Chapter 5

Prelude of Battles.

The sun was beginning to rise higher into cloudless, blue skies to mark another Saturday morning. Yet by the same token it was also making something else in the city of Tokyo. Something altogether new.

They stood atop the Tokyo Tower's observation deck once more as they had numerous times in the past. Chaos leisurely sat in the air and floated around, Havoc sat on the edge and cleaned his Zenba blade, Mayhem played with his Elven tarot cards while Hysteria cheerfully bounded from one side of the rooftop to the next. Only Carnage, the newest one of them all to be unleashed, stood very tall and very dark amidst the daylight.

"Well then," Chaos said, plucking a spinning sphere of illusion from his palm and releasing it into the air. "It's decided: today we shall play our first official game with these Sailor Senshi."

"So what do you intend to do?" Mayhem inquired, adjusting the sunglasses he had chosen to wear today with the rest of his apparel.

"Hai," Havoc agreed, slinging the Blade over his shoulder. "It's been a while since our last one. We need something to really get the city all riled up. Make a hell of an entrance."

"I already beat you to that," Carnage said, speaking for the first time since the Court had gathered together. "I made sure Sailor Jupiter won't forget my face." She grinned. "It was fun tearing her up like that."

"I'll bet," Mayhem muttered darkly.

"What the hell was that supposed to mean?" Carnage snapped.

"Exactly what you think it meant," Mayhem evenly replied. "Your sadistic tendencies are far from subtle, Carnage. You'd have killed Jupiter had Hysteria and Chaos not intervened."

Carnage shot Chaos a glare.

"Getting back to the game at hand," Havoc said. "Who's hosting the game?"

"Oooooh!" Hysteria exclaimed cheerfully. "Hysteria has a kawaii little idea! You all listen, ne?"

She clapped her hands together, the action sending up a legion of kawaii little butterflies that blinded everyone else. As the winged insects dispersed, they left behind them a glittering, 3-D rendition of Hysteria's playing field. Tokyo Tower, and the area and buildings around it, had become a strange array of fantasy scenarios.

"Hysteria wants to have the kawaii little Senshi play like they're in a faery tale game!" she said. "And Hysteria also wants to shrink them into kawaii little children too!"

"Why do that?" Mayhem inquired.

Hysteria beamed. "Because they'd look oh so kawaii, ne?"

Carnage rolled her eyes in disgust.

"Figures," Mayhem said.

Chaos raised an eyebrow as he studied the layout. "Interesting," he remarked. "A raging river one has to cross, a dark and sinister forest, battling a dragon, and an evil sorcerer's castle at the finale."

Hysteria leaped into Chaos' somewhat startled arms. "Ah! Hysteria just knew Chaos-chan would like her kawaii little game, ne?"

Chaos unceremoniously dropping her to the floor with a thud. "Whatever," he sighed.

Hysteria hardly noticed, and giggled.

"Hmph!" Carnage snorted indignantly. "Well I for one am not about to frolic in some dumb little playland like that!"

And with that, Carnage turned and vanished.

Hysteria was on the verge of throwing a crying tantrum. "Wah! Carnage-chan's so mean to poor little Hysteria!"

"You'll have to excuse me also," Mayhem added somewhat coldly. "if I regretfully decline your invitation, Hysteria."

Hysteria gave Mayhem a pouting face as she shuffled her feet. Mayhem did not relent.

"Gomen ne, Hysteria," Chaos said. "I'm still trying to find Riot and Ruckus...and keep Carnage under control." He cast a wary glance at where Carnage had last been sitting. "Plus I need to check up on Rampage; she's been loose in Tokyo for a few days now."

Hysteria's eyes watered up as she began to wildly sob. "Waaaaah! Does that mean no one from the kawaii little Court wants to play in Hysteria's kawaii little game?"

"Hey, I never said I was out," Havoc interjected, flashing her a disarming smile.

Hysteria's eyes sparkled and she immediately began to excitedly jump up and down. "Oooooh! Havoc wants to play in Hysteria's kawaii little game, ne? Ne? Ne?"

"Yare yare, I'll do it already," Havoc said.

Hysteria nodded, beaming with cheerfulness. "Hai!"

From out of seemingly nowhere she took out a large crystal orb that looked like a gigantic oversized marble, the surface a watery blue with a large red star on the top. Hysteria threw the marble into the air.

"Let Hysteria's kawaii little games begin!! Ne?"

She winked at Havoc as the marble, which was soaring into the air like a beach ball, suddenly exploded in a rainfall of streamers and confetti. Hysteria's game was underway, the magik already working to create her playing field.

Mayhem handed Chaos an umbrella as the confetti started coming down. "Here. I brought two this time."

Havoc smiled. "It's good to see her so happy again," he sighed wistfully. He then realized that for some reason Hysteria was now about two heads taller than him. In fact, everything about him seemed smaller now. In fact, he was not only smaller but younger too!

Naturally Havoc freaked.

"What the?! Baka Hysteria! You shrunk me too!"

Hysteria beamed, clapping her hands together. "Aw, but Havoc-chan looks so kawaii when he's Super Deformed, ne?"

Havoc glared at the chuckling forms of Chaos and Mayhem, who were still holding their umbrellas. Chaos snickered, "Just remember, it's not the size that counts, but how you use it!"

He dodged a swipe from Havoc's Blade. However now Havoc was not even close to being the right size to be able to wield the Zanba sword, the blade tipping back as he tried to raise it over his head. The Blade's tip buried itself into the ground, hoisting a li'l Havoc into the air where his legs dangled high off the floor.

Chaos burst out laughing, toppling over.

"I fail," Havoc said, unimpressed. "to see what is so funny."

It was noon when Mamoru finally made his way to the strangely deserted amusement park. All of his bizzare premonition dreams had led him here.He raised his eyes to the ferris wheel where a humanoid shape sat at the top.

"Welcome to my playground, Tuxedo Kamen!" Hysteria giggled. "I just knew you'd come to play with me!" Mamoru backed up defensively.

"You! You're the person from my dream! Tuxedo Kamen Transform!"

Hysteria just giggled to herself while Mamoru's clothes magically changed from his sports jacket to the sleek and stylish tuxedo and party mask that symbolized Tuxedo Kamen.

"Wow!" Hysteria breathed. "You look even cuter this way." Hysteria lept down from her perch atop the Ferris Wheel and landed a few yards from Tuxedo Kamen. "Come play with me!"

"Creature of Evil!" Tuxedo Kamen said aloud. "Coming from the shadows to play with the minds and hearts of innocents! For this I shall....I shall....I.....ah, hell! LINE!!" Hysteria gained a confused look on her face at the odd statement. When he was sure she was looking for the phantom cue cards he was, Tuxedo Kamen removed his extendable cane and leaped at Hysteria. Unfortunately, she was just one step ahead of Mamoru and leaped backwards. Tuxedo Kamen stumbled and slipped on a discarded soda can. He slid along the floor, past Hysteria, and hit his head, hard, on the platform for the strength tester. As visions of Usagi's danced in his head, Hysteria lept high into the air and landed hard on Tuxedo Kamen. The ball on the strength tester went far up and rang the bell.

