A/N: An obi is the term used for a sash that samurai used to carry their swords on their waist.

Chapter 16

Minako waited as Makoto ruffled through different obi of varying colour and sizes. She had agreed to accompany her friend on a small outing to do some shopping. Makoto and Sol had gotten into a bit of an argument over how he wore his katana. Makoto insisted he needed a proper obi, where he retorted that the twine he used to carry it on his back was fine. Little did he know how stubborn Makoto was when she believed she was right. I guess he'll find out soon enough. Minako was glad to get out of the shrine for a while. They had all been laying low inside the sacred grounds for the past two days, and were all starting to get a little stir crazy.

The small boutique was long and narrow with hard wood floors polished to a shine. Clothing was adorned on all the walls, hanging neatly for everyone to see. A few sale bins were placed in the floor with large signs advertising the great deals to find inside, but Minako and Makoto were at the end in the corner of the store, not taking advantage of the money saving opportunities.

Mamoru practiced with Sol every morning and Minako had enjoyed watching them spar. She was amazed at how quickly Sol was learning how to use his sword. He had a long way to go before he would be on Mamoru`s level though. She could tell he was holding back even though he told Sol he was giving it everything he had. Building his confidence for when he needs to fight. Makoto turned with a light green sash in her hands and held it up for Minako to see.

"What do you think?" She asked the blonde girl. "Is this one nice looking?" Minako looked it up and down, thinking it was kind of plain which wasn't her taste at all.

"It looks great" she lied with a smile. Makoto huffed and turned back to her search.

"If you don't like it you can just say so Mina-chan." Not much gets by her Minako thought with a grimace.

"It's just not my style. Let me help you look, ok?" Makoto peered over her shoulder and a small grin crossed her lips as she nodded. The athletic youth came to her friend's side and began rummaging through the large pile of obi. She was nearing the bottom of the pile when she came across one that was white with vibrant red roses decorating the entire length of the soft cloth. She held it up and marveled at the needle work, each peddle of each rose was clearly identifiable. "What do you think of this Mako-chan?" She asked the green eyed girl. She looked up from her search and examined the obi Minako was holding.

"It's beautiful. But do you think Sol will think it's kind of girly?" Minako contemplated for a few seconds before responding.

"Just tell him it's to match your earrings. That way everyone will know you two are a couple." Minako replied, satisfied with her reasoning. Makoto took the obi from her and examined it more closely, brows furrowed in thought.

"This really is beautiful. I think I will get it, and if Sol doesn't like it, we'll just make him like it." They both burst into laughter, Minako picturing her and Makoto holding Sol down and brow beating him into submission.

"Ahem" a man's voice said behind them. They both turned to see what Minako assumed was the shop owner. "Sorry to interrupt you two ladies while you shop, but it appears another mob has begun to gather outside not far away. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"That's fine sir, but can we pay for this before going?" Makoto asked, holding up the red and white obi. The man bowed slightly

"Of course, just bring it to the till and I'll ring that up for you right away." The two girls followed his orders and quickly paid before exiting the store. As soon as the door closed behind them, they both heard the dead bolt slide into place and shutters were hastily lowered. The scene outside was just as the merchant had told them; a large group of people were gathering about a block away, some were brandishing weapons already.

"Let's go this way." Minako gestured in the opposite direction of where the mob was gathered, and Makoto silently agreed as she turned. Just as Minako was about to turn fully she spotted someone dart out of the crowd in their direction, quickly running into a storefront, concealing himself in the recess of a doorway.

Minako calmed the feeling of panic that started to rise in her chest. "I think someone might be following us Mako-chan." Makoto began to turn to see if there was anyone there as Minako continued. "Don't turn around, let's just keep walking for now and see how this plays out."

