Second Sight, a sailor moon fanfic

Second Sight

Sailor Moon is copyrighted to its appropriate companies and authors. The Chibi Scouts are property of Angel Raye and I am only using them with her expressed permission. I do not claim to own any of these characters and am doing this strictly for entertainment purposes and am not making any profit from this story. No infringement of these said characters is intended.

Rini sighed and tried to stay awake. She was in her final year of Junior High and so studying for High School Entrance Exams had begun. Her teacher, Ms. Haruna had given them a free study period. Rini's guess was that her fiancé had decided to take her wedding shopping that day.

Rini was studying with some of her best friends; one was Rachel, Molly and Melvin's daughter. The other two were Emily and Naomi. Rachel had dark brown hair and dark violet eyes. Emily had light blond hair and piercing green eyes. Naomi had deep red hair and light blue eyes. They were some of the few that didn't call her a palace brat. Although as she had grown, the insults had turned to older profanity.

Rini was concentrating on the math right at the moment. She hoped that she could get that down so that she wouldn't have to practice with Amy. As much as Rini liked Amy, she was too strict on studies for Rini's liking. Maybe if she got the math down, her mother would let her take a break from Amy's studying tonight.

Knowing Serenity, she would but her father would be stricter. But maybe the queen could convince him that night. She had her ways.

Before Rini could daydream anymore, she heard a scream. Every student in her classroom leapt up. They all raced to the window. There below them, laid several teachers, sprawled out on the grass, lifeless as paper dolls. Hovering above them was a youma.

Rini narrowed her deep red eyes.

Soon everyone was filing into the hall, racing for the back exit. Rini went with the flow but as they raced by a bathroom, she ducked inside. Seeing that she was alone, she removed her transformation broach from her school uniform and lifted it high.

"Moon Cosmic Power! Make–Up!"

Immediately a rush of power flowed through her veins. Two circles of hearts intertwined her and shifted their way around, gradually melting to form her body suit. A wave of hearts swept down from the bottom of her leotard, forming her skirt. She spun around, holding her arms out, letting ribbons wash over her hands, forming her white gloves. Ribbons wrapped about her legs, dissolving to form her tall pink boots. A crescent moon appeared on her forehead and then her tiara formed around it.

Rini Tsukino was gone.

In her place stood Sailor Cosmic Moon.

The Odango-haired warrioress ran out towards the sound of the cries.

* * *

The youma was an intimidating sight.

It had the body of a nude dark skinned woman, with dark red eyes and bright green hair that fell to her feet. It extended and snapped her victims' necks. It had long claw like finger nails that dripped acid. Also it seemed to fire some sort of magic from its palms. It was floating a few feet over its victims.

"Hold it right there!"

The youma turned from the students it had been planning on killing and turned. One of the teenagers, a red haired girl named Misa cried in excitement,

"It's Sailor Cosmic Moon!"

The pink haired warrior fell on to the grass, her scepter raised,

"How dare you terrorize people that work so hard to accomplish their dreams! I won't allow this to continue! A pretty soldier in a sailor suit, I'm Sailor Cosmic Moon and in the name of the moon I'll punish you!"

That said, she swung her scepter, "Moon Princess Healing Kiss!"

The youma dodged and ran. Cosmic Moon took off after it.

The youma led the Sailor Scout around the school grounds and down the corridors of the school. The eldest Cosmic Scout managed to keep up and soon was gaining on it. On a sprint of the moment, she used her scepter like a club and knocked the youma down. She delivered a Healing Kiss at point blank range.

The youma was hurt but not killed.

Cosmic Moon considered calling for help but quickly dismissed that option. The Chibi Scouts were still in elementary school and she didn't need them missing school to help with a single monster. She had to handle this herself. She raised her scepter again.

The youma charged at her, claws outstretched. Cosmic Moon raised her scepter and used it to block her claws. She turned it and delivered another Healing Kiss. The youma growled in pain and anger. It could have attacked again, finished her. Yet, it retreated.

But as it did, it flung a mass of colored mist at Cosmic Moon. It was too fast for her to dodge and everything went black. She heard the youma laugh hideously. A strange feeling over whelmed her. She felt weak in the knees for a moment and then grabbed her scepter tighter. She fell to the ground for a moment before the feeling passed. She shook her head and got to her hands and knees. Rubbing her eyes, she opened them.

Fear shot through her heart. She rubbed her eyes again. No, still…

Tears filled her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. She detransformed to see if that would fix it.

No…. Rini's voice echoed,

"NO!"

She saw nothing, nothing at all.

Her sight was gone.

* * *

Rini sat there a long time, weeping. Until finally, a hand fell onto her shoulder.

She instinctively turned to see who it was. But her eyes had betrayed her. All she saw was darkness. Not even shadows, or patches darker than others, just a pure plane of midnight black. But her ears recognized her teacher's voice,

"Rini? Cosmic Moon defeated the youma, it's safe now."

Rini merely nodded, refusing to admit that she was blind. She had never longed for her mother more. But not even the Silver Crystal could reverse blindness. And Amy couldn't help either. She could have helped if she had only lost a little bit of her sight but it was all gone. Now if her parents found out, her team was without a leader. She refused to let their independence be crushed. If she could get home she could make her way around the Crystal Palace without her sight.

The question was simply how.

Rini smiled and remembered a trick she had learned when she was younger. She started to stumble in her steps beside her teacher and clutched her forehead. Ms. Haruna immediately rushed to her side. She liked Rini and her mother. Rini clamped a hand over her mouth and then felt someone rushed her into the bathroom. She recognized it by its smell.