"Yeah! I won, I won!" Hysteria laughed. "This is a lot of fun, don't you think?" She looked down at Tuxedo Kamen, who was blissfully unconscious. "Ah, you need to relax more." She giggled, hopping over to Tuxedo Kamen. "Ah! He is just too kawaii to waste lying here like this!" She hoisted Tuxedo Kamen over her shoulders. "Ne?" she asked his unconscious form.

With an excited leap, Hysteria soared up to the roof of the tower's observatory deck. Summoning another larger marble sphere she began to channel her Elven magik. Seconds later the marble floated and burst open with another rainfall of streamers and confetti.

"Wheee!!!" Hysteria exclaimed.

"Usagi...." Mamoru whispered hoarsely, barely even aware of the large snaking, thorned vine that wrapped itself around his torso and hung him over the side of the Tokyo Tower. His white eyemask fell to the ground far below, his form changing until he was that of a little boy.

"Ah! He's even more kawaii when he's younger!" Hysteria exclaimed happily. "Hysteria's so thrilled!"

The thorns pulsated and grew, flowing around the entire structure of the Tokyo Tower. As they reached the observation deck the thorns wrapped around Mamoru's arms and legs. With the power of Hysteria's incantation, he simply stared blankly at the skies to await his fate, a lost little boy awaiting his princess.

Hysteria sighed. "Ah! How romatic, ne?"

A super deformed Havoc simply crossed his hands over his chest, sulking from atop one of the steel beams in the higher part of the tower. "Isn't it though?"

"Ooooh! It's so kawaii!" Hysteria said, clapping for herself. "Hysteria loves it!" She smiled, practically bubbling over in excitement. "Hysteria hopes that the kawaii odango-atama girl comes soon!

* * *

Far atop the roof of a neighboring tower, Elven lords Chaos and Mayhem watched the spectacle gaining newfound momentum.

"She really went all out on this," Chaos remarked, twirling a few crystal illusions around in his palm. "She even managed to grab that Tuxedo Kamen character and has him all bound up by killer thorns atop the Tokyo Tower. Kinda like a demented faery tale."

He glanced over at Mayhem. "You staying for this?"

Mayhem nodded, flipping through his deck of cards. "Definitely. This looks like it just might get interesting."

He drew one card out from the deck and glanced at it. The card was of Elven brands and magik, yet the message on it read like a tarot. The card featured sun, moon, stars all moving together into one sky, like seeing a picture in a book coming to colourful life within the frames. Mayhem read the inscription on the card.

"Conjunction," he mused. "So who's coming together?"

The girls were still surprised to seem themselves as kawaii little children.

"This must be one of those damn elvens' game!" Makoto said furiously.

"How are we supossed to fight this way?" She turned to see Usagi, but the blonde girl seemed to be less worried about that.

"Mamo-chan's in danger, we can't stay here!" Usagi said desperately.

"Look at us!, we're small kids!" Rei yelled.

"I don't care if we're just kids! Mamo-chan is in danger and that's the only thing I know!" Usagi said and hurried way to the Tokyo Tower.

"We can't let her go alone…Love make up!" Minako run after her. Rei, Ami, Tenchi and Makoto did the same.

Hysteria's laughter was the laughter of a child.

"Look! The kawaii little senshi will play with Hysteria, ne?"

"Mamo-chan, Mamo-chan!" Usagi screamed. "I can't forgive you!" she added with tears in her eyes.

"Kawaii!" Hysteria clapped. "The odango-atama girl is coming for her prince!"

"How dare you..!" Sailor Venus said. "I'm the Senshi of Love, and I won't let you play this stupid game with these two lovers!…Aphrodite Flowering Tenderness!" She yelled, but her explosive flowers were just fire petals that seemed more like confetti!

"Kawaii attack, Sailor Venus!" Hysteria exclaimed.

"Hermes's guided Aqua!" Sailor Mercury screamed. But the powerful water force attack was reduced to a line of small water drops.

"It doesn't work!" Sailor Jupiter exclaimed.

"And it wouldn't work" Sailor Earth said. "Our attacks and magic are now less destructive than a fly!"

"But we can't let him there!" Usagi cried. "Hold on Mamo-chan, we'll find the way…

"**********

"Those horrible Senshi have RUINED EVERYTHING!!! They've destroyed Raven and stopped me at every turn. They've even succeed in recieving the ancient powers..." Stashia's voice trails off as her mind begins to wander through the recent events.
BANG! The door to her room slams open as one of her minons bursts through, breathless.
"HOW DARE YOU DISTURB ME!!! I should feed you to the Garoc for this intrusion! Whatever you have to say had better be important or it may be the last thing you ever say again!" Stashia roars at the already terrified underling.
"My Lady...", he huffs, "Tokyo...changed...Senshi young." He stammers.
"What are you mumbling about?" Stashia asks as she turns to look through her crystal at the city.
"So someone has turned the entire city into one big fairytale." She whispers to herself, darkly. "Whoever did this was VERY GOOD but they forgot one tiny detail. EVERY fairytale has a monster..."
"You there, release the Garoc! HAHAHAHAHA!" Stashia laughs darkly as the minion hurries out the room to follow her orders.
The minion who's name was Branixs, runs down the stairs to the Garoc's lair.
"Stashia's gone crazy now for sure. No one has ever released the Garoc. He'll destroy the city." Branixs thinks to himself as he reached the giant doors of the lair.
Branixs begins turning the giant wheel that operates the doors. As the doors open, something begins coming to life, something that should have remained buried.
"My Lady, the Garoc has been released."
"Good." Stashia replies as she walks to the balcony under which the Garoc stands roaring loudly.
"Garoc! I, Stashia have freed you from your prison. You can remain free forever, if you level the city and destroy all within it!"
The Garoc roars were so loudly that plaster and small rocks fall from the ceiling sending all except Stashia running in fear.
"Let them run. Soon I will succeed where all before had failed!
I WILL DESTROY the Sailor Senshi!!" Stashia thinks as she sends the Garoc on his way.

*********

Hysteria's eyes widened. "Sugoi! You're big!" She abruptly began stomping her feet and whining. "Aya! Hysteria didn't invite you to play in her kawaii little game!"

The Garoc roared furiously.

"You're ruining Hysteria's game!" Hysteria exclaimed angrily, stomping her feet. "Stop that!"

But he didn't hear her, at least didn't care. He started to destroy cars, biuldings and everything in his way.

"You've left poor little Hysteria-chan with no other choice! Kawaii Butterfly Attack!"

