Any time Mako," Nephrite bowed to her. "We're happy to serve."
"Oh, here he goes again," Zoicite rolled his eyes. "Quit it with the flirting would you?"
Makoto ducked her head to hide the blush on her face. "Anyways...where's Mina? I thought she was supposed to be here today?"
"She's still coming," Usagi said, picking up her phone from the countertop. "She had to run an errand for her parents."
"Oh, then tell her to take her time," Makoto assured her. "Is she doing alright with them?"
"Why wouldn't she be?" Kunzite glanced at all of them.
"They haven't been taking the Sailor Venus thing as well as she hoped," Chibiusa sighed.
"Moon Pride"-Momoiro: Hey are you almost done? :) :) :)
Mina: Oh no its that late? Yeah they R wrapping up here. 20 min.
Minako tuned her ears to the sound of her mother arguing with the director… her acting wasn't up to par clearly, from the way they're arguing. Which was fair. Her heart was as far as it'd ever been from these silly commercials and shows. She caught the voice of the director saying they might cast her in a non-speaking role, but only if she could keep her looks up.
Oh so now that's all I'm good for. Minako huffed as she pushed away from the wall and headed towards the exit. Screw this.
Mina (3: Whats up 3
"Route Venus": Finishing up the scans.
Mina: Anything?
"Route Venus": No, clean through the Kuiper orbit...still worried though.
Mina (3: U have another dream?
"Route Venus": Not yet...I've got a feeling though. Probably have visions tonight.
Mina (3: U...want me there this time?
"Route Venus": Kind of… but don't your parents have another audition planned tomorrow? You need your sleep.
"Is that Mina?" Ami asked as she typed another precise code into the super computer. No... not even Hubble was picking anything up.
"Yeah," Rei said, smiling at the phone. "She just wants to know if we found anything."
"Not just yet." Luna said, jumping up onto the console of the Super Computer. She tapped a button with her paw and a screen overhead flickered on with Pluto's face looking back at them. "No unusual activity detected in the present."
"Nothing on my end either," Pluto's voice filtered through. "But the future is looking a little glitchy... I can't isolate the disturbance quite yet."
"So we can't find whatever this might be until it makes another move?" Ami sighed.
"Damnit," Rei cursed
"My thoughts exactly...I'll keep looking," Pluto said, signing off.
Pluto sighed and directed her attention once more to the depths of the Time Dimension. The swirling sands and fog were more active than usual today. Or perhaps had been for a while. She berated herself that she hadn't come back to look sooner.
It was sometime later that she felt a time key open the doors from linear time.
"You know you've been here for four days right?" Haruka chastened as she burst through the time doors. "Christ, Pluto. This isn't healthy. Have you eaten?"
"I have no need of mortal essentials here." Pluto said, continuing to gaze out into the fog. "I am completely removed from the passage of time here. Thus, those needs are nullified."
"Riiight," Haruka said, her tone suggesting she didn't believe Setsuna for a minute. "Well humor us. You deserve a break you know. And it's about lunch time on our end."
"I would feel better staying," Pluto whispered.
"Hey," Haruka put her hand over Pluto's where they held the Garnet Rod and walked around in front of her. She was frowning. "Haven't heard you talk like this in a while – you stop in at least once a week to look at this place. What makes you think you have to stay here so much?"
Pluto gave her a very small smile. One that didn't quite meet her eyes. "I have a different duty than you...I have been shirking it too long."
"Haruka," Michiru's voice crackled through Haruka's communicator. "Have you convinced Suna to come home yet?"
"Working on it," Haruka said into the communicator. Pluto raised her eyebrows at her, but was unprepared for Haruka's wide, dark blue eyes as she directed them back towards Pluto, staring at her with the intense gaze Michiru sometimes termed her "smolder". "Come home. Eat lunch with us. It has been days. We miss you. I bet Hotaru misses you."
"She's with her father today," Setsuna said. "And anyways. It's her first day at school. She's going to be too busy to miss me."
"About that," Michiru's voice came through the communicator again. "There was an incident at Mugen. I'm taking her home."
