Soluna – Volume One

Chapter Eight: Togetherness

By Saarth'ir

Based on the "Sailor Ranko" series, started by Duncan Zillman, and continued by Kevin D. Hammel, Arthur Hansen, and Rebecca Heineman. "Sailor Ranko" is, in turn based on the series "Sailor Moon" by Naoko Takeuchi and "Ranma 1/2" by Rumiko Takahashi. Therefore, many of these characters are owned and copyrighted by their respective owners. So, with that out of the way, enjoy!


Ami Mizuno walked solemnly on her own alongside the bustling downtown streets of Azabu-Juuban. The warm, late Spring air ruffled the relatively short, azure hair of the young woman as it passed by, providing her with a pleasant feeling. Although her mind was subconsciously focused on making sure she did not run into anyone or anything along her path, her thoughts were far away. Ami had a lot on her mind, and as she continued down the path she was on, she mentally looked back over the day's events.

Shortly after waking, and while preparing for school, Ami had received a message from Akane's communicator. Akane informed her that Nabiki needed Sailor Moon, and possibly the others to debrief her on the recent attack. Ami quickly accepted when Akane asked if she would be able to join them, along with Usagi, that afternoon at the headquarters.

As she departed the apartment, she took notice that her mother had indeed already left, and had left a note informing Ami that she would be home late. Ami sighed but wasn't surprised. This was far from new for her. Dr. Mizuno's employment as an emergency physician at Tokyo Central Hospital left her very little time to spend at home, especially during times when Ami would be home herself. It had become somewhat of a luxury for Ami to be able to spend time with her mother before she had to retire for the night. Ami grabbed the lunch that her mother had prepared before leaving, slipped on her shoes, and quickly left for school.

The first half of school proceeded as per normal, albeit with some extra Senshi gossip flying around the school. Ami spent second period in the library, as she was exempt from that class. She didn't have anyone scheduled for morning tutoring, so she opted to do a little delving on her Mercury Computer. She wasn't exactly sure what she was searching for, but nonetheless, she browsed through various old research and data entries about the Silver Millennium which were stored on the magi-tech system. She caught herself completely by surprise when she realized she had nearly missed the bell for third period.

At lunch, the entire gang met up at their usual spot outside near the flower garden. Ami and the others were honestly somewhat surprised that Usa was not attending school with them this time. Usagi merely told them that Usa hadn't expressed a desire to show up this time. When quizzed about Midori, Ranma and Akane shrugged and said more or less the same thing. With that out of the way, everyone took out their lunches and began eating while discussing various subjects, some important, and some not.

Usagi informed everyone that she had gotten a message from Michiru around third period, which she excused herself to the bathroom to answer. Michiru told her that their family had gone on vacation to get some R&R, but upon hearing about the attack, quickly returned home and had just arrived that morning. The blonde apologized to Akane after telling her that she wouldn't be able to go to the headquarters today, as she and Usa still needed to talk to the Outers. After finding out that Ami would have also been joining them, she quickly apologized to her genius friend as well. Both Ami and Akane were understanding, and the latter promised to tell her sister so they could reschedule. In truth, Ami was rather happy with the outcome. She simply didn't feel like dealing with the brass today, even if the brass was her friend's sister.

After the end of lunch, the rest of the school day went on as usual. The girls left the school grounds together, before exchanging their goodbyes and heading their separate ways. Makoto and Minako decided to head to the arcade to have some fun and invited Ami, who politely declined with the excuse that she needed to go pick up Rei's assignments from the miko's school. With that, Ami departed in the direction of both the Hikawa shrine and T*A Academy for Girls.

Ami was able to easily pick up Rei's assignments not only for that day, but for the next week as well. She knew that Rei wouldn't be too happy now that she would have to complete these assignments, but Ami truly felt that it was best course of action for the young miko. Her suspicions were confirmed when she received an audible groan from the injured maiden upon handing her the papers. Ami stayed with Rei at the shrine for a while to keep her friend company, until Rei insisted that she would be fine and for Ami to go home before it got too late.

So now Ami walked from the Hikawa shrine back to the condominium that her apartment was located in. With her reminiscing of the day's events complete, Ami's mind drifted back to what she had found on the Mercury Computer during the morning. The various bits of information she had pulled up were nothing spectacular, but they kept reminding Ami of what Chizuko had accidentally blurted out during the meeting.

Her past. Her previous life. Her previous name. Her... previous mother. It kept bothering her no matter how much she tried to forget about it. Over her time as a Senshi, she, along with the others had regained bits and pieces of their memories of the Silver Millennium, but nothing so strong or important as any of those subjects. They had never really crossed her mind except in brief passing until Chizuko had mentioned anything, but now, she couldn't stop thinking about them.

The towering form of Ami's condominium complex loomed in the distance, but Ami payed it no mind. She thought about what Chizuko had specifically mentioned about her past mother before the avian adviser had caught herself. She had said something about Ami, or rather Amhelia's mother originating from France.

That didn't make sense to her though. From what she and the others knew of the Silver Millennium, the Moon Kingdom isolated itself and its people from the Earth with a few exceptions. On top of that, Ami recalled that during the Silver Millennium, supposedly all of Earth was united under a single kingdom. So how could it be possible that, one: France even existed during the Silver Millennium, and two: If that was indeed the case, how a foreigner from a different nation, if not a completely separate world, could be become royalty in the Moon Kingdom, let alone be adopted by it.

Could it be that what they knew about the Silver Millennium was wrong? Maybe Luna and Artemis had lied to the Senshi for some reason. No, Ami realized, that couldn't be true. The moon cats' memories were also fragmented heavily, albeit not as much as most of the Senshi's, they were probably in the dark too. On top of that, Minako's memories were about as solid as Artemis', and Ami knew she could trust the blonde just as much as the cats.

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated Ami grew. Everything she thought she knew about her history; her entire life, no, lives, as a Senshi could be wrong. She had to find out the truth, but how. Chizuko would be the obvious choice, but it was clear the bird had no plans of revealing such information. Ami briefly considered consulting either Usa or Midori for information, as surely by the thirtieth century the Senshi would have deciphered their pasts, but she quickly dismissed the idea. The future girls would not be able to give her any information in order to protect themselves and the future.

