AN: Okay, so part of the reason this took so long is I realized how much I left out of the last chapter. So you get another somewhat-longer chapter. Yay? As for the unusual amount of time between updates... let's just say there were good reasons for it. So thanks for your patience.

13.) Throne & Orb

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life:

it goes on.

- Robert Frost

BERYL

"They're getting restless you know." Kunzite told me. "Since the incident on the Moon it's like they're starved for more action."

I gritted my teeth, knowing that once the spirit of war had awakened within them that there was no turning back. Through his rash actions, Jadeite had tipped our hand and ruled out any possibility of further diplomacy on our part. He had effectively taken down a decade of careful planning. We were primed for war. It was all we had left.

At my silence, Kunzite looked thoughtful.

"You knew this would happen, didn't you? You knew that once blood was spilled by our hand that there would be no stopping this." Kunzite said, sounding almost surprised.

"I knew that once we started... there would be no turning back. Keeping our actions secret will now be much harder so we must press onwards with haste and not give them time to gather their forces. It took us ten years to get to this point. It would be a shame to let it all go to waste now. We no longer have the luxury of taking our time."

"Perhaps Jadeite's actions were for the best." Kunzite mused. I turned to face him, feeling anger and sadness growing within me. Rei's death never should have happened. How he could think any different was beyond me...

But as I caught the look on his face, I knew that he still didn't think her death was a good thing. He was just taking a long hard look at the situation. He noticed my pause and began to explain himself.

"I only meant that the beginning of our opposition enabled this Alliance amongst the others. The annihilation of Pluto forced them together; I mean they even included Mars in the Alliance. Had things continued from the point of first contact... victory would have been assured but instead you changed the plan. And that delay strengthened them. All I'm saying is that, perhaps, by forcing our hand Jadeite will have won this war for us."

I found myself frowning at his words. He was making sense... but I still didn't like it. Success always came with a cost. And I knew I had to be willing to pay the price. Pluto had been one such price and I was reluctant to repeat that event. I wondered if those on the other side felt the same. How much were they willing to sacrifice for victory...?

Finally after a long silence I nodded.

"Then we'll move ahead with this war. I assume you have things ready?" I asked.

"Nephrite and I are ready to leave as soon as we have our orders." Kunzite assured me. I still wasn't happy with this course of events... but I had to go along with it. Failure was not an acceptable outcome.

"Then prepare our forces for battle. Start on the outskirts and work your way inwards... we need to cut the Moon off from all other support. Hold them hostage, unless there is no other option."

Kunzite gave a swift nod, seeing his conviction helped put my mind at ease. He turned to leave. Had everything gone my way there would have been no need to go to war. Victory would have been swift and sure. But ever since the beginning things had failed to go according to plan. Perhaps war was the only way... which was a shame because simply annihilating the Moon would have been easiest. War was proving to be more inconvenient than I had expected.

"Kunzite." I said, laying my hand on his arm. "You'll make sure you're careful, won't you? I don't want to lose anyone else. "

"You worry too much." I could hear the chuckle in his voice as he replied. I smiled, shaking my head at his ability to treat this in such an offhand manner. "But we will be."

As he left I turned back to watch the night sky, glaring up at the brightness of the Moon. I could only hope that soon darkness would claim it. I would make them pay for every lost life – every squandered chance. I needed retribution.

SETSUNA

I could have said that this was the beginning of the end but, in truth, the end had started a long time ago. The events we were now embroiled in had started decades ago. What was starting to happen now had happened before. I'd watched these events unfold more times than I cared to count... and yet I still clung to the naive hope that something would be different – that Queen Serenity wouldn't make the same mistake as the time before. I wished I could have faith in their abilities to succeed but there was nothing in all my experience that could tip the scales. They would all fail.

I sighed. They would all fail. Only one among them, any of them, had a chance at getting what they wanted out of this. And I still wasn't sure if I wanted her to get it.

Too much would be lost if things continued on the current path. And we'd already lost too much. I had lost too much.

I was unenthusiastic about what was happening. The loneliness, the isolation... the regret. Everything was coming to the point of collapse. A collapse that had been engineered. It was the result of a callous decision – the pitting of light against dark. Order and chaos.

I sighed.

So much destruction had been caused on account of the current leaders of the two oligarchies. Only one result was guaranteed.

Mutual destruction.

While brutality and death were nothing new to me, witnessing the chaos of life was becoming too much. It was an endless cycle – the fluctuations between stages of confrontation. The endless battle between the forces of existence.

I could only hope that as events played out... that the people I had come to care about would continue to surprise me.

Then again, perhaps it should all just end.

HARUKA

I opened my eyes at the insistent knocking on the door. I let out a soft groan, knowing that I should get up before it woke Michiru. I dragged myself out of bed and walked to the door.

"What do you want?" I demanded irritably.

"Forgive me for disturbing you so early... but there's an urgent matter that needs your attention." The servant informed me. I stepped out into the hall, pulling the door shut so we did not wake Michiru.

"What's this about?" I asked lowly.

"Your father has a situation that requires your full attention." He replied. "An... unexplained phenomenon seems to be..."

I shook my head, cutting him off.

"Speak plainly or don't speak at all." I told him, gritting my teeth as I felt annoyance swell within me.

"All they could tell me is that there was a rising of shadows..."

