The Paradise Army
3rd Sign: Resonance
Rated R


     This is the world we live in
     These are the hands that we're given
     Use them and let's start trying
     To make it a place worth fighting for

          -Genesis, "Land of Confusion"


     At the turn of the century, life on Earth ceased to exist.
     The natural world was turned to desert and dust.
     Humanity was all but extinguished.
     Out from the ashes arose Neo Queen Serenity. Like a phoenix in
full flight beneath a crescent moon, she was able to save the city
that was her home. Her magic had barely protected Tokyo and its
inhabitants from total destruction--but not death. 
     The Earth was restored to an Eden state, though it remained
for the most part uninhabited. The planet has become a garden
paradise. And in a strange if not ironic twist, there was a
consensus of keeping it this way. 
     Yet when the survivors awoke from their dark and dreamless
sleeps, they had forgotten almost everything that once was. It was
left to Neo Queen Serenity and her Senshi to rebuild what had been
torn down. Crystal Tokyo became more than a utopia: it was the new
haven, a second beginning. 
     But not all have forgotten what once was.
     I am His lordship Chaos.
     Let me welcome you to the future that Naoko Takeuchi has seen,
the future that is Crystal Tokyo. So much of it is known yet
unknown. So much is hoped for, but has yet to come. And so much has
yet to be destroyed....

                         -His lordship Chaos
                              hislordshipchaos@hotmail.com



     Alone in their bedroom chambers, she cried.
     Lost in her tears of bitter frustration, with the sliver of
light penetrating the darkness of the night sky, rippling in
through the windows on all sides of the royal bedroom. The
crystalline walls appeared opaque white on the outside, but inside
they had a magnificent view of the city in all directions.
     The Navi on one of the pillars scattered across the chambers
still had a slight glow from recent use. The report Haruka and
Michiru had given left yet another body.
     And the queen was left to wrestle in silence and darkness with
her own burden of personal guilt: the issue of bringing the dead
back to life. Serenity knew she could do it. The fact was that this
had been done before by her own hands. Once against Beryl, and a
second time against the Silence, which had been on a much greater
scale. A third time would come after Nemesis had been defeated.
     She had and would do that to keep the hope of the future
alive. The resurrection was on a widespread scale, meant to
preserve all they had protected.
     But only if the bodies were intact.
     She had saved her friends from death in the fallout from their
war against Metalia, and all because their bodies had survived.
Battered and bloodied, yes, but still remained intact.
     She could bring them back to life so long as there was a body.
But having the power didn't mean she desired to use it. The drain
on her own body could easily reach a life-threatening risk. And
added to that was the frightening realisation that had come with
the emergence of Crystal Tokyo.
     The crystal could bring people back to life.
     But their memories would almost always be wiped clean.
     Because they had been Senshi, because her desire had been so
great, they lost only their memories a soldiers in the aftermath of
their war against Metalia.
     But this....
     Healing people was one thing, as was extending life. There was
a life to work with in the first place, and the energy the Crystal
drained from her was minimal. That was why she could afford to
perform Ascensions on a weekly basis. But bringing people back from
the dead meant restoring what was stolen, and the efforts that went
into such a task were incredible. That was why she extended
lifespans: not just to give her people this gift, but to protect
herself from the risk of being drained by the Silver Crystal to the
point of death.
     Resurrecting the city would be a massive undertaking.
     But this single life, this man who died? What would it
accomplish if she risked her life and brought him back? He would
appreciate her efforts, but still not realize how precious life
was--his own and hers as well. They had to show those of the
Moonlight Sanctuary their error, even at this horrible cost.
     The queen was vaguely aware of a ray of light that appeared as
one of the double doors was opened. Endymion dared to push the door
a little further. He glanced back out to the lobby area, where the
lift had two other anxious Senshi awaiting his orders. The king
silently waved Rei and Minako back before slipping into the
bedroom.
     The door closed soundlessly behind him.
     Serenity's back was turned away, tresses of her white
nightgown spread out in ripples and ruffles around where she sat.
The silken veils that enclosed the four-post bed helped to mask the
fact that she was crying again.
     "You heard, didn't you?" he asked quietly, and as
sympathetically as he could. She had been sleeping for most of the
night, while he had volunteered to keep watch in case anything
involving the Moonlight Sanctuary did occur. Evidently Haruka and
Michiru had decided it best to inform them both, even if it meant
separate communications. He understood the practicality, but that
didn't mean he agreed with it. He quietly resolved to talk to the
two about it later.
     The last thing Serenity needed was to be left alone and grieve
for something that truly wasn't her fault. 
     "If you think it's necessary," he said, sitting down on the
edge of their bed. From there he slowly crawled over the sheets to
reach her. "We can bring his body here. You may be able to--"
     She shook her head ardently in spite of her tears.
     Her hands were balled into fists and clenching the covers,
trembling fiercely. "No," she answered. She could feel the shaking
of her voice; how could she project confidence to him when she felt
so unsure herself? "Let him rest."
     She could bring him back.
     She had the power, even at the risk of her own life.
     But this...this would accomplish nothing. The man who had died
in the ceremony would worship her even more fervently than before,
and easily recommit himself to the cult. He could very well die
again, believing it was for the better good. There had to be a way
to communicate how precious life was, even a life extended across
centuries?
     How many times had she and her friends been killed, and
brought back to life in the aftermath? They savoured every second
chance they ever had. Nothing was taken for granted.
     "It's a horrible thing," Endymion said quietly, gently
wrapping his arms around her. She pressed her head against his
chest, her tears flowing down onto his robes. "But one we must let
come to pass. There may be no other way for them to learn."



                        THE PARADISE ARMY

                           -resonance-


     "Ohayo gozaimasu," Shuichi's mother said cheerfully, greeting
him and the new morning.
     Shuichi just yawned and shuffled across the hall, heading for
the bathroom. Despite last night's soak in the bath he was
painfully stiff and sore, and feeling like he should stay sleeping
for the next twenty years. Why was it that the Silver Crystal could
prevent illness and disease, but not find a way to cure grogginess
in the morning?
     The splash of cold water on his skin helped speed the process
of letting his brain catch up with his body. Though not by much.
After combing out his blonde hair Shuichi took his place at the
table, trying not to yawn again.
     It was still a traditional Japanese breakfast, consisting of
rice, fish and a bowl of miso soup. The presentation looked
flawless, like it should have come out from a four-star restaurant.
To be expected from a woman who owned her own catering service.
     "Just where does Mom find the time to do this?" he muttered,
still trying to shake himself of the cobwebs of sleep.
     "It's called a combination of natural talent and getting up
early," his mother replied scathingly. "You might want to try that
last one every now and again."
     Shuichi winced; evidently she'd heard him.
     He leaned back in the chair, his head resting against the back
as he looked up at the ceiling. Every muscle in his body was making
itself known in a rather unpleasant way. "I'll take the point when
I actually feel awake enough to get up this early."
     That just drew a laugh from his mother as she set about
cleaning up a number of the used dishes. "Hotaru-chan got up before
you did, and she seems just fine." She looked down and smiled at
her daughter. "Ne?"
     "Ne!" Hotaru agreed with a broad grin.
     Shuichi rolled his eyes at the exuberance of youth before
digging into his miso soup. He was famished from the moment he'd
woken up, a loud reminder of where all his energy went every night.
Breakfast was hastily devoured, especially after he glanced at his
wrist chronometer and discovered just how much time he had before
school started.
     He could make it on time if he walked at a faster than usual
pace--and left home now. Still feeling hungry despite his meal,
Shuichi tossed some bread into the toaster before racing into his
bedroom and tossing the various textbooks and datapads into his
bag. His Navi laptop quickly followed.
     A few superficial adjustments were made to his uniform before
he grabbed his bag and dashed back into the kitchen. His toast had
already popped up and was cooling fast.
     "Bye, Hotaru-chan," he said before jamming the toast into his
mouth. He gave her a friendly pat on the head before disappearing
into the front entry.
     "Bye, nii-san!" Hotaru called out, waving to him.
     Shuichi gave her a wink before slipping outside. The sun was
already warming the city, and he was glad he opted to leave his
jacket open instead of closed. The white T-shirt underneath rippled
as he jogged down the street.
     He could still hear Hotaru calling out to him as he left,
bringing a smile to his face. She was a cute kid, and pretty smart
for one as young as her.
     He'd had the honour of naming her.
     His parents couldn't come to an agreement regarding the baby's
name if it were a girl. Father wanted Hikaru. Mother wanted Kyoko.
They had agreed upon the name if the child was a boy, but here they
were at an impasse. So the honour and responsibility was left to
Shuichi.
     He had only just turned twelve at the time.
     The duty of naming his little sister was a daunting one. Even
on the night his mother had gone into labour, he was still
undecided. Hadn't even been able to isolate three or four names to
choose from. But when he looked into his newborn sister's wide
violet eyes, he found a name without hesitation.
     Hotaru.
     It just felt right. Seemed to fit her perfectly, even though
she had only been out in the world for ten maybe fifteen minutes.
There was nothing else that had come to his mind, so Hotaru she
became.
     Shuichi met up with Ruri about five blocks from his house. She
had obviously been waiting for him, her bag held in both hands as
she leaned against one of the fences. "You're late," she stated.
"Mei already had to go on her own."
     "I noticed," he mumbled through his last mouthful of toast.
Trying to run and swallow at the same time was proving hazardous to
his health; he'd nearly choked twice already. Wouldn't that be the
most ironic thing ever if he was the first death in Crystal Tokyo,
and all because of a piece of toast?
     Ruri let him finish eating before she pushed away from the
fence and started off for their high school at a slower pace. He
was just glad that he didn't have to run any more than he had to;
if Ruri had started running then it definitely meant he was late.
     "Hinako-sensei will have your hide if you're tardy again," she
said. "You've been late at least one day a week this entire year.
And that's if you're lucky, Shuichi."
     He said nothing in response, still trying to stretch out a
weary pair of arms. The fact that he had a bag to carry made the
effort somewhat awkward, but he could handle it.
     She was right, of course. But he was too tired and preoccupied
to argue or let her revel in her gloating.
     Ruri frowned and leaned forward as she kept in step alongside
him. "What's with the depressive moping? Didn't get your homework
done?"
     "I wish that was only it," he sighed. He would have stayed at
home today, had it not been that sick days had gone extinct in this
city. "Fact of the matter is, Kunio-sensei asked me last night if
I would become his apprentice after my Ascension."
     Her reaction didn't have to be that incredulous.
     She stared at him like he'd just claimed to be Neo Queen
Serenity. "Do you really want to spend the next few hundred years
swishing a piece of steel through the air?" she asked, sceptical of
why he was even bothering to mull the choice over at all.
     "Do you really want to spend the next few hundred years
tossing paint onto a canvas?" he retorted. "It's Crystal Tokyo,
Ruri-chan. We've got more than just our futures ahead of us: we've
got centuries of life ahead of us. I don't know if I'd be content
doing the same thing of anything for that long."
     Truth was, he half expected to see a sudden change in
everyone's choice of vocation in the next decade or so. With things
settling down in Crystal Tokyo, people were adapting to their new
lives. He figured they'd get bored of what they were doing and
maybe try something else for sixty or seventy years. It wasn't like
they didn't have time to kill learning a new trade.
     Of course...he still had to decide on a first trade to learn.
School wasn't exactly captivating his full attention like it seemed
to with the other students, and the last thing he wanted was to
join the artisan trend.
     That left a lot of middle ground.
     But that still left him without an answer.


