No real author's notes this time . . . Just a really long, complicated "readme" file. And no, I don't own the Sailor Starlights or Princess Kakyuu or the Kinmoku Kingdom. They are all concepts originally created and copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi. But any other characters that appear in this story are my intellectual property . . . except for their names, which are more likely than not a sly nod toward some other animated series. *indicates emphasis* <> (er . . don't ask) ____________________________________________________________________ STARLIT LEGENDS - THE FALL OF THE KINMOKU KINGDOM PART ONE: SEARCH By Kotetsu _____________________________________________________________________ PROLOUGE "Do you understand the task before you?" The Queen Mother asked when she had finished her orders. Her servant, Anya, bowed deeply. "I understand, my Queen," Anya said as she dipped her head in a gesture of submission. But her voice echoed far too loudly in the empty chambers to be mistaken for the voice of a mere subordinate. "However, I wonder if you are making the wisest decision." The Queen Mother rested her weary golden eyes on the bowing woman in front of her, and sighed deeply. "Of course, I still have my doubts. I will always have my doubts about this. But considering the current situation, I believe that we have no other choice. The Colonies are flourishing. My daughter has almost reached the age when she will be called upon to protect the planet. The last thing that I want to do is attract Galaxia's attention . . . But this system is already an easy enough target as it is. I simply cannot leave my daughter unprotected. I have made my decision. You may choose to disobey your orders, and I will not hold it against you." Anya raised her eyes to meet the Queen's. She had known the woman in front of her for decades, and had always been the only one of the Queen's servants who could ever get away with questioning her royal authority. However, she also knew the Queen well enough to understand that she was going to follow through with her plan, regardless of whether Anya was involved or not. And Anya did not want the task ahead of her to fall into less-qualified hands. "My Queen, I will obey your orders," she confirmed. The Queen dipped her head in a slight nod, a small smile forming on her lips. "I knew that I could count on you, Lady Anya. You may leave tomorrow, if you wish. Take as long as you need. Be very careful when you search. My daughter needs guardians with strength of heart and soul. They must be able to survive the trials ahead of them. I do not wish . . . to have the blood of three innocent lives on my hands." Anya rose to her full height, making no more pretenses at a bow. "I will choose carefully, my Queen. If they die, the blood will be on my hands." Without waiting for a dismissal from her Queen, Anya whirled around and exited the Queen's private chambers. Anya strode down the hallways of the palace, turning her orders over and over in her head. If any other servant of the Queen Mother had known the plan that she had formulated over the past month, they surely would have thought that their ruler had gone mad. Nobody had the audacity to create another Sailor Crystal. Let alone three. Within the past few decades, the people of Kinmoku had succeeding in terraforming and populating the three surrounding planets. The Colonies, as the other planets were called, were placed under the rule of the wise and regal Queen Mother Maresuu. Kinmoku and its Colonies had existed in peaceful tranquility for many years . . . until contact with the Others was established. Maresuu was only mildly surprised to discover that there were alien civilizations that existed far away from Kinmoku. But as technology advanced and space-travel became more commonplace, the people of Kinmoku found themselves increasingly interacting with members of other species. That was how they found out about the Sailor Wars. Word had been spreading throughout the galaxy; stories that told of a Golden Queen who destroyed worlds and devoured the Sailor Crystals of the guardians who dared to defy her. Anya had learned of the concept of the Sailor Senshi from an old, withered historian that she met during her travels. "Every person born in the galaxy has a Star Seed, that part of them which shines with the brilliance of the stars. But only the Sailor Senshi have Sailor Crystals, those Star Seeds which shine for an eternity," he had explained. "Kinmoku has never had a Sailor Senshi," Anya commented. "Why is that?" He had smiled at her, wrinkling his leathery skin. "That's because you've never had to deal with an outside threat before. I'm sure that a Sailor Crystal exists in the bloodline of your ruling family. When the time comes, it will awaken." Then his smile faded, and his eyes grew hard and cold. "Unfortunately, Miss Anya, that time may be soon. Galaxia is continuing to consume the galaxy. It is only a matter of time before she reaches Kinmoku." Anya had returned to Kinmoku shortly afterwards, worrying that there may not be a Sailor Senshi to protect her people. She had laid her hands on her Queen, and had been delighted to feel the energy of a brilliantly shining Star Seed pulsing throughout the Queen's body. But even better had been the energy she felt in the Queen's infant daughter. Holding the baby in her arms during the Naming Ceremony, Anya had relished the throbbing power she felt in the child's body. Surely, this was the signature of a Sailor Crystal. Many years had passed since then, and the child - Kakyuu - had grown into a beautiful young adolescent. Galaxia's minions had not yet threatened Kinmoku, and the Colonies continued to flourish. Kakyuu had never awakened as a Sailor Senshi, nor did she show any outward sign that she was going to do so. Galaxia was approaching the Kinmoku kingdom as she systematically made her way through the galaxy. It was only a matter of time . . . "One lone Sailor Senshi, let alone a young and untrained one, will not be enough to defend this planet," the Queen had said to Anya. "I doubt that my daughter will even awaken as a Sailor Senshi before Galaxia is upon us." The Queen cast her eyes downward. "And . . . I do not wish for her to fight alone. We have three Colonies within our reign. Will not they each produce a guardian?" Anya had shaken her head. "I'm sorry, but it's still the same. I cannot detect the presence of any Sailor Crystals other than the one inside of Kakyuu-chan." "Very well." The Queen's eyes hardened with resolve. "We will have to take matters into our own hands." Anya had understood the implications of this statement the moment that it fell from her ruler's lips. She knew that it was certainly possible, and that it was not unheard of in the history of the galaxy. She had studied many things over the years that she had served the Queen, and had become a very learned woman. She knew secrets and rites, whispered rumors about objects of power and places where time and space itself could bend and twist, she knew of ghosts, and spirits, and the flows of energy which supposedly infused every living being with the spark of life that glowed in the universe. She knew many, many secrets . . . some of which had been unheard of for thousands of years . . . When a planet or a star fails to produce a Sailor Crystal and a time of crisis descends, there is a way for mortal beings to induce the creation of a Sailor Crystal . . . Anya had shuddered at the thought. "My Queen, are you sure that you want to go through with this?" she had asked. The Queen hesitated for a moment, then answered calmly, "Yes. I am sure. But I trust you to find the proper candidates. One from each of the Colonies. Three who will be able to protect my Kakyuu when Galaxia attacks us. Three who can survive the process . . . I trust that you know what qualities you are looking for." Anya shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. She paced the halls of the palace resolutely, trying to focus on preparing a mental packing list. Just how long *did* she plan to be abroad? She honestly had no idea exactly who she was looking for . . . She only knew that when she found her guardians, she would know. "A Sailor Senshi is bound to their guardian star by a cycle of life, death, and rebirth," she muttered to herself, repeating the words that the old historian had muttered to her so many years ago. Death is a pre-requisite for the creation of a Sailor Crystal. If Anya did not make her choices carefully, she would pay the price with the loss of three innocent lives. * * * * * * CHAPTER ONE Anya wiped her hand across her brow for the hundredth time in the past hour, delicately flicking away the beads of sweat that had begun to form there. It was murderously hot, and she hated hot weather. Her feet were sweating inside her leather boots (good for long journeys, but not for hot weather), and her skirts were beginning to cling to her damp legs. Her auburn hair, which she had carefully braided that morning in the hotel room, was beginning to fray. Anya clinked the ice around in her glass of juice, surveying the bustling street in front of the small outdoor café. Sitting at one of the quaint tables outside the air-conditioned interior was the only way that she could keep an eye on the comings and goings of the main street . . . It would have been pleasant, if the weather weren't so uncomfortably warm. Anya once again found herself marveling at the people of this city. She supposed that they were used to the equatorial heat, but she was still amazed at the way that they bustled about, running from shop to shop, laughing and talking excitedly, showing no sign that the heat was wearing