Chapter 12

Sailor Venus couldn't believe what she was hearing. If he had rescued her from one of these Forsaken, but she has the ability to order them around, why would she need saving in the first place? How did he know it was the same woman? The image she saw looked just like Usagi. Well Usagi when she was Sailor Moon. The barriers to protect their identities made subtle changes to each of their appearances, but Sailor Venus had become so accustomed to these changes that her eye adjusted automatically. So here he was, claiming that he could contact this mystery woman. Perhaps he would be a valuable ally. Sailor Moon believed so, and in her experience, Sailor Moon's intuition was sound.

Everyone looked at the tall boy silently. His words still hung in the air, Sailor Venus watching his face as he looked from one person to the next. "Not the reaction I was expecting" Sol muttered, finally letting his hand drop, business card still between his fingers.

"How do you know this woman you saved is the same person we all saw on the news?" Sailor Mercury quizzed. His eye brows climbed up towards his hair line. Clearly he hadn't considered this kind of retort. Sailor Venus watched as he became more uncomfortable under everyone's stare. He swallowed before continuing. "I got a good look into her eyes. They have the same eyes. And that Forsaken she made attack that victim? I fought the same one two nights ago." That was troubling. So far they hadn't seen any two exactly the same. A monster that small would stand out against the giants they've faced off against. Obviously Sailor Venus wasn't the only one thinking about this as she saw the worried looks cross each one of her friend's faces coming to the same conclusion. Sol appeared a little more satisfied with this reaction but before he could speak, Tuxedo Kamen carried on in his defence.

"She also acted very strange. It seemed she was more concerned with giving a reward to Sol than she was about her own life being in peril. Another thing that struck me as very odd was her clothes weren't wet, even though it had been raining for some time." Sailor Venus narrowed her gaze at Tuxedo Kamen as he spoke. Her clothes weren't wet? Whoever this woman was she needed to be investigated.

"Give her a call and set up a meeting" Sailor Venus directed Sol. She knew the other Sailor Senshi trusted her leadership qualities and wouldn't argue. "Preferably somewhere in the open. I want to see this woman with my own eyes." Not that Sailor Venus seeing her would make any difference, but Sailor Mercury could run facial recognition against the image from the news and see if it was a match. While she was planning what to do next, Sol made his way to the edge of the building, looking down at the street below.

"There's a pay phone close by. I'll jump down and give her a call right now." The Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen watched as he disappeared over the edge, Sailor Venus catching sight of something long and narrow strapped to his back as the long trench coat flared up. She exchanged looks with the other Senshi, they had seen the same thing.

"It's a sword. I saw him use it to defeat that... Forsaken." This wasn't the first time Sailor Venus was impressed with Tuxedo Kamen's grip on a situation. It was like he could read what was going on around him as if it was printed on paper in front of his face.

The clear blue visor slide in front of Sailor Mercury's eyes as she pulled out the small hand held device, fingers dancing quickly over the controls. "I'll see if I can tap the phone line from here and possibly get a location of where the call is going. Hopefully he keeps her on the line long enough."

-/-*-\-

Aksuna walked through the lifeless warehouse. Tall steel racks stood on either side of her, reaching up to the ceiling supported by thick iron I-beams, stacked with large wooden crates, the contents unknown. She didn't know what business this warehouse was in before Koji had arrived, but now there wasn't any business at all. Her black heels clicking against the cement floor stopped abruptly, a large pool of dried blood covering the walkway. I need to start taking a different aisle. She was tall and slender, cold steel grey eyes glaring at the pool in front of her. High cheek bones and a narrow facial structure made her stunningly attractive, framed by short black hair that fell around her face in the front and got shorter towards the back, in an angled bob fashion. Wearing stylish pressed beige pants with a plain white blouse, she had walked laps around the building to kill time. Koji put her under strict orders to stay here for at least twenty-four hours after the riots started. He was paranoid someone might recognize her, so he drove them both out to a warehouse in a relatively quiet industrial section of Tokyo and told her to wait in the car. A short time later he poked his head out of the front doors and waved her in. As soon as she opened the door, she was hit by the strong smell of blood in the air. That was eighteen hours ago so she still had another six before she was allowed to leave.

Koji was keeping tabs on her as well. Every hour he called the front desk to make sure she was still there. Aksuna didn't dare miss one of the calls else his paranoid delusions turn their attention on her. She was beginning to wonder how much of a grip he still had on reality. While she herself was approached by the darkness during the long slumber, she hadn't embraced it like Koji had. Aksuna was more the type of person to use this to the best advantage possible. Instead of opening her heart to the infinite darkness, she had opened her mind. Whatever had crept into her consciousness while she slept enjoyed her enthusiasm to learn. Koji had more raw power than herself, but she knew better how to control the shadows.

