Chapter 3: Memories from the past
Author's Note: Sorry for taking so long to update, finals kind of snuck up on me, then I was busy visiting people during the holidays, and then school snuck up on me again. Also, it was longer, but I'm hammering away at a later section and am sick of re-checking this part. On the plus side I've had lots of time to revise the earlier sections so I think I've worked out most of the kinks. Also, just a speech formating reminder since it's been awhile:
"pretend its Japanese here" [specifically stated Silver Millennium language here] This is what inner thoughts look like And this means the speaker/thinker is emphasizing something
"Enough already," a rather aggravated Rei scolded. The former leader of the senshi simply ignored her friend as she continued to pace back and forth in the empty "mess hall." It was really just a large tent with tables and chairs filling the majority of the space, but it was also a popular hangout for many of their captors. When Corporal Autonoe had brought them here, the tent had been full of men and women in various uniforms eating, drinking, and socializing, however that quickly changed after Minako quietly asked the man a question in one of those frustratingly familiar languages. Following his hesitant response, the former senshi of Venus shouted something to get all the soldiers' attention and then said something else that sent them running from the tent. That had been an hour ago, and in that time Rei had found some food, made a meal, eaten her share, and watched her former leader pace from one end of the tent to the other the entire time.
The pacing she could have lived with, but the lack of communication from her so called commander was extremely irritating. Minako wouldn't tell her former second what the medical officer had said before leaving the tent, and instead chose to completely ignore her.
No, the former senshi of Passion grumbled to herself, She'd much rather glance my way every few laps, shake her head, and mumble to herself in one of those odd languages before starting back up again. "Just tell me what she said," Rei insisted, "Pacing obviously isn't helping you work out a plan of action and you're getting on my nerves."
The idol paused to glare at her friend before returning to her pacing. Halfway through her next circuit she stopped, releasing a tremendous sigh and finally spoke. "After we're done here we have an appointment to meet with Colonel Nodens," she told the priestess. She had turned around to see Rei's reaction, and was unsurprised to find an expression that suggested that the priestess's found nothing significant in her words. She sighed again, but more softly this time. "The name doesn't mean anything to you does it?"
"No," the former senshi of Mars answered slowly. "Should it?"
Minako shook her head at the question. "Not really, but this would be much easier if it did," the idol answered as she moved to sit across from the other former senshi. She stared down at her hands on the table and elaborated, "The Colonel's name is significant because it's a Martian first name and only royalty in any of the Silver Millennium's militaries were referred to by anything other than their rank or family name in the Silver Millennium. Also, according to your past self, the Martian royal family frowned upon reusing first names, and it would be fitting the way our luck works for seemingly similar names from back then to not be coincidental." The idol finally raised her head to look directly at her companion's face to observe the effect of her next words. "I am concerned about all of this because your younger brother in the past life was named Nodens, and unless this person is a descendant of one of your other siblings, I think he might be your younger brother from the Silver Millennium."
The priestess gave a snort of laughter at the idea. "That's impossible. Even if anyone survived, they would be dead by now."
"Unless they were reincarnated like we were," Minako responded with a shrug. "Then again people from our civilizations did live for a long time and we have no idea how much time has passed since the Princess destroyed the Moon."
The former senshi of Mars shook her head in disagreement, "They can't all be reincarnated. There are too many of them, and the clothes and technology are all wrong. I may only remember a little bit of the past, but I don't remember anyone wearing camouflage military fatigues in favor of actual armor."
Minako paused briefly and then responded, "It depended on the kind of mission, but for the most part you're right." She brought her hands up to her face and huffed in frustration. "I hate being this unprepared," she declared, bringing her hands back to the table and looking directly at the priestess. "Keep your senses open and whatever happens follow my lead. We might be able to make it home together, but I don't think either of us has the power to escape on our own."
"Fine," Rei accepted with a small smile, "but you're going to have to give me some occasional signals so I'm not totally dependent an my sixth sense. Also," she continued pushing a bowl of food toward her commander with a mocking grin, "you should probably eat something after all that pacing. You won't help either of us if you faint from hunger."
Minako glared at the priestess and started with, "I'm not...," before she was interrupted by the growling of her stomach. The idol blushed slightly in embarrassment while she grudgingly took the bowl and offered spoon from her grinning second in command. "It's not your job to take care of me Mars Reiko," she quietly said before eating her food.
