"So, what are supposed to do now?" Seiya asked as the family sat around the kitchen table. It was getting late, but food seemed to be the last thing on anyone's mind.

Usagi and Mamoru had arrived home to the bombshell of Henderson's death, delivered as soon as they came through the door. Helios' presence was also a considerable surprise, but any questions relating to that were quickly shoved to the back burner. There were too many other, and bigger, things to worry about.

Usagi was studying the file her brother left and didn't respond to Seiya. He glanced at his father; Mamoru gave a slight shake of his head. Now was the time to absorb and process facts, not ask questions, so Seiya subsided into his seat and held his peace.

"Probable cause of death: heart attack," Usagi read from the police report. "Cyanotic lips and fingernails indicative of a lack of oxygen." Her eyes widened and she looked up at Mamoru. "Bruising on center of chest, rough star shape approximately three centimeters across."

When she stopped speaking there was a sigh so complete and enveloping that it was impossible to say who it came from. It was Mamoru who finally spoke. "Heart snatched," he said angrily.

"And with no warning," Usagi added, raising her left arm with its watch that doubled as their Daimon detection system.

"With no warning," Mamoru agreed, looking slightly puzzled. "But why the warning system failed is definitely the most urgent question."

"Maybe Henderson created a new Daimon form, one that the detector can't recognize," Seiya put in.

"Or he figured out how to bypass the Daimons altogether, using some other method to directly take hearts," Chibiusa added.

"Or he ceased to be useful and the entity controlling him simply ended his life."

It was the first time Helios had spoken since entering the house hand-in-hand with Chibiusa. Four pairs of eyes shifted to him and he met each gaze directly, Mamoru's last. There was a long moment of silent communication between the two before Mamoru nodded and spoke.

"We have to assume that Chaos removed himself from Henderson for some reason or other. Which means he is now out and free in the world. We have to act accordingly, which means telling everybody else what's going on."

"Agreed," Usagi replied before leaving the room to make arrangements for everyone to meet. With a quick glance at his children and Helios Mamoru followed. Their murmured conversation drifted from the hall to the kitchen.

Seiya ignored all of that and took his sister's hand, pulling her through the archway and into the living room. "Okay, what's the story?" he asked, speaking low enough to not be overheard. "You got home late from school with -" He gestured to the kitchen "- whoever he is and your hair is completely back to normal. So, what gives?"

As briefly as possible Chibiusa told him of the day's events and revelations, even displaying the Golden Crystal brooch. Seiya smiled as he touched it. "Mom and Dad will be pleased," he said. "This means you can fight again, doesn't it?"

Chibiusa shrugged. "Yes, but probably not very well," she answered, tucking the brooch back in to her pocket. "I have to get control over my new powers before I can be of any use." She went on to repeat what Helios had told her about the powers of Sailor Earth, including her short-lived fantasy of herself creating a typhoon.

"That is so awesome," Seiya said, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"I know," Chibiusa replied, more than matching his grin. They had a peaceful moment in which to share an unclouded joy, but Seiya quickly grew serious again. He gestured toward the kitchen.

"What about your silver-haired friend?"

"I'm not sure," Chibiusa replied with a shrug. "I am surprised that he's still here, though. He's -"

"He's staying until you fully master your basic powers as Sailor Earth." Helios's soft voice came from the kitchen, followed shortly by his entire body, leaning insolently against the archway. He gave Chibiusa a significant look. "You, and by extension your fellow Guardians, are vulnerable right now. And with this new uncertainty of Henderson's death. . ." His words trailed off as all three of them exchanged nervous glances. Seiya was the first to break the uncomfortable silence.

"We're screwed."

The following afternoon Seiya was caught by surprise when he arrived at the bus stop after school; standing there, and clearly waiting for him, was Mariko. He hesitated at the bus's door, unsure if he really wanted to get off at that moment. But an impatient throat-clearing from the driver made the decision for him, even though the last thing he wanted was to talk to the friend of his sister that he was nursing a crush on.

That feeling only grew stronger when Mariko turned at the sound of his footsteps on the sidewalk, a smile on her face. He swallowed with a nearly audible gulp and forced himself to smile in return. "Hey," he said in what he hoped was a bored voice, adding a cursory nod. "What brings you out here today?"

"I wanted to talk to you," she replied, a faint blush staining her cheeks. "I can't get a straight answer out of Usa."

"A straight answer to what question?" he asked, turning and starting to walk in the direction of his favorite park.

Mariko fell easily into step beside him. "The question of what, exactly, is the problem with Akemi, myself, and this whole Sailor Guardian thing."

Seiya laughed. "And you think I might know?"

Mariko shot him a quick, sidelong glance that managed to convey just the right amount of contempt. "Yes, I think you do. Even if no one has told you anything directly you're observant, and smart enough to put the pieces together. So quit playing dumb."

