Many and humble thanks to Masked Maiden for taking time out her busy schedule to look this chapter over for me. It's an unwritten rule that you can never spot your own typos. Without her help I would surely make an even bigger fool out of myself than I already do. Thank you to everyone who has taken a moment to write. I am deeply grateful. You too can experience the cheap thrill of e-mailing someone in the vast, uncharted, regions of primeval Rhode Island by sending me mail at Mearari@aol.com, and be kind. The good you do comes back to you, but bad karma is forever. Standard Disclaimer – As much as it pains me to say this, I don't own the rights to "Sailor Moon" or any of the wonderful characters created by Naoko Takeuchi. They are used here without permission and in the hope that the people who do have the rights will consider me too small to bother with. ********************************* Fatal Exposure By Meara Chapter Six – The Choice ******************************** It was chaos - utter, total and complete chaos. There had been a moment, as Pluto fell with Mamoru that was strangely silent. As if the crowd has paused to take a collective breath. Then the sharp report of gunfire filled the air again and the screaming began. People were running in every direction desperately seeking cover. Mamoru and Setsuna locked eyes for a second. She gave him a look of resigned sadness, then shuddered and collapsed against him. Her transformation reversed as a bright red stain grew on her white blouse. "Oh God," Mercury called out, "Pluto's been shot!" Usagi scrambled to get beside him as Mamoru gently place Setsuna on the ground. "Mamo-chan?" Usagi called to him, fear in her voice. Mamoru pulled off his jacket. "I'm all right." He waded it up and pressed it against the wound in her back trying to stop the bleeding. "Mercury I need your help here!" Even as Ami rushed to assist Mamoru, some within the mob tried to take advantage of the confusion. They charged toward the small group. Uranus shouted in anger as she raised her fist. "You cowardly bastards. You shot her in the back!" In one swift motion, she brought her clenched fist to the ground, "World Shaking!" Mina lunged forward to try to stop her. "Uranus, no, don't…" The ground erupted, throwing up chunks of asphalt and dirt as it convulsed. People were tossed into the air like dolls. They tumbled heavily to earth. Haruka took little satisfaction in the sounds of pain that emanated from them. Mina raised a single hand over her head and called the power of Venus to it. Golden light flickered as she called out, "Love Me Chain!" The heart shaped bits of energy encircled the Senshi. Mina prayed that the display would dissuade the crowd. It all seemed to happen at once. The cries of hate and fear mingled with the smell of blood and the sound of gunfire. Jupiter had her arms crossed as she prepared to strike out in anger. Venus was desperately lunging for Mako to stop her. An eerie blue white-glow surrounded Mako, casting surreal shadows across Mamoru's face. Something flashed in the corner of Usagi's eye and she reached towards Mamoru only to have him ripped away. He spun and fell to the pavement. "Mamo-chan!" Usagi shouted as she threw herself over him. "Usako, get back.." he called weakly. His eyes were glassy and his face was pale as sweat broke out on his forehead. The part of him that could still think clearly realized he was going into shock. "..Too dangerous, get away, please.." Blood flowed freely from a ragged wound on his shoulder. "I won't leave you." Mamoru raised a shaking hand to her face, "Aishiteru, Usako." He sighed, then slipped into unconsciousness. Rapid-fire images flashed through Usagi's mind. She saw her prince dead on the floor after he'd delivered a fatal blow to Beryl. She could still feel Mamoru being torn away from her by Ail and Ann. She remembered the moment that Galaxia has taunted her with his death. She couldn't bear to lose him again. "Nooo…!" Usagi gave a wail of despair as she reached for locket. "Moon Eternal Power – make up!" In a flash of light and feathers, Usagi transformed. Her hand went immediately to her locket and it obediently popped open. The Ginzuishou came to her cupped hands. Silver light flared as she raised it above her head. "Please Ginzuishou," she called as she knelt beside Mamoru, "Help me protect those I love!" The light pulsed once, twice, three times then raced to do her will. Usagi ignored the startled protests of her friends and the pain that burned like quicksilver fire in her veins. The ground shuddered as a translucent, circular wall, as ethereal as moonlight and as solid as stone sprang up around the heir to the Moon Kingdom and her guardians. Some in the mob, enraged by the action, tried to rush the barrier. Other threw whatever came to hand at it. Usagi shuddered as if struck each time the barrier was hit. The force of their unreasoning hate hurt more than the physical blows. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and her body began to shake with exertion, but the wall held. In desperation, she reached deeper into herself than she ever had before. She had to find a way to save Mamoru and Setsuna. She had to keep her friends safe. She would not allow the insane fears of a few destroy the future! , came a voice in her head. A ghostly vision of her mother, Queen Selene stood before her. The look on the old Queen's face was grim, < You can save them, but the power comes at a price. Be warned. Once you start down this path there is no going back!> "I will pay it!" she shouted aloud, "I will give my life to save them if I must!" There was the feeling of pride that radiated from her mother as the voice came again. Without warning, in a single, shining moment, the pain left her and she knew a strange kind of ecstasy. A change came over her. The moon sigil appeared on her brow and her fuku became luminescent, shining like a thousand stars. It melted away into a swirling veil that danced around her body. Usagi rose in a single, fluid motion. The Ginzuishou floated down to slowly spin in front of her heart. The crescent moon on her forehead shone brighter and brighter until it matched the sylvan light from the crystal. Closing her eyes, Usagi raised a hand. The Moon Scepter came to it. The Ginzuishou moved to the center of the scepter disappearing into it with a flash. Usagi's eyes snapped open and she looked at her hand. With a flick of her wrist, the shaft of the scepter extended, becoming a staff. Usagi grasped it with both hands, turned it horizontally and bowed her head in concentration. As she raised the staff above her head it reacted, pulsing even brighter as she rose to hover slightly above the ground on out stretched wings. "Moon Healing – Escalation!" Her voice was clearly audible, even above the crowd noise. First Mamoru and then Setsuna's bodies were encased in a translucent glow. The light flared once and then faded. Ami gasped as it did. When she removed Mamoru's jacket from Setsuna's back, the bleeding had stopped. Mamoru moaned once and half opened his eyes. He put a hand to his shoulder in surprise. The bleeding had stopped and the wound was almost healed. Mamoru looked up at Usagi. She hovered over him, clothed in light. "Usako…", he whispered wondering if he was truly seeing her, or if this was dream, "my angel…" Usagi couldn't hear him. She was aware only of the power that flowed from her and through her. The Silver Crystal sang in total harmony with her and she with it. There was no pain, no suffering or fear for the future, only the indescribable bliss of the moment and the temptation to become lost within it. The memory of Mamoru and those she loved rose to her soul even as the seductive power called to her to stay with it forever. Usagi may not have been able to tell how long she stayed in that timeless, exalted state, but she was very sure, however, of the moment the odd rapture ended. Every nerve in her body shrieked in pain at her and she fell. "It's all right Usagi-chan, I've got you." Jupiter's arms caught Usagi and gently lowered her to the ground. Mako's voice sounded far away. "Mamo-chan? Setsuna?" She asked in an unsteady voice. Oh Lord, she was so very tired. Ami was beside her, kneeling down to touch her hand in reassurance. "Mamoru-san is going to be fine. Between going into shock and the drugs the being pumped into him, he's not quite lucid right now. The paramedics are helping Setsuna. You stopped the hemorrhaging Usagi- chan. That saved her life." Ami reached and gently titled Usagi's head towards her. "Speaking of going into shock, how do you feel?" "I'm okay." Answered Usagi in a groggy voice. She didn't sound very convincing. "Can I sleep now?" This brought laughter from those near her. From what Ami could tell, Usagi wasn't in shock. The Moon Princess was, however, completely exhausted by her use of the Silver Crystal. She nodded her head once. "I think rest would be a very good idea." Makoto was so nice and comfy to lean against, Usagi thought as she started to drift off. A hand stroked her head as if she were a child. "Sleep, Princess," came the soft voice of Michiru, "We will watch over you." Usagi was too tired to do anything other than