"Perhaps," the former senshi of Mars responded with a shrug, "but Artemis isn't here, so someone has to do it. Besides, as second in command to such a stubborn leader it's my job to remind you to take care of yourself."
"Wait," Makoto began, "you mean Rei's crows are from the Silver Millennium too?"
"Yes," Kunzite answered dryly as they watched Zoisite talk to the two agitated birds.
"But that doesn't make sense," the former senshi of wisdom objected. "Rei found them years before we became senshi, and neither Luna nor Artemis ever mentioned anything about either of them."
"I cannot say why they didn't mention it," he replied evenly, "but perhaps it's because they did not serve the same function as your feline advisors. From what I understood in the past, they were bound to Mars much like you were to Princess Serenity."
Makoto frowned and looked to Ami. "I don't recall anything like that, do you?" she asked.
The former senshi of water shook her head. "No, but that doesn't mean much. Both of our memories of the past life are still fairly limited," she said, turning to face Makoto. "Still, I wonder why Rei was given guardians at such a young age in this life. There wasn't really a threat until much later, so it's odd that she would be protected when Usagi wasn't."
The former senshi of thunder shrugged. "Maybe it was because she's psychic?" she suggested. "Rei mentioned that her abilities singled her out when she was really little, so maybe..." The florist stopped in shock as she saw Rei's crows transform into fully grown women. They closely resembled Rei when she was Sailor Mars, having long raven black hair and alabaster white skin, but instead of the senshi uniforms, they wore red and black cheongsams that seemed oddly familiar to the former senshi. I remember them! she thought in surprise as memories of the two flashed through her mind.
"Mako?" Ami questioned, not realizing why her friend had stopped mid sentence.
The former senshi raised her hand to point at the two women behind the doctor and choked out, "Th-they-They're.."
The former senshi of wisdom glanced over her shoulder and gasped in equal shock. "Mars' maids!" she finished for the former senshi of protection.
Kunzite chuckled at their reactions and remarked, "That's a fairly traditional cover job for a bodyguard. I'm surprised neither of you saw through it."
"You wouldn't have either if you had ever seen them on the Moon!" Makoto argued. "They were there with Mars for years and never slipped up once around any of us. Why would we suspect the universe's most devoted hand maids when they didn't even bother to tail their charge when she was five?"
"I don't recall ever hearing any rumors about them either, so I doubt anyone else on the moon suspected them of being anything other than normal Martian maids," Ami added while shaking her head. I wonder if Rei even knew about them this time, she mused. Their names are the same, but she never indicated they were special. Perhaps she blamed it on her gifts since they didn't talk to anyone else?
"They must have slipped up at some point, otherwise Venus wouldn't have known to tell us to be cautious of them when seeking counsel from Mars at her shrine,"the long haired man responded with a shrug.
"Minako knew?" Ami asked sounding slightly surprised and hurt. Why didn't she tell us?
Nodding at the frustrated former senshi's question, Kunzite strode over to their princess who had yet to speak and still seemed stunned at the revelation. "Princess," he said as he reached Usagi's side, "I present you with the guardians of Princess Mars, the Ladies Phobos and Deimos."
Both women glared at him, and the one in red even mumbled, [Insolent Earthling!] in Martian.
The other, after giving her companion a hard look, scolded the leader of the shitennou. "It is not your place to introduce us to our own monarch Lord Kunzite." She then re-directed her gaze to the still somewhat shocked former princess of the Moon and, after clearing her throat to gain her companion's attention, they bowed in sync with their right arms fisted and raised to a point just above their left breasts. "I apologize for my sister's outburst your Majesty. It has been a long time since we took human forms. The King of Earth's European Territories indicated that you required our assistance in something involving Princess Mars?"
"Ah!" she exclaimed, the question finally breaking from her shock. "Yes, but don't be so formal. I'm not a princess anymore. Please call me Usagi," the former senshi of the Moon requested while trying to get the women to stand back up, "We need your help finding Rei and Minako. They were kidnapped and we were hoping you could help us find them."
Both women looked up, alarmed at the simple request. "Kidnapped?" the woman in black asked.
"When and where?" the one in red demanded stepping forward and grabbing Usagi's shoulder.
Startled by the sudden intensity of the women, the former Moon princess stuttered, "I-I'm not sure. Jadeite didn't know how many hours it's been, and he never said where exactly..." She trailed off as the one in black said something that made other release her arm and step back abruptly.
