Okay, I have a whole shit load of excuses as to why this didn't come out fast. Number one, my best friend and I were having major problems which caused me great emotional and mental pain and some physical. For a while she was so mad I could feel it physically and being empathic is hard enough already without having a physical manifestation.
Two: I was falling behind in my school work and had some major catching up to do before grades got sent home. I still made honor role for all that care.
Three: I had finals which I studied for last minute and thankfully passed probably only because I was in the good graces of the Goddess.
Four: I caught the writers block bug that's been going around and had a hard time thinking of stuff to say.
Five: I was gone on a week long retreat with my class and had no time to write. They woke us up at 6:45 and wouldn't let us go to bed until around 1:00 in the morning and ALL day was full of shit to do, most of it emotional. They have this theory that if you're tired, you don't put up emotional barriers and are therefore more honest with yourself and others. Trust me, it works. So I came back from that and slept for the rest of the weekend.
Six: I went to L.A. with my mom and brother and didn't have access to my ffn account.
::Takes a deep breath:: Okay. Enough excuses. Oh wait, one more. I did try to upload but most of this chapter didn't end up going on, it ended with _ERROR_ or something. So I'm re-uploading the whole damn thing. If anyone doesn't want to read through the revamping I did then here's what I changed.
1) Duo is two years younger than Lita
Therefore the senshi are – 23
The Pilots are – 18 with the exception of Trowa and Heero who are 19
READ ON AND REVIEW DAMNIT!!
Author: Fate's Child (Terra Brooks)
Date: March 19, 2002
E-mail: Prncss_Earth@hotmail.com
Chapter 10
Going home and finding Serenity
"Doesn't anyone find it at all strange that one minute we're in one room and the next all in different positions in the hallway and talking as if we were in the middle of a conversation?!" The pilots tried to hide their shock at the exasperation in the 'perfect' soldier's voice.
"Errr…"
"Not to mention the fact that your mysteriously absent sisters AND your mysteriously absent sisters ALL appear within a week of each other?"
"Eh, Heero, we do think it's odd…" Duo began.
"And you DON'T want answers?"
"You ask her, she's your girlfriend." Trowa mumbled.
"Duo's she's your sister." Heero responded.
"Haruka and Serenity are Quatre's sisters."
"Stupid onnas." Wufei snorted. He may understand that Lita was not weak-and he had a feeling the others weren't either-but that didn't mean that a long habit of calling woman onna was going to cease. Not to mention the fact that he had even called Marrian 'onna' on occasion.
"Does anyone feel like we've had this conversation before?" Quatre asked, looking slightly puzzled. Everyone in the room stopped their argument and
looked at him.
"What?" He asked, rubbing his chest slightly. Someone in the house-or someones- was in serious pain at the moment emotionally. "I just feel like we've had this conversation before." Heero's eyes narrowed dangerously. He
thought back on the last few days.
"Think really, really hard," he demanded, his voice hard and almost emotionless. "Think about every conversation you've had the last few days with Lita." Everyone did as they were ordered. "Now tell me what you remember."
"There's gaps," Trowa murmured softly.
"Someone has been tempering with our memories," Wufei cursed. "There are discrepancies in all of your auras, mine too, I'm guessing."
"Discrepancies?" Quatre asked as he stopped rubbing his chest. The pain had lessened a great deal. At least the girls had worked something out.
"Which means that there is something going on that they don't want us to know." Heero smiled. "And we're going to find out."
* * *
The rest of the conversation died quickly since it was mainly based on the "Moon Guard" and they had discussed it previously. Everyone had gone their separate ways until dinner and Heero stood by his bed glaring down at his computer. It had given him no answers on what he'd been doing before his mysterious memory blank.
"Ano, Hee-chan, I don't think that glaring at it will change anything. I'm good with computers though-not as technical as Ami-but I could-" Heero kissed her mid-ramble.
"No." The command was softened by another kiss. He did not need her figuring out he knew something was wrong. He sighed and put his arms around his
girlfriend's waist.
"Well…" Lita trailed off. "What do you want to do until dinner than?" She hit him when he smirked. "Ecchi."
"Always… well, actually, only since I met you." Lita blushed before smirking herself.
"You kiss pretty good for it being your first time… was it part of your solider training?" She had the satisfaction of seeing his cheeks pinken.
"Why don't I take you to my favorite place in the Sank Kingdom?" Lita nodded curiously and wondered, when she pulled on one of Heero's jackets if she had just agreed to visit a gun shop or something.
Her curiosity hit a new level when she saw him pull a blanket from the closet and stuff it into a bag. After a quick stop to the kitchens-he made her wait outside-they headed to his motorcycle and after he strapped on the bag and tossed her a helmet, they got on. Lita gave a quick prayer of thanks to the
Goddess that she rarely wore skirts.
They stopped in the back of a run down building and Hero untied the bag. The sun had just started to set when they made their way into the building. Pausing at the base of the stairs, Heero glanced back at his girlfriend and she caught a glimpse of uncertainty in his eyes. Understanding that he was going to share something personal to him, something he'd never shared with someone else,
she smiled and grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his.
* * *
Heero tuned at the base of the stairs, for the first time having second thoughts about bringing her up. When she smiled at him and placed her hand in his, something in him shifted and sighed. The moment he looked into her eyes, he saw something that made everything he was sharing with her seem right. He opened his mouth and shook his head, kissing her instead of saying anything.