sigh as she gave herself over to the arms of Morpheus. ******************************************** The whole drama was broadcast across the globe. They saw Uranus use her attack against the crowd. Mina's Love me wasn't as destructive, but equally enthralling. If people were stunned at the sight of the Senshi's magic, Usagi using the Ginzuishou transfixed them. The light that shone from her had an unearthly beauty to it. Usagi seemed so much more than human at that moment. In a small conference room in Tokyo, a high level meeting was taking place. The scene from the television station was playing on a set in the background. A man in a military uniform that was heavy with ribbons and decorations tapped his hand on the table to get everyone's attention. "It must be clear to everyone by now that we can't let this situation go on any longer," He said. "This Tsukino Serena and her companions must be taken into custody as soon as possible. I have spoken to the Minister of Defense, and he gave me the green light to proceed. " A white haired man nodded his head vigorously, "Yes, yes General, of course. We can't take a chance on something unfortunate happening to them. We need to examine them closely, to determine just what kind of power they are capable of." The General leaned forward, a hawkish smile on his face, "And since they are living here in Japan, that power belongs in the hands of this country. We must get to them before some other nation does." A younger man raised his hand tentatively. "But Sir, we don't even know who the others really are. I've all ready made a few," he coughed uncomfortably, "inquiries as to the whereabouts of Tsukino Serena, but she has left the family home in Juban. We don't know where she is at this moment. How are we going to find her?" The General templed his fingers, rubbing them together. "Ah, Captain, but we do know where at least one of these Senshi is – recovering from a gunshot wound at Tokyo General Hospital. I think Ms. Tsukino will grace us with her presence once we move to put this Sailor Pluto in 'protective custody'. When we have their Princess, Tuxedo Kamen and the rest of the Senshi will have to come to us." ******************************************** What did it take to kill that man, Kashu Hikaru thought to himself. He knew he'd hit Chiba right above the heart. The man should be dead, but no, he had been released from the hospital and gone home. Home – with Serenity! Damn Chiba, he had more lives than a cat! The television was showing yet again the confrontation from this afternoon. Kashu turned down the sound and simply stared at Serenity as she used the Ginzuishou. Incredible, he thought, she was even more beautiful than before. He had to have her. At this moment, Kashu didn't care what the cost might be. He would do any thing; pay any price to possess her. He vowed to sell his soul to the devil himself if necessary. Serenity would be his. He had no more finished that though than the beginning of an idea came to him. Kashu Hikaru never stopped to consider where that idea had truly come from, or what might happen if he failed. He simply didn't care for anything other gaining the object of his obsession. In that moment, he set his feet on the path that would ultimately lead to his own destruction in this life, and unless the future could be changed, in the next. ******************************************** Ami loved being a Senshi and she loved her duty to her Princess and friend. But there was a part of her that longed to be a Doctor. To help heal the sick and wounded, to nurture life was a dream she'd cherished as long as she could remember. Making people whole again fed a need in her in a way that nothing else could. Maybe that's why she was here walking up the long, stone stairs to the Hikawa temple. Whatever happened between Rei and Usagi had to healed. When they'd brought Usagi and Mamoru back to her home, Ami had asked the finally lucid Mamoru if he knew why the Senshi of Mars hadn't come with them today. He mumbled some vague reply about a difference of opinion. It was more what Mamoru didn't say that tipped Ami off. Rei's grandfather was nowhere to be found. So Ami made her way to the one place Rei invariably retreated to when she was troubled – the room that held the heart of the shrine, the sacred fire. Sure enough, when Ami peeked in the window, Rei was seated in the student position staring into the flames. Removing her shoes, she gently pushed open the paper door and waited for Rei to notice her. "If Usagi sent you here to soften me up, it won't work." Rei said without turning her head. "If