As soon as Sailor’s Aries and Libra were hidden in the palace gardens, they felt a strange release and suddenly they were Hi and Ai again.

“Hi-chan! We transformed! We were Sailor Senshi!” Ai exclaimed, her face lighting up with excitement.

Hi nodded, her eyes shining, then frowned. “Demo…”

“What’s wrong?” Ai asked her friend worriedly.

“Did you feel like you were, well, someone else?” Hi asked softly as she studied the delicate Aries pin in her hand.

Ai hesitated then nodded. “I think it’s because we had to though, we couldn’t let ourselves be excited because we were needed so we became the Senshi…” She trailed off unsure.

“We became the Senshi we used to be.” Hi finished firmly. “I had this dream last night Ai, I thought it was so very weird but it was pushed out of my mind after I woke up and we had to get ready.” She thought for a moment then told the younger girl all about both her dreams, first the one of being a presence and death, and then the one of the young boy and what he had said to her.

Ai fiddled with her henshin pin quietly as she absorbed the words. “That boy sounds so familiar.” She said softly.

Hi nodded. “It stands to reason that we knew him in what must have been our past lives since we both know him.”

“So, do you have any idea who else we need to get?” Ai asked. “If what he told you is true then we need to find all twelve Zodiac Senshi before he will somehow come and what? Unify us?”

Hi sighed and slipped her hand into her dimensional pocket, vaguely pleased that she could access it. Maybe now she could hide the clutter from her room in there and wouldn’t be made to clean so often. Her hand closed around the slim jewellery case and she pulled the box out, opening it to look at the neat row of ten pins inside. “I have no idea who they are.” She said finally.

“And they could be anywhere.” Ai said glumly. “Anywhere on earth, the new moon kingdom, or even the colonies on Venus, Mars and Jupiter!”

Hi sighed and closed the box with a thud. “Either way we have to find them. For now lets just hope that boy comes back in my dreams again.”

“Hi-chan!” Came a voice.

Hi jumped, surprised, and spun around to face the voice holding the box behind her back before dropping it into her dimensional pocket again. “Doku?” She asked, doing a faint double take.

Doku came running across out of the door to the palace into the garden and Hi tried to keep her eyes from flaring in alarm as she saw the bruise forming on the side of his face and her memories played with vivid detail over the image of him being thrown into the wall by the crystal beings. “Hi-chan.” He repeated as he came to a halt in front of them. “When the crystals were driven off by the new soldiers and I couldn’t find you I was worried. How did you two get here anyway?”

“We um, got lost.” Ai replied.

“You must be Ai-chan.” Doku said, turning his attention away from Hi after a second.

“Hai, Hanano Ai.” Ai replied with a smile.

“Nice to meet you,” Doku smiled back and gave a half bow before turning back to Hi. Then he frowned. “Your necklace is missing.” He murmured, stepping forward to brush his fingers over the red burn on her neck where her necklace had been.

Hi’s eyes unfocused as she remembered the symbol on her necklace ripping her necklace off and attaching itself to the door of the cupboard to act as a key. She shook her head a bit and looked up at him her eyes slightly dazed.

“We ran into some of those crystal things after we got lost. It tried to grab Hi but got her necklace instead and it broke when we ran!” Ai inserted quickly, grabbing her friends arm and shaking the taller girl a bit to snap her out of it.

“Did it hurt you?” He asked quickly.

Hi shook her head, managing a smile. “We’re fine, but what happened in the ballroom after we left?” She asked as she realized they shouldn’t know.

