"It's been a while, Tuxedo Kamen."
The thief found himself surrounded by all five Sailor Senshi. He swallowed nervously.
"H...hey now...what was all that stuff about leaving petty crime to the police? Not having time to deal with robbers and thieves, and the human race being in trouble, and all that?" Tuxedo Kamen shifted his stance, looking for the most likely escape route. "Didn't you say you had other business—"
"Maboroshi no Ginzuishou," the blue-haired Senshi behind him said in a wintery voice.
The jewel thief froze. "W—what?!"
"That's what you're searching for, isn't it?" Serenity asked.
"How do you know about—"
"Irrelevant," Mercury interrupted sharply. "We seek the Ginzuishou also. It is imperative we acquire it."
Tuxedo Kamen frowned. "I'm sorry, that's really not my problem. I need that crystal."
"Why?" Venus asked.
"...sorry, that's personal."
"And it doesn't matter. The entire Earth is in danger, and we can only save it if we have the Ginzuishou," Serenity said. "Know this: if you somehow manage to find it before us, we WILL take it from you."
Tuxedo Kamen frowned. "By any means necessary?"
"By ANY means necessary," Jupiter echoed ominously, cracking her knuckles.
Serenity shot her a slightly dirty look, but then refocused her attention on the thief. "Whatever you stole here tonight, surrender it now."
"You think I'm going to give up that easily, after what I went through to steal this?" Tuxedo Kamen laughed. "You're out of your—"
A spray of glowing golden hearts strafed the roof in front of his toes; he jumped away with a yelp. "REALLY now! That was uncalled for..."
Venus aimed her fingertips at him as though her hand were a loaded gun. "I'm still pissed at you for that one night, mate. Don't push it."
Tuxedo Kamen blinked behind his mask. "That was you? You look...different. What happened to your mask? And that laser beam thing you did?"
"If Venus' warning has not made it clear, your situation does not warrant jovial banter." The clipped, theatrically formal voice drew Tuxedo Kamen's gaze up...and he gaped at the flying Senshi hovering above him, a sword of fire in one hand.
"...okay, this is just getting ridiculous..."
"Well, well, isn't this quite a gathering?" a new voice intruded into the conversation. Everyone turned to face the source of this new voice.
A slender, handsome man with long light-brown hair tied in a neat ponytail stood leaning against the locked roof access door, arms folded. He wore a gray uniform, tall black boots, white gloves, and an amused expression.
"Kisama...!" Tuxedo Kamen growled.
"Ah, yes, we did meet briefly the other day, did we not?" The ponytailed man sketched a quick bow. "I must say, black is a far more fitting colour on you, kaitou-kun."
"Okay, who's THIS faggot?" Jupiter exclaimed.
Mars, however, tensed suddenly, wary. "Thou art...of a kinship with the man I fought recently."
Serenity's gaze snapped to Mars. "This is one of the Shitennou?" she asked.
"Indeed I am," the brown-haired man answered. He bowed once more, graciously and theatrically this time. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess Serenity. I am Zoicite."
Before anyone could react, Zoicite shot across the roof in a grey blur, and Serenity was sent sailing over the edge.
"HIME-SAMA!!" Immediately, Mars was in motion, a red-and-black blur trailing flames.
"Where the hell'd he go?!" Jupiter roared, scanning the roof warily.
"BEHIND YOU!" Venus warned. Jupiter couldn't turn in time to prevent being sent skidding across the rooftop on her face.
"Damn!" Venus shouted. She began strafing the rooftop with her Love Machine attack, but none of her shots came close to hitting the grey blur that was zipping around the roof.
Tuxedo Kamen watched all of this unfold with wide eyes and a sheen of nervous sweat on his brow. *Okay, how the hell do I get out of this mess alive?*
"Assist us, thief," Mercury said icily into his ear.
"Assist...? Screw that!" the phantom thief exclaimed. "In case you didn't notice, I'm not a magic freakshow like the rest of you!"
"No, you're a regular freakshow," Venus retorted; she'd begun jumping around the roof trying to interrupt Zoicite's running pattern and had just landed beside them. "Don't you have a gun or a tripwire or something?"
"A tripwire, now there's an interesting thought," a jovial voice breathed from somewhere near her ear. "And you know, it might've worked if I hadn't heard you just now." Venus cried out in alarm; a crimson stain blossomed on the side of her uniform.
