Solar Revolution

Monday, March 30^th

Greg was terrified, for he was suffering inhumane conditions. Not that the Evolites were human, let alone humane creatures. The cage was barely large enough for him to sit up straight, let alone stand. The sawdust on the bottom irritated his nose and eyes, and left his throat dry. But without it, the odor of his own waste would have choked him. Every muscle ached from being cramped in unnatural angles on the cold unforgiving floor. His surroundings included other cages, which had only recently been occupied. He was shoved into the room just as the guards discovered the Petty Minions were dead. He still felt like gagging when he thought about those horrible sights. Though the smell that still lingered also had that affect. He had gotten used to the humiliation of his lack of clothing and the constant guards evaluating him and his behavior. The collar that sent surges of pain if he didn't respond adequately was something he despised, but he was accustomed to its presence. And how it represented Fauna's hold over him.

He was further belittled by being given a foul mush that had larvae wiggling in it, which had to be eaten in a bowl without utensils. His water was also in a bowl, which was a murky brown and had a layer of sawdust settling on top of it. If he just told them the information they wanted, he would be given better accomodations. Fortunately they didn't realize he knew the identities of the Sailor senshi. Otherwise their subtle tortures would be far worse in attempts at accessing these ever so desirable tidbits.

No sharp objects were allowed within his grasp. This was both for his own safety as well as the Evolites and Crew members. He liked to think that given the chance, he would sacrifice himself before giving in to their demands. But he wasn't entirely positive, for he loved life and all of its wonders. However, the chance wasn't being given to him. Besides, he had to endure for the senshi. His psychic powers told him that he'd undermine Fauna from the inside, making it possible for the senshi to topple her horrors. He also saw how some far worse villains would use Fauna for mass destruction should the senshi fail to stop Fauna.

Abruptly, his heart thudded in terror, for he knew Fauna was about to view him. All of her Colonels accompanied her, as well as a select few others, such as the repulsive Snail, the sensuous Vixen, the knowledgable Tarantula, and a few others that hadn't yet tormented Greg. Greg was dragged out of the cage, down the hallways, and was tossed on the stage of the Great Hall. Fauna sat on her throne, positioned so it could view the stage, while the Colonels sat in the first row. The few Generals sat in the second row, and the scarce Captains in the third. Greg stretched, having not been given the room to do so in two days. Three Peons surrounded him, ready to restrain him. Fauna could easily torture him from where she sat. Greg didn't know whether to stand or sit, so stood, taking advantage of the wonderful space. He never considered himself claustrophobic, but by the end of this experience, he'd be surprised if he wasn't.

A piece of paper was given to Greg. The heading said: Bright Futures. A piece of soft chalk was his writing implement, pens and pencils being deemed to sharp and pointy. He was blind folded, and his hand was held against the paper. Fauna coaxed, "Greg, what do you see? Who has Bright Futures?" He sneered. Fauna, who normally wouldn't have responded to something so minor, menacingly said, "Tell me, child, or your little friend Amy will get it! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she did have a Bright Future. A radiantly, bright one."

Greg gasped, as this horror jumpstarted a vision. He saw a girl he remembered seeing in a different time. He couldn't tell what exactly her fate was, but it had to do with "memory" and the written word. His hand betrayed his will, jerking around to write her name. Two of the Peons restrained him from destroying the document, while the third took the document to Fauna.

Her mouth moved into a gleeful smirk. "Colonel Aquila of the Clan of the Nest, this mission is yours. Your Clan is given one chance, so choose your underlings and strategy wisely. And young Derek's gifts of phone books and directories and yearbooks and other items shall come in handy. I recommend using them to locate the target. Our next victim for the cause," she said softer, "is Molly Baker." Fauna then directed her attention on Greg. "I'm glad you changed your mind. If you continue to cooperate, I'll give you more fitting accomodations. Should you decide to hold back, Amy is next. Perhaps she'd make a fitting experiment. I've only recently started mastering my knack over internal clocks. She'd be a perfect candidate to test my control by triggering the aging process. What do you think of that?" She laughed as he tried to lunge at her, before he collapsed in pain, his neck having grown gills. He suffocated until he passed out, which was when Fauna deigned to return him to normal. That demonstration was also a reminder to her followers that she was still in charge. Rumors had been going around that she was having a nervous breakdown. They had to be proven wrong.

Celeste took the bus to the temple. Yesterday she and Mr. and Mrs. Xenth, Jonathan's parents, had a private ceremony in memory of Jonathan. It was nice, very peaceful. They tried to convince her to stay, but she knew that her absence would be unbeneficial for the senshi. It was more heartwrenching that the Xenths treated her as a daughter, for Jonathan's sake, than if they had blamed her for the incident. Like she herself did. The fact that they didn't see her as guilty of manslaughter really brought her down. But they loved her simply because Jonathan had. They kept saying, "Jonathan used to light up when he said such-and-such about you." It only made her guilty, the way they wistfully said, "Oh, Jonathan would have loved this."

The guilt would have eventually gotten to her had she stayed. Especially since the Xenth's intense emotional state would have worn away her telepathic shield. The bus arrived at the stop and Celeste stepped off. Her always active telepathy picked up jumbled thoughts of anxiety and concern and determination. And hunger? Must be the pair of meatball heads I'm sensing. Typical of them. A trio on wings greeted her. Deimos and Phobos were submissive to Phoebe, which didn't surprise Celeste one bit. #Featherhead, the black flanking the white makes a good entrance. I'd love seeing it when you are astral.# Phoebe sent a mental snort, though she preened a touch. #You always have to joke about everything. The rest are here, and are wasting time going over plans to recover Greg.# Celeste responded, #Something you could easily stop. Oh, never mind. None of them have strong enough telepathy, and Raye has the wrong type of psychic energy. But you want me there when they say the more important stuff. Though I suppose you could teach me to gleam off of recent memories instead of general concepts. But that is delicate work, which I don't feel ready to tackle. Oh Phoebe, who is Greg?#

Phoebe slyly responded, #Now might be a good time to put that recent memory gleaming trick into use. The theoreticals are simple, but the execution is, as you said, "delicate." You are going to extend your telepathy into a thin sheet. This will blanket the mind. The thinner the sheet the better. Then you are going to gently put a little pressure so you nudge the recent thoughts forward. Then you skim the thoughts until you find one that interests you. While still holding the other thoughts in place, you focus your attention on it until the thought is read. Then you unfocus and look for another thought. When you are done, you place the thoughts back in place and gently release the sheet, being careful not to rub it into any part of the mind. Done correctly, the mind will spring back into its proper shape without the observed noticing. Follow me as I demonstrate on you.#