When they reached the top of the stairs and stepped through the doorway to the roof, a soft gasp escaped her lips. Too enchanted to be embarrassed about how feminine the gasp had sounded, she stepped away from her boyfriend and twirled around.
"Heero, it's beautiful."
They were encased in an outdoor garden. Flowers and trees surrounded the high wall around the room. There was a small fountain in the center and two chairs next to a small table. A telescope was set up and pointed to the sky in front of one of the chairs. Heero shrugged in mild embarrassment and spread out the blanket and food he'd taken from his pillage to the kitchen. He took out two bottles of pepsi twist when a lance of pain shot through his head. Dropping the bottles with a clatter, he clutched at the blanket of the floor beneath him and pitched forward.
"Heero!" Lita headed towards the boy as he went down, wincing at his moan of pain. She gently grabbed his head and placed it in her lap after checking his pulse. It was fast, but steady. Placing her hands on his temples, she was struck by a wave of white hot pain. Grey began to seep into the edges of her vision. Fighting it off for as long as she could, she sent a mental cry for help she hoped one of the senshi got before it was too late. Suddenly, all she knew was darkness.
* * *
Heero opened his eyes to find himself in a garden. But it was not the one he had just left Lita in. Looking around for his girlfriend, he grimaced as he saw no one else with him. Suddenly snapping his head up, his eyes widened and then narrowed as he noticed he was staring at earth in the sky.
"Yes, Heero Yui, you are no longer in the Sanq kingdom. No worries, though, your love is fine." He pulled his gun out and pointed it at the shimmering apparition in front of him. It was a small, fairy like woman with gossamer wings. "And I'm already dead, so that weapon won't work on me."
"Who are you and who do you work for." The words were out of his mouth before his brain registered how ridicules they sounded.
"I am the former Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. I worked for the Silver Alliance. However," she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, "since I am dead and so is the Alliance, that doesn't matter. Not to mention that questioning my past is NOT why you're here. I fear I made an error in judgment when I asked Pluto to wipe your memories. The timeline has shifted again and I feel you will need all your memories to deal with the trials ahead. It will at least save the outer senshi some time." She waved her hand again and Heero staggered with the force of his memories and past feelings. A mild head ache remained as he bowed lightly, but glared.
"I wish that you would have given me some warning, your majesty."
"Brace yourself, General Yui," she giggled when he just glared, then sobered as she realized she was wasting valuable time. "I fear our time for fun has ended. There was a reason I brought you here. Firstly, to explain about the Moon Guard. After the girls were reborn on earth, they fought a number of enemies. Their last enemy brought them in contact with the leading planet in the next star system over. They knew of the supposed future of the earth-one with my daughter as Neo Queen. It has come time that they wish to open up a peace trade with the people of earth. But the warriors were specifically sent to deal with Serenity and her court. Sailors Star Fighter, Healer and Maker are in charge of the mission. Since they personally know all of the senshi, they are suspicious that Serenity does not sit on the throne and are curious as to the whereabouts of her and her senshi." She sighed.
"They are quite serious about her waging war on your planet and space colonies. The only way to stop that is to get my daughter to contact them and relay the message that she and her court are fine and that they should head back to their star system. You need to ask Serenity to contact them as soon as you can get back to the house. Better yet," the former queen looked thoughtful. "Get Sailors Fighter, Healer and Maker to stay. Introduce Fighter and Relena."
"Why-"
"Oh! And you need to find a way to put Millardo on the throne-not Relena. She is unstable."
"Then why-"
"I can't tell you anymore. Protect my daughter and your love with all you have, General Yui. You have but a few moments with Makoto before she must go." The Queen's gaze was sad. "Use them well. Tell her of your love." Heero opened his mouth to speak but found himself back in the garden, his head on Lita's lap. He sat up quickly and turned just in time to see her open her eyes.
"What-"
"You suffered magical backlash from when I was-" He shook his head, remembering the Queen's last words. "I love you, Lita." He ignored her intake of breath. "I loved you in this time too, but was no… emotionally stable enough to say so. But I remember everything now and love you all the more." His hurried explanation died on his lips as she began to fade. "Shit. She wasn't kidding about having a little time. I love you, Lita. NO matter what happens, don't you dare forget that."
"Heero-" Her words were cut off as she disappeared completely. He stared at the place she had been just moment before and angrily wiped away the lone tear that worked his way down his check. He glanced up and met the eyes of a forlorn moon Princess.
"Princess." He inclined his head respectfully and stood.
"General Yui." She gave a sad smile. "I assume you remember everything.
As happy as I am for that… it came at a difficult price."
"She'll be okay?" He meant it to come out as a statement but instead found the pitiful question.
"Yes. OF that I'm sure. I haven't figured out a lot about what's going on. But where I was the key to the other battles, she is the key to this one. You and Makoto are. In time, each senshi will have her battle."
"Great." Heero grimaced. "Now I have to tell Duo."
"He'll… no, he won't understand." She gave a brilliant smile and linked arms with the still weak soldier. "But we'll think of something. Now tell me of your life so far here. I now of you being a Gundam pilot, as does Mako, Haruka and Michiru, so don't leave a thing out. And that's an order, General."