them down. thought Anya smugly as she waved her hand at the petite blond girl who was waiting on a nearby table. The blonde scurried over to Anya's side and nodded her head in a curt bow. "Would you like anything else?" the girl asked. "No thank you. Just the bill, please." The girl jerked her head upward, surprised. Her eyes fell upon the full glass of juice in Anya's hand. "Was the refreshment not to your liking?" the girl asked nervously. Anya fought the urge to giggle. The people of this particular colony were always so insufferably polite. She was glad that she was currently dressed as a commoner. She couldn't even begin to imagine how the people would treat her if she wore her normal clothing, the gowns which marked her as one of the Queen's royal advisors and chosen Knights. It was good thing that her face was rarely revealed in public, and few members of the kingdom actually knew who she was. Anya swirled the ice in the glass once more. "It's really quite delicious," she assured the girl. "I just can't drink anything sweet right now. I don't feel too well, I'm afraid. It's the heat." The girl blinked with confusion. "Heat?" Anya sighed. The girl didn't even realize that the weather was insufferably hot. "Just please bring me my bill," Anya said. Chagrined, the girl scurried off. Waiting for the serving-girl to return, Anya rose out of her seat and stretched out her wearied arms. She walked over to the other side of the courtyard, observing the main street from a new angle. she pondered as she watched the street. She sighed again, realizing that watching the street from another angle wasn't going to change anything. There was nobody on the street that was emitting the type of energy that she was searching for. Discouraged, she turned and walked back to her table. Which was, incidentally, already wiped clean. The surface of the table was empty. No glass of juice, no bill, no . . . pocketbook. She had put it down on the table right before she got up to stretch . . . Anya whirled around, surveying the courtyard with her sharply - trained senses. Just as she turned to face the gate farthest from the street, she caught a glimpse of golden hair rushing away from her. "You little THEIF!" Anya cried out as she pelted across the courtyard and gracefully jumped over the gate. She quickly spotted the serving-girl fleeing down a deserted alley, clutching the pocketbook and pumping her arms and legs with all her effort. Launching into a sprint, it was only a matter of moments before Anya pulled up beside the running girl. Anya shot out her right arm and snatched the pocketbook right from the girl's grasp. The girl shrieked with surprise, stumbled, and fell. Anya skidded to a halt and turned to face the fallen girl, clutching her pocketbook in one hand, placing the other on her hip. "You, girl! Were you trying to steal from me?! I understand that the laws in this city are very harsh with thieves. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" The girl stood up shakily, but kept her eyes downcast. "No, ma'am. I was trying to steal your money. I needed it to feed my brothers and sisters." Anya pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose, where a terrible headache was starting to form. "Listen, kid. I've just a had a very long, hot, tiring day. I'm frustrated, I'm cranky, and I'm frankly not a person that you want to have as an enemy. I don't care if your family members are going hungry, got that? You tried to steal from me, and you will be punished." Anya shot her hand out and grabbed the girl's wrist. "Come with me," she ordered harshly. "I've got to turn you in to the authorities." The girl trembled, but ground her feet into the ground and refused to follow Anya. "P-Please, Madam, I didn't want to do it - I had to do it - It's not fair, you have a lot of money, and my poor baby sister is dying of malnutrition---" "Cut the crap. Lying will only get you into more trouble." Suddenly, the girl raised her head and fixed Anya's face with a defiant stare. "I don't need to listen to a bully like you," she snarled. "I've got my own problems, lady." Anya had just about reached her breaking point. That two-faced little witch! She raised her free hand threateningly, while her other hand tightened its grip on the girl's wrist. "I warn you, if you talk back to me again, I will strike you," she growled at the bratty twit. "Ha! I'd like to see you try, you ugly old hag---" In one smooth motion, Anya lowered her hand to strike the girl across the face. Only her hand never made contact with the girl. *Something* intercepted her hand in mid-arc, whacking her knuckles soundly and causing her to cry out in pain and shock. Surprised, she withdrew both her hands and immediately assumed a combat-ready stance. Momentarily forgetting about the thief, Anya whirled to face the mouth of the alley. What---? "Leave her alone, you big bully!" Anya's assailant pulled back her staff and whirled it threateningly. Anya stared at her new opponent, blinking in confusion. Another kid?! "Who are you?" Anya demanded of the new arrival, not dropping her combat stance. The girl, apparently no more than twelve years old, planted her bare feet on the surface of the alley and lowered her staff, preparing to charge. "I'm Jena's friend, and I will defend her honor against you!" The thief, obviously named Jena, fled from Anya's side and scurried to a safe position behind the girl with the wooden staff. "Yeah, Kou-chan will show you not to mess with me!" the girl taunted Anya. Then she stuck out her tongue. Anya dropped her hands to her side and stood, defenseless and bemused. "You have got to be kidding me," she groaned. "That staff is twice the size that you are," she told the girl calmly. The girl, Kou-chan, whirled the staff and smirked. "It's all about skill," she said smugly. "Would you like to challenge me?" Anya noticed that the girl was actually handling the staff in a comfortable manner, as if she was used to working with it. All right, it was no big deal. She could handle an uppity kid. And this one was just *begging* to be shown her proper place. "Fine, I accept your challenge," said Anya. "I, a fully-grown woman and experienced warrior, armed with nothing but my hands. And you, a mere child with your wooden staff. Sound like fair odds to you?" Kou-chan shrugged. "I'd rather that you didn't have the handicap of being unarmed . . . But sure, that sounds fine." In one smooth motion, the girl lowered her staff and flung herself forward. "CHARGE!" she cried out as she pelted toward Anya. Anya dodged, but just barely. mused Anya as the girl charged again, and she dodged yet again. Anya danced out of the way of yet another blow. "What's the matter? Can't you fight back?" taunted the girl as she barely missed Anya's kidney with the tip of her staff. Finally, Anya had had enough of the cocky little brat's arrogance. Effortlessly, she shot out her hands, grasped the end of the staff, and wrenched it from the surprised girl's grasp. In one continuous motion, she shot forward, grabbed the girl's shoulders, and slammed her into the wall of the alley. The girl grunted with pain, but Anya could tell that she was unhurt. "KOU-CHAN!!!" shrieked Jena, who had been watching from a safe distance. Still pinned against the wall, Kou glared at Anya with steely blue eyes. "You won," she hissed through gritted teeth. "So, what do you want from me? I suppose you want to turn Jena in to the police, break my staff, and slap me for being such an annoyance? Well go ahead. It's your right. You won, fair and square." Anya smiled. For the first time in weeks, things were starting to go her way. "No," she said softly as she released her grip on the girl's shoulders and stepped away from the wall. "No, I won't turn your friend in. You've done an admirable job of defending her honor. But I will still demand a price for your defeat." Kou stepped shakily toward Anya. Her brilliant blue eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What kind of price will you demand?" "You must answer some questions for me." Kou shrugged. "Fair enough." "Fine. What is your name?" "Kou." "Full name." "Kou Seiya." "Do you live around here?" "Yes. Three streets over." "Family?" "My older brothers and my father . . . hey, why do you want to know? Are you some sort of psychotic serial killer or something?" "You wish." Anya pulled down the collar of her blouse, revealing the stylized olive branch tattooed on her left collarbone. "I am Anya Cerise Wil Galune, Knight of the Imperial Court of Her Highness Queen Mother Maresuu." There was a moment of silence as Kou's eyes widened with shock. Suddenly Jena ran to Kou's side and placed a protective hand on her friend's shoulder. "What are you doing in the Colonies? And why are you questioning my Kou-chan?!" the blond girl demanded. Kou's jaw dropped. "Jena, are you crazy?! You can't talk to a Knight like that!!!" Then she dropped into a suppliant bow. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry about my friend, I'm sorry my Lady--" She was abruptly cut off my Anya's chortling laughter. "Don't worry about it!" giggled Anya. "Besides, I haven't finished with my questions yet. And stop bowing like that. I can't hear what you say if you're talking to the ground." Kou stood up and shrugged off Jena's hand. Both girls stood side-by-side, quiet and subdued. Anya waited just a moment to make sure that both were truly behaving themselves, then continued her line of questioning. "How did you learn to use that staff?" "My older brother taught me." "Is it your staff?" "No, it's my father's staff." "Do you normally make a habit of hanging out around juvenile delinquents?" Kou fought to suppress a grin. "Not usually. Jena's just a kleptomaniac. And a pathological liar." "Thanks a lot," muttered Jena sourly as she elbowed Kou. Kou smirked at her. "Well, it's true. You are hopeless, my Jena-chan." Anya knelt so that she was at eye-level with the girls. She took Kou's hand in her own and fixed an expression of seriousness on her face. "My last question is very, very important, Kou Seiya. I need you to answer truthfully and honestly." "Yes, my Lady." "I have been sent to the Colonies on a mission from the Queen Mother herself. I am to seek out and recruit members for the Royal Guard of her Imperial Highness, Princess Kakyuu of the Kinmoku kingdom. I think that you would be most suited for that job. It will be a lot of hard work, and years of training are required. But trust me, the rewards will be far greater than you can imagine. Will you come with me to Kinmoku and train to be a guardian of the Princess? Do you accept my offer, Kou Seiya?" Anya gazed up and down Kou's slight figure as the girl pondered her words. The girl was thin and wiry, built with the slender body of a runner or a swimmer. She was dressed only in the sleeveless dress that most girls in the city preferred to wear, a simple design with swirling skirts and a rather low-cut bodice. Not that Kou had much bodice to show off, anyway. Her dress was a shade of blue that matched her azure eyes, which stood in stark contrast to the curly dark hair that spilled over her shoulders and down most of her back. She looked tough, and she looked strong. That, and she had been glowing with a golden aura that only Anya could see, ever since she first lowered her staff and cried out, "Charge!" The moment that Anya saw the golden light surrounding the girl, she knew that she had found her candidate. And she was exactly Kakyuu's age, too. Perfect. Just perfect. Kou pursed her lips, still considering Anya's offer. "Well, it sounds like fun. I mean, my dad'll be happy. My brothers and I, we always wanted to learn martial arts from my dad so that we could run his dojo when he retired. It's the family business. But he only taught my oldest brother, 'cause he said that Yujo and I could do better things with our lives. And I guess that this is what he was talking about. Yeah, I've always wanted to meet the Princess!" Jena clasped her hands to her mouth. "You mean it? You're really going to do this crazy thing?!" "Yes. Yes, I accept." Anya stood up, suppressing the urge to grin like a maniac. "Kou Seiya, will you take me to meet your father?" she asked politely. Kou saluted jauntily. "Of course, m'Lady. Right this way." Kou reached out and grasped Jena's hand, and the two of them led Anya out of the alley. Nobody remembered that they had left Kou's father's staff behind until much, much later that evening. By then, Kou's bags had been packed, the proper paperwork filled out, the brothers and Jena were saying their tearful good-byes, and Anya had secured two tickets for an inter-planetary shuttle scheduled to leave the next morning. * * * * * * CHAPTER TWO Another day, another Colony. Anya ran a hand through her hair once again, smoothing it back from her temples. She smoothed down her blouse and straightened her skirts, checking herself in the bathroom mirror one more time. She had to look absolutely immaculate, or she would stick out like a sore thumb. Both the students and the staff at Morogawa Academy had a reputation for being . . . well, prissy. thought Anya resignedly as she stepped out of the bathroom and headed for classroom 104. She still had a few moments before the bell rung and class started, but she knew that most of the students were already in the classroom and at their seats. Sure enough, as she entered the room approached the blackboard, the already-seated students turned and stared at her curiously. Ignoring their scrutiny, Anya picked up a piece of chalk and began carefully writing her name on the blackboard, using her neatest handwriting. Mrs. Anya Galune. thought Anya, surveying her handiwork. After dropping the child Kou off at Kinmoku, Anya had promptly been given more orders by the Queen. "The furthest Colony from the sun hosts Morogawa Academy, quite possibly the finest preparatory school in the kingdom. I would suggest that you search among the student body for a suitable candidate. I've heard nothing but good things about the children there. After all, the admissions board is highly selective. Only the best and the brightest can attend the academy." Anya had done a double take. "You want me to find . . . a brain?" The Queen had laughed softly, covering her mouth to stifle her delicate giggles. "Don't worry, old friend. Whoever you find, I'm sure that she'll be no competition for you. Not every person can claim enough knowledge about the galaxy to write a twenty-volume encyclopedia." Anya had grinned at the Queen, placated. Although she had never considered herself an intellectual, she was certainly among the most educated people in the galaxy. But that came from years of traveling and studying abroad. She was the personal tutor of Princess Kakyuu and the most learned among Queen Maresuu's advisors and Knights. But no, she didn't like to think of herself as a Brain. The next assignment was going to be easy, then. Surely one among the elite students at Morogawa would be exceptional enough to harbor a truly shining Star Seed. That was why Anya arranged to be a guest-lecturer (translation: substitute teacher) in the morning session of Honors Advanced Theoretical Physics. And here she was, preparing to lecture a hoard of children who were barely older than Princess Kakyuu herself, and already studying a subject that most college students struggled with for years. Before she began speaking, Anya quickly surveyed the classroom in front of her. Although all of the students looked bright and attentive, none of them were surrounded by the golden aura that had marked the last candidate. Taking a deep breath, Anya decided to plunge headfirst into the world of theoretical physics. She faced the class and bowed deeply. "Good morning. My name is Ms. Galune. Tanamoto-sensei invited me to deliver today's lecture on the Chaos Theory." The students stared at her, silent. It was a chill reception, to say the least. Oh, well. At least they were paying attention. Unruffled, Anya continued her lecture. "The physicist Korimoto Yuri is credited with the formulation of the Chaos Theory, which he explained in his book 'Kaos', published nearly a century ago. On its surface level, the theory appears to be a rejection of every law of physics ever discovered in the history of Kinmoku." A few students perked up. Good, that seemed to have gotten their attention. "If you think about it, traditional physics is based upon some rather frightening concepts. Everything - people, plants, animals, buildings, air, water, space, *everything* - is made of particles. Atoms, molecules, sub-atomic particles, whatever. Traditional physics asserts that one can predict the path of motion and speed of a particle at any point in time. This is because particles move according to set laws of nature. So, if one were to somehow know the exact position and velocity of every particle in the universe at the same time, one would be able to accurately calculate the position of every particle in the universe at ANY point in time - past, present, or future. If you buy into this theory of traditional physics, you must realize that it discounts any notion of Free Will on the part of us people." Anya held out her hand and began waving it in front of her. "Did I just decide to do that? To wave my hand? Or was it just an unavoidable consequence of the speed and velocity of the molecules in my hand?" A few of the students were chewing their pencils nervously. Anya noticed with satisfaction that she had succeeded in making them uncomfortable. "That's where Chaos Theory comes in. Chaos Theory asserts that the universe is in such a constant state of flux, and there are so many infinite variables to take into account, that literally *nothing the same can ever happen twice*. There are no set laws of nature to predict the motion of particles in space. There are too many variables - for example, free will. If a butterfly decides to flap its wings, it will start moving air molecules, and halfway around the world those moving air molecules will create a gale-force wind." <> Anya abruptly stopped her speech and dropped her hands to her side. She gulped, nervously. Who had said that? Who had THOUGHT that? That wasn't her thought! Oh, no. One of these students was thinking so . . . loudly . . . that her sensitive inner ears were picking up stray vibrations. Realizing that half the class was staring at her curiously, Anya shook her head and continued non-chalantly. "If a physicist had managed to capture the exact speed and position of all the air molecules in a particular planet's atmosphere at a particular point in time, he would logically be able to calculate all of the air molecule's movements at any point in the future, right? Chaos theorists say that's wrong. The physicist can't take into account variables like that butterfly flapping its wings, or a person sneezing, or a person deciding to go for a morning jog, or a baby being born, or ANYTHING. Any movement on the surface of the planet will cause the air molecules to move differently, and over 99% of those movements are created by choices and decisions that the people make in their everyday lives. And there's no way for the physicist to predict the outcomes of those decisions." <> THAT certainly made Anya's head jerk upward. Once again, someone else's thoughts were intruding into her head. She quickly scanned the room as she continued