Disclaimer: Not my characters..read the damn story...
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As the darkness cleared, I found myself in an ally. I held my head and waited for the dizziness to pass, stumbling around until I found my way out of the ally. All of a sudden someone ran into me, knocking the breath from me. "Hey, baka, watch where you are going," a masculine voice grumbled at me. I shook my head and mumbled a 'gomen' and tried to continue on my way, but a rough hand grabbed my arm. I whipped around to be faced with a tall, semi-muscular man. I pulled my arm from his grasp and he grinned at me evilly. "Sorry ain't gonna cut it this time, babe," he hissed, flashing me a mischievous grin. My eyes widened and I whipped back around and ran for dear life. I heard him catching up behind me, but I was still too dizzy to tap into my inner energy. I tried harder to outrun him, but he caught up to me. He slammed me into a building and held me up by my neck. "Y'know, I'm a guy. I don't know why you are bothering with me." I rasped with the little air I was able to take in. "Oh you don't fool me. I can see you are a girl under all of these baggy clothes," he chuckled, tugging at my oversized gray muscle shirt. "Hey, let her go!" I heard another masculine voice shout. I looked over his shoulder as a blonde haired boy rushed up, knocking the guy away from me. I fell to the ground, gasping for breath. I watched as the new guy ran the old guy off, but yet again, I passed out.
"Ugh…" I groaned, trying to open my eyes. "Don't strain yourself. You have had a rough time," a nice feminine voice instructed me. I opened my eyes to see a beautiful aqua-haired woman and the blond guy who saved me. I slowly sat up, groaning at stiff muscles in the process. "You heard the lady. You should take it easy. That guy gave you a run for it," he said. "Ugh, I don't need to sleep my life away though. That seems to be all I do anymore. Oh, and by the way, my name is Amber. How 'bout you?" I half mumbled. "Haruka. This is Michiru. Do you mean to tell me you are a girl?" he asked me. I nodded my head and grinned sheepishly. "Well, I guess I am not the only girl who looks like a guy, eh Michi-kun?" Haruka said. My eyes widened. "Do you mean to tell me you are a GIRL?" I exclaimed. She nodded and I facefaulted. "Wow, you are a really tall, butch, strong woman!" I hesitantly said. Michiru chuckled. "She hears that a lot, y'know," she told me. I grinned and glanced to Haruka. She had been watching me rather intensely and when she noticed me looking at her she switched her gaze to the window. I frowned and returned my gaze to Michiru. "So, how are you two related anyways? Sisters, cousins, friends?" I asked. "Um, well, not exactly. We are, kind of, y'know, well…lovers?" she murmured. I could feel the wave of blood rushing to my face. "Uh…uh…oh…" I stammered. "Gomen ne," I apologized. "Daijobu?" Michiru asked me. "Daijobu…gomen ne." I told her. "No problem. So, where do you live? I can give you a ride home," Haruka established. "Um, you are not going to believe me, but I am not from this dimension, so I don't have a home here." I mumbled. Their eyes shot to me. "You had better not be evil." Haruka grumbled. My eyes shot wide open and I waved my arms in front of me. "Nuh-uh! No way! I FIGHT evil." I said desperately and told them my story. "So, mother nature is telling you she doesn't want you to fall in love, huh? Well, that is not fair." Haruka exclaimed. I grinned and looked at the ground. "It has always been this way. In my first dimension, I went through several guys until I FINALLY found my mate, but the night we were making marriage arrangements and talking about stuff I went to sleep and woke up…in…a…different…dimension…" I broke off, sobbing a bit. Michiru reached out an arm to me and I fell into her embrace. "Arigato Michiru. Gomen…I am such a pest." I mumbled. "No, no, no. You have been through a lot. It is completely understandable. Haruka-kun. Could you call Makoto-san and see if she can keep Amber during her visit to this dimension?" Michiru asked. "Hai!" she said and headed to the phone. I listened to the phone conversation and it sounded negative. "Gomen. Makoto-san cannot have anyone stay with her. She has friends from her last place of residence over. How about she stay with Setsuna? I am sure she wouldn't mind the help with Hotaru," she suggested. "Sure! Come on. Let's go introduce her." Michiru said excitedly.
