Souls of Fire

by Razorclaw X

Picking up where 'The Geometry of Shattered Souls' and 'The Geometry of Vanished Souls' left off, the Fenril Knights emerge to challenge the authority of Crystal Tokyo. In the wake of the Black Moon War the fifth and final of the Children of Chaos works t

2. Mercury Rising

Souls of Fire #2: Mercury Rising

Ranma 1/2 VS Sailor Moon

Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com)
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/sm/index.html

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and characters belong to
Naoko Takeuchi. Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to
Rumiko Takahashi. Proper licenses belong to respective
properties and characters. The manga has precedence
over material in the anime.

This file can be freely distributed so long as it
appears in its complete form and proper credit. No
part may be reproduced for monetary gain without
permission from the author.

This story follows the story set forth by "The
Geometry of Shattered Souls" and "The Geometry of
Vanished Souls," both available at my web site.

----------------------------------------------------

10th Street District, Crystal Tokyo

The moment Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus teleported
to the explosion's source they were immediately
confronted by the man who summoned them. Dressed in
very loose, Chinese-style white robes, he possessed
long, dark hair that fell all the way to his waist,
and wore thick-lens glasses that concealed his eyes.
He folded his arms, standing as if he was tapping his
foot on the ground impatiently, but it soon transformed
into mild amusement.

"So," Mousse shouted, "you've finally arrived."

Venus cast her eyes in the direction of the source of
the explosion, a seemingly random location in the
middle of the street in front of the martial artist.
"You're the one who set off that pipe bomb?" she asked,
although she already knew the answer.

He shrugged. "How else was I supposed to get the
attention of the so-called Sailor Senshi I've been
hearing so much about?" Mousse took two confident
steps forward, noticing his adversaries were tensing
themselves up. Good; they won't be pushovers. "I
merely wish to introduce myself to the law of the land
before I... well... run amok?"

"What do you want?" asked Jupiter. "Are you one of
the Fenril Knights?"

"'Fenril Knights?'" echoed Mousse, raising an eyebrow
at the mention of the name. "Is that what you're
calling us? If I remember the books it's no more than
a mangling of a translation for the Fenris wolf." He
turned his side toward them in consideration.

"He's got that down pat," Venus whispered to her
partner.

A glint of light reflected off his glasses. "The
wolf is said to be the traitor of its cause; no sooner
have we returned home we are branded traitors!" He
unfolded his arms, reaching for some weapons up his
sleeves as he faced the Sailor Senshi. "If this is the
welcome we're getting for coming home, then this is not
my Earth at all!!"

Both Jupiter and Venus dodged to opposite sides as
Mousse threw his surprisingly fast chain onslaught,
merely tethered weapons. Retracting his weapons
quickly he caught motion from Jupiter, the tougher-
looking of the two, ready to get into close quarter
combat, something the weapons master wished to avoid.
He leaped back just in time to avoid a fist into the
gut, his tethered weapons trailing behind, but the
soldier was quick enough to avoid their drag.

Mousse tossed three knives in Venus's direction, but
she was no longer there by the time they got to where
she stood. Venus raised a hand in the air, ripping an
energy chain into existence, lashing it out at the
martial artist. Countering, Mousse threw out a leather
whip of his own, snagging the energy chain but opening
himself up to a deep kick from Jupiter. Doubling back,
he released his hold on the whip, quickly slipping on
wrist razors and slashing at Jupiter.

"I won't lose to some girls!" Mousse hissed, swinging
his wrist razors at Jupiter madly. He threw a vertical
kick with his leg, catching her square in the jaw and
sending her flying. Glad for the temporary breathing
room the victory was cut short when his left arm got
caught in Venus's chain.

"For one guy," she shouted as the weapons master
tugged against her chain, "you're a heck of a lot of
trouble!"

"Let go!" demanded Mousse. In desperation he threw
out his wrist razor, now tethered to a chain of its
own, toward Venus. In panic she let go of the chain,
allowing it to wink out of existence, just in time to
avoid the attack.

Pressing his advantage Mousse grabbed several more
chains, swinging them at his sides, trying to
anticipate Venus's next move. But a sudden shocking
jolt ran up his spine and through his arms, amplified
off the metal hidden on his body. He cried out in pain
as he suddenly remembered Jupiter, cursing that he
turned his back toward her.

He collapsed face first on the ground, feeling the
moisture of his body evaporate in the air around him.
Eyes to the crystal pavement, he could hear the echoes
of the Senshi move closer toward him, albeit cautiously
and carefully.

"Is it over?" wondered Venus.

"I guess so," answered Jupiter. "That was a lot
easier than I thought it would be."

Silently, Mousse cursed himself again. Is this the
way the great Mousse was going to go down? he
wondered. Beaten by not just one girl, but TWO girls?

"Leave Mousse alone!"

He heard both girls gasp at once at the sound of the
newcomer's voice. Although his head was still down,
and he ached all over his body, Mousse knew exactly who
the voice belonged to.

"If this is the way you Senshi fight," Shampoo
challenged, waving a sword their direction, "then
Shampoo will gladly accept the challenge!"

"'Shampoo?'" muttered Jupiter. "Great, there's
another one."

"Careful, Jupiter!" warned Venus. "She's had plenty
of time to watch us by now!"

"Shampoo..." Mousse moaned, planting his fists
against the earth.

"He's getting up?!" he heard Jupiter say, surprised.
"This guy IS tough!"

Struggling despite himself, Mousse slowly pulled
himself to his feet, head hung low. He took in several
deep breaths, slowly backing away from the two Senshi
and toward Shampoo, surprised they allowed him to even
get that far.

Only then, when he felt Shampoo at his side, did he
look up.

"Stupid Mousse," hissed Shampoo quietly. "Why did
you try to fight them alone?! Great-grandmother said
they were reputed to be stronger than we are!"

"And now we know for sure!" he pointed out. He
pointed a finger toward Jupiter with one hand, while
quietly slipping a heavy glove in his other. "That one
is mine!"

"If that's what you want," she replied with a shrug,
switching hands with her sword as she stared down
Venus.

"They're planning something," Venus knew, whispering
to Jupiter. "Stay on your toes; that guy she called
Mousse looks like he wants you, and that worries me."

"Normally I'd think guys like him would be afraid,"
Jupiter agreed. "With all those metal weapons on him
my lightning attacks are doubly effective. I can't
figure out what could be so different this time!"

"We'll find out soon enough!"

---

Throne Room, Crystal Palace

"They appear to be still fighting," Mercury said
aloud, as she, Mars, and Queen Serenity watched the
battle on a holographic projection screen in the middle
of the throne room. "The Fenril's reinforcement seemed
to invigorate him somehow, but I detected no magic."

"Then they're superior martial artists," Mars
realized. "Fighting as a pair, they likely complement
each other in the way they fight. Their feelings for
each other could be strong enough to be the spontaneous
boost the guy showed just now."

"Death Phantom apparently is not resorting to magical
warriors or droids this time around," Neo Queen
Serenity thought aloud. "If the three Fenril Knights
we have seen so far are any indication of what the
others might be...."

"There's no use speculating unless we determine what
it is they're after," Mercury interrupted. "All of our
previous enemies have been after specific targets, but
so far these Fenril don't appear to be after anything."

"So why don't we capture one of them?" asked Mars.
"If I can catch the other girl...."

"What makes you think she'll be back?" asked Mercury.

"She knows what I am, but not who," answered the
other Senshi. "I'm a rival priestess, and that's all
the reason in the world she has to come after me. I
don't know what faction she belongs to, but whatever it
is it's enough to get her riled up about the fire
spirits."

"Wait, I have an idea."

"What is it, Mercury?" asked the queen.

"Mars said the Fenril didn't know who she was," she
explained. "It either means Death Phantom didn't tell
them, or it never came up. Maybe he's not concerned
at all about it. Whatever the case, so long as they
are unaware of our alternate identities, we can use it
to our advantage."

"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking,
are you?" asked Mars.

Mercury nodded. Turning toward the queen, she said,
"I would like permission to infiltrate the Fenril
Knights' ranks."

Serenity nodded. "I will assume you have a plan, but
how do you know if they will be looking for people?"

"If the pattern follows," she explained, "then Death
Phantom is recruiting people from normal walks of life
with amazing talent. In other words, it's likely they
will be looking for more people to take up their cause
from the world's populace. If I can successfully do
this then we will have a better idea of what we're up
against."

