Reloaded

by Sokai

Everyone yearns for a new life at one time or another. For one particular girl and her five, fellow friends this desire comes to full fruition, as they suddenly find themselves experiencing the adventure of a lifetime . . . or two.

7. Act 6, Part I

Reloaded

By: Sokai

Disclaimer: I, Sokai, do not claim ownership to the workings of W.I.T.C.H. - I leave that honor up to Elisabetta Gnone. Nor do I own one of Takeuchi Naoko's most beloved manga/anime/live action series, "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon." However, I can and DO claim to own this story and its inspired ideas FROM said series, in addition to the original song, "Starlit Destiny," which may/may not be habitually featured later within future chapters.

Note: Mannnn, have I been 'sitting' on this one for a good while, unintentionally. Just life, blah blah, distractions, was still taking a much need break from this particular tale after that seventy-five page whopper of an act the previous update. And then this act turned out to be pretty long, as well, and I was just like, "Eeeyeah. Off to have another battery recharging break, I go!" LoL

But, anyway! Seeing as the previous had been sooo long, and it has, again, unintentionally taken a good while to update this story, I thought I'd divide this new act up, with the first half being twenty pages. Plus, in this way, you'll get a double treat by having two updates back to back. =)

Hope you enjoy the first half, which finally features (my) Sailor V! Yay! HeHe

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This chapter was created/written in February 2012, and updated/posted in August 2014.

---

ℓ Act 6 (Part I) ℓ

Within silence did she watch, purposefully far out of the way and carefully hidden from view, largely in thanks to the lending blanket of shadow evening naturally possessed.

It had been a little while since she had done this, unknowingly observing from afar and always at the ready to intervene if need be . . . and she was admittedly pleasantly surprised to see that lately, it no longer seemed necessary, not even right at that very moment, as she continued to studiously gaze upon the blonde haired Guardian Soldier bravely sparring against the latest of the Dark Kingdom's slightly formidable Entities within an empty supermarket parking lot.

"She certainly has come a long way quite a bit, already, Sailor V," a vaguely gravelly, deep voice quietly remarked low at her side, breaking through the previously reserved silence between them for the past several minutes or so.

She then began to smile slowly, and softly, closing her baby blue colored eyes from behind the dark lavender, Venetian styled eye mask placed snugly against her milk and honeyed face.

Regardless of how, at times, it became a tad bothersome, there was nonetheless always something very comforting about how no matter what she happened to be thinking of, he would somehow just . . . know precisely what it was.

Not even her own family members or select friends could ever lay claim to such a remarkable, truthfully bonding capability, and she had known the majority of them for most of her young life, unlike the mere year and a few months she thus far had the pleasure (and sometimes, admitted displeasure) of knowing him . . . within this lifetime, at least. . . .

". . . . I suppose it goes without saying by now that that was my sentiments, exactly, Napoleon . . . but, since I also know how much you secretly revel within practically knowing me like the back of your paw, I'll let you enjoy your moment," she, at least within her present guise, known as Sailor V, lightly teased, reopening her eyes and sliding them down to her right, just in time to both see and feel her small, furry companion affectionately rub his round, soot colored face against her bare, strong shin.

As serious as he could be, nearly as serious as she, herself (or rather, had now become), it really didn't take much to flatter the young Chartreux breed, especially if the compliments were coming from her, with whom he was conveniently most attached out of anyone else within her household.

Although, I suppose that's only natural, considering that he and I are partners against the seemingly never-ending battle against Evil, Sailor V mused with another smile, before it quickly faded upon further reflection, and her eyes shifted back over to the still ongoing fight before her.

In fact, the struggle in question was a perfectly timed example of just how much of an honest nuisance all of this was becoming.

How tedious.

And yet, at the same time, it was an all too important reminder over just how fragile and precious life truly can be, and how the various things within it can never be taken for granted. . . .

As a 'Soldier for Justice,' I both know and understand this all too well, and will never give up or give in while continuing to protect this planet . . . but . . . sometimes . . . this time . . . as a normal girl, that hasn't always been very easy to reconcile with, Sailor V silently admitted to herself, momentarily gazing down upon her current, and now all too familiar appearance as though to further drive the point home.

There she stood, clad within a white, cropped Baby-T with powder blue and carrot colored bands adorning the ends of each sleeve, while a large, dark lavender hued bouquet bow rested gently against her bosom. An almost hypnotic, and mysterious oval shaped jewel of the same shade was latched securely within its center, much in the same way a second and third identical jewel graced the center of her otherwise bare forehead, and also the middle of her smooth, ivory tinted choker around her slender neck.

Sailor V nearly let out a faint giggle at the abrupt feeling of the pair of long, slightly thick ribbons of her front bow gently rubbing against her exposed, washboard stomach, tickling her in the process. She then fleetingly wondered if there could not have been a direct say upon how this particular guise of hers would appear, at least whenever it came to her evening patrols about the city.

To be fair, she had always traditionally been one for flare and being the center attention, more so prior to her life altering moment of becoming Sailor V for the first time . . . but still. It could become rather chilly at times during the night, even within the state of Florida, and especially now that it was Fall.

So surely some sort of compromise could be had with her feline guardian, so that she would no longer have to wear such a revealing top any longer . . . or, at the very least, not the honestly at times flimsy feeling one tiered skirt she also currently had on.

If nothing else, though, Sailor V did at least always enjoy the specific garb's overall visual design, what with the v shaped waist bands of the same shade of powder blue and soft orange, just like the sleeves of her top, as well as the linear edging along the very ends of the skirt which repeated the returned orange hue.

It did not leave much to the imagination, either, of course, and with the long legs her respectably tall stature as a young woman granted onto her, that was saying a whole lot.

This briefly made her wonder how Sailorjupiter, in particular, was currently coping with a similar plight of her own, although Sailor V imagined that it probably wasn't too bad for her, by comparison, as the redhead, like her fellow compatriots, Sailormars and Sailormeridian, at least possessed an extra tier to their own skirts, with Meridian being the 'luckiest,' by possessing three in total.

Letting out a soft sigh at this, before swiftly dismissing her frivolous thoughts, especially during such an always possible life or death situation continually playing out before her, Sailor V slowly drew up her elbow length, orange, and single banded gloved arms together to rest them against her midriff within gathering warmth.

". . . . Doesn't help much that they're both fingerless, in addition to having two heart shaped cutouts upon each arm, huh, Doll?" she could hear Napoleon quietly ask in reference to the overall unique design of her milky white gloves, an obvious smile within his voice as he once again effortlessly guessed her present ruminations.

Sailor V instantly felt herself beginning to physically warm up and take comfort at the sound of the specific term of endearment the wise, at times cheeky feline would frequently refer to her as (one which used to drive her up the wall at hearing, mainly due in part over how far much younger and immature it made her sound like) . . . however, quite normally it was uttered to her whenever she was within her civilian form.

It appeared to be an occurrence the two simultaneously had taken note of, as Napoleon could then catch his sole charge abruptly raise one of her golden, perfectly shaped eyebrows high above her protective mask, at the same time that Sailor V inclined her blonde head down to the ground in time to witness the whole of the male cat's fur beginning to stand slightly on end.

After having spent the last year within his company, nearly twenty-four-seven, at that, the young heroine had become somewhat of an expert on what Napoleon's various body movements and reactions meant, and this one in particular she was extra familiar with . . . especially during moments whenever she was within a teasing, or affectionate mood of her own.

It was sheer, and utter embarrassment.

If it were at all possible for her to be able to see it happening through his thick, dark fur, in addition to the current dimness of their surrounding area, Sailor V was fairly positive that she would have also witnessed a sharp reddening of Napoleon's cheeks in that moment, as well.

She tried not to dwell upon it too often, simply due to the fact that it was otherwise . . . disturbing, really, all things considered, and Lord knew that the cat, himself, would habitually go out of his way to make certain it was never brought up, let alone actively discussed, but Sailor V was still well aware of Napoleon's not too secret affections toward her . . . and she was also well aware that he knew this.

Perhaps it was something, a feeling, which had always been there for him even before, back then . . . and maybe, even then, it had never been fully addressed.

As much as she recalled of the time now, that was the one note which was lacking from her memory, which led her to believe that perhaps it was a recent development for the otherworldly feline.

Nevertheless and, quite frankly, despite who she truly was and what she stood for, matters of the heart were simply not of her interest at the moment . . . or, at all, if Destiny continued to have its way with her, that is.

She knew they both understood this all too well, and, for the most part, for her, at least, it was something she accepted, more and more, as time went on and the deeper she delved into her newfound life as a crime, now creature fighting heroine.

And, as a leader, she had to and would do, through any means necessary, whatever it took to ensure the safety of all, and prevent Fate from catching up to them, again.

Because there was nothing else for it.

Her own, personal fate had already been written. . . .

The brief urge to lightly poke fun at her partner at his endearing slip up swiftly came and went, as the familiar onslaught of pensive thoughts over everything she had personally experienced and recovered in memory as a Soldier returned to her once more.

Silence eclipsed the pair once again, and as thankful as Napoleon personally felt in that moment for it, he bravely pushed himself to be the first one to break it once more.

Although he could naturally sense his charge's clouding disposition, something which sadly occurred all too often, he'd noticed, and wished to comfort the girl in some, albeit futile way, he knew, he instead chose to steer the conversation onto the ongoing situation at hand before them both.

". . . . Don't you think it's about time you should intervene to lend a hand, now?" Napoleon asked hesitantly at first, before his own personal mood already fell back into place within the usual, serious manner whenever it concerned such affairs . . . especially whenever it involved Sailormeridian. . . .