"VENUS!" Jupiter exclaimed.
"Don't worry...about me...just get this jackass already...!"
"Okay, that's enough of this!" Jupiter growled. A vine lashed out, hissing and crackling with static electricity, and flailed around the roof, barely missing the trio clustered in the middle.
"Like I said!" Zoicite laughed; the vine was neatly severed.
Mars and Serenity reappeared over the edge of the roof. Serenity leapt from Mars' grasp and landed next to Venus, eyes wide as she saw the injury. "Venus!"
"It's not as bad as it looks," the British girl grimaced. "I don't think he got anything vital."
"But we can't give him a chance to correct that," Mercury advised, eyes darting around warily. She suddenly moved, and there was a loud, brittle crack; part of a shard of ice fell to the roof.
"Nice reflexes," Zoicite remarked. He had attempted to strike Mercury the way he had struck Venus, and the blue-haired Senshi had just barely parried with an icicle. Zoicite leapt away as a spray of ice shards flew from her hands; he parried them all with his sai. As the attack abated, he twirled his weapons, smirking.
"Now this is just sad," he remarked. "I was hoping for more of a challenge..."
Jupiter had scrambled over to the center and joined the clustered group of Senshi and the thief there. "We gotta get rid of this asshole," she muttered.
"I have an idea," Serenity whispered. "It's a longshot, but..."
Zoicite disappeared again.
"Everybody, get down...NOW!" Serenity commanded. Without waiting for the others to comply, she jumped on top of Tuxedo Kamen's head and started spinning rapidly on one toe.
"CRESCENT STORM!"
Dozens of Crescent Moons exploded from the spinning Senshi, flying in all directions and at all angles. Some flew parallel to the roof, some sliced through it, and some went off into the air; the night sky was thick with deadly glowing silver light.
They heard a grunt of pain, and Zoicite reappeared, covered with dozens of small, bleeding cuts and breathing heavily. "You...little..."
"MINNA, IMA DA!" Serenity yelled. The other Senshi began charging up attacks, and Tuxedo Kamen pulled a revolver from his jacket.
"LOVE BUSTER!" A giant glowing golden heart shot from Venus' hands, expanding as it flew.
"SHOCKING THORN!" Multiple large, sharp, sparking thorns sailed like crossbow bolts toward Zoicite.
"FLAME SNIPER!" Mars formed a blazing bow and fired a large flaming arrow.
"PIERCING ICE!" Dozens of dagger-like icicles streamed forth from Mercury, embedding themselves in the wounded Shitennou.
"Uh...Phantom bullets?"
The Senshi stared at Tuxedo Kamen in confusion, blinking audibly, as he fired six rounds into Zoicite. He looked sheepishly up at them. "What? I don't get to name my attack something stupid?"
Serenity groaned, shaking her head, then readied the finishing blow.
"FULL MOON!"
Bleeding heavily, Zoicite could do little but brace himself as Serenity's most powerful attack slammed into...
...a large, glowing white shield.
"Well met, Senshi," a deep voice they had never heard before intoned. "And human," the voice added a moment later. "We shall withdraw. For now. Come, brother."
The glowing shield faded; the Senshi caught a glimpse of a fan of long white hair, then the roof was still and silent, the thick splatters of dark grey-green blood the only sign Zoicite had ever been there.
"That wasn't...Artemis-san?" Mars asked.
"No, it couldn't be," Venus breathed, eyes wide and startled.
"It wasn't," Luna rumbled as she emerged from a pool of shadow.
"...THE FUCK?!" Tuxedo Kamen exclaimed, staring in horror at the demon panther.
Luna eyed him coldly. "Yes, I'm a large, talking demon cat with huge, sharp teeth and claws. And you're a small, weak, easily eaten human."
"Luna," Serenity snapped tersely, arms crossed, "who was that just now?"
"Archduke Kunzite," Luna replied, "the eldest and most powerful of the Shitennou." She stalked over to the spot where Zoicite disappeared and examined the bloody mess. Her eyes widened. "You did...significant damage to Lord Zoicite," she purred, impressed. "In fact, had Lord Kunzite not interceded, you very likely would have killed him." She sat, tail lashing. "For any of the Shitennou to have suffered such a devastating defeat..."
