In Memory Of

by Heroine of the Valley

Sequel to Sailor Strata Moon. An evil man builds robots to take away the data from humans: their memories.

1. Part I Sister, where are you?

Disclaimer:  I do not own Sailor Moon or Ronin Warriors.

In Memory Of

Part I: Sister, Where Are You?

Little did the sailor scouts or ronin warriors know, that there was a new enemy coming.  It seemed like some creature always wanted something valuable from the humans, life energy, crystals, pure hearts, dreams, souls and only because they had none of their own.  The heart snatchers, they had no hearts.  No, no, no hearts at all.  The soul stealers, they had no souls either.  Not even a body.  All these creatures were made to take away what gave humans their lives, desires, souls and heats. Everything that made them special, they wanted it.  Now there was some new enemy that wanted something from humans.

Memory Maimers.  The name itself sends chills up the spine.  A man who thought of himself as a god developed robots and called them the memory maimers.  He was going to use the to replace the humans and all they needed was their data: their memories.  And he didn't have any real good reason, just like the other enemies the sailor scouts had.  He wanted to be invincible and he thought robots could live better lives than humans.  They wouldn't be distracted as much.

No one was prepared for the memory maimers.  Not the ronin warriors or the sailor scouts or any other human.  Except Rowena, Rini's half sister.  Being her father's daughter, she read every thing she could get her little hands on.  She read scrolls about the memory maimers and other monsters. 

"Do you know what these are, Father?" Rowena asked.  She showed him the picture.

Rowen looked at it, "Memory Maimers," he said.

"Well, I know that.  It says so in the scroll," Rowena said, "but have you ever seen them?"

He nodded, "yes, unfotunalty.  A long time ago."

"Has Luther?"  She asked.

"Yes, child," Luther said behind her.

"Luther!" she cried happily.

"Memory Maimers are feared enemies." Luther said, "What is your most treasured memory, Rowena?"

"When I met Rini," she answered, "I'll never forget that."

"I'm sure you won't," he smiled, "but the memory maimers would make you forget rather you like it or not.  They'll take away all the treasured memories from your brain."

"That's awful!" she cried.  "Can they be stopped?"

"Anything can be stopped, dear child, although it is risky."

"They're not here now, are they?" she asked. "I mean, in the past?"

He sighed and held his staff toward her.  On the top of his staff was a giant orb.  "Keep your eyes on the orb."

She looked at it and saw a girl with chin length reddish brown hair walking down the street.  It was Molly, Serena's best friend and she had no idea she was going to be the first guinea pig for the memory maimers.

"This will surprise mom when she sees I've done all her shopping for her," Molly declared, "whoops."  An apple dropped from the grocery bag and rolled down the sidewalk. It came to someone's feet that matched Molly's.  She giggled, "nice shoes."  The person stood in the shadows she couldn't really see his or her face.  The figure bent over and picked the apple.  When it stepped into the light and handed the apple to her, Molly screamed and backed away, "You're--you're me!"

"I won't harm you, I only want your memories," the mirror image of her said.  She touched Molly's forehead and then Molly passed out cold.  She caught her and touched a silver symbol of a triangle inside of a circle.  "Mission accomplished, master."

"Good," a strong male's voice answered, "return to base.  You know the rest."

"Yes, Master."  She faded out and returned to base, which was an unknown building underground.  She placed Molly inside a clear small closet used to hold the humans one at a time.  She touched a button to release oxygen into the small compartment for Molly, "relax now, Molly, your memories, your life, your body, is mine." 

The fake Molly returned back to the street and she held the same bag Molly was holding.  She tracked Molly's memory to remember what she was going to do with them and knew where Molly lived.  Walking on, she heard a voice behind her.

"So there you are, Molly!" Melvin cried, "I've been looking all over for ya!"

She turned around and looked at the boy.  A small square in her vision focused on him and brought him up closer, closer, closer.  In a window, she saw his name and statistics. "Hello," a small grin crept upon her face, "Melvin."