He looked away from the girl in question in the fair distance, who now seemed to be losing her edge within the battle against the seemingly tireless Entity, and then peered back up at a now rather stoic Sailor V next to him.

She had also already returned her focus back onto the lone Guardian Soldier, and merely shook her head gently as her only response for a few moments.

She instead appeared to be far more keen upon taking in every last moment, last movement, of Sailormeridian's choices of action, or even lack thereof a few times, she'd caught. Her steadied gaze upon the overall scene had become so intense that it was almost as though she were attempting to impress her very will upon the other girl.

After another moment of pause, Sailor V suddenly smiled slowly, and jostled her head back and forth once more within disagreement.

". . . . No . . . I think she is doing just fine on her own, Napoleon. She has come a long way, in all honesty . . . they all have, once as a duo with Sailormars, and now as a trio, with the addition of Sailorjupiter, after having successfully convinced her to become the Guardian Soldier she rightfully is once and for all," she stated calmly, lightly beginning to tap one of her soft blue colored wedges against the slightly broken gravel beneath her. "Besides, is this not precisely what we both want them all, Sailormeridian, especially, to do in the first place? To get stronger on her own and to grow?"

It was Napoleon's turn for his copper colored eyes to grow serious as he nodded, taking a step forward away from his charge, and slender tail high within the air within intrigue.

"True. And at least we've already been able to observe the three of them working rather well as a cohesive team, even with their individual, personal qualms in their lives still being a factor for them each," he commented within a matter-of-fact tone, his tail swishing slowly back and forth through the surrounding atmosphere. "Still, I firmly believe that the day we are waiting for will soon arrive. . . ."

Sailor V only nodded at this, although her body did tense up slightly, something she secretly cursed herself for allowing her increasingly pointless emotions to take root once more, if only for a moment's passing.

She then let out another mental obscenity, as she felt Napoleon's dark golden eyes resting upon her again, their apparent connection activating itself once more, for his facial expression had softened into one of honest compassion.

Shit . . . don't you dare do it, Sailor V thought acridly, just as Napoleon opened his mouth to speak.

". . . . V . . . do you personally believe that everything will turn out differently this time? That . . . you hope it might?" he asked timidly, the both of them immediately regretting his having done so, though for different reasons.

He knew that he was absolutely in for it now, and had most assuredly crossed the line, as it was honestly one of the first times he had ever outright asked her such a question.

Well, no.

He had several times before, ever since having first found her a year prior; however, this time he had tacked on a double meaning to his inquiry . . . and they both knew it, which was precisely the reason for the currently unbridled emotions which had always been carefully tempered within her to now bubble over.

"Our mission is as it's always been, Napoleon! And my duty, especially, has always been most important, above all else! Neither shall waver!" Sailor V snapped, a bit too harshly for her own taste and sounding dangerously more so like her past self, simply due to the fact that she did not wish to reveal any further reaction to such a topic any more than she unfortunately already had.

Napoleon said nothing to this, and Sailor V knew he would not have, as he regrettably always seemed rather sympathetic upon the matter, in spite of his own emotions.

There was nothing more to say.

And besides which, then and now, pity was something the young woman absolutely could not tolerate, especially if it were being doled out within her honor.

She would be having none of that.

It was what it was, and maybe, just maybe, in another lifetime, it would turn out differently.

Until such time, she would simply do her sworn obligation . . . like always.

As though on cue to such thoughts, both Sailor V and Napoleon's swiftly shifted back onto a now sharply screaming Sailormeridian, who'd just then gotten blasted back away from the wolf-like Entity in that moment, and briefly collided against three stray shopping carts nearby before falling face forward onto the hard, and cooling ground.

Rather than feel immense dread and fear for the now apparently down and out Guardian Soldier, Sailor V merely let out a gruff exhale as she then took a resolute step forward, finally uprooting herself from the place she'd been standing in for what honestly felt like a millennium.

". . . . I suppose I'd spoken too soon about not needing to assist her, after all," she delivered firmly, and with vague disappointment, although secretly she was quite pleased for the newfound opportunity to enter the fray.

She positively needed the outlet, now, more than ever, to blow off some steam.

And for the first time in quite a while, it was going to be fun for a change.

However, it appeared as though once again Fate had other plans in store for her, for just as Sailor V was about to fully emerge from the shadows and cross the fair distance between Sailormeridian and herself in order to assist, she'd caught a familiar, admittedly aggravating glimpse of flowing ebony within the corner of her eye swiftly descending onto the scene ahead.

". . . . Damn it," Sailor V cursed aloud within furthered annoyance, taking a step backward to once again fully conceal herself within the evening's natural shroud.

Both hers, as well as Napoleon's eyes quickly narrowed within disapproval at the unfolding sight before them, as they watched a seemingly merely dazed, although thankfully unharmed Sailormeridian slowly rise to her feet through the aid of what appeared to be a young man dressed within a black tuxedo, and a red lined, black cape draped behind his back.

"It's him, again. . . ." Napoleon remarked darkly, his tail growing a tad puffier within irritation without even realizing, as he and Sailor V watched the ongoing exchange occur between the other blonde and this individual . . . something which was evidently a mutual unwanted happening for the feline and his charge.

Despite the man's newfound presence, both Sailor V and Napoleon were at least pleased to see that it had plainly been enough to stir whatever remaining resolve Sailormeridian had left within her to win her solo fight against the beastly Entity, for before it could land another good, solid strike against her once more, her now deployed and magically infused tiara swiftly put an end to that just then.

Sailormeridian, her new companion and, unbeknownst to them both, the concealed pair in the distance all watched within satisfaction as her shape shifting tiara effortlessly sliced through the now screeching Entity like butter, severing its life instantaneously within the process and causing it to slowly vanish, before the mystical object already made its way back to its rightful owner.

"Impressive . . . enough," Sailor V softly complimented within approval, even managing to smile faintly upon witnessing the pigtailed girl unflinchingly catch her currently boomerang shaped tiara within her left hand, almost without even looking, before calmly replacing it back against her forehead after it'd magically returned to its original shape.

"Well . . . at the very least, he does at times contribute to the overall success of the Guardian Soldiers' battles," Napoleon murmured thoughtfully, although his previous frown continued to remain in place as he peered up at the lengthy girl at his side.

Sailor V's own gaze, however, lay steadily fixated upon the couple before her, and upon their blatantly coy, yet connective interaction now within the aftermath of Sailormeridian's fight.

"You know as well as I that that isn't exactly something to be earning any sort of praise, nor encouragement over, Napoleon, least of all from either one of us," she stated tensely, her light blue eyes flickering with an unspoken sort of foresight.

Just then, both Sailor V and her feline guardian watched with mounting stress as the tuxedo clad male then abruptly fled the scene . . . with an obviously flustered Sailormeridian charging after him without hesitation.

". . . . Evidently, it will take some doing to convince her to stay away from him, I see," the masked female remarked with a slowly expelled sigh and quick resolve, before swiftly removing herself from her steady spot once more to follow after and then intercept the other girl's path in time.

Napoleon merely watched his ward take off on ahead of him, her free flowing sea of blonde hair hypnotically cascading behind her, and her dangling, orange and heart shaped earrings now beginning to reflect against the suddenly emerging moonlight overhead.

His previously hardened expression began to crack and melt into one of profound commiseration, as well as reflection.

". . . . If only everything could have been different . . . for us all," he whispered weakly, allowing himself another moment of solitude, before shifting his focus back onto more important matters as he quickly began running after the retreating trio.

---

At first, it had appeared to be a carefree weekend, one sorely welcomed by Elyon, as that past school week had been rather rigorous.

Even the various Entities which had thus far been sent by the Guardian Soldiers' still mostly unknown enemies seemed sympathetic in theory, if that were at all possible, as there hadn't really been too many attacks deployed upon the unsuspecting citizens of Heatherfield, either . . . at least, none as troublesome as the one implemented a full week prior, upon the occasion of Will Vandom's official joining and acceptance as a Soldier, that is.

Since that time, it had actually started to become, dare Elyon even think it, sort of fun 'fighting the good fight' alongside her two newest friends. It had certainly become a good deal less stressful, anyway, what with Will's added physical strength and severely lethal lightning based abilities as Sailorjupiter.

Then again, fighting as a Guardian Soldier had automatically started to become less of a burden the moment Taranee had joined the fray a little prior to Will as Sailormars, what with her vast intellect and natural analytical capabilities, in addition to her formidable flame-wielding strikes.

By comparison, the only thing Elyon had to offer under the guise of Sailormeridian was . . . well, general verbal support, really.

To her own credit, she was growing a bit more competent as a combatant, certainly a lot better now than she had been upon the occasion of her first transformation as a Guardian Soldier. All the same, although she did not wish to draw attention to it to her companions, especially not Csilla, Heaven forbid, Elyon had to admit to herself that she was starting to feel a little bit . . . useless as a fellow teammate.

It wasn't honestly that big of a deal, or at least one she was attempting to keep as such, but outside of her 'throwing-a-glowing-tiara-like-a-boomerang' move (which she was becoming pretty darn good at, if she could allow herself a single upside to her overall performance), Elyon was starting to feel as though she did not honestly contribute much to their Guardian Soldier trio . . . and she was supposedly the leader, at that.

That's why she'd decided on her own that the very next time another 'Entity Emergency' occurred, as she was beginning to refer to them, she would answer the call on her own and handle it, herself.