Celeste felt through her telepathic gift as Phoebe did exactly as she instructed. Then she waited while Celeste tried on her. At first the "sheet" was uneven, being really thick in the middle and bumpy around the edges. Then it wouldn't cover the entire mind. Next she nudged the wrong part of the mind, bringing about dreams. Finally, Celeste got it down, though without Phoebe's finesse. But that would come with practice. So, Greg was Amy's beau who is able to see into the future with precision. However, he was kidnapped by two Serpents yesterday, 2^nd General Cobra (m.c.k.a. Conan) and 2^nd Captain Python (m.c.k.a. Cecelia). Celeste waited for Phoebe to berate her for having her thoughts too loud. But it didn't come. To test it out, Celeste had more focused thoughts. But no response came. Celeste walked up the stairs to the top of the temple, the feathered friends trailing behind, a smile on the edges of her mouth as she realized this meant her shielding was finally strong enough. She anticipated Phoebe to launch a mental attack on her, lecturing her for being so gullible. But it never came.

While walking down the hall, she suppressed a chuckle as she saw through the opened door, Chad lip-syncing to a song playing on the radio in his room. When she finally approached where the other girls converged, she heard them still arguing over possible rescue tactics in the room with the sacred fire. So loud were their disagreements that it didn't register with any of the senshi that Celeste had arrived. In the back of her mind, Celeste thought that Darien being the only guy made the guy-to-girl ratio really off-kilter. We need a few more guys to balance out the team. Though Amara's androgynous personality makes it slightly more even. And Artemis counts I suppose, though that means that Luna, Diana, and Phoebe would also count for the girl side.

Everyone was talking loudly, trying to be heard over everyone else. The only silent humans were Hotaru, as expected, and Amy. Amy's gaze was distant, looking as if she was having an internal argument whether to burst into sobs or vent her pain in screams. Celeste felt that she should go up and give Amy a hug. But Celeste hesistated, not sure if she could handle taking on any of Amy's emotional hurt in addition to her own. Though Celeste could certainly relate to what Amy must be feeling. Jonathan had disappeared right before her eyes as well. Maybe-- But the yelling detoured that idea. Ughh. This yelling is going to give me a headache. Besides, there is no way for the whole team to reach the ship.

Celeste was still unnoticed, so she decided to make sure everyone acknowledged her presence. She had to admit, she loved getting a reaction out of people. So she reshaped her shield to allow her to really jolt everyone out of their argument. She sent a mental image to everyone of Celeste soothingly saying, #Calm down ladies. And Darien. And felines.# Immediately everyone shushed. This trick could be handy calming down a mob, since it forced everyone to hear the message. Though, it would be more difficult if there happened to be shielded telepaths. And contacting so many minds would be a strain.

Everyone gave her sympathetic looks when they realized she was there. I suppose Mina told them about Jonathan. I'll need to review with her what exactly she told them. Though, as soon as I'm better at gleaming, there wouldn't be any need. Hey, if I got really lazy, I'd never have to talk with people ever again. I could be a hermit while still knowing what people were saying and still being able to maintain contact with people. Not that telepathy is any easier. Though Phoebe says that some of the really well-trained and powerful Stellarians are able to take vows of silence while maintaining conversation at the other end of a star. Though silence is overrated. I'd be bored out of my mind. Celeste shook her thoughts off of that tangent. "Aren't you people suppose to ask me how my trip was? Because asking why I left would be redundant."

"How was your trip?" Darien asked. Celeste glossed over the details. As soon as was politely acceptable, Lita explained what happened to Greg. "And this is why we need to figure out a way to get him out." Trista however had a comment. Her voice was soft and her gaze internal as she mused, "What purpose could he serve them? True, he is able to see the future, but I don't see how the Evolites could use that." Celeste inserted, "It isn't the Evolites we need to worry about. It's Fauna. She mentioned, that one time I was there, something about Them. She is terrified of Her, and especially Him. I'm not sure Fauna has a reason we'd comprehend. She struck me as very unstable, especially when the "infamous Them" came up. She said They are the reason she does her evils, to gain strength to stop Them from wreaking even greater havoc."

Darien summarized the obvious, "So Fauna isn't innately evil. Just misguided." Serena excitedly exclaimed, "So this means we can heal her, for she doesn't realize she is causing so much damage!" Celeste voiced her doubt, "She still struck me as sadistic, especially from what I could tell from the feel of her servants' minds. That and what Derek said indicates she is quite devious. I'm not sure she can be saved."

"But she must have protective instincts, the way she cares for her Evolites, and the fact that she is trying to do the right thing. And that means she is salvagable," Rini argued. Lita cynically murmurred, "From what I've heard, her "protective instincts" are of the same level as Beryl's. Meaning non-existent, using her tools without any emotional investment." Celeste corrected, "Fauna struck me as thinking of her Evolites as pets, and she had no scruples being abusive to them."

Rini asked, "Who's Derek?" "An earthling who is playing along as an informant on earth while seeking to undermine her. I bumped into him telepathically, so I have no idea what he looks like or who he is. But the feel of his mind made me trust him, that and a good portion of Internal Radiance emerged from him." Amara brashly said, "So we can save him at the same time we rescue Greg."

"He can see Bright Futures," Raye gasped, her clairvoyance suddenly making this clear. All arguments fell silent. Mina eyed Raye as she demanded, "You mean Greg can see Bright Futures! How is that possible? I thought you needed special tools." Trista thoughtfully explained, "It actually isn't that unfeasible of a concept. The Evolites must have known from previous excursions that Greg is a psychic who can see into the future. They've had an uncanny ability of targetting only those who in do indeed possess Bright Futures. Greg must have appeared on whatever it is they use to track holders of Bright Futures." Michelle argued, "Though this idea does hold merit, it doesn't make sense why Fauna would need Greg now. As we said, the Evolites must already have instruments to detect Bright Futures. He wouldn't serve any additional purpose in that aspect."

"He can also see the future," Serena clearly said in a regal voice. Everyone silently turned to face her, realizing this was perhaps one of her rare moments of insight. Without further urging, she continued, "They obviously are unable to actually see the future, else they would anticipate their defeats. Should they manage to utilize Greg's gift as they see fit, they will be able to circumvent occurences that would otherwise lead to their demise. So with Greg, they would have two tools in one." Serena then slowly reverted to her normal self. The awe in her eyes were indication of how she sometimes wished this was who she was. Though it was her, just a deeply buried aspect that only occasionally emerged.

