Heero was putting his suit up in the cargo hold, and was about to take off when he noted the door was still open. He went out of the pilot's seat with his gun in hand, and reluctantly put it away when he saw a familiar head of hair.

It was that annoying idiot Duo. Things had been strange since the braided baka had given him that green stick with the weird symbol in it. He kept seeing things out of the corner of his eye, and his reflexes, which had been quick to begin with, were now like liquid lightning.

Duo helped him pilot the plane to New Edwards. Heero kept giving him dark looks, and finally he could take it no more.

"What?"

"What the hell did you do to me?"

Realization hit him. Heero had no idea that he was the new chosen to wield the power of Jupiter.

"Nothing bad. I can't explain the full situation until I find the other two. And given that the Mad Five won't pass up a chance to kill the OZ leaders in one fell swoop, chances are good they'll show up."

Heero was giving him a major death glare now, since he refused to fully explain what was happening to him.

"Fine. But will you explain why I keep seeing things out of the corner of my eye?"

Duo looked at him in amusement and laughed.

"If you mean the weird lights, relax. They just want to see you. If you ask them nicely they'll help you with missions to blow shit up. They love getting back at soldiers who kill innocents."

"And who exactly are THEY?" asked Heero cynically.

Duo gained a smirk that did nothing to inspire confidence, as he whistled sharply.

"Come on out guys!"

The lights which had been pestering him for weeks since Duo had given him that weird stick thing came out in full view now.

"Drop he light show guys. While he is fun to mess with, I don't want to hear rumors that one of you were shot because you got on his nerves when he was jumpy."

Heero heard the light things giggle, then say something he didn't understand. Duo laughed, and replied in the same language.

"Sorry man. Sprites have a tendency to be a nuisance unless you know how to talk to them."

"Sprites?"

Duo grinned wider.

"Yup, sprites. As in Fairy sprites. Annoying little buggers if you don't know how to handle them properly."

Heero gave the other pilot a long look.

"I'll teach you how to talk to them once we land. You remember when we first met? How I altered the blond girl's memories?"

Heero nodded slowly, wondering why he brought it up.

"That stick I gave you will protect you from that trick. It's main purpose is to protect."

"Protect what?"

He thought about how to answer that, and finally said "Protect the innocent. Using the power of that key to kill the enemy will only weaken it. But to call upon the full power you would have to protect something. It doesn't matter whether it's a person, a colony or even someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Heero wasn't too happy about something.

"If I can't use it in the war, what good is it?"

Duo looked at his fellow pilot sharply.

"There is more to war then killing Heero. Sometimes you need to protect. Besides, if you have that wand and your suit explodes, then it will make sure you don't die. It'll still hurt like hell, but you won't die from it. And if it happens in space..."

Heero looked at him in confusion.

"If you were stranded in space, it would take you someplace safe."

"What does the symbol mean?"

"You mean the one in the crystal?"

He nodded.

"It's the symbol for Jupiter. Which means you'll have the power of lightning on your side."

Heero noted that Duo had a wand thing in his pocket. But it was different from the one he gave him.

"What about yours?"

"Mine bears the mark of the Moon Kingdom. Which means I have the power of light itself backing me."

"What about the others?"

"Mercury has the power of ice, Venus the power of emotion, Mars the power of fire, Pluto has Time, Saturn has darkness, Neptune the sea, Uranus has space."

That made Heero stare at him.

"Exactly how many are we talking about?"

"One for each planet, two for the Earth. Most of them are sealed, and only two are still around."

"Tell me everything."

"I'll tell the you when I give Mercury the key."

Something clicked in his mind, and he remembered an odd report he heard about a series of burglaries which involved keys. The report had included pictures of the stolen items.

He thought the stick had looked familiar.

"Duo...where did you get this wand?"

"I took it. Had to, in order to wake her up."

"Her?"

"Jupiter."

"Jupiter is a planet 02, not a person."

"Shows what you know. Their powers were sealed a while back, and things went off course. I was given the task of setting it back on track."

Duo sensed Heero's frustration that he refused to tell him everything.

"Wait until I give Mercury the key. Then everything will become a little clearer."

"Why do you have to wake them all up?"

"We could probably handle protecting people without Venus or Mars...but Mercury was the brains. Leaving out the descendant of Mercury would be a very bad idea."

