Waiting would only cause more harm. Saturnalius had spent the last hour discussing strategy and possible means to find this rogue senshi and stop her. Or them.
There were now two injuries, both minor but severe enough to make an impact. Neither Saturnalius nor Mercury was fully convinced the acts were random. The first attack specifically requested a fortune from Kasumi. The second took down the royal advisor. They were definitely targeted, though neither could tell why or how many targets their plan entailed. Or if they were acting alone.
Mercury informed Saturnalius of the past future threat, of the Black Moon and how they'd poisoned the Crystal Tokyo they knew before. She also told her that they'd all changed the future, that the future with the Black Moon wasn't necessarily the one they were living in.
It was all Chaos Theory in the end. The theory was that one small change in the past could affect the future in unpredictable ways. A butterfly's wings could turn into a hurricane in the future. Time travel was risky because of this theory. Stepping on a bug in the past could drastically alter the future.
The Eclipse senshi's involvement in the past had changed the future the lunar senshi thought they knew. They'd created a new timeline, for better or worse, deviating from the one Chibiusa had shown them in the fight against the Black Moon. Until this week, everything had been for better. Then it suddenly turned worse.
Saturnalius leaned forward on her desk, pressing her fist into her cheek. She heavily weighed the possible courses of action and the effects each one could potentially have. She wanted to nip the situation in the bud as swiftly as possible. The longer this drew out, the more potential casualties they could have on their hands. More casualties could lead to widespread panic and distrust. While there was that overall faith in Serenity and her power, there was still that sliver of a possibility that things could turn completely sour in the hand of the rogue senshi. "We need to stop these rogue senshi while we still can."
"Agreed," Mercury nodded, leaning back in her chair. She brushed her fingers across the tablet, glancing at the information the two had shared. Mercury was more knowledgeable about the attacks outside, and Saturnalius had the information about the stars and their senshi. Together, the two were trying to piece a jigsaw puzzle together with half the pieces missing. "Yet how? We know virtually nothing about this second senshi, or even if there is one."
"We're missing something here," Saturnalius frowned, thumbing through the various star charts and senshi information. Senshi were notoriously difficult to track, due to the nature of their magic. If a rogue were hiding amidst their own ranks, picking her out would be terribly difficult in civilian form. "I'm not entirely convinced the second attack was the same as the first. According to reports, 53 Aquarii Beta's abilities involve light, not shattering ear drums."
"And yet she attacked Kasumi-chan with a baseball bat," Mercury pointed out.
Saturnalius frowned. Mercury had a very valid point. "Regardless of methods, this 53 Aquarii and potential accomplices might have more information on us than we realize. Perhaps she attacked the head miko for her fortunes alone. Perhaps she knew that she was Jupitercouri."
"The demand for fortunes seems to indicate the former," Mercury pointed out, flipping through more diagrams and numbers. "But what of Naru-chan? Her identity, unlike ours, is public."
"We've left her an open target," Saturnalius frowned sharply. Naru's involvement in the final fight against the Shadow Galaxy was integral. She pointed out the location pictured in Kasumi's cards. She'd pointed them in the direction for the final fight. She was invaluable, and it only made sense she'd become the queen's advisor. But had they done her an injustice by leaving her defenseless.
"She took the position by choice," Mercury corrected her. She knew Saturnalius well enough to know what she was thinking. "She wanted to remain by our side, to be with the senshi and ultimately Serenity. They've been best friends since elementary school. And besides," Mercury added, "Naru-chan's a smart girl. If she thought anything was threatening her, she would've told us and wouldn't have gone out alone."
Again, another valid point. "True." She couldn't refute the fact. That was how Naru really was. Kasumi wasn't all that different. "We might need to pull other resources in on this. We should speak with-"
She was quickly interrupted by a guard pounding on her office door.
"Come," she waved him in.
"Forgive the interruption, commander," he bowed politely. "They've been spotted."
"They?!" Mercury echoed.
"Two rogue senshi," he nodded. "They've attacked the park where the Girls' Day display is set up. I'm afraid the princess and her friends are there."
...
