Yep, back on track with SotNC. Sorry it took so long but 19 pages of Microsft word takes a long time to type and I also got stuck half way through >. It's chapter six, yay! I must say, It is quite annoying that indents don't show. I'm just not going to bother putting them up

Disclaimer: I don't own sailor moon but I do own just about every character that actually has lines in this story because I'm weird and the story only barely falls into the category of Sailor Moon. Any thing you recognize from the Sailor Moon Anime/Manga does not belong to me but instead, it belongs to Naoko Takeuchi (she is so cool.)

Song of the New Cosmos

By LGR

Chapter Six: Mars's Battle Fire

"I'm so glad Seraph is okay. Mashiro almost jumped on her when they let us in to see her." Selece said to no one in particular as the group ate next to each other in the dining hall. Since the last battle with the Sendo-ryuujinno, they'd all kind-of forged a group and now always ate at the same tables in the dining hall. The dinning halls in the palaces they'd been to so far had all been the same, except for the decorating and color schemes: A gigantically large, circular, room with a hugely domed ceiling. A raised, circular dais was in the middle upon which a person might come up to give an important announcement, or where special entertainment might be held; also there were hundreds of chairs and tables where people would sit and eat. Usually, more important people would sit nearest the platform and less important people would sit further away but it didn't really matter where you sat. The dining hall fed all the people in the palace as well as being a restaurant. If you were part of the palace staff, or a palace guest, you showed your palace clearance card and you got to order whatever you wanted within reason. Those without clearance cards had to pay for their food.

They were now on Mars and the décor was very lavish and beautiful. One side of the giant, domed hall was a red, cherry colored wood with many balconies on which there were more seats and gold inlayed moldings and draping, and hanging potted plants. On the other side was a giant glass ceiling and wall with which to see the beautiful scenery. The decorating was all red, black and gold with paintings and carvings of phoenixes and dragons. Here and there was a small platform with a few potted plants. All in all there was much light and beauty. Selece even noticed that the china had beautiful designs, despite its humble usage.

"She said I had to get her a present for saving our butts." Daemian complained. Minai rolled her eyes.

"She was just kidding." They'd had such a large group that they'd had to put two smaller tables together. Minai, Selece, Daemian, Terasu, Illium, Ristuko, the Twins, Tony and sometimes Geoffrey all ate together at every meal and it was getting to where everyone was thinking of them as a singular organism.

"Can I have your bread-stick?" Daemian begged Illium from across the Table.

"Sure." As Daemian dived at the bread-stick, Minai gasped.

"What is it, Minai?" Terasu asked worriedly from next to Illium. Minai had a stricken look.

"Illium said 'Sure'. We are corrupting his perfect vocabulary!" Minai raved humorously; there were some giggles throughout the table as Illium just shrugged. He was thinking of what the Shvleidah had told him when they had all gone in to see her at the makeshift hospital, (the old one being damaged beyond simple repairs).

He had gone to see her with Terasu because he'd felt grateful for her help in the fight and he'd wanted to say thank you and wish her healing. When the group was leaving she'd grabbed his arm and said she wanted to ask him something. He stayed and listened:

"Kid, Illium, The queen will not allow me to continue the procession until I am well. This being said, there is a good chance I will not be able to join back up with said procession by the time you all leave Mars. I want you to look for Sailor Mars for me."

He blinked.

"Don't give me that stupid act; I know you can see auras. Just keep a look out for her, and make sure she joins up with Terasu and the others. You don't have to go out looking for her; the scout's are somehow drawn to each other. Just stay with the girls and I'm sure she'll show up eventually. If for any reason, the procession leaves Mars without an attack and Sailor Mars is either not found or not awakened, talk to Mashiro and tell her I said either to keep a slot open for Mars representatives or to place the girl as a Mars rep. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Will you do this for me?"

"Yes, I will."

"Thanks. If you find her, you can call me and I will make sure that Mashiro knows the importance of placing this girl as a Mars Delegate." He nodded.

So he was just supposed to follow them around? That wasn't so hard considering he was around them every spare moment of his time, and wherever they went, they seemed to find an excuse to drag him along anyways. And Minai was right; his vocabulary was being corrupted…

Oh, Well.

---

Hiyano Hiakazuko practiced her archery in the far field of the palace. She pulled an arrow out of the quiver by her feat and placed it in the bow, pulled, aimed and let loose. The arrow flew with such force that the tip imbedded itself into the piece of particle board that she'd set up to practice with.

Damn, that was the third time she'd done that today. Her piece of wood would be more hole than anything, if she couldn't calm down and stop drawing the bow string too hard.

