If the stairwell that spanned the DenTech building from top to bottom had seemed arduous on the way up, the intangible but very urgent pressure pushing down from the rooftop made the return journey seem no easier. Mercury raced down the repetitive right angles of the square spiral staircase as swiftly as she dared, ignoring the sickly sting of lactic acid in her legs. Slowing down was out of the question and stopping was an impossibility. She could rest when the proverbial Sword of Damocles no longer hung above Tokyo and all that she held dear.
Shynkon was at her side, his diaphanous form apparently exempt from fatigue. It was with great relief that she watched as he pulled ahead of her slightly and diverted her from the unbroken chain of steps towards a narrow doorway. "This will lead us to the basement," he explained. Mercury nodded breathlessly, standing bent with her hands on her knees. Shynkon's smooth shape knotted slightly with concern. "Mercury-san? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she replied, looking up at him with a smile between her flushed cheeks. "Shall we continue?" She pulled open the door and gestured for Shynkon to pass through. He did so, and she slipped in after him. The passage beyond was too narrow for them to travel abreast so she walked behind him, admiring the way his gentle blue aura lit the walls on either side. That such a beautiful being had been subjugated by Akeega and his pirates made her heart sink into her stomach like a stone.
"Shynkon-san?"
"Yes?" He did not turn to face her, although it occurred to her that she had no idea how he actually perceived the world. He had no discernible eyes and yet he could see. Perhaps he was aware of everything around him. Perhaps he was looking at both her and the route ahead even now.
"How did you get here?" she asked. "To Earth, I mean? What happened?"
He said nothing, and for a moment Mercury was certain she had upset him. "I'm sorry," she apologised quickly, "If you don't want to talk about it..."
"No, I'd be glad to," he replied. "It's just..."
Mercury waited. "Mm?"
"You." He paused, before clarifying, "You're everything I hoped you'd be."
Mercury hoped he didn't see the warm tears or the hand that quickly brushed them away.
"So, you wanted to hear my story?"
She nodded. He seemed to see that.
"It's nothing special," he admitted. "Back home – a place named Netsune, on Reytek – I was regarded as one of the brightest students of mathematics in the world. They said I was gifted. I suppose that's true. There was no major effort on my part. Numbers just come easily to me."
"What's two-hundred-and-seventy-four multiplied by four-hundred-and-seventy-two?" asked Mercury.
"One-hundred-and-twenty-nine-thousand, three-hundred-and-twenty-eight," he replied immediately. He was correct. "Just checking," she said cheekily, unable to suppress a giggle. Shynkon glowed with laughter of his own, before continuing with his tale.
"So, I was in my final year of tuition. I was happy, doing what I enjoyed. I had a promising career ahead of me. My kin were very proud. My reputation began to spread." He paused. The rhythmic tap of Mercury's heels measured the moments before he spoke again. "I suppose that's why they targeted me. The Sankyzo, I mean. Akeega and the others. They abducted me one night, told me they needed a mathematician and that I came highly recommended. They said they'd kill me if I refused, and my kin too."
"Your family? How awful..." said Mercury sadly. "I'm so sorry, Shynkon-san..."
"Since then I've been helping them operate the G-Shack." He spoke as if from some faraway place. "I told myself that I had no choice, that I had to do it to protect my kin, but when I think of all the people that have died because of me..."
"Don't, Shynkon-san," interrupted Mercury fiercely, her voice breaking with sudden emotion. "Don't you dare think that. You are not the villain here." She reached towards him, feeling the need to touch him, to comfort him. He allowed her to, becoming opaque again as she softly stroked his silky surface.
"W-we should keep moving," he stammered after a slow moment had passed them by. Mercury nodded, withdrawing her hand and feeling slightly ashamed of her burning face. There would be time for this later, she hoped. Right now, the only thing that mattered was disabling the G-Shack.
The thin corridor took them a short distance further before finally depositing them in a large room. As Shynkon had promised, it was inhabited by three huge generators. They were clustered together like slumbering beasts, side-by-side, each a solid metal brick the length of a car and twice as tall, and each emitting a hum like a swarm of furious insects. Perhaps we should have brought Jupiter with us after all, thought Mercury. Conversely, Shynkon seemed undaunted. They crossed the room to stop at a computer terminal. "This station is linked directly to the generators," he explained. "I should be able to shut them down from here."