     Someone else was busy with Cyberus when Ami walked into the
large subterranean chamber housing the mainframe. 
     However, it did take notice of her.
     An unused viewscreen came to life and swivelled her way,
Cyberus' virtual face appearing and smiling. The kana for
"kon'nichi wa" scrolled down next to the face. Ami gave her own
warm greetings, fondly stroking the surface of the screen. 
     Another message appeared next to the face: DID YOU WANT TO
MAKE USE OF ME?
     "Ara, I think I'm about to get cut off," the current user said
aloud, though more as a playful ribbing to Ami. Minako lifted her
head off the seat atop the metallic caterpillar body. A gloved hand
lifted the visor up from her eyes. "Ah, and that explains why.
Ohayo, Ami-chan."
     It was at times like this that Ami quietly wished Cyberus
would add 'subtlety' to the list of things it was learning. Her
cheeks went slightly flushed. Cyberus seemed to take it in stride,
its CG face revealing nothing but a coy smile.
     The lights were currently brighter in the chamber to simulate
the daylight hours; it helped the user readjust themselves to the
outside once they were done interfacing. As a result Minako had to
take a moment to let her eyes grow accustomed. "One of the
drawbacks to virtual interfacing," she sighed, letting the visor
retract to its alcove above. 
     She took her time removing the gloves, her long blonde hair
tied back to make the interface a little more comfortable. Laying
almost on one's back--and thusly on one's hair--was not a
recommended thing to do on a long-term basis.
     "I'm surprised to find you here," Ami had to say. "Usually
you're somewhere in the city by this time in the morning." Her
curiosity was always something that had to be satiated. Not that
there was much to leave her greatly curious these days. 
     Anything that did pose a challenge to her held echoes and
origins in the Silver Millennium and its strange technology. Magic
and machine had been fused together in an odd yet working way. The
only problem now was in trying to successfully duplicate that
     Minako was busy stretching out her arms; her own choice of
attire for being here with Cyberus was that of a one-piece
swimsuit. "Just doing some final checks on the masquerade," she
answered. "I have to meet with someone in a few hours--even if he
doesn't quite know it yet--but I wanted to get this done first.
Interfacing with Cyberus works better than just staring at the
computer screen."
     "Gridmapping?"
     Minako nodded. "Hai." She carefully peeled the rest of her
body out from the chair before making her way down the sleek black
form of Cyberus. "It's easier to make necessary alterations to the
decor when standing in a virtual room. Faster decisions and I don't
have to worry about other distractions. All I have to do is submit
the disc to the decorators, and they'll set up the ballroom as
specified in the simulation."
     So long as the schematics were in Cyberus' archives, any room
or building could be generated into a three-dimensional, virtual
grid. Anyone interfacing could find themselves standing within the
room and (in an abstract sense) walk around in it. They could also
change and modify what they say fit.
     The interior designing profession was thoroughly loving this
technology.
     Minako gave her back a quick, final stretch before moving to
one of the terminals. A console cover opened up to reveal a small
data disc resting inside. Minako picked it up and winked at Ami.
"All done. He's yours to play with as you see fit, Ami-chan."
     She undid the ribbon that was tying back her hair, tresses of
blonde locks allowed to cascade down her back. "What will you be
doing with him today, Ami-chan?"
     Ami ran one of her hands down Cyberus' sleek form, its metal
body cool against her palm. "Whatever needs to get done," she
answered.


     He was called Enishi by his friends, Commander by those under
his rank. Right now he didn't want to hear either title called out.
     Sprawled back in his chair, his feet propped up on his desk,
Enishi stared at the ceiling. The office was quiet; most everyone
was exhausted from last night and were still at home sleeping.
Mercifully the debriefing on their glorious debacle wouldn't be
until later this evening.
     Enishi shook his head, staring at his hand.
     In the past, in a past life, he would have had the temptation
to light up another cigarette. But they had been outlawed in this
place, and that Silver Crystal thing had more or less removed the
cravings. That still didn't stop him from feeling odd whenever he
should have indulged an old habit.
     When the Storm had hit, he was in his mid-thirties. Now it
looked like he would be stuck in his mid-thirties for a century or
two more. The prospect wasn't that bad; his weight training had
given him a powerful build before the Storm and the Silver Crystal
ensured he'd keep it a lot longer. Though his physique still meant
nothing in light of last night. What good was it when it proved
utterly useless?
     He glanced over to the front door as someone else walked into
the office. Aoshi. A subordinate, though still an important member
of the Mugen division. Everyone here was important, hand-picked by
the Outers for the job. They were known as the Mugen only to each
other, and did not exist to anyone else's knowledge. Save for the
Outer Senshi--and no doubt the queen or king.
     The regular police had jurisdiction over the city, though
there was little of anything to be called crime. Regulators for
various events, neighbourhood patrols and so forth. While they did
serve a purpose and were kept busy, Crystal Tokyo's police force
still tended to be a placebo. Not that anyone, including the
officers, minded. It was slightly idyllic, with little paperwork
and overtime, and most everyone they encountered were friendly and
courteous. This was a vocation one could easily enjoy for a decade
or two before trying their hand at something else.
     Those in the ranks of the Mugen lacked that luxury.
     Aoshi blinked in surprise upon seeing Enishi reclining in the
chair. "And I thought I was the early one," he said, heading
towards the coffee maker. "What are you doing here, Commander?"
     Enishi gave a half-hearted shrug, not bothering to turn his
head. "Couldn't sleep. I might as well be here if I can't be
comfortable at my apartment."
     That drew a laugh from Aoshi as he filled two cups for them.
"I've seen your apartment. How you can be comfortable in that mess
is a miracle. The Crystal should be used on it, and save the
cleaning maid a heart attack." 
     The burbling of the coffee maker finished, Aoshi took the two
cups and headed for Enishi. He leaned over and set a cup of coffee
on the edge of Enishi's desk.
     Enishi ignored it.
     "Insomnia that bad?" Aoshi inquired, sounding a little more
concerned than before. He remained standing; his own desk was on
the other side of the floor.
     "We screwed up," Enishi stated distastefully. "Again."
     He didn't have to say what; there was only one reason this
section existed. And that goal had once again escaped them to leave
blood on their communal hands.
     "I don't think you have to make it sound that bad," Aoshi
sighed, taking a seat at the desk across from him. He paused to
push the wire-rimmed glasses back up his nose.
     "Refresh my memory," Enishi retorted coldly. "Just how can you
say anything good about last night? One man died, the Outers didn't
catch the priestess, and somehow thirty worshippers slipped right
through our net without us knowing."
     Aoshi grimaced upon hearing that, and suddenly didn't want any
of his coffee either. "Okay, I agree. We fucked up royally last
night," he said. His gaze was stern, unwavering, and making sure
Enishi stopped looking at the ceiling. "But right now our already
low morale does not need you pissing on it any further. There will
be a next time, and I for one want to make sure it's not a repeat
of yesterday. And I know you're thinking the same thing."
     Enishi glowered and looked away. The last thing he wanted was
to fume against a fellow Mugen officer. Tensions ran high more than
enough times in this place, and it definitely did no good to have
them snapping at each other's throats. He took his position in the
Mugen seriously, as did everyone else. This sort of defeat always
got them agitated. 
     How many times had the cycle been repeated, all their efforts
amounting to nothing?
     There were about a dozen Mugen officers, each one sworn to a
duty that called them to handle some of the darker shadows of the
city. Right now they were almost exclusively involved with stopping
a religious sect called the Moonlight Sanctuary. Their objective
was to serve as back-up for the Outers in ending the extreme
Serenity worship. Bad enough that word of this could incite
unnecessary hysteria among the people just when Crystal Tokyo was
starting to calm down. But there were also suspicions that some
members of the police department were involved with the cult. None
were actual participants, but they would be invaluable as
informants to the sect leader...or leaders.
     Fact was they knew very little about the Sanctuary.
     Half of what they believed they knew was just conjecture.
     Enishi sighed and dropped his feet off the side of his desk.
Sitting back up, he took Aoshi's offering of coffee and took a sip.
A brief taste caused him to wince; even in the future there was
still the harsh reality of bad coffee.
     He set the cup aside, the gel in his slicked-back hair
catching a momentary shine off the office lights. "At least the
Outers can't chew us out," he remarked dryly. "They didn't fare any
better."
     Aoshi glanced out the window, and then said quietly, "I still
find it very disconcerting that any person could evade the Outers,
period."


     Artemis sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he scanned
the contents of the report. Luna was gracefully covering for him at
the forum today. In human form he sat in their chambers, leaning
back in his chair. The small Navi on the desk was scrolling through
data at a leisurely pace Artemis had pre-set for it.
     Luna always liked to do her reading sprawled out on her
stomach on the bed; some feline traits still managed to manifest
themselves. He had to smile at that, recalling many a fond trysts
that had resulted from Luna's preferred reading position. It was
hard enough to find spare time for themselves these days. Every
minute together was one they made sure to make memorable.
     In time, he was certain things would slow down.
     But for now....
     "Eight more applicants for Ascension next week," he sighed.
Eight on top of the five already registered for their Ascension
ceremony. There would always be people who would make their plans
known at the last possible minute.
     He'd definitely have to check with Rei on this one.
     As it was, next week was going to be hectic with the Moonlight
Masquerade taking place on Friday night. Those who had already
notified the palace were all scheduled in for the Thursday night
right before the masquerade. With the addition of these eight,
they'd have to work in Wednesday afternoon as well. 
     It might run into the evenings.
     "Not an ideal prospect," Artemis muttered.
     The Ascension ceremony time always varied from person to
person. Being bathed by the crystal took but a few heartbeats
before it was over. Yet Serenity desired that each youth who came
before the Silver Crystal for the first time be alone. It was an
important event and a lasting memory; it was the queen's wish to
make that as sacred as she could. There were no family members or
friends present to put pressure on the youth. There were no other
applicants to be seen. It was just Neo Queen Serenity and one of
her newest subjects.
     That gave her the chance to talk. Talk about their dreams and
ambitions, about what the future might be like.  Sometimes those
talks could take hours. On a few occasions, they had taken all
night. Rescheduling the other Ascension ceremonies was a headache;
there were special quarters set up in the palace in case the
applicants had to remain an extra day. Usually it were the family
members who were nervous wrecks whenever this happened.
     Artemis looked up from the Navi as someone knocked on the
door. If it had been Luna, she would have simply walked in.
     "Come in," he called out.
     The door was opened to reveal Makoto standing in the entrance.
"I'm not disturbing you, am I?" she asked as she took a cautious
step in. The lack of her sailor fuku led Artemis to hope she was
here for personal reasons, and not official palace business.
     The Mau shook his head. "My morning is more or less free." His
silent thanks went out to Endymion and Luna for ensuring that. He
waited until Makoto sat down on the loveseat.
     His and Luna's chambers resembled more a grand hotel suite,
with its own secluded corner for the bed and bathroom. Everything
else was spacious. Only a few items of furniture were placed in the
main area to create a minimalist effect. While most of the interior
dividing walls were of a violet colour, the outer wall was nothing
but crystalline glass. Like all of the rooms in the Crystal Tower,
that made for a breath-taking view of the city.
     Artemis took a moment to push his long, silver hair off his
shoulders. "What brings you here?" he asked.
     Makoto uneasily answered, "It's about Haruka-san."
     Now that did surprise him; he had expected Makoto to ask him
about the masquerade plans, or maybe regarding one of the Inners.
Even though they worked close together, there was still some
distance between the Inner and Outer Senshi. Mainly due to the fact
that there were only two Outer Senshi active in the city, and they
were running Crystal Tokyo's security. 
     While the Inner Senshi were seen as the relational types, the
Outers were viewed as the enigmatic soldiers who kept the peace.
     "I'm worried about her and Michiru," Makoto admitted. Her deep
respect/borderline crush on Haruka still lingered, even after all
this time. "Last night they seemed more drained than usual from
their encounter with the Moonlight Sanctuary." Her gaze darted
somewhere else, avoided meeting his eyes as she looked at a
painting on the wall. "They never even came to the palace; they
just gave their report and disappeared."
     "You don't think it's healthy for them to be spending their
time alone?" Artemis asked her.
     Makoto nodded. 
     In many ways their detachment was understandable. The Outers
had always held a certain degree of detachment from the Inners.
They were the oldest, the more powerful, the dark rogues of the
Sailor Soldiers. And right now there were only two of them. Haruka
and Michiru had to learn to live in a Crystal Tokyo without Hotaru
or Setsuna.
     Ever since the city had arisen, Pluto had quietly slipped out
of the picture. Setsuna had her own job to attend to at the Hundred
Gate. Hotaru had been killed by her own Silence; she had yet to be
reborn, as far as any of them were aware. At least, it was their
hope and prayer she would one day be reborn. The Senshi had all
agreed to keeping the existence of both Pluto and Saturn a secret
from the rest of the city. The Mugen were the only (natural)
exception.
     Setsuna had requested secrecy for herself for obvious reasons.
And it was agreed that the world was better off not knowing that
Neo Queen Serenity had a potential human supernova at her disposal.
     "I think the burden is starting to get to Haruka and Michiru,"
Makoto quietly confided. "I'm wondering if I should ask Serenity to
relieve them of their duties. Even for a short while, so they can
find their balance again."
     Artemis exhaled deeply. This was admittedly a loaded situation
they had walked into right from the start. Their queen had been
appalled to learn a Serenity cult had gone this far over the edge.
And the constant failed efforts of the Outers were starting to
frazzle the nerves of everyone involved.
     "I don't think I'm the best guy to ask about this," he finally
said to Makoto. "Don't get me wrong; I'm flattered and honoured you
came to me first, but I'm not as close and familiar with the Outers
as I could...as I should be. My best recommendation is for you to
ask Endymion. He interacts with them on a regular basis, and
probably knows them better than any of the Inner Senshi."
     Reluctantly Makoto nodded.
     And it pained Artemis to know that he hadn't helped abate her
concern for her friends at all.


