AN: Thank you for reading the story. I hope you are enjoying it:)

Chapter XII: The Eve of Battle, part 2

Merrily oblivious to the developing situation, Chibiusa enjoyed a particularly large cherry pancake. In front of her on the table were also a plateful of meatballs, and other appetizing sweets.

Usagi, eat your heart out!

The pink-haired child couldn't help a small grin at the thought of her mother-to-be's reaction ifsheever heard about the delicious meal that Chibiusa was having—and that she hadn't been invited to!

"This was all very yummy!"

"Yummy…" came a younger child's happy voice.

"Thank you very much for inviting me!" she continued with a cheerful smile. "But I should be heading home now, or Ikuko-mama will be worried.I told her I'd be back by evening..."

"You're right, Chibiusa-chan! Look, it's evening already and we didn't notice. Well, I'll be taking you home then…it was a great pleasure having you here! After all, we had to show our gratitude, right? Glad you appreciated the pancakes!"

"Pancakes!" the baby shouted in glee. "Home!" he said, pointing at himself.

"They were delicious" Chibiusa admitted. "I wish I could cook like that…"

"Maybe your mama will teach you one day…what's so funny?" he asked in confusion, as the girl had erupted into giggles.

Before she could reply, the sound of the doorbell was heard.

"Oh, excuse me for a moment while I answer the door."

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As they watched Setsuna drive off, the seven Senshi tried to make sense of what had just happened. Instinctively, the Sailor Team looked towards Uranus and Neptune for an explanation.

"It's a long story…" the sandy blonde replied to the silent questions.

"You'll hear it on the way" her partner added, as they started towards the park.

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"You selfish, irresponsible fool!"

Setsuna had never been particularly inclined towards violence, but very thought of the man's recklessness made her blood boil. With a cold glare, she grabbed the collar of his shirt, pinning him against the open door.

"Do you realize what you've done! Did you take one, ONE single second to think it over!"

Retrieving his spirits, the man frowned menacingly, and yanked her hands off his shirt.

"What is this all about, are you mad? How dare you—"

"Quiet!"

The undercurrent of menace in her dangerously low voice scare alarmed Tsumbono.

"I'm calling the pol—"

"Call them" she challenged. "But will you have the courage to face them? Knowing how you gambled the lives of so many people…and for what?" Her tone heated again. "For fame? So that your name could 'make the headlines'? What do you think the world that now admires you will say when they find out that the respected Ryou Tsumbono is nothing but—" and she spoke the next words in disdain "—a fraud?"

The scientist swallowed hard. He gathered his broken countenance and showed her away from the door with one short gesture.

"I have no idea what you're talking about…now will you please leave my home!"

As she refused to move a single inch, still fixing him with the same resentful eyes, the man grabbed her arm…

…only to find himself lying face down on the cold concrete a split-second later.

"Don't try that again" she warned with a look of utter contempt. "Enough of this nonsense. As much as I wanted to, I am not here to call you on your misguided actions. Where did you take the hybrids?"

Tsumbono pushed himself upwards, as quickly as his aching body allowed him. With a look of wounded pride, he turned his back on her.

"I could make you tell me" Setsuna spoke coolly, "but you will do it willingly. Because your 'work' could be the starting point of a world-wide crisis. Because others are out there right now, risking their lives to fix your mistake. And because I believe that, despite your arrogance and bad judgment, you want to make things right."

Although his back was still turned to her, she could see the botanist clench his fists.

"Those spores brought me more recognition in a month than my entire work did in years!"

"Did you ever wonder where the spores came from when you accidentally found them? Ever consider what they might draw into our world?"

"Don't ask me to believe they're not from our world!" the man said furiously.

"I don't need to ask you…you already believe it."

"No!"

"How many plants on Earth don't need photosynthesis to survive?"

"There are some…"

"None this advanced in terms of structure…nor are there any that can replicate the properties of the organisms around them, Doctor Tsumbono." She walked around his still figure, forcing him to face her again. "You did not create the hybrids. They reached our world through a dimensional fissure.You juststumbled across them and decided to seize the chance at worldwide recognition. You ignored the dangers that the spores might contain…"

"No!" His voice was hoarse with emotion. "I checked them…checked them for any known diseases, parasites, anything I could think of! There was nothing! How could I not seize the occasion?"

"You saw the fissure…and said nothing! What did you think would happen!"

"I didn't see anything." His shoulders were slumped in defeat. "I was studying the plant life left behind by the explosion when the spores caught my attention. After I studied them and realized they were—" his voice trembled slightly—"not from Earth…I came back to look again. But I never saw anything…"

"You're a man of great intelligence, don't ask me to believe you did not realize where the spores came from." She cut off his reply with a wave of her hand. "None of this matters now. It is late for explanations and amends on your part. Just tell me where the hybrids are."

"I can't give up…my most important work…!I've come this far…"

"You've endangered everyone in this city!" Setsuna realized she had been shouting, and lowered her tone again. "I hope you enjoyed your fifteen minutes, Doctor", she said bitterly, "because if anyone gets hurt because of your conceit, I will personally make sure you pay for it!"

"Save your threats" he replied sullenly, looking down at her. "There's nothing you can do to me."

She raised her garnet eyes to meet his. Even though he stood taller than her, the man felt cowered by the icy glare; the silent menace shimmering in their depths chilled him to the bone. She moved to close the gap between them, and reduced her voice to a barely audible whisper:

"Don't. Dare. Me."

Suddenly, the silence between them was broken by a child's voice.

"I'd listen to her, if I were you…"

From behind the open door, Chibiusa emerged, wearing the same determined expression she had had when she had first tried to obtain the Silver Crystal from Usagi.

"Small Lady!"

"Chibiusa-chan!" Tsumbono was equally shocked by the girl's words. "Go back inside, quickly!"

But the child gave him a wide-eyed stare.

"If everyone's in danger because of you…how can you not want to help? Don't you want to protect all those people who admire you? Who believe in you…? Like little Ryuu, or everyone who visited your show? It's okay to make mistakes…I make a lot of them, too. It feels bad at first…but when you try to correct them, it feels a lot better, you'll see!"

The man looked at her, speechless. Setsuna did the same, wondering what wicked sense of humor the fates had to involve the child they had all thought safely away from the battle.

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AN: Please let me know what you think! Ja ne!

Myosotis