World Shaking: Chapter 10

     Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Sailor Moon or anything that 
comprises it. This is a non-profit story written solely for my own 
enjoyment and that of anyone who wishes to read it. The story and 
original characters are mine. Please don't use them without permission.
     
***

                             World Shaking

               - A Sailor Moon Fan-Fiction by Nutzoide -


    Chapter 10: Illumination!
                Aid, Answers, and the Inevitable
    
    Tenoh Miranda was born on the 27th of March at 6.12pm, after six 
hours of labour. Though it had seemed like a hell of a lot longer at the 
time. Haruka thanked both her stars and her patron planet that Miranda 
had been in such a rush to meet the world, because any more of that 
would have been unbearable.
    
    But she'd only had a brief moment to say hello to the tiny little 
girl that was Miranda from behind the plastic of the ICU chamber before 
the nurses had whisked her away. Ami followed in hot pursuit as soon as 
her monitoring of Haruka's own condition had been done do her 
satisfaction, but she did at least pause to offer congratulations more 
heartfelt that a mere medical student ought to.
    
    God, how Haruka wanted to hold her. Even for just a moment. But 
she'd known that was coming, and just held Michiru's hand as the nurses 
had cleaned her up and allowed her to regain her modesty before leaving 
her to recover as best she could. That was until Usagi's head poked 
around the door, grinning from ear to ear.
    
    Several hours and one meal later, and all three parents stood 
outside the intensive care unit, Haruka in her temporary wheelchair 
surrounded by what seemed like every friend she had in the world. 
Miranda lay in her closed cot being fed oxygen while she slept, red and 
wrinkled and so very small, even compared to the other children in the 
little cubicles next to her. Little baby hands lay curled up by her 
head, and every now and then a leg would twitch or stretch as she 
dreamed whatever it was that new-born babies dream of.
    
    "You know, I don't think she'll be playing basketball after all, 
Haruka-kun," Minako joked, equal parts wide eyed and gooey hearted. 
"Soccer maybe?"
    
    "Just you wait," Haruka replied, more smug and contented than she 
had felt for a long, long time. "We Tenohs get some crazy growth spurts, 
I can tell you. I'll get her playing something."
    
    Michiru's beaming smile grew into a grin. "The piano maybe?" Another 
baby in the house, and this time she would stay a baby for a good long 
while. She just hoped that they would be able to take Miranda home soon. 
Their family had been absent, at least in part, for far too long. 
    
    Michiru took Haruka's hand again, and behind the chair she found 
Ami's as well. They were in public, but damn it, her Haruka had just 
made her a mother a second time over, and it was Ami of all people who 
had made it happen. She was allowed to be emotional! "God, I wish Hotaru 
was here."
    
    It was Usagi who managed to reassure her first, no doubt at all in 
her voice. "She will be, Michiru-san. Soon. I promise. You'll wait to 
see your big sister, won't you Miranda-chan? Yes you will! I'm sure 
you'll be a patient little girl now."

***
    
    "I'm jealous."
    
    Rei looked across the shrine's kotatsu table, and across the remains 
of their very late supper. The had stayed at the hospital until the 
staff had thrown them all out, and only then had any of them considered 
letting their warm and fuzzy thoughts of babies go. Makoto obviously 
hadn't succeeded quite yet.
    
    "Well, all those wretched exams are over. We can go and visit them 
again tomorrow."
    
    "After work."
    
    "Alright. I'll come and visit you at work, and then we'll go and 
visit Haruka-san and Miranda-chan."
    
    "And the shrine?"
    
    What did that matter, Mako-chan? "It won't open for the day. We only 
*just* finished those exams. I've been closing every few days for the 
last month."
    
    Since Grandpa died, in fact. Not that she could voice that yet. It 
still hurt, not having him around to look after her, and give her 
someone besides Usagi to berate. Her father had sent her a letter, part 
condolence and part family sympathy, but he hadn't shown his face yet. 
He would, eventually, but not until well after she had needed any 
familial support. She had tried not to resent his absence for a long 
time, but once she had started it was hard to even think of stopping. 
    
    Enough of that. She was making herself maudlin again, and it didn't 
suit her. Besides, she had other ways of keeping her mood subdued. "You 
know, you won't get to join her in motherhood if you're dating me, Mako-
chan."
    
    "Yeah, I was thinking that too. You're not worried I'm going to walk 
out on you now, are you?"
    
    In her current state of mind Rei had to admit it, "Yeah. A little."
    
    Makoto reached across the table for her hand, and Rei was relieved 
to give it. "Then stop it. I am not in the least bit done with you yet. 
You're not, are you?"
    
    It was a guileless question. Makoto clearly didn't believe she 
would. She was right, but still... That made her doubts seem petty and 
unfair. Not that it mattered. "No. I am so madly, deeply, head-over-
heeds in love with you that even babies won't stop me holding on to 
you."
    
    The effect was immediate, and guaranteed. Makoto's deep, full body 
blush blossomed before Rei had even finished, leaving her a quivering 
wreck as she stared back across their little heated table. When in 
doubt, tease them. That had always been Rei's way, and damn, if it 
didn't work at treat sometimes. Rei felt her doubts and lingering 
melancholy melt away as Makoto tried to speak, only to find herself 
tripping over her own words.
    
    "Oh, y-you are, are you? Then my plan worked. Brilliantly. 
Fantastic... Really?"
    
    "Of course 'really' you dolt! Why else would I keep asking you over 
to sleep here!?"
    
    Makoto's red-faced fumbling came to an end, and her answer was clear 
and accurate. "Because you were lonely. And I wasn't going to let you 
get away with that."
    
    God damn her, turning the tables as always. "Yeah, I was lonely. So 
what? My Grandpa died, damn it."
    
    Rei regretted that little remark as soon as she'd said it. She 
hadn't intended to sound bitter, because she certainly hadn't felt it, 
but that was how it must have sounded if Makoto's humbled expression was 
anything to go by.
    
    "I know. And if I knew how to make you feel better, I would. Believe 
me, I would."
    
    And perversely, Rei knew exactly how she could, as well. But it was 
selfish, short sighted, and didn't take into account the fact that 
Makoto might be in love with her, but she had a life to lead as well. A 
life that included a job, another year of schooling before she 
graduated, and then whatever career her life would follow on from that. 
Asking her to give up the possibilities that offered just to live there 
in an old shrine just seemed like asking too much.
    
    "I know you would. Sorry, I'm just broody and all mixed up." She 
sighed, and started clearing away their bowls, and without a moment's 
hesitation, or a word from either of them, Makoto did the same.
    
    "So what are you going to do with your spring break when we aren't 
hunting Shadows?" Rei asked, hoping to move the conversation somewhere 
less worrisome. She knew the likely answer anyway, and it would be nice 
to hear it.
    
    "Stay on with Matsubashi-san and try to make up time. Sell some of 
my old junk at home." She smirked. "Come over here and annoy you."
    
    "Well, the door's always open, and you know where the shrine maiden 
outfits are."
    
    Makoto edged her way to the sink, and took the washing up duties 
away from her. How wonderful was she? Very, was the answer Rei come up 
with. A proper domestic goddess, who didn't know just how appreciated 
she was.
    
    Makoto nodded as she worked. "I'll take you up on that. I look good 
in those."
    
    "True. Even if people ask whether we're teaching judo here when you 
do."
    
    "I can't do both?"
    
