---

Chapter Two

---

It had used up almost all of its energy, but some impulse drove it onward.

Soon, it would be where it needed to be, and it could do what it needed to do.

All it needed was more energy, enough to regain its strength, enough to restore its power. Yes...large amounts of energy. Human energy.

A small Ainu tribe ritual in Hokkaido was interrupted by the excited shrieking of one among their number, a young woman whose sister was about to give birth. "It's time! The baby has arrived!" she shouted excitedly. The closer family members shot up and ran into the small hut where the new mother lay, with the midwife encouraging the new infant to hurry forth into the world.

The baby was half-born when it coughed up a mouthful of fluid and began shrieking. The mother's constant screams of pain took on a new, horrifying pitch. Both mother and child screamed as though something was ripping the life from their bodies.

In seconds, before the rest of the tribe could even determine the cause of the situation, it was too late. Mother and child were both dead.

As the dead woman's sister collapsed in a sobbing heap, and the rest of the tribe moved in to pray to the gods and comfort the girl, a flicker of darkness, a shadow which should not have existed, flitted from the shack, completely unnoticed by the group.

It is the energy of new life, something told the shade. A bright, glowing energy more powerful than ten healthy young humans, and far easier to take. With this knowledge firmly planted in its formless, intangible consciousness, the shade continued southward, towards the largest of the group of islands known as Japan.

"Do you see her shining light? Even from this great distance, she fills the darkness with her essence."

"You miss her terribly."

"Yes, I do. But my place is here, and hers is there."

"So you simply content yourself to stare out into the darkness wistfully?"

"I suppose I'm being silly, ne?"

"No...it's important to hold onto your dreams of romance. Someone...close to me once told me that."

"Do you think...?"

"We'll ever meet them again? In life, many things are possible."

"But until then, it is the dreams in our hearts that will sustain us, right?"

"Well said."

The dress shop was a flurry of activity, young women and colored fabric flying in all directions.

"This is too much...are you sure we can afford all this?" asked a tall girl with a chestnut ponytail.

"Hey, Setsuna's picking up the tab for the dresses, remember?" remarked a beautiful blond who was admiring a rack of exquisite evening gowns across the room.

"What's up with that, anyway?" the first girl asked. "I mean, it's not like her to do something so...generous."

"I agree with Mako-chan," chimed in a smallish, blue-haired girl from amid a rack of accessories. "It seems completely out of character for her. Don't you think so, Rei-chan?"

Rei was sitting on a stool, trying on a pair of red leather pumps. "Hmm? I don't know. I'm sure she has...some reason," she commented absently.

"Hey, Rei-chan, you alright?" Kino Makoto asked. "You've been kinda distracted lately."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little worn down from all the excitement, I guess," Rei said, smiling at her friends.

"Well, I say don't look at a gift horse's teeth through the looking glass," the blond said, eliciting a groan from the other occupants of the room.

Rei stood up, walked over to Minako, and rapped her knuckles against the blond's head. "I don't think anyone's home," she said. Minako glared at her and made a rude gesture.

"Maybe you're right, Minako-chan...I think," the blue-haired girl commented. "I mean, we all want to look our best for Usagi and Mamoru's wedding. We should just be grateful to Setsuna-san and not worry about it."

That matter settled, more or less, the girls continued poring over the wares of the dress shop, picking out dresses and accessories to try on.

On the other side of Juuban, a spectacle that could only be described as comical was taking place in a men's formal wear shop.

"Anou...this is a rather unusual measurement," the sales clerk said as she held her measuring tape across the chest of a handsome young fellow with sandy blonde hair.

The young man smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Is it now?" he said dryly.

The woman nodded, checking her measurement again. "Yes...I just don't get it, I must be doing something wrong. A man with your build shouldn't..."

From a bench near the entrance to the shop, Chiba Mamoru snickered. "Haruka, stop teasing this poor girl."

