EMPIRE OF THE SUN
Chapters One through Ten
Character Guide and Chapter Summaries
Who's Who (besides the characters you know well enough already). Some characters are from "Homicide: Life on the Streets" and/or "Law & Order."
PRESENT DAY TOKYO
TAIYOUKO SEIDOU: A forty-something homicide detective in Tokyo. In 1987, she was farmed out to an outlying district to help investigate a suspicious- looking auto accident. In 2001, she is reassigned to the case, and quickly discovers that the case is far more complicated than she thought.
JASON WRIGHT: A homicide detective from Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up near the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka, and moved back to the States when he was ten, after the death of his father. He returns to Japan in 2001 as part of a law-enforcement educational program, but he also has a personal agenda.
MELDRICK LEWIS: Another detective from Baltimore, and Jason's current partner.
SAILOR SUN: A new Senshi who first appears as she spies on the other Senshi, trying to learn more about them. Her main attack ("Plasma Flare") is a percussive burst of super-heated air. Although she appears to be in her late teens, her mental age seems to be closer to five or six. Her civilian identity is thus far unknown.
KEISUKE TAKAMORI: Seidou's partner. He is the more level-headed of the two, and is good at doing the more tedious parts of detective work. He is married to Akiko, and has four young children--Misako, Daisuke, Satoru, and Megumi. Jason is staying with him while in Tokyo.
KENICHI HARADA: Seidou's boss. His goal is to become Chief of Police, and he appears to be working with someone who has his or her own reason for re- opening the case that was closed in 1987.
GOLEMS: The new enemy. They are lumpy mud-men whose basic strategy of attack is along the lines of "Hulk Smash!"
"MOTHER": Sailor Sun's mentor and caretaker. She seems to have a fair amount of knowledge about the Silver Millennium.
"THE LURKER": The voice in Seidou's head. It seems to have some agenda related to the fall of the Silver Millennium. It has a semi-adversarial relationship with Seidou. In an odd turn of events, it seems that Seidou is driving the voices in her head crazy rather than the other way around.
KATHY CELESTE: A Canadian folk-musician and friend of Michiru's.
SEMYON RENKO: Former Soviet citizen who now has Japanese citizenship. The person who called in the crash that killed Mamoru's parents, and the current main suspect in the crime. At the time the story takes place, he is in a nursing home in Kamakura.
BARBARA HAVERS: A Detective-Constable with Scotland yard, and an old friend of Seidou's.
S.C. ELLWOOD: Someone in England whom Jason is trying to contact. Ellwood was the victim of an assault/kidnapping that was kept out of the British press.
ANITA VAN BUREN: A New York City police Lieutenant, and another old friend of Seidou's.
MICHAEL KELLERMAN: A former homicide and arson detective from Baltimore, Maryland.
LUTHER MAHONEY: A drug kingpin from Baltimore.
KAKOS: A frog-like monster with a skin made of thousands of living insects. He is the one responsible for crafting the golems.
SKOTOS: A living shadow who works with Kakos.
"JUNIOR" BUNK: Luther Mahoney's nephew.
STEVE CROSETTI: A homicide detective from Baltimore (deceased)
BEAU FELTON: A homicide detective from Baltimore (deceased)
JACOB "JAKE" WRIGHT: Jason's older brother by only eleven months. He was a fireman, and was killed in the line of duty in early 1999.
AL GIARDELLO: Jason's former Lieutenant back in Baltimore.
FRANK PEMBLETON: Another member of the Baltimore homicide squad.
MICHEL CELESTE: A Canadian citizen who met Jason in the Toronto airport when Jason was going to Japan in early 1998. According to the RCMP, Jason was the last person to see Celeste before he disappeared.
SILVER MILLENNIUM CHARACTERS
DELPHINE: One of the Horae (a term which is unexplained at this point). She appears have been a giant winged serpent, and was close to Queen Serenity and the infant Princess Serenity at one point.
LAMIA: "Lady of the Oceans," and ancestor of various sorts of water-people, including the Silver Millennium Sailor Mercury and Sailor Neptune.
ROSAMUND: "Lady of the Green," Queen of Earth, and Endymion's mother.
EUNOMIA: A trio of powerful beings who were associated with the Sun and who acted as judges and executioners. The members of the Eunomia were:
1. HYPERION: "Truth." The only male member of the Eunomia, and
Princess Serenity's father.
2. ASTRAEA: "Justice." One of the Eunomia. Ami points out that the
name is the same as that of the Greek goddess of justice.
3. ANANKE: "Necessity." The oldest and harshest of the Eunomia.
EGERIA: The Silver Millennium Sailor Mercury.
LARES: Lord of Mercury and Egeria's father.
NERISSA: A water nymph from Earth. Egeria's mother.
IKARUS TALUSIDHIS: A Shaper (telekinetic) from Earth who was working to find water on Mercury. He was the elder brother of one of the Shitennou, and was Egeria's lover.
DEMETER: Ruler of Saturn. She was married to the brother of Earth's king, and was the mother of Kaia.
KAIA: The Silver Millennium Saturn, and a first-cousin to Prince Endymion.
BASILIUS, THORN, and CERELIA: Various Silver Millennium personalities who were known to Setsuna's past self. Nothing is known about them other than the fact that Thorn and Cerelia have some connection with Earth. Also, Cerelia was a friend of Egeria's who collaborated with her on terraforming projects.
HARMONIA: The Silver Millennium Sailor Mars. She was less self-assured and forceful than the present-day Mars.
KYTHERIA: The Silver Millennium Sailor Venus. Nothing else is known about her at this point.