     It was almost noon, and Shuichi's father had managed to emerge
from the master bedroom and shuffle over to the bathroom for a
shower. He smiled as he saw a small but artful platter of sushi and
cold miso waiting him in the fridge.
     "Arigato, Reina-chan," he said with a soft smile.
     His wife spoiled him with her cooking, that was for certain.
     The note on the kitchen counter said that she was out
preparing for a catering assignment in the afternoon, and had taken
Hotaru with her. Their daughter always seemed to love following her
mother around; it was always a chance to see new places and meet
new people. Reina's skilled gourmet skills had made her into one of
the top caterers over the past decade. 
     He took his meal into his home office, powering up his Navi
and logging on. There was a separate computer in his family's
living room; both Shuichi and Hotaru knew this particular Navi was
not to be touched. He doubted either one had the capacity to hack
through the passcode firewalls set up on this Navi to discourage
any unwanted users.
     Settling down in his chair, he leisurely surfed through some
of the pages on the Crystal Tokyo cyberworks. Cyberspace still
existed, and was even better know than it had ever been--though the
pages and postings ("wetworks" as they were called) were all
carefully monitored by Cyberus, Mercury's supercomputer.
     He didn't worry.
     He never posted, only read.
     The last roll of tuna maki was finished, and he set his tray
and chopsticks down on a separate leaf of the desk. For an hour he
wandered through the city's vast wetworking, not really intent on
researching any one particular subject. News reports were the same
old, same old: not much to report on, at least in terms of exciting
life-threatening items.
     Building excitement with the upcoming Moonlight Masquerade.
One of the art academies closed for minor repairs for a day or two.
Ongoing research into Newtype behaviour, and a possible
breakthrough coming in the near future.
     He sighed at feeling his body slowly unwind.
     Work at the office had left him coming in deathly late the
night before. Thankfully his superior had given him today off. He
knew he needed the rest. With any luck he could play with Hotaru in
the later afternoon hours.
     Moss green eyes drifted to a photo standing next to the thin
screen of his Navi. Enclosed with a metallic silver frame were
three souls, smiling and posing together somewhere in the depths of
one of Crystal Tokyo's lush parks. In the lower right-hand corner
a date was scrawled to commemorate the moment.
     Rin, Reina and Shuichi: AS 89.
     Eighty-nine years, After Storm. That made it AD 2093 by the
old Julian calendar. Shuichi had been five then. How fast did the
children grow these days, the only fluctuating souls in a city full
of people who saw time slowly pass them by.
     Sands running into centuries.
     For how many centuries, he didn't know.
     For a moment, burden settled onto Rin's shoulders. He knew
about the Storm, what it had really been. What had caused it. What
the Sailor Senshi were now waiting and hoping for.
     He lifted his head as a small chime was heard from his Navi.
Someone wanted to connect via videophone. The computer was more
than capable of handling it. Rin's smile flickered slightly when he
moved to connect, but got another message instead.
     The incoming call was encoded.
     He recognised the nature of the code instantly.
     Fingers rapidly typed out a code to secure the line.
     A face appeared on the screen, youthful and handsome; a tall
man with dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes. A small window at the
bottom right corner of the screen gave his identifying name and
rank: Yuto Kigai, lieutenant.
     "Did I wake you, Arisugawa-san?" he asked.
     Rin shook his head. "I've been up for about an hour, and
enjoying what it means to have a morning off."
     "What about the weekends we have off?"
     "You ever try to have a quiet, relaxing morning with a
teenager and a rambunctious pre-schooler in the house?"
     Yuto grinned and conceded on that point. "I have yet to
experience the wonders of family life, I guess. But I can let the
midnight feedings and early morning wake-up calls wait for a little
while longer."
     "Spoken like a true lady's man."
     "Hey, I'm just an ordinary public officer," Yuto demurred,
pushing back a few strands of his hair.
     Rin chuckled at that. "This coming from a fellow member of the
Mugen's elite?" Though he was still smiling, he started getting
down to business. "What can I do for you?"
     Yuto glanced over his shoulder as someone walked in behind
him. Obviously he was at the office. "I was hoping you could give
me a hand here," he replied, turning back to Rin. "The usual data
we pulled last night needs to be read through. We've already got
two people doing the usual run through with a fine-toothed comb,
but a third would help. Anything to help us save face when we meet
with the Outers tonight."
     Rin let out a heavy sigh.
     There went his afternoon with Hotaru.
     "I know that look," Yuto said, reading his friend's
expression. "You were hoping for some family time, ne?"
     "The thought had crossed my mind," Rin agreed dryly. While
work at the Mugen was a fairly constant, 8 hour work day (nights of
the Sanctuary ceremonies not withstanding), he had been pulling
more overtime in the past few weeks than he wished to. As a result
he wasn't seeing as much of Reina, Shuichi and Hotaru as he wished.
     He and Reina sometimes caught each other in rising and going
to bed with their respective jobs. It was hard enough to catch
Shuichi between school and training at the dojo. The last thing he
wanted was to miss was watching Hotaru growing up. She was a
beautiful child, and he selfishly wanted to see every smile she
would make in life.
     Much to Rin's surprise, an incoming file was picked up by his
Navi. The computer instantly placed it in a Mugen file folder to be
read later. "I figured you'd want as much of the day off as you
could get," Yuto remarked. "So I took the liberty of wetworking the
data. You can read it at home and present your finds about an hour
before the debriefing session."
     Moss green eyes watched the wetwork download come to an end,
the window closing up. He smiled and nodded his head to Yuto. "I
owe you one."
     "You're the family man," Yuto countered. "Being a Mugen is
probably harder on you than us bachelors. We just come home to
cold, day-old take-out, and maybe a cat. You're the one with kids,
midnight feedings and early morning wake-up calls."
     "Hai hai. Anything else?"
     "Doubtful. Just read through the data."
     They said their good-byes and then terminated the connection.
Rin leaned back purposefully in his chair before glancing at the
clock. He probably had about an hour or two before his wife and
daughter returned home. Probably enough time to chew through the
worst of the collected data.
     He'd been a Mugen operative for thirty years now, even before
Shuichi had been born. At times it felt odd masquerading as a city
official. But the Outer Senshi had every avenue covered, preserving
his and their dummy front's identity. The routine had become so
familiar that Rin felt he probably could do his assumed city
official's job.
     This was his duty: protecting the city from itself. Any other
significant danger would have to be left up to the Senshi to fight.
He was a Mugen, and he'd seen enough to know that there were times
when he was out of his league. Like the daimon
incident...witnessing his best friend and partner's pure heart get
extracted. And he had simply watched in horror from where the
daimon had thrown him.
     His partner, Yuichiro, had resigned two days later, and became
Yuichiro no more.
     Rin could do nothing about that. Powerless to prevent the
tragedy from happening. Utterly helpless. But something like the
Moonlight Sanctuary...that was in his power to stop. This was his
honour, blessing and curse all rolled into one. The burden of
knowing the truth, and the pride of seeing it overcome. More than
anything, being a Mugen was his chance to make the city a better
place for his children. 
     Souls like Shuichi and Hotaru were the true future of Crystal
Tokyo. 


     The light of the noonday sun was shielded by the veil of
curtains that were draped in front of their bedroom window. Michiru
stirred from amidst the heap of covers, her eyes fluttering open to
behold the warm body of her lover. Haruka was already awake, the
tall sandy-blonde's eyes open and watching her with quiet
affection.
     "Ohayo," Haruka said softly, not about to spoil the moment.
Her fingers stroked Michiru's hair, playing with the aqua-green
strands. "Sleep well?"
     Michiru nodded, giving what resembled a contended purr as she
moved closer into her lover's embrace. Haruka merely let them merge
as much as possible, arms wrapping around Michiru.
     Last night's unpleasant activities had them arriving at their
private estate at around three in the morning. There had been the
usual co-ordination and rumour control to contend with. Thankfully
the Mugen helped keep any curious onlookers at bay. 
     And then they had to contact their king and queen. Drained as
they had been, Haruka took one of her convertibles and drove them
home. Wordlessly they'd collapsed onto the sheets of their bed,
neither one sure of who had fallen asleep first.
     "What are you thinking of?" Haruka asked softly.
     Michiru's quiet breaths tickled her lover's ear. "How good it
would be to just lay here with you for the rest of eternity," she
answered. "I would love to just forget everything else, and think
only of you."
     "Sounds like a temptation we should indulge in, at least for
a little while," Haruka purred.
     They still had hours before they needed to be at the
debriefing. Haruka rolled over, placing her hands on either side of
Michiru's face. She slowly lowered her lips to Michiru's and let
their passion dictate the rest.


