Secrets
Chapter 11 - Stakeout

    As Naru topped the fourth flight of stairs, she decided that she really didn't need to feel guilty about skipping aerobics this week. With her backpack full of books and the two shopping bags, this was about as much of a workout as she could ask for. And she'd arrived on a later train, too late for the nearer inconvenience store to be open. It seemed she was having dinner later and later these days.
    She opened up the apartment, deposited the groceries in the kitchen and went to collapse in her favourite chair. Umino should have been home by now. This wasn't a good sign. Best get it over with. She reached over to the speaker phone and hit the autodial button that would call their voice mail system. A woman's recorded voice announced that they had a waiting message.
    "Hi, Naru-chan! It's me. I'm really sorry, but this client I just signed off with introduced me to a colleague of his who wants to hire me. We're going out for drinks to talk about it, so I probably won't be home until after midnight. Don't wait up for me, I know you've got classes tomorrow. Save what you got for dinner and we'll have some of it for breakfast tomorrow, okay? Love you. Bye." The disturbingly chirpy woman's voice came back asking if she wanted to reply to the message. She just hit the number to delete and disconnect.
    She slouched down further and groaned. A long time ago she had promised herself that she would not get mad. They had talked about this at great length, they both knew how things were likely to be for the next couple of years. Even though she had to struggle to keep her grades where they needed to be, even though she was pushing herself night and day, she was determined to see it through. She had gotten a taste of what a nursing career would mean for her, of the difficulties she would encounter. It had just convinced her all the more that she had found her calling.
    For all that, it was Umino who was working the late nights. She still only had a vague idea of what it was he did. He helped fix computer programs so that they would still work after the year 2000. She had wondered just how much of a future there could be in that sort of work. After all, how many programmers could be stupid enough to write programs that would stop working at the end of the century? Quite a few, it would seem. After not much more than a year, he already had to turn clients down. And the fees were just skyrocketing, as clients became more desperate to beat the millennium deadline. By next year he could probably name his fee. They were already saving enough money that Naru had started playing the stock market. Maybe Umino was right. Maybe just a couple of years from now they really could pay up front for a house. Then she could start her career in earnest, his work could settle down to a more sedate pace and they could start relaxing together a lot more. At least that was the theory.
    But right now there were two bags of groceries that needed to go into the freezer or the refrigerator. She really didn't feel like making the elaborate meal they had planned, not just for herself. She would just microwave something. But first she'd go check how their portfolio was doing. At the rate Umino was raking it in, she needed to give more and more thought to their investments.
    When she walked up to the computer, she noticed the change right away. She giggled. "The little sneak." He must have had that film developed just yesterday. It was only two days ago they had come across a truly spectacular Christmas tree in a department store, and Umino had gotten somebody to take a picture of them in front of it. He was forever doing that. And forever having those pictures expanded so that he could put them in the frame sitting on the desk beside the computer. No picture ever lasted more than a couple of weeks there. It was a nice reminder that however busy they were, however little time they managed to have together, he always managed to somehow make it special for her.
    The computer was always on, so she just entered the screen saver password and clicked on the icon that logged on to the network. It didn't take her long to convince herself their money was doing fine. She went back to the kitchen, got the groceries put away and picked out what she would eat tonight. She was about to set the microwave when the doorbell rang.
    She walked to the door and bent to peer through the peephole. A young man in a leather jacket and a baseball cap worn backwards. She didn't recognize him. She pressed the talk button on the intercom. "Can I help you?"
    He started saying something, but she wasn't paying attention. It may have been the shadow and the little popping sound, or it may have been something else, but something was screaming at her that she was no longer alone. She whirled around. The short girl and the man with the wild eyes seemed mildly surprised that she had found them out.
    Her breath came in as a gasp. "Help me!" she screamed. That's what you were supposed to do, maybe they'd panic and run instead of having their fun with her. The man reached out to her and she went down like a sack of potatoes. The pain went away in an instant. She was numb and dizzy, utterly paralyzed and barely able to think. She was aware of what was going on, but somehow it all seemed so far away. The man stepped over her and opened the door. The first man came in. Somebody else followed him in and closed the door. A woman. None of them said anything. They just stood around her. And then there was pain again. It was excruciating, like a part of her was being savagely ripped out. She felt surely they were dismembering her, but she couldn't figure out where it hurt,where they were hurting her. Then suddenly she knew why.
    She was having an out of body experience. *Oh God, they've killed me.*
    She didn't exactly see it, but she was aware of her body lying limp below her. She was just a little disembodied consciousness, floating in the air. She didn't exactly hear them, but she was aware of the people around her talking to each other. They seemed to be talking about her. She was being judged. She got the vague impression that she had been found wanting. Then she had a sensation of falling. She must have blacked out because there was no memory of their having left. They were just gone.
    She had no idea how long she lay there. She had the impression that she could move again if she wanted to, but was not inclined to do so. Even when the phone rang about a dozen times, she just lay there. It didn't really matter who it was, there were more important things she needed to think about. Like who she was and where she was, like what had just happened and why she was lying here. There were simple answers to all those questions, or at least there should be. But there were things in her head, strange things that seemed to contradict those simple answers. Images and memories that made no sense.
    To keep from losing her grip, she started reciting a mantra in her head, over and over. My name is Naru. I am lying on the floor of my apartment. Four people just attacked me and left me here. I'm in Tokyo. It's December. While she was reciting the mantra, trying to convince herself that it was all true, the phone rang again, even longer this time. Then the doorbell rang. Then insistent knocking, and a woman's voice from outside. It was distracting.
    The door opened. She actually availed herself of her ability to move, lifting her head and looking up at who came through the door. Suddenly, she wasn't so confused anymore. "Umino ..."
    "Naru-chan!" He dropped down to his knees beside her, put an arm behind her shoulders and gently cradled her head in his other hand. He looked like he badly wanted to be hysterical. "Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice only breaking into a squeak just at the end.
    "No. I'm okay. Just tired."
    She became aware of another presence. A woman who had entered after Umino. She stepped around Naru and crouched down beside her. She looked vaguely familiar. "I'm Lieutenant Saori Nagashima from Metro Police. Did somebody attack you?"
    She really didn't want to talk about it, she just wanted Umino to hold her. But she was too weary and disoriented to argue, it was simpler to just answer plainly. "Four people."
    "Oh God," Umino whimpered. "Did they hurt you?"
    "They didn't even touch me. I ... I'm not sure what happened."
    "Did they say anything to you?" Saori asked.
    Naru finally placed her. At Usagi's wedding. She had been talking about temples or something. "No. They didn't say anything."
    "How did they get in?" Umino asked. He was only half asking her. He was obsessive about the security of their home, always worried about whether she was safe. She could see his mind working, wondering what more he could have done.
    She wished she had an answer for him. "I don't know."
    "Maybe we should get her onto the couch," Saori suggested.
    "Can you get up?" Umino asked.
    "Yes." They both helped her. She was more or less steady on her feet, but still grateful for the help. Umino arranged the cushions for her and she stretched out. Umino knelt beside her, holding her hand in both of his. He was actually shaking. She wished she could just tell him that everything was okay. But she knew it was not okay.
    "Umino-san, perhaps you should get her a glass of water," Saori suggested. He seemed deathly afraid of letting her out of his sight for even a minute. Naru smiled and nodded. *I won't disappear.* That seemed to calm him a bit. He went to the kitchen. Saori sat down in a chair close to Naru. "Naru-san," she said in a very soft voice. "These people, do you remember what they did?"
    Naru knew what she was asking, but was at a loss how to answer. "I'm sure they didn't touch me. I felt ... pain, in my head, and suddenly I couldn't move. For a while I just felt ... strange, like I was dreaming. Then I was just lying there."
    "How do you feel now?"
    "Still a little dizzy." And still very confused. But that part was too difficult to even try and explain. Then something occurred to her. "How did you know I was in trouble?"
    "I answered a call from your alarm."
    "The alarm?" She knew about the alarm system run off their computer, with a link to the police network. "But I didn't have time to set it off."
    "It's voice activated," Umino said. He had just come back with her water. She scooted up a bit, and took it from him. "It set my pager off too. I called here but there was no answer, so I got a taxi."
    Naru finished about half the water. "Voice activated?"
    "That's why I told you to shout as loud as you could if you were in trouble," Umino said. "If you yell 'help me' or a few other phrases really loud, it sets off the alarm."
    "When did you do that?" Naru asked.
    He fidgeted a bit. "Uh ... a while ago. I didn't want to tell you, I didn't think you'd like the idea."
    So that was why he had always been going on about what to do if she was in trouble. She squeezed his hand. "Umino ... you're so sweet. Always thinking about me."
    He laughed nervously. Umino was never keen on public displays of affection. The phone rang, saving him from having to respond. He picked up the receiver. "Hello? ... Hi Ami-san ... I know. Some people broke into the apartment ... we're both fine. Naru was here, but she isn't hurt ... No, I'm not sure ... She's on her way? That's great ... Yes, the police are already here ... Yes ... Thanks for calling, I really appreciate it ... Bye." He hung up. "That was Ami. She says Usagi's on her way." He saw that she was confused. "Uh ... I set up the alarm to send Ami high priority email when the alarm goes off. She has a system set up that notifies her immediately if that happens, a prototype palmtop or something. A long time ago I asked her to call here if she ever got that email, and to call Usagi. Ami said she called earlier, but there was no answer. That's when she called Usagi."
