A Fight for Life

by charmony

A new sister, two new brothers and a daughter previously unknown are just the start as the Senshi face a new enemy and deal with the confusion that comes with new transformations and new identities the end of a legend has begun.

1. AFFL 1 The Beginning of the End

25/11/10 – This is the first chapter; updated for smooth reading and continuity and now with actual breaks in the story that look like this:

New Section-

Hopefully this will help everyone with following what is going on, when and with whom.

All chapters have now been edited and updated in the same way.

Welcome to the sometimes twisted, always delightful world of Charmony. This is my first fanfiction so please kindly read it and tell me what you think. I would love to hear from all of you. This first chapter is a little slow but will set the story so please bare with me. I promise the next one gets better.

05/04/08-Hello everyone. I've been trying to get this out for a week or two now, but due to various different issues, it hasn't worked. But I think I have the kinks all worked out now. This is an extremely edited version of the original. Geez! The original version had so many errors in timeline and consistency it wasn't funny. But it all seems to be working for me now and I'm happy with this version. The next three chapters are also edited and are now consistent and everything from chapter 5 upwards will be original and consistent to my satisfaction.

Please leave a review. Even if you think it's terrible, please let me know too. If you have any suggestions, feel free to make them and I'll take them on board.

Disclaimer-I am but a humble fan and would never dare to poach as such. However, all new characters and powers are mine to claim and I would really appreciate that you don't poach either.

Now, on with the show!

New Section -

"Two souls more perfectly matched than the both of you would be the hardest treasure in this universe to find."

Taken from the speech made by Princess Rayanna Malkorik at Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion's engagement party.

Chapter 1 - The Beginning of the End

Nine will come again, of all powers on earth

An Angel in white represents life

A Queen of ice, in blue is she

Red in every way, the Firefly is

A heart of gold, the green Amazon

The greatest power is love, Aphrodite in orange

Soaring at the height of the wind, an Eagle in yellow

Aqua as the sea, the Water Witch will be

The opposite of life, Death in purple

Black is the colour of time for the Watcher

Let the powers that be, begin

Katie Stafford's opened so suddenly that, had you been staring directly at her closed eyes at the time, you most likely would have jumped a few feet in the air.

She stared at the ceiling and thought of the meaningless phrases that had been running round and round in her head seemingly endlessly since she'd fallen asleep. She attributed the strange dreams to the fact that her mother had recently died after a long battle with cancer. She'd been feeling really jumpy and out of sorts lately, which was the most probable cause for the strange dream she'd just had.

Katie turned her head slightly and glanced at the clock and groaned. She had an early lecture, she'd gotten to bed late in the first place and now it was 2.14 in the morning and she was sure there was no way she would be able to get back to sleep anytime soon.

She turned her back on the clock and closed her eyes.

New Section-

"Morning Kat."

Katie lifted her head slowly from her pillowed arms, glared at Sasha Misklay, who was her best friend in the whole wide world, and then dropped her head back into her arms. As she was, she didn't look like a beauty, but if you caught her when she was wide awake, she had the look of a European model. A river of flame red hair fell straight down her back to her waist and offset her emerald green eyes in an elfin face, though today her hair and eyes seemed dull and lifeless. She was tall and slender, but her body shape looked well on her and her mother had bestowed on her curves that weren't too generous.

"Rough night?"

Katie sighed and straightened in her seat. She was extremely glad this morning's class was over and that it had been such a breeze. She had a class in 20 minutes, an appointment with her family's lawyer for the reading of her mother's will at 1 and then she was free for the rest of the day. Although, come to think of it, her dad had been trying to pin her down for a chat ever since her mother had passed away. Maybe she'd make time to do that after the reading was over.

She came back to her surroundings with a yelp as Sasha pinched her. At just 2 centimetres shorter and 2 kilos lighter, Sasha could have been Katie's twin if not for her champaign coloured, permed shoulder length hair and her pale blue eyes. She shot another glare at her almost-sister and rubbed the sore part of her arm as she demanded, "Why'd you do that for?"

Sasha rolled her eyes. "You've only been sitting there completely spaced for five minutes. Where'd you go?"

Katie sighed again and muttered, "I was thinking about the will reading this afternoon."

Sasha instantly lost the annoyed look on her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise it was today. I honestly thought it was tomorrow."

Katie grimaced. "It was until last night. Mum's lawyer called to ask if we could come in today instead of tomorrow for reasons unknown and since I didn't have any afternoon classes, Dad agreed. It's now at 1 this afternoon."

"Oh dear. Did you still want me to come with you for moral support?"

"I was thinking about that and since I'll probably be comforting Dad a fair bit, I'll be too busy to ask for support for myself. But thankyou, it's such a support just knowing that you would be there for me and all I'd have to do is ask."

Sasha smiled and shrugged. "You're the sister I never had in a sea of brat-nosed brothers. We girls have to stick together. Anyways, I think we both have a lecture due to start soon so we'd best be off."

Katie nodded her agreement, so they collected their things and headed towards their respective classrooms.

New Section-

"Katie?"

"Go away!"

"Katie, its Sasha on the phone for you."

Katie turned her head, looked at her handset, reached out to pick it up and called out in a sullen voice, "I'll take it in here."

She heard the sigh, followed by her father's - No! Not her father - her stepfather's footsteps walking away. She picked up her phone and whispered, "Hello."

There was a moment of silence, then a single word. "Spill." It was not a request.

Katie held in the tears for all of a second, and then she started sobbing like she'd never cried before. She was vaguely aware of Sasha's voice quietly soothing, infinitely patient at the other end of the phone line, but she was too centred on her pain to really appreciate what her friend was doing for her.

When the sobs finally abated, Sasha teased gently, "I didn't mean for you to bawl like a baby."

Katie laughed, though it was debatably closer to a sob. "I didn't mean to bawl like a baby either. But I've been trying to hold back the tears all day and I guess because I knew you were safe, I could finally do something about it."

Sasha was quiet for a moment before she asked gently, "Do you feel up to going out? We could go for a walk or else we could find a café still open and sit down for hot chocolates, marshmallows and girl talk."

"I like the latter option at the moment. I'm feeling a little too cold inside to be able to go out walking at this hour of the night."

She could hear the grin in Sasha's voice when she replied with, "Yeah. I liked the chocolate and marshmallow idea better myself."

Katie's laugh this time was stronger. "Thank you. I needed that."

"Hey. That's alright. What are best friends for? How about we meet at Zelda's in about half an hour?"

"Sounds like a plan. Just do me a favour and bring a box of tissues. I don't think I'm truly done crying just yet."

"Consider it done."

New Section-

Sasha looked up as Katie collapsed into the seat next to her. "I already ordered for both of us. The chocolates and marshmallows should be here in the next minute or so. I also ordered us raspberry cheesecake with cream. I figured you could do with the comfort and by the time you've finished spilling your guts, I'll probably need the comfort too."

"What makes you think that?"

"We've known each other since the cradle and I've never known you to cry, except that time you broke your leg falling out of that tree."

Katie giggled. "I might have cried sure, but that was the most fun I'd ever had."

Sasha rolled her eyes. "That's only because you got off school for a month."

Katie smiled happily. "That's exactly it." The smile died as they both moved out of the way of the waiter as he placed their orders on the table. When he had moved off and the girls had gotten themselves sorted, Katie looked at Sasha and said quietly, "Do you want the extended version, or the short of it all?"

Sasha stirred her chocolate idly and said, "Start with the short of it and then we can go from there."

Katie went so quiet for so long that Sasha began to wonder if Katie was even going to have the nerve to say what had caused her to cry like her heart was broken. And as the silence stretched, she became increasingly alarmed about what was going to be revealed.

After what seemed like an eternity, Katie said so quietly that Sasha had to strain to make any sense of what was said, "Dad isn't my dad."

Sasha frowned. "What do you mean?"

Katie stared down into her chocolate as she murmured, "Mum had an affair while she was engaged to Elijah and she was pregnant when they got married, but my biological father is NOT Elijah Stafford."

Sasha's head reared back and she stared aghast at her best friend. She opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to imagine what Katie could be going through at this moment and unable to fathom the depth of the betrayal she must be experiencing. Finally she asked quietly, "Tell me?"

