A Call To Action A Sailor Moon / Ranma 1/2 Crossover Part Six written by Mike Koos -------------------- "Yes. That's right. We're always with you, Sailor Moon. Now and forever." I wasn't sure how I could speak or move in this... astral form? I also wasn't at all sure what had happened to me. Perhaps I had died, given my life once more to protect our Princess, but... my only thoughts were with Serenity. Usagi. Protecting her, offering her my strength - whatever I can do to help... Sailor Moon looked straight at us as I spoke the words, and visibly brightened. "Thank you, Terra, Mars," I heard her whisper, almost as if she had spoken the words aloud. I could feel the confidence return to her, gratitude that we were all with her even after death... Somehow, I could sense that Rei felt it, too. Ami, Makoto, Mina - each of us could sense it, and that the others could, as well - were we sharing a bond, between all of us and Sailor Moon? How is this possible? On second thought, we don't have the time to question everything. Another fight is beginning, and Sailor Moon needs our help... I awoke with a start, my pulse racing. A memory. Not a dream... or maybe it is. There's that old saying about 'your past coming back to haunt you,' but if what I'd just experienced in my sleep was a nightmare, wouldn't the details be exaggerated or otherwise altered in some weird fashion? No, the dream had been a thorough replay of a part of my past. I've just relived my own death. Ami, Makoto, Rei, Mina and I... we... died while on our way to the final battle with the Dark Kingdom. Our bond to the Princess and the Ginzuishou allowed us to remain with Usagi, however, and support her with both our presence and power. Ultimately, Princess Serenity defeated Queen Beryl and Metallia. The six of us were returned to our lives as though we had never met one another and discovered who we happened to be. Our memories were likewise obscured from us; as far as we were concerned, we wouldn't recognize any of the others even if we encountered them on the street - which we did, in fact. Of course, Ami and I still remembered each other... we've been friends since childhood, long before our powers as Sailor Mercury and Sailor Terra were awakened. We both recalled that after Ami had moved to Juuban, I'd asked to live with my aunt Yukemi in Juuban as an experiment... following my friend, in a sense. Thanks to Ami, I was even enrolled in the same homeroom and juku as her. Luna would later guess - once our true memories were restored - that unlike most of the others, our memories had been slightly rewritten... both because we'd been friends long before learning we were Sailor Terra and Sailor Mercury, and to explain why I wasn't living with my sisters and father in Nerima. Now, how many of you have guessed that times like this never last for us? Late one evening, something large crashed near the edge of the residential district - a meteor, everyone guessed, though by the time Ami and I arrived on the scene the only sign of an impact was a large crater. A considerable crowd of people had gathered at the rim of the crater, no doubt wondering where in the world the thing that had created that crater had gone. Usagi, Rei, Mina, Makoto and Mamoru were all apparently somewhere within that crowd... though I only recall seeing Rei and Makoto. We'd each seen at least one or more of the others and *something* had seemed familiar, even if we couldn't remember each other. Later, two new students would transfer to our school - well, okay, back then, Rei and Mina did go to different schools; Rei still goes to the Academy - and more strange things started to happen. Isn't that always the case, though? By now, I'll bet you're wondering how and when we got our memories back, since we obviously remember each other *now*. Well, I'm getting to that. Late one afternoon, I answered the phone to find that the producers of _My Neighbors on the Fifth Floor_, a soap opera starring the idol singer of the day, Shiratori Mikan, were auditioning people for a one-shot guest appearance on the TV show... and I was one of the people they'd picked to come to the studios and audition. Imagine that. I had to wonder, though, how and why somebody on the production crew would think that I was a good choice to call. Had I entered some kind of contest without knowing it? The man on the phone informed me that they had had scouts visit several places throughout Juuban, who picked girls they each thought would be great for the role. "Oh," was all I said, although it bothered me to think that there might be some people out there with nothing better to do but watch me for a while. I gave Ami a call later that evening after finishing my homework... especially since I knew she'd want to get her homework out of the way, too. "Nabiki-chan..." she began before I could think to tell her about what had happened earlier. "I'm not sure if I can believe it, but this afternoon, someone called me to ask if I would like to audition for a television show." "Well, I think I can believe