Secrets
Chapter 14 - Apocalypse

    Hotaru got a ride to the headquarters of the Order from Mamoru and Rei. She had spent the night at Makoto's apartment, so Mamoru picked them both up there. It was Makoto's first night after coming out of her coma, and everyone had felt better with Hotaru being there with her. She had tiptoed into Makoto's room more than once during the night to gently probe her with the hands that saw beneath the skin, saw what was invisible even to the scrutiny of doctors. Makoto had slept a healthy, restful sleep, and come morning had woken up quickly and easily. She even ate a fair amount of the wonderful breakfast she had made for the two of them.
    Hotaru soon found that she had become very popular among the Order. She and Jeneth had saved more than one of the agents who had been injured in the Animal Kingdom. Everyone seemed to want to thank her personally. Eventually, Takada led them to a room that looked more like a banquet hall than a meeting space. The morning light came through enormous paneled windows all along one wall, making the three great chandeliers over the long table sparkle. Ami, Minako and the two cats were already there. Smith and Saori soon joined them. Hotaru and Ami took the opportunity to have a look at Smith's arm. Jeneth had come by the previous day, she had been able to speed up the healing to the point where he had free use of it with only mild pain. She had left little for Hotaru to do.
    The three refugees soon showed up. Makoto got hugs from all of them. Jeneth in particular was teary-eyed, overjoyed to see the Avatar who she had probably given up for dead. Hotaru was glad to see her in such good spirits. Ami had described her reaction to the news of Usagi's kidnapping, she had been devastated. They were all wearing their glamours, even though everyone here knew who they were. Probably to make everybody more comfortable. She didn't say anything but Hotaru thought they really needn't bother, she found their true forms strikingly beautiful.
    Then the great double doors opened again, and Noriko ushered in the last of their invited guests. Hotaru got up from her seat and walked over to them. "My sisters ..."
    "Hi, Hotaru," Haruka said. They all gathered around her. Haruka and Michiru each laid a hand on her shoulders, and Setsuna took her hands.
    Hotaru forced herself to look up into Setsuna's eyes. "I don't know what to say. You must be very disappointed with me."
    "Oh my dear one," Setsuna said. "How could you even think that? You've fought more bravely for the Princess than any of us. We couldn't be more proud."
    "It wasn't your fault," Michiru said. "It wasn't anybody's fault but the monsters who deceived you."
    "Come on," Haruka said in a loud, clear voice. "I want to see the girl you've been nursing back to health." Makoto stood up in response. Haruka was the quickest, walking briskly over to her and embracing her tightly. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Mako-chan."
    "Thanks, Haruka." She looked genuinely pleased to see the three Senshi. Hotaru was glad to see there were no bad feelings.
    Haruka held her at arms' length. "It sure took you long enough. We'll have to really work at getting you back in shape."
    Makoto flashed a feral grin. "I can hardly wait."
    "Boy, that didn't take long," Minako muttered.
    Michiru's embrace was a little more restrained. She pulled a pocket book out of her handbag. "This is what I've been reading to you. I don't know how much you remember, if you're still interested you might have to start from the beginning again."
    Makoto took it. "Musashi? You know, I just vaguely remember some sort of Samurai drama. I guess I will have to start at the beginning. Thanks."
    Setsuna held her the longest. "Mako-chan, I would never have forgiven myself if we had lost you."
    "Water under the bridge," Makoto said. "Let's just focus on getting Usagi back."
    "Of course." Setsuna turned to face Takada, who was standing beside his chair at the end of the table, waiting patiently. "I'm sorry for the delay."
    "Not at all. We're all very glad to see Jupiter back on her feet."
    "I'd like to introduce you to a very old friend of mine." She indicated the man Noriko had led into the room with the three Senshi, the man who had also been standing slightly aside, waiting quietly. "This is Daniel Churchland."
    "I'm glad to finally meet you," Takada said.
    Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "Did one of the others mention something about Daniel?"
    "Perhaps I can best explain," Daniel said. "Many years ago, a member of the Order tracked me down and confronted me with a fifty year old photograph of myself looking just as I do now, challenging me to explain it." He smiled. "I suspect he thought me to be a vampire. It's a long story, but suffice to say I was able to convince him I am no threat to public peace. Since then I have been rather more careful about having my picture taken."
    "And careful about many other things," Takada said. "We were never able to locate you again, after that one time."
    "I tend to keep a low profile."
    "Indeed." At Takada's invitation, everyone sat down. He continued, addressing the whole group. "We all know about what happened yesterday. The rogue Ancients committed an act of treachery that led to a tragic confrontation between their brethren and a group of the Sailor Senshi. What most of you don't know is that upon hearing of these events we made some attempts to contact the Ancients. I called my own contact, Kaori's sister, but she has not returned my messages. Yesterday Saori led a group of police and emergency workers to Kaori's house, basis directions we received from Ami. The gate had been barricaded. When they attempted to get through, men and women appeared and ordered them to leave. They must have been Ancients, since one of them used their powers to send what might be termed a warning shot, a plasma bolt of some sort, over the heads of the police. Saori ordered them to withdraw. Evidently, the Ancients are not interested in talking to anybody."
    "Saori, were the men you saw dressed as peasants?" Ami asked.
    "Yes, in fact that's exactly how I'd describe them."
    "It looked like they were arriving from some other place," Ami said.
    "They were," Setsuna said. "They must be from the Matriarch's household. Either they are barring entry to Kaori's house or supervising an evacuation."
    "You can hardly blame them," Minako said. "After what we did." Her voice was thick with remorse.
    "We walked right into one of their traps too," Smith said. "And we took you all along with us, nearly got everybody killed. It's we who should feel badly."
    Minako smiled. "You're being very diplomatic."
    "Just practical. The plain fact is, at least one of these rogues is crazy like a fox. Clever, but unpredictable. We'd best not underestimate them again."
    "That's something we should talk about," Takada said. "Just who are these rogues, and what are their capabilities?"
    "I can pass on what Kaori told me," Setsuna said. "It will mostly just conform what we know from the fights we've been in. Her son Shoji is almost certainly the one driving their actions. He can shoot flame and put up fire barriers, as we saw at Hikawa shrine. His mate, the deaf-mute girl, is probably the most powerful of them. She can teleport, levitate, put up powerful barriers and use psychokinesis. In addition she has the ability to take the soul from any living thing. She may have other powers not even Kaori knows about."
    "She can cause extreme pain from a distance," Rei said calmly.
    "There are two others with them," Setsuna continued. "The man can make himself effectively invisible, and has a powerful disruptive psionic attack. The woman has the power of suggestion over man or beast, she is the one responsible for putting all those animals into a berserker state."
    Hotaru suddenly felt overcome with dread. "Setsuna, if she used that power on a person, would they ...?"
    "No," Setsuna said. "That was something quite different. Kaori describes her other power as a kind of psionically enhanced hypnosis. She suspects the woman has been using it to coax money from bank tellers and such, to finance their leisurely lifestyle."
    "That is likely how they plan to compel Usagi-san to do their bidding," Takada said.
    "The poor girl," Jeneth said. "She won't have any defense against that sort of power, even if she could transform into Sailor Moon. She'll be helpless."
    "Jeneth," Mamoru said. "You may be right, she might fall under their spell. But don't ever make the mistake of thinking that Usagi is helpless."
    "That's right," Rei said. "I think these rogues are going to find out they've bitten off more than they can chew."
    "I don't doubt for a moment that your Princess is very resourceful," Takada said. "Nevertheless, I think we have to assume that the rogues will be able to compel her to activate the Seed Crystal. They obviously believe she can transform it into the crystal palace they seek. The question is, can she do it?"
    "If anybody can, it would be her," Setsuna said. "The Seed Crystal probably dates from the time of the Silver Millennium, chances are it was made in the Moon Kingdom. If that is the case, it may actually be made to respond only to one of the royal family. That's just speculation. I'm sorry, I wish I knew more."
    "I can make a good guess what it is," Daniel said. "A very long time ago, sorcerers both on the Earth and in the Moon Kingdom were experimenting with what I might describe as charmed crystals. When activated, they would gather matter and energy from their surroundings and shape them into some desired form. If this Seed Crystal can truly become the crystal palace, it is most likely that sort of artifact."
    "Daniel," Ami said, "If Usagi were to activate the Seed Crystal, do you think we could detect it somehow?"
    "Easily, I should think," Daniel said. "Locally, there would be very spectacular side effects, a great deal of light and noise. Unless they are in a very isolated area, it would certainly be noticed."
    "Just how far could they be?" Thetan asked. "Could they be on the other side of the world?"
    "I think that's unlikely," Saori said. "Their actions are driven by a desire for sanctuary, protection. They'll stick close to home. They're almost certainly still in the country. On the other hand, they'd want to avoid their estranged family's strongholds in the north. That really doesn't leave them much choice of isolated areas."
    "Then chances are, if and when this process starts we'll know about it very soon," Takada said.
    "We might not need to wait for reports of a sighting," Daniel said. "The activated crystal would show up very strongly on an astral detector like the one we passed on the way in."
    Takada frowned. He looked at Noriko. "Has the detector display been activated?"
    "No sir."
    "I detected the spell used to keep it invisible," Daniel explained. "I've used similar spells myself."
    "I see." Takada sounded just a little bit annoyed. "We have crystals resonating with that detector spread all over the country, and we always have a 24-hour watch on them. If something shows up, we'll know about it right away."
    "Daniel, how long do you think it would take for this palace to form?" Ami asked.
    "I couldn't see it being less than a few days. Possibly a lot longer."
    "Our clever little fox won't have any way to know that," Smith said.
    "He might not even think to ask," Saori said. "He probably regards the Seed Crystal as being a holy artifact, in his mind it's his key to the kingdom of heaven. He'll expect it to all happen in an instant."
    "Then that's our advantage," Takada said. "Whatever powers this palace will really afford him will probably not manifest themselves for some time after the process starts, at least not fully. If we can find them quickly, they will still be vulnerable."
