It's funny. No matter how prepared you are, how diligent, the next crisis always surprises you. No matter how long you've been able to have a "normal" life, you still find yourself resenting, if only a little bit, the destiny that's set you apart. -Aino Minako
"Kaela!" Kadir barked up the stairs. "Come get breakfast before you're late." With an unspoken "again" hanging at the end of his sentence, the man returned to the kitchen as he dusted imaginary dust from the pink-frilled apron covering his suit.
At the kitchen island, Jabari wrinkled his nose. "Girls are weird. Why does she spend so much time on her hair?"
Minako smirked as she entered the kitchen, and paused to ruffle her son's pale blonde hair; it was darker than his father's but paler than her own. "For the same reason you spend so much time on video games."
She dropped a small stack of papers beside his elbow. "Forget something last night?"
The boy frowned as he glanced at the papers, his unfinished homework. "Oops?"
Kadir smirked and he passed his wife a plate of pancakes. "Sit and eat. Buona will wait if you're running late."
Minako laughed as she set the plate down and walked around the counter. Even in heels, she had to raise up onto her tiptoes to kiss Kadir, though the white-haired Arabian leaned down slightly to meet her lips.
"Ew, seriously, too early for PDA." Kaela came from the stairway to teasingly place her hands over her brother's eyes. "You're going to make Jabari toss his sausage."
"It's not PDA in one's own…" Minako's words trailed off as she turned to look at her daughter. Her voice caught in her throat somewhere between a laugh and shriek.
"Kaela, explain yourself." Kadir's voice was firm; a fact for which Minako was more than thankful.
The teen shrugged and crossed behind the counter to fix her own breakfast plate. "Usa dyed hers. So I had to dye mine. After all, you've all drilled into our heads that, even though there's been nothing but minor attacks since before we were born-that we're never allowed to fight in-we must always be diligent." She smiled sweetly at her father, and Minako, though not looking at him, could clearly picture Kadir's stern façade slipping a bit. "So, if the Princess has pink hair, then I, as the commander of her of Senshi and her double, must also have pink hair. Ipso facto."
Kadir frowned, but nodded. "Perhaps. I'll be speaking to Mamoru about this, though, so don't expect to stay pink-haired for long."
Jabari chuckled, "I think it's awesome. You look like a manga character."
Kaela stuck her tongue out at her brother, "You can walk to school."
"Aw, Kae!" Though he was seven, the youngest of the boys could still pout like a master. "Please?"
"Fine, fine. Brat." She winked and took a couple of quick bites of pancake before ruffling his hair much as their mother had, earlier. "Come on, time to go."
Kaela looked back at her bemused parents, "I'm going shopping with Usa after school. We'll be home in time for practice."
With a quick wave, Kaela headed out of the kitchen, grabbing her bag and keys as she left, Jabari in tow. Once they were alone, Kadir smirked. "At least she used 'ipso facto' correctly."
He kissed his wife, "Finish your breakfast. I've got some time yet before my shift. I'll clean up."
-
Minako grimaced when she reached her office and saw both Buona and Nate talking in the waiting area. "I hope you two haven't been waiting long. Come on in."
Buona, her long red hair pulled back into a loose tail, smiled as she rose gracefully from her seat. "Not at all. I arrived early, and Nate has been keeping me quite amused."
Raising an eyebrow at the man, Minako lead the two to her office. Nate snorted, "I'm very glad that my daughter's sudden journey into rebellion amuses you."
"You're making too big a deal over it. I'm not a parent, but it's just hair. Really."
Minako found herself frowning as she settled behind her desk. "What did Alora do to her hair?"
Nate sighed and ran his hand through his thick brown hair. Alora, perhaps of all the children, was the luckiest when it came to hair. The genetic combination of Makoto's and Nate's had resulted in a luscious head of hair; one that Minako often thought meant that her niece should be modeling for shampoo commercials. "She dyed it green. Makoto shorted the griddle."
"I'm sorry." Buona giggled, "That's just hilarious. Kind of scary, but hilarious. Remind me not to be anywhere near Makoto if Alora ever does anything truly rebellious."
"Alora dyed her hair green?," Minako asked. It was safer to ignore Buona, she thought. "What reason did she give? She couldn't have said that it was to serve as a double for Usa, the way Kaela did."
