SailorStar9: That was Chapter 1.This is Chapter 2. Before I begin the chapter proper, a question and answer section for the following reviewers.
Sakuracheery2: (Blushes) Thank you.
Angel of Courage: Thank kami-sama, that wasn't the pairing you wanted. (Heaves in relief.)
Celestial Pendent: Let's see. We have 1 Wind Ranger, 1 Water Ranger, 1 Earth Ranger and 2 Thunders. Then pray tell me which element does Cam represent?
Bunny Aino: Sorry girl but that's Queen Serenity all right. I know she's OOC but ambition does that to people. Besides, I did say this was a pre-Silver Alliance fic.
Words in italics refer to thoughts and flashbacks.
Warning: Dustin-bashing in this chapter, for the humor of it.
Disclaimers: Seven words. I own nothing, except the darn plot.
Chapter 2: Another Day, Another Revelation
Sensei Guinea Pig frowned at Ami typed busily on her compact computer.
"Hime-sama, may I ask what exactly are you doing?" he asked.
"Nothing really, Watanabe-sensei. It's just some old records of my compact computer." She answered, still typing busily.
Looking over her shoulder, Cam replied, "Hrm, interesting. Who would have thought that the past Mercury Senshi had the brains to create such an advanced mainframe."
Ami glared at him.
Cam grinned sheepishly.
"Erm, guess I kinda of forgot you're her reincarnation."
"Cam, forget something? That's a first!" Shane exclaimed, entering Ninja Ops.
"I thought I heard something about advanced technology." Tori commented, puzzled.
Ami nodded.
"It's just that I've discovered quite a number of other programs in this computer of mine." She explained.
Dustin exclaimed incredulously, "In that small thing?"
"For your information, this computer has relatively unlimited memory storage." Ami death-panned.
Dustin blinked, "I'll take your word for that." He decided.
Still typing some more, Ami's eyes went up a notch.
"Interesting. Very interesting." She commented, nodding.
"What is?" Dustin prompted.
"These files actually account exactly how the Silver Millennium was formed. Guess Queen Serenity wasn't as flawless as we thought she was." She added.
"Can I see?" Dustin inquired.
"The entire text is in ancient Mercurian. Unless by some miracle, you know the language, you've probably won't be able to understand it." She replied flatly.
Cam had to snicker.
"Oh." Dustin nodded, blinking.
Turning to Shane after a while, he asked, "Wait, did she just…"
"Diss your language ability?" Shane supplied.
"Took you long enough." Tori commented, sighing.
That afternoon, Ami was still working on her computer, when she came across something: a computerized diary.
She opened the folder with both apprehension and anticipation.
A flood of words appeared on the computer screen and Ami started reading it.
Frost Winter: 5th month, 16th Terran Year. 25th Day
The winters on Mercury had never been this chilly before. Okaa-san once mentioned those icy temperatures meant that the naught is near. But I know better. Many of our citizens had turned towards Queen Serenity under her many promises peace and prosperity.
Lies! False words! False hopes! Don't they see? Once Queen Serenity takes over, they will no longer be free!
Okaa-san had told me that her time has arrived.
I do hope she is wrong.
Frost Winter: 5th month, 16th Terran Year. 26th Day
I woke up screaming from my terrible nightmare. It isn't like me to have such horrid thoughts. Unless it's a premonition; I shiver at the thought.
In my dream, the accursed Queen Serenity had killed off most of my warriors, leaving only the Green Samurai guarding me.
Queen Serenity had fake yawned, before shooting a lethal moonbeam at me.
It was then I woke up screaming.
At that, Ami blinked hard, twice.
Premonitions? I had those powers back then? she wondered.
A flash came to her mind as she remembered yet another fact.
The Senshi, each of us, minus Serenity, had two foci of magic. Me being Mercury, mine is Divination and Ice.
Eyes widening, she belated herself. How could I have forgotten?
"Queen Serenity's memory seal is indeed strong, hime-sama." Sensei Guinea Pig commented, noting her expression.
"I expect as much." she answered, sighing.
Without knowing what she was doing, Ami pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil and started to draw.
When she finished, she looked down at her handiwork.
When she was done, a strange, incomprehensive picture appeared. The patterns were both geometric, and somewhat... Organic. In the center, there was still a huge gap.
"Impressive." Sensei Guinea Pig commented.
"Can't believe I actually remembered how to draw this." Ami breathed in awe. Her hand was placing the empty area
"Hey, what's this?" Tori suddenly interjected.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she placed a hand in the huge gap that remained.
"Tori, don't!" Ami shouted out a warning.
Too late, they realized as the paper disintegrated and the two girls sagged down.
Shane caught Tori before she hit the floor and Cam did the same for Ami.
Minutes later, Tori came to and muttered, "What was that?"
"Something you shouldn't have done in the first place." Ami answered, nursing a headache.
"Water?" Cam offered.
"Thank you." the blue-haired senshi answered.
Downing a mouthful, she reached over for her pencil and produced yet another piece of paper.
Before she started drawing, Ami answered Tori's question fully.
"That piece of paper was a visual representation of a Divination spell. When you touched it, you unknowingly drew yourself into the spell weave."
"And in English?" Dustin prompted.
"Basically, Tori downloaded my memory. That is one thing she shouldn't have done, at this point in time." Ami replied.
Fumbling around her satchel, she produced two pen-like devices.
"Pin this on her." Ami instructed, handing Shane one of them.
Taking her hint, the Wind Ranger took it and pinned it onto Tori's collar.
Reaching for her sleeve, Ami placed the remaining one on the cloth.
The two girl fizzled for a second and settled.
"What's that?" Dustin asked.
"Solid state spells." Sensei Guinea Pig supplied.
"Basically they are items with a spell imbued on it. And under specific circumstances, they will activate." Cam added, as he remembered what he had read in the scrolls.
"That one has a sleep spell in it. She should be fine after a night's rest." Ami added, as she strained to get up.
"Anything else?" Shane questioned.
"Her memory will settle itself over the next few days. Just tell her to get lots of sleep and be wary of her dreams." Ami advised.
The two Rangers nodded and exited Ninja Ops, with an unconscious Tori in tow.
"As if things couldn't get any worse." the relatively drained Ami remarked.
Well at least it isn't Cam. she mentally added. There were many things he must not know at this point.
"Dad, will she be…" Cam asked, looking down at his shrunken father as the father and son pair exited from Ami's room.
"She should be fine, son. But it would have been better if she was transformed." Sensei Guinea Pig answered.
Cam nodded in agreement.
Her link with her planet was stronger when she was transformed. In casting spells untransformed, she was merely draining her own magic reserves.
Casting a worried look at the closed door, he sighed and headed back to the mainframe of Ninja Ops. He had a lot of work to do.
Sensei Guinea Pig smiled mysteriously. His son was worried about the princess and that was the first sign that he was slowly, but knowingly remembering the past.
Despite his promise to his late wife, Cam was to be the last Ranger to guard the girl. He had to be, in order to complete the Circle of Protectors.
SailorStar9: And so ends another chapter. Read and review.