"Tell us the story, Usa-mama! Please?" "Tell you what story, Chibi-chan?" "The one about the Guardian. How she's not a senshi anymore." Usa smiled, and looked briefly at the ceiling before meeting the persistent gazes of her daughter.

"Once upon a time," she began.

@}-------------

"So, Koukei," Hasha finished up. "That's how it will work." "And the others?" "They will watch, of course, but that is all. Things have changed so much from the beginning; we wouldn't even need them except to satisfy tradition. Some places, Kaviq, for example, would have difficulty recognizing a Watcher-less Ascension." Rei nodded in understanding. "There are two questions I have left to ask you," Hasha said. Rei's eyebrows rose with this, but kept quiet so Hasha could continue. "Where do you wish the ceremony to take place?" After some slight hesitation, Rei answered crisply, "Mars." Hasha nodded, not surprised at her successor's decision. "Who do you wish to invite to your Ascension?" "Setsuna. Haruka. Usagi should be there, I suppose. Kat and Sakka. Iki'ou Jundo." Hasha gave Rei an inquiring glance at the mention of Jundo's name. "We became very close on Kaviq. I think that she should see this." "Very well. I will inform each of them of their proper places." Hasha turned as if to leave, then turned back to Rei before disappearing in a cloud of mist. Rei looked around, as she stood in the middle of no-space and no-time alone. She stared blankly in front of her, her mind lost in contemplation. Flashes of images appeared and then left in the absence of space in front of her: glimpses of people, past, present, and future; impressions of events; and things that would astound anyone other than Rei. With a shake of her head, Rei found her thoughts and disappeared, bound for Earth and her temple.

Kat was at her place in Hasha's palace, waiting for instructions as Hasha rematerialized. "Is there anything for me to do?" she asked. "Not tonight, Kat. Tonight, I must prepare. I need to be alone. I want you to go to Earth, to Hikawa Jinja and be there for Koukei if she needs you. She is your new Guardian, you must get used to that. Tomorrow morning, I will call for Koukei. We will ready ourselves for the ceremony, which the Heiress has chosen to take place on Mars." Kat bowed and would have left, had Hasha not continued. "Koukei has chosen her Watchers." "How many?" Kat asked. "Six," Hasha replied. "A good omen. And, curiously enough, the same number that Gekijouno Higosha[1] chose." "Is that a good thing?" "It reaffirms the choice the Weave has made." Kat was confused at this, but forgot it after Hasha's next statement. "But back to the watchers, Kat. You are one of them." Kat's mouth dropped slightly at this, but she said nothing. "She esteems you greatly, Shizenno." "I will not let her down, Guardian." Hasha smiled, and whispered, "I know." With a wave of her hand, Hasha dismissed Kat, who left to find Rei. Hasha looked around at the opulence of her home. With fondness she recalled all of the good times she had had here, all of the good she had been able to accomplish. But now, now it was Koukei's turn, and the evil Hasha had faced and the good Hasha had done would pale in comparison to Rei's reign over the Weave. I have no complaints, Hasha thought. As long as the universe is safe, I am willing to move on. With that thought ringing in her mind, Hasha went off to prepare for the Ascension.

That night, four people on Earth received a letter. The letters appeared in front of their recipients, shiny pieces of parchment covered in magic. When the letter was touched, the parchment broke into many tiny pieces. The pieces glittered and flew in circles until they reformed to produce an invitation. Upon reading it, Setsuna felt the thrill of destiny run down her back. Haru caught a glimpse of the magical nature of the universe. Usagi shivered, a chill of anxiety settling in the pit of stomach. Sakka, alone in an apartment in Germany, curled up on her bed and cried.

Another letter appeared, halfway across the universe, in the home of Iki'ou Jundo. The Chief Priestess of Kaviq could feel the Weave magic coming her way before the letter arrived. With trembling hands, Jundo touched the parchment and, just as the others had done, it destroyed and rebuilt itself.

The Guardian of the Universe and the Weave Does Hereby Request Your Presence at the Ascension of the Newest Guardian, Seimeino Shitau-kouken.

The Ceremony will Occur at

Midnight On the Seventeenth Day of the Fourth Month, According to Lunar Time.