Using a trick that her friends had taught her, she hunched over, hiding her face from her teacher and stuck a finger down her throat.

She felt around for the sink and promptly threw up.

That made her feel dizzy for real. She leaned back and felt her teacher grab her by the shoulders.

"The flu is going around Rini. I think you may have a faint strand. Do you feel dizzy?"

"Yes."

"Are you well enough to-"

Rini felt the tears come them and they were genuine tears from what had happened to her,

"I want my Momma."

Ms. Haruna nodded. "I'll get you down to the nurse's office and we'll call your mom alright?"

Rini nodded. She was grateful that her teacher knew her. Her teacher knew that the Princess and the Queen had a tight bond. Rini was relieved. She knew that if her mother found out she'd thrown up, she'd go and get her, no matter what Amy or anyone else said.

And if she found out that there was youma attack she would come and get her anyway, like many of the other parents were doing. And it would be especially important for her if she thought that Rini'd been sick during a fight.

"Lie down Rini," she heard her teacher say as she laid her down on a cot. Rini stretched out and shut her eyes, not that it made any difference. "I'm going to call your mother. Then you can talk to her. Then I need to go help the other teachers, alright?"

Rini nodded.

For once, she was glad she was the Crown Princess. She got extra attention when she was sick because of that, at least at school. And her parents always fussed over her too.

She felt someone hand her a phone and she held it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Ves?" Rini asked, "It's Rini. Can I speak to Momma?"

* * *

The Sailor Scouts were gathered in the council room. The Queen and King were in their specific seats and listening intently.

Raye spoke out, "And I just got a fire reading the other day. It was a plane of complete black and then blood. Then I passed out."

Amy added, "And Greg and Ariel have been getting visions of disaster as well."

The Queen nodded. "Mirchiru-san?"

She nodded. "My mirror has shown me some visions but very faint. But I can feel the restlessness of the sea."

Before anyone said anything else, the door opened and Ves walked in. "Your Majesty, your daughter wishes to speak with you."

Serenity got up immediately. She looked at her teammates apologetically. They smiled at her.

"Go on," Haruka said. "We all have kids."

The queen nodded and walked out, followed closely by her husband.

As soon as the two royals entered the room, Serenity took the phone as Ves left. She heard faint sobbing.

"Baby?"

* * *

Rini let out a sigh of relief at her mother's gentle voice,

"Momma."

"What's the matter, sweetie?"

Rini took on her most pitiful voice. That wasn't hard as she was miserable.

"I don't feel good, Momma. My stomach hurts, I'm dizzy and I threw up. And there was a youma attack today."

Serenity's voice turned even softer. "Okay Baby. Tell your teacher that your father and I are coming to pick you up. Do you think Amy needs to check you out?"

Rini couldn't have that. She might find out she was blind and Rini was fiercely independent. If her parents found out….

"No, Ms. Haruna said it's probably the flu."

The queen nodded. "Okay, sweetheart. Daddy and I are coming. Love you."

"You too Momma. Thank you."

She hung up. Then, she closed her eyes. How she didn't know but she dreamed.

The next thing Rini knew was the feeling that she was being carried. She opened her eyes but again fought tears, as she saw nothing. She nuzzled into the form carrying her and immediately recognized her father's strong arms.

"Daddy?"

The King smiled down at his daughter. "Hello there, Sleeping Beauty."

He opened the door to their car and got in, handing Rini to his wife. She cradled her in her arms, letting her rest her head against her chest. It had been a trial getting the others to let them come without guards but the Queen finally ended it with,

"We're. Going."

And that had been the end of it.

Finally the King pulled back to the palace and took Rini in his arms. He walked in and carried her up to her bedroom while his wife went to inform the scouts she'd be there in a moment. Then she went up to her daughter's room. The King had laid her in bed and was helping her sip some water at the moment.

Serenity came in and sat by her daughter. She fingered the girl's pink pigtails and kissed her forehead.

"Rest, Rini. Your father and I will be here if you need us."

"Thanks Momma."

Her parents left and after they were gone, Rini buried her face into her pillow and she cried.

* * *

The weeks went by fairly normally although for Rini it was a challenge. She bumped into people a lot at first but excused herself saying maybe some of her mother's clumsiness had come back.

The younger scouts didn't notice and the older scouts didn't either. But not a day went by where Rini didn't think of sight. She had taken it for granted before. Now she would have given up her eternal life to be able to see a rainbow, to see her mother's caring bright blue eyes, to see Gloria's antics. If had cost her, her youth, she would have surrendered it to see Helios' beautiful face.

None of those things were an option.

Rini sighed. They did not know what they had. The others…they had sight, they could see…

"Rini!"

Instinctively, the teenager turned. But she still was cursed with blindness. She tried to place the voice and guessed,

"Ariel?"

The small girl nodded. "Yeah. I wondered if you'd take Madelyn and me to the park. Our parents said we could go if you took us. We're off for the week, remember?"

Rini nodded, she knew that. Their schools had the same vacation dates. She took Ariel's hand and said, "you guys gotta hold my hand until we get there and then come when I call you though."

Ariel nodded. She gestured Madelyn over who took Rini's other hand. The two girls immediately started to run and Rini had to jog to keep up with their pace because she couldn't risk letting go of their hands. When they finally reached the park, the girls took off. Rini called,

"Stay in eye-earshot!"

"Okay!"

Things went well for a while. Then, Ariel called, "Rini! A youma!"

Rini leapt up and tried to remember where the voice had come from. She heard it again and followed her ears, shouting her transformation as she ran. She prayed that the transformation would restore her sight but it didn't. She had to trust her ears. She felt on her wristwatch until she found her communicator button for all the Chibi Scouts. She pressed it.

