Secrets
Chapter 10 - Behind the Masks

    The old building looked about a hundred years old, and smelled even older. Probably had about the cheapest rooms you could find in this neighbourhood, Shoji thought. No doubt that's why she was staying here. He couldn't imagine her holding any sort of steady work, not in her condition. He was pretty sure he remembered the room number. In fact the number had fallen off the door, but you could tell where it had been easily enough, could read it from the unstained spot it had left on the door. Which was probably why the manager didn't bother replacing it. Assuming this place had a manager.
    Shoji knocked sharply on the door. "Akiko-kun, you in there?"
    After about a minute and two more knocks, the door opened. Looked like he had the right place. Akiko looked at him with heavy-lidded bloodshot eyes. She had on just a threadbare yukata. She looked older than her thirty years. The sauce was starting to take its toll.
    Shoji pulled the sake bottle halfway out of the paper bag he was holding it in, showed it to her. "Thought I'd drop by for a visit. Feel like a drink?"
    She looked down, and her eyes lingered on the bottle. Without a word, she opened the door wide and shuffled aside to let him in. Shoji went and sat down beside the only piece of furniture in the little room. Akiko shuffled over and awkwardly lowered herself down to the floor on the other side of the little table. The bottle beside her was empty. No wonder she had looked so lovingly at what he had brought her. As he cracked open the bottle, he noticed that she only had one glass left. Probably had broken all the others. He really wouldn't want to drink out of glasses that hadn't been cleaned in weeks anyway. Not that it was going to matter.
    Suddenly Akechi was behind her. He put his fingers onto the sides of her head. Her eyes went wide and her body jerked. Then her head slumped forward, her eyes closing shut. Akechi took a hold of her, eased her gently back so that she was lying prone on the dirty bamboo mats.
    "Nice work," Shoji said. "Didn't see you myself. You must be getting really good if you can mask from the likes of her."
    Akechi shrugged. "She wasn't paying attention. They usually aren't."
    "Most of 'em haven't got much attention span left at the best of times." He closed his eyes. **Yui-chan, we're all set.**
    **Okay.** He opened his eyes again, sent a mental image of the place. There wasn't much room to 'port in here. But Yui was really good. She popped in just beside the table, holding Hitomi's hand. Yui smiled at him.
**Did she suspect?**
    **Nope. All I had to do was put up a mask and think about sake. She could have seen through it if she wanted to.**
    **But I guess she didn't want to,** Hitomi said.
    Shoji gestured towards Akiko's prone body. **Yui, the floor is yours.**
    **Right.** She turned towards Akiko and put her hands out. Shoji could see her aura expanding slowly. She was being careful and gentle. She didn't like the black sheep, but mostly she just felt sorry for them. Though not sorry enough to have any objection to Hitomi's plan.
    Before long, the little kaleidoscope of light motes that was the physical manifestation of Akiko's life force rose from her body. It collected in a little ball between Yui's hands. **It came out real easy,** she said.
    **Must be because Akechi stunned her,** Shoji said. **Hitomi, you want to give it a try?**
    Yui turned around to face her white-haired friend. Hitomi bent down to examine Akiko's life force. She rubbed her chin meditatively.
**Doesn't look like I would meet much resistance. Almost like an animal. She wouldn't even be aware. Yeah, I think this will work.**
    **Go for it,** Shoji said.
    Hitomi's eyes glowed. Shoji could feel her projecting her will into the life force. He heard her sending like an echo resonating off the naked life force. **Listen closely. I need you to find something for me. I need you to find the ones with the ancient souls. They are walking among us as we speak. You can tell them by their auras, great white auras that burn as steady as the sun and seem to go on forever. You will walk among the people and seek out the ones with the ancient souls. When you find one, you will send out a message to me with all your might. You will send me an image of the person's face. You will send it only to me. Now that I have touched your mind, you know me well and can do that easily. I am your friend, so you want to help me, you want it more than anything in the world.**
    Hitomi's eyes went back to normal. She stood up straight. **That ought to do it.**
    **Do you think it will work?** Yui said.
    **Assuming these Sailor Senshi all have auras that look the way this Tetsuya guy described to Shoji.**
    **He was very specific,** Shoji said. **Described it better than I've ever heard him describe anything. Made it sound like even one of us could see it if we really looked hard. I figure they'd all stand out like a sore thumb for her.**
    **I guess I'd better put her back then,** Yui said. She held the little spinning flurry of lights over Akiko's body and slowly opened her hands. It drifted down, spread out and disappeared into her.
    Akechi knelt down and put a hand on Akiko's forehead. **She'll be out for about an hour or so. I cleared her short term memory, she won't even know Shoji's been here.**
    **Then I guess we're done.** Shoji stood up. **Everyone feel up to doing another one tonight?** Nods all around. **Okay. Nobody saw me come in, so I guess I'll just 'port out with you.**
    **Are you just going to leave the bottle?** Akechi asked.
    **Yeah, it's the least we can do.**
    **Won't she wonder where it came from?** Yui asked.
    **Believe me, she won't care.** He held out his hand to Yui. **Next one's nearest to our East Azabu teleport point.**
    Yui grinned. **You got it.** She took his hand and held out her other to their two friends. **All aboard!**

    *****

    "Good afternoon, Doctor Constantine," the nurse said.
    "Good afternoon," Jeneth replied. "I'd like to look in on Kino-san."
    "One of her friends is with her," the nurse replied. "Would you like me to go ask her to leave?"
    "No, that's fine. Thank you." She walked down the hallway towards Makoto's room.
    Jeneth reviewed the case in her head as she walked. No change in nearly two months. Both conventional scans and her own probes agreed there was no sign of brain damage. But in her own mind Jeneth knew that the more time passed, the less hope there was of her ever waking. Even if she was physically capable, eventually her spirit would simply forget how to be in a conscious state.
    Her immortal Avatar body could keep her soul trapped in limbo forever. Eventually, they might need to release her once and for all.
    Not a day went by when Jeneth did not think back to that horrible night when the Avatar Jupiter had been struck down. Jeneth and Saturn had undone the ESPer's work, and then had spent hours trying to revive her, all to no avail. With great reluctance, they had decided that she would probably need long hospitalization. Saturn had coaxed Jupiter's body into weaving the remarkable disguise magic the Avatars used here when they walked among their people. The Avatar Pluto had identified the other injured girl as Mercury, then had sternly commanded Jeneth and her companions to swear an oath of silence. They had gladly done so, though it had seemed rather pointless. Who would they tell? Nevertheless, they all made it a point not to question the Avatars' need to remain anonymous, not to inquire about their assumed identities. Jeneth still knew very little about Makoto, except that she had no family. As it turned out, Ami was her designated proxy, so Jeneth and the doctors at the hospital here had mostly been discussing Makoto's condition with her. Ami's medical knowledge was considerable, and in discussion with other doctors it had come out that she was in medical school. But that was about all Jeneth knew about her. Except that, like Saturn, she obviously had the soul of a healer. And that in recent weeks she seemed to be very disturbed, worrying over something besides her sick friend's condition.
