So, here goes.  This is the first posting of Sailor Moon: Gray.  I'll
stick a few quick notes on the nature of the fic here at the top, with
more explanations after chapters as necessary.  These notes can also
serve as a spoiler buffer, so forgive me if they run long.  =)  I'm
posting two chapters because that seemed like the right length.

The Name: When you choose a nice short title like "Gray", there's always
the danger someone's picked it before you.  My google and archive
searches didn't turn up anything, but if its been taken before please
bring it to my attention.

The Fic: SM: Gray is a long way from a balanced look at the SM
characters.  It mostly involves Rei, Ami, and Hotaru, along with a new
round of villains.  It's a bit (but I hope not too much) on the dark
side.  

The Setting: Two years after the end of the fifth season of SM.  As
such, the fic contains minor spoilers for that season and a couple of
vague references to things that take place beforehand.  I doubt anyone's
enjoyment of that series would be spoiled by reading this, but the
warning is there for the purists...

A Note on Japanese Culture: After much thought, I decided not to use
fansub-style English (honorifics and Japanese untranslatables) on the
grounds that I'd inevitably screw it up somewhere.  I therefore stuck to
what I know, culture-wise.  I'll also freely admit my unfamiliarity with
actual Tokyo geography, etc.  Anyone who actually knows something about
it, feel free to poke holes in this.

A Vote of Thanks: Zombie is almost as responsible for this project as I
am.  He badgered me to write it, he proofreads it, and he's responsible
for the fact that I watched SM in the first place.

Version Info: SM: Gray will live at http://bloodgod.res.cmu.edu/smgray/.
The version I'm posting here is ASCII, and uses [] for character thought
and ** for emphasis.  The original uses italics for both, and I think it
looks better; you can grab Word docs, RTFs, and fancy HTMLs at that URL
if you agree.  If my email butchers this somehow (die, outlook, die!)
please let me know; the .txt versions are also available at the site.

Contact Info:  
khaine@mindless.com
AIM: khaine1310
ICQ: 53426521
Feel free to contact me by any of these means!

That's about enough of that, I think.  Have fun with the fic!  Any sort
of feedback or C&C is very appreciated.  (Here's hoping the formatting's
okay, I've never posted something like this...=)

Django Wexler (khaine)
khaine@mindless.com

"Could you please explain the infinite?"
	-Overheard during a Programming and Modern Math lecture
------------------

Sailor Moon: Gray


Chapter One
     In which Resh pays a call and Rei makes a new friend.

     

     For a man ringed by firepower, Resh kept his cool remarkably well.

     The firepower wasn't apparent to the casual eye, of course.  Resh
was merely 
riding upwards in a private elevator, surrounded by four nearly
identical men in dark 
suits and sunglasses, each with his hand in his jacket pocket and his
eyes focused 
inwards.

     [Prison detail or honor guard?]  He smiled wryly, hoping for the
pleasure of 
seeing one of the four flinch; Resh knew his smile could be a bit
off-putting, but none 
of them even twitched.  [I guess we'll find out which is which in a
minute.  Or maybe 
Iylitrio hasn't decided yet.]  Probably the latter, he figured; as
calmly as the boss 
was playing it, the suddenness of the visit had to have caught him
off-guard.

     *Ding.*  Resh almost jumped as the elevator slid smoothly to a
halt.  As soon as 
the doors had rattled open, the lead pair of guards was already moving
down the 
corridor, while the back two waited for him to proceed.

     A few others were in evidence down the long hallway, walking in
pairs with 
sub-machineguns no longer even vaguely hidden or standing stiffly in
front of the 
occasional doors.  Downstairs and outside, Iylitrio's soldiers had to be
cautious, but 
this was there own turf.  Still, Resh wondered what had put him so on
guard.  [I mean, 
guys walking around with visible weapons is right out of the 1930s.]
The underworld 
was nothing if not sensitive to fashion, albeit of certain specific
varieties.  

     At the end of the corridor a massive set of double doors loomed,
massive black 
monoliths without visible ornamentation.  Resh paid more attention to
the man standing 
in front of them, a gaunt fellow of average height dressed in a dark
suit of a 
considerably better cut then the guards that were approaching him.  The
suit, in fact, 
had apparently been custom-made for him, since it included loops to
accommodate the 
daisho he wore on his left hip.  Immaculately styled dark hair was short
everywhere 
except for a tail that just brushed his shoulders; as Resh approached,
the man bowed.  
He appeared not to notice when his guest did not return the gesture.

     "Greetings, my lord Resh.  Iylitrio is most flattered by your
visit."

     Resh smiled despite himself.  "Just Resh.  I haven't ruled anything
for quite some 
time now."

     "As you wish.  Please follow;  Iylitrio is anxious to speak with
you."

     The guards, Resh noticed, had retreated during this exchange,
leaving him alone 
with the sword-bearing man.  At his touch, the heavy metal door swung
open, and Resh 
followed him into the dimly-lit space beyond.  It was huge, too big to
strictly be 
called an office despite the fact that it had a desk in it; it was more
like a throne 
room, and served the same purpose.  The desk itself was a giant hulk of
a thing, wood 
coated with varnish so ancient it had turned almost black, covered with
scattered 
papers and flanked by a pair of modern-looking computer terminals.
Behind it sat the 
man Resh had come to see.

     Iylitrio--so far as anyone knew, he had no family name--sagged
heavily over the 
black leather of his chair.  He wasn't exactly fat, although he
certainly weighed more 
then he probably should have; instead, the boss looked as though his
skin was simply 
several sizes too large for his body, hanging in folds from his arms and
giving his 
face a drooping, melted look.  His appearance belied his intelligence.
Eyes almost 
hidden under great gray eyebrows glittered icily and missed nothing, and
his 
viciousness to those he deemed his enemies was renowned in the
admittedly small circles 
in which he was known.  Iylitrio had risen through the ranks of the
underworld through 
a few choice alliances; in only a few cases were his 'friends' still
alive to benefit 
in the end, but such, Resh reflected, was always the way of things.  He
was not, on the 
whole, the kind of man one wanted to ask for a favor.

     He smiled as Resh approached the desk, still walking calmly.  It
wasn't a nice 
smile; more of the wolf showing its teeth.  The young man with the
blades maintained 
his position just behind the visitor's  left shoulder, where Resh
continued to ignore 
him while he waited for the boss to speak.

     If Iylitrio was waiting for his guest to become nervous, and was
therefore 
disappointed, he didn't show it.  His voice was deep and graveled.
"Resh.  I don't 
believe we've met, though of course I've heard of you."

     "I didn't think my fame had spread quite for far."

     The other's smile faded.  "You are not a healthy person to be
talking to, you 
know."

     "Oh?"  Nonchalance, he'd decided, was the key. 

     "No, indeed.  Something about a girl, I hear.  They found her in a
back alley.  So 
sad."

     He shrugged.  "Tragic."

     "She's not dead, you know."

     Resh froze.  That *was* news.  "A relief."

     "And..."  Iylitrio leaned forward.  "Her...father.  He is not
pleased with you, 
yes?"