    It was all fitting into place, why Umino was doing these things, why he hadn't wanted to tell her about it. She was overcome with dread. "Oh Umino, I knew it, something awful is happening. It's all happening again."
    "It's okay," Umino said, cradling her hand. "You're safe now."
    She resisted the urge to cry out that she would never be safe. She had allowed herself to think that it was all over, the madness that had not plagued her since her middle school years. But the monsters were back again. They were after her again. She wanted to scream.
    "Usagi will be here soon," Umino said. "You'll feel better then."
    She managed to smile. He meant that she would feel safer then. Even if he didn't believe, he never questioned her own belief in her guardian angel. Yes, she would feel safer then. "It's so nice of her to come. We should make something for her."
    "Okay," Umino said. "You just relax, I'll go make some tea and something to eat. Saori-san, would you like some oolong tea?"
    "Yes, thank you." Umino went into the kitchen again. Saori stood up. "Excuse me, but I need to report in. I'll just use my cellular."
    "You can go into the next room if you like."
    Saori smiled. "Okay. You try to get some rest."
    Naru just closed her eyes, and listened to the barely audible sounds of Saori's voice and Umino moving around in the kitchen. It wasn't as disorienting as before, but the strange images still haunted her. It was like there was a whole bunch of things she was supposed to remember but couldn't. She traced her strong memories back, the ones she was confident about, trying to see if there were any gaps. She felt like there should be, but there weren't.
    Saori came back into the room. "Naru, two of my colleagues are on their way here. When they arrive, we'd like to ask you a few questions. Would that be okay?"
    "Sure." Naru was feeling a bit better now. She swung her feet down off the couch and sat up. "I doubt there's much I could tell you, other than describing the people."
    "That's a start. Naru, do you mind if I ask you something?"
    "Go ahead."
    "You said something that suggested this isn't the first time you were attacked."
    Naru sighed. She'd never really talked to anybody about it. She didn't want to put Usagi on the spot, and she didn't want to worry Umino. And there simply had been nobody else. After a while she had tried to just forget. But now it was happening again. Maybe it was time to talk. "It was a long time ago, more than five years. The first time was at my mother's shop."
    "The O-SAP jewellery store."
    Naru gasped. "How did you know about that?"
    "I've read about the case. Everyone in the store was knocked out, including you and your mother. Nobody knows why. You told the police that an old hag had tried to strangle you and you blacked out."
    "That's right," Naru said hesitantly.
    Saori smiled warmly. "I'm sorry, I guess I should explain. The reason I know so much is I've been carefully reviewing a series of old cases, including the two you were involved in. The second being at Lovers' Park. I'm looking for possible connections with a case I'm working on now."
    "You mean the temples being destroyed!" She managed to keep her voice down, she didn't want to bring Umino running in a panic. "You were talking about it at Usagi's wedding."
    Saori looked mildly surprised. "Ah, so that's it. I thought we had met before."
    All Naru could think about was Rei's grandfather, Ami limping at his funeral, Makoto lying in a coma. The feeling of dread settled down on her again. "My God, do you think the people who attacked me are involved with that?"
    "I don't know. Frankly we have very few leads. We only know that the people demolishing the shrines have a very unusual method of operation. That's why I was looking into old unsolved cases that were unusual in one way or another. There are quite a few in the Juban area. Like I said, your name came up twice. If this incident hadn't happened, it's likely I would have been here sometime soon anyway, to ask you whether there was anything else you could tell us. When I looked up your name, I found out that your alarm system was registered with us. On a hunch, I arranged to be notified if your alarm was triggered."
    Naru frowned. "Saori-san, are you supposed to be telling me all this? I mean, it doesn't seem normal."
    "Yes, it is rather irregular. But a good friend of mine has vouched for you. And it's a very irregular case to begin with. I'm willing to pursue any lead."
    "I hope I can help you," Naru said, meaning it. But she wondered just what the police could do against monsters. There was only one person she felt could protect her. But she couldn't say that.
    Umino came in with the tea on a tray. "Naru-chan, you should be lying down," he scolded gently.
    She smiled. "I'm feeling a lot better now."
    "Well, if you say so." He set the tray down on the coffee table. "I put some food together too, I'll bring it in later."
    "Thank you," Saori said. "Umino-san, I wonder if I can impose upon you. I'd like you to check your windows and see that they're locked and haven't been forced. And I'd like you to look around and see if anything obvious is missing."
    "Okay. I'll be right back." He went over to the sliding glass doors that led out to the balcony and started doing as he had been asked.
    Saori accepted the cup of tea Naru handed her. "Thank you. Your husband is very conscientious about keeping you safe. He's taken extraordinary precautions."
    Naru nodded. "He worries about me a lot. He was with me at Lovers' Park, when I was attacked there." She smiled. "We'd just won a contest. It was supposed to prove how strong our love is. Not that I need any more proof."
    "He must put a lot of faith in your two friends, asking them to look out for you like that."
    "You mean Usagi and Ami? Yeah, they're good friends of mine."
    "Mamoru has told me what an extraordinary person Usagi is. I've know him since childhood, for him to lavish praise on somebody like that is unheard of."
    "Usagi is very special." Naru was feeling uncomfortable. She would have to lie about what she knew. But Saori was probably an expert at seeing through lies.
    "I've only met her a couple of times, but I'd have to agree. Did she help you out before? I mean, when you were attacked?"
    "Sort of." Naru really didn't want to talk about this. "I lost a good friend once. She helped me get over it."
    "I see." Somehow, Naru got the impression that wasn't the answer Saori was looking for. But she didn't pursue the matter. Instead, she just asked a few general questions about Naru and her husband. What they did for a living, how long they'd been married and so on. Her manner was casual, but she listened intently. It was hard to tell whether her questions were just friendly or whether she was fishing for some useful information.
    The doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" Umino called from the bedroom. He walked quickly over to the door. Naru saw him bend to peer into the peephole. He turned around and announced that it was Usagi even before he opened the door. Naru got up and walked closer to the door. Usagi caught sight of her. "Naru-chan!" She was out of her shoes in a second. Umino barely had time to step aside as she came running. Naru caught her in her arms and they held each other tightly. "Naru-chan, I was so worried. Are you okay?"
    "Yes, I'm fine." They just held each other for a while. Naru felt much as she had when she first saw Umino stepped through the door. She felt that maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay now.
    Usagi stepped back and smiled, her blue eyes showing anxiety, but also relief. Then her gaze shifted and she looked puzzled. "Saori-san."
    Naru turned to see that Saori was standing beside them now. "Hello Usagi."
    "How did you ... oh right. Ami said the police were here."
    "Come on and sit down," Naru said, steering Usagi over to the couch.
    As soon as they sat down, Usagi took her hand. "Naru-chan, can you tell me what happened.?"
    "I'm not too sure. There were suddenly these people in the apartment. They didn't touch me or anything, but suddenly I was lying on the ground and I was really dizzy. Then they were just gone."
    "What people?"
    "Four of them," Saori said before Naru could answer. "When Naru's feeling a little better, we'll get a description of them."
    "Oh, I forgot!" Umino exclaimed, surprising all of them. He slapped his forehead. "I'm so stupid!"
    "Umino, what's wrong?" Naru asked.
    He made an effort to calm himself, forced a smile. "Sorry Naru-chan, I didn't mean to startle you." He turned to Saori. "I probably have them on camera. There's a hidden camera covering the entrance hallway. It's on a continuous loop, but I've got it set to store the images permanently if the alarm goes off. I was just testing it out, but I'm sure I left it on."
    "Is that what you were working on last week?" Naru asked. She had come home to see him fiddling with the security system, adding things she'd never seen before.
    "Yeah. I'd completely forgotten about that."
    "Umino-san, can you show me those images?" Saori asked.
    "Sure," Umino said. "I can print off hardcopy or transmit still images, whatever you want."
    "Why don't we go have a look first?"
    "The computer's in the next room."
    "I'll stay here with Naru," Usagi said, putting an arm around her. "You two go ahead."
    Saori nodded. Naru was relieved. She really didn't want to look at those pictures right now. Maybe never. She was afraid of what she might see. Umino led Saori into the spare room, and Saori closed the door behind her.
    Naru turned to meet Usagi's eyes, still holding her hand. Usagi smiled, but her eyes were still full of worry. "Naru, if you don't mind talking about it, can you tell me what happened?"
    "I'm not sure. There was somebody at the door and I went to answer it. Then suddenly there were just these two people behind me, like they appeared out of nowhere. They knocked me down or something, but they didn't even touch me. I just couldn't move. Then ... I don't know, it was like an out of body experience, it was like I was looking down at my own body." She saw it in Usagi's face. It might as well have been a telepathic message, or words written across her forehead. *Oh no, it was them.* It was as clear as day. Naru fought the urge to just blurt out the question. A long time ago she had promised that she would never ask. Usagi had to say it herself, that was the only way. Right now, she was just waiting patiently for Naru to continue. "Then I fell asleep or something. I woke up on the floor and they were gone. That's all."