talking, letting the rest of the lecture fall from her automated lips as she concentrated on finding the source of those strange thoughts. There, in the corner farthest from the entrance to the classroom. A student was beginning to glow with that telltale golden aura . . . Anya scrutinized the girl as she continued talking. She wasn't bothering to take notes on the lecture, only listening dreamily and letting the information soak in slowly as she carefully considered the merits of each theory presented. She had propped her chin on one fist, and with her other hand was quietly tapping her pencil against her notebook. Immaculately combed auburn hair framed her pale face. Her eyes were a surprisingly deep shade of violet, the likes of which Anya had never seen among the Kinmoku Kingdom before. Suddenly noticing Anya's eyes on her, the girl turned her head slightly and locked her eyes with Anya's. Immediately, suspicion and mistrust clouded her features. <> Anya quickly flicked her eyes away from the other girls'. Great, just great. She had succeeded in making a *wonderful* first impression. She finished up the lecture, never once daring to look in the direction of the violet-eyed girl during the rest of the period. As the bell that signaled the end of class rang, the students gathered up their materials and slowly filed out of the room, chatting excitedly. Anya smiled to herself as she took a seat at the teacher's desk, watching the students pass the desk as they exited. At least she had succeeded in getting some of their intellectual curiosity aroused. The violet-eyed girl was the last to leave. As she shuffled past Anya's desk, Anya held out her hand and motioned for the girl to halt. "Excuse me, miss, but I would like to talk to you for a moment." The girl's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "About what?" "Chaos theory, of course." "Is this a joke?" "No. I'm being very serious." "Fine. Whatever." "But first, I would like to know your name." The girl hesitated for a moment, then seemed to resign herself to her fate. "My name is Kou," she said. Anya's was taken aback for a moment. She hadn't seen *that* one coming. "What is your full name?" "Kou Taiki." "Very well, Kou Taiki. Why did you seem so skeptical during the lecture today?" Kou Taiki blinked. It was now her turn to be taken aback. "What do you mean?" Anya grinned mischievously. "You were thinking so loudly that any halfway decent empath for miles around would have been able to pick up your thoughts. You have an amazing amount of mental energy for someone so young." "Empath . . .?" "Oh, don't be frightened. It's a more common talent that you think. And no, we can never pick up anything beyond surface thoughts. And if a person has made the conscious decision that they don't want their thoughts to be heard, then that's that. End of story. There's nothing that anybody can do to read their minds after a decision like that." At that moment, Anya sensed Kou Taiki making such a decision. mused Anya as Taiki's thoughts were abruptly cut off from her senses. "So, going back to my original question. Why were you so skeptical during today's lecture?" The girl's eyes quickly darted around the room, making sure that the two of them were truly alone. Then, obviously having made the decision to trust Anya, she blurted out her opinions. "I think that BOTH theories are a bloody lot of bull! I refuse to believe that there is no law or order governing the universe. That's just plain stupid. Anybody with half a brain cell can tell that Logos reigns supreme, and that fundamental laws of nature are not going to be shifted or altered because of somebody's will. But on the other hand, the idea that there is no free will in the Universe is also bull. It would be nice if people were robots, but they're not! People are crazy, people are impulsive, people are cruel and kind and sane and insane and completely unpredictable. Sometimes they're more trouble than they're worth, really. Other people." Anya leaned forward, once again fixing her eyes on the girl's sad, violet irises. "What do you really believe in, then? Do you believe in a little bit of both?" "No. I know what you're going to say. They're mutually exclusive theories." "So which do you truly believe?" "I . . . I don't know what I believe!" Anya once again pulled her gaze away from the girl's eyes, unsettled by what she had seen reflected in the violet orbs. Confusion, pain, loneliness, bewilderment, and a vague sense that the universe was treating her unfairly. "Kou Taiki, do you have a family?" Anya asked. "Yes. My father and me. And that's it." "Forgive me for asking, but . . . what about your mother?" "She died. Recently." "I'm sorry to hear that," said Anya softly. Her mind was working furiously as she processed the girl's last statement. Kou Seiya's mother was also dead, but had apparently died shortly after she was born. What did it mean? Why had both of her candidates lost their mothers? Why were they both named Kou? "I only have one real question left for you," Anya said calmly. "Kou Taiki, why did you tell me all those things? Why did you answer my questions before now? Why do you TRUST me?" The girl stood silent for a moment, apparently deep in thought. Finally, she answered. "Because I know that you saw me not taking notes during your lecture, and you didn't berate me for it. Tanamoto- sensei would have embarrassed me in front of the whole class if he saw that I wasn't taking notes." "Is that it?" "No, not really. Sometimes I just get these hunches about people . . . most of the time, they turn out to be right." For the first time that morning, Anya felt her tense muscles relax. An overwhelming sense of relief was spreading through her body, and she as losing the battle to suppress the wide grin on her face. "I'm glad that you trust me so much, Miss Taiki. But I really must be honest with you. I don't normally study theoretical physics for a living." Anya brought her hand to her collar and pulled it down just enough to reveal the tattoo on her collarbone. Kou Taiki took this revelation like she had taken all the others: with a deadpan expression on her face. "You're one of the Queen Mother's servants, aren't you? Are you a Knight?" "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am." Taiki rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I should have known. No real teacher would ever let me get away with not taking notes." * * * * * * "I have three words for you: Problems With Authority." Anya flinched, taking an involuntary step away from the large, hulking, intimidating, thoroughly-annoyed, and short-tempered guard. After hurridly dropping Kou Taiki off with the Queen's attendants (and explaining the problem with the two candidate's names), she had immediately been summoned by the grumpy guard before her for an urgent "conference". A conference which seemed to consist mainly of the guard yelling at HER about Kou Seiya's recent behaviour. "Making long-distance phone calls to the colonies! Refusing to bow in front of Baron Kyuji and calling him a 'pompous old twit' right to his face! Picking the flowers in the palace gardens so that she can send them to her friends in the Colonies!" The guard took a deep breath, preparing to roar even louder as he continued to list the criminal deeds. "STEALING PIE FROM THE KITCHENS! PRACTICING KATA WITH THE PALACE GUARDS' SWORDS! REFUSING TO STUDY UNDER A TUTOR! SETTING THE BIRDS FREE FROM THE AVIARY--" "She's a free spirit. I told you that already," snapped Anya, defensive of her choice. "That's exactly the problem! We can't have disobediant, irresponsible, impatient children like *her* in charge of the safety of the Princess!" "Have you even let her meet Kakyuu-chan yet? Or are you keeping the Princess shut up in her chambers as usual, avoiding all contact with the people who exist only to serve her?" The guard, named Kuno, sniffed haughtily. He chose to ignore the accusatory tone in Anya's voice. "The Princess should not be associating with common rabble like that wretched girl." "She's NOT common rabble!" cried out Anya with exasperation. "And that's where your problem lies! How is the girl supposed to care for and respect the Princess if they've never even met each other?!" Kuno raised an eyebrow. "I sincerely hope that the girl you brought with you today is better-behaved than the first one. The Queen Mother will not be pleased to have another discipline problem on her hands." thought Anya savagely. She wished that she could pull rank on the guard (She was a Knight, after all, and he was only a lowely palace guard), but one of the rules of Maresuu's administration was that *nobody* was above reprimand. Unfortunately, Kuno was perfectly legitimate in chewing out a woman who ranked far higher among the Queen's servants than he did. Instead of snarling at Kuno (like every instinct was telling her to), she began gushing enthusiastically about Miss Taiki's virtues. "Oh, this one is VERY well-behaved. She's an excellent student, and doesn't take to doing mischeif. She'll keep the other one in check," Anya assured the guard. The guard harumphed, but relaxed visibly as some of the tenseness left his stance. "All right. If the Queen trusts you, then I trust you. But I wanr you, if--" "SIR! WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM, SIR!" Both Anya and Kuno whirled around to face the page that had just pounded into the room. Gasping for breath, the page continued, "The computer mainframe is down! The system is crashing! The Palace's mainframe is deleting itself as we speak!" Kuno swore violently. "Who is it this time? Techno-terrorists? Or just some bored teenage hackers?" "Don't know, sir. Giko is trying to trace the source of the problem as we speak." Kuno nodded brisquely. "Very well. Lead me to Giko. If she can find the traitors, then I can deal with them." As the burly guard followed the page out of the room, he turned his head and adressed Anya over his shoulder. "If there are any problems from those children, you will be the one blamed!" "Thanks a lot," muttered Anya sourly. Imagining the palace mainframe crashing and all of the precious files on her own personal computer deleted, Anya decided that she did NOT want the future of her hard drive in the hands of that man. Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, and calling upon all of her mental resources, Anya decided to take matters into her own hands. Anya was just about to send mental probes through the palace when her train of thought was interrupted by the frantic yelling of another of the Queen's servants. "Lady Anya! Lady Anya! Have you seen the children anywhere?!" Anya blinked with confusion. "They're not with you?" "I'm sorry, my Lady, but I lost them both! I was just escorting the newer one to her quarters, and that Seiya devil joined us, and they got to talking, and I was walking just a little bit ahead of them . . . I let my attention wander, and when I turned around, they were gone!" Anya spat out a stream of obscenities that made the servant's ears blush. Marching past the confused servant, Anya strode purposefully through the palace until she had reached Kou Taiki's quarters. Without bothering to knock, she clenched her jaw in anger and kicked the door open with a loud bang. Startled, the two children inside the room jumped up nervously and attempted to scramble away from the glowing computer screen that they had been hunched over. Trembling with terror, the two girls stood quietly while Anya strode across the room, bent down to read the contents of the computer screen, mumbled to herself quietly, and finally turned away from the computer and fixed the two of them with an icy glare. "Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" she growled. "Yes. This is what happens when great scientific advances fall into the hands of evil!" proclaimed Seiya dramatically. "And besides, it was Taiki's idea. She designed the virus in the first place." Anya pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose, where a massive migraine was beginning to form. "I can see that you two are going to get along just fine," she sighed. * * * * * * CHAPTER THREE One last Colony. One last candidate left. Anya could tell that this was not going to be fun assignment. It had started with the Queen's words, "Find me a candidate with a strong soul." And then, the Queen had proceeded to describe her method for finding such a candidate. Anya normally was not disgusted with talk of blood and violence. But still, this plan had made her sick to her stomach. "You want me . . . to expose a young child . . . to that?" Anya had asked, incredilous. But the look in the Queen's eyes left no room for questioning. Anya accepted her task with a fair amount of resignation. She had arrived at the capital city of the third Colony earlier that morning, and had scoured the city looking for the perfect spot to catch her candidate. After searching for several hours, she finally stumbled upon an elegant old cathedral with an expansive, tree-lined courtyard facing the street. Anya had entered the courtyard and assured herself that nobody else was around, except for an old monk that she sensed busily at work in the bowels of the cathedral's lower levels. Satisfied that she would have the entire courtyard to herself, and that the trees surrounding it would provide a secure measure of privacy, she had set about her unpleasant task. Anya shaded her eyes and squinted at the treetops, searching for a bird's nest. When she at last spotted one, she rubbed her hands together resolutely, hiked up her skirts, and began climbing the tree. When she reached the nest and peeked inside, her stomach did a quick flip-flop. There were three newborn chicks in the nest, crying feebly and huddling together for warmth. There was no sign of the mother. It was perfect. Exactly what Anya was looking for. Only she had sincerely hoped that the chicks wouldn't be there, that the nest would be empty, that she would have an excuse to not go through with the plan. No such luck. Carefully gathering the nest and the chicks into her hands, Anya gingerly made her way down the tree and hopped the last few feet to land on the ground. She carried the nest to the steps of the cathedral and set it down next to the spot where she had thrown down her pack of belongings. Content that the nest was in a safe spot, Anya reached into the huddle of chicks and picked up one by its tiny wings. Carefully cupping the screaming chick into her hand, Anya stood and held the creature for a moment, contemplating its fate. Then, with an expert snap of her wrist and fingers, she broke the chick's spine. The chick mewled and struggled weakly in her hand, but she paid it no mind. Anya strode quickly across the courtyard, and unceremoniously dropped the chick right in front of the gate closest to the street. Having finished that unpleasantry, she dusted off her hands, strode back across the courtyard, and plopped herself into a sitting position next to the nest and her traveling pack on the cathedral stairs. So Anya sat. And waited. The pitiful cries of the crippled chick at the gate echoed across the courtyard. Its two companions in the nest beside Anya had fallen quiet, trembling with terror. Anya waited patiently, occasionally glancing at the position of the sun in the sky overhead. Any moment now, the large school just up the street would dismiss classes for the day. Hundreds of students of every grade would come rushing down the street and right past the cathedral gates. Surely, one among them would notice the baby bird's pain. As predicted, the street was soon filled with the thundering footsteps of students eager to escape the confinement of academic walls. Anya sat on the cathedral steps and watched them stream past the gates of the courtyard, in groups of two or three or four, laughing and chatting cheerfully. A few came perilously close to stepping on the bird and squashing it completely, but none actually noticed its pitiful cries or its meek attempts at hobbling to safety. The students continued to pass, and still Anya sat and waited. She wondered if the bird would die before somebody noticed it. If so, then that was okay. She had two more chicks that she could use. Finally, the crowds of students thinned and only a few stragglers were left behind. They passed the cathedral slowly, often walking alone, rarely talking to anybody else. Anya watched these students pass too, until finally the street was empty again. And still Anya sat and waited. The day passed; a serene quiet settled upon the cathedral. Just as the sun was beginning to lower beneath the horizon, Anya heard footsteps approaching the gate. Watching quietly, Anya observed as a lone student slowly began walking down the street toward the cathedral. She was wearing the same uniform that all the other children had been wearing, and Anya guessed that she was coming from the direction of the school. But why was she just leaving now? The girl walked up to the gate, slowed down, seemed to pause for a moment, and then came to a complete stop. Silently, she knelt down and began observing the chick at her feet. The chick made feeble cry, and began shuddering with pain. Gingerly, the girl reached down and cupped the chick in her hands. That was when Anya made her move. Swiftly, she stood up and strode across the courtyard. The girl jumped up and whirled around when she heard Anya approaching, clutching the bird to her chest. Anya walked right up to the girl and held out her hand. "Give that bird to me," she commanded. The girl's eyes grew hard and cold. "No," she said. "Excuse me?" "No. I will not give this bird to you. You're the one that did this to it, aren't you?" The girl's eyes seethed with hatred. Anya could tell that the young girl had already taken her measure, and passed judgement on her. Anya realized. Perfect. Everything was going according to the plan. "If you give the bird to me, I will heal its injuries," Anya said. "I don't believe you." "Either way, there's nothing that you can do to help it. It will die in your hands." "That's not true!" "Oh? You think that you can save this bird?" "I . . ." Anya tossed her hair over her shoulder, haughtily. "Well, there is one thing that you could do to help this bird. But I don't think that a child like you is really capable of doing it." The girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What are you talking about?" "You could always . . . put it out of its misery." The girl took a startled step backward, eyes widening with horror. "No! I can save it!" "That bird is beyond saving. You know that as well as I do." The girl clutched the bird protectively. "Say what you will. But at least I'm not a murderer like you!" "If you truly want to help that bird, then a sacrifice is required." "Shut up!" "Can you feel it trembling in your hands? That's not because it's scared. It's beyond fear, now. It's trembling because it's in so much pain. It will die eventually, but it will probably take a very long time. And the pain will just keep getting worse and worse, until finally--" "I said, SHUT UP!" Anya obliged, and stood silently in front of the girl. Her aura had been glowing a brilliant golden color ever since she first picked up the bird. Her emerald-green eyes were initially filled with hatred and loathing . . . but now, they seemed to reflect confusion and sadness. Anya could tell that