Sailor Journeys: Secrets of an Unknown Past

by Commander Galos

This story is based on the first 23 chapters of Yohann DeSabrais' 'Cycles of Life'.

8. Chapter 8

SAILOR JOURNEYS: SECRETS OF AN UNKNOWN PAST


Chapter 8: Second Interlude.



The Leviathan was back on its landing pad, which began to lower to its final
position inside the hangar. Once the ship was secure, everybody exited the
ship, happy to be back home. As soon as Sailor Moon cleared the hatch, Luna
jumped to her arms, ecstatic to see the girl was safe. "Sailor Moon! I'm glad
you made it! Was it difficult?"

"I'm glad to see you too, Luna. Well, it was difficult at first, but you know
me! There's nothing I can't solve at the end!" Everybody groaned at that
asseveration.

"Yeah, right! And why do we all have to save your butt at the end, Meatball
head??" retorted Mars.

"Stop calling me like that, Mars!!" responded Moon, and with that, the all too
familiar tongue war erupted. Everybody sighed, but internally felt happy that
everything was back to normal.

"Girls, that's enough." Said Luna. "Come with me, we have a little surprise
for all of you."

That statement quickly stopped the confrontation. "Cool! I love surprises!"
said Sailor Moon.

"Well then... follow me, everybody." And with that, Luna guided the whole
group to the elevator, and then towards the Medical Ward. Artemis, Dr. Mizuno,
Kenji and Ikuko were waiting for them there, happy to see their daughters safe
and sound, the same as the rest of the team.

"Ami! I'm glad to see you're all right!" said Mizuno Akane, giving a big hug
to Ami. The girl frowned a little, but still accepted the hug. When the doctor
took a step back, she noticed the slight bruises on the face of Ami. "Oh,
dear! Look at you! Does it hurt?" asked Dr. Mizuno, while looking at the
marks, all professional.

"Mom!" said Ami, blushing a bright red. "I'm okay! It's nothing serious,
really!"

"Oh, yeah, sure..." said Alex at that same instant. "Like having your mind
almost erased and your body taken over by a psychotic program is something
that happens everyday!"

"ALEEEX!!" screamed Ami, blushing even redder.

"What?" said a sweet and melodious voice very well known to the girls. "And
for how long you were planning to keep it a secret from me??" Everybody
facevaulted when they heard that. It really was a surprise!

"Minako?!?!" said Ami and Usagi in unison. That's when Usagi's parents stepped
aside, and there she was, hidden by them. Minako... or even better...

"Sailor Venus!!" exclaimed Robin. She facevaulted when she saw Minako, the
same as everybody.

Minako had achieved her own Soul Power during her coma. She was now dressed
in a senshi uniform made of honey, gold and black. Her metal guards and visor
were a golden tone, and on her right thigh were the characters of KOI NO
SENSHI, the warrior of love. A double-edged broadsword was secured on her
waist, made of one single piece of Topaz.

"Minako!" exclaimed Ami, rushing to her side and giving the new senshi a big
hug. Both girls stayed in that position, ignoring the "ooh"s and "aah"s that
everyone else were giving gratuitously.

After a few moments, Ami let Minako go. And still holding her hands, proceeded
to look Minako up and down.

"Look at you!" Said Ami, tears threatening to escape her blue eyes. "You look
fabulous! But... how?"

"I think we can explain partially that, dear." Said Ikuko. "You see, you were
gone for almost an hour for your last adventure, when your mother and I got so
tense that we decided to do something. That's when both of us went to the
Medical ward to check on Minako's condition...

flashback

Dr. Mizuno was checking the reports on the medcom's screen, and after making
sure that everything was ok, she turned it off and then walked aside Ikuko,
who was looking at the still form of Minako in front of her. Artemis was
sitting at the end of the bed, looking at Minako.

"A penny for your thoughts?" said Akane in a low voice, trying not to disturb
Ikuko. "Do you want me to get you something?"

"No... it's nothing." Said Ikuko. After a few moments of hesitation, she
looked at Akane, tears in her eyes. "I was thinking... what if our daughters
face something that is too strong for them this time, and die trying to defeat
it... or worse, makes them end up like this poor girl? I don't know if I could
stand it!"

Akane put a comforting arm on Ikuko's shoulder. Of course, she had thought of
that, but tried not to think of it. "I'm pretty sure they can handle it. As
Luna said when they departed, they have faced impossible odds, and came out
victorious." 'I only wish it's true this time.' She added for herself.

"That's right, Mrs. Tsukino. After all, they all have that new equipment. I'm
sure they will be all right." Added Artemis, a faint smile on his feline
features.

Ikuko nodded with her head, not sure if she could believe that. She was
caressing Minako's cheek with her right index finger when suddenly, an alarm
began to sound on the medcom's board. Immediately, both women and the cat
walked towards it, and Akane turned the screen on. Immediately, a message
appeared on the screen.

ALERT.
FOCUSED ENERGY DETECTED ON PATIENT DESIGNATION: AINO MINAKO.
ORIGIN: UNKNOWN
CONSEQUENCES: UNKOWN
COURSE OF ACTION: UNDETERMINED
QUERY: DO YOU WANT TO INITIATE CONTAINMENT PROTOCOLS?


Akane was surprised after reading that. What does it mean with 'focused
energy'? "Computer," she began, "can you correlate this kind of energy with
others in your data banks?"

CORRELATING...

"What's going on?" asked Ikuko, anxiety lacing her voice. Artemis was
trembling, fearing that something went wrong on Minako's treatment.

"I don't know." Answered Akane, not daring to take her eyes off the screen.
"And that's what I intend to find out." When she finished her sentence, a new
message appeared on the screen, making both women and Artemis gasp.

CORRELATION TERMINATED.
ENERGY PATTERNS CONSISTENT WITH THE ONES DETECTED ON THE NEXT PATIENTS:
PATIENT DESIGNATION: TSUKINO USAGI.
PATIENT DESIGNATION: ROBIN REDWING.
PATIENT DESIGNATION: KAIOU MICHIRU.
ALERT.
ENERGY LEVELS ON PATIENT DESIGNATION: AINO MINAKO INCREASING.
QUERY: DO YOU WANT TO INITIATE CONTAINMENT PROTOCOLS?

Both women and cat looked at each other, amazed. Slowly, they turned around to
look at Minako, the same question on their minds.

What does this strange occurrence has to do with those three girls in
particular?

In that same instant, Minako's body began to glow a golden hue, startling
everybody.

"Computer! Begin containment protocols now!" said Akane, unable to take her
eyes from this strange phenomenon.

"NO, WAIT!" screamed Artemis, trying to jump on the bed, but was stopped by
Ikuko.

COMPLYING... INITIATING PROCEDURES...

Immediately, a niche opened in the wall behind Minako, and the bed slid inside.
Once there, a transparent cover sealed the niche.

PROTOCOLS TERMINATED. PATIENT DESIGNATION: AINO MINAKO SEALED ON CONTAINMENT
CHAMBER.

Akane sighed in relief, but still had a lot of work to do. "Computer, I want
you to run a complete scan on Minako, and don't stop until I tell you so."

COMPLYING... INITIATING FULL LEVEL SCAN...
ALERT. ENERGY LEVELS AFFECTING SCANNERS. COMPENSATING.
ALERT. COMPENSATION UNSUCCESFUL. SCANNERS WORKING AT 70% AND DROPPING.
ALERT: ENERGY LEVELS GONE BEYOND EQUIPMENT SCANNING PARAMETERS.
QUERY: DO YOU WANT TO INITIATE STASIS?

But before anyone could react, the golden glow surrounding Minako intensified
suddenly, reaching a blinding level, forcing Artemis, Akane and Ikuko to cover
their eyes. And, as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared.

When Ikuko, Artemis and Akane opened their eyes, a magnificent sight greeted
them. Standing in front of them, was Sailor Venus on her new Senshi uniform,
her eyes closed. The containment chamber was wide open, the transparent casing
melted, the same as the bed. When Minako opened her eyes, a smile spread on
her face, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Whoa!! What a rush!" Were her first words in a long time. She then looked
around, and the first thing she looked at were the two stunned women that were
looking at her without blinking. Minako immediately looked down at her new
outfit, then at Akane and Ikuko, and smiling nervously, she only was able to
say one thing. "hum... hi?"

end of flashback

"I was so surprised when I saw Dr. Mizuno and Mrs. Tsukino standing there when
I achieved my Soul Power!" said Minako, still smiling broadly. "I mean, I
didn't know that they already knew of our identities! I was so scared at the
moment!"

"Not to mention of her surroundings!" continued Akane. "She was so shocked to
notice the Medical ward's advanced equipment, but when she saw the remains of
the containment chamber..."

"Oh, no! Don't tell me that this blonde bombshell made another one of her
antics!" said Alex.

"Oh, yes, Alex! She's on her true form now!" said Artemis.

"Uh? Who said that? And who's the one with the blue armor?" asked Minako,
startled by Alex's intervention.

"I'll explain to you all the details later. But first," began Ami, "let me
introduce you to Lieutenant Yohann Starr, from the MRMA, pilot of the starship
Leviathan, and owner of this base."

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Aino. And let me congratulate you for your new
Senshi status. You look stunning." Said Yohann, while he extended his hand to
shake Minako's. The young senshi of love blushed a little, while she shook
hands with him. "Please, call me Minako." She said in a slow tone.

Robin and Makoto looked at Yohann sharply, a slight twitch on their eyes.

"And," continued Ami, "the voice you heard is from his belt, which in reality
is his armor. The voice is from an Artificial Intelligence program known as
Alex."

"Pleased to meet you too, Minako... I guess. But please, can you go easy with
our equipment? It is hard to replace, you know?" answered Alex.

"Alex, be kind with our guest." Promptly said Yohann. "After all, it wasn't
her fault that her power melted the containment chamber."

"Oh, ok... I'll do it for you, sweetbuns... and Ami, of course!" answered
Alex, drawing a lot of puzzled stares at her.

"But before you continue your presentations, I want each and everyone of you
to detransform and go to the Medical ward for an examination. And I don't want
to hear any objections! And that goes for you too, Yohann!" said Dr. Mizuno,
looking at them without blinking and in a voice that left little room for
arguing.

"Understood, Doctor." Said Yohann, automatically standing straight and
saluting her in a military fashion. When he noticed what he had just done, a
huge sweatdrop appeared on his head. The rest of the team just giggled at his
reaction. Trying to get the general attention away from him, he said. "Alex,
please order some of the maintenance robots to unload the Leviathan and
transport the items to the Weapons Test Center. I'll check them later."

"As you say, baby!" answered Alex.

With that settled, everybody proceeded to enter the Medical ward, not daring
to contradict Dr. Mizuno's orders.

* * * *

Once the exams were over, Dr. Mizuno read each one of the results, paying
special attention to the ones of Usagi and Michiru. "It's incredible," she
said, "According to this, your injuries are almost healed. The cellular
regeneration ratio is amazingly high."

"That's the good side of our powers." Said Usagi with a smile. "And the best
part, is that there will be no scars!"

"I'm glad to hear that, Usagi. But as your physician, I don't want to take any
risks, so..." Akane then walked behind the desk, and opening a drawer, she
took out her medical bag. "I'll have to give you an anti-tethanic shot." She
then took out a couple of disposable syringes and a vial with a clear liquid
on it.

Usagi and Michiru developed some rather impressive sweatdrops at the sight of
the syringes. Obviously, they didn't like the idea! Both girls looked at their
respective lovers for support; Mamoru and Haruka walked to their sides and
grabbed their hands in a comforting manner.

"Excuse me, Doctor," began to say Yohann. "I don't want to meddle on your
affairs, but, don't you prefer to use the hypo-sprays? After all, they are a
lot less painful and quicker than a syringe." He was referring to the gun-like
devices that injected the right amount of medicine through the skin without
piercing it. Usagi and Michiru looked at Akane, a pleading look in their eyes.

"And I'm sure they are, Yohann." answered Akane, while she prepared the shots.
"But I'll feel more comfortable using an old and tried method, thank you."
Once everything was set, she faced the two girls, and made the feared question.
"All right, who's first?"

"SHE!" said Usagi and Michiru at the same time, while pointing to each other.
Dr. Mizuno just sighed, and walked in direction of Michiru. The green-haired
girl sighed as well, and closed her eyes, while holding Haruka's hand on hers.
A moment later, the shot was over.

"There. It wasn't that bad, was it?" asked a smiling Dr. Mizuno. Michiru
looked at her arm and noticed that a small patch of gaze was secured on the
place of the shot. Haruka was smiling at her, proud of her courage. Michiru
then smiled at Akane. "No, not at all. Thank you."

"Very well. You see Usagi? It's harmless. Now, it's your turn."

Usagi was holding too Mamoru's hand on hers, while the young man was smiling
at her, encouraging her. "All right, Doctor. I trust you. But please, be
gentl-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!!" As soon as she felt the syringe piercing her
tender flesh, Usagi mercilessly crushed Mamoru's hand. The poor guy cringed,
his face beet red, but still he hold on like a true trooper. A moment later,
the shot was over.

Usagi looked at her arm, and smiling she said. "Hey, you're right! It wasn't
that bad! Thank you, Doctor! And thank you for lending me a hand, muffin!"

"Don't mention it, dear." Answered Mamoru, his voice hoarse, all the while he
massaged his crushed hand. Inwardly, he considered donning his armor the next
time. It would be a lot safer!

Dr. Mizuno only moved her head, but nevertheless, there was something else to
discuss. "Now that this is taken care of, I want to have a private talk with
the next people: Ami, Rei, Laurella, Usagi and Mamoru. Once you are refreshed,
I want to meet you all in one hour in Yohann's office. It's important." The
aforementioned people looked at her, puzzled, but agreed to the appointment.



