Solar Revolution

Wednesday, April 1^st

Most of the senshi were gathered in Celeste's living room, watching the late afternoon sky through the window. They had gathered to discuss a few things, the agenda including Raye's visions, the Great Scribe, Greg's possible rescue, and the Shining Star Warrior. There was no fear of unexpected interruptions, since Celeste's father wasn't expected home from LA until Sunday. The only individual senshi absent were Amara, Michelle, and Rini. Hotaru had informed them that, "Actually, Rini isn't planning on coming. She's working on her school project, and instructed me to inform everyone that she is not to be disturbed unless it is an absolute emergency." As for Amara and Michelle, they had track and diving meets. Amara called a few moments ago to inform the group that they were on their way, and that they had each gotten first place in their respective events.

"You do realize that we are going to have to reiterate all of this conversation to Mnemonsyne when she is ready to accept her circumstances, and that will merely waste time," Amy logically pointed out. "There's nothing we can do about it; she isn't ready yet to accept her role, and we can't afford to put off this discussion until she is. We're just going to have to be inefficient about it," Darien responded. After a moment of thinking this over, and a quick chat with Phoebe, Celeste cleared her throat and contradicted, "Not necessarily."

She paused for a moment before elaborating. "There is Scribe trick to record an entire conversation, no longer how long, down on paper. It doesn't require the Scribe who activates the spell to divert his attention, but merely set the parameters of the spell and provide the materials. The spell itself is the note taker. Depending on the skill of the Scribe, it can impart a great deal of tone and inflection in each word. Anyway, it is a lot more discreet than tape recording the conversation, since a Scribe spell can have certain safeguards. For instance, I intend on making it so the document can only be read by one with Scribe training. Secondly, I'm going to key it into myself and Molly, so only our signatures can activate the document. And thirdly, I'm going to have the actual words written in a language not spoken for a millennium: Mercurian, appropriate since Mnemonsyne was raised with that tongue."

"Celeste," Serena spoke, "if you can manage this spell, it would be if great help. Thank you; I always appreciate how you are willing to use your skills to aid us, even when it appears to be for simply minor situations." "Well said, Serena. Celeste, is there anything you need from us before you begin?" Artemis asked. "Just silence." Celeste then proceeded to cause her three personal inks to manifest, one of Sapphire, one of Pearl, and one of Gold. She pressed the tip of her right index finger to her tongue before tracing a spiral pattern in the air, which left an after image.

With a few droplets of Gold ink on her quill, she wrote symbols on the spiral. These were to tell the spell to respond only to herself and Mnemonsyne. Dots were sharply made, as to emphasize the crucialness of this parameter. The spiral pattern moved, spiraling tighter. Next, Celeste scripted lines in Sapphire, informing the spell that it was a recording spell. Not only this, but it set more specific details, such as from how far of a distance-radius it was meant to record information, and whether to include gestures and sights, or merely oral conversation. The spiral pattern flipped over, awaiting the last portion of the spell. This was written in glyphs in Pearl ink, and was intended to impart on the spell part of the Scribe, for it needed some life in it to discern tone and make some decisions on its own. With the final curve of the last glyph, the spiral unwound into a circle and inserted itself on the ceiling.

At that moment, Amara and Michelle finally arrived. Shortly afterwards everyone was resettled, and they started the difficult discussions. "We should listen to Raye's visions first, since she made the trek over here despite her fatigue," Serena decided. From the couch, where Raye was comfortably propped, she started imparting her visions. "I've only described to most of you my first vision. I've always seen it in sets of three. There are 5 dots that converge to create a bright light. However, some orb, a force of some sort, draws one of the dots away, the remaining 4 cannot form the light without it. Ever since I performed the Bellan Priestess rituals, I've gained more insight. The initial night, the first of the three light-visions was different. From that night on, I've only been able to see this version of the vision.

I then saw three separate visions under the guidance of Ares, Hephaestus, and Orela the Oracle. 'One of the past, one of the present, and one of the future.' The first was-" Phoebe interrupted, #Raye, though you are doing an excellent job of describing your visions, I have in mind an alternative means of imparting this information to the rest of us. Using Celeste's telepathic power, and your memories of your visions, not the visions themselves, I can project these memories into everyone's mind. I believe this will save us much time.#

After brief consultation, everyone agreed this was the best alternative, after they were assured that the recording-spell would pick up the telepathic message. The little tricks that Celeste and Phoebe kept contributing made these discussions, which always were long and drawn out, much more concise and to the point. Everyone definitely appreciated this, for they simply didn't have excessive amounts of time to waste, what with school and the need to figure out the significance of everything going on in their senshi lives.

After they had experienced Raye's memories of the visions, Lita whistled, "Wow, that's a lot of new info. Well, the vision involving Molly writing "memory" over and over has been solved. We now know she's the Great Scribe Mnemonsyne." Mina responded, "One down, several more to go. There was that vision that involved Greg being caged like an animal. I'm guessing that that vision is about him being captured by the Evolites." Luna agreed, "That is probably a safe assumption. The beast-woman sounds like she must be a representation of Fauna, and the fox-lady one of her Evolites." Phoebe inserted, #That is quite likely, though I don't know which Evolite that could be. Celeste and I met most of them when we ventured to the ship, but not all.#

Amara stated, "Though Greg and Fauna and possibly some Evolite are in this vision, I'm most concerned with the SSW being there as well. Even more so, considering the behavior he demonstrated." Trista commented, "It was almost as if he was a pet, blindly obedient to whatever his master orders." Amy argued, "We shouldn't necessarily interpret these visions so literally. Keep in mind that visions are full of symbolism, and Raye's are especially so. Things are not always as they seem, and this interpretation goes against what we've seen of the Shining Star Warrior. On this account, I think we should reserve judgment until we've had an opportunity to talk to him." Artemis agreed, "Amy is right. We don't want to make reckless judgments, especially since we know so little about him. We need to find out whether he is truly an ally or a puppet of Fauna." Celeste added, "And I should definitely be there when we question him, for I'm the only one who can automatically tell if he is lying or truthful." "So," Serena concluded, "next time we see the SSW, we'll make sure to question him. Now, we still have several more visions to go through."

Hotaru stated, "There is that weird one involving two Solar Sailors..." #It doesn't really matter. It sounds like it is something that will sidetrack us from more pressing matters,# Phoebe forcefully interrupted. Celeste could tell from her tone that Phoebe knew something she wasn't telling them, and had no intentions of revealing. When the astral phoenix got like this, even when in her dove form, there was no changing her mind. And she was significantly better at shields than Celeste, so trying to pry her thoughts out would do no good.

Darien redirected the conversation to the one vision Raye kept having in sets of three, the vision she had even before she did the Bellan Priestess rituals. "I'm positive that the new details are significant," he insisted. Raye listed the new details, how there were faces to each dot of light, and there were necklaces with each of them. This sparked a revelation for Celeste. She quickly ran to the desk and grabbed some paper and a pencil. "Raye," she demanded, "describe to me the necklaces in detail. This is absolutely crucial." Raye complied while Celeste quickly sketched out some drawings. She showed them to Raye and asked, "Is this how they looked like?" Raye nodded.

Celeste tersely asked the felines "Are you familiar with the Ankhphars?" The felines pondered this over and then Artemis responded, "Aren't they the nomadic Living Kingdoms, who originated from the Genoikan Galaxy?" "As most cultures tend to," Luna murmured. The senshi had no idea what was going on, though the felines were slowly catching on.

Celeste finally explained, "The Ankhphars, also known as the Living Kingdoms, are a nomadic culture that travels all over the universe seeking others with similar abilities. For the unique requirement to be an Ankhphar is to have power over one of life's kingdoms. By kingdoms, I mean animals, plants, fungi, protozoa, and monerans. This trait has nothing to do with race or culture, and is known to pop up sporadically in farspread regions. Ankhphars who master their abilities become a Ciron, and are given a necklace like one of these. Raye, I'm going to project the image of the woman/dot who is most prominent in this vision to the rest of us."

