Empire of the Sun By Sophia Prester Disclaimer: See chapter one. Author's notes: The technical stuff is at the end, as per usual. Chapter Seven: Recognition Wednesday, July 4 1:59 p.m. Taiyouko Seidou knew Japan's criminal justice system inside and out. She knew the loopholes, she knew the pitfalls, and she knew how to marshal her evidence to get the verdict she wanted in court. One thing that continued to baffle her, however, was why they always made her show up in court at ten o' clock when she wouldn't be called to the stand until well after two. For nearly four hours she been fretting, fidgeting, and fuming as her brain tied itself into knots. There was a very good chance that the judge would allow Shinichiro Aoshima to be released from custody, instead of acknowledging that why yes, there *was* a huge, festering pile of evidence that proved the rat-bastard was a cold- blooded murderer! So what if he hadn't signed a confession? Let's see, she thought, ticking off the salient points on her fingers. His shoeprints, tire prints, and fibers from his jacket were present at the scene. Fingernail scrapings from the victim and some stray hairs found at the crime scene yielded a perfect DNA match. And bless Juni Watanabe's nerdy little heart, she'd been able to take Aoshima's gloves and match the grain of the leather to marks at the scene. Unfortunately, this particular judge's normal reluctance to release a suspect was likely to be overruled by Aoshima's family and political connections. The prosecutor had also warned her that this judge was skeptical about DNA evidence, and that there was a good chance that the elderly judge would simply ignore Taiyouko's testimony because she had the audacity to be female. She shook her head in disgust. God only knew what he'd think of Watanabe, the girliest girl to ever cut into a cadaver. To make matters even worse, the forensics expert's verbal and social skills spontaneously reverted to kindergarten-level whenever she was pulled out of her lab and thrown into a confrontational environment. Taiyouko would be called up in about a half hour, probably. Hopefully. She had to be ready to go into damage-control mode, and project enough confidence that the judge would believe not just her, but Watanabe-sensei as well. He might not know from genetic markers, but he could understand the universal trio of means, motive, and opportunity. Unfortunately, as wound up as she was right now, there was a better than even chance she'd get up in front of the judge and make Watanabe look like a classically trained Shakespearian actress by comparison. The root of her frustration was the appliquéd tote bag that sat at her feet, mocking her. At the moment, all it contained was her favorite embroidery hoop and a paper bag with a brand-new Christmas ornament kit inside. An over-zealous security moron had confiscated her embroidery snips and needle case. If she'd been able to stitch, not only would the four hours have flown by, she would have been able to achieve the Zen frame of mind needed to reduce even the most confident defense attorney to tears of despair and self-loathing. It also would have helped her keep her mind off the Chiba case. Rather than rehearsing the facts of the case at hand, she kept going over details from fourteen years ago. The car had gone over the cliff, and the couple's identity had been erased. The how of the crime was going to be hard to reconstruct, but Taiyouko was sure that they would get there eventually. The real poser was the why. If there were any clues in motor vehicle or bank records, Keisuke would ferret them out. Her job, the way she saw it, was to get as much information out of Chiba as she could. It figured that the only eyewitness to the crime would be an anal-retentive amnesiac, she groused. She reached into the tote, ripped a piece off of the bag inside, and jotted a note for Watanabe. **Question--amnesia? Would physical injury alone lead to the loss of past memories, or is it more likely to be psy- (she gave up on the spelling, crossed it out) just mental?** If they were dealing with suppressed memories, and not brain damage, that improved the chances of getting those memories out. How to do that, though? She added a P.S. to the note--**give me the name of a couple of reputable shrinks.** That, however, would be a last resort. A psychiatrist good enough to be considered reputable would be more interested in helping the patient than helping her find out who'd nearly killed him in the first place. There were other ways she could get to Chiba and start digging around in his head. When she was at Chiba's apartment, she'd recognized Makoto Kino right off the bat. She'd been in a picture with four other girls. A close circle of friends, somehow connected to Chiba. One of them might know something, or might have been smart enough to start putting two and two together, but just not knowing what questions to ask. And, if they were his friends, then wouldn't it be natural for them to want to help an old friend of theirs learn more about his poor old mummy and daddy? She ripped off another piece of bag and made a note to find out who these girls were and where they went to school. First step, talk to Kino. Then, set Keisuke up to do the interviews. He was good with kids, and people did tend to trust him. He wasn't good at reading the subtle clues that would tell him what line of questioning to follow, or how hard to push, but he'd know if one of them was lying. Then, he could sic Taiyouko on the unfortunate soul. She grinned. This might be easier than she thought. The question of the hour was, why did Wright recognize the girls? Some of the girls? One of the girls? Then, the old lurker shifted. It thought she might be on to something. It had an idea. Now wait... hadn't she meant to get all of that sorted out? She was going to pin this thing down and... I have information, the thing said urgently, cutting off that train of thought. Something from your own memory. Something you'd forgotten. Something important. "Stupid cryptic voice," she muttered. The two other people in the waiting room looked at her, but looked away just as quickly when they caught the glint in her eye. Something had happened last night--she was sure of it. She'd been too intent on winkling this thing out of her brain simply to let the idea slip from her mind. Even so, she was not going to make an issue of it, not when she had to look like a competent witness in front of a judge. And it would be an issue, no doubt about that. The idea of this thing going scrap-picking through her memories did not sit well with her. "Well?" she thought at it. She waited. The lurker did not disappoint. Images of her visit to Chiba's apartment flicked across her mind's eye like a slide show. Greeting Chiba. His look of surprise to see two people at his door. Shaking the boy's hand, looking up into dark blue eyes that held confusion and fear. He's hiding something, Taiyouko thought. There's something he really, *really* doesn't want us to know. There's more, said the lurker. Watch. Introducing Chiba and Wright. The stereotypical male handshake, two dogs vying for alpha position. No... wait. Taiyouko replayed the scene in her mind. Don't listen to the words, she told herself. Don't concentrate on the handshake. Look at the faces. "Well I'll be double-dipped," she whispered between clenched teeth. The two men had recognized each other! That god-damned hypocritical lying American bastard had played her! He recognized Chiba and he had the gall not to tell her? He had knowingly compromised the case--*her* case! Oh, when she got through with him... She was surging to her feet when the lurker seemed to reach out a hand and gently push her anger back down. I did tell you not to trust him, said the lurker, a little snippily. But there's something more important than that. I thought my job here was complete, the lurker continued, but I was wrong. If all had gone well, I would have remained asleep in your mind for the rest of your life. By now Taiyouko could begin to hear the nuances in the lurker's "voice." Right now, it sounded very much like her own voice when she was fighting not to lash out in fury. "Again with the cryptic," she muttered, keeping an eye on the other two people in the room. "What kind of job are you talking about, and how did you screw it up in the first place?" She could have sworn that she heard the lurker sigh. It "said" nothing, but instead showed her more images, this time of the photographs on Chiba's bookcase. The blonde girl who was in most of the photos. She looked vaguely familiar, as did the other girls who hung out with Kino. The hairstyle, however, that weird 'do that reminded her of Mickey Mouse ears... the more she looked at it the more familiar it seemed. Oh shit. Taiyouko's throat clamped shut as she realized just who this girl was. Usagi Tsukino. The last time she'd seen her, the little sprog had been maybe what, six or seven? Taiyouko tried to clear her throat, but the imaginary obstruction would not move. It may have been a fluke that the hairstyle was still the same, but now that she'd put a name to the face, more things leapt to her memory. Those sky-blue eyes. The innocent smile. Her brow broke out in a cold sweat as she tried not to show her struggle to breathe. No doubt about it, that was Ku-chan's little girl. The two other people in the waiting room stared at her in alarm as she started coughing violently. Fourteen years ago, something told her that the attack on her old friend was somehow connected to the so-called accident she was investigating. It was one of the few times in her life when she had let her "intuition" overrule her common sense. Now, she thought, was it some*thing* that had told her about the connection, or some*one*? She rubbed at her throat, sighing in relief as the choking sensation faded away. Damn! For a moment there, it felt like she'd swallowed an anvil. "Enough with the physical threats. You don't want to play that kind of game with me," she silently warned the lurker. There was a frantic denial of any wrongdoing, but she ignored it. The important thing was that there was a connection between Chiba and the Tsukino girl. The murder of Chiba's parents in 1987 and the near death of Ikuko Tsukino in 1983 *were* connected. She *wasn't* crazy. (Even if she was carrying on conversations with the voices in her head, but she tried not to think too much about that.) She would definitely have to call Ku-chan and arrange for a little get-together. Maybe now that the incident was safely in the past, Ku-chan would be willing to talk about it. She might recall something that seemed trivial then, but might mean something now. Maybe she could arrange for little Usagi to come along on their outing, and see if she could casually pry out some information. Taiyouko pulled