The Paradise Army
2nd Sign: Past (Future)
Rated R


     The best way to die
     We'll start it tonight
     They've all lost control
     But they're feeling all right

          -Jet Set Satellite, "Best Way To Die"


     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 had 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 had become 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



     The nightmare was always the same.
     All around them was desolation, remnants of a world once
beautiful. Blue skies had turned crimson, a churning and writhing
mass of cloud and blood-red hues. The ground was dead, scorched and
black and broken apart. Jagged pieces of rock jutted out from the
surface of the planet once called Earth. And scattered upon the
lifeless rocks were the Senshi.
     Eight in total.
     And standing before them, a ninth.
     She could see Saturn, wielding the Silence Glaive, so close
yet so far out of reach. Violet eyes burned with destructive
delight, relishing in the apocalypse that raged around them. Yet
the world was hauntingly without sound. There was no noise, no
echo, no winds blowing around them.
     They had once shared a vision of what Death Reborn Revolution
would bring about. Now it was a terrifying reality. Behind them was
a glowing ray of light that shielded Tokyo from the hellstorm.
Eternal Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen were forcing the Silver
Crystal to continue working its protective power, even though it
was draining both their lives away.
     The Silence had claimed almost all of the world.
     And now it was coming to claim them last of all.
     It was almost beautiful to watch as it approached: a tsunami
of whirlwinds and fiery tempests. Everything that fell before the
Silence was crushed, pulverised to lifeless rubble and strewn about
in its wake.
     She could hear Saturn laughing, scorning them for their futile
efforts. Violet eyes shimmered like stars suddenly, just as the
Silence came to destroy its own creator. In that split second when
the Death Phantom's hold released itself, she turned and stared at
her fellow Senshi with sorrowful eyes. 
     "Gomen ne, Michiru-momma."
     I'm sorry....
     And then Hotaru became one with the Silence, and was gone.
     
     Michiru screamed out the name of the child she had come to
call her own daughter. She frantically tried to claw her way from
Haruka's firm and unrelenting grip, to join Hotaru in the cold
oblivion that had destroyed Earth.
     But she could not.
     The nightmare was always the same.
     And it ended with her hearing her own sobs.



                        THE PARADISE ARMY

                         -past (future)-


     Night had fallen once more upon the shimmering sanctuary that
was Crystal Tokyo. The reflection of its majesty rippled in the
waves of the ocean that washed against the shores of what had once
been the Tokyo Bay. And at the heart of this Shangri La stood the
Crystal Palace. 
     The palace itself was actually an immense central tower
(dubbed the Crystal Tower by many) that was encased in an immense
but transparent crystalline structure. The upper half of the tower
was nothing but a shining and beautiful fountain whose waters never
ceased to run. Anywhere in the city, one could look towards the
palace and see the empyrean splendour of the fountain.      The
garden terrain at the base of the fountain gave way to obscure
darkness stippled with lights from windows. This opaque stripe in
the middle of an otherwise visible tower was where the Court of
Serenity dwelled and worked. And reaching down from this darkened
area, like steel stalagmites, were buildings that seemingly hung
upside-down, suspended above yet another immense garden area. This
seemingly impossible infrastructure only enhanced the overall
enchantment the palace worked on any who saw it.
     All this was surrounded by a number lesser oblong towers that
acted as both barriers and amplifiers. Within their borders lived,
rested and ruled the court of Neo Queen Serenity: one queen, one
king, six Senshi, and two advisors.
     At such a late hour--or early, depending on how one read their
chronometer--most if not all of them were fast asleep in their
private chambers. One Senshi never seemed to sleep, never seemed to
tire.
     Currently she was not a Senshi, but a young woman who would
remain so because of the effects of the Silver Crystal. Even moreso
than the citizens, she had been granted the chance to be immortal.
But with the gift came a responsibility and a price. For now, there
was much to keep all of them occupied as they delicately formed the
dream of Crystal Tokyo into the reality they had once glimpsed. So
many things demanded their attention that romance was a distant
second in terms of priorities.
     This might have been just as well.
     If your lover is granted longevity, but not immortality as you
had been, what then? Would you be ready to part with him (or her)
centuries later--even if you remained with them for that long? Or
would the sudden loneliness tear you apart?
     These questions were ones she was growing less and less
bothered by. For deep within the core of the Crystal Tower laid a
gargantuan chamber that saw her there for many hours of many days
and nights. In this chamber laid the beginnings of her own answer
to such a problem as love in the infinitude.
     The lights were low, and only the quiet hum of computer
networks could be heard. Various consoles and monitors were
scattered throughout, though most of them were not being used and
had shut down to conserve power. The true masterpiece laid in the
centre of the chamber, something which could only be called the
figment of a scientist's imagination come to life.
     Its body was sleek and black, a behemoth of metal and cords,
of wires and conduits and compacted memory. Its form rose up from
the depression in the floor like a shadowy caterpillar. Where its
head might have been was a deliberate indentation. Resting there
was the one who would drive the mainframe.
     A deceptively young woman reclined back in the sloped chair,
for the most part unaware of the beeps and hums that echoed all
around her. Blue hair could be seen draped over the visor that
covered her eyes, though she was oblivious. Ami pursed her lips
momentarily, data and images coursing before her eyes akin to how
one sifted through the memories of their studies while writing an
exam. 
     Such a thing came natural to her. 
     Interfacing with this mechanical beast was even easier.
     Her fuku was unnecessary in this place, and given the
durations she remained here that at times spanned days on end, she
opted for something a little more casual and a lot more
comfortable. A pair of navy blue shorts that clung to her thighs
and pelvis, and a matching navy blue tanktop that gripped her skin
and chest just as tenaciously.
     Information flowed before her eyes and was at the command of
her fingertips. She lifted her hands from the armrests, black
gloves letting her mimic in virtuality what actions she performed
in reality. Within the next few decades she could foresee a
breakthrough that would give way to direct interfacing with her
brain, quickening this process and freeing up her hands and eyes.
     But that had yet to occur.
     And for now she enjoyed this "hands on" approach.
     Her work completed, Ami disengaged the system, her hands
lowering and sliding out from the gloves. The visor was retracted
to its alcove high above her head. A number of small lights sprang
to life along the outer rim of the chamber, ensuring her sensitive
eyes wouldn't be blinded.
     Ami paused to brush aside some of her blue bangs. A year ago
she had decided to try growing her hair out. Currently the front
bangs were kept at the eye level, but she now had a small ponytail
tied behind her back.
     There would come a time where it would have to be cut back to
the way it was when she had been at Jyuban High, but that was
centuries from now when her past self would visit the future. For
the moment it was a chance to try out new things. Three decades
ago, Rei had cut her long dark hair for a shorter, cropped look.
About fifteen years later she let it grow back to its previous
length.
     Two years ago Minako had given her hair some kind of white-
silver shimmer to it. Curiously enough, it suited her well. After
a year of that, she had returned back to being blonde. These sorts
of small changes were always fun, and made life in the palace all
the more enjoyable.
     With a satisfied sigh, Ami stroked one of the smooth armrests
of her chair; the entire interface was moulded to fit her body
contours perfectly. "Was it good for you too?" she asked, a playful
smile on her lips.
     One of the image screens angled down at her started typing its
own affirmative response in kanji. The mainframe also had a
computer-generated face it had chosen for itself, but it only
showed itself when she was its user and when they were alone. And
the CG face in question was male. The others joked about how Ami
was having a secret affair with her computer.
     To call it artificial intelligence would be a misnomer...at
least, for the moment. But the mainframe was starting to show
signs. Namely a very fond and territorial affection for Ami. True,
she was its primary user and it could have easily grown accustomed
to her. But there was a subtleness in its obedient "attitude"
towards her that was no longer remaining subtle.
     The nickname she had given it was the one that stayed:
Cyberus. The other Senshi called the mainframe this as well now. An
odd hybrid of the mythical creature Cerberus, guardian of the
underworld's secrets, now given a cyber form.
     She smiled at the CG face looking down at her, a mixture of
concern and confusion in its virtual expression. "Daijobu," she
reassured it. "It's been a long day, and unlike you, I need sleep."
     Cyberus made what resembled a wistful sigh.
     The kanji that appeared beside the digital face indicated that
Cyberus wanted her to stay a little longer if possible. 
     Ami shook her head, rising from the chair. "Gomen ne, but I'm
exhausted."
     She understood what Cyberus was up to; what she took
personally, it took personally. And her current work was very
personal. But to no avail, all the reports and databases she had
searched through came up with nothing of a significant find.
     The last thing Serenity had wanted was for Crystal Tokyo to be
a fascist regime. Ami recalled how she had to explain the term 'Big
Brother' to her friend and queen. Serenity's response was that this
Big Brother embodied everything she didn't want their city to have.
It had caused some problems regarding vast grey areas, but those
were being slowly sorted out one case at a time.
     A lot of facts and data were collected and processed by the
mainframe due to the peoples' heavy interfacing with computer
technology. It's wasn't spying per say, but it aided Ami greatly if
she wanted to track the movements of certain things or certain
people. A videophone call about a loud disturbance here; a cash
card used there to pay for a taxi; a police report about some odd
person somewhere else: it added up in the end.
     As her weight left the chair, the frame shifted back into a
generic shape. Cyberus was programmed to have the chair change to
mould itself to the contours of each Senshi's body, making one
chair universally comfortable for all.
     Cyberus resignedly acknowledged her departure before wishing
her good night. She wished it the same in return.
     The computer-generated eyes closed. 
     The monitor shut itself off shortly thereafter.
     Stifling a yawn, Ami took one final glance at the chambers and
then left. It would be a wonder if she could lead herself to bed at
such an hour in the night. But the thought of flopping down face-
first on her comfortable mattress drove her onwards. She retraced
her route down a number of corridors and then stumbled into a lift
elevator.
     When the door to her bed chambers opened up for her, she
shuffled in and collapsed onto her sheets. There she slept for what
would be the entire morning.