Celeste did so delicately, doing it with a finesse she would have been amazed of had she stopped to notice. But her focus was on more important issues. "I thought so. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the face of our enemy, Fauna. And that necklace is that of a SapitCiron, an Animal Master. Fauna once was an Ankhphar, which explains many of her powers. I believe that since the vision indicates she left them, and my best guess is that that action greatly weakened the rest of the Ankhphars. She must be insanely powerful to affect the Living Kingdoms that much. And that huge orb, I'm guessing must be 'the infamous Them' she kept rambling on about. It is obvious that They terrify her and have some hold over her. But it hard to believe that the Ankhphars would let something so unbalanced and powerful out of their protection."

There was a long silence as everyone thought this over. They finally knew how Fauna looked like, which had been quite a mystery to most of them. Luna finally cleared her throat and pointed out, "We will have time to think this over later. We still have one more vision to discuss, as well as what to do about the Great Scribe, Greg's rescue, and the Shining Star Warrior." They did the expedient thing with the last vision, and had Celeste share Raye's memory of it with everyone. It kept showing people with animal allusions. Phoebe finally exclaimed, #Those are Evolites! But they are special. Celeste, remember how when we were on the ship, you thought all the Evolites could be salvaged, and hence used Sol's Internal Radiance? And light energy only came from a few Evolites?# Celeste gleefully exclaimed when she caught on, "And these Evolites are the few salvageable ones. Raye, would you mind going through that vision one more time? I need to write them down as I recognize them." Raye complied, though she was looking awfully pale and fatigued. Celeste reflexively used Pearl ink to write on normal paper a valuable list, the list of the few Evolites who could be saved. The list got passed around when she finished, so everyone could memorize its contents:

Those who are salvageable
Captain Beetle of the Swarm, Captain Gazelle of the Hoof, Captain Calico of the Lair, General Polar of the Cave, Captain Chipmunk of the Whisker, General Raccoon of the Whisker, Captain Basset of the Den, Captain Collie of the Den, Captain Penguin of the Nest, Captain Eel of Pisces, Captain Garden of the Serpent. Captain Tortoise of the Scale, Colonel Mare of the Hoof, Captain Ant of the Swarm, Captain Firefly of the Swarm, General Tarantula of the Swarm, Colonel Monarch Butterfly of the Swarm.

After the list had been passed around, and everyone was confident they had memorized it, Celeste insisted Serena keep it. "Me? Why? I'm probably going to lose it or something," Serena insisted. Celeste persisted, "Serena, you're our leader. Keep the list, okay. Besides, you are the one who has the best chance of saving them."

With that settled, they then went on to discuss what they were going to do about three individuals: Mnemonsyne, Greg, and the SSW. Serena straight out insisted, "Molly needs time to come to terms with this on her own. It never is easy to let someone learn about this type of thing. And she's been through a lot. She'll come to us when she is ready. Besides, I don' think it would do us much good to try forcing Mnemonsyne to do anything she doesn't want to." Everyone agreed, though they all did hope Molly would resolve her own doubts sooner than later.

"So, how are we going to go about saving Greg?" Lita asked. "Well, how do you all expect to get there? Phoebe and I can do Light Speed, but that wouldn't do the rest you much good. And I don't think we'd be able to hijack a space ship to take us out there." "Scout Teleport," Mina succinctly said. "Huh?" Trista explained, "When all of us focus our energies together, we are able to teleport far distances. Though we've never gone as far as planet Neptune's satellites."

Luna pointed out, "I don't think it is the best solution. By the time you'd get there, if there even is still Nereid, you'd all be completely drained and not up to a rescue mission. We'll have to come up with some other alternative." Hotaru piped up, "I don't think we do. Greg knew what was going to happen, and he said it had to happen. Amy, didn't he tell you he'd undermine the Evolites from the inside," "Yes," Amy replied, "he did. He was terrified, but he said it was something he had to go through in order to give us a chance at defeating the Evolites."

"So you think we should just leave him there! You saw those visions and how he was being treated. How can you even think of letting some decent guy go through that? Hotaru, how can you be that heartless?" Amara bursted out. Michelle rested a hand on her beloved's shoulder and calmly said, "That's enough Amara. Don't lash out at little Hotaru, who is used to thinking with her head and not her heart." Michelle then turned to the rest of the senshi and coldly said, "I do think Amara's means of expressing her opinion are out line, but I do agree with her sentiments. We recently lost a civilian dear to us. It is infuriating to even considering leaving another to suffer the same fate as Robert. I won't let it happen."

Raye muttered from her reclined position on the couch, "This coming from the queens of the ends justifying the means. Listen you two, I knew Greg a lot better than you two, and you think it doesn't hurt me that we are seriously considering leaving him there. Think for a moment how Amy feels about, who was a very dear friend of his. But the thing is, I believe in my gut that Greg has some level of immunity thanks to how valuable of a gift he possesses. Maybe it's because I have a similar gift to his, both of us able to foresee some events in the future, but I trust Greg knew what he was getting into. He is smart enough to keep his hide intact while still helping to undermine Fauna and her Evolites. It may sound traitorous for me to say this, but I think we'd only botch things up if we tried to 'rescue' him. Our efforts are going to be better spent if we focus on the Evolite attacks and how to stop them." There was a bit more discussion before the reluctant consensus was that they hold off on rescuing Greg.

"Now, what are we going to do about the SSW?" Serena asked. Lita responded, "Simple, next time we see him, we interrogate him."

Thursday, April 2^nd

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

Molly trudged up the stairs, clinging to the railing so that her shaky balance wouldn't cause her to fall. She had spent most of today in the nurse's office, during classes she shared with either Serena, Mina, or Lita, with symptoms she didn't even need to fake. Her stomach had been hurting, her breathing had been labored, and her head had been in agony ever since yesterday's revelation. She just couldn't deal with encountering the senshi right now; and Melvin, she didn't want to think about how torn her heart was. She currently was in love with Melvin, but she had never fallen out of love with Nephlyte. Her heart alone was a dilemma, let alone all the other new factors to her life. Fortunately she hadn't had to deal with Melvin quite yet, since he attended the Mercy Institute versus her own Corazonlindo High. She opened the door to her apartment, and trudged in. Before she had started to fell ill, she had been expected to help out in the jewelry store today. But her mother had taken pity on her plight, and insisted she go straight to bed. Molly let her book bag slip out of her grasp and she inelegantly collapsed on the bed.

Her thoughts were chaotic, going in circles on the same few concepts. But foremost in her thoughts was a man from her past: Nephlyte. Though I still prefer to think of him as Maxfield Stanton. It makes him seem a little more real, a little more human. Though I have to admit he wasn't ever quite human. That never really mattered. I loved him, and he loved me. I remember when I first saw him, that time Serena and I went to watch Katie play tennis. Then he drove up in his red sports car and was awe-inspiring when he picked up that tennis racket. That was Maxfield. So what if it turned out that Nephlyte was the one who sabotaged Katie's racket, and did all sorts of other horrible stuff. Sailor Moon prevented him from truly hurting anyone. Besides, he did that only because it was all he knew. That stupid evil society of his. I finally got him to realize what he was doing, and we were going to be free of all of his past ties. Even though he kept lying to me, but that was only because he didn't want to hurt me. He didn't mean his last lie, when we were going to go for chocolate parfaits. But that Zoicite, that horrible, bitter Zoicite, she had him killed. He was trying to escape, and she killed him. Did he know what had gotten himself into, that they'd kill him if he left?

She decided to change into her pj's, even though it was still daylight. She had no intention of getting out of bed any time soon. She looked at the pajamas, and was surprised to realize they were the orange and green ones she had worn the last time she saw Nephlyte. They were perfectly intact. Because that had never happened in this time. Those plant ladies never fatally wounded him, I never tore cloth from my pj's to bind his wounds, and he never died because in this time he never existed. So why do I love something that never existed. Isn't time supposed to heal all? Well, in my case it had, because I'm now in a completely different present. I never fully came to terms with his death. They can't say it was just mere infatuation, that I just was attracted to his pretty face and the bad boy allure, that I could change him. Okay, I did manage to change him, but he was so sweet when he was with me. Things were going to work out. If he hadn't been killed, the two of us would be happy together right now. For a few moments, she even believed that. Then she had to be honest with herself.

