Took a bit longer on this chapter, but it's a rather long one in comparison to the others. There was simply no appropriate breaking point prior to the end. Make sure you've read the most current version of the last scenes of chapter four, though most of you probably have. There were some changes made from the first copy, though that was only up for a couple of hours prior to replacement. Special thanks goes out to Davner, Bremmi, Makoto-, Strikestwice, Veggitto, Ssedrey, Darksong, Willz, Angie and any others I forgot for their help in pre-reading this fic. Sailor Moon is the property Naoko Takeuchi, Koudansha, TV Asahi, Toei Douga, Mixx, Pioneer Entertainment and DiC, and ADV. All original characters and concepts are my own and belong to me. Sub vs. Dub Guide Earlier translations can be found in chapters one, three, and four. Sempai = Makoto uses this to refer to her ex-boyfriend, though it's commonly used for other purposes like "upperclassman" or "senior." It's difficult to perfectly translate it. The other time it is used here is referring to the class sempai in a martial arts class, which is a student chosen by the instructor to assist him/her. Haruka = Amara Michiru = Michelle -hime = The "-hime" honorific used here means "princess." As an example, "Setsuna- hime" translates to "Princess Setsuna." Odango Atama = This is a nickname several characters use for Usagi. It basically translates to "Dumpling head." This refers to the two balls in Usagi's hair, which look like dumplings. Haruka, Mamoru, Rei, and a certain she-male from Stars who shall go unmentioned are the most noted for using this. Sugoi = Awesome/incredible This chapter features the return of some of the most popular characters in Sailor Moon history! The Dark Moon Sisters? No.... Beryl? Try again... The Starlights? Since when were they popular... The Lemurs? ... WHY WOULD YOU EVEN GUESS THAT?! ... Sorry... I thought they were cool... (Rubs temples.) Just for that, I'm not going to tell you. Yeah, well your headache won't be half as bad as the one you give me later in this chapter! Woohoo! It's finally my turn to show my amazing leadership skills! May Kami-sama have mercy on us all. -_- Sailor Moon - Rifts Chapter 5: The Training Begins! One's Conflict Within! The Shinto Priestess watched as the blonde paced back and forth in her room. She had been doing this for the last minute and it was slowly ticking Rei off. "Would you stop that?" she finally asked harshly. Minako turned to look at her and blinked. "Oh, sorry." The raven-haired girl sighed. "So, I send you to find out if this guy's legit and you and Mako-chan decide to drool over him instead?" she queried in annoyance. Looking at her with a scowl, Minako answered, "Well we did what you asked. Finding out that the guy was cute was just a bonus." The blonde laughed girlishly. "Oh he's so gorgeous!" Rei shook her head. 'You're hopeless." The blonde snorted in response. "Well at least Yuuichirou's okay," she sighed in resignation. "But that leaves me with a problem!" Minako shouted at her. Knowing she wasn't going to like the response, the shrine maiden whimpered, "What?" Minako looked up seriously. "How do I defeat Makoto?" Rubbing her temples, Rei squinted her eyes. "Why do I bother?" "Well, I could cook for him," the blonde contemplated. "Strike one," the girl responded. Looking at her nervously, Minako rethought the problem. "Well, I could always try to prove my superior fighting skills in class!" Rei just rolled her eyes. "Big strike two!" "Fine," the blonde growled in annoyance. "Then I'll just have to appeal to him with my incredible good looks!" The raven-haired girl thought on it. "I'm giving that a ball." "A ball?!" the blonde questioned. "What does that tomboy have over me?!" Staring at her, Rei motioned to her chest. "These." Minako looked at her with a dazed expression. "Guys don't just think about breast size, you know!" As the other girl looked at her with a knowing stare, the blonde dropped her head in defeat and sweatdropped. "Who am I kidding?" Standing up, Rei walked over to the blonde and put a hand on her back. "I wouldn't worry. Most likely he'll find her too tall or too tough and pass on her like all the others do." "Rei-chan!" Minako snapped at her. "How can you be so cruel?" Startled by her response, the taller girl looked down. "I was just trying to cheer you up, idiot." The bubbly blonde smiled. "Thanks, but please don't be mean to her like that. She is our friend after all." Rei smiled at her. "Well, I'm sure you'll come up with something by tomorrow." Sighing, the blonde grinned. "I hope so." Sitting on the couch, the blue-haired girl looked as her friend paced back and forth. The woman had called and asked her to come by her apartment earlier. "You know," Ami started to say. "You really shouldn't worry this much." "But I'm up against Minako!" Makoto replied. "I don't see what the problem is," Ami tried to reassure her. "She's a tall blonde with a great body," the brunette replied. "Do I need to explain it further?" Looking at her a bit hurt, the genius responded. "Sorry." Makoto stopped her pacing and looked at her. "I shouldn't have snapped," she apologized. "It's just that... I don't know," the tall girl said as she plopped down on a chair. "He reminds you of your old sempai?" the girl assumed. "No! That's the thing!" Makoto virtually shouted back. "I don't understand. It feels like there's something different about this one." Ami looked at her a bit puzzled, never quite understanding her friend's ramblings about her ex-love in the first place. "Well you could cook for him." "That's not enough," she answered. Thinking, the shorter girl spoke, "Well you're attractive, athletic, and fun to be with." "And Minako's attractive, athletic, and fun to be with," Makoto sighed. "And she's a blonde!" Going into deep thought, Ami tried to find another response. "Then you should honestly admit your feelings to him and he'll see that you're a wonderful person, falling in love with you immediately!" Makoto stared at her. "You do realize this is why you don't have a boyfriend?" Ami dropped her head and sweatdropped. "Yes," she whimpered pitifully. "And by grabbing here," Hyoko instructed, taking hold of the blonde man's arm. "You can flip the opponent like so," she said, gently throwing him to the floor. Getting up, Kuroki nodded to her. "I think that should do it." "You're worried about nothing," the woman spoke as she wiped the sweat off her brow with a towel that was hanging around her neck. "This should be child's play for you. I can't believe you've wasted the last two days just training and reading stuffy old history books." "I don't want to give them any doubts," he defended. Hyoko rolled her eyes. "Whatever. The best thing for you to do is just calm down and get some sleep. After all, you want to be in good shape to impress your girlfriend tomorrow," the woman said with a wink. Growling, Kuroki decided it was best to just let his friend have her fun. Breathing in, he looked at her nervously. "Hyoko... can I ask you something?" 'What?" the blonde questioned, walking towards the kitchen. Trying to relax himself, he spoke apprehensively, "I... Well when I met with her yesterday... well..." The girl rummaged through the refrigerator. "Spit it out all ready!" "Well... I don't know how to describe it." "Listen, when that happens it's best to put something in front of it before she notices." The man facefaulted. "It's not that!" "Then what?" she asked, taking out a bottle of soda and closing the fridge door. Looking at her, he bit his lip. "When she was standing there in front of me... I just... started feeling strange." Hyoko's eyes lit up as she poured the liquid into a pair of cups. "So you really do have a crush!" "Would you please just listen!" he barked back. The blonde took a drink of her soda. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it was that serious." Sitting down on the couch, he rubbed his head. "I really don't know what it is. I've never felt this way before" Walking into the living room, the woman handed Kuroki a glass of soda. "And you have absolutely no idea how to pursue this, right?" The man nodded in response. "Well," she started. "How did she react to you?" Kuroki looked at her. "She and her friend were practically falling all over me..." he started to say when pillow made contact with his face. "If you're trying to steal my Minako-chan..." she threatened him. "I'm not!" he defended himself. "I think she might like me." "Well that's obvious," she jumped in. "You realize that getting involved with her is not something 'you know who' would approve of." The man nodded. "But I can't just let it go. I have to find out what I'm feeling!" Hyoko smiled. "About time you started thinking like a rational human being. All right, here's what you're going to do..." As she walked into the dojo, the blonde looked around at the men who were currently in their training session. The kendo class was apparently still going. Sounds of wooden bokken hitting each other filled the dojo. "Check it out," the woman next to the blonde said, pointing towards a rather longhaired individual who was practicing with Ueda-sensei. "Isn't that...?" Minako started to ask. As she spoke, the man apparently overheard the pair's voices and turned his head to confirm their identities. "Hey, Makoto, Minako!" Yuuichirou shouted to the two. When he turned to speak with them, the wooden training sword of his opponent clobbered him in the head. "Never take your eyes