out her cell phone, started to dial Ku-chan's number, then paused. Just how much should she tell her old friend about what was going on? When she had saved her friend's life those many years ago, it was nearly at the expense of their friendship. Taiyouko could understand that. No matter how you looked at it, having a bullet pass within a centimeter of your head only to splatter you with the blood and brains of the man who was trying to kill you was not the sort of thing of which happy memories are made. It was years before Ku-chan was willing to say any more than "hello" or "how are you doing" before scuttling away or freezing her out. Once the fear and horror had passed, Ikuko reached out to Taiyouko once more, but had set stern limits as to how much shop talk she would tolerate. Not telling her about the case was not an option. For all she knew, Chiba had already told Usagi all about his interview with the two detectives, and who knew how much Usagi might tell her mother? This needed some careful thought. In the meantime, while she was waiting for Anita to dig up some dirt on him, there was something else she could do to find out a little more about the mysterious Mr. Wright. Taiyouko hummed happily to herself as she dialed the station. The timing on this should work perfectly. Kino usually got back to her apartment around four-thirty most days, and Keisuke would be going to watch Misako's game right after work. Keisuke picked up the phone. As soon as he heard it was her, he started babbling on about a second car. This immediately got her attention. Keisuke *never* babbled. "Look, I missed most of what you just said. Could you... Uh- huh... Dark green?... Yeah, it makes sense, but run the photos by Watanabe and see if she buys your theory--she'll be heading back to her lab after this is over. Also, go ahead and run another check on the guy who called in the accident... Yes, Detective I-think-of- everything Takamori, we grilled him pretty thoroughly at the time." First on the scene, first in the box. That was the rule. She'd questioned the guy, but there was nothing to point to him being anything other than a concerned citizen. There was no reason for her to even think about examining his vehicle. "This time, I want you to run his motor vehicle records... Yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking. Also, find out where he's living now. Oh, and while you jump on that like a good little lackey, let me speak to Wright." Keisuke dutifully passed over the phone. "Jason... yeah, good work on the car... Look, I said 'good work,' so you can stop fishing for compliments. Anyhow, I'm going straight home from here, and there's something I forgot to give to Keisuke. Would you mind stopping by my apartment?... Great! You're a real life-saver. I really wanted to get this to Akiko tonight if at all possible. Get a pencil, I'll give you directions to my place." It wasn't entirely a lie. Akiko had been antsier than a two- year-old on a sugar high about the "Rose Tree in Bloom" pattern Taiyouko had just gotten in. Akiko didn't *need* it, but getting it sooner than expected would make her day. "They must have been drinking some bad sake when they numbered the apartments, so don't even try to figure it out. Just go up two flights of steps from the lobby, and it'll be the third door on your right. Try to get there around five--I should be home by then." All nice and easy, and except for one tiny detail, absolutely correct. 4:57 p.m. Oh, it was good to get out of that uniform! Days like this demanded sundresses and sandals. Makoto pulled open the door to her balcony. The air had a heavy, metallic feel to it. It looked like they had seen the last of their unseasonably mild weather. She stretched, pushing her hands up nearly to the ceiling. Maybe she should tell Minako she was going to bail on tonight's "girl's night out." The homework was piling up, and she really did want to spend a nice evening with a cup of tea, her plants, and some good music. She could just lounge around in her comfortable cotton dress and enjoy her tidy, breezy apartment and all of her pretty things. It almost made the idea of studying for her biology quiz seem appealing. Almost. The knock on her door literally made her jump. Had she been that lost in her thoughts? No, the clock only said five--who was likely to be running early? The knocking came again, rattling the door in its frame. She opened the door, expecting to see Usagi or Minako, only to find herself staring at the knot of someone's necktie. She looked up and the stranger looked down. Ohhhh.... my.... She must have done *something* right in this life. Tall, handsome, blond, blue-eyed men with adorably mussy hair did not simply appear on your doorstep like a special-delivery package unless you had been very, very good indeed. Okay, Mako-chan. Just keep your cool. Breathe! "Can I help you with something?" she asked. That's right. Sound friendly, but not overly eager. Don't scare him off. The stranger looked at the number on her apartment door. "I didn't mean to bother you. Somehow, I don't think I've got the right apartment." He had a slight accent, which just added some exotic icing to the cake. Actually, you *did* have the right apartment, Makoto wanted to say, but she resisted the impulse. "Don't even try to figure it out," she said. "It's easier just to count doors." "Yeah," he said, still staring at the apartment number as if he could change it by sheer willpower. "That's what Seidou-san said, but this *is* the third door on the right, isn't it?" "Oh! Taiyouko-san's apartment is right above mine," Makoto said, pointing at the ceiling. "You just got off on the wrong floor, that's all." And lucky, lucky, lucky me! She forced herself not to think of fate, of destiny, of eternal love, of romantic evenings, or domestic bliss. This was simply an opportunity. A learning experience. Even if this stranger turned out to be married, gay, evil, obnoxious, a demon in disguise, leaving the country the next day, a serial killer, female, a two-timer, or a figment of her imagination, this was a chance to learn how not to act like an idiot when confronted by a handsome, charming, and hopefully not evil stranger. Fortunately, the man didn't immediately head for the stairwell. Had she made an impression? Or maybe he just didn't understand her. He was foreign, after all. He studied her for a moment. "You know Seidou-san?" he finally asked. He seemed wary, but given her neighbor's reputation, that was only to be expected. Makoto nodded. "A little." She blushed, and giggled. Just like a schoolgirl, damn it! "She... uh... well, she smokes, you see, and she used to empty her ashtrays off her balcony, and since she lives right above me the butts kept landing in my planters. That's how we... met." "Why does this not surprise me," the man muttered. He smiled, not so much with his mouth, but with his eyes. Makoto laughed, not a nervous schoolgirl giggle this time, but a deep and decidedly unfeminine laugh. The stranger didn't seem at all taken aback. He just shook his head and rolled his eyes, sharing in the joke. "She's a little different, isn't she?" Makoto ventured. "Now *that* is an understatement," the man drawled. He held out a hand. "Jason Wright. Another victim of the temperamental Seidou-san. Somehow, I seem to have become her errand-boy." She shook his hand firmly. Somehow, she was able to look into those incredible blue eyes without losing her composure. She'd noticed the spark of mischief in them right away, but now she could see something else. Sadness? Whatever it was, it went deep. What did people see in her eyes? "Makoto Kino. Nice to meet you, Wright-san." The polite greeting took on the feel of an old joke. "You know, Taiyouko-san really isn't that bad, once you get used to her. She did apologize about the cigarettes, and she gave me this cute little sampler she'd embroidered." Wright cocked one eyebrow. "Seidou? Embroidery? Now *this* I've got to see." Oh, why not? What did she have to lose? Only her dignity. "I have it up in my kitchen, if you'd like to see it before you run upstairs." Makoto stepped back, encouraging him to follow her in. He hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside. He looked around and nodded his approval at what he saw. "This is a nice place. You've managed to make it bigger than it really is. I like it." She suppressed the urge to play up all of her domestic, wifely talents. "Uh... thanks," she said, not sure what else to say. "So, how do you know Taiyouko-san?" she finally asked, for lack of anything interesting to say. Wright pointed to her herb rack with a 'do you mind?' sort of gesture. Makoto clutched her hands together in front of her and nodded brightly. "I'm here as part of my job--kind of a cross-cultural training thing--and they've stuck me with her. Talk about being thrown into something head-first." He stooped down to examine the plants, even rubbing his fingers through the rosemary to release the smell. "Hey, you've got these growing really well. That's not easy to do indoors." "You... you have a garden, too?" His *wife* probably did, she told herself. Either that, or he hides all the bodies under the tomato plants. There was no point in getting her hopes up too soon. He shook his head. "One of my sisters is really into herbal medicine and all that stuff, so I've picked up some knowledge here and there. So where's this sampler you were telling me about?" She led him into the kitchen, and pointed it out. It was small, just four different species of herb embroidered on cream- colored linen, with the names of each plant stitched in French. "Not bad," he said grudgingly. He checked his watch. "Listen, I hate to run, but I'd better get going. She did tell me to stop by around five, and if I'm late, she'll probably get sarcastic with me." Ack! He's leaving? There had to be some way to make a good lasting impression... aha! "Hold on just a minute! I baked some cookies the other day." They were meant for today's study session, but so what? She was sacrificing them for a higher cause. "Would you mind taking some up to Taiyouko-san? Tell her that Mako-chan says hi." She bagged up four of the fudge-filled chocolate macaroons she'd made. Then, she shyly put two more in another bag. "Take a couple for yourself." "Hey! Free food! Always a plus." He smiled and thanked her, and Makoto felt something in her heart twist and go soft. For just a moment, those blue eyes of his lit up, and he looked genuinely happy, like a child. A touch of sadness still remained, though, just like the sorrow that never quite left Usagi's eyes or that feeling of something dark and solemn that followed Hotaru like a ghost. She walked him to the door, dawdling just a little. "I hate to admit it, but I have no idea what Taiyouko-san actually does for a living." "You don't? She's actually with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, believe it or not. Homicide." "No way! She doesn't... well, she's doesn't exactly look like Lucy Lawless of Michelle Yeoh, if you know what I mean." He nodded, the laughter showing in his eyes. "It *is* hard to imagine her doing the required judo courses. Still, you can't always judge a book by its cover." He winked conspiratorially. "You never know what secrets people might be hiding." Oh, she knew all about that all right. It was a good thing there wasn't a storm in the offing, or he'd have gotten one heck of a static shock when he shook her hand. He bowed politely and naturally, surprising from an American. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Kino-san. I--" Whatever he was about to say--I hope I run into you again, I would like to get to know you better, I would like you to bear my children--was cut off by a stereophonic shout. "Mako-chan!" Two of her nearest, dearest friends emerged from the stairwell and charged towards her beautiful moment. Wright stopped mid-word to stare, stunned, at petite, adorable Ami, and elegant, exotic Rei. Makoto forced herself to do the hospitable thing and greet her friends politely: "You're early." The temperature in the hallway plunged so sharply, it was as if Mercury had let fly with a Shabon Spray. "Usagi and Minako both said they wanted to spend some time working on math, and Rei also has a biology quiz tomorrow, so I thought that if we showed up a little early, we could review together," Ami said with damnable cheerfulness. She smiled sweetly at Wright. "Our college entrance exams are coming up," she informed him. "You're in high-school?" Wright asked Makoto, finally emerging from his stupor, only to surface in the land of shock. Maybe by smiling and clenching her teeth together, she could keep from screaming. "Well, we *are* seniors. Wright-san, these are my... friends." Maybe. Sometimes. "Ami Mizuno and Rei Hino." Rei bowed in greeting, then snapped to attention, cocking her head to one side. "Have we met?" "Huh? No. We couldn't have met. I've been here less than a week." He turned panicked eyes to Makoto, as if begging for help. "Wright-san is new in town, and I was helping him with some directions," Makoto explained. "Fortunately, we've got it all straightened out." So don't even think of trying to help. Mine! Rei studied Wright as if he were some new and interesting species of insect. "You're from America, Wright-san? What brings you here?" "Work," Makoto barked. "He was just telling me all about it," she said through clenched teeth. For a supposed psychic, Rei sure had a crummy sense of timing. Rei swung her briefcase back and forth as she continued to study Wright. "You remind me of someone, but I can't think of who." "I guess all Americans must look alike," Wright suggested, his voice cracking slightly. "I've been here less than a week, so I really don't think we could have met." "I suppose not," Rei said after an agonizing five seconds. "I just wish I could remember who you remind me of." Then she smiled charmingly and bowed once more. "I any event, it's a pleasure to meet you, Wright-san." Not *too* much of a pleasure, I trust, Makoto thought. Wright saw the opportunity in Rei's greeting and grabbed it. "Nice to meet the two of you as well! Sorry, I can't stay, but I'm running late." And with that, he ran. He stopped just at the door to the stairwell. "Thanks again for the cookies," he called. That was probably the last she'd ever see of him, Makoto thought. Once he'd found out she was only a high-school student... "Cookies?" asked Rei. Makoto didn't need to look at her face to know that one eyebrow was raised. "I got the impression that you had just met him." "What does that have to do with anything?" She glared down at her two so-called friends. "You didn't have to scare him off like that!" she growled. At least Minako hadn't been there. That could have been ugly. "Oh! I'm sorry, Mako-chan!" Ami exclaimed. "Was he..." "Let me guess. Did he look like your old sempai?" Rei asked wearily. "What was he doing in your apartment, anyway? And I wonder why he was in such a hurry to leave?" Ami asked. Even though Ami wouldn't have meant it to sound like an innuendo, that's how it hit Makoto's ears. "He doesn't look *anything* like my old sempai!" Makoto snapped. She was about to explain what the handsome American detective was doing there when she realized just what it was she was about to say. Mamoru said that two detectives had come to speak with him. A woman... ...and an American. "Damn!" "Mako-chan? What's wrong?" Ami asked, concern winning out over embarrassment. "I *knew* it was too good to be true! It's *always* too good to be true!" Makoto moaned. 7:30 p.m. ChibiUsa sat propped up against the headboard of Hotaru's bed, balancing a bag of ice on her knee. Her second day of school back in the twenty-first century, and she had already fallen prey to her newest arch-nemesis--P.E. After nine hundred years, she had become thoroughly accustomed to being a particular size, and her body was constantly forgetting about all that extra length in its arms and legs, not to mention the radically different center of gravity. To make matters worse, she was *still* growing. She felt a sudden chill as she remembered all the times she had razzed Usagi about her terminal klutziness. She didn't even want to *think* about how much karmic payback she had in store. Hotaru lay cross-wise across the foot of the bed, resting her chin on folded arms. Her eyes were closed, and she appeared to be totally blissed out, listening to the music. ChibiUsa studied the CD case. The artist was a woman who looked a lot like Usagi's friend Naru. Well, Naru didn't wear quite so many earrings at one time and didn't have any tattoos that ChibiUsa knew of. This woman was probably also at least ten years older than Naru, but ChibiUsa knew that she was horrible at guessing ages. It wasn't like looks were any clue to age back in Crystal Tokyo. "Kathy Celeste," she read from the liner notes, having a little trouble with the 'th' sound. "I like this. What kind of music is it? That's a harp, isn't it?" "Uh-uh. Hammered dulcimer," said a drowsy Hotaru. "It sounds like dancing, doesn't it?" It did, ChibiUsa thought. The quick, sprightly notes practically bounced out of the speakers and flew around the room. Something like an accordion joined in, along with other instruments, including one that sounded like someone shaking a box full of rice. Soon, a light soprano voice rose above the instruments, not flowing or floating, but hitting each syllable almost defiantly, sounding more like laughter than singing. She didn't understand how Hotaru could stay so still. Neither girl could understand what the woman was singing, but both agreed that she sounded like she was having fun. ChibiUsa's legs jiggled and jounced in time to the music, despite the sore knee. She was tempted to jump up and start dancing around the room--never mind what Hotaru might think--when the music stopped. Even though the display on the stereo said the song was nearly five minutes long, it felt like it was over in a heartbeat. The next song started out with nothing but acoustic guitar, playing something soft, slow, and endlessly falling. ChibiUsa thought she could hear the sound of the player's fingers scraping along the strings. After a few bars, the voice joined it. It wasn't laughing like in the first song. This time, the child-like soprano voice sounded like it came from someone who was lost, and very far away. I never knew it could be so lonely, In this dark between two stars There's no light here that can warm me That can tell me where you are. Are you safe, are you happy? Do you thank the stars you're free? Or are you somewhere dark and lonely? Are you lost? Do you miss me? Hotaru aimed the remote control and zapped the CD player as if she were blasting it with a death-ray. "Hey! That was pretty!" protested ChibiUsa. "It's too sad," said Hotaru. "I don't really know what it means yet, but Michiru-mama told me that Celeste-san wrote that song after her husband died or left her or something. I'll let you borrow the CD if you want to take it home and listen to it." She continued to zap the CD player until it cued up the track she wanted. "Anyway, this is the one I wanted to play for you." This time, they heard the excited hum of a crowd. There was rough laughter, and the sound of glasses on wooden tables. Hotaru practically shivered with excitement and she propped herself up on her elbows. "Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa heard her play at some pub when they were in Toronto last year," she said. She turned to ChibiUsa and grinned mischievously. "They were actually in the audience when this one was recorded." As Hotaru explained, Celeste was saying something to the crowd. ChibiUsa's English may not have been terribly good, but she did understand the word 'surprise.' A violin started to sketch out a jerky, simple little tune. "That's not Michiru, is it?" "Not yet, now shhh!" A second violin joined in, punctuating the tune with long, sliding notes. Hotaru smiled at ChibiUsa and nodded. The dulcimer came in, throwing in seemingly random grace notes, then gradually filling in until it matched the tune of the first violin. Then... a low, hollow drumming rose up from beneath the dulcimer, and the dulcimer picked up its tune and *ran*. Both violins followed in merry chase, flowing up and down in a rollicking sea-chantey. Almost lost in the recording, some of the patrons at the pub who knew the words to the song added their bit. The dulcimer threw in extra notes wherever there was room to spare, and ChibiUsa could not imagine how anyone's hands could move so fast. While the dulcimer carried the tune the two violins performed a merry dogfight all through the surrounding key and beyond, circling each other in cockeyed harmonies, one holding a long, building high note, the other reeling off a variation of the main tune, going faster and faster as drum and dulcimer egged them on as in a schoolyard dare. No one was playing the same thing, but it all somehow held together, orderly despite the chaos. One wrong step, one miscalculation, and it would all fall apart, and that made the music come alive. Four, sharp, short, notes. All instruments hit them firmly, as one, then each skirled off once more, faster and yet faster, carrying everyone around them skywards. One more time--four, sharp, short, notes--one last flourish on the dulcimer, and they all landed lightly back down to earth. The two girls joined in with the raucous applause and hollering on the recording. ChibiUsa couldn't even say anything. She could only grin like an idiot, laughing and clapping. Oh, if only she could dance the way the music made her want to dance! Hotaru looked