"Rini?"

Rini growled, she'd pressed the button for only one scout and with the static she couldn't tell whom. She guessed,

"Maggie?"

"No, Daisy. Can't you see? Are you not getting a visual?"

"Sorry. Look I need you to signal the rest of the Chibi Scouts for me. My all call button's not working." That wasn't a complete lie; she couldn't find that button, it might not be working.

Daisy nodded. "Got ya, Rini. Where?"

"The park."

"Okay, we're coming."

That said, the connection was severed. Rini ran towards the sound of battle. She heard Ariel and Madelyn's attacks and summoned up her scepter. But as she got there, she realized she couldn't attack. She didn't know where the youma was. Well, she had an idea but she could hurt Ariel and Madelyn!

"Rini! Look Out!"

The princess immediately turned to the voice but without her sight was suddenly flung backward. The pain was terrible. She fought her way up.

"EARTHQUAKE TREMORS!"

The youma was thrown from Rini as the rest of the Chibi Scouts arrived.

"Dust it, Rini!" Hope demanded, grabbing her leader's arms. "Dust it!"

Rini said simply, "I…I can't."

"Why not?"

Before Rini could answer, the youma struck, knocking her down.

"TIDAL WAVE!"

A coolness, mist like swept over Rini as hope launched her attack. Then she heard,

"Mercury Icy Glacier!"

"Jupiter Deadly Lightning Bolt!"

"Venus Beautiful Shockwave!"

"Earthquake Tremors!"

"Mars Firestorm!"

"Destructive Ray!"

"Screams of Destruction!"

Rini heard the youma scream. Then as she sat up, Gloria stated, "I thought you were our leader. Why didn't you fight?"

Daisy whirled to Gloria. "Shut up!"

Rini held up her hand, fighting tears. She knew she had to tell them.

"No, don't Daisy. I…is the youma beaten?"

Daisy shook her head. "It retreated."

Rini buried her face in her hands. Not even Gloria made a snide remark. Little Ariel could feel the gravity in her stance, in how she held herself. Maggie put a hand on Rini's shoulder,

"Rini?"

"Guys, I have to tell you something. But you have to swear not to tell my parents or anyone else. If they need to know I'll tell them."

The Chibi Scouts exchanged glances and nodded, even Annika who rarely kept secrets.

"Alright, did you say yes?"

Faith stepped forward, "yeah, now what gives?"

Rini slowly began to speak; "I had to fight a youma, that same youma I suppose at school a few weeks ago. I managed to drive it off, but before it retreated it threw a mist of some sort of magic into my eyes. I didn't feel any pain, just a sucking feeling. And…"

Faith's voice was soft, gentle,

"And?"

Rini looked up where she knew her team was,

"I'm blind, girls. I'm blind."

* * *

The Chibi Scouts stood, stunned. Finally, Daisy spoke,

"Kami-sama!"

Rini kept her face buried until Annika came over and hugged her. Rini finally looked up and held her hands out.

"Give me your hands girls. I need to be able to tell you by hand alone. Grab my hands, let me practice."

Faith grabbed it first. Rini rubbed her hands and then gradually went up to her fingers. They were short, a bit sharp. She swallowed,

"Faith?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah, I bite my nails. Hope doesn't."

Gradually each girl grabbed their leader's hands and helped her memorize what they felt like. Not even Gloria complained. She felt terrible that she had even considered it. Once finished, it was Gloria that suggested that she make sure she knew their voices.

That took a little bit longer but gradually Rini got it down. By then, it was starting to get dark.

Rini felt Madelyn and Ariel grab her hands. Ariel spoke out,

"Now I know why you were clutching our hands so tightly on the way here."

Rini nodded. Maggie spoke,

"Our parents are gonna wonder where we were. It's almost dinnertime."

Gloria spoke out, "Tell them we were at the park when we got caught by a bunch of youma."

Even Daisy agreed with that.

Then, the team headed home.

* * *

From then on, with the exception of school, one of the Chibi Scouts was always near Rini. If someone was coming they'd tell her who. They'd tell her from where and what they were wearing. This was all done through the communicators so to the observer, it looked as if Rini was checking the time.

Ariel and Annika had worked on her communicator, hardening a 'S' onto the button for a single call followed by the said senshi's symbol. They had put an 'A' onto her all call button.

Before long, Rini could hear someone coming long before the girls saw them, she could tell some people's footsteps. She knew all the senshi and Palla and Cere's.

She had told Rachel that she was temporarily blind so Rachel led her around school and to the girls' elementary school before letting go. Then, Daisy and Maggie would greet her and help her home. She knew the way but she couldn't see dogs or pedestrians.

She usually got lucky with training as she usually got to go with one of the Chibi Scouts. She had recently gone with Chibi Pluto. They would whisper to her where her opponent was. Even Chibi Venus helped her. Rini decided that as bratty as Gloria could be, she had a good heart.

Rini heard footsteps as she did her homework. Unknown to anyone else, Ariel was with her and would read what the problem said. If anyone came in, Ariel would say she was curious. To make it seem normal, she'd take her homework with her and say sometimes that Rini was helping her.

Rini stopped as she heard distant footsteps. Although her sight was gone, her hearing had become amazingly acute. Ariel had read up on sight loss and said that her other senses would improve out of necessity. Rini believed her. She could tell three things by that faint sound that she knew Ariel had not heard.

"Ariel get your homework out," she stated. "My mother's coming, she's got on high heels, she's probably got some fancy news to tell me. She's on the fourteenth step from the top."

Ariel nodded. She had just gotten out her worksheets when the door opened and the queen came in.

