Hello everyone!

I am so, so, so, so X99 billion, times sorry that I have not updated your beloved story in so long! I hit a huge block sometime back and just could never get back into it. I tried time, and time, and time again to make this chapter happen, and finally I have done just that!

I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I promise, I'm going to try my hardest to keep this up until it's finished! I know you all want me too! Thank you all, again, for your continued support. It really means so much to me that you all love this story so much and want me to finish it. I'm going to keep this short, and I wont be posting a foot note at the bottom, if I do, it will also be very short. I don't want to detract from your reading!

As always, R&R and enjoy!

Chapter 12: Cast into Darkness

Chibiusa and Ren burst through the door to their sister's hospital room, only to find that their sister had once more fallen back into a coma. Chibiusa cursed and Ren slammed his fists against the wall. They both turned to the nurses in the room with a questioning look. One of them sighed and answered their unasked question: "She was awake for about 10 minutes, mumbling something about impending danger and the need to reach someone?" the nurse seemed unsure if she was remembering what the girl said exactly. "Anyways, her condition is improving at an incredible rate… however… we performed a cat scan and we found some brain damage that might be irreparable."

The twins stared dumbfounded at the nurse and slowly their gaze drifted to their older sibling. Mizuki looked so pale and weak, vulnerable to anything and everything around her. Chibiusa approached the bed and grasped her sister's cold hand and held it close to her forehead. The nurse left, closing the door behind them. Chibiusa could feel the first tears rolling down her cheeks. Ren patted his shivering sister on the back and sighed, hanging his head in defeat. Without Mizuki, how were they going to defeat Chaos and its army? How could they do anything without their sister…

Kira, who stood silently in the far corner of the room looked at the weeping siblings with sympathy. She had no siblings, but her heart ached, as if she was losing a sister. There was an unexplainable pull that drew Kira towards Mizuki. Perhaps it was their intertwined pasts and uncertain destinies. Both of them were never meant to be. Yet here they were, in a pitiful state of disarray and agony. Kira bit her lower lip and lowered her green gaze to the white washed tiled floors of the sterile room. There had to be a way to pull Mizuki out of whatever she was in, and Kira was certain it was no coma. Was Mizuki trapped perhaps, between this plane and the next? Maybe she tried to contact her parents in the comatose state and lost her way.

The older Senshi looked up and parted her lips to mention her thought but the sight of Chibiusa weeping over Mizuki's lifeless body startled her into silence. She could feel the tears pricking at her eyes, and her heart aching, aching to the point her body felt numb. All she could feel was the solid, painful thumb of her own heart. She reached up and folded her hands over her chest, bowing her head and… praying? She was never a religious girl, but she couldn't help herself and begged for some higher being to help them.

Kira pushed herself off the wall and exited the room, giving the twins their privacy. She hung her head as she traversed the empty hallways that bustled with life that Kira could hardly recognize anymore. She had yet to feel the presence of a Chaos beast but already she could feel the dread weighing her down. It leaked off of Mizuki and her siblings like a gas, infesting everything it touched. And it weighed the poor girl down to the point of almost collapsing. What was this feeling. Kira placed her hand against her pale forehead and stumbled to a nearby wall. The world around her blurred and spun and suddenly she felt the cold hard floor pressed against her cheek. She saw footsteps rushing towards her and then there was nothing but a black expanse of nothingness, of unconsciousness.

Mizuki could hear the world around her calling her name. Yet, she could not feel the tug of a hand or taste the plastic tube that was shoved forcefully down her throat. The sound itself was even distant, as if she had imagined it. She couldn't see anything but the blackness around her, yet she somehow felt the presence of the real world surrounding her, compressing her into the small fragile body she possessed. Her consciousness darted around, frantically searching for a way out, a way back. It was impossible, would she be stuck here forever? Was this the plan of Chaos all along? To trap her in her own subconsciousness, never to escape again?