    "Not in my shrine you don't." Rei sighed, giving each bit of 
crockery a cursory wipe before slotting it away in its proper place. She 
might have left them to drain, but then Makoto liked to keep the kitchen 
tidy. And since she cooked there more than Rei did - if what Rei did 
could really be called cooking with any sort of likeness at all to 
Makoto's - Rei tried not to let her own lazy habits make more work for 
her girlfriend than they already did.
    
    But Rei wasn't finished there. She still felt subdued, broody and in 
need of comforting, even as Makoto did all the work for her. How much 
did that suck? Well, no chasing tonight then, she decided. They were 
both tired enough as it was with their nightly excursions, and since 
they both had the night off she might as well take the metaphorical bull 
by its horns and just come out with it. Subtly be damned.
    
    "Mako, do you want to have sex tonight?"
    
    Yep, that full body blush was back with a vengeance as Makoto 
dropped a glass back into the washing water. "R-Rei?"
    
    "I could do with it. And you've been waiting on me a lot. Unless 
you're too tired."
    
    "...N-No. I'd like to. That was... daring."
    
    Rei shrugged, smiling kindly after that little embarrassment bomb. 
"You know me, I'll speak my mind. And I told you, right? I love you, and 
it's been a little lonely around here without you."
    
    Makoto looked down to her with those beautiful green eyes. "Um, 
sorry."
    
    "Don't be silly. We've both had a lot to do. I'm just being honest. 
Now give me that glass before you wear it away to nothing."
    
    "Heh, right. Mind on the task, Kino-san."

***
    
    There had been one significant flaw in Mamoru's plan when he had 
first suggested laying an ambush for the shadow that stalked them, just 
as they stalked it. In order to have the beast enter their trap, they 
had to lay bait that the beast wanted.
    
    For the first time in his life he had wanted to be caught, and for 
the first time his enemy just wasn't interested!
    
    So the plan had been abandoned, in favour of splitting their nightly 
force into two or even three teams if they had enough people there to 
help. The shadow following them was not actually *doing* anything as far 
as they could tell, but they could confound its attempts at 
reconnaissance at least. Perhaps then they might have more luck tracking 
the rest of their quarry, and hopefully catch this stalker of theirs 
when he came out in support of his master.
    
    That was until Usagi realised who *would* be better bait. No-one had 
suggested it simply because putting their princess up for grabs was a 
risk they just couldn't take. After all, there was no real guarantee 
that they could close their trap in time. Even Mamoru had understood 
that.
    
    Usagi was having none of it. If they were willing to risk anyone at 
all, especially her beloved Tuxedo Kamen, then she should be willing to 
take the same risk. And she was going to do it, whether her friends and 
guardians liked it or not. She was going to prove Mamoru's suggestion 
right, and she was going to do it alone if she had to. Not that she 
wanted to in the slightest, they all knew that, but it had been a very 
effective method of persuasion.
    
    So, one again, the appearance of a lone Senshi on patrol was crafted 
while her cavalry hid and followed as best it could, trying to stay out 
of sight of the enemy who they wouldn't even be able to see approach.
    
    The trick, Tuxedo Kamen had told her, was not to wait for an attack. 
As soon as she heard, smelt or sensed *anything* that could be their 
target on the same roof as her, then she should give the signal. Sailor 
Mercury would then blanket the roof with freezing mist, hopefully 
unveiling their target, and then he and Sailor Venus would subdue him 
with every power at their disposal, everyone else appearing only to 
surprise the Shadow, and corral him back into their ambush.
    
    Now came the hard part. Waiting. His girlfriend, fiancee and future 
queen was quite possibly in very real and unknown levels of danger, 
possessing the Silver Crystal which, while capable of saving her life 
should something go wrong, could also prove catastrophic if it fell into 
enemy hands. *Any* of them was expendable if it came to that, except 
*her*. 
    
    But, to her credit, the plan worked. The single quiet but distinct 
sound of a landing drew Sailor Moon's attention from the sights around 
her to the roof behind, and she spun around. In her hand was not her 
sceptre, not yet, but a flashlight, and its sudden bright beam lit up 
the spot she'd heard noise from as Sailor Mercury's target. Moments 
later that entire roof, as well as every one around it, was blanketed by 
Mercury's Shabon Spray Freezing.
    
    Tuxedo Kamen had been expecting the sudden cold as that icy mist hit 
him, but his target hadn't, and she let out a gasp. The Shadow was a 
woman! The shifting trace of vapour that followed betrayed her flight 
from the roof and into an alleyway below, and Tuxedo Mask sped after 
her, just as Sailor Venus did. The Shadow would have had lead enough to 
flee after falling those four stories while her pursuers caught window 
ledges and fire escapes to manage their descent, but Koan stood at the 
exit to the alleyway, disguised should she have to do what she now did 
out there in public.
    
    Seeing the pursuit head her way she raised both hands, and with a 
flick of her wrists her long unused magic poured out.
    
    "Dark Fire!"
    
    A wall of black flame, fifteen feet high erupted from the ground, 
and sent a fireball up to meet the night sky. Behind it she stood and 
smirked as she heard the sound of feet slip on the paving of the ally 
and double back. The fire was intense, and the ball of flame that had 
risen with it had put paid to any attempt to leap over.
    
    Now at ground level Mamoru ran to meet his invisible opponent, 
holding out his cane for a high swing at her. His quarry slid beneath 
his attack...
    
    And right into the Love-Me Chain that Sailor Venus shot out. The 
chain tightened around something, and Venus struggled for a moment, but 
by that point the chase was over. Mamoru grabbed the floating end of the 
chain and helped hold it fast, wary of any attack that might come his 
way as he held what turned out to be the woman's wrist. 
    
    "That's enough," he commanded as the rest of their ambush descended 
to make clear how outnumbered the Shadow was. "Either you hold still for 
Sailor Moon, or you'll be unconscious while she restores you."
    
    To their collective surprise, the woman's voice was low and 
similarly strong. "No, remove the Shadow and you'll kill me."
    
    The illusion faded, and standing there with Venus' chain around her 
wrist was Ono Marya. Or what had once been Ono Marya. She wore a black 
suit, complete with the crimson-lined cape that had been part of her 
costume as Narrator for the Midnight Garden's play. A black patch 
covered her left eye, the one that had been pierced when her energy 
draining crystal had exploded. "I know you don't like to kill, but 
Dracul took the last of my energy for his own. The Shadow is all that 
keeps me alive."
    
    "Marya-sempai?" Sailor Venus asked in shock. "*You've* been hunting 
us?"
    
    "Not hunting. I can't kill Dracul myself. He only gave me the most 
meagre of fragments of his power. But your crystal."
    
    She pointed to the Silver Crystal that sat within Sailor Moon's 
sceptre. "That can. For six years I've studied such crystals, like this 
one." She turned up her eye patch, and in place of her ruined eye sat 
the fat sliver of green crystal, still embedded there. "This once held 
our energy, Sailor Venus, but now it holds back the Shadow. Keeps it 
from spreading itself out and taking me like it has the Berserk, Juon 
and the new girl."
    
    She smiled. "The shadow is weak. It can't even keep hold of its own 
dark energy. Let me free, and lend me your crystal. I can destroy them 
all."
    
    Mamoru frowned, "Assuming we believe you, you know the names of the 
other Shadows? 'Dracul' is..?"
    
    "The core of the Shadow. In my father. The scientist is now Berserk. 
The care girl is Juon. I have not seen the new girl yet, but I know they 
have one."
    
    "But you have seen them?"
    
    Marya nodded. "We can hide from you, but not from each other. It was 
you who helped me track them, but once I had found them, I know I could 
not win." She held a hand to her heart. "My shadow is too weak. Too 
subservient to them. I could feel it." 
    