[I can't feel her anywhere,] the woman mumbled in Martian. She turned to her companion in red and spoke, [They were probably ambushed on the way back from the hospital. Go and check the route from there to the shrine, and contact me if you find anything.] She glanced back at Zoisite and switched back to Japanese. "Lord Zoisite, please show Demos the way out of this building. We don't have much time if what I'm sensing is correct."
"Wait!" Usagi cried, "What do you mean? What did you sense?"
The woman in black motioned for Zoisite and Demos to continue with a wave of her hand before she returned her attention to the former senshi of the Moon. "Absolutely nothing. I can't sense Princess Mars anywhere on this planet, but I know she is still alive. Someone probably used magic to seize the two of them, and for a time such spells usually leave a residue that can be traced. Unfortunately, the farther away the destination is, the faster the trail dissipates. I sent Demos to find the transport point, but I must speak with the King of Earth's Far Eastern Territories to see if what he knows can speed up the process."
"Who?" Usagi asked confused. What's with all these weird titles she keeps using?
"Lord Jadeite," she answered. "You said he was the one who told you what happened. Please, tell me where he is."
The former princess looked pleadingly at Kunzite, who nodded and pulled out a cell phone.
"Nephrite," he said into the device after bringing it to his ear. "Bring Jadeite back immediately. Lady Phobos wishes to speak with him." He paused for a moment listing to the other man's response before saying, "I don't care. Just get him in some clothes and bring him here." The leader of the shitennou paused again to listen before he ended the call and returned the device to his pocket. "They will be here shortly Princess," he announced, turning to speak to his second as he returned to the hidden room. "Zoisite," he commanded, "See if you can find any lingering spells from here. From what Jadeite said there should be at least two Mercurians, so focus on that type of magical energy signature."
The white haired shitennou simply nodded and resumed his place at the keyboard.
Phobos shook her head as she watched the man begin to play. [Earth magic,] she lamented ruefully in Martian, [We're relying on Earth magic and Earthlings to protect our princess! What would their Majesties say if they could see us now.]
[Probably that they were glad their daughter had such dedicated guardians,] Zoisite answered while he continued to play. [Your very positions suggests that the King and Queen of Mars were more concerned with their daughter's safety than anything else.]
The woman's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she quickly recovered, adopting a grin and nodding her head in acknowledgment to the shitennou. [My apologies Lord Zoisite. I don't like relying on outsiders to protect my princess, and although I am aware you were being controlled at the time, the fact that I can remember your people assaulting the Moon doesn't help much either. Please continue. I will not interrupt you further,] she finished before turning away to examine the room.
She had only gone a few steps before she noticed the eyes of the remaining senshi on her. "Princess Mercury, Princess Jupiter," she greeted them with a small bow. "Was there something else?"
The two senshi glanced at each other then looked back at Phobos with determined expressions. "Yes and no," the former senshi of protection began. "We don't know anything else about what happened to Rei and Minako, but we wanted to ask you a question."
Phobos smiled slightly at their hesitancy and nodded her head. "You may ask, your Majesties ."
"Does Rei know about you?" Ami asked.
The small smile bloomed into a full blown grin at their forwardness and the guardian replied, "No. Our princess may suspect some things, but she does not know what we are."
"Then how did Minako know about you? She's about as sensitive as we are and I couldn't tell that you were different from the other crows at the shrine until you were transforming just now," Makoto countered.
Phobos laughed at that. "Surely you are aware that the princess of Venus' memories have been intact since before you were first reawakened as senshi?" After the two nodded she continued to explain, "We possessed both forms in the past as well, so it took very little effort on Lady Minka's part to recognize the guardians that had often been tasked with following her in the past."
"But I thought you were supposed to protect Rei. Why were you following Minako?" Usagi asked from behind the guardian.
Phobos' mirth evaporated at the question and she looked over her shoulder with a melancholy smile to answer the former Moon princess. "Because Princess, Lady Reiko was a Martian and as she got older, it became her duty to protect the princess of Venus, however it was also her duty to protect you. By sending us to watch over Lady Minka, Lady Reiko could be confidant that she was safe when she was not able to see to it herself."
