Angels

Author's Ramblings: 'ello again, minna! Once again, *I* will ramble for
Kate (she already rambles too much in "real" life.) Instead of revealing
major plot points like for story 10, I will pursue my case. (Although,
you do know that Endymion will divorce Usagi because he has a funny sort
of pain in his left knee.) So, here's my proposal: Seeing as to how I am
Ginnie (NOT EVIL!), I say Kate lets me win or I get turned good--like
Galaxia! (Maybe Angel Moon is my goodness... Angel Angel?) So send
letters to Kate--flood her already full mailbox with letters saying
things like "Ginnie is too good/cool to die" or "Like Ginnie, I too like
Hotaru" or "Ishataka (of Mononoke Hime a.k.a. Princess Mononoke) is hot"
or "Shampoo is a bitch; go Akane!" Well, I digress. Let us see how the
Gals hold up against me this week! Wahahahahahahahaha... (etc, etc)
--Un-evil Queen Ginnie
* * * * * * * * * * *
Didja miss last ep? No soup for you!

Susan, as Sailor Pluto, left for the past to pick up a six-year-old
Chibi-Moon and then battle the Death Busters (and we all love SMS, ne?)
Haley, mad about loosing Eric and about Susan's leaving, moved in with
Phoebe and out of her house. Richard found himself in Reeny's college
class. Cassiopeia played the stooge for Mina. There was a Mistress
Meeting to discuss Susan's departure. Alice reconciled with her father.
Ambriel got caught in the Prophesy vaults and got yelled at, leading
Reeny to vow no more Prophesy for her 'child.' This summary is out of
order. Seth took over in making trouble for the Scouts. God, is this
long! Oh, and they fought three wolfish monsters and "Dreamworld" is a
great fic! ::cough:: Onto the story...

