Usagi had been left to ponder her findings. She was once again alone in the
park, night now creeping up on her in the east. The wind was present again
as well and blew through her hair gently. The words that had been spoken
just seconds before had caught her by surprise. She knew very well that
they weren't Japanese, or any language that she knew of. Usagi immediately
decided to contact Ami; she might know what had been spoken to her. She
knew for a fact that she had heard those exact words from the monster of
darkness from earlier.
Then she remembered that she had to get home. There was importance business
at foot that needed attending to. Usagi left the park and began to run for
her home.
* * *
Up in the trees near the park that Usagi had just departed stood Super SailorNeptune and Uranus. They both seemed troubled by the events that had recently passed.
"We were too late to help the princess," said Neptune.
Uranus merely sighed, but then decided to reply. "I know. But there is still the fact that someone else helped her, a someone who appears to be a senshi. And the fact still remains that I couldn't sense her coming or the coming of that monster that she defeated."
"It's not your fault," Neptune said gently, "I couldn't either and I doubt that any of the other senshi could. There is something strange about that girl. And why hasn't she shown her face before?"
"I don't know the answer to that question either," answered Uranus. She changed the subject. "Perhaps we should head back to Hotaru and Setsuna, they are probably waiting to find out what happened."
"I agree, we can solve this mystery later."
The two jumped down from the tree and were suddenly gone.
* * *
The inner senshi were now gathered at Rei's temple. Only Rei knew why they had come to gather, and why Usagi seemed unlike herself. Ami, Makoto, and Minako were all wearing worried looks on their faces, still not knowing the disaster of events that had only just occurred. Luna and Artemis were there as well, pacing the floors of the temple room.
"Well," said Rei hesitatingly, "why don't you tell us all why we are here, Usagi-chan?"
The others nodded in response.
Usagi nodded as well and began to tell her story. At certain points Minako would shout out in worry for her friend, and at other points Makoto would gasp at the capability of the new senshi that had been discovered. All the while though, Ami and Rei remained silent, both deep in thought.
Once she had finished, which was about half of an hour later, Ami finally spoke. "You mentioned that both the monster and the new senshi, SailorStarGazer, said some strange phrase in a foreign language, right?" she asked. Usagi nodded in reply, a look of curiosity on her innocent face. "Do you think you could try to repeat those words to us?"
Usagi had hoped that Ami would ask this question, and was most delighted to fulfill her request, although her pronunciation would be quite different. "Sure Ami-chan, I'll try my best. It was something like Childu off te lighto.... I can't remember the exact pronunciation."
Ami sighed. "Well, the phrase sounds English to me. The closest Japanese translation is Child of Light. In the meantime, I think its best that we all head home for the night."
The group nodded their reply. Then, Minako spoke up. "Usagi-chan, I'll walk home with you just in case something happens again. I've got my henshin broach with me, Artemis brought it along to the meeting." She smiled hopefully at Usagi.
"Then it's settled," said Makoto while raising out of her spot, "we go home and get a good nights rest, not to mention finish all of that homework that our sensei gave us. I'll see you all later then, ja!" She left waving and soon the only person that remained was Rei, eager to do some fire readings.
~ The power of Mars will have to aid me once again, the peace is now gone. But what remains to be seen is if this new senshi is a friend or a foe. ~
Rei head off from their meeting place as soon as the others had left her sight. Making sure that there was no work to be done around the temple, she eventually ended up in the fire room. The windows had been shut close as to prevent any wind from disturbing the fir, however the fire still danced mystically in the air. Making quick movements with her hands, Rei began chanting.
She full of concentration, determined to find some insight on the earlier events of the day. A bright burst from the fire caused her to open her eyes when she was in mid chant though. A picture of a senshi with a tall staff stood before her in the flames, but the image quickly changed to one of darkness. Dark flowing robes were everywhere and Rei could sense a dark and ominous presence. Just as the curtains lifted away however, some unknown force pushed her back from her seating place, which caused to pant heavily, gasping for air.
Responding to their master's pain, Phoebus and Demos appeared through the doorway and sat beside her in worry. "I'm fine," she said quietly, still breathing heavily, "for now anyways."
* * *
On the way home Makoto had remember the black ash that her and Usagi had picked up earlier. She turned around despite the fact that she was almost home and headed in the direction of Ami's house. Unlike Minako though, she hadn't brought her henshin stick with her. Thus she though it would be best if she didn't take the short cut through the park; the city streets would be much safer, even at night.
