Mistakes of the Great Beings

4. Eiju Genkai

Takeshi Asumu was bored. It had been almost an hour since he was, together with other policemen, stationed at the entrance to the park, waiting for experts to arrive. They were ordered to be here because several people reported an abnormality going on in this district. Apparently, there was some kind of an energy barrier preventing anyone from entering.

"Pfft... How can people be so stupid?" he thought, remembering some other recent cases. One was an old lady claiming that her cat was kidnapped by aliens, then there was a guy who painted huge weird signs all over the main square to prevent a 'global catastrophe' that would happen if the almighty spirit entities weren't calmed down by those pictures. Oh, and let's not forget several sect members who danced nude on the flower bed right in front of the city hall. And now this. "Must be solar spots causing stuff or something..."

Just as he was pouring himself coffee from the thermos he always had in his car, something happened. A group of people came out of the park: three women and a young boy who was leaning on one of the girls.

Putting the cup on the car roof, he ran over to them and said: "Stop!"

The eldest one in the group, a lady with long dark-green hair, raised her eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you several questions." He took out a writing pad and a pen. "First of all, may I know your names?"

"I am Setsuna Meioh, this is Usagi Tsukino, Hotaru Tomoe and..." Setsuna looked at Ignika, not sure what to say. In their haste, they hadn't had the time to come up with a human name for the disguised Saurian. They couldn't possibly introduce him as Ignika.

"Eiju." Hotaru said. She wasn't sure where that name came from, but 'long life' just seemed to fit well with Ignika.

"Eiju?" Takeshi repeated with a frown on his face.

"Yes. Eiju Genkai. He's my classmate." Chibiusa chimed in.

Ignika dared to look up from the ground and at the pink-haired girl. He had no idea what she just had said, or why they had given him a different name. But he kept silent, as they had implored him to do when they left the strange forest. They'd take care of everything, and if he just said nothing, everything would be alright.

"Is that so? Why is he dressed like that, then?" the policeman inquired sternly. Something just felt off here, but he couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was.

"Our school is organizing a play, and we went to the park to rehearse. Eiju brought his costume along," the girl from the future explained smoothly. She didn't let the tone of the officer's voice discourage her, or else her lie would be exposed. "Now we're going back, 'cause during a battle scene he tripped and hurt his leg."

Officer Takeshi scribbled something on his notepad, then proceeded to study Ignika again. The child avoided the man's gaze altogether. Finally, the policeman pointed at Ignika's bare feet. "Where are his shoes?"

Chibiusa gasped and slapped her forehead. "Oh my, I must have forgotten them in the park. Sorry Eiju-kun!" She then turned to Takeshi, who was writing something down again. "Is it okay if I go and look for them?" When the policeman nodded approvingly, Chibiusa turned around and ran quickly back into the park. Seeing the girl enter the park with no problem, he thought: "There isn't any barrier, alright."

"Is there anything else you need to know, officer?" Setsuna asked calmly. There was nothing about her appearance that betrayed how nervous she in truth felt. If they were caught in their lie, they'd have a whole lot of explaining to do.

Takeshi finished writing something down again, after which he shook his head. "Just one more thing, miss. Did you notice anything strange or peculiar when in the park?"

"Nothing aside from the fact that there was nobody," the guardian of time lied. She glanced at Hotaru. "What about you, Hotaru?"

"Nothing, Setsuna-mama, but I was too busy caring for Eiju with his injured foot, after all," Hotaru lied just as smoothly as Chibiusa had. She indicated meaningfully to Ignika who was still leaning on her for support. If he didn't, he'd loose his balance and fall again.

"Very well," the policemen concluded with a sigh. "That would be all. Thank you for your cooperation."

"You're welcome, officer," Setsuna replied. The policeman walked back to the car and told another one to call the main office and say that the barrier information was faux. Setsuna then placed a hand on Ignika's shoulder and addressed him and Hotaru. "Come, my car's around the corner. Let's go quickly to spare your feet, Eiju."

Ignika had no idea what a 'car' was, but he obediently went along. In this strange dimension, where he wasn't safe from his enemies either, these three women were all he thought he could rely upon so far. At least until his family came for him.

As they walked, Ignika did his very best to remain quiet and to not look around. He had no desire to see more of this noisy world outside the forest. The air here didn't smell good either. All around him he could hear loud rumbling, things zooming by at a high speed and sometimes shrill sounds too.

"Don't be afraid," he heard Hotaru say next to him. "It all went fine. Once we get home, you'll be safe."