And that, my friends, is where the story beings...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"'When people die, that doesn't mean it's all over. Quite on the
contrary. When they die, it means...'" She grunted in annoyance and
threw the slim volume over her head, listening to the slight thud it
made as it rammed into the wall. "That mess is SO boring!" she whined,
rolling over and laying on her stomach, studying the pale face of the
brunette who sat, cross-legged, beside her. "Whatcha doing, Haley?"
Teal eyes glanced up and at the teen with the navy-blue locks
pulled into plaits. "I'm going over soccer stuff," she responded,
casually, leaning back and stretching her long arms behind her head.
"You'd be surprised how dry it is." Gazing across the room and at the
small paperback, which laid unceremoniously in a potted plant, Haley
raised a thin brown eyebrow. "What was that you just flung across the
living room?"
Phoebe yawned and rolled her eyes. "It's some stupid book on
death," she sighed, kicking her feet idly through the air. "In
psychology class we're learning all about the different death modes..."
She shook her head, disinterested. "And it includes a whole, big, BORING
section on essays about Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife." Sighing once
again, she laid her head on her hands and stared up at the older woman.
"And it's just SO dull."
"I dunno, Pheebs," admitted the brunette reluctantly, tucking her
knees up under her chin. "We're all going to die, someday. And who knows
where we'll go?"
The other laughed. "We can't DIE!" she argued through giggles.
"We're the Sailor Scouts, and we're immortal!"
Haley screwed her face into a solemn, thoughtful expression. "I
don't know... Didn't our parents all die a couple of times? And didn't
WE both die, once?" Her younger friend wrinkled her pale brow in
thought. "I think that, sometimes, we overlook the fact that death is
very real... Very final..." She sighed wistfully and gazed pensively at
her companion. "I mean, sure, we're all Sailor Scouts," she continued
with a shrug. "But don't even Scouts and Mistresses have to die?"
"Yeah..." wondered the blue-haired actress aloud. "Our parents ARE
old..."
Her friend laughed. "I didn't mean it THAT way!" she protested,
shaking her head with a sort of sad smile upon her face. "I'm just
saying that... Well, won't it all end for us, someday?" she questioned.
Nodding, Phoebe glanced up at her cohort. "I guess you're
right..." she agreed softly, staring. "But can I just ask you one thing,
Haley?"
"Hmmm?" Responded the other, focusing back on the soccer
paraphernalia before her.
"When in the world did you get so darned smart?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"So..." drawled Rob, a sadistic smile crossing his pale face as he
set his book upon the kitchen table and glanced at the other young man
who'd just arrived. "I heard how well your attack went over with the
Queen..."
Silently, Seth touched the large bruise around his left eye and
sighed inwardly. Ginnie had been...unhappy... "It's just a little
bruise," he retorted calmly, trying to hide the anger that lied beneath
his cool exterior. "You couldn't have done any better."
The blonde snorted. "That's what you think, stupid," he commented,
waving one hand in a sweeping gesture. "But all this will be mine,
dearest Seth. Even your little puppy." Glancing at the large golden
retriever, who had raised his head ever so slightly, the man shook his
head. "Especially the dumb dog..."
"I could eat your cat for dinner," yawned the great canine,
rolling over onto its side. "Don't mess with me."
"Whatever," retorted Rob, though the pallor of his face belied his
cold comment. Turning quickly to the brunette man, who was now rooting
through the cabinets, he cocked his head to one side. "So, what's the
next plan of action?"
Pulling a box of teabags from the cupboard, the other rolled his
brown eyes. "Why would you care?" he spat, tone low and annoyed. "You
don't like me."
With a laugh, he leaned back in his seat and rested his feet upon
the oak table. "And what makes you think that?" he questioned haughtily.
"Just because you're obnoxious and stupid doesn't mean..."
"What's the square root of 169?" interrupted Seth quickly, not
turning around.
"Excuse me?"
"Square root of 169. What is it?"
There was a clunk as Seth set his mug upon the counter and placed
a teabag in it. However, that was the only sound.
"Uhh..." Rob tugged at his collar, as though it was suddenly
entirely too tight, and glanced at the turned back of his companion.
"Twelve and a half?"
"Thirteen." The brown-haired one turned around and crossed his
arms across the black fabric of his uniform. "I'm not as stupid as you
think I am."
Blue eyes rolled back as the blonde one rose to his full height
and strode over to the shorter, smaller man. "Look," he growled, jabbing
a finger at Seth accusingly, "I don't like you. I honestly never HAVE.
However, we're all in this together--you, that butt-kisser Tina, our
'benevolent' Queen and me. And, the less work I have to do to make
Ginnie happy, the better." He tossed his head and continued to glower
down at the brunette. "I just want to win this world and be able to rule
as the man I should be." His eyes lowered farther. "And I don't care
how."
Seth glared into the compassionless, freezing azure orbs before
turning away from the bigger man and walking toward the kitchen sink,
teakettle in tow. "An attitude like that will get you killed," he
muttered under his breath as he strode.
"WHAT was that?" roared the blonde one, pounding a fist on the
black countertop.
He whirled around and flashed a fake smile. "Nothing, Rob," he
lied through gritted teeth. "Absolutely nothing."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"This is actually starting to make sense..."
She watched the little girl, silently, as the child leaned forward
and studied the packet of papers before her. Such a precocious child.
Such a blessing. Such a beauty.
Sighing, the woman leaned against the white marble of the wall as
the redheaded child bent over the two cats, each with a crescent moon
upon their feline foreheads, and watched. She watched the little girl
telling them something. She heard the tiny black kitten laugh a bit. She
felt the disdain in the pink animal's voice within her own soul as the
littler cat received a slight reprimand.
Lisa had made a promise, and she remembered it. She had promised
to raise the child--the Angel Ambriel--as she would raise any child. The
Angel of the Moon, a young, beautiful woman who had been dressed in
flowing gowns of pure white, had made her promise to take good care of
little Ambriel. To raise her as well as the Princess could and better.
To protect her and to let her become the priestess...
There was that word again. Priestess. It seemed that the Gift and
the Prophesy always went back to one thing: some strange Priestess. She
was oft mentioned in the great brown book that Ambriel so loved... The
Priestess of an ancient time who would save the world from all pain and
suffering. And the Angel of the Moon had said that--even though she,
Lisa, was just a handmaiden--she would help raise Ambriel. And to watch
that Reeny did a good job.
Sinking to the floor, Lisa tucked her legs to her chest, the
scratchy brown dress she wore irritating the soft skin of her chin as
she rested it upon her knees. Soon, very soon, Ambriel's new way of
obtaining Prophesy would be discovered. Soon, very soon, Reeny would
draw the correct conclusion and discover--low and behold--that her
'best bud' Lisa had been to blame for letting the girl get her hands on
more Prophesy. She would be quickly stripped of duties as a royal
handmaiden to the Queen and Princess, once Reeny found out. She'd be
thrown to the streets and left as some sort of cretin... Her life would
be shamed. After all, being a handmaiden was not exactly the best work
in the world, but it was very well respected. Handmaidens were at least
considered human. But having yourself disrobed as a servant to the royal
family... You might as well be dead...
Suddenly cold, the young woman let out a sigh and watched as
Ambriel flipped over another page of the photocopied book and began to
study the next sheet of scrawls and scribbles. She smiled a bit and
turned her blue-eyed glance away and to the skylight.
A single bird passed across the sky.
"Who cares if I loose all honor?" whispered Lisa, voice hardly
audible even to her own ears. "I promised this to the Angel of the Moon,
and I will keep helping Ambriel become what her destiny requires." A
single tear rolled down her cheek, and she once again brought her chin
to rest upon her knees, taking one last, long look at the child.
She smiled again and sniffled. "And I will do this for the most
important thing in my life..."
And her last word floated through the room, like a dove on a
breeze.
"Ambriel..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Her green-black hair whipped softly against her pale face as she
sat alone on the front porch swing, watching as the first few daring
chipmunks of the spring came out from their hiding places. They were
braving a new, unknown element... Just as she, the little girl who knew
so much, was.
Sighing, she kicked her long legs back and forth, using them to
slice through the cold, motionless air as her thoughts overwhelmed her.
It was like a brave, new world to her. Life without the woman who had
borne and raised her. Life without the woman who was to train and teach.
Life...
Without her mother.
"Why..." she whispered, her single word raspy and melancholy.
"Why did she have to go away?"
A single tear, pure and crystalline, sparkled as it rolled down
one of her tanned cheeks. Hastily, she wiped it away and leaned against
the wooden swing. She couldn't cry. Not now. Not ever. She was a Sailor
Scout, and Scouts did not cry. They never cried...
Did they?
"You worry too much," drawled a soft voice, tone slightly
reproachful, from near her feet. "You can't worry about being a
Scout... You have to DO." The thin, lanky green-furred kitten leapt onto
the seat and settled herself down beside the girl. The garnet-red eyes
were stern, if not downright angry, as the animal stared at the child
beside her. "Jeez, Aeris," put in Ara, wrinkling her brow in thought,
"you ARE upset about all this, aren't you?"
She just turned away, her colorful eyes focusing on the city
skyline. "No, I am not upset," she quickly lied, her voice not at all
convincing. "I am just in need of some time... To...think..."
The Guardian sighed. "I know this must be hard," she whispered,
still observing the young Scout wordlessly, "but you must press on,
Aeris. The entire world depends on you and the others."
"And the entirety of the past is dependant on Mother," she
remarked, turning to gaze upon the small cat. "My life is some sort of
untouchable paradox, dear Ara..." She sighed and ran her long fingers
through the soft, thick fur of her cat. "And I do not believe I can
escape this..."
Ara smiled slightly and stood, walking over to the girl and
plopping down in the warm lap of the three-year-old. "You can do
anything," she insured the young Guardian of Time. "You are now the
official holder of your mother's position, and you will be just fine."
She rested her furry chin upon one of Aeris' trembling hands. "Don't
worry."
"That does not sound much like something you, dear Ara, would
say," responded the girl, patting her pet lovingly. "But I much
appreciate it..."
"In the end," put in a new, thoughtful voice from behind the
swing, "everything will turn out alright."
Aeris turned in her seat to stare directly into bright violet
eyes. She smiled slightly at the sight. "You are certain it is so, Miss
Hannah?" she asked softly, cocking her head to one side.
The young woman shrugged noncommittally and bit her lower lip. "I
can't say that I do," she admitted with a sad smile. "I can't say that
anyone can be certain..." She continued on her walk down the long,
narrow porch and toward the front door, stopping just before her hand
touched the golden knob before her. "But, Aeris," she thought aloud,
turning back to the child, "where there's a will, there's a way..." She
trailed off in thought.
"AND?" questioned the girl anxiously, yearning to know more.
Hannah smiled at her and shrugged once again. "And...all you need
to do is find it."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"If this Ginnie babe is so damn powerful," she muttered, thinking
aloud as she was oft apt to do, "then why doesn't she fight us herself?"
The sharp bleat of a whistle snapped her face up from the
clipboard before her, and she gazed upon the group of children. Most of
the twenty-odd girls and boys were piled up in the center of the indoor
soccer field, with two young girls watching intently.
"Break it up!" yelled the referee, pulling on the arm of one blue-
shirted little boy as he swung a fist at an orange-garbed girl.
"Fighting will do you no good!"
Haley rolled her teal eyes and tossed the board down, stalking
into the 'field' with a distinctly disgusted glare plastered on her
features. "Chibi-soccer," she muttered in a low tone, shaking her head
as she watched her team try to maim the other eleven children with all
the fury of rabid wolves. "I don't see how I get into these things..."
As most of their team fought with the other, blue-clothed
children, both Ambriel and Celeste watched the proceedings, both
horrified and insensitive to the goings-on. Their faces were masks of
impassive surprise.
"They don't know what they're doing," stated the blonde child
plainly, her green eyes surveying the mess as now three adults--two
coaches and the single referee--desperately tried to separate the
groups.
The redhead nodded. "To them," she agreed, "this is what a fight
is. They have never seen their lives flash before them."
"It is AMAZING that they could be like this," continued older of
the two, beginning to take a step forward as she brushed off her black
shorts. "And I intend to stop it."
Ambriel raised a single eyebrow. "And how will you do..."
"STOP!" screamed the lithe blonde girl, her high voice echoing
throughout the high-ceilinged gymnasium. Heads turned to look at her as
she strode quickly forward and toward the pile-up of soccer players. All
the children had ceased in their squabbling and were now standing in two
almost identical lines, facing each other. Wordlessly, Celeste took a
short, chubby dark-haired boy on her own team by the collar and pulled
him out of line. Silently, she glared at him and drew the back of his
hand quickly across his face. The child yelped out in pain and sunk to
the floor. The girl let him fall.
"CELESTE!" scolded Haley quickly, grabbing the girl by her
shoulders and yanking her away from the whimpering boy. "What are you
DOING?!" she roared, glaring into the dull green eyes of the nine-year-
old. "You can't HIT kids, especially..."
"He instigated a fight," responded the girl, voice cold and
steady. "Those children do not yet know what fighting is, and the Keeper
will not allow..."
The young woman shook Celeste firmly by her shoulders. "That's
ENOUGH!" she shot in a low tone. "You CANNOT slap children, whether
you're the Keeper or Celeste or Mother Teresa!" She turned to look at
Ambriel, whose gray eyes large as saucers as she stared at her blonde
friend with both shock and--delight?--in her expression. Shivering, the
brunette turned back to the Sailor Scout of the Small Star.
"Understand?"
Celeste grinned sheepishly, and rubbed the back of her neck with
an expression of the utmost embarrassment upon her pale face. "Sorry
'bout that," she apologized quickly, her certain happy-go-luckiness
returning in a matter of seconds. "I don't know what came over me."
Glancing across the group of children and at the other coach, a
small, timid man of about thirty, Haley sighed and shook her head.
"Well, if no one was hurt, then..." She shrugged at the man, and he
nodded awkwardly. "Come on, team! Time to win!"
The referee blew his whistle and the two teams lined up for a
kick-off.
And, from her place near the sidelines, Ambriel smiled.
"I believe I have found the Keeper."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"How the HELL could she do this?!" she questioned angrily,
stalking down the long white halls of Crystal Palace, her pale face a
mask of anger and hurt. "I specifically said..."
He sighed and ran a hand through his own silky silver tresses.
"Reeny," he warned in a wary tone, "she's only human..."
The Princess of the Earth continued storming down the hall, her
skirts of the purest white flowing behind her in a long stream. Her
footfalls, heavy and angry, echoed down the corridors of the Palace.
Every once and again, servants who lived in the vast wing of the
building would open their doors to see what the fuss was, closing them
hastily upon seeing the Princess in such a blind rage.
"She's not HUMAN," spat the young woman, still pounding across the
expanse of marble at an obscene pace. "I TOLD her that the girl--MY
DAUGHTER--was not to study that cursed Prophesy any longer!" She flipped
a strand of pink hair behind her shoulder. "And I have had FAR enough!
Who the Hell does she think she is?!"
Her silvery Prince of Elysion just sighed and shook his head. Lisa
should have known better, especially after their little discussion but
two nights before... He furrowed his brow in thought and shooed a few
surprised maidservants back into their rooms. Why hadn't Lisa stopped
Ambriel? Why had she helped the little girl instead of halting the
activities...
Having reached one of the last few doors in the hallway, the pink-
haired Reeny raised a fist to the wooden door and wordlessly banged on
it, the echoes of the blows reverberating throughout the long, lofty
hallway. Nearby rooms opened and men and women alike peeked their heads
out into the corridor to witness what was happening.
And then, Lisa appeared in the doorway of her own room, cerulean
eyes meeting the teary red-orbed gaze with a certain ferocity that could
not be readily described by any of the dozen onlookers. Wordlessly, the
blonde woman pulled her identification badge from around her neck and
held it out to the Princess.
"I knew this would happen," she told Reeny with a helpless,
sincerely sorrowful expression on her pale face. Tears welled in her
eyes, and it was all she could do to force a smile and hold them back.
"I just hope you know that I take my orders from both the Queen and the
Angel of the Moon." She chuckled softly to herself. "Both Angels,
actually." She looped a strand of straight hair behind one of her ears
and placed her ID badge around the younger woman's neck. "I know I was
wrong," she murmured softly, touching one of her friend's pale cheeks
lightly, "but I did what I did because I love Ambriel. And you."
With that, Lisa picked up a small brow suitcase and started in the
direction from which the Princess had come, leaving the door wide open
behind her.
Reeny stared, awe-struck, after the handmaiden as the brown wool
dress and head of corn-colored hair slowly became harder to see down the
long white hall. Her gaze drifted sadly down to the badge around her
neck. 'Lisa Warner--Handmaiden to the Princess Serena,' it declared, and
she felt her heart skip a beat.
Glancing at her Prince, the young Princess bit her lower lip to
hold back the tears that threatened to pour from her aching red eyes.
"Lisa..." she whispered, feeling herself begin to shake ever-so-
slightly.
Helios shook his head and wrapped a warm arm around his Princess,
pulling her trembling form close to his body. "Maiden..." he whispered
gently, laying his head atop hers.
"I love her, too..." choked the young woman, now very much a girl
as she threw herself into the warm embrace. "More than even I know..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

