Prelude to Disaster: Discoveries
Characters: Usagi, Ami, Mamoru, Setsuna
Disclaimer: Sailormoon ain't mine - 'nuff said.
Comments much welcomed and appreciated . . .
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"In everything I've studied, I've never
seen anything at all like this. The
energy the princess' guardians use in
her defense has no way of knowing to
return to who had dispelled it, yet it
does it anyway. It must be something
about the moon, because this observation
is not so on the Green Planet. I fear
for the Silver Millennium's princess. I
fear for her future, for whatever power
she creates cannot be returned and so
has no place to go.
Once is a mere mild danger.
Twice is a threat to her human life.
Thrice is a threat to her mortal soul.
Four will cause a price the whole world
would know.
Five defeats the living power.
Six times destroys the innocent flower."
Journal of the Guardian's Court Master
"In all things, there must be a balance. Evil cannot exist without good and good cannot exist without evil although some believe . . ."
Usagi began to zone before the professor could even finish his second sentence. Without senshi business, she'd found she needed -something- to focus on and after the dispelling of Chaos, she found something she actually enjoyed in terms of schooling. 'Philosophy and paranormal activity are definitely my thing,' Usagi thought, absently jotting down notes as the lecture continued, 'but some of this stuff really creeps me out!'
"Despite its scientific origins, the fact that every action has an equal and opposite reaction applies extremely . . ." Ami grimaced, writing the saying down before staring at it for few seconds and scribbling it out quickly. She'd let Usagi convince her into taking a course in philosophy and paranormal psychology in hopes it would keep Usagi's interest up. While it was doing just that, Ami's interest was also piqued and her years of studying the evolution of the senshi powers was beginning to take a slightly different direction.
"In addition to all philosophies about possible outcomes, Murphy's Law is by far the most well known. His observations that, in his words, anything and everything bad that can happen will happen have been proven . . ."
Mamoru sighed, dragging a hand across his forehead in weariness. It made sense that he and Usagi should study similar things and he had to admit, Usagi had made a good choice. She was interested in it enough to actually do the work, and Ami agreed that some of the information was good for a senshi to have a strong background in.
"With all philosophies having such a strong background, that is why the population of not only the philosophical and psychological fields, but also the scientific fields believe that the sailor senshi, no matter how well-known and obviously real they have become, no longer exist after the 'infamous' battle against the sailorsenshi Galaxia and the entity known as Chaos."
A small clattering filled the room and three people bent over as one to retrieve their notepads and writing utensils from the floor. The professor gave them a hard look, the three flushing under his stare, before continuing with the lecture. "If they -do- still exist, some say, then it is their belief that it won't be long before an enemy rises strong enough to defeat them, no matter how strong their power. Any questions?"
The class' usual knowledge seeker-slash-debater was gone for the day, so no hands were raised. "Very well then, make sure you are all here on Thursday night. I'll be handing out your next assignment then. You are all dismissed."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Usagi stuffed her notebook and pen away before standing, dragging Ami and Mamoru with her. Exchanging a glance, they all separated, Mamoru going on to his next class, Usagi on to the Shrine, and Ami back to the library or her apartment in order to study.
Sighing, Ami rubbed her eyes after finishing the last equation for her Advanced Molecular Physics class. It had been hard for her to concentrate, after the earlier Introduction to Philosophy lecture, but she'd wanted to get through it before returning her attention to the evolution of the senshi. She pulled out her notes from the lecture and scanned over them while allowing her Mercury mini-computer boot up.
Through numerous upgrades, and re-coding thanks to information found at central control by Luna and Artemis, Ami had developed a program that had come in handy many times for her theories on the senshi. In addition, she had unlimited access to some of the most powerful information resources in the world, and no one would be none the wiser at the knowledge she gathered.
Through the next few hours of her work she had to constantly remind herself of the general philosophy that at every problem, solution, and event, there was a simple core. Finally, in frustration, she simply typed in "I need a simple solution!"
In one instant, the Mercury computer went from being able to access the most extensive sources of knowledge available, to becoming one of those very sources. Line after line after line of code listed itself on the small screen, almost too fast for Ami to make out. The code slowly turned into Old Lunarian from the old Silver Millennium Databases, and the more listed, the more it changed into a dialect of Old Lunarian, and then into some language Ami had never seen, and her computer couldn't even decipher.
By then, though, Ami had by far read enough to know what troubles lay ahead of the senshi, and for herself, on the quest for truth. "Opposites attract. There must be a balance." The screen finally read, before scrolling off everything that had before been written in code and Old Lunarian into English. "Anything that is dispelled can be re-gathered," Ami whispered to herself, her eyes traveling over the information provided, "Anything dispelled, yet un- checked, can gather itself. Anything dispelled that he who dispelled it cannot retrieve it is free for harvest. What happens if all that is free for harvest is harvested, and the balance is disrupted?"
