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`The Machine`

Summary: Sailor Mars and Mercury are sucked into the DBZ world, changing fate, and bringing back one of the deadliest enemies to conquer the Z fighters.

~*~ Vote for Pairings (yes, YOU, the REVIEWER)! It's a Sailor Moon/DBZ fic called "The Machine: Pairings" and you can find it under my pen name. ~*~

Chapter 8:

Usagi's Decision; Information Confrontation

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*Usagi — Sailor Moon*

I hated doing this. I had no other choice. Setsuna said there was no other possible way of getting Rei and Ami back. But this was too much, even for me. How was I supposed to do this? It was terrifying of taking someone away from their family, just to dull the ache in my heart for my two friends.

"Setsuna . . ." I whispered. "Isn't there another way?"

My head was bowed, and I was staring at the ground. It seemed like the most interesting thing right now, I didn't want to look in her eyes. I wasn't sure how I would react. I was glad that there was even a way to bring Rei and Ami back, I would do anything, no matter the cost, at least I thought. They were my Senshi, my dear friends. I was hoping that Setsuna would reassure me, tell me this was what was to be done, and that everything would turn out fine in the end. But I was also afraid and angry, almost hoping that this couldn't happen. I was confused, my thoughts twisted in viscosity.

Slowly, I lifted my gaze and my blue eyes met her garnet eyes. Her voice was soothing, soft, like a grandmother's would be, "I am truly remorseful, my Princess. But there is no other way, and it would be for the greater good."

"Is that so, Setsuna?" I asked. "My friends are the world to me, all of them. Bringing back Rei and Ami is most important right now, and I would do anything to get them back, as long as it would not jeopardize the life of others; being it friends or civilians. But this, Setsuna . . . this . . . this is jeopardizing a lot. We're talking about taking Hotaru Tomoe, Sailor Saturn, away from her father."

"Princess—" The older woman persisted, but I cut her off.

"If we take Hotaru away, what will her father make of it? She is a baby. He doesn't understand, and we cannot keep erasing someone's memory! Don't you understand Setsuna?" My voice was no longer soft or calm. It was strong and filled with pain. I looked at Setsuna with pleading eyes. "We're risking it all . . . when we could think of something else."

"I am sorry my Princess. But there is no other way of bringing them back."

"What if we go to the past and stop them from disappearing?!" I shouted, frustrated tears in my eyes; running down my cheeks.

Part of me tried to reason. I knew there wasn't anything else we could do, and I felt like a child. I was being torn in two: Ruining Hotaru's life, saving Rei and Ami, or saving Hotaru from her fate, protecting her father, and disregarding Rei and Ami.

I was at a fork in the road, a venomous snake behind me. I had to act quickly, but I was unsure where to go. Numbly, I sank to my knees. "I don't know what to do, Setsuna. I really don't. What kind of leader am I now?"

She didn't answer.

"Tell me, Setsuna! What should I do?!" I cried, watching the tears fall to the floor. They came from my eyes, ran down my cheeks, then falling and crashing to the floor; just like my hope. I wanted to believe that everything was fine, but everything wouldn't. Hotaru would be forced into destiny; forced into growing up. Then her control would be sucked away, and Sailor Saturn would take control.

A hand found it's way to my shoulder and squeezed in mild reassurance. I didn't look back, I doubted Setsuna expected me to. Her hand stayed there, leaving me to my thoughts for a while.

Finally, she said, "Princess, I am the Guardian of the Time Gates, your adviser, your friend, and at times, your enemy. But this is your choice, not mine. It will be hard, there will be no solution to bringing Hotaru back to normal, but I believe it is for the best." She paused, and I could feel her body shake.

She, too, was crying. "There are strong possibilities of this not working, even if Sailor Saturn and I are at our full power; and I can't promise you we will succeed. I desperately want to tell you not to worry, that everything will be fine, but I cannot. Because, Princess, everything will not be fine if we do this."

My crying had ceased, my eyes were closed. I was digesting all of this information, and I still didn't know what to do.