"But Death Phantom isn't a normal person," Mars said,
concerned. "If he sees through your disguise then
you're through."

"On the other hand," Neo Queen Serenity interrupted,
"our enemy has not made his presence known; perhaps it
is likely that his attention is elsewhere. If Mercury
is willing to take the chance, I see no reason to hold
her back."

Mercury bowed respectfully. "Thank you."

---

Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries

"Well, it's sure taking them long enough," Shion
commented, stuffing his face with a bag of chips as he
sat at his chair, staring at the monitor before him.

Ayame leaned over the back of his seat. She squinted
at the monitor, barely making out Shampoo, Mousse, and
their adversaries. "Egh, how can you see anything on
this thing?"

"I've got good money on Mousse," the mercenary hacker
declared. "Ditto for Shampoo."

"Why Mousse?" she asked. "He lost the first round."

"Don't worry," he replied, stuffing his face some
more. "He ront rose urist time."

"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Ayame demanded,
slapping Shion in the back and forcing him to spit out
his chips. "How am I supposed to tell what you're
saying?!"

As Shion coughed up the rest of his snacks the double
doors hissed behind the two techies, allowing Shizuka,
with her boa constrictor wrapped around her body, to
enter.

"Tatewaki's found the eggheads," she reported.
"Their cryo-revival is beginning as we speak."

"That was fast," admitted Shion.

"What'd you expect," replied the priestess of Genbu.
"They're only a couple floors down."

"There's MORE floors down?" Ayame gasped. "How many
did Uncle put into this?!"

"I'll let you know once I look at the blueprints,"
Shion offered, turning his attention back to the
action.

But his entertainment was interrupted yet again as
Ayame grabbed his shirt and dragged him to his feet.
"I've been on the job for no more than a week and I
still don't know everything about Uncle's storehouse,
much less the bathroom! So you're going to conjure up
those blueprints, and you're going to show me them
NOW."

Shizuka took an involuntary step back, raising her
hands. "Hey, hey! No one's contesting you're the
leader...."

Ayame's eyes were torn from Shion to Shizuka. "Well,
since I AM your leader... I want to know what the
others are up to. We're going to put this operation
into one big functional clockwork, you see? I don't
want any more of our people goofing off," she nodded
her head toward the monitor, "like they are!"

Throwing Shion back into his seat, she ordered,
"Issue the recall order."

---

10th Street District, Crystal Tokyo

Mousse laughed to himself as he pulled Jupiter in
with his chains, watching as the Senshi futily tried to
shock him again. Thanks to his gloves the insulation
spared him the trouble. He glanced in Shampoo's
direction, watching briefly as her sword met with
Venus's own energy blade, and while it appeared neither
held an advantage Mousse knew Shampoo would win.

"It's over for you!" he shouted toward Jupiter.

"There's one thing you didn't think of, surfer-boy!"
she shouted back.

Mousse's eyes widened when the unthinkable happened;
the taut chains slackened as Jupiter ran toward him, a
fist raised. He swung his head to the side as the fist
zoomed by, then ducked under the second one. Mousse
rammed his head into Jupiter's chest, pushing her back
a bit but giving himself a good headache in return.

Stumbling back, he heard someone say, "Mousse,
Shampoo, get back here at once!"

He shook his head, tightening his hold on his chains.
"Who the...?!"

"Who said that!" shouted Shampoo, parrying another
blow from Venus.

"Withdraw from the fight at once," both warriors
heard. "It is time to regroup."

"But we're winning!" complained the weapons master.

Without warning Mousse's chains disappeared from
around Jupiter, along with the martial artist himself,
his form slipping into blackness that vanished into
thin air. Shampoo saw this, cursing under her breath.

Leaping away from Venus and clear from Jupiter,
Shampoo pointed her sword at her opponents. "This
isn't over yet!" she shouted, just before vanishing
herself.

Venus lowered her guard when the second of the Fenril
vanished. "They've escaped!"

"They were getting the upper hand on us, too,"
admitted Jupiter. "Why'd they leave all of a sudden?"

Frustrated, Venus raised an angry fist. "It was a
spurt of power that appeared suddenly... something we
never fought before! How did they get so strong in
such a short amount of time?"

---

Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries

"Why'd you bring us back?!" demanded Mousse as he
stepped down into the central control center, dragging
his chains behind him.

"Just what did you think you were doing?" asked
Ayame, her back turned toward him, facing the main
monitor. A large, stylized 'M' shaped resembling a
bat, could be clearly seen on the back of her lab
coat. "No one gave you authorization to attack."

"Who died and made you leader?!" Shampoo replied,
still holding out her sword.

"We could've finished them!" added Mousse.

"And that's the reason you're not leader, and I am!"
the niece of Mishima thundered angrily. She turned
around, fury in her eyes, just as an amplification of
said face duplicated itself behind her on the main
monitor. "Have you ever thought about the consequences
of your actions while you were fighting them? No, you
didn't; you wanted to prove how large your schtick
was."

Immediately Shampoo was at Ayame's throat, holding
her blade steady under the girl's chin. "We respect no
one like you who are too weak to fight!"

"And where you have brawn I make up in brains,"
countered Ayame. "Or, rather, my associates do." She
glanced in Shion's direction, along with Kanna, who was
standing next to his chair. "Leaders aren't the ones
who can fight the best; leaders are the ones who can
control them."

"You can't control us!" Mousse countered. "I've
never seen you pull your weight around here!"

"Look around you, Mousse," she suggested. "Look at
this splendid facility that'll be your new home. It's
mine, and mine alone; I hold the key to its survival
and its destruction. Eliminate me from the equation,
and you can kiss future encounters with the Sailor
Senshi good-bye, because even warriors need a home to
go back to."

"I inherited the industrial empire of Japan's three
largest manufacturing and development firms," Ayame
continued. "I, and I alone, have that which will serve
as the vehicle of our deliverance from this living
Hell, and you know it. If you think you can beat the
Senshi on your own, feel free to walk out that door
and never come back. I assure you, in isolation you
will be destroyed."

"Not to mention we now control the prism switchboard
system," she added proudly. "Thanks to work around the
clock we no longer require the old man's help in using
the prisms; we concocted a control mechanism in this
very room that taps into the undercurrent that controls
the prisms' power. Just as your forced trip, Mousse,
we can dictate where you go and when you're coming
back. Any advantage you believed you had will be
regulated at a touch of a button."

"So, now, my friends, will you join the rest of us,
or die miserably alone?"

Shampoo snarled angrily, whipping her sword back
away from Ayame's throat. "You win for now!" she
hissed.

Mousse, having finished retracting his chains, raised
an angry fist. "We'll go your way for now, but next
time you'd better not get in our way."

"At least that's settled," Kanna declared. "Now we
can finish business, shall we?"

Ayame turned toward the tactician's direction. "Yes.
I want to know how many of us there's left to
collect."

"Nearly all of us are accounted for," Shion said.
"However, some of our number are at varying degrees of
health; Ryoga doesn't look like he's doing so well, so
he's resting in the med ward for now."

"Regrettable," Ayame said with a nod. "If that's
all...?"

"So far only Ukyo is unaccounted for; the rest have
checked in at least once," continued Shion. "Of
course, not everybody's in the compound at the moment,
and are probably just wandering around town or
something. Shizuka is still under lockdown, and
remains within the premises."

"Acceptable for now," Ayame replied. "We'll have to
assume Kuonji deserted; right now we've got to focus on
getting this place cleaned up and organized." Turning
toward the two Chinese warriors she added, "And you
two'd better stay out of trouble. Better yet, stay out
of sight and lay low. The Senshi will surely be
looking out for you now, thanks to your thoughtless
fight. Consider yourselves under lockdown; you are not
to leave this building, nor make yourselves known; is
that understood?"

She turned away as the two warriors grumbled under
their breaths, barely out of her hearing range.

That's the second one, she counted mentally. Thanks
to those two and Shizuka, any chance of surprise we
might've had is gone. Anything we do now will have to
be done carefully, with machine-like precision, but it
will be difficult amidst the chaos of all these people
with big egos.

And that's the trouble with being the leader, she
decided. I've got to keep all their egos in check,
including my own. I have to detach myself, make myself
as efficient as the machines Uncle created, if we're to
succeed.