"I'm all right!" They heard Hotaru interrupt through her own communicator. Pluto and Haruka traded a confused glance.
"We'll be right there," Pluto told them.
Thank goodness, Michiru said as she shot a glance at Hotaru. They're now equivalent-of-an-eleven-year-old was pouting in the passenger seat of the Porsche. Michiru'd gotten the call from Souichi Tomoe just a half hour ago. Hotaru'd blacked out at school. They assumed she'd had a flashback of some sort. Tomoe had wanted to take her home to rest, but Michiru guessed from his defeated tone that Hotaru must have begged to have the Senshi pick her up instead. When she'd arrived at the school, the nurse had been lecturing Hotaru who'd wandered out to the front steps to wait. She imagined Tomoe had retreated to his office to sulk just as Hotaru was now.
"Did you have to tell them that?" Hotaru complained. "I'm fine."
"Well I figured it would speed up the process of getting Setsuna to come home," Michiru sighed. "I am sorry – but they would have found out when I brought you around for lunch anyways."
Hotaru huffed, though she looked away from the rolled-down window of the car and over to Michiru. "Do I really have to go to school there every day now?"
"You don't have to," Michiru said. "It's not to late to enroll you back in Juuban middle school. I could do it today, in fact."
"I want you to," Hotaru sighed. "But Papa will be sad."
Michiru shot her a sad smile. "It's lovely that you consider his side Hotaru, but it's a little concerning that just being back in the building is enough to cause an attack like this."
"It wasn't the building," Hotaru said. "I mean it looks different enough from the old one that I hardly noticed it." She sighed. "Some of my old classmates are back. And they're older than me now."
Oh dear, Michiru thought. She remembered that Hotaru hadn't had many friends at the old Mugen Academy. She tightened her hands on the wheel. "And."
"It was nothing at first," Hotaru sighed. "They used to tease me. And they saw me in the hall and started up again – especially when they thought I'd been held back two grades."
"You could have been sick," Michiru muttered. "The absolute nerve,"
"It's okay." Hotaru said. "It didn't bother me too much at first. Except…one of them showed up late. And she still had the black star on her uniform. She… I used to hate her at school cause she looked kinda like Kaorinite. And I thought she really was for a second.
"Oh Sweet Pea," Michiru murmured.
"I don't know why it affected me so much," Hotaru complained, shivering. "And then while I was out…I had a vision."
Michiru stiffened. It had been two whole years since the last one. She'd started to hope they wouldn't have another fight until it was time for Crystal Tokyo. "Of what."
Hotaru was very quiet for a while. Then said: "pull over."
Michiru did, guiding the car quickly to the side of the road. She threw it into park and turned to look at Hotaru.
Her daughter brought both hands up in front of her, and a hologram appeared between them. Michiru recognized the solar system from the lightning that danced beneath the surface of Jupiter's clouds. But it was so dark. She squinted at it, and as Hotaru moved her hands around the hologram she noticed the outlines of the other planets.
And as she watched them drift, she noticed something odd about the orbits. Rather than moving in their determined cycles, the planets were moving in straight lines, drifting farther and farther from each other. She saw Earth and Mars drift into Jupiter's vast gravitational field and pull back in, circling around it even as the faintly orange shape of Venus vanished from view.
"Where's the sun?" she breathed.
"It wasn't there." Hotaru shivered. "It didn't die and it wasn't hidden or anything. It had just."
"Disappeared," they whispered together. Hotaru let the hologram fade.
"What's it mean?" she asked.
Michiru closer her eyes and took a deep breath of the sea air to clear her head. "We'll find out – but lets find out after lunch." She said.
She couldn't do anything about a hypothetical doomsday on her own regardless.
But she could comfort her daughter.
Hotaru didn't comment as Michiru pulled back onto the road and floored it. The Porsche sped down the highway towards Juuban and their favorite restaurant. Michiru's hands were tight on the wheel. She hoped Haruka and Setsuna would beat them there. She suddenly needed to see the two of them more than she needed to breathe.
