Solar Revolution

Monday, March 9

Warvus (7^th Captain of the Swarm; a.k.a. Beetle) was giving the details of Natalie's (5^th General of the Swarm; a.k.a. Snail) lack of responsible behavior that compromised their mission. He marveled at Fauna's Hall of Judgment. It was halfway between the Great Hall and her personal quarters. Fauna was seated in a simpler version of her throne that was atop a low platform. Beneath the platform was the Monarch Butterfly seated in a tall chair, back to Fauna and the platform; and before the Monarch was Warvus and Natalie kneeling on cushions on the floor, side by side. Warvus would have gotten a thrill out of giving Natalie what she deserved, if it weren't for the fact that he was being interrogated by his Colonel, and was under the scrutiny of his leader, Fauna. While he thought of the Monarch Butterfly as a competent Colonel, the Monarch unnerved him. Certainly the Monarch was loyal to duties, while not berating at the quirks of underlings. And while he outwardly appeared social, the Colonel seemed too controlled on exposing any passionate emotions buried within. I guess I don't like seeing people become that withdrawn. But that wasn't what made Warvus so fidgety.

There was another reason, rather a person. Fauna. Warvus always avoided coming under her attention. She held the thread of life for every Evolite, and if someone was to be persecuted, he would be among her first picks. And she gave Warvus the impression that she didn't quite like him.

Fortunately for Warvus, Natalie didn't have the wit to realize that she should either beg for forgiveness or accuse Warvus of lying about the whole incident. Instead, she came up with the flimsy excuse of, "I had made a serious drain on my resources by a mishap I had with Beetle. He had bought some silly charms from a mortal, thinking these civilians have some sort of magic. As if that is likely," she exclaimed while giving an exasperated look at Fauna. She was oblivious that she wasn't receiving the expected sympathy. "So I calmly requested him to return them. He resisted. I then made it an order. He still resisted. So I mentioned strategic information that would become better circulated if he didn't give the charms to me. He finally did, and played a nasty trick on me. He had his passwords and bus pass with the charms, which I erased. I was then bound to spend privilege marks on getting him money for a new bus pass and compensation for his charms. I left and spent the rest of the day trying to find the last of our needed supplies. We had another encounter with each other, in which he required me to spend energy on a couple of simple illusions, cause he insisted he wasn't skilled enough at creating them. So by then I was tired, and I talked with one of his Peons into delivering notes with arrangements to end the last of my preparations. I was fatigued, so I left a message on my door to awaken me as soon as word came that Warvus had started stage two of the assignment. And no one ever came."

That is a load of BS! The Monarch Butterfly wanted to give her a lecture then and there, and strip her of all her rank. But he knew that desire was as futile as the one for Annie (6^th Captain of the Swarm; a.k.a. Ant). But he had to give Warvus credit, he didn't go out of his way to defend himself. He's clever like that. He is quick witted, and thinks things through instead of reacting. And he doesn't use his subtle cleverness as a weapon, more as a defense. The Monarch personally liked Warvus, and knew instinctively that Warvus didn't tailor his story to make him seem like a victim to Natalie's terror. Warvus didn't hesitate to say when he did something that was compromising. This confidence in the truth not being capable of harming the honest was heart-warming.

But Fauna seemed to be grudgingly edging towards taking the words of Warvus at face value because Natalie was getting on her nerves. The tale had enough truth to be believable, but Fauna could never imagine Natalie being ordered about by anyone of lower rank. And there were a few too many holes in the story to make it sound quite right. But the way of twisting the words to her advantage got Fauna's attention. She is ruthless, ambitious, and comfortable with her superiors. If she could get over her slothful ways, and stop putting herself in these types of situations, she would make a marvelous protégé.

Fauna thought that Warvus was a clumsy lout, a mistake of nature/her influence. And to her irritation, he was probably entirely in the right. She wanted to punish Warvus for not aiding Natalie to become worthy of being a member of the Swarm, and instead leading her to cause more errors. But Fauna couldn't show favoritism towards Natalie; that's the last thing she needed. No, Natalie needed to learn to be self-sufficient, not the focus of attention.

Rats! I've got to punish her and reward Warvus in some way. Now what does he detest… Got it. "Halt. I have passed judgment. Snail, 5^th General of the Swarm, I deem all your privilege marks forfeited, half to the Crew members that worked last night, and the other half to Warvus." Natalie paled slightly, and took on a scowl directed towards Warvus, but kept her mouth shut. "And Warvus, I've heard how you are a wonderful musician. I think you should be rewarded with an opportunity to share your gift among the ENTIRE herd of Evolites. No need to thank me, I haven't the time to spare. I'll have a Peon send forth the details. You two are now excused to do as you please. And Warvus, please don't forget your language chips injection this afternoon."

Both the Monarch and Fauna watched Warvus hesitantly leave, his face pale and stricken with fear. As soon as Warvus and Natalie were out of the room, Butterfly mentioned, "You know that was a cruel thing to do. You just made the worst punishment he can imagine sound like a reward. With interest. It isn't too late to admit you're wrong." Fauna glared at Butterfly. When he saw that he hit a sore spot, he started to withdraw his efforts. "Why do you force me to remind you all the time that I have absolute power, not only over your life, but the entire Evolite society. I created the Evolites, and if I desired, I can destroy them with no regrets. So I don't think that forcing a man terrified of being on-stage to perform in front of everyone he knows is worth contemplating. It is a minor incident among many pesky matters. His individual existence is not worth mentioning, let alone of any value."

Butterfly sighed. Why does she have to be in this type of mood. This scares me as much as when she is angered. "I'm just pointing out that personal torture will cause rifts in the mission." Fauna walked out of the room and into her bedroom, where a General from the Clan of the Hoof was waiting to give her personal attention. She poked her head back into the Hall of Judgment to retort to Butterfly. "And I'm reinforcing the message that any and everybody is fair prey." Butterfly kept his response to himself. Except you dear Fauna. Except you…

Start playing song: "Don't Say You Love Me" performed by M2M.

Celeste reviewed in her mind what went wrong last night on her date. She and Arthur got along fine. He was such a nice guy. But no backbone. Whenever we came upon a disagreement, he would either back down, change the subject, or agree whole-heartedly with me. That was so disappointing. He is suppose to be on the debate club at his school. How come, I'll never know. Such an unattractive quality. I don't want some one to treat me like I'm a princess who wants a knight in shining armor to rescue me, and then expect me to be eternally grateful. Ehh. I want someone who accepts me, but not all of my opinions. I want someone to actually think over what I say, instead of automatically agreeing or dismissing them. Treating me as the person I am at that moment, not was or should be. Like I'll find a guy that wonderful. Celeste remembered how surprised he was when she gave him her customary kiss on the cheek, and then said, "I had a fun night. Nothing on a future date could be done to exceed tonight. Goodbye." Generally, guys got the hint: "I don't want to date you again." But the few times they continued to pursue her, she had a basic speech that she tailored to each individual. She thought it would be cruel to lead them on when she clearly had no feelings for them. And she always hoped that each and everyone of them found the right girl for them.