"Kaela dyed her hair green?"
Beside them, Buona slapped her hand over her mouth to try and muffle her giggles.
"Pink. She said Usa did, so she had to so she could still be her double." Minako leaned forward and steepled her hands upon her desk. She wanted to get to the bottom of the hair-dying conspiracy. Had Kimiko and Charis also dyed their hair, she wondered.
"Group unity." Nate rolled his eyes.
Minako snorted, but Buona interrupted her, managing to speak around her laughter. "Don't underestimate that. I get that you're not happy about the hair dying, but Alora's explanation has some real merit in it, even if she just meant it as an attempt at parental mollification."
That pulled both parent's attention back to the red-head. "Excuse me?"
Buona smiled, her giggles stilled for the moment. "The girls are cousins and friends, but they are supposed to be as bonded to each other as you and your sisters are. Look, you girls had what to unite you at first? Fighting, well, me. They, thankfully, don't have that. This" She gestured vaguely, "allows them to bond. Quite frankly, if I were you, I'd be glad they're bonding over silly hair choices rather than fighting evil."
Minako and Nate both stared at the woman for a long moment. Then, Minako sighed. "Buona, I like you. You've become a great person, and quite surprisingly to the teenager whose life you destroyed, a good friend. But I hate it when you're right."
Buona smirked. "I'm sorry. Would you prefer I embrace Chaos and make life hell for your daughters and sons as I did for you?"
"No, we're good." Nate held up a hand, "but thanks for the offer."
"He still calls. Frequently. Really, it wouldn't be a bother." Buona shrugged, and Minako could not help but wonder if there was some truth in that statement. Her heart went out to the woman.
"Really? Are you tempted that often?"
Buona pulled a file out of her briefcase and placed it on Minako's desk. "Only when dealing with truly evil people." She slid the folder toward Minako as the conversation changed from family to business.
-
Several hours, and one heart-wrenching case file later, Minako was able to smile as she reached the little café. The case that Nate and Buona had brought her had been devestating and back breaking, but such was the life of a children's activist lawyer. Her work was important, but she had to admit she was glad for the opportunity to get out of the office and forget about it for a few minutes. "Ami." She hugged her friend as the physician rose from the table.
"I thought Saeko and Charis would be joining us?"
Ami laughed and sat back down. "Mom took one look at Charis' hair and whisked her off. She said they'd be back shortly."
"You seem rather unfazed. I assume it's blue?" Minako smirked as the waiter brought her a glass of water.
"Mmm-hmm. And it doesn't look all that bad. But as far as being unfazed? She's eleven, and it's just hair." Ami smiled. "Besides, I got lucky. Zoe sent me a picture this morning, so I was well prepared when I picked her up."
Minako shook her head. "I didn't know whether to laugh or fuss. Kadir, thank goodness he can keep a straight face, asked what she was thinking. Nate said Mako short circuited her griddle. I can't even imagine Rei's reaction. Usagi probably considered dying hers to match Usa's." She chuckled as she thought of the future queen.
Ami could not help but giggle at the mental image of Makoto shorting a small kitchen appliance.
Just then, Saeko and Charis returned to the table, both of them smiling widely. Looking between her mother and daughter, and then over to Minako, Ami raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"
Saeko laughed and passed Ami an envelope, grinning as she did so. "It's nothing to worry about, hun. I just felt like being a bit of a grandmother."
After opening the envelope, Ami chuckled and pulled out an eight-by-ten professional photograph of her daughter. The night skyscape backdrop provided the perfect contrast for the light-blue hair which cascaded over Charis' shoulders and made the blue of her eyes pop even more than they normally did.
"Mom, this is beautiful." Ami smiled to her mother and daughter. "It looks really good on you, Charis." She reached over and gently ran her fingers through the girl's hair. "I'm glad you did it. I never had the guts to express myself as a kid."
"Oh, you did a bit once you met the other girls." Saeko smiled and reached over to squeeze Minako's shoulder. "I still don't feel like I've let you all know how much I appreciate that."
Minako blushed at being included in the family moment. "Trust me, the influence went both directions. Ami got all of us, except Rei, through high school and into college. And, though I'll deny it if you tell Rei, I think she helped her, too."