Ami climbed the condominium stairs to the floor she and her mother's apartment was on. As she approached the door, she made the decision to spend at least a few hours of the evening continuing her research with the Mercury Computer. She just had to get some answers, otherwise, she felt she would start to go crazy. Ami, of course would have to make sure that she would leave herself enough time to finish her homework for the day, look over her friends' most recent tests, plan out more tutoring regiments for them, and also devote some time to looking into the new youma attacks. She assured herself that surely she'd have enough time to finish all of those tasks on top of spending a few hours doing research. The girl nodded to herself, it was a plan. She took off her shoes as soon as she entered the apartment and made ready to bolt to her room.

"Welcome home, dear!" a voice called out from the living room. Ami started suddenly, as her mental plan fell apart.

"M-mom? You're home?" she asked in surprise.

"I was relieved early," her mother affirmed. "Dr. Yoshida arrived earlier than expected, and the main patient I was taking care of made major strides in recovery." There was a short pause before she continued, "I decided to celebrate by making some beef yakitori for dinner and watching a movie, would you like to join me, dear? Your plate is waiting in the kitchen."

Ami didn't even think before responding. "S-sure, mother." She walked into the living room and gave her mom a hug as the older woman walked to the kitchen to grab Ami's dinner. She quickly returned and placed the plate on the table in front of the sofa, next to her own. The mother and daughter sat down together and after a pair of mutual smiles, began eating and watching the romance comedy on television.

About half-way through the movie, and more than that into her meal, Ami suddenly remembered her proposed plans for the evening. She was about to excuse herself, but upon turning to look at her mother, quickly stopped herself. Ami blinked as she stared at the older woman. She sucked in a deep breath and relaxed back into the sofa, leaning into her mother. The older woman smiled, wrapped her arm around her daughter and leaned back in kind. Ami smiled from the warmth she felt as she let her focus return to the movie. Sometimes, she realized, its better just to enjoy the present, rather than worry about the past.


Makoto Kino and Minako Aino stood outside the Game Center Crown arcade. The two girls giggled as they retold their stories of both victory and loss with the various arcade machines inside. While they wished they could have at least gotten Ami to join them, as the genius girl was surprisingly good at the various games hosted in the arcade, the two of them nonetheless had a blast. They also had a some extra fun at the expense of a very flustered Motoki, whom they had teased relentlessly. However, as the afternoon drew to a close and dusk began sulking upon the city, the girls realized they would have to call it a day and return to their homes. After one last story, the two girls exchanged their goodbyes and left in opposite directions.

Makoto quickly made her way along the quiet residential streets of Juuban towards her apartment. The tall brunette still had a lingering smile on her face from the fun time she had just spent with her friend. She secretly wished that she could have stayed at the arcade with Minako all night long. She sighed to herself.

No matter how she looked at it, she and her friends were growing up. They were about to graduate high school and move on to the realm of adulthood. On top of that, there was the heavy burden of everything it meant to be a Senshi. Makoto frowned slightly as she realized that her carefree youth was more or less gone, replaced with the responsibilities of not just adulthood, but of a soldier as well.

It quickly dawned on her however that she was in fact happier now than she ever had been since she was a child. Most of her young life had been spent alone, unable to truly find a place to belong. No one she had ever tried to get along with could understand her. She was always labeled as an outcast, a violent tomboy, or a straight up delinquent. That is, until she met Usagi, and from there: Ami, Rei, Minako, Luna, Artemis; and later, Ranma, Akane, Ukyo, and Konatsu. Heck, she even felt she had a strong connection with Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru; even if she did end up butting heads with some of them occasionally. Yes, it certainly was great to have people she could care for, and who cared for her. The brunette's smile quickly returned as she continued on her way.

A couple blocks from her apartment, Makoto passed by one of her favorite convenience stores and decided to stop to pick up some groceries. She cheerfully exchanged pleasantries with the store's employees who knew her as a regular and quickly danced around the store grabbing ingredients to prepare dinner and even tomorrow's lunch. It only took her a grand total of fifteen minutes to get everything she needed, check out, and leave the store. With her mind now focused on the fresh ingredients she would use to prepare a delicious dinner, Makoto skipped happily the rest of the way home.

It only took the young woman another ten minutes to get from the store to her apartment. She hastily unlocked the door, entered, and tossed her shoes off before rushing to the kitchen. Before even removing her groceries from their bags, she quickly grabbed each and every utensil she would need to prepare the meal. Her movements were a blur as she effortlessly placed each instrument in its place.

With everything ready, Makoto began to unbag the vegetables that she had purchased to wash, but she suddenly stopped and stared over the counter into her living room. Her apartment was so... clean, she realized. So very... empty. She put down the lettuce she had in her hand and left the kitchen solemnly. She walked slowly through the small living room looking for any sign of dirt, mess, or life. She sighed as she realized she couldn't find any.

Makoto collapsed onto the couch, her sad thoughts returning. She glanced over to a small table which held an array of framed photos. She focused her vision on the one the furthest to the left. It was a picture of her at a very young age, happily playing in a field of flowers. Behind her, two older figures sat crouched next to her on either side, one male, and one female. The picture cut off the tops of their faces, but both of their smiles shone brightly. The woman's hands were placed on the tiny shoulders of the young girl, steadying her; while the man pointed at a butterfly which was resting on one of the flowers in front of Makoto.

The brunette on the couch smiled sadly as she vaguely brought the photo's scene back into her memory. She appreciated that photo greatly. It was the only remaining picture that her parents were in, and even if most of their faces weren't in the photo, their sweet smiles were enough for Makoto.

She sighed and looked around the room, taking in the various sights of her apartment. She was very thankful to have had a place to live for all this time. While relatively modest, the apartment was certainly grand enough for Makoto to appreciate. It was a very comfortable roof over her head, graciously donated by a mysterious relative of the young woman's, at least that was what the orphanage had told her. It honestly didn't matter to her, if the donor wanted to remain a stranger, that was his or her choice, Makoto still appreciated them all the same.

Still, even with a nice place to live, she often found herself very lonely. After the first year or so of living on her own, she had grown used to it. However, just a short time ago, she had happily found herself sharing her apartment with Ranma and Akane as they worked to save up enough money for their own place. Makoto truly enjoyed the change of pace. Having not one, but two friends to live with, even if only for a few months, made the previously dull apartment so much more lively. It even gave Makoto much more to do! While both Ranma and Akane tried their best to help maintain the apartment, the two martial artists definitely created much more of a mess than they cleaned. Especially after any of Makoto's attempts to teach Akane in the kitchen.