Chapter Summaries:
Prologue:
The prologue takes place sometime after the main events of the story. Not much happens except that there's a wedding. Still, you may want to check to see which Senshi are clearly alive vs. those whose survival may be in doubt. Or not. It's your call.
Chapter One: Convergence
ChibiUsa has returned from the 30th century for her and Usagi's birthday.
Taiyouko revisits the site where Mamoru's parents died in a car crash fourteen years ago. She had an odd reaction at the time, while investigating the case, as if some other being inside her head was hounding her about solving the case.
Usagi's surprise party goes well. ChibiUsa has brought two gifts from the future. One of these gifts is an elaborately jeweled egg. No one can figure out what it does, so they figure that it's just an expensive knick-knack.
Jason Wright leaves Baltimore for Tokyo. This section is mainly basic character exposition, but it also makes clear that Jason has an unofficial agenda for this trip.
An unknown person (later revealed to be Sailor Sun) is spying on the Senshi, using a crystal that shows each Senshi's signature color. Sun only recognizes the colors of the four Inner Senshi, and is disturbed when the crystal turns solid black in response to Pluto. She then hurries off to report to "Mother" that she may have found the Moon Princess.
Chapter Two: A Backwards Glance
Rei does a fire reading after reading a puzzling note in her dream journal. She has an intense series of visions and nearly falls into the fire. A bit of ash from the fire forms the sign for Mars on her forehead.
Usagi and ChibiUsa have their birthday breakfast in bed. Usagi tries to send her future self a mental note to change one of her birthday gifts. It doesn't work. She is experiencing a fair amount of doubt and anguish about the future she learned about at the end of the "Stars" arc.
Taiyouko and her partner, Keisuke, are gathering information on the murder case involving Mamoru's parents. They are approached by Mamoru's old friend, Saori (who appeared during the Dead Moon Circus arc in the anime). Meanwhile, Taiyouko's boss gets a call from someone who a) wanted the case re-opened, and b) has a personal stake in the matter. The apparent reason for re-opening the case is to gain someone's attention, not necessarily to solve the case.
Saori tells Mamoru that his name has come up in connection with a murder case. He tries to blow it off until she tells him that if the detectives snoop around too much, they might discover something about the Sailor Senshi.
Jason arrives in Japan, and appears to be having some serious second thoughts about his unofficial plans.
Michiru has a vivid dream about visiting Neptune Castle as it was in the Silver Millennium. At one point in the dream, she is distracted by a voice that then leads her through a door. The dream switches to a beach scene, and in the dream, Michiru takes a boat out into the ocean to meet someone.
Chapter Three: Drawing on the Past
Ami has a vivid dream about her past self as a child on the planet Mercury. She learns that her old self's mother was some sort of water nymph/spirit/whatever you want to call it. There are references to "the Eunomia," "sealing," "Rhea," and other things that don't mean anything to her, yet that sound familiar. We also meet Ikarus Talusidhis, an Earth man who was helping to find underground water deposits on Mercury. At this point, Mercury's former self appeared to view him as a beloved older brother.
Venus is also dreaming, but her dream is a bit more abstract. One thing she sees is a tall bronze figure with three faces that strikes her in the forehead with a spear.
Taiyouko goes to the police firing range to blow off steam and to demonstrate to the reader her Mary-Sueish talent of perfect aim.
Usagi and Minako go to a manga-drawing workshop, and while debating the wisdom of writing a story based on their Senshi adventures, wind up drawing the same set of seven characters. Usagi also manages to out Kunzite and Zoisite to Minako.
Taiyouko calls Mamoru to set up an interview about the accident. Both are a bit unsettled by this, Mamoru much more so than Taiyouko.
Chapter Four: Intersections
Jason wakes up to find that he has trashed his hotel room during the night via telekinesis. He gets ready for his first day with the Tokyo police, and thinks about the people he's hoping to find while in Tokyo.
Hotaru is attacked by a golem as she is walking to school. It's a close fight, and Hotaru (as Sailor Saturn) is badly injured. Her Silence Wall has no effect on the creature, but when she smashes it in the head with the Silence Glaive, it falls to bits.
Jason is assigned to work with Taiyouko. Taiyouko's boss wants them to work on the Chiba case, and seems surprised and relived when Taiyouko doesn't give him a hard time about this.
Sailor Saturn tells Haruka about the attack, and the two of them have a little spat as attitudes clash.
Sailor Sun has trailed Artemis to Mamoru's apartment building and is waiting outside.
Usagi and the others who go to Juuban high discuss the dreams they've been having. Makoto is the only one who has not had any dreams.
Taiyouko, Keisuke, and Jason go over the details of the Chiba case.
Taiyouko and Jason interview Mamoru. Mamoru hears for the first time that his parents were murdered, rather than dying in a simple accident.
Chapter Five: Lies, Denials, and Other Evasions
The Senshi team meets at the Hikawa shrine. Hotaru describes the thing (Ami and Setsuna identify it as a golem) that attacked her. When they talk about dreams, it turns out that all of the Inner Senshi (except Makoto) have had dreams of the past. Setsuna, Hotaru, and Haruka say that they haven't had any dreams. Michiru denies having had any dreams of the past, but Haruka seems to doubt this. Setsuna identifies the seven characters drawn by Usagi and Minako: Rosamund (queen of Earth and Endymion's mother), Queen Serenity, Lamia (ruler of the oceans), Delphine (a winged serpent, and advisor to Queen Serenity), Hyperion (Princess Serenity's father, and one of the Eunomia, the one who determined guilt), Astraea (another of the Eunomia, the one who decreed the sentence), and Ananke (the last of the Eunomia, the one who punished the guilty).