One hour later, the appointed people were outside Yohann's office, wondering
what would Dr. Mizuno want to talk with them. Ami knocked meekly at the door,
and Akane's voice was heard. "Ami, you come first." Ami opened the door, and
entered the office, closing the door behind her.

"Please, take a seat, dear. Make yourself comfortable." Once Ami was seated in
front of her, Dr. Mizuno continued. "Ami, I had a talk with Alex, and she was
kind enough to show me a report of your experience. This was confirmed by the
scans of the medcom. What I want now, is that you tell me, in your own words,
what happened there. Please, start."

Ami then proceeded to explain, in a very efficient and complete way, the
experience she had on the computers room in Cryssalid, Cauldron's attempt of
destroying her mind and how Alex went to her rescue.

Akane listened intently, her face not betraying her emotions. Once Ami was
over with her recollection, Akane stood up, and kneeling in front of Ami, she
embraced her. "My poor baby..." she murmured. Ami returned the embrace, and
mother and daughter stood in that position for a few minutes. Once it was
over, Akane looked at Ami's eyes, and talked again. "I won't ask you to leave
this crazy scheme, because I know that you have a duty with Usagi and Yohann
now, but what I want to ask you is this: please, don't take any more
unnecessary risks. Promise me that."

"I promise, mom." Answered Ami, smiling softly at her mother.

"Thank you, Ami. And now, as your physician, I'm going to order you a lot of
rest. No more studying marathons for you, young lady! You need to recover, and
the best medicine for you is to take it easy, not over-exert yourself in any
way for the next week at least."

"But mom...!!" began to say Ami, but was promptly interrupted by her mother's
finger on her mouth.

"No buts, Ami! Or do you want me to order it... as your mother?" said Akane,
a slight edge on her voice.

Ami immediately understood the implications, and promptly agreed to her
mother's conditions.

"Very good. Now, I want you to go to your room and take a nap. And before you
go, tell Laurella to come in." said Akane, while sitting back behind the desk
and touching a button, bringing out Laurella's medical history.



"You wanted to talk with me, Dr. Mizuno?" asked Laurella once she entered the
office.

"Yes, dear. Please, close the door and take a seat. It won't take long." Once
Laurella was seated in front of her, Akane continued. "Laurella, I've been
reading the reports of your medical examinations, and I want to ask you
something... you are not taking drugs, or drinking, or anything like that,
right?"

Laurella was taken aback by the question. "of course not, Doctor! I mean, I
did that a long time ago, but I'm straight now!"

"That's what I thought. You see, the sensors of the medcom showed very slight
traces of different kind of artificial drugs on your bloodstream and on your
cellular structure. And thanks to this magnificent computer, I was able to
check on your medical history on the hospital. Now, do you want to explain to
me, in your own words, what made you do that in the past?"

Laurella looked at her feet, feeling uncomfortable, but nevertheless began to
talk about her troubled past: the nightmares that almost drove her crazy, the
different false exits she took in a futile attempt to escape them, her failed
attempt of suicide, and the long way to recovery she took afterwards.

She also mentioned her tragic end during her previous incarnation on the Moon
Kingdom. The way she and Kitechnum Jendra fell in love, and the way Celeste,
the previous Sailor Mars, used that to her advantage to lure them to the
library and kill them on the spot. And how, a millenium later, she found out
that Usagi's brother was the reincarnation of her long lost love.

Once she finished her story, silence reigned on the office for a moment.
Laurella had a couple of tears running unchecked down her cheeks, but she
didn't bother to dry them.

"Laurella..." said Dr. Mizuno. Laurella looked up, and saw that the doctor
was smiling at her, a look of understanding on her eyes. "I don't want to lie
to you saying that I fully understand what you went through, but I want you to
know that I feel proud that you found the strength and courage to overcome all
that."

Laurella smiled at her too, feeling that the good doctor said those words from
the bottom of her heart. "Thank you, doctor. That means a lot for me."

Akane nodded at her, and continued. "Now, the reason I wanted to talk with
you, is that the medcom offered a solution that might interest you. It
indicated that, a small injection of nanoprobes properly programmed can
effectively get rid of all those substances and traces on your cells. That
way, you will get rid of that part of your past permanently. Interested?"

Laurella was at a loss of words there. Granted, Yohann's technology still
impressed her, but that was way over her previous expectations!

"Also," continued Akane, "with a little extra work, I can make some
reconstructive surgery on your wrists, removing the scars on them. It will be
like they'd never existed at all. What do you say?"

When she heard that, Laurella immediately made her mind. "Thank you, doctor.
I'll take the injection, but I don't want you to touch my scars. You see, I
want to keep them as a reminder of what I did wrong in the past, and to make
sure that I never do that ever again. Besides, I don't want to disappoint
anyone now... especially my love." She added with a smile.

Akane smiled at her warmly, understanding her reasons completely. "Very well.
I'll see you on the medical wing as soon as I finish here. Now, would you be
so kind to tell Rei that she's next?"

"Sure, doctor... and thanks!" said Laurella on her way to the door. Meanwhile,
Akane began to look again at Rei's medical report...



"Yes, doctor Mizuno?" said Rei as soon as she entered the office.

"Please, take a seat Rei. There's something important I want to discuss with
you." Rei took a seat, but internally, she knew what was all about.

And as she was reading Rei's mind, Akane went right to the point. "Rei, for
how long do you expected to keep this a secret? This is too serious, and I'm
worried for you."

"Not long, doctor." Murmured Rei, looking straight at Akane's eyes. "It's not
something I can hide forever, but as I told Yohann, I want to deal with this
by myself."

"I see..." answered Akane. "So, Yohann already knew of your condition, and
nevertheless he took you with him on a dangerous mission... I'll talk with him
seriously about this!"

"No, please!" promptly said Rei. "I was the one that elbowed her way onto it.
He did his best to protect me by leaving me on the ship... but I disobeyed his
orders at the end."

Akane nodded at this answer. "But that doesn't change the fact that in your
state, you allowed him to take you with him there. I'll still talk with him.
And now, as your physician, I'm going to give you this." She then touched the
desk, and a sheet of paper popped out of it. "This is a special diet
especially designed for you. I want you to follow it completely. Also, I'm
prescribing you some vitamins. And Rei?"

"Yes, doctor?"

"You have to tell the others. This is too big a secret to be carried by you
alone. They'll understand. And if you don't tell them soon, I'll be the one
that tells them."

Rei had an ironic smile when she heard that. "Funny... that's exactly what
Yohann said when he found out."

"That proves my point. And now, please tell Usagi and Mamoru to come in when
you go back to your room." And with that, Akane began to read Usagi's medical
report.




"Yes, doctor Mizuno?" asked Mamoru as soon as he and Usagi were inside the
office.

"Please, take a seat. This won't take too long." Said Akane. Once the couple
was comfortably seated, she continued. "I take you two are deeply in love,
right?"

"Oh, yes! I couldn't live without my muffin!" said Usagi, while she leaned her
head on his shoulder. Mamoru smiled lovingly at Usagi, taking her hand in his.

"I see..." answered Akane, an unidentified glint in her eyes. "And you,
Mamoru, I understand that you feel the same for Usagi, right?"

"Of course, doctor. I couldn't bear life without her at my side." Was Mamoru's
answer.

Akane nodded slightly, and then went right to the point. "Usagi, what I wanted
to discuss with you, is this: Since when are you taking contraceptives?"

That question took the couple aback. They were blushing brightly, but
nevertheless, Usagi made the obvious question. "But... but... how did you know
that?? I mean... no one knew about it! "

Smiling, Akane looked at them. "You can thank... or blame... Yohann's
diagnostic table. The sensors picked up a fair amount of contraceptives on
your bloodstream, Usagi. And the quantities were consistent with the ones of
a person that takes them regularly."

"Also," she continued, "the scanners found out a slight amount of foreign DNA
on your body, and when it was correlated, it was matched 100% with Mamoru's."

Mamoru felt so weak, that internally he thanked that he was already seated.
He had no idea that the sensors were so sensitive... at least, not to that
extreme! Usagi was blushing furiously, not knowing what to say.

"Please, don't think I'm going to lecture you. On the contrary," said Akane,
trying to comfort them. "I wanted to congratulate you both for taking
precautions. I don't want to know of your love life, because it's none of my
business, but what I want you to know, is that if you ever need help or
advice, you can always count with me."

That affirmation greatly eased the uneasiness on the couple. "Thank you
doctor." Said Usagi and Mamoru at the same time, a sincere smile on their
faces.

"Don't mention it. And Usagi? I strongly suggest that, if you need someone to
talk about this, you go to your mother. She's more open and understanding than
you imagine. But I don't think you should mention any of this to your father."
Concluded Akane, winking at the young girl.

Mamoru smiled nervously at that last remark. Yep, her father wouldn't find
this amusing at all if he ever finds out!

"That was all I wanted to talk with you two. And now, if you excuse me, I
have one more thing to do here before going back to the hospital. See you
around." Said Akane.

"Of course, doctor... and thank you." Said Usagi, shacking Akane's hand
warmly.

* * * *

Yohann, Usagi, Mamoru, Ami, Laurella and Robin were in the Weapons Test
Center, waiting for Minako to arrive. True to form, she was slightly late.

"It's comfortable to know that I'm not the only one that gets late to an
appointment." Commented Usagi, trying to ease the tension building on the
room.

'I'm glad Rei isn't here. I'm not in the mood to stop another of their
fights!' thought Ami. Similar thoughts ran through everybody else's minds. At
that same moment, the door opened, and Minako entered the Center.

"Sorry I'm late. I got sorta lost around here. This place is huge!" Said the
blonde girl. Artemis was perched on her shoulder, a huge sweatdrop on his
head. "Minako, you should have listened to me, instead of trying to find your
way on your own!" said the cat.

"Never mind." Said Yohann. "The important thing is that you are here Minako.
Well, the only reason I wanted you here is to give you your new techno-armor.
This is for you." With that, Yohann gave Minako her ring. The girl looked at
it, a confused look on her face.

"Excuse me, Yohann... you are a cute guy and all, but, you see... I already
have someone in my life. I'm flattered, it's a lovely ring, but I can't accept
it!" was Minako's response. She was even more confused when Yohann blushed and
the rest began to laugh. Ami only nodded with her head, and walking to her
side, gave her a kiss.

"No, Minako." Said the blue haired girl. "That's not an engagement ring. It's
your armor!" and then she showed her own ring. The rest of the team showed
their respective rings and watch.

Minako looked at her ring, then at her friends' rings, then at Yohann, back to
her ring, and raising an eyebrow, she gave a skeptical look at Ami. "You have
to be kidding..."

"Not at all, dear." Answered Ami. "Yohann, can we show her?"

"By all means." Said Yohann, and stepped aside.

"MOON SOUL POWER, TRANSFORM!"

"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"

"JENDRA CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"

"SATURN SOUL POWER, TRANSFORM!"

Mamoru triggered his own transformation, turning into Prince Endymion. Once
everyone was transformed, they proceeded to trigger their own armors. And in
a flash of light, they were donning their techno-armors. Minako's mouth
literally dropped to the ground, her eyes popping in an almost painful way!
Artemis was doing his best to contain his laughs. He always enjoyed looking
at Minako's surprised expression!

"But... but... but, but, but, but... but..." was all that Minako could say.
Ami then kissed her again, silencing her babbling.

"You see, Minako," continued Ami, "Yohann was kind enough to give us this
armors, and they look good too! Come on, try yours!"

"All right, if you say so. What do I do now?" asked Minako, after placing her
ring on her finger.

"Transform into your Senshi form, then place your ring in your chest, and
think 'Activate'. That's all!" said Ami. Everybody else nodded in agreement.

"Oh, well... here goes nothing!" said Minako. "VENUS SOUL POWER, TRANSFORM!"
Once she was on her Senshi form, she triggered her techno-armor for the first
time. When she thought the code word, a blinding flash of light illuminated
the whole center. The visors of the rest of the Senshi and Endymion
immediately reacted, obscuring themselves. Yohann had to close his eyes,
since he wasn't donning his own armor. Once the light subsided, they all
admired Minako's armor.

It wasn't so different from the other Senshi's, but on the contrary of the
rest, hers was colored amber, and looked semi-transparent. Her gauntlets had
one ruby-like stone on each one of them, on the back of each hand.

"Wow, neat!" said Sailor Venus, all the while she admired her new armor. "But
why does my armor looks so different from theirs? And what's the deal with the
rubies?"

"To tell you the truth, Venus," said Yohann; "I don't have the faintest idea.
You see, your armors adapt themselves to your own power templates. That means,
that your powers define their final form."

"Oh, well. Anyway, I look good on this!" said Sailor Venus. Everybody else
just sighed.

Yohann sighed as well, and then proceeded to open one of the boxes they
rescued from their mission on Cryssalid. "Endymion, can you give me a hand
with this?" With the help of Endymion, they placed the box on one of the
tables of the Center. Once there, Yohann proceeded to don his armor. Done
that, he used his enhanced strength to open the old box.

"Alex, try to determine the contents of this container." He said.

"Right away, sweetie!" Immediately, Alex used the sensors of the armor to
analyze the contents. A few seconds later, she had her answer. "This seems to
be some kind of amplifier, baby. But it's completely damaged. I don't think
we can make it work."

It was then that Sailor Moon approached the open box. "Then, does it mean that
we went all that way, that we faced all those dangers, just to collect some
old junk??" Anger was lacing her voice, and that surprised Yohann, who
unconsciously took a step away from the box... and her. Inadvertidly, she
placed her hand inside the box, and then, without warning, her armor reacted.
It became fluid again, and in the blink of an eye, it enveloped the strange
components of the box, and assimilated them.

"Wha--?" was the only thing she was able to say. Suddenly, her armor flashed.
When the light subsided, everybody was able to observe that two curious
objects were now on Sailor Moon's shoulders. They looked like miniature
cannons, seamlessly united with her armor. They were retracted on her shoulder
plates.

