The hand was slender, and as it reached, the facade of skin shattered and fell, leaving behind the geometric gleam of metal. She ducked back, weaving away, but failed to flee. The clawed hand gripped her upper arm, and painlessly, the fingers slipped into her flesh, tearing the arm loose in a robotic motion. She did not scream. It was not the first time. Though tears stained her beautiful face, her blond slivers of hair shifting over her slender features, though pain rendered her soul, she did not cry out.
Who are you…
A blue streak lit the infinite darkness, holding a part of her mind, drawing forth her inner child. She remembered, she knew. It was a friend. Her inner southpaw was too young to know, but it was there, buried back… nearly forsaken, but still alive.
Ami?
A feral snarl wafted beyond her sight, hovering in her ears. Three silvery blades drifted near her face, and she held her breath.
I don't know who you are, but get out of my dreams!
Ami no! Don't do this..! Don't you know who I am?
The anger distorted face appeared in a shadow, glaring with the intensity of acknowledged death. Sorry honey.
'No!'
'Usako!' replied a concerned male voice in Japanese. 'Usako… it's alright.' His arms wrapped firmly about her, she trembled at the passage of dreams. Again. Tonight they shared the same cot, for Usagi was temperamental and unpredictable. 'Was it the dream?'
He felt her hair shift at his shoulder; a nod. She said, 'Ami's out there… she's lost… she's confused.'
'I don't understand.'
She shook her head. 'Neither do I. I think maybe she is trying to reach me.'
'But she lost her memory of us, how…?' Silence. Dead, unquestionable silence. He pressed, 'My love, Usako… Please darling, speak to me.'
'No!' she whispered, pushing away abruptly from him. 'You… you don't know yourself, I don't know you!'
'I…' he felt the silence in him, and did not refuse it. It was almost comfortable. The moonlight fled from their dispassionate faces as a silver of warmth replaced it. The easy heat lit her forearms, where her fists were clenched in all of her torrential feelings. 'Usako? What do you mean by all of that?'
She levelled her eyes to his, reading the fear in her sudden power, and his pure love.
'The Coalition did this,' she said in hushed tones. 'They changed me. Do you still love me? Can you? Love this? What I—' His mouth opened, but her shining finger halted him. 'No, Mamoru, look at me. I am not the same childish teenager you fell in love with back on earth. I hunt demons, I smell magic. Can you love that?'
'Usako, we have both changed. I have become an Earth Child. I am psychic. It doesn't matter. It simply does not matter. I fell in love with you over a thousand years ago. I will always love you.'
'Mamoru!' she leaned upon him fully, kissing him upon the mouth - an altogether clumsy thing - leaving no doubt in his mind. She had not changed all that much.
@~%~~~
'How do you know? You're just a…'
'Juicer?' Aaran shook her head. 'Not anymore… You help me, I help you. Make sense?'
'No.'
She grinned sarcastically. 'Then I'll lay it out for ya easy-like: I'm looking for my brother and it just turned out I could help Demelza, who was kinda going my way when I stuck out my dimension shifting thumb…' A slightly pleading look entered her face, as if she expected Makoto to have a concept of her desire. Again, Makoto fell short.
'Kinda something I do. Maybe you've heard some rumors, or… His name is Jake Yyone, he's stationed at Lone Star, in Tex…'
'I know where Lone Star is,' Makoto waved her hand with a hard set facial adornment. 'Listen, I really don't know. I've been away for seven years.'
Aaran arched an eyebrow sharply. 'Hey now, we didn't take that long!'
'Look, it really doesn't matter. Talk to Usagi. She was there.' Makoto gave a faint half shrug, turning away. 'She might know.'
'Okay,' Aaran said softly, getting to her feet and approaching the door. 'Makoto... thanks.'
Makoto shrugged. 'I'm going to see Usagi in a minute if you want to come with me.'
'Well, sure,' Aaran agreed, waiting for Makoto to walk through the door first, leading the way.
As they entered the dojo, Makoto half called out her friend's name and caught herself.
'I cannot tell you what it means, I am not you. Yet, I think your instincts are correct,' offered the oddly red-haired woman. Immediately Makoto knew why.
'She's American,' Aaran muttered, glancing at Makoto.
'Canadian, actually,' was the woman's unbidden reply. 'Come now. I have as much need to talk to you as Usagi.'
The two stepped forth, as bid, and dwelt before her, Aaran quite certain she was not included in the matter at hand, and rightfully so. Regarding only Usagi and Makoto, the former of whom took aside her friend, in worry.
'So, Sailor Senshi, what will you do?'
Usagi handed her gaze to Makoto, who offered it directly in reply, also unsure of their next course of action. 'Osaka, I do not know. We are not ready to fight. We are not even together yet!' Usagi replied, expression unsettled. 'It all hinges on you.'
The middle aged woman gasped at her forgetfulness. 'I am sorry,' she stated, blushing faintly. 'I was brought into this at the last possible minute and told you had questions for me.'