    "Then help us find them," Sailor Moon replied. "We can defeat them 
together. I'm sure we can get your energy back if we do that."
    
    Marya shook her head. "He *ate* it, girl. All that's left for me to 
do is finish what I never should have started. I will kill him myself!"
    
    "And we'll help, Marya-sempai," Minako assured her. "We were always 
on the same side, remember. Please?"
    
    "Ono Marya is dead, by her own foolish ambitions. Let the Onos rest 
in peace. They... Dracul calls me Vampiru. It is much more fitting."
    
    "But you'll help us? Work together."
    
    "I will lead you to them. As long as I face Dracul myself."

***
    
    Though it was not quite so easy, Marya made good on her word. With 
Sailor Venus' communicator tucked in Marya's breast pocket so that they 
could keep her movements traceable she became their tracker hound, 
accompanying them the first two nights to relocate the Shadows' trails. 
Then, one quiet patrol at 7pm, she vanished into the night, bolting 
after their invisible quarry and drawing Sailors Moon, Mars, Jupiter and 
Neptune into hot pursuit.
    
    Venus trusted Marya - Vampiru, now - and that was good enough for 
Sailor Moon, so they hung back as best they could while still keeping 
track of Marya's dark, bounding form. Vampiru would trail this Shadow 
from a likewise safe distance, and as soon as it came to rest for its 
nightly activities she would use Venus' communicator to call in the rest 
of them, especially if there were more than just the one.
    
    The fact that there were five Shadow people now - including Marya - 
was cause for some concern. Sailor Moon would have to be there 
regardless to try and reclaim those people if at all possible, and 
everyone else would be there to run interference and keep them from 
escaping. Sailor Senshi only; Sailor Moon and, curiously, Sailor Pluto, 
wanted as few others as possible risking themselves in a direct 
confrontation. Vampiru, their tracker, was the one exception.
    
    However, keeping up with her was no small feat, as Sailor Moon and 
her companions now realised. Though they were all fast, the Shadow could 
both out run them and leap further and faster, so while they wanted to 
give the Shadows a generous lead to avoid arousing their suspicion, soon 
they were chasing flat out just to keep up.
    
    "Venus-chan said they were fast, but man!" Sailor Moon puffed as 
they vaulted across the city suburbs. "No wonder we haven't caught them 
yet!"
    
    "Just think of it as much needed exercise, dumpling head!" was 
Sailor Mars' entirely unnecessary comment. "A warm up for the fight!"
    
    "I'll be tired before we even catch them! Where are they even 
going?"
    
    Sailor Neptune just kept pace. "Either we've been noticed and 
they're trying to shake us off, or it is somewhere outside central Tokyo 
altogether. This is taking us towards the main motorway."
    
    "Aww, don't say that Neptune-san!"
    
    "Just think of it this way," Jupiter comforted. "We might not have 
to do this again after tonight. Not if Vampiru-san is right and they're 
getting together more now. This could be final battle time!"
    
    Sailor Moon was not convinced by the argument. "That doesn't help, 
Jupiter-chan. Final battles are hard."

***
    
    It seemed like poetic justice that, an hour and a half later, the 
last of the Sailor Senshi appeared in the vacant car park of the closed 
Midnight Garden. Haruka was exempt - it had only been five days since 
Miranda's birth, and Haruka's sister was scheduled to meet her there at 
the hospital after school that same evening - and Sailor Pluto had left 
the matter in the rest of their capable hands. If anything happened 
while the rest of them were gone, it would be Sailor Pluto's 
responsibility to deal with. Making the most of Vampiru uncovering this 
hideout was more important for the rest of them.
    
    Not that the Shadows had been coming here at all before tonight - 
according to Sailor Mercury's map only one of them was returning a 
second time - but Sailor Jupiter had a sneaking suspicion that the place 
was now, for all intents and purposes, their lair. "What are the chances 
that this Dracul has a fondness for poetic stuff, and led us here on 
purpose?"
    
    "Maybe," Sailor Moon agreed. "But Vampiru didn't say she'd been 
spotted."
    
    "She might not have noticed." Neptune took the lead, eager to see if 
Hotaru lay somewhere behind those gates. "But she didn't wait for us. 
And if she wasn't seen then we should get moving, in case she gives us 
away."
    
***
    
    Haruka tucked her communicator away in the pocket of her suit 
trousers and stepped out of the hospital toilet stall. Just because she 
hadn't been allowed to call Maki and reorganise the girl's visit didn't 
mean she couldn't keep track of the rest of the Senshi's progress. She'd 
been fit to join them, she knew. Her body had recovered from Miranda's 
birth with gratifying speed, but Ami and Michiru had made a combined 
stand. She was to remain behind, stay with Miranda as usual, and 
continue to build bridges with her sister. The Shadows, once revealed 
and cornered, seemed not to be difficult opponents. They would be fine, 
as long as someone was there to look after their little daughter.
    
    Good luck, girls, she thought as she headed back to the window into 
the incubation chambers. Haruka believed in being safe rather than risk 
losing, so she had been tempted to go regardless. Better to pull out all 
the stops and guarantee a victory, whether it was a race, a date, or a 
fight. No half measures.
    
    But then, she didn't want to leave Miranda unattended. And until it 
was safe to take her home that meant spending as much time as she could 
allow herself at the hospital. Impatience was getting to her, she had 
admitted. She wanted to show her baby the nursery she, Michiru and Ami 
had put together for her, and do more than hold her little hand for a 
few minutes a day. Feed her. 
    
    Imagine that. Tenoh Haruka breastfeeding? Or trying to, at least. 
That wasn't something she was going to share with the photographers or 
journalists. 
    
    Every time the elevator arrived on that floor she spared a glance to 
see if it was Maki in her school uniform again, and eventually the girl 
did arrive. Twenty minutes late in the end, but then she did have to 
cross a fair bit of Tokyo to get there.
    
    "Big sister! Hey, you're looking great!"
    
    That made Haruka smile. She'd been consciously trying to lose the 
weight that she'd gained as soon as she was free to choose her own meals 
again and get back to doing some light exercise at the very least. Being 
able to walk for more than a few minutes without getting out of breath 
was a great relief, and she could now touch her toes - and most of her 
legs - without that huge stomach in the way!
    
    Not that it was all going to be so easy. Her tummy itself wouldn't 
be back to its natural trimness for a while, if ever, so she was still 
wearing the few suits she had that could hide it convincingly.
    
    "Thanks, Maki-chan. Here." Haruka beamed with maternal pride.  
"There she is. Your precocious little niece."
    
    "Awww! She's so tiny! Not like you at all!"
    
    "Thanks for that. Don't worry, she'll be putting on weight as fast 
as we can manage it. That's what she gets for turning up six weeks 
early."
    
    "Six weeks? I knew she was premature, but wow. You must have been 
worried."
    
    Haruka shook her head. "A little, but we were in the right place for 
it. And had good doctors to look after her."
    
    Maki nodded and beamed at the fidgeting bundle some more. "Speaking 
of, isn't Mizuno-sensei around? Or Kaioh-san? I thought I'd be meeting 
them."
    
    "Mizuno-san had other, better behaved babies to monitor before they 
decide to join the rest of the world. And Michiru... you know how us 
famous types are. Something came up."
    
    "I guess. So, can we talk over dinner? I haven't eaten yet."
    
    Haruka would have made a quip about hospital food if she hadn't seen 
who had just stepped out of the elevator.  

