Shattered Ice: Super Sailor Mercury
Revelations
"I think we need to find somewhere quiet to talk," the older woman noted, looking at Kakyuu with a faintly hurt look, "I think we all need some answers."
Kakyuu looked back from the hugs and babble she was getting from the Starlights, her own eyes tender as she met the other woman's gaze. "I am sorry, Nicole, I never meant to put you in danger," she confessed.
Sailor Star Fighter felt more than a bit confused, wondering who this Nicole was and what her connection to their princess was. 'Worry about it later,' she decided firmly, then said, "We need to get out of here. There's no telling when Galaxia might try another attack."
"Fighter is right," Kakyuu acknowledged, "but..." She looked at Sailor Mercury searchingly, "You may be what I came to this planet to find, Sailor Warrior. I need to speak with you most urgently."
Sailor Mercury nodded then looked over at Fighter, "Should we meet at the usual place?"
"Sounds like a plan," Fighter agreed, her long black hair flowing in it's usual ponytail.
"Hurrying!" Sailor Iron Mouse growled pointedly, the white haired smaller girl looking around them anxiously.
"Sorry, Ms.," Sailor Mercury bodily picked up the older woman and bounded away, the other Sailors falling in behind her.
"AIEEE!" Nicole screeched as Sailor Mercury leaped from rooftop to rooftop, Iron Mouse keeping pace with her.
Sailor Star Fighter noticed Nicole calm down fast as she clung to Sailor Mercury, and felt a stab of jealousy. "My Princess," she said formally as she carefully took Kakyuu into her arms.
"Gently," Kakyuu cautioned, "I was injured landing here, some months ago."
"Chibi!" the strange little redhead smiled as she was carried by Maker, Healer following up from behind.
The Hino shrine was secluded, and the heroines took a round-about route to reach it, ending up in the grove of trees just behind the main buildings. Sailor Iron Mouse looked amused by their hiding, noting, "Grandpa Hino knows all about us, you realize. We could go right inside!"
Sailor Uranus quietly said, "That isn't why we're going in."
Sailor Star Fighter didn't quite get what she meant, then saw the slightly sad expression on Mercury's face. 'Did she lose someone important to her here?' she wondered. She shook herself, then knelt before Kakyuu as she said formally, "We have finally found you, my Princess."
"Another Princess?" Neptune asked, quirking a eyebrow.
"I assume they'll explain," Uranus answered dryly, standing casually with Saturn, Pluto, Moon and Mercury.
Fighter grit her teeth at their spoiling the seriousness of the moment, but she noticed even Kajyuu smiling slightly. "Get up, all of you," Kakyuu ordered gently, "and I'm sorry for worrying you all like I did."
"Worrying is a bit of a understatement," Healer muttered softly, her short white hair falling over her eyes.
"Healer," Fighter growled, glaring at the smaller women.
Maker ignored that, smiling slightly as the brown haired woman asked, "Did any of our messages reach you?"
"Oh, yes," Kakyuu agreed, nodding, "I heard all your songs. It's just that I couldn't risk contacting you because..."
"Chibi!" Chibi-chibi added cheerfully.
"Songs?" Sailor Mercury echoed, the oddest look on her face, the expression of someone putting pieces together and not liking the results.
Fighter exchanged looks with Maker and Healer, the three coming to a swift decision. Turning to the Sailors of Earth Fighter said briskly, "As you have probably guessed, we've been keeping a secret from you. In our regular identities we are..."
With the sort of timing you only get if you were preformers, the three reversed their transformations, revealing their other selves. Three young men in suits stood revealed, looking slightly uncomfortable as the others gawked.
"The Three Lights!" Seiya Kou finished.
There was a moment of dead silence, then shockingly Sailor Mercury burst into laughter. She literally lost it, nearly choking on her laughter as Sailor Pluto helped hold her up. She made incoherent attempts to talk, only to giggle or laugh again.
"That wasn't quite the reaction I expected," Yaten noted, the white haired boy looking at Mercury in confusion.
"I'm sorry," Sailor Mercury finally got herself back under control, "it was just a surprise. You see, we know each other."
Seiya watched as Sailor Mercury's form shimmered, the distinctive costume flowing apart is a burst of ice crystals, to reveal a young woman in their school uniform. It took a moment to register, though it really shouldn't have considering they had the same hair and scars...