-----This is where I'd stop if I hadn't taken so damn long. I'm sorry about that by the way--------
"Love you-" Lita closed her mouth and mentally swore when she realized she'd spoken to slowly and had already disappeared to wherever the hell she was now. Looking around slowly, her head still pounding from the magical backlash, it took her a minute to realize that one, she had all her memories from the Silver Millennium, ALL of them, and two, she was back in Juuban Park, Tokyo Japan in what she presumed was 2001.
She stood silently and wiped off the dirt from the seat of her pants. Taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, she turned her mind to trying to figure out why she'd ended back up in Juuban. Heero had blacked out, knocked her out with the backlash. She woke up, he knew who and what she-and he- were. SO he'd gotten his memories back. But why in Kami's name had she been thrown back into 2001?! She started to walk away from the park when she noticed a letter crumpled where she'd been sitting. Assuming that she'd simply landed on it during her fall, she was surprised to note that it was addressed to her. She narrowed her eyes, however, when she noticed it was in the bold script belonging to the senshi of time.
Makoto Lita Trio-
You are, no doubt, curious as to why I have sent you back. The most simple answer is that I was under direct orders from Serenity II. General Yui has regained his memories and will help the pilots to fight anything that comes their way along with Serenity, Haruka and Michiru. You are to be assigned a different mission that will be completed in exactly a month, 31 days from when you open this letter.
The senshi have training (and only a little, at that) in their magical powers. None, save Haruka, Serenity and yourself have extensive training in any military affairs. Michiru will be taught by those left behind with her. Your mission, however, is to teach the inner senshi and Hotaru who should arrive at the temple on your third day into lessons. As I said before, you have a month to complete this mission.
Once the senshi are brought into the AC timeline, events will unfold at a startling pace that will leave no time for training. Martial Arts and street fighting, computer hacking, stealth, explosives, guns and mobile suit workings along with a short history of the AC time is what you must teach. In your apartment, I have left a disk and a notebook with all the new mobile suit blueprints. I'm sure you can figure them out with your previous knowledge.
Good Luck,
Setsuna Meioh
Guardian of Pluto time Gates, Senshi of the first order of Serenity III.
"Great. She kicked the base of the tree closest to her. She was by no means a coward but after the last conversations she'd held with the senshi, she was less then thrilled to go tell them she'd not only been lying to them about who she was, but that she was there to train them. Minako was sorry, that much she knew, but the others… well, judging from the light grazing the horizon, she had enough time to make it to school to catch Ami and Minako in the morning. Grinning, she took off towards her apartment. She wanted a few things first.
* * *
Whatever rumor had been started by her reputation and disappearance were replaced by more as she walked into the school yard. Instead of the blue skirt, she wore khaki cargo pants and a blue sailor shirt. Her hair was braided and the pendant stood out between her breasts. She made her way to her homeroom, a note from her "parents" tucked into her bag explaining about the death of her great aunt. She sat silently and took out the spiral notebook that Setsuna had left for her and looked at the mechanics of the mobile suits.
She bent her head and studied them carefully. Duo and her both had mechanical skills but since she hadn't been trained specially like he had, she was having a bit of trouble figuring out some of the newer parts. Giving a shrug and ignoring the whispers, she leaned back and closed her eyes, suddenly regretting that she hadn't slept in almost two days. She heard a gasp and the sound of books dropping and had to fight down a smile. Ami had arrived. A few minutes later a squeal emerged and she guessed Minako was there. But the sensei arrived and any conversation they might have had was lost as he began roll call.
Lunch came quickly and Lita stood quickly and made her way to the base of the tree they used to eat at. She sat slowly, suddenly and vividly remembering the garden she'd been at with Heero. Swallowing the lump that rose in her throat, she waited for her friends to arrive.
* * *
Ami and Minako walked side by side towards the courtyard heavy with guilt, confusion and happiness. Makoto was back. But their last words to her hung like a chain around their necks. And then the confusion. Where had they been the last month? Why did she dress like she did? Why the hell did she take her ponytail out?!
"Mako-chan?" Ami questioned the brunette quietly.
"No. I was born as Lita Trio. But yes, it's me."
"We missed you!" Minako lifted her finger and wagged it lightly. "Bad Mako! We lost Usagi AND you in one blow-though both were kinda our fault-and Michiru and Haruka are missing. How dare you hang out with cute boys without me!" Ami raised her eyebrows at the last comment. "Who were they?"
"My boyfriend, Heero, and my brother was somewhere in the room. So was Usagi's brother and his boyfriend. Wufei was in there somewhere, I think, I don't know. I was in the kitchen."
"Your brother?" Minako blinked. "But you're-"
"Not who you think I am. I had a whole life before Setsuna brought me here. We need to talk. She moved to stand. "Now."
"But we still have-" Ami started to argue.
"Uh uh. Now, Ami. What's going on right now is even more important then missing a half a day of school. Temple, now. You can call Rei and tell her to be there too-I'll meet you all there."
"But-"
"It's about Serenity." Turning her back, she walked away from her two stunned friends.
* * *
Spending the small amount of time she had, Lita grabbed three folders she'd made that morning and a gun before heading to the temple. When she got there, all three were already seated at the edge of the small pond. Ignoring the flash of memory she got of the times they'd sat there before, she walked towards her teammates.
"Mako…" Rei stood.