"If we do awaken the Senshi of death, destruction, and rebirth through silence, there is no telling what she will do. Hotaru has no control over Sailor Saturn. I cannot promise anything, other than the fact that this is the only way."

Weakly, I brushed Setsuna's hand from my shoulder and stood. "How long do we have?" I whispered hoarsely. "How long do I have?"

Setsuna looked at me, her garnet eyes fresh with tears. I felt sorry, for putting her through my bickering. She had watched over me since before my destiny, ever since I was born into this world. She helped guide me throughout life, and revealed my fate. And now, I was showing my gratitude by pushing all my problems onto her.

"You have to make your decision quickly, I'm afraid." She whispered. "But I will let you think this through a few more hours. Don't be haste, think this through, young Princess."

"Setsuna—" I began.

"Usagi?" My mother, Ikuko, called. I heard the footsteps as she climbed to my room.

"We'll continue this some other time, Princess. You must be firm with this decision. Do not act quickly, or too slowly, but follow our heart. It has never failed you before, and I'm sure it won't now." Setsuna said. She kissed my forehead, igniting my crescent moon for just an instant.

The tension seeped through me, and I wondered if she had helped. But before I could ask, my mother swung open the door. "I thought I heard shouting . . ." She said, looking from my tear streaked face, to Setsuna, and her eyes rested on me. The worry in her eyes tore open my heart, for I knew that once again that I would have to lie to her. "Is everything okay?"

"I was just leaving, Mrs. Tsukino," Setsuna said. She looked at me apologetically, bowed to my mother slightly, and left.

Only when did I hear Setsuna's car pull out from my driveway, did I sink to the floor, crying again. I didn't care that my mother was gaping at me with shock, that she would ask me what's wrong, and I wouldn't be able to tell her.

All I could think of was that I failed, both as a leader, and as a friend.

Two arms wrapped around me, and I was pulled into a warm embrace. I just cried, letting my mother rock me back and forth. She made small sounds to quiet me slightly, and it worked, her motherly healing powers kicking into action. My crying calmed, and I hugged my mother tightly, as if my life depended on her embrace.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" She asked, stroking my blonde hair.

I shook my head, not knowing what to do. "What would you do mom," I asked softly, "if you had to chose between ruining one life, and saving two others, or saving the one person's life, and possibly killing the two others?"

"What's this all about, Usagi?"

"Just . . . please, answer mom." I mumbled.

"I'm not sure," She answered truthfully, and my throat tightened. "But if it involves two deaths, then I would have to disregard the latter. Nothing is more important than one's life. Life is precious, and a person has to live it to the fullest. And no life is eternally ruined. It might seem that way at first, but if you have great friends, and people who care about you, then a person could put the past behind them."

My eyes opened at the realization of her statement. Who would've thought? My mother, non-knowing of all my experiences, helped me to make one of the most important resolutions of my life. "Now Usagi, what is this all about?"

"Thank you mom, but we'll talk later, I have to do something!" I said, pulling from my mothers grasp and heading out of the house in seconds.

"Usagi!" My mother called.

But the door was shut, and I took off running. I looked around, trying to find a place to transform. Soon, I was in an alleyway in the outskirts of town.

"Moon Crises . . . Make up!" I shouted. In seconds, I'm transformed. "Sailor Pluto! I've made my choice! Take me to Hotaru!"

A small, chilly breeze picks up, sending newspapers flying. The doors appear, and open, revealing Sailor Pluto. "So soon, Princess?"

I smiled wearily. "I had help . . . even though she doesn't know she helped." I said.

'Thank you mother,' I added silently.

Sailor Pluto only nodded, and the Gates of Time opened. Grimly, we both stepped through, only to appear in a room. Hotaru was there, still a baby. She was in her crib, and apparently we were in her room. Briefly, I glanced out the window, dark clouds were set, and the sky appeared bleak at my choice.

