Mirage

Makoto heard sirens off in the distance as she dried her hair. She didn't realize they were drawing closer until the dull murmuring of a crowd reached her ears. She hurriedly donned her work uniform and left the bathroom, stopping dead in her tracks upon seeing a swarm of Seattle police officers, a SWAT team, and a man and woman in matching FBI jackets. "What's going on?" she dared to ask.

Usagi paused her conversion with Morrison and Danner to answer. "Someone found Luna," she answered, presenting the black cat with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Too bad that someone turned out to be a member of a crime syndicate," Zach deadpanned. "We might have to enter a witness protection program."

"That won't be necessary," said the female FBI agent, offering Makoto her hand to shake. "Carla Fisher. This is my partner, Luke Bedford. Did you witness this woman today?" She proffered a photo but Makoto didn't recognize the girl in it.

"No, I've been getting ready for work," she explained. "What's all this about? Are we in danger or something?"

"We believe the woman who returned Miss Tsukino's cat was the one who broke into your apartment, or was an accomplice at the very least. She goes by the alias Nia Baffour but her real name is Nyamékye Silasi. She's affiliated with an international organization of jewelry thieves." Fisher withdrew more photos from her file. "These are some of her known associates. Do any of them look familiar? Maybe you've seen them loitering near your apartment building or other places you frequent?"

"I haven't, sorry," Makoto said. Agent Fisher didn't seem daunted by her lack of helpfulness. "Why would an organization like that go after us? The most valuable thing in our apartment was Michiru's Stradivarius, but she usually leaves it locked in storage at Cornish. They'd know that if they had an eye on us."

"What about those necklaces?" Joe chimed in. "Usagi had a bunch of them." Fisher raised a curious eyebrow as Makoto felt her stomach lurch, her hand automatically going to the topaz hidden beneath her shirt. She couldn't let the feds take it from her, stealing away to the conservatory as the authorities focused on Usagi.

After Kaelan finished speaking with Agent Bedford about security measures, it was decided that two units would remain on patrol in case Nia returned to his property. "We've profiled her as a sociopath," Bedford explained, "since she's so good at manipulating people. Some of her victims back in the UK said they couldn't resist her magnetic personality. She made it seem like they were the most important people in the world before running off with their valuables."

"I see," Kaelan said dismissively. "If she's really as smart as you say, I doubt she'll come back here since she knows you're hot on her trail."

One of the Seattle officers cleared his throat behind the agent. "Speaking of trails, the dogs didn't pick up anything."

Bedford grunted his thanks before giving the youth people a stern look. "You should all try to memorize those faces. If you see somebody who even bears a vague resemblance to one of Nia's associates, contact us right away."

"Right, we'll keep a lookout." Kaelan ushered the remaining personnel out the front door, closed it, and stared at the intricately carved wood for a few seconds. When he turned around he crossed his arms and scrutinized Usagi. "You said you had no idea why anyone would want to steal from you. I'd bet money that Silasi was after your hoard of jewelry!"

She scowled back at him. "It's not a hoard, and the police just took all but the ones I already gave away."

"But where did you get them, Usagi?" Joe felt like he'd thrown her under the bus. "I don't mean to offend you, but there's no way you could afford all those necklaces working at Nordstrom. Those gemstones had to be at least twenty carats each!"

She couldn't provide an answer, not one that made sense. Who would believe the necklaces came from a compact Mamoru found on the beach? Usagi absently rolled the moonstone pendant between her fingers while staring at the carpet. What if this situation really was somehow all her fault?

Kaelan tutted at her silence and went upstairs to his room, closing the door rather forcefully. Everyone knew he was worried about the bad press the police-turned-FBI investigation might generate. "I'm going to make cider," Joe declared in an attempt to diffuse tension. Zach returned to his room as well and Nicholas left to track down Makoto, leaving Usagi alone in front of the hearth. The isolation made her shiver, so she lit a fire and climbed into her blanket fort.

Mamoru arrived not long after everything had wound down, entering the kitchen with a perplexed look on his face. "Why are there police cars outside?"