"So we CAN beat these bastards," Jupiter said with a savage, pleased grin. She punched a fist into an open palm. "Good to know."
Luna shook her head. "Don't expect the next battle to go so well," she rumbled. "The Shitennou aren't necessarily vindictive, but they aren't fond of losing. And they learn from their mistakes. The next time you face them, you will be lucky to survive."
Tuxedo Kamen stood, shaking his head. "I've stumbled into an extra-special kind of freakshow, haven't I?"
"Stop looking for the Ginzuishou and you won't have to worry about it anymore," Serenity said archly.
"Not gonna happen," the thief replied flatly.
Serenity shrugged. "Your funeral then."
"The hour grows late, and I believe the authorities will arrive soon," Mars said suddenly. "We must leave immediately, Princess."
"But Tuxedo Kamen—"
Something exploded; a cloud of smoke engulfed the Senshi.
"The thief is gone," Mercury finished a moment later, when the smoke cleared.
"Damn," Serenity spat. Sighing, she turned wearily and walked to the edge of the roof. "Let's go."
* * * * *
Three blocks away, Tuxedo Kamen stopped short, skidding on his heels and turning back to face the distant rooftop where he had narrowly escaped death yet again. "PRINCESS?!"
* * * * *
"Lord...Brother..." Zoicite rasped wetly, coughing. His face was bloody and swollen, his eyes cloudy.
"Rest. Save thy strength. Thy wounds are grave, but not mortal."
Jadeite and Nephrite appeared silently in the private meeting chamber of the Shitennou. Their eyes widened in alarm as they beheld Zoicite.
"Lord Brother, pray tell, what has transpired?" Nephrite asked quietly.
Kunzite scowled, resting a hand on the wounded man's shoulder. "Zoicite was defeated," he said simply.
"That's a little more than 'defeat'," Jadeite observed. "He's damn near dead."
"Laugh it...up...." Zoicite coughed, spitting a glob of blood onto the immaculate floor. "...while you can, brother."
"I do not find this particularly amusing, Zoicite," Jadeite replied, a faint note of concern in his voice.
"Nor I," Nephrite added. "Though you are infuriating as oft as not, we are still brethren. This...this cannot be forgiven."
"Believe me...it won't be," Zoicite rasped harshly.
"Rest now," Kunzite commanded. "Leave the matter of retribution to us."
"Thank you, Lord Brother," Zoicite said quietly, closing his eyes. His breathing remained ragged, but showed no sign of stopping.
Jadeite sighed. "I'm beginning to think we're in trouble," he admitted.
"We must find the Ginzuishou quickly," Kunzite said. "And we must attempt to restore our mana link to Earth. Without that power..."
"Alas, twould seem unlikely," Nephrite lamented, stroking his chin. "Our power was granted by the Scion of Earth. We did not succeed in transferring the bond before Beryl's invasion of the Moon."
"And if Earth has no Scion, then there's no mana link," Jadeite nodded, frowning. "The Senshi were reincarnated by Queen Serenity, without doubt, but..."
Nephrite looked up sharply. "Princess Serenity was no Senshi, nor was she linked to any significant source of mana. And yet, she too has returned from the dust of the past."
"Well, of course," Jadeite replied. "After all, she was the Queen's daughter. If she was going to reincarnate anyone..."
"But was not our ward of old the soulmate of the Moon Princess?" Nephrite pointed out. "Queen Serenity was many things, but cruel did not number amongst her traits."
Kunzite looked thoughtful. "Thou believest His Highness, Endymion of Arcanus, has likewise been reincarnated in this modern world?"
"If he has, then we can restore our mana link," Jadeite mused. "But I've felt no trace of his presence..."
"His Highness may have yet to be Awakened to his birthright," Nephrite pointed out. "I believe we must expand our priorities to include locating and Awakening Prince Endymion, if indeed reborn he is."
"Indeed. But we cannot allow this debacle to go unanswered," Kunzite rumbled darkly.
"And we shall not," Nephrite replied. "But it is not our way, even in time of greatest ire, to charge recklessly into battle. The time to strike must be chosen with utmost care."
"Very well," Kunzite agreed. "But no more half-measures. The Senshi must be given no quarter. I will devise a strategy, whilst thou searchest for the Ginzuishou...and our former liege."