~AgeofAquarius~
The shadow could feel the bright light of the star as it approached the orbit of the most distant planet. The object itself wasn't anywhere within view as the shadow approached the orbital path. It could feel the residual planet power there. Disgusting. It slowed the asteroid as it approached, prepared for a barrier.
But there was nothing in its path. It rejoiced! Then the Guardian was in their mortal form. Perfect. Its form glowed briefly lavender as a seed of darkness broke away from it, racing along the orbital path towards the distant planet.
~AgeofAquarius~
"A scout meeting?" Ami's mother said as she helped Ami unpack her books into her new studio apartment in the University's student housing.
Ami made a confirmatory sound as she crawled out from under the desk and fixed her hair. Computer successfully hooked up. "Hotaru had some sort of vision. It's probably nothing," She assured her mother. "Like that Daimon last year."
"That didn't exactly seem like nothing," Saeko Mizuno said with her eyebrows raised. The Daimon had taken out half the city's power supply after all.
"I mean nothing against what we dealt with before, you know."
"Two years ago," Saeko sighed and startled Ami as she moved to hug her. She was shorter now. She stood on tip toe to rest her chin atop her daughter's shoulder. "I don't like the thought of you in battle." She worried.
"That's because you never knew I was a Sailor while there were enemies around," Ami said, hugging her mother closer. "It'll be fine, whatever it is."
"hmm," Saeko said.
"And it won't interfere with school – I promise."
At this her mother chuckled and pulled away, reaching up to straighten Ami's hair. "Why ever would you think I'd be bothered about that?"
"I," Ami shook her head and smiled. "I didn't think you would be, but some of my friends parents worry about their real lives."
"But they fight evil!" Saeko burst out as Ami's phone buzzed. "Who could ever have a problem with that?"
"I don't know," Ami shrugged as she glanced down at a text from someone whose parents certainly did seem to have a problem. It was a group message.
Aino, Minako: I PASSED
"Bleach" – SNoW: That's excellent, Mina! We knew you would.
"Moon Pride" – Momoiro: Yay! :D
"Moon Pride" – Momoiro: lol. But Ami you said she wouldn't pass the other day. .
Mina (3: WHAAAAAAAAATTTT
Rei: Smooth. Move. Bun Head.
"Bleach" – SNoW: That's not true! I said the test was really quite hard! I had complete faith in you, Mina-chan.
"Tightrope" – Monae: You passed – thats wut counts. What r u gonna do bout a car?
Mina: WELLLL. Funny u should ask. Haruka-chan said I could use the Ferrari! Right Haruka-chan?
"Haruka Kanata" – AKG: What ever happened to Haruka-sensei?
"Haruka Kanata" –AKG: Kidding. Good job kid. And u can have the OLD Ferrari.
Aino: THANK YOU!
"Yes, yes yes!" Minako said, pumping her fists as she jumped up and down on the sidewalk. "Ferrariiiiiiiii!" she cheered.
"Watch the tail," Artemis complained, though he was smiling. "And I knew you could do it."
"Even when I hit the fire hydrant last week?"
"Well," Artemis glanced around. "I still had faith."
As they were talking, Mina's phone blasted out another song that Artemis knew all too well by now. The joyous look disappeared from Mina's face as she answered.
"Mum… yeah. Yeah. Hey, by the way I passed… yeah. First try. Thanks… wait, no I have plans tonight. It's a Sen…I meeting my friends okay! I can't do another… no. This is importa – yes. Yes. Uh huh. Uh huh. I know. I know." She sighed. "I can't leave early I'm the… look. I know it's important. I'll be there tomorrow morning – Yes, I promise."
She pulled the phone away from her ear slowly and tapped the screen before stuffing it into her pocket. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Hey," Artemis slowed down and tried to catch her eye, but she was resolutely starring at her shoes. He stopped, let her pass him, and then jumped up onto her shoulders.
When she didn't react, Artemis brushed his face against her cheek and purred, reaching around with his tail to flick her on the nose. "Auditions again."
"Mhmm." Mina nodded, leaning her head towards him. "No one's saying yes."
"Well it's not as if you've been trying." Artemis observed.
