Part 9: Confusion

            Nokomis wearily opened her eyes and looked around. The bright light hurt her eyes, so she squinted. She slowly took in the new environment around her through half closed eyes.

            'Where am I?' She thought. 'It doesn't look like Virgo, and this can't be Earth from what Aiko told me.' Feeling somewhat better, Nokomis dragged herself off the ground and walked around the park she found herself in. A young couple strolled past her and she caught part of their happy conversation. 'That sounds like Japanese. A bit different from what Aiko sounds like, but that's defiantly Japanese!' Nokomis blinked in surprise. 'But if that was Japanese, then this must be Earth. It doesn't make since.'

            Nokomis made her way out of the park and started to walk down the crowded sidewalk. She kept looking around as she made her way around. She sighed as she rounded a corner, feeling completely lost when something caught her eye.

            'That's Tokyo tower!' Nokomis made her way into a less crowded area to think. 'Well I made it to Tokyo, but not with Aiko and the group.' The realization of the situation hit her with force. 'It's not where I am, but when I am. This is Tokyo, but not Aiko's Tokyo. How do I get home?' Nokomis started to worry more. Stowing away on a shuttle was far easier then time traveling, especially when one doesn't even know when they are. Nokomis sighed and started wandering around again, hoping to find something that could help her.

***

            "Call me Ardi." Aiko winked at Misu after having used the mirror. She ran a hand through her now black hair and smiled.

            "Sure 'Ardi', but we jut better not run into your friend since she will recognize me."

            "If she does recognize you and asks about me, tell her that I'm visiting family and that 'Ardi' decided to show you around. Kana might not even remember you anyways, she was too busy talking to me."

            "If you say so. Now let's keep an eye out for anything unusual." Misu looked around then back at Aiko. "What happened to Nokomis? I haven't seen her in awhile."

            'Ardi's' dark eyes widened in shock as Aiko remembered about the cat. "Come to think of it I haven't seen Nokomis since we got to Toki's place."

            "This is bad." Misu looked worried. "Are you sure you didn't see her at Toki's?"

            "Positive."

            "Then something must have happened to her while we were teleporting. We better talk with Toki and fast." Misu pulled out her communicator while the two girls started walking quickly towards the Subway stop.

***

            "Why can't we go find her!" Aiko almost shouted at Toki. Luckily they were back at Toki's place so they wouldn't be overheard.

            "The chances of finding her are rather slim." Toki felt a pang of sympathy after Aiko's face fell. "My special method of transport involves traveling through the fourth dimension."

            "That's where the time gate is." Realization started to dawn on Aiko's face as she spoke.

            "True." Toki continued. "Being the soldier of Pluto entitles me to have some abilities with time, allowing me to travel the fourth dimension. You must understand that it is easy to get lost there and wander the far reaches for eternity. One could also end up in any time. Though the time gate is the official place to cross from one time into another, there are other ways. I've never heard of anyone succeeding though. They usually get lost in the outer reaches of the fourth dimension. I'm really sorry Aiko but there is nothing we can do."

            "I should have held on to her better." Aiko started crying and both Misu and Tacy gave tried to comfort her.

            "I wish I had good news for you. There is a chance she ended up some time else, but even in the remote chance she did, Nokomis wouldn't have a way to get back to the fourth dimension to come back to our time." Toki walked into the kitchen. "Since we are here we might as well have something to eat."

***

            'I feel and evil presence' Nokomis thought as she continued on her journey. What she heard next caused her to stop in her tracks.

            "VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!" the attack was followed by the sound of something massive hitting a wall.

            Nokomis quickly ran around the corner being careful to stay under cover. The sight before her brought tears to her eyes. The beautiful warrior dressed in orange and yellow stood gracefully above some sort of Yoma. The yoma looked like it was in pain as it struggled to get up from the ground.

            "Not so fast!" the warrior exclaimed. "I am Sailor Venus, Solider of love and beauty and I will not allow you to harm innocent people!"

            "Venus!" Nokomis cried out, forgetting the battle at hand.

            Venus sent a quick glance over in the direction of the cat. Not seeing Nokomis behind the chunk of broken wall, she looked back at the yoma in time to see it finish standing up.