"Hello, Rini, Ariel."

Ariel gave the queen her contagious smile. "Rini's helping me!"

The queen smiled. "That's nice dear. Why don't you go and ask one of the others though, I need to talk to Rini."

Ariel nodded and took off.

The queen looked at her daughter.

"Rini, your teacher called. She said you failed your last test, the English one."

Rini gulped. She hadn't been able to talk so she couldn't ask Rachel what it said. She had estimated what they were asking. Apparently, she had been inaccurate.

"I…. I'm sorry, Momma. English is hard."

The queen smiled. "I know Darling. Your father and I have arranged for Amy to start tutoring you tomorrow."

Rini gulped. She had to think of something and soon.

"Okay, Momma."

The queen got up just as the door opened. Mina ran in,

"Rini, scout practice starts in two minutes!"

Rini leapt up. "Sorry, Mina." She transformed and ran after Mina's footsteps. As she ran, she asked,

"What are the pairs today?"

"Daisy and Gloria, Annika and Faith, Ariel and Maggie, Madelyn and Hope."

"What about me?"

"You're going solo today."

Rini stopped. "S.. solo?"

"Yeah, you've done it before."

Rini forced a shaky smile. "Right, no sweat."

But inwardly, she was trembling. Training was never the same. The youma were never the same and because she was a Cosmic Scout when she went solo, the attacks were more real, they could cause a tad bit of pain. Rini felt the tears come,

"I'm dead and buried."

* * *

Sailor Cosmic Moon waited, her heart pounding. She knew she would have to go solo, it terrified her. She was blind.

"Cosmic Moon!" Rini turned to Venus voice. The elder senshi stated,

"Go for it!"

Rini started forward but then felt Hope and Faith grab her hands. They weren't trying to stop her but gave her hands a gentle squeeze of encouragement. Taking a deep breath, Rini ran forward into the hologram and vanished from sight. For a time, everything went fine. She would hear any obstacles and could avoid them.

Then the youma showed up.

Rini felt the heat and dodged. But she unknowingly dodged directly into the blast.

Heat swarmed over her and she collapsed onto her back. She scrambled up and perked her ears up. She wished for Helios' hearing. He could have dealt with this. She could not. She swallowed her fear and held her scepter out.

The youma struck her from behind and she collapsed face down.

She felt the mildly sharp claws on her chest and kicked it off.

Claws tore into her left arm and she winced in pain. She had not minded being a Chibi Scout. The attacks were just holograms. At the worst, she would have gotten knocked down. But now the pain was very real. She rolled to the side and then leapt up only to be knocked down again.

For the first time, Rini wished that Venus would stop the hologram.

But she couldn't give up, Rini was stubborn.

She swung her scepter like a club, knocking the creature from her chest. Scrambling up on trembling knees, she swallowed and strained her ears. Then, the youma slammed her against the wall. Pain shot through Rini's back and then dulled to a mild sprain. She jerked her knee up and the youma hologram loosened it grip. She did a swing up of her left leg, knocking the youma far from her.

She tried to run forward but her ankle failed her. She tripped and landed on her face. Her ankle was throbbing. She felt down on it and her hands came back wet. She put a finger to her tongue. Blood. She was bleeding. She stumbled to her feet.

Her balance was off, her head hurt. She felt her temple. Blood was gushing out. She was hurt worse than she thought. Venus typically left for a moment or two when she trained to grab a sip of water or go to the bathroom. Rini felt the youma slam her down again.

She couldn't take the pain anymore. She was weak, she felt like she'd throw up from pure exhaustion and pain.

For the first time, she screamed,

"Sailor Venus! Turn it off!"

* * *

Venus was washing her hands when her daughter came running in, screaming,

"Mom!"

That was enough for Venus. She whirled around and saw her daughter, her bright blue eyes wide with concern.

"What is it Darling?"

"The youma are real in Cosmic Scout sessions?"

"Yes, darling. They're solid. Not as dangerous as real youma, they can only attack physically. Once your Cosmic Scouts you can take more than Chibi scouts-"

"Turn it off! Rini's screaming for you to turn it off!"

Venus' heart stopped. She tore past her daughter and back outside. She cursed herself as she did. She usually left Rini alone for a few moments because she had been a senshi longest and usually did fine. It figured the one day she stayed a little longer away, Rini'd have a hard time.

Mina thought her daughter was exaggerating. But as she got out there, she heard Rini's absolutely horrified cry:

"Sailor Venus! Turn it off!"

The Chibi Scouts turned as Venus rushed over and ceased the hologram. Chibi Venus and Chibi Mars rushed into the training facility. Venus ran in when she heard them scream. The other Chibi Scouts were just behind her.

"Mom!"

Venus halted in her tracks and put her hands up to her mouth.

"Oh God."

Rini's fuku was torn, her forehead was bleeding and a deep gash ran down her left leg and across her ankle. Claw marks marked her left arm.

"Oh God!" Venus ran to Rini's side and took her from the two girls. She supported the Princess in her arms and ordered Chibi Mercury.

"Contact your mother. Tell her to get down here, now."

The girl nodded and swiftly called her mother. Venus picked Rini up and cradled her. She ran out, not failing to notice the Chibi Scouts' guilt traced faces.

Amy was waiting as she came out.

"Venus, what-Oh my GOD!"

She immediately transformed and started scanning Rini.

"She'll be all right but she needs immediate attention. Give her to me."

The golden haired senshi nodded and watched as the doctor vanished with her patient.

She sighed. "Now I have to tell the King and Queen."

