YES! I live. Trying to get back into writing and I have several series to work on/complete so I'm just touching a few right now to see what I can focus on. Kinda on an sm kick again (hard to find good ones so recommend some below, mamo-centric please!) so here's a chapter that was half-written for a very long time. I think I figured out my problem now. Also now on AO3 but haven't started putting this series there so you're missing nothing SM related.

And I'm going to put this out there: google docs SUCKS! So if you can recommend a better running program that can go between a tablet and a laptop so I can work on it anywhere, please do.


4 – I Am Seeing... I Am Seeing...

Mamoru poured over his one guaranteed spellbook for anything and everything related to perception or memory alterations. He'd seen spells like that before, in action and in the book, but finding the exact one like it was tricky. If there was anything he learned in his magical studies, it was how many different kinds of magic there was and how there were multiple ways to get the same result. A 'heavy air' was not enough to identify the exact spell or methods used the previous day.

Rubbing his eyes, he looked over to Tanzenite looking over his shoulder. It would have been rude if it weren't the only way he could read anything in his ghostly form. "Seen anything like it?"

Tanzenite scowled at the book and shook his head. "Not really. The book's maker didn't include that method in here, but there are other variants with the same effect."

"It almost sounds like a myst spell," Jadeite commented as he looked over a fully rolled-out scroll. Mamoru found it by chance on an auction site a couple weeks ago and they agreed it was genuine. It was surprising how few records of magic there were in the world; plenty of false ones and millions of fictional add-ons, but the real thing was hard to come by. The General of the East glanced over to them, willing to give what little knowledge he had. "It was a common practice once to put out a haze clouding the presence of those who knew they weren't wanted. Usually Theece."

"Theece?" That was something Mamoru wasn't familiar with at all. The word rang a small bell but nothing, from Endymion to his current life, had an explanation for it. He looked over to Tanzenite, who shrugged, and then to Kunzite looking out the window warily.

The older warrior answered without looking. "Inhuman creatures King Aethlius detested. I believe pop culture would call them demi-humans now. They were considered monsters who aped human forms and characteristics but were closer to animals than man."

"Sounds a bit racist," their master admitted, uncomfortable with the idea. He already knew there were racial tensions back then, but he didn't know how far it went.

"For some, it was," Kunzite admitted, "but when their particular bloodline only eats other humans and Theece, you became wary either way. Minotaurs were notorious for the love of human flesh. Niads gained power drowning travelers. Satyrs and Centaurs were fond of kidnapping and raping youths, then either eating them or hunting them for sport."

Mamoru's insides twisted. So some of those myths were true? "Medusa?"

The ghost hesitated before shaking his head. "Gorgons are complicated. Most are a bloodline, but there were some turned into them as punishment. Though, I'm not privy in knowing how."

He exchanged looks with Tanzenite and nodded, their curiosity getting the better of them. Quickly Mamoru flipped to the index for any reference for transformation spells, only to find it remarkably empty. There was a true form section for undoing said spells though, and that made him smile. "We may not know how it's done, but there is a way to change them back."

"Perhaps," Jadeite piped in, coming over to their side, "but there's no guarantee that the methods won't clash. You better be careful and study everything before you attempt it on a person. It could kill them."

"Aren't you going to class today?"

Nephrite's voice jolted all their heads towards him. Of all of them, he managed to interact with items enough to get things done. It exhausted the ghost but he was a stubborn one. Mamoru's packed bag fell at his feet, a scowl on his face. "I'm pretty sure you can't miss any more school, Mamoru."

Mamoru looked up at the clock and grimaced. He had an hour until his first class and he hadn't finished getting ready for the day. Thankfully, Nephrite got most of what he missed. The mystery would have to be taken care of later.


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Unazuki usually wasn't this early coming in to work, but she couldn't resist when her silly big brother told her parents about taking in a new stray for the store. To think he'd leave a complete stranger alone overnight in their family business without even getting a family name! 'Course he could be an abused runaway, so too many questions and people may make him nervous and bail. I wonder if he's cute.'

Excited, she quietly went upstairs to the spare room Motoki used whenever he stayed late before he got hitched, to see if she could catch the guy trying to slip out or sleeping. Or getting dressed. Seriously, any of it would do. Being at an all-girls school until a few months ago kinda made her hungry for some man meat. Reaching above the doorframe, she grabbed the key to the room and unlocked it silently before opening the door to take a peek in. What she saw was a body covered in a blanket cocoon with a tuff of black/brown hair coming from the top. How disappointing.

"Hmg… ten more minutes Mom…"

Okay, that was cute. Deciding to play with his head a bit, she came into the room trying to act really sweet. "Mom's not here today, Nii-san."

"I'm not a car, Alice." He buried his head further away from the light. "Go bug Andrea. I dunwanna see Alvy yet."