Hysteria flung her seemingly peaceful oversized butterfly demon, the yoma unleashing a screech before tearing into the dragon beasts' flesh. A howl followed. The beast was struck with the full power of Hysteria's attack, the butterfly ramming the beast into the base of the thorny tower. The structure violently shuddered with the impact, and for a moment it seemed as if Mamoru might slip through the thorns and fall to his death.

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi screamed.

And yet the beast arose, snarling and howling once again as it belched out fire. Not even Hysteria's attack had slightly damaged it. If anything, getting hit by the attack only made it even madder...or made her even madder.

Hysteria trembled with fury, her aqua-green eyes flashed in rage. "You ugly bastard!!"

The small-bodied version of Havoc was neatly blown backwards as Hysteria's full aura of battle magik exploded, churning around her. The Elven sorceress glared at the raging beast.

"Hysteria tried to be nice!! SHIN'NE!!!!"

And with that, she launched any and all magik powers she could summon at the beast. The the entire area of Tokyo became lost in explosive fiery emerald light.

Chaos jerked his head up as he saw the crackling green fireballs rising into the sky. "What the hell was that?!" The crystals he was absently twirling fell out of his palm, bouncing across the roof.

Mayhem was already standing atop the edge of the skyscraper. "Hysteria's throwing another hissy fit again. And a big one at that."

Chaos nodded. "Hai. We had better stop her now before she destroys the whole city." He frowned. "What could possibly have made here this upset?"

The Elven tarrot card bearing the runes stating CONJUNCTION started to burn brighter, the sun and moon and stars even closer to merging together.

* * *

"Why can't you just die, you ugly thing?!" Hysteria exclaimed, launching kawaii killer butterfly attack after kawaii killer butterfly attack.

The beast swiped at her with its claws, but missed and only smash through a pile of thorny vines. Hysteria leaped across the Tokyo Tower's observation deck, launching fireball after fireball.

"SHIN'NE SHIN'NE SHIN'NE SHIN'NE SHIN'NE!!!!!!"

"I'd help if I could," a still super-deformed Havoc remarked, leisurely sitting on a steel beam near the top of the tower. "However I might add I'm just...HALF MY USUAL SIZE SO I CAN'T USE MY BLADE!!!"

Hysteria stopped pouting as with flickering shafts of light, Chaos and Mayhem suddenly appeared. They paused as they watched Stashia's monstrous creation attempting to smash apart Hysteria's game.

"Now there's something you don't see every day," Mayhem wryly remarked.

"What's it doing here?" Chaos asked, looking at Hysteria.

"That ugly dragon barged into Hysteria's kawaii little game!" Hysteria whined, stomping her feet. "Make it go away!"

Mayhem lowered his shades, giving her a curious glance. "And you didn't bother to destroy it?"

"No fair!" Hysteria whined. "That monster cheated!"

Chaos stared up at the beast. "Mayhem, did Carnage decide to have a game of her own?"

Mayhem shook his head. "This isn't her style or her magik. This is something I've never seen before."

"And this isn't even close to Rampage's style," Chaos agreed. "That isn't even Rampage. And it's powerful enough to deflect Hysteria's attack." He sighed. "It appears we have an uninvited guest. I trust you'll show him Elven hospitality for such impertinence."

Mayhem cracked his knuckles. "With pleasure." He gestured to Hysteria. "Ladies first."

Chaos flung himself into the air, a mandala of crystal illusions circling around him. With a loud shout he hurled the entire ring of spheres at the beast. To his surprise the beast managed to knock aside over half the crystals with its tail, dashing the orbs to pieces.

The rest only managed to burn the creature's skin, causing pillars of black smoke to rise up. The dragon beast howled in fury.

"That thing managed to counter my lesser illusions!" Chaos exclaimed, landing onto the ground far below. "Shimatta, it's good!"

"We could really use Havoc and his Blade right about now," Mayhem remarked, dropping down beside Chaos. He threw another volley of his icy Leviathan snakes, but the attack only stalled the beast for a few seconds.

"SHIN'NE SHIN'NE SHIN'NE SHIN'NE SHIN'NE!!!!!"

Chaos and Mayhem watched as Hysteria angrily chased after Stashia's beast, still throwing fireballs at it. Chaos blinked, not sure what else to say.

"She gives new meaning to the term 'overkill'," Mayhem sighed.

"Nice of you to join the game, Sailor Senshi," Mayhem remarked. "However you'll have to excuse us for a moment as we have something rather large and ugly and angry to take care of first."

"It's going after that Tuxedo Kamen guy!" Chaos shouted.

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi cried out.

"My kawaii, handsome man!" Hysteria exclaimed in dismay.

Suddenly there was a loud shout.

"ARASHI!!"

Everyone whirled to see an enormous display of lightening bolts exploded from nowhere.

The Tokyo Tower was silent. Its castle of thorns had disappeared, and now Mamoru was slowly coming to in Usagi's arms. Mamoru's eyes fluttered open, and he gave her a weak smile. "I...had the strangest dream, Usa-ko," he whispered.

Usagi nodded. "It's over now. Just rest, Mamo-chan. Just rest...." She gently kissed him and then laid him down on the ground.

"Aw, shimatta!" Hysteria sighed, trying to brush out the scorch marks on her dress. "Now Hysteria's game is all ruined!"

Rei glared at the Elven. "Which of you is responsible for this?" she demanded.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Chaos answered. "Hysteria conjured up this game, but that dragon decided to show up all on its own and tried to kill all of us."

"That still doesn't answer who used that storm attack," Mayhem said. "I've never felt his aura before."

Chaos glanced over at an empty patch of air. "I have. Nice to see you again, Wanderer-san."

They all turned around as the Wanderer appeared.

"Kawaii!!" Hysteria exclaimed upon seeing him.

The Wanderer coldly brushed past Chaos. "I'm not here for you, Chaos. In fact, I could care less about your childish games."

Chaos rolled his eyes. "Hmph! Well excuse me for being immature!"

"I won't spend my time in you, so there's a more powerful enemy I have to deal with" the Wanderer said and vanished as fast as he appeared.

Stashia then arrived, frustration in her eyes:

"Shimatta, you all have ruined everything! My newest creation is destroyed!"

"Stashia" Tenchi said, anger in her voice "So you're responsible of that monster!"

"Don't want to speak with you, Sailor Earth." And Stashia. "We'll see each other another day"

"Wait!" Sailor Mars yelled. But Stashia has gone.

Stashia reappeared in her chambers, she was mad:

"Damn…Another plan that didn't work"

Suddenly Chaos appeared beside her.

"Explain yourself, Stashia," he said icily. "There was a time when your Dark Blood clan and my Court were allies, and though we did not fight together we certainly did not rudely interupt each other's games such as the manner you did a little while ago."

Stashia laughed at him. "That was over three thousand years ago, Chaos! You honestly believed that our alliance would last for that long? This is a whole new world, one I intend to conquer."