     Inch-long incisors glittered as Resh curled his upper lip, but he
kept his peace; 
the boss settled back in his chair.

     "And so you come to me.  Because by such a happy accident, my
little neighborhood 
sits where it does, and it is only here Jahara can't find you.  But it
seems to me 
there is a danger here.  If you only have one place to hide, then he
knows it is here 
you must be, and you are back, as they say, to square one.  And poor
Iylitrio will have 
Jahara angry with him just for *talking* to you."

     "Are you that frightened of him?"

     Iylitrio chuckled.  "Of course.  Only fools are not frightened by
the Unforgiven."

     Anger, carefully kept in check, welled up suddenly inside Resh.  He
slammed his 
hand down on the desk hard enough that his fingertips left impressions
in the wood; 
behind him, a tiny metallic sound said that his escort had a hand on his
sword.

     The boss waved him away, chuckling, and shook his head.  "Manners,
my dear Resh.  
I am only saying what everyone knows."

     Resh struggled to keep his voice under control.  "What.  Do.  You.
Want?"

     Iylitrio clasped his hands under his chin.  "I have recently
entered into 
a...partnership, you might call it, and my new friends suspected you
might come here.  
They have need of your services."

     That was more like it; Resh let his smile return.  "And in
exchange?"

     "I have never seen you here.  Nor have any of my men, of course.
But maybe my 
informers have found you someplace far away?  This is, after all, not
the *only* place 
you can hide.  And there is a long way between Juuban and Rapa Nui, or
Stonehenge."

     "Rapa Nui..."  Somehow the idea of Jahara raging around that gloomy
isle was 
halfway amusing.

     "So."  Iylitrio put his head on one side.  "We have a deal?"

     Resh hesitated.  "What exactly do you want me to do?"

     "We will let you know once everything is in place.  Rest assured it
will hardly be 
a challenge at all for one of your unique...talents."

     "I'll need somewhere to stay."  He couldn't bring himself to say
'hide'; for a 
moment, anger returned.  [*Damn* that Jahara.]

     "Of course."

     "And--"

     The boss cut him off.  "Sufficient amusements will be provided to
you, because I 
am such a generous man.  But clean up after yourself, yes?  I have
enough headaches 
with 'heroes' without people like you waving the red flag."

     Resh waved a hand.  "As you wish."

     "Then follow Seiron."  He gestured to the black-suited figure still
standing just 
to the rear; Resh had almost forgotten about him.  "He will take you
where you need to 
go."

     Seiron bowed and turned without looking to see if his charge was
actually behind 
him.  With one last glare at Iylitrio, Resh turned to go.

 

     Rei Hino was doing math in her head.

     [One down below on the street, two in the lobby, two at the
stairwell.]

     She'd avoided the street, the lobby, and the stairwell entirely by
the simple 
expedient of climbing down a line from the building next door and
opening a window.  
The line hadn't been particularly sturdy and had swayed alarmingly in
the wind while 
bearing her weight, and as she'd progressed across it the movement had
gotten worse and 
worse, so her final lunge through the window had been more of a
terrified dive then a 
graceful jump, and her heart was still pounding.  Still, such was the
price for a good 
entrance.  Now she peered carefully around a corner and watched two more
figures in 
black lounging against the hotel's frankly horrible yellow-on-green
wallpaper.

     [Two more in the hall leading to the elevators.  Two cars, figure
ten total.  That 
leaves three in the suite.]  She smiled tightly.  [No problems.  Now I
just have to 
wait for Makoto to do her stuff...]

     Another peek around the corner found the two men still undisturbed.
Rei glanced 
at her watch and counted, silently.

     [Three...two...one...]  Rei paused as another moment passed, and
for an instant 
her stomach dropped.  [What...]

     Then one of the figures put a hand to his ear and said something to
the other, too 
low to catch, and both were running for the elevator.  She breathed a
quick prayer of 
thanks as she waited for them to get on board.

     [Either their response time isn't great, or Mako got delayed
somehow.]  Rei felt a 
quick thrill of worry for her friend; she quashed it hurriedly.  [Makoto
knows what 
she's doing.  She'll be okay.]

     [I hope.]  She shook her head as she ran down the corridor.
[Sometimes I forget I 
kind of dragged her into this.]

     It was a corner suite, with the door at the end of the hall, and
she paused, flat 
against the wall, to consider her options.  [I know the layout; one main
room with two 
bedrooms leading off of it.  The guards are probably in the main room,
watching the 
door.  So going straight in is right out.  That leaves some kind of
distraction.]

     She dug her hand into one pocket and wrapped her hand around the
transformation 
pen, closing her eyes and silently mouthing the words.

     "Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"

     It took only a moment for the swirling lights to rise and fall, and
Rei found 
herself once again in seifuku, normal clothes sent to who-knows-where.
She smiled, 
tightly, and turned back to the door, trying to gauge its thickness.

     [Pretty flimsy...just a tap, then...]  Rei sighted down the length
of her arm and 
mentally dialed the power down.  [Wouldn't want to fry anybody.]

     "Mars...Flame...Sniper!"

     Fire roared and crackled into a concentrated bolt that blasted the
thin 
wood-and-plastic portal to fragments.  Rei was right behind it, diving
low into the 
room before the smoke cleared and rolling hard to the side to be out of
the line of 
fire.  The couch was facing away from the door, as she'd predicted, and
the guards were 
probably crouched behind it for cover; she stay low, running crab-wise
to a nearby 
recliner and putting her back to it, waiting for the shooting to start.

     When it didn't, she poked her head cautiously around the left side,
ready to spin 
back behind cover; the room, though, was empty.  Television in the far
corner, with the 
couch facing it.  A couple of chairs, a potted plant, sideboard and
minibar, and two 
doors into the suite's bedrooms, both closed.  No sign of Kyara or any
of his men.

     [Could I have been wrong?]  She shook her head scornfully; the
guards downstairs 
had been real enough.  [Maybe they're all in the bedrooms; that would be
pretty stupid, 
but it's possible.  They can't have not heard it when I blew the door
in, so they've 
got to be ready.]

     She stood up, cautiously, and made her way over to the couch.
There was, in fact, 
a figure on the far side of it, dressed in a dark suit like all the
others; he was 
sprawled on the floor, unconscious, the heavy black pistol lying where
it had fallen 
from his hand.  Rei stared, for just a moment.  [Who...]

     A moment too long.  A breath of air gave her a bare instant's
notice before 
something heavy collided with the back of her head.

     A normal person would probably have been knocked unconscious, and
she suspected 
that was what her opponent had intended; even Sailor Mars nearly blacked
out, vision 
clouded with spots as she stumbled forward.  She managed to turn it into
a spin, 
though, arms held up protectively in front of her as she backed away and
waited for her 
eyes to clear.

     "Who are *you*?"

     Rei blinked.  The back of her neck felt like someone was driving a
dozen needles 
into it every time she moved her head, but she could see enough to make
out the man in 
front of her.  He was tall, probably more then a foot taller then she
was, and solidly 
built if not overly muscular.  Short, dark hair bristled wildly, and his
eyes were 
obscured by sunglasses, dark lenses with just a bit of green tint.  The
man's attire 
was black-on-black, unpretentious and, she couldn't help noting,
probably well-suited 
for combat.  This observation was backed up by the pistol holsters, of
which she could 
see at least six between hips, legs, and back.