"Hey!" she said, pulling him off her shoulders so she could glare at him.
"Well you haven't. Mina," He gave her his sternest look. "You've done better acting as a thirteen year old girl trying to pass as an Interpol officer."
"Hey – Kat said I fooled all those suckers."
"All of whom she promptly replaced with new Agents," Artemis reminded her. "You're heart isn't in this. Why are you keeping it up?"
Mina's shoulders slumped as she balanced him back on her shoulders. "I don't…want to be an actress anymore." She bit her lip. "I don't know what else I want… And I don't know how to tell Mum that. It was…it was our dream. And it was Dad's to a lesser extent."
"But now it makes you unhappy. Stop doing the auditions."
"Oh you never know – I might find one I like. And mum said she's got a few recording studios lined up. I'd still like to sing." She laughed a bit. "I think."
"Mina." Artemis said, letting his claws come out just enough to poke her shoulder. "These are making you miserable."
"I'm just trying to make her happy okay!" Mina cried, kicking a pebble down the sidewalk. "She hasn't warmed up to the scout thing at all. It freaks her out, I think. She won't even let anyone talk about it if you hadn't noticed."
"She won't let me talk either." Artemis muttered.
"Well you're a talking cat – that I understand." Mina sighed. "I just thought…I'm out of High school. If I can give her and Dad this. Maybe they'll warm up to the scout thing. Maybe if I could be enough of a star they'd even… be cool with Rei."
Artemis didn't say anything, just pulled back his claws and curled closer to her, purring. It seemed to help. She giggled.
"They'll still love you no matter what." Artemis told her. "They're just going through a rough thing right now. I promise."
"Thanks Artemis," she sniffed.
"You know," he said. "If you go and pick up the Ferarri now, you can drive Ami to the meeting tonight."
Minako gasped. "Oh my god that would be SWEET!" She said as she sent off rapid fire texts to Haruka and then Ami. "The leader's gonna role in in a siiiick ride." She said, and he nearly fell off her shoulders as she began to run down the sidewalk. "She says Yes!" Mina cried as her phone chimed.
"Mina Slow down!"
~AgeofAquarius~
The approaching gas giant's planet power was active – the Guardian's homeworld. The shadow strained its senses towards it and drew its asteroid shield to a halt. There was no life beneath its vivid blue clouds – so it was a Dead homeworld. Then this might be even easier. The shadow drew together the reserves of power it had amassed in the eons that had passed since it'd seen this world last – as a just-cooled rock with miles high clouds of steam still raining down into the layers of oceans around the core. It let out a shot of black power, shooting it straight towards the planet's heart.
The giant sphere suddenly glowed bright blue, a trident forming over it as the shadow's attack breached the atmosphere. Impossible. It waited, but the attack's remaining energy was eradicated. It felt no more trace of it.
Dead worlds should not have been so strong. It searched through its vast collection of memories for any comparison. None. Impossible.
It must have been her doing. After she'd banished it. And now her descendent had clearly retained some of her tricks.
At least the planet would still be of some use. The shadow glowed green and blue as another two pieces of darkness tore away from its mass, sailing through the path of the starlight and down to the planet unharmed.
At least it had found the Guardian's world early. It would deal with them. And then the other Guardianless worlds would be even easier to dispatch.
~AgeofAquarius~
Michiru shot up in bed gasping. She clutched her heart with one hand, breathing hard.
She looked to her left but Haruka's side of the bed was empty. She was already out on her early morning run.
It was too dark in here. To cold, to empty. Michiru threw back the covers still clutching her chest. Her heart was still hammering as she made her way to the door of the dark bedroom and stumbled through it.
Setsuna looks up from the tea she was pouring when she heard the door to Michiru and Haruka's room slam open. Michiru appeared only moments later, barefoot and still wearing only one of Haruka's shirts. She looked to be on the verge of tears.
"Michiru?"