That shut him up.

They reached New Edwards in time, and were preparing to attack.

Duo could sense the presence of Mars and Venus nearby, awaiting the same orders. He couldn't feel Mercury yet, which meant 05 had yet to reach the base.

They attacked on time, and Duo felt no joy in the act. He preferred protecting people to killing them.

Much to his disbelief, 03 actually shot at him.

"OY! Knock it off with the ammo Trowa!"

"Nice to see you again 02."

A new voice interrupted them.

"You know him Trowa? Why did you shoot him?"

The owner of this new voice had an educated sound to it, and was coming from the sand colored suit.

"Habit. Besides, he owes me."

"Good grief. I give you something to protect others and now everyone wants to shoot me!"

Duo vaguely sensed the presence of the fifth suit. Apparently the guy wanted to wait before showing up.

He noted a plane about to take off, and made a wish to the crystal.

Please protect the innocent from harm.

The crystal glowed briefly, and kept it's shine as Heero went to attack the plane which had been identified as an OZ carrier. Right as he was about to strike, a barrier blocked his energy blade.

It was a golden hue and covered the plane perfectly. Duo could feel the crystal glowing brightly as 01 came back to the ground. He could tell the other pilot was angry about something.

"02, what the hell was that about?" Heero practically growled at him.

"Clearly that plane wasn't full of OZ leaders. I think it was full of pacifists."

"It was, and what the hell was that?"

Duo turned, and saw the other suit finally make an appearance.

"Good of you to finally show yourself 05. I've been waiting for you."

Duo hit the key to send the program.

"02, what is this?" asked the sand colored one.

"This, 04, is a key to a safe haven for all of us. Those who watch for the key code are our allies, and will hide us if need be. The only way to access this code is to beat it."

"Beat what exactly?" said Heero.

Duo was smirking.

"It took me ages to find the damn thing, so you had better not erase it. Beat that program, and you'll gain access to some valuable allies who can help you hide the Gundams more easily."

Duo took out the last key, and concentrated on sending it to the descendant of Mercury. The voice of the fifth pilot came through, and he sounded very confused.

"What the hell is this?"

"That, 05, is a key. It will protect you from harm. And, if you really need to, protect innocents from being killed as a casualty of the war."

Clearly 05 had inherited his ancestor's brains, because his next question was "And how exactly do I activate this power?"

Duo cackled.

"It's about time one of you asked. They all have the same activating words, but the planets that power them are different. Your planet is Mercury 05. 04 is Venus, 03 is Mars, and 01 is Jupiter. The activating words is Crystal Power, as in Mercury Crystal Power, Mars Crystal Power...you get the idea."

03 and 05 quickly left to chase Treize, while the other three stayed behind. Heero was in shock that he almost killed a plane full of pacifists, because he wasn't moving at all.

04 quickly contacted Duo again, asking a question.

"So all I have to do for protection is say those words?"

"That and have the key I gave you out. The crystal will glow and you'll feel a new power within you. But they are only for protection, and killing anyone with the key's power will weaken it severely."

"Why will it weaken it?"

"Because the key's were made to protect humans, not kill them."

Duo felt the crystal grow warm as 04 said "Venus Crystal Power!"

The Sandrock Gundam glowed a topaz hue, and changed slightly. A golden shield was around it now.

"You know I never caught your name."

"It's Quatre."

"Well Kit kat, mind going over to Hee-chan? That shield should cover him if you're next to him."

Quatre moved his suit next to Wing, and the shield took effect. Duo took out a few more suits before they found out that the whole place was now rigged to blow up with them on it. That snapped Heero out of it, because he opted to take care of it.

Heero was not happy.

Wu Fei looked at the stick sceptically. Why had 02 given him something like this? After being beaten by Trieze himself, his moral was very low. Was he worthy of piloting the Shen Long? Or was he just kidding himself?

Even though his suit was covered up, he remembered the odd program that was sent through.

What the hell. Not like I have anything to lose by checking it out.

Wu Fei loaded the program, and was very surprised to see a screen pop up saying SAILOR V.

Why had 02 sent him a vintage video game like this? The graphics were outdated, the programming was old as dirt, and the levels were tedious.

Still, he continued playing it, finding it easy for someone with his reflexes. He didn't notice that the screen was glowing brighter the farther he progressed.