    Jeneth opened the door, endeavouring to be quiet. She heard a woman's voice. It sounded like she was reciting a story, probably reading from a book. Jeneth entered quietly. A very pretty young blonde woman was sitting beside Makoto's bed, reading from an open book. She noticed Jeneth entering. She stopped her reciting and smiled at Jeneth, waving casually. She placed a mark in her book, closed it and turned to Makoto. "Sorry Mako-chan, one of your doctors is here. I'm just going to go talk to her, okay? I'll be right back." She put the book down on the bedside table, got up and walked around the bed to where Jeneth was standing. "Hi Jennifer. I wanted to talk to you sometime soon, so this is really good timing."
    Jeneth raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, have we met?" She was wondering at how this woman knew her name. And it was unusual for people here to address doctors by their given names.
    "Well, sort of but not really. My name is Tsukino Usagi."
    "I'm Doctor Jennifer Constantine. Are you a friend of Kino-san?"
    "Yeah, I'm a friend of hers and Ami's"
    "Ah, yes. Ami told me that some of her other friends had been coming here reading to her. It's very sweet of you."
    Usagi smiled cheerfully. "Well, Mako-chan gets bored easily, I don't want to leave her just lying here with nothing to do."
    Jeneth wondered just what Ami was telling her friends about Makoto's condition and chances. She made a note to speak to her about it. "You said you wanted to speak with me, Tsukino-san?"
    "You can just call me Usagi. Like I said, we've sort of met so you don't have to be formal or anything."
    "I'm sorry, you have the advantage on me."
    "Well ... Uh ... maybe it would be simplest if I just showed you." And suddenly the room was full of feathers. Jeneth staggered back, almost fell. To her aura sense it was like an explosion. She clamped her eyes shut, shook her head vigorously, trying to clear it. She opened her eyes again.
    Sailor Moon smiled warmly. "Hi Jeneth. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She looked different. Now her high boots and long gloves were white and her short skirt was yellow with blue and red trim. A white ornament like bird's wings framed a little golden heart at her breast. Most striking were the great white feathery wings that spread out behind her. And her aura was indescribably beautiful, even more so than Jeneth had remembered, which seemed impossible.
    Jeneth fought the urge to go down on her knees, remembering how the Senshi had dropped hints they didn't much like that sort of formality. "Sailor Moon. I'm so happy to see you again. And I'm honoured by the trust you've placed in me."
    "It's good to see you too," Sailor Moon said. "I'm sorry I've been such a stranger, but I've been kind of busy." She took a step towards Jeneth then seemed to suddenly remember something. "Uh, just a minute." She put a hand to her breast, and suddenly she was surrounded by a whirling mass of shimmering red ribbons. Her whole body seemed to ripple like it was melting. A moment later, Usagi was standing in her place. She smiled sheepishly. "I tend to knock things over when I walk around like that indoors, this is safer." She walked over to Jeneth and took her hand in both of her own. "Jennifer ... uh, sorry, can I call you that?"
    Jeneth smiled. "You can call me Jenny if you like."
    "Jenny, I haven't had a chance to thank you properly for taking such good care of my friends. If you and K'Theelm and Thetan hadn't been there, they might be a lot worse off. They might have even died."
    "It's my pleasure. I'm just sorry I haven't been able to do more for poor Makoto."
    Usagi smiled brightly. "You and Saturn already did your part. Now we just have to bring her around, that's all."
    Jeneth decided to let that slide for now. But she would definitely have to speak with Ami later on. "We haven't seen you or Mars for a while. Ami and Sailor Venus told us you were both fine, but I was beginning to worry."
    Usagi sighed. Her expression sobered. "Mars has been ... hurt. Jenny, do you know about what happened to Hino Rei?"
    Jeneth gasped. Suddenly it all fell into place, like a curtain being drawn aside. She'd read about the woman who'd lost her grandfather in the attack on Hikawa shrine. And Mars had said the priest was her grandfather. "Oh no ..."
    Usagi nodded. "She's Sailor Mars."
    "Oh God, why didn't I see it?"
    "It's part of our disguise magic. Or something. You couldn't see it until I told you."
    Jeneth reached out and squeezed Usagi's shoulder very gently. "Oh Usagi, I'm so sorry. She lived at Hikawa shrine, didn't she?"
    "Yes. She's living with my husband and me right now." Usagi smiled at the look of surprise that must have come across Jeneth's face. She lifted her hand up, showing off her wedding band. "Mamo-chan and I got married just a little while ago. We had to cut our honeymoon short to come back and try to help Rei get through this."
    Jeneth shook her head. "She looked so utterly devastated. How is she now?"
    "It's been really hard for her. She lost her fiancee and another good friend too. But she's a lot better now."
    "Oh no. How could I have let this happen?"
    Usagi surprised her by reaching out and taking her by the shoulders. Her touch was gentle, but her expression was stern. "Jeneth, don't. I wanted to blame myself too, but Rei begged me not to. She would say the same to you. In fact I'm going to take her to you so she can say it to you herself."
    Jeneth took a deep breath and let it out. "You're right, of course." They had all done their best. As a healer, she should know better than to blame herself for not being able to save everybody. "Usagi, it would mean much to me if I could see Rei just to offer my condolences."
    "Of course. She'd like to see you too. She's really grateful, you know. I mean, for that night. You helped her accept that her grandfather was gone."
    "She did that mostly by herself. I saw her overcome her shock in just a matter of moments. Her discipline is remarkable, even for an Avatar."
    Usagi smiled. "Yeah. Nothing keeps Mars down for long."
    Jeneth noted hints of sadness being suppressed. Something different, something she was trying not to think about. "Are all the other Senshi well?" she asked cautiously.
    Now there was no mistaking the sadness and worry. "Jenny, to tell you the truth, about a month ago we all got another shock. I don't know how to tell you this. The people we've been hunting ... Pluto, Uranus and Neptune have been helping them to escape us."
    Jeneth frowned. "I don't understand."
    "I mean they've been working against us," Usagi said.
    It was a simple enough statement. But Jeneth just couldn't get her mind around the implications. Avatars betraying their leaders? Discounting the Mad Avatar, it had simply never happened. Unless .... "Usagi, could this be the work of Chaos?" she asked, her voice full of alarm.
    Usagi just sighed. "No, it's just a ... disagreement. It's kind of complicated. These people who were demolishing the holy places, and who attacked Rei, they're called the Ancients. They have this magical artifact called the Seed Crystal that they think they can transform into something called the Crystal Palace. But they need life energy or something to do it. That's what they're getting from the shrines and temples. And that's probably what they were trying to get from Rei."
    "They meant to take the soul of an Avatar? As a sacrifice?" It was all Jeneth could to do keep herself from shouting. She shook with rage. "It's an abomination!"