"Rei. I'm sorry for what I said. However, we don't have time for apologizes. I have precisely one month to teach you things that took me a lifetime to hone and perfect. You'll each have a specific sector to excel in but…" she sighed. "I supposed I should start at the beginning.
"I was born as Lita. I never knew my last name as my parents were drunks and druggies who got pregnant again two years after having me. That's when they had Duo. They didn't give him a name though, before they died. I called him Kenneth for a while. When our parents died, we ended up on the streets." She ignored their shocked expressions and went on.
"We met up with Solo and his gang of street brats a few years later. Lets see, I was five I think while Duo was still three. We joined." She gave a wistful smile. "I named by brother Duo and took on Trio to my name. D-boy and I became the number one pick pockets in the whole colony next to Solo who eventually taught us what he knew of martial arts, explosives, and weapons-specifically guns. We learned street fighting on our own. I can do practically any dirty trick you'd ever learn and some that you wouldn't. Anyway," her voice got softer, "Solo and a bunch of the younger kids came down with an incurable sickness about four years later. I wasn't even twelve yet. They eventually died, no matter how much medicine I stole for them. Solo made me promise that I'd get myself and Duo off the streets, that I'd do better for us. I took us to the Maxwell church where we were watched after and schooled in civilized things by Sister Helen and the residing priest." Lita went on to explain her and Duo's picnics and the day she was taken by Setsuna.
"You knew who she was all this time?! You remembered?" Rei's voice was outraged.
"I did. But it came at a terrible price, Rei. I have up my only family, my blood, my name, my past, and whatever future I would have had there for that knowledge. A price I wouldn't pay for any but you guys and Serenity.
"I went back after our fight. I decided that I wanted to find my brother. And I did. Turns out that a year after I left, the church was burnt down by OZ soldiers and both the priest and Sister Helen were dead. Murdered. Duo was found by someone who trained him to be a soldier for the other side, the good guys. He's spent his life killing because I came here. Because I couldn't protect him." Her hand curled into a fist. "But he and four other specially trained boys banded together to save earth and the colonies and despite the odds, one the Eve wars and many battles after that. They are the saviors of earth and the colonies."
"You said this meeting had to do with Usagi," Ami whispered after a few minutes of dead silence.
"No. I said it had to do with Serenity. Serenity Usagi Reberbra Winner, actually. She is from my home, I found out, one sister of one of the four other boys, Quatre Reberba Winner, heir to the Winner Corporation, one of the richest people on or off planet. He also has another sister you may know. Haruka Tenisis Reberbra Winner."
"What?!"
"Usagi Tsukino is as good as dead. But Serenity is not. The Usagi we knew is not the same, as Serenity has always been smart, gracefull, and tactful. But underneath is Usagi's heart. The same heart we've all come to know and love."
"She's alive." Minako smiled brilliantly. "So you mentioned a boyfriend?"
"Yea," Lita laughed. Leave it up to Minako to brighten the mood. "My love of both lifetimes, Heero Yui, General Yui in the Silver Millennium. He friends call him the perfect soldier and he's my brother's best friend."
"Perfect, huh?" Minako smiled evilly. "Even in bed? You two doing the horizontal-"
"Minako!" Lita turned red. "None of your business."
"Who are the other boys?" Ami asked.
"Wufei Chang, the honorable dragon. Trowa Barton, Quatre's boyfriend-though their not out yet-known as the Silencer. My brother, Duo Maxwell, who insists on calling himself the Shinigami. Hotaru won't be too happy about that, now that I think about it. Quatre-the desert noble, and Heero-the perfect soldier. I have one month to teach you in martial arts, guns, explosives, stealth, history and mobile suit schematics." She looked around to judge reactions. Rei looked like she was on information overload and was deathly white. Ami looked both interested and frightened at the same time while Minako had a huge smile plastered on her face. They all turned when she spoke.
"Oh goody." Everyone looked shocked.
"Oh goody?" Rei repeated.
"Yes. Oh goody." Minako smiled and then put on a serious and sad face. "Oh, I suppose I should tell you. I was born in this dimension," they all looked confused. "But I was raised as Minako Contessa Winner, twenty ninth child of the Winner family until I was nine. Then I was sent back here. Brilliant really, seeing how I just remembered!"
"Minako, you…" Lita stuttered. "Hold up. Pluto said there was no more from that timeline."
"Wrong. Lita, I said that there was none of them were born there. Minako was not born there, she was born here. I simply moved her back and forth." Setsuna stood on the rock in the middle of the lake. "Now I have to go, but I find it admirable, Mina, that you are not trying to hit me like Haruka and Lita both wanted to." Without another word, Setsuna disappeared.
"Oh, don't worry, Sets," Minako said after the time senshi had disappeared. She ignored the looks on her friends faces too. "My revenge will be much, much more devastating then a bruise!" She gave an evil bought of laughter that reminding them slightly of Emerald and turned to her fellow senshi, stating with a smile, "shall we get started?"
TBC
TADA!! Oh, is anyone getting bored with this? Please let me know if you are. And if I don't get a substantial amount of reviews to push me on I may stop… not a threat, just a warning I guess. OH! If any of you were paying close enough attention, Rashid said that there were TWO Winner daughters in the picture Makoto had in her bag… but earlier I said that Usagi took the pic so it couldn't have been her and Haruka… YAY! I was subtle!
