Chapter 2

It had been three months since Ami and Mamoru had figured out how to create Crystal Tokyo. But the going was slow. Ami and Usagi would tire quickly from using their powers so much, and on a much larger scale. Ami would call as much Mercury Water as she could at one time, and Usagi had to focus the energy of the Silver Crystal into it until all the water became crystal itself. This left Rei, Makoto and Minako with not much to do. After a few days they decided to try and do something more productive. Through trial and error with insects, they found that the three of them could also awaken beings. Rei would heat them up with Mars Fire, Makoto would kick start their heart with Jupiter Lightning, and Minako's Venus Love would finalize the process. Without the love aspect, the insects would just stay stationary. They all knew that insects worked primarily on instincts and were a little unsure why they needed the love, but it worked so they decided to try people as well. To their delight it had worked just the same.

They spent their days roaming the barren and quiet districts of a frozen city. Light sparkled and danced across icy surfaces where ever they went. There was never a cloud in the sky, due to the lack of any moisture, making the clear blue days seem quite peaceful. After discovering they could awaken people themselves, the girls first traveled back to Hikawa Shrine. They decided before awakening Rei's grandfather and Yurichiro that they wouldn't tell them who they really were. Only let them know that the Sailor Senshi were trying their best to terra-form the planet back to its original state. They went and awoke Minako's and Ami's families in turn after visiting Hikawa Shrine. Usagi had asked that they leave her family for now.

So that left only Makoto. Having her parents die in a plane crash when she was young, she was used to being independent. But before everything turned to an icy waste land, at least there were other people she could go talk to if she was lonely. Now all she had were her friends. Not that she didn't enjoy their company, but she was beginning to feel isolated. The other girls would return to their respective homes with the exception of Usagi. She was returning to Mamuro's apartment every night. Makoto would walk into an empty one bedroom flat that seemed dead inside. She found herself carrying a burden she no longer wished to bare alone.

Tired green eyes scanned the street ahead of them, as the three girls continued their search for more people. Makoto brushed a stray strand of chestnut brown hair from her face as she turned to peer inside a clothing store. The windows had all shattered long ago, the glass encased below in ice that slowly continued to build. "If you like, we can take a look around" she heard behind her as Minako approached, a friendly smile on her face. Makoto glanced over her shoulder, and put on a fake smile of her own. "Not when we have so much work to do" she lied. She knew they needed to keep helping people, but the mundane task of it all seemed so tedious when Usagi could awaken the entire world at once.

Just then Minako stepped into her friends view. Big thoughtful blue eyes framed by golden blonde hair peered into her friends deep green eyes. "Mako-chan, I'm worried about you. You don't seem yourself lately" her friend confided. Taking Makoto by the shoulders in each hand she continued "Tell me what's bothering you." Makoto shrugged, and turned her tired eyes from her friend, sighing.

"I just don't feel like anyone needs me. Don't give me that look Mina-chan, I mean really needs me. You and Rei-chan can go back to your families, and do what you can to support each other." Minako pursed her lips together in thought for a second. "You can come to my house and help clean up. I know how good you are at cleaning, and we could really use the help."

"Thanks, but no thanks. That's not really the kind of help I was hoping to give out." Before Minako could protest her friend's refusal, they heard Rei calling from inside a book store across the street "I think I found one under a pile of books in here!"Both girls ran towards the empty and somewhat dark book store.

"Over here in the back corner" they heard the voice of Rei calling. When they walked up they both saw Rei slowly peeling frozen book after frozen book off a fairly large heap. Judging by the amount of books missing from the shelves around them, Makoto deduced that something had to be under it. Simultaneously they both bent down and assisted Rei in clearing the books. Minako uncovered a sickly looking grey hand. Everyone stopped and stared for a second. Then they all turned back to removing the frozen books with new vigor. It was Rei who uncovered the face, a teenage boy. Makoto thought he looked familiar. "Isn't that Sol?" Minako asked turning from Makoto to the frozen boy on the floor. Makoto looked a little closer and realized the lifeless grey face did in fact belong to Sol.

Makoto thought back to when she had first met the sandy blond haired boy from Ireland. It was when she had first met Usagi too. Usagi, being the scatter brain she is, ran into an unsuspecting man, and accidentally broke his leg. They started to push her around when Makoto jumped in, effectively saving the day. Usagi had noticed a boy watching from across the street after the ordeal was over. When Makoto looked, she was greeted with the piercing stare of his hazel eyes. After having realized they were looking at him, he hastily turned and hurried off. They later found out he was a new student at their junior high school. He kept to himself mostly during class. After Makoto was befriended by Usagi and Ami, Usagi had urged all three to become friends with the quiet boy from another country. Makoto still remembered their first conversation him.