***
    
    The park basked in the clear moonlight, every budding leaf and stray 
weed glistening silver. Le FEI had employed several underpaid grounds 
keepers to keep the place usable in order to protect the land 
investment, but even so nature needed no monetary incentive to reclaim 
the park. What staff there were fought a losing battle, and would 
continue to lose it until plans for the parks future could be decided 
on, and proper money could be spent on upkeep once again.
    
    Not that it wasn't pretty as it was, in Sailor Moon's opinion. Not 
as clean and orderly, but flowers didn't need orderliness to be pretty. 
She sighed. This was no time to be admiring the grounds though. 
Whichever Shadow Vampiru had followed, he was there somewhere.
    
    And if he was anywhere, it would be the mansion. As Sailor Jupiter 
had said, it would be a poetic place for this fight to end. Vampiru 
might have disappeared, leaving them no further advice, but Mercury 
could follow the still coherent trail of her Shadow energy signature, 
and it agreed with Jupiter.
    
    The staff entrance, around the back of the building, was sealed with 
police tape still. None of the Shadows, friend or foe, and entered by 
that route, but if Sailor Moon's guess was right it would be the 
quickest way to their destination.
    
    It was also, Venus told them, the only entrance to the mansion that 
did not have multiple exits being that it was also the facility fire 
exit. If the Shadow was inside he could not sneak up on them or flee 
without going through the access into main haunted house, where Vampiru 
must have entered.
    
    The six of them split into pairs to check through the office space. 
They did not expect to find anyone there, but it was the cautious thing 
to do. Rather than exhaust Mercury with Shabon Sprays they each had 
their communicators ready, modified as they were to pick up any Shadow 
energy. Even invisible, a Shadow in the same room as them would show up, 
simply by the strength of the reading they would get.
    
    Suddenly Sailor Moon's communicator bleeped, and she had brought her 
sceptre up before she realised it was a call and not a positive reading.
    
    "Tuxedo Kamen-sama?"
    
    "Sailor Moon, I have scouted the building perimeter, and sealed 
every door and window there is. If they exit, I will call you again."
    
    Why hadn't she thought of that?! "Thank you, Tuxedo Kamen-sama."
    
    "Good Luck."
    
    Sailor Mars looked similarly thankful, her own sweep complete. "I'm 
glad we have someone communicative up there."
    
    From the offices they had two options: up to the living quarters and 
the back door into the attraction, or down to the ruins of Marya's old 
laboratory. But as much as down might have been the obvious answer, 
there was only the one way there - the elevator - and there was no sign 
that any of the Shadows had used it.
    
    "So up then? Why up there?"
    
    The answer became evident very soon. From the top of the stairs the 
readings became strong again, and the six Sailor Senshi crept along 
waiting for them to lead into one of the doors along the way. They 
didn't, until they reached the double doors at the far end of the L-
shaped hallways.
    
    "Marya-sempai's office..."
    
    There was nothing for it. Sailor Moon took a deep breath, her 
sceptre in her hands, and pushed through the doors.
    
    The Shadow creature that now called itself Dracul sat in Marya's 
grand chair, his hands resting comfortably on its arms. "Welcome, 
warriors of light. It seems my daughter keeps poor company these days."
    
    Sailor Moon stood fast as her guardians flowed into the room behind 
her. "You knew we were coming? And you didn't try to escape this time?"
    
    "A man cannot run forever, and you and I have an old score to 
settle, Princess."
    
    "How so?" Neptune asked, already pulling her mirror talisman from 
the magical space it resided, and preparing her cast her signature 
spell.
     
    Dracul got to his feet. Not urgently or with the slightest threat, 
but at his own steady pace, his eyes never once leaving Sailor Moon's 
face. "You once faced off against a pawn of mine, Princess Serenity. A 
pawn I was willing to sacrifice in order to bring myself to your world, 
and tear down your unborn crystal kingdom.
    
    His tone turned vicious. Predatory. "But, I have to give you credit. 
You worked fast. Too fast. The merest fragment of me arrived before you 
excised Pharaoh 90 from the universe. A feeble trace, unfit to stand 
against you even then. So I hid. I fled Japan in a holidaying 
entrepreneur, but he had little interest in the powers I required. His 
daughter, however; she had an affection for jewellery. The man died in a 
boating accident, and I took the young woman. Influenced her, subtly. 
Brought her here when a mass of energy crystals larger than even I would 
require was brought to this world by your youma friends. And years after 
Galaxia had made such a hash of killing you for me.
    
    "With a crystal large enough, and energy to fuel me, I would have 
the power to breach the dimensions myself once more, and siphon my being 
into this dead husk. But no, despite my influence the daughter was 
careless, hasty and blinded by ambition. She wasted my one chance, and 
the siphon remained open for only a spare moment. But enough to take 
this corpse, and to take hold over the few humans who could complete the 
job properly." 
    
    Sailor Moon stood astonished. It had to be a lie. "Pharaoh 90? 
Galaxia? They worked for you?!"
    
    "Not that they knew, perhaps. I just helped set them on a path that 
should have brought *me* here."
    
    "But why would you do that? Who *are* you?!"
    
    Dracul smiled, spreading his arms wide. "Why should I need a reason? 
I am the beginning of everything, and the end of this absurd little 
universe. I am Chaos!"
    
    That pronouncement signalled the start of the battle, and the Senshi 
fanned out around the room as Dracul pulled a shroud of blackness around 
him.
    
    But Sailor Neptune had one very important observation to make, 
"Whatever Chaos may be, you are still only a fraction of it, or else you 
would have done something with your crystals already! Your bravado will 
not fool us! Deep Submerge!"
    
    Sailor Neptune's torrent of water poured over the obsidian cocoon 
Dracul had wrapped around himself, stripping strings of Shadow from it, 
intent that they should not leave him a moment to retaliate.
    
    Sailor Moon was of a similar mind, and had already begun her 
cleansing spell to take effect as soon as Dracul's shell had been 
stripped away. Her Healing Escalation was too tiring, and she could not 
afford to have whatever defence Drcaul had put up managing to withstand 
it.
    
    Sailor Venus was ready to take over, a her finger pointed for a 
Crescent Beam that she hoped could put a hole in the black shield, but 
as Neptune's attack dissipated there was a loud crunch from the wall to 
her left, and then another came. They all turned to see a pair of thin 
arms burst through the wall, slick with liquid Shadow, to ensnare Sailor 
Mercury, and with a cry Mercury was hauled bodily through the wall, to 
vanish behind a cloud of plaster and falling timber. 
    
    Dracul had clearly been waiting for that moment because his shroud 
unfurled that very instant into enormous claw-tipped wings and he lunged 
at Sailor Moon. His face, for the instant she saw it, was no longer 
human, but something black, fanged and monstrous. He had lunged for her 
neck and only a sharp shove from Sailor Mars had saved her throat, but 
his clawed wings still raked down her sides. The force of the attack 
threw them into the doors, taking them off their hinges. When they came 
to rest Sailor Moon found herself pinned down, lying on the floor.
    
    "I don't need power to kill you," Dracul hissed. "Just one bite will 
do it!"
    
    "Burning Mandala!"
    
    Dracul screeched as six rings of fire tore into his back, one after 
another, and in animal reflex he turned on his attacker. Sailor Mars 
tensed, ready to dive away, but her job wasn't to take Dracul down. Just 
keep him away from Sailor Moon. She might have been afraid to kill youma 
or the possessed Shadows, but this creature had just tried to rip Sailor 
Moon's throat out.
    
    "Come on, bat freak!"
    