Chaos growled. "So be it, then. The next time we meet the encounter will not be so pleasant as it used to be."

Chaos stalked out of the chambers.

Stashia glanced back at the shadows. "Ne, Carnage?"

A dark smile across her face, the Elven huntress emerged from the darkness. "Hai, Stashia-sama."

***********

The weekend had finally come to Tokyo, and Minako was determined to enjoy every last minute of it. Despite the attempts made by her feline companion to actually do some studying, she found herself walking down the storefronts on a warm, cloudless day.

"I never want to read a faery tale book again," she sighed, stretching out her arms and staring up at the sunlit skies. Her blue dress rustled in the cool breeze. Minako adjusted the blue bow in her long blonde hair, glancing over to the somewhat nauseated white cat draped over her shoulder.

"Ne, Artemis?"

"H-hai," Artemis replied weakly.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Would you mind not jumping around so much?" Artemis said. "I feel like I'm going to fly off and hit a building or another person if you keep this up!"

Minako laughed and winked at him. "Oh, come on, Artemis! Cats can land anyplace they want to sleep!"

Artemis' eyebrow developed a nasty twitch. "That's 'cats can sleep anywhere' and 'cats always land on their feet', Minako." He sighed, just trying to accept the fact that she would never be able to get a quote or catch phrase right in her life.

Minako giggled again, sticking out her tongue. "Ne, Artemis, let's go shopping to celebrate our victory over Hysteria's game!"

The white cat groaned. "No, not shopping. Anything but that, Minako-chan. You blew your allowance all last week, remember!"

Minako laughed, raising a hand into the air. "Hai! But that doesn't stop me from window shopping!"

And with that she tored down the street, a frantic white cat desperately clinging to her shoulders in the hopes of not being sucked back in the jetstream she was leaving behind her.

The two pressed their faces up against the glass, hoping to catch a glimpse of more than just the shadows in the windows. Yet neither one could see much other than a few scattered objects with lanternlight reflecting off their sleek forms.

"An antiques store?" Artemis asked.

Minako stared harder. "Ah! Look at all the neat charms they have in there!" She grabbed Artemis by the scruff of his neck. "If it looks so old it must be real! At last Aino Minako will get a boyfriend!"

"Yare yare," the white cat groaned, having little say in the matter as Minako strolled through the door.

Both of them paused in the doorway, their eyes wide as they saw the shop from the inside. Trinkets and strange foreign crafts were piled and scattered across the shop, the entire store given an eerie aura with but a few flickering lanterns to illuminate the store.

"Sugoi," Minako whispered, dropping Artemis.

Proving that cats do land on their feet, Artemis started sauntering through the shop, wrinkling his nose at the burning insence. Minako made her own way through the shop, playing with wind chimes, statues and some other odd items whose purpose was a complete mystery to her.

"I have got to come back here when I have more money," she said. "Ne, Artemis?"

No response.

Minako glanced around the store. "Artemis?"

She turned back around, and came face to face with what she could have sworn was a ghoul. "Welcome," the ghoul crooned, her voice hoarse and cracked.

Minako shrieked, recoiling. "Gyaaaaa!"

The old woman paid no attention to the outburst. She was withered and hunched over, thick silver hair tied back. The folds of her Chinese gowns seemed almost too bulky for a person of that size.

"Everything here is from China," the withered old woman stated, picking up another charm and placing it in Minako's hand. "Every mysterious item also holds with it a legend that dates back centuries on end."

"Ah!" Minako exclaimed excitedly. "Um...what is it?" Whatever was in her hand felt large and somewhat furry. She suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"It's a mummified foot from an enchanted Kappa sprite," the old woman said. "Said to bring good luck if you're lost and cannot find your way home."

Minako blinked, glancing down at the webbed foot she was holding in her hand. "A...mummified foot?"

The old woman nodded.

Minako shuddered, lobbing the foot over her shoulder. "Gross!"

A frightened yelp from Artemis sounded from another end of the store. Minako could only guess she had managed to toss the mummified foot right at him.

Minako shuffled down the narrow, crisscross rows. Statues and crystals and jewellry hung in every possible place, many from the beams on the ceiling. Her blue eyes stopped when they saw something shimmer in the pale light of the store's lanterns.

"Na ni?" she whispered.

It was heavy when she picked it up, yet it was beautiful. Strange yet intricate runs decorated the rounded frame of a seemingly delicate hand mirror. Minako found herslef captivated by it, tilting the mirror to see herself.

"No!" the old woman snapped, tipping the mirror away. "Do not look at your reflection!"

Minako was stunned by the sudden strength in the woman's tired old hands. "Why?"

Gently the woman cradled the mirror. "Ever since it mysteriously appeared in a nobleman's house three thousand years ago, it has displayed dangerous powers. The mirror is drawn only to the ladies of the house. If she sees her own reflection, she shall become enchanted."

Minako swallowed hard. "En...chanted?"

The old woman nodded. "Hai. Only if her love for another is stronger can the magic be undone. Yet legend speaks of no one overcoming its powers. Each time the girl became lost in the beauty of her own reflection. My own sister fell victim to its magic, staring at herself in this very mirror for days on end. One day I came into her room and found her gone. Only the mirror remained."

With a low growl the old woman glanced uneasily around the store. "I thought I had left this sealed beneath the seven demon scrolls to protect us all from it. For years its dark magic has remained bound. Does its will to seek out young maidens give it this much power?"

The old woman looked down, and discovered that now in her hands was nothing. The mirror was gone. "Masaka!" she exclaimed, whirling. "Not her! Not this one too!"

But somehow the mirror had found itself back into Minako's hands. She stared vacantly at her reflection, at the intricately carved runes on the metal frame. The playful sparkle in her eyes faded as the enchantment took hold.

"Beautiful," she whispered.

Artemis leaped onto a table, eyes narrowing at the mirror. "Minako!" he shouted, pouncing. At that moment he didn't care if the old woman heard a white cat screaming someone's name.

Abruptly a shaft of light erupted from the mirror, striking Artemis in the chest. His feline form toppled across a table of charms, scattering gemstones as he crashed onto the floor.

The old woman reached into her robe, drawing out a protective ward. "Damned mirror!" she exclaimed, her own powers causing the floppy piece of paper to stand at full attention. An ancient rune appeared, flashing bright red. "I will not have you claim another soul so long as I live!"

Minako reached out and touched the glass surface. "You are so beautiful...."

And then a flash of light ran over the reflection. For a split second Minako no longer saw herself inside the mirror but a glowing sapphire jewel. The face of the mirror exploded in a flood of glowing light, the mirror rattling uncontrollably in her hands. The runes were smoking, the glass cracking apart like a spiderweb. And then the full magik was vented, the entire shop engulfed in a brilliant blue light, the shockwave shattering the storefront windows and sending the front door into traffic.