     An old world ryokan.
     A Japanese inn.
     The structure was surrounded by an elaborate garden paradise,
immaculately kept by the sole owner and inhabitant of the ryokan.
Here was where Minako would hopefully find some of the information
she sought. One of her best links in a vast network of spies and
messengers resided within.
     Her contact was awaiting her as she slid the silk screen open.
An older man was sitting quietly and reverently on his knees, eyes
closed, head slightly bowed. She wasn't sure if he was just
meditating, resting or showing her respect.
     "You're early," Seki remarked, his eyes opening after he spoke
those words.
     As was customary in the rare occasions they were able to meet,
they always performed the Chaji: the tea ceremony. 
     "Through tea, recognition is given that every human encounter
is a singular occasion," he had once said when this ritual between
them had first begun. "One encounter cannot and will never recur
again in exactly the way it had before. There is no repetition, for
like the ceremony, life changes with every passing moment. Thusly
you are meant to savour every aspect of the tea and its ceremony,
for you will never have one identical to this again."
     Seki smiled and bowed slightly to Minako.
     He led her outside to a small garden sprinkled with water yet
devoid of flowers. This "dew ground" was for her to wipe her feet,
and rid herself of the dust of the world. They moved onwards and
came to a second gate.
     No words were spoken.
     The silence felt deafening, a complete and polar opposite from
the noisy activities that came with life in the palace. But Minako
had grown accustomed to the silence of the chaji, and came to enjoy
the quiet whenever she had the chance to perform the ceremony.
     As her host, Seki filled a low stone basin with fresh water.
A ladle was already resting within the basin; he used this to scoop
up some of the water and lift it to his lips. He then poured a
second cup of water upon his hands. His hands and mouth purified,
he bowed to Minako in greetings.
     She tried not to smile; since Seki ran this ceremony solo,
there was no assistant who would have normally led her here. But he
took the mantle of both parts with great dignity and effectiveness.
     He led her through the middle gate then. Religiously speaking,
the gate symbolised the door between the coarse physical world and
the spiritual world of tea. Just outside the tea house it was
Minako's turn to purify her hands and mouth from another stone
basin.
     After, she entered the chashitsu: the tea room.
     Seki's chashitsu was incredibly maintained, made to be both
functional and aesthetically pleasing. There was virtually no
decoration, and so the tea remained the central focus. A single
alcove was present, which housed a small scroll painting which
revealed the theme of the ceremony: trust.
     There was nothing lavish or extravagant about the tea house,
yet it was not quite a literal grass-hut. Most of the walls were
made from bamboo stalks, the weavings binding each stalk together
in some kind of natural, thin rope. Sliding doors were built into
the two opposing walls. One allowed for entrance into this room,
and the other gave Minako a new angle to view the gardens; her host
usually kept it closed during the ceremony itself and then opened
it when they discussed business. 
     There was no distinction between the floor levels or tatami
mats. Like the ancient chashitsu, this tea room stressed equality
during the ceremony. This place was one of humility. A Senshi held
the same status within these walls as a citizen, and the host held
an equal standing with his honoured guest.
     The entranceway was different from most So-An traditional
styles; Minako didn't have to crawl on hands and knees through the
doorway. Once inside she took her place, sitting on her knees upon
one of the tatami mats. This chashitshu was a typical size, which
wasn't small, just over thirteen by twenty-seven feet.
     The ceiling itself wasn't much higher than Minako's head. She
knew she didn't have to duck, but her host was a good foot taller
than she was. As it was, if he got up he'd have to duck or knock
the back of his skull against the bamboo over their heads. 
     There were small windows near the base of the walls,
illuminating the utensils at the host's place. Some of the
skylights in the ceiling were covered with screens to ensure the
right amount of sunlight was let into the room.
     Minako quickly recalled her duty of the ceremony, and looked
back at the scroll painting. Trust. Something she valued, even in
this tranquil city. Perhaps trust was something the people of
Crystal Tokyo were starting to take for granted. Those like Seki,
who had questionable lives, still valued such a thing. 
     Seki seated himself on his knees and she followed in suit,
facing him. Formal greetings were exchanged before he placed
sandalwood incense on the hearth. From there he quietly served her
the three-course meal and accompanying Sake. Seki joined in the
meal at the second course. At the end of the meal, he invited
Minako to retire to the garden while he prepared the tea.
     A few minutes later he announced the tea ready to be consumed.
Minako stepped back into the chashitsu and took her place. The
scroll had been removed and was replaced by flowers. Between them
laid over thirteen individual (not to mention elaborately
constructed) utensils used for preparing the tea.
     Silently, with a reverent air about him, Seki went about
preparing the tea. Minako felt herself tense up as the tea bowl was
at last handed to her. From up to here, all she had to do was
patiently watch and ensure her legs didn't fall asleep. Now she was
required to actively partake in the ceremony. With the way Seki
performed everything with precision, the last thing she wanted to
do was slip up and destroy the importance he placed in this
ceremony.
     She bowed to him in accepting the bowl. For a few moments the
bowl was rotated in her hands and admired before she drank some of
the tea. Minako carefully wiped the rim of the bowl and then
returned it to Seki. Still silent, he rinsed out the bowl and the
wisk. 
     "Well done, Minako," he abruptly said. 
     This ritual was customary before they got down to business.
Initially it had taken her some time to adapt to sitting on her
calves like this; she had caught Seki smiling with amusement over
her trying to hide the fact that her legs had uncomfortably fallen
asleep. As far as she was aware, she was the sole participant he
shared the tea ceremony with.
     "For as lively as you are, you show great patience in enduring
my tea ceremonies," Seki said. There was a hidden pride in his
voice that she picked up on. He chuckled with the fondness of a
grandfather talking to his young grandchild. "Perhaps I shall have
to visit you and present you with a gift of your own tea ceremony
utensils, Minako."
     His old style formality was a little embarrassing.
     But Minako knew full well that it was more a facade he also
happened to enjoy indulging in. Seki was her strongest--and at
times sole--underground link to the city's activities outside her
own travels. Ironically appropriate, given that the man before her
was once a Yakuza mafia boss in a different life.
     Seki chuckled to himself. "It is with some ironic amusement
that I look here and reflect that the chashitsu was once a place
where man was reminded of the transience of life. But even if life
isn't fleeting now, it should not be taken for granted."
     Minako nodded.
     "So how fares life at the palace?" he asked. "Busy as always,
or do you find the world slowing down to enjoy the simpler things
in life."
     "A little of both, actually," Minako answered. "My schedule
varies from day to day. Right now it's growing hectic because of
the Moonlight Masquerade."
     Seki's smile never wavered, and remained unreadable. "A shame
I cannot attend this time. But there's always next decade, ne?" He
relaxed his body and leaned back slightly. "If ever you are
curious, there's a midnight party that will be held at the end of
this week. The rave, as I believe they're still called, is the
night before the Masquerade."
     Minako nodded, a knowing smile on her face. "I've already set
aside that night to see if the rave lives up to its underground
hype," she answered.
     One of Seki's eyebrows went up with amused and momentary
confusion. It wasn't often she could catch him offguard. "Ah, yes,"
he said with a nod. "I quickly forget that your own information
network rivals my own."
     "Maybe we should compare our lists and see who we have in
common."
     Seki chidingly wagged a finger at her. "A good informant never
leaks their sources, Minako. But you already know that." 
     Which was why she had yet to share her own list of connections
with him, even as a goodwill gesture. She had more savvy than most
people gave her credit for; Neo Queen Serenity had good insight to
have this girl working the underground.
     Informants enjoyed their anonymity, and the greater their ears
were attuned to shadier dealings the more they tended to leave out.
Often times Seki would leave half-clues and cryptic hints for her
to solve. It was a roundabout way, but the method tended to work.
Ami and Michiru more than anyone else were usually able to decipher
some method to Seki's madness.
     The visible effort on the part of the Senshi allowed for Seki
to remain an unsuspected informer.
     "I hear the hackers are still gunning for Cyberus," he
remarked, as if the dark implications of their potential success
meant nothing.
     "Officially, the palace knows nothing about this," Minako
said.
     "This is just unsubstantiated rumour, of course," Seki
continued nonchalantly. "But you might want to check on a certain
Azaba Ten-ban high school. A few students appear to be having an
unauthorised after-school club you might be interested in."
     Minako made a quick mental note to send Haruka or Makoto there
later in the evening. The sooner they caught the hackers, the
better. Of course, it was up to the queen to decide their fate.
"Anything else?" she asked.
     "If I might make a request," Seki added.
     She bowed her head a little, allowing him to continue.
     "There is rumour of a delivery of questionable virtue arriving
next week, in the Bunkyo ward respectively. I would be most
appreciative if it might reach its destination undisturbed."
     Minako's smile was drawn thinner, her curiosity piqued. So
there had been a hidden agenda for them meeting here today. That
didn't wholly surprise her. In previous encounters she had come
with her own hidden agendas, and more often than not Seki indulged
her with information.
     "I'll see what I can do," she answered. "No promises, but I'll
make sure to give you 
     "I thank you once again for your time and your presence,
Sailor Venus," he said, placing his palms on the tatami mat and
bowing formally to her. "It has been an honour to talk with you. I
would offer you some dry sweets and thin tea before you depart. It
is customary for the ritual, but I also know you are a busy
soldier."
     As it was, she had spent over almost two hours with him.
     Minako carefully moved herself out of the tea house and put on
her shoes. She bowed deeply to Seki, who returned the gesture. And
as she left to return to the palace and all its crystalline duties,
he quietly watched her from the chashitsu door.
     "If I cannot attend," he mused to himself. "then I shall
require a substitute for the masquerade."
     He had the perfect one in mind, too.


     Classes at Saito High had ended.
     But instead of enjoying his precious few hours between now and
his training with Kunio-sensei, Shuichi found himself on an ominous
trek towards the faculty offices.
     "You're in for it now," Ruri sighed as she kept in step beside
him. "Hinako-sensei's going to bust you for all your unfinished
homework."
     He rolled his eyes, ruing the fact that she was right. "Your
sympathy for my plight is absolutely staggering, Ruri-chan," he
said. She had that 'I told you so' voice to boot. Shuichi absently
wondered if she would back down if he left the martial arts and
signed up with a visual arts program.
     A few other students were milling around the halls; most had
either cleared out of the school entirely, or were busy with their
various after-school clubs. Shuichi glanced out the window. From
here he could see the track and field team running some warm-up
laps around the track.
     Damn, and here he thought he could buy himself another month
before it came to a confrontation with school. And only a day after
Kunio-sensei had told him about the apprenticeship too! This was
inevitable, but the timing was not making it any more pleasant.
     Once they reached the end of the hall, Shuichi found himself
standing before the door to the faculty offices. Dutifully, he
knocked before opening the door. A few teaches were sitting at
their private desks; upon seeing Shuichi they went back to their
work, seeing as how he wasn't looking for or meeting with them.
     "Can I help you?" a teacher's assistant asked.
     Shuichi stiffened. He stood at eye level with the T.A., who
looked at him questioningly. "I'm here to see Hinako-sensei," he
answered. "I have an appointment with her."
     The T.A. seemed satisfied with the answer. "Third desk from
the back, on your left," she helpfully supplied, pointing the way. 
     Shuichi looked back to Ruri. "Last chance to play devil's
advocate and come to my rescue," he remarked.
     She shook her head. "You have to face her yourself, Shuichi.
I'm not the one whose homework isn't getting done."
     Judging by the expression on her face as she turned to go, he
figured she half pitied him for the scolding he was about to get,
but half-approved of it at the same time. The faculty door closed
behind her, leaving him alone to weave his way around the teachers'
desks.
     Miss Hinako was seated at her own private desk, busy pouring
over a number of tests from the previous day. Shuichi caught a
glimpse of the current one she was grading on the datapad; they
were for the upperclass seniors. Students in their final,
graduating year. But the guy Hinako was grading wasn't doing too
well, scoring a 45% on the test.
     Shuichi sympathised with this unknown student.
     "Hinako-sensei?" he asked.
     The teacher looked up from her notes, startled. She quickly
covered that up with a pleasant smile. She seemed...a little more
preoccupied than usual. But now that he was in front of her, the
usual scholarly composure he recognised was back. 
     "It was good of you to join us on time today for once,
Shuichi," she said scathingly.
     Her deliberate jab of guilt just bounced off him. Being tardy
as many times as he had, he was getting used to the barbs meant to
provoke him to arrive on time. To be honest with himself, Shuichi
felt rather smug about not being able to succumb to these guilt
tactics as most other students did.
     If she was starting out like this, their meeting could only
snowball from here. And Shuichi knew he was about to get crushed by
the proverbial avalanche.
     "Sit, please," she said, motioning to an empty chair next to
hers.
     Shuichi sat down, his back to the windows that lined the far
wall. The sun was only beginning to set; it was a small consolation
to not have the light in his face. Hinako pulled out another
datapad and quickly accessed the student history files.
     "I am worried about you, Shuichi," she said. "You are arriving
at school late more frequently, and I've noticed you're having a
hard time staying both awake and focused in my classes."
     He did his best to ensure his expression didn't match the
sinking feeling in his stomach. So far it was working. Why did all
the things he seemed to really learn well from Kunio-sensei wind up
putting him at odds with everything else in the city?
     Hinako noted Shuichi's stoic response.
     "I've also watched the quality of your assignments slowly
decrease, not just in my class but in others as well," she added.
If she was to goad him into some kind of positive reaction towards
his studies, it looked like she would have to pull out her trump
card right from the start. "You've been doing your best to hide it,
but it still can't be ignored. You're handing in fewer assignments,
and the ones you do reflect the haste you had in writing them."
     She paused, looking straight at him.
     She was expecting an answer of some kind.
     "My training leaves me with very little time or energy left in
the day," he answered, trying to sound as reasonable as he could.
"It's a matter of trying to balance my academics with my other
after-school classes, and right now that's proving to be a
difficult thing."
     While he avoided stating that his other classes were in the
martial arts, he knew Hinako would have that on file. He'd only
make it an issue if she brought it up first.
     "Are you saying you can balance the two if you are given more
time?" she inquired.
     Shuichi shook his head. "Not sure. This isn't an apology, it's
an explanation."
     "Explanations usually wind up being apologies."
     He kept from wincing, the words 'Oh shit' becoming a mantra in
his mind. "I'm not apologising for my grades, Hinako-sensei. I just
want to let you know where I am standing right now." 
     Dammit, she was starting to turn this into a fight. And
Shuichi could feel himself already taking it very personally.
     Hinako sighed, setting the datapad down on her desk. Her
fingers ran through her auburn hair as she gave him a reprimand
with just her eyes. "I know you too well, Shuichi. I've read your
student file. You're trying to make it sound like you're standing
on middle ground, neutral to both school and your martial arts
classes, but in my mind you've already made your choice. Your
grades reflect where your priorities are."
     There was no way he could have hidden the flash of anger that
rose in him. In her eyes, he had already allied himself with Kunio-
sensei. And she was disapproving of them both now.
     "This meeting is a warning," she told him plainly. "I may only
teach history, but I've been checking on your other classes. Your
marks are slowly spiralling. Unless you manage to pull them up in
the next two weeks, your parents will be notified. Do you
understand?"
     Shuichi bit his tongue from saying anything other than a
chastised, "Hai."
     He left Saito High with a definite sense of dread. While he
wanted to thoroughly pummel something in venting his anger, the
last thing he wanted to do today was train.
     Hinako-sensei's genuine threats to contact his parents
concerned him...but he feared Kunio-sensei. And there was a
distinct difference between concern and fear. He felt like he was
already out of Kunio-sensei's good graces because of the
apprenticeship request, and skipping a class would only provoke his
instructor even further.
     Shuichi looked up at the skies, a mixture of red and blue high
over his head. The incessant chirping of the cicadas was still
droning on around him.
     "Kuso," he hissed.


