Chapter two

The difference between travelling and discovery

'We learned that one cannot defy nature, but must adapt and
accommodate oneself to her. Nature will not change; it is man who must
change, if heis live in conditions where nature is dominant.'

Knut Haukelid Skis, Against the Atom

There are days, I feel that I should have pulled the pillow over my head and gone back to sleep, when that black cat with crescent shaped mark on her forehead started talking to me. Or perhaps I should have just checked myself in for a padded room and lots of happy drugs.

Fortunately for the world, (if not for myself) I got lured out of bed, because I was curious and frankly a sucker for pretty shiny things. If I didn't know I was a princess in a former life, would swear I was a jakdoor for my love of shiny things.

Believe you and me I am not falling for that trick again.

Anyway here I am on the first Monday morning of 12 weeks of blissful no school, stuck in bed cos there's no one to be with, and its all Setsuna's fault!

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No it's not, its mine. * Hmmpph * Its my fault cos I told her to come to us if she had concerns, problems or anything she could talk about, to come to me or us or to who damn ever. I feel sorry for Pluto-Senshi, stuck out there in the last outpost of a kingdom at fell over 10,000 years ago. When she is around, I try to include her in whatever's happening, trying to have a little bit of a human life, before she has to return to Clarion Castle to maintain her watch. What's the point of being immortal if you cannot enjoy life just a little.

I know there are only things I can do, I accepted that long ago, just sometimes I want to be young woman, enjoying life, the company of her friends and the love of a good man. Boy, what an afternoon-evening.

I think I will have to give Mamoru a bit of a break though; we are at it like rabbits at the moment. Suppose its goes with the name. I just love the man soooo much. I am sure we will calm down in a while though, well in a millennia or two * Giggle * Being in love is wonderful, that an knowing how much you "try" you cannot get pregnant. Funny that it took us all two years to realise that we weren't having periods anymore. Ami took some readings and worked out that when we became Senshi that normal human female systems reproductive systems where suspended. Being a senshi has a heavy draw on a person's energy. Luna latter confirmed that to become pregnant a ritual needs to performed, so that the energy demands of the senshi's abilities are transferred to someone else, so allowing normal function to resume.

Bahhhh.. I am distracting myself again. There is a truth that stuck me last night before I went to sleep. New more human forces are moving against us, Setsuna would not have warned if it were not happening.

I am the weakest link in the senshi. I am the most vulnerable.

Why would that be I am probably the most powerful, but what if I am captured, or my mind controlled? The inner and outers would go mad, in their search for me, they would be to easy to manipulate. One senshi is dangerous, all of them together! What if I commanded them under mind control, the whole planet would not be safe.

The simplest thing to do is hide and wait.

But in my heart of hearts I know the world will suffer more for us not being around, perhaps to the new Silver Millennium would not come about.

I cannot let the innocent suffer when we could have done something about it.

Yet I cannot also let my friends suffer as well.

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Sometimes I could kick that cat!


"Hello Tuskino residence."

"Ikuko, its Fusae Ota, here."

"Ota, was a pleasant surprise."

"Yes its been a while. I need a favour however, is Usagi about?"

"Yes let me call her." Leaning away from the phone "USAGI, PHONE!"

A faint call of "Coming" heard in the distance.

"She will be here in a minute. Hows it all going."

"Well I am taking a group of 20 of Girl scouts to the Chubusangaku national park for five days to see Mount Yariga and introduce some of our city dwellers to the great outdoors. "

"That sounds great." Usagi popped up at Ikuko's elbow. "Here she is. Its your old scout leader Ota Usa."

Before Sailor moon had been thought of, Usagi had been in the Juuban district Girl Guides since the age of 11 until she was 14 when she left under good terms due to "increasing work load." Ota had thought it was due to the amount of school work, Usagi knew it was due to killing of extra-dimensional creatures 3 or more times a week. Usagi had how ever maintained contact the her old pack leader Ota and had often helped the active leader when she could.

"Hello Brown Owl!" said Usagi with a smile.

"Usagi! How are you, are you enjoying your holiday." Came the voice at the other end.

"I am well thank you and as for my holiday, its going all right but many of my friends are on holiday, so it's a little quiet."

"Well perhaps I can make it a little less quiet for you."

"Pardon?"

"Listen Usa, I am taking a group of 20 of scouts to the Chubusangaku national park for five days and I am a leader short. Mrs Kudua and her daughter have caught the mumps and are not going to be fit to come with us, this Thursday. Another adult leader is coming, but I was hoping for another responsible girl who is closer to the girls ages to come along to act as a bridge between us oldsters and the scouts. So my question is would you like to be a leader for us?"