Doku hesitated, looking suspicious, then shrugged. “Everyone ran really. It was a good thing; it gave the Senshi time to get to the children. But none of them had their weapons; they were in the armoury still. We never expected an attack, a surety that was foolish. Anyway the crystal beings beat down the Senshi first and captured the King and Queen. We tried to protect Sailor Saturn who was holding up a Silence wall but they knocked us aside like toys and went right through the shield. Then young Phobos and Demios tried to use their Ofuda scrolls like their mother taught them, foolish but brave. Two new Senshi appeared then, it was weird, the crystal beings were really afraid of them and called them guardians of the children. The one who called herself Sailor Aries shot a single attack at them and destroyed one. The crystal beings teleported out and then the two Senshi just well walked away.” Doku finished the story with a raised eyebrow and glanced at Hi’s neck then to the necklace Ai still wore with the Libra sign. “The other Senshi called herself Sailor Libra.” He added.

The girls exchanged a glance then Ai sighed dreamily. “Wow I wish we had been there! We have loved the Zodiac signs ever since we were young it’s just so neat how you can predict things about people from when you were born! And they had our signs too…” She trailed off with another sigh.

Hi shot a look at her friend trying to keep from laughing. The brown haired girl was laying it on a little thick. Suddenly her eyes widened in shock. “Oh no.” She breathed. “I’m going to be stuck in the house forever now.” She groaned and covered her face with her hands.

Doku looked at Ai for an explanation when Hi didn't continue and she sighed. “Her mother has been really overprotective ever since Hi’s brother and father were killed in an accident and this is the first time in years Hi has been aloud out on her own really. And it got attacked.”

Doku’s eyed widened in surprise at the irony of that. “Lucky you,” he mumbled causing Hi to glare. “I should get home right now to tell my mom I’m ok.”

Ai nodded in agreement and started to say goodbye to Doku when he said smoothly. “I’ll walk you home.”

“That would be nice of you.” Hi replied with a smile.

Hi was right about her mothers reaction, Miaka was waiting outside the building with Ai’s parent’s and as soon as the three came into sight Miaka ran to hug her daughter. Between comments about how glad she was that Hi was all right Miaka managed to say quite a few times that Hi would never leave her mothers sight again.

“Okaa-san I can take care of myself.” Hi protested as she tried to step away from her mother.

“Just because bad things happen once or twice doesn’t mean you can seal yourself up and hide.” Doku said softly. “Life isn’t worth living like that.”

Miaka turned on him. “And just how old are you?” She demanded.

He looked startled. “I’m twenty-two Miraino-san.” He replied warily.

“Then don’t you tell me how to raise my daughter, you’re just a boy yourself!” Miaka replied shrilly.

Doku frowned. “My name is Yukino Doku, the adopted son of Sailor Pluto. I’ve spent much of my life in the gates of time ever since my mother found me on a battlefield when I was only six years old in the year 1438.” He said shortly. “I may only have twenty two years of life but I have seen a lot more than you Miraino-san. And I can assure you any child who is locked up will just run away from her parents and you only have a year to convince your daughter to stay anywhere near you before you have no more control over her. I’ve seen children who were smothered leave at first chance more than once over the years.” He turned to the surprised Hi leaving Miaka stunned. “I’ll call on you later Hi-chan, I’ve got to get back to the Palace now.” He waved to Ai and walked back off the way they had come.

“Is that true Hi-chan?” Miaka asked softly.

Hi hesitated, then nodded and ran into the building with Ai following her.

Doku walked back to the palace quickly, and nodded at the guards before heading inside. When he found the ballroom empty except for a few servants cleaning up the glass he asked one of them where everyone had gone and was told the armoury.

Upon arriving there he found the Sailor Senshi standing around talking, their weapons were gone from their places, back into the safety of dimensional pockets he guessed. “What’s going on?” He asked Xinifall curiously. Xinifall was ten years older then Doku but the two found kindred spirits in each other, both had to deal with the whims of Nijima and Milo and they also both had quests for knowledge, although Xinifall was much more adamant in his search.

“These Zodiac Senshi appear to have gotten into the Locked Box.” Xinifall replied. “That must be where they recieved their power.”

Doku looked to the Locked Box in surprise. It had appeared one day shortly after the reign of peace began, attached to the wall and no one had been able to open it, some had even tried cutting it open. But the front of it had swung open now and there was an Aries symbol embedded on the front.