off your opponent," the blonde man lectured him. Yuuichirou bowed to him in apology. "Yes, sensei!" Minako started to giggle. "Poor Yuuichirou." The taller girl, however, was smiling. "I still think it's really sweet." "Just because it's sweet doesn't mean it isn't amusing," she responded as they waited for them to finish so their class could begin. Placing her arm through the gi's sleeve, Minako continued to dress herself for training. Picking up the white belt on the bench, she knotted it around her waist, and took a deep breath to help clear her mind in preparation for class. "So what moves do you think they're going to teach today?" she asked her friend who was just finishing dressing herself. "First class is usually just a lecture, a little history, some stances, and a small demonstration of what the art is capable of," Makoto said as she finished wrapping the outfit together properly. Turning around, she placed her street clothing into her locker. "History?! You didn't say anything about having to learn history!" the blonde shouted at the brunette. Makoto scowled at her. "Minako, if you don't behave yourself they'll throw you out of this place in an instant." The blonde looked at her with a glare. "And why are you getting all serious all of a sudden?" "While training in here, you must be serious at all times," she lectured. "Learning a martial art is more then learning how to punch and kick; it's about understanding an attitude, a history, and a way of thinking. Aikido is especially strict when it comes to these things." "Doing your homework?" the blonde inquired. Smiling, Makoto closed the locker door. "I take my training very seriously." Turning towards the blonde, she continued, "And no slobbering over Ueda-sensei during practice." "Trying to steal him from me?" the girl pouted. The taller girl shook her head. "While on the mat, the Sensei must be given your total respect. If you want to hit on him, do it after class." "Yeah, yeah," the girl said, upset at her friend for the lecture. Thinking back, she realized she had only seen Makoto this serious once before: back when she was training in the mountains. Still, the girl obviously meant well and was looking out for her. "When we get out there follow my lead and don't do anything stupid," the girl instructed. As the two walked out of the locker room, they got their first chance to look over the rest of the class. There were currently five other females, waiting on the mat, while on their knees. "Where is everyone?" the blonde queried. Makoto shook her head and continued to walk towards the mat. "Classes like these aren't very large. We'll have maybe ten people in the class at most. Don't believe that garbage you see on TV. Anything above this and it's just some cheap karate factory." Looking at her puzzled, the blonde asked, "Why's that?" "The less people, the more time the instructor can spend with the individual students," she responded. Beaming, the blonde exclaimed, "That's perfect!" Scowling at her, Makoto chastised her, "What did I just get through telling you about?" Sighing, the blonde frowned. "I'm sorr..." "Makoto! Minako!" The pair turned and nearly jumped in surprise from the one boy who had shown up for class so far. Of all the people in the world who could've been there, he definitely had to be the last on the list of prospective candidates for appearing in a martial arts school. "Umino?!" the blonde shouted in surprise. "What are you doing here?" The boy looked at her and shook nervously. "Oh, I'm here to take lessons." "You're taking Aikido?" Makoto asked, her jaw looking rather lopsided as she looked on astonished. "Well, after Naru-chan told me she got attacked by another monster, I thought about what might happen if the Sailor Senshi weren't there to save her one of those times and decided I should learn to protect her." Minako eyes went wide. "And... you think you can defend her?" Makoto smacked the blonde in the back of the head. "That's very noble of you," the brunette said in her most convincing voice. "I'm sure she'll appreciate your effort." "Thanks. I better go join the rest of the class," the nerd said as he walked towards the mat. Stepping close to the taller girl, Minako whispered in her friend's ear, "He's going to hurt himself." "He might make it through the first class..." Makoto whispered back. Thinking back on her past experience with the boy, she rethought the statement. "Think the ambulance can get here quickly?" The blonde nodded back to her. "All right, class," a voice came from across the room. The two girls turned to see Ueda-sensei standing there, arms held behind his back, staring at the group. Makoto tugged on Minako's arm and dragged her to the mat. Bowing as she stepped onto it, the blonde followed her lead. Moments later they were both kneeling on the floor as the others were. "Now that you are all here, I will begin. First things first," he stated, turning to his left. Fujisawa-sensei walked towards the man and bowed. The blonde returned the gesture, and then turned back to the class. Looking over the students, his eyes met a small black-haired girl. Pointing to her, he asked, "What is your name?" The girl, blushing a bit in the process, looked up at him. Fujisawa-sensei looked on in disdain as he saw yet more girls falling all over the young man. "Um... Chisa, sensei," she responded. "Come forward, Chisa," he said. The girl began to stand, shaking a bit from anxiety. Minako and Makoto watched on from the back, relegated there by the girls who had obviously rushed to get front row seats so they could ogle the teacher. "Chisa," he spoke. "Do you think you could defeat Fujisawa-sensei in a fight?" he questioned her. The short girl, who couldn't be much taller than five feet, looked up at the man who was at least a foot taller than she was and jittered. "I couldn't possibly do that, sensei," she answered. Smiling, Ueda-sensei walked towards the two. "Sensei, would you mind extending your arm?" he requested of the larger man. Fujisawa-sensei reached out with his arm and smiled at the young girl. As she looked up at him, her face contorted, causing the older man to whimper at the rejection. "Chisa, I want you to place your hand here," the teacher instructed the girl, taking her hand and putting it on the man's wrist. "Now, I want you to swing your body around like I am now when Fujisawa-sensei moves forward," he told her, demonstrating the maneuver with his own body. Nodding, the girl readied herself. As the man moved forward, she held his wrist and twisted around just as he instructed. The move caused the larger man came with her and cried out as he was flipped to the side and thrown onto the floor, landing on his back. The class, with the exception of Makoto, looked on in awe. Chisa looked down at the man, her mouth gaping open. "I didn't mean to!" she cried out defensively as she practically broke down crying. "It's all right," Ueda-sensei spoke, reaching out with his hand to help his fellow instructor to stand. When the sensei was on both feet again, the two bowed to each other before Fujisawa-sensei started to walk towards his office, stepping off the mat, stopping to bow as he did. "You may return to your position," the blonde man commanded the girl, who was still a bit dazed. Recovering, she quickly bowed to him before rushing back to her place on the mat. "What you have just seen is a demonstration of the power of Aikido. With proper discipline and dedication, size or physical strength make no difference. Aikido is an art that can put you on equal footing with almost any opponent," the man said, staring at the class. He proceeded to speak for the next few minutes about the art, the history of it, and the usefulness. Minako watched on, trying to pay attention, but finding difficulty in it thanks to the beautiful blue eyes of the man in front of her. She was surprised to see that her friend, however, was completely attentive, her gaze unwavering as she listened to the man's speech. This was definitely a side of Makoto she was mostly unfamiliar with. "To assist me in this class, I have brought in an assistant who is highly trained in the art. You will treat her with respect at all times and follow her instructions as if they were my own." The class watched as a dirty-blonde haired woman with blue eyes stepped onto the mat. This is Miss Yohko Hisakawa," he introduced her, bowing to the woman. The woman bowed back to him, then turned towards the class. Minako looked at her attentively. *She looks familiar...* she thought to herself. As the white moon cat trotted down the street, he continued to dwell on the research he had been conducting over the last two days. *If it is them, then I won't find anything through normal search methods,* he thought to himself. Artemis knew very well that the information he required was probably destroyed long ago. Even he, who had knowledge of the most private and sensitive secrets of the Silver Millennium, knew only of their existence and nothing more. *But they shouldn't be here.