Night had already begun to take its toll on the city of Tokyo; the tower was already brightly lit up and the stars were twinkling above. Makoto looked above at the sky, no caring to pay attention to the sidewalk and where she was going. She often enjoyed just staring up at the night sky and taking in all of its wonders.
Once she reached a corner street though, the crossing single turned red. Instinctively Makoto stopped and looked at her watch. However, her and many other people on the streets of Tokyo were distracted seconds later as a bright flash skimmed the sky. ~Wow, a shooting star...~ thought Makoto. It had been such a long time since she had seen one.
As the crossing light turned green Makoto snapped out of her daze and began walking across the street. While she was walking though, a girl with short brown hair tied back in a ponytail waved to her. At first, Makoto didn't recognize her, but with a second glance she realized it was Sakai Hoshii from the teashop by her house.
"Konnichiwa Hoshii-san," Makoto said cheerily through the crowd, waving back.
"Kon ba wa Kino-san," Sakai replied quietly. She smiled politely as the two of them passed.
Makoto was left to her thoughts for the remainder of her walk to Ami's house. She had always had an odd feeling about Sakai Hoshii, although she knew her to be very kind and polite. There was just something about her that Makoto couldn't put her finder on. The best explanation that she had ever come up with was that perhaps the two of them had some sort of special connection.
Ignoring the all too common feeling Makoto pressed the button for Ami's apartment.
"Hello?" came a voice from the intercom system.
"Oy, Ami-chan, its me Makoto. I forgot to tell you about something at the meeting earlier."
"Oh, Mako-chan! Okay, I'll open the door for you." Makoto heard a clicking noise, indicating that the door had been opened.
After climbing a few flights of stairs, she arrived at Ami's door where she found her friend to be waiting patiently. They greeted each other and went inside rather quickly.
"So, what is it that you forgot?"
"Well, do you remember the incident at the school earlier today?" Ami nodded in response. "Well, after you and Mina-chan went with Naru-san to the infirmary Usagi and I noticed an odd pile of black ash. I had a plastic bag on me so I thought it might be a good idea to take a sample. I thought that perhaps you could analyze it."
Ami smiled cheerfully. "Sure, that shouldn't take more than a few minutes. In the meantime, I'll put on a some water to make some tea."
Leaving Makoto to her thoughts, Ami started towards the kitchen to boil the water. Afterwards, she went to her bedroom to pick up her mini-computer for the compound analysis for Makoto.
"Here," Makoto said as she entered the living room again, handing Ami the small sample of black ash that she had.
"Hmm..." Ami inserted a small sample into her computer and then pressed a few buttons to indicate what needed to be done. Afterwards, she looked back up at Makoto. "Well, that will take a few minutes. Did you notice anything else odd?"
Makoto tilted her head slightly, thinking. "Actually, now that you mention it, I did. The ash wasn't in an ordinary pile or anything; it was in some sort of formation. It looked purposeful as if it was supposed to be that way." She waved her hands in the air trying to shake off her embarrassment. "That must have sounded really weird. Sorry."
"Not at all. I've heard some pretty crazy things in the past few years." A high-pitched beeping noise indicated that the test was complete. At the same time however, the whistle from the teakettle in the kitchen sounded off.
"I'll make the tea, don't worry about it. Just concentrate on finding out what that stuff is." Makoto smiled and rushed off hurriedly to the kitchen to turn off the stove and make the tea.
Ami turned back to the miniature computer screen to take a look at the results. As she scanned through the list of molecules and elements that the ash was composed of, she came across something very confusing. The usual elements of oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen were there, but so was something else. There was another element unlike something she had ever seen before. It had a huge atomic mass and bonded at least eight times with a hydrogen atom to create an odd shaped molecule.
As Makoto walked back in with two cups of tea in her hands she looked over and peered at Ami's findings. "Is something wrong?" she asked politely, handing her friend the mug from her left hand.
"Not exactly, but yes."
Makoto's face was full of confusion. "How does that work?"
"The ash appears to contain an element and a molecule that I've never seen before, and I've taken advanced chemistry. I've compared it with all of the other data that my mini computer holds, but nothing matches. It's a completely new element."
* * *
Setsuna had been waiting patiently for the return of her comrades. It had been almost three hours since they had departed, sensing something strange in the air. Being concerned about their princess, Uranus and Neptune left in quite a hurry.
Hotaru on the other hand was a different matter. It seemed she had rapidly grown again, like the last time that she was needed in a battle. Not only did this worry Setsuna greatly, but also it made her ponder on what was to come. Hotaru wandered through the house during the day, but had started confining herself to her room at night. The strange behaviour was bothering not only Setsuna, but Haruka and Michiru as well.
