Sailor Moon Crystal Generation

Author: yumecosmos

Rated: PG

Glossary/Notes

Chiyoda: The district of Tokyo where the Imperial palace—and presumably the Crystal Palace in Crystal Tokyo—is located.

Onii-kun: An informal term of address for one's older brother.

Wakame: A kind of edible seaweed

Seresu: Her given name sounds exactly like the Japanese pronunciation of "Ceres." I spell them differently for the sake of clarity.

Chapter 2

The Stirring of Destiny

A cool breeze, carrying the faint scent of wisteria blossoms, rustled the leaves in the garden. Along the far wall, a lithe shadow was making its way through the carefully pruned hedges. The figure crept toward a tall tree that grew below the balcony, avoiding the watchful eye of the lone guard posted above. There, he paused and pulled out one of the tiny silver darts hanging at his belt.

The guard jumped, sensing movement. His flashlight roved across the garden, searching.

"Who's there?"

But it was too late. With a slight flick of the wrist, the intruder flung the dart, which buried itself in the guard's neck. Moments later, he dropped to the ground in a deep sleep.

The man scaled the tree with remarkable ease and leapt onto the balcony. He glanced behind him nervously, then took a small grappling hook from his belt and slung it up onto the third story windowsill. With a deep breath, he began scaling the smooth crystal wall. His foot slipped once, and he stifled a cry of surprise. But he regained his footing and continued upward.

Finally, he reached the narrow window ledge. The room inside was brightly lit and apparently empty, save for the purple and gold velvet banners that lined the walls. But the man didn't move immediately. One gloved hand reached under his cloak and withdrew a small pouch of powder, which he scattered into the room. Suddenly the chamber lit up with red—a laser net. The man nodded grimly, his suspicions confirmed. As he tried to calculate a safe path through the maze, his mouth twitched in annoyance.

"What's taking you so long, Hypnos?" he muttered.

At that moment, the wind picked up again, blowing aside his violet cloak and revealing the gold and white outfit beneath. Unfortunately, for him, that attracted a little unwanted attention.

"Hey you!" a girl's voice shouted from below. "What are you doing up there?" The man stiffened. He took a moment to make sure his white silk mask was firmly tied over his eyes before turning slowly to face his accuser.

A tall girl with wild scarlet hair met his gaze. She stood boldly, hands on her hips, and sized him up with fierce crimson eyes. Without looking away, she set down the suitcase she'd been carrying and stepped forward. She was holding a leather whip in her hands and was winding and unwinding it ever so carefully. He pulled his cloak around him and edged back against the wall. "I'm an inspector. I was examining the building for structural flaws." Damn, we should've come up with a better story...

The girl frowned. "Tell me, why do I find it hard to believe that?" With sudden violence, she cracked the whip just below his feet. He staggered back involuntarily, one hand clamping the mask over his face... and tumbled backwards through the window into the room.

He hit the floor with a muffled shout. His fall triggered the laser net, and within moments, alarms were ringing out all around the palace. He muttered curses as he scrambled to his feet and took a fighting stance. The girl grabbed the rope he'd left dangling and scaled the wall with ease. The man tried to back away, but another crack of the whip pulled his feet out from under him. He groaned, feeling welts rising on his ankles. A fiery red glow surrounded the girl, and he sensed the unmistakable surge of energy that could only mean one thing. A sailor soldier?

Her mouth curved slightly in a dark smile as a red orb appeared in her hand. She held it up, and a brilliant flash of red blinded the man. Beneath the roar of magical flames, he heard her shout, "Vesta Star Power! Make Up!"

~*~

Hotaru winced as Mercury applied a medicated bandage to her wound.

"This cut is deep. You'll need to be careful so it won't get infected," Mercury admonished.

"Yes," Hotaru said softly. She did her best not to move as Mercury worked. "It's too bad I can't heal myself. This could be a lot faster."

"Even the best medical treatment takes time," the young doctor replied crisply. "As I've no such useful magic, there's only so much I can do to speed your body's natural healing process."

"Oh... I didn't mean it like that," Hotaru said after an awkward silence. Mercury was normally one of the more level-headed members of their team, so her sudden sensitivity at the absent-minded comment came as a shock.

"I know," Mercury murmured. She mentally kicked herself for her outburst.

After all these years, the remnants of her old inferiority complex were resurfacing--Mizuno Ami, the weak girl who only knew how to study, a girl whose lifelong goal was to be a doctor, who had finally achieved that goal only to have it swept out from under her by the arrival of a new era. She had long since come to terms with her destiny, but still the ghost of Dr. Mizuno lingered, a relic of an aborted dream. Like a first love, it held a place in her heart that was untouchable, a secret vault that contained all her nostalgia and abandoned ideals. And it was a chink in her armor.

Jupiter patted her shoulder. "Thanks, Doctor."

Exuding her usual optimism, Serenity nodded in agreement.

Mercury's cheeks flushed. "Oh, it was nothing," she said with a soft smile. Her friends understood. They always did.