* As he was crossing between two buildings, a voice spoke from the alley. "I must speak with you." Ears perking up, Artemis turned towards the source of the voice. A tall green- haired woman was standing there, looking towards him. The feline walked into the narrow area, following the woman away from the street. When they reached an area in back of several buildings, away from any people, the woman came to a stop, turned around, and looked down at him. Staring up at the tall woman, Artemis's eyes grew serious. If she were here, then it would only mean that something very important was about to happen. "Setsuna," he greeted. "It is good to see you again, Artemis," the woman replied. Something important was synonymous with grave danger. Taking in a breath, Minako tried practicing the stances that the sensei had just finished going through. Despite her friend's warnings and her attempts to avoid it, her eyes just kept wandering back to the cute blonde male who was teaching the class. *Maybe if I screw up enough I'll get some extra assistance from him,* she mischievously planned. Quickly looking around to make sure nobody was looking, she faked tripping and fell to the ground with a startled cry. As she started to get up, she saw a hand reach out to help her. *Score!* her brain triumphed. Turning around, she found a blonde standing there. The problem was that it wasn't the blonde she was interested in. "Are you okay?" Hisakawa-sensei asked her. "Um... I'm fine," she answered, taking her hand and letting the woman help her up. "Why don't I give you some help with that, Miss Aino?" the woman offered with a bright smile. "Sure. Thank you, sensei," she replied with a disappointed voice. "Now what you want to do is move your hips like this," the woman instructed, putting her hand on Minako's side. "Then move like this," she said next, slowly moving her hand along the side, just above her rear. "I think I've got it..." she told the teacher. "Let's make sure," the woman said. With her free left hand, she reached to her mid-side and moved the woman to twist her body a bit. "That's it," she instructed, bringing her hand up to just below her chest-area. As she spoke, Minako found her voice to be a bit deeper and slower than she had noticed earlier. "Ah, thank you." "Anytime," the woman said, taking her hands off and walking away. Minako found it a bit curious how her right hand had brushed down a little farther than it should've as she left. *I'm just imagining things.* Artemis perched himself on top of a few discarded boxes so he could look at the woman without needing to tilt his head. Looking into her eyes, he could see the burden of her eternal task weighing heavily on her at the moment. When she had that look, it meant that something was terribly wrong. "You've figured out who they are, haven't you?" Setsuna looked for confirmation. Nodding affirmatively in response, the woman closed her eyes. "Your intuition is correct." "But, they can't be here!" he protested. "They're..." "Artemis, if you had access to old computer records, you would not find a single file on them. If you look in books, you are unlikely to find any mention of their very existence. In fact, it would be surprising if, outside of you and I, anyone even knew of them." The white cat looked at her, bewildered by her words. "I only know of them and nothing more. In fact, the only reason I recognized them was when Minako and Mamoru both saw the green eyes." Nodding, the woman looked up at the sky. "I remember those eyes well." "Why aren't there any records?" he inquired. Hanging her head, she shook it back and forth. "I cannot say. My orders prevent me from giving you any information." Shaking in disbelief, Artemis looked at her with frustration in his gaze. "Who has you under orders? And it doesn't make any sense to destroy that information. The only reason to do that would be..." "If there was something to hide," she completed the thought. There was an uneasy silence between the two for a few moments. "Tell me, Artemis," the woman continued. "You remember the Silver Millennium as a paradise, do you not?" Nodding his head, Artemis looked up with a smile. "It was the manifestation of heaven itself." Smiling at him, she then turned around. "Is that so?" Blinking, Artemis started to say something when she interrupted him. "Don't tell the others anything yet." "What?" he questioned her. "It's not time. Until it is, it would be best if they were not told." "How can you ask me to lie to them?" Artemis barked at the woman, almost insulted by the very request. "If you wish to get the princess back, then do as I ask." Stopping for a moment, she spoke again, "There are... dark secrets that we all have. I wish I could help you right now. If I could do it, I would make every effort to prepare you for what is to come. But, for now, all I can do is warn you that if my words are not heeded, you may place everyone in grave danger." Artemis looked at her with a frightened look. If what she said was true, then the others were already in serious trouble. To make it worse, she was instilling him with that knowledge, and yet asking him to do nothing about it. "I want to know more about them." "In time," she replied as she started to walk away. "You will see me again shortly." With that, the Senshi of Time walked out of the alley, leaving behind a confused guardian. Kuroki watched as the dismissed class entered the locker rooms. "Well I think that went well," he commented to the woman who was standing beside him. When no response came, he turned to se that, in fact, there was no woman standing behind him. Instead, he found Hyoko tiptoeing towards the women's locker room. "Hy... I mean Yohko!" he screamed at her. Turning around, she pouted. "What?" "You can't go in there!" he informed her with all the gentleness of a sledgehammer. "Sure I can. You see," she said pointing towards the image on the door. "Women's locker room," she said with a big grin. "But..." "I'll be going now!" Hyoko said, waving to him as she turned towards the door. Sighing, Kuroki tried to say something before she closed the door. "Don't do anything stupid!" he quickly instructed her, though doubted if it would do any good. Moving along the bench, Hyoko looked at the discarded clothing of the students and grinned evilly. She wondered which belonged to her precious Minako-chan. No matter; soon she'd be doing something far more pleasurable then rummaging through panties. Going to her locker, she quickly removed her clothing, grabbed a towel, and started towards the shower. "Hisakawa-sensei!" a voice came from her side. Turning, she saw Makoto standing there, finishing undressing. Hyoko growled from her interference, yet took on a strange interest when she saw the girl removing her gi, revealing the tall, athletic figure. Her eyes nearly bugged out when she saw the giant cannons that were mounted on the tank. "Y... yes, Miss Kino?" "I just wanted to compliment you on the way you and Ueda-sensei taught the class." "Th... thanks!" she stuttered out. "Is that it?" Blinking, the tall girl looked at her worried. "I'm sorry, was I interrupting you from something?" "Nothing!" she shouted defensively. "Sorry, I'm just a bit... edgy from it being my first class and all." "Well, don't worry," the girl reassured her. Hyoko couldn't help but stare as she finished undressing, giving her a glimpse of that fabulous body before covering it just as quickly with her towel. Taking the beads out of her hair, she let it flow back in full length. Turning to walk towards the shower, Makoto bowed towards her. "I look forward to the next class." Hyoko bowed back to her, perturbed by the interference. She hoped she hadn't missed her chance. With that, she started towards her destination. As she walked into the shower room, she looked through the small alcoves for her target. She also decided to take the time to thank someone up there for Japan's liberal outlook on nudity. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see each of the students showering. Part of her managed to drill the thought into her head that she couldn't do anything too suspicious, else she'd give away her friend's plans. Finally, she spotted her target, rinsing herself in the falling water. Licking her lips, Hyoko stood there for a moment to take in the full beauty that was the Senshi of Love and Beauty. *Oh yes! She definitely does live up to her namesake!* Quickly thinking up a plan, she walked towards the alcove where the object of her attention was and entered. "Mind if I join you?" she requested. Turning around, Minako looked at her with a bit of surprise. "Sensei?" she said in a questioning tone. The woman nodded to her. "I thought this might be a chance to get to know one of my students better," she said with a bright smile. *Yeah, that'll do!* her mind commended her on her creativity. "Um... sure," the girl replied. "Want me to wash your back?" While she was asking her, the dirty-blonde haired woman took off her towel and hung it on the rack next to the Senshi's. "Thanks," the girl said. Taking the cloth from Minako, the woman started to scrub the Senshi's naked back. *God, for whatever I've done to please you recently, thanks!* she thought in her mind. "So," Hyoko started as she slowly rubbed the cloth along the swell of Minako's back. "What got you interested in Aikido?" "Well," she began, relaxing her muscles as she felt herself enjoying the massage- like scrubbing. "I... kind of got myself into a rough situation recently, and I wanted to learn how to defend myself." "Ah," the woman nodded, letting her hand move downward. "And you're here with your friend?" The girl nodded in response. "Mako-chan was the one who picked the art. "I see," Hyoko said. *Mental note: Makoto is my hero.