    "We'll have to deal with them quickly," Setsuna said. "We have to assume the Ancients will also have ways of detecting the activated Seed Crystal. We'll want to be done before they arrive."
    "That's right." Takada looked around the table. "To be blunt, we can't afford to be squeamish in how we deal with these rogues. If we're to get their prisoner to safety, we'll have to put them down quickly."
    Makoto cracked her knuckles. "That's fine with me."
    "They might have the Princess in some kind of a stronghold," K'Theelm said. "It could very well be defended by beasts such as they already sent against us."
    "We've thought of that," Smith said. "After the incident at the Animal Kingdom, I asked for backup from the head office in New York. Most of the additional forces have been airlifted from America and are ready to roll at a moment's notice."
    "Are they equipped with guns like the ones we saw you use?" Haruka asked. Smith grinned. "Those were just sidearms. The boys from head office have brought their new toys with them. Something with a lot more punch. And we've also secured help from the other branches, spiritualists who can counter the Ancients' powers. We'll have some surprises for them, that's for sure."
    "I'm hoping we can teleport right there, as soon as we've found where they are," Minako said. "We may take care of them before you've even gotten there."
    "I share the same hope," Takada said. "Nevertheless, the additional forces will be required to secure the palace."
    "What do you mean, secure the palace?" Rei asked. She was looking suspiciously at Takada.
    "If Usagi-san really succeeds in creating it, then we must regard it as a dangerous artifact," Takada said. "For better or worse, the Ancients now regard both you and us as enemies. They probably regard all outsiders as enemies. We can't afford to let it fall into their hands."
    "There is an easy way to do that," Daniel said. "Destroy it."
    People showed their surprise in various ways. Takada just raised his eyebrows slightly. "If it is in danger of falling into hostile hands, that is a definite option. Otherwise, as far as I'm concerned the one who brings it into being is the only one qualified to decide its fate. If your speculation about the Seed Crystal's origin is correct, then technically it belongs to the Princess. She has behaved with nothing but the utmost integrity, I am content to trust her judgement in that matter."
    "Are you acknowledging Usagi's mastery over the palace?" Rei asked.
    Takada just smiled. "I have a sneaking suspicion that should the palace really come into being, she will have mastery over it regardless of what anybody thinks. But yes, as far as I am concerned I am protecting the palace on her behalf." He looked at Minako. "Venus, I understand that you speak for her in her absence."
    She nodded. "That's right."
    "Have you any objection to the plans we've outlined so far?"
    "No. I just want to get Usagi back. I don't give a damn about the palace, once we've gotten her out of there you can nuke it for all I care."
    "That would only be a last resort." It was said in a matter of fact way, there was nothing to indicate that he was kidding.
    "Then I'll just request one thing," Minako said. "We're really grateful for your help, but protecting the Princess is the responsibility of the Sailor Senshi. When we find the people who are holding her, we should be the ones to spear the attack."
    "That's 'spearhead the attack'," Ami corrected her.
    Minako pointed to Ami. "What she said."
    Takada nodded. "Then we'll plan accordingly. I should give everyone an outline of the forces we have on standby."
    "Takada-san," Luna said, getting everybody's attention. She sat up on her forelegs, bringing her a little higher. "Before we get into details, is there anything you can tell us about the state of the pandemic?"
    Takada regarded her for just a moment before he spoke. He had just met Luna and Artemis today. Minako had warned them that she would be bringing a pair of talking cats with her. Hotaru had to wonder whether he had believed her. He still looked a bit awkward at having to address what looked for all the world like a pair of ordinary house cats. "I believe Noriko has reviewed the morning reports."
    "There were a few updates on some of the rumours of outbreaks outside the quarantine zone," Noriko said. "So far they have all proved to be false alarms. We also got a report from the Nepal headquarters. In their area, it looks like the deaths have stopped as quickly as they began. All indications are that whoever stole and modified the Rising Wind virus was successful in giving it a limited lifetime. It's too soon to say anything definite. The ones responsible are almost certainly trapped in the quarantine zone, it will be a long time before anybody could even consider trying to hunt them down."
    "Spirits, what could they have been thinking, unleashing such a thing?" Thetan said.
    "They were thinking that they were in control," Daniel said. "It's an easy trap to fall into, when one receives power as an unearned gift." He and Setsuna exchanged a quick glance. Hotaru could practically feel Setsuna putting up her inscrutable poker face. She got the impression she was missing something.
    "At any rate, that situation is in other hands," Takada said. "We should focus on our own battle plan. But before we get into details, let's get some coffee brought in."

    *****

    Usagi woke up in a strange bed. She felt groggy, like she had been sleeping far too long. And she had no idea how she had gotten here. It was almost enough to let her ignore how hungry she was. She sat up and took a look around the bedroom. She gasped, as she suddenly realized she was not alone.
    The white-haired girl sitting in the armchair smiled. "Hi. I'm Hitomi."
    Usagi suddenly relaxed. She wasn't sure why. It was like she ought to know that name. "I'm Usagi," she said. "Where am I?"
    "You're in our house. We brought you here."
    She shook her head. "Why don't I remember?"
    "We teleported you," she said. "You blacked out, you've been asleep since yesterday. Are you feeling okay?"
    "I guess so. It ... um, it just feels like I've been here a really long time."
    "Oh, right. Bathroom's down the hall, I'll take you."
    While she was washing up, Usagi tried to figure out what was churning around at the back of her mind. Of course it was very strange, she had no idea what was going on. But Hitomi seemed to be a really nice person, she would explain everything.
    She was waiting for Usagi in the hallway. "Usagi, I'd like you to come meet a good friend of mine. He'll explain everything to you."
    "Okay." Hitomi led her downstairs and into a spacious living/dining room. The man who had been sitting there got up as they entered.
    "Usagi, I'd like you to meet Shoji," Hitomi said.
    "Hi Usagi. I'm sorry about you blacking out like that, do you feel okay now?"
    "Yes, I feel fine."
    "I'll bet you're hungry. We're about to have lunch, why don't you join us?"
    "Sure."
    Lunch was already on the table. It smelled wonderful. After they had all served themselves and started eating, Shoji started to talk in earnest. "Usagi, I want to be honest with you. Hitomi and I, we're part of the family called the Ancients."
    Usagi frowned. "Are you the ones who got into a fight with Rei?"
    "Yes. We're really sorry about that, we didn't want it to happen. You see, we tried to explain it to her, but she just doesn't understand. None of them understand."
    "Understand what?"
    "Understand what we're trying to do. We're trying to build a beautiful palace for us all to live in."
    A vision came into Usagi's head. "You mean the Crystal Palace."
    Shoji smiled. "Yes. I can see that you understand. You've seen it too, haven't you?"
    "Yes, I've been to the Palace. I mean, in the future. I saw it in the future."
    Shoji seemed just a bit surprised to hear that. "Really? That's very interesting, Usagi. So you must know what a wonderful place it is."
    "Oh yes. It's beautiful."
    "Well, we've seen it too. In a vision. Ever since we saw that vision we've wanted nothing more than to see it for real. We've been trying to find a way to make it a reality. That's why we were taking the life force from all those shrines. To try and bring the Seed Crystal to life."
    "But why didn't you just tell us that?" Usagi asked.
    "Because they wouldn't understand. Only you see the Palace the way we do, so only you can understand how important it is."
    Usagi thought about that. Of course, what could be more important than the Palace? It was where Chibi-usa would be born, it was where Usagi would be with her and Mamoru and all her friends for the next thousand years. "But ... why did you do that thing to Naru-chan, and all those other people?"
    "We were looking for you," Shoji said. "We were looking for the one with a pure heart, the one that the Seed Crystal would accept as its master, the one who could bring the Crystal Palace to life. Now we've finally found you. Won't you help us?"
    She couldn't understand why he was even asking the question. "Of course I'll help you. But I should call my friends first, they'll be worried about me."
    "That's not a good idea," Shoji said. "They would only try and destroy the Seed Crystal."
    Usagi gasped. "What?"
    "Usagi, it's not their fault," Shoji said sternly. "They just don't understand. They're afraid of the Palace, they think it's an evil thing."
    Usagi shook her head. "How could they think such a thing?"
    "They're just afraid of what they don't understand." He smiled. "But you can make them understand. Just give us the Palace. Once they see it with their own eyes, they will understand too."
    Usagi really wanted to call her friends, to let them know that she's okay. But Shoji was right, they wouldn't understand that the Palace was the most important thing. They would want to punish the Ancients. But she couldn't let them do that. "Okay, I'll try to help. When can we go to the Seed Crystal?"
    "We can go right now if you like."
    "You mean it's here?"
    Shoji grinned. "Would you like to see it?"
    "Yes!" She wolfed down the last of her lunch. Her two guests seemed rather surprised by how fast she could eat. But she was really hungry, and was very, very anxious to see the Seed Crystal. When she was done, Shoji led her through a door into the attached garage. She stood there, struck dumb. "It's ... beautiful," she eventually said. She basked in its radiance. Even if she were blindfolded, she would surely know it for what it was. Being here beside it gave her the same warm, contented feeling that being in the Crystal Palace had given her. They were one and the same, there could be no doubt.
    She hadn't even noticed the other two people in the garage. "Oh. Hello."
    "This is my friend Akechi," Shoji said. "And this is my girlfriend Yui. She's a little shy, she can't hear so she only talks by telepathy." Usagi just smiled and waved at the girl, who did likewise. Poor girl, it must be hard for her. Maybe Jeneth could do something for her. Or maybe she could do something herself. Just being here with the Seed Crystal, she felt power coursing through her body. Once she had brought the Palace into being, she could do just about anything.
    She turned to Shoji. "Can I try it now?"
    He grinned. "Go for it."