it," I replied, trying not to show my surprise. "I had a call like that, too. That Shiratori Mikan show, right?" Ami was silent for a moment. "Are you going to go?" "I'm still thinking about it. You?" "I..." She sighed. "I don't think so. I don't have the time, and aside from that... I doubt I would be what they're looking for, anyway." "Ami-chan." Occasionally, Ami can be somewhat too modest for her own good. "The audition can't be more than... what, ten to twenty minutes? We don't know how much time the actual filming would take. At least think about giving it a try - you never know, it might be fun." I laughed. "And maybe, you'll be able to tell everyone you've been on television." "I *have* been on television." "Interviews and promotions for schools don't count. Oh, and neither do home videos." Silence. "If I come with you, will you consider going?" I asked. "Well... okay. I'll give it some thought." I told myself. Now, to change the subject. "Okay. So... what did your mom say about the trip to Toyama?" * * * * * Needless to say, Ami continued to have her doubts all the way to the studio. We'd been holding a debate of sorts since leaving home as to why she - or even me, for that matter - should be spending our time at an audition rather than doing something that was more productive. As far as I was concerned, Ami was mainly looking for a way out. We're both nervous; we both definitely have a lineup of other things we could've chosen to do today, and besides, how are *we* gonna fare against everyone else they've asked to audition? I know the entertainment world well enough from whatever they've said about it on TV... they'll have asked a lot of people to come to the audition as well as us, most of whom probably *are* actors, idols, models or at least people who want to be one of the above and who have more experience in all this than we do. So why should anyone cast Ami or I when they could cast one of those people... right? Yeah, we could find ourselves being embarrassed in front of a bunch of people. So what? Isn't that what we risk every time we sign up for something at school? Maybe there really isn't that much difference in motivation between that and going out for this audition... I guess it's just something I have to do. You know, one of those "you'll never know if you don't take a chance"-type deals. We probably won't be cast, anyway, but it's a chance to go out and have some fun while getting an inside look at the world of entertainment, as they say on TV. That, I suppose you can attribute to my usual curiosity as well. I have to go, if just to 'investigate' the studio. Heh. I'll admit that our 'debate' did get a little loud on the bus... until another girl suddenly became interested in what we were discussing. After that, we pretty much decided to put the debate on hold until we had left the bus and were on our way to the studio. By then, as you'd expect, our debate really didn't mean much. A tall girl, her long brown hair drawn up into a high ponytail, was standing near the studio's entry gate as we approached. "Are you here for the audition, too?" she asked, clearly nervous. "Which audition?" I inquired. "Um, the Shiratori Mikan audition, of course," she gave us an awkward laugh. "Are you an actor?" Ami spoke up. "I feel as though I have seen you somewhere, before." Come to think of it, I'm getting that feeling the more I stare at her. "You know, I do, too." The girl's eyes widened slightly. "Weird... I mean, no, I'm not an actor, but I also feel like I should know who you two are..." "I don't think we've met before now. What's your name?" "Kino Makoto," she answered my question. "You?" "Tendo Nabiki." "Mizuno Ami." Makoto shook her head. "No, I don't remember meeting either of you. Maybe we saw each other at school or something? I go to Juuban Middle--" "What are you guys talking about? You guys here for the audition?" a new voice interrupted. We turned in unison to look at the newcomer. A girl with long blond hair that fell almost to her knees strode toward us, staring at the three of us as though expecting something. Another girl, who wore her black hair in much the same fashion, was making a vague attempt to stay close to her. A friend of hers? "Maybe." Makoto folded her arms with a hint of defensiveness. "Why?" I suddenly felt the same sense of familiarity from the blond-haired girl and her friend that I'd had when looking at Makoto. As Makoto's just put it, weird. Really weird. "Who are you?" I put the question to her, trying hard to sound nonchalant. She seemed almost about to strike a pose, then thought better of it. "I'm Aino Minako." "Hino Rei," her quiet friend announced. We introduced ourselves as well and then stood there, staring at each other, for the next minute. Minako was the first to break the odd silence. "Anyone feel like we've done this before?" Makoto blinked. "What, coming here and auditioning?" "No! What I mean is, er... All of us together, like this! Umm..." Rei assumed a pensive look. "We haven't met before, have we?" "Nabiki-chan and I have