I swore violently, recalling the strange apparitions that had been occurring on Earth and the Moon.

"Tell my father I'll speak to him shortly." I ordered the servant. I turned back to my room, not bothering with his response, I eased open the door – finding Michiru, predictably, awake.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Michiru asked, from the bed. I looked over, shaking my head.

"No. You've got enough to deal with at the moment, I've got this." I told her. A small smile tugged at my mouth. "Rei's going to need all the help she can get. I think I can handle this one without you."

"Are you sure Haruka? I want to be there for you when you need me."

"I'm sure." I told her with a small smile. The situation on Uranus wasn't too clear at the moment, if I needed her I'd find her. It shouldn't be too hard, she would probably be with Rei. Either that or she'd be in the common rooms with her paints and or violin. "I'll find you if I need you, okay?"

"Promise?" Michiru asked.

"Yes, I promise." I told her, leaning down for a kiss. I knew there would be a moment where I would want Michiru by my side... but this wasn't it. For the conversation I was expecting to have... I only wanted one person with me. If the situation was as dire as I suspected it might be there was only one person I trusted to understand me fully in this regard.

SETSUNA

I watched as Haruka walked down the hall towards me. She could hardly even look at me, however she stopped beside me and leaned against the wall. Her arms crossed firmly in front of her.

"Setsuna..." She greeted stiffly. It was only though the years we'd spent together that I heard the question in her voice.

I knew what she wanted, she wanted me to accompany her into the meeting with her parents. She knew that if I were in the room with her she could pick up on hints as to what was about to happen. She would be able to gauge the situation better. I closed my eyes.

"I can't tell you anything." I told her. Haruka swallowed roughly, still not looking at me. Her arms uncrossed, she let them dangle at her sides. Our fingers brushed.

"I know you can't tell me anything. And I know that you already know what's going to happen. And judging by your tone it's anything but good news. Hell, I'm already expecting the worst."

My thoughts automatically turned to the coming events, the death, the destruction... the complete and utter destruction of the place I'd called home for the last decade. I fought to keep my expression neutral, knowing that once again there was nothing I could do but watch while my home was destroyed. The darkness that fell was absolute... followed by an explosion of white. And then there was nothing. I opened my eyes. History was destined to repeat itself it would seem.

"Why isn't Michiru with you then?"

Haruka sighed shakily.

"I get that you can't offer advice or assistance but that's not what I'm asking for. I'm looking for your support. I just want you there, okay?" There was a pause. "I mean, they're your family too."

I let out a weak laugh, still amazed, even after all this time, by Haruka's ability to skirt past my defences. I brushed my fingers along her wrist softly before withdrawing my hand.

"Let's get going then." I told her. "You can't be late."

MINAKO

I woke early, my body still curved protectively around Rei's. This felt all too familiar. I bit down on my lip as I watched her sleep.

The gentle rise and fall of her chest was comforting... and not only because it told me she was still alive. It was comforting because it felt like I was finally somewhere I belonged.

At that thought I pulled back, removing my arm from her body. I couldn't be doing this. It went against everything I'd been raised to believe. I slowly increased the distance between us until I could rise without waking her. I moved off the bed, seating myself on one of the chairs close by.

I couldn't be thinking like this. Not when I knew it wasn't what was intended for me. No matter how much I wanted it, wanted her, it simply couldn't be. I hunched over slightly, letting my chin rest on my knees. My eyes were still on Rei.

I had know the moment she died that there was something more between us. Something I hadn't recognized for what it was. It was something that the Goddess of Love wasn't supposed to feel. This wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to feel like this, knowing that I would have to dedicate my life to the people... not just one person. There was a reason that Aphrodite had consorts. She never had what most would call 'true love' for she loved all equally. There was no discrimination, no distinction, between types of love. She simply loved... and, some would say, loved simply.

It was just a part of becoming the Goddess Aphrodite, they loved completely but they could never completely love just a single person. Love and acceptance was for everyone – ti was to be distributed equally between all who sought it. They were supposed to be satisfied with this half love...

It was never what I wanted for myself. I had wanted to experience the passion and romance of a love beyond comprehension. Eros had always laughed at the romantic in me. It wasn't something that was expected of me. It shouldn't have been expected of me.

I shook my head.

After all this time wanting love... I hadn't recognized it when I was finally faced with it. It was like I hadn't fully believed myself capable of such an emotion. Sure I had experienced love before... but it was love in the way that Aphrodite was expected to love. It was a wholesome love, one intended for everyone. It was a basic understanding of the pain people went through.

And then when I was confronted with the intense emotions Rei evoked in me... I didn't understand them. It was a passionate hate, or that had been my interpretation. In reality it had been a passionate love. An infatuation so deep I couldn't recognize it.

Now that the fate I had been subtly rebelling against my entire life was turned on its head... I felt guilty. What if I was dragging Rei into something that would forever leave us both unsatisfied? I had commitments, a destiny, that I couldn't turn away from.

And she... she needed someone who could be there for her. She'd been through enough – she shouldn't have to dedicate her life and love to someone who could never fully be there for her.

I sighed, concentrating on Rei again. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Temptation was before me. It was what I had always wanted – a soul mate, a committed love. A choice. But now that it was here... I wasn't sure that I could bring myself to take it. Especially knowing what Rei had been put through on my account. I wasn't sure if I deserved this.

