Hello again.  Many people have been e-mailing me lately to ask me if a) I was
dead and b) if I had dropped this story.  The answer to both questions is,
fortunately, no.  Basically, my new job takes up a lot more of my time than my
old one did, cutting into my writing time severely, which is why chapter five
has taken so incredibly long to be released.  I understand that it can be
frustrating for people when they're waiting for a new chapter to come out, and
I apologize to everyone who wrote me but didn't recieve a reply.  I'm trying
to get caught up with everything here, really, and I'm horribly disorganized
some days.  Unfortunately, I can't even begin to promise that chapter six will
be written any faster than this one was, because the constraints on my free
time aren't going to be loosening in the foreseeable future.  To try and make
up for that, I may start releasing shorter chapters (and maybe even teasers,
something I have always avoided) in an effort to cut down the time between
releases.  In the meantime, though, I present the important part of this post
... the story itself.

	I've also noticed that more than a few people seem to have picked up the
Shadow Chronicles storyline with this particular effort.  That's hardly
suprising, as I'm sure there are people who would read a Ranma slash Sailor
Moon story but not a pure Ranma one.  I should probably point out, then, that
a backstory exists for Ranko and the hyperlink key he carries, and that tale
is covered in my first ever fanfic, Cast a Long Shadow, which can be found on
my web page: http://www.akane.org/mark/shadowchronicles/  (Said page courtesy
of the exceptional Krista Perry, to give credit where it is due.  Everybody go
ask her when the end of HoI is coming out, 'kay?  ^_^)

	Now that all that is out of the way, let's get on with the show, shall we?


Ciao,

Mark

-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: clearday5r.txt

     This story is a work of fanfiction.  As such, it owes a great
debt to the creators of the characters used herein: Rumiko
Takahashi, creator of Ranma, and Naoko Takeuchi, creator of
Sailor Moon.  

     This story contains scenes of a dark nature and Lime
rated material, and thus is not suited for younger readers. 
Reader discretion is advised.




On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

Chapter Five: Inexplicable Truths

     Mars barely had time to register the strange sounds that
erupted from Ranko's throat before the girl moved, her arm
blurring in an arc that surpassed even her previous speed.  The
wereleopard was sent flying back, crimson staining its fur as it
tumbled to the uneven pavement.
     That was all the diversion they needed; flame erupted at the
same time as a brilliant yellow beam of light, and the remaining
weres scattered.  They began to shift, one of them going all the
way, the other two stopping in their hybrid forms.  Using the piles
of rubble as cover, they slipped in and out of sight with unearthly
grace, working around the two senshi.
     Mars caught sight of Ranko as the girl rolled over onto all
fours.  At first she thought the red-head must be injured, but the girl
spun quickly and lunged forward, landing on all fours again and
snarling at the wounded wereleopard, feral rage in her eyes.
     Mars had no time to puzzle out what was going on,
however, as one of their attackers leapt over the rubble and
streaked towards her.  She unleashed a series of flaming discs in his
direction, and he veered off quickly, leaving the discs to explode
against the tangle of steel and concrete.
     The weres were testing their defences, trying to draw them
out so as to expose a flank.  Very predatory of them, but both
senshi had been in tight battles before, and weren't about to make
such a basic mistake.
     Ranko was a different matter.  She charged the wereleopard
heedlessly, slashing at it with her hand, leaving a trail of parallel
blood trails behind ... almost as if she'd grown claws herself.  The
creature roared in pain and anger and tried to strike back, but
Ranko was far too fast and slashed it yet again as it lunged, opening
several diagonal cuts across its nose.  One eye was obscured by
blood, and the big cat shrieked, twisting in a attempt to escape its
tormentor.  Ranko would not be denied, though, slashing again and
again at her foe's flanks, drawing blood every time.
     That did it.  The panicked wereleopard turned tail and fled,
running full-out into the Zone.  Ranko wheeled, snarling, and now
the others found themselves facing even odds.  Mars nearly tagged
the other cat, a weretiger, with her fireball, sending it rolling across
the roadway.  Seconds later it was up and running, shrieking in fear
as fire blossomed on its tail.  It fled into the ruins, all thought of
fighting apparently abandoned.  Mars wondered how long it would
be before the were calmed down enough to change back.
     The tide turned even more quickly after that.  V caught one of
the hybrids, the male, with her whip and slammed him into the
ground, then whirled and flung him across the road and into a
partially demolished wall.  The force of the impact took him
through the crumbling stone, and after a few seconds it was
apparent that he wasn't coming back.
     That left only one hybrid, the woman called Yui.  She
crouched, her half-human, half beast form coiled and ready to
attack.  V raised her finger to point at the woman, but before she
could fire her Crescent Beam, Yui slipped away.  Mars had only
begun to consider a course of action when a blur of motion showed
her that Ranko had not been idle.    
     Apparently, she'd been creeping around the periphery of the
fight, and chose that moment to spring at the distracted were.  Yui
whirled and slashed at the girl, but Ranko flowed through the air
like mercury, dodging the blow and drawing blood as she passed. 
She landed on all fours and spun, yowling with fury and
immediately making another pass.  Yui stumbled back, not knowing
what to make of her opponent.  She hissed, baring long fangs as she
shifted her gaze between Ranko, who was letting loose with a low
warning growl, and the two senshi.
     Then, in a flash, she spun and retreated, shifting even further
into animal mode.  Ranko sprang after her, disappearing in a flash
of black and red, moving much faster than Mars would have
thought possible on all fours.
     "Ranko!" Mars called.  "Come back!"
     "What on earth WAS that?" V asked, easing up beside
Mars.  "I've never seen anything like that before.  Is Ranko some
kind of were?"
     "No," Mars said, frowning as she ran towards the point
where the girl had disappeared.  "She didn't change at all that I
could see.  Whatever that was, I don't think it had anything to do
with lycanthropy."
     They edged carefully around the debris, then ran when it became
apparent that there were no threats nearby.  They heard the sounds
of fighting ahead, ferocious and wild, and they put on a burst of
speed.
     Ranko was pursuing Yui again; this much they could see
down the ruin of a street.  Ranko appeared to have her foe's
number, though.  Yui's feline form was streaked with blood, but
Ranko seemed unhurt.
     Physically, anyway.  Mars could not understand what had
happened to the girl, but she didn't have time to worry now.
     "Damn it, Yui sure can run!" V gasped.
     "No wonder," Mars shot back.  "See her transformation? 
She's a cheetah!"
     Indeed, the big cat was outdistancing even Ranko now, but
Mars caught a glimpse of the skyline and knew that Yui was in
trouble.  This street, if she wasn't mistaken, led to the river.
     She wasn't mistaken.
     They saw Yui slow as she spotted the twisted ruin of what
had once been a bridge spanning the turbulent expanse of the White
Orb River.  Her head came around, spotting Ranko gaining ground
while the two senshi struggled to keep up.  Mars knew that if there
was sufficient flat terrain, they would never catch Yui, but the area
around this street was a wasteland of treacherous rubble, sinkholes
and tangled metal.
     Mars wondered what Ranko would do if she caught the
werecheetah.  Apparently, Yui decided not to find out; spinning,
she streaked up the short buckled deck of the bridge and launched
her lean form into space.  Seconds later, they heard a splash as her
body hit the fast-flowing water.  For a moment Mars was afraid that
Ranko would follow her quarry, but the girl skidded to a stop at the
edge of the abbreviated bridge, gazing curiously over the side.
     By the time the two arrived, winded, near the end of the
street, Ranko had come back down off the bridge and was
crouched contentedly in the street, licking her hand and rubbing the
back of it along her face.  Mars motioned V back and slowly crept
forward, stopping only when Ranko looked up at her and began to
emit a low, feral sound deep in her throat.  The weres, taken off-
guard by events and losing the element of surprise, had been
vanquished in short order, but the danger wasn't over yet. 
     "Ranko?" Mars called softly.  She gazed down at the girl, her
chest tightening.  I'll look into her eyes, she thought, and there'll be
nothing there.  Just like in my vision ...
     But there was something lurking in those intense blue eyes,
something alive and hot and vital.  It just didn't seem to be human.
     "Mars?" V called softly.
     "Stay there," Mars replied without turning.  She tried to
ease forward, but Ranko began making that unpleasant, pissed-off
feline sound again, and she froze.  Then she slowly crouched where
she was until she was on one knee, watching Ranko all the while.
     "It's okay," she said softly.  "I won't hurt you.  Do you
understand, Ranko?"  The red-head just stared back impassively,
showing no sign of comprehension.  Mars suppressed a curse.  This
was just wonderful.  Somehow, the girl had gone wild on them.  So
now what?  They couldn't leave her out in this part of the city; after
dark, weres would be the least dangerous thing lurking in these
ruined buildings.
     And Ranko was the key to whatever danger her vision had
presaged.  They needed to keep her close.  Somehow, though,
Mars got the feeling that sweet reason wouldn't be the answer here.
     Fortunately, she had another idea.
     She began to concentrate on her breathing, effortlessly
recalling her temple training.  Ranko didn't back away, but neither
did she seem inclined to come any closer, content to just stare. 
Mars began to whisper a mantra under her breath, locking her gaze
with Ranko's.  She let her aura intensify and expand, compelling,
drawing, attracting.  Her pheremone signature intensified as well, as
she reached out on a level below rationality to draw the now savage
girl to her.
     She'd always been rather good at exercises like this during
her training; her will was strong and her control nearly unrivalled. 
She watched as Ranko's nostrils flared slightly, and the girl cocked
her head.  She shuffled in place, shook her head a little, but didn't
back away.  Then, almost as an afterthought, she rose onto all fours
and began to pad slowly towards where Mars was crouched.
     About halfway there she stopped, clearly torn.  Mars
couldn't figure out why until she felt hands on her shoulders, sliding
around into an embrace her as V knelt behind her.
     "Rei," the blonde whispered huskily into her ear.  "I don't
know what you're doing, but I liiiiike it ..."  
     Damn.
     "I told you to stay back," Mars hissed back, not breaking
eye contact with Ranko.
     "But I just wanted to ..."
     "Minako," Rei breathed.  "Be still."  She put the force of
compulsion behind her words, and instantly Minako froze, still
pressed against her.
     "Yes, ma'am," the blonde whispered meekly.  Mars gritted
her teeth.  This was going to be hard to explain, but first things
first.  She needed Ranko to come closer.
     Lazily, she extended one hand, letting it flow in slow,
languid motions that gestured, summoned, beckoned the girl
forward.  Ranko pretended to ignore her for a moment, shaking her
head with a tiny sneeze, but soon got back up and began to pad
forward once more.  Rei focussed her persuasive talents, stroking
the girl with her gaze, her scent, the force of her will.
     Finally, Ranko came up to the beckoning hand and, after a
momentary sniff, nuzzled it.  Mars stroked the girl's cheek
carefully, reaching back to plunge her fingers into that crimson
mane and scratch gently behind the ears.  Ranko's eyes lidded, and
she butted her head against Mars' chest ... and started purring.
     "Mmmmm," V sighed.  "Will you scratch my ears next?"
     "Hush," Mars murmured without turning.  She let Ranko
smell her, waiting until the girl rubbed her cheek against the front of
her fuku.  Then she slowly began to let the compulsion fade,
waiting for any sign that Ranko would bolt.
     She didn't, content to have her ears scratched.  Mars sighed
in relief.
     One problem solved.  But they still had to get out of the
Zone and back to somewhere safe.
     "That," V growled throatily, her lips next to Mars' ear,
"was a very interesting trick, babe."
     "Thank you," Mars said shortly.  "Next time, stay where I
tell you, okay?"
     "I did," V whispered, smiling slyly.  "I think you
underestimated your effective range.  What kind of spell was that,
anyhow?"
     "We'll talk about it later.  See if she'll let you pet her."
     V reached down slowly, and Ranko raised her head in an
unnervingly feline gesture, rubbing against V's hand before letting
the girl stroke her hair gently.
     "So, what now?" V asked, stroking the now complacent Ranko.
     "Now, we've got to get her someplace safe and see about
reversing whatever was done to her," Mars sighed.  "There's the
Two Towers, so we don't have that far to go.  Let's see if she'll
follow us."
     Ranko did just that, never straying too far away.  With no
sign of the remaining werecats, that left them free to make their
way across the river and back into town.
     "Hey, Mars," V said, glancing back at Ranko, who was
happily scampering on all fours in their wake.  "How in the hells are
we going to explain this, anyway?"
     "Damned if I know," Mars sighed.  "Just keep walking,
okay?  We'll worry about that later."