"Alex," said Yohann, being the first one to recover from the shock, "link to
her armor, and analyze this. I want to know what happened."

Alex then immediately linked to Sailor Moon's armor, and began to talk
immediately. "Sweetbuns, I don't know what happened. It seems that her armor
assimilated and repaired by itself that thing. One hypothesis is that her own
natural powers interacted with the armor, and integrated this junk to her,
creating a new weapon!"

Yohann then risked a peek at the box's interior. Inside, there were some
pieces of the device, but they were completely ruined, beyond any hope of
repairing them. 'junk is right', thought Yohann. He then looked at Sailor
Moon, and said. "Sailor Moon, please concentrate, and tell me if something
comes to your mind. Concentrate on this new weapon, and try to imagine what
does it does."

Sailor Moon nodded, and closing her eyes, she concentrated. A couple of
minutes later, she sighed in frustration. "Sorry, but I can't sense a thing!
It's like it doesn't want me to know what is it!"

Endymion then took her hand on his, and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek,
he said. "Try one more time, love. This could be very important."

Yohann then took her other hand on his, and squeezing it a little, he said.
"He's right, Sailor Moon. It this thing is harmful for you, I want to know. I
don't want to risk anyone near me." 'Alex,' he thought, 'I want you to record
everything. I don't want to lose one single detail.'

'Right on, baby!' answered Alex, and began to record the situation.

Sailor Moon blushed at the contact, and looking at them, she noticed that both
were smiling, encouraging her. She nodded, and closed her eyes again. Right
when she closed her eyes, three words popped on her mind.

"Sonic..." she murmured. Without her noticing it, the two mini-cannons moved
to her shoulders. Yohann and Endymion looked at them, curious.

"... Demodulator..." she continued. This time, the tips of the cannons glowed
an amber light. But what surprised Yohann and Endymion was that they rotated,
each one pointing at them!

"Blast!" finished Sailor Moon. As soon as she said the last word, two blasts
of concentrated energy emerged from the cannons, hitting Endymion and Yohann
and sending them to the far wall. The poor guys didn't have the chance to even
scream. They plummeted to the ground like puppets without strings. After they
shot, the cannons retracted back to their original position.

Everybody gasped at the sight, and ran towards the unconscious men. When
Sailor Moon heard the general commotion, she opened her eyes, and after seeing
her prince unconscious on the ground, she ran to his side. "Endymion! Muffin!
Are you all right?? What happened??"

"You happened!" said Sailor Saturn, who was looking at Yohann's armor,
shocked. The chest plates looked melted, and when she tried to touch the
edges, they broke like crystal! "You said a phrase, and your weapons locked
on them and fired!"

"Yeah!!" said Sailor Jendra, looking at Endymion's armor as well. It was
damaged just like Yohann's. "You better watch out where you point those
things!"

"But I didn't know! I only said the first thing that came to my mind!" said
Sailor Moon, tears coming down her face. She didn't bother to stop crying.
"Quick, everyone! Help me to take them to the Medical wing!"

Sailors Moon, Jendra and Venus took Endymion, while Sailors Mercury and Saturn
took Yohann, and taking care not to harm them, they began to walk towards the
Medical wing.



Yohann and Endymion were on two diagnostic tables, still unconscious. Mercury
was operating the medcom, reading intently at the data displayed. Meanwhile,
Saturn, Jendra and Venus were trying to console Moon, who was very upset with
herself after what happened.

"Why I can't be more careful?? Why did I let them talk me into doing that??
What if they are seriously injured?? It's all my fault!" said Sailor Moon for
the fiftieth time on the last 3 minutes.

"It wasn't your fault, Sailor Moon." Said Venus for the fiftieth time as well.
"No one knew what was going to happen. Not even Alex!"

"That's right." Said Saturn. "Remember, she said that the box was full with
garbage. No one expected that this things," and she touched the cannons on
Moon's back... very carefully. "were going to fire at all. At least, not with
that kind of power!"

"Besides, They were using their armors. I doubt that they are seriously hurt!
Those things are tougher than anything I ever saw." Said Jendra.

"The diagnosis is ready." Said Mercury at that moment. Everybody looked at
her. "There is no damage on their bodies. It was fortunate that they were
using their armors at the time. Otherwise, I seriously doubt that they could
have survived." Moon and Saturn gasped when they heard that. "They lost
consciousness mostly because of the impact and the shock, but otherwise, they
are fine. They only need to rest."

"Oh, thank God!" sighed Sailor Moon. Sailor Saturn sighed as well.

"Hey, aren't we forgetting someone else here?" said Sailor Jendra. "Namely,
what happened to Alex? Wasn't she on Yohann's armor when they were blasted?"

"OHMYGOSH!" said Mercury. "I've forgotten of her!" she quickly moved to
Yohann's side, and spoke softly. "Alex, can you hear me? Are you all right?
Are you still functioning?"

In that instant, her compact beeped. She opened the screen, and a message
appeared on it.

Well, it's about time someone asked about me!

"Alex! You're still here! I was so scared!" said Mercury, a sigh of relief
escaping from her lips.

You were scared?? What do you think I felt when that... that... meatball head
blasted us?!?!

"It wasn't her fault, Alex." Continued Mercury. "Do you know what happened?"

Yes. It was fortunate that I was recording everything. It seems that Sailor
Moon's new weapon is some kind of sonic disrupter. It makes matter vibrate at
an incredibly high frequency, shattering it. The attack is fueled by her own
natural Technum power, making it a weapon to be feared.

"Fascinating..." murmured Mercury. "But tell me, why are you contacting me
using my computer?"

Because the attack blew the external speakers of the armor! Fortunately, it's
regenerating now. It will be fully functional in a couple of hours. Oh, Ami!
I was so scared! For a moment, I thought that I would never see you guys
again! Especially you!

Mercury felt touched after that answer. She understood perfectly Alex's
feelings. Being one of a kind in this world is frightening, and when you
finally find good friends, you don't want to leave their side!

"It's ok, Alex. Everything is all right. Besides, if Cauldron couldn't take
you down, this attack is nothing!" she joked.

Yep, you're right! I'm tougher than that! Hey, what do you say if we check
the files we rescued from Cryssalid while the guys rest? That shall keep us
occupied.

"Good idea, Alex. We all need to forget this incident." And addressing the
rest of the girls, she continued. "Alex is all right. She said that they," and
pointed towards Endymion and Yohann "are ok, confirming the medcom's
diagnostic. She and I are going to check the files we rescued on Cryssalid. I
suggest that all of you leave them alone. Besides, it's almost lunch time."

"Yeah! All this emotions make me hungry! Come on, Sailor Moon! Let's eat
something, and prepare something special to greet them when they wake up!"
said Sailor Saturn. Sailor Moon looked at them, and nodded, following Saturn.

"Hey, wait for me! I want to help!" said Sailors Venus and Jendra at the same
time, and immediately, ran after the other two girls.

"She'll never change." Said Mercury. "And that's why I love her so much!" And
with that, she walked towards the Computer room.

* * * *

Usagi, Chibi-Usa, Laurella, Robin, Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako were together
in the living room at the base with Ikuko. The older woman was talking about
her experiences when she met Kenji, and all the things she had to do to win
his heart. It's needless to say, her young audience was captivated.

"... and then, there was an occasion when he was so enthralled in his job,
that I was simply fed up!"

"And what did you do, Mrs. Tsukino?" asked Makoto.

"Well, I went to talk with his boss, and told him that there was some
emergency at my house, and I needed his help. He was a little skeptical
first, but he finally let Kenji go with me."

"And then what happened??" asked Chibi-Usa, completely mesmerized by the story.

"You see, I had a picnic basket with me, and without him knowing it, I managed
to make him drive us to a nearby forest. And once there, I took the keys of
his car, and forced him to spend the day with me!"

"Mom! You didn't!" said Usagi, slightly shocked.

"Yes I did, dear. And believe me, it was the best day we spent together.
After that, we went on a picnic every week... and still do!" said Ikuko, a
dreamy look in her eyes.

"And speaking of workaholics... Has anyone seen Yohann and Company?" asked
Robin.

"Well, as far as I know," said Ami, "Yohann and Alex are still on the Weapons
Center trying to figure out what is all the stuff we got from Egypt, and
Mamoru, Shingo and Mr. Tsukino are in the Gymnasium, working out and planning
the next series of simulations for the next mission."

"Figures." Said Ikuko. "Some old habits are hard to forget... and are so easy
to be passed to other people!"

"You are right... what do you say if we eat something? I prepared some new
recipes and want your opinion on them." Said Makoto.

"Great, I'm starving!" said Usagi and Chibi-Usa at the same time, already
savoring Makoto's great dishes.

"I'll go and call the guys. And don't let those two eat my part!" said Robin,
and before Usagi or Chibi-Usa could answer her, she dashed towards the base.



"Hello? Lunch's ready, Yohann!" said Robin while entering the Weapons Test
Center. He was examining a set of pieces from one of the boxes. He was donning
a strange looking kind of helmet, with some binoculars on it. The whole setup
was linked by some fiber optic wires to the wall.

"umm?" he murmured.

"I said, lunch's ready. Yohann, you've been working too much this days. You
should take it easy!"

"That's what I've been telling him, bimbo!" answered Alex. "But he doesn't
want to listen to me!"

"Tell me, Alex." Said Robin. "When was the last time he ate something? He
looks thinner!"

"Yesterday morning. He claims to have too much work to do, but that's no
excuse for killing himself like that!" answered the AI with an angry tone.

"Excuse me, Robin. What was that you were saying?" asked Yohann, completely
unaware of the previous verbal exchange.

"I give up!" exclaimed Alex. "If you need me, I'll be on the computers room.
You are becoming impossible, sweetie!" And with that, she transferred herself
to the mainframe.

"Ok, Alex. You do that." Said Yohann absent-mindly, not noticing what Alex
said, completely focused on the task at hand.

Robin sighed and without saying anything, she unplugged the helmet. That
drawed Yohann's attention immediately.

"Huh? Alex, what happened? Run a diagnosis, will you?"

"Alex is not here, Yohann." said Robin, still holding the plug on her hand.
"And I agree with her. You've been overtaxing yourself. You should take it
easy! You are going to get sick if you continue like this."

"Sorry, Robin. It's just that I want to finish this analysis before we carry
on to the next leg of this mission. Remember that it was too close the first
time." He then began to pace around the room, much to Robin's dismay. "I took
for granted the first part, and it almost cost us our lives, not to mention
Ami's mind! I don't want that to happen again. Not especially..." Yohann
lowered his eyes, a sad look on them.

"Yohann..." Robin walked to his side, and placed her hand on his shoulder,
trying to comfort him. "it wasn't your fault. There were too many unknowns
there. There was no way for you, or anyone to know what was going to happen
there! Please, stop blaming yourself."

Yohann took her hand, and looked deep in her eyes. Robin noticed how much
guilt he felt, the pain he was trying to endure. "Thank you, Robin. However,
there's still much for me to do here. I'll join you when I finish here, ok?"
He then kissed her on the forehead, and taking the plug from her hand, he
connected the helmet again and continued his work.

Robin stayed on her place, worried for Yohann. After a couple of minutes, she
walked out of the room, still debating with herself what to do about him.


"You are saying that he feels guilty because we were hurt there? But that's
ridiculous!" said Usagi. "We knew it was dangerous, and besides, it's all part
of the job!"

"Yes, I know. However, that's how he feels." Said Robin, playing idly with her
spoon.

They were all reunited on the dinning room. After waiting for Yohann, they all
decided to start without him. Nevertheless, Makoto separated a ration for him,
just in case.

"It looks to me that he's trying to overcompensate. I saw that too often on
the army." Said Kenji; after taking a sip of his coffee, he continued. "You
see, one of the captains on the camp I was stationed made a slight mistake,
and a few men of his platoon were hurt. He suddenly changed. He tried to help
everyone, even take the place of a partner. By the end, he was licensed. We
found that he felt guilty for that mistake, and tried to make ends meet to
calm his conscience."

"What I think," said Ikuko, "is that that boy needs to take a vacation. I
mean, look around! Everything here is related to his mission. He has to take
his mind out of this place and relax."

"I agree, Mrs. Tsukino." Contributed Mamoru. "I was like that before meeting
Usagi. And believe me, it's not a pretty experience being so focused."

"I hate to admit it, but I agree with you all." Said Alex. She had downloaded
herself to Ami's computer, and was listening to the conversation. "At the
beginning, he was supposed to take 3 weeks of R&R because he was too tense.
And the stress of being in charge of this kind of mission, is starting to
take its tool on him."

"But what can we do? I mean, he's locked himself inside that bunker! How are
we going to get him out of there?" said Minako.

Everybody felt silent. After a few minutes, Makoto and Robin literally jumped
from their seats, saying at the same time the same thing. "I have a great
idea!"

Everybody looked at them puzzled, but it was Alex the one that spoke for all
of them. "And what kind of idea is hammering inside those little heads of
yours, girls?"

"It's a surprise, Alex." Said Makoto. "You have to trust us. We have to
discuss it and refine a few details, but I promise you this: Yohann will be a
new man after we finish with him!"

"Yeah!" said Robin. "You won't recognize him! Come on, Makoto, we'll discuss
this in my room!" And with that, both girls ran towards Robin's room, leaving
a rather confused group of people behind them.

* * * *

Friday afternoon...

"So, are you ready?" said Robin. She was in the hangar, along with Makoto.

"Yes, everything's set." Said Makoto. "Everything is loaded in the ship. But,
are you sure this is right? I mean, this is too serious..."

"Of course!" interrupted Robin, smiling broadly. "Besides, this is not for us,
it's for Yohann's sake, remember?"

"Oh, all right. Where are we going now, anyway?" asked Makoto.