I have to get back, I have to get back soon… she thought to herself and imagined herself pulling her knees close to her chest and burying her face in them. The movement was so slow and sluggish that she was convinced it never occurred at all. She remained in that state for what seemed like hours, fidgeting with ideas on how to escape her current predicament. A thought suddenly struck her and, as fast as she could, or at least how fast her imagination responded to the sluggish absence of her conscious form, she stood and looked in no particular direction. She was intent on using her situation to reach out to her father. It was impulsive that she did this but somehow she felt that he was in a similar state as her, and therefore their subconscious minds would be more attune to reaching out to the others.

She tried it with a weak feeble attempt, calling out her father's name in a voice that made no sound. She sighed and shook her head. Maybe she was wrong? Maybe her current state made her even more weak than she anticipated. Was this the price to pay for taking the wounds of someone else? Was this an effect of fighting the Chaos beasts and overtaking her own powers? Her thoughts suddenly struck the names and her entire being ached worse than the subtle pain of her injuries. Michiru and Haruka… both dead… all because she was so weak. She cried out in silence, a futile attempt to express her current mix of emotions. Why!? Why does this world have to be so cruel!? She screamed in the seclusion of her thoughts, the words seemed to echo all around her, creating a vortex that spun her out of control in the confines of her own mind.

The sensation subsided after a few moments and she sighed, remaining completely still, afraid moving would trigger another wave. She wondered what the wave looked like on the outside world. Would her body convulse or would her heart rate simply raise? It was a complete mystery to her how what she experienced while in this state affected her physical form. At times she thought that she might have been blinking between her human form and her Sailor form. However that was silly, she wouldn't be able to change unless she used the broach. The brooch… the brooch! Maybe her brooch could help her reach her parents. It had a piece of the crystal that was inside Usagi's brooch and a piece of the star that granted Seiya his powers on Kinmoku.

She sank down in despair, knowing the lunacy of such a thing while she was stuck in this state. Maybe her siblings had enough brainpower to come up with the same thought as she did. Surely they had thought of something, while waiting for her to recover from the battle. They couldn't possibly have sat around and done nothing this past week. Well, the thought wasn't entirely farfetched, her siblings were almost always lost puppies without her constant guidance. She couldn't help but smile a bit, thinking about how her siblings would constantly hang on her, asking about this and that, requesting a bedtime story or a felt the nostalgia sweep over her as she realized how grownup her siblings had become in just the last few months. Chibiusa was a lot more serious, and her chipper, happy-go-lucky attitude was calmed and she was now an intelligent woman. Ren had aged into a responsible young man, willing to protect his family at any cost.

Was she crying?

She reached up, at least she thought about doing so, and touched her eye. Maybe she was crying in her physical form, but she couldn't be positive about the sudden warm feeling that covered her wet cheek. Or was that her cheek? She couldn't tell with what little feeling actually registered in her senses. The warmth grew however, it grew bigger and bigger until it manifested into a small shred of light. She looked towards it, blinking quickly against the sharp contrast of black she had grown so used too. She shielded her gaze and called out feebly, asking if someone was there. She swore she heard something calling back, a soft, faint and distant voice but all too familiar to her. She called out again, frantically reaching for the faded light.

Please! Please, hear me dad! I need to know you're alright!

The blackness was suddenly engulfed in warm, brilliant light. Mizuki could see herself floating through the glowing abyss, but her body seemed almost translucent and hollow. Was this the manifestation of her consciousness? She looked around, unsure of where she was or how she got there. Something in the distance caught her eye, a blinking bulb, two to be exact, one a turquoise color and the other a deep blue. They blinked in quick succession of one another, beckoning Mizuki to follow them. Mizuki moved forward, amazed that she could finally feel her body moving again, even if it wasn't actually her body.

"Haruka… Michiru is that you?" Mizuki called out, but received no response. She was sure it was the two lovers, for their orbs radiated light that felt so familiar to Mizuki. She heard something faint and distant again, a familiar voice she couldn't quite wrap her head around. Was that… her mother calling out? "Mom!" Mizuki shouted and reached towards the bulbs. "Please mom! Can you hear me!"

"Hush…" another voice called out from behind her. She whipped around and was suddenly greeted with the smiling face of her own father. Seiya floated just a few feet away from her, translucent just as she was.

"Dad!"