Moments later, another alarm sounded. The senshi sprang into action, manning their control stations and sealing the doors.

"The laser net in the Golden Crystal chamber was triggered!" Mercury reported, typing furiously.

Immediately Usagi was on her feet, and without another word, she was off down the hall, Diana at her heels.

"Usagi!" Serenity called after her. "Wait!" She moved to follow her, but the door slammed shut in her face. By the time she got it open again, Usagi was out of sight. The queen sighed. "Honestly, that girl..."

"I'll keep an eye on her," Endymion said. "Please stay here, Serenity."

Serenity hesitated, but nodded. "Be careful." She watched anxiously as her husband disappeared down the dark hall.

"I'm sorry, Usagi-chan..." Hotaru whispered. "I wanted to be the one to protect you."

Serenity heard her, and reached out to give her hand a gentle squeeze. "Let's have faith." Hotaru nodded and squeezed back, glad to have found a kindred spirit.

Luna sighed as she sat down next to Serenity. "If by 'have faith' you mean 'sit here and worry ourselves sick over something we both know full well she can handle,' then yes."

That coaxed a smile from the queen.

~*~

The cloaked intruder tightened his fists as Sailor Vesta appeared in a burst of fire. The senshi snapped her whip again, but now the weapon was cloaked in flames.

"You've really caused me a lot of trouble," she said, approaching him with slow, deliberate steps. "You're gonna regret that."

The man took a step back as the fiery senshi advanced. It's no good! I won't have time to prepare a spell like this...

With an angry shout, Vesta attacked. The man could only brace himself as the burning whip hurtled toward him.

At the last second, someone leapt through the window and tackled Vesta to the ground. The magical fire vanished as she lost her grip on her weapon, and it slid across the room, out of reach. The newcomer smirked and held her pinned against the floor.

"Hypnos!" the man in the violet cloak sighed, looking immensely relieved.

"Sorry I'm late," the other said sheepishly. "I had some business to attend to."

"I know," the first said. He added softly, "Thank you."

Hypnos turned back to Vesta. "You're outnumbered. Give up and we'll let you go."

"Ha!" Vesta laughed. "It'll take more than two of you to beat- aah!" she cried out as Hypnos shoved his knee into her back.

The taller one frowned down at her with stern golden eyes. "Don't make us kill you. You know you don't have a chance."

"Diamond Storm!" another voice shouted. Hypnos cried out in surprise and pain as a flurry of sparks exploded around him, knocking him away from Vesta. A senshi in green leapt in through the window. "Then let's even the score, shall we?" she said, glaring at them as she helped Vesta to her feet.

"Juno!" Vesta exclaimed, recognizing her companion.

Juno glanced sideways at her with a wry grin. "Getting in trouble as usual, Vesta?"

"Fair enough," the tall man said simply. For a split second, Juno thought his voice sounded familiar. He calmly raised his hand and began chanting. His body was surrounded by an eerie golden glow.

"Aether," his partner began, looking worried.

A beam of pure white light shot from Aether's palm, striking Vesta in the chest. She screamed in pain as the force of the blast knocked her through the wall. Her unconscious form plummeted to the ground far below.

"Vesta!" Juno gasped. She ran to the shattered wall, and was relieved to see that a clump of bushes had broken Vesta's fall. She didn't even see the second blast coming. It struck her in the back, and she was sent tumbling out the window to land by Vesta's side.

Hypnos ventured cautiously over to the window. He peered down and saw both senshi knocked out cold. Shaking his head, he turned back to face his partner.

"Such a weak attack shouldn't kill them," Aether said simply.

"You're reckless."

"I have my reasons. You know that."

Hypnos started to say something, then changed his mind. "Anyway, grab the crystal and let's get out of here."

Aether had already moved to the door on the far wall and was entering a code into the small control panel on the wall. The machine made a disgruntled buzzing noise, and Aether frowned.

"Looks like they've changed it already," Hypnos observed.

"Well, that's to be expected." Aether produced a small electronic device from his pocket and held it against the control panel. A few small lights flashed, and several anxious seconds passed before a quiet beep sounded. The door slid open, revealing a room with a pedestal much like the one in the Ginzuishou chamber. Atop sat a similar crystal bloom, but this one glowed with a warm golden light.

"Ready?" Aether asked.

"Always," his partner replied with a smile.

In one smooth motion, Aether snatched the crystal from its resting place, and the two whirled and bolted out the door. Of course, this triggered a whole new set of alarms. Hypnos and Aether were momentarily blinded by the glaring red lights as they prepared to leap from the window.

"Freeze!"

The two-stopped short as a clear, strong voice rang out above the dull roar of the alarms. They turned slowly to see a pink-haired girl in a sailor suit challenging them. At that moment, the clouds parted, and a shaft of pure moonlight poured in through the window, surrounding her with an unearthly radiance.

Hypnos inhaled sharply. "You're..."

