()

"They had been too quiet lately," Hotaru stated, staring at the ice that was starting to melt in her iced tea.

"Agree," Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Minako muttered at the same time. They smiled at each other, but it didn't reach their eyes. It had been two weeks since they had last saw Mistress or any of her servants.

Nessa flinched unnoticebly. The memory still stings. She still can't believe she fell in a stupid trap that nearly costed her sister's life. No matter how much Roni comforts her, Nessa still believes that it's her fault.

"They must be planning something bigger," Mamoru said with a frown.

"Bigger indeed," Alpha said, her voice annoyingly high. Everyone immediately transformed. The wolves beside Alpha howled in agreement. They multiplied themselves and each jumped forward to. the senshi, distracting all of them but Mars.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

Alpha dodged the attack with ease. Moon flinched as the wolf's nail scratched her face, leaving a cut that surely would leave a scar.

She eyes Alpha out of the corner of her eye. Alpha seemed to be focused on Mars today. She didn't understand why. But Angel did. Something dangerous glinted in her eyes, she nodded to Meteor as if giving some kind of signal. The wolf that was fighting her pounced on her, knocking her to the ground. Its jaw dangerously close to her neck. For a second, Moon fearlessly wondered if Meteor can heal a body with its neck and above detached from the body.

"Mercury Aqua Mirage!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Mars Snake Fire!"

"Venus Love-Me Chain!"

Moon can barely make out the sounds of her fellow senshi fighting in the background as her eyes seemed to be glued to Alpha and Meteor. Whatever , most likely reckless, thing Meteor is about to do, is probably what Moon would've done if the places were switiched.

Moon watched as Meteor, Asteroid, and Nebula teamed up and effortlessly killed the three wolf creatures. They turn into gray dust before disappearing into thin air. Moon could see the annoyance in Nebula's eyes as Meteor whispered something to the two. Whatever it was, neither Asteroid or Nebula liked it. Although Asteroid didn't show his emotions much in battle unless the situation was too much, but the scowl on Nebula's face was obvious.

With new-found faith in herself, Moon turned on the floor so she was on top of the wolf and finished it off. Somehow, this felt different. Maybe it's because of the pearl heart resting on top of her staff, given by Meteor from before. But she felt more... powerful as she stood up to help the others.

()

If Alpha had not seen it with her own eyes, she would not have believed herself. The senshi were finishing her loyal wolves off fast. So she did it, or at least tried it.

The strategy Mistress had sugguest. It had worked very well at first. The senshi were distracted by the wolves, leaving Mars to defend herself.

Of course she knew Mars wouldn't go down without a fight, but she did not expect this to happen.

When she shot the deadly venom toward Mars while she was distracted, Meteor. That ANNOYING Sailor Meteor, stepped in front of Mars and yelled,

"Neptune, Mirror!"

Sailor Neptune, the woman with turquoise hair, tossed her mirror toward Meteor. The venom deflected off the mirror and hits Alpha dead on. She had forgotten the mirror was a talisman.

Now here she is, because of her own stupidness, staggering on her feet while clutching flesh from the middle part of her body that used to be her stomach. She could hear Mistress's angelic voice in her head.

You have done well, Alpha. Your death shall not be in vain.

Alpha smiled, truly, for the first time since her mom died and her dad started ignoring her completely. She had made her Mistress happy. And now the only thing awaits her is heaven, or is it hell?

The thought flashed across Alpha's mind quickly. She shook her head, she was going to heaven, she believes it. After all, all she did was follow Mistress's orders, right?

The uncertainty of her own voice leaves her frowning until she no longer could hold it and let go. Off to wherever she belongs.

()

"Rei-chan, are you ok?" Nessa asked as soon as Alpha left through a portal and everyone distransformed. Rei nodded her head, but she was frowning. Nessa gives the mirror back to Michiru.

"Why?" Rei's voice was small, yet determined when she asked. Nessa almost freezes. She had ask herself this question many times before. Why did she want to stay and protect these people so much? After all, they are characters.

"I don't know..." Nessa admitted in barely a whisper. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself.

"You can go back, you know. To your families and the people who loves you and you love." Minako said, although those words didn't seem to match was she wanted to say.

"Roni, give us a minute ok?" Nessa said, trying to her best not to cry in front of the younger girl. She nodded with a frown but when in her room and shut the door.

"I'll take you two home and tell Mamoru-san about what happened." Holden said to Izzy and Hinata. Nessa nodded as goodbye and turned around to face the girls. Angel just disappeared. Nessa couldn't tell if Angel is still here or not, but she didn't mind. Angel knew too much anyways.

"So?" Rei asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. Nessa had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from having a what she called 'emotional overload'.

"Maybe I don't want to go back." Nessa said. She stared outside the window, looking on as somone bicycled past the house.

"Why not?" Usagi asked, puzzled.