P.S. Anyone ever watched Fruit Basket? Doesn't it ROCK?!!
Two: I was falling behind in my school work and had some major catching up to do before grades got sent home. I still made honor role for all that care.
Three: I had finals which I studied for last minute and thankfully passed probably only because I was in the good graces of the Goddess.
Four: I caught the writers block bug that's been going around and had a hard time thinking of stuff to say.
Five: I was gone on a week long retreat with my class and had no time to write. They woke us up at 6:45 and wouldn't let us go to bed until around 1:00 in the morning and ALL day was full of shit to do, most of it emotional. They have this theory that if you're tired, you don't put up emotional barriers and are therefore more honest with yourself and others. Trust me, it works. So I came back from that and slept for the rest of the weekend.
Six: I went to L.A. with my mom and brother and didn't have access to my ffn account.
::Takes a deep breath:: Okay. Enough excuses. Oh wait, one more. I did try to upload but most of this chapter didn't end up going on, it ended with _ERROR_ or something. So I'm re-uploading the whole damn thing. If anyone doesn't want to read through the revamping I did then here's what I changed.
1) Duo is two years younger than Lita
Therefore the senshi are – 23
The Pilots are – 18 with the exception of Trowa and Heero who are 19
READ ON AND REVIEW DAMNIT!!
Author: Fate's Child (Terra Brooks)
Date: March 19, 2002
E-mail: Prncss_Earth@hotmail.com
Chapter 10
Going home and finding Serenity
"Doesn't anyone find it at all strange that one minute we're in one room and the next all in different positions in the hallway and talking as if we were in the middle of a conversation?!" The pilots tried to hide their shock at the exasperation in the 'perfect' soldier's voice.
"Errr…"
"Not to mention the fact that your mysteriously absent sisters AND your mysteriously absent sisters ALL appear within a week of each other?"
"Eh, Heero, we do think it's odd…" Duo began.
"And you DON'T want answers?"
"You ask her, she's your girlfriend." Trowa mumbled.
"Duo's she's your sister." Heero responded.
"Haruka and Serenity are Quatre's sisters."
"Stupid onnas." Wufei snorted. He may understand that Lita was not weak-and he had a feeling the others weren't either-but that didn't mean that a long habit of calling woman onna was going to cease. Not to mention the fact that he had even called Marrian 'onna' on occasion.
"Does anyone feel like we've had this conversation before?" Quatre asked, looking slightly puzzled. Everyone in the room stopped their argument and
looked at him.
"What?" He asked, rubbing his chest slightly. Someone in the house-or someones- was in serious pain at the moment emotionally. "I just feel like we've had this conversation before." Heero's eyes narrowed dangerously. He
thought back on the last few days.
"Think really, really hard," he demanded, his voice hard and almost emotionless. "Think about every conversation you've had the last few days with Lita." Everyone did as they were ordered. "Now tell me what you remember."
"There's gaps," Trowa murmured softly.
"Someone has been tempering with our memories," Wufei cursed. "There are discrepancies in all of your auras, mine too, I'm guessing."
"Discrepancies?" Quatre asked as he stopped rubbing his chest. The pain had lessened a great deal. At least the girls had worked something out.
"Which means that there is something going on that they don't want us to know." Heero smiled. "And we're going to find out."
* * *
The rest of the conversation died quickly since it was mainly based on the "Moon Guard" and they had discussed it previously. Everyone had gone their separate ways until dinner and Heero stood by his bed glaring down at his computer. It had given him no answers on what he'd been doing before his mysterious memory blank.
"Ano, Hee-chan, I don't think that glaring at it will change anything. I'm good with computers though-not as technical as Ami-but I could-" Heero kissed her mid-ramble.
"No." The command was softened by another kiss. He did not need her figuring out he knew something was wrong. He sighed and put his arms around his
girlfriend's waist.
"Well…" Lita trailed off. "What do you want to do until dinner than?" She hit him when he smirked. "Ecchi."
"Always… well, actually, only since I met you." Lita blushed before smirking herself.
"You kiss pretty good for it being your first time… was it part of your solider training?" She had the satisfaction of seeing his cheeks pinken.
"Why don't I take you to my favorite place in the Sank Kingdom?" Lita nodded curiously and wondered, when she pulled on one of Heero's jackets if she had just agreed to visit a gun shop or something.
Her curiosity hit a new level when she saw him pull a blanket from the closet and stuff it into a bag. After a quick stop to the kitchens-he made her wait outside-they headed to his motorcycle and after he strapped on the bag and tossed her a helmet, they got on. Lita gave a quick prayer of thanks to the
Goddess that she rarely wore skirts.
They stopped in the back of a run down building and Hero untied the bag. The sun had just started to set when they made their way into the building. Pausing at the base of the stairs, Heero glanced back at his girlfriend and she caught a glimpse of uncertainty in his eyes. Understanding that he was going to share something personal to him, something he'd never shared with someone else,
she smiled and grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his.
* * *
Heero tuned at the base of the stairs, for the first time having second thoughts about bringing her up. When she smiled at him and placed her hand in his, something in him shifted and sighed. The moment he looked into her eyes, he saw something that made everything he was sharing with her seem right. He opened his mouth and shook his head, kissing her instead of saying anything.