That might not be true. I have no idea if things would have lasted, because it had always been doomed because of his connections to that evil society. Besides, I barely knew the man. I only had a few brief encounters with him, and I never had much of an opportunity to truly talk with him. I don't know of any of his beliefs or aspirations, his fears or secrets, what makes him laugh or cry. And he certainly knew none of mine. At the time it didn't really seem to matter, since I was always so blissfully happy just being in his presence. And he felt the same. Or, at least I think he did. He died protecting me, so that has got to mean something. And he was leaving his evil society, the only thing he had known, because of me. He was going to be turning a new leaf because I had made him want to. Nephlyte, the evil creature, was going to permanently become Maxfield Stanton for me.

But would Maxfield have ended up being all I wanted? Nephlyte did some really awful things. As much as I hate to think this, it is possible he was indeed innately evil. And he always lied to me even when he had good reasons to, such as keeping his secret identity hidden or to steal energy or to protect me, and so I know I would never be able to completely trust him. And could I really have a relationship with a man I didn't whole-heartedly trust? Maxfield was sweet around me, strong, gorgeous, and wonderfully masculine. He was such a formidable man, yet he had enough innocence of how to love to be charming. I felt weak in the knees whenever he was within sight. Obviously physical attraction played a large part, but I'm sure there was more to it. It was thrilling to skid near danger, his wonderfully appealing bad boy self. And I'm sure he found my appearance to be pleasant. I may not be a beauty queen, but I'm nowhere near homely. But is physical attraction and an alluring personality enough to build a relationship off of? Especially since I know I could never fully trust him. Let alone all the difficulties that goes along with such a large age difference, being in different points of our lives, and having such drastically different life experiences. I know we could have overcome these trials, but I'm not so sure about the trust issue.

She turned onto her stomach and buried her head in her pillow as she tried to decipher this difficult answer. No matter what else, may or may not have been, Maxfield was a treasured friend. I may have felt more for him than that, and he might only have thought of me as a friend, or perhaps more, but I'm never going to know for sure. I can spend the rest of my life coming up with "what if's," but none of them will change a thing. And doubting what we had would only ruin my memories of him. I don't want to sully the mental image I have of him. He is in the past, and nothing I do will change that. He was a very passionate flame, but now I have Melvin. Though Melvin might not share any traits with Maxfield except for sweetness and loving me, I love him. It might not be as intense as what I felt for Nephlyte, but it is love nonetheless. Nephlyte was a flame, Melvin is a relationship. I'll never know if the intense fire between Nephlyte and I could have been sustained for long, but I don't regret having loved him. I regret having him erased from my mind and heart, but that is no longer the case. But with Melvin, though it might never have the same fire, I know it is something that can last. Perhaps it is better this way, that I can keep Nephlyte the way he was without any bitterness between us.

Molly took a deep breath and sighed. She had resolved one of the issues plaguing her mind. The possibilities of "what my have been" would no longer haunt her thoughts. She knew she'd be able to face Melvin again, and someday might even tell him about Maxfield. Not the Nephlyte aspect, but just that she had dearly loved someone who was no longer among the living. Melvin was too nice of a guy not to know about her emotional baggage.

With a better grip on her love life, she was ready to start contemplating destiny. In order to do further heavy thinking, she felt like she needed a clear head. She started a bath, knowing that soaking in the hot water and inhaling the steam would grant her some clarity. After the tub was filled with lavender bubbles, she submerged herself and continued her contemplations. I'm not all that surprised by Serena and the others being senshi. On many levels, I kinda expected it. It just makes too much sense. Not just the physical resemblances, which are there, though not identical. Or that the group of them happened to be just the right number and that they coincidentally happened to be where they were needed. It's that once I get past my initial disbelief, their personalities do fit those of the senshi. It makes sense that Serena and the others go out and save the world. But also, I believe some of this easy acceptance is because I knew it intuitively. So why is it hard to believe that I also play a role, that I'm the Great Scribe?

She grabbed the bar of soap and used its suds to clean her skin. I suppose there are some indications that have haunted me. For instance, I'm not the brightest student, nor the most detail-fixated, yet time and again I keep being complimented for having the most beautiful handwriting. Whenever there is a need for a secretary in school, either I'm immediately suggested or else I volunteer. I write easy to read notes, am accurate, and am able to keep up with the pace of natural dialogue. I'm an avid journal writer, though I won't admit it. Oh, and I remember those times I saw the calligraphy books in the bookstore; Serena wasn't just jesting when she said I was drooling over them. And then there's those weird occurrences, where I'm reading something and I see the words rearrange before my eyes. I never tell anyone about those times since I always freak out, and I make sure my vision hasn't gone off-kilter. All these traits point out that I am indeed a natural Scribe.

Molly poured a dollop of shampoo into her hand and started heavily scrubbing her tresses. I've tried to remember the past, the Silver Millennium. But I have a hard time fully remembering everything. My mother, who though not Mercurian, raised me on the planet. When I was still quite young she died, leaving me an orphan. I recall her body had turned against her, that she had lung cancer. The Temple of Thoth took me in, educated me, civilized me. One of the priestesses, Sonja, noticed I had a knack towards writing. She started training me as a Scribe. Since I had been such a prodigy, I was allowed to attend the palace's ceremony, the one celebrating all the Mercurian Scribes. The Great Scribe was there, Viulorn, and he decided I was to apprentice under him. Of his 5 apprentices, I was the one he selected to be the next Great Scribe. I flew through the levels of minor Scribe and major Scribe. I was in the middle of my term as a masterScribe when Queen Beryl declared war against us. It took years before she finally destroyed the Kingdoms. But we were able to be reborn, thanks to the sacrifice Queen Serenity made.

She dunked her head in the water, rinsing the shampoo out of her hair. That's the past. Just because I was thrilled to be the Great Scribe in the past doesn't mean I'm willing to do it now. I have no clue how the Moon Kingdom is now, and what the senshi are going to do about it. I'm in the dark when it comes to all their exploits and secrets and current troubles. And who's to say that the modern world even needs Scribes. We have technology. Besides, society isn't likely to start accepting Scribes again. Not that Earth was ever particularly receptive to the knowledge of other cultures. The senshi say they need me, but they haven't needed me beforehand. Why should now be any different? They could manage without me, especially since Celeste seems to be a fairly decent Scribe. She's probably a major Scribe by now. Not that a major Scribe compares to the power of the Great Scribe. Even if they did actually need the Great Scribe, I haven't finished my training. I left off as a Great Scribe in-training, with years to go before being able to officially take the title. Though Viulorn did say that the Golden Scriptures have at times tutored untrained pupils with potential into formidable Scribes. Most of the knowledge I'd need at this point is within the Scriptures. Acquainting myself with them would do most of the work. But, I'm extremely rusty. I probably don't remember more than a dozen techniques.

With her toes, Molly pulled the plug and remained in the tub while the water drained. Let's say I do become the Great Scribe. How will I use my powers? The senshi can't run to me to constantly alter the Scriptures. That would upset the balance of the universe. Should some of the minor skills of the Scribes be needed, Celeste can easily work. So it's not like they need me for the full spectrum of Scribe abilities, just the usage of the ones only the Great Scribe can utilize. Much of that is just working with the Golden Scriptures. Only occasionally would I actually contribute to the Golden Scriptures, the rest is mostly studying them. But if I do nothing but study the Scriptures, I won't be doing the senshi any good. If that were the case, I might as well not communicate with them at all. But, the senshi have overcome numerous foes in the past without my help. Something in upcoming events must be more of a challenge if they are here to request my aid. By not doing anything, the power within me will fester, and I could in the long run be helping the enemies with my inaction. But, I'd have a chance to live my life. I give up any resemblance of normality the moment I once again touch the Scriptures. It means sacrificing many of my hopes, dreams, commitments, all for the sake of power. However, this is power that can change the world for the better. And I'm not sure anyone else should become the second-best choice of Great Scribe.