    "Pluto would never sacrifice one of us," Usagi said, her tone implying that the matter was closed. "But she would sacrifice other innocent people. She thinks the Crystal Palace is the only thing that can give our world a future. She thinks its the only thing that can save us from the chaos we let loose. She'll do anything to make sure it gets built, or created or whatever you want to call it. Even help the Ancients collect human souls."
    Jeneth tried to calm herself, to think clearly. "If Pluto is helping the Ancients, she must know where this Seed Crystal is. These Ancients are killers, surely they shouldn't be allowed to possess something like that."
    "Pluto doesn't know where it is, at least that's what she says. Like I said, it's complicated. She says only the Ancients can make the Crystal Palace, and they need life energy to do it."
    "Then how does she know the Crystal Palace is so important?" Jeneth asked.
    "We've all seen the Crystal Palace. We've been there. In the future, I mean. Pluto took us there, to fight enemies who had come here from a thousand years in the future."
    "She can travel through time?" Jeneth asked.
    "Yeah. And that's the really complicated part. She can't just go a little bit into the future to see how things will turn out. Something bad would happen, though she never says what. She only did it that one time because it was the only way to fight the enemy. But she thinks something bad is going to happen to this planet sometime soon, and that the Palace is the only thing that can save us. She may even be right."
    "But you're still going to fight the Ancients," Jeneth said hesitantly.
    "If they try to harm anybody else, we'll fight them."
    "Usagi, it pains me to ask this. Will you also fight the three Avatars who have betrayed you?"
    Usagi shook her head. "They would never do anything to harm us. They'll help the Ancients avoid us. But if we do catch them, Pluto and the others won't fight us."
    Jeneth nodded. "I understand. We'll continue to do all we can to help you."
    "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."
    "Is there something more we can do?"
    "Kind of. Ami tells me that K'Theelm's symbiont thing is ready to travel through space."
    Jeneth frowned. "Yes, he finished preparing it some days ago. But it's still only good for very long jumps between stars. He can't make short jumps close to a planet the way you do, if that's what you're thinking of."
    "No, that's not what I was thinking of. Jenny, I think the three of you should go home."
    Jeneth shook her head, "Usagi, we already talked about this. We want to stay and help you until these ... these Ancients are no longer a threat. K'Theelm may be close to finding a way to break through this interference they've been putting up."
    "I know." Usagi's brow furrowed, as if she was having difficulty finding the words. "But it's different now. I'm not sure I know how to put this. The thing is, Pluto may be right. If I fight the Ancients, it may destroy our planet's future. Maybe I'm just too weak to accept what I have to do, what I have to let happen. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I may be asking you to fight on the wrong side."
    Jeneth shook her head. "I can tell you don't believe that."
    "No, I don't. But Pluto does. I'm twenty years old, and she's been around for centuries. Maybe there are things she understands that I can't."
    "Galaxia was also centuries old, and she still took the wrong path." Usagi's face fell, and Jeneth realized she had said the wrong thing. "Usagi, forgive me, I didn't mean any disrespect to Pluto."
    Usagi managed to show a wistful smile. "I still love her you know. Once she actually sent my future daughter back in time to help me fight an enemy, did I tell you that? She's named after me. We called her Chibi- usa. She was so cute. And when she grows up she's going to be just gorgeous. You see ... well, that's a long story. Pluto was a really good friend to her. Or will be a good friend. It's all so confusing."
    Usagi stopped talking. She hardly seemed to be aware of Jeneth's presence now. Jeneth just watched her, unwilling to disturb her as she wrestled with some old, bittersweet memory. Then, as if coming out of a trance, she met Jeneth's gaze again. She looked calmer now. "I don't know if Pluto is right or wrong, but she's not evil. I have to protect the people in this city, on this planet. So I have to do what I think is best for them. But I can't ask you to fight against an Avatar who may be wiser than I am. It wouldn't be right."
    "Usagi, may I speak plainly?" Usagi looked puzzled. She just nodded. "I've only known you and your fellow Avatars, your friends, for a very short time. I've only spoken with Venus and Mercury at any great length. But even in that short time, one thing has become very obvious. They don't just follow you because it's their duty. They follow you because they love you. They protect this earth not out of duty, but because you are living in it."
    Jeneth took a deep breath, fighting the emotion that threatened to crack her voice, striving to speak calmly. "It would be an honour to fight alongside the Avatar who freed Galaxia from the Chaos. That would be reason enough to stay. We are yours to command, and will even leave you to return to our home if you command it. But I would ask you to let us stay. Let us stay and help the friends we have come to know, and to love."
    They stood there for some time. Usagi wiped a tear away. "Jeneth ... I don't want to step on some cultural taboo or whatever ... would it be improper for me to give you a kiss?"
    "No, it would not be at all improper."
    Usagi cradled Jeneth's face in her hands, kissed her warmly on the cheek. Then she hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Jeneth. Thank you."
    "Thank you for letting us stay."
    After a while, they broke their embrace. "Jeneth, I'd like you to come to my apartment tomorrow. All three of you. I owe you a dinner. Rei would love to see you again, and I'd like you to meet Mamo-chan. Did I tell you he's sort of an Avatar too?"
    Jeneth blinked. "You mean ... your husband?"
    She smiled. "Yeah. We call him Tuxedo Mask. He's kind of the Avatar of Earth."
    "I see." After a moment, it dawned on Jeneth that she hadn't answered Usagi's question. "Oh, sorry. Yes, we'd be happy to come over."
    "That's great! I'll call you after I get home and talk to Mamo-chan, okay?"
    "Yes, that would be fine." Jeneth smiled. "Forgive me, but I did originally come here to examine my patient. It won't take long."
    "Okay. Is it alright if I wait here?"
    "Of course. Why, were you going to read to Makoto some more?"
    "Yeah. I was just getting to the good part, we want to see how it turns out."

    *****

    The old neighbourhood hadn't changed much. Mamoru had certainly been to this restaurant enough times, he could find it in his sleep. He noted with some regret that it had undergone a major facelift. This wasn't going to feel quite as nostalgic as he thought it might. At least the name hadn't changed. He walked up to the entrance and the new glass door slid aside for him. They used to put up a sliding wood door in winter, Mamoru recalled. Oh well, that's progress.
    He looked around the room full of new booths. About half of them were occupied. His attention was attracted by somebody waving. It looked like his dinner companion had gotten here first. She stood up as he approached. "Hi, Mamoru."
    "Hi, Saori. It's good to see you again."
    "Thanks for coming."
    "Not at all, we should have done this long ago." He took off his jacket and put it on the padded bench seat beside him as he sat down. "The place has changed a bit."
    "Yeah, but the menu's the same. I remember what your favourite was, so I ordered for the both of us."
    "Yose-nabe for two?"
    "Naturally."
    Mamoru smiled. "Any idea how many times we had that here?"