The Chibi-Hotaru looked at us, cooing and seeming fascinated that two new people were inside with her. Slowly, I walk forward, and pick the giggling child up. A pang of sadness washes over me and I had to bite my lip from crying out. "Hotaru, we've come to pick you up," I whisper, staring into he eyes.

She seems to understand, for the baby in my arms stops giggling. She reaches out, and touches my broach. A white light filled the room, and when it dissipated, Sailor Saturn stood in front of us, transparent.

"Hello, Princess." She says, gripping her glaive.

"Oh, Saturn," I whisper, small streaks of tear appearing on my face. "I'm sorry . . . but we had no other choice . . ."

She smiles slightly, not a happy-go-lucky one, but a sad and painful one. "It's okay, Princess. I understand."

Sailor Pluto squeezes my shoulder tightly, and I walk up to the teenage Senshi, seeing straight through her body. I hand her Chibi-Hotaru, tears still down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Hotaru . . . please forgive me."

Sailor Saturn holds Chibi-Hotaru with one arm and takes her glaive with her other. I step back, knowing that what about to happen would be both painfully sad, and horrifying. Quickly, Sailor Saturn takes the glaive to Chibi-Hotaru's forehead, applying pressure, she cuts the sign of Saturn on the baby's forehead.

Chibi-Hotaru cries, the bleeding mark on her forehead turning purple. Suddenly, they're surrounded by a white and purple aura, blocking out my line of vision.

Just dimly, I saw Sailor Saturn's spirit going into the baby's, and her body began to grow abnormally fast, her limbs stretching, her hair growing. When the light clears, Sailor Saturn stood before us. "Welcome back," Sailor Pluto said softly. "Do you remember who you are?"

"I am the messenger from the depths of death and darkness. I am the courier of destruction from the planet of Ruin; the Sailor Senshi of death, destruction, and rebirth through silence. I am Sailor Saturn."

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*Ami -- Sailor Mercury*

Mirai Trunks lay in a bed inside one of the many guest rooms, the covers pulled up to his chest. His wounds were wrapped and his clothing changed to a simple night shirt and pants. He winced uneasily while he slept, moaning and rocking his head on occasion. But he was resting, and none of us wanted to disturb him. We'd leave his visit a mystery for now.

What Rei and I did know, however, was that he was . . . well, Chibi-Trunks, only from the future. In his timeline, Androids had attacked and destroyed most of his populace. He had come here, to train and stop the Androids from ruining the future he thought everyone deserved. But then he had left back to his timeline, yet now, here he was.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Bulma said. "His wounds are old, the sphere in the lab only scratched him."

I saw Tenshinhan nod. He stood against the wall, attention on the window and what lay outside. His face was drawn with concern. "He hasn't regained consciousness at all?"

"No." I said, brushing my hand through my short blue hair. "He hasn't, but it's nothing to worry too much about.

"You've guys have had worse, according to all the stories we've been hearing." Rei added.

Tenshinhan understood and smiled. "We have all been in worse shape."

"You don't have to tell me that." Bulma said.

Despite my words, I was worried about Mirai Trunks, and concerned that he had just happened to show up as something disastrous was about to happen to Bulma. "I have a bad feeling about all of this." Rei said, and I stifled a sigh. Whenever Rei had bad omens, they usually meant something. Something bad.

"Both of us do." Tenshinhan folded his arms, face contemplating. "It appears it will be unwise to work on those spheres without your force shield." He said, turning to Bulma and me.

"We know." I started to the lab, aware Rei, Tenshinhan and Bulma were following. We had to work fast. With the printout readings from the totaled scanner, I could design a device able to detect the energy emissions given off by the spheres. I'd feel better if we located the rest of the spheres before anyone else triggered them. At this point, we had no idea how or when they activated. Countless civilians may be exposed already. The idea frightened me. The gods only knew what those things were made to do, but I had a hunch:

They injected nanotech into living forms and then fed off of them. They might even replicate in living tissue, like a virus.

I paused wondering what the effects were. "Trunks . . . He was scratched . . . wasn't he?"

"Excuse me?" Tenshinhan looked puzzled.

