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In a flash of silver light, they reappeared on Kami's Lookout. Mr. Popo was startled by their sudden appearance and almost dropped his watering can. Trunks blinked and looked at Usagi- she was in her fuku again, as Cosmos.
"Where is she?" asked Cosmos seriously, before any other questions could be asked.
Mr. Popo recovered his voice. "You sensed her? Dende is caring for her, in there," he said pointing.
Usagi nodded a quick thank you and hurried forward to the door he pointed. Trunks followed but was confused- what did she sense? Usagi slowly entered the dim room. Dende was hunched over a figure in the bed, muttering something. He looked up as they entered, and walked over to Usagi, bowing respectfully.
"She passed out just after she arrived, but she has been muttering your name constantly."
Usagi nodded and hurried forward, Trunks standing behind. She kneeled down beside the bed and grasped the clammy hand of her long lost friend.
"Makoto . . . . . . . Mako-chan . . . Can you hear me?"
Her words seemed to work like magic. The green clad girl slowly stirred and hesitantly opened her eyes. She looked around at her surroundings and stopped at Cosmos's face. "Usa-chan...." she whispered softly.
"Hush, Mako-chan. Keep quiet for now. I'm going to heal you, and you can tell us everything when you feel better."
Makoto, or Sailor Jupiter, moved her head slightly in response and closed her eyes again. Cosmos held her hands above her friend's chest and closed her eyes, concentrating. Trunks watched fascinated as a silvery aura surrounded Usagi and gradually passed through her fingers to surround Makoto. Jupiter sighed as all her wounds closed and her strength returned. After a minute or so, Usagi opened her eyes. She felt a bit light-headed and leaned on her staff for support. Makoto slowly sat up in bed, her green eyes sparkling.
"Usa-chan, thank you so much. I've missed you so much, we all have. Usa, are you all right?" She tried to get up to help her leader, but Dende pushed her back down in bed, not completely convinced that she was back to normal yet. Usagi (she had de-henshined) sat down in a vacant chair.
"I'll be fine. I just spent a lot of my energy. You were hurt very badly, Mako. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to help you."
"It was a hard journey," replied the senshi of Jupiter. "But how did you find me? I thought I'd have to find you!"
Usagi smiled slightly. "As Cosmos, I have a strong bond with all the planets in this solar system. When you arrived, I felt a peak in the energy of Jupiter, and it called for me to help you. It was like a quick shock of electricity. Then I felt your ki and I knew I had to get to you. None of the Z senshi could have sensed you, your energy was too low." Trunks nodded slightly in the corner, understanding why he couldn't sense her ki, but this went unnoticed by the two friends.
"Z senshi? Who are they?"
"You'll meet them soon enough. But please, what is your story? There is something wrong in the Outer System, isn't there?"
Makoto sighed, her horrible memories returning. "You're right, of course. There is something very wrong, very evil. It began 13 years ago, by Earth's time. It happened in the future of Crystal Tokyo too, but we didn't realize it then. We failed to protect the solar system..."
"There had been times when we had purposely let strangers through, like when the Namek, Kami, came to Earth. We sensed evil in him, but Setsuna told us that that evil would turn to good. But 13 years ago, a shadow began to creep into our solar system. It was pure evil, darkness at its darkest. We desperately tried to fight it back, but it was no use.
While we were busy fighting, some other evil made it into the solar system. We knew we had failed, and we were afraid that Earth was doomed. Somehow it made it, and to this day I wonder how. But over time we failed more and more often. The shadow seemed to fill our hearts with fear, and we could not fulfill our duties.
The shadow of darkness crept forward, covering Pluto, consuming Neptune, surrounding Uranus with evil. As the darkness covered their planets, the senshi fled their posts: Pluto, then Neptune, the Uranus, then Saturn.
Finally it was my turn. We were all gathered together at Jupiter. We prepared to fight this evil and die trying. But suddenly there was a glimmer of hope. We sensed that you had returned and waited on Earth!