Her thoughts drifted to her encounter with Sol as she made her way back to the front desk, avoiding the blood stains littering the floor. She had no idea what Koji had done with all the bodies, and frankly, she didn't care. Thinking back two nights ago when he came to her rescue, chuckling quietly. The young boy thought he was saving her from a horrible death, but in reality the small monster was under her control. She could summon shadows and manifest them into flesh and blood beings. Creating a rift in this world and calling out to the opposing darkness. The world of light and the world of darkness met at the shadows, but only a few could peer past the physical confines of this reality and truly see what lay beyond. This had taken some practice as the dark power that coursed through all shadows was incredibly powerful. The size of the small beast was all she could handle at this time, her concentration needed to be completely focused on keeping the raw energy under her control.

She could have easily killed Sol that night with her pet. He was slow and clumsy with that sword. Although he had surprised her with defeating it so quickly. He must have been holding back to gauge what kind of opponent he was dealing with. She would have liked to toy with him more, so his victory would have had been that much sweeter, but she had underestimated him. It won't happen again she thought darkly.

Opening a large metal grey door, exiting the stuffy warehouse and entering the even stuffier office space her mind continued ponder the events of that night. Finding a decent sailor outfit at that hour had been hard enough, but then Koji wanted her to kill someone with her pet. It was draining on her to have the thing out for even a few minutes, and she was already tired. But she knew he wouldn't accept no as an answer. Donning the stupid outfit and cheap wig, she had changed her features to mimic that of Sailor Moon, another ability she had acquired during her time in slumber. Able to make slight alterations to her own facial structure had achieved some interesting results. Looking at her reflection in the glass to her side, she wondered if she had always looked this beautiful or if she had changed it since awakening. Koji had wanted her to do a lot more in the way of showing she had complete control over the beast, but doing the little she had took all of her will power not to collapse under the intense strain. The man pleaded with Koji, even calling him by name to stop. She had suspected the pitiful man was his boss. Rather his former boss.

Opening the final door to where she would receive the next call from Koji, she heard the ring of an incoming call. Koji had called like clockwork every hour, on the hour. She looked up at the wall clock and thought it strange he was calling three minutes early this time. Walking around the big oak reception desk her hand hovered over the hand set. No lights were flashing indicating an incoming call. The sound of the ringer buzzed again and her eye drifted to the side. A small cell phone screen was lit up with the incoming call sign. Aksuna furrowed her brow, wondering who would be calling this number.

"Hello?" She answered. She heard some ruffling on the other end, like whoever it was calling was doing so by mistake.

"Uh... Is this... Ak... Um... Sorry, I'm not very good at reading Japanese." She recognized the voice on the other end immediately, a large devilish smile spreading across her face. Adopting her most welcoming and cheery voice she said "Is this the young man who saved my life two nights ago?"

"Yes" he replied. She waited for him to say more, but he didn't so she continued. "Well I could never forget such a handsome face as yours" men love it when you stroke their ego "Have you thought long and hard about a reward? Money is of no concern here, so don't hold back" finishing the sentence with a girlish laugh. She hated acting like this, but she knew you could catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

" No I don't want any money. I want something else" She What was he saying? Did he wanted sex? What the hell is wrong with this boy? Boiling red hot anger swelled inside her, preparing to unleash a torrent of unfriendly words towards the boy he cut her off before she began "Actually I would like to see you again."

"That's it? That's all you want?" Something might be wrong with this kid. People don't just turn down anything they want. Perhaps this was a trap? No, that couldn't be it, he was lacking in brain capacity.

"Yes is that a problem?" She heard through the receiver, her mind reeling.

"Why?" She countered. He had better have a good reason or she was going to hang up and forget about this kid.

"Because... I think you're... Beautiful" He spoke like an awkward teenager. Of course he thinks I'm beautiful! Aksuna couldn't help but let a throaty laugh escape her. He must have forgotten all about that little tart with brown hair since laying eyes on her. Just imagine the courage it took him to even call. It had been almost two whole days. Glancing at the clock told her to hurry this conversation up.

"Where?"

"There is a shrine close to where I am now. I think it's called Hikawa Shrine. Can you meet me there in fifteen minutes?"

"Of course darling" she let the words flow out as mushy as she could handle, adding a slight accent for flare. She didn't want him thinking that she might possibly be up to something. Without waiting for a response, she pressed the call end button just as the other phone began to ring. She picked it up quickly so Koji wouldn't think she had left her appointed position. He spoke before she even had a chance to greet him.

"I'm glad you're following my orders. I wouldn't want to lose trust in you, my most loyal of servants." The acid in his voice was undeniable. Aksuna couldn't understand why he was so irritated since the riots began. She had done everything he had asked of her without question, and successfully.