After their interview with Mamoru, Taiyouko mentions that one of the girls in Mamoru's pictures lives in her apartment building. Jason and Taiyouko agree that he acts like he's hiding something. Taiyouko also gets the feeling that Jason is hiding something as well, but agrees to use her connections with Scotland Yard to help locate an old friend of his in England. She begins to realize that this nagging feeling is more like another person in her mind. Jason stops a purse snatcher with his telekinesis. Sailor Sun, who was watching Mamoru's building, sees this and goes back to tell "Mother."
Artemis and Mamoru talk about what the two detectives revealed. Mamoru is in a serious state of denial, and acts as if he would rather *not* know the truth of what happened. He calls Usagi and arranges to meet her at the Hikawa Shrine. Mamoru downplays what he heard, never mentioning the word "murder," and insisting that there is no way that the investigation could be connected either to the golems or to the dreams that some of the others have had.
Michiru goes to bed, eager to retreat into an ocean dreamworld.
Taiyouko attempts to confront the voice in her head. It doesn't say much, but shows her a vision of destruction before trying to push the whole confrontation from her mind.
Setsuna thinks about the Silver Millennium, finding that she remembers more than she thought she did. A news clip shows footage of a "Sailor Sun," and Setsuna is freaked out about the idea of such a Senshi, partially because of the Sun's association with the Eunomia, and partially because of overexposure to badfic.
Chapter Six: Falling
Michiru is having increasingly vivid dreams of swimming through the depths of the ocean. There is someone or something she is trying to find. Haruka suspects that Michiru is holding something back from her.
That morning at school, Makoto and Minako agree to a "girl's night out." Ami receives a love-letter, and is sent home due to the resulting rash. She decides to check out the site where Hotaru was attacked, and discovers several crystals in the golem's remains. The crystals turn slightly blue when she gets near them, so she takes them home for further study.
Artemis meets Usagi after school, and fills her in on what Mamoru *didn't* tell her about the meeting with the detectives. He says that something about what the detectives said scared Mamoru half to death. He also says that the detectives were pretty blunt about saying that Mamoru's parents were deliberately murdered.
Minako and Makoto's "girl's night out" turns out to be going out in Senshi form, looking for trouble and having fun with their powers. Venus seems to remember a couple of random facts about her past life, but they shrug this off as they help a couple who are being mugged.
Ami has another dream about her past life, but this time she's older and is a Sailor Senshi. She talks with the Silver Millennium Mars about the lack of communication from Earth. Mars is worried about Jadeite (and Ami is *very* surprised to learn that Mars and Jadeite used to be an item), while Ami's past self worries about a friend of hers named Cerelia. Ami is even more surprised to find out that her past self and Ikarus were lovers.
Jason and Keisuke check out the scene of the accident/murder. They determine that not only was the brake line cut, the Chibas' car was most likely forced off the road by another vehicle. They also discuss the thoroughness with which the victims' identities were erased. The case is becoming much more complicated than they first thought.
Chapter Seven: Recognition
While waiting to testify at a trial, Taiyouko has another confrontation with the "lurker" in her mind. She realizes that Jason recognized Mamoru, along with some people in the pictures, but said nothing. The lurker also points out that Taiyouko knows another one of the people in Mamoru's pictures--Usagi Tsukino. Taiyouko decides that she's going to find out a bit more about Jason, and arranges for him to come by her building that afternoon.
Jason goes to Taiyouko's building, but ends up at Makoto's apartment (as Taiyouko had intended). They hit it off well, but the moment is ruined when Ami and Rei show up. Jason starts acting very nervous at this point, and hurries off to Taiyouko's apartment. It turns out later that the entire meeting is recorded by a security camera, and Taiyouko later gets the tape and studies it.
ChibiUsa and Hotaru are hanging out together, listening to some music. Elsewhere in the house, Setsuna is steeling herself to talk about some unpleasant facts about the Silver Millennium Pluto. The three of them wind up outside. Hotaru is having a bit of a meltdown over her role as the Senshi of Silence. Setsuna tries to comfort her, and says that the role of destroyer was imposed on Saturn by the Eunomia, and that there is much more to Saturn than destruction, even if they don't yet know what that is.
Mercury and Venus are on a "girl's night out." They encounter a trio of golems in a junkyard *and* get to meet Sailor Sun. Sun's dramatic entrance is somewhat ruined by the fact that she acts like a blithering idiot.
Chapter Eight: Past Imperfect
It turns out that Jason was quite badly rattled by seeing Ami and Rei, and that he recognized them as Mercury and Mars. He reacts to his shock in a mature manner, namely by staying up until 3 a.m. and getting drunk.
Ami calls Usagi and tells her about the golem attack and about Sailor Sun. Usagi then gets another call, this time from Taiyouko, who turns out to be an old friend of her mother's. Usagi then calls Mamoru, who still refuses to believe that this is any more than coincidence.
Back at the police station, Jason, Keisuke, and Taiyouko go over what they've learned. The man who called in to report the "accident" had a car that matches the paint scrapings from the vehicle that went over the cliff. It also turns out that the man (Semyon Renko) is a former Soviet citizen who has somehow managed to finagle full Japanese citizenship. Also, the first orphanage Mamoru was sent to doesn't seem to exist, and there is no record of its ever having existed. Taiyouko catches Saori looking through the case files, and not-so-subtly blackmails her into using her friendship with Mamoru to gather information.