"It will be a big surprise. You are going to love it!" was Robin's cryptic
answer. "Just wait inside, and do as I said once we're inside, ok?"

"Sigh ok." Answered Makoto, and then she entered the Leviathan. Once she was
inside, Robin then went to the Weapons Test Center, and without knocking, she
entered. Just like the last days, Yohann was bent over the parts, trying to
figure out what to do with them.

"Yohann?" said Robin, at the same time she placed a hand on his shoulder. He
immediately turned around. 'Oh, boy.' Thought Robin. 'He really needs to rest.
He looks terrible!' And that was right. Yohann had black circles around his
eyes, and his hair was a mess. His hands were slightly trembling, and he had
an unfocussed look in his eyes.

"Yes, Robin? What's the matter? If it's about resting, I'll do it later.
There's still so much to do here, that..."

"No, Yohann." began Robin. "You see, I was checking on the Leviathan, and it
seems that there's something wrong with the navigation controls. Would you
like to check it? I'm not familiar with the components."

"Why don't you ask Alex to help you? After all, she's more familiar with the
systems than myself."

"Alex is still busy with Ami in the Computers room. They are trying to
descypher the files we got from Cryssalid. That only means that you are the
only one available to help. Come on, I'll show you. I don't think it's
something serious!" said Robin, pleading at him with her most innocent look.

Yohann looked at the workbench, and after passing his hand over his tired
eyes, he only nodded at her and went to the hangar. Behind his back, Robin
smiled, knowing that her plan was working perfectly.


"Well, what seems to be the problem here?" asked Yohann. To him, everything
seemed normal.

"Seat here, and I'll tell you what's the problem." Said Robin. Once Yohann was
on the copilot's seat, she began the ignition procedures. Once the Leviathan
was ready to take off, she began to talk again.

"You see, once the ship is ready, the computer began to indicate that there's
something amiss. Would you like to check this?"

But before Yohann could punch a key, he felt a sting on his shoulder. He
turned around, and saw Makoto with a hypo-spray on her hand, a timid smile on
her face.

"What...?" was the only thing he could say. A couple of seconds later, he was
soundly asleep on the copilot's seat.

"Well, that was easy." Said Robin, a happy expression on her face.

"Yes. But I still feel guilty for this. He's not going to be very happy when
he gets up."

"Oh, he'll be happy, all right! Come on, there's a nice weekend waiting for
us!" said Robin, and immediately, she took the pilot's seat, and initiated
the launch procedures.


Ami and Alex were checking the Cryssalid files (as they now named them) when
a message appeared on one of the screens. When Alex read the information, she
began to curse.

Ami was shocked after Alex's reaction, but nevertheless she asked. "Alex,
what's the matter? What's going on?"

"Someone is taking the Leviathan! I have to stop it!" Alex then began to issue
orders to the computer, but she gave up after a few seconds. "No good. Someone
turned on the jamming systems of the ship. I can't link to it! We have to
report to Yohann!" With that, she downloaded to the Weapons Test Center. Ami
was on her way as well, but before she could reach the door, Alex returned.
"He's not there!"

"Perhaps he's the one that took the ship." Said Ami, but as soon as she said
that, she knew it wasn't probable. Alex confirmed that for her.

"I don't think so. He's not the kind to make such a stunt without telling
anyone. We have to tell the others! Use your communicator!"

Ami took it, and punch the "All Call" button. Immediately, everybody answered
her call. As soon as she got them online, Ami began to explain the situation.

"Ami, wait a minute. Where are Makoto and Robin? They didn't answer the call."
Said Laurella.

"Yeah! And where are they, anyway?" asked Minako. That was when Ami noticed
that the signals of Jupiter and Saturn were off.

"You don't think..." began the blue-haired girl, but internally, she knew the
answer.

"... that they're the ones that took the ship?" finished Alex for her. "Just
wait when I'm with them. They are going to hear me, all right! I'm... I'm..."

"Calm down, Alex. Let's check their rooms. Perhaps there's a clue there."
Said Ami, and addressing the rest of her friends, she added. "As soon as I
find out what's going on here, I'll call you again. Ami out."



"Well, Ami," said Alex. She and Ami used one of the emergency hatches to exit
the base, and watched in dismay when the Leviathan cleared the pool complex
and departed to an unknown destination. Alex was now on Ami's compact.
"There was nothing on Makoto's room. What makes you think we'll find anything
on Robin's?"

"It's just a hunch. After all, this situation has all the style of one of
Robin's antics. Besides, do you have a better idea?"

"Not for now. Ok, I'll scan the place. Hold on a moment." Alex then used the
compact's sensors to scan the whole room. A few seconds later, she talked
again. "Bingo! We hit the jackpot! You were right, Ami. There's a note on the
desk."

Ami walked to the desk, and sure enough, there was an envelope on it, the
words "for the senshi" written with big black letters. She proceeded to open
it, unfolded a pink sheet of paper, and began to read the letter in loud voice.

My dear friends.

Sorry for not telling you about what Makoto and I had planned, but we
wanted it to be a surprise, especially for Yohann. We, the same as you all,
are worried for him. We'll be out for the weekend, and return in time for the
next part of the mission. What I want to assure you is this: we'll make Yohann
take a vacation, either he likes it or not! And with Makoto's help, he won't
have a say against it.
Please, take care of my dad. And if he wakes up before we return, don't tell
him anything. I'll tell him later.

See you all on two days!

Robin Redwing.
A.k.a. Sailor Saturn.

P.S.- And don't worry. We won't make anything any of you haven't done before.
See ya!

Ami read the letter three more times, still not believing that Robin and
Makoto were together on this crazy scheme!

"How dare them to do something like this! Just wait till they return, I'll
make them regret this antic!" said Alex, literally fuming

"Leave them alone, Alex." Said Ami. "After all, they are doing this for
Yohann's sake. I don't like the idea of doing this in secret too, but I think
they had their reasons."

"That's what I'm afraid. Their reasons." Said Alex. "What do you think they're
going to do with him and the ship?"

"Knowing them, it could be anything. But Yohann is quite safe with them.
Don't worry about him." Answered Ami. "Come on, let's continue to check those
files and tell the others what we found. Let's give Yohann a surprise when he
returns."

"Ok, you're on!" said Alex. 'But Yohann will have to explain a lot when he's
back!' she added for herself.

* * * *

"Ok, Robin. We did it." Said Makoto, trying to focus on Yohann's condition
instead of the fact that they were flying. "Now, what are you planning to do
now?"

"Well, since you won't tell, and Yohann can't hear us, I'll speak. A couple
of days ago, I hacked into a military satellite, and using it, I found a
little island in the south pacific. No one lives there, and it's away from
the commercial and military lanes. That's where we are going now. Just imagine
it! A whole weekend, only the three of us in a tropical island!" finished
Robin, excited by the idea.

Makoto thought about it. Yes, it sounded very, very appealing! "But Robin,
don't you think the rest of the girls can find out? Not to mention Alex! She's
going to skin us alive when she finds out!"

"And what do you think she's going to do to us? She's only a program! Besides,
what if the others find out? What can they do, swim all the way after us? Come
on, relax!" said Robin, and immediately, she accelerated towards their little
tropical prank.

* * * *

At the Gate of Time...

Setsuna was observing the unfolding events with some interest; right, Yohann
was in need of a little vacation, but this was something completely
unexpected. She was still trying to see the consequences of such acts, when
she felt something disturbing the flow of the mists around her. She turned
around, but before she could see anything, a voice was heard.

"Hello, Sailor Pluto. Are you busy?"

Setsuna smiled softly. She recognized the voice. "Not much, Commander. Please,
step near the Gate. I think you'll find this interesting." She then diverted
her attention towards the Gate again, and shortly after, Commander Galos was
standing besides her. "You see, Robin and Makoto just kidnapped Yohann, took
the Leviathan and are now flying to the south pacific. I have to ponder the
consequences of their actions. This could affect seriously the timeline."

"We already took the liberty to calculate that, Sailor Pluto." Answered the
Commander. Setsuna turned to look at him, intrigued. "Our analysts indicate
that such action will have minimal impact on the timeline in a negative way,
and the benefits of having Yohann back on the appropriate mindset will help to
reinforce the integrity of the timeline itself."

"Are you sure about it, Commander? After all, you could be wrong." Said
Setsuna. She'd never admit it, but she was impressed by the efficiency of the
Agency... and the Commander's as well.

"Of course, Sailor Pluto. After all, you are the one that teached us how to
analyze the impact of actions on the timeline." Answered the Commander,
smiling as well. "Besides, this is not what I'm here for."

"Oh? And what brings you here, then?" asked Setsuna, curious.

The Commander turned to look at her straight into her eyes, and said. "I
wanted to invite you to spend a day with me. After all, you too need to relax
a little."

Setsuna looked intently at the man, not knowing what to say. Yes, it sounded
attractive, but nevertheless, the proposition took her by surprise, so she
answered the only thing she thought would help her. "That's very kind,
Commander, but I can't leave this place just to have some fun. Thank you for
your kind offer, but I have to decline."

The Commander just kept smiling at her, making Setsuna feel a little nervous.
'What is he planning to do?' she thought. The answer came soon enough.

The Commander snapped his fingers, and a huge multicolored portal opened
behind him. From it, stepped out six armored warriors, three HWP's and one
enormous and strange looking humanoid robot, with weapons all over its
surface. The summoned troops took positions surrounding the Gate of Time.

Setsuna was deeply impressed, and she didn't bother to hide it. The Commander
was smiling broadly at her, savoring the moment. "Well, I think that
department is now covered, Sailor Pluto. They will watch the Gate, and contact
us in case something happens. Anything else?"

Setsuna blinked twice, trying to find something else. "But what if the girls
need my assistance? I mean, I have to be alert just in case..."

"I can take you there faster than the Gate, Sailor Pluto." Interrupted the
Commander. "As I said, these troops will watch. They have strict orders to
communicate anything out of the ordinary, no matter how trivial it seems.
Anything else?" he asked again.

Setsuna looked at the Commander intensely, a smile forming on her lips. "You
are not going to quit, right?"

The Commander smiled at her as well. "Now you understand, Sailor Pluto. So...
what do you say? Would you like to spend a day with an old soldier like yours
truly?" and with that, he offered his arm to her.

The Guardian of Time cocked her head, and took his arm. "It would be an honor,
Commander. And please, call me Setsuna."

"Only if you call me Galos. Shall we go?" said the Commander, snapping his
fingers again. The first portal closed, and another one opened.

"Of course, Galos. Where are we going?" asked Setsuna, looking at the new
portal.

"It's a surprise. Trust me, you'll like it. I have planned a very special
day, just for you." And with that, the couple crossed the portal, leaving the
troops to guard the Gate.

* * * *

Ami and Alex were examining the readings of the computer at Yohann's office.
They hacked into one of the military satellites in a geostationary orbit above
the Pacific Rim. They used the spying equipment of the satellite to locate the
Leviathan, and to divert attention from it as well if the case needed it.

"Can you believe it?" said Alex. "They didn't bother to hide their trail! If
it weren't for us, they'd have all kind of interception crafts right on their
tails! What were they thinking anyway??"

"Well, you can't expect them to remember every single detail, right, Alex?"
answered Ami. "After all, they are not professional pilots."

At that same instant, the computer beeped. Alex immediately linked, and read
the results. "They landed. And on an empty island in the south pacific, to
boot! Ami, we have to get there! There's no way to know what are they going
to do to my sweetbuns! And without me! He won't be able to operate correctly
his armor without my assistance! And what if he gets hurt? He'll be on his
own! And at the mercy of those man-eaters! The rest of your friends have to
take us there! And..."

"Please, Alex! Calm down! You are giving me a headache!" interrupted Ami.
"He's going to be all right, believe me. After all, Makoto and Robin are not
going to do anything wrong or dangerous to him. I know them, and I can assure
you that he's on capable hands."

"That's what I'm afraid of. They have capable hands, alright! But capable of
what??"

"Oh, Alex... don't tell me you are jealous of them!" said an amused Ami.

"Well... just a little. But don't mention any of this to the others, ok?"
promptly answered Alex.

"Ok. Anyway, let's leave them there for the time being. I believe that they
want to take Yohann out of here so he can regain his strength. And believe
me... he needs to relax!"

"sigh Yes, I guess you're right. He needed to relax, all right. But still,
I don't like being left behind."

"Neither do I, Alex. Come on, let's go to the kitchen and make a sandwich.
I'm hungry, and we still have to figure out those strange files. I have a new
idea I want to try on them."

"You're on!"

* * * *

Yohann was still dizzy after he regained consciousness, but he didn't feel
any pain or discomfort. Rather, he felt quite well, listening to the waves
crashing nearby, the salty breeze flowing lazily on his face and the fresh
sand under his body...

'Wait a minute.' He thought. 'Waves? Salty breeze? Sand?? What's going on
here?? Alex, what's the meaning of all this? Alex, are you there?' After a
few more attempts, he knew that Alex wasn't near, and he risked opening his
eyes. He opened them just a bit, and saw a blue sky, white puffy clouds and a
hint of the bluest patch of ocean he saw in his entire life. He then moved his
limbs experimentally, just in case he was hurt without feeling it at the
moment. Involuntarily, he groaned because he was a little bit stiff.

Just then, he heard a melodious voice at his right. "Hello, sleepy head.
Enjoyed your nap?"

"Yeah, you were really tired, Yohann!" said another lovely voice at his left.

That immediately brought back Yohann's senses, and stood up in no time flat.
He turned around, and was greeted by an awesome sight.

Sitting in the sand, were Robin and Makoto, wearing the same string bikinis
they used the first day they went to swim at the base. They had fresh orchids
on their hair, and were looking at him with the most mischievous grins he ever
saw. Involuntarily, he drew his hand to his waist, only to found that his belt
was missing. Slowly, Yohann looked down at himself, and noticed that he was
only wearing his jumpsuit, nothing more.

