­Well, let us see what shall happen nest. Sorry it took so long but I needed to think lol.

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A Shadow of a Doubt

"Why did you bring him here? And more importantly why are you here Shadow Fox?" Shukujo asked. A shadowy figure that was in the shape of a fox with glowing red eyes changed shape.

"My Mistress." The figure said as he was now in a human shape of a shadow with glowing red eyes. He kneeled down. "I sensed your troubles and came to your side."

"What do you mean my troubles?" Shukujo asked as she sat on her throne and glared at Shadow Fox.

"Mannen and Kaze are not fit for this assignment. If you are not careful your control over them will slip." Shadow Fox said.

"So what, once those three are found and destroyed I won't have any use for Mannen or his pathetic sister Kaze." Shukujo responded.

"Then what may I ask you will do with them?"

"I'll let you have them to do as you wish with them." Shukujo said. "However things are taking to long. I am growing impatient. But you had not answered my other question." She added as she looked at the guy.

"Oh him? I just figure you could use another slave to put under your spell." Shadow Fox said as he walked over to the captured guy. "I found out that his name is Mamoru and he seems to hold a lot of power." Shadow said.

Shukujo got up and walked over to Mamoru. "Really?" She said as she actually touched him with the tips of her fingers.

"They will come and find me." Mamoru said, He was struggling to get free but the shadow binding him was to strong.

"Really dear? You think so?" Shukujo responded. "Shadow Fox Since you are here I want you to keep an eye on Mannen and Kaze. If they get free of my control you may have to finish their mission." Shukujo said as she looked at Shadow Fox.

"As you wish Mistress." Shadow Fox bowed and then slipped right into the shadows.

"As for you dear, I have a much better thing to use you for." Shukujo said and she placed both of her hands on his face and Mamoru started glowing.

"Aggghhhhh!" He yelled as he felt his energy draining. "They …. Will …. stop you." Was the last thing Mamoru said before he disappeared.

"Mmmm thank you for the energy boost. I won't let it go to waste." She said. "I …" Shukujo stopped as Mamoru's memories temporarily clouded her mind. They were hard to figure out but she laughed anyways. "HA!HA!HA! And thank you for your memories to." She said as she walked back up to her Throne and sat down. "They might come in handy." She added.

"Mamo - chan!" Usagi yelled as she sat up in bed. She was breathing hard and her heart was pounding in her chest. She looked around her room and it took her a while to realize she was in her room. 'Oh thank god it was just a dream.' She thought to herself as she laid back down and put her arms over her eyes. 'But it felt so real. Mamoru I hope it was just a dream.' She thought. Usagi then got up and changed.

"Usagi don't run in the house." Her mother said as Usagi had ran past and out the door. "Oh that girl." Her mother said.

"Mamo - chan!" Usagi said as she was knocking on his apartment door. "Mamo - chan please open up!" She called. Usagi knocked several more times before figuring that he must not be home and that maybe he was at work. So not wanting to go bother him at work Usagi just left him a note on his door and walked away.

"Wow Kawaira you did a good job." Rei said. "These flowers look great here." She added as they were at the Shrine.

"Yeah well tell your grandpa I said thanks for the job." Kawaira said.

"Where you going?" Rei asked.

"Oh to go get Suisei for lunch. She's doing volunteer work at the animal shelter." Kawaira said.

"Oh cool mind if I come along?"

"Sure why not." Kawaira said. She and Rei walked to the downtown animal shelter where Suisei was showing a mother and daughter the kittens.

"Mommy I want that one. The one with the black ear!" The red head little girl with green eyes said excitedly.

"Okay dear. Umm we want that one." Her mother said who had the same color hair as her daughter but she had brown eyes not green.

"Sure thing." Suisei said and she opened the cage and took out the small kitten that had the black ear. "There you go." She said as she handed the kitten to the little girl. "Now be sure to take good care of him." Suisei said as she patted the young girl on the head.

"Thank you I will." The little girl said as she and her mom went to go pay for the kitten.

"Wow you seem to have a knack for this job."

"Oh hey Kawaira, hey Rei." Suisei said with a smile as she greeted them.

"Are you ready?" Kawaira asked.

Suisei nodded. "Yeah just let me clock out and I'll be right back.

"Okay let's go." Suisei said as she came back with her bag.

The three of them walked to the Sonic, which was three block from the animal shelter. "So how do you like working at the animal shelter?" Rei asked.

"I love it. I get to see so many animals and some of them …." Suisei frowned and got a real sad look in her eyes. "Some of them are returns or were taken from bad owners." Suisei said.

"Oh wow." Kawaira said. "Do you know any of the stories?" She asked.