"As you will it, Lord Brother."
"For the honour of the Shitennou."
* * * * *
Exhausted as he was, Mamoru could not sleep after returning to his apartment.
"Princess," he murmured absently to himself, turning one of the stolen jewels in his still-gloved hands without really seeing them. "Princess..."
The first of the dreams had been about a princess.
But what was it about a princess? Who was she? How did she relate to him, to his forgotten past?
Was Sailor Moon—Serenity—the same princess?
"Princess..." Mamoru stood and began to pace, casually tossing a gem worth millions of yen back into the velvet-lined box with the dozen or so other priceless stones. "Serenity. Princess..."
His head began to throb. He staggered, catching himself against a wall. With his free hand, he clutched at his aching head, knocking his mask askew.
"Princess...Serenity..."
Mamoru collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
* * * * *
//Police have re-opened the investigation into the murder of Saegusa Toshiro, the Juuban-chuugakkou athletics instructor who, after his death, was accused by multiple victims of sexual assault. This morning, Police Superintendent Matsuda issued a statement to the press. In this statement, the police request that the Sailor Senshi identified as Sailor Mercury submit to questioning in this incident...//
Ami stiffened, a cold chill running down her spine.
Her phone rang. Thankful her mother had already left for an early shift, she answered. "Hai."
//Usagi desu. Did you hear, just now?//
"Hai."
//This isn't good.//
"No, it isn't."
//What will you do?//
Ami took a deep breath. "I honestly don't know."
//You could just ignore this.//
"I could." She paused. "But that isn't what you'd do, is it?"
//Iie.// Usagi paused. //You can confess without giving away your identity. It's not as though they can actually arrest you. Or rather, it's not as though they could hold you if they tried.//
"That would be even worse," Ami said.
//It's up to you, Ami-san.// Usagi hung up.
Ami sighed. "It's up to me..."
* * * * *
"Ne, Naru-chan, did you notice?"
"Eh? Notice what?"
"Usagi-chan looks really tired today."
Naru thought about it. "Un, she does. But sometimes she stays up too late reading manga..."
"But she's not the only one who looks tired," her friend pointed out.
"Yeah," another girl piped up. "Kino-san and Mizuno-san look tired today too."
"Okashii na..."
* * * * *
Artemis had just finished fencing practise for the afternoon and taken a shower when the intercom buzzed.
//Arturo-sama, there is a visitor awaiting your confirmation at the penthouse security station.//
Artemis frowned, still towelling his damp hair. "A visitor?" He asked. "Who?"
//Eto...// The security officer paused. //Aa, hai. Sanjouin Masato-sama. He says you once did business together abroad, and he wished to pay his regards.//
The mage's jaw tightened. "Very well."
As soon as the intercom had fallen silent, Artemis discarded the towel and finished drying off by magic, then conjured an immaculate white suit. Two minutes later, the doorbell chimed. The visitor didn't wait for an answer before opening the unlocked door and strolling in.
Artemis eyed him coldly. He'd seen him, of course, and known he was in the city and what name he was masquerading under. And now, here he was, similarly dressed, equally false, and apparently prepared for a confrontation.
"Too long it has been since last we met, Duke Artemis," Nephrite greeted cordially. "Or should I call thee Duke Bal—"
"Say that name and you burn, Arcanian filth," Artemis snapped.
"Yes, of course, long has it been since you renounced all ties to this world. And yet, are your ties to the fallen empire of Serenity so strong, milord?"
"Why are you here, Nephrite?" Artemis asked impatiently.
"To the matter at hand, then," Nephrite acquiesced with a nod. "The Senshi have become a bother. It is my opinion that your intercession is responsible for their present level of prowess."
"You're entitled to your opinion, of course."
"Of course. It is also entirely possible that the Senshi would be incapable of action without your guiding hand."
"They need little help from me when it comes to killing youma and Shitennou, I assure you."
"Brother Zoicite yet lives," Nephrite said, eyes clouded and angry. "His defeat shall be avenged. But in order to assure our victory in our next encounter, you must first die." He bowed. "I do apologise, milord. Wouldst that it did not fall to me to remove you from this life."
Artemis' eyebrows raised. "With no mana link to Earth, and my powers at full, you honestly believe you could even survive such an engagement?"
