Special Thanks: "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl for editing, good ideas and
                comments, and providing me with Sailor Moon stories to
                enjoy! Thanks Will!

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, Sailor Senshi and all terms, names etc associated
            with the series are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha.
            The Guardians and everything pertaining to the Star Kingdoms are
            MINE!



                      Sailor Moon: Guardians of the Star
                    Chapter Three: Awakening of the Senshi

In the guest room, sunlight from the rising sun came through the window
illuminating the two people sleeping in the room. Mamoru slept in the
chair next to the bed, his Usako's hand lightly held in his. Usagi
stirred as the brightening light began to wake her.  Her eye lids
fluttered and opened as she looked across the room.  Tears gathered in
her eyes and streamed down her cheeks as she remembered. She felt her
hand being held. She thought it was probably Lynn, not being awake
enough yet to sense who it really was. Since Usagi didn't want to wake
her, she tried to cry quietly but wasn't able to prevent a choked sob
from escaping.

At the sound of a sob from the bed, Mamoru woke up with a start. He
looked at the bed and saw Usagi facing away from him. She was quiet now,
but her shoulders shook with suppressed sobs. Hurting with her and for
her, he softly called her name, "Usako." She gasped and turned to look,
slowly. "Mamo-chan!" she cried as she saw him. She gave a great heaving
sob and hurled herself from the bed and into his arms.

She wrapped one arm tightly around his neck as she cried on his
shoulder. His arms tightened around her as if to ease the shuddering
sobs that wracked her delicate frame. "I love you, Usako," he whispered
into her ear, "I will always love you. I'm here now and everything will
be alright!" He continued whispering things into her ear, until the
storm of her weeping began to subside. They sat and held each other for
awhile, Mamoru silent, and Usagi, face buried in his shoulder, drawing
an occasional shuddering breath.

Sunlight spilled through the vaulted windows of the Star Chamber
brightening the large room. Ami woke up slowly. She sat up, stretched,
yawned widely and rubbed her eyes sleepily. When she noticed the statues
along one wall, tears came to her eyes as she remembered. Impatiently,
she wiped them away.

<Tears will not help them,> she thought, <but my VR visor and computer
might. Besides, crying was Usagi's department.> Ami smiled fondly as she
remembered that Usagi and Mamoru were safe in another part of the
Palace.  She got to her feet and stretched again. She noticed, then,
that she was still in her Sailor fuku. <How odd!> she thought curiously,
<It's strange that on Alare, we can't change to our normal forms.> She
pulled her computer from the subspace pocket she kept it in and reached
up to activate her VR visor. Her vision became enhanced as its blue
form materialized over her eyes.

She walked over to the statues and turned her enhanced vision on the
nearest, Sailor Jupiter.  Figures and stats began to show on the visor's
display and Ami gasped. <Well, it was Morgoth all right!> she thought in
horrified fascination, <His power signature is unmistakable!> She
punched in a few commands into her computer and the display in the visor
obediently changed to record the power of the spell. Ami drew in a
surprised breath. <WOW! That was a powerful spell!> She began to look
worried. <I hope we have enough power to break it!> She punched in the
command to save the information she had scanned and put her computer
away. Reaching up, she deactivated her VR visor and it faded from sight.

Knowing it was early in the morning and knowing the exhausted Guardians
would be sleeping for awhile yet, Ami decided to seek out Usagi.  She
walked over to the doors and opened them. "Could you tell me where
Usagi's room is?" she asked the guards outside. "I could, Your Highness,
if I knew who Usagi was," one of the guards replied, confused. <Oh
shoot!> Ami thought, disgusted with herself, <I forgot that they only
know us by our Silver Millennium names and ranks!> "Oh, I'm sorry!" Ami
said sheepishly, "I meant Princess Serenity." "Ah! Yes, I know where her
room is. If you'll follow me, Princess Mercury, I'll take you there."