"Good afternoon!" Usagi had greeted with an enthusiastic smile as she ran over to where he sat alone. He stood then, and Makoto noticed he was tall for his age. Most boys were shorter than she was, but she only came up to his nose. His short sandy blonde hair made his skin look lighter than it actually was. He looked very plain except for his eyes. Those intense eyes seemed to see right into her soul. She found herself in a daze, lost in his eyes, not really hearing his response as he returned the greeting. "Good afternoon" he replied bowing slightly. Usagi beamed brightly, always one to make new friends. "I'm Usagi; this is Ami-chan and Mako-chan"

He bowed slightly as each one was introduced, eyes lingering on Makoto a little longer than the other two. "I'm Sol Aherne" He replied in almost perfect Japanese. Ami looked up towards the bright sun in the afternoon sky, shielding her eyes from the intense light."Sol, like the Latin word for sun?" She asked. Sol's eyebrows climbed his forehead as he replied "Yes, that's right, most people don't know that. My mother has a bit of a sense of humour seeing as I'm her 'son'" he put his hands up and moved his fingers in quotation as he said son.

"That's our Ami-chan!" Usagi said triumphantly, then turning serious suddenly as she leaned in and poked Sol in the chest "She's got the best grades in the country you know." Ami raised her hand towards her mouth and blushed slightly. "You speak Japanese very well Sol"

"Thank you. I seem to have a natural aptitude for language. I just repeat what I hear, so I guess I have an ear for those kinds of things." Sol said almost unemotionally. They continued chatting for a short time, Makoto staying quiet, only listening and watching as his intense hazel eyes looked at Usagi and Ami in turn as they spoke to him.

"Mako-chan?" She heard Rei ask, pulling her from her daydream. "It's your turn." She shook her head, brown hair waving back and forth as she did, clearing her thoughts. She slowly put her hand above his now warm chest, right above his heart. Channeling a very small amount of Jupiter Lighting into him, his body shuddering under the sudden introduction of new energy. Minako moved around to where is head lay and placed her hands around the sides of his head, as she started her process. Both Sol and Minako gave off a faint yellow light as she proceeded. Suddenly, he gasped and coughed, eyes shooting open and almost instantly closing again from the seemingly glaring light. Makoto knew how he felt, having gone through the same experience herself.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." She said with a slight smile crossing her face. Sol coughed again, shielding his eyes with his hand. "Mako-chan?" All the girls looked at each other in confusion. The magical barriers created by transforming into Sailor form prevented people from realizing who they really were. But did it work on an auditory level as well?

"No, I'm Sailor Jupiter" Makoto said quickly, lowering her voice a little. Sol exhaled as his shoulders seemed to fall in defeat. "Sorry, I thought you sounded like someone I know." Makoto found herself wanting to pick off small unseen lint from his rumpled clothes. Get a hold of yourself she shook her head again. Minako and Rei went through the usual questions after awakening someone. Are you ok to move on your own? Do you remember your name? Do you remember where you live? The last question drew a blank from the boy from Ireland. He put his hand atop his head, obviously concentrating hard.

"It's ok that you don't remember." Rei comforted warmly. "Some people can't remember anything about themselves. The memories will return, just give it time."

"All I remember is I was trying to get to someone... To tell them something important." He said trailing off, dropping his head and looking at his clasped hands on his lap. Makoto perked up at hearing this. "Were you on your way to tell Mako-chan something?" Sol looked at her then and nodded.

"If you like, you can come and stay at my place until you remember where you live." The words were out of her mouth before she considered what she was saying. Rei looked back and opened her mouth to protest, but Minako placed a hand on her shoulder, silently pleading with her friend to not intervene. Rei looked up and closed her mouth.