The figure raised his finger and placed it against his lips, motioning for Mizuki to be quiet. Mizuki obeyed and did not utter another sound. The sound she heard from earlier, the one she recognized now as her mother, called forth again, this time more frantic and hysterical. The two orbs from earlier were now gone and the world around her was growing dimmer and dimmer. "Dad," she shrieked, fearfully. Would this be her only chance to talk with her father? There was no way, she had to ask him more questions, ask for guidance. Seiya's form was starting to grow more distant now, Mizuki's consciousness was pulling her back. Or was it something else from the physical world? She couldn't be sure but she reached out and begged her father to stay for a little while longer.

"Mizuki, I love you…" Seiya called out and began to fade faster and faster.

Mizuki shouted with all her strength, "Please! Please help me!"

Within seconds the world around her became black again. She could feel a scream welling up inside of her chest, however it was no use to expel what energy she had left. There was still a rather large problem she needed to overcome. Escaping from this prison, escaping from this coma-like state she had been stuck in for what seemed like ages. She focused with all of her willpower, concentrating on the slim hope that there was a way she could return to reality and to her siblings. She had too after all, she was Earth's only hope. As conceited as that sounds, she had a feeling it was true. There was something special about the circumstances of her birth, and Chaos knew that better than she did. Why else would Chaos attack her? It was the only plausible explanation as to why Chaos was targeting her. Chaos showed little interest in Chibiusa, the royal heir to the Moon Kingdom. Or Ren, a Prince.

But what could she possibly possess that Chaos would go through so much effort to extinguish? She had been born a fluke, a mistake that should have never happened. Her birth was a result of a romance that never should have blossomed. Her very birth disturbed a future that had been set in stone since before her mother was reborn on this planet. Her birth caused that future to disappear forever, with no hope of returning. No retribution or rebirth. It was gone. She had heard stories of Silver Millennium from her mother around the time she turned 14. It was then that her parents thought hearing about Silver Millennium and their pasts might awaken her dormant powers. It didn't, but it did stir up some feelings of guilt and self-hatred that brewed inside of her for the next for months.

Whenever she would see Chibiusa, she would feel jealous. Chibiusa, the golden child. The true heir of Silver Millennium. Although, now that Mizuki was a bit older and had experienced some of what it means to be a Sailor Guardian, she respected her extended family more. She believed now, that she was meant to be a fighter, like her father, to protect her brother and most importantly her sister, who would eventually become the Queen. Silver Millennium was still possible, that's what her mother said. It would be called Crystal Tokyo when all's said and done. That's why, she had to find a way to break free of this prison. She had to wake up to help her siblings and all those helpless senshi who were forced to be awaken before their time.

She closed her eyes and focused hard on figuring out a way to escape this hell.

Chibiusa was still gripping Mizuki's hand between her own when a nurse entered the room. Ren greeted her but Chibiusa only heard a few bits of the conversation. Someone had fainted and was currently in another room resting. She wondered who it was, but her eyes and main focus was on her sister. She was willing Mizuki to come back to her with all her might. As the door closed and the nurse left, Chibiusa began praying. She prayed for someone to help them, anyone who could hear her calls. Ren looked on from the other side of the room. He wondered if it was no use trying and wasting so much energy to try to wake their sister. Perhaps they should focus more on trying to strengthen themselves and the other senshi against their enemy. It had already been a week since they had begun training, but there was no telling when the next attack would come.

"Please, anyone… if you can hear me. Please, you have to help me," Chibiusa begged and tilted her head and pressed Mizuki's hand against her forehead. One of her hands now gripped the broach that rested against her chest. Ren looked down at his feet and grimaced. His fists clenched and unclenched, and he could feel his frustration rising up from his chest. It was beginning to bubble like boiling water, his veins heating up with anger. He felt the sudden urge to punch something, or someone. Perhaps Lyle would be a good candidate for his anger? After all, it was Lyle who took their sister on that silly date. If he hadn't, Mizuki would still be awake and well. This was all Lyle's fault, that's all Ren could think about. How much he suddenly hated Lyle for taking Mizuki out on that stupid date.