He led her through the Palace halls and into the guest area. "There you
are," he said, pointing to a guarded door down the hall, "I must return
to my post, Your Highness." Ami nodded and thanked him with a smile.
She walked down the hall to the guarded door only to find that the
guards wouldn't let her through. "I'm sorry, Your Highness!" one of them
said apologetically, "But our orders are that only Guardians may enter."
Ami fumed for a moment and then got an idea. "I AM a Guardian!" she
explained, "Look at my uniform! It's similar to Serenity's because I AM
one of HER Royal Guardians, Princess Mercury! Look!" She removed her
tiara so that the guards could see the glowing symbol of Mercury
beneath.  "I'm sorry, Your Highness!" the guard said as he opened the
door. Ami nodded in acceptance and entered the room and the guards
closed the door behind her.

Ami noticed, at once, that the bed was empty. It took only a moment to
find the two figures in the chair. Usagi was curled up on Mamoru's lap
sleeping while he stroked her hair absently. She was reluctant to
disturb them, but she needed to talk to them. Mastering her reluctance,
she walked quietly across the room to the chair and laid a hand on his
shoulder. He looked up and seeing Ami, barely managed to stifle a
surprised exclamation. "Ami! How....?" he questioned her softly.

"Lynn thought up a possible spell to free us and needed to test it," Ami
explained, smiling, "She felt that, between herself and Greywolf, they
had enough power to free one of us. They chose me because they felt my
skills could help with freeing the others. Needless to say, it worked!"
Mamoru smiled with relief. "What about the others?" he asked. Ami
frowned thoughtfully. "Well, I did some scans and Lynn was right," she
replied, "It will take all our power to break that spell. We'll need the
Ginzuishou to focus the Guardians' power." "The Ginzuishou is what's
keeping her alive!" he said, horrified, "If she uses it, she'll die!"
Ami shook her head. "No, the Ginzuishou's own power is not needed," she
explained, "It's needed merely as a focal point to unite the Guardians'
powers and transfer them to Lynn's Soul Gem."

At this point, Usagi stirred and opened her eyes. She focused on Ami and
her eyes widened unbelievingly. Her lips formed Ami's name silently.
She reached a violently trembling hand towards her. Ami gripped her hand
tightly to still its trembling. At the touch of her hand, Usagi went
white as a sheet and her head dropped back to Mamoru's shoulder as she
fainted. "Usagi-chan!" "Usako!" Mamoru quickly felt for the pulse at the
side of her neck while Ami fumbled for her wrist. "Do not worry!" Ami
and Mamoru turned, startled, towards the door as Lynn walked in.

"The relief at seeing Ami alive after the terrible grief (she showed to
me when she thought her friends were all dead) was simply too much for
her in her weakened condition," Lynn explained, "She'll awaken shortly."
A single tear tracked down Ami's cheek as she regarded Usagi with
sorrow. <Thinking she was seeing us die for the second time...,> she
thought sadly, <It's a wonder she didn't lose her mind!>

Lynn walked over to them and placed an affectionate hand on Usagi's
head. "Her grief was terrible!" she said, remembering, "None of the
Guardians present were dry eyed after seeing it. I shooed them from the
room because I knew she wouldn't want them to see her in that condition.
But I saw it and felt it during the mind-link. Morgoth filled me with
terror but her grief is what made me cry."

Their attention turned back to Usagi as she began to stir. With a gasp,
she sat up. She looked around and spotting Ami, she got shakily to her
feet. She slowly walked toward Ami, step by trembling step, only the
blazing crescent moon on her forehead betraying the intensity of her
emotion. When she reached Ami, she said nothing and just hugged her
tightly. Usagi was trembling and Ami was content just to hold her
dearest friend and Princess until she recovered her composure.