"We should probably head away from Hikawa for the time being." Makoto suggested and Minako agreed. The last thing they needed was for someone to find where they were hiding. They took a left and as soon as the street behind them was out of view, both girls took off at a full sprint. Makoto was taller and took her strides with a flowing grace but Minako had to push herself to keep up. They were nearing the end of the block and Minako took a peek behind them, hoping she would find the street empty, but instead saw the figure of a man chasing after them.

The two girls rounded the next corner and stopped retreating deciding to stand their ground, ready to face whomever it was chasing after them. They waited tensely, and Minako was beginning to think he had given up when she saw a sickly grey looking tongue flick around the corner once, twice and a third time. As the realization of what they were about to face set in, a large lizards head slowly peered around the corner. Minako stood, frozen with fear at first, but quickly overcame it. She looked over at Makoto and without words the two transformed into Sailor Venus and Sailor Jupiter. This one is grey, like the one in the park who seemed to have canine traits. Perhaps the grey skinned Forsaken take on animal qualities. She had this and many other thoughts as the two Sailor Senshi dodged its vicious attacks, the creature easily blasting through the concrete walls around them.

-/-*-\-

Ami had come to the grounds where the Crystal Palace stood and was hoping for less people to be around. She had wanted to come alone and find out more on how the palace worked, but Artemis and Luna were insistent that no one travel alone for the time being. So Rei had volunteered to accompany her, which she was now glad for. Having to wait by herself would have been pretty boring. The two girls sat on the same bench they had waited at the last time they came. Ami looked over at her friend who was sitting with her head tilted back; eyes closed enjoying the warmth of the sun beaming down. Ami exhaled, a little impatiently.

"I wish we could find a way to sneak in, but it's all open fields around the palace." The sun gleamed off the crystal walls of the palace, adding to its splendor. Ami's gaze traveled around the perimeter of where they sat, watching as people went about their day, ignoring the two girls sitting idly on a bench. Rei lifted her head and opened her eyes as she turned her attention to Ami.

"Well you have your computer back now. Maybe you can access the systems of the palace remotely?" It was something Ami had never considered. Rei-chan is right!

"That's right, why didn't I think of that." Ami reached into her small bag and pulled out the hand held device. She quickly began entering commands as Rei continued to speak.

"Well I am psychic, so these things come naturally to me" Ami was only half listening as she accessed the security network displayed on her small screen. "And besides, if I'm to be a successful international woman of travel, I'll need to be able to solve problems on the fly-"

"Look at this Rei-chan" Ami interrupted, holding the device out for Rei to see. Ami watched as she blinked a few times.

"What do the red dots mean?" She finally asked. Ami put the computer down on her lap and sighed. "Those are our enemies. The palace can detect dark energy. It seems Sol was right, the Forsaken are targeting this place." Ami sat back on the bench trying to think. A blinking red dot on the screen approached their position and Ami gave Rei a small nudge and pointed her chin towards the woman walking slowly in their direction. She glared out between narrowed eyes, scanning the small crowds of people that gathered to come see the palace.

"That's one of the Forsaken. Koji must have set up patrols in the hopes of finding everyone else. Now that he knows what Mako-chan looks like, he'll want to learn about the rest of us, I'm assuming" Ami deduced. She knew it was all conjecture, but strategically this would be the easiest place to find them with a small amount of man power needed. Rei stood up and held her fist in front of her as a small grin spread her lips.

"Two can play at this game. We know which ones are Forsaken because of the palace. Let's go around and get pictures of them so we know who will be our enemies when we return here. Chances are they'll run on shifts so I say we stay here all day and find out who they all are." Ami nodded in defiant agreement. We won't go down without a fight Koji. Prepare yourself!

-/-*-\-

Sailor Venus rolled out of the way of the Forsaken's lashing tail. The thing was incredibly powerful and fast. Blood dripped into her eyes from a gash on her head, blurring her vision. Sailor Jupiter had been knocked out and was lying motionless in a pile of rubble. So far the thing had been able to dodge all her attacks and she was taking more and more damage as the fight went on.