Ren was suddenly overtaken by a wave of calm. A warm, faint light was bathing the room with a calm and gentle sensation. His cerulean gaze shot up to find the source of the light stemming from Chibiusa and Mizuki. Their bodies were glowing with the light and when Ren peered down at his own hands, he found the same gentle glow radiating off of his skin. He felt in his pocket for his transformation item and felt that it was warm to the touch. What could possibly be causing this phenomena to happen? He watched his sister's closely, noticing a slight breeze had picked up around them. Their hair was seeming to float with it, moving in a gentle manner.

The light grew in intensity, causing Ren to have to shield his eyes. Wind from an unknown source blew intensely around them. Pushing Ren back against the wall. Chibiusa lost her grip on Mizuki and was forced to shield her eyes from the intense light radiating off of Mizuki's body. "Mizuki!" Chibiusa shouted, terrified that something bad might be happening to her sister right now. All at once the wind and light faded except for a soft glow from where Mizuki's body once lay. Chibiusa and Ren looked on in shock, unsure if what they were seeing was real or not. They exchanged looks and realized that they each bore the moons symbol on their foreheads and that their bodies felt full of power they had never felt before.

"Mizuki!" they both exclaimed in surprise when they returned their gaze to the figure floating above the hospital bed. Mizuki looked down at them with a soft gaze, a smile lighting her lips. Mizuki no longer wore her hospital gown, but her sailor fuku. The waist cape moved gently, as if that breeze still moved about the room.

"Thank the gods you are alright!" Ren said with a relieved air.

"We thought we had lost you!" Chibiusa cried and watched as her sister gently landed on the ground.

"I might not have made it back if it wasn't for someone who has been watching over us since our births."

"Who?" the twins asked in unison.

"I don't know who she is, but she guided me into a realization. My true destiny in this life. Just because we were never meant to be born, does not mean that we do not have a path laid out of us. And that path is threatened by Chaos. We must get the other Senshi. We have to call for others, plea for help. This is the beginning of the 2nd Sailor Wars. We are the guardians of this Galaxy, and I will not let Chaos threaten it or its people. We can rebuild the kingdoms that were destroyed."

"But Mizuki, how can we win without mom and dad? We don't know what to do? Chaos could be breathing down our necks at this very moment and we wouldn't know how to fight it!" Ren argued, narrowing his gaze at his sister's sudden transcendence. "Who ever this person is that helped you, great, but can she not help us learn how to fight?!"

Mizuki looked on at her brother with an air of indifference. "She does not have a physical form. She would be of no help to us."

"So how exactly did she save you?" Chibiusa asked after a brief silence.

"She heard my calls, and yours" Mizuki turned and looked at her younger sibling. "She said it rang out through the universe. Everyone could hear our pleas for help."

"That means Chaos heard too," Chibiusa sighed. "I'm sure Chaos will try to prevent as many people from coming to this galaxy as it can."

"He already has begun," a figure burst through the doorway. Kira panted and gripped her chest. "Tell me you can feel it too, something is happening just outside the Milky Way." She continued to pant, Ren rushing forward to help her to a nearby seat.

"What happened? Are you okay Kira?"

"I fainted, and I saw a glimpse of the Universe. There is darkness stretching from its depths; reaching far and wide. It will swallow up every Galaxy at this rate!"

"Does that mean we won't be getting help?" Chibiusa gasped and folded her hands tightly against her chest.

"No," both Kira and Mizuki responded simultaneously.

Ren and Chibiusa looked at both of the girls in confusion. They each held a differing tone when they responded. Mizuki was confident and Kira doubted. Who was right? Will anyone come to help them?

"There are already Senshi travelling to this Galaxy. We should prepare the planets and old Kingdoms to house them," Mizuki continued, sounding strange to her siblings. What exactly happened to her in her sleep to change her into such a formal being? It frightened the twins, to an extent. They were not ready for the dramatic change their sister had taken on. They hoped their old Mizuki would return to them soon, this new Mizuki was nothing like the sister they knew and loved. Chibiusa gazed up at her sister with a longing gaze, but Mizuki did not return the look. Mizuki had taken to exchanging a gaze with Kira, who also seemed to have had some sort of epiphany.