I rested my head in my hands. What the hell was I supposed to do with this?

AMI

I lay on my bed simply staring at the ceiling. The world was falling apart around me and there was nothing I could do to fix it. I was supposed to be able to rationalize everything that was happening – people's motives, relationships, intentions... but everything was wrong. Nothing was making sense.

Lately I'd been finding more holes in my worldview than I was finding answers. The reason people developed these mental frameworks was to help them understand the world when everything was falling apart. And yet, instead of finding comfort in it, I was railing against it in fits of uncertainty.

I ran my fingers through my hair. I sighing heavily as I gazed upwards at nothing in particular. I didn't know what I was searching for.

Now that I looked at it, throughout my youth I had taken my unwavering conviction – my faith – for granted. And now that I was confronted with something 'other' I was losing it. My world and the rules that had shaped it were crumbling around me.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in." I called out, not moving from where I lay. I could tell from the easy cadence who was entering.

"Usually you're up early. I didn't see you this morning so I wondered if something had happened." Makoto told me, I could hear the concern in her voice.

"Yeah?" I asked, not really sure what else to say. I looked over at her.

"Mm hmm." Makoto answered. "Plus spending the day alone isn't really on my list of things to do. So what's up?"

"Just having a crisis of faith, I guess." I replied with a small shrug. Makoto's smile flashed through me.

"You have faith?" She asked teasingly. We'd spoken enough about Mercury that I knew she understood, joking about it was just the way she was trying to help me vent. Of helping me to open up. "I thought you'd evolved beyond that."

"I thought I had too. Faith that is." I told her. "Now I''m not so sure.

"Want to talk about it?" Makoto asked, sitting down on the bed next to me. I glanced up at her, feeling the weight that had settled on my shoulders and mind lift. I smiled.

"Yes." I told her, even though now it didn't seem quite as pressing. Makoto laid back against the bed next to me, staring at the ceiling.

"So..." Makoto said. "How about you try to explain this to me?"

I relaxed. We could sort through this.

MINAKO

What seemed like an eternity later, there was a gentle knock on the bedroom door before it was slowly pushed open. The man who came through the door was familiar even though I'd never seen him before. Somehow I knew exactly who he was.

"Phobos." His name left my mouth without any conscious thought on my part. He gave a stilted nod in greeting. "Where's Deimos?"

The question felt natural... even though the familiarity with which I was treating him made me uncomfortable.

"She's keeping an eye on your sister." He replied, his clipped tone could have seemed menacing... but for some reason it was reassuring.

"Thank you for looking after us." I told him, feeling slightly more at ease.

"Don't mention it. You're family." He told me, there was a small hint of a smile on his face despite the coldness in his voice.

"You mean because of Rei?" I asked, I knew she saw them as family. It seemed they felt the same way about her. Phobos gave a chuckle.

"Yes. The little one does have a lot to do with it." He told me, this time the kindness in his eyes reached his voice. Watching him some how made me feel like I was missing something. He looked over at me, that same barely concealed smile was still on his face.

"You'll look after each other, won't you?" He questioned idly.

I nodded, unable to find the words to answer him. It always seemed that the people who cared about Rei were able to bring that out in me. They constantly caught me off guard with their... honesty and how upfront they were about their emotions. There was a purity about them that I had missed before. Part of me thought that maybe Rei brought it out in them. She certainly was doing the same with me. I was finally being honest with myself.

Phobos smiled and nodded, moving to sit beside the bed. His watchful eyes remained on us, I felt like a child under his gaze. Though it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling... it just felt like I was loved and protected. Safe would be an apt summary of the sensation. I idly wondered if this was how Rei felt around them.

I looked back to Rei. There was so much I didn't know about her. I had so many questions I wanted answers for... but I was too scared to ask. What right did I have to ask her for anything?

"You helped her bring us back." Phobos commented, as if reading my mind. I paused, surprise had stolen my words from me. There was an indecipherable look on his face. "You gave Rei her world back. But you made it better than it was before."

I didn't really understand what he was talking about but I decided to go along with it. Despite not really believing what he was saying. Giving Rei her world back? I had helped destroy her world... not fix it. That's what I was trying to do now.

"What happened when she was over there?" I asked him.

"You mean when she visited Hades or the time before that?"

"I was just curious about how she brought you back." I clarified, still unable to bring myself to concentrate on the other time for too long. It was painful to think about. The memory of how alone I'd felt was beyond description... beyond agony.

Phobos paused, searching for the words. I could feel the course of his emotions, he seemed to have as much trouble with Rei visiting the land of the dead as I did.

"She brought us back with your help – that and she made a deal." Phobos replied, not really clearing things up all that much.

"A deal?"

"She tied herself to us, making it so we could accompany her back into the world of the living." Phobos told me. "There are consequences though, for her as well as us. We are sustained by her life. While that restricts her... however the fact that she is Ares' avatar reduces that burden. In short, Rei's life will be... altered and Deimos and I are now tied to a single form. And since Rei is human, we are human."

"And Hades just happened to be willing to make a deal?" I asked skeptically. I had been raised to believe that Hades never let go of what was his willingly.

"Part of that is because Deimos and I are... who we are. Hades would not willingly place himself in opposition to our parents. But the other part, the larger part, is because of you."

"Me?"

