Chapter Six

            Faith woke up early and turning, saw her sister had slipped back into a deep sleep. There was an odd serene expression on her face. But her ears were still a little rusty red, as Faith's had been when she came home the night before. But faith decided it was best not to wake her sister and headed to the kitchen.

            It was still dark outside. Faith was the only one up. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was almost four thirty. Haruka was always up by four forty and Mirchiru followed at five. But for twenty minutes, Haruka would be the only one up, besides Faith. The girl decided that now was the time to tell her.

            The coffee started up and a few minutes later, Haruka came down, her housecoat on. She saw Faith and stopped.

            "Faith! What are you doing up this early?"

            "You said you wanted an explanation first thing in the morning."

            Haruka got herself a cup of coffee and sat across from her daughter, saying,

            "I didn't mean literally."

            Faith remained silent a moment and said,

            "Actually, Haruka-papa, I wanted to talk to you. But without Mirchiru-mama."

            Haruka didn't like that because she honestly didn't like to keep things from her lover. But she also sensed her daughter's desperation. Faith was hardly the type to need to confide in anyone. So if her daughter needed the secret between them this desperately than Haruka would allow it.

            "What is it Faith?"

            Faith looked up and took a breath. Pointing to her ears, she said, "Remember this?"

            Haruka nodded, "we need to get Amy to check those out."

            "I'm fine…but…I never told you how I got them."

            Haruka said nothing but waited. Faith took a breath,

            "I wanted to think so when the others walked home I stopped, bought a soda and took the back way. I know," she said in defense at Haruka's look. "Dumb idea. But I think I was supposed to go home that way."

            She got no reply from Haruka but a nod, saying 'Go on.'

            "Anyway, so I'm thinking, and I realized that if we can't transform then we can't fight. That doesn't go over very well we me, ya know."

            Haruka nodded, thinking of the numerous times Faith had brought notes home, as had Gloria and Daisy, for fighting. Faith took a breath. She looked up at Haruka and that paleness returned to his face. She rubbed her arms and said,

            "And then… this strange wind started to blow. It ripped my hair out of its ponytail and then my birthmark started to glow. And then it was like the wind was words…calling to me. It was Uranus…our planet."

             Haruka's surprise was obvious. She dropped her mug and leapt to her feet.

            "Nani?"

            "it was…told me that this battle was for us, the Chibi Senshi. Told me to find Maggie and that the future would give us help. But that we had to do it alone."

            She looked at Haruka, "You don't think I'm crazy do you?"

            Haruka said, "I don't know what to think, Faith."

            The girl, now with a sense of energy rushing through her, leapt onto and across the table. "I'm NOT crazy!" she grabbed Haruka by the shirt and shook her.

            Haruka was about to pry the girl's hands off when a fierce wind burst the windows open, breaking a few. The girl's dark blue hair blew behind her although the windows had blown in. Her birthmark turned deep golden and her voice morphed, became deeper, masculine almost.

            "I have not lost it, Princess of Miranda Castle."

            "Nani? Faith?"

            "Only in body. This girl has become the vessel for my power. It pleases me to act through her. I will guide her, as my sister planet Neptune will guide her sister."

            "You...you really are Uranus…the spirit…"

            "The spirit shall survive through Senshi. But the time has come to release them. They must win this battle alone!"

            The winds died down, Faith's hair stopped swirling and she collapsed.

            "Nani? What do you mean Hope?"

            Maggie had been awakened by Hope. The girl had torn her from her quarters without any explanation. Now, as Maggie listened to her story, she was stunned. She couldn't believe it. She always saw their planets as simply that…planets. She never once thought of them as having a spirit of their own.

            "I'm not kidding Maggie. We need you to somehow figure out how to take us through time!"

            "But...but, I'm not Guardian of Time yet. Besides, traveling through time's one of the three taboos!"

            "Margaret!" hope's voice changed, became older, even older than Maggie's. But her voice echoed, although they were in a closed space without enough space to produce an echo. Her deep blue eyes turned into a pure orb of aquamarine and the mark of Neptune made itself known on her forehead. She stepped very close to Maggie. The girl was shaking. This wasn't Hope.

            "You're right Margaret. I'm not Hope."

            Maggie said cautiously although her sixth sense told her that there was no danger, "Then who are you?"

            "I am the spirit of Neptune."

            Hope walked and sat on Maggie's bed. Maggie felt an odd feeling of humidity enter the room, along with the scent of salt. To Maggie, it was as if the ocean was just outside her window. And Hope's hair was blowing as if she was standing on the sand dunes. But her voice was gentle.

            "I can possess Hope when I feel the need, fill her with my power when the time calls for it. And that time is drawing close, Margaret. You must take the Chibi Senshi and Cosmic Moon through time. Your aid lies there. Without aid, you are powerless and Hiroshima possesses all the forces of Venus."

            "Nani?"

            "Hiroshima is ruthless. With Gloria she means to use her to her full use. Milk her power for all its worth."

            Maggie nodded. Hope nodded back and said,

            "Hurry! I will aid Hope as much as I can but my power is not limitless. Go!"

            Hope's eyes returned to normal, she collapsed down onto Maggie's bed, one hand on her chest. Maggie was stunned but after what she had heard and seen was not about to argue. She lifted the girl's legs so that Hope was lying on her bed. She left the girl and ran towards the Gates of Time.

            She almost called for her mother but then remembered that she was with the original Senshi. Besides, Neptune had said that she was to only carry the Chibi Senshi and Cosmic Moon. If she told her mother than she would surely interfere.

            Maggie walked to the Time Gates and then knelt to her knees,

            "Chronus, my grandfather, God of Time and Space. I ask you to lend me your aid!"

            The room was silent a moment and then a maroon winds began to sweep around Maggie, causing her hair to flutter and her clothes to whip around. She looked forward and gasped. There was no form, none, except for an overwhelmingly strong voice,

            "What would you have of me, Granddaughter?"