Sailor Mercury was holding a chain in her gloved hands and Doku frowned seeing the broken clasp. Glancing from the chain to the symbol Doku shook his head remembering the necklace Hi had worn and the red mark on her neck as if it had been ripped off. “Ran into some Crystal Beings I bet.” He mumbled under his breath, then shrugged and shook his head when Xinifall looked at him curiously. “Talking to myself.” He said with an easy smile.

Hi looked up from the box of pins and rubbed tired eyes. She had been staring at the pins hoping to get some feel of the other Zodiacs from them ever since they had gotten home from school an hour ago.

“Nothing.” She said with a sigh as she stood up and stretched.

Ai looked up from her homework and sighed. “I wish that boy had come back to your dreams, I can’t think of any way to find the others.”

Hi laughed. “We could always go up to random people on the street and ask the to pick up their sign and see what happens.”

Ai groaned and threw a pillow and her friend and the two almost started a pillow fight when the doorbell rang. Hi looked at the clock surprised. It was another two hours before her mother would be home from work and her only friend was already here. “It’s probably someone trying to sell something, I’ll be right back.”

Ai smiled and went back to her homework with a wave.

Hi tugged her blue school uniform skirt down a bit after being seated for so long and walked out to the entrance way and opened the door. “Hai?” She asked, and then blinked. “Doku?”

He smiled at her. “I got your apartment number from the desk downstairs, can I come in?” He asked and slipped past her before she could answer.

Hi slowly closed the door and turned to face him only to see him holding out a silver chain. She paled a bit as she remembered where the chain had been left.

“You left this behind and I thought I would return it.” He said as he dropped it into her stunned hand. “You better appreciate what I went through to get it because I will be in major trouble if I’m found out. Mercury was going to analyse it for the identity of the Zodiac Senshi and I figured you didn’t want to be known.”

“I d-don’t know what your talking about.” Hi stammered weakly.

He started to answer her when Ai burst out of Hi’s room, her eyes unfocused. “Hi-chan Hana is--.” She cut off sharply when she saw Doku.

“Hana is?” He asked with a raised eyebrow as Hi’s stomach clenched with the need to go find the child when there was a soft beeping sound.

Doku lifted his watch communicator that all palace children had and pressed a button. “Yeah?” He asked, not taking his eyes off the two girls as they whispered to each other.

“Doku did you take Hana with you?” Came Nijima’s voice. “She’s gone missing.”

Doku shot a sharp look at Ai. “No I didn’t, I’ll look for her though.” He slowly turned the watch off.

“We’ve got to go, she is in danger.” Ai said flatly, obviously knowing that he had guessed who they were.

Doku nodded. “I agree, I’m coming with you.”

Hi nodded and ducked into her room to collect the box of pins and slipped it into her dimensional pocket. She studied Doku for a second then shrugged. “Aries Celestial Power Make Up!” She shouted, passing her hand over her pin.

Ai quickly followed suit. “Libra Celestial Power Make Up!”

“We can’t go out into the streets like this.” Libra protested. “But we need to find her.”

Aries frowned trying to sort through her hazy memories. “Celestial Jump? I remember doing that with all of us but I think as long as we have the power of two constellations we can.”

Libra looked relieved and nodded, taking Hi’s hand. Then both girls held out their hands to Doku and he joined the small circle. “I know where we are going, let me.” She concentrated, fixing their destination in her mind. “Celestial Jump!” She cried after a minute. All three people faded, and then disappeared.

They reappeared in the middle of a park and Aries shook herself looking surprised. “I expected to be a lot more drained then that with only two of us.” She said, looking at Doku suspiciously.

“Maybe it’s just because we didn’t go very far?” Libra asked looking around. “She was here a couple minutes ago so she can’t be far.” She mumbled turning in a slow circle. Suddenly there came a scream that was quickly cut off.