The former senshi of Mercury adopted a frown while thinking, So it was the same back then. Possibly more if Mars had her own bodyguards guarding Minako as well. She glanced at Makoto, who nodded that she too had caught the implication. Ami brought her attention back to Phobos to ask more, but noticed the growing suspicion visible on Usagi's face. Hoping to distract the former Moon princess from the reason for their questions, she asked Phobos, "So our names were different in the past as well?"
Phobos nodded and replied, "Of course! Did you really think Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion were the only ones with different names in the past?" She began to laugh at the idea, stopping as a portal opened to the side. When Jadeite stepped out the guardian immediately strode up to him, and without slowing her pace, moved past a startled Nephrite, grabbed the front of Jadeite's shirt, and only ceased her movement when she slammed the shitennou into the nearest wall. "I hear you managed to lose something of mine, Lord Jadeite," she said angrily. "What happened to my princess while she was under your care."
Recovering from his surprise at being attacked so suddenly, the youngest shitennou threw off Phobos' hands and pushed her back with a scowl. "The same thing that would have happened if you were with her Lady Phobos," he snarled. "All our communications were cut off and we were severely outnumbered. I gave your princess a fighting chance against many skilled opponents, so why don't you stop wasting our time and help us find her."
"I already am," she shot back.
[Your Highness, are you and Princess Mars ready to meet with the Colonel?] Corporal Autonoe politely asked Minako as she and Rei stepped out of the mess hall.
The pop idol nodded and relayed the question to her companion as they began to walk, "He asked if we were ready to meet the Colonel."
"Are we?" the priestess responded.
"As ready as we'll ever be," the former senshi of Venus sighed. "I think you mentioned that he wasn't psychic in the past life, so that might work in our favor. Martians like you were always harder to deal with."
Rei raised an eyebrow at the statement. "Is that so?" she asked glancing in Minako's direction as they walked. They were passing a gap in the rows of tents, and something glinting over the idol's shoulder caught her attention. What's that? She paused briefly to get a better look, and in doing so alerted Minako to her distraction.
"You're usually much more prickly for one, but the most difficult things about you psychic types is how hard it is to lie to you and how all of you have a tendency to be distracted by seemingly random things," the former senshi of Venus declared with some amusement. The former senshi of Mars glared at her commander prepared to retort, but Minako turned back to the Jovian they had been following and spoke up to stop him. [Corporal Autonoe, what is that area over there?] she asked pointing past the tents where the priestess had been staring.
The Corporal hurried back to look over, and cringed a bit. [I believe that is a part of the Moon Princess' gardens. Reports from the final battle said that you and Princess Mars made your last stand there during the destruction of the Moon,] he announced in a rush.
[I see,] she managed to force out. I just wish that those random things weren't always so important, she grumbled in her head. The former princess of Venus refused to make eye contact with her friend as she passed on the Corporal's answer. "He says its the remains of the garden where we died."
The priestess' silence was telling. Minako wasn't even surprised when her temperamental friend began to walk toward whatever it was that drew her attention to the blasted spot, only to stop in front of the ruined remains of a flower bed. The pop idol watched silently as Rei knelt in the rubble where the former senshi of Venus recalled watching her best friend and lover die over a lifetime ago. What is she looking for, she wondered as the former senshi of Mars began to move small chunks of rock around. She stopped breathing for a moment when the priestess picked up a simple bypass ring with ruby and topaz gems resting in settings that she had never expected to see again. [Oh... That,] she finally murmured tonelessly , causing their escort to give her a strange look.
Why does this look so familiar,the former princess of Mars asked herself. It feels important, but I can't remember why. Rei half turned to look over her shoulder and show the ring to the idol. "Do you ..." she began to ask, but paused with a wince as the past flashed through her mind. "Never mind," she grumbled in pain. The former senshi rose and held the ring out to Minako. "I think this was yours," she offered.
The former senshi of Venus hesitated and asked instead, "What did you remember?"
Rei frowned at the question. The former senshi of Venus was being awfully defensive about the ring. "Just some random flashes of times when I noticed you were wearing it. Why?" The former senshi of War asked suspiciously. That's not true, she thought to herself. I was dying and you were brushing hair from my eyes and crying. The Earth's light caught the ring on your finger and the tears on your face . I think you were saying something, but I couldn't make out the words. So why am I lying instead?