* "So..." she continued, smiling mischievously as her hand began rubbing the blonde's lower back, brushing ever so gently over the top of areas she probably shouldn't be touching. "You are quite an attractive girl. The guys must be all over you." Looking down solemnly, the girl replied, "I wish. Let's just say that, even though I'm looking, nobody's responding." "Such a shame," she said. "You would think that the guys would be all over a gorgeous, young, athletic..." As she was giving the list, she leaned closer to the blonde. With her hands she started to gently wash the girl's stomach. "... Young woman like you," Hyoko finished. Minako started to blush, shaking a bit. "Um... sensei..." she tried to speak as the woman's hands started to move upwards, traveling over the area just below her chest. Moving her head next to the girl's, she whispered softly from behind, breathing on her neck. "It must be... hard on you," she teased. "Y... yes..." she said, trembling from the unexpected actions of her instructor. A voice inside Hyoko's head warned her that going any farther would probably tip off even the biggest dunce. And while Minako was said to be clueless in the information she was given, there was a line that had to be maintained. *Next time, we'll have to go further,* she pleasantly dreamed as she grinned from ear to ear. "Well, I better get out of here. I hope we can get to know each other better. I like having... close relationships with my students," the woman said with a smirk. Minako nodded, refusing to move her head. Her entire body was still shaking uneasily. "Thanks, sensei," she said. "I... would like that." "Good, she said, extending her arm in front of the girl. "This is yours, I believe." "Y... yes!" she jumped, taking the cloth from the woman's hand, unsteady as she did. "I'll... see you next class, sensei." "I look forward to it," the woman purred, turning to leave the shower. After the woman had left, the blonde stood restlessly for a few more moments. Recovering, Minako reached out quickly with her hand and turned the temperature of the water down, letting the cool stream calm her. Kuroki paced back and forth as he waited, unnerved, for his friend to exit the room. *This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea,* he kept repeating in his head, knowing Hyoko was going to get him into trouble one way or another. Finally, after a seemingly endless length of time, the woman exited the shower room, dressed in casual attire. Staring at her for a few moments, he noticed the girl was practically glowing and felt sudden pain. "You... you didn't do anything... did you?" "I left Minako-chan all wet!" the woman brightly responded, extending her hand and giving the victory sign. The man slumped down, sweatdropping. "Why? Why do you insist on doing this to me?" Laughing, the girl walked over and patted him on the head. "There, there. At least I found out your girlfriend is stacked!" As soon as he heard this, his face contorted into a strange look. "What?!" Bobbing her head up and down, Hyoko confirmed what she just said. "I mean we're talking big ones! Hell, if I weren't already taken by Minako-chan I would've given you competition!" Kuroki looked up at her with annoyance as he started to twitch. "Hyoko... if you don't simmer down, I'm going to make you shower with the guys from now on." The blonde looked at her as if she had suddenly had her heart ripped out, trampled on by a pack of elephants, and eaten by a baboon. "You... you're not serious!" "Oh, I am!" he warned her. "I don't care if you chase after her, but you can't wreck this opportunity!" Hyoko rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I'll behave." Walking towards the front door of the dojo, she hung her head with a hurt expression across her face. "Sorry for worrying about..." she started to say, when his arm extended in front of her and stopped her from moving forward. "Thanks for caring. I'll let you know how it goes," he cheerfully told her. The blonde recovered from her momentary tantrum and smiled at him. "She really does have great breasts." "I get the picture!" he responded to her comment, squirming a bit. As she left the dojo, he started to relax. The fact that she didn't run the blonde bombshell out of the shower, screaming for help, was sign that she had somehow restrained herself. Sighing, he turned around and waited for the others to exit the shower. Exiting the locker room, Makoto started to walk towards the door when she was interrupted. "Miss Kino, can I speak with you?" a voice spoke from her side. Moving to look at the source of the sound, she found her eyes making contact with Ueda-sensei. "Ye... yes, Ueda-sensei?" she asked nervously. It had been rather hard to keep herself calm during practice, and now that it was over she was letting herself relax a bit. "I was watching you today during practice, and I must say that I was very impressed. You had both the proper attitude and you managed to get all the stances perfectly on the first try." Blushing from the compliment, the brunette smiled at him. "Th... thank you." "Have you taken martial art classes before?" the man asked. "Yes!" she blurted out, nodding in response. The man smiled at her. "I thought so. Would you be interested in going out to dinner tomorrow night?" Makoto's face was now practically deep red. "Dinner?" she checked nervously. Ueda-sensei nodded. "I was hoping you could tell me about your background. I'll shortly be in need of choosing a sempai for the class, and I think you'd be able to fill the role." Eyes perking up, Makoto bowed to the man. "I'm honored, sensei!" she cried in jubilation. She was well aware of how privileged it was to receive such a position. It was just an added bonus that this would score her a date as well. "I'd love to." "Great," the man brightened. "I'll pick you up at six o'clock at your apartment. Fujisawa-sensei should have the address." "I... I look forward to it," she said, trying to hold back her happiness. As the man turned away, she felt like screaming out in triumph. What she didn't notice was that a certain blonde-haired woman was watching from behind the locker room door. Her face displayed just how upset she was. *She got a date with him without even trying!* Minako thought to herself. *I'll have to try harder.* Waiting outside the dojo, Hyoko stood in the alley and watched Minako and Makoto part ways as they left the establishment. She started to grin, considering ditching her friend and tracking the blonde. Unfortunately, her plans were interrupted when she heard a buzzing sound next to her. "Not now!" she grumbled as she turned to see the glowing object. Sighing, she placed her hand on it. "And who exactly am I... No!" she was taken aback as the object transmitted a picture into her mind. "Not her!" she protested. She knew full well this was inevitably going to happen, but the actual realization of her fears was something she just couldn't prepare for. Biting back pain, she transmitted her orders to it. Before allowing it to go, she grasped the sphere tightly and glared at it with intense hatred. "Don't you dare hurt my Minako-chan, or I swear to the heavens I will make you suffer a fate far worse than death." The energy ball sweatdropped, then split into two different balls, one far brighter than the other. With that, the two went off in separate directions, one after each Senshi. Rei shook her head back and forth as Makoto relayed the story of Yuuichirou's mishaps to her. "Not surprised in the least," she spat. "Aww, that isn't nice," the brunette teased her. A bright smile remained on her face the entire time, refusing to remove itself. "And what's got you in such a good mood?" the raven-haired girl asked as she continued to sweep the stone pathway of the shrine. Makoto blushed, practically giggling. "Ueda-sensei asked me out to dinner!" The Shinto priestess blinked in response. "W... what?" Her friend nodded in confirmation. "... What's the catch?" "Well, he says it's only a business dinner so we can discuss my martial arts background, but I'm hoping it might turn into multiple dinners," she wished aloud. Smiling, Rei shook her head in disbelief. "Well, I just hope Minako takes the news okay." Nodding in agreement, the brunette started to walk towards the entrance to Rei's bedroom. "I'm going to go check with Ami on something." "All right," the fire Senshi told her, resuming her sweeping. As the girl exited the area, Rei halted her cleaning to ponder something. "I told you! I told you!" devil Rei mocked, appearing on her right shoulder. "He's a worthless bum! He'll never do anything right!" Angel Rei appeared on her left shoulder and motioned her disgust with her head at the other religious symbol. "You're so impatient! He's just starting out! What he's doing is incredibly sweet!" The Shinto Priestess growled in annoyance. "Why are you two here?" "We're here to help you again, that's why!" devil Rei answered her. "Oh, you two were so much help the other day," she said with thick sarcasm. Angel Rei pouted. "Don't listen to her! She's trying to distract you from realizing how much you love Yuuichirou!" "Would you cut it out?" Rei warned her angelic counterpart. "Look, he's sweet and, at times, brave, but he's also a total loser and a bum! He can never do anything right!" "But he tries!" angel Rei protested. Her face twisted when she saw her evil counterpart lying on a beach-chair, drinking a glass of iced tea as she let the human do her fighting for her. "It's not enough!" Rei said. "I... I..." she started to say, her face looking serious. "Double, double, toil and trouble," a voice spoke from the distance. Putting her broom down, she ran to the top of the hill and saw two figures at the