    Usagi barely had to think about becoming Sailor Moon, and it had already happened. Her four friends all seemed a bit startled. She smiled at them, tried to show them there was nothing to be afraid of. She would make their dream come true for them. She cupped her hands before her, and the Ginzuishou appeared before her. The silvery little crystal was glowing brightly, and suddenly the enormous Seed Crystal was glowing just as brightly. The Ancients all shielded their eyes. It must be too bright for them, she thought. She wished they could see it the way she did. Suddenly the Crystal hardly seemed to be a substantial object at all, but just a space occupied by pure light. Now Usagi knew exactly what she had to do, it was obvious.
    She walked straight into the middle of the Seed Crystal. It did not resist her passage any more than the air itself did.
    She could feel the Ginzuishou resonating with it, the little round crystal between her hands shone like a tiny sun. She fed more of her own power into it. The more she did, the more the crystal glowed and the more the Seed Crystal glowed. Ami had some fancy phrase for this sort of thing. Oh yes, a positive feedback loop. She could feel the sympathetic vibrations between the two crystals building to a climax. The power surged, seemed almost to be a living thing, eager to be unleashed from the confines of the Seed Crystal, eager to grow into its true form.
    In the midst of the unbearable light, a ghostly image tried to form. It was Queen Serenity. Her mother. Usagi wanted to shout for joy. But her smile faded almost before it even formed. Something was wrong. Serenity looked terrified, frantic.
    She reached for Usagi and cried out. "Do not!"
    Usagi blinked. Do not? No, that couldn't be right. It was like Shoji had said, they just didn't understand. Once she was in the Palace, everything would work out. She would be able to do anything. She could even bring Queen Serenity back to life, could finally be reunited with her. She smiled. "Don't worry, mother. Everything will be fine."
    Everything around her dissolved, and Usagi was enveloped in an explosion of purest white.

    *****

    Aiko had not been in an automobile since she was a little girl. Her gift had been discovered early, and the Matriarch had offered to become her godmother. She had always suspected that it had been rather more than an offer. Her parents made only obligatory visits, and they were still uncomfortable in their daughter's presence. That was Aiko's only regret. But she knew it had been for the better. The blind had a very rough time of it in outsider society. And of course they would never be able to understand her gift, she could never be allowed to explain it. In the Matriarch's household, everybody accepted her as she was, even revered her for what she was. Her visions had allowed members of the family to avoid many calamities great and small. And from a practical standpoint, it made sense for Aiko to live in grandma Himiko's house. Half the objects in the house were magical artifacts of one sort or another, they showed up in her aura vision as clearly as people did. Living there, she could almost forget her lack of sight.
    But now she was being driven through the countryside by a distant relative she had never met before. His name was Shin, all she knew about him was that he was a farmer and grandma Himiko regarded him as trustworthy. They were driving through Chiba district. Or so she had been told. She tried to concentrate on what grandma Himiko had tasked her to do. But it was difficult to concentrate, being jostled around in this noisy metal beast. She was startled by the sound of gears grating. She had asked him about the noise, he had explained that the car had a manual something ... a manual transmission. She braced herself. She had quickly learned that noise to be the precursor for a turn that would drive her one way or the other, or a stop that would drive her forward. It turned out to be the former.
    "Do you want to stop and rest, Aiko-san?" he asked nervously.
    "No, thank you. I'm fine." She knew he was already driving quite slowly for her benefit, but to her it still felt like they were plunging headlong. She wondered how somebody could actually control an automobile going at this speed. But the Matriarch was in a hurry. That was why she had practically every sensitive in the family wandering the countryside, anyone who could detect the presence of their own. They were looking for the rogues, the ones whose trickery had led them into a war with the Sailor Senshi. Aiko could scarcely believe the things she had heard, of fire breathing succubi dressed as flashy whores, descending on poor Kaori-mama's house, slaughtering everything in their path. But she had seen their other crime with her own inner eye, the Seed Crystal brutally violated, taken. The rogues had brought this upon the family, so they would be offered as a sacrifice to the demon whores, to appease their wrath. They had to be found as soon as possible.
    Aiko suddenly gasped, and her sightless eyes flew open of their own accord.
    "Aiko-san, what's wrong?"
    "Could ... could you please stop the car?"
    The gears grated, the car slowed. She heard gravel under the tires as they came to a stop, understood that he had pulled off the smoothly paved part of the road. Even in the country, only the sides of the road were the gravel she had remembered hearing under the tires during her childhood trips.
    "Did you sense something?"
    "I wasn't sure, but suddenly it was like an explosion of power. To our right, slightly behind. Something is happening there."
    She heard a squeaking, what she assumed was Shin rolling down his window. With the window open and the motor just idling, she could hear it more clearly now. A sound like distant thunder, only more like a constant rumble.
    Shin gasped. "By the First Ancestor!"
    "Do you see something?" she asked anxiously.
    "It looks like it's kilometres away, but it's bright even under the noonday sun. It's like a beam of light shooting straight up into the sky."
    Aiko began to shake uncontrollably. "Shin-san ... I'm afraid. It feels like Seed Crystal, but it's all wrong. Something terrible is happening."
    "I have to report this." Aiko heard him fumbling with something. He must be using the portable telephone he had told her about, though he had called it something else. A cellular phone. Neither of them could do long distance telepathy, so that was how he would contact the household in Yokohama where the Matriarch was staying. "Hello, this is Shin calling from my car. We're in Chiba. We've found the rogues ... No, Aiko detected the Seed Crystal, something is happening to it. Yes, of course." There was a pause. They must be putting somebody else on the telephone. "Matriarch ... yes, it must be them. Aiko thinks something is being done with the Seed Crystal ... yes, I'm just about five kilometres west of my farm. It's hard to tell, but the Seed Crystal is probably three or four kilometres south of me, maybe more ... Well, it's just a column of very bright silvery light, almost like a lightning bolt but going straight up into ..." Aiko could tell from his voice that he was leaning out the window for a better look. "Matriarch, there's something new. At the top of this beam of light there's a black cloud ... no, more like just a circle of darkness. It's getting bigger. It's far up in the sky, it must be enormous. All along the edge of the circle there's some sort of blue lightning. By all the ancestors, it's like a hole opening up in the sky! The shadow of it's just passed over us, it's blotted out the sun. It's still going out in all directions. Gods, you can probably see it from Yokohama by now. What should I-"
    "Shin-san."
    "Your pardon, Matriarch, Aiko is calling me." His voice became more gentle. "Aiko-san, what's wrong? You look pale."
    "I'm blind. I can't see you anymore."
    "Aiko ...?"
    "My aura vision, it's gone."
    She barely heard Shin passing on this awful news to grandma Himiko. For the first time in her life, she was truly blind. It was exactly as Shin had described it, like a shadow passing over them, plunging them into utter darkness. She whimpered in fear, started sobbing uncontrollably.

    *****

    Kaori looked at the remains of her house, now cold and empty. The dream is over, she thought. Now we are at war with the outsiders. I could not have failed more utterly.
    One of the Matriarch's haughty guardsman strode up to her, bearing himself as if his simple peasant garb were a uniform, a badge of office. "We have teleported the last of the valuables to the other households," he announced.
    "You have done no such thing," Kaori said to him, not at all intimidated by the Matriarch's strutting thugs. "You have removed what
*you* consider most valuable."
    "There is no time to do more," the man declared. "The Matriarch wants the house abandoned today. The people guarding it are needed to help hunt down the rogues."
    "We don't need any guards," Kaori said, even though she knew it would do no good. "The Sailor Senshi have no reason to attack us again."
    "It is by-"
    "-the order of the Matriarch," she completed for him. He just glared at her. She sighed. "Will you not at least reconsider the awful thing you plan on doing? Burning down the house is beyond all reason."
    "No Ancient will ever be able to live here again," the man said. She needed no telepathy to guess that he wanted to add *thanks to your folly.* "We have no reason to leave anything in the hands of the outsiders. And we cannot risk leaving anything behind that will reveal things about us we would rather them not knowing."
    "Of course," she said bitterly. "We wouldn't want them knowing anything about us, would we? That way they will fear us as they fear all the creatures of the night. That way they'll leave us alone and we'll all be safe, isn't that right?"
    She might as well have been railing against a statue. "There is no need for you to dally here any longer," he said.
    "You're right. This shameful act of cowardice deserves no witness." She turned on her heel and walked back towards the house. Her words of defiance were worthless. Her voice was no longer heard. As far as everybody was concerned, it was her consorting with outsiders that brought about this disaster. She had embraced the Matriarch's engagement of the outsiders' world, but had pursued a different vision. Himiko had seen them as forming a secret society always hovering in the shadows, standing aloof, walking among the outsiders but always guarding their secrets well. Kaori had never thought that could work, had always thought that someday they must come into the open, reveal themselves for what they truly were. Though she had rarely discussed it openly, she had been laying the groundwork for that day, assuming that someday it must come. She still thought that one day it must come. But now, she doubted it would come in her lifetime.
    She walked slowly through the rock garden at the back of the house. It was still intact, would probably be the only thing more or less intact when they were done with it. Or maybe these ignorant peasants would uproot it as well, another meaningless act of spite against a world they feared and hated. She gazed at the flagstones, they reminded her that she still hadn't decided where she wanted to go. She couldn't bear the thought of one of the larger households, where she would face the scorn of all those who fixed the blame for her son's folly on her shoulders. Her sister had told her she was welcome to stay at her little house in Hokkaido. Perhaps that would be best. Kaori felt a building anxiety. She thought it was because this was the last time she would be seeing the home she had spent most of her life building and nurturing.
    The Matriarch teleported onto the flagstone, flanked by two of her guardsmen.
    Kaori gasped. "Matriarch. Why have you come here?"
    She sniffed. "Have you no eyes, woman?" She pointed behind Kaori's back. "We are moving away from *that*. You can already see it from here."
    Kaori turned around. There was a dark cloud on the horizon, but it was all wrong. It was like a circle of darkness extending out over the land, its circumference rimmed with dazzling blue lightning. Was it her imagination that it was getting bigger? She was seeing it nearly edge on, but it still looked as if it were moving, growing.