***

     Makoto leaned her hips against the polished wood counter
in her kitchen, scowling.  She didn't like how this was turning out,
not at all.  It had been shocking enough to hear that woman tell
Usagi that Rei was a follower of the Dark Lady, and that she'd
never really cared for Usagi at all.  What was worse was that her
words had possessed a ring of truth.
     Once Makoto would never have entertained such a notion. 
That, however, was before Hotaru had revealed her true self,
drinking Usagi's blood and showing the true contempt she held for
both them and the long-dead Queen Serenity.  When the
unthinkable happens, it tends to throw shadows of doubt over
everything else.
     And so they'd arrived back at her place, and Makoto had
braced herself for trouble ... only to find that Rei and Minako were
gone.  The note they'd left had said they were on their way to pick
up Ami, but when Ami called later from the train station to say
they'd never showed, Makoto's paranoia began to seem almost
reasonable.
     It seemed so incomprehensible, but the arrogant beauty
who'd wounded Usagi's soul so effortlessly had told her to ask Rei
if she wanted to know the truth.  Makoto felt her scowl deepen. 
And when Usagi did ask, what would Rei say?  Would she be
shocked, angry?  Or would she admit to having embraced the
darkness?
     Makoto had heard stories of the Sisters of Shadows, and of
the tactics they employed.  It almost made sense to her, that they
might want to slip one of their own close to someone who
embodied the power of the White Moon, someone like Usagi. 
Once having gained her trust and even her love, their operative
could then cripple the princess's spirit, leaving her a shell of her self,
unable to protect herself from their foul web of deceit and lies.  And
to those women, that would be much more satisfying than actually
killing their foe.
     Makoto fairly quivered with anger.  Hotaru had brought
them together, revealed their past lives, and helped forge them into
a team.  Even when faced with the truth, Makoto had had trouble
believing ... had not WANTED to believe.  But the facts had been
undeniable.  Hotaru had used them.  They'd never been anything
more to her than pawns.  And the others, the Outer Senshi, had
known the truth all along and had kept it hidden from them, which
in Makoto's eyes demonstrated their complicity in everything that
had happened.  Even Haruka, the first person Makoto had looked
up to in a very long while, had lied to her, betrayed her trust.
     And to Makoto, there was no sin worse than betrayal.
     And now this.  She didn't want to believe it; Rei had been
with them through so much.  But then, so had the Outers, and
apparently it had meant nothing.  One thing, though, was certain. 
     Makoto Kino was tired of being manipulated and lied to.
     "Makoto?"  She looked up at the sound of her name to find
Ami standing beside her.  Ami had taken a taxi at Makoto's bidding
when they'd spoken on the phone, and had spent the time since
she'd arrived trying to pull Usagi out of her funk.
     "How is she?" Makoto asked.
     "Worried," Ami replied softly.  "She says she's afraid Rei
and Minako are in trouble, but ..."
     "Yeah.  But," Makoto replied sourly.  "But what if Minako
is the only one in trouble?"
     "I just can't believe such a thing," Ami protested, keeping
her voice low.  "Even after all that's happened ..."
     "That woman was pretty convincing," Makoto told her.
     "Saekianna, Usagi said.  Nightmistress of the Sisterhood,"
Ami mused.  "What is she up to?"
     "It was all just a game to her, Ami.  You should have seen
her.  Usagi was crushed, and this woman was enjoying herself!  If I
hadn't been worried about Usagi, I'd have gone after the bitch
myself!"
     "That would be unwise," Ami broke in.  "The Sisterhood's
reputation is well earned.  They are very dangerous."
     "You think I care?"  Makoto didn't realize how her voice
had risen until Ami began speaking in the tone of voice she reserved
specifically for when she was trying to calm the taller girl down.
     "They are tricky, devious, and cunning," Ami continued
calmly.  "For Usagi's sake, please don't do anything rash.  Please?"
     Makoto took a breath and let it out slowly.  Ami was right,
of course.  It was just that she was feeling helpless, impotent in the
face of Usagi's pain.  It was just like after Hotaru, and the urge to
do something, anything, was overwhelming.
     "I understand," she told Ami ruefully.  "I just ... I can't
stand going through this again, you know?  I thought we were
something special."
     "We should wait and hear what Rei has to say," Ami said,
shuffling her feet absently.  "This whole thing could be a ploy of
some sort, you know."
     "I hope that's what it is," Makoto sighed.  "Believe me, I
do.  But I can't help thinking about things in a different light now.
 Like how Rei, a priestess, never knew Hotaru was a vampire.  I'm
starting to doubt everything.  I just ... I feel this sense of dread, you
know?"
     "I know," Ami replied, her voice nearly inaudible.  "If this
IS true, then it'll be the end of the senshi.  We'll never recover."
     "I just wish there was something we could do," Makoto
fumed.  "This waiting is killing me."
     "Let me use your computer, Makoto," Ami said, tilting her
head back to gaze up into the taller girl's eyes.  "It isn't as
sophisticated as any of mine, but I can try to find out about this
woman.  If she does know the truth about us, then we'll need to
take steps to protect ourselves."
     "Good idea.  In the meantime, I'm going to go sit with
Usagi.  Maybe I can convince her to eat something."
     "Makoto," Ami called as the tall girl pushed off the counter
and started walking towards the loft.  Makoto stopped and turned
back.
     "Yeah?"
     "Where do you think Rei is now?" Ami asked.  Makoto saw
the hope in the other girl's blue eyes, the need to hear that there
was a perfectly good explanation for Rei's untimely absence.
     "I don't know," Makoto admitted.  "But this doesn't look
good, Ami.  It definitely doesn't look good for us."
     She walked away, trying to keep a tight reign on the dull
ache in her gut.  Betrayal, she was finding, never got any easier to
stomach, no matter how many times it happened.  It hurt, burned
like acid, ate away at the soft parts of the heart and left only scars in
its wake.  Maybe she'd been right to strike out on her own after all. 
Maybe, in the end, you really couldn't rely on anyone else. 
     That was a frightening thought.

***

     Rei watched the cab driver pull away, the driver giving them
one more incredulous glance in his mirror before roaring down the
road and out of sight.  Well, she couldn't blame him, she supposed.
     It certainly had been an interesting ride.
     Ranko had squirmed and crawled around between them,
refusing to settle down in her odd feline state.  And, of course,
Minako had felt compelled to tell the driver that Ranko was their
sex toy and was merely role playing.  Rei was relieved that the drive
was finally over.
     Although their problems weren't.
     "So this is your place, huh?" the raven-haired senshi asked.
     "Yup," Minako replied, trying to coax a still wary Ranko
into following her, oblivious to the looks they were receiving from
passers-by.  "Not bad, eh?"
     It was better than not bad.  Minako's neighbourhood was
on a hill that gave a pretty impressive view of the central districts of
the Triangle.  Their adventures had brought them so far north that it
had actually been easier to get to Minako's place than to try to fight
through traffic and make it back to Makoto's.  Rei hadn't wanted
to keep Ranko in the cab any longer than strictly necessary anyway,
so Minako's had seemed the better choice.
     The house itself was impressive, a towering old stone manse
festooned with turrets and gables and old wardings woven into the
wrought iron scrollwork that lined the windows and the edges of
the roof.
     "This place can't be yours," Rei said as she approached the
walkway that led to the imposing front door.
     "Not all of it," Minako grunted, trying to wrestle a
recalcitrant Ranko away from a nearby bush.  "It's been broken up
into apartments.  There's one in the basement, two on the main
floor and two on the second floor.  Mine's one of those, but mine's
the best one in the place.  I've got rooms up in the third floor as
part of my space, that turret thingie is part of my bedroom ...
Ranko, dammit, will you stop being such a pain?"
     Smiling wryly, Rei walked past the blonde and through the
open gate.  Ranko rose on all fours and followed her, brushing
lightly against Rei's leg as she investigated her new surroundings. 
Minako made an exasperated sound.
     "Made yourself a friend, huh?" the blonde asked.  
     "Jealous?" Rei shot back.
     "If she's your cat, just see that she doesn't pee on my
floors," Minako said.  She walked up to the heavy front door and
fished about for her keys as Rei and Ranko followed her up the
broad stairs.  The neighbourhood was an older one, but quite nice
for the Triangle; sort of eclectic, with a mix of architectural styles. 
There were signs it had once been fairly upscale.
     The hill dropped off steeply only a couple of streets over into a
wooded ravine that led to the Black River, forming a natural
boundary that probably fostered a sense of community among the
people who lived here. 
     Or maybe she was reading too much into that; maybe it just
fostered paranoia in those with a fear of heights.
     Minako opened the door and led them inside.  Ranko
hesitated briefly at the threshold, but ended up following Rei into
the small foyer.  Rei wondered if the way she'd summoned the girl
back in the Zone had made such an impression on Ranko's cat-
persona, or if she'd just decided to follow Rei around for some
inexplicable feline reason.
     Whichever, it was helpful that she was being at least
moderately cooperative.  Rei wanted to get the girl someplace
private as soon as possible, so they could try to figure out what had
happened and how it could be fixed.  One thing was for certain;
she'd never get any answers out of Ranko in her present state.
     The curved staircase took them up to a narrow hallway. 
Ranko sniffed warily along the dark wooden baseboards, and Rei
waited impatiently as Minako opened her door.
     "Ah," the blonde announced.  "Home sweet home."  Rei
stood at the threshold, urging Ranko inside.  The door opened
directly into a large, airy room in a state of moderate disarray.  A
couch and two plush chairs formed a rough cluster near a wall unit
equipped with some very expensive stereo equipment, including a 
top of the line karaoke machine.
     The colours were warm, and the entire atmosphere was one
of casual intimacy.  It suited Minako perfectly, as far as Rei was
concerned.
     "Yo, Artemis!" Minako called.  "I'm back!"
     "Mina?" a voice replied from another room.  "Just a
second!"  
     Moments later, a small white cat with a crescent moon
emblem on his forehead emerged from one of the arched doorways
leading from the room.
     "Another all-nighter, huh?" Artemis asked wryly.  Then he
caught sight of Rei and his eyes widened.
     "Hey!" he blurted.  "I wasn't expecting to see you, Rei!"
     "Long story," Rei replied.  "How are you doing, Artemis? 
Keeping out of trouble?"
     "With Mina around, that's a full-time job," Artemis laughed.
     "I heard that!" Minako shouted from somewhere out of
sight.  "Hey tomcat, have we got anything to eat?  I'm starved!"
     "Now there's a shock!" Artemis shot back.  Just then Ranko
emerged from her investigations, crawling into the room and
stopping short at the sight of Artemis.  She lowered her body
slightly, a low menacing growl oozing from her throat.
     "Uh-oh," Rei said.  Ranko began a slow, low-slung
advance, and Artemis yelped, scampering up Rei's leg and into her
arms.
     "Ranko, knock it off!" Rei snapped.  Ranko's eyes, fever-
bright, stayed locked on Artemis even as she froze on the floor.  It
was clear that Ranko, in her feline state, wasn't fond of other cats.
     "What's going on?" Minako asked, stepping into the room.
     "Little territorial dispute, I think," Rei replied.  "Take
Ranko into the kitchen and get her some milk or something, would
you?" 
     "Huh.  Okay, red, come on," Minako sighed, grabbing the
disgruntled Ranko by the collar and pulling her away.  "No bullying
Artemis, okay?"  With a baleful backwards glance, Ranko allowed
herself to be pulled away.  Artemis peeked timidly over Rei's
shoulder, sighing in relief as Minako pulled Ranko through the
doorway into the kitchen.
     "That girl has brought some lunatics home," he grumbled,
"but this is a new low even for her."
     "Another long story," Rei assured him, reaching up to
scratch idly behind his ears.  They swivelled back lazily and his eyes
lidded under her ministrations.
     "Urmmm," he sighed.  "So why did you suddenly hook up
with Minako?  Could it be that you two have become an item?"
     "Me and Minako?" Rei asked, dubious.
     "Hey, she could use the discipline," Artemis said with a
salacious leer.  
     "Well, I can't dispute that," Rei said wryly.  
     "Hey, what are you two talking about in there?" the blonde
called from the kitchen.
     "You," Artemis replied.
     "Oh.  Very good, carry on," Minako said.  "Um, Ranko appears
to have problems with other cats.  Artemis, why don't you change
and see if that helps?"
     "Maybe Ranko just doesn't like males," Rei frowned.
     "Well, one way to find out for sure," Artemis said, leaping
from Rei's arms.  His body began to sparkle in mid-air, tiny motes
of white light coalescing around his form.  Rei shivered as the cool
tingling sensation of magic washed across her skin in a gentle
caress.
     The glowing motes shifted and flowed into a tall form
before fading.  There, standing before her, was a man with long,
straight white hair and a crescent moon upon his forehead.  He
shook his head slightly, his mouth twisting into a rueful grin.
     "That still takes it out of me, even at the best of times," he
sighed, tugging fussily at his loose white robes.  "Think she'll like
me better this way?"
     When Ranko came back into the room, she barely glanced
at Artemis, moving over to a patch of wan sunlight and curling up
on the floor.  The other three watched her, and at last Artemis
cleared his throat.
     "So, what exactly is her deal, anyway?" he asked.  They
ended up sitting down, Rei and Minako giving him a brief
recounting of the events that had brought them to that point.
     "Have you ever heard of anything like this in connection
with weres, Artemis?" Rei asked.  "Some sort of lycanthropic
magic, maybe?"
     "That seems unlikely," he replied, gazing absently at the
resting girl.  "It wouldn't benefit them at all to cast that sort of
spell, would it?"
     "You have a point," Rei admitted.  "And they seemed as
surprised as we were at what happened.  More so, even.  They
couldn't handle her at all."
     "Maybe it was something only indirectly related to the
werecats," Artemis mused as Minako came back into the room.
     "What do you mean?" Rei asked.
     "Well," he mused, "something that was attracted by them
but not under their control ... for example, a rogue cat-spirit of
some kind."
     "Spirit possession?" Rei asked sharply.  "Damn, I'm stupid! 
I should have considered that sooner!"
     "You mean Ranko might be possessed by something?"
Minako asked, glancing at the red-head.
     "That explanation certainly fits," Rei said, getting up off the
couch.  She reached inside her shirt and slowly withdrew a spirit
ward, holding it between her index and middle fingers.  Carefully
she padded over to where Ranko lay.  The girl's eyes were closed,
but Rei suspected that Ranko knew exactly what was going on
around her.  As if to prove her point, Ranko's blue eyes opened as
Rei came within arm's length, gazing up at her with guarded
indifference.
     "What are you doing?" Minako asked from behind her.
     "Just watch," Rei replied softly.  She crouched in front of
Ranko, concentrating on appearing friendly and harmless.
     "Hey there," she murmured, her voice pitched low.  "How
we doing here, puss?"  With her free hand, she reached out and
brushed her fingertips over Ranko's ear, lacing them into the
tangled mane of red hair and scratching gently.  Ranko's eyes half
closed, and she arched slightly into Rei's hand.
     "What's that noise?" Artemis asked.  "Hey, is she ... purring?" 
     "Yeah, she does that," Minako told him.  "It's kind of wild,
huh?"  They watched as Rei stroked the girl with slow, soothing
motions, gradually bringing the ward up in her free hand.  
     "That a girl," she crooned as Ranko cocked her head lazily. 
"Just relax ..."  Picking her moment, she reached out and planted
the end of the ward directly on Ranko's forehead.  Not knowing
what the reaction might be, she hopped back quickly, watching
Ranko to see what effect her ward would have.
     She didn't have long to wait.
     Ranko sat bolt upright, the long strip of red paper covered
with arcane black characters dangling in her face.  She shook her
head violently, but the end of the ward remained firmly stuck to her
forehead.  Ranko made a confused blert, then rose up on her legs
and began batting at the ward with her hands.  She spun in place,
pawing madly, then ran on all fours across the room, sliding into the
far wall.  Rebounding neatly, the red-head began flailing again and
finally managing to snag the flapping ward.  
     Eventually succeeding in tearing the ward free, Ranko batted it
around in mid-air before it could hit the ground, propelling it across
the room.  Merrily, she gave chase, pouncing on it and once again
sending it skittering around on the gleaming wood.  Finally she
landed squarely on it, grabbing the offending ward in her mouth and
giving it a good shaking before falling down and rolling onto her
back, limbs waving.  At that point she froze with the ward still
clasped in her teeth, rolling her eyes to look at Rei.
     "I'm guessing spirit possession is right out," Minako said.
     "Good guess," Rei sighed.
     "I think she wants to play," Artemis said, not managing to
completely hide his amusement at Ranko's antics.  Rei sighed again
and walked over to Ranko, who promptly began ignoring her and
started whipping the unfortunate ward around in an obvious
attempt to subdue her prey.
     "Bad cat," Rei scolded.  Her attempts to retrieve the ward
were frustrated, though, and finally she gave up.
     "Well, what else could it be?" Minako asked.  Rei shrugged.
     "I've never seen anything like this," the raven-haired girl
admitted, trying to hide her frustration.  "We just don't have
enough information.  Maybe if Ami was here, she could do an
analysis ..."
     "Oh, yeah!" Minako blurted.  "We were supposed to pick up
Ami and we never showed!  They must be worried sick over there. 
We should call and let them know we're all right."
     "I'll do it," Rei said.  "I don't look forward to trying to get
Ranko into another taxi, though.  If Ami's there already, I'd like to
ask them to come here."
     "Good idea," Minako said.  "First things first, though.  I
don't know about you, but I'm starved.  Artemis?"
     "I suppose I could whip something up," Artemis sighed.
     "Thanks, tomcat," Minako said, blowing him a kiss as he
trudged into the kitchen.  
     "Where's the phone?" Rei asked.  Minako pointed, and Rei
went to make her call.
     To her surprise, Ami picked up at the other end.
     "Ami?  It's Rei," she said.  There was a pause.
     "Rei?"
     "I guess you're wondering what happened, huh?" Rei asked.
     "Yes, we were concerned," Ami said cautiously.  "You and
Minako just seemed to disappear ..."
     "Sorry about that," Rei said.  "It's a long story, we can tell
you the details when you get here."
     "Get where?"  There was something odd about Ami's voice,
or rather, her tone.  Ami could be quite reserved and timid in her
manner, especially with strangers, but Rei was no stranger.  And
Ami seemed strangely tentative, as if she were weighing every word
Rei said.
     "I want you guys to come to Minako's place," she said,
frowning.  "There's someone here I want you to meet."
     "Someone?"  There it was again, an undercurrent of tension
in Ami's voice.
     "Yes.  Ami, is everything all right there?"
     "Yes, fine," Ami said quickly.  "I don't know how to get
there, though."  Rei gave her the address and some brief directions.
     "You get all that?" she asked at last.
     "Yes," Ami confirmed.  "We'll be there as soon as we can. 
Rei ..."
     "Yes?" Rei asked.  It sounded like Ami wanted to ask her
something, but after a moment Rei heard a soft sigh at the other
end.
     "Nothing," Ami replied.  "We'll see you soon."
     "Great.  See you," Rei said, frowning as she hung up the
phone.  
     That had definitely been strange.  Perhaps Ami was just
feeling awkward, talking to her for the first time since their break-
up.  In the beginning, the quiet senshi had been painfully shy, but
Usagi had drawn her out of her shell, and slowly Ami had shed
some of her reserve around the other girls.
     Whatever the case, it could certainly wait until the rest of
the team arrived.
     Rei froze, feeling a tiny quiver of anticipation.  The rest of
the team.  Well, they were that, weren't they?  A team?  And why
was she so looking forward to having everyone together, when
she'd already decided that she was going to stay out of Usagi's life?
     Cursing herself silently, she returned to the main room to
find Minako taunting a coiled Ranko with a dangling piece of
string.
     "Having fun?" she asked.
     "Absolutely," Minako grinned.
     "Great.  Well, in case you care, Ami made it to Makoto's. 
They're going to come here, and then maybe we can get to the
bottom of this once and for all."
     "That's great news," Minako beamed.  "In the meantime,
though, I'm going to run a bath.  After the day I've had, I could use
it."
     "The day YOU'VE had?" Rei asked archly.
     "Hey, my tub's more than big enough for two," Minako said
with a coquettish glance.  "And cat-girl there could use one too,
seeing as she's been crawling around on the ground half the day."
     "Well, you've got a point," Rei admitted.
     "Glad that's settled," Minako grinned.  "You get Ranko
undressed, I'll start the bath."
     "What?" Rei blurted.
     "Look, she can't take a bath with her clothes on," Minako
said in a maddeningly reasonable tone.
     "Well, stripping a girl is something I'd expect you to enjoy,"
Rei said irritably.  "Why should I do it?"
     "Because she listens to you," Minako said, moving over
behind Rei.  "And," the blonde added, her voice velvety, "if she
gives you trouble you can always use that beguiling technique from
earlier.  What exactly was that, anyway?  It was very ...
interesting."
     "Something I picked up training in the mountains," Rei
replied idly, trying to ignore the flirtatious way Minako's hot breath
was tickling her ear.  "A meditative technique that can, under the
right circumstances, amplify latent emotions, like fear or anger or
desire."  A lie, of course, but there was no way she could tell the
truth.  And Minako seemed to be buying it.
     "Could you teach me?" Minako asked, her blue eyes alive
with wicked interest.
     "It takes spiritual training and discipline, and you haven't
got either," Rei pointed out, advancing slowly on Ranko.  The girl,
as if sensing Rei's intent, got to all fours and scampered out of the
room.
     "Looks like you're going to have your hands full with her,"
Minako snickered.  "And here I thought you had a way with
troublesome girls."
     "Funny, Aino," Rei said blackly.  She slipped out of her
pinstriped jacket, tossing it on the couch.  Then she unfastened the
cuffs of her shirt and rolled up the sleeves.
     This promised to be quite an undertaking.