    "Naru-chan, do you feel okay now? I know you're scared, but do you feel sick or anything?"
    It was a while before Naru could collect her thoughts, try to find some words to explain. "Usagi, it feels like they put something in my head. It's like I have memories of places I've never been."
    "What sort of places?"
    She knew it would sound ridiculous, but she so desperately wanted to tell somebody. Even if she couldn't say anything, maybe Usagi would understand. "It's a strange place. It's like a big, beautiful palace, more beautiful than the Taj Mahal. There's a big garden all around it, but the horizon is all rocks and sand, like a desert. The sun is in the sky, but the sky is dark and there are stars too. And ... I know it's silly, but it's like the Earth is up in the sky too."
    "As if you were on the moon?"
    It was like pieces of a jigsaw suddenly coming together of their own free will. "Yes, that's it! Usagi, what does it mean?" She regretted asking it immediately. But she had been so desperate, she couldn't help it.
    Usagi's expression was unreadable. "Naru-chan, if you're asking me this, then you must know about who I am."
    *I won't say it. I promised I wouldn't say it.* "What do you mean?"
    "I mean, about me being Sailor Moon."
    Naru's heart was racing. After several seconds, she just nodded.
    Usagi looked to be fighting back tears. "You've kept it a secret all these years, haven't you?" she asked softly.
    Naru could no longer meet her gaze. She looked down at their joined hands. "Not quite. I've told Umino. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have. I don't think he believed me anyway. I hope you're not mad at me."
    Usagi nearly knocked her over. Her embrace was actually painful. Suddenly Naru had a long golden pigtail tickling her face. It was an effort not to sneeze.
    "I'm sorry," Usagi breathed. "I'm so sorry. I should have done this years ago. I should have just told you. I should have trusted you."
    When Usagi's grip loosened enough for her to draw breathe again, Naru gently returned her embrace. "It's okay, Usagi. I know why you didn't. You were just protecting me. Just like you always did. Just like you protect all of us."
    She felt Usagi shake her head. "No, I was just a coward. I just kept delaying it. I knew it would drive us apart, but I still let it happen. Then I told myself there was nothing I could do about it. I'm sorry, I was such a coward."
    Naru hated hearing Usagi talk like this. It sounded like she was near shedding tears, and Naru had always hated seeing her cry. She tried to think of some way to tell Usagi that it was okay. But she'd already told her why it was okay. Then she remembered all the times from their childhood when Usagi had cried, and Naru had learned how she could make her stop. Usagi was grown up now, but she was still the same person. She was easily distracted. Yes, that was it. Get her thinking about something. "Usagi, can I ask you something?"
    Usagi let go of her and discretely took a second to dry her eyes, probably hoping Naru wouldn't realize. She moved away. "Yes?" Her cheek was still wet, she hadn't done a very good job.
    "Can you tell me who else knows? I mean, so that I don't tell the wrong person. Does your family know?"
    "No. Besides Mamo-chan and the other Sailor Senshi, there are only a couple of people who know. Naru-chan, you know who the other Senshi are, don't you?"
    "I've suspected they were your friends."
    From the look on Usagi's face, Naru feared that somehow she had said the wrong thing. "Yes, that's right," she said tonelessly.
    Naru realized what it was she had said. She cursed herself. "Usagi, it's okay, really. I never stopped being your friend, I knew there had to be a good reason you weren't telling me about being Sailor Moon. I mean, If it's something you couldn't even tell your families then how could I expect ... oh damn it, I'm saying all the wrong things!" She gripped Usagi firmly by the shoulders. "Usagi, it's not worth crying about, so don't cry. That's an order!"
    Usagi looked utterly dumbfounded. She hadn't heard those words from Naru in at least ten years. That had always been Naru's last resort for getting Usagi to stop crying. Sometimes it had even worked.
    Usagi smiled. "If you get me an ice cream, I promise not to cry."
    "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"
    "Nope."
    "Fine." Naru stood up. "When I get back here, I expect to see a happy face. Deal?"
    "Deal."
    Naru went into the kitchen, and took just a minute to add a little dish of ice cream to the food tray Umino had put together there. She brought the tray back to the living room. As she had promised, Usagi was smiling now. "I thought I was supposed to come here to make you feel better," Usagi said sheepishly.
    "You did," Naru said. She put the tray down on the coffee table. "Today you gave me the nicest gift I could ever ask for."
    "Naru-"
    "Better late than never, I always say. Now eat up."
    Usagi gave up on whatever she was about to say and just ate a spoonful of her ice cream. "Mmm. Thanks, Naru-chan, this is great."
    "My pleasure." Usagi still got that same look on her face when she ate chocolate ice cream, like it was a profound spiritual experience. Since she could not conceive of Usagi crying while eating ice cream, maybe this was the time to ask a difficult question. "Usagi, I went to visit Makoto a few days ago."
    Usagi actually smiled. "That was nice of you. Did you talk to her?" She made it sound like the most normal thing she could ask.
    "Yes, I did." It was the truth, too. But she had only done it out of a feeling of obligation, with no expectation that it had done any good. She felt bad about that, faced with Usagi's unshakable faith.
    "I'm sure she was really happy to hear your voice."
    "Usagi ..." *No. This is not the time.* "She was hurt when Hikawa shrine burned down wasn't she?"
    "Yes. She was trying to protect Rei. The same people who attacked you attacked Rei that night."
    Which meant they killed those people, and hurt Ami too. "Usagi ... who are they? What do they want?"
    Usagi put down her ice cream bowl, already done with it. Her expression hardened in a way Naru had never seen. It was frightening. "They're monsters. They look human, but they're uglier than the monsters you saw me fight all those years ago. They're trying to steal human souls."
    Naru got a sick feeling in her stomach. "Usagi, do you think they ...
*took* something from me? Is that why I've been feeling so strange?"
    Usagi raised her hand, shook her head. "No no, they couldn't have. I think they're after just us. They must have thought you were a Sailor Senshi."
    "Why would they think that?"
    "I'm not sure. All I know is, you came from the same place we did."
    Naru gasped. "You mean that palace."
    Usagi nodded. "Yes. It's called the Moon Kingdom. It existed a very long time ago. I lived there in a previous life. So did Mamo-chan, and so did the other Sailor Senshi. It looks like you lived there too."
    Naru frowned. "Are you saying we were all reincarnated?"
    "Yes." Usagi smiled. "I was married to Mamo-chan back then, too. Well, I think we were engaged to be married anyway. I was called Princess Serenity and he was called Prince Endymion."
    Naru tried to take this all in, tried to make sense of it. "Am I just starting to remember my past life? Is that it?"
    "I'm not sure. We've met one person who suddenly remembered bits of his past life when he was attacked by the first monster I ever fought. Maybe the same thing happened to you. You might remember more over time, but I don't know. Most of us don't remember much, except our names and how we ... how the Moon Kingdom was destroyed."
    Naru wanted to ask more about that, but suddenly something else occurred to her. "Usagi, am I going to become like you?"
    Usagi took a second to figure out what she was asking. "You mean a Sailor Senshi?" She sounded surprised by the suggestion. "No, I don't think so. I mean, all the Sailor Senshi we know about are accounted for. One for each planet. And we all awakened when we were being attacked by a monster. You've been attacked a couple of times, if you were a Senshi you would have awakened by now." She suddenly smiled. "But wouldn't it be cool if we knew each other back in the Moon Kingdom?"
    "Yeah, it would." Naru answered almost without thinking. She was still trying to take this all in. It was frightening and bewildering, but some things were making more sense now. "Usagi, do you think this is why I've always been attacked by monsters? Was it because they thought I was a Sailor Senshi or something?"
    "Well, sort of. Most of the monsters who attacked you were hunting for people's souls, for one reason or another. Rei thinks maybe they're attracted to people with old souls. I guess we both qualify. That's why Saori wants to find all the people who've been attacked by monsters, these new enemies may come after them too."
    Something didn't sound right there. Then Naru was suddenly thinking back to some of the things Saori said. "Usagi," Naru said, suddenly keeping her voice down. Like she shouldn't have been doing that earlier. "Does Saori know about you?"
    "Yeah, she found out a long time ago. But she just told Mamo-chan that she knows, and I haven't told her that I know that she knows that I ..." she sighed. "I'm sorry, this all gets so confusing sometimes. Yes, she knows."
    "Who else?"
    "Ami's boyfriend. The man I told you about, the one who also got back some memories from the Moon Kingdom. Rei's boyfriend knew. A couple of friends of Minako's in England know about her. Oh, and the cats know, of course."
    Naru frowned. "The cats?"
    "Yeah. You know, Luna and Artemis." Usagi looked momentarily puzzled by the blank expression she was getting. "They talk."
    "Talk?"
    "Yes." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm not explaining this very well. Artemis is the one who told Minako she's Sailor Venus, and Luna is the one who told me that I'm Sailor Moon."