So we decided that someone needed to find you. At first we wanted to send Saturn (she is still only 15, Usa, and too young to lose her life!), but Hotaru refused and wanted to fight with the others. After all, she is perhaps the strongest of us all. So they chose me.
We combined our energy and teleported me to Earth. I arrived here, completely drained and weakened when the darkness tried to stop me. The last time I saw the others, they were facing the darkness, ready to fight." Makoto looked up, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "I came to warn you, Usa."
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Usagi's face was already streaked with tears of the horrible news of her dear friends. Suddenly her sorrow turned to grim determination and she stood. "I will go. I cannot let the solar system be sacrificed to this evil. I must help them. I will sacrifice myself if I must."
There were three cries in unison. "Don't be a baka, Usa!" cried Jupiter. "Gather the Inners if you insist on fighting it."
"The Z fighters will help," said Trunks from the corner. "Goku, Gohan, my father, myself, Piccolo and everyone else."
Usagi looked up and smiled sadly at him. "Thank you Mirai, but I'm not sure I feel right getting you all involved in this. It's really not your battle."
"We fight to protect Earth and the universe, too. And anyway," he added smirking, "once the others hear about this, they won't let you go unless they go with you."
Usagi sighed. "I guess you're both right. I need all the help I can get. Rei will probably want to come to, even though she hasn't fought for years. And I suppose I will need to find Mercury and Venus, too . . ."
"How is Rei, by the way?" asked Makoto.
Usagi smirked, thinking of 'Chichi' and her husband and two sons. "You'll see, you'll see..."
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Soon enough, Usagi decided that they'd better head back to Capsule Corp. Makoto de-henshined and tried to get up, but couldn't manage to stand without wobbling. Trunks stepped forward and helped her, as she leaned against him. [No, he doesn't like her, but Trunks is a nice guy and would do that to help someone.]
After saying goodbye to Dende and Mr. Popo, Usagi called the Nimbus and stepped aboard, still to weak to teleport. Trunks picked up Makoto, and flew her to Capsule Corp. (and Mako *really* enjoyed her first flying experience) where a tearful reunion awaited them.
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In a flash of silver light, they reappeared on Kami's Lookout. Mr. Popo was startled by their sudden appearance and almost dropped his watering can. Trunks blinked and looked at Usagi- she was in her fuku again, as Cosmos.
"Where is she?" asked Cosmos seriously, before any other questions could be asked.
Mr. Popo recovered his voice. "You sensed her? Dende is caring for her, in there," he said pointing.
Usagi nodded a quick thank you and hurried forward to the door he pointed. Trunks followed but was confused- what did she sense? Usagi slowly entered the dim room. Dende was hunched over a figure in the bed, muttering something. He looked up as they entered, and walked over to Usagi, bowing respectfully.
"She passed out just after she arrived, but she has been muttering your name constantly."
Usagi nodded and hurried forward, Trunks standing behind. She kneeled down beside the bed and grasped the clammy hand of her long lost friend.
"Makoto . . . . . . . Mako-chan . . . Can you hear me?"
Her words seemed to work like magic. The green clad girl slowly stirred and hesitantly opened her eyes. She looked around at her surroundings and stopped at Cosmos's face. "Usa-chan...." she whispered softly.
"Hush, Mako-chan. Keep quiet for now. I'm going to heal you, and you can tell us everything when you feel better."
Makoto, or Sailor Jupiter, moved her head slightly in response and closed her eyes again. Cosmos held her hands above her friend's chest and closed her eyes, concentrating. Trunks watched fascinated as a silvery aura surrounded Usagi and gradually passed through her fingers to surround Makoto. Jupiter sighed as all her wounds closed and her strength returned. After a minute or so, Usagi opened her eyes. She felt a bit light-headed and leaned on her staff for support. Makoto slowly sat up in bed, her green eyes sparkling.
"Usa-chan, thank you so much. I've missed you so much, we all have. Usa, are you all right?" She tried to get up to help her leader, but Dende pushed her back down in bed, not completely convinced that she was back to normal yet. Usagi (she had de-henshined) sat down in a vacant chair.