Katie spoke about the meeting with the lawyer, the strangely sad looks her father had been shooting her from the moment they met up. She explained how the lawyer had read out her mother's will and then handed each of them a letter written by her years ago.

"I didn't think for an instant that anything really shocking was going to be in the letter. I thought it was just Mum apologising for dying on me and not fighting harder against the cancer and that she'd tell me to be good for Dad and that she loved me. But that wasn't it at all. Instead the letter was filled with the story of how she'd made a trip to America six weeks before her wedding and met a man from Japan who was running away from his marriage. And it turns out that Mum and Elijah were having pre-wedding issues that Mum was also running from. They talked for hours the first day they met and agreed to meet for lunch the following day. After three days straight, he asked her out to dinner and she said yes. As you can probably guess, dinner turned into them going to bed together. For almost two weeks they slept with each other and then Mum found out that Elijah had followed her to New York and was looking to sort out their issues. At about the same time, this guy realised that he was still very much in love with his wife and he was going home to beg her forgiveness for his indiscretions. So they split up, Mum went home with Elijah, told him about what she'd done and then left it up to him as to whether or not he'd forgive her. He obviously did and then when she found out she was pregnant with me, at first she didn't know if the baby was his or if it was from her affair. She said that Elijah was really upset when he first found out I wasn't his, but then he decided he was going to love me as his anyway. So they chose to keep me in the dark about things, thinking that I would never have to know, only then Mum got cancer AND an attack of conscience. She knew she had to tell me the truth, but she was too scared to do it to my face. And in a way, that makes it harder to know who to be madder at; Mum for her cowardice or Elijah for not trying harder to tell me the truth before I read about it."

Katie sat back and grabbed up a handful of tissues to dry her face with. She took her time with them, not wanting to see the look on Sasha's face just yet. She didn't want to face the pity Sasha would definitely feel for her in her situation and she especially didn't want to see any condemnation she might be feeling for the anger she was determined to hold on to at her family's betrayal. Finally though, she looked up and saw that Sasha was crying with her and that all she could see on her face was a deep sense of sadness and sympathy. Seeing that was all it took for Katie to start crying again and they ended up holding each other as they rocked and cried.

When they eventually stopped crying, they looked round to find their table had been cleared of all but the tissue box and a small dish of chocolates. They exchanged a look.

"Someone must have thought we needed the comfort food," Sasha said with a watery smile as she looked around. At the counter, the waiter who'd served them in the first place looked up from the glasses he was drying and mouthed 'Alright?' Sasha nodded and smiled, mouthing 'Thankyou' in return.

Katie noticed the exchange and nodded her thanks also. "That was nice of him, though I think my throat may be too raw for even them, nice though they may look."

Sasha nodded agreement and they both laughed as they reached out at the same time to choose one from the dish. As they pealed off the wrappers, the waiter approached with a bottle of water and a couple of glasses. "Please excuse my forwardness, but you ladies looked like you could use something cold to drink."

The girls exchanged another look and smiled up at him. "Thankyou," Katie said quietly. "It's very thoughtful of you and extremely welcome."

He smiled in reply and set the glasses and bottle down on the table. "Whatever it was that made two such lovely ladies cry, I hope it was nothing too serious?" He winced even as he said it, seeming to realise that no one would cry willingly in public unless it was serious.

Katie smothered a grin and said, "Nothing that can't be remedied with time. But thank you for your concern. I'm Katie, and this is my friend Sasha."

He and Sasha exchanged a nod of their heads and then he returned his gaze to Katie. "I'm Jonathan." As he spoke, she had the oddest sensation of having seen him before and having heard him speak those very words before. She frowned, trying to wrack her brain for where they might have met before today. Finally frustrated, she asked, "Have we met before? I could swear I know you from before today."

He grinned. "You do remember! You were in here with your parents celebrating your sixteenth birthday and I came over with a red rose and wished you a happy birthday. We flirted with each other for a minute or two and then I asked you out. You said yes at the same time your dad said no. You winked at me and said 'Ask me again when I'm older.' But I hadn't seen you until now. So how about it? Would you be interested in going out with me sometime?"

Sasha stared in shock as Katie grinned back. "Sure. How about next Saturday? I have a lecture in the morning and then I'm free for the rest of the day."

"Cool. How about we meet out front here at midday on Saturday. I'll bring a picnic lunch, we'll go out to the local wildlife park and the rest of the day can be as it happens."

"Sounds great. I'll eat anything but salami and I love ice-cream."

"A done deal. I always disliked salami myself. So, Saturday at 12, out front."

Katie nodded. "Yes. I'll see you then."

He smiled and walked away. She was still watching him when Sasha's hand came to rest on her forehead. "Are you alright girl?"

Katie removed her hand and shrugged. "Apart from the shock of finding out Elijah isn't my dad, I'm feeling great."

Sasha shook her head. "I don't believe this. I was beginning to wonder if you were even interested in boys. You never date; in fact you barely even give them the time of day sometimes. What's going on?"

Katie sighed. "I don't honestly know. Something in me just stood to attention when he looked my way. I feel like I've known him my whole life already and then some and we've only had two 5-minute conversations. I can't figure it out, and I'm not even sure I want to."

It was Sasha's turn to sigh now. "Just be careful, alright? I really don't want to see you hurt any more than what you already are at the moment."

Katie leaned over and hugged her. "Thankyou. I know I can always count on you to have my best interests at heart."

Sasha waved her hand in an airy way. "Of COURSE you can Darling. What are friends for?" They both laughed. As the laughter died, Sasha shot a serious look at Katie and asked, "So what happens now with the whole 'DAD' situation?"

Katie sighed. "Mum's attack of conscience extended to sending a letter to my birth father, telling him all about me. If he wants to get to know me, he is to contact the family lawyer who will then get in contact with me. The decision is then in my court."

"Do you want to meet him?"

Katie nodded her head. "I thought about it for hours this afternoon and I'd really like to meet him and get to know him. It's silly, I know, but I feel like I've been cheated of having a father my whole life, despite having Elijah and I really want to rectify that situation."

Sasha slowly nodded her understanding. "So now it's up to whether or not he wants to meet you."

"Pretty much."

"So do you even know his name?"

"His name is Tsukino. Kenji Tsukino."

New Section-

Everywhere she looked it was white, though it wasn't just white. It was warm and inviting and safe and she knew the longer she stayed, the less she would want to return to the life she knew.

Usagi spun in a circle with her arms thrown up in the air and giggled. She'd never been this happy and this content and she was seriously thinking of writing home and telling all who knew and loved her that they would never see her again.

Pulled by something she couldn't see, Usagi started to walk, then skip, jog and finally she was running flat out, simply for the joy of moving. Something unseen tripped her up and she tumbled end over end down a hill that hadn't been there a moment ago. She got up at the bottom and dusted herself off, laughing joyously at the realisation that she was unharmed by her fall. The hill itself had been soft and springy. She started walking again and found she was somehow moving uphill now. She increased her speed, eager to see what was at the top.

After what seemed like an age, she reached the pinnacle and turned to see if she could discern where she'd come from. But all behind her and around her was white and comforting and she shrugged. It didn't matter anyway. She turned back to continue on her way and stared in horror at what had NOT been there before.

A sea of black crept towards her; getting faster and somehow blacker the closer it came. And with it came a tide of awful sensation. Too much to put into words, the overall feeling was one of death. Horror, revulsion and disappointment caused Usagi to cower in terror, held frozen by panic and dread. Then feelings of hatred, loathing, distaste and abhorrence caused nausea and a sickening sense that no matter how hard she tried, the feeling would not go away. It was vile and hideous and as it got closer and closer, Usagi became more and more convinced that when it washed over her, she was going to become that dead thing, whatever it was.

So she turned on her heel and she ran for all she was worth back the way she came. But as she ran, the white became cold and her feelings of safety and contentment were replaced with a sure knowledge of disaster and fear. The white leached away to be replaced with greyness and an increasing dark.

And then she tripped down a hill again.

Her fall this time was hard and pain-filled. She was sure that at any moment her bones would start to break but at that moment, her fall ended. She lay still for a second whilst cataloguing the list of pains and bruises she could almost see through the dress she wore.

Then she remembered the encroaching black wave and looked up with terror written all over her face. But even as she lifted her head, the dark washed over her and her whole world went black…..