Mercury watched, fascinated, as he flowed like pouring sand into the computer's casing until it had swallowed him up entirely. Long, empty moments came and went. "Shynkon-san?" she called out nervously. Was he okay? "I'm here," he called back, his voice muffled through the terminal's plastic casing but otherwise fine. "But I have bad news. I can't shut them down. The shutdown program has been deleted."
"Akeega..." muttered Mercury. To Shynkon she asked, "What do we do now?"
"The opposite," he replied. "I'll disable their safety protocols. That will cause them to overload."
"Sounds a little dangerous," she observed.
"It is," he agreed. "A moment, please."
She waited.
The stable hum of the generators suddenly increased in pitch to an insistent whine. The lights in the room struggled to survive, and as Mercury watched they died one-by-one with a prolonged electric groan. She looked back at the terminal to see Shynkon emerge, flowing into the air like blue ink in a fish tank. They quickly made their way back to the room's entrance. The whine became a squeal and visible arcs of cobalt electricity danced across the metal bodies of the generators. "I strongly suggest we leave," advised Shynkon. Mercury held up a hand. She had to make sure they were completely destroyed. It was the only way to ensure that Tokyo would be safe.
She listened to the cacophonous music that filled the room: the falsetto scream of the generators and the crackling beat of blue lightning, and knew what she had to do.
"Mercury!" she cried, thrusting her hand forward and directing her full power into its palm. A whirlpool of water appeared there and spiralled outwards, quickly taking a new shape: that of a musical instrument with a curved neck and delicate strings of coruscating droplets. Plucking at the strings of the Mercury Harp, she sent sapphire threads dancing into the air like liquid snakes before weaving them together into a solid column. "Aqua Rhapsody!" At her command, the pillar of water funnelled outwards and lashed the generators like a whip. The awakened beasts screeched with pain. A spider's web of electricity spread across the room.
Mercury turned to face Shynkon. "Now I strongly suggest we leave."
"Agreed."
They took off, Mercury in the lead and Shynkon close behind, the narrow corridor lit only by a sporadic blue, the unholy wail of the mortally wounded generators drowning out footsteps and voices alike, until...
The world shook and everything went white.
Jupiter felt the vibration in the soles of her feet, half a second before the entire building trembled like a tuning fork. She spread her boots apart, balancing her weight equally and steadying herself. Mars dropped into a crouch, hands flat against the concrete. Venus toppled backwards, landing hard on her behind. After a few moments, the tremors subsided. "Ow," complained Venus, standing and rubbing her bruised backside. "I'm going to be sore all over tomorrow morning."
"Mercury?" Mars was speaking into her wrist communicator. "Are you okay?"
Silence.
"It'd be such a pity if she didn't make it," came a snide voice. Akeega stood a short distance away, flanked on either side by the vaporous forms of Gauge and Sento. "Sacrificing herself to save the city... it's enough to get you all choked up."
"Shut up," snarled Jupiter, "or you will be getting choked up."
The six of them had been engaged in a stalemate since the girls' arrival. With the Sailor Soldiers trusting Mercury and Shynkon to disable the G-Shack, and the Sankyzo unable to leave due to the sabotage of their gravity lift, there was little either side could do save for trade threats and wait.
"Mercury? Can you hear me? Mercury?!"
"I'm here..."
Jupiter's heart swelled with relief at the sound of her voice.
"Are you okay?" Mars asked. "What's going on down there?"
"We destroyed the generators," came Mercury's reply. "The explosion dazed me a little, but I'm fine now. Shynkon-san's fine too. We're coming back up now."
"Got it," said Mars. "See you soon. Well done, you two."
An embarrassed giggle from Mercury and the communication ended.
Jupiter placed her hands on her hips and smirked over at Akeega. "I suppose you're finished, then," she remarked. "Now that the G-Shack is completely useless."
"I wouldn't say completely useless..." replied Akeega enigmatically.
"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Venus.
"Stick around for a moment and you'll find out."
All eyes turned to the G-Shack. At first glance it resembled a gigantic metal flower that had been planted directly into the rooftop. Enormous purple petals stretched away from a round red torus. Until the explosion in the depths of the building it had been emitting a deepening hum as it greedily drank the building's life force like a mosquito, but now it was silent.
Then, it wasn't.
"Shynkon-san?"
"Yes?" He was in the lead again, his luminance a lantern in the dark corridor.
"What happened to your vessel?"
"My vessel?"
Mercury nodded. "Your physical body. It's called a vessel, isn't it?"
"That's correct." He seemed hesitant to continue.
Mercury hesitated herself before asking, "The Sankyzo... did they destroy it?"