     Haruka was roused from her sleep when something abruptly
didn't feel right. Even in dreams she could sense a disturbance
that would put an end to the midnight securities she found beneath
the silken covers of a bed built for two. She awoke to find herself
just one.
     It was still the dead of night.
     Neither of them should have been up at this hour.
     Bangs of her sandy blonde hair draped around her face, she
pushed her stomach off the mattress and then adjusted her hips so
she could sit on her side. The covers fell down past her breasts,
gathering around her waist, and her skin glowed in the pale
moonlight that streamed through their bedroom's picture window.
     "Michiru?" she called out in a quiet voice that betrayed her
groggy state. She could see her lover standing there at the edge of
the glass, one palm gently pressed against the window. Aqua-green
hair billowed down past Michiru's neck, rustling slightly against
her back as the cool, ventilated air continued to circulate through
the room.
     Naked, the Senshi of the Deep watched the city in silence.
     Her expression was pensive...and troubled.
     She didn't seem to acknowledge Haruka, lost within her own
lonely thoughts and regrets. There, despite the close proximity
between them, Michiru was as alone as if she was back on her
homeworld.
     "The nightmare again?" Haruka asked.
     Michiru nodded.
     It was no longer as frequent as it had once been, almost a
century ago. But the fact that it had not ceased altogether made
Haruka just as concerned as her lover. She knew that she could say
nothing to relieve Michiru of the burden she felt, of the guilt
they all shared.
     Their queen had known Death Phantom's first attack was coming.
No one could have foreseen that it would have arrived in the form
of a raven-haired soldier. Three little words almost ended
everything. Incredible how something so seemingly small and
insignificant could cause such immense devastation.
     But that's what caused Haruka to scowl whenever she reflected
on the past. The enemies they'd faced before: it was always about
conquest. Capture the world, enslave its inhabitants. This had been
different. The Death Phantom's sole purpose to exist seemed to be
that of terminating all else that lived alongside it. It certainly
lived up to its name.
     Haruka pushed the covers away and slid out of bed. She was
careful and quiet as she approached Michiru. They knew each other
well enough; even if one wished to be alone and forgotten, she
still craved the other's touch. Even if this overwhelming desire
amidst their pain was unable to find a voice.
     "We couldn't have done anything, could we, love?" Michiru
abruptly asked. Her voice was hushed. No longer subdued like it
used to be when the nightmares had first begun.
     Haruka shook her head.
     "All we can wait for now is a second chance. Hotaru will be
reborn; it is inevitable." She slipped her arms over Michiru's
shoulders, pressing the warmth of her breasts against her
soulmate's back. "Maybe we can have a child of our own after all,"
she whispered into Michiru's ear. "We've raised Hotaru once before.
Why not a second time?"
     That gave way to a weary smile from Michiru.
     "Hai."


     When morning did come to Crystal Tokyo it was a brilliant
painting of the skies with clouds in hues of red against blue,
coating the heavens with the fires of the rising sun. The glow of
the moon faded, though the pale orb failed to fade entirely from
the blue skies until late into the morning.
     Even with the death and rebirth of civilisation, some things
never changed. Like bureaucratic redtape, for example. 
     Rei sighed and shook her head at the thought of what she had
to get done today. Staying buried beneath the covers of her warm
bed was looking more and more the ideal thing to do. But she had
her duties, her own expectations.
     A warm shower helped clear her thoughts.
     There was a special bathhouse on this level that only the
Senshi could use, but she didn't feel like making the effort to go
there. Right now she wanted to be alone with her grogginess and not
have to talk to someone else. So Rei adjourned to her own private
bathroom.
     As she stood beneath the hot water, letting it clean whatever
sweat and dirt had accumulated on her skin, Rei found herself
thinking of the past. Why did this always happen in the lull of a
shower?
     Possessed, Hotaru had become Saturn and laid the planet to
waste. Rei recognised this corruption; it resembled what had/would
happen to Chibiusa, turning the future princess into the Black
Lady. In a hellish and ironic way, Hotaru had once more become that
which she was always destined to be: the soldier of death and
destruction. 
     Once before the child warrior had been called upon to wipe
away all traces of the Moon Kingdom. She nearly destroyed the Earth
during their battle against the Deathbusters. But when the Death
Phantom attacked and made Saturn its puppet, there had been no
escape.
     Eternal Sailor Moon had narrowly saved Tokyo, but the city was
still ravaged by the effects of Death Reborn Revolution. Instead of
a total loss of life there was a near total loss of memory. Only
those who had been repeatedly exposed to the Silver Crystal--namely
the Senshi--had come out with their minds and memories intact. A
random few also seemed to emerge from the Silence with their own
memories intact as well.
     The ensuing battle between all the Senshi and the Death
Phantom had ended in more a stalemate than victory or loss. The
Death Phantom was pushed back to the outer reaches of the
galaxy...though Rei knew that it would be back. It was only a
matter of time before the events of the future would be played out
on the battlefield called 'the Past'.
     And Hotaru was dead too, killed in delivering the final blow
to Earth. Rei's expression softened as she thought about the
grieving that Haruka and Michiru had gone through in the aftermath.
She had never seen so much unbridled emotion from the pair before.
But they had raised Hotaru like their own daughter. Losing her in
such a way was more than harsh. It was tragic, and never should
have happened. Their only hope laid in the fact that Hotaru would
be reborn. 
     Rei closed her eyes. 
     The days after what became known as the Silent Storm in the
history books (carefully edited by Ami to ensure certain details
were omitted for security reasons) flooded her mind. The paperwork
and scheduling she had to attend to became a distant echo.
     The shower was turned off.
     She stepped out and began towelling herself off.
     For what became a year, they took turns guarding their queen,
who slept as she recovered from using the crystal in battle. It was
a wonder she hadn't died along with most everyone else. Every time
Rei was awake, Mamoru had been silently watching guard over his
princess. Sometimes sleeping next to her, her body curled up in his
embrace.
     Tokyo's citizens still laid dead, but not destroyed like
everything and everyone else.
     There was still hope for the future.
     Their combined energy was channelled through the Silver
Crystal. It took a long time and a lot of effort to focus that much
power, but the effect was accomplished: the lifeless sphere once
called Earth was restored. Oceans teemed with water again, and the
land thrived with plants and animals as birds took to the blue
skies.
     One towel wrapped around her body, another wrapped around her
long damp hair, Rei adjourned to her bedroom. Even though it had an
elegant stateroom appearance, it was still just a room to her.
There were times she was unable to get to sleep, the memories of
her time at the Fire River temple getting the better of her. She
still wasn't quite used to this kind of bed; she had grown up with
just a small, simple futon laid out on the floor.
     And the crystalline walls were new.
     Though for the most part the crystal appearance of the palace
was external. If anything the crystal acted more as a windowpane.
The interior could be redesigned depending on how one desired to
live. These staterooms the Senshi each had--Haruka had Michiru
having their own together--were meant to be a creature comfort when
their duties became too much.
     Rei had enough to be concerned about with acting as a liaison
between Serenity and the court, as well as with whomever the queen
needed to meet. In a lot of ways she was just a glorified personal
assistant. But Rei found her life deeply fulfilling because it was
Serenity she served.
     This wasn't a case of blind loyalty.
     Rei served her friend and queen out of gratitude, love and
devotion.
     She found something to wear that was comfortably informal.
They all made it a point of only wearing their fuku uniforms when
in battle mode, or during certain formalities to make their
presence known. Of course, that was the incarnation they all were
most famous for. She still found it disconcerting to walk down a
street (very casually dressed, allowing for no one to actually
recognise her) and see those Senshi statues lining the windows of
a gift shop. While they had done a lot for Tokyo, Rei couldn't
bring herself to be thought of as a saint.
     Thank you, Catholic school upbringing.
     In one way, the Storm and its ensuing memory loss had been a
blessing. There was always concern among the Senshi that Neo Queen
Serenity would be worshipped like a goddess. So far, only a few
religious sects were really doing that. One in particular had taken
their worship to the extreme.
     In the disorientation that followed the rebirth and rise
Crystal Tokyo, many people weren't sure what to make of anything.
There was more confusion than celebration in the first few decades
of gradual restoration. If the queen was subject to anything, it
was more indebted thanks and hero worship among the younger
generations. There was no sudden fanatic craze; it had taken almost
a thirty years after the Silence for something resembling that to
finally manifest itself.
     Not that such a manifestation was a good thing.
     She was just glad that Serenity hadn't asked her to act as a
priestess and preside over any of these religions' ceremonies. She
had acted as minister over Usagi and Mamoru's wedding though--and
in a humorous touch, Haruka was the best man. The wedding itself
had taken place shortly after Crystal Tokyo's emergence from ashes
of the Silence.
     Rei gave her hair a final pat down before tossing the towel
back into her bathroom. It was still damp, as long hair tended to
remain for the rest of the day after a shower. That really didn't
matter; she would be making only one public appearance this
afternoon.
     The mornings were always spent in Neo Queen Serenity's
presence as they made notes about the city's various needs, and
scheduled in all the necessary events. A glance at her chronometer
revealed that Rei still had time before she was expected to meet
with the queen.
     About an hour.
     Though the notion to strip and put on her miko attire was very
tempting, Rei firmly decided to meditate before the sacred fire
later tonight.
     Some things just tenaciously clung to life. 
     Her fire was one of them. 
     The temple had sustained minimal damage from the Silence, and
the fire was still going on strong. When the palace was
constructed, a special inner room was fashioned, an exact replica
of the old temple chamber that housed the fire. The fire itself was
then carefully transplanted, its flame never going out.
     At least her grandfather had died in peace, before the Silence
had a chance to either end his life or steal away his memories. It
had been a small funeral ceremony, and though Rei had promised
herself she wouldn't cry at all, she had wept on Usagi's shoulder
the entire time.
     Yuichiro was another problem completely. He'd survived, but
without the slightest idea of who he once was. Everything about him
that had both irritated Rei and attracted her to him was gone. With
her heart in her throat she had silently watched from behind a
corner as the only real man in her life tried to piece his past
together, and then leave the temple.
     She had never seen him since.
     A part of her didn't want to, knowing the old wounds and
memories that would dredge up. He had been granted longevity with
the rest of the survivors, so he had lived for a full century
already. What if he'd found a wife, started a family? 
     Rei found herself unable to handle the idea.
     She still couldn't, even now.
     Her eyes closed and she slowly calmed her shaking body.
     She would visit Serenity soon enough.
     But for now, Rei wanted to enjoy what quiet solitude her life
gave her. What absolution her heart would permit.