Usagi stood there stunned, it was rare that anyone outside of the senshi though of her as any sort of leader or responsible.

"I would never have thought of myself as leader!"

"But you are, you always organised the girls in sixer, when Owada wasn't around and Ikuko told me how well you looked after your cousin Chibi-Usa, so I think you're an ideal candidate. Well that and we are starting up a venture scout unit in the area and need to attract some old hands back?"

Usagi laughed, "The truth comes out." Usagi looked at Luna who was sitting on the stairs near the phone, Luna's look was one of interested confusion. She thought for a couple of moments.

"So I take its leave on Thursday and return Sunday?"

"Yes."

"Then I will say yes, under the proviso my parents are happy with the arrangement."

"I can pop around tonight after supper to talk with them if that would help."

"I think it would, would be free to come around 8:30 tonight?" Usagi asked.

"I will be there!"

Ota and Usagi exchanged a few more moments of gossip and then rang off.

"I never realised you were in the Scouts?" commented Luna.

"Theres many things you don't know about me Luna." And with a flip of her hair, she headed off to talk to her mother.


"YOUR DOING WHAT!" Shouted Rei, in a unbelieving tone.

Ami winced at the volume of the outburst, thanking the kami that they were outside at the time.

Usagi wiggled her little finger of her right hand in her right ear. "Well if my hearing wasn't damaged before now, it is now. Rei, I believe there is some people in New York who didn't quite hear you. Anyway, what makes you think I am so unsuitable for doing this."

Rei was still having problems dealing with the post-Galaxia Usagi, in the old days she would have burst into tears, at Rei scolding's. Now she tended to give back as good as she got. Ami and Makoto had been talking a few days ago and both commented on the new firmness in Usagi's nature. Her klutz attacks seemed to be happening less as well.

"Well we really want to teach these kids how to burn themselves on camp fire and the best ways to fall down mountains." Said Rei crossing her arms in a sarcastic huff.

With a roll of her eyes and a slight smile on her lips, she replied "Well if you don't want me to go, why don't you go with Ota and look after them. I am sure I can look after the jinja for you. Perhaps get a few more people to come in because your not there to scare them off."

"Now listen here the number of people has nothing to do with… Mummff!"

Makoto stuffed a large home baked cookie into Rei's mouth at this point, in an attempt to stop an typical Rei / Usagi augment which could go on for hours. She caught a slight pleading look in Usagi's eyes at the sight of Rei attempting to eat the chewy cookie and proceeded to push one in to Usagi's mouth at well.

"I think it is a very good idea, Usa." Commented Ami, "If nothing else, it would a be a bit of a break for you. We could all do with a holiday at the moment."

"Did you know I was in the Guides back in England", commented Minako, "Camps were great fun, getting away from your parents, building fires, putting up tents, fun competitions, singing around the camp fire, eyeing up the Venture scouts in the next door camp site. That sort of thing." A dreamy look came to her eye.

"Oestrogen poisoning again!" Commented Ami rolling her eyes.

"Whafft." Asked Rei with a mouth still full of cookie.

"Never mind!"

What if anything happens here in Tokyo and we need Sailor moon." Asked Artemis, struggling to get the conversation back onto some sort of track.

With a final swallow of the cookie, Usagi replied, "Well if its nothing you cannot handle I can teleport back."

"Can you teleport that far?" Said Luna.

"I teleported to Hiroshima and back with out any problems."

"Why did you go there?" Asked Ami.

"Were do you think I got all that information for my school project on the effects of the atomic bombs. I hopped over one Saturday morning and visited the museum there." See fixed a look at Luna, who looked like she was about to explode. "And before you start, I know about the problems, risks etc. But I also need to practice and I begin to wonder if we need to practice our lesser used abilities."

"To be fair Usa, only you have the ability to teleport on your own." Commented Ami. "and Pluto of course. Three of us are required to teleport anywhere."

"I will keep my communicator on at all times, call me if I am in needed. Heck, call me if you feel bored and want a chat. Especially what happens with that date Mina is going on Friday night."

"USAGI, " screamed Minako, "HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT!"

"Well you bragged to Unazuki, who told Motoki, who mentioned it to Mamoru who told me….. Mina the secret of keeping a secret is keeping your mouth shut!"

Ami and Rei had a gleam in there eyes as they started pumping Minako for information.

Usagi pulled Makoto to one side.

"Makoto, need a little word with you, before we, go and embarrass Mina. I need a favour?"