"It finally happens," Jundo said aloud. "Eien[2] triumphed over the Anysbryd. And now she will rule." Jundo, lost in thought, finally came to her senses. "Agh! What day, what day." she murmured to herself. She ran upstairs and straight to a chest that was sitting in the hallway. She started going through its contents hurriedly. "I know I put that book in here somewhere." Apparently finding what she was looking for, she sat back on her heels and opened the book to a page near the back. "Seventeenth day, fourth month, seventeenth day, fourth month.why! I need to be on Earth in a few hours[3]! I need to make preparations!" Jundo threw the book[4] down and began to scurry around the house. Jundo sent out a telepathic message, summoning her disciples in from the forest. While she waited for them, she changed her clothes, from the traditional white sari to one in blood red. Once her disciples were back in the safety of her home, Jundo explained that she would be leaving to answer a call from Shinpi[5] and Eien. They questioned her, but she didn't answer them, instead leaving only instructions for them. An hour after she received the summons, she was teleporting her way to Hikawa Jinja.

Kat arrived at Rei's temple. She knocked at the door, then heard a telepathic "Come in, Kat." Kat walked inside hesitantly, seeing no one. She ducked her head into each room, eventually finding Rei in the Room of the Eternal Fire, meditating. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Heiress." "It's no disturbance, Kat," Rei said, brushing her skirt and rising to her feet. Kat saw the fire behind Rei shrink from its unnatural height into an ember. "Would you like something to eat or drink?" "No, Heiress," Kat answered, still distracted by the sight of the fire dying so quickly. "I'm fine."

The day passed slowly, each person making her preparations for that night. Hasha spent the day on Mars, getting everything ready for the ceremony. Rei spent the day much as she spent any other day. Despite Kat's protestations, Rei scrubbed and cleaned the temple. In some part of her soul, she knew it was the last time she would ever lift a broom or shake out tatami mats. Kat followed Rei around, helping Rei when she could and fussing over Rei when she couldn't. Haru drove into the countryside and passed her time meditating in a quiet field where she could commune with nature. Sakka slept in late, a result of the previous night's discussion with the six senshi under her guidance. Setsuna sat in a chair and stared blankly out of the window for hours, wondering what the future would hold. Usagi went shopping with Darien, but even the lure of sales and discounts weren't enough to take her mind off of the night-to-come.

Eventually, early afternoon passed into late afternoon and early evening. Rei felt the call from Hasha, and after saying goodbye to Kat, quietly faded away in a swirl of muted light and colors.

Kat sat alone in Hikawa, the solitude, quiet, and her anxiety unnerving her. She started a fire, and was relieved when a knock sounded on the door. She ran to answer it, ecstatic when she saw Haru. "I figured this would be a good place to meet," Haru offered as explanation. Kat invited Haru in, and the two retreated to the sitting room. "You're one of the Watchers?" Haru asked. Kat nodded in response. "Do you know who else Rei chose?" Haru went on. "No," Kat replied, shaking her head. "Neither Rei nor the Guardian told me." "Well," Haru said with a smile, "this is as good as a place as any to wait."

In the next hour, the other three Earth-based people arrived. Setsuna was greeted with a hug from Haru. "I'm so glad Rei chose you to be there," Kat offered. "Me too," Setsuna answered, looking more scared than grateful. Sakka arrived next, bringing tealeaves and chocolate. She was ushered politely into the temple, but one could tell there was a sense of distance between the Muse and the other three. Kat took the food into the kitchen and left Haru, Setsuna, and Sakka alone. "I have to admit," Sakka said shakily, "I'm a bit.worried about tonight." "You're not the only one," Haru responded.

Serenity was the last to turn up, with a definite sense of resentment. "No one said that we were meeting here," she tried to explain.

"What is our role, Kat? Do you know?" Haru asked when the five were settled. "We are the Heiress's Watchers," Kat answered. Seeing no comprehension on the other four faces, Kat sighed heavily. "The Heiress is allowed to choose people to watch her Ascension. Rei has chosen six people to be her Watchers. It used to be our job to make sure that nothing happened during the ritual. Near the beginning of this ceremony, the Watchers would have to fight off creatures of evil that wished to disrupt the process. Now, our position is largely ceremonial. We watch, and after the ceremony, we have the honor of being the first group to recognize the new Guardian. Every hundred years, if any of the original Watchers are still alive, there is a Remembrance Gathering on the site of the Ascension. It's not a long observance, just another thing that used to have a purpose and is now just ritual." "What was the purpose?" Haru asked. "The Guardian was rededicated to the Weave every hundred years. If she had done something to anger the Weave, this would be the time of testing. You have to remember that at the beginning of this process, the Guardians would only serve for five hundred years, and that not all of them were pure good. The Weave made changes over the millennia, as did the Guardians themselves. This is a very ancient rite, and can't all be explained." After a minute to let this new information sink in, Usagi asked another question. "Who is the other Watcher?" "I don't know," Kat frowned. "The Guardian didn't tell me who the Heiress had chosen. I expect whoever it is will show up soon enough."