"You're here for her. That's what interested him. I think he finds it... amusing." Phobos told me. There was something hidden in his words that I didn't quite understand but I couldn't even grasp what it was I didn't understanding. His meaning was lost to me. I looked away and he didn't press the issue. We simply sat in the quiet stillness of my room.

Together we watched as Rei stirred. Her eyes opened slowly, confusion showing in them until she realized where she was... and who was with her.

"Phobos." She greeted, her eyes bright. Her very tone was saturated with relief and happiness. Phobos reached out, settling a hand on her shoulder. His grip tightened slightly before he rose.

"I'm going to find Deimos." He told her, a look passed between them and I had to restrain myself from delving into their emotions as I tried to figure out what their silent communication was about. Rei nodded, watching as Phobos left the room.

Eventually she turned her attention to me. Her gaze was guarded like she was ready for a fight. I knew I deserved her wariness. I had hurt her in unimaginable ways.

"Minako." Rei greeted, my very name seemed to evoke an array of emotions in her. They spanned from pain to worship. I could accept the fact that I caused her pain... the emotion in her that I struggled with was her reverence for me. I couldn't understand how she could still see me as someone worth trusting. I was seeing her for the first time... she had seen me as her personal saviour. But all I saw... was that I had damned her. We had known each other for months and it had taken me that long to actually see her. I didn't deserve to seen in that light... I didn't deserve to sense that love in her.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked, knowing that I wanted to deserve the reverent tone in her voice. I wanted to be someone who wouldn't hurt her. I wanted to be the one who would always fight to protect her... even if I wasn't sure that I could do it. I still didn't know if I could commit like that to her. Or if I could commit to anyone like that. I just knew that I wanted to.

Rei's shoulder half raised in answer.

"Did you sleep alright?" I questioned, wanting her to be a little more specific. Again Rei gave a half shrug. There was hesitation in her eyes though, I did my best to be reassuring but... I felt bad about it. Almost like I was forcing her to admit to something. I could see in her eyes that she wanted to talk about this. She was just scared to.

"My head is never a very relaxing place." She finally admitted. My mind immediately leaped to the brief talk of visions the day before. I didn't know what to say but somehow words came to my mouth anyways.

"What was it this time?" I asked, coming to sit beside her again. It seemed with Rei I didn't need to think, I just acted. She was silent for such a long time that I didn't think she was going to answer me but finally she replied.

"Memories. Nightmares. Visions. It's hard to tell them apart when I'm sleeping." Rei told me. "There was... a battle. That's all I can really say..."

Her voice trailed off as her gaze became distant. I noticed her hand tighten on the bedspread. I recognized the stony look, it was like she was trying to remain conscious of her surroundings while fending off an attack. As I reached over to offer comfort, awareness faded from her eyes again. I placed my hand on hers doing my best to ground her in reality.

I knew she didn't want me to see what she saw... but I couldn't help myself. She needed help and Prometheus wasn't moving fast enough for my liking. He had left seemingly an eternity ago. In truth thought it had been less that two days. For almost two days Rei had slept, fading in and out of consciousness. And now that she was awake... she was assailed by powers beyond her control.

I did my best to lessen the burden while still allowing her privacy. She didn't want me to see, so I did my best not to. Despite my best efforts I couldn't block out parts of it. There were flashes of a city... it was unlike anything I'd seen before. A vast ocean shimmered before me... and then it disappeared into darkness. The vision was over.

I watched Rei carefully. Her hand had lifted to her forehead and her jaw had clenched. Even though I'd only experienced the vision through her... I could feel the start of a headache coming on.

"Is it always like this?" I asked her. Rei opened her mouth to reply. I didn't really know why she didn't fight me over giving up this information. Part of me said it was simply because she was too tired to put up the effort.

"No." She she told me. I had a moment to feel relief that she didn't always experience this pain but then she continued. "Usually it's worse."

An uncomfortable sensation went through my heart... something like pity. I knew that particular emotion wasn't helping her. I reached out hesitantly, letting my hand fall on hers. I carefully laced our fingers together. Rei's eyes flicked up to meet mine. There was a wariness about her, she swallowed almost nervously. Her gaze fell away from mine, but she didn't pull her hand away.

REI

I sat in silence, fully aware of Minako's eyes on me. I drew inward, I was consumed by thoughts of the vision I'd just had. The vision had been quite similar to other ones I'd experienced. The flashes of other planets, the war and blood. Usually I just saw Earth and the Moon – two civilizations placed in opposition. This time however... I'd seen others as well. The fact that Neptune and Uranus had made an appearance was puzzling. However that wasn't the only thing that gave me reason to pause. The architecture in one of the cities I had seen triggered memories of one specific vision I'd had... before. There had to be a connection.

The earlier vision had been vague, seeming chaotic and relatively unhelpful. It had merely given explanation to something that had already happened – a transmutation of the soul. But now I realized that I had learned more from it than I originally thought. Though the memory of it was still hazy I could recall small flashes of detail. If only I could explain to myself what it meant.

"If its bothering you so much...you should find your answers." Minako told me, feeling the course of my thoughts. I didn't look at her, I couldn't.

"I can't." I replied, finally pulling my hand away. I did my best to let the walls fall back down around me but there was resistance. Minako was fighting me.

"You have the power so why not seek out the answers to your questions?" She asked, her probing not allowing me to fall back into emotional isolation.