The blonde grinned. "Oh, okay. Spoilsport." She leaned in and whispered something to the salesclerk, whose eyes widened. "Oh...I see," she said, looking relieved. "Well then, that explains it. Now...are you sure you want a tuxedo?"

"Positive," Haruka said, smirking.

"Okay...then let me finish taking your measurements, and we'll take a look at colors."

The door to one of the dressing rooms opened, and Umino stepped out, dressed to the nines in a handsome classic black tuxedo. "Well?" he asked, turning for the group to get a good look.

"Oh, very nice," the clerk said. The others nodded agreement.

The other dressing room opened, and an embarrassed-looking Shingo shuffled out, blushing furiously. He wore a slightly-too-large tuxedo, with a white cummerbund and bowtie. "Hmm...needs to be altered," the clerk said, "but otherwise, it looks just fine."

"How do guys stand to wear this kinda stuff?" Shingo groused.

Mamoru chuckled. "You get used to it," he said. Haruka snickered as though at some private joke.

"What about you, Mamoru-san?" Umino asked. "Are you going to try one on?"

Mamoru shook his head. "I've already been fitted. I'm having mine special made." He grinned. "After all, I have to be the best-looking guy there, ne?"

//And in other news today, three more mysterious pregnancy deaths have been reported. The first two reports came from the south shore of Hokkaido, while the third report came out of a hospital in Gunma prefecture. This most recent report has hospitals, obstetricians, and expectant mothers all over Japan alarmed, as it is now apparent that whatever is causing the mysterious deaths is spreading. So far, a total of ten cases of death during birth have been reported, all but one from Hokkaido, and all on a line that seems to be stretching south by southwest, towards Tokyo.//

Shingo switched off the television. "That's really weird," he commented absently.

"What is?" Usagi asked from behind him.

"All those pregnant women and their babies dying in labor," Shingo said. "They had three more, and the last one wasn't in Hokkaido."

"How terrible," Usagi said. "I wonder what's causing it?"

"Nobody knows," Shingo said, turning to face his sister. "It really sucks, though."

"Yeah. So, how did the fittings go yesterday?" Usagi asked, deciding a change of topic was in order.

Shingo snorted. "I really don't see how guys can look so calm wearing that junk." Usagi giggled.

"You wouldn't think it's so bad if you saw the dress I'm wearing," she said. "It's gonna take me an hour to get into it, at least."

"Yeah, well..." he trailed off, staring at Usagi. The older girl blinked, then frowned.

"What? Have I got something stuck in my teeth or something?" Usagi asked.

Shingo shook his head as though to clear it. "No," he said, "just...I dunno. For a moment I thought—"

"Thought what?"

Shingo waved the question off. "Nah, forget it. Just a trick of the light."

Usagi gave her brother a puzzled glance, before heading upstairs.

As she left, Shingo briefly glanced at the spot where she'd been standing. *Baka,* he chided himself. *It's just what happened with Hotaru the other day. Your mind is playing tricks on you.* "Yeah, just my imagination," he said quietly to nobody in particular, before heading to the kitchen to grab a snack.

The fact that his imagination had just seen his sister in a sailor fuku with ornate wings continued to distract him all day.

Umino walked into the apartment, and received a surprise.

"Welcome home, Guri-chan!" Naru said. She twirled, showing off the dress she wore. "What do you think?" Her dress was a simple yet elegant cut, made of a shimmering pearl-colored fabric.

"Oh, you're beautiful, Naru-chan," Umino breathed. "I sure hope Usagi has one special wedding gown, because you're likely to steal the spotlight in that."

Naru giggled. "Silly," she said. "Besides, from what I hear, the other girls are going to put me to shame."

Umino nodded. "Yeah...you know, I wonder where they're getting the money for all the dresses and suits and everything. I mean, it's all a bit much, don't you think?"

Naru shrugged. "Usagi has some rich friends. One of them decided to pay for all the dresses and stuff."

Umino shook his head. "It must be nice to have that kind of money to play around with."