After a long while, Usagi managed to still her trembling and pulled away
from Ami, but didn't let her go. "How are you alive?" she asked
hoarsely, "I saw you die! And the others too!" Ami looked at her through
narrowed eyes and noticed she was on the verge of collapsing again. <Oh
man!> she thought as she put her arm around Usagi's shoulders and led
her back to the bed, <That Haeth person better get here today! That soul
wound is bleeding her dry!> She sat Usagi on the bed and then sat next
to her keeping her arm around Usagi's shoulders to provide support.

Her friend's greatest strength was also her greatest weakness. Her
capacity for love was very great, so great that she fought like a raging
banshee when those she loved were endangered. But, by the same token,
the loss of loved ones was a crippling blow and more than capable of
immobilizing her with grief.

Ami looked at Lynn for help. Lynn walked over and sat on the other side
of Usagi. "Your friends aren't dead, just imprisoned in the statues,"
she explained gently, "I have a spell that will free them if we can get
enough power together to shatter Morgoth's spell." She took her by the
chin and met her eyes. "We will need all our power, BUT..." She looked
at Usagi firmly and raised a finger to emphasize her point. "You must
use the Ginzuishou to focus and unite our powers ONLY. You must NOT use
the Ginzuishou's own power. In your weakened state, that would kill you
as surely as Morgoth almost did!" Usagi looked down at her clasped hands
and finally nodded. Both Ami and Mamoru looked faint with relief. They
knew she was capable of killing herself to free her friends. Now she
knew it wouldn't be necessary to sacrifice herself. Lynn explained to
Usagi exactly what they would do.

Usagi nodded when Lynn finished and got up. Ami noticed, however, that
she was still very, very pale. "Does she have enough strength for this?"
Ami asked, concerned. "It'll be alright, Ami," Mamoru replied as he put
an arm around Usagi's waist to support her, "My strength will support
her in this effort!" Ami agreed as she remembered Lynn telling her that
Haeth may need all the Senshi to help her with the Soul Healing.  The
four of them left the room and headed for the Star Chamber.


The Guardians in the Star Chamber turned to the door as Lynn led the
others into the room. There were shocked looks among the Guardians at
sight of Usagi. They couldn't believe how pale and ill she looked.
"That's it!" Nonja exclaimed, "We can't do this today. She's just not
well enough. We have to wait until she's stronger!" Ivee turned an
incredulous look on Nonja. "Are you for real?" she responded sharply,
"She won't get stronger! She's losing more every hour! If we wait too
long, the tiniest use of power will kill her!" "Then we wait for Haeth
to heal her," Soloman argued, "She's just too ill to exert herself now!"
"Haeth will need the others to assist in the healing," Lynn explained
with a bite in her voice, "It's now or never!"

As the debate continued, Usagi went even paler and began to tremble
again, the only bright thing about her being her colorful Sailor fuku
and the glowing moon crescent. Ami rushed over to help Mamoru support
the rapidly wilting Usagi casting a silent plea at the Guardians. Kreigh
noticed Ami's pleading glance seeing what the argument was doing to
Usagi. Her legendary temper, already near the boiling point, exploded.
"ENOUGH!!!" she cried in a raging fury.

At her cry, the others fell silent and turned to regard the infuriated
redhead with surprise. "Look what this idiotic argument is doing to
her!" she snarled, pointing at a near fainting Usagi, held up only by
Ami and Mamoru's support. "If you want her to recover, her Senshi MUST
be freed first so they can help Haeth when they're needed!" Nonja rushed
to Usagi and placed a hand on her forehead. Her hand glowed as she
transferred energy from herself to Usagi. Usagi's stance became firmer
and when she looked up, recovered from her near faint, she had a little
more color in her pale cheeks.  "I'm sorry, Usagi," Nonja said as she
removed her hand, "That was my healers oath kicking in over my common
sense." She turned to Greywolf and said, "You were right. She's failing
fast. It IS now or never." Greywolf sighed with relief.

Mamoru looked around and noticed the blankets on the table. "What are
all the blankets for, Greywolf?" he asked curiously. "Well," Greywolf
replied, "after we free the Senshi, few of us will have enough strength
left to go anywhere. We'll be sleeping here for a few hours to gain some
strength back."