"We should return to your home, and prepare the others for what must be done," Kira continued where Mizuki left off. Mizuki gave a nod and stepped off the bed from where she had been laying for the last week, lost in an endless abyss of darkness.

"Why do you both sound so weird?" Ren asked the unspoken question shared between Chibiusa and himself. "You sound way to formal to be my sister," he added a few seconds later, but still Mizuki and Kira did not cancel their exchange.

"Mizuki!" Chibiusa shouted and placed her hands on either side of her sister's face, forcing the young girl to look at her. "Listen to us, what happened to you?"

Mizuki blinked furiously, as if fully coming down from a high. She reached up and rubbed her eyes and blinked a few more times before her eyes fully focused on her little, pink haired sister. Her eyes widened in joy and Mizuki suddenly took Chibiusa into a tight hug, causing the little girl to gasp for air. Mizuki didn't respond to the girl's plea to breath for a few seconds, relishing in the moment of finally seeing her sister again. "Chibiusa… Ren…." she murmured softly, opening one arm to Ren who took the invitation and hugged his two beloved sisters.

Behind them, Kira had the same reaction as Mizuki had to Chibiusa's shout. She blinked furiously and gripped her head, coming off a trance she never realized she was in. "What just happened?"

"I don't know, but whatever it was, it better be true. We need the Senshi of this universe to help us," Mizuki respond and glanced over at green eyed girl. Chibiusa and Ren pulled away from their sister and looked between Mizuki and Kira for a short moment, waiting for either of them to talk.

The silence went on for a long moment, none of those present sure of what to say to break it. Chibiusa fiddled with the end of one of her pink pigtails, nervous for what was to come. Ren looked extremely uncomfortable, however he dared not press into what happened to Mizuki while she was asleep. He knew that now was not the place to discuss such things. Doctors could come in at any mom…

The door to the room swung slowly open after a knock rang through the room, piercing the silence like a knife. The four Senshi paused and stared, blinking against the bright light that entered the darkened room. Having been on edge since Mizuki awoke, the group prepared for the worst. Ren put his arm between the door and Chibiusa, pushing his twin behind him and whoever was about to enter the room. Kira backed away from the door, but she was the first to fully glimpse who was entering and she sighed in relief, placing a hand over her chest. "Lyle," she breathed, a shaky chuckle following.

"Hey guys," Lyle looked around a little take aback by how serious the tone of the room was. He was carrying a sack that appeared to have some candies and drinks in it. "Oh Mizuki! You're awake!" he exclaimed and sat the sack beside the door, moving towards the startled black haired girl. Mizuki met him part way and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close to her. She breathed in his scent, her knees going weak as the intoxicating scent filled her up. Lyle returned the favor and pulled her close, glad that she was finally back with him… with everyone.

Ren and Chibiusa busied themselves with the snacks while Lyle and Mizuki caught up. Mizuki hadn't been told much since she woke up an hour or so ago. Ren and Chibiusa allowed Lyle to explain again to Mizuki what happened at the battle on the pier and Mizuki's strange powers to heal others. Even though she more or less took their injuries and made them her own, it was still a considerably powerful ability that hadn't been seen in Senshi for quite some time. Apparently Chibiusa had done some research on the ability while Mizuki was in a coma and came to the conclusion that the ability was more of a dormant mutation that was last seen when the first Moon Queen rose to power. Many millennia before Queen Serenity would give birth to Usagi. The mutation was the result of the first queen's death. But there was much more that was unknown, such as the reason behind the queen's death or who she died for.

"I remember it quite vividly, Michiru and Haruka's death. I know they are still with us though," Mizuki said with a somber tone. "I felt them in my dreams, somehow they connected this galaxy with the next and allowed me to speak with dad." Chibiusa and Ren's ears perked up at the mention of their father. They of course missed their parent's a lot, just as the other adolescent senshi missed their mothers. It had a been a long two weeks without them, and even longer it seemed with no word. This was the first mention of contact with Kinmoku at all, and even though it was short lived, it was relief to know, at the very least, they were okay. "How are the others?"