she wants to apologize then she can get her royal butt down here and do it herself." Oh Lord, help me! Ami prayed, She doesn't know about the shootings. "Well?" prompted Rei in an irritated voice. Ami came in and stood behind Rei. "Rei-chan, there's been trouble." The Shinto priestess stiffened and turned to look at Ami. "I told her this interview was a bad idea. What's wrong this time? Did someone publish Mamoru's telephone number?" "There was a crowd, a mob really, waiting for us as we came out of the television station." Ami began in a soft tone, "It turned very ugly very quickly. Shots were fired. Mamoru and Setsuna were hit." Rei's face went white. "Oh Kami-sama no…" "They're both alive." Ami quickly reassured her, "But they wouldn't be if Usagi hadn't used the Silver Crystal. She put a wall between us that mob. She managed to heal Mamoru and half heal Setsuna before she collapsed." Rei's voice was tight with fear as she asked, "Is she all right? She's not…she's all right? Please tell me Usagi's all right." "Usagi-chan was still sleeping when I left. Something happened when she used the Ginzuishou this time. She was changed by it, physically changed by it. The mark of the Moon Kingdom is still clearly visible on her forehead. And her hair is turning silver almost as I watch. As for being all right, I just don't know." "Oh Kami-sama, what have I done? If I had been there..." Tears welled up in Rei's eyes. In an instant the arrogant woman was gone. In her place was a little girl whose features contorted in fear and grief. Putting her face in her hands Rei's shoulders shook as she began to sob deeply. "I could have stopped that mob! I should have been there!" Ami moved to take Rei in her arms and hold her. "Oh Rei-chan, this isn't your fault. Yes, you should have been there, but even if you had been I don't think you could have stopped any of this." Ami held the sobbing woman and let her cry for a long moment as she mumbled soothing words. When the sobbing tapered off, she handed her friend a tissue. "Feeling better now?" Ami asked softly. Rei nodded her head as she blew her nose. "Can I tell you something Ami? Something just between the two of us?" When Ami smiled her agreement, Rei continued, "I used to be jealous of Usagi, you know, being the Princess and all." Well duh, thought Ami. "Really?" she managed to say in a level tone, "I never would have guessed." "I think that's why I was always on her so much. Usagi used to be such a total airhead and don't get me started about the klutz attacks in the middle of a fight." Rei actually looked chagrined, a state Ami had rarely seen on her friend. "When the news about her being Sailor Moon got out, suddenly everyone in the world wanted Usagi. Usagi, Usagi, Usagi…morning noon and night. I think some of that old jealousy came back and bit me in the behind. I forgot, for a while, about the responsibility that Usagi has in being the Moon Princess and only saw that no one was paying any attention to me." Rei paused and studied her hands in silence for a long moment. "My father called the other day." "I thought he was with the Japanese Consulate in Massachusetts?" "He is." Rei said, "He read about Usagi being Sailor Moon. The man actually pretended he was concerned for me and like a fool I fell for it. Yep, swallowed the whole party line right up until he started going on about how maybe I could come to see him. Oh, and could I bring Usagi along? He has some very important people who would love to meet her." Ami's heart broke for her friend. "Oh Rei-chan…" Tears threatened again, but Rei refused to let them fall. "Then Usagi and Mamoru told me about the interview. The press is using them, Ami, just like my father wanted to use me. It hit a little too close to home and I guess I took out some of my anger at my father on Usagi." Only some of her anger, thought Ami? If that was only some of her anger, Rei must be sitting on a mountain of suppressed rage. "What you did was very normal. I bet Usagi and Mamoru would understand if you told them about it." "They still shouldn't have done that fool interview." Rei shot back. "I was right about that!" It was nice to see some of the fire return to her fiend's eyes. "And at this point, I'm willing to bet a slice of strawberry cheesecake that Usagi would be the first to agree with you." Ami was such a good friend, Rei decided as she stuck out her pinky finger. "Make it cherry cheesecake and you've got a deal." Hooking her own pinky with Rei's the petite young woman with the shoulder length blue hair smiled. "It's a bet. Now write your grandfather a note and let's