Ignika didn't reply, merely kept walking and supporting on the black-haired girl next to him. Setsuna brought them to a strange contraption made of metal on four wheels. When the young Saurian dared to take a peak at his surroundings, he noticed it was a vehicle, for there were other things like it riding around. The Great Beings had had vehicles, but very different from these. Saurians didn't. They walked, and that was that. Judging from what Setsuna had said before, Ignika decided that this was a 'car' and that it belonged to Setsuna.

The green haired woman opened the strange machine and indicated for Ignika and Hotaru to get inside. With a bit of urging from Hotaru, Ignika obeyed. The benches inside the vehicle were from leather from a very high quality, the child observed. In fact, he had never seen such leather before.

Now that he no longer had a tail, Ignika could sit down comfortably inside the car. Hotaru took place right next to him, and put a strange belt around his waist. For safety, she explained when she saw the child's curious looks. Once the disguised Saurian wore his seatbelt, Hotaru fastened her own while her Setsuna-mama climbed in the driver's seat. Just as the oldest of them had buckled her own seatbelt and started the engine, a familiar fourth person got inside the car, pulling the door close behind her.

"Ah, Small Lady, I take it all went well?" Setsuna asked with a smile.

The pink-haired girl nodded eagerly and with a big smile. "I just walked far enough in the park until I was out of sight, then took an unofficial exit. I don't think anybody noticed me, Plu."

"Very good," the guardian of time replied, after which she focused her gaze on the road ahead. "Let's go home, there's a lot that we still need to do."


Ignika wasn't sure if he would survive this ordeal. He was afraid, and felt trapped like a beast inside this strange, roaring metal vehicle. In the world around him, other such vehicles passed in many directions, all following an uncountable number of different roads. Enormous tall buildings flanked these roads, illuminated with lights in all sorts of colors, all of which shone without fire. Strange poles with boards on them stood everywhere, the boards carrying weird symbols – this world's alphabet, the boy presumed. Besides these things, there were also many humans walking around. More than many, in fact, he had never seen so many living creatures in one spot like this. Where did they all live? How could this stone forest provide enough food for them? He didn't see anything aside from humans, nor was there any vegetation around. Did they eat each other?

He shied away from the outer world and turned his attention to the inside of this car. That in itself was weirder than anything he had ever seen. This vehicle moved without anything visibly making it move, and when Setsuna turned a wheel in a direction, the vehicle turned in that direction as well. There were also a lot of lights shining behind and besides the wheel, and very strange music – if it could be called that – came from apparently out of nowhere. Who was singing or making it?

Hotaru looked at the transformed child besides her. She knew that she could hardly imagine what he had to be going through now, but she did know that it was all incredibly shocking at the very least. In an effort to comfort him, she placed her hand firmly on his shoulder. When Ignika looked at her, she smiled, and he shyly smiled back.

"It's going to be alright, Ignika," she said with all the confidence she could bring up.

"Yeah!" Chibiusa added with a big smile of her own. "Hotaru-chan's house is very nice and big, and it has a very large garden, so it won't be as noisy as it is here in the city."

Half of the meaning of her words was lost on the poor child, but he nonetheless nodded and muttered a thanks. Then he closed his eyes, determined not to open them again until they were wherever Setsuna was taking them. He had seen enough of this world for now.

"I know you have a lot of fears and questions at the moment, Ignika," he heard Setsuna say calmly from the front seat. "And we will do our best to provide you with some answers when we are home. Until then, please, do not worry."


Ignika felt the vehicle slowing down and finally coming to a halt. The car stopped roaring as well, and he heard Setsuna announce that they had arrived. The Saurian child finally dared to open his eyes again. Hotaru helped him undo his seatbelt, then opened the door for him. Ignika immediately scrambled out of the metal contraption, forgetting that he still couldn't walk too well in his new body. As of such, as soon as he set a step outside the car, he found himself loosing his balance and falling again. Chibiusa helped him up, then let Ignika support on her. Now that he stood relatively firm on his feet again, Ignika took his chance to observe his surroundings.

His eyes went wide with happiness. All around him there were lots and lots of nice, lovely plants, going from beautiful flowers to tall trees. It looked ever better than that strange park had, because it was all so… neat. There was a big field of grass, surrounded by beds of many pretty flowers, who all looked as fine as possible – as if somebody had removed all unhealthy plants and flowers – and those flowers were in turn surrounded by many trees, giving the whole the illusion of looking like an open spot in a forest. The only thing that was unnatural was the path of unnaturally smooth and neat stone the car had travelled upon, and the large construction in the middle of it all.

