Hiei's Firefly - Thank you. I'm actually getting chapters out much more quickly than I usually do. Maybe because this is one of my shorter writings - ie. The chapters are shorter than some of my other stories. If you want to see my long chapters, read my Zelda fic.
JoshRand1982 - Well, I hope it does improve as I go. Of course, this fic was an idea I had for a long time and I finally decided to go ahead and write it. It's not my greatest epic or anything. Hope you enjoy the rest of it.
Secret411- Thank you. I will have to try and check out your story as well some time.
ShadowSonic1 - I think we got the problem resolved, right? Anyway, thanks for your review. As you saw in Chapter 2, Quatre's sister is Haruka. I think she just works better, and she's not as . . . blonde as Minako. As for Quatre's family; all of his sisters were actually test-tube babies. He was the only one born naturally. His mother died in childbirth, and he was let to believe he was also a test-tube baby.
Zipora Tsuki - Thank you, and here's your update.
Airlady - Thank you. I saw another fic once where Heero was Shingo, but it went a different direction and died. I always thought it was a good, workable premise if done right.
jod - Thank you. The reunion will be coming up here in a few chapters. I'll try to make it "interesting" enough.
Ah, Family
Chapter Three
Heero arrived at Quatre's mansion early the day of their intended departure. He parked his motorcycle in the Winner's large garage. He was mildly surprised to find a collection of rather fast sports cars there. Apparently Quatre liked to break the speed limit sometimes.
Upon arriving at the mansion itself, Heero was usher through the halls by Gregor until he arrived at a comfortably large study, where Quatre was seated behind a desk, typing away on his computer. He didn't even notice the new arrivals until Gregor coughed to get his attention.
"Oh, Heero. You're here," he said, looking up from his work. "Thank you Gregor," he said, turning to the elderly butler. The old man bowed and left.
"Are we heading to the spaceport soon?" Heero questioned.
"Actually, we have a slight problem," Quatre replied. "A solar flare, to be precise."
"A flare?"
"Yes," Quatre responded nodding. "A large one. It's interfering with sensory equipment all the way out here. All out going flights have been postponed until tomorrow."
"I see," stated Heero, folding his arms.
Quatre nodded. "Yes. I have been trying to contact my sister to inform her of the change, but the flare is interfering with that too. I'm in queue to use the colony's military-grade communication equipment, but I have another hour or so until my turn."
"Alright," Heero replied. "I can return tomorrow."
"You can just stay the night here," Quatre responded. "I'll have Gregor prepare a room for you."
Heero nodded and left the room. He would spend some time in Quarte's library while he waited.
-------
Haruka sat at a table in the caf‚ court of one of the local malls. Actually, Haruka, Michiru, Ami, and Mamoru all sat at the table. Luna and Artemis were both stowed away in shopping bags by their feet. The rest of the Sailor Senshi had all entered a clothing store around ten minutes ago. They wouldn't be out for a good hour, probably.
Hotaru probably would have joined them, however, unlike Ami, she had been unable to escape Minako's grasp and had been dragged in. The senshi of Mercury was looking through a book she had picked up a few stores earlier. Mamoru had only managed to escape being dragged into this women's clothing store by assuring Usagi that she didn't need his opinion, as she would look beautiful in any outfit she tried on. This had distracted her long enough for him to get away. Michiru preferred more . . . classy clothing stores, and Haruka didn't care much about clothes - and no one dared try and drag her along.
Mamoru had just returned from getting drinks for the four, when Haruka's cell phone went off. Pulling the phone out of her bag, she examined the number. It wasn't one she knew, but she answered it anyway. "Hello?"
"Hello? Haruka?" came a male voice over the line.
"Quatre? Is that you?" Haruka asked. The other three at the table all turned their attention to the phone conversation, though they could only hear half of it.
"Yeah," came the reply. "It's me."
"What's up? Is something wrong?" Haruka asked concerned. "Shouldn't you be on shuttle by now?"
"There's a solar flare interfering with space-based communication right now," Quatre replied. "All flights have been delayed until tomorrow."
"So then, you won't be arriving here until Wednesday?" Haruka asked.
"That's right," came Quatre's response. "And I don't know exactly what time we'll get in either."
"Well, crud," Haruka grumbled.
"What? Something wrong?" Quatre asked.
"Oh, it's just that Wednesday is not as good a day as Teusday would have been," the senshi of Uranus replied. "Michiru has a recording session and I have a publicity racing event. And a few other little things."
"Oh, that's no problem," Quatre replied. "Heero and I both have some errands we can run around Tokyo."
"Heero? Is that your friend?" Haruka asked.
"Yes," Quatre replied. "We both have some things we could do around town. Why don't we just meet up with you at, say, 6:30 for dinner? I can just ave a limo pick us up from the spaceport."
"Alright. If you're sure that's okay?" Haruka agreed.