     "Daijobu?" he asked her.
     Minako nodded as she did a final check of her appearance in
the mirror. She was going around Crystal Tokyo incognito, and the
last thing she wanted to be recognised as was either Sailor Venus
or Aino Minako. All she desired was to blend in.
     Her long blonde hair was carefully pulled up and held back
with bobby pins. She had done a skilled job of making the loose
ends of hair appear like bangs. With the hairstyle alone she looked
like a different person. Which was just as well, since her choice
of clothes was definitely a dead Minako give-away.
     She glanced in the mirror at her friend and visitor sitting on
the edge of her bed, one leg crossed over the other. He was tall;
his hair long and white, draped over his shoulders and down his
back. His skin was tanned, which brought out his white garments
even more. Shirt and pants seemed to merge in a curious array of
straps and stitches. The pendant of a golden crescent moon hung at
his chest.
     "Daijobu?" he asked again, this time more concerned than
before.
     Minako flashed him a smile through the mirror's reflection.
"I'm fine, Artemis. Don't dote over me like a worried grandmother."
     Artemis stiffened, the look on his face one of indignant
dismay at being compared to a grandmother. Minako had to laugh and
playfully stuck out her tongue at him.
     While the Senshi's memories had been unlocked by prolonged
exposure to the Silver Crystal during the Silence's aftermath, the
two Maus had been granted the chance to turn from cat to human at
will. It had taken some time for the Senshi--herself and Serenity
especially, who had grown accustomed to living with the felines--to
suddenly interact with humans who went by the names of Luna and
Artemis.
     "I know you've been doing this for decades as it is," Artemis
said, uncrossing his legs and rising off the bed. He moved across
her chambers and tenderly wrapped Minako up in his strong arms.
"But that still doesn't mean all the years make it any easier."
     There were some things she could hide from the others, but
Artemis had been by her side far longer than anyone else. There
were things about her life he knew and understood almost as
intimately as she did.
     His compassion was almost enough to move her to tears. He was
right; the years in passing still didn't make this an easy thing.
But in a sense, Minako valued the difficulty today presented. It
meant she hadn't forgotten.
     Minako smiled and nodded. "I'll be fine, Artemis. Hold down
the fort for me while I'm gone."
     The Mau bowed his head as he released her from his embrace.
"Don't I always?"


     The queen's study chambers were quiet, save for the gentle
stir of a recorded orchestra playing Bach's "Air on a G String"
composition in the background. Serenity found that she worked best
whenever this sort of music was playing. Regrettably, its presence
was uncommon in Crystal Tokyo, most recordings of classical
compositions lost in the Silence.
     Everything about the four walls echoed of silvery hues, their
shimmering lustre almost hypnotic to watch. There was a small couch
tucked away in one corner, and a larger desk opposite the couch.
The heart of the study was a sunken floor, most of it covered with
silver throw pillows.
     Serenity could remember how she spent a lot time just sprawled
out on the pillows as she listened to reports or dictated notes.
She also fondly recalled just how many pillow fights had taken
place with her friends in here.
     She sighed as she leaned her back against a few pillows at the
edge of the sunken area. Numerous small datapads were scattered
around where she sat. Since this morning involved more casual
affairs with her closest friends, Serenity had opted to forgo the
usual white dress and choose something that could be considered
leisure-wear.
     Rei was due to appear sometime within the next ten or twenty
minutes.
     Until the arrival, Serenity felt obliged to just relax and
forget about the usual barrage of things that demanded her
attention. One of her hands fished through the small sea of
datapads and then found the remote for her Navi imageviewer.
     What resembled a black, monolithic pillar at the far end of
the room was actually an interactive Navi viewscreen. Its sleek
utilitarian look was a contrast to the rest of the room, but it
acted as a focal point for drawing the eye. At least with the way
it had been designed, the screen and manual interface managed to
generate a peculiar aesthetic balance.
     She didn't feel like wading across her pillows to use the
interface; the remote would work just as well for 'surfing' the
Datasea. Serenity gave a quick mental check of what could be
considered easy viewing for a few minutes.
     The answer came almost immediately.
     She started working her way through the directories until she
found the files for next week's masquerade ball. Pulling up the
information, she noted with both excitement and relief that plans
for the masquerade were coming along smoothly. As always Minako had
done most of the spearheading, attending to security precautions,
entertainment, catering and clearing out enough room in the palace
to accommodate the large amount of people attending.
     The last thing Serenity wanted was to make an initiation to
the palace an elitist function. And so the palace's masquerade
balls were held twice a year during the summer and winter
solstices, and family names were drawn at random to be asked to
attend. No person would be eligible a second time until everyone
had been given an invitation. Extended lifespans helped ease the
fact that one would attend the Moonlight Masquerade every thirty-
five years or so. Though with Crystal Tokyo's growing population,
they might have to consider new options soon.
     Going over the list of concert players was proving to be a
most unique experience. Serenity could barely comprehend how or
where Minako had found some of the people who would be performing.
Many were individuals or musical groups who frequently performed at
the masquerade, but Minako always enjoyed slipping in a few
aspiring new stars.
     The dream of being an famous idol singer died hard, Serenity
thought to herself. If Minako couldn't live that life herself
because of her obligations, she could live vicariously through
someone else. And all by giving a newcomer the chance to pursue
their dreams.
     Neo Queen Serenity trusted her Senshi with their decisions, so
she mainly just scanned Minako's list of performers. Then one name
abruptly caught her eye. Serenity ceased the scrolling function and
accessed the name that went with the data file: Nagisa Shiatori.
     A Newtype.
     Serenity wasn't even sure how they had come to be called
Newtypes, either. It wasn't a term she or her Senshi had used. The
phrase simply popped up one day and spread like wildfire across the
city. Within a week, such people were being called Newtypes by
everyone around them. There was little any of those in the palace
could do except go along with it.
     So people with grey eyes and strange gifts became Newtypes.
     The name could have been worse.
     A lot worse.
     'Newtype' did have a certain appealing and mystical ring to
it, though that wouldn't have been the name she would have given
them.
     Nagisa's skill laid with the piano: she could play such
beautiful music, all seemingly created on her own. Yet she played
what she remembered of the lessons someone else had taken, and of
the classical composers that other person had listened to in Tokyo. 
     The Senshi knew and remembered this music that had once
existed and was now forgotten. Anyone else who felt a familiarity
to the melodies dismissed it as deja vu. So it was with bittersweet
anticipation that Serenity thought about Nagisa's performance. So
many memories would be evoked, both joyous and painful. There were
times where she found it hard to let go of the past, and all that
she cherished. 
     Of Tokyo and her romance with Mamoru. 
     Of her friendships that she still valued today.
     And the memories that went beyond, over a thousand years into
the past....
     The Silver Crystal's extended use against the Death Phantom
had revealed one unexpected benefit: it started unlocking their own
hidden memories. While everyone else lost their pasts from the
Silence, the Senshi were rediscovering who they once were in the
Silver Millennium.
     For Ami, that meant suddenly being able to duplicate the
ancient technology that gave way to the crystalline building
design. It also aided her in building Cyberus, that little computer
"lover" of hers.
     Serenity laughed at that.
     The first Senshi to get a date since work on Crystal Tokyo had
begun, and it was with an evolving cyber-intelligence. The fact
that Ami no longer blushed profusely at the ribbing and instead
took it all in quiet stride only added to the growing 'romance'
that seemed to be blossoming.
     For Serenity herself, it meant seeing her original mother with
new eyes, and being given a few pointers on how to both establish
and govern Crystal Tokyo. Serenity had watched her ill-fated affair
with Mamoru, culminating in Beryl's attack and a lover's suicide.
     A lot was learned.
     And now it was just a matter of knowing when and where to
apply that new-found knowledge. Serenity could only trust that she
and her Senshi were doing the right thing. So far indications were
pointing in their favour; Pluto had yet to appear and tell them
that something dark was lurking on the horizon.
     Serenity continued to look at Nagisa's records. As queen she
had saved so many lives already. The temptation to restore the
lives Earth had lost was always present in the back of her mind,
but she stubbornly refused to give in. She had seen the future and
knew that only Crystal Tokyo existed upon the planet. And if she
tried, the crystal would more than certainly kill her. 
     For as powerful as she was, even she had her limits when it
was her own energy the Silver Crystal used.
     Life, even an extended one, was a precious thing. She didn't
want her subjects to forget that, or take it for granted. If anyone
did become complacent in this longevity, Nemesis would stir things
up in time. The queen mentally scolded herself for thinking
something that callous. But she was certain that a renewal of
living life to its fullest would be a part of the Nemesis fallout.
     There was so much potential Serenity knew she had. So why
couldn't she do anything to help the Newtypes?
     It was a well-known fact that some of those born after the
Silence were different, to say the least. Prodigies of a strange
and rare breed, the likes of which were rumoured to have never even
existed before the Storm. Newtypes weren't scorned or maligned, but
they definitely belonged in a different category. One thing they
all shared was the same eye colour: a faded charcoal grey that
resembled a blur of mist. Hauntingly beautiful, almost devoid of a
soul within such a window, it was near impossible to tell what a
Newtype was thinking unless they spoke.
     Even in silence their presence could be sensed.
     Ami likened it to a very unique and unprecedented type of
autism. But whereas the medical doctors and scientists could not
explain the nature behind the Newtype, the Senshi could. And
because of the grim reality behind it, they kept this truth very
quiet.
     Those who were born "normal" after the Storm had but one set
of memories: those they were developing and expanding as they grew
up.
     The Newtypes had two different sets of memories.
     Sometimes three.
     Even Ami was perplexed at how it was occurring, but there were
subtle disturbances in the brain activity that pointed to more than
one set of memories lodged inside a Newtype. And those extra
memories were from people who had lived before the Storm, and died
during its onslaught.
     That at least seemed to explain the savant nature of the
Newtype: they were acting upon memories of the past that others had
forgotten. They could play music that had been lost and no one
recalled, and everyone would think it spontaneous and original.
They could write novels and plays, paint or sculpt art, give
revolutionary insight to scientific theories, recapture lost
civilisations. 
     To everyone else it was a strange gift given to a strange
child. But for the Newtype, it was an obsession that had to
manifest itself in a life of brilliant insanity. Each set of
memories seemed to be fighting with the other and the original
memories still being formed. They clamoured for attention like
dozens of splinters in the mind, driving the Newtype to the brink
of madness. Many times beyond.
     And there was nothing the Silver Crystal could do.
     Exposure to its purifying rays did not expel or quiet the
other memories that fought for dominance within a Newtype's mind.
Every person they tried to heal left the palace unchanged.
     A pang of despair stabbed at Serenity's heart.
     Why couldn't she do anything for them?
     It was easier to remain distant from the lives she could have
once saved; they were already gone. But she knew that the Newtypes
were in her city, even now. And none of them would live past their
eighteenth birthday. Their futures were in her hands, and she was
powerless to help.
     There was a sudden sequence of beeps that startled the queen
from her melancholy. Serenity looked around and saw that the
imageviewer was receiving an incoming transmission.
     An encoded one at that.
     Serenity quickly consulted her planner, and chided herself for
forgetting about her meeting with Seishiro. The remote allowed her
to remain where she sat as she accessed the uplink. The image she
received on her monitor was of a man standing on a hillside,
dripping from rain. Seishiro didn't seem to notice that in the
slightest.
     "Good evening," he said, bowing respectfully to her.
     She nodded to him in return, amused by his words. "It's the
morning where I am, Seishiro."
     "Ah, yes; how quickly I forget."
     "You look a little wet," Serenity remarked with a smile.
     Seishiro shook his head, one hand always cupped over his
headset's earpiece. "Wouldn't miss this for the world, your
Majesty. You really should visit England; the bluffs are something
to behold. I would recommend guided tours, but I think the pricetag
for a round trip might be a little costly."
     For the moment, she hoped.
     Fact was, in two or three months she and Endymion were
planning on taking a quiet trip for two, touring some parts of the
new Earth. The added benefits of sending out these exploration
parties was that she and her husband could pick and choose the
sites which caught their eyes the most.
     Endymion had his heart set on visiting the Serengeti Plain in
Kenya. She was looking at one of Europe's sandy beaches along the
Mediterranean.
     Seishiro consulted the datapad he was holding in his hand.
"According to the map of the old world--" He paused. "That sounds
strange to say, given how it's only been a hundred years since this
was current."
     He shrugged it off.
     The queen could barely contain her laughter; of all her
subjects, the explorers like Seishiro were the most natural around
her. Probably half due to their personalities, and half due to the
fact that they were usually on another hemisphere and knew they
could get away with being like this.
     "Anyways," Seishiro continued. "I've covered most of the city
sites in England itself. I'll be checking out Scotland and Ireland
over the next month, but so far we've got about three good
potential sites for a new crystal city. They should be listed in
the data packet that I'm transferring to you."
     A small window in the upper left corner of her imageviewer
suddenly appeared, indicating how much of the data was being
received in the palace mainframe and stored for later review.
     Serenity turned her gaze away from Seishiro as she heard her
chamber door slide open. Rei stepped in, but hesitated when she
noticed the active imageviewer. "Am I interrupting?"
     The queen shook her head. "Not at all, Rei-chan. Please come
in."
     Seishiro again bowed in the presence of a Senshi. "Sailor
Mars." He seemed to know who she was even without the fuku. That
wasn't surprising, given the nature of these quiet communiqu‚s. The
explorers usually wound up seeing the Senshi out of their usual
formal attire; that in itself was a rare sight for most of the
city's residents.
     Rei gave the covert surveyor a courteous nod. "Ohayo
gozaimasu." She stopped when she realised that it was a night sky
serving as Seishiro's background. Seishiro and Serenity just
laughed, having already done this before. Inwardly Rei scolded
herself for not having been more observant.
     "You don't have all that much in terms of large wildlife,"
Seishiro said, resuming his briefing session. He wiped away the
rain that was clinging to his forehead. "Some wild horses, deer in
the woodlands, and a lot of smaller mammals that you could probably
domesticate if you wanted to go through the effort. Other than
that, there's not much else to say that isn't in the data packet."
     "Is there anything we can do for you?" Serenity asked
respectfully.
     He shook his head, the broad grin still on his face. The fact
that he was loving every minute of this was unmistakable. "Not
really. I'll expect to be picked up at the end of next month,
unless you contact me otherwise."
     They gave their final regards to the other, and then Seishiro
terminated the transmission on his end. Presumably he would have
enough sense to return to his camp, or else stay in the Hummer if
he hadn't set his camp up yet. Each survey party--which usually
consisted of a single person, though they did have one small family
currently out in Argentina--was given the best supplies possible.
If the need arose, a small transport would fly out and replenish
whatever equipment or supplies were lacking.
     There was a steady stream of aerial transports that usually
carried produce and supplies to and from the agri-farms. It was a
simple effort to let a transport equipped to handle a longer flight
time slip in and escort the explorers to their drop zone.
     Serenity also reflected that certain smugglers used the same
method for their own dubious professions. 
     She set the remote aside and focused her attention on Rei.
"Ready to start a new day, Rei-chan?" she asked. 
     Her crystal blue eyes were so full of vibrant life.
     Rei couldn't help but smile at her friend, her queen. "Hai,"
she answered, taking up her own datapad and finding a spot for
herself amidst the throw pillows.