"The soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon!" She frowned at them. "I won't allow suspicious people to enter this sacred palace!"

Aether, meanwhile, said nothing, only stared at Sailor Moon with wide eyes. Deep gold met warm red-brown, and for some reason, her breath caught in her throat. In that brief moment, surrounded by moonlight, all the chaotic sounds and lights around them dropped away, and time itself seemed to stop. Sailor Moon felt like shuddering, but she couldn't move.

Then a cloud drifted over the moon, and the light fled from the room. Hypnos chuckled. "I'm afraid we aren't asking your permission."

He flicked his wrist, and a tiny vial of purple liquid appeared between his fingers. Before Sailor Moon could react, he flung it to the ground, where it exploded and filled the room with a thick, choking black smoke.

Hypnos shook his partner. "Aether," he said, quietly but firmly. The touch seemed to bring Aether to his senses, and the two leaped from the window. By the time the smoke cleared, they were gone.

~*~

Sailor Juno slowly opened her eyes to find herself draped over a once-beautiful topiary of a unicorn. She disentangled her hair from what had been the steed's hindquarters and carefully slid to the ground.

"Ugh," she groaned as she clutched her aching head. Her disgust only increased as the memory of her humiliating defeat returned.

"Well, that sucked," Vesta, said sourly.

The shorter senshi frowned, still trying to sort everything out. "I don't understand. They didn't finish us off."

Vesta swore under her breath, pounding the ground with her fist. "This is not good. I let him get away after he saw me transform!"

Juno eyed her with disbelief for a moment, then shook her head. "You transformed in front of him? What were you thinking?"

"It shouldn't have been a problem, since I was going to kill him."

"But you didn't!"

"Look, I don't have time for the post-game analysis right now-"

She was cut off by a sudden ominous whirring. A computerized voice echoed across the palace grounds. "Alert. The Crystal Palace is entering a complete lock-down. Shields will activate in 30 seconds. For your own safety, please vacate the premises. Alert..."

Juno stiffened. Vesta jumped to her feet and grabbed her companion's arm. "Let's go!"

The two broke into a run. All around them, small white force-field generators began to sprout up from the ground, covering the palace lawn in a perfect grid. They looked like bizarre alien flowers, each topped with a smooth plastic bulb that was ringed with blinking red lights. When the countdown ended, those bulbs would emit a searing web of pure energy, stretching out over a quarter-mile radius from the walls. Anything or anyone unfortunate enough to be caught inside would, simply put, cease to exist. There was a reason no one ever tried to break into the Crystal Palace.

"Shields will activate in 15 seconds. For your own safety..."

"Hurry up, Vesta!" Juno urged, quickening her pace. Vesta nodded grimly; though she'd never admit it, she was having a hard time keeping up.

"10 Seconds..."

Juno was dragging Vesta now. It hurt her arm, but she was too panicked and breathless to protest.

"3... 2... 1..."

A ragged cry burst from Juno's throat as she made one last desperate dash. She lunged forward, Vesta in tow, and the two stumbled out of the shield boundary just as the countdown ended. A fraction of a second later, a brilliant white dome of energy shot up around the palace with the soft whispering sound of a blade cutting through the air. After a moment, the two sat up, trembling. One of the ribbons on Vesta's skirt had been caught in the shield and severed cleanly. She gulped, knowing it could just as easily have been her head.

"We're alive," Juno gasped.

"Yeah. That was close," said Vesta as she dusted herself off. Then she remembered something, and stomped her foot angrily. "Darn it! My luggage was in there!"

"You're welcome," her companion muttered. Juno looked back at the shimmering wall surrounding the palace and sighed. "Great. We need to get back to Serenity."

"Well then, let's go!" Vesta set off with determined strides, heading for the front gate of the palace. "I'm sure they'll let us in when they see that we're senshi."

Juno was about to follow when a sound in the distance made her pause. "Vesta!" she whispered. "Listen!" The two strained their ears and could just barely pick up a muffled scream coming from somewhere a few blocks away.

"What do we do?" Vesta wondered.

Juno had already made her decision. "Come on! We have to help!" With that, she turned and sprinted down the street.

~*~

As King Endymion hauled himself up the final flight of stairs leading to the Golden Crystal chamber, he was secretly glad his wife and their friends weren't here to see the sorry state he was in. Many years had passed since he traded in his old tuxedo for the lavender robes of royalty. These days his time was occupied with stately affairs rather than daring nocturnal rescue missions, and his physique had suffered as a result. With every step, his aching legs chastised him.

You need to lay off the chocolate, his conscience nagged.

At least Serenity still thinks I'm hot, his stubborn side retorted.

By the time he reached the top, he was thoroughly winded.

He arrived to find the chamber in a shambles. The air was filled with dust and smoke, and tainted with an acrid chemical odor. Burn marks scarred the floor, and two of the windows were shattered. The pins-and-needles sensation of lingering magical energy assaulted his psychic senses, making him shiver. Strong auras had clashed here recently, at least four or five of them.