She got out of the bathtub and towel-dried herself. Glancing at the fogged up mirror, she cleared a rough oval in order to see her reflection. Underneath the oval, she started tracing in the mirror her name. Though she intended to write "Molly," the name "Mnemonsyne" was the one to appear under her reflection. Before she could think to erase the name, the letters changed, moving and shifting until the created what they desired. "Great Scribe." After staring in disbelief for several minutes, and long after the fog had disappeared, and the letters with it, she came to a conclusion. She would hold off making any definite decisions until she had a chance to commune with the Golden Scriptures. In the meantime, she would be able to look her friends in the eyes once more.

Stop playing song

There's nothing like being in a bookstore. The vast potential of ideas, the journeys to encounter, the infinite ways of approaching life. It's different in a library, which is stifling because of it's "must be quiet" attitude. Bookstores encouraged conversation, reaching out with your bibliophilic tendencies. Sometimes Celeste wished she could live in a bookstore. She browsed through different sections, reveling in the mass amounts of knowledge awaiting questioning eyes. She ventured into the science fiction/fantasy section, where she encountered quite a surprise. "DJ?" A head covered by dark brown hair with auburn undertones and green-gray eyes perked up. DJ put the novel he was holding back on the shelf and turned to face Celeste. "Hi. Wow, quite a coincident running into you. So, what are your motives for visiting this establishment?" Celeste smiled and responded, "Officially, I'm on the lookout for a gift for my Dad. He's coming back Sunday, and I want to have something awaiting him. It's come to be our tradition: everytime he heads out of town without me, we get gifts for each other." "Nice tradition. Charlie and Margaret rarely leave town, hence I don't get as many souveniers as my greedy nature might like." She lightheartedly argued, "You're not greedy. Slightly self-absorbed, but not greedy." "Oh thanks, that's so much better."

There was a moment of silence before Celeste queried, "So, what book were you looking at?" DJ took it off the shelf and showed it to her. "This is the latest book in Anne McCafferey's Acorna series. I've been reading them for years, and I always look forward to her newest release." "I've only read her Pern series. Oh, I also read The Rowan and The Ship Who Sang. I liked them, though they were a bit more science fiction than I tend to like. But thus far, I've liked the Pern series the best." DJ explained, "Yeah, those series tend to be more science fiction and not quite as interested in the human aspect. But the Acorna series is different, since it is heavily focused on the characters with the science being much more peripheral. Honestly, it's my favorite one of her series thus far, though I am a fan of the Pern series." "If you like dragons, then have you read Melanie Rawn?" He shook his head. "She takes an awesome approach to dragons. They're treated as a true species of nature, versus just some magical creature. Also, she has these great types of magicians called Sunrunners, who weave sunlight. And there are princes, who have tons of clashes with one another, and intrigues, and alterior motives. Her stories tend to be long since she creates massive numbers of characters and has lots of subplots, but it is obvious that she spent much time caringly crafting them. She has these two great trilogies that go together, the Dragon Prince and the Dragon Star. Anyway, I read them slightly out of order, but they are significantly better if you read them in order. Seriously, she is one of my top authors."

After Celeste finally had a lull in her enthusiastic explanation, DJ responded, "I'll keep her in mind. But one novel I really love about dragons is called Elvenbane, which is a collaboration between Andre Norton and-" they said in unison, "Mercedes Lackey." They stared at each other for a moment before DJ exclaimed, "You're a Mercedes Lackey fan!" "Absolutely. She has a wonderful writing style and creates amazing worlds and characters. Have you read the sequel Elvenblood?" "Yes, and I loved it. Though I've been waiting for the third book to come out. What's it called?" "Elvenborn," she responded, "and it is out, though I haven't read it yet. But it is one of my favorite series by her. Though I also am fanatic over Bardic Voices and Valdemar."

DJ quickly agreed, "Valdemar is one of the best. Though I do believe that The Mage Wars trilogy is my favorite one of the trilogies within the Valdemar universe." Celeste replied, "Black Gryphon and White Gryphon are two of my favorites, but the third, Silver Gryphon, I didn't particularly like. Not much actually happens in it. I think it had potential, what with the difficulties of Amberdrake's and Skan's children being in their shadows, but I got bored constantly reading about their day to day survival. Honestly, I tend to like The Last Herald-Mage and The Mage Winds trilogies." DJ agreed, "Yeah, those two are well-crafted ones. Though honestly I haven't read anything by her since Brightly Burning came out. The title Firestorm was much better, especially since that came to be Lavan's nickname." Celeste offered, "Well, I own both Exile's Honor and Exile's Valor, two of her most recent releases. They're from Alberich's perspective, and some of the better stuff she's written in a while. I could lend them to you." Gratefully, DJ exclaimed, "Thank you so much, I would love to take you up on your offer." "Well, how about both of us finish our purchases and then we can head over to my place so I can give you the books. That ok?" "Perfect."

Within half an hour, they were both walking towards Celeste's condo. It was a long walk, approximately an hour's worth, but both were in good shape and enjoying the company. Celeste had ended up purchasing The DaVinci Code for her father, whereas DJ had bought the latest Acorna novel for himself. They talked about books, movies, music, this and that, discovering that they had many similar tastes. When the reached her building, DJ held the door open for her. Usually that irritated Celeste, that a guy felt compelled to do simple tasks for her. But with DJ, it was an unconscious courtesy, part of who he was. In him, it was an endearing trait.

After both of them had entered the lobby, they encountered two unexpected individuals: Jess and Lexie. Celeste could tell that though DJ and Jess had never met, DJ was tensing up while Jess's face quickly transformed from loving brother to jealous ex. "Hi-ya Celeste," Lexie exclaimed, happy to see her friend, though nervous by how her brother was acting.

Jess on the otherhand was less-than thrilled by seeing Celeste, even moreso because she was accompanied by a handsome young rival. "Lexie, get out of here," he ordered. "But Jess-" she contradictied. "Now! Go back to the condo. I'll take you out for ice cream in a little bit. And I'll let you rent a video. But only if you head back." She hesitated, "But-" Celeste calmly urged, "Go ahead sweetie. Jess and I just need to discuss some things. They'd be of no interest to you. Besides, I'll see you later. We can play video games, if you like. But right now, I really need you to do as Jess says, and head back up." Sullenly Lexie went up the stairs. Out of the corner of her eye, Celeste saw DJ subtly change his footing so he was in a fighting stance. She hoped it didn't come to that, but she was glad DJ wasn't being dense.

"Hello Jess, " she calmly said. "Bitch," he growled. "Off hanging all over the first pretty face who says a few nice words to you." DJ glared, but remained still, letting Celeste fight her own battle. "We broke up, remember. I didn't like being treated like a possession." "That doesn't mean you can go sleeping with whoever the hell you want." She tilted her head and responded, "Actually, that's exactly what it means. Not that whether or not I sleep with someone, a privilege you never knew, is any of your damn business." "Slut. I ought to beat the crapt out of the two of you."

She pinched the bridge of her nose as she said with disbelief, "What is it with idiotic guys thinking violence will solve their love life problems? I mean, if a girl decides to see someone else, an intelligent being would confront the girl with words, not the object of her affection with fists. But that would mean assuming you'd do something intelligent. At least this time you are willing to do your own dirty work."

With a look of shock, Jess demanded, "What do you mean?" Celeste breathed, "You know exactly what I mean. And I was able to take care of myself quite well. How are your buddies? Any of them need stitches or anything? Keep in mind the odds then, and the odds now." She then grabbed DJ's arm and walked towards the elevator.

They brushed past Jess, and just as the Celeste pushed the call button, Jess charged towards them. DJ responded first, and ended up using Jess's own energy to throw him to the ground. Jess was on his stomache and DJ quickly crouched down and pushed Jess's left arm further and further behind his back. "Now then, I don't know who you are, or anything about why you might dislike me. None of that matters. I detest you, and how you are treating Celeste. I'll let you go if you promise to start behaving like a gentleman. If you can't treat her as a lady, next time I won't be nearly as easygoing. Nor do I believe she will hold back her wrath. So, what do you say? Are you going to be mature and act like a human being, or am I going to be forced to dislocate your arm?" Jess growled, "Fine, just get the hell away from me." DJ let him go, and joined Celeste in the elevator.