---

Wiseman's Chamber, Mishima Heavy Industries,
Five Days Later

Throughout the rest of the exploration of the
underground Mishima complex more rooms turned up,
among them the hidden weapons promised by Ayame's
uncle in his initial note. Many others were discovered
as well, even a section devoted to living quarters, and
a spoiled food supply, which had to be replaced rather
discretely through numerous, spaced shopping trips.

Some rooms were set aside for specific purposes, but
one in particular, spaced well away from any of the
other living quarters and supply bays was an isolated
room, likely originally an indoor shrine for the
superstitious. This room was set aside for the comings
and goings with the reclusive Wiseman, who rarely made
his presence known, much less remained within the
Mishima compound. Few speculated where the old man
went, but popular theory held he was hiding out back at
his citadel on Nemesis. However, when he did come to
the compound the so-called Fenril were always ready to
hear him out.

This time Ayame entered the chamber, flanked by
Pantyhose Taro to her right, and the equally reclusive
Cinder on the left. When the door slid itself shut
behind them Wiseman raised his head from his pondering
of the crystal ball in his lap.

"What have you to report on the progress of our work
here?" asked Wiseman.

"Our people are getting restless," Ayame reported.
"I think we're set up as well as we should be. The men
we woke from the cryo-stasis are the top scientists and
engineers of this company, and they are busy working
around the clock to devise new weapons. However, that
will take time, and, as I said, our people are getting
quite restless."

"I can only tolerate sitting around for so long, old
man!" complained Taro. "What makes you think you can
keep us cloistered here, our hands tied from battle?!"

"I have been pondering the situation," Wiseman
replied, "and there is merit to your words. The time
to act is now." He waved a hand over the crystal ball,
allowing its misty contents to stir and morph into the
shape of a demonic face. "The secret of Black Moon
droid manufacture is now being imparted upon you.
These living soldiers have the strength and will to
fight on their own, and will serve you well."

"What makes you think our own GAIA-class machines
aren't enough?!" demanded Ayame hotly. "We're
manufacturing more of them as we speak!"

"Do you intend to wipe out the city with them?"

"No, but...."

"That is the sole purpose of your machinery. They
differentiate nothing between targets because they
cannot think for themselves. Furthermore, you have no
goal from which to divert their attention to."

Ayame was at a loss for words, but Cinder spoke up
for her. "That may be so, but we have determined a
means to open dimensional rifts."

"Explain," ordered Wiseman.

"The weave we draw upon magic from in this world is
limited," the fire master explained. "As evidenced
earlier apparently Neo Queen Serenity also controls the
coveted Gate of Heaven, thus cutting off
extradimensional sources of power. We need this power
to refuel our own powers to fight back."

"I draw upon a different weave, and so do the Senshi
of Crystal Tokyo," Wiseman said. "So do your own. I
see no point in bringing in extradimensional forces."

"We have allies and comrades on the other side of the
Gate," added Cinder. "Also, with the Gate, we can
access the shadow stream, an immense source of power
from which Hokuto can draw upon. All we need to do is
force open a rift."

"How can this be done?"

"Tearing a hole in the dimensional fabric is beyond
human technology at the moment," admitted Cinder, "but
technology alone... no, we will combine magic with
technology. Driving a device by two complementary
means, so to speak; energy is energy, no matter how you
look at it. Already we are drawing up designs to build
this new techno-magical engine, borrowing aspects from
sorcery, human technology, and kami imagination. But,
we are striving to seek a source power; nothing we know
of is enough to power such an engine for extended
periods of time."

"If it is an energy source you seek, there is but one
that will suffice for your needs," declared Wiseman.
He waved his hand over the crystal ball again, this
time revealing a red, crystalline jewel, a radiating
point glowing at its symmetrical center.

"Wow," Ayame said, "that's beautiful!"

"It is a pure heart crystal," explained the old man.
"They are mystical, physical representations of the
purity in a human's heart, and it is a drive as well as
a gift. Due to its purity the intensity of its power
is unparalleled."

"So how much energy output does one heart yield?"
asked Ayame. "That'll matter because the engine is an
energy hog."

"Depending on the crystal you will have to determine
that on your own," Wiseman replied. "Your engine may
require many tens of crystals of similar purity
depending on your make."

"Hang on," interrupted Taro. "You said these are
human hearts? What makes you think I'm getting my
hands dirty enough for that?"

"You're not going to rip them out," snapped Wiseman.
"I will provide you with special instrumentation that
will allow you to extract the heart crystals without
penetrating the body. This leaves the body perfectly
intact, but the heart crystal fully functional. Any
problem you have with this is moot."

"Right, so where'd we find people with a pure enough
heart?" asked Ayame.

"That is up to you."

"What?!" cried the tech. "You're going all this way
and then stopping short?"

"I have business to attend to."

"Never mind that," Cinder interrupted. "This is our
engine, and we are going to complete it ourselves."

---

Training Hall, Mishima Heavy Industries

Ranma sank his knuckles into the punching bag,
venting all his frustrations into the final blow.
Not surprisingly, the martial artist's fist went
straight through the suspended bag, sending stuffing
flying in all directions.

"That's the seventeenth one you busted," noted
Mousse dryly, standing against the wall on the same
side as the single exit, his arms folded.

He withdrew his fist slowly. "I can't stand this!"
Ranma declared. "What in the world am I supposed to
do, anyway?"

"If all you can do is train and break punching bags,
consider it your new hobby," Mousse snorted. "I'm
waiting to be let out of this rat hole. At least you
can get up and leave the building."

"And go where?!" he screamed. "Back to Akane? Back
to my family? How can I, when they're not the people
I remembered?" Ranma threw a spin kick, thoroughly
dislodging the suspended punching bag from the ceiling
and vaulting it a few meters away. "Nothing's the
same anymore, and we can't go back to the way things
were! It's like waking up to a nightmare."

"Everybody else is gearing up to fight," the Master
of Hidden Weapons pointed out. "Excepting you and a
couple others, of course."

"What good'll that do?" asked Ranma. "What're we
supposed to do, overthrow a world power? Sure, you
guys can do all your terrorist bulb all you like, but
it's not gonna matter. Why are we doing it,
anyway?"

"Because we're going to put things back the way they
were," Mousse replied. "Because it's the only thing we
can do to cling to our values and ways. Because... if
we didn't have anything else better to do, we'd be
sulking like you and Ryoga are."

Ranma lowered his fists. "Get out."

Mousse snorted, but the sliding doors of the training
hall slid open nonetheless, followed by his silent
footsteps.

"I need to fight," he decided, certain that no one
was listening in. "Mousse is right; I can't be like
Ryoga, not now. The others might've found their
direction, but I need to know... somehow... that the
path I chose is the right one."

---

Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries

The chief engineer, Philip Taydome, appeared on the
monitor in front of Shion, looking no older than when
the mercenary last remembered. Being a part of the
team that was frozen in stasis under the compound the
robotics engineer was responsible for the creation of
Mishima Heavy Industries' most successful war machines,
particularly the GAIA combat robot that could fight on
its own.

"Well, kid," the American-born engineer said, "it's a
tall order you've given us. I don't know if we can
actually build it."

"Trust me, with all this techno-magical stuff we're
digging up, anything's possible," Shion replied.

"We're going to try and build the engine first,"
Taydome said. "After we see the power output I think
we can start building your machine."

"Build something other than the Mekani engine, okay?"
suggested the mercenary. "Ayame said we need some
heart crystal whatevers to power it, and that's
something we don't have at the moment."

"Alternate power sources, eh?"

Shion shrugged. "'Energy is energy.' You figure it
out."

"Did Ms. Mishima approve of this project?"

"Not yet. I expect you to keep it under wraps until
you can produce a result. Consider it a surprise."

---

10th Street Market, 10th Street District

Her name was Ami while not taking up her role as a
Sailor Senshi, and it was the role she was taking now
that she reintegrated herself into society.

Although she felt reasonably comfortable in walking
in the streets as the girl she once was, Neo Queen
Serenity insisted that Ami take more careful measures
to guard her identity from the Fenril Knights. Ami,
however, pointed out that the enemy may be able to
detect the more thorough illusions easily, considering
they have one such as Death Phantom backing them. As a
compromise they settled on using the Disguise Pen in a
light manner, using just enough of its power to mask
Ami's identity just enough that it would take
conscious effort to see through the disguise, but not
enough that the magic field would be screaming in the
face of anyone looking for one.