Makoto chuckled at the memories of her time living with the couple. She looked over at some of the other photos framed on the small table. One was a picture of her and her friends at their Junior High graduation. Even Rei and Minako, who did not attend the same school had arrived to support their friends. All five of them stood clasping each other by the shoulders and laughing hysterically. It was truly nice to have such great friends, Makoto realized as her smile once again returned.

She then glanced over at another, much more recent photo. In it, Makoto was seated on the same sofa she was in right now, with a very flustered look on her face. On either side of her, Ranma and Akane 'sat'. More appropriately, they were each passed out, leaning on Makoto's shoulders. Ranma was in his female form, as the three of them had just returned from a short training trip courtesy of Sailor Sun's transportation.

The picture was taken by Nodoka, who had arrived to visit and was greeted by the sight of the poor brunette weighed down by her roommates' sleeping forms. Ranma's mother had found it absolutely hilarious and adorable and insisted on getting a picture before waking them up. While initially completely embarrassed by the event, Makoto now agreed with Nodoka's insight. Her smile grew greatly as the memory passed through her mind.

Makoto suddenly had a flash of an idea. She quickly got up from her seat and walked over to the phone. After dialing a number, she sat and patiently waited until someone picked up.

"Hey, it's Makoto!" she announced joyfully. "I was wondering if you all had any plans for dinner tonight?" Her smile grew even wider as she received her answer. "Would you like me to come over and make something for you all? Yes, right, I know she's pretty insistent on doing the cooking, but maybe she'd like some help? I mean I just bought some groceries, so I could make another course... Would you? That would be awesome!" the girl waited about a minute while the person on the other side left the phone. "It's okay? Great! I'll be over shortly! See y'all then!" she exclaimed happily, and hung up.

Makoto quickly ran back to the kitchen and placed all the groceries back in the bags, and all the utensils and dishes back in their places. She grabbed the bags and put on her shoes and a coat. Makoto took one last look at the three photos on the nearby table, turned off the lights in the apartment, and departed, locking the door behind her. She quickly descended the steps of her building and rushed along the sidewalk towards the eastern edge of Azabu-Juuban, her grand smile never wavering.


Minako sat on the eastbound bus staring out the window. She had ridden this route in both directions many times before, but still found the scenery lovely. She was still smiling from the fun time she had with Makoto at the arcade. She loved to spend time with her friends, and even if the transit was significantly longer, she was very happy that she was permitted to attend Juuban Municipal High with the others after graduating Junior High.

The blonde noticed the familiar sight of Tokyo Tower looming in the distance, and sure enough, as if on cue, the bus driver called back, "Shiba-Koen! The next stop is Shiba-Koen!"

Minako quickly sat up and grabbed her school bag. The bus came to a stop at the station and the blonde departed the vehicle. As she passed by the driver, she smiled at him and said, "I'll see you later, Choji!"

The driver smiled back at her and nodded, "Until next time, Ms. Aino."

With that, Minako began walking in the opposite direction from Shiba Park, towards where her family house was located. She quickly reached her destination. One of the nice things about where they lived was how close it was to Shiba Park, and therefore, the bus and train stations. As she entered the outside gate, she slowed down her pace. Minako sighed to herself as she guessed exactly how the next few minutes would go.

She opened the door and announced her arrival, which was replied to by a soprano voice. After taking off her shoes, the blonde walked towards the stairs, hoping to escape to her room before her parents could get a hold on her. Unfortunately for her, she was too slow, and she sighed as her mother rounded the corner.

"You're home late, dear," Kaori Aino expressed with latent disappointment. She held her hands on her hips and blew a lock of blonde hair away from her eyes as she appraised her daughter. "I hope you were spending some extra time at the library studying." The comment held a tone of accusation to it.

Minako sighed, "No, mom, sorry. I was out with friends." She held her breath and waited for the possibility of an outburst from her mother.

"Mhm," Mrs. Aino chortled. "Probably wasting time at the arcade again," she sighed. "Well, come along, dear. Dinner is just about ready." With that, the older blonde turned around and retreated to the kitchen.

Minako stood bewildered for a few moments. Normally, telling her mother that she was spending any of her free time doing anything other than studying would result in a very strict, very loud berating. Instead, she got a small "harrumph" and offered dinner. Something was definitely off with her mother today.

It wasn't anything new for Minako to expect to be verbally 'assaulted' upon returning home. Her relationship with her parents was more or less a mess. For as long as she could remember, her mother always wanted Minako to be more. At first, she was more empathetic, saying things such as, "You have so much more potential!" Certainly a more appropriate method of encouragement, given Minako's age at the time.

However, as Minako grew, her mother's attitude became more and more strict and hurtful. What was once somewhat positive reinforcement twisted into berating and harsh belittling. She would even go as far as to insult Minako's father, threatening that if Minako did not shape up, she would, "become a corporate slave just like him". Of course, Minako's father, Hideki, would just sit there and take it. Minako knew full well that it was her mother who bore the ants in the family. What she didn't know is that any of her friends would have told her that the phrase she was looking for was "wore the pants in the family".

Minako's relationship with her parents, especially her mother grew more and more distant as she aged. The constant harsh critique from her mother caused the young woman to spend more and more time away from home or locked in her room. Sure, she would end up getting berated even harder the next time she encountered the older woman, but she hardly cared anymore at that point.

There were times when she wanted to tell her mother about who she really was. She wanted to tell her that she was the one protecting the family, the rest of Tokyo, and for a short time, London. There were a couple times in the middle of one of their shouting arguments that she almost spilled the beans, but she always managed to stop herself.

The truth was, she didn't feel like her parents knowing the truth would change anything. In fact, it would probably make it worse. Kaori wanted Minako to be a brilliant scholar, not a soldier. She would probably freak out if she found out that Minako spent a lot of her time fighting demons. And so, Minako chose to keep her identity a secret from her parents, even after all these years.

Minako walked into the small dining area in between the kitchen and the living room. She took a seat at the table next to her father who was intently focusing on some sort of work document. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up, "Hey, dad."

Hideki Aino visibly jumped in his seat and dropped the paper he was holding. He quickly readjusted his glasses and examined the source of the voice that just spoke to him. "Oh, hi there, Minako!" he said goofily. "I didn't see you there. When did you get home?"

Minako sighed and supported her head with her hand. "Just now." She glanced at the document on the table. "What's that?" she asked.