     The stores they passed by were not that different from what
they used to be. If anything, the fronts had changed on the
outside, and the merchandise being sold had maybe changed on the
inside. Even still, the air was clean and lacking that smoggy
texture. The streets were cleaner too, moreso now than ever before.
     Haruka's eye caught sight of a shirt (from the men's
department, no less) and her gaze drifted in watching the window.
If only they could afford to spend this day not pretending to be
normal citizens on a shopping spree. As she and Michiru walked down
one of Crystal Tokyo's numerous arcade districts, Michiru's arms
slipped around hers. For as casual as they window-shopped, they
were both focused on their real destination.
     Michiru uneasily scanned the various stores of the boulevard.
Her nightmare was still troubling her; its frequency had decreased,
but now it seemed to align itself with whenever they had to stop a
ceremony. The night before they searched the city as Outer Senshi
always left her with haunting memories and the cries of her own
voice.
     How many times had she tried not to let Haruka see the extent
of the fear she felt whenever she awoke from the nightmare, her
body chilled from the layer of sweat as her heart thumped
erratically in her chest?
     Haruka seemed to sense her partner's discomfort. "If you're
that troubled, maybe we should spend tomorrow night at our other
home," she offered.
     Michiru nodded her agreement to the idea.
     Much to both their surprise, their small manor at the edge of
Tokyo had been left intact despite the Silence's best efforts.
Whatever damage the house had sustained was superficial. And best
of all, their country estate was still relatively isolated from
everyone else. There were no neighbourhoods close by, and the agri-
farms were located on the other side of the city. Their own
backyard opened up into the new Edenstate which Serenity had
bestowed upon the Earth. 
     It still remained a place they slipped off to whenever they
had to get away from the pressures and duties of Crystal Tokyo. The
other Senshi never asked where the two went; it was generally
assumed their brief disappearances had something to do with their
duties. Anything otherwise was respected as privacy, and their
friends asked no questions aside from, "did you enjoy yourselves?"
     The answer was usually a demure, "hai" or Haruka coughing into
her fist and looking away. Either way, the evenings always
proved...invigorating, to say the least.
     It was a comforting thought to know that what had once been
home for them still existed. It might have been irresponsible of
her, but whenever she went there Michiru could forget about the
future and its troubles. She could always escape to the past there,
but that never meant she would try and run from her duties.
     They stopped in front of a garage, the large doors open for
business. A few cars were parked near the front, angled upon lifts
that had yet to ascend and allow for a closer inspection. From
their vantage point on the sidewalk, they could see someone working
near the very back end of the garage.
     "You think she might be one of them?" Haruka asked.
     Michiru nodded, glancing down at the Aqua Mirror delicately
held in her palm. "If not here, then in this area."
     The mirror had yet to steer them wrong. She only wished it
would stop being so vague whenever they needed concrete insight and
answers regarding the Sanctuary.
     If they could track down a member, all they had to do was
follow that person for the rest of the day. Tonight marked the last
night when the moon was in its fourth and final quarter; they had
one shot at stopping a ceremony today. If they failed they could
only try again when the full moon reappeared in the night sky.
     Haruka slipped her arm out from Michiru's and took a step
forward. "You sure you don't want to join me?"
     She shook her head. "This is more your forte, love. And we
wouldn't want to draw suspicion to ourselves."
     "Hai hai."
     The clean air of the city was absent in the garage. But that
was to be expected in a place meant to repair machinery. Haruka
already knew the name of the mechanic; they had been watching her,
among other suspects, for the past few weeks now. 
     Sakura had on a pair of faded grey overalls that were
unbuttoned at the very top. Like most everyone else in the city,
she appeared deceptively young. Haruka watched with a slight smile
on her lips as Sakura fiddled around with the gearbox of an
uncooperative motorcycle. She could see herself in the woman before
her, thrilled to no end to be working on cars and motors. 
     But there was a job to do, so Haruka pushed the wave of
nostalgia back and strolled in through the customer waiting area.
     "Nice machine," she remarked. "What's the engine like?"
     "It's a modified Boxer engine," Sakura replied, not taking
full notice of her 'client' yet. Fiddling around with the gearbox
was taking up most of her concentration. "High torque, eleven-
seventy cc."
     This girl knew her stuff, Haruka thought to herself. "What
about the Bhp's?"
     "Sixty-one at five thousand RMP." Sakura tore her attention
away from the gearbox, her eyes displaying her curiosity at
Haruka's knowledge of engines. "You work with motors?"
     Haruka regarded the motorcycle with fond interest. She paid no
attention to the fact that Sakura was appraising her. "I used to
drive one," she said. "I also drove racecars too. But it was a long
time ago."
     "Anything I can help you with?" Sakura asked.
     She shook her head. "No, thank you. I just felt a wave of
nostalgia as I passed by." That remark was more truthful that she
cared to admit.
     "If you have anything that could use some repairs, feel free
to bring it over," Sakura offered. "I'll even do a complimentary
prelim inspection for you, free of charge." 
     Haruka found herself smiling when she heard that. This was
certainly a friendly soul...but she couldn't detect anything that
would make her believe Sakura was a part of the Moonlight
Sanctuary. No odd mannerisms, no sixth sense, nothing. Maybe the
Aqua Mirror was picking up someone else close by the garage.
     "It's a generous offer," she answered with a slight nod of her
head. "I'm glad to see that someone like you is working here."
     Sakura politely side-stepped, finding a semi-clean rag to wipe
her hands off with. "We're not exactly an endangered species," she
remarked, breaking eye contact momentarily to ensure her fingertips
were more pink than black. "There's a convention held every year.
Visitors are welcome; I could set you up if you want."
     But Haruka had to shake her head. If Sakura wasn't one of
them, then she and Michiru were wasting their time remaining here.
The morning might still be young, but time was running out. "Gomen,
but I think I have other obligations at that time." 
     She flashed a roguish smile at Sakura. 
     The lady mechanic seemed a little flustered. 
     "I should be going. Thanks again for indulging an old memory
of mine. Maybe we can see each other again sometime, ojo-san."
     "Please, call me Sakura," the younger said, trying not to
blush.
     Haruka turned and nodded her head to Sakura as she left. Even
today she still had a way with women. If Michiru had been watching
quietly from a hidden corner or shadow, Haruka knew she would
definitely be ribbed for it later. It was cute to see Michiru get
a rise of jealousy.
     Sakura went back to the motorcycle and its uncooperative
gearbox.
     Once she went back outside, Haruka had to pause and squint at
the sunshine beating down. Her eyes weren't usually this sensitive
to a change of light, though the garage had been quite dark
compared to out here.
     "That was fast," a voice purred from behind.
     Haruka glanced over her shoulder as Michiru joined her. "She's
not one of them," she stated.
     "Are you certain?" Michiru asked, her tone serious and
questioning.
     Haruka nodded, slipping her hands into her jacket pockets. She
scowled. "Another dead end. Shimatta, we're right back to where we
started."
     The Moonlight Sanctuary would be performing its ceremony
tonight, and so far they hadn't a single idea as to where that
would be. The members never performed a ceremony in the same place
twice, always moving around. They kept their numbers low and their
secrets to themselves. For as fanatical as they were, they were
certainly being smart about it.
     "At least they don't sacrifice someone on a weekly or daily
basis," Haruka said.
     "If they did that," Michiru answered plainly. "we might
actually be able to stop them a lot faster than the way we are
now."
     Michiru did have a point.
     It was gruesome to think of evil in such practical terms, but
since one was only sacrificed each month, it meant an overall
lesser loss of life. Whenever the full moon reached its peak, blood
was shed to "ensure" the lunar cycle (and thusly, Serenity's reign)
would continue. The time of a new moon, when there was no moon in
the sky at all, seemed to be an event the members feared would
become permanent.
     "Can't your mirror tell us anything else?" Haruka asked as
they walked down the boulevard.
     Michiru shook her head. "It's always been vague ever since
this cult began." She frowned, an action that seemed so unlike her.
"I don't understand why."
     "Maybe its warranty expired last century." Haruka cracked a
dry grin as she said that, causing her partner to momentarily
chuckle and forget their concerns.
     "I wish it were that, love," the aqua-haired woman answered
softly. "But as far as I can tell, we should have been able to stop
them years ago. It feels like someone is actively clouding the
mirror."
     Haruka kept her cool composure, though inside she was
growling. If someone had that much power to interfere with a
Talisman, it would make their task all the more difficult. "I'm
almost out of options," she grudgingly admitted. "The Mugen have no
leads either. Outside of patrolling the city tonight, I can't think
of any other avenue left to us."
     "There is one other person we can contact," Michiru said. "No
guarantee he'll know, but if anyone has information, it's him."
     Haruka scowled. "I don't trust him," she stated. "He runs too
many questionable operations as it is."
     Michiru smiled at her partner and lover. She wrapped her arms
around one of Haruka's, leaning her head against the tall sandy-
blonde's shoulder. It always comforted her to feel the warmth of
her lover's body next to hers.
     "All the more reason to put him to good use. Ne?"