The Senshi meet to discuss the new girl. Setsuna explains that there was never meant to be a Sailor Sun. ChibiUsa and Diana let slip that there isn't any such person in the future. Setsuna offers more details about the time before the Silver Millennium. Luna remembers some odd details about waking in the 20th century. When the talk turns to the golems, Ami reveals that the crystals she found are the same structure as the Ginzuishou, but they have no energy of their own. The Senshi are puzzled about why Mercury's and Venus's attacks could stop the golems, but Saturn's couldn't. While talking about Sailor Sun, Setsuna says that it would have taken a crisis on the level of Galaxia for the Eunomia to have made such a Senshi. This upsets Usagi, who runs out into the shrine's courtyard.
Luna and ChibiUsa follow Usagi, and are surprised to find that rather than being scared, Usagi is dealing with the shock that *she* was able to deal with a threat that the Eunomia would have considered to be nearly unbeatable, and come through it all more or less unscathed. Usagi is both rattled and comforted by this realization.
In the wee hours of the morning, Taiyouko gets an email from her Scotland Yard contact about the person Jason was trying to find--S.C. Ellwood. Ellwood appeared to be the victim of kidnapping and assault some three years back--around the same time as Jason's disappearance--but the investigation was dropped and details kept out of the press. Taiyouko also receives information on Jason from a friend in the NYPD. It turns out that Jason was involved in the execution-style killing of a Baltimore drug dealer a little over three years ago, and that he has had several official reprimands for use of excessive force. Indications were that he pulled some strings to get into the exchange program that brought him to Tokyo.
Later that morning, Michiru summons her Mirror, only to find that it now appears in a style a good century or two older than its usual Art Nouveau appearance. It is now clear that she is consciously not telling Haruka and the others about her dreams.
The next scene introduces Mother. She worries about Sun's upcoming meeting with the other Senshi. Her dealings with Sun appear to be firm, patient, and affectionate.
Another introduction, this time of Kakos and Skotos. They are the ones who make the golems. Skotos has brought some special crystals for the next batch of golems, but neither creature knows what the crystals are for.
Chapter Nine: Hidden Agendas
Saori calls Mamoru to ask him some questions. Keisuke listens in to the conversation. She finds out quite a bit more about the first boy's home he was sent to after his parents' death, along with some clues that help her and Keisuke figure out roughly where it is.
Makoto goes out to the park to shoot some hoops, and runs into Jason. As before, they hit it off well. Jason admits that he's one of the detectives who spoke to Mamoru, and the two trade information--up to a point. Jason then invites Makoto out to dinner. The date goes well, and they make plans to get together later that weekend.
Mamoru has a dream about nearly dying in the car accident that turns into a dream about nearly being killed by Jadeite.
Early the next morning, Rei has a *horrible* dream about being strangled to death. She wakes into another dream in which insects are covering her walls and trying to get down her throat. She wakes up and winds up having a long talk with her grandfather about her future.
Later that morning, Ikuko tells Usagi that her old friend Taiyouko would like to meet her. Ikuko then tells Usagi that Taiyouko had saved her life when a robber attacked her. Since Ikuko was heavily pregnant with Usagi at the time, that means that Taiyouko had saved *both* of their lives.
Jason and Taiyouko head out to Kamakura to talk to Semyon Renko, who is a resident of a posh nursing home.
Usagi and Mamoru meet with Rei, who says that her Tarot readings indicate that Taiyouko and Jason are *very* much involved in what's going on with the Senshi. She also indicates that with the exception of Usagi's link to him, Mamoru is psychically "invisible."
Chapter Ten: Fallen Heroes
Rei shows the other Senshi an image that Ami captured of one of the golems that Mercury and Venus fought the other day. A few--but not all--of the Senshi think the mark on the golem's forehead looks familiar, but cannot remember where they've seen it before. Mercury arrives with Sailor Sun, and introductions are made. Sun is upset that Sailor Pluto is there, and keeps on saying that Pluto is supposed to be at the Gates of Time.
On the walk up to the nursing home, the Lurker goads Taiyouko into confronting Jason about his record. Before anything can be resolved, the two of them are attacked by golems. Jason seems to change appearance, but is struck down by a blinding headache when he tries to fight off the golems. Taiyouko is able to destroy all but one by shooting them in their forehead marks. The remaining golem chases the two detectives over a cliff.
During the meeting with Sun, the others find that she doesn't seem to have a civilian identity. Hotaru and ChibiUsa are quick to befriend Sun, and invite her to the Tanabata celebration the following evening. Before she leaves, Tuxedo Kamen gives Sun a rose.
Jason uses his telekinesis to save himself and Taiyouko. Far from being rattled by their near escape, Taiyouko continues to question Jason about his involvement in the drug-dealer's death. She also doesn't seem to react when Jason tells her that Mamoru is the reincarnation of Earth's rightful ruler. They disable the last golem and go back to their car. Unbeknownst to them, Kakos was watching from some nearby woods. Unlike other villains we could name, Kakos actually checks to verify that the two were killed. Upon finding out they weren't, he immediately communicates that fact to his boss.
Sun returns to Mother and gets permission to go to the festival with the other Senshi. She shows Tuxedo Kamen's rose to Mother, who is badly shaken by its appearance.
Jason tells Taiyouko more of his own story, including his involvement in the shooting of Luther Mahoney. During his subsequent suspension and near nervous breakdown, he got a sudden compulsion to visit Japan. Apparently, he only made it as far as Toronto before vanishing for seven weeks. He reappeared in Norfolk, VA, suffering from exposure and shock, and with no memory of anything that happened after Toronto. Jason's memories of those seven weeks stayed buried until he flatlined after being shot in the chest. Along with those missing weeks, he also gained an entire lifetime of memories from a past life. During his brief death, Jason was challenged in a vision to correct an ancient wrong and solve an ancient murder. Taiyouko believes Jason, much to his surprise, and tells him about the "Lurker."
Here's hoping that this helps and doesn't simply confuse matters!
