Chapter Eight: New Start
The Three Lights were in the middle of breakfast when Katsuko came down. She stood behind her beloved, hands on his shoulders as she asked for a favor.
"Seiya kou, please ask milady and her Scouts to gather here for a meeting this afternoon. I need you three here as well if that's possible."
Yaten turned to her, placing a gentle hand on hers. Taiki stared, not completely understanding, and Seiya stopped shoveling cereal in his mouth long enough to say, "Sounds serious, Katsuko-chan."
"I fear it is, my friend. I would rather hold off on the details for the sake of not repeating myself and not to bore you later on, but I will say this. She met Yaten's eyes and was buoyed by his silent support. She looked back at Seiya and Taiki. "Something is coming. We need to be ready for it."
Usagi and the Inners hurried to the StarLights' residence as soon as the last class bell rang. The Lights and Katsuko had already left and she couldn't get him to tell her anything more than that Katsuko was calling a meeting. If Katsuko was calling a meeting, she thought, that means something is wrong. Very wrong. They reached the front door of the Lights' house to find Haruka and Michiru already there, waiting to be let in.
"Do you have any idea what this is all about, little kitten?," asked Haruka. "Katsuko-chan came by after school and asked us to be here."
"I don't have a clue, Haruka-san," answered Usagi, trying to catch her breath.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't like this," said Rei.
"Yeah, something is definitely up," interjected Makoto, bag over her shoulder.
"Do you think I should have called Mamo-chan?," asked Usagi to Ami.
"We should see what Katsuko-chan has to tell us first, then you can decide," said the solider of wisdom.
The door finally opened and Taiki led them into the living room. Katsuko was waiting for them, Yaten and Seiya at her side. She stood up when they entered.
"Milady." Katsuko bowed.
Usagi rushed over, clasping the girl's hand in her own. "Katsuko-chan, kudasai. Enough with that..that kind of talk," the moon senshi stammered, not finding the right words. "Just tell me..tell us what's wrong. Are you hurt?"
Katsuko smiled gently. "No, milady, I am fine, but I am afraid it is not as trivial as me and my pains. Please.sit down." She waited until everyone was comfortable, then finally sat again herself.
"My Leader had contacted me. She spoke with me last night."
"Well, Katsuko-chan, that's great, isn't it?," asked Minako. "I mean, we all know you've been worried about that."
"Yes, I was.but she told me something..something that goes beyond worry, princess Venus. She is deeply concerned. The Leaders are deeply concerned."
Michiru gasped. "All four?"
"Yes. My Leader has asked that I train you, train all of you in fact."
"Oh, that doesn't sound so bad," said Makoto. "Your Leaders are concerned we won't improve?"
"It is not that which concerns them, princess Jupiter, it is." Katsuko bit her lip. "It is what's coming that concerns them all."
"Coming?," asked Ami.
"Yes, my Leader has told me something dark, something evil, is coming. She couldn't say when and she doesn't know what it is exactly, but whatever it may be, we must stop it. In order for us to do so, we must train."
There was quiet as everyone took in the news. The StarLights quickly made up their minds, what Katsuko said goes, no questions asked. Haruka and Michiru consented readily as well. They had trusted Katsuko years, centuries ago. There was no reason to stop now. Usagi and her Scouts took longer, not sure of what to do. Training was one thing, taking on another enemy was another. After Galaxia, what else was out there? Usagi suddenly slapped the couch arm, resolve on her face.
"We have a duty, Scouts," she said unwaveringly. Rei stared. Could it be? Could Usagi really be taking responsibility? Usagi continued. "We have to protect these people from whatever comes our way." She sighed and her voice became soft, even tired. "We've done it before, we'll do it again and we'll continue to do it."
The Inners looked at each other silently and nodded. Usagi was right. This was what being a sailor scout was all about; protecting what you cared for, what you loved.
Rei couldn't help feeling somewhat useless. Usually she was the one who alerted the others to danger, but this time she felt nothing.
"Princess Mars?"
Rei looked up to see Katsuko kneeling before her. "I come on my knees as one princess to another to beg a favor," began the brown skinned warrior. "The people of Mars and their intuition is legendary. Without a time frame of any kind, we are at a disadvantage so I ask you to use your ability to warn us of this approaching danger."
Rei smiled and nodded. "Yes, of course."
Katsuko smiled back and bowed her thanks. Then she stood and walked over to the window. Her back to the sun, she stretched out her arms and closed her eyes, head tilted to the heavens.
"Goddesses of the elements, Water, Earth, Fire, Wind! I beseech thee, grant me power! Give me strength! Sailor Elite..transform!"
There was a great light as though the sun had suddenly increased its radiance. Usagi shielded her eyes from the brilliance and looked up again only when the heat and light diminished. What she saw made her mouth drop.
Sailor Monarch now stood before them in all her winged glory, dressed in a long slit-sleeved burnt orange blouse, black pants that flared out at the bottom and black heels. Her black hair almost shimmered in her usual ponytail over her shoulder, now tied up in orange ribbon that matched her blouse. Huge monarch butterfly wings protruded from behind her, beautiful and radiant orange and black and then Usagi noticed the symbols. On Monarch's right wing was a distinct mark, a sun with spiked rays and a star in the middle. The same symbol rested on Monarch's forehead. She's beautiful, thought Usagi as she and the rest stared. Everyone was still as Monarch shifted her butterfly-winged spear from one hand to the other. Her onyx eyes held nothing but fierce determination as she focused on the task at hand. She looked from one senshi to another, her voice strong.