* * *

Serenity raced towards Amy's quarters with Endymion right behind her. Venus had told them their daughter had been hurt severally in Scout training. Knowing how dangerous her sessions could get, they raced to Amy's office before she had finished talking.

Serenity knocked and Amy gave her permission to enter.

They opened the door and Serenity flew to her daughter's side.

"Baby!"

Amy smiled and wrapped a bandage around Rini's left leg. It was the last repair she needed. Rini would be in pain for the next few days but she would recover without any scars.

"What happened?"

Rini couldn't answer. She knew what had happened. She couldn't see. Normally those youma couldn't even get near her before she dusted them. She knew that Venus would be talking to her parents.

"Darling?"

Rini answered, "Yes?"

The queen answered, "We're having a Scout meeting about this tonight. I want you there, all right?"

Rini nodded. Amy smiled, "well, aside from pain and your pride being hurt, how do you feel?"

Rini shrugged. "Okay, can I see the Chibi Scouts before the meeting?"

The queen nodded. "Of course, sweetie. Once you're done, meet us in the conference room though."

Rini nodded and Amy shooed the Chibi Scouts in. Sensing they wanted to be alone, she left.

"Rini," it was Daisy. "You okay?"

Rini nodded. She fought tears though. Gloria put a hand on hers. To everyone's shock it was Gloria, the fiercely independent one that suggested it,

"You have to tell them, Rini."

Rini sighed. "But, then you all won't-"

"But," Maggie interrupted. "You're endangering yourself this way!"

Faith added, "Yeah, we're independent but we like having you around more."

Rini let out a sigh of defeat.

"All right, girls. I'll tell them."

* * *

"What's your excuse, Small Lady?"

Rini bowed her head at her mother's stern words. She knew that the other senshi were shocked by the news.

Amy cut in, "Do we need to lower the settings?"

Rini shook her head. "No."

Mina spoke out, "Then what, Rini? If Gloria hadn't alerted me-"

"I have a reason, okay?!"

That stunned everyone. Rini almost never shouted, and she never screamed at adults.

Endymion spoke, his voice harsh,

"Serenity…"

Rini sighed. "Okay, I'll tell you why."

To their shock, tears were starting to stream down her face. Everyone cooled a great deal. Rini wiped her eyes.

"It started when I had to leave school early. Momma I wasn't sick. I just had to leave. There was a youma attack earlier that day. I couldn't kill it."

Mirchiru spoke out, "Is it that same youma you girls have seen a lot?"

Rini nodded and wiped her eyes again at Mirchiru's choice of words. Haruka spoke,

"Go on."

"But before it retreated, it threw some sort of ball at me. Some sort of magic. I felt a sucking sensation and then-"

"And then," Lita pressed.

Rini screamed,

"I CAN'T SEE!"

She turned hysterical, oblivious to the gasps that escaped from every throat.

"I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SEE FOR WEEKS! I'M BLIND! THAT'S WHY ARIEL'S ALWAYS WITH ME AT NIGHT! SHE HAS TO TELL ME WHAT MY HOMEWORK SAYS! I CAN'T SEE A DAMN THING! I CAN'T SEE! I CAN'T SEE! I CAN'T SEE!"

Rini buried her face in her hands and pushed off the hands that tried to hold her. She stretched her arms out and grabbed someone.

"Momma! I want Momma!"

The King fought the lump in his throat and gave his daughter's hands to his wife's. Rini felt up, over her mother's face. She let her hands travel up and felt that familiar hairstyle. She flung her arms around her mother' neck and she wept. All that pain and sorrow escaped. She crawled into her mother's lap, something she hadn't done in years and cried.

The Queen, barely holding in her own tears, held the girl tightly and as if she was a little child again rocked her until her cries ceased.

* * *

Neo-Queen Serenity smoothed through her daughter's hair as she cried.

"Oh, Baby," she cooed gently. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

Rini didn't answer, merely clutched her mother tightly, inhaling her scent. The queen began to smooth her daughter's brilliant pink hair. The crown princess, sobbing, buried her face into her mother's chest, crying.

"I didn't want you to take the Chibi Scouts' independence away," Rini said simply.

She sensed that they were thinking of just that and accused, "You're going to do it anyway, aren't you?" she looked directly at where she guessed Raye was. She could smell Raye. Her perfume was strong and familiar.

"Raye, you know for a fact that the Chibi Scouts are capable of defending themselves, just because I'm blind doesn't give you a right to take away their independence."

Raye took a breath, "Rini, you and the others will understand when you become parents. Once you have Chelsea, you'll understand how we feel."

Rini sighed. "You mean that Annika will be that protective of Brooke?"

Haruka leapt up, "how do you know about Brooke?"

"I was walking by the room when Chelsea brought them, I saw them." She took a breath, "All of them…Maggie's daughter Rose. Daisy's daughter Violet. Ariel's daughter Marina. Faith's daughter Taylor. Hope's daughter Grace. Gloria's daughter Celine. Madelyn's daughter Hannah. Annika's daughter Brooke. I still remember that."

Raye felt a surge of fear spring up in her heart. "Annika, she knows…"

"No," Rini assured her. "I never told the girls. I think it's wrong to keep secrets from your children but that's not my decision."

Raye let out a sigh of relief. Rini went on,

"Everything's a memory now. And already, things are starting to dull. I wish I could see your faces."

The queen smiled sadly and rubbed her daughter's hair.

"So," she asked, "What are you going to do about the Chibi Scouts?"

The queen exchanged glances with the others. "We'll discuss it. My idea is that when a serious battle comes up they call one of us."

The others nodded. Rini cleared her throat. They realized they hadn't spoken and she couldn't see their response. Hotaru spoke,

"We agree, Rini."