Lita logically expressed, "But is it even possible to harvest Greg's predictions for their benefit? He is the only one who sees them when they come about, and he knows too well not to tell the Evolites. So wouldn't trying to use his gift be pointless?" Amara tersely responded, "Torture." Her elaboration was slightly condenscending, but they were habituated to Amara's manner. "Everyone has their breaking point, and their wills are destroyed under enough prodding. Once they bring him to the breaking point, he'll tell them anything they want. Some," indicating herself and the other few she considered extremely strong, "have far greater limits than torturers are willing to approach."

Celeste insinuated into the conversation, "I can use the Golden Scriptures to prevent the Evolites from being able to use his gift for anticipatory uses." "You can do that? That is so cool," Rini exclaimed. Hotaru quietly, but solemnly, asked "Is that within your abilities as a Scribe? You have mentioned that you were still in training in the past, and are unsure as to what level of a Scribe you were. Do you sincerely think you remember enough to write in the Scriptures?" Refusing to falsely interpret doubt in those words, Celeste assuredly replied, "I was a fairly advanced Scribe for my age. I believe I have a good enough grasp of my past training to perform this feat. The trick is to come up with wording that is neither too vague nor too specific. Also, it cannot contradict what is already written in the Scriptures. Since I've yet to come across any mentionings of Fauna or the Evolites, I think that is unlikely."

Everyone watched with curiosity as Celeste prepared to write in the fabled Golden Scriptures. Amy especially was intrigued. Even though she was feeling heartwrenching despair over Greg's situation, the Scriptures held a strong fascination for her. Celeste had explained how wording was a big part of being a Scribe. The incorrect wording could have later repercussions, ones that are devilishy hard to neutralize.

Celeste whispered to herself, "The pen is mightier than the sword; the sword can decide between life and death of the body, but the pen can decide between enlightenment and misguidance of the mind, heart, and soul. Does the pen then tell me that the blood on the sword is of less value than the ink from the pen?" In her hands appeared a feather quilled pen and three bottles of ink, one of Pearl, one of Sapphire, and one of Gold. Scribes learned to call forth inks in triplets, the triplet first taught to them being of the materials that they themselves were composed of. Celeste was able to write in the Golden Scriptures because she had could call forth at least one sacred ink. The Golden Scriptures would only let the three sacred inks permanently bind to its pages. These inks were Gold, Ivory, and Ebony. Should Celeste ever come across a masterScribe, or even the Great Scribe, she would possibly be able to learn to make other inks.

Then, in midair, Celeste wrote a complicated spell, calling forth the physical world to lend her a chair and desk, a very advance spell but most appropiate when one is about to actually write in the Golden Scriptures, and not merely undego the arduous task of trying to gleam its words. She sat down on the materializing chair, and placed her three inks down on the desk. Both hands were placed palm down on the smooth desk. She slowly rolled her shoulders back, once, before she used her left hand to twist the ring on her right hand a quarter turn. The Golden Scriptures manifested, an ethereal bound book with both thick and thin sheets of Gold, Ivory, and Ebony. No title existed on the cover, for giving a lable to such a magnificent artifact was blasphemous, not to mention patronizing. The Scriptures floated inches above the conjured desk. Of its own accord, the Golden Scriptures flipped open to the middle, but not center. As the book floated onto the conjured desk, Celeste's hands levitated up. She then held her hands side by side, palm down. A white glow soaked her hands as she moved them forward and around, the trail of her hands forming a rectangle. Her hands continued moving, spiraling inward. As she finished, the glow receded from her hands, the rectangle materializing into an Ivory sheet of paper.

Celeste then took her feather quill pen and lightly dipped it into the Gold ink. She rolled up her sleeves and slowly wrote on the newly formed paper. Though her normal handwriting was messy, the script she created was artfully written. She kept her breathing even, even though her heart beated at a feverish pace. Uneven breaths could lead to jerky movements, and every error held the potential for great catastrophes. The fluid Gold ink flowed liquidly into the pattern of words. With careful wording that should have only minimal repercussions, Celeste created a new passage for the Golden Scriptures. She removed the quill from the page and mentally willed the page to join its fellow passages in the Scriptures.

However, the page would not bind to the Scriptures. Immediately Celeste knew something had been miscalculated.

Celeste tried using her will to push the sheet to bind, for Celeste had done this task in the distant past, but this time she only partially succeeded. The Ivory sheet became a part of the Golden Scriptures, but the Gold ink slid off, leaving the page blank. Golden droplets fell to the floor and splattered.

The others knew something was wrong, despite having little exposure to the Scriptures. The fact that the ink slid off as easily as water off a candle meant that something was blockading the submission of this passage. Daunted, Amy asked, "Celeste, what is wrong with the Scriptures?" Celeste nonchalantly responded, "Nothing is wrong with the Scriptures. A passage I have been unable to read must contradict what I tried to write. I'll simply try finding that passage, for it is bound to be informative about our situation." As she was about to do so, she offhandedly commented, "Oh by the way, Raye, there is no need to worry about the ink staining the floor. Since it is no longer in the form of words, I can easily banish it along with the rest."

Celeste didn't let it show, but this failure severly irked her. Had it been a shortcoming with any of her other skills, it would not have been so frustrating. But her talent as a Scribe, especially with the Golden Scriptures, had been a source of great pride. It wasn't just that it was something only she was capable of at the moment. There were several abilities she had that fell within those parameters. The thing was, whenever she worked with the Scriptures, she had a quiet joy. It was so thrilling being able to discover so much from a single source. Not that gleaming any knowledge from the Scriptures was easy. But it felt that this was her calling, moreso than being a senshi, even though she knew she wasn't the Great Scribe. And it was vexing that something like this happened when she was trying to impress her friends. Yes, she was trying to impress them; and yes, she finally thought of them as her friends.

She focused her attention on the Scriptures, though still acutely aware she was being scrutinized by her fellow superheroes. Her mind was focused tightly on her curiosity, on what was preventing her passage. The actual passage refused to appear, so she flipped the pages and tried with each page. Instead, the Scriptures' consciousness communicated to her. Snappishly, the Scriptures flipped to an earlier entry and illuminated what it wanted of the passage. Which meant at times simply a letter or two here and there. Actually, its words were written in such an angle that everyone was able to view them. Stop it! The Scriptures cannot show what has not yet been written. You are not meant to see the passage you seek, and shall continued to be denied access. Cease trying to Change the parameters which were first written in the first passage. Desist, for your efforts are better spent on finding my Great Scribe. Then, an eerie occurrence happened. The Golden Scriptures shut itself, and returned to being stored in Celeste's ring.