'Um, hai,' Usagi nodded glumly, feeling very much a small child. 'We do. But…'
'Actually, we were kinda hoping you would be able to guide us," Makoto elaborated for her friend who seemed unable to pull together a complete sentence. "Kai-chan said you would tell us about the Senshi Resistance.'
'Oh, of course!' she smiled faintly, and briefly. 'There's so much more to it than that. It's hard to cover all at once.'
Usagi nodded, a panicked ache in her chest. 'Hai. I get it,' she breathed, gazing about herself nervously.
'Usagi-san?' Makoto prodded. 'Are you okay?'
'Hm?' she started, flinching away from Makoto's gentle hand. 'I guess. I'm leaving with Mamoru very soon to get Ami… I just want to know who it is that's set up this whole Resistance thing, and what it means for us.'
'Hai, then. You have many more friends than you are aware of. Nasura Iridian and I are responsible for the network of people who have come to form the Resistance. What it means to you is that there is hope here. We have successfully fought off the increase of demons since your exile.'
'I don't understand. How many? How powerful? Who? Who is the new senshi? What's happened to her? Who are Akari and Yanei?'
Osaka fell silent, gazing at Usagi wide eyed in stock amazement. 'I don't have answers to most of those questions,' she gradually managed to reply. 'But here is what I know: A young woman was appointed to be the first protector of earth, as Sailor Ether.'
'But Ether isn't a planet.'
'None of these girls are Royal Senshi, either. Nasura felt it would be disrespectful to select names that might already have owners.'
'…Hai, I understand.'
'Of course. This girl has done very well, up until the introduction of the Vortex crystal which has appeared in northern Tokyo.'
'What?' Makoto blinked.
'Later. Members of the Resistance are attempting to determine it's purpose as we speak.'
'When that thing starts up, you'll know it,' Usagi snarled faintly, hands slipping up to her hips. 'What about Akari and Yanei? And where is Sailor Ether now?'
'That's the problem. We don't know. The same goes for Akari and Yanei. Ether is missing, and the other two haven't done anything in days.'
'So I guess things are getting pretty tense, eh?' Makoto remarked.
She nodded, emotions restrained.
'Good. That helps,' Usagi stated softly.
'Helps?'
'Helps me to understand this. So what made Nasura decide to start up this little network?'
'She is merely an organizer of those with interest in your welfare. The initiative comes from every individual involved.'
'Then what's
hers?' Usagi inquired sharply.
'She seemed to sense some greater evil, something powerful. Something you couldn't defeat.'
'I'd be insulted if it wasn't true,' Makoto frowned angrily.
Usagi nodded at her, then asked: 'What is the enemy?’
'The NegaVerse, directed by its newest champion; Uraki-Ayo.'
Makoto did not suppress her snarl. 'Give me one round with this bloody…' her words deepened into viral curses.
Usagi startled slightly at her harsh language. Osaka shook her head negatively. 'Please, Makoto… I cannot pretend to understand how you feel, but…' she frowned pointedly.
'Gomen nasai!' she replied, her face darkened by the internal swirl of long buried emotions. 'What are we going to do?'
'Not much until Nasura Knights the new warriors.'
Makoto's feral expression faded into puzzlement.
'You haven't already?' Usagi asked, ignoring her friend's subsiding torrential anger.
'You must understand, we were caught off guard by this. If we Knight the wrong ones, then we could endanger Tokyo… Japan, even the world. Ether was Knighted prematurely as an emergency response.'
‘We couldn’t exactly warn—”
Osaka shook her head and said, “I did not imply that. Nasura’s true power is concealed, and we are grateful for her strength. However, we cannot afford to take her protection lightly.'
'I see you understand. Forgive me.'
'Forgive what? We've been acting behind your back for almost a year. We should be asking for forgiveness for not telling you sooner.'
Usagi could only shake her head.
'Usagi?' prodded another feminine voice.
'Hai?' she returned weakly, vaguely, eyes flicking upwards for a solitary moment.
'I apologize for my interruption,' the buxom blond excluded from the conversation bowed nervously. 'But I was hoping you might be able to answer a, um, couple questions. When…' Aaran paused, uncertain. 'When you escaped from Lone Star,' and paused again as Usagi winced. 'You ever hear of a CS grunt named Yyone?'
Aaran felt the pain writhe inside Usagi, and knew that she wanted to help, despite it. Despite everything she had suffered. She also was aware of a potentially all consuming shard of rage, one very similar to those she had experienced as a Hormone Juicer. This made her draw back slightly. Usagi closed her eyes tightly as tension sought to invite her fury forth.
'Hai, Aaran, he is out of Lone Star. He is with my friend Mina.'
'Thank you,' Aaran bowed slightly to Osaka and Makoto. 'Makoto, I have things to attend to, but I will be here when you wish to go back.'
Usagi's eyes snapped open, and she hissed at Aaran angrily. 'Go be with your dragon lover, then! Leave!'
Dumbfounded, Aaran gazed at Usagi, stunned. Makoto stared at her friend, openly lost. Aaran merely bowed her head and was gone.
'What the hell was…'
Makoto-san, let it pass, Ellison warned.