Minako screamed as the shards were hurled into the air, a pair of ghostly hands snaking out from the mirror. She fell backwards, the explosion of magik overcoming her senses. A young man caught her up in his arms, crouching down low just in time to prevent her from striking the floor.

"Too close," he remarked, shaking his head.

Out from a pile of broken charms and debris, the old woman emerged still clutching her charged demon ward. "So," she coughed. "You're the demon of that infernal mirror."

The young man smiled. "Ara ara, but aren't I a most handsome demon?"

He hopped backwards, phasing through the doorway with Minako still in his arms. "Come on," he said to her sleeping form. "Let's get you someplace where you can recover."

The Elven mage smiled and brushed aside some bangs of blonde hair from her face. He kicked off the ground, leaping through the air onto a light pole. Passers-by gawked as he bounded across the roadway, disappearing behind a maze of rooftops.

Artemis chased after the fleeing shadows. "Minako!" he frantically shouted. "Minako! MINAKO!!"

He tumbled, rolling across the road and narrowly missing a swerving car. "That had to be a Pandora Box," he muttered, dragging his bruised form onto the sidewalk. "Baka Minako-chan. You freed the last of Chaos' Court."

"Miss?"

Minako's eyes fluttered open. "Hm?" She tried to sit up, and winced as her head seemed to spin inside of her skull.

"Take it easy," he chided her. "You may be awake, but that doesn't mean you're still perfectly fine to move around."

Her head was starting to clear up, and she could actually think without that throbbing pain in her temples. "What happened?" she asked.

"You tripped and fell," he said. "I fear you might have bumped your head, but otherwise you look alright."

He smiled gently, his face passive if not affectionate towards her. Bangs of sandy-blonde hair hung around his face, the rest of his hair tied back in a small but growing ponytail. Yet it was his eyes that caught her attention. Wintry blue, piercing and dreaming all at once.

She gaped. Was he cute or what?

"Sexy!" she exclaimed, suddenly clamping a hand over her mouth when she realized she had just shouted her thoughts aloud. "Shimatta," she thought, blushing in embarrassment.

The young man blinked in surprise, and then burst out laughing. "I don't think you meant that as your first word to me," he chuckled. "But I'm flattered that you find me sexy, Miss."

Minako giggled nervously, sticking out her tongue. "Gomen." Not once did it even occur to her to ask herself why this young man was in her bedroom when she had been outside shopping only a short while before.

"Ah, but it's rude to simply call a lovely young girl Miss," he said. He leaned closer, their faces mere inches away from each other. "So tell me, what is your name?"

"M-Minako," she stammered, blushing. Though whether from her mistake or just from staring at him, she couldn't tell. "My name's Minako."

The young man smiled. "Minako-chan. Ah, an angel's name sent from heaven. Tell me, how is it you managed to come to earth without your wings?"

He gently took her hand in his and kissed it.

"Kawaii!" Minako thought, grinning dreamily at him.

"Such sweet seduction from the devil himself," came a new voice. "Not even an hour out from the Pandora Box and here I find you picking up where you last left off three thousand years ago." Yet for as different and new a voice as it was, it was indeed strangely familiar. Almost identical to young man's voice.

The young man sighed, standing up and crossing his arms over his chest. "Yare yare, you always did know how to spoil the romantic mood, dear brother."

Minako's blue eyes slowly looked up to the top her room. Moments later she gawked as another young man identical to the one at her bedside was standing upside-down on her ceiling.

"Na ni?" she exclaimed, recoiling.

"You always did know just what to say to make a pretty young girl blush...brother," the upside-down one said.

Minako crawled back on her bed, spilling the rows of stuffed animals onto the floor. "Who are you two?" she exclaimed. She started touching herself. "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

The upside-down one smiled. "Oh, I can readily assure you that this is very real."

The one standing on the floor glanced down at his twin, both able to look into each other's eyes. "But really, we are being rather rude for not having introduced ourselves to such a pretty young girl."

Minako glanced from one to the next. "N-na ni?" she whispered. Where was Artemis? Right whenever she actually needed him, that cat was nowhere to be found!

Both young men bowed from their respective positions. "Allow us to introduce ourselves," the one on the floor said. "Their lordships Ruckus--"

"And Riot."

"--at your service, Milady. And I for one am curious as to how you were able to unlock our little boxes. For three thousand years we've sought out maidens who might hold the magik needed to set us free. Such a task is not a simple feat and yet you performed it with relative ease."

The one atop the ceiling pushed off, adeptly and gracefully flipping over and landing without so much as a sound next to his doppelganger.

"Na ni?" she exclaimed, pointing at them. "C-Chaos' Court?"

"Oh, you know him?" Riot inquired.

"Ah, so you've heard of us even three thousand years after our games," Ruckus remarked. "I'm impressed our namesake's lasted this long."

Minako tried to stand on her bed. "What do you want?" she demanded. "I will not allow you to destroy our city like the rest of your Court already has tried to."

She shifted her weight, but only managed to slip on the covers and topple onto the mattress with a startled yelp and very litte grace.

Riot and Ruckus shared a glance.

"*She* had the power to release us?" Riot asked.

Ruckus nodded. "Apparently so." He turned to Minako, who was this time making sure she stood on the floor. "We don't deal in such trivial things as Havoc's mass destruction or Mayhem's cryptic riddles. My brother and I deal in romance and seduction. I make them--"

"And I break them," Riot finished.

They were moving around the room almost like predators closing in for a kill, each movement in perfect accord with the other. If not for a psychic bond she was certain the twin brothers shared, Minako could have sworn they had carefully choreographed each step.

Her blue eyes were suddenly staring at Ruckus' own wintry blue gaze. He was watching her, as if looking into her heart and soul.

"Simply forget all your tension," he whispered, reaching out a hand to her. "Shed your fears, your inhibitions. Step into the mystery that we are, and become wrapped in our enigma."

She tried to step forward, each small movement taking a strangely long time as if she was trying to walk in midair. The room slowed down, colours becoming nothing but shades of black and white. Only Ruckus remained in colour, becoming more alluring with each breath she took.

"Hai," she whispered.

"Hold it," Riot countered, grappling onto his brother's wrist. In a heartbeat the strange, distant look in Minako's eyes faded, and she blinked in surprise. "As much as I do enjoy watching you seduce such naive souls with just a glance, brother, remember she does hold a magic that released us."

Ruckus nodded, wintry blue still locked on her. He grinned, not a mere smile but one of dark malevolence, as a cat might smile in playing with a mouse. "I'm well aware of that. But tell me, isn't this a much more fun way of learning who she is?"

"That's it!" she exclaimed. "I will not have you abusing the emotion of love just for your petty games! Messenger of love and kawaii angel of romance, I am Sailor Venus!"

She took out her transformation stick. "Love Make Up!"

Riot and Ruckus watched with rapt interest as she became Sailor Venus Love. Minako glared at both of them. "You have no right abusing the love people hold so dear. After all, life is short and love's a battle!"