Curiously, Diana was the one to speak first. "Celeste, have you tried to find the Great Scribe?" When Celeste shook her head slowly, Diana continued, "Since you already knew it wanted you to find her, don't you think it is reasonable that the Golden Scriptures aren't happy you haven't made any efforts." "Well," and Celeste blushed slightly as embarassment hit her, "I believe you are right. That must be why the Scriptures are being extra stubborn today." Before continuing discussion, Celeste banished the Scribe tools she had called forth. This made the atmosphere a little more normal, or at least normal by their standards. "The thing is, I have no idea of how to go about looking for her. All I have to go on is a few vague memories. I know the name she took on when she became the apprentice Great Scribe was Mnemonsyne."

"Memory," Trista quietly muttered. "That name was the name of one of the Greek goddesses, whose name meant Memory." Amara commented, "Appropriate in its own way." Amy, who was slowly being shaken out of her cycle of despair, responded, "Moreso than you realize. In Greek mythology, Mnemonsyne was the mother, by Zeus, of the nine Muses. The Muses were the patronesses of the arts and inspiration, and especially the written word. It was an aptly chosen name." Mina interrogated of Celeste, "Is that all you remember? Or is there anything else?"

Celeste bit her lip as she struggled to remember. "I once knew her well, since we trained together as Scribes. I don't know what her heritage was, but she was raised by her mother on planet Mercury. She was orphaned at a young age, and since she lived in the planet capitol, she was given to the city temple of Thoth. Since the priests and priestesses of the temple of Thoth were in charge of teaching the public schools, she was given a regular education. She showed an aptitude for writing, and was then taught by the priests how to be a minor Scribe. By chance, there was a ceremony in the palace honoring all the Mercurian Scribes, and when she attended, Viulorn also came. Viulorn was the current Great Scribe, and when he saw her perform as a Scribe, he saw her great talent. He took her on as his apprentice and successor. We all met her several times, for the position of Great Scribe was prestigious, having more influence with Queen Serenity than most members of the royal lines. From what I remember, she was ambitious without being ruthless, cheerful, trusting, and so loving. That and the way she looked in her official robes, her red hair and blue eyes finally seemed mature."

As Celeste gave the last bit of description, all the Inner senshi eyes went wide as they all had the same thought. Simultaneously they announced, "Molly!" At first Amara and Michelle looked shocked, but as they thought about it, it made sense. Celeste picked up a mental picture, and realized it was the girl from the jewelry store. Molly certainly did have those personality traits, and the red hair and blue eyes also fit. Her eyes went wide as the face matched the one in her vague memories. She affirmed, "Yes, Molly Baker is in fact Mnemonsyne, the Great Scribe." Softly, she thought at the Scriptures, Happy yet? We found your Scribe. We found her.

Rini sighed. "What's wrong?" asked the violet eyed girl. Rini smile reassuringly, "Oh nothing. It's just that what we discovered was pretty intense." Hotaru nodded, "Yeah. That was quite, exciting. I didn't want my doubt to affect Celeste, but I wasn't sure she was going to be able to write in the Scriptures. It would have been a lot better to be wrong." Rini soothingly said, "It isn't your fault. We can't always foresee these setbacks. Besides, a few setbacks do no more harm than vex us a little." "I suppose you're right," Hotaru agreed. She then changed the subject, "You know, we never did resolve what we are going to do about the Greg situation." Rini replied, "I honestly didn't realize that. But now that you mention it, you're right." "You sound reluctant to say I'm right for once. Anyway, I'm not so sure it is necessary for us to rescue him." Rini was aghast. "Are you saying we should leave him to whatever tortures the Evolites have in store for him!" "Amy said he knew what was going to happen, and told her it must be done. Destiny is too much a part of our lives to try disrupting it. I think we should let things play out a little bit longer, and then see how things stand. It will probably work out in the end, if we are patient enough to wait for the right opportunity." "I disagree." They silently walked further. Hotaru then changed the subject. "So, tell me more about this group project."

Rini groaned, "I'd rather delay thinking about it. But I suppose that since you brought it up, I might as well explain. You remember I told you how Ms. Heruna assigned this evil project she titled "Decades of Fun"? Well, I was assigned the worst possible group situation, in addition to having extra requirements added as punishment. Ral is smart enough, but he is such a slacker. He doesn't bother doing even classwork, and he just doodles on tests. Next year, I'd be surprised if he isn't repeating 7th grade. Again. And then there is Odette. She is even worse, because she is depressed. But instead of just sitting there quietly while I do all of the tremendous amount of work, she complains constantly that I'm doing it wrong. And she doesn't offer to do anything to rectify the perceived error. I am so dead with this project. Remind me to tell the others not to expect me for senshi duty unless it is an absolute emergency."

"Poor Rini," Hotaru cooed. "And now you have to go to Odette's house to work while tolerating the presence of your partners. If it makes you feel any better, there are some gaps in my academic knowledge due to all the complications I've had to deal with in aging. So daddy is hiring a tutor to cram it all down my throat. He said he would help me himself, but he has been busy ever since accepting that university job. But I'm glad for him. It makes him feel useful to be back at work, and the university lab doesn't hold any of the bad memories." "Yeah." They continued walking and idly chatting, until they came to Odette's house. Hotaru continued walking, for there was a bus stop nearby. Rini on the otherhand braced herself for an afternoon of frustration and stress.

Natalie (5^th General of the Swarm; a.k.a. Snail) rapped on the door to the second inventors' sorority. She pulled the hood of her robe tighter around her face. Without the metallic mask to cover her disfigurement, she felt so vulnerable and exposed. She hated this feeling, almost as much as the actual disfigurement. And those damn inventors were taking forever to answer the door. Natalie tensed when she heard someone come down the walkway, but relaxed when she saw it was merely Ant's (6^th Captain of the Swarm; m.c.k.a. Annie) sole servant. The Genoikan Peon continued walking without glancing her way. Under normal circumstances, Natalie should have no reason to feel nervous about transacting with the inventors' sororities. However, she was acquiring some black market items, and it would be unbeneficial should she be caught. But it was all in the name of revenge.

Finally the door opened a little. The inventor who peered out was wild eyed, but timid. She had gotten addicted to some of the more powerful drugs reserved for high level Evolites, such as lour and tiurnaken, among dozens of others. Her addiction led her to do anything for the drugs she should not have been exposed to in the first place. She had given Natalie the privilege marks to buy the drugs, and in return Natalie kept a percentage of the privilege marks and got her tools for revenge. Silently, they exchanged their goods, the inventor's hands jerking in frantic gestures. The inventor received the drugs, and Natalie received the parcel filled with her required tools. The parcel was about the size of a shoe box, easily small enough to fit in one of the pockets hidden in Natalie's robes. Natalie nodded her head while the inventor hastily shut the door.

