The Guardian, Part 2
Tragic Battle
By Taerir

All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. Any concepts, characters, world names, plotlines, and so on not found in the Sailormoon television series or manga are the sole property of the author, Taerir, copyright 1999. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author.

Lurking in the shadows, Kado could have told them who Ikeno Asami was, but he knew they'd never remember. Watching the red-haired girl leave, he looked around for a means of attack.

After several moments of observing the passerby while following Usagi and her friends, a smile once again spread over Kado's face. Humans. Stupid, weak-willed, and... completely expendable. He pressed his hands together and formed a crystal of condensed energy.

Ducking into a dark alleyway, he grabbed a woman's arm and pulled her into the alley. She tried to scream, but he clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Now, this won't hurt one bit," he whispered savagely in her ear. He pulled out the crystal, letting it force its way through her forehead and then stepping back.

The woman's form glowed momentarily. When the light receded, she was dressed as a warrior and carried a sabre. Her eyes glowed with an unknown light.

"Gather souls, Leiko, my creation," Kado whispered in her ear, almost seductively. "Make the world know that their doom is near. And destroy the senshi while you're at it."

Laughing coldly and nodding her agreement, Leiko stepped out from the alleyway as Kado disappeared. Roughly, she grabbed a man who was passing by and pressed a hand to his forehead, somehow managing to keep her sabre poised at his throat as well. The life drained from his eyes, and he slumped to the ground.

Hearing screams behind them, Usagi, Makoto, and Minako turned around to see what was happening. They stared as Leiko dropped the man's lifeless body to the ground.

Minako sighed. "It looks like we haven't seen the last of fighting." Then an angry look crossed her face. "Let's go!" The other two nodded and headed toward an out of the way area to get ready, but Luna ran in the other direction, where Asami had gone. Now was as good a time as any to see what Ikeno Asami was really made of.

Luna caught up to the girl, who had not yet gone far, and stepped in front of her.

"That pen you're carrying," she said, hoping the girl wouldn't be too amazed. "Do you know what it is?"

Asami leaned against the wall in surprise. "You talk?"

Luna just nodded and held Asami's eyes, willing the girl to remember at least that much. Asami gazed at the cat for a moment, and then her eyes widened as she began to understand.

"Yes..." she said quietly. "That much I can remember. Am I needed?"

"You might be," Luna affirmed. "I'd rather be safe than sorry. Will you come?"

Asami agreed and held up her pen.

"Taerir Gate Power, Make Up!"

A soft light formed around the girl, and when it dissipated, Asami stood as Sailor Taerir, clad in a fuku adorned with a maroon bow and a brown collar and skirt.

"You'd better stay here," Sailor Taerir told the cat, and ran to meet the others. Eternal Sailor Moon and Super Sailors Venus and Jupiter were already on the scene. This fight was going to be hard to beat. Making ready their attacks, the three senshi began to throw them in succession as Sailor Taerir arrived.

"Venus love and beauty shock!"

"Jupiter oak revolution!"

"Silver moon crystal power kiss!"

The attacks, although strong, served only to make Leiko falter a bit.

"Ha!" Leiko cried, waving her sabre wildly. "The world's only hope lies in you? Die, senshi!"

Sailor Taerir narrowed her eyes. It was now or never. Calling her powers to her, she prepared to attack.

"Taerir psychic blast!" she yelled. Psychic energy, manifesting itself in high-level forces, engulfed Leiko, who faltered, stumbled to the ground, and moaned. The attack, it seemed, had done its job. Sailor Taerir frowned for a moment. Somewhere inside Leiko's presence, she felt a human woman.

"Sailor Moon, now!" Sailor Taerir told the other senshi. "I don't think it will kill her. But we can't do anything else unless we're sure she's not going to attack again."

Sailor Moon nodded and tried her attack again. This time, it managed to bring Leiko to a state of unconsciousness. Kneeling by the transformed woman's side, Taerir placed her hand on Leiko and concentrated on removing the dark energies. Out came a dark crystal, which Sailor Taerir extinguished and destroyed. The woman, now back to normal, began to open her eyes.

Sailor Taerir turned back to Sailor Moon, who was crouched by the fallen man.

"Is there anything you can do?" Sailor Taerir asked gently.

Sailor Moon looked up at her new comrade and shook her head, tears in her eyes. "No; he's gone," she said, her voice trembling. "We were too late to save him."

Sailor Taerir knelt by the man as well, sadly brushing her fingers over his eyes to close them forever. "We'll have to do better next time."

Shaking her head and trying to forget the grief the senshi had just seen, Sailor Taerir stood again.

"Come on; we should get out of here and detransform." Making good on her words, she entered the same alleyway where Kado had once stood and let her transformation go. The others followed suit. Luna caught up to them as well.

"Asami," Luna began, looking at the girl. "The memories have begun to come back, and I think it's time you remembered at least a little bit." She turned to Usagi. "Let's go back to your house."

Once inside and subject to the hospitality of Usagi's mother, Luna caught Asami's eyes.

It must be a trick of the light, Asami thought. She could have sworn the cat's eyes looked... different, somehow. Asami felt herself get lightheaded, and then something clicked.

She stood up from the couch, latching her fingers around the armrest for support. It couldn't be, but it was. She remembered.

"Gods, no..." she whispered, her voice tortured. "I don't want to remember. Please, no..."

The other girls looked at Asami with concern, and she took a deep breath.