Enough basking in such thoughts. I need to fulfill my goal, finding the perfect gift for Mina and her friends. I want to thank them for taking me in, and not trying to use me. She decided that she would take a jog to the studio. A visit to her dad always cheered her up, and exercise always got her mind clear. That was only what she was telling herself. She wanted to get away from the house and the mail. Anything to avoid that letter. The one that came from her mom back in LA. The one that wasn't a pleasant note to her or her father, but legal documents. Documents that required her father's signature to confirm the divorce. And maybe I can stop off at one of the schools. I'm lucky I have all correspondent courses, so that I can spend my time however I see fit. And I think seeing the look on Mina's face when I'm suddenly there is worth being seen in public all sweaty.

Stop playing song.

"Got it!" Mina called out. She was enjoying the spur of the moment lunchtime volleyball game that was going on. She stretched out her arms to barely bump it over the net and used her momentum to do a forward flip and land on her feet. The other team couldn't get their act together in time to return it. "That was amazing Mina," Lita and Serena called out from the sidelines. And Mina caught Jamie's warm smile from the other side of the net. I still got it. Wonder if Jamie still has that girlfriend of his. I genuinely wished I wasn't forced to quit volleyball, not only cause I love the sport. But, it would have helped me and Jamie to know each other better. "Here Mina," Jamie said as he rolled the ball under the net for her to serve. Mina tossed it up in the air, and did a wicked overhand serve that was perfect. Somehow though, Mauria setted it to Garrett, who in turn setted it to Jamie for a perfect spike that Mina just missed. Mina groaned. "Mina, that look doesn't suit you. You'll do better next time. Even you got to admit, that was an awesome spike." Mina swiveled to see Celeste standing and tsk-ing her for her unsportsmanship expression. Celeste was wearing a thin white shirt that came from some charity organization over a pale yellow sports bra, and a pair of jogging shorts and running shoes.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Mina demanded as she took herself out of the game. "Well, I decided to go visit dad, since I finished all my correspondence homework for the week. And since jogging would get me off my lazy butt, I figured I could pay my best friend a visit," Celeste replied. Then she added in a scientific manner, "And I thought it would be interesting to observe teenagers in their natural High School environment." "You think school is our natural environment? The mall is more likely." "True." Both girls were grinning. Celeste asked, "Want to come with me to the office. I need to get a visitor's pass. Otherwise I might get in trouble for not wearing a school uniform," she teased, indicating how she stood out among all the uniformed students. "Do I have a choice?" Celeste glared at her, though her mouth kept twitching in a smile. As they walked to the office, they talked about their school work, how it was similar and different. They made one stop, when they heard laughing and crying coming from the volleyball court, but it was only Serena whining about being hit in the face by the volleyball, so they dismissed it.

Then Celeste added slyly, "So… any current crushes? I mean, more than the usual 50 or so love-at-first-sight kinds." "I don't have 50. Actually, it is down to 10." "My mistake. Now, go on." "Well, I sorta like Jamie," Mina admitted, after checking to make sure that no one was within hearing distance. The only person she spotted was Brian, who was watching them, but Mina dismissed him since Brian was deaf and mute. "Doesn't surprise me. He is such a sweet guy. Remember how on Valentine's Day in middle school he bought a bouquet of lilies for Lillian, cause he found out how no guy was planning on giving her anything and he didn't want her to feel left out." "Oh yeah. But looking back, it might have been because Lillian is a friend of Mallori, his current girlfriend." "Mina. Listen, just cause he has a girlfriend now, doesn't mean he'll always have one. Be nice to him, and keep the flirting in check. Don't try to break them up, but be there for him during the good and bad. Cause who do you think he'll look to when he is ready for a new relationship?" Mina smiled, "That's what I love about you Celeste. You always think of the best plans that don't hurt anyone." Celeste modestly responded, "What can I say, it's a gift." And they then realized that they were at the door to the office. They walked in to get the pass.

Fauna's words hung bitterly in Butterfly's head. "You got two more tries to obtain glory before the Swarm shall sit out. Three strikes and you're out. I recommend you choose a more compatible pair this time. Oh, and please send my guest in as you walk out." The guest was some kid, one Monarch Butterfly didn't recognize. He seemed to be on the young side, but it wasn't up to him to judge Fauna's tastes.

This time the Monarch didn't call a general meeting of the Swarm. He discreetly left messages for Warvus to take all the time he needed to prepare for the performance and for Natalie to take a break to build up her strength. In other words, subtle orders that they weren't to be involved in the next mission. And he had private conversations for his picks this time Richard (1^st Captain of the Swarm; a.k.a. Cricket) as overseer, Sebastian (3^rd General of the Swarm; a.k.a. Wasp) as the future seeker, and Cornelius (4^th General of the Swarm; a.k.a. Scorpion) as the future collector. They all seemed fine with the idea of who they were working with and what job they were given. And they weren't keen on arguing, not since Butterfly instated a threat among his Clan that neglect of duty would result in not only a complete depletion of privilege marks, but a demotion. Demotion among a society of perfectionists and cut-throat competition, that would be worse than death.

The Swarm was certainly the largest of the Clans, but the one with the fewest successes. This was primarily due to a lack of experience among the majority of the Swarm. But it still hurt the Monarch's pride. It makes me look like an incompetent Colonel. Dammit, I'm one of Fauna's elite Colonels. The Monarch stopped to take a breath and admit to himself why he really was upset. She has me wrapped around her finger and we both know it. I hate being forced to depend on her, but there is no way to escape her hold. I'm tied to her in too many ways, ways that only a fellow Colonel would understand. And all of those fools are blissfully oblivious to being no more than our wonderful creator's favorite pets. Why must I hate and love her so? Why can't I be free, be normal? Most of all, why can't I pursue Annie (6^th Captain of the Swarm; a.k.a. Ant)? If only I could sever all my ties to our "beloved" leader…

"Mina, who is that boy over there that has been staring at us?" Celeste asked. Serena and Lita had joined her and Mina once Celeste got her visitor's pass. Serena responded, "Oh that's just Brian." "Yeah. He just transferred and doesn't hang out with anyone cause he can't talk with them. See, he is deaf and mute," Lita added. Celeste contemplated this for a moment. "Why does he come to a public school?" "He is an amazing student, really smart. And I guess he wanted a normal life, which he wouldn't get at one of those specialized schools," Mina pointed out. I can relate. He must be able to read lips, or else there is no way he would be able to survive in school. Now if only I can remember… "Guys, I'd like to meet him." "Why? He can't really communicate except in sign language," Serena stated. "I know enough to get by. There is something about him. I guess I feel a kinship with him, cause he is trying to have a normal life when he is anything but," Celeste admitted. Without further comment, she marched up to Brian, who was watching her come by.