"We shall see."
* * * * *
"Gomen kudasai."
"Hai," the desk sergeant replied in a bored tone, not pausing in paperwork for nearly a full minute before looking up. "How can I help yAAAA!" He nearly fell backwards; his chair rolled a good third of a metre from his desk. He pointed with a shaking, trembling hand. "Kimi wa...!!"
A chorus of murmurs arose at the commotion, growing in volume as other officers and staff saw what had startled the sergeant.
Sailor Mercury stood primly before the desk, hands clasped in front of her. She bowed. "Mercury desu. I am here, as requested, to give a statement regarding the Saegusa incident."
"Aa...h-hai..." The sergeant stood and gestured shakily to the corridor behind him. "K-kochira dozo..."
A trail of murmurs and disbelieving stares followed the Senshi as she navigated the corridors of the police headquarters. Three minutes later, Mercury sat across from a broad-shouldered, intimidating police inspector in a small room. His hands were clasped in front of him on the table, and he studied her intently. "Mercury-san," he began in a gravelly voice, "I appreciate your cooperation with our investigation."
"Not at all."
"Then please."
"Hai." Mercury took a deep breath. "I witnessed the sexual assault of a student of Juuban-chuugakkou by the decedent. I responded to the situation. My response was...admittedly extreme."
"You froze a man and shattered him."
"As I said, my response was extreme," Mercury repeated somewhat bitterly. "My sole concern was preventing an innocent girl from being raped."
"Naruhodo." The inspector paused. "The victim, then—"
"I will not identify her."
"Mm. And of course, if we asked the female students of the school to—"
"I would prefer you did not," Mercury interrupted. "There is no reason to expose the victim to undue humiliation."
"Of course, pardon me. And...I suppose you're unwilling to properly identify yourself, also."
"I am Mercury," the Senshi replied flatly. "I have no other identification."
"Sou ka." The inspector scratched his nose. "I'll be honest," he began with a tired sigh. "I saw the report of what happened at the park yesterday. If there are going to be more incidents like that..."
"Unfortunately, there will, until we can discover a way to defeat those responsible." Mercury paused. "Sumimasen, I cannot say more about that incident without Serenity's permission." Bowing her head slightly, she added, "The incident involving Saegusa was regrettable. I assure you there will be no further incidents of that type." She looked up. "However, it would not be in your best interests, or the best interests of the people of this city, to incarcerate me for the death of a sexual predator."
"I honestly agree." The inspector stood. "Then...you're free to go, and thank you for complying."
Mercury stood also, bowing. "Shitsureshimasu."
* * * * *
The rooftop garden of the Yamagoto Tower Hotel lay in complete ruin, precious rare flowers strewn about, dead and mangled. Rich imported soil scattered the normally immaculate walkways. Nephrite lay in a small, shallow pool, its water clouded with his blood, the tip of Artemis' rapier pressed into his throat.
"Any last words, vermin?" Artemis asked coldly.
Nephrite chuckled. "A question, if I may."
"You may."
"Setting aside the fact that you hardly require the aid of the Senshi to defeat us in our weakened state, and indeed could easily destroy Queen Beryl and her demon hordes with no appreciable effort," the Shitennou paused to breathe deeply, wincing slightly. "I must know why you chose to imbue the reincarnated Princess with the power of a Senshi."
Artemis frowned. "That was not my doing," he admitted. "I honestly don't understand why Serenity has manifested a Senshi form. Only a mana link should..." He trailed off. "Not that it especially matters."
Nephrite closed his eyes. "I see," he chuckled ruefully. "Then our quest is, as I feared, folly. The Ginzuishou no longer exists, and without His Highness, we cannot reclaim the glorious power of the Earth..."
Artemis snorted. "The Ginzuishou still exists, I assure you."
The eyes of the defeated Shitennou snapped open, suddenly sharp and focussed. "You are certain of this?"
"I wouldn't have bothered Awakening Princess Serenity if I weren't," the mage replied. He smirked. "I know far more about Lunar lore than you could ever hope to know." His expression turned savage, nasty. "And before I end your wretched life, I'll share another little secret:
"Endymion lives."
Nephrite smiled. "As I suspected. Thank you, milord."