    She started to dodge, but paused when Dracule didn't follow. He just 
stared at his all too bat-like image. "Damn her! Damn that woman, and 
her wretched ANIMAL!"
    
    It was with all too bestial fury that Dracul lunged again, at Sailor 
Mars this time, only to be knocked aside when Venus's new Crescent Beam 
slammed into his chest. "And that's for killing Marya-sempai's pet you 
bastard!"
    
    Across the room both Jupiter and Neptune has run for the hole that 
Sailor Mercury had disappeared through. Inside the Shadow stood hunched 
over their comrade, her hands wrapped around Mercury's throat. Long 
black hair hung limp and wet over the Shadow's face, and the Shadow 
stuff that dripped from her ran down her arms, wrapping across Mercury's 
chest, and squeezing. On the floor in front of her Mercury could do 
nothing but gasp for air as her lungs were crushed.
    
    "Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
    
    "Deep Submerge!
    
    Two magics met midway to create a torrent of electrically charged 
water that tore Juon's hands from Mercury's neck and threw her off her 
feet to land against the far wall. Mercury choked once before taking a 
single heaving breath. "Sh-shine Aqua Illusion."
    
    The Juon Shadow didn't even try to dodge. She simply rose and took 
one plodding step towards them as the icy water that struck her froze 
arm arms to her body. "You... You can't do this to me... I deserve 
better... I'll show you."
    
    Jupiter blinked, and lowered her hands. "We... We do want to help 
you. You know that, right? Sailor Moon can fix this."
    
    Juon just trudged closer, still part frozen. "People don't help... 
So ungrateful... I'll show them."
    
    "But you help, right?" If this was how the Shadow manipulated her, 
Sailor Jupiter thought, then maybe she could appeal to the same virtues 
she preached? "You like helping people."
    
    "Ungrateful..."
    
    "But did that ever stop you?"
    
    Juon's step faltered. "... No."
    
    "So let us help *you* for a change." Sailor Jupiter held out her 
hand to her. "We'll get you fixed up in no time, you see."
    
    Jupiter's heart was in her mouth as the Shadow's left arm shattered 
the ice that covered her, and slowly rose to take that hand. Quite what 
to do now though, she didn't know. "Uh, come on then."
    
    She looked at Mercury and Neptune and the two of them vanished back 
through the hole, just in time to blast Dracul as he once again leapt at 
a new target: Sailor Venus.
    
    "Shine Aqua Illusion!"
    
    "Submarine Reflection!"
    
    Dracul hit the wall with a heavy thud, to land unsteadily on his 
feet. He looked up, just in time to meet Sailor Moon's eyes as she 
levelled her sceptre at him.
    
    "Moon Healing Escalation!"
    
    The Shadow recoiled from that purifying light, and the word 
"Refresh!" escaped from Ono Ryu's lifeless lips, to mirror the cry that 
Ooyama Rika gave as she was similarly cleansed by the cascade of light 
that filled the room. Ryu's body fell to the floor, no longer host, and 
the Shadow that had escaped it flew behind the office's desk to hide. In 
a flash the blackness that had possessed Rika joined it, and the two 
were joined as one again.
    
    It must have known that its fight was over, because as soon as 
Sailor Moon stepped forward to try and find it the Shadow leaped at her. 
It would not be able to control her, it knew that, but it could shut her 
mind down in the attempt, warring with her Senshi power as it had done 
with Sailor Saturn. Not for long - the Senshi and Vampiru together would 
soon find a way to purge it again - but maybe for long enough.
    
    That was until a beam of iridescent light shot from behind Sailor 
Jupiter, through the hole Juon had made. The light hit the leaping 
shadow centre mass, and it crumpled to the floor at Sailor Moon's feet.
    
    "Eep!" Sailor Moon stepped away like a housewife from a mouse that 
had got into her kitchen, and Neptune and Mars but themselves between 
her and the Shadow. The others turned to watch as Vampiru strode through 
the hole, weapon in hand. Sailor Venus recognised it as the crystal 
weapon Kizugi had carried, to protect her with.
    
    Vampiru tweaked something on the device and fired again, and the 
Shadow shrivelled in upon itself.
    
    "M-Marya-sempai?"
    
    Vampiru stopped and lowered the weapon, standing unafraid in front 
of the shadow. "I told you, Minako-chan. Ono Marya is dead."
    
    She leant down and a Shadow claw of her own grew from her fingers, 
picking up the crumpled thing at her feet. As she rose she crushed it in 
her hand, and once she had brought it up level to the crystal in her eye 
socket the thing bled away into vapour, absorbed by the broken shard.
    
    "And now, so is he." 
    
    Sailor Moon frowned in worry as Vampiru straightened up, obviously 
invigorated by what she had just done, but the Shadow woman gave her a 
sudden, comforting, contented smile.
    
    "That was the majority of him. With the right level of energy 
suffused into him directly, he can be rendered inert. I had tested in on 
the part of him I gave to Vesper, and it lost form, taking on her 
likeness instead. He is now no more than a part of me. My energy, now."
    
    "That's all well and good," Sailor Mars said, interrupting, "but we 
still have to more of them to find."
    
    "Not here, it seems." Vampiru shrugged. "They can have only slivers 
of him within them. We can heal them at your leisure."
    
    "Except that if Dracul doesn't have the stolen crystal fragments, 
they do."
    
    All eyes turned to Sailor Venus. "The crystals stolen from the 
police station, I mean. Marya... Vampiru-san used that one energy 
gathering crystal to give Chaos power to bring more of himself here. If 
the other shadows have *all* the crystal pieces the police had 
quarantined from the Youma's machine, couldn't they do the same? And 
that much more quickly?"
    
    The Sailor Senshi all looked to one another.
    
    "So, where would they be?" Sailor Jupiter asked.
    
    The answer came when their communicators rang as one, called by 
Sailor Uranus.

***

    Haruka stood frozen, her hand wrapped around the communicator in her 
pocket as Hotaru and her blood father Souichi approached, the elevator 
behind them going on its way.
    
    Hadn't the police downstairs noticed? Of course they hadn't, she 
told herself a split second later. They were Shadows. They could go 
anywhere they pleased. And with the rest of the Sailor Senshi being led 
away to fight, that is exactly what they had done.
    
    To paraphrase many a pertinent saying regarding situations like 
this; Bugger.
    
    So, what now? Get Maki to safety, that was a good start.
    
    "Big Sister? Isn't that..?"
    
    "Yes."
    
    "But isn't she..?"
    
    "Missing, yes."
    
    After having her disappear from school Michiru hadn't exactly been 
able to cover up Hotaru's kidnapping. A victim of revenge tactics after 
Haruka had escaped, she'd surmised for the press. They had every faith 
that the police and the Sailor Senshi would find her, and bring her 
home. No-one had expected her to return on her own though.
    
    "Little sister, I want you to listen carefully. I want you to run 
and find Mizuno-sensei, and make sure you both stay well away from here. 
Get the doctors to evacuate the kids. Go!"
    
    "But..."
    
    "It must be me they want, right? Now RUN!"
    
    Maki did as she was told and took off at a sprint, shouting "Youma!" 
at the top of her voice all the way to the fire escape stairs. Pushing 
them open sounded the alarm, and anyone who hadn't fled by that point 
took the hint.
    
    The scene was chaos. Doctors and nurses ran every which way, and to 
Haruka's relief several of them did begin to wheel the now screaming 
infants behind her away into the building. That was something at least. 
It didn't do Haruka any good, but then she was screwed either way. 
    
    Once those doctors had vanished she stepped towards the advancing 
pair out of sight of the main hallway, and pulled her star topped pen 
from her pocket. "Uranus Planet Power, Make Up!"
    