Chapters One through Ten
Character Guide and Chapter Summaries
Who's Who (besides the characters you know well enough already). Some characters are from "Homicide: Life on the Streets" and/or "Law & Order."
PRESENT DAY TOKYO
TAIYOUKO SEIDOU: A forty-something homicide detective in Tokyo. In 1987, she was farmed out to an outlying district to help investigate a suspicious- looking auto accident. In 2001, she is reassigned to the case, and quickly discovers that the case is far more complicated than she thought.
JASON WRIGHT: A homicide detective from Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up near the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka, and moved back to the States when he was ten, after the death of his father. He returns to Japan in 2001 as part of a law-enforcement educational program, but he also has a personal agenda.
MELDRICK LEWIS: Another detective from Baltimore, and Jason's current partner.
SAILOR SUN: A new Senshi who first appears as she spies on the other Senshi, trying to learn more about them. Her main attack ("Plasma Flare") is a percussive burst of super-heated air. Although she appears to be in her late teens, her mental age seems to be closer to five or six. Her civilian identity is thus far unknown.
KEISUKE TAKAMORI: Seidou's partner. He is the more level-headed of the two, and is good at doing the more tedious parts of detective work. He is married to Akiko, and has four young children--Misako, Daisuke, Satoru, and Megumi. Jason is staying with him while in Tokyo.
KENICHI HARADA: Seidou's boss. His goal is to become Chief of Police, and he appears to be working with someone who has his or her own reason for re- opening the case that was closed in 1987.
GOLEMS: The new enemy. They are lumpy mud-men whose basic strategy of attack is along the lines of "Hulk Smash!"
"MOTHER": Sailor Sun's mentor and caretaker. She seems to have a fair amount of knowledge about the Silver Millennium.
"THE LURKER": The voice in Seidou's head. It seems to have some agenda related to the fall of the Silver Millennium. It has a semi-adversarial relationship with Seidou. In an odd turn of events, it seems that Seidou is driving the voices in her head crazy rather than the other way around.
KATHY CELESTE: A Canadian folk-musician and friend of Michiru's.
SEMYON RENKO: Former Soviet citizen who now has Japanese citizenship. The person who called in the crash that killed Mamoru's parents, and the current main suspect in the crime. At the time the story takes place, he is in a nursing home in Kamakura.
BARBARA HAVERS: A Detective-Constable with Scotland yard, and an old friend of Seidou's.
S.C. ELLWOOD: Someone in England whom Jason is trying to contact. Ellwood was the victim of an assault/kidnapping that was kept out of the British press.
ANITA VAN BUREN: A New York City police Lieutenant, and another old friend of Seidou's.
MICHAEL KELLERMAN: A former homicide and arson detective from Baltimore, Maryland.
LUTHER MAHONEY: A drug kingpin from Baltimore.
KAKOS: A frog-like monster with a skin made of thousands of living insects. He is the one responsible for crafting the golems.
SKOTOS: A living shadow who works with Kakos.
"JUNIOR" BUNK: Luther Mahoney's nephew.
STEVE CROSETTI: A homicide detective from Baltimore (deceased)
BEAU FELTON: A homicide detective from Baltimore (deceased)
JACOB "JAKE" WRIGHT: Jason's older brother by only eleven months. He was a fireman, and was killed in the line of duty in early 1999.
AL GIARDELLO: Jason's former Lieutenant back in Baltimore.
FRANK PEMBLETON: Another member of the Baltimore homicide squad.
MICHEL CELESTE: A Canadian citizen who met Jason in the Toronto airport when Jason was going to Japan in early 1998. According to the RCMP, Jason was the last person to see Celeste before he disappeared.
SILVER MILLENNIUM CHARACTERS
DELPHINE: One of the Horae (a term which is unexplained at this point). She appears have been a giant winged serpent, and was close to Queen Serenity and the infant Princess Serenity at one point.
LAMIA: "Lady of the Oceans," and ancestor of various sorts of water-people, including the Silver Millennium Sailor Mercury and Sailor Neptune.
ROSAMUND: "Lady of the Green," Queen of Earth, and Endymion's mother.
EUNOMIA: A trio of powerful beings who were associated with the Sun and who acted as judges and executioners. The members of the Eunomia were:
1. HYPERION: "Truth." The only male member of the Eunomia, and
Princess Serenity's father.
2. ASTRAEA: "Justice." One of the Eunomia. Ami points out that the
name is the same as that of the Greek goddess of justice.
3. ANANKE: "Necessity." The oldest and harshest of the Eunomia.
EGERIA: The Silver Millennium Sailor Mercury.
LARES: Lord of Mercury and Egeria's father.
NERISSA: A water nymph from Earth. Egeria's mother.
IKARUS TALUSIDHIS: A Shaper (telekinetic) from Earth who was working to find water on Mercury. He was the elder brother of one of the Shitennou, and was Egeria's lover.
DEMETER: Ruler of Saturn. She was married to the brother of Earth's king, and was the mother of Kaia.
KAIA: The Silver Millennium Saturn, and a first-cousin to Prince Endymion.
BASILIUS, THORN, and CERELIA: Various Silver Millennium personalities who were known to Setsuna's past self. Nothing is known about them other than the fact that Thorn and Cerelia have some connection with Earth. Also, Cerelia was a friend of Egeria's who collaborated with her on terraforming projects.
HARMONIA: The Silver Millennium Sailor Mars. She was less self-assured and forceful than the present-day Mars.
KYTHERIA: The Silver Millennium Sailor Venus. Nothing else is known about her at this point.
