Second to last...

Blood on the Moon

By Lydiby

Chapter XVI

The next morning was a rare good one. The genius was all that Motoki had promised. Taiki burst in, while I picked at breakfast, to tell me in person that the system was working! I was so utterly relieved that I demanded to meet the technician myself. There were several hours of work yet to be done. The Starlights didn't want me to be in anyway affiliated with this incase the money they were paying turned to be not enough incentive for the programmer to keep silent.

A few soft words through the phone from Rei did what nearly an hour of me shouting into the receiver could not. As it was, Taiki ran out and bought me an expensive creamy coloured business suit and dressed me up in it before she let me step out of the house. They had at last conceded to say that their CEO wanted to thank her in person. I almost laughed. It would be ready by the time I got there.

Motoki greeted me at the door with a hug. Rei and Shingo flanked my shoulders and Taiki led, making me truly look the part.

After a moment the crackle of a welder stopped. A bit more shuffling and a masked head swung into view. A gloved hand tipped it back, and my heart momentarily ceased.

"Ami!"

"Excuse me?" She looked at me bewildered.

"I'm sorry," I stuttered realizing she truly didn't recognize me. Hastily, I created a clumsy lie, "For a moment, I thought you were someone else…I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."

I struggled to compose myself, and with Rei's hand resting on my shoulder, I extended my hand to the young woman.

"Just doing my job," she shrugged, awkwardly taking it. I fleetingly realized it was a primarily American gesture.

"But I have to say, things like this are why I love it," she continued, giving me a bit of hope, "I've never seen anything like this before, and I've seen a lot of advanced systems..."

"Is it ready?" I asked, anxious. My heart pounded violently in my chest. Would Ami remember like Rei had? Did it mean that the rest of my Senshi would resurface soon as well? Was Rini safe? My knees quaked involentarily.

"Oh, yes," she replied, and cast a brief smile over her shoulder. She plugged in an enormous set of cords and typed at various pads for a moment. Then the entire room whirred to life, screens of color, maps, and programs. It was several moments before I noticed how stiff she had gone. Then I knew.

My Ami-chan was back.

They had traced Rini within moments. I didn't think I could ever forgive them for making me stay behind, but when I had my child back in my arms it didn't matter anymore.

She had been in the park. Like I'd suspected. Everything was going to fall to pieces in a matter of days, maybe even hours. The fact that the area had been quarantined was the only reason that the government hadn't swept her away. Once she had gotten in, there was no way for her to get out without being caught by the military guards. They had gotten ample footage of my guardians while rescuing Small Lady. Ami hadn't stopped hacking from the moment she returned. Frantically trying to disrupt the images. Yaten broke into the school Rini had been attending and destroyed all record of her. It wouldn't stop anyone from talking ifasked, but at least it would only be talk. Kenji-papa and Shingo were moving our most valued possessions carload by carload to headquarters, preparing for the worst. If we were discovered, we would be ready.

"Usagi-hime."

"Yes, Luna?" I asked her. Rini had been overwrought and only just fallen asleep in my arms.

"Setsuna wishes to speak with you."

"Setsuna?" I frowned. "She was there wasn't she? Before the battle began."

I began to take deep breaths; afraid the flashbacks would start again.

"Yes," Luna said, and then hesitated, "She is the ninth scout, Senshi of Pluto, daughter of Chronos and the guardian of time. That is why you have not meet her properly before."

As she finished speaking the woman in question entered with Rei and approached. Setsuna was a lovely creature; I thought of Michiru for a moment and held back a few stray tears.

"Serenity-hime," she greeted me with my formal name, "Normally, I am not permitted to intervene, but since Small Lady has been stranded here, some recourses must be made."

"I don't understand," I said.

"Serenity-hime, Small Lady is from the future. She is your future daughter. When she ran away she did what she had to. If she loses her father, she will cease to exist."

"What?" I cried. Frightened, I held the girl tighter to me.

"There is no need to be alarmed. If he were dead she would not be here."

Several minutes passed before the implications sunk in. Rini was my daughter, and I never would love another man, and her father…

For a moment I was too frightened to speak.

"Mamo-chan?" I whispered.

Setsuna nodded.