The five sat around talking. At one point, Haru went into the temple kitchen and came out with tea, but no one felt like eating. At the stroke of eleven, a form began to assemble in the corner of the room. Haru, Kat, and Sakka leapt to their feet and went to assist the newcomer. When the figure had fully materialized, Setsuna stood abruptly. "Jundo! What.?" she said. "I received an invitation from the Weave." "You're one of the Heiress's watchers?" Haru asked. "That's great! Wait until everyone on Kaviq hears that!" Usagi rose and walked over to the Chymian. "I'm Tsukino Usagi," she explained. Seeing the look of confusion on Jundo's face, Kat clarified. "Serenity, Jundo. She's the future queen." As soon as Jundo heard that, she froze. Glaring at Usagi, she asked Haru, "Why is she here? Surely the Heiress would not want to jeopardize her Ascension with the attitude of a dissenter." "Jundo, Usagi's changed," Setsuna tried to explain. Usagi looked at Setsuna and shook her head. "Bikuni[6], the Heiress has shown me the error of my ways. I am her faithful servant now, and forever." "Is this true, Teishi[7]?" Jundo asked Haru, never taking her eyes off of Usagi. "It is, Jundo," Haru answered. "Very well," Jundo said, still distrustful of Usagi. "If the Heiress trusts you, then I suppose I shall as well." "So, Jundo," Kat said, trying to break the tense mood, "the Heiress chose six watchers, and we are all here now." "When is she going to call for us?" Setsuna asked. "The invitation said midnight, but do we have to go anywhere special?" "It's close to midnight now," Usagi said, "so it can't be that far away." "We will be sent for," Kat answered. "Do you know where the ceremony will take place?" Haru asked. "Mars," Kat answered with a grin. Sakka, Usagi, Setsuna, and Haruka all chuckled. Kat noticed that Jundo appeared lost by the connection between Mars and laughter. "The Heiress was born on Mars," Kat explained. "Before she knew she was Heiress, she was the Princess of Mars, and one of the senshi." Jundo appeared surprised by this, but had no time to ask more questions. The six in the temple felt the pull of the Weave away from Earth, and as they all closed their eyes, they melted into the air.

The six appeared on the surface of Mars scant moments after leaving Earth. Haru was ready to spell oxygen for them, but she quickly realized that either the Guardian or the Heiress had created an artificial atmosphere. The Watchers formed a line, Usagi at the far right, then Kat, Sakka, Setsuna, Haru, and Jundo. With one motion, they knelt. Hasha walked in front of them, briefly laying a hand on each head. "Yotogi[8]," she said, after she had acknowledged each of them and returned to stand next to Rei. "You are here to witness the Weave's greatest miracle. As power and control over and of the Weave changes hands, you shall observe the spectacle first-hand, able to report it to the inhabitants of the universe and those yet to come." Hasha turned her back on the spectators to face Rei. "Koukei," she said, nodding at Rei. Rei bowed to Hasha, then walked over to the stone altar and bowed before it. With Hasha looking on impassively, Rei climbed onto the altar and lay down. She stretched out her arms out and closed her eyes. Haru moved to protest, but Setsuna stopped her. Hasha spoke some words in a language none of the others could understand, then closed her eyes and held out her hands before her. A small, concentrated ball of Weave energy gathered in her hands. Hasha opened her eyes and focused on Rei. The energy grew denser and denser - and brighter - until the Watchers could barely keep their eyes open for the sheer brilliance of it. When no more energy could be added, Hasha threw the ball at Rei. This time it was Setsuna that gasped. "It is done," Hasha whispered.

The ball hit Rei with all of the power of a 7,000-year-old Guardian. It fell into Rei, disappearing and melding with the girl. Rei's back arched, the power coursing through her more concentrated then it had ever been before. The onlookers could see the light of the Weave shine through Rei's skin. Within seconds, Rei's skin was cracking, pieces of it falling off and disintegrating in midair. After a minute or so, no trace was left of Rei's human form. All that the others could see was Weave energy and light. The energy coalesced into the shape of a body, but suddenly twisted in other different shapes before returning to human form. Suddenly, the air around the Watchers exploded into flames, eating away the oxygen. Haru quickly spelled a bubble of protection around the six. They watched breathless as the sky above them broke and the Weave leaked through. The streams of Weave-light coursed to Rei and when they hit her, the universe broke.

"What do you suppose that is?" an astronomer on Earth said. "I don't know," his colleague said. "It looks like an explosion on Mars. But how that happened." "And look! Over there!" said another one. "A meteor shower? There's something falling to Earth." Sparks of Weave magic flew down to Earth. The tiny pieces hit people and animals, knocking them unconscious. Eventually, the whole world was covered with Weave, just as every other planet in the universe was, the effect always the same.