***

     Minako watched with undisguised amusement as Rei
stalked off, intent on cornering Ranko and preparing her for the
bath.  In Minako's humble opinion, Rei really needed to loosen up a
bit, and chasing an uncooperative cat-girl around in a bid to strip
her naked was just what the doctor ordered.
     Rei was something of an enigma to Minako, even now.  She
was one of the most sensual, alluring women Minako had ever met,
radiating a cool, effortless sense of self-confidence that Minako
found irresistible.  Rei could go from aloof to haughty to playful to
passionate, each facet at once compelling and fascinating.  She had
even, on very rare occasions, shown a more tender, even
vulnerable, side.
     Rei didn't lack for besotted suitors either, but for some
reason Minako couldn't understand the raven-haired beauty rarely
availed herself of the opportunities presented.  Minako knew Rei
wasn't frigid, nor was she a prude; watching some lucky girl
succumb to Rei's captivating charms was proof enough of that. 
The fiery senshi possessed a sensual hunger rivalled only by her
fabled temper.
     Had Minako been in the other girl's shoes, her bed would
always be full of wanton, willing partners.  The fact that Rei seldom
indulged her appetites puzzled Minako to no end.
     Of course, from the first moment they'd met Minako had
wanted Rei.  The girl's nearly arrogant self-possession, her stark
beauty, her dominant nature ... Rei was something special. 
However, unfortunately and, to Minako, inexplicably, Rei refused
to respond to her flirtations.  Minako was unaccustomed to being
turned down, and Rei's aloofness only made her all the more
attractive.
     As every pass was coolly deflected or even ignored, Minako
began to get more and more frustrated.  Finally, though, she found
an outlet for those frustrations; Rei's volatile temper.  Minako had
taken to subtly goading and provoking Rei at every turn, flushing
with pleasure every time she enticed a rise out of the other girl.  It
had become something of a game to her, to inflame Rei whenever
possible.  It wasn't quite the passion she wished to evoke in Rei,
but at least the raven-haired girl found it impossible to ignore her.
     And, she was quite certain, eventually she would push Rei
just a little too far.  What would happen then was anyone's guess,
but at least it wouldn't be boring.  The very thought caused her to
shudder with anticipation; Minako had never been one to play it
safe.
     That was probably why, when she picked up Rei's jacket
and felt the lump of the fiery senshi's henshin rod in the pocket, a
devilish notion immediately leapt to the forefront of her mind.
     She'll be really pissed, Minako told herself as she fished out the
henshin rod and held it in the palm of her hand.  But the thought of
Rei's eyes, aroused with fury, just provoked that delicious shudder
again.  It was really a naughty thing to do, but ...
     Aw, hells, she decided.  Rei's been so grim since this whole
vision thing brought us back together.  Maybe this'll put her in a
more receptive frame of mind.
     A quick check revealed that Rei was still chasing the
recalcitrant Ranko, who had bounded upstairs.  And Artemis was
still in the kitchen.
     Perfect.