"Scared and lost without their mothers, but at least now they have you to look up too," Chibiusa answered and sighed, rubbing her temples. "You are undoubtedly our leader, as much as you hate it. You have the most experience with these beasts, and that is invaluable to us. No that you are awake, I'm afraid there will be no more rest for a while. We will have to prepare the new Senshi as well as prepare to welcome any other Senshi who may come to our aide, as you have said they might." Mizuki nodded in agreement and gripped the edge of her hospital gown. She did hate the idea of being the leader, she was never good at leading anything. And she especially hated the idea of putting those kids in harm's way. It was bad enough that most of them were stripped of their childhoods because of these events. Mizuki suddenly felt very weak and ill, overwhelmed with all of her responsibilities she would have to face soon, far too soon.

Lyle noticed that Mizuki had gone slightly pale and placed a reassuring hand on her back. She looked up at him just as he flashed a soft, warm smile, his eyes glinting sympathy and reassurance. "Don't worry, Mizuki, we will be here to help you along the way. I don't have special powers or anything, but I won't just run away with my tail tucked between my leg. I may not understand it either, but I won't, ever, abandon you."

Mizuki looked up at who has now become her closest friend and ally, with a smile. She appreciated that he wanted to endure this with her and her family, but she couldn't help but still feel alone in her burden. There was so much weight on her shoulders that is felt like it was physically weighing her down. Her shoulders slumped a little, and even when she straightened back up, they always seemed to shrug back. "Let me get dressed, and we can go home."

"Well, that might be a slight problem," Ren chuckled hesitantly and rubbed the back of his head. Mizuki gave him a quizzical look. Ren sighed and explained in a soft tone that the hospital wouldn't willingly let Mizuki walk on out without first being checked out and discharged accordingly. Mizuki's mouth formed a little 'o'. Chibiusa, being the more mischievous of the family, chuckled and placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh don't worry, we'll leave without anyone knowing," her lips curled up into a mischievous smile. Kira, Mizuki and Lyle all exchanged looks and nodded. They could be here for at least another day if they had to wait on the hospital staff to run all their tests on Mizuki to determine why she woke up. Not only that, but they would shower her with hundreds of questions about her coma, how she was feeling and what happened the night she got hurt, and how all of her injuries just seemed to disappear without a trace. There wasn't even scarring where her skin had been scratched and cut during the 'accident'. There was no telling what they would do once they found out that she was awake, and so abruptly. Chibiusa looked towards to window and the group finally noticed the wisp like ball of energy residing just on the other side of the pane.

"What is that?" Mizuki questioned and approached the window, unafraid but curious. The energy was pulsating a warm, inviting aroma. It drew her in, yet somehow she could sense that the energy was not a threat to them. She reached out her hand and pushed the large window out, opening the room to the fresh, sweet air outside that whooshed in, surrounding everyone with a warm sensation. They heard a faint sound, but Mizuki couldn't quite put her finger on it. She couldn't make heads or tails on what would make such a sound.

"That," Chibiusa smiled brightly as the crescent moon suddenly appeared upon her forehead. "Is Pegasus."

"Do you think it's time for us to aid them?" A young, shrill voice rang through the halls of a massive palace. "The Princess has awoken from her comatose state, perhaps now…" she trailed off as a heavy gaze from piercing red eyes fell upon her. The figure stood, a long slender frame covered in cascading silks and fabrics not found upon Earth covering her pale skin. Her silvery white hair billowed in a wind that softly blew through the large windows behind her.

"Pegasus has arrived?" She questioned the young soldier who gave her a slight nod. "Good, the time is fast approaching when we can show ourselves, but for now, we must wait."

"But, m'lady! We cannot stand back any longer! Chaos has already beg-" she stopped short and looked at her feet. The weight of the woman's gaze silenced the young girl who fiddled with the tip of her long black hair. She bit her lip to prevent herself from saying anything else and instead waved her hands before her, generating a holographic image that depicted Pegasus arriving at the hospital where the royal family were. They watched as Pegasus used a powerful magical ability to alter the reality of the hospital's room and allow the group inside to escape without damaging the integrity of the structure, or alerting anyone who might be around. Human's were so easily fooled and it amused the white haired woman that they were incapable of noticing this disturbance.

