SailorStar9: With Chapter 12 uploaded, this is Chapter 13 of this fic and we start the Present Life Arc. Anyway, I'm upping the Inner Senshi's attack capabilities so that they won't be relying too much on Usagi to take down the MOTD. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.

Pairings: Pending Zen/Ami, (Yokai) Rikuo/Hotaru (later)

Disclaimers: This fic idea and the Rikuo/Hotaru pairing belong to Pavel123; I only own the plot idea and the main pairing. Anything else belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 13: Awakening of Sailor Mercury

About 100 years later, in present times...

Zen was lounging in the main hall of the Yakuzen Hall, sipping his sake: ever since Bunko's death, he threw himself into his work in the Yakuzen Hall to numb himself against the heartache brought onto by the absence of the other half of his soul.

Despite Hebidayu's repeated attempts to persuade him to marry again, with not-so-subtle hinting that his daughter would be a perfect bride, the Yakushi Clan Head had steadfastly maintained his widower status, unwilling to betray his soulmate's memory.

Genbu... Zen turned to see the enshrined Genbu statue on the wall. You miss her, don't you? So do I. What in the world... he frowned, seeing the odd sparkle in the snake-turtle's bejeweled eyes. Genbu, what are you trying to tell me?

In the Crown Arcade...

No way... Usagi gaped, seeing Ami hit past the twenty-five thousand score mark on the Sailor V arcade game.

"Usagi, I didn't know you were here." Motoki poked his head over the gathered crowd. "She's amazing." he gawked.

"I know." Usagi laughed nervously.

"Look at the time." Ami suddenly stood up. "I'm sorry, Tsukino-san! I have to go to cram school." grabbing her book bag, she hurried off.

"I feel like we live in completely different worlds." Usagi mused, seeing Ami out of the door.

"Usagi," Motoki walked out. "I think this belongs to your friend." he held out a CD case to Usagi.

"I'll make sure she gets it." Usagi took the case.

In her designated seat in her classroom of the Crystal Seminar...

"My CD's not in here." Ami searched her bag for the disk. "Did I drop it somewhere? Oh well." she shrugged. "I don't use it much, anyway."

"Mizuno-san," Garoben, in her human guise, rested a hand on Ami's shoulder. "Use the Crystal Disc and study hard. You're on a scholarship, so you mustn't be lazy. I have high expectations of you." she walked off.

"I hate to say this, but that disc gives me a headache." Ami sighed after Garoben was out of earshot.

Later...

"Everyone, get away from the computers right away!" Usagi, in her doctor disguise using the Disguise Pen, burst into the computer room.

"Who are you?" Ami stood up. "Don't interrupt our studies."

"So, you are a youma." Usagi declared.

"What are you talking about?" Ami was confused.

"Don't play dumb." Usagi snapped.

"Transform into Sailor Moon." Luna prompted.

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" Usagi took the cue.

"I am the youma of knowledge, Garoben." Garoben chuckled, grabbing Ami as a hostage. "This genius girl is going to sacrifice her brain energy to our great ruler." she returned to her youma form.

"Which mean Mizuno-san isn't a youma after all." Sailor Moon gawked, and glared at Luna.

"That's weird." said Mau cat winced.

"Stop this, evil villain." Sailor Moon turned back to the youma. "Geniuses are valuable because they help to make the world more peaceful. I won't let them fall into the hands of evil. I'm the pretty soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon!" she posed. "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" she ended her pose.

"Question number one." Garoben snorted."Genius Newton question: why do apples fall from trees?"

"How should I know?" Sailor Moon whined. "Ask the apples, not me."

"You idiot." Garoben sneered. "If you don't know the answer, take this." she sent a torrent of test papers flying towards Sailor Moon, who ducked the attack. "You idiot." she laughed, not relenting in her flying papers attack, forcing Sailor Moon to dodge.

"I know!" Sailor Moon declared. "Because a typhoon came! Luna!" she wailed.

"I can't believe you." Luna sighed. "It's because the Earth has gravity."

"Because the Earth has gravity." Sailor Moon shouted the answer.

"Then, question number two." Garoben stopped the attack. "What is gravity? Explain in less than 50 words."

"That's impossible." Sailor Moon complained.

"If you cannot answer, this is what happens." Garoben announced, sending the group of possessed student to corner Sailor Moon. "Now is my chance." with Sailor Moon distracted, she forced Ami's head in front of the computer screen. "Give up your genius brain energy. It's not absorbing her energy." she frowned. "Why is that?" she pressed Ami's cheek against the screen. "You didn't use the Crystal Disk, did you?"

"You should study on your own without using machines." Ami winced.

"You imprudent little..." Garoben hissed. "What is this?" she turned Ami's head around when she saw a glowing symbol on Ami's forehead.

"That mark is..." Luna realized her mistake. "I see. That strange energy was from a Sailor Senshi." slipping out into the corridor, she back-flipped to produce a new henshin pen.

"Then, I'll just take your brain instead." Garoben sneered and tossed Ami to the ground. "Prepare yourself." she turned her arm into an ax.

"Ami!" Luna called, sliding the henshin pen over. "Use this. Say 'Mercury Power, Make Up!'" she coached, Ami having dodged the ax.

"Mercury Power, Make Up!" Ami held up her henshin pen.

"So, Ami is the second Sailor Senshi, Sailor Mercury." Luna remarked. "Say 'Sabão Spray'!" she instructed.

"Sabão Spray!" Sailor Mercury cast her fog.

"What?" Garoben looked around as the thick mist covered the computer lab. "Where did she go? I'm getting cold." she shivered at the dropping temperature. "I have you now." she spotted Ami and stabbed with her ax, only to find that she had hit the computer screen.

"You fell for that." Sailor Mercury taunted. "Droplet Spear!" she took out Garoben with five spearing streams of water.

"You're the second Sailor Senshi, Sailor Mercury." Luna addressed the water user.

Back in the Yakuzen Hall...

Zen paused in mid-sip when he felt a long-forgotten tug within his heart. Could it be...

SailorStar9: Well, this chapter is done. Thoughts, reviews, anyone?