***

     It took some time, but Rei finally cornered Ranko back in
the main room.  What ensued was a wrestling match as she tried to
get Ranko's clothes off.
     The red-head seemed to regard Rei's actions as some sort
of game, and gleefully made things difficult by pawing and head
butting Rei with guileless affection.  Rei considered trying to
beguile the girl again, but decided against it unless absolutely
necessary. Minako seemed to buy her meditation story, but Artemis
might ask awkward questions ... questions that Rei wouldn't want
to answer.
     Getting the sash off wasn't too hard.  After that, she
struggled with the fastenings on the front of Ranko's shirt as the
girl squirmed and flailed.  With her arms full of red-head, Rei could
feel the girl's compact body quite well.  The loose clothing hid a
sleekly muscled frame that bespoke of hard physical training, as
well as very feminine curves.  Rei sighed at the thought that anyone
walking in could easily misinterpret their apparently compromising
position, entangled on the floor with Ranko half-undressed.
     And, since Minako was the most likely person to come into
the room, that misinterpretation was likely to be voiced without any
hesitation.
     Rei couldn't figure Minako out.  As a Sister of Shadows,
Rei had been taught to respect carnal appetites, to hone them into a
weapon to be used against others, never against oneself.  Minako
was a strong girl, but she flung her libido about in a manner that Rei
found puzzling at best.  There were aspects of Minako's personality
that nearly would have made her a decent Sister, but the way she
seemed to almost be a slave to her desires made her seem more like
one of the Maidens, just waiting to be brought to heel.
     Rei envied Minako's openness sometimes, though.  Having
broken from her past, Rei had come to keep her darker nature
under strict control, especially once she'd met Usagi.  She didn't
want her princess to see that part of her; Usagi would never
understand.  Indeed, having been raised by the White Sisters, Usagi
would be horrified and repulsed by Rei's past.  That was why Rei
had never been able to confide in her friend, even after all they'd
shared. 
     Minako, though, never seemed to bother holding anything
back.  She seemed to accept everything that had come her way with
a certain wry equanimity, remaining relentlessly upbeat.
     Minako's constant flirtations with Usagi wouldn't have
troubled Rei so much if she hadn't felt that the capricious blonde
was just out to carve another notch in her bedpost.  Minako's
careless liaisons with her bevy of acquaintances was none of Rei's
business, but Usagi deserved better than to be bedded out of
curiosity, or because Minako regarded her as a challenge.  Of
course, it would have been much easier if Usagi didn't encourage
Minako's attentions so openly; that girl really was too innocent for
her own good.
     Finally, Rei got the shirt totally undone and managed to pull
it off, leaving Ranko with a brief gray tank top, cropped just above
the navel, and her baggy black pants.  Ranko regarded her with
feline curiosity, clearly wondering what strange thing Rei was going
to get up to next.
     Minako, of course, walked in as Rei was trying to get Ranko's
pants off, and immediately lived down to Rei's expectations.
     "Oh, dear," Minako said, feigning shock.  "If you two
would like to be alone ..."
     "Very funny," Rei growled.  "Get over here and help me
with this, would you?"
     Ranko enjoyed this new game as much as the old one, and more
pursuit was necessary before Rei could get the drawstrings at the
waist and ankles undone.  Once Ranko's pants were off, Minako
broke out laughing.
     "Boxer shorts?" she asked incredulously.  "This girl takes
being a tomboy to a whole new level!"
     Rei just shook her head.  The red-head was now clad in only
the abbreviated muscle shirt and a pair of boxer shorts, yet she still
managed to exude a nearly primal sensuality.  The muscles of her
shoulders and arms were clearly delineated as she crouched,
forming smooth curves of steel under silken soft skin.  As Ranko
rolled and sat up, tossing her waist-length braid insouciantly, Rei
noticed something strange about the girl's narrow waist.  Sleek
muscles were visible there as well, sheathed in taut smooth flesh,
but thin white scars snaked up one side of her abdomen and
disappeared under her shirt.
     "Looks like our kitty's seen some action," Minako
murmured, following Rei's gaze.
     "Hmmm," Rei mused.  "If she got those scars while in cat
mode, then that means there's definitely a way to get her back.  We
just have to find out what it is."
     "Question," Minako said.  "Is she more of a threat if we DO
get her back to normal, or like this?  If she's really a threat at all, I
mean."
     "I don't know the answer to that," Rei admitted,
suppressing the urge to snap at the blonde.  "But at least we can
communicate with her as a girl.  We'll never get answers out of her
this way."
     "Okay," Minako said, cracking her knuckles.  "Time to get
kitty into the bath, then.  At least we can accomplish that much."
     Between the two of them, they managed to get Ranko into
the bathroom.  Rei, well aware of Minako's fondness for clutter and
general disarray, was surprised by how clean the bathroom was. 
The tiles gleamed, plush towels were stacked in the appropriate
nook, and toiletries were lined up along the side of the large tub
with almost military precision.
     "I'm going to guess that Artemis cleans the bathroom," Rei
said wryly, as Ranko began investigating the corners, sniffing
fastidiously.
     "You know me so well," Minako grinned.  "He says I'm a
slob."
     "You ARE a slob."
     "True," Minako sighed theatrically.  "I guess I'll just have
to find a love slave who cleans."
     Rei checked out the tub enviously.  The bathroom was quite
large, with the tub taking up one corner.  Shallow steps led up from
the rinse area to a large flat dias.  The tub was set into that dias, the
edges flush with the tiled top.  The tub itself was spacious and
deep, just the sort of extravagance that Rei wished her own
bathroom possessed.
     "Nice, huh?" Minako remarked from behind her.  "One of
the points that sold me on this place.  I can't resist a luxurious
bubble bath."
     "I noticed," Rei said.  The steaming water was covered with
mounds of foamy bubbles, forming an intricate landscape of valleys
and mountains.  "I guess it helps to have someone else clean the tub
when you're done."
     "Yup!" Minako replied.  Rei turned to see the blonde
pulling her t-shirt over her head, shaking her long blonde hair free
as she tossed it aside.
     "What are you doing?" Rei asked.
     "I," Minako said firmly, "am going to have a bath. 
Salamanders and long treks through abandoned tunnels are bad for
a girl's skin.  Care to join me?  Unless you're afraid to get naked in
a tub of hot, scented water with me ..."  This last was delivered
with a sidelong glance, and Rei snorted.
     "I can handle you easily, Minako,"the raven-haired girl
replied.  "But we're supposed to be cleaning up Ranko."
     "I remember," Minako said, tossing her bra on top of the
discarded shirt.  "But if we're going to bathe her in her present
state, we're going to get wet.  Trust me."
     "WE are not going to get wet," Rei said, "because WE are
not having a bath.  You can wash Ranko-kitty while I go check on
Artemis and dinner."
     "You are worried about taking a bath with me!" Minako
smirked.  "What's wrong, Rei?  Afraid things'll get out of hand?"
     "Hardly," Rei snorted.  "I can keep you in line any day,
nympho."
     "Command me, mistress," Minako murmured with a demure
smile, holding her hands up, wrists together.  She peered up from
under a curtain of blonde hair, and Rei fought to keep her
expression neutral as an instinctive surge of heat flashed through
her.  Minako had no idea that women had actually come to her with
just that plea back in her Temple days.  Minako was only fooling
around, but for a moment Rei's instincts had nearly taken over.  
     Keeping her breathing steady, Rei just gave the girl a sour
look.
     "Have fun with your bath," she told the playful blonde.  "I
think you'll have your hands full washing your new friend, though."
     "Why's that?" Minako asked, watching Ranko's
perambulations absently.
     "Because cats hate water, idiot.  See you."
     Rei left Minako to her project and headed for the kitchen. 
A bath was tempting, but she just wasn't in the mood to fend off
Minako's advances ... and contrary to the blonde's protestations of
innocence, there would be advances.
     The matter of Ranko continued to nag at her.  Her
appearance had only deepened the mystery surrounding Rei's
vision.  If Ranko wasn't the cause of the disaster which Rei had
foreseen, then who, or what, was?  And why did Ranko loom as
such a central figure?
     She shook her head.  This was getting them nowhere.  At
least if they could talk to the girl they might be able to find some
clue to what was going on.  Right now, though, that just wasn't
going to happen.  They needed to know what was wrong with
Ranko so that they could get her back to normal.  Hopefully Ami
could help out in that regard.  Rei hadn't sensed any overt magic in
Ranko's transformation, and her ward would definitely have had an
effect if there were spirits involved.  Ami was quite well-read on
many subjects, however, including magic.  Between the quiet girl's
knowledge and her portable scanner, hopefully they could come up
with a plan of action.
     Rei wandered into the kitchen, where Artemis was busy
throwing various bits of something into a pot of steaming water.
     "Not gourmet fare I'm afraid," he said, catching sight of
her.  "Mostly just stuff right out of a package, actually."
     "Fine by me," Rei said.  I'm starved."
     "Well, I'm no Makoto," Artemis admitted ruefully.
     "So who is?" Rei asked, plucking a slice of radish from the
cutting board and popping it neatly into her mouth.  "Trust me, I
don't feel like waiting until she gets here to eat.  It's been a long
day, and dealing with a girl who suddenly thinks she's a cat didn't
help matters at all."
     "This Ranko, she's a friend of yours?" Artemis asked with a
teasing smile.  "She seems more like Minako's type."
     "If only it were that simple," Rei sighed.  "But we're hoping
she's friend and not foe."
     "Oh," Artemis said, somewhat taken aback.  
     "Don't worry, Artemis.  So far, the only thing she's done
wrong is show up in one of my visions," Rei assured him.
     "Visions," Artemis said, shaking his head.  "I'd almost
forgotten how interesting life was with you around.  With ALL of
you.  Does all this mean that the senshi will be re-forming?"
     "I just don't know, Artemis," Rei said, trying to ignore the
wistful flutter in her belly.  "Once we deal with the immediate
problem, I guess we'll have to talk about that.  I mean, Hotaru's
still out there.  How will she react if she finds we're back together? 
She might regard the inner senshi as a group a threat since we're
not under her thumb anymore."
     "I hope things work out," he said with a small, crooked
smile.  "It would be good for Minako to have you guys around
again.  I've been a little worried about her since ... you know."
     "Worried?  Artemis, nothing gets to that girl," Rei snorted. 
"She seems to be doing fine on her own."
     "She takes things pretty much in stride," Artemis said, his
gaze turning inwards.  "But she's only human, Rei.  Sometimes she
throws herself into every passing fancy, every fleeting encounter,
with such recklessness that I can't help but worry.  I always hoped
she'd find a long-term partner, someone to share her heart with,
someone who'd settle her down a bit.  Like Usagi, or you."
    "Me?" Rei asked with a crooked smile.  This was the second time
since they'd arrived that Artemis had mentioned the possibility, and
Rei wondered if he was trying to do some matchmaking.  "No
offense, Artemis, but no thanks.  The only reason Minako ever
wanted me was because she couldn't have me.  I'd just be another
notch on her bedpost, and that goes for Usagi too."
     Artemis turned and stirred the pot, and Rei suppressed a
sigh, wondering if she'd said too much.  Artemis was very
protective of Minako, after all.  When he turned back, though, there
was no indication that he was offended.
     "You're wrong, you know," he said, rubbing his nose with
the back of his hand.  "About Mina."
     "Artemis ..."
     "Oh, she's not above wanting something just because she
can't have it," he said, holding up a hand to forestall her protest. 
"It was like that with Michiru.  Her unattainability was definitely
part of the reason Mina pursued her.  But Rei, I know her pretty
well.  Trust me when I say that Mina thinks very highly of both you
and Usagi.  She thinks the world of all four of you, actually.  Don't
make the mistake of thinking that there's no more to her than meets
the eye.  There's a lot more, things she doesn't share with casual
bedmates.  Things she'd share with the right person, if given a
chance."
     To say that Rei was surprised by Artemis' words would have
been an understatement.  Even though he was very fond of the girl,
Rei had never heard him talk that way about Minako before, cutting
so close to the heart.  Before she had a chance to pursue the matter,
though, she heard a loud yelp, followed by a splash.
     Then something skittered across her skin, a cool heat of
intangible raspy silk.
     Magic.
     Strange, unfamiliar, almost alien, it washed over her in a short
burst, then faded, but by then she was already running towards the
source, cursing herself for leaving Minako alone in the bath with
Ranko.  She heard Artemis running behind her, and could only hope
they wouldn't be too late.  The sudden silence from behind the
bathroom door was somehow ominous, and she called out as she
ran.
     "Minako!"

***

     Minako sighed as Rei stalked out of the room, her scent
lingering faintly like dark promise.  The prospect of getting Rei into
the bath with her, all naked and slicked down, had been enticing to
say the least.  Well, better luck next time.
     And after all, it wasn't like this bath was going to be boring
or anything.  She slid her jeans down her long legs in one smooth
motion and kicked them away into a corner, then stood and
watched Ranko.
     Ranko had finished sniffing around and was returning her
gaze, head cocked in a gesture Minako found charmingly innocent. 
The red-head didn't appear to be registering Minako's nudity at all,
though; she appeared neither aroused nor offended.  She simply
watched with that feline indifference as Minako approached her and
knelt down.
     "Time to get clean," the blonde said softly.  "Come on, let's
get the rest of this stuff off."
     She tickled the red-head's chin, coaxing her into a position
where she could pull the abbreviated tank top shirt off.  One quick
pull did the trick.  Minako tossed the shirt aside, but when she
turned back she caught sight of something hanging down between
Ranko's full, unencumbered breasts.  She tried to keep the red-head
still while she checked it out.
     It was some sort of crystal, oddly shaped.  It hung on a fine
chain like a pendant, and Minako gently took it between her fingers
and lifted it so she could see it better.  The stone itself was oddly
beautiful, light swimming in its depths in odd swirls and flashes as
she moved it.  There was no writing or anything on it, though,
nothing to indicate why Ranko was wearing it.  Minako wondered
idly whether it had some sort of significance, religious perhaps.  Or
maybe it was a good luck charm.  Or hells, maybe she just wore it
because it was a pretty stone.
     Or maybe a beautiful girl had given it to her, Minako
thought impishly as she reached around and unfastened the chain. 
She coiled it up neatly and dropped it on Ranko's shirt.
     Those ridiculously masculine boxer shorts were next. 
Minako bet herself that Ranko was a natural red-head.
     It took some doing, but the shorts finally came off.
     Minako won her bet.
     Finally, the blonde sat down on a small stool in the tiled
rinse area and grabbed the spray nozzle attachment.  Once the
water was warm enough, she sprayed herself down, sighing happily
as the water cascaded down her body freely, cutting through all
traces of dust and sweat in the process.  She turned to the side,
admiring her taut body and the way her flawless skin glistened as
thick rivulets of clear water snaked along every curve and plane.
     Then she scowled.  She hated to waste an opportunity to
look irresistible!  Rei just had to be difficult again, didn't she? 
Between her and Usagi, Minako was going to end up frustrated. 
And one thing she hated was being frustrated.
     Ranko wasn't any better.  Instead of acting as appreciative
audience, she was sitting on her haunches and scratching idly at her
ear.  This was quite a contrast to her intriguingly bashful
demeanor in the tunnel, when Minako had given her that little kiss. 
Shy could be fun, but in her present state Ranko wasn't even
registering Minako's provocative poses.
     Cross, Minako flicked the spray at Ranko, who leapt nimbly
aside with a speed that belied her earlier facade of indifference.  She
gave Minako an reproving glare and settled down again.
     Resigned to being ignored, Minako shut the water off. 
Getting Ranko under the tap would be more trouble than it was
worth; Artemis was going to have to clean the tub afterwards, so
she might as well just try to get the girl in.  She eyed Ranko
thoughtfully, wondering if she should undo that long braid.  In the
end, she decided not to.  Ranko's hair was only waist-length, not as
long as hers or Rei's, but it would still be a pain to deal with
afterwards with Ranko in her present condition.  She'd get the red-
head into the bath and see how she tolerated it; at worst, the girl'd
have a hot rinsing.  At best, Minako could scrub her a little and get
all the dirt off.
     Standing, she moved up onto the dias and slowly eased
herself into the waiting bath, breathing in the steam with
anticipation.
     "Ahhhhh," she moaned as the hot, scented water embraced
her.  Bubble baths were sinfully good, even when taken alone.  She
leaned back and kicked her feet lazily, sinking in up to her neck.
     Bliss.
     Finally she opened her eyes and sat up enough so she could
find Ranko.  The red-head was apparently intrigued enough by the
goings-on that she felt obligated to investigate.  She was slowly
climbing the shallow steps up to the top of dias, blue eyes scanning
the tub in quick, jerky motions.  Minako smiled and spoke
soothingly.
     "Hey, kitty-cat," she murmured.  "Doesn't this look like
fun?"  Not enough fun to lure the girl in; she remained crouched on
the flat edge, watching Minako warily.  That was all right; Minako
had just come up with a cunning plan.
     Slowly, she raised her hands, scooping some bubbles in her
cupped palms and holding them up.  Raising them to her face, she
pursed her lips and blew.  The pinkish foam leapt from her hands to
sail with careless grace back down to the tub, and Ranko's bright
feline gaze followed them the entire way.
     "Oooh, look at that," Minako grinned.  "Neat, huh?"  She
repeated the performance, sitting up a little straighter this time. 
Ranko followed the progress of the floating bubbles closely, but
they remained out of reach.  The third time, Minako blew them high
into the air, and Ranko rose up on her knees abruptly, batting madly
at the renegade foam with her hands.
     That was just what Minako had been waiting for; her arms
snaked out and slipped around Ranko's waist while the girl's
balance was still precarious.
     "Gotcha!" the blonde grinned, yanking the startled red-head
towards her.
     Unfortunately, in her enthusiasm she pulled a little too hard. 
Ranko let out a loud yowlp as she toppled directly on top of
Minako, throwing them both back into the tub with a loud splash. 
Minako surfaced a second later with Ranko lying on top of her,
coughing and blinking soapy water from her eyes.
     Maybe it's just as well Rei wasn't here to see that, she
thought ruefully.  Turned out to be somewhat less cunning than I'd
hoped ...
     Ranko's body was sprawled against hers, and the first thing
she noticed was that the girl was oddly heavy.  Then her vision
cleared, and for a moment she couldn't figure out what she was
looking at.  Ranko's hair had gone jet black.
     Hair dye?  Could it wash out so quickly?  Her disjointed
thoughts were even further scrambled by a quick succession of
sensations that bombarded her.  There was the startled expression
in Ranko's eyes, the familiar-yet-not-quite cast of her face, and the
way her body felt where it pressed against Minako's.
     Something is not right here, a little voice inside her said. 
Something like what's pressing against your thigh, for instance ...
     There was confusion in Ranko's eyes, but more importantly,
there was awareness again, too.  Minako stared up into those eyes,
everything clicking somehow as she took in the broad shoulders,
the planes of the face, and the body that was pressed oh-so-
intimately against her own.  She didn't know how to explain this,
but her current position and its attendant sensations were not totally
unfamiliar to her.
     She was distantly aware of Rei calling her name, and as the
bathroom door burst open, she gazed up into those beautiful clear
blue eyes and smiled.
     "That," she murmured, "is even better than the cat trick!"