Her father looked down at the paper and his gaze seemed to fade into the distance for a moment before responding. "Just a form for work I have to fill out before tomorrow," he informed her. His focus then immediately returned to the paper leaving Minako more or less alone at the table.

After a short time, Mrs. Aino brought a couple of platters to the table and served each member of the family with a plate and chopsticks. She noticed her husband intently staring at the paper in front of him and cleared her throat, looking at him threateningly. The man immediately jumped and looked back at his wife before apologizing and placing the paper on the counter nearby. The family then served themselves and began eating.

A short way into the meal, Minako's mother looked at her and patted her mouth with a napkin before speaking. "Your friend, Ami Mizuno, called shortly before you arrived," she informed her daughter. "She said you passed your last test with a ninety-three." Minako thought she saw the corners of her mother's mouth curl up into a very slight smile. "I'm proud of you, dear," she continued, "You definitely have potential."

Minako merely nodded in response. She was quite flabbergasted by her mother's compliment, but realization quickly dawned. This was why her mother had not berated her when she had gotten home. Getting such a high score on the test must have put her mother in a good mood just before she arrived. Minako smiled slightly, before her mother spoke up once more. "Make sure you keep it up." Minako sighed and went back to eating her food.

All three members of the family looked up and towards the front of the house as they each heard a small pattering coming down the stairs. The source of the noise, a white cat with a golden crescent shaped mark on his head leaped off the final stair and approached the seated family, greeting them with a happy "Mrowr," before approaching Minako directly.

Each person seated at the table expressed a different reaction to the arrival of the feline. Minako showed giddy delight. Her father an unbiased boredom and lack of intrigue. And her mother a cautious stare. The cat leaped up onto the empty chair next to Minako's own and stared at her with deceptively expressive blue eyes for a cat. "Mrowr," he exclaimed again, this time directed specifically at the young woman.

"What's that, boy? Lassie's stuck in the well again?!" Minako chuckled. Her mother thought she saw the cat's expression change into something akin to disappointed embarrassment before returning to its normal feline form.

"I'm just kidding," the blonde girl joked. She grabbed a small piece of fish from her plate and held it out to the cat. The feline's big blue eyes shone expectantly and his mouth visibly watered. Just before he could reach the chopsticks holding the treasured food, he and Minako were both startled by her mother's sudden outburst.

"Minako! You know I do not approve of feeding your cat meals at this table!" the woman nearly screamed. Minako had dropped the piece of fish onto the floor from being shocked. The cat looked down at the now dirty piece of fish with tears growing in his eyes.

"But mom, Artemis is a very intelligent cat," she tried to explain. "He just wants to be a part of the family."

Her mother huffed up. "He is an animal, Minako. I do admit, a rather adorable animal. But an animal none the less." She looked at the cat in question who looked back at her with an unreadable feline expression.

Minako sighed. She just had to give her mother something to yell at her about. The truth was, her mom was just as guilty as her. Minako could see right through the older woman's attempts at hiding her feelings for the cat. The fact of the matter was Mrs. Aino really did like Artemis. There were numerous times where Minako would come downstairs late at night to find her mother watching television on the sofa with the white cat in her lap.

On the other hand, Artemis had told Minako once that he was trying to be the bridge between the two women. After noticing the distance in their relationship, he was determined to try to repair it. "After all, what better way to a person's heart then a cute, fluffy animal", he had put it.

Minako looked down to her dear friend and adviser and smiled sadly. "Sorry buddy, you'll have to wait for your dinner until later." He responded with an understanding yet sad meow.

The rest of dinner concluded quickly and Minako excused herself to her room, but not before sneaking a couple of pieces of leftover fish on a small plate with her. The white cat followed her upstairs only a few steps behind. She entered her room and let the cat through the door before closing it.

She placed the plate on the floor and sat down on her bed, watching as Artemis approached the dish. "Mom sure can be such a hypochondriac," the blonde exhaled, falling back on the bed.

Artemis stopped and turned to look at the blonde with an annoyed expression on his face. "I think you mean hypocrite, Minako," he told her. "Also, Lassie isn't the one who gets stuck in the well, it's Timmy. Lassie is the one who gets help to save him." Minako merely shrugged without moving from her spot. With that, Artemis began eagerly eating the scraps of the family's dinner, he honestly couldn't complain when it came to fish.

"Why does she always have to complain about everything?" Minako asked suddenly while staring at the ceiling. "She knows that I try, yet I don't want to be a scholar, or a doctor, or a rocket surgeon. I've told her this. Why can't she just accept that?" she questioned, her eyes growing watery.

Artemis stopped eating and hopped up onto the bed next to Minako, both pairs of their deep blue eyes locking with each other. "You know, Minako, over the past few years, I've spent a lot of time with your mother," he explained to her. "A lot more than you know, actually. Over that time, I've gotten to know a lot about her."

The white moon cat looked up towards the ceiling. "She talks to me a lot about herself, as well as you. I don't know if she realizes that I can understand her, though." He laid down next to Minako and appraised her silently. "She really does care for you. She's scared that you'll turn out like her or your father. That is, 'a good for nothing merely following the rules of society' as she put it."

Minako's expression grew confused. "What exactly did she mean by that?" she asked her feline friend.

"I couldn't tell you for sure," Artemis responded, "but I have heard her reminisce about her past a few times, albeit not exactly in a sober state of mind..." The cat trailed off as memories of those nights returned, causing him to blush.

Artemis shook the cobwebs out of his head and continued. "She resents herself for not being able to make it big like she dreamed as a child," he told Minako. "She doesn't want you to make the same mistakes, but unfortunately, her own mother apparently never really taught her how to emotionally care of a child."

The white cat smiled sadly. "She's even admitted to me that she knows that she tries too hard to shape you into something you're not, but she's determined to make sure you succeed in life, even if that means having you hate her in the end."

Minako gasped and held her hand over her mouth. Tears began welling up in her eyes and she sat up to grab a tissue from her nightstand. She sat there for multiple minutes in silence, her face in her hands. Artemis' sad smile remained where it was as he silently watched Minako sob.

Eventually, Minako more or less recollected herself and looked at her dear friend, her eyes still red and puffy. Her face contorted into a look of anger. "That... that woman, how dare she!" she nearly screamed causing Artemis to flinch. "That's so greedy! How dare she try to make me something I'm not for my own sake without even caring for her own well being!" Artemis stared at Minako, trying to figure out what the girl had just said. The blonde began to relax and took a couple deep breaths to help speed up the process.