"They're for our protection," Joe explained. "The cops think this girl named Nyamékye Silasi is the one who broke into Usagi and Makoto's apartment. She's an international jewelry thief who was last active in London. Now here's the crazy part– Nia showed up here about forty minutes ago with Usagi's cat! The police think she's targeted our house, hence the security detail."

That was a lot of information for Mamoru to digest. He went in search of Usagi, discovering a blanket stretched over two of the couches in the living room. She was wrapped in her pink comforter with a Hello Kitty pillow bunched beneath her chin. "Can I come in?" he inquired.

"Sure," she mumbled. She scooted over so he had room to lie down, though it was still a snug fit. "I'm pretty sure everyone hates me now."

"I don't think it's humanly possible to hate you," Mamoru reassured.

"Well, Kaelan does, and Joe's on his side. They think those necklaces are the cause of all these problems."

"Necklaces?" Mamoru repeated, emphasizing the plural. "You mean there's more than one?"

Usagi nodded. "After the moonstone there were ten more. I gave one to Makoto, one to Rei, and one to Michiru. The police took the other seven as evidence." She sighed despondently. "They just kept coming out of the compact, one after the other. I don't know how it happened but I feel like I'm supposed to give them to the right people. Joe says they're worth a ton of money and Kaelan thinks Silasi is after them."

Mamoru hummed. "There's no way she could know about the necklaces. It wasn't as if you bought them at a store and she started stalking you. They came out of a compact I found on the beach." He wrapped an arm around her narrow shoulders. "These events are just weirdly circumstantial. None of this is your fault, Usako."

She sighed again and leaned into him, staring at the dancing flames for answers. So many coincidences had occurred over the last few months to put her into contact with Mamoru, Kaelan, Rei and the others… but was it really just happenstance? Usagi began considering that some higher power had set her on a definitive path, though it would be nice to know where she was going to end up.

Nobody went to sleep in a timely manner, but even so, Usagi was the last to doze off well after midnight. She didn't dream so much as constantly replay Silasi handing Luna to her. She seemed genuinely happy to reunite them; Usagi hadn't gotten the sense that Silasi had an ulterior motive. She also didn't seem like the kind of person who could have vandalized their apartment. Silasi came off as calm and collected, always in control of her actions, yet the person who trashed the apartment seemed to have done so in a rage.

All the stress and anxiety Usagi had suppressed since the break-in manifested as an unusually lucid dream. She wandered through a maze of white marble corridors, constantly glancing over her shoulder to ensure no one followed, and came upon a room containing a metallic arch with intricately carved designs and a control panel with runed buttons. Her dream self knew how to read the myriad symbols because she entered a sequence that made the arch crackle to life. After shielding her eyes against an intense wave of energy, she stood facing a lush green meadow dotted with flowers. The image wavered as wispy tendrils came forth and drew her into the pastoral scene. She experienced a head rush, and then she was standing in the meadow. She saw individual dewdrops lingering on blades of grass and felt creatures both small and large churning the dirt beneath her feet. She looked toward the bright blue sky, hearing a hawk cry as it ascended on a thermal.

This place made Usagi feel truly alive. Her senses were almost overwhelmed the first time she came here, but she soon realized that her domain had diminished them so severely. She lived in a cold, stark place with selfish people, chief among them her father. He wanted to claim this planet in his name without regard for the plants, animals, or the people who tended them. He didn't understand that they all depended on one another for survival, and eradicating the people would transform the planet into a barren wasteland. That horrible imagery almost made Usagi turn back, but her newly-keen ears caught a word on the wind and her magnified vision saw a figure approaching. "Selene!" the young man called; just hearing his voice made her heart flutter. They ran to one another and shared a kiss. She hadn't realized how much she desired to be in his embrace, to be loved by the prince and protector of this planet, Endymion. "I missed you," he murmured.

"And I you," she replied. How was it that his heart beat so steadily while hers resounded like a war drum? "My father is very determined to keep us apart."

"Yet you managed to escape his guards again." Endymion looked both impressed and concerned. "I fear he may resort to locking you away."

Selene accepted his hand and began the long walk from the portal to the royal palace. "Pronoia offered to help me elude him. She's seen our relationship unfold in the Eye."

"Oh? I hope she hasn't seen us in a position that will make it impossible to face her with dignity."