Ami swallowed hard, before quickly exiting her computer, packing everything away, and making a beeline for home.
Usagi and Mamoru were sharing a peaceful evening in his apartment when Ami called them. "Ami-chan, what's the problem?" Usagi asked, worried, "Has there been an attack?"
Ami quickly shook her head, but took her time in answering. "I think the three of us need to get together before our next class. As in, soon. Very soon." She glanced down at the Mercury computer in her lap briefly before returning her eyes to Usagi's. "The sooner the better. And without the others. It has to be."
Usagi narrowed her eyes and looked at Mamoru. He looked as puzzled as she felt, but said nothing. It wasn't like Ami to want to keep information private from the other senshi, but whatever caused Ami to be so worried must obviously have adverse effects on the others. "Where are you right now, Ami-chan?"
"In the college library. Well, not in, technically. In the lobby is more like it."
Usagi once again glanced at Mamoru. He nodded his head before standing to make tea. "Come on over to Mamoru's apartment now, if it's that urgent," she finally replied to Ami. "The sooner we get this worked out for the rest of the senshi, the better."
Ami nodded in agreement, before shutting her communicator off, saving the results of her searches into her computer, and hightailing it out of the library as fast as she could.
Usagi, Mamoru, and Ami all sat around Mamoru's low kitchen table, hot cups of tea in their hands and scowls on each face. Ami was still typing frantically away at her computer, trying in vain to translate the text even the most ancient of ancient files in her computer could not decipher.
"Any luck on those strange files, Ami-chan?" Mamoru finally asked, rubbing his eyes with one hand. Ami had long since called her mother, Usagi's mother, and Rei to establish an alias as to their whereabouts, but the last hour she'd been at Mamoru's apartment had been fruitless.
"Nothing, Mamoru-kun," Ami sighed, her typing slowing for only a moment before resuming it's normal pace. "What I have in English and the Lunarian transcripts can't be all that there is."
"I wonder where the ginsuishou came from." This sudden vocalization from Usagi startled Ami into stillness, and Mamoru to silence.
"Well . . . that's certainly . . . something, Usagi-chan. What made you think of that, now?"
"Your theories on expended energy. Those recorded entries from the, oh what's his name? The royal scholar guy?"
"The Guardian's Court Master?" Ami replied.
"Yeah, him. He didn't even mention the ginsuishou and yet he spoke of the princesses - my - future, as if it were truly in mortal danger." She looked up from her tea to study Ami with intense eyes. "How can that be? The ginsiushou . . ."
"Come to think of it, Usagi-chan," Ami said, resuming her typing with a renewed vigor, "None of the ancient texts mention the ginsuishou at all!"
Mamoru scowled, trying to conjure up any memories he could about his time on the moon during the Silver Millennium. "I remember something about the Empire's 'best kept secret', Ami-chan, but I highly doubt that was it. It was more of what kept the Moon habitable, I think."
Ami nodded, half-listening to whatever Usagi and Mamoru might say, but was still frantically typing into her computer. Finally she stopped, blinked, and leaned back, staring at it in amazement. "Mamoru-kun," she said, sounding dazed, "do you have a computer handy, by any chance?"
Mamoru nodded, and stood. "This way, Ami-chan. Usagi-chan, would you put the mugs in the sink and then come to the living room?"
Usagi nodded and stood as well, while Mamoru went to help get Ami out of her amazed stupor enough to walk to the computer and do what she needed to do. While waiting for Usagi, Ami plugged her Mercury computer into Mamoru's full-sized computer and brought up the file she'd found packed away into a little corner of her computer. "This file was listed with all of the other text. Since it was a different kind of file, and had no text, it was only listed as a link and I somehow overlooked it," Ami said, resuming her typing on Mamoru's keyboard.
Usagi had just deposited the mugs in the kitchen sink when a loud, and very audible "HOLY SHIT!" erupted from the next room.
"Mamo-chan?" Usagi cried, worried, and ran into see what had caused her precious Mamoru to become so upset. When she saw, however, there was only one thing to say:
"HOLY SHIT!"
To which both Mamoru and Ami turned and stared at her wide- eyed and jaws more than scraping the floor. Naturally, Usagi blushed and mumbled a quick apology before returning her attention to the sight.
There, in front of the trio, in all it's glory, was a complete diagram of the ginsuishou. A complete diagram outlining the physical properties of the ginsuishou, dated at a time Ami estimated to be upwards of a thousand years before the Silver Millennium was even an idea.
