First chapter. With His Imperial Majesty's Mamoru the First and Only starting to take form... And the first hurdles appearing. Word of advice: I think something broke inside Minako at some point...

by lord Martiya

Act 1: Planning

The Emperor-no, Chiba Mamoru, was puzzled. Why was he back in time? How was it possible? Well, it didn't matter. He was back, and could better prepare Mankind for the inevitable fight with both the accursed Eldar and Chaos. The latter fight he'd avoid if he could-after all, differently from the older Chaos Gods created by the Silver Millennium, Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle and the small fry didn't aim to the Crystal. Thing was, by their own nature they aimed to spread eternal and bloody war, ambition beyond all and contradictory schemes, and despair and plagues respectively.

Still, the first thing he should do would be following Slaanesh' advice. He was back to his beloved wife, his Serenity, his Usako, and were already intimate, so-Still, he was to protect her. And enjoy what he remembered was about to happen, now that they were on the border of the Cauldron and back alive.

"Defeated and then saved by my enemy... Can I become more pathetic?"

"THAT'S IT! I'M GONNA FUCK YOU WITH A CHAINSAW 'TILL YOU START LOVING IT, AND THEN I'LL MAKE YOU BEG FOR CONTINUING!"

There WAS a reason if sometimes the Emperor had compared She Who Thirst to Sailor Venus, beyond the insistence he should get laid and being able to provide scientific proof...

The resurrected Kakyuu, Sailor Star Lights and followers of Galaxia (only they and the girls were there, the rest having resurrected on their world thanks to Usako. And Chibiusa and her escort having been teleported back to their time) were left speechless by the scene of Sailor Venus beating up Sailor Galaxia. Those who knew Venus, on the other hand, knew just how fast the girl was. That, and Galaxia was more of a long range fighter who had let herself go rusty in the meelee, while Venus favoured short distance. Thus, even Galaxia would later admit it was only natural the shorter and less experienced Sailor Soldier would be able to kick her down and unleash a-what did they call it? Yes, a "ground and pound".

"Minako, stop." Usako ordered.

"But-"

"She won't do anything funny anymore, right?"

"Will have some trouble avoiding collateral damage when I put my hands on that bastard, but I'm out of the whole galactic conqueror business." Galaxia admitted. "And I'm going to get you, Venus."

In time that would cause a rather strange friendship. Then again, considering just how hypercompetitive the Golden Queen and the Goddess of Love were, it wasn't that strange.

"You wish." Venus replied as he stood back up. "Well, girls, time to get back and celebrate before I step up your training to MY standards."

"WHAT?!"

"OH MY GODS, NO!"

"It's a joke, isn't it?"

"Makes sense." Mamoru intervened. "From what I can sense you should have been able to walk all over those girls..."

"Fashion challenge's right." Galaxia added as she checked a loose tooth. "I let myself go, and what did just happen?"

Usako nodded. There. A first change. In the previous timeline, it would have taken until Usako got pregnant for her to let Minako put the girls through the meat grinder, and the collateral damage of the events leading to Crystal Tokyo had been unnecessarily high. This way, however...

The Sailor Soldiers of Earth had moved to the old headquarters-or Magellan Castle Dependance, as Minako had taken calling it-to celebrate. They had invited Kakyuu and her followers and even Galaxia and her group (Usako's idea, of course), but they all refused (Kakyuu because her group had a concert scheduled for the next day and needed the rest, Galaxia cited having received a worthy call for help she had waited for more time she anticipated, and Heavy Metal Papillon had promised her son a trip to Disneyland). As he observed the celebrations, Mamoru thought about what to do-and possible obstacles.

One part of the plan obviously called for augmenting Earth's technology. He didn't remember everything-that would have made things easier-but he knew what to research in many fields, and knew how to build a Gellar field generator-back when he was young and naive the fate of the Event Horizon had scared him enough he helped developing the technology-and the whole procedure to recreate the Primarchs, the Custodes and the Space Marines (what was he thinking when he came up with the name?). While he wasn't sure he'd repeat the thing with the Primarchs, the Marines would be necessary for the wars to come. And he could have some help-after all, the genius who came up with the procedure for the Thunder Warriors that he had later perfected was in that very room, her name being Mizuno Ami. He'd also have to take over a few companies in the right fields, to focus the research in the necessary direction.