She laughed at the implication, blushing slightly. "I hope so, too. But she and my mother are the ones who made it possible for me to come here today, so you must thank them." Endymion proclaimed his gratitude to the sky, then Selene's smile faded. "There are other things the Eye has revealed to her as well. She has seen recent activity among the Dark Cloud."

"…What sort of activity?" the prince queried.

"All of the hidden kingdoms are mobilizing forces on Tartarus. It looks as if they're preparing for an invasion."

"Would they be bold enough to attack Mar Serenitatis?"

"With the current state of relations between our kingdoms, perhaps so." Selene's grip tightened. "My father has openly declared his desire to rule Terra, speaking of the resources Luna could gain. He calls your people greedy, selfish, and antiquated in your beliefs." Endymion scoffed at such slander. "My mother isn't as vocal in her opinions, but she told me that if we were to unify we may be able to usher in a new era of peace. Terra could finally join the Inner Alliance and you could sit among the Grand Council."

"The idea of having a voice in matters affecting the entire solar system is very appealing, I'll admit…" Endymion came to a stop, facing her while taking up her hands in his own. "But if we were to unify, it would be for the sole reason that I love you, Selene. I wouldn't pledge the remainder of my life to you for any other reason. Not political gain, not to claim ownership over you, not to secure an heir to the throne…" He gave her fingers the softest of kisses. "But there is a side of me you haven't seen. I want to show it to you, then you can decide if you still wish to be with me."

Selene's brow furrowed at that. She thought she knew Endymion quite well, so what secret had he kept hidden all this time? He led her to a platform in the middle of the field, not too far from the galactic portal itself. "Don't let go of my hand, or you will become trapped between the physical and spiritual planes of Terra." She certainly didn't want that and held him firmly, gasping as the pad fell out from under her feet. It was as if she were being pulled down into an abyss so pervasively dark that not a single point of light was strong enough to reach her eyes. But then she opened them to scenery more beautiful than she could have ever imagined. "Welcome to Elysium," Endymion said. "This is my true domain, not the world you know above."

Everything was so much more here. Sights, sounds, scents, sensations all so intense Selene started crying from the wondrous magnitude of her surroundings. "Endymion, this place…" She couldn't even find the words to describe it, but maybe she didn't have to. Elysium was him, moving and breathing in perfect sync with every fiber of his being. So if Selene unified with Endymion in the corporeal sense, felt him with every fiber of her being… she could become part of Elysium, too.

Usagi awoke abruptly, yearning for something with all her heart and soul. She had no clue whether it was a person, place, or object, she just felt totally empty and knew this thing would fulfill her. The fact that she was slightly aroused made her wonder if she'd been having a sexy dream. She reached for a glass of water on the side table and was promptly scared out of her skin when her hand landed on a piece of icy metal. She paused to ensure her shriek hadn't woken anyone before using her phone to illuminate the mysterious object.

It was a necklace, but not hers; she wore the moonstone at all times. As her mind withdrew from its sleepy haze she discovered multiple necklaces on the side table. They were in fact the ones she had surrendered to Seattle PD earlier that day. Everything about the dream vanished, replaced by fear. The light of her phone fell upon a small slip of paper.

"I can explain if you come out to the gazebo."

It wasn't signed, but Usagi knew that Silasi had penned the note since the handwriting didn't belong to anyone in the house. Did this mean she was waiting in the backyard right now? Usagi put on a hoodie and went to the deck exit, noting frost on the glass door. Should she really be meeting a complete stranger in the middle of a cold night? Luna placed her paws on the glass, ears alert, and Usagi steeled herself as she stepped outside. "Silasi?" she whispered from the stone path, "Are you there?" Something moved within the shadows of the gazebo and made her pulse spike, but as if by magic the clouds parted and a half moon bathed the area in pale luminescence. Usagi was still frightened to see the tall, darkly-dressed girl regarding her impassively. "What do you want from me?"

"Please, call me Nia," she answered quietly. "I need one of your amulets. Someone is after me and I will not survive much longer without its power."

"Why didn't you just keep one when you stole them back from the police?" Usagi asked. And "amulet" was a weird word choice.