The door to the vault that protected the crystal stood wide open. He didn't need to look inside to know that it was missing; he could feel it. Whoever had stolen it was gone. As was a large piece of the wall. And his daughter.

Frantic, he reached out with his mind, searching for her. All he got was white noise. He shut his eyes, knelt to touch his palms to the ground, and forced himself to tune out the strange smells, the flashing alarm lights, the crackle and hiss of the shield generators as they activated, and his own turbulent emotions. Gradually, they dropped away, and the hidden world revealed itself, an ever-flowing network of living energy. He stretched out his consciousness through the wind and the soil.

There, at last, he found her unique glow. She felt like sugar-pink tulle, mother-of-pearl, the sound of bells, the spring wind, the feeling of watching an Earthrise from the Moon, and a hundred other things that had no words. That light was dear to him as her mother's, familiar as his own. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. He settled into deeper meditation, trying to pinpoint her exact location.

A small voice interrupted and saved him the trouble. "She's trying to find the thieves. Here, I've got her on the GPS."

Diana padded over and sat beside him. She tapped the bell around her neck, and it opened to reveal a tiny laser projector, which beamed a map of Sailor Moon's current position onto the floor.

The gray feline bowed her head. "I've failed, Your Majesty."

He said nothing, but reached out and gave her a comforting pat on the head. With a weary moan, he slouched back against the door frame.

I'm getting too old for this.

~*~

Vesta and Juno rounded a corner to find a petite, auburn-haired girl lying motionless on the ground at the end of the alley. Bending over her was a tall woman whose silk robes were the colors of an evening sky. From her slender white hands dangled what looked like a shimmering thread. She seemed to have anticipated their arrival, for she immediately rose and turned to face them.

"Evening," she greeted them nonchalantly. She brushed a strand of deep pink hair out of her face and smiled at them.

Juno wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. "What did you do to that girl?" she demanded.

The woman's expression soured. "Is that any way to address a lady? All I did was, borrow this girl's "Thread of Life." Her voice was lilting, mocking. "Yes, this," she added, noting the direction of Vesta's gaze. She held up the glittering strands, twisting them between her long scarlet fingernails. "Poor girl. Hers are weak and not very long. But they'll do..." Her smile grew sinister, as she looked them up and down. Vesta and Juno unconsciously took a step back.

A roaring sound filled the alley as the woman gathered her power. "Poor, unfortunate sailor senshi!" she cackled. "I, Petalite, will weave you a most magnificent nightmare! Moira Spirit Weave!"

The thread in her hands sprang to life and leapt at Juno and Vesta. They didn't have time to evade as it wound around them, and in moments, they were helplessly trapped. Petalite snapped her fingers, and the senshi cried out in pain as their bonds tightened. In a blinding flash of light, they were gone, leaving only an odd, faintly glowing symbol etched in the ground. Petalite nodded with satisfaction at her work. With another snap and another bright flash, she was spirited away.

~*~

Sailor Moon leaned against a wall as she paused to catch her breath. She'd been searching for the mysterious intruders all around Chiyoda, but with no luck. Sighing in defeat, she turned homeward.

She had been walking for several minutes when a piercing scream rang out from somewhere near the Palace. Sailor Moon gasped and started running.

When she reached the place where she thought she'd heard the screams, she found nothing. A quick search of the area turned up no clues, until she passed an alley and some small, pink things caught her eye. She stepped forward cautiously, and saw that they were flower petals.

She bent down and picked one up. It was fresh and perfect, as if it had just fallen. She examined it closely, but it seemed normal, if somewhat out of place. Intrigued, she looked up, searching for where it might have come from, but all she saw were the pale white walls of the buildings, and high above, the moon peeking through the clouds.

Sailor Moon glanced back once more, shrugged, and continued on her way home.

~*~

At last, she staggered into the palace, feeling tired, sweaty, and altogether dejected. Her parents were waiting at the door.

"Usagi-chan!" Serenity exclaimed worriedly. Diana had filled her in on what was happening, but the queen had been about to go out after her anyway.

Sailor Moon nodded wearily and touched her brooch. In an instant, her sailor suit disappeared, reverting back to her school uniform. She slumped into a chair and buried her head in her hands.

"I couldn't find them," she reported when she had recovered. "I ran all over the district, but I didn't see them again."

"This is not good. If they have the Golden Crystal, who knows what they could do!" Serenity lamented. Then she shook her head, not wanting to upset her daughter further. "But I'm glad you're safe."

"And what's more," Endymion reminded them, "Usagi-chan has finally become Sailor Moon! We should be proud of her." He squeezed Usagi's shoulder comfortingly. "It'll be all right. We'll get the crystal back." But when he glanced over at Serenity, the queen could see worry in his eyes.

Usagi stood up suddenly, surprising them. "I will get it back!" she declared. "I'll track those guys down, and I won't stop until I've punished them and returned the crystal to its rightful place! This is the reason I became Sailor Moon!"