go see who wins the wager." ******************************************** This had not been the best week of Furuhata Motoki's life. He had known that Mamoru-kun was Tuxedo Kamen for a several years and who the rest of the Inner Senshi really were. It was a secret that he'd been honored to keep. When Usagi had been revealed as Sailor Moon, he'd watched the press go into the expected feeding frenzy and braced himself for the inevitable. He was known as a good friend of Chiba Mamoru. Surely it was only a matter of time before the media started to hound him for his story. Motoki went about his duties as a first year resident at Tokyo General Hospital waiting for the media circus to begin. When he was called to the office of the CEO of the Hospital, he steeled himself. In Motoki's mind, there was only one reason the head of the Hospital board would take notice of a lowly resident – to suspend or fire him because of his friendship with Mamoru. He was, therefore, somewhat surprised to find that the office had been taken over by three men in cheap suits. They flashed official looking ID's at him. "You are Furuhata Motoki of the Juban district," one asked him. Motoki took a deep breath. If the Government was involved this was not good news. Were they here to interrogate him, or worse..? "Hai. Is there problem Sir?" The second man looked up from the paperwork that in his hands. "It says here that your family owns several business in Tokyo. You are a first year resident. Is this true?" Where was this going, Motoki wondered? "Yes," he answered slowly. "Ah good. You are being assigned to help in the care of the alien while she is here. Please roll up your sleeve." "There must be some mistake," Motoki began hesitantly. They didn't know his friendship with Mamoru? In a way he was vaguely offended. "I'm in the middle of some very sensitive research in the hematology lab. And I'm not studying to be a family physician." The first man gave him a cold smile. "We know that. You have been recommended to us as a young man who knows how to, shall we say, keep things confidential. This is only for a few days until the alien is strong enough and we can move her to a secure facility. We'd like you to work with one of our doctor's on some hematology research while she is here. Now roll up your sleeve, please. We need a blood sample" Motoki found himself rolling up his sleeve automatically. "Why do you need my blood?" Did Mamoru know that the Government was going to move Sailor Pluto? What was going on here? A man in a white lab coat took over. "Just to make sure you are one us. This will sting for a minute." He quickly and efficiently drew the required sample. "One of us?" Motoki didn't like the sound of this at all. The first man was staring at the paperwork again. He didn't even look up as he started to write on the page. "You know, human. Thank you for your cooperation Dr. Furuhata. You'll be receiving your identity card in a few hours." As he got up to leave, the second man reached over and took Motoki by the arm. "Oh, and don't try to leave the hospital grounds until the results of the blood test comes back. If you are human, you have nothing to worry about. If you aren't…well, I'm sure you understand." Motoki kept his temper in check. He longed to slap the restraining hand away. "I understand." He replied in an even, civil tone, "I understand exactly what you mean." As he went through the halls and back towards the lab Motoki's mind was running circles. How had the Government become involved in all of this? Did Mamoru know that his friend was about to be put in 'protective custody'? Most frustrating of all was that Motoki couldn't do anything with the information. If Mamoru was still in his apartment, and Motoki that unlikely at this point, he wasn't answering any of his messages. Worse yet, he had no idea where Mamoru had disappeared to. So absorbed was the young resident in his dismal train of thought that he never even saw the woman until she bumped into him. Motoki blushed furiously and bowed in regret. "I beg your pardon, I didn't see you!" The elegant woman with short dark hair smiled back at him. "It's all right, I wasn't watching were I as going either. You're a friend of Mamoru's aren't you?" That got his attention and he almost took a step away from the smiling woman, until he caught her eye. She glanced once at her name badge and he looked at it – Dr. Mizuno. "My daughter, Ami, has told me all about you." She continued in a pleasant tone that wouldn't attract attention. Her eyes were bright and intense and Motoki found himself held by them. "She'd love to