"But you're all meant to be working as a team, as a collective unit!" Elyon was sure Csilla would have drummed into her head had she had ever become privy to the girl's private agenda.

Lord knew it had been more or less stated on a near daily basis since the pair had first met.

And true, Elyon had been the first of the three known Guardian Soldiers to have jumped on board with the important notion, which was part of the main reason why Will's reluctance to be recruited by them had struck her so deeply in the first place.

So, she was well aware of the a bit more than blatant contradiction she wished to implement.

Regardless, in a backwards sort of way, this was Elyon still honoring her teamwork commitment . . . in her mind, at least. By taking on more responsibilities during solo battles and hopefully getting stronger as a result, she would no longer at times feel like a burden to Will and Taranee, and thus make their own contributing output less strenuous.

Seemed simple enough.

Now, the only problem left was actually encountering an Entity to combat on her own, and to defeat it before Csilla could alert her remaining Guardian Soldiers.

It would figure that the very moment Elyon was becoming much, much more active and willing as Sailormeridian would be the moment 'business' had become light.

Since the previous Saturday's Entity engagement, there had only been two other incidents to speak of, and both had been soundly handled by the three of them.

At least, on the flip side, while Elyon had yet been awarded an opportunity to progress singularly as a Guardian Soldier, the opportunity to hang out with and progress as mutual friends with both Will and Taranee had increased, and was actually going rather well, thus far.

Between the two, Elyon had been able to see Will every day that week, thanks to their shared lunchtime at school, although majority of said time had usually been tainted by Elyon's separate companions, such as the Grumper Twins repeatedly asking what it was the blonde saw in "such a brute like her," with Will shying away from the invitation to eat together as a result.

And so, for now, at least, that really only left The Musical Star Café as the one place Elyon could freely be around Will (or that Will would willingly allow within open public) without having to deal with the unwanted stress and comments of those around them, and also where she was certain the redhead would honestly relax and freely show more sides to herself.

Granted, it had been a bit tricky at first for Elyon to time her visits that week, so that she could go there to meet up with both Will and Taranee within their secret headquarters undetected by anyone who might know her, and also fit in enough time to still go there with her other friends, as well, like Alchemy, especially.

That was one thing the young blonde had yet to figure out since having become Sailormeridian: How to properly and effectively merge her new life, or at least, her new friends, anyway, with her old ones, so that all of them would get along and none would feel left out.

And it was quickly becoming pretty dire, because she was beginning to take notice of the difference within the auburn haired girl's overall disposition in that past week, and the emotional distance there suddenly seemed to be between the two longtime friends.

Elyon had already felt bad enough that she had to continually lie to and mislead Alchemy the way that she'd been for the last several weeks, when there had never once been any secrets between them throughout the entire scope of their near twelve year friendship.

It was honestly eating her up inside, to be trapped in such a way where she was eternally sworn to secrecy, it seemed like, and hide away a now very large, and undeniably unique part of herself from someone who had always been there for her, and was honestly more like family than just a friend.

That was precisely why Elyon had been looking forward to this weekend, so that she could finally spend some one on one time with Alchemy. Maybe do some shopping, go to a movie, and then later, have an old fashioned sleepover, the way they always had for most of their lives . . . up until recently.

However, as luck, her luck as of late, would have it, this just happened to be the weekend Alchemy's parents had decided to go visit some of her cousins, leaving Elyon to hang dry where attempting to mend the growing rift between the two girls was concerned.

Sulking within her lost opportunity, Elyon had then tried to turn her attention onto her other remaining companions, but they, too, all had previous engagements of their own, familial and otherwise.

She would have called up Taranee or Will and asked if they might have felt like doing something with her, but she didn't wish to suddenly become a bit of overkill for either one of them, given the amount of time the trio had spent together earlier in the week.

And so, there Elyon was, alone on that Saturday evening, with her parents out upon another one of their usual weekend dates, and Csilla apparently for once acting like a normal feline, as she had simply expressed a desire to "go on a nightly prowl" before promptly jumping out of the girl's bedroom window an hour or so after sunset.

Although initially feeling quite lonely, even a bit neglected for a little while, Elyon had effortlessly managed to snap out of her funk the moment she'd decidedly raised her CD player's volume to the max, and allowed Cornelia Hale's endearingly familiar music to blast throughout her empty household, while heading into the kitchen to make a few snacks for herself as her comfort food.

And then, just like that, just as the young teenager was about to settle back inside of her bedroom for a mini movie marathon consisting of all of her personal favorite romantic comedies, the brief Entity 'dry spell' was over.

Just a few houses down, a right turn, and across the street from where the Browns personally resided was a popularly frequented supermarket, where the family would often go to pick up a few quick groceries, or Elyon, and sometimes Martin, as well, would also go to spoil their dinner by secretly purchasing a sweet treat or two . . . and now, it was apparently where the latest victim for Deite, or that new guy, Zoi, or the both of them was presently being attacked.

Elyon wasn't honestly sure how she had been suddenly aware that there was indeed an Entity nearby this time, given that every other time it had been Csilla to previously bring it to her personal attention, if Taranee had not done so on her own, a luxury of being psychic.

Perhaps it could possibly be due to the hopeful fact that Elyon's powers and capabilities as a Guardian Soldier were evolving, after all . . . or, as the more likely culprit, simply because the vicinity had been so very near this time around.

Whatever the reason, every bone within Elyon's body and gut instinct was telling her that she needed to head out to that Public's Supermarket to investigate, post haste.

And then, the next twelve to fifteen minutes had become an honest blur to Elyon, now transformed as Sailormeridian, as her hunch had been spot on, arriving just in time to stop what appeared to be a sort of canine inspired Entity from nearly impaling an apparent Public's employee just as they were exiting the now closed store.

Although it had been at times difficult, certainly frustrating, and even potentially life threatening, Sailormeridian had not backed down from the one on one battle, and had refused to yield to its admittedly intimidating might. She could have pulled out her gPhone at any time to wisely enlist the assistance of Sailors Mars and Jupiter, and indeed, she honestly should have, especially during the thankfully brief moments when the extremely savage Entity had gained the upper hand.

However, something inside of her just felt like she'd be all right on her own, as though she were almost being watched over by someone. . . .

And perhaps Sailormeridian had been correct to feel that way, as the very moment her menacing foe had managed to land a regrettably sturdy blow to her chest, causing her to abruptly sail blindly backwards and into a trio of stray shopping carts within that now empty supermarket parking lot, she'd suddenly felt a pair of strong arms and a warm body descending upon her within (admittedly delayed) protection.

She hadn't needed to lift her face from off of the cool, gravely ground as she had landed in order to know whom it could have been.

Somehow, without even trying, she always knew.

And then somehow, a reason she would very much like to one day become privy to, he'd always seemed to know whenever she was sorely in need of assistance . . . or even rescuing.

Tuxedo Kamen.

Sailormeridian knew next to nothing about that young, masked man, outside of the apparent fact that he was someone who was now the Guardian Soldiers' added competition for the found location and retrieval of The Mystical Star of Threbe, and yet, at the same time, someone who'd continually come to their collective, although sometimes singular aid.

However, the one thing Sailormeridian was positively certain about was that Tuxedo Kamen was not also their enemy - Her enemy.

No matter what Csilla had said.

No matter what Tuxedo Kamen, himself, had said.

Within her mind, within her heart, anyone who could and would consciously put themselves at personal risk for someone they did not even know, simply to gain an edge within finding some piece of jewelry could not be evil.

A bit foolish and possibly insane, perhaps, but definitely not evil.

And if it would take days, weeks, even months to convince Csilla, especially, of this, then so be it.

Because Sailormeridian absolutely refused to abandon, however metaphorically in this case, someone who had saved her life more times than she'd personally cared to recall.

This time, included, as well.

Now, if only the mysterious young male would ever stick around long enough for the Guardian Soldier to ever properly thank him for his bravery and selflessness, then she would be set!

For the very moment after Sailormeridian had woozily allowed herself to be dragged back onto her feet by him, sharing a fleeting moment of honest gratitude and slight shyness on her part, before promptly gathering her composure in order to soundly defeat the already gearing up Entity once and for all, Tuxedo Kamen had already begun his all too familiar, fast paced departure from the scene.

This time, however, Sailormeridian had refused to let him simply get away like always whenever he would appear, and then disappear.

Without a moment's hesitation she had taken off running after the tuxedo-clad brunet, in spite of her slightly lingering pain from the now defeated Entity's attack, as well as not honestly knowing what she would even say to the man if she'd managed to catch up to him in time.

It hadn't mattered, anyhow, as the blonde's luck had just then changed once more, and this time, for the better.

The very last of Tuxedo Kamen's swiftly retreating, tall frame Sailormeridian had laid eyes upon had been seen passing underneath the last row of parking lot lighting before being effortlessly swallowed up by the now late evening's encompassing darkness . . . before an unexpected, yet familiar figure had abruptly cut off her mimicking path.

Sailormeridian could not believe what she was seeing, whom she was seeing.

So many times throughout the news on television, or within newspapers she had seen this individual, and every day and night upon the walls of her bedroom.

But never within her life, not even after having become a fellow protector to their apparently mutual dwelling of Heatherfield did Sailormeridian ever hope to dream of one day coming face to face with the Sailor V. . . .

And here she was without her camera (although she wondered if she'd be allowed to take one of her with her gPhone if she'd asked)!