Nia knelt to pet Luna, who had chittered and trotted right up to her. "I wish that had not been necessary, but please listen when I say the amulets cannot be given to just anyone. There are very specific people to whom they belong."

"How can I tell who deserves them?" Usagi wondered.

Nia left the shadows to approach Usagi, holding out a hand until her palm splayed across the shorter girl's chest. "The connections you forge with people are all felt in your heart, but there are some that resonate even deeper, in your very soul. It is true that we are strangers and this is only our second meeting, but can you not feel something for me?"

"I… I trust you," Usagi breathed, "and why do I feel like I know you?"

Nia smiled kindly and withdrew something from her back pocket, eliciting a little gasp. It was a copper twin of her nacre compact. In place of a moonstone there was a jade cabochon encircled by smaller faceted gems of red, blue, white, and dark green. "These are talismans, Usagi. The power within them is what drew us together, and this same power also protects you in conjunction with your amulet. It is imperative that you locate the other guardians now that the awakening process has begun. They need protection too, and all will be lost if they never remember."

Usagi shook her head at the onslaught of cryptic information. "Wait, guardians? Awakening? What are you talking about?"

"The answers should be found in your dreams," Nia said. "It is my understanding that we all see different things because of who we used to be, and I have not been able to piece everything together yet. As each guardian awakens more of the past is revealed, but there is one who can provide the clearest pictures." She closed her eyes and frowned. "I used to be so close to her, but I cannot remember her name or her face… She is a core guardian like us, so I am searching for her. Please search for the others, Usagi. I know they have all been drawn to this area, to you. That is why I came here in the first place." Nia smiled. "From now on, do not dismiss your encounters as random. Navigate the world with your soul. Give protection to the guardians you find."

"Well, since you're here now…" Usagi looked at the cluster of gemstones in her hand and gave Nia the oval peridot on a gold chain.

"Thank you," she said, visibly relieved. "Now that I have this, I can divert the dark ones' attention while you track down the guardians. Their true nature is beyond my sight as well, but I know they want to hurt us."

Usagi's eyes widened. "Is that what happened to our apartment? You went there to find me and one of these 'dark ones' attacked you?"

"That is exactly what happened," Nia answered, "and I am so sorry for it. But you and your friends are safe on this property. Something is drawing strength from the Earth and forming a barrier of sorts, a haven." She shrugged. "Consider it a small blessing, I suppose. Good night and sleep well, Usagi."

"Bye, Nia," she murmured, watching her disappear down the path to the beach. Usagi examined the necklaces again. 'Six guardians left.' She had suspicions as to whom two of them might be, but the last four were a complete mystery. The sooner she found them, the sooner she'd receive a definitive explanation for everything.

Kaelan had nothing to do on Thursday. Zach had flown home to New Orleans for Thanksgiving and the rest of his housemates had turned the simple task of grocery shopping into a group expedition. Since Michiru, Makoto, and Usagi would be returning to their apartment in two days, they wanted to make a nice dinner as thanks for hosting them. Although he'd initially been indifferent about taking on additional roommates, Kaelan now realized he was going to miss them. Things were always cleaner and more organized with women around.

He idly flipped through cable channels until reaching a local news station, catching a headline that made him sit up in bed: Visitor prevents shooter from terrorizing UW campus. Kaelan ignored the reporter, focusing on the sea of students behind her. They were talking a mile a minute, gesticulating wildly, crying and holding one another, speaking into cell phones or to cops and security officers. Everyone looked visibly shaken except the visitor who had saved the day.

It was Nyamékye Silasi.

"Holy Christ…" Kaelan breathed, dialing Mina's number. "Mina! What the fuck is going on over there?!"

"I guess you saw the news," she replied with a weak laugh. "Don't worry, everyone's fine. The shooter didn't get the chance to kill anyone."

"Do you know who that girl is, the one who stopped him?"

"Uh, yeah. I think her name's Nia?" She asked around before returning the phone to her mouth. "Yeah, Nia Silasi."

"She's a fucking criminal!" Kaelan shouted.

"How dare you say that? She's a hero!"