#Hi. I am Celeste. You must be Brian, # she signed and spoke, so that he could read her lips and her hands. #You know sign language?# he surprisedly signed back. She shook her hand in the universal sorta motion. #I mostly know the alphabet. So if you could stick to the basic gestures, and move your lips, we should be fine.# He nodded, a grin crossing his solemn face. Finally, I can communicate with some one. Some one normal. Not some one who either gawks or ignores me. But why is she treating me as an equal? I've seen her friends, some of the most conspicuous girls at school. #Celeste, what is with the outfit?# She acknowledged his question and slowly responded, #I'm home-schooled. My dad travels a lot, so I usually don't have much time to stick around long enough to join a school. I've made a detour here on my jog to visit my dad.# Brian nodded. #How long are you gonna stick around town?# #For a while.# Both gave glad acknowledgement. Brian felt his watch vibrating and checked it to see that lunch was over. As he turned to leave, she grabbed his arm and wrote on his hand her E-mail address. #E-mail me tonight. Okay? I gotta go see my dad, and you got to get back to class. Bye.# And she jogged out of the school. She seems so personable, so nice and friendly and forward. And wonderful. Thank you whatever force sent her my way. Thank you.

Wednesday, March 11

"Michelle, its time." "I know Amara. Its just that I don't want to take her away from Dr. Tomoe again. He loves her so much." "We need the power of Saturn. If it weren't so imperative, I'd wait until the last resort to awaken her. But Hotaru must grow again and once more become Sailor Saturn, the senshi of destruction. Let's get this over with, so that we have one less thing to worry about." Amara started walking off when Michelle pointed out, "Hate to disappoint you, but we agreed to let Luna come with us." "I don't understand why we have to wait for a fleabag." "She was Queen Serenity's trusted advisor and is a mentor to the inner scouts." Sarcastically Amara responds, "and she has done a great job into making them into senshi." A slightly irritated voice from the doorway interjected, "Feel free to tell me how you REALLY feel. In case you don't realize this, the people of my planet were born in cat forms, and could easily become human when we chose. However, with the plague upon my home planet, we lost the ability to revert to human form. And you two will need me to make this much easier on Dr. Tomoe and Hotaru. So if you don't mind, let's move it," Luna primly added. With that said, she ran off towards the Tomoe residence. Michelle gave Amara a 'you should have listened' look. Amara only scowled as they walked off.

I'm so glad I was able to influence Brian's life. In the past three days he seems to have blossomed into a whole new person. Once he followed my suggestion of keeping a palm pilot with him, he is able to converse with others by writing his response. Now he is able to fit in, to a degree, instead of being thought of as part of the scenery. But even I'm surprised by that petition going around school demanding that we start offering sign language as a language. What's even more shocking is that the school is actually thinking about it. But man, that kid is smart. His theories about thought and nerve cells would make a professor do a double take. He is really going to be something when he's an adult. Celeste continued jogging towards the school until she was a block from it. She had made it a habit to visit twice a day, once at lunch and right after school. But that Wednesday she came upon a pair of girls walking with a black cat. That looks like Amara and Michelle with Serena's cat. Luna, that's it. Why? Celeste called out, "Hey. Amara! Michelle! Over here!"

Both girls stopped in midstride and looked at her. It took them a moment to remember who she was, and then they smiled. Michelle puzzled, "Celeste, why aren't you in class?" Celeste laughed, "I'm home-schooled. Most of my classes are correspondence and I have a tutor to help me with the stuff that is hard to figure out straight from the text. So I have most of the day to do as I please. And I've gotten into the habit of visiting Corazónlindo, the high school Serena, Lita and Mina go to, during their lunchtime and right after school. Although, tomorrow I'm going to visit Amy at Mercy, and Friday Raye at Santa Monica's. I forgot to ask you two, which high school you go to?" Amara smirked and replied, "You certainly seem to have a busier schedule than most would expect. Michelle and I go to Miracielo." "Oh, I've heard of that one. Isn't it the one on the top of the hill with all the skylights and windows and that marvelous observatory?" Michelle replied "Yeah, that's it. We each only have 5 periods cause Amara and I got enough tons of credit during our Freshman and Sophomore years. And since Amara does track and cross-country, she isn't required to take PE, and since I've taken college level art classes since I was eight, it is unnecessary for me to take any electives."

"I see," Celeste replied as she started to pet Luna's chin. Luna was purring softly with her eyes closed. "How come Serena's cat is with you?" Amara and Michelle exchanged glances. "We found Luna outside our school, so we are keeping an eye on her while we visit a friend," Michelle started. Amara continued, "And as soon as we awaken our friend from her nap, we plan on bringing Luna back to Serena's." Michelle looks like she fears I'll offer to drop Luna off, and Amara looks like that is exactly what she wants. That crescent moon on the forehead must mean that Luna is like Artemis. That explains a lot. You'd think they would notice that they are right at the school Serena attends at the time school is about to end. Then again, even they admit they aren't that observant. I think I'll humor Michelle. Sorry Amara. "Well, it was nice seeing you two. I'm about to be late if I don't finish my jog. Sometime you should introduce me to your friend." A relieved Michelle replied, "Sure. And when you see the other girls, feel free to let them know that we've gone to see Hotaru. Bye, it was nice talking to you." "Bye kid." "Bye."

Celeste was walking backwards as she waved at them, and when she turned around to start jogging again, she bumped into someone coming out of a red convertible. Celeste stumbled into him. Serena must be rubbing off on me. Man, that was embarrassing. Celeste pulled her hair out of her face and started to apologize. "I am so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going. And now I've gotten you all sweaty. It was entirely accidental. And…" Only then did Celeste get a good look at the guy she ran into. And the only way she could think of to describe him was the cliché: a tall, dark, and handsome stranger. Celeste shook her head and smiled. "Sorry, I guess the stumble jolted my brains and your appearance dazed me for a moment," she honestly said. "Oh, I didn't mean to be that blunt. Oh… I think I need to stop babbling." He smiled gently and with amusement, "It's alright. I should have looked before getting out of my car. And you aren't that sweaty." "Don't bother making the blow gentler. I'm sweaty. It's a fact. Anyway, I'm Celeste. And you are…" "Darien."

Start playing song: "You Gotta Be" performed by Des'reé.