Hasha walked to Rei and knelt at her feet. "Guardian," Hasha said to Rei, holding up a key to Rei. The key, lying on Hasha's palms, floated up to Rei's hands with neither of the women moving. The key, an ancient key of silver, landed on Rei's palms and the whole universe shook. The Watchers stumbled, almost losing their balance. "What's going on?" Usagi whispered. Haru, Kat, Sakka, and Setsuna shook their heads, also confused. Jundo answered. "The universe is overcome by the power of the two Guardians. Shinpi mush give control of the Weave to Eien for everything to be restored." "And the control of the Weave is in a key?" Usagi asked incredulously. Jundo nodded. "Only a person that the Weave courses through can hold that key. The power would kill anyone else." They turned their attention back to Rei and Hasha. Rei, still holding the key, offered it up to the sky and the Weave that had broken through it. With a loud clap of thunder, the Watchers could see the key begin to melt into Rei. Within seconds, the key was completely gone. "What happened?" asked Setsuna, concerned for her new Guardian. "Rei has become the key. She controls the Weave now," Jundo answered. "How do you know all of this?" Kat inquired, amazed that anyone could know all of this without having previously witnessed the act or asking the Guardian. "I have spent all of my life studying the Weave and it's ancient traditions. Sometimes it is useful." "So Hasha's not the Guardian any more?" Usagi queried. "No." "But," Kat said quickly, "She has one more task to perform." "What would that be?" Jundo asked, wondering if she missed anything in her studies. "I do not remember anything else happening." "Hasha has to give Rei the spirit of the First Guardian." "First Guardian? Ich-Shinpi?[9] But that would mean." Jundo's voice trailed off. The elf looked at Rei with new eyes. "Would mean what, Jundo? We don't know what that means." "It means that Rei is the most powerful person ever to have existed and ever to exist. It means that she will possess twin spirits, the two spirits in history that held more power than any other - hers, and the spirit of the First Guardian." "Why?" "Because Rei will never die." "Well yeah, we knew that, guardians are immortal." Jundo shook her head. "Rei will have no successor. Once Hasha gives her Ich-Shinpi, Rei will be the Guardian for the rest of time." "WHAT?" Haru, Setsuna, and Kat all said at the same time. "Watch," Jundo said, pointing to Hasha and Rei. They turned in time to see Hasha complete a sacred circle of protection and boundary around the Weave being that was Rei. A wind came down in the circle, blowing pieces of Rei around until the colors separated into three colors, purple, red, and green. "Gekijouno Higosha! First Guardian of the Universe! The Last Guardian awaits you! Come and be blended!" Hasha screamed into the silence, raising her hands to the heavens. A stream of light broke through the sky and descended into the circle with Rei. Colors of blue, orange, and yellow got caught up in the swirling madness until they were completely mixed in with Rei. The wind died down and Rei reassembled herself. The Weave being stepped outside of the circle and smiled.

Hasha knelt and prostrated herself before Rei and the others followed suit. Rei stepped among them and touched their heads. As Rei's hand descended, each person felt the power exude from her. When Rei touched them, the power of the Weave coursed through them, knocking them unconscious.

Rei assumed a mortal body and woke Hasha before the others. "Hasha," she said. "Guardian," Hasha replied, slightly inclining her head. "Thank you," Rei said. Hasha nodded once. "It was an honor, Guardian. To think of all that you will accomplish." Hasha's voice trailed off. "But I have a request, Guardian." "It would be my honor," Rei answered, knowing Hasha's request before the former Guardian said anything. "Would you like the others to witness this?" Hasha nodded silently, tears streaming down her face. Rei and Hasha talked while the others were waking up. They spoke of things past and future, Hasha imparting the wisdom she had gained as Guardian to Rei.