Natalie returned to her quarters by a route filled with detours. The Crew was finally working on getting the hallways stable again. While the hallways were no longer malfunctioning, the crew still had to spend time getting them back in top condition. She had to sidestep Crew members as they walked through the hallways. To any but an Evolite, the ship would be an unnavigatable maze. However, the Evolites instinctively knew where everything was located. Even each other's dormitories, which were arranged in no particular pattern. They gave no second thought to the fact that Fauna endowed them with this useful trait. Natalie daydreamed (of slowly peeling Beetle's skin off, layer by layer), while her feet unconsciously led the way. When her feet did stop, it wasn't at her own quarters as expected.

She stood outside of a door that was beautifully decorated. She knew it led into Vana's (5^th General of the Den; a.k.a. Peacock) quarters. Natalie didn't know why she came here. At least, she wouldn't admit it. There was no way Vana would talk to her once she saw the disfigured face. Vana was obsessive about beauty, her personal goal in life being to eradicate all ugliness. Natalie easily understood, for Natalie likewise tried squashing the flawed. Why do I care what she thinks. The only one who is even near being my equal is our leader, Fauna. The Creators spent too much effort on our greatness to make anything else within our league. So Vana means nothing. I shouldn't even deign to waste my time here. But Natalie didn't budge. As much as she tried convincing herself otherwise, she wanted to be here. For the oddest reason, she felt that Vana, the most condemnatory Evolite to ever exist, would be empathetic. As pathetic of a notion that was. She knocked on the door. No answer. Another unanswered tenative knock proved Vana to be elsewhere. Too bad.

As Natalie turned to leave, she heard soft, graceful footsteps. "Hello? Who's there? Oh, Natalie, is that you? It must be, since you are the only one who wears those robes. Wait a moment, and why don't you come in?" Vana finished walking down the hallway and to her door, both her own arms and the arms of her servant overloaded with various merchandise. She looked stunningly beautiful. Which, though true, wasn't that much of a compliment since she always looked this way. Natalie carefully kept her face concealed as she murmured, "Oh, I shouldn't. I have things I must do and it would be unfair to take up your time." Vana dismissed the weak objections with a wave of her hand. "Nonsense. I was about to have a snack and then go gliding. You can accompany me for my snack, and gliding can happen anytime. Come." Though Natalie had her doubts, she followed Vana through the door.

It was a nice set of quarters. Natalie had never visited here, but Vana's quarters were larger than her own, even though both had the exact same rank. There was a living room, small kitchen, a bathroom with a bathtub (which was quite a luxury), a vanity room, closets all over the place, and of course a bedroom. All of which was gorgeously decorated. Vana led her into the living room, where another one of her servants had a snack waiting, along with several cups in case Vana had visitors. Wordlessly, the servants vanished, leaving Vana and Natalie alone.

"Sorry none of the Peons let you in, but I rather I be the one to answer the door. Frequently I'm not up to visitors, and it is so vexing when one is waiting for you when you return from elsewhere. Why don't you sit down, while I put my purchases away." Throughout the monologue, Vana had not once glanced at Natalie's face. Natalie was getting tightly wound up, fearing and anticipating the moment of realization. She figetted while in her seat.

It happened soon enough. Vana returned promptly, and finally noticed. Her eyes went wide. She gasped, and then grimaced in distaste. This was one instance where literal jaw dropping occurred. "I'll go," Natalie softly determined. "WHAT happened?!?!" "Sit down, this isn't easy to take. And feel free to look away. It is more awakward when someone stares in disgust." Natalie continued to sit, while Vana stood behind her chair so as to not be forced to view the disfigurements.

Taking a deep breath, Natalie started to tell her tale. "You remember when I had that second mission?" "Vaguely. Didn't you use Banana Slug for that mission?" Natalie affirmed, "Yes. It was my opportunity to succeed without the bumbling of Beetle (7^th Captain of the Swarm; m.c.k.a. Warvus) impeding my success. However, that was the day that the newest senshi appeared." "Isn't her name like Sailor Sun or something else ridiculously stupid along those lines?" "Yes. Anyway, I had left off with Banana Slug finishing off the details, after my successful capture of the Bright Future of some little monkey. When I returned, there was nothing there. Banana Slug was decimated, and the Brigtness of the Future I had stolen along with it. It wasn't my fault the enemy got in the way. But Fauna ended up whipping me out of anger. I don't blame her. That maggot Beetle must have somehow contrived a way for me to be punished. He obviously was jealous that I got a second opportunity, and ruined me out of spite. But he'll pay. Oh how he will pay."

"So Natalie, this is why you wore the mask. What happened to it? It was beautifully crafted." "Fauna took it away, indicating it will make me stronger or something if I do without it. Once again, Beetle's manacles are all over this torment." Vana was no longer cringing, for throughout their talk, she had moved until she was sitting directly across from Natalie. She looked speculatively at Natalie, and thought this over. The hideous face that looked out was grotesquely fascinating; she just couldn't stop looking at it. She then offered, "I can help you. You deserve to have your beauty returned. And beauty is my specialty. As for Warvus," she paused while Natalie reflexively sneered at the mentioning of his name, "he deserves to suffer. The idea of destroying such great beauty is the worst atrocity I've come across. It is my moral duty to aid you."

"Huh?" Natalie did a double take, making sure she heard correctly. But she wasn't completely taken by surprise. This matched all she knew of Vana, which primarily composed of their conversation from Thursday night in the Gadget Lounge. Vana took Natalie's face in her hands, lightly touching the face now composed of scabs and open wounds and scars. "Go into the vanity while I gather supplies. It is going to take quite some time."

Initially, Vana strictly used her hands to channel her subtle magic. Although no one but Fauna knew this, Vana was a scratch-type Evolite, meaning she was crafted purely from Fauna's power without any template. This is why she had a subtle bit of Fauna's power. She could control the surface features of Evolites, for the purposes of healing or beautifying. This was similar to Fauna's powers over animals, but on a significantly smaller scale. As Vana's fingers delicately traced patterns over Natalie's face, shadows remained wherever Vana left her touch. A glare from Vana caused the shadows to whimper and tremble. Once Natalie's face was completely covered in shadows, the shadows dripped off and dissipated. Left behind was a vague humanoid shaped face, but as a blank slate. Vana then carefully sculptured it, the memory of how Natalie used to look a sharp image in her mind. Gradually the color and details returned to Natalie's face, more beautiful than they had been. It was a completely new face, but it held Natalie's traits so strongly that it could not be mistaken as anyone else's.