"Ok, girls. I enjoy a joke like anyone else, but this is enough. Now, would
you please tell me, where are we, and where is the Leviathan?" he asked,
trying to get a grip of the situation.

"Can't you relax just a little bit once in your life, Yohann?" Said Robin.
"After all, we came here to rest and have some fun."

"Besides, you were in urgent need of free time, and to take your mind off the
work. Come on, enjoy the present, and forget the work for a day at least."
Finished Makoto, smiling sweetly at him.

Yohann felt a little nervous, not knowing what to do, but nevertheless, he
tried to seize control of the situation. "All right, girls. Granted, perhaps
I overdo myself working, but at least, can you tell me where's the ship?"

"Sure. It's behind you." Told him Robin, an unidentified glint in her eyes.

Yohann gulped, but he turned around. The only thing he looked was a small
natural riff, forming a small lagoon... and nothing else.

Yohann's jaw dropped to the ground, suddenly realizing what happened. But it
was Makoto the one that answered for him.

"Yes, the Leviathan is resting at the bottom of the lagoon, courtesy of Robin
and a little program she developed just for this occasion. And now, come here.
You still need some rest." And she patted the space between her and Robin,
inviting Yohann to lay down and relax.

"But before that," intervened Robin, "I think you better change. Here, we
brought this for you." And with that, she handed him a small travel bag.
Mechanically, he took it, and opened it. He noticed that in the interior,
were a comb, a deodorant, a few items of personal hygiene, his swimsuit
(the small one, to boot!) and a package of... 'oh, no.' he thought. 'No, no,
no, no, no, no; they're not planning to do THAT! At least, not with me!... do
they?' he then looked at them. The girls were looking at him, sending him
lovingly stares. He gulped, looked back up, and slowly turned around, noticing
his surroundings for the first time.

The beach had the whitest sand he ever saw in his life, and was so soft to
the tact. The breeze was so refreshing, even invigorating. The sea looked so
inviting, the water so clear... and the vegetation was a luscious green. And
to add more incentives, there were two of the most beautiful ladies he ever
had the pleasure to meet waiting for him, and no more work!

'Well, if I can't defeat them...' he thought, and in loud voice, he said.
"Very well, you win. I'll play along with you. Now, will you please ladies...
can I have a little privacy while I change?"

"Can't we have a peek?" asked Robin, in all innocence. Yohann gasped, suddenly
pale, but before he could answer, Makoto intervened.

"Come on, Robin. Let's prepare everything for the meal. I bet he's hungry!"
she said, blushing furiously. And grabbing Robin's arm, she dragged her
towards the various paraphernalia stashed nearby.

Yohann shook his head, walked behind some bushes, and began to remove his
jumpsuit. 'Why me?' he thought. 'Why me? Can someone please answer me that
simple question?'

* * * *

Meanwhile...

Setsuna had to admit it. This was one perfect way to start a free day. Galos
had taken a little detour to Moon Rider's R&D wing, and after picking a golden
watch, he opened another portal. Right after the couple crossed it, they found
themselves in the most beautiful bucolic scenery she ever saw. The sky was so
blue not a single cloud on the sky. A mountain range was nearby, the peaks
covered with snow. A village was nearby, all the houses made of logs. And all
over the place, was the greenest lawn one can find, with flowers blooming all
around. And as a finishing touch, the moon was still on the sky, opposite from
the sun.

"Galos... this is beautiful! And what are we doing here?" asked Setsuna,
admiring the countryside.

"We are in Switzerland, Setsuna. And it's..." he then looked as his watch,
"9:00 a.m., and we are just in time for breakfast."

"Switzerland? In the morning? But..." she stopped mid-sentence, suddenly
realizing the whole situation. "Galos! How could you?"

The Commander smiled at her, not flinching under her stare. "It's because you
can't find decent chocolate in the last half of the twentieth century anymore,
don't you agree? And the best batch ever produced, came from this village, in
the early years of the century. Besides, you deserve only the best. And now,
shall we go? We have reservations on the local restaurant. But first, let's
get dressed for the occasion." He punched a button on the watch, and a soft
ivory glow enveloped them. When it subsided, they were dressed with the
regional clothes.

"You have a device for everything, don't you?" asked Setsuna, admiring her
dress.

"Not everything, Setsuna. One self must do certain things, don't you agree?
And now... breakfast is waiting." Said the Commander, offering his arm to her.

* * * *

Back in the island...

Yohann was really having a good time, he had to admit it. The three of them
were tanning under the sun, and were drinking coconut water from the coconuts
themselves. Makoto had prepared a delicious meal with the portable kitchenette
she took from the base, and the trio was having a relaxed moment.

"Are you still angry with us for taking you here without permission, Yohann?"
asked Robin, her voice sleepy.

"I was so anxious at the beginning, but now that we're here, I'm glad Robin
convinced me to do this." Said Makoto, her hands behind her neck.

Yohann took another sip from his coconut, and answered Robin's question. "No,
girls. I'm not mad at any of you. Besides, you never gave me a chance to even
get surprised, remember? And for that... Thank you, from the bottom of my
heart."

Makoto and Robin blushed, not knowing what to say.

"Yes, you were right. I was working too much." Continued Yohann. "And how did
you find out this place, anyway?"

"That," answered Robin. "Is our little secret. Are you feeling better?"

"As a matter of fact... yes. I feel invigorated! And... When does the
Leviathan will come back?"

"Nice try, Yohann." Said Makoto. "But no cigar. You see, It's programmed to
resurface tomorrow night. And if you think you can dive to it, forget it. It's
50 feet under water."

"Ouch!" said Yohann. "Ok, you thought of everything. And now, what can we do?
We still have one and a half days ahead of us. Any ideas?"

"Weeell... I was just thinking..." said Robin. Yohann and Makoto looked at
her, curious. "How about a rematch from our first training exercise? After
all, that day you had the advantage of your armor, and now we are on equal
conditions."

"Yes! I've been wanting a chance to redeem myself after that humiliating
defeat!" said Makoto.

"What do you say, Yohann? Are you up to the challenge?" finished Robin, a
mischievous look on her face.

Yohann looked at them, considering his options. After taking a couple more
sips from his coconut, he placed it on the sand, stood up, and faced the
girls. "Ok, you're on! And... what's my motivation for this little exercise,
ladies?"

Makoto stood up and walked next to him, and tracing his pectoral muscles with
her finger, she said in low voice. "How about... running for your life? Is
that good enough for you?"

Robin was standing behind him, and tracing his spine with her finger, she
added. "Yes. Because if we catch you, we'll do whatever we want with you. And
remember, you've already accepted the challenge."

Yohann shivered, not sure if it was because of the implications, of by the
sheer contact of these temptresses! But Robin was right. He had already
accepted her challenge, and he was a man that kept his word, no matter what.
"Very well. Fair enough, but at least can you give me a little advantage?"

Makoto smiled coyly at him, and nodded. "Very well. You have five minutes,
starting... now!"

Yohann bowed respectfully, and immediately ran towards the jungle, intent of
not making things easy for them. As soon as he disappeared behind the
vegetation, Robin looked at Makoto, and knew that she too had the same idea.

"Enough time." Said the two girls at the same time, and immediately ran after
their 'defenseless' prey.

* * * *

Setsuna couldn't remember when was the last time she felt so comfortable in
her life. After a delicious breakfast, and a small walk near the village,
Galos had opened a new portal, taking them to Venice, circa 1918. They were
now on a gondola, listening to the 'sound of the city', and enjoying the
historical sights. Unconsciously, she got closer to the Commander, who placed
his arm around her shoulders. Setsuna then looked to his face, and saw that
he had an unidentified expression. "What are you thinking?"

Galos shook out of his reverie, and looked at her. "I was remembering... the
first time we met. That's an encounter I'll never forget as long as I live."

Setsuna smiled at the memory. "Yes. It was a close call for you. At first, I
didn't believe you had it on you, but I'm glad you proved me wrong."

"Aah, yes... I remember it like if it was yesterday..." continued the
Commander. He and Setsuna laid on their backs, and began to recall that day...

Flashback

Setsuna was watching the Gate of Time, as was her duty. As it had been for the
last thousand years. Suddenly, she felt a slight disturbance in the mists near
the Gate, and immediately assumed a fighting stance. Soon, she noticed the
cause of the disturbance... a faint light in the distance, approaching her
fast. A few minutes later, the light was in front of her. It was a small
sphere, with antennae on the upper half, and glowing a blue light on the lower
half. When it was in front of her, a voice was heard.

"Greetings, Guardian of Time. This is a recorded message. We are a peaceful
race, and wish to establish diplomatic relations with you. We want to ask for
your permission to send our observation probes and teams through the Gate of
Time to continue our explorations. We are ready to send an emissary to your
location in order to discuss the matter. This probe is programmed to record
your answer and return to us. The process will begin... now."

Setsuna looked at the small probe, and considered the petition. It was rather
unusual, but interesting. She touched slightly the probe with the Time Key,
and the sphere just moved slightly, not giving any sign of retaliation. She
nodded, and talked to it. "Very well. Send your emissary, and we can discuss
the terms of your proposal. I'll be waiting." As soon as she finished talking,
the probe returned to its original point, leaving Setsuna alone again.

An undetermined time later, Setsuna felt a new disturbance, this time bigger.
She turned around searching for the origin, and saw the same light coming
back, this time with company. As soon as the figure was in visual range,
Setsuna noticed that it was a man, perhaps no more than 27 years old, curled
black hair, deep brown eyes, well proportioned, slightly taller than herself,
and with an air of efficiency around him that was hardly concealed by the
mist.

The man stood in front of her, and bowing respectfully, he spoke. "Greetings,
Guardian of Time. I'm Captain Galos, of the Multiple Reality Monitoring
Agency. I was sent here in order to discuss the possibility of you giving us
permission to send our observation teams and equipment through the Gate of
Time in order to obtain the necessary information for our research."

Setsuna nodded at him, and bowed as well. "Greetings, Captain. I'm Sailor
Pluto, Guardian of the Gate of Time. I heard your proposal, but I'm afraid I
can't let you go through the Gate. It's my duty to prevent anyone from
crossing it. Your Agency must be aware of the consequences of altering the
Timeline."

"Yes, Guardian. We are aware of that. But that's not our purpose. We only want
to observe without intervention the events of your time, and learn from it.
Our goal is to prevent the repetition of such mistakes, in order to create a
more stable society, one that can live in peace and harmony with other
sentient races. We will watch unobserved."

"A very noble and commendable goal, Captain. But my answer is still no. Return
to your Agency, and don't bother me again." And with that, Setsuna turned her
back towards Captain Galos.

But he wasn't going to let things like that. He had strict orders to obtain
her permission. "I fully understand your reticence, Guardian. But I can't go
back with only that answer. Isn't there a way to solve this?"

Setsuna stood silently for a couple of minutes, and without looking at him,
she answered. "Yes, there is."

"And what could it be, Guardian? I'm fully authorized to offer you whatever
you want."

Setsuna turned around, and assuming a fighting stance, she said. "You'll have
only one opportunity. Fight against me, and if you are victorious, we will
discuss the terms of your proposal. But if you fail..."

Galos gulped. He was briefed of the Guardian's power, but as she said, this
was his only opportunity. He had to be victorious! "Very well, Guardian. I
accept your challenge. And if I'm defeated, you'll let this probe return with
the recording, and I promise you that we'll never bother you again."

Setsuna nodded, looking at him. Galos assumed his own fighting stance, and
soon enough, the battle was on.

For the first few minutes, they only parried, trying to asses the weak points
of each other. As soon as they were satisfied, the real combat began. Galos
was pressed to his limit, using all the fighting techniques he was trained
with. Setsuna too was trying her best, secretly surprised that his man was
able to fight her for so long.

One hour later, both combatants were panting, neither one giving or taking a
break. Both were tired, but their spirits were sustaining them. Galos' uniform
as torn, and he was bleeding from a few cuts, but he wasn't ready to quit.
'There has to be an opening on her defense, but where?' he thought.

'He's very agile. I never imagined that a mere human was able to stand so much
punishment. Too bad this has to end now.' Thought Setsuna. Immediately, she
launched her last attack. "Dead Scream", she murmured, and a sphere of energy
formed on the orb of the Time Key. As soon as the attack was ready, it
launched itself directly towards the Captain. When the attack reached his
position, there was a huge explosion, and when the aftershocks cleared, there
was no sign of Galos anywhere in sight. 'What a shame,' thought Setsuna. 'He
was a brave warrior.'

She was about to speak to the probe in order to let it return, when she felt
a presence behind her. But before she could turn around, a hand grabbed the
Time Key, yanking it from her hand, and at the same time an arm crossed
swiftly over her neck, pulling her backwards. She felt on her back, stunned,
and in no time flat, a very bruised and tired Captain Galos was on top of her,
pinning her down. Using his legs, he immobilized her lower half, and with his
elbows, he immobilized her shoulders. Placing his thumbs on her throat, he
spoke. "Listen well, Guardian, if I move my fingers, I'll crush your throat.
And I'll do it, if you try anything else. Do you surrender now?"

Setsuna looked straight into his eyes, her face an expressionless mask. She
saw that he was serious... deadly serious. "Very well, Captain. I concede
victory to you. And now, would you be so kind to get off me?"

Galos nodded, and immediately moved away from her. As soon as they were on
their feet, he continued. "Does this mean, that we can talk about our
proposal?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Thank you, Guardian. I'll return to my base now, and a small delegation will
be sent here in order to discuss the treaty." Captain Galos started to walk
towards his point of origin, when Setsuna spoke again.

"Captain? There's one last condition before your delegates arrive."

'Oh, no... not another fight. I won't survive this time!' thought Galos. He
turned around, and asked. "And what is that condition, Guardian?"