On the possible obstacles, the worst he could foresee were two allies: Sailor Neptune and Sailor Venus. The former, being a highly intelligent and well educated woman with a strange sense of humour who had been raised in the eldritch location that provided the first bit of what eventually became Khorne, was liable to try and murder him in his sleep if she thought anything was out of place, and in the old timeline had been the one suggesting to just execute the groups of criminals that included the ancestors of the Black Moon Family instead of exiling them and trying to follow. As for the latter... A cunning and ruthless young woman with contacts everywhere due her travels as Sailor V, total devotion to Usako, and extreme scarcity in terms of restraints. Even after what the Imperium did in his name, he still had nightmares about HOW the space for the Crystal Palace became available after the remains of the Japanese government tried to kill Usako...

Still, they would be helpful if he played things right. Especially Venus and Mercury: the former always had troubles with electronics, but when it came to forging things she was Vulkan's better; as for the latter, combining her genious and his own to the knowledge of the future would likely cure the mutations in the gene seed. Now he needed to-

"Your turn, Tsukino Mamoru!" Minako shouted, giving him the mike for the karaoke.

"What? But-"

"Come on, we all know who will take whose name!" Michiru added.

"I can't sing well..."

Mamoru protested, to no avail. He had missed Usako so much he just couldn't resist her, at least for now, and she wanted to hear him sing too. Hence he had to sing the song selected by Minako for him. The anthem of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Seriously, sometimes that girl was just beyond understanding...

As he inspected the apartment in Cambridge, Massachussets (he couldn't find a more appropriate name for the seat of Harvard University) that Minako got him through her contacts, Haruka's, and creative use of her disguise abilities (who had also helped her dealing with the bureaucracy while he was being dead. Apparently, she had never even considered the chance they could lose and he would stay dead), Mamoru reviewed his plan so far. Step 1, use his future knowledge to bust through the studies and get his major in Genetics and minor in Biology in record time, one-two months according to his estimates (could do it faster, but it was better not exaggerating). Step 2, use his precognition and savviness to acquire a lot of money and some interest in the right companies through the stock exchange, first at the Boston Option Exchange (better start small) and then both Tokyo Stock Exchange and Wall Street. Third, find a way to break the news he was from the future without getting Minako and Michiru to try and kill him. It wasn't like he couldn't swat them down now or Usako wouldn't keep them in check, but their hostility could complicate things. Step 4, find the Illuminati, who by this point in time had not been taken over by Tzeentch yet (a master stroke if it was one: their plan had good chances of working, or at least give him the strength to seal back the Webway portal behind the Golden Throne... So he covertly took them over and leaked their plan and evidence he was behind them to the Inquisition, thus getting the Imperium to do his chores for him), and either wipe them out or get their help, depending on their willingness to collaborate (he preferred getting their help, especially given what Malcador did for him and the Imperium, but he wasn't picky. Especially as Malcador wasn't born yet). Step 5, track down that Argonaut and get his help. Step 6, prepare things for a quick take-over of the planet as soon as Death Phantom does his thing. Later, he'd put together the rest.

Steps 3 was another reason for taking things slow with the first and start the second while still in the US: he remembered that Minako had had some trouble with some proto-psyker or something and would be too busy to notice his job at the stock exchange, and if he timed it right he'd come back to Tokyo as Minako and Rei had started their romance (boy how he had been caught by surprise by that), and the blonde terror would be more amiable.

Still, better not lower his guard. The first time he had lived this his mind had not become immense enough to remember and recall everything, and even then the tiniest change could have the most unexpected consequences. Maybe he'd even be able to tap into the Golden Crystal all the time, this time around.

"You sure about this?" Rei asked to her almost girlfriend and related sentient cat. "I mean, it sounds really strange, even for us..."

"Believe it or not, I am." Minako replied with uncharacteristic seriousness. "And we're gonna do something about that, starting by that."

"I'll find her, but you go and awaken the Boss." Artemis said. He was still scared by her.