Even though her words were angry her praise made Seiya flush; the tips of his ears felt like they were on fire. But as much as he wanted to pretend that he had figured everything out on his own, and justify her opinion of his intelligence, his innate honesty won out. "Usa's told me a few things," he admitted, and went on to relate Rio's speculation, and how Chibiusa had been brought round to the same point of view, Chibiusa's awakening as Sailor Earth and Helios's surprise presence in their lives, and finally Aaron Henderson's death. As the words had spilled out of him they arrived at the park, and he tugged Mariko to sit on a nearby bench.

She sat quietly, absorbing the sudden rush of information. When Seiya glanced her way her could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she processed everything and tried to come to a conclusion. The moment dragged on with neither of them speaking, just thinking. Seiya found himself looking at the situation from a different perspective after having laid the whole thing out for Mariko. And the more he thought the more inescapable one conclusion became.

Mariko sighed deeply, drawing his attention back to her. She was staring straight ahead, only her profile turned to him. "What does all of this mean for us?" she asked. "Akemi and I?"

"I honestly don't know."

Now she turned her head and met his eyes. "Don't know, or won't guess?" She laughed at the blush that crept up his neck and across his cheeks. "That question was a direct hit, I see." When he didn't respond immediately she laid a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry," she quietly said. "I shouldn't have asked, at least not like that."

Seiya shook his head. "It's not that. I just. . ." He reached across and laid one hand over hers where it rested against his arm. " I don't know what any of this means, and frankly your guess would be as good as mine. Or anyone else's, for that matter," he concluded with a small laugh.

"So what do I do?" Mariko pulled the Jupiter pen out of one of her pockets and dropped her gaze to it. "Do I just sit on my backside and wait for something to happen? Wait for fate, or destiny, to right itself so we can all get on with our lives?"

"Maybe. Probably," he amended when she shot him a glaring look. "But I think we can do more than sit on our backsides while we wait." He stood and took hold of her hand that held the pen, drawing her to her feet at his side. "Come with me."

"Where?"

"To the one person who might be able to clear the mist and catch a glimpse of the future."

"Again."

Chibiusa sighed and blew a breath skyward, fluttering the sodden hair that fringed her face. Her entire body was sodden, in fact, the result of a badly summoned and even worse controlled rain shower barely ten minutes previous. Rio and Mizuki were also drenched, but they at least had the warmth of a fire that Rio had created. Helios wasn't going to allow her any such comfort.

"Again!" he repeated, his voice louder and harsher.

Chibiusa flushed with anger and bit back her instinctive response, which was to tell Helios to do it himself if he was displeased with her. She knew that in-fighting wasn't going to get them anywhere, though, so she pushed down her emotions, cleared her mind, and focused on the small tree that she was supposed to be making grow. "Botanic Surge!"

Nothing. The tree stubbornly stayed the same size, her clothes stayed uncomfortably wet, and the sound of Rio's fire merrily crackling stayed a distant temptation. The only thing that changed was instead of telling her to do it again Helios sighed in frustration and walked away, presumably to calm down before something happened that he might regret.

If I could control the damned tree, Chibiusa thought, I'd be tempted to throttle him with one of the branches. So this break, however brief it turned out to be, was exactly what she needed. As soon as Helios disappeared into the trees she felt herself relax, and a sudden surge of warmth told her that her friends had approached. And, best of all, had brought the fire with them.

"If you want me to set fire to his manly parts just say the word," Rio quietly said with a nod in the direction Helios had gone.

Mizuki shook her head. "That's too messy and would take too long," she put in. "I can castrate him in less than two seconds with a well placed Crescent Beam."

Chibiusa fought against an unreasonable desire to laugh until she was breathless and gasping, and instead contented herself with a wide grin. "No bodily harm ladies," she said in an admonishing tone. "I may not be enjoying this, but he is only doing his job."

"I thought his job was to pray for you and protect you, not harass you unmercifully," Rio said, giving the flames in her hand a slight mental nudge so they burned higher and hotter. "The Guardian Priest of the Temple of the Earth kind of carries that implication."

"Agreed, but he may also be the only person alive who is capable of teaching me anything about my new powers. And, like it or not, until I gain some proficiency in those powers we are all in danger."

"Point taken, but he doesn't need to be so damned rude about it," Mizuki grumbled, drawing laughs from her friends.

"I'm sorry I missed it," said a new voice behind them. "I could use a good laugh."

The three of them turned to see Akemi standing at the edge of the trees, on the path that led up to the shrine. She was smiling slightly and a little uncertainly, as if unsure of her welcome. Mizuki, with no such feelings of uncertainty, ran forward, took Akemi by the hand and all but towed her to where Chibiusa and Rio stood. It was only when they got close enough that Chibiusa saw the blue and gold Mercury pen in Akemi's hand.

Akemi saw where she was looking; she blushed and shrugged with a jerky motion. "Mom told me you guys would be here," she said, her voice low. "I thought maybe -" She abruptly stopped speaking and started rolling the pen back and forth between her hands.

The other three girls exchanged telling looks. No one needed to say out loud what they were all thinking; Akemi had come in the hopes that something - anything - would trigger her transformation.