"Why?" She just had to know. This was getting interesting, and fun! Who were Alice, Andrea, and Alvy? "What'd she do, Nii-san?"

A groan from under the covers. "Not a car. She took my G.I. Joe away to play pixie princess makeover. Then took him on a boat and sacrificed him to a dragon. Then she…" Something must have started registering in his brain, making him pause and realize nothing was making sense. Slowly he looked over the blanket to where she was standing, making eye contact at last. Amber eyes. Tousled hair. Cutie!

Una waved chipperly back at him, grinning. "Good morning."

"WHOA!" Instantly he was out of the cocoon and putting as much distance as he could between him and her, wide awake and panicked. His back and head hit the far wall hard, ending his rushed retreat a bit painfully. His eyes didn't leave her for a moment. "Where did you come from!"

"My parents of course." She giggled at his cute reaction then bowed respectfully to make up for the heart attack she gave him. "I am Furuhata Unazuki, Motoki's younger and cuter sister. It's nice to meet you, Adrian-san."

"Right…" Blinking, the teen just gaped at her, trying to get his brain functioning properly. Looking up at him, she couldn't help but giggle. Was he always like this when he woke up? Oh he was going to be so much fun! Rubbing his eyes fully awake, he started putting things together. "Were you the one talking to me a moment ago?"

"Yep!"

"Huh…" For a second it looked like he was going to talk more but instead he shook his head more awake. "Okay. I see. Wow…"

"Who did you think I was?" A teasing smile grew on her face. "You're girlfriend?"

"Baby sister." That one stung. He didn't see her smile droop as he looked to the side, still lost in nighttime thoughts. "She should be five now…"

"I sound like your five-year-old sister." Una was a first-year uni student. How did she sound like a kid barely in school?

The guy threw up his hands in surrender. "Not really! I was just reeeaally out of it. Sorry. You look nothing like her and now that I'm more awake, you don't sound like her at all!"

She hummed to herself, mentally debating how to tease him now while looking like she wouldn't. Worked all the time on Motoki. "I'll forgive you. IF! You tell me who those other two are."

Adrian blinked. "Other two?"

"Alvy and Andrea."

"Ah…" He rubbed his head awkwardly. "Avalon and Andrea are also my sisters. Alvy's a year younger than me and I think Andrea's eleven." Realization seemed to strike him and he tucked his head between his arms, groaning. "Crap! I missed their birthdays. Wasn't planning on being gone this long."

That was leaned against the doorframe. "What, need help getting home?"

He seemed to sigh guiltily. "Not really…"

"What are you doing in Japan anyway?" Her good humor and curiosity could not be contained. Really, what was he doing there? Living off the streets and bumming in storage rooms was no way to visit her country, so why was this American there like this?

Silence met her question for almost a minute before the boy looked up to her, a question in his face. "Who are you again?"

She sighed. "Furuhata Unazuki. Just call me Una-chan. Everyone does. And you're Adrian-kun. Right?"

He blinked at her and mumbled, "I am never going to get used to honorifics. Yeah, that's me."

"Well, it's time to get up and get ready for another day. Motoki-niichan told us all about you and I wanted to meet you first." She crossed the room and made to grab his arm when he flinched away, fear crossing his face. That gave her a spin. "Are you okay?"

"Fine!" It came out more like a squeak, making her more worried than he probably liked. He coughed and pushed himself off the ground. "Perfectly fine." I'm just… I'm not good with people touching me."

She cocked her head to the side. "I thought Americans were all about touching each other."

Adrian let out a small laugh. "That really depends on the person and your relationship with them. I need to… um…" He waved past her sheepishly, forcing a smile on his face. "Time to get ready for the day."

"Right." Una stepped to the side so he could get to his bag and take out what he needed for the day. She leaned behind him to see what was in it and it really wasn't much more than the bare necessities and a few trinkets. They absolutely had to bring some extra clothes for this kid or he'd go around naked in a couple days. She tapped his shoulder, already forgetting his warning. "Hey, do you need some extra clothes? I think we still have some of Niichan's old stuff and we have a washer and dryer downstairs if you need them."

She watched the boy stiffen at her touch then slowly let out a breath, relaxing a little. "I'm fine, really. Just need a little privacy."

Rolling her eyes, she straightened and let him move past her to the bathroom just a little ways off. He gave her a smile before disappearing from her sight entirely. "Thanks for the wake-up call. I'll be down soon."

"You better be. Papa's the lead cook!" With the final word, Unazuki made her way back downstairs to get cleaned up for her part as the lead server of Crown Cafe. She didn't see the boy lean against the door in relief. Nothing had happened and everything was alright.