"What's with me today?" she said. She rubbed her head as she walked to the make-shift target she'd made, and attempted to wrench out the arrow without damaging the board, the arrow, or herself. In the end, the board was broken in half, as was her arrow, and her hands were covered in splinters.

"Okay! Fine! Break you damn thing! See if I shoot at you anytime soon, yah dumb piece of wood…" she grumbled and stalked away from her abandoned and destroyed bits of wood. She was in a horrible mood. She'd had a constant head-ache since she'd woken up this morning that just wouldn't go away. Water was not helping much, she finally took some pain killers and they weren't helping either. It was messing up her whole day.

She was in training to become a scribe and she hated it. Her parents had left her in the keeping of the Mars government, because they could not take care of her, when she was three. A child placed in the keeping of the government of any of the planets in the solar system, were taken care of, provided a home, and given an education. However, they did not have much of a choice in their future as to their profession.

The child's strengths and skills were evaluated and compared to their personality. A council of adults then places the child in a program that would educate them for a certain job. Unfortunately, all the jobs were government related, and if it was something artistic or unneeded in the palace, it was none-the-less unavailable for placement. Jobs such as architects, painters, poets, and creative and performing arts were not possible to obtain through the government programs.

And they said she had to be a historian. She liked history. She liked it a lot and she could remember every little detail and recite it perfectly, but…

She didn't want to be cooped up in a large library on Mars all the rest of her life, and teach little kids who didn't care what the hell she was talking about, or argue with idiots who thought they knew more than her about ancient relics. She didn't want to just read the words or copy the text, she wanted to be out there looking at the actual artifacts and living the culture and practicing the traditions. She wanted to write literature not an essay. All the modern times seemed so boring.

Hiaka walked dejectedly back to the main building. She slumped along the corridors of the ancient building, trudged up the flights of stairs, and drawled past the courtyards, until she came to a small building, just a hundred meters or so from the rest of the palace.

It was one of the many house/rooms off the side of the palace. They were medium sized houses with three to four rooms in each that housed the palace staff and children like her. This was her section and she had the largest room inside. She smiled at that. She was the senior in her section and so, got the biggest room and took charge of the younger inhabitants. She was also the head of the inhabitants in the other three houses that were right near hers. Her section had four houses that were placed so that they made a square with small gardens in between.

She was proud of the fact that she was in charge. She liked to be in control. She slid back the rice-paper screen, entered her room with a sigh. Hiaka put away her bow and fell onto her pallet. She might as well relax for awhile, she had to get to lessons in a half hour, and no one else was in the house. She was alone. How often it seemed that way to her…

Wait, wasn't this the day she had to sit in with her Master's Lecture and take notes? Damn. It was. And she didn't have any note taking supplies at all; she'd used the last of her paper in his last lecture; she'd have to go to the supply office and get some more and that was on the other side of the buildings.

Dang-it; this was not her day at all. She got up and began to make her way to the supply office.

---

It was true; he could read auras.

But he wasn't a miracle worker.

She'd told him to follow the scouts around, and that is just what she did. He could see their auras as bright as day. Minai's aura was a glittering, golden shine that played across his eyes, ever changing and recreating itself; Selece's was a white-blue glow that reminded him of one's breath on a cold day, swirling in connected patterns; And Terasu shined with a white and silver radiance like that of beams from the pure, white, moon of Earth. Occasionally he looked around at other people to see if any of them had anything unusual about there aura's, but nothing like the scouts aura could be found except for once, when he saw Mashiro from a distance.

They had been walking down a hall and seen Mashiro talking to the Queen of Mars at the end of the hall. Mashiro had a strong aura, even when compared to the scouts. Her aura was very similar to Terasu's in that the overall color and texture where similar, definitely that of the lunar energy, but Mashiro's was slightly and somewhat more characterized it seemed. While Terasu's aura seemed to shine of capabilities in multiple areas, Mashiro's seemed to be specialized for a particular task. Why was this so and how could there be two sailor moons? Especially when Mashiro did not transform and she already had a full aura such as the scouts gained after they transformed?

As he thought about it, he began to consider. Mashiro and Terasu, were both under lunar influence and were both guardians of the moon, however, Terasu's task was to protect and Mashiro's was to rule. There jobs were extremely similar and yet very different: Both required leadership and wisdom, yet different kinds of leadership existed for different situations and people.

He still didn't know how the aura could be explained, but that hardly mattered at the moment; there was nothing he could do to find out, either. He didn't know near enough about the solar system in general or it's people to really compare anything. It's not like he could go ask Mashiro, either. Oh, yes you're Highness; I was just wondering, could you please tell me how you got a lunar aura when you're not a scout?