"The training begins now."
The Three Lights were in the middle of breakfast when Katsuko came down. She stood behind her beloved, hands on his shoulders as she asked for a favor.
"Seiya kou, please ask milady and her Scouts to gather here for a meeting this afternoon. I need you three here as well if that's possible."
Yaten turned to her, placing a gentle hand on hers. Taiki stared, not completely understanding, and Seiya stopped shoveling cereal in his mouth long enough to say, "Sounds serious, Katsuko-chan."
"I fear it is, my friend. I would rather hold off on the details for the sake of not repeating myself and not to bore you later on, but I will say this. She met Yaten's eyes and was buoyed by his silent support. She looked back at Seiya and Taiki. "Something is coming. We need to be ready for it."
Usagi and the Inners hurried to the StarLights' residence as soon as the last class bell rang. The Lights and Katsuko had already left and she couldn't get him to tell her anything more than that Katsuko was calling a meeting. If Katsuko was calling a meeting, she thought, that means something is wrong. Very wrong. They reached the front door of the Lights' house to find Haruka and Michiru already there, waiting to be let in.
"Do you have any idea what this is all about, little kitten?," asked Haruka. "Katsuko-chan came by after school and asked us to be here."
"I don't have a clue, Haruka-san," answered Usagi, trying to catch her breath.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't like this," said Rei.
"Yeah, something is definitely up," interjected Makoto, bag over her shoulder.
"Do you think I should have called Mamo-chan?," asked Usagi to Ami.
"We should see what Katsuko-chan has to tell us first, then you can decide," said the solider of wisdom.
The door finally opened and Taiki led them into the living room. Katsuko was waiting for them, Yaten and Seiya at her side. She stood up when they entered.
"Milady." Katsuko bowed.
Usagi rushed over, clasping the girl's hand in her own. "Katsuko-chan, kudasai. Enough with that..that kind of talk," the moon senshi stammered, not finding the right words. "Just tell me..tell us what's wrong. Are you hurt?"
Katsuko smiled gently. "No, milady, I am fine, but I am afraid it is not as trivial as me and my pains. Please.sit down." She waited until everyone was comfortable, then finally sat again herself.
"My Leader had contacted me. She spoke with me last night."
"Well, Katsuko-chan, that's great, isn't it?," asked Minako. "I mean, we all know you've been worried about that."
"Yes, I was.but she told me something..something that goes beyond worry, princess Venus. She is deeply concerned. The Leaders are deeply concerned."
Michiru gasped. "All four?"
"Yes. My Leader has asked that I train you, train all of you in fact."
"Oh, that doesn't sound so bad," said Makoto. "Your Leaders are concerned we won't improve?"
"It is not that which concerns them, princess Jupiter, it is." Katsuko bit her lip. "It is what's coming that concerns them all."
"Coming?," asked Ami.
"Yes, my Leader has told me something dark, something evil, is coming. She couldn't say when and she doesn't know what it is exactly, but whatever it may be, we must stop it. In order for us to do so, we must train."
There was quiet as everyone took in the news. The StarLights quickly made up their minds, what Katsuko said goes, no questions asked. Haruka and Michiru consented readily as well. They had trusted Katsuko years, centuries ago. There was no reason to stop now. Usagi and her Scouts took longer, not sure of what to do. Training was one thing, taking on another enemy was another. After Galaxia, what else was out there? Usagi suddenly slapped the couch arm, resolve on her face.
"We have a duty, Scouts," she said unwaveringly. Rei stared. Could it be? Could Usagi really be taking responsibility? Usagi continued. "We have to protect these people from whatever comes our way." She sighed and her voice became soft, even tired. "We've done it before, we'll do it again and we'll continue to do it."
The Inners looked at each other silently and nodded. Usagi was right. This was what being a sailor scout was all about; protecting what you cared for, what you loved.
Rei couldn't help feeling somewhat useless. Usually she was the one who alerted the others to danger, but this time she felt nothing.
"Princess Mars?"
Rei looked up to see Katsuko kneeling before her. "I come on my knees as one princess to another to beg a favor," began the brown skinned warrior. "The people of Mars and their intuition is legendary. Without a time frame of any kind, we are at a disadvantage so I ask you to use your ability to warn us of this approaching danger."
Rei smiled and nodded. "Yes, of course."
Katsuko smiled back and bowed her thanks. Then she stood and walked over to the window. Her back to the sun, she stretched out her arms and closed her eyes, head tilted to the heavens.
"Goddesses of the elements, Water, Earth, Fire, Wind! I beseech thee, grant me power! Give me strength! Sailor Elite..transform!"
There was a great light as though the sun had suddenly increased its radiance. Usagi shielded her eyes from the brilliance and looked up again only when the heat and light diminished. What she saw made her mouth drop.
Sailor Monarch now stood before them in all her winged glory, dressed in a long slit-sleeved burnt orange blouse, black pants that flared out at the bottom and black heels. Her black hair almost shimmered in her usual ponytail over her shoulder, now tied up in orange ribbon that matched her blouse. Huge monarch butterfly wings protruded from behind her, beautiful and radiant orange and black and then Usagi noticed the symbols. On Monarch's right wing was a distinct mark, a sun with spiked rays and a star in the middle. The same symbol rested on Monarch's forehead. She's beautiful, thought Usagi as she and the rest stared. Everyone was still as Monarch shifted her butterfly-winged spear from one hand to the other. Her onyx eyes held nothing but fierce determination as she focused on the task at hand. She looked from one senshi to another, her voice strong.
"The training begins now."