    "Your son has done something to the Seed Crystal," Himiko continued. "Or that Princess the Sailor Senshi were looking for has done it for him. We can guess what is happening. They are making the Crystal Palace."
    "But ... what is that?"
    "It is our doom unless we act quickly," Himiko said. "Ancients who have fallen under its shadow have lost their powers."
    Kaori turned to face her. "Lost ...?"
    "With one exception," the Matriarch continued. "One actually approached the pillar of light at the centre of this hole in the sky. As he approached, his powers returned. He confirmed that just minutes ago. It's obvious what is happening. The Seed Crystal is draining the land of whatever it is that gives us our powers. Soon, the vicinity of the Palace may be the only place in the world where our powers are not lost to us. I have already sent the word out. We are taking the Palace. We are taking back our birthright. I will be heading there myself very soon, I have only come here to collect my guardsmen before they fall under this shadow."
    Kaori felt her world crumbling around her. She barely noticed the other guardsmen running or teleporting to their vicinity, rallying around the Matriarch. She felt telepathic signals being sent and answered. Her lieutenants were gathering the troops. "We will teleport directly there, that way we will not lose our powers," the Matriarch continued. "As well as dealing with the renegades, we will probably have to contend with curious outsiders." She gave Kaori a sideways look. "Anyone not up to a fight need not come right away. Once we've secured the palace it should be safe enough."
    Kaori still felt giddy, it was all happening too fast. "You mean to go into the middle of that?"
    "It's simple enough. Just imagine teleporting to the Seed Crystal, and we'll be right there. In your case, you'd probably better just drive there." She looked around her assembled guardsmen. "Has everyone else been notified?"
    "Yes, Matriarch," one of her bodyguards said. "The word is going out, everybody will know what they need to do."
    "Fine. Then we are ready to proceed."
    "Matriarch," Kaori said, "will you-"
    "His life is forfeit."
    Kaori said nothing. There was no point.
    "Matriarch, the darkness will be approaching Tokyo soon," one of the men said. "The people there will be preparing to depart soon."
    "I want to get there first," Himiko said. She glanced at the house. "Don't bother torching it. It probably doesn't make any difference now." Kaori shivered. Of course it didn't make any difference, it was the end of the world.
    There was a gentle pop, and everybody was suddenly on edge. A young man in jeans and a black leather jacket and purple dyed spiked hair stood a short distance away. "You bastard!" one of the men shouted. "How dare you show your face here!" He and a few others already had plasma balls and fireballs forming in their hands.
    **Hold!**
    The Matriarch's sending froze them all in their tracks. The man still stood casually, his hands in his pockets. "Matriarch, we need to talk."
    "And what would I have to say to a damned renegade?" Himiko asked. Kaori recognized the man now. He had gone renegade years ago. He was one of the most notorious of the black sheep. Rumour was he had killed more than one Ancient who had challenged his territory.
    "We know what's coming down," the black sheep said. "We've heard all about this palace. And we've heard what's happening to anyone falling under the shadow. We figure you've got a plan. We want in on it."
    The diminutive old woman stared him down. "And why should I even talk to the likes of you, renegade?"
    "Your freaky light show is going to bring the outsiders running. We know how to deal with them."
    It was several seconds before Himiko spoke. "Go back to where you came from and spread the word. That's the Seed Crystal at the centre of the shadow. All you have to do is teleport to it, and you won't lose your powers. I'll grant amnesty to any of the black sheep who submits to my authority. I'll kill any who don't. It's that simple."
    "Sounds good to me."
    "Are you acquainted with Akechi's older brother?"
    "Yeah. Calls himself The Reaper these days."
    Kaori shuddered. She had suspected for years that Akechi had some small part of his renegade brother's tendencies. But at worst Akechi's victims had ended up in therapy, trying to deal with the nightmares he had given them. His brother's victims had mostly ended up in morgues. The Matriarch had put him under a death sentence should he ever be found.
    "Have him seek me out once he reaches the palace," Himiko continued. "I'll have work for him. And you as well. You are now one of my commanders, the former black sheep will be under you. That is all, you may go."
    The man grinned. "I'll look forward to working for you, Matriarch." He vanished.
    One of her bodyguards looked down at her, his stoic expression doing little to hide his anxiety. "Matriarch, I don't think-"
    "We can't afford to be picky," she interrupted. "He's right, we'll need all the help we can get. We outnumber them and we work together better than they do. They won't try anything, most of them are probably scared out of their wits. We've delayed too long already. Follow my lead."
    Kaori could feel the power building up in them, as they concentrated, preparing for the group teleport. As one, the Matriarch and her guardsmen vanished. Kaori was left alone. She just stood and watched the darkness slowly swallowing up the sky.

    *****

    The tour of the Order's headquarters, formerly Nephrite's home, stalled when they reached the astral detector in the vast central hall. Ami and K'Theelm and Daniel were asking Noriko all sorts of questions. When the technobabble got to be more and more esoteric, Makoto made a discrete exit, saying she wanted to go get something to drink. In fact, about all she wanted was a little peace and quiet, something that had been in short supply since she had woken from her long sleep. She walked into the little library with its great window opening onto the pine forest. She had thought to be alone here, but as she approached the little circle of high-back chairs, she saw that somebody was sitting in one of the ones faced away from her. When she came into view, Rei looked up from the book she had been reading. "Hi Mako-chan."
    "Hi Rei. Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you."
    "I was just skimming. They've got some really interesting stuff here, but I just can't concentrate right now."
    "I know what you mean."
    "So how are you feeling?"
    Makoto gave her stock answer. "Okay, I guess."
    Rei smiled in sympathy. "Sorry, I guess you're tired of getting asked that."
    "No, it's not that. I'm not sure how I should be feeling, that's all. I mean, so much happened while I was out, and now so much has happened since I woke up. I'm still trying to get my head around it all."
    Rei closed her book and placed it on the little table beside her chair. "It must be hard to believe that you just woke up yesterday."
    "Yeah, it is." She sat down in the chair beside Rei's. "You know, it was only just this morning that it occurred to me none of my friends at the restaurant even know I've woken up yet. Ami would have been the one to tell them, and she hasn't had the chance. Neither have I. It's probably better they don't know for now. I mean, how can I explain that I'm cloistered in a cathedral, waiting for a signal from my missing Princess so that I can go rescue her? I sort of feel bad about it, though. Ami's been telling me how they've been trooping on without me. They're a really wonderful bunch."
    "Everybody seems to think this is going to be over pretty soon," Rei said. "Once this is all behind us, we can get back to our lives again."
    Makoto sighed. "Yeah. Maybe."
    Rei frowned. "Mako-chan, is there something else bothering you?"
    "Rei, what do you think will happen if Usagi can really make the Crystal Palace?"
    Rei looked liked she hadn't been expecting that question. "Well, we think that's not going to happen. Daniel thinks it would take days, and we'll get there a lot quicker than that. When we get Usagi back, we can get her to stop whatever it is that's turning the Seed Crystal into the Palace."
    "But what if she can't?"
    Rei thought about that for a moment. "I hadn't really been thinking that far ahead. If the palace as we saw it in the future really does come into being, I guess that would change everything for us."
    "Right. We'd have to come out in the open, explain everything to people."
    Rei smiled. It looked a bit strained. "Won't you like that? I thought you were always the one who hated the secrecy we live with."
    "Well, yeah. I knew that someday we could tell everybody who we are, and I liked the idea. But I'd always pictured that happening sometime way in the future. I didn't even connect it with the world we're living in now."
    "You thought you'd have a chance at a normal life first."
    Makoto sighed. "Yeah. I thought we'd all have that chance. I mean, it's just not fair! Everything was going so great for everybody. Then this comes along, and maybe it's going to change everything." Then she realized what she had said. "Oh God. Rei, I'm sorry. These monsters have already torn your life apart, and here I am feeling sorry for myself."
    Rei just smiled and shook her head, almost imperceptibly. "It's okay. You're right, it's not fair. After all the fighting we've done, we deserved a chance to live in peace. But as for a normal life ... well, I guess I've always resigned myself to the fact that it's not going to happen."
    "What do you mean?"
    "Mako-chan, as far as we know we're never going to grow old. At least not for a very, very long time. That by itself sets us apart from everybody else. You heard what Setsuna and Daniel were saying at lunch. They've had to change identities like we change clothes. Eventually we would have to do the same. In another ten, twenty years tops we'd have to either reveal who and what we are or move on and start again somewhere else."
    "I ... never thought of it that way."
    Rei sighed. "Mako-chan, I'm not trying to depress you. I still think we can all find happiness. We'll always have each other. And Yuichirou showed me that there will be people who will accept us for what we are. What more could we ask for?"
    "Rei-chan ... I wish more than anything I'd been there sooner."
    "We've been through that. Let it go."
    Makoto had already cried for Rei, held her and cried for her loss after she had explained what had happened at Hikawa shrine. Gods, had that been just yesterday? But she was right, they would all get their chance for happiness. "You know, the Order seems to be pretty well equipped. After we get Usagi back, why don't we all go on extended vacation and let them fight the forces of darkness for a few years?"
    "I don't know about that. They weren't even aware of a lot of the enemies we fought."
    "Yeah, we have a talent for stumbling into trouble. But if that happens, we could just sniff them out and let somebody else do the work. You know, sort of like bloodhounds."
    Rei chuckled. "Well, I guess from now on we can at least ask for their help."
    "Do they still want you to join up?"
    "When all this scrambling is done, they'll probably ask again. It might even be a good idea. Cement the relationship, as it were. They're a lot like us, they have to act in secret but still try to act with integrity. And they've been at it for a lot longer than we have."
    "Takada-san really seems to be taking things in stride. I mean, we've introduced him to talking cats and extraterrestrials and immortals and to him it's just another day on the job."
    "Yes, I think we're lucky to have him as an ally."
    "You know who he reminds me of?"
    Rei winced. "No no, please ..."