see you again. Why don't you drop my apartment later today?" Dr. Mizuno, he thought, Ami's mother? Was she trying to tell him that Mamoru and the others were at her apartment? "Thank you, I'd like very much to see her again. Perhaps I'll take you up on your offer." ******************************************** Tsukino Usagi truly hated only a few things. Lima beans were near the top of the list. Usagi always thought that they tasted like gritty, green cement. High heel shoes with pointy toes came right after the lima beans. She figured that they'd been invented by the same man who'd come up with the under-wire bra and for the express same purpose - to torture women. But at the very top of the hate list was being awakened when she was still so very tired. Usagi had spent most of her life being told to wake up before she was ready. Consequently, she was exceptionally good at ignoring people who attempted to do just that. So when she felt the hands gently shaking her, and the voice softly calling her name, Usagi did her best to ignored it. With a grunt of protest she rolled over, pulling the covers over her head as she went. "Ladies, let an expert handle this." whispered Mamoru. He sat down on the bed near the pile of blankets. One hand slowly began to rub at what he suspected was Usagi's back. He lowered his head and called, "Usako…" The pile of blankets gave a musical sigh and stretched out. A muffled voice could be hear, "Mamo-chan." She almost purred. "Time to wake up, love" he called in a singsong voice. "No," she grumbled, "sleep…." Usagi curled into a ball. "Go 'way!" she mumbled. "Mako made you something to eat, Usako." He called in the same singsong voice, "If you want it you have to sit up." Usagi lurched upright, her eyes slowly opening. "Food?" She said to Mamoru who was once again rubbing her back. Makoto gave a smile as she put down the tray she held, "Are you awake enough to eat now?" Usagi buried her face in her hands and scrubbed at it slowly. "More or less." Mamoru piled pillows in back of her and she gave him a weary smile of thanks. "Ohhh," she moaned unhappily, "I feel like someone's been beating me with a baseball bat." She stopped trying to massage her face awake and looked around the small but tastefully decorated room. "Where are we?" "Ami's apartment. This is luxury living, so take a good look around." Replied Mina as she came into the room. "Sorry to wake you, but you've been out a while and Ami thought it a good idea if you ate something." "Out a while?" Some of the sleep fog cleared from her mind abruptly. Memories flooded back to her. Usagi grabbed for her beloved. "Mamo- chan, are you all right? You were hurt!" He took her face in hands and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, "I'm alive thanks to you. The shoulder is almost all healed, see…" he opened his shirt to reveal a yellowed bruise. "A few days and I'll be fine." "How long was I asleep?" Relief flooded over Usagi, reminding her of just how tired she still was. It felt like she'd closed her eyes only a minute ago. Mako's answer stunned her. "The better part of two days." "Wow," said Usagi, genuinely surprised, "Oh, Setsuna! Is Setsuna all right?" The look Mina, Mako and Haruka exchanged made her heart sink. "First things first, eat." Mina said as she moved to get a make-up mirror from a large dresser. "Don't get too excited but there have been some…changes Usagi-chan." As Usagi was half-heartedly shoveling some thing that looked like stew in her mouth, Mamoru sat down beside her on the bed. Mina held a mirror up and Usagi saw her own reflection. She stopped with a spoonful of food in her mouth. Swallowing hard, she leaned forward and took a short, strangled gulp of air. "Oh my Lord…" She brought a hand up to the crescent moon that still shone brightly almost directly between her eyebrows. It was then that she noticed that her hair was not only out of it's customary buns, it was now liberally streaked with silver. "After you finished using the Ginzuishou, the moon sigil never disappeared." Said Mina. "And the hair?" asked Usagi as she turned her head back and forth. From what she could see the silver was evenly distributed through her tresses. "Ami's been keeping track of that." There was grim amusement in Mamoru's voice, "According to her your hair is very steadily turning to silver." Usagi ran a hand through her hair as her mother's words came rushing back to her – the power comes at a price. "I guess this is the price." "What?" asked Mamoru? Usagi continued to stare at her reflection. "What my mother said when she appeared outside the TV