Later they were hanging out in Celeste's room. They were lounged over her bed, listening to a mix of Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Bowling for Soup, Barenaked Ladies, and Blink 182, and staring at Celeste's walls. She was showing him many of the photos she had taken, holding a remote in her hand to change the slides. DJ hadn't made any comments about Jess, and it further endeared him to her.

"This one I took from the beach in the Bahamas. You have no idea how gorgeous the water is there. So many amazing shades of blues and greens. It is absolutely awe-inspiring." He looked over to her and commented, "I think your photos convey that quite well. You have some great photography talent." She shrugged it off. "Thanks. I must have inherited it from my father, though he has a much more superior ability with cameras. Besides, I like keeping this a hobby. Turning it into a career would kill the charm of it." "Yeah, there are so many things that people love dearly, but are ruined once they try making it so it is their life. I mean, the money and pressure often destroy the joy of it." "Exactly," she affirmed, thinking to herself that was part of why her parents' lives, and her own, ended up going downhill for a while. The money and pressure had gotten to her parents, changing them for the worst. Fortunately, they had the chance to turn their lives around, and they had. Not everyone was as lucky.

She stretched and then rolled off the bed. "I'm thirsty. I'm going to grab some iced tea. You want anything." He shook his head, "Nah. I'm good. Thanks for the offer, though." Once she left the room, he allowed himself to think some thoughts he had kept under check. The more I get to know her, the more I connect. I don't feel compelled to hold back around her or put on facades, the way I do with everyone else. She continues to amaze me, though I'm not going to fool myself into thinking she's perfect. Well, perhaps physically she is. I've never seen someone with hair like hers, so soft and silky, and naturally partially pale blonde and partially jet black. And her eyes always take my breath away. Then there's her smile... and her nicely toned physique. That she works at. She doesn't like taking things for granted, let alone her well-being. But, she has many demons, which she'll tell me about when and if she chooses to. She has insecurities, and her moments of arrogance, thinking she doesn't need help or that no one can get something done as well as she does. But she's so generous, and strong, hilarious, and clever. I keep telling myself this is an infatuation, but it's getting harder to believe it might not be something more. Though how can I tell myself this when I'm also obsessed with a fantasy girl and locked within the claws of an attractive creature? It's getting so hard to keep my head and heart clear.

Start playing song: “Perfect” performed by Simple Plan.

Celeste then popped back in and threw herself on the bed. Simple Plan's song "Perfect" was playing, a song that always affected her. She kept feeling her guards drop around him. She placed her head on his chest and murmurred, "I feel so comfortable around you." Though she wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to confess more. She finally admitted to herself that she was falling for DJ. It was unexpected, since she had assumed Jonathan had been the love of her life. But with DJ, she felt just as strongly. The two of them were so different, Jonathan being so into extreme sports, with very casual language and wavering grammar, and her pillar of strength during tough times. DJ, well, he was somewhat athletic, but he preferred either reading or sketching, he often slipped into extremely formal language, always being a gentleman, and seemed in as much need of someone to open up to as she was. Yet, she often felt similarities, occasionally thinking she was talking to her beloved Jonathan instead of DJ. But she was starting to love DJ for himself, the way he respected her privacy yet was authentically interested in her opinions and life. He let her be at her own pace, whereas Jonathan would push her to either speed up or slow down, depending on what he thought she seemed to need. Nevertheless, she was falling in love with DJ. She had finally admitted it to herself, which had been quite an obstacle, but wasn't ready to admit it to him. So she just laid there, enjoying being near him and being amicably silent while music provided a pleasant atmosphere.

He hadn't noticed he had started stroking her hair, but his hands froze within her soft strands when he felt the familiar buzz from his armband. "Celeste, what time is it?" "5:30," she contentedly murmurred. "I have to go," he explained. Between the two of them, further justification was never necessary. He eased himself out from under her and climbed out of the bed. He squeezed her hand before he headed out. She allowed her gaze to follow him, wistful that he had to leave so abruptly. He grabbed the books by the front door, and left the condo. DJ wondered why the Evolites needed him, and now of all times. In the elevator, he pushed the giant red button on his armband. When the elevator arrived at the bottom floor, there was no one there.

Stop playing song

Friday, April 3^rd

"How's the data coming?" Fauna queried. The members of the fourth inventors' sorority had been working like maniacs to perfect her newest machine. She had told Derek it was designed to detect foreign life force traces so they could hunt down Camel, as well as determine what exactly happened during his attack. Fool. Camel has been dead for weeks. And he was my pawn all along. The machine was intended to determine how a human body changed after being deprived of its Bright Future. Once that happened, it would be possible to instantly steal Bright Futures efficiently. With Greg as a specimen of a being with an intact Bright Future to contrast against Derek's lack of one, they would calculate the changes that happened in a human body. "Just a few more minutes of processing, and then we should have a printout," replied one of the inventors, hands flying across the Stellarian keyboard.

Her ship was an amazement of technology and luxuries, based off of the technology the Stellarians created. But she and her crew and inventors had improved it vastly. For instance, it was impossible for there to be a more energy efficient system out there. Bright Futures. Such a potent substance, and found only in high concentrations. Since reaching the Solar System, the Evolite ship had been fueled by only two sources: Derek, who had the Brightness stolen from his Future, and Robert, who had his Bright Future itself stolen, and hence had no future. Though, she had to admit, Derek thus far had been the main source. Idly she wondered what he had been destined to do, before she had intereferred, to warrant such a powerful Bright Future? It had to be something impressive, something that had to have completely alter his homeworld. Maybe even the galaxy. Not that the earthlings ever ventured out of their little bubble, being self-absorbed with the idea that they are the only important beings in all the universe. Arrogant creatures. Too bad Camel never bothered to glimpse at what Derek's Bright Future actually was, or if he had, his carcass had no way of imparting that information to her now.

"This is strange," commented one of the inventors. That immediately caught Fauna's attention. "What is so strange?" she demanded. He explained, "Well, we are all well aware that Bright Futures affect the levels of determination, inspiration, opportunity, persistance, dedication, ambition, ingenuity, and luck. That is something that happens universally. And we wanted to determine physical affects, taking into account variations within different human bodies. Because in different species, once the Brightness of a Future is taken, the proportions affected differ. Now, from Tuesday's data, Derek, who I must say seems to be a vast vessel of all these qualities, was at 29% determination, 11% inspiration, 10% opportunity, 37% persistance, 29% dedication, 3% ambition, 23% ingenuity, and 2% luck. For any species I've seen, these seem to be fairly high." Trusting instinct, Fauna demanded, "What are his numbers for yesterday?"

This was an odd request, but the inventors new better than to question Fauna. Her fury at insubordination could be lethal. The inventor closest to the printer handed one copy to Fauna, while looking at his own. He read aloud, "Determination 31%, inspiration 14%, opportunity 13%, persistance 39%, dedication 31%, ambition 5%, ingenuity 26%, and luck 4%. All his vessels are up 2-3%. It has only been a two day difference. I can't believe that the equiptment is inaccurate. Guess it needs to be recalibrated."

The head inventor of the fourth sorority argued, "Not necessarily. We've all noted that young Derek held an abnormally strong Bright Future. In comparison to the few other earthlings we've seen, I've got to surmise that it isn't the species that in general possesses unnaturally Bright Futures, but that it is select individuals. What I'm saying is that Derek must be unique among his species. 1% of his ambition has been equalled to 90% of some other formidable individuals. Perhaps 3^rd General Camel wasn't able to capture quite all of Derek's Bright Future." One of the younger inventors exclaimed, "Impossible! Our devices are barely able to contain the vastness of his Bright Future when it was taken out of his body. How can such a puny lifeform possibly possess more!"

Fauna responded, "It is quite possible. Though we've all become quite adept at manipulating Bright Futures to our needs, we still don't fully understand them. I believe your chief is correct, Camel didn't manage to seize the entire Brightness. That probably left trace amounts within Derek. Since we've never before encountered such a situation, we've never contemplated the following possibility: Bright Futures can regenerate." There was a sharp intake of breath as this sunk in. Fauna quickly ordered, "Continue to measure Derek on a daily basis. Also, I want further examination of Greg. And start taking data on Robert." The impertinent youth from earlier conversation stated, "Lady Fauna, Robert doesn't have a Future." He meant to imply that taking data on him was a fool's errand. "Exactly, therefore we should get some interesting data," she responded in a patronizing tone. She then left to attend to some matters with Dossiel.