Chapter Summaries:
Prologue:
The prologue takes place sometime after the main events of the story. Not much happens except that there's a wedding. Still, you may want to check to see which Senshi are clearly alive vs. those whose survival may be in doubt. Or not. It's your call.
Chapter One: Convergence
ChibiUsa has returned from the 30th century for her and Usagi's birthday.
Taiyouko revisits the site where Mamoru's parents died in a car crash fourteen years ago. She had an odd reaction at the time, while investigating the case, as if some other being inside her head was hounding her about solving the case.
Usagi's surprise party goes well. ChibiUsa has brought two gifts from the future. One of these gifts is an elaborately jeweled egg. No one can figure out what it does, so they figure that it's just an expensive knick-knack.
Jason Wright leaves Baltimore for Tokyo. This section is mainly basic character exposition, but it also makes clear that Jason has an unofficial agenda for this trip.
An unknown person (later revealed to be Sailor Sun) is spying on the Senshi, using a crystal that shows each Senshi's signature color. Sun only recognizes the colors of the four Inner Senshi, and is disturbed when the crystal turns solid black in response to Pluto. She then hurries off to report to "Mother" that she may have found the Moon Princess.
Chapter Two: A Backwards Glance
Rei does a fire reading after reading a puzzling note in her dream journal. She has an intense series of visions and nearly falls into the fire. A bit of ash from the fire forms the sign for Mars on her forehead.
Usagi and ChibiUsa have their birthday breakfast in bed. Usagi tries to send her future self a mental note to change one of her birthday gifts. It doesn't work. She is experiencing a fair amount of doubt and anguish about the future she learned about at the end of the "Stars" arc.
Taiyouko and her partner, Keisuke, are gathering information on the murder case involving Mamoru's parents. They are approached by Mamoru's old friend, Saori (who appeared during the Dead Moon Circus arc in the anime). Meanwhile, Taiyouko's boss gets a call from someone who a) wanted the case re-opened, and b) has a personal stake in the matter. The apparent reason for re-opening the case is to gain someone's attention, not necessarily to solve the case.
Saori tells Mamoru that his name has come up in connection with a murder case. He tries to blow it off until she tells him that if the detectives snoop around too much, they might discover something about the Sailor Senshi.
Jason arrives in Japan, and appears to be having some serious second thoughts about his unofficial plans.
Michiru has a vivid dream about visiting Neptune Castle as it was in the Silver Millennium. At one point in the dream, she is distracted by a voice that then leads her through a door. The dream switches to a beach scene, and in the dream, Michiru takes a boat out into the ocean to meet someone.
Chapter Three: Drawing on the Past
Ami has a vivid dream about her past self as a child on the planet Mercury. She learns that her old self's mother was some sort of water nymph/spirit/whatever you want to call it. There are references to "the Eunomia," "sealing," "Rhea," and other things that don't mean anything to her, yet that sound familiar. We also meet Ikarus Talusidhis, an Earth man who was helping to find underground water deposits on Mercury. At this point, Mercury's former self appeared to view him as a beloved older brother.
Venus is also dreaming, but her dream is a bit more abstract. One thing she sees is a tall bronze figure with three faces that strikes her in the forehead with a spear.
Taiyouko goes to the police firing range to blow off steam and to demonstrate to the reader her Mary-Sueish talent of perfect aim.
Usagi and Minako go to a manga-drawing workshop, and while debating the wisdom of writing a story based on their Senshi adventures, wind up drawing the same set of seven characters. Usagi also manages to out Kunzite and Zoisite to Minako.
Taiyouko calls Mamoru to set up an interview about the accident. Both are a bit unsettled by this, Mamoru much more so than Taiyouko.
Chapter Four: Intersections
Jason wakes up to find that he has trashed his hotel room during the night via telekinesis. He gets ready for his first day with the Tokyo police, and thinks about the people he's hoping to find while in Tokyo.
Hotaru is attacked by a golem as she is walking to school. It's a close fight, and Hotaru (as Sailor Saturn) is badly injured. Her Silence Wall has no effect on the creature, but when she smashes it in the head with the Silence Glaive, it falls to bits.
Jason is assigned to work with Taiyouko. Taiyouko's boss wants them to work on the Chiba case, and seems surprised and relived when Taiyouko doesn't give him a hard time about this.
Sailor Saturn tells Haruka about the attack, and the two of them have a little spat as attitudes clash.
Sailor Sun has trailed Artemis to Mamoru's apartment building and is waiting outside.
Usagi and the others who go to Juuban high discuss the dreams they've been having. Makoto is the only one who has not had any dreams.
Taiyouko, Keisuke, and Jason go over the details of the Chiba case.
Taiyouko and Jason interview Mamoru. Mamoru hears for the first time that his parents were murdered, rather than dying in a simple accident.
Chapter Five: Lies, Denials, and Other Evasions
The Senshi team meets at the Hikawa shrine. Hotaru describes the thing (Ami and Setsuna identify it as a golem) that attacked her. When they talk about dreams, it turns out that all of the Inner Senshi (except Makoto) have had dreams of the past. Setsuna, Hotaru, and Haruka say that they haven't had any dreams. Michiru denies having had any dreams of the past, but Haruka seems to doubt this. Setsuna identifies the seven characters drawn by Usagi and Minako: Rosamund (queen of Earth and Endymion's mother), Queen Serenity, Lamia (ruler of the oceans), Delphine (a winged serpent, and advisor to Queen Serenity), Hyperion (Princess Serenity's father, and one of the Eunomia, the one who determined guilt), Astraea (another of the Eunomia, the one who decreed the sentence), and Ananke (the last of the Eunomia, the one who punished the guilty).