"Usagi," Serenity said softly. Then she nodded. "All right. From now on, that is your mission."

"However, I believe the princess also has another mission," Mercury said, entering the hall with Usagi's school bag in her arms. "And I think it involves several dozen geometry proofs and a half-page response to tonight's reading."

Usagi just groaned in reply.

~*~

"Say Hotaru-chan, have you seen that new cafe over in Ginza?" Usagi asked one morning as they were walking to school together. "Everyone says the food's really good!" She licked her lips, imagining.

"That sounds nice," Hotaru said, sounding distracted. She kept glancing around warily. Ever since the Golden Crystal had been stolen, everyone had been on edge. Serenity hadn't made the news public for fear of inciting a panic, and the girls were still attending school. But Hotaru in particular was tense, refusing to leave Usagi's side for even a moment when they were outside the palace. She seemed to expect an enemy around every corner.

They walked for a little while in silence. As they neared the school, Usagi noticed a girl with long pink hair standing at a corner looking confused. She had a map in her hand, but it didn't seem to be very helpful as she kept turning it around, trying to figure out where she was.

"Excuse me!" Usagi said, approaching her. "Are you lost?"

The girl looked up. "Oh!" She gave them a friendly smile. "Well, I do seem to be a bit disoriented—my goodness!" she gasped, recognizing Usagi. She dropped to one knee. "Princess! It's an honor."

"You may rise," Usagi said imperiously, gesturing for Seresu to stand.

Yup, that sounded pretty good! she thought to herself with a smile. Very princess-like. Then her formal air vanished. "Anyway... where are you trying to go?"

"Well, I'm looking for Crystal Mugen Academy."

"Hmm, you're pretty far off course, then. Mugen's a few miles up that way." Usagi said, pointing.

The girl's face fell. "Oh dear... I suppose I'd better hurry, then. It's a good thing I got up early." She reached into her bag and pulled out a sprig of small yellow flowers, which she handed to Usagi. "That's agrimony," she told her with a wink. "For gratitude." She gave Usagi and Hotaru a quick smile, then turned to go.

"Wait! What's your name?"

The girl paused and turned around briefly. "Seresu Garnier," she introduced herself. "It was simply delightful meeting you!"

"Garnier-san..." Usagi repeated, watching as Seresu scurried up the street. As she and Hotaru started walking again, she toyed with the flowers, twirling them between her fingers. After a few minutes, she stuck them into her hair and smiled. "She was nice! I hope I can see her again."

~*~

"Souga!" the teacher called, glancing over the room. "Souga...?" He shrugged. "Absent again, huh? Hmm."

"Miruki-chan's been gone for three days," the boy next to Usagi whispered. "I wonder what's wrong with her?"

Usagi frowned worriedly. "I don't know. I haven't seen her anywhere. Maybe she's sick."

"Chino!"

"Here!" the boy responded, quickly sitting upright.

Usagi, having memorized her position in the roll, also made sure she was paying attention when the teacher called "Tsukino!"

She sat quietly taking notes for a few minutes, and was writing busily when a folded piece of paper landed on her desk. She glanced up to make sure the teacher wasn't watching and carefully unfolded the note.

"Tsukino-san," it read. "Are those flowers from a boy?"

Usagi felt her face turn red. She looked around the room and caught one of the boys in the front row looking back at her. When their eyes met, he quickly turned away. Usagi just grimaced.

I definitely liked it better when they called me a chibi.

When Usagi left school that afternoon, she was surprised to see Seresu waiting for her at the gate.

"Tsukino-sama!" she called, waving a hand in Usagi's direction. Usagi's face lit up as she bounded over to meet her new friend.

"I hope you don't mind my being so forward, but I was wondering if you'd like to walk home together. I feel I haven't quite properly thanked you for your help this morning."

"Oh, it was nothing!" Usagi said. Seresu fell into step beside her as they started to stroll homeward.

"I see you still have the flowers," Seresu observed, pointing to the blossoms in Usagi's hair.

"Ehe..." Usagi laughed nervously. She made a face, recalling the incident earlier.

Seresu noted her reaction. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing!" Usagi replied quickly, putting on a bright smile.

"Usagi!" Hotaru's voice rang out. Usagi turned to see her friend running wildly down the path toward them. She looked less than pleased.

Hotaru was scolding her as soon as she was in earshot. "What are you doing, taking off like that? It's dangerous for you to be alone! What if-" She stopped short, noticing for the first time that Seresu was there.

Seresu frowned. "What do you mean, dangerous?"

"Umm... I mean, a man could easily overpower a fragile young girl walking alone!" Hotaru said quickly. "Even in a low-crime neighborhood, you can't be too careful! You didn't talk to any strange people, did you?"

Good save, Usagi thought. Aloud she said. "Don't worry. We're together, so we'll be fine."

"Oh! You're the person we met this morning," Hotaru realized. "Garnier-san, right?"