Confused, Riot and Ruckus glanced at each other.

"What exactly that supposed to be?" Riot asked.

"I think she meant to say 'life's short, so love while you can'," Ruckus answered. "Wild guess, Sailor Venus: quoting literature and poetry is not your strong point."

Minako indignantly stamped her feet. "Na ni?! You're saying that I, Aino Minako, the messenger of love, can't quote romantic poetry?"

Riot gave Ruckus an amused glance, trying to keep from bursting out laughing. "The messenger of love?"

"A challenge then, is it?" Ruckus inquired. "Well, I suppose we have no choice but to accept. Ne, Riot?"

Riot punched his fist into his open palm. "Busy hands make happy hands." He laughed, kicking off the floor and flipping around stand once more on the ceiling. "Cool! Out of the box for a few minutes and already I get the scratch my battle itches."

Ruckus sighed, massaging his neck, as if bored with the whole turn of events. "Oh must it always be more of the same? Fight this, duel with that. Just once I would like the chance to do something a little more grand with our entrances. It all becomes so unoriginal after a few centuries."

Riot rolled his eyes. "Don't you get all prissy on me, Ruckus. We are a part of the Court of Chaos. That doesn't simply mean we sip tea and talk about touchy-feely stuff."

"Ara, but you needn't be so rude about it," Ruckus conceded. He glanced around the bedroom. "However, this is much too conjested a battleground. Shall we dance outside then?"

The two brothers snapped their fingers in unison, and at that moment Minako blinked. It was but a split second, yet that's all it took for her to find the bedroom now the road in front of her house.

"Shimatta," she heard Ruckus say. "I think our' magiks a little rusty."

"A *little* rusty?!" Riot exclaimed.

Minako spun around, gawking at the sight of Ruckus perched atop a telephone pole. Riot, on the other hand, was hanging upside-down, his one foot wrapped up and snagged in one of the telephone wires. Riot crossed his arms over his chest, looking very unimpressed.

"Of course, you realize," he said, swinging leisurely in the breeze. "I blame you for this, brother."

Ruckus shrugged. "Hai, hai." He glanced down at Minako. "So, does this prove a better place for you, Sailor Venus?"

Riot managed to untangle himself and dropped to the sidewalk. "So, a Sailor Senshi trapped us in the Pandora Box and now a Sailor Senshi's unleashed us from the same box. I can't tell you how ironic this is."

Minako looked from one to the other.

"Aphrodite's Ancestral Tenderness!" she shouted, launching her attack. She had no idea how dangerous it would be, but regardless she couldn't simply let the last members of Chaos' Court leave without saying a word.

The two easily leaped aside as the attack carved a deep hole across the sidewalk and the road. Minako shrieked as the explosive power from the blast knocked her off-balance, sending her toppling backwards onto the cement. The attack went out of control, arching up and taking out a series of a neighboring apartment's balconies before tear apart an adjacent apartment tower's antennaea and finally streaking into the air before exploding in one final blast of golden light.

Riot and Ruckus landed atop another telephone.

"Hmmmm...interesting," Ruckus remarked.

"'Interesting'?!" Riot exclaimed. "Is that all you can say at a time like this?! That is so uncool, Ruckus."

"I mean, interesting to think they know the ancient magic powers," Ruckus remarked, glancing up at the smouldering side of the apartment. "On the other hand, I think they need to train a little more."

Riot nodded. "Impressive to say the least."

Minako rubbed her sore butt. "Itai!" She slowly rose to her feet, staring up at the two Elven. There was no way she could launch another attack like that without hurting someone, but she doubted her older Love And Beauty Shock attack would hold any affect on them.

"I would hardly call this a fair fight with you wildly throwing about your magic," Ruckus said. "We shall adjorn for the day, Minako-chan."

The twin brothers turned to leave.

She chased after them. "Hey, wait a minute! That's it, you're leaving?"

Ruckus' eyes widened. "Oh, but of course! It simply would not do if I left without giving you a token of my affections, a souvenier of a battle well fought, my Minako-chan."

And with that, he tossed her a single red rose, the blooming flower drifting into her hands. Minako caught it, looking down at the present in surprise.

"Na ni?" she asked

"Don't think I'm about to be outstaged by you, Ruckus," Riot countered. "Allow me to throw my own little token of affection."

And with that, Riot tossed his own red rose to Minako. She reached out and caught it with both her hands, staring into the unbloomed flower. Suddenly the rose petals exploded, spraying Minako with a fury of confetti and miniature streamers.

A stunned Minako blinked as the coloured paper rained down on her. "What...the...?"

Riot broke down laughing, and even Ruckus had trouble keeping from chortling. "Damn, it's good to be back!" Riot exclaimed. "I can't believe we still keep getting away with this!"

Still laughing Ruckus shook his head, resting an elbow on Riot's shoulder. "Sometimes I think you enjoy this far to much, brother."

The Elven twins gave Minako a small bow. "Ja na!" they chorused, and then leaped from telephone pole to telephone pole, vaulting onto the rooftops and disappearing.

**********************

Chiisai-sama, what's going with you?" Hoshi asked.

"Oh, Stellar...maybe this sounds kind of dumb but...I felt him"

"Princess, don't cry..." Hoshi said as she looked at the white tear that run thought Chiisai's cheek and then fell, avoiding her neck.

Hoshi was upset.

'Poor Chiisai-sama' she tought 'she still has hope he's alive'

"Maybe we should search for Solar instead of thinking about sad thing, you highness"

"You're right Stellar Magic, we must follow our mission"

There were things that hurt as a sword cutting your heart half.

Asahi closed his fits in anger.

True.

But it can't be true.

Every dream he had made was gone because it was true.

But he didn't want to think.

Anyway, she probably didn't know, and that was an advantage.

He won't let her know the truth.

"Which school are you attending, Hoshi?" asked Chiisai as they walk through the busy streets of the hardworking city.

"Well, as I told you I just came from Kyoto a few days ago, after my Earth mother died of a heart attack...so I had no school. But an old friend from Kyoto recommended me this Juuban High. I'll start this monday...how about you?"

"I'm in a small pretty high called Heion Kawa...."

"Nice. Do you think it'll be difficult to find Solar?"

"How did you find me?" asked Chiisai

"I felt I needed to go to that place...I felt an energy calling me"

"Just as I did...and now I'm feeling I need to go to Heion Kawa..."

Asahi sat down in front of the school.

'I'm just waiting for you to find me, Lunar'

It didn't take too long.

Asahi was there, with a confident smile.

Light Honney eyes.

Proud presence.

"Konnichi wa, Serene-highness" He knelt and kissed her hand.

"No more Serene-highness, Asahi" Chiisai said.

"Finally together" Hoshi smiled.

"Don't forget we are here because of our mission" Chiisai said seriously. "Let's find the planet senshi!"