     He put his head on one side.  "You're not one of Kyara's guys, are
you?"

     Rei saw no harm in answering, so she shook her head, wincing at the
pain.  "No."

     "I should be angry at you, but since he's not here"--he waved a
hand around the 
suite--"it doesn't matter much, does it?"

	 "He's...not here?"  Since he didn't seem about to immediately
attack her again, 
Rei lowered her hands to rub the back of her head.  The man chuckled.

     "Sorry about that.  I thought you were one of his, or maybe
Iylitrio's guys come 
to steal my contract."  He stepped closer.  "Are you all right?"

     Rei took a step back, in turn.  "I'll be okay.  But what are you
doing here?"

     "I was hoping to ask you the same question."  He grinned, hugely
and suddenly, and 
swept off the dark glasses with one hand.  "My name is Shard."

     "Shard."  She scanned quickly through an internal list of
gangsters, evil 
sorcerers, and youma-at-large and came up blank.

     He paused a moment.  "And you are?"

     "Sailor Mars."  Frankly, she was surprised he hadn't recognized
her, or at least 
her uniform; the name, too, seemed to draw no response.  "But I need to
know what 
you're doing here, and where--"

     Her communicator squawked, cutting her off in mid-sentence;
Makoto's voice came 
after a moment of static.

     "--Mars, get out!  Kyara's down here, and there's at least ten of
them.  You've 
got to--"

     Jupiter was drowned out by the stuttering growl of an automatic
weapon, and the 
contact cut off.  It took Rei a moment to come out of shock, but Shard
was already 
heading for the door.

     "Wh--Where are you going?"  It wasn't the most apt of questions,
she was prepared 
to admit, but he stopped and looked around.

     "To get him, of course."  He smiled again.  "And stay out of the
way.  Don't think 
I won't kill you just because you're good-looking."

     "I--"  Movement in the corridor caught her eye.  "Look out!"

     Rei was already throwing herself to one side, and Shard's reflexes
were 
impeccable, spinning out of the line of fire of the broken door even as
a spray of 
bullets stitched a pattern into the opposite wall.  Ignoring him for the
moment, she 
ran across the room and waited for a break in the fire, mind racing.

     [Mako's downstairs.]  That occupied her, first and foremost.  [She
said there are 
more of them...]

     Shard was crouched across from her, looking at her curiously.  His
lips moved, 
silently.

     "Now.  What?"

     She heard the click as someone outside reloaded and leaned into the
doorway, 
pointing to the ceiling.

     "Flame Sniper!"

     This time she gave it full power, and the blast went through the
plaster overhead 
like cheese, bringing most of it down on the heads of her assailants.
Clouds of dust 
filled the corridor, but she could hear them beating a hasty retreat
back to the 
stairs.  Even Shard looked impressed.

     "Tell you what."  He surveyed the destruction.  "I'll split the
bounty with you."

 

     Kyara's thugs had pulled back to the regular stairwell, which left
getting out of 
the room as something of a problem.  Rei doubted her line was secure
enough to hold 
Shard's bulk, and in any case it sloped upwards towards the roof of the
taller building 
next door, leaving her with a long hand-over-hand climb in full view of
any 
rifle-wielding goons on the street below.  A glance down had left her
dizzied; Sailor 
Senshi or no Sailor Senshi, jumping eleven floors straight down was a
bit much.  That 
left the main stairwell, the elevators, or--her brain gave a her a
kick--the small 
emergency stairway.

     Shard was already headed down the corridor, looking back at her
over his shoulder. 

     "You coming?"

     She shook her head.  "They'll be waiting for you on the stairs."

     He looked nonplussed.  "So?"

     [Confidence, or suicidal insanity?]  She refrained from shaking her
head.  
"There's an emergency exit down the corridor to the right.  I doubt
they'll be watching 
it."

     Shard shrugged.  "If you like."  Clearly, guards or no guards was
of little import 
to him.  [Since I'd like to stay in one piece, I choose no guards.  Plus
it should be 
faster.]  Her chest tightened.  [Mako...]

     "So lead the way."

     Rei nodded and turn the corner cautiously.  Most of the rooms on
this floor were 
either unoccupied or had inhabitants that were sensibly keeping their
doors shut tight 
once the shooting had started; the door to the emergency stairway was
shut tight and 
locked.  She swore, under her breath.  [I can always melt it, but...]

     "Allow me."

     Mars had the presence of mind to step back as the big man turned at
the hip and 
kicked the door hard enough that bits of the flimsy lock sprayed out
into the 
white-painted utility stairs.  She'd been wrong: there was a guard, a
short weasely 
type who was already fumbling for his pistol.  As part of the same
motion, Shard 
smoothly stepped forward and brought his fist around to the side of the
man's head, 
hammering him to the floor.  Rei lifted an eyebrow as she stepped onto
the landing, 
heels clanging on cheap sheet-metal.

     Shard lifted the unconscious thug's gun and flipped it, offering it
to Rei, who 
shook her head.

     "I guess you don't need it."  He'd spoken in a normal tone, but the
acoustics of 
the narrow stair magnified it into a swarm of clashing echoes.  She put
a finger to her 
lips and started down the stairs, carefully, wincing at every misstep
that let out a 
metallic ring.  Shard padded behind her.

     [Who is this guy?]  No more guards were in evidence on the way
down, and she stole 
the occasional glance back at her odd companion.  [He moves like a
trained fighter, but 
he doesn't sound like one of these Yakuza types.  Maybe a contract
killer?]  Shard 
certainly didn't fit her image of an assassin.  [Then again, I've  never
met one.]   
She remembered his offer back in the suite.  ["I'll split the bounty
with you."  Is he 
a bounty hunter, then?]  There was something about him, an odd sense;
not a spiritual 
sense, as if he were a youma, but merely intuition.  Not bad, but...odd.

     The fact that he was handsome in the extreme was confusing things,
too.  She'd 
been trying to leave that out; Rei blushed and returned her thinking to
earlier lines.

     [He doesn't seem fazed at all by my powers.  So he either knows
about the Sailor 
Senshi, or deals with supernatural things fairly regularly.  Either way
is odd.  I 
should keep an eye on him...]

     She felt his hand tap her shoulder, as though summoned by her
thoughts; she tried 
to suppress her thrill at the contact as she looked back at him.

     "What?"

     He nodded at the door ahead of them, marked with an 'L' in cheap
black paint.  
"We're here, unless you plan on continuing into the basement.  So what's
the plan?"

     "P...plan?"  She hadn't thought he'd be ask; Shard did not seem the
kind of person 
who let other people make plans.

     "Sure."  His face softened.  "It's your friend in there, right?  As
long as we get 
Kyara, the method doesn't matter to me, but I assume you'd like to keep
her alive."

     Rei felt oddly, absurdly grateful as she nodded.  "Okay."  It
didn't seem enough.  
"Thanks.  Just...follow my lead.  I'm going to try and talk to him, but
if things go 
badly..."