What's she supposed to say to that? Most likely 'Take him away!' or something similarly profound such as that… It didn't matter really; maybe he ought to mention it to the Shv—

No, Seraph. Not Shvleidah.

Well, now he was walking behind the others, from the dining hall, and wondering how he managed to get all his school-work done, when he was constantly hanging out with them, when he felt something that made him go stalk still.

"What's wrong?" Terasu asked worriedly. She noticed that he had suddenly gone still and pale and he was looking in the direction of the supply building.

"There is…something…" he said with a slightly confused expression. Now everyone was wondering what was going on. When Illium said something weird was happening, then something weird was happening. "It's there, in that building." He pointed.

"Is there an attack?" Selece asked slightly suspiciously.

"No. It's not that. Nothing evil; but a disturbance, a difference"

"Maybe we should check it out?" Daemian advised.

"Yes, that might—," Illium suddenly stopped, mid-sentence.

A girl walked out of the building with a sheaf of paper under her arm, looking slightly disoriented. Her walking was unsteady and she winced every time she jostled or the light hit her eyes.

"What the…?" Daemian said confused as to what was going on.

But he didn't see what Illium saw. She was pulsing with a deep, red planetary aura. And the pulse was quickening. The girl made a retching motion, but kept her mouth closed.

"Are you okay?" Terasu called to the girl from where the group was gathered. "Would you like some help?" The girl looked up to Terasu but suddenly flinched and grabbed her head, leaning on the building wall for support.

"Oh my…" and Terasu rushed to give her aid, the others following with the same intensions but they all jumped back in fear as the side of the building exploded into flames and the girl's hand shot to her eyes and she let out a silent scream and collapsed, falling directly into the flames. People that were in the building began to pour out with screams of there own and coughs from the smoke. They all gasped when they noticed that, as the girl had collapsed, she'd fallen into the fire.

"We've got to get her out of there!" Selece screamed above the din of rushing people and the flaming, creaking building. Terasu jumped into the flames and ran to where the girl was lying on the ground. She heard the others yelling for her to stay back but she ran past the now flaming shrubbery and supply sheds to crouch on the ground beside her, lightly tapping her, she tried to see if the girl was still conscious. She opened her eyes and groaned as the others came to help them.

"Terasu! Are you mad? That place could blow up any minute!" Selece yelled frantically while the twin healer trainee's helped to carry the girl to a safer place.

"I'm more surprised that those trellises haven't fallen on us yet." Illium mused from his location behind Terasu. They did notice the trellis arches, lining the path they had just run down, had caught fire.

"We've got to get her away from this smoke and find a stretcher to bring her to the hospital area." Zackery said, carrying the girl. They got a safe distance away from the fire and set the girl on the ground.

"You know, you're not supposed to move a patient who has just collapsed." Zackery said, considering there actions. Daemian rolled his eyes.

"At least she's not fried."

"True."

"But, what I want to know is," Selece said sitting on the ground, "I want to know what started that fire." None of them could answer that question. Soon professionals came to handle the fire and medical personnel came to take the girl for treatment. As soon as they'd seen the ambulance move the girl, a gong rang in the distance and they all noticed they were late for their classes.

Daemian sighed. "See you guys later."

---

"Hello, you have reached the private line of Seraph Samphiahn. She is in the hospital at the moment, my name is Daphne and I am taking her calls. Please state you're name and purpose for calling and, if I am able to, I will take care of it. Otherwise you're message will be forwarded to her voice mail and she will look into it upon her return." said the lady on the other Holo-phone. He'd never used one before and this was a first for him. Projected onto a large square of glass, was the person at the other end of the line and her voice came out of an earpiece one put on their ear. He spoke into the small microphone attached to the earpiece.

"I am called Illium and Seraph asked me to report to her should I become aware of a definite presence."

The lady on the screen blinked. "Uhh…I will…ah, let her know that you've, ah…become aware, was it? Of a definite presence, and she'll get—," the lady turned to talk to someone off screen and then turned back, "One moment, please." she said and a screen came up that said PLEASE HOLD.

A few minutes later, the lady came back on the screen. "You are being forwarded to the hospital to talk to Seraph directly." The Lady disappeared again and another screen popped up, this time saying, YOU ARE NOW BEING FOREWARDED, ONE MOMENT PLEASE…. Illium was getting tired of these screens. A second later the screen disappeared and the screen showed Seraph sitting down in chair putting on the ear piece.

"You've found her?" she asked eagerly. In the background he heard people laughing.

"Yes."

"And you are sure?"