    "Bravo, pretender-san." Berserk applauded as her transformation 
faded. "Though I see you might not be pretending any more. Either way, a 
magnificent light show. Tell me, which babe would be yours? I would love 
to meet her."
    
    Sailor Uranus, now restored with arcane confidence, looked to Miss 
Dream. "The one beside you, naturally. Hello Hotaru."
    
    Miss Dream smiled. "Haruka-papa."
    
    Berserk paused, before stepping forward once more. His lunatic smile 
tightened, sucking the joviality out of it. "Now now, Little Miss Dream. 
I'm your father, remember."
    
    "Of course, father. But Haruka-papa is Haruka-papa."
    
    Berserk sighed. "See what you have done to my daughter? Still, you 
can be the first to sate our blade."
    
    He threw off his lab coat to reveal the black Shadow armour beneath, 
and at his hip sat a sword, its blade a single shaft of pale, 
translucent green crystal. Somehow as he had cavorted around Tokyo over 
those last weeks he had found a way to form the shattered crystals into 
a single piece, and the blade swung in Sailor Uranus' direction. 
    
    Thirty feet away still, Uranus felt the blade as if it had sliced 
through her chest point blank and she fell to her knees with a cry. 
Wisps of energy traced the line that the sword had taken across her 
chest, as if painted into the air by the blade even from a distance. 
That vital energy then slowly floated away from Uranus, to settle into 
the crystal sword, bringing to it the faintest inner shine. 
    
    Berserk examined the weapon as Sailor Uranus regained her footing. 
"Yes, I should think this building will fill it nicely. Miss Dream, if 
you could occupy that would-be parent."
    
    Miss Dream padded over in her slippered feet, the same lavender 
night dress still swaying with her dazed walk. "You look so brave, 
Haruka-papa." She spoke almost as if it was a simple lazy observation, 
and certainly not as if she was speaking to Sailor Uranus. She would 
never have used Uranus' real name then. "Maybe you could join us too?"
    
    "Hotaru-chan. I don't want to hurt you..." 
    
    Uranus' warning belied a lack of hesitation in her words. She 
*didn't* want to harm her, but she would. However, it would be a last 
desperate chance, and it would come too late to stop Miss Dream's own 
attack."
    
    "Hotaru-chan, why don't we-"
    
    She dodged aside as Berserk brought the sword down again, and the 
shaft of whatever power it projected kicked up the trace of dust from 
the floor where she'd stood. "-why don't we sit and wait for Sailor Moon 
to get here. She'll be here soon."
    
    "No, I don't want to wake up yet, Haruka-papa. Won't you come and 
dream with me?"
    
    Hotaru raised her hand as Sailor Uranus backed against the wall.
    
    "Silent Nightmare."
    
    "World Sha-"
    
    Haruka felt her breathing deepen, and her eyes lost focus, unable to 
complete her spell. "Hotaru...-chan..."
    
    "It'll be okay Haruka-papa. You'll like it with us. It's fun."
    
    Haruka's mind swam. Yes, it would be nice to be a family again, with 
her, and Michiru and Ami and Miranda. Oh, God, what would they do to 
Miranda? "Hotaru-chan... what about... your little sister?"
    
    Above her as she slumped down the wall, Miss Dream's attention 
turned from her to the room behind the glass. "Little sister? I have a 
little sister? That would be nice. Where is she?"
    
    Haruka could feel Miss Dream's spell fading as she peered through 
the glass, but ahead, Berserk had raised his sword again. So that was 
that. Get here soon, Sailor Moon. While you can still help her.
    
    Then behind Berserk the elevator chimed, and its doors opened.
    
    "Dead Scream."
    
    Sailor Pluto's blast of vibrant green-white magic hit Berserk square 
between the shoulders and flung him down the hallway. "Uranus! Sorry I'm 
late."
    
    "About time," Uranus replied groggily before staggering back to her 
feet. "Don't let him swing that sword at you!"
    
    It was too late to stop Berserk doing exactly that though, spinning 
on his toes to keep himself upright and swinging the sword two handed 
across the hall in one wide arc. The power of the crystal blade caught 
each of them in turn, and Uranus, Miss Dream and Pluto all cried out as 
their energy was ripped from them."
    
    "Argh, now look what you've done!" Berserk cried, and hurried to the 
end of the hallway. "Miss Dream, are you alright?"
    
    She could only cringe. "Ow, it hurts! I... I don't like this any 
more. I want to wake up now daddy!"
    
    "Just bear it a moment more, until I finish the pretenders."
    
    Looking to Sailors Uranus and Pluto, Miss Dream shook her head. "No, 
I don't want to hurt anyone! I want to WAKE UP!"
    
    And she did. In a burst of light and a cascade of purple-black magic 
she woke, the magic replacing her night dress with the uniform of Sailor 
Saturn.
    
    "I'm sorry, father," Sailor Saturn said, her quiet voice aching with 
regret, "but it's time for you to wake up as well."
    
    She swung her Silence Glaive around to slice clean through Berserk's 
crystal sword, and then brought its haft down on his head, leaving him 
to slump unconscious in her arms. The energy that the sword had taken 
leaked out of its cut faces and back towards its owners, while Sailor 
Uranus helped Saturn take the unconscious Berserk and rest him against 
the wall. 
    
    Down the corridor the fragment of shadow that had fled Miss Dream 
skittered from table to chair in a vain effort to escape, but it could 
not evade Sailor Pluto. She brought the tip of her own weapon down to 
jab the Shadow, and with a whisper it was caught within the garnet at 
its head. "You," she said, "are going to be a part of something great."
    
    "Welcome back, Saturn," Uranus said as she wrapped the shorter girl 
in a hug.
    
    Saturn returned the embrace, if uncomfortably. "We should continue 
this later. But thank you. You look good. Is she..."
    
    "Being taken to safety right now, I hope. As soon as Sailor Moon 
gets here, and we can deal with Tomoe-san, I'll take you to see her. You 
can meet Maki too, at last."
    
    Sailor Saturn smiled in anticipation. She couldn't wait. After all 
that time asleep, and all those troublesome dreams, she had missed far 
too much. "Thank you."

***
    
    The furore of the Senshi's latest city centre battle took more than 
a few days to die down. Commentators talked incessantly about the 
dangers the Senshi represented in populated areas or their skilful 
resolution of an unnatural crisis with no casualties beyond the 
unfortunate victims of what the police were calling the 'Shadow 
Syndicate'.
    
    Sailor Moon had formally told the police that the crisis was over, 
and as such the Senshi would no longer be appearing at night, so both 
Senshi spotters and worried home owners no longer needed to call in 
suspected sightings. And Senshi spotters ought not to be spotting 
anyway. It was dangerous, and just a bit creepy.
    
    And most importantly as far as Setsuna was concerned, both Aino 
Minako and Tenoh Haruka had received letters from those few who had been 
a part of Marya's little Shadow family. Their secrets were safe, both 
for the good of the Senshi and, they admitted, understanding that the 
super heroines would likely not take kindly to their identities being 
revealed. It had saved Setsuna the need to visit them all. As willing as 
she was to play the bad cop, knowing its necessity, it wasn't a role she 
liked. She'd played it far too often to find it enjoyable any more.
    
    Ono Marya - now merely Vampiru - had bid them farewell after taking 
custody of Berserk's Shadow. She intended to disappear into the night, 
and let her family name die a peaceful death. Her company was in good 
hands with her successors, and she needed to think long and hard about 
what to do with her second chance at life now that she had taken her 
revenge of the creature that had used her. And they had a number to 
call, should they feel the need. She would welcome the chance to help 
using the gifts her newly gathered Shadows had given her, and perhaps in 
doing so make up for the pain she had caused. 
    