"Yes, it's fine," Quatre stated. "I'll see you Wednesday, then."
"Alright," Haruka conceded. "I'll see you then. Bye, Quatre."
"Bye."
Haruka turned off her phone and put it back in her bag.
"Everything alright?" Mishiru asked.
"Oh, yeah," Haruka replied. "Quatre's flight just got delayed a day. So he won't be here until Wednesday."
"Oh," Michiru said, frowning. "Wednesday is not a very good day."
"No. But Quatre said he and his friend had some things they could do around Tokyo and they would meet us at dinnertime."
"So your little brother doesn't get here until Wednesday?" Ami piped up. "I guess the rest of us won't get to meet him until Thursday, then."
"Probably not," Haruka agreed.
It was then that distraction came in the form of Hotaru suddenly appearing at the table - holding no less than five new bags of clothing. "H-help me!"
The others all raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?" Michiru asked.
"She-she's crazy!" came the younger girl's reply.
Haruka sighed. "What did Minako do?"
"I just said I like purple! She's seemed to think that meant I needed to try on everything they had that came in purple!" Hotaru was obviously distressed. She and Minako had very different tastes in clothing . . . Hotaru dressed conservatively and Minako did not.
The others all groaned. Haruka eyed the bags Minako had apparently made Hotaru purchase already. Good thing I'm rich, she thought.
Mamoru got up and pulled another chair over to the table. "Have a seat. We'll make sure Minako doesn't drag you back in there." Hataru sat down, nodding gratefully.
-------
Heero was in the library for quite a while before Quatre eventually joined him. "I finally got a hold of Haruka," the Winner boy announced. "When we get to Tokyo, we won't be meeting up with her until 6:30, for dinner." Heero nodded in understanding. Quatre skimmed his hand along a row of books, before selecting one and seating himself in a comfortable couch.
Heero sighed. He had been planning to have this conversation on the shuttle ride, but now was probably a better time. He sat his book down on a small table and finally spoke. "Quatre."
"Hmm? Yes?" the blond replied, looking up from his own reading selection.
"Before we get to Tokyo, there is something I need to talk to you about," Heero stated, seriously.
"Alright," Quatre replied, setting his book aside and turning to face the other pilot.
"Tell me Quatre . . . do you believe in magic?"
The Arabian boy nearly fell off his couch.
"Wha-? In magic?" he finally stammered.
Heero nodded, still serious. "Yes. Not the traditional hocus-pocus. More like people with supernatural powers."
"Well," Quatre began, readjusting himself on the couch. "I have always believed in God, and with that come a measure of the supernatural. But normal people with supernatural power? I haven't seen anything to make me believe in that."
Again, Heero nodded. "Have you ever heard of the Sailor Senshi?"
Quatre thought for a while. "I remember hearing about them when I was younger. A group of girls with magical powers who fought monsters and protected Tokyo? Wasn't that a TV show?"
"Yes," Heero replied. "But the show was based on the fact."
"Yeah, I remember hearing something about that as well," Quatre stated, wondering where Heero was going with this. "Wasn't there a group of girls who killed some genetic experiments gone wrong that had been terrorizing Tokyo, or something? Then they glamorized it and made a TV show after it?"
"That is the official story," Heero responded. "Have you ever read the Preventer's classified file on the Sailor Senshi?" Quatre shook his head, and Heero continued, "It says that the official story was completely made up by the government, and they have no clue where the monsters come from, who the girls are, or where they get their powers."
Quatre blinked in surprise. "So you're saying . . ."
"The Sailor Senshi are real, as are their 'magical' powers. And so are the monsters they fight. Anyone from Tokyo knows this," Heero stated. "The monsters still appear there to this day, but it is now largely kept quite outside of the city itself."
"So, you're saying then when we get to Tokyo, there will be girls with magic powers running around killing monsters?" Quatre finally asked.
"Yes, basically," Heero replied.
"And what? You think it's likely we may run into them?"
"Yes, extremely."
"Extremely?" Quatre asked, raising an eyebrow.
Heero nodded. "Yes. You see, my sister is one of them."
Quatre nearly fell off his couch again. "What!"
Heero just nodded calmly. "Yes. She's Sailor Moon, actually. I found out the night I ran away." Quatre just stared at him so he continued. "One of the monsters attacked our house looking for her. It killed my parents before Usagi and the other Senshi got there. They killed it before it could kill me." Quatre still said nothing. Heero continued, "When I found out Usagi was Sailor Moon, I realized the monster had been looking for her. I blamed her for our parents' deaths and ran away."
Quatre was still in shock. "You . . . you're serious . . ?" Heero just nodded. "Wow."
"I figured you should know before we arrived there," Heero stated, standing up and heading for the door.
". . . yeah," Quatre muttered as Heero left the room.
And he had thought things could not get any more weird.