"No," he replied. A pause. "I did not have one. Only the wealthy can afford them."
"Oh..." Mercury fell silent, unable to stifle her curiosity but unwilling to pry. He spoke again before she could resolve herself in either direction. "Most on Reytek aspire to own a vessel. Well, aside from the Etherealists. Celebrities and sportsmen have them. The best jobs can only be done by those with hands." He loosed a wistful sigh that caused his surface to ripple like grass in the breeze.
"I think you're wonderful the way you are," Mercury told him, staring bashfully at her feet as she did so. Shynkon darkened. "Th-thank-you," he said gratefully. "But I would like to own a vessel someday. Having two hands and two feet... being able to touch, able to run... being able to hold..." He trailed off, his colour deepening until he was practically purple.
The silent moment that passed lasted a long time, and not nearly long enough.
"Mercury? Can you hear me?" The silence was broken as Mars' urgent voice issued from her wrist communicator. Mercury answered the call. "Mars? What's the matter?"
"You two need to get back up here, now."
"I don't understand. What's-"
"It's the G-Shack." Mars' voice was heavy with dismay. "It's activated."
"Well, it's about time you two showed up."
Upon their arrival at the rooftop several hurried minutes later, Mercury and Shynkon were greeted by Akeega in his usual insincere tone. "You were almost too late to see it."
What Mercury could see was a monstrous metal plant that could only have been the G-Shack. A thick beam of lemon-coloured light emanated from its centre and reached up into the night sky, disappearing into the dark clouds that had taken up residence there like roosting crows.
Shynkon's shape contorted with anger. "Akeega! What have you done?!"
"I haven't done anything, Shyn-chan. The G-Shack is merely following its programming." He seemed maddeningly unfazed by what promised to be their impending destruction. "It's hardcoded to activate automatically when the power transfer ends. You won't find that in the manual, mind you. You can thank Gauge for that." The noxious green cloud beside him literally bulged with pride.
"But, we destroyed the generators!" insisted Shynkon. "There shouldn't be any power!" Akeega shook his head slowly and spoke as if addressing a particularly stubborn child. "You stopped the power transfer before it was complete, but what about all the power it absorbed before you pulled the plug? It will still activate, only for a shorter range and duration. The good news is, you've probably saved several thousand of those innocent lives you seem to care so much about. The bad news is, you, them," – he gestured to the four horrified members of the Sailor Team – "and this entire district is about to be torn to shreds."
"And you, too," Jupiter reminded him, "unless you stop it, right now."
"Oh, that's impossible," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "We disabled all the safety protocols years ago."
Anger boiled in Mercury's stomach. How could he be so careless? So stupid?
"There's only one way out for all of us," he continued. He turned back to face Shynkon. "Reactivate the grav lift. I'll allow you all to board the ship. We'll be safe there."
Venus stepped forwards, eyes alight with fury. "And leave Tokyo to be destroyed? Even if I thought you'd keep your word, I'd rather die than let that happen." She looked to her team-mates, and one-by-one they nodded once in agreement. Akeega shrugged. "Then die," he said flippantly. "See if I care." He turned to Shynkon once more. "They've made their choice. Activate the grav lift."
"No."
Akeega's smirk died. Its stiff corpse remained on his lips. "What do you mean, 'no'?"
Above, the rumble of thunder.
"I mean, I won't do it," replied Shynkon defiantly. His form billowed and swelled as he went on, "You've forced me to do so many terrible things, Akeega. Things that I can never atone for. I was selfish and weak. I gave in to your threats and told myself I had no choice, but I did. I'm making a choice now. I won't aid you for a moment longer. If we all have to die to stop your scheme once and for all, then so be it." He floated across the rooftop to join the Sailor Soldiers. "Besides..." He stopped before Mercury and welcomed her gentle hands. "I won't leave her."
"Shynkon-san..." Fierce emotions bubbled within Mercury and she struggled to keep them inside.
The black clouds that choked the sky burst and cold rain began to fall like tears.
Akeega shook his head in disbelief. "Are you insane?!" he cried, all traces of his former stoicism stripped away to show the selfish, desperate child beneath. "We're going to die, you idiots! Do you understand that?!"
"Eh." Jupiter shrugged. "We've died twice already. It's not that bad."