So this must be Serena's boyfriend. Then I guess he is off-limits. Oh well. It wouldn't have resulted in more than one date anyway. Besides, he seems to try softening criticism. Not something I'd want. "Darien, do you know a group of girls named Raye, Mina, Amy, Lita. And especially Serena." Startled, he answered, "Yeah. Serena is my girlfriend, and the girls are our friends." "Knew it. Serena had gone on and on and on about you. Why are you here?" "She's been complaining lately how I don't do anything for her lately cause of my school work. And since my afternoon classes got canceled for the week, I figured I'd treat her and the girls to a trip to the concert she's been wanting to go to on Friday. On the drive to her house, I'm going to reveal the good news." "That's such a sweet thing to do. Remind me, when I end up getting a steady boyfriend, to whine and complain like Serena does to get her way," she joked.

He groaned, "Please don't. It's bad enough when it is just Serena, but when Rini comes home… Ugh. Basically my free will vanishes. And I don't think many guys would appreciate another girl like that." "I was joking, but good point. And, who's Rini?" Darien looked nervous. I need to be a little more careful what I say around her. After all, she isn't one of the scouts, nor even a sailor senshi. I can't say that Rini is our future daughter, let alone our daughter. That just wouldn't make sense. Would Serena rather be referred to as her sister, cousin, or guardian? Oh, I'll let her figure this out later. For now, Rini is just a blood relation to Serena. Nothing of a lie there. No need to mention that Rini is also related to me.

"Rini is a relation of Serena's, who is currently back visiting her parents. But the two of them are two of a kind." "That is a scary notion. No offense, but I can't imagine the world being able to handle that many Serenas." "I know exactly what you mean," he agreed.Odd, this girl reminds me of Serena in a way. Not that their personalities seem to be particularly alike, but still. And, she is quite attractive. Not likely I'll find any guy that'd disagree with that assessment. She just seems so familiar… That's crazy. She is just a long time friend of Mina. Despite having the same eyes and bangs that Serena has. This is ridiculous, she is nothing like Serena. Except stumbling into me. I don't feel any romantic interest in her, more of I feel like I need to protect her. The way a brother protects his sister. At least, I think that's what I feel…

Why does he seem to be in such an internal struggle? There isn't much evidence in his expression or posture. But in his eyes it is all to clear. Those deep blue eyes. Okay, I admit it, I find him physically attractive. But I don't feel any pull towards his personality. While he seems to be charming and sweet and devoted, I don't want I guy to be obsessed with me on the level he is with Serena. My dream guy would never put up with my bossing him around. Though something about the shape of his face, and that hair, remind me of someone. A person I can't quite remember. Must be some guy I had a crush on or dated a few years back. That's it. A familiar whoosh and landing on her shoulder interrupted her and Darien's thoughts. "Hello sweetie," she greeted in a baby voice. "What is that?" Darien demanded. "Don't speak so harshly; and close your mouth, you look like a gaping fool. Not that that isn't a correct assessment at the moment. And this ball of feathers is Phoebe, my dove. Think of her as my familiar." A loud ringing coming from the school told Celeste and Darien that school was out at Corazónlindo High School. Celeste felt her heart warm as she spotted Brian surrounded by people who were fighting for his attention. She waved at him to get his attention, since shouting his name would have been futile. He looked in her direction and smiled, and then his face came withdrawn for some reason. Celeste said bye to Darien, and ran up to Brian.

#Hi stranger. What's with the look on you face? And don't lie, you developed a very expressive face to aid communication.# Celeste signed to him. He sighed and wrote on his palm pilot 'Bye you guys. See you tomorrow.' Then he turned to her and gave her a strained smile. #How was your day?# he signed, avoiding her question. #Good. I ran into a pair of friends of mine. Those two girls are such sweethearts. And I finally met Serena's boyfriend Darien, that big lug over there# and she pointed at Darien. She noticed how he seemed relieved and his smile became more genuine. Not again. How is it that every guy I try to be friends with decides that they are in love with me? How can I discourage him? Oddly, Phoebe started fidgeting on her shoulder and seemed to be staring at Darien. That gave Celeste an idea. Thank you sweetheart. I don't know what I'd do without you. #Brian, I just remembered something I need to ask Darien. Wait here with Phoebe. I'll be back in a minute#

Celeste ran off to where Serena was hanging on Darien's arm while talking with Lita and Mina. "Hey guys. I need to ask Darien a favor, having to do with something going on Friday. Can I get a moment alone?" Serena started to look jealous, but Mina was going on how Celeste was probably asking advice for a future date with Arthur. Lita winked at Celeste as she helped to shoo away Serena. "Darien, you know how you have those concert tickets." "I thought this would have something to do with the concert." "Anyway, I was wondering, how many tickets do you have?" "Twelve. One for myself, five for Serena and the girls, two for Amara and Michelle, two for my friend Andrew and his sister Lizzie, and two for Molly and Melvin."

"Oh. I was hoping you had two extras. You see that guy over there with Phoebe?" At Darien's nod she continued, "For some reason, he seems to have developed a crush on me. Thing is that I date a lot of guys casually, and generally it doesn't result in more than one date. I want to keep Brian as just a friend, and either rejecting him or leading him on would ruin it. So I was hoping to go to the concert and bring him along and do everything I can to make him not want me as an object of desire."

Darien held up his hands. "I've followed you so far, but how will going to the concert get him to stop liking you?" "He'd expect me to pay attention to him cause he wouldn't be able to enjoy the concert. He is deaf and mute. If I happened to be wild and ignore him and basically flirt with the girls, I think it would work. He would realize that I'm unobtainable for him. And I have a feeling Amara and Michelle would especially enjoy flirting with me." Darien grinned. "You're right about that," then soberly added, "But this is deceptive. Are you sure you don't want to be more direct and honest." Celeste shook her head sadly. "I wish I could. But whenever I've tried that with guys I want as just friends, they avoid me and start hating me. Let's put it this way, how would you feel if a girl you found attractive and you knew dated a bunch of guys rejected you with the cliché line, 'I want to just be friends'? It would make you feel unattractive and ashamed. I don't want to do that to Brian. He's only now breaking his cocoon, and I just know that he can't take rejection well at the moment." "I haven't told anyone about the concert except you, since one of my professors gave then to me this morning. So, I don't see any harm in not telling Molly and Melvin that I was going to invite them." Celeste looked so happy when he said that. "Thank you so much. This is so kind of you when you barely know me," and she quickly gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you again. I really appreciate this and I'll pay you back somehow. Oh yeah, I talked to Amara and Michelle earlier. They suggested I let you guys know they're awakening a friend of theirs." Darien soberly queried, "Hotaru?" "That's the name. I gotta go and start setting up 'operation deception'. Thanks again." And Celeste skipped back to Brian.