    "One winter that's practically what we lived on." Being an orphan, Mamoru had been living on his own in his high school days. Saori might just as well have been in the same position, since her parents were almost never home and she had no siblings. Having somebody just to share dinner with had been a great comfort to both of them.
    "I passed by your old apartment block on the way here, do your folks still live there?" Mamoru asked.
    "Well Mom more or less lives there, she's still on the road almost as much as Dad."
    "So your Dad didn't take early retirement?"
    Saori rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that'll be the day." Her expression brightened. "Oh, by the way I read your piece on Hikawa shrine yesterday, I really enjoyed it."
    "Thanks."
    "After taking that case I was doing research on the history of the shrine. I think I learned more from your article than all those dry old history books I had piled on my desk."
    "Rei helped me a lot with that one."
    Saori still smiled, but her eyes looked sad. "Mamoru, how's she doing?"
    "She's doing okay. I think moving in with us really was the best thing for her. Usagi's helped her a lot."
    "It must be a rather difficult situation for Usagi." Mamoru had some idea what she meant, and nodded. "You must be very proud of her," Saori said gently.
    "More than I could say."
    "You know, the uniforms we have guarding the site have been telling me that whenever Rei comes there to advise on the restoration work, there's always a very pretty lady with long, golden pigtails who never leaves her side."
    Mamoru smiled. "Usagi absolutely will not let her go there by herself. She says it's for moral support, but I think she's afraid something else might happen to her. Rei is her closest friend. When Usagi heard what happened she was almost hysterical, right up to the point where we got to the safe house."
    Saori nodded. "I remember. I still feel stupid, not having placed Rei as your friend until you told me. I met her at your wedding, after all."
    "If you'd been the one to interview her, I'm sure you'd have made the connection."
    She grinned. "That's what I like about you Mamoru, you always knew just the thing to say to make me feel better."
    A waiter came and brought their food plate and hotpot. They ordered drinks as well. Automatically they both split apart their chopsticks and started putting some of the carefully arranged ingredients into the warming hotpot. "You seen any of our friends lately?" Mamoru asked, as he and Saori slipped into the old routine of preparing their meal.
    "I'm afraid I haven't had much of a life since summer. I do nothing but police work and sleep, and not much of the latter. I'm really becoming quite a bore, as your wedding guests would no doubt attest."
    "You always said it was your dream to head up a really high profile investigation. I guess you should be careful what you wish for."
    "It's a high profile case that everybody seems to want to pretend is low profile. I've been absolutely forbidden from holding any press conferences. And anything we release has to be approved by city hall, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, some special advisory council to the Prime Minister, the spooks, Interpol and a couple of other agencies I'd never even heard of before."
    Mamoru recalled Rei describing her meeting with the two men who were posing as Interpol agents. He decided it wouldn't hurt to ask some questions. "Are they interfering with your investigation?"
    "Other than wasting my time writing reports to a dozen different people, no. Whatever resources I ask for, I get." She chuckled. "And nobody's come back to try and tell me how crazy I am."
    "Why would they want to do that?"
    "Some of them must have found my most recent reports rather bizarre. We're finally putting together a pretty clear picture of what's been going on at these temples."
    "I assume you can't talk about the details."
    "No, I probably shouldn't. But I can tell you what I think the key to this whole thing is."
    "And what's that?"
    "The Sailor Senshi."
    Mamoru put on a good mask of incredulity. "I'd heard they'd been sighted around a few of these temples. But people sight them whenever anything out of the ordinary happens in this city, isn't that just par for the course?"
    "In this case it's been fairly consistent. They've been sighted in parts of the city they've never been reported in before. It definitely coincides with the temples being destroyed. And this after being all but absent for nearly four years. It can't be just coincidence. And the physical evidence suggests they've gotten into at least two scraps with the ones attacking the temples, one of them being Hikawa shrine."
    "Still, I don't know."
    "Oh, don't make that face at me," Saori said, feigning resentment in that good natured way he remembered so well. "Have you forgotten?"
    He smiled, knowing what she referred to. "No. How could I forget?." Sailor Moon had saved Saori from the Amazon Trio once. Had saved them both, in fact.
    "Sailor Moon is as real as you or me, Mamoru. No point pretending you think otherwise."
    "I guess there's no denying it."
    "I should think so. Especially since you're married to her."
    Mamoru watched her in silence for a while. She just continued taking morsels from the hotpot to her plate, continued eating as if she had said the most obvious thing in the world.
    "I'd always wondered how much you saw that day," Mamoru said in a low voice.
    She finally looked at him. "When I woke up, I saw the two of you together. I saw the way you looked at each other. It was like a veil being lifted up from my eyes. Suddenly it was obvious, it felt like it should have always been obvious. I suppose it must have been a magic spell being broken."
    "You're not the first person to describe it that way."
    Saori put down her chopsticks. "Mamoru, now that this is out of the way, I can apologize to you properly."
    Mamoru frowned. "I don't understand."
    "At your wedding, I talked to you both about the case I was working on, with the full knowledge that Usagi probably knew more than she could tell me. I don't know what I was expecting to accomplish, maybe I thought she'd even confide in me. She played her part well, but afterwards I could see how I'd upset her. I guess I was thinking of her as this invincible superhero, not as a young woman trying to enjoy the happiest day of her life. It was a selfish, thoughtless thing for me to do. I hope you can forgive me."
    "Saori, there's nothing to forgive. It wasn't really what you said to her, Usagi had ... well, she had other problems on her mind."
    It looked like Saori had picked up on his dilemma, his wondering how much he should tell her. When she spoke again, the words were heartfelt, but they also sounded well rehearsed. "Mamoru, I want to make one thing absolutely clear to you. Your secret is safe with me, now and always, unconditionally. You just have to say the word, and we will never speak of this again. But even if you say the word, I want you to know that I'll always be ready to help you in any way I can. We're fighting the same enemy, and now we both know that they're killers. And we also know that they're no ordinary killers, so as far as I'm concerned the usual rules don't apply. I've been given carte blanche on this case and I'm not afraid to use it. I know I'm way out of my element here. But if there's anything at all I can do to help you fight these monsters, you only have to ask." She pointed at the hotpot. "Your meat's done."
    Mamoru took up his chopsticks again and moved more meat and vegetables from the steaming pot to his plate. They were old enough friends that the silence was not uncomfortable for either of them. Saori gave him the time he needed to think.
    "Saori, I'd like to give you something."
    "Oh?" She looked interested.
    Suddenly there was a red rose in his hand. He held it out to her. Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. Slowly, a smile formed on her lips, and her shock abated. "I guess I should have known." She took the rose from him. She looked at it as if she expected it to disappear any second. Then she just took in its scent.
    "This isn't the proper place," Mamoru said. "But there's a great deal I need to tell you."
    She looked intently at him. "Mamoru, are you sure about this?"
    "Yes. Right now, we need all the help we can get."

    *****

    The girl who was scrubbing Kaori's back for her politely complimented her on how smooth her skin was. Kaori gave an automatic, absent reply. Her thoughts were elsewhere.
