Consider this…"

Usagi gripped the side of the door, blood from my rebound injury running down my arm and staining the shrine's wood. Still the young woman's voice echoed, the sound and tone so similar to my own mother's imperious words from that fateful day. And here Usagi was, just as helpless, my friends lying unconscious, food for the scavenging demons.

"If there is a creature so vain as to destroy humankind," the young woman said, her eyes flashing in a terrible anger. Usagi felt the air heat up as if the building had caught on fire, but Usagi could feel no flame. "Then how could you think…that there is nothing that can destroy such a creature? I had hoped to be a regular girl a bit longer, but…you have harmed the children of my shrine."

An explosion caught her off guard, and black smoke flowed out of the demons. A sound hit my ears, like a bowstring, and then…darkness.

6 Hours Ago

Chinatown

San Francisco, CA

"Come on Kumiko, get off the equipment," Minako whined at the younger girl.

Kumiko was using a scanner to look at her Mercury pen for the third time that day. "But you aren't listening!"

"I was, but then I got bored," Minako swiveled in her chair to the bookshelf, looking through the list of all the senshi. "Usagi made me swear to have this catalogued before she got back from training with Dean, so shut up ok?"

"But I'm trying to say something!" Kumiko yelled at Minako. "Nyah! It's about the Bunker!"

"They have the best food ever?" Sam walked downstairs with a trayful of onigiri and sodas. "Even Men of Letters get hungry."

"NO!" Kumiko pouted, frustrated. "I'm talking about Senshi! And demons! Ya know, our JOBS!"

"Ow…" Sam sighed. "There's no reason to yell, y'know. We find new senshi all the time, but—"

"No, Kumiko has a point, Sam," said Minako, perked up. "Her powers have latched on to her eyes as well, helping her to see when we can't. In short, Kumiko is our eyes and ears. Besides, everyone else is busy so... Go on Kumiko, what did you find?"

Kumiko walked over to the mainframe and pulled up the Sunset Shrine. "A senshi's power is being corrupted within the walls of this place. And there's worse news. This place…it's a demon feeding zone."

"Aw not that!" groaned Dean, coming in. "Last time I went to one of those, I came out with more broken bones then intact ones!"

Minako looked at the screen. "Looks normal. I don't understand, Kumiko."

"First of all," Kumiko said. "A senshi is created when Grace, what makes Angels run, combines with a pure human soul and creates synergy. When this special Grace hasn't found it's vessel yet, a demon can get its hands on it and warp it. A demonic feeding ground is when demons kidnap humans to use as hosts, or….if they are children or babies, the high-tiers will eat them."

Dean had stopped eating by now and looked kind of sick. "That…is just messed up. All of it."

"Which is why we have to stop it." Usagi stated.

Crown Star Karaoke Counter

Kiana Talbot finished her shift, and headed off, skipping down the street. She had just gotten back from her employee transfer to New York. She would miss Kumiko.

She consulted the flames, which told her hat an earthshaking event was approaching. Later that afternoon she watched as Mii, a girl who often spent time at the shrine with her mother, left to take the six o'clock bus home.

She saw the pet shop that sold her favorite birds. Birds were her favorite animal, second to butterflies of course. She was about to walk away from the window when a woman with a blonde ponytail and sun-glasses burst out of the pet shop, holding a half burnt parakeet, which she then swallowed whole.

That bitch! Thought Kiana. If I wasn't totally done killing demons, I would so fry her like a hot potato with one of my arrows!

In response to her anger, the birds of the pet shop took courage and took to the sky in a swirling feathery tornado. I'd better get out of here. Why can't I be more inconspicious?

She sped her walk, but felt that she was being pursued. She felt her skin quiver, and she caught the scent of fresh blood on the air—not human, either.

The blood smell got stronger, and she found she had been led straight to it by her pursuer. She turned to face that person—and it was…Kumiko?

"Kumiko?" Kiana questioned. "Oh I thought you were that blonde bird-eating bitch!"

Kumiko giggled a little. "Why would I eat a bird silly!"

"Well you were acting suspicious," replied the new waitress, also from New York, Usagi, who had also been following.