"I don't suppose there's enough for one more?" she rasped and cleared her throat, staring at the
Setsuna nodded and set down the kettle, going to the cupboard with the mugs and tea. She automatically selected the calming one, scooped a serving into a diffuser and set that into Michiru's favorite mug, keeping one eye on Michiru where she leaned against the wall, hair a mess and one hand pressed over her heart Setsuna poured the new tea and picked up it and her own, she took them over to Michiru. "Careful," she whispered as she passed the steaming mug down into her best friend's hands. Michiru seemed not to care though, holding the heat source as close to herself as she could. Setsuna frowned. "Come on," she said, putting one hand on Michiru's shoulder. "Let's get some fresh air."
She guided them to the glass balcony door and pushed it open, letting Michiru walk out first into the pink light of early morning. She expected her to go to one of the chairs, but Michiru didn't make it that far. Almost as soon as she had stepped out into the warm sunlight she sank down against the wall and curled up, pulling her feet underneath her.
Concerned, Setsuna settled down beside Michiru and jumped when her roommate leaned in towards her, seeking the comfort of her shoulder. Setsuna blushed but put an arm around Michiru's shoulders, trying not to think of how nice this was.
"Bad dream?" Setsuna hedged.
Michiru nodded, lifting the steaming mug of tea up to her lips.
"Neptune was attacked." Michiru said. "I felt it – and then I had this vision right after it."
Setsuna stiffened. I should have seen that. She worried. I was in the time dimension just yesterday!
"Of what?"
She felt Michiru shudder "I can't… I recall. It was dark." She whispered "Very, very dark."
"Something's coming then," Setsuna surmised.
"And you haven't seen anything?" Michiru whispered.
"Not yet. But now I know where to look." She could do a little bit from here. She focused her attention on the star system beyond the Earth, seeking, seeking. "Neptune's fine." She told Michiru. "It's… been irritated."
Michiru huffed. "That's an understatement."
"I can't sense anything else," Setsuna growled in frustration. "What is going on?"
"I haven't seen anything in the mirror either." Michiru said. "Though I suppose if I looked now."
"We're fine for right now," Setsuna said. She could still feel Michiru's heart racing. "You can check it after you finish your tea."
"I," Michiru sighed, shifting closer to Setsuna. "Alright."
When they finished their drinks though, Michiru remained curled against her, breathing indicating she might have fallen asleep against Setsuna's shoulder. Setsuna set aside the urge to rush to the Time Dimension. Whatever Michiru'd dreamed of was still quite far. And Setsuna was loath to move, quite content to soak up the warm light of the rising sun as her roommate dozed against her.
She heard the front door click open and the coffee machine turn on. And a few minutes later Haruka stepped out onto the balcony. She looked down at Setsuna and Michiru and frowned. Setsuna blushed and tried pull away from Michiru but Haruka shook he head and walked around to Michiru's other side. She settled against the wall and extended her arm so that it rested around both Michiru and Setsuna's shoulders.
"Haruka," Michiru whispered, reaching out to put her hand on Haruka's knee. She didn't move from Setsuna's shoulder.
"Alright?" Haruka asked.
Michiru sighed against Setsuna. "it's so beautiful."
Beyond the balcony, the sun had risen fully above the horizon, light still turning the clouds and sky above soft lavenders and bright pinks. And the ocean shimmered brilliant greens and blues…
Setsuna shared a knowing glance with Haruka and felt the blond squeeze her shoulder. They all knew – this might be their last peaceful sunrise for a long while. They sat back on the balcony of the penthouse, intent on enjoying it until Hotaru was up and demanding pancakes.
Haruka set down her coffee and fished her phone out of her pocket.
"Haruka Kantana"-AKG: Vision Alert. If ur not at ur gfs house get there.
Aino: Omw. Bad?
"Haruka Kantana"-AKG: Bad.
She had thrown open her window and dashed out to her new car as fast as she could, speeding just a little too fast down the highway. The tires screeched as she stopped the car short in front of Hikawa Shrine and threw it into park. She took the steps three at a time.
She knew something was wrong when she threw open the door of Rei's room. The blankets were all over the floor and Rei was tossing and turning on her mattress, frowning and covered in sweat. Mina rushed across the floor and sat beside her. She combed Rei's hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. "Rei-chan,"
But Rei didn't wake. Her eyes moved rapidly beneath her eyelids as she grimaced, lost in her vision. Minako settled in to wait, picking up her communicator.