The image faded leaving the girl who conjured it breathing slightly heavier than usual. This caught the woman's attention and her expression softened immediately. "You have yet to fully recover from your wounds?"

"Yes ma'am, b-but I'm fine!" She stammered and stood up straight, wincing from the wound on her left shoulder. A bandage that was tinted red could be seen under her clothing.

"Leo, you should rest." A alto male voice came from the shadows and heavy footsteps followed. A tall, lean but muscular figure emerged from the darkened ends of the room, his intense blue eyes settling on the young girl. "Allow me to take care of the preparations, ma'am," he turned towards the white haired woman and bowed deeply, receiving a sharp glare from Leo.

The woman smiled down at the man and nodded, "I leave everything to you, Sagittarius, please inform the other Zodiac that it is soon time." She turned her gaze down to the small, fiery frame of Leo and blinked slowly. "Leo, report to the medical wing and have your wound further treated. You are no good to me if you cannot fight and in this state you would die had you gone off and fought Chaos."

"Y-yes ma'am." Leo bowed and turned to leave the room. She hung her head and sniffed, her hair shifting from black to a deep, rich cherry red. She murmured as she left, leaving Sagittarius with the woman. They surely would discuss more in private. She continued to grumble and stared at the ground as she walked. In her distracted state she neglected to look around the corner before turning it and ran into the bust of an older woman. She stumbled backwards and held her nose, her eyebrows furrowing in frustration. She was about to chide the person before her when she stopped short, her eyes widening in surprise. "V-Virgo!" She shouted and rushed forward, wrapping her small arms around the woman's waist.

"Hello Leo," the woman smiled and returned the hug. "It has been to long."

"Damn right! You've been gone so long that we all thought you might have…" She trailed off and fiddled with the end of her hair again.

"Oh don't worry my sweet, I would never die on you. Like you died on us," she chuckled which caused a reddish glow to enter the cheeks of the young girl.

"We don't have to talk about that," she muttered and rolled her eyes. "Aside that, when did you return?"

"Just now, is the Lady in her room?"

"Yeah, she is speaking with Sagittarius right now about the plans to aid the people of Earth against Chaos. Did you find Kinmoku?"

Virgo lowered her gaze and shook her head. "Chaos has completely blocked off all possible routes to the Haute galaxy. I barely managed to escape undetected. However while I was returning I sensed someone from Haute, and more specifically Kinmoku reaching out for someone. I couldn't trace the call until sometime later when a return signal from Earth rang out across the galaxy. I have reason to believe it was the young girl we are trying so hard to protect reaching out to someone on Kinmoku."

"Do you think the call penetrated Chaos' influence over Haute?"

"I have reason to believe so, which means that could confirm our fears. The Moon's queen has indeed gone to Kinmoku for aid."

"We have to tell Lady that right away," Leo said and turned on her heel to head back into the throne room. A firm hand fell upon her shoulder and stopped her in her tracks.

"No, don't do that. You need to rest. I will approach the Lady with my findings. She can look through my memories so that nothing in my findings is forgotten. It would be the easiest way to tell her."

"But that process is so painful and tiresome!" Leo complained and looked concerned for her friend.

"I'll be fine, don't you worry." Virgo smiled and walked passed Leo, strolling around the corner and disappearing into the massive throne room. Leo sighed and made her way to the medical wing, wincing as her shoulder ached painfully. "Getting bit by a Chaos beast certainly hurts," she muttered and entered the first medical bay in the wing. She was greeted with the smiling faces of identical twins, one boy and one girl. They appeared to look young, maybe early adolescent years, but the two beings were more than 300 years old at least. They wisdom and time in this plane put them as the longest leaving Zodiac in existence. They both share the name Gemini, but to keep things easy and to not get anyone confused when talking to them, the boy's name became Gem and the girl was called simply Ni.

"Hello Leo," the two greeted the young girl simultaneously. "What can we do for you?"

"I need the bandage to be changed."

"You stood up too quickly again, didn't you?" Ni asked as she gently removed Leo's shirt and prepared to removed the bandage.

"No, I straightened my shoulder to fast when I was speaking with Lady, she wants me to rest while this heals and made Sagittarius the head of mobilizing our forces. "I can still fight! I can handle the pain I swear!"