It had been a long time.
As he pulled the pair of grayish-silver plates from their place in
the cupboard, he forced a slight smile and sighed softly. Almost three
years. That was a long time.
Glancing sweetly--albeit sadly--at the head of dark blonde curls
that peeked up over the back of the couch, he let his fake smile be
quickly replaced with one of genuine happiness. They'd left their world
for the next, true, but it was for a good cause. A real reason. A
purpose beyond all others.
And, in their own way, they had helped to save the world.
With a sigh, Richard brushed his red bangs from his eyes and idly
began to trace the plate border with his fingers. Little silver stars,
each linked to its neighbors, encircled the dish. He felt a certain
sadness tug at his heartstrings. Where were his parents, now? Heaven?
Hell? Purgatory? The Afterlife?
The Moon? He laughed at his own musing. The Moon? Why would they
be there? Why...
"Rich?"
A gentle voice cut off his mirth, and he noticed--to his own
horror--that the chortles had become frantic giggles. Coughing quickly,
he straightened his spine and smiled sweetly at the short teen. "Yes,
dear?" he cooed.
Lyra's brow furrowed in thought, and she cocked her head of curls
at him. "You were laughing, Rich," she informed him dryly. "And it was a
sort of...deranged...laugh..." She smiled slightly at him and pressed
her pink lips together. "Is everything alright?"
Picking up the plates and striding toward the dining room, the
young man shrugged his broad shoulders. "I was just wondering if there
were really angels," he commented nonchalantly, setting two places just
as he had for months. "I mean... Well, everyone wonders about angels,
don't they?" He glanced down at her with a meaningful glint in his
cobalt eyes and--once he saw that she was gaping at him in complete
confusion--he quickly turned away and started back to the kitchen.
But she, his little Star, was on his tail, following. "I don't
know if there are or not," she admitted softly, focusing on a large pot
that was boiling over. "My mother used to tell me tales of angels and
demons... Of hope and loss..." She shrugged and plunged a spoon into the
pot, stirring slowly. After a moment of thoughtful silence, she looked
to him. "Why do you ask?"
The question, for some inexplicable reason, startled Richard, and
he nearly dropped one of the two forks he was holding. Gulping, he shook
his head and focused on pulling the appropriate silverware from the
drawer. "I was just...thinking..." he responded with a sigh. "About
life...and death..."
Silently, she strode over to him and wrapped her arms firmly
around his neck, burying her face in his T-shirt. "Don't think about
death," she murmured softly, her warm presence quiet soothing to
Richard. "Think about life..." She glanced up, and smiled a bit. "Our
life," she stressed, running her fingers through his hair. "Together."
Leaning forward, he let their lips meet for a brief, sweet moment
before pulling himself from her embrace. "There ARE angels," he decided
with a soft grin, "because I found one in you."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Seth sighed and kicked a stone.
It didn't make sense. Granted, in Ginnie's court, few things ever
made a whole lot of sense (though that did lead to a certain amount of
spontaneity that the minions had grown to like), but--to both his
amazement and horror--everything seemed to be making less and less sense
as time went on.
He kicked another stone.
The Crystal of Illusion, that STUPID rock that the Queen was so
very hung up on, was still missing. And it was driving them all crazy--
especially the young brunette man, because it was his mission to find
it. Beyond that, the Sailor Scouts had defeated three of his wolves.
That left only one purple marble.
"I wish that there was something more I could do to beat the
Scouts," he muttered, pulling the small crystal from his pants pocket.
"But what else is there? All I have left is ONE monster... One tiny
monster..." He wrinkled his nose and tossed the orb from one hand to
another idly, a bored expression upon his pale face. "I don't see how
this is fair," he whined to no one in particular. "Kevin screwed this
all up, and THEN Arthur got himself killed..." Letting out a long sigh,
he focused his brown eyes on the pebble-sized sphere as it fell into his
left hand. "Why me?"
He let the purple crystal fall and shatter into a million pieces,
not at all surprised when it grew into a large, drooling wolf-dog that
looked absolutely rabid.
Leaving the creature to its own devices, the man smoothed his wool
uniform, pushed his glasses up on his nose, and started down the
sidewalk away from the wolf.
The monster roared and let out a long howl, water flying from his
mouth as he did so.
And, somewhere on the horizon, there was a flicker of orange.
* * * * * * * * * * *