Some people had gathered at both ends of the street where they battled and were actually cheering for the monster in front of her. This doesn't look good. I just need a way to distract it, even for a second. One large scaled foot took a step towards her and she tensed. Will it be the tongue or the tail this time? The thing is unpredictable. It opened its mouth as a dark slimy liquid dripped between its menacing fangs. The tongue! Sailor Venus barely had time to let the thought form when the creatures tongue came bursting out of its mouth, sharp as a knife. She reacted as quickly as possible, but the razor sharp edge of the Forsaken's lashing tongue caught her lower calf, slicing open a new wound. She winced in pain as blood began to fill her small high heeled shoe.

She breathed heavily as the lizard like Forsaken licked its lips. I think it`s enjoying this. As it stood now, she didn`t see any way out of this except defeat. She`d tried everything and the thing just lazily avoided all her attacks. No, that`s the kind of thinking that will get you killed! She gritted her teeth, telling herself she won`t ever give up. Even if the people behind her were cheering for her blood, she would fight to protect them. That`s what Usagi would want. That`s what Usagi would give her life to protect, innocent bystanders, even if they believed the Senshi were the enemies.

This is it! All or nothing! Sailor Venus raised her hand and shouted "Crescent Beam Shower!" Multiple golden beams of energy shot into the air and she hoped the monster would look up. Finally a stroke of good luck as the Forsaken slowly bent its head up to see what was going to come down on it. Now is my chance! "Venus Love Me Chain!" With her other hand she guided the chain in between the lizard's feet, wrapping around each foot in turn and cinching up tight as she pulled back with all her strength. She threw her hand down, calling the golden beams to her enemy. The Forsaken thrashed wildly as it realized the peril it was now in, but Sailor Venus didn't let the chain loosen, holding on with all her strength. Blast after blast found their mark as the grey skinned being screamed a horrible sound. Sailor Venus let the chain go and clasped both hands in front of her. She drew on all the strength she had left, not going to take any chances the creature might survive the attack. "Crescent-"a small ball of golden energy appeared just in front of her hands, quickly getting larger. "BEAM!" With all the strength she had left she called on her guardian, Venus, to blast this creature back to where it came. She golden ray shot through the air into its open mouth and exploded like a canon. Dust and debris was thrown into her face just after she felt the shockwave from such a powerful attack. I don't think I've ever hit anything so hard she thought to herself in triumph as the dust settled and nothing remained of her attacker.

Her knees gave way then and she collapsed to the ground, unable to support her own weight from exhaustion. The wound on her head was already starting to heal, but the cut on her calf was deeper and still bled. She sucked in gasping breaths as the sun shone down, warming her tired body.

"Let's get her while she's down!" She heard someone say, not far off.

"Yeah, let's finish her off!" Came another voice. Oh no! They want to kill me now, and I don't have the strength to run! She heard the crash of footstep quickly getting closer to where she lay, unable to stand. The approaching footsteps stopped suddenly and she heard nervous murmurs pass between the new assailants. With the small amount of strength she had left, Sailor Venus lifted her head to see Sailor Jupiter standing at her feet, arms out to either side, protecting her friend.

"If you want her dead, you'll have to go through me first." The tall brown haired girl said, deathly serious. Sailor Venus watched as they exchanged anxious looks. One by one they began to break off from the group, muttering to themselves until finally only a few remained. The last few, deciding it was better to fight another day, finally retreated; leaving the two girls on the street that now resembled a war zone. Sailor Jupiter turned and got down beside her friend.

"So that was your plan eh? Let me do all the hard work while you wait for your opportunity to be the hero?" Sailor Venus teased as Sailor Jupiter flung her arm over her shoulder and helped her stand.

"That gash on your leg looks pretty deep" Sailor Jupiter remarked, ignoring the jest. "Maybe I should carry you instead." Sailor Venus was going to object, saying she was perfectly able to stand on her own, when her legs buckled under the weight. Without another word Sailor Jupiter got down and lifted her onto her back.