He promptly disintegrated into a pile of sand and dust.
"Damn! When did he...?" Artemis stared in shock and anger at the dust that had a moment earlier been one of his most despised enemies. He let the tip of his rapier drop to the ground and bowed his head, eyes closed. An angry hiss of air escaped through clenched teeth. "I can't believe I let that bastard trick me..."
With a sigh, he looked around at the ruined garden. "What a day..."
* * * * *
//Moshi-moshi, Usagi desu.//
"It's done," Ami said.
//Yokatta. What are they going to do?//
"Nothing, it seems."
//That's good. I'm glad this whole thing is behind us, then.//
"Hai." After disconnecting, Ami stretched out on the living room sofa. Between the very late battle the previous night, the stress over the police questioning, and her relief after the fact, she was positively exhausted.
Within seconds, she was asleep.
* * * * *
Mamoru awoke to the insistent ringing of his phone.
"Chiba desu."
//Chiba-kun, daijoubu ka?// the voice of one of his study partners asked. //You didn't show up for today's lecture; we were a little concerned...//
Mamoru frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "The lecture...? What time is it?"
He could almost hear the man on the other end blink. //It's almost 21:00. Are you—?//
*Shit, I slept all day?* "I guess I was working too hard last night," he said. "I'm fine. Sorry to have worried you."
//If you're sure...//
"It won't happen again," Mamoru assured his classmate. "Could you e-mail me the notes from today?"
//Hai.//
"Arigatou." After Mamoru hung up, he realised he was still dressed as Tuxedo Kamen.
"Good thing nobody came by the apartment," he muttered, producing a handkerchief and pressing it to his bleary eyes. With a heavy sigh, he headed into the bedroom to strip off. "Chikushou...what the hell happened to me?"
After he peeled off his "work clothes", he took a long, hot shower. As the water streamed over his body, the words "Princess" and "Serenity" echoed over and over in his head...
...as did the faint whispering of zori.
* * * * *
Mizuno Sayoko found her daughter curled up on the living room sofa, sound asleep, when she came home from a long evening shift at the hospital. She smiled; when she was asleep, Ami looked like any other girl; the cold sharpness in her eyes and almost perpetual thin-lipped impatience and disapproval that marred her pretty face faded away in the grip of slumber.
She withdrew a small, thin blanket from the linen closet and carefully spread it over her sleeping daughter. As she did so, she jostled the girl's arm slightly; her hand slipped off the sofa, dangling limply. A glittering blue bangle slid down from her sleeve, stopping neatly on her wrist.
Sayoko blinked; as far as she knew, Ami didn't even own any jewelry. This was certainly the first time she'd ever seen her wearing any, at least. Idly, she reached for her daughter's wrist, wanting to unclasp the bracelet for a better look. As soon as she had touched it, she recoiled, barely stifling a cry of surprise; the metal felt unnaturally cold, as though it had been buried in ice.
*What the...?!*
More gingerly, she took hold of Ami's arm, mindful and wary of the bracelet, and gently probed the skin from her wrist halfway to her elbow. She frowned in confusion; Ami's skin felt perfectly warm and normal, but that bracelet...
Using the corner of the blanket instead of her bare skin, Sayoko turned the bracelet to examine it more closely. In the center, there was a small symbol engraved. She studied it for a time; it was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.
Shaking her head, the doctor went to the kitchen to fix a light supper. As she did so, she turned on the small kitchen television, turning the volume low so as not to disturb her sleeping daughter.
//—today appeared for questioning, as requested, in the Saegusa Toshiro murder incident. Sailor Mercury admitted responsibility, claiming she was protecting a female student from assault—//
Sayoko's eyes widened. She realised, with a start, what the symbol on the bracelet had been.
Mercury.
"Sonna...masaka..."
And suddenly, many things clicked in her mind.
Her daughter's sudden, seemingly random changes in study habits. The appearance of friends out of thin air. The discarded, damaged seifuku Ami had so very carefully hidden before throwing it away.
The murdered teacher. The Senshi.
And a freezing cold blue bracelet, engraved with the symbol for Mercury.
Sayoko ran back into the living room and stared at her sleeping daughter's peaceful face, horror dawning.
*Ami-chan...masaka...*
The Mercury Ring glittered tauntingly up at her, as though amused.