Artemis returned to his quiet position. "I was a little worried you were going to explode their for a second," he joked. "So what now?" he asked her.

She looked at him with a smug grin on her face. "Well obviously I can't tell her that my cat spilled the beets on how she felt," she chuckled. "So I have to find a way to get her to confess to me." Minako grew thoughtful and tapped her cheek.

Artemis yawned and looked up at Minako. "Well can your plan wait until tomorrow?" he pleaded. "I just had a wonderful meal and I'm just about ready to curl up and go to sleep."

Minako withdrew from her thoughts and smiled at the cat. "Yeah, sleep does sound pretty good right now," she admitted.

She got up from her bed and walked over to her dresser, pulling out her pajamas. Artemis quickly curled up on the bed, making sure to face away from her dresser to give her the privacy to change. A minute later, Minako pulled back the covers, forcing Artemis to reposition next to her pillow. She quickly set the alarm, jumped into bed, and pulled the covers over herself and the cat, making sure to leave both of their heads exposed.

Minako quickly turned to look at the white cat. "Artemis," she spoke, smiling sincerely.

"Yes, Minako?" he responded.

"Thanks for being such a good friend to me," she said sweetly, leaning forward and kissing him on the forehead.

Artemis blushed in surprise but quickly smiled back at her. "No problem, kiddo," he told her.

Minako nodded and then turned around to shut off the light, placing both human and cat into a serene darkness. The two of them quickly fell asleep with the warm comfort of both the comforter and each other. Minako's last thought before drifting off to dreamland was, Tomorrow's going to be a good day.


Makoto turned the last corner and arrived on a small street filled with rather beautiful houses. The sky had grown dark with the fall of night, but luckily, most of the streets on her way to her destination were illuminated by street-side lamps. Despite the lack of sunlight, the air was still pleasantly warm, and she enjoyed the light breeze as she jogged on.

She looked ahead and noticed the end of the houses. A single house sat separated from its neighbors, completely rebuilt among the rubble surrounding it. This neighborhood had been partially destroyed during the monster attack months before, and as such, the owners of this last standing house managed to get quite a steal on the real estate.

Makoto entered through the rather shabby front gate and knocked on the door, still smiling. As she waited, she thought she could hear yelling coming from inside. Oh boy, she thought to herself, sounds like something's going on. Finally, the door opened.

"Yo!" Makoto exclaimed, grinning goofily. Her wide smile quickly shifted into a look of concern as she saw the sickly face of the long-haired girl who had opened the door. "A-are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"I... I didn't hear his warning in time," Midori mumbled. Makoto couldn't even tell if her statement was directed at her or if the poor girl was just lost in a stupor. The future girl somewhat regained her composure, a bit of color returning to her face. "I just found out she can't cook in this time period," she stated without emotion. "You'll have to excuse me, it came as quite a shock to me, both mentally," she reached down and placed a hand over her stomach, "and physically." With that, Midori walked away from the door and allowed Makoto to enter.

The brunette cautiously stepped into the Saotome household. As she removed her shoes she realized that her suspicions were correct. It certainly seemed like Akane was attempting to cook again. She stood back up and looked back at Midori who was watching her with an unreadable expression. Only pain and discomfort were visible on her face.

Makoto held up the grocery bags she had with her and smiled at the other girl. "Hopefully I'll be able to remedy the situation," she proclaimed, chuckling slightly.

A slight smile grew on Midori's face, before it was immediately erased by her stomach suddenly growling very loudly. The girl's eyes flashed open to an incredible width. Midori wasted no time and bolted out of sight. More than likely to the nearest restroom, Makoto realized in pity.

Makoto walked through the hall into the main living area. Ranma was seated in one the chairs, watching television and tuning out the very obvious chaos that was occurring in the next room over. As Makoto approached, the pig-tailed boy turned his head towards her.

A devilish grin appeared on his lips. "Good luck in there," he said sarcastically. "Midori's already fallen prey to her, as I'm sure you noticed." At Makoto's nod his expression sobered up, "Poor girl, she looked so excited to eat her cooking too. I couldn't warn her in time." The pig-tailed boy shook his head in regret.

Makoto gulped and walked passed Ranma into the kitchen. Sure enough, the room looked like a war zone. Various nondescript scraps of everything were spread all over the floor, counters, walls, and even ceiling. A knife had somehow managed to get lodged in the wall, and a few pans were scattered on the floor. In the back end of the room, Akane was huddled up in a corner crying with Nodoka leaning over her trying to comfort the poor girl.

"I.. I j-just wanted to make the best meal I could for her!" the hunched girl bawled out. "Sh-she was just so... so excited when I offered to make her something! What have I done!?" Unrestrained tears poured out from Akane's eyes, forming a small puddle on the floor below.

Nodoka rubbed Akane's back. "There, there, sweetheart," she cooed. "We all know that you tried your best." The Saotome matriarch looked over to Makoto with a solemn smile on her face before turning back to the crying girl. "You just need more practice, that's all." The last comment only succeeded in causing Akane's crying to increase in volume.

The brunette sighed. She had seen this scenario before. A bittersweet memory came to mind; one of the many times she had attempted to teach Akane to cook. The first thing she would have to do to salvage this situation was get the short-haired girl out of her slump.

Makoto took a deep breath and shouted, "ATTEEEEENTION! What's the first rule of the Kino art of cooking, student?!"

Akane hiccuped and quickly bolted up from her position on the ground, with Nodoka barely managing to dodge away from the girl's rising body. The raven-haired girl stood straight up and faced towards Makoto. "The first rule of the Kino art of cooking is: Never give up! Never surrender! Never blame yourself for any mistakes, ma'am!" she called out in response. Akane blinked a few times as she registered what had just happened, her tears immediately ceasing.

Makoto grinned. "That's right," she said sweetly. "Very good. Now try to remember that this time." Akane wiped the remaining tears from her eye and nodded, still somewhat surprised about what had just transpired.

"Oh wow. It sure has been a while since I heard that one," Ranma laughed behind Makoto, leaning against the doorway. The brunette turned around and shot the boy one of her signature grins. "Still works like a charm," she proclaimed.

"Thanks Mako-chan," Akane sniffled. She looked away ashamed. "I'm sorry you had to see that." A small thought came to the recovering girl. "Did Midori let you in? Is she alright?"