Rowena could not believe what she had just seen.  "No, it cannot be!" she cried, "that, that thing just took the poor girl's memoies without even asking!"

"The soul stealers didn't ask either, did they?"  Luther said.

"Rini's in danger," Rowena said, "I have to go back to the past!  I can't let them harm my sister!"

"Wait child, there is more to tell you."

"What?" she grumbled, "my sister is in trouble and you want to talk some more?"

"I know it is important that you do go to the past, since you are the only one that can tell who is human and who is a memory maimer."

"I can?" she whispered. "But, how?"

"Dear child, you are smart," Luther smiled, "remember how you knew that the boy known as Yuli had his soul taken away and later in the tower you and Rini saw him but you were the only one that could tell he was really a soul stealer?"

"I remember, but I thought I just figured it out with logic," she said, "Because the real Yuli was still at Serena's home."

"You know when you look at the person," Luther said, "It is a gift and power that only you hold."

"All the more reason for me to get there!"

"What's going on?" Queen Serenity demanded.

"Mother, Rini's in trouble!" Rowena cried.

"Relax, Rowena," Queen Serrenity said.

"She will be just fine," Rowen said, "the sailor scouts and ronin warriors will stop them."

"But Father, I'm the only one who knows who is a real human and who is a fake!" Rowena shouted.

"You must stay here for now," Luther said, "I will tell you when to go."

"The time is now, Luther!"

"There is still more for me to teach you," he told her. 

Rowena clenched her teeth, "I don't want to know what you have to teach me!  I know enough and I know that my sister is in danger so I have to help her!" she bit her lip and tears flowed in her eyes, "you just don't understand, she's my sister!" she turned around and fled to her room.

"Rowena, wait!" Queen Sereiny called out.

"Let her go," Rowen held an arm in front of her, "I think she'd rather be alone right now."

Rini was groaning and turning around in her sleep.  She dreamed that no one could remember her.  Then she couldn't remember anything either.  Nobody knew her and she didn't' know anybody.  She pictured herself on a street with people walking by and no one stopped to say hello.  Even Yuli didn't seem to recognize her.  Then she saw a girl that did look familiar to her.  A girl with blue hair that matched the shape as hers. She was running to her, calling her name.  Rini smiled and knew who she was but when she got up to run to her, she vanished and Rini was all-alone.  "No!  Come back!" Rini shouted as she sat straight up.

"Rini, what is it?" Serena asked.

"I had a bad dream," she replied.

"Well, that what happens when you eat so much junk food before going to bed."

"Look who's talking," Rini muttered.

Serena gasped in surprise, "why you!" she huffed and walked out.

"Dear sister," Rini whispered as she lay back down, "I need you."  She turned her head to the left, "something awful is going to happen."

Rowena lay on her bed with her head on the right, like she was looking at Rini.  {AN: Some movies do this when friends/loved ones are far away.  I hope you're getting the picture here.} She sat up as if she heard Rini speaking to her, "I'm coming, my sister, I'm coming for you."  She stood up, "I don't care what they say. I'm coming now."

There was a huge fair the next day and the whole group went to check it out.  Finally, they were able to have some fun like normal teenagers.

"Hey everyone, watch this!" Kento bragged as he picked up a hammer and tried his strength at the "Test Your Strenth" game.  He took a deep breath and slammed the hammer down and the puck {I don't know what that little thing is, it looks like a hockey puck to me!} went straight up to the bell.  Ding.  He set the hammer down and flexed. 

Mina clasped her hands together and held them by the side of her face, "Oh, Kento, you're so strong!"  She walked up to him and placed her hands on his biceps, "what would I do without you?" she said in cute talk and touched his nose.

Kneto grinned and blushed.  "Well, little lady---"

"Doesn't look so hard," Lita walked up to the game and picked up the hammer.

"Careful, Lita," Kento warned, "this game's for guys only."

Lita snorted smoke from her nose, "Just watch me."