smug, proud, and more than anything else, happy. "I wish I'd been there," ChibiUsa finally said. "I never knew Michiru played anything like that!" "I just wish she'd play like that more often! She told me that none of that was rehearsed, that they were all able to read each other as they played. She's as good as she always was, but I don't know... it's almost like she doesn't like playing any more." The joy of the moment faded away into the overly-sweet ballad on the next track. Hotaru rolled over and put her hands behind her head. She stared up at the ceiling, tilting her head this way and that as if studying some invisible painting. "Actually, it might just be the stuff that they're making her play in school." "What kind of stuff?" asked ChibiUsa. "Her advisor's having her play all of these weird pieces, things that are based on a twelve-note scale. She says that it's more like doing math than playing music." "Ew!" "No kidding! All he cares about is the politics of the music, or how it 'deconstructs traditional and commonplace ideas of music in a deliberate attempt to alienate the listener.' Haruka-papa says that the composer probably just kicked a bag full of cats down the stairs and wrote down the notes." ChibiUsa mulled that over. "I don't get it. Why play music that nobody likes? Michiru plays better than anyone else I've ever heard, so why doesn't she just quit college, if she's not happy?" "You sound just like Haruka-papa," Hotaru said. She sounded awfully gloomy. Although it was still light out, Hotaru's room had grown noticeably darker over the past hour. Hotaru looked out the window, then checked her watch. "Let's go outside," she said. "It's too nice to be in here. Maybe we can dig out the croquet set or something." ChibiUsa followed her out of the room. "But won't it be too dark?" "Nah. It won't be full dark until after nine." The door to Setsuna's room was open, spilling golden light into the hallway. As they approached, they could hear the steady clackety- clack of Setsuna's fingers on her keyboard. Hotaru stopped and poked her head into the room. "Setsuna-mama, ChibiUsa-chan and I are going outside for a bit, in case anyone's looking for us." "Mmm-hmm." Clack-click-clackety. Hotaru looked over her shoulder at ChibiUsa and rolled her eyes. She looked back into Setsuna's room. "We're going to go out and get our tongues pierced, okay?" ChibiUsa stifled a snort of laughter. "Uh-huh. Don't forget that the Tsukinos are picking up ChibiUsa at nine." Clickety-click-click-clack. The two girls headed back down the hallway. "Unbelievable," Hotaru muttered. # # # Setsuna scrolled up several pages and added a sentence to explain who Cerelia was. She sighed. This was taking much longer than she'd anticipated. Every time she remembered one thing, she found another hundred memories lurking behind it. By the time she was done, this thing would be as long as The Tale of Genji, War and Peace, and the collected works of Charles Dickens all rolled into one. Ami had better appreciate just how much of a nuisance this was. Happy memories of sunny days and centuries of bliss were one thing. Trying to sort through thousands of years of intertwining history, romance, and tragedy was something else altogether. It was like working on what you thought was a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle, only to find that not only was there no picture, but that it was a ten-thousand piece, two-sided, possibly three-dimensional puzzle, with the missing pieces being delivered on the installment plan. She scrolled back down and whacked away at the keyboard, wishing she could be writing about leptons and tachyons and bosons, oh my. Stupid project. Stupid memories. Stupid past. Why so bitter, Setsuna? she asked herself. This project sounded like fun when you first started it. Because my eyes feel like they've been pickled from staring at this screen all day long, she thought. Plus, every minute spent working on this memoir meant one minute less she had to work on that report that was due on Monday. No, it wasn't just that. She was drawing unavoidably closer to the time when Hyperion had... died, and she had been sealed as the Senshi of Time. After that, there was little to tell. Just millions of years as Senshi of a barren, frozen planet. She was to be forever confined to the Gates of Time. She looked forward to her occasional visitors, but after a while, their visits only helped to remind her how lonely she was. She could, of course, walk the halls of Charon Castle, but after the first few centuries, that became nothing more than trying to relieve endless monotony with excruciating dullness. Then, after the fall of the Glaive, she didn't even have the dubious joy of visiting her Castle. Sailor Pluto. There was the crux of the problem. Setsuna rubbed her eyes, half-surprised that they didn't crumble to bits. The others always seemed to think of her as the stalwart, faithful guardian, serving uncomplainingly at the Gates. Although they never came out and asked her directly, she knew that the others wondered what she knew of their future. Nothing. Nothing other than that bright spot of rosy-pink and joy and boundless curiosity that one day wandered into her domain, looking for a friend. Small Lady blundered into her life, and it was as if a million years of sorrow and solitude just fell away. In that little girl, she saw the red, resolute eyes of Hyperion. She saw the eternal spring that was echoed in Rosamund's pink hair and quicksilver moods. And then, more than anything, she saw the sweetness and goodness of Serenity--not this strange new queen of an unknown new kingdom, but the great-hearted woman to whom she had been servant, advisor, confidante, and friend. In the end, Small Lady had managed not only to bring an end to her loneliness, but through her actions, had led to the former Pluto's rebirth as Setsuna Meiou. And there was the other problem. Not Small Lady--though something about that had been bothering her since she began this memoir--but the fact that she was no longer what she had once been. If she was to be true to the facts in this memoir, she would have to explain her own role in the events leading up to the fall of the Silver Millennium. She may as well start packing her bags, she thought. Oh, now *that* was just silly! Setsuna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The Senshi were her friends--the very best friends she had *ever* had. The younger Senshi had been there when she had broken all three of her sacred rules, and they did not think any less of her for it. They had been sorry when she died. A young girl she had once planned to kill now called her 'Mama,' knocking away yet another chunk of that eternal loneliness. Her friends would not mind that she had once been 'other.' They would not mind that her sealing was meant as a disgrace, not an honor. That didn't mean it would be pleasant or even easy to talk about. It had only been in the past two years that she even felt comfortable talking to Haruka and Michiru about the time when she was just Setsuna Meiou and not Sailor Pluto. Maybe it was because those two had been treated as 'other' that she had finally ventured to tell them a little of what it was like to grow up in a mixed-race family, being neither truly Japanese nor truly Latino. Whether she was with her father's family or her mother's, she was always the alien, the odd one, the misfit. Even now, the playground taunts would sometimes sting like tiny thorns in the heart. Sometimes, she wished she had just a little bit of Haruka's 'screw you' attitude towards those who would looked down upon others for being different. Maybe it would have been better than teaching herself how to become aloof and distant, turning her otherness from inferiority to superiority, transforming herself from misfit into mystery. Oh, enough of that, already! There were other things far more important than getting all mopey over her past. She was writing this memoir so that the others could try to figure out what on earth had been going on lately. Then, there were some other things that she needed to mention the next time she saw the others. For one thing, she still couldn't figure out what it was she'd sensed the night of Usagi's party. She *knew* she knew what it was, but that knowledge stayed just out of reach, like a name on the tip of her tongue. They also needed to find out more about this 'Sailor Sun' character. Once she remembered what the Eunomia had done with the original Sailor Saturn, the idea of a Sailor Sun made even less sense. She started typing in a stream of sentence fragments, trying to get down every little bit of information as quickly as she could. As far as she knew, no one other than a privileged few knew of the Silence Glaive, and of the little... twist that had been given to Saturn's original Senshi nature. This could be a problem. Setsuna had absolutely no idea how Hotaru would react to that little tidbit of historical fact. These days, even a simple 'how was school today?' might set off a full-blown attack of the surlies. Hotaru. Setsuna winced in disgust as she thought about her own little pity-party. She was not the only one with a bitter past. Hotaru's otherness had been far more than being only half-Japanese. Sometimes Hotaru seemed so adult that it was easy to believe that she had been able to shrug off all of the abuse heaped on her by Kaorinite, by her father, by classmates who had shunned her for her healing touch. How many thorns had left their sting in Hotaru's heart? Speaking of which, did Hotaru just ask her something, or was she imagining things? It was definitely time for a break. # # # "This is my favorite time of day. The in-between time," said Hotaru. She lay back onto the cool, neatly clipped grass. She was wearing a tank top and shorts, and the cut tips of the grass prickled against her skin. The sky was still red and gold to the west of them, but to the east, the sky was a rich, slate blue that seemed to glow with its own light. Once, she had told Setsuna-mama that she wanted a dress in that color, but when the color was trapped and put into fabric, it just wasn't the same. She could see the red and white blinking lights of distant jet liners, and the warm, steady glow of one of the planets, bright enough to shine against the still-light western sky. ChibiUsa remained sitting, but leaned her head back so she could look up at the sky. In the deepening twilight, her hair had become a deep rose in color. She was gazing curiously at the one steady light. "Venus," said Hotaru, answering her friend's unspoken question. ChibiUsa let out a thoughtful sigh, then leaned back onto her elbows, still gazing out at the distant planet. "It's hard to believe that you used to be able to look out there and say, 'hey, there are people out there, living on that little