"That still doesn't explain why it was never mentioned in the Silver Millennium archives, whether by the Court Master, or Serenity herself," Mamoru mused, studying the numbers listed, "Not to mention such a crystal as this can't possibly exist in the natural world,"
"This information is at least two thousand years old, Mamoru-kun," Ami said softly, moving through the data to see what else she could decipher, "If I scanned the ginsuishou right now, I suspect the numbers and information shown to me would be vastly different."
Usagi, being silent since her uncharacteristically vulgar outburst, suddenly held up her hand and the ginsuishou appeared in it. "So scan it, Ami-chan," she said, softly. "See what differences there are now. Maybe we can find out how it existed back then and why it had to change?"
Ami's eyes lit up and she grabbed up her computer. "That's a great idea, Usagi-chan!" She placed the mini computer in Usagi's other hand, took the ginsuishou and put it on the keypad, then transformed and pulled down her Mercury visor. "The information gathered from the visor combined with the more easily defined properties of the crystal - weight, dimensions, et cetera - will be automatically channeled through the Mercury computer into Mamoru's hard drive and we should soon have a similar diagram to this one, except on the recent properties of the ginsuishou."
"Brilliant, Ami-chan," Mamoru intoned, wrapping an arm around Usagi's waist, "And bravo to you, Usako, for suggesting it."
Usagi beamed, keeping her hands steady for Ami's scans. After a few minutes, Mamoru's computer started making beeping and whizzing noises, and the monitor started flashing list after list of numbers. The sketch outline of the ginsuishou warped out flat, then slowly started to round up again, lines showing where the angles shifted and various little blurbs of numbers appearing on the screen around the outline.
Twenty minutes later, information was still being fed into Mamoru's computer.
"Mamoru?" Ami asked, finally sitting down in the office chair set in front of the computer. "How large of a hard drive does this computer have, and how much room did you have left in it?"
"It's a two hundred gig hard drive, with probably over half of it left." Mamoru stood where he had seated himself on the couch next to Usagi in order to study the information on the screen. "Why?"
"Well, we're still far short of the one gigabit point, but my visor says I still have upwards of ten gigs worth of information left to gather, and that doesn't even include what it's already gathered that I have yet to download into your computer."
Mamoru and Usagi both paled.
"About the ginsuishou, Ami-chan?" Usagi gasped, looking down at the small object in her hands. "Or is that just . . . comparing this ginsuishou to the original?"
"Even if this -is- a completely different crystal, Usagi-chan, that's not the thing." Ami took a deep breath while she watched Mamoru's computer screen intently. "What my computer is now downloading is all the information the ginsuishou contains. This can vary from environmental structures on the moon, histories, dialects, and anything else deemed important during the time of the crystal's existence."
An image suddenly appeared on the computer screen, causing all three to gasp in shock. "Apparently also including previous battles, no matter the time line," Mamoru said, recognizing the figures of Beryl and Metallia, scrolling to the Wise Man, Rubeus, Neherenia and all of the lackeys and youma's they'd had in their service. "The ginsuishou could very well tell us the key to the seshi's power . . ."
Mamoru trailed off as more information scrolled onto the screen that cast Ami into utter shock. "The ginsuishou . . . this -can't- be it! I have to decode those other files!" Ami exclaimed, her already pale skin looking more and more near translucent the more she read. "The beginnings and the ends of the senshi's very existence could lay somewhere in the transition of the ginsuishou as it used to be, to as it is now . . ."
"Does it . . . really matter if we know all of this, Mamo- chan?" Usagi finally asked, timidly. Her eyes were wide and even still registering the information the Mercury computer was downloading. "I mean, knowledge isn't everything, right?"
"I don't think that," Mamoru started, but Ami cut him off.
"Mamoru-kun, Usagi-chan has a point." Ami's eyes once again shifted to the information scrolling across the screen. "What dangers lie in the heart of the ginsuishou? What dangers lie in our knowing what could be our undoing?"
"Like the man who knew everything?" Usagi asked, once again. Ami nodded at Usagi before leaving the computers to scan and download, and seating herself on Mamoru's floor. "Yes, Usagi-chan, like him. While there is a lot of good that can come out of these scans, there are still plenty of things that can destroy us. As a team, as individuals, or simply as our present day selves."
Mamoru and Usagi both nodded, taking one last look at the computer before joining Ami on the floor.
"When are we planning on telling the rest of the senshi, Ami-chan?" Mamoru finally asked, wrapping his arms around Usagi and leaning back against a wall. "If you spend too much time over here using my computer, they're going to wonder what we're doing without them."