"Yeah some." Suisei said. "Like you have seen the dog that was sitting at the other end of his cage away from the gate right?" Suisei asked. Rei and Kawaira nodded. "Well, he was so badly abused by one owner after the other that his spirit was broken and he is afraid. We all think the poor dog might be scarred emotionally for life." Suisei said.

"Oh, that's horrible. Has anyone ever got close to it?" Rei asked.

"Well, he only comes to the cage when I go to feed him. Otherwise he stays in the back and shivers and growls at anyone else." Suisei sighed sadly and took a drink of her strawberry smoothie. "Maybe with a bit of work then he might get a good family. But if he doesn't get his spirit back then …. Then … they will put him down." Suisei had tears in her eyes.

"There there I know you won't let that happen." Kawaira said as she patted Suisei on the back. "If anyone can get the pup's spirit back up you can." She added.

Later that night while Suisei was in bed she kept thinking more and more about the scared little dog at the animal shelter and what Kawaira had said.

­"If anyone can get the pup's spirit back up you can."

'I hope you are right.' Suisei thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

The next day Taiki, Ami, and Yatan were taking a short walk downtown just talking about different things when they heard a yell coming from the animal shelter. The three of them ran to see what was going on and what they saw surprised them. A black dog was being taken in one direction as Suisei fought the other workers.

"NO! You can't do that to him! He is getting better!" Suisei yelled. The black dog was trying to run and he was growling and attempting to bite the one pulling him. Every so often he would whimper and try to go in the direction that Suisei was.

"Suisei what's going on?" Taiki asked as they went up to Suisei who was still struggling against two guys holding her back.

"See that dog there? They want to put him down when he hasn't even been given a fair chance." She said.

"I am sorry he is to vicious and was to abused to be owned." One of the workers holding Suisei said.

"It is not fair! She he was getting better! He even let me pet him today." Suisei said. "Hearing her say that the workers let her go by mistake but when they tried to grab her again Yatan got in the way.

"Let her alone." Yatan said. They watched as Suisei was running to the black dog and whistled for him. The black dog pulled so hard and fast that the guy pulling the leash let go of the leash. The dog ran to Suisei and actually started to whimper and cuddle up in her arms.

"Midnight" Suisei cried as she got the noose off the black lab's neck.

"Suisei he can not be helped." This make worker said as he went to put the noose around the dog.

"Hey! Let go." The guy said as Taiki was holding the noose.

"You should not decide like that about an animal without giving it a chance." Ami said as she stood right by Suisei.

"Young lady I don't think anyone can get close nor have the time that is needed for this --" A blonde haired female worker was starting to say until Suisei cut her off.

"I can do it." She said as she hugged the lab. "and I have the time to do it to. I'll take care of him if you let me take him." Suisei said and everyone looked at her. Suisei was starting to cry. "It is not his fault that he had bad owners. I will take him home and work with him, get him to realize that not every person is bad." Suisei said.

"Suisei are you sure?" Ami asked.

Suisei gave a nod. "Well, I never saw someone with such spirit before." Came a girl's voice. Right behind the worker that had the noose stood a girl with light brown hair that went just past her shoulders, light blue eyes, and was wearing a tan shirt that said Downtown Animal shelter.

"Jessie." Suisei said.

"Alright you can take him. Train him up and get him to love humans again Suisei. Take as long as you need." Jessie said. "That one year old pup still does have a chance and I am glad that you are willing to give the time needed to him." She added.

Suisei thanked Jessie and got one of the leads and put the loop end around Midnight's neck and Suisei held the other end.

They went to the park where they ran into Seiya, Usagi, and Minako. They explained what happened and they were all happy for Suisei and Midnight. "Yeah he looks like a good dog huh Midnight?" Seiya said and he went to pet Midnight but jumped back as Midnight snapped at Seiya.

Everyone laughed after a few minutes. Everyone except Usagi. "Hey Odango what's wrong?" Seiya asked, however he later regretted it when he seen Usagi start to cry. "did something happen? Did Mamoru hurt you in some way?" Seiya asked.

Usagi shook her head. "No it's just that I have not seen him since the night he walked me to my house." Usagi said. "I tried to go to his house but I must just keep missing him." She added.

Seiya tightened his hands into a fist. He hated seeing his Odango cry and even hated Mamoru for making her cry. "Do not worry you guys probably just keep missing each other." Minako said.

"Yeah that's right. Try not to worry so much." Ami added as she hoped to comfort Usagi since the last time Usagi broke down like this Galaxia had taken Mamoru's star seed but they know that that can not happen again since Galaxia was back on the good side, not to mention far away right now.

"Hey I know what will make you feel better!" Suisei said. "Why don't you help me with Midnight?" Suisei asked. Everyone just looked from Suisei to the black lab who was cowering behind Suisei.