". . . . S . . . Sailor V! Holy smokes, Sailor V, here, in the flesh!" Sailormeridian barely squeaked out to herself, before letting out an excited squeal and jumped up and down within her spot like a little child within a toy store.

Clearly, all previous concerns of chasing after the ever elusive Tuxedo Kamen and hopefully learn more about him were now long gone from her mind . . . at least, for now.

Sailormeridian watched within complete awe as the statuesque beauty, her absolute hero, calmly took a step closer to her and actually smiled gently at her.

At her!

". . . . The one and the same," Sailor V spoke within confidence for the very first time toward the now honestly dumbfounded Sailormeridian, who could only continue to gaily bounce up and down within her spot, any traceable pain left from her recently concluded battle either completely gone, or forgotten.

Sailormeridian could not help but to release yet another cry of utter jubilation, before honestly jumping forward within her spot in order to get just a little bit closer to the (in her opinion, anyway) larger-than-life Sailor V.

"Ohhhh, my God! This i-is like – ! T-This is like, huge! Like the biggest dream come true ever! You don't even know, Sailor V!" she stammered out, practically a mile a second, much to the other blonde's apparent amusement . . . and dismay. "I-I'm sorry, it's just that I am the biggest fan of yours! You're my greatest idol – W-Well, next to Cornelia Hale, of course, of whom I am also the biggest fan! But you, I mean you're just so . . . so awesome! So brave! I hope I can one day become just as brave and strong as you, fighting crime and all that, too! O-Oh! I'm El – er, Sailormeridian, by the way, and a 'newbie' warrior or whatever, but I'm getting there!"

Sailor V seemed to allow herself a moment or two to register what had just been catapulted her way as best she could, before then slowly raising a slender eyebrow, baby blue eyes twinkling behind her dark lavender mask as though a new thought had just then come to her.

With a faint smile and gentle tilt of her golden head, she softly remarked, "You are . . . certainly much more . . . animated than you once were. . . ."

At this, Sailormeridian promptly ceased within her admittedly embarrassing giddiness and lightly cocked her own head to one side within natural confusion, as her ivory cheeks then grew quite rosy.

"W-Wait . . . 'much more animated than you once were?' I-I'm sorry, Sailor V, but I don't under -" she began nervously, inwardly kicking herself for continually sounding like some bumbling idiot in front of her absolute role model, when Sailor V's once tranquil expression suddenly morphed into one of stern reproach as she quickly cut the other girl off mid sentence.

"- Stay away from him," she delivered evenly, turning her body to the side as she looked behind her and nodded her head toward the direction Tuxedo Kamen had vanished into.

Taking a few seconds to register what had been said, and also the abrupt shift within the otherwise formerly pleasant atmosphere, Sailormeridian slowly followed her indirect mentor's gaze with her own eyes before responding.

". . . . W-What do you mean? You're talking about . . . Tuxedo Kamen, right? But, why?" she shakily asked, worry and dread both infiltrating her heart that now even her utmost, treasured hero was wishing to ward her off the man whom she personally believed to be anything but a threat to her.

Returning her full attention onto the smaller girl before her, Sailor V's now intimidating demeanor softened a bit once she'd caught sight of the undeniable conflict and concern beginning to envelope Sailormeridian's entire face. However, upon sensing her male feline partner's presence becoming slowly nearby once more, and further recalling the overall objective at hand, any brief sympathy held within her was immediately washed over.

"He's . . . dangerous, Sailormeridian. You mustn't follow after him as you were just now, or pursue him in any other sense no matter what," Sailor V replied solidly , crisp blue eyes narrowing and body tensing up again within furthered emphasis. ". . . . Think of him as your enemy."

"No! That can't be!" Sailor V was honestly surprised to hear Sailormeridian respond so quickly within rebuttal, and so resolutely, as well. It was such a stark contrast to the giddy, seemingly incompetent individual she had presented herself to be just moments before.

Now, if only she would take that apparent conviction and apply it consistently to her overall duties as a Guardian Soldier, then it would make Sailor V's own task a great deal easier. . . .

Sailormeridian was about to open her mouth once more, gearing up to come to the mysterious Tuxedo Kamen's defense against yet another individual, when both she and Sailor V suddenly heard a tiny, yet forceful female voice ring out within the atmosphere off to one side.

"Sailor V!" Sailormeridian immediately recognized to be Csilla unexpectedly calling out to Heatherfield's most famous crime fighter, emerging from the shadows and quickly closed the distance between her charge and herself as she scampered to her side.

The dishwater blonde momentarily wondered to herself if Sailor V would suddenly drop her cool and collected disposition and react the same way Sailorjupiter had upon having first encountered an inexplicably speaking cat, before she'd then quickly shifted her attention back onto the more important issues at hand.

"Csilla! What are you –" Sailormeridian began within surprise, before she was cut off for the second time that evening, this time by her guardian, as the Russian Blue feline chose to ignore her and instead hurriedly addressed the apparently undaunted Sailor V.

"I have spent the past few weeks attempting to track you down in order to gather some much needed information!" she stated in between slightly heavy breaths as it gradually calmed down.

Sailor V slowly folded her slender arms across her partially exposed torso and gently smiled knowingly, almost amusingly, before nodding.

"I . . . see. Well, you've finally caught up to me, so what is your question?"

Csilla blinked at this, honestly surprised that after all of her diligent searching and pursuit, it would have been that easy to at last have the already suspected answer to the inquiry she was about to ask.

". . . . Are you . . . that is . . . you're The Princess . . . aren't you?" she let out carefully, hoping that the tall blonde before her would finally cooperate, and that the shorter one next to her would not somehow ruin it . . . especially since Csilla had yet to personally let her know about her theories concerning Sailor V possibly being the long lost princess the Guardian Soldiers had continually been searching for.

Sailormeridian couldn't believe her ears.

First, she finally got to meet her all time, beloved paragon in the flesh, and actually held a conversation with her (more or less) before Csilla had arrived, and now the furry feline appeared to believe that she might actually be the missing monarch they'd all been searching for, as well?

I could just die right at this very moment! I swear I could! Sailormeridian thought with returning, feverish glee, about to voice her excitement over the stunning turn of events when Sailor V let out a gruff exhale, closing her soft blue eyes to match her clearly disappointed demeanor.

A slow, thoughtful simper then spread across her milk and honeyed face as she reopened her eyes to gaze upon Sailormeridian, specifically, before quietly asking, ". . . . Am I, now?"

And before either Sailormeridian, or Csilla could retaliate with an inquiry of their own in hopes of quenching their now great befuddlement over the mysterious heroine's apparent preference to speak within riddles, Sailor V startled both females before her, as she'd then abruptly turned on her heel and began to swiftly flee the scene, much in the same manner as well as direction as Tuxedo Kamen.

"W-Wait! Sailor V, don't go! I-I have so many ques . . . tions," Sailormeridian cried out in dismay, beginning to take a few hurried steps after the already out of sight blonde, before promptly stopping within her tracks upon realizing the obvious fruitlessness of her short lived pursuit. ". . . . Would someone please tell me why everyone seems to be a fan of leaving me high and dry, tonight?"

". . . . 'Everyone?'" Csilla stated in query, with a small swish of her slender tail within faint intrigue, her mind honestly still focused upon what she personally felt was the more important matter of understanding Sailor V's curious behavior upon being referred to as their missing princess, in addition to her apparent preference to remain elusive about it.

Sailormeridian abruptly whirled around within her place at this, gloved hands raised within the cool night air to further illustrate her fresh aggravation.

"Well, yeah! I mean, here I am, living out my dream to one day meet the one and only Sailor V, and she jets off before I can even have time to ask her for an autograph, or something to remember this moment forever! And, then, before that, I-" she began in a huff, quickly catching herself just in time before revealing her previous encounter with Tuxedo Kamen, as well as the distressing message Sailor V had placed upon her shoulders regarding him.

The last thing I need right now is to listen to Csilla go on and on with her 'I told you so!'s' . . . not tonight, anyway, Sailormeridian thought with a discreet nod to herself, biting down onto her lip before mentally pushing herself to make a note to actually tell the mystical cat, as well as Will and Taranee the next time they would all meet up at their secret headquarters. I don't honestly want to . . . but I know if I don't and it somehow gets out later on, I'll really never hear the end of it. Still . . . no matter what anyone else will say, I know in my heart that Tuxedo Kamen can't be 'dangerous,' or an 'enemy' like Csilla and Sailor V seem to believe . . . and one day soon, I'm going to prove it.

Sailormeridian felt the hairs on the back of her neck begin to stand up and face grow flush as she watched Csilla's tiny, furry head cock to one side and green eyes flicker with immediate suspicion.

". . . . Sailormeridian . . . what is it that you're not telling me?" she asked within a lowered tone, honestly sounding a bit like the young girl's mother. She then let out a soft exhale and bowed her head a moment, before speaking once more. "Then again, I suppose I also hadn't been exactly forthright with you about my strong suspicion that Sailor V could be our princess, now was I? I'm . . . sorry."

Sailormeridian blinked within honest surprise at her guardian's abrupt change of heart, causing her to feel immensely guilt-ridden and mentally curse herself before releasing a dramatic breath of her own.

"Ugh! Maaan! Did you have to go and do that, Csilla? Dang it!" she whined with a light stamp of her light blue colored boot, before quickly raising a gloved hand into the air before her to stop the question Csilla so obviously now held upon the tips of her furry lips from being asked. ". . . . I think you'd better just call another Guardian Soldier meeting as soon as possible. We all have a lot to talk about."