"Yes. She is Hiyano Hiakazuko, a scribe-in-training under the Mars Government; Age sixteen; black hair; burgundy eyes; five feet, three inches tall; current address: Mars hospital bay—,"

"Wait, hospital bay?" Seraph asked.

"I was with Terasu and the others, we saw an ill-seeming young woman. This young woman had a pulsating red aura associated with the planet Mars. The woman collapsed as a fire started in the building behind her. It is my belief that the young woman, Hiaka as she is called, unintentionally started the fire."

"So she is in the hospital for the illness or the fire?"

"Both, Ma'am but I believe she took no injury from her contact with the fire."

"Hey, Emmett, he called me 'Ma'am'." She said to a person off screen. She listened to the person speak (he could not here what the person said) and she became infuriated. "I am not an old lady!!" she reached for a something off screen to throw (it was a stuffed animal) and Illium vaguely heard the foot steps of someone running away. "That's it, Emmett! Run away, for I shall not tolerate your mocking comments!" another person began talking to Seraph and she became annoyed again while voices laughed. "Silence!" there was more laughing. She shook her heard and turned back to the screen. "I'll deal with them later. So you believe she started this fire? How?"

"I believe the energy she unknowingly used to create the fire was a manifestation of her scout power." She thought for a moment.

"So you don't think these are her personal energies, instead of scout power?"

"No."

"Hmmm. This is an unusual discovery. This Hiaka has used Scout energy while not in scout form. The question is, is this power particular to the Martian scout or may all the scouts use planetary energy outside transformation."

"If I may?" Illium asked slightly shy; The Councilor nodded for him to continue. "It is my belief that all the scouts may use the planetary energy outside transformation in a very limited form and based on their planetary element."

She nodded. "This makes sense. Thank you for the call, Illium. I will send a message to all of those involved: The Queen, the scouts and this Hiaka; if you do not wish to deliver this information yourself?" she asked politely but he sighed in relief.

"No, that is alright, a message will be fine." He said.

"Alright, Good bye."

"Goodbye." He said back as the screen when blank and the message ended. He sighed in relief. "At least that is over with." He said to himself.

---

"You beat me again, you always beat me!" Daemon cried inn frustration after a practice sword-match with Illium in which he had lost. "Can't you just let me win once?" he begged. Illium gave a slight chuckled and shook his head. "You're mean." Daemon said childishly. Illium sighed.

"Don't worry Illium," Minai said coyly from the sidelines of the practice courts. "Geoffrey told Selece and me that Seraph will likely be back before we leave in two days. That means that, pretty soon, Emmett, Vienna, Gennady and Yakumo will be here to beat on him or you!"

Daemon groaned. "I used to think I was really good but it turns out I'm not…" he said.

"The admittance to weakness is the first step to strength." Illium said, sounding rather wise.

"Yeah, Yeah, whatever." Daemian said in answer.

"Oh! And you know what?" Minai teasingly continued, "Seraph probably won't be aloud to duel but she does like to watch. And you know better than I do how excited she gets…" they all thought back to a practice fight that they'd seen between Emmett and Gennady in which Seraph was the watcher:

"Get him! Get him! No! Not like that! You— OH! That was stupid! It was so obvious it—OH! Yes! Keep it going! Ye—NO! O—OH! IDIOT! IDIOT! That was—YES! Get him! Oh—Yes! NO!!NO!!! Don't do that! Do a—"

"Your evil Minai…" Daemian moaned. Seraph was one of the most critical spectators in existence. Granted it was usually all 'constructive' criticism (the last match being an exception because Emmett had participated) but it still hurt. She was always twice as excited when Emmett was dueling…

"Hey!" they all turned from their thoughts see Terasu and Selece coming with a Dark haired girl behind them. Illium recognized her as Hiaka; Sailor Mars. "Hi guys! We'd like you all to meet Hiaka." Terasu said and introduced them. She'd gone down to the hospital area to check on her just as she was being released with a bill of health. Terasu had invited Hiaka to come with her to meat her friends. Not having anything better to do and somehow being drawn to say yes, she had agreed. They all said hello and Hiaka acknowledged them with a bow.

"Thank you all for saving me yesterday." She mumbled shyly.

"Oh, there's no need for bowing. You are quite welcome!" Terasu said to Hiaka. She turned to Daemian, Illium and Minai. "So, what are you all up to?" she asked.

"Daemian was just fencing with Illium again." Minai answered.

"They had an argument?" Hiaka asked shyly. Not sure why they would be fencing.

"Nah, just a practice match…And I lost…again…" Daemian whined.