     The stillness of the park was something Makoto had not come to
savour. The arrangements of the trees and flowers went ignored for
their natural beauty. Grass and cement walkways were a far second
in her mind. She glanced back over her shoulder to the small cherub
fountain that was busy gushing forth crystal clear water. Her
emerald eyes looked up the glass ceiling high overhead. Makoto
clenched a fist, her knuckles cracking from within her gloves.
     Her sailor battle fuku was on.
     She had come here to fight.
     "Daimon, eighth level," she called out.
     A silhouette appeared in front of her, and then took more
detailed form. She knew the creature standing before her: it had
been the tree daimon that once attacked Rei, the first daimon the
Inner Senshi had ever seen. This youma had marked the appearance of
the Deathbusters, and the Outer Senshi.
     The sparring program could also make use of generic youma,
lemures, cardians and phages. Half of those creatures in the
directory were based on actual ones from the Senshi's past
memories. The rest were computer extrapolations, which bore a
frighteningly uncanny accuracy as to the way their once-real
compatriots behaved.
     The tree daimon struck a pose and then shouted out in a high-
pitched wail: "Your fortune today is very bad!!"
     It charged, its arms mutating and becoming a tangle of
branches meant to ensnare Makoto. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the
attack coming, her entire body bracing itself for the fight. A
heartbeat before she would have been caught and trapped--game over-
-she threw herself sideways.
     The branches narrowly missed grazing her.
     She rolled onto her shoulder, came back up standing. And armed
with an attack of her own. As Super Sailor Jupiter, she unleashed
her Oak Evolution.
     The tree daimon shrieked and hastily dove for cover.   
     Makoto used the opportunity to close the distance between
them, delivering a solid and vicious punch to the daimon's stomach.
The tree daimon's mouth hung open as it was hauled off the ground,
a stifled gasp escaping its lips.
     And then the daimon abruptly cracked a wicked grin.
     Makoto gave a startled shout as the branch tendrils snaked out
and wrapped around her. Arms pinned against her chest, she was
helpless against her foe. The daimon began to laugh triumphantly as
it stated, "Your fortune: very bad luck!" Its grip around the
Senshi tightened, squeezing Makoto's lungs until they burned.
     She fought to remain conscious.
     It was only a level 8 daimon.
     She could beat it, had beaten its kind before.
     By the honour of her planetary deity, she refused to let the
computer end the battle with her losing.
     A small metallic rod extended from her tiara, crackling with
lightning and electricity. Makoto glared at the daimon as she
called forth another one of her attacks.
     "Supreme Thunder!" 
     The tree daimon's eyes were wide in surprise as it received
her attack point blank. The shock didn't destroy it outright, but
severely weakened it. Smoke wafted up from the female humanoid's
body as it collapsed onto its knees. The stranglehold on Makoto's
chest slackened and she gulped down air to soothe her aching lungs.
     She lifted her head, eyes narrowed at the wounded daimon.
     The creature never had a chance to get its second wind.
     A second Oak Evolution destroyed it.
     With a cry of "Lovely!" it flickered out of existence.
     Makoto let the surge of adrenaline pass before collapsing onto
her knees. Her body was shaking, unusually tired from this battle.
In the past she could have taken out two or three of these daimons
in a single heat match. This one had proven to have a few tricks
she'd never come across before.
     The level 8 daimons were starting to get smart when it came to
fighting Super Sailor Jupiter. 
     Beyond level 5, the youma started to learn, adapt and
anticipate. The fights would be drawn out longer, and the battles
would be harder to win. At the tenth and final level, all the
safeguards were removed. The possibility of defeat, and (in this
case) having one's pure heart extracted was a very chilling
reality.
     Makoto made it a point having every Senshi proficient in
fighting at least a level 7 youma. Even Ami, who was perhaps the
weakest of them in terms of attacks, was skilled against a level 7.
     She caught her breath, waiting a few more minutes before she
felt confident enough to stand without trembling or falling back
down. "This is definitely enough practice for today," she muttered
to herself.
     If the level eights were starting to adapt this much, she
would have to forget working on her technique like she normally
did. Makoto knew it was time to return to the 'White Room' and do
stamina training for a few weeks before she returned to this
scenario.
     The palace had three different sparring chambers, each one
with a different type of battleground. It allowed for multiple
Senshi to train at once, and gave them extra practice in different
scenarios. One was a basic white-walled room with a low ceiling.
Sparring in there meant one had to be good with close range, hand-
to-hand combat.
     Another was a small replica of an open park, the one she was
currently using. It was sealed in by crystalline walls and a high
ceiling, which let the natural light of the world affect how the
gardens looked. Dodging, hunting and improvisation were emphasised
in this arena.
     The third and most difficult consisted of a street setting,
enclosed like the garden, but containing human "hostages" that the
youma could capture or use against the Senshi. While the humans
themselves were computer-generated dummies, the sparring program
was terminated when you severely injured or killed one of the
people you were supposed to protect. Ethics, as well as quick
thinking, were definite prerequisites going into that place.
     This, much like the "street" arena, had enough space to allow
for the youma to appear at random places. Small devices buried
beneath the ground would release the compound that became their
opponent. Since it was random, Makoto found herself sometimes
having to unexpectedly chase her enemy around before actually
engaging in a fight.
     If cornered at the outer perimeter of the sparring grounds,
the enemy usually did one of two things: panicked at being cornered
and fought even harder, or disregarded gravity and ran right up the
walls. They couldn't escape the chamber, but they could still
perform a lot of strange tactics within its walls.
     In Makoto's mind, that was good thing.
     Expect the unexpected in war.
     These youma were virtually authentic, and in each case the
crystal walls enclosing the arena were braced to make sure a youma
didn't escape. It chilled her to think what would happen if any one
of the youma in the sparring program escaped into the city.
     Most of the technology in recreating these creatures had come
from a Newtype. At thirteen, that girl had given life to the basic
compound that would be formed into a youma. For her, there had been
no such thing as building a "safe" youma. The Newtype had memories
which intended to use the youma to extract certain items from
humans, and if needs be kill them.
     The danger Makoto faced in each battle was very real.
     Thankfully the levels of youma aggression and strength could
be altered. Each arena was enclosed and monitored; Ami's little
computer friend could analyse where each Senshi was before and
after a fight, and also rework the configuration of the youma
opponent. The result was a guaranteed fluidity in battle. The
balance of power could easily shift at any given moment.
     Makoto closed her eyes and focused her powers. The fuku
flickered out of existence, replaced with the loose martial arts gi
she had entered the gardens with. The outfit immediately started
absorbing the sweat that covered her skin. 
     A warm soak in the bathhouse would take up the rest of her
hour. She could use the time to reflect on the mistakes she had
made during this sparring bout.
     All this fighting, all the pain and frustration, was for but
a single reason: Neo Queen Serenity. Her close friend, her queen,
and the one Makoto had sworn to protect.
     She walked out from the garden, heading towards one of the
lifts that would take her up further into the Crystal Tower. Being
a bodyguard required a lot of training and focus; they were things
Makoto knew she excelled at.
     Even with the purifying powers of the Silver Crystal, there
would always be dissidents of varying degrees. However, Neo Queen
Serenity managed to ensure that the worst of them had passed. The
spark of chaos that existed within each of them was something that
made humanity what it was, and could never be extinguished. The
extremities--the wars and hatred and violence--had all but vanished
though.
     Except for those who refused to stay in the city.
     And one day, those who would be banished to Nemesis.
     Makoto forced back a chill at the thought of what would come
to pass in the future. It was still so far away; better to not let
it overwhelm her thoughts now lest it dominate her in the centuries
to come. For now the Black Moon Family was no immediate threat.
     The lesser of the evils, on the other hand, were what she had
to contend with on an almost daily basis. That little spark of
chaos still had a way of manifesting and making its presence
colourfully known. Thankfully her duties allowed her to avoid the
self-seeking flatterers who always cheered out Serenity's name and
asked to be let into her court, that they might further "expand on
her vision." However, that still didn't mean the opposite angle of
the pendulum proved any better. This other side of the proverbial
coin remained the reason she endured this rigorous training every
day.
     The cabalists.
     The mystics and intriguers who existed in Crystal Tokyo. If
ever there was a threat to the city, the cabalists were its
epitome. Their motives remained cloaked in secrecy, their numbers
undisclosed save for those in their ranks. For the most part, such
cabalists had an unhealthy obsession with Serenity, whether it was
for her or against her.
     Every time the queen was seen by the public, every time she
let visitors into her throne room, Makoto was there watching her
like a hawk. Protecting Serenity from her admirers, protecting
Serenity from her enemies. So far, an actual confrontation had yet
to occur. But with the way things were shaping up, Makoto feared
one was inevitable.