     Night had fallen upon Crystal Tokyo.
     The serene cityscape shimmered with crystal and steel, in some
places side by side as the gradual development continued. Many
people considered the crystallisation of the city more a
reformation than a development. The transformation was symbolic of
the city throwing off the chains of the old world, freeing it to
chase a new and beautiful future.
     But the future was not without its risks.
     That was why the Mugen had been established.
     Haruka and Michiru casually walked through a small underground
corridor, their ultimate destination the elevator far before them.
Only the Outer Senshi knew of this corridor's existence,
guaranteeing them privacy of entering as Haruka and Michiru, and
leaving as Sailors Uranus and Neptune. The walls were a solid navy
blue, panels of lights illuminating the corridor from both the
floors below and the ceiling above.
     "You ready to face the music?" Haruka asked as she pressed the
call button.
     Michiru didn't nod. She didn't shake her head either. For as
intimidating as they were to the Mugen operatives, she felt
intimidated by having to stand before them and explain their
failure. It was a failure she took personally. More personally than
she let on.
     Hotaru had been killed in creating this future.
     And now people were killing themselves in some misguided
attempt to preserve what was already guaranteed for centuries more.
But stopping the Moonlight Sanctuary was only the latest of the
Mugen's mission tasks. There had been other dangers to avert, to be
certain, yet nothing as dark as this.
     Seventy years ago, Endymion had spearheaded the entire
establishing of the Mugen section. He had taken it upon himself to
create the Mugen, help select its first officers, and then hand its
operations over to the Outer Senshi. While both she and Michiru had
shared reservations about giving it the same name as the high
school where the Deathbusters had worked out of, they agreed to it.
     Mugen.
     Infinity.
     In a sense, calling this section of the police 'the Mugen' was
accurate: if you were a part of the Mugen you were in it for life.
The Moonlight Sanctuary was just one secret the men and women here
had to keep from everyone else. Guaranteed it wouldn't be the last.
They would not be allowed to leave the Mugen--unless they willingly
surrendered their memories.
     A complete erasure of who they once were.
     Just as many had done after the Silence, they would have to
find a new life for themselves again. Any and all traces of their
past would be wiped clean: houses, accounts, family, possessions.
     Everything.
     Memory erasure wasn't a precision operation. It was all or
nothing. But it was something every new member was warned about
before becoming one of the Mugen. So far they had lost only two
people to the stress and burden that came with the job. The first
had left when a run-amok daimon tore out his pure heart. The other
had left a year ago after coming a hair's breadth from stopping the
Sanctuary cult and failing. She hadn't been able to forgive herself
and asked that her memories be taken.
     The two transformed inside the elevator.
     Now in their telltale sailor fuku, they waited for the
elevator take them into the world of the Mugen once more. The cab
continued to hum as it ascended before it shuddered to a halt. With
a whoosh of air the doors parted to reveal the Mugen offices.
     In many ways, the main area looked not unlike that of the
regular police offices. There were desks and cubicles, filing
cabinets and change rooms, and a number of large plants scattered
around to give some life to the floor. However, there were other
sights which betrayed the importance and near unlimited funding the
Mugen received.
     First and foremost was the fact that the Mugen offices took up
two floors. Most of the second floor was opened up to look down
into main foyer. There were other items of technical equipment
which other corporations could only dream of. Many of them were
interactive virtuality consoles and terminals.
     Mugen HQ was located on the fifth and sixth floors of a six
storey office building. And it was as far into the heart of the
city as it could get. The Crystal Palace was built offside where
the former Tokyo City Hall had been, in the Shinjuku ward. Not that
Uranus complained to much about the travel time. She always managed
to use the opportunity to drive her convertible from the palace to
here.
     The building had been crystallised, allowing for a high degree
of privacy and protection from the outside. And at the same time,
the crystal glass allowed the operatives to get a breathtaking view
of an elegant park. Many times they needed to take a breath and
distance themselves from their work.
     Right now, all eleven Mugen officers were milling around the
foyer. They knew the debriefing was coming and could only wait.
Upon seeing the Outers they all stood at attention. Thankfully they
didn't salute. Everyone knew better than to do something like that.
The core group had been working with each other for seventy years.
     A cautious and quiet reaction the emergence of the Serenity
cults within the city. The Moonlight Sanctuary was the most recent
one--not to mention the most gruesome. The Mugen had first noticed
the Sanctuary's activities when certain missing persons reports
started to form a chilling pattern. Who knew how long the cult had
been operating before the Mugen were alerted.
     For two years now the chase had been on.
     And the Sanctuary had proven to always be one step ahead.
     No information on their recruitment methods, their ultimate
goals, their memberships. In short, nothing save for the peaceful-
looking corpses left behind.
     "Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune," the commander said, nodding
respectfully to them as they walked past. The other operatives
stepped back and parted to form a walkway for the two Senshi.
Wordlessly Enishi took up step behind them. The rest of the Mugen
followed.
     In back was a briefing room designed to handle more security
precautions and even more high-tech equipment. Though here it was
strictly for presentation. The sitting area was two-tiered, a semi-
circle looking down to the centre where the Outers always stood.
     Everyone took their seats.
     Uranus took a deep breath before she addressed them. A glance
was made in Neptune's direction to ensure the other soldier was
handling the stress well enough to hide it in front of the others.
     "Let's get down to business," she stated. This was a time for
cold professionalism. "Last night was our first best chance to stop
the Moonlight Sanctuary. And we failed. Not just you, but Neptune
and I as well. This means one of two things: either we're all doing
something very wrong...or else whoever leads this cult is smarter
than we're giving them credit for."
     She left out the fact that she was starting to believe the
latter more than the former. The smarter the mastermind, the darker
the battle would inevitably become. Uranus naturally had to
question if the Mugen were up to the challenge once the stakes
would become raised.
     There was a small Navi terminal in front of her, which
resembled a black metal podium. She quickly accessed a few of the
terminal's command functions, and a screen flickered to life in
between her and the Mugen operatives. It hovered in the air, an
image without the need of an imageviewer.
     And the image was that of a greying man who appeared to be
getting on in his years. He was smiling and looking out at
something beyond the camera that had taken this picture. Enishi
estimated the photograph to be about two or three years old at
least, judging from the construction in the background.
     This photograph was pulled back, the screen splitting to allow
room for a second image to join. This was more disturbing. That
same greying man, eyes closed, laying slain upon a Moonlight
Sanctuary alter.
     "From what we can tell," Uranus explained. "the victim last
night was Kosaku Hatanaka, who also happened to be the director of
the Silver Renaissance academy he was killed in. He used his
authority there for the cult to gain access to the facility."
     Enishi scowled. Bad enough he'd had to oversee the
investigation during the aftermath and clean-up. Now he was having
to relive it all over again.
     "The cause of death was the same as all the others before."
Uranus turned to one of the operatives. "What did the bloodtests
show?"
     A young woman shook her head. "The same herbal compound that
could have only come from the Edenstate," she answered. "My report
lists all the components and their concentrations, but the result
is always the same as for the previous deceased." 
     The blend itself acted as a narcotic that sedated the victim,
making them passive and easier to control. The perfect way to lead
them to the alter. The Mugen had access to the archives and
databases which the exploration teams had created. It had proven
invaluable to discovering just what substances were in each
victim's blood. Matching samples and DNA records could prove to be
the key to someone who was a part of the Moonlight Sanctuary.
     The debriefing continued in much the same manner. For all the
angles that were covered, it always held echoes of any information
they had managed to glean from previous ceremonies. A debate about
the significance of the masks reacting to the shed blood arose, but
again no new insights could be found.
     "Is there anything actually new about this ceremony that we
haven't come across before?" Enishi finally asked, finding himself
more agitated as this wore on.
     "There is, and it's something to be concerned about," Neptune
spoke up, taking her place at Uranus' side. "We've only been able
to disrupt a ceremony in progress five times in two years. But this
time one of the supplicants decided to attack us." Aqua-green eyes
focused on Aoshi. "I'll need your assistance."
     Aoshi nodded and compliantly rose from his seat.
     Tucked into the back corner of the room was a Virtuality
terminal that resembled a smaller version of Cyberus. Aoshi sat
back on a black leather chair before letting a visor descend over
his eyes. He slid his hands into a pair of gloves, and began to
work with virtuality.
     Usually the Sanctuary kept to the empty areas.
     Most of the city proper had been saved, but now there weren't
near as many people occupying the area as there used to be. Many of
the districts were left empty if not completely deserted. The
police would do regular patrols of these places, but nothing ever
came up. The Sanctuary members had free reign over these ghost
wards, and that made their movements incredibly difficult to track.
     Luckily, the Mugen had a fallback plan: satellites.
     Two of the three satellites orbiting Crystal Tokyo were more
than capable of tracking surface movement, even if their primary
objective was for trans-global communication purposes. They always
had an eye down on the city, but little was usually done about it.
A constant recording was archived, but there tended to be no reason
for them to fixate on any particular person or place.
     Whenever their usual means of tracking failed to find the
Sanctuary's ceremonies, they fell back on the satellites. Even
then, there were only 2 satellites to work with that had the
necessary tracking abilities. Cyberus helped considerably, but with
the group's constant movement it was difficult to scan every single
building in the city with visible access to the sky.
     Unless the Mugen had a smaller range to work with.
     "Thank Serenity they always like using places where there's a
glass dome or no ceiling," Aoshi muttered to himself as he found at
himself staring out at a virtual programming console, playing with
a number of the keys and buttons.
     The screen in the debriefing room changed and displayed the
what the satellite had managed to capture. Aoshi adjusted the focus
and magnification until the others found themselves watching the
ceremony play out as if they had been standing atop the academy's
glass dome.
     Once the bird's eye view was done, Neptune turned back to
Aoshi. "Can you map it?"
     He nodded, fingers dancing wildly in the air.
     A three dimensional image of the main atrium appeared. They
could combine what the satellite saw with the archived schematics
of the building, and recreate a virtual scene of what happened. The
screen could rotate to any angle they so desired. It required
pooling a lot of technical help from Cyberus, but the Mugen had the
access and authority to do so.
     Everyone silently watched Uranus and Neptune move towards the
priestess as the other worshippers scattered into shadow, never to
be seen again that night.
     "They must have had secret passages in that place," Enishi
heard someone behind him mutter.
     "And we still haven't found those damned doors yet either,"
another operative growled.
     Abruptly the supplicant dropped his robe and started to
brandish his katana swords. The fight began. All too quickly it
ended with both the priestess and the supplicant escaping.
     Both Outers could read the expressions on the Mugen well
enough: if the two Senshi had enough trouble with this guy, then
what chances did these people have against him?
     Enishi found himself clenching his fist, unnerved by the
partial sense of false security he felt in the black leather gloves
on his hands. The regular police had what was in essence a
nightstick that acted as a gentle taser. A painless electrical
discharge that could knock a person out before they knew what had
happened. It suited the regulars.
     After the daimon incident, the Mugen officers were each given
special fingerless gloves that packed twice as much electrical
charge as the nightsticks. The settings could be changed, and were
tuned to react with the adrenaline level detected in the wearer's
body. It was like having your own version of World Shaking.
     Working at full capacity, both gloves slammed against the side
of a car could send the vehicle pitching over sideways, violently
tumbling through the air. However, the gloves would be burnt out
after that single discharge--and odds were the user's hands would
be permanently fused to the melted remains of said gloves.
     One of the guys finally whistled as the screen disappeared.
"You never told us the worshippers could do that."
     "We didn't know they could do that," came the response from
Sailor Neptune. "This is something new, and it could very well
become both a risk and threat to everyone next time. The game is
changing, and we're not the ones changing it."
     Uranus picked up on the direction this was leading. "All
indications are that the Moonlight Sanctuary is about to make a
radical change, one that could make tracking and stopping them even
harder than before. We need to be spending the next few weeks
squeezing every last source of information we can get if we want to
anticipate their next move. I don't need to tell you what's at
stake here."
     They all knew she was right: they didn't need to be told.
     The debriefing ended shortly thereafter.