light. I wonder what they're doing right now.'" "It looks so fragile," Hotaru said, almost in a whisper. "It looks like you could blow it out with one breath." She pursed her lips and blew, just as she had done when blowing out the candles on the dinner table. Was there anyone else who understood just how fragile everything really was? "Did you ever go to Venus? Back then, I mean. It's not like there's anything there *now*." said ChibiUsa. No. Of course there wasn't. Hotaru shrugged, and the grass tickled her shoulders. "Maybe. I don't remember much." What she did remember was already too much as it was. She remembered the crystal clarity of awakening as Sailor Saturn, and the inevitable downward swipe of the Silence Glaive. She remembered gasping in awe as the Solar System twisted and writhed under her power. How small it had looked and how fragile... how very, very fragile. She remembered exactly how she felt as planet after planet was blasted clean of life and Earth was sent into a deep, killing winter before she herself was swallowed up by destruction. Sailor Saturn never felt remorse. She had a job, and she did it well. She knew what her purpose was. There had to be more to it than that, thought Hotaru Tomoe. That can't be the only reason I was reborn. Why did that have to fall to me? Her eyes squeezed shut, and tears stung at the corners. What kind of monster would *enjoy* what I did so much? "Hotaru-chan? What's wrong?" asked ChibiUsa. Hotaru gulped back a sob. Why did ChibiUsa have to sound so concerned, so loving? "Did I say something wrong?" Hotaru rolled her head violently from side to side in denial, tears burning their way down her cheeks. No, ChibiUsa-chan. You could never do anything wrong. Never. Not you. "I'm the one who's wrong," she whispered. "Everything. Everything about me is wrong! I shouldn't even *be* here!" "Hotaru-chan!" ChibiUsa sounded like she was on the verge of panic. "Don't say that! I missed you while I was gone! You're the best friend I've ever had! How can you say you shouldn't be here?" ChibiUsa grabbed onto both of Hotaru's wrists and hauled her upright. Hotaru tried to tell her that she was all right, but one look into those worried, anxious, loving eyes, and the lie died before it could pass her lips. The next thing she knew, she had slumped forward, sobbing, her face buried in ChibiUsa's hair. "It hurts," she whispered. "Knowing what I am." The fear that one day, she would once again have to watch a world flicker and fade into smoke and darkness. Sometimes she could see that fear in her foster-parents' eyes, those times when the ancient Senshi within her stirred restlessly. She pushed back from ChibiUsa and looked up, scowling, at the sky. More stars had come out, and they wavered and refracted in her tear-blurred vision. They had wavered and refracted that way once before, a long, long time ago. "I hate it! I've always wanted to be a nurse. I *heal* people for crying out loud!" No matter how hard she tried she could not keep her voice from cracking and coming out in a pathetic little squeak. "Everyone else fits the role they were given--Ami, Rei, Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama--everyone! Everyone but me! It's not fair! Did I do something so terrible and wrong and evil, that they made me the destroyer?" ChibiUsa rubbed her back gently. She seemed to understand that Hotaru didn't want anyone to try to cheer her up or tell her that everything was going to be all right. Hotaru hated it when people told her lies. After a little while, ChibiUsa handed her a handkerchief. Hotaru saw the little bunny-face embroidered on the corner and laughed. She couldn't help it. There was just something about the idea of the Destroyer of Worlds blowing her nose on something that had a cartoon rabbit on it. "You're not evil, Hotaru-chan. There's other things you're good at. You're the one who realized that the Ceres and the others were Senshi, and not the enemy after all." Yeah. Whatever. She didn't even know how she'd done that. If anything, it was as if the Glaive had recognized the four Amazons for what they were and communicated that information to her. She heard the back door open and shut, then soft footsteps across the back lawn. "Mind if I join you two?" Setsuna asked. Thank heavens she was over the worst of her crying spell. What on earth had brought that on? She could hardly remember. Hopefully, Setsuna-mama wouldn't... "Hotaru-chan? Have you been *crying*?" ...notice. "I'd rather not talk about it," Hotaru said automatically. Setsuna did not ask 'are you sure?' but her eyes darkened and her smile faded just a bit. "I needed a break, so I thought I'd come out here with you two for a while. Scoot." The two girls inched apart so Setsuna could sit between them. As the sky grew darker, the three of them sat silently, looking up at the stars. "Setsuna-mama, what do you know about Saturn?" Hotaru asked, extinguishing the silence. "The role, not the planet, I mean." "I know that Saturn was to be the Senshi of ruin and rebirth," Setsuna said. Hotaru could hear the hesitation in her voice, as if she was carefully considering each word before she spoke. Please don't lie to me, Setsuna-mama. Please don't try to make me feel better. "Now, do I know what that means? Not exactly." She was quiet again, speaking only when Hotaru began to shift restlessly. "As I'm writing all of these memories down, I'm finding out just how much I *don't* understand. I only met your former self once, when I was there for her investiture as Saturn..." She was silent again, but this was the silence of thought. "Puu? Is something wrong?" asked ChibiUsa. "N-no. I just remembered something that struck me as odd, but I'm probably misremembering. Anyhow, what I do know is that your-- that Saturn's--mother was nearly as powerful as Serenity herself. There was some question as to whether Saturn should have a Senshi or not. The lady Demeter was not only powerful, but her husband was of the royal family of Earth." Setsuna raised one eyebrow and turned to Hotaru. "In other words, your former self was first cousin to Prince Endymion." "No way!" ChibiUsa gasped. Hotaru shivered. Not an unpleasant shiver, but goose bumps all the same. "I think," Setsuna continued, again scrutinizing each word she said, "that may have been why they--the Eunomia, I mean--entrusted the Silence Glaive to Sailor Saturn. She had ties to both the Golden Kingdom and the Silver Millennium. It may also have been that Saturn's powers were somehow...compatible...with the Glaive." "Great," Hotaru snapped. "Not only do they make me the Senshi of Destruction, they also hand me the Giant Can Opener of Doom and give me the worst job in the universe! Why couldn't they have just left me alone?" Setsuna remained silent, her eyes downcast. "But Saturn's supposed to be the Senshi of rebirth, not just ruin, right?" asked ChibiUsa, anxious to make things better. "Maybe she was supposed to have super healing powers or something. It would make sense, wouldn't it, if the Senshi were always going into battle?" "In those days, whatever the Eunomia declared was law," Setsuna said, so softly they could barely hear. "Something was decreed, and it simply *was.* You could no more rebel against their law than you could ignore the law of gravity." Setsuna shook slightly, and seemed to remember where she was. "Hotaru-chan, there's more to you than destruction, please believe that." She reached out and cupped Hotaru's cheek in one dark, warm hand, and brushed away a tear with her thumb. "Can you believe that?" Hotaru nodded. A few more tears leaked out. "I think so." ChibiUsa got to her hands and knees and scuttled around to Hotaru's other side. She gave Hotaru a rib-cracking squeeze. "Well," she said cheerfully, "I *know* so, so that's that!" "And if her Highness says it's so, then it must be so," said Setsuna. "Shall we continue this inside? Over ice-cream?" # # # Setsuna smiled as the two girls raced each other back to the house. Then, as she thought about Hotaru, a knot of worry formed in her stomach. She'd been right to worry about the girl. Although destruction was a part of Saturn's makeup, it wasn't the main part, or at least it wasn't supposed to be. Haruka's question from the other day came back to twist a knife in her side. Why hadn't she said anything about her memories before now? Because she was a coward who was too worried about what the others would think of her, that's why. Besides, none of it had seemed important. It was just history. No longer. She would continue to dig through her memories, even if it meant staying up all night, even if meant having to take an incomplete on this quantum paper. Her former self might have deserved to suffer at the hands of the Eunomia, but Hotaru Tomoe didn't. She had already suffered too much in this life. From now on, no detail would be unimportant or insignificant. When she went back to her computer, she would write down everything she could remember about Saturn's investiture. What had been said. What had been done. What everything looked like. She would write down every question that occurred to her. Why did the Glaive go to Saturn? Were Saturn's attributes ever defined? She would also try to figure out what was bothering her about Saturn's investiture. The fuku color was totally different, for one thing, but something else nagged at her, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Whatever it was, chances were it was completely unimportant, but she did not have the luxury of making that assumption. 9:17 p.m. Taiyouko bit into her second chocolate macaroon and watched the afternoon's events zip by in fast forward. The rash of burglaries in the area five years ago actually had a nice little after-effect--security cameras in every hallway of her building. The building super knew she was police. Of course he was willing to let her take a look at that afternoon's tapes. No problem! No questions! All she had to do was to put the tapes back when she was done. This was almost *too* easy. She felt a twinge of guilt, but she tried to push it aside. This was research, wasn't it? This was related--sort of--to a case she'd been officially assigned. She cued the tape to the moment when Wright arrived at Kino's door, right on schedule. Kino opened the door, and her goggle-eyed expression of shock and surprise was the sort of thing that professional comedians spent hours trying to perfect. She tsk-tsked, but couldn't help smiling. Wright's face was not visible from that angle, but Kino was sure giving him the old elevator eye. She rewound the tape and watched the scene again. Wright was startled, but was that because the wrong person had answered the door or because he recognized her? All Jason had said when he came up was that he'd met one of her neighbors and that she seemed like a nice girl. Nice, indeed. These macaroons were delicious. Wright followed Kino into the apartment. Taiyouko watched the time-stamp on the tape. He stayed in there for exactly three minutes and twenty-seven seconds. Not bad. Just enough time for a little chit-chat and to pick up some nummy macaroons. When they re-emerged, the two of them were still chatting, and Wright was considerate enough to be facing the camera. Hmm. He seemed pretty cheerful. So did Kino. Well, she wouldn't be too surprised if Wright pumped her for some more information later on. It would also be interesting to see if Kino managed to waylay her in the stairwell in the next day or two. And what's this? Her little ruse had worked even better than she had hoped! Two of Chiba's other girlfriends had shown up. This might actually be worth lending Akiko that new Teresa Wentzler pattern before she'd had a chance to work it herself. Interesting... Wright was *not* happy to see the others. The eyes narrowed, the smile turned nervous, and he kept looking longingly at the stairwell. No, not happy at all. Even so, he had somehow managed to calm himself down by the time he made it up to her apartment. Too bad there was no sound on these tapes. Once Wright to broke free, he practically *ran* for the stairs. Oh, and Kino looked *pissed.