    Makoto laughed. "No, not him. He reminds me of Lafarge. I mean, as far as he was concerned we were just a bunch of little girls running around in microskirts, but he planned this big attack on Ingolffson's house with us like we were just another bunch of troops fighting with him."
    "You're right, they're both very open minded, very adaptable."
    "And they both make you feel like they could do anything. You know, my first boyfriend was a lot like that."
    "Oh, Kami-sama!" They both had a good laugh. "You know, you talk a lot about happiness but ever since you opened your restaurant you've been a raving workaholic. I've been meaning to tell you for a long time, you really need to get out more."
    "I'm always telling myself that in just a few more weeks or months I'll get everything there running the way I like it, then I can take some time off."
    Rei's expression sobered. "You know, we never gave up on you, but the fact is you had a very close brush with death. There is a future where we all live a thousand years, but as Setsuna never tires of reminding us that's not written in stone. I had a chance at happiness dangling in front of me, and by the time I decided to nibble it was taken away. I know you can't settle for second best, but sometimes you have to take some time off from your dream, take time to find love and happiness. If you don't, you'll just end up regretting it later."
    Makoto smiled. "Funny, a while ago I was telling Ami pretty much the same thing. I guess I should start taking my own advice."
    "And why not? Everybody else takes your advice."
    "Physician heal thyself, is that it?"
    "Something like that."
    "Say, maybe you can get me into the Order too, it looks like a fine place to meet great looking guys with interesting careers."
    Rei sighed. "The scary thing is, I think you're serious."
    Makoto was about to confirm that when they heard the door open. It swung open quickly and Minako came running in. She stopped as soon as she spotted them. "Hey you two, that astral detector thing just spotted something *really* big in Chiba district. We're all meeting in the main hall."
    They were both on their feet already. "In the hall?" Makoto asked. "Are we going to teleport straight there?"
    Minako hesitated for a moment. "Takada and his people look scared. They're getting weird reports. We should go meet with them."
    They ran down the hallway and into the enormous central hall. Everybody else was gathered there, including a couple of agents Makoto had never seen before. The room above their heads was filled with a ghostly image that appeared to be a constellation of shimmering stars. Some of them were dancing wildly. As Makoto watched, one of those winked out.
    "There goes another one," Noriko said.
    Takada looked to see that Minako had brought the last of the Senshi, then directed his attention back to the display. "We're not getting a good fix on it," he said, keeping his eyes glued to the image overhead. "Something is making us lose contact with more and more of the crystals. That's never happened before."
    Saori approached the group. She had been standing slightly aside, listening on her cellular phone. "I just got a visual report from the police in Chiba. It's something like the phenomenon surrounding the dark crystal that appeared in Juban four years ago."
    "The Dark Gate," Luna said from atop Ami's shoulder.
    "They're already starting to evacuate people. They're also reporting some sort of strange dark thundercloud that's suddenly formed. I'm not sure how much of this to believe, but they're saying it's already covering most of Chiba."
    "Daniel, is this anything like you were expecting?" Takada asked.
    He shook his head. In the short time Makoto had met him he had struck her as being at least as unflappable as Setsuna. But he really looked worried. "No, I wouldn't have expected anything at all so dramatic."
    "Maybe something's gone wrong," K'Theelm's suggested. Makoto's heart started to flutter. Usagi could be right in the middle of this.
    "Saori, do you have an accurate position for that report?"
    "Probably within a couple of kilometres, anyway. They're viewing it from a distance."
    "Communicate it to the field commanders. The airborne units will get there first, so they won't run into the evacuation. But I want you to keep in contact with the police there, see if you can't arrange a corridor for the ground units, I don't want them getting delayed."
    "Yes sir." As she walked away she pulled a tiny headset out of her jacket pocket and hooked it over her ear.
    "Sir, another report." It was one of the agents Makoto hadn't seen before. "From the shrine in Chiba. They say that after the shadow passed over them, all the wards and artifacts in the shrine lost their power completely."
    "The shadow?"
    "That's what they're calling it, sir. It's not a cloud."
    "Smith, when are those choppers getting here?"
    "Ten minutes, tops."
    "Okay, we're proceeding as planned. Minako, based on what we've heard I have to advise against trying to teleport into that area. This interference is like nothing I've ever heard of, I have no idea how it would affect your teleportation spell. We've got space in the choppers for all of you, we can have you there in fifteen minutes."
    "That may be fifteen minutes too long," Minako said.
    "Venus, I have to agree with Takada-san," Daniel said. "If this is what I suspect, attempting something like a teleport into the area could be disastrous."
    "Damn," Minako muttered. After just a moment she nodded. "Okay. We'll go there with you."
    "Then let's gather out front," Takada said. He killed the astral detector display, gave some last minute instructions to Noriko, then led the group to the great double doors that led outside.
    Smith was the first to spot it. "Mother of God!"
    It had moved just close enough now to be visible over the line of pine trees at the edge of the clearing. It was like an arc of blue-white lightning eating up the sky, leaving utter blackness in its wake. It was moving visibly, spreading out, looming over them.
    "I don't believe it," Daniel whispered.
    "What is it?" Setsuna asked him, moving up beside him.
    "It's a Null Field. And may heaven help us all."
    "What does that mean?" Takada asked.
    "Current languages lack the proper terms. About all I can say is that it will suppress just about all activities that you would call magic or psionics. But I had only ever heard of it being used over very limited areas as a sort of ward. For it to exist on this scale ..." He looked intently at the director. "Takada-san, whatever is happening, we have to stop it. Left unchecked, I think this field could spread right across the globe. If that were to happen, there's no telling what the result would be."
    "We fully intend to put a stop to this," Takada said.
    "Daniel," Minako said. "If we go under that field, will we lose the ability to lose our powers as well?"
    "Venus, I honestly don't know," he said. He looked truly frightened now. Setsuna took his hand, her own composure starting to waver.
    "Well, we should at least transform here just in case we can't once we're under that thing." She reached behind her, and then held her transformation pen over her head. In a flash of golden light she transformed into Sailor Venus. Makoto did likewise. She was enveloped in shimmering green light, and emerged from it as Sailor Jupiter. In moments, eight Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Mask were standing in front of the cathedral. They said their goodbyes to Luna and Artemis, and Venus left them in the care of Noriko and the other agents who were staying behind. Takada got them divided into three groups, for boarding the choppers. In minutes the first one came into view. It descended quickly into the clearing in front of them. It was a sleek black single-rotor helicopter with no markings and no visible weapons. It was certainly loud enough, but nowhere near as deafening as Makoto would have expected a helicopter to be. Presumably it was a stealth plane or something. Two identical ones were hovering overhead. The side door of the one in front of them slid open. Smith led Makoto, the other Inner Senshi and Tuxedo Mask out to it, instructing them to bend low. They piled in. The chopper took off even before they had closed the door and gotten strapped into their seats. As they gained altitude, Makoto could see the true enormity of the blackness spreading over them. It covered the sky in front of them. In minutes they were under it, and the sun was blotted out by the darkness. Behind them it was high noon, in front of them it was blackest night.
    Makoto closed her eyes, resolved not to show fear. *Mother, father, give me strength.*

    *****

    **What the hell was that stupid girl thinking?** Akechi said. **Was she trying to get us killed? If Yui hadn't put up that barrier, we'd all be toast!**
    **She's just a bit out of it,** Shoji said. **People tend to get too focused when they're under one of Hitomi's suggestions. They forget little details.**
    **The house is getting totalled,** Yui said.
    **A house for a palace,** Shoji said. **Fair exchange.**
    **This whole neighbourhood will be history soon,** Hitomi said. They were watching from a safe distance now. After that explosion had blown the roof off the garage they had beat a hasty retreat under the cover of Yui's PK barrier. In just a few minutes, the Seed Crystal had grown to engulf the house. And that hole in the sky was getting bigger and bigger. Hitomi wasn't sure what she had expected it to be like, but it certainly wasn't this. People were running around like headless chickens. There weren't too many, this wasn't a very densely developed area. In a remarkably short time, a police car came moving down the street, an amplified voice telling everybody that the area was being evacuated. The car stopped near them and the policeman informed them that meant them too. With the right look and the right words, Hitomi sent him on his way. It looked like people didn't need much prompting. Cars and vans full of families went rushing about, and in short order the area was deserted. **It's growing incredibly fast,** Hitomi said.
    **It is and it isn't,** Shoji said. **The palace is enormous, at this rate it'll take hours to get to full size. Damn, I wish that girl had taken us inside with her. This thing is going to attract all sorts of unwanted attention.**
    **It's getting really dark,** Yui said. **I don't like it.**
    The dark hole in the sky was stretching almost out to the horizon in all directions now. There was just a strip of blue sky all around them, and the shimmering column of light shooting from the Crystal up into the sky to light up the countryside. Hitomi had already gotten used to the thunder, it was just background noise now. But she didn't like this either. The blackness overhead was unnatural, not like a night sky at all. It must be what the event horizon of a black hole would look like.
    **Shoji, somebody's coming,** Akechi said.
    They all looked where Akechi was pointing. As the group of people came out from behind the shadow of a great tree, they became more clearly illuminated by the dazzling glow of the column of lightning shooting up from the Seed Crystal. **Shit,** Shoji said. **She sure didn't waste any time.**
    It was the Matriarch and about a dozen of her guardsmen. **What the hell do we do now?** Akechi asked.
    **Calm down,** Shoji said. **We'll just give her a present, that's all.**
    They all waited as the group approached. The men were walking, but the Matriarch was floating over the ground. Not surprising, Hitomi thought. Basking in the glow of the light, she felt like all of her own powers were enhanced, that it would actually be easier to levitate over the ground than to walk. The Matriarch had wasted no time taking advantage of that.