"I do as you command" all life had left her now, speaking like she was hypnotized.

"Is there anything new to report?" She opened her mouth to ask his permission for a special leave, but thought better of it. If she asked and he denied it, but she went anyway, he would be furious. I still need him on my side. The drive would take ten minutes at the most, and he wouldn't call back for another hour. Letting out an exasperated breath for embellishment she groaned "No, nothing has happened since you killed everyone here. You could have at least left one person alive for me to talk too."

"That would be a loose end. I take care of my loose ends." He hung up, not waiting for a reply. Aksuna couldn't stand him and his ways. He didn't have any finesse or grace like she did. He didn't even have a plan. Admittedly, the plan to frame Sailor Moon had been his idea, but without her it would have went nowhere. The man valued power above all else and never shied away from flexing his muscle.

But now wasn't the time to think of such things. Grabbing a set of keys she had found laying on the floor the previous night, she leisurely strolled out the front door and pushed the unlock button repeatedly until she found the matching car. The sleek red sports car stood low to the ground, great for darting in and out of traffic. Opening the driver's side door she slid into the plush leather bucket seat. Inserting the key into the ignition and turning the engine cranked to life, humming smoothly. Pressing her foot to the gas pedal caused the engine to roar, shaking the entire car. This should fun. Closing the door and not bothering with her seat belt, she pushed the clutch in with her other foot and jammed the shifter into first. Dropping the clutch and slamming the gas, the tires screeched in protest as the car lurched forward, peeling out of its parking spot. Weaving in and out of the light traffic easily, she made the trip in less than the ten minutes she had given herself. Parking the speedster a block away from the large stone walls of the shrine, she decided to scout the area just in case. Better to err on the side of caution.

Closing her eyes, she let her mind fall back into darkness. No longer in her body, she wasn't constrained to the same physical laws of the waking world. Pitch black darkness surrounded her, except where the shadows met with the world of light. Pushing herself forward inside the darkness like this had taken some getting used to, but she had found it an excellent way of spying on anyone. People like Koji could feel her presence nearby when she was in this form so she refrained from spying on him like this. Coming to a shadow and seeing the waking world on the other side was like peering through a one way mirror. Light shined brightly past the shadow but was quickly swallowed up by darkness.

Over the stone wall and into the shade of the trees that circled the shrine, she continued on her way. Jumping from shadow to shadow under the canopy the trees provided she was suddenly blinded by a light the likes of which she had never encountered before. Shielding her eyes against the intense light, Aksuna squinted into the anomaly, trying to decipher what this could possibly be. As her eyes focused from the pitch black to the blinding light, she slowly realized who it was.

Sailor Moon!? How could she be here? How could she have known? But she was by herself. Was she protecting the boy on her own? No Sailor Moon had friends, friends that were always by her side. They're probably all here, waiting to spring the trap. The small blonde girl stared intently, worry written all over her face. Aksuna decided she should continue her scouting, and pinpoint the other Senshi. One by one she tracked them down inside the trees that surrounded the small shrine. They had the place covered except the entrance. Letting herself drift from shadow to shadow as she formed a plan. Should I retreat? Should I try and take them all on? Her drifting led her out of the trees and into the shadows the buildings provided, when she came across someone else. He was tall with brown hair that covered his eyes. This will do Aksuna thought.

The sudden turn of events had sent her mind racing, panic setting in at first. Now that she had thought everything through, it was time to act, time to get angry. So the kid is smarter than I thought. It seems he has an ability to make people underestimate him. From now on kid, you're on my radar. Pulling her consciousness back to her body, she opened the car door and stepped out. Jogging lightly to the tall stone wall she estimated Sailor Moon was about midway from the back corner to the front entrance. Closing her eyes once again, but this time concentrating hard, she reached out with her mind. Not exiting her body like she had last time, but instead feeling the energies given off by the shadows. Creating the tiniest rift between the worlds, dark energy poured out at an incredible rate. Grunting under the stress of such power, she quickly closed it. She didn't need much to summon her pet.

Having practiced it enough times, she hastily made it like she always did. Small, agile, strong and fast. The beast opened its eyes, and she saw what it saw. Immediately, the power struggle began as dark energy was given life. Bending it to her will wasn't easy, but she managed to force it to obey. Making the thing move after it kneeled in obedience was as easy as moving herself. Except she couldn't move, unless she relinquished her control over it. Slowly, she turned the black eyes to peek around the corner of the building. Catching sight of her victim, she was about to spring into action when she heard some rustling behind her. Pulling back and turning around, she was shocked to see the face of Sailor Mars coming towards her. The girl must have a sixth sense. Thinking quickly, she jumped to the roof of the structure before Sailor Mars could locate her. Turning her attention back to her target, she was shocked again to see that he was looking right at her.