"You keep watch for anyone following us; I'm making a straight run for Hikawa Shrine." Sailor Jupiter informed the tired blonde as she started to run, leaving behind the crimpled heaps of concrete and glass.

-/-*-\-

Ami had to agree that things were going much smoother than she anticipated. The Forsaken patrolling the palace had no idea what the two girls were up too as they made their way around the unseen force field protecting the palace from threats such as this. The large area they had to walk around made the time go by quickly and they only needed a few seconds to wait before snapping a photo while the Forsaken wasn't looking. They had already gotten pictures of eight Forsaken, but the ninth was proving troublesome. All he did was stand in one spot with his back to the palace, staring out at the onlookers. Not once since they had sat down had Ami seen the man blink.

He was tall and muscular with a square intimidating face. His eyes were dark and focused, probably a military background. Short black hair with a clean shaven face only solidified the assumption to Ami. He wore a cheap suit that looked like it was pulled out of the back of a closet not long ago and hadn't even been bothered to wash it first.

"We've been waiting here for ten minutes Ami-chan, just let me go up and pretend to take a picture of the palace, but really get a picture of him." Rei had suggested it once already, but Ami and denied her.

"It's too dangerous Rei-chan. If he finds out what you're doing, then we would be surrounded by them. The two of us can't fight them all off, so the risks outweigh the reward." Ami knew this was best. We just need to wait a little longer. He'll turn his head eventually. Rei stretched her arms and legs while still seated on the bench and stifled a yawn behind her fist.

"I'm going for a little walk. You just be ready to take his picture in case he turns away." Ami nodded in agreement. She can't do anything rash without the camera phone. She thought to herself. Ami had the camera ready to go at a moment's notice and pressed a button every few seconds so the screen wouldn't lock, but was beginning to feel maybe Rei had the right idea. This man's sense of duty was more than she had bargained for.

From the direction Rei had walked, she heard a slap, and then Rei's voice, screaming at the top of her lungs "How dare you pervert! I come here on a day off from school to enjoy the sunshine and you try and grab me while I'm not looking?!" Ami stood up, ready to run to her friends aide when they made eye contact and Rei winked quickly at the blue haired girl. Immediately she understood what Rei was trying to do. She lifted the phone and pointed it towards the man who had now turned enough that he wasn't looking in their direction. Ami snapped a quick photo and gave her a thumbs up whole Rei was still berating the unsuspecting man. She finished her rant with another slap across the face and stormed off.

Ami waited patiently for her to come back, amused at the theatrics her friend was willing to go. Ami stood as she approached and only smiled at the dark haired girl. Rei shook her head from side to side in case the patrolling Forsaken was still looking their way. "Some people are just dirty." Was all she said and they continued on their way, leaving him behind, none the wiser. Ami was about to thank her friend for taking more of a passive approach to the matter when her computer began to beep. She pulled it out of her bag and looked at the screen, her stomach tightening in knots of fear. Something is wrong. Red dot after red dot appeared on the screen, coming from all angles. She looked around as large crowds of people began to fill the empty space surrounding the palace.

"I think we need to leave now Rei-chan." She whispered. Rei furrowed her eyebrows, confused. "I think they're on to us, but they don't know who we are. A very large group of Forsaken has shown up now. It's pointless to try and get everyone's picture, there is just too many." Ami showed her the small screen as she spoke, keeping watch for anyone looking in their direction. Rei exhaled in frustration "I suppose you're right Ami-chan. At least we got some information."

The two girls turned and began to walk away from the palace when a gruff sounding man's voice spoke from behind them. "Where do you think you're going? You can't just take all of our pictures and not show them to us, that would be rude." Ami turned in horror to see the face of the man she had just taken a picture of. They were quickly circled by what Ami assumed were Forsaken still in human form. The man in front of them cracked his knuckles "You're coming with us."

A/N: Thank you everyone for all the support and I hope you're all enjoying the new season of Sailor Moon Crystal. I for one love the animation.