The girl sighed, "I thought you would."

She got up and started to the door. Mirchiru grabbed her arm.

"What is it, Mirchiru-san?" the aqua haired woman answered,

"Let me help you."

Rini, being independent, jerked her arm away, "I can go to my room myself."

"But," Mina protested, "You can't see."

"But I remember, I've been here for fourteen years."

That said, she left.

* * *

The Chibi Scouts lounged in Raye's quarters, miserable. Their parents had told them that since Rini was blind and henceforth could no longer fight, they were to call them if the youma showed up again. Faith and Daisy were quick to announce their disapproval.

"This sucks."

Daisy and the others swiftly agreed with Faith's assessment of the situation. They could not believe this!

Annika was also feeling a presence as if something were coming. She sat up. Gloria, right by her, turned.

"Annika?"

"I have a feeling," she stated, "a force is near, an evil force."

The girls immediately drew their wands.

"Mars Power!"

"Venus Power!"

"Mercury Power!"

"Jupiter Power!"

"Uranus Power!"

"Neptune Power!"

"Saturn Power!"

"Pluto Power!"

In unison, the eight girls yelled,

"MAKE-UP!"

In a flurry of signs, nature, and flashes, eight sailor suited warriors stood in their places. Almost as soon as this change took place, the wall was burst open and the same youma they had fought many times sprung in. the senshi scattered. Chibi Venus spoke first,

"How dare you interrupt us when we're moping! How dare you take our leader's sight away and in turn rob us of our independence. As the warrior for Venus, I won't allow it. In the name of Venus and in Cosmic Moon's place for the sake of the moon,"

The others cut in, "And our planets!"

They finished as one.

"We'll punish you!"

"Pretty little speech, kiddies," the youma sneered. "Any truth in it?"

"I'll show you, you monster," Chibi Uranus declared as she powered up.

"Earthquake tremors!"

Her attack hit but it did not even phase the youma.

One by one they attacked.

"Mars Firestorm!"

"Mercury Ice Glacier!"

"Jupiter Deadly Lightning Bolt!"

"Venus Beautiful Shockwave!"

"Uranus Earthquake Tremors!"

"Screams of Destruction!"

"Destructive Ray!"

"Tidal Wave!"

Not a flinch. Then, Chibi Venus said,

"No choice, Sailor Planet Attack!"

The others nodded. They were stunned how with Rini out of the picture, Gloria naturally took over. Chibi Uranus mentioned that to Chibi Jupiter. The girl replied,

"What surprises me more is that I'm listening." Was her reply.

"Mars Power!"

"Jupiter Power!"

"Neptune Power!"

"Saturn Power!"

"Mercury Power!"

"Pluto Power!"

"Uranus Power!"

"Venus Power!"

Their powers combined.

"Sailor Planet….ATTACK!"

The force of power knocked the youma down and left the Chibi Scouts exhausted but it didn't kill it. Chibi Mercury was just going to call for her mother when…

"Moon Princess Healing Kiss!"

The Chibi Scouts turned.

"COSMIC MOON!"

Rini nodded. "You'll have to be my eyes, girls."

They nodded.

"To the left! Now!"

"Moon Princess Healing Kiss!"

The youma dodged, "Missed, Princess!"

Chibi Mars called, "To your right…now!"

Every time the youma dodged. Finally, the youma let out a blast that knocked Cosmic Moon down. Raye heard as she came back into the quarters from a Scout meeting. She raced in.

"Cosmic Moon! Chibi scouts!"

The youma hit the Chibi scouts with the same blast but instead of knocking them down, they glowed brilliant red and vanished.

"ANNIKA! GIRLS!"

The youma laughed, "Come to my base in the Artic. Or you'll receive your girls back…in more than one piece."

The youma vanished.

Cosmic Moon was shaking. Raye fell to the ground. Cosmic Moon knelt by where she could hear her sobs. Raye shoved her away. Her anger burst.

"This is your fault!" she accused, pointing a finger. The Cosmic Scout stumbled back. Raye started to scream, "You and your damned independence!"

She went on,

"If you had accepted help, but NO you had to fight! Knowing you had no way to fight! Damn you Rini Tsukino!"

"RAYE! BY ORDER OF THE QUEEN STOP!"

Raye whirled. Neo-Queen Serenity stormed in.

"You're hysterical. But you have no right to speak to my daughter that way. We'll find Annika. We heard the shouting and guessed the rest. Now calm down or I'll have Amy sedate you."

* * *

Diana purred and rubbed against Rini's hands.

"It is my fault."

"No it isn't," her cat assured her. "It isn't."

Rini fell silent a little while longer. The she stood.

"Small Lady?"

"That's my team, my friends, my family. Blind or not, I'm getting them back."

That said, she snatched her wand and started for the door.

"Small Lady! No! You're blind! Don't! You'll be killed."

Rini answered, "There are worse things," and then was gone.

* * *

Diana raced after Rini but the Princess of Crystal Tokyo shut the door and locked it, leaving Diana inside. Her heart ached to hear her cat yell in such pain. She could hear Diana, the pleading and heartbreak in her voice. But she forced herself to ignore it. She walked down the stairs, ducking into spare rooms when she heard anyone coming. As she crept by the council room, she stopped for a moment and listened….

"We have to get my daughter back!" Raye screamed, as she stood. Amy pulled her down.

"Raye, all our children are missing. We're as worried as you are."

The black haired senshi nodded and tried to clam her racing heart. She noted Neo-Queen Serenity still looking at her with distaste. She shouldn't have blown up as she had and she knew it. She decided to say something before the feelings grew.