     "...and so let me express my sincerest thanks to you once
again, oh noble King Endymion, for granting me, your humble
servant, the gift of your presence before me. I beseech that you
take what I have said into careful consideration, and trust that
you in your grand and majestic wisdom will make the right
choice...."
     The man was droning on.
     Again.
     And had been for a good twenty minutes as it was.
     Artemis didn't even bother to hide his growing exasperation.
Ruefully the white Mau knew that Endymion's presence was the only
thing keeping him from using his claws to take a swipe at the this
man's backside. Anything so the guy would just shut up!
     The currently feline Mau laid on his stomach, which was
starting to join all four of his legs in falling asleep. The
special pillow Artemis was using wasn't helping much either. How
the king could just sit there in a seemingly uncomfortable
magistrate's chair and actually pay attention was a miracle.
     Yet Endymion patiently listened, his face and eyes showing the
equal consideration he gave to everyone who spoke before him.
     A few minutes and many run-on sentences of praise later, the
man gave his final bow and shuffled off. The forum floor was vacant
once again, though odds were it wouldn't remain so for long. It
never did. However, today they were hearing specific people and not
having an open discussion on a certain issue.
     Business first, debate later.
     Endymion reached into his jacket and drew out a small silver
chronometer from an inner pocket. They had finished with five
minutes before noon; surprisingly early for once. Pocketing the
chronometer, the king looked to his other Mau advisor.
     "Is there anyone else who's asked to be heard today?"
     "That was the last on the list," Luna confirmed, one paw
moving down as she skimmed the datapad.
     "Then we shall adjourn from the forum for today," Endymion
announced, his voice loud enough to be heard across the jostling
crowd assembled in the chamber. "Unless anyone has an immediate
concern that should be addressed?"
     His tone made sure that someone should only have the audacity
to speak if their very lives depended on it. No one said a word.
     Endymion rose from his seat, facing the others who had
assembled for this morning. He bowed formally to them, and they
returned the favour. A number bowed lower than he had. Still others
gave exaggerated gestures that made them look more ridiculous than
respectful.
     There was quiet until Endymion left, followed by his two
feline advisors. After he left the forum everyone else quietly
dispersed and discussed their success (or failures) with each
other.
     The forum itself was reminiscent of the old Greek Parthenon,
with high pillars and ceilings that enclosed a grand, multi-tiered
atrium. This part of the palace's crystalline architecture had been
carefully constructed to blend with the facade of the pillars and
the forum's general framework.
     Once out of earshot from the people Endymion let out a deep
sigh, his shoulders slumping as he tried to get his body to unwind
from the session. They passed through an archway, and from there on
in were guaranteed undisturbed quiet. The larger part of the palace
was restricted to the public, which gave the royal family and the
Senshi ample room to move about without interruption. Virtually all
of the Crystal Tower was limited to but the Court of Serenity, a
handful of trusted people and advisors, and visiting guests.
     "I still don't know how you can do it," Artemis sighed,
shaking his head. "I'd have started punting those sorts of people
in every direction by now. There would have to be goalposts in
every district to see just how much they had managed to annoy me."
     Obviously the further the punt, the more irate the Mau had
become.
     "Honestly, Artemis," Luna scolded her partner. "You have no
tact or patience when it comes to things like this."
     Retorted Artemis, "I saw you nodding off to sleep during that
last speech too, Luna."
     The black cat's face went red from embarrassment.
     Endymion smiled in spite of both the temptation and the
implications of such arbitrary actions. "You still think we're
living in a sycophant city, Artemis?"
     The white Mau shook his head as he padded down the corridors
alongside the king. "No, but it's a veritable community of them
whenever we hold open forums like this."
     "Regardless of what we have to endure," the king said sagely.
"We need to be accessible to the people. At the very least we have
to try to know what their real thoughts about us and the city are."
     "How can we know that when all we hear are the loud shouts of
people trying to kiss up to you?" Artemis swiftly countered.
     True, these morning hearings were usually nothing more than a
group of glory-mongers who want to add their own ambitions to
Crystal Tokyo's agenda. Such people amounted to no more than a
court of palace butterflies: they looked beautiful, but served
little else in purpose aside from a waste of an expanded
vocabulary.
     Most everyone else in the city were content with their lives,
and had nothing else to say regarding the matter. Whatever they had
wanted to express in terms of sincere gratitude or constructive
criticism had been done decades ago when Crystal Tokyo was a dream
being realised.
     The city had a number of open forums where people could gather
and debate various issues; a Court of Serenity-appointed magistrate
was always onhand to act as a regulator--and arbitrator if the need
arose. But the forum Endymion attended in a special wing of the
palace was the only one where royalty was the regulator on a daily
basis. As a result, his forum got a lot of attention.
     No one ever seemed to complain that it was more Endymion who
attended the forums, and not Serenity. In many ways the queen was
seen as damn near untouchable, placed upon a pillar no one could
reach. That made Endymion a very well-known man of the people. And
popular given the patience and attention he always had even in the
face of the most long-winded speech.
     The Crystal Palace forum had become almost like an exclusive
club, garnering a long line-up of hopeful attendees an hour or two
before it opened. Endymion made it a point of having as many
newcomers as possible be let in first; most regulars, as Artemis
had once accurately said, were nothing more than loud decorations.
     Artemis excused himself and darted off down another crossway.
That just left Endymion and Luna to travel to the royal chambers.
It was closing on time for lunch, and despite her regal appearance
Serenity's stomach still had a habit of making its presence known.
     Loudly.
     Endymion chuckled at the sheer willpower she always exercised
in making sure her stomach didn't growl during those state dinners
and ballroom dances, where you could always see the food but had to
wait for an hour or so before you could actually eat it.
     "I'm going to my study before I meet up with my wife," he told
his friend. "You might want to know that if you've got other
plans."
     Luna gave a half-shrug. "There's not really any place I have
to be right now."
     "Hai hai." Endymion paused and then carefully said, "Artemis
seemed a little more agitated than usual today."
     "The forum just tries his nerves some days," Luna answered
with a sigh. "He never really had a good sleep either. He was
tossing and turning and sticking his hands in my face all night."
     Endymion grinned. "I can relate to that."
     His private study, like all of the royal family's personal
quarters, was located in the upper echelons of the Crystal Tower.
This chamber was one that catered more to his personal tastes;
Serenity had one of her own that acted as a private office.
     Everything in his study was more Greco-Roman in style, with a
few small pillars and pilasters against the walls to give the
appearance of bracing the ceiling. The crystalline infrastructure
actually took care of that effectively; most of the archways and
columns in the palace served no purpose other than elegant
decoration. Structural integrity was rarely a problem thanks to
this crystal material.
     The crystalline structure of most buildings looked beautiful,
and was also better than anything else in handling the steady
battering of time and weather. Most of this crystal was opaque, and
was only transparent to accommodate window spaces. Some places in
the palace were completely visible, where those looking in could
see those looking out. The grand fountain at the tower's peak was
a good example. Others, like his study, just had one large picture
window that spanned only half of a wall. And it was two-way on his
side; no one on the outside could ever hope to see his study. But
he could look out and see the city.
     Endymion sat down at a large marble desk, taking a forlorn
glance at his bookshelf. Old classics he had studied in high school
and university had gone unread far too long. One of these days he
was going to find some time to reacquaint himself with them.
Ideally this upcoming vacation would allow for that.
     The floor was hardwood, dark and stained to give it a dull but
pleasant finish. Luna walked across the hardwood without a sound,
hopping onto one of the couches. It was actually a large triangular
cushion, with a pair of long cylindrical pillows framing two of the
three sides. The cloth was solid black, matching the black marble
of the desk.
     "I should check with Minako and see how she's doing on the
masquerade ball," Luna said after giving herself a brief cleaning
with her tongue. "Mind if I use your screen?"
     Endymion gestured to the imageviewer. "Be my guest."
     Luna gave Minako a quick call on one of the inter-palace
lines. No luck in Minako's room, or the offices.
     Luna didn't bother trying again. "Some things never change, I
guess," she sighed. "Even though she's a leader of the city, she's
never around when you need her for something official."
     Minako was rarely ever around, period, unless she had to
attend a meeting or court session. She had become the unofficial
public relations head, and spent most of her time travelling around
Crystal Tokyo. Her fingers were always taking the city's pulse. And
she always had an incredible web of informants who ensured she
would always know what was going on, even if it was just a half-
clue or a rumour. Of course, this also made it hard getting her to
show up for impromptu meetings. 
     Minako really needed a pager.
     "At least she's not shopping for new clothes to wear for the
masquerade," Endymion quipped. 
     "I'm not so sure," Luna replied. "For Minako, business and
pleasure are still two very interchangeable words."
     That drew a laugh from Endymion. "She'll be the best dressed
woman at the ball, then."


     A bowl of burning incense was placed at the base of the small
obelisk, lit in their memories. This family memorial shrine was but
one of countless graves which marked those fallen in the Silence.
Rows upon rows filled the cemetery, green and grey strips
contrasting for a hauntingly beautiful design.
     She knelt down and laid two roses against the tombstone.
     One flower for each of her parents, lost in the Storm.
     The shrine gave the family name: Aino.
     For all the souls who had reawakened, regardless of their
memories of the past, countless others never awoke at all. Eternal
Sailor Moon pushed her powers as far as she dared to after she
recovered from the Silence. The Silver Crystal's resurrecting power
was more arbitrary than anything else, and worked only on those
whom it chose. No one could answer how or why, but it just seemed
to take away those who would not reawaken. Those souls simply
vanished without a trace.
     Less than one million in the Tokyo proper were saved.
     Minako closed her eyes, a tear freed to fall down her cheek.
Her own parents had been on a business trip in Hiroshima when the
Silence came. There wasn't even a way she could have properly
buried them, their bodies pulverised to dust by the Silence and
then lost amidst the regeneration of Earth.
     Today would have been her father's birthday.
     In a few months, she would return to visit and honour her
mother's birthday.
     Minako knew that if she told anyone, it would have only been
Serenity. And the queen would have tried the crystal a second time,
tried to find some way of stopping her friend's pain. She couldn't
bring herself to make such a burden upon Serenity, especially when
knowing what such use of the Silver Crystal would bring about.
     A century in passing had helped ease the pain, but Minako knew
the sorrow would never fully leave. And in many ways she didn't
want it to disappear completely. After the Silence she had seen so
many people with lost memories come here to honour family members
who didn't survive.
     They knew people close to them had died. They knew they would
never see these people again...but they didn't even remember having
been with these people in the first place. All they knew was that
they'd lost something, but couldn't understand what.
     Which was worse? Remembering and feeling the pain, or feeling
the pain of not being able to remember at all?
     Minako closed her eyes and bowed her head. 
     Both fates were cruel.
     But there was still a future out there, and it could not be
lived in the past.
     Minako's blue eyes opened again, and she stood back on her
feet. "Happy birthday, odo-san," she said quietly, a soft smile on
her face. She kissed her fingertips and brought them to the name
'Aino' engraved in kana on the tombstone. 
     "I miss you."
     The Senshi of Love turned and slowly walked out of the
cemetery. She had a queen to serve, a city to help run and protect.
And she knew deep down that if her parents were alive today, they
would have been proud of her.