Dossiel, her most trusted servant, was waiting for her mistress to arrive in the Parlor. Fauna sank into her seat and awaited Dossiel to give her daily report. Dossiel opened her mouth to speak, and... nothing. She was still, not even the subtle movements of breathing or a pulse were apparent. Fauna's blood chilled, even before Her haunting laughter manifested. Fauna tried to be nonchalant as she asked, "What do you want now?" "Such a warm greeting. I'm hurt. What, I'm not allowed to check up on you every once in a while?" Fauna complained, "Why don't you bother Flora instead? You've meddled in my life enough." The voice of Her tsked, "You should know by now that I find you infinitely more amusing. Besides, dear Flora isn't within arm's reach, unlike you. Anyway, I was just wondering how your little device is coming along?"

Fauna sighed, "The inventors say the prototype should be done in about two weeks, after they've collected enough data. Then the device will be able to do what you bid, instantly draining earthlings of their Bright Futures." "Wonderful. After that, their world will go stagnant, since it will be completely devoid of Bright Futures, and hence no one will ever accomplish anything significant. Eventually, Earth shall turn to anarchy. Heeheehee."

Wait, doesn't She know about our revelation that Bright Futures can regenerate? I keep forgetting that She isn't omniscient, though She does like to frequently spy on me. She may be exceptionally powerful, especially now that She is the prodigy of Him, but She is just as mortal as I am. I may be able to outmanuever Her afterall. Especially if He doesn't personally get involved.

Fauna patiently waited for Her to stop cackling. Once She calmed down, She remarked, "Isn't it nice to be working together again. Soon you'll be able to reacquaint yourself with our Master. But not until you fulfill your task. Speaking of which, have you found three masks for me yet?" Fauna shook her head, "I've acquired only two. I have yet to see a third that should suit your purposes. But I'll show you the two I have thusfar, if you want." "Please." Fauna performed a quick conjuring, a skill she hated using in Her presence, to bring forth the two masks. She examined them in her etheral hands. "Hmm. Nice job. A metal mask guilded out of shame and loathing, and one made from the bones of the victims from my blind slaughter. Both are very beautiful, and shall fit together quite well into my plans. I'll wait until you have collected a third, for you know how I like gathering all three at once. Oh, the bone mask reminds me. I'm so sorry for destroying you little pets. To apologize for destroying your precious Petty Minions, I'll give you this toy." She casually tossed a small doll onto Fauna's lap and disappeared.

The doll was a beautiful phoenix, with glowing feathers in the colors of flames. To most, it would have been a well appreciated gift. But Fauna knew Her too well to think that this doll was meant to remain just a doll. It was Her way of ordering Fauna to create an Evolite out of it, a Dollie type. The Evolite leader sighed, for although the Dollies were the easiest variety of Evolite to create, they were all also made from other dolls She had given Fauna. And for some reason that only She knew, they were all affiliated with mythology. Though Fauna wasn't surprised by this pattern. But she hated knowing that she was being forced to create another connection to Her and Him.

Suddenly, Dossiel became reanimated, unaware that anything had happened. She went on giving out her daily report, intentionally oblivious to the fact that Fauna wasn't paying attention, and that Fauna was alternatively caressing a strange doll and choking it.

Trista fixed the goggles securely on her eyes. There was a good chance that this experiment might shatter the glass in Professor Tomoe's lab, and she didn't want to risk the glass shards cutting into her eyes. But she really wanted to test out her theory. She entered the glass chamber, shut the door, and indicated for Professor Tomoe to turn on the device. This would isolate the affects of her experiment to only the chamber, and keep track of all that should happen. There were two clay marbles before her, one blue, the other red. She transformed into Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time. She selected the red marble and held it in her hand. Next, Sailor Pluto wielded the Time Staff and Garnet Orb to crack open the gates of time. She used the tip of the Time Staff to hit the red button on the floor of the chamber, and tugged to shut the Gates of Time.

She felt a powerful jolt in her stomach, feeling as if she had been freefalling at intense speeds from incredible heights. She stumbled and leaned her hand on the wall of the chamber. Doing so released the marble from her hand. Instead of a red marble bouncing out of her hand, a blue one fell and skidded. She smiled and indicated a thumbs up to Professor Tomoe. He responded by turning off the device so she could walk out. Her theory had been correct. She detransformed and headed towards the computer that had tracked everything. "You were right. Time does have a forking trait. Decisions cause the forking. But both decisions exist. I've magnified the image a hundred times, and it caused a miniscule forking, but both paths are otherwise parallel, only a hair's-width of distance apart. The machine and your powers happened to jump you from one path to the other. That's why you ended up with the blue marble when you had chosen the red marble."

"And it felt like hell doing so. I wouldn't want to imagine how it'd be like jumping from a bigger distance. As you said, you magnified the image a hundred times, and then it was only a minute distance. But it felt like I went sky diving and suddenly was back on two legs. This confirmation has many important implications. However, we only tested with an insignificant choice, with only two factors. It is going to take a lot more research to understand what happens when it is a more significant decision, and when there are three or more factors. I may be the Guardian of Time, but that doesn't mean I completely understand how Time works. But with all the ways that our existence affects Time, what with our time traveling and reincarnating and significant roles to the universe, I can't risk not knowing."

Rini put a purple post-it on the page, scribbled a purple note in her notebook, and sighed. Amy had taught her the value of organization, and that colorcoding her notes could make her research easier in the long run. It was just that she had so much to research. Her "Decades of Fun" project, which had to have a 14 page paper (single-spaced!) on what was happening throughout the world from 1550-1600. That wasn't including the book from the period she'd have to read and write a 5 page paper on, and which her group hadn't selected yet. Or to be more precise, which she hadn't selected yet. And then there was the looming need to then prepare for the in-class presentation. It was not a pleasant project, moreso because her two group members were unreliable. The main thing that prevented it from being completely overwhelming was the fact that it wasn't due until the end of the semester.

She was using purple to denote European related notes. In her notebook, she had carefully spent time labeling the top of each page with the name of the country. When she found information about that country, she would turn to the correct page, use the correct ink, write the relevant years in the margin, write which source in the margin, write a bullet and then quickly write down the gist of the important information, with the page number and paragraph number one line down and indented. Then she would mark the page in the book with post-its so she could easily find the page. Purple meant Europe-related, Blue-North America, Green-Australia, Gold-Asia, Orange-South America, and Red-Africa. As obsessive as the organization system might seem, it would make the researching just a bit smoother for Rini.

With a smooth gesture, she shut the book on European History. As much work as there was to be done, she needed a break. She stretched her arms and arched her back. She then pushed her chair away from the kitchen table and stood up and looked around. She had to admit, Odette had a nice house. The first moment she could, she had taken charge of her group. Hence, the frequent after-school work sessions at Odette's, which neither Odette nor Ral, aka Julian Pearal, had been thrilled about. She had ordered them to scavenge their own homes for any materials that could possibly be useful, which they had reluctantly done. All three of them had raided their school library, as well as the libraries of several of the high schools, one college library, and the public libraries. They had more than enough research materials, now they had to go through them and understand their knowledge.

Today, Ral was given a set of books about South America, and had eventually been converted to Rini's style of organization. Not that she expected him to actually get much done, only making token efforts. He was a notorious slacker, currently in 7th grade for the second time, and expecting to be in it again next year. But at least he was giving the appearance of working, lying on his stomach on the plush white carpet in the living room adjacent to the kitchen. Odette had been more of a hassle. She scorned Rini's organization system, and complained that it was stupid, a waste of time, and that they had plenty of time before the project was due. She was sprawled over the couch with a labtop, theoretically researching online. Ideally, she'd bookmark and print her findings, and then highlight important passages with a highlighter matching the rest of the color-coding system. Ideally. In actuality, Rini had yet to notice a single action being performed by the printer. She guessed that Odette was either using AIM, checking e-mail, or playing a game.