"Actually, there are two conditions. One, that you are part of the delegation."

"That can be arranged, and it will be a great honor. And what's the second
one, Guardian?"

Setsuna smiled faintly, wondering why she was saying this. "That you call me
Setsuna, not Guardian. Please?"

Galos smiled as well, and bowing in respect, he turned around to give the
good news to his superiors. Setsuna stood still, looking in the direction the
Captain walked away, and wondering what does Fate had in store for everyone...

End Flashback

"My superiors were so glad that you agreed to our petition, Setsuna. Not to
mention shocked when they saw the conditions of my clothes when I returned.
They never imagined that you would fight so fiercely against their envoy!"
said Galos, chuckling softly.

Setsuna giggled too, blushing faintly at the memory. "Yes, I was too harsh on
you that time. But tell me, how did you avoid my attack? You were on my sight
all the time."

"Not all the time, Setsuna. You see, at the same instant you launched your
attack, the energy blocked your vision for one instant. It was then that I
jumped over the attack. My sudden departure created a small column of mist,
and that's what you saw. But don't think that I was unscratched! The shock hit
me quite hard after the explosion. And if I were half a second late to grab
your Time Key and throw it away, you would have been victorious, and all our
plans would have been for naught." Finished the Commander.

Setsuna sighed, frowning over the possibility. "But I'm glad you were
victorious. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here now." She then placed her hand on
the Commander's, closing her eyes.

A few minutes later, they arrived to their destination. After disembarking,
they walked a little more, admiring the city's architecture... and still
holding their hands together.

* * * *

Yohann was running like crazy, trying to outdistance the girls. He heard them
running behind him as soon as he was out of their view. 'Great,' he thought,
'they couldn't wait anymore to put their hands on me, eh? Very well then...
this is going to be a wit contest. If the guys at Moon Rider ever hear about
this! Me, running away from two beautiful girls!' He suddenly noticed a very
thick bush at his right, and immediately dived onto it, holding his breath
the best he could. A few seconds later, Makoto and Robin stopped in front of
him.

"Huff, huff he... can really run without his armor!" said Makoto. "Where did
he go?"

"I... huff, huff, huff don't know. I lost him on this area. Look at the
ground, perhaps we can see his footprints." Said Robin. Immediately, both
girls looked down, trying to regain their bearings on Yohann's trail.

He looked frantically around him, trying to find a way out. He then noticed a
rock at his feet. 'I must be really desperate. This is the oldest trick in the
book!' he thought. But when he saw the girls moving towards the bush he was
hiding on, he made his mind. Yohann took the rock, and trying not to move the
bush, he launched the rock away from him. When it fall, it made a lot of
noise, drawing the attention of the girls.

"He went that way!" said Makoto.

"What are you waiting for? Let's move!" added Robin. Immediately, both girls
ran in direction of the noise. When the coast was clear, Yohann stepped out
of his hiding, sighing. 'I can't believe this worked. All right, now it's my
turn, girls!' he thought. And with that, he put his plan in motion.


"Now we really lost his track!" Said Robin, a hint of frustration on her voice.

"Well, it was your idea to ran this way!" retorted Makoto. "Now what? He can
be anywhere."

"Not at all, Makoto." Answered Robin. "You see, that's one of the reasons I
picked up this island. It's not that big, and there're not many places where
he can hide. We'll have to split. You take that way," she pointed to the
right, "and I'll take this one. He doesn't have a chance to escape us, I
assure you that!"

"Girl, you can be so evil sometimes, that I'm glad we're friends!" Said
Makoto, shaking her head. "Ok, let's go. And the one that catches him, calls
the other, ok?"

"Ok. See you later!" When Makoto was away, Robin added for herself, "That is,
if I don't find him before you!" She then started walking, looking everywhere.
When she entered a small group of palm trees, she noticed some footprints in
the middle of them. 'Good, he's near here!' she thought. But before she could
take a step, a tangle of vines dropped out of nowhere, trapping her!

Because of the surprise, Robin felt to her knees. But before she could stand
up, Yohann stepped out behind one of the palm trees and walked towards her,
standing in front of Robin. She froze by instinct, and when she looked at him,
she felt scared. His face as an expressionless mask, not betraying his
emotions. His eyes were two black pools, void of all emotion. Slowly, he took
her by her arms, and helped her to stand up, not removing the vines over her.
Once she was on her feet, Yohann used one hand to remove very carefully the
vines covering her face, and slowly, he muttered. "This... is for your victory
on Gaia. I'll make sure you won't do that ever again." And without releasing
her arms...

He kissed her with all his strength. It was a wild, very aggressive kiss. He
covered her mouth with his completely, making a mute statement: He was in
charge, and he wouldn't allow his authority to be in jeopardy ever again.
Robin was shocked. She never imagined that Yohann could react this way! Her
muscles locked, the same as her mind. After what seemed to her like an
eternity, he released her. And again, very carefully, Yohann removed the rest
of the vines from her body. And this time, taking her hands, me said. "And
this... for your idea of taking me away from my work." And he kissed her again.

This time, his kiss was tender, soft, caring. He embraced her tenderly,
drawing her close to him. By pure instinct, Robin embraced him too, and
closed her eyes. Unconsciously, she opened her lips beneath his, letting him
taste her completely. She surrendered to him in that same instant, knowing in
her heart that she would never again question him in any way.

When the kiss finished, Yohann took the orchid off Robin's hair, and after
inhaling its delicate perfume, he placed it on his swimsuit. "Go back to the
camp, Robin." He ordered her. "I still have to deal with Makoto. As soon as I
finish here, we'll be back. And again... thanks." He smiled to her, and
immediately ran away from her.

Robin was dazed, hardly noticing her surroundings. She felt like walking on
clouds, and very lightheaded. And staring towards infinity, she slowly walked
back to the camp.



Makoto was on top of a rock formation, trying to get her bearings. 'Now, where
could he be hiding?' she thought. Suddenly, she saw him, trying to hide behind
some plants. 'Perfect! I couldn't have planned this better even if I tried!'
She began to follow him, not losing her sight from him, at the same time
avoiding being noticed by Yohann. The stalker was being stalked without him
noticing it. A minute later, he stopped behind a curve. Makoto smiled to
herself. Stealthily, she rounded the area, ending behind him. 'Good, he
doesn't suspect a thing!' She then began to climb a palm tree whose top was
right over Yohann. Makoto moved very slowly, trying not to make a sound.

Fortunately for her, Yohann was too concentrated keeping an eye on the road,
and he didn't notice Makoto's efforts... until it was too late for him.

Once she was in position, Makoto took aim, and dropped right over the
unsuspecting Yohann. His instincts kicked in too late, because by the time he
sensed something was wrong, Makoto was already on top of him, knocking him
down. It was too bad that Yohann was carrying with him the vines. Makoto used
them to secure his arms behind his back.

"YES!" screamed Makoto. "I'm number one! I'm the best!" And looking down at
her prey, she added. "And now... what am I going to do with you? Hmmm... I
think a little treat is in order, don't you think?"

Yohann gulped at her asseveration. 'Oh, boy... What is she planning to do
now?' he thought. Fairly easy, she turned him around over his back, and
cradling above him, she began to caress his face.

"You know, Yohann?" she said, while very delicately her hands traced the
contour of his facial features. "Men don't understand me. They are afraid of
me. But you..." She then began to caress his torso. "You are different. You
make me feel so comfortable when you talk to me. And when you noticed my
discomfort on the ship when we went to Egypt... you made me feel so special."

Yohann was literally between a rock and a hard place. This was being too much
for his self-control. The whole situation had a tint of surrealism from his
perspective. There he was, on his back, tied up and a gorgeous woman on top
of him, driving him mad with her touch! "It... was a pleasure... groan to
be... ooh... of assistance, Ma... koto..." was all he could say.

"And I'm wondering... why am I going to call Robin now? After all, I'm the one
that caught you... and the one that has you at her mercy..." She then closed
her eyes, and very, very slowly, approached her face to his, her mouth partly
open.

Something snapped inside Yohann's mind when he heard that. Taking a deep
breath, he tensed his muscles, and using all his strength, he broke the vines
that hold his arms. Suddenly, he grabbed Makoto by her shoulders, and in an
instant, the roles were reversed. It was Makoto the one that was under
Yohann's power. He had her completely pinned down and immobile under his body.

She looked at Yohann's eyes, stunned, and what she saw scared her. He was
looking at her with fury on his eyes, his face tense, intensely red. "That,
Makoto..." said Yohann, his voice cold as ice, "is completely unacceptable.
If you make a plan with a teammate, you have to abide with the common
decision. Taking a risk like this on your own without pondering the
consequences, is extremely dangerous. And now... I'll have to make sure you
understand this simple rule."

Without taking his gaze over her, Yohann stood up, taking Makoto with him.
She was shocked, not knowing what to think. It was then that Yohann did
something completely unexpected. Using his left arm, he crushed her against
his chest. Makoto gasped at the sudden action, and immediately tried to push
him away from her, but to no avail. Although she was the strongest Sailor of
the group, Yohann proved that he was stronger.

He then placed his right hand in front of her face, and she gasped. Yohann
closed his fist very slowly, and while doing that, she saw that small sparks
of electricity began to dance over his fist. She looked at it, mesmerized.
"You see, Makoto," said Yohann, "I don't need my armor to use magic. I'm a
magic user myself. And now... this is what you deserve."

Makoto looked at his eyes again, and later, remembering this experience, she
swore that there were flames dancing on Yohann's eyes. He moved his hand away
from her face, and placing it on her neck, he forced her head to move slightly
back. Makoto couldn't think of anything at the moment, she was completely
under Yohann's spell (so to speak).

Without saying a word, Yohann kissed her too, this time releasing part of his
inner power. Makoto's senses were overloaded by the onslaught. She closed her
eyes, surrendering to the sensation. Without her noticing it, small electric
discharges coursed fro and through their bodies, scorching the land they were
standing on with a whirlwind of energy. 'God,' she thought, 'If this is how he
makes his points clear, I... I..." she wasn't able to think of anything else.
Her mind shut down in that instant.

When the kiss was over, Yohann released her neck, but not her body. And with
good reason, because Makoto didn't have the strength to even stand up. She
still had her eyes closed, not being able to even open them. Yohann then
placed her delicately on the floor, and with infinite tenderness, he kissed
her again. This time, a faint whitish glow surrounded their bodies. Makoto
began to feel like she was being recharged by his kiss, instead of being
drained. She felt her body relaxing, but at the same time, invigorated.

When the glow subsided, Yohann finished the kiss, and caressing her forehead,
he asked. "Makoto, how do you feel? Are you all right?"

"Mmmm... oh, yes..." she purred. She opened her eyes, and saw that Yohann was
looking at her, a tender smile on his face. "What... what did you do to me? It
was... so... so..."

"Shhh... Don't talk. You are still weak." Said Yohann. "First, I used part of
my own power to make my point of view clear to you. What I didn't anticipate
was that your own power would try to cancel mine, and the reaction left you
too weak. I had to give you part of my own energy to revitalize you. I'm sorry
for that. Please forgive me."

"Don't feel bad." Answered Makoto, her voice still weak. "It was worth it. You
can discipline me like this any time you want."

Yohann's smile broadened, and with all his care, he picked up Makoto on his
arms. "Come, let's go back to the camp. Robin is waiting for us there."

Makoto curled closer to him, feeling secure in his arms. 'Oh, yes.' She
thought. 'This lesson was worthy, all right. He really knows how to make his
point of view clear!' That was her last conscious thought, because she felt
asleep on his arms.

Yohann looked down at her, and with secure steps, he began to walk towards
the camp.

* * * *

Commander Galos really went off his way to give Setsuna the ride of her life.
fter Venice, he had taken her to all kind of sites around the world during
different time settings. The opening of the Eiffel tower during the World
Fair, the Louvre in the 18th century, Tenochtitlan during its splendor, the
Gardens of Babylon in spring, the Forbidden City in China during the 12th
century... and during all this jumps, the Commander used his clock to provide
them with the clothes and money they needed. Also, it allowed for simultaneous
translation of the different languages.

Right now, they were on a reception late night in the palace of Versailles
during the napoleonic era, and Beethoven was playing his last masterpiece.
Setsuna was wondering why he took her to that specific place, when he
approached her. "Milady, would you concede me the honor of this dance?"

Setsuna smiled, and bowing to him, she said. "It will be a pleasure,
Commander." He then took her hand, and they joined the other couples in the
center of the dance hall. A few moments later, the rest of the couples formed
a circle around them. They were so perfectly synchronized that they impressed
all the people in the hall. Nevertheless, both time travelers were on a
universe of their own, staring at each other and noticing nothing else around
them.

'It doesn't matter what she wears or when... she'll always look so beautiful.'
Thought the Commander, looking deep into her eyes, internally wishing that
this moment lasted forever.

Setsuna had her eyes locked on his, too, trying to read his emotions. 'He's
so complex, and at the same time, so simple. A paradox by himself... and he
looks so good with that uniform!'

In that same instant, the waltz ended, and everybody went to their own
business at hand. Galos then took Setsuna's hand, and told her in a low voice.
"Would you mind to walk around the gardens with me? It's full moon now."

"Of course, Commander. Lead on." Answered Setsuna. A few minutes later, they
were seated in one of the rock benches in the gardens, looking at the moon.
After a moment of silent contemplation, Setsuna looked at the Commander.
"Galos, thank you for a wonderful ride. I'll never forget it."

Galos smiled at her, a glint on his eyes. "It's been a pleasure, Setsuna.
It's the least I can do for you. But... it's not over yet. There are a couple
more places for us to go."

"But don't you have to return to your base? There must be lots of work waiting
for you there."

"It can wait, Setsuna. Right now, you are my top priority, nothing more,
nothing else." Answered the Commander.