"Serenity…"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, I…I know it wasn't Rini's fault. But I was hysterical. I wanted someone to blame, anyone."

Serenity got up and walked over to her best friend. She wrapped her hands around her. "Don't worry, Raye, we'll get them all back. That's a promise as Queen of Crystal Tokyo."

The woman nodded as she accepted her best friend's arms as comfort. The tears were drying as the sadness was replaced by anger. She leapt up.

"That bitch said to come to her base in the Artic."

The queen and inner senshi shuddered. The outer senshi, all but Pluto, looked at them oddly. Uranus spoke,

"What's wrong with the Artic?"

"That's D Point." The queen said plainly. "Where we fought Metallica."

Amy cut in, "And where Serenity saw all of us killed one by one."

The queen held her head in her hands at that memory. Endymion put his hands on his wife's shoulders. She swallowed.

"So that's where we have to go."

"You should stay here, Serenity." Lita stated, "It's-"

"I'm going, Lita Kino!" she spat. "That bitch blinded my daughter."

The determination in her voice was immediately recognized and the argument stopped.

Rini took off. This was her job. She ran outside, following her memory and ears. She stopped outside the gate. Focusing the power from her locket, she mentally commended,

"D Point, Artic."

Then she vanished away.

* * *

Diana finally managed to get out of Rini's room, via the window. She saw her charge vanish and then saw the senshi walk out. The King and Queen followed close behind with her parents. She leapt down and landed in front of the royal family.

"Diana!" the queen shouted in surprise.

The grey cat took in a breath and screamed,

"Small Lady's gone after them!"

The queen's face turned snow white. She let out a scream, making the senshi whirl about.

"Your Highness?" Neptune asked.

The queen transformed immediately and tore towards them.

"Rini went after them!"

Raye opened her arms to her queen. She knew the feeling. That plus the fact, she loved Rini as if she were a second daughter. To Rini, she acted as a surrogate mother when the Queen couldn't be there. When the small Princess had been younger, before Annika was born, she'd come to Raye when her mother wasn't readily available. That was probably why Raye had adjusted so easily to Annika's personality; she'd had practice with Rini.

The senshi comforted their queen a moment longer and then joined hands.

"Sailor…TELEPORT!"

* * *

The senshi immerged in the same plane the Inner Senshi had emerged on so many centuries ago. The Inners turned to their queen, remembering how the first time she'd been miserable.

It was evident how much she had changed. She stood up, not a whimper or a sneeze of cold. She turned to Mercury.

"Mercury?"

The blue haired senshi had already removed her computer and visor and was typing furiously.

But before she could come to any conclusion, she cried,

"Look!"

Following her finger, the senshi was faced with the familiar youma. Raye ground her teeth and removed her flame bow.

"Give me back my little girl!" she demanded. The senshi echoed her words. In return, the youma laughed and fired a ball of fire.

The senshi scattered.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

The youma caught Raye's arrow, surprising her immensely. If the youma could do this to her attacks, what could their children do against it?

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

"Deep Submerge!"

"World Shaking!"

"Dead Scream!"

The youma got hit but instead of faltering, it absorbed their attacks. Then with a wicked laugh, sent them flying back at their owners. The senshi immediately flung themselves over their queen to shield her. Saturn stood up.

"Silent Wall!"

The attacks did not counter as she expected but merged onto her wall. When she tried to dismiss the wall to fight, it wouldn't vanish. She swallowed and tried again. The wall remained.

"Saturn!" it was Mars. "Why won't it vanish?"

Saturn swallowed, "I don't know."

The youma laughed. Then as the senshi watched, it summoned their children up. They were bound and unconscious and detransformed. The youma smiled,

"I did think it would best to let you watch your loved ones die." The youma looked directly at Mars. "Yours first."

Mars ran to the wall and pounded her fists against it, spitting, cursing.

"You bitch from hell! You touch a single hair on her head and I'll tear you apart, limb by limb!"

The youma ignored her. Raye began to rip at the wall with her bare hands, making her fingers bleed. Uranus and Neptune tried to restrain her but Raye kicked them away. She was starting to cry,

"Annika! Wake up! Wake up! Damn it! Wake up!"

The wind blew her deep violet hair.

"ANNIKA!"

The youma looked at the small girl, trying to decide. Finally, the monster took Annika in dark black hands and began to twist her neck.

A blast of silver power stopped it. Annika fell as the youma dropped her. Raye turned to the source, she screamed,

"RINI!"

Cosmic Moon twirled her wand around. "I can't see because of you, youma. Now you think of taking away the lives of my surrogate little sisters. I won't stand for it!"

She held her rod out and perked up her ears. She could hear the youma breathing.

"Moon Princess Healing Kiss!"

The youma caught the attack and threw it back at her. Cosmic Moon felt the heat and dodged just before it hit.

"Rini! Darling!"

Rini turned towards the voice,

"Momma."

Then she turned her attention back to the battle, straining her now acute ears.

Neo-Queen Serenity stood helpless. She couldn't do anything. She could not use the Silver Crystal because Saturn's barrier would restrain its power at the level it would be when she began to use it and at that level it would kill them all. But the mother within her was burning with tears and worry. She put her hands against the barrier, tears flowing down her face.

Cosmic Moon was very aware of the danger she was in. she lifted her wand.

"Rini!"

Cosmic Moon instinctively turned to the voice and recognized the tone as Lita's.

The youma took advantage and hit her hard with a blast of fire.

"Rini!"

The Princess of Crystal Tokyo fought her way up and stood slowly. Her knees shook and her heart was pounding. She swallowed and then put her hands into an x over her chest. A bright flash illuminated and when the senshi and youma could see again, Rini had turned into her Princess self, her dress flowing and the crescent moon on her forehead glowing.