"I'm not a priestess anymore," lamented the girl dejectedly,
wiping her brow with the back of a hand. "Makes me wonder why I'm
scrubbing the temple deck."
The sun, which had remained hidden for most of the cool Sunday
afternoon, shone down on her through the dim gray clouds. The weather
had perked up slightly, though the weatherman had originally promised a
rather cool and dreary day.
Tara cursed her luck and continued scrubbing, an angry glare in
her green eyes.
"I WOULD'VE done it, Sissy," apologized the little dark-haired boy
who stood, broom in hand, upon the cobblestone path behind her. "You
know that, an' I know that, but Mama said..."
With a grunt of annoyance, the teen turned around and threw her
cloth in the large bucket of sudsy water. "I can deal with wearing my
robes to 'keep up appearances,'" she shot at the child, pointing an
accusing finger toward him, "and I can deal with doing NORMAL chores
like cleaning my room and cooking dinner. But, Josh, when YOU go and
weasel out of something..."
"But I didn't weasel out!" he pouted, big purple eyes sad as he
stared at his older sister. "I just said..."
She rolled her eyes and chimed in. "'...that I didn't like
kneeling to scrub the deck,'" she mocked him in a childish tone, her
words synchronizing with his as she spoke. "Just do your sweeping,
Josh," she commanded of her brother.
"But..." began little Josh quickly.
"Now." Her tone was cold as she turned her back to the boy and
plunged an arm into the bucket. "If I don't get this done, I won't be
able to hang out with Kristy and Rosie today."
He wrinkled his little nose, sweeping the ground idly with the
broom as he did so. "Whatever happened to those NICE girls?" he
stressed, staring at her turned back. She said nothing. "You know? Those
ones who used to come around here a couple of times a week and talk
about the Great Fire with you?"
With a slight gasp, the raven-haired teen froze in mid-scrub and
felt her green eyes grow wide. She'd nearly forgotten about the other
Scouts... She really hadn't spent a whole lot of non-battle time with
them since she'd befriended some of the more popular girls at school...
A pang of guilt hit her, and she could sense the tears building up in
her eyes. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she closed her eyes and pushed
the feeling of guilt away.
"I see them a lot," she lied, wrenching excess water from the rag.
"They just don't hang out here as much, anymore."
Smiling, Josh let out a wistful sigh. "I liked that little girl
with the green hair..." He paused for a moment in sweet remembrance.
"She said her name was Airy--"
"Aeris."
"--an' was really pretty." He shook his head and continued
sweeping. "Reminded me of Mama's friend Susan."
Tara just chuckled to herself and continued scrubbing.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"According to this," she read, hitting a few, seemingly random
keys on the tiny computer's pad, "those wolf-things were just like
Arthur's fish and the giant bird." She wrinkled her small, pink nose,
studying the small screen. "Same source, same style of cell
structure..."
"Soooo," drawled Orb, licking a paw idly, "what you're saying is
that the only difference is that one was a bird, two were fish, and
three were wolves?"
Resisting the urge to scream, Orion snapped the blue Mercury
computer shut and turned on her mate. "That's EXACTLY what I'm saying,"
she responded, blinking at him in a state of doubt. "Weren't you paying
any attention?"
Diana, who was sitting on another end of the Urawa's kitchen
counter, five small marbles before her (the sixth was lost when the
Chibi-Scouts drowned the wolf--it was probably in the Pacific Ocean by
now), sighed miserably. "We need a miracle to sort this out, guys," she
put in sadly.
"What we NEED," retorted her brother, standing, "is our parents,
Di."
The two Moon cats glanced meaningfully at one another, the pink
one looking both annoyed and sad while her brother just looked as he
probably felt--hopeless.
Turning away, the calico felt a lump build up in her throat.
Thinking of the two dead Guardian cats always upset her... In more ways
than one.
With a sigh, she jumped off the counter and started down the hall,
muttering something about needing a walk. The two siblings, however,
didn't hear her because they had begun bickering about being helpless.
Once she had escaped the house via the cat door, the Guardian of
the Silver Star let out another long sigh and sat down in half-dead,
damp grass. The bright gold sun was making a valiant attempt at warming
the world, casting its warm, sweet glow upon the Earth.
It didn't help much, though. The late March weather was
disheartening, with its thick, relentless clouds and 'in like a lion'
attitude.
She sighed upon thinking of the line. "In like a lion, out like a
lamb," she whispered aloud, staring at the blooming crocuses which had
pushed up through the dark dirt but weeks ago.
Three years ago, at the same time of the year, an eternal white
cat had compared his children's treatment of the strange calico cat to
the treatment of the month of March to the world--in like a lion. And he
had asked that they acted like lambs.
What had so changed? She sat on her haunches, her soft green eyes
staring up at the sky. She and Orb had known for far too long that, if
they were to ever have children, that those kittens would be the 'ready
Guardians.' And those 'ready Guardians' would replace the older
Guardians.
But no one had guessed that Luna and Artemis would die. Or maybe
they just didn't admit it.
"Why?" she asked the wind as it whisked past her, ruffling her
fur. "Why did you two leave without even saying goodbye?" Orion felt
herself blinking away tears, and she hung her head limply. "Serenity
help me, but I don't think I can make it without you two by my side,"
she whispered, sinking into the warm blanket of grass and letting the
feeling of soft, sweet Earth sink in a replace the pain. "All I want to
do is sleep..."
The voice was but a rustling in the back of her mind.
But if you sleep, where will you go?
She gasped and let her forest-colored eyes pop wide open. It was
so very familiar...
One word touched her lips.
"Artemis?"
Come on, kiddo, the speaker chuckled gaily. If you go and give
up like you want to... Well then, where would the world be? Orion swore
that she could feel him shrug. You and the others can do it without
Luna and me... You have before...
She felt a slight smile tug at her lips, but it was a soft,
lonely smile. "I don't know," she admitted, tone shaky. "You guys were
at least AROUND last time..."
The voice let out a long sigh. Who saved the Scouts and
Mistresses last time around? demanded the masculine speaker within her
mind. If it were Luna and I, then I'll be a monkey's uncle!
"You're not an uncle," she assured him quickly with a roll of her
eyes. "But you're a grandfather."
She could feel the white cat beam. I've been watching them, he
boasted, full of grandfatherly pride. Both Carina and Cassiopeia are
going to be just like you--a handful of furry trouble--and Galileo gets
his liveliness from Orb... He paused for a moment, and his tone turned
pensive. And I think there's some sort of recessive genius gene from
Luna that skipped right to Ara...
They both laughed, Orion's light giggle carrying across the large
backyard as it was picked up by the wind. But the chortles soon died,
leaving the scrappy cat to do nothing more than sigh. "God, I've missed
hearing your voice," she stated softly. "I wish that you guys were here
right now..."
But we're not, replied the voice reflectively. Where we are, we
can at least look down upon you and hope that everything goes well. I
can't even hold the telepathy much longer...
Knowing that the tears were soon to come, she let her chin slowly
touch the ground. "So, this is it?" she asked.
There was a sigh. Not forever, stressed the male voice.
Someday, you, Orb, and Diana will follow us here, no doubt with the
Mistresses close behind you. And you three will love this place. He
sighed once again and took a deep breath in. But, Orion, I just want
you to know that we're here. And have been. And will be.
She forced a smile and gulped back the tears. "Thank you,
Artemis," she choked, her tone wavering helplessly. "I love you..."
And, somewhere in the back of her mind, she could sense that a
tear was running down the cheek of a purely white cat. I love you,
too...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Phoebe shifted the weight of the heavy shopping bag from one arm
to the other as she strolled down the street, blue braids trailing
behind her in a tango with the wind. "'Love brings a lonely, lonely
heart...'" she sang softly to herself, picking up her pace as she
strolled down the unusually vacant street. " 'I'm all alone, now...
Lonely, lonely'--HOLY CRAP!"
The bag clattered to the hard concrete of the sidewalk, spilling
groceries everywhere. Her jaw dropped as she gaped at the sight before
her.
It was a giant creature, half dog and half wolf, with a certain
purple tint to its thick fur. And it was howling, sending streams of
water everywhere.
"The fourth monster in two days?!" exclaimed the navy-haired teen,
awe-struck. "What is going on here?"
Turning slowly, red eyes glared at the loud-mouthed teen. She drew
in a sharp breath and stumbled backwards nervously. The creature roared.
With a grunt, Phoebe shoved her hand high into the air, the Locket
of the Sun clasped tightly in her fingers. "You beast!" she hollered at
it, icy eyes lowering dangerously. "How dare you ruin a perfectly placid
March day with your evil? In the name of Phoenix, I will..." She paused
and glanced down at her thick yellow sweater and blue jeans. Sighing,
she hung her head, embarrassed. "Give me a moment, my kind monster, and
I will be right with you."
It cocked its head to the side, obviously confused.
And the red and orange of the locket glittered in the noonday sun.
"Phoenix Galactic Power... Make UP!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"And THEN," giggled the thin blonde teen, flipping a strand of her
perfectly straight hair over a slender, shapely shoulder, "Melanie tried
to convince me she WASN'T in love with the guy!"
One of the two others, a shorter girl with chin-length red curls,
laughed aloud. "Could you IMAGINE the look on Rosie's face when she said
that?" asked the red-haired one. "And I was like 'Sure, WHATEVER you
say.'" She shook her head. "And then, of course, there was that brush-in
with that one scary senior..." She furrowed her brow and glanced to the
blonde for support. "He's such a freak..." Her brown eyes glanced
suddenly to the last of the three girls. "You alright, Tara?"
All of the sights and sounds of the mall food court--a most
popular hangout for high-school girls--meant nothing to the ebony-haired
beauty as she clutched a hand to her chest. Her face, usually tan and
quite placid, had become a sickly shade of the most ashen white. She
froze and gasped for breath.
The blonde one, called Rosie, waved a hand to the redheaded teen.
"Kristy," she commanded sternly, reaching out and grasping one of the
last girl's shaking hands, "go get a cup of ice water or a Slushy." She
pressed her supple lips together and glanced at her motionless friend.
"GO!"
"No," coughed Tara weakly, blinking her large green eyes and
forcing a smile. "I'm fine!" She shrugged at the other two and leaned
back in her seat, folding her hands in her lap. "I just felt a
little...dizzy...for a second, that's all."
Kristy furrowed her brow, wrinkles creasing her flawless forehead.
"You sure, Tara?" she questioned doubtfully. "You looked pretty bad."
Smiling, the dark-haired one rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kris," she
pressed with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Tell us about the scary
senior guy!"
Both of her friends giggled and went back to their tales of
gossip, boys, and Crossroads High.
And Tara, for the first time, was able to ignore her locket alert.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"That's a nasty wolf-thing!" grunted Sailor Polaris, picking
herself up off the wet ground and wiping both water and sweat from her
brow. "Worse than the others!"
With a wrinkle of her nose, Sailor Chibi-Star glanced at her
sister. "I don't think it's any nastier," she retorted rather calmly,
balling her fists in frustration. "I think that we're a little short-
handed."
The curly-haired Scout paused and glanced around the deserted
area. Standing side-by-side near the wolf, fighting off streams of the
freezing water while trying desperately to kill the animal, were the
Pluto twins. Knelling on the ground, nursing both a lump on her head and
a bruised ego (because the monster didn't wait until after the 'punish
you' speech before it attacked) was a cranky Sailor Phoenix. She sighed
and glanced at the smaller Scout. "You're ALWAYS right, aren't you,
Chibi-Star?"
Beaming, the girl raised a hand high in the air and winked a green
eye. "You have NO idea," she replied before turning her attention on
the monster. "Starburst--"
The cretin roared and, leaping over the two Chibi-Scouts who stood
before him, sent a stream of water flowing straight into both Scouts.
Polaris yelped out in pain as she was picked up off the ground and
thrown into a lamppost nearby, but Chibi-Star managed to avoid just
enough of the beam to remain standing.
Unfortunately, she was a bit dazed from the water attack and
didn't notice as the wolf bared its teeth and leaned toward the girl,
salivating...
"Chibi-Star!" screamed the Master of Time (in Training) furiously,
running forward across the slick blacktop of the street. "Watch out!"
The blonde child glanced up, only to see dripping teeth the size
of her arm hovering above her head. She screamed and closed her eyes.
With a snap, the teeth clamped down...
On a bit of cloth?
Slowly opening the teary green orbs, the pigtailed child glanced
around, only to see that the little Master of Time was laying, along
with her, upon the cold ground. Half of his crimson cape was missing,
and the edge was jagged and ripped. She let out a deep breath, and--upon
seeing that his eyes were closed and that he was panting desperately
for breath--Sailor Chibi-Star did the very first think that came to
mind.
She lunged closer to him and gave him a huge kiss on the lips.
Sputtering, the young Master sat straight up, pulling quickly away
from the clingy girl. "Eww!" he exclaimed, pulling his lips away from
her and wiping them on his sleeve. "What do you think you're doing?"
Her face turned bright red. "Uh..." The blonde girl glanced up at
the sunny sky and away from the boy, her face growing even more crimson
as she thought about her action. "Thanks for saving me?"
"Chibi-Star! Peter! Get over here!" yelled Sailor Chibi-Pluto as
she tried to bat the giant wolf-monster away with her Time Key. "I can't
do this by myself!"
Chibi-Star glanced over to where Sailor Phoenix and Sailor Polaris
stood, both throwing countless attacks toward the creature's left side
without much avail. In front of the monster was, of course, Chibi-Pluto,
and--in the far distance--the little girl was certain she could see
something white soaring through the air. Still... There wasn't much
time...
The wolf howled and sent the last of the three Chibi-Scouts
reeling backwards and into a building. This infuriated the blonde girl,
and she raised a hand into the air.
"Starburst Shimmer!"
Yelping in pain, the wolf-dog-monster fell onto one side, writhing
in agony as the attack pummeled him. But there had hardly been time for
the Scouts to catch their breaths when it rolled back onto its stomach
and clambered into a standing position.
Polaris grimaced as the creature howled once again, shooting a
bright blue stream of water high into the air. "This thing's
relentless!" she gasped, readying herself to attack once again. "I don't
believe it!"
Her blue-haired companion sighed. "Believe it..." she muttered in
an annoyed tone. "This thing's no spring chicken..."
"Angelic Glow!"
A flash of pure silver light erupted from above them, its radiance
nearly blinding in the afternoon sun. The monster cried out, falling
once again to its side.
But this time, it had no chance to get up.
"Fiery Crater!"
"Rainbow Wave!"
The creature roared and its red eyes snapped shut.
"Moon Saber Illumination!"
Within a moment, the dust and iridescent brilliance of the lights
had cleared, revealing three fuku-wearing Scouts and a certain Angel who
fluttered behind them.
Sheathing her sword, Sailor Moon took a quick evaluation of the
situation and smiled. Sailor Chibi-Pluto had climbed to her feet and
appeared to be unhurt; already, she was crouched and examining the tiny
purple crystal which remained of the monster. Apart from the other
Scouts were Sailor Chibi-Star and Peter, and both were blushing
furiously at the other. But then, the pink-haired leader glanced at
Polaris and Phoenix and let her grin turn to a frown.
"Where the Hell is Sailor Earth?"
Furrowing her brow, Polaris played idly with a strand of hair that
had fallen from her ponytail. "She's not with you?" questioned the teen
nervously.
"Obviously NOT," rebuked Aurora Borealis with a roll of her
chestnut eyes. "But, if she's not with you..."
"Tara's changed," put in Chibi-Star thoughtfully, smoothing her
purple skirt and glancing warily at the group. "She's been hanging out
with this group of girls outside the mall lately, and they don't
look..." She paused, thinking of the right word. "Nice."
Nodding, Sailor Phoenix shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I don't
know what's up with that haircut, either," she admitted, "but
something's got to be done. I mean, between her quitting as a Priestess
and..."
"She quit?" gasped Angel Moon, floating placidly to the ground.
"Why would she go and do a thing like that?"
Chibi-Pluto stood up and thumped her Time Key on the ground.
"This, I feared," she commented in a tone that was more adult than
usual. "If she has resigned her duties as a Priestess, then surely we
will be without fire readings."
"Her fire readings never worked anyway." Sailor Comet flipped a
strand of hair behind her slim shoulders. "I mean, why would we want
more of her bogus readings?" she mused.
"You're starting to sound like Alice," sighed Sailor Moon with a
shake of her pigtails. "But this is SERIOUS, guys. If she ignored a
locket alert..."
There was a long pause of silence in which everyone avoided each
other's eyes. No one knew how to speak of the last Scout. If Tara hadn't
had her locket with her and it had been an honest mistake, then they
would all look to be fools. But, as Scouts, they were to carry their
lockets everywhere. So she should have had it. And if she'd had it...
And ignored it...
"We need a Scout meeting," commanded Moon firmly, hands on hips.
"At my house," volunteered Phoenix quickly. "No Tara."
Angel Moon slammed a tiny white boot upon the ground. "And I would
like to have a Chibi-Scout meeting," she put in.
Green eyes glanced from the leader of the Chibi-Scouts and at the
redheaded girl. The Angel pressed her lips together and adverted her
gray eyes.
Nodding, Sailor Chibi-Star smiled slightly. "Very good," she
decided. "We shall hold it at Peter's house."
"Yeah," agreed the Master of Time, nodding emphatically.
The Scouts all glanced at one another, and then:
"Wait a second! MY house?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"I'm a dead minion walking," mumbled Seth, annoyance riddling his
usually perky tone as he trudged down the Tokyo sidewalks. "My last wolf
fell victim to the wiles of the Sailor Scouts, and I'm SURE that Her
Highness is not going to give me any leeway..." He shuddered and thought
of that morning's meeting.
'And I swear, Seth--with Satan as my witness--that, if you fail,
I will see to it that you will find medieval torture to be enjoyable...
And that will be your pessimistic outlook on it, if you catch my
meaning.'
Touching his black eye, he sighed. He hadn't caught the meaning,
and he had a 'shiner' to show for it.
"Damn Sailor Scouts," he grumbled, brushing past a shining orb of
bright orange. "If I hadn't been so preoccupied with them, I'd have Her
Highness' stupid Crystal by..." He froze.
Glowing orange orb? Wasn't that how Ginnie had described the
Crystal of Illusion just that morning?
Seth grinned and whirled around. He'd be a good minion, yet!
And then, he gasped.
It was gone.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"She quit? Why in the world..." Large azure orbs, the epitomes of
beauty and peace, stared at him. Her pink lips parted slightly, and her
jaw dropped as she gaped. "Is there something you're not telling me,
young man?"
Sighing, Helios folded his hands in his lap and tried his hardest
to appear adult and dignified. But before him sat the single most
gorgeous woman in the world. Aphrodite paled in comparison to such a gem
of the heavens. And he felt himself clam up, almost as he did around his
own girlfriend occasionally. But this was a different kind of
nervousness.
This was almost fear.
With another, half-hearted sigh, he ran a hand through his silvery
waves of hair. "Well, Your Highness, Ambriel has been studying the
Prophesy as you commanded..."
Neo-Queen Serenity smiled slightly at this news. "Good."
"Or, perhaps it would be more appropriate to say she was."
Her smile quickly faded.
And he frowned too. "I don't know why she went and acted like she
did, Highness!" he swore, clutching his folded hands to his chest and
looking directly into those incredible eyes. "I honestly do not! She
just...panicked, I would say...when she found out that Ambriel had the
Gift! And, though I wouldn't admit it to her, I was a little panicked
too. But I wouldn't have taken the books away from her, and I wouldn't
have gone after anyone! Honestly!" He dropped to his knees before the
Queen of the Earth. "You just have to believe me on this one, Highness!"
Wrinkling her brow in confusion, Serenity blinked a few times.
"Lisa did all this?" she questioned with doubt in her tone. "Surely..."
"No, Highness," he responded, climbing back into his chair and
attempting to save what little dignity he had left. "Princess Serena did
this."
"Reeny?" gaped the Queen, her eyes even wider than they had been
before. "She went against my orders?" Upon seeing the young man nod
solemnly, she bristled. "Why? Does she not realize that she needs to
unlock a passage soon?"
He just stared at her, confused. "Highness?"
Serenity slammed a fist onto the surface of the oak desk, not even
grimacing as all the photos and papers shuddered violently. "And then,
Lisa left because she knew that Reeny had done such a thing..." Standing
quickly, she picked up her skirts and strode toward the door. "When I
get my hands on that girl, I am going to see to it that she never sees
the outside of a bedchamber again!"
"Wait!" Helios called quickly after her, hopping to his feet and
chasing the woman into the hall. "She's not here, and neither is
Ambriel! They've got Scout meetings!"
Whirling around, she jabbed a finger at his chest. "And I suppose
that you tried to stop her, Helios?" she shot in an irritated tone.
Seeing his face pale, she threw a pigtail behind her shoulders. "You
have to learn that Reeny will not love you any less for being stern!"
She thumped a foot upon the marble floor. "I am so annoyed with the both
of you right now, I--"
"And what about Lisa?" he asked quickly, tone ice cold. "What will
you do about that woman? She's lost face in front of the whole royal
family and every servant in this Palace." He lowered his blue eyes to a
glare. "Isn't that a bit more important than seeking out a daughter
who's not home or rebuking a man who didn't mean anything by what he
did?"
She paused for a moment and just stared at him, blinking. Then, as
if by magic, a slight smile touched her pale lips and she chuckled good-
naturedly. "No one has ever stood up to me like that before," she
informed him, starting back toward her office. "You'll make a good King,
someday."
And she shut the door before him.
Helios gazed at the closed marble barrier before him for a moment,
awestruck. Taking a deep breath, he pinched himself to make sure that
the Queen hadn't really killed him on the spot. The pinch hurt.
And he smiled.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