"I can't become that. Not now." I responded woodenly.

"Why not?" Minako pressed.

"Because of Prometheus. He's put so much on the line for me already, I have a duty to him. I have to abide by their laws. This... power isn't supposed to be." The excuse sprang to my lips easily.

"There's more to it than that." She replied, reaching into my heart and pulling out the real reason behind my problem. I shook my head, looking away from her. I didn't want to admit this... but I had to.

"You must have seen it. He was terrified of what I was." I commented. His guarded look had shaken me, he had been watching me like I was something dangerous. Nothing I had done before that moment had scared him, not the killing or the bloodshed. But this... this had terrified him. Minako's hand reached out and covered mine again as she drew my gaze to hers.

"He was scared for you, not of you. He was afraid that you would become a danger to yourself... and a danger to others."

"I already am." Minako was silent, she didn't have the words to contradict me. I looked away.

MINAKO

Her words somehow still managed to shock me despite the fact I already knew what she thought of herself. That moment of surprise somehow managed to make her draw inward. I didn't know how to tell her that I wasn't thinking what she thought I was.

I tightened my grasp on her hand, bringing it towards my face. I pressed my lips to her knuckles, I didn't have the words to tell her that she wasn't a monster. Well, I had the words... I just didn't have words she would believe. However I still needed to try and make her understand.

"You have no reason to listen to anything I have to say but..."

"Minako." Rei warned and somehow I sensed what she meant. I could feel the words she didn't say. The love she experienced made everything else secondary. If there were one person's words who counted... they would be mine. I swallowed and nodded, my earlier thoughts returning in force.

How could I be someone who would be there for her? How could I defy destiny? How could I give her what she needed?

I ignored it, right now none of that mattered. I met Rei's eyes, knowing she was searching for meaning in what I had to say... in what I had to offer her right now. The future didn't matter. Right now I needed to make sure she had a future she cared about.

"If I could offer you the words to make it better I would. But I'm not sure what you'd believe." I told her honestly – my honesty was all I could giver her right now. "I know now that you're more than I thought you were... and I want you to find your answers. I just don't know where you'll find them."

Rei was quiet. Her silence was slightly unnerving to me, though I had the feeling it was merely contemplative. I felt my stomach twist, my nerves were getting to me. I fought it down, hoping I wasn't broadcasting my feelings. I couldn't look at Rei fully, if I looked at her I'd feel even more temptation to pry into her feelings – to force her to accept what I was saying. I wanted her to come to her own decisions.

"Where do you normally find answers?" I asked her. I felt a warm shock go through me, I looked over at her as a small smile flickered on her face. The smile and warmth faded quickly but left the barest trace behind.

I met her eyes again, no longer feeling the need to manipulate her emotions. She would be fine – she'd do okay.

"So? What would you do to get answers?" I prompted. Rei gave a half shrug, wincing at the movement. I could see something in her expression. She moved towards the edge of the bed.

"What are you doing?" I asked, half horrified, half impressed. Rei gave me a look, she seemed kind of... annoyed. And pained.

"I need to get out of this room. You asked me what I'd do to get answers." Rei told me. "Well, I'd go see Michiru."

"She could come here, you don't have to get up." I replied in exasperation.

"I can't think in here. It's – It feels..." Her voice trailed away, she clenched her fist looking frustrated. She shook her head, she couldn't verbalize what she was feeling. I immediately tapped into her emotions, sorting through what she was trying to convey.

The emotions left imprints of scenarios in my mind. The inside of a cell. The pain of something tearing though my shoulder. The sensation of fear and danger – that spike of adrenaline that triggers the fight-or-flight response. Maintaining the distance between yourself and your opponent.

I finally managed to link these vague associations into something meaningful. Moving around meant safety. Stopping for a moment, being trapped, was dangerous. A betrayal of weakness was death.

"Okay. Let's go find Michiru."I said as calmly as I could.

I nodded, reaching over to help her get up. I knew that letting her move around while she was still recovering probably wasn't the smartest thing in the world but... I needed Rei to feel safe here. And if this would make her feel safe... well there was no question. I'd do anything.

I helped Rei to her feet, watching as her face tightened in pain. Her breathing was shallow as she shifted her weight. After a moment she seemed to steady herself. All visible signs of pain disappeared. I kept my hand on her lower back, trying to make sure that she was alright.

MICHIRU
I was drawn out of my thoughts when the door to the common room was pushed open slowly. I sucked in a surprised breath when I saw Minako coming through the door with Rei. Some how though, I couldn't fight back a smile as she sat down beside me.

"You just couldn't sit still, could you?" I asked Rei, watching as Minako sat down opposite us. She was watching us carefully, almost protectively. Rei gave a shrug. I looked back between them, there was just something about how they were acting.

"So what's going on?" I asked Rei, placing my hand on her knee. She stiffened slightly but didn't reply. I glanced over at Minako, hoping to get some information out of her. Minako opened her mouth to give me an answer but Rei cut across her.

"I just need to think." Rei admitted. I caught an odd, almost satisfied expression on Minako's face. While this puzzled me, I felt relief that Rei actually opened up that easily. My eyes darted back over to Minako before shying away again.

"And you had to get out of bed for that?" I teased gently, trying to get Rei to relax. A hint of a smile showed on her face.