Akeega stumbled towards them, eyes wild, those of a cornered animal. "Shynkon! Activate the lift now or I'll make you sorry, you little-" Strong hands seized his arms, stopping him in his tracks. "Don't you dare touch him," hissed Jupiter. "Don't you dare." She shoved him roughly away and he lost his footing, tumbled to the floor and didn't bother getting up. Thick raindrops pelted his defeated, sorry frame.
Behind them, the G-Shack let out a roar and the air around them was suddenly heavy.
"It's started!" announced Shynkon. "We don't have much time left!"
Mercury gasped as she felt a tremendous weight tug at her ears. Her earrings, she realised. The three blue studs in each ear were being pulled loose by the G-Shack's magnetic field. She put her hands to them and bowed her head as she felt the ravenous monster's coarse, invisible tongue lap hungrily at her tiara.
"This has gone too far!" yelled Jupiter, struggling to keep hold of her own precious rose earrings. She raised her arms above her head and closed her eyes, calling down the power of her guardian planet. An antenna affixed to her tiara telescoped up above her head, meeting a bolt of lightning hurled from the sky and channelling the electrical energy down into her body. "Supreme Thunder!" she boomed, throwing her arms wide and directing that energy towards the G-Shack. It washed across the construct's surface like the tide on the beach, leaving no visible damage. "Damn it!" cursed Jupiter.
"We've only got one chance!" cried Venus, shouting to make herself heard above the G-Shack's sustained growl. "We've got to destroy it! We'll use a Sailor Planet Attack!" She nodded in response to the others' questioning looks. "I know, I know, but she isn't here and we have no other options. We'll just have to make it a good one! Everybody ready?"
As they had done upon their arrival at the DenTech building, the foursome joined hands to form a circle. Mercury looked over at the G-Shack's hellish visage. It was quenching its thirst now, its powerful beam drawing in the thick curtains of rain. Soon it would no longer be satisfied with water and jewellery. Soon it would hunger for more. Furnishings. Cars. Entire houses. It would consume them all, and their inhabitants along with them.
It had to be stopped.
She closed her eyes and concentrated. She thought of all the things she had to protect. She thought of her mother and the hospital she worked so tirelessly at. She thought of the families of her friends. She thought about Crown and all the lazy afternoons spent within its familiar walls. She thought of her school and all the students who had worked so hard to get there. She thought of Usagi, the girl who had brought them all together, a girl just now becoming a woman.
She thought of Shynkon.
"Mercury-san." He was right beside her, his luminous form warm against her wet uniform, his voice soft and content. "I'm happy to have met you."
She would protect them all. They would do it together.
"Mercury Crystal Power!" she cried, summoning every drop of energy in her tired body, willing it to cut through the rain and the din and silence the dreadful machine that threatened everything she cared for. She tightened her grip on her friends' hands, feeling their own energy flowing through her, uniting them in body and mind.
"Mars Crystal Power!"
"Jupiter Crystal Power!"
"Venus Crystal Power!"
The energy intensified, filling her with light until she could not contain it any longer.
"Sailor..."
Her cry was one quarter of a single voice, a song of love and war to the heavens.
"Planet..."
I'm happy to have met you.
"Attack!"
The G-Shack roared in rage and agony as the tidal wave of radiant light struck it.
It roared only once.
It took a moment for the reality of their victory to sink in.
Then, the quartet celebrated in the only appropriate fashion: they grabbed one another and hopped up and down, shouting and laughing and crying. Mercury extricated herself from a group hug and turned to find Shynkon waiting for her. They both moved at the same time, rushing to be close to one another, their bodies entwining, his warmth wrapping around her and her arms holding him firm against her chest.
"Save a little for the rest of us, Shynkon-san!" came Venus' cotton voice, and a moment later the five of them were locked together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, each piece integral, each a part of a beautiful picture. Mercury held Shynkon, he held Mercury, and her friends held them both in a protective cocoon of warmth and love.
The rain had ceased, the clouds torn asunder by their combined power.
"Sailor Soldiers."
It was the voice of Akeega. They turned as one to regard him.
"I..." He frowned. "That is, you... I mean, you saved us, all of us, so..."
"You're welcome," said Mercury with a smile.
He looked away. "After everything I did to you, and you still..." He held out his hand. "Could you ever forgive me?"
Mercury thought about it. He had done so many vile things. He had lied, manipulated and killed. He was a reprehensible demon who warranted no forgiveness. That was all true, but...
What would Usagi-chan do?
"I forgive you," replied Mercury, taking his hand and shaking it.
"Big mistake," he whispered.