"I don't have a home to go back to. My dad and step-mom are barely home. I have to take care of everything in the house for me and my sister. My mom lost the custody. We are only allowed to see her once every three months." Nessa said, tears welling in her eyes. She paused, but no one interrupts her, so she kept going.

"At school things aren't easier either. I really don't understand what happened between us. Everytime I get close to asking or ask, she would just say 'like you don't know why'. Well, I don't!" She said, her hands gesturing wildly in the air.

"Who?" Makoto asked gently. She understood when things aren't always easy in school. She got in trouble a lot before she met Usagi in school.

"Isa! It's like she doesn't want to accept the reality that she started this!" Nessa said, a hand running frustratingly through her hair.

"Isa?" Hotaru asked curiously. Nessa palm-slapped her face in frustration.

"Izzy," Haruka answered for her, her eyes dark. Nessa looked away, blinking away tears. It had been a long time since she's told anyone about the events of her life. Ever since she's came into this universe, it feels like she can be a different person. But no matter what, her past always seems to come back and haunt her.

"You guys were close friends, weren't you?" Ami asked, her voice incredibly soft. Nessa frowned as a tear wet her cheek. She wiped it away hastily. The silence was all the girls needed for as an answer.

"I don't understand, why- how- I thought she hates you," Mamoru said. He's been more quiet as he quiet watched Nessa tried to explain.

Nessa saw no way out of this. She wanted to let them know. The girls, and Mamoru, deserves to know. But she didn't really want to relive the whole thing.

She told them anyways. She told them everything, pausing occasionally when her emotions overtook her. By the time she has finished, They were all sitting down on a couch, with Holden's arm wrapped around her shoulder and her eyes puffy and red from crying.

"So, let me get this straight. You two got into this mess of drama because she didn't say goodbye to you face to face?" Yaten asked, the annoyance clear in his voice. Seiya nudged him with his elbow.

"That's not all, but yeah." Nessa replied. She yawned, what time was it? Not that it mattered to her right now. She needs food. When was the last time she ate? Probably dinner, but they've talked for so long she didn't even realize it was already 5 am. The fight must've messed up their time.

"Oh fudge, we have school in two hours." Holden muttered underneath his breath. He gave Nessa's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before going to bed, trying to sleep for however long he could.

But sleep did not come to him. Not peacfully anyways. He dreamed of how he died, and his life before.

Looking at his past life was quite... interesting. Upon learning the fact that apparently Nessa and he were engaged, or were planning on getting engaged, which he blushed furiously at, he also learned that Princess Celestial, Nessa, used to have this... disease. But Nessa never brought it up before, so maybe she doesn't have it anymore?

The disease was... crazy to say the least. It is one of heart, and it can not be healed simply by going to the doctors. He's surprised that all that mood swings from before didn't trigger it at all.

The disease is basically nicknamed the " Mannequin Disease". The doctors from his past life haven't heard of it before and he doubts the doctors currently knew what it meant. Maybe Ami or her mother knows about it.

The Mannequin Disease has a side effect that makes the person expressionless, but they don't realize they are because when they look into the mirror to check themselves, they are looking from memory, not with their eyes.

Based on certain glimpts of memories Holden had, it can also have the effects of dizziness, fatigue, vomitting, losing appetite, and - if very serious - amnesia. That can be very dangerous, to say the least, in a battle or life in general.

He glanced in the mirror. His uniform was a bit loose on him, but he didn't mind. Someone knocked on his door.

"Holden, you are up? We need to leave." Nessa's voice had a hint of something he didn't understand as she continued knocking on the door. Holden grabbed his messenger bag before leaving.

()

School went by fast. Afterwards, Sailor Angel suddenly popped up in Nessa's room while she was trying to do her homework.

"Meteor, I have a very important mission to give to you. Mistress will continue working on the senshis of this universe. But she won't stop there. I had a warning, from an alley of mine. Mistress will start hunting down their families. As Princess Celestial, and the only healer senshi of this era so far. You need to get to them before Mistress can kill them. Starting with Hotaru's dad, Professor Tomoe," Nessa transformed, the scenary around her started to change. "He is on vacation in Hawaii. You shall not tell the others of this, do you understand?"

"Yes," Meteor said seriously. The first thing she felt was the air. Something seemed wrong about it.

She knew she was in Hawaii. But there's something odd about the air here. Before she knew it, a strong gust of wind knock her off blance. Screams and cries of help ring out from the crowd near the beach ahead of her.

"You have finally decided to visit me, Princess Celestial," a voice said. Meteor knew that voice from somewhere, but where?

"Who-?" Meteor started asking. The person cut her off with a mock-scoff, talking as if they were old friends.

"Have you forgotten me already? I'm one of the lords of King Tiberias's court. From your life before this one?" Things started to click in Meteor's mind. The wind manipulator, her mind screamed at her.

"You're..." she started saying, her voice trembling in fear. She stood up from the ground and turned toward him.

"Lord Vent*."

()

Vent is wind in french