"Like you said, I'm not good at sitting still." Rei replied, I could feel a calming, relaxed sensation wash over me and judging by way Rei was acting she could feel it to. It felt safe here... secure. I looked back over to Minako, smiling at her. She was making a situation where Rei felt safe so she could think.

"Hm. Yes. I remember." I told her, taking Rei's hand. I ran my "I remember that trait of yours used to drive my mother absolutely insane."

Rei chuckled softly but didn't reply, she was looking down at what I'd been drawing earlier.

"So what's this?" She asked, letting go of my hand and picking up the sketch. I watched as she frowned. I'd seen that expression before. I thought back on our youth, whenever Rei was around my art seemed to revolve around things I couldn't explain. Looking into her eyes I could see things flickering in them. Reflections of what she'd seen. I looked down at the partially finished sketch in her hands.

"Does this mean something to you?" I questioned softly. Rei had yet to look up from the drawing, slowly she traced a finger along the lines. She nodded, meeting my eyes.

"Do you mind finishing it for me?" She requested, handing the drawing back to me. I gently took it from her, wondering what had happened.

"Sure." I answered, once again my eye trailed over to Minako. She was watching us in interest, apparently trying to figure out what was going on. I looked back down at the drawing.

To me, it was nothing but a scene that had invaded my mind and demanded to be drawn. That wasn't unusual, inspiration struck me at the oddest times. Even the drawing seemed... unremarkable. It reminded me of Neptune – a city surrounded by water. It wasn't familiar though, if this city had existed on Neptune I would have had at least a passing familiarity with it.

I picked up my pencil and brought it back to the paper, beginning to map out the city I'd seen. The flowing streets, radiating out from a central palace or temple. I relaxed into the moment as Rei picked up a book from one of the side tables.

"This is familiar." Rei commented, I assumed she was talking about the feeling of this situation but when I looked over at her a few minutes later I realized what book she had cradled in her hands.

I returned my attention to what I'd been doing – a smile was growing on my face. It was one I couldn't fight back down.

"Where's Haruka? Rei asked after a time. I looked up from my sketch, wondering what prompted such a question. She had seemed so wrapped up in what we were doing... the sudden change of topic was confusing.

"Something came up at home. She's trying to get it sorted out." For some reason Rei's eyes narrowed, it was like she knew something I didn't.

"What is it Rei?" I asked, catching the wariness in her eyes. She shook her head, looking like she thought she was crazy.

"She had a vision earlier." Minako supplied, I looked between them. Part of me was relieved and overjoyed that they seemed to be taking steps forward in their relationship... but the other part was cold with dread at what Minako's words could mean.

My mother had taught me enough about Martian life that I knew not to question Rei's visions. Seers were woven into Mars' history... they were more constant than even the Autokrators. Autokrators changed swiftly and violently as soon as they were found wanting. Only two things never changed on Mars - war and the seers. I knew not to question the validity of Rei's insights. Especially when it came to war.

"A vision? Of what?" I asked, my gaze switching between Rei and Minako. Rei sighed.

"Well, part of it... made me think of one of my earlier visions. That's what you've been helping me with. But the other part, well, it wasn't very specific. I can't control what I see. All I know is that I saw darkness as well as Uranus... and Neptune."

I gasped.

"You saw Neptune?" I asked. Rei nodded. I opened my mouth to ask more questions but Rei shook her head. I stopped, knowing from Rei's expression that she had something to say.

"Michiru, when a war starts, infiltration and reconnaissance are the first steps. This is swiftly followed by insurrection and expansion. We've already seen an assassination attempt on the High Queen... this is all part of the natural progression of war. If I'm right... these 'guerrilla tactics' that are being used by the enemy will fall into a more conventional military tactic as they gain power and support. The next logical step is an attempt at the total annihilation of enemy forces. Uranus and Neptune could very well be this next step in our opponents offensive."

My blood ran cold. Rei's words brought a startling truth to my mind. A pattern was emerging from the chaos of the last few months. Even Rei's own death had taken on a new, more sinister, twist. It was a targeted attack meant to take out a threat to their own survival. Or domination.

"You're saying we're at war?" I asked, not quite believing what I was hearing. I knew what she was saying was true... but I didn't want it to be the reality we lived in. Not when I had seen what war had done to Rei.

"I'm saying that we have been for some time." Rei replied.

"How are we supposed to fight a war when we don't know who we're fighting?" I asked her. Rei looked away.

"You know who we're fighting!" I exclaimed, catching the subtext to her skittish gaze. Her eyes came back and met mine... but not before she cast a glance in Minako's direction.

"I have theories."

"I'd say they're more than theories now, Rei." Minako said softly, an indecipherable look passing between them. Rei swallowed almost nervously. Her hands clenched and unclenched. She was fighting with herself.

"So who is it?" I asked her, not wanting to push her but I needed to know.

"Earth." Rei said, again her eyes flicked in Minako's direction... as if expecting some kind of rebuttal. But whatever Rei was waiting for never came... so she continued to speak. "And that's not all. There's something worse out there."

"What are you talking about?" Minako asked her.

"When I crossed back over... I spoke with Hades." Rei said, shifting uncomfortably. She looked at Minako and I like she expected us to tell her she was insane.

"Yes. I know. But what's this got to do with anything?" Minako said. I looked between the two of them in shock. What were they going on about?