When he got to what he assumed was the last level, he beat the last boss monster quite easily. He went to shut down the program but much to his surprise, it shut itself down. The light he hadn't noticed before grew enough that it surrounded him in the cockpit.

When he could see again, he found himself in an underground area with a large computer. Judging by the receipts he found it was recently updated. Sitting on the console were a pair of cats.

He heard voices, but he had no idea where it was coming from. He walked to the console, and the voices got louder. One was male and the other female. He looked around trying to find the owners, and failed.

"Who exactly are you looking for?" asked the female.

"Where are you?" replied Wu Fei.

"Look down."

Wu Fei followed the instructions and found himself looking at the white cat. Since their backs had been to him he didn't notice the odd marks on their foreheads.

"Welcome to the base. I'm Artemis and that's Luna."

"You...can talk."

"What's wrong with a talking cat?" asked Luna.

"Do you have any way of contacting 02?" Wu Fei asked finally.

Luna jumped onto the console and brought out a wristwatch. It was blue and had the same symbol as the crystal. Artemis had a small compact with the same thing on it.

"We had him hook up his 'suit' to the compacts. This will allow the five of you to communicate through our system."

"Is that how he transmitted that old game?"

"The original way for finding the Senshi. He found it through someone who used to collect them, and bought it."

"The main point was to unite the Senshi. Now he created a new purpose for it. To get into the base, you have to beat the game at least once. Quite brilliant actually, since most people couldn't beat the game even when it was first created."

"And most people wouldn't suspect that the game was the key. Brilliant."

Wu Fei left with a new purpose. Once he got over the fact that the cats could talk, they explained what 02 was really trying to do. Duo had even left them a vision of Crystal Tokyo for them to use should the other pilots show up without him.

It was a good thing he found the base, for he was once again called to fight.

Sally Po, one of the remnants of the Alliance military was trying to help her comrades escape the new OZ regime. Which is how they found him. It was the suit that drew their attention.

Wu Fei went with them for a while, but when OZ began to attack the camp, it was Sally who broke him out of his stupor long enough to use the new powers he had been granted.

Without raising his voice, he whispered, "Mercury Crystal Power."

He whispered to the crystal in his hands "Protect those who are too weak to truly fight for themselves."

A missile was heading for Sally. She knew she wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time, and she froze. Before the missile could hit her, a light blue shield surrounded the area around her in a dome.

The missile hit the dome, and shattered. Sally opened her eyes...she didn't realize she had closed them. The missile which would have killed her and those around her...was frozen solid. The explosives were completely wrecked.

"What...happened?" she asked without knowing why.

She slowly turned...and saw Wu Fei standing there, glowing with a light blue aura. Something was different about him though, besides the glow. Then she noticed the watch on his right wrist, which hadn't been there before.

His watch was bright as a beacon. Sally looked up to his face, and glowing in the moonlight was a symbol on his forehead. Wu Fei quickly rushed to his suit, and took out the enemy. The glow caused the blue paint on his Gundam to glow brightly.

Every time they launched a missile, or anything bigger than a bullet, the strange glow would freeze them solid and render them useless.

Within mere moments he had taken out the suits and pilots in one fell swoop.

Wu Fei had found a reason to fight again. So he left Sally with something to contact him if her need was urgent. Something Luna had given him for such a reason.

They needed more allies in this troubled time. Wu Fei wondered how long it would take for Sally to discover the game and beat it. And how she would react to the talking cats.

Duo went into the base, humming a jaunty tune. Luna and Artemis looked up, and their tails pointed to the new kitchen he added. A large pot of coffee was bubbling cheerfully and was almost full.

"Thanks. How do you guys always know when I'm about to show up?" he said grinning.

"We don't," said Artemis.

"The sprites do. Your brother and the others tend to be in a better mood when you're about to show up, so the sprites make a point to welcome you and anyone you bring," said Luna.

"Have any of the others shown up?"

"Mercury."

Duo's grin widened to infectious levels.

"Please for the love of the Moon Kingdom tell me you have pictures of when he realized you were talking cats."

Giggling from the sprites could be heard, and the monitor lit up and showed pictures. The look on Wu Fei's face when he realized that the cats could talk was hilarious.