Other people paid her no mind as Ami squeezed into a
role as a substitute teacher at her old school. By
most outward appearances she was no more spectacular
than any other teacher, and that was the way she wanted
it. Although Mars doubted that any of the Fenril would
think to cross the school grounds, Ami was sure she
would at least draw enough attention that they would
come.

She wanted to believe that a genius instructor would
get at least one of the Fenril interested, at least.

Her patience was rewarded quickly, however, as on the
fourth day of her tenure someone appeared, an observer
of the school. The man appeared much older than she
was, possessing a modest white beard and cold,
calculating eyes. The old man dressed in a rather
conservative business suit, which appeared rather odd
on him to Ami, and he constantly waved a white feather
fan in his hand, even though the weather regulation
system produced no such heat to require fanning.

For the first two days the observer, Higure, poked
his heads into the classrooms from time to time, always
quickly and quietly. On the third day, however, Ami
noted that the observer was keeping a watchful eye on
her, but he still did not say a word. It was then she
was certain that the old man was a Fenril Knight.

As she walked from the school grounds at the end of
the school day Ami couldn't help but feel like she was
being watched, even though she couldn't see the old
man anywhere. It was likely paranoia, she decided, or
a thrilling rush of excitement, something that was
lacking these days. The thought of getting caught, or
perhaps the idea that she could succeed, filled her
mind, bringing back memories of the old days.

Her thoughts were torn away, however, by the
unexpected, as the observing old man stood in her way.

"Excuse me," Ami said quietly.

"Pardon my intrusion, Ms. Mizuno," Higure said,
bowing unexpectedly. "I could not help but notice you
during my stay."

"I'm sorry," she replied, purposefully attempting to
throw him off, "but I'm not interested in older men."

The old man smiled. "No, not in that manner." He
gripped his fan tighter. "I speak of your teaching
methods, and the mind which you back them up with. The
students pay attention to your every word, and it
seems to genuinely interest them."

"Thank you. Now, if you'll please excuse me...."
She had no intention of making it easy.

Apparently, neither did the old man. "Why of course.
Perhaps we can speak further at a later time?"

Ami nodded silently, and the old man stepped out of
the way. She counted several heartbeats before looking
back, but the Fenril was nowhere to be found, as if he
vanished into thin air. The disguised soldier sighed
to herself, realizing that the observing presence was
no longer hanging over her.

She headed back for the apartment she rented out
during her undercover period, finding no reason to stop
until she was within the safety of home. Locking and
securing all exits and windows Ami walked into the
bedroom and produced a flat silver mirror from her
book bag, setting it up on the dresser.

The image of the queen flickered on the surface of
the mirror. "I made contact," Ami started. "The
Fenril recruiter is an old man, and he is apparently
strong. I sense a powerful force behind him, but it is
nowhere near the same as the dark energy-- rather,
attuned to an elemental force like ours."

"Could it be Death Phantom?" asked the monarch.

"Possibly," she considered, "although that would not
fit his pattern. In any case, the encounter we had
seemed positive enough; he wants to see me again
tomorrow. From there hopefully he will bring me into
their numbers. I am unsure as to when this could
happen."

"Be very careful," warned Serenity. "This is a very
dangerous game you are playing, dear friend. Once you
are within their Inner Circle there is nothing we can
do to help you."

Ami nodded. "I understand."

---

Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries,
Three Days Later

Shion wanted to kiss whoever Eudial was when the
program finished running. "Found it!" He drummed his
index fingers on the edge of the console in victory.

Ayame was instantly standing over the mercenary's
seat as the Deathbuster search program coughed up a
list of names on the screen, scrolling a database of
a good number of people living in Tokyo that could
possibly possess a pure heart crystal. "That's not a
big list."

"Well, also keep in mind that this data is a bit on
the old side," added Shion. "This program was written
and compiled long before Crystal Tokyo, so we have to
update the program a bit. But that shouldn't be too
much a problem." He pointed toward the screen. "This
list is what the programmer used to find pure heart
crystals; the names given have a check mark by them
because they were confirmed to have a pure heart. I'm
not sure why we couldn't pick any one of them, really."

"So what's the point?" asked Ayame.

"Well, all of these people still have their heart
crystals, so why don't we get them from these people,
if they're still around?"

The leader paused to consider this. Among the
material Wiseman provided her to find and secure the
heart crystals was equipment left over by a group of
humans known as the Deathbusters. Fascination struck
the techs as these were constructed of techno-magical
devices, and some of the equipment still worked.
Among the equipment Shion discovered an intact server,
from which he brought up the program he was so happy
with.

"Okay, but how about those names that weren't checked
off?" she asked, running her finger down the list. "I
don't know...."

"I think it has to do with purity grade and time,"
explained the mercenary. "Maybe the 'more pure--' and
I'm not sure how you can tell just by looking at this
list-- offer a bigger energy yield. If what the old
man said was correct, the Deathbusters completed their
mission."

"And we inherited their weapons," Ayame finished.

"This all seems rather silly to me," Shion admitted.
"I'd think it'd be easier to build a fusion reactor
than to convert heart crystals into energy sources."
He looked over his shoulder to eye the niece of
Mishima. "What'll you have us do?"

Ayame slowly turned back toward the center of the
room. "We send someone out to get one, of course. I
want to see if this Deathbuster stuff really does what
it's advertised, and I also want to know how we can
get energy from a silly crystal."

---

"So what's this supposed to do?" Pantyhose Taro asked
as he stared at the tiny, black Deathbuster star in his
fingers.

"Supposedly," Ayame explained, "you're supposed to
'will it' to draw out the heart crystal." She
shrugged. "It's supposed to be a point-and-shoot kind
of thing, I guess."

"That's one too many 'supposeds,'" noted the martial
artist dryly. "A lot can go wrong with 'supposed.'"

"Well, how am I supposed to know?"

Taro slapped the star onto his right palm, and it
stuck on tightly like a slap pad. "Feels kinda stupid,
but I think nobody'll see it if I smash their faces
in!"

He turned to leave, but Ayame's voice stopped him.
"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Feh," he snorted, "I don't need any help! I'll get
a crystal without using either your dippy droids or
your outlandish war machines!"

"Let him go," suggested Shion over his shoulder.
"Let's see if he can carry out those boasts of his."

Taro took one step toward the mercenary. "Alright,
you little pansy, you want to say that in front of
me?"

"Oh, sorry, I'll have to take a rain check on that
one," he replied, flipping a switch on the console
before him. Before the martial artist could carry out
his threat prematurely Taro shimmered out of existence
from the control center.

"That's one way to end a conversation," Ayame noted.

---

Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace

Neo Queen Serenity had little time to wait as she
stood alone in the palace's inner sanctum, where the
Silver Crystal was hidden from threats abroad. Behind
the pedestal where the artifact rest, against the wall
opposite the monarch, a viewscreen flickered to life,
revealing the face she wished to spend eternity seeing,
from the past to the future and beyond.

"Greetings, my love," began King Endymion. "Forgive
me; I have not been able to call lately...."

"I understand," Serenity replied. Endymion was busy
on his pet project in Geneva, ironing out his World
Parliament, in order for the Earth to help govern
itself. While this move threatened to remove a bit of
power from the Earth's rulers it also meant more free
time when the Small Lady returned from her training in
the past.

It was certainly something worth looking forward to,
Serenity thought.

"I wish I could say this was merely a social call, my
dear, but a new problem has arisen in the past week."

Endymion nodded. "The Bringer of Silence has
returned," he replied.

"The goals of Chaos are unknown at this point in
time," explained the queen. "It began with a
disturbance in one of the rural prefectures, putting a
couple in the hospital in critical condition. Almost
at the same time Mars was attacked by an unknown
assailant. In a half-hour's span two more appeared and
confronted Venus and Jupiter, purposefully drawing them
out to a fight."

"It sounds unlike his work," considered the king.
"From what you describe it almost sounds like an
uprising... but that is impossible."

Serenity nodded. In order to prevent any further war
or savage conflict it was necessary to change the
hearts of men everywhere, a problem that should have
been taken care of. "Ever since that trouble a week
ago these new enemies Mercury terms the Fenril Knights
have been keeping quiet. She believes they are
following a pattern set along ancient Nemesian texts,
and while there is no evidence to refute that
observation at the moment I cannot help but think that
we are being unfair somehow."