    "Oh."
    "Naru-chan, are you okay?"
    "Uh ... yeah. I was just thinking, I never heard Luna do anything but meow. Is this sort of like Kiki's Delivery Service where only you can understand her?"
    Usagi laughed out loud. "I'll bet she wishes it was like that. No, she just has to put on the kitty-cat routine when other people are around. We're not quite sure where the cats came from, they say that Queen Serenity put them in cold sleep. Oh, that's my mother. I mean, my mother in the Moon Kingdom."
    "Usagi?"
    "Yes?"
    "I'd sort of like to hear all about this, but ... well, I think this is what Umino would call information overload. I've already got too much to think about."
    Usagi looked like she wanted to walk across and hold Naru in a motherly embrace again. But she contented herself with just giving Naru a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Naru-chan. I guess you're right, it's a lot to take in all at once."
    Naru decided to focus on more practical considerations. "Usagi, do you think Umino and I should move out of here?"
    "Gee, you should ask Saori about that. But I doubt it. They didn't take your life force ... that's sort of like your soul. Somehow they must know you're not one of us, so I don't think they'll be coming back."
    That seemed to make sense. "Umino still may insist on it, though. Do you think the police would put us up somewhere?"
    Usagi looked at her in an odd way. She hesitated, as if unsure about what she was about to say. "Uh .... Naru-chan, I've been kind of wondering about something."
    "Yes?"
    "Well, you've been married for over a year now. Don't you think it's time you stopped calling him Umino?"
    Naru giggled. "Usagi, even his *mother* calls him Umino!"
    Usagi looked like she was trying to remember something. "You know, now that you mention it, I don't think I ever knew his given name."
    Naru giggled again. "It's Gurio. About the only person I ever heard use it was the priest at our wedding."
    "No wonder." They both laughed. Naru marvelled at how much better she felt, now that the air had been cleared between her and Usagi. She hadn't realized how much she had missed having Usagi as her almost constant companion. Maybe things could be different now.
    "Usagi, are the other Sailor Senshi going to be mad at you for telling me about all this?"
    "No. In fact, they'll probably be happy. I've never said anything, but they probably all know I've wanted to do this for a long time. I'm no better at hiding my feelings from them than hiding them from you."
    Naru was about to agree, but she heard the door to the spare room open. Umino walked out, followed by Saori. Naru's heart sank. Umino really looked shell-shocked. "Umino, is something wrong? You were in there a long time, didn't you get any pictures?"
    He forced a smile. "Yes, we got the whole thing." He made it sound like he wished he hadn't. The sick feeling of dread returned to her again. She was afraid to ask.
    "I had him put it on tape," Saori said, holding a video tape in her hand. "You were right, they didn't lay a hand on you."
    Naru swallowed. "Did you ... does it show what happened?"
    "Yes. I think you should see it."
    "I think Naru-chan is tired now," Usagi said. Naru knew what she really meant though.
    Saori glanced over at Usagi, then back at Naru. "It's up to you, of course. But I think it might ease your mind, seeing exactly what happened."
    Naru glanced at Umino. He looked more bewildered than shocked. Whatever he had seen had not really disturbed him, just puzzled him. Which for him was sometimes just as bad. "Yes, I'd like to see it."
    "I'll play it," Umino said. He took the little Hi-8 tape from Saori and walked over to the television. He switched it on and put the tape in their second VCR, right under the TV. Saori went to sit down by Usagi, Umino beside Naru. He took her hand as they all watched.
    It was a monochrome fish-eye view of the entrance, looking down. The doorbell rang. Naru walked into view, peered through the peephole, then pushed the button on the intercom. Her voice was tinny, barely audible, probably all that the tiny camera's microphone could manage. Naru's heart started racing as the moment approached. They squeezed each other's hands more tightly.
    They just appeared out of nowhere. Naru turned and screamed. Then she was down. That was all. "I know it hasn't been tampered with," Umino muttered to nobody in particular. "Every frame has an encrypted timestamp encoded in it. They really appeared out of nowhere."
    The man opened the door for the other two. They all just stood around her, saying nothing. Then the short woman lifted her arms over Naru. Something appeared over her. "Oh my God. Umino, what is that?" Naru breathed. He just shook his head. Naru glanced over at Usagi. A chill went down her spine. It was something she had never seen in her gentle friend's face, something she had never thought to see. Hatred. Cold, venomous hatred. There could be no doubt what she wanted to do with the four people whose image she was watching. She wanted to kill them. Naru shivered, looked back at the television. The woman was still holding the little light motes between her hands. *That's my soul. They wanted to take my soul.* Naru hoped and prayed for what she would see next. Finally, after an eternity, it happened. They had put it back. They had just put it back and left, nothing more.
    Umino reached for the remote on the coffee table and stopped the tape. They sat in silence for a moment. It was Usagi who finally spoke. In her face there were still hints of what Naru had seen before. "Naru-chan, Umino, Saori. I think it's time I brought this in the open. You all know who I really am, so none of us has to pretend we don't know. I'm going to do everything I can to bring these monsters to justice. I'm going to make sure they can never hurt anybody again."
    "So it's true," Umino said. "You're ..."
    Naru-chan nudged him. "It's okay, you can say it."
    "Sailor Moon ...?" he finished hesitantly.
    Usagi smiled. "I know it's hard to picture. I'm still a crybaby, even when I'm jumping about in a miniskirt. But with my friends' help, I sometimes manage to do something useful."
    "Usagi," Saori said. "Now that I can finally say it openly, I want to thank you for saving me all those years ago. I owe you my life, that would be reason enough to offer you all the help I can give. But I've also been
tasked with bringing these people to justice. I'm open to suggestions as to how I can help."
    "Mamo-chan told me about what you're already doing," Usagi said. "You're trying to find all the people around Juban that have been attacked by monsters, right?"
    "Well, I've been looking into any cases in the city with certain unusual aspects, but yes that's essentially it."
    "Did Mamo-chan tell you about where we came from?"
    "You mean your past lives in the Moon Kingdom?"
    "Right. For a long time Rei-chan has had this theory that a lot of the people who we've had to save from monsters were all reincarnations of people from the Moon Kingdom. They stand out to monsters that are looking for life energy. Naru said she's been having memories of the Moon Kingdom, so I think she's one too."
    "What?" Umino exclaimed. He looked to Naru. "You never told me about that."
    "It just started today, Umino," Naru said. "I didn't know what it meant until Usagi explained it."
    Umino looked stunned. "Are you one of the Sailor Senshi?"
    Naru sighed. "No, of course not." She was about to add that wasn't something she would be likely to keep from him, but thought better of it. Despite having come clean, that might hit too close to home for Usagi.
    "Perhaps that's why they took nothing from you," Saori suggested.
    "Right," Usagi agreed. "I still think it's us they're after, though I'm not sure why. But other monsters we've fought that were looking for specific people had to attack lots of others before they found the right ones. Some people like Naru-chan have been attacked more than once. I don't think it's just coincidence."
    "Fine." Saori turned to face Naru and Umino. "Everything seems to indicate you're not in any further danger. Nevertheless, I'd like to put your apartment under special surveillance. It would be discrete, but there would be somebody available to help you at a moment's notice. If you're willing, I'd like you to keep us informed of your movements. I don't want to put you under constant personal surveillance, but I'd like to know where you are so that we can at least check up on you on a regular basis."
    "I think that's a good idea," Umino said.
    Naru nodded. "That's okay with me. Will you be doing the same for all the other people who have been attacked?"
    "More than likely." She turned to Usagi. "Mamoru-san told me that one of the Sailor Senshi is in hospital, is that correct?"
    "Yes. Her name's Makoto. Kino Makoto."
    "I'd like to arrange permanent protection for her as well."
    "That sounds okay. Technically you should ask Ami about that, she's the one who speaks for Makoto until she wakes up. It's called a proxy, I think."
    "If you don't mind my asking, is Ami also one of the Sailor Senshi?"
    "Yes. She's Mercury."
    "I imagine you all have ways of taking care of yourselves, but I'm wondering if it wouldn't be prudent to extend police protection to all of you as well."
    Usagi frowned. "I'd have to talk to them about it. That would mean having police watching our families too."
    "We could keep it very discrete. I'd still like to ask Ami about protection for Makoto, but I won't take any further action until I hear from you. I'd like you to at least think about it."
    "We will. And I'll get Ami to call you."
    Something else occurred to Naru. "Saori-san, my mother was attacked at her jewellery store too, the same time I was."
    "I know," Saori said. "I'll be paged if her alarm goes off, just like yours. But I'll also go talk to her, arrange surveillance."
    "She doesn't know about any of this," Naru said. "I don't want to make her worry."
    "Well, she owns a very upscale jewellery store. I'm sure I can arrange the surveillance on the pretence that we've caught wind of a robbery attempt."
    The phone rang. Umino picked it up. "Hello?" He just listened for a few seconds. "I see. Can you hang on a minute?" He put his hand over the receiver and looked at Saori. "It's the doorman. There's a Takada-san and a Smith-san at the door. They're claiming to be colleagues of yours, but he wanted to check with you first."