Duo was crowing with amusement. Trust the sprites to take pictures and save them. He couldn't wait for the others to arrive. Heero would probably be the most amusing. Trowa would be stoic...and from what he could tell the most calm. Quatre would take a moment to calm down, but he would be fine.

Duo silently cackled at the thought of seeing their faces when they realized the cats could talk.

Meanwhile, he set about making dinner. Since he was supposed to wait for the next instructions from the Mad Five before heading out, this was the best way to pass time. Besides, Luna and Artemis usually knew what parts he was talking about when he asked for them. Between the three of them and the sprites keeping the coffee fresh, they were prepared for almost everything.

It didn't hurt that once he realized how the keys of the Stars could affect his aibou he convinced the cats to stockpile parts for the Gundams.

At least here he could work without worrying about someone stumbling upon him and his suit.

Between him and the cats, they tracked the movements of the others. So far 04 stayed in the desert, where his suit would have the most effect. 03 went with the movements of a circus troupe. Heero and Wu Fei went around randomly, never following a set route.

But something was different about Wu Fei. The day he unlocked the base and saw the vision of Crystal Tokyo with his own eyes, he found a new purpose. Duo had often wondered what would happen when the Senshi took over their old duties.

Sure the Princess and Prince would be protected by the girls. Earth would feel a time of peace long since lost. But...what about the pilots and those who were children of the Senshi? What would happen to them? Would they lose their powers or would they be allowed to keep them?

That question had kept him up at night. Until he could answer it, it would most likely bother him for a long time. Sure, he knew what he would do once the vision of the future came into being. He could go back to protecting the children.

But what about the others?

Duo set down his tools. His eyes concerned. Luna noticed, and asked in worry, "What's wrong Peruru?"

"Luna...what happens when the Senshi come back and the Crystal Millennium is awakened? What will happen to the children of the Senshi?"

"I...don't know. The thought never occurred to me."

"Will they lose their powers unless the girls call for them? What will they do when the future is set back on course?"

"Peruru...do you know what will happen if you fail?"

Duo shifted from his mortal form, his eyes sad.

"If any of the Senshi children die...the fairies will take that as a sign that the humans don't deserve the future set in store. They will attack the mortals. Many of the faerie will die in the war, and eventually the Earth will be destroyed from neglect. We need the faeries to keep nature in check."

"They kept the spirits of nature in check?" asked Artemis.

Peruru looked at them.

"We are the spirits of nature. That is why we are immortal. As long as we exist, life continues on the world. But we have been dying out. Humans destroy without concern for what they are doing. They kill us without knowing what they are doing."

Peruru finished his maintenance in time for new orders to come.

Go to Siberia.

"I want these battles to end. If there is to be peace, then first we must know war."

He went up top, donning his guise as Duo to talk to Heero. None of the others knew of what he really was. To find out would force him to return to the faerie. He could not reveal his true nature to humans without the approval of Oberon or Titania. It was the absolute rule of the faerie who followed them.

If the mortals ever discovered their existence...well, history has shown what mortals do to those who are different.

Witches, dragons, unicorns...all beings of immense power. All were almost extinct through the greed of humans. But...there was hope among them.

This hope was the Moon Kingdom and it's children. When they ruled the moon and Earth was protected by the two crystals, everyone lived in peace and life flourished. Oberon and Titania made a treaty with both kingdoms, and the faerie lived on the surface in full view.

They had no need for disguises and illusions then.

Then the Moon Kingdom fell to an enemy they couldn't defeat, and that balance was lost. According to legend, the time would come when the Senshi would be released to bring back that balance. It never came, for something sealed them once more.

Now he was charged with a new destiny. He always thought his mission was to protect the innocence of children, and he had carried it out faithfully for centuries. His mission had changed the night Chibi Moon gave him the crystal of the Moon. Endymion further changed it when he gave him the Golden Crystal of the Earth.

But what would happen after? That was the only thing that worried him. He didn't need to worry about the pilots, for the Senshi could still guide their children even sealed.

Speaking of the Senshi...I wonder why Pluto hasn't sent me the sword of Uranus and the Mirror of Neptune? I wasn't aware they had kids too.

He shook his head. Knocking on the door, he looked at Heero in amusement.

"I have a bad feeling about this. Remember the power I gave you in the coming battle. Something tells me you'll have to activate it very soon. You'll know when."