There was a long pause and then Taiki stood next to Suisei. "I'll help you." He said with a smile.

Yatan just sighed. "Well, it isn't the little dog's fault that he had bad owners from the time he was born." Yatan said as he stood next to Suisei on her other side. Ami and Seiya followed. They all looked at Usagi who looked uncertain but when she saw the sad scared look in Midnight's eyes she gave in and joined them.

For the next four weeks they worked with Midnight and even had Saitai, Rei, Makoto, and Kawaira helping out. It wasn't easy at first since Midnight either ran or tried to bite any of them that got close. Usagi still thought about her Mamoru but not to often since she was helping out with Midnight as much as she could.

Else where around one in the morning Mannen and Kaze had stopped by the animal shelter to see what animals would be good to use as something to be changed and would keep the other sailors off them when a dark shadow came up behind them. "What are you doing here?" Mannen asked as he did not need to turn around to see who was behind them.

"I am here on Shukujo's orders." Shadow Fox said. Kaze and Mannen turned to stare directly into the blazing red glow of Shadow Fox's eyes. "Shukujo is not happy with you two and wishes me to help out." He said.

"Help out don't you mean keep an eye on us? We don't need your help." Mannen said and he and Kaze were going to walk away.

"Now don't be like that." Shadow Fox said as he appeared in front of them. "What if I could tell you that I can find out who those scouts are and we can give them as gifts along with the three you lost to Mistress Shukujo?" Shadow Fox said.

"We're listening." Mannen said. Shadow then explained how there was a scent of great power left here and that he can track it down to it's source. "Well well how can we trust you?" Mannen asked as this new info did intrigue him very much so. Shadow Fox just laughed and changed his shadowy form into a Fox and went running off with Kaze and Mannen following them.

Two days later things were going great with Midnight's training. He was starting to let Yatan, Taiki, Ami, Rei, and Makoto touch him but he was still giving Minako, Usagi, and Seiya some trouble. "Well at least he no longer tries to bite you guys." Suisei said. as she patted Midnight on the head.

"Yeah he still tries to bite us." Kawaira said. Saitai gave a nod.

"Aw isn't that sweet." Came a voice. Everyone looked around and Midnight was looking at the mail box that was just a few feet from them. Soon two figures in white appeared.

'Mannen and Kaze.' Taiki thought to himself.

'Do they know who we are?' Yatan asked himself.

'What do they want?' Seiya asked himself.

"You three should run now!' Ami and Rei both said.

"I don't think so." Came another voice. Before anyone could run shadowy ropes came up from under them and bound them.

"Run Midnight! Suisei said as she dropped the leash Midnight ran and hid under a bush and watched as a Shadowy figure of a Fox appeared from under the mail box and changed forms to the shape of a human.

"Shadow Fox." Seiya, Yatan, and Taiki said all together.

"What? Who is Shadow Fox?" Minako asked.

"A very evil person." Taiki said. "and if we do not get free soon he will transport us all right to Shukujo." He added. Not wanting to get taken anywhere everyone tried to get free.

"Oh you guys make me laugh." Shadow Fox said. "No one can get out of that unless I release you." Shadow Fox said. "However." He started to walk towards Suisei, Kawaira, and Saitai. "If you reveal to us where the three Comet sailors are then I might let you go." He said as he touched Suisei on the cheek.

"Don't you touch her!" Seiya yelled as he struggled more.

"My dear starlight I will do what I want. Now tell me before I hurt this girl." Shadow Fox said. "AHH!" Shadow Fox yelled as something bit him on the leg.

"Midnight!" Suisei yelled as Midnight then latched onto Shadow Fox's arm and did not let go.

"You beast let GO!" Shadow Fox wrapped a shadow rope around Midnight's body and threw the dog off to the side. No one realized that the shadow rope were gone. Everyone watched as Midnight was doing his best to save those he cared about but in the end he got thrown one more time and hit a tree trunk. Yelping the dog got knocked out. Everyone was shocked to see what had just happened. Just then a voice came into Kawaira's, Saitai's, and Suisei's mind.

"It is time." The voice said and strangely for some reason the three girls shut their eyes. When they did they saw hands reaching for them and a bright glow around the ones that were reaching. "It is time for you to regain what you lost." The voices said and Suisei, Kawaira, and Saitai took hold of the three strangers' hands.

"What's that?" Usagi asked as they saw Suisei, Saitai, and Kawaira being surrounded in swirls of light, music, wind, and leaves.

'They were… Here with us …. This whole time.' The three Starlights thought as who stood in the three Jane Does' places were Comet Sailor Sound, Comet Sailor Wind, and Comet Sailor Earth. All three were there in front of them and neither looked happy.