"Rini!"

The girl opened her eyes, which had a pink haze over the pupils from her blindness and lifted her wand.

"Let's settle this. Moon Princess Healing Kiss!"

The youma reacted by firing a stream of fire. The two forces met.

Rini couldn't see it but she rather felt the strength of the blow. Her feet slid over the ice and she squeezed her eyes shut against the heat and brightness of the light. She couldn't see it but the heat made her eyelids burn. She felt herself slipping and heard the cries of the senshi begging her to stop and run. Rini refused.

As she began to feel her power faltering, she tried to bring out some more power. She didn't know where it would come from but she knew she needed it or she wouldn't leave here alive. Just as her hands began to sway, visions began to swirl through her mind.

Ariel, tiny little Ariel, rushing back into the palace, tears running down her face. They had teased her again, they never let up. She spied Rini by the gates, already home.

"Your mom's in a meeting Ariel," she told the small girl.

Ariel stopped, her eyes welled up. Rini knelt to Ariel's level. "What happened?"

Ariel couldn't say; she wanted her mother. Rini put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Ariel, I know I'm not your mother and you don't have to say what happened. But can I try and make you feel better? How about some ice cream? My treat?"

Ariel's eyes lit up. The joy in her eyes was enough to make Rini forget about how much homework she had to do.

"That's what I thought, let's go."

Ariel took her hand as tears dried on her cheeks.

"Rini?"

"Yeah?"

"You're cool."

Rini felt the youma increase power. But her thoughts were now on the children she'd come to think of as little sisters. She heard Ariel's words in her head again: "You're cool. You can do anything as long as it makes people happy, can't you?"

Gloria was about to head home to be grounded again when she heard crying. She figured it was Annika and went towards it. Instead, she found Rini on the hammock, weeping. A rare feeling came over the girl. Pity. She rarely revealed her feelings but now she felt like she had to do something.

"Rini?"

The princess turned, her eyes wet. Gloria sat by her,

"What's with the waterworks?"

"I…I…"

"I got that part." Gloria sneered.

"I'm suspended for a week."

Gloria took in a sharp breath. "What? You? That's my job!"

Rini nodded. She rolled up her left sleeve, showing Gloria a dark black bruise, covering most of her left arm's

underside.

"I was protecting one of my friends. She has a disease that makes her bones really fragile so she gets picked on a lot

at school. But they were pushing her. I help out so I get in trouble."

Gloria nodded. She knew that feeling. "Don't worry Rini. The King and Queen will let you off."

Rini looked at her and Gloria gave her a rare non-joking smile, "I mean it. Mom'll hound me if I do that but your parents know that you don't do it regularly."

Rini smiled. "Gloria?"

"What?"

"For a rude and obnoxious brat, you're pretty nice."

"Thanks. But don't you go telling anyone I was being non jokative, kay?"

Rini smiled, "Your secret's sealed."

Rini sighed. The visions kept coming, Maggie coming to her for help, Daisy going to her with boy problems, Madelyn asking things about her mother's past she was too scared to ask Hotaru herself, Hope on her opinion on beauty, Faith came to her to help her through prejudice against her princess status; about her intelligence, and finally, little Annika and her kind heart, forever there for her.

Anger filled Rini's heart,

"The light of our love, the sacred love that keeps us alive, will burn you to dust!"

"MOON PRINCESS HEALING KISS!"

Her scepter shattered as the silver light spilled over the youma. The youma let out an agonized scream and then vaporized. The last thing Rini heard before unconsciousness was the sound of the Chibi Scouts and the senshi screaming as one,

"Rini!"

* * *

Rini woke up several hours later.

Annika smiled. "Hey, Rini! You scared us!"

Mars put her hand on her daughter's head. "But you did it Small Lady, you beat the youma."

"Totally dusted!" Faith added as she trotted in.

Rini heard her mother's voice. "You did Rini. You saved the Chibi Scouts and us. We're all proud of you." She hugged her daughter and handed her a stick. Rini heard a gasp come from Mina's throat.

"That's-"

"My Eternal Tier. I have my first scepter if I need it. Rini's earned it."

Rini rubbed her eyes and opened them. The tier was beautiful, bright pink and red with...

"Wait!"

Every head jerked to Rini. She looked up.

"Mom…Dad. Girls…"

"What's wrong Rini?" Ariel asked as she crawled onto the bed. Tears filled Rini's eyes as she took in Ariel's features.

"I CAN SEE!"

She hugged Ariel tightly and Annika soon flung her arms around Rini's neck. Rini hugged each Chibi Scout in turn and then leapt into her mother's open arms. Amy smiled,

"The destruction of the youma lifted the force field on Saturn Silent Wall, it must have lifted the spell form Rini's eyes."

Rini just glanced around, sealing everyone's image into her mind. Never again would she take her sight for granted. But she had beaten the youma because she was a senshi. And a senshi did not just use her eyes. Their sight was special. They fought for justice.

The love of people was blind.

The love of a senshi closed its eyes. When Rini had thought of all her little sisters that she was protecting, her heart opened its eyes. It was a sense that only those with a pure heart possessed.

The second sight.

"Rini?"

Rini smiled at her mother. "I understand now, Mom. Every senshi has a duty. To protect even when the odds are seemingly one-sided. Because we always have a sight to use. I found that out when I heard all the Chibi Scouts threatened."

She smiled at her mother. Putting a hand over her heart, she stated,

"When your eyes fail, use your heart, it's the one sight that cannot go blind."

The End