"It automatically places human beings we are supposed
to protect in a negative light before we understand
their motives," agreed Endymion.

"To that end I agreed to allow Mercury to carry out a
subterfuge plan; she wishes to infiltrate their ranks
and find out what they are up to. We have been in
communication recently, and it appears she has been
approached by one of the Fenril. It will be only a
matter of time before we learn more."

"If it gets any worse, you can count on me to come
and help. We can summon Uranus and Neptune as well."

She shook her head. "All of your work is too
important to simply drop. I assure you, if it is help
we require you will be the first to know. It is
unnecessary to draw Uranus and Neptune back home, not
with their extended journey beyond the stars."

Her husband nodded in understanding. "In any case
keep me informed of what happens. If this uprising is
indeed part of Death Phantom's black hand, the matter
may require our full attention. Remember, this is the
craftiest of our enemies; we were fortunate to defeat
him the first time, but this time may be far
different."

Before Serenity could offer a reply, another screen
flickered to life, presenting the face of Venus. "Your
highness!"

"Go ahead," replied the queen, recognizing the
urgency in the soldier's voice.

"Someone's emitting dark energies at the Tokyo
Tower," she explained. Mars and Jupiter already went
to check it out, but the computer's picking up a weird
signal. It's saying that we've seen this kind of
energy before."

"Nemesian sorcery?" asked Endymion.

"No," Venus replied, shaking her head. "Deathbuster
techno-magic."

---

Tokyo Tower, Crystal Tokyo

Taro balanced the levitating heart crystal in his
open right palm, the black Deathbuster star suspending
it with black lightning. Nearby lay a prone girl, and
several others who got a little too close. Many other
visitors of the Tower's overlook fled for their lives,
jamming themselves in the elevators as if fleeing a
plague.

A plague named Pantyhose Taro, no less.

"That was a little too easy," he muttered to himself
in disappointment. "Still, I don't see why you were
so special. It's not like you're the only pure heart
crystal in the world."

"Drop it, you!"

Turning his head slightly, in place of all the
retreating tourists Taro saw two of the Sailor Senshi.
He leaned back against the rail casually. "Well, well,
well! I was wondering how long it'd take for you to
show up."

"Give the heart crystal back!" warned Jupiter,
lightning crackling between her fingertips.

"Oh, let's see!" Taro said. "Two on one, and me with
a single-hand handicap. Sounds unfair... for you."

"Don't underestimate us like the others did!" Mars
shouted. "We beat your friends before."

"Ah... heh, heh, heh!" he laughed, spreading his legs
apart in readiness. "They were just kids; you're
dealing with a master of kung fu now!"

Raising his left fist, Taro charged into battle.

---

10th Street Market, 10th Street District

The past three days proved quite informative for Ami.

Ever since the first contact the observer Furui
met with her during lunch hours, often making casual
conversation about her teaching methods. To others, it
would appear to be small talk, but to Ami, and, as she
suspected, to the old man, it was a delicate dance on
words.

It was a careful play, but it seemed to have paid
off, as the observer invited her to join him for an
early dinner. The restaurant the old man chose was
quite devoid of customers, as the dinner hour had not
been reached yet, giving the two relative privacy at a
table hidden away at a corner of the dining room.

Not long after their orders were taken Higure came
down to business. "Ms. Mizuno."

"Yes?" She felt anticipation beating in her chest.

"I am curious," he said, "about your opinion of the
current state of the world?"

"What kind of a question is that?" she asked,
realizing it was her heart racing. In her mind Ami
felt her caution flagging several danger signs.

Higure smiled, shaking his head. "No, you are
correct, it is a silly question."

"Well, to answer your question, I think the world is
quite peaceful," Ami answered honestly. "Every man
and woman has the opportunity to contribute to society
in the best way possible. There are no wars, no crime,
and no disease. People do not suffer illness or hunger
because they are have-nots; everybody can seize their
dreams."

"Yet, oftentimes one person's goal may conflict
against another," the old man pointed out.

Ami nodded. "That is true, but disputes are no
longer solved with violence or retribution, but with
talk, compromise, and a common interest to get along in
the best manner possible. So to answer your question,
Mr. Furui, I believe the world could not be a better
place."

There, she thought, breathing a mental sigh. It was
a calculated risk, openly vocalizing an idea Ami
believed was counter to the Fenril thinking, but she
also knew it was possible that the old man could tell
when she was lying. On the one hand, the Fenril could
hear what he wanted to hear, but likely it would be too
good to be true. On the other hand, if she told the
Fenril the truth in her heart, he might be impressed,
and yet it gave her even less possibility to enter into
the Inner Circle.

Higure stroked his beard thoughtfully, his cold eyes
studying Ami carefully. She resisted staring into
them, knowing that to do so may put her in even greater
danger than she was already in.

It seemed that minutes passed, but in reality only a
few seconds passed since Ami last spoke. Her heart
thundered with anticipation, and she fervently hoped
her facial expression didn't betray her inner thought.

Finally, the old man spoke. "I have acquaintances
that would disagree with what you said."

"Really?" She tried to sound surprised, and to her
ears Ami thought it was a little too forced. "I've
never met anyone who didn't think highly of the Earth
in it's present state."

"They would say your view is ridiculous," he
continued. "So far I have not met one person who could
counter their views properly, until I met you."

"Are you asking me to talk to them?" she asked. This
was not going quite the way Ami thought, but if it
still got her into the Inner Circle it would have to
do.

"If it is not too much of an inconvenience, of
course," Higure added. "Would you like to meet them?"

Steady, Ami, she thought. This could easily be part
of a trap. Death Phantom surely knows our identities,
and there's no reason why he shouldn't have passed that
information on to his minions. Yet, even though the
queen is certain that Death Phantom returned, his
presence had yet to be felt.

And then, this old man, Higure Furui, appeared to
have no idea who I am, Ami reminded herself. Perhaps
it was the Disguise Pen that was doing it, or maybe it
was as given: he suspected nothing. Why would Death
Phantom resort to a relatively naive person as this?

"I would like to," she found herself saying, despite
caution.

Anything you get yourself into from here on is up to
you.

---

Tokyo Tower, Crystal Tokyo

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter shouted, sending
crackling bolts of lightning against Taro's incoming
attack.

With blinding speed Taro avoided the attack, but his
fist came no slower when it contacted against Jupiter,
sending the senshi sprawling backward. He barely felt
the singe of a flame bolt soar over his head as he
ducked, careful to balance the heart crystal upright.

"Nyah, nyah!" Taro taunted. "You're going to have to
do better than that!"

Mars kept her index fingers pressed together,
throwing off another fire bolt at the martial artist.
"Too fast for the Fire Soul!" she hissed.

Jupiter quickly got back to her feet, clenching a
fist. "Don't worry, this kind of thing is my
specialty!"

She threw several punches, advancing forward and
forcing Taro backward in a one-two flurry. Taro
maintained the smirk on his face, dodging each blow
with little effort on his part.

"Oh, please!" he complained. "Even Femme-boy was
way faster than you! But then, I handicapped myself
for you." He stopped in his tracks, and held up the
heart crystal in the path of the next projected fist.

Her green gloved fist came to a halt right in front
of the heart crystal, and Jupiter realized that her
opponent truly wasn't handicapping himself at all.
Taro planted his left fist into her gut, driven by a
mad power and knocking the wind out of her.

Yet it was more than enough time for Mars to set up
her end of the double attack.

Taro tore his eyes away from Jupiter just as Mars
shouted, "Burning Mandala!"

"Dammit!" he cursed, leaping straight into the air
and narrowly avoiding the flaming spheres. "I'm
getting careless!"

"Almost got him that time!" Mars muttered.

"'Almost' is not nearly good enough!" the martial
artist countered, landing in front of the soldier of
fire.

But before he could make a move he felt someone
clutch onto his left leg. "Two on one, remember?"
Jupiter reminded him snidely, yanking the leg back with
all her force.

Mars stepped out of the way as Taro fell to the
ground face first, mindful to hold the heart crystal
up and away from the ground. Jupiter stood up from
the ground over the downed enemy, ready to attack at
the slightest movement.

"Ready to say 'uncle?'" she asked.

"What I want to know is why you're after the heart
crystals," Mars added.