            "I don't think so buddy!" Venus grinned as she readied her attack. "VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!" The golden chain encircled the yoma, and with a wink Venus pulled it causing the yoma to fall.

            "MARS FLAME SNIPER!" "JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"  The downed yoma was singed then electrocuted. It howled in pain as it started to disintegrate.

            "MERCURY AQUA RASPODY!" finished it off.

            "Sorry we are late Venus." The one with the golden hair called as she leapt down into the clearing.

            "Let's get out of here before this place gets crowded." Mercury stated.

            "Good idea Mercury." Venus replied.

            "WAIT!" Nokomis threw herself out of her hiding place before they could leave. The senshi were shocked as they stared at the new cat, the new talking cat complete with crescent moon. 'The voice from before' Venus thought. She quickly scooped the cat up and leapt onto a nearby roof. Her action broke the shock of the rest of the senshi, and they followed her to a safe place to detransform.

***

            Nokomis looked around at the senshi, who were now in civilian form as they sat in the room inside the temple. She found herself to nervous to speak at the moment.

            "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves. I am Mizuno Ami, also known as Sailor Mercury." The blue haired one was the first to speak.

            "Hino Rei, I'm Sailor Mars."   "Kino Makoto, Jupiter." "I'm Tsukino Usagi, and also Sailor Moon. I'm the leader." "I'm Aino Minako, and Sailor Venus." "Luna, I'm Usagi's guardian." "Artemis, I'm Minako's guardian."

            Nokomis finally spoke up. "When am I?"

            Usagi laughed at that one. "Don't you mean 'where' am I?"

            "I know that I am in Tokyo Japan on the planet Earth. I just don't know when." Upon seeing the looks on everyone's faces Nokomis continued. "I was traveling with my charge, and somehow I got separated."

"It's near the end of the 20th century."  Rei informed the cat.

            "How were you traveling?" Ami asked, Mercury computer in hand already running a scan.

            'Misu would be impressed.' Nokomis thought. "I don't want to say too much, but we were traveling from a planet from outside the solar system to Earth, via teleportation. One with the blood of Pluto was guiding us."

            "What do you mean 'with the blood of'?" Usagi asked.

            "Descended from." Luna answered.

            Ami looked at her finished scan and then at the group. "Its obvious that Nokomis is from the future, and the scan showed as much. Also, If someone descended from Sailor Pluto lead you, they probably took a short cut through the fourth dimension. That's where the time gate is located."

            "How would I get back to my time?" Nokomis asked.

            "We'd have to find Setsuna, and we haven't seen her and the others after the defeat of Galaxia." Rei stated. "Gomen Nokomis."

            "I know how we can help!" Usagi grinned and pulled out an odd looking key. "Sailor Pluto gave this to me when we were fighting the Black Moon and had to get back from Nemisis."

            "Great idea Usagi." Rei said without any trace of sarcasm.

            "Then once we get to the time gate we should find Sailor Pluto and she can get Nokomis back where she came from." Ami finished.

            "But what if Setsuna well or for that matter, Sailor Pluto isn't there?" Minako asked.

            "Sailor Pluto is always at the time gate." Ami explained. "The fourth dimension isn't restricted to our normal flow of time, and the time gate always has to be guarded. So we should find Sailor Pluto at her post."

            "When should we leave?" Makoto asked.

            "The sooner the better." Nokomis answered. "I have to help my charge with her mission and training."

            "Lets make sure we are transformed first." Ami lead the group out into the back yard of the temple. Seeing that they were alone, she pulled out her wand. "  MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER MAKE UP!"

            The rest of the senshi followed her example, and Nokomis and the other two cats were surrounded. At Mercury's nod, Sailor Moon lifted the key up into the air and called out. A pink light engulfed them, and before they knew what was happening, they were standing in the mists of the fourth dimension.

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            Thanks for reading, stay tuned for next time. Will Sailor Pluto be at the gate, and will the senshi and the cats even get there? Sorry if this is a bit short, but it seamed like a good ending place, and if you want an update this is what is getting posted.