been friends since we were children," stated Ami, "but I think this is the first time I have met any of you." I nodded in agreement. "That can't be right! It feels like we *have* all met before, like we really should know each other!" Minako was becoming irritated. "Yeah. You're right..." Makoto said, letting her voice trail away. There's no such thing as deja vu in groups... is there? "C'mon." I figured I'd intervene before we started yet another wonderful round of standing around and staring at everyone else in silence. "Why don't we figure this out inside? Better there than out here in the cold." I shivered for effect. * * * * * After asking the receptionist just inside the studio's entrance where we were supposed to go, we headed straight for the 'Neighbors' sound-stage... still wondering why in the world the five of us felt we ought to know more about each other, than we thought we did. What would cause each of us to feel that way? No one *else* seems that familiar to us - none of the people Ami-chan and I saw on the way here, the receptionist, or the occasional studio security guard. Just the five of us. It's a nagging feeling that won't go away - that we somehow have some kind of connection we don't know about, even though we've only met today. It's a mystery, and I really don't care for mysteries all that much. I prefer to keep ahead of everything, you see. So you'll understand if I say this really doesn't help when I'm *already* feeling very blasted anxious as it is. Well... there *was* another girl taking a seat in one of the metal folding chairs they'd lined up inside the sound-stage. She looked familiar to us, too, though she didn't evoke the same strong sense of familiarity that the five of us had had when we met each other. She introduced herself as Osaka Naru. "You mean if I feel like we've met somewhere or something?" Naru asked, a perplexed look forming on her face. The big, ridiculous orange ribbon tied in a bow in her hair was exactly like the red ribbon Minako wore... but Naru actually wore hers for the purpose of tying her permed auburn hair back. Minako's ribbon looks more like an afterthought than anything else. Well... maybe I'm a little bit biased. I just don't think *really* long hairstyles like Minako and Rei wear are a good idea - the more hair you have, the harder it is to care for it. Just ask my sisters. Dad also has long hair, too. "I guess so," Naru said after a moment's thought. In response to Minako's follow-up question, she added, "But I don't think I felt anything like that." Looks like the weird feelings are limited to the five of us, then. Huh. Wait a minute. When did I start thinking of us as a group? I mean... counting Makoto, Minako and Rei. It was just me and Ami-chan on the way here. Now, we're a group. Ami spoke into my thoughts. "There are only six chairs here." Huh? You know what? She's right. Six chairs - one for me, Ami, Makoto, Rei, Minako and Naru. Most of the rest of the studio's been blocked off by a large purple curtain - guess they don't want anyone near the sets while they're not being used - and some cameras and other large equipment have been shoved off to the side. "I thought you said that there would be more people here for the audition?" I frowned. "I *assumed* there would be. They didn't tell me they were only inviting six people to the audition." "Yeah, I kinda thought there would be a lot more people here, too," Makoto chimed in. "They didn't tell me how many people'd be here, either." Minako shook her head. "So there's only six of us here. So what? That just means we've all got better chances of getting the part!" "Let me guess - you *really* want the part," I said, dryly. Sheesh, I can almost see the stars twinkling in her eyes. "Are you kidding? More than anything!" she gushed. "Everyone has to start somewhere, and you know what they say about striking while the early bird flies the coop..." The studio abruptly became uncomfortably quiet. "Who in the world says THAT?" spluttered Rei. Before Minako could say anything else, the doors opened again, and this time it was a man who walked into the studio. No, he didn't look familiar to me, either. "You're all here, I see. Good, good," he spoke in a smooth, approving tone of voice, while at the same time sizing each of us up with a critical eye. I've done that myself too many times to miss someone else doing it. Now, I'm going to assume this guy is one of the producers we've been called here to see. "I'm glad all of you could make it. Before we begin, I would like to remind everyone that even though this audition is for a one-time cameo role, there is a good chance this can lead to one of you becoming a permanent member of the regular cast." Minako's face brightened even more at that possibility. Beside me, in the meantime, Ami was starting to fidget. She ultimately raised her hand. "Yes, Miss...... Mizuno?" the man asked her, no doubt recalling her name and face from having looked at her picture beforehand. Or something like that. "I..." She swallowed, then began again. "I-I'm