     He smiled.  "Got it.  Good luck."

     She took a deep breath and pushed the door open, slipping through
and pressing her 
back to one of the walls.  The lobby had a large open space, in front of
the main desk, 
as well as innumerable nooks and short corridors near the back; it was
one of these in 
which she now stood.  She could see, barely, a number of men in dark
suits standing in 
front of the desks themselves, watching the elevators.

     [Kyara will be out near the doors, not on the front lines.]  She
edged along the 
wall, gesturing Shard to move forward.  [I need to find out where Mako
is.  That's most 
important.  She'll probably be a hostage...]  Her mind shied away from
the other 
possibility, refusing to admit it.  Rei had been shot once in the course
of her private 
war on the gangsters of Juban.  It hadn't been serious, of course, but
it had driven 
home the idea that even her powers had limits.  Senshi were a bit
stronger, a bit 
tougher, a bit faster, but...

     [No.  Mako will be okay.  And we'll get out of here.]  She
grimaced.  [Somehow.]

     Rei raised her hands above her head and stepped around the corner,
fighting an 
urge to close her eyes.  Some part of her mind sent up a simple prayer.
[Now we just 
hope they won't shoot me on sight.]

     "There she is."  Kyara's voice was gloating, and she let out a sigh
of relief.  
[With a gloater, there's always a chance.]  "Sailor Mars."

     She looked up.  Kyara was standing in the back of the lobby, near
the massive 
glass double doors, as she'd expected.  He was surrounded by black
suits, at least 
fifteen of them scattered throughout the room; four as his immediate
bodyguards, a few 
more watching the stairs and elevators, the rest spreading out to
surround her.  All 
were armed; the hotel staff, of course, were nowhere to be seen.  Rei
had no doubt the 
police would never even be notified.

     Next to Kyara, one of the thugs had Makoto's arm twisted behind her
back and a 
pistol at her temple.

     Another cold knot melted inside of Rei.  Her friend looked mostly
unhurt, aside 
from a few bruises on her arms.  She was still dressed in street
clothes, not even 
transformed into Sailor Jupiter, but that could be quickly remedied.  As
she stepped 
around the corner, Makoto locked eyes with her for a moment.

     "Mister Kyara."  She kept her tone level, but lowered her hands; a
number of the 
gunmen already had her sighted.  

     "Surprised, are you?  We're not all as stupid as Gwar."

     Gwar had been her last major success.  She'd managed to spirit him
out of a 
heavily guarded compound and leave him neatly trussed up for the
astonished police.

     "I wouldn't have guessed.  Let her go, Kyara."

     "Her?"  The crimelord shrugged.  He was a short, heavily muscled
man, with heavy 
eyes and a drooping black mustache which Rei privately thought looked
quite ridiculous. 
 "A friend of yours, I take it?"

     "Let her go."

     "Why should I?"  His smile was the nasty, gloating smile of those
who have their 
opponents right where they want them.

     "If you let her go, I'll leave peacefully."  She tried to inject a
note of 
bravado.  Most of the gangsters she'd gone up against had been frankly
terrified of 
anyone with supernatural abilities, and tended to overestimate them.

     Kyara clearly was not of the same opinion.  "How about I just shoot
both of you?  
Hmm?"

     [So much for that.]  "What do you want?"

     "Why don't you come with us?  This girl too, of course."

     She shivered.  [That probably would not be pleasant, but...]  "Let
her go, and 
I'll come with you.  You don't need her."  [And if Mako gets out, she
can collect Usagi 
and Minako and come find me.]  She paused.  [Did I actually just decide
to rely on 
*those* two to rescue me?]  Rei shivered again.

     He considered a moment, and smiled again.  "No thanks.  I think
I'll kill her and 
take you anyway."

     "No--"  The crimelord's hand was already raised, and the
black-suited thugs raced 
forward as a single gunshot rang out; time seemed to slow down.

     *Mako!*  The girl dropped to her knees, drops of blood flecking her
hair and the 
side of her face.  Rei heard herself scream, distantly, and then--

     The thug who'd been holding was toppling backwards, a red circle
neatly drilled 
through his forehead, and Makoto was already sweeping sideways into
Kyara.  Shard 
stepped out from behind the corner, pistol still raised in a kind of
salute.

     She swore, internally, desperately diving to the side and throwing
up a hand in 
the second or so before the gangsters opened fire.  Shard twisted in
slow motion, 
bringing the weapons he had in each hand to bear, and Makoto was
sweeping Kyara's legs 
out from underneath him.

     "Burning Mandala!"

     She kept the power down, of course, but it was still enough to
knock three of the 
black suits off their feet in a wash of flame that scorched their
clothing and burned a 
pattern into the wallpaper behind them.

     The sense of slowed time broke after the second gunshot.  Rei's
dive threw her 
ingloriously to the floor as bullets whined overhead; she rolled to the
side, waiting 
for the shock of an impact.  But as quickly as it had started, the
shooting was over.  
She still felt dazed; the sound of footsteps hurrying over made her
raise her head.

     "Mars!"

     Makoto was standing over her, holding out a hand, her expression
strained under a 
mask of blood and smoke.  "Mars!"  She was kneeling as Rei sat up and
shook her head, 
trying to clear the cobwebs.  "Are you all right?"

     "F...Fine."  It was true, almost unbelievably.  "Are you--"

     "I'm okay."  She let out a deep breath.  "My heart may slow down
sometime this 
year.  Can you get up?"

     "Yeah."  Rei regained her feet with only a bit of effort.  "Where's
Shard?"

     "Please..."  Kyara's voice was somewhat indistinct.  "I can...I can
pay you..."

     Rei stalked over to the pair of them, the big bounty hunter with
his foot on the 
gangster boss's chest.  Shard didn't even glance at her as she
approached; somehow, he 
hadn't even been scratched.  The lobby itself was a mess, furnishings
torn and 
shattered in a hail of gunfire.  Aside from the one that had been
holding Makoto, two 
more thugs were slumped near the stairwell, pools of red spreading over
the stone 
floor.  

     "Really."  Shard sounded amused.  "I seriously doubt you can outbid
Iylitrio."

     "That lying piece of..."  The bounty hunter pressed a bit harder,
and Kyara broke 
off into a cough.

     "Shard."  Rei was desperately trying to prevent herself from
hitting him; the 
tension showed in her voice.  

     "What?"  He scanned her quickly.  "Glad to see you're okay."

     Rei exploded.  "What the *fuck* was that?  You almost got me
killed!  Not to 
mention Makoto."

     "He *was* going to shoot her."

     "What if you'd fucking *missed*!  She'd be dead like all these
people..."  She 
looked at the body of the thug who'd held Makoto at gunpoint, lying
face-up on the 
carpet with the blood draining out of the back of his skull.  "You
*killed* them!"

     "Well, yeah.  That's sort of the point."

     "Please..."  The gangster squirmed under Shard's foot; they both
ignored him.  
Makoto put one hand on Rei's shoulder.

     "Mars...  He did probably save us."