During the process thus far, Natalie had kept her eyes tightly shut. When Vana removed her hands from the face, Natalie finally opened her eyes and saw a mirror before her. Her face was back to normal. No, it was better than normal. It was the second most beautiful face she had ever seen. She awestruckedly exclaimed to the first most beautiful face, "This is miraculous. You improved on what the Creators had done. What can I say that fully imparts the depth of my amazement." Vana shrugged, "It is what I do. Beauty is my specialty. But I have only begun the makeover. I have to do your make-up, hair, and alter your clothes. This is more fun than gliding, and I love being high in the sky."

While Vana did her specialty, they talked. Such as speculation over who in the Clan of the Nest would get the next assignment, for it was the Nest's turn. "At least it didn't go to the Lair. Sam and Reese (1^st Captains of the Lair; a.k.a. the Siamese Twins) have been so smug lately. It doesn't bother me so much from Sam, since she is definitely the classier of the two. But Reese, the way she dresses is so juvenille. I realize they have long torsos, but Reese doesn't have to show that much stomach. And those cat ears in her hair—that is soo tacky," Vana ranted.

Normally, Natalie didn't give a damn about others' fashion. But the vehement way Vana would talk about physical appearance was contagious. "I think they are being especially haughty because Colonel Lioness is still furious over the incident with Mouse (1^st Captain of the Whisker; m.c.k.a. Michael) and Cheetah (5^th General of the Lair; m.c.k.a. Agatha). Who knew that any Evolites from those two Clans would be an item? I forget how their rivalry started in the first place, but the Lair and Whisker Clans despise one another. But knowing Colonel Lioness, she wants her Clan to behave all the more superior, to save face from the humiliation of Cheetah's insubordination."

Vana finally finished working. "Voila!" It was a humongous difference. Initially, Natalie had sported lots of tight coils against her head, most of her hair down, and a longer tail in the back. Now, the longer hair was put in a partial bun, taking one's focus away from the hair. Her face now seemed thinner, and though just as sinister, not nearly as sadistic as it had been. And the new outfit, a lovely tight-fitting dress, showed her curves better than her robes ever had. "You definitely look more effeminate." "How am I expected to move in this outfit. It'll burst if I take too deep of a breath." "No it won't."

While Natalie continued to stare in astonishment, Vana mentioned, "You know how we were talking about relationships among Evolites in rival Clans. The Swarm and Nest aren't exactly on the best of terms. Yet we've gotten to be fairly close. Though the fact that you are beautiful certainly helps." "Thanks to you. And you aren't bad looking yourself." "I know." It is hard to say who initiated it, since it happened so quickly. But soon they were kissing. It was definitely unexpected. Although homosexuality wasn't looked down upon among the Evolites, most Evolites were straight. They tended to assume that they were heterosexual. There were of course exceptions, Iris being the first to pop into mind.

When their lips finally withdrew, they were breathing heavily. Without actually saying anything to one another, they both went into the bedroom. The intimacy that followed was rewarding for both of them. It helped bring about the last bits of healing Natalie required. And Vana, it helped her gain a touch of compassion for another. Hard to believe two selfish, shallow, evil creatures as this could find love in each others' arms. But then again, love is incomprehensible, period. Instead of speaking sweet nothings, after the action, they schemed how to wreak the perfect revenge on 7^th Captain Beetle.

Tuesday, March 31^th

"Here's the phone," Lita said as she handed Serena her cordless phone. "Why do I have to call her?" Serena wailed. Raye rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Because you know her best. She is your best friend, afterall." The arguing continued in this tangent. The question was, who would call Molly? Finding the right words to tell your friend that she happens to be one of the most powerful mortal entities is rarely easy. Especially since it would mean revealing their alter egos. They were still struggling to come to terms with Molly being Mnemonsyne, the Great Scribe. "Come on Serena," Mina urged. "But I have no idea what to say," Serena whined. Luna barked (well, mew is more appropriate for a cat), "Oh Serena, grow up. Simply ask Molly to come over to your house tomorrow. Lita, Mina, and myself will be there once she arrives, so you don't need to break it to her on your own."

"Where is Celeste when you need her?" Serena muttered. "She knows more about the Scribes than we do." Usually Serena had no inhibitions about calling her close friend. However, under these circumstances, she didn't want to ruin Molly's normalcy. It was hard enough for Molly to cope with all her assaults. But hopefully this explained why Molly always coincidentally happened to somehow encounter all the "freaky monsters." If Serena remembered correctly, Celeste had mentioned something along these lines that was justified by some passage in the Scriptures.

Serena's slothful pace was getting on the cat's and three girls' nerves. "Hurry up, Serena!" they shouted. Amy had a chess club meeting or something, and the other cats were elsewhere. The Outer senshi didn't believe this concerned them. It was only when Lita bribed Serena with fresh baked ginger snaps that Serena finally dialed. Brrrring. Brrrring. Brrrring. Molly answered the phone on the cusp of the fourth ring. "Hello?"

Serena forced herself to sound upbeat as she started babbling. "Oh hi Molly! How are you? Good, that's great. How is Melvin doing? Yeah, he is such a sweet guy, though I'm still not used to the two of you being an item. Well, I was calling just to say hi. We don't see each other as often as we should, what with only PE and math together. Are you understanding this quadratic equation stuff? It makes my head spin. I was thinking, maybe you'd like to hang out at my house tomorrow?" Serena finally took a breath, not having paused whatsoever during her monologue. "Serena, are you okay? You sure sound like you are in some kind of a rush. But you know, you're right. We don't hang out as much as we used to. I'll make it over. Where should I meet you?" "I'll be by your locker after school. See you tommorrow." "But wait don't you wanta talk for a bit?" Click. Serena had hung up as soon as she possibly could. "There, that wasn't too hard, was it?" Mina commented. "The hard part is coming up tomorrow," Lita remarked, "when everything is going to be out in the open."

Derek reluctantly came to the ship. It had to be either Vickie or Fauna, for it was improbable that Tara would lure him onto the ship through the damn armband. If I had to guess which one, it'd probably be Vickie. Fauna hasn't tried contacting me in days. From what I hear, she has been distracted. He wandered out of the Crew cabin and down the stairwells. He waited by the statue of Fauna that was at the foot of the stairs. Above it was a conspicuous camera. Reminding him that he was being observed at all times while on board. Except in private quarters, and in a select few other locations. Such as Tara's workroom and Fauna's study.

