Chapter 2: Destiny Waiting
Minako rested her head on the outside wall of the arcade. Artemis had promised to meet her here fifteen minutes ago. She glanced at the arcade entrance. The arcade brought back fond memories for Mina. She and her friends had spent much of their free time at the arcade in the Juuban district. There were times when she the missed the other senshi, Usagi and Rei especially. And of course she would always miss Yaten. Mina smiled. How her friend would laugh that this time she was on time, and Artemis was the one who was making her wait.
"You look pretty cheerful today Mina."
Mina looked down at a small white cat, with a crescent moon on it's forehead. "You're late Artemis."
"The castle was busy this morning."
"Oh that's right. Today is Audience Day."
A little girl walked out of the arcade . Behind her were her mother and father. The little girl squealed when she saw Mina. "Look Mommy! It's Sailor V!!"
The girl's father looked at Mina. His eyes widened. "Why that's Minako Aino. She used to be a world famous model when I was a boy. Is she really a Sailor Senshi of Queen Serenity's?"
The little girl pulled on her mother's arm. "Mommy do you think she'd give me her autograph?"
"I'm sure she is tired of people harassing her all the time." her mother said.
Mina spoke loudly. "I don't mind a bit."
The little girl broke free of her mother and ran to Mina.
"How did you know I was Sailor V?" Minako asked.
"I know all about the Sailor Senshi. I saw Eternal Queen Serenity at a parade once. I've even played the Sailor V game. You guys are the coolest."
Mina was stunned. Artemis had created the Sailor V game when Mina had first became Sailor Venus. Mina signed the girl's book, and watched her run back to her parents. Mina's eyes filled up with tears.
Artemis looked up at her worriedly. "What's wrong Minako?"
The tears began to drip silently down her cheeks. "I want to find girls like that. Little girls who already know what a Sailor Senshi is, and who admire what we are."
Artemis rubbed his head against Mina's ankle. "Don't worry Minako. Princess Serenity is only a baby. There is still plenty of time."
"But what if I'm too late? During the Moon Kingdom all of us scouts were born before Usagi."
"Is that what's upsetting you?"
Mina nodded her head.
"Listen Mina. The senshi will be found as their powers develop. I'm telling you, you have plenty of time."
Mina slumped to the ground. "But I have to find them Artemis.", she whispered. "I quit modeling to develop and run a Sailor Senshi training program when Usagi asked me to. Then I got busy and my best friend grew old and died, while I had other duties to attend to!" Mina burst into tears. "I walk around Crystal Tokyo trying to fulfill the last duty my Queen gave me. I'm so scared Artemis. If I don't find them, I'll have let Usagi down. And Rini."
Artemis climbed into Mina's lap. "Don't worry Mina. We all have faith in you. You're the first senshi. If anyone can do this, it's you."
Mina gave him a wan smile. "Thanks Artemis."
. .
.
Hotaru knelt on the floor, wiping up juice from the kitchen floor. Arashi lay asleep on a cushion nearby. Hotaru stood up and put the rag in the sink. Arashi was beginning to live up to her name. The juice cup on the floor was just the newest disaster. Hotaru smiled to herself. Arashi was only two years old. She was a sweet child most of the time. Setsuna had adopted Hotaru after Michiru had been kidnaped. She was honored to be Arashi's grandmother. Hotaru knew it made up for the biological children Setsuna would never have.
Saiki was a wonderful father and husband. He was a Chancellor in the Crystal Palace. Chancellors advised the Queen, and brought cases of law from the courts that needed her decision. Saiki had been Head Chancellor for two years before Hotaru had meet him. She had been searching for Haruka again, and Rini asked her to come back home. It had only taken Saiki four months to propose. Saiki would come home from work and play with Arashi for hours.
Hotaru felt she had a wonderful life, but she was still uneasy. For the last few weeks she had woken up from horrible nightmares. In some she died in the fire that had killed her biological mother. In others, Arashi was enveloped in flames, and Hotaru failed to save her. That dream had left her in tears. In some she relived the destruction of the Moon Kingdom. Worse still than that, was a dream that truly terrified her. Crystal Tokyo lay in ruins. The Crystal Palace destroyed. She was being called upon for the final destruction. She held the Silence Glaive in her hand, sobbing. Then the dream would suddenly shift. Crystal Tokyo was whole, but Arashi held the Glaive. Arashi laughed as the Silence Glaive came down.
This is what set Hotaru on edge. The dream hinted that Arashi might live up to her name too well.
. . .
Mina spotted Hotaru walking through the palace garden. Arashi was walking beside her, plucking petals from a daisy. Mina smiled wistfully. She wanted a daughter like her one day. Arashi looked just like Hotaru, except she had Saiki's beautiful purple eyes.
