AN: Thank you for the reviews! If you have any more questions I'll gladly offer a small spoiler-ish answer;)
Chapter IX-…but Only Make Darkness Into Shades of Grey?
"I think I might know where the creatures come from."
Ami's grave expression belied the shyness in her tone and the uncertainty in her words. She was well aware of seven pairs of eyes eagerly fixed on her, and hoped her theory would not disappoint any of her friends. She could see the impatience written on their faces. Usagi and Minako had leaned forward, as if being ten inches closer to her could have brought the answer sooner. Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna kept calm as usual, but even they betrayed a certain tension.
"I…I think it all began with the end of Mugen Academy…"
Shock showed on their faces, as the painful memories surfaced. Ami knew all to well what they were thinking, but did not allow the reminiscing to go on for long.
"The explosion released a great amount of energy… that under normal circumstances should have inflicted greater damage. But that energy was somehow stopped from forming a shockwave. At first sight, it seems to have simply dissipated…which is impossible. Energy doesn't disappear, it must be consumed somehow."
She paused for a moment, to choose her words, conscious of the impact the next sentence would have.
"I believe the explosion caused an inter-dimensional rift of sorts."
"That's impossible."
Ami had almost expected the reply. She watched Setsuna as the older woman explained:
"No amount of energy resulted from that explosion could have been enough to open such a fissure. The fabric of each world is resistant to much more than that."
"I think…we must remember that Mistress Nine"—she saw the others wince at the name that brought so many bad memories—"opened an inter-dimensional doorway. She used the Grail to tear the fabric of our reality—and even if the gap was eventually closed, it must have left some damage."
"And made it easier for the explosion to reopen a portal between dimensions…! Does that mean Pharaoh 90 or something worse is on its way again?" Jupiter's alarmed suggestion drove shivers down everyone's spines.
"No."
Again, Setsuna shook her head. As the others directed curios looks to her, she pondered for a moment whether to reveal the next piece of information.
"I admit…at that time, I envisioned the possibility as well. After the explosion, I checked for cracks in the dimensional structure. I can assure you, there were none."
Ami did not let up.
"But had the integrity of the structure been left vulnerable?"
Setsuna gave her a strange look, as the meaning of the girl's question began to make sense. Silently, she nodded.
"Then it is not impossible for another pressure to tear reality again…"
"The amount of energy necessary would still need to be quite formidable", the other replied, "but it is certainly possible."
Ami gave her a look, as she prepared to expose the rest of her theory. She was surprised to see Setsuna slowly nod in encouragement—could the older girl already know what she was going to say?
"I have an idea as to what could produce the extra strain. As you all know, a total eclipse of the Sun will occur in two days." She saw the sudden understanding on the others' faces. "I think…I think that is what has reopened the rift between dimensions."
Makoto thought back on the Physics class she had almost slept through. The teacher had mentioned something about the short-term changes the eclipse caused…
Instinctively, Haruka looked to the guardian of Time, seeking confirmation. The young woman acquiesced with a nod.
"The variations in the magnetic field could prove enough to effect that".
Although no one had been inclined to doubt Ami, the substantiation coming from Setsuna served to put aside even the smallest misgiving.
"So, they're from another dimension?" Makoto tried to see how the new information could be helpful in defeating the enemy. "But…why are they invulnerable to our attacks…?"
"I can only guess the world they come from is so fundamentally different from ours…that they simply do not react to the same elements as we do. Like fire, water, electricity…"
"But then, how come the combined attack always works?" Usagi questioned.
Ami gave a small shrug.
"I'm…not sure yet. We can't know what their world is like…or why the Sailor Planet Attack can defeat them."
"It can't". Setsuna again cut in. As everyone's attention turned to her, she continued: "At least, not the way you imagine. Think how their dimension is essentially dissimilar from ours—so unlike the world we know, that we cannot even envision it. None of our attacks work—it would only be natural to believe no combination could have any effect, and yet…"
She paused for a second, turning to Ami, to give the blue-haired girl the chance to figure the rest by herself.
"And yet…" Ami repeated, "it works…it works precisely because it combined all of our powers!" She seemed genuinely elated to have found the answer. "It's the energy released! Enough to create a momentary dimensional rift by itself!"
"That makes sense", Haruka commented. "But it's not good enough if those things keep coming at us. We need to seal the fissure."
"I'm not sure how we can do that…the most I could do is locating it. But closing it…?" Ami gave Setsuna a questioning look.
"We can't, or at least not yet. Not while the magnetic and electric fields change under the influence of the eclipse."
"What if more of them come through?" Usagi asked in alarm.
No one answered. Somehow, the new information suddenly seemed to put them not closer to, but much farther from victory.
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"What are you thinking about? You've been silent all the way back."
In the backseat of Haruka's car, Setsuna idly caressed Hotaru's dark locks, seemingly lost in thought. At the question, she raised her eyes to notice the blonde's gaze in the rear mirror.
"I still feel something essential is missing from the picture."
"It is, most of all for you! You didn't tell the others about—"
"I didn't see the point in telling them."
"Do you see any connection between the inter-dimensional fissure and your nightmares…" Michiru asked, then added after a short hesitation, "or the loss of your powers?"
The other was silent for a second.
"Maybe."
As she did not appear to continue, Haruka eyed her in the mirror again.
"Well?"
"I'll have to check something…"
The blonde nodded, and focused back on the road. Michiru did the same, yet with her mind's eye, she saw not the city lights, but the fearsome images the mirror had shown her.
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"Ami-chan?"
Usagi's furrowed brow gave the girl a troubled look.
"If their world is so different from ours… how do we know they're our enemies?"
"One of them attacked Uranus, Usagi-chan!" Makoto pointed out. "The last one we met was about to wreck the park, and hurt Ami-chan! Plus there've been rumors of strange attacks in this area…"
"But…we attacked them first, that time in the park…" the blonde said in a small voice.
"How do you know? The truth is, we can't be sure. We couldn't afford to wait for a creature to hurt one of us then, and we can't afford it now."
"Can't we talk to them…?"
Ami shook her head in disappointment.
"I don't think that's possible. Usagi-chan, we are talking about an entirely different perspective on the world, one that none of us can even imagine. I've thought about it for a long time…but I can see no possible way of communication."
"So we'll just keep attacking them simply because they are different? If our world is so strange to them, how can they possibly want to cause any damage?"
"Usagi…"
Rei's voice had lost the ironic edge it usually had when she addressed the girl. Instead, it was warm, and compassionate affection shone in the brunette's dark eyes.
"I know you don't want anyone hurt… but they are the enemy, and we can't change that. If it's us or them…that's not really a matter of choice."
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Preview of next chapter:
"I can't fight them…"
"You'd rather see them harm the people around us, then? Are you ready to take that chance?"
xxx
"Why do I feel more a villain than a hero?"
xxx
"I suppose being kindhearted doesn't always pay."
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"Did you find what you were looking for?"
xxx
"I can't protect myself against it."
xxx
"So what caused the nightmares…?"
"I did."
xxx
"The waters are growing restless again…!"
"I feel them shifting to announce an event of tremendous gravity…"
xxx
"Mercury detected an immense energy release at the former Academy headquarters! They think the portal might have become permanent!"
AN: Why did Michiru see what she did in the mirror? Will more creatures appear?
Next chapter: the issue of the enemy creatures leads to a conflict in the Sailor Team. Should they attack or try to reason with the unknown antagonists? Meanwhile, Setsuna gets her long-awaited answer…
Want to read more? Let me know! ;) Please take a second to leave a comment. Thank you for reading the story!
Myosotis