"Can we get on with it?" Usagi asked in a quavering voice. Mamoru looked
down at her gravely and bent down to kiss her, hoping to give her some
of his strength. When they parted, she smiled reassuringly at him and
turned a questioning glance to Lynn who nodded in agreement. She took
Usagi by the hand and led her to the center of the Star emblem. Mamoru
followed and placed a hand on one of her shoulders. Ami activated her VR
visor so she could track the energy levels, and then placed her hand on
Usagi's other shoulder. They would be her strength.

The eight Guardians each moved to their assigned points of the Star.
Lynn turned to Usagi who stood beside her in the center of the Star and
nodded. Holding her hands in front of her broach, Usagi summoned the
Ginzuishou and it left the broach. It moved between her hands and
floated there. She raised her hands over her head and looked at the
Guardians. Each Guardian began sending streams of power to the
Ginzuishou and Usagi's moon crescent glowed brightly as she struggled to
unite the power within the Ginzuishou. Usagi felt strength flowing into
her from both Ami and Mamoru; it was enough to keep her on her feet as
she struggled.

Ami kept tabs on the power level in the Ginzuishou with her visor. She
watched for several moments as it climbed steadily, approaching the
amount they needed. It slowed as the Guardians began to flag. <Damn!>
she thought urgently, <We may come up short!> She decided to add her
bit. Raising her hand, she yelled, "SHINING AQUA ILLUSION!" The attack
was converted to energy almost before it left her hand and was absorbed
into the Ginzuishou. She wearily watched the counter rise and slow down
just short of what was required. Mamoru, however, followed Ami's example
and tossed a rose. The Ginzuishou converted and absorbed it as well. The
counter on her visor rose and slowed at about five percent above what
was needed. "We have the POWER!!" Ami cried exultantly.

Lynn smiled and created her Soul Gem. She sent it to float high above
the Senshi. "OK Usagi," Lynn instructed, "Cut loose the united power at
the Soul Gem. Remember not to use the Ginzuishou's power! We have enough
without it!" Usagi nodded and closing her eyes, aimed the Ginzuishou at
the Soul Gem. "COSMIC MOON POWER!" she cried, commanding it mentally to
expel the alien power it had gathered. The Ginzuishou unleashed all the
power it gathered in a single blinding blast. Lynn actually swayed as it
struck the Soul Gem.

With the transfer of power complete, the other Guardians collapsed in
exhaustion. Greywolf staggered over to support Lynn while Mamoru and Ami
held Usagi up. Lynn shuddered as she struggled to transmute the powerful
blast. Bright light exploded from her Soul Gem and enveloped the Senshi.
There was a blinding flash as Morgoth's spell was destroyed. When it
faded, the Senshi were standing before them, in the flesh. A moment
later, they collapsed.

The exhausted Guardians moved slowly to help them. "Go and help them,"
Usagi said softly to Ami and Mamoru, "You lent me strength, so I have
enough to stand on my own." Ami nodded and went to get the blankets.
After studying Usagi closely, Mamoru smiled and went to join Ami. Usagi
watched them spreading blankets on the floor, and help the exhausted
Guardians and Senshi to their resting places. Her vision started to
blur. <Oh dear,> she thought, <I think I'm going to....> Her vision went
black and she crumpled.


With the spell shattered and Jupiter fell to her knees, she was
concerned with only one person -- Usagi. She mastered her terror at her
entrapment and, finding her friend, studied her with a narrowed green
gaze. Jupiter was always the most protective of her friend when she was
in any danger. Since she first protected Usagi from bullies when they
first met, she regarded Usagi as a little sister, despite the fact that
they were the same age. This feeling solidified when Usagi ignored her
bad reputation for fighting and befriended this very lonely girl much in
need of a friend.  Jupiter regarded Usagi as sister and friend (more
than Princess) since that day and she watched Usagi now.