It was something of an uncomfortable situation, all things considered, so Chibiusa transformed back to herself, Sailor Earth disappearing as quickly as she arrived. It was a relief to be in dry clothes again. Mizuki and Rio quickly followed her lead, and before long the four of them stood together, looking like nothing more than ordinary high school students. Except for the purple hued flames that Rio still held, cupped in her palm. With a sheepish grin she closed her hand and doused the fire.

Akemi looked slightly awestruck before giving her head a shake. "Wow," she said with a breathless little laugh.

Rio grinned. "Surprising, isn't it?"

"Crazy, more like," Mizuki mumbled.

Chibiusa glared at the two of them. "It just takes some getting used to," she said, trying to smile in a reassuring fashion. "There's nothing scary about any of it."

"Except not being able to do what's expected of you," Akemi put in, her voice dark and gloomy.

"That's not scary," Rio replied with a laugh. "That's a wonderful, glorious thing!" She gestured to Mizuki and Chibiusa. "Do you really think that we'd be doing this if given a choice?"

Akemi looked surprised at the question, but she answered instinctively and honestly. "Yes, you would. There's evil in this world, and being able to do something about it is a thing we'd all choose. Including me. Which is why I hate this thing!" Before anyone could stop her she flung the Mercury pen away. The sunlight sparked off of the gold as it arced through the air to land with a splash in a nearby shallow puddle.

"Akemi -" Mizuki shrank back a little when her friend turned a ferocious glare on her but she continued speaking. "That wasn't the best idea," she said. "Even if that pen isn't meant to be yours it still belongs to somebody."

Akemi sighed and her shoulders slumped, all of the anger draining out of her in the blink of an eye. "I don't know what I'm doing," she whispered, tears slipping from her eyes. "Mom says that once I can transform it'll all come naturally, but. . ."

Chibiusa and Rio exchanged a look, but neither spoke. Mizuki's gaze bounced back and forth between the two of them, her expression betraying her increasing impatience. The moment stretched, but neither Chibiusa nor Rio broke her silence. Akemi reacted to the increasing tension by fidgeting, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, and watching her three friends intently.

"Enough, already!" Mizuki's shout made all of them start. "We need the truth, not more secrets. And if you don't tell her I will!"

"Never mind, I think I can guess." Akemi grinned and pointed at Mizuki. "You said 'Even if that pen isn't meant to be yours it still belongs to somebody.' It's not hard to guess from that what you guys think is going on." She met the eyes of all three. "But I'd still like to hear it from you."

Rio laughed. "We're behaving like idiots," she exclaimed. "And worse, we're letting all of this effect who we are as friends. It's not worth that." She grew serious as she regarded Akemi. "Neither you nor Mariko has had any sort of reaction to the transformation pens and we think -" Chibiusa coughed. "Okay, I think that the two of you may not be destined for this." She transferred her stern gaze to Mizuki. "Happy?"

"Happier, at least."

"So what do we do now?" Akemi asked, her brow furrowed. "There has to be something, because wait-and-see doesn't strike me as much of a plan."

"It's a lousy plan, but the only one we have," Chibiusa finally spoke, having kept silent during the tense discussion. "As Rio herself proved sometimes the stress of the moment is needed before the slumbering guardian can awaken." She smiled at Akemi and nodded toward where the Mercury pen had landed. "You'd better go and find the blasted thing, since it's yours until further notice."

The words had barely left her mouth when there was a loud shout and a sudden rustling in the nearby trees. The, before anyone could react with more than a start of surprise Helios came out of the trees. Not walking on his own feet, but flying as if he'd been launched from a catapult. He landed on the far side of the clearing, accompanied by the sound of small branches and twigs breaking and a loud grunt of pain. His head lifted for a moment, his eyes dazed, before it fell back to the ground and he lay still.

Chibiusa ran to where he had fallen. Mizuki and Rio didn't need any instructions; before the crash of Helios' landing faded they moved together and took up defensive stances, facing the trees where the commotion was centered. Akemi didn't hesitate in bolting to the trees for cover, the shouts of her friend following right behind her.

"VENUS POWER!"

"MARS POWER!"

Chibiusa knelt beside Helios, the damp ground soaking through her jeans. His hand was limp within hers. She squeezed that hand, hard, willing whatever power to heal that she possessed into him. "Come on," she groaned, pounding his chest with a fist. "You said you'd always be there when I needed you, Damnit! So come on!"

"I'll wake up as long as you promise not to hit me again." The hand she held twitched and then tightened, returning the pressure she was giving. Chibiusa gasped as Helios' eyes flickered and then opened. It took a moment for them to focus on her, then he sat up and held her by the shoulders, looking directly into her eyes.

"You need me, and I'm here. You can fight now, I know you can."

Chibiusa gazed into his intent eyes, feeling a fire surge to life inside her heart. She took Helio's face between her hands and pressed a fervent kiss to his lips. "I can fight," she declared. "I will fight." She released him and rose to her feet, every movement graceful and majestic. The Golden Crystal brooch was clasped in her hand.

"TERRA CRYSTAL POWER!"

Her transformation erupted in a burst of brilliant golden light, leaving Helios dazzled by the combination of it and the kiss.