"Daemian thinks he's something else with a sword but no one will fence with him any more because he beats all the others in his class so they've gotten tired of it and won't fence with him anymore. It's not that he's bad, it's just that Illium is so good." Selece clarified.

"Yep! Illium is the best in martial arts, athletics, fencing and weaponry things!" Minai agreed.

"I bet I could beat him."

Everyone blinked at what Hiaka had said without thinking. Oh, now she was in for it, she thought. "I meant, uh, I bet I could beat him in archery." She explained. She was always doing that, speaking before thinking. She tried her best to catch herself but she often forgot.

"Do you guys even do archery?" Terasu inquired of Illium, interested.

"Yes, sometimes." he answered.

"How good were you?" Daemian asked, looking hopeful.

"I considered myself competent." Daemian sighed in despair.

"That's just his polite way of saying he slaughtered everyone." He translated.

"Wow! You're good at Archery, Hiaka?" Minai asked. "Is it hard?"

Hiaka shrugged. "It's not hard for me." She stated. All at once they jumped on her and Illium, demanding a contest. Not really knowing what to say, she just found herself being drug along by her new acquaintances. Now she was in for it. It would be just her luck if he turned out to be a master Archer or something and totally destroyed her. Her big mouth. And on top of that, she noticed her head ache was coming back!

As it turned out they were about even. Hiaka won, her last volley of arrows being slightly closer to the middle of the ring than Illium's last volley. Putting down the Bows they'd been using, Illium and Hiaka shook hands sportsmanly and the others jumped on them to try their skill at archery. Selece was having and awful time just trying to gripping her Arrow in the right way so the feathers didn't hit the handle of the bow as it was released. Minai had never used a bow either and was trying to hold it still enough to get in a good shot. Terasu was about average, as was Daemon and they stopped after a couple shots when Hiaka started to give the others lessons.

"Ahhh!" Minai cried out, as she flung up her hands as she dropped the bow. "It won't even land on the edge of the ring! It flung off somewhere…" she said getting frustrated. "How do you hold it so straight, Hiaka?" she inquired.

"It just takes practice, strength in the wrist and shoulder muscles, but mostly practice." She stated with a nod.

"It doesn't really help that Minai is so impatient about everything either…" Daemian slipped in quietly but Minai heard and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh yeah?! Well you're not so patient yourself, considering Illium beats you within five seconds of starting a match!" she flung back.

"What does that have to do with anything!?" Daemian stuck his tongue out as well and a vicious tongue rivalry ensued as Selece and Terasu tried to break it up. Hiaka blinked stupidly at the mob developing before her.

"Is this sort of thing normal?" she asked Illium, who was sitting down on the grass of the archery practice field near her.

"My opinion would be that it is not a daily practice." He answered. "But it occurs more frequently then one might come to expect."

"…"

"It happens occasionally."

"Gotcha."

Finally, Terasu and Selece got Daemon and Minai to calm down and stop sticking their tongues out at each other and they came to sit down as well and they started a conversation.

"So Hiaka, you live in the palace?" Terasu asked her.

"Sort of, I live in one of the housing sections on the palace grounds, not in the main building." She answered.

"Is it fun?" Minai asked. Hiaka shrugged.

"Sometimes." She wasn't in a talkative mood right now as her head ache had just gotten worse all of a sudden.

"Are you sure you're better yet so soon after the fire? I wonder how that fire started before, you're lucky you weren't killed." Selece said changing the subject seeing as Hiaka wasn't really interested in talking their other choice of conversation.

"I don't know, I was really out of it. I had a huge migraine" Hiaka said. "Strangely I felt better after the fire, not worse, but I've been having a problem with head aches lately."

"Really? You don't have one now, do you?" Daemon asked.

"Yeah, but it's not so bad."

"Maybe you're dehydrating, have you tried drinking more water?" Selece suggested.

"Yeah, it doesn't work. And neither does medicine." Hiaka said sighing. They all began conversing on what they could do to help her. Hiaka tried not to let anyone see that just the wan light from the far away sun was sending splitting pain into her head.

"I bet it's this weird, red sky." Daemon stated. "I mean, I'm not surprised that we don't all fall down with head aches right here." Selece rolled her eyes.

"It's the same kind of field nearly all the planets have to help control atmospheric conditions, weather and climate. Our planet, Mercury, has a light, bluish-periwinkle sky." She said.

"Mine, Venus's, is Orangey!" Minai said proudly. Venetians were very patriotic about their Planet.

"Are you all from different planets?" she asked.

"Illium and I are from The Moon." Terasu said. Hiaka noticed all the others blinking slightly, as if in confusion or surprise, but then they all shrugged as if accepting it. "Were, all representatives." Terasu continued.