***

     Coming out of the Nekoken was sort of like waking up
suddenly, except that normally people woke up where they'd
actually gone to sleep.  I never knew where I might be when I
snapped out of my cat state.
     I certainly never would have guessed I'd be naked, in a
bubble bath, on top of a blonde.
     The both of us froze for a few moments just as we were.  I
don't know about Minako, but my brain was trying to catch up to
events.  It knew one thing instinctively; ending up in bathtub with
naked girl equals savage beating.
     Of course, my brain was used to dealing with a different
type of girl.  Minako looked up at me, utterly unfazed, and smiled.
     "That is even better than the cat trick!" she informed me as
the bathroom door burst open.  
            Old habits die hard.  The prospect of being caught in my
present compromising position rang urgent alarm bells in my head,
and I pushed away from Minako quickly, scrambling to my feet as
sudsy water sloshed around the deep tub.  Only as the uninhibited
blonde's blue eyes roved slowly down the front of my naked body
did I realize that I'd made a grave tactical error.  I tried to cover up
with my hands as I scrambled backwards out of the tub.
     Mistake number two.  My feet shot out from under me,
unable to gain purchase on the slick tile, and I tumbled backwards
down some shallow but reasonably hard steps, catching an inverted
view of Rei in the doorway as I rolled.  I hit the floor and slid on
my back, casting about desperately for my clothes, or a towel, or
something, anything, to cover up with.
     No luck, but I did come to rest near a reasonably large plastic
basin.  Well, that would do.  I grabbed it, scattering the contents as
I slapped it over my groin.  It looked ridiculous, but it afforded me
at least a bare semblance of modesty.
     "Wow," Minako said, sounding appreciative.  She'd turned
onto her belly and was watching me, her arms crossed over the
edge of the tub.  She rested her chin against them, eyes gleaming as
she looked me up and down.  Well, at least her current posture had
the effect of hiding her naked body, although the thought of how
she had felt against me made me flush.
     "Oooo, full body blush," Minako teased.  "Naughty
thoughts, Ranko?"
     "Just what in the hells is happening?" Rei snapped.  I turned
to her, noticing a guy standing in the doorway behind her getting an
eyeful.  He had long white hair and some kind of yellow mark on
his forehead, and he looked as confused as I felt.
     "Shouldn't I be asking that?" I shot back.  "How'd I get in
the bath with her?"
     "I'm a little more interested in your shape-shifting abilities,"
Rei said darkly, glaring down at me from the doorway.  "What
other powers have you been hiding, Ranko?"
     "That's not a power," I sighed wearily.  I didn't relish
having to explain both my Jusenkyo curse and the Nekoken, but it
looked like I had little choice.
     "Well, exactly what do you call it then?" Rei asked.  I
glanced back at Minako, who was shamelessly ogling me from her
perch, then back to Rei.  The guy in the back had turned away,
proving that there was at least one person in this city besides me
who had some modesty.
     "It's a long story," I said.  "And if we're gonna get into it, I'm
definitely gonna need some pants."

***

     "A curse," Rei echoed dubiously.  Ranko nodded, pausing
to swallow a mouthful of food.  Their guest was certainly not
giving his food a chance to get cold, managing to convey the odd
bit of information between gulps.
     "That's right," he said.  "A curse."
     "Who cursed you?" Rei asked.
     "And why?" Artemis added.
     "Who?  Nobody," Ranko said, looking puzzled.  "I just fell
in a cursed pool, that's all."
     "I've never heard of such magic," Rei said, taking a small sip of
her tea.
     "Consider yourself lucky," Ranko grunted.  "It can be a real
pain.  Hot water makes me a boy, cold makes me a girl."
     "You call that a curse?" Minako said with a slow, sultry
smile that told Rei exactly what was on the blonde's mind.  "That
sounds like it could be a lot of fun."
     "It bothered me a lot more in the beginning than it does
now," Ranko said, looking slightly discomfited by Minako's
suggestive tone.  "But ..."
     "How does the cat thing figure into your curse?" Rei broke
in.  "It doesn't involve any actual shape-shifting."
     "Uh, you mean the Nekoken," Ranko sighed.  "That's not
part of my curse.  It's a ... um, sort of a phobia, I guess.  There was
this secret technique that my pop tried to teach me a long time ago,
but he sort of skipped the fine print.  That's another long story."
     "We've got time," Minako said, fixing her gaze on Ranko
hungrily.
         Rei stared at Ranko over her tea, trying to reconcile all the
facets of this strange girl that she'd witnessed so far.  The red-head
had fought with almost joyful ferocity coupled with a fluid grace
that was breathtaking to behold.  As a cat, she'd been guileless,
uninhibited.  But now, forced to talk about himself, Rei saw the
flicker of old pain, like an involuntary flinch, deep in those blue
eyes.  
     Rei had been trained to read a person's body language,
those small non-verbal cues that could reveal things facile words
sought to hide.  Every line of Ranko's body was set in a subtle
posture of defensiveness.  His eyes flicked towards whoever was
speaking, but then only for a moment and rarely did he make eye
contact.  Ranko acted like someone unaccustomed to the company
of others, and it was clear to Rei that just sitting at a table and
talking about himself was far more nerve-wracking for the boy than
tackling that salamander had been.
     That made Ranko seem more like a real person to Rei and
less like some nebulous threat; everything about the strange boy/girl
cried out to her of old pain and wariness and distrust.  And Rei
herself was on familiar terms with these feelings herself.  
     Rei wondered about Ranko's curse.  Perhaps its effect had
been determined by Ranko's tomboyish nature, transforming her
into an actual male.  She was curious about the mystical specifics,
but her curiosity could wait.  There were still mysteries to be
explored here.
     "So who are these others, anyway?" Ranko asked, fidgeting
under Rei's direct gaze.  "Are they like you?"
     "If you mean are they senshi ..." Minako began.
     "Forget that for the moment," Rei interrupted with a glare
in Minako's direction.  She didn't want to reveal any more than
necessary; Ranko already knew too much about them.  "The
important thing here is to try and figure out what the danger in my
vision was."
     "You really think I'm a danger to you?" Ranko asked.  He
didn't seem belligerent, merely curious.  Rei stared at him for a few
moments before letting some of the tension drain from her body.
     "Either you're an incredibly good actor carrying out some
intricate and devious plan, or you don't really intend to harm us,"
she said at last.  "But that doesn't change the fact that you were a
central figure in my vision.  Whatever is going to happen, you will
be right at the centre of it.  So it's really in your best interests to
help us figure this out."
     "I'm a little new to all this vision stuff," Ranko grumbled as
he finished off his dinner, slurping up the last noodle from the
bottom of the bowl.  "I mean, what exactly did you see?"
     Minako and Artemis turned to her with similar expectant
looks, and Rei suppressed a scowl.  This was the hard part.  How
to explain the emotional impact of a vision to people who'd never
had one?  There was so much in a vision that was clear to her,
warnings and portents contained in symbols that would be muted in
the telling.
     "There was a darkness," Rei said slowly.  "It seemed to be
summoned by Ranko, or maybe TO her, and it surrounded her,
consumed her."  She closed her eyes, reaching for the details of
what she'd seen.
     "Was this darkness familiar?" Artemis asked. "Like what
you felt with Beryl's minions?"
     "No," Rei murmured.  "Nothing I could identify, just
darkness, cold and ... hungry.  And power of some sort, raging, like
a storm.  And there were other things in the dream, a voice, and a
tower.  A tower and a huge eye, an eye that was blind.  And ..." 
She opened her eyes, pausing as she saw Ranko's face.
     "Ranko?" Rei asked.  There was a tightness in him that hadn't
been there before, and something in his eyes, like recognition.
     "Nothing," he said, but quickly, too quickly.  Rei leaned across
the table, her own eyes narrowing.
     "If you know something about my vision, then I want to
hear it," she said, holding the dark-haired boy's gaze.  Ranko
returned her stare, and Rei fancied she could see the wheels turning
as he weighed his options, considered what to say.
     They were interrupted by a knock at the door.
     "Hey, that's probably them now," Minako said, getting up and
heading out of the kitchen.  Artemis followed her, and Ranko made
to get up, but Rei stepped in front of him quickly.
     "Listen," she told the startled boy softly.  "One thing I know 
for certain from my vision is that this darkness wants to hurt my
friends.  I am not going to let that happen.  You think about that
while you're considering how much you want to tell me."  Rei let
her intensity radiate out of her like fever heat, and Ranko took a
half-step backwards, eyes widening slightly.
     "I keep telling you, I'm not out to hurt anyone," he replied,
sounding defensive.
     "Good," Rei said, smiling thinly.  "Then we'll get along fine,
won't we?"  She went to the main room, Ranko following behind.
     She didn't have to possess spiritual powers to discern that
something was badly amiss; the moment she entered the room
tension struck her like summer humidity.  Usagi was there, flanked
almost defensively by Makoto and Ami, and the sight of her
stopped Rei dead.  She was sensitive to her princess's moods,
sometimes nearly painfully so.  Usagi's joy eased her own heart,
while her sorrow would infect Rei's spirit with a unique torment.
     Usagi had been happy when Rei had left her, anticipating
the reunion of her senshi.  She was not happy now.  In fact, there
was something strange about Usagi's aura, about the way her very
presence resonated in the air, something Rei hadn't felt since that
night when Hotaru had shocked them all.
     Reflexively, Rei started towards the blonde, taking in the
girl's downcast eyes and apprehensive posture with mounting
concern.
     "Usagi ..." she began.
     Then Makoto moved, placing herself solidly between Rei
and Usagi.  Almost as if ...
     Almost as if she was protecting Usagi.
     From Rei.
     "Just hold it," Makoto said, fixing Rei with a cold glare.
     "Makoto, what are you doing?" Minako asked, sounding
confused.
     "I want Rei to answer a few questions, that's all," Makoto
said.  To someone who didn't know her, the tall girl's measured
tone might have seemed reasonable, but Rei didn't miss any of the
signs.   
     Makoto was angry.  That was hardly a rare circumstance,
but that anger seemed to be directed at her, and Rei didn't know
why.
     "What questions?" Rei asked warily.  "What's going on?" 
In the background, Ami's gaze kept flicking anxiously between
Makoto and Usagi, while Minako and Artemis looked on with
increasing bemusement.  Ranko had faded into the background,
watching impassively.
     "Mako-chan."  Usagi's voice was low, but clear.  "Stop it. 
Please.  You promised.  You promised not to get mad before she
had a chance to explain."
     "Explain?  Explain what?"  Rei felt a vertiginous sensation in the
pit of her stomach; instinctively, she knew something very bad was
about to happen, was happening even as she stood there.  There
was only one secret she possessed that could elicit such a reaction
from the others, and it seemed to Rei that she could feel everything
slipping away from her in that moment.
     "Care to explain your relationship with the Sisters of
Shadows, oh priestess?" Makoto asked, the virulence of her fury
snapping through the room and robbing it of all other sounds.
     There it was, at last ... her darkest secret, laid bare in front
of these girls who had been her friends, her comrades.  But all that
was over now, ended in a moment.  In the past Rei had wondered
how it would go, should this moment ever come to pass.  She'd run
through it in her mind, the things she would say, her impassioned
and implacable defence of her dark past defusing all the anger and
suspicion brought to bear against her.
     But now, now that the moment had arrived, all those
intricate arguments had abandoned her, driven like dry autumn
leaves before the wind by the sight of her princess.  Usagi had
finally raised her head, those guileless crystal blue eyes meeting
Rei's.  The uncertainty there was painful to see; almost since the
beginning, Usagi's faith in Rei had been unshakeable.  Always.  
     Until now.  Now, there was doubt, a vile shadow staining
those blue eyes, and Rei was the cause.
     "Sisters of Shadows?" Minako blurted.  "What in the hells is
this?  Makoto, are you seriously accusing Rei of being a follower of
Dasma?"
     "Rei?"  Usagi's voice was soft, tremulous, her attention
totally focussed on the raven-haired girl.
     Make it quick, Rei thought, trying to force herself to
concentrate through the strange numbness that was descending
over her.  Don't drag this out.  You owe her that much.
     "I told you, Usagi," she said softly.  "Remember?  I told you
that you were better off without me in your life.  I never wanted
this to happen."
     "How?"  Usagi's whisper was astonishingly painful,
considering how little force was behind the words.  "How could
you?"  Tears welled up silently in the blonde's eyes, and each one
burned a trail through Rei's soul as it slid down her princess's pale
face. 
     "Usagi ..."  She took a step forward, driven by an almost primal
need to stem the flow of tears, to do something, anything ...
     Usagi stepped back.
     Away from her.
     That moment demonstrated to Rei, more effectively than
words ever could have, that it was over.
     She had broken Usagi's heart.
     "That's close enough," Makoto growled.  Rei's entire soul
felt like a raw wound, and she turned abruptly on her tormentor.
     "What is it exactly you think I'm going to do?" she snapped,
fighting the urge to lash out at the taller girl.
     "That's a very good question," Makoto returned with a
menacing scowl.  "What HAVE you been trying to do, all this
time?"
     "Just what are you accusing me of?" Rei gritted.  Her vision
seemed to be tinged with hot crimson, and she felt the sudden
urgent need to release her anger, to let it explode.  In the old days,
that had always eased the pain, even if just for a while.
     "Have you been spying on us, is that what it was?" Makoto
shot back.
     "Makoto!" Minako exclaimed.
     "You seem to have made up your mind without hearing
anything I say!" Rei snarled, that roiling anger edging eagerly
towards its boiling point.
     "What more needs to be said?"  Makoto was shouting at the
top of her lungs now, body rigid with fury.  "You lied to us from
the beginning, didn't you?  Just like Hotaru ..."
     "STOP IT!"  The agonized shriek stopped both girls dead in
their tracks, drawing everyone's attention to their source.  Tears
were coursing freely down Usagi's face now, and she seemed
horribly fragile to Rei in that moment as she stared at them,
trembling.
     "Stop it," she repeated, but softly now, her voice breaking
on the jagged shoals of her sobs.  "Please, I can't ... I just can't ..."
     And then she broke and ran past them, head down, fleeing
deeper into Minako's apartment, and Rei's anger vanished in an
instant, burst like a soap bubble.  Ami was the first to break the
frozen tableau, moving jerkily to follow the sobbing girl through the
doorway and down the hall.  Something about the scene seemed
discordant to Rei, and it took her a moment to figure out what it
was.
     It's supposed to be me, she realized finally.  When Usagi's
hurt, I'm usually the one that calms her down, that wipes her tears
away and makes her smile again.
     But it wouldn't be like that anymore.  She'd ruined
everything.  Everything.
     "Are you happy?"  Makoto's voice was low, dangerous. 
"Are you happy with what you've done to her, you snake?  Is this
what you set out to do?"
     "Makoto, stop!" Minako snapped.  She pushed between the
two, barely preventing the taller girl from getting a grip on Rei.
     "Don't take her side, Minako," Makoto said, briefly turning
her glare to the blonde.
     "This is insane," Minako shot back.  "Do you hear yourself? 
This is REI we're talking about!  This can't be what you think!"
     "I think Rei is a priestess of the Dark Lady," Makoto hissed. 
"Ask her to deny it."
     "Rei?"  Minako had turned to face her, one hand still
splayed against Makoto's chest in an effort to hold the girl's
simmering fury back.  The question was there in her eyes, and the
shadow of doubt too, and suddenly Rei was tired.  She'd become
poison to these people in the matter of moments, people she'd
come to care about.  It was time to do what she should have done
in the beginning.
     Time to go.
     Wordlessly, she grabbed her jacket from the back of the
couch and started for the door.
     "Hey!" Makoto snapped.  "You think you can just walk out
of here?"
     "You'd rather I stayed?" Rei asked in a dead voice, not
bothering to turn.
     "I'm not done with you, bitch!"  Makoto started forward,
the effects of Usagi's anguished outburst having faded completely.
     "No!  Makoto, no!"  Minako threw herself in front of the
other girl, trying in vain to hold her back.  Rei watched, feeling
oddly detached.  The numbness that was settling over her was, at
least, preferable to the pain she'd felt earlier.
     "How can you protect her?" Makoto gritted.  "Don't you
care what this is doing to Usagi?"
     "And what is you pounding on Rei going to do to Usagi?"
Minako shot back, straining to hold Makoto back.  "Please,
Makoto, go and check on her.  She needs you now.  Please?"
     Rei watched dispassionately as Makoto's blazing green eyes
met her own and held them for long moments.  Finally, the taller
girl threw her auburn ponytail back with a sharp toss of her head
and eased away from Minako, whose sigh of relief was clearly
audible.
     "Fine," Makoto spat.  "But this isn't over, Rei.  Next time
we meet, I'm gonna settle with you.  For her."  With that, she spun
and stalked away, disappearing down the same hall as Usagi and
Ami.  Rei turned and opened the door.
     "Wait!" Minako called.  "Rei, don't go.  I ... I need to
understand this.  There's got to be something ..."
     "Forget it," Rei said, not turning.  Her voice sounded flat
and lifeless in her ears.  "Everything that needed to be said was
said."
     "Rei ..."
     "It's over," she said, so softly she wasn't certain Minako
even heard her.
     Then she opened the door and walked out, into the cold
empty world.