"Thank you very much." He replied smiling tiredly. He then tried to stand up on his own, making a feeble effort at going nowhere. Makoto moved in closer, and put his arm over her shoulder helping him stand. Once he was on his feet, he turned to look at Makoto, their faces only inches apart. His eyes stared hard and deep into hers, searching for something lost perhaps? Finally he smiled weakly and said "Lead the way Captain." Makoto had little trouble supporting his slim build. She was already strong, and awakening as a Sailor Senshi only added to that. She guided him out of the book store slowly, out onto the street where Rei and Minako were waiting. Sol was blinking rapidly, his eyes adjusting to the light as Minako asked "Do you want us to come with you?" Makoto looked at Sol and back to Minako, her blonde hair flaring bright behind the luminescence of the sun "I can handle it on my own." Minako nodded, a devilish look appearing in her eye as a small grin spread across her lips. She and Rei turned together, silently walking away, leaving the two to stand alone in the street. "I live in an apartment over this way" Makoto gestured with her chin, having one hand holding Sol's arm over her shoulder and the other wrapped tightly around his waist to keep him from falling. They walked down the frozen sidewalk, ice sometimes crunching under foot. Sol was looking at everything, his brow furrowed. "What happened here?"

Makoto started to explain what she knew. Telling about The Silver Millennium and being reincarnated on Earth. As she spoke he would slowly turn his head towards hers, and gaze at her. When she turned to return the gaze, her would quickly look away. By the time she had finished telling him about The Dark Kingdom and defeating Queen Beryl he was able to walk on his own.

"You remind me of someone" Sol said softly when Makoto had paused, thinking of how to continue her story. She turned to face him then, anger welling up inside. His eyes took on a much softer and gentler tone, one she had never seen on him before. It actually made him look very handsome, and she was a little taken aback, her anger subsiding. "When I see you from the corner of my eye, I swear I know you. But then when I look straight at you, I know this is the first time I've ever laid eyes on you" Sol confessed. "If it's creeping you out, just tell me and I'll stop."

"No, no. It's fine. I don't mind." Makoto responded quickly, waving her hands slightly, showing him she wasn't at all offended. Now that I think about it, I would catch him staring at me in class a lot. Makoto continued informing him about her adventures as Sailor Jupiter. As she was finishing and telling him that everyone was asleep in a cryogenic like state, they came up to her apartment. Just then, the disembodied voice of Ami came through on Makoto's watch communicator.

"Sailor Jupiter, we need you to come back to the Crystal Palace. I'll fill you in on the details when you get here." Makoto opened the small video communicator and nodded to her friend. She turned to Sol and gave him her apartment number. The door wasn't locked, it's not like someone was going to break in after all. She turned and hurried away from her apartment, leaving Sol standing alone in front of an unknown building. She ran down the abandoned streets with a new found vigor. Someone needs me now. She couldn't contain her excitement as her feet pounded the frozen pavement, and she smiled brightly at herself

-/-*-\-

Sol watched as Sailor Jupiter ran away from him. I know her! He couldn't explain it, but there was something inside that told him he was right. He had learned at an early age to trust his instincts. After his father had gotten a new position with a high profile oil company, he was required to move to Japan. Sol and his mother really had no choice in the matter. The new job paid well and put food on the table. It also meant Sol's mother no longer had to work three jobs to make ends meet, which was an added bonus. Sol learned to speak the language easily, but reading it was like deciphering hieroglyphs.

She sounded just like Mako-chan when I woke up. He would never forget the first time he laid eyes on her. On his first day walking to school in a new country, he was startled abruptly by a blonde girl crashing into some men across the street him. Things turned ugly quick, and he was about to run over when she appeared. He had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life. Her long chestnut brown hair, pulled back into a pony tail shined in the sunlight. She stood with confidence and moved with grace. Not only did she intervene, but she saved the blonde girl from being attacked by some low life`s. He couldn`t believe what he had just seen, she moved like lightning and had the strength to match her speed. And then they looked over at him. He intense green eyes stared into his. He seemed to drown in those emerald eyes, consumed and utterly defenceless against that stare. He was trapped in this moment, lost in her eyes. Time seemed to stand still for him in this moment.

Coming out of his reverence, he realized both girls were staring at him as well. He turned quickly on his heel, and hurried off to school. He was running a little late after all. A few days later, the blonde girl came and introduced him to her friends. Usagi, he had learned, was also friends with Ami and Makoto. Makoto. He couldn`t let himself look at her during their first real encounter, lest he get lost on those eyes again. As the days passed, he would watch her from afar in class. It was almost like she could feel him watching her. It wouldn't take long for her to turn and catch him staring.

Now here he was, standing in front of an icy building. Sailor Jupiter was still in sight down the street, running hard. Go and follow her. Without a second thought, he turned towards her and ran. He was going to find out who she was one way or the other. His own footsteps echoed those of the mysterious girl who had saved him. The girl he thought he knew.

A/N: So that's chapter 2. I really do hope everyone who is reading this enjoys it. Please comment and give me your thoughts, does it suck, is it interesting. Meh. Thanks for taking the time to read this.