---

"Sooo . . . let me get this straight, if I may: You'd gone on ahead, by yourself, to face off against 'The Bad Guys'' latest deployed Entity, again, by yourself, when you could have easily phoned either Taranee, or me, or both to help you out? And what was all that talk about working as a team, and wanting me, especially, to believe and trust within that? You know, the basic 'grief' and 'nagging' spiel you'd given me?'" Elyon only half listened to Will carry on within light reprimanding, a faint smirk upon her naturally tawny face as she did so.

It was far too bright, and far too early the following morning on that fresh Sunday for the petite blonde to already be handling any sort of heavy duty discussions, even if she had been the one to get the ball rolling for this meeting in the first place.

Quite frankly, Elyon wasn't ever previously aware that The Musical Star Café even opened this early, at an ungodly hour of seven o'clock in the morning, and that was saying something, considering she'd practically lived at the establishment, well before having become a Guardian Soldier.

The young teenager had barely rested her head upon her pillow upon returning home (thankfully before her parents) the previous evening, it'd felt like, before she'd suddenly heard the rude awakening of her alarm clock she did not honestly remember setting.

However, the next thing Elyon knew, she was being gently, although persistently nudged out of bed by Csilla's miniscule head behind her at six, of all times, and on a weekend, with only a quick glass of milk as her pitiful excuse for a breakfast, before already heading out of the door and to the nearest bus stop to take the both of them to their intended destination.

I don't even get up that early and move that fast for school, most of the time, which, I think, is a bit more important than rushing to spill the beans about meeting the greatest hero alive . . . even if that still was absolutely phenomenal, Elyon tiredly thought with an extended yawn she then struggled to conceal from her surrounding trio of friends. I mean, surely, Csilla must be aware by now that I am not at all a morning person . . . and yet, here I am, already stuck, square within the center of an increasingly heated debate that my brain absolutely cannot comprehend right at this moment. But at least I told them everything Sailor V had said to me, even if I didn't honestly want to. . . .

"Hellooo? Earth to Elyon!" Will said with a slightly raised voice and rapid snap of her right middle finger and thumb to better catch the attention of the obviously zoned out girl sat across from her within the lounge area of the private headquarters.

Elyon promptly jumped within her seat, dropping the cushy, black colored throw pillow she'd been holding within her hands for the past several minutes onto the floor. She roughly shook her head a moment as though to shake away her lingering fatigue, her normally disheveled dishwater and pigtailed locks swinging from side to side.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry, Will! I guess I'm just . . . ahhh . . . still pretty sleepy," she confirmed her statement with a precisely timed yawn, blushing gently and smiling sheepishly as a result before continuing. "But, no, seriously . . . I am sorry for not calling you guys to help me out last night, or at least waiting for you to return home before heading out together, Csilla. I just . . . I guess I've just sort of been feeling like I'm . . . I don't know. Floating around with nothing to really contribute to the team, like I'm just some kind of mascot, instead, or something. That's why I thought that . . . well, you know, if I went out there and took on another Entity by myself, the way I had before I'd met either one of you, then maybe it'd make me a better, or even maybe a stronger fighter . . . like Sailor V, or the rest of you."

Elyon felt her cheeks grow even more flush upon catching the collectively sympathetic expressions upon each female's face across from her, causing her to promptly cover her face with her hands and groan deeply into them.

"Ahhh, no! Don't give me that 'Aww, poor Elyon!' look, you guys! I'm honestly over it, already!" she mumbled against her open palms a moment, before removing them from her face to reveal one of her honestly trademark and genuine smiles toward her companions. "Okay, okay, so yeah, it still sort of worries me a bit that maybe I'm really not contributing as much as the rest of you, and that maybe even one day that lack of output could possibly put one of you at risk – God forbid, of course! B-But after meeting Sailor V, up close and personal like that, it just made me remember that she seemingly works alone all the time, with no one to rely on but herself if things ever get dicey during her battles. And if she can carry on like that all alone without any sort of complaint, then I know I can, too! And, besides . . . it just makes me feel really lucky and blessed to have such awesome firepower on my side to help me out while I personally get stronger. . . ."

For a moment, it appeared as though Will might have wished to make a physically comforting gesture toward the suddenly candid blonde before her, and, in all honesty, so, too, did Taranee. However, despite the amount of progress the two seemed to already be making in terms of opening up a bit more and displaying more trusting emotions, clearly moving to sit next to their worried leader and give her a reassuring hug was asking a bit too much of them for the time being.

And so, instead, Taranee simply cleared her throat and smiled as warmly as her inner, personal discomfort could presently allow, while Will abruptly stood from her seat and walked into the kitchenette area with a tiny, slightly knowing smirk upon her face.

The redhead did wish to honestly cheer her new friend up, and she would . . . in her own way.

Clearly seeing that neither remaining female could successfully push past their strategically placed emotional barricades in order to properly console the now awaiting Elyon, Csilla softly smiled within faint sympathy toward them both, before jumping off of the ebony colored coffee table placed in between the two, elongated sofas and carefully settled onto her primary charge's lap.

"Elyon . . . while I am certainly pleased to hear that you're actually wanting to be a bit more proactive where your Guardian Soldier duties are concerned, I wish you'd have come to me about your worries, so that I could have helped you through them. As your protector, that is my primary job," she confessed with a slowly broadening smile as her green eyes then locked with Elyon's hopeful blue, the skin beneath her bluish gray fur growing quite warm within mounting abashment.

Elyon blinked within honest surprise at this, before a teasing grin began to spread across her face.

". . . . I thought that finding The Princess and The Mystical Star of Threbe was your 'primary job,' Csilla? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that that sounded an awful lot like a declaration of lovvvve," she poked with a quick wink, even though her own personal nerves were becoming a tad flustered upon the unexpected realization.

She was well aware by now that it'd become inevitable, that undeniable bond that she and the mystical feline were already forming between themselves. After all, it wasn't every day that a pair of individuals would quite frequently stare possible doom straight on together.

Besides which, there were also the more personal acts and changes within Csilla Elyon had begun to notice, as well, things which honestly helped her to better recall that, through and through, the fluffy animal was still a cat.

The way she would now always automatically raise her long tail whenever Elyon was coming near her or was simply within view, which the young teenager did understand signified apparent welcoming, happiness and respect toward the individual it was being done for.

And then there was the admittedly adorable, albeit at times gross tiny licks, or 'kisses' Csilla appeared to be within the habit of giving her charge upon her nose nearly every evening before slumbering, and then again nearly every morning when the two would awaken.

I . . . guess I don't . . . 'dislike' Csilla any more than she clearly no longer 'dislikes' me, Elyon thought with a soft chuckle upon further reflection over the great strides the two partners have made, emotionally.

She then began to giggle a bit harder upon catching Csilla's poor attempt to conceal her embarrassment, as she quickly jumped off of her lap and headed toward the kitchen area, where Will was now seeming to busy herself with the various cooking utensils therein.

"I-I don't know what you're on about, Elyon!" the feline poorly denied, her body tensing up a moment as she could blindly hear Elyon's, and now Taranee's, it sounded like, cheerful laughter over the display. Pausing, she then expertly leaped onto one of the several, white colored stools placed behind the same hued counter top where a softly smirking Will currently stood behind, who'd then stopped what she was doing to turn and face her. "A-Anyhow! I'd merely meant that as the leader of the Guardian Soldiers, it is very important that the lines of communication amongst us all remain open, remember, Elyon. You having felt so bothered about your contributing attributes could have possibly hindered not just yours, but everyone else's overall growth, as you'd also realized in time, thankfully. But . . . you needn't trouble yourself over such matters. I have watched you in all this time since we've first met, and I must say that you . . . you have truly come a long way in such a short amount of time. . . ."

". . . . E-Even though I don't possess kick ass flame-throwing abilities, super smart brain power, or the strength of twenty men combined, apparently, all while also electrocuting the crap out of everything – And everyone in sight?" Elyon rifled off her comparative references to her fellow Guardian Soldiers with a small smile, and rather large blush rising up into her cheeks from where she continued to sit.

"Personally, I don't really believe that my being able to wield lightning, or Taranee's ability to start a fire with just her fingertips is what makes either one of us better than you, Elyon, or even the other things you'd mentioned," Will suddenly spoke up with a casual shrug, before turning back around to open up the miniscule sized refrigerator to retrieve what appeared to be a few eggs. Setting them carefully onto the counter upon closing the fridge and turning around yet again, she continued. "I think that . . . so long as you actually give it your best shot and just try in the first place, then you'll get where you want to go. Same can be said about any other area of life, really. . . ."

Elyon raised an eyebrow at this, before smiling within appreciation, causing the normally guarded redhead to cough uncomfortably and turn her head to the side in order to hide away her discomfort.

"I . . . guess I get what you're trying to say, Will. That it doesn't honestly matter what sort of powers we all have, so long as we always do our best with what we have, right? A tiny bit on the cheesy side . . . but I really appreciate your version of a pep talk!" she giggled, before rising from her seat and stretched. "But I still think that no one will ever be greater than Sailor V. . . . Oooh, I wish you guys could have been there! Come to think of it, I wish you guys would have told me a lot sooner that you believe that she could be our princess! Sooo mean!"

At this, Taranee at last found her voice, having simply enjoyed observing the overall display since having first arrived to their unanimous Guardian Soldier meeting.