"I can't be beaten like this!" Taro hissed angrily.
"Someone as great as I doesn't get beaten by girls like
you!"

---

Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries

"Well, you think we should help him?" Shion asked,
turning toward Ayame at the center of the room and
jabbing his thumb back at his monitor.

Ayame folded her arms, assuming airs. "Humph, why
should we? He didn't want help, remember?"

"But he did get a heart crystal."

"Do you see one here?"

"Well, no."

"Don't count your eggs until they're back in the
nest," suggested the leader. "Unless he can come up
with something fancy, he's lost."

"And if we lose him, then what?!" demanded Shion,
ready to take control over the teleport switch.

"Then he's only got himself to blame!" Ayame shot
back cruelly. "I thought he was a cunning ally, but
such a hot head will spell disaster to us if he can't
control even that. That easily-bruised ego of his
could be our ruin. He either learns to become a team
player, or dies alone."

The mercenary nodded. "I see your point," he said,
remembering Taro's threat against him. "So if he gets
out of this, he gets out of this... no words?"

Ayame nodded.

---

Tokyo Tower, Crystal Tokyo

Taro weighed his options carefully in fractions of
seconds, eyeing the heart crystal he desperately sought
to keep intact. While he had no idea what would
happen if he dropped it, the green skirt girl was
obviously worried enough when he used it as a shield.

There would be more heart crystals, he decided; more
than enough to complete the engine.

"Sorry, girls, but I've got a party to attend!" he
shouted, hurling the crystal toward the elevator.

A startled gasp and the red skirt diving after the
crystal was more than enough a cue for Taro to make his
comeback. Without chancing a look he scissored his
legs together, sandwiching both of Jupiter's legs, and
twisted his body around, bringing the girl crashing to
the ground. He released his clutch hold immediately,
springing to his feet, constantly keeping watch on the
heart crystal landing in Mars' desperate hands as she
dove.

"It's been real, girls!" he taunted, casting his
eyes toward the glass window at the rail. "The
information I got out of this battle will prove quite
useful later on!"

Before either of the senshi could make a move Taro
was already breaking a sprint toward the window. With
momentum behind him the martial artist shattered the
window with his body, throwing glass shards everywhere
around the impact point.

He allowed himself a couple heartbeats of freefall,
hopefully instilling the image that he was committing
suicide by leaping over the edge. Clutching the prism
tied securely to his pantyhose sash, Taro whisked
himself from his death plunge.

---

Inner Sanctum, Crystal Palace

"He plunged through the window and off the edge of
the tower," Sailor Mars reported to the queen. "Since
there's no body down there we have to assume he's got
some means to fly or teleport."

"That guy's not terribly hard to find," added
Jupiter, her face appearing next to Mars's on the
screen. "Some kind of scaled hide shirt and a
pantyhose around his waist." She shrugged. "Strange
guys these people pick up."

Serenity nodded. Although the two senshi succeeded
in keeping one heart crystal from Death Phantom's
minions, she knew there was more than enough to go
around. "I am pleased at your report. Return to the
palace as soon as possible."

Both Mars and Jupiter nodded, their faces winking out
of existence, finally leaving the sovereign alone with
her husband.

"Crisis averted?" asked Endymion.

"Yes, for the moment. However, this is rather
disturbing news, from what they describe."

"They made it sound as if this new enemy was
purposefully holding back," the king agreed. "Even if
it was only due to the stolen heart crystal, he was
cunning enough to use it to his own advantage as well.
That is what concerns me."

"Given this example the Fenril are more than willing
to put the heart crystals in jeopardy," Serenity said.
"While we do not know why they need the crystals it is
more than enough proof that they could seize heart
crystals on a whim, with disregard for life."

"In other words, no one is safe," concluded Endymion.

---

Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries

Pantyhose Taro materialized on his stomach at Ayame
Mishima's feet, his body finally understanding that it
was no longer in freefall.

"You failed," the leader said simply.

Taro said nothing, planting his palms to the cold
floor and began lifting himself up, but he was held
fast by the weight of Ayame's high-heeled shoe, placing
a sharp pain in his spine.

"No, you'd better stay on that belly of yours, and
grovel a bit," she suggested coldly. "The first test
operation of the Deathbuster technology was a complete
success, but you failed to bring back the heart
crystal."

"It's those stupid girls," Taro hissed angrily, but
Ayame cut him sharply.

"But I never expected you to bring it back; your
objective was far different. In fact, you failed the
moment you walked out the door." She drove her heel in
harder. "For some reason you're a prima donna,
thinking you can do everything by yourself without
help."

"Just you wait..." he warned.

"And your shitty attitude, too," Ayame added.
"Whether you like it or not you're living under my
roof, and since I'm the owner I'm also your landlord.
I make the rules around here, and if you don't like
them, we'll cut you loose and let the Sailor Senshi get
you. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"But here's why you won't do that. Because, no
matter how powerful or strong you are, they'll get you
eventually. You have no safe haven which to hide out
in, and no way to outrun the Sailor Senshi on your own
merits. You won't leave, because you want the power on
the Kami Plane just as much as we do."

"And now that you know that, here's what you're
going to do. You're going to join your friends under
lockdown... oh, wait. Did I forget to mention I lifted
it over the other three? So I suppose you'll be
staying around like a caged animal all by yourself;
you couldn't do grocery shopping if you wanted to, much
less get heart crystals. And here's what you're going
to do while under lockdown: you're going to learn how
to work with the rest of us, and fix your attitude, or
you're never going to see the light of the sun for the
rest of your stay here. Do I make myself clear?"

Slowly, painfully, Taro nodded to the floor.

Ayame relaxed her foot slightly, then pressed in for
another painful spike. "Oh, I know you're already
thinking of a way to get back at me, but there are a
good fourteen other of us that can take you out, plus
the robot bodyguards you think are worthless toys.
Never forget who we are."

---

Rec Room, Mishima Heavy Industries

For all the business that was the organization known
to Crystal Tokyo's rulers as the Fenril Knights, they
knew enough that it was good to have free time.

Sized as a modest ball room, one corner was
furnished with a large couch and two comfy chairs to
each side of it, with a wooden coffee table in the
middle. Immediately opposite the couch was a large-
screen television set, and the couch's occupant, Kanna
Rajura, was watching the local news intently.

In the center of the room was a single pool table,
set up in the traditional style with low handing lamps,
and a game was underway between Mousse and Tatewaki,
with the kendoist having the apparent point advantage.

Nearby, at the center of one wall was a small bar,
and while there was no one tending it the seats were
occupied nonetheless, of Kodachi, Shampoo, and Miranda
observing the two men play out their game.

Closest to the double door entrance was a number of
unoccupied tables and seats, only one set used up by
the robed Cinder, holding up a book to read in his
metallic, claw-like hand. Anyone observing him could
see only his left, mechanical eye move slighly up and
down under his dark hood.

When Ranma walked in, everyone game him their
attention.

"Ah, Saotome," greeted Tatewaki. "What graces have
you for your superiors?"

"Can it, Kuno," the martial artist shot back, and
the others resumed their own activities. He spied
Mousse getting ready to make his shot. "You don't want
to hit that."

"Why not?" asked the weapons master, raising his eye
level slightly toward Ranma.

"That hit'd set up Kuno's next shot, and he'd win,"
Ranma pointed out.

"Hah!" scoffed Mousse. "As if you know how to play
pool!"

"I'm putting good money on you, Mousse," Miranda
called. "You'd BETTER listen to him!"

Tuning out the conversation, he eyed Kanna at the
corner. "What's she watching?"

"She wishes to catch up on local events," Kodachi
explained. "For some unfathomable reason that girl
believes our best chance for victory is to study the
situation from all angles before acting." She assumed
airs. "On the other hand, one talented such as I
should have no problem...."

Ranma hardly waited for the laugh to kick in and
walked past the pool table and Mousse's impending
doom. He leaned with his elbows against the top of the
couch, but Crystal Spider Rajura hardly seemed to
notice. "What'chu watching?"

"The evening news," Kanna replied tactfully. "Isn't
it strange how they mention the Tokyo Tower incident,
but not the attacker?"

"Really?" Ranma blinked, as he was certain that
anyone with half a mind would notice Pantyhose Taro in
an instant.

"There's no official comment from the government, and
the peacekeepers are baffled," she explained. "In
fact, judging from what I've been watching the Crystal
Tokyo government doesn't want anyone to know about us
yet."