Jundo woke first, her exposure to the Weave as It's chief priestess serving her well. Rei walked over to her and bade the Chymian rise. "Shinpi, I have a request." Rei met Jundo's eyes, already knowing the Chymian's wish. "Please, Jundo, go ahead." Jundo swallowed anxiously, nervous but needing to go on. "I know that Usagi will meet her destiny as the Founder and Queen of Crystal Tokyo, just as I know that Kat will serve the Guardianship as long as she lives. I know that Sakka will continue to oversee the six senshi she has trained until the time of Crystal Tokyo, when she can return to being the Muse, as she was meant to be. I know that Setsuna will become your closest friend, and Haruka your most favored servant. I." "Go on," Rei said gently. "I have been serving the Weave all my life. I was first a disciple of Nisou. After she went on to be one with the Weave, I was chosen to be the Chief Upholder of Shinpi and Eien. Now, there will be no Eien. You are Shinpi, for now and for all time." "Your wish, Jundo?" "I.I would ask the Guardian to name my successor." "And what would happen to you, Iki'ou Jundo?" "If there is one who is worthy to step into the Priestess-ship, I would ask the Guardian to.to let me serve her until the day that I die." "Why this wish, Jundo?" "After all I have seen, I cannot go back to living apart from you," Jundo said passionately, falling to her knees. "I have felt the Weave that you are, that surrounds you. It sustains me. I have never felt this alive before. I would do anything to be near It." "I already have servants and messengers, Jundo. More than I need." Jundo bowed her head in shame and defeat. "Jundo," Rei said, bending down and lifting Jundo's chin. "With your knowledge and powers, I could never ask you to be my servant. I am, though, in need of an advisor and an emissary to the Universal Council[10]. Will you advise me and be my Chief Speaker?" Tears rolled down Jundo's face as she smiled. "It would be an honor, Shinpi. More than I could dream of." "Then stand up. When everything settles down, we will return to Kaviq together to choose a successor." "Thank you, Shinpi. You have no idea how much this means to me." "You might not think so highly of your work in the future, Jundo." "You will never hear that come from my lips," Jundo asserted. Rei smiled. Leaving Jundo with a nod of recognizance, she walked to the midst of the five that were still unconscious. Kat woke next, then Haru, Sakka, Setsuna and Usagi. They all stood up and waited. This time it was Hasha who walked over to the altar and, bowing to it first, climbed on top and lied down. "Hasha has asked me to send her into the Weave," Rei said to her Watchers. "As a last request, I have agreed." Tears began to stream down Kat's face. Her Guardian, the one she had spent so much time serving, was going to die. Rei held out a hand and a stone knife materialized in it. "Last words, Hasha?" Rei asked. "I have served the Weave and I have seen the Ascension of the One the Weave has waited for. I am happy." Rei stood in silent homage to Hasha's service for a minute. The others watched, speechless, as Rei strode over to the table and, without hesitation, plunged the knife into Hasha's heart. The knife crackled with Weave energy but did not break. The Weave energy remaining in Hasha flew out and upward, hovering in the air above Hasha. When no more came out, Hasha breathed her last. The knife broke in two and fell to the ground, it's magic gone and it's purpose accomplished. Hasha's dead body was lifted into the air by the same Weave that had left her moments before, and she sparkled out of sight. Kat broke down in sobs, her body wracked and emotionally drained. Setsuna wrapped an arm around Kat, but the woman was inconsolable.

Rei stepped back from the altar and bowed her head. The six others watched as she turned to face them slowly, noticing the single tear making it's way down her face. "Hasha was like my mother. I will never forget her." Kat met Rei's eyes, and nodded once.

@}----------
"And that," Usa concluded, "Was how the Guardian became the Guardian, and wasn't a senshi anymore." "Is that why she comes to see us a lot, Usa-mama?" "Yes, Chibi-chan." "Will she always save us?" "Yes, Chibi-chan, the Guardian will always save us."

I wish I knew you, Guardian. I tell my children these stories, but no one alive now remembers you from your senshi days. Long has it been since the time of my great-grandmother Usagi. Who are you, and why do you feel so much love for our family? Why are we so lucky?

Thank you, Guardian.

----------------------- [1] Gekijouno Higosha was the first Guardian, and the most powerful Guardian excepting Rei. (Name, Japanese, meaning Passion's Guardian) [2] Originally mentioned in the 2nd story in this line. On Kaviq, Jundo's home planet, the Heiress is called Eien. [3] Although the people on Earth received their invitations a day before the actual event, Jundo's arrived at what would comparably be noon on the day of the event. Time on Kaviq was measured differently. On Earth, time is an absolute, a supposedly objective device. The Kaviqans knew this to be wrong, that time was relative, which their measurements reflected. Kaviqan time had always been something of a hassle between those living on Earth and those on Kaviq. [4] The book's name? Time, Day, and Month Conversions among Weave Planets. [5] Originally mentioned in the 2nd story in this line. On Kaviq, Jundo's home planet, the Guardian is called Shinpi [6] Japanese, meaning Learned Priestess [7] Japanese, meaning follower, disciple, apprentice. [8] Japanese, meaning Watcher(s) [9] Ich-Shinpi - pronounced each-shin-pee. Literally, first guardian. [10] Please refer to Part Three of Conflicts for an explanation of the Council.