"Trunks! He was injured by that thing . . ." Bulma muttered. With haste she sprinted down the hall, myself not far behind. "Ami, can you transform? We need portable scanner. I think Trunks is infected by those things!" She shouted, as if reading my mind.

~~~

"Trunks? How can there be another time? Isn't there just one time?" Goten asked.

"Don't you know anything, Goten?! It has to do with parallel dimensions!" Chibi Trunks answered.

"Ohhhh . . ." Goten nodded wisely, then tipped his head. "Trunks?"

"Hai, Goten?" Chibi Trunks replied.

"What are parallel dimensions?" Goten asked.

"Ahh!" Chibi Trunks slapped his forehead.

"Anything yet, Ami?" Rei asked as she sat on a chair near Mirai Trunks. Chibi Trunks and Goten hovered around him.

I smiled slightly as Chibi Trunks tried to explain things to Goten. I looked at Rei and saw she was smirking in amusement. "My scanner isn't picking up anything," I answered her, studying the scanner. Bulma met my gaze, then she shifted it to Tenshinhan and then to the still unconscious Mirai Trunks.

"Have you at least picked up on the fluctuated readings we had from the sphere when someone touched it?" Bulma asked, probably not daring myself to feel relief. These days, bad karma followed me, and apparently it did follow them as well.

"Nothing." I said. The readings spiked up and I shot a glance at Mirai Trunks, he groaned loudly, rubbing his temples.

"That doesn't mean anything." Mirai Trunks said, having heard his mother's question.

"Mirai Trunks!" Bulma shouted. "Are you okay?"

I caught Rei ushering the two kids out of the room, and I felt more relaxed. True, they saw things I probably couldn't dream of, but they were kids, and they didn't need to hear this.

The teenager was bowing his head so his long straight hair fell into his face like a lavender veil. His back was now pressed into his bed pillows, which Bulma had arranged for him, pathetically postured. "We couldn't detect the bugs once they were inside of someone." One blue eye peeked out of the mass of hair. Fear and uncertainty mirrored on his face, making me uneasy. "It scratched me. That's contact and that's all they need."

Tenshinhan straightened from his position against the door frame. Concentration narrowed his features as he scrutinized Trunks from top to bottom. When he finished, he grimly looked back to Rei. "My third eye has detected impurities infecting him. They are subtly injuring his very spirit. Can you sense it?"

Rei nodded grimly. "Perfectly. It's strong, and continuing to grow."

"Then I am infected." Mirai Trunks straightened. He looked away, refusing all our gazes. "You don't have any choice. You have to kill me."

'The boy definitely has an insane duty to honor. A true warrior.' I thought and glared at him, we could figure something out. "No way Mirai Trunks. It's not your time yet. Trust us on this."

"It would be more reasonable to allow Bulma and Ami to find a cure before embarking on a journey to the great heavens, Mirai Trunks." Tenshinhan agreed to my surprise. The monk nodded to me, then to Bulma. "Both she and your mother are experts in the technological field. I am sure if anyone can come up with a cure, they can."

Sullenly, Trunks's tormented features dropped, face hidden by hair once more. He formed fists. "It's only fitting. Everything I know is gone now."

Suicide. Some dark dishonor burdened his soul enough to make him give up on living.

Bulma sat down beside him. She stroked his back, giving off particularly motherly feeling. After all, Mirai Trunks was her Chibi Trunks, grown up and a paradox, but still her son. His muscles were tight and refused to relax. "What did happen? Why are you here?"

Heaving a sigh, Mirai Trunks lifted his head. A hint of tears sparkled in his eyes. With the back of his hand, he wiped it away, face going from grieving to grim. "It calls itself The Machine. It originated in this time line and came to my future to obtain me and to consume my earth."

Tenshinhan's eyes widened. "The Machine?"

"Yes. It incorporates souls and feeds off of Ki as well as life force." Mirai Trunks's explained, his voice strangely hollow. "It needs individuals of great Ki to strengthen it."

"Gohan." Rei whispered. "Vegita."