    Setsuna sighed, glad that they had set Tokyo to rights once again, 
and enjoyed the chance to relax at long last. The bell above the door of 
Vain & Glorious rang as she walked in, and the two sales girls looked up 
to greet her.
    
    "Welcome, Setsuna-san! How are you doing? Uh, congratulations by the 
way."
    
    Setsuna smiled. Tyranya really had recovered, after having been just 
a small part of their little activities. It had given her back some of 
that lost confidence, and it showed. Her long platinum blonde hair was 
well combed and styled, her poise straighter, and her long, manicured 
nails still as immaculate as ever. "Thank you, Tyra-san. You look well, 
both of you."
    
    Koan flashed her a victory sign, beaming proudly. "We're great. Is 
there anything we could get you today, or would you like to come back 
and talk? Calveras is out, as always, but I'm sure Berthier and Petz 
would love to see you."
    
    "Tea would be lovely, thank you. Then perhaps something for my 
skin."
    
    "Certainly," Tyranya replied, trotting to the 'Staff Only' door into 
the back. "Maxill, could you put the kettle on? We have a visitor."

***
    
    The head of Tokyo University's Advanced Sciences Department, Yoyama 
Shigeru had never shared a room with quite so many very important people 
in his life. He'd met them all individually of course, either through 
the university itself or at one of the many socials and lecturing events 
that the scientific community of Japan indulged in. But to have them all 
collected in one room? 
    
    He cleared his throat as they all approached the end of the papers 
her had copied to give them all. The dean looked lost of course, he was 
no theoretical scientist, but several of Shigeru's own peers seemed 
incapable of reigning in their slackened jaws, and the Prime Minister's 
scientific advisor had already finished and smiled broadly.
    
    Looking around at the appreciating faces the university dean spoke. 
"Well, deferring the submission seems to be what you all believe 
necessary, but couldn't the girl continue these studies after receiving 
her diploma?"
    
    "With respect, Nao-san, we're not talking about a degree here," 
Shigeru pointed out. "Given anther year research and development on this 
work she should be leaving our hall with a doctorate. This is the most 
important discovery since splitting the atom, and conducted by a fast-
tracked undergraduate student with one or two independent sponsors!"
    
    A white haired old researcher, one Asami Anza, looked up and fixed 
her terribly thick spectacles. She looked at the dean. "Assuming it is 
all substantiated, Sir, this shouldn't be a question of whether she 
graduates now or in a year. Give her the degree and her own laboratory, 
and she'll bring you a home a Nobel prize."
    
    Shigeru could well believe that. "She's relatively well financed 
already, but another fifty or sixtry million yen on top could give her 
what energy monitoring equipment she requires, and I could put together 
a staff for her within a week. To have the scientific breakthrough on 
life energy, chi - whatever you want to call it - happen here under our 
wings..."
    
    The dean clearly had no choice, and hearing that sort of prospect 
sent the blood to his head. "Better tell Mizuno-san then, Shigeru-san. 
Don't flatter her, and for God's sake don't throw the idea of Nobel 
prizes at her. Just make sure she can't refuse, and have her graduate 
next week as normal. I trust we can find some of the finaces for this 
within Japan?"
    
    The prime minister's advisor nodded. "I'll have the paperwork ready 
and in action by the new semester. If there is an award to be had for 
this work, and I think there is, then the Japanese system that taught 
this girl deserves to see it come home."
    
    The dean nodded. "And of course," he added, eyeing the handful of 
researchers and scientists there, "if this appears before Mizuno-san is 
good and ready to publish, we'll know where to look."
    
    There would be no worry there, Shigeru thought. He had called this 
group specifically because they were all beyond reproach. Ami would need 
people to verify her findings, and they were among the best. For 
himself, he hoped she would be willing to have him run her new lab. 
After tutoring her for the last three years and seeing her work 
progress, he felt obliged to see it through, even if *she* would be the 
one educating *him* soon.

***
    
    "Hollywood?!" Usagi exclaimed, almost toppling her ice cream Sunday 
over as she gawped across their table at the crown.
    
    Minako nodded, smiling from ear to ear. "Yeah! I'm thinking I might 
go for a whole week, you know, make a holiday out of it."
    
    "Aaahh, take me with you! Minako-chan, you can't leave us all here 
while you dance around America meeting everyone famous!"
    
    Minako shrugged. "If you buy your own tickets. Sure."
    
    Usagi slumped back against the padded bench and stuck another 
spoonful of ice cream in her mouth, chewing petulantly. "No fair. I 
can't afford that."
    
    "Then you'll just have to suffer a few days without me. Maybe a week 
if I feel like pampering myself." She gave her best friend an 
understanding look. "I know, it'll be hard without me, but you'll 
survive."
    
    "Besides," she added, this time more seriously, "it's not like I'm 
already cast for the film or anything. Mikiyo-san says they're casting 
us asian types and shooting here for authenticity's sake, but it's still 
Hollywood. God knows whether it'll be any good."
    
    "It's the Sailor Moon movie! It's *got* to be good. You'll make sure 
they do it right, won't you Minako-chan?"
    
    Minako shrugged. She really didn't know. It was a good director, so 
they couldn't mess it up too badly, but that was a point in Minako's 
favour, and why her agent had been able to get her the part. The recent 
resurgence of Sailor Senshi activity had convinced the studio that it 
was time to let this man make his 'dramatisation of the Sailor War 
against Galaxia', and since Minako was known to have connections to at 
least some of the Senshi - to be friends with them even - she would make 
a good factual source as well as a potential cast member.
    
    "Well, I hope you get the part," Usagi encouraged, not willing to 
let her friend's good fortune get her jealous. And if Minako felt the 
need for a holiday as well, then she should take it. They had all been 
through a lot recently, Minako more than most of them. 
    
    And Minako did feel the need to get away for a bit. Mikiyo had been 
pushing her hard to get back into the game, and a TV interview coming so 
soon after their battle against Dracul had drained her quite a bit. And, 
if she was honest, there was still a bit of guilt rolling around in her 
too. Not much, but enough that she had used part of her previous 
interview fund to buy Haruka an apology gift. Yeah, a short holiday 
abroad and she'd feel right as rain again. Or preferably not rain. Sun 
would be better.
    
    "So who do you think you'll be?" Usagi asked, having long forgiven 
and forgotten, as Minako well knew. She was priceless that girl.
    
    "Well, it'll probably be filmed in English, so I guess my accent 
might count against me if they get a lot of native speakers in."
    
    "What accent? You speak English better than any one of us!"
    
    "Well yeah, but I still have a *little* bit of an accent. But 
between you and me..." she whispered, making sure no-one else would 
overhear, "it'll help make it authentic. I'll be auditioning to be you!"
    
    "Oh my God! Mina-chan that's amazing!!!"

***
    
    "Welp, I guess Usagi-chan told you? Mina-chan's news?"
    
    Makoto nodded, the pair of them sitting on the Hikawa shrine 
decking. The question was, was there anyone Usagi *hadn't* yet told? 
Minako hadn't even booked plane tickets to the audition yet, and the 
story - such as it was - had probably gone around Tokyo twice in the 
last six hours. "Of course. I hope she gets the part. That would be kind 
of awesome."
    
    "Yep." Rei sipped her tea. "You do realise this means Usagi-chan is 
going to be bugging us over the holiday though, right? Well, me, I 
mean."
    