"Artemis," she whispered into the device. "Get out of Luna's bed. We need you in the control room."
~AgeofAquarius~
Rei's vision though, proved nothing they didn't already know.
"All I could see was darkness," Rei said as she pounded her hand against the wall of Hikawa Shrine. Minako squeezed her shoulder. Around her, most of the senshi, their familiars, Mamoru and the Shitennou had gathered on Hikawa's porch. "And…"
"And cold," Michiru added from her spot against the railing, tucked against Haruka. "I don't even think Kaguya's ice felt that freezing."
"And I can't see anything in the Time Dimension," Pluto complained as she appeared on the grounds below the porch. Hotaru and Chibiusa scrambled up off the steps to let her pass them as she de-transformed.
"Well we did manage to find something in the Control Room." Luna said from her perch on Ami's shoulder. "A significant degree of ambient energy fluctuations."
"Which are?" Usagi prompted as Mamoru pulled her close, resting his chin atop her head.
"Seemingly natural," Ami said and the whole group sighed, defeated. "Or rather, they are natural, but I noticed something odd about them."
"Hmm?" the all leaned in towards her.
"I'm still trying to identify the reasoning behind them. But the computer has registered similar fluctuations before, a very very long time ago." Ami said. "Perhaps they're the reasons your visions are unclear."
"Or perhaps they're too far to see," Mina worried, glancing around at all of them.
"I have all the satellites around the Earth on the look out," Ami said. "And I've loaded the data signatures from all our past enemies onto the Mercury computer. If this enemy is similar at all to any of them, it will come up, and if I can isolate its energy signature I can find a way to track it."
"In any case," Setsuna said. "We shouldn't worry too much – Crystal Tokyo is still very clear."
"Well that's good," Chibiusa and Usagi sighed.
"Maybe I should stay and help," Mamoru said. And it took all of them a moment to realize.
It had been two years. He'd finally felt ready to embark on the journey again. He was leaving for the United States in less than a week with Jadeite, Zoicite, and Kunzite in toe for protection – finally getting the medical degree he'd dreamed of for years.
"Don't be silly," Usagi assured him, turning around in his arms. "We can handle this. What ever it is." She leaned up to kiss him. "You go. We've got this." She looked around. "Right guys."
"Right," her scouts agreed. Though Rei and Michiru looked unsure.
It can't be worse than Galaxia, Rei thought to Michiru.
We said that about Galaxia in the beginning too, Michiru reminded her. And our visions of her were quite clear.
These are the first visions, Rei countered. They'll get clearer. Especially if we learn what we're dealing with.
I hope you're right – I really do. Michiru sighed. There's one thing that is concerning though.
Pluto can't see it. They thought together.
~AgeofAquarius~
The shadow had sent the star-resistant pieces of itself off along the orbital paths of two other planets besides the great blue one before it encountered another.
Or rather: its neighborhood. It saw a moon first, a petty, chunk of rock only a bit bigger than the asteroid protecting it from the starlight. It shot an attack at it despite its uselessness – soaking up the faint traces of planet power in the dead stone.
The great crescent of orange and brown and red that was the planet's light side dwarfed its hiding place thousands of times over. It debated: to use or feast?
It had still not found the Guardian, it would need all its resources to do battle with them.
Oh but its failure with the blue giant rankled. It wanted to take one. Just one. It moved closer the the hulking planet and froze as it neared enough to sense its energy.
It was active.
The shadow hissed, reaching towards the world and then retreating as the sunlight burned it
The blue had been active and dead.
And now this monstrous thing was active too and – it strained its senses farther – dead.
In all its memories there was no answer, no clue.
It was her doing. Somehow, this Guardian had left behind not one of themselves but two…
In a rage, it let lose another energy blast. Just like with the blue giant, this one slammed into a wall of green power – the planet's symbol hovering over the atmosphere.
The shadow hissed, in a rage letting loose even more of its power.
Where were these guardians?