They filed into the den, silent as a winter's midnight, neither
talking nor wanting to be talked to.
Collapsing into one of two large leather armchairs, Aeris let out
a long sigh and closed her colorful eyes. "I have a headache that could
easily bring pallor to the face of the most hardened warrior."
"Ditto," agreed both Celeste and Peter, plopping onto the small
hunter green couch, side by side. Without even glancing at him, the
blonde girl dove for the far armrest, turning bright pink in color. He
did the same.
The antics of the other two going largely unnoticed, Ambriel fell
into another large armchair, resting her head against its back. "I'm
sorry that I called this meeting, guys..."
One of the two small Guardians of Pluto who had followed them in
nudged the door shut. "What IS wrong?" questioned the tan kitten with a
spark of concern in his brown eyes. "You Chibi-Scouts have never called
a meeting before."
"WE didn't call it," emphasized the girl with the corn-colored
pigtails, sending a meaningful green-eyed glance toward her friend.
"Ambriel did."
All eyes turned on the redhead. She sighed and took a deep breath
before speaking.
"Well, I've been studying the Prophesy," she began softly, folding
her tiny hands and setting them daintily in her lap. "And it's really
confusing but I finally think I put a dent in it."
Peter blinked his crimson eyes. "Dent?" he repeated.
She nodded. "There's a whole lot of Prophesy," she explained,
glancing warily around the room. "We have a whole vault dedicated to it,
so that's a lot of books right there, and I've only read one cover-to-
cover." She shrugged slightly. "And Mama hasn't exactly been supportive
about this venture, so..."
The green Pluto cat cut her off. "SO?" she prompted, staring at
the small child from the lap of Aeris. "Tell us what you've found!"
Sighing, gray eyes drifted shut as the girl recalled from memory
the things she had read in the large tome. "It'll all start with this
Priestess," she began softly. "The Priestess will use her power to let
this young man--called 'The Master'--to save the world. But that will
only happen after the Keeper rescues him from some disaster."
"Keeper?" gaped Celeste, staring.
Ambriel shrugged slightly. "That's where it gets really
confusing," she admitted, opening her eyes once again and looking at her
soccer teammate. "This Keeper is the 'Girl in Gold,' and she and he are
destined."
Dropping his jaw, Peter gasped. "Destined?" he questioned,
doubtful.
The Angel of the Moon nodded solemnly. "Then, they will rule the
Earth alongside silver." She furrowed her brow in thought. "It said
'silver to white to gold to black--thus the world will be ruled.' It was
really strange."
"And of the Chibi-Scouts?" put in Galileo, rolling over in the lap
of the child he guarded.
She bit her lower lip. "That was the weirdest part," she informed
them softly. "It said that the 'Girl in Gold' would lead us through the
disaster and pain, but that the Priestess--one of us--would end up
saving the world when the disaster threatens."
"Weird," sighed the young boy, glancing at the green cat and her
trainee. "Do you guys have any clue what's going on?"
Ara licked her chops. The Master was obviously the Master of Time,
which would mean that he was in fact the young Peter. And if Peter was
the Master, then either Celeste or Ambriel was the Girl in Gold. And
Ambriel...
She glanced at the red-haired girl, the gentle tresses of her hair
contrasting with the heavenly white color of her dress. Surely, she
would not be the Girl in Gold. Which meant...
The kitten turned to look at the oldest of the foursome, her
pigtails straight and silky. She was staring at Peter and seemed to know
something... The cat shivered.
"I think this is out of my league," she lied, keeping the secret
thoughts to herself. "But who in the world helped you do all this,
Ambriel?"
"Lisa," breathed the little angel, gray eyes staring at the cat
with remorse and an infinite amount of sadness. "But she's left..."
Aeris' jaw dropped. "We cannot let her be as such!" she protested
stubbornly. "If she has helped you thus far, she must continue to aid
you in the quest to understand--"
"What are you getting at?" questioned the tan cat, blinking at the
girl.
"We must find Lisa and beg her to return to the solemn service of
the Queen!" insisted the child with the long green tresses, hopping to
her feet and knocking her thin pet to the floor. "If we do not, Ambriel
may never be able to break the riddle of Prophesy!"
Celeste raised a hand in protest. "But--"
"No buts!" pressed Aeris, starting for the door. "Ambriel, you
come with me. Celeste, you go with Peter."
Before any of the others could protest, the Guardian of Time (in
Training) had grabbed Ambriel by the wrist and dragged her through the
room and out the door.
The two remaining Chibi-Scouts just glanced warily at one another.
And they both blushed.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"This doesn't make any sense," sighed the Princess of the Earth,
settling into her spot on the couch and solemnly sipping her mug of
coffee. "Why would Tara ignore a locket alert?"
Five of the six original Galactic Sailors, faces gaunt, sat in the
living room of the Urawa family ranch. Since their walk from the battle
site to the house, not one of them had really said anything beyond "that
was a hard monster." No one quite knew quite what to say. It was a
strange circumstance, and they'd not been there before.
One of the Sailor Scouts had forsaken them.
With a slight, hopeful smile, curly-haired Lyra shrugged her
shoulders. "Maybe Tara was in the bathroom," she suggested
optimistically, "and didn't have her locket with her. Maybe it was
sitting in her bedroom and she didn't know..." She glanced at the
others, who all looked very doubtful.
"And maybe pigs fly and chickens sing," snorted Alice with a roll
of her brown eyes. "Come ON, Lyra, you're a smart girl! Logic says--"
"Logic says we're out a Scout!" snapped the blonde in retort. "Why
would you be so quick to follow logic in a situation like this?"
Holding up a hand, Haley shot the angry girl a stern glare.
"Fighting isn't going to get us anywhere," she declared coldly. "Tara's
NOT here, and we don't know why. That is the only important thing, right
now." She then let her stern demeanor fall. "But what is wrong with that
girl?"
"She is greatly changed," Phoebe informed them, her icy eyes
placid. "It's as though that hair cut morphed her into a different being
and we can't extract the old Tara."
With a nod of agreement, Reeny took another sip of her coffee.
"I've noticed that, too," she volunteered solemnly. "The only time she
ever recognizes me is during battle..."
"Us, too," put in Lyra, gesturing to the auburn-haired teen beside
her. "At school, all she ever does is giggle with this duo of ditzes and
all their friends..."
Alice sighed and pressed her lips together with a sad smile. "It's
amazing," she sighed, shaking her head slowly. "I've never really liked
Tara, but now that she hangs out with those idiots Rosie and Kristy, I
miss her."
Flipping a navy braid over her shoulder, the dramatic one forced a
smile. "Wow. Alice doesn't despise Tara? Call the newspapers..." But her
jest was unconvincing, and brought a frown to her face. "She's just so
destracted, guys!" whined Phoebe with a helpless sigh. "It's like we
don't matter anymore!"
"All because some idiot poked fun at her once." The brunette young
woman crossed her legs and rested an elbow on the armrest. "I don't
understand--doesn't that happen to everyone?"
"But not everyone has locket alerts and destiny," pointed out the
blonde teen with sadness in her brown eyes. "Maybe we need to sit down
and talk to her..."
With a chuckle, Alice rolled her eyes. "This is TARA we're talking
about!" she reminded them pointedly. "Her mind runs on a completely
different track than that of a normal person!"
Reeny furrowed her brow in annoyance. "Now, that's not--"
"I mean that she has a habit of looking at things from a different
perspective than you or I would." She wrinkled her nose. "Geez, the
first time it's not a blow to that cactus' character, I get yelled
at..."
The Princess sighed. "Well, you're right," she supposed with a
slight nod, "Tara does seem to see the spiritual side of things..."
Phoebe shook her head. "Not anymore," came her response. "After
all, she's acting like a totally different person, and we can't do
diddly-squat about it."
All five teens fell into silence, adverting each other's gazes.
The actress was right. She was right far too often. Tara had, because of
the wanton cruelty of her classmates, changed. She had changed her
haircut, her demeanor, and her religion. And she'd left her destined
companions in the dust, leaving them to wait for a return that might
never come.
"So, what do we do?" asked a nervous Lyra in her soft, shaky
voice.
The auburn-haired one shrugged. "What can we do?" she questioned
casually. "I mean, as much as I hate to admit it, I think we've just got
to leave her alone, this time."
Haley raised an eyebrow. "Are you just saying that because you
don't like her? Because, if you are, I'll--"
"I've never disliked Tara," rebuked Alice coolly. "I mean, sure,
she's got some of her mother's lesser qualities and all, but I can't
very well blame her for that. She was raised to be a mini version of
Raye, and I won't hold that against her."
The others all stared, and she let out a sigh.
"So I've never been very fair...or nice...to the brat," lamented
the 13th-grader in a soft tone. "But I've never meant to hurt her, and I
mean it when I say that I miss having her around here..." She let out a
choke chuckle and shrugged, glancing around the group cautiously, almost
afraid she'd start crying. "I mean, no one rebukes me when I joke about
Shintos or say something stupid, anymore..."
Holding out a hand, the Princess gasped. "Oh, Alice..."
She laughed boisterously, a tear streaming down a pale cheek.
"And, besides, she's part of the knot, too!" she exclaimed with a choked
sob. "We're all part of this! She can't leave us in the dust! She can't!
SHE CAN'T!" Pounding a fist on the arm of the couch, Alice buried her
face in her hands. "Goddamn that little temple slut... Abandoning us
like this..."
Lyra wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders. "We all know
how you feel, Al," she whispered soothingly. "We all feel it, too..."
"How could she?" sniffled the auburn-haired one. "How could she
ignore us?"
With a slight grunting sound, Phoebe crossed her arms over her
chest. "How indeed..." she muttered. "How indeed..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Car horns blared. Music streamed from stereos. Couples sat side-
by-side, enjoying an early-evening picnic while murmuring sweet,
fulfilling things to one another.
And they walked down the dirt path, a full arm's length between
them, both silent and slightly red in the face.
Golden tresses, beautiful and straight, trailed behind one in the
slight breeze of the spring day. The slowly setting sun causing the hair
to appear as flowing gold rivers of light pouring from each side of the
girl's head. Such beauty would have be breath-taking, was her face not
touched with the heinous deformity of a frown, and were her two green
eyes not lowered in a stern glare. She looked miserable.
And she felt it, too.
She glanced over at her traveling companion, and her expression
lightened a bit. His short brown tresses were messed by the wind as he
strode beside her, studying the ground. Her frown faded into a sweet
smile as she gazed at his soft, emotion-filled crimson eyes. Such a
kind, selfless, adorable little boy...
His gaze came up from the ground, met hers, and they both turned
away, blushing.
Mentally, Celeste kicked herself in the head. She'd never, EVER,
even thought about kissing anyone before--the mere thought of hugging
one of her brothers quite nearly made her gag. It didn't make sense that
this boy--six years her junior and hardly old enough to be potty-
trained--could strike her fancy.
Then again, he was trapped in the body and mind of a child her own
age. She caught herself trying to steal another glance at him and
scowled, clamping her hands around the edge of her jacket. Sure, he was
eight or nine in body, and even older in mind, but he was just a child!
And she had no right to even consider poking him to get his attention,
let alone the right to KISS him.
But he'd saved her life. Her grimace melted into a wistful smile
as she recalled the wave of emotions she's felt when her green orbs had
opened and seen that boy... His arms wrapped around her lithe body, his
eyes clamped shut in a sort of boyish fear, and his little chest rising
and lowering as he gasped for breath. And she'd felt a surge of
belonging, hope, and disparity... Like her only choice in the world had
been to kiss him right then and think later.
And she had.
The truth--and she'd never been a big fan of the truth--was that
she really cared about that boy. Sure, it was an irrational, hopeless
crush that she knew would never amount to more than a few wistful sighs,
but he was a sweet, kind little boy. Maybe not a child that was the
essence of normality, but even then, neither was she. He was one of the
two Pluto twins, and she was the Keeper of the Nebulae. It was that
simple.
Pulling her gaze from the purples and blue upon the horizon, she
glanced at him and let a smile touch her features. She'd kissed him, and
he probably didn't care all that much, but he was a sweet, sweet boy...
He was staring at her, and she hardly noticed until her green eyes
blinked. She blushed again, the smile disappearing, and turned away.
Peter sighed and looked away, as well, raising two fingers to his
lips. Why was he doting on that silly kiss? She was nine, she didn't
think, and it didn't mean anything. Right?
Furrowing his brow in thought, the young boy stretched his arms
and gazed at the bronze of the setting sun. He'd rescued her, and she'd
been really...grateful. Yes, she'd been grateful, that was all. After
all, she had been very near death, and he'd saved her by throwing the
both of them out of harm's way. Of course she had kissed him! With the
kind of emotions that had raged through the two of them after saving
each other...
He smiled slightly. She was pretty. Gorgeous, actually, though he
knew that Aeris would laugh at that comment. Why wouldn't he save her?
And she was so very sweet and understanding... A born leader and a great
asset to the Chibi-Scouts. It made sense, didn't it? She was his leader,
and his sister's friend, and very kind and caring...
And beautiful.
With a roll of his red eyes, he focused on the path. He was not
yet four years old! How could he be thinking about girls and kisses and
beauty? He wasn't even four!
But he was eight or so, right? A good double his real age. And his
mind was still far ahead of anyone else's... Not even she, that paragon
of perfection with the molten gold pigtails, would understand some of
the things he did.
But then why...
"Fine! She's beautiful!" he yelled at himself, not noticing the
words until they escaped his mouth.
"Who's beautiful?" asked Celeste, her green eyes turning to gaze
at him.
Blushing a little, Peter stopped and scuffed his feet in the dirt
of the park's path. "The sun," he lied quickly, glancing nervously at
the orange orb. "My mother always said that the sun looked best when
setting..."
She furrowed her brow. "In mythology, wasn't the ruler of the sun
a man, though?" questioned she with a smile.
He pressed his lips together. "Yeah..." he admitted with a shrug.
"But I'm not always right..."
They began walking again, this time side-by-side, chattering
pleasantly as they strolled through the park in search of Lisa.
A young man and a large golden retriever sat on a bench, but the
duo passed them without taking notice that they were arguing.
"I saw the crystal, Calico!" the man whined, glaring at the dog.
"You HAVE to believe me, this time!"
Rolling brown eyes, the animal laid down on the path. "Well, you
managed to get us kicked out of the Palace for the night after that
stunt with the monster," he grumbled with a grumpy sigh. "You might as
well dream about the crystal... Might distract you from the cold."
Seth glowered at the dog. "I saw it! Why don't you believe me?"
His pet gazed up at him, annoyed. "Because, Seth," he retorted,
"you're crazy."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