"They're scared of us," Ranma guessed.

Kanna shook her head. "They don't know what we are
yet, so they're erring on the side of caution. A wise
move, but one that could backfire if we hold out long
enough. Seemingly random attacks could help undermine
the government. We could turn the population base
against them, but it'd take years."

"We don't have years," the martial artist replied.
"The sooner everyone gets back to their senses, the
better."

"And I agree," she conceded. "But we don't have any
of that mind-altering stuff Queen Serenity has, so we
can't beat her in that department. They have to have a
weakness somewhere; it's all a matter of finding it and
exploiting it."

"Is that how the old geezers do it?"

"They're ancient Chinese scholars," Kanna corrected.
"And yes, observing and understanding made them
legends in their time. I, too, can become a legend;
we as a collective could be as celebrated as much as
the heroes of the Three Kingdoms period."

"I didn't set out to become a hero," Ranma said, "I'm
doing what's right."

"Only history will judge that," warned the Crystal
Spider. "Whoever is the victor will get to write out
that history."

---

10th Street Market, 10th Street District

"So, when would you like to meet them?" Higure asked,
as he and Ami exited the restaurant, having finished
their early dinner just as the dinner crowd began to
filter in.

"As soon as possible," she answered, quickly adding,
"it's good to find people of differing opinions that
can argue well; it exercises the mind."

The old man nodded. "True. I find that the mind
becomes dull when there is nothing to stimulate it.
And I...."

His words were cut short when an armful of paper
bags collided with Ami, throwing both her and the
shopper back and scattering several bags of junk food
and a loaf of bread to the crystal-layered sidewalk.

"Watch where you're going," complained the shopper,
quickly tossing her groceries back in the bag.

"Allow me," Higure said, offering Ami his hand.

The disguised senshi accepted it quickly, with only
the thought of the irony of it all tugging at her mind.
For a moment Ami wondered how such a nice old man could
fall in with someone like Death Phantom. Or, if he
even was working for him.

But that doubt soon disappeared when the shopper and
the old man recognized each other. "Master Higure!"

"I see you are no longer grounded," Higure said,
nodding to the girl.

Ami gasped, and relief washed over her when neither
of the two paid her any attention over it. True, she
had but a description from Sailor Mars to go by, but
something in her head told her that this was the one.
The priestess was dressed in odd colorations of a pink
top and a dark green hakama, with the sleeves decorated
with an odd, eight-petaled cherry blossom. She looked
no threatening to Ami as she quickly grabbed her
scattered groceries, appearing almost comical and not
the least bit threatening.

On the back of the priestess's kimono was the double
kanji symbol for 'Genbu,' and Ami filed that away in
her mind for later reference.

"Well, you know how Ayame is," the girl replied,
reaching for her loaf of bread. "She got pissed at
what's-his-face so she let us out and locked him in.
So I decided to go on a snack run; there's only one
kind of pretzel I'd buy and nobody else brought back
enough the last few times!" She stood up, wiping off
her pants although they were free from dirt and dust
from all the scrounging.

"Ah, forgive my manners," Higure said, turning back
toward Ami. "Shizuka, this is Ami Mizuno, a substitute
teacher. Ami, this is Shizuka Minazuki, professional
demon hunter."

Ami offered her hand, and Shizuka shook it
enthusiastically. "Pleased to meet you," she said.
"You're one of Mr. Furui's friends?"

Shizuka nodded. "I've heard quite a few good things
about you. I've never gone to a formal school before,
so I wouldn't know those kind of things. Pi is three-
point-one-four-one-five-nine...."

"Actually, that's correct," Ami replied.

The priestess lifted her grocery bags in her arms,
until Higure snatched one from her. "Thanks, Master."
She turned back toward Ami. "So... what've you two
been doing?"

"We just ate," the old man answered. "In fact I was
on my way back to the house."

"Well, geez," she scoffed. "You could've at least
waited for me, but then I couldn't go shopping. Well,
if you're on the way back, I'm headed that way, too."

"But you were going in the other direction," Ami
pointed out.

"Was I?" Shizuka raised an eyebrow, a confused look
washing over her features. She raised a finger,
looking around for the setting sun. "Oh... well... I
guess so." She laughed. "I couldn't see with these
bags in the way!"

"Of course," Higure said, nodding.

How can this girl be so much trouble for Mars? Ami
wondered. She forced an amused laugh. "It happens to
the best of us."

The other girl didn't seem to find any humor in it.
Turning to Higure she said, "You sure you want to bring
your date to the others? She's kinda young for you,
eh?" She jabbed him in the ribs with her free elbow.

"That is not funny," the old man replied.

"You weren't setting up Tatewaki on a date, were
you?"

"No."

"Mousse?"

"No."

"Um, excuse me?" interrupted Ami. "Isn't there a
place we have to be?"

When both of the Fenril remembered, she breathed a
heavy sigh. If these two were any indication of the
Death Phantom's Fenril Knights how in the world could
we have trouble with them?

---

Wiseman's Citadel, Nemesis

He was alone, as it was meant to be.

Levitating a half meter off the polished floor the
man known as Wiseman sat with his crystal ball in his
lap, conjuring images within. Gray swirls of clouds
transformed clear crystal into a scene of busy bodies
working in a large pit. He spied on the un-cryo-frozen
Mishima engineers, busy building a structure per Ayame
Mishima's order. From what he could tell Wiseman
judged it would take several more weeks before the new
construct is completed.

The scene then shifted to that of Pantyhose Taro's
living quarters. He watched as the martial artist
paced around the room, having no more possessions to
knock over in anger and frustration. He burned with
desire to get even with Ayame for locking him down, but
Wiseman knew Taro hated the Sailor Senshi even more.

The room changed slightly, opening up the living
quarters of Ryoga Hibiki. He lay in a catatonic state
on the cot that served as his bed, shaking
involuntarily and babbling random sentences. Wiseman's
sight allowed him to see the pent-up ki energies
surrounding the martial artist-- his depression given
form-- it was a time bomb waiting to explode.

The reclusive Hokuto Takemasa appeared, in the
Mishima archives that served as a makeshift library.
While the underground compound had no actual library it
kept much information stored on computer. Stripped of
much of her power the esper girl was deep in her work,
oblivious to the world and to her comrades.

And yet, across Japan, in the abandoned Shrine of the
Four Gods, the Chinese sorcerer Sypha Blade was busy
herself in the private stacks left behind by the
priests. Wiseman had no doubt she was studying for a
magic that could counter Neo Queen Serenity's hold over
the Gate of Heaven-- the portal that joined this plane
with the Kami Plane. She was obsessed with returning
home, almost as much as Wiseman was.

'Almost' being the key operating word.

Half of Wiseman's charges were bent on forcing their
way to the Kami Plane, seeking innumerable allies and
power to counter that of Neo Queen Serenity's own
immeasurable power. However, of all seventeen only
Hokuto and Shizuka's fighting abilities were severely
crippled by the seal-- Hokuto because she could no
longer access the shadow stream, and Shizuka because
she could no longer summon beasts. Cinder and Sypha,
on the other hand, were motivated purely on a method of
getting home, being kami themselves. After them only
Ayame, Taro, and Higure seemed to care; the others were
too busy trying to understand their new surroundings to
do much of anything.

That would all change soon enough, Wiseman knew. In
no long time something will come along to change
everything.

A society with no will to fight would surely fall to
a threat beyond their control.

---

Control Center, Mishima Heavy Industries

The elevator continued to descend with Ami sandwiched
between Higure on the right and Shizuka on the left,
all three standing against the wall opposite the double
sliding door. For a brief moment she compared her
situation with that of prisoner, but immediately shook
that from her mind. There was no reason to think such
things while an ally of the Fenril.

Being careful as they were Shizuka and Higure hardly
lead her around with eyes open; in fact, they made it a
point to get to their destination in the most indirect
manner possible: a parked van. They waved to the
unseen driver, and opened up the back and piled in.
Ami noted that the back of the van did not have any
windows whatsoever, giving a perfect cover as a means
to prevent guests from figuring out where they went.
She never saw the driver at all, as the front was
completely blocked off. It was not unlike sitting in
a police wagon.