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Most of the time, DNA and blood analysis could explain what was wrong with a person, and give some insight on how to help them. When Ami came back, frustrated and cold to everyone, they knew what the results were from those tests. She remained polite as she gave a report, but just barely. Not even the atmosphere of the Crown Parlor could melt her icy demeanor.

"So… not good?" Minako tested the waters before anyone could try to stop her. Ami's eyes narrowed on her before switching to the rest of them, handing over a thin file. Makoto opened it while the rest looked over her shoulders, trying to make heads or tails of it. The only person besides the giver who would understand it was still in class.

"The tests were indecisive at best," Ami summarized for them before ordering an icy drink. "Mutations occurred under the microscope, with chemical reactions changing every five minutes. Science cannot explain what was occurring without referencing Pokémon. Quite cartoonish and illogical." Glaring at the folder, she added, "How the sample could continue to mutate while it is no longer living is a baffling mystery I cannot fathom."

"Continues to mutate?" Rei looked up from the folder while the rest just felt dizzy looking at it.

"It did not stop changing, no matter what test was done." Sighing, the genius had no choice but to do what she hated all her life: give up. For now at least. "Whatever made the man change from human to monster continued to affect him even long after his death. We have no answers."

"I wouldn't say that." Rei took the folder out of her friends' hands and closed it at last. "We know the cause is either hard to kill, or still out there. Totachi Hiro won't be the last victim of his transformation."

Everyone cringed with guilt. More victims. More monsters. It was only a matter of time until the next enemy, that was a reality they accepted years ago. They just hated it when civilians were involved with their problems. Usagi and Mamoru hated it the most.

It was a good thing they hadn't made it to Crown yet. They were checking out another antique shop for anything useful for their personal education. Books, scrolls, relics, anything from the Silver Millenium or of magical nature, Maybe they'd find more clues about their current case while there. Doubtful, but it was possible. Usagi did have a talent in finding trouble after all.

In the meantime, it was a chance to talk to the other Senshi and update them with what little they knew. Michiru kept looking into her mirror, searching for something that could explain everything. So far, all she got was mist. She sighed heavily as she looked to Setsuna finishing some paperwork. "You could pop into the future for a minute and get some information, Setsuna-san. Or at least stop looking at paperwork."

"If I don't finish these reports by this weekend, I will have to work overtime." Their eldest signed another page and put it into a folder before going to the next one. "That will limit my actions as a senshi and I will not be able to focus on what needs to be done. And you know full well that if I go to the gate now, I will not be able to leave for a hundred years. No more cheating if we want to be at full power."

"Downer." Minako chewed on her straw, eyeing the woman. "Do you at least recognize the monster Totachi turned into?"

Setsuna looked down regretfully. "I'm afraid not. Though my memory of the past are the clearest, I rarely left my post. I do not believe it's the Dark Kingdom again, but that is not to say it was not another aspect of Chaos. I will look into my treasure when I return home for any clues, but I am still searching for Artemis and Luna."

Everyone looked down in worry. THeir guardian cats should have returned months ago and they hadn't heard anything from them explaining why. Once they were sure things were settled after Galaxia, the Mauns went back to their home planet to learn what became of it. Phobos and Deimos were thinking about doing the same, but they agreed only one set of guardians should leave at a time. They were not as knowledgeable as Luna and Artemis though and acted more as priestly assistants for her powers than as resources for everyone.

Minako looked over to Rei. "Any change there for you?"

Rei shook her head. "None. It's as if a barrier is in place and we can't see past it. Been in place for a while. I can see things if I focus on Earth, but I don't know what to look for here to help us."

"Same," Michiru added, along with Setsuna and Hotaru. Whatever enemy they were facing now, they certainly knew how to make them blind. "We need for information before we can narrow our search."

"But more information means we need another victim."

No one liked it. They had nothing more to work with and the only way to get more was for another life to be threatened or lost. Luna and Artemis weren't options, their memories didn't help and their visions were clouded. Whoever or whatever was stirring up trouble now, they were mysteries until more pain came their way.

Fun.


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The antique shop was just a hole-in-the-wall place Usagi found by chance through her father's job as a photographer. "Papa said they had a lot of really old books and scrolls, but he mostly just talked about this music box and dollhouse. It's as if he thinks I'm still a kid and only thinks I like those things. You should talk to him about your interest in old books! It'd be something you can bond over!"

"I'll try next time I come over," Mamoru assured her as he pulled up to the place. It took a while to find, almost leaving Tokyo, but just looking at it he could tell something valuable was inside. Maybe he'd find something relevant to their new enemy but it was more likely he'd find something from their first life. Lately he could sense familiar powers from then, faintly, and right then he felt it stronger than usual.

He glanced behind them as he exited the car, glaring at a car a few lengths back. His stalker was tailing them. He hadn't told Usagi about it yet, but right then probably wasn't the best time to bring it up. Though she put up a brave face, he knew she was still shaken by the attack yesterday. Today he had to make sure she felt safe, secure, and useful. And he was certain she was very useful today.

