Chapter 5
Ami sat in the dark corner silently, in her senshi form.
"Been waiting long?" asked the voice of Sailor Kotanam
"Not really," replied Ami.
"Good."
The unknown senshi sat on the ground facing Ami.
"This is very hard for me to admit," Sailor Kotanam began. "The reason this has happened in
your world is my fault. The armies of Hibroy followed me."
"Hibroy?" Ami repeated. "Who is he?"
"A master of dark arts and mind control from another universe. His minions came after me."
"Why?" asked Amy.
The other senshi smiled bitterly. Ami knew she had asked the most important question.
"Because, as the Senshi who guards the gate to all universes, my powers would grant him
anything his heart could desire. With my power I can change the perception of reality. I could
grant him access to any world he wanted." Ami blinked in surprise.
"That's amazing. . . ."
"It's a curse," replied the other senshi bitterly. "I've never felt safe. I remember all my past lives,
and can draw from those memories, but sometimes an unwanted memory will surface. Like when
I was talking to you. In my mind, I could see your parents. I was a member of the Court of
Mercury in my former life, and I was a few years older then you. You were so cute when you first
learned to control your Bubbles. Now, I find that your power has grown with you."
"What happened to you, Sailor Kotanam? Obviously Queen Serenity did not bring you back on
earth like everyone else." Sailor Kotanam looked away. Her voice was charged with tears.
"I was killed shortly before your thirteenth birthday. I was only seventeen. . . . I was murdered by
a boy I loved like a brother." Pain crossed the young girl's face. "It is not fair. Destiny seems to
be against me. The Guardian of Earth, the one who has attacked you twice now, was one of my
best friends. Because he is under Hibroy's powers, he has tried to kill me several times. It breaks
my heart, seeing that inhuman gleam in his eyes. History seems to be repeating itself."
Ami gave the other senshi a sideways look.
"It often does," Ami agreed. "But you haven't explained why you have come here."
"The key to freeing all my people is here, on this world." Ami stared in disbelief. She had a
sneaking suspicions that this would require Serena and the others. "Hibroy can only affect Lesser
Senshi and normal Senshi. The Greater Senshi, like you and I, are immune to his power. Further
more, anyone touched by this key is freed from his spell, and cannot ever fall under his powers again."
"The Silver Imperial Crystal," Ami whispered, giving the other senshi a hard look. "That's what
you're after, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Ami stood.
"I cannot help you. Only the Moon Princess could give that to you. I don't think she would, not
unless she thought she could trust you completely."
"If she doesn't, I'll have to force her. The fate of many worlds hinges on this." The other senshi
gave Ami the impression that she did not care at all about what happened to Serena. Ami gave
the other senshi another dark look. So that was how it was to be? Fine then, she could play by
those rules too.
"If you try and force her into anything, Sailor Kotanam, you will find angry senshi on your
doorstep. No one will let her be hurt." Ami stepped back into the shadows. "Good luck on your
quest, but take care that you don't hurt anyone I care about, or you may find yourself being
reborn."
She jumped up into the rafters above, and sat silently, waiting to see what Kotanam would do next.
"I don't want to hurt anyone," the senshi said, thinking she was alone. "I just want my friends back."
Ami watched the senshi leave, then she jumped down from her hiding place among the rafters.
She picked up the bag she had hid behind a garbage bin. She took out the tape recorder, and
turned it off. Ami left the dark ally, and went off to find another private place where she could
send this to her friends. They needed to know. Serena needed to be on her guard. Odds were, that
if the Sailor Kotanum knew about the Silver Crystal, so did the enemy.
Serena frowned.
"This isn't good, Ames. Thanks for the heads up."
"Yeah," added Rei, the face on the communicator changing to hers. "We'll watch out for this
Sailor Kotanam You watch out for yourself out there, Ami."
"I can handle five more days, guys," Ami told them. "Try and protect Rini too. She might become
a target."
"Good thinking, girlfriend!" exclaimed Lita, her face taking the place of Rei's. "Have fun!" Then
the communicator shut off.
"Fat chance of that happening," Amy thought. "Oh well. It's almost supper time. Better get going
before Ky realizes I'm gone."
