Chapter 16

The Hyperion, LA USA - year 2002

Usagi nervously faced Angelus, looking him into the eyes. He smiled gently at her, touching her shoulder soothingly.

"Don't worry," he said, his eyes warm and assuring. "It will go fine. It should go without a hitch."

She nodded.

"I know," she calmly said. "Let's go on with it then."

The vampire gave her curt nod and then placed his rough hands on each side of her head, closing his eyes. A light feeling travelled through her body, and then it was gone, leaving only Angelus' soothing mental signature left.

'Are you all right?' he whispered in her mind, making her smile slightly.

'Yes,' she thought back. 'Are you finished?'

To her surprise, she got her answer out loud.

"Yes, I'm finished," Angelus answered, smiling with satisfaction at her. "From this moment, Usagi, you are an active senshi. You all are."

And Usagi turned around to look at her fellow senshi, all in their transformed form. Minako as her custom Venus in white, blue and pink. Hotaru as Saturn in violet with glaive in hand. Setsuna in dark purple with her staff. Michiru in her sea green fuku. Haruka in dark marine, holding her moons word on hand. And so herself in blue, white and pink together with Buffy in a completely black fuku. They all looked like they had done thousands of years ago, they all very much had become those persons in part again. They were ready.

Looking at Angelus together with all the others, Usagi arched her eyebrow questioningly at his normal clothing. He chuckled and arched an eyebrow right back at her.

"The rules still hasn't changed," he reminded them. "Being what I am, I'm not allowed to fight if it is not necessary. Just like Hotaru. In this fight, and most likely many others, we are just a coordinating unit. If we let out power at the earth, we most likely wouldn't have an Earth left. You are the senshi, you are the ones who must fight."

Usagi sighed.

"I know," she said. "I had just hoped you could do something this time around."

"I can," he said, "and I will. My job will be to keep Metalia from taking over before it is time. To help you see what you are meant to do. To help you remember. And to help you direct the Ginzuishou when it finally comes to that."

Buffy spoke up this time.

"What will happen when we get to Tokyo?" she asked, looking curiously at him.

Angelus sighed and gestured for them all to sit down. After they had done so, he gave them all a serious look before continuing.

"When we arrive to Tokyo," he grimly said, "we are immediately put on a time limit of a day and a night. For longer than that I cannot block Metalia without letting out more power than the world can take. And within that time, there are several things that need to be done.

First, we must meet up with Ami, Rei and Makoto. They need to be given their full memories back. Then, we immediately must see to you can upgrade to the level you had in the Millennia. If you are all to survive, you will need it.

After this, all the Inners and Serenity will need to depart to the Demon Dimension, and while they do that, the Outers with Buffy will need to find Endymion and bring him to me for healing. Serenity will need him to defeat Metalia. I know you are not a couple in this time, Usagi, but you are still bonded to him in a way that will ease the use of your power.

While the Inners together with Serenity and Endymion are travelling to Metalia, the Outers with Buffy are to take the palace and keep the demons from coming to their mistress' help. This includes the generals and most likely the most prominent demons. But notice this, as soon as the generals are taken care off, you need to get Buffy to the battle scene as fast as possible, For the moment I have to let Metalia go, the portals she has opened between Earth and the Demon Dimension will be opened. It will be up to Buffy to hold them closed off until Metalia is dead and you all can help her seal them. The timing must be precise."

And as Angelus silenced, Usagi took a deep breath, steeling herself. This would be a battle they couldn't afford to loose. For now, the world's existence was finally threatened.

*** Rei frowned as she was drawn out from her meditation by the annoying beep from her communicator. A youma attack, at this hour? She had yet to see one that hadn't occurred when it would harm the largest possible amount of people.

Gracefully slipping to her feet, the raven-haired miko pattered over to the communicator lying just inside the door to her room. Picking it up, she pushed the activation button and was met by the serene face of High Lord Angelus.

Swallowing her surprise, Rei tapped the speaker button and spoke up.

"Angelus," she calmly said. "How come you are contacting me at such an hour?"

He looked seriously at her.

"It's time," he simply said. "I and the others are set to arrive in about four ours. We need to be picked up at the airport and then we will have a meeting at your temple. Tomorrow, this will be over, one way or another."

It was time then. The remaining senshi was finally ready to fight. And that not a day too early. The generals and 'Endymion seemed to be getting closer to finding all the Rainbow Crystals needed to summon the Ginzuishou from it's hiding place. As far as she could tell, they already had half of them with the senshi only in possession of three.

Smiling grimly, Rei looked at Angelus.

"Acknowledged," she said. "I will contact the others, and one of us will be there to pick you up later."

The vampire gave her a satisfied look.

"Good," he said. "Over and out."

The screen went blank, and Rei carefully shut it off before putting it down. Time to contact the other senshi.