"Oh." Hiaka felt a little self conscious, they must all be important people, she thought. All at once her head-ache became more than she could bare and she actually began crying as she held her head and rocked in a fetal position on the grass. In her state of extreme pain, she didn't notice what the other had.

Right after they had seen her fall to the grass, a Flash of light spread across the sky around them and the Female Darkness being appeared.

:: I am afraid Sendo-ryuujinno could not join us today because of the damage you have down to him. But do not worry, there is still much fun to be had.::

Minai, Selece and Terasu tried to transform as Daemian and Illium took up positions to protect the incapacitated Hiaka.

"Hurry up! What's taking you guys?" Daemian said after a moment of not seeing anything happen. "She's not going to stand there forever! Why aren't you transforming?"

"We can't!" Terasu said with a look of horror upon her face.

"What did you do!?" Selece demanded of the woman with a similar expression.

::You can not call upon the elemental forces of the planets to transform you while you are within my circle of influence. And don't bother trying to get out, you would need to go very far indeed, and by then, the Shadows will have consumed you.:: All at once the Universe exploded, forming a rip, and Shadow beasts began to pour out.

::This time, you cannot escape.::

"No, no, no, no, no!" Hiaka mumbled in her state of confusion and pain as the shadow beasts began to rush them. Illium cast magical shield around them, but every time a shadow beast flung himself at it, the shield grew weaker. It was very clear that it would fail eventually.

::You cannot protect yourself forever.:: the female being said to them in her strange mental speech. :: And, just so you know "Illium". As you have taken a name, so I have been given own by our master. I now hold the name Umbra.::

Illium made no move to show that he had heard. Instead he went to Hiaka now sweating in pain as the others readied what weapons they had with them, for when the shield failed.

"Hiaka," he said. "I know it was you who started that fire."

"No, NO!" she cried not wanting to believe.

"Yes. No one blames you for the fire. You did not mean it to happen and it is unlikely that it could have been prevented. You must use this power to help us all, now. You are a Sailor Scout. Your patron planet is Mars: ruler of the Battle Fire." All of those present could no longer resist eves-dropping and at this they were both surprised at the girl's identity and at Illium's knowledge.

"I can't do it! I don't know what to do!" Hiaka exclaimed her splitting pain growing worse by the second.

"Are not taught meditation exercises? Breathe slowly. This pain, it is fire; A separate entity from yourself. You must know it is so. Build a wall around the fire, confining it." He said. She continued to breathe heavily but it began to take on a more rhythmic pattern, becoming more even.

Daemian and Minai watched Illium and Hiaka, not really knowing what else to do, and feeling utterly useless. Selece was keeping half her mind on the strength of the shield and the other half on what they would do when it broke while Terasu was silently pleading to the planet Mars to lend its ward strength and peace. All were very near to panic.

They all sensed the confusion Umbra was having, as to what was going on inside the shield, and her frustration at waiting. ::Shadows! Take-That-SHIELD! NOW!:: Suddenly the shadow beasts gain a new vigor, and redoubled their efforts at breaking the shield. Great, audible thumps could be heard from inside the field. Just as Hiaka seemed to be gaining progress, her breathing hitched as she heard a particularly loud thump and a slight shattering sound as the shield began to break, slightly, and a crack showed upon the opalescent colored hemisphere.

"I can't do it! I CAN'T!" she cried out once more, tears streaming down her flush face.

"If you don't who will? Hiaka! Please!" Terasu said and flung herself down on the ground next to her and Illium, putting a hand on each of her shoulders and looking her straight in the face with ear-marked eyes of her own. "We can't destroy us now! They would annihilate everything, everyone that we have come to love! Please try again, Hiaka…please…" she asked her pleadingly. "You're not alone, we'll help you!"

::Help her? Nothing can help her now, nor any of you.::

Hiaka's face blanched.

"Don't listen to her! You can do it! I KNOW that you can do it! We'll help you!"

Hiaka was slightly taken aback. She could tell that she meant it. A girl she'd met not an hour ago was speaking to her in such an accepting way. She'd saved Hiaka, running into a fire, urging her fellows to do so as well. Going to the hospital, to see if she was alright and inviting her into her circle of friends without a thought.

And this Boy, Illium, speaking so calmly to her, walking her through the steps to control this power raging on in her head. It was dangerous to be even near her! He'd said he'd known that she was the origin of the fire, and he had said nothing, done nothing that could be remotely construed as being threatening or even fearful. Surely she could try for them?