***

     Minako could only stand and stare at the empty doorway
for a time as the gears of her thoughts ground uselessly, unable to
find any purchase.  None of what was happening made the slightest
sense to her; every time she tried to form a coherent thought, it
became inextricably tangled in the jumble of unreality in her head.
     She might have stood there indefinitely, dazed, had Artemis not
come up behind her and placed his hand gently upon her shoulder.
     "Mina," he said softly.  It was all there in his voice; the
turbulence and confusion, but also an underlying tone of
compassion, of sympathy.  For her.
     For them.  And suddenly, inexplicably, it made her mad.
     "No," she said to nobody in particular.  She whirled,
causing Artemis to back up quickly, her thoughts finally
beginningto focus.
     "No," she said again.  "This is wrong.  Artemis, this is
WRONG."  She looked from the pale-haired man to Ranko,
standing where he'd remained, unnoticed, through the entire scene.
     "I understand how you feel, Mina," Artemis said slowly. 
"It's like Hotaru all over again."
     "No, Artemis," Minako said, her resolve hardening. 
"Hotaru was many things, but she wasn't one of US.  The five of
us, we were the team, the Inner Senshi.  And Rei WAS one of us. 
This whole thing is wrong, and I'm not letting it go.  It can't be
how it looks."
     "Then how is it?" Artemis asked, eyeing her cautiously.  "Rei
admitted she was a Sister of Shadows, Mina.  You know what that
means."
     "What I know is that there has to be more here," Minako said
stubbornly.  "And if nobody else is going to find out what it is, then
I will.  Stay here, I'll be right back."
     Ignoring her companion's protests, she stormed past the
silent Ranko and down the hall, looking for Usagi and the others. 
Usagi, unfamiliar with Minako's place, had ended up in the kitchen;
Minako found her crouched in a ball on the floor, curled around her
pain with her face buried in her arms.  Ami had her arms around the
other girl's trembling shoulders, a rare show of physical comfort
from a girl who seldom touched others.  Makoto stood over them,
her lanky form somehow menacing and protective at the same time.
     Had Rei entered the kitchen, Minako had no doubt that
menacing would have immediately overshadowed protective, but
when the auburn-haired girl saw who was in the doorway, she
merely scowled and made her way over.
     "Is she gone?" Makoto asked tightly.
     "Yes," Minako replied, feeling a twinge in her gut as she
took in the sight of Usagi, bubbly, sparkling, effervescent Usagi,
crouched on her kitchen floor in tears.
     "You shouldn't have stopped me," Makoto growled. 
Arguing with Makoto when her temper was up was a very bad idea,
but Minako's own patience was beginning to fray.
     "We'll talk about it later," she hissed.  "Bring Usagi to my
room and she can lie on the bed, okay?"  Makoto looked like she
was trying to think of a reason to argue the point, but finally she
nodded curtly and went over to where Usagi lay.  Ami made room,
and Makoto easily scooped the unresisting blonde up into her arms.
     Minako led them back to the narrow staircase that wound in
a loose spiral to the rear of the upper floor.  She hesitated at the
bottom, but Makoto mounted the steep risers smoothly, showing no
sign of strain or awkwardness.  Once upstairs, her bedroom was
just on the left.  
     It was cluttered, as it usually was.  Artemis insisted on
calling it untidy, but Minako knew the truth.  It was cozy and
intimate, full of distractions and diversions and comforts.  There
was no way she could seek sanctuary in a space that was clean,
sterile, and orderly.
     Nobody commented on the mess, though.  Minako pulled
back the rumpled comforter and straightened the sheets underneath,
and Makoto slipped Usagi into place while Ami removed their
princess' shoes.  As soon as Makoto laid her down, Usagi curled
into a ball on her side, drawing her knees up to her chest.  Minako
pulled the heavy comforter up over the girl, perching beside her on
the bed.  Gently, she stroked Usagi's hair, stricken by the misery in
the girl's face.
     Such an expression didn't belong on Usagi's face.  And this
time, she wasn't going to let Mamoru be the one to heal her heart. 
This time, Minako Aino was going to let the sun shine into the
heart of her princess.  No matter what.
     "Usagi?  Sweetheart?" Minako whispered.  Usagi didn't
respond, her lashes lying dark against her pale cheek, the trembling
susurration of her breathing evidence that sobs could erupt again at
any time.
     "I can't believe this is happening," Ami said softly, easing
onto the end of the bed and sitting primly.  "Why would Rei do
this?"
     "She was obviously spying for the Sisterhood," Makoto said
darkly.  
     "That's crazy!" Minako exclaimed.  "You can't really
believe that!"
     "No?" Makoto shot back.  "Then explain to me why a
follower of Dasma would pretend to serve under the banner of the
White Moon.  Face it, this is the worst blow there could be for us. 
How's a trusting girl like Usagi supposed to recover from a
betrayal like this?"
     "Rei wouldn't do what you're saying, Makoto!  She's one
of us!" Minako blurted.
     "Damn it, girl, open your eyes!" Makoto snapped back.  "All
this time, she wasn't the person we thought she was!  She lied from
the start!"
     Minako knew that, in a way, Makoto was right.  But she
also knew that the hot-tempered girl was not helping matters by
saying such things in front of Usagi.  Before she could marshal her
thoughts, though, she was startled by Usagi's voice, speaking in a
low monotone.
     "She must have hated me," the princess mumbled.
     "Usagi, no!" Minako cried.
     "She was right," Usagi continued, opening her eyes to gaze
blankly at nothing.  "Rei lied to me, kept all those things from me,
all those things she shared with HER.  She was telling the truth
after all."
     "She?" Minako said slowly, confused.  "Who, sweetheart?  Who
was telling the truth?"
     But Usagi didn't answer, choosing instead to close her eyes
as more tears spilled forth.  Minako wished desperately for the
words to make this better, to stop those tears and bring Usagi's
smile back, but of course there were no such words.
     In that moment, Minako felt her own anger towards Rei
flare like a pocket nova.  Despite the fact that she couldn't accept
Makoto's belief that Rei had betrayed their princess, still she found
herself furious with the enigmatic senshi.  Rei had caused this, after
all.  How dare she play the martyr, walking out in silence while
Usagi suffered?  Her place was here, at Usagi's side, explaining the
tangled threads of this seemingly impossible dilemma, reassuring
her princess, soothing her heart.  Showing where her loyalty truly
rested, no matter how hard it might be for her personally.
     A tiny part of Minako suggested that perhaps Rei WAS
showing her true allegiance by leaving, but she brutally suppressed
that thought.  Such doubts were poison and would destroy
whatever chance she had of fixing this mess.  There WAS an
explanation, something that would allow them to salvage the Inner
Senshi, and she would find out what it was.
     Even if she had to drag it from Rei with her bare hands.
     "Usagi," she whispered, brushing her fingers lightly over a
cheek left damp by tears, "I'm going to fix this for you.  I promise. 
In the meantime, stay here with Ami and Makoto, okay?  You'll be
safe here."  Usagi didn't reply, and finally Minako leaned forward
to plant a kiss on the girl's forehead.  Then she straightened,
motioning to Makoto to join her as Ami took her place.
     Once in the hallway outside her room, Minako took a deep
breath, trying to calm herself.  Getting angry now would not help
matters; when it came to getting angry, it was unwise to compete
with Makoto at any rate.
     "What in the hells are you doing, promising her something
like that?" Makoto hissed, leaning down to glare into Minako's
eyes from only inches away.  Minako could smell the taller girl's
faint perfume, and normally would have tried to take advantage of
their proximity.  
     "This whole thing is just out there," Minako replied, keeping her
voice low and her tone even.  "There's no way this is just how
it looks, Makoto.  No way."
     "I hate to burst your bubble, blondie," Makoto shot back,
"but this is EXACTLY how it looks!"
     "Usagi said "she" told the truth," Minako pressed, gritting
her teeth and ignoring Makoto's provocative attitude as best she
could.  "Who was she talking about?"  Minako watched as the taller
girl pulled back a little.  From the look in those deep green eyes,
she had just given Makoto a better focus for her fury.
     "Oh, you're going to love this," Makoto told her, shoulders
rigid with tension.  "We found out about Rei from none other than
the high priestess of the Sisterhood herself!"
     "What?" Minako blurted.  Makoto crossed her arms and
nodded, grimly satisfied with Minako's reaction.
     "That's right," the tall girl said.  "Usagi made me chase this
red Ferengetti across half the city, and when we finally caught it she
went and talked to the driver.  If I'd have known who she was, I
would never have ..."
     "Ferengetti?" Minako asked slowly, a sick plummeting sensation
in the pit of her stomach. 
     "Yeah, a rich girl's toy," Makoto sneered.  "Guess it pays to
walk the dark paths, huh?"
     "This woman," Minako pressed.  "Was she beautiful, I mean
goddess-gorgeous, with masses of white hair and lips to die for?"
     "I wouldn't have put it like that," Makoto said, a crease
appearing between her brows.  "But yeah, that's her.  How did
YOU know that?"
     "Usagi and I saw her talking to Rei last night outside the club
where I work," Minako replied.  And somehow, Usagi had
suspected something, she told herself.  And instead of telling
anyone, she confronted this woman alone.  Damn it, no wonder Rei
was acting so strange last night!
     "You still think Rei's the victim of a misunderstanding?"
Makoto asked archly.  It was Minako's turn to scowl.
     "I never said that," she told Makoto.  "But this whole thing
just makes less and less sense.  Why would the Dark Lady's highest
priestess reveal to Usagi that Rei is a Sister?  That kind of shoots
the spy theory in the foot, doesn't it?"
     "How should I know?" Makoto grumbled.  "You've heard
the stories about the Sisterhood, haven't you?  Twisted head games
are par for the course with them."
     "And Rei didn't know her secret was being blown," Minako
continued.  "I mean, from the way she reacted, there's no way she
knew.  So why?"
     "To destroy Usagi," Makoto said flatly.
     "Makoto, if Rei was loyal to the Sisterhood, then why
haven't they dealt with us already?" Minako argued.  "As Senshi of
the White Moon Court, we represent what they despise.  She would
have told them who we were long ago, and with us all on our own
recently, they could have picked us off easily."
     "Why are you so determined to defend Rei?" Makoto asked,
fury tainting her words.  "Don't you care what she's done to
Usagi?"
     "Of course I care!" Minako shot back.  "That's why I don't
want us to go off on this thing half-cocked!  Everybody's hurt and
angry right now, but we've got to stop and think this through no
matter how hard it is!"
     "Think?  What's to think about, huh?  I'm supposed to just
ignore the fact that Rei betrayed our trust?"
     "Listen," Minako said, fighting the urge to shout at the
stubborn girl.  "Just listen, okay?  I don't know what the whole
story is with Rei, but I know one thing for sure.  She IS Sailor
Mars.  That can't be faked.  Part of her belongs to the White Moon,
Makoto.  I say she belongs as much to us as to Dasma, maybe
more.  Maybe none of this was planned, maybe she just woke up
one day and found herself on a tightrope that nobody'd ever tried to
walk before.  If we fight for her, we could still make this work!"
     "No way, blondie," Makoto snapped.  "You can't have
something like this both ways.  White Moon and Nemesis, Dasma
and Aliera, they're complete opposites.  And I'd say that Rei made
her choice.  She wasn't just a follower of Dasma, she was one of
the Dark Lady's priestesses.  You don't get to be one of those by
just stealing panties and pinching bums, you know.  You have to
embrace the darkest, most depraved secrets of the Sisterhood."
     "Will you stop being so damned stubborn!" Minako cried,
her patience fraying.  She understood, intellectually at least, why
Makoto didn't want to let go of her anger, didn't want to risk being
let down again.  But that didn't make it any easier to take.  
     "At least I'm not being led by my hormones," Makoto
replied haughtily, shocking Minako into motionlessness.
     "Excuse me?" 
     "You always had a thing for her," Makoto spat, crossing her
arms.  "That's what this is really about, isn't it?"
     "I can't believe you," Minako breathed.  "You really think
I'd sell out Usagi for SEX?"
     "I think you'd see what you wanted to see out of
infatuation, that's what I think.  And if you could convince yourself
you were helping Usagi in the process, so much the better ..."
     "Okay, that's it," Minako said flatly.  "You stay here with
her, I'm going to go find Rei before this gets even further out of
hand."  She stomped away from Makoto, not trusting herself to say
anything further.  As she began to descend the stairs, Makoto called
her name.  Warily, she paused.
     "Watch your back," the tall girl said, her expression
guarded.  "Whatever you think is going on, you can't trust the
Sisterhood, and Rei is one of them.  So just ... watch your back."
     Then she turned and disappeared back into Minako's room. 
Wearily, the brash blonde turned and went the rest of the way down
the stairs, her heart heavy.
     Even if she could find Rei, could the chasms of
misunderstanding and mistrust still be bridged?  Or was it already
too late to save the Inner Senshi?