"Yes," Seresu said with a nod.

"This is my best friend, Hotaru-chan," Usagi told her as they started walking again.

"Pleased to meet you," Seresu said sweetly.

They walked and chatted together until Seresu had to leave. Usagi was all smiles as she waved goodbye.

"Isn't Garnier-san great?" she said after her new friend had gone.

"Yeah," Hotaru said half-heartedly.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Come on, Usagi-chan. We'd better get home before dark."

~*~

The next day was the weekend, and Hotaru came knocking on Usagi's door early that morning. Usagi, as it turned out, was already up and dressed for a day out on the town.

"Good morning, Usagi-chan! I was wondering if you'd like to-" Hotaru stopped, realizing that Usagi was already on her way out the door. "Oh, are you going somewhere?"

"Yup!" Usagi said with a grin. "Garnier-san and I are going to the park!"

"Oh..." Hotaru looked disappointed.

"Sorry, gotta go!" Usagi called over her shoulder as she dashed out the door.

And so it went all day. At noon, Hotaru asked Usagi, "Want to go see a movie?"

"Sorry, I already promised Garnier-san we'd go shopping together!"

And later, "Do you need any help studying for history? You said you were having trouble."

"I got Garnier-san to tutor me, so it's okay!"

At dinnertime, Usagi found Hotaru sitting alone in one of the palace's small courtyards. "Hey Hotaru-chan," she called. "Garnier-san and I are going out to a noodle place! Want to come?"

"No thank you," Hotaru replied without turning to look at her.

"But they have soba-"

"I'm not hungry," Hotaru said irritably. "Maybe some other time."

Usagi looked bewildered for a moment, but then shrugged. "All right, then."

After she left, Hotaru slumped down in her chair, head in her arms, and stayed that way for the rest of the evening.

~*~

On Sunday, Usagi invited Seresu to visit her in the palace. Seresu was thrilled, and took in the sights giddily as Usagi showed her around. She kept saying "Simply splendid!" and "Oh, I can't wait to tell my friends about this!" After a while, they found a sunny spot in the main garden and decided to have tea.

Later, Seresu noticed that Hotaru was nowhere to be found. "Where is Tomoe-san?" she asked. "It seems like she's usually with you."

Usagi looked worried. "Yeah... she said she didn't feel well this morning."

"You two are really close, aren't you?"

"Yup!" Usagi said, nodding enthusiastically. "We've been best friends for ages."

"What sort of person is Tomoe-san?" Seresu asked. "She seemed nice."

"Mmhm. Hotaru-chan's a little shy, but once you get to know her she's the best! And she's really smart too! She wants to be a nurse some day. She even helps out in the nurse's office at school."

"That's quite impressive!" Seresu exclaimed. "Tomoe-san really is an amazing person."

"Yup!"

Seresu paused and sipped her tea daintily. "Speaking of tomorrow, Tsukino-sama, I was wondering if you'd like to go to that Glass Hour place for dinner. Surely you've heard of it?"

"The one in Ginza? Yeah, I heard it was really good!" Usagi said excitedly.

At that moment, Hotaru happened to pass by on a walkway a few stories overhead. When she heard the two laughing and talking, she stopped and peeked over the railing, listening intently.

"That sounds great!" she heard Usagi say.

"Shall we go after school, then? Oh, you'll be simply amazed at how good the food is! And the waiter was dashingly handsome."

Hotaru's face fell. But Usagi-chan promised she'd wait for me so we could walk home together!

She stood forlornly for a moment, feeling betrayed. Then an angry frown crept over her face. "Fine, then!" she muttered. "I see how it is!" She turned and ran down the hall, tears stinging in her eyes.

"...But only if Hotaru-chan can come too!" Usagi was saying. "She's working tomorrow, so I promised I'd wait for her."

Seresu smiled. "You two really are the best of friends."

~*~

"Hotaru-chan! Wait up!" Usagi panted. She jogged to catch up, but Hotaru didn't even turn around.

"Hey!" she said when at last she reached Hotaru's side. "What's going on? You're acting like you're ignoring me or something!" Without waiting for Hotaru to answer, she went on, "By the way, after school today-"

"I know," Hotaru said coldly. She stopped walking. "I... I think I forgot something at home. Go ahead without me."

"Oh...okay."

Usagi watched, puzzled, as Hotaru left. It wasn't like her to forget things. But she decided it was just her imagination, and kept walking.

When she was sure Usagi wouldn't look back, Hotaru peeked out of the bushes she'd hidden behind. She moved a little closer, than hid again. She followed Usagi to school that way, just far enough to be out of earshot, but close enough to come to her rescue in case another enemy appeared.

It's my duty to the princess, she thought. That's all.

~*~

On the outskirts of town stood an abandoned factory. No one passed by there anymore, and the building had fallen into disrepair. But that spring, for some reason, it had become overgrown with roses.