She bounced into the apartment, a smile finally on her face. It
had been the first time in the two hours since the battle that she'd
managed to smile, and that was only because she knew she was able to go
home. There'd be no more talk of Tara until the group reached a
unanimous vote--one which was still evading them--on what to do about
the single wayward Scout. And she was glad.
Kicking off her shoes, the teenager with the blonde curls grinned.
"Hey, Rich!" she called to her boyfriend, sliding on her favorite pair
of comfortable orange slippers. "I'm..." And, glancing into the living
room, she froze.
On the couch sat her one true love, his head buried in his hands.
Warily, he looked up at her, blue eyes bloodshot and teary, glasses wet
from tears. Upon seeing her, he pressed his pale pink lips together and
forced a smile.
She gulped and stared at him, blinking. "What's wrong?" she
questioned sweetly, taking a short step toward him. "You've been
crying."
Shaking his head, he adverted her prying, concerned glance.
"Nothing, really," he lied, shaking his head and wringing his hands.
"I'm just very..." He sighed. "Could I just be alone, Star?"
"No." Striding up to the couch, she plopped down beside him and
leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm not going to let you get away with
bottling up your feelings," she informed him stubbornly, gripping his
arm tightly. "You'd might as well tell me."
He glanced down at her and sighed, but the hints of a smile
touched his lips. Lyra was adorable, with her big brown eyes peering up
at him and her blonde curls flopping down from her ponytail and onto his
shoulder. He swallowed and touched her cheek gently. "I'd forgotten how
stubborn you can be," he stated with a slight touch of amusement in his
tone.
"AND..." she prompted.
"And..." Richard ran a shaky hand through his deep red tresses.
There was a long bout of silence before he spoke. "It's just that...
Well, I miss them." He watched her as her brow wrinkled in confusion. "I
miss my parents, I mean," he clarified. "I've been thinking about them a
lot, what with the anniversary..." He blinked back tears. "It's so
quiet, here, when you're not home, and..."
She snuggled up closer to him, her gaze boring into his soul. "You
can't get so upset about something that was out of your hands," she
insisted with a sigh. "They knew what would happen and let it; we
couldn't control that, Rich..."
He choked back a sob. "I know," he admitted softly, leaning his
head against hers. "But..." He just let a tear run down his face in
silence, not knowing what he could say.
"I know you miss them," whispered the girl softly, sitting up and
turning his face to hers. "But you need to know that, even if you don't
have them, you have me now and forever will."
Smiling slightly, he brushed a hair from her face and stared down
into her brown eyes. "Oh, Lyra..." he whispered softly, entangling his
hand in her ness curls. "I love you so much..." He wrapped her in his
strong arms, then, burying his face in her curls.
She nestled into his warm embrace. "I love you, too," she
whispered, a slight smile on her face. Then, her grin widening, she
pulled away from him. "I think that we need to have a distraction for a
little while," she suggested coyly, leaning against the arm of the couch
and stretching out her full length, feet in Richard's lap. "After all,
we can't have you being all distressed."
The young man furrowed his brow, confused. "What in the world are
you suggesting?" he questioned, staring.
With a sweet giggle, Lyra sat straight up and punched him
playfully in the shoulder. "Get your mind out of the gutter!" she
commanded, scowling at him for a brief moment before grinning again. "I
MEANT that we should have an apartment guest for the night."
"Celeste?" Richard rolled his blue eyes and sighed. "How is your
little sister going to provide a distraction for me?"
She pouted. "Come ON, Rich," she whined, glaring at him. "We could
take her out to dinner and rent Disney movies. It would take your mind
off your parents and also let you kind of be a parent."
He made a face at the second part of her comment. "And I would
want to be a parent why?" he asked.
"Please?" insisted his gorgeous blonde girlfriend. "It would mean
a lot to me if you would let her come... Just for one night..."
Tickling the bottoms of her feet, he cocked his head at her and
smiled slightly. "This means a lot to you, doesn't it?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "Very."
There was a long pause as Richard adjusted his glasses and pressed
his lips together in thought.
"I suppose," he finally gave in after a good thirty seconds of
deliberation. "But just for one night and--" He was stopped by a warm
bundle of blonde curls diving into his arms. With a sigh, he hugged his
girlfriend tightly, and she hugged him back, delighted just to share the
quiet moment together.
A pair of green eyes turned away from the sweet scene, and the
owner of the eyes sighed deeply. "Every time they go and get so cute, I
feel so rotten," lamented the silver kitten, hopping off the kitchen
counter and pacing up and down the linoleum. "Doesn't the Mistress of
Venus know that this is a stupid position to put me in? I'm not a spy!
I'm a Guardian Cat!"
And, sighing once more, Cassiopeia stalked down the hall and into
Lyra's room, content to just lay in her cat bed...and think.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Holiday Inn?"
"Nope."
"Raddison?"
"None."
"Comfort Inn?"
"A big goose-egg there."
"Ramada? Four Trees? Sheraton? Residence Inn?"
"No Warners," lamented the girl with a shake of her head. Glancing
down the long, darkening street, she sighed miserably. Huge skyscrapers
loomed before her, and they were all hotels. Hotels that the young duo
had gone to. And gotten an answer from.
Ambriel wrinkled her nose. Seven hotels, all with dozens of rooms,
and yet not one of them housed anyone with the last name of Warner. And
there was only one Lisa, but they'd called upon her to discover she was
an eighty-year-old Italian woman with coal-black hair and passionate
brown eyes. She'd scowled at the duo of young girls, kicking them out of
her room and slamming the door in their faces.
Sticking her hands in her pockets, the redheaded girl trudged
reluctantly down the street, the lights of the street lamps dim and
unhelpful in the dreariness of dusk. Behind her, armed with a small pad
of paper, was the green-haired child of Pluto, her colorful eyes focused
on the long list of hotels in Crystal Tokyo. They'd gone through the
phone book to come up with an unforgiving list of eighty-three hotels,
sixty of which were within the area they'd decided to search--the
downtown shopping district. Both girls had kicked themselves in the head
because they'd let Peter and Celeste wander off together, instead of
forcing them to help, and...
"As according to my data, the next hotel would logically be the
Hilton," Aeris stated, chewing on the eraser of her pencil. "It is
across the street and on the left."
Her companion forced a smile. "Oh."
"Why so glum, good Ambriel?" questioned the single Pluto twin,
hastening her step to catch up to her friend. "You look as though
something grave has happened."
The older girl winked a gray eye at her. "I'm fine," she insisted,
trying to fake a reassuring grin. She scuffed her feet together at the
stoplight as they waited for a 'walk' sign. "So, how'd the battle go?"
Aeris smiled warmly. "It proceeded very well until Celeste decided
to freeze under the stern glare of the wolf-monster," she responded in a
cheery voice. "But, in the end, it worked out very well because Peter
dove to save her from the wrath of the creature."
Furrowing her brow, the redhead glanced at her friend. "Really?"
she questioned, doubtful. "I think I saw the rescue as I was on my way
to the battle site..."
"Is that so?" The taller girl shrugged and, tucking her pencil
behind an ear, continued to look upon the other child with her
mysterious, colorful eyes. "Is the viewpoint from above as astounding as
one would think it to be?"
"Astounding is a word for it..." murmured Ambriel with a nod.
She'd seen the rescue, alright... And she'd seen Celeste lunge at Peter
and kiss the daylights out of the poor little boy.
She smirked, glancing at Aeris. What would the uptight, protective
girl say if she knew her brother had been...well, "attacked" was the
first word that came to mind...by the leader of the Chibi-Scouts? Her
grin grew as she thought about the oldest girl, golden hair flying, as
she...
Gold! Ambriel gasped, startled. Celeste's hair was an unreal color
of molten gold... And there was a Girl in Gold in the Prophesy... Which
meant--
"Time to go now, Ambriel," said a soft, sweet voice. She jumped
and started across the, following the girl with the green hair.
They hit the sidewalk and went straight into the lobby of a
massive gray building. Inside, the room was covered with colorful
wallpaper and silly pictures of things like fruit and wild-western
frontiersmen. Ambriel wrinkled her nose, and Aeris muttered some
disparaging comment about bad taste, but they both continued walking
until they reached the reception desk.
A man with thick black hair and annoyed brown eyes glanced down at
them. "Yes?" he asked dryly. "Can I help you?"
Standing on her tiptoes, the already-tall Aeris lowered her
sparkling eyes, and they immediately turned a dark, foreboding color of
navy-gray. "Perhaps," she responded, matching his tone perfectly. "I was
wondering if there was a Miss Lisa Warner registered at this hotel."
He rolled his eyes. "Come now, girl, you appear to be smarter
than most kids your age," he retorted, rather bothered by her question.
"You should know that hotels don't readily give out information like
that."
"But it's important!" stressed Ambriel pointedly. "You can't
possibly refuse us, now! The fate of the world depends on it!"
The receptionist just chuckled at the little girl.
Suddenly, the blue-gray eyes of Aeris flared red, then turned
coal-black. He froze, staring into her mysterious, icy gaze, and gulped.
"Lisa Warner, right?" he questioned, flipping through the thick guest
book with an expression of sheer fright upon his pale face. "I remember
her... A pretty, perky blonde woman--quite a babe, as I recall..." He
stopped and pointed directly at an entry dated that morning. "Room 618.
She's scheduled to check out within the hour."
"The hour?" gaped the redhead, her gray eyes wide. "Are you
certain?"
Nodding solemnly, the man closed the book, casting a wary glance
upon Aeris before continuing. "She phoned just moments ago and said she
was planing on 'going home.' None of my business, really..."
"Thank you for your time," stated the green-haired one, stepping
away from the counter. Her friend followed suit, not daring to speak
until the mysterious eyes faded back to their normal sparkling splendor.
Then, she let out a long-held breath. "WHAT was that, Aeris?" she
questioned, furrowing her brow.
Smiling, the taller girl pushed the 'up' button of the elevator
and glanced at her friend. "There's more than one way to do things," she
responded coolly before stepping into the car. "Coming?"
Ambriel sighed and followed, silent.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