Kento raised an eyebrow.  Sage laughed, "yeah, Kento, just watch."

 Lita raised the hammer and slammed it upon the hammer down.  The hockey pock hit the bell and nearly came out of the top of the game. She grinned and placed the hammer down.  "What were you saying, Kento?" she asked.

Kento sighed.

"I still think you're strong though," Mina said as she wrapped her arms around his wide and buff chest and pecked him on the cheek.

Lita smiled and folded her arms as Sage placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Where's Rini?" Mia asked.

"Maybe they're at the tunnel of love," Kento joked.

"Oh, that's soo sweet!" Mina sighed.

Everyone groaned except Serena who said, "She's growing up so fast!"

"No," Darien said, "they're playing at the bumper cars."

"Oh," everyone mumbled.

Serena chewed on a caramel apple, "agugh!  I got caramel stuck in my teeth!"

Rowen held up a toothpick, "toothpick?"

Everyone laughed and Serena groaned as she swiped the toothpick away, "oh, gimmie that!"

Just as Darien had said, the two preteens weren't at the tunnel of love but at the bumper cars.  Yuli had wanted to go there because he thought girls like that kind of stuff but he knew that everyone loved the bumper cars.  He seemed to be the only one enjoying himself.  He was bumping into everyone in sight except Rini.  She just sat in the bumper car and didn't go anywhere.  Some people were bumping into her because she seemed easy to get.

Maybe her car's not working, he thought and zoomed to her, "hey, Rini, is there something wrong with the car?  Can't you get it to go?"

Unable to meet his friendly gaze, she lowered her head.

Someone bumped in her and Yuli snapped at the guy, "Hey!  Cant' you see I'm talking to her? Her car can't move. Get lost, I know Kendo!"

"Oh," he backed away and bumped into someone else.

Yuli unbuckled his seatbelt, "step on the gas, maybe it would go."

"You can't get out of your car once the game has started," the person taking the tickets said.

"I think there is something wrong with her car," Yuli said.

"Really?" he said, "It was working in the last game."

Rini sighed.

"Rini, are you okay?" Yuli asked.  He saw tears forming.  "I think she's not feeling well," he said.  "Too much cotton candy, I guess."

"I'll stop the game for you," he pressed a button and all the cars were immobile. 

"Hey!" some kids cried.

"I'll start the game in just a minute."

Yuli wrapped an arm around her and told her to undo her seatbelt.  She slowly did it and took Yuli's hand.  He pulled her out of the car and kept her close to him.  HE could tell something was wrong with her otherwise she would be bumping into him the whole time and laughing.

He led his friend away from the bumper cars and set her down at a picnic table.  "Okay, what's the matter?" he demanded both with anger and concern as he knelt in front of her, "We're supposed to be having fun."

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, "if you want to go back that's alright with me."

"I'm not going without you," he said.  "Rini, what's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare last nihgt," she replied. 

"What was it about?"

"I dreamed that no body knew me.  And I didn't know anyone, I felt like a zombie or something.  I coudlnt' remember anything about myself. People I was supposed to know were walking aroud and they didn't stop to say hi."

"I wouldn't forget you," Yuli said.

"But you did, in my dream.  You acted like you didn't even know me."

"I'd never do that to you," Yuli promised.  "It was just a dream."

"I saw Rowena there and she was the only one that called me by my name.  I was happy to see her and then while were running to each other, she vanished and I was all by myself."

"It's only a dream, Rini," Yuli told her, taking one of her hands.  "Everything is fine."

"I'm afraid something bad is going to happen," she sniffed.  "I think the soul stealers are coming back."

"They're gone," Yuli said.

"You have no idea how scared I was for you, Yuli," she whispered, "I was afraid I'd never see you again!"

"Hey, that's all over now," he took both of her hands, "and besides, if they do come back, the jewel of life will protect you."

"Yes, but what's going to protect you?"