Derek knew better than to start wandering off at this point. Afterall, he had been purposely summoned with the accursed armband. His bicep and tricep were still throbbing from the pain that had bitten into his arm. He gingerly rubberd the sore region, red and swollen where the armband's spikes penetrated his arm until they grazed the edge the bone. Were he truly the naïve fool he pretended to be, this alone would have made him suspicious about the intentions of the Evolites.

He looked upon the great statue beside him. It was made of some metallic stone with elements not found on earth. But the eyes were of an opaque glass, appropriate considering Fauna's cold eyes that refused to let anyone look inward. "I've always liked this particular statue," Fauna remarked. Derek stiffened reflexively, both out of startlement and distaste. How he had come to despise Fauna's hold over him. Though he hated being deceitful, there was no other way of handling his precarious situation.

He turned to face the powerful mistress, and fooled her with gentry manners and a pleasant face. "My Lady Fauna, what a wonderful surprise it is to encounter you. I wasn't expecting to see your lovely face," he coaxed as he kneeled to one knee and lightly kissed her hand.

Fauna beamed, "Derek, have I not told you it is unnecessary to be so formal? I'm hoping I didn't interupt anything too important when I called you over. It is just that I must ask you to do me a favor. Remember how you were attacked by that monster called Camel?" She paused as Derek grimaced before continuing kindly, "Well, my inventors' sorrorities and I have been working on developing the means to finding his whereabouts. However, we believe that his attack left traces of his life force on you, even after this amount of time. You still are willing to do whatever it takes to find him, correct?"

Derek's mind screamed alarms. Firstly, Camel had perished at Miracielo about two weeks ago (only two weeks ago? It seems like it has been much longer.), on the very day he first encountered the Sailor senshi. And his fantasy lady. So whatever Fauna's true plans happened to be, they were bound to be for no good. Also, she was asking him to completely give himself to her services. That made his skin crawl, the thought of allowing her to use him however she pleased. Though his body gave no indication, his mind shuddered at the very concept. But I must, for there is no way I can safely decline her "offer." She'll be suspicious if I do anything but fervently agree. Besides, I can hopefully gain insight and tell the Sailor senshi about my discoveries. Not in this form, however. As the Shining Star Warrior. That is the only way that Solar will look upon me as an equal. Or better yet, if possible, I can do some major good deed on my own. That is bound to impress her, and the other senshi.

Cunningly masking his hesitation, he responded, "I'd be honored to do whatever it takes to prevent others from experiencing the devastating evil I encountered with the monster Camel." Unshaken by the possible double meanings in his words, Fauna excitedly exclaimed, "Marvelous! That was just what I was hoping to hear. My inventors' sororities are developing a machine that will both detect foreign life force traces as well as what exactly happened from his attack. I know your culture has some paranoias about combining machines with biological materials, but it is a completely safe procedure. I promise you on my honor.

Derek nodded, though in the back of his mind he thought, Was that supposed to be reassuring?

Raye was nervous as she finished preparing for her to view her visions. In the newer manner, that is. Tonight was the last of March, the very month of Mars. Also, it was a Tuesday, the day of the week also most closely associated with Mars. And last night had been a full moon. Celestially speaking, this was an ideal night for her to perform as a (non-practicing) Bellan Priestess of Ares. She took a deep breath, and then performed the rituals to honor Ares the Warrior, Hephaestus the Fire-Smith, and Orela the Oracle. Though once a priestess of Ares, she was especially seeking the Oracle's guidance this night. Raye proceeded to perform the symbols of the universe as she chanted them in her mind, as always. Her mind sunk into the spiritual realms, where she saw nothing of the physical world. With the same heightened clarity she had last time she performed these rituals, she saw two of the four visions she saw last time.

***

There were 5 points of light in the shape of a star. She saw them get closer and form a bright light. This time however, the five points of light were given a vague face in her mind's eye, none of which she recognized. But then she saw one of the points being pulled away by a large orb. This dot of light had the appearance of a feral looking woman with tan hair in a crew cut. Her canines were unusually sharp. Around her neck was a necklace with a bead of orange abalone in the shape of a claw. The other dots of light had faces which weren't as clear, though each had a similar necklace, though in different shapes and colors. As the dot was dragged away, the other points points of light couldn’t converge again to give off the bright light. As the isolated dot got farther away, it started building up a fog, a fog that grew as it came closer to the orb.

Raye saw the vision as she originally saw it twice more. I'm still not sure what these new details mean, and only in the first viewing of the trio. Today was so hectic that I forgot to mention my visions to the others.

***

***

Once more the other presence guided her. *Child, it is of great import that you tell the other guardians of your visions. Were it not that you guardians cause a great many ripples in the universe, such forgetfullness could be permissible. That is not not the case with you, however. Communication is of great necessity. Also, the Great Scribe will be a great asset, once she consents to undertake all it entails. Now then, remember what you see. Focus your Sight, and visions will unfold.*

***

***

Raye slumped to the ground, the amount of mental energy required to view her visions was tremendous. She wiped away her sweat soaked hair from her eyes and breathed deeply. It would have been nice to just curl up and sleep then and there. She lied down for a few minutes before mustering the determination to clean up every trace of her ceremony. Her skin shivered and her stomach felt cold and curdled. She was achy, sore, and exhausted. As she dragged herself into her room, she didn't even speculate on her vision, determination to actually reach her destination was the sole item to fill her mind. Once she reached her bedroom, she just collapsed onto the bed, not even bothering to change into PJs or pull the covers over her fatigued body.

Wednesday, April 1^st

Start playing song: “I May Know The Word” performed by Natalie Merchant.

Luna found the tension the scouts were radiating to be stifling. It made her itch for her scratching post as a means of venting her frustration. True, telling Molly about all of their destinies was a delicate business. But honestly, she shouldn't be surprised after all she has seen. The girls shouldn't worry so much about all of this damaging her psyche. I wouldn't be surprised if she was reluctant, however. Some, but not all, of the girls have resisted destiny.

Serena's house was quiet for once. Mr. Tsukino was at work, Rini was working on a school assignment, and Mrs. Tsukino had taken Sammie to a doctor's appointment. So they had the house to themselves. The girls' settled themselves in the kitchen, taking especially careful care of Molly's comfort. Amy would have come, except she had previous plans with her pals Naomi and Minnie. They were going to a foreign independent film, a showing of "Amelie." And Raye, she hadn't even gone to school that day, her being too exhausted from her Sight. She promised to go over her visions in detail once everyone could be gathered together. She also wished the remaining three scouts the best of luck in dealing with Molly's alias.