"Ami Mizuno?" Taiki yelped, the brown woman looking at her in disbelief.
"Now she's done it," Sailor Uranus sighed.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Ami heard what Uranus said, and silently wished she could have consulted with the others before she de-transformed. Still, they needed to extend trust between their team and the Sailor Starlights, and revealing her own identity seemed the best option.
"Princess Kakyuu, I am Ami Mizuno," she introduced herself even as the Three Lights continued to look at her in shock, "how can we help?"
"It's good to meet you at last," Kakyuu smiled warmly, "I hope that you are the one I came here looking for."
With that Kakyuu explain how her home world, the same one as the Starlights, was attacked by Galaxia. Unable to stop her Kakyuu came to Earth, having heard legends of a powerful warrior she hoped could help them defeat their enemy.
Listening Ami felt a distinct sinking feeling, and did her best to keep off her face. "It sounds like you are talking about Sailor Moon," she said quietly, "I'm sorry, but she's dead."
"Dead?" Kakyuu echoed, going surprisingly pale.
Nicole Mizuno was by her side as she crumpled, stress and effort finally overwhelming the woman. "Is she...?" Ami blurted even as the Three Lights gathered around them.
With calm professionalism Nicole looked Kakyuu over as she said, "I think she's fine. When I talked to her earlier Kakyuu admitted she hadn't been getting much rest." With a frown she said, "Her search has been all consuming."
"Chibi," Chibi-chibi noted seriously.
"Let her rest," Ami decided, "we need to talk."
"This is just...," Chibi Moon shook her head, the young girl clearly trying to wrap her mind around her idols being women who transformed into men as they followed Ami away from where her mother was tending Kakyuu.
"Yeah," Sailor Saturn agreed, shaking her head too.
"Was it such a good idea revealing who you are?" Sailor Uranus whispered to Ami, her expression worried.
"We have to extend some trust somewhere," Ami answered then shrugged slightly, "besides, they revealed who they were first."
"She has a point," Neptune noted quietly.
"Besides, this might help block one of Galaxia's favorite tactics," Ami added. As everyone looked at her she frowned, "You didn't see it, from what Iron Mouse said?"
"Enlighten us," Seiya smiled charmingly. Uranus and Neptune glared at the young man, who calmly ignored them.
"Divide and conquer," Ami shrugged calmly, "she likes to empower a agent from a planet's populace and sow dissent among the defenders. It's classic military tactics."
"Damn," Uranus blinked, a expression of dawning realization on her face.
"Ami's right," Pluto nodded, "and the agents that Galaxia recruits probably are a useful source of information for her, too."
Ami felt Pluto looking at her in pride and blushed faintly. "I think we're far enough away to talk without disturbing Kakyuu's rest," she said briskly.
"What, exactly, do you want us to do?" Yaten demanded, the smaller boy looking up at her intently.
Ami shrugged, "We have a common goal in defeating Galaxia, and I think we'd be better off pooling our resources."
"What's the point?" Taiki asked thoughtfully, "You yourself have said that the champion our Princess was searching for is dead."
"Galaxia may not be as unbeatable as she seems," Ami said confidently.
Everyone gave her a look after that comment. "What do you mean?" Sailor Saturn asked, the younger girl frowning slightly.
"Think about it," Ami said firmly, "why is she empowering agents? Why these convoluted schemes to get Star Seeds?" She flashed a smile, "Hey, if she's as powerful as she seems why not directly attack and take over the planet?"
"You think she might be vulnerable," Seiya noted, even as the other brothers began to look more hopeful.
"I'll concede she's probably more powerful than any of us," Ami said, "but no one is unbeatable. And as a group we have a pretty impressive level of power too."
"When Kakyuu and Ami's powers combined, that Lead Crow woman seemed frightened," Chibi Moon agreed, nodding. "We could have a chance."
"You may be right," Yaten agreed, also looking decidedly brighter.
Ami didn't say that she might be clutching at straws, because at this moment they needed all the hope they could get. Before she could say anything else they heard movement, and saw Kakyuu and Nicole walking through the trees towards them.
"I'm sorry if I frightened you all," Kakyuu apologized.
"It's fine," Ami answered then continued briskly, "we were just planning how we intend to fight back against Galaxia."
To be continued...