New Section-

With a terrified scream, Usagi sent her bedding flying and fairly flew with it to the light switch near the door. By the time her parents arrived to see what all the fuss was about, every light in the room was blazing; lamps and torches had joined the main light in illuminating every detail in the room, and Usagi was curled up on the floor against the bed with Luna grasped in her arms and purring like a car engine and sobs wracking her body while tears poured down her face.

Ikuko rushed forward and sat down beside her daughter, pulling both girl and cat into her arms. Kenji hesitated briefly in the doorway, then turned and went back the way he'd come to finish getting dressed for the day, leaving Ikuko to know what to do.

Ikuko sat and rocked Usagi for almost an hour before the tears began to abate, though she'd long since gone numb from sitting on the floor. Luna continued to purr softly now and slowly Usagi stilled, just basking in the warmth and comfort of her mother's arms. After a while, they untangled their bodies and Ikuko got up to grab the tissue box from off Usagi's nightstand. Once she'd blown her nose and wiped her face dry, her mother said gently, "Can you tell me about it?"

Usagi shook her head. "It was too horrible for words. It was so bad that I sent poor Luna flying with the bedding. So dark, so cold and lonely and frightening." She started to cry again quietly and Ikuko reached out and gently rubbed her back for a few minutes till Usagi was calm again.

"Do you think you could get back to sleep if we left a light on? There's still another three hours before you have to get up for your first lecture."

Usagi looked at the clock, seeing that it was 6.30 and shook her head. "I don't think I could Mum."

Ikuko nodded her head. "Then I suggest you go and have a hot shower and warm up and I'll get breakfast on. What do you feel like?"

Usagi thought about it as they stood up. "Maybe some pancakes and fruit."

"Consider it done Darling. Go on. I'll see you down in the kitchen soon."

Once Ikuko had walked out of the room, Usagi sank down on to the edge of the bed and settled Luna in her lap. "I'm sorry I threw you Luna. I didn't know what I was thinking."

"That's alright. But can you describe to me what you saw?"

Usagi described the dream in a shaky voice and by the time she was finished, Luna was purring again and Usagi was rocking back and forth slightly with her arms wrapped around her waist.

"You know what the funny thing was, Luna? The funny thing was that it felt so real and I had such a sensation of it happening in our everyday lives that I would almost call it a premonition. But I don't get premonitions."

Luna frowned and scratched idly at her ear. "It could happen though. We should tell the girls when we meet with at Hikawa this afternoon. Rei can see if there is anything in the fire to give us a better idea of what we may be up against and even if there isn't, we should all be on our guard in the next while."

Usagi quietly agreed and then got up to go shower. When she came back from the bathroom, Luna was waiting for her on her bed and they went down to the kitchen together. Shingo and Kenji were already there eating cereal, though Shingo looked to be barely awake, and Ikuko was busily cutting up fruit. Usagi took a seat at the table and just stared out the window until her mother placed a plate piled with pancakes and fruit in front of her.

"Are you feeling any better love?"

"Some. I'm not going to be able to eat all that."

"That's alright love. Just eat what you can and I'll give the rest to your brother."

Usagi nodded and started to eat. She got through half of the plate before it became too much. Shingo was suddenly wide-awake as Usagi handed him the rest. With a surprising moment of younger brother understanding, he asked, "Are you alright sis? I mean you look kind of pale."

Usagi smiled a small smile. "Careful bro. I may begin to think you care. I just had a really bad nightmare, is all. I'll be fine."

Shingo shrugged and tucked into his second breakfast. Ikuko and Usagi exchanged a roll of eyes at the irony of it all. At 14 years of age, Usagi had thought it was cool to eat everything in sight, while at 10, Shingo would more often than not be happy with his first serving and no extras. But now at 18, Usagi knew she didn't have to eat everything in sight and that she wouldn't starve if she didn't eat 24/7; whereas Shingo, like all growing teenage boys, seemed to be perpetually starving and was happy to eat any and all leftovers.

Ikuko started to badger Shingo about how late he was running and Kenji did the rounds of goodbye, heading off for work. Usagi continued to sit at the table and stare out the window, not really thinking about anything, just comforted by the sounds of her brother eating and her mother doing dishes.

When Shingo got up to go get dressed, Usagi followed in order to grab her uni stuff. When she was accepted to the local uni she'd nearly fallen over. With the list of courses offered being a mile long, she'd had a difficult time deciding what she wanted to do but in the end she'd thought about what a queen would need to know and she'd gone with that. When she'd chosen majors in political science, sociology and economics with minors in public administration, debate and linguistics, all her family and friends had exploded with the words, 'Are you NUTS!'. They'd all said she wouldn't be able to cope with the workload, let alone understand what was being lectured, but Usagi had shocked everyone by not only coping with the workload but also understanding AND enjoying the lectures she was at. Of them all, only Mamoru had thought she could do it from the start and if he was quietly smug about how right he'd been, his girlfriend didn't begrudge him an instant of satisfaction.

When she came back down to the kitchen with her book bag and jacket, Ikuko checked the clock and said, "It's a bit early to be going for your lecture, don't you think?"

Usagi smiled. "I want to do some research for a major assignment Mr Sims is going to be giving us this semester in economics. He mentioned it the other week and said if we wanted to get started early on gathering information, it wouldn't hurt. He gave us a basic outline and indicated it would be huge, possibly worth a third of our end of year marks. So rather than doing what I did last time and leaving it all to the last minute, I'm going to get in ahead of time. It'll help just wash out the last vestiges of my dream too."

Ikuko smiled and held out her arms to her daughter. Once she was holding Usagi she said softly, "Have I told you lately how very proud I am of you, of all you are accomplishing and of the amazing, beautiful young woman you are becoming?" Usagi leaned back in her mother's arms and shook her head, a single tear sliding down her cheek. "Well I am. I am so very, very proud of you. I want you to know that I'm sorry I doubted you in your decisions regarding uni and that I'm so glad that you proved me wrong. You're doing such a great job and I KNOW that you're going to pass with the highest honours that anyone can possibly get in your chosen studies. Because you are Usagi Tsukino and you never give up, even when everyone says you should."

Usagi hugged her mother hard and then stepped back with a sniffle. "This seems to be my morning for tears."

Ikuko smiled. "Yes, well, hopefully these are happy tears?"

Usagi grinned. "Very happy tears. Thank you Mum. You should know that you are the very best mother in the whole wide world and that I couldn't have chosen better had the choice been mine to make."

Ikuko's smile was serene as she wiped away a tear of her own. "I'm glad you feel that way. Now scat. Or you'll loose the time you have to study."

Usagi left the house a minute later feeling light and ready for the day. Unease niggled briefly at the back of her mind, but she ignored it as she got into her car, made sure Luna was inside before she closed the door and drove off.

New Section-

Heaven.

A hope of eternal rest, eternal peace.

New to Heaven.

Confused, uncertain, alone and full of blame.

Senshi come.

Disorientation extreme, left behind unknown.

Death is temporary, meaning little.

Life again.

Sureia's eyes flew open and she gasped quietly. Feelings of warmth and peace mixed with confusion and pain and caused a sense of unease to settle low in her stomach. Her mother was a Senshi, after all and what she did for a living was extremely dangerous. She sighed. She'd call her mother first thing in the morning and touch base. She'd feel better then. She closed her eyes and thought of a sunrise untouched by smog or haze and was soon asleep again.

New Section-

"Morning honey. How'd you sleep?"

Sureia tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled at Xiao Si. "I slept really well except for the recital of an odd poem I'd never heard before."

"Oh? Anything I might know?"

"Just something about heaven and the Senshi. It was kind of freaky in a way because it insinuated that the Senshi would be in heaven sometime soon and the whole feel to it was one of premonition."

Xiao Si frowned. Setsuna Meiou was her best friend; Xiao Si was one of the few civilians who knew what Setsuna did for a living. Oddly enough, her daughter didn't take after her mother at all; she must look more like her unmentioned father; though both Setsuna and Sureia knew who he was, neither of them had ever spoken a word to anyone. With a mass of natural ringlets in royal blue falling to her knees and piercing eyes of true black (unheard of in eye colour) with just a thin rim of blue around the edge, she was a true beauty, despite her short 150 cm frame. She was also powerless, the complete opposite of her mother. Although perhaps the body shape DID come from her mother, for both women were well endowed and had a similarly shaped face. Coming out of her reverie, she asked, "When was the last time you talked to your mum?"