     "He practically *killed* us, not to mention them!  You can't go
around shooting 
people, not even gangsters."

     "Listen."  Shard lowered his voice.  "We'll probably have police
here soon, so I'd 
like to get out of here.  Where can I get in touch with you?"

     "*What?*"

     The bounty hunter repeated himself patiently.  "Where can I leave a
message for 
you?"

     "Get out of here."  She took a deep breath.  "If I ever see you
again, I'm turning 
you in."

     "Be that as it may."  Shard shrugged.  "I always follow through on
a promise.  So 
where can I find you?"

     "Shard--"

     "Please, let me--"  Kyara's pleading was cut off as Shard extended
a hand and 
fired without looking; the body jerked and was still.  Rei felt her jaw
go slack.

     "You....you just..."

     The bounty hunter rolled his eyes.  "Fine.  I'll find you the hard
way.  I suggest 
you girls make yourselves scarce before we're hip-deep in cops."  He
flipped the guns 
back into their holsters and pushed his deep-green glasses back on.
"Mars.  Makoto.  
Glad to make your acquaintance."

     "Shard!"

     Rei found Makoto's hand restraining her; the other girl's voice was
pitched at a 
whisper.  "Rei, he's right.  Let's get out of here."

     "But he..."  She stared at Kyara's body.  "He..."

     "He's *dead*, Rei, come on.  We can track this Shard guy down
later."

     "But..."

     "*Now*, Rei!"

     She let Makoto drag her into a run, away from the approaching
sirens.


Chapter Two
	In which Ami goes undercover, Rei and Minako get ready for a
date, and the arrival of a giant in the sandbox causes much
consternation among the ants.


     Traveling between realities, between worlds, is not nearly as easy
as 
it looks.

     There are conditions to be met, laws just as binding as gravity and

magnetism that govern the dance of the universes.  They wind around each
other in a 
froth, like a high-dimensional tangle of spaghetti, meeting and parting
and combining 
and separating, so the energy required to step from one to the next
varies bit by bit 
from the prohibitive to the easily achievable.  Then there are the works
of men and 
gods to contend with, seals and sorcery to keep things out, or in.  The
prospective 
planewalking mage must as often as not bargain, plead and cajole his way
through these 
greater powers before finally achieving his destination.

     About all this Jahara knew little and cared less.  He stepped into
the 
world as easily as a man might round a corner, fading into vision in a
dark, forgotten 
space.  Dark lightning crackled around him as potentials equalized,
energy blowing off 
him like steam, or water puffing into a vacuum.  He took a deep breath
and held it 
until the process had finished, and he could feel the flow of power once
again.

     A thousand feet below, the supernexus pulsed gently, resonating
with 
the lifebeat of the world.  As was often the case, the humans had built
their monuments 
on top of the supernatural center without realizing it, drawn like moths
to a flame to 
the places where ley lines merged.  Jahara looked around, curiously, as
he walked the 
darkened corridor.

     He finally emerged into the light on the observation deck of Tokyo 
Tower.

     [Humans], he reflected, [have always had a singular skill for
building 
tall objects.]  As he walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, Jahara
tried to reach 
out, mentally, and feel the city.  It was like staring at the sun,
trying to find the 
constellations in daylight; the blaze of the supernexus drowned all
lesser emanations.

     [As I expected.]  His lip curled.  [He's hiding from me.]

     The view, of course, was spectacular; the lights of Tokyo laid out
like 
a sea of landbound stars.  Jahara stood at the window, muttering under
his breath.

     "Where are you?"

 

     "Sir."

     Jahara turned to the security guard.  One does not guard Tokyo
Tower 
for very long without seeing some very odd things and acquiring some
very good 
instincts; the man stepped back, respectfully.  The interloper's
appearance may have 
had something to do with it.  Jahara was at least seven feet tall, broad
at the 
shoulder and heavily muscled but generally thin.  His hair was a
brilliant neon green 
and fell raggedly to just above his shoulders; his eyes, the same color,
had a darkly 
sarcastic glitter.

     "Sir?"  The guard hesitated, clearly wondering whether to push his 
luck.

     Jahara considered for a moment, then shrugged.  "Yes?"

     The guard squirmed under his stare.

     "What is it?"

     He took a deep breath.  "Sir, the observation deck is...that is..."

     Jahara waited patiently until the man collected himself.

     "I mean..."  He took another deep breath.  "We're closed, sir.
You'll 
have to come back tomorrow."

     The Unforgiven nodded slowly, as though this had been a message of 
great import.  "Of course."

     "Sorry, sir."

     "Not a problem.  You're just doing your job."  He looked around.
"Can 
you direct me to the elevators?"

     The guard thought briefly of inquiring how the visitor had managed
to 
forget the way he'd come up, but thought better of it and extended a
wordless finger.

     "Thank you."

     There was something about the way he moved, too.  It was too slow,
too 
cautious, as though every muscle was under conscious control and needed
to be kept very 
strictly in line.  There was an odd grace to it, almost like watching
ballet in slow 
motion.  

     The guard waited for him to leave before wiping the sweat from his 
forehead and sinking back against the guardrail.  He voiced his thoughts
aloud.

     "That's probably the strangest one this year."

 

     Rei felt that her story was not getting the audience it needed.

     Usagi had apparently spent the entire previous day with Mamoru--Rei

privately felt a bit sorry for him--and was therefore a bit on the
dreamy side, even 
for her.  Minako and Artemis at least listened attentively, and Makoto
had of course 
been there, but that was all.

     Which, of course, was another slightly sore point.

     "Ami said *what*?"

     Minako shrugged.  "She said she was going to check on something,
was 
taking Luna with her, and not to wait up."  She shook her head.  "I'm
more worried 
about you two."

     Rei scowled darkly.  "We would have been okay if not for that idiot

Shard."

     "Speak for yourself.  He was about to *shoot* me."

     She shot Makoto a glance.  "I would have figured something out."

     Artemis gave Crown a quick once-over, but what patrons there were 
didn't seem to be paying any attention and weren't close enough to
overhear.  "This 
just bears out what I've been saying all along."

     Rei sighed, and the cat bristled.  "Artemis, I..."

     "You two are lucky to be alive, but it might not work out so well
next 
time!  How long before somebody gets seriously hurt?"

     "It's not like we haven't been in danger before..."

     Minako sighed.  "I have to say I agree with him.  Youma threatening

innocent people is one thing.  But these are just gangsters, Rei.  Can't
the police 
handle them?"

     There was a pause as the four of them each spared a thought for the

abilities of the Tokyo police and shook their heads.  Minako continued.

     "Still.  The city has dealt with Yakuza types for longer then we've

been around.  Why risk your life for that?  And..."  She paused a
moment, out of steam, 
but the cat picked up the thread.

     "And what if you two get killed?  Leaving aside personal reasons,
what 
happens the next time some monster shows up?"

     "We're not going to get killed."  Rei shook her head.  "Makoto and
I 
are careful about this..."

     "Obviously not careful enough!"

     "But I can't just sit around and do *nothing*!"

     And that, of course, was the crux of the matter.