The quiet sound of a door opening alerted Setsuna to her feet. Haruka and Michiru had returned. Walking through the hallways, she could already sense the questions forming in her mind.
"Is the princess alright?" she asked hurriedly, not bothering to greet her companions.
Michiru nodded, but Haruka answered. "It seems we were too late to be of any help though."
Setsuna thought on the comment for a moment. "We have a lot to discuss then, don't we?"
"Yes. Hotaru should probably listen as well. It might trigger a vision or memory." Michiru stepped away from the door and headed towards Hotaru's room to fetch her for the meeting. She knocked on the door and opened the door slightly. The room was dark, only a single lamp was lit. "Hotaru- chan, we've just returned. There's some information that I would like you to hear. Please come with me."
The woman turned from her window to face Michiru. "I will be right there."
As Michiru closed the door behind her she thought to herself how much Hotaru had changed in the last few days. ~She's almost as old as the princess and her senshi. And the cheerful face that used to be there every moment is now gone. She looks so lost in her thoughts...~
When she arrived in the living room, Haruka was already stretched across the love seat, obviously saving a spot for her. Setsuna was on the couch, a serious look on her face. ~Everyone is so intense; there is definitely something happening beyond what we can see. ~ Michiru took her seat and they all waited for Hotaru to make her appearance.
After a few minutes of waiting, her dark figured appeared through the archway.
"Well, I guess we should start at the beginning." Haruka began with her recall of the events earlier that evening. All the while, Setsuna was deep in thought and Hotaru remained standing, looking barely aware that someone was talking.
Haruka took in a deep breath; after talking for almost fifteen minutes straight, she needed some air. Michiru took over for her. "The only thing we know about this new senshi is her name –"
Hotaru cut off Michiru. "SailorStarGazer."
For the first time during the conversation, Hotaru had decided to contribute. But Haruka or Michiru had mentioned nothing of the senshi's name to Setsuna and Hotaru during their conversation. All three of them looked over to her. "How do you know that?" Haruka asked forcefully, almost demanding an answer out of her.
Thankfully, Michiru calmed her down and told her to take a seat. Meanwhile, Hotaru replied, still staring off into nothing. "She is the senshi of all senshi, of light..." Hotaru seemed to come out of her daze once she had said that. "Sorry, did I miss something?" she asked innocently.
Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka all looked at each other with worried faces.
Authors Note:
Sorry that this chapter isn't as long as the last one, but I really wanted to get it done. And I also apologize for the lack of action and explanation. But trust me, this chapter has its purposes. Hopefully the next one will clarify some questions. Please review!
* * *
Up in the trees near the park that Usagi had just departed stood Super SailorNeptune and Uranus. They both seemed troubled by the events that had recently passed.
"We were too late to help the princess," said Neptune.
Uranus merely sighed, but then decided to reply. "I know. But there is still the fact that someone else helped her, a someone who appears to be a senshi. And the fact still remains that I couldn't sense her coming or the coming of that monster that she defeated."
"It's not your fault," Neptune said gently, "I couldn't either and I doubt that any of the other senshi could. There is something strange about that girl. And why hasn't she shown her face before?"
"I don't know the answer to that question either," answered Uranus. She changed the subject. "Perhaps we should head back to Hotaru and Setsuna, they are probably waiting to find out what happened."
"I agree, we can solve this mystery later."
The two jumped down from the tree and were suddenly gone.
* * *
The inner senshi were now gathered at Rei's temple. Only Rei knew why they had come to gather, and why Usagi seemed unlike herself. Ami, Makoto, and Minako were all wearing worried looks on their faces, still not knowing the disaster of events that had only just occurred. Luna and Artemis were there as well, pacing the floors of the temple room.
"Well," said Rei hesitatingly, "why don't you tell us all why we are here, Usagi-chan?"
The others nodded in response.
Usagi nodded as well and began to tell her story. At certain points Minako would shout out in worry for her friend, and at other points Makoto would gasp at the capability of the new senshi that had been discovered. All the while though, Ami and Rei remained silent, both deep in thought.
Once she had finished, which was about half of an hour later, Ami finally spoke. "You mentioned that both the monster and the new senshi, SailorStarGazer, said some strange phrase in a foreign language, right?" she asked. Usagi nodded in reply, a look of curiosity on her innocent face. "Do you think you could try to repeat those words to us?"
Usagi had hoped that Ami would ask this question, and was most delighted to fulfill her request, although her pronunciation would be quite different. "Sure Ami-chan, I'll try my best. It was something like Childu off te lighto.... I can't remember the exact pronunciation."