"Yes, Vegita. Father came for me." A slight tremble quaked his voice. Mirai Trunks rubbed his wounded side. His eyes darkened and his attention seemed to fade to another world. "He's stronger than he's ever been before. He nearly killed me."

"Why did you return?" I asked.

"Because The Machine obtained the secret of time travel from this time. That's why we lost. I came back in time to stop it. And I did." He chuckled a little, touching his bandaged arm. "With a cost, of course, but The Machine destroyed everything, so it's only fitting for me to die now."

He sounded futile. It was difficult to see one as strong as he looked to be reduced to a lost, frightened, vulnerable child. I couldn't stand it. "Stop talking like that. I don't think your mother would approve of it." I cast a quick glance to Bulma who nodded.

"She's dead, it doesn't matter. I failed to protect my world." He held in a sob, and I swallowed. "It came to us before we even knew it. That's how it works. It plants those spheres and they overcome the populace. Before you know it, everyone is a part of The Machine and your planet is dying. Mother claimed we hadn't much of a chance and insisted I go back in time to save all of you . . . She forced me to run."

"And she killed herself?" Tenshinhan observed.

He nodded. "Yes, after Vegita came for me. We barely escaped with our lives. I was too injured to object her putting me in the time machine. The last thing I remember was her destroying Capsule Corporation and herself before father claimed them." Mirai Trunks brushed his hair from his brow and held it away from his face. "But I made it in time. I stopped mother from being added to The Machine."

"That's right." I said pointedly. "And you don't have to die. In fact, let's use your infection to our advantage."

"Through you, we can find a way to help the others. Especially if we can shut down those Nanotech bugs." Bulma finished.

"Ami and Bulma are right. But we need to call back Yamucha, Kuririn and Piccolo." Rei announced. "Things have changed. We need them on earth."

"Their wishes may help us." Tenshinhan said. "I understand we need them, but they may be able to bring Son back."

Mirai Trunks cocked his head, mouth wrinkled, brow narrowed. "I didn't think about Goku. He'd be willing to come back?"

Bulma folded her arms, and a twinge of hope rose in my spirit; we did have a chance. "For Gohan, even for Vegita, he'd do anything, even go to hell to save them . . ."

Mirai Trunks still shook his head. "It will control me," He said.

Rei smirked and laughed softly, to everyone's surprise but mine. "Not necessarily, Mirai Trunks." She said.

"What do you mean Rei?" Tenshinhan asked.

Her smirked broadened. "In my dimension, I help my father run a shrine. There, I learned a lot of healing rituals, and they can help."

Mirai Trunks shook his head. "They won't, not even Kami can help me now."

"That's where you're wrong." I said. "Rei, she tried them here and they worked, not completely, but they worked."

"Ami . . ." Bulma mumbled, looking from me to Rei.

Rei nodded. "When I first got here, I found two people unconscious. Now, after you all told me stories and I met Chibi Trunks and Goten, did I realize that those people were Gohan and Vegita."

"And you . . . healed them?" Mirai Trunks asked with a flare of hope, and I saw Rei grimace.

"Not fully . . . only because I wasn't strong enough at the moment, and I only managed to heal Gohan. Metal Cooler appeared before I could move to Vegita. . ." Her voice was pained, as if she let everyone down. "But if things get out of hand, I can work on you."

For the first time in a while, each of us smiled. There was a chance of wining after all.

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Author's Note: Hello! Wave of inspiration peoples! Thanks to all those that review, and thanks to Firefly Toru-neko for giving me the idea of putting Sailor Saturn and Juuhachigou and Juunanagou in it. The three will be in it SOON, but I dunno, I read the review, and an idea came to me. Of course Firefly Toru-neko gets full credit though, for supplying me with Juuhachigou and Saturn, but I have plans for them all. As you can see by reading this chapter, Sailor Saturn's in this right now.

One more thing:

Vote for Pairings (yes, YOU, the REVIEWER)! It's a Sailor Moon/DBZ fic called "The Machine: Pairings" and you can find it under my pen name.