Sureia shrugged. "It's probably been about a month now. I thought I'd give her a call this morning. I still haven't told her about Michael yet and I thought it was about time I did since we're getting married in a month."

"Good idea. The sooner the better and you'll soon forget what you dreamt last night."

Sureia doubted that, but appreciated the sentiment involved. "I have to rush now so I'll call Mum after my lecture. I have lunch with Michael at one, followed by another lecture at three so I should be home by six at the latest."

"That would actually make the timing perfect. Leisha has a netball game on tonight starting at 7.30 so I actually need to have dinner on the table at six so she then has time for it to settle before the game starts, not to mention getting her there."

"No worries. I'll make a concerted effort to be home by six then. Have a great day Xiao Si."

"You too love. Say hi to Michael for me."

Sureia grinned cheekily. "Sure will."

New Section-

Ikuko Tsukino took one step over the threshold into her home and knew instantly with that sixth sense that all mothers have in abundance that someone was home; someone who wasn't supposed to be home. There was something in the air other than the quiet she'd been expecting, a sound that was almost breathing but seemed almost just out of reach.

She knew it was family but not who. Kenji was at work, Usagi had a lecture at uni (just the thought still making her pause in shock that her oldest child had even passed high school let alone been accepted into uni) and Shingo should be off at a sports carnival. She sighed softly. The only way she was going to find out who it was, was to take the keys out of the door and go and investigate.

Ikuko stopped in the doorway to the kitchen and stared. She couldn't remember the last time her husband had come home from work early and she didn't think there'd ever been a time when he'd looked that defeated. She quickly placed the groceries on the side bench and took a seat beside him. She looked at the letter on the table briefly, but quickly dismissed it, focusing instead on his face. She was shocked to see that he'd been crying. She reached out to touch his hand and found it gripped so hard she could swear she heard her bones creak. Then, she waited.

She didn't have to wait long. "Usagi isn't my only daughter." It was a flat statement, brooking no arguments or margin for error. The statement was simply one of truth. Ikuko waited some more, then when Kenji stayed silent, she said gently, "Can you tell me about it?"

Kenji nodded slowly and swallowed. Ikuko stood up and went to move away, but his hand tightened around hers. She made a soft, soothing sound as she rubbed her free hand gently over his head. "I'm just going to get you a glass of water. It'll help with the rawness in your throat from the crying.

Kenji stared at their joined hands for a moment, then slowly let go. Ikuko got the water quickly and settled back down beside him, letting him reclaim her hand since it seemed to bring him some comfort. After a little while and some water, he started to speak.

"Do you remember the affair I had just after we married with that Russian woman in America?" When Ikuko had nodded affirmative, Kenji continued. "She died about a month ago. A letter arrived on my desk this morning from her and sent by her solicitor. It turns out that she was pregnant with my child when she went back to her fiancé and after he agreed to still marry her AND raise the child as his, she chose not to tell me, figuring that she would never be coming to Japan and no one would get hurt. But as she was dying, she decided she couldn't keep it a secret any longer and she had to tell us. My daughter and I, I mean."

Ikuko frowned. "But that was 21 years ago. She'd be 20 now, wouldn't she?" When Kenji nodded, Ikuko continued with a frown on her face. "It seems incredibly cruel. It seems obvious that your daughter is only just now finding out that her whole life was a lie and I can't begin to imagine what she must be going through right now. And then there is us. She must have thought you'd have children of your own by now and that this would come as a shock to all of us."

"Do you think I should tell Usagi and Shingo?"

"I don't know. Do you want to meet this girl?"

Kenji nodded slowly. "I do. I've missed out on 20 and a half years of her life already and if she's willing, I want to ensure that it's all I miss out on. So I guess I'll have to tell Usagi and Shingo. How do you think they'll react?"

Ikuko shrugged. "Usagi will be like 'Cool. When do we get to meet her?' and Shingo will be like 'That's nice. Where are the biscuits?' I honestly don't think you'll have too much trouble with them. And you'll have me with you when you tell them. I think its a good idea for you to meet the girl if she's amenable. After all, she is family."

Kenji stared at Ikuko for several long moments, and then shook his head, a small smile slowly spreading across his face. "Have I ever truly expressed how grateful and blessed I am to have you as my wife?"

Ikuko tossed her hair over her shoulder and shot him a coy look. "Probably not. But you're here now and I have nothing pressing to do once I put away the groceries, so maybe you could show me?"

Kenji laughed. "I'll help."

New Section-

"Hey Usagi, wait up!"

Usagi turned at the shout and saw Rei, Makoto and Minako walking towards her. They were all studying at the same university, though they all had different courses. Rei was studying comparative religion, Makoto was doing her masters in cooking, with all kinds of additional minors to do with the kitchen and working in a restaurant and Minako was enrolled in drama, acting and dance classes.

She looked down at Luna as they approached with a cheeky smile. "What's the bet they all want a lift home?"

"Pretty high. But then, today might be the day we're wrong about that."

"Are you heading to the shrine Usagi?" Minako asked with a winning smile as she slung an arm across Usagi's shoulders.

Usagi looked down at Luna and murmured, "Yeah right," before she looked at Minako and shook her head. "I know I was the one to call the meeting, but I received a call from Mum promising certain death to me if I wasn't home by 5. I have to pick Shingo up at Mika's house and I'm already running really late, considering how long it takes for them to say goodbye."

They all started moving towards the parking lot again as Makoto suggested, "Perhaps we could get a lift as far as Mika's place? Then it would only be a 5 minute walk from there."

"I can do that, but I need to leave right now."

As they were all ready, that wasn't an issue. Minako and Makoto started to argue about whom was getting the front seat and Rei settled the issue by getting in when they weren't looking. The two girls grumbled as they climbed into the back.

After a few minutes of silence, Makoto asked, "Is it serious? What your mother wants you home for?"

Usagi shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. She sent me a text message on my phone and it just said to pick Shingo up and be home by five on pain of death. I have not a clue about what is happening."

"Can you tell us about your reason for calling the meeting this afternoon, so we can fill Ami in when she gets off at medical school?"

Usagi shuddered. "Luna, could you do it? I don't really want to have to recount the whole thing again."

The next five minutes was taken up with Luna's recounting of Usagi's dream and then with the questions the other three girls had for her to fill in the finer details.

They were halfway to Mika's when Rei said quietly, "You know, it's really weird, but I think I got an impression of the same thing, just the other day. Only I experienced the feelings and emotions, but not the vision itself."

They all fell quiet, thinking about what might be coming. After a few minutes of silence, Makoto suggested that they call the Outers and find out if any of them had had any premonitions or visions. Rei pulled her phone out and dialled the number. They all listened intently to her side of the conversation, though there was very little to hear; whoever had picked up the phone was doing most of the talking. Finally though Rei covered the mouthpiece. "I'm speaking with Michiru and she says only Hotaru and her have experienced the same thing I have, though Setsuna received scattered images but not the rest. The suggestion is that we all go over to their place for dinner, tonight if we're free, and discuss in detail what we've all seen."

"It would have to be a late dinner. I don't know what Mum wants; it could take just a short time or it could go for a while." After a bit of discussion on both sides and phone calls to Ami and Mamoru, it was decided that dinner would be about eight that evening and Makoto could come early if she wanted to cook or else they could get a takeaway. Even Makoto agreed that her cooking would be nicer than getting food she hadn't prepared. By that time, they had arrived at Mika's.

Surprisingly enough, Shingo was already waiting for her, talking with Mika as they stood on the porch. The girls and Luna quickly got out, Shingo got in and then they were on their way home once more.

They'd only just set off when Shingo started to pester Usagi with questions about what was coming and Usagi finally had to shout at him that she didn't know any more than he did. He fell quiet for the rest of the drive.

They were both surprised and just a little apprehensive as the car pulled into the driveway to find that both their parents were waiting for them at the front door. They exchanged a look. "Leave the bags," Usagi suggested and they both scrambled out of the car as quickly as they could.

"I'm sorry we're late Mum, Dad. My last lecture ran over time."

"That's alright. Let's all go into the living room. We all need to talk."