     Seki was seated at a ramen stand.
     It wasn't a fancy ramen stand by any stretch of the
imagination. In fact, it was just an outdoor stand that cooked and
sold ramen. What the customer saw over the counter in terms of
cooking appliances was what the cook used. The food was left open
to the cool night air and any other element that wished to join in.
But the proprietor and cook certainly made for interesting company
to keep. Always good for a laugh and a little under-the-table
dealings.
     Seki tipped back his large bowl and slurped down the last of
his broth. A few stray ramen noodles and slivers of vegetables
remained at the bottom; he fished those out with his chopsticks.
     "You're a hard man to find, Keigo-san," a familiar voice
stated from behind him.
     A smile crossed Seki's face. "This would make it the third
night in a row, Yanigata. Would it not?"
     "And the last night for a while, if you will grant me the
courtesy of your presence," Yanigata answered with a slight and
respectful bow.
     Seki wiped his mouth clean with a napkin before slipping off
his stool. Turning his head he found the dojo instructor standing
patiently behind him. Just how much trouble had Yanigata gone
through to track him down anyways? 
     Seki pushed a small amount of money across the counter before
leaving. "Thank you again for your excellent food, Sho."
     The man behind the counter, old and grey, looked at him
through squinted eyes. The wrinkles on his skin creased even more
as his lips curled into a smile. "Don't mention it, Keigo-san."
That said, he pocketed the money and returned to preparing a plate
of sushi for another waiting customer.
     Seki and Yanigata took to a quiet walk through the streets of
Crystal Tokyo. Not many people were out; strange that even with
such security, most of the citizens found no real reason to enjoy
the night.
     "You there for business or pleasure?" Yanigata asked.
     Seki smiled. "A little of each. And yourself?" When his
companion only gave a slight scowl for a response, he ventured a
guess. "You get an invitation to the ball?"
     Kunio nodded.
     "Replied in the resoundingly negative as always?"
     Again a nod.
     "And?"
     Yanigata hesitated for a moment. "Early this afternoon I was
visited by Aino Minako." 
     Seki cocked one of his eyebrows. "Sailor Venus? The Public
Relations head for the palace?" She must have visited Yanigata
right after she performed the tea ceremony.
     "Despite my written response, she wished to ask me in person
if I might reconsider." This made for the eighth or ninth
consecutive year he'd received an invitation. But it marked the
first year the palace had gone to this kind of length to cajole him
into coming. Yanigata still wasn't all that impressed, but she had
been so tenacious he had relented to an "I'll think about it"
response.
     Seki sighed in fatherly exasperation. "You ever stop to think
that maybe if you bothered attending it just once, they'd stop
trying?"
     "I still don't see why they keep trying in the first place.
They should just let me be and move on down the list. I expected to
get my second invitation a decade or so after the first one I
turned down, not the following year."
     "You formally decline," Seki stated. "Always in the written,
never in person. You never give a reason why you don't wish to go,
and you always have the dojo's seal on the paper. It wouldn't
surprise me if the queen was well aware of who you are and how
you're having trouble fitting in. Maybe this is her way of trying
to reach out and help."
     "I don't need her coddling me."
     "You owe her your life, Yanigata."
     He nodded slightly. "That I do. But that doesn't mean I'm
enjoying what I've been given. Sometimes I wonder just why I was
spared in the Storm...and these thoughts have grown more and more
over the past decade."
     They reached the edge of a park, the waves of a small lake
catching the moon's rays. 
     "You know," Seki remarked nonchalantly as he sat back on a
nearby bench. "I think that of all the people I meet with, you are
the one who seems to derive the most pleasure from being so
miserable. Does this city's state of affairs bother you that much?"
     Yanigata opted to remain standing, staring out at the lake.
Moments later he closed his eyes to it all. "Right now, the only
way I can find my place to fit in is by being out of place. Ironic,
isn't it?"
     The only reason it had taken him this long to actually feel
this way was because the first twenty years after the Storm were
just one massive wave of disorientation for everyone. After forty
years this odd feeling, he figured it was some sort of after effect
that was lingering in him. Now he was at last understanding the
truth of what this feeling was.
     "Some people just weren't made to be content to sit in utopia,
Yanigata," Seki drawled. "Crystal Tokyo can use people like us, to
stir things up every now and again and make life interesting. It's
not like we need to shatter this idyllic world, but we can
certainly prompt it to action." 
     He sighed and glanced around the park. "Of course, currently
there's really nothing I can think of that requires our decisive
action."
     Yanigata's eyes remained closed.
     "Keigo-san," he stated plainly. "You're lying."
     Seki chuckled. "But are you taking the bait?"
     His friend's eyes opened, a silent but sure signal the
temptation was being accepted.
     "Have you heard of something called the Moonlight Sanctuary,"
the elder then asked.
     Yanigata shook his head, puzzling over the name. It sounded
like some kind of new store selling Serenity paraphernalia. But why
would Seki take an interest in something as trivial as that?
     "I'm not surprised," Seki replied, noting the confused look on
Yanigata's face. "They're a faction who would like to remain
unknown, and the Senshi would prefer that to so as not to create a
panic. Ignorance is bliss in this case, an amiable goal on both
sides."
     "So who are these people?"
     Seki chose his words carefully, making sure each one was
adequately loaded to grab Yanigata's full attention. "They are
obsessed with worshipping Serenity, to the point of offering up
human sacrifices. They want to ensure both the city and the queen's
reign continues."
     Yanigata stared at Seki in mild surprise. And with a fair bit
of scepticism. "They adore the woman who openly states how all life
is precious...by killing themselves?"
     "Don't ask me to explain their reasoning behind it," Seki
stated plainly. "I'm not a member, nor do I have any intention of
signing up as one in the near future. You may not believe in that
sort of idea any more than I, Yanigata, but they are ardent keepers
of such faith. Thinking Serenity is a goddess isn't that much a
stretch after all she's done for us. All it takes is one clever
mind to twist it the wrong way."
     Yanigata shook his head in disgust. "Lambs to the slaughter."
He leaned back and sighed deeply. Oddly enough he felt himself
surprisingly cheerful now, knowing that all was not right with
paradise. That small spark of hope returned, that a warrior of the
old codes might have some use in utopia after all.
     "I've taken a personal interest in this recently," Seki
explained. "The cult is getting smarter and I'm having a difficult
time negotiating my information. The more eyes and ears I have, the
better."
     "I don't exactly blend in with them, Seki," Yanigata said
bluntly. "I'm uncomfortable with the city, and they love every
damned second they spend in it."
     Seki raised a patient hand to quiet the protests. "Hear me out
before you shout me down. Through much cajoling and many favours
both called in and now owing, I have been to the Moonlight
Masquerade for the past four consecutive years in a row. That makes
for eight masquerades in total, one each solstice. While I would
like to attend this time as well, I fear my reoccurring presence is
being noticed. 
     "The Moonlight Masquerade is a gathering place for people
across the city, Yanigata. It has never failed to be an incredible
stockpile of information."
     Yanigata groaned and shook his head. "You want me to be your
spy?"
     "In a manner of speaking, yes," Seki replied. "I know you: if
you went, you wouldn't do much socialising. You'd probably spend
most of your time either watching from a shadow or just wandering
aimlessly through the crowd. All I'm asking is that you listen as
you wander and watch. People think no one else is paying attention
when there's that large a crowd; they enjoy spilling secrets.
     "I also need you to act as a messenger. I have something that
will be delivered to me during the masquerade. But if I'm there,
people will be already watching me. Given the nature of the item in
question, I am not about to risk any prying eyes. They'd expect me
to make the delivery--but not you. Interested?"
     Yanigata flopped down on the bench next to Seki. "Go on. I
fear this may be my only chance to repay some the numerous favours
I owe you."
     "That's the spirit," Seki chuckled. "As it is, the craftsman
I'm ordering from cannot attend the masquerade either. A go-between
will be making the delivery, which happily makes for a better cover
and less risk of being caught. If you act as another go-between,
suspicion will be diverted even further."
     "And what do I get out of it?"
     Seki gave his friend a look of feigned innocence. "Other than
the satisfaction of a courier's job well done, and as much Sake as
you can handle in one night?" His lips were pursed, and then curled
into a smile. "Realize that if you attend the masquerade, you
definitely won't be getting any invitations for a while. That is
their policy regardless."
     Now that did manage to grab Yanigata's attention. He sat back
on the bench, mulling the proposal over. "So if I go, she'll leave
me alone for a few years?"
     "In theory, anyways."
     He gave a conceding sigh. "It's worth a try. I can contact
Minako's offices tomorrow and leave her a message. Domo, Keigo-
san." With that said, he stood up to go his own way home. "And
yes," he added over his shoulder. "I'll be your courier. I am in
your debt for quietly getting me home while I was drunk."
     Seki nodded and then with a wry smile added, "Let no good deed
go unpaid."


     The little boy in front of her was absently staring at the
cast with both a grin and a scowl. To him, the white plaster around
his arm was unusual and thusly worth his rapt fascination. However,
he was starting to realize just how limited his playing would be
for the next few weeks.
     "It itches," he stated.
     Asahina shook her head, unable to keep from smiling. "You'll
just have to get used to that. In the meantime, you had better stop
trying to jump out of trees."
     The little boy wriggled underneath her pressing gaze. No doubt
he'd already received enough worried scolding from his parents. The
cast and brace on his arm could come off in a month or so; at least
he wasn't stuck with a sling to further cramp his mobility.
     These sorts of injuries were not uncommon even in Crystal
Tokyo. Fatalities were naturally gone, but children would always be
children. It was impossible to stop a few of them from trying
something foolish and then hurting themselves. Every now and again
there would be a serious case, if a child or even an adult managed
to severely injure themselves. That always injected a new surge of
adrenaline and resolve in the hospital staff.
     While medical technology had advanced by considerable leaps
and bounds, it had been agreed by the Court of Serenity and the
best doctors right after the Storm to let broken bones heal as
naturally as possible. The technology acted more to ensure that
there would be no later complications. If anything this kept a
degree of the reality of the public's own mortality in check.
     Asahina quietly wondered if Neo Queen Serenity wanted it this
way as a subtle reminder to her people about the sanctity of life.
As a doctor, Asahina understood. The life of this city was indeed
precious, and that was why she made every effort to ensure that it
would never be threatened again. For the greater good of her queen
and her fellow citizens, she was willing to give her life.
     After giving the child a lollipop (some things never did
change after the Storm), Asahina escorted him out to the waiting
area. A relieved mother and father picked him up and fawned over
the boy. Asahina relayed some doctorly advice of what he should and
should not be doing with his cast.
     Five minutes later the family left.
     With a sigh of relief, Asahina walked over to elevator and let
it take her to the third floor. From there she went into the
doctor's lounge and signed herself out on the work terminal.
Thankfully the schedule wouldn't have her working night shifts at
the end of this month.
     "Leaving so soon?" she heard Shingo's voice inquire from
behind.
     She smiled warmly as she turned and found him standing in the
lounge doorway. "I've been working here for ten hours as it is,
Shingo. A quiet dinner, a good book and some much-deserved rest are
all I'm looking forward to right now."
     Shingo feigned hurt. "I hope I'm somewhere on that list of
priorities."
     "Somewhere, but not on tonight's list," Asahina answered
playfully. She opened up her locker and hung her labcoat on its
hook. "We still have the weekend together, ne?"
     He nodded, his mind still slightly preoccupied with his next
set of patients. But that was understandable, given how Shingo was
one of the top up-and-coming doctors researching the Newtype
phenomenon.
     Their flirting was cut short as another doctor walked past
Shingo. "Hey loverboy, you're needed in room six."
     With a sigh, Shingo nodded. "Duty calls," he said to Asahina.
"If it's not too late at night when I get home, I'll call you."
     He flashed her that disarming grin which had first won her
affections. Strange how it seemed almost like love at first sight
for them both, and all because of a routine transfer that sent him
to this hospital.
     Shingo stole a glance down either direction of the hallway. No
one was nearby or heading towards the lounge. It was an opportunity
he quickly seized. Asahina watched him quietly approach, and her
heartbeat quickened as he leaned forward and kissed her.
     "See you tomorrow," he said, lingering a little more at her
cheek. And then he shuffled out of the lounge to attend to his next
Newtype patient.
     Her lips were still tingling from his kiss. She would have
invited him to join her this evening once his own shift ended at
ten, but there were other matters which had swallowed up her focus.
     The bus ride to nearest subway station was uneventful. From
there she caught an equally uneventful subway train to her
neighbourhood. As she stepped out into the clean air of the city,
free from the underground tunnels, Asahina took a deep breath and
wondered how she should go about with her closure.
     For a few minutes she forgot about everything, and simply
stared the sky. Blue was starting to darken above. Closer to the
horizon line it was burned into hues of orange and red. The
crystalline houses and apartments lining the streets shimmered in
reflecting the sunset beginnings.
     Her own apartment was located on the fourth floor and gave a
breathtaking view of the distant Crystal Tokyo skyscrapers. This
area was in the process of being redeveloped for the crystalline
architecture; only a year ago had they redone her block. The
displacement was always a headache for everyone involved. But once
the Senshi and their co-ordinating department heads had figured out
a method to the madness, moving an entire block of people to
(usually) a new district while their houses were renovated was
growing easier.
     Dinner was the last thing on her mind as Asahina unlocked and
opened up her door. Locks were optional, if not a novelty here, but
she had reasons for wanting that added guarantee of privacy.
     She sat down at her small writing desk. Glanced at the stacks
of records and medical journals messily sprawled on top of it.
There were at least six or seven she still had to read if she
wanted to keep up on current research, but right now she couldn't
find the drive.
     Her hand went to the middle left drawer of her desk. Pulled it
back and reached inside. She drew out a small, white envelope.
Unmarked. A few days ago she had found it in her mailbox. Inside
had been a beautifully written summons. The calligraphy of each
kanji stroke was unmatched.
     The summons was read one more time.
     Asahina sighed and folded the paper up. Placed it back in her
private desk drawer.
     She had often wondered if this day would come. 
     Not that she was objecting to it.
     She would have to break up with Shingo, that was for certain.
Better to break his heart now than later. He was tenacious enough
to investigate if she merely "disappeared", and she feared he would
not understand her cause. To die for Serenity, for the good of the
city, was a high honour. 
     At least she would be able to attend the Moonlight Masquerade.
It seemed almost poetic: the perfect end to her life, that she
could dance and dine in the hallowed halls of the Crystal Palace.
Even see Neo Queen Serenity and the Senshi close-up. She could use
her memories of that to sustain her in the final days.
     The Moonlight Sanctuary had made her the next Chosen One. When
the full moon returned to the midnight skies, she would offer
herself up to their queen.