Illium seemed to sense that she had agreed to try once more. Terasu held her hand as she closed her eyes. "Breathe slowly. Separate the fire from yourself. It is not you, it cannot harm you…"

"How do I separate it? There's nothing between it and me."

"This is true. You must make this separation. Here, I will show you." And within her minds eye, she felt and saw an opalescent "spirit hand" take another of flickering flame that she found must be her own. She saw him invite her into his mind to show her what he had meant.

There was a bright white light, and around it was a sort of veil with a string of the opalescent light running from it to what she guessed must be the shield. Unlike her own fire, it was not hot and burning, but it was insanely bright, even with the veil.

:: Do you see how I strengthen my veil? ::

And she sort of saw the opalescent figure hardening the veil, making it more solid. She made an assent.

:: Now you try. ::

And she did. Such a veil would not work for hers; however, it was hot, not bright. She crafted a sort of lantern, to contain her flame. Immediately, her pain stopped.

:: Very good. Now draw some of your fire out and place it where you wish it to be. ::

Draw it out? How do you draw out fire? Then she got an idea. She imagined a match, and placed it inside her lantern, where it would catch. Drawing it out, the match was lit on one end. She felt herself smile with elation.

---

Selece didn't know what they were doing, but what ever it was, it had better happen fast or they were done-for. Every smash at the shield cast it to splinter, frankly, she was surprised at how long it had lasted; it was a testament to Illium's own magical strength and skill that it had stood up to the battering it was getting for more then thirty seconds, but it had been more then five minutes since Hiaka had entered into a trance and the shield was about to break-down. Each second that transpired, another crack appeared in the barrier, another splinter shot off from the dome.

Her, Daemian and Minai were sweating bullets. They had just now, in desperation, tried to transform once more but to no avail. Without the scout's ability to transform, they would be slaughtered.

::At last.:: Umbra said within their minds as the barrier faltered and the shadow beasts rushed them. But just as the shadow beasts were about to crash upon them, the Shadow women Umbra let forth a terrible scream that shook the earth. They looked to see that she had suddenly burst into flames. The scouts recognized that the stifling feeling they had not before realized was there, had disappeared. They seized the chance and said the incantation to call upon the energy of their planets.

---

Hiaka opened her eyes. She had done it! The dark woman who'd called herself Umbra was now writhing in flames but Hiaka was startled to find her friends Minai, Selece and Terasu gone and in their places were the Sailor Scouts of legend. Her friends had been the sailor scouts all along. The woman finally got the flames to stop but she looked gruesome, parts of her skin flaking off like ash and turning to dust as they touched the ground. But Hiaka was even more shocked to see pale, alabaster skin underneath, as if the fire had burned away a covering. Hiaka was oblivious to the fighting and magic her friends were doing to protect her from the shadows as she saw the woman glare at her with a murderous twitch to her eyes.

The universe was rocked and more shadows poured out of rips in space.

She knew her friends couldn't stand up to this. From her lips came an incantation and she was filled with a burning energy ten times the power of the little flame inside her head.

What is this? Has this been here, all along? She asked the flame. Out of the fire, a woman came into focus, a woman that looked remarkably like her but she wore a sailor outfit of with a shimmering, Garnet red skirt covered with a sheer gold layer and a Royal Purple bow was on her chest and the back of her waist. A garnet choker on her neck, bore the symbol of mars in gold which, she saw, was also on the front bow. From her back came a shear, thick, pleated ribbons of gold. In one hand she held a red and gold Bow with a bow-string of gold. In the other was a red mallet with gold inlays. Behind her stood a huge gold gong, with the symbol of Mars inlayed within the metal.

I am Sailor Mars, the passionate flame burning within you, and the fourth hope. Mars had seen your fiery determination and spirit and bestowed upon you the power of the Planet Mars. You have been given the Battle Fire to help save the Cosmos.

I have? How do I use it? What must I do!? Hiaka asked desperately.

The Power is within you, you have but to follow your spirit and trust yourself. Use the battle fire of your Patron planet, and the sweeping founds of the Great gong, to drive out the darkness with the light of your fire. Do you accept this power?

Yes.

---

Sailor Venus took on a look of dread as more shadows came forth from the tear; Hundreds, thousands. She tried to begin a song-spell with her Tambourine, but no sooner would she begin, then a shadow would jump her and she would be fighting for her life. None of them could begin a song-spell that could even begin to help them right now. And Sailor Venus could see that what little magic Daemian had possessed was about to run out and he'd be exhausted and have only his sword to defend him. Illium was in a similar state, much of his magic having been drained with the shield. However, he was still miraculously able to use magic, and he fought tirelessly guarding Daemian's back. Sailor Venus had been forced to go back to back with the other scouts, Iliium and Daemian because her chains could protect her from enemies on all sides. It seemed like their weapons just weren't strong enough. They didn't do the damage they needed to get the shadow beasts out of their hair for five seconds or at least long enough for Sailor Venus to use a spell. But even if she could, she wouldn't be able to reach so many shadows all at once, it just wasn't that powerful.