When we finally reached Setsuna's apartment, it was getting dark. Haruka marched confidently up to the door and gave it a hearty pounding. A crying child was heard from somewhere in the apartment and a frustrated voice neared the door. As the door opened, I studied the figure before me. Tall, beautiful, dark green hair-part in a bun and the rest falling to just about the middle of her calves-short housedress with a dirty apron over it, and a very angry expression. "Haruka-saaaaan! You KNOW this is when I try to put Hotaru to bed! Why do you bother me at this hour? Oh, you have company? Who is your friend back there?" she asked, trying her best to smile sincerely. I grinned nervously and waved to her. "Oh, this is Amber. She fell into this dimension and needs somewhere to stay and I thought you could use the help with Hota-kun." Haruka cheerily told her, totally ignoring the woman's anger that was continuously building. "What! You bring this girl over here with out any warning and want me to play babysitter to another kid! I simply can not do that Haruka!" she impatiently told the boyish female standing in front of me. Unknown to her, I began to sneak into the house while they talked fervently and followed the sound of the crying child. I found her in a room full of beautiful lamps. I walked to the crib and picked up the beautiful child, cradling her and soothing her back into sleep. I brushed the dark hair out of her eyes and became lost in her deep violet irises. The arguing outside ceased and a stampede of shoes against wood was heard as the three raced to see what had happened to their dear Hotaru. They were surprised to see Hotaru asleep in my arms. I, meanwhile, was totally oblivious to their presence, still humming a lullaby and becoming lost in the child's beautiful aura. I finally glanced up when the child was being taken from my arms. Setsuna smiled and nodded her head. "You seem to have a knack for taking care of crying babies. Maybe you WILL be of some use to me," she said, laying Hotaru in her crib. I grinned and held out a hand. "I am Amber, and thank you for letting me stay here," I told her. "Well, I am Setsuna. Amber, I am curious as to why you have a heart symbol shining on your forehead," she said, quite casually. I gulped and covered my forehead. "Um…sorry about that. I really can't tell you why it does that. I am sorry," I murmured. "I understand," she said, starting to walk out of the room. "Um, Setsuna?" I whispered. She turned and said 'yes?' "Um, where do I sleep?" I asked her somewhat hesitantly. She smiled warmly and pointed to a bed in the room we were in. "I usually stay in here with Hotaru, but it is your turn!" she said happily. I nodded and bowed to her as she left the room. I smiled at the child and prepared myself for sleep. I slept all night in that room, not hearing a peep from Hotaru. Setsuna came in the morning to find Hotaru still sleeping peacefully and the same true for me! She sweatdropped and facefaulted. I heard the thunk and leapt about ten feet out of the bed. I saw Setsuna had pretty much fainted and tried to help her up. I heard a knock at the door and Setsuna was still out. I dragged her to the bed, quieted Hotaru, and ran full speed to the door. It was a girl about my size with long blond hair tied up into two buns and with two pigtails hanging down on either side of her. She gave me a strange look and cleared her throat. "Is Setsuna home?" she asked me. "Well…depends on your definition of that. She is in here, but she has passed out." I nervously explained to her. Her eyes widened and she pushed past me to rush to the room I had just come from. Setsuna was sitting up in bed rubbing the back of her head with a confused look on her face. "Please tell me she didn't sleep all night like that. She ALWAYS wakes up in the middle of the night!" she exclaimed. I nodded, confirming that Hotaru had, indeed, slept soundly all night long. The blonde giggled madly, but quickly regained her composure. "Oh, Setsuna, the girls and me and Mamoru are all going to the park today on a picnic. Care to join us?" she said, extending to me her invitation also. "Sure. We will both try and make it there. Oh, Amber, this is Usagi. Usagi, this is Amber. She is from another dimension and Haruka found her and brought her to me. She has somehow managed to sedate Hotaru here. She slept all night with out a peep!" she said, still amazed. I giggled and told Usagi that I was pleased to meet her. She said the same thing. She glanced at a clock on the wall and her eyes got real big and she started squealing. "Oh NO! Rei is gonna KILL me! I am SO LATE!!!" she squealed, dashing out the door. I grinned and turned back to Setsuna. "So, what can I do to help get ready for going to the park?" I asked her. She explained