When they reached the top of the stairs and stepped through the doorway to the roof, a soft gasp escaped her lips. Too enchanted to be embarrassed about how feminine the gasp had sounded, she stepped away from her boyfriend and twirled around.
"Heero, it's beautiful."
They were encased in an outdoor garden. Flowers and trees surrounded the high wall around the room. There was a small fountain in the center and two chairs next to a small table. A telescope was set up and pointed to the sky in front of one of the chairs. Heero shrugged in mild embarrassment and spread out the blanket and food he'd taken from his pillage to the kitchen. He took out two bottles of pepsi twist when a lance of pain shot through his head. Dropping the bottles with a clatter, he clutched at the blanket of the floor beneath him and pitched forward.
"Heero!" Lita headed towards the boy as he went down, wincing at his moan of pain. She gently grabbed his head and placed it in her lap after checking his pulse. It was fast, but steady. Placing her hands on his temples, she was struck by a wave of white hot pain. Grey began to seep into the edges of her vision. Fighting it off for as long as she could, she sent a mental cry for help she hoped one of the senshi got before it was too late. Suddenly, all she knew was darkness.
* * *
Heero opened his eyes to find himself in a garden. But it was not the one he had just left Lita in. Looking around for his girlfriend, he grimaced as he saw no one else with him. Suddenly snapping his head up, his eyes widened and then narrowed as he noticed he was staring at earth in the sky.
"Yes, Heero Yui, you are no longer in the Sanq kingdom. No worries, though, your love is fine." He pulled his gun out and pointed it at the shimmering apparition in front of him. It was a small, fairy like woman with gossamer wings. "And I'm already dead, so that weapon won't work on me."
"Who are you and who do you work for." The words were out of his mouth before his brain registered how ridicules they sounded.
"I am the former Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. I worked for the Silver Alliance. However," she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, "since I am dead and so is the Alliance, that doesn't matter. Not to mention that questioning my past is NOT why you're here. I fear I made an error in judgment when I asked Pluto to wipe your memories. The timeline has shifted again and I feel you will need all your memories to deal with the trials ahead. It will at least save the outer senshi some time." She waved her hand again and Heero staggered with the force of his memories and past feelings. A mild head ache remained as he bowed lightly, but glared.
"I wish that you would have given me some warning, your majesty."
"Brace yourself, General Yui," she giggled when he just glared, then sobered as she realized she was wasting valuable time. "I fear our time for fun has ended. There was a reason I brought you here. Firstly, to explain about the Moon Guard. After the girls were reborn on earth, they fought a number of enemies. Their last enemy brought them in contact with the leading planet in the next star system over. They knew of the supposed future of the earth-one with my daughter as Neo Queen. It has come time that they wish to open up a peace trade with the people of earth. But the warriors were specifically sent to deal with Serenity and her court. Sailors Star Fighter, Healer and Maker are in charge of the mission. Since they personally know all of the senshi, they are suspicious that Serenity does not sit on the throne and are curious as to the whereabouts of her and her senshi." She sighed.
"They are quite serious about her waging war on your planet and space colonies. The only way to stop that is to get my daughter to contact them and relay the message that she and her court are fine and that they should head back to their star system. You need to ask Serenity to contact them as soon as you can get back to the house. Better yet," the former queen looked thoughtful. "Get Sailors Fighter, Healer and Maker to stay. Introduce Fighter and Relena."
"Why-"
"Oh! And you need to find a way to put Millardo on the throne-not Relena. She is unstable."
"Then why-"
"I can't tell you anymore. Protect my daughter and your love with all you have, General Yui. You have but a few moments with Makoto before she must go." The Queen's gaze was sad. "Use them well. Tell her of your love." Heero opened his mouth to speak but found himself back in the garden, his head on Lita's lap. He sat up quickly and turned just in time to see her open her eyes.
"What-"
"You suffered magical backlash from when I was-" He shook his head, remembering the Queen's last words. "I love you, Lita." He ignored her intake of breath. "I loved you in this time too, but was no… emotionally stable enough to say so. But I remember everything now and love you all the more." His hurried explanation died on his lips as she began to fade. "Shit. She wasn't kidding about having a little time. I love you, Lita. NO matter what happens, don't you dare forget that."
"Heero-" Her words were cut off as she disappeared completely. He stared at the place she had been just moment before and angrily wiped away the lone tear that worked his way down his check. He glanced up and met the eyes of a forlorn moon Princess.
"Princess." He inclined his head respectfully and stood.
"General Yui." She gave a sad smile. "I assume you remember everything.
As happy as I am for that… it came at a difficult price."
"She'll be okay?" He meant it to come out as a statement but instead found the pitiful question.
"Yes. OF that I'm sure. I haven't figured out a lot about what's going on. But where I was the key to the other battles, she is the key to this one. You and Makoto are. In time, each senshi will have her battle."
"Great." Heero grimaced. "Now I have to tell Duo."
"He'll… no, he won't understand." She gave a brilliant smile and linked arms with the still weak soldier. "But we'll think of something. Now tell me of your life so far here. I now of you being a Gundam pilot, as does Mako, Haruka and Michiru, so don't leave a thing out. And that's an order, General."