She imagined his eyes were wide with horror, but she couldn't tell under all that hair. Leaping down on the other side of the building and swiftly closing the distance between them, he let out a scream. Throwing her right hand out into his abdomen hard he doubled over in pain as she brought her left straight up, knocking him out as the little fist connected with his face. Everyones attention should be over here now. Grabbing him by the front of his robe, she pulled him in close and let him fall onto the small shoulders of the black creature. Looking around, she was satisfied to see all the Sailor Senshi coming out from their hiding places, ready to fight. Sailor Mars was closest now, but it didn't matter as she bolted into the traditional Japanese style shrine building. Crashing through the thin door that blocked her path, she went left with her victim in tow, traveling deeper inside. Aksuna laid him down once she could progress no further and waited. Much to her delight, all the Senshi rounded the corner quickly, stopping in their tracks. Sailor Moon opened her mouth to say something, but she let go of control as her pet disappeared from existence, its energies going back to the shadows.

She snapped back to her own body and rushed up the stairs to the shrine. She knew she didn't have much time, but she could move almost as fast as her pet when she needed too. As Aksuna crested the top of the stairs, she was delighted again to see Sol had only turned around to see what the commotion was. "Hey there Sailor" she said quietly, balling her hand into a fist beside her hip. As he turned, she threw it up, just like she did at the other kid, hitting him squarely under the chin. She watched his eyes roll back unconsciously as his body began to fall. Grabbing his coat and pulling him in she dropped down and let him fall onto her shoulders. Holding him like a firefighter would, she jumped down the stone stairs. With any luck, the rest of the Senshi were still trying to piece together what just happened.

Running quickly back to where the car was parked, she opened the passenger side door, and threw him in. Leaping over the hood and plunging into the driver's seat, she turned the ignition and gunned the engine. Pulling a quick u-turn she smiled as she saw the figures of the Sailor Senshi quickly getting smaller in the rear view mirror. Koji could learn a thing or two from me. Now that she had her real target, she began to relax. He's wearing that coat again. Must have the sword on him. What kind of information was he going to give her? Should she tell Koji what she had done? Questions began popping into her head as she drove, all very important things to consider.

Sol's head flopped around as she drove back to the warehouse, pushing his limp body off of hers more than once. Parking the car back where she found it Aksuna slid out of the driver's seat and walked to the passenger side. Getting him out of the car proved to be more difficult than getting him in as she struggled with the dead weight. Awkwardly, she pulled him up onto her shoulders again and walked back into the warehouse. Seating his lifeless body in the reception desks chair, she pried an eye lid open. His pupils were dilated which was what she was hoping for. He'll be out for a little while longer. I should have enough time. While his mind drifted unconsciously she peered into the blank stare looking back at her. When someone's mind was in an unconscious state like this, they entered the darkness much like she had, but without any of the control. She could look into his mind as if she was watching television. His memories were played back to her in reverse; the first thing she saw was her own face right before she knocked him out. Sifting through all the useless information was fairly easy to her, picking and choosing what she wanted to see. What she was looking for was any information on the Sailor Senshi. He saved his girlfriend from the rioters. Boring. She watched through his eyes as he defeated her pet backwards, of him finding the sword and going on a date with his little tart. As she was starting to lose hope she would find anything useful, he walked backwards into an apartment she hadn't seen before. Who's apartment is this? She wondered. Skipping through his own pathetic dreams, she was greeted by the face of Sailor Jupiter comforting him. Interesting. Things were getting good now; she knew where one of the Senshi lived.

Going further back she watched as one of the Dark Ones killed his mother and it turned out to be his father! He stirred and she knew she didn't have much more time. Pushing his mind deeper into its own memories, she pried for the last little bit of information she could get. Now he was inside that gaudy palace. Walking aimlessly in reverse his sight went black. Pushing just a little further as his eyes started to roll around she caught a glimpse of incredibly bright light silhouetted by Sailor Moon and the Senshi.

Her breath caught as she realized what she was looking at. That palace wasn't just for show, it had power. Enough power to restore the world back to its previous lively state, literally reversing the effects of erosion and decay on building and vehicles. With that kind of power she could do anything. She could put the world back into a deep slumber. She could make everyone her slave, turning them into mindless Dark Ones. She needed to keep this a secret from Koji. If he found out what the palace is capable of, there would be no way of her ever defeating him.

A/N: I've had the most fun writing this chapter. I Hope you like it, I tried my best to make sure the editing is correct. It may be quite a while before I can finish the next chapter so just a heads up. Thanks for taking the time to read this