Ami chuckled, "She just didn't need as much help Again, it's just hair, a harmless way for the girls to express themselves and hint at who they really are."
Saeko snorted, "At least she didn't go with 'Old People Blue' I'd hate to match."
"Since when you do wear 'Old People Blue,' Saeko?" Minako thought her eyebrow did a fair estimation of her husband's at that. "People probably think you're Charis' mother, not her grandmother."
"Regardless, there is a push for me to retire soon. I'm well passed the age, and just kept hoping no one would remember that." Saeko shrugged. "Looks like I'm going to be having lots more time on my hands."
"You can always work at the clinic, Mom. As much or as little as you like." Ami smiled, resisting the patronizing motion of patting her hand.
"At this rate, I'll be seeing patients at a hundred."
Frowning, Charis looked to her grandmother, "That's a bad thing?"
"No, sweetie, means I'll still be around."
-
Minako sighed as she stared at the stack of paperwork on her desk. Buona's criminal promised late nights and migraines. She missed the times when enemies were clear and could be "moon dusted."
The problem was not the work itself, or even the office. She might be a senior partner at a major law firm, but her office was very much hers. One wall boasted a painting by Michiru, the curtains were bright and tied back to allow in plenty of sunlight; and the desk and bookshelves were carefully littered with pictures of her children, her husband, and the rest of their not-so-little family.
She picked up a nearby picture of their pigtailed leader. The problem was that law school and practice had been meant to prepare her for her role in Usagi's government. Minako caressed the frame with her thumb. Here she was, forty years old, in a career. While she did good, her work was limited and easily undone. She yearned for the promised future, the chance to make a real difference, and the waiting was beginning to drive her insane.
Her cellphone shrieked a deceptively happy ringtone and Minako jumped. She grabbed for it before it vibrated its way off the desk and hit the button on her blue tooth. "This is Minako."
"Three youma at the park," Ami answered as if it were an everyday occurrence. It had been, once, but it was reassuring that she hadn't fallen so far out of practice, "Mars and I are on the scene, but we've got the boys with us. We need back up."
"Can you hold them till we get there?" A spike of adrenaline shot through her. Three of them? Random stragglers tended to attack alone.
"Yes, but be quick. We're slighty distracted."
"All right, I'm on my way. I'll call the others. Just hold on a few minutes." A wave of energy surrounded her as the call ended, and Venus grabbed the cell phone to dial out an "all call".
"Situation at the park. Three youma; Mercury and Mars are there, but so are the princes. Transform and go ASAP."
She heard a curse, Jie if she wasn't mistaken, as everyone else responded in the affirmative. Before she could turn to the window, her own white-haired general had transported into her office, "Want a ride?"
"Thank you!" Her smile was tight as Kunzite pulled her to him and together they shimmered into the park.
The first thing Venus noticed was the condition of both Mars and Mercury.
The two women were accomplished warriors whose training had not lapsed, even with the absence of a major enemy. Though being outnumbered was never the ideal, she was surprised at how tattered they both appeared. Both women were sporting scorch marks, torn uniforms, and were bleeding.
She was not surprised to see that Jadeite and Zoisite had been the first to arrive. Now, they were trying to keep the youma busy to provide time for Mars and Mercury to recover. A quick glance showed the five boys huddled under a picnic table in a circle with Airic in the center and Ethan in the front.
The youma themselves were beings of shadow, human-like in their form, but amorphous enough to be nauseating. They moved like liquid through the air; pieces of their bodies formed blades only long enough to attack, before the blob went back to an insubstantial mass. It was little wonder that the two senshi looked ragged and worn, while the youma showed no sign of damage.
As she watched, Jadeite managed to slash one of youma, intercepting it as it moved toward the circle of boys. The wound began to heal as quickly as it formed.
Venus threw herself into the battle with a barrage of energy toward a youma that was approaching her wounded colleagues. Zoisite had managed to keep the third's attention with shards of ice that didn't seem to do anything but annoy the creature. Kunzite moved from her side to join Jadeite. Together they took on one of the creatures; between their two swords, it didn't seem to be able to heal.
The arrival of Nephrite and Jupiter, followed almost immediately by Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon, tilted the balance more in their favor, and Venus began to focus on strategy. Everything was just too chaotic. They had trained for physical enemies, not... this.