"Shh don't worry about me," he shushed softly and sat next to her to pull her to him, "nothing's going to happen.  Everything is going to be okay.  Come on, it's a fair, let's have some fun."

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I shouldn't have gotten so scared over a silly dream.  Serena's right, I really shouldn't so much junk food before I go to bed."  She laughed.

"Want to go back to the bumper cars?" he asked.

She shook her head, "let's go on the carousel.  I don't' really want to bump into someone right now."

"Okay," he took her hand and led her to the carousel.  They heard screams and Rini was reminded of her dream again.

There was a memory maimer trying to take somebody's memories.  The human pushed the memory maimer back and hit it against a booth.  The robot's programming went a little haywire and the flesh of one side fell off.  {The Terminator!} 

"What is that thing?" people cried.

"Hold it!" Serena and her friends became the sailor soldiers and the boys became the ronin warriors.  "You'd better have a good reason for messing up our day!"

"Master, there seems to be a problem," the maimer said, "There are soldiers of some kind in the way."

"Get rid of them."  He said.

"Yes, master," the maimer said and walked forward to the scouts and ronins.  Ryo stepped forward and tried to attack with his swords, but the maimer caught his sword and threw it away. 

"Huh?" Ryo mumbled.

The maimer grabbed Ryo by his throat and tilted its head trying to focus on him and read his stats. 

The mamier found his memories far better than ever imagined and wanted them all.

"Ryo," the maimer said.  "Your memories are mine."

"Let him go!" Sailor Mars cried, "Mars Flame Sniper!"  She blew off its cybernetic arm.

Ryo gasped for air.

"Destroy them!" the maimer's master commanded.

The mamier shot lasers through its eyes.  Everyone ducked.

"It never ends!" Rini hissed through her teeth, "something always wants to take everything from us!  Well, I'm not going to stand for it any more!"

"Rini, don't," Yuli said, "let them take care of it."

"No, Yuli, I've had enough of this!" she clutched her hand into a fist, "Moon Life Soul Power!" she transformed from a normal preteen to a very angry Sailor Neo Moon.

"Sailor Neo Moon!" Sailor Moon cried.

"Now I don't' know who you are or where you came from and I really don't care!" Sailor Neo Moon snarled, pointing her white-gloved hand at the perpetrator, "but whatever you are after, you're not going to get it!"

The Maimer focuses on her and brought up her statistics. Her memories were sugary-sweet, just as her dreams and heart.

"Moon Rose Beam Aim!" She shot moonbeams and roses at the maimer.  It blocked her attack.

"Return to base," the maimer's master ordered. "Forget about them for now."

"Yes, master," the maimer said and disappeared.

"And for you," the master of the maimers said, "sailor soldiers and ronins, I have heard of you. Prepare yourself for the battle because we will take everything away from you."

"Who's saying that?" Venus asked.  "Mercury, are you getting any readings?"

Mercury turned on her visor and searched for readings.  None came up, "No, nothing."

Another voice drowned out the master's voice.  It was the voice of the ancient.  "They will be ready."  Suddenly, five bright lights swallowed the sailor scouts and enclosed them in different colored spheres.

"Hey, it's the ancient," Yuli said.

"What's going on?" Sailor Jupiter demanded.  The spheres rose up and flew away in different places of the earth, just like what had happened with the ronin warriors in their time of sleep.

"No, Sailor Soldiers, come back!" Sailor Neo Moon cried.  Yuli wrapped his arms around her and held her back.  "You can't leave!"

"Everything is going to be okay," Yuli whispered to her. "The Ancient's a good guy."

Oh, if only I could believe you, Yuli.  Neo Moon thought.

"Where did they go?" Ryo demanded.

"Didn't you hear the ancient?" Yuli asked.

"I did," Rowen said.

"I've got an idea," Mia said, "Darien, we need to go back home.  I'll need your computer."

"Well, okay."