"W-Well . . . in all honesty, I'd wanted to let you know about Csilla's and my conjoined theory and research upon the matter, Elyon, but . . . well, given your blatant . . . adulation toward her, I suppose I'd just found myself agreeing with Csilla's feeling that you might have gone a bit overboard if you found out before we could be certain," she explained within apology, flashing the pigtailed girl across from her a sheepish grin, before lifting herself from off of the couch and around the coffee table to stand by her side. "But, if it might make you feel a bit better, think of it this way: You might have been the last one of us to learn of our hypotheses, but you were the first to actually meet Sailor V in person. I bet that that must have been something . . . I hope one day I can do the same. . . ."

Elyon, who'd begun to lightly pout upon the matter, instantly perked up at this and nodded gaily, and also within reflection over how easy it now appeared for the studious girl to continue speaking hers and Will's given names since the first time last weekend, while having recuperated within Elyon's family home after their vigorous battle as a finally unified team.

I just knew that Taranee would prefer and grow much more comfortable with calling Will and I by our first names once she'd start doing so . . . she's certainly seemed to have grown a lot more relaxed around us all, in general, as well, she mused with a blossoming smile, feeling honestly proud of the strides Taranee had personally accomplished. Now, I wonder if she'll still behave the same way if ever I ask her to hang out with Alchemy and the others. I wonder if she'd even say yes . . . if Will would even say yes if I tried to ask her, as well. . . .

"You're right, Taranee! It was better than anything I could have imagined!" she squealed, clasping her hands together with joy before abruptly swinging her arms open to unexpectedly envelope them around a then immensely taken aback Taranee, who'd looked as though she was quite uncertain what to do with her own arms, as she simply kept them, quite stiffly, at her sides while allowing the smaller girl to continue expressing her overabundant elation. "It was just – Ahh! Well, everything except . . . well, you know by now."

"Yeah, just who is this Tuxedo Kamen guy, anyway? Even after listening about your encounter with Sailor V and her warning to stay away from him, it doesn't honestly fill in the holes for me, personally," Will remarked with another shrug, apparently that act being her preferred gesture, at least for that morning, anyhow.

It hadn't honestly yet occurred to the other three females present until that moment that the tall redhead really hadn't yet encountered the elusive young man, causing Csilla to nod slowly within understanding from her continued perch upon the stool.

"That's right, you haven't met him yet, have you, Will?" she began within inquiry, shifting her emerald eyes away from an intrigued looking Will before her, to the sudden blur of blonde rushing past her and into the kitchen area.

"Oooh, no way! Are you going to make something super scrummy-yummy for us, Will? You are, aren't you? Fantastic, because I'm starving, thanks to someone I know who didn't let me snag anything to eat before leaving the house to get here," Elyon gushed within excitement from her new place at a now surprised Will's right side, watching as the giddy girl peered down at the various ingredients set out before them both upon the ivory counter top.

Will nodded slowly, awkwardly running a slender hand through her short, cherry mane before responding, a bit unsure if the smaller girl really was genuinely interested within delving into an impromptu cooking lesson, or perhaps using it as a means to distract everyone away from the blatantly tense topic of discussion previously beginning to unfold.

". . . . Yes, yes, Elyon, I am going to make something. I figured since we're all here so early and all, that . . . well, someone ought to make breakfast, or whatever – That is, assuming anyone else is hungry, anyway," she stated with an added chuckle, lightly shifting a bit within her spot, as she hadn't expected her honestly small gesture of companionship, her first time offering to cook for her new comrades collectively, would have drawn this much attention, regardless. "And, besides . . . I know how much you . . . well, light up at the chance to eat more of my cooking, so I thought this might brighten up your day. . . ."

"And, how! Thanks so much for this, Will! Whatever you're making, I already know it's going to be awesome!" Elyon cheered with a firm nod, before promptly doing to Will what she'd just then done to Taranee not moments prior, practically suffocating the athletic girl within one of her trademark embraces. "And now Taranee and Csilla will finally get to taste your undeniable talent, too!"

Taranee could not help but to giggle at the scene set before her, her glee strengthening upon catching sight of Will's pushed out tongue toward her within mock annoyance once she'd noticed the raven haired girl enjoying the sight.

It truly was becoming quite the refreshing display, very slowly, yet surely to watch the otherwise fiercely guarded redhead unravel the obvious multiple layers to her persona each time she would spend some time with her fellow Guardian Soldiers.

Granted, it was still far from moving an entire mountain, said progress, but the overall interactions Will would allow herself amongst the three other females, feline included, was most certainly less strenuous, labored, and quite honestly, teeth pulling than what it had been initially.

And now, to witness the traditionally loner tomboy once more willingly open herself up to her comrades, this time by way of expressing perhaps even a bit of the care she was quite possibly beginning to feel for each of them through the art of food, it truly was touching to Taranee's heart.

After all, granted that she, herself, still knew virtually nothing about the other girl, she still was, as far as Taranee was aware, the only one of them to have seen Will within such the vulnerable and completely stripped down disposition she had been when Taranee had gone to see her at her hotel room the previous week . . . even more so than her earth shattering breakdown in front of all of them after her first transformation as Sailorjupiter, in her personal opinion.

Because while Will had, at that time, most likely gotten swept up within the understandably startling moment of shifting between a relatively normal life to suddenly one ripe with world saving nearly upon a daily basis, she didn't have to open herself up even further to Taranee, a perfect stranger, later on within the privacy of her Junior Suite the day she'd found her again.

But she did.

She did with near, almost natural like abandon by the end of it, a stark contrast to her normally heavily guarded demeanor.

And then, within a very similar fashion, Taranee, herself, hadn't honestly needed, within any shape or form, to divulge her own personal shortcomings and inner turmoil concerning her evidently God given abilities as a Clairvoyant, and precisely what it has meant for her regarding interactions with other people throughout the entire scope of her young life.

But she had done so, all the same.

At first, she, and perhaps even Will in secret, really had steadily rationalized it as having been done simply because Taranee had wanted to engender great trust and understanding toward the obviously emotionally wounded young teenager.

And even though nothing had been spoken again about the incident between them since, with slightly altered versions doled out to their now mutual companions to carefully omit the more intimate details, undoubtedly out of self-preservation, Taranee would find herself hard pressed to deny the profound change going on inside of herself because of it.

That, even though she would most probably always feel truly blessed to have met such a caring, thoughtful and good-natured individual as Elyon, she was almost . . . perfect, or too good to be true or, at times, even real to Taranee. She had always given off the air of someone who had never experienced a truly bad day within her life, beyond that of bad hair days or minor tiffs with her vast sea of separate friends.

And the way she'd continue, up until that point, perhaps, to carry on about her newfound shared life as a savior to the masses, it was a notion the studious teenager felt strongly to be true.

And so that was why Taranee almost found herself feeling . . . even a bit more thankful to now have someone like Will within her life, as well, as guilty as the thought did continually make her feel during the moments she'd allow herself to fully reflect upon it.

She knew it wasn't because she suddenly appreciated Elyon's overall presence less, certainly not.

However, with Will Taranee already could feel that, no matter what she could say, or even do, good or bad, she would not be seen any differently, or held to a completely different standard because of it, the way both girls have already observed their leader do upon several past occasions, whether realizing it or not.

Perhaps it was because Elyon was their leader that this was the case, and the underlining notion that, while all three had thus far found out that they somehow could share so far very few similarities and interests between them to help further bond them together as blossoming friends, both Taranee and Will were separate to her . . . almost as though within a different sort of league.

And that feeling alone was why Taranee now felt that, if anything were ever to occur, that no matter what, somehow and in some way, Will would be the one to always be there without hesitance. . . .

It was a feeling which filled the traditionally lonely girl with undeniable hope, at the same time that it both terrified and ate away at her, especially considering she was not even sure if Will had ever stopped to focus upon the curious, unspoken bond developing between them.

And she wasn't about to abuse the recent control she was beginning to have over her naturally psychic gifts to find out for sure . . . but one thing she did know for certain was that none of this could be normal, it feeling almost . . . otherworldly, even.

. . . . Perhaps this might be part of what Csilla had meant about all of us 'awakening to our memories?' Taranee found herself suddenly thinking a newfound, possible conclusion to why these new emotional developments were continuing to take an unusual hold upon her, before she quickly brushed the notion aside. No. That would be absurd, after all. I'd only just met Will – Both girls, in fact. With my 'vast intellect,' as so many enjoy citing it as, I would think I could remember a simple event as meeting someone before. Whatever is the matter with me, there should be a logical explanation around the corner . . . hopefully. . . .

Having spent apparently far longer within the privacy of her own mind than initially intended, or indeed necessary, Taranee was then surprised to tune back into the present just in time to hear that the overall conversation had at some point shifted away from Will's already cooking breakfast, and back onto the increasingly problematic Tuxedo Kamen.

Well, at least 'problematic' as far as Csilla, primarily, was concerned, anyhow.

". . . . and we've been dealing with him – Barely tolerating, more like – ever since, Will," Taranee listened to the tail end of what was undoubtedly Csilla's full report upon the tuxedo-clad young man and apparent enemy of theirs.

Taranee then immediately shifted her soft brown eyes onto Elyon, who now sat next to her at their mutual place in front of the kitchenette island where all of Will's cooking supplies remained splayed out and mostly used. She continued to watch over her, both within anticipation as well as almost innate protection, as she was now very well aware that this particular subject, while discussed in front of Csilla, at least, has done nothing but stress her out unduly . . . an observation the naturally quiet girl had only just recently realized to mean only one thing.

Elyon was falling for Tuxedo Kamen . . . and hard, based upon the way she'd always take it so dreadfully personal whenever anything but kind words were given toward him, like the very many she, herself, so often would.