At the moment, two people were standing in what had been the lobby. One was a tall, lanky man with wild orange hair. He wore a long red coat and had a complicated mechanical device strapped to his left arm. The other was a short blue-haired girl with pale, round eyes and a childish face. Their voices were raised in one of their frequent arguments.

"Why'd it have to turn out like this?" the girl grumbled. "I didn't expect that stupid senshi to be so strong!"

"It's your own fault, Calomel, for treating this like a game," her companion admonished. "The sailor senshi aren't a threat to be taken lightly."

"Sheesh, you don't have to lecture me!" Calomel whined. She turned her back on him and flicked at one of the blossoms that climbed over the concrete wall. They were a dull ash-gray, not a very good color for roses, she thought.

"Well, be more careful next time."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. She frowned thoughtfully for a second. Then her face lit up, and she held out her hands, preparing a spell. As she squinted in concentration, a mist began to gather in the room. Soon it rose into a billowing cloud and took on the shape of a wolf-like beast. The creature threw back its head and let out an eerie howl.

"Ha! What do you think of that, Onii-kun?"

He shrugged. "It's a cloud."

Calomel smirked. Her creation opened its mouth and shot a blast of hot steam at her brother, who cried out softly as he was knocked off his feet.

"I see," he said as he dusted himself off, trying not to appear too impressed.

"Now, go and find Sailor Moon!" Calomel ordered.

~*~

Hotaru sighed dejectedly as she packed up the first aid kit and finished tidying up the nurse's office. She slung her bag over her shoulder with a heavy sigh and started the long walk home alone.

She trudged along, staring at her feet. All day long, she'd been swinging back and forth between sadness and anger. Now she was tired, and her feelings had wound down to a dull melancholy.

Maybe it was my fault, she thought. I was worrying all the time. I wouldn't let her have any fun...

Then something else occurred to her. Oh no! What if Usagi-chan and Garnier-san are attacked at the restaurant!

"Usagi-chan!" she cried, breaking into a run. She shoved the door open frantically, searching for her friend.

"Owww!" Usagi groaned as the door smacked into her head.

Hotaru looked up in surprise. "Usagi-chan?"

"Hi!" Usagi said cheerfully, still holding her forehead. "Ready to go?"

Hotaru blinked. "I thought you guys went out to dinner."

"Tsukino-sama insisted that we wait for you," Seresu explained.

"Usagi-chan," Hotaru said with a smile.

Usagi grabbed her hand and Seresu's. "C'mon!" she urged. "I'm hungry!"

She turned and started down the street, but Hotaru grabbed her wrist and stopped her. Usagi looked back, confused, and saw a tense look on Hotaru's face. She followed her friend's gaze to the corner of the schoolyard, where a thick cloud of mist was rising, congealing, taking on the form of a wolf.

"Garnier-san," Usagi whispered. "Run!"

Frightened, Seresu took a step back. "Wh-what is that strange cloud?"

"Just go!" Hotaru insisted. Without another word, Seresu turned and ran.

They transformed as soon as the coast was clear. "Saturn Crystal Power!"

"Moon Crystal Power!"

"Make Up!" they cried in unison, and in a moment, Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn were facing off against the monster.

Sailor Moon was the first to attack, charging at the monster with her fists flying. But before she could get close to it, it dissolved into an amorphous cloud and rose into the air, only to re-form and pounce on her. She screamed as it pinned her to the ground.

She was rescued by Saturn, who raked her glaive along the monster's side. It yelped and turned back into a cloud, and Usagi scrambled away. The monster resumed its wolf shape and growled angrily at them. Water dripped from its wounded side.

"This is no good! We can't get close to it!" SailorMoon said.

"But it seems like it has to go back to its natural shape after a few seconds," Saturn observed.

Then the monster sucked in a huge gulp of air, inflating to twice its normal size. Moon and Saturn screamed as it breathed a jet of hot steam at them.

Seresu heard her friends' cries and paused. She wavered, then turned back to find them.

When she reached the front of the school, she couldn't hold back a cry of horror as she saw the monster. Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn were struggling to stand. The creature's head swiveled to look at her, and Seresu froze in fear.

"Garnier-san, look out!" Usagi tried to warn her, but it was too late. The monster charged at Seresu, blowing steam from its nostrils. "No!" Usagi shouted, jumping in front of Seresu to shield her.

"Tsukino-sama!" Seresu cried in alarm.

No! I can't let the princess get hurt!

Suddenly, without warning, a stream of vivid memories poured into her mind. The dark, oppressive heat of the jungle. The soothing light of the silver crystal. The smile of her dear princess. Herself fighting in a sailor suit alongside her four companions. And at last, her flight across time and space, toward the stirring of destiny that called her to awaken again...

To the place where you should be. To the person you should protect.

"That's right!" she exclaimed. "I remember now! The time for our true awakening has arrived!" A deep pink aura surrounded her, and the monster cringed before its glow.