station." When there was no response Usagi turned to look at three very puzzled faces. "My mother," Usagi repeated slowly, "the Queen of the Moon Kingdom. She's about six feet tall with floor length hair. How could you miss her?" "None of us saw her, Usagi-chan." Mako spoke for them all. "She appeared to you?" Before Usagi had a chance to respond the door to room cracked open slowly. Venus and Jupiter turned all ready beginning to glow with power. Mamoru stood in front of Usagi. Neptune carefully popped her head in the room. "Easy, it's just me," Michiru raised her hands as if in surrender. "Don't shoot. Is Usagi awake yet?" Usagi leaned out from in back of her beloved and gave a short wave. "Oh good," sighed Neptune, "Someone out here is very anxious to see her." The door opened a bit more and a blur of black fur dashed into the room and onto the bed. Luna was so very happy to see Usagi that she was actually purring as she threw herself at her Princess. Usagi gathered her feline guardian up in her arms and gave her a hug. "Oh Usagi," cried Luna with tears in her voice, "When you collapsed I was so frightened for you! Thank Almighty God you're all right!" "It's okay Luna, I'm fine, just tired." The cat finished rubbing her head against Usagi's shoulder and looked up into her face. "It's true.." her bright eyes widened first in surprise then in joy as she saw the golden crescent moon, "I wasn't sure of what I saw on the television, the picture was so bad. But it's true – you did it! Artemis, look at her!" Artemis had also come into the room, albeit more quietly. He was in Mina's arms talking to her when he heard Luna's call. He inhaled sharply as he got a good look at Usagi. "She's achieved the Balance." He whispered "Luna, do you know what's going on here?' asked Mamoru as he came to sit beside Usagi once more. He took his beloved's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She seemed to be fading out again as he watched. "Usagi, when you used the Ginzuishou, it was different this time, ne?" The cat gave the impression she knew the answer before she finished asking the question. "Yeah, a lot different." Replied Usagi as she settled back into the pillows. "My mother came and said something about there being a price for the power I needed and then - wham." Mamoru slipped an arm around her and she snuggled into it. Her voice was slurred with fatigue as she began to drift back to sleep. "I don't what I did but it felt really good. Until it all just stopped, then it hurt like hell." "You achieved Balance with the Silver Crystal." Luna began. "Your mother wasn't able to do it until she was almost fifty! It allows you to channel the raw power of the Silver Millennium. It's what makes the Ginzuishou so sought after. You have access to the primal forces of creation through it." Artemis had taken his customary position on Mina's shoulder. "But that kind of power comes at a price. It's very rarely used because more often than not, it kills the person using it. You were lucky, Usagi. You managed to stop before you burned yourself out." Luna was on a roll now. She didn't see that Usagi was asleep in Mamoru's arms. "You'll notice a few changes, Usagi. Your hair will turn to silver, you may not be able to henshin for a while and…" Luna turned to see her Princess out like the sandman had hit on the head with a two by four. "…you'll sleep a lot while your body adjusts." Mamoru gave a half smile as he looked down at Usagi. "Any idea how long she'll be like this?" "From what I remember, a few days," replied Artemis. "A week at most. Does that sound right to you Luna?" Luna nodded as she looked at the beautiful picture the princess and prince made together. "I think so. Queen Selene was all ready well over three hundred years old by the time Artemis and I came into her service. She had achieved the Balance long before either of us was born and only mentioned it in passing." Haruka was suddenly at the door again, quietly peering into the room. "Lorilei's all set. Is Usagi asleep again? She should know about this." "No," said Mamoru firmly, "We will handle this. Could all of you give me a moment, please? I'll join you shortly." Haruka raised an eyebrow at Mamoru's tone, but only inclined her head in response. Mina and Mako along with the two cats followed Uranus out and softly shut the door behind them. Mamoru gently settled Usagi back onto the bed and pulled the blankets up over her. His hand slowly traced the line of her face moving to gently brush against her cheek. She looked so fragile with her hair spread out around her. So small and helpless it made his