bottom, stirring a giant wooden spoon inside a cauldron. A bus had stopped directly in front of them. "Fire burn and cauldron bubble," they continued. "In the pot you'll simmer and bake. "Your time has come, accept your fate!" Rei jumped backwards and reached into her outfit to grab her transformation pen. "Mako-chan! Ami! We have trouble!" The streets of Tokyo were bustling with activity as usual. If there was one advantage to being the Senshi of time, it was the ability to visit so many periods and experience the wonders each unique one featured. However, visiting this time again was not purely for pleasure. There was something weighing heavily on her heart. It had been difficult not to warn Artemis of what was about to happen. Once again, she was saddled with the curse of knowing the future, yet was unable to interfere. Maybe it was for the best though, for messing with events based on future knowledge was one way to quickly get her into trouble. Still, she wasn't thrilled with the prospect of having to sit on the sidelines until the proper moment. Continuing her stroll, she suddenly felt cold. Looking up, she started to breathe heavily from the sight before her. A tinge of fright was in her eyes as they met the figure in front of her: a rather tall man, standing about six foot two. She tried to remain emotionless as she examined him. The gray hair and beard covered his gruff features. Time had definitely taken its effect on the man, though he appeared to still be well built. She noticed the familiar scar that barely showed, his hair covering most of it, on the left of his forehead. His dark green eyes, glowing ever so slightly, stared back at her. Eyes narrowing, Setsuna prepared to defend herself if need be. "I had a feeling you would find me." The man smiled at her, letting out a small laugh. "It has been a long time, Setsuna-hime." "What do you want?" she asked him, clenching her teeth. "Have no fear, princess. I am merely here to escort you to meet someone," the man reassured her. Noticing the look in her eyes, he looked sadly at her. "I would hope we could still have a peaceful conversation. You know that we are no threat." Relaxing herself, she returned to her usual stoic position. "I trust your word, Lord Furuki." The man turned and started to lead her towards their destination. *I have to be careful,* Setsuna cautioned herself. Following the man closely, Setsuna remained uneasy the entire trip. Halting his stride, Furuki turned, motioning with his hands for the Senshi to enter the building. Looking at the structure, she noticed the rundown appearance of the place. Readying herself for the worst, she entered the building. Upon walking in, she examined the inside of the abandoned structure. This was either the perfect place to have a quiet conversation, or they were planning to spring a trap. Knowing the people, she knew that it was the former, yet she still found herself on edge. "It has been a long time, Setsuna-hime," a voice boomed from the center of the room. Turning towards the source, the woman stared coldly at the tall man. His very presence was intimidating, standing almost seven feet tall. As she looked at him, the mammoth man bowed deeply in front of her in respect. "I am happy to see you still doing well," he spoke, waiting a few more moments before he got back to his feet. Nodding to him, the woman returned the action, bowing similarly. "Thank you, King Takayama. But I am rather... distraught at this encounter." Shaking his head, the man smiled. "I was afraid you would feel that way." "How should I feel?" she spat back at him as she continued the bow. "Being there, I hoped you would understand," he replied, looking darkly at her. "Understand your anger, yes! Condone what you're doing, of course not!" she responded, getting back to her feet. Sighing, the man looked up with sad eyes. "I cannot allow what happened to go unanswered. I take these actions because I have been left with no other choice." "It won't change a thing, and you know it," she retorted. "Maybe not. On the other hand, perhaps it will." Minako looked down at her friend and grew stern. "I'll be there as quickly as I can," she spoke into the communicator. "All right," Ami spoke. "We'll try to..." Before she could finish, a cry came from down the street. Minako turned to see a group of people running away from something. Watching on, the blonde gasped as she saw a witch flying down the street after the group. "What's going on?" Ami asked. "Another one of those monsters just showed up here. I'll take care of it," she told her friend. "Tell us where you are and we'll be there as soon as..." "Don't," she interrupted her. "There's two attacking over there and just one here. I can handle it." "But..." "That's an order!" Minako commanded her. "Take care of the problem there and contact me when you're done." "Wait..." the blue-haired girl started to protest, but was silenced when the communicator was shut off on her. Minako shot a stern gaze towards the street. "Time to work out some frustrations." Pulling out her wand, she chanted, "Venus Crystal Power, make up!" Energy swirled around her as she twirled around, forming her fuku. When finished, she ran towards the road to chase after the monster. Reaching the end of the alley she was in, the blonde turned and startled when she saw the witch levitating there, looking directly at her. She barely had a chance to duck when an energy blast nearly took her head off. Getting up, she quickly prepared to attack. "Venus Love Me Chain!" she shouted, sending the long series of hearts towards the enemy. Holding out her arms, the witch erected a field around her, easily deflecting the attack. "Senshi of Love, thou art in our way. For vexing our plans, prepare to pay. The cost of thine interference shall be thy death, what have you to say with your final breath?" The blonde warrior groaned at her. "Rhyming? Oh great.... Cat in the Hat... I hate Cat in the Hat..." Cackling, the witched pulled back with her arms and let loose another round of electric bolts at the girl. Diving to the side, Sailor Venus jumped up and brought her arm back. "Crescent," she cried, bringing her right arm forward and placing her left hand on her right shoulder. "Beam!" The beam flew towards the witch, hitting the energy field and deflecting harmlessly off of it. The witch laughed at her and pulled back for another attack. Readying herself, Venus gritted her teeth and tried to think of something she could do. Standing before the two witches, the three Senshi stared back at them. "Hark and behold, three Senshi are here. They stand their ground, eyes showing no fear," the first witch spoke. As she finished, the second one continued taunting the three. "Alas their courage is sadly misplaced. We shall strike them down, and make them tremble apace" Rei looked at the witch and prepared to start her speech when she was suddenly shoved to the ground by a streak of blue. "Halt, yon fiends who tarnish the light! We shall not back down; we shall give thee a fight! Thou shall be given no ground, and will feel our fury." Sailor Mercury pointed towards the monster. "Thou shall be punished, in the name of Mercury!" Blinking from where she was on the ground, Mars looked at her partner as if she had just grown eight heads. Turning as she heard a sound, she found Jupiter, standing there in silent awe, applauding her comrade. "What the heck is wrong with you?!" Rei chastised Ami, getting back to her feet as she lectured her. Her words caused the girl to blush in embarrassment. The witches started to cackle, then started speaking again. "She doth speak quite well, and has a quick tongue. If thou art smart as well, take thy chance and run," the witches cried, bringing their arms back and preparing to attack. "Friends, gather 'round, prepare to defend! We..." Ami started to rattle off when Rei smacked her in the back of the head. Rubbing her head, Mercury turned towards her with a hurt expression. "Forsooth, my friend, why doth thou strike me when we are faced with foes most dire?" "Would you quit that?! It's annoying enough that I have to listen to the..." the raven-haired girl was lecturing her when they were tackled to the ground by Jupiter, barely avoiding the lightning attacks from the pair of witches. "Pay attention!" Jupiter said as she got to her feet. Bringing her arm back, she gathered electricity in her hand. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" she cried, throwing the energy ball at the witch. Colliding with the monster, the blast caused the witch to fall backwards, hitting the ground. The second witch started to levitate, flying towards the Senshi. "My turn," Rei spoke. "Burning...." she started, gathering fireballs around her. "Mandala!" The energy discs soared forth from her hands, colliding with the witch and hurling her next to the witch on the ground. Ami walked up and prepared to attack, posing and smiling proudly. "'Tis my turn to repay thee for thy evil deeds. With swift..." "Oh for the love of God, just attack already!" Rei snapped at her. Sighing, the blue-haired Senshi started to collect the arctic winds in her hands. "Ice Bolt Bombardment" she shouted as the crossbow appeared and let loose a series of ice lances, striking the two witches. The pair screamed as they were torn apart, evaporating into nothingness. Caught off guard, Sailor Venus was sent flying into the wall as the witch rammed her. Groggily trying to get to her feet, she saw the witch standing over her, cackling. It pulled back, getting ready to attack. It then proceeded to just stand there, immobile. Minako sweatdropped as she watched the motionless witch looking down at her nervously. Turning around, the monster pitifully looked up at the roof of one of the buildings, made a whining sound, then turned around. The blonde tried to find what her opponent had been staring at, but couldn't locate anything. Though she swore she had seen a figure up there for a moment... "I see thee tremble, I see thee shake. Let fear grow upon you, let me feel thine hate!" the witch taunted her. The blonde simply stared at her. "Why are you just standing there?' Sweatdropping in response, the witch growled and prepared to attack when she felt a throwing star fly over her head, embedding itself in the wall, just barely above her. Powering down, the witch started to laugh nervously. "Um... I..." Venus sat there, absolutely puzzled as to what the witch was doing. *This was incredibly stupid of me to try to take on the monster alone.