She went to the cabinets and grabbed herself a glass and plate, and proceeded to pour herself a glass of milk and a cookie. By now she was well acquainted with the setup of Odette's kitchen. And just because Odette herself was of no use, that didn't mean that Rini wasn't willing to make use of Odette's house. Rini sat back down and prepared to leisurely enjoy her snack before getting back to work. She was mildly surprised to see Ral get up and join her. "I've gone through one of the books you gave me," he casually informed her.

Yeah right, she thought to herself. She'd probably have to go back and look over the materials she had given him, since he had probably only jotted the first couple of lines from each chapter, giving the appearance of doing hardwork. "Oh really," she replied. "Would you mind showing your notes to me?" "No problem," he responded. She flipped through the notebook, originally intending on just taking a cursory look. But the notebook was not what she expected.

First clue was the massive amount of notes, though which were written in tiny neat letters, spilled over to more than one page in many places. While Rini had been intermingling quotation and summary, Ral had each clearly separated, underlining the direct quotes to make them more apparent, stars next to especially important quotes. And his summaries, they weren't mere paraphrasing of the text, but they included analysis and indicated references to events that were occuring in other countries. And another subtle thing that impressed her was that instead of just listing in the margin the source by the author's last name or which volume of the encyclopedias, he had written complete MLA format. It was unnecessary at this point, but showed an unexpected amount of care.

"You think this is a sufficient start?" he mildly asked with a raised eyebrow. "More than sufficient. This shows great research. I knew you were smart, but you're also a known slacker. I'm completely surprised by this," she rambled. He shrugged in response. "So Ral, why the unexpected hardwork?" she asked. "Well, it's a group project. Most assignments, I'm the only one who pays the consequences for my work, or lack of. But since this is a group assignment, you two are counting on me to pull my wait. I don't want others to suffer the negative results from my lack of work. Though, if it were just the princess over there," he said, tilting his head to indicate the oblivious Odette, "I'd not have bothered putting forth any effort. I'm only willing to work as hard as my group members are. And you are willing to take on the workload meant for the three of us. I admire that. And, since it is my fault we were given the extra requirements, I decided to go all out with this assignment."

It was unexpected, that Ral had this work ethic, and that he'd be an asset rather than a hindrance. "I'm glad to know I'll have some help on this. It gives me a bit of peace of mind." Then she added audaciously, "You know, if you were willing to put in a fraction of this effort into your own schoolwork, you'd have no problem getting good grades. So why be so lazy? Isn't 7th grade getting boring?"

He was serious as he explained, "Oh, I know I could pass 7th grade if I put in an iota of effort. But school doesn't matter to me. My business/website provides me with all the mental stimulation and security for the future that I could ever dream of. I'd have dropped out of school by now to go at it fulltime, but my parents have control of my bank accounts until I'm 18. We made a deal: I complete high school, and I get full control of my earnings. To most people, this would be incentive to try getting done with school as quickly as possible. Not me. I'll finish middle school when I'm done being a kid. What I mean is, school is my time to just relax and act my age, to have fun. Once I'm at home, I automatically turn to businessman mode, fanatically working on my website, making business calls, providing my services. So, I'm enjoying my time in school, secure with the knowledge that I'm not going through the system in order to ensure a successful future. After middle school, I'll take the GED, pass and get my diploma, and make my business my entire life."

Rini couldn't really come up with a response to this. So, she decided to call both her group members' attention to discuss some matters quickly. "Well, it's almost six and I need to leave in a few minutes to catch the 6:20 bus. So, we need to decide what we're going to do about the weekend. I suggest we meet at the Historical Museum at eleven. It will be nice to take a break from bookwork, and this way we can still be productive. That work for you two?" "Sure," Ral affirmed. Odetted whined, "But that's when I was supposed to go to a pool party. I already promised I'd go, so I can't back out. Besides, I don't want to spend the day in a musty old museum. The dust and preserving chemicals are horrible on my allergies. And they're bound to not have much useful information. I refuse to go along with this plan." "Fine princess!" exclaimed an exasperated Ral. Odetter glared, hating how Ral refused to call her anything but princess.

Rini thought, Good riddance, before appeasing, "Odette, that's fine. I'll call you tomorrow to figure out what we'll be doing for Sunday. We'll leave most of the books here, since we're bound to meet again at here soon. Now, I need to get out of here." Rini quickly cleaned up her mess, stuffed two of the books into her backpack, and headed to the frontdoor. Ral joined her, since he also needed to catch the bus. Both of them barely caught the 6:20 bus. They took two seats right next to each other. Rini griped, "I hate how she thinks she is the only one who has committments to sacrifice!" She was specifically referring to how she had to miss the senshi meeting on Wednesday. And on Tuesday, how she hadn't been there to help out with telling Molly about her being the Great Scribe.

Rini continued exclaiming, "It only makes this project that much more stressful. And of course Ms. Haruna hasn't eased up on other homework assignments. I have no idea how I'm going to find time for everything." Ral calmly suggested, "Well, the two of us could work on the other assignments together tomorrow after the museum." She softly responded, "But I thought you didn't do assignments." "You have this rotten habit of inspiring me to make the effort." As Rini looked into his eyes, they looked intensely back at her. This is strange behavior. But his eyes, they way they are looking at me. Does he like me? Impossible. Not him, no. And why should it matter? It's not like I like him. He's a slacker, and we have nothing in common. But there's the way he's looking at me...

Saturday, April 4^th

Greg woke at heaven knows what hour. On the ship, his internal clock had been greatly thrown off. The movement of the sun, which he had always taken for granted, could not indicate the passage of time out here. It wasn't bright enough, even should he find access to a window. Then there was the fact that the ship was created by separating the various planes. Or, at least that was how he thought it worked. But by switching planes so much, he was further disoriented. Finally, there was the fact that everything was done at such erratic hours. All of these made his sense of time completely off.

He didn't bother to open his eyes, instead willing his visions to start. They were the only thing he had to occupy his time between the erractic visits by Fauna and her Evolites. Under normal circumstances, his visions came when they desired, and he could merely ride through them. Then again, under normal circumstances, he could trust his visions to tell him what the universe wanted him to know. But, he had discovered long ago that if he concentrated, he could jumpstart his visions, and have them focus around certain subjects. Though he could never tell when exactly things were supposed to happen, or how certain these events were, it gave him a little bit of control over his gift. And here, he had learned to take advantage of every ounce of control he had within his grasp.

So, he sought often sought solace in his visions, rather than pondering about his horrendous conditions and how he continued to be in the tiny, unsanitary cage. Sometimes he turned his visions to his own fate, which was uncertain. Some visions showed him coming out of this whole ordeal unscathed, others showed him ending up in pieces. When he did look at his own future, he hungrily sought opportunities for him to turn things around, to put fate in his own hands.

But today, he wanted to look at less tortured souls. He directed his visions on the senshi, focusing not on their lives as beautiful soldiers, but their everyday lives.

***

***

That jolted him out of his visions. He breathed heavily, for though he never was as involved with his visions as Raye was with hers, coming out of his visions so quickly robbed him of breath and composure. Though Greg didn't know for sure, he was positive Celeste was/would be talking about him. And, it suddenly made Greg's task clear. He craved control, and one thing he had complete control over was what he told Fauna. All this time, he had thought that he could help the senshi by withholding information from Fauna. But, he could lie, be deceitful, trick her into believing he was reluctanly being compliant. His visions were too subtle to leave a telltale expression on his face. So, Fauna had no way of telling if his "visions" were authentic or false. He would have grinned to himself at the cunning plan he was working up, but he knew Fauna was having him watched by guards. Any positive emotion he expressed at this point would indicate either insanity or a scheme.

He thought carefully about what lies he would tell her, for he had to be truthful most of the time with only the occasional fib, else he would lose her validity. After some thought, Greg decided he would tell Fauna truths for the entire day, in hopes of gaining better accomodations. One fact he could foretell, that would be tempting to keep to himself or alter, was whether She was watching Fauna. He could have Fauna constantly paranoid, so high strung as to be incapable of thought. Or he could allow Her to overhear a confident Fauna's plans to retaliate, and therefore crush Fauna.