                    
     An old world ryokan, a Japanese inn.
     The wooden structure was surrounded by an elaborate garden
paradise, immaculately kept by the sole owner and inhabitant of the
inn. Despite the intention of such a building catering to paying
customers who wished to stay the night, this ryokan was a private
estate. Inside, the floors alternated between being hardwood or
tatami mats. Everything wooden was stained in a black oak lacquer,
and the lights were scattered to create a soothing if not enigmatic
ambience.
     Michiru's eyes appraised all the she saw as she and Haruka
walked into one of the rooms. A table low to the floor awaited
them, and their host took a seat at the leather couch behind it.
"Thank you for seeing us on such short notice, Keigo-san," she
said.
     "Please, call me by my first name," Seki replied, motioning
for the two to sit down. Michiru made herself comfortable on one of
the guest chairs. Haruka stood, and kept her distance to allow for
Michiru to do all the talking.
     Seki seemed amused by this. "Still don't like me, do you,
Haruka?"
     Haruka kept her poker face.
     "It's not like that fact bothers me," Seki drawled. "For as
many people who talk about me with pride and respect, there are
some who have an even stronger disliking of me. Everyone is
entitled to their own opinions; this is Crystal Tokyo, after all."
     Michiru tactfully changed the subject, knowing that they were
pressed for time--and she didn't want Haruka giving a scathing
retort that might insult Seki. The last thing they needed was their
last best option to turn them away. And Serenity would frown on
them leaning too heavily on the Gestapo tactics. If they tried
that, Seki had ways of making sure news of it would reach the
queen.
     "We're not interrupting, I hope," she said.
     He shook his head. "I have a jazz bar and a bottle of Sake
that are calling to me, but not for another hour or so. We have
time to enjoy the other's company." Seki turned his eyes to
Michiru. "So what can I do for the woman who already has two
Stradivarius violins in her possession?"
     "Information," she answered smoothly. "It's about the
Moonlight Sanctuary."
     Seki's eyes closed momentarily, his mind sifting through
knowledge and memory. "Ah, that's right. Tonight will mark one of
their ceremonies. But why would women like you be interested in
something vulgar like that?"
     "We have our reasons," Haruka answered, her tone leaving no
opening for further discussion on the issue. 
     Michiru quickly continued after her partner, "What can you
tell us about the ceremony's location?"
     Seki leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply as if he had
suddenly been burdened by her question. "If it was anyone else,
Michiru, I would have politely given them nothing." He paused, brow
furrowed as he clasped his hands in front of his face. "But therein
lies the problem." 
     He reached over to the table and picked up a small remote. A
Navi imageviewer cleverly blended into the wall came to life at the
push of a button. Seki accessed a number of sub-directories before
pulling up a file.
     "I have compiled this from four to five different sources over
the past few weeks," he explained. "According to them, the ceremony
will be here in the Asakusa ward."
     He played with the remote, and a district of Crystal Tokyo
became highlighted in red.
     "And here," he added. "in the Chiyoda ward."
     Another district became highlighted.
     "And also here. And here. And here."
     One large section of Tokyo had now become shaded in crimson,
leaving far too much space for even the Outer Senshi to cover in
one night. 
     Michiru glanced back as she heard her lover give a near
inaudible hiss over the map. This would not make tonight any easier
for them. 
     Seki reset the map, everything returning to its original hue.
"I think you can see the problem we face," he stated. "Either the
Sanctuary is suddenly holding multiple ceremonies, or--"
     Michiru nodded, trying to hide her frustration. "They know
you've got your feelers out."
     "My sources are reliable, Michiru; I have worked with most of
them for decades. However, it is their information I cannot trust.
The Sanctuary is deliberately spreading pipelines of misinformation
to cover their tracks, making it harder for anyone outside their
membership list to find them."
     Much like the man there were now speaking with.
     Michiru had taken the liberties of going through his files a
few years ago when she had first learned of Seki acquiring a
Stradivarius she wished to buy. He had proven to be the perfect
wraith then, and even now nothing had changed.
     His schedules varied greatly on a daily basis; the man was
constantly on the move, meeting with people from all over the city.
No two contacts were alike, and they could never tell if he ever
met with the same contact more than once. He always paid in cash
and never by card, making his transactions near impossible to trace
via computer records. By all indications, he didn't even use a bank
account to store his money. At least Crystal Tokyo was a city where
you could trust having thousands of dollars of cash in your house,
and not be paranoid about it being stolen.
     Videophone calls were never done between Seki and his
associates. The risk that someone might be listening was too high
to ignore, and so all his meetings were done face to face. Michiru
found herself admiring his cunning; all the city's lines were
tapped and would start recording when certain key words or phrases
were used. Cyberus' power allowed it to simultaneously analyse a
high number of transmissions, which thankfully cut down the work
for the Senshi.
     Right now this tactic was being used in the hopes of netting
the Sanctuary members. Those people always communicated in a
shifting array of code words and hidden meanings. As far as the
Senshi could tell, the members only learned the next ceremony's
location a day prior. As a result, it was a difficult strategy to
follow and counteract.
     "A good part of me is still a betting man," Seki said. "If I
were to gamble, I would expect the ceremony to take place here."
     He highlighted the Asakusa ward again.
     Michiru studied the layout on the Crystal Tokyo map. The Aqua
Mirror was still giving them a vague location, but it looked as if
Seki's intuition and the mirror were working in tandem. 
     Michiru nodded to herself, her own mind racing through the
Sanctuary's ceremonial requirements. They needed to find a place
that gave the members both privacy and access to the moonlight.
Regrettably, the Asakusa district was an area saturated with the
arts. Buildings and gardens matching this description abounded.
Whatever place they used, one of the members would be giving them
access. Probably a president or board member. 
     She and Haruka would have to start by seeing which buildings
were closed to the general public tonight. That would still leave
a lot of ground to cover regardless. From there it would become a
matter of seeing which doors were locked in an unlocked city. If
worse came to worse, they could use their Mugen friends to widen
the net before closing it in. Not that she doubted the Mugen's
competence, but this was still out of their league. The task of
stopping the Moonlight Sanctuary fell squarely on the Senshi.
     Seki turned off the viewer. "I am regretful in that this is
the best I can do for one such as yourself, Michiru."
     "It's understandable," she answered in a most even and
diplomatic voice. "When someone doesn't want to be found, they
ensure it remains their top priority. But we thank you for your
help."
     Seki flashed her a charming smile. Despite his aged appearance
she could have sworn he was flirting with her--and in front of
Haruka, no less. He certainly had the courage, not to mention the
sheer audacity, that befitted him as a man of questionable virtues.
     "The pleasure is all mine, Kaio-san," he replied. "I'm always
glad to see you survived the Storm, but I'm still disappointed you
haven't resumed your performing."
     She favoured him with a coy smirk. "And the private concert I
gave you in return for the Lady Rose wasn't enough?"
     Stradivarius violins all had names. The Lady Rose had been in
his collection for five to six years before she had come discreetly
inquiring about it. Michiru suspected that Seki had acquired the
violin just to draw her into his web. If that was the case he
showed remarkable patience in waiting.
     "It merely served to encourage me to find a way to get you
owing me again," he answered her.
     "So you can call in the debt for an encore performance?"
     Seki nodded. "Naturally."
     Michiru chuckled at his own performance, knowing that Haruka
was more than likely trying to keep herself from hitting him. "I'd
hate to disappoint a lover of the arts."


     She called it the Hundred Gate: one portal, and hundreds of
possible futures. She knew of certain key events and their
outcomes, but others were shrouded in the enigmatic mysteries of
time unknown.
     It was strange to be a living, breathing paradox.
     Setsuna let her magenta eyes drift from one hovering mirror to
the next. Amidst a curious chamber where nothingness was matter
itself, she found these small openings, glimpses into the past and
present and future. From all of these she could watch the weavings
of a tapestry of time unfold. 
     She remained forever unable to control what she saw. What the
mirrors wished to reveal, they revealed. She had no say in the
matter, and admittedly that had become very troublesome more than
once. Reasons like this dictated why she must remain at her post:
if she missed a mirror's projection, she might miss the key to
saving the future.
     Setsuna sighed and stifled a yawn.
     Just because it was her duty, had been for much longer than
most others could imagine, didn't mean it was always thrilling and
eventful. Right now Crystal Tokyo was taking shape, and the mirrors
were showing the generally idyllic life of its citizens.
     A life she wished to have for herself.
     Endymion and Serenity visited her as regularly as they could,
and she in turn visited the palace as much as she dared to. But it
still wasn't enough. Forever was a very long time to spend in
solitude.
     The metallic chime of a rotating mirror abruptly sounded.
     Off-key.
     Magenta eyes immediately scanned the Hundred Gate, locating
the source. Finding the mirror proved an easy task--but deciphering
what she saw beyond the glass surface was not. Setsuna could feel
her muscles start to tense as an all too familiar sense of dread
began to set in.
     The Mobius of time was caught in a skein.
     A tangled web was slowly coming from the darkness into light.
     The guardress of time sucked in her breath. She was attuned to
the echoes these hovering mirrors produced. They resonated with her
very heart and soul; when something began to go out of alignment
within the continuum, she could feel it. Hear it in the way the
mirrors chimed together.
     And she was sensing that now.
     Something was changing. Yet Nemesis was still centuries away
from occurring. That could only mean--
     "Something else," she whispered to herself. "Something I
didn't foresee."
     Setsuna lifted a hand, fingers outstretched as if reaching to
grasp the air. Suddenly her key-shaped staff jumped into sight,
gliding effortlessly of its own accord through the air. The
Talisman flung itself into her palm, and she caught it with 
flawless execution.
     The mirror before her showed darkness. For a moment she
thought she saw something moving amidst the shadowy realms. And
then suddenly there was a spark of light, a flame hovering between
two open palms.
     And then nothing.
     The mirror abruptly shifted to display another scene from
another time. Now all her eyes could study was a past memory from
feudal Japan. Warlords and samurai. These images were but a
forgotten blur before her eyes. The spark and flame were still
haunting her thoughts.
     A cryptic image.
     A dark shadow upon the horizon that was the future.
     Setsuna scowled, ruing what it felt like to be caught off-
guard. "What is going on?" she murmured to herself.