    Saori smiled. She seemed to be enjoying some private joke. "On the way in I told the doorman I was here to investigate a disturbance. Please assure him that everything is fine, and that it's quite safe to admit my two colleagues." Umino passed that on and hung up. Saori looked around the room. "I'm not sure I should be telling you this, but in addition to being Interpol agents these two are members of an order that specializes in hunting down criminals with unusual powers and techniques. They should be able to help us."
    "They're the ones who talked to Rei-chan," Usagi said, as if having just made some connection.
    Saori's smile looked somewhat ironic now. "So they've told me. Of late they've been somewhat more forthcoming with information. Usagi, I haven't told them about you, nor do I intend to. Obviously, that's a choice you'll have to make. All I can say is that, though they have been secretive, I do believe they share our goal of hunting down these criminals."
    "Do you know anything about this order they're a part of?" Usagi asked.
    "No, not even its name. They've just alluded to it as a source of some of their information, which appears to be considerable." She turned to Umino and Naru. "Please extend all the cooperation to them that you have to me. Tell them anything that will not compromise Usagi's secret."
    "I understand," Naru said. She was getting very nervous. This was sounding very cloak and dagger, not at all the way she would expect police to behave. And she was still trying to sort out in her mind the flood of new truths that had been dumped on her. She wasn't good at lying even at the best of times.
    The doorbell rang, and Saori answered it to confirm it was who they were expecting. She escorted the two men into the living room and made the introductions. Naru was getting even more nervous. They looked and acted like gangsters.
    Naru was about to ask them if she could take their coats, when Usagi suddenly stood up, getting everybody's attention. Her face showed grim resolve. "Takada-san, Smith-san, my friend Rei has mentioned her meeting with you. She's told me all about you."
    The man who'd called himself Takada nodded. "I see." His tone implied that what Usagi had said held some special meeting. "So you're a friend of Hino-san. Is she well?"
    "Yes she is, thank you." Usagi's tone was cordial, but formal. "Since your meeting with her, she's urged me to confide in you. Since I trust her more than anyone I know, that's what I intend to do."
    "Do you have some information that might help our investigation?"
    "You could say that."
    Naru realized what was about to happen just a split second before the room filled with feathers. Umino yelped, and threw his arms protectively around her. She barely noticed, transfixed by the unearthly beauty of the transformation her friend was undergoing.
    Saori walked over to stand beside the angel who had appeared among them. She looked immensely pleased with herself. "Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Sailor Moon."
    Both men took off their shades. Which was good, as far as Naru was concerned. Despite her shock over what had happened, Naru couldn't help thinking that Takada had the most exquisite eyes. And the look on his face said he was slowly coming to accept what those eyes were telling him. He smiled. "I'm very pleased to finally meet you."
    Sailor Moon was surrounded by shimmering red ribbons, and suddenly she was Usagi again. "Rei tells me you two are part of an order that may be able to help hunt down the people who killed her grandfather." She paid no mind to the transformations she had undergone, as if it had no more significance than removing her hat. "I think we need to talk."
    Smith discretely cleared his throat. "It's rather late, so perhaps we should get a statement from the eyewitnesses first. I'm sure they'd like to get some rest as quickly as possible."
    Naru had an idea of what he really meant, but she certainly had no objection. Neither did anybody else. She brought out cushions for her and Umino so that all their guests could sit down in proper chairs. Then they all started talking about teleporting and taking of life force as if they were discussing a burglary. It didn't take all that long. When they were done, Naru realized how tired she was. After confirming that surveillance was already in place, the police excused themselves. Usagi left with them, kissing her goodbye and promising to come visit tomorrow. No doubt they would be going off somewhere to talk about whatever superheroes and secret societies talked about. All Naru wanted now was a long soak in the tub. It was a bit cramped for two, but neither of them minded.

    *****

    Usagi looked at the address printed on the property wall as Mamoru slowly drove by. "Nope, that one's wrong too."
    "We've been around all the blocks in this district," Rei said from the back seat. "That first one we found was the only right one. That's got to be it."
    "Shall we go back there?" Mamoru asked.
    "I guess we'd better," Usagi said. The card that Takada had given her had nothing but his name, cell phone number and an address. He'd said the address was his office, and had invited her to call and make an appointment to meet him there at her convenience. Which was why the three of them were out here this morning.
    But the only place that matched the address was a big, ornate black steel gate leading onto an enormous walled, wooded property. There was no sign on it except the address numbers. It looked like the grounds of a mansion, they had assumed it must be the wrong place.
    Mamoru pulled up to the gate. An intercom and camera were discretely hidden under a hood on top of an innocuous looking post. Mamoru's window came down, its electric motor whining. "Your name?" a woman's voice from the intercom said.
    "Chiba," Mamoru said. "We're looking for Takada and Smith."
    "Please come in." With a clatter, the iron gates opened very slowly.
    "Must be the place after all," Usagi said. Her meeting with Takada, Smith and Saori after leaving Naru's place had been fairly short. She'd accepted his invitation to meet at his office, with the understanding that she'd have to meet with the other Sailor Senshi before deciding how closely they should work together. The others had agreed to trust her and Rei with that decision. For now, they were playing it by ear.
    Mamoru drove them down a winding paved driveway through a pine forest. "You'd hardly think we're in the city anymore," Usagi commented.
    "There are wards all over the place," Rei commented. "It's been a long time, but they have the same feel as the ones they used in the temple up in Hakone."
    "So they're really part of the same order?" Mamoru asked.
    "I'd bet on it."
    "I see a building up ahead," Usagi said, squinting through the trees. There wasn't much of a clearing, the forest almost came right up to it on all sides. So they were practically right in front of it when Mamoru stopped the car.
    Rei had to lean forward between the front seats and crane her neck to look up at it. "It looks like a church."
    Usagi would have to agree. Just like a big, old church. The central hall and the two wings to each side each had steep gable roofs with spires on top and at the corners. The central hall had a massive stone balcony in front supported by pillars. An enormous, tall window with many little panes of clear glass opened onto the balcony. Above that was a great round stained glass rose window, like what you would expect to see in a cathedral. The building was all grey stone with little ornamentation. Usagi thought if they had come at night it would have looked like a haunted house. That is if they could see it at all, there were certainly no apparent sources of light.
    Right in front of them, looking very innocuous parked just beside the entrance, were two shiny black sedans, and a small green sports car. "That looks like Saori's car," Usagi said, pointing to the latter. She had given Usagi a ride back home that night.
    "Well, I guess that's where we park." Mamoru drove up beside Saori's car and killed the engine. Usagi got out to let Rei out of the back seat. When they had locked up, Usagi looked up at the tall building again.
    "I don't see any crucifixes or anything, but it still looks like a church to me. Weird place to have an office."
    Rei closed her eyes for a moment. "It's definitely a holy site. And it's got wards like nothing I've ever felt before. You know, I'll bet that ESPer bitch couldn't pull the soul out of this place no matter how she tried."
    "Sounds like they're pretty well equipped," Mamoru commented.
    "I wonder if there's some reason they want to meet on holy ground," Rei said.
    "Rei-chan, I think you've been watching too much Highlander."
    Rei sighed. "I didn't mean it that way. Anyway, let's go."
    There were two enormous dark wooden doors separated by a stone pier, like the portal to a cathedral. Except each of these had a great brass knocker held in the mouth of a grotesque gargoylish face. There being no other visible means of announcing themselves, Mamoru lifted the massive ring and brought it clanking down on its mooring, once, then again. They waited. After about a minute there was the sound of a massive bolt being thrown from within. The door swung back very slowly. Usagi had been expecting it to creak, in keeping with the atmosphere, but it was perfectly silent. When it had opened a bit more than a meter, a short young woman in a grey blazer and skirt walked into the opening. She had a cute heart- shaped face, sparkling brown eyes and straight black hair cut in a page boy style. She smiled at them. "Can I help you?"
    "I'm Chiba Mamoru. This is my wife Usagi, and this is Hino Rei. We have an appointment with Takada-san and Smith-san."
    "Yes, they said to expect you. I'm Takada's assistant Noriko. Please come in." She stepped aside for them, which necessitated her disappearing behind the massive door again. Usagi followed Mamoru through the opening. The room was dark, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. When they did, she decided this must be a cathedral after all. The entire central hall was one big room, a great long hall that went right to the back of the building. There was another great paned window topped by another round stained glass rose window, mirroring those at the front. The long side walls had more tall stained glass windows in between great slender pillars. The pillars were topped with curving traverse arches and buttresses that supported the steepled roof. The interior was the same plain grey stone. After a moment, Usagi hit on the one thing that was missing that would have really made it look like a church. Pews. There was not a stick of furniture to be seen. And the windows had no pictures of saints or anything, just multicolor abstract patterns.
    The beam of light sent across the floor from the open door narrowed. Usagi turned to see Noriko pushing the door closed. It looked like it was taking no small effort. It closed with a gentle thud that echoed down the hall. She pulled a massive black iron bolt across the door, locking it shut.