***

     Ami looked up from Usagi's tear-stained face as Makoto
returned to the room, looking sour.  Things had gone even less well
than she'd imagined they would, and Makoto's angry
recriminations and heated accusations hadn't helped in the least. 
She wanted to try to talk some sense into the other girl, but knew
instinctively that now was not the time.  Still, getting mad was not
helping Usagi in the least, and helping Usagi had to be their
priority, no matter how upset they all felt.
     "Where's Minako?" she asked Makoto softly.  
     "Gone out," Makoto replied in a tone that discouraged
further inquiry.  "I think we should go too, take her back to my
place."
     "I think we should leave her for now," Ami said, noting that
Usagi seemed to have tuned out the world.  
     "Why?" Makoto asked, lowering her voice as she came
closer.  
     "Minako will come back," Ami murmured.  "And Usagi will
want to see her."  That was certainly true; despite Ami's own
distaste for Minako and her antics, she couldn't deny that nobody
brought out Usagi's silly, goofy, playful side like Minako.  If she'd
been a more petty person, that fact might almost have made her ...
jealous.
     "I guess you're right," Makoto conceded grudgingly.  "But
I'd sure feel better if we could find someplace to hide, someplace
Rei didn't know about."
     "Do you really think she'd send the Sisterhood after
Usagi?" Ami asked.  Her heart felt twisted by everything that had
happened, shaken by so many incomprehensible revelations that she
was beginning to wonder if she could count on anything.  "Could
she really do that?"
     "I hope not, Ami," Makoto breathed, gazing down at
Usagi's unresponsive form.  "Believe me, I hope that doesn't
happen.  But if it does, we have to be ready.  Are you with me?"
     Ami knew what was being asked of her.  It was no easy
request; even now, she couldn't forget the things she'd learned
from Michiru.  They shared a magical element, but Ami had always
been in awe, not to mention envious, of the other woman's
effortless grace, her style, and her utter self-confidence.  The
thought of having to fight against someone she felt so inferior to
had haunted her since that night at Hotaru's.
     And in a way, it was the same with Rei, whose element was
the opposite of hers.  Rei had always intimidated her; in the
beginning, Ami had even been a little bit afraid of the girl.  Her fear
had faded as they'd trained together and fought together, but she
was still intimidated.  But beneath it all, she couldn't help
remembering the small things during their time together, like the
way Rei had brought her a book when she'd been sick,
demonstrating a startling familiarity with Ami's tastes in the
process.
     She didn't want to fight Rei, didn't want to turn her powers
on someone who'd been one of them.  But she knew she would if it
became necessary.  Usagi was her princess, the first person to want
to draw her out of herself since her mother had died, a person who
had become very precious to Ami.  And she'd somehow become
very close to Makoto as well, despite their differences.
     So if someone was to threaten the people she cared about,
the few remaining people she could trust unreservedly, she knew
what the answer had to be.
     "I'm with you, Makoto," she said softly.  "To the end."

***

     "I can't believe it," Yusaku groused, running her fingers
through his hair.
     "Of course you can," Mamoru said, frowning at the screen
of his computer. "It was inevitable."
     "A task force?" Yusaku moaned.  "I mean, politics and
chains of command and conflicting agendas ... how in the hells are
we gonna get anything done?"
     "Not to mention that you won't be able to hog the glory and
be brought to the personal attention of Her Majesty," Mamoru
added.
     "You know me so well," Yusaku sighed.
     "Come on, partner.  As soon as we'd confirmed it was a
vamp, this thing was out of our hands.  At least we get to be on the
task force."
     "Swell," Yusaku grunted.  "That meeting lasted for hours! 
How are we gonna catch us a vamp sitting in meetings all the
damned time, anyway?"
     "Some of those guys were in the old V Division, Yu," Mamoru
murmured.  "They know all there is to know about hunting
vampires.  We'll get her."
     Yusaku wandered around Mamoru's desk, moving behind
his partner's chair.  Mamoru stifled a groan as the other man began
kneading his shoulders, digging his fingers in with exquisite force.
     "You, partner, are tense," Yusaku murmured.  "I think you 
should let me help you deal with that tension."
     "Yu," Mamoru said ruefully, "have you ever even READ
the departmental guidelines on trysting between officers?"
     "Oh, those," Yusaku said breezily.  "The booklet was very
thick, I remember ... just right for holding up the wobbly leg on my
coffee table.  Anyway, I heard officials of the goddess of love are
grieving regulation of affairs of the heart.  I think they could win."
     "If they do, get back to me," Mamoru chuckled.
     "Party pooper," Yusaku chided.  Then he leaned closer,
peering over Mamoru's shoulder.  "Hey, what's this?  A license
plate check?  Have you been holding out on me, partner?"
     "Uh-uh.  Usagi left me a message earlier, asking me to
check this tag for her."
     "Detective Constable!" Yusaku gasped.  "What a shocking
misuse of official police resources!"
     "Kind of like the way you use your handcuffs?" Mamoru
teased, evoking a wry grin from his partner.  "Anyway, she
probably saw someone nearly run down a stray or something.  She
gets outraged by unfairness, and always wants to charge off and fix
it."  Or she had before that night when her heart had been so
wounded.  And, he thought, she would again.  He'd always loved
that about her.
     "Maybe she just saw a cute guy," Yusaku said slyly, "and
wanted his address.
     "Nope.  This one's a woman," Mamoru said.
     "Whatever," Yusaku grinned.  "Oh, my, and a rich one too,
to be driving something so exotic."
     "Der Kae," Mamoru frowned.  A Tyrian name, but
foreigners were hardly rare in the capital.  Why did it seem as if
he'd heard it recently?
     "Wait a second.  I know that name," Yusaku said slowly. 
"Why do I ... hold on.  About six months ago, uptown."
     "Right," Mamoru said, finally grasping the elusive memory. 
"Cyrie der Kae.  She was of Tyrian noble birth, ran in pretty
sophisticated circles.  The case is still open, isn't it?"
     "Yeah, they never caught her killer," Yusaku said, frowning at
the screen.  "Pretty brutal, from what I heard, and unusual for the
neighbourhood.  Got lots of attention because of her society
connections, but nothing ever broke."
     "Saekianna," Mamoru read.  "Must be her daughter."
     "If she looks anything like the mother, then she's a rare
beauty," Yuskau said.  "I remember her picture from the news. 
And if she takes after her mother in the personality department,
then she's a cruel conniving cold bitch."
     "I didn't hear THAT on the news," Mamoru remarked. 
     "I heard some buzz from a friend in 6 Division back then,"
Yusaku said.  "We had our own caseload to deal with, but I do
remember him saying there was no shortage of people who hated
that woman, and apparently with reason."
     "Including her daughter?"
     "They'd have checked that, I'm sure," Yusaku shrugged.  "Still,
it's an odd coincidence that your girlfriend should want to know
about this woman in particular.  You don't suppose she's sticking
her cute little nose in somewhere it shouldn't be, do you?"
     Mamoru didn't know what was going on, but he certainly
wouldn't put it past Usagi to get into trouble without even trying. 
He leaned forward, dislodging Yusaku's hands, and began typing.
     "Hey, what are you doing?" Yusaku asked.  When he saw
what Mamoru was up to, he reached down and yanked the
keyboard away.
     "Yu," Mamoru growled, displeased.
     "We have a case, partner, a very big one," Yusaku said. 
"And this ain't it.  Besides, if anyone finds out you've been poking
into the files on an active murder, there'll be uncomfortable
questions to answer."
     "I won't get caught," Mamoru stated.
     "Yes you will, because you're an idiot at this," Yusaku
grumbled, pushing Mamoru's chair out of the way with his foot.  "I,
on the other hand, am clever and devious, and would never get
caught."
     "Thanks, Yu," Mamoru said, recognizing the truth of the
other man's words.  "I owe you."
     "Damned right you do," Yusaku sighed.  Mamoru got up so
his partner could use his chair, his thoughts already turning to a
certain girl with mischief-filled blue eyes and blonde ponytails.
     Usagi, he thought, trying to ignore the nagging sense of concern
in his gut, what have you gotten into this time?

***

     "Can I ask you a question?" Ranko asked.
     "Sure," Minako said, pushing through the crowd with
practised ease.  
     "Why am I here?"
     "Philosophy has never been my bag, handsome," Minako
replied absently.
     "You know what I mean," he persisted, staying beside her
as she made her way towards the chaotic scene at the bar.
     "Look," she sighed, pausing so she could look him in the
eye.  "I don't really know what to do with you right now.  Leaving
you at my place with everything that's going on would probably be
a bad idea, so I'm bringing you with me."
     "Oh," Ranko said.  "But aren't you worried?  I mean, about
Rei's vision and all that ..."
     "Let me put it this way," she said.  "I consider myself to be
an excellent judge of character, and I think you're okay."
     "That's it?" Ranko asked, sounding faintly incredulous.
     "That's enough for me," Minako replied.  With everything that
was going on, worrying about some nebulous darkness was not
high on her list of priorities.
     "But this ... thing ... with Rei," Ranko pressed.  "Wouldn't it be
better if one of the others came with you to find her?"
     "None of the others want to see Rei right now," Minako
admitted, reminding herself that Ranko was an outsider, and thus
not emotionally affected by the situation as they all had been. 
"They feel that she betrayed them."
     "But you don't."  It wasn't a question, but Ranko still
seemed uncertain.
     "That's right," Minako replied.
     "Why?"
     "Because," Minako gritted, tired of trying to explain
something that cut so close to her heart.  "I am a good judge of
character, okay?  I'm a GREAT judge of character.  In fact, I may
possibly be the world's foremost judge of character, and I say that
things aren't quite the way they look!"
     "But you're still mad at her ..."
     "I'M NOT MAD!" Minako shot back, taking a breath as
Ranko recoiled.
     "Well, good," Ranko said cautiously.  As Minako turned
towards the bar again, Ranko cleared his throat.
     "Uh," he began.
     "What?" she sighed, resigned,
     "Why are we here, exactly?" he asked, looking around
them.  It had only just turned dark, but the club was already well on
its way to being packed.  The fun started early in this part of town.
     "I know people in the business," she said, pushing forward
again.  "I want to check around, see if Rei's been spotted.  This
part of town's handy to my place, and she'll be wanting a drink or
twelve.  Hopefully, someone can point us in the right direction."
     "That's the plan?" Ranko asked weakly.
     "Would you believe that I'm making this up as I go along?"
Minako replied with forced cheer.
     "Yes," Ranko grumbled from behind.  Minako ignored him.
     She knew her plan had its weaknesses, but she needed to do
something, anything, no matter how slim the chances for success
seemed.  She was going to find Rei and drag answers out of her. 
What they had, the five of them, was worth whatever she had to do. 
Somehow they'd let Hotaru's hatefulness poison their collective
spirit and drive them apart, but this time would be different.
     She'd look in every dive in the Triangle if she had to, night
after night.  Every lead would be followed, every dark corner
investigated, every avenue exhausted until she tracked Rei down.
     After all, she had made a promise to her princess.