Taking the lead, his girlfriend made it to the store first as he pushed thoughts of his stalker aside, following her. "Papa actually is trying to find things to talk to you about that's not me. He's actually pretty awkward socially. Mama had a hard time getting him out of his shell when they were dating, but in the end he proposed to her. Isn't that sweet?"

Mamoru decided to not mention he pretty much proposed to her over two years ago and smiled gently, admiring the ring on her hand instead. "Very sweet."

Usagi blushed and coughed to herself as she focused back on the shop, her boyfriend grinning at his small victory making her nervous. "Anyway, you said you wanted to find more 'ancient text' so tada!" She waved her hand over the store's interior proudly. "Here we are!"

It was exactly how Hollywood described antique stores. Every wall was lined with trinkets of all sorts of value. Crowded and tall fragile cases filled the center of the store, with the register counter next to them at the entrance. A young woman working on her summer assignments sat at the front desk, mumbling something like a greeting when they came in; it was probably her relative's store. Behind her would be the most expensive and valued items, including a few books and scrolls. The rest of the book collection was in the back corner of the store and he could see a chair for reading right next to it. This truly was a valuable find.

Mamoru took it all in for a moment, then looked at the love of his life. With her clumsiness, this place could be dust within an hour. She became only a little more graceful with age but for the most part, she was a human wrecking ball when on edge. They'd have to limit their time together there if the place wanted to stay in one piece. He gave her a reassuring smile before taking her hand. "It's wonderful. Let's get what we can then go meet the girls."

"Okay!" Proud and smiling, Usagi followed him through the store to the back, occasionally pointing out different items that were pretty. She even spotted a small star-shaped music box he could sense some power from. He handed it to her, determined to purchase it before they left. He also found a pair of daggers with runes on them and a candle stand made with a metal he couldn't quite identify. When they finally made it to the books, his girlfriend was pleasantly occupied with a normal porcelain doll. He could divert his attention for a few minutes as he looked over titles.

Sadly most of the books were just old editions of classic literature from all around the world. Rare and valuable, yes, but not what he was looking for. None of them had power and even the scrolls next to them were suited more for prayers than magical study. One of them though did reference the 'Four Heavenly Kings' so he took that along with one about the 'Four Heavenly Beasts'. Maybe it would help his friends? For good measure, he went over the books again and found a volume with its title worn off. He picked it up, flipped through it, and put it straight back, his ears burning. Of course, someone would have read THAT so much the title disappeared.

Accepting the publicly accessible books weren't what he was looking for, he led Usagi back around the store towards the checkout, picking up a new - and powerless - kaleidoscope and an iron bracelet he recognized the markings on. Once at the counter, he could look past the clerk to the few titles behind her. Two caught his eye immediately and he grinned. One had an author he recognized from his studies.

The other had Earth's crest branded into the leather.

Finally.

"Excuse me, miss? Could you add those two books behind you to our purchase?" Mamoru did his best to point out the titleless books without being rude and the lady complied, seemingly bored out of her mind. Usagi's attention was soon divided, heading towards the door without him for some reason, while he settled the balance. "Wait a moment, Usako. I'm almost done."

"Ahh… I think we've got trouble." She pointed out the glass door where someone sprinted by, then another. Then a trashcan went flying. And a motorcycle.

The clerk groaned. "Great. Another monster attack. I moved to this side to get away from all of that!"


A/N: I have no plans for the clerk. Just a random. I also had no initial plans for an antique shop but it seems to be the answer to a problem I had continuing. Who knew.

I'm just gonna say thank you to all those who are willing to pick back up a series I haven't posted for in *looks it up* five years. I really am a lazy bum when I hit a wall and decide to look somewhere else. I kept trying to finish this chapter at least but nothing ever felt right. Plus I'm working on a prequel-like story for this and then I got an idea for an elseworlds version of the series... Then I remembered I need to finish what I've started for any of it to make sense. Can't guarantee I won't vanish again, but I remembered how much happier I was when writing and decided to give it another go. YOu'd think with the TP shortage of 2020 I'd go nuts writing, but I actually had a pretty steady and busy job the entire time. (so if you need a job and are willing to do labor, go to a hospital and see if they're hiring housekeeping. it's got a revolving door of young people, bilingual encouraged) So yeah, I played a lot of video games instead. Dreamcode for my island on my AO3 profile.

Anywho, I might post Child of Earth on AO3 in the future, but with some heavy editing since my OC took too much of the spotlight at the end of the fic. Hopefully, I've improved but haven't changed my voice with this chapter. More will come! Please leave a comment below. They really do help me get back to work here. And I have a poll up here and on my DA page (same name) for which fic should get more attention, so please vote. Laters!