"Your wishes are my commands..." Asahi said.

"Not again, Solar." she said and started walking.

No one saw it, but a tear was dancing in her face...

Hoshi and Asahi looked to each other and then they follow their leader way to the city.

'I'm gonna make you forget. And your cold words will be burned by the light of the sun'

**************

It was a little difficult. In all senses. Now they have to deal with a lot of evil guys, but they were not fully prepared for the mission.
"What is it, Usagi-chan?" the black cat asked.
"Luna, I don't know if we can win this battle!" Usagi started to cry.
"You must be strong! For everyone!" the cat said.
"But we are weak, we don't now about magic" Usagi was feeling as an ant trying to beat an elephant. There were rockies in a certain sense.
"The Ancients will teach you..." Luna smiled. "Now we have to find the Elementals of Fire and Wood. I've felt Senshi energy near Jyuban"
Usagi stoped crying. "So let's find our Fellow Senshi!" she said happily.

*Sometimes her temper surprise me* Luna thought.

"Where do we start?" Usagi said.
"Don't know....these Elementals weren't from the Golden Age, they didn't know anything about Elvens or Stashia, it'll be very difficult to find them...." Luna looked at her. She was looking at a beautiful pink dress."Usagi-chan!" Luna said angrily.
"Isn't it beautiful?" The girl was enchanted.
"Usagi, I'm trying to explain you important things!" Luna yelled.
"Look, there's Tanrei.." Usagi said. "Tanrei-chan!"
*She hasn't change a bit. Sometimes she seems so mature, but other times* Luna thought.
Tanrei come fastly.
"Ohayo, Luna! Ohayo Usagi-chan!"
"Nice to see you, Tanrei" Luna smiled.
"What are you doing here?" Tanrei asked.
"We're seeking the Elementals of Fire and Wood...it is important to find them as soon as possible..." Luna answered
"That's why I'm here, too. June thought the same, and we both started the searching"
"Sugoi! Now we could find them easily!" Usagi added.
"Maybe, but let's stop talking. We have work to do!" Luna ordered.

***************

The bus hissed to a stop in front of an appartment complex in the centre of Juuban. A petite girl dressed in

Reebok Sports Attire stepped off. She was holding a duffel bag, a backpack, and a leather suitcase. Her eyes were shielded with a pair of fashionable sunglasses from Calvin Klein.

"46 Richstates Boulevard," the girl said, sighing, from exhaustion due to her travels. "This is the place." Hisaki

Kirei slowly walked up the steps and into the building, dragging her stuff with her. Thank goodness there were

elevators in this apartment, or Kirei would've died trying to walk up the stairs! She reached the 35th floor, number 1567. Gratefully dropping her bags, Kirei rang the doorbell.

"I'm coming," a voice behind the door cried. The door swung open, and an adorably pretty-looking girl stuck her head out, her longish blue-black hair hanging about her shoulders. Her blue eyes widened when she saw Kirei.

"Kirei-chan! You're here!"

"Yep!" Kirei threw her arms around the petite girl, hugging her tightly. "It's been a long time since I've seen you, cousin! How have you been? Are you doing okay?"

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, I guess. The depression's lifting off of me somewhat." She smiled wryly. "I now can look at mother's photos without bursting into tears, so that's a start. My father's coping well, too. He's stopped his excessive drinking." She looked at Kirei's bags and blushed. "Oh, I didn't notice those out in the hall! Let me help you bring them in, and we'll talk some more."

"Has Miyuki arrived yet?" Kirei was referring to Kisari Miyuki, Sarah's other cousin and Kirei's best friend.

"Yeah, but she isn't in right now. Miyuki's out somewhere in Juuban, doing some shopping. I can't believe that

we'll be one big happy family again!"

"Yep. Where are the others?"

"Well, Tanrei and June are out with special business. They wouldn't tell me about it." Sarah pouted. "Being the

youngest sister sucks sometimes. The elders keep you out of everything!"

Kirei smiled and patted Sarah on the head. "Hey, just wait until they get home. I'll talk to them for you." She

seemed puzzled for a moment. "Sarah, you didn't mention Amy Elisabeth. How is she?"

Suddenly, a cloud seemed to cover over Sarah's delicate features, and she turned away from Kirei. "Uh,

well...Amy Elisabeth's....out of the country right now. She's off in Europe, participating in an exchange in France." She smiled uneasily. "You know, for French class. She's really crazy about it. I don't expect her to be back for at least another...6 months or so."

"Oh, that's too bad. I guess I'll have to wait another 6 months to meet her." Kirei studied Sarah's face a little

closer. "Sarah, is there something wrong? Something you're not willing to tell me? I'm your cousin, you know.

You can talk to me about anything."

Sarah blushed, looking down at her toes. "No, there's nothing wrong. I mean it, Kirei-chan. I don't lie."

Kirei looked at her skeptically. "My intuition tells me that something's up. Something dealing with Amy

Elisabeth."

Before Sarah could defend herself, the front door opened and the two twin girls stepped inside, fanning themselves.

"God, it was steaming out there! And it's only June!" Tanrei said breathlessly.

June stretched languidly and laughed. "Yeah. We're lucky that we have air conditioning!" She stepped forward

and tripped over Kirei's duffel bags. "Yikes, who put that..."

Kirei gasped and quickly picked up her duffel bag. "Oh, I'm so sorry, June-san! What a klutz I am!"

"Kirei, you're here!" June squealed, throwing her arms around Kirei. Tanrei just stood there, shaking her head at her younger twin's exhuberant behaviour.

"It's so nice to see you, June!" Kirei pulled away and turned to Tanrei. "Tanrei, it's nice to meet you!" She

turned to hug Tanrei, but Tanrei stepped away, a guarded look on her face.

"Sorry," Tanrei said sheepishly. "I don't do hugs."

"Oh, yeah, I understand." Kirei stepped back and smiled brightly. "Oh, goodness, I can't believe I'm actually here in Japan! I really need to get around and sightsee some! But right now, I might as well put some of this stuff away.

"Your room is this way," Sarah said, pointing to Amy Elisabeth's old room. "I re-made it myself. Amy

Elisabeth...wouldn't mind that you're using her room for awhile. The other room is really messy, and needs some major cleaning up. Besides, Amy Elisabeth's in France now, right?"

Tanrei and June looked at each other. "France?" June whispered.

"I don't know, but Sarah has to do what she can to keep our secret safe. She can't let on that Amy Elisabeth is

actually Stashia," Tanrei whispered back.

"Anyway, why don't you pull Sarah away from Kirei for awhile so we can talk to her about the remaining

Elementals? She was kind of mad that we didn't let her into our little scavenger hunt."

"I'll do that. Sarah? We need to talk to you about something! Leave Kirei at peace for a few moments. This won't take long." Tanrei and June entered the bedroom they shared together, with Sarah at their heels. Tanrei quietly shut the door and plunked herself onto her favorite beanie bag chair.