Serena marched over and was screaming, "Darien, why were you so friendly with Celeste!" "Serena, it wasn't what you think. I guess I'll have to ruin my surprise. You know that concert on Friday?" Serena cheered up immediately, "You got us tickets, just the two of us. Oh Darien, you are so romantic…" "Actually I have twelve tickets. So that way we can go with our friends. And Celeste asked me if she could have two of them." Lita added, "Aww, that is so cute. She is going out on a date with Brian." Mina demanded, "And she didn't tell me. She had better have a lot of explanations ready when I get through with her."

Darien held up his hands to stop them from continuing that assumption. "It's actually the opposite. Celeste thinks that Brian is falling in love with her and she wants to keep it a friendship. She figures that not paying attention to him at a place where he is going to have nothing to do, her going wild, and her… uh… flirting with you girls will deter him." Lita and Serena gaped at what he just said, but Mina started laughing. "Typical Celeste. When the direct way isn't favorable, she comes up with the most devious schemes. We should all be grateful she doesn't like hurting and manipulating people, or else we would all be at her mercy. And Darien, when were you planning on telling us about the concert?" Serena piped in with a "yeah, when were you going to tell us?" "Today while giving you a ride home." Lita steamed, "That wouldn't have been enough time to get everyone informed." And Darien spent the rest of his day caught between criticism and an irritating amount of gratitude. Only when they met up with Raye and Amy at the arcade did he remember what Celeste said about Hotaru.

Stop playing song

"Daddy, someone's coming," Hotaru said. Dr. Tomoe smiled at her, his sole reason for living. I wish I could remember what happened before the hospital. All I know is that I was a geneticist and that I owned the Muegen school, and that Hotaru is my daughter. And while I love her, there is something odd about her. Almost a year ago she was a baby. But it seems that every two months she grows another year. And her mind grows twice as fast. But my heart melts every time I see those stubborn purple eyes. She must have gotten them from my wife. I know I was once married, I still have the ring, but I can't remember her. I'm told she died many years ago, but that doesn't make sense about Hotaru. My wife must have died in what caused Hotaru and I to end up in the hospital. I've started to get my life back together, rebuilding the school, going over my old notes on my experiments. But why does Hotaru grow so fast, and why does she have that odd ability to heal people? And most importantly, why does she weaken so easily?

Who's coming sweetheart?" She turned away from the window and matter of factly stated, "Some old friends. The ladies who brought me to you." Dr. Tomoe was startled that she knew that two girls brought her back to him. His instinctive reaction was to be nervous that they'd take her away from him. But he calmed himself down and figured they just wanted to see how the two of them were fairing. "How do you know that two ladies brought you to me, and that they are coming now?" She just shrugged and went back to looking out the window. "I'll be down in the lab. Don't answer the door when they come, instead run and get me. Go it Sweet Pea?" She looked offended that he didn't think she could handle it, but a moment later she smiled and nodded.

Hotaru waited, staring out the window. An hour later her waiting paid off, cause she saw them coming. She leaped up from the window seat and ran to the lab. Her dad was feeding the rats he was using in his current experiment. "Daddy, they are coming up the driveway now. Hurry up, I want to see them." He quickly closed the cage door. He ran up to the front door just as the doorbell rang. He turned to Hotaru and said, "Sweet Pea, the ladies might be startled seeing how much you've grown. I want you to stay in the closet until I tell you otherwise. Promise me." She agreed and he kissed her on the crown of her head. He then shooed her into the closet and closed it. He then checked the peephole of the door. There were two girls with a cat. He recognized the girls from the hospital. He then opened it wide open and said, "I never thought I'd see the two of you again. Come in." They smiled, and the blonde girl held the door for the aqua haired girl to walk in.

"We never introduced ourselves. I am Michelle Kaiou, and this is my friend Amara Ten'ou. We wanted to see how you and Hotaru are fairing." "We are doing fine. Now, what brings you here?" Amara commented, "We wanted to ask some questions about her. Have you noticed anything strange about her, like a rapid growth and the ability to heal?" Dr. Tomoe gasped and nervously asked, "How did you know?" Michelle sighed, "Cause that is her nature. Have you heard of the Sailor senshi? Most likely you've heard of Sailor Moon or Sailor V." "The name sounds familiar… But what does this have to do with Hotaru?" "Michelle and myself are Sailor Neptune and Uranus. And Hotaru is Sailor Saturn, the senshi of earth and destruction. The senshi of the Silent planet. We have come to awaken the power of Sailor Saturn." Dr. Tomoe was struggling with his words. "But why do you want to take her? Why must she become a soldier?" Michelle gently said, "We aren't taking her away from you. She is the most powerful of the senshi within our galaxy, and we are coming against on enemy that is strong. Strong enough that there isn't even a hope of survival without the aid of Saturn."

Dr. Tomoe still didn't quite believe them. Then Luna finally piped in, "There is no way you'll believe us without any proof. So I must use the Luna Mind Meld." "The cat talked. I'm going crazy. My sweet little girl is suppose to be a powerful warrior, she is suppose to fight evil, and there is a talking cat." Luna then had a beam a light come from her forehead. Dr. Tomoe then saw images showing him what had happened to cause the accident, how he sold his and Hotaru's bodies to the Heart Snatchers. How Hotaru became the Sovereign of Silence when Mistress Nine took over her body. How Hotaru regained her body, but not before Pharaoh Ninety was crossing over to this dimension. How Hotaru became Sailor Saturn and sacrificed herself to save the world. Dr. Tomoe cried out, "Stop it, she will not die again for a thankless fight!" But then he saw how Sailor Moon saved her. How Hotaru was friends with another senshi, Sailor Mini Moon. How Hotaru was happy for the first time in years because of that friendship. Then he saw that Saturn was the senshi of rebirth, and that she always came back. And that Hotaru would not change a bit, and that Saturn would be practically a separate person.

"I see that there is no way I can change your minds. But let Hotaru decide if she is to become Sailor Saturn once more. I will not stand in your way if she agrees. But if she decides not to, then you are to never speak the word senshi around her, let alone see her. Agreed." Amara and Michelle were exchanging looks while Luna said, "Of course. And we will let Hotaru see both the good and the bad of being a senshi. But it is her destiny, as Princess Saturn, member of Princess Serena's, of the Moon, Court. And I am sure she will be glad to see Rini once more." "Yes. I remember vaguely how happy she was when she befriended that girl. Hotaru, it is all right to come out now. Hotaru?" Dr. Tomoe opened the closet door to find Hotaru asleep. He scooped her up in his arms and brought her over to the couch, where he laid her down. After setting her down, he gently woke her up. "Sweetling, the ladies want to talk with you. They will show you some images, and you'll need to decide if you'd like to live those images or not." She drowsily nodded.