* She couldn't call on the others for help, though, while she knew they were busy dealing with what she knew was a larger threat. *Have to try again,* she thought, setting up to attack. The witch growled at her and zapped an area an inch above her head, causing the blonde to look up at her with scared eyes. "World Shaking!" a hoarse voice cried from the distance. The yellow energy ball ripped through the ground, striking the witch as she turned to see the speaker and sending her flying into the wall, landing inches away from Minako. Staring up, she saw two figures standing in the alley. "Guided a new era, Sailor Uranus acts with elegance," the sandy-blonde spoke. "Also guided by a new era, Sailor Neptune acts with grace," the aqua-haired girl similarly recited. "Neptune! Uranus!" Venus cried out in relief. The sight of the two older Senshi had never seen so welcome. Picking herself up, she ran towards the two. "Looks like you've gotten yourself into some trouble," Haruka teased her. The blonde nodded. "The others are under attack too and can't help." "Good thing we were in the area," Michiru told her. Getting back to its feet, the witch started to laugh. "Two more Senshi have joined the fight. Take thy chance to run, take off in flight!" Uranus smiled smugly at her. "Now, aren't we being a bit confident." Michiru grinned at her. "No wonder your skin's so cracked laughing like that all the time." The witch glared at her in response, bringing her arms up, readying to strike. "I think she needs to learn some manners." Summoning her element, the Senshi cried out, "Deep Submerge!" The witch grinned confidently as the water sphere struck the barrier surrounding her. Flinging aside the attack, she let loose one of her energy blasts and fired it at the Senshi. "Neptune!" Haruka cried as she saw the blast coming towards her. Diving into her, she barely managed to get her partner out of the way before the blast could strike her. "Are you all right?" she checked Michiru for injuries. Responding with a nod, Michiru smiled at her. Snarling, Haruka got back to her feet and summoned her Talisman Sword to her hands. "Space Sword Blaster!" she shouted, bringing the weapon over her head and slashing down, sending the energy beam towards the enemy. Bracing for the attack, the witch brought up her energy shield and put all her power behind it, feeling the intense energy of the powerful attack. Clenching her teeth, she cried out and repelled the attack. Haruka's eyes went wide, looking down at the sword. "Impossible!" she shouted. The witch started to laugh at her. "Is there something the matter, deary? And a few moments ago you were looking so cheery." Lightning darted forward from her hands, striking the shocked Uranus in the chest and sending her flying backwards. "Uranus!" Neptune shouted, rushing to her aid. Smiling evilly, the witch wasted no time in launching another attack, firing the blast at Neptune who only had enough time to turn and stare in terror at the incoming attack. Striking her dead in the stomach, it threw her backwards down the alley, depositing her next to the injured Sailor Uranus. Minako watched on in terror. *She beat Neptune and Uranus! How can I possibly stop her?!* Looking towards the monster, she started to breath heavily. *I'm supposed to be the leader! I have to protect them, no matter what!* Lips turning golden, she winked, closed her eyes, and kissed her hand, forming heart-shaped energy. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" she cried as she cast the heart out. Spinning around her once, the energy fired towards the enemy and struck her defenses dead on. The witch concentrated and a moment later, the shielding had dealt with the attack much like the others. Venus looked on in fear. *I can't fail! I have to defeat it!* "Venus Love Me Chain!" she tried again, resulting in the similar deflection that the first attempt with the attack had resulted in. Looking back, she saw Haruka and Michiru getting back to their feet and started to think. "We can't beat her by attacking her this way," she said to them. "So I've noticed," Michiru weakly stated as she walked towards her. "What do you suggest?" Haruka asked. "She took an attack from my Space Sword already." Looking at the witch, Minako thought for a moment. *Think leadership thoughts! What would Usagi do?* Pausing, she decided to correct the thought. *What would someone intelligent do?* Weighing her options, she came up with a plan. "We'll attack on three sides." "What?" Uranus asked, not sure what it would accomplish. "She's concentrating her shield in one area so... if we hit her at the same time she'll have to spread out her defenses." Michiru looked at her, taken a bit back by how clever the plan sounded. "It might work." Haruka nodded to her. "Sneak around to the right, I'll take the left. Venus, you'll have to distract her until we're ready." Nodding back to her, Minako turned her attention towards the witch and launched an attack. "Crescent Beam!" Watching the fight play out, Hyoko yawned. She was waiting on the roof of the building, wearing her battle gear. "Come on, Venus-chan! You're better than that!" Viewing the two older Senshi moving to one side each, she blinked. "Huh?" As they moved into position, the girl grinned. "Brilliant! I knew my Venus-chan had it in her!" Grinning at her opponent, Minako started to laugh. "You're pretty good," she praised her opponent. The witch snarled at her and started to ready an attack, stopping when she realized only Venus was standing there. Noting her foe's hesitation, Minako smiled brightly. "What's the matter? Afraid to attack lil' ol' me?" "Argh!" the witch cried in frustration, letting the lightning bolt shoot from her hands and travel just barely above the Senshi's head. Breathing heavily in frustration, she started to shake. "Missed me!" Minako taunted her. Absolutely furious at this point, the witch no longer cared about the threats her mistress had given her and prepared to rip the Senshi limb from limb. Just then, throwing stars suddenly started hitting the ground near her, forming a circle around her, each star exactly a mere few inches from where she stood. She wanted to cry. Minako blinked. *Where did those come from?* she thought to herself as she saw the shurikens in the ground. A moment later she was pulled away from the thought when she saw Sailor Uranus giving her a nod, letting her know it was time. "Now!" she cried out. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" "Space Sword Blaster!" "Submarine Reflection!" The witch looked to side-to-side, hearing the voices and panicking. Putting up her shield, she tried to hold off the three attacks. As the energies clashed with her defense, the shield collapsed, causing her to scream as the trio of attacks hit her and caused an explosion, blinding everyone momentarily with bright light. "It worked!" Michiru cried out in joy. Venus started to beam. "Victory!" she smiled, giving the V sign with her hand. The celebration was halted when laughter came from where the witch had been standing. As the bright light subsided from where the attacks had hit, the Senshi looked on in shock. "Thou seem surprised, thine fear is evident. I am not yet dead, 'tis not yet ended," the witch taunted them as she stood, hurt but not defeated. Haruka grasped her sword tightly and ran towards the witch. Bringing it over her head, she jumped towards her and prepared to strike. Smiling evilly, the witch reached out with her hand and fired, at point-blank range, a blast of electricity directly into the girl's chest, sending her hurtling. The girl screamed in pain as she hit the ground and started to roll. Neptune looked on in fear. Holding back a cry, she started to summon the waters around her. "Deep..." she started to chant. Seeing this out of the corner of her eye, the witch darted around and fired at her. As it struck, the water that had surrounded the Senshi amplified the effects of the attack ten-fold, causing Michiru to scream in pain as she was electrocuted. When it had finished, she fell face-first to the ground. Minako looked on in horror as the witch defeated her friends. *If that didn't even work, what will?!* she thought to herself. *I want to save them. I want to prove I can lead! What can I do?!* Jupiter smiled brightly and patted Mercury on the back. "Great job!" The blue-girl looked back at her, pondering something. "Those witches seemed weak, did they not, my friend? 