"So, you guys, what's up? Does it have anything to do with the Senshi?" Sarah asked quietly.

"Yeah. Tanrei and I went out looking in Juuban for the last two Elementals, Oak and Flame. Luna told us that their auras are within the city. We couldn't find them, though. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. My aura indicator didn't go off for the entire day!"

"So, we figured that you might know, Sarah. Being Raven, you have an extra-sensory ability that allows you to

detect those with enormous power. Have you felt any auras lately?" Tanrei asked.

"Come to think of it, yes. I felt something strange coming from Kirei. I just didn't mention it to you guys."

"And why the heck not?"

"Hey! You told me nothing of your little walking trip today! Do you expect me to do the same?" Sarah folded her arms and pouted.

"All right, Sarah-chan, we're sorry we didn't alert you first. Do you actually think that Kirei is one of the lost

Elementals?" June asked.

"Maybe. Come to think of it, when I analyzed the energy, it reminded me of a burning flame."

"Well, the only way we're going to know is if we ask her. Come on!"

June, Tanrei, and Sarah quickly hurried to Kirei's room. The door was slightly ajar, and Sarah quietly pushed it

open. There were clothes strewn everywhere, and several posters plastered onto the walls. In the middle of it all, her body curled up comfortably on the bed, was Kirei.

"Kirei's asleep. Let's not disturb her," Sarah whispered, backing away, but Tanrei caught her arm.

"She might not be awake to answer our questions, but I can use my aura indicator on her." June quietly tiptoed

to Kirei's side, and held a crystal over her body. Within seconds, the crystal lit up, and an aura emerged from it. It took the form of a sailor senshi, dressed in red, black, orange and gold, holding a flaming bow with a determined look in her blue eyes.

Tanrei gasped. "That's her! Sailor Flame!"

Kirei muttered something and rolled around, her face turning towards the three girls. Giggling, the three swiftly hurried out of the room, slowly closing the door behind them.

Gasping for breath, the three sisters collapsed onto the carpet.

"So, we've found her," June said with a smile. "The Elemental of Fire, Sailor Flame. We must tell Usagi and the rest about this, see what we should do about it."

"Yeah. We can't spring this on Kirei so soon. She might be shocked to know that she has this great power,"

Sarah said, nodding. "I'll call Usagi right now."

Kirei awoke, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Wow, I've fallen asleep," she said to herself. Her eyes strayed to the

closed door. "Now, I wonder who closed it...."

There was a knock at the door. Kirei propped herself up on her elbows. "Who is it?"

"It's Miyuki. May I come in?"

"Sure!" Kirei smiled as the taller girl entered the room and sat at the edge of the bed. "So, was shopping good at Tokyo Square?"

"Pretty good. I should take you to this awesome shoe store. It's got a 2-for-1 sale going on. Napping after travel burnout?"

"Yeah. I didn't even know that I was that tired!" Kirei sighed. "Anyway, I needed the rest. We've got a lot to do here in Tokyo."

"Finding this Tenchi girl and getting the story from her. I know." Miyuki shook her head, her green eyes

pensive. "I'd like to know why that woman wanted us to find this Akauri Tenchi. Don't you think we could take care of this 'situation' on our own?"

"We've done well in the past," Kirei agreed, remembering how they fought the Shadow Knight Clan back in

California. "I guess this situation is pretty serious after all. The Riders of the Dark Blood seem like a bunch of

tough customers. We'll need all the help we can get." She sighed and took out her Ruby Elemental Crystal,

watching as the flame within it glowed brightly. "Sometimes, I wish I've never got messed up with Isis. I wish I can be a normal girl."

"Same here." Miyuki gazed into her own elemental crystal, which was green and had a spinning leaf in the

center. "However, we were destined from the very start, Kirei-chan. It's our duty. We can't back out on it now."

June, Tanrei and Sarah were breathless when they ran into Usagi, Minako, and Makoto in Juuban Park.

"Usagi, we have good news," Sarah gasped. She stopped to catch her breath.

"What is it? Does it have anything to do with the Elementals?" asked Usagi.

June nodded. "My aura indicator found Sailor Flame. She's our cousin, Hisaki Kirei."

"Really? Your cousin? Can you be sure?" Minako asked, dazed.

"My aura indicator doesn't lie, Minako. It analyzed the strong energy coming from Kirei's spirit. It matches Sailor Flame's energy matrix exactly. She's our girl. Now, the next thing to do now would be how to spring this upon her without shocking her. I mean, Kirei-chan knows nothing of the great power she has!"

"I'll contact Tenchi," Makoto suggested. "She's the one who's been looking for the last two Elementals. I think she'll know what to do."

********

Mamoru finally pulled up to the parking lot of the library in his car. Since this was the busy season, parking was difficult. Eventually, he managed to find a spot (in the back ... *groan!*) and made his way into the entrance. As Mamoru dropped off the book had checked out last week, someone in the library caught his eye. It was that girl he met before. Did she work here or was she just checking out a book?

Yuuki was arranging the books in the romance section of the library. Yuuki loved her job, being around books all day, but she craved for adventure. Yuuki had often heard about some 'Sailor Senshi'. To be one of them... that was her dream. But as if she would be one. The eighteen year-old had silver eyes! As if a Sailor Senshi would have silver eyes. Yuuki sighed, and walked back to the front desk to retrieve some books to put back on

their shelves. As she was picking up some books, Yuuki noticed the guy from the other day, returning a book.

"Oh, hello again." Mamoru said with a polite smile. He had picked up a book on "High Seas" adventure this time and was bringing it to the counter to check it out.

"Would you like me to check it for you, um... I never asked what your name was!" Yuuki replied, going red in the face, her silver eyes hiding behind her dark blue hair. 'I go to one of the best schools, and I still can't believe I forgot to ask his name the first time we met!' Yuuki thought to herself.

"My name is Mamoru and yes, could you check this out, please?" Mamoru smiled to himself. She kind of reminded him of Usagi. Well....a little like Usagi. On second thought.........

Mamoru waited patiently as she fumbled with the book for a moment and ran it through the library computer.

As Yuuki ran it through she thought, 'I think I can remember him from somewhere, but where?'

"There you are." Yuuki said, handing him his book back. "It's due back next week."

"Thank you very much." Mamoru flashed her another smile that seemed to make her blush even more. He left the library with the oddest feeling that they've met somewhere before, and he didn't mean the passing on the street. Oh, well. His life is full of this stuff and he's starting to just take it all in stride.

Yuuki watched Mamoru walk off, silently scolding herself. 'Yuuki, what's going on with you? Always calling yourself proud, and outgoing, and one guy comes along, and you go all shy? I did get a really strange feeling

form him though, I don't know what it was.' Another librarian came up next to her and nudged her back into the real world.

"Daydreaming again, Yuuki?"

"You could say that."