    **Greetings, Matriarch,** Shoji said. **Welcome to our new home.**
    Himiko lowered herself back down to the ground. She glanced at the growing Seed Crystal and then glared at Shoji. **Just what in all the hells is happening here?**
    **Sailor Moon is making our Crystal Palace for us,** Shoji said. **As soon as she's finished, we can all move in.**
    Himiko looked at him as if he had told a bad joke. She let out a long, rasping, mirthless laugh. **Oh, you think it's that simple, do you? Well, let me point out a few facts to you. Whatever she's doing is sapping us all of our power. Anyone under this blackness who is much further than this from the Seed Crystal loses their birthright, gets turned into an outsider, an animal. That's why we're all teleporting here.** Hitomi followed the Matriarch's gaze. There were other people around them now. And more appearing every moment. Some made their way towards them. Many of those wore the same peasant garb as the Matriarch's guardsmen. Others wore the dyed hair that was supposed to be popular among the black sheep who held territories. They seemed to be more or less tolerating each other, or at least ignoring each other. **I have no idea what else this blackness is doing,** Himiko continued. **For all we know your master plan has blotted out the sun forever. Our reign in the palace may be very short indeed. And even if you haven't brought an end to our world, you may have brought us to ruin. Your little trick brought the Sailor Senshi down on your mother's household like furies, they slaughtered everyone they could find until they found out we weren't really holding their Princess. They're probably on their way here already, to wreak their vengeance on us. This is the last place in the world we want to be, but thanks to you it may soon be the only place in the world we can live as Ancients. You've thrown us into a war with the Sailor Senshi, with people from another planet and the ancestors only know who else. It's a war I intend to win, because it's probably our only hope of living, if there is any hope at all. I don't have any more words to waste on you. I need to know everything you know about what this Sailor Moon is doing and I need to know it now.** She pointed to the ground in front of her. **On you knees.**
    Hitomi shivered. They all knew what she meant. A mind probe.
    **No,** Shoji said. **Sailor Moon is under Hitomi's spell, she'll only obey the four of us. If she sees you try and harm us, she won't let you into the palace.**
    **Is that so? Well, if she can see and hear us, then let's speak with her, and make sure we all understand each other.**
    Hitomi glanced at Shoji. He was really starting to sweat. He was losing it. **When she's ... when she's finished making the palace, she'll come back out of it and she'll be under my command.**
    **She'll be under anybody's command,** Himiko said. **I know how Hitomi's power works. One master will be as good as the next.**
    Shoji was panting. **I swear, I'll tell her to blast you to atoms! She can do it!**
    **I don't have time for this,** Himiko said. She gestured. Shoji convulsed. Then suddenly he was on fire. He was too bright to look at, like a human sun. Yui screamed, a horrible animal wail that went on and on and on. Shoji's ashes scattered to the ground. **One of you will have to give me what I want.**
    Akechi grabbed a hold of Yui. **Yui, get us the hell out of here!** Hitomi grabbed her too, an instant before they shifted somewhere else. They were in the middle of a country road somewhere. It was a lot darker here, the column of lightning was further away now. Yui was still wailing. Hitomi tried to say something to her, but couldn't. Something was terribly wrong. Then her racing heart wavered. She remembered what Himiko had said about the blackness sapping away their powers.
    They all just slumped down onto the road, not even having motivation enough to move off of it. Yui curled up into a ball. She was still wailing when the headlights pulled up to them. The men in dark glasses who came out of the cars asked if the dark haired girl was Yui and Hitomi said yes. Yui screamed and fought like a wolverine when they tried to take her, but they just zapped her with something and she went limp. They took Hitomi and Akechi in the other car. Hitomi didn't even care who they were, as long as they weren't working for the Matriarch. It was the end of the world, all she could ask for was a quiet place to die.

    *****

    Takada led the four Outer Senshi into the second helicopter. They took off, leaving Saori to wait with Daniel and the refugees for the third one. Soon the three choppers were flying in formation low over the Tokyo skyline. By the time they got out over the bay, they were in shadow. The blackness was spreading out to engulf the city.
    Uranus looked out through the front window between the two pilots. There was a column of light at the horizon, lighting up the surrounding countryside with a silvery, shimmering glow. Involuntarily, she took Neptune's hand. "God, this is worse than Galaxia's shadow." She glanced at Neptune. Her lover's face had lost its grim resolve, she had a look of dread. Uranus squeezed her hand, getting her attention.
    "The vision," Neptune said. "My vision of the Palace surrounded by darkness."
    "I've seen something like this in a vision as well," Pluto said. "It looks like my vision of The Silence."
    "The Silence?" Takada asked.
    "It's what I would have done to the world had Sailor Moon not saved me," Saturn said. "As the Senshi of Destruction, I have that power."
    "I see. A doomsday weapon."
    They rode in silence for a while. The column of light spearing the sky loomed bigger and brighter. The blackness crept closer and closer to the horizon all around them. Takada reacted to something he heard over a set of headphones he was wearing. "One of our helicopters was shot down when it approached the Seed Crystal," he informed them. "Some sort of plasma beams shot from ESPers who appeared in the air around them. The others are setting down at least two kilometres away from the Crystal, we'll do likewise."
    "Damn," Uranus cursed. "I knew we should have tried the teleport. Now they've beaten us to it."
    "It sounds like there's an awful lot of them already," Takada said. "Without the ground forces that are coming to back us up, you could easily have been overwhelmed."
    Takada had described to them the forces the Order was bringing to bear. It all sounded very impressive, but Uranus couldn't shake the feeling that things were just spinning out of control. She had been envisioning the eight Sailor Senshi taking out the four ESPers and getting the Princess out of the area, all done in a matter of minutes, all nice and neat. But now they were going to be thrown into a war with a legion of paranormals whose powers they could only guess at.
    "The advance airborne units have landed and linked up with field agents we had in the area," Takada explained. "They've found locations for field headquarters, we'll be landing at the nearest one." The pilot spoke to somebody over his radio, then turned to a slightly different vector, following the lead chopper.
    "I can see it," Hotaru said. "I can see the Palace."
    Uranus squinted, looked down at the base of the column of lightning. Yes, she could see it too. It was difficult to judge scale and distance in the shimmering light, but it was definitely a much smaller version of the palace Setsuna had described to them. But if it was visible at this distance so soon, it must be growing at a phenomenal rate.
    They were losing speed. Soon the lead helicopter dipped down. It was already obvious where it was going to land, some sort of office building with a big parking lot in front. It was empty, just a couple of big black sedans were parked in front of the building. They had been flying quite low, probably because the pilots were nervous about the phenomenon overhead. It hardly seemed worth bothering, when the edge of the disk of blackness had gone overhead it had looked to be many kilometres in the air, maybe even out in space. The light was still not that good, even this close to the phenomenon, but Uranus could see they were in an area of rolling hills where only the best land had been developed. There were many pockets of woods, green space and bamboo stands in between the neighbourhoods, factories and businesses. They waited for the lead chopper to disgorge its passengers and rise again, then they touched down on the same spot. Everybody already had unstrapped themselves, so as soon as Takada slid the big door open they leapt out and ran over to where the others were standing. "Venus, did you see the Palace?" Uranus asked.
    "Yes, we saw."
    "It's happening very quickly, we should get there as fast as we can."
    "Smith says they're bringing prisoners here for interrogation, we should wait for them."
    Uranus frowned. "Prisoners? What do we expect to learn from them?"
    "They're the ones who took Usagi."
    The third chopper landed, and the last group disembarked. The chopper lifted off as soon as they were clear. Saori ran over to Takada, interrupting his conversation with the agent who had met them here. "News from the local police. The evacuation is all but complete. They've secured a clear corridor for the ground forces. Lead elements are already coming through, they'll be at the forward base in minutes."
    "Yes, they've informed me," Takada said. "Smith, what's the word on those prisoners?"
    "Three of them, positively identified as the rogues. They'll be here in just one or two minutes." He pulled his dark glasses out of his jacket pocket and put them on. "Shall I conduct the interrogation myself?"
    "Please. And no need to be squeamish."
    "From what I've been told, they will be very accommodating." He turned to where Daniel and Pluto were standing. "Daniel, our little poker game convinced me that you really are a lie detector. I doubt these three will be any trouble, but could you keep your ears open anyway?"
    "If they're lying, I'll let you know."
    Pluto's eyes narrowed. "Daniel ..."
    "It wasn't for serious money."
    About a minute later Uranus saw two sets of headlights coming down the road. Two more black sedans came racing towards them, squealing their tires as they turned into the big parking lot. They raced towards the group of people in front of the building, and came to a screeching halt, one behind the other. Immediately the doors all opened and Suits emerged, three from each car. Two of the ones from the first car each led one prisoner, a man and a young woman with white hair. They walked beside their captors meekly, shoulders drooped, seeming to be in a state of shock. Two of the men from the second car were having somewhat more trouble with their prisoner. They were half-carrying, half-dragging another young woman between them. Even though it looked like she could barely walk, she was fighting them every inch of the way. She panted, every breath coming as a rasping whimper. Every now and then she would wail pitifully. Her wild, staring eyes darted between the assembled people, as if trying to watch all of them at once, wondering which would be the one to kill her.
    Smith pointed to her. "Why hasn't that one been sedated?"
    "Gave her enough to drop a horse," one of the men said.
    Smith turned to Mars. "She's the deaf-mute you saw?"
    "Yes." Uranus was surprised to see no hatred in Mars' eyes. She looked upon her grandfather's killer with pity.
    "She's no use to us." Smith thumbed the building. "Give her enough to drop two horses and secure her in there." They moved to comply and Smith walked over to the other two, being held side by side by their respective captors. Smith put his open hands on his hips and looked at one and then the other. He pointed at the man. "There were four of you. So where's the deaf girl's boyfriend?"
    "Shoji's dead," he said tonelessly. "The Matriarch killed him."
    "So, I guess you were lucky enough to get out of there alive. Congratulations." He pointed at the girl. "You. Just what in hell did you tell our Princess to do?"
    "We told her to make the Palace for us."
    "So tell us what happened. Short version."