    Makoto's long suffering girlfriend sighed. She did that a lot, it 
was part of her nature, but it didn't make it any easier to listen to. 
Rei had 'long suffering' polished down to an art form. "Never mind 
holiday," Makoto replied, fully intending to out-do her this time. 
"You've graduated, and got to look all pretty and educated in that gown. 
What about us morons who still have a year to go?"
    
    Yep, guilt tripping Rei always worked. No wonder Usagi had become so 
good at it. "Well if you hadn't got yourself teleported to another 
dimension like an idiot then you wouldn't need to do the re-take, would 
you." Rei huffed. "And you're not a moron. Just... academically 
challenged."
    
    "Oi." That was better, in Makoto's opinion. She could take a joke, 
and the fact that Rei's cutting tongue often came with a nice almost-
complement to balance it out didn't hurt either. "So, what are you going 
to do now? Look after the shrine?"
    
    Rei nodded. "It's my home. I mean, I own it now, and business hasn't 
fallen into the red yet. It may be boring, and it's a lot of work just 
for one person - or two when you're around - but... looking at it, I'm 
actually not doing badly."
    
    "You could always hire another priest or shrine maiden to help out, 
Rei. Find a responsible student who needs a part time job. I'm sure 
Hotaru-chan would take you up on that." Rei's problem of course was that 
it was still *her* shrine. Hers and her grandfathers. Makoto didn't know 
whether it was too soon to hire someone else in or what, but Rei had 
developed a workaholic side, trying to keep the place open as often as 
possible while she had still been completing her college course.
    
    Rei's reply was quiet. "Or maybe you'd like to stop paying rent?"
    
    Makoto blinked, blushing suddenly at what she thought she heard. 
"Huh? Rei-chan, did you just ask me to move in?"
    
    "Well it *would* save you the rent on your apartment, and all the 
bus fares to pay getting here so often." Rei justified her little 
outburst a bit too loudly, marching on even as she seemed to be second 
guessing herself. "Not that we've been together that long, and I know 
you've still got school and work and everything, so it's not like you'd 
actually have any more time to help out here. But there's a lot of space 
here just going to waste, even if I did hire another shrine maiden, 
which I don't need to do. So if you wanted... and didn't mind not having 
your own kitchen any more, you could have mine instead."
    
    Makoto willed herself not to faint as the last of her blood 
congregated in her cheeks. "Rei, have I ever told you your outbursts are 
cute?"
    
    "What?! No. If you don't want to you can just say so. I mean, I know 
you'll have stuff you want to do after uni, so I don't want to tie you 
down or anything. It's just an option."
    
    And what did Makoto want to do after she did finally graduate? Keep 
cooking, probably. Maybe move on from Matsubashi's noodle shop and get a 
little stall of her own? Maybe keep working for him full time, since the 
customers obviously liked her and her noodles. 
    
    "My lease comes up in the summer."
    
    "... really?"
    
    "Yes really! But you realise if you let me move in, that becomes 
*my* kitchen, and you *will* be picking up your wretched socks-"
    
    She didn't get to finish as Rei grabbed her by the collar and pulled 
her into a heavy, passionate kiss. Makoto almost choked before she 
realised what Rei was trying to do and reciprocated, though less 
wantonly.
    
    Eventually Rei did let her go, after her lips had calmed down a 
little, and Makoto could see tears in her eyes. "What? You didn't think 
I was going to turn you down, did you? I don't come up here this often 
for my spiritual wellbeing, you know. I'm in love with you, you dolt."
    
    Rei just pulled her close and held her, burying her head in Makoto's 
arms. In a few months she might be saying 'welcome home' to her after 
all, and it set Rei's heart aflutter. "Stupid Makoto. I love you." 

***
    
    Hotaru beamed at her little baby sister, nestled in Haruka's arms. 
It had seemed like an age, but the little girl was finally out of her 
incubator and free of all that plastic tubing, and apparently much more 
comfortable for it.
    
    "Don't you listen to them Miran-chan," she told the little docile 
girl. "Of course you're going to be cranky if you're full of tubes. Not 
any more though."
    
    She looked up to her Haruka-papa, who seemed to agree with the 
assessment. "Yes, you are being very well behaved for us now we're 
getting out of here, aren't you? Clearly I'm not the only one who has 
issues with hospital food."
    
    A voice from the door made them turn. "It may not be blue ribbon 
cuisine, but it does the job, Haruka-san."
    
    "Auntie Mizuno!"
    
    Katsura swallowed her obvious flusteredness at Hotaru's exclamation, 
and smiled to the quartet; Haruka, Hotaru, Miranda and Michiru, who were 
preparing the cot-pram. "I thought I would poke my head in and see you 
before you left. It's strange to think, isn't it?"
    
    "For some of us more than others," Haruka agreed. "Would Grandma 
like to hold her now she's out and about?"
    
    "Oh Lord, Haruka-san. But just a moment, if I may?"
    
    Hotaru watched, almost studiously, as the seemingly boneless baby 
passed from mother to grandmother, content to be nestled into the crux 
of another arm after some minor complains. "Oh, I know dear," Katsura 
whispered, bouncing her just a little in a way Miranda evidently found 
calming. "I'm not mummy, but you'll have her and all these other girls 
looking after you, and I probably won't see you until I can find a 
reason to visit."
    
    "Mizuno-sensei," Michiru chastised gently, "you know you're welcome 
any time."
    
    "Thank you, dear, but finding a convenient time is always an issue, 
it seems. Besides, at least you can guarantee you won't find me a 
bother." She forestalled any further reply by passing Miranda back to 
Haruka, who took her much more gingerly than Katsura had done. Clearly 
Haruka was in kid gloves mode, and Hotaru wasn't sure she'd ever seen 
her more carefree parent being quite so care-*ful*. "Please, give my 
regards to Setsuna-san. We shall have to find time to meet again."
    
    "I'm sure she'd like that," Hotaru assured her. "It's nice to see 
Setsuna-mama getting out of the house."
    
    "I'm sure. Safe journey."
    
    With a round of farewells, including a very grateful one from Haruka 
to the entire hospital, Miranda was settled into her cot and 
perambulated down to the car they had in the parking lot. It was a minor 
point, but Haruka insisted that she drive her daughter home at last. Not 
that she wouldn't have been the de-facto driver under any other 
circumstance, but she'd been clear on that.
    
    And again, the thrumming of the car seemed calming to Miranda, 
sending her back off to sleep again. Hotaru thought that was strange. 
Surely the bouncing and jiggling would have disturbed her instead. 
    
    But the trip lasted no time at all while Hotaru observed their 
sleeping family addition, and they debarked knowing that they would find 
Ami and Setsuna making the last minute adjustments to the house. There 
was a little adventure creche set up in the expansive living room - not 
that Miranda would be adventuring anywhere for a while yet, but they did 
grow up fast, as Mizuno-sensei, Setsuna, and just about everyone else 
had been telling Hotaru for ages now.
    
    Michiru let them all in, to be met with Ami and Setsuna's smiling 
faces. "Welcome home!"
    
    Hotaru turned to Miranda, once again being pushed by a very proud 
mother. "Welcome home, Miranda-chan!"
    
    "Yep," Haruka agreed. "And about time too kiddo."
    
***

The End

***
    
Please send any comments and constructive criticism to:

nutzoide@nutzoide.net

They are always greatly appreciated, and there is no better reward for a 
writer than to hear back from the readers.

(c) Nutzoide 2009-2011

http://www.nutzoide.net