* Taiyouko chuckled and grabbed a third macaroon. The odds of Kino 'accidentally' bumping into her had just gotten better. She rewound the tape a bit so she could study the reactions of two other girls--she'd have to get their names from Kino. That shouldn't be a problem, especially if Kino approached her for information about Wright. Quid pro quo, as they say. The girl with the short blue hair looked like the kind who could fade into the background at will, and she seemed to waffle between self-assuredness and painful shyness. Her uniform was the same as the one she'd seen Kino in. Juuban High, then. The one with the long violet-black hair was a real beauty, with an air of intensity that was almost tangible. Her uniform was a gray on gray number that was unusually elegant for a school uniform- -something from a private school? One of Keisuke's kids could probably tell her where it was from. Hmm. The intense one did a slight double-take, then shook her head almost imperceptibly, as if she'd been hit with a case of déja- vu. Other than that, she couldn't tell if they'd reacted to Wright in any way other than just scoping him out. Oh, how pathetic, she grumbled. Just look at her. Spying on a trio of teenaged girls. Maybe the onset of 'the change' was making her paranoid, but still... She rubbed her eyes. Too many connections. An old case gets handed back to her, and it ends up that the central figure in the case has a web of connections to one of her oldest friends, to her neighbor, to her on-the-job baby-sitting case, and--if this whatsis living in her mind could be trusted--to her. "You know," she said to the lurker, "this had better turn out to be worth the trouble. Also, once you've finished this whatever- it-is you botched the first time around, I'm expecting you to pack your bags and head back to the depths of my subconscious mind, you understand?" Whatever, the voice grumbled. Now that it was picking up on her own vocal mannerisms, Taiyouko didn't actively resent its presence quite so much. "I hope you tell me what this is all about," said Taiyouko. "Anyhow, since you seem to be taking up residence for the foreseeable future, how about giving me your name--and don't start with that 'I am you' crap." Silence. It was an embarrassed silence, though. "Great! First Chiba, now you," Taiyouko snapped, picking up on the cause of the lurker's frustration. "What is this? Amnesiacs Pride Month?" Taiyouko took a large bite out of the last macaroon. I was supposed to protect someone, the lurker said. Someone important. Then I was supposed to go away. I didn't ask to be here. "But something went wrong," Taiyouko said, almost gently. The poor thing almost sounded depressed. "That person is still in danger, right?" No. I don't think so. This is something bigger. Much bigger. Justice has been broken. Something has been left undone. "Well, you're a clever figment of my imagination. You'll figure it out," said Taiyouko, trying to be soothing despite the chill that just ran down her spine. "Now be a good disembodied voice and pack it in for the night. I want to work on my stitching and watch some game shows." The lurker indicated that it really, really wanted a cigarette. "You and me both," said Taiyouko. 10:02 p.m. Sailors Venus and Mercury hid behind a billboard on the roof of an office building. Mercury typed a few commands into her computer, snapped it shut, then slid it back into its sub-space pocket. "Nothing, huh?" "I'm afraid so," said Mercury. "For all we know, that golem could have been a one-time occurrence." "But what about those crystal thingies from Hotaru's golem?" Mercury shrugged. She'd had to scrap her initial theory--that their blue glow was a reflection of her own power aura--when the crystals turned out to glow the same shades of blue for Rei, Makoto, Minako, and Usagi. When she'd shown them to Motoki and Unazuki, however, there was no glow whatsoever. "I haven't finished analyzing them. They don't appear to have any power of their own. The glow appears to be a reaction to our powers, but I don't see what purpose that would serve." Venus was quiet for a moment. When she spoke again, her tone was unusually serious. "Mercury, you said yourself that those crystals have the same structure as the Ginzuishou. You can't tell me that you *really* believe this was just a 'one-time occurrence'." No, she didn't believe it, but she had allowed herself to hope it. Facing the occasional monster or criminal was one thing. Getting involved in another long, drawn-out campaign against a strong, well- organized enemy was another. Every year, almost like clockwork, they had to gather together against a new threat. Each time, the stakes were greater, and the odds were stacked ever higher against them. Just thinking about it left her exhausted and queasy. She shouldn't have been surprised that Venus was so quick to come to the conclusion she'd been trying to avoid. Minako couldn't get her kanji right to save her life, and her study habits were beyond atrocious, but she was no dummy. On the volleyball court and in battle, she demonstrated an innate tactical genius--when she kept her impulsiveness in check, that is. Mercury took a deep breath, forcing herself to envision the feelings of futility and fatigue draining out of her body and evaporating into the air. She had a job to do, and part of that job was playing strategist to Venus's tactician and helping to curb that impulsive streak. "If we *do* find a golem, try to give me a few seconds before you destroy it. If I can capture an image of the symbol on its forehead, I should be able to learn more about whoever it is that's making them." Mercury sighed and leaned back against the billboard. "If we *are* facing a new enemy, I wish they'd come out and give us some idea of what they're after." "Well, if they follow the norm," said Venus, ticking off options on her fingers, "there's general energy-suckage, stealing the Ginzuishou or other crystals, taking over the world, and/or turning Mamoru-kun into a brainwashed love-slave. Am I leaving anything out?" "Minako-chan!" She wasn't sure if she should be outraged, or grateful for the distraction. Venus waggled her finger under Mercury's nose. "No civilian names!" she chided in a sing-song voice. "Remember, loose lips sank the Titanic." "No, it was an iceberg, remember? You saw the movie at least eight times." "Oh, silly me! I meant the Lusitania, not the Titanic! Am I out of it tonight or what?" She winked at Mercury and giggled. Mercury just shook her head, her chest shaking with silent laughter. She often wondered if Venus deliberately mangled metaphors and spliced together sayings. Her mother was always asking her if she'd heard any new 'Minakoisms' lately. Venus flipped her hair back from her face. "By the way, I meant to ask you--was it just me or was Mako-chan in one heck of a foul mood this afternoon?" "I'm afraid so. Rei and I showed up earlier than planned, and we kind of interrupted Mako-chan when she was talking with a visitor." "A visitor?" Only Venus could turn a completely innocent word into a single-entendre. "Was he cute?" Of course Venus would assume it was a 'he.' Mercury made a noncommittal sound, a sort of hesitant yes. That stranger *was* cute. Not only that, but something about him reminded her of her former self's lover. Lately, though, given the intensity of her dreams, any blond-haired blue eyed man would make her think of Ikarus. Ha! These days, even calculus problems made her think of Ikarus! If Minako found out about these racy dreams of hers, she might as well end it all now. She didn't know which would be worse--being interrogated and pressed for all the juicy details, or subjected to speculation on juicy details that Minako would think up on her own. If only the dreams weren't so vivid! All of the senses were there, and Ami was trapped in Egeria's body throughout the course of the dream. The dreams themselves were... well... enjoyable. She was human, after all. But the more she dreamed, the more she had to wonder how much of what she thought of as her 'self' was Egeria and how much was original material, so to speak. It was hard not to feel like some sort of pathetic voyeur. It was also hard not to feel jealous--why was Egeria able to have what she herself did not? She could also not escape the fact that the leap in her heart she felt when Ikarus appeared in her dreams was in her *own* heart, not just Egeria's. Even with all the qualms and scruples, something about this memory-ghost felt comfortable. Comfortable and *right*. "From the way you're blushing, I'm guessing he was *very* cute." Venus slapped her fist into the palm of her hand. "Figures that I'd miss it! No wonder Mako-chan didn't want to head out tonight--she's probably trying to figure out a way to hook up with the cutie!" Mercury did not want to talk about the American. She couldn't figure out why, but something about him made her feel profoundly uncomfortable, even if he did remind her of Ikarus. She'd felt an almost staggering sense of relief when he'd dashed off. "I'm glad you said something about going out tonight," she said. She wasn't going to wait until she could change the subject more smoothly. "If there are more golems out there, I'd like to see one before it becomes a pile of dust." "I just hope we can find a couple for you to research," said Venus. There was nothing light or bubbly in that phrase at all. In fact, there was an unfamiliar note of steel in Venus's voice. Mercury had a pretty good idea what her hopes for the evening were. It had been a long