-----This is where I'd stop if I hadn't taken so damn long. I'm sorry about that by the way--------
"Love you-" Lita closed her mouth and mentally swore when she realized she'd spoken to slowly and had already disappeared to wherever the hell she was now. Looking around slowly, her head still pounding from the magical backlash, it took her a minute to realize that one, she had all her memories from the Silver Millennium, ALL of them, and two, she was back in Juuban Park, Tokyo Japan in what she presumed was 2001.
She stood silently and wiped off the dirt from the seat of her pants. Taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, she turned her mind to trying to figure out why she'd ended back up in Juuban. Heero had blacked out, knocked her out with the backlash. She woke up, he knew who and what she-and he- were. SO he'd gotten his memories back. But why in Kami's name had she been thrown back into 2001?! She started to walk away from the park when she noticed a letter crumpled where she'd been sitting. Assuming that she'd simply landed on it during her fall, she was surprised to note that it was addressed to her. She narrowed her eyes, however, when she noticed it was in the bold script belonging to the senshi of time.
Makoto Lita Trio-
You are, no doubt, curious as to why I have sent you back. The most simple answer is that I was under direct orders from Serenity II. General Yui has regained his memories and will help the pilots to fight anything that comes their way along with Serenity, Haruka and Michiru. You are to be assigned a different mission that will be completed in exactly a month, 31 days from when you open this letter.
The senshi have training (and only a little, at that) in their magical powers. None, save Haruka, Serenity and yourself have extensive training in any military affairs. Michiru will be taught by those left behind with her. Your mission, however, is to teach the inner senshi and Hotaru who should arrive at the temple on your third day into lessons. As I said before, you have a month to complete this mission.
Once the senshi are brought into the AC timeline, events will unfold at a startling pace that will leave no time for training. Martial Arts and street fighting, computer hacking, stealth, explosives, guns and mobile suit workings along with a short history of the AC time is what you must teach. In your apartment, I have left a disk and a notebook with all the new mobile suit blueprints. I'm sure you can figure them out with your previous knowledge.
Good Luck,
Setsuna Meioh
Guardian of Pluto time Gates, Senshi of the first order of Serenity III.
"Great. She kicked the base of the tree closest to her. She was by no means a coward but after the last conversations she'd held with the senshi, she was less then thrilled to go tell them she'd not only been lying to them about who she was, but that she was there to train them. Minako was sorry, that much she knew, but the others… well, judging from the light grazing the horizon, she had enough time to make it to school to catch Ami and Minako in the morning. Grinning, she took off towards her apartment. She wanted a few things first.
* * *
Whatever rumor had been started by her reputation and disappearance were replaced by more as she walked into the school yard. Instead of the blue skirt, she wore khaki cargo pants and a blue sailor shirt. Her hair was braided and the pendant stood out between her breasts. She made her way to her homeroom, a note from her "parents" tucked into her bag explaining about the death of her great aunt. She sat silently and took out the spiral notebook that Setsuna had left for her and looked at the mechanics of the mobile suits.
She bent her head and studied them carefully. Duo and her both had mechanical skills but since she hadn't been trained specially like he had, she was having a bit of trouble figuring out some of the newer parts. Giving a shrug and ignoring the whispers, she leaned back and closed her eyes, suddenly regretting that she hadn't slept in almost two days. She heard a gasp and the sound of books dropping and had to fight down a smile. Ami had arrived. A few minutes later a squeal emerged and she guessed Minako was there. But the sensei arrived and any conversation they might have had was lost as he began roll call.
Lunch came quickly and Lita stood quickly and made her way to the base of the tree they used to eat at. She sat slowly, suddenly and vividly remembering the garden she'd been at with Heero. Swallowing the lump that rose in her throat, she waited for her friends to arrive.
* * *
Ami and Minako walked side by side towards the courtyard heavy with guilt, confusion and happiness. Makoto was back. But their last words to her hung like a chain around their necks. And then the confusion. Where had they been the last month? Why did she dress like she did? Why the hell did she take her ponytail out?!
"Mako-chan?" Ami questioned the brunette quietly.
"No. I was born as Lita Trio. But yes, it's me."
"We missed you!" Minako lifted her finger and wagged it lightly. "Bad Mako! We lost Usagi AND you in one blow-though both were kinda our fault-and Michiru and Haruka are missing. How dare you hang out with cute boys without me!" Ami raised her eyebrows at the last comment. "Who were they?"
"My boyfriend, Heero, and my brother was somewhere in the room. So was Usagi's brother and his boyfriend. Wufei was in there somewhere, I think, I don't know. I was in the kitchen."
"Your brother?" Minako blinked. "But you're-"
"Not who you think I am. I had a whole life before Setsuna brought me here. We need to talk. She moved to stand. "Now."
"But we still have-" Ami started to argue.
"Uh uh. Now, Ami. What's going on right now is even more important then missing a half a day of school. Temple, now. You can call Rei and tell her to be there too-I'll meet you all there."
"But-"
"It's about Serenity." Turning her back, she walked away from her two stunned friends.
* * *
Spending the small amount of time she had, Lita grabbed three folders she'd made that morning and a gun before heading to the temple. When she got there, all three were already seated at the edge of the small pond. Ignoring the flash of memory she got of the times they'd sat there before, she walked towards her teammates.
"Mako…" Rei stood.
"Rei. I'm sorry for what I said. However, we don't have time for apologizes. I have precisely one month to teach you things that took me a lifetime to hone and perfect. You'll each have a specific sector to excel in but…" she sighed. "I supposed I should start at the beginning.