what all she wanted me to do while she put the now awake Hotaru into a baby-pack and hoisted her on to her back so she could now do chores and hear if Hotaru needed anything. We finally finished getting ready and made our way to the park. I admired the scenery at the park as we made our way around to find Usagi and her friends. I saw Usagi's odangos ahead and motioned for Setsuna to look. We started on our way over there. When we got near there, a girl with black hair stood up with her hands folded like she was praying. I could hear her say something about strange energy. Usagi saw us and was about to greet us when the girl with black hair stopped her. "Don't go near her Usagi. The strange vibes are coming from her," she said, pointing at me. My eyes widened and I stepped back a bit. The black haired girl started for me and I began to freak out. "Just who are you?" she shouted at me. I shook my head. "I don't know what you are talking about!" I told her. She continued to advance toward me and threw a piece of paper with Japanese symbols on it at my forehead. I took in a shaky breath and tore the paper off of my forehead. "What did you do that for?" I asked her. She proceeded to take out a decorative pen and raise it into the air. She went through a transformation and came out in a sailor uniform. I moved away from her as she came forward. "Why are you here? Are you a spy?" she asked me. I shook my head and Setsuna tried to stop her, but she came forward to me. I freaked out and everything went black.
*Oh no. They are going to kill the…* Setsuna began to think when something very strange happened. Amber began to glow bright yellow just before Mars' attack hit her. She watched as the red-haired girl before her began to change dramatically. Her hair grew out to its previous long, flowing, beautiful length, a section of it pulled up into the royal-style bun. Her clothes changed into a long, streaming, sectioned princess dress with beautiful rose ornaments and decorations and a large bow protruding from the back around waist level. Rose hairpins appeared in her hair where Usagi's pearls appear when she is in princess form and a red heart appeared on her forehead where it usually appears when she transforms into her armor, but this time it was a bit different. Inside the heart there shimmered the golden outline of a rose, glistening brightly. Earrings appeared on each earlobe bearing the same design as on her forehead. Her arms crossed over her chest and her hands lay against her breastbone. Beneath her hands appeared a glowing light and when she lowered them, a red rose appeared, its petals trimmed in gold. Eyes widened at the sight and Mamoru rushed forward in his prince form. Usagi looked back and forth between him and Amber very confusedly. "Sister. It is so glad to see you again. I thought I would never see you again." Mamoru said excitedly. Amber's eyes opened slowly and stared blankly at him. "Nani?" she asked. Mamoru grinned and glanced in the direction of Setsuna, Amber's eyes following. "You are Mamoru's younger sister, and future princess of Crystal Tokyo in absence of the King and Queen. You also will have a sailor transformation. I cannot believe that I did not recognize you immediately, especially with such a strong aura. We will FINALLY have a Sailor Earth!" she said happily. Amber's eyes widened and she became even more confused. "So, let me get this straight," she began. "I am a Ronin Warrior, twin sister of a Warlord named Anubis, destined to marry the bearer of the Wildfire armor to protect everlasting peace, and NOW I am a princess and YOUNGER sister of this guy?" she asked, pointing at Mamoru. Setsuna nodded, and Amber tried to take all of this in. While she was thinking, a dark colored cat with a yellow crescent moon mark on its head stepped forward. "Princess, would you care to know what else you are?" it asked in a feminine voice. I nodded hesitantly and the cat proceeded to leap into the air and do a couple of back-flips in the air. I watched, astonished that a cat could talk, let alone do back-flips, as an object appeared. It was a rose shaped brooch with red petals and golden trim like the one I held earlier. I took the object and ran my fingers over its surface. Instead of the cool feel of metal or plastic that I was expecting, it was warm and almost velvety. I felt for a clasp, but there was none, so I willed it open. Inside was a red, rose shaped crystal set into a heart shaped mound of gold with silver, and rainbow colored ribbon designs around it. I could feel the crystal pulsating along with the beat of my own heart. I looked to the cat in confusion. "That crystal is your life energy. If the crystal ever breaks or quits shining for some reason, you cease to exist. Hold that into the air and