Why indeed, the idol thought in response to the spoken question. "I was hoping it was something important," she replied. "We might miss crucial opportunities because you barely remember the past. I know you dislike it, but you need to try to remember so we have a better chance to get away when the time comes."
Rei sighed in irritation at the irony of it all. "I'll see what I can do, but you know how little I've remembered. Its taken me this long just to get a glimpse of you outside your uniform, so I doubt I'll get anything useful anytime soon."
The former senshi of Love intentionally turned around while she fought a rising blush at the unintentional double entendre. [We're ready to go,] she informed Corporal Autonoe, hoping her former second would stop being so stubborn and just remember all ready.
"So are you going to take it or not," Rei demanded as she stood. "Its only a ring, but the stones are your colors and I doubt anyone else can pull off the combination, so you might as well take it," she commented offhandedly while further examining the ring.
Its not fair! Minako thought indignantly as she looked back at the former Martian in shock. How can she say things like that when she barely remembers anything!
The priestess only deepened the former senshi of love's consternation when she absentmindedly reached out to pull the idol's hand toward her and slipped the ring onto the singer's third finger. "Perfect fit," she murmured with a smile. "It felt like it belonged there," she told the staring idol as she looked up.
Minako just stared at her hand in shock for a few seconds not knowing what to think.
It looks good there too, the former senshi of Mars thought to herself. I wonder why she was so hesitant...Gods! What did I just do! Rei shouted in her head. "Minako," she started nervously. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," the idol looked up at the words, staring intently at her friend, "I shouldn't..." The priestess cut off abruptly when the former senshi of Venus grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her roughly into a hug.
[I'm finished with the kids gloves, Reiko,] she whispered in Venusian, barely brushing her lips against the former senshi of fire's ear, [If this is how you treat your memories, I'll just have to give you a lot more incentive to figure out where everything else belongs.] "Come on Reiko," she finished, lightly trailing her fingers down the bare skin of her friend's arms while she stepped back, "we don't want to keep the Colonel waiting." The pop idol walked back to their slightly exasperated Jovian guide and left a rather confused priestess in her wake. [Sorry,] she apologized, [we really are done now.]
Corporal Autonoe managed to control his expression, but failed to hide the amusement tinging his aura from the former Venusian. [Are you sure Lady?] he questioned while fighting a smile, [Princess Mars doesn't look like she's decided to go anywhere yet.]
Minako looked back over her shoulder at her friend. He was right, she didn't look ready to move. I guess I'll just have to encourage her then, she thought wickedly to her self. "Reiko!" she called getting the former senshi of Mars to snap out of her perturbed daze. "Hurry up or I'll start lining you up with dates so the soldiers so they can tutor you. You're not going to remember anything useful by just staring into space." That said, the former princess of Venus made a gesture to the corporal, who began to lead her away, and waved to the gaping priestess behind her.
"I suppose that's one way to make me want to remember the languages at least," the former senshi of Mars groused as she jogged to catch up to her commander.
"Lord Jadeite," Phobos carefully began, "I don't think I understand. Please explain to me again how less than ten men managed to overwhelm one of the Shitennou without using magic." The irritated woman gestured at the alley they were standing in while going on, " All I can feel are the residual traces of several short range jumps away from here and a psychic barrier. According to Demos, no one teleported in, and this alley reeks of psychic suppressant. So why," she asked menacingly, " isn't my charge still on Earth?"
The shitennou in question just glared back at the guardian while snarling, "Mercurians don't need magic to catch you off guard, and I'd like to see you hold off a pack of mixed Inner System forces on your own."
The two warriors continued to glower at each other until Kunzite rolled his eyes in exasperation and cuffed Jadeite in the back of the head. "Enough," he said with a scowl of his own. "Lady Phobos," he interjected, "We don't have time for this childishness. Do you want to find Princess Mars or not?"
"Of course I do," she responded, "but this isn't where they planet jumped from. If this was done by members of the Silver Alliance as you suggested, there won't be anything to trace anyway."
"Why?" Mamoru asked with a frown. "Wouldn't they have still needed magic to leave?"
"Not if they went to the Moon," Phobos answered darkly.
"Its not really magic to travel to a planet's moon Master," Zoisite explained in as Mamoru's frown only deepened. "The theory behind it is similar to creating youma. You direct the energies that are already present to move you either to or from the planet and one of its satellites, so there is no magical energy expended. Its why you and the Princess were able to hide your meetings for so long in the past."