After Hotaru saw all the images, she instantly said, "I must. It is my duty as a princess of Saturn. And Rini wouldn't be happy if I didn't come back." Suddenly, the symbol of Saturn glowed on her forehead. A henshin stick appeared before her, and as Hotaru touched it, she instantly aged to 12. She smiled as she tucked the henshin stick in her pocket. "My age balance is back to normal. Daddy, now you won't have to worry about me growing too fast. When can I see Rini again?" Hotaru asked with anticipation. Luna promptly responded, "In a few days. She is back visiting her parents…" at Hotaru's puzzled look, Luna continued, "Rini is from the future, daughter of Neo Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo and Kind Endymion of Earth." Hotaru's face was still blank. Amara put in, "Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask's daughter in a thousand years." "Oh, now I get it. So Rini is now in the future. And she will come back, right?" Michelle stated "she comes back to our time to get training as a Sailor senshi. Besides, we need all the senshi we can get."

Friday, March 13 (yes, Friday the thirteenth)

So, that's our target, Sebastian (3^rd General of the Swarm; a.k.a. Wasp) thought to himself. Wonder how a kid who is deaf and mute going to have a Bright Future. Then again, I'm not the one who determines what types of Futures people will have. Now comes the hard part, getting the kid to trust me enough to let his guard down. Then the rest of this mission is all Cornelius's (4^th General of the Swarm; a.k.a. Scorpion), and I can get back to that beautiful petty minion that is waiting for me in my suite. Sebastian got his inspiration a moment later, a piece of a ratty newspaper was blowing by in the wind. Got it. Now I've only got the only execution left. He reached in his pocket for a remote and a microchip. He inserted the microchip into the remote and pressed a couple of numbers. He then took out the microchip and held it up. His current ensemble reshaped into something a reporter would wear. He was then in a black suit with a white and black vertically striped shirt and a bright yellow tie; in his hand was a handheld tape recorder and a pad of paper and a pen.Perfect.

Sebastian then marched up the doorway and rang the doorbell. The lights in the house started to flash. House must be short-circuited. A moment later a kid who was dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt opened the door, who looked disappointed as he saw who was there. He grabbed a palm pilot and wrote: 'We aren't interested in buying anything. Sorry.' I keep forgetting the kid can't hear or speak. "I am not a salesperson. I am a reporter," Sebastian said with care enunciating every word. The kid looked interested and nodded for him to go on. "I was hoping to interview how a kid with disabilities like you is dealing with trying to be a normal kid. You interested." The kid paused for a moment before nodding his head vigorously. "So, when should we get started?" The kid grabbed the palm pilot and wrote: 'Not now. I'm heading to a concert in a few minutes.' Sebastian quickly said, "Oh that is perfect. My colleague Cornelius is covering the concert tonight. He can talk to you there so that way we can get this article printed as soon as possible, I'll leave him a description of you. Is that okay?" The kid hesitated before nodding. They waved bye to each other. This was so easy. How could Natalie and Warvus mess up something so simple? Then again, it is Natalie and Warvus. Now I can sit back and relax, while Cornelius and Richard do the rest.

"Chad, I really appreciate you giving us a ride to the concert." "No problem Celeste. A friend of mine is a security guard for the band. She agreed to get as many back stage passes as I want." "I still appreciate this. And it is very kind of you to also give Brian a ride." Raye put in, "Of course he agreed. Like I would give him a choice in the matter. But I still don't understand why you invited Brian if he can't hear." Celeste gave an exasperated sigh. "He decided to fall in love with me and I figure giving him minimal attention and flirting with… Amara and Michelle, will get him to decide on his own that I am not desirable." Chad turned around and scolded, "That is really cruel to do. Playing games with his heart. I hope you realize that a guy's heart is very precious."

Raye screamed, "Chad, look at the road! You are going to get us killed! And then what will you do?" Celeste interrupted, "There isn't much you can do once your dead. And Chad, my hearing skills are good enough that I can listen to you with your eyes still on the road. And I am not playing games with his heart! I'm not attracted to him and I don't want him to feel dejected because I generally date guys once and never speak to them again. That is not something I want with him. I just want to have a couple of stable friendships, including some guys." "I still think it is cruel…" Raye put in, "Chad, stay out of it. Celeste, I think you have the right intentions. And it would be cruel to lead him on, and from what I've heard, rejection could ruin him." "Thank you for understanding. Chad, his house is suppose to be the third one on the left. I'll go up and ring the doorbell."

"Over here!" Raye looked around and found Darien and Serena waving at them from a spot on the lawn. With them was Lita, Amy, Mina, and Andrew. Raye waved back, and then shoved Chad to carry their stuff in that direction. Chad grunted as he lagged behind the three he gave rides to. Celeste inquired, purposely having her back towards Brian so he couldn't read her lips, "So who else are we waiting for?" Mina quickly replied, "Amara, Michelle, and Hotaru. Who of course are fashionably late, or least it will be if they get here within the next-" "Thirty seconds. Hello Mina, Celeste, everyone," Michelle softly said. Amara gave a quick nod of her head (more of a slight thrust with her chin) to acknowledge herself in the greeting. Raye smiled widely at them, and then softened her smile at their companion. "Hotaru, glad to see you again, and in good health," Raye greeted. Hotaru smiled shyly. I guess she is getting used to the idea of being one of us again. "I am really glad that you all decided to include me, considering how much younger I am." Amy piped in, "Hotaru, you should know that doesn't make any difference to us. We all enjoy your company." Lita continued, "Yeah, and hopefully next time Rini will also be around."

Brian was starting to look uncomfortable, cause no one seemed to keep in mind his disability. When no one introduced him to everyone, he stomped his foot to get their attention and then signed (and lipsynced) #Hello. It is nice to meet everyone. My name is Brian.# Because Brian talked (lipsynced) well enough that he was understood, everyone who didn't know Brian turned to him so that way he could read their lips. And they all said with care "Hi Brian, nice to meet you." Brian looked expectantly at Celeste to introduce him to everyone, but she was off talking with Amara and Michelle. Oddly, Celeste's body language was leaning towards them, her standing just a bit too close, and seeming to touch their hands and shoulders a few times more than normal conversation required. But Brian quickly dismissed Celeste's behavior due to that they were close friends.

The entire group was in their own personal side conversations, waiting for the actual concert to start. All except for Brian, and Hotaru. Hotaru came silently to him and asked, "Why are you at a concert?" For a moment, Brian thought he read her lips wrong. He recovered quickly and wrote on his palm pilot: 'Celeste invited me to come; I didn't really think I'd be left out this much.' Hotaru nodded sympathetically, for she was the only one unaware of Celeste's hidden plan. "Do you know everyone?" Brian shook his head and wrote:Only Celeste, Serena, Lita, Mina, and Darien. "Well, I'm Hotaru. The green haired girl is Michelle and the tomboyish girl is her friend Amara. Oh, and the blonde guy is Andrew, the black haired girl is Raye. And the one with the short blue hair is Amy. Did you follow me?" Brian nodded. He then went to repeat who everyone was.