    Almost two months, and not a word from her son. She had hoped he would at least send a message, send some sign that he was okay. No more temples had been destroyed, but that meant little. Now a renegade, outcast from the family, he hardly had any reason to be out collecting Soul Icons to put before the Seed Crystal. The Matriarch had made it quite clear what would happen to him, to Yui or to Akechi if any of them dared show their faces at her house. They would be scanned, and at the Matriarch's discretion they would undergo the very long, painful process of "adjustment." Kaori shuddered. More than once, she had watched the Matriarch perform her attitude adjustment.
    "I'm sorry ma'am, is the water too cold?" the girl asked.
    "No, it's fine."
    The girl tilted the bucket again, letting the water fall down Kaori's back and shoulders, washing the soap away. She put down the bucket, stepped over to Kaori's side and bowed. "Thank you for your patience, ma'am. Please enjoy your bath."
    "Thank you." When the girl had left, Kaori took the towel she had left and stood up from the wooden stool she had been sitting on while the girl washed her back. She held the towel in front of her and proceeded into the next room. In contrast to the bright, modern washing facility she had just left, the hot springs room was almost too dark to see. After coming through the curtain, she actually stood a moment to let her eyes adjust. The ceiling and walls were invisible, no doubt painted flat black. Trees, plants, rocks and sand had been placed to give the illusion of an outdoor hot spring. The only illumination was from a few ornamental lanterns that surrounded the pool. Silvery steam like liquid moonlight drifted up from the pool, seeming to envelop the room in a soft, glowing penumbra. The pool was empty. Kaori walked down the stone path. She noted that the stones were warm, no doubt heated by electricity or warm water flowing under them. They had certainly thought of everything. She stepped into the water. Not too hot, just right for a good long soak. She folded the towel, set it on one of the rocks and lowered herself into the pool. Her hair was already tied up over her head, so she found a spot she could sit where the water would just lap her collarbones. Then she settled in to await her companion.
    After weeks of silence, Setsuna had suddenly called and invited Kaori out to her club again. Her manner had been utterly different than the last time they had talked, calm and friendly. Kaori had wanted to ask her about what had really happened at Hikawa shrine, but Setsuna had insisted that should wait until they met. Their meeting here had been cordial enough. In front of the servants who served them tea before their bath, their conversation had of course just been small talk. When they parted to go undress and wash in their separate private rooms, Setsuna had seemed genuinely happy to see her again. Kaori found that she felt the same way.
    There was a barely audible rustle, and beams of light played through the mist as somebody else came through the curtain. Setsuna came into view, and waved when she spotted Kaori. She had used her only towel to wrap her long hair up over her head. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
    "I haven't even been in here a minute," Kaori said. "Setsuna, this place is simply gorgeous. It's hard to believe we're on the twentieth floor."
    "Well, it's the next best thing to a trip to the mountains." Setsuna crouched down on a smooth, flat rock just in front of Kaori, but instead of lowering herself into the water just sat on the rock and let her legs dangle in the water. "I would have suggested driving out somewhere for the night, but I'd rather not leave town just now."
    "I understand," Kaori said, trying not to let her discomfort show.
    Setsuna cocked her head, looking puzzled. Then she chuckled lightly. "Forgive me, after a couple of hundred years I think I lost all feeling of modesty. One time I walked out of the bath at the wrong time and gave one of Saturn's boyfriends quite a show. She was very annoyed with me."
    Kaori put her hand up as Setsuna moved to lower herself into the water. "Please, don't move on my account. You misunderstand. It's just that I've always wondered ... well, forgive me, but I don't know how else to put this. I always wondered just how human you are."
    Setsuna smiled, resumed her seat. "Oh, I'm all too human, believe me. I've had bruised elbows and indigestion, I've had broken bones and scarlet fever, I've nearly drowned and nearly been burned to death. The only difference is that as long as I'm alive I can heal from pretty much anything."
    "And you remain untouched by time."
    Setsuna's brows came down, making her extraordinary red eyes look sad. "Untouched by time." She looked out over the pool. "If only that were true."
    Kaori just watched her, unsure how to respond. When Setsuna looked at her again, her look of sadness was even more profound. "Kaori, I want to tell you how sorry I am about the way I treated you before. Hearing about what your son had done must have been a terrible shock for you. I was thinking only of my own anger, I gave no consideration for your feelings. You deserved better from me."
    Kaori shook her head. "You had more reason to be shocked than I. Friends of yours have died at my son's hands. At least that's what I must assume." That was as close to asking the question as Kaori felt it was proper to go.
    Setsuna nodded. "One of the Senshi was injured in the attack. Another lost three loved ones. Another still hangs between life and death."
    "Oh ...!" It was far worse than she could have imagined. "Oh, my friend ..." she breathed. She was at a complete loss for words.
    Setsuna's face returned to the calm, inscrutable expression Kaori was so used to seeing. "Kaori, let's be brutally honest about what has happened. The two of us conspired to weave a web of lies, and now both your loved ones and mine have suffered for it. We need to make amends."
    "Setsuna, how can we possibly make amends for this? How can I make amends for what I let my son do?"
    "Let's start here." Setsuna reached her hand behind her back, as if there were something on the rock behind her she meant to grab. When she brought her hand before her again it held something that looked like a pen. She held it out to Kaori. "Have a look."
    Kaori blinked. She was sure there had been nothing on the rock before. "Where ...? Did you have this taped to your back?"
    Setsuna laughed. "Sorry, Uranus and I have a running joke about this, it would take a while to explain. No, I pulled it from a space that always moves with me. If you want to give it a name, call it a dimensional pocket."
    Kaori hesitantly reached out and took the item. It looked less like a pen now, it had a little globe on one end, topped by a tiny star. "What is it?"
    "It's a transformation pen. It's what allows me to tap into the powers granted to me as a Sailor Senshi. It is what allows me to become Sailor Pluto."
    "Why are you showing me this?"
    "If you were to smash that down on the rock behind you with all of your strength, you would probably be able to break it. Maybe you could do the same with psychokinesis. If you did that, it would be a very long time before I would be able to manifest my powers again. Other than slightly increased speed and strength, a side effect of using these powers, I would be just an ordinary human. With the powers of an Ancient, you could kill me easily, I would be helpless."
    Kaori shook her head, suddenly feeling as if she were holding a fragile egg in her hand. "Setsuna, what are you saying?"
    "I'm saying that for years we have held each other at arm's length, keeping our secrets carefully hidden, only telling each other what little pieces of the truth we didn't think we would ever be able to use against each other. I'm saying it's time for that to end. You've become one of my dearest friends, and I honestly feel that I can trust you with my life. Out of long habit, I've kept you in the dark about what I am and what I do. I'd like that to change."
    It was a while before Kaori could find a voice to speak. "Setsuna ... you didn't have to do this."