she was close to pushing this girl into some kind of mental corner, but that the girl clearly resented being pushed even in the most subtle manner. Perhaps it was time to try a gentler angle. Anya knelt down until she was eye-level with the girl. "Do you think that I'm a bad person, because I crippled that bird?" she asked softly. "What a stupid question. If you must know, I think that you're downright revolting," the girl sniffed haughtily. thought Anya. "Do you want to know why I did that?" "Yes." "I had to do it. Because the Queen Mother Maresuu ordered me to do it." The girl raised an eyebrow. "Prove it," she challenged. For the third time, Anya pulled down her collar to reveal the olive branch tattoo. "I'm one of the Queen's Knights," she said. "The Queen told me to do that. Because I needed to find somebody who would care enough to try to heal the bird. But I also need to find somebody who's strong enough to make a sacrifice when it becomes necessary." "Why?" Anya shook her head. "One thing at a time. Now, do you still think that I'm a bad person?" "If you won't tell me everything about your true motives, how am I to judge?" "You have to just trust me." The girl looked down at the bird in her hands, which had begun to cry weakly again. "This is sick," she said as she shuddered slightly. "I don't want to do this." "But I know that you can. Because you can feel its pain. And you know that you can trust me. Just like you knew, when you first saw me, that I was the one who had crippled the bird." The girl's head jerked upward sharply. "How do you know that?!" she gasped. Anya fought to suppress a smile of triumph. "You're an empath, just like me. It's written all over your aura." "Aura?" "I'll explain later. Let's get this over with, shall we?" The girl stood quietly for a moment, contemplating the choice ahead of her. Finally, she took a deep breath and set her jaw squarely. Squeezing her eyes shut, the girl gently lowered one of her fingers to the chick's scrawny neck and pressed down with steadily increasing force. She held her finger in place for nearly two silent minutes, effectively preventing the tiny bird from breathing and cutting off circulation to its brain. When the chick finally ceased struggling and its cries grew silent, the girl abruptly withdrew both her hands and dropped the corpse onto the ground with an unceremonious splat. Dusting her hands off on her skirts, the girl glared at Anya. "Are you happy now?" "I was never happy with it to begin with. But now, I guess I'm a little bit happier than I was before." "Can I go home now?" "No." "Why not?" "I need to talk to you. And I need to talk to your family. It's very important." "I suppose that 'cause you're a Knight, I don't have any choice, do I?" "No. I order you to take me to your household, girl." "Fine. But my name's Kou. I don't like being called 'girl'." mused Anya as she and the girl began walking down the street together. "Will you answer a few questions for me while we walk?" Anya asked politely. "Sure. Whatever." There was still considerable chill in the girl's voice when she addressed Anya, but not nearly as much animosity as before. "What is your full name, Kou?" "Just Kou Yaten. Nothing fancy." "Kou, have you ever been off the Colony before?" "Not really." "Would you like to take a journey with me?" "It doesn't matter what I want. You're a Knight, and I don't have any choice," the girl sighed. But there was a hint, just a hint, of smile on her lips. * * * * * * As Anya had predicted, Kou Yaten's mother had died several years ago, and she lived with her father and older sister. She told Kou's father as much of the official story as she had told the other families - The Queen wanted three personal guardians for her daughter, Princess Kakyuu. Anya had been sent to each of the three Colonies in order to find a suitable candidate from each colony. She promised Kou's father that his daughter would live in the royal palace, and in all likelihood enjoy peace and prosperity for the rest of her life. ( Anya thought with a mental grimace as she delivered this last promise.) After some initial reluctance, Anya finally succeeded in winning the entire family over. The necessary paperwork was completed, and tearful goodbyes were said. The next morning, Anya left the Colony with the young girl in tow. Kou Yaten admitted that she had never ridden an interplanetary shuttle before, and was obviously trying to restrain her excitement as she boarded. "Can I have the window seat?" she asked as she and Anya took their seats. "What would you do if I said no?" "Nothing really. But I would quietly hate you for the rest of my life." "Then go ahead and take the window seat," Anya laughed. No sooner had the shuttle lifted off than the girl had pulled a notebook and pencil out of her pack. She began sketching the continents below her as the Colony faded from view. "What are you doing?" asked Anya, peering over the girl's shoulder curiously. "Sketching." "Let me guess. It's a--" "-hobby of mine. That's why I was coming back from school so late yesterday. I was finishing up something for art class. But I guess it's a mute point, now." Anya stretched her arms over her head. "There's something that I should probably tell you. The girls from the other two colonies . . . They're both named Kou." "Really?" "Yeah." "Weird." "I've given the problem some thought, and I guess that I'll do what the other people in the palace have already been doing. Would you mind being referred to by your last name?" "I could get used to it." "Good. At least you don't appear to be a problem child . . . yet." Yaten continued to sketch idly. "Do I get to meet the Princess?" she asked, attempting to mask her eagerness. Anya hesitated for a moment. "Well . . . yes, eventually. But not right away. I'd rather you became comfortable with the other two guardians first." Yaten shrugged. "Whatever. Sounds like fun, anyway." Sounds like fun . . . Anya swallowed a lump in her throat. There was so much that she was hiding from the children. If only they knew the path that lie ahead of them . . . If only they understood that they weren't just going to be guardians, they were going to be full-fledged Sailor Senshi . . . if only they knew that they were going to die . . . Anya thought with guilt. In the end, was there any difference between a lie and a half-truth? But then again, how many children would willingly agree to their own death? * * * * * * PART FOUR Princess Kakyuu folded her legs serenely underneath her gowns, balancing herself so that she appeared to be almost floating on the edge of the bed. After barely twelve year of life, she had already mastered the fine art of appearances simply by carefully observing her mother. "Lady Lara," she began imperiously, "When will I be allowed to meet the new arrivals?" Lara fixed Kakyuu's eyes with her own steely blue ones. "When Kuno deems it fit to do so. When the ruffians have been properly educated and have shown some semblance of manners," she answered levelly. "And are you aware that Kuno is a dull-witted Neanderthal who is not even a half-way decent Captain of the Guards?" asked Kakyuu sharply. Lara narrowed her eyes. "I will tell your mother that you spoke so ill of her choice," she threatened. "Fine. Do whatever," Kakyuu sulked. She had never liked Kuno anyway. In the brief time that Anya had been gone to the third Colony, the Captain of the Queen's Guards had suddenly announced his retirement and the bullyish Kuno had been appointed by Maresuu to fill his post. Kakyuu had heard from Lady Anya that Kuno had a personal vendetta against the new girls . . . what were their names? . . . Seiya and Taiki. Kakyuu sighed, turning her face away from Lady Lara (her governess when Anya was gone; oh, how she missed Anya!) and pouted. There had been a lot on her mind, lately. She wasn't an idiot. She knew all about Galaxia and the Sailor Wars. She knew that Galaxia was going to descend upon her kingdom, and that it was going to be very, very soon. No matter how much her mother tried to shield her from the information, she found out anyway. If the guards didn't whisper about it in her presence, then she could eavesdrop on the conversations of the Knights. She had also learned about the Sailor Senshi from Lady Anya; and she was told that she too was a Sailor Senshi. That she had magical powers and could fight Galaxia and save the kingdom. She usually trusted Anya's judgement, but lately had found herself doubting the validity of this prediction. She had never transformed into a Sailor fuku, she had never used any magical powers, and she could not even imagine what it would be like to fight a real monster. How was she supposed to defend her mother's kingdom if she couldn't even transform into a Sailor Senshi? Just recently she had found out about the newcomers. The guardians. Anya had told her that she was going to get three new friends, one from each of the Colonies. And these new friends were going to protect her and be her guardians, and help fight Galaxia when the time came, and didn't that sound like fun and wasn't that just wonderful? Kakyuu had been excited at the prospect of real friends (of which she had precious few, other than a few of the Knights and a couple of the guards who were really truly kind to her.) But at the same time, she worried. She could always tell when Anya was hiding something from her, and she had learned mistrust half-truths as much as she had learned to mistrust outright lies. And now, the guards had decided that the other girls were unfit to be in her presence. That made becoming their friends . . . a bit more difficult. "Princess, would you like to return to your studies now?" asked Lady