     It had been two years since the defeat of Galaxia, and the Sailor 
Senshi had been forced to transform only a handful of times during that
period.  A 
monster here or there; there seemed to be no avoiding that.  But nothing
like the 
swarms of youma that had descended on the city.

     For a while, this had been a relief.  But as the silence went on,
Rei 
had felt herself bristling more and more.

     "We have these powers because we're supposed to protect people,
right?  
There are people in the city suffering, and I'm supposed to ignore it
because the bad 
guys aren't from an alternate dimension?  Or because I'm worried about
getting hurt?"

      "If you endanger yourself you endanger the future!"

     Rei and Artemis stared each other down, both growling, until a
quiet 
cough reminded them of the presence of others in the restaurant.

     "Um..."  Motoki sounded hesitant to interrupt; Rei glanced up at
him 
and started.  "Are you okay?"

     "Fine, fine..."  Rei laughed nervously.  "Just...you know...staring
at 
the cat.  You have to show them who's boss!"

     The cat in question was glaring daggers, but she ignored it.
Motoki 
glanced at her oddly but seemed to accept this.  "Do you girls need
anything else?"

     Usagi, who to all appearances hadn't been listening a bit, did not
miss 
*that* question, sliding her empty glass over.  "More please!"

     After the next round of sodas and sundaes had been ordered and
Motoki 
was safely away, the conversation resumed.

     "What about the rest of you?"

     Minako shook her head.  "Artemis is right.  We all want to help
people, 
but we can't do *everything*.  Are you going to keep beating up
gangsters forever?"

     Rei turned her gaze to Makoto, who shrugged.  "I'm not going to let
you 
do this alone, Rei, but honestly..."  The tall girl shifted
uncomfortably.  "It was 
luck more then anything that saved us yesterday.  I don't know how much
longer we can 
keep this up."  She brushed the left side of her face, almost
unconsciously, where the 
blood had splattered.  "If your friend had worse aim..."

     "He is *not* my friend."  Rei sighed.  "What about you, Usagi?"

     Everyone turned towards the blonde, waiting to see if this would 
provoke a response.  Usagi stared down into her drink for a moment
before finally 
looking up.

     "I..."  She hesitated.  "I know you feel bad for everyone, and I do

too, but...I don't want either of you getting hurt."

     Usagi took in Rei's scowl.  "I mean, I thought you would have been 
happier this way.  A more normal life..."

     [It's all right for *her*.]  Rei sat back in the booth as Motoki 
arrived again.  [She has Mamoru, and she can forget about all the stuff
that happens 
out there.  But...]

     "Rei?"

     She looked up at Motoki, who was digging in his pocket.  "What?"

     "I forgot.  Someone dropped this off for you earlier."

     The beat-up envelope was blank on the outside.  She reached out to
take 
it, then hesitated.

     [He couldn't have...]

     "Who gave it to you?"

     "Some guy I've never seen before.  He described you exactly and
said 
that he knows you come in here."

     Minako and Usagi picked up on that instantly.  "It's a love
letter!"

     "From a secret admirer!"

     Rei ground her teeth.  "Somehow I doubt it."  She snatched the
envelope 
with bad grace and glared at Motoki, who beat a hasty retreat.

     "Well?"  Minako leaned forward.  "Open it!"

     "Now?"

     "Come on..."  Artemis rolled up his eyes, but Usagi and even Makoto

were interested.

     [It's from him.]  She was somehow sure of it, even before she tore
the 
paper.  [Shard.  How did he *find* me?]

     As expected, there was a note inside, folded in half.  She opened
it 
carefully.

     [The park bridge.  Eight PM, tomorrow night.]

     There were raised eyebrows all around.  "Rei..."

     "Do you know who this is from?"  Minako sounded merely curious; Rei

shot a significant glance at Makoto.

     "I...think so."

     "What's this?"  Another folded piece of paper had dropped out of
the 
note when she'd opened it; Usagi picked it up curiously and opened it
before Rei could 
stop her.

     "Hey!  Usagi--"  She stopped.  The blonde had gone white as a
sheet, 
slip of paper falling from suddenly nerveless fingers.  "Are you okay?
Usagi?"

     "F...F...Fif...Fif..."

     "Usagi?"

     Makoto picked up the paper and read it, slowly.

     "Usagi, come on."

     "Fif...fifty...fifty..."

     "Rei."  Makoto handed the thing over with hands that shook only 
slightly, and Rei took it, hesitantly.  "Read that."

     "But Usagi..."

     "Read it."

     Minako peered over her shoulder, curiously.  "What is..."  She
trailed 
off, mouth open.

     [A check.]  Rei's brain seemed to be processing slowly.  [Made out
to 
Rei Hino.  For...]

     She felt her own jaw drop as she counted zeros.

     [Fifty...million...yen?]

     Rei barely heard Motoki make his way back over.  "Who's picking up
the 
tab for today?"

     Three hands pointed to her in unison.

     "She is!"

 

     In Hotaru's dream, the city was dark and shadowed.  Buildings
loomed to 
each side, long rows of featureless cubes.  Anything that wasn't
important didn't show 
up, here, so the facades blurred into one another and the sidewalks
stretched on 
forever, uniform and featureless.  It was almost black and white, like
an old movie.

     She let out a deep breath and looked around.  In the real world,
she'd 
just closed her eyes, but here her fatigue was gone.  Instead she felt
almost 
over-energized, as though touching anything would let out a massive
spark of static.  
The air felt greasy, and had the burnt-metal tang of ozone.

     [Something's wrong.]  As Sailor Saturn, she knew what the
dream-world 
meant.  Something, or someone, was coming.  A threat to the world, or to
the Senshi.  
But...

     [There's nothing here.]  She turned in a slow circle, heartbeat 
sounding loud in the unnatural stillness.  [Something pulled me in to
this dream, but 
where is it?]

     Hesitantly, she took a step forward, feeling the sidewalk flat and 
perfect beneath her feet.  [I've never walked here before.  Usually I
can only 
watch...]

     She spun at a sound behind her, a crunch of gravel.

     "Who's there?"

     It was as though the silence had eaten the words, chopped them off
as 
soon as they'd left her and swallowed them, in darkness.  No echoes.
Nothing.

     She walked towards where the sound had come from, trying to calm
down.  
[It's just a vision.  They can't actually hurt me here.  Whoever 'they'
are.]  She 
reached the entrance to an alley, even darker then the rest of the city,
and swallowed. 
 [Just a vision.  Remember.]  Hotaru leaned inward.

     "Hello?"

     Something brushed the back of her neck, gently, pushing her hair
aside. 
 Goosebumps sprouted instantly as she whirled again, hand automatically
patting her 
side for a transformation pen.  It wasn't there, of course.  Her
clothes, like 
everything, were blurred and indistinct.

     Almost everything.  The man across from was in perfect focus.  He
was 
easily twice her height, probably more, with brilliant green hair and
matching eyes.  
His clothes consisted solely of a white outfit, almost a martial-arts
style tunic of 
thin, simple cloth.  

     He smiled, and Hotaru felt unaccountably relieved, though his green

eyes still glittered dangerously.