"You know?" Rei asked Minako, sounding more surprised than I'd ever heard her. For some reason had to fight down the urge to laugh."

"Phobos." Minako replied with a small shrug. "What does Hades have to do with anything?"

"He told me what Setsuna couldn't. Our enemy is more than anything we could have expected. It's something we don't even have myths or stories about. We were never meant to be able to comprehend its existence. "

"Rei. What is it? What are we up against?"

"An elder god. A god of our gods."

"What does this have to do with Earth?" I asked her.

"If I'm right, Earth has allied itself with this 'god'. It's how these... shadows we're up against came into being." Rei told us. There was silence as both Minako and I searched for the next question to ask. We wanted to understand everything she wasn't saying... but we didn't know how to ask about what she couldn't explain. Rei shook her head, resting her head on one of her hands. She sighed, sounding frustrated. And tired.

"Look, can we just drop this for a bit?" I felt my gaze drawn to Minako's again. She was frowning in concentration.

REI

Their eyes flicked towards one another, searching the other for a reason, an explanation for what had brought about this abrupt shift. They were looking for an answer that didn't really exist. I couldn't explain what I needed from them.

I thought back over what I knew. There was no way to adequately explain myself when my thoughts were so disorganized. All the connections I was making were making an odd kind of sense. But I wasn't confident enough in them to really try and explain.

The door was pushed open, Ami and Makoto walked in discussing something I couldn't quite hear.

"How are you feeling today, Rei?" Ami asked, when they joined us in the room. Makoto sat down on the couch next to Minako. Ami approached Michiru and I, she seemed to be watching me carefully.

"Fine." I replied, picking up on interactions between Ami and Makoto. There was a certain balance to them. They gravitated to each other with out knowing it, the subtle shifts in body language. Ami stepped closer, looking like she wanted to talk to me more in depth about about my physical health.

However when she stepped closer, she paused, looking down at the drawing on Michiru's lap.

"Michiru. Is that the Isle of Atlas?" Ami asked.

"Sorry, what?" Michiru asked in surprise. I smiled. Trust Ami to make sense of what I'd been seeing.

"Well, it looks like the Isle of Atlas. I mean I've only ever heard it described but..." Ami's voice trailed off as she moved around to get a better look at the picture."Yes, see how it centres around the Temple of Gaea-Ma'at?"

"What's the Isle of Atlas?" Minako asked.

"It's the capital city of Earth. Zoisite described it to me when we met. He helped engineer..." Her answer trailed off as she saw the look pass between Michiru and Minako. She paused, as if realizing it. I knew what question was coming next.

"Where did you get... the inspiration for this, Michiru?" Ami asked slowly. Michiru's eyes flickered over to mine. We'd never been able to explain how this happened between us... it just did. I cleared my throat. A little white lie wouldn't hurt anyone.

"I described it to her." I told Ami. Even though Michiru and Minako gave no outward sign of surprise I got the feeling that Ami knew it wasn't true. But she ignored it, focusing in on me instead of Michiru.

"And how did you know how to describe it to her?"

"You heard Prometheus speak about the visions, correct?"

"Yes... and after seeing the things you've done, I'm willing to accept it as fact." Ami replied, seeming torn. I felt the urge to smile rising in me.

"Next question?" I prodded. Both Michiru and Minako looked at each other in surprise. Ami raised a hand.

"Let me get this straight, you see things before they happen and you've had a vision that some how involves Earth. Are we on the same page so far?" Ami asked. I nodded.

"I don't understand it much more than you do. I only know what I've seen." I explained. Ami looked like she had a million questions. She sighed.

"So what did you see? What prompted this drawing?" Ami questioned. I gave her a brief run down on what I'd discussed earlier with Minako and Michiru. As my explanation continued Makoto pulled Ami down on to the couch beside her.

"Relax." Makoto whispered. "It'll make sense if you let it."

I paused, taking in their odd balance with one another again. I shook my head, that wasn't the point. Even if it was somewhat reassuring.

MAKOTO

I watched as Ami and Rei volleyed back and forth, it was odd to see Rei so involved. Ever since I'd known her she'd been silent, almost contemplative but now she was finally showing us what had been going on in her mind all this time.

"So this vision...?" Ami led on. I could see she was still struggling with the truth... something that was seemingly illogical. "Is this where you made the relation between the shadows and the soul?"

She now hesitated slightly when speaking of the soul. When speaking of something unquantifiable. Rei nodded.

"And this is related to the island of Atlas how?"

"Earth isn't being invaded like the rest of us. They're the origin of the problem. As to how I know this... well, I saw a ritual. A ceremony. These souls were transformed – manipulated – into something else."

"How is this possible?" Ami asked, sounding aghast.

The soul is made up of energy any energy can be manipulated given the right technology.

"Technology? I thought you said it was a ceremony"

"The way I see it - there's only a short step between magic and alchemy. And there's an even smaller step between alchemy and science. Terran magic is the same as Terran science. They're two indistinguishable entities." Rei replied, there was a pause. There was something like a smirk on her face. "And it's my understanding that even Mercurian science started out as Alchemy."

I could see that Rei's perspective on things was starting to make sense to Ami.

"How do you even know that?" She asked Rei. "I mean the origins of Mercurian science and their philosophical significance is widely discussed in Mercurian literature but..."