What was that though? How the hell does she know who Aaran's with?
No idea. It would be unwise to tamper with her internal calm, however. Best to leave it be.
Hai…
'Uhm, Usagi, what's wrong?'
The blond woman's face grew a tad more placid. 'Nothing. I'm just tired, that's all.'
'Then rest,' Osaka offered.
'No! There isn't time,' Usagi rasped, unusually stubborn. She cleared her throat and said, 'I have to find Ami.'
Osaka frowned, her head bowed. 'Usagi, I wish could help. But…'
'No, thank you, and I am so sorry. I would stay, but I need the others if we're going to defeat this…' she squinted, an emotional fatigue washing over her. 'Uraki-Ayo. You're doing everything you can, and I am very grateful.'
Osaka blinked at Usagi's words, but then decided not to question them at this point. 'Then please go. I understand what is at stake.' Her eyes met Usagi's, seconding her earlier wish of favourable luck.
'Makoto, I'm so sorry!' Usagi whispered, wrapping her arms around her friend in slighted emotion. 'I'm… I just…'
'No, Usagi-san,' she replied with a faint smile, altogether startled by her friend's abrupt alteration in temperament. 'This bastard isn't going to win. I should go with you.… but…'
'Forget it. Mamoru and I will be okay. I can take care of myself.'
'Yeah… good luck.'
'Arigoto.'
Watching them, Osaka's thoughts came to her own daughter. Nasura would not miss a beat, and it occurred to her to wonder if she might select Ayla. She hoped not. A nod saw Usagi's departure, and Makoto's induction into Osaka's command.
'Osaka-san, when will your Senshi be "Knighted"?' Makoto asked with heated anxiousness.
'That is entirely up to Nasura. She has told me nothing of what she plans to do. All we can do is wait.'
'Wait. That was my first choice,' she sighed.
@~%~~~
"You're pretty lucky there Mamoru, she's a nice girl. Fine lookin' too."
The recipient leaned back against the chair, hands in his loose pant pockets. "You don't know what Makoto was like before, do you."
"All I know now is she's plenty tough, a helluva fighter, and the sexiest woman I've ever seen," he replied with a wide grin. "My wife kicks ass. Pretty sweet package if you ask me."
"She's always been beautiful, but she's more now than she used to be."
"What're you sayin'?" Hanlan half-snapped.
He answered him with a reproachful look. "Look, do I really seem like that to you?"
"I dunno. She talks about you like you used to be an item."
"Figures. She always did have a funny sense of romance. No, you don't understand. Before all of this, I used to protect them."
"Them who?"
Mamoru stored his sigh for later use.
"The Sailor Senshi. Makoto, Usagi, Ami, Rei, and Minako."
"Oh," he nodded slowly. "Uh-huh. I remember."
"Usagi and I are destined to be together. We loved each other before we were reborn."
"Reborn? Whatcha talking about?"
"Didn't Makoto tell you anything about herself?"
"Yeah, lots. She told me she's not human if that's what you mean."
"It is. They were all born on the Moon. Usagi's mother was the Queen. Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom."
"Freaky," Han commented dryly. "Well, yeah, it's like I said: When Makoto talks about you, it's like you're her brother 'r somethin'. Sometimes more. I mean, I guess that's why I got all like that."
"That's alright," Mamoru replied curtly. "What I meant by her being more beautiful… it's just the fact that she's older now. A woman, not so much a girl anymore."
"With little Ayana? No frickin' doubt," Hanlan whistled. "So what about you? Weren't you born on the moon too?"
"No. I was a warrior from Earth. I was courting Usagi when the army of the NegaForce attacked and destroyed the Moon Kingdom."
"So what happened? How come Mako didn't nail their asses to the wall?"
Mamoru had to wonder just how much of his friend's change was not visible. "She's always been the toughest of the Sailor Senshi, but wasn't as strong then as she is now… if that puts it in perspective."
"Sorta. What's different about her?"
"It's hard to tell. I mean, I don't know exactly, not really… so much has happened," Mamoru sighed.
"Well, maybe it doesn't matter so much. What happened after this bitch nailed the Moon Castle? Or whatever it was."
"Queen Serenity sacrificed herself to banish the creature which destroyed her Kingdom."
"Yowch. When was this?"
"About one-thousand years ago."
Hanlan's face twisted inquisitively. "So why didn't they come back and cream you guys when they got strong enough? And how'd you survive, anyway?"
"I don't know. The Sailor Senshi were much more powerful then… To protect us from the NegaVerse, Queen Serenity sent us into the future." He shrugged, indicating that it still made little sense to him.
&
nbsp; "I dunno Mamoru, I'd be happy just t' still be kickin' it with yer sweetie."
Mamoru chuckled. "Yeah. I am."
"So… my Mako-babe and her friends are your chick's bodyguards?"
"That's about the size of it."
Hanlan lifted a tall cold one to his lips, took a long gulp, and remarked: "I married into the biz. Why doesn’t that surprise me?"
Chapter 31
Somewhen Else