Lara. "No thank you. I'm just find sitting here right now." "Shouldn't you be doing something more productive than just sitting on your bed?" chided Lara. "I'm thinking!" snapped Kakyuu. And she wasn't the least bit sorry that she was being rude to Lady Lara. She could hardly stand the woman's uppity attitude, anyway. Lara was about to open her mouth and scold the disobedient princess when the doors to Kakyuu's chambers slammed open and Lady Anya entered with her customary flourish. She flipped her traveling cloak over her shoulder and opened her arms wide. "Did you miss me?" she asked Kakyuu with a wide grin on her face. "Of course I did!" cried out Kakyuu as she rushed across the room and into Anya's warm embrace. "I missed you sooooo much . . ." "I missed you too, Kakyuu-chan," Anya sighed. Then she noticed Lara, standing quietly in one corner of the room. "I believe that the Queen would like a word with you," she told Lara coolly. Lara nodded slightly, gliding regally past Anya as she exited the Princess's chambers. "Goodbye, Princess," she said over her shoulder as she left. Kakyuu was still embracing Anya, and uttered a quiet and muffled "goodbye" in response. Once Lara had left, Anya grinned and pulled away from Kakyuu's arms. She softly shut the door to the bedchambers and winked conspiratorially at the princess. Immediately, Kakyuu knew that she had a secret to tell. "What is it?" Kakyuu asked breathlessly. Anya glanced furtively around the room, making sure that it was truly empty. Finally she whispered, "I brought back the third candidate today. All three of them are in the Lily Garden right now. I brought them there because I knew that--" "-The Lily Garden is surrounded by ginyu trees, one of which is right outside the window over there?" Anya glanced in the direction that Kakyuu was pointing. Sure enough, just outside the largest window in the bedroom, the thick, sturdy branches of a ginyu tree were clearly visible. But then of course, she had known that already. "However did you guess?" Anya asked teasingly. "My question is, are you sure that you can climb the ginyu trees in a gown like that?" "Why, of course. After all, I was taught by the master herself." In the course of Kakyuu's tutoring under Lady Anya, she had learned both the arts of being a proper Princess . . . and some not-so- princess-like skills, also. Among the most useful was the skill she had gained in climbing through the branches of the ginyu trees that were scattered throughout the palace gardens. Using the uppermost tree branches as a type of network, Kakyuu could easily travel all over the grounds any time that she wished. Provided that she wasn't caught by one of the guards, or her absence wasn't missed . . . "Will you cover for me?" she asked Anya. "I'm supposed to be giving you an arithmetic lesson right now," Anya assured the princess. "You won't be missed until dinner." "Thank you!" Kakyuu gushed gratefully, already halfway out the window and finding her foothold on the thickest ginyu branch. "Be careful!" Anya called after her as Kakyuu began negotiating the branches in front of her. Kakyuu waved a dismissive hand over her shoulder, signaling that she would be. Then she began her careful climb across the ginyu trees and toward the Lily Garden. * * * * * * " . . . And this is Taiki. And she thought that today's lesson in archaic Kinmoku history was interesting. And she was so terribly disappointed when I put that tadpole in Lord Noboruki's glass of water and the old fart actually *drank* it and the lesson had to be called off early," finished Seiya. Taiki giggled, blushing slightly. "I know that I shouldn't be laughing . . . but . . the look on his face . . . Really, I thought that he was smart enough to look before he drank . . . . If I had known that he was half-blind, I would have stopped you . . ." Yaten's face fell. "You mean, we still have to go to school?" Seiya settled herself into a comfortable sitting position, leaning against the base of a ginyu tree. She stretched her arms over her head as she answered. "We still have to be tutored; but it's only for a few hours every day, and it's not so bad. Lord Noboruki doesn't always teach us. He said that Anya might tutor us sometime." Taiki perked up at the suggestion. "Really? Anya?" "Yeah. Seems to be a smart enough lady." Yaten sat herself down in the shade of a nearby tree, and began lazily plucking at stray blades of grass. "It's a lot different on Kinmoku than it is on my Colony. It's a lot warmer." Seiya raised an eyebrow. "Really? You think that this is warm weather?" Taiki was sitting with her arms clasped around her folded legs. "Seiya's been complaining about the 'cold weather' ever since she got here," Taiki explained. "So tell me, how did our lovely Lady Anya manage to single you out from the crowd?" Seiya inquired of Yaten. Yaten shook her head. "You don't want to know. Trust me." "It *can't* be as bad as what happened to Seiya," Taiki giggled. "Fine. I'll tell. If you two tell me first." Taiki nodded her head. "Agreed. Anya was giving a lecture to my class at Morogawa Academy. Chaos theory, I think. She caught me not taking notes. And then she told me that I was thinking too loudly, and that she could read my mind." Taiki blushed with slight embarrassment. "I had never been accused of thinking too loudly before. I didn't know what to say." "My turn!" Seiya held up her hand for silence. "You think that was bad? My best friend MUGGED Anya, and that was how I met her," she bragged. Yaten shook her head again. "I wish I was in your shoes. When I met Lady Anya, she and I . . . killed a baby bird together." There was a moment of silence in the garden. Then Taiki clasped her knees closer to her chest, shuddering. "Okay, I retract my original statement. That is worse than what happened to Seiya. And not nearly as funny, either." "Whoever said it was FUNNY?" asked Seiya indignantly. "I just think it's funny that your best friend is a kleptomaniac," giggled Taiki. "Back on the Colony, I had a friend who always wore one purple sock and one green sock. Every single day. Purple on the right foot, green on the left. Now THAT'S weird," added Yaten, laughing. Seiya shrugged. "I've seen weirder." "Like . . . ?" "Us. We all have the same name." "It's fate," pronounced Yaten gravely. "I don't believe in fate," Taiki countered. "It's just an extraordinary coincidence, that's all." "Could you keep it down? You're thinking too loudly," Yaten retorted. There was another moment of silence. Then, simultaneously, all three Kous burst out into raucous laughter. "That was priceless!" giggled Seiya as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Kami-sama, you're a genius!" Yaten dismissed Seiya's compliment with a wave of her hand. "No, I really did mean it. I could hear you loud and clear, Taiki. I've never heard anything like that before. Anya said that it's because I'm a . . . watchamacallit . . . psychopath." "I believe the term is 'empath'," corrected Taiki. "And I'll try to keep it quieter from now on. Is this better?" "Much better. Thank you kindly." "Well, at least ONE of us knows some manners," Taiki commented, shooting Seiya a pointed glare. Seiya grimaced, embarrassed. "It's not my fault that we got yelled at for slurping our tea yesterday. I honestly thought that it was considered polite to do that on Kinmoku. At least, it was rude not to slurp, where I come from. It's an insult to the person who made the tea." "And I was an idiot for taking your advice." Seiya stretched again. "Y'know, I kind of miss home. The weather wasn't always so cold. And I miss Jena." "You were on the phone with her for an hour last night!" "Yeah, but . . . I worry about her. Who's going to bail her out of trouble if I'm not around?" Taiki sighed. "I know. I miss my father. I wonder if he'll be lonely without me." "Don't you have a brother or sister?" asked Yaten. "No. I'm an only child. And my mother died. Not too long ago." "I'm sorry," said Yaten softly. Seiya was quiet for a moment, then blurted out, "My mom's gone, too. I know how you feel. Only she died when I was a lot younger." Yaten looked slowly from Seiya to Taiki, and then back to Seiya again. "Really?" she gasped, surprised. "Mine too! She died when I was little." "Well, that makes us a cozy little club," said Seiya thoughtfully, chewing a blade of grass. "Three girls name Kou with no mothers. So, what exactly *are* we doing here?" "Anya told me that we were supposed to be the guardians of the Princess," Taiki mused. "If that's true, then why aren't we allowed to meet her?" "What do you mean? They're not letting us see the Princess?!" asked Yaten, incredulous. "Yeah. The guards say that we need to get some proper manners before we're allowed in her presence," Seiya grumbled. "Honestly, now. There's nothing wrong with my manners, is there, Taiki?" Taiki coughed and blushed, but said nothing. Seiya finished chewing her blade of grass and spat it out the side of her mouth. "It's downright snobbish, that's what it is," she concluded. "But I should have expected that. A palace full of snobs." "Yeah, I bet the Princess is a big snob, too," sighed Yaten. "I've seen her on television before. She's always walking around with her nose in the air, like she's too good for the rest of us." Taiki shrugged. "Well, what do you expect? She's been raised in the palace all her life. I bet she only turned out that way because the guards are servants are all no snotty and uppity, too. It's rudimentary psychology. Environment molds personality." "Hear, hear," Seiya nodded in approval. "That's not true! HOW DARE YOU SAY SUCH A THING!!!" came a shrill cry that echoed throughout the garden. As one, all three Kous jerked