'Tis give me the feeling that this is not the end." Mars started to fume. " I said cut..." "Thou should have heeded our words, and stayed out of our way," the first witch said, rematerializing. "It will take more than pretty speeches for you to win this day," the second added, bringing herself back to her full form. Makoto snarled at the monsters. "Looks like they're tougher than we thought," she told her friends. "Sailor Mercury," Mars said, getting the attention of her comrade. "I think this is your department." Nodding, Ami put her hand up to the right side of her tiara and touched it, causing her goggles to appear. "Fear not, friends, and hold thy ground." She stared directly at the witches. "I shall study you fiends, thine flaws shall be found." Rei growled, trying to hold back her anger. "Let's give her cover, Jupiter," she told her friend. "Mars Flame Sniper! "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" The two attacked simultaneously, launching the fire arrow and the swirling leaves at the witches. Cackling, the witches flew into the air, moving above the blasts and started to soar towards their attackers. Rei gritted her teeth and fell back defensively. She was preparing to dodge the attack when the witches both screamed and halted their motion. Smiling in relief at the sight, she spotted the pair of roses that had struck the monsters in their chests. "Tuxedo Kamen!" she cried out as she saw the man in black standing on the shrine steps. "A rose 'tis but a rose by any other name. Thou fiends run loose, thy harm and maim. Disorder chaos; this shan't go unheard. Fear not warriors of light, for their evil shall be cured!" he finished his speech Screaming, Rei threw a cold glare at the man. "Not you too!" The two witches snarled at the man, then pulled back and launched a volley of electricity at him. Tuxedo Kamen easily jumped over the blast and landed at the bottom of the shrine steps. "Friends, come hither, gather 'round! I hath discovered what we need, their weakness hath been found!" Ami shouted to her friends. Rubbing her temples, Rei turned towards her. "What do we need to do?" "'Tis the cauldron that giveth the fiends life. Break it and they die, but be quick and lithe!" "If it'll get you to shut up I'll do anything!" Mars berated her. "Fire Soul!" she shouted, launching the fireball towards the witch's cauldron. It stopped five feet in front of the pot and was dispersed by an energy shield. "Not good," Rei worriedly said. "Mars," Jupiter got her friend's attention. "Take down those witches and I'll take care of the cauldron." Nodding in affirmation, Rei started to gather the flames in her hand. "Mars Flaming Chakrah!" she shouted out as she grabbed the tiara, which transformed into the fire weapon, and threw it at the witches. The pair of enemies could only look in astonishment, having been distracted by Tuxedo Kamen, as they were sliced apart by the quick weapon. "Mercury," Makoto said to her partner. "Get ready to take that scan." Ami blinked, and then realized what she meant by that. "Wait!" Even as she was cautioning her friend, the two witches were starting to materialize again. "Thunder..." the brunette started to chant, reaching up with her hands and summoning the scepter to them. The blue-haired girl ran towards her, but was thrown backwards by the energy that was gathering around the tall girl. "God..." Looking on helplessly, Ami bit back a cry, scared of what might happen to her friend, and started to read the energy emissions with her goggles. Electricity sparkled, surrounding the girl and pouring into the scepter. "Fury!" Lashing out towards the cauldron, the lightning wave flew forth and smashed into the shielding in front of it, ripping apart the energy barrier as if it weren't even there and smashing into what it was protecting. As the cauldron was shattered by the energy wave, the two witches screeched, glowing brightly for a moment before they finally disappeared. Watching the sight, Ami looked through some of the figures that her goggles had recorded. "Sugoi!" she spoke in awe. Rei put on a twisted smile. "About time you stopped speaking like that." Ami blushed at her words, and then resumed looking at the figures. "Jupiter..." she started to say, when she looked to see Makoto on one knee, breathing heavily. The girl genius ran towards her. Stopping in front of the thunder Senshi, she looked down at her with worry. "I told you not to use it!" the genius scolded her friend as she helped her to her feet." Makoto looked up at her smiling, sweat pouring down her face. "It didn't kill me. That's good." "That was some attack!" Mars said as she walked towards her partners. Mercury nodded to her. "You should be more careful," she chastised the brunette. "Are you all right?" Tuxedo Kamen asked as he approached the girls. "We're fine," Rei assured him. "But we better get Makoto inside so she can lie down," Ami told the man. "I said I'm fine!" Makoto protested in annoyance. It was then that something dawned on her. "We have to find Minako and help her!" The others nodded and helped the tall Senshi back to her feet. Watching the group from his hidden spot behind some trees, Kuroki smiled brightly at the sight. His attention was particularly placed on the thunder Senshi. Losing himself in an almost daydream-like state, he felt his heart pound. Tomorrow night would be very interesting. *Minako,* a voice spoke in her head. *Usagi!* Minako thought, recognizing the voice. *Where are you?!* *Minako... don't give up!* Shaking her head, the blonde thought she had to be imagining things. Staring at the monster, she grew an icy glare. "You've tortured my friends, and kidnapped one close to me. You stand there and shout; you celebrate in glee. I may not be the smartest, and I can't rhyme very well. But in the name of Venus, I'll send you to hell!" The witch snarled at her, reaching back to charge an attack. Suddenly she screamed in pain, feeling as if her insides were tearing at her. White light began to glow in her eyes. Minako watched on stunned as the witch grabbed her head in pain. Yelling at the top of her lungs, the witch gave one last cry as the energy fired out from her, launching towards Sailor Venus and enveloping her in a white aura. Calmly breathing, the Senshi felt herself surrounded in warmth. Every pore of her body felt comfortable and safe, as if a blanket were placed over it. *Protect them, Minako!* Usagi's voice said. Minako tried to ask her where she was again, but was interrupted when words spoke in her head and an image formed. Face falling to the side, Minako grew nervous. *I can't do that!* The light surrounding her started to subside. Looking at the witch, she started to whimper. *Why does it have to be like this?* Sighing in defeat, Venus held up her right hand. "Love..." she said, making a circular motion with her hand, starting at the bottom and moving clockwise, forming a trail of golden hearts in its wake. "Discipline..." she continued, finishing the motion when it had made a three-quarter circle, and grabbing the end of the trail with her right hand. The hearts fused together, forming a golden whip in her hand. "Wave!" she shouted, cracking the whip. As it hit the ground, golden energy was channeled from the tips of Minako's fingers and flowed down the length of the weapon, forming a ten-foot wide wave of energy as it hit the ground. When the wave darted forward, picking up speed as it rushed towards the witch. The witch's eyes widened as she threw up her shield in an attempt to block the attack. Energy collided with her own; pushing on the field with all its might. Starting to panic, the monster watched in horror as her barrier gave way. Crying out in pain as the attack consumed her, causing an explosion of energy. When the glow subsided, there was nothing left of the monster. Sighing in relief, Minako looked down at the whip and smiled. "Not bad after all." "Good shot," Haruka complimented her as she slowly got to her feet, holding her gut in pain. "Are you all right?" Venus asked her worriedly. The masculine woman nodded, starting to walk slowly towards Neptune. Michiru pushed herself to her feet slowly, still feeling the effects of the blast. "Some days I wish I was a different element," she joked. Haruka looked seriously at Minako. "How did you get that power?" Shaking her head in response, the Senshi of Love and Beauty replied, "I don't know. The others have gotten new powers while fighting these monsters too. We still haven't figured it out." Nodding, Michiru looked at her sadly. "We heard about Usagi. Has there been any word?" Minako shook her head. "None." Uranus bit back in pain. "I'm sorry we weren't there for help. If we could've saved Odango Atama we would've." "Thanks," she responded. "But why were you here anyways?" The two older girls looked at each other. "Well..." Michiru started to speak when a noise came from behind them. Minako turned and glared at the source of the sound; a woman who was now standing about a hundred feet away from them in the alley. "Beautiful! Magnificent!" the woman in black applauded, her cat-mask hiding her face. "I knew my Venus-chan could do it!" The three girls all grew strange expressions as an alarm went off in their minds. "VENUS-CHAN?!" they simultaneously cried. "What's going on between you two?" Michiru asked her nervously. "Is she your friend? Or..." "She's nothing!" Minako cried out defensively. "Why are you here anyways?!" "Come now, Venus-chan!" Hyoko said with a smile. "I just wanted to see you in action. Can't fault me for that!" Tightening