    "She turned into Sailor Moon and there was this glowing crystal in her hands. She walked right into the Seed Crystal. Then it blew the roof off the garage. We got out. The crystal started to grow, and it got dark. Then the Matriarch showed up."
    "If we take you there, can you tell the Princess to put a stop to this?"
    She shook her head slowly, looking more and more like a deer caught in headlights. She spoke with difficulty. "I ... don't know. We couldn't get into the Seed Crystal the way she did. I think I saw Shoji try. I don't think anybody can get in. She ... uh, she'll probably come out when she's done. I guess."
    "Then she'll obey you since she's under your spell, right?"
    She shook her head. "No, not just me. Another Ancient could probably put her under their ... uh, their spell. The Matriarch could probably do it."
    "And do you think that's what she plans on doing?"
    "Yes."
    "And do you think there's any point in trying to tell her that's a bad idea?"
    "No."
    Smith turned to Takada. "We about done with these two?"
    Takada looked around the gathered people, apparently looking to see if there were any other questions. "It looks like we are."
    "Fine." Smith thumbed the building again. "Secure them." The two men took their prisoners into the building.
    Takada addressed the group. "Okay, it looks like the only person who is at all likely to be able to do an orderly shutdown of whatever is happening has barricaded herself inside the Palace. And she's not likely to come out until she's finished, which could probably be as little as a few hours from now. I see two options. Break into the Palace and bring her out of her trance, or destroy the Palace."
    "You can't destroy it while the Princess is in there," Uranus said flatly.
    "It's a moot point," Setsuna said. "We couldn't destroy it."
    "We have a nuke on standby," Takada said.
    "You can't be serious!" Uranus shouted.
    "Takada-san, you can't do that," Setsuna said. Her voice was calm, but utterly cold. "The basic nature of this phenomenon is to absorb energy into itself. Right now it is absorbing from the Earth what might be termed its manna, for lack of a proper word. But it could likely absorb other forms of energy. I have little idea what would happen were it suddenly to absorb even a small part of a sixty kiloton blast detonated four hundred meters over it. Do you really want to find out?"
    Takada raised an eyebrow. "Interesting that you correctly identified the yield and cruising altitude of the missile we have on standby."
    "I told her," Smith said. He shrugged at Takada's dark look. "You said to share all tactical information."
    "So I did. If we are unable to destroy the palace, it stands to reason we are just as unlikely to be able to blow a hole in it."
    "Why do we even need to do that?" Venus asked. "If it's already turning into the Palace, can't we just go in the front door?"
    "Presumably it is barred," Takada said. "Otherwise, the Ancients would undoubtedly be moving inside it. Saori, is there any sign of that?"
    Saori had been half listening to the conversation, and half listening to reports coming in through her headset. "No sir. All indications from the forward observation posts are that the Ancients are deploying around the Palace."
    "Too bad we can't just wheel up a Trojan Horse," Smith said.
    "Bull." Daniel saw the curious looks he was getting. "It was supposed to have been a bull. We had to wheel it to the gate of Troy before dawn, so we didn't have time to attach the horns. Nobody ever thought to tell Homer."
    "Well, Sailor Moon was able to get in," Pluto said. "Other Sailor Senshi will likely be able to do the same."
    "Then all we need to do is get to the front gate," Venus said.
    "You don't know that," Takada said. "Earlier Setsuna speculated that the Seed Crystal might respond only to a member of the royal family of the Moon Kingdom. What if we get you to the gate and you can't get in?"
    Venus shrugged. "Well, at least we'll have a wall at our back."
    "Venus, that's what's called having your back to a wall," Uranus said.
    "Same difference. You have a better idea?"
    "No."
    "Okay, then we'll plan on that basis," Takada said.
    "Sailor Venus," Jeneth said. She walked closer to the orange-clad Sailor Senshi. Sometime during their helicopter flight the refugees must have dropped their glamours, conserving their energy. Jeneth regarded Venus with those haunting, featureless dark eyes. "Even if you succeed in finding the Princess, she will be under that woman's spell. She might not even recognize you. And if you try to turn her from the task she was given, she might regard you as an enemy."
    "I can help her," Saturn said. "If I can touch her, I can cure her of whatever that woman did to her."
    Jeneth thought about that for a moment. "That might work. It would be much like what that man did to Jupiter, except much milder and more subtle, very selective disruption to cause a sort of blindsight without causing damage. You just have to remove the disruption, let her see the truth of what is happening."
    "I say we do it," Venus said.
    Takada nodded. "Okay. The vanguard is marshalling about a kilometre closer. We'll take the cars." They piled into three of the sedans. The ride took just a couple of minutes. They disembarked in front of a small industrial building. There were several vehicles parked on the lawn in front of it, which was hidden from the Palace by a row of trees. They were hummers, off-road vehicles riding high off the ground on enormous, widely spaced tires. They were all painted black, with no markings. They had been modified from others Uranus had seen. They were all open in the back. Some had four or more Suits sitting in open seats in the back. Each man was cradling a big shining chrome thing that with a little imagination could be called a gun. They must be the weapons Takada had referred to as plasma rifles. Whatever that meant. They looked mean enough, anyway. Two of the hummers each had four of the plasma rifles fitted to a mounting in tandem, allowing the one manning it to fire in any direction. Uranus could distinctly hear a rumble like thunder now. At this range, the column of lightning spearing the sky was dazzling.
    Takada went to talk with what was presumably the man in charge, then came trotting back to them. "Basis the reconnaissance in force that the airborne units made, the Ancients won't go this far out from the Palace. But as soon as we get any closer we should consider ourselves in hostile territory. They've got people flying overhead and they've got snipers who have made themselves invisible. We only spotted the latter because of their auras." He tapped the dark glasses he had just put on. "We'll try to warn you of those. On this side of the palace the observation posts have identified what looks like a gate, we'll make for that. We don't have enough forces here for a general assault around the perimeter, and we won't for almost an hour. Much as I would prefer to wait, I don't think we can. The vehicles have wards. They seem to work this close to the Palace, so they should afford some protection. Stick close to them. Venus, I can't get my men too strung out or risk having them cut off, we might only be able to provide you cover so far."
    "I understand," she said. "We'll go the rest of the way ourselves if we have to."
    Takada turned to the refugees. "K'Theelm, Thetan, I want you to cover us from the air. But if it looks like they've seen through your cloak, get out. Jeneth, we've set up a medical emergency station at this base, I want you here. Daniel, I'd like you here too. If God forbid these people sue for peace your gift will come in handy. Any questions?"
    There were none. The Senshi moved to take positions around the idling vehicles. Uranus looked around to see where everybody was in the formation, filing for future reference. She suddenly noticed Mamoru beside her. He was no longer Tuxedo Mask. "Endymion...?"
    He smiled. His black and silver armour shone in the bright, flickering light. "As we come closer to the Palace, I've been feeling this surge of power. It was all I could do to even stop the transformation, I decided to just go with it."
    "You can still toss those armour-piercing roses of yours, can't you?"
    "By the bunch, if I have to."
    Takada and Smith each climbed into one of the hummers, and they headed out. Uranus saw Thetan and K'Theelm shimmer and fade away. Along with the other Senshi Uranus trotted along beside the hummers. They came out from behind the row of trees and continued down a road flanked by occasional buildings. As they came to the crest of a small hill, the Palace came into full view. It shone just as brightly as the column of lightning that shot up from it. The central spire already looked to be at least a couple of hundred meters high, maybe more.
    Abruptly, the Suit manning the mounted guns on the hummer beside her swung his weapons around. Four intensely bright shafts of strobing blue- white light stabbed out towards a building to their left, accompanied by a sharp staccato like a machine gun. Somebody who thought they had been invisible was blown to pieces. There were cries of alarm from some of the Senshi. Some of them even slowed down for a moment. But whey they saw that the column was just continuing on its way, they picked up the pace again.
    The Suit grinned down at Uranus. "That should discourage them."
    "Or bring them down on us like hornets." She looked behind her. The trailing vehicle was dropping behind, and its passengers disembarked. "Why are they dropping back?"
    "To secure our path back and flush out any more ESPers in hiding," the Suit said.
    "Was that part of the plan?"
    "I think the director is just rolling with the punches."
    Which was a nice way of saying he was making it up as he went along. "I'm glad you guys are with us."
    "Feeling's mutual, I heard how you three kicked ass at the Animal Kingdom. By the way, won't you get tired running like that?"
    "Don't worry about it." They had picked up the pace a bit. Uranus had seen Venus running alongside the lead vehicle, probably convincing them that Sailor Senshi wouldn't get tired from a mere kilometre run.
    There was the sound of a plasma rifle again, and up ahead three shimmering beams of light stabbed the sky, converging on one point. Something at that point flared and disintegrated. "One of them trying to teleport on top of us," the Suit said. "We already found out that they can't put up a PK barrier right after teleporting. And the spatial distortion shows up like a beacon in our glasses. I don't think they're going to try that again."
    "You should have issued those shades to us too," Uranus said.
    "They take some getting used to. But they'd look good on you."
    The next ones actually took a shot at them, relying on cover rather than invisibility. Mars and Pluto dodged their fireballs just a split second before Jupiter and Neptune hit them with Oak Evolution and Deep Submerge. Uranus timed her own attack accordingly. Just as their PK barriers were flickering from the attacks that had bounced off them, the World Shaking slammed into them. Their broken bodies crumpled to the ground without any fuss. The column hardly even slowed down. Uranus heard what she assumed to be plasma rifle fire from behind them. So their rearguard had company.
    They weren't the only ones. Mercury was the first to spot them, not surprising since she had her visor up. The vehicles suddenly broke up the column, some going left and right onto roads that crossed the one they were on, the Suits disembarking and taking up firing positions. The hummer Uranus was shadowing came to a halt. They were in an open area with rice fields on both sides. It was almost like Takada was deliberately making them into a target. "Why are we stopping?" Uranus asked the Suit.
    He had his guns angled up now. "Let us take this group. We want to convince them that approaching us from above is a very bad idea."