Usagi and Shingo exchanged another worried look, but followed their parents into the living room. As they went, Usagi told her parents about her having dinner with her friends that evening and though it was obvious that they weren't terribly pleased with the idea, they agreed that she could do that. When they reached the living room, Shingo and Usagi sat together on the couch when indicated. Usagi grew even more concerned as her father took the armchair and her mother sat on the arm of it beside him and took his hand. She never let ANYONE sit on the arms of the chairs.

Ikuko spoke first. "We're sorry if we alarmed either of you. It wasn't our intention, but it was urgent that we all sit down and talk as soon as possible."

Usagi and Shingo nodded and Kenji sighed. "What I have to tell you both will come as a complete shock to you, but it must be said. Twenty-one years ago, just after your mother and I were married, I was having some major issues adjusting to the marriage. I decided to deal with it by walking out and taking some time away. I flew to America and was there for a couple of months before I met a woman from Russia who was having similar issues to me, though she was just engaged at the time. We got to know each other really well and over the course of two weeks, we had an affair."

Usagi gasped and Shingo asked in a shocked voice, "Did you know about it when Dad came back Mum?"

Ikuko nodded and smiled gently down at Kenji. "Yes. Your father told me as soon as he returned. He refused to come back to the marriage until I knew and had chosen to forgive him for his indiscretions."

"So why are you telling us this now?"

"The woman I was with died recently and left a letter to be delivered to me. Upon reading it I discovered that I'd gotten her pregnant and she'd chosen to have the baby and raise it with her husband, who accepted it as his, even though he knew of the affair and the fact that the child wasn't his by birth. She is now 20 years old and like me, only just finding out about the deception that has been such a huge part of her life. I had the choice of whether or not I wanted to meet her and I have decided that I do. Whether it means travelling to Russia or having her come stay with us, I'm not sure yet. The choice of whether we meet is now hers to make."

Ikuko jumped in quickly before Usagi and Shingo could speak. "We want you both to know that no matter what happens, the two of you are still our children and we still love you just the same as ever. We just might need to find a little more love for this other girl, that's all."

"So I'm actually not the oldest, nor the only daughter?"

"No. Does that bother you?"

Usagi didn't answer, instead turning inwards with her thoughts and tuning out the questions Shingo was suddenly throwing at their parents. She could sense something building within her, a need for something indefinable. She waited patiently; unaware of the concerned looks her family were shooting at her. Finally it came to her and she knew what she had to do.

They were all startled as Usagi jumped to her feet and went running out the door. Kenji jumped up with the intention of following her, but Ikuko stopped him. "Don't. I saw the look on her face. She'll run until she's exhausted and then she'll pull out what made her run and look at it from all angles. She'll be back when she's ready. Just let her go, she'll be fine."

Kenji sat back down slowly and looked at his youngest child. "What are you thinking about all this?"

Shingo shrugged. "I guess it's alright. I mean, it's bad enough having just one older sister and now I have two, but it's not the end of the world and if she's anything like Usagi, it shouldn't be too bad."

Ikuko and Kenji exchanged an amused look and then Ikuko sent Shingo off to get a snack. She studied her husband's face for a minute, and then said firmly, "Right. There's no use worrying about how Usagi is going to react until she comes back. Why don't you see if Shingo needs any help with his homework and I'll get dinner on. I'm sure Usagi will be back in time for dinner."

They stood up and went to their separate tasks and if Ikuko shot an occasional worried look out the kitchen window as she cooked, no one was there to notice it so that was alright surely?

New Section-

Usagi ran until her muscles screamed and she was light-headed from the lack of oxygen. She slowed to a walk and looked around at her surroundings. She'd run to a park, one that took close to an hour to walk to on a normal day. This one had a small lake that was at present solidly frozen over due to the extremely cold weather. A few ambitious souls were out skating on the hard surface.

She walked to the rail that rimmed the lake and leaned against it, putting her suddenly cold hands in her pockets. She watched the skaters for a while before she turned her back on them and stared up at the bare branches of a nearby tree. Now that she'd stopped moving she was glad she hadn't had the chance to take off her jacket, but she was still going to be cold once the adrenalin wore off.

The wind washed over her and she realised suddenly that she was crying and the cold was freezing the tears to her face. She pulled her hands out of her pockets and scrubbed the wetness off her face. It was hard to know why she was crying. It wasn't as if her father's announcement of an affair was too much of a shock, nor was the fact that she had a sister something she really needed to worry about. She sighed and started walking again.

No matter which way she looked at it, she just couldn't figure out why she was so unsettled by the whole thing. Having an older sister could be cool and since her father's affair had happened before she was born, it really didn't have that much of an impact of her life as it was now.

'So what's bothering me?'

She continued to think about it as she walked until she looked up and suddenly realised that she was standing outside the block of apartments that housed Mamoru's. Usagi checked her watch and smiled. Mamoru would be home and he'd listen to all her troubles and help her figure it out. She looked both ways as she checked for traffic, before she stepped out and headed for the front entrance. She travelled up in the lift, pulling her keys to Mamoru's apartment out of her bag just in case he wasn't yet home from work. After knocking a couple of times, she used the keys to get in and wandered through the apartment, making sure that Mamoru wasn't home and hadn't just heard the doorbell.

When she arrived back in the living area, she stood still for a few seconds, trying to figure out what she was going to do. It was almost 6.30, so he shouldn't be too long and he'd never minded her being there without him before. She walked back down the hall and into his bedroom. She pulled off her jacket and her shoes and climbed up onto the high bed; after lying on her side, she grabbed one of the spare pillows and wrapped her arms around it.

In the silence and stillness that settled on her as she rested, it suddenly hit her why she might be feeling the way she did. She was worried that if Katie and her dad met, she wouldn't be her dad's best girl anymore. At the very least he wouldn't have as much time for her. Only her thinking didn't make that much sense because she knew her dad loved her completely and without reservation.

She closed her eyes and took several slow deep breaths. She'd had that nasty dream that morning, followed by a full day of lectures and researching for assignments and now this news. Maybe if she could sleep for a while, everything would look a little clearer. A quiet voice suggested she call home and let them know she was alright, but then sleep overcame her and the thought was gone.

New Section-

Sureia whistled cheerfully to herself as she parked her car in the driveway and grabbed her uni bag as she got out. She'd made it to her first lecture with a few minutes to sit and relax before it began, both her morning and her afternoon lectures had been great, she'd had an awesome lunch with Michael and this evening she would watch her sister play netball. Leisha could be lethal with a ball in her hand and had been known to win more than one game for her team in the past. With her violet eyes sparkling with determination and her long purple hair braided and flying out behind her as she worked the court, she looked like a tall Amazon defending her territory. It was always incredible and she couldn't wait to see what tonight's game would bring. Her day couldn't have been any better. Unfortunately for Sureia, it was about to get a bad as bad could get.

She opened up the front door and was in the process of divesting herself of her jacket and shoes when it suddenly dawned on her that there was something really wrong. The sounds and smells of dinner cooking should have mingled with the noise the twins always made as they fought over Chan's attention where it came to their homework. The steady sound of Leisha shooting practice baskets in the back in preparation for that night's game should have been a steady undertone to the rest. But instead there was not a sound. It was far, FAR too quiet for a normal evening this close to dinnertime.

Sureia quietly set down her jacket as she slipped her shoes back on, just in case she had to make a run for it. After silently pushing the door to so as to keep the front hall looking as it was, she crept down the hall on silent feet, being careful as she approached the entrance to the living room. All was quiet and she could tell at a brief glance that there was no one there, but it was extremely obvious that someone had been there.

The room looked like a bomb had hit it. All the smaller electronics had been picked up and thrown, smashing against the wall in a pile in one of the opposite corners. The television had a massive hole in the middle of the screen and cracks radiating out in all directions. The vase of flowers on the glass coffee table and the table itself had become a pile of water, squashed flower and shards of pottery and glass. The couch, 2 armchairs and all the cushions had been reduced to so much stuffing and shredded material. All the family photos and framed landscapes had been tossed in the opposite corner. Wiping away a few tears at the sight of the destruction, Sureia turned her back on the carnage and continued down the hall to the kitchen.