"Well," Naru said, "I'm going to get out of this dress."

"Can I watch?" Umino asked.

Naru blushed, then favored him with an impish wink and grin. "If you really want to," she said. "If you're lucky, maybe you can even help me take it off..."

Umino grinned and followed her into the bedroom.

Usagi shuddered and gasped in pleasure, her back arching almost acrobatically, then collapsed back onto the bed. "Oh, Mamo-chan," she whispered huskily.

Mamoru snaked an arm under her head and cradled her. "I love you, Usako," he said breathlessly.

Usagi rolled over to face him. They kissed for a long moment, holding each other. Mamoru's free hand caressed Usagi's thigh, up to her hip, and slowly roamed all over. "Mmmm..." Usagi said, then giggled as her lover's hand touched a particularly sensitive spot. They lay like that for a long moment, then Usagi looked deeply into Mamoru's eyes. "Mamo-chan...there's something I need to tell you," she said, smiling.

"Oh? What's that?" he asked, as he played with her long ponytails.

"Remember the last time we did this?" she asked. Mamoru nodded, grinning. "Well, guess what..."

Mamoru blinked, and looked into Usagi's happy, beautiful face. "Usako...what is it?" he asked quietly.

There was a long pause, during which Usagi giggled for a moment, before saying, "You're going to be a daddy."

Mamoru bolted upright. "Say what!?"

Usagi sat up slowly, not bothering to hold the sheet against her nude body, and wrapped her arms around her fiance. "I'm pregnant," she said.

"Usako..." Mamoru breathed, his eyes wide. "You're...really...?" Usagi nodded. Mamoru felt a strange mixture of excitement, happiness, and fear. "I...I don't know what to say..."

"Well, whatever you say, don't say it to my parents," Usagi said. "I won't start showing until at least a month after the wedding..." She trailed off, and a somewhat muted expression crossed her face.

"What's wrong?" Mamoru asked.

"Oh...I'm just thinking," Usagi replied quietly. "Something on the news scares me...about pregnant women dying in labor..."

Stroking his fiancee's hair, the dark-haired man whispered, "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about...whatever's causing that, they'll figure it out long before you have to worry..."

"Mmm," Usagi mumbled sleepily. Eyes half-closed, she breathed out, "I love you, Mamo-chan..."

Mamoru smiled, and wrapped his arms around Usagi. "I love you too, my odango-atama," he said. After a long moment, the two lovers lay back down, and drifted off to sleep.

"Argh! This stupid stuff is driving me crazy!" Shingo picked up his algebra book and tossed it across the room.

Hotaru blinked. "Shingo-kun...does that run in your family?"

Shingo looked confused for a moment, then blushed, and put his hand behind his head, laughing nervously. "Uhh...I hope not," he said. "I don't wanna end up like my sister the dumpling-brain."

Hotaru giggled. "I tell you what, Shingo-kun..." she said, walking over and kneeling behind her boyfriend. "Just take a break for a little bit, and then I'll help you figure it out, okay?" She began to rub his shoulders.

Shingo smiled. "Aaaahhhh...thanks, Hotaru-chan." He noticed the newspaper Hotaru had been reading. "Anything interesting in the news today?"

Hotaru's mood dropped, and she sighed. "The war in the Middle East is getting worse." She looked depressed again, the way she'd been that day in the ice cream shop.

"Hotaru-chan," Shingo commented, "I know the war has everyone nervous, but it seems to bother you especially."

Hotaru smiled sadly. "And you'd like to know why, right?"

Shingo shrugged. "Well, yeah, if you feel like talking about it..."

Hotaru sighed. "You remember what I said about the powers I wield as Saturn?" Shingo nodded, barely supressing a shudder. "Well, there's more to it than that."

"How so?"

Hotaru was quiet for a moment. "Shingo-kun, I'm the most powerful of the Sailor Senshi."

Shingo's eyes widened. "No way! More powerful than Sailor Moon?"