Hotaru smiled, and started to enjoy talking with someone who didn't treat her like a little kid. But who is this Celeste girl to be so mean to this sweet guy? He seems to really like her, and all she does is ignore him for a conversation with Amara and Michelle. And in a place where he is totally awkward. Hotaru glanced at the blonde-haired girl with black braids, wearing a white halter top to complement her tan skin and orange and red pinstriped capris. Hotaru started to take a dislike for this girl, not like the way she had felt towards Kaorinite, but that she would find it hard to respect Celeste. Another part of her mind prodded that Celeste might have a good reason to be so mean to Brian. But Hotaru hushed that part of her mind. And went back to giving her full attention to some of Brian's theories on nerve cells and devices. "You should talk to daddy sometime. He is a geneticist. Both of you would enjoy it." His eyes brightened, making Hotaru realize how much he thrives on attention. There is no way Celeste has a good reason for doing this. No way.

It was only fifteen minutes into the concert, and Celeste was feeling like scum. I should thank Hotaru later for giving him attention, since there is no possible way I can without encouraging his romantic feelings for me. Although, I somehow feel cold inside when I stand near her. She seems like such a darling person, but I feel myself starting to feel dizzy and my vision fades when she stands near me. Oh forget it. You are putting to much thought into it. I'm probably just allergic to her perfume or something. Although, I've never had any allergies before, since I always loved being outside in the sunlight as a child. Still do. Stop it Celeste. Over analyzing things right now isn't going to be productive. All it will do is make you paranoid. Celeste felt really guilty, and she wished she could do something to make Brian feel productive. Suddenly an idea came to her.

Celeste walked up to Brian and asked #Would you mind going to buy some drinks? There are venders over there. Here, I'll give you the money to go.# Brian looked surprised for a moment and then pushed her hand holding out the money away. #Of course I'll get drinks for everyone. But it will be my treat. Ask them what they want. And I'll need an extra pair of arms to carry all of them.# He signed back, a hopeful look on his face as he asked about the extra arms. Celeste smiled gratefully at him, and as she turned to walk back to the rest of the group, panicked thoughts went through her head. But conveniently Lita offered to go along with Brian, claiming that she was getting a mild headache from the music. Celeste winked at her when she said that. "Of course you have a headache," she teased. Then seriously "Thank you. I really appreciate this. Lita, you are a true friend." Lita seemed to beam from the complement, and hurriedly went with Brian to get the drinks.

Celeste then went to sit next to Hotaru. Hotaru stiffened and tried to pay attention to the huge screens. "I haven't officially introduced myself. I'm Celeste. And I really appreciate you paying attention to Brian. It breaks my heart that I have to remain indifferent to him." Hotaru gave her a cold stare, then said, "Why are you being so cruel to him? You are the only other person here who knows sign language, and you invited him. That should mean that you would hang out with him. Instead, you choose to ignore him. Why?" Celeste was a little startled. "Didn't anyone tell you why I'm doing this?" at Hotaru's lifted eyebrows she continued, "I met Brian this week, and since I know enough sign language to speak with him, I've helped him to break out of his shell. I guess he misinterpretted my actions, cause he appears to be infatuated with me. I don't want to break his heart if I go on one date and it doesn't work out. And telling him gently could ruin him. You've seen how much he depends on every scrap of attention." "Yes. I see your reasons to an extent. But why are you draping yourself over Amara and Michelle?" Celeste blushed slightly. "I wouldn't say I'm draping over them. But I figured Brian would think that I'm not attracted to guys from my behavior tonight. And Amara and Michelle seem to be getting a kick out of it. And I see Brian and Lita coming back. Gotta go!"

She then ran the few feet to where the rest of the group were hanging out. She quickly sat down by the closest girl, Raye. "Play along with what I do. I promise, this is just for my charade. And the more you play along, the more he ideas he'll get. Got it Raye?" Raye hesitantly nodded and Celeste sprawled out, putting her head on Raye's lap. Raye was startled at first, but she saw how close Brian and Lita were to the group, she improvised by stroking Celeste's head. Celeste smiled gratefully as the rest of the group either smothered giggles or made disapproving noises. When Brian came to about 5 feet away, he stopped in his tracks and looked with dismay. He hurriedly put the drinks by their blanket, and then rushed to sit by Hotaru's side.

Lita looked a little surprised and then commented, "You two make such a cute couple." Raye sniped back, "Oh be quiet. This is just for Celeste's sake." Mina piped in, "Are you sure? The two of you look picture perfect." Serena then jibed, "Chad aren't you getting jealous?" Both Raye and Chad started blushing. Celeste cut in, "If I were you, I'd quit before she really gets mad. And while I'm not the violent type, I wouldn't give that same assurance for Raye." And that was how they spent the rest of the first half of the concert. Exchanging mild jabs, stopping one set of teasing only to have someone else bring up a new set.

"I must get up and stretch. Anyone want to come with me for a quick walk? Intermission won't end for another ten minutes." The only person to volunteer was Amy. They were weaving between the groups of people when they noticed a bunch of people getting high and drinking. Amy was disgusted, but Celeste walked up to them. "Dude, mind giving me a joint?" The teenagers that were moving like idiots didn't hear her. Only one did. "Sure kid. Take as much as you want." "Cool, man." Celeste grabbed a bunch of the drugs from the stash on the ground while Amy stared at her in shock.

They walked a few steps before Amy yelled, "Are you crazy? That stuff is dangerous. It could kill you. The fumes can cause cancer in all sorts of places." Celeste soberly responded, "Trust me, I've seen the affects drugs can have on people. You forget, I've grown up surrounded by the fashion and modeling industries. Too many of the talented ones started taking drugs. That ruined their lives, even the ones that survived the overdoses. I took these to trash them. This way someone has that much less chance to destroy their life." Amy was surprised. Celeste sounded about as passionate as she gets. I never would have thought of doing this. Celeste seems to be very honest, but she does manipulate people a tad. She does actions that are questionable, but them coming from her and her intentions seem the right thing to do. She seems to have the bigger good in mind. Despite being cruel to be kind.

All these filthy humans, making fools of what little intelligence they possess. Now, where is that damn kid. I'm supppose to be looking for a deaf and mute kid in a T and jeans. One would think that Sebastian possessed enough wit to give a little more detailed description. But he was probably impatient enough to not pay that much attention to the target. Oh, he had his reasons. Both of us were pushed into this mission against our wills. I personally would have preferred a girl. They tend to have kinky Futures, or at least they did on the last planet. Wonder what this target's future suppose to be.