“Hana!” Doku exclaimed, running in the direction of the scream following closely but Aries and Libra. He stopped upon seeing an unconscious Hana being held by a bulky looking crystal being. “Leave her alone!” He yelled.

“He’s stronger then the one we killed before.” Aries said softly.

“It doesn’t matter we need to beat him.” Libra replied firmly.

“Hai.” Aries nodded and spun her glaive in a deadly arc as she stepped forward. “I believe you were told to leave the child alone.”

“She will die, guardian.” The crystal being hissed. Aries studied it quickly, it’s features had the cast of a snake and as she watched it’s body became long and snakelike and it transferred Hana to one of it’s coils.

“Not if we have any say in it.” She replied transferring her Glaive to an attack position and leaping forward. She sunk the glaive into one of its coils with a shattering sound then jumped towards Hana. She grabbed the girl just as one of the thrashing coils slammed into her body and she hugged the girl, protecting her from the impact with the ground then laying still.

“Aries no!” Libra cried then summoned her powers. “Child of new age mythology, I, Sailor Libra will weigh your soul for good or evil! And you are evil!” She said. “Scales of Libra, weight this beings fate! Scales Crush!” The scale crowning her staff spun as she put her power into it then they stopped short and glowed a bright gold. The light formed around the Crystal Snake as it finally got the glaive out and tossed it to the side, then bore down on it pressing it into the ground. Cracks formed all along its surface but it fought back and Libra sunk to her knees out of energy.

Aries slowly rolled over, still protecting Hana. “Too strong.” She whispered. “Doku take her and run, quick.”

“No I won’t.” Doku said running over to Aries at the snake turned its gaze on her and Hana and stood guard over her.

Aries blinked, trying to focus her eyes as she saw a faint glowing on Doku’s forehead.

“Doku quick, what’s your Zodiac sign?” She asked, grabbing the box out.

“Scorpio, why?” He asked looking down at her.

“Catch,” she said, grabbing the Scorpio pin and tossing it up to him.

“What?” He asked startled as he automatically caught the pin.

Doku gasped as black light shot out between his fingers and slowly opened his hand to let the blackness surround him. The black formed into a solid bubble around him that was pierced after a moment by a sword at the very top. The bubble shattered, and Sailor Scorpio stood there. His outfit was almost the exact same as the one the boy had worn in Aries dream, the male form of the fuku, but his gloves, boots and belt were trimmed with an icy blue colour. The Scorpio sign was glowing softly on his forehead and belt and he held his sword up over his head from piercing the bubble.

He looked stunned.

“Scorpio later! Attack it!” Aries cried when he opened his mouth to question her again.

He blinked and turned back to the Crystal Snake his expression turning determined. “Death Devour.” He whispered. Blackness formed around his sword and hands in the form of a scorpion, then turned into what could best be described as a bubble with a large mouth and sharp teeth. With a smile Scorpio flung the attack forward. It hit the injured Crystal Snake and with a scream of denial it shattered.

“Wow, I’m a Zodiac Senshi?” He asked as he turned to face Aries and blinked as he saw the pained expression on your face. “Are you ok?” He asked, dropping to his knees and lifting Hana out of her arms.

“I feel like a big bruise.” She replied with a sigh and managed to sit up.

“I’d heal you but I need more energy Hi-chan.” Libra said apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it I’ll be fine.” She sighed and slowly got to her feet and nodded at Hana. “She should wake up soon. Bring her home and well, don’t tell.” She said with a smile as the two girls detransformed for the walk home.

“Sure boss.” He said grinning and moving back when she swatted at his arm, his fuku turning back into his normal clothes as well. “I’ll come over later to make sure you’re alright.” Quickly he leaned down, kissed her on the cheek and walked away before he could answer.

“Remind me to tease you about that later.” Ai laughed weakly.

Hi blushed and looped her arm over Ai’s shoulders, and the two walked home leaning on each other.

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