her grip on the whip still in her hand, Minako brought it up to strike her. "I definitely can!" "Ooo, I didn't know you were into that! How kinky! Let me be your love slave, Venus-chan!" Hyoko cooed. Shaking in anger, Minako dematerialized the whip. "I'm so going to..." "You two are in love?" Haruka asked casually. Venus turned beet red in response. "We are not!" "We are so!" Hyoko countered. "Venus-chan is my eternal lover!" "Lover?" Michiru asked her, confused. "My, that was certainly quick. When did this start?" "Nothing started!" Minako fumed. "She's lying!" Uranus looked the new woman over. "Are you an enemy or a friend?" The ninja laughed. "What's it to you?" "She's one of them," Venus said. "She was with the monster that attacked us in the park a few days ago." "Well then," Uranus said, drawing her sword. "I think we'll have to give you a proper welcome." Staring at her, Hyoko put her lips together and thought on something, then smiled brightly. "You're the type that likes to be spanked, aren't you?" Haruka's face warped, completely freaking from the comment. "What?!" she fumed! "How da..." she started to say, when she turned to see her friend trying to contain her laughter, covering her mouth with her hands. Michiru looked up at her, letting out muffled chuckles. "I'm... I'm sorry! But..." she said as she couldn't contain her giggles any longer, breaking into a fit of laughter. Glaring at her, Haruka started to shake with anger. "I'm glad you're enjoying this." Turning back towards the woman, she got ready to attack when she saw that their opponent was no longer present. "Later! I'll see you soon, Venus-chan!" the woman said, blowing Minako a kiss as she looked down from the rooftop. Minako glared at her, wanting to inflict severe bodily harm on the woman. Silence overcame the group as the two blonde Senshi were still shaking furiously. "I like her!" Michiru finally broke the silence, causing the two girls to facefault. "She's an obnoxious brat!" Haruka angrily replied. "Don't be jealous," the aqua-haired girl chided her. "Jealousy does not become you." Uranus growled. "We'll see about who likes what later." The comment caused Minako to sweatdrop. "Sailor Venus, we need to speak with you and the others later on what's been happening, but we're already late for a previous engagement." The longhaired blonde nodded in response. "I'll tell the others you're coming." Nodding to her partner, the two Outers walked down the alley. "Thanks again for the help!" Minako yelled to them as they left. Staring at the man coldly, Setsuna shook her head. "This isn't necessary!" The tall man gazed profoundly at her. "And what happened wasn't either. You yourself know that better than anyone else. After all, you certainly did act on that belief." Biting back in pain, Setsuna shut her eyes. "It was necessary to act then. What's this needed for?" "For survival," he responded. Pausing for a moment, he continued, "I am eternally in your debt for what you have done. I do not wish to make an enemy of you." "And what do you expect me to do?!" she barked back at him. "Stay out of it. It will all be resolved in time. You need not get involved." "I can't do that," she responded. "You didn't get involved for her," Takayama fired back. Breathing heavily, Setsuna's face looked aghast. *You knew all along!* a voice echoed in her head. Trying to hold back her pain from the haunting words, she spoke, "My duties prohibited me." "Do they not do the same now?" the tall man spoke, walking slowly towards her. "I would think that your position prohibits you from getting involved once again. Please, use that to stay out of this. I do not want to see you hurt." Scoffing, the woman looked away from him. "I thank you for your concern, however you could better show it by ending all this." Sighing, the man put his hand on her shoulder. "It must be done. For the sins of the past, I must continue upon this course of action." "What's going on?" a voice bellowed. Turning, the three occupants of the room laid their eyes upon two females. "Are you all right?" Sailor Uranus asked the woman in the center of the room. "Get out of here!" Setsuna shouted to them, fear striking her. She was deathly afraid for the lives of her friends. "Please! Leave here now!" "Setsuna?" Neptune asked her, puzzled. Takayama began to laugh in amusement. "Your associates were not invited." "Don't hurt them!" Setsuna begged him, looking up with pleading eyes. Uranus looked at the Time Senshi's terrified expression and suddenly grew irate. "What have you done to her?" "I've done nothing," the man retorted. "Liar!" Haruka shouted. "Take your hands off of her or I'll remove them myself!" The aging man, who had been standing to the side, started to walk towards the two. "You will show the proper respect to his majesty," Furuki demanded. "Furuki, step aside," the king ordered. Turning towards Setsuna, he grinned smugly. "If your friends so wish to defend you, then they should be allowed." "No! Please don't!" Walking forward, the king ignored the woman's pleas. Seeing her chance, Uranus picked her arm up. "World Shaking!" she shouted, sending the blast streaking towards the man. Takayama reached forward with his right hand, forming a barrier around him. The blast disintegrated into nothingness the instant it struck it. Neptune gritted her teeth and readied an attack herself. "Deep Submerge!" Water struck the shield and had the similar lack of effect Haruka's attack had. "We'll do this the hard way then!" the sandy blonde shouted, running towards the man and preparing to assail him. Smiling, the tall man stood unmoving, waiting for the attack. Haruka jumped toward him, reaching forward with her right fist to strike. The man waited, then when the proper moment came, reached forward with lightning speed and caught the woman's hand with his own. Haruka snarled, trying to push into the man. It was then that she felt his vice-like grip on her tighten, sending pain through her arm. She clenched her teeth, trying to hold in the pain. "You should know your enemy before you strike. It avoids unnecessary casualties," the man told her. With a quick motion, he yanked the arm to the side. Screaming out in pain, Haruka felt her arm start to come out of its shoulder-joint, dislocating it. She fell to the side, pushed to one knee. "Uranus!" Neptune screamed out in terror. "A bit more pressure one way and I can break the bone. A bit more another and it will be completely separated. It can be quite painful," the king tormented her. "Stop it!" Setsuna begged, practically in tears. "They didn't know! Leave them alone!" Looking back at the woman, the king laughed and let go of his assailant's arm. Haruka grabbed her right shoulder with her left hand, feeling incredibly pain surge through it. "She must be a good friend, princess, but she is far too reckless." Breathing heavily, the Senshi started to walk towards a pillar. Neptune ran up to her, her face filled with concern. "Stay back!" Uranus commanded her, causing the aqua- haired woman to cease her motion. Reaching the pillar, Haruka breathed in deep and lined it up with her shoulder. First pulling it back, she then struck it against the pillar, popping the bone back into place, letting out a painful cry as she did. Takayama looked at her and nodded his head in respect. "Perhaps they are not quite as weak as I thought." The two Senshi turned towards him, glaring coldly. "Our meeting is complete," he said, turning back towards the green-haired woman. "Please remember my words. It has been good seeing you again." Turning around, he started to exit the building. As he left, Furuki watched the others closely, guarding his back. Haruka reached back, preparing to strike again, when Neptune grabbed her waist, hugging her tightly. "Don't!" she pleaded. "Leave it be." The masculine woman turned towards her and put her arm around her partner. "I'm all right," she reassured her as the man left the building. Turning towards Setsuna, she looked frostily at her; eyes so cold they could freeze the tears that were on the Senshi's face. To Be Continued... Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Send all comments and criticisms to cav@wpi.edu Omake! The following are outtakes from Chapter 5. I've been saving up a ton of these scenes, which will eventually become a special omake at the end of the entire series. Here's a bit of a teaser of what's to come. Minako! Usagi? Is that you? I am the ghost of Sailor Moon past! Um... Nah, just kidding! Actually, I'm here for the "my disembodied voice tells you how to destroy the monster routine." Now, pay close attention. I don't have muc... Oooh! Donuts! Usagi? The monster.... *Munch, munch* USAGI! You should've run, you should've ducked. Face it, baby, you're truly fuc... MINAKO!!!! Minako! What is it Usagi?! They haven't fed me in a week! Get cake here! Fast! (Sweatdrops) I'm in a bit of a tight spot... And now I will... (Sees throwing star land an inch away from her.) continue to stand here lamely... (Looks at Haruka and Michiru who have been blasted for the 83rd time) (Snoring) That does it! (Fires a blast at Minako!) Ack! (Watches blast go by head.) Are you finally trying to... (Looks to side and sees a couple hairs fall to ground.) ... Oh shit. (Looks up at the sky.) BITCH!!!!!!! (Falls on top of witch and starts pummeling her!) What did I tell you?! You stupid mot... (Blinks) What the... (Turns around) Oh hi, Venus-chan! Just a second while I deal with this! (Decks witch in the nose!)