Without needing to be told, Tuxedo Kamen moved to Mars and Mercury. Nephrite took position in front of Moon to keep her out of the worst of the battle, his own shadow separating from his side to help guard her. Usagi would complain about that later, but the argument itself was old enough that there'd be no real fire in it.
A flash of lightning signaled Jupiter's arrival. It hit the youma Zoisite had been dancing with square in the "chest," and much to the blond's evident surprise, the thing was knocked back a few feet. Zoisite nodded to Jupiter, who took her place advancing upon the startled youma, and began to conjure a force field around the children and the two injured senshi.
Venus just hoped that Kamen would be able to get both Mars and Mercury well enough to be able to continue fighting. Mars' fire power was not something she wanted to lose-pun intended-though she almost yelled at the woman to stop fidgeting and let Kamen heal her. Mercury's strategy would come in handy, she noted with a grim smile, her own ideas were running out. With the four effectively out of play, it was all the rest could do to keep the youma from gaining ground.
Gale force winds joined a lightning strike from Jupiter as Uranus and Neptune arrived on the scene. The youma it hit stumbled to the ground long enough that Venus found herself breathing a bit easier.
They had enough senshi now that when she called out "Theta," everyone responded immediately. Neptune moved to take up the guarding of Moon, as Nephrite and his shadow went to join Jadeite, the three slashing fiercely at a now overwhelmed youma. Kunzite returned to her side, sword still drawn.
Kunzite drew off energy from youma he now faced with Venus, slowing its healing process as they assaulted with sword and chain. Behind them, the third youma faced a controlled tempest of winds and lightning.
The youma she faced struck towards her with a razor-sharpened appendage, and she caught it with her chain. She sent a wave of energy down the metal length, and Kunzite grabbed her wrist. A wave of his own energy traveled down the train, amplifying hers and sending the youma to it's knees.
Venus took the momentary respite to glance back to the picnic table, and assure herself that the boys were all right. Mars turned at that moment as well, voice raised in warning and bow drawn. An arrow of flame soared towards the injured monster, but not before a sharp pain blossomed in Venus's side. She looked down to see her own uniform staining red as a whip of black shadow recoiled.
Venus grit her teeth and forced herself to ignore the pain and blood loss. Mercury's voice rattled through her ear-piece as she was redoubled her own efforts of whipping the monster with her golden chain. "Energy based attacks focus at the base of their throats. I'm not reading any indication of civilians."
"What counts as a 'throat' on these things?" Jadeite snapped from across the field.
Her grin was feral as her whip wrapped around the monster's neck-it seemed as though the energy the chain channeled gave it the power to hit the creatures where swords could not-and once again Kunzite grabbed her arm. Nearby, Uranus's winds gained focus as they guided Jupiter's lightning with more precision. Two screams sounded in unison as both youma dissolved into thin air.
With Mars back in fighting condition, Zoisite and Mercury had taken up sentry at the picnic table, the force field protecting the strategist as she monitored the battle and the boys from any stray strikes. Kamen and Mars had both joined in the effort to keep the remaining youma overwhelmed until Venus, Kunzite, and Jupiter could turn their attacks towards it.
The ferocity with which the energy struck the final youma was such that Venus was not entirely sure to whom the credit belonged, as the others pulled back to avoid the backlash of energy vortex.
When the battle was over, a sharp reminder of her wound spiked through her body. It took everything she had to keep her voice from shaking as she ordered, "Collect the boys, and let's get out of here. Mars, Mercury, are you two well enough for transport?"
Both confirmed that they were, followed by Mars, "Are you? That was a pretty nasty hit."
"I'll make it. Shrine. Now."
The somber mood she felt at the return of conflict was broken only slightly by Jabari's thoughts on the matter as Kunzite scooped up the seven-year old and returned to his wife. "Mom, Dad! That was awesome. Can you teach me how to do that? Did you see the way that Uncle Nate's shadow moved without him! And how Aunt Har…"
Kunzite gently stuck his hand over his son's mouth, any amusement in his the upward twitch of his lips belied by the way he was staring at the bloodstain on her uniform. As he pulled his wife to him, she felt the now-familiar shift in energy as the park dissolved around them and the shrine took it's place before anyone could overhear their son revealing their civilian identities.