Some wild gestures caught Cornelius's eye, gestures that were made just with the arms, so it couldn't be dancing. Cornelius strutted towards the kid, when a person was slammed into him. Cornelius was ready to hurt the person when he saw that it was a teenage girl with short blue hair and blue eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry sir. The crowd seemed to have pushed me into you. But it was my fault for losing my balance." Then a blonde girl with black braids that were put into a bun exclaimed, "Are you okay Amy? I tried to prevent this, but my efforts failed. Sorry mister. We'll be leaving you alone." And the two girls walked away before Cornelius built up enough rage to lash out at them. He calmed down until he saw a drunk laughing like… a drunk. Cornelius dug his nails into the guy's face as he walked by. Too bad I couldn't have done that to the brat who dared to touch me. Although, she was cute in a studious way. And then Cornelius reached his target.

Celeste got a headache when she talked with the man they ran into. While the curly brown hair and dull pink eyes gave the man an attractive flare, she instinctively didn't like him. And when she met these type of people, she generally got headaches. A minute later, they heard a big commotion coming from where the group was. Celeste's headache intensified what seemed a billionfold. All she could feel was pain behind her eyes, in her temples, and every nerve in her head was burning with pain. She collapsed on her knees and shut her eyes as she screamed out in pain. Why is this happening again? Last time this happened was late Sunday night, the same day I arrived and went to that coffee shop. These headaches never happened beforehand. Everyone was running away from something, and only a few people paused to look at her. Celeste was fortunate that she wasn't trampled. She was just starting to give another in her series of screams, when she heard a whoosh. Celeste started to notice that the pain was slowly ebbing. When Celeste finally opened her eyes, she saw a familiar face. "What on earth are you doing here Phoebe…"

The Sailor senshi had run away along with the crowd long enough to find a spot that was safe to transform. They urged Darien to lead Andrew away to the parking lot. Venus and Saturn were among the first to head back to where Scorpion (4^th General of the Swarm) was hovering over Brian. Brian was covered by a glowing gray mist, and Scorpion was pressing buttons on a weird machine. They heard a muttered curse as Scorpion made the device disappear. Sailor Moon did her speech, "Stop right there you fiend. That is a brilliant young man who shouldn't be picked on for having a disability. I am Sailor Moon, the defender of love and justice. In the name of the Moon I will punish you for harming someone with such a bright future." Scorpion looked startled, "Kid, you have no idea how right you are. Since this device isn't working, I guess I got to kill him."

Mars stated, "Not if I can help. In the name of the fire of Mars, I am Sailor Mars."

"Sailor Mercury is my name, and you shall be doused in water and repent."

"Sailor Jupiter is storming in, ready to rain on your parade"

"Venus, strutting on stage. For harming this lovesick teen you shall see the harsher side of love and beauty."

"Invited by a new age, we are the magnificent and elegant Sailor Uranus and Neptune. You shall see the wrath of the Heavens and Ocean."

" I am the melancholic warrior... Sailor Saturn. Senshi of destruction."

"Well, well. It seems like it is a whole party here. Odd, I don't remember inviting so many to the after party. I guess it is time to boot out the drop-ins. Tail Strike!" and suddenly a scorpion tail appeared. It struck at the closest senshi, who happened to be Mars and Saturn. The tail quickly stung at their torsos, causing them to be tossed back and fall on their knees in pain. Both of them were bleeding rapidly. This happened so fast that no one had a chance to react. Then Jupiter called out, "Jupiter Oak Evolution" and golden leaves flew at Scorpion, who let them hit him, causing no apparent impact. "You think that a couple of twigs will hurt me?" All the senshi proceeded to use their strongest attacks (except Sailor Moon, who had no attack she could use), all failing. "I thought this might have been a worthy fight. I guess I was wrong. I'll let my Petty Minion handle you. This isn't worth my time." He threw a wire wring on the ground, where a figure appeared. "Meet Cicada, chosen by Cricket himself." The figure looked like a bug man with a stout body, a wide blunt head, and large transparent wings. Then Scorpion exited using the guitar pick like object.

Saturn was working on healing herself and Mars while the others were getting ready to attack. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" was called out as a golden heart flew at Cicada, who started to flutter the wings to blow the attack back on Venus. "AHH!!! That hurt! I'm too injured to do much good right now. I feel... like taking a nap." Sailor Moon rushed by Venus's side, trying to keep Venus conscious. Uranus figured it would be a good idea to use her attack on Cicada, since her element was Sky and Wind. "Uranus Ground Shaking!" "Neptune Deep Submerge!" and both attacks combined to create a double blast. But Cicada flew up into the air, causing the attack to continue until it hit Jupiter and Mercury. Cicada looked smirk in the air "Now it is my turn. Cicada Winds!" And suddenly huge gusts of wind blew down on all the scouts until the were flat against the ground. "Cicada Song!" and a loud, shrill noise brought all the senshi to curl up in fetal positions as they covered their ears. The noise seemed to invoke the body's cells to attack itself. Everyone was started to scream and moan. Everyone but Saturn. She stood up and the Silence Glaive appeared in her hands. "You reap what you sow. And right now, you can think of me as the Grim Reaper. Your executioner. With the power of Saturn, I shall silence you…"

In the distance Celeste watched what was happening. She saw Saturn defeat Cicada, and then proceed to heal her fellow senshi. Celeste wasn't surprised who she saw them detransform into. "I guess I was right Phoebe. This is worth noting for future reference. Not that I'd be likely to forget this. Now would be a good time to see how Brian is doing, and come clean with him. I don't think he'd be able to handle much worry right now. Hard to believe that Hotaru and Saturn are the same person, but that cold killer must be what I instinctively didn't like about her. It has to be…"

Fauna grimaced as she heard how the Bright Fate Dimmer malfunctioned. But she had a hundred extras. And at least this time, my underling didn't runaway in fear like a coward. Too bad Cicada got destoyed, but oh well. It should have been Warvus or better yet, Annie. That little whore may pretend to be loyal, but she seems to forget who she is messing with. Playing all those sick mind games on M Butterfly is disgusting. Fauna turned to her guest. "I think it is time to introduce you to the rest of the Evolites. They should know who our earthling informant is, so they know who to look for. I'll call a Summoning tomorrow evening. Unless you have plans." "That should be fine Lady Fauna. I am eager to meet your Clans. Even more eager to share my knowledge with them."

Hoped you enjoyed the first three chapters of the Solar Revolution. I am really proud of the depth of this episode. Keep reading =^ )
Love, Sailor Eeveon Girl 3/17/01       PS- E-mail is always welcome, at [email protected]