     It was already past midnight.
     Precious time and its final grains of sand had slipped through
the hourglass. 
     A full moon shone overhead in a sky stippled with small,
roving bands of shadowy clouds. Very few people were out at this
hour unless they happened to be natural nightowls. The still of the
night was abruptly broken as swift and silent figures moved across
the rooftops. They ran through the air like a dolphin would cut
through the water.
     Effortlessly they leapt from building to building, rising and
falling with unnatural skill. Their pleated skirts ruffled in the
winds that blew past them, the full moon's light catching only
glimpses of their identities.
     Outer Senshi.
     They had managed to track the ceremony down to one of the
Silver Renaissance art academies. The only thing that had really
tipped them off was the fact that it closed the doors of its main
wing unexpectedly. The given cover-up was to perform some necessary
maintenance. Neptune knew that unless they had already been
searching the district, such an occurrence would have slipped past
their careful checks.
     Now it was just a matter of whether they could stop the
ceremony in time. 
     And time was not on their side.
     Their access into the school went without incident or alarms.
The Mugen had been notified, and were setting up a containment net
around the academy. Neptune doubted that they'd be able to net a
single member, though through no fault of the Mugen. The Sanctuary
members had made slipping into obscurity an artform.
     A fountain was located in the centre of the main atrium, which
showcased towering pillars and archways that rose up to meet with
an immense and beautiful glass ceiling overhead. The perimeter was
enclosed by large palm trees and other exotic plants which
stretched above and beyond them, sprawled across the marble floor.
Lanterns covered with silver paper and sporting black kanji were
raised upon a tripod of crystal pikes. The only other source of
illumination was the moonlight raining down from the glass dome
overhead. 
     The Outers found their gazes drawn to the marble table that
was raised up and set at the back of the atrium. The alter, and
upon it the newest sacrifice.
     The ceremony looked to be in the throes of a climax.
     From her place, hidden by the shadow of an archway, Uranus
quickly surveyed the blurred mass of white robes. There looked to
be about thirty, maybe forty people. And all of them wearing those
jewelled masks. They certainly had an interesting way of concealing
their personal identities.
     "Uranus," her partner said, a mix of grim horror and despair
in her voice.
     She followed Neptune's gaze, focusing on the masks: they were
glowing, shimmering with unnatural light and magic. Uranus scowled
and didn't bother keeping quiet when she swore, "Kuso."
     "We were too late by a matter of minutes," Neptune said
quietly. The blame was something she was taking personally. "He's
already dead."
     "There's still no point in letting them finish," Uranus
stated, stepping forward. Her cold gaze swept the atrium, all the
anger and frustration finding a focal point to vent itself. If
these worshippers were so frivolous with another person's life,
then she'd return the favour.
     A spark of energy gathered in her palm as she opened her hand
to the heavens. The spark grew, pooling together into a ringed
sphere of destructive power. All she had come to despise about
these people was sucked into the orb, the attack swelling with wild
intensity.
     Uranus could feel her arm shake as the power sought a release.
She never hesitated.
     "World Shaking!"
     The worshippers of the Moonlight Sanctuary whirled, looking
like deer caught in headlights. Uranus' attack tore through the
floor, smashing into one of the pillars. The ceremony fell apart as
the followers scattered, each one pushing in a different direction,
a blur of white robes and jewelled masks. The dust and debris from
the pillar floated down around their heads.
     Uranus and Neptune stepped out from the shadows, unerringly
calm as everyone else lapsed into panic and hysteria. They ignored
the worshippers, moving towards the alter. 
     Their goal was the priestess. 
     This radical sect was like a hydra: break up one ceremony, and
they just scattered and regrouped. The Mugen could do whatever they
wanted with the others (if they even managed to catch someone), but
there was always only one active killer in the midst of the
audience. To stop the ceremony once and for all they had to stop
the orchestrator, the self-proclaimed priestess of Serenity. 
     Both Senshi were mindful of their queen's instructions: the
priestess had to be brought in alive. On the other hand, there were
many varying degrees of 'alive'.
     Uranus cracked her knuckles.
     Neptune was a step behind her.
     The supplicant abruptly stepped in between them and the masked
priestess.
     Uranus gave the figure a menacing scowl. "Move," she stated.
     No compliance was given.
     His arms were hidden somewhere within his robes. And then the
supplicant abruptly shrugged the cloak off, the garment falling
from his shoulders. The mask over the face remained; they could not
identify who was facing them. That was to be expected, and became
a moot point when Uranus found herself confronted with the sleek
blade of a katana sword being gripped in each of the supplicant's
hands. 
     He began twirling them, each arm given to its own movements.
The man was skilled; there was no question. But that still didn't
deny his cowardice by wearing a mask in battle.
     "We don't have time for this," Neptune said quietly to her
partner. Already the priestess was backing away, gaining distance
for a retreat into the shadows.
     Uranus nodded, drawing out the Space Sword. "I won't ask you
again," she growled, pulling the scabbard back to display the near
blinding shine of her Talisman's blade.
     The supplicant tipped his head to one side, uncomprehending of
her glaring eyes. He wasn't about to move unless forced. Uranus
decided to indulge him. Her Talisman would cut apart his blades in
a heartbeat and render him useless.
     But when she charged, raking the Space Sword down upon him, he
already seemed well aware of this. The supplicant danced back on
the floor, sliding away from Uranus' blade with ease. That unto
itself was surprising, but what Uranus found chilling was the way
the supplicant had moved. 
     He glided, like gravity had no hold over him.
     He almost hung in the air, poised and waiting and watching for
her to make another move. He kept his swords tipped down at the
floor, never at her, moving more with his body than with his
weapons.
     Uranus tried again, this time slashing at his torso. The
supplicant side-stepped with a speed that was almost faster than
hers, arms and legs flexing and kicking with a haunting jerking
motion, as if he were merely a marionette and someone above was
pulling his strings. His head bobbed as he dodged the attack, back
arched forward, his feet on the verge of leaving the floor. 
     Every action he performed was fluid and cat-like.
     And he was starting to spark Uranus' wrath as she swung yet
again, only to be met with air, her opponent just out of her
blade's reach. Each time she attacked he dodged and moved away. He
never lashed out himself to attack.
     But at the very least she had his full attention.
     That left Neptune with more than enough room to chase after
the priestess, who was now fleeing as fast as she could. But for as
fast as she could run, Neptune was faster. The distance between the
two was closing fast.
     Suddenly the supplicant saw the danger his mistress was in,
and leapt off the floor. Uranus had to step back in unexpected
surprise as she watched him take to the air at a height only a
Senshi could achieve. His katanas were spun around, blades facing
the floor--and Neptune.
     Uranus' eyes widened. "Neptune, look out!" she shouted.
     Her partner barely had enough time to turn and see the attack
coming. Neptune jerked her head sideways as the supplicant brought
down one of the katana blades, nearly decapitating her.
     The sword buried itself into the marble floor.
     Neptune scrambled back as the supplicant turned his head to
look at her. And then he defied everything that was human. His hand
released the one katana. Suddenly his entire body rotated at the
waist, spinning at a high velocity that carried its second katana
around for a second attempt to take Neptune's head off.
     The Outer Senshi dropped to the floor as the blade managed to
cut a few strands of her hair. Neptune's aqua-green eyes widened as
she saw the supplicant's body twist like the skin and flesh inside
were mere cloth and stuffing. The physical contortion quickly
righted itself as Uranus cleaved the katana's steel in two with her
Space Sword. 
     Uranus' blue eyes glared at the man who would dare try to hurt
her partner and lover. But the supplicant's eyes, almost hidden by
the face of the mask, were eerily void of emotion.
     His head bobbed.
     And something that might have been a laugh escaped the
confines of the mask. A laugh that didn't sound human at all. The
supplicant returned to the one intact katana left and quickly
backed away, looking from one Outer to the other. It was clear he
was outnumbered and outmatched.
     And neither Senshi had any compunctions against breaking him
before they brought him in for questioning.
     "It's over," Neptune stated. "Give up."
     The supplicant turned to her, then raced between them to
escape into the shadows on the other side of the atrium.
     Uranus immediately gave chase until he decided to take flight,
gaining unnatural height and speed. His feet touched midway up one
of the pillars, and from there he pushed off the structure and
soared through the air. His speed never diminished as he rebounded
off another archway, and then was pulled into the shadows at a
height where he should have come crashing down onto the floor and
shattered his legs.
     But the Outer Senshi saw nothing more of him.
     Neptune turned back to the priestess, but the woman had
disappeared during the fight.
     Both the priestess and her bodyguard were gone.
     "That was a new trick," Neptune remarked, though showing her
evident distaste for having let them escape.
     Uranus nodded. After a moment of hesitation she said, "No
human could have moved like that."
     "I know."
     The two approached the alter.
     Against their better wishes, they had to confirm that the man
was dead. He looked to be getting on in his years, a grey beard and
hair attesting to when he had first received life from the crystal.
Folds of black robe were pulled back over his shoulders, glistening
with blood.
     The whitened robes underneath were stained crimson.
     Uranus pounded on the edge of the alter with her fist. The
blood that had gathered in the grooves rippled in waves of scarlet,
rich and dark. She couldn't even find a word, an exclamation, a
swear--anything to voice her aggravation. Her voice just releasing
an incoherent shout of anger.
     Even if they brought him before Serenity, the damage was done.
The crystal's powers could revive him, but they both knew that
would never happen. An example had to be made of him, just like all
the others who'd died before him. In a twisted way this man had
made his choice to die, and they would be forced to respect it.
     "At least he died peacefully," Neptune said, looking down at
the smile upon the man's face. They'd seen this relaxed countenance
and its origins before. An elixir of rare herbs that could only be
found outside Crystal Tokyo, far beyond the immense agri-farms.
This natural drug acted like morphine, made those who were
sacrificed more peaceful.
     More inspiring to the other worshippers.
     "Our mission was to make sure he didn't die in the first
place," Uranus snapped.
     "I know that!" Neptune answered, the emotion barely controlled
in her voice. The strain of this was taking its toll upon her as
well. Her usually composed demeanour was slowly unravelling. She
knew she would never understand this. 
     Why would they take a life when they seemed so fanatical about
preserving the life of this city? They were a part of that life, of
that future. This accomplished nothing, and despite their delusions
this man laid out upon the alter was killed in vain.
     It was an ironic turn of events for them as Outer Senshi. Once
before they had been willing to sacrifice any life, including their
own, for the success of their mission.  Now their mission had them
doing their damnedest to preserve the lives that were being
sacrificed.
     And so far, they had failed every time.





     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: resonance