    That's when Usagi noticed the enormous ward hung on the door. Hung was the right word, since it was a white tapestry, not paper. She vaguely recognized the characters, they were the same ones Rei used on her little paper wards. Except each of these characters was a meter high. Looked like Rei hadn't been kidding about this place.
    "If you'll let me take your jackets, I'll inform director Takada that you've arrived." They gave her their jackets and she walked over to an arched entranceway on the right that led into a dark corridor. There was a similar entrance to the left, no doubt each leading into one of the side wings.
    "I feel underdressed," Usagi muttered.
    "It's warm enough," Mamoru said.
    "No, I mean it feels like we're about to meet a bishop or something." She couldn't decide if they were speaking in low voices so as not to be overheard, or out of respect for what still looked like a church.
    "Well, it won't be a bishop," Rei said. "Despite appearances, this is not a Christian church. I've never seen anything like it."
    Which was really saying something, Usagi thought. Rei was practically a walking encyclopedia of world religions, including those weird secretive ones she used to work with before Usagi met her. She was beginning to think these people were from another planet.
    They heard footsteps echo through the hall. Takada, Smith and Saori emerged from the entrance Noriko had gone through, and approached them. Usagi noted the two men were no longer wearing their shaded glasses. "Hello, Everyone," Saori said with a friendly smile. "Thank you so much for coming. Mamoru, you're the only one who hasn't met my colleagues. This is agent Takada, acting director of the Tokyo branch. And this is agent Smith from the head office in New York."
    "That's Chiba Mamoru, correct?" Smith asked. Mamoru nodded. "I read your article on the history of terrorism in Japan. A very fine piece of work. You should consider submitting it to Foreign Affairs, I think they'd be interested in printing a translation."
    "Thank you. Perhaps I'll do that."
    "Usagi-san," Takada said. "I take it you all know why we've asked you to meet with us?"
    Usagi knew what he meant. "Yes, everyone here knows who I am. My husband is Tuxedo Mask, and Rei is Sailor Mars." They had agreed that they would tell the people from the Order at least that much right off the bat.
    "I see." Takada didn't seem to be very surprised. "Thank you for confiding in us. Like everyone in this city, I am in your debt. I've had glimpses of the forces you've been protecting us against. In fact, four years ago I think I just missed witnessing your battle near the former Galaxy Television, just after the final Three Lights concert."
    He could only be talking about their battle with Galaxia. "You were there? That place was a disaster area, how did you get near?"
    He smiled. "It wasn't easy. I got there just on time to see you all leave. I must confess, our office here has always been interested in finding out more about you. That was the only time we actually managed to get a glimpse of you, though."
    "We've been kind of curious about you too," Usagi said. "Rei's told me a bit about the Order. We've actually been to one of your other shrines. The one with the green glowing wards inside."
    "Ah, you mean just after the second Hakone incident. That is actually a sanctuary of our Shinto branch. This place shares some similarities with it. Look." He gestured up towards the ceiling.
    Usagi squinted. "Oh, now I see it." She hadn't noticed them before. They were bigger than the ones she had seen in the shrine they had taken Minako to, all those years ago. But they were so far up, they'd be hard to make out if she didn't know what to look for. In each corner of the ceiling was hung what looked like a huge barometer with a curving glass tube anchored on a great brass mooring. It was full of what looked like a slightly phosphorescent green gas.
    "This sanctuary is well guarded against spells, psionics and the creatures that wield them. Even during the disturbance I spoke of, this place remained untouched."
    "The building is interesting," Rei said. "Did the Order have it built?"
    "No, we obtained it. We purchased it from the estate of the late Sanjouin Masato."
    Usagi gasped. "Nephrite!"
    Takada cocked his head. "Excuse me?"
    "It's a stone," Smith said in perfect deadpan. "A mineral."
    Usagi shook her head. "No no, I mean Masato. His real name was Nephrite! He was a general of the Dark Kingdom. This must have been his base or something!"
    "I take it you fought him," Takada said.
    "Yes, he was the second general we fought. Naru-chan liked him, but she didn't really know who he was so ..." Her voice trailed off. She realized how little sense this was probably making. "It's kind of a long story."
    Takada smiled sympathetically. "Perhaps another time. We suspected that Masato dabbled in sorcery, but it wasn't until after his disappearance that we were able to find this place and get a good look at it. The value and power of it were unmistakable, so we arranged to obtain it. In the past few years we've learned to make use of some of what Masato left here. In fact, if you'll permit, there is one item I'd like to show you. It's the reason we're still standing in this uncomfortable echo chamber. Excuse me." He turned and took a few steps into the room, facing its centre. He brought his hands up before him. Usagi could only see his back, but from the way his arms were moving he was making some sort of motions with his hand. He seemed to be murmuring something as well. For some reason she was reminded of the chanting she would hear Rei do during fire readings.
    The great hall was suddenly filled with a ghostly image. A little golden ball surrounded by a series of concentric circles, with other curved lines looping around in more erratic ways.
    "A hologram?" Mamoru asked.
    "No," Takada said, still facing away from them. "An astral image."
    "It's the solar system," Rei said. "And those must be comets."
    "Correct," Takada said. "We have little idea what its original purpose was. Perhaps in the right hands it could even be an Oracle. The only ability we've been able to exploit is its ability to resonate with spiritual energy in the vicinity of a series of crystals we found here. We've distributed those crystals throughout the city and also beyond it, as astral detectors. I'll show you." More hand motions. The image dissolved, to be replaced with what looked like a constellation of shimmering stars. "I'm afraid you'll have to imagine a map of Tokyo superimposed over these."
    "I can see it," Rei said immediately. "You've put them in Shinjuku, Tokyo Station, Tokyo Tower ... one of them looks to be near Hikawa shrine."
    "Right under it, in fact," Takada said. "Ichiro managed to obtain your grandfather's permission."
    "Ichiro-san?" Usagi glanced at Rei. She seemed to be just realizing something. Usagi remembered the name now, the Buddhist priest who had conducted the funerals.
    Takada nodded. "I don't think he'd mind my telling you that he's been a member of the Order for many years."
    "I see," Rei said. "I guess I should have known."
    "We can monitor these astral detectors constantly from another room," Takada continued. "This display is rather redundant now, just somewhat clearer when it has to be seen by more than two or three people. This is what it looked like during the first attack on a shrine." A few of the lights shone brighter, and with slightly different colours. "We had been hoping to use this to pinpoint the attacks on the temples as they were happening. We thought we had come up with a formula, but then a new group of attacks started looking like this." Another group of lights became brighter. But they were more spread out, there was a much less distinctive pattern.
    "Usagi," Saori said. "Mamoru told me that you had a means of detecting the Ancients, but that during the series of attacks just before your wedding you were suddenly having problems."
    "Yes," Usagi said. They still hadn't mentioned anything about the refugees. Mamoru had just told Saori that they were obtaining help from another group of ESPers. She glanced at Rei. The raven-haired girl locked eyes with her for just a moment, gave an almost imperceptible nod. Ultimately, it was still Usagi's decision. *Well, in for a penny, in for a pound.* "We've been working with an extraterrestrial woman who is also an ESPer. She's helped us find out where these attacks were happening. But like Saori said, suddenly that wasn't working very well."
    The constellation of lights dissolved. Takada turned to face them. His expression was unreadable. "An extraterrestrial?"
    "Three of them. They're refugees from a war on a planet very far away. They were running from Galaxia, she's the one you almost saw us fight." She sighed. "It's a pretty long story."
    "Then perhaps we should move to more comfortable surroundings."
    They all moved into the wing of the building Takada and the others had emerged from. Noriko met them and showed them into a cozy room full of leather chairs and old books, with a huge picture window opening onto the pine forest. Usagi was content to let Rei do most of the talking. She told of Venus' chance meeting with the refugees, and gave a brief outline of how the extraterrestrials came to be here. She told of the attack on her shrine. She was perfectly calm, but Usagi still had to resist the urge to reach over and hold her hand. She told of the treachery of the Outer Senshi, for that was how she termed it. Neither Usagi nor Mamoru felt compelled to contradict her.
    Takada, in his turn, had a story to tell. He gave a chilling account of his encounter with little Akira, the Ancient boy who had come within inches of destroying Tokyo, and maybe much, much more. He told of his subsequent meetings with the boy's grateful mother, and the way in which she became his mole in her secretive family. It seemed she was unwilling to meet him anymore, after the attack on Hikawa shrine.
    "Perhaps she's afraid you'll try to force information from her," Rei suggested. "After what's happened."
    Takada shook his head. "No, she would not fear that. Nor does she need to, I would never do such a thing. It's hard to explain, but I really think she's ashamed. Somehow, she feels responsible for the lives that were lost."
    "Saturn did tell us one interesting thing," Rei said. "According to Pluto, the ones who attacked me have been effectively cast out of the family. It sounds like they're in hiding, acting on their own. At least that's what her contact claimed, I'm not sure how much faith to put in it."
    "Curious," Takada said. "If they're cut off from the family and presumably from this Seed Crystal, what would they gain by what they're doing?"
    "Perhaps they hope to regain their family's favour," Smith suggested. "By bringing them the means to create the Crystal Palace."
