Duo: AutumnHime just wants to tell everybody thank you for getting this far.  Most people would probably have stopped reading by now... so thank you.

AutumnHime: Thank you, Duo. 

Wufei: Weak Duo, Weak Onna.

AutumnHime:    WUFEI!!!!! *Wufei slams into wall that suddenly appeared. * Thank you, pen...

Duo: Heero, c'mon, I wanna get the story started.  AutumnHime's threatened to not continue the story if you don't say the disclaimer.

Heero: Hnnnnn. *shrugs* Omae o korosu to all of the lawyers who would threaten AutumnHime.  She doesn't own anything, she's poorer than Duo, and Sailor Moon and Gundam Wing, despite the fact that they are wonderful, do not belong to her although her dreams may run along those lines...

Duo: *claps* Everybody cheer!  The Perfect Soldier has said more than the traditional 'Hnnnn.' or 'Omae o korosu'

Heero: Omae o korosu, Duo.

AutumnHime: *looks back at screaming Duo and trigger-happy Heero* Umm right...ON WITH THE STORY.

The Hands of Fate, the Changes of Destiny

Chp 2:  In which an incident occurs

            Fate and Destiny pressed palm against palm, and began to chant: 

            We who control the path of man and decide the flight of stars change the warp and weave of the paths set in time.  We call upon Chronos to aid us in this venture, for the fate of Heavens depends upon it.  Send the future Cosmos and her court to find their true loves.  This we do for all times, be they Past, Present, or Future.

            A blinding light shot forth from their hands.  Everything disappeared

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            Usagi groaned and slowly opened her eyes.  "What?!  What just happened?" Her thoughts flew back to the battle with Galaxia and Chaos...

            "Usagi?" A bright if worried voice called.  "Usagi?  Are you all right?"

            Usagi finished opening her eyes.  "Minako?  You're alive?!  But you were dead!  I know you were.  I saw it happen." 

            A cool hand felt her forehead.  The slightly crisp scent of the ocean reached her nose as a young woman with short blue hair felt her forehead.  "She'll be all right, Mina.  Usagi, you need to rest.  Haruka knocked you down just a little to hard."

            Usagi grasped the woman's wrist. "Ami, you were dead too! And so was Haruka."

            "Calm down, Usagi.  It was just a dream.  Nothing more.  Haruka and Mina and I are fine, you are lying on the practice mat, and nothing's going to hurt you."  Ami stroked Usagi's hair back. 

            "But...but it seemed so real, Ames. Really real.  I could smell the smoke,  see the blood, taste the despair.  Eight women on the ground...no, that's not right, four were little more than teenagers, three were between eighteen and twenty-five, and one...oh one was merely a child." Usagi's shoulders began to shake as she recalled the scene.  "Two people in that room were standing...one looked like she wanted to break down and cry, the other was gloating...and then ..."

            "USAGI!"  A husky voice cracked.  "Stop that!  It was just a dream, and you are safe."  A tall, boyishly slender woman dominated Usagi's line of sight.  "Now stop making yourself sick trying to remember a silly nightmare!"

            Usagi jumped.  "Al..right Haruka," she stuttered, levering herself into a sitting position. 

            "That's better." The woman grinned sheepishly, the harsh angular planes of her face softening.  "I'm sorry for knocking you down so hard.  I have a feeling I'm going to catch hell for it from..." her expression turned wry, "several people."

            "Would you like a hand up, hime?"  Usagi turned at yet a fourth voice.

            "Please, Mako-chan, and don't call me hime!  I'm not a princess any more than the rest of you are."

            "But you suit the title better than the rest of us, Usa."  Makoto grinned mischievously, green eyes twinkling, as she pulled Usagi to her feet. 

            "She won't be suiting anything very well if she doesn't get to bed this instant."  Ami declared.  "Now off with you, Usagi.  You can help her, Haruka, and if she starts to feel dizzy, call me."  (OOC, but hey what can I say?)

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            Haruka left Usagi at the door to her bedroom, but not without a few parting words.  "Follow Ami's orders, koneko, or else..."  she let the non-existent threat trail off. 

            Usagi smiled, but it didn't reach her worry-filled eyes.  "I will," she replied, twisting the handle and stepping inside to her sanctuary.  She laid down upon her soft pale gold coverlet and fell asleep, dreaming of nightmares and promises.

MEANWHILE....(Back in the Batcave...)(AN: sorry...couldn't resist.)

            Four women sat around an oaken table.  One with blue hair, one brunette, and two blondes, they all looked worried and distinctly unhappy.  Silence reigned supreme around the cozy kitchen. 

            A pleasant voice knifed the quiet.  "My, don't we all look happy today."  A tall, green-black haired woman stood in the doorway.  Behind her crowded three other faces,  faces Usagi knew and would have recognized as being in her dream had she seen them. 

            "Setsuna!"  Haruka, Ami, Minako, and Makoto spoke in unison, standing up.  Relief lit up their faces . 

            Setsuna stepped into the kitchen.  Behind her followed a woman with red-streaked black hair and eyes that burned with life.  A much younger girl followed her,  a black bob framing her fox-like face.  Her eyes held little innocence and much knowledge.  The last woman walked into the room.  Wavy aquamarine hair had been clipped back with a seashell barrette, and her eyes appeared gentle and hard, compassionate and unforgiving all-in-one. 

            "Why have I been called?"  Setsuna queried harshly, "What's happened to frighten you so much, that you insist I use magic to get here rather than a normal shuttle?"

            "And why did you call us, as well?"  the black haired woman asked.

            "Well...umm...you see, Rei, Sets," Makoto began, hemming and hawing in an attempt to put a positive spin on what had happened.

            "Get on with it, Makoto!"  the aquamarine haired lady demanded.

            "Stop picking on Mako-chan, Michiru!"  Ami threw back. "We've had a rough day.  It's only normal that Makoto is feeling flustered."

            "It's okay, Ami, Makoto," Haruka interrupted.  "It's my fault, I'll tell them."

            The blue and chestnut-haired women nodded and stepped back.

            "You see, Setsuna, Rei, Michiru, Hotaru," she started, addressing each of them by name, "We think Usagi's beginning to remember."

            Hotaru, Michiru, and Rei appeared shocked, but Setsuna seemed unconcerned. 

            "It was bound to happen one day.  We all know once those monsters youma began to emerge that we were not going to get the chance at a normal life."  Setsuna stated quite calmly

            "But Usagi..." Minako protested.  "She deserves a normal life, she's been through more tragedy and heartbreak than the rest of us!" 

            "We did our best, Minako.  She has a little longer I think."  Setsuna replied. 

            "So what are we going to do... you four have been off fighting the youma on the other colonies while we stayed here to protect Usagi, and take care of any close calls.  Are we going to keep to that?"  Ami asked seriously.

            "I think so.  At least, we will until Usa-hime regains her memory..."

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SOMEWHERE ELSE (you know, that place...right, that one.)

            In a darkened meeting room that contrasted greatly with the bright sunlight shining upon the highlighted green outdoors, six shadowy figures met. 

            "You have a new mission..."

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I stink at cliffhangers.  I always want to continue on because I don't know what I'm going to write until I do.  But, I tried. 

            Right, if you have any suggestions for the pairings, I am for the most part open in this fic.  I have one or two more or less definite ideas, but tell me what you want and I'll see what I can do. 

(I'm feeling really pathetic right now, a story I just read was thirteen pages long in its first chapter!  This is barely four)

Ja ne

AH