Not that the kitchen looked any better than the living area. Cutlery had been bent completely out of shape and strewn all over the floor where it wasn't imbedded in the walls. Plates, bowls, cups, saucers, dishes for cooking and other pieces had been smashed all over the floor. Food and drink had been emptied all over the place. The wooden table and chairs that Chan had proudly made a year ago had been ripped apart and reduced to kindling. Whoever it was who'd caused so much destruction had found the knife blocks; every single one of the sharp knives had been thrown. Some were so deeply imbedded in the walls she wouldn't be able to just pull them out of the wall.

Sureia found the sharpest knife she could pull out of the wall and headed for the stairs. As she ascended, she listened for any noises she might be able to discern, but all seemed to be quiet and she wasn't sure if she wanted the invader to be long gone or there so that she could inflict on him some of the damage he'd inflicted on her home. She still hadn't decided when she reached the landing and was faced with a wall of closed doors. After hesitating for a minute, she decided to try Xiao Si and Chan's room first. But the closer she got, the stronger a strangely familiar smell got and the more reluctant her footsteps became. She suddenly wished she'd called the police first.

She hesitated again outside her foster parent's room; after a deep breath she then regretted due to the smell, which she still could not place in her memory, she grasped the doorknob in a shaky hand and opened the door.

The knife dropped from her hand and both hands flew to her mouth in order to stifle her scream as the smell suddenly registered with a name in her memory and the scene before her registered in her brain. She'd stood there in horrified silence for almost five minutes before her feet moved her closer to the bed seemingly without her knowledge. She was unaware as she moved of the blood that pooled around her shoes with every step. Stopping at the edge of the bed, she stared at the destruction the two people who'd raised her had become. Whoever was in the house must have had a serious vendetta against her family because they had been tied up and well and truly sliced. What really disturbed and frightened her was that their faces had been left without a mark on them and had obviously been wiped clean. Their eyes were open and the terror and agony of their last moments was written there for all to see.

Sureia whimpered oh so softly and backed up. She looked back and down only when she stepped on the knife she'd dropped. She noticed distantly that the area around the door was relatively dry of blood as she picked up the knife and silently pulled the door closed again. She moved down the hall and carefully checked the twin's room. She started to cry silently as she found a scene that was identical to the one she'd just left. Again her footsteps slowed as she approached the room she shared with Leisha. She and Leisha might as well have been born as twins, they were that close. If she was going to find the same in the room they shared, she really didn't want to know. But even as she made the decision to withdraw and call the police, she heard a soft whimper that sounded distinctly feminine. Leisha was still alive. Grasping the knife as hard as she could she took hold of the doorknob and her courage and shoved the door as hard as she could, moving in quickly with the knife held out in front of her.

The sight that met her was similar to the carnage of the other rooms, but the differences here were obvious as Leisha turned a pleading look in her direction and the man who turned to glare coldly at her was not meant to be there. She took a step back as he advanced on her with a bloodied knife in his hands. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Leisha try to get herself out of the ropes that held her down on the bed. A distant, slightly hazy part of her mind thought, 'Good. She won't be in the way when I gut him from top to toe.' The part of her mind that was still the most dominant was screaming at her to run now while she still could, but that hazy part was assuring her that she could take him AND save Leisha if only she had the guts to stay and fight. Without realising exactly what she was doing, she took a casual step forward and chose the latter option.

She crouched in a fluent motion and swung out in a roundhouse kick that would have made a martial arts master jealous. As the intruder jumped over her leg and dropped to try the same manoeuvre on her, she tossed herself over and backwards, using just a touch of kinetics to roll herself over fully and land on her feet. As she landed, she twisted in her crouch and shot her leg out to try and catch him while he was off balance, but he was already jumping back out of way, now well aware that he was more than evenly matched in fighting skills. Sureia straightened and studied him as he studied her. He had height on his side and was obviously light on his feet despite his heavier, bulkier build. They were both perfectly still for an instant, and then as if a bell had rung that only they could hear, they were suddenly in motion again.

It was poetry in motion, though Sureia had no idea where the knowledge and fluidity of movement were coming from. She had an idea that she would be in agony once she stopped moving, but all she could focus on was the moment and the next kick or punch needed to attack her opponent and the next block she would need in order to defend herself. As she moved, she also had to be aware of where his knife was. His movements were so fast, she'd been cut several times already but she got her own back and was gratified to see blood on him as well.

The unfortunate thing was that while she was getting quite tired from the rapid and continuous motion of the fight, he appeared to be as fresh as when he'd begun. It was proven as she missed a necessary block. Very necessary, she discovered as pain and blood bloomed from where he'd stuck the knife into her upper abdomen. She looked up at him to see the pleased vindictiveness on his face. But since he was no longer looking down he missed a necessary block of his own and dropped to the ground with his hands around his throat as he tried to breath around the hole she'd put in his windpipe. She ignored the gurgling sounds he was making and stumbled over to where Leisha was still tied to her bed. She dropped to her side on the bed and painfully moved to untie her bonds. When she had undone all the ropes, she moaned, noting that the haze in her mind was beginning to dissipate and half-formed thoughts were beginning to surface.

She thought about her fiancé and how she wished he were here with her because she would be safe; she was uncertain as to where the feelings of safety were coming from because, after all, what could her human better half do that she hadn't already? But even as she thought that and the haze in her mind retreated further, the exhaustion from the fight coupled with her blood loss and her mind started to blank as consciousness deserted her. Her last thought as she slipped into sleep was that she hadn't remembered to call her mother that morning after all.

New Section-

Mamoru closed the door to his apartment slowly. He tipped his head to one side and took a deep breath. His Usako was here. He smiled to himself, pleased. He'd been missing her all day and then about 5.30 he'd had an extreme urge to call her. He hadn't been able to at the time due to work being insanely busy, but now he wouldn't have to call her; all he had to do was figure out where she was.

He slipped off his shoes and padded down the hall to his room where he stopped in the doorway and frowned. Usagi was asleep on his bed, curled up around a pillow like it was a lifeline. She looked like she'd been crying and even as he watched her, she whimpered in her sleep and started to shake. He hurried towards her and was just about to climb up on the bed when she suddenly screamed such a blood-curdling scream and shot upwards. Unfortunately, when she did that, she slammed right into him and tumbled them both onto the floor in a mess of arms and legs. He managed to keep her on top, but he caught an elbow to his cheekbone and a knee in his stomach for his troubles.

She continued to struggle for a few seconds before she collapsed into him and started to sob like he'd never heard before. He wrapped his arms tight around her and told her she was alright and safe and that she could cry as long as she needed to. He resigned himself to being flat on his back on the floor for a while to come and settled in to comfort Usagi for as long as it took.

He didn't know how long they were on the floor before Usagi slowly lifted her head and looked at him. He hated that the look in her eyes was dull and that she looked ragged and so defeated.

"Mamo-chan?"

"Hey Usako. Bit better now?"

She nodded and gulped. "When did you get home?"

He grinned. "Right before you tackled me off the bed."

Usagi moaned, then smiled a small smile. "Sorry about that. I had a dream first thing this morning and then just now and it was so terrifying and dark that I had to get a light on as quickly as I could. It just happened that you were in the way. If it's any consolation, I sent Luna flying this morning."

Mamoru grinned mock-maliciously. "Yeah. But I bet you didn't land on her or attack her with any of your body parts."

Mamoru was secretly pleased that his ploy to distract Usagi from her terror worked so well as she was instantly solicitous and apologetic. She let him up off the floor and then dragged him into the bathroom so she could use the super bright light that he had installed in there. He thought she was probably also still needing light, but he let it go as she started to relax.

In the bathroom's mirror, he saw a bruise already coming up on his cheek and shifting his shirt showed that a bruise was also beginning to appear right below his left kidney. Both were extremely sore to the touch and were swelling slightly.

Usagi sighed. "People are going to think I beat up on you."

Mamoru smiled. "If you don't tell Michiru how you did it, she'll probably be pleased with how you are bringing me in line."

Usagi groaned. "If you aren't careful, I will start hitting you to keep you in line."

Mamoru made a shocked look and reached out to poke Usagi in the side. "You should be nicer to me after you bruised me."

Usagi started to apologise yet again and then she saw the teasing twinkle in Mamoru's eyes and so she poked him back, making sure as she did that she missed the bruise he already had. Mamoru retaliated by tickling her and suddenly the tickling war was on. Sometime in the middle of the fight Usagi ended up flat on her back on the bathroom floor with Mamoru on top, his face only a few inches from hers. The laughter died and desire uncurled slowly as they studied each other. At the same time they moved in towards each other and suddenly the fact that they were in the bathroom became inconsequential.