"Any thing Usa, what do you need?"

"Well camp food tends to be a little dull, if sometimes awful. Can you give me a clue on what I could do to make it a little more interesting."

Makoto stopped walking for a moment, her eyes lost in thought, then slowly a smile came to her face. "As a matter of fact, I think I can. Can you pop around tomorrow say in the afternoon about two"

"Done."

"Invite Mamoru around about six will you, I will get the others to come to."

"Why do we all need to come?"

"If your going to learn probably you need to cook large amounts of food, this means you need large numbers of people to eat it."

Usagi, smiled "Of course!"


"A 'Mumu' you called it."

"Yes its idea from Papua New Guinea, Mumu means 'Earth Oven'"

"Got to admit it is different, killer seasoning too, Thanks Usagi, fantastic idea."

I smiled as Ryokai walked off, at my feet Luna looked up from her portion of fish that she was eating and winked at me. Moon cat familiars, don't mind cat food, but give them a bowl of fish and they will love you forever or until you tread on there tails or something. All in all it had been a good night, Makoto's idea had gone down a storm that and getting her to make a huge jar of marinade to make the cooking that little bit easier. Across the way her little troop of girls were gracefully receiving the praise of their peers for the food they had produced. It was certainly a lot better than what Ota's troop had produced on there arrival the night before. But being in a mini-bus for 5 hours on busy roads and getting at the camp site in the dark, putting tents up be torch light, does not make for good cooking.

Well my "moonflower" patrol are making up for it tonight. Chizu, Kogo, Miwn and Umeko are all 12 years old and go to school together. They were fascinated at my blond hair at first and it took some explaining that it was not dyed, but a result of having English and Canadian grandparents, this lead into a large discussion about how hair colour in inherited, for some reason it something I know quite well, I guess having to explain it to people over the years has made some things sink in. I guess they see me as quite cool, that and I brought "cute bald spotted kitty" with me. I held on to Luna's tail at that point, I remember her reaction when my mom called her that.

Time for bed I think, little Miwn is starting to wilt and I am not much better and we are doing some hill walking about Hotaka peak tomorrow. The guide book back in my tent show a number of interesting places and views, that and would like to see the Japanese deer which is supposed to be common around here.


"Can't we have a break yet." Cried Chizu from the back of the line of scouts making there way up a trail. Usagi stopped and turned around looking back down the line. Chizu was the tallest of the group and was at the cusp point between child and teenager. Usagi leaded on her walking staff.

"Now we all agreed that we would stop when we reached the waterfall that's up here. Now there only a little way to go, "cocking her head to one side "I can hear water, so it cannot be to far." She turned and started walking up the trail.

"Perhaps you should have not eaten all those donuts last night." Quietly admonished Umeko to the puffing Chizu. Chizu stuck her tongue out at fellow scout.

Ten minutes later we arrived at a large open area, on one side a 6 meter cliff stood, from the top of which a stream tumbled down the rocks into a small pool. Surrounding it was a range of large rocks and facing east was a rather good view looking over some of the lower hills in the range down to the town of Matsumoto. In the surrounding trees a few Mikuji flew in the breeze. This was some what lost to girls as they collapsed on various rocks. Usagi placed her pack and staff down and standing by the water of the pool, clapped her hands together thrice and offered a short prayer to the Kami of this place. Rei had asked her to offer a good example to the girls and Usagi had agreed.

"Ok everyone lets break here. Remember to leave nothing behind but your foot prints!" With that Usagi took a seat on a rock and pulled out her lunch box and a small bowl and flask contain some fresh milk for Luna, which Luna drank gratefully. As food and drink was consumed, the conversation level rose as the scouts recovered. Usagi considered somethings as she sat and ate.

"Strange, a would have thought that would have tired me out as much as them." She thought, "Still feel like I could go on for hours yet. Guess that training we do is finally paying off."

As she was finishing a movement caught her eye as she looked up she smiled on reflex, as little Miwn took her picture.

"Miwn, you should have warned me, so I could re-tie my hair." Usagi had forgone her normal odangos and tails since they tend to catch in the bushes and trees and had pulled her hair into a simple three strand plat down her back.

"My father told me that some times the best photos are the ones that are least posed."

"Your father is probably very wise." Knowing how fickle she was about having her photo taken.

Usagi pulled out her map of the area and quickly checking her compass, spotted the small path going to the NE.

"Ok everyone 20 minutes more and then we start going down hill "a small cheer rose at that, "We follow that path down past, " looking at key of map, "some ruins and Jinja and then back onto the main trail and its Ryokai's troops turn to cook and I told him he's got to beat us tonight!"