He could tell by the affronted tone of her voice that she was about to hang up on him. "No, Mina, she's the person who destroyed Usagi and Makoto's place!" That had to have gotten her attention. "She was at my house yesterday, too! The FBI is investigating her and she's wanted for grand larceny in England!"

The other line was silent for a moment. "The police are cuffing her… Oh my god, Kaelan, what's going on? She saved everyone! Ami and I were right there when it happened!"

"I'm coming to get you two," he declared, and was dressed and out the door in just under two minutes, blowing past the neighborhood cop on patrol. Kaelan skillfully wove between highway traffic and screeched to a crooked halt upon arriving at the parking lot nearest the library. "Mina! Mina!" he called while shoving past people. It was times like this he was thankful for his rugby-toned physique.

When he reached the lawn he ran into a mob shouting at the police for arresting Nia. "Hero" was being said liberally, but if they only knew… Kaelan heard his name and spun around in time to catch the blonde as she flung herself against him. She sobbed hysterically, clutching at his shirt. Ami approached in a calmer manner despite trembling slightly. "Mina just realized that we could have died today," she stated.

Kaelan gave the girls a stern look. "I want every detail."

"We were coming back from the library, talking about what to get for lunch, when this man in a long jacket stepped out in front of us. We were right about there, at that lamp post." Ami pointed across the lawn to a wide path. "The man asked if we could help him find one of the buildings, and we asked which one, but then he pulled out a gun and we froze up. I didn't even think about grabbing my pepper spray."

"Th-th-then Nia came up behind him," Mina stammered, "and whacked him on the back."

"It was a good kick," Ami added. "I bet she knows some kind of martial art."

"So he dropped the gun and fell to his knees, and we screamed, and he picked it back up and aimed at Nia…"

"She lashed out again and broke his arm. I heard the bone snap. Then she stood on it so he couldn't move, and I called the police. A few security guards arrived to make sure he didn't get away. That's all that really happened." Ami shrugged as if she weren't relaying a harrowing experience.

Now Kaelan was even more conflicted. Nyamékye Silasi belonged to a criminal organization and had trashed Michiru's apartment. She had also returned Usagi's cat and saved hundreds of lives just now. He was jarred from his thoughts when someone behind him asked "Mr. Burke?" It was a cop who garnered an automatic glare. "How does it feel knowing your home is safe from Silasi?"

"Good, I suppose," he answered flatly.

"Great. Listen, the FBI would like you and your friends to make some public statements about how you were victimized by Silasi. You're not the first people to suffer because of her crimes."

"What other crimes is she accused of, Officer?" Ami asked.

He gestured dismissively. "Well, they're so numerous, but the money she makes from selling stuff on the black market funds African extremist groups."

The three young adults shared a look. "That doesn't sound like the kind of person who would stop a mass shooter," Ami remarked.

Kaelan grunted in agreement. "I don't want to make a statement. I'm not one of her victims," he said.

The cop narrowed his eyes at the trio "Well, your girlfriends don't have a choice since they're the primary witnesses in this investigation. Would you like to drive them to the station, or should I?"

"We'll see you there," Kaelan said. Mina shivered at his icy tone.

"What were you doing on campus Thanksgiving weekend?" Agent Fisher inquired of Ami and Mina.

"It's an American holiday. We're Japanese," the former replied. "We're both medical students with a lot of homework, that's why we were in the library."

Mina had not uncrossed her arms since sitting down in the interrogation room. "Are you saying it would've been our fault for being there if we got shot?"

Fisher looked alarmed. "That's not what I'm saying at all! I was just curious. I think you two are incredibly lucky. Usually these kinds of events end with at least one body in the morgue."

"Yeah, well, that didn't happen because of Nia," Mina said pointedly. "When can we talk to her? We haven't been able to thank her for saving our lives."

The woman leaned across the table to give them a hard look. "You girls need to realize that one act of heroism does not undo a lifetime of crime, especially on an international scale. Nia Silasi is a dangerous person."

"Allegedly," Ami said.

Agent Fisher pursed her lips, sighed, and stood up. "If it will make you more receptive to future inquiries regarding this case, I'll allow you to speak to her briefly."