     The remainder of the week passed without much else to worry
about. Not that Shuichi actually wanted anything else to worry
about. The battle of loyalties between academics and the dojo was
leaving him an insomniac. He felt worse than he could ever imagine
with his lack of sleep, physically exhausting routine, and overall
stress.
     And so he spent his Saturday afternoon lounging around the
house. In a few hours he'd have another 4 hour training session
with Kunio-sensei. Best to take it easy while he had the chance,
and not dwell on anything of severe importance.
     Idly he sat on the edge of the kitchen counter, watching his
mother work her usual culinary magic on dinner. His dad had been
sent on a grocery run to restock some of their food supplies, as
well as shop for some other various items. Hotaru was busy playing
in her room.
     That just left mother and son.
     "How is school going?" she asked him as she adeptly sliced
vegetables into thin slivers.
     Shuichi felt that dreaded lump in his throat yet again.
"Um...fine," he answered.
     His mother continued to cut up some peppers. "Are you sure?"
     He faltered in trying to verbalise a response. 
     An excuse. 
     Anything. 
     "You can't hide everything from me, Shuichi," she stated. "You
hesitated when you answered my question. What's the problem?"
     Shuichi grimaced. He knew this confrontation was inevitable.
He just hadn't wanted it to come this quickly.
     "Trouble balancing your time with homework and the dojo?" she
suddenly inquired.
     He could only stare at her in surprise, his jaw slack. Had it
been that obvious? Had she already known and was just waiting for
him to confess it? Shuichi paused. What did he have to confess? It
wasn't like he was doing anything actually wrong. Shuichi braced
himself for what was shaping up to be another defense of Kunio-
sensei.
     But then his mother abruptly killed the entire argument.
"Shuichi," she said. "I'm not going to yell at you. I'm not going
to lecture you or tell you what you should do."
     Shuichi gave her a puzzled look. "You're not?"
     This was so unlike most of any parent-child discussion he'd
ever had, or heard about from his friends. Usually it was the
parent dictating and the child obeying. Especially with regards to
something this significant, where both Ruri and Hinako-sensei were
taking seriously, it felt odd to have his own mother remain so
seemingly blas‚.
     She favoured him with an enigmatic motherly smile. "Shuichi,
you're almost of age for Ascension; you've got centuries ahead of
you. The decision about what you want to do with it should be yours
to make. Yes, your father and I want to guide you, but we're not
about to wrongly force you into something that will affect your
future.
     "That's why we enrolled you in martial arts training under
Kunio-sensei. We wanted you to get a feel for a different
lifestyle, something uncommon from what everyone else is doing
right now. You've experienced what it's like to be both in the
heart and on the fringe of the Crystal Tokyo way of life."
     One of Shuichi's eyebrows went up. "You're raising me to be a
dissident?"
     "A man named Chargaff once said, 'A good teacher can only have
dissident pupils.' It means you're thinking for yourself, and
challenging what you believe needs to be changed." She sighed and
set down her cutting knife. Her gaze focused upon her son. "I've
seen far too many people in this city complacently sit back and
accept everything as if it was the divine will of Serenity.
     "Our queen is doing her best to keep this city from growing
stagnant. If her hopes for Crystal Tokyo are to be preserved,
people like you have to be ready to stand up and act when everyone
else is sitting down. You need to be able to see where a problem
may lie, even if it means challenging authority, if you want it
corrected."
     Kunio-sensei's training and philosophy had definitely rubbed
off on her. Shuichi was shaking his head, trying to digest
everything he was hearing. He had never heard her talk like this;
maybe some subtle references here or there, but never this openly.
And more importantly, she knew exactly what he was struggling with.
This felt like something she had been expecting for a long time.
Some sort of seed of discord she was now going to let bloom.
     "How did you get to be like this?" he asked her. "I never knew
you could be so...so...."
     "Radical?" she ventured.
     He nodded. And that was saying a lot, given all the experience
he'd had with Kunio-sensei's uneasiness with the city.
     His mother picked up the cutting knife again. "Shuichi, I
trained under Kunio-sensei for twenty years. When I became pregnant
with you, I retired as a student from his dojo--but I also promised
both him and myself that I would enrol you when you were old
enough. Kunio-sensei has much to teach, and it seems to me like
you're learning."
     "What did Dad have to say about this?"
     She laughed. "When we first met at the masquerade, he liked
the concept of dating a martial artist. And it was your father who
took you every weekend he could to Kunio-sensei's dojo to watch the
practices. You may not remember, but you've been a regular visitor
there since you learned to crawl."
     And he had started the actual training at five.
     Shuichi whistled at the thought of just how much history there
was between his family and the dojo. No wonder Kunio-sensei wanted
to take him on as an apprentice. But all this still left him
without any tangible answer. He was almost ready to have a demand
dictated to him. Anything to save him the trouble of facing hell
from either Hinako or Kunio.
     "So where does that put me and school?" he hazarded to ask.
     "That," his mother answered. "is your decision to make."
     Shuichi leaned back where he sat on the countertop, and gave
it some further consideration. There wasn't any actual, written
regulation that stated everyone had to complete high school.
Classes up to the tenth grade were mandatory, but everything else
beyond was optional. Then again...there was that unmistakable 'We
HIGHLY recommend you do this' mindset regarding the completion of
high school. Among other things too.
     Maybe there was some means of taking only one or two classes
a semester until his Ascension. Or maybe the easiest way out was to
simply quit school and go for full training at the dojo. If he felt
the need later on in life, he could go back and catch up on
everything he missed academically.
     He found it easier to puzzle over the issue now that he knew
there was no pressure one way or the other from his parents. He
made a mental note to ask his mother later on what decision she had
made between school and training with Kunio-sensei. She probably
had faced the same dilemma he was facing now.
     "I'll let you mull your way through it on your own," his
mother said. "How about we stick to something a little more
superficial."
     "Like?"
     "Have you picked out what you're going to wear to the
Moonlight Masquerade?"
     Shuichi shrugged. "I've got some ideas, but nothing in my
closet fits that whole 'formal wear' motif. Is it too late to rent
a tuxedo?"
     "The invitations went out two months ago," his mother answered
with a smirk. "Guaranteed any dress shop or tuxedo rental is
completely out of stock by now."
     "Guess I'll dress as formally as I can get. No blue jeans?"
     "No blue jeans."
     Shuichi rolled his eyes. "You never let me have any fun," he
sighed.
     Fact was, the Moonlight Masquerade would be a welcomed
distraction from everything else in his life. This marked his and
Hotaru's first time in attending. His parents had both attended it
with their respective families when they were young; that was where
they had met and fallen in love.
     At least the masquerade fell upon the one day Kunio-sensei
didn't teach him. Shuichi always dreaded having to tell his
instructor that he'd either have to leave early or miss a class
because of other obligations. Kunio's perpetual scowl just seemed
to turn into a glare that could have melted steel.
     The only times he ever seemed satisfied with Shuichi's
required absence was when it involved taking care of Hotaru.
Shuichi had once brought her to the dojo a few months ago when
there was no way he could wrestle out of either duty. Kunio-sensei
was testing them to see if they would advance a rank, and his
parents were going to be out all night.
     Hotaru had just sat at the edge of the mat, staring in rapt
fascination at the people who seemed to dance across the dojo in a
series of jabs, slides and kicks. The only time she ever caused
trouble was when she got too close to one of the bladed weapons a
student had left on the floor. Kunio-sensei swiftly intervened
before she could have been hurt.
     Shuichi's head snapped up as he heard his mother give a
startled cry. A trickle of blood ran down from her clenched hand as
the cutting knife fell onto the table. He raced over, realising
what had happened.
     "Daijobu?" he asked.
     She winced as she felt the blood drip down from her palm. It
didn't feel as deep as it could have been, but that still wasn't a
comforting thought.
     "That looks like a nasty cut," Shuichi remarked as he gently
opened her palm. He added with a smirk, "And to think you of all
people got it from cooking in the kitchen."
     "Even monkeys fall out of trees sometimes," his mother
retorted as she grabbed a nearby washcloth. Pressure was applied to
help clot the flow of blood. "Could you get Hotaru-chan for me?"
     He nodded and went to his little sister's room. Hotaru was
busy playing make-believe with a few of her stuffed animals. She
looked up at him with wide, violet eyes. "What is it, Shuichi onii-
san?" she asked.
     "You'll see in a minute," he answered, hastily picking her up
and carrying her into the kitchen.
     Hotaru gave a concerned cry as she saw the bloodied washcloth
in their mother's clenched hand. But their mother adeptly knelt
down and whispered soothing words to her daughter.
     "It hurts?" Hotaru asked.
     She nodded. "Hai. Hotaru-chan, can you help me?"
     Hotaru beamed proudly. "Anything for you!"
     Shuichi stood back and watched as their mother gingerly pulled
the washcloth away from the open cut. Hotaru placed her own palm
over their mother's, and closed her eyes. Between their hands came
a spark. Then a shimmering light. From his vantage point, Shuichi
watched silently as the cut slowly sealed itself up, became a scab,
and then vanished entirely.
     All that remained was just the damp blood on their mother's
hand.
     Hotaru leaned back and let out a deep sigh. "All better?"
     "Thank you, Hotaru-chan," she said, smiling as only a mother
could to her daughter. She gave Hotaru a kiss on the forehead and
they both hugged each other tightly. Once she was released, Hotaru
giggled and then ran off to be with her toys.
     Shuichi stuck his hands back into his pockets, watching her
disappear around the corner of the doorway. "One day she is going
to realize she's different from other kinds," he said.
     His mother nodded, washing her hand off in the sink. "I know.
But right now we need to preserve the innocence of her childhood
for as long as we can. In a few years she'll discover that not
everyone has the power to heal the way she does."
     "Are we going to have Hotaru hide her gift?" he asked.
     She shook her head in uncertainty. "I honestly don't know.
With the way the city is now, people would probably revere her
rather than fear her. I think we'll have to worry about that when
the time comes."


     The garage had closed for the night. As always, business had
been brisk. Sakura felt rather pleased with her efforts as she
stripped out of her work coveralls and adjourned to her private
office. Various parts, requisition & order forms, and memos
cluttered her desk.
     She had yet to see any garage where the mechanic actually had
a clean and identifiable desktop. That made Sakura smirk, knowing
she was definitely born and bred to be a mechanic.
     A particularly colourful notice at the top of one of her
unkempt paper stacks caught her attention. It was her invitation to
this winter's Moonlight Masquerade. She wasn't really too committed
to going. Sure it was the Moonlight Masquerade, but it sounded a
little too uncomfortable to her.
     To somewhat of her own chagrin, Sakura knew she wasn't used to
dressing up in fancy clothes and dancing around and sipping
champagne. Her idea of a good time was being elbow-deep in the
piston-pumping heart of a car, maybe with some Blues music playing
in the background of her garage.
     The thought to just quietly not reply one way or another and
then not show at all, was entertained again. Sakura glanced at the
wastebasket, poised to toss the fancy invitation away.
     Then again...that cute guy she had met last week might be
there. It was a slim chance, but something she fondly entertained.
Sakura withheld from tossing aside the invitation yet again. This
made it her ninth or so attempt to toss it--and the ninth or so
time she had used that cute guy as her driving motive for going.
     It was as good as any reason to attend.
     Now all she had to do was find some kind of inexpensive and
elegant dress with only a few days left. That in itself would be a
daunting task. But if she closed the garage for a few days she
might be up to the challenge. It wasn't like anyone in the city
would object to her not working for a few days. 
     After all, this was Crystal Tokyo.