Those words sprung a small alarm on Setsuna's mind. "Tell me, Galos... what
are your real intentions? You are very practical, and you don't do anything
without a purpose. Is there a hidden motive behind all this?"

The Commander didn't flinch under the question; he just looked at her and
smiled. "You can read me like a book, Setsuna. Yes, there's a motive, but I'll
reveal it in due time. But I promise you this: my intentions are one hundred
percent honorable. Now, shall we go?" He then snapped again his fingers, and
another portal opened.

Setsuna looked at the portal, and thought. 'Umm... so there's a secret here.
But he's a man of honor; and if he says that his intentions are good...' and
taking his hand, she said. "Of course, Galos. Where and when to now?"

The Commander just smiled again at her, and guiding her, they crossed the
portal.

* * * *

Robin, Makoto and Yohann were enjoying their private paradise to its fullest.
After returning to the camp, the girls began to chat heatedly about their
individual encounters with Yohann, and both agreed that he was the winner of
their little exercise. Yohann declined the victory, stating that they were the
real winners, since he had turned it into a way for him to impose his points
of view.

After that, Yohann decided that it was his turn to give them a treat, so he
took a spear he made and went to dive in the lagoon, in search of something he
could prepare for dinner. Meanwhile, Makoto and Robin began to prepare
everything for him to start to cook. Soon enough, he emerged victorious, with
a couple of lobsters on the spear.

Later that night, after they had finished the delicious dinner Yohann made
with the catch of the day, they began to talk about their lives. Robin spoke
of her time on earth after her birth, how much she enjoyed being Sailor
Saturn, and how much she treasured the friendship of the rest of the Senshi.
Makoto then talked of her own life, how she lost her parents during an
airplane crash, how she had to live alone after that, and how happy she was
after finding Usagi and the rest of the Senshi.

When it was Yohann's turn to talk about him, he felt silent. Robin and Makoto
sensed his change of mood, and taking each one a hand, they offered their
support.

"Yohann, "said Robin. "If you don't want to talk about it, it's ok."

"Right." Added Makoto. "Sorry if we made you feel uncomfortable. It wasn't our
intention."

Yohann was staring at the starry night, deep in thought. After a few seconds,
he began to talk. "No, it's not that. It's just that... I don't want to make
you feel uncomfortable, that's all."

"But why?" asked Makoto. "Please, you can confide on us. As you told us one
day, we are together on this. Besides, we are friends, right? And friends
support each other."

Robin agreed mutely with that, and used both of her hands to hold Yohann's
hand.

Without looking at them, Yohann sighed heavily, and began to talk again.
"Thank you, girls. I appreciate your support. Ok, I'll tell you the short
version of my life. You see, the organization I'm part of explores all the
known universe in search of knowledge, and since this goal is so huge, they
have to rely on recruiting on other planets besides their own people."

"So, you are not from the planet your organization is native from?" asked
Robin.

"No, Robin. My homeworld is far away from theirs. But I found a new one on
the Agency. And I'm very grateful for that, because if it weren't for their
intervention... I'd be death now."

Both girls gasped at this revelation. They never imagined that Yohann had such
a secret inside him. "Oh, Yohann..." said Robin.

"What happened?" asked Makoto.

"I didn't know until later. It appears that there was a terrible war on my
planet. The inhabitants used all kind of terrible weapons, and the end result
was that all life was destroyed. Right after the holocaust, the exploration
ships of the Agency arrived. They found me under a mountain of rubble, hanging
fiercely to the body of a woman... my mother. They had to use a tranquilizer
to take me away and into one of their ships. The ships made a thorough
exploration of the planet, and the conclusion they reached was that I was the
only survivor of my race."

Everybody felt silent after this. Suddenly, both girls embraced Yohann,
silently offering their support. He embraced them as well, two tears rolling
down his face.

They stood in that position several minutes, after whose Yohann delicately
placed his hands under the girls' chins, and looking at them, he added. "Hey,
don't feel bad. It happened a long time ago, and I'm here, isn't it? Besides,
if it wasn't for that, we may never have met, right? So, cheer up! This is our
last night here, and let's make it a memorable one, ok?"

Both girls nodded in agreement, and after a couple of seconds, Robin spoke
again. "That's right! Ok, now that you mention it, Makoto and I have something
special prepared, just for you. Right, Makoto?"

"Right! Now, sit down over there, and don't move! This is a very special
surprise, and we don't want you to peek on us!" added Makoto. "Ok, Robin,
let's get this show on the road!"

The girls entered one of the camping tents of the camp, while Yohann went and
sat down near the bonfire they made for the night, wondering what were they
planning this time. He was busy adding a couple of dried palm trunks on the
fire, when the air filled with music... Hawaiian music. He turned around, and
the sight that greeted him made his heart skip a heartbeat.

Makoto and Robin were wearing two shirts made of grass, Hawaiian style.
Flowers adorned their hair and feet, and on their hands they had two collars
made of flowers too. The girls approached Yohann, and placed the collars on
his neck. The scene hypnotized him, so much that he did not dare to move a
muscle.

"Just sit down and relax, Yohann." said Makoto, and with that, they started
their dance.

'When did they learn to dance like that?' thought Yohann for a brief moment.
The girls were dancing like they were natives, their hands conveying whole
volumes to his senses, speaking of friendship, companionship... and love.

After the dance was over, both girls walked near Yohann, and at the same time,
they planted a kiss on his cheeks. Yohann blushed brightly but nevertheless,
he managed to stand up and applaud their performance madly. Makoto and Robin
smiled broadly at his appreciation.

When the magical moment passed, the trio sat down near the bonfire. "You
really impressed me, girls." Said Yohann. "I never imagined that you could
dance like that. When did you practice?"

"You see, I convinced Michiru to teach us the basics." Said Robin, smiling
coyly at him. "After that, she told us about a dance teacher."

"We went after school for the last week." Added Makoto. "We were curious,
after all. Personally, I never imagined that this lessons would come so
handy." She smiled at him too, and continued. "Tell us, Yohann... how do you
feel now?"

He looked at each girl, alternating gazes. Then he stared at the fire, and his
face relaxed, a serene smile on it. "Girls, I've never felt better in my
entire life. I don't know how I'll ever repay you for this."

"We'll think of something, don't worry for that, Yohann," said Robin.

They chatted a little more, and an hour later, they decided to go to sleep.
For Yohann, it was a restless time. He was rolling on his sleeping bag, sleep
far away from his mind. Suddenly, he stepped out of the bag, and trying not to
make any noise, he went out of the tent and walked along the beach.

The night was beautiful. The waves crashing softly at his feet, the stars
shinning brightly on the sky, their light reflecting on the surface of the
ocean like infinite precious jewels. And the Moon... casting its light all
over the scenery, giving an enchanting effect to the scene. The breeze blew
kindly, refreshing his body and mind. He had a lot to think and meditate.

All his life, he felt like an outcast, not truly belonging to the Agency, but
with a nagging feeling that his destiny lied somewhere else. That's why he
joined the Agency's Academy and later, the exploration corps... to find the
answer he internally knew waited for him somewhere. Yohann sensed deep in his
soul that there was a hole, an abyss that no one was able to fill... until now.

Suddenly, he felt someone place a hand on his shoulder. He turned around, and
saw her. 'Incredible.' He thought. 'Precisely the person I was thinking of...'
He nodded to her, and turned back to see the ocean. "Beautiful night, don't
you think?" he finally said.

"Yes, it is Yohann." She said. After another silent moment, she added.
"Couldn't sleep too?"

"No... I have to sort certain thoughts." He said. "Tell me, and please, be
sincere. Why did you really bring me here? I don't think it was only to make
me relax and forget my work, is it?"

The girl next to him lowered her face, not knowing what to say. After an
uncomfortable silence, she began to explain. "You are right, Yohann. That
wasn't the only reason. You see, I... I thought that, maybe if you were forced
to look at me... not as a warrior or as a partner in a mission, but... as a
woman, you..." She began to cry softly, trying to find what else to say.

Yohann cradled gently her face with both his hands, making her look straight
at him, and using his thumbs, he touched her tears. "And you were successful.
You see, I have a confession to make to you too." The girl looked up to his
eyes, hope rising on her heart. Yohann continued. "All my life, I've been
witness of many things, both beautiful and terrible. I had to steel my
feelings against all that, and I guess that the barrier I erected prevented me
to feel anything. And this last days, your efforts brought down that barrier,
making me face those feelings for the first time in a long time."

His companion was listening intently to his words, not daring to interrupt
him, but internally knowing what was his answer. Yohann continued with his
confession. "What I want to say is... that I felt a connection with you since
the first day we met at Rei's temple. I guess that my automatic reaction was
to deny it, but now... I can't continue fooling myself."

"I felt the same thing the first moment I saw you, Yohann. I felt so
frustrated when you grew so cold and distant, that when this opportunity came,
I couldn't resist to take it." Said the girl, not daring to take her eyes away
from Yohann's face.

They stood like that for quite a while, silently speaking of their mutual
feelings. Suddenly, at the same time, they both kissed gently, embracing each
other with all their strength, not wanting to release their newfound love.

After a moment, they stopped kissing, but continued embracing, not wanting to
let the other go. An instant later, the girl spoke again. "Yohann... I love
you." Yohann looked at her, and slowly approaching to her face, me muttered.
"I love you too..." He couldn't finish the phrase; he found himself busy again
kissing his love.

Unknown to them, there was a witness of the scene. Hidden by the shadows of
the foliage, a feminine silhouette was watching them intently, listening to
every word. A lonely tear sled down her face when she heard Yohann confess
his feelings to her companion, and when they kissed, she lowered her gaze, not
daring to see anything else. And when they confessed their love, she turned
around, muttering. "Way to go, girl. I wish you two all the luck in the world.
You deserve each other." And returned to the camp, feeling sad, but at the
same time, happy for her friends.

* * * *

Setsuna was tired, but happy. This whole experience was a memorable one.
After France, the Commander took her to enjoy a delicious walk in the
Parthenon on a summer night, and finally, they went to New York, circa 1949,
and enjoyed a beautiful ride around Central Park. They were now walking around
the lake of the Park, watching the lights of the city reflected on its surface.

"Galos, this has been by far the best day of my life. Thank you very much."
Said Setsuna.

"I'm glad you liked it, Setsuna. But there's still one more surprise for
you." Said the Commander. Setsuna looked at him, wondering what was he
planning now. "Now, for this to work, I want to ask you to close your eyes,
and no picking!"

Setsuna raised a brow, but nevertheless complied. Once he made sure she wasn't
seeing a thing, Galos opened a new portal above them, and in silence, it
lowered to ground level, engulfing them. Setsuna felt the now familiar
sensation of the portal's dimensional shift, but kept her eyes closed.

"Very well, you can open your eyes now." Said the Commander, and when Setsuna
opened them, she gasped, overwhelmed by the sight.

They were inside a transparent energy bubble, and around them was...
the universe.

The Milky Way was at their feet, glowing in all its glory, like a delicate
light statue encased in glass. She could see all the universe around them,
bathing them in its light, saying without words that all were part of it, that
everyone and everything was made of the same matter the stars were made of,
welcoming the sum of all that existed to be one with itself.

Setsuna felt all this, accepting it, and feeling the energy of all living
things of the universe. She felt a peace like anything she experienced in her
entire existence. And in an unconscious impulse, she embraced the Commander,
and closing her eyes again, she muttered. "Thank you. This is the most
beautiful thing anyone has ever given to me."

Galos embraced her as well, and muttered. "My pleasure, Setsuna." After an
indeterminate lapse of time on that position, he released her. "And now, my
final surprise for you." With that, he took out his clock, and pushed a hidden
button on it. There was a brief flash of white light, and they changed clothes
again.

Setsuna noticed that she was now wearing a dress similar to the one she used
to wear on the days of the Moon Kingdom. It was ivory in color, with long
gloves up to her elbows, and on her head, she was wearing a small golden
crown, with all kind of jewels on it, and on the front a big ruby.

The Commander was wearing a midnight blue gala uniform, complete with white
gloves and all the decorations and medals he had earned during his years of
service. Both travelers looked at each other, approving the selection. And
calmly, the Commander took from one of his pockets a small black velvet box,
and handing it to Setsuna, he said. "This represents what I feel for you,
Setsuna. Please, accept this small token."

Setsuna accepted the box, and when she opened it, she was on the verge of
fainting. Inside, was a golden ring with the biggest diamond she'd ever seen
in her entire life! The gold had a pinkish hue on it, and was molded forming
the infinity sign, and when she looked at the diamond, she noticed that it
was perfectly cut, and inside of it, she noticed the symbol of Pluto. She
calculated that the diamond was at least 14 carats!

The Commander took a step towards her and kneeling in front of her, he took
both the ring and her left hand, and looking at her straight in the eyes, he
said. "This is only a small symbol for what I want to offer you, Setsuna. I've
been in love with you since the first day I saw you. I knew in that same
moment that you were the one I was looking for all my life, and that I wanted
to share eternity at your side. What I want to say is... Meiou Setsuna, will
you marry me?" and then he placed the ring on her finger.

Setsuna was taken aback by his proposal. So much, that the only thing she
could say at the moment was: "Galos, I... well, this... I... you... ooh!"

The Commander stood up, and kissing her hand, he answered for her. "Yes, I
understand. Too much emotions for one day, eh? Don't worry, you want some time
to think about it. I can wait for your answer, and I'll respect your decision,
no matter what it will be. Come, I'll take you back to your home." And with
that, he snapped his fingers again, opening another portal.

When they appeared in front of Setsuna's mansion, they were dressing their
regular clothes again, and after escorting her to the door, Galos kissed her
softly in her hand again, and said. "Thank you for a wonderful time, Setsuna.
I have to go now. Sleep well, and please... think about it, ok?" And with
that, he walked away.