"I see,"he replied.
"Wouldn't they need to use magic to leave the moon though?" Ami asked in confusion.
"Perhaps," Demos answered as she jumped down from one of the buildings lining the alley. "Unless of course, the Mercurians decided to reinvent the wheel again."
"Shouldn't we check either way?" Makoto demanded. "We can't give up just because they might not be there."
"Yes, you're right, and we will keep looking until we find our princess," Demos responded. "Who will either be with or lead us to Princess Venus."
[Shut up!] Phobos chastised while grabbing Demos' shoulder. [They don't know the past well enough to go saying things like that, and even if they did remember, Lady Rei distances herself from the past. Suggesting things like that before they remember could make her balk at the idea just to avoid the past.]
"Ah! You mean they actually were together in the past life?" Usagi squealed excitedly, "I was never really sure how involved they were even back then." Both raven guardians grew pale and then green as the former princess of the Moon continued, "I'm so glad to have that question finally answered, but you know," she went on more seriously, "you really should stop switching to Martian like that. Ami and Makoto don't really remember that stuff yet. I mean, I only just started to understand all the old languages a few months ago and I remember the most of the three of us."
"Somehow," Demos began, "I don't think that counted as remembering."
"No," Phobos wearily remarked, "it didn't." She returned her attention to Usagi with a sigh, "My apologies Princess Serenity, but I would ask that you refrained from meddling in this particular situation. Lady Mars and Lady Venus will have enough of a time as it is. Please do not complicate things further for them."
"But they're so stubborn!" the former senshi of the Moon protested, "If we left everything up to them it could take years!"
"She's right you know," Ami pointed out before either guardian could respond. "It might even be an optimistic estimate given how often Minako travels and how long its taken for Rei to remember what little she has of the past life."
"Exactly! So its not meddling. We're helping our friends overcome their own unwillingness to compromise," Makoto agreed with an grin. "and that just gives us more incentive to rescue them sooner. So," she said trying to get everyone back on track, "how are we getting to the moon to check for a trail?"
"Che!" Jadeite burst out condescendingly, "That's the problem. We can't go anywhere until the moon is out, and it will still be several hours before its dark enough to actually use it."
Ami, Makoto, Usagi, and Mamoru looked to each other in confusion before the former senshi of protection spoke for all of them asking, "But didn't they do that just a few hours ago?"
"Yes," Zoisite answered stepping out of a portal that had materialized a few feet away. "However, they traveled halfway around the world to do it. Master," he continued bowing to Mamoru, "I managed to follow the Mercurian energy signatures from here to a city on the North American Continent."
"Then lets go!" Usagi shouted excitedly preparing to jump while pumping her fist in the air. She stopped at the grim expressions the Shitennou and Mamoru wore. "What?" she asked concerned she had missed something very big from their expressions.
"We don't have the power to move this many people that far," Mamoru responded after a pause. Sighing in frustration, he turned to Phobos and Demos, "Will a few hours make a difference?"
They looked at each other and considered the question before Phobos answered somberly, "No. In fact it would probably be better to wait so you have more energy to spare once we are up there."
The others looked at the two guardians questioningly before Demos spoke up, "The last we saw of the moon was when we died. We don't know what kind of environment to expect and might need your help to create a spell strong enough to follow them."
"Perhaps," Ami hesitantly suggested, "it might be better if Usagi, Makoto, and myself didn't accompany you."
The other two former senshi stared at her in shock. "You don't want to go?" Usagi asked in concern.
The former senshi of wisdom shook her head. "No, that's not it," she countered, "I'm concerned that we'll be more of a hindrance than a help."
"You mean because we can't use our powers anymore?" the former senshi of Jupiter questioned.
"Yes, that's exactly it," the young doctor confirmed. "If energy is that much of a concern, won't we just be making it harder for you to follow Rei and Minako?" she asked Phobos and Demos.
"No," Phobos answered before Zoisite, who had opened his mouth, had a chance to speak. "You might not be able to channel it yourself, but you still have much more powerful auras than the average person." She gestured at Demos and herself while explaining, "Like most warriors from the Silver Millennium, we learned in the past life how to pool energies when needed, so although you won't be able to direct it yourselves, the energy you contribute by coming would be extremely helpful."
"Soo, I suppose we should rest too then?"Makoto queried with a grin.