After their interview with Mamoru, Taiyouko mentions that one of the girls in Mamoru's pictures lives in her apartment building. Jason and Taiyouko agree that he acts like he's hiding something. Taiyouko also gets the feeling that Jason is hiding something as well, but agrees to use her connections with Scotland Yard to help locate an old friend of his in England. She begins to realize that this nagging feeling is more like another person in her mind. Jason stops a purse snatcher with his telekinesis. Sailor Sun, who was watching Mamoru's building, sees this and goes back to tell "Mother."
Artemis and Mamoru talk about what the two detectives revealed. Mamoru is in a serious state of denial, and acts as if he would rather *not* know the truth of what happened. He calls Usagi and arranges to meet her at the Hikawa Shrine. Mamoru downplays what he heard, never mentioning the word "murder," and insisting that there is no way that the investigation could be connected either to the golems or to the dreams that some of the others have had.
Michiru goes to bed, eager to retreat into an ocean dreamworld.
Taiyouko attempts to confront the voice in her head. It doesn't say much, but shows her a vision of destruction before trying to push the whole confrontation from her mind.
Setsuna thinks about the Silver Millennium, finding that she remembers more than she thought she did. A news clip shows footage of a "Sailor Sun," and Setsuna is freaked out about the idea of such a Senshi, partially because of the Sun's association with the Eunomia, and partially because of overexposure to badfic.
Chapter Six: Falling
Michiru is having increasingly vivid dreams of swimming through the depths of the ocean. There is someone or something she is trying to find. Haruka suspects that Michiru is holding something back from her.
That morning at school, Makoto and Minako agree to a "girl's night out." Ami receives a love-letter, and is sent home due to the resulting rash. She decides to check out the site where Hotaru was attacked, and discovers several crystals in the golem's remains. The crystals turn slightly blue when she gets near them, so she takes them home for further study.
Artemis meets Usagi after school, and fills her in on what Mamoru *didn't* tell her about the meeting with the detectives. He says that something about what the detectives said scared Mamoru half to death. He also says that the detectives were pretty blunt about saying that Mamoru's parents were deliberately murdered.
Minako and Makoto's "girl's night out" turns out to be going out in Senshi form, looking for trouble and having fun with their powers. Venus seems to remember a couple of random facts about her past life, but they shrug this off as they help a couple who are being mugged.
Ami has another dream about her past life, but this time she's older and is a Sailor Senshi. She talks with the Silver Millennium Mars about the lack of communication from Earth. Mars is worried about Jadeite (and Ami is *very* surprised to learn that Mars and Jadeite used to be an item), while Ami's past self worries about a friend of hers named Cerelia. Ami is even more surprised to find out that her past self and Ikarus were lovers.
Jason and Keisuke check out the scene of the accident/murder. They determine that not only was the brake line cut, the Chibas' car was most likely forced off the road by another vehicle. They also discuss the thoroughness with which the victims' identities were erased. The case is becoming much more complicated than they first thought.
Chapter Seven: Recognition
While waiting to testify at a trial, Taiyouko has another confrontation with the "lurker" in her mind. She realizes that Jason recognized Mamoru, along with some people in the pictures, but said nothing. The lurker also points out that Taiyouko knows another one of the people in Mamoru's pictures--Usagi Tsukino. Taiyouko decides that she's going to find out a bit more about Jason, and arranges for him to come by her building that afternoon.
Jason goes to Taiyouko's building, but ends up at Makoto's apartment (as Taiyouko had intended). They hit it off well, but the moment is ruined when Ami and Rei show up. Jason starts acting very nervous at this point, and hurries off to Taiyouko's apartment. It turns out later that the entire meeting is recorded by a security camera, and Taiyouko later gets the tape and studies it.
ChibiUsa and Hotaru are hanging out together, listening to some music. Elsewhere in the house, Setsuna is steeling herself to talk about some unpleasant facts about the Silver Millennium Pluto. The three of them wind up outside. Hotaru is having a bit of a meltdown over her role as the Senshi of Silence. Setsuna tries to comfort her, and says that the role of destroyer was imposed on Saturn by the Eunomia, and that there is much more to Saturn than destruction, even if they don't yet know what that is.
Mercury and Venus are on a "girl's night out." They encounter a trio of golems in a junkyard *and* get to meet Sailor Sun. Sun's dramatic entrance is somewhat ruined by the fact that she acts like a blithering idiot.
Chapter Eight: Past Imperfect
It turns out that Jason was quite badly rattled by seeing Ami and Rei, and that he recognized them as Mercury and Mars. He reacts to his shock in a mature manner, namely by staying up until 3 a.m. and getting drunk.
Ami calls Usagi and tells her about the golem attack and about Sailor Sun. Usagi then gets another call, this time from Taiyouko, who turns out to be an old friend of her mother's. Usagi then calls Mamoru, who still refuses to believe that this is any more than coincidence.
Back at the police station, Jason, Keisuke, and Taiyouko go over what they've learned. The man who called in to report the "accident" had a car that matches the paint scrapings from the vehicle that went over the cliff. It also turns out that the man (Semyon Renko) is a former Soviet citizen who has somehow managed to finagle full Japanese citizenship. Also, the first orphanage Mamoru was sent to doesn't seem to exist, and there is no record of its ever having existed. Taiyouko catches Saori looking through the case files, and not-so-subtly blackmails her into using her friendship with Mamoru to gather information.