    "Yes, I did. If you and I can't trust each other completely, then we will never be able to make amends for what has happened."
    "Yes, you're right of course." Kaori held the transformation pen out to Setsuna. "Be careful, the mist is making it slippery."
    Setsuna smiled and took the pen. "Not to worry, it's just light enough to float. And a very good thing too, I dropped it over the side of a galleon once." She reached behind her back, and when her hand was visible again, it was empty. She made a production out of displaying the front and back of her open hand. "See, nothing up my sleeve." They both laughed. It was a bad joke, but neither of them seemed to care. Kaori laughed simply at the joy of feeling the wall that she and her friend had put up between them suddenly come crashing down. Moments ago she had felt utter despair. She marvelled at how a simple act of trust had given her hope, had suddenly allowed her to believe that maybe they could make things right again. She really wanted to give Setsuna something in return. It could be painful for her, and she didn't want to spoil this wonderful moment. But it was something she felt she needed to do.
    "Setsuna, you mentioned that one of the Senshi was near death. Can you tell me what happened to her?"
    "Kaori, we don't need to discuss that right now."
    "I ask because I might be able to help."
    Setsuna nodded. "Alright. It was Sailor Jupiter who was struck down. Nobody saw it actually happen. The way Mars described it, Jupiter was standing alone, firing one of her attacks at your son's fiancee. Mars looked back a moment later, and she was on the ground convulsing. A man was standing over her. When Saturn examined her later, there were no signs of physical injury. She detected signs of what she described as a psychic attack. She used her powers to repair the immediate damage. But she was unable to wake Jupiter. She has been lying in a coma ever since."
    "The man must be Akechi. He's a very secretive one, but I'm quite sure he's a disruptor. He is quite capable of killing people with his disruption attack. The fact that Jupiter is alive means that either she has some natural defense, or Akechi didn't attack at full power. If Saturn was able to repair the damage quickly, then there may be hope for her. Her spirit has suffered a terrible trauma and has gone into dormancy. It will have to be coaxed back out."
    "What do you suggest?"
    "Have people been visiting her?"
    Setsuna smiled. "She has about half a dozen friends who come talk to her and read to her for hours on end."
    "That's a good start. There is one other thing I can suggest. As you know, I have a limited ability to link minds with non-telepaths. If I can see her, I might be able to talk with her in a way that is more immediate, more likely to get the attention of her sleeping spirit."
    "Yes, I can take you to her." Setsuna suddenly looked sad again. "Kaori, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but we'll have to arrange to go when I'm sure none of the other Senshi will be there. Right now, in their minds they're painting all the Ancients with a broad brush."
    Which was a delicate way of saying they though all Ancients were killers. "I'd be willing to meet with the other Senshi first, ask their permission."
    Setsuna sighed. "It might not be that simple. You see, about a month ago I met with Sailor Mars and some of the others. She was the one who lost loved ones in the attack on Hikawa shrine, you see. I was trying to make amends for what I had let happen. Of course, I was still lying to her." Kaori shuddered at the level of self loathing that showed in Setsuna's voice. "Well, somehow she had obtained some information on her own. She knew about the Seed Crystal, and she knew about my telling you where the Refugees were."
    Kaori still had little idea who these refugees were, only that Setsuna had warned her about them. But now was not the time to ask. "So what did you tell her?"
    "Even if I had decided to tell her everything, which I should have, I probably would never have been given the chance. She was utterly furious. To keep us from coming to blows, Sailor Moon sent me away. With one exception I haven't spoken to any of them since."
    "Setsuna, I thought you were living with at least one of the other Senshi."
    Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember ever having told you that."
    "It's one of the things I've deduced from little hints."
    Setsuna's mouth spread in an ironic smile. "Oh what a tangled web we weave. Yes, I'm currently living with Uranus and Neptune. They're the only Senshi I've had contact with in the past month."
    Kaori sighed. "Oh my friend, what a mess we've made for ourselves. Setsuna, I would really like to help Jupiter if I can, but I don't think any good can come from acting in secret any more. I really think we need to try and speak with the other Senshi first. Tell them everything."
    "Yes, you're right. I shouldn't have even suggested it. I guess old habits die hard." Her irony was a little more good natured this time. "Actually, I've been giving some thought to just what I should tell the others, just what we should do. I mean, now that you and I have cleared the air. If I may ask, how are your relations with the Matriarch right now?"
    "I would describe them as strained. I went to her immediately after you called that night, told her what I know. I didn't tell her about you though, I made it sound like Yui ... that's my son's fiancee ... had called me. I'm not sure she believed me. She probably suspects that I'm hiding something. She may think that I know where my son is, which I don't. He would face severe punishment if the Matriarch ever found him. It may be only a matter of time before she confronts me."
    "It sounds like we're both in hot water with our leaders. So we'll have to be very careful about what we're going to propose to them."
    Kaori frowned. "What to propose?"
    "Put simply, I think we should propose an alliance. An alliance between the Senshi and the Ancients."
    As usual, Setsuna just sat and gave Kaori all the time she needed to think. And she needed plenty. "I assume you're proposing we collaborate to bring the Crystal Palace into being," she said at length.
    "Exactly. Between us, I think we can do it, and do it without harming anybody else. Mars is a very powerful spiritualist, and Mercury has technology from the Silver Millennium at her disposal. Also, Sailor Moon has a very powerful artifact that might be able to do more for the Seed Crystal than the energy from any number of holy places. Both our leaders want the same thing, they want to protect their loved ones. The Palace can serve as a sanctuary for both of us in the darkness that is surely coming. The only thing that has been dividing us is the method your son was using, first desecrating holy places then taking human souls. If-"
    "Wait!" Kaori said. She got up out of the water and went to sit beside Setsuna on the rock. She had been starting to feel a bit waterlogged anyway. "What do you mean, taking human souls?"
    "I thought you knew. They didn't try to attack the shrine, they attacked Mars. She told us the attack felt like what other enemies had done to her when they were taking spiritual energy from her. I assumed her life energy was going to be used in the same way as that of the holy sites. Does this surprise you?"
    "Yes. He never said anything to me." Kaori thought about this for a moment. "Yui must have found something when she was looking into the crystal. For some reason, they must think that taking life energy from people will help awaken the Seed Crystal."
    "Kaori."
    Setsuna's expression was suddenly grim. She reached out and took Kaori's hand. "Even if they've stopped doing this, even if they've just gone into hiding, we're going to have to hunt them down. They need to answer to both our leaders. That's the only way this is going to work. You know that, don't you?"
    Kaori nodded. "I have no illusions about what my son faces. He's my only child, so of course I'd forgive him anything. But I can't protect him any longer. Not when so much is at stake. And it's probably for the best. The Matriarch has powers that can help curb his violent tendencies. It will be painful, but it will be-" her voice broke. She looked away. "Oh God."
    After a moment, she felt Setsuna's hand rest lightly on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kaori. Maybe I should go."
    She shook her head. "No," she managed to say. "Please don't go."