sorry. I really shouldn't be here..." "I'm afraid you can't leave yet, my dear!" a young man's voice rang out, filling the entire studio at once. A quick look at everyone else told me they, too, had been startled by the voice - even our producer 'friend.' Nobody expected the interruption, I suppose... but I have no idea if anyone recognized the speaker. The curtain was immediately drawn open, revealing a set that definitely had nothing to do with a soap opera set in an apartment mansion. Behind us, the doors of the only apparent doorway leading out of this place - the doors through which we'd come in - slammed shut. An alarm started to sound in my mind. Is someone trying to keep us from leaving this studio? If they are, why? For a second, I found myself wishing I'd taken at least a few more of Dad's lessons. I had barely followed the self-defense part of the training before losing interest in it altogether. Nobody was looking to pick a fight with me, and I had no reason to physically fight anyone, so why bother? Another one of those 'nagging feelings' struck me, but I mentally locked it away. I have more important things to think about. Minako sprinted toward the doors, followed by Makoto, as the studio lights shifted to a darker violet shade of color and an inexplicably cold mist formed around our ankles. "We're not supposed to have the gear for these kinds of effects set up in here," I heard the producer mutter, before he made an effort to check whatever equipment he could find. "...I can't open it!" Minako exclaimed, after trying to push or shake the large doors open. Makoto drew her away from the exit. "Let me try." Without waiting for Minako to approve, she began pushing the doors herself. That didn't work, either, though she did manage to budge them a bit more than Minako had. Maybe Mako-chan's a lot stronger than she looks... The nagging feeling returned in force, but I again forced it out of my mind. Enough, already! Someone had better tell me... *us* what's going on before long, or I might consider screaming. In a final note of frustration, Makoto eased backward far enough for a dashing start, then shoulder-rammed the doors. They budged about a few centimeters or more than her last attempt - enough to tell me that if anyone was holding them shut from the other side, they'd have to be considerably strong. I turned in time to see Rei furrow her eyebrows. "Rei?" "Something's... not right here. I feel - this is wrong." "...oh-kay," I raised an eyebrow. Naru, meanwhile, was venturing onto the set. Since my curiosity was already getting on my nerves, I joined her. "Nabiki-chan, wait!" Ami called after us. The set was filled with what appeared to be carved stone columns, covered with fake ivy and painted to have a severely-aged look, standing upon an equally 'weathered' base of arranged mock bricks. With the cold mist and violet lights, the whole scene did look - more or less - rather eerie. Naru and I glanced up as the sounds of a flute drifted toward us. I could just barely make out two people sitting atop the pillar at the very center of the set, far out of the range of the lights. A second later, something large and furry with horns like a bull dropped from the darkness above us, landing between Ami, Naru and I. "MINOTAURON!!" the thing bellowed in a deep, feminine voice. Naru's eyes went wide. "An actor in costume?" Vaguely recalling the few lessons in the Art Dad taught me, I almost instinctively turned my right side to the 'monster' in a loosely defensive stance. 'Minimizing my profile,' I think it was called. "It d-doesn't look like a costume," I stammered, still a little shaken by the impact and the thing's yell. Why in the world I haven't made a run for it yet, I don't know. "It... it looks real to me," Ami agreed. I'm not gonna wait to see if this thing is real, or an actor. Besides, even if this *is* just an act, someone apparently wants us to... "Run!" We scrambled away from the monster in different directions. The would-be monster stared at each of us briefly, as if deciding which one of us 'it' should chase. Before it could make that decision, however, the producer stormed up to it, imposing himself in the... thing's... face. "What are you people doing?" he demanded, almost yelling. "We didn't arrange for any of this! These costumes, this set, and the effects... this is SUPPOSED TO BE an audition!" The monster merely grabbed him by the shoulders and, with another shout of the word - or name? - "Minotauron," began draining him. What was being drained, I don't know - but *some* kind of glowing smoke-like stuff was being pulled from around the guy's body, traveling up Minotauron's hands and wrists before being absorbed into her body. "Another one!" Naru gasped. "It IS a real monster!" How can she tell? I didn't think there were really such things as monsters... other things such as people or animals being mistaken for monsters, perhaps, but... "Terrific," I heard Minako grumble from somewhere behind me. "We're not just stuck here - we're stuck here with a *real* monster." Then Minotauron let the producer fall unconscious to the floor, turning her attention to Naru. Naru screamed. Everything degraded into a wild scramble around the studio floor, with the six of us running in a loose group. My mind was strangely clear, imagining all the possibilities of this run, or what few alternatives we had. Shouldn't I be drawing a blank due to fear or something? We *do* have a monster out to suck our souls, or whatever. *Anyway*, we can't open the doors - so as Minako-chan said, we're stuck in here with this thing. Minotauron doesn't seem that smart, but I'll bet she can outlast all of us. All she has to do is wait for us to drop in exhaustion from running, and... that's it for us. I know, I shouldn't have put it that way, but I don't have the time to think of better words to use. Naru stumbled, veering to her right and nearly fell into Minako's arms. "I can't... my legs... legs hurt too much to run anymore." Minako shouldered Naru on her left and gave me a nod, telling me to take Naru's right. "We can't outrun that... monster... forever," Ami thought to point out. "I don't think I'll be able to stay on my feet much longer, either." I withdrew my breath. "Ami-chan!" From where Minako and I were carrying Naru in the back of the group, I saw Makoto stop and turn around. In a move that I could see little sister making, she clenched a fist. "Then we'll fight. Everyone, get back!" To my surprise, Rei stepped forward as Minako and I were taking the opportunity to help Naru rest against the nearest wall. "Allow me," she said to Makoto. Drawing an ofuda from her purse, Rei leveled it at the charging monster. "Rin... pyou... tou... sha... kai... jin... retsu... sai... zan!" she intoned, making a set of hand gestures I couldn't see from here. Rei's a Shinto priestess? She lunged forward and slapped her ofuda onto Minotauron's forehead. "*Akuryou taisan*!" Minotauron screamed in pain, brushing wildly against the ward in a vain effort to remove it. Before she could do just that, Makoto caught one of her arms, using a judo throw to pitch the monster into the wall a few yards away from us. The impact of that throw was enough to bring a lot of the nearby scenery crashing down upon Minotauron, after she'd fallen out of a notable crater in the wall. Huh. I stared, amazed, at Makoto. She really *is* strong. What an interesting group of people we've got here... Our monster friend wasn't going to stay mostly buried for long, unfortunately. It didn't take long for her to explode out of the pile and latch onto the nearest person she could find - Naru. Naru screamed as the thing started draining her. Before we could do anything to try to break Naru away from her, however, a black cat suddenly darted in and leapt to rake her claws across the monster's face. Huh? Now, how would I know if the cat's female or not? 'She' turned her head for a fraction of a second in my direction, just enough to let me see what looked like some sort of bald spot on her forehead... Whoa. I caught myself just as my thoughts lurched again. Can't these stupid feelings of... whatever they are give a little more warning? And why would Luna trigger... I shook my head. Luna? Who's that? I was thinking of someone for a second, there, but I can't exactly remember who or what. Just great; it's happening more often, now. "Minotauron!" That voice, again. "Take care of those girls!" Well... at least now we can be *sure* she's out to get us. Hmph. Guess it's time we got back to running all over the place in a panic. I shot another glance toward Naru, who was still lying on the floor where that thing had dropped her. From here, I can't tell if she's breathing... I'd really like to check, but if I stop to do that right now, I'll get drained or whatever as well. So, I can only *hope* she's okay. Some consolation. Why are we being chased by a monster? Didn't we come here for a blasted audition? I'd like to think someone will step out of hiding soon, say "Cut!" and tell us this was just a test of our acting skills or something like that, but I know *that* isn't going to happen. "Hey, you stupid monster! Stop right there!" *Now* what? A blond-haired girl wearing what looked like a weird version of our school uniforms was pointing a finger accusingly at Minotauron. I felt another surge of deja vu preparing to do just that, until Ami-chan spoke two words that brought me to a halt. "Sailor Moon." "Huh?" both Makoto and I said in unison. Ami stared at the newcomer a few seconds longer. "She's supposed to be... some sort of vigilante hero, like Sailor V. The newspapers and television say that they fight criminals and monsters." "If she wants them, she can have them," I muttered under my breath, though without conviction. Now, if the six of us ended up doing nothing but running away, what can... Sailor Moon do? We had our answer when she brought both arms before her, shouting, "*Moon Healing*--" Then she stopped cold, staring at her hands in surprise, as if she'd recalled something important - and suddenly, *she* was scrambling