The Senshi meet to discuss the new girl. Setsuna explains that there was never meant to be a Sailor Sun. ChibiUsa and Diana let slip that there isn't any such person in the future. Setsuna offers more details about the time before the Silver Millennium. Luna remembers some odd details about waking in the 20th century. When the talk turns to the golems, Ami reveals that the crystals she found are the same structure as the Ginzuishou, but they have no energy of their own. The Senshi are puzzled about why Mercury's and Venus's attacks could stop the golems, but Saturn's couldn't. While talking about Sailor Sun, Setsuna says that it would have taken a crisis on the level of Galaxia for the Eunomia to have made such a Senshi. This upsets Usagi, who runs out into the shrine's courtyard.
Luna and ChibiUsa follow Usagi, and are surprised to find that rather than being scared, Usagi is dealing with the shock that *she* was able to deal with a threat that the Eunomia would have considered to be nearly unbeatable, and come through it all more or less unscathed. Usagi is both rattled and comforted by this realization.
In the wee hours of the morning, Taiyouko gets an email from her Scotland Yard contact about the person Jason was trying to find--S.C. Ellwood. Ellwood appeared to be the victim of kidnapping and assault some three years back--around the same time as Jason's disappearance--but the investigation was dropped and details kept out of the press. Taiyouko also receives information on Jason from a friend in the NYPD. It turns out that Jason was involved in the execution-style killing of a Baltimore drug dealer a little over three years ago, and that he has had several official reprimands for use of excessive force. Indications were that he pulled some strings to get into the exchange program that brought him to Tokyo.
Later that morning, Michiru summons her Mirror, only to find that it now appears in a style a good century or two older than its usual Art Nouveau appearance. It is now clear that she is consciously not telling Haruka and the others about her dreams.
The next scene introduces Mother. She worries about Sun's upcoming meeting with the other Senshi. Her dealings with Sun appear to be firm, patient, and affectionate.
Another introduction, this time of Kakos and Skotos. They are the ones who make the golems. Skotos has brought some special crystals for the next batch of golems, but neither creature knows what the crystals are for.
Chapter Nine: Hidden Agendas
Saori calls Mamoru to ask him some questions. Keisuke listens in to the conversation. She finds out quite a bit more about the first boy's home he was sent to after his parents' death, along with some clues that help her and Keisuke figure out roughly where it is.
Makoto goes out to the park to shoot some hoops, and runs into Jason. As before, they hit it off well. Jason admits that he's one of the detectives who spoke to Mamoru, and the two trade information--up to a point. Jason then invites Makoto out to dinner. The date goes well, and they make plans to get together later that weekend.
Mamoru has a dream about nearly dying in the car accident that turns into a dream about nearly being killed by Jadeite.
Early the next morning, Rei has a *horrible* dream about being strangled to death. She wakes into another dream in which insects are covering her walls and trying to get down her throat. She wakes up and winds up having a long talk with her grandfather about her future.
Later that morning, Ikuko tells Usagi that her old friend Taiyouko would like to meet her. Ikuko then tells Usagi that Taiyouko had saved her life when a robber attacked her. Since Ikuko was heavily pregnant with Usagi at the time, that means that Taiyouko had saved *both* of their lives.
Jason and Taiyouko head out to Kamakura to talk to Semyon Renko, who is a resident of a posh nursing home.
Usagi and Mamoru meet with Rei, who says that her Tarot readings indicate that Taiyouko and Jason are *very* much involved in what's going on with the Senshi. She also indicates that with the exception of Usagi's link to him, Mamoru is psychically "invisible."
Chapter Ten: Fallen Heroes
Rei shows the other Senshi an image that Ami captured of one of the golems that Mercury and Venus fought the other day. A few--but not all--of the Senshi think the mark on the golem's forehead looks familiar, but cannot remember where they've seen it before. Mercury arrives with Sailor Sun, and introductions are made. Sun is upset that Sailor Pluto is there, and keeps on saying that Pluto is supposed to be at the Gates of Time.
On the walk up to the nursing home, the Lurker goads Taiyouko into confronting Jason about his record. Before anything can be resolved, the two of them are attacked by golems. Jason seems to change appearance, but is struck down by a blinding headache when he tries to fight off the golems. Taiyouko is able to destroy all but one by shooting them in their forehead marks. The remaining golem chases the two detectives over a cliff.
During the meeting with Sun, the others find that she doesn't seem to have a civilian identity. Hotaru and ChibiUsa are quick to befriend Sun, and invite her to the Tanabata celebration the following evening. Before she leaves, Tuxedo Kamen gives Sun a rose.
Jason uses his telekinesis to save himself and Taiyouko. Far from being rattled by their near escape, Taiyouko continues to question Jason about his involvement in the drug-dealer's death. She also doesn't seem to react when Jason tells her that Mamoru is the reincarnation of Earth's rightful ruler. They disable the last golem and go back to their car. Unbeknownst to them, Kakos was watching from some nearby woods. Unlike other villains we could name, Kakos actually checks to verify that the two were killed. Upon finding out they weren't, he immediately communicates that fact to his boss.
Sun returns to Mother and gets permission to go to the festival with the other Senshi. She shows Tuxedo Kamen's rose to Mother, who is badly shaken by its appearance.
Jason tells Taiyouko more of his own story, including his involvement in the shooting of Luther Mahoney. During his subsequent suspension and near nervous breakdown, he got a sudden compulsion to visit Japan. Apparently, he only made it as far as Toronto before vanishing for seven weeks. He reappeared in Norfolk, VA, suffering from exposure and shock, and with no memory of anything that happened after Toronto. Jason's memories of those seven weeks stayed buried until he flatlined after being shot in the chest. Along with those missing weeks, he also gained an entire lifetime of memories from a past life. During his brief death, Jason was challenged in a vision to correct an ancient wrong and solve an ancient murder. Taiyouko believes Jason, much to his surprise, and tells him about the "Lurker."
Here's hoping that this helps and doesn't simply confuse matters!