time since a 'girl's night out' had been for anything other than general goofing around or merrily bringing the random street criminal to justice. Maybe that's why Venus's predatory tone took her by surprise. Or maybe... "Have you had any more dreams about the past?" Mercury asked. Too bad she hadn't yet encountered the Silver Millennium Venus in her dreams. "I--" She was cut off by a tiny pinging from her earpiece. She tapped her earring to lower her visor. "Energy burst, three o' clock! Let's go!" She jumped to her feet and took a running leap to the opposite rooftop, Venus close behind her. "Three o' clock? That thing can tell the future?" demanded Venus. "Oh, never mind! Just follow me!" Mercury took the lead as they tore across the Tokyo skyline. When they ran out of roofline, they wove through alleys and side streets, doing their best to avoid crowds. "Do you know where we're going?" Venus panted. "Uh-huh." Downloading maps of the city into the computer had certainly paid off. Her earpiece pinged again, but she didn't need it--a muffled explosion and a glowing column of oily smoke told the girls where they needed to go. "The junkyard!" shouted Venus. She took off, outpacing Mercury easily. Mercury muttered something impolite and sped up, hoping that Venus didn't do anything rash. She breathed a little easier when she saw Venus waiting for her by the junkyard gates. "Sorry 'bout that," Venus said. She peered through the fence. Whatever had exploded--diesel fuel from the smell of it--was still burning. If there were golems or worse, they would have to take care of it before anyone called the fire station or the police. "It looks pretty qui--" Venus shrieked as something large crashed into the cyclone fence, right in front of her face. The black, furry mass clung to the fence for a moment, then crumpled to the ground. "Oh God..." Venus whimpered. "Is it..." Mercury crouched down to look at the dog. She didn't need her computer to tell her that the Akita was dead. "I'm afraid so. I only hope it was quick," she said, her voice shaking. The two of them jumped up to the top of the fence. The clatter of the fence wires sounded unnaturally loud. "Why would someone kill an innocent dog?" Venus whispered. "Probably to keep it from barking," Mercury said. She prayed that the watchdog was the sole extent of the junkyard's night security. She nodded to one side of the junkyard, the part that seemed to be home to junked cars and defunct construction equipment. "My visor's picking up some motion from over there," she whispered. They heard the crash of metal against metal. Venus pointed. Even in the darkness, Mercury could now see two huge shapes moving through the scrap. They moved quickly, throwing aside huge piles of debris, crushing oil barrels, cinder blocks, and old packing crates beneath their feet. They looked like gingerbread men shaped by a sociopathic kindergartener. Massive torsos sat on stumpy, uneven legs. The huge clay arms were so long that the ends would drag on the ground whenever the golems weren't using them to scythe piles of junk out of their way. The head of the smaller golem, with its gouged-out eyes and screaming, silent mouth, sat directly on its trunk. On the larger one, an eyeless head lolled almost all the way off its left shoulder, as if whoever had shaped it had just stuck it on randomly. "Ugly buggers," Venus growled. Her lips were pulled back from her teeth in a literal snarl. "Dog killers!" With a savage yell, she leapt down from the fence. The larger of the two golems charged straight at her. So much for keeping her in check! Mercury jumped down, hoping to draw the smaller golem's attention away from Venus. She danced out of its way, keeping her gaze on it at all times. Her computer had better be getting all of this! "Crescent Beam!" The ray of golden light punched clean through the mark on the larger golem's forehead. It exploded into dust. Venus jammed a fist up into the air. "Awesome! Just like on 'Buffy'!" Mercury was not doing as well with the smaller golem. She did a back handspring out of its way, barely dodging a vicious uppercut. How could something made of dirt be so fast? "Venus! I need some help with this one!" She called up a fog, but it didn't even slow the thing down for a second! The tiny part of her mind that remained an objective observer made a mental note to look into how these things sensed the world around them. The dominant, more terrified part of her mind scrambled to find some way she could adapt her powers to the kind of precision strike needed to stop these things! The golem barreled into a tower of junked cars, sending them toppling towards Mercury. Mercury jumped clear, only to be stung by a barrage of shattered glass. The golem kept coming, crunching through the fallen cars as if they were nothing but tissue. An Aqua Rhapsody knocked it off its feet, but it got right back up again. Mercury blasted it again and ran. This was no good-- her attacks only bought her a second or two at most and the golem was gaining on her. "VENUS!" Come on, come on, dust this thing already! She jumped out of hitting range and blasted the golem with a Shabon Spray Freezing. Flash-freezing slowed the golem down, but not enough! "Mercury! Where are you? I can't see y...oh, shit! Crescent Beam!" Mercury heard the familiar whine of Venus's attack followed by a clatter of gravel. How many golems *were* there in this place? "Just listen for the crashes and the screaming!" Mercury yelled. She took off towards the heart of the junkyard, relying on her visor to keep track of the golem chasing after her. She dodged around a junked semi cab and grinned as the golem swung wide, leaving itself open for another blast. These things might be fast, but they were not built for maneuverability. "Mercury! Mercury, where are you!" Venus called out frantically from somewhere nearby, but not nearby enough! "Over here!" Her plan was working. She had gained ground. If she could just buy herself little more time--just enough for Venus to get to her. She snapped a command to her visor, telling it to scan for anything she could use as a projectile or a lance. If worse came to worse, she'd have to go hand to head with the thing and hope for the best. Mercury dashed down a narrow pathway between two huge debris- filled dumpsters, using a precious two seconds to turn and fire off another Shabon Spray Freezing. Come on! Get angry at me! Come on! Chase me! If it was as unthinking as it seemed, it would tear through the dumpsters to follow her, and that might hold it for as much as a minute. Or not. Mercury winced as she heard the screech of sheet metal being ripped apart like cardboard. She turned and fired off another attack to keep her lead, but she could feel herself getting weaker. "Venus! Where are you!" "Plasma Flare!" Even before Mercury could realize what she had heard, the air shimmered and warped as a blast of searing heat slammed into the golem. Its legs and one arm shattered as it fell to the ground and a huge crack zigzagged across its chest. What on earth...? Yes, her repeated attacks would have super- cooled the golem, so no wonder it broke so easily after such an impressive infusion of heat. But where did that heat-blast come from? She heard Venus call out again, much closer this time. Mercury gasped for breath, not just because of her close call, but because the lingering heat and smell of scorched metal made it like being in the middle of a foundry. The golem tried to get up, but it had no legs, and wound up just flopping over on its back. One of the detached legs flexed and kicked as if it were still attached to the body. Venus leapt over the wrecked dumpsters to land beside Mercury. "Okay, that leg twitching thing is just gross." She brushed glass shards off of Mercury's collar and out of her hair, and gave her a quick, critical once-over. "Are you all right?" Mercury nodded. Still panting, she pulled out her computer and let it scan for crystals. "Looks... looks like you got your excitement." "And then some," Venus agreed. Her normal light-heartedness had returned. "Well, you did say you wanted a chance to study these things. Jeez, it's hot!" She fanned herself with her hand as she looked out at the remains of the golem. Much of what was left was cracked and charred. "What the heck happened?" Mercury was about to say that she honestly had no idea when she noticed a flicker of fiery gold amidst the heat haze. As the color resolved itself into a form, Mercury gasped. A Sailor Senshi? The pale yellow of the girl's skirt and the deep orange-red of her hair made her look like a strange inversion of Venus at first. Was this some sort of illusion? "Another one?" exclaimed Venus. "How many of us *are* there, anyway?" The girl strode towards them, her flame-colored form rippling in the shimmering air. It should have been majestic and awe-inspiring, and for a moment it was, but the effect was completely ruined when the girl bent over awkwardly and pawed through the junk at her feet, sending old bits of cardboard, springs, insulation, tin cans, and what-not flying through the air. After a couple of seconds she straightened up, a length of copper pipe in her hand. She squealed in delight, then launched into a series of enthusiastic overhead blows, apparently aiming at the golem's head. Aiming, yes. Connecting, no. Mercury and Venus could only stare, slack-jawed, as this new Senshi kept swinging at and missing the writhing golem. It was like watching the world's worst Whack-a- Mole player in action. Venus cupped her hands to her mouth. "Don't choke up so much on the pipe!" she shouted. "Let the weight do the work for you!" "Have you gone *completely* insane?" Mercury hissed. Venus shrugged. "I'm just trying to be helpful. Should we lend her a hand, do you think?" Just then, more by luck than anything else, the pipe smashed into the mark on the golem's head. The golem and all of its scattered bits quietly exploded. "I did it! I did it!" The girl flung her arms up above her head, sending the badly bent copper pipe pinwheeling through the air. It missed Mercury's head by mere inches. The redhead finally noticed Venus and Mercury and smiled broadly at the two stunned Senshi while pointing to the big pile of dust at her feet. "Did you see that! I did it!" "You sure did," said Venus. She appeared to be in shock. "Who *is* this girl?" she whispered fiercely. "*Very* nice job," Mercury said to the strange Senshi. "I have absolutely no idea," she whispered in reply to Venus. "Really?" exclaimed the new girl. "You really think I did okay?" She rushed up to them and clapped her hands together in delight. "Oh! You're Sailor Senshi, too! Oh, let me see if I can tell who you are!" She reached into nothingness the way Mercury did when going for her computer, but this new girl pulled out a crystal roughly the