arms ache with the need to hold her. "Usako.." he whispered and even in the deepest of sleep, she sighed at the sound of his voice. "Sleep, beloved, and heal." With a final tuck of the blanket, Mamoru moved to leave, stopping to look once more at her before closing the door behind him. ******************************************** Major Kaigan had been assigned to over see the timely and very quiet transfer of Meiou Setsuna from Tokyo General Hospital. The Doctors said that she should be well enough for the trip within a day or so. The woman was only half conscious from fever and the drugs given to combat the infection that had put her in the hospital in the first place. She should prove no problem to them. As the Major stood outside the door and peeked in at the woman in the bed, he was struck by a pang of conscience. The Senshi had never done any thing but defend this world from those who sought to harm it. So why were they being treated like this? This Sailor Pluto was here because she had put herself in the way of a bullet meant for another. It was act of honor and bravery that made the Major question his orders. He shook his head as he moved away from the room. Orders were orders, he told himself. It was not his place to question the rightness of them. As he stopped and turned to look back in the direction of Pluto's room a phrase popped into his mind. I was just following orders. Hadn't that been the defense of the Nazi's at Nuremberg? That thought haunted him as he moved past the guards at the checkpoint near the end of the hall. Major Kaigan moved crisply though the locking doors and listened to the finality of bang that closed them tight. He wondered if, when the time came, he'd be able to do what his superiors demanded of him. ******************************************** "From what I know they're planning on moving her in the next few days." Motoki said. "As soon the Doctor in charge of the case gives the okay that is." Mamoru sat in chair by himself, elbows on the armrests. He thoughtfully placed his chin on the top of his interwoven fingers. "What do you think, Motoki-kun? Is Pluto strong enough for us to move today?" The young resident shook his head and sighed, "I'm not really sure. I think so, maybe. Making sure she stays on the medication and at the prescribed amount is vital, but I have to admit I'm worried about the possibility…" his voice trailed off as figure walked slowly into the Mizuno living room, "…of shock?" The tall woman with the hip length green hair raised her staff above her head. "Under the star of Time and Space, I am Sailor Pluto!" Whirling the long key shaped weapon, she brought it to her side with a dull thunk. "Daughter of the Fifth House, holder of the sacred chalice of Reeks, heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed!" There was shocked silence in the room for a long minute. 'Sailor Pluto' stared silently back at the two men before adding, "Okay, I admit it. I made that last part up." Motoki gave Mamoru a look of sheer confusion. "I thought she was in the hospital?" Mamoru gave a feral smile from the chair. "This isn't Setsuna." "It isn't? You could have fooled me." Replied the young blond resident. "It almost fooled me and I know better." Michiru came into the room followed by the rest of the Senshi. She gave Lorilei a glance full of humor. "Really Lori, 'Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed'?" Lorilei shrugged her shoulders. "It was the best I could come up on short notice." She fingered the cheap skirt of the costume she was wearing. "And I'll have you know that Setsuna would never polyester. It makes her break out in hives." "So we've proved that Lorilei can pass for Setsuna." Makoto put in, almost as confused as Motoki, "That's not exactly news, Mamoru. I mean what the point of this little exercise?" Mamoru stood up and walked towards the assembled heirs to the Silver Millennium. He was every inch the prince, the master of his destiny. "The point is that I'm tried of letting everyone walk all over us. Up until now, we've been reacting to what others have done. As of now, we are taking the initiative." Mako and Haruka exchanged wolf like smiles. "Yes!" they hissed in unison as Michiru gave a long-suffering sigh. Mamoru took center stage and rallied his forces. "We're going down to Tokyo General and we're going to free Setsuna." He looked at Lorilei, "The easy way, if we can" then back at the Senshi, "Or the hard way if we have to. But no one is going to hold one of us against her will." He raised a clenched fist as he repeated, "No one." Next – Chapter Seven, "Mind Games"