Whether or not the pigtailed girl knew of her own emotions toward the evasively caped crusader, herself, remained to be seen; however, Taranee knew that she would not say a word about it to anyone, nor push the other girl to admit to it until she was ready.

Besides . . . however brief, I, myself, sort of know how Elyon might feel right now. . . . I wonder . . . if I'd ever see him, again, she allowed herself the brief moment to think about the mysterious young boy she had met on her way to her ballet class upon the fateful day she had first become Sailormars.

She'd never seen him since then, and thus had chosen to push the encounter into the back of her mind, although primarily due to the fact that her very first time feeling any sort of . . . possibly romantic feelings for anyone within her carefully shielded life was also the very first time she had ever felt truly fearful for her life, all thanks to that treacherous Deite. . . .

And considering her blood would alarmingly grow cold, and then completely simmer each and every time she'd think of that particular individual, it was all the more reason and bigger incentive not to delve deeper into what she was now confident were fleeting emotions.

The day all three girls would finally defeat that vile snake of a man will be one Taranee was certain she'd never look back upon with regret. . . .

"Hmm . . . the guy – The thief, really - certainly sounds like more trouble than he's worth to me, regardless of his true intentions one way or the other," Will lightly spoke after thoughtful deliberation and hearing all of the relative details about Tuxedo Kamen, her voice and open opinion upon an obviously important matter helping to keep the uncharacteristically daydreaming Taranee back within the here and now for good, this time.

Because the redhead had been keeping her back to her three comrades behind her that entire time while Csilla spoke so that she could better concentrate upon her cooking, she still was not privy to each individual reaction to her initial input upon the matter . . . particularly, Elyon's.

However, as soon as Elyon had heard Will refer to her habitual rescuer as nothing more than a 'thief,' an unknowing mistake which Taranee, at least, immediately knew it to be and found herself cringe over as a result, the almost unnaturally jovial young girl suddenly erupted.

"He is not a thief, Will! And he is most definitely not 'more trouble than he's worth!'" the young blonde exploded, standing abruptly from her spot and roughly slamming her hands down onto the counter in front of her, nearly knocking over Will's cooking supplies and startling primarily the girl in question as a result.

Csilla, and Taranee, on the other hand, although still surprised to witness the petite girl's out of character reaction, were nonetheless bracing themselves for the overly negative rebuttals Elyon was no doubt about to throw into the overall argument, much as she always would.

And, sure enough. . . .

"Why is everyone so adamant to paint this man to be The Devil, huh? Why am I consistently the only one of us who can see beyond what's been presented to us about him? Now, even you, Will, don't seem to trust him . . . and not even Sailor V does, either," Elyon started strongly within defense on behalf of the ever missing Tuxedo Kamen, her periwinkle colored eyes bravely keeping a steady gaze upon the now vastly taken aback redhead before her, who had whirled around to face the one she'd inexplicably offended.

By the time she had finished her statement, forced to once again reflect upon the apparent fact that even her beloved heroine doubted the overall conviction of the young man, she had lost all momentum, immediately dropping her eyes downward before carelessly sinking back into her momentarily abandoned seat.

Feeling initially on the defensive side, still clearly getting used to meeting and understanding every facet of the overall bubbly girl's character, Will slowly let out a long, and deep exhale at the sight, her heart already giving off the now increasingly familiar twinge of empathetic upset whenever witnessing Elyon be anything other than happy.

And here I was on the right track by making her – All of them – something to eat, and then had to go and put my foot in it, evidently, she thought with another sigh, silently reprimanding herself a moment before clearing her throat, as she then turned sideways to turn off the stove and moved her expertly prepared meal off to the side to cool.

". . . . L-Look, Elyon, I'm . . . I'm sorry I've seemed to upset you," Will began quietly, feeling her natural walls beginning to scale themselves back up internally, before attempting to do her best to keep them at bay while she continued, "but, really . . . considering I have only just now heard about this . . . 'Tuxedo Kamen' in full, and have yet to meet him, personally, what else can you expect me to draw from the situation except that he very well could be as much of a threat to all of us as that Deite person and his apparent companion, Zoi?"

Elyon didn't bother to look up from her now subtly shaking hands which rested, open palm, upon her lap, as she, nearly just as soft as Will, commented, ". . . . B-Because . . . I just . . . I just know. . . . I know. . . ."

At this, as though sensing Csilla, who had remained silent, with her furry head slightly bowed where she was at Elyon's side upon the counter, would then wish to speak up once more in order to probe unwanted into the girl's true meaning, Taranee was the next to take it upon herself to offer up her own thoughts and opinions upon the heated debate, if for nothing else but to protect her premiere friend's heart.

"We . . . should all really approach this more logically, rather than . . . emotionally," she stated with as much tact and delicateness as she could manage, her cheeks growing hot as she felt everyone's attention soundly shift onto her, each of them almost seeming to wait with bated breath to hear the insight of the most neutral of them all in everything, thus far.

Nonetheless, Will raised a bright red eyebrow at this, before moving to the cupboards to begin pulling out a few plates and cutlery for their nearly forgotten breakfast.

"'Emotionally?' Well, I'm going to have to assume that you're excluding me on that notion, Taranee, although now you've certainly seized my interest about all of this even more. I mean, why has it been such the button pusher, talking about this one person, when really all he's done so far, again, from what you've all told me, is make one empty threat, while spending the rest of the other times he's shown up . . . more or less helping?" she questioned within an attempt to help rationalize the overall situation.

"Well . . . in all honesty, if I may, we – Well, I've never really thought much of the man one way or the other . . . u-until Csilla made it explicitly clear that none of us should trust him," Taranee offered weakly, doing her best to bestow a faint, apologetic smile onto an increasingly emotionally wounded Elyon, who'd just then turned her head to her right to gaze upon her.

"But . . . even you have to at least acknowledge that, before Csilla even started saying a thing about him, period, that the only thing Tuxedo Kamen ever did for us both was save us from Deite's continued wrath, Taranee . . . like how he'd done so on the night of Princess Étáin's ball a few weeks ago," the pigtailed girl attempted further with her defense, exhaling softly as she began to find her resolve to believe within the mysterious gentleman returning.

Unlike Will, who had yet to be fully immersed within the loop by way of personally encountering the premiere force to be reckoned with by way of the devilish Deite, both Elyon and Taranee knew just how true the former's statement really was.

And Elyon also knew, whether Taranee realized it or not, just how much Deite's existence, alone, has shaken the Guardian Soldier of Fiery Passion and Wisdom to her core, and understandably so.

And so, as much as it made her feel guilty for thinking that way, Elyon was now secretly hoping that Taranee's simultaneous fear and abhorrence for the man who had nearly taken her life not once, but twice now, would far outweigh her growing distrust for another man who had so far only safeguarded said life in return. . . .

Sure enough, Elyon was relieved to see the French-Braided girl's facial expression soften a bit before slowly nodding within clear recognition to her friend's point.

". . . . It would seem that, for now, at least, logic, or, at least, a bit of some rationality, has gone to Tuxedo Kamen within his favor," Taranee murmured quietly, more so to herself than to her surrounding companions, just as Will had carefully set down a now decorative, delicious plate of a warm, fluffy French Omelette and a sliced open piece of a French Baguette to accompany it in front of her.

". . . . How about adding a side of breakfast with that, then?" the redhead asked with a faint smile and dusting of rouge upon her naturally tan cheeks, before already turning back around to finish serving her fellow Guardian Soldiers.

Csilla, who could not help but smile, herself, at the general display of her charges getting along with one another, and that Will, especially, was continually allowing it to happen in the first place, felt it immediately slipping away as she had to remind herself of the slightly more important issues at hand.

After all, it was one thing for Elyon to continually disregard the sagacious feline's words of caution, whatever her personal reason. And now, as trying as it has been, she could not allow it to spread to the remainder of her pupils . . . if she wanted to continue to help keep them safe.

"While I'm . . . honestly moved by each of your sense of loyalty and support already budding forth from within each of you," the Russian Blue Hair started with another light simper, taking a moment to allow her vibrant green eyes to settle onto each girl before continuing, "it would appear to me that you're the ones still very much approaching this emotionally, and not at all with the good sense you'd claimed we should all possess, Taranee. . . . That is to say, no matter what he may have done in the past, the fact still remains that, from out of his own mouth, Tuxedo Kamen openly declared himself to be our enemy, every bit as much as Deite, and now Zoi continue to be. Therefore, it should not be too much of a stretch to the imagination that he simply could have masquerading around as an apparent helper of sorts during our utmost time of need in order to gain our trust as quickly as possible, before betraying one or all of us. This is a theory, a strong theory, I have discussed once before already. . . ."

Elyon, despite it becoming a bit too difficult to focus, now that the time to finally eat was right at hand with the irresistible aroma of eggs and warm bread now effortlessly wafting throughout their secret headquarters, held on strong as she rubbed vigorously at her forehead before speaking.

"I . . . know, Csilla. I do. I know that all of you, now, seem to believe that I'm just . . . blindly going into this with nothing more than a sense of goodwill, or something, and . . . honestly, I guess I can't blame you," she said calmly, this time within far more control over her overall emotions over the matter than before. If she was going to ever have her voice be heard and taken seriously where Tuxedo Kamen's true nature was concerned, then she'd need to present herself as such. "It's just that . . . ugh! Okay. So, you know how just . . . sometimes, without warning or knowing, you'll just get these feelings of undeniable certainty about something? Almost . . . almost like a . . . a -"

"- 'Sixth Sense?'" Taranee interrupted with a shy smile, knowing precisely where her new friend was trying to go with her train of thought, although not in thanks to her own, actual Clairvoyant abilities in the slightest.