Makoto smiled at just how much Akane was worried about Midori compared to her own troubles. "Well, she seemed alright enough, considering," Makoto pointed out, choosing not to sugar her words too much. Akane just nodded silently in response.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine," Makoto smiled. "Now come on, we've got a dinner to cook, don't we? Why don't you just watch Mrs. Saotome and myself for the rest of the night?" she offered, holding up the bags she was carrying. Akane quickly nodded and smiled, her woes almost completely forgotten.

Makoto got to preparing her portion of dinner, while Nodoka worked on cleaning up some of the mess. Akane initially wanted to help clean, but Nodoka insisted that the younger girl devote her full attention to watching Makoto cook. Akane quickly became the tall girl's shadow, sticking to her like glue, while still making sure to keep out of the chef's way.

Ranma watched enraptured with a smile on his face as dinner progressed. He remarked that it was a good thing that Makoto had called and asked to help cook tonight out of all nights. There were only three people he knew who could salvage a "Cooking Akane" situation, and honestly, Makoto seemed to accomplish it the best. Sorry, mom and Kasumi, but Mako's a hell of a miracle worker, the boy thought to himself.

He looked out towards the hall to see a slumping, but otherwise much livelier Midori approaching. The girl's face had regained nearly all of its color. Midori arrived at the doorway and peaked in, watching the spectacle currently occurring in the kitchen. Her eyes found Akane in particular, and Ranma noticed a hint of curiosity in them.

"You alright, kiddo?" he asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Midori looked at him and nodded.

"Much better," she stated. "It's a shame I was too late on seeing your warning." She turned her attention back to Akane. "She really can't cook, can she?"

Ranma's face maintained a neutral expression. "No, she really can't," he sighed. "Believe me though, she tries." A thought came to him and he turned back to the future girl. "So are you sayin' she CAN cook? In yer time that is," he asked.

Midori nodded. "Yeah," she stated simply. "At least, as well as any average person can. Certainly not as well as Au-, er, Ukyo or... ummm, well, never mind." The girl scrunched her face as she tried to reassess what she was going to say.

Ranma was slightly confused by the girl's stuttering, but didn't pay it much mind. "Well, that makes sense, I guess," he huffed. "I mean, she's gotta improve at least somewhat over a thousand years, right?" Ranma chuckled slightly at the comment. Midori also let out a small laugh as she nodded.

The pig-tailed boy patted the neighboring girl on the head, causing her to blush. "Well, congratulations, kiddo," he announced, "you've successfully survived Akane's cooking. And ya recovered pretty fast at that." Ranma watched as Makoto and his mother continued cooking. "I can tell you that the next course will be much better." With that, he left the doorway and returned to the living room, leaving Midori to watch the three inhabitants continue their various tasks in the kitchen. A glint came to her eyes as an idea popped into her head. "Hmmm," she thought, and then turned around and joined Ranma in the living room.

The rest of dinner finished up without a hitch, and soon, the group found themselves gathered around the dining table in the living room. All the previous animosity and depression had left the house, and each and every face had a smile on as they ate. Midori noted how delicious the food was, but chose not to say anything, as she didn't want to offend Akane. Instead, most of the dinner proceeded in silence.

Eventually, Makoto stopped eating for a moment and looked around at each other person at the table. A warm feeling rose in her gut and she couldn't help but smile. Nodoka took notice of the brunette's smile and looked at the girl curiously.

"You seem quite cheerful, dear," the matriarch stated. "Is there any particular reason for that?"

Makoto glanced at Nodoka and realized that she had been wearing a goofy grin. At first, she considered dropping it, but instead ended up chuckling. "Nothing major, Mrs. Saotome," she responded. "I'm just happy to be able to eat with you all. I'm really thankful that you invited me over. It was kinda lonely in my apartment."

Nodoka shot the younger girl a pseudo-hurt look. "Oh, nonsense. You're welcome in this home any time you wish, young lady. It's the least we can offer after you so graciously allowed Ranma and Akane to live with you." The couple in question quickly nodded in agreement with Nodoka.

"It's always good to have ya around, Mako," Ranma spoke up. "I know for a fact that both Akane n' I miss you a whole lot." Akane smiled and voiced her agreement.

The warmth that Makoto had felt increased to an incredible magnitude. A bright blush dominated her features, as she looked down to try to avoid showing her friends. She quickly brought her hand up to her eyes as she felt the beginnings of a couple tears forming. "Thanks you guys," the happy girl choked out. "It really means a lot to me... to have friends like you."

Everyone at the table was smiling. They each remarked how nice of an evening this was, and how thankful they were to have each other. Friends and family. Family and friends. In some ways, they were one and the same to them. Everyone returned to eating their dinner aside from Midori. The future girl continued sitting still and smiling. She took turns glancing at each other person at the table discretely. As she came around to Makoto, her smiled widened even more. A slight giggle escaped from the girl, before she excused herself and returned to eating the delicious dinner that her loving... friends had prepared.


Usagi and Usa found themselves in northwestern Juuban, amidst one of the nicer upscale residential neighborhoods in the ward. They had stopped at a cafe along the way and treated themselves to a nice dinner, spending some extra time just enjoying each others' company. Eventually they realized that it was getting late, paid for their meals, and left the restaurant to continue their journey.

The two girls appraised their destination ahead of them. Compared to some of the surrounding houses, it was quite quaint. Still, it was grand in its own right. They had been here just last night, but still, it amazed Usagi just how fancy these homes were.

The two girls looked at each other and nodded, steeling themselves for the possibly stressful talk they were about to have. As they walked up to the front door, Usagi looked at the board on the side of the wall which told them this was the Tenou household. Usagi carefully rang the doorbell.

As they waited, Usagi gulped. She was honestly worried about this discussion with the Outer Senshi. While she felt very comfortable around them, she knew that there was still some animosity between them and some of the others. Meanwhile, Usa just waited cheerfully, a bright smile on her face as she waited for the door to open.

After a short moment, the door unlocked and swung open. Haruka Tenou smiled smugly as she saw Usagi standing in front of her. "We had a feeling you'd show up tonight," she greeted the younger girl. She looked over and took stock of the pink-haired girl standing next to Usagi. "And if it isn't the not-so-little princess," Haruka chuckled. The masculine blonde moved out of the doorway and invited the two twins in, which they happily obliged.