all over the studio with Minotauron chasing her. "I don't believe it!" Rei groused, not taking her eyes away from Sailor Moon's panicked run in circles around us. "She's always being such a big scaredy-cat! As usual, I'm probably gonna have to save her..." I snorted. "Knock it off, Rei-chan. You're always picking on her. Besides, you do know the rest of us are here, too, right?" Ami agreed, nodding sharply. "Umm... hey, do you guys know her?" All at once, whatever it was that I'd been thinking about flowed away from me... like water in a stream, I guess. I blinked more than once, feeling as if I'd been somewhere else, and saw Ami and Rei doing the same. More deja vu? Or... what? "I... I don't think so," I tried to answer Mako-chan's question. Narrowing my eyes, I watched our would-be hero run all over the place. "Though... there *is* something familiar..." <"You're always picking on her,"> I'd told Rei, and fully believed it. Okay, aside from the fact that that implies I know who Sailor Moon is - how did *I* know it? Didn't I just meet Rei for the first time, tonight? Sailor Moon tripped, one of her feet catching among some of the debris still on the floor from *our* chase. We each gasped in shock as Minotauron was immediately with her, lifting Sailor Moon from the ground with a single, large hand wrapped tightly around the girl's throat. The idea that I couldn't leave Sailor Moon to be hurt and drained like Naru-chan and the producer - or worse! - won out over my fear. "We have to help her," stated Minako, edging past all of us to stand at the front of our little group. None of us disagreed with her. I felt myself step forward, as did Ami and everyone else. Maybe later, I'll be able to figure out why I'm suddenly willing to play dogpile-on-the-monster... I'm not a fighter! Akane's better at this sort of thing; she'd probably think nothing of running over there and beating up Minotauron here and now. The black cat reappeared, placing herself in our path. "*Wait*!" I almost withdrew a few steps. "A-a talking *cat*?" Though, some part of me wasn't as surprised as I figured I must sound. Huh. The cat nodded. "I wish I didn't have to do this," I thought I heard her say - right before that weird bald spot on her head flared with light, light that immediately shot toward us like lasers... I wanted to scream. Or I thought I should be. I've been running from what, a life-sucking monster all evening, only to be zapped by a talking cat? And then one of the beams hit my forehead. It didn't hurt. I... I'm really not sure how I can explain what happened when that beam hit me. Well... there was no pain, as I said. There wasn't much to feel at all, unless you want to count the odd feeling I just had, realizing at once that I have more memories in my head than I thought I did. Yes, that's right. More memories. A lot of things are making a lot more sense, even those that I wasn't aware needed to make sense. Whatever. I'd been someone else recently, a hero, a protector. A fighter? Sailor Terra, who had died protecting the Princess against the Dark Kingdom and... and... I don't know. If I died - and I *do* remember dying - why am I here? I'm alive, now, and I certainly didn't *imagine* that fight... Luna's voice brought me back. "Hurry! You've got to help Sailor Moon!" I reached for my henshin pen, as I could see everyone else doing - but it wasn't there. Luna was a step ahead of us, though, and a new henshin pen began to materialize in my hand. ...Or a 'rod,' I guess. It has a different feel and look than my original pen - thicker, with a large golden star at the top that's inset with a brown circle bearing the symbol of Terra. I'll have to check later to see if it's also a true pen, but I doubt it. "Now, everyone, use the Star Power and transform!" After wondering what Luna had meant for a second, I did just that, raising my 'pen' to the air. "Terra Star Power... *make up*!" Both the power that surged within me and the power that transformed me felt almost twice as strong as it had been. Other than that, I don't think there are any other changes. "Shabon... Spray!" Mercury took the first step in what is one of our standard tactics as a group - spreading out under the cover of the Shabon Spray to encircle the bad guys. While I ran to find a place to stand, there was a sound of someone falling to the floor, and a pained yelp from Usagi - had Minotauron dropped her? - then what sounded like someone picking her up again. My breath caught until I heard Mars yell, "I've got her!" The Shabon Spray cleared enough for us to locate our monster, and for her to notice we'd surrounded her. Ami has learned to control her 'power' to a point... she can dissipate the mist at will, or give it a weak nudge in strength - though I doubt you'd notice the difference without some kind of scanning equipment, like the Mercury computer and visor. Sure, I'll admit I'm a little bit envious of all the gear Ami and Usagi-chan get to use. It's always fun to imagine every once in a while what I'd do with a disguise pen, for example. Not