     Another week passed the city by.
     The night before the masquerade had come.
     Preceding it had been a frantic three days of scheduling for
the near two dozen Ascensions. Artemis let out a deep sigh of
relief as he consulted the datapad in his hands. It had been more
favourable to remain human for the past few days than feline. "Last
one," he announced. "And only ten in the evening too."
     He rubbed his aching eyes, the energy in his body sorely
depleted from all the running around.
     "Where's Luna?" Rei asked. She continued to lean with her back
against the corridor wall, ignoring the formal robes that would no
doubt be wrinkled tomorrow morning.
     "Sleeping, I hope," the Mau answered. He pushed some of his
long whitened bangs off his shoulder. "This morning we decided that
we should take shifts in managing the Ascension detail. And it
looks like we managed to balance the work evenly too."
     With much appreciation he recalled how Endymion had postponed
all the palace forums for the week to help lighten the load.
Everyone was busy, and were lucky to catch glimpses of each other
as they ran around the palace.
     Endymion was assisting Minako with any and all last minute
masquerade preparations. Makoto was co-ordinating the guard detail
with Haruka, Michiru and the Mugen. Ami was doing whatever she
usually did down in the depths of Cyberus' domain. That left him,
Luna and Rei to guide Serenity and her Ascension applicants from
one meeting to the next.
     "Where's our final guest?" Rei asked him.
     Artemis thumbed down the hall, still studying his datapad.
"Third door on the left. His name's Otomo Katsuhiro, and he had the
fortune of spending last night here." The Mau shrugged
indifferently. "At least he'll be able to tell his family that he
got to stay in a royal guest suite."
     "Him as well as two others."
     "Hai hai. But that was unavoidable. To be perfectly honest,
Rei, I'm surprised we didn't have more here last night. And I'm
still impressed we managed to get to the last Ascension before
midnight."
     Rei managed a weary smile; while they were all in need of
sleep, odds were that tomorrow would demand them being up from dawn
to the following dawn. She let her hands rest on her uniform, one
specially tailored for her role in Ascension ceremonies. It was not
unlike a kimono in style and design, red like fire as symbolic of
her position. 
     Her title as Sailor Mars.
     "It's always the little things that usually give us the
greatest pleasure," she quipped.
     Artemis chuckled. "Do you want me to handle Otomo, or shall
you?"
     "I can take it from here," she said. "Go home to Luna and get
some sleep for tomorrow. Someone in the palace should try to rest."
     The Mau nodded and then tossed her the datapad. Effortlessly
Rei caught the pad and skimmed over the Otomo's profile. She had
gone over them all with Serenity last week, so this was more a
refresher. One last glance was made over her shoulder in Artemis'
direction before she walked purposefully over to the guest suite.
     Rei made a quick appraisal of her uniform before straightening
up and knocking formally on the door. There was some scuffling
around inside, and then a rather anxious youth opened the door and
peeked his head. His brown eyes looked from one end of the hallway
to the next, bangs of brown hair now bleached to a blondish-white
hanging down at his shoulders.
     "It's time," she announced.
     He nodded. "H-Hai. Oh, I didn't quite finish all of the food
you sent me for dinner," he added, growing visibly flustered. "Do
I need to clean it up or something?" It was almost cute to watch
him flounder about in his dress shirt, as he tried to hastily slip
his arms into the sleeves of his tuxedo jacket. Otomo had been even
more nervous and flustered the day before, but he was growing used
to having these many encounters with Rei and the Maus. 
     "No, you can leave the room as is. We have others who take
care of that job," Rei told him. Ami's research into daimon
development had resulted in a number of loyally docile youma who
now served as the cleaning detail for the palace. That was, of
course, a palace secret.
     She made sure to give him yet another reassuring smile. His
family must have really made the Ascension sound like a daunting
rite of passage. At least he didn't come from any of the Serenity
religious factions; the youth from those families were near
unbearable, with all their deep bowing and professions of faith and
worship. Rei had already been forced to deal with two of them
yesterday, one right after the other.
     Otomo stepped out into the hallway--and then hopped off-
balance as he tried to slide into one of his black dress shoes. His
success was met with a resounding failure as he jumped around on
one foot and stumbled right back into his guest suite. A loud
'crash!' accompanied his faceplant into a table.
     "I'm okay!" he quickly called out to her.
     He sounded like he was trying to reassure and calm himself
more than her. That only served to amuse Rei even further. True it
was a little sadistic, but after all the other people she couldn't
help but laugh to herself. Otomo reminded her of the old Usagi:
good-natured but clumsy when it came to these sorts of things.
     "The queen is this way," she instructed, leading him through
the maze of crystal halls. "There's nothing you have to worry
about, Katsuhiro-san. If anything, you'll be the one doing all the
talking for the next few hours."
     He seemed surprised, if not even more alarmed. "Me?"
     Rei nodded, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Otomo had just become a deer caught in the headlights. "It's
something Neo Queen Serenity does with all her subjects. This is
her way of getting to know you better, one at a time."
     "But I don't know what to say!" Otomo squeaked.
     "Daijobu. Serenity has a talent for prompting you to speak
your mind."
     Otomo still didn't seem comforted. "I just knew I should have
brought cue cards with me," he muttered to himself, running a hand
through his bleached blonde hair.
     The wait had been the killer. He'd originally thought he would
be doing the ceremony yesterday, but wound up being held over for
the night. Not that it was entirely a bad thing; he had been given
some tours of parts of the palace that few people ever saw. But
that still did nothing to relieve his tension--especially when he'd
discovered that the appointed time had been pushed back yet another
few hours.
     Getting ready for the Ascension, then psyching himself up to
meet the Queen, and then being told he'd have to wait a while
longer, was destroying any cool composure he had deluded himself
into thinking he had. At least he didn't have his family here. Any
and all pressure would have tripled and no doubt run him into the
ground.
     Otomo readjusted his jacket once more.
     "Here we are," Rei abruptly said.
     He froze dead in his tracks, eyes wide in seeing a large set
of opaque crystal, double doors towering before him. Beyond those
doors was no doubt the throne room. He gulped, only to find his
throat had gone dry.
     "Good luck," Rei said quietly to him as she turned to walk
away. "And remember to relax."
     "Easy for you to say," he replied, forcing an uneasy smile.
     Rei left, and the grandiose hallway became still.
     Quiet.
     Otomo closed his eyes and mentally psyched himself up again.
His eyes opened as the double doors swung back, revealing the
magnificence of the royal throne room. He could only stand at the
threshold, unable to force himself to move a step further. Every
muscle refused to co-operate. His brain joined the protest.
     Before him was a dazzling array of crystal. The room was large
and elliptical in shape, with smooth walls and archways that
reached high up to a ceiling that didn't seem to quite be all
there. The crystalline roof, at least from the inside looking out,
was completely transparent. Gentle hues of violet, blue, silver and
green danced around the walls as Otomo forced himself inside.
     The last thing he wanted was to seem rude in front of the
queen.
     He slowly walked down the ocean blue carpet that led to a
raised dais in the centre of the throne room. There atop the dais
was a pair of elaborately carved crystal thrones. One for Neo Queen
Serenity. The other for King Endymion. The former was the one being
occupied.
     The instant he saw those long tresses of silken white gown and
flowing golden blonde hair, Otomo dropped down to one knee and
fixated his eyes on the crystalline tiles at his feet. His parents
had told him in no uncertain terms that he had to show the utmost
reverence for her.
     Was he being reverent enough?
     He hoped so, and tried to ignore the heart that was thumping
erratically in his chest, threatening to burst through his ribcage.
     Neo Queen Serenity's eyes were alive in shimmers of vibrant
blue. "Are you going to stare at the floor all night?" she inquired
almost playfully.
     That certainly got a reaction from Otomo. His head jerked up
and he looked very much chagrined. "S-Sorry," he stammered in
apology. "I didn't mean to be rude, your Majesty. I was trying to
be respectful and--"
     He was gently silenced as she pressed the tip of her index
finger against his lips. "And you didn't succeed as well as you'd
hoped?" she finished warmly for him. "Daijobu. It's not like I'm
going to freeze you in crystal for eternity."
     "You...you'd do that?" Otomo shrank back, even more
intimidated by her than before.
     Serenity shook her head. "You needn't be afraid of me,
Katsuhiro-san. I won't bite. I just want to talk."
     "That's what Sailor Mars kept telling me, but I didn't think
she was serious about it."
     "Oh, I am serious about every Ascension ceremony," she said to
him. "But I am also serious about wanting to know the citizens of
Crystal Tokyo as people and friends, and not merely faceless
subjects. That's why I want to talk to you now, Otomo. There is no
one here but us, and I will hold nothing against you."
     She lifted a hand from her throne's armrest and gestured for
him to come forward. Otomo managed a few steps, but stopped
altogether when he saw Serenity rise from her throne and meet him
at the edge of the dais.
     "Please, sit," she requested of him as she sat on the top of
the stairs. Her white gown flowed around her like a silken ocean.
     Otomo tried to make himself comfortable as best as he could
without sitting on or wrinkling her dress. "Forgive me for saying
so, but I'm rather intimidated by all this," he admitted
sheepishly. She noted how he was absently scratching the back of
his head. And still avoiding her gaze. "My parents have made the
Ascension a really big deal, and it's made me lose sleep for the
past week."
     The Queen's face softened even more--if that was possible. Her
smile was inviting and strangely comforting to stare at. Bit by
bit, Otomo could feel his intense nervousness subside. She placed
one of her hands on his, and he blushed in thinking of how smooth
and soft it felt.
     "I always do this with every person who partakes in the
Ascension," Serenity said quietly. "This is what occurs before I
use the crystal." Eyes of compassion looked into his own. "Tell me
about your dreams, Otomo. Tell me about what you hope for the
future."
     Otomo let out a deep breath and tried to actually find some
coherent thoughts in his mind. "Um...I've always like flowers," he
said.
     "You want to be a florist? Or a botanist, perhaps?"
     He shrugged. "I don't really know. I enjoy studying plants.
They're incredibly beautiful; you'd be surprised what they have to
say, so long as you're willing to listen."
     "Where would you like to work the most?" Serenity asked him.
She had brought her legs close to her chest, laying her head down
on her knees. Her gaze was the most patient and sincere one Otomo
had ever seen.
     It was almost frightening to be looked at in that way.
     He focused himself back on the question. "I'm not sure. I did
some intern work at a few nurseries and greenhouses, but...I don't
know." He sighed and sat back a little, propping himself up with
his arms. "There's something strangely artificial about those
places, even the Crystal Tokyo arboretum. I'm not sure I can
explain it right. I'm not even sure if I'm explaining it well
enough right now."
     "You're doing just fine," the queen encouraged him. "Why do
you think the arboretums are artificial?"
     "When I was little," he explained. "I loved to play in the
city's big arboretum. But as I started to get older, I found my
interest leaning to studying the plantlife in there. About two
years ago I knew I loved botany, but it felt too forced in the
arboretum and greenhouses. The plants grew naturally like they do
in the Edenstate, but it still felt fake. Still does for that
matter."
     Otomo let out another sigh. "I'm not sure what's there for me.
I want to see the real beauty of a plant. There has to be something
purer, rawer than what's in the arboretums."
     "That sort of beauty can only be found beyond the boundaries
of the city, only in the Edenstate," Serenity told him gently.
     He nodded, and then absently combed his fingers through his
hair again. "Tell me about it," he agreed disparagingly. "No one in
the city wants to go and see what's out there. They're all
perfectly content to stay indoors."
     The queen had almost entirely vanished in his mind. Otomo
looked out across the throne room, as if talking only to himself.
"They're so blinded by the beauty of the city that they can't see
the beauty that's filling the rest of the world."
     Neo Queen Serenity smiled to himself. "People should be
allowed to see beauty and truth in all its forms, ne?"
     Otomo snapped out of his reverie, and his face went flushed.
"I'm sorry," he said, bowing again. Though this time it was more
sincere than his anxiety-filled ones earlier. "I shouldn't be
criticising your policies like this. I mean, you did save the city
from the Storm. We owe you everything; who are we to judge your--?"
     His next word was cut off as the queen placed a fingertip over
his lips.
     "If I'm to protect the interests of my city and its people as
best I can," she said. Her voice was a near inaudible whisper. Yet
Otomo felt each word reverberate in his mind. "then I need to know
what they enjoy, and what they find problematic."
     "H-Hai," he stammered in agreement.
     Serenity smiled at him again, suppressing a giggle. She had
found another potential explorer, and would try to put him to good
use as soon as she could. He had the kind heart and wanderlust all
her surveyors possessed. 
     She was certain Otomo Katsuhiro's dream for the future laid
beyond the walls of Crystal Tokyo. Soon she would give him the
chance to realize that dream.
     The queen got back onto her feet, and Otomo hastily jumped to
his.
     "Thank you very much for your time and honesty," she said to
him, bowing deeply. "Our time here has meant just as much if not
more to me than it has for you."
     Otomo grinned and bowed back. "Thank you, your Majesty. It
feels good to get that off my chest. You know," he added. "I hope
I'm not out of line when I say this, but I can't understand why my
parents got so worked up about this. Talking to you has been easier
than most of my talks with them."
     Serenity laughed, and then asked, "Shall we begin your
Ascension?"
     "When you are ready, my Queen."
     The ceremony began.
     When the Silver Crystal appeared, Otomo had to shield his eyes
from its intense white light. There was a flash, and a
purification. And the queen of Crystal Tokyo was the first to greet
a new citizen who would live for centuries to come.




     My indebted thanks to the authors and contributors
     of "Crystal Tokyo for the Baka", whose discussions
     shaped a lot of the smaller details seen here in
     Crystal Tokyo. Without their debates and speculation,
     the future wouldn't be half as interesting.





                    tomorrow's another future


                    the paradise army: halcyon