Usa let out a sharp whistle as she took in the sights of the home. While on the outside it looked quaint compared to its neighbors, the interior was a whole other story. The house was furnished in what Usa could only think of as extremely elegant, complete with beautiful art decorating the walls. The future girl looked passed a nearby doorway into a neighboring room to find it filled with all sorts of classical and renaissance instruments, as well as a couple more modern ones. As she took in the sights, she briefly considered asking Haruka how they could afford such a place, but decided against it. It honestly wasn't her business to ask.

"This is really nice," Usa stated simply, still mesmerized by the wondrous decor.

Haruka smiled proudly and nodded. "It is pretty wonderful," she agreed. "Michiru certainly put a lot of thought and work into it." The tall blonde looked around before turning back to her guests. "Speaking of whom, let me see if I can go find her. In the mean time, why don't you two make yourselves at home in the living room," she offered, indicating to the nearby room.

Usagi and Usa nodded and entered the living room. While still very beautifully furnished and decorated, it offered a much more subtle take on the elegance of the previous rooms. It simply felt more... homely. The two girls decided to take their seats on the u-shaped couch which surrounded an oak parlor table.

"I'll be right back," Haruka told them, before walking in the opposite direction and out of sight.

Usagi held her hands in her lap and stared at them viciously. Her heart was pounding slightly. This wasn't the first time she had been in the new Tenou home, and it was far from the first time she had to talk to either Haruka or Michiru about serious matters, but still, she couldn't help but feel nervous. The truth was, each of the Outers exhumed a very strong and prideful presence. Compared to the more carefree and happy-go-lucky Inners, the Senshi of the outer planets were far more down to earth and somewhat strict; at least three of them.

Usa noticed that Usagi's hands were shaking in her lap. The blonde girl's daughter smiled and placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. "Relax, mom," she chuckled. "Haruka and Michiru are your friends, right? There's no reason to be so nervous."

Usagi looked at her future daughter and smiled. Her shaking hands grew still. "You're right, Usa," she replied warmly. "Thanks."

The future girl nodded but still stared at her mother in concern. She realized that everyone's relations with the Outers would still be somewhat loose during this time period, including her mother's. However, she had no doubts in her mind that each and every one of them trusted the older girls fully. She knew, both historically and personally that both sets of Senshi had the potential to work together wonderfully. The problem was that sometimes their sights did not coincide. The last time Usa had seen Uranus and Neptune, the two had been very willing to follow their future queen's orders. Especially compared to previous times before that. There was however one main issue that Usa was aware could cause some dissociation between the Inners and Outers.

At that moment, Haruka returned to the living room, followed closely behind by Michiru Kaiou. The lovely turquoise-haired girl carried a small platter of tea with her, which she set on the table in front of her guests before greeting them

"It's wonderful to see you again, Usagi. And of course you as well, little one," Michiru spoke with a graceful tone, smiling warmly at the two. Usa cringed at her apparent title. She was just as old as Usagi at this moment, and actually slightly taller as well. So why was she the "little one"? She brushed it off, however, realizing that it was probably just a pet name for her.

Michiru eyed the two twin girls carefully as she took a sip of her tea. She placed the small cup on the table in front of her and addressed them. "Lets get right to it," she stated. "I would like to apologize on behalf of all of us for leaving without informing any of you." She smiled sadly at Usagi. "We're very sorry. We foolishly assumed that the kind streak of peace that we have been under would still hold strong for at least a couple of weeks more." She looked over at Usa. "Apparently, that did not turn out to be the case."

Usagi smiled back at Michiru. She immediately felt more relaxed. The older feminine woman always knew how to give off a very calming and warm emotion through her words. "It's not a big deal, really!" the blonde insisted. "You had no way to know we would be attacked out of the blue." She paused as a thought crossed her mind. "Unless Setsuna told you..."

Haruka shook her head. "You know Setsuna," she responded. "Whether or not she knew this was coming, we don't know." She looked over to her lover and companion. "If she did know, she certainly did not choose to bring it up before or during our vacation."

Michiru nodded in acknowledgment of Haruka's words. "We rushed back as soon as we heard of the attack on the news," she told Usagi. A guilty look flashed through her eyes. "Initially, we were going to wait to see how it would play out, in case it was a one time fluke." she admitted. "However, Hotaru insisted that we return immediately."

Usa perked up and leaned forward towards her hosts. "Is Hotaru okay? Where is she now?" the future girl asked in concern.

Michiru smiled at Usa. She knew how well the two girls got along, so it was no surprise to her that Usa was worried. "She's sleeping in her room right now," she informed the red-eyed girl. "The poor girl was so distraught on the flight back that she wasn't able to sleep all night." Usa nodded in understanding and leaned back into her seat, her concern alleviated for now.

Haruka shuffled in her seat and appraised the two girls in front of her. "So that's how it is. And now you two are here because you need something from us, right?" The tone of the older blonde's voice was somewhat accusatory.

Usagi swallowed and nodded. "We need your help," she told them. "These youma are much more of a serious threat than previously." She indicated over to the girl sitting next to her. "If it wasn't for Usa and her friend, we probably wouldn't have survived our fist encounter with them." Usa blushed slightly at her mother's remark. "We were all sitting ducks against this new transformation power they seem to have. I'm not sure any of us could even harm them."

Haruka and Michiru merely stared at Usagi, remaining silent. After waiting for a moment, the younger blonde chose to continue. "Everyone agrees that we're going to need everyone we can get," she proclaimed. "Can we count on at least you two to work with us through this crisis?" Usagi's eyes shone with steely resolve. She had to get these two's help, it was her duty to her friends.

Both of the senior girls continued to remain silent. They turned to each other, and Michiru's expression changed slightly, causing Haruka to sigh. The masculine girl looked back at Usagi with a shockingly strong leer. "So the mighty firebug finally came across a foe he couldn't break with sheer force, eh?" she spoke. Even though her comment seemed sarcastic, the tone in which she said it was extremely serious. "I find that somewhat hard to believe."

Usagi was completely taken aback. She stared at Haruka with her mouth agape, trying to register what her senior had just said. It quickly clicked who she was taking about. "W-what's Sun got to do with this?" she asked dumbfounded. "This is about all of us. You can't tell me that you two are still hesitant to work with her after everything we've all been through together!" Usagi could feel her anger growing. She couldn't believe what she had just heard!