***

     Empty.
     Rei held the glass up, and moments later the bartender
appeared with a replacement.  No words were exchanged; the last
thing Rei wanted was idle chit-chat.  All she wanted, in truth, was
to soothe the raw wound in her heart with a comforting blanket of
boozy numbness.  That was as far as her plans for the future had
progressed.
     Come on, she told herself.  What's all this?  It's better this
way, isn't it?  Just two days ago you had decided to stay out of her
life, for her own damned good.  Now the decision's out of your
hands.  You should be relieved, shouldn't you?
     That thought failed to lift her dark mood in the slightest. 
She threw back half her drink in one shot, letting it burn down into
her gut.  Despite how much she'd already had, she was still
depressingly aware of herself, her thoughts not blunted by the
Tyrian whiskey's effects.
     It kept coming back to her in painful detail, the way they'd
looked at her, the betrayal in their eyes, the accusation, the anger. 
And she found she was beginning to get angry herself, now that the
shock was finally fading.  How dare they?  None of them
understood how it had been for her, none of them had even tried! 
Rei had struggled with the duality of her nature in silence, and this
was what she got?  Ami's nervous refusal to meet her gaze,
Minako's dumbstruck shock, Makoto's open hostility, and ...
     She shuddered, hunching over slightly as if in pain.  Those
eyes, those crystal clear blue eyes, trusting her to make it better, to
make it not true.  But it had been true, and the pain Rei had put
there was echoed ten times, a hundred times over, in her own heart.
     I never wanted to hurt you, Usagi, she thought, hand
clenching around her glass spasmodically.  I hope you can realize
that one day.  The only thing I can do for you now is leave, so
maybe you can at least keep the others together.
     She tossed back the rest of her drink sharply, barely tasting
it.  The future gaped before her for one vertiginous moment, HER
future, and it was black and empty, barren, meaningless.  Because
her princess wasn't in it.
     Bleakly, she reached into her jacket pocket to find some
money.  She'd pay off her tab and buy a bottle to take with her. 
Business was starting to pick up, and she didn't want to be around
people just then.  She didn't want to hear them laugh and flirt and
joke around like the world was still a great place, like it hadn't
fallen into black ruin in a moment.
     Her fingers brushed something smooth and hard, and she froze. 
Her henshin rod; she'd forgotten all about it.  She should probably
just toss the damned thing away; after all, her days of being Sailor
Mars were certainly over.  Yes, she should do that as soon as she
had a chance.
     How many more little reminders would she stumble across
in coming days, weeks even, strewn like so many emotional land
mines through the jagged landscape of her life?  Clamping down on
a sudden wave of self-pity, she pushed her fingers past the silently
accusing artifact, only to encounter another object, this one smooth,
cool, and round.
       She frowned, vaguely puzzled for a moment, until it came
back to her in a rush of almost painful clarity.  For a moment the
inside of her head was absolutely silent, devoid of accusations,
recriminations, and futile yearnings.  Rei barely breathed, letting her
fingertips linger where they were, aware only of the rush of air in
her ears.  The bar and its inhabitants had ceased to exist, as if she'd
found her way at last to a place she hadn't even known she'd been
seeking, a mystic crossroads.
     Well, why not? she asked herself silently when the unearthly
quiet that had descended upon her thoughts remained unbroken. 
You can't go back, after all.  So take the final step away from what
was.  Maybe it was meant to be this way, dark calling to dark. 
Maybe you just had to see that you were never pure enough for a
girl like Usagi.
     Sure.  This is how it should be.  And if you're not around to
torment her, she'll heal, and forget, and be stronger ...
     Rei snapped out of her reverie, aware that she was clinging
fiercely to her new course of action like an exhausted swimmer to a
lifeline.  She couldn't, however, find it in herself to care.  Slapping
several rumpled ten crown notes on the bar in front of the taciturn
bartender, she slipped from her padded stool and got out of there,
feeling strangely energized.  She knew what was calling her, and
knew the dangers of answering that call again.  But that knowledge
was distant and unimportant; anything was better than the
horrendous pain that lurked behind the void in her soul.  And
distraction was welcome now.
     The streets of the Triangle's infamous club district were full,
as usual.  She had to walk for a short time before spotting
someplace suitable.  The alley Rei slunk down was dark and strewn
with garbage, and the shadows lay heavy as she left the realm of
cold neon light.  Those shadows might very well hold danger, but
anyone foolish enough to cross Rei Hino this night would find that
she was no stranger to the shadows herself.
     Finding a private spot behind a badly dented dumpster, Rei
was disappointed that no denizen of the city's underbelly had
challenged her.  A need was beginning to swell in her, churning and
coiling in the pit of her belly.  It was familiar, this sensation; in the
old days, it had always driven her to reckless action of one sort or
another.  In an odd way, it was comforting.  It whispered to her, its
voice low, soothing, seductive.
     You know what to do, Rei, it hissed sweetly.  Don't
hesitate.  We know where a girl like you belongs, don't we?
     Rei reached into her pocket, digging past her henshin rod to
find what she wanted.  The dark crystal disk gleamed even in the
dim light of the alleyway's depths, the black rose inscribed into its
surface drinking the wan light greedily.  
     Do it, the voice urged as it wrapped its dark coils around
her, caressing her like a lover.  You need to unleash your anger,
your darkness, your most wild nature.  And she will understand.  So
do it ...
     Taking a deep breath, Rei held the disc up and flicked it
gently with her fingernail, sending the smallest flicker of power into
it.  The disc rang like a chime, a clear penetrating tone resonating
with the dark all around.  It began to spin, and when she let her
cupped palm drop, it remained suspended in the air, spinning faster
and faster, the unearthly musical tone rippling all around her as the
ghostly image of a black rose shimmered in the centre of the
spinning disc.  It expanded, fading, and Rei watched spellbound as a
woman's image began to form.
     She could see Saekianna's head and shoulders; the woman's
platinum mane was a silken disarray, and bare skin extended down
out of sight as she sat up.  The woman gave the appearance of
someone roused from her bed as her mesmerizing dark eyes sought
the person contacting her.  Rei knew that it wasn't late enough for
Saekianna to be asleep, although she didn't doubt she'd pulled the
sultry woman away from some activity involving a bed.  She
watched Saekianna's expression change from irritation to surprise
to pleasure as she recognized her caller.
     "Rei," she breathed.  "I was hoping you'd call."
     Rei stared at the image for a moment, feeling the siren call
of her own need intensify, the visceral urge to wipe away the day's
anguish by finally surrendering to dark abandon drowning out
everything, all the pain and doubt.
     "Rei?" Saekianna repeated, moving so that her nakedness
was fully apparent.  Rei tried to think of a reason not to step into
the abyss.  None came to mind.
     "Sass," she said softly.  "I need to see you."

***

     A house as large as hers should not have seemed confining
by any means, yet Hotaru found herself fighting a mounting sense
of nearly claustrophobic anxiety.  She prowled the darkened rooms
of the sprawling manse with a predatory intensity, unable to keep
still for more than a few moments at a time.
     Finally, driven nearly to distraction by the restlessness
within, she stalked into the large room that housed her swimming
pool.  The air within had that characteristic damp warm chlorinated
smell all indoor pools seemed to have, and that fact only served to
tighten the sense of prickly energy that nagged her so.  It was too
much trouble to go back to her room for a swimsuit; she stripped as
she moved, casting her clothes carelessly in her wake as she went.
     Finally naked, she strode impatiently to the edge, flinging
herself into space without hesitation.  She hung over the still,
perfect mirror of the water's surface for an instant, then plunged
through, shattering the reflected light into a billion gleaming shards.
     The water was warm, and she drove herself through it
forcefully, knifing to the far end, then flipping and starting back. 
She was no match for Michiru in the water, but then nobody was
really, except maybe Ami.  The exertion gave her the outlet she'd
craved, though, and she swam end to end, letting the water flow
over her bare skin like silk
     As she swam, the tension within her seemed to ease
somewhat.  Still, she swam until her shoulders ached and her breath
came in gasps, and when she went to pull herself from the water's
clinging embrace it took her two tries to lever her body up onto the
side.  Blowing clinging droplets from her lips, she stood and
stretched, her bare feet slapped wetly as she went to a chaise and
eased herself into it.
     Skinny dipping, she thought ruefully as she lay back,
slicking her wet hair back with her fingers.  I can see why Michiru
enjoys it so.  Probably more fun with a partner, though ...
     She sighed, her breath trembling slightly from exertion.  The
restlessness that had infected her had receded now, sated by her
burst of activity.  Hotaru hoped that it was merely worry over what
had transpired in the city over the previous twenty-four hours, and
not another anomaly like her strange bout of the hunger the
previous night.
     The fact that Haruka and Michiru had not reported in was
not necessarily bad.  In all likelihood, it meant that they were
following the leads that she'd given them, trying to ascertain just
what had really happened the previous night.  They were not
children; they would not call in unless they had something to say. 
Still, Hotaru was feeling antsy.  She had a very bad feeling about
the shroud of secrecy that surrounded several seemingly unrelated
incidents which had occurred in her city in the space of one night. 
A very bad feeling.
     Still, she'd sent those two out on similar missions before. 
There was something else here, something that gnawed at her.  It
was as if the night called out, beckoned her to run out of the safe
confines of this place and throw herself onto the capricious winds. 
The feeling was strong, and it disturbed her.  The fact that it was
not entirely unpleasant made it all the more unsettling.
     Hotaru stretched, watching as the water beaded on her taut
skin and skated down the slopes of her breasts, tracing the ripples
of muscle as they coursed along her belly and dropped into her belly
button.  It was oddly liberating, lying nude and wet here.  She could
only imagine what the others would say if they walked in on her like
this, though; she was not known for being either impulsive or
whimsical.
     Well, let them say what they liked.  Haruka and Michiru
were far more uninhibited than this, and she knew Setsuna was no
prude.  In fact, she wished for a moment Setsuna was there. 
Perhaps they could swim together, naked as fish.  Of all the senshi,
Hotaru thought Setsuna understood her best, understood loneliness
and the harsh cutting edge of solitude.
     But she wasn't. Like a cat, Setsuna came and went as she
would.  The enigmatic senshi was not in the habit of informing
others of her comings and goings; a result, no doubt, of spending so
much time alone.  Hotaru sighed.
     Her impromptu swim had left her physically spent, and
although her thoughts still buzzed in her head, she thought she
might be able to finally sleep, or at least rest.  The effects of the
previous night's broken sleep were making themselves felt at last.
     Rising, she caught sight of he clothes, strewn along the tiled
floor.  Ordinarily, she would have gathered them and perhaps even
folded them neatly, then towelled off and found a robe to wear. 
Tonight, though, something in her rebelled at those thoughts.  Why
should she get dressed?  It was her house, after all, and she'd walk
naked through it if she pleased.  And as for her clothes, they could
stay where they were.  Tomorrow was soon enough to retrieve
them.
     Striding through the darkened halls, she felt oddly
unencumbered.  It was as if her bare skin allowed her to sense the
night directly, in a way she never had before.  Water drying on her
skin felt cool but not unpleasantly so, and she felt like laughing
aloud.  If taking a dip naked did this for her disposition, she should
do it every night.
     In her room, she didn't bother with the light.  Her night
vision had always been excellent, and when she was alone she often
didn't bother lighting the house at night.  Boldly she strode to the
glass doors that led to her balcony, throwing them wide and closing
her eyes as the cool night wind burst in on her.  Her skin prickled
and tightened as the cold air hit it, but she just held her arms aloft
and breathed deeply of the scents it bore to her.
     The night really was wonderful.  It made her wish she had
someplace to go.
     But she didn't, and her body felt deliciously heavy. 
Whether she slept or not, her bed would feel wonderful.  Turning,
she went to her dresser to find something to wear.  She considered
not bothering at all, but once she opened the top left drawer she
abandoned that thought immediately.  There were fairly sedate
nightgowns there, but for some reason her hand went immediately
to the back corner, pulling out a small bundle of sheer silk. 
     She held it up by the thin spaghetti straps, letting the
material fall like liquid to reveal its form.  It was a very deep purple,
cut daringly low in the front and high at the thigh.  Panels of lace
ran down the sides, providing tantalizing glimpses of the wearer
through the fine, intricate patterns.  This scrap of nothing was much
more sinful than bare flesh could be, and just holding it made
Hotaru feel decadent.  Having seen it in a shop months ago, she'd
felt compelled to buy it.  Since then, though, it had languished in
her drawer.  After all, it was the sort of thing that required an
audience to be truly appreciated.
     But tonight, she wanted something that matched her mood,
and this was it.  She slipped it on, shivering at the sensation of cool
silk on bare skin as it slithered into place with exquisite familiarity. 
Almost impishly, she stopped at the full-length mirror on her way to
the bed, turning this way and that.  The negligee hugged her curves,
showing a generous amount of cleavage and making her legs look
even longer than they were.  It left her back nearly bare, and with
her hair still slicked back against her head she looked like a wanton
stranger caught, unashamed, in some lascivious act.
     This time she did laugh aloud, a throaty sound that swirled
in the shadowy corners of the room.  Her earlier worries about
Haruka and Michiru's progress faded; they would report when they
reported.  Pulling back the heavy covers of her bed, she slipped in,
revelling in every sensation, in the pure physicality of the act.  Her
earlier restlessness had mellowed into something languid, and she
sighed happily.  She felt good, relaxed, for the first time in what
seemed like forever.  This was a feeling to be savoured.
     Hotaru stretched, her toes curling as she luxuriated in the
feel of silk against her bare skin.  Then she let her breath out in a
long, gentle sigh.
     And drifted off into the welcoming embrace of the goddess of
sleep.

***

     For a time, there was no sound in the room save for the
gentle susurration of Hotaru's breathing.  As she slipped deeper
into sleep, though, the shadows within the room roiled, coiling in a
most unnatural manner.  They shifted and slithered like living
creatures, coalescing into a pool of even deeper darkness at the
head of her large bed.
     Hotaru moaned in her sleep, twisting and flinging one arm
out, dislodging her covers in the process.  Her skin was alabaster
pale against the darkness of her skimpy negligee and raven hair,
almost glowing with a gentle pearlescent light.
     Something emerged with slow, unearthly grace from the
darkness near her head, a slim hand as pale as Hotaru's own. 
Another followed it, extending forth to reach into the room. 
Hotaru moaned again and twisted, her bedcovers now rumpled
down around her waist, her arms outflung untidily.  Her twisting
and turning had pulled the sheer nightdress tightly against her body
in a provocative manner, and her eyelids twitched as the eyes
beneath them flicked back and forth with jerky motions.
     And still the arms emerged from their inky cocoon, at last
being followed by shoulders, a neck, a head.  With predatory grace,
Wynneth crawled out onto Hotaru's bed, curling lazily beside the
sleeping woman's head.  Her long ebony locks pooled on the sheets
and draped over the second pillow as she moved, gazing down 
fondly at the sleeping form.  Her ruby lips curved into a smile as
Hotaru whimpered and twitched fitfully.
     Hotaru's lips parted slightly as her breathing became more
rapid, and she shifted again, her head lolling back so that her neck
was exposed.  Wynneth hovered over the sleeping form, breathing
in her scent, savouring it like fine wine.
     "My, how you have grown," she whispered silkily.  "How
beautiful you have become."  Hotaru's only response was to
whimper softly in the back of her throat.
     "And such lovely dreams," Wynneth purred, reaching out to
brush her fingers across Hotaru's forehead as the girl's restless
twisting subsided, the rise and fall of her breasts the only
movement.  "So very full of sweet sin and delicious hunger ..."
     Wynneth moved so that her face was directly over Hotaru's,
letting the curtain of her hair fall around them, forming a sweetly
scented intimate barrier that isolated them from the world outside. 
She placed her full lips next to Hotaru's ear, fingers still tracing
light teasing circles along Hotaru's cheek, jaw, mouth.
     "Dream for me," Wynneth whispered, her husky voice all
dark promise and temptation, captivating enchantment made silky
sound. "Dream a dream for me and me alone."  Hotaru whimpered
again, but it was a weak sound, barely a whisper.
     "Yes," Wynneth crooned, caressing the girl's face with her
gaze and her teasing fingers.  "That's it.  Show me.  Show me
something nice ... my sweet daughter."
     And Hotaru dreamed.



end part five
     
     



     

    























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