    "Regardless of whether this is a rogue group, they're still active," Takada said. "We need to try and anticipate their next move. Usagi, Saori has told me you think they're after the Sailor Senshi."
    "Yes. I'm not sure why, but I think so. Maybe they though Naru-chan was one of us."
    Takada nodded. "Yes, because she's also from the Moon Kingdom. Saori's been telling us about that. Presumably they have some way of detecting that. I don't imagine that you have some way to tell?"
    Usagi shook her head. "Not unless they actually remember stuff."
    "Director, perhaps we should begin interviews," Saori suggested.
    "Might be a good idea," Takada agreed.
    "Interviews?" Rei asked.
    "I've just about compiled a list of people in the city who have been attacked by .. well, monsters, to put it succinctly. Nearly a hundred in all, not including large groups of people, whom we assume were not specifically targeted. I was wondering if one of you could spare some time to review the cases, see if there were any the Senshi were involved with."
    "I can do that," Usagi said. She grinned. "Even more than the other Senshi, I seem to have a knack for stumbling into people being attacked by monsters. It's like they follow me around. We've never quite been able to figure that out."
    "Do you really mean to ask these people if they have memories of living on the moon?" Rei asked.
    "Our agents are trained to ask questions in the right way," Takada said. "And we are blessed by living in a country where everyone tends to obey people with badges without asking questions. And we have means of detecting people with unusual auras, that may be what is attracting the Ancients. Regardless of that, for the moment Saori is trying to arrange surveillance for as many of the people on her list as she can. Perhaps our interviews and your review of the cases can narrow the field."
    "Usagi," Saoir said. "I was wondering if the Senshi have given any thought to the question of police surveillance."
    "We talked about it," Usagi said. "We're kind of worried about the police finding out about our identities, if something happens. Especially Venus."
    "We anticipated that," Saori said. "I spoke with the director, and he said we would assign our own agents to watch the Senshi."
    "With your permission, those agents would be aware of your identities," Takada said. He smiled. "We are used to keeping secrets. We're good at it, believe me."
    Listening to Takada and Saori, Usagi suddenly realized what was different. She was treating him as her superior now. As if she was one of them. Usagi didn't feel the time was right to ask about that. "I'll talk to Venus and Mercury again," Usagi said. "I'm sure they'll agree."
    "Will we be meeting with the agents who will be assigned to us?" Mamoru asked.
    Smith cleared his throat. "In the case of you three, that would be me." He smiled, a simple act that seemed to transform him. "Other than scaring the kids away, you'll hardly know I'm there."
    "I hope I'm not being rude," Rei said. "But if we are attacked, do you have some way of helping to deal with the Ancients?"
    "Oh, we each have our ways. The director has his spells and such, I have other things. We can all hold our own, I assure you."
    "I understand your extraterrestrial colleagues are having limited success detecting these attacks," Takada said. "Still, it might be useful to have them in communication with us as well as you. To give us the earliest possible warning if they strike again."
    Usagi frowned. "You want to meet them?"
    "If they'll agree. Is that a problem?"
    "You're not going to ... well, you know, deport them or anything are you?"
    Takada seemed at a loss for words. Usagi heard Rei heave a sigh. "Usagi, I think we've made it pretty clear they're not invaders."
    Takada caught on. He chuckled. "As far as I know, the Order has never encountered a case of a confirmed extraterrestrial. Frankly, as well as gaining any possible help in this case, I'm desperately curious to meet them. I don't think the Order has any particular policy on extraterrestrials."
    "Actually we do," Smith said. "I looked it up once. It's a big long document, but in a nutshell we're supposed to be very, very nice to them."
    Usagi felt relieved. "Okay, I'll talk to them. They're all very friendly, I'm sure you'll like them."
    "Thank you," Takada said. "Ideally, as soon as possible I'd like to have a meeting with all the Senshi, your colleagues and the agents I'm assigning to this case, to arrange communications and such."
    "Sure," Usagi said. "I can probably call you later today." Nobody thought it necessary to mention that some of the Senshi would be missing from this meeting.
    "I've had all the case files I was talking about moved here," Saori said. "Whenever you have some time, I'd like to go over them."
    "We can do that now if you like," Usagi said.
    Takada and Smith excused themselves, and Saori took Usagi, Rei and Mamoru to a windowless room full if file cabinets. They sat down around a big table and started going through the files. Usagi was able to identify most of them right away. They were people who had been attacked by the Dark Kingdom's Generals, or the Death Busters' Daimon, or Nephrenia's Lemures, or Galaxia's Farces. Saori checked off hits and misses as they went. In a couple of hours they were done. They spent some time trying to think of people they had missed, ones not on Saori's list. She had already drawn up a chronological list, which helped fill in the gaps. Between her own recollection, and that of Mamoru and Rei, they were pretty sure they had them all. Many bittersweet memories were being awakened for Usagi. Memories of people whose lives they had touched, even if just briefly. A lot of them had met and known her as Usagi, not just as Sailor Moon. Most she had never seen again. But all of them she remembered fondly. More so than her colossal battles with the lords of Chaos, it was these people she felt most proud of, the ones whose lives she had stopped from being snuffed out. She found herself feeling grateful for this reminder of all the little victories they had won, all the people she had helped. It was making her feel less frustrated, less useless than she had been feeling lately. They had brought down more fearful enemies than the Ancients, they would do it again.
    Saori showed them out, Usagi promising she would try to arrange a meeting for tomorrow. When they were in the car, Mamoru wondered aloud whether Saori would be wearing shades the next time they saw her.

    *****

    The Matriarch sat motionless on her wood stool as Kaori spoke, not reacting in any way. When Kaori was done, she just stood there, hands folded in front of her, waiting.
    After just a couple of seconds the Matriarch finally looked away from the Seed Crystal and fixed her penetrating eyes on Kaori. "An alliance, you say."
    "Yes, Matriarch."
    She grunted. "If your son and those other young pups are giving the Senshi such trouble, they can't be all that powerful. What makes them think they'll be able to waltz in here and turn the Seed Crystal into a palace? What makes them think we need their help?"
    "I believe they can help," Kaori said. "Sailor Pluto is centuries old, she has knowledge we can't even imagine."
    "Indeed," the Matriarch said. "Tell me, this woman who calls herself Sailor Pluto. Is she tall, dark and incomparably beautiful? Does she have eyes that burn red like coals and dark hair with hints of green like some Earth goddess?"
    This took Kaori utterly surprised. She had told the Matriarch nothing about Pluto herself, not even her assumed name. "You describe her as if you have met her."
    "I have not," Himiko said. "But my grandmother did. And she said she had heard of this same person from her own great aunt. Do you think you are the first of us she has ever spoken with? She is one of the least known legends of our family, but every Matriarch has at least known of her. She seems to show up every now and then, sometimes offering words of wisdom, sometimes not. About all we can be sure about her is her immense age. That, and her insatiable curiosity. The legends say she was always an asker of questions, always wanting to know everything."
    "She had mentioned that she has known many of our ancestors."
    "Indeed. So after centuries of hiding in the shadows, why does she suddenly want to come out in the open?"
    "She wants the same thing we do, Matriarch. She wants a sanctuary to protect us in the dark days to come."
    Himiko silently chewed on that for a while. "And who shall be mistress of the palace, do you think?" Kaori treated it as a rhetorical question. She just continued to wait. Himiko stared into the crystal again. When she spoke again, her voice was icy cold. "I could take it from you whenever I want, you know. The things you're not telling me. Take it from your mind, find out everything you know about this Sailor Pluto. But I think she's smart enough to know that. I don't think she's told you anything that could really harm her."
    "She has confided in me," Kaori said, not hiding her anger. "She is not our enemy, she really does mean us no harm."
    Himiko sniffed. "Don't get your back up. You wouldn't be here if you thought she meant harm to our family. I give you that much credit. The question is, do we need her in order to get what we want, or is she just trying to get something for nothing?"
    "We need each other," Kaori said. "We can't do this on our own."
    "Maybe, maybe not," Himiko said. "So what are the terms of this Alliance she's proposing?"
    "Three points," Kaori said. "First, any attack by anyone on either an Ancient or a Senshi will be treated as an attack on both. Second, once the palace has been brought into being, all Ancients and all Senshi and their families will have unconditional access to it. Third, any use of the powers of the palace for other than purely defensive measures can be vetoed either by you or by Sailor Moon."
    The Matriarch smiled. "More or less what I would have come up with, if I thought it were necessary." She turned away. "You can continue to be our liaison with them. Tell her I'll think about it."
    The audience was over. Kaori bowed and left. She walked down the cold, damp cave tunnel to the flagstone, and teleported herself to the garden behind the great house. It was snowing again, a layer of wet snow had accumulated since the last time the garden path had been swept. It was considered bad form not to pass through the house on the way out, but Kaori was not feeling particularly respectful right now. Besides, it was uncomfortably cold, and she didn't feel like treading through the snow. She closed her eyes and concentrated. In an instant, she was in the garden behind her own house. She went in through the back entrance and removed her shoes and coat. It was not as cold here as in Hokkaido, but still she was grateful it had been but a short walk. She went straight to her room, picked up her phone and dialled.