Ami nodded in agreement. "Rei-chan probably already knows. She's been acting strange lately and has spent a lot of time in front of the fire whenever I've been over. Have either of you guys noticed that?"
"Hai. Rei-chan was by the fire when I got there today, just staring at it. I couldn't tell if she was meditating, or just thinking, but she didn't want to leave the room the whole time," Usagi wrinkled her nose, "She couldn't even take the time to show me where she put her new mangas."
Mamoru chuckled and Ami giggled at Usagi's relapse into her old self, but both sobered quickly enough.
"I think we should tell them tomorrow," Usagi spoke up.
Mamoru turned to her and looked at her quizzically. "Why's that, Usako? Don't you think we should try and get some more information first?"
Usagi shook her head. "Iie. I don't think it would be a good idea. The less we know when we first tell them, the less we'll have to tell them later and try and explain why we kept it from them for so long." She took a deep breath and set her jaw defiantly, "Besides, if something's going to happen that will split the senshi, I won't have it being because we wouldn't be open with them about possible new dangers to us."
Suddenly, there was a knock at Mamoru's apartment door. Three heads turned to stare startled at the clock before Mamoru scrambled to his feet to answer the door. Another impatient knock hurried him on and he threw the door open with such force he nearly took it off of it's hinges.
"Mamoru-kun," Setsuna said stiffly before breezing into the apartment, not even waiting for an invitation. Usagi and Ami she greeted similarly before seating herself at Mamoru's computer, but facing the trio before even so much as glancing at the information. "I see you three have finally become curious as to the ginsuishou and yourselves."
Too stunned for words, Ami, Usagi and Mamoru could only nod in response, the eldest senshi's sudden appearance at nearing one in the morning sending their logical thought into overdrive. Ami was the first to recover. "What are you doing here, Setsuna-sama?" She blushed. "Not to sound rude or anything, but this is far more than a surprise. And the timing, too! This almost never happens unless some major danger is approaching."
Setsuna needed to only glance at the small Mercury computer, and back to them, for Ami to get her answer. "Oh," she mouthed, silently.
"You've taken a dangerous leap, Ami-chan," she said softly, "All of you have. A mighty dangerous one." Setsuna regarded each one of them careful before continuing. "A leap not even Serenity herself was willing to take, even at the peak of her power."
Ami blushed while her two companions paled. "What does that mean, Setsuna-sama? I'm a scientist. It would have been done eventually, you know that!"
Setsuna nodded an affirmative, but still kept her grave look and tone. "What you will find may assist you in what may come in the future, but I warn you . . ." Setsuna sighed and for the first time, weariness crossed her face. "Old enemies, old power. Cycles upon cycles upon cycles. It is good that Serenity chose not to do this, and that instead you do." She noticed the three looking at her in confusion.
"I regret to say, that myself and Hotaru, will not be available to assist you in your coming wars."
"WHAT?!"
Usagi felt her heart sink. In the most recent wars the senshi had been involved in (despite the fact that the last one had ended nearly five years before), they had needed all the help they could get. Especially that from the guardian of time and the young ruler of death. "How . . . why not, Setsuna-sama? You know we've needed you!"
"Yes, and you still will. The cycle -must- be preserved. I must go, and take Hotaru with me. That is all I can do to help."
"Can't you tell us -anything-, Setsuna-sama? If you're going to just take off the least you could do is give us some clue as to what we're in for!" Mamoru shot back at her, holding Usagi close to him. "Five years ago I almost lost Usako because nobody thought to warn us of what was ahead. I won't do it again!"
Setsuna regarded Mamoru cooly, her red eyes searching his for something, some clue or some hint as to how he might react to the news she could very well unload on him. She mentally shook her head, scolding herself. 'That would be setting things off much too soon. Better . . . better the one with the naisuishou do it later, than me do it now.'
"I regret that I cannot tell you," she said, "I truly do." Setsuna sighed, reaching for the Mercury computer and reading the information that it was transmitting. "Rest assured, everything will turn out in the end."
Usagi barked out a laugh, if it could be called that. "You always say that, Setsuna-sama, right before one of us gets nearly killed. Out with it. What do we have to face this time, and what's so -not horrible- that we can finally do it without you?"
Once again, Setsuna turned her cool gaze to one of the trio. Searching, probing deep within the heart and mind of the warrior girl sitting in front of her. "You won't ever be able to do this without me, Usagi-chan," she finally said, her voice a soft contrast to her biting words of earlier. "I'll be there when you need me, you can trust that, and I will get you out of this alive, you can trust that, too."
"What about the others?"