Somehow they moved from the bathroom to the bed without breaking the contact between their mouths. Usagi again found herself on the bottom, but she didn't mind at all, liking the dominance that Mamoru displayed. And yet as she reached for the buttons on his shirt, he stopped her and broke contact. She shot him a questioning look and he shook his head. "We only have about fifteen minutes before we have to leave for Michiru's place. I really don't want to be late for Mako-chan's cooking and I don't want to start something I can't finish."

She shifted suggestively and he groaned. "We could be really quick?"

Mamoru shook his head. "Has anyone every called you an evil little vixen before?"

Usagi giggled. "You did. Last week after dinner at the Joker's Lounge. Remember? You were getting me a glass of water and you turned around and ended up with shattered glass and water all around your feet because I'd taken off my top and you hadn't realised till then that I hadn't been wearing a bra."

Mamoru tsked softly. "See what I mean? An evil little vixen you are. But I can be just as evil and I'm going to instead ask you what is bothering you beside your dreamed premonition of doom."

Usagi sighed and pulled herself out from under Mamoru, propping her back and shoulders against a small pile of pillows. Mamoru waited until she was settled and then shifted until he could lie at odd angles to her and rest his head on her thighs and look up at her. She let her hand drop to his head and sifted her fingers through his hair for a minute before she began to speak.

"Dad told us today that he'd had an affair after he married Mum and before I was even born and that he's just found out that she had a baby by him. I'm no longer the oldest child in my family."

Mamoru sat up and took hold of Usagi at the waist; he swiftly shifted them both until he was the one resting against the pillows and Usagi was resting with her head over his heart. She was crying all over again, though these tears were silent and he wondered how much more his usually cheerful girlfriend would be able to take.

"Tell me?" He asked gently.

She sniffled once before proceeding to describe her day in full. She spoke of both her dreams and the announcement her dad had made, followed by her confusion over why she was reacting the way she was over a girl she'd never met before. He listened without interrupting except to suggest they continue on their way down to the car. By the time they were pulling out of the parking garage, Usagi had stopped talking and was resting her head back with her eyes closed. Mamoru gave her a few minutes of quiet before he gently reminded her that she could always talk to him about anything and that he would always be there for her.

She turned her head and smiled at him. "I know you will always be there for me." She sighed sadly. "It's just been a long day, I'm lacking in sleep and I just forgot for a while that I wasn't on my own. But I never doubted that you would be there for me if I needed you."

"Good. You know the girls will be just as supportive. Perhaps more so because they have the female emotions to share with you."

Usagi stared at him in shock for a moment before she burst out laughing. Mamoru grinned and turned his full attention back to driving, his aim accomplished. They stole a kiss at a red light and pulled into the drive up to Michiru's house in a much lighter mood.

They were about ten minutes late, but quickly discovered that they weren't the last ones to arrive.

"Ami was asked to stay back an extra hour and so won't be here for another twenty minutes. Mako-chan says that dinner can wait, so that's what we're going to do til Ami arrives."

Michiru led them into the living room where everyone was sitting around and talking. Mamoru chose to lean against the wall near the door and Usagi found that she'd rather stay close so when he would have crossed his arms over his chest, Mamoru found himself holding his girlfriend instead. Not that he minded.

They stayed outside the conversation, just listening to everyone else talk after they'd said hello. When Ami arrived, she had Luna with her. Luna went straight to Usagi and jumped up into her arms. While everyone else headed into the kitchen, they dawdled until they were the only ones left in the living room.

"Are you alright Usagi?"

"What do you mean?"

"I had a sudden urge to return home and find out what your parents had to say and was just coming up the drive when you went flying out of the house. I didn't think it was possible for anyone to run faster than a cat, but you managed it and by the time I'd given up, I was near Ami's place. When she came home to change before coming here, I got a lift over with her."

Usagi sighed. "I think I will be. I'm sorry I rushed out like that. I just needed to get out. I still don't know why I ran, but I didn't mean to worry you."

"That's alright. Can you tell me what happened?" Usagi briefly outlined what had come to pass that afternoon and Luna sighed. "Well, you're alright physically and I'm sure you'll be fine emotionally with time in the near future. Will you tell the others?"

"Mamoru already knows and I'm planning to tell the others after we've discussed the premonitions of doom."

"That's good. You shouldn't leave it buried inside and if you do tell the girls, you get the added support of their understanding and advice."

"I know. Come on, dinner smells wonderful and I'm starving. Let's go find out what Mako-chan made."

They'd all been seated around the table with their food before Haruka demanded, "Right. If someone doesn't tell me what's going on, someone is going to get hurt and it isn't going to be me."

Luna shifted where she and Artemis had been allowed to sit on the kitchen bench in order to be level with everyone and glared at Haruka. "Usagi has already been hurt by what she has experienced, so back off."

Haruka looked stunned for a minute, before she opened her mouth to apologise, but Usagi cut her off before she could speak. "That's alright Luna. I appreciate the defence but I understand too well the frustration Haruka is feeling at the thought that most of the rest of us know what is going on and she has no clue. It's usually the position I find myself in."

Haruka shook her head. "Thankyou, but I should have tried to be a little more understanding; after all, as you just said, you aren't used to being in my position. I would like to know what is going on since Michiru, Hotaru and Setsuna have been particularly close-mouthed, but I can wait."

Usagi inclined her head and looked across at Luna. "Would you mind telling them again? I don't want to relive it again so soon." She cocked her head and Usagi sighed. "I had another dream at Mamo-chan's about two hours ago. Twice is enough for me, but I've got a nasty feeling that the next time I close my eyes I'll be seeing it again, so if I can avoid describing it myself, I might just be able to cope."

Luna settled in to the tale and told it to completion without being interrupted. Then Michiru took up the story. "All the feelings you just described and the emotions that went with them were exactly what I went through, though my dreamscape was simply blank and all I got was the sensation. I woke at approximately five-thirty this morning drenched in sweat and desperate for light. By the time I'd put on every light in the bedroom, I'd calmed down immensely and was able to get back to sleep. But then at about six-thirty I was in the process of having a bath when I suddenly blacked out and was back in the dreamscape. By the time it had let me go I was flat on the floor of the bathroom with Hotaru in the process of drying out my lungs.

"Hotaru had similar reactions at the same times, but was lucky enough to be sitting on her bed reading a book at the time it happened a few hours ago. What she experienced was less than what I went through, perhaps half the depth of feeling. Setsuna, on the other hand, went through all the emotions and feelings AND had flashes of what Luna says you saw, Usagi. Rei?"

Rei frowned thoughtfully. "You know, all I really got was a sense of delight and happiness followed by a wave of oppression and terror. Come to think of it, the first time woke me up briefly some time in the early hours of this morning and then I felt it again this evening as I was meditating. Am I the only one seeing a pattern right now?"

"I think the better question should be; who isn't seeing the pattern?"

No one put their hand up to answer Luna's question. Some were nodding thoughtfully and others just look worried. "Is anyone else curious as to why Usagi is the one receiving the fullness of this premonition and not one of you who would usually have this kind of experience?" Mamoru queried.

Now everyone was frowning and though the discussion went for a good half an hour as they ate, no one could come up with a reason for what was happening.

Finally Usagi stood up. "Since we seem to be at a temporary impasse, I need to discuss something with everyone that will affect me incredibly, particularly over the next few weeks." She took Mamoru's hand when he offered it and after taking a deep breath, said quietly, "I'm not my fathers' only daughter."

There was a momentary silence whilst most of the group tried to figure out what she meant. This was followed by a loud uproar as everyone tried to ask a question all at once. When it was obvious Usagi wasn't going to answer any of their questions, silence slowly filled the room again. Then Ami tentatively asked, "Can you tell us about it?"

Usagi nodded and told everyone what she'd learnt this afternoon from her father. "I don't know what will happen with the two of them meeting or how, exactly, it will affect me. I just know that it will. Something deep inside is insisting that everything is about to change dramatically."