"Yes," Demos confirmed. "You should all rest until dark and meet us at the Hikawa shrine. We can show you how to pool your energies then."
"Isn't that kind of a public place?" the florist asked.
"Have you seen all of it?" Demos scoffed, "The gardens are large enough to hide over thirty children and the priests there aren't anywhere near as dense as the rest of you. They've known about us for years and would be more alarmed if we didn't do something now that their star pupil is missing."
"Minako," Rei called to the pop idol as they caught sight of a large red tent.
"What?" she bit out, irritated by the interruption to her internal musings.
"What were we like... back then?" the priestess asked.
The former senshi of Venus looked sharply at her former second not liking the direction of this line of questioning. "Now is not the time for this Rei. We don't have time for a crisis of identity right now," Minako berated her companion.
"I'm not having an identity crisis. I just want to know what to expect when we meet him," the former senshi of war responded with a glare. "You said he might be my brother, but do we know anything else about him? Just what are we walking into Minako?" she demanded angrily. "You said before that you don't like flying blind, right? Well I don't either, so lets ask him what's going on," Rei suggested while nodding at their guide.
"I don't want them to know how out of touch we've been. It makes us look weak,"the idol countered.
The priestess looked at her commander as though she were crazy and returned, "We were dead. I think they'll be expecting us to be a little behind on current events."
"But..," Minako began to argue.
"Do you want me to enter that tent?" Rei asked threateningly.
The former princess of Venus looked ahead to check that the tent was most likely where they were headed. "Yes," she grumbled shaking her head in exasperation. [Corporal!] she called in Lunarian.
The tall man stopped to see what the new hold up was. [Yes, your Majesty?]
[Princess Mars wants to know if the man we are going to see is her younger brother Mars Nodens. I told her that he probably is, but she would like your confirmation.]
[Well...yes,] he confirmed, slightly embarrassed. [Its only been a few millennia since you died, so most of your siblings are still in power.]
[Thank you,] she acknowledged before saying in a superior tone, "Its him."
Rei sighed wondering if this behavior was a side effect of Minako's status as an idol or her Venusian heritage. Probably both, she mused. "All right," she said ignoring her commander's airs. "so what can we expect from him?"
"Well he..," the idol began only to stop at the sudden sound of barking and a flurry of brown and red things charging from the tent. "Don't move," she commanded while taking hold of the priestess' hand, "these are probably new dogs."
"Dogs?" the priestess hissed, trying not to move her lips too much.
"I'll explain later!" the former senshi ground out, hoping to shut up her companion.
Minako glanced around while they waited for the dogs to be called off. There were red cords raised on metal spikes marking the corners of a square around the large tent. It seemed they had entered a roped off area that the dogs considered their master's territory. Hurry up, she growled in her head. I know you know we're here. They may not be Phobos and Demos, but that racket makes up for any telepathic link at this range.
Rei, on the other hand, was more focused on the dogs surrounding them. Dogs, she thought, scrunching her eyes shut as they sniffed her hands and feet. Try to remember dogs! Minako said these were the new ones, so he probably had others in the past, right? What can I remember about dogs from the past? The priestess flinched as memories began to flood her mind, and the dogs started to growl.
The growling drew the idol's attention back from the tent in front of them and to the former senshi of Passion's face. This is bad, she thought seeing Rei's expression and feeling the panic emanating from her. Don't move! She pleaded silently in her head, Please don't move! She gently squeezed the priestess hand, hoping the action might help ground her in the now and lessen the initial aftereffects of remembering.
The former senshi of Fire's actions when she finally opened her eyes, while not the ones Minako had been dreading, were probably much more terrifying than anything the young idol could have reasonably expected. Her former second in command jerked on the idol's arm, forcing her to stand in front of the priestess. She then covered the former senshi of Venus with as much of her own body as she could before sitting down with her commander tucked in her lap, all the while shouting, [Aid! I seek aid!] in Martian and creating a wall of fire around them.
It was a test, Minako thought in shock. As she watched through a curtain of her and Rei's hair, the dogs trotted a few feet away before lying down with their heads on the ground and started whining. "I guess you remembered something," she commented.
Rei didn't respond and tightened her grip on the idol as the flames winked out of existence. About three seconds later, the young woman's grip disappeared with a groan and Minako felt herself supporting the dead weight of her unconscious friend.