She tried to map the city with her mind, but the van
took more turns than she could keep up with, obviously
indicating that they were traveling in an area that was
not well-traveled. Ami kept up her small talk with the
others such as to not arouse their suspicions, and when
they finally stopped the van doors opened up to an
underground garage.

There were many parked vehicles in the garage, and
Ami wanted to see who the driver was, but the two
Fenril lead her to a waiting elevator car before she
could get close enough.

Guessing how many floors they were going down was not
very enlightening to Ami; she settled with the fact
that either the elevator was very slow or they were
really going very deep underground.

When the car stopped and the doors slid open, the
three were not greeted by anybody. The main entrance
of the compound appeared similar to a hotel lobby,
causing Ami to do a double take as she took in her
surroundings. Running over the polished tile floor was
a red carpet, running its length all the way across
the hall to a set of large, metal double doors. Stairs
and doors off to the sides lead elsewhere, but her
curiosity would have to wait.

For all the grandness of the doors it lead only to a
clean, white hall, running straight where the carpet
left off, branching to the sides here and there at
completely right angles. The total whiteness reminded
Ami of the hospital, but with even less color, as there
were no plants or decorations anywhere. She noted
shiny patches on the walls where Crystal Tokyo's
crystal still existed, obviously chiseled away when the
Fenril moved in.

They came to a T-intersection, standing by a set of
opaque sliding doors. Higure punched in a code at the
keypad to the right, and the security door slid open
easily.

Ami tried her best to keep her awe in check as she
took in the control center's environs. Each and every
panel and equipment was shaped of metal, in varying
degrees of polished steel. The room was expansive, and
the door was located at the top of a bowl-like pit.
Each side of the circular pit had a computer console,
save for the area immediately before the door, which
had a set of stairs downward. Dominating the wall
opposite the door was a rather large viewscreen, or
perhaps a series of screens, and Ami saw the same on
the walls to the sides as well, although both were
turned off. The front screen currently bore a current
map of Crystal Tokyo from an aerial view, clearly
marking such key locations as the Crystal Palace and
the Tokyo Tower, as well as markers Ami guessed were
the areas that were attacked previously by the Fenril.

The control center would have been completely devoid
of life save for the two occupants. One, seemingly a
technician, was seated at a console off at the two
o'clock position from where Ami stood, and the other
stood in the exact center, her back to the disguised
soldier. She dressed in a white lab coat, and wore her
modest-length hair up in a pony-tail. The back of her
coat was decorated with a stylized 'M,' which nearly
resembled a bat.

That symbol, Ami realized, belonged to the disbanded
Mishima Heavy Industries, a critical member of the
original Earth Rebellion since the rise of Crystal
Tokyo.

The girl turned around, coldness in her expression,
her arms folded. She dressed in a red turtleneck
sweater, going along with a black miniskirt and
matching stockings. She took two deliberate steps
forward, her black high-heel shoes clacking and
echoing against the rims of the bowl.

"Shizuka," she said, "I hadn't let you out for more
than three hours and you already bring back a friend?"

"I apologize," Higure interceded. "It was I who
brought this friend to you."

"Oh really?" The leader raised an eyebrow, and the
tech turned in his seat, his interest grabbed.

The other, Ami noted, appeared to be a cardboard
cutout shirt-and-jeans guy, a style obviously American
that marked you rich in Japan. He wore a dark jacket,
with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. The shoes
he wore looked like more imported clothes. His
glasses had lenses which were coated with a reflective
compound, giving the tech an obvious advantage if one
wished to read his expression-- the eyes were often the
most telling.

Considering all four Fenril present in the room, Ami
wondered how any of them could be related.

"I brought her here in order to discuss our
conflicting philosophies," explained Higure. "I
believe it would benefit us all if we learned more from
what an intelligent citizen can offer us, rather than
rely only on our own, close-minded views."

That was one point in our direction, Ami noted.

"This is Ami Mizuno," he introduced. Gesturing
toward the lab coat girl, Higure said, "Ami, this is
Ayame Mishima, niece of the late CEO of Mishima Heavy
Industries."

"Pleased to meet you," Ami said politely, bowing.

Ayame unfolded her arms, amusement in her eyes. "I
see.... Well... Ms. Mizuno...?"

"Ami," she insisted.

"Very well." She nodded. "Ami, if Higure trusts you
so much, then there isn't much I can say to object, is
there? Feel free to look around, but don't leave the
premises for the time being." Ayame glared at Higure
intently. "Can I have a word with you?"

"Of course," answered the old man.

"I could show you around," offered Shizuka. "Besides
that, I need to get the groceries in the pantry."

"Thank you," Ami replied. She silently took the bag
Higure had carried in her arms, and without another
word followed the priestess back out the doors.

The two took a right down the hall as the doors slid
shut. As Shizuka rambled on about her groceries and
their importance to her, Ami's thoughts wandered away.
She imagined Higure was getting a dressing-down by
Ayame for bringing in an unexpected guest.

On the other hand, she entered the heart of the enemy
and their Inner Circle, and nobody bothered to even
blink. Things were going well, that's for sure, but it
all seemed a little too convenient to Ami.

However, the mystery of Mishima's missing niece has
been solved, in a completely unexpected manner. It was
obvious that Ayame Mishima, taking the reigns of her
uncle's company, was gearing up for a new Earth
Rebellion, and that she was the leader of the Fenril
Knights. Although her hospitality seemed genuine, Ami
felt the coldness from before biting at the edge of her
mind; she was potentially as ruthless as Mishima's
mechanical army.

What was more disturbing, however, was that Death
Phantom's dark hand was nowhere to be seen. The dark
soldier of Death and Chaos appeared to have little or
no influence, if there was any, on these individuals.
The possibility existed that Death Phantom was not
involved at all, but Ami knew that was wishful thinking
at best; Death Phantom's presence was detected
positively.

The trick was, nobody saw him yet.

---

"How much of a good idea do you think it was to bring
an outsider into this place?" Ayame asked coldly,
switching back to her machine clarity the moment the
doors sealed shut.

"If she turns out to compromise our integrity, then
I will assume full blame," Higure promised.

"That's not what you should be concerned about,"
Shion interrupted. "I'm sure she's as great a person
as you say, but you know the possibility exists that
she may be a spy."

"The possibility crossed my mind," admitted the old
man. "If such were the case, then we should have felt
it by now. The energy signatures we feel from the
Sailor Senshi are too difficult to hide from our own
magicks."

"I hope you're right," Ayame replied, "because if you
aren't, then this operation could be over way sooner
than planned."

"So should we watch her?" asked the mercenary.

"No more than we watch ourselves," she answered.
"In fact, I want you to manufacture a new prism crystal
for her. We will give it to her and instruct her how
to use it, under the pretense that she can come and go
as she wishes. At the same time, if she does use this
contrary to our needs, it will alert us. If she is
indeed on the level, then there's no further need to
worry." She turned toward Higure. "Is that
satisfactory?"

The old man nodded.

"Look, Higure," Ayame said softly, "I want to believe
that you're right, and under different circumstances
I'd believe you without question. But I'm the leader
of what may very well be a terrorist group; I need a
good dose of paranoia to keep me on my toes. You
don't bear the shackles of leadership, and thus don't
have to worry about such things as much. It's my
responsibility to look after all of us, understand?
I'm not questioning your judgement."

"I understand."

"So you want to test her loyalty?" asked Shion.

Ayame nodded. "That'll be up to you to determine.
It's terrible, but we can't trust anyone unless they've
proven themselves to us. We need to know how far she's
willing to go for us, and, more importantly, if we
should trust her to roam free."

---

Wiseman's Citadel, Nemesis

The crystal ball that bound the bones of Wiseman's
body together glowed like a beacon, but the old man's
attentions was elsewhere. Seemingly forgotten, the
orb levitated by itself, as the rusty blue cloak and
the bones that supported it were on the floor.

If he had the organs to do it, he would try to cough
up the ache in his chest.

"Why now?" he wondered aloud. "Why?"

He reached up with his shimmering, ethereal hands to
his skull, and pulled them back, dragging off bits and
flakes from its bleached surface. This time, he
realized, there was no sorcery that could save him from
his impending fate.



----------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes

The Fenril are a pseudo cross between the Black Moon
Family and the Deathbusters, the most interesting
villain groups in Sailor Moon IMO. In a respect they
are more like the Deathbusters, being that they are
normal people who are battling super heroes.


--Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOhotmailSPAM.com)
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html

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