Shynkon watched in abject terror as Akeega dragged the struggling Mercury towards the edge of the rooftop, one arm clamped around her neck like a bear trap. "You think I'd let you get away with this?!" he spat in her frightened face. "You've destroyed my entire operation!"
"H-hurting me won't change a-anything..." gasped Mercury.
"You're right," admitted Akeega, "but it will make me feel better."
"Stop!" commanded Mars, rushing towards them, Jupiter and Venus at either side.
"No, you stop!" returned Akeega. He and his prisoner had reached the very edge of the rooftop now. Mercury's feet scrambled for purchase on the slippery stone. Beyond there was nothing but empty darkness until the hard concrete of the street far below. "Come any closer and I'll throw her over the edge." His threat worked as desired and the trio halted, their faces identical masks of fear. "This is becoming quite the routine," said Akeega. "Except, unlike last time, I have nothing to lose now."
"Please don't do this."
Akeega turned to look at the speaker.
"Please," Shynkon said again, "just let her go. She doesn't deserve this. She doesn't deserve any of this. If you want somebody to punish, then have me instead. You can do whatever you want to me. Just let her go. I'm begging you, Akeega."
He meant every word.
Akeega stared at him curiously. "Does she really mean that much to you?"
"I love her," replied Shynkon.
He meant that too.
"Good," said Akeega.
And pushed her.
The next few moments were hazy and disjointed, half-remembered fragments of a nightmare.
Mercury's scream as she tumbled over the edge and was swallowed by the darkness.
Three pairs of feet freed from inertia and running.
The helix of golden light that surrounded Venus.
"Venus Love Me Chain!"
The light becoming a chain of linked hearts that leaped off the roof like a snake chasing its prey.
"Mars!" A burning bow appearing in the red soldier's hands. "Flame..."
Eternity.
And then, Mercury appearing impossibly at the roof's edge, one hand clutching Jupiter's wrist and the other wrapped around Venus' chain.
The pair pulled her to safety and supported her as they walked her away from the rain-slick precipice. She welcomed Shynkon into her arms without a word. "I'm sorry," he sobbed, his body becoming heavy with dolorous moisture. "I couldn't do anything... I'm sorry..."
"It's okay," she whispered back, making no attempt to hide her tears. "It's okay now."
When they finally separated, they looked up to find Akeega and his cohorts huddled together at the corner of the roof. Jupiter stood to one side, Venus to another, and aimed directly at Akeega's heart was a flaming arrow drawn from Mars' bow.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" she asked him darkly.
The carcass of his smile twitched. "I should've thrown her further."
Mars' eyes narrowed.
"Sni-"
"Stop!" cried Mercury, rushing forward to stand beside her. "Don't shoot him!"
"Mercury?" Mars was incredulous. "You don't actually want to give him another chance?!"
"Just one," replied Mercury. She glared at Akeega, her eyes an oceanic storm. "You have something," she began, "that many would cherish and use to do good, but all you do with it is cause harm and tragedy. You don't deserve to have such a thing."
"You're talking about my vessel?" asked Akeega suspiciously.
She nodded firmly. "Yes. I demand that you vacate it and give it to somebody more deserving."
Somebody more...?
"What do you say, Shynkon-san?" she asked, turning to look at him with a wink.
He couldn't say anything.
"Relinquish it," Mercury went on, turning back to Akeega, "or Mars will destroy it. Either Shynkon-san has it, or nobody does." Akeega looked from her, to Mars' unwavering stare, to Shynkon, and back to Mercury. "Then destroy it," he decided spitefully. "I see no reason to be charitable."
"I might remind you, Akeega," said Shynkon, floating forward to be by Mercury's side once again, "that if that vessel is destroyed, it will be impossible for any of us to pilot your ship. Unless you want to be stranded on this planet forever, I'd suggest you do as the lady says."
"I dunno," smirked Jupiter. "I think we could find a place for them here. My calculator's pretty roomy..."
Akeega looked helplessly to either side, where Gauge and Sento hovered.
"I think you should do it, boss," was Gauge's opinion. "I mean, I got a wife back home and Sento's got his kin to take care of, and all..."
Sento said nothing, but tilted forwards in agreement.
"I'm afraid," said Mercury, "you're in a classic zugzwang scenario."
"Shynkon-san?"
Her voice. Her beautiful voice, the tinkling of water in a stream.
He felt warm. He felt comfortable. He felt the same, but somehow different.
"Can you hear me?"
"Yes," he answered, but his voice came from somewhere else.
From a mouth. From his mouth.