    Now Uranus saw them too. They were coming all at once, maybe about thirty people flying through the air. It was hard to make out detail with them silhouetted against the flickering light of the Palace, but at least they stood out. As they approached they all started to swoop down on the formation of hummers. Uranus tensed up. She was beginning to wonder what the Suits were waiting for.
    As soon as the first of the Ancients shot off a fireball, every single plasma rifle opened up at the same time. The few Ancients who either didn't have PK barriers or hadn't bothered to put them up simply disintegrated. The ones who came under fire from one of the mounted quad guns lasted hardly a second longer. All the others were thrown into pandemonium. They were all at least thrown back by the fire, their PK barriers quivering and shimmering, impaled on the lances of strobing light. One after another the barriers collapsed, and the people inside disappeared behind explosions that threw out expanding clouds of brightly glowing gas. A couple of them managed to get off another shot at the forward vehicles. The lightning bolt and plasma ball bounced off an invisible barrier. Takada had been right about the wards, they worked fine. The agents kept up the fire even as the survivors were scattering in retreat. There didn't appear to be even a dozen of them left. The crisscross of afterimage lines slowly faded from Uranus' retinas. A ball of energy suddenly shot out of nowhere, just out of a point in space, and hit another of the Ancients, sending him tumbling to the ground far below trailing smoke. Uranus grinned. Thetan getting the parting shot. They had to wait a moment while the marksmen remounted and the hummers got back on the main road. Uranus looked up at the Suit manning the mounted guns. The barrels were glowing a dull red, and the air above them rippled with heat shimmer. The Suit smiled. "Next time I think they'll be a bit more careful."
    "Either that or a lot madder."
    "There you go taking the negative view again."
    "Yes, she can be such a drag sometimes," Neptune said from behind them. Coming from anybody else, that would have been very annoying. Uranus just looked back and winked at her. In moments they were on the move again, and Uranus' mind was focused exclusively on scanning for hostiles. The palace was looming larger. She wondered how much of that was due to it just getting bigger.
    Mercury gave the warning again, but this time it was scant warning indeed. They came from everywhere at once. Mostly on the ground jumping from the cover of buildings or greenery, and the few who were flying kept low. The Ancients had learned quickly. The column was assailed from both sides. At first it was all exchange of fire, the Senshi dodging and the hummers absorbing them with their wards. Uranus tossed off attacks at a rate that astonished her. It was as if in the presence of the Palace her power was inexhaustible. Neptune standing beside her seemed to be equally indefatigable. But the Ancients were getting closer. A man in peasant garb came at her with a leap that seemed to defy gravity, power glowing in his hands. Not being in a position to fire she had to improvise. She sidestepped, spun and drove a kick into his back that shattered his spine with a satisfying crunch. She suddenly felt herself being picked up off the ground by an invisible force. She flew at hellish speed along the ground and crashed straight into the side of a hummer. She crumpled to the ground, stunned and helpless. A freak with an orange mohawk and pierced everything came flying in along the ground with a blazing white kinetite in his hand. He raised it over his head. Uranus braced herself. Four parallel lightning bolts shot like arrows over her head, blowing the freak into two bloody halves and a cloud of pink steam. Uranus got to her feet and looked up to see the Suit with his glowing quad guns smiling down at her, just on time for the fireball to hit him from behind and incinerate him. Uranus threw her arms up in front of her, staggering back, the residual flames licking at her. She screamed in pain and rage. She brought her arm up over her head and her talisman appeared. She leaped over the hummer, and with one motion she unsheathed the Space Sword and beheaded the man who had killed the Suit whose name she didn't even know. Another leap brought her back at Neptune's side. Before she landed she had seen another vehicle down the line burst into flame. Their wards were being overwhelmed and it was all going to hell. "We're sitting ducks!"
    Neptune held her mirror out before her and it blazed brighter than the sun. The three punks who had been running at them staggered back, and fell dazed to the ground. "They've got us trapped, we have nowhere to go," she said. There seemed to be less plasma rifle fire now.
    "Everyone!" Venus' voice came on both their communicators. "To the front of the column now!"
    They followed the order without question, running flat out. Half the vehicles they passed were burning. All the Ancients they came across were taken utterly by surprise at the speed of their passage. Ones that came too close got a taste of the Space Sword. Uranus didn't even see them fall, hardly even breaking her stride. She saw Endymion running ahead. One Ancient died learning that his sword passed through PK barriers just as easily as Uranus' talisman did. The lead vehicle was being assailed from all sides, the Inner Senshi and a group of Suits with rifles at their shoulders blazing away in all directions. More Ancients were running in from the direction of the Palace, far too many.
    Two jets streaked overhead, passing in front of the Palace. A second later, the ground in front of the lead vehicle disappeared under a hellish inferno.
    Uranus felt like she was looking into a blast furnace. All the Ancients in front of them disappeared under the roiling yellow-orange clouds that slowly turned black as they rose up into the sky. Unnatural purple lightning flashed within and between the clouds. Uranus suspected it was something more than just incendiary bombs. The Ancients to their sides just looked back in disbelief. The agents wasted no time in picking off the easy targets, causing most of the others to run in panic.
    When there was a lull in the firing, Takada stood up from his place in the command vehicle. "It's not as bad as it looks," he called out to them. "Something new that dissipates almost immediately. I've bought you some time, use it."
    "You heard him," Venus called out. "We're leaving!" Without another word she ran straight into the line of smoke before them. Endymion and all the Senshi came in behind her. Despite Takada's assurances, the air was almost unbreathable and Uranus could barely keep her eyes open, they stung so badly. She wrinkled her nose. So this was what that guy meant about the smell of napalm.
    They emerged on the other side of the scorched earth, all coughing and blinking back tears, desperately trying to get their sight back so they could see their enemy. There was no immediate threat, the sudden attack from the air had thrown the Ancients into a panic. But there were still plenty of them visible in the open spaces between them and the nearby Palace, which probably meant there were more behind cover that they couldn't see. Some of them had already noticed the Senshi.
    "Mercury," Venus said. "We're making a run for it, give us cover."
    Mercury crossed her arms before her then flung them out wide. Wisps of cloud shot out in front of them, growing and thickening at phenomenal speed. In seconds, all the ground in front of them was shrouded in a mist that shimmered under the light of the column of lightning. Uranus could feel the thunder in her bones now, resonating through the ground and the air.
    "Let's go!" Venus called, and they were in motion again. They stuck close enough to keep each other in sight. They ran across yards, leaped over fences and swerved around houses as they made their way through the widely spaced homes of the suburb. The Ancients they ran into were stumbling around blinded, they didn't even see what hit them. Uranus figured they must be getting near the gate by now. She and Neptune sped up their pace to match that of Pluto and Saturn, who were running ahead. From behind and to the side she could hear Venus shouting something about not being separated. They must have zigged at that last house instead of zagged. Well, that probably didn't matter much at this point. They just needed to get Saturn to the gate as quickly as they could.
    A hurricane wind slammed into Uranus like a wall, sending her staggering. She saw Neptune literally fly past her. She reached out wildly, somehow grabbing a hold of Neptune's hand. They were tumbling over and over through the air, Uranus had no idea which way was up and which was down. The world was just a screaming wind and dust that assailed her like needles. She saw the ground leap up at her just half a second before she hit. She managed to more or less cushion her fall, but it still knocked the wind out of her.
    The mist around them had disappeared. Uranus fought the buffeting wind, looked around her with slitted eyes. Pluto and Saturn were lying nearby, both trying unsuccessfully to get back onto their feet. Saturn still had a deathgrip on Pluto's Garnet Rod. Presumably that was how they had stuck together. Nobody else was visible. There were leaves and whole branches and debris from shattered houses flying about. Uranus looked up. A great, faintly glowing whirlwind of mist spun madly over their heads, the Senshi were just at the edge of it. It was not narrow like a tornado, but a great fat thing like a dust devil seen at fast-forward. The Outer Senshi were between the cyclone and the Palace. Perversely, the Ancients' conjured storm had brought them closer to their goal. Four of the Ancients floated around the cyclone, their arms held out to it, their eyes glowing. They were just close enough to throw and attack at them, but Uranus could barely stand, let alone get off a good shot.
    Thetan and K'Theelm appeared right behind one of them. Thetan reached out and blew the woman's head off with a force blast.
    The tornado wavered and writhed. The refugees disappeared again. The two Ancients who had seen what happened abandoned their task and flew back towards the Palace. The third soon followed and the wind died down to nothing. The dust and smaller debris started drifting back down to the ground. She saw Neptune get to her feet. She was holding her arm, wincing. "How is it?" Uranus asked.
    She shook her head. "Broken," she said in a strained voice. "Can't use it."
    "We've got company," they heard Saturn say. Uranus scanned the area around them. Mercury's mist was all but gone now. And the storm had levelled just about any cover that had existed, they were standing in the middle of open space strewn with rubble. They were also in the middle of a slowly converging circle of Ancients, with more coming behind them. Their eyes were all glowing. There was still no sign of the other Senshi.
    "They're going to do a combined attack," Pluto said. "Everyone stick close. Saturn, on my signal put up the Silence Wall."
    "It won't last long against all of them," Uranus said.
    "It won't have to." Uranus wondered just what she meant by that.
    "I'm ready," Saturn said. She held her Silence Glaive before her.
    The four Senshi formed a circle. Pluto brandished her Garnet Rod, gripping it tightly. "After they attack, be ready to run for the gate."
    "Pluto," Neptune said, "What are you-"
    "Saturn, now!" Pluto said sharply.
    Intent on watching the advancing enemy, Uranus barely caught the movement. She took in a breath to shout a warning to Saturn, but it was too late. The shimmering barrier was up.
    From just outside the barrier, Pluto raised the Garnet Rod over her head with both hands. She brought it down and snapped it in half across her raised knee, shouting at the top of her lungs.
    "DEAD SCREAM!"

End Chapter 14