size of the Ginzuishou. She held the crystal out to Venus, and it turned blaze orange. "That means you're Sailor Venus," the girl explained, quite pleased with herself. "Yes, I am well aware that I am Sailor Venus," Venus said flatly. Mercury glared at her. This girl might be able to tell them something about the golems--they couldn't afford to alienate her. The girl then held the crystal out to Mercury. This time the crystal glowed a brilliant, eye-watering blue. "Oh! You're Sailor Mercury!" the girl said, looking up in surprise. She tilted her head to one side and studied Mercury. "I thought you'd be the girl with the pretty green hair!" And what's wrong with my hair? Mercury wanted to ask, but she held her tongue. "No," said Mercury, sympathizing with Venus's irritation, "that would be Sailor Neptune." As soon as she said it, she wished she hadn't been so free with the information. Still, it might help gain this girl's trust. "Would you mind telling us who *you* are?" The girl thrust her crystal into Mercury's hands. The blue glow instantly faded. "You have to promise to give it back," she solemnly informed Mercury. Mercury promised, and the strange girl smiled again and quivered with delight. "Now hold the crystal out so it can see me!" Was the crystal sentient, wondered Mercury, or was the girl simply using a figure of speech? She did as instructed and the crystal glowed smiley-face yellow. "That means I'm Sailor Sun," she said as if explaining a very difficult concept. Venus and Mercury exchanged glances. Why had they never heard of such a person? "I can't believe I've finally met you! I've been waiting for so very, very long!" Then without warning, she grabbed Venus and gave her a great big hug. Venus gave a muffled cry of alarm, and very likely, pain. Her face turned red, then an unhealthy shade of blue. Sun finally released Venus, who staggered back, gasping for air. "Did you know that the golems would be here?" asked Mercury, keeping a wary eye out for sudden bursts of affection. "What can you tell us about them?" "Golems are evil," Sun stated matter-of-factly. She tapped the jewel on her tiara. "You have to hit them *right there*." "We kinda figured that," said Venus. She appeared to be ill at ease around this new Senshi. Given their experience with Galaxia's rogue Senshi, it was only natural that she'd be suspicious. Either that, or the other girl had managed to crack a rib. "Isn't there anything else you can tell us?" The girl shook her head vigorously, her long red braid swinging through the air like a whip. Mercury handed the crystal back to Sailor Sun, who tucked it back out of sight. "I have to go home now. Mother says I'll be in *big* trouble if I stay out too late," she said. "I hope I can see you again really, really, really soon, and I want meet Jupiter and Mars and everyone els!" She clapped her hands together again and giggled. "I can't wait! Bye!" Before the others could react, Sun took off across the junkyard "Wait!" Sailor Mercury called out. Would the other girl even hear her? Apparently so. Sailor Sun stopped so suddenly that she had to windmill her arms to keep from falling. She turned and stared at the other two Senshi with the curious head-tilt that Mercury had already pegged as characteristic of the girl. "Shouldn't we make sure we know how to find each other again?" Mercury asked. Sailor Sun smiled broadly. "I found out where Jupiter lives!" she said with noticeable pride. "I can just jump up onto her balcony." She clasped her hands together and laughed. "Wouldn't she be surprised!" "No!" said Mercury. Sailor Sun cringed at the sudden outburst. It was a strangely submissive reflex, but there was no fear behind it, only befuddlement, shame, and a little sadness. Mercury was starting to draw some rather disturbing conclusions about this new Senshi. She spoke more gently, hoping to put the girl at ease. "Jupiter's place isn't very private. It would be better if you met us at Mars's place... on Saturday?" she said, turning to Venus for confirmation on the last part. Venus nodded. "Saturday?" the girl asked. The head-tilt showed up again, and her brow wrinkled in puzzlement. Oh, dear. "That's three nights from now. Why don't you come by at... right around noon," she finished, not sure that this strange new Senshi had a grasp of anything even so simple as a clock. "Do you know how tell when it's noon?" Sun thought for a moment, then nodded, pointing straight up at the sky. "Noon. Not tomorrow," she said, "and not the day after that, but the day after that? At noon." "Very good!" The newest member of the Sailor Team was so delighted that Mercury thought she might launch herself into orbit from sheer joy. That joy faded quickly as Mercury tried to give Sun directions to the Hikawa Shrine. She gave Sun directions several times, but Sun only grew more frustrated and agitated as she tried to figure out what Mercury meant by this street name or that. She also kept confusing right and left. Every time she began to grasp a concept, she would forget earlier parts of the directions. Whenever the confusion got to be too much for her, Sun's china- doll face would squinch up in frustration. At one point, she broke away from the two of them and started pacing violently, muttering angrily to herself and pulling at the ribbon on her chest as if trying to shred it. Mercury studied the body-language and realized that there was a good chance that Sun might lash out if she became too agitated. Venus was growing frustrated too, and tried to help by repeating Mercury's instructions slowly and loudly, exaggerating each syllable as she stood practically nose to nose with the girl. "Venus, be quiet for a minute, will you?" Mercury went up and took Sun's gloved hand in her own. She smiled softly, reassuringly. "You're new at this, aren't you?" Sun nodded. Mercury could see the confusion and anxiety evident in her muddy brown eyes. She was relieved to see no evidence of tears. In fact, the girl's eyes looked strangely dull. "Would you remember how to find your way back to this place?" Mercury asked gently, pointing to the ground at her feet. Sun nodded, but hesitantly. "Why don't you meet me here three days from now, right at noon. Then I can *show* you how to get to Mars's place. Would that be better?" Sun squealed with joy and hauled Mercury into a bone-crushing hug, knocking the wind clear out of her. Mercury gasped for breath and tried to glare at Venus, who was sniggering loudly in the background. After she let Mercury go, Sun made her *promise* that she wouldn't forget to meet her at the junkyard. "Three days from now, at noon. Right *here*," Sun said, pointing emphatically at the ground. "I won't forget!" "Good," wheezed Mercury. Sun dashed off again, then stopped, turned, and waved. "Bye!" she called. Venus and Mercury waved mutely. Sun leapt over a pile of junk and out of sight. "That was... different," said Venus. "Well, it's certainly not like when we met Uranus and Neptune. Do you think we should meet at the shrine tomorrow, and tell the others about this?" "Yeah. I hate to say it, but that girl makes Usagi look like a Colossus of Rhodes Scholar. Do you think she's for real?" Venus shuddered as if shaking off dirt. "Gah! I *know* I'm going to have nightmares about that dog for weeks! Let's go home." "Would you mind waiting with me for a moment?" Mercury asked. "I want to check the other golem remains for crystals." Venus shrugged. "No problem. I'll watch your back." Mercury checked the scan she'd taken of the golem Sun had destroyed. Now that she knew what to look for, she could let her visor scan for crystals rather than digging through the dust. The results scrolled across her field of vision. She frowned. "That can't be right. Let's go look at the two that you destroyed." Venus led her back towards the front of the junkyard. She cast a woeful glance at the sad little heap of fur by the gates. Mercury scanned the other two piles and read through the results. This time, she cursed. Venus flinched in surprise at Mercury's language. "What's wrong?" "Nothing!" Mercury sighed and calmed herself down. "I mean, there's nothing. That's what's wrong. No crystals, nothing out of the ordinary, just dirt." "Huh. Weird." Venus did not sound particularly worried, or even interested. "You ready to go?" They headed home, taking only a brief detour to de-transform and duck into an all-night convenience store for snacks. They parted ways near Ami's apartment building. Ami headed upstairs, exhausted, but knowing that she wouldn't be able to sleep. Things were starting again, and her brain was awhirl with possibilities and precautions. Even a long, hot bath was unable to calm her. She wished she could sleep. She wished she could dream. She wished that somehow she could break into her own memories of the past and talk things over with Ikarus. "You fool," she whispered to herself. "You poor, hopeless fool..." # # # Author's notes: In chapter eight, we see an example of how *not* to handle personal problems, and a demonstration of why Senshi communicators make lousy alarm clocks. Detective Seidou's team gains a new member. It is discovered that holograms are no substitute for the real thing. Hotaru has a rotten evening. Three different means of overseas communications are used with a high degree of success, and we learn that Ami is not the only Senshi cutting class these days. Also included are some brief lessons in Soviet history, goldfish genetics, and Great Disasters of the Twentieth Century. A note on Japan's criminal justice system. Suspects can be detained in police custody for questioning for up to four weeks until it has been determined that they will be accused of a crime or if there will even be a trial. At that point, a judge will determine whether or not the custody period can be extended. More than 90% of the time, this extension is granted. Normally, convictions are based upon confessions that suspects often sign out of a sense of shame. For those of you who are not cross-stitch otaku, letting your friend have first crack at a new Teresa Wentzler pattern is truly going above and beyond the call of duty and friendship. A different color uniform for Saturn? Check out page 97 in vol. 9 of the manga (Tokyo Pop English translation) for more information. Just a reminder--this story draws more upon the manga than it does the anime. The two are quite different, especially in the Neherenia arc. The manga version concentrates on Mamoru, who is the holder of the Golden Crystal, and the Amazon Quartet are actually Sailor Senshi who have been brainwashed. Also, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto have their talismans from the get-go. The one major exception is that I am blending the storylines from the first season anime with its manga counterpart. I do apologize if this seems like cheating.