that I really need any of those things, but it's still fun to think about. Minotauron snarled, but Jupiter fired a Supreme Thunder her way before she could do anything, followed by the rest of us all at once. Our attacks met in an explosion of light, bright enough that I had to bring up an arm to shield my eyes. Minotauron screamed, caught in the midst of it all. A moment after that, all that was left of her was an oblong card of some sort - maybe like a Tarot card, I guess, though I've never truly seen what a Tarot card looks like - fluttering to the ground. But before I could see the design on the card, it turned completely dark and crumbled into a small pile of gray sand. Sailor Moon immediately sprang up from where Mars had left her and caught Mercury in a tight hug. "You're all back?" she practically cried. "You remember everything?" I... do, don't I? Remember everything. Now, it all makes a *lot* more sense, like my reasons for being here instead of with Dad and my sisters. I had a big, important part of my memories locked away somewhere, without my knowledge. A side effect of... Of dying and - I guess - being brought back to life? Rei snorted. "Yeah, we're back. And it's all your fault." Hey, I'd rather be here with all my memories than walking around unaware that I didn't have some of them. "So," the familiar voice from above said, flatly. Now that all the fog is gone, we can see the entire room again; on a sudden thought, I looked back up at the middle pillar on the set. The pair - a pale-skinned boy and girl with pastel hair and dark bodysuits - glared down at us. "There are six Senshi. Not one. How... annoying." "Why don't you scuttle back to the hole from which you came?" the girl sniffed. "Pests like you aren't even worth our trouble." Her partner sighed. "Until the next time we meet, girls. Farewell." They disappeared. I was about to point out that our apparent new enemy might have seen us transform and could still be watching, or notice that five of the people who'd come for the audition had disappeared and been replaced by five Sailor Senshi, when Mina reverted to normal and knelt at Naru-chan's side. "We'd better change back," she announced in a moment of full seriousness. Naru and the producer needed to be tended to, and the Sailor Senshi weren't supposed to be here. Neither were Usagi and Luna, at that. "Usagi-chan, you should leave before anyone else finds you. We'll have a meeting later at the Shrine. Okay?" Sailor Moon hesitated, simply staring at the rest of us for a few seconds. She whispered something none of us could hear, then crouched on one knee to scoop Luna into her arms and left, leaping through the opened doors. "How *did* they get in here?" I spoke up while dropping my own transformation. If Mina and especially Mako-chan couldn't force the doors open, how could Luna and Usagi? "The doors were probably only blocked on our side. Any person could enter from the hall, but find it impossible to leave," Ami reasoned, pulling out her computer and using it to first scan the producer and Naru, then the rest of the room. Minako blinked. "If you say so, Ami-chan." * * * * * I watched the large red numbers on my clock count up from the side of my pillow. One minute, two more. Two-seventeen A.M. It really is easy to go back over your life and speculate what could change if you did something differently at one point. And there are a lot of points in my life for one to think about... What would happen if I'd passed on the audition that night, or never had my memories restored? If I'd never become Sailor Terra before that, or met Ami when we were younger? What if I'd never been reincarnated after the end of the Silver Millennium, or even never joined the Senshi *then*? Had it been my choice? A millennia ago, had I been lying in bed like this, imagining what *might* have happened? I shut my eyes, trying again to concentrate on my past life. Maybe there's a very small chance I can access those memories. Nothing. It never works, anyway, unless you want to count my daydreams about what I must have looked like or my possible life. Or Ami-chan, or anyone else in our little group. Even big brother and Usagi don't know as much about the Prince and Princess as they would prefer. Maybe Setsuna knows - though whatever she does know, she won't reveal, so you can't be sure. Of course, I'm not sure about what *I* do or don't know, either... I haven't really asked any of the others if they're as interested in knowing about their past lives. They don't seem to be all that concerned about it, from outward appearances, but they do wonder on occasion... particularly when the bad guys or someone else brings up events we either can't recall or haven't experienced, one way or another. I suppose I'll never be absolutely sure whether or not I'd been... a member of the Terran royal family. Who knows - you might not have to have been royalty to become a Senshi. How many rulers would be willing to let their little girls risk what we're doing as the Sailor Senshi? But I do want to know. I