shout Earth Crisis Power, Make Up!" she told me. I took a deep breath, calmed myself, and shouted the phrase. Out of the brooch came a swirl of red and gold that began to spin around me and engulf me like a cocoon. It then moved in toward my body and incased me, like a film over my body. When it was finished conforming to my body, it began to grow to a blinding brightness and I could feel the warmth wash over me. As the light began to dim, I could feel a few more ribbons emerge from the brooch and cover my hips to form a skirt and then glide across my chest and lower back and hair to create three large bows. Finally the brooch came to rest in the middle of the bow on my chest and I posed awkwardly. I then was able to look down upon myself. The bows were a deep red-the color of the rose on my brooch-and my skirt, the ends of my gloves, and my boots were a shiny gold. My lace-up boots reached just below my knees and my skirt was extremely short. My gloves, unlike Mars', were short and reached only about an inch or two from my wrist. My tiara was golden of course, but the jewel in the middle was unlike the others'. It looked like my ronin armor's tiara, with the red heart, but in addition it had a golden outline of a rose. My red hair, now long again, was tied up in a red bow with golden trim, with my bangs hanging in my face, and I also still had the hairpins. The others looked me over excitedly and murmured to each other. I felt a bit faint at the realization of all of this, but I began to feel an inner strength that I had never felt before. The same strength that I felt when I came out into the alley that kept me conscious instead of letting me slip into the familiar blackness. I straightened myself and turned to face those persons looking me over. "So where do I go from here?" I asked, expecting them to tell me I have this certain destiny in this dimension. "Well, we had a trans-dimensional message sent to us not too long ago foretelling your coming here. They said that they needed you in their dimension as soon as you arrived." the white cat told me hesitantly. I cringed, as though a bullet had struck me in the shoulder. My right hand swiftly flew to the left side of my chest, resting directly over my heart. "Why…so soon?" I asked, looking him directly in the eyes. He refused to meet my gaze, and instead looked to a cherry blossom near his paw. "I am sorry, but they said it was urgent." He told me, swatting absent-mindedly at the blossom. My eyes also dropped to the ground and I could feel the pain increase. I sat and thought about it for a minute and decided it was best I went and helped the people. As I raised myself up to a kneeling position, preparing to stand, I felt a strange presence nearing us. I psi-scanned the area and found a youma heading directly for us. "Um, guys. I don't know if ALL of you can do that transformation thing or not, but those that can had better do it quickly. There is an evil entity heading straight for us." I warned them quickly, moving toward the path the thing was taking to get to us. When it emerged from the brush, I threw a few punches and kicks at it, as did some of the others, but they did not phase it at all. A couple of them decided to try energy attacks on it, but those that tried, found that their attack element was one that it was invincible to. I searched my mind for the attack I had and words finally came to my mind, but it was not an attack so I kept searching. I finally found an attack and shouted it for all I was worth. "Gold…encase!!!" I shouted as, from my outstretched hands, there emitted a shower of golden, molten droplets. Each and every droplet that hit the youma scorched the flesh and began to cover it in a golden layer. Soon, the youma was nothing but a mere golden statue, and the spirit released itself, leaving only an unconscious body as a reminder of the battle. I brushed the back of my hand over my forehead and found the first set of words that came to mind earlier. "Elemental restoration," I whispered, emitting a shower of cleansing water and minerals over the unconscious body, healing the few wounds. Then, finally, from exhaustion, I was able to slip once again into the darkness that I had embraced so many times before.
"Hmmmm…wonder…where…I…am…" I mumbled as I began to regain consciousness. As I opened my eyes I became aware of darkness and every so often a swirl of light. I saw, for the first time, the vortex I had been sucked into so many times. That vortex which sent me hurtling into far off dimensions. I was able to watch my path and the many dimensions between the one I had been in and the one I was about to be in. As I saw it come nearer, a knot began to grow in my stomach. I could feel, somehow, that I would be in this dimension for a very long time.