Conversation from then on seemed to revolve around the changes that seemed to be popping up everywhere they turned. Desert had just been served with wine for everyone but Hotaru and those not driving, when Setsuna simultaneously gasped, jumped to her feet and dropped her wine glass. On the way down, the glass clipped the edge of the table and showered Haruka and Makoto with wine and smashed glass when it shattered. Everyone stared in shock at Setsuna, who was usually the calmest of the lot of them as she stood and stared white-faced at something none of them could see.

New Section-

Setsuna was about to take a sip of her wine when the most excruciating pain she'd ever felt slammed into her. She knew instantly that the pain wasn't hers, that it was so intense for being Sureia's pain because her child had grown within her and was such a large part of her. What she didn't know was why her daughter was in so much pain.

And then she felt a gentle pushing against the barriers of her mind. After a brief hesitation, she let down those barriers carefully, ready to defend her mind if necessary. Once the barriers were fully down, she could hear another mind all around hers, one that seemed as familiar as her own.

Cautiously, she asked, 'Chiana?'

'Yes.'

'Why have you sought me out?'

'Sureia needs your help.'

'How so?'

Into her mind appeared a tumult of images. She followed them to their completion less than ten seconds later. As she contemplated what she'd seen, she heard Chiana say quietly, 'You did well keeping her unaware of me; if she had been aware of my presence before I made myself known, I may not have been able to take over quite so smoothly. As it is, as she lost consciousness, she was still unaware of what was happening.'

Setsuna demanded, 'What was happening?'

'I'm not sure and I am also unaware of why they were targeted. I have preserved his body for the future when my conscience is awake and I am able to question him in this matter. All I know is that it did happen and Sureia and Leisha need to be moved immediately. The local police were made aware of a loud disturbance and are coming in force. Leisha and Sureia cannot be here when they arrive.'

'I understand. Can you do that yourself if I show you where to go?'

'Yes. But it will hurt you and will most likely render you unconscious for approximately twelve hours.'

'That's fine. Just do what you need to do. I'll cope with the ramifications later. You'll need to send them here.' And she showed Chiana her private apartment. 'How long can you keep them alive without medical help?'

'Maybe half an hour, 40 minutes at the most and that will be pushing it. Can you arrange help to arrive within the timeframe?'

'No. Not from here.' She sighed inwardly and showed an image of one of the upstairs guest rooms. 'Bring them both here. I'll let the others know enough of what is happening to keep them content momentarily and then I'll give you the go ahead.'

New Section-

Usagi exchanged stunned looks with the others as Setsuna stood stiff and unaware of her surroundings. After a couple of seconds, she hesitantly stood up and walked around the table. After another short hesitation, she reached out to touch her, just as she swayed and reached out to grab the table edge. She abruptly dropped back into her chair, her face white and chalky and her whole body shaking slightly.

Usagi crouched down beside her and asked gently, "Setsuna, are you alright?"

Setsuna returned the look blankly for a moment and then shuddering just once replied, "I will be magically guiding two young women into one of the upstairs guest rooms. They are both severely injured, bordering on death and desperately need medical attention. In guiding them here, I will lose consciousness for approximately twelve hours. I don't have time to fully explain what is happening but understand this; if either of those girls dies, someone will have to pay."

Everyone gasped and Rei started to demand further explanation but all of a sudden Setsuna collapsed forward in her chair and a sound like a great bell tolling could be heard from the upstairs area. As Usagi and Ami saw to Setsuna, Mamoru and Hotaru left the room running and took the stairs two at a time.

An hour later, dinner had been cleared off the table and the glass from the shattered cup had been cleaned up. Haruka and Makoto were dressed in clean clothing and everyone was gathered in the living room except for Hotaru and Ami who were still upstairs making sure their guests were comfortable and truly on the mend.

Mamoru sighed as he settled back against the cushions on the couch. He closed his eyes and said tiredly, "The two girls upstairs are Sureia and Leisha Soong. Leisha is Sureia's foster sister and Sureia is Setsuna's only child."

"What?"

Mamoru winced at the sudden thunder of questions he was being pummelled with. It continued until a short yet piercing whistle cut through the din. He opened his eyes and took it the picture Ami made with a ferocious look on her face, her hands on her hips and her feet braced. Mamoru grinned at the shock on everyone's faces. He'd seen Ami in the hospital emergency room convince a drunk to let her treat him with exactly the same attitude even after the Chief of Emergency had failed. This was the side of her they almost never saw.

"Do you all have no respect for the injured? They could probably hear you clear across to Australia, what with all the racket and carrying on you were doing. If you get that loud again, I'll kick you all out of here, no matter whose house this is."

And with those fiercely spoken words she spun on her heel and stalked out of the room leaving in her wake dropped jaws and amazed expressions.

After several charged seconds, Minako asked in a hushed voice, "Did she really just tell us all off?"

No one answered. They were all too busy trying to come to terms with what they'd just seen.

After another minute, Haruka shook her head and turned back to Mamoru. "Do you want to explain what's going on now?"

Mamoru grimaced. "I don't actually know anything. Sureia only woke up long enough to tell me her name, Leisha's name and then to answer my question about how they knew Setsuna. Then she lost consciousness again. So that is the extent of my knowledge."

"That's not exactly very helpful, you know?" Haruka said in an annoyed voice. She exhaled sharply as Michiru dug an elbow into her ribs and ordered her to be polite. Turning to Mamoru, she enquired, "Will they both be alright?"

Mamoru nodded. "Given time and plenty of rest, they'll be fine. If you are willing to let them stay where they are, that will help even more. Ami and I can take turns coming over to see how they are doing and Hotaru is more than capable of monitoring them when we aren't here."

They all nodded agreement and Michiru enquired on if there was anything they could do to help beyond that. As they discussed the plan for the next few days, Usagi's phone buzzed. She pulled it out, checked the number and then stood up, holding up the phone as Rei started to enquire about where she was going.

Stepping into the kitchen, she answered the soft buzz. "Hello Mum."

"Hello darling. Your father wanted me to check on how you were holding up. He's currently driving me crazy with his pacing so could you at least let me know when you'll be home?"

Without hesitation, Usagi answered her mother. "I'll be staying at Mamoru's place tonight. I'm with him and the girls now and was with them for dinner as well." She sighed. "I won't lie, I am feeling extremely shaky and out of sorts and I don't even really understand why, but I'm a lot calmer than I was before and I think by tomorrow I should have worked through whatever is bothering me. I don't have classes until tomorrow afternoon so I'll make sure to be home by lunch time at the very latest."

"Alright dear. I'll let your father know and hopefully that will be enough for him to calm down. He does love you, you know?"

Usagi closed her eyes and sat down at the table. "Yeah. I know that. Don't mind me. I'm just out of sorts and it probably wasn't helped by my nightmare this morning. Do you know what is happening about arranging a meeting between them?"

"Hmm. Katie, that's her name by the way, has agreed to meet with your father here in Japan, as he has work and family commitments here so she'll be flying over with her best friend first thing Sunday morning."

"That's awfully fast, don't you think?"

"Not really. When you think about it, they've both missed out on 20 years of growing up together. Neither of them wants to waste a moment longer and both are willing to start from scratch without any preconceived ideas or emotions. I think it's amazing that they are waiting the extra 5 days. I wouldn't have that much patience if I were in either position."

"I guess." She looked up as Mamoru appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Listen Mum, I have to go. Give my love to Dad and I'll see you both sometime tomorrow."

"Alright love. Take care of yourself. Goodnight."

Usagi closed her phone and stared at it for a moment. When she next looked up, Mamoru stood in front of her looking concerned. "Are you alright?"

Usagi shrugged. "Alright is relative, I guess. I'm feeling more stable than earlier, but still shaky. I told mum I'd be staying at your place tonight. I hope that's alright?"

He grinned. "Of course it is, you evil little vixen. Remember, we have something to finish from earlier."

A slow smile spread across her face as she stood. "Yes, we do, don't we?" She tugged his head down but before she could kiss him, Haruka's amused voice intruded. "Everyone's getting ready to head off. The consensus is that we'll monitor what happens with the dreams over the next few days and see if anything changes, then meet up Sunday afternoon at the shrine to discuss it."

Usagi turned slightly towards her. "I can't do Sunday. My sister is flying in. Can we make it Saturday?"

A few minutes later, everyone except Ami headed home with the meeting set for Saturday afternoon. 15 minutes after that, Usagi and Mamoru collapsed onto the bed in his master bedroom and snuggled in together. Within moments, they were both asleep.