At that, Setsuna remained silent for a few minutes, as though searching her memory hard for some stray fact. "They will make it out," she finally said, if a little tiredly. "They -will- make it out."
Usagi and Ami exchanged glances while Mamoru only grumbled. "If you say so, Setsuna-sama," Ami finally said, and stood to check her computer's download rate. As she was typing away, Setsuna moved from in front of the computer to let Ami sit down and took her place on the floor next to Mamoru and Usagi. Her eyes were haunted as she watched Ami work, calculating and cold.
"Are you all right, Setsuna-sama?" Usagi finally asked, snug in Mamoru's arms. "You seem more moody than usual."
Setsuna let a little laugh out, the corners of her mouth turning up into what could have been called a smile on anyone else. "No, I'm fine," she said, still watching Ami, "Just waiting . . ."
Ami's typing froze, then resumed again at a slower pace as she observed the screen of her little computer closely. After a few minutes, she shrugged, and resumed typing at her rapid-fire pace. Setsuna sighed and leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes. Usagi laid a hand on her arm and waited for Setsuna to look at her.
When Usagi saw Setsuna's eyes, she nodded. "Still waiting?"
Setsuna shook her head sadly, then closed her eyes once more and slept for the first time in days.
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***Somewhere at the North Pole***
The world seemed to be more blurry than he remembered. More warped and twisted.
'Did we win?' He thought, blinking blue eyes at the ceiling. 'Am I free?'
He winced when he tried to sit up. 'Ouch. Was I that bad?' Suddenly, he blinked again. 'Wait a second, where am I?' He looked around as much as he could from his crystal prison, seeing nothing but stars and empty space loomed above him, next to him. All around him was darkness.
'Did we truly win?' he wondered in awe. 'Did those sailor brats finally admit defeat?' He laughed, but soon found himself choking for a lack of air. 'Damn, I've got to get out of here, and –soon-. Before I die. Again.'
Scanning his encasement again, he realized just how long it had been since he had been cast off in his crystal prison. 'TEN YEARS?' he mentally exploded. 'I could have given them the senshi, GIVEN them to her, and she gives me TEN YEARS?' He scowled, his eyebrows coming together in deep frustration. 'That's it. I'm getting myself out of here and when I do, I'm taking my case to Metallia!'
With that final thought, Jaedite, former Dark Kingdom general, closed his eyes and concentrated all of his energy at one single hairline fracture in the crystal. It blew apart easily, scattered crystal fragments floating away into space. Once it was all clear of him, Jaedite righted himself and looked around.
'Oh, my . . .' he thought, taking in the sight that met his eyes. He was surrounded. By what, he couldn't even begin to say, but he was surrounded. It wasn't stars, not simply stars anyway. It was something more . . . primal. Something so much more basic than just stars and yet, he felt something more. More complex, more powerful than he'd felt before, even from his former ruler Beryl.
Something clicked in his mind, some old memory, maybe, or maybe it was just his magical nature recognizing what was around him. 'The Galaxy Cauldron?' he thought in wonder. 'I guess . . . we failed then.' His eyes darkened, fists clenching at his sides and his whole body trembling in rage. 'Those brats!' he thought fiercely, nearly saying it out loud. 'They destroyed my home!'
Suddenly, another source of power reached to him. Scattered as it was, it was not hard to recognize and his eyes lit up in recognition. 'Not at no cost to themselves, it seems,' he thought, grinning a feral grin. 'Looks like pretty little Sailormoon lost some of her power.'
He reached out a hand, beckoning the power to him. It came, eager for some concentrated home after being dispelled. 'Yes, yes come to me . . . I will be your master now,' he drank up the energy; let it fill the emptiness the lack of a home left behind. He quickly regained his color, and remembered speaking of the Sailorsenshi, and the mighty Moon Kingdom. How it fell and how they were banished for a thousand years.
"Those brats destroyed everything," Jaedite grumbled out loud, and then blinked, surprised at the sound of his own voice. "Wow. So I finally get my chance at revenge. Too bad I can't take any on Beryl either, I guess I'll have to thank Sailormoon for that." He smirked. "Thank Sailormoon. Really. I'd rather rot in the burning pits of hell with Metallia for all time than thank that brat."
The energy continued to flow to him, and once it filled him, swirled around him in a boiling mass with nowhere to go and with him being the only source of life around. "Yes, this will do nicely," he said, letting his fingers drift through the essence. "Now," he mused, "If only there was a way to collect . . ." once again, his eyes lit up. "Chaos."
Throughout the galaxy cauldron, that boiling place in space that isn't in space, Jaedite's laugh rang out once more as he schemed to pull down the greatest warrior the universe had ever known.
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