     "Ah."  He looked her up and down, although given their comparative 
heights, there wasn't much but down.  "I was expecting...something like
this."

     "Who are you?"  There was something about him Hotaru could feel,
almost 
a physical sensation; the power blew off him like steam, as though he
should have 
crackled as he moved.  Despite this, she felt more curious then afraid.

     "My name is Jahara."  He inclined his head.  "Yours?"

     "Hotaru."  It didn't occur to her to lie; not here, to him.  None
of 
the dream-figments had ever talked to her before.

     "Hotaru."  He said it musingly.  "And you are a guardian of some
kind." 
 It was a statement, not a question.

     "I...am.  A Senshi."

     Jahara nodded.  "And we are"--he gestured around--"here, because I
have 
entered your world and your powers reacted.  You are attuned to threats
from other 
planes, and I..."  He stopped for a moment, then continued.  "In any
case, there is 
resonance."

     She shook her head.  "What are you *doing* here?"

     "I am here to kill someone."

     Fear returned, a little.  "You can't do that."

     "He is someone your world would be better without."

     "You still can't just kill him."

     Jahara shrugged, indicating his indifference to her opinion on the 
matter.  "I can, and I will.  Killing people is my only real skill, but
it is something 
I am quite good at.  Your cooperation is not required."

     Hotaru took a deep breath.  "We'll have to stop you."

     There was a long pause.  Jahara stared at her until she started to
feel 
uncomfortable.

     Finally he sighed.  "Listen carefully.  I came here, to the dream,
for 
two reasons.  First, I wanted to find out what this world had in the way
of defenders.  
The second was for your sake, or for the people like you."  He knelt
until he could 
stare her in the face.  "Resh is here, in this city, hiding in the
supernexus.  I will 
find him, and I will kill him.  I will also kill any human, demon, or
god who attempts 
to prevent me from accomplishing this goal.  Because of what I am, I
have some sympathy 
for people in your situation, and have thus granted you this warning.
Do you 
understand?"

     She looked into his green eyes; not the pigmented green of human
eyes, 
dotted by the pupil, but glowing green from edge to edge as though lit
by some inner 
fire.  Hotaru nodded, slowly.

     "What...are you?"

     He straightened up to his full seven feet.  "Unforgiven."

     And then the dream broke, and he was gone.

 

     "You can *not* be serious!"

     "I have to go."

     "But you said it yourself!  The man is a *killer*."

     "It doesn't matter."

     "What if he wants to get rid of the witness?"

     "He had plenty of chances to do that at the hotel."

     "He said you were good-looking.  What if he wants to..."

     Rei paused in mid-stalk, in front of the sliding door to her
closet, 
her face coloring.  "Minako, please.  I think I can handle one bounty
hunter."

     She threw open the closet door and started hunting through outfits,
one 
by one.  Minako came up to stand behind her.

     "Just because he sent you a note doesn't mean you have to go on a
date 
with him!"

     "This is *not* a date!"  She rounded, angrily, tossing a nice pair
of 
slacks and a shirt onto the bed.

     Minako smiled and put her head on one side.  "Then why are you
picking 
out clothing so carefully?"

     Rei sighed, hands clenching into fists.  "Because I want to go as 
Sailor Mars, but I can't very well turn up in uniform.  Okay?"

     The blonde raised an eyebrow.  "Okay."

     "Minako..."

     She giggled.  "Sorry."

     "You could at least help me."

     "Can you even take the uniform off while you're transformed?  I've 
never tried."

     "I would imagine so."

     Rei shuffled through the remaining contents of her closet in
silence 
for a moment before Minako spoke again.

     "Will you at least take one of us along for backup?"

     "I don't *need* backup.  I probably won't be there for longer then
ten 
minutes, anyway.  I just need to give him this back"--she fished the
check out of her 
pocket--"and leave.  That's it."

     "I can't believe you're giving it back."

     Rei sighed, again.  "Minako, we've been over this.  This is bounty 
money.  Blood money.  I can't accept it."

     "But..."

     "Also, don't you think it would look a little odd if I suddenly
deposit 
fifty million yen?  Somebody might notice.  And then what am I supposed
to say, that it 
was a gift from my secret admirer?"

     That seemed to quiet her.  "I know.  It just feels..."

     Rei looked at the folded piece of paper and felt her heart thump
just a 
bit louder.  [It is a *lot* of money...]

     "Why don't you just tear it up?"

     She blushed again.  "I won't have *him* thinking I owe him for
this, or 
something like that.  He has to know that I'm not accepting it."

     "You could send it back to him..."

     "No!"  Rei let out a deep breath.  "I'm going to meet him, and give
him 
his money back, and that's it.  Okay?"

     Minako nodded hurriedly.  "Okay."

     "Good."  She looked at the clothes on the bed.  "Which looks
better, 
the green or the white?"

     The other girl blinked and considered for a moment.  "The...white,
I'd 
say."

     "Me too."  She hung the green outfit back up.  [Damn it, Shard.]

 

     "Are you entirely certain of this plan?"  The voice was cynical, 
presumptuous, the tone doubting; the speaker clearly not certain at all.

     "Entirely."  Iylitrio settled his bulk a little more comfortably
into 
his chair, rolls of skin nearly covering the massive armrests.

     "I have spent many years working on this.  The timing is critical."

     "You"--he put a nasty spin on the word--"has asked me to procure 
some...merchandise, yes?  The tools for obtaining it are my own.  I will
handle 
things."

     "I have some concerns about using the vampire."

     "Resh."  The crimelord leaned back, smiling.  "Wonderful, isn't
he?"

     "He's dangerous."

     "Not to us, as long as he's well fed."  Iylitrio shrugged.  "The
city 
has prostitutes enough, and homeless men willing to follow for a coin.
And for all his 
power, he can be handled.  I have certain arrangements it place."

     "What arrangements?"

     "No concern of yours."  He snapped the words off, then visibly
composed 
himself.  "As I said, Resh is not so critical to this plan of ours that
he cannot be 
discarded."

     "It is not Resh I'm concerned about."

     "Ah."  Iylitrio's smile faded.

     "Jahara is here.  In Tokyo."

     "I know this.  I am not as blind as perhaps you think."

     "Aren't you worried?  He'll want the vampire.  And don't tell me
your 
'arrangements' can stop him."

     "With the Unforgiven, there is no stopping.  But they are like a
force 
of a nature, yes?  A mighty river, say.  Power it has, but the water
is...direct.  
Unsubtle.  It can be channeled, by men who know what they are about."

     The other's tone soured.  "So you claim."

     Iylitrio shrugged, sending ripples through the loose skin on his 
shoulders.  "If Jahara gets too close, we can simply give him what he
wants.  As I 
said, the vampire is not critical.  Just a useful tool."

     "I doubt Resh will be *given* so easily.  And if it come to open
battle 
between those two, they could tear the city apart."

     Iylitrio waved a finger.  "I think not.  Our nocturnal friend has a

high opinion of himself, but he would not last long against Jahara."  He
shrugged.  
"But it doesn't matter.  The supernexus blinds them both, and with
proper information 
Jahara can be decoyed far away from here until your master's plan is
completed to his 
satisfaction, and I receive my payment."