"Take this!"

A burning arrow turned everything in its path to ashes as it shot past. She turned and there stood Hiaka in a Sailor Suit. "Heyah, Sailor Mars! Are we glad to see you!" she said with relief. The havoc that the Arrow had caused had given them a bit of breathing room.

"Quickly, Venus, play your song!" Mars told her.

"But it's not—" she began but was cut-off when Mars interrupted with a thumbs up.

"Leave that to me!" Venus nodded accent and dropped her golden chain of heart and her Tambourine appeared in her hand.

"Okay! Listen up all you shadows! This is the Repeat Rhythm!" and Venus cheerfully began to pound out a catchy Rhythm with her tambourine. "Now! Mooooove— and repeat! Moooooove— and repeat!" The beasts began to repeat the last action they had done. "Keep it up! Your doin' great!"

The scouts, and Illium, Daemian's absence due to the fact he was almost ready to pass out from exhaustion, began to hack away at the shadows who were stupidly repeating the same thing over and over, not being able to do anything else. Mercury swing her fan in an arc and eliminated many shadows as Moon swung her moon beam in an semi-circle, rendering even more to ash but those on the outskirts of Venus's small circle of influence were un affected by the song and rushed towards them.

They heard the sound of a great, metal gong and they turned to see Mars beating a mallet against the thin air that flashed into the image of a great gong as it reached a certain point. The Sound seemed to bounce off the sky and echo across the earth, rippling through the all ready commencing spell of the Tambourine.

Venus felt her circle expand to incorporate those Shadows who before had been out of reach. Moon and Mercury felt their weapons invigorated and all of a sudden they were taking out twice the shadows they were before.

"Yes! We just might get through this!" Sailor Moon told them all absently as she took out another dozen shadows at once.

:: NO! This ends NOW! :: Umbra appeared in the sky and sent double Levin bolts towards Venus and Sailor Mars. Working their spells, they were unable to protect themselves for fear of breaking them. Mars braced for the blast.

But before it could hit, a force field similar to the one that had been cast by Illium appeared in its way and took the energy. She looked to about five companies of the Mars military and an important-looking woman on the edge of the practice field with a cane with a man in a Moon Guard officer's uniform and a few other moon guard member's standing next to her.

"Good work, Daisuke." The officer said.

"Thanks, Captain." One of the other Moon guard members replied.

Sailor Mars took her chance and dropped the mallet, pulling the bow from out of no where. She pulled back the string on her bow and a fire arrow appeared. She aimed and let it loose upon Umbra who screamed. The military came to help the other scouts take care of the remaining shadows while the Man called Daisuke helped Mars in attacking Umbra who, unable to take the constant barrage, disappeared.

Mars sighed in relief and looked around to see that all the shadow beasts were gone as well. She saw that the others had de-transformed and Mars did the same, reverting back to Hiaka as the woman and the five or six guards came over to her. The woman, whom she had thought must be old, as she was walking with some difficulty, turned out to be fairly young, late teens or early twenties she'd guess.

"Hiaka, Sailor Mars. The members of the Lunar Government are happy to welcome you as a representative for you planet. I look forward to seeing you on progress." She said.

Hiaka blinked.

"Who are you? How do you—?" she blurted.

" Seraph! You're back early!" She heard Terasu call as she ran to join them.

Seraph? Oh man, this was the Chief councilor; the one that ate people for breakfast. Or so she'd been told by Minai.

"Yes, I am back early, in large part due to this…occurrence." She said evasively as she glanced at her male companion. Hiaka had no idea what that was supposed to mean. But how did Seraph know her name?

Before she could ask, the Councilor turned with surprising swiftness and walked up to Illium, who seemed just as dumbfounded as Hiaka felt.

"Here," and she handed him two envelopes, a security card and a Military Rank badges. "Now get yourself up to the Palace and get your new uniform. You're no longer a trainee. We expect to see you in Council tomorrow. Make sure you read those letters. Minai and Selece, help Daemian to the Hospital Bay, I've seen month-old radishes that look better than him and they were rotten. The rest of you might want to check yourselves up there later as well. Terasu, go help Hiaka get packed, we'll be leaving on progress tomorrow."

And then she left.