"You need to be more careful if this is ever going to properly heal," Gem chided softly as he prepared the new bandages. "You know all too well we cannot heal this with our powers, Chaos' magic prevents it.'

"I know, I know. I'm trying to be careful, but my blood boils wanting to get revenge against that pesky beast and its rider. I will destroy them the next time we meet," she clenched her fist in triumph and cried out in pain.

"Oh dear," Ni exclaimed and placed a hand over her mouth.

"What is it?" Gem asked and looked at the wound in question. His eyes widened as he dropped the bandage in his hand. "This is very bad."

Back in the throne room, Virgo knelt before the white haired woman and allowed her to probe through her memories to review the things she had seen. Virgo had become used to the pain of having her memories probed, but the process still left her shaking. Lady removed her hand from Virgo's head and sighed, returning to her seat. Her brow had furrowed as she thought about Virgo's findings. She crossed her arms and shook her head, sending long tendrils of her long white hair cascading over her shoulders.

"What you have found is very troublesome. I recently received a report from Capricorn and Cancer that the two senshi that had been left on Earth to train the newly transformed generation, had died in the last battle against Chaos. If the remainder of the senshi went with the Moon Queen to Kinmoku and the pathway is blocked for them to return, than we may have to approach Earth much sooner than I had anticipated. Have you sent word to Pegasus about your findings, Virgo?"

"No M'Lady, I will do so immediately if you wish."

"Should we contact Taurus and Aquarius about speeding the preparations up?" Sagittarius added. He had been quiet for sometime, the news that Kinmoku had been blocked was troubling him. He worried for his family, a wife and young son that he left behind when the Lady had called the Zodiacs to reform their old group. Like all other senshi, the Zodiacs were capable of magical abilities and transformations. They were soldiers, in all essence of the word. Heavily trained in ranged, melee and magical combat.

"That would be wise, prepare to move in three days time. I also think it is time I made an appearance before this Mizuki, leave me now, I must concentrate."

"But M'Lady, do you think it is wise to contact Earth with Chaos already in the Milky Way? Wouldn't contacting her leave a trace for Chaos to find us? Or worse, them?"

"We have no other choice, the girl must be warned about what is coming. I'm sure she can sense it, but her sister has been crying out for help since Mizuki fell into a coma. I think it is time we answered them back. Have the remaining Senshi we have called upon from other Galaxies entered this one yet?" She asked, turning to Sagittarius for an answer.

"Yes ma'am, we have already amassed early 50,000 soldiers on the outer planets. Uranus and Neptune's planets responded nicely, allowing the soldiers to make bases on both. We have received no response from Pluto or Saturn, the kingdoms there are currently inactive. Do you believe that Saturn and Pluto were the guardians that died on Earth?"

"Actually, Uranus and Neptune lost their lives on Earth, meaning their guardian spirits must have returned to their kingdoms in anticipation of being reborn."

"The spirits wouldn't go to the children they adopted on Earth?"

"No, although the kids they adopted on Earth show abilities like Uranus and Neptune, the true heirs will be reborn on their respective planets, because the children are not of direct descent of either the planets or the guardians. Meaning the original senshi of Earth are going to be of no help to us. We must prepare quickly, the senshi on earth are inexperienced and only children, some forced out of their childhood, much like Leo was when she was reborn. They will need guidance during this war."

"We will mobilize immediately, Ma'am," both Virgo and Sagittarius bowed and exited the room together, leaving the slender woman alone in the silence of the giant room. She sighed and stepped down from her throne and into the center of the room. A large circle full of strange characters and designs lit up as soon as she stepped into its inner rings. She felt the energy of circle fill her entire being and mix with her own energy. Her hair lifted from her back, revealing a similar circle glowing a faint white. This circle was of her own creation, and only she could use it. It allowed her to forward her thoughts to any part of the universe with obscurity. Chaos wouldn't be able to sense their hidden fortress, or at least, that was the hope. Despite the high risk, she continued with the connection, reaching out to Earth and searching the billions of people for the minds of Mizuki, Chibiusa and Ren, the heirs to the Moon kingdom.