Hotaru giggled. "Hai, more powerful than Sailor Moon. You see, my powers..." She trailed off, sighing. "When my powers emerged a while back, some of the other Senshi didn't want me to live long enough to become Saturn."

Shingo gasped. "What!? Why?"

"The Saturn powers exist only to destroy, to bring Silence." She looked down, wringing her hands in her lap. "I have the power to Silence this entire world."

Shingo paled, his eyes wide as saucers. "Silence the world...you mean kill everyone on Earth?"

"Every person, every creature, every plant, and the lifeforce of the planet itself," Hotaru said quietly.

Shingo trembled. "But...but why?"

Saturn shook her head. "I don't understand it completely myself. All I know is that there are times when all things must cease, and that is why Sailor Saturn was created."

The room was quiet for a long time. Then, Shingo softly said, "That's why this war upsets you. You're afraid that you'll have to...to Silence..." his voice failed him.

Hotaru nodded. "Hai." She swallowed heavily. "All the countries fighting each other have access to weapons that could destroy all life on Earth. If someone starts a nuclear war, we're all dead...but it would be a very slow, and very painful death. It would take weeks for the radiation to kill everything, and all the people who weren't near enough ground zero to die instantly would suffer terribly." She paused. "If those weapons are used, I will use my power, to Silence the world before the suffering begins. It will be swift and merciful. There will be very little pain before it's over."

Shingo felt like he could faint at any moment, hearing such ominous things from the girl he was in love with. He moved over to her side, and hugged her tightly. "It won't come to that, Hotaru-chan," he said. "I just know it won't."

Hotaru broke down in tears, clinging tightly to Shingo, burying her face in his chest. "You must...you must think I'm terrible now..."

Shingo shook his head fiercely. "No, Hotaru-chan...it's alright. I understand."

"You couldn't..." Hotaru sobbed. "I...I think I should go..."

Shingo held her tighter, refusing to let her go. "Hotaru-chan...don't go. Please." He tilted her chin up, and stared into her violet eyes. "Don't go away...I care about you too much to let you go."

"You...you mean it?" she asked, her lower lip quivering.

Shingo smiled. "I mean it, Hotaru-chan." He stroked her hair affectionately. A sudden impulse seized him, and before he could think about what he was doing, he pulled Hotaru close and kissed her.

Hotaru's eyes widened. The surprise fled quickly, and she closed her eyes, leaning into embrace and returning the kiss.

Neither of the two teens noticed the pair of cats sitting outside Shingo's window.

"They're really getting along well," Artemis noted.

Luna nodded, her surprise evident. "I have to admit I never expected to see this."

Artemis shrugged. "Hotaru could do a lot worse." They watched in silence for a moment longer.

"If they don't come up for air soon, I'm going to scratch on the window," Luna said. Artemis snickered.

The shade exited the hospital the same way it entered, unnoticed, freshly charged with the life energy of a human birth. With each feeding, it began to regain its consciousness piece by piece. Instinct no longer drove it to absorb energy. It now absorbed energy to remember, to recreate its identity. It did not know what it was, but it knew that it had been defeated, reduced to this wisp of its former essence, in a mighty battle.

It sensed power...a lot of it, in this area. If it could seize that power, it would be complete again...unstoppable...

The two teens sat facing each other, blushing terribly.

"Um," Shingo said.

"Um," Hotaru replied.

There was a long silence, during which the young couple fidgeted nervously, not daring to look at one another.

Finally, Shingo found words. "I'm, uh...I mean...was that okay with you?"

Hotaru nodded. "Yeah...it was nice." She smiled.

There was another silence as they each contemplated a possible change of subject. At length, Shingo remembered something. "Oh yeah, Hotaru-chan...I wanted to ask you a question."

Hotaru looked up. "Hm?"

"I feel kinda silly asking this, but..." He paused. "A couple days ago, I noticed something...I dunno, maybe it was just my imagination, but...for a moment, I thought my sister looked like—"

---

POWERED BY DREAMHOST