Greg knew all about Them, from the horrible vision he had in his dreams. And They were significantly more of a threat than Fauna could ever be. Once the time is right, They will strike, slowly unleashing Their malice upon unsuspectng Earth. They would attack whether or not Fauna was a pawn; but if Fauna continued to work against Them, then there would be a touch of hope for the senshi to overcome Them.

Fauna had to be stable and confident in her plots against Them, otherwise she would completely become Their pawn. Should that happen... he shuddered. Vast destruction and anarchy would govern not only Earth, but across numerous galaxies. There would be no hope of stopping Her and Her Master, the senshi easily being squashed. Chaos would rule.

No, Greg knew that Fauna had to be stable to undermine Them. Fear would cause her to lapse into insanity, making her vulnerable to Their plots. But, Greg had to nevertheless undermine Fauna. He would be trekking on thin ice, for not only did his own well being depend on his scheme, but the galaxy's. Fauna could not be trusted, nor destroyed, and hence the hope for a chance of survival depended on a delicate balance that he was forced to maintain. But should he prevent Fauna from going over the brink of insanity and manipulate her into sizably weakening Them, should he succeed in his endeavors, then the way should be paved for the senshi to possibly win their upcoming fights.

He let out a deep breath. He had known he would play an important part in overcoming Fauna, but he hadn't guessed his role would be this crucial. Fortunately I have my gift, which should help prevent me from faltering. But God, please don't let me falter.

Sunday, April 5^th

Colonel Monarch Butterfly cringed when he spotted his charge further demonstrating his barbaric behavior. General Phoenix of the Clan of the Nest (m.c.k.a. Nikki), who had no ranking yet within the Generals, was consuming every food item placed before her at an unseemly pace. Monarch guessed that the newest Evolite had eaten as much as the rest of his table combined. For once, Monarch was grateful that the tables in the Great Hall were organized by Clan. "Thankfully the pig is eating with the Nest. Though I know many of the Generals in that Clan are nervous, unsure whether Phoenix will take their position or not," Tara mentioned. Monarch, Tara, Annie, and Warvus sat at the end of the Swarm table, speaking in tones that could not be overheard. All four of them enjoyed each others' company, and had in the past couple of days started to sit in this arrangement, consquently scandalizing many by their obvious disregard for rank. Afterall, Monarch and Tarantula were extremely high up in the Swarm hierarchy, whereas Ant and Beetle were the two lowliest.

"So, Fauna hasn't mentioned to the Colonels yet how she will rank General Phoenix?" Annie asked the object of her affection. They all glanced over at Fauna's table, where the earthling Derek and 5^th General Vixen of the Den (m.c.k.a. Vickie) were her only company. "Not that I know of," Monarch responded. He then added, "Though, she may have told Draco. The two of them have been quite cozy lately." He grabbed Annie's hand and gave a gentle squeeze. She had stiffened up at the mention of Draco, whom she was terrified of. Annie relaxed, and squeezed back before removing her hand.

After swallowing a biteful of salad, Warvus mused, "It is quite unexpected to have found an Evolite refuge in this part of the universe. But Fauna ensures us that this is the last one." Annie questioned, "But, didn't she say that last time? When she found 4^th Captain Rooster amidst the Dritican folk of the Andromeda Galaxy? She said that he was the last unaccounted for refuge." Tara brushed off, "What are you talking about child? Rooster was discovered by Fauna on Bona Dea like the rest of us at this table. You must be imagining things."

Monarch however believed this was significant, that Annie believed this. He urgently whispered to her, "Annie, do you remember Bona Dea?" Tara and Warvus continued eating, paying little attention to the sub-conversation. Annie slowly nodded yes, her eyes puzzled by this demand. Monarch responded, "Annie, don't forget what you believed to have happened, no matter what. You have got to be one of the few true Bona Deaans." Annie was still puzzled by this comment, but stored it into her memory. After all, weren't all Evolites from Bona Dea?

"It will do us no good to further dwell on this. Colonel Monarch, you've spent the day with Phoenix. How is she as an Evolite?" Warvus queried. Monarch groaned. Fauna, having surprisingly found a new refuge in this system, assigned Monarch to help her become assimilated into the Evolite society. And Monarch had loathed every moment spent in the presence of the Nest General. "Nikki's the most greedy little creature I've ever seen! And that says a lot. Phoenix is too grand a name; Starling or Crow or Corbie or Pigeon or Seagull would be more fitting. She keeps trying to consume, nothing seeming to quench her appetite. This isn't just with food. It's with knowledge, leisure, wealth, drink, drugs, everything. She is constantly envious, lusting after whatever someone else has. And a fiery temper if she is denied, using a scorching tongue to get his way. Nothing satisfies, only increasing her voracious hunger. It's like she were made of a blazes, constantly consuming, craving more fuel. Part of it is greed, but part of it seems to be out of fear. As if she is afraid her existence will burn out, and she's trying to compress a lifetime's worth of experiences into a single day."

Tara drolly commented, "Okay, we know how you think of her personality-wise. How was she during the fighting drills?" Monarch shivered. "I'll continue to use my fire analogy. As a fighter, she's an inferno. Her defense is amazing, for she absorbs whatever is thrown at her, thriving on the more powerful energy attacks. And she goes ahead and turns all of that energy into some of the most potent attacks I've seen. Ever. Phoenix favors flaming attacks, but those aren't the only weapons she has in her arsenal. She would have annihilated her sparing opponents if she had exerted himself. I just hope I never get on her bad side. Because to be honest, I'm fearful of the power she wields, and I'm not sure if there are any attacks strong enough to counter hers."

Monday, April 6^th

First General Harpy of the Clan of the Nest (m.c.k.a. Harold) despised his next in command, Vulture (2^nd General of the Nest; m.c.k.a. Keisha). But when Colonel Aquila had ordered the two of them to work together, he obeyed. Though it had required shoving Vulture into the care of the medics to sober her up from lour and tiurnaken. He clenched his fists as he thought, infuriating woman. I truly hope General Phoenix (m.c.k.a. Nikki) replaces her as our Clan's 2^nd General. Though Nikki seems to share Keisha's vice of over-indulgence, Nikki isn't nearly as obnoxious or lazy. And if Nikki took Keisha's rank, then surely Keisha would be demoted to Petty Minion. Creators know we need more, ever since that freak disaster.

1^st General Harpy shut the coordinates book when Vulture finally deigned to enter the Crew's cabin. "Took you long enough," an impatient Phoenix commented. "Shush. Let's just get this over with," Harpy snapped. They gave the coordinates to the Crew, who obligingly sent them to that location on earth. All three Nest Evolites were silent and stealthy, for they each knew the plan well. They would wait for the target to come by, Nikki would get her to let her guard down, and then Vulture would use the B.F. blaster on the target. Harpy was to keep his eye open for any interference, and deal with them. They scattered when they saw her approach, readying themselves for the attack.

Molly sighed as she continued to walk away from the school. Today she hadn't tried to avoid the senshi, and instead, when she bumped into Mina and Lita, had told them that she would like to talk to Celeste. Hence she was detouring to pick up the Golden Scriptures. She was resigned to the situation. Mina had given Molly the directions to Mr. Aglaia's studio, where Celeste was hanging out today. It had something to do with her father being back in town. Molly was too deep in self awareness to pay much attention to her surroundings.

"Excuse me," a young woman called out from behind Molly. Molly turned around and saw that the woman had short, spiky white hair and was attired entirely in warm colors. Once she was confident she had Molly's attention, Nikki asked, "Could you give me directions to Corazonlindo High School? I'm supposed to meet a friend there, but I'm afraid I'm completely lost." "Oh sure," Molly responded. As she gave detailed instructions, oblivious to how Nikki was subtly manuevering Molly to be in Vulture's best line of sight.

Molly gasped as the Phuter Beam caused her Bright Future to leave her body. She collapsed onto the earthen ground and struggled to remain conscious once the Future Extraction setting was used. Her fingers covertly traced a symbol in the earth, it's meaning and power reinforced by her latent Scribe abilities. "Protection." She added a second symbol, one meaning "rescue." She sunk into unconsciousness, having only faith that the senshi and her spells would save her to comfort her.