The girls nodded and followed her into another room where Nia was handcuffed to the table. Ami noted that she didn't look surprised to see them, but her expression changed when Mina threw her arms around her. "Please do not make physical contact with the suspect," said a voice through the intercom.

"Sorry!" Mina waved it off and grinned at Nia. "Thank you so much for being there today."

"It was no trouble," she replied. "I was simply in the right place at the right time."

"But you're not a UW student," Ami remarked. "Why were you there?"

"I had an appointment for a polysomnography." One of her eyebrows rose while Ami's furrowed. "I do not find much solace during the day now, either." Nia's gaze darted to the door just before Agent Fisher opened it, their cue to leave. "Stay near your friends," was the last thing she said to them.

On the other side of the two-way glass, Agent Bedford chewed on a pencil. "What was that word, policy-graphy? Do you know what that is?"

"Not a clue," Mina answered, emphasizing her cluelessness. "Thanks for letting us talk to her." Bedford waved them away but they didn't have anywhere to go except out to the parking lot where Kaelan waited; as promised, they had arrived before the rude cop. Mina saw their driver speaking to Mamoru and jogged up to him. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Usagi, Makoto, and Michiru had to come in for a routine follow-up." At that, both girls spun around and went back inside the station. "Did I miss something?" Mamoru wondered. Kaelan only shrugged.

Ami and Mina found the three girls in yet another interrogation room. There were a few officers, including Agent Bedford, listening in on the conversation. "Are you sure about this?" Officer Danner asked as they eavesdropped.

"Yes, we don't want to press charges against Nyamékye Silasi," Michiru answered.

"She just saved our friends' lives," Makoto stated.

"And we don't believe she did the damage to our apartment," Usagi added.

Danner squinted at them. "Are you certain you want to ignore the blatant evidence we have against her? Her fingerprints were all over your stuff."

Makoto rolled her eyes. "Just the kitchen table, right? How do you know she didn't go to our apartment after catching Luna and walked in on the actual vandals? How do you know she didn't shield herself behind the table?" Usagi looked at her friend like she was a genius.

"Okay, fine, it's your decision. Just know that the prosecuting attorney can subpoena you to testify against her. We'll inform you if it gets to that point."

Ami and Mina backed around a corner, the latter frowning. "I don't get it. Why are the police so certain Nia committed all these crimes?"

"I don't think they are," Ami postulated. "I think they have very little evidence linking her to them and want to use our testimonies to build a case against her. She's guilty by reputation alone, but that will hold up better in court if her victims can sway a jury with their sob stories. The authorities wouldn't sound so desperate if there really were victims in the other cities Nia supposedly heisted in."

Mina nodded, admiring Ami's logic. "What was that word she said to you, the poly one?"

"Polysomnography. It's a test that monitors certain functions during sleep, like brain and muscle activity, to diagnose sleep disorders."

"So Nia was at school for a sleep test? Maybe she has really bad nightmares or something…" A door opened, depositing their friends. "She said we should stick close to them. I guess we'd better take her advice."

Everyone gathered before the large TV in the den, watching the news channels for any information regarding Nia. They kept playing a snippet of security footage that showed the UW intruder approach Ami and Mina before pulling a shotgun on them, although the networks withheld their names at the behest of the police. Finally, around 19:00, channel four flashed a "breaking news" banner before presenting several police officers gathered in front of the station. "Nyamékye Silasi has been acquitted of all charges made against her in the United States and abroad," said Agent Fisher.

"How can you just let her go?" someone off-camera shouted. "She funds terrorist groups!"

"Miss Silasi has provided compelling evidence against members of the organization she was suspected to belong to." Agent Bedford glanced at his partner. "The FBI is about to begin a cooperative investigation with various agencies from around the globe, including Interpol, to track down these people and bring them to justice. Now, we'll take your questions one at a time…"

"So they decide she's innocent all of a sudden?" Nicholas asked once Kaelan muted the TV.

"She probably told them where to find all the important people in the syndicate in exchange for her freedom," Joe mused.

"That is exactly what I did," said a voice from behind. There stood Nia, leaning against the door frame and wearing the ghost of a smirk. "I owe those people nothing."

"I think you owe us some explanations," Kaelan said. "First, how the hell did you get in my house?"