She closed the door to her bedchamber, basking in the sweet
darkness. A smile touched her pale face. First a battle, then a meeting
that was...less than helpful and resulted in only a mixed vote and a
group separated... Nothing had gone right until now, when she could
waltz into her room, strip off her dirty gown, and take a nice long
bath.
Flipping on a light switch, Reeny stretched out the kinks in her
shoulders and strolled over to the vanity, fingers already fumbling with
the bobby pins which held her hair in the familiar 'dumpling' shape.
Sitting at the small dresser, she glanced into the mirror and gasped.
Above her reflection was that of an older, more majestic-looking
woman with bright azure eyes and full, pink lips.
"Mother..." whispered the Princess of the Earth with a roll of her
red eyes. "I've had a really long day, and I would be very grateful
if..."
Queen Serenity sat down upon the edge of the bed, right beside her
daughter, and folded her hands in her lap. "When I was a child, no older
than Ambriel," she said quite plainly as she stared at her daughter,
"there was a book series called 'Where's Waldo?' It was a big hit...
You had to flip through the pages and find this little, funny-looking
man called Waldo, and then you had to find all the different articles he
lost along his trip."
Reeny rolled her eyes once again and continued pulling the pins
out of her hair, letting the waves of pink fall freely to the floor.
"But, when 'Waldo' got so popular, a lot of publishers went and
copied the idea. It was a good one, I'll admit, but some of the spin-
offs were pretty corny." She smiled slightly and cocked her head to one
side. "But the one I remember most was called 'Look for Lisa.'"
Her daughter dropped her hands from her hair and turned to stare
at the Queen, one bun up and the other loose and free. "Mother..."
Serenity shook her head to shush the teen. "She's coming back,
Reeny, and there's not a thing you can do about it," she informed the
young woman sourly. "I found her and called her and cajoled her into
coming back and working here again. It wasn't easy of course..." She
shrugged helplessly. "But I think I managed to convince her that she was
still needed.
"And, as for your behavior..." The Queen made a 'tisk, tisk' sound
with her tongue. "I was disappointed to hear that you thought Prophesy
would kill poor little Ambriel. I thought that I had taught you better.
No, Reeny, to hear that you had decided to take Prophesy away from one
Gifted AND to fire one of our greatest servants... That unnerved me."
She shook her head.
The Princess gulped and ran a shaky hand through her loose hair.
"Mother..."
"Ambriel will study Prophesy, young lady," she continued in a
steady tone. "She will study it, enjoy it, and eventually unlock part of
it. She must, if the Galactic Sailors are to save the world. And she
will do so under the watchful gaze of Diana, Carina, Lisa, and myself.
No one else will be able to decide the fate of this child except me. You
understand?"
Choking on a sob, Reeny glared at her mother. "I thought that
Ambriel was my responsibility... Mine to raise..." She wiped away a
fallen tear. "I love that girl more than life itself..."
With an understanding smile, Serenity nodded. "When I say fate, I
mean it loosely. I mean that I will decide her Prophesy learning,
reading, and comprehension." She touched one of her daughter's cheek
lightly with her index finger. "Do you think that Ambriel would let me
be her mother? I think not."
The Princess turned away. "I still think you're wrong," she stated
with a half-hidden snarl.
"You need to trust in your foundling," smiled the Queen, standing
and walking toward the doorway of the room. "And you have to have faith
in angels, Reeny. Angels."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"It's so good that you're coming back!" grinned the little girl,
hanging tightly onto the small, soft hand of the short blonde woman
beside her. "You have no idea how worried we all were."
Her companion, a tall girl for her supposed age of seven years,
nodded solemnly. "Worry does not well flatter our dearest friend
Ambriel," stated the green-haired girl, smiling mysteriously.
With a slight, wistful sigh, Lisa glanced up at the starry night
sky, smiling as the breeze lifted her bangs from her forehead and
ruffled her straight hair. "I'm just sorry that I had to leave like
that," she responded to the two children. "I felt really awful, but it
was something I had to do..."
Gray eyes smiling in the pale moonlight, Ambriel tightened her
grip on Lisa's hand. "That's understood!" she insisted with another
dopey smile. "Just don't do it again!"
"Oh, I won't," she assured the child. "After all, I think losing
my dignity once was enough times for me, and, besides, I--"
Through the cool night air cut a scream.
Ahead, near a park bench, was a young man--well, the top half was.
From waist up, the being was human, and a nice-looking brunette man with
glasses at that. But, from the waist down, he had the hind legs, paws,
and tail of dog.
Two children, both rather young, laid on the ground. One
was male, the other female, and they were both screaming their lungs
out.
"Celeste and Peter!" exclaimed both girls in unison, digging into
their pockets frantically. "We have to DO something!"
Lisa just stared as the monster roared, purple torrents of power
flying everywhere, uprooting any of the park's foliage that was in its
path. "What can I do?" she questioned nervously, her voice wavering.
Raising her transformation wand into the air, the redheaded girl
glanced up at the young woman. "You run for cover, okay? It's too
dangerous, and there's very well going to be a fight." She forced a
brave smile. "Go tell Mama there's a battle, and stay at the Palace,"
she decided with a nod. "It's the only safe way."
The woman smiled and took off running.
"Pluto Galactic Power..." cried Aeris, her colorful eyes harsh and
angry in the moonlight.
"Angel Moon Galactic Power..."
"MAKE UP!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *

The creature roared. She whimpered and clutched the hand of the
boy beside her.
Celeste's day hadn't gone too well. They'd searched through dusk
for the young Palace handmaiden, not finding her. In fact, they had been
on their way back to the bus stop when the creature had appeared
literally out of nowhere and knocked them both across the dirt path of
the park.
She gulped and reached into her pocket with one hand. There,
laying dormant, was her transformation pen. Green eyes glanced at the
cowering, shaking Peter, and she managed to smile... He was so innocent
and sweet like that.
Shaking off the thought, she let go of his hand and clambered to
her feet, glaring at the creature the whole time. "You listen to me,"
she commanded sternly. "I don't want to deal with you, because I've had
a lousy day. But, if I DO have to go through this, I'm taking you down.
Understand?"
He--it looked like a man to her--blinked brown eyes. Celeste
smiled and held up her stick. "Small Star Galactic Power... MAKE UP!"
Ribbons of purple and yellow exploded into life, basking the dark
area in an eerie glow. Slowly, Sailor Chibi-Star's clothing began to
appear around her, and the monster watched, amazed.
Suddenly, the sound of footfalls behind him alerted his senses,
and he turned to see a duo of Chibi-Scouts skidding to a stop, both
looking rather angry. One wore white robes of the purest white, and the
other wore a black-and-red fuku. He smirked.
"You stop right there!" commanded Angel Moon, crossing her arms
over her small chest. "I am the Angel of the Moon, and I will not allow
you to hurt my fellow Scouts! In the name of the Moon, I will punish
you!"
The other Scout threw a strand of hunter green hair over her
shoulder. "And I am the mysterious Sailor Chibi-Pluto," she spat, eyes
once again that mysterious tone of black. "In the name of Pluto, I shall
rebuke your claim to life."
He roared loudly, and the duo went flying through the air.
"Starburst Shimmer!" screamed a young voice from his other side,
and tiny glowing pieces of stardust rained down upon him. He shook it
off and turned to glance at the child.
She smirked. "Want some more?"
He swung a sinewy arm and knocked her against the trunk of a large
oak tree.
Chibi-Star groaned, glancing around the area through half-opened
eyes. Her two compatriots were nowhere to be seen, but they had no doubt
been thrown to kingdom come by the man-wolf. On the ground, no doubt
passed-out, laid Peter, his tuxedo cape fluttering in the cool bight
wind...
Tuxedo cape? She did a double take, staring. He hadn't become the
Master of Time (in Training) when she was still focused on him... Which
meant...
The garnet orb flashed in the moonlight as Peter pulled it from
null-space and swung it toward the monster. It groaned and fell hard
onto his side, leaving the boy time to hop to his feet and run to her
side.
"You alright?" panted the child, pushing his top hat farther up on
his head and out of his eyes. "You got thrown pretty far..."
She grunted with a slight nod and climbed shakily to her feet,
allowing him to support her as she wobbled. The creature, whatever he
was, had already taken to his feet and was glaring at the duo.
Suddenly, boots clattered on pavement.
"Freeze, you rabid monster," growled Sailor Moon, pointing her
sword directly toward his chest. "We've got you surrounded, so you don't
have a prayer."
The human head turned. There, surrounding him, were five Galactic
Sailors, their fukus blowing in the breeze, with Sailor Earth nowhere to
be seen. The brownish red eyes darted around at the quintet of heroines.
Nowhere to run, nor to hide.
Then, unexpectedly, the creature feigned a curtsey. "Hello, Sailor
Girls... So nice of you to come," he drawled, a bright smile on his pale
face. "It's good to know that some heroes care about this putrid land of
yours."
Phoenix's jaw dropped, and she gaped at the creature. "You talk?"
He laughed loudly. "Talk, my dear Phoenix?" he asked casually. "Of
COURSE I talk, dear! I talk, I walk, I dance!" Proving his point, he
waltzed a few steps with an invisible partner. "But, really now, I
haven't introduced myself properly," he corrected himself with a sigh.
"My name is Seth, and I work for the evil, domineering Queen who calls
herself Ginnie." He bowed deeply. "You seemed to catch me in my most
powerful form but, no bother, I'll beat you silly nonetheless."
Scoffing, Comet flipped her hair and smiled smugly. "Oh, really?"
Seth nodded, tipping his head back. "Welcome to HELL, Sailor
Scouts!" he screamed.
And then, he howled, and purple energy shot everywhere.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Galactic...uh, Some Characters Say!

(Enter Ken, Orb, Orion, the kittens and Terry. Each carries a sign that
says: SOBC.)

Ken: (waving sign) Hi, we're here from the SOBC organization. That's
SOBC, or--

Orb: Save Our Bit Characters.

(All nod solemnly.)

Terry: (sighing miserably) Did you know that bit characters in this
series only have about 6.25 percent of the screen time overall?

Ara: That's worse than the odds of Molly NOT being attacked by a monster
in a first-season Sailor Moon episode.

(All nod.)

Orion: That is why, in the name of SOBC, we are having a Reese's Peanut
Butter Cups "Procott."*

Galileo: (smiling) On June 15th, go to your local supermarket and by as
many packs of Reese's as you can!

Carina: Then, send them all to Kate Butler. We'll tell you the address
as it comes nearer to the day.

Ken: (wistful sigh) Our hope is that, when the makers of that delicious
candy see how many Galactic Fans love Reese's, they'll come after Kate
and bop her over the head with blunt or sharp objects.

Terry: Or, if anything, Kate will be so bloated with candy that someone
like Ginnie can take over the series and give us screen time!

Orion: Remember, it's June 15th! Start saving your money, kids, because
it's going to be a great day!

Orb: The SOBC says...

ALL: See ya!

*No, I am NOT making fun of SOS. (For those of you who don't know, SOS--
a.k.a. Save Our Sailors, a group devoted to bringing more SM to the
United States--tried something like my characters did with Strawberry
Pop-Tarts. The idea was that, if Kelloggs saw how many SM fans bought
their product on that given day, then the company would back new
dubbing. However, it failed. Miserably.) I am just having some fun.
After all, it's HARD to come up with good ideas for these things. And,
if you didn't understand what I was talking about, go back and re-read
it. Because it IS funny.

-I Know-
Look around...
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)
So many things aren't clear...
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified
expressions)
Don't worry, though...
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)
You know that I'll be there...
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)
A lot of things are so uncertain...
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)
The future's on its way...
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)
Look into my crying eyes...
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)
Don't take your love away!
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)

Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)

Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)

Times will change...
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)
People will change, too...
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)
But deep inside...
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)
I always will love you...
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)
I suppose there are questions now...
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)
The answers are so far...
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)
But look at me and smile now...
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)
I am your guiding star!
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the
sunset)

Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)

Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)

I know...
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)
I know...
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)
All you need is love...
(All nine girls stand together)
All you need...is...love...
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Stats are as follows.
Pages: 43
Revisions: 27
Minutes: 876
Hours: 14.3

See ya next time!

--Kate