He somehow opened the vessel's eyes – his eyes, now – and her eyes were the first thing they saw, sparkling with relief and joy. He felt something on the back of his head – his head? – and realised she was cradling him in her arms. "Hello," he said stupidly.
"Hello," she said back.
He tried to stand on his new legs and gasped as they gave way beneath him. "Take it easy," came another voice from nearby. Jupiter's, he realised. "We've had years to get used to our bodies. Don't do too much too soon."
He allowed Jupiter and Mars to help him to his feet. He looked around for Mercury. He was taller than her now. He hadn't expected that, for some reason. He looked down at his arms. Stretched them, brought his hands close to his face and flexed his fingers. Mercury giggled delightfully. "How is it?" she asked. He reached out towards her, but the distance was all wrong. His arms weren't long enough. She was too far away. "Here, let me help," she said, and effortlessly solved the problem by stepping towards him. She was a perfect fit for his arms. "Thank-you," he said, holding her close and speaking the words into her soft blue hair. "Thank-you so much."
He looked to the right, where a blood-red cloud hung in the air between a green cloud and a black cloud. "And thank-you too, Akeega." The crimson cloud rotated nonchalantly. "Not like I had a choice," it said. "But take care of it, will you? It's a damn fine vessel."
"Sure is," piped up another voice, and Shynkon gasped as he felt a hand slap lightly across his new buttocks. "Damn fine indeed!"
"Venus-chan!" spluttered Mercury, aghast, before they all collapsed into giggles.
The quintet watched as the shapeless forms of the Sankyzo disappeared into the night sky, carried back to their ship by the reactivated gravity lift. "Are you sure they won't be able to cause any problems up there by themselves?" Mercury asked Shynkon. "Don't worry," he told her. "Every system is fitted with a barrier circuit. They won't be able to do a thing without me."
She nodded slowly. "And... about that..."
He looked at her, standing beside him. "Yes?"
It was Venus who voiced the question. "You'll stick around for a while?"
He thought about it. He wanted to stay. At that moment, he wanted to stay on this planet forever. He wanted to stay with her forever. But he knew that was impossible. He belonged on Reytek. His kin had certainly missed him terribly. And the Sankyzo had to be delivered to the authorities. He'd have to pilot the ship home soon.
However.
It occurred to him that piloting an interstellar ship, even with the autopilot enabled, was not an easy task for anybody, much less somebody who had only been in his vessel for less than ten minutes.
"I suppose I'd better stay for at least a couple of days," he finally answered. "Just until I work out how to use this new body of mine."
He felt warmth spread across his cheeks as Mercury squeezed his arm.
"We've got lots of spare rooms at the shrine," suggested Mars.
Venus gave a mischievous chuckle. "Oh, we've heard all about the Hikawa Hotel," she said sarcastically. "I remember Usagi-chan speaking at great length about her Mamochan and a steamy bathroom..."
"That was an accident!" insisted Mars. "I can't believe she told you that!"
"He could always stay with me," said Jupiter, speaking over their squabble. "I can be trusted not to peek on him, and I'll make sure he always has something good to eat."
"Oh, even better!" complained Venus. "Don't they say that a man's heart is in his stomach?"
"No, they don't," sniped Mars.
"Anyway," Venus continued unabated, "here are three reasons why he should stay with me. Reason number one..."
Shynkon looked down at Mercury. "You have good friends, Mercury-san."
"I do," she concurred. "Oh, and that reminds me..."
She let go of his arm and stepped around to stand in front of him. "I'm only Sailormercury when I have to fight," she explained. He frowned, confused. It was a new sensation. "What do you mean?"
"Close your eyes," she commanded.
He did so.
"No peeking!"
He nodded. A moment passed, and he thought he heard or felt a brief flash.
"You can open your eyes now."
He did so.
The girl who stood before him was not Mercury, and yet somehow she seemed familiar to him. There was a certain gleam in her eyes and a warmth and softness when she spoke. She beamed at him. "This is how I really look." Shynkon looked her up and down. She was different on the outside, but somehow the same, and no less beautiful than before.
Just like him.
"Mercury-san..." he whispered.
"Silly." She put a hand to her mouth and giggled coyly. "Please, call me Ami."
He tested the word. "Ami-san?"
The girl named Ami blushed and examined her shoes with keen interest. "Perhaps... you should try calling me Ami-chan..." Her eyelids dropped to conceal her embarrassment.
He tried. "Ami-chan..."
The word seemed to fit his new mouth perfectly.