Ami sighed. "Well, the phrase sounds English to me. The closest Japanese translation is Child of Light. In the meantime, I think its best that we all head home for the night."
The group nodded their reply. Then, Minako spoke up. "Usagi-chan, I'll walk home with you just in case something happens again. I've got my henshin broach with me, Artemis brought it along to the meeting." She smiled hopefully at Usagi.
"Then it's settled," said Makoto while raising out of her spot, "we go home and get a good nights rest, not to mention finish all of that homework that our sensei gave us. I'll see you all later then, ja!" She left waving and soon the only person that remained was Rei, eager to do some fire readings.
~ The power of Mars will have to aid me once again, the peace is now gone. But what remains to be seen is if this new senshi is a friend or a foe. ~
Rei head off from their meeting place as soon as the others had left her sight. Making sure that there was no work to be done around the temple, she eventually ended up in the fire room. The windows had been shut close as to prevent any wind from disturbing the fir, however the fire still danced mystically in the air. Making quick movements with her hands, Rei began chanting.
She full of concentration, determined to find some insight on the earlier events of the day. A bright burst from the fire caused her to open her eyes when she was in mid chant though. A picture of a senshi with a tall staff stood before her in the flames, but the image quickly changed to one of darkness. Dark flowing robes were everywhere and Rei could sense a dark and ominous presence. Just as the curtains lifted away however, some unknown force pushed her back from her seating place, which caused to pant heavily, gasping for air.
Responding to their master's pain, Phoebus and Demos appeared through the doorway and sat beside her in worry. "I'm fine," she said quietly, still breathing heavily, "for now anyways."
* * *
On the way home Makoto had remember the black ash that her and Usagi had picked up earlier. She turned around despite the fact that she was almost home and headed in the direction of Ami's house. Unlike Minako though, she hadn't brought her henshin stick with her. Thus she though it would be best if she didn't take the short cut through the park; the city streets would be much safer, even at night.
Night had already begun to take its toll on the city of Tokyo; the tower was already brightly lit up and the stars were twinkling above. Makoto looked above at the sky, no caring to pay attention to the sidewalk and where she was going. She often enjoyed just staring up at the night sky and taking in all of its wonders.
Once she reached a corner street though, the crossing single turned red. Instinctively Makoto stopped and looked at her watch. However, her and many other people on the streets of Tokyo were distracted seconds later as a bright flash skimmed the sky. ~Wow, a shooting star...~ thought Makoto. It had been such a long time since she had seen one.
As the crossing light turned green Makoto snapped out of her daze and began walking across the street. While she was walking though, a girl with short brown hair tied back in a ponytail waved to her. At first, Makoto didn't recognize her, but with a second glance she realized it was Sakai Hoshii from the teashop by her house.
"Konnichiwa Hoshii-san," Makoto said cheerily through the crowd, waving back.
"Kon ba wa Kino-san," Sakai replied quietly. She smiled politely as the two of them passed.
Makoto was left to her thoughts for the remainder of her walk to Ami's house. She had always had an odd feeling about Sakai Hoshii, although she knew her to be very kind and polite. There was just something about her that Makoto couldn't put her finder on. The best explanation that she had ever come up with was that perhaps the two of them had some sort of special connection.
Ignoring the all too common feeling Makoto pressed the button for Ami's apartment.
"Hello?" came a voice from the intercom system.
"Oy, Ami-chan, its me Makoto. I forgot to tell you about something at the meeting earlier."
"Oh, Mako-chan! Okay, I'll open the door for you." Makoto heard a clicking noise, indicating that the door had been opened.
After climbing a few flights of stairs, she arrived at Ami's door where she found her friend to be waiting patiently. They greeted each other and went inside rather quickly.
"So, what is it that you forgot?"
"Well, do you remember the incident at the school earlier today?" Ami nodded in response. "Well, after you and Mina-chan went with Naru-san to the infirmary Usagi and I noticed an odd pile of black ash. I had a plastic bag on me so I thought it might be a good idea to take a sample. I thought that perhaps you could analyze it."
Ami smiled cheerfully. "Sure, that shouldn't take more than a few minutes. In the meantime, I'll put on a some water to make some tea."
Leaving Makoto to her thoughts, Ami started towards the kitchen to boil the water. Afterwards, she went to her bedroom to pick up her mini-computer for the compound analysis for Makoto.
"Here," Makoto said as she entered the living room again, handing Ami the small sample of black ash that she had.
"Hmm..." Ami inserted a small sample into her computer and then pressed a few buttons to indicate what needed to be done. Afterwards, she looked back up at Makoto. "Well, that will take a few minutes. Did you notice anything else odd?"