There. Two more of these miserable rocks in on the other side of the star. It glowed white and gold as two more bits of its mass tore away, racing towards the giant world. Then it sunk into its asteroid shield and raced onwards.
It considered going back as it assessed its reserves. But it had come so far. It wouldn't let that pathetic, mortal creature defeat it again. It raced on, intent on the third world from the star. It would find out how there were two. And where they were hiding.
And then at last, it would conquer Sol.
~AgeofAquarius~
Kino, Makoto: R u guyz coming?
Ami: Nearly there.
Makoto heard the screech of the tires as she looked up from her phone. The dark blue Ferrari gleamed under the pre-dawn street lamps as Minako leaned out of the drivers seat and lowered her sunglasses. She winked at Rei.
"My lady,"
"Please tell me you're going to drive slower than that to get to the airport." Rei complained as she traded seats with Ami, who rushed to get into the statistically safer back seats.
"Haruka didn't teach how to do slow," Minako joked. "Any dreams?"
Rei shook her head as Makoto hopped over the side of the car and buckled her seatbelt. "And I meditated… I saw flashes of… I don't even know what."
"Stay positive," Minako coached as she pulled back onto the road, going from zero to 60 in less than a second. "Things are getting clearer."
"If that means its getting closer I don't know if I like that," Makoto complained, gripping tight to the side of the car.
They arrived at the airport fifteen minutes earlier than the GPS had predicted, and even Rei threw herself out of the vehicle as soon as Minako had brought it to a stop.
"I'm working on the turning thing, okay?" she complained as she hopped out of the drivers seat.
"There you are," Haruka said, waving them over to the door of Departures.
"We're on time," Minako huffed.
"They're on time. You're parked in the fire lane." She pointed at the Ferrari.
"I – ugh!" Minako stomped back to the car and Haruka frowned.
"So did you bribe her drivers examiner," Makoto asked. "Or…"
"She's distracted," Haruka decided. "She was much better than this two weeks ago. Is it the new enemy?"
"It's her mother," Rei confided in them.
Before she could explain though, the doors of Departures slid apart and Luna bounded out, hopping up onto Makoto's shoulders.
"His flight's boarding," she informed them.
The terminal wasn't very crowded thankfully. They found who they were looking for right away.
The Tsukinos stood just to the left of the vast network of ropes that made up the security line. In the line already, they could see Kunzite with his arm around Zoicite, who was triple checking their passports for the third time. Ami had said the Visas would pass. Zoicite had said he was prepared to persuade anyone he had too. It was a power he hadn't practiced in years though. And they were all hoping it wouldn't come down to magic anyways.
Mamoru and Usagi were easy to spot – so close together they mightn't even have seen Usagi save for her arms cinched tight around the back of his shirt. Setsuna and Michiru were standing off to the side with Hotaru, who was holding Chibiusa's hand. The group walked up to them.
"They're going to do the final call in ten minutes," Setsuna said as they watched Usagi and Mamoru say their goodbyes.
"Makoto!" Nephrite waved as strode over to them, winking at Makoto who blushed and grinned when she saw him.
"Still haven't changed your mind?" she asked. Scratching Luna behind the ears. She appreciated being their advisor's perch today. The airport really wasn't her favorite place.
"No – besides," he grinned. "I have a date on Friday."
"Oh you do," Makoto bit her lip and looked away.
"Oh rather, I hope I do."
"You hope?" she asked.
"It would be more than an errant hope so long as you said yes," he said, winking at her.
"Oh he's got the charm down." Michiru murmured to Haruka and Setsuna as Makoto stared at Nephrite, nodding a yes when her words failed her.
"Ah new love," Minako announced as she slid in beside Rei, hugging her close. "So cute."
"I don't know," Ami sighed. "Old love looks more romantic to me."
Indeed, Usagi and Mamoru had stepped apart just a bit now – just enough to stare at eachother with ridiculously gooey expressions. Mamoru said something and Usagi shook her head, leaning up and grabbing him by the lavender collar of his shirt so she could kiss him properly for one last second…two…five…
"Kenji's going to have an aneurysm," Haruka muttered, causing everyone around her to break into laughter. Mr. Tsukino was very purple in the face while Shingo's expression of disgust mirrored Jadeite's at the end of the security line.