Setsuna stood transfixed for a while, and mechanically, she opened the door
and entered her house. Michiru and Haruka were there, drinking each a cup of
tea.

"Hello, Setsuna. Had a good day?" asked Michiru.

"Yes, you disappeared on us all day. Where were you? Back on the Gate of
Time?" continued Haruka.

Setsuna looked at them, not really watching them. "Hello, girls... No, I
spend the day somewhere else... Good night." She then walked towards her
room, leaving behind two stunned Senshi. After the door closed behind her,
Setsuna leaned against it, and while rubbing the ring on her finger, she
thought. 'Oh, God... What am I going to do now? I need help with this. I
don't know what to think anymore!'

* * * *

12 hours later...

Robin, Makoto and Yohann had everything packed and ready to go back to the
base when the Leviathan returned for them. They even packaged the garbage.
"Because it'd be a shame to pollute this beautiful place." Said Yohann.

"Well, we're ready." Said Makoto; she looked around one last time, and sighed.
"I'm really going to miss this place."

"Don't worry about it, Makoto." Said Yohann. "As soon as we get onboard, I'll
store the coordinates on the ship's computer. That way, we'll be able to
return here whenever we want... that is, if you agree with it."

"No prob from my part." Contributed Robin. "What about you, Makoto?"

"Fine by me!" was her answer.

"Well, that's settled. This will be our private retreat." Said Yohann. And
looking at Robin, he asked." Tell me, what time did you programmed on the ship
to come to the surface?"

"Err... Yohann... there's something I want to confess..." said Robin,
shrugging and trying to look smaller. Yohann looked at her, frowning... and
suddenly felt very, very preoccupied.

"Robin... please don't tell me... you forgot to program the ship's computer
and that it won't come up! Please, tell me you're joking!"

"No, no, no, Yohann!" intervened Makoto. "You see... it's just that... we have
this?" She then opened one of the bags, and took a small star-shaped
crystalline device with a button on top of it. Yohann looked at her, a stern
look on his face.

"Girls... are you telling me that... you had the emergency calling beacon with
you ALL THIS TIME?? That we could've called the ship any time we wanted??"
Yohann was grinding his teeth, looking at them fiercely.

"eeeh... yes?" said Robin, while she tried to hide behind Makoto.

Yohann's face was intensely red, his muscles tensed. Very slowly, he began to
rise his hands, while small red sparks began to dance over them. He was
breathing heavily, not even blinking, looking directly to the two frightened
girls.

"Been nice knowing you, Makoto." Murmured Robin.

"Same here, Robin. This is it!" answered Makoto.

By then, Yohann's hands were at his eye level, and smiling evilly, he
concentrated the energy in one glimmering sphere of red energy and in one
swift movement...

He dissipated it and fall to his knees, laughing his head out. Makoto and
Robin looked at him, puzzled. They looked at each other, wondering what had
just happened. When Yohann regained his breath, he explained.

"You... gasp you two...gasp oh, boy! Please, remind me never to get on
your bad side! You two are something special!" and then he began to laugh
again. Makoto and Robin joined him in his laughter.

One hour later, they were dressed on their regular clothes and on their way
back to the base, happy after their recent experience... especially two
people, whom never imagined that on this short time would find that they
loved each other.



"Gaia in sight, Yohann." said Robin after checking their position.

'Thank you Robin. I'll initiate landing now." Answered Yohann. Suddenly, an
indicator appeared on the main screen. "That's odd... the base is indicating
that the platform is on emergency power."

"Do you think it's a mechanical failure, Yohann? I thought that was
impossible." Asked Makoto, who was standing behind him.

"Could be Makoto, but it's highly improbable. Unless..." Yohann closed his
eyes for a brief moment, opening them suddenly. "Girls, you better transform.
I could be wrong, but it seems that something or someone attacked the base."

Both girls nodded, and proceeded to trigger their transformations.

"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!!"

"SATURN SOUL POWER, TRANSFORM!!"

Once they were on their Scout and Senshi forms, they triggered their
techno-armors, and were ready for what was waiting for them Yohann had
triggered his armor too, and was waiting for the base to signal them to land.
One moment later, the landing platform with the Leviathan on it was on its
final position inside the hangar.

When the trio exited the ship, they gasped. The hangar was almost dark, only
a few emergency lights were lit. Some of the maintenance bots were busily
crawling all over the place, especially the ceiling. When they looked up, they
noticed that the swimming pool was partially collapsed, and the bots were
already fixing the hole on it.

"Oh, my God... what happened here??" asked a shocked Makoto.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Answered Yohann. "Ok, girls. Stay
close to me, and stay alert!" They then proceeded to examine every room on the
base. The whole base was illuminated only by emergency lights, giving it an
eerie sensation. The trio walked slowly, in complete silence, broken only by
the clicking of a maintenance bot hurrying somewhere else.

When they reached the exit, it was already night. They found nothing on the
base, and on the outside everything looked normal. The lights were out...
except on one room. The three warriors looked at each other, and mutely
nodded, walking stealthily towards the house.

They were standing in front of the illuminated room, noticing that it was
Minako's. Yohann signaled the girls to stand each on one side of the door, and
bracing himself, he charged the door with his shoulder. When the door blew to
bits, in one swift movement he readied the Gamma sphere and screamed. "FREEZE!"

"AAAAAHHH!!" screamed Usagi. Yohann was surprised, to say the least when he
saw the scene in front of him. Everybody was together in the room, Minako
seated on the bed alongside Ami. Michiru and Haruka were already on one side,
ready to attack. Laurella, Shingo, Mamoru, Rei and Setsuna were looking at
him like he was crazy, the same as everybody else.

Yohann heard some static on his helmet, and soon enough, there was Alex.
"Sweetie! You're back! Oh, I'm so glad you're safe!"

"Hey, what's the big idea here? Why did you bust in here like a madman?" asked
Rei, looking sternly at him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Yeah! Haven't you learned about knocking before entering a room?" added
Laurella.

It was then that Makoto and Robin entered the room, looking at everyone,
hardly grasping the reality of the situation.

"Well, I see you delivered what you promised, girls," said Haruka to them, not
bothering to hide the sarcasm on her voice. "He's a new man, all right... a
real wacko!"

"Hold it, hold it everyone!" interrupted Yohann while he stood up and placed
the Sphere back on its place. "First things first. What are you doing here?"

"We were trying to figure out how to give you the notice, Yohann..." began
Ami, blushing fiercely and keeping her gaze on the floor. "You see... there
was an incident on the base."

"Yeah, I saw that!" answered Yohann. "And you call that an incident?"

"It looks like all the monsters we fought in our lives had a wild party down
there!" said Makoto. "The place is a wreck! What happened?"

"I can tell you what happened! Someone let Minako loose around without
supervision! That's what!" said Alex, not bothering to hide her anger.

"I already told you it was an accident!" said Minako, starting to cry. Usagi
and Ami moved to her side and hugged her, trying to give their support to the
poor girl. "I was only trying to help!"

Yohann looked at her, puzzled. He then deactivated his armor, and kneeling in
front of Minako, he spoke softly to her. "Minako, first, I want to tell you
that I'm glad that no one is hurt. After all, the base can be rebuilt fairly
easy. Now, can you please tell me what happened?"

Minako looked straight into his eyes, and noticed that he wasn't mad at her,
and feeling comfortable in front of him, she started to tell her story.

"You see... first, when Ami told me about the matter replicators on our rooms,
I tried to use mine to create some stuffed animals for me and the rest of the
girls. I don't know what went wrong, but suddenly all the power in the base
went out!"

"I never saw anything like it, sweetbuns!" interrupted Alex. "I mean, there's
not one single case in our recorded history that someone was ever even close
to lower the power of a nuclear reactor with basic equipment... but she was
able to drain the entire power core only using her replicator!"

Yohann's jaw dropped to the floor, his eyes popping painfully on his face. He
shook his head, regaining his bearings, and asked. "Then... what happened?"

"I went down to the reactor room to check what happened, and when the screen
on the wall indicated that the nuclear fuel had to be replaced, well... I took
the contents of one of the containers and stuffed it all in the core."
Continued Minako.

"YOU DID WHAT???" screamed Yohann, falling to a seated position in front of
her. "But those containers have more than enough fuel to power the core for at
least a millenium!"

"I didn't know, ok?? I only did what the instructions said, it never said how
much it had to go there!" said Minako. "Anyway, it was then that I went to the
computers room to reset the reactor."

"That's where she almost got me!" interrupted again Alex. "I was in the
mainframe, minding my own business, when she entered and began to punch
buttons at one of the consoles. Before I knew what was going on, the whole
system went haywire! I mean, all the systems in the base blew up in a blaze of
glory! If it weren't for the security features of the mainframe, I'd been on
the great computer in heaven by now!"

"That's when all of us received her emergency call in our communicators."
Intervened Michiru. "When we all arrived, we couldn't believe the extensive
damage of the base. The whole place was in the dark, and when we entered the
hangar, the pool was already destroyed, the place flooded."

"I went to the computers room." Said Ami. "When I scanned the place with my
compact, Alex entered it. I never heard her so mad! She began to activate the
maintenance robots and told me to keep Minako away from the place until your
return, Yohann."

The girls were about to continue, but they saw Yohann's face. He had a shocked
expression on it, pale like a ghost! He wasn't even blinking. His mouth hung
lifeless.

Robin and Makoto approached him, and after waving their hands in front of his
face without getting a reaction from him, Robin finally said. "Great! Now look
what you did! All our efforts were for nothing!"

"Let me see..." said Alex. She ran a scan using the belt's sensors. "He's in
shock. And no wonder! The best medicine for him now is an injection of a mild
tranquilizer, and lots of rest. He'll be back with us tomorrow."

"But where is he going to stay now? His room is on the hangar, and the place
is in shambles, remember?" said Shingo, dreading a rerun of the fight they had
at the temple the day they discovered him.

"He can stay in my room. I'll go to my apartment." Said Makoto. Everybody
agreed to that idea, and soon enough, Yohann was resting on Makoto's bed. Ami
and Minako decided to stay at the base to keep him company, and the rest went
back to their respective homes, still wondering how a single person could
destroy the place without even trying!

* * * *

3 days later...

The base was back on operating order, and by Yohann's orders, Alex had
reinforced the security of the main dependencies, in hopes that an incident
like that never happened again. Everybody was minding their own business:
Makoto was trying to improve her recipes at the kitchen, Usagi and Mamoru were
on the living room watching a movie, Haruka, Michiru, Robin, Laurella and
Shingo were on the Gymnasium training, Rei was on her room meditating, and as
always... Ami and Alex were on the computer room, studying.

Ami was trying to get ahead on her regular courses (as usual), when she
suddenly exclaimed. "That's it!"

"Wha... What? Who? Where? When?" said Alex, surprised by Ami's reaction.
"Girl, don't do that again! Now, would you be kind enough to tell me what are
you talking about?"

"About those file that we haven't been able to decipher, Alex! We were looking
at them the wrong way!"

"What do you mean by that? I'm not following you."

"Alex, think about it. We've considered those files like independent ones,
right?"

"Right..."

"And all our efforts to translate them have been for nothing, right? We only
obtain garbage and nothing else, correct?"

"Yes, I know. What's your point?"

"Well, you see... I was thinking of what Minako did the other day..."

"Please, don't remind me about that again! That was too close for my own
comfort!"

Ami decided to ignore the comment, and continued. "... and how she affected
the whole base in one single movement. Now, what if the files we got are not
normal data files, but instead something like the systems of Gaia?"

"The systems of Gaia?" Suddenly, it hit Alex right between the algorithms.
"But of course! What we downloaded are not normal files, but the whole
operating system of Cryssalid! Ami, you're a certified genius!"

Ami blushed lightly, and continued. "Thank you, Alex. Now that we have
pinpointed the problem, what do you suggest we do about it?"

"Let me think for a moment." Alex began to search on her databanks and came
with the answer. "If what we got are the security copies, then we'll have to
reintegrate the whole of the files and then reinitiate the entire OS. Yes...
that shall do the trick."

"My thoughts exactly. Where do we start?"

"That's easy. You see, all of our programs have a basic feature in all of
them. If by some accident the main program is deconfigurated, there's a small
compiler program on it that will reintegrate it. Hold on, I'll search for it."
Alex began to search on the whole bulk of the files, and a few minutes later,
she found what she was looking for. "Eureka! Here it is!"

"Excellent. Now, what if we transfer the final results to Memory Bank C and
see what we got?" While she was saying that, Ami configured the data flow so
that the results were downloaded on the aforementioned console. "All set. Run
the program, Alex."

"Alright! We're in business now!" Alex ran the program and immediately, it
began to do its work. "Just like you said. But it's really going to take some
time before the compiling process is complete. What do you say if we finish
studying on Yohann's studio? The mainframe will signal us when the process is
complete."

"Ok, Alex. Fine by me. How long do you think it will take?" Ami began to pick
up her books and headed towards the exit.

"About an hour, more or less. We have plenty of time to study your advanced
calculus before having to come back here. My sweetie is going to be so happy
when he learns about this!"

And with that, they went to the studio, and left the mainframe to handle
things on its own.


45 minutes later, the compiling program had finished the bulk of the files,
and was finishing with the last batch of unknown files. In the meantime, the
mainframe ran the OS already restored, and created the same cyberspace that
existed on Cryssalid inside Memory Bank C. Once done, the mainframe
transferred the now ready last batch to it. Suddenly, on one screen, a flat
line appeared, and in seconds, it began to move, almost like it was showing
the beating of a heart. A second later, a deep, baritone voice was heard on a
speaker.

"Mmmm... So, they thought I was finished, eh? As always, I outsmarted those
fools! And this time, nothing will stop me from getting my revenge... and my
prize! I swear it!!

"The MRMA will be mine to conquer... I, CAULDRON, PROMISE THAT!!"



TO BE CONTINUED...