    "Okay." She slid closer and put her arm around Kaori's shoulders. Kaori just sobbed quietly for a few minutes.
    After her tears were all done, Kaori just kept looking down into the pool. "Setsuna, we need to talk about what I'm going to tell the Matriarch."
    "Are you sure you're up to this?"
    "Yes."
    They told each other everything. Even though their talk went on all afternoon, nobody came to kick them out. Kaori didn't even want to think of how much it had cost Setsuna to reserve the room for that long.

    *****

    Naru stood at the gate that led into the outdoor mall, her arms crossed, tapping her foot. *Where on Earth could he be?* She was supposed to meet her husband here fifteen minutes ago. She ran a hand through her wavy chestnut hair. It went down below her shoulders, it would need a cutting pretty soon. Another of the little things she never seemed to get around to.
    "Naru-chaaan!"
    She sighed. He was still a block away, but she heard him clear as day. The people around him all flinched and stared at this young man suddenly shouting at the top of his lungs. They gave him a wide berth as he came running headlong.
    She put her hands on her hips and glared at him as he came staggering up to her. "Umino, do you know what time it is?"
    He put down his briefcase just so that he could clap his hands together in the traditional display of supplication. "Sorry! Sorry! This new client had a million questions. They kept me late. I had to run most of the way." He was a bit winded, but not badly so. He was in a lot better shape than he had been in their school days. Since they were married, she had bullied him into a very rigorous exercise program. For his own good, of course. Since she was training to be a nurse, he had to defer to her on matters of family health. At least he damned well better defer to her.
    "Well, I hope your tie wasn't like this when you talked to them," Naru said, stepping up to him and straightening said tie.
    He laughed sheepishly. "I got it caught in the subway door."
    "Jeez, you need to be more careful. And why didn't you leave your briefcase in a locker at the station?"
    "I was in a hurry. I couldn't wait to see your pretty face again."
    She smiled. The only reason she didn't hit him was she knew it wasn't just a line. "Well, the lockers at the mall are usually full, but maybe we'll get lucky."
    They did get lucky. After locking away his briefcase, Umino treated her to a tai-yaki, something she hadn't had in a while. They walked slowly down the covered sidewalk, stopping whenever Naru found something interesting in a window. "Umino, do you figure my mom would like this?" she asked, pointing to a silk scarf.
    Umino looked closely. "I don't know, silk isn't very warm, is it?"
    "I mean the *colour*, silly."
    "Well, I know it would look good on you, so I guess it would be okay for her."
    She sighed. "You're no help."
    "Sorry. Your mom is pretty hard to shop for."
    "Yeah, you got that right." She took another bite out of the fish- shaped pancake, minding the hot filling. Her mother owned an upscale jewellery store, so it would be an understatement to call her tastes refined. Always made picking a Christmas present interesting. She shivered. "Boy, winter's really setting in. Are you sure you're okay with just that topcoat?"
    "Sure. That run from the station warmed me up fine." She noticed he'd buttoned up his coat, though. Now that he was in the corporate world, she'd managed to get him to change his look considerably. And not just the way he dressed. The unruly mop of dark brown hair he'd kept through high school had finally been tamed, after a fashion. Another thing that had helped was that last year he got the eye operation to mitigate his severe nearsightedness. He still wore glasses when out of doors, but the little round wire-frame glasses were a far cry from the coke-bottle bottoms he had to wear before. They no longer distorted his eyes. Which was nice, because Naru really liked his kind, intelligent eyes.
    They continued walking. Naru finished off her taiyaki. "I've been thinking about what to get Usagi. I think I'd like to get something for both her and Mamoru this year."
    "That sounds appropriate."
    "How about a set of wine glasses? I mean, really nice ones that they can use when it's just the two of them."
    "Sure. If we see a glassware shop or something, let's have a look. Naru-chan, have you seen Usagi at all since the wedding?"
    "No."
    They walked in silence for a while. Umino took hold of her arm gently, bringing them to a halt. "Naru-chan, why don't we stop here for a hot chocolate?"
    "You want to sit down so soon?"
    "Maybe it will cheer you up."
    She returned his smile. Naturally, she hadn't been able to hide how she was feeling. Umino was nothing if not a close observer. They walked into the cafe and ordered. After letting the warm air and the hot drinks warm them up a bit, Umino finally asked what was bothering her.
    "Umino ... I think Usagi is lying to me again. I mean, about what's going on with her and the others."
    "How do you mean?" Umino didn't need to ask who she was referring to.
    "I can't help feeling it's all connected, all the things that have been happening. I went to visit Makoto last week."
    "You never told me."
    "I didn't even tell Usagi. I had a close look at her chart while I was in there. Usagi said she's been there for five weeks. It's been eight weeks exactly."
    Umino frowned. "Why would she ..." His voice trailed off as realization hit him. "That would be just when Hikawa shrine burned down."
    Naru nodded. "And did you see Ami at the funeral? She said it was just a sprained ankle. But I could tell she was in a lot of pain. And not just in her ankle, the way she was moving. I think she was badly hurt."
    "Naru, do you think they were there? I mean, when the shrine burned down?"
    "That's got to be it. And I know Minako was there too. She's about the only one who isn't lying about it. And Usagi has sounded really depressed when we've talked on the phone. I know she must be worrying about poor Makoto, and she's still taking care of Rei. But I don't think it's just that. Umino, I really feel like something awful is happening."
    "I'm sure she'll fix everything. She always does."
    Naru smiled sadly. "That's very sweet, but you don't need to pretend. I know you don't really believe it."
    He fidgeted under her gaze, embarrassed at having been seen through so easily. "I guess I find it kind of hard to picture. I mean, Usagi's even clumsier than me."
    Naru's eyes narrowed, and her smile grew into a sly grin. "Well, you seem to lose your clumsiness whenever I properly motivate you."
    "Naru-chan ..." He was really squirming now.
    She didn't feel like talking about this anymore right now. It wasn't often they could spend a whole evening together, she wanted to make the most of it. "Thanks Umino, this really hit the spot. Let's go do some more shopping."
    They left the cafe and continued on their way. "Umino, look. There's a china shop up ahead, they may have glassware too. Come on." She took his hand, and sped up the pace a bit. She moved aside to pass a woman who was walking very slowly. The woman suddenly staggered, bumping into Naru. "Oh. I'm terribly sorry," Naru said. The woman looked at her vacantly. Her dirty overcoat was open. Even with just her face and neck exposed, she looked emaciated. And suddenly her eyes went wide and the cords in her neck all stood out. Naru frowned. "Um ... are you okay? Hey ...!" Naru moved quickly, catching the woman by the arm before she could fall. She was even lighter than Naru would have thought.
    A second later, Umino had her other arm. They managed to keep her on her feet. "Miss, are you hurt?" Umino asked.
    "No." It was just an automatic answer, like she was barely aware of what was going on.
    "Maybe you should go sit down," Naru suggested.