their heads upward. It was at that moment that Kakyuu's angrily shaking hands betrayed her. The ginyu branch slipped out of her hands while her feet slid out of their footholds. With a cry of anger and indignation, the Princess of Kinmoku tumbled out of her ginyu tree and landed with an unceremonious thud right in the middle of the Lily Garden. Fortunately, her spectacular entrance was greeted by shocked silence. Muttering obscenities under her breath, the Princess struggled to upright herself and regain some shred of her dignity. The three wide- eyed girls watched silently as the Princess grumbled and cursed, managed to right herself partly, smoothed down her skirts, and straightened her hair and head ornaments. With a final "harumph" of annoyance, she dusted the grass of her gown and straightened her back until she was standing at her fullest height. "How DARE you insult the Royal House of Kinmoku! I demand an apology!" she ordered haughtily, pointing a stern finger at the three girls. The girls continued to stare at her with wide eyes and gaping jaws. Kakyuu waggled her finger back and forth in front of their faces. "Hello? Are you deaf? I just told you to apologize!" The dark-haired girl, the one named Seiya, gulped nervously. "P- P-Princess Kakyuu?" she stuttered. "Yes, I'm Princess Kakyuu. Congratulations, you're remarkably observant," she answered dryly. "Impossible . . ." gasped Yaten. But the violet-eyed girl, Taiki, just sighed with resignation. "Hypothesis confirmed. She's the princess, all right." Then, without any sincerity, she apologized. "We're very sorry for insulting you, Your Highness." Kakyuu balled her hands up into trembling fists or rage. "Call me a bitch, if you want to. You'd be angry, too, if I started insulting your family and friends like that!" she shouted. "Aw, we didn't really mean it . . ." Seiya held out her hands, palms outward, in what Kakyuu recognized as a foreign gesture of submission. "We were just, y'know, talking." "I know. I heard. And I will have you know, I had nothing to do with the decision to keep you three away from me. In fact, I actually protested it." Then she sniffed, haughtily. "But maybe the guards were right about you. Either way, I'm not sure if I even *want* you as my guardians anymore." Kakyuu crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "So then . . . you're not hurt?" inquired Yaten. "What?" "Aren't you hurt? I mean, you did just fall out of a tree . . ." "Hmph." Kakyuu allowed a smug smile to spread across her face. "I'm a lot tougher than I look," she bragged. "If I may ask," began Taiki hesitantly, "What exactly were you doing up there in the first place?" "Spying on you," Kakyuu answered bluntly. Seiya shrugged her shoulders. "At least she's honest." "Many people consider honesty to be an admirable quality," the Princess replied defensively. "Yeah, I know. Myself included." Finally, Seiya grinned and gave the Princess a cheerful gesture of a thumbs-up. "Any princess that can bounce right back up after falling out of a tree is okay in my book," she laughed. The other two girls smiled nervously at Kakyuu, and some of the tension in the air finally began to dissipate. Determined to make the best of the situation, Kakyuu racked her brains for a good conversation-starter. Considering that the weather, the guards, and palace life had already been discussed, that only left one real option. Gracefully folding herself into a sitting position, Kakyuu began idly, "So, tell me about the Colonies." "What?" "The Colonies. I want to hear what life is like on the Colonies. What, you haven't forgotten already, have you?" Yaten cocked her head curiously. "You mean, you've never been to the Colonies?" "I'm the spoiled royal brat who has never left the palace before, remember?" "Touche," said Yaten appreciatively. Apparently, she could recognize a sharp tongue when she heard one. "Life on the Colonies . . . is, um . . . well . . ." Taiki trailed off, deep in thought. "Warmer," prompted Seiya. "Only for you." "Colder, for me. Kind of." "There aren't any ginyu trees where I come from. Can't survive in terraformed soil." "I knew that we had an interplanetary shuttle station, but it was *nothing* compared to the spaceport on this planet." "We never have any aliens." "Actually, we had aliens at my school, once. From Mau, I think. It was some sort of foreign-exchange program." "When I landed on this planet with Anya, I saw my first ever real alien. From Chuu. Funny-looking little guy, with these big ears and whiskers. I dunno, I thought he was kind of cute. Er, in a mousey- looking way." "Back where I come from, there was this big liberation movement five years ago. Everybody was handing out fliers and buttons and demanding that we set up our own sovereign government, free of the Royal House of Kinmoku. But I guess that the movement never got off the ground, 'cause it just kind of fizzled and died out." Kakyuu fiddled with a stray blade of grass. "Do the people on the Colonies . . . like the royal family?" Yaten shook her head. "Not where I come from. There's no real animosity, but there's not any real support or approval, either." "There's no love lost on a Colony that almost rebelled," Seiya chuckled softly. "I think that the people would be a lot happier if the Colonies had more representatives in the central government on Kinmoku," Taiki said gently. "And they worry that they will be left undefended when Galaxia attacks." Kakyuu abruptly stopped fiddling with the grass. "You . . . know about Galaxia?" Yaten smacked her forehead. "Boy, you are dense. EVERYBODY knows about Galaxia. It's been all over the news for years." Kakyuu flinched, slightly hurt. "Well, how was I supposed to know that?" she snapped. "Calm down. It's okay. You can't help it that you're a sheltered, spoiled brat," Seiya said with a shrug. Feeling her temper flare, Kakyuu mentally prepared a scathing insult to reply to Seiya's remark. But then she caught the girl's twinkling blue eyes with her own, and suddenly all the anger faded away. Seiya's eyes were full of mirth, unshadowed by worries or responsibility, and without the slightest trace of animosity in them. Kakyuu watched her own red eyes reflected in those clear blue orbs for a moment, fascinated. Then, overcome by a rare instance of embarrassed self-consciousness, she pulled her eyes away from Seiya's and focused on staring intently at the ground in front of her. She wondered if the others noticed the flush in her cheeks. "You shouldn't tease your Princess," she mumbled, without much conviction. Seiya suddenly stood up, brushing the grass off her skirts. "I'm bored. Aren't you guys bored? Hey, Princess, when do we eat dinner?" Kakyuu stood up, along with the other two girls. "We have an hour before we're expected at dinner. I think." "Great. That's enough time to short-sheet Kuno's bed," Seiya declared cheerfully. Kakyuu flushed even deeper. "Excuse me?" Taiki grimaced. "Not again. He'll kill us all for sure, this time." "Not if we don't get caught!" Seiya chirped. "Who's Kuno?" asked Yaten. "A boorish brute who has not business being Captain of the Guards," Kakyuu sniffed disdainfully. Seiya clapped her hands with delight. "Great! So we can count you in?" Kakyuu hesitated for a moment. "Well . . . I don't know . . . I don't know how much help I'll be . . ." "Who cares about that? The point is to have fun!" "I thought that the point was to do something horrible to Kuno," chided Taiki. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. That too. So, what do you say? Are you with us, Princess? You look like you could use a little fun." Kakyuu smiled, a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear. "Sure. Count me in." After all, how could she resist those imploring blue eyes? * * * * * * "They're all together, right now, my Queen. In the Lily Garden." Maresuu nodded, pursing her lips. "Kuno will not be happy to hear about that." "With all due respect, my Queen, Kuno does not necessarily have to know." "He will find out eventually." "And I will take the blame." "You're a good woman, Lady Anya," the Queen sighed. "But do not forget that Kuno is a good man, too. I trust that you will begin their training tomorrow?" "Of course." "And you have been careful not to mention---" "Not one of them has ever heard of the term Sailor Senshi before. Kakyuu-chan knows about the Sailor Senshi, but I don't see a reason for her to ever talk about it with them. And even she does not know that they will be anything more than her personal guardians." The Queen turned toward Anya, her voice tired and full of sorrow. "I really do wish for them to be friends, Lady Anya. I want my daughter to be friends with them. But at the same time, I do not want her to grow too . . . attached. You understand? You and I both know that these children are going to die. And there is no guarantee . . . that we will be able to bring them back." Anya bowed. "I understand, my Queen." Queen Maresuu allowed a small smile to dance across her lips. "Did I ever tell you that you're my favorite Knight, Lady Anya?" "Every day, My Queen." "And I trust your judgement in these matters." The Queen's smile faded, and her face once again donned the familiar expression of regal detachment. She intoned solemnly, "The lives of these children are in your hands now." "I will do my best." "Time is limited." "I know." The Queen turned away from her servant, gazing out the nearest window and toward the heavens. Somewhere, among the millions of stars glittering in the night sky, a madwoman was growing ever closer and closer to her kingdom. And Maresuu was risking everything on one last attempt to stop the world-destroying rampage of the Golden Senshi, Galaxia.