Usagi whirled to look at her. "What?" She squinted against the glare and could see light gathering in Seresu's hands, forming a golden sphere. Seresu held it above her head, and a curved symbol, the sign of Ceres, glowed on her forehead.

"Ceres Star Power, Make Up!"

Hotaru's jaw dropped. "Garnier-san is Sailor Ceres?" she gasped.

Ceres didn't waste any time, but stepped between Sailor Moon and the monster. "How very unkind of you to attack a lady!" she scolded. "Sailor Ceres will teach you a lesson!"

A blast of hot steam was the monster's reply. The three senshi cried out as they were knocked backward. Ceres cringed and clutched her arm in pain. A blister was forming where her glove had been burned away by the intense heat.

Undaunted, she got to her feet. No more time for idle chatter. "Fragrant Cornucopia!" she shouted, shooting a spiral of golden light from her hands to wrap around the gaseous menace. The monster tried to turn into a cloud again, but it couldn't escape the glowing whirlwind.

Saturn saw an opening and raised her glaive. "Silence Glaive Surprise!" With a quick slash, she launched an arc of violet energy at the trapped monster. On impact, it exploded, knocking them all back again. When the dust cleared, the monster was gone.

Sailor Moon sat up shakily. She dusted herself off and gave her friends a big smile. "All right! We did it!" she cheered.

"Congratulations," a man's voice came from above. The three girls looked up and saw a tall figure in a white tuxedo perched on the rooftop, shadowed by the glow of the setting sun. His face was covered by a golden mask. He stood, tossing his gold-lined cape aside, and flashed them a quick salute.

"Who are you?" Ceres asked.

The man ignored her question. "Adieu!" he called over his shoulder as he leapt nimbly away and disappeared over the rooftop.

Sailor Moon stared after him for a long time. "Somehow I have a feeling I've seen him before."

~*~

"So Garnier-san was a senshi!" Usagi marveled after they had de-transformed.

Hotaru chuckled. "With a name like Seresu, we should've figured it out." Then her tone turned serious. "But more importantly, what happened to the rest of the Sailor Quartet?"

"After the battle with Galaxia, Sailor Cosmos sent us to the future," Seresu began.

"Sailor Cosmos?" Usagi interrupted, confused.

"Oh, that's right," Seresu realized. "You didn't meet her in that form, did you? Sailor Cosmos is the ultimate sailor soldier who came from the future. She is also the true form of Chibi-Chibi."

"Eh? You mean that little kid was actually..."

Seresu nodded. "In my opinion, she looked a good deal like Neo Queen Serenity," she added. "Anyway, Sailor Cosmos sent us to the future, to the time when we were meant to truly awaken and protect our princess. We made that journey in our pure star forms, but somehow along the way we were scattered. When we arrived on Earth, we began to grow for the first time as normal human beings. However, in the process our memories were sealed." Her eyes grew distant as she thought of her companions. "Pallas, Vesta, and Juno must be out there somewhere... I wonder if they've remembered yet."

Usagi clasped her hand. "Don't worry! We'll find them for sure!"

"Yeah," Hotaru agreed. "We're a team!"

Seresu smiled warmly at her newfound companions. "Indeed we are."

After a few seconds, Usagi tugged on her arm. "Can we go now? I'm hungry!"

Hotaru laughed. "That's Usagi for you!"

"All right, all right. Let's go."

~*~

Half an hour later, they were enjoying a meal at the Glass Hour. It was a quiet little establishment with sparse but elegant decor in muted shades of lavender. The lights were just low enough to give the place a touch of sophistication without losing its friendly atmosphere. A speaker on the wall played soft-rock hits from the 2970s. There was a seafood special that day, so the girls opted to share a giant party platter.

"You sure were right about the food here, Garnier-san!" Hotaru said, grinning between bites of wakame salad.

"And the cute waiter!" Usagi added. They all laughed, but quickly fell silent when the aforementioned waiter shot a glance in their direction.

"Oh yeah! I brought you something," Usagi remembered. She rummaged in her bag and pulled out a bunch of yellow flowers, which she handed to Seresu. "Acacia," she said. "For friendship."

"Why thank you!" Seresu exclaimed, clapping her hands. Then she giggled. "But Tsukino-sama... this is yellow acacia."

"Huh?"

"That also stands for secret love!"

Usagi turned bright red. "I didn't know that!" she said, waving her hands frantically. "I didn't mean-"

"I know, I know," Seresu reassured her between fits of laughter.

Hotaru poked Usagi in the ribs. "Do you have a secret love, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi didn't answer, but a slight blush rose to her cheeks. For a moment, the image of a youth with white hair and gentle golden eyes flashed through her mind.

"Your silence speaks for you, Tsukino-sama," Seresu giggled.

Usagi blinked, snapping out of her trance. "I, um..." She popped a crab cake in her mouth to avoid answering. A broad grin spread over her face. "Mm, these are delicious!"

"She does," Hotaru mouthed to Seresu, then reached for a crab cake herself. And so they enjoyed the rest of the evening.