They stood on the Girls' Day display, crushing the dolls Akiko and Michiru had worked so hard to create. The two were about the same height, both unknown senshi with one foot on the top tier of the display, the second on the third tier.
The one in black and maroon had her hair pulled into buns, one on each side with curls framing her face. She tapped her shoulder with a maroon-colored baseball bat which was slightly bloodied at the end.
The other in blue and magenta had deep aqua hair curled into multiple loops. She held a matching blue rod, about forearm in length. It was round at the end, almost completely spherical translucent shell over a strange star-like shape within.
Both had appeared just once before, leaving people bloodied in their wake, yet this was the first time they'd appeared together.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Michiru demanded. She'd knelt beside Haruka to shield the girls from the strange senshi.
"So yeah," the one in blue replied, "I'm Sailor Space Gas. We're here to break apart your stupid little celebration, kay?"
The black-clad senshi added with a smirk, "Sailor Black Hole here to ruin your day."
"Black Hole?" Space Gas glanced at her partner in crime with a bit of a confused look. "Really?"
"As if Space Gas is any better," she frowned, punching her accomplice in the shoulder. She was losing sight of the situation, which could only spell danger if the senshi came flocking to the park. Their target was in sight, though well guarded. Tomoe Hotaru had connections with the royal court and needed to be maimed. Problem was, she was always surrounded by other people, particularly that pink-haired moppet. Getting her alone was near impossible, so they'd go through anyone who got in the way.
"Now surrender Tomoe Hotaru 'n well be on our way, yeah?" Black Hole demanded, brandishing her bat at Haruka and the girls huddled beneath her.
With Haruka still using herself as a shield for the girls, Michiru was left standing behind them. She couldn't quite transform and fight the aggressive senshi. Serenity had a strict policy to keep civilian and senshi life separate. She wanted the senshi to continue to live their civilian lives outside the court and castle. Few remained full-time senshi. Most continued to hold their civilian identities and live out their dreams. Michiru and Haruka were no different. They lived out their dreams, even wed. But these two senshi were threatening that and their adopted daughter, Hotaru.
Michiru wasn't an accomplished fighter, her sport of preference being swimming. She probably couldn't fend off the senshi in a battle of strength, but she could delay them in a battle of linguistics. With such an open appearance, word probably spread and senshi were on their way. "Why would you want Hotaru?" Michiru questioned, her stance remained strong despite her opposition. "She's done nothing wrong."
"That's non'a yer business," Black Hole replied, tilting her head slightly as she smirked. She began smacking the bat into the open palm of her hand threateningly. A devious smirk spread across her features. She had no hesitation fighting through some civilians in order to reach the target. She didn't want to disappoint him. She had to follow through with this else her desires would never be realized.
Michiru had to stall them more, keep them talking. The longer she could make them wait, the more chance she had of other senshi arriving to help out. She reached for her watch but remembered she took it off that morning in favor of a new bracelet Haruka had bought for her. No matter. She'd continue to stand her ground. "That is my business. She's very important to me."
"That so?" Black Hole smirked.
Perhaps that wasn't the right thing to say. "It is." She couldn't exactly redact the statement. What's said was said, now out in the open.
"Well then I'll just hafta take care'a ya first," Black Hole pulled her bat backwards, preparing an attack.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, yeah."
"Huh?" Black Hole blinked, surprised at the intruder. Even Michiru had to pause and stare. "Who the hell're you?!"
Before them further down the pathway stood a mysterious senshi towering over the cowering audience. She was about average height. Her purple hair was long, reaching down nearly to her knees, pulled halfway into a braid. Her sailor outfit was a stark white collar with one blue and one green zigzag stripe. She seemed a bit mismatched with one glove blue and the other green, yet the colors matched the two stripes on her waistband and at the bottom of her skirt. Her front and back bows were a metallic silver, matching the ribbons up her upper arm, forming a lattice pattern. She wore platform sandals tied with matching silver ribbons. She had numerous piercings, three in each ear and one in her belly button.
"I am the Silver Eclipse," she announced. "Sailor Silver Star. 's time I dealt with ya rogues, once'n fer all."