They returned home and Mia placed a disk inside Darien's laptop.  She researched on the armors and how they got their powers.  "I think I know what's happening."  She said, "Remember when you guys were all sleeping where your armors get their power?"

Rowen nodded, "I was in space."

"A volcano," Ryo said.

"A cave," Sage stated.

"A rock," Kento added.

"In water," Sai said.  {AN:  I know where all the other guys where but I don't think I saw the episode where they found Sai.  Was he in a pond or river or what?}

"You mean, the same may have happened to the sailors?" Darien asked, "but they don't have armors."

"But they do have elemental powers, Darien," Mia told him, "that was how we found the sailors, they met in the ronin's place of power."

"I think it will be pretty easy to get to them," Ryo said, "I remember the exact same volcano I was sleeping in and that's where I found Raye.  She could be there."

"Lita's probably at the same cave too." Sage said.

"I wouldn't' be so sure, guys," Mia said, "Raye has fire powers just like Ryo and Lita has lightning powers like Sage.  But Raye also has powers of charms and Lita also has powers of trees.  Maybe they're resting in someplace new."

"Yeah," Rowen said, "but we'll be able to find them, won't we?"

"Sure we will, we will just need to know where to look," Mia said, "I'll work on that."

"Hey, speaking of where the scouts are," Kento said, "Where's Sailor Neo Moon?"

"She went to her room," Darien said, "she said she wanted to be alone."

Yuli hoped Darien was right but got the feeling Rini was gone.  "Dear God, Rini!" Yuli jumped up and went to her room where she was supposed to be. "Are you here?" he began shouting her name.  A sinking feeling started in his stomach when he saw she was not there.

"Where could she be?" Mia asked.

Suddenly, he did not know how, but maybe it was the way he felt about her, Yuli knew exactly where Rini was or was planning on going, "the future!" he muttered.  "I have to stop her!  Has anyone seen my skateboard?"

 Whiteblaze stood with the blue skateboard in his mouth.

"Thanks, Whiteblaze!" he stepped forward to take it and Whiteblaze snapped it in half with his mouth.  "Hey!  I need that!"

Whiteblaze grumbled.  He hated that skateboard.  Yuli started to ride on it more than on him and Whiteblaze liked giving him rides more than anyone else in the whole group.  Maybe it was because Yuli was lighter or maybe he was more fun that Ryo.  Whiteblaze just liked to give Yuli rides.  It made him feel needed.  He turned around and moved his head over, telling Yuli to get on.

"Oh, what am I thinking," Yuli groaned, "I'll get there faster if I took you, Whiteblaze!"  He got on the large white tiger and Whiteblaze jumped out of the house and ran as fast as his four strong legs could carry him.

"How does Yuli know where to go?" Sai asked.

"Should we go after him?" Kento added.

"Nah," Darien said, "Yuli will find her…but Sai has a point, how did he know where Rini was going?  I didn't know and I'm her father!  I'm always supposed to know where she is!"

Rowen smiled, "I know what you mean…. maybe she's going to see Rowena."

Rini lifted her key to the sky, {AN: I forget; who's the person she's talking to when she is about to open the portal to the future?  Is it Sailor Pluto?  I can't remember!}  "Take me back to the future!  Take me home!" she shouted with tears forming in her eyes, I just can't stay here anymore! She thought to herself.  I want to go back to the home I remember.

As the portal began to open, a small smile appeared on her face, "yes, the future."

"No, Rini!" Yuli cried, jumping off of Whiteblaze he ran up to her and grabbed her in his arms.  She screamed and tried to wiggle out.

"Let me go, Yuli!  Let me go!" she ordered, "I want to go back home!"

They almost fell into the lake and they would have had not Whiteblaze clamp his mouth on Yuli's shirt and pull him back.  Rini's arms were pinned down and she was shaking and screaming like a mental hospital patient.

"Let me go please!" she shouted.

"I'm never going to let you go!" he shouted back.

She fell to her knees and sobs racked her body.  Yuli sank down with her.  "I don't want to stay here anymore.  I want to go back home."