Mina crossed the garden, to where Hotaru was standing. The two senshi hugged. "How are things going?", Mina asked.
"She's a handful. I started her on the puzzle that Haruka had once given me."
Mina's eyes opened in shock. "Is she a senshi?"
Hotaru shook her head. "Not that Setsuna or I can tell."
Mina sighed. She had hoped to have found the first senshi. She thought she had. She felt drawn to Arashi, in much the same way she had been drawn to the other senshi.
A crossbow bolt hit the ground at Hotaru's feet. Hotaru jumped back and grabbed Arashi. Mina scanned the garden for signs of the archer. On the garden wall were three people, one holding the crossbow and the other two in palace livery.
Mina wasted no time. "Venus Planet Power Make Up!"
"Saturn Planet Power Make Up!"
Mina looked at Hotaru, Sailor Saturn. She was holding Arashi close. Suddenly Mina heard the twang of a longbow, and Hotaru went down.
"Venus Lovely Chain." Her golden heart whip shattered the longbow. She turned back to Hotaru. The two in palace livery were running away, but they had managed to snatch Arashi. Hotaru snarled in rage. Mina helped her to her feet, and they ran after them.
Mina bent down gasping for breath. It had been a long time since she had done this sort of thing. She noticed that she had stopped right in front of the palace gate. Hotaru's anguished cry made her look up. On the top of the gate was a Negaverse yomen holding Arashi by the top of her dress. The yomen barred it's teeth as if in a smile.
"No!!", Hotaru screamed.
A brilliant purple light filled the sky. But it wasn't coming from Hotaru. Arashi's forehead glowed with the symbol for the planet Saturn. Startled, the yomen let go of Arashi. Mina leaped up and caught her.
"Ceres Thunder Shock!"
The yomen went down in a heap. Sailor Ceres had arrived with the palace guards. In the guards custody were the two in palace livery. Ceres looked at Hotaru.
"These two will be held in the dungeons tonight. You can make formal charges tomorrow."
Mina gave Arashi back to Hotaru. The symbol of Saturn still glowed, but it was beginning to fade.
"Mina could you train her to be a Sailor Senshi?", Hotaru asked.
Mina smiled. "It's what I've been looking forward to."
Finally the first senshi had been found.
Minako rested her head on the outside wall of the arcade. Artemis had promised to meet her here fifteen minutes ago. She glanced at the arcade entrance. The arcade brought back fond memories for Mina. She and her friends had spent much of their free time at the arcade in the Juuban district. There were times when she the missed the other senshi, Usagi and Rei especially. And of course she would always miss Yaten. Mina smiled. How her friend would laugh that this time she was on time, and Artemis was the one who was making her wait.
"You look pretty cheerful today Mina."
Mina looked down at a small white cat, with a crescent moon on it's forehead. "You're late Artemis."
"The castle was busy this morning."
"Oh that's right. Today is Audience Day."
A little girl walked out of the arcade . Behind her were her mother and father. The little girl squealed when she saw Mina. "Look Mommy! It's Sailor V!!"
The girl's father looked at Mina. His eyes widened. "Why that's Minako Aino. She used to be a world famous model when I was a boy. Is she really a Sailor Senshi of Queen Serenity's?"
The little girl pulled on her mother's arm. "Mommy do you think she'd give me her autograph?"
"I'm sure she is tired of people harassing her all the time." her mother said.
Mina spoke loudly. "I don't mind a bit."
The little girl broke free of her mother and ran to Mina.
"How did you know I was Sailor V?" Minako asked.
"I know all about the Sailor Senshi. I saw Eternal Queen Serenity at a parade once. I've even played the Sailor V game. You guys are the coolest."
Mina was stunned. Artemis had created the Sailor V game when Mina had first became Sailor Venus. Mina signed the girl's book, and watched her run back to her parents. Mina's eyes filled up with tears.
Artemis looked up at her worriedly. "What's wrong Minako?"
The tears began to drip silently down her cheeks. "I want to find girls like that. Little girls who already know what a Sailor Senshi is, and who admire what we are."
Artemis rubbed his head against Mina's ankle. "Don't worry Minako. Princess Serenity is only a baby. There is still plenty of time."
"But what if I'm too late? During the Moon Kingdom all of us scouts were born before Usagi."
"Is that what's upsetting you?"
Mina nodded her head.
"Listen Mina. The senshi will be found as their powers develop. I'm telling you, you have plenty of time."