With a shock Ignika realized that that big construction was actually the house of these people. That Chibiusa girl certainly hadn't been kidding when she said it was big! It almost was like a private fortress. A house to Ignika was a simple hut made out of sticks, branches and bark. This 'house' was a tall construction of stone and fine wood, Ignika could even spot some of the finest glass he had ever seen. Perhaps this house was not that at all, but simply this dimension's version of a Great Beings' fortress? These women held great power, after all, they might be the Great Beings of this world. To the Saurian child, it would explain why they lived in such a wondrous fortress all by themselves, surrounded by very beautiful nature.

He breathed the fresh air in deeply. It smelled so much nicer here than it that awful forest of stone. Here, there was clean air, a beautiful sky and best of all, life. Ignika needed Life around him to feel healthy and happy. And this, this was perfect.

Chibiusa looked at Ignika's happy expression and giggled. "You like it here, I take it?"

Ignika nodded eagerly. "It's perfect, and beautiful! I haven't seen this much beauty since my life in the Fortress of the Great Beings…" His voice trailed of and Ignika sighed. Thinking of those happier times made him sad again, and that wouldn't do. He had to enjoy this place as long as he could. Who knew where else he had to go from these females. The child cursed his inability to walk properly in this new body, for he longed to go and explore these grounds and study the fascinating and new flora and fauna around there.

That had to wait, however, as Chibiusa turned away from the garden and walked in the direction of the house. Ignika, having to support on her to stay on his feet, had no choice but to go along.

"Let's introduce you to all the new things inside first," she explained. "And teach you how to walk properly. It won't be fun for you if you have to rely on any of us for support all the time."

With the pink-haired girl from the future serving as support, Ignika managed to get inside the house. His eyes were wide and his head seemed to want to turn in every direction at the same to observe all new things around him – which was practically everything.

The entrance, for example, was a marvel in itself. It was situated under a low roof supported by nicely crafted wooden pillars and arches. Two doors made out of wood and glass normally closed the entrance, but they were opened now since Setsuna and Hotaru had already gone inside and left the door open. Once inside the entrance hall, more marvels awaited the disguised child.

Inside the house was as fine as it appeared on the outside. The walls were smooth and white, the floor was made of polished and beautiful wood. Strange but colorful pictures and object decorated the walls. There were also more of those strange lights that gave light without fire lined on the ceiling.

The two reached the living room, which again was a surprise for the child. Furniture the likes he found here was completely new and alien to him, and the carpet seemed to be made of an unnatural material, which was true for many objects and things in this place. Ignika didn't really like that. Being the Child of Life, he preferred all things used to build to come forth from natural materials, alive or dead perhaps, but natural at least.

Inside the living room, the two found Hotaru and Setsuna, the latter of which had just put down the phone after checking if there were any messages.

"Chibiusa, your mother called. Our walk in the park took way too much for her liking, apparently." The woman smiled. "I'd better take you home."

"Aww... But I wanted to show so much to Ignika!" Chibiusa frowned. Ignika was confused. Weren't they already home? And how did Chibiusa's mother call? There wasn't any other person here, and Ignika didn't hear anybody calling...

"Don't worry, we'll be fine on our own." Hotaru came to the kids and made Ignika lean on her for support. "I'm sure your mom will allow you to come later." She smiled

"And also, I need you to tell Usagi and the other Senshi that I'm calling a meeting here tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"I doubt that the Saurian who made the dimensional portal was among the ones we defeated. Meaning that they can come again any time, and thus are a threat."

"Oh... Well, in that case..." Chibiusa sighed, then smiled. "Bye, Ignika. Have fun with Hotaru-chan." And she left the room, followed by Setsuna.

After a few moments of silence Ignika asked: "Where are they going?"

"Setsuna is going to drive Chibiusa home." Hotaru explained. Seeing Ignika's confused look, she continued: "She doesn't live with us, but with her family in another part of the city."

"City?" Ignika frowned.

"Yep, that's where we just came from. The place where the park is." It felt nice to be explaining simple things to the Saurian. It sort of reminded her of the time when she was little – which wasn't that long ago – and asked all kinds of questions to Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama.

"You mean that big stone forest?" It didn't help his confusion much, but at least he knew what it was called now.

"Uh-huh. But that's something I'll explain later. We have things to do." The girl smiled.


Next chapter: Table manners!


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