This coaxed a laugh out of Michiru... who had been caught in a rather somber silence this whole time.

"The Neptunian libraries are very well stocked." She told us with a smile in Rei's direction. I watched as a smile flickered momentarily on Rei's face... I looked back to Ami.

"Okay. So... what if you're right?" Ami asked. "What do we do in that scenario?"

Rei leaned back in her seat, I could only just pick up on the slightest hint of pain as she crossed her arms.

"I have no idea."

MICHIRU

Some time after Ami and Rei finished their conversation, Haruka joined us in the common room. She looked pale and shaky. Things had obviously not gone well in the meeting. I rose to offer her comfort but she walked right by me, stopping in front of Rei.

"I need you to look at this for me." She stated seriously, a questioning tone in her voice as she held out a sheaf of paper. Rei stopped talking to Ami and met Haruka's eyes. "We need a strategy... fast."

Rei nodded slightly, taking the papers. After a quick glance at them her brow furrowed. I could tell from her behaviour, as well as Haruka's, that the situation on Uranus was dire. Rei had been right to suspect trouble.

"What are the forces at your disposal?" Rei asked. Haruka reached over and pulled one of the sheets out and placed it on top. Rei frowned, flipping between the first two pages. She looked disappointed. Her jaw clenched. Rei rose swiftly from her seat, her eyes still flicking across the paper. She strode across the room with complete disregard for her injuries. Haruka moved to help her spread the papers out across the tables.

Minako and I shared a glance, Rei was in no condition to be moving around like that. We both joined Rei and Haruka at the table. Minako immediately settled herself beside Rei, who was too busy unfolding a large map to notice. Rei glanced back at the papers before turning her attention to the map again. She pointed at a spot just outside the capital city.

"What's the terrain like here?" She asked. Haruka immediately rattled off a description. Rei frowned.

"Go take a seat. This will take a bit." Rei told her, before absorbing herself in the papers before her. On her face was a look of deep concentration.

"I don't have time to wait." Haruka stated, I laid a hand on her arm, knowing that Rei needed time to work out a strategy. Rei looked ready to snarl out a reply but she merely shook her head and returned to her work. I could her mind was racing as she tightened her grip on the table's edge. I couldn't tell if the action was because she was in pain or simply doing her best to concentrate. I noticed Minako rest a hand on Rei's upper arm for the briefest second.

"Give her some space. She won't be long." I whispered, pulling Haruka away from where Rei was concentrating. The more people that were around, the harder it was for her to think. Haruka followed my lead willingly, sitting beside me on one of the sofas.

Haruka's watchful eyes never once left Rei. She seemed to be willing Rei to work harder and faster. I squeezed her hand, understanding her desire for urgency.

Rei's head was bent over the map as she jotted down notes and sketched out the outlines of her plan. It was like nothing else existed in her world except for the scenarios that were playing out in her mind.

REI
I ran my hand across my face as I studied the charts and maps again. The situation was practically hopeless. There were too few soldiers and far too much opposition. The civilian population was far too large to be adequately defended. Any attempt to hold ground would be suicide. The army was stretched too thin already... and they hadn't even been attacked yet. The Uranian army, if it could be called that, wasn't strong enough. They weren't prepared for something of this nature. I sighed as I marked a few more things down on the map. I straightened up, knowing they wouldn't like this plan. I didn't like this plan but it was the best I had to offer.

"Haruka." I called, she was at the table almost instantly.

"Do we have a plan of attack?" Haruka asked, I detected a faint note of hope in her voice.

"There's not enough to work with." I replied darkly. Haruka seemed to understand because her face hardened.

"Could you get Mars to send us reinforcements?"

"I could but it will be over before they get there. Your forces..." I stated, starting to elaborate on the problems and inefficiencies of the Uranian military when Haruka cut me off.

"So what? You're just giving up?" Haruka demanded, her voice rising angrily. I shook my head, letting out an angry sigh, I was getting annoyed by her impatience. Though I understood it, her entire planet was going to hell in a short time. She just wanted to know what could be done to try and save it.

"I've come up with a workable evacuation plan." I told her, hating that this would get her hopes up. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Haruka look relieved, until she noticed I wasn't meeting her gaze. I swallowed. This wasn't so much of a plan as it was a gamble but it was the only way that some would escape the destruction I had seen..

"What is it?" This time Haruka's voice was almost timid, she didn't want to know what I was going to say. But she knew she had to hear it.

"If you use this plan there are going to heavy casualties. And not just of the soldiers... civilians too."

"Then come up with a different plan!" Haruka yelled, reacting the way I would have expected anyone to. Well, at least anyone who wasn't already painfully familiar with war. Sometimes there were situations you couldn't change and all you could do was choose between two bad outcomes.

"Haruka." I said quietly, my tone caught her attention. "You can't save everyone."

She seemed to catch on to all the meaning behind my simple words for the fight went out of her. I watched as Michiru placed a hand on Haruka's back, trying to be supportive. Haruka sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"What kind of casualties are we talking about?" Haruka questioned, her voice was calmer now. She was resigned to this.

"You don't want to know." I told her apologetically, I wished that I had a better plan to offer. Haruka nodded.

"But it's better than doing nothing, right?" She asked, trying to put on a brave face.

"It's better than nothing." I agreed. Still wasn't very reassuring though.