As for Celeste, she didn't like the thought of being there for such an intimate revelation when she didn't really know Molly. "Besides, I have some research to do in the Golden Scriptures, especially since they are going back to the Great Scribe soon enough." Luna knew that the research had something to do with the Shining Star Warrior. She could understand Celeste's sentiments, it was bothersome not knowing anything whatsoever about the Shining Star Warrior. Was he friend or foe? Though, Luna suspected he was a friend, considering how he said he was "a friend and common enemy against the Evolite force." Whichever he was, the more they could learn about him, the better.

The girls sat around the kitchen table, and exchanged looks. How could they start? Even though all of them had at one point or another been forced to learn of their other potential, it never got any easier initiating someone into the truth. Lita and Mina shared a look, and agreed on their choice of action. Both of them kicked Serena in the shins, causing her to yelp. "You okay Serena?" Molly asked. Through slightly gritted teeth, she said, "I'm fine," as she sent a glare in Mina and Lita's directions. "So, I've been reading about this collection of writings known as the Golden Scriptures," Serena started.

"You were reading!" Molly exclaimed in astonishment. "I know, isn't it scary," Mina commented. "Definitely not like typical Serena. So what about these Scriptures?" Lita prompted. "Well, supposedly they are supposed to have very important passages and spells and stuff. And they can't be destroyed, not even by time! They are supposed to have a strong association with the Sailor senshi. I mean, they are supposedly gonna be of immense help to the senshi." "Sounds pretty neat, written documentation that can survive time. But I'm sure the senshi don't need help. You forget, I've seen them in person. They're strong, real strong."

"But isn't it kind of pointless if anyone can write whatever they want in the Scriptures?" Lita was feeding Serena a great idea to play off of. "No, because it apparently takes loads of training to become something called a Scribe. The Scribes are the only ones who are able to write passages that can be retained by the Scriptures. Scribes can work on any surface, but only high level Scribes can actually write in the Scriptures. Besides, the Scriptures are kinda fickle about what they will allow the reader to gleam, so most Scribes got to be extra cautious about contradicting previous passages."

"Surely there must be a Great Scribe of some sort to oversee that the Scribes don't mess with the Golden Scriptures too much," Molly mused. "There is," Lita stated. "Her name is Mnemonsyne," Mina added. "And the senshi are meant to find the Great Scribe," Serena finished.

Molly looked at all of them and forced a smile as she exclaimed, "Wow, all three of you must have read the same article! Maybe I should glance at it some time. It sure sounds interesting. My personal claim to fame is that Sailor Moon actually knows my name. How many people can say that? I wonder how the journalist got to learn so many details? I doubt the senshi would tell me so much, and I've been rescued by them several times." "I wouldn't be so sure," Mina evasively mentioned.

Molly froze, clearly feeling uncomfortable by her friends' strange behavior.

Molly relaxed somewhat when Mina seemed to change the subject. "My friend Celeste, you know the one I've been talking non-stop about? Well, she was sorry she couldn't be here to officially meet you. But she wanted me to give you this note."

There was an envelope, the expensive high quality kind, with Molly written in Celeste's neatest handwriting. And using Gold ink. Slowly Molly opened the letter, unsure as to why she felt uneasy about what was going on. Inside was beautiful stationary with Pearl ink used to write the body of the note.

         I apologize ahead of time for my chicken scratch penmanship. I want to welcome you to our inner circle, for though it holds many hardships, it has an abundance of benefits. I would also like to inform you that I have been taking good care of the Golden Scriptures in your absence, though it desperately wants to be reuinited with its Great Scribe. Stop by my place any time to pick them up. I hope that you will allow me to continue researching them, for the Scriptures hold invaluable information.
   Looking forward to meeting you in person,
         Celeste, minor Scribe, and the Solar Sailor

Molly hastily dropped the note, as if her hands had been burnt. If she had read the note right, which is impossible, then Molly was a Scribe, and Mina's friend Celeste was a Sailor senshi. She looked up at the three girls, and was startled by the slight nods to the unspoken question. Molly shakily said with urgency, "Serena, could you get me a glass of water? Please! Now!" She stared at a spot on the table, unwilling to make eye contact at the moment, and rambled to herself as she rubbed her temples and eyes, "Geez, I must be more stressed out and sleep deprived then I guessed. My mind is playing on me, messing with what my eyes perceive."

She turned to Lita and lifted her bangs up as she said, "Lita, do I feel feverish?" Lita complied, and after a moment said, "I don't think so, though you do feel a touch clammy." "Maybe I should go home and lie down..." Molly pondered. She took a long sip of water from the glass Serena placed in front of her. "Molly, I think we should talk about what the note indicates," Mina suggested.

Molly shut her eyes and shook her head. She was just a normal, average girl with normal, average friends. And she liked things that way. She heard three soft thumps as somethings were placed on the table. When she peaked past her slightly parted lids, she saw things that confirmed facts she didn't want to know. They were two henshin sticks (which were actually now useless to the senshi, for their rings provided the means for them to transform; however, the henshin sticks still held sentimental value) and the crescent moon wand. Molly wanted to get out of there. True these were her friends, but whatever they had to tell her would only be ridiculous and painful. But she was frozen in her seat, a miniscule portion of her mind curious, craving knowledge and comprehension. Mentally she curled up into a fetal position and hugged her arms close to her body as the three senshi explained.

The three senshi had thought Molly was accepting her other identity, when she had suddenly bolted out of the house. They gave each other puzzled looks, but Luna told them to give her a day or two to get accustomed to it before approaching her. However, none of them realized that she had remembered the man who had died saving her. Maxfield Stanton, whom she had loved and been forced to forget by him having not existed in this present. Or as the senshi knew him, Nephlyte.

Stop playing song

Hope you enjoyed this episode. Sorry this episode took forever. Schoolwork and applications have been an unpleasant, time-consuming experience. Actually, that was a year ago. Yes, I've been working on this episode for a year. I noticed that for most of the year, about half of my chapter was done. So I decided that since my eleventh installment is way, way overdue, and it is going to be a long chapter, I'd post the 1^st half of the chapter. But now that I've really gotten a good-sized chunk done of the 2^nd half, I've realized that both parts are substantial enough to stand as their own separate chapters. Hence, what I had thought was going to be the 1^st half of chapter 11 is in fact the entire chapter 11. Sorry for the confusion, but chapter 12 is done, if that is any consolation. I apologize, and I wished I had done this earlier, but hindsight is always twenty-twenty. Anyway, feedback continues to be welcomed, so please E-mail me at [email protected]. Keep reading. =^D