     "Very well."  The other sighed.  "Shall I also assume that your
efforts 
to obtain my merchandise are proceeding?"

     "Indeed.  First we take the measure of them, and then..."  His
smile 
returned.  "All is well."

     

     Winter was coming.  Ami Mizuno let the door of her apartment slam 
behind her as she entered, both arms full of books; she could feel the
cold draft 
running through the room with the bite of a late summer evenings.
Curtains billowed 
around the window.  Ami dropped the books on her bed and crossed over to
it, savoring 
for a moment the cool wash on her skin.  It made her feel awake, alive,
for the first 
time in what seemed like ages.

     [Did I leave the window open?]  She shrugged, internally, but
waited a 
moment longer before shutting it to a crack, leaving only a trickle of
cold as she sat 
down at the computer.  The machine beeped a welcome greeting and
flatscreens flickered 
to life, the only light in the darkened room.  Ami leaned back, her
chair creaking, 
face bathed in the unearthly liquid crystal glow.

     She clicked through her routine almost automatically.  [Mail...a
few 
discussion boards...then sleep.  I've got that test tomorrow.]

     The machine beeped, and Ami sighed.  [One hundred twenty three new 
messages.  Teach me to stop paying attention for a day or two.]

     She went to work on the pile, grimly.  Establishing that she did
not 
want to make $$$ in her spare time and wasn't interested in a hot new
porn sensation 
cut that number by two thirds; deciding not to take any of the helpful
companies up on 
the special offers they'd so kindly sent her did for half the remainder.
The rest were 
real: a few mails from old friends, but mostly semi-professional
correspondence.  A 
couple of invitations to official university functions; a letter of
thanks from an 
American grad student who's thesis she'd helped prove.  A couple of 'net
cronies 
passing along interesting papers; these she gave a cursory glance and
printed for later 
reading.  As the laser printer hummed, she scrolled down to the last
few.

     [That went faster then I thought.  If there's nothing interesting
over 
at Risks or the MT forums we'll have an early night of it.  Maybe I can
get some 
reading in before bed.]

     The title of one of the messages caught her eye: a response to 
something she'd posted on one of the more specialized physics boards.
The forum in 
question was more for slightly quirky what-ifs then serious science, and
the debate 
that had been raging covered alternate views of the basic nature of
reality.  Being in 
somewhat of a privileged position with regard to things like time travel
and alternate 
realities, she found herself being drawn in; her positions still drew
laughter from 
some of the others, which bristled.

     [I'm *right*, damn it.  I've seen it, and all they have is
theories...]

     That was, in fact, the crux of the whole problem.  It had been
almost 
too much, after each battle, to watch the normal humans reassemble their
'sane' 
worldview in direct opposition to all the evidence.  Galaxia's
machinations had torn 
Tokyo to shreds, and despite the Senshi's victory and subsequent panacea
there were 
certainly some confused memories of some kind of disaster.  [But do they
investigate?  
Of course not.  The guys on TV go on about mass hysteria and the water
supply.]

     Frustrating as it was, that was nothing compared to the educational

establishment.  [Getting up in class and having to recite a theory you
*know* is wrong, 
just because you can't present any evidence otherwise.  I've visited the
future and 
traveled faster then light to an incoming asteroid; relativity *looks*
good, but the 
universe is a lot more complicated then that.  And now this stuff...]

     Ley lines were old news; she'd figured that one out more then a
year 
ago, when she'd first started looking at it an organized way.  Rivers of
nearly 
invisible force crisscrossed the land.  Mostly they were weak, weak
enough that even 
Ami could only find them her computer's aid.  [But not here.  Tokyo is
different, you 
can feel it in the air.]  She skimmed the message; the equations she'd
suggested to 
govern the ley lines came first, then the reply.  As she read them she
shook her head.  
[It doesn't work.  The power wouldn't be strong enough, even if this
whole place was 
covered with the damn things.]

     The computer had marked the first line of the reply in red, so she 
skipped to that.

     'Good work, but just a little off.  Your force of reality equation 
needs another term, right here...'

     It trailed off into an expression so complex that the spindly
brackets 
that enclosed it looked like cages from which it was trying to escape.
For a moment 
the symbols blurred; Ami blinked until they cleared, reading slowly.

     Her jaw dropped, slowly.

     [It...works, doesn't it?]  She traced the line of an integral with
one 
finger.  [The lines bend the fabric, but their course changes as it
warps.]

     Excited, she spun the chair to face her desk and pulled out a
rolled-up 
map of Tokyo, dusty from lack of use.  Once it was spread on the table,
she turned back 
to the screen.  

     [I didn't think the lines could cross each other more then two at a

time, because the chance of even three straight lines being in just the
same place is 
too low to think about.  But if they twist as the fabric changes...  The
lines would 
fall *inward*, like ball bearings on a sheet gathering in a single
depression in the 
center.  That would warp the fabric even further, until...]

     Back to the email again.  [This is *brilliant*.  Who sent it?]

     Ami scrolled down to the last line.

     'Look behind you.'

     *Clap.  Clap.  Clap.*  Someone's hands beat out a rhythm.

     "Do you know you're the first human ever to honestly figure it
out?"

     Ami kept staring at the computer screen.  "Who are you?"

     "In the old days, they built their temples on the sites.  Giant
things, 
to control the power.  But lately you people don't seem to care anymore.
They put up 
an amplifier the size of a mountain, and then when things get weird they
talk about 
weather balloons and the water supply."  The voice was calm, erudite,
with a slightly 
cynical tone.

     "Who *are* you?"

     "'This is the excellent foppery of the world; that when we are sick
in 
fortune, often the surfeit of our own behaviors, we make guilty of our
disasters the 
sun, the moon, and the stars.'"

     She couldn't help finishing.  "'As though we were villains by 
necessity; fools by heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and treachers
by spherical 
predominance; and all that we are evil in by a divine thrusting-on...'"
Ami paused, 
and cleared her throat.  "King Lear.  The Bastard's speech."

     "You know your Shakespeare, Miss Mizuno."

     Her eyes had had time to focus in the darkness.  There was a figure

sitting on the edge of her bed, hands in his lap, features still hidden
in shadow.

     "You..."  She hesitated, her hand halfway to the light switch that
was 
conveniently placed next to the desk.

     "You don't need to do that."  He spread his hands.  "I'm not going
to 
hurt you, Miss Mizuno."

     "You wrote this?"

     He nodded, a faint movement in the darkness.  "Do you like it?"

     "It might work.  I'd have to test..."

     The unseen figure breathed a sigh.  "Genius is never appreciated in
its 
own time, Ami.  Do you know that you're the only person in Tokyo who can
understand 
those formula?"

     "That doesn't surprise me."

     "The great Ami Mizuno.  I'm happy to finally get to meet you."

     "You're going to have to tell me who you are at some point."

     He shrugged.  "Does it matter?  Do the test.  I'll see you again."

     [Enough is enough.]  She stabbed the light switch; the bed was
empty.


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