"I'll be fine. I just spent a lot of my energy. You were hurt very badly, Mako. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to help you."
"It was a hard journey," replied the senshi of Jupiter. "But how did you find me? I thought I'd have to find you!"
Usagi smiled slightly. "As Cosmos, I have a strong bond with all the planets in this solar system. When you arrived, I felt a peak in the energy of Jupiter, and it called for me to help you. It was like a quick shock of electricity. Then I felt your ki and I knew I had to get to you. None of the Z senshi could have sensed you, your energy was too low." Trunks nodded slightly in the corner, understanding why he couldn't sense her ki, but this went unnoticed by the two friends.
"Z senshi? Who are they?"
"You'll meet them soon enough. But please, what is your story? There is something wrong in the Outer System, isn't there?"
Makoto sighed, her horrible memories returning. "You're right, of course. There is something very wrong, very evil. It began 13 years ago, by Earth's time. It happened in the future of Crystal Tokyo too, but we didn't realize it then. We failed to protect the solar system..."
"There had been times when we had purposely let strangers through, like when the Namek, Kami, came to Earth. We sensed evil in him, but Setsuna told us that that evil would turn to good. But 13 years ago, a shadow began to creep into our solar system. It was pure evil, darkness at its darkest. We desperately tried to fight it back, but it was no use.
While we were busy fighting, some other evil made it into the solar system. We knew we had failed, and we were afraid that Earth was doomed. Somehow it made it, and to this day I wonder how. But over time we failed more and more often. The shadow seemed to fill our hearts with fear, and we could not fulfill our duties.
The shadow of darkness crept forward, covering Pluto, consuming Neptune, surrounding Uranus with evil. As the darkness covered their planets, the senshi fled their posts: Pluto, then Neptune, the Uranus, then Saturn.
Finally it was my turn. We were all gathered together at Jupiter. We prepared to fight this evil and die trying. But suddenly there was a glimmer of hope. We sensed that you had returned and waited on Earth!
So we decided that someone needed to find you. At first we wanted to send Saturn (she is still only 15, Usa, and too young to lose her life!), but Hotaru refused and wanted to fight with the others. After all, she is perhaps the strongest of us all. So they chose me.
We combined our energy and teleported me to Earth. I arrived here, completely drained and weakened when the darkness tried to stop me. The last time I saw the others, they were facing the darkness, ready to fight." Makoto looked up, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "I came to warn you, Usa."
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Usagi's face was already streaked with tears of the horrible news of her dear friends. Suddenly her sorrow turned to grim determination and she stood. "I will go. I cannot let the solar system be sacrificed to this evil. I must help them. I will sacrifice myself if I must."
There were three cries in unison. "Don't be a baka, Usa!" cried Jupiter. "Gather the Inners if you insist on fighting it."
"The Z fighters will help," said Trunks from the corner. "Goku, Gohan, my father, myself, Piccolo and everyone else."
Usagi looked up and smiled sadly at him. "Thank you Mirai, but I'm not sure I feel right getting you all involved in this. It's really not your battle."
"We fight to protect Earth and the universe, too. And anyway," he added smirking, "once the others hear about this, they won't let you go unless they go with you."
Usagi sighed. "I guess you're both right. I need all the help I can get. Rei will probably want to come to, even though she hasn't fought for years. And I suppose I will need to find Mercury and Venus, too . . ."
"How is Rei, by the way?" asked Makoto.
Usagi smirked, thinking of 'Chichi' and her husband and two sons. "You'll see, you'll see..."
o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Soon enough, Usagi decided that they'd better head back to Capsule Corp. Makoto de-henshined and tried to get up, but couldn't manage to stand without wobbling. Trunks stepped forward and helped her, as she leaned against him. [No, he doesn't like her, but Trunks is a nice guy and would do that to help someone.]
After saying goodbye to Dende and Mr. Popo, Usagi called the Nimbus and stepped aboard, still to weak to teleport. Trunks picked up Makoto, and flew her to Capsule Corp. (and Mako *really* enjoyed her first flying experience) where a tearful reunion awaited them.
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