Ami and Mamoru were fooled be Usagi's false display of strength, but
Jupiter, who knew Usagi very well indeed, was not. As the other Senshi
were helped to their blankets or staggered there on their own, Jupiter
gathered the remaining dregs of her strength. As Usagi started to
collapse, as Jupiter had KNOWN she would, she leapt to her feet and
rushed over just in time to catch her unconscious friend.

Mamoru was about to get up when Jupiter glanced at him. "Stay there,
Mamoru-chan," she ordered with a smile, "I have more strength than you
at the moment and it's my turn to look after her." He looked about to
argue but finally returned her smile and nodded. He was simply too
exhausted to get back up. Jupiter lifted Usagi up into her arms and
carefully placed one foot in front of the other as she walked to the
place they would sleep.  She carefully placed Usagi on a blanket and sat
on the one next to her. <Just in time,> she thought weakly, <My strength
is gone.>

She placed a trembling hand on Usagi's forehead. <She's sick,> she
thought with dismay, <No temperature, but I know, I feel, that she's
VERY ill!> "Hey Jupiter!" Mars called tiredly from across the room, "How
is our little baka brain?" She smiled wearily as she said it.  The other
Senshi turned to look and wait for Jupiter's answer, the Outer Senshi
looked particularly concerned. <I'm going to have to lie>, she thought,
<If I tell them that I feel Rei's vision came true, they'll never
sleep!> "She's all right," Jupiter lied, "Just exhausted."

Usagi opened her eyes and her wandering gaze found Jupiter.
"Mako-chan!" she whispered weakly. Jupiter whirled to face her dearest
friend with surprise. "Shhh, Usagi-chan! Don't talk," she said
soothingly, placing her hand on Usagi's forehead again. "I'm here and so
are all the other Senshi. Just sleep and get well." Usagi smiled and
fell asleep almost instantly. Jupiter glanced around and noticed
everyone else was sound asleep. She looked up in surprise as Ami sat up
from where she appeared to be sleeping on the other side of Usagi.

"Is everyone else asleep?" At Jupiter's nod, she said, "Good, we have to
talk!" A tear coursed down Jupiter's cheek, the first time Ami had seen
her cry. "Ami," she whispered, her voice hoarse with grief, "She's
dying! I couldn't tell the others so I lied, but I can feel her sickness
and it's mortal!" Ami nodded. "I know," she replied, "Lynn told me
yesterday and told me not to tell the others, but I could see that you
knew already." Jupiter put a hand to her mouth to hold in a choked sob.
She had thought that after losing her boyfriend that she'd never cry
again. Oh, how very wrong she was! "What do we do, Ami? I...we can't
lose her!"

Ami activated her VR visor and studied Usagi with it.  "Well..," Ami
answered softly, "According to my visor, at her present decline, the
Ginzuishou can keep her alive for another three days." Jupiter gasped
and turned white at that. As she watched Usagi, her green eyes shimmered
with tears. In just three days, she would lose the most precious friend
she had ever had.

"Hold on, Mako-chan! I'm not finished yet!" Ami remonstrated, "There's
another Guardian coming. Lynn said that she should be here by midday.
That's in a couple of hours. I suggest we get some sleep NOW, so we can
be awake THEN." "Can...can this other Guardian heal her?" Jupiter asked
hopefully. "According to Lynn, this Haeth is a healer of unmatched skill
and specializes in nonphysical injuries," Ami replied, "If anyone can
heal her, she can! Now let's get some sleep so we can wake up when she
arrives."

Ami laid down on her blanket and was asleep in moments. Jupiter looked
at her in astonishment. Then she laid down. <I'm never going to sleep,>
she thought, <Not with...Usagi in...that....> She fell asleep.

End of Chapter 3


NEXT: Chapter 4: Haeth, Healer of Souls
Haeth, Usagi's healing, plans are made. Be There!