"As if!" said Chizu. "My father can burn water." Everyone laughed.

An hour later, a much happier troop passed, what on the map said was ruins. Usagi stopped to let the girls to have a poke around. To her it looked like the stone base of a large house. It had been abandoned a long time as nothing remained apart from the base and trees had grown though were the rooms where. They moved on quickly.

The Jinja however was a different matter. The opening gate was deeply polished wood, behind which a small shire sat. From the main building a small trail of smoke rose. Reading the signs around the temple, Usagi quickly recognized the Jinja was dedicated to Hinokagutsuchi, which was the same as Rei's. In the court yard a man was sweeping the yard. When they entered the yard the man looked up and smiled warmly.

"Greetings, travellers welcome to the Hotaka Jinja."

Usagi bowed to the man, noting his rank markings.

"Greetings Guji of Hotaka, may we explore your Jinja."

"Of course young leader. Please do not interfere with the sacred fire as there is a rite tonight for a wedding party and please call me Haru." He replied with a smile.

With a nod Usagi gave permission to scouts to explore. She then looked at Haru.

"What is the history with this Jinja? It seems an usual place to have one, especially to Hinokagutsuchi?"

Haru gestured to bench seat and both he and Usagi sat down.

"Well young leader."

"Usagi." He smiled "Usagi, the Jinja was first built early in the Tokugawa era, the local Kuge, Tachibana, built a fine manor house as a summer retreat in the hills above here, to allow his family to get way from the heat of the planes below and most likely the smell of Toyama, it being big on fishing. Tachibana Kogin venerated Hinokagutsuchi and had this Jinja built and gave over significant lands over in the area that is now known as Yatsuo for this Jinja and three others up keep."

"So what happened to the manor house?"

"With some irony, during one summer storm, the manor house caught fire after a lighting strike. Burning down within minutes, taking, killing most of the Kuges family. Only two sons of the Kuge survived, having been visited family elsewhere. They in morning for there family left Jinjas as they are in memory."

"Oh how tragic."

"It is the will of the Kama, many things happen for no apparent good reason. But from what I have seen good comes from it. What beings you to here Usagi, to my humble Jinja."

"The desire to escape for a while from the pressures of life, "she smiled and in an honest surprise of herself she continued "A friend as come to me with a problem that effects myself and ones closest to me and I have much to think about and getting away from downtown Tokyo and attempting to teach some youngsters the difference between travelling and discovery, would help me think more clearly about what we should do. Finding wise old Guji's to talk to is purely an accident."

He laughed "Old I can a lay claim to, "he said shaking his head, "wise however I cannot claim. I do know this, all problems have a solution, sometimes the solution is one you do not wish to take, or it is hidden from you or lies in an usual direction. But rest assured young lady there is one."

"You say you are not wise, "smiled Usagi, "yet there are some of the wisest words on the subject I have yet to hear."

"Thank you, young leader," he smiled, "Now tell me a little of Tokyo it is 20 years since I visited the city, tell me of your little part of it."

For the next ten minutes Usagi, told of school, her friends, Rei's grandfather, who he said he had met once during a pilgrimage and asked if he still had a eye for the girls. At that point the scouts had finished there look around and waited to go.

"I had better go before they elect a new leader." Said Usagi standing up.

"Wait before you go, I have a little something for you." And he disappeared into a side building. Emerging a minute or so later and handing her a Omamori made with black feathers and red silk ribbons."

"Ooh thank you!" said Usagi reaching into her pocket for a donation.

"No young leader, this is freely given, as the birds freely give there feathers to make it."

With that she placed it in her rucksack and then bowed low to him. "Fairwell."

"Safe journey, young ones."

They turned and left.


Tachibana Hideharu watched until the little troop of scouts had disappeared into the forest. Then he turned and walked slowly to the fire room where the fire burned brightly. His shoulders were shaking, he was caught between laughter and exultation. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He tossed some incense on to the fire and bowed his head as his tears fell on to the Jinja.

"Great Kami, after all these years, she had come! She has come here. The prophecy is right, my grandfather was right, my father was right, Kogin old friend you were right."

More tears.

"Five times she has saved the world, now the princess walks amongst us, seeking guides. The time of change cannot be far now."

He rose.

"I must tell the others! There is hope now."

He walked into the back of the Jinja, away into the small garden at the back, and speaking a few words that's origins went back tens of thousands of years, Hideharu disappeared in a flurry of black feathers.