With widened, almost sparkling eyes, Elyon's usual pep had instantly returned within that moment as she eagerly nodded, a weight just completely lifting off of her shoulders as it finally appeared as though she were getting somewhere with her comrades . . . before a deep blush splashed onto her fair complexion upon evidently realizing who, of all people, had said such a thing.

"Y-Yes, exactly, Taranee! O-Oh! But I didn't mean it like a-a knock at you for your actual, real deal Sixth Sense! I was only trying to say that . . . you know . . . even though I know that, yes, logically, with what's been placed before all of us, I probably should stay away from Tuxedo Kamen. I mean, Lord knows there are too many people and . . . things out there all vying for the chance to have our heads, right?" the dishwater blonde remarked with a nervous, embarrassed giggle, before biting down onto her lip a moment at the last observational comment, and just how precisely true it startlingly was as each new day passed. "A-Anyway! I just . . . I'd just like the chance to see this through for once, without anyone constantly in my ear, telling me from all sides to 'stay away, stay away, stay away' all the time. I feel like . . . maybe if any of us could ever just get the chance to . . . I don't know, just talk to him and ask him why he feels like we are his enemy or that we even have to be, then maybe. . . ."

". . . . Maybe then what was said might not actually be so," Will concluded for the smallest girl with a tiny nod of mild understanding, it now Elyon's turn to receive her own plate of culinary mastery at its finest. She then paused a moment after setting down the girl's plate in front of her, before offering up a bit more of her own two cents. "I can, if nothing else, respect you . . . all of you, for wanting to stand firmly to each of your guns about this. . . . . I do. And as for me, I'm most probably going to still hold him out within arm's length whenever I'll get the opportunity to meet him in person, myself. I'm sorry, but I think it honestly would be a bit stupid not to, considering he's after the same thing we all are, even if it turns out that he never ends up hurting or betraying any of us in order to get it. . . . But . . . here's the thing, though: If Tuxedo Kamen's every bit as 'elusive' as its definition denotes, then how will any of us ever get the chance to talk it out with him and find out everything for sure, once and for all?"

At that, Will had successfully managed to silence everyone present, as it appeared as though she had hit a prominent nail upon the head.

None of them, not even Elyon, really did know a thing about Tuxedo Kamen, including his whereabouts, or even his true identity . . . something which bothered the blonde the most out of all of her worries concerning him.

I don't have even the slightest idea of who he could possibly be, and that's probably what's killing me the most about all of this, she thought with momentary melancholy, before forcing herself to shake the draining emotion away. I mean, he honestly could be anyone within all of Heatherfield . . . all of Florida! He could even be . . . Martin . . . o-or worse. . . .

". . . . Caleb," Elyon suddenly found herself muttering aloud within thick disgust and a shiver before she could stop herself, causing her companions to each look upon her with understandable perplexity.

Everyone, that is, except for Taranee, who, at the very least, apparently seemed to recall hearing that name once before.

"Caleb? Do you mean that . . . mall guy? The one you'd said you've crossed paths with before and . . . for whatever reason, don't seem to care much about?" she inquired unsteadily, also doing so as a way to swiftly lessen the undoubted confusion the two remaining females most likely still harbored.

Elyon found it a bit difficult to find her voice for a few moments thereafter, face now completely ripe red and body positively tingling and flush with nausea.

And before she could stop herself again, however, she was once more blurting out her private thoughts in front of her friends.

"Caleb? Why did I even list him as a possibility? There is absolutely, posi-lutely no way he could ever be Tuxedo Kamen! I'd rather it be Martin, after all!" she practically hissed, slapping a hand to her mouth upon catching yet another slip up far too late.

Csilla, the next one to fully recover from the surprising developments of sorts, and also quite used to such antics from her primary charge by now, seemed to also slowly recall the particular individual Elyon was speaking of, and quite negatively.

". . . . Wait. I believe I can remember to whom you are referring, myself, Elyon. Is he not that young boy you seem to somehow have a knack of running into about the city every now and again, and . . . as Taranee pointed out, appears ever capable of getting underneath your skin without much effort?" she, too, queried, jumping off of the counter to allow Will enough space to place her own breakfast plate down, before clearing the remainder of her cooking items.

"Well, clearly, I'm out of the loop on this one, but I think it might be safe to say that whomever Tuxedo Kamen will happen to be, it probably won't be some random person Elyon apparently can't seem to stand, especially since the way she feels about the former is . . . I don't know. Protective – Maybe even overprotective, at the very least by comparison," Will lightly observed with a returned shrug, her third one that morning, bending over to place a prepared saucer of warm, diced tuna fish as a nice treat and surprise for the now greatly appreciative mystical animal.

After that final comment had been uttered, with Elyon clearly preferring to let the disturbing topic die away and be buried for good, the quartet of females simply let all of their previous qualms and concerns fade away, if only for the time being, as they each allowed the increasingly pleasant feelings of good food, friendship, and sated bellies wash over them.

Toward the end of the meal, which indeed had turned out to be one for the history books, at least as far as Elyon was concerned, a momentarily forgotten thought had again catapulted itself to the forefront of her mind as she then abruptly stated, "Oh! Sailor V! We were so busy talking about . . . well, you know, that we never finished completely discussing the hopefully strong possibility – Well, in my opinion, at least – that she could be our princess! Personally, it's totally a done deal for me. I mean, if anyone would be of royal blood or any sort of nobility, it'd have to be Sailor V! She's super pretty, crazy brave, smart, and when I was talking to her, she just . . . oozed out 'Hi! I'm a princess!'"

Unable to conceal her laughter, Will nearly choked upon a bit of the poured orange juice which had later accompanied the girls' meal, and set the glass carefully onto the counter top.

"W-Whoa! I mean, by now, I've become pretty well aware that you are a hardcore fan of Sailor V, nearly or right on par with that Cornelia Hale singer, Elyon, but don't you think your devotion toward her could be influencing your already ironclad conviction that she's the princess we're searching for? I mean, didn't you tell us that when Csilla had asked her outright if she was, all she did was turn it back around onto you guys for whatever reason? Why not just come out and say that, 'Yes, I am,' or 'No, I'm not?'"

"I did wonder about that, myself, Will . . . however, at present, Sailor V strongly appears to be our best suspect, as it were, to being our princess, perhaps even for some of the reasons Elyon just suggested," Csilla said with an acknowledged nod of her fluffy head, jumping onto one of the twin sofas nearby once more to begin meticulously washing her tiny paws after a very satisfying meal.

Taranee then tilted her raven colored head to one side a moment, the end of her French-Braid lazily sliding off of her right shoulder in the process.

". . . . Maybe Sailor V simply enjoys speaking within riddles? Or maybe it was done as a way to get us all thinking upon the matter further, much as we all are now. Regardless, I still have to say that I'm rather excited, myself, at the prospect of she being the one to be The Princess, of all people . . . not to mention that, the more I personally think about it, I honestly can feel something oddly . . . significant about her," she revealed carefully with a faint smile, tucking her head down a bit and away from both Elyon and Will's teasing smirks, as they both were obviously now well aware of Taranee's own sense of esteem toward their masked, fellow super heroine.

"Ahhh! See? This just totally proves it! If Taranee, of all people, is feeling something 'significant' about Sailor V, then you know it's definitely legit! And the next time we see her – And we so have to now, more than ever – then we'll really know it to be true!" Elyon squealed with utter jubilation, nearly knocking her stool over as she practically launched herself out of it, before whirling around to face her two new friends once more. "Now, I don't know about you guys, but I think this totally calls for a super celebration! And what better way to do that than with some Cornelia Hale music? C'mon, Taranee! And Will, this time you have to at least dance with us, if not sing along!"

Before the shy, intellectual girl could even say a thing nor stop her from doing so, an extremely gleeful Elyon was already dragging her out of her own seat and toward the music area to begin rifling through what the blonde now knew to be some of the pair's mutually favorite tracks of the talented music idol.

Will couldn't help but to smile generously at the sight, shaking her crimson colored head slowly as she rose from her place to begin cleaning up everyone's breakfast plates and glasses.

"Ohhh, no, no thanks on that one, Elyon. I think I'll just sit back and watch, with Csilla, like always. Besides, you know that I didn't even know this person existed before I met you, let alone know any of the words to her songs . . . although, at the rate you two are going with playing them over and over practically every time we meet up here, I'm afraid that may well soon change," she announced with a shiver of mock disgust, allowing a bit more of her playful side to emerge once more upon catching the perky blonde's gaze at the right moment, before moving toward the small sink to begin washing the dishes.

"Always the party pooper! But, don't you fret! One of these days, I will get you to join in somehow, Will! 'Till then, let's do this, Taranee!" Elyon happily avowed, before gently taking both of a now deeply blushing Taranee's hands and began dancing around the spacious area of their private headquarters and carrying on in song.

And once again, for this aspect, at least, some things never change, Csilla couldn't help but reflect within silence a moment, smiling contentedly to herself at her remained place upon the couch, before gently stretching out to award herself a brief, but well deserved catnap, while her three pupils were allowed to enjoy themselves simply as normal teenaged girls for at least a little while. . . .

- End of Part I. . . .

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(A.N. Wee, first part down, second part next! Please to stay tuned, please to have enjoyed, and review! =) )