have to; it's the most important bit of information I'm looking for right now. Hmm. It's two twenty-four now. I ought to be sleeping - I get up and go to school early, according to my schedule. Maybe I'll dream of a way to figure out for sure who I was... * * * * * Her eyes narrowed, carefully studying every aspect of the holographic video account playing in an almost life-sized, three- dimensional format in the middle of the court. The Crimson Millennium's Dolls had just claimed another victim - a young man who clearely had wanted to be a better fighter and... become more appealing to women, than he currently thought he was. Even warriors customarily had trivial, foolish desires, she mused. Whether or not the Dolls had anything of the sort, she wasn't sure. A minute hint of a smile turned the extreme corners of her lips upward as another boy rushed into the scene to face off against the new monster - a smile that disappeared a moment later when her aide began to speak. "Here is the proof you asked to see... that the Sailor Senshi are indeed present in this time and interfering with your plans." Thick sheets of mist or fog suddenly spread to obscure the entire scene; both the monster and camera were unable to discern anything at all. "Hmm," she frowned. "That *was* a favored tactic of the Senshi, wasn't it?' No response. Her aide knew his role well. She hadn't been hoping for idle conversation. As the mist cleared, the monster saw that the Senshi had encircled it - and fell to an attack that slammed into it from opposite directions. She was grateful that the camera had merely been linked to the Doll's life-force, not viewing all through the Doll's eyes. With any luck there would be enough power remaining in the camera to provide her with her first decent look at the Sailor Senshi of the present day. Eternal Sailor Moon came to stand across from the monster, causing her to start. "Wait," she ordered. "Extract and display a proper model of her." Almost instantly, a full holographic model of Eternal Sailor Moon replaced the video, standing rigidly in place. She stared intently at the model. "Princess Serenity." Or a descendant, which was unlikely. But what in the universe was one of the line of Serenity doing, acting as a Senshi? Hadn't someone once mentioned that the Senshi were formed to *protect* the royal line of Serenity? If this pseudo-Senshi *was* Princess Serenity, then there was a good chance that... the other Senshi were likewise the people she had met, not new women somehow charged with those roles. "A Senshi, wearing a dark brown skirt and regal blue bows," she said at last, evenly. "If there is any trace of her at all in that video, extract and display a model of her." A longer delay passed before a similar model of the Senshi in question took Sailor Moon's place. The woman's frown deepened. "It's her... Lady Terra," she nearly snarled. "Your Highness?" She drew herself to her feet, stepping toward the model of Sailor Terra. "I was never able to determine how she knew to meddle with our original plan to gain a foothold in this system... yet she did, and I nearly well lost my life because of that... *girl*." Another step, and she reached out a hand, making a deliberate show of tightening her fingers around - then through - the model Terra's neck. "She wears her hair markedly shorter now, but it is her." Why wouldn't Lady Terra, Serenity and their Senshi friends have lived to interfere in the present day? She and her own forces had survived... "It's good that she is alive," the woman allowed herself a true, predatory smile. "Her, and Princess Serenity. I must improve my plans to accommodate both of them." <...to be continued...> ---------- Notes: While I realize that some of you wanted to see what happened in this timeline's version of the final battle with Beryl and Metallia, I figured that Nabiki would try *not* to consciously think about it, and she'd likely wake up while dreaming about it for certain reasons. Does this mean the story will never be told? No, I just believe Nabiki's probably going to try to change the subject unless she has a definite need to relive the events. :) This part took a little longer to write (not counting my ever-increasing lack of free time ^_^) because I basically rewrote episode 48 with only Hitoshi Doi's (thanks again) original synopsis as a reference. (Sure, I could have cued the episode and run through it several times while writing the story, but where's the fun in that? ^_^) Credits: Written by: Mike Koos Prereaders/Special Thanks to: Tom Williams, Jim Robert Bader, Jonathan Ng, Kevin D. Hammel, Richard Beaubien, Louis-Phillipe Giroux. All parts of this series are available at the RAAC archives at ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works or from my WWW pages at http://www.fanfic.net/~makoto/ Comments and questions welcome. * Mike ('Kino Makoto') Koos: makoto@cal.net * http://www.fanfic.net/~makoto * * "I can do nothing to stop you. Your background music is too strong * for me." - Sam Johnson, Whose Line is it Anyway?