    "Hello?" Setsuna's voice.
    "It's me."
    "Did you talk to her?"
    "Yes. She won't commit to anything. I didn't even bother asking about a meeting with her, I'm sure she would say no. I think she's playing a waiting game, trying to find out how badly you want to deal with her."
    "Have they made any progress with the Seed Crystal?"
    "No. If Yui found something out, nobody else has been able to uncover it. I think pretty soon everybody there will have to admit that they're getting nowhere."
    "Then hopefully we won't have to wait long."
    "Are you going to talk to Sailor Moon?"
    "No, not yet. I don't think there's any point, not until the Matriarch is willing to talk. I was hoping to at least ask if you could visit Makoto, but I doubt she would agree."
    "From the way you describe Jeneth's powers, I doubt there's much I could do that she has not already done. You'll just have to have hope."
    "That's about all I have left."
    Kaori knew what she was referring to. "We'll make things right, Setsuna. We just have to be patient."
    Setsuna chuckled. "Very odd, you giving me that advice. So are you still okay for lunch next week?"
    "Of course."

    *****

    They all stood on the sidewalk about two blocks from the target. Hitomi closed her eyes and put a hand to her temple, once again seeing through the eyes of one of her birds. **Wait, I've got her this time. I'm on the railing, looking in through her window. Uh ... second floor, third balcony from the left.**
    **Should be easy to figure out,** Shoji said. **Okay everyone, you know the drill.**
    He got acknowledgements from everybody. The four of them proceeded over to the apartment block. Hitomi's dove had been following the target all evening, and had finally led them to her home. The dove had taken a few minutes to find the actual apartment. Now they were all set.
    That is, assuming this wasn't another dud.
    There was no camera at the entrance, just an electronic lock. That took Yui about three seconds to bypass. They took the elevator up one floor. Shoji stepped out into the hall and looked to the right. **Let's see ... one, two, three. Must be this one.** They all followed him to the door. By this time nobody needed to be told what to do. Yui went to one side and took Akechi's hand, preparing to teleport him. Hitomi went to the other side and kept an eye out for anyone else entering the hallway. Shoji knocked on the door. He waited. Whether the target opened the door or used the intercom, Yui would be behind her in a moment.
    Except nobody came to the door. **Are you sure this is the right one, Senpai?**
    **Yeah. Hitomi, can you check up on what she's doing?**
    Hitomi closed her eyes. **Oh, I'm at a different window now. She's in the bedroom.** She frowned. **She's just standing there. She looks scared.**
    **Did she even come to the door?** Akechi asked.
    **I'm pretty sure she didn't,** Shoji said. **I'd have felt her aura.**
    **Maybe she can detect us somehow,** Akechi said.
    **Which may mean this one's the real thing,** Shoji said. **Yui, can you-**
    "Police, freeze!"
    He must have come out of the stairwell, very quietly. He had a gun held in a military grip, pointed at the bridge of Shoji's nose. Nobody moved. Yui didn't hear, but saw her friends' reaction. She followed their gaze and gasped. **Yui, don't-** But her power was already surging. The man in the suit went flying back. Remarkably, his gun didn't go off. That's what Shoji had been afraid of, no time to put up a barrier. The man slammed into the door at the end of the hallway, slumped down on the floor.
    They all gathered protectively together just on time for the second man to pop out of the stairway. This one just started unceremoniously squeezing off rounds at them. He stopped when he realized they were rebounding right back at him. He almost got hit. A gun was the worst thing in the world to be using against a PK barrier. Yui sent him flying, about ten times faster than the last one. He smashed right through the door. There were screams from inside that apartment, as a body came flying into their home. A dead body most likely.
    **Yui,** Shoji called. He pointed at the door beside them. **Blow the door!**
    **But-**
    **Let's get out of the hallway, now.** That was all the impetus she needed. She put her palm out towards the door and jerked it forward. The invisible force blast pulverized the door, sending a shower of splinters flying into the apartment. **Akechi, follow me.** Shoji ran in, opened the door to what must be the bedroom. The woman sitting on the bed shrank back. She put her arm up across her face and screamed. Akechi came up beside him and put his arms up. The woman convulsed, and slumped down onto the bed. Shoji walked over to her and picked her up off the bed, holding her limp body against him with one arm. He turned around to see that the girls had come in. He held out his other hand. **Yui, get us out of here. Nothing fancy, just the closest teleport point.**
    She nodded. She took Shoji's hand. Akechi took her other, and Hitomi put a hand on Yui's shoulder. Yui closed her eyes and concentrated. This would be hard, with four people and one not in direct contact. It was a few seconds before the room winked out of existence. Shoji blinked several times, waiting for the vertigo to pass. He almost dropped the comatose girl. That had been a rough one. They were in the middle of a little park. The nearest streetlight was a long distance away, so it was very dark. Well, that was the idea. He carefully laid the girl down on the grass. He knelt beside her and looked up at Yui. She was panting, adrenaline still surging through her veins. She wasn't using her powers to mitigate it. Not surprising, after a hard teleport like that using her power again right away would probably just make things worse, give her a headache. **You okay?** he asked. She just nodded. They all took a few moments to let the rush pass, and to recover from the rough teleport. Akechi and Hitomi walked over to a picnic table and sat down on the bench with the table to their backs, facing towards their friends. Yui just plopped down on the grass, still breathing heavily.
    **They must have been waiting for us,** Akechi finally said.
    **Yeah.** There was no point trying to deny it. Even after the regulations were changed last year, cops in Japan didn't carry guns unless they were tracking specific people who were known to be dangerous. And those two cops must have known what they were up to. Otherwise, they wouldn't have just shown up with weapons drawn.
    **But how the hell did they know who we are?** Akechi asked.
    **Who knows. Maybe one of the other places we hit had cameras somewhere.**
    **They must have warned the girl,** Hitomi said. **They must have called her as soon as they spotted us going into the building, told her not to answer the door.**
    **So the girl was being watched?** Akechi asked. **That's crazy, how could they have known we were after her? The black sheep only spotted her this morning.**
    **I guess there must be something special about her,** Shoji said.
    **Maybe this one really is a Senshi,** Hitomi suggested. **Maybe they're working with the police now.**
    **I guess we'll find out soon enough,** Shoji said. He turned to Yui and smiled. **Hey beautiful, you feeling better now?**
    She nodded. She was sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees. She was still shaking a bit. **I was just scared. Do you think I killed them?**
    Probably the second one. **No, I doubt it. I'll bet it sure hurt, though. You really shot from the hip. I bet Wyatt Earp couldn't get the drop on you.**
    She smiled, though it looked forced. **I'm sorry the 'port was so rough. If I hadn't been so scared, I think it would have been easy.**
    Four people easy? She must be getting good. He wanted to get this over with, maybe it was okay to try and speed things up a bit. **Think you're ready to take a closer look at our guest?**
    **Yeah, I think so.** She got up and stood over the woman. She raised her hands. The familiar kaleidoscope of lights rose from the prone body and settled between Yui's hands. Even before Yui spoke, Shoji knew what she would say. **This one's not right either. It's not like the image the Crystal sent me. And it's not like that Sailor Senshi.**
    Shoji sighed. **Alright, might as well put her back.** Yui turned her hands palms down, and the light motes cascaded back down into the girl's body.
    **That's the fourth dud in a row,** Akechi said. **Shoji, this isn't getting us anywhere. These black sheep aren't going to find a Senshi for us.**
    **They already found us one,** Shoji reminded him. **They can still find us another.**
    **Yeah, but how many are we going to have to go through first?** Akechi asked. **And maybe they're all being watched now. Shit, for all we know half the cops in Tokyo are looking for us now. Speaking of which, we're still pretty close to where we dropped those two, we should be getting out of here.**
    **Yeah, I guess you're right,** Shoji said. He stood up.
    **You want me to 'port us back home?** Yui said.
    Shoji walked over and put an arm around her. **No, I think you should rest for a bit. Let's just walk in the other direction for now.** The police would be looking for the missing girl soon, they'd find her lying here soon enough. She probably wouldn't freeze.
    **Are we going to still hunt for the Senshi?** Yui asked after they had walked a little ways from the park.
    **No, I think Akechi's right. This probably isn't going to get us anywhere, at least not quickly. If we want to nab a Sailor Senshi, I think we're going to have to flush them out.**
    **Oh great,** Akechi said. **Why don't we go kick a hornet's nest while we're at it?**
    **I've got an idea,** Hitomi said. Akechi let out a telepathic groan. She hit him playfully. **Stop that.**
    He actually smiled a bit. **This was your idea too, you know.**
    **And it's already hit paydirt once,** Shoji said.
    Hitomi stuck out her tongue at Akechi. He just rolled his eyes. **I can hardly wait.**
    **It's something I've wanted to try for a while, just for the heck of it, though I never had the nerve,** Hitomi continued, ignoring him. **I don't know if it will actually flush out a Sailor Senshi. But I think it'll be fun.**

End Chapter 11