"If you're really going to leave," Yuli said, "then you're taking me with you."  He said, keeping his arms tight around waist.  He sat behind her and pulled her into him to keep her from leaving.

"I can't bring you with me," she said, "I miss my parents, okay?  Let me go, please don't make me stay here!"

"I know you miss them."  Yuli told her, "I miss my parents too.  But please, don't leave me here alone, Rini.  I only want to be with you."

"They just won't go away," Rini said, "Heart Snatchers, Dream Amazons, Soul Stealers, they keep coming back to take something away from us!"

"You a sailor soldier, Rini," he reminded, "you stand for love and justice, remember?  You won't be standing for anything if you just run away.  You're the only sailor scout we've got right now, Sailor Moon and the others are missing."

"I don't think I can fight anymore," she moaned.  "Besides, there's the outer sailor scouts, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto."

"I don't know where they are," Yuli said.  "Don't leave me, Rini.  You have to stay."

"They're better than I am anyway," she said, "I used to be 'Sailor Mini Moon' for crying out loud.  They never needed me in the first place."

"Don't say that," he said, "You're the only sailor scout for me.  I care so much about you.  Come on, Rini, look at me." He loosened his arms around her and leaned forward to look at her crimson eyes brimming with tears.  "I'll never forgive myself if I let you go and I would never forgive you.  You wouldn't forgive yourself either, Rini.  You say they didn't need you but they did.  I mean, who would call Pegasus if you weren't there?"

Rini sniffed, "I know."

"You have the purist heart, Rini," he said, "they needed someone like you on their team.  You're so innocent and pure and you also have a spunky little attitude."

"Are you done yet?" she demanded, letting out a small little laugh.

"No, not yet," he wiped away the few remaining tears, "Rini, they need you and the ronin warriors need you too.  But no one, no one in the whole world needs you any more than I do." He said, "I couldn't stand if it you were suddenly ripped away from my memory, my life. I wouldn't' want to live anymore.  I love you, Rini."

Rini cried again, but they were tears of joy, "oh, Yuli," she threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek.  "I'm so selfish!  I really was going to leave when you guys needed me, I'm so sorry!  What was I thinking?"

"I don't you could ever be selfish," Yuli said as he held her chin inches away from his face, he moved into kiss her and then they heard screaming up above them.

"What the?" Rini looked up to see her half sister falling from the sky and she landed into the lake.  {I wasn't going to have her land on them, although, that would be kind of funny just as Yuli was going to kiss Rini, huh?}

"It's Rowena!" Yuli cried and stood up.  "You certainly have great timing!"

"Hey, she's my sister!" she pushed Yuli into the lake and knelt down to take her sister's hand.  "Rowena, take my hand!"

Rowena swam to the dock and took Rini's hand. Rini clenched her teeth and pulled her up.

"I'd hug ya, but I'm all wet," Rowena said.

"I don't care, come here!" Rini pulled her sister into her arms and laughed, "I've been thinking of you and I was wondering if I'd ever see you again."

"Well, here I am so you don't have to wonder anymore!"  Rowena joked.

"Let's get you out of those wet clothes, okay?" Rini hooked her arm around Rowena and started to walk away, leaving Yuli behind.

"Um, a little help, please?" Yuli said.  "Rini?  Rowena?  Whiteblaze?  Someone?" he pulled himself out of the water and saw Rini and Rowena riding Whiteblaze back home.  He groaned and wiped his face.  "Maybe I should have brought my skateboard."  He muttered as he walked down the street.  "I'm all wet!"  He grunted and tried to ignore the people laughing and poking fingers at him. 

Truthfully, being wet wasn't going to be his biggest problem.  Now that Rowena came back, Yuli probably won't even have a minute with Rini.

Whatta think?  What will happen to the sailors? Where are they? How is Yuli going to ever find time with Rini?  Find out in the next chapter, "Sleeping Sailors," Review Please!