Makoto tilted her head slightly, thinking. "Actually, now that you mention it, I did. The ash wasn't in an ordinary pile or anything; it was in some sort of formation. It looked purposeful as if it was supposed to be that way." She waved her hands in the air trying to shake off her embarrassment. "That must have sounded really weird. Sorry."
"Not at all. I've heard some pretty crazy things in the past few years." A high-pitched beeping noise indicated that the test was complete. At the same time however, the whistle from the teakettle in the kitchen sounded off.
"I'll make the tea, don't worry about it. Just concentrate on finding out what that stuff is." Makoto smiled and rushed off hurriedly to the kitchen to turn off the stove and make the tea.
Ami turned back to the miniature computer screen to take a look at the results. As she scanned through the list of molecules and elements that the ash was composed of, she came across something very confusing. The usual elements of oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen were there, but so was something else. There was another element unlike something she had ever seen before. It had a huge atomic mass and bonded at least eight times with a hydrogen atom to create an odd shaped molecule.
As Makoto walked back in with two cups of tea in her hands she looked over and peered at Ami's findings. "Is something wrong?" she asked politely, handing her friend the mug from her left hand.
"Not exactly, but yes."
Makoto's face was full of confusion. "How does that work?"
"The ash appears to contain an element and a molecule that I've never seen before, and I've taken advanced chemistry. I've compared it with all of the other data that my mini computer holds, but nothing matches. It's a completely new element."
* * *
Setsuna had been waiting patiently for the return of her comrades. It had been almost three hours since they had departed, sensing something strange in the air. Being concerned about their princess, Uranus and Neptune left in quite a hurry.
Hotaru on the other hand was a different matter. It seemed she had rapidly grown again, like the last time that she was needed in a battle. Not only did this worry Setsuna greatly, but also it made her ponder on what was to come. Hotaru wandered through the house during the day, but had started confining herself to her room at night. The strange behaviour was bothering not only Setsuna, but Haruka and Michiru as well.
The quiet sound of a door opening alerted Setsuna to her feet. Haruka and Michiru had returned. Walking through the hallways, she could already sense the questions forming in her mind.
"Is the princess alright?" she asked hurriedly, not bothering to greet her companions.
Michiru nodded, but Haruka answered. "It seems we were too late to be of any help though."
Setsuna thought on the comment for a moment. "We have a lot to discuss then, don't we?"
"Yes. Hotaru should probably listen as well. It might trigger a vision or memory." Michiru stepped away from the door and headed towards Hotaru's room to fetch her for the meeting. She knocked on the door and opened the door slightly. The room was dark, only a single lamp was lit. "Hotaru- chan, we've just returned. There's some information that I would like you to hear. Please come with me."
The woman turned from her window to face Michiru. "I will be right there."
As Michiru closed the door behind her she thought to herself how much Hotaru had changed in the last few days. ~She's almost as old as the princess and her senshi. And the cheerful face that used to be there every moment is now gone. She looks so lost in her thoughts...~
When she arrived in the living room, Haruka was already stretched across the love seat, obviously saving a spot for her. Setsuna was on the couch, a serious look on her face. ~Everyone is so intense; there is definitely something happening beyond what we can see. ~ Michiru took her seat and they all waited for Hotaru to make her appearance.
After a few minutes of waiting, her dark figured appeared through the archway.
"Well, I guess we should start at the beginning." Haruka began with her recall of the events earlier that evening. All the while, Setsuna was deep in thought and Hotaru remained standing, looking barely aware that someone was talking.
Haruka took in a deep breath; after talking for almost fifteen minutes straight, she needed some air. Michiru took over for her. "The only thing we know about this new senshi is her name –"
Hotaru cut off Michiru. "SailorStarGazer."
For the first time during the conversation, Hotaru had decided to contribute. But Haruka or Michiru had mentioned nothing of the senshi's name to Setsuna and Hotaru during their conversation. All three of them looked over to her. "How do you know that?" Haruka asked forcefully, almost demanding an answer out of her.
Thankfully, Michiru calmed her down and told her to take a seat. Meanwhile, Hotaru replied, still staring off into nothing. "She is the senshi of all senshi, of light..." Hotaru seemed to come out of her daze once she had said that. "Sorry, did I miss something?" she asked innocently.
Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka all looked at each other with worried faces.
Authors Note:
Sorry that this chapter isn't as long as the last one, but I really wanted to get it done. And I also apologize for the lack of action and explanation. But trust me, this chapter has its purposes. Hopefully the next one will clarify some questions. Please review!