Mina slumped to the ground. "But I have to find them Artemis.", she whispered. "I quit modeling to develop and run a Sailor Senshi training program when Usagi asked me to. Then I got busy and my best friend grew old and died, while I had other duties to attend to!" Mina burst into tears. "I walk around Crystal Tokyo trying to fulfill the last duty my Queen gave me. I'm so scared Artemis. If I don't find them, I'll have let Usagi down. And Rini."
Artemis climbed into Mina's lap. "Don't worry Mina. We all have faith in you. You're the first senshi. If anyone can do this, it's you."
Mina gave him a wan smile. "Thanks Artemis."
. .
.
Hotaru knelt on the floor, wiping up juice from the kitchen floor. Arashi lay asleep on a cushion nearby. Hotaru stood up and put the rag in the sink. Arashi was beginning to live up to her name. The juice cup on the floor was just the newest disaster. Hotaru smiled to herself. Arashi was only two years old. She was a sweet child most of the time. Setsuna had adopted Hotaru after Michiru had been kidnaped. She was honored to be Arashi's grandmother. Hotaru knew it made up for the biological children Setsuna would never have.
Saiki was a wonderful father and husband. He was a Chancellor in the Crystal Palace. Chancellors advised the Queen, and brought cases of law from the courts that needed her decision. Saiki had been Head Chancellor for two years before Hotaru had meet him. She had been searching for Haruka again, and Rini asked her to come back home. It had only taken Saiki four months to propose. Saiki would come home from work and play with Arashi for hours.
Hotaru felt she had a wonderful life, but she was still uneasy. For the last few weeks she had woken up from horrible nightmares. In some she died in the fire that had killed her biological mother. In others, Arashi was enveloped in flames, and Hotaru failed to save her. That dream had left her in tears. In some she relived the destruction of the Moon Kingdom. Worse still than that, was a dream that truly terrified her. Crystal Tokyo lay in ruins. The Crystal Palace destroyed. She was being called upon for the final destruction. She held the Silence Glaive in her hand, sobbing. Then the dream would suddenly shift. Crystal Tokyo was whole, but Arashi held the Glaive. Arashi laughed as the Silence Glaive came down.
This is what set Hotaru on edge. The dream hinted that Arashi might live up to her name too well.
. . .
Mina spotted Hotaru walking through the palace garden. Arashi was walking beside her, plucking petals from a daisy. Mina smiled wistfully. She wanted a daughter like her one day. Arashi looked just like Hotaru, except she had Saiki's beautiful purple eyes.
Mina crossed the garden, to where Hotaru was standing. The two senshi hugged. "How are things going?", Mina asked.
"She's a handful. I started her on the puzzle that Haruka had once given me."
Mina's eyes opened in shock. "Is she a senshi?"
Hotaru shook her head. "Not that Setsuna or I can tell."
Mina sighed. She had hoped to have found the first senshi. She thought she had. She felt drawn to Arashi, in much the same way she had been drawn to the other senshi.
A crossbow bolt hit the ground at Hotaru's feet. Hotaru jumped back and grabbed Arashi. Mina scanned the garden for signs of the archer. On the garden wall were three people, one holding the crossbow and the other two in palace livery.
Mina wasted no time. "Venus Planet Power Make Up!"
"Saturn Planet Power Make Up!"
Mina looked at Hotaru, Sailor Saturn. She was holding Arashi close. Suddenly Mina heard the twang of a longbow, and Hotaru went down.
"Venus Lovely Chain." Her golden heart whip shattered the longbow. She turned back to Hotaru. The two in palace livery were running away, but they had managed to snatch Arashi. Hotaru snarled in rage. Mina helped her to her feet, and they ran after them.
Mina bent down gasping for breath. It had been a long time since she had done this sort of thing. She noticed that she had stopped right in front of the palace gate. Hotaru's anguished cry made her look up. On the top of the gate was a Negaverse yomen holding Arashi by the top of her dress. The yomen barred it's teeth as if in a smile.
"No!!", Hotaru screamed.
A brilliant purple light filled the sky. But it wasn't coming from Hotaru. Arashi's forehead glowed with the symbol for the planet Saturn. Startled, the yomen let go of Arashi. Mina leaped up and caught her.
"Ceres Thunder Shock!"
The yomen went down in a heap. Sailor Ceres had arrived with the palace guards. In the guards custody were the two in palace livery. Ceres looked at Hotaru.
"These two will be held in the dungeons tonight. You can make formal charges tomorrow."
Mina gave Arashi back to Hotaru. The symbol of Saturn still glowed, but it was beginning to fade.
"Mina could you train her to be a Sailor Senshi?", Hotaru asked.
Mina smiled. "It's what I've been looking forward to."
Finally the first senshi had been found.