Sunset Shrine

As soon as they crossed the entrance two crows descended upon her. Sighing warily, Kiana said, "I'm sorry, Phobos and Deimos don't normally attack humans."

"Hello again Kiana," Dean said warily.

"How do you know each other agai—"

Usagi was cut off as Kiana saw Mii's mother and two other women, and she went to meet them.

"My daughter has disappeared," Mii's mother said. "I had fears about the cursed six o'clock bus."

"We don't suspect you and your shrine," the other woman said hurriedly.

But as soon as they start to leave they could easily be heard gossiping about Kiana's eccentricities and rumored special abilities.

"What happened to Mii?" Usagi asked Kiana.

"There is a phantom sixth road that appears where five other roads meet on top of Sendai Hill, swallowing the six o'clock bus," Kiana replied. "That's where they say it took her."

xxx

At work the next day, Kumiko and Usagi admired their new cell phones, when we overheard several people talking about the mysterious disappearances at Sendai Hill. As the number of kidnappings increased, rumors about the cursed bus were spreading. While Kumiko went to cram school after class, Usagi suggested to Dean, "Why don't we visit the Bunker again?"

"I agree," Dean said. "Besides, Kiana is beautiful and powerful. Maybe she's the princess the Men of Letters legend talks about. Even if she is a con artist."

Minako rolled her eyes. "She conned you didn't she."

"Shut up," he rebuffed. "Bitch."

"Jerk."

We boarded the bus on line 66 to Sendai Hill, and Dean began to explain to her how to use the cell phone.

xxx

Meanwhile, at the Bunker, Kiana was visited again by Mii's mother and her two friends.

"Please use your powers to find Mii!" Mii's mother begged.

"I don't have that kind of power," Kiana said sadly.

The women accused her of being involved in the kidnappings.

"How dare you attack Kiana!" Usagi shouted. "She may have her flaws but she would never hurt anyone!"

"Can you explain the kidnappings then?" the women attacked. "Maybe you were involved as well.

"Get out of here!" Kiana yelled, protecting her. "Usagi, I have always been looked down on because of my unusual powers. I don't know why I was born with them."

"I will help you find Mii!" Usagi said.

"You should leave as well, since it would be best for you to not be seen around the strange miko."

xxx

Once inside, Kiana called on the flames again in an attempt to solve the mystery of the disappearances once and for all. They told her of a future where the demon she had once loved Cole captured Usagi. Kiana ran out to save her but the 66 bus stopped in front of her. The door opened and Cole Turner, the driver, reached out for Kiana and the girl fainted.

xxx

As Dean and Usagi stood by the stop where the five roads meet, the bus passed by and we saw an unconscious Kiana inside. A portal opened up in the wall behind them and the bus drove into it. Usagi used a glamour to become a stewardess to boost her confidence, then jumped onto the bus, but Dean lost his grip and fell back. Castiel arrived just in time to catch Dean as the bus disappeared completely. Dean jumped from Castiel's arms and ran away.

xxx

Dean contacted Kumiko at cram school, and together they use the cell phones and Dean's computer to reach Usagi, then use the energy released by their powers to pinpoint the enemy's hideout and teleport there. Kumiko and Usagi found ourselves inside a large room lined with columns, along with Cole's numerous hostages.

Cole knelt before Kiana, "I feel attracted to her, even though I have never met her before."

"Stay away from my friend," Usagi shouted.

"Welcome, senshi," Cole said. "I am Cole."

He threw out a hand to attack her, and Usagi was pinned against the wall with the hostage girls. Kumiko used mist to cloud the area. Usagi dropped to the ground with the hostages.

"Go help the hostages while the fog lasts," Kumiko said, but before Usagi could move the fog disappeared, crystallized by Cole's freezing power. He then uses his powers against the two of them, projecting a beam of energy that paralyzed us and slowly began to cover our bodies in ice.

Kiana woke up and saw her in danger. Kiana abruptly grabbed Cole's arm and forced him to halt his attack.

"No pathetic human could ever stop me," Cole spat.