"I was born as Lita. I never knew my last name as my parents were drunks and druggies who got pregnant again two years after having me. That's when they had Duo. They didn't give him a name though, before they died. I called him Kenneth for a while. When our parents died, we ended up on the streets." She ignored their shocked expressions and went on.
"We met up with Solo and his gang of street brats a few years later. Lets see, I was five I think while Duo was still three. We joined." She gave a wistful smile. "I named by brother Duo and took on Trio to my name. D-boy and I became the number one pick pockets in the whole colony next to Solo who eventually taught us what he knew of martial arts, explosives, and weapons-specifically guns. We learned street fighting on our own. I can do practically any dirty trick you'd ever learn and some that you wouldn't. Anyway," her voice got softer, "Solo and a bunch of the younger kids came down with an incurable sickness about four years later. I wasn't even twelve yet. They eventually died, no matter how much medicine I stole for them. Solo made me promise that I'd get myself and Duo off the streets, that I'd do better for us. I took us to the Maxwell church where we were watched after and schooled in civilized things by Sister Helen and the residing priest." Lita went on to explain her and Duo's picnics and the day she was taken by Setsuna.
"You knew who she was all this time?! You remembered?" Rei's voice was outraged.
"I did. But it came at a terrible price, Rei. I have up my only family, my blood, my name, my past, and whatever future I would have had there for that knowledge. A price I wouldn't pay for any but you guys and Serenity.
"I went back after our fight. I decided that I wanted to find my brother. And I did. Turns out that a year after I left, the church was burnt down by OZ soldiers and both the priest and Sister Helen were dead. Murdered. Duo was found by someone who trained him to be a soldier for the other side, the good guys. He's spent his life killing because I came here. Because I couldn't protect him." Her hand curled into a fist. "But he and four other specially trained boys banded together to save earth and the colonies and despite the odds, one the Eve wars and many battles after that. They are the saviors of earth and the colonies."
"You said this meeting had to do with Usagi," Ami whispered after a few minutes of dead silence.
"No. I said it had to do with Serenity. Serenity Usagi Reberbra Winner, actually. She is from my home, I found out, one sister of one of the four other boys, Quatre Reberba Winner, heir to the Winner Corporation, one of the richest people on or off planet. He also has another sister you may know. Haruka Tenisis Reberbra Winner."
"What?!"
"Usagi Tsukino is as good as dead. But Serenity is not. The Usagi we knew is not the same, as Serenity has always been smart, gracefull, and tactful. But underneath is Usagi's heart. The same heart we've all come to know and love."
"She's alive." Minako smiled brilliantly. "So you mentioned a boyfriend?"
"Yea," Lita laughed. Leave it up to Minako to brighten the mood. "My love of both lifetimes, Heero Yui, General Yui in the Silver Millennium. He friends call him the perfect soldier and he's my brother's best friend."
"Perfect, huh?" Minako smiled evilly. "Even in bed? You two doing the horizontal-"
"Minako!" Lita turned red. "None of your business."
"Who are the other boys?" Ami asked.
"Wufei Chang, the honorable dragon. Trowa Barton, Quatre's boyfriend-though their not out yet-known as the Silencer. My brother, Duo Maxwell, who insists on calling himself the Shinigami. Hotaru won't be too happy about that, now that I think about it. Quatre-the desert noble, and Heero-the perfect soldier. I have one month to teach you in martial arts, guns, explosives, stealth, history and mobile suit schematics." She looked around to judge reactions. Rei looked like she was on information overload and was deathly white. Ami looked both interested and frightened at the same time while Minako had a huge smile plastered on her face. They all turned when she spoke.
"Oh goody." Everyone looked shocked.
"Oh goody?" Rei repeated.
"Yes. Oh goody." Minako smiled and then put on a serious and sad face. "Oh, I suppose I should tell you. I was born in this dimension," they all looked confused. "But I was raised as Minako Contessa Winner, twenty ninth child of the Winner family until I was nine. Then I was sent back here. Brilliant really, seeing how I just remembered!"
"Minako, you…" Lita stuttered. "Hold up. Pluto said there was no more from that timeline."
"Wrong. Lita, I said that there was none of them were born there. Minako was not born there, she was born here. I simply moved her back and forth." Setsuna stood on the rock in the middle of the lake. "Now I have to go, but I find it admirable, Mina, that you are not trying to hit me like Haruka and Lita both wanted to." Without another word, Setsuna disappeared.
"Oh, don't worry, Sets," Minako said after the time senshi had disappeared. She ignored the looks on her friends faces too. "My revenge will be much, much more devastating then a bruise!" She gave an evil bought of laughter that reminding them slightly of Emerald and turned to her fellow senshi, stating with a smile, "shall we get started?"
TBC
TADA!! Oh, is anyone getting bored with this? Please let me know if you are. And if I don't get a substantial amount of reviews to push me on I may stop… not a threat, just a warning I guess. OH! If any of you were paying close enough attention, Rashid said that there were TWO Winner daughters in the picture Makoto had in her bag… but earlier I said that Usagi took the pic so it couldn't have been her and Haruka… YAY! I was subtle!
P.S. Anyone ever watched Fruit Basket? Doesn't it ROCK?!!