For her part, Ikuko had clasped her hands together and was leaning close to Kenji, sighing as she gazed affectionately towards her daughter and her fiancé.
When they finally parted, Usagi stood at the end of the security line and waved Mamoru goodbye until he reached the check in desk and was ushered through to the metal detectors. It looked like Jadeite was having some trouble.
"Did we tell him to take out the piercing?" Chibiusa wondered.
"He probably figured we were joking" Hotaru shrugged. Usagi was making her way over to them.
"All of you guys came." She said as she opened her arms to hug them.
"Of course we did, Bun-head." Rei nagged. "What kind of friends do you think we are?"
"The best ones," Usagi said, looking towards her family. "I told them I'd go home with you guys." She said. "I want to stay and watch the take off."
"There's a good spot up on the roof." Setsuna suggested. "This way."
"How does she know that," Minako asked as they followed the Time Guardian.
"Cause she reads." Hotaru teased Mina as everyone around them broke into laughter.
They could see the American Airlines plane as it rolled away from the Terminal and onto the runway. Usagi was beaming, though her eyes were wet.
"You seem…happier than I thought you'd be." Makoto observed beside her.
"I am happy," she said. "He's finally going to have his dreams come true. I mean – of course I want him to stay. But he's waited two years cause I didn't want him to leave – and he doesn't want to leave." She sniffed. "So I'm gonna make sure I see him off with a smile. Even from here."
They couldn't help smiling at her as they watched the plane near the take-off position. The sun gleamed across its great wings.
"And you're alright," Luna reminded Makoto as she purred on Makoto's shoulders.
"Ehh, these are way bigger than my parents plane." Makoto said. "I'm fine – but thank you." She said, then laughed when Usagi slipped her arm around Makoto's waist. "You're all the best."
"Thank you for coming here to support me, Mako-chan." Usagi said. And Nephrite squeezed her hand. Along the roof, the others listened into the exchange with smiles of their own.
Mina's phone buzzed in her pocket. She held Rei tighter and ignored it. Her mother could wait a few minutes. This was important.
"Take off in ten…nine," Setsuna murmured. They watched the plane's wheels begin to spin.
"I wish I could say goodbye to him one more time," Usagi sighed. "He's gonna be gone till summer at least."
"Well the plane has wifi," Ami said. "You'll probably get a text from him in a few minutes."
"I don't want a text." Usagi said, and made a noise of surprise as the plane's wheels lifted off the runway. "He's in the air."
"He'll be fine," Setsuna assured her and Makoto.
"Oh…" Usagi squinted up at the plane as it soared steadily upwards. "I need too." Makoto and the others gasped as she pulled away from them, transforming into Sailor Moon and stepping up to the edge of the roof. She unfurled her wings.
"Sailor Moon!" Minako said. "wait a –" but she had already taken off, pursuing the plan. All save Setsuna rushed to the edge of the roof as they stared after her.
"She's gonna get caught in the engine," Chibiusa sighed. "Great. Now I'm gonna have to explain that I don't exist because Mom got defeated by an airplane." She pouted as she strained over the edge of the roof, wishing she could follow. But her own new form didn't yet have wings. "Ves is gonna laugh herself silly."
"Let her go," Setsuna advised them. "She'll be back soon," Sailor Moon had caught up to the plane now. She was probably blowing kisses at Mamoru through the window. "She's only going to fly with them to the coast."
"She'll be seen," Rei worried.
"Maybe we should let her have this," Michiru sighed. "After all, happiness can be so short lived." She squeezed Haruka's hand and then, after a moment, grabbed Setsuna's too. "We should enjoy it while its here."
They all watched Sailor Moon fly, her wings shining even brighter than the plane's as she ushered Mamoru safely away, only turning back when the plane had reached cruising altitude over the ocean.
And they all appreciated, more sweetly than they had a few weeks prior, just how beautiful the morning was.
~AgeofAquarius~