Michiru, taking notice of the emotional energy radiating from Usagi, chose to answer before Haruka could. "He's a danger to all of us," she explained softly. "While he may have our best interests in mind, he is empowered by the largest, most volatile object in the Solar System. An object, which, given enough energy, could destroy the entire star system. Also, given his history, as well as that of his predecessor, both Haruka and I believe that it is too dangerous to involve him in our battles." Her expression held true sadness. The gentle woman obviously understood just what she was saying, and how it would hurt Usagi.

Usa just sat still, choosing not to partake in this conversation. Her neutral expression did not betray whatever emotion she was feeling. Usagi on the other hand, was aghast at what she had just heard. "Ranma is an amazing person!" she nearly screamed out. "He's incredibly strong both physically and mentally, he does everything he can for each and every one of us, and he has shown great prowess in controlling the power of the Sun!" She went back over what Michiru had just said in her mind and squinted her eyes. "What did you mean by his history and his predecessor's?" she asked in a much calmer tone.

Michiru breathed out a sad sigh. She looked over at her lover who nodded back to her. "Setsuna has been looking into Ranma for some time now," she told Usagi. "She has been since 'Ranko' first showed up and became Sailor Sun." She looked Usagi in the eye and continued. "It was hard for her to find very much, and any time that she found even the smallest answers, more questions continued to pop up in their place."

The turquoise-haired girl paused to take a sip of tea. "Eventually, she decided to cheat. Something I've never seen her do before. She tapped into the Gates of Time to dig up the information she wanted, at least, that's what she told us." Michiru looked down at her lap in sadness. "She chose to share with us some of the information she found."

Usagi gulped as Michiru looked back up and stared the blonde in the eye, even harder than before. "You have to understand, Usagi. There's much more to Ranma's past than even he's aware. It's not just his, either." Michiru broke her glare and rubbed away the freshly formed tears from her eyes. "Usagi," she said softly, "Angwynn was... not the person we thought she was. Even Setsuna couldn't see the full picture."

Minutes passed in complete silence as the four girls sat still. Each one had her own head full of thoughts. Usagi was having a hard time understanding what Michiru had just said. What they knew of Angwynn? Honestly, there wasn't much to know to begin with. All they knew was that she was orphaned by the Dark Kingdom and was placed under the protection of the Queen. After many years of service, she was finally granted the position of Senshi, only to sacrifice herself shortly after in an attempt to destroy the Dark Kingdom's invading war fleet. What could Michiru have meant by saying that what they knew about Angwynn was not correct.

Before anyone chose to break the ominous silence, Usagi's communicator suddenly began beeping. All four girls jumped slightly from the sudden loud noise. Her thoughts temporarily forgotten, Usagi quickly fumbled to get out the small device. She opened it and hit the answer button. An image of a sleepy, yet troubled Artemis appeared on the screen as Usagi announced herself. In rapid succession, the voices of most of the Senshi did the same until only Rei and Minako were unaccounted for. Makoto informed everyone that she was with Ranma and Akane, while Artemis confirmed Minako was seated next to him.

The white moon cat made sure that everyone could hear him. "Girls, another portal just opened up," he stated, cutting to the chase. "Believe me, I know it's rather late, but we don't have much of a choice here. I'm sending the anomaly's coordinates to each of you now, get there as soon as possible, but do NOT engage until everyone else makes it."

"How many signatures are you reading from the portal, Artemis?" Ami's voice asked.

Artemis quickly checked his computer before responding. "Unknown," he declared. "The sensor isn't able to get a clear reading from the anomaly. That makes this even more dangerous, so I repeat, do not engage until everyone has arrived. Now get going!" A plethora of acknowledgment came from each communicator, followed by each Senshi dropping from the call.

Before Usagi could hang up, Artemis addressed her specifically. "Moon, are you with Neo-Moon, Uranus, and Neptune?" The girl looked up from the device and noted each of the other girl's expressions.

"Yes, we're all together, Artemis," she responded. "What do you need?"

The white cat wasted no time with his own response. "Make sure they know about this. If Uranus and Neptune are willing to help, please have them join us." He let a small smile grace his feline face, "And could you please try to contact Luna? She's not answering." At the blonde's nod, he continued. "Thanks, and good luck. Artemis out." With that, the screen turned black. Usagi closed the compact-shaped device and looked up at her hosts.

"You heard him," Usagi stated matter-of-factly. "Right now, I don't care about your issues with Sun. We can save that for another day when we're not under attack." Her blue eyes closed slightly as she stared the two of them down. "Are you willing to help us or not?" she asked with an expressionless tone.

Both Haruka and Michiru stared back at the blonde girl. They were both somewhat shocked at her sudden change in demeanor. They rarely saw this form of their future queen, but now, it was very evident that Usagi was being straight with them.

Usagi kept staring at the girls seated across from her. She had a vague idea of what they were thinking from reading their expressions. "I won't order you to fight as your princess," she declared. "Nor as your future queen. I need you both to be ready to fight together with myself and the others of your own free will." The blue eyes of the blonde girl continued their onslaught on the two other girls.

After a short moment, Michiru and Haruka both nodded. "We'll fight with you and the others," Haruka announced, sighing. "We can't just sit by and let you all get yourselves killed."

Michiru closed her eyes and smiled. "Please forgive us for troubling you. You are right, we need to work together right now and deal with the issue at hand." She looked up and let her smile drop from her face, a rather serious look replacing it. "I do have one condition though," she stated. At Usagi's nod, she continued. "We leave Hotaru out of this, at least for tonight. If you agree to that, we will fight with you."

Usagi's stern looked immediately dropped and her face returned to its usual expressive form. "Of course. None of us want to see Hotaru get hurt, and I don't think any of us planned on getting her involved," she informed the duo.

They both smiled back at her sincerely. "Thank you," Michiru stated happily. Haruka nodded and quickly added, "Now let's get going. We have a city to defend." The four jumped up from their seats and quickly, but silently departed the house, making sure not to wake the other inhabitant. Once outside and hidden, the four transformed into their Senshi forms before leaping away in the direction of the anomaly together.


Author's Notes:
Some back story, some questions, but few answers in this chapter. Don't worry, those'll be coming up.

No scene for Rei because I hate her!(not really) But in all seriousness, Rei will get her time in the spotlight in the coming chapters just as the others did.

In the next chapter, we're back into the action! Along with some more detailed information about both the new enemies and some new allies. Look forward to it!