    "No."
    She looked a bit steadier now, so Naru cautiously let go of her arm. Umino did likewise. "I'm really sorry," Naru said to her. "I shouldn't have been in such a hurry." She had thought maybe the woman was drunk. But it looked more like she was just tired and hungry. "Listen, can we get you something? I mean, something to eat maybe?"
    "No. I have to go find more." The woman simply started walking slowly on her way again. Naru was about to call out to her again, then thought better of it. She probably wouldn't respond.
    "Well, that was weird," Umino said.
    "Poor thing. She looked half starved."
    "Probably homeless. There's a lot more these days."
    Naru turned away from the retreating woman, looked back to Umino. "What did she mean, she needs to find more?"
    "Maybe she's a drug addict."
    "I don't know. Her eyes were ..."
    "What?"
    Naru just shook her head. "Nothing. Come on, let's go." They headed for the china shop at a more leisurely pace. Naru just couldn't get the picture of the woman's eyes out of her head. It must have been a weird trick of the light or something. People's eyes just didn't glow like that.

    *****

    **Yui express air, at your service.**
    Hitomi looked around the alley Yui had just teleported them into. The coast was clear. **You've been here before?**
    **Once, about a year ago. I found a shop I like, so I made sure to image an alley nearby.** Yui pointed. **The mall is just over there.**
    **You 'ported us here just basis that? Man, you're getting good.**
    Yui grinned. **I've been getting lots of practice lately.**
    **Yeah, but this is our first hit. Come on, let's get over there.**
    Sure enough, there was a gate leading into an outdoor mall with a walkway covered by an arched glass ceiling. They walked in and started looking. This was almost certainly where the image had been sent from. Of course the image of the girl's face had been front and centre, but the periphery seemed to indicate some sort of mall. It had just been a couple of minutes ago, so the girl was probably still here. She wasn't expecting to see the black sheep. She would probably have moved on, driven by the compulsion Hitomi had implanted.
    Hitomi recognized the girl the instant she spotted her. **Yui, I got her. In the china shop over there.**
    Yui looked over to where she had pointed. **The one with the guy?**
    **Yeah.**
    **So what should we do?**
    **We'll just wait here. When she comes out, I want to get a better look at her.**
    **Okay.** Yui walked over and leaned on a signpost. Suddenly she grinned. **Hey 'Tomi. Looks like you've got a fan club.**
    Hitomi turned towards where Yui had inclined her head. Three girls in school uniforms were pointing and giggling. **What the hell is their problem?**
    **Might have something to do with the dove on your shoulder, 'Tomi.**
    Yes, that was probably it. But still, it was annoying. Hitomi stared down the three girls, concentrating hard. Their smiles faded, their faces became expressionless. Hitomi beckoned them to approach. Slowly, they walked over to her. All three of them stared vacantly into her eyes. "Listen closely. You all love chocolate and suddenly you want to eat as much as you possibly can. You are going to go to that confection shop over there, and you are going to order every kind of chocolate they have and you're going to eat it. You're going to keep on buying and eating chocolate until you either run out of money or become violently ill. Do you understand?"
    "Yes," they all said in unison. They turned and walked towards the shop Hitomi had indicated, gradually picking up the pace. By the time they were there they were running. Even from here, Hitomi could hear them all trying to shout out their orders at once to a very bewildered shopkeeper.
    **That was a good one, 'Tomi.** Yui must have picked up the echo of the telepathic message Hitomi was sending out. She really was getting good.
    After a few more minutes, the couple came out of the shop. Hitomi got a really good look at the girl. When they had passed by, she held out her hand and the dove hopped onto her finger. Hitomi locked eyes with the dove for a few seconds. She flicked her hand, and the dove took to the air. It flew over to a shop sign and landed there. Hitomi watched for a minute to make sure it was following the couple. She still had a good contact with it. **Okay, I think we're set.**
    **Should we follow too?** Yui asked.
    **Not until they leave the mall. As long as they're within about a klick we're fine.**
    Yui peered through the crowd. **Looks like they're window shopping again. They'll probably be here a while.**
    **Then we might as well relax. How about a coffee?**
    They sat down at a coffee shop and Hitomi ordered for the two of them. Without even thinking she scanned the room with her inner eye, probing for anybody who was paying them any attention, or for anybody whose aura stood out. The black sheep they needed to avoid usually announced their presence from a long ways away, gave them plenty of time to leave their territory. But now they had to watch out for any Ancients still loyal to the Matriarch. Had to make sure they had at least enough warning for Yui to teleport them out if needs be. Less urgent but also important to watch out for were any animals who were paying attention to them. Sometimes one of them would become unnerved by the sight of people sitting in apparent silence, yet reacting to each other as if they were talking. Usually all it took was the right look from Hitomi to convince them that they really wanted to be looking elsewhere.
    **So you figure she's a Sailor Senshi?** Yui asked.
    **Could be. That's why we're being cautious. So how did she strike you?**
    **Her aura had a lot of depth to it. It was pretty subtle, nothing that leapt out at me. Of course that Hino bitch didn't strike me as much either.**
    Hitomi didn't add "until you tried taking her soul." It was still a sore point with Yui, how they got trounced by those Sailor Senshi. She suspected Shoji was leveraging her desire for payback to get her cooperation in this little venture. She also had an idea what else Shoji would be wanting Yui to do ... and that he hadn't told her about it yet. But it was his pet project, she was content to just come along for the ride. The risk was minimal, and the payback could be spectacular. And it was fun. **Well, I guess we'll be finding out what this one's made of soon enough. Shoji will be pleased.**
    Yui grinned. **I'll give her soul to Senpai as a Christmas present. Then he can go make grandma Himiko lick his ass.**
    Hitomi just smiled. A bargaining chip? Well, maybe. She suspected he had something else in mind. Either way, it would be interesting.
    **I was just thinking,** Yui said. **If we don't give her soul back, what do you think will happen to her?**
    **I've heard rumours about that happening,** Hitomi said.
**Supposedly some of the black sheep have done that, sending their souls off to the next world then keeping the living body as a slave. They say you can teach them to more or less take care of themselves. But they just sit there unless you implant some suggestion. You might even be able to get them to do pretty complicated things. Talking to people, going to get things for you or whatever.**
    **Cool.**
    Every so often, Hitomi would close her eyes and concentrate, seeing through the dove's eyes. After a while, she saw that their target had left the mall. Not feeling like wasting time with mind tricks, Hitomi just payed the bill and they were on their way. They caught up and followed at a discrete distance. Hitomi had been worried about what sort of ESP the Senshi might have, whether they might be able to detect paranormals. But the couple seemed to be just continuing with their Christmas shopping, oblivious to the observation they were under. It looked like they would lead their pursuers all the way home without even knowing it. After that, she and Yui could go back to the house and they could all start planning the next phase.
    And this time they'd make sure they didn't get caught with their pants down.

End Chapter 10