The demon was a high level. My senses were being crushed from the very nearness of him. He laughed again at Kumiko. "Stupid stupid stupid girl."

Time slowed due to Kumiko's instinctive powers. The half-dog demon had two demons on each side of her.

Dean ran forward to save her, but was thrown back against the wall hard.

Castiel jumped in front of Usagi, smiting right and left, but was struck down right in his arm, and fell to the ground. Usagi still…couldn't move. Usagi hadn't been attacked, but this place. The smell. The demon and the screaming. It was all over again. Usagi was losing. And Usagi couldn't fight anymore. My white light flared once, twice, and went out. Usagi watched the light leave Castiel's eyes as he fell into unconsciousness.

Sam was easily brought down, but he managed to finish two of the demons with the gun he held.

Castiel crawled to Usagi, barely conscious. "Sailor…Moon…" He pressed the Grace into Usagi's hands. "Protect it. You can do it."

With a flash of bright gold light Minako used her strongest attack, freezing the demon and attacking with her whip. But it wasn't enough. The demon slammed her to the floor.

Usagi knelt, clenching my fists and drawing blood. Fighting all alone for so long made her forget why this war got started.

Usagi looked at Castiel's face, knocked out protecting her. For people like him. Because I love all beings, always have. I love this world.

"Hey!" Usagi glared at Cole. "You hurt them. And that happens to be unforgivable!"

Usagi raised my hands and blasted every demon into the next life, but Mimi held on stubbornly, not ready to go just yet. Usagi fell to my knees, orbs flickering. No…no! I'm out of power now?! I need to fight! I need to protect my friends!

The Grace flew out of my hands, turning bright red.

" O Mater Mars, Reginae bello, adiuvo me nunc!"

"Consider this…"

Back to Present Time

"I had hoped to be a regular girl a bit longer, but…you have harmed children," Kiana Ofuda finished her speech to Cole. The symbol of the planet Mars flashed on her forehead, and she saw a vision of a white castle. Kiana broke free from Cole's hold and took a transformation pen from Dean, who recognized her as a Senshi. After receiving a reassuring look from Minako, Kumiko and Usagi, Kiana awakened.

Cole sent a blast of freezing energy against Kiana, but she was surrounded by an aura of red light that renders the attack useless.

Kiana had watched as Sailor New Moon just passed out. Small wonder, that woman. Letting loose an attack like that, and not dying from the strain. She even healed her friends. But still, there is the matter of this Demon who harmed the children.

Kiana held up her Sacred Bow and fired at Cole, hitting a non-lethal point. The arrow penetrated Cole and purified him temporarily, and he turned human.

His brown eyes widened, and he stared at her. "Kiana…"

In a violent swirl of black orbs, he disappeared.

Kiana then remembered Sailor New Moon's condition after healing the others, and realized that they must tend to that.

She walked over and held out a hand to Sailor New Moon. "I didn't scare ya did I, Sailor New Moon?"

Sailor New Moon took the hand and leaned against Kiana. "Ah! The heat I felt…you're Sailor Mars. Also, a miko?"

The girl was quick, Kiana had to give her that. Sailor New Moon had a very sorrowful look in her eyes. Kiana gripped her more firmly. "Sailor New Moon…what's wrong?"

A tear coursed down the moon senshi's cheek. "I…am so sorry…you and Kumiko are here because of…"

Kiana embraced the shaking girl, cutting her off. "Don't think about it that way. I'm happy to live long enough to become a senshi and fight with good friends!"

Sailor New Moon shook her head. "Thank you. Kiana, I'm glad that it's you. Welcome home, Sailor Mars."

The two smiled as the others started to groan and pull themselves up, the morning sun greeting the now six Men of Letters as they began to make their way home from the bloody battle at last.

Back at Sendai Hill, Mii was woken up by Kiana, who barely has time to tell the girl that the Senshi saved them before she's embraced by her weeping mother